Chapter 2- The Bet

Chapter 2

Brandon left the kitchen turned down the hallway way and headed for the central stair case. The entire house though silent felt far too familiar now, too much like home. The front door was open as it always was in the mid-days hours to signal to the other Leopards in the Clan that Mantilo was always available as Clan head. Brandon passed the doorway, put his hand on the rail of the stair case and just as he started up the steps a ferocious snarl tore down the hallway to his left. He jumped hard.

The sound vibrated though Brandon, too familiar, it lit up his blood and instantly he knew that it was Ezekiel growling.

Powerful, but playful the snarl forced Brandon's heart beat to speed up. He tilted his head up and tested the different currents in the air. He caught the feel of the home and the clean wood, but along with that he sensed the residue of slight energies of Ezekiels brothers. Not knowing what he would find Brandon turned, hopped down the three steps that he had barely managed to ascend and headed in the direction the snarl had come from.

The hallway he came to was different from the other halls in the Guardians home and it was the first hallway that he had yet to traverse in his weeks in the mansion.

The walls were pure white with no pictures of plants or fruit. In other words Glens hands hadn't touched it.

The hall felt strict, focused and swirled with an old essence the tasted purely of Ezekiel and his Brothers and even the heavy hint of their father Mantilo.

Brandon didn't have to walk far, the hall was pretty short, but at the end of it he saw a red glass door with a metal bar across it. The red glass kept him from seeing what was in the other room, but the closer he got, the stronger the buzz of life grew. Finally as Brandon came abreast of the door he saw simple black letters glued to the glass.

It simply read Sparing Center.

Brandon pushed on the metal bar and as the door swung inward he walked into the room on the other side.

The first thing he saw and sensed was Walter and Ezekiel.

They were both shirtless. Wearing only loose black sweats and standing on top of a huge blue matt in the middle of the room. The walls were pure white and stone, while the floor was wooden and the roof was mostly glass that let sharp morning sunlight shine down into the sparing area..

Far out in the room strapped to a table Brandon could see various weapons. Serious weapons for close and long combat. And back towards the windows there were weights and after that a snack counter situated next to an old looking cooler, but Brandon didn't have much interest in checking out the room, his heart beat spiked as the smell and sense of Ezekiel rushed into his lungs.

He could see him across the room. He was facing Walter. The two Guardians were in crouches, hands out to their sides as they circled each other. The energy in the room was wild, but contained and Brandon knew that the two guardians were in Mid-Shift. Claws and teeth flashing. Brandon couldn't see their hands or eyes, but he knew that if he could see them both of their eyes would be glowing and that their hands would be tipped with claws.

Ezekiels back was too the door so it was easy to spot the giant bloody claw marks across his shoulder and lower back. The marks didn't seem deep to Brandon, but fresh blood was running down Ezekiels bareback and staining the cuff of his jeans. Walter also had blood running down both of his arms and a line of crimson running from a small cut just above his left eye.

Beyond the buzz of life and energies in the room was the smell. The smell of Ezekiels blood and sweat, a heady mix of copper and pine, was making the hairs on Brandon's neck stand on end. The energy inside of him fluttered against his barriers. Hard.

The way it always did now, whenever he was in the same vicinity as Ezekiel. He couldn't fathom why that was happening or why the energy inside seemed to go wild around the guardian, but since hed already decided to stay far far away from Ezekiel so with a sigh Brandon began to pull back out of the door.

"HEY BRANDON!?" Nate's voice rang out stopping him.

Brandon cursed, turned back in the doorway and spotted Ezekiels older brothers. Nate and Lander, also shirtless, were sitting back a ways from the current fight. Leaned back against the wall far to the right. Both of the brothers had bloody towels wrapped around their necks and their hair was plastered to their heads from heavy perspiration.

Nates arm was up in the air waving him over. And Brandon bit his lip. He didn't want to be anywhere near Ezekiel, not after he'd gotten so close to finding out about Brandon's powers, but it was far too late for him to pull out without seeming rude and that was not his intention at all. And perhaps he was just this side of lonely.

So Brandon pushed the door open further and came fully into the room and made his way over to Nate. He did his best to walk silently so he didn't disturb the Sparing match, but absentmindedly he could feel Ezekiel's awareness of him. A smattering of excitement filled Brandon's senses mixing with the smell of blood and sweat.

Lander greeted him in his normal fashion as Brandon came before him and Nate.

"Good morning Queer." He said with a devious grin. His short blond hair was limp and wet and a cut above his nose bled slightly as he waited for the healing process to kick in.

"Good Morning Asshole." Brandon replied far from surprised or incensed. After so many weeks of this, Brandon realized that Lander didn't really dislike him or hate him because of his sexuality. He was just a jerk.

Their greetings and talks consisted entirely of one-offing each other and Brandon found that he actually liked the Shifter and deep down he knew that Lander liked him too. Even if he didn't care for his feelings.

Brandon was sure that being around Lander was what growing up with older siblings would have been like. So he mostly ignored the Shifters worse points and tried to stay out of his way.

Brandon walked past him and slid down the wall and took a seat to Nate's left. As he settled down, Brandon spotted Nates cheek where a gash was just beginning to heal . His chest was covered in red welts from where he had wiped his blood away with his stained towel and the claw marks had only just begun to heal.

In silence Brandon watched the claw marks knit themselves back together right before his eyes.

"So...." Brandon began only for Lander to growl at him.

"Shut up..."

Brandon cut him a cold glare and sighed. "What's you problem today Lander....your being even more of a dick than usual."

Lander snarled at him. Before Nate suddenly elbowed Lander earning himself a hiss. "Don't mind him..." Nate laughed turning his head towards Brandon. "He's just mad because Walter whipped his old ass all over the place....again."

With another growl Lander whipped his towel off his neck in a frustrated way. "Damn right I'm mad...!" he huffed looking Brandon's way. "No matter how much we try...WE just can't win against him! If we come at Walter one on one, or three on one, we just can't take him down! It's not right! Everyone knows that Im the best of you all. So why can't I get my hands on him!?"

Nate smiled at him and shrugged "Maybe because your always acting like a stubborn tank and you just charge him every time you get an opening; Instead of waiting for your chance like Dad always tell you to do?"

"Always?" Brandon asked cutting in. "How often do you guys do this? Whatever this is?" He glanced out at the two Guardians still circling each other. "It looks like it hurts." he observed as the two fighters suddenly struck. The sent of fresh blood danced into Brandon's nose and mouth. He could sense Walters calm satisfaction and the copper burst of Ezekiels blood. He tried to spot where the new cuts were but there were so many cuts on Ezekiel chest and back that he couldn't spot the new one.

"It's a bet. Every other Wednesday we spar....Starting from when we first made the bet..." Lander grumbled like a pouty child taking Brandon's focus off the fight and back to the conversation.

"A bet?" Brandon asked him in confusion.

Lander shrugged unhelpfully so Brandon turned to Nate and asked him the same question. "What bet is he talking about?"

Nate dabbed his neck and sighed as new blood smeared across the white cloth. "Okay, I'll tell you." He said. "So, you know how Lander is..." Nate stopped looked at his brothers and shook his head as if that said it all. "Well he's Lander. And being the Lander that we all know and love he bet all three of us a few years back that he would defeat Walter in a sparring match. So of course Walter accepted the challenge, but then Ezekiel wanted in on the bet as well."

Nate smiled softly. "I.... came into the bet much later only because I didn't want to be left out anymore. So now we all gather into this room like a bunch of assholes and get our sorry butts handed to us for shits and giggles! Walter has never....ever lost a sparring match. NEVER. Except to our Dad of course." Nate finished explaining, then vigorously began rubbing his dripping hair. The smell of wet dog beginning to tinge Brandon's nose as he moved the cloth over himself

"So Walter has never lost to any of you, huh?" Brandon chuckled. The competitiveness of Ezekiel's siblings always astound him, because he had never witnessed it before. "Well how did Lander do today in the sparing match? Did he at least get close to winning?" Brandon asked Nate. He knew that talking about Lander like he wasn't there would irritate him, but he did it anyway. It was nice to finally have something to poke fun at him about.

Nate continued to rub his head and chest and responded with a resounding "Nope! He always just ends up on his back every time...It's kind of sad really..." Nate teased dropping the wet towel to the ground. Brandon laughed as the image of Lander on his back at Walters's feet came over him.

Lander didn't think it was too funny though because Brandon was surprised to see his eyes as they flashed, a glowing green at his brother. The energy around him crackled softly. His pupils glowed a burning green then died away like the spark of a match. "Watch it." he hissed dangerously. "Its not like you did any better dog."

Nate rolled his eyes seeming unconcerned with his brothers' quick temper and turned back to Brandon with a long suffering smile. "Yeah well...." He said looking down at his own bloody pants and whelp lined skin. "I'm not crazy. I know Im not beating Walter anytime soon... I gave up months ago." Nate said throwing his hands up and lacing them behind his head. He tilted back putting his head on the wall as though he were in a hammock. "The only reason I still participate in this stupid sparring match Brandon is to watch Walter kick Landers ass up and down the blue matts."

Nate smiled happily up at the celling ignoring Landers murderous glares " Oh man.....The sound he makes when he gets slammed into the floor Brandon.....Man, It makes up for all of the shit he's done to me over the years, I swear."

Brandon chuckled, then laughed hard and Nate chuckled along. But Lander just snarled and turned his attention back to the fight.

The sparing match had carried on while Brandon and Nate had conversed. The blows landing too fast for Brandon to really catch, but somewhere in the back of his mind the smell of blood had begun to coat his tongue. The small buzz of his life. Brandon knew how sweet that life was. He ached for it.

Ever since Ezekiel had take Brandon's blood. Ever since he had taken of the flame....Brandon darn near felt him all the time. He was tuned to Ezekiel.

Ezekiels simple essence in the room once again made the energy inside buckle like a bird in a cage. Brandon knew that he was playing a dangerous game of tug o war with himself, but he couldn't very well stop breathing. It wasn't his fault that Ezekiels blood, energy...and body did what it did to him.

He didn't know why he reacted to him the way he did, he didn't know how to make it stop and deep down Brandon knew that it felt good.

The power in him was always cold and heavy and hard on his body. It made him sick to use it but when he was around Ezekiel the energy inside of him felt almost...light. It felt good to feel something that was such a deep defining part of himself awaken. It was only around Ezekiel that he could get his powers to jump, to flow around inside of his numb core instead of banging and slamming into his mental barriers.

Normally his power hung over him like a wet cloth swallowing all of his strength, but when he was around Ezekiel, his essence, his touch made the heaviness lift, it made the power course through him instead of sit on his soul like a ton of bricks.

Maybe Brandon couldn't risk letting Ezekiel find out about his powers, but he could take comfort in what happened when they were in the same room. Couldn't he?

Brandon rolled his shoulders as more energy unbound inside of him, he felt weightless and more alive then he'd felt in weeks, but he was also feeling very pissed off. The more that the smell of blood saturated his senses he couldn't help wondering if Walter wasn't being just a little too aggressive.

Brandon swallowed a curse as he watched Walter open up another wound across Ezekiels chest and Brandon couldn't stop himself from inhaling deeply to catch the scent or the flare of energy that hit the air as Ezekiels inner beast rose and started healing the damage that was being done.

"God...there's blood everywhere..." Brandon grumbled out loud then sniffed and shook his head to dispel the energy fuzzing his thoughts. "So um....Have any of you ever gotten close to actually beating Walter before?" he asked Ezekiels brothers trying to move his thoughts away from the uncharacteristic agitation he felt growing inside.

"Nope...." Lander said as he shook his head. "Although Ezekiel always manages to inflict more damage on him then either of us ever can." Lander growled to Brandon. "It makes no sense. I'm better then that gay any day. Being a homo should have made him more of a sissy ya know? Kind of like you, but...."

Brandon did some growling of his own, cutting the obnoxious Shifter off midsentence. "Shut up Lander." he said. The smell of blood tickled his nose again, making his hands twitch. He balled them into tight fists. He didn't pay attention to the energy swirling, pushing his passions and emotions into overdrive. The flame slowly leaking out into his soul and his mind....making him reckless as his sickness was replaced by heat...and unending strength.

Lander hissed at him. "Oh did I hit a queer nerve. Are you upset?" He teased hostility. "Please! It was joke! Don't go acting all bitchy on me now Brandon..." He said with a sneer. "I mean we all know you can take it up the ass like a girl, but that's not my fault."

Brandon balled his hands up until he felt pain in his palms. "Fuck you! You think your better than me? Better than Ezekiel because were gay!?" Brandon sneered back. The smell of blood and Ezekiels essence poured into his chest. He felt the energy constricting around him, the strength of it, of holding it down, making him pant. His control was flying out of the window and anger was taking the driver's seat.

"I know I'm better then you and stronger then you." Lander told him climbing to his feet and glaring down. A vein pulsed in his head as his own temper began to rise.

"Fine." Brandon huffed standing. "I'm calling Bullshit. Let's go. Right here....rRght now. I want the next match!"

"What!?" Ezekiel roared.

Startled by the sound Brandon's head whipped his way just as Walter struck him. Walters leg slammed up into Ezekiels stomach like a brick wall, then as Ezekiel stumbled back Walter shot forward and his hand clamped down onto Ezekiels throat, as Walter surged forward.

His large body taking Ezekiel off his feet and slamming him bodily down into the matt. Then Walter raised his hand cocking his elbow back for the final blow...but he stayed his fist at the last moment. Instead dropping it to his side.

A second later Walter released Ezekiel and sat back on his hunches. "Sorry Ezekiel. I win again, but each year...it does get a little harder to beat you." He said simply. Then stood up and helped Ezekiel to his feet. As they both gained their feet he patted Ezekiel on the back in comidaridie.

Brandon watched Walter grab one towel off the ground for himself and toss one to Ezekiel. Ezekiel wrapped the towel behind his neck before he and Walter turned and made their way over to Brandon and their brothers.

Instantly Brandon swallowed as Ezekiel's energy grew closer, it washed over Brandon as it always did. Confusing him and electrifying him all at the same time. And his body. If Brandon's thought it once he's thought it a million times, but Brandon didn't know anyone who looked like Ezekiel. Wide shoulders, solid abs, slim stomach, long arms and a well-defined cut peeking out from his low riding jeans that was almost sinful. Or at least made him think of sinful things. Brandon forced himself to focus on anything but the specimen of temptation coming towards him. So many temptations.

"So...." Ezekiel began as he drew closer. "What was that I heard about a match?"

Lander rolled his eyes. "Little candy pants here..?" he said as he whipped his towel in Brandon's direction. "He wants to take me on. Mano-e-Mano....Opps! I mean Mano-e-Homo if you catch my drift." his brother sneered.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes at his brother's crude sense of humor and turned to Brandon. He raised his eyebrows in question, blue eyes concerned. "You do? You want to spar with Lander?"

Brandon looked him dead in the eyes, because looking anywhere else was simply a bad idea. Especially while the energy inside of him trembled across his core. Ezekiels proximity was dangerous.

"Yup." Brandon said quickly trying to move back from him without making the movement too obvious. "Let...let's do this. I want to teach this self-righteous pussy cat a lesson before I leave."

Though Ezekiel was no longer bleeding Brandon could see the whelps crisscrossing his upper body. Unconsciously the energy in his hands shifted, trying to reach out, but Brandon snuffed it, sucked it back in. He could heal the pain....or he could just as easily end up killing him. So Brandon tucked the energy back behind his barriers. Ignoring it as it slammed against his control.

It was clear to Brandon that Ezekiel was going to object, but at that moment Walter came over. His height dwarfing everyone else's by a good inch or four in Brandon's case. "Take the floor you two." He ordered Brandon and Lander solemnly seemingly having heard the entire conversation.

Ezekiel looked at his eldest brother, then back at Brandon. He leaned in close. "Are you sure about this? Lander will hurt you.... If he gets the chance. Hes got some issues with his strength." he advised. "He doesn't care that you're mortal Brandon. Hell come at you full tilt."

"What? No faith in me?" Brandon gritted his teeth as the energy inside of him clawed at his insides. Ezekiels closeness setting it off once again. "Are you going to stop me?" Brandon asked Ezekiel ignoring his inner struggle. He was sure of himself, he believed in his control, he could hold the powers down. At least in a fight he could ignore it and focus.

He had been doing it for two years now, there was no reason his little slip up in the forest with Ezekiel would change that now. But it had. His energy sought Ezekiel out, it craved his proximity. Everything had changed, but Brandon was dammed if he would admit it to himself.

"I'm simply your escort Brandon...IM not your master or babysitter." Ezekiel told him with a shrug a moment later pulling Brandon from his private thoughts. "If you want to fight I'm not gonna tell you no, but....Try to be careful." Ezekiel said and then he went to squeeze Brandon's shoulder, stopped, laughed to himself then just went to stand next to Nate.

Brandon watched him walk away and then he looked at Lander and didn't like what he saw one little bit.

Lander cracked his neck loudly, grinned, flashed his burning green eyes then turned and made his way to the middle of the floor. Brandon took a deep breath, redoubled the barriers on his powers ignoring the energy as it squirmed to get free. Exhaling he pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the round. He kicked off his shoes and his sock then walked over to his spot on the opposite side of the blue mat.

Brandon looked over to wave at Ezekiel, but soon realized that all eyes were on his torso. Walter stared at Brandon's arms and chest making he realize that this was the first time anyone besides Ezekiel and Glen had seen his scars. Not only was Walter staring at him, but Nate and Lander were analyzing him as well. All of their faces were impassive as stone so Brandon didn't know if they were disgusted or horrified by what they saw.

His scars braided across his skin, stark and too clear in the bright sunlight that poured in through the glass roof. Brandon knew that they were shocking and repulsive. He had spent so much time alone out in the world that he had forgotten how horrible he really looked. But it was too late for him to put on his shirt again and spare the world his decimated skin, so he rolled with it.

"Jezz guys don't look so shocked....I'm fine. " Brandon said snapping his fingers and glaring at each of them. Nate glanced away as did Lander with a curse.

"Hey! Are we gonna do this or not Walter?" Walter didn't answer at first, he just nodded and glanced back at all the damage.

Then seeming to come back to himself Walter came toward the sparing mats, walking past Brandon Walter suddenly reached out and did something unexpected. He ruffled Brandon's hair, igniting a warmth inside of Brandon that he didn't know what to do with. It wasn't a touch given in sympathy or comfort....It seemed simply given in kindness.

"Good luck..." The Eldest brother rumbled.

Then without further comment, or touching Walter removed his hand and continued on towards the middle of the matt just between Brandon and Lander.

"All right." Walter said once he got in position. "I'll explain the rules to the new combatant." he said his deep voice filling and dispelling the awkward silence. "Rule 1, No groins. Rule 2, No eyes. Rule 3, No Shifting. Rule 4, No Supernatural abilities. Combatants can only use non-lethal weapons. Okay?"

Walter looked at Brandon. Brandon nodded. Then Walter looked at Lander, he nodded as well.

"Combatant 1 and Combatant 2 take your Stance!" Walter commanded them both.

Lander instantly got down and put his hands out. Wrestling form. Close and personal. Brandon swallowed as the agitation he had for Lander began to fizzle out and turn to stark reality.

How the hell am I going to keep Lander off me? He probably likes it up close and personal, boxing with him would be suicide though.

He thought to himself as he took his position.

Brandon crouched down as well. Taking a self-defense stance, but something was telling him that self-defense wouldn't be nearly enough. Walter raised his right hand and chopped it through the air in a downward fashion.

"Spar!" he barked.

Lander instantly dropped his guard, slowly straitened up to his full height. Then with a cocky laugh he flashed Nate and Ezekiel a gloating smile. And with a soft hiss he began to stalk forward like a cat on the hunt.

A sharp smile crept across his face as he grew closer and closer. "So...What now candy pants?" he said in a goading manner. Not even attempting to strategize or even appearing worried. He just strolled closer with sharp fangs peeking out beneath his top lip.

Brandon didn't answer. He did the only thing he could do. He smiled back, turned, and ran in the opposite direction.