Chapter 3 – His Hunger

A short time later Brandon requested he be sat down. They had only went a few feet into the small Pine forest situated half a yard away from the back of the mansion.

Brandon looked like he was going to pass out. He was shaking like leaf, his skin was pale and sweaty...and his heartbeat filed the air with erratic beats that sounded disjointed and painful to Ezekiel’s ears.

The moment Nate tried to settle him on his feet Brandon’s legs buckled and he fell into the mulch. Ezekiel, Nate and his cousin all tried to pull him back to his feet, but with a frightful scream Brandon knocked away all of their hands.

“I’m fine! Please...I can do this alone!” Brandon told them, as he slowly climbed to his feet without accepting any assistance. His green eyes turned down to his hands. Suddenly an effervescent white light began to grow on his fingertips and without another word Brandon walked over to one of the tallest trees in the area, pressed his hands into it....and for a long moment nothing happened.

Then there was a sharp flash of white lights, and before Ezekiel’s eyes and the eyes of his family, the trees, swiftly began to degrade. With a loud rustle of needles, and the dry crackle of branches hundreds of pine needles, once green turned brown and rained down towards the earth like rain. Soft brown bark started to harden, then to blacken, then to crumble. In a matter of seconds a nearly hundred foot pine tree was turned into a small black pile of ash at the tips of Brandon’s feet.

“Holy shit!” Drin exclaimed, but for the most part everyone else remained in stunned silence as they all watched Brandon, in a near trancelike state, walk past the ashes, put his hands on a new pine tree and once more the whole process began all over.

Tree, after tree, after tree. Brandon seemed too need a bottomless supply of energy, as first one dozen, then half another dozen trees fell into black piles of ash down before his powerful touch. And still Brandon did not stop.

Witnessing all of this in person for the first time....was disconcerting to say the least. Ezekiel was alarmed by it...but he wasn’t frightened or repulsed as he got a glimpse of just what Brandon’s touch could do.

If anything it was something that induced great empathy in Ezekiel heart. Watching one majestic hundred-foot pine fall after another Ezekiel couldn’t help but notice that Brandon body still shivered in pain and that tears still graced his cheeks. How much would be enough? Brandon had called the hunger bottomless, endless, and voracious. And now Ezekiel was starting to understand that concept in its entirety.

“The hunger, his pain....”

Ezekiel sadly ruminated.

“It never ends for him....He is always suffering. There must be some way of quenching the Flames hunger for good, but how?

But with the Flame still largely being a mystery Ezekiel couldn’t even strain his brain for solutions. So for long minutes they all simply stood back and let Brandon do what he had to do to stop his torment.

Finally Ezekiel walked towards him, with Nate right behind him as Ezekiel reached Brandon’s side, before slowly reaching out and placing a hand to his shoulder.

“Brandon....” Ezekiel softly pressed as Brandon froze at his touch. “Brandon you’ve taken down about thirty trees....”

“What!” Brandon seemed to choke in shock. Turing guilty, and pain filled eyes back towards them all Brandon dropped his hands to his side and glanced around. The area was blotched with piles of black ash, and the soft sunlight from above cut through the giant breaks in the canopy that Brandon’s feeding had caused. Brandon glanced down and cursed. “Shit I’m sorry I got carried away. I...I didn’t mean to kill so many of them...I was just so hungry....” Brandon trailed off in dejection.

Ezekiel rubbed his shoulder in comfort, whishing he pull him close and simply kiss him, but seeing as they had company Ezekiel knew that he couldn’t indulge that particular desire.

“Stop worrying about a few trees Brandon...we’ve got millions of them surrounding us.” Erin softly called form the spot next to Drin where the pair had been standing for the last half hour quietly observing Brandon going to town. Erin was leaning into her mate and her eyes looked troubled. “All we care about is do you feel better now after...all of that?” she softly put forth, casting him a gently look

Before replying Brandon took a shuttering breath and glanced down at his hands where a faint white light was starting to fade from his palms.

To Ezekiel he still looked shaken, pale....and weak as he grimaced and dropped his hands. “Honestly? No....There is very little nourishment in these tress or in animals. It’s not like the energy of a person or a...or a Shifter. The energy that I took from all of those tress don’t measure even a fraction of what I can find from feeing on one of you...for a minute.”

“Oh...” Erin replied softly at this tidbit of info and lapsed into silence, apparently unsure of what to say next.

“Brandon look at me” Ezekiel softly demanded as he stepped up next to him.

Even with a few feet separating them Ezekiel could smell the sharp smell of his blood and sense the fluctuating heart in his body from a growing fever. Brandon did as he asked and settled his haunted green eyes on Ezekiel’s face. “Do you have control of the Flame now? Do you feel safe enough to take what you need from me?” Brandon opened his mouth to object, but Ezekiel just kept talking. “I know you’re reluctant, but I’ll be fine...”

“Yes...I have control now. Feeding off the plants took off some of the edge....” Brandon sighed, and after a moment he nodded. “If your ready...Im ready.” He said locking gazes with Ezekiel.

But before anything else could happen, Nate reached out, put a hand on Brandon’s shoulder and asked.

“Brandon I’m curious...What about if you fed on me this time?”

Not two seconds after he spoke, Brandon visibly blanched. His eyes stretched with barely contained horror at his bothers suggestion. “No. I don’t want to do that....” Brandon answered strongly, even as fever shivers and quakes touched his frame. “I don’t want to hurt you. The pain....I can’t...” Brandon swallowed and glanced away.

With a steady look Nate glanced towards Ezekiel and pressed. “Ezekiel doesn’t seem bothered by it.”

Brandon sighed and said. “Nate believe me. Ezekiel was just being macho.” Brandon looked down and finished. “This shit is rough.

“Maybe I like it rough.” Nate murmured with a wolfish mien that came of as both teasing and suggestive.

Brandon’s eyebrows lifted up, and a short laugh fell from his lips. “Nate...”

Nate smirked harder and tilted his head. “What’s the problem...You can feed on anyone right? Not just Ezekiel?” Nate suddenly inquired.

To this Brandon nodded with strong hesitation in his eyes and voice. “Well yes. But as I’ve said it’s very painful and dangerous. Don’t you remember the people I attacked in my past?” Brandon’s voice took a small emotional turn, before he shook himself and continued. His tone a little darker and less emotional as he continued. “They died when I fed on them too deeply. They became blackened shells. I sucked them dry. So Nate If I lose control that can happen to all of you guys. Besides it is VERY unpleasant.”

“I told you the pain is mild Brandon. Don’t fixate on the pain, just worry about yourself.” Ezekiel shot back, sharing Brandon’s gaze for a moment.

“So there’s a little pain?” Nate chuckled, and to Ezekiel’s surprise and annoyance Nate walked past him, up to Brandon grabbed his left hand, and pressed it over his heart. “I promise you I can take it.”

A part of Ezekiel almost went ape shit at this point. Possessive feelings in a Shifter were undoubtable...and lately Ezekiel shamelessly saw Brandon as something he desired. Something he had to claim. Nates words and actions were not only confusing, but they were very nearly a spit in Ezekiel face. A spit in his Leopards face. Nate...or anyone other Shifter touching Brandon was getting to be like salt in a wound to Ezekiel’s senses. And Nate was not only touching....he seemed to be flirting.

Still Ezekiel reigned in the snarling snapping needs of his inner Leopard and with a steely calm, Ezekiel walked over to Nate and calmly informed his brother. “It doesn’t matter if you can handle the pain.” He said, capturing Nates eyes, even as all Ezekiel wanted to do was rip him from Brandon’s side. Instead Ezekiel continued in a measured tone. “It only matters that he doesn’t want to dispense it you. He can barely suffer to feed on me.”

Suddenly Brandon let out a small shout of pain.

“Brandon!?” Erin and Drin exclaimed in worry.

“Fuck!” Brandon moaned, and ripping his hand away from Nate Brandon suddenly collapsed into the grass and wrapped his hands around his stomach. “IT hurts!” he cried, and a soft white light started swirling and dancing around his hands.

Unable to quell the bloody snarl in his heart, Ezekiel had suddenly had enough of Nate and his cousins. Marching up to his brother Ezekiel grabbed his arm, and nearly shoved him away from Brandon, so that Nate was standing next to Erin and Drin

“Nate take Erin and Drin home. Brandon said “No” Ezekiel’s snarled at his brother, dropping his hand and casting him a glare. “So maybe YOU should listen to him? Leave us alone so he can feed.” Ezekiel demanded as he turned Nates own words back on him.

Nate flashed his fangs in a smile that was wholly playful, but for some reason also belligerent. “Okay....got it.” Nate softly replied. Then he cast Brandon a small wink, before he spun on his heel, grabbed Erin and Drin and started pushing/guiding the young pair out of the field and back around the side of the Mansion. “Well just leave you guys alone now.” Nate tossed easily over his shoulder as he led Erin and Drin away.

As they walked away Ezekiel couldn’t deny the sharp sense of frustration he was feeling directed towards Nate. His actions that morning and after they attack were suddenly starting to become all too clear. They spoke to something unbelievable. Attraction. Feelings.

Nate was acting like he was interested in Brandon romantically. Whish of course made no sense. Nate had always been strait. He had never give another man so much as a compliment. But....by his own behavior just then.....Nate had been more then friendly. Acting protective. Possibly even flirting.

What the hell is up with him? Could he really be trying to catch Brandon’s eye? Where did this shit come from?

A sudden image of Nate tenderly carrying Brandon in his arms assaulted him and Ezekiel hissed as a small flare of bright green jealousy touched his heart.

But seeing as Brandon was still in dire need and Nate was gone Ezekiel turned the ugly emotion aside. Not caring to indulge in it or in any thoughts about what Nate may or may not have felt for Brandon. Soon Ezekiel turned and swiftly made his way back to Brandon.