Unfinished.....
Pain, explosive and fiery.
Cold, water falls on my face.
His eyes open. Everything is painted red. The dark sky above is red through a mist of smoke. Reflected light.
He closes his eyes to the rain. Pain radiates through him like sound through the air, making him shiver and groan. He rolled to the side and nearly passed out as his ribs sliced him with pain.
Putting a hand to his ribs he rose to his knees and look around himself. He was in the center of hell. Red light reflected of the wreckage of his car. The tail lights still on. Glass and small hunks of metal dug into his knees as he gripped his chest.
"Bethany?" His voice quivered as it left his mouth. "B-Bethany!?"
He struggled to his feet and wobbled toward the car his body becoming heavy and almost impossible to coordinate. With every shaking step his ribs sent new waves of pain rolling up and down his body. The rain was beginning to put out the small fire on the bottom of the old Charger that now rested on its roof.
Black painted metal was crumbled and torn. Great tears and depressions marred the once pristine surface. He leaned into it for support when he got close enough. "Beth?! Baby, where are you?" His normally tanned skin was painted devilish red. He tried to ignore the rising fear that was building...
He stumbled forward not really caring about his pain anymore. "Beth babe, please! Pleas answer me," He was growing frantic now. He threw himself down as he reached the driver side door. "Babe?"
The darkness inside the car made his mind fill with horrific images of hellish monsters. He heard a gentle wheeze and crawled into his car. There she was.
Her body was belted to the seat and blood dripped down to pool under her. He rushed in and pulled on the buckle. She was still breathing, but faintly.
"B-babe, I'm here, I'll get you down." His voice was shrill and tears were building. He pressed the button on the belt harder and harder. But it wouldn't let go! He pulled frantically on it. He reached into his pocket for his knife.
Sawing the belt was hard in the dark. His eyes had adjusted but he still could see very little. But he sawed frantically his breath coming in gasps.
"I-I'll have you free soon! Please don't leave me! Please!"
His frantic voice cut off as the belt was bisected.
Nothing happened.
He groped for some source of light. and found her cell nearly coated fully in her blood. He flipped it open quickly and light flared in the hollow of metal. He dropped the phone in the blood and stared...
She hung in the air her breathing short and rapid. A pole as thick as his two thumbs held her in the seat. As he watched in horror she slid down the pole the restraining belt no longer holding her near-dead body in place.
He reached forward and tried to catch her. The wood bent and broke and his arms were filled with an astonishingly cool body. "B-babe... no..." His voice choked off as he started to cry. All of his pain returned, like a cresting wave he was washed under and consumed.
There were noises. He was aware of them but couldn't remember how to open his eyes or speak. He lay in darkness a weight laying limp across his lower body. He was no longer in pain but his body felt... wrong. His head was empty and his thoughts were dreamy and slow.
Rough odd smells reached his nose and sounds he couldn't seem to understand filled his ears. Something heavy moved around him. He moved without thought. His shaking hands grasped Beth's wrists, and he pulled her out.
Backing into the rain pulling his limp love with him. The sound of heavy footsteps reached him but he didn't care. Some part of him wished it were a bear or a mountain lion. Something to eat his aching heart. Devour it as it had already been taken by loss. His eyes stung and rain mixed with tears as he inched into the blood red darkness of the night.
His voice shook and he couldn't understand his own words. But he raised a hand and felt his chest and the heart that beat within. But in his mind it was empty, hollow.
He stood to pull Beth's body further away from the car and felt his ribs move. Then he was falling as great blades of pain cut him from his body.
OOOOO
Dangling. Limp.
Pain.
He woke as his ribs were jarred. The liter he was on swung as the big man at his feet slipped. Someone growled by his head and he jumped at the deep and terrifying sound. His body jerked as pain shot from his ribs and spread in an instant. He gasped and the liter stopped.
The dark of the woods surrounded them, and he grabbed the rough limb used to construct his conveyance. He tried to breath and managed to wheeze in. Sending more pain coursing through him.
"Calm down, you'll pass-out unless you relax your muscles and breathe." A strong hand at his throat made him jump and he fell sideways from the liter. strong arms caught him but he could feel nothing but pain. Something had been twined around his ribs to keep them in place. The hand touched him again and he froze at the fur on it. F-fur. He though as pain made every other thought impossible. He saw his vision start to tunnel and realized, the man was stopping blood to his brain.
It was too late to try and avoid it. He was falling into the dark.
Voices in the dark. Rough sounding and smooth both continued and the words had no meaning to him. His fingers and toes twitched and he could smell something... odd.
Someone moved near him, and there was sudden light. He opened his eyes at the flare of light. "Awake?" The smooth and soft voice asked as his eyes slowly adjusted themselves to the sudden light.
He realized he wasn't in pain. But his mind moved sluggishly; he was drugged. His eyes slid open slowly. He opened his mouth to respond and he moved his sluggish tongue to form words.
All that escaped his was a wheeze as he jerked away from the animal beside him. He fell from the bed and fell to the floor. Where there should have been explosive pain was a dull ache, he skittered back from the beast and into the wall. His head was spinning and he tried to stand. He was completely nude aside from the bandages binding his ribs in place and another covering his right thigh.
He gasped for breath but got very little air into his compressed lungs. He was beginning to feel tired and his eyelids were heavy. He leaned into the wall for support.
"Listen, calm down. You're going to pass-out if you don't slow your breathing." The thing said as it wrung it's paw like hands and looked at him anxiously. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend. You were in an accident and broke several ribs. You need to stay as still as possible or risk puncturing a lung." He could hear worry in the soft voice and he really looked at it. The soft looking well groomed grey-brown fur shook as the creature staid unmoving when it so clearly wanted to rush to his side and comfort him.
He opened his mouth to speak as someone else entered the room. This creature stood more than a foot over the other and had thick muscles on its exposed arms and chest. It looked at him. The human shivered at the feral light in its eyes. "Do as my mate says." Was all it said as it took a step forward.
The human could feel his heart pounding as he slid back from the monster. He was growing weaker. His eyes slid shut and stayed there. He felt himself falling again. Then strong arms caught him. He was carried to the bed.
He didn't quite lose consciousness but he drifted in and out. He heard heavy footsteps and soft ones moving. Quiet speech in some unintelligible language. Then he felt someone touching him. Something was placed over his body and he felt it being pushed closer to his skin.
Then he was drifting as someone rubbed something under his nose.
He woke slowly this time. Pain filled him as he slowly woke. A dull ache first. Then it built until he couldn't hold it off with sleep. His eyes popped open and he gazed up into the sun lit room.
He didn't remember where he was or why he hurt. He was in a cabin of some kind. The walls looked to be logs insulated with mud or clay. He heard someone stir to his right and he let his head fall in the direction. Regretting it instantly as his pain pounded into the back on his eyes.
He looked at the back of the person beside him as it rustled through the contents of a drawer. He took in a breath to speak then moaned loudly. The person turned and memory flooded back. The human thrashed trying to escape.
He didn't manage to move anything but his head... A thick woven wool blanket had been placed over his body and strapped down. He moaned and tried to force his way out of the bed. "Please stop... You'll only hurt yourself. Calm down I won't hurt you. Please?"
He heard the clear note of begging and turned back to the being beside him. His heart pounded in fear but he could still breathe and the straps just held him in place they didn't hurt him. He stopped thrashing and took stock of his body.
It screamed in pain. Even stationary he felt his ribs almost shift with each breath. He let his head lower unto the cushion under his head and moaned as every part of him throbbed with the pain in his chest. The human closed his eyes and heard the beast hurriedly rummaging for something.
"W-where am I..." He asked the blackness behind his eyelids.
"You're in our village. A hunting party smelled your mate's blood and rushed to help. You're lucky it was my mate who led. Most others would have left you for the feral wolves and bears. But you were saved." The voice paused and the human heard the creature stand. "So please let us help you. Alright? If you promise I can give you enough medicine to numb out the pain." It seemed to be waiting for an answer.
"Yes, please. Make it stop." He tried to hold back his tears but he couldn't, he was in too much pain. He wasn't sure why but he trusted the odd creature on the other side of the darkness in his mind.
It moved to his side and the human felt something put to his lips. He opened his mouth and liquid poured into his mouth. It smelled oddly like the room. Musky and very attractive.
He felt the not horrific medicine slide down his chest and spread cool and painlessness in its wake. He opened one eye and looked at the furry being beside him and smelled the musky scent more strongly. He let his eye drift closed comforted slightly by the smell.
"If you can't wait for that to take effect please let me know. I can make you sleep with an herb I know by inhaling enough of the fumes from its thick leaves." The voice beside him spoke softly and the human was slowly opening himself to it.
This creature that had cared for him and was trying to heal him. He opened his eyes and looked up at the being sitting beside him. "W... umm what are you?" He asked hesitantly hoping not to offend his caretaker.
"I'm... hmm how to put this." The creature rose and paced for a moment before stopping. He turned and knelt next to the bed. "You might call me a Kobold. I'm something like a wolf and human. But not really either. We have lived here for a very long time. It's just good you humans decided not to expand in this direction." It paused and leaned closer looking at him critically. "Not what I expected of a human male. Like me the males here are much bigger than you. Are you normal sized for a human?" It was speaking too quickly. The human felt the pain in his chest fading along with some of his awareness. He blinked up at the Kobold male and sighed as he breathed in the almost... intoxicating scent.
The Kobold noticed and jumped back. "Oh... no, no, no. This is bad. Umm how long have you been smelling me human?" The Kobold looked down at the human worriedly.
"Smelling?" He thought back. "If this is your smell," He paused to think about his words. They came very slow to him. "Then since last night."
The Kobold Gasped lightly and turned to the cabinet it had been searching before and returned with a earthenware pot. He took a finger and dipped it in the rubbed in under the human's nose. "This should help... Y-you shouldn't be affected by my scent! You're human!" The Kobold was near frantic as it rose and went back to the cabinet. "Umm... I'm going to make you sleep for a bit alright?" He returned with a fat leaf and rolled it between his fingers crushing it and making pulp leak onto his fingers.
"What's wrong with me smelling you?" The human asked as he felt no pain at all and smiled and wanted to touch the wolf-thing above him. He tried to move his arm but it pinned under him as he lay on a strap that ran over both arms and over the edges of the bed. He was unable to free himself so he just lay back and looked lovingly at the wolf-thing above him.
"Your already feeling it then..." The Kobold whined under his breath. then ran his fingers under the humans nose. He did it while holding his breath. The human inhaled normally as he could with broken ribs and felt his eyes close again.
000000
He paced the room waiting for his mate to return. He was eager to see his mate but scared he might be punished. He knew he couldn't help it, but being in his room and surrounded by his things the human's nose was picking up his pheromones.
His mate was immune. For the most part. But he never released them anywhere else.
The human sleep soundly under the influence of the sleeping leaf and the pain numbing draught made with some of the Kobold's own blood. Which wouldn't have mattered normally but the human was already effected by the Kobold's smell... Just as he made the turn for another circuit of the room his mate stepped in through the heavy wooden door.
Sensing his mate's nervousness the huge male looked first at the human who was securely strapped down unconscious and his mate. "What is it Shiki?" He moved over and pulled his mate into a tight embrace.
"He is being affected by my scent, he started to show signs but I ignored it thinking it was the pain or the draught. But... he may be..." The smaller Kobold placed his head on his lover's shoulder and cried. "I didn't know, human's can't normally detect our scent right?"
The taller Kobold rubbed his mate's head reassuringly. "If it happened then there is nothing for it now. He'll have to stay here with us. He can't be a pact holder and live outside if he has been swept away by you." The dark grey make rested his head on Shiki's and rubbed down his spine calming the smaller Kobold. "It will be fine Shiki. We can take care of him from now on."
"But since he is human how will he react to it? Will it affect him like it does us?" Shiki shook as he thought of the consciences of that. "That isn't even possible is it?"
"Don't worry love. What will be, will be. All we can do is wait for him to wake and see if he can be dealt with sanely or if he is already lost." Draymon moved to the bed and checked the straps then nodded and headed for the door.
The smaller Kobold moved to the bed. He sat and stroked the human's hair gently. "I'm sorry little one. I hope you don't react like we do otherwise you're doomed to stay here." He let his head fall onto his hands as he turned and pulled his long and powerful legs up in front of him, rocking gently on the small bed.
00000
He woke slowly again. His mind working through dreams of running under the trees with great ground eating strides alongside his mate. There was something disturbing about this but in the dream he was so... free.
He opened his eyes feeling something moving beside him. He tried to sit up and felt the straps at his throat arms and waist hold him tight. His movement roused the being on the edge of the bed. It let it's legs down and stood.
It took a moment moving its arms to its head then turned slowly. The human saw tear tracks wet in the fur on the Kobolds face. He wanted to stroke that fur and lick away the tears.
"What's wrong?" The human asked eager to help.
"It's nothing little human. Umm what's your name?" The kobold ask as he turned to grab a cup and bring it back to the bed.
"My name's Kain." The human said as he watched the Kobold eyes watching every movement and waited for eye contact eagerly. "What's yours?"
"My name is Shiki, nice to meet you Kain." He spoke softly but Kain leaned as much as possible to catch every word. Shiki leaned over his bed and placed the clay cup to Kain's lips. "It's just water." Kain looked away from the Kobold and opened his mouth returning his eyes to the Kobold's face. He drank it all and tried not to cough as some went down the wrong tube. "I'm sorry. I would let you up now that I know you won't run, now there are other issues..."
Kain nodded and watched the Kobold as he stood and picked up a small plate and returned. Kain didn't bother to look at what was offered as he was fed by hand. He watched every movement the Kobold made and tried to follow Shiki's movements in a way that might please him.
"I need to explain what you are feeling..." Shiki paused and seemed to gather his will before speaking again. "What you are feeling is from the scent I release when I am... umm... excited. My kind use pheromones to attract our mates. When he have them we secrete them and use them to... control our mates slightly. You'll be feeling something like..." He paused searching for the right word. "Something like adoration. For me and you should be willing to do anything I ask. That is how it works... but if you were a kobold I would also feeling something of the same if we were compatible. But as a human you have no resistance to the smell which you shouldn't even be able to sense." Shiki looked close to tears again as Kain nodded slightly at each pause showing how well he was listening.
"I am feeling that. And I like it." Kain tried to reach out and touch the Kobold again.
"It's wrong Kain. Without some sort of slowly built resistance you have basically been made into a puppet. Until it wears off you will want to do nothing but please me. And that is wrong." Shiki reached down feeding him more. "When your mind returns to as close to normal as it will you'll still be unable to resist trying to please me and such. I wish I had known that you would have been affected I could have tried to prevent it." Shiki turned away but Kain saw the tears plain as the Kobold tried to hide them.
"I don't mind, I just want to make you happy. Is that really so bad?" Kain asked his eyes still filled with a fervent need to please.
"Yeah it kind of is. I have raped your mind!" Shiki turned and large tears ran down his furry wolf-like face. "I could control your every thought and that is not right. What about your mate? ...the girl you were found with?" He barked out anguish loud in his voice. "Do you remember her at all?"
"B-Bethany..." Kain remembered the car accident in flashes. Red light over his black Charger. Rain kissing his skin as cold shivers down his spine. Stabbing knives of pain. Pools of blood in the dark. The flare of a cell phones screen. Her limp body hanging. Her cold body in his arms. "Bethany..." He tried to grasp his head. He wanted to shake the memories out.
Shiki stared in horror as he moaned his remorse at waking such terrible memories. He went to the devastated boy and tried not to touch or move his ribs as he pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry." He cried onto the boy and rubbed Kain's tears away when they fell.
Kain tried to push the memories away, he turned his face into the fur and cried till he fell asleep. The memory of his love, impaled on a limb... He couldn't handle it, along with his new needs he remembered his days spent with his beloved Beth.
Drayman walked hurriedly through the large village and ignored the hails of his friends as he rushed back to his mate's home with the herbs. He met the village leader at the door and stopped. The elder pointed to the path and walked away knowing Drayman had no choice but the follow.
"What are you planning to do with the human Drayman?" The old kobold asked.
"Before I was planning on keeping him sedated long enough to return him to the humans. But... he imprinted on Shiki. There is nothing we can do now." Drayman spoke quietly in their tongue. Not bothering with the human language without the human nearby. "Shiki and I will care for him. We have no choice now. He won't be able to live away from Shiki."
"But what does this mean?" The Elder pondered aloud his voice distant. "He is the first to ever be effected by our scent. And forgive me but Shiki is not the... strongest young male here. If he had gone to one of them instead he may not have survived. You know as well as I do human's are frail. The full effect of out scent on us is... pleasant but not intoxicating as it would be for him." The elder looked up and caught a flash of rage on Drayman's wolf like face. "I'm sorry my boy. I didn't mean to insult your mate..." He trailed off and looked down. "Drayman. You have grown into quite the man. I am sorry your mother missed this." He moved forward and pulled his son into a tight hug. "We'll deal with anything that comes. I won't let Shiki be hurt."
Drayman nodded and moved past the headman and entered his mate's large single room. Shiki lay curled on the floor next to the bed his hand clasped around the humans, smaller and furless one. Drayman crossed to his sleeping love and picked him up easily.
The human slept peacefully but his uncovered hand wouldn't release the pawed hand. With a sigh he lay Shiki on the bed next to the human. It was just big enough for Shiki and himself when they chose to sleep here. So the human and the small Kobold fit easily.
Shiki lay unconscious and beyond reach in his dream world. He'd always been like that. Drayman sat with his furred back resting on the bed. He pulled his legs to his chest and laid his head back on his mate's flank.
Why did this happen... what does it mean? He shouldn't be like this. Is he special or is this a fluke? Shiki is the only healer and females secrete stronger scents... if it had been one of them he would have been driven past the point of sanity.
I suppose we are lucky he is sane. Shiki... he isn't weak. His scent is subtle.
It had been that which drew me. He was always alone the runt and weakest of all the pups. His mother abandoned him... she thought he would be better dead than unable to live.
Drayman let his thoughts drift from one thing to the next. The scent on his mate comforted him and he fell asleep for and he raised his head to look behind him. He sat near his lover's rump his head hidden under Shiki's tail.the first time in the past two and a half days. Drayman hugged his knees and rubbed Shiki's rump with his head.Shiki woke content and comfortable. He stretched and sensed something different about his bed. He smelled leather and medicine, his own blood, and the scent of his lover. But under those he smelt human.
His eyes slid open