"Unless your saliva has antimicrobial properties, we're going to have to wash that," Ethan says, gesturing at the wound at the juncture where her neck meets her shoulder. She's such a dainty little thing. His teeth mark is almost on her entire neck and around her upper chest. It's barbaric. He shouldn't feel satisfaction from the thought that it would leave a scar, but he does.
Darius is more than a little upset with his twin but doesn't want her to be even more frightened than she is, so he lets his brother come near them with the medical kit he keeps underneath the counter in the bathroom. He thought he had left. "How did you know where the medical kit was?"
"Smelled it," Ethan says. "You should have told me you were so serious about her." It is as close as he can get to an apology from his twin.
Darius bares his teeth at him. "She's not yours to claim."
"Keeping her locked up like this reminds me of someone we're related to," Ethan says like he wants Darius to maul him.
"I am not our father."
Ethan looks like he's about to disagree but stops himself before he points out that what he's doing is exactly like their father. Instead, he says, "Keeping her locked up here like a prisoner is a bit much, though, isn't it?"
"And look what still happened," Darius says, refusing to let his brother turn this into his fault. "I know what people think of people like her. You meet her for the first time today and immediately you try to take advantage of her. I'm trying to shield her from that."
"Don't bullshit. You just want to keep her for yourself."
"If I wanted that, I could've done it years ago." He grimaces when he hears the words from his own lips and he holds her a little tighter. She makes a soft little mewling noise and shifts in his lap but doesn't seem to be waking up any time soon. She's a sweet thing, too innocent for her own good.
When he first saw her all those years ago, her 'family' treated her like a bargaining chip. They were only too eager to hand her to him when they lost, knowing that if he took her, their Pride would be safe. Werecat prides are outnumbered by Werewolf packs by the thousands. Being under the protection of a single Werewolf pack could be the difference between life and death. Her pride works with him now and stays close to the territory. They don't make any trouble, but it's clear they don't care about her either. No one had asked about her, checked up to make sure she's doing well under his face.
"Dad used to keep mom locked up all the time too," Ethan says carefully, knowing he's putting his nose where it doesn't belong, but needing to say it out loud regardless.
"She's different," Darius insists.
"How?"
"She doesn't know how dangerous the world can be for people like her."
"So you're not going to let her out at all? That solves everything. Good job, Darius," Ethan rolls his eyes. "Get her wounds cleaned up. I'm leaving."
"Wait," Darius's blurts before he can help himself. "Wait," he sighs. "I'm trying," he insists. "I'm trying my best- I've been- I get her tutors," he says weakly. "And the other pack members come by and talk to her sometimes. She knows Alex and Maria, their children. Dominic and his mate comes by every Sunday and she has friends... online..." he says. His argument sounds weak even to himself. He's still isolating her, controlling her the same way their father used to control their mother.
Ethan sighs and gestures him forward.
He has to bite the inside of his mouth to keep himself from snarling at his brother when he reaches for her with a damp towel and begins wiping away the blood smeared on her shoulder.
"Take her outside with you," Ethan suggests. "We're trying to change things, remember? Make the world a better place for shifters? Shifters like her especially," he tilts his head in her direction. "You can't say you want change for everyone and then be the best example of what not to do. She deserves to live too."
"I know that," Darius growls. Of course he knows that. That's why he had been hiding her from Ethan all these years. He knows his twin would have no qualms giving him all the uncomfortable truths he's not ready to hear.
She comes awake as they finish cleaning her in the tub. He doesn't expect his brother to follow but doesn't want to start another argument by denying him either. At least he knows enough to keep his boxers on. She blinks awake blearily and smiles gently at his brother. "Darius?" she calls out, confused about being wet in a tub. When she hears him hum behind him, she kicks away from his twin. "Master Darius!" she cries, heartbeat going out of control.
"Shh... It's alright," he hums, holding his arms around her waits, keeping her flush against him. "He's here to make sure I don't hurt you," he explains, helping her cover her breast with an arm wrapped deliberately over them while her tail wraps around her hips, covering her pussy.
"I know you won't, Master Darius," she says, sweet and innocent, eyeing Ethan with obvious distrust and a little bit of irritation.
It's utterly adorable. "Sweet thing," he chuckles, kissing the back of her neck a little to the right of where his teeth marks are. To his surprise, he smells the scent of arousal coming from her.
Her breath catches in her throat. "Master Darius?" she whimpers.
"Would you stay?" he asks Ethan, not quite trusting himself not to hurt her, to go too far and knot her even though he's quite certain she's not yet ready. She's a slight thing, barely reaching his shoulders wit ha waist dainty enough that he can circle his fingers around his waist with his hands. The thought that he can do that makes his cock twitch and harden. She's so small and he loves it.
"To watch, or to participate?" Ethan asks, quirking a brow.
"What do you think, baby?" he asks, gripping her tail lightly and pushing it out of the way. The scent of her arousal is lovely and potent, going straight to his cock. He smells arousal coming from his twin and knows by the way her nostrils flare that she can scent it too.
"Aria?" Ethan asks.