Arrow Inferno
Chapter 121: Jeremy Stanton vs. Ryan Hicks ~ Feral attraction in the midst of hatred… Dark flashback!

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Jeremy couldn't help but wonder about his mate's odd behaviour. That was so unlike Ryan. The Ryan he knew would never have nonchalantly initiated sex in the presence of another. What the fuck was going on? Jeremy made a mental note to call Dr. Sanders immediately after they got back to their Villa. Maybe his resident sorcerer or even Deloris could fly out to the Island with Dr. Sanders and check Ryan out. Content with the resolution made, Jeremy's wolf cuddled closer to his beautiful white wolf with the intention of going to sleep too. God knew he needed it. But just as he got comfortable, he heard the unmistakable rumble of thunder, a signal that it was about to rain. They had to get back to the Villa before the rains started.

'Ryan?' The alpha wolf shook his mate gently. 'Wake up baby. We have to go.'

The white wolf stretched and opened his eyes slightly. 'How long was I asleep?' Ryan murmured, cuddling closer to Jeremy.

'Not long.' Jeremy's long tongue flicked across his mate's face. 'But it's going to rain so we have to go.' Jeremy stood up.

'Hmmm...I love it here.' Ryan groaned. 'Didn't you say something about a cave?'

'Now he wants to see the cave.' Jeremy muttered. 'Thought you weren't interested in exploring the Island.'

'I never said that.' Ryan countered. 'I'm just more interested in exploring you, that's all. And can you please do your arguing from down here?' Ryan said with a naughty come-hither look, tapping his shoulder.

'We have to get to the cave before the rains start, Ryan.'

'In a moment darling.' And at Jeremy's exasperated groan he added, 'Hey you just destroyed my arse with all that knotting. I need to feel my legs before I move.'

'Oh, baby...' Jeremy flopped down beside Ryan with eyes filled with worry. 'Did I hurt...'

'In the very best way possible.' Ryan cuddled closer to his mate. 'Jesus, you know how to work that cock in whatever form.' He moaned, making Jeremy huff out a laugh despite himself.

'We need to talk Ryan.' Jeremy said quietly when he quieted down.

'Sounds serious.' Ryan said, letting out a noisy yawn. 'Alright let's go to the cave.'

'Good.' Jeremy stood and led the way.

When they got to the entrance of the cave, the big red wolf pressed his paw into the imprint of a paw in the stone wall. The metal door at the entrance opened to reveal a big but very cozy cave. The lights came on automatically. 'Wow...' Ryan's wolf breathed, gobsmacked at the sheer elegance of the cave. He'd definitely not expected a cave in a forest to be that posh.

Everything in the room was designed in a cool green, red, and grey. The thick, plush, green rug covering the floor was obviously to give wolves that entered the cave a comfortable place to relax. There was a beautifully dressed bed and a comfortable-looking red couch that were obviously to give comfort to those in human form. The red duvet over a soft green quilted bedspread on the bed was absolutely lovely. The natural plants and flowers in the cave gave it an outdoor feel, with the contrasting grey stone walls bringing all the colours together beautifully. The kicker for Ryan was the cute red fridge and the small bar area. It was just fantastic.

On one side of the walls were paintings of nature, and on the other side, a collage of pictures. Ryan rightly guessed that those were pictures of Jeremy and his family. Even as the white wolf moved closer to the pictures, he shifted into his human form. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips when he saw pictures of a young Jeremy.

"Even as a kid, you were fine. Damn." Ryan muttered, making Jeremy laugh. "Is that your dad?" Ryan asked, staring at the picture of a blue-eyed blonde hunk of a man.

"Yep," Jeremy answered as he lighted the fire in the fireplace. "He was one fun-loving guy." A very naked Jeremy slipped his arms around Ryan from behind.

"Nothing like you," Ryan muttered.

"Really?" Jeremy sounded surprised.

"You're too serious baby. But I love you just the way you are." He patted Jeremy's hand patronizingly with mock innocence.

"I can't believe this." Jeremy gushed.

"Try and believe it. Mum hasn't changed." Ryan observed. "Still as beautiful as ever. Is that your..."

"Kid brother," Jeremy said quietly.

"He was a handsome little boy. How old was he?"

"He was only five when they..." Jeremy trailed off.

"Sorry," Ryan said softly, still staring at the picture of Jeremy's brother. There was something familiar about the boy. But then he knew his mother and brother so it wasn't strange to feel that way. "Mum and dad used to fight over us all the time," Jeremy said quietly. "I had more of mum's colour but dad's blue eyes."

"Which I absolutely love," Ryan said, drawing a chuckle from Jeremy.

"And Travis looked more like dad. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and lovely colour that someone who didn't know his mother was black, would think was a tan. Dad called him his twin."

"Were you close in age?" Ryan kept staring at the boy. He couldn't shake off the niggling feeling that he'd seen the boy before.

"No, I wouldn't say that." Jeremy chuckled. "I was ten years older than him. But I adored him. We were always together, playing, being naughty... I was his hero. But that day..."

"How did it happen?" Ryan asked quietly.

"The hunters ambushed them. Dad didn't show any signs of struggle. He wasn't given the chance to fight for his life like the true alpha he was. It was almost as if he didn't even see or sense the enemy at all. Which is very strange. But for the silver bullets that were found inside him...which hunters usually use, we wouldn't have even known they were killed by hunters. There were no traces, no footprints, nothing."

"Shit." Ryan breathed.

"We were to go for a walk that evening like we always did when dad wasn't busy." Jeremy swallowed hard. "Just the two of us and Dad. Travis loved sitting on dad's shoulder for those walks. He said he could see further than dad and I because from his perch, he was the tallest." Jeremy gave a wistful laugh. "We would sing on top of our voices and pretend to be soldiers marching through the woods. That day I didn't go with them because Paige broke her arm. She wouldn't allow the doctors to touch her. After a lot of talk, she had demanded that Phillip, Stan, and I sit by her whilst the doctor set her arm or she wouldn't allow it. She's always been feisty and bossy?" Jeremy said to create humour but neither of them even cracked a smile. It had started pouring outside. "Dad said I should stay with my friend. Travis insisted I come along but dad explained to both of us that, when a friend needed you, you had to be there for them. He said there would be lots of walks. But I would never be able to make it up to Paige if I didn't show I cared for her when she needed me."

"She saved your life," Ryan whispered and felt Jeremy shrug.

"Depends on how you look at it. I could have helped my dad and brother if I'd been with them."

"How old were you then? Fifteen, right?" Ryan shook his head slowly. "What could you have possibly done? Those murdering hunters obviously knew your routine. They laid in wait and attacked. Even your dad couldn't escape or defeat them. What makes you think you could have?"

"I'm an Ojah, remember?" Jeremy growled. "I would have saved them or died trying."

"Whoever planned it was meticulous, Jer. You would have died too because like your dad, you wouldn't have known what was about to happen."

"I would have gladly died with them," Jeremy whispered.

"Don't say that." Ryan couldn't stop the shiver of terror that passed through him at Jeremy's words. He couldn't even stand the thought of Jeremy dying. "That would have killed mum for sure. Everything happens for a reason."

"I just want to scream and destroy something whenever I think of the pain that little boy must have gone through. When they found dad, Travis wasn't with him. His tattered clothes, soaked with his blood were found beside dad. It was believed that a wild animal must have fed on his body. God..."

Ryan turned within Jeremy's arms and hugged him tightly. He could feel Jeremy trembling with emotion in his arms and felt like crying for those lives. Especially the life of that innocent boy. He would have been twenty-one if he had been alive. Now he understood why Jeremy hated hunters so much.

"Come on." Ryan drew Jeremy to the inviting bed and urged him into it. "Are you okay?" He asked as he pulled the covers over their bodies.

"I'm good. I can rave and rant till the end of time, they're not going to come back." Jeremy sighed. "Thanks for listening." He closed the distance between them and softly kissed Ryan. They would be better off dwelling on the present because the thought of what he'd lost was still too bitter a pill to swallow, Jeremy thought sadly. "Ready for what I wanted to talk to you about?" He murmured against Ryan's lips and then moaned when Ryan captured his mouth for a deeper, hotter, spine-tingling kiss.

"Can it wait?" Ryan breathed in between kisses. "I want you, Jeremy." A longer kiss. "We can have that talk after." He whimpered, rubbing his leaking, rock-hard cocks against Jeremy. "Right now, I need this..."

"We really need to talk, Ryan..." But even as Jeremy groaned in protest, he was moving to cover Ryan's body with his.

The two didn't speak again till morning.