Revenge Bites

I

He rolls his eyes as he pushes the door open and falls out due to not looking where he is going.

Laughter follows as Hudson catches Raiden, helping him back up. ‘Be careful, mum might not let you out to feed at this rate if you fall out the front door,’ Hudson teases.

Raiden smiles slightly at Hudson while brushing himself off. ‘Shut up,’ Raiden mumbles with brighter cheeks.

‘I mean, if you fall onto an animal then it's an easier catch,’ Emiliana adds with a small smile making Raiden laugh.

‘Give him a break, you two,’ Kit says as he holds a cigarette between his fingers and stands on the wraparound porch.

Raiden gives Kit a grateful smile, glad that at least two of the five members of his immediate family have confidence in him to be safe.

‘For the goodness knows how many time I've said it, you need to start waking up when you need to. You set alarms, you sleep through them. You sleep through us dumping water onto you. Get yourself together, young man, or one day you're going to wake up in the middle of the woods with no idea where you are and we can't help you!’ Faline states as she stops in the front doorway while Davon stops just outside.

‘We'll be fine, mum, don't worry about us,’ Davon whispers, bending slightly to press a kiss to Faline's head.

‘Stay safe, both of you.’ Faline looks between Davon and Raiden as they both nod.

‘We will, mum,’ Raiden says as he knows it helps settles her nerves when any of them call her mum with her anxiety.

Faline smiles and waves them off, Raiden laughing as he shrugs off Emiliana’s teasing arm that supports him.

The pair wander through the advancing forest, hunting down the deer that frequent the area. Davon stays beside Raiden as they find a couple of deer standing in a clearing. ‘You okay?’ Davon asks quietly as the pair crouch, watching the deer.

‘Yeah, these two should keep us going for a while,’ Raiden whispers.

‘I get the bigger one.’

Raiden raises an eyebrow. ‘First to it gets it.’

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Vague memories come back in flashes and cause more disorientation. He could not remember how he ended up in this room nor the reason for his confusion.

Raiden’s eyes find Davon on the next bed allowing a sigh to escape his lips. Where were the rest of their family? Why were they separated?

A groan rips from his lips as a pounding headache reveals he is coming down off a blood feeding. It has the same effect on them as caffeine does to humans, boosts the system for a while before causing a headache and grouchiness as they come off the high. It's double the pain if the blood they had contained caffeine.

Davon stirs making Raiden’s eyes snap to him almost greedily. Something awakened inside Raiden, but he pushes it back knowing that Davon is his brother. The groan that slips from Davon’s awakening lips curls its grasp around Raiden before Raiden can drive it away again.

‘Frate?’ Raiden says quietly. Brother.

‘Înca zece minute,’ Davon mumbles, turning his back to Raiden. Something incoherent leaves his lips as he stretches his arms above his head allowing his back to curve. ‘Acest lucru miroase diferit.’ another ten minutes. This smells different.

Raiden rolls his eyes as Davon ends up on his stomach and then looks at him. ‘Sa întâmplat ceva, nu știu ce.’ something happened, I do not know what.

‘Ce este locul asta?’ what is this place?

‘Nu știu.’ I do not know.

The door swings open making the pair tense as they look at the door, bracing themselves for an attack.

‘Ah, you're awake,’ the guy says, seemingly too peppy and erratic, along with a vague sense of familiarity which tells the pair they're in the company of someone of their species. ‘We weren't sure how long you would be out for, but you're up in time for lunch in fifteen minutes.’

‘Who is the "we" you are referring to?’ Davon asks, moving from his bed to join Raiden on his.

‘You’ve been moved to the psychiatric department of Oakheart. We found you both passed out at a disturbance, found no injuries and you both briefly woke to have a conversation in some gibberish before passing out again which is why you're here. We are the staff here.’

Davon barely glances at Raiden as the guy rests his chin on his shoulder. ‘Why should we believe that you are a doctor and not some patient pretending to be one?’

The guy looks at someone down the corridor before looking at the close pair. ‘Ar trebui să mă credeți pentru că suntem cu toții departe de casă.’ you should believe me because we're all away from home.

Raiden grips Davon’s arm for reassurance, the movement giving comfort to them both. His slightly warmer feel warmed Raiden while basking them both in familiarity compared to their surroundings. ‘Dacă știți limba noastră, de ce ați numit-o ciudată?’ if you know our language, why did you call it strange?

‘When you speak in the language so quickly, wouldn't it sound like gibberish to you?’

‘He's got a point,’ Raiden mumbles, smirking when Davon gives him a sharp look. ‘What did you say your name is?’ Raiden says to the doctor.

‘Oh, I'm not doctor Caruso, I'm Callaway. I stay in the room next door,’ the guy says. ‘See you guys at lunch.’ the door shuts leaving the pair to look at each other baffled.

‘I think we should get ready for lunch,’ Raiden comments.

‘Are you alright?’ Davon asks.

‘As soon as we get our hands on a map and work out where we are so we can get back, I will be.’