Bat Country

Alexis’s intoxication was lasting longer than Brian would have liked it to. Not to mention she was still fast, albeit a little clumsy. For now, Alexis had been trying to slow down to Brian’s pace, but he could tell it was annoying to her. Cascading to the ground, Alexis giggled and kicked herself back up, a small divot in the earth where she had fallen. After righting herself, she began running ahead of Brian. He didn’t think much of it until she was getting a little too far ahead of him, every plant she passed rustling as she left it.
“Alexis! Slow down!” He called, trying to run after her with every ounce of speed he could muster as she faded out of sight.
Her scent washed in and out with the smell of death, there was something rotting through here, and the sheer strength of the odor told Brian it was something large, maybe more than one of whatever it was. Concentrating on his more pressing matter, he paused at a tree and turned his face towards the sky, taking in a deep breath. It was an unusually cold night, and clouds blotted across the sky, only allowing for a few stars to shine through. He still couldn’t smell Alexis, and bolting forward, he ran through the maze of trees and up a hill before once more stopping at its crest, turning his face upwards.
“Shit.” He cursed himself, once again unable to catch her scent. Thinking of where she might of gone, he decided she may have tried heading back to the nest, so that’s where he headed.
Spinning on the pads of his feet, he whirred through the forest, desperate to find Alexis before something or someone else did…or, the more likely possibility, that she would find something or someone else.
The calloused bark of the trees blurred past him as his feet pulsed steadily over the ground. As he ripped at overgrown plants and vines, he managed to snake through the maze of the forest before coming to a large creek with a bank of rough and rocky sand. Stopping before he hit that bank, he stayed in the tree line, listening to Alexis giggling and splashing. His head whipped towards the sound, and he finally found her, fully dressed inside of the creek.
He watched for a moment, his dark eyes watching as she would float on her back and then use her arms to propel her forward with an uneven beat, as if she were an injured fish. He could have laughed at her, clearly she was enjoying herself, even if he was slightly annoyed at her running off in the first place. A different emotion was what was unsettling to him, that deep pit in his stomach when she had been lost. He had been insanely worried, but hadn’t thought of it until the wave of relief crashed over him once he had found her.
After a few moments, the giggling died down. Brian didn’t interrupt her or even make his presence known. Watching for a little longer, Brian could see that her expression was growing more confused. She would sober up quickly once she started. Finally stepping into the gravel-like sand, Brian began walking parallel to the creek, his feet silent as they sank slightly into the bank.
When she heard him, her head turned sharply to look at him with alarm over her entire face. Upon seeing it was just Brian, she relaxed.
“Brian, I’m cold.” She said weakly, the seemingly black water still rippling around her.
He was in front of her now, yet was still out of the creek. “Well then get out of the water so we can go home!”
Nodding, Alexis kept her head down as she waded out of the creek. As she made it out of the water and stood on the bank, water flowed over her and fell heavily from her clothes. She looked up at Brian and smiled innocent.
Shaking his head, Brian shrugged off the leather jacket he had been wearing and walked over to Alexis slowly, stopping dead in front of her. He paused and stared at her for a long moment, making Alexis‘s eyes fall away from him. After what felt like an eternity to Alexis, Brian finally slung the jacket over her wet and shivering body. She raised her eyes, but only to his neck and jaw line. The scent that emanated from him was very…warm, but Alexis couldn’t place it, although it was making her body hum pleasantly. Her eyes panned up to Brian’s lips, the only sound she was hearing being the slow, even rhythm of Brian’s breathing. Still swaying, Alexis’s head felt like it was swimming already, and the steady pulse inside her was not making anything easier. Staring at the tender flesh of his mouth, the pulse inside of Alexis was growing stronger until Alexis could resist no longer and went to lean into Brian.
As she went in, Brian mimed her. Before their lips could meet, he stopped and stepped away, his eyes falling in shame as he turned away from Alexis, leaving her there with empty arms and a face pained with disappointment.
“Come on. We’re almost home.” He said gently.
Alexis’s eyes were wide as she tried to clear her clouded mind.
Nodding, she pulled her arms through each of the sleeves and went after Brian.
Not even bother to run, they slowly meandered home, neither of them really paying attention to where they were going.
“Why don’t you have to answer Matt when he calls for you?” Alexis asked, breaking the silence.
Brian stopped and looked over his shoulder, but just barely. “We didn’t bond to each other enough for that.”
There was silence again as they stepped over the remains of fallen trees and rotting vegetation.
“How do you release…how do you release someone you make?” Alexis asked carefully.
Brian was quiet but sighed deeply. “Releasing someone…you reject whatever holds your bond together. Some say magic, I don’t know if that’s what it is, but you reject it. You have to want it bad for it to happen. You can’t just release your offspring on a whim.”
“Why did you release Jimmy?”
Brian turned around sharply. He didn’t want to talk right now, but when he saw Alexis standing there with her hair damp and tangled, her body curled into his jacket that was too big for her, his anger faded and he sighed. “Because Jimmy was different from me. He didn’t want my help, and I just slowed him down. He wanted more friends than just me. So I released him and I left him with Matt and took off again. I wasn’t ready to face everything.”
Alexis stepped towards him, her feet crunching over dead leaves. Brian’s shoulders fell as the trickle of blood slowly dripped from her nose. Wiping at it, Alexis studied the substance and looked back at Brian who said nothing, but gave a sympathizing look. As she glanced up at the sky, the sunrise was coming and she knew she didn’t have much time and if Brian carried her again, she didn’t know what would happen. Her head falling, she took off, blurring out of Brian’s sight as he stood in confusion.

He got home not more than a few minutes later, as the sun began casting out bright rays.
When he dropped into the nest from the hatch, he looked around to see everyone staring at him. Isabel was pacing, and looked at him with a worried expression.
“Where is she?” He questioned sharply.
“Who?” Zacky asked in response, his hands still in mid gesture from his interrupted sentence.
“You know damn well who.” Brian spat.
“She went to her dressing room and went to ground already. You’re late.” Rev shrugged, turning back to Zacky.
As Brian turned, everyone’s eyes followed him, and Johnny nearly broke his neck turning to look at him.
Isabel had hesitated and now raced after Brian. Her feet moved swiftly over the floor as she followed him to his room. He slept in a different part of the nest because he wasn’t part of it when it was built. Johnny, Zacky, Jimmy and Matt had rooms in the same hallway, and Thor had the fifth.
Finally catching up to him, Isabel latched onto Brian who was sniffing at his jacket which Alexis had hung on the doorknob.
“You’re cutting it too close!” Isabel said hurriedly.
Brian’s eyes shifted down to her.
“Please be careful! I know how you’re feeling, remember? If it goes any further, Matt will find out and kill you both! That’s his mate!” Isabel’s eyes were pleading with Brian.
Brian paused and pulled Isabel in, his mouth near her ear.
“I shouldn’t be able to be attracted to her at all, Isabel. That’s how it works for a mated pair. Do not tell anyone what I’ve told you, or what you’ve felt, but I think some fucked up shit is happening.” Brian whispered before pulling away from Isabel, his arm snaking over her shoulders as he broke their contact.
Isabel had a stunned look on her face but she nodded slowly.
“For good measure. That’s a command.” Brian added, sealing the secret they had just shared away within their own bond.
“I understand.” Isabel said with a hard swallow. She turned to leave but Brian had one more thing left to say.
“Isabel…” He called.
Isabel turned around slowly. “Yes?”
“You make me very proud.” He said delicately, before opening the door to his room and disappearing.