Brandon felt a sneer of disgust curl his lip as he looked up and answered Ezekiels father. “Because of the Healing that happens...!!” He began, stopped and clenched his fists before he could continue again. “The healing is nothing but a twisted byproduct of something sinister that boils within my blood Mantilo. This energy lives inside of my core feeding off of me....and anything else I touch carelessly.”

A gaggle of looks was shared between the Shifters that were in the room after Brandon said this.

Some of the looks the Shifters shared were looks of surprise, but mostly Brandon’s saw disbelief and confusion on Ezekiels family’s faces.

For the most part, Ezekiels expressions remained completely neutral and open.

Brandon wondered how long the Guardian would continue to simply listen to these ugly truths before Ezekiel finally shied away in revulsion.

Nates voice raising up in question snatched him away from those dark musings.

Nate sighed and scratched at his nape. “I’m sorry Brandon but you...uh...” Nate stopped and shook his head. “You have to be a little more direct with us. We can’t feel what you feel.” He imparted, a small sniff escaping as he turned his open gaze on Brandon.

“Explain it clearly so that we can understand what this power is that you have.” The Wolf request and from the silent and expectant silence that followed his words and filled the room, Brandon realized that the other shifters shared his request.

“Clearly I shouldn’t have powers at all Nate! I’m mortal!” Brandon swiftly replied.

Trying his best to ignore the intense desperation and emptiness of his own words as he sat before the Shifters confessing his soul. As he sat before all of them with parts of his body glowing like stars and an intense unnatural hunger burning in his chest to devour the people in the room.

Brandon hoisted his bare hands from his lap and for one second the soft white light flashed angrily and crackled around his wrists and fingertips. Scrunched up and awkward-looking small symbols too light to really be seen ghosted around in a circle a breath above his palms. Then the flash dimmed and the soft pulsing white light remained in a gossamer cloud dancing over his hands.

“A monster?” Ezekiel suddenly asked him, his gaze locked on the small lights dancing across Brandon’s hands as if he were transfixed by them. “You speak about it like you’re power has....a personality....or a will of its own. You act like its evil. Is it like that for you?” Ezekiels asked, finally glancing up from Brandon’s hands. “Is it like there is another being living inside of you that feels in control somehow?”

“No. “Brandon told him with a small frown. “It’s not flesh and blood. It doesn’t have a mind or a will. It’s just this hungry energy wound up inside of me.” Brandon told him as he closed his fists and looked away. “Still....it is Evil to me. I wish you understood. The darkness pouring out of me....ravenous.....destructive....and so powerful. The strength of it.....Its like having lava burning in your soul.”

A sharp sob tried to race up Brandon’s throat, but Brandon squelched it only to find himself on the edge of screaming. “It’s like having a gut that’s been permanently dug out of your body so that you’re always hungry!” Brandon bowed his head and pressed his fists into his stomach as the very same ache he described out loud continued to torture him deep within his body. “You don’t see it, but I’m Hungry for more energy to add to the Flame. Every minute I fell this burning ache in my soul to just feed!”

There really were no words to describe the agonizing and unnatural needs that he felt. Saying these things out loud only served to make Brandon feel filthy and unclean.

With a small curse, Brandon ripped away from Ezekiel, jumped up from the bed and attempted to flee blindly back into the bathroom. Shoving past Ezekiel’s family who tried to spread out of his way as he panicked, clawing at his face and hair.

“Brandon! Brandon what are you doing!” Ezekiels concerned call, didn’t halt him or really register in Brandons wars.

He was so desperate to remove himself, to be alone, that Brandon didn’t realize that Ezekiel and Glen were now calling him, or that Ezekiel was following him across the room.

Until a strong restraining hand wrapped around his wrists and spun him on his heels, preventing Brandon from going any further and stopping him. For a split second Brandon started to snatch away, until Ezekiels gaze caught his own.

“Brandon wait! There’s nowhere to go!” Ezekiel hissed pulling on Brandon’s arm, hauling Brandon closer.

“Calm down.....just calm down.” Ezekiel growled down at him, as he bent his head forward and almost seemed to whisper. A beat passed where Ezekiel just held him close and all Brandon could see or hear was Ezekiels face and his own ragged breaths.

A part of Brandon was aware of the silent observers standing at Ezekiels back, but as always Ezekiel treated the next few moments as though they were the only two people on earth.

A bad habit he had been indulging in since the Night of the Clan Celebrating, but Brandon didn’t mind it so much considering that when Ezekiel did this......it helped him regain control. Perhaps through dealing with his own Reavers blood, Ezekiel had learned to understand when to simply escape a moment and cool off.

Eventually the real world had to return....so Ezekiel broke away, but not before he whispered  to him. “Better?”

Brandon nodded, twisted his wrists free and kept standing in the corner, staring down at his glowing hands....and being very careful not to use them.