“Now Let’s just back up for a second. What about Jacob?” Ezekiel

Fighting not to show how deeply that simple name rocked him to the core Brandon stepped back, until his head thumped lightly against the wall. “What about him?” Brandon asked Ezekiel.

With a small lift of his chin, Ezekiel stared down at him then he replied.

“How is Jacob involved...?” Ezekiel asked Brandon. “And what do the Alchemists have to do with all of this. And who the hell are you Brandon?”

One question after another. Brandon simply wished he would vanish.

It felt like a cavern of darkness was going to be shattered inside of him. Somethings were never meant to be said.....or remembered. Brandon’s past was absolutely one of those things that fell into that category.

“I can’t....” Brandon tried to say. Non-surprisingly his denial seemed to stroke Ezekiels displeasure.

“Why not?” Ezekiel asked him putting a knuckle underneath Brandon’s chin and hosting back his head, forcing him to look the Guardian in the eye. Eyes that were suddenly demanding an answer.

Rather than admit that speaking on his past would be nearly impossible for him to do Brandon said this instead.

“What you want me to tell you is only going to get your family more involved.” Brandon slowly replied. “The Alchemists didn’t want anyone to know about me.”

To this Ezekiel came back at him with a serious expression and hard words that made Brandon physically weak. “Well, if you didn’t want to involve us then you never should have come here in the first place.” He said.

Perhaps the pain that his words caused reflected back at him in Brandon’s gaze, because he brushed his thumb across Brandon’s cheek and murmured at him after that. “I’m sorry but it’s true.” He uttered a grim tilt to his lips that showed that he didn’t like what he said, but that it was in fact the truth.

“But...” Brandon tried to interject, only for Ezekiel to continue.

“Brandon, it’s not like we have a choice anymore. We are involved now!” Ezekiel growled at him, a flash of lights dancing across his gaze, that made him look fierce and demanding where moments before he had seemed soft and open. “I don’t know much about your past, but I do know you were on the run! But you can’t run anymore.” He said. “Jacob has found you! You can’t keep trying to hide from your problems. It just won’t work....!”

Ezekiel sighed, removed his hand from Brandon’s chin and crossed his arms over his chest. A part of Brandon craved for him to reach back out and touch him again. Brandon squelched that desire as Ezekiel sent him a critical look and waited for a response that Brandon wouldn’t be able to give him.

“I can’t just open my mouth and spew my heart and soul out to you right now!” Brandon tried to hedge on his own behalf. He wanted to think that what Ezekiel was asking of him was too much, or too hard to do. Wasn’t it?

“You can’t!?” Ezekiel nearly roared back, his displeasure sinking to a new low as they spoke. “Brandon I’m not going to keep letting you do this to my family....and to me. Stop being so goddamn stubborn!!” Ezekiel admonished

“Ezekiel....” Erin suddenly stepped up next to Ezekiel at that moment and she tried to put a hand on his arm, but he only shook her off with a snarl and hissed at her until she drew back in silence. But a moment later Ezekiel seemed to sense the intensity of his own emotions and with a small in hail and exhale he seemed to gather back his calm.

Turning back to Brandon Ezekiel reached out, took his bare hand and squeezed it. The warmth of his touch was a shock, especially since Brandon’s hands were still glowing as the Flame still lingered just beneath the surface of Brandon’s subconscious and skin.

With a second deep breath Ezekiel, looked at him in the face and addressed him strongly. “Brandon from the moment you arrived here you have been living in the shadow of my family’s grace and mercy.” He said. “The only reason I can even still speak with you right now is because my family choose to protect you from Jacob.” Ezekiel stopped shook his head and said. “Please tell me the truth. I....I want to know who you are...and its killing me that you won’t tell me.”

Intimately aware that Ezekiels entire family was watching them didn’t embarrass Brandon so much as it made him painfully irate in that moment,

I do want to tell him, but he’s not listening to me!

“I CANT tell you, Ezekiel!” Brandon shouted at him.

“No!” Ezekiel snarled right back at him. “What you mean is that you won’t talk about it!”

All of the fight wilted out of Brandon after that. He was too hungry. To scared. Too weak to continue the argument.

“Jesus I CANT.” Brandon gritted his teeth. “I’m...its physically impossible for me to tell you about what....what they did to me! Strong emotions make me unstable and dangerous. They make my powers unstable. Pain, fear, terror, agony....talking or remembering my past is very difficult because I have to shut out the memories. So I can’t tell you.” Brandon sighed, not looking at Ezekiel as he turned and walked over to Lander.

“Brandon you can’t just leave it like this.” Ezekiel hissed walking behind him over to his brother.

“I know....“Brandon replied on a whisper because he truly did understand where he now stood. The truth about him and his past...were inevitably going to come out. Painful or not. Scared or not. He had no other choice now.

Not looking at Lander either he walked right up to him, took his hands and put one to his forehead.

“But since I really can’t tell you what you all need to know, Lander can just show you for me. He can go into my mind.”

“Oh Fuck this....”

Lander growled and went to tug his hand away.

“First of all don’t volunteer me to scramble around in your fucked up head! Do you know what you emotions and memories can do to me!?” Lander gripped, as he yanked on his hand, only for Brandon to tighten his hold on his wrist. Lander frowned at him, but didn’t continue to pull, instead his fangs flashed in displeasure at Brandon for being touched without permission.

“And secondly...” Ezekiels brother continued with a flash of green angry eyes. “Just in case you don’t remember me trying to rip you a new one the first time I saw you, but.....I still can’t read your mind Brandon!” Lander snarled. “Something is stopping me. So I don’t think this is going to work all of a sudden because you say it will.”

“Listen It was the Flame stopping you. I was actively keeping you out!” Brandon told him truthfully after Lander stopped talking.

Knowing that it was the unnatural power inside of him that had held Landers powers at bay when they had tried to invade his mind the first week Brandon appeared.

“But after healing my injuries....” Brandon continued to explain. “The Flame is too weak to stop you now. My power won’t get in the way. I won’t stop you. Please....I need you to do it for me! I can’t put it into words!!”

For a long moment after this Lander didn’t speak....he just stared at Brandon. He seemed unable to make a decision...and no one else spoke or tried to influence him. All of the other Shifters seemed to silently agree that the choice would be Landers alone.

Finally and with a curse. “Fuck me! You lucky I don’t fucking rip your face off Candy Pants!”

Lander tightened his hand in Brandon’s so hard that it hurt, then he wordlessly turned to Ezekiel snatched his wrist, and almost pulled him to his knees, as he jerked Ezekiel to his side.

“Lander!” Ezekiel started to snarl, pulling away from his brother.

But before he could finish Lander hissed in his face, and almost threw Brandon into his arms.

“Take the fucking homos hand, before I change my fucking mind!” Lander snarled, thrusting Brandon against Ezekiel roughly.

No one said anything or moved for a moment....then Brandon reached out and took Ezekiel’s hand. Ezekiel then reached out and grabbed Glens. They in turn grabbed Nate’s, Walters, Erin’s, Drin’s and Mantilo’s hands.

Then....without a warning or speaking another word, Lander closed his eyes...and a sharp warm flush of air flowed off of his skin.

Brandon cringed when a sharp cold suddenly began to settle all over his mind, probing, picking, digging, and looking for an opening in his mind.

Brandon whimpered and squeezed Ezekiel’s hand. The cold was sharp, but Brandon wasn’t hurting from the pain, but from terror. Bile climbed up his throat.

He really didn’t want to think about this. He didn’t want them to see it.

“Dammit!” Lander suddenly hissed. “I think he’s gonna be sick again if I press it. Brandon you need to calm down or this is not gonna happen.” He instructed.

“I don’t think I can,” Brandon whispered, feeling like his lungs and throat were on fire.

“Lander stop! Back off for a second.” Ezekiel suddenly barked at his brother.

At that moment the cold pulled back slightly and Brandon felt something warm on his cheek. Brandon opened his eyes and looked over at Ezekiel who had a hand on his cheek. When Brandon looked at him he smiled and ran a thumb down the side of his face and throat.

“It’s okay.” He whispered and it was only then that Brandon realized that he was trembling. “I know that you’re scared but it’s gonna be okay. Whatever it was you’re not there anymore, you’re here with me.” Ezekiel took his hand and squeezed it again. “It’s okay. Show us.”

Unfortunately Ezekiels kind words did little to stem the absolute terror rushing around in Brandon’s heart.

Brandon sensed the rot and the darkness. Boiling up in his memories. In his mind. The insanity that should have broken him so long ago. The stifling pieces of his past.....he didn’t want to see them come together ever again. He didn’t want to relive it. Or even acknowledge that it existed.

Still this was what had to happen. Because.....What else was there for Brandon to do at this point?

He couldn’t run. He had no one to fight. And no reasons left to lie.

Brandon took a deep shaky breath, closed his eyes again and swallowed. Then with a simple push, he pulled back what little strength remained in the Flame. He cut off and pushed aside what little power was blocking Ezekiels brother from invading his thoughts. And in this way, he managed to open his mind to them.

The cold came once more and through Lander, he felt the darkness gush forth like an ocean. Brandon lost himself in the painful cold stabbing sensations that attacked his temples. Then he lost himself in a trance-like state where at every turn, there was nothing to see but memories and nothing to feel but old raw sensations.

I’ll start...at the beginning.

Brandon thought. Knowing that they would hear him. Knowing that through Lander nothing he felt or saw would be private in the next few moments.

Knowing that Ezekiel would see every terrible thought and feeling that was screaming for release.