Jason Schuyler

Doesn't let go, his voice too low for Jason to hear.

"What are you going to do, leave?"

From:

Turning his head slowly, eyes finally coming to bear upon Nate. Staring at him with the look of a dead man. Steel shutters behind empty eyes.

"I'm going to save his life. I'm going to stop fooling myself that I am anything but a monster. Two people I've loved. Two I've hurt in the name of that love. I'd ask you to do it, to put the silver bullet in my brain but I know you won't."

From:

He growls low, glaring at Gabriel.

"That won't fucking help. You kill yourself and that just cements the guilt and proves to him that he's responsible, and he'll follow right behind you. How is that saving his life? Tell me tha..."

Nate suddenly jerks, looking up and not seeing anyone.

"Fuck. JASON?"

He pushes off of Gabriel, looking around, trying to find his friend.

"How the fuck...?"

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As soon as Nate shifts, moving, hearing that call for his lover and realizing he's gone.. it was enough. Gabe couldn't stop it.

Fluid pouring everywhere as fur poured out over torn skin. Bones breaking, mending, reknitting.

His roar one of anguish, pain torn from a broken heart as he tries to scent his mate. The one thing left that kept him from dying.

Racing, not that far but in that moment panic left him shifted, changed, tear up the turf as he pushes off so hard that he kicks up grass and dirt.

And dropping to the ground at Jason's feet. Rolling over instantly. Legs down, belly open. And his head turned to the side. Giving himself over completely to his mate, his submission in that moment complete.

From:

Leans against the tree, sobbing, blood pouring from his wounds as he fumbles with the watch. Can't get his fingers to work, just wanting to get away, go somewhere safe. Can't watch Gabriel die even though he should.

"My fault, my fault. Killed him, wanna go home. Wanna go home."

Jumps when the leopard appears, not having heard him. Moans, a low anguished sound as he falls to the ground, pulling his knees to his chest, still clutching the watch like a lifeline.

"Nononono. Not me, not good enough. Don't Gabe, please don't, not right. It's my fault, my fault."

Drops his head to his knees, curling up as tight as he can, still sobbing, blood cooling and drying, sticky.

"Wanna go home, wanna go home."

From:

Large head turning, rough tongue bathing over Jason's foot. Slowly turning, rolling to his side. Slinking closer until that oversized, furred body, heavier than it looks, is leaning against Jason's own huddled form. Pushing. Tongue bathing over his mate's head now, cleaning him, mothering.

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Reaches up, burying his hands in Gabriel's fur, needing to hold on to him. Still shaking and crying, his voice barely above a whisper now.

"I'm sorry, love you, please don't leave me."

From:

Tongue bathing over Jason's face, lapping from chin to forehead time and again. Stopping just short of taking the flesh from his lover's face. Sitting back, panting as he stares into Jason's eyes.

And then he began to purr. Leaning hard against his mate, letting that sound pour over him.

From:

Presses closer to Gabriel, trying to stop crying. Body hurting, sore, his shoulder in pain. Knows he needs to shift so it will heal right, but can't pull the wolf out. Just sits there, wrapped around Gabriel, feeling the vibrations of the purr.

From:

Pulling away slowly, slinking a bit more into the shadows. The sound was loud, bones popping, the rush of water. Him shifting.

Crawling back to Jason's side, grabbing him, holding him tight. Not caring that he is wet, still coated in the slime of shifting.

"I'm sorry, pup. I... Fuck, I'm sorry."

From:

Whimpers when Gabriel moves away, clinging to him when he returns. Shakes his head at Gabriel's words, whispering softly, his voice hoarse.

"My fault, not yours."

From:

Growling softly.

"Bullshit. I lost control. Again. I.. Fuck. I'm scared.'

Admitting it was like a wall dropping, curling up tight around Jason, clinging to him the most he could.

"So scared."

From:

"I pushed, should have let it alone."

Rests his head against Gabriel, suddenly dizzy. Tired, so tired as the crash hits.

"'m scared too."

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Rocking, more for himself than for Jason, trying to find solace, some sort of comfort.

"I'm sorry. I love you. I... Oh god, I almost killed you. Don't... Don't leave me. God, don't leave me."

From:

"I won't."

Crashing hard, cold now, trying to stay awake, shaking badly. Shoulder almost numb now, stomach rolling.

"Gabe... I don't... "

Tries to push himself up, closing his eyes when everything starts to spin.

From:

"Baby... got to get you inside. Take care of you. God...' Standing, sweeping Jason up into his arms, helping him to stand and yet not letting him straighten completely.

"Do you need a doctor? Or just.. .What? What can I do? Fuck, tell me what you need.'

Whimpering, bowing his head to nearly rest against his mate's. "Fuck, so sorry. I... Oh god...."

From:

Nate slips up behind the two of them, growling a bit.

"Fuck, how have you two survived this long? He's going into shock and needs to shift, now."

He looks Gabriel over and rolls his eyes.

"And you're in no shape to make him do it, move."

From:

He wanted to fight. So bad. Wanted to rage and scream. Because in the end, it hurt too fucking bad to know he wasn't what Jason needed and likely never would be. To accept that, at least where his mate was concerned, he wasn't alpha. Not now. Not ever. Not enough.

Backing up slowly, eyes closing as he turned. Unable to make himself stop. Accepting it was true. He wasn't enough.

From:

He grabs Jason's arm when the man sways, turning to glare at Gabriel. He slowly helps Jason sit back down and then strikes. No warning, just lets his beast roll over Jason, ripping the wolf to the surface. Cold and cruel, ignoring his friend's scream of pain. A scream which quickly turns into a howl, then a whimper as the wolf falls to the ground, panting.

He steps back, wiping his hand on the grass, cleaning the fluid from his skin. He turns his head slightly, looking at Gabriel's back.

"Your mate needs you."

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Bile rose in his throat, gagging on it at the scream from his mate. Feeling that energy, scenting it, feeling an answering roar within him. One he swallowed. Bowing his head.

Nate's words are like a dagger between his shoulderblades. Striking hard and deep. Yet missing his heart. Because that seemed dead within him.

Turning back slowly, eyes midnight, dark pits in the dusk of night.

"No. He needs an true alpha.'

No bitterness. No pain. Just true acceptance of all of his failings, everything he could never be, all of it falling over him in that moment.

From:

He just looks at Gabriel, a strange look in his eyes, reaches over and pets Jason, slowly scratching along the back of the wolf's neck.

"Really. Then go. If you can't be what he, what they need, then go. Don't worry about what they know they want or need, just go."

He tightens his grip on Jason, holding the wolf still.

From:

NO! Nonono, Gabe!

Wants to scream, can't do anything but whimper and whine. To exhausted to fight off that hold, tries anyway. Struggles to get up, turning to snap at Nate's hand, growling at his friend.

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Eyes closing. Feeling as if he's being torn in two. Ripped apart by two men, two beasts, one he knew and the other he feared. And they were both him.

Eyes closing, taking a long slow breath. And then he was truly being ripped in two. By his own beast. Knowing he would pay for this. There would be no shifting back tonight. Not after two hard shifts in one night. And he didn't care. He only cared about one thing.

"Get your hands off what is mine!"

Starting out a growl, turning into a snarl as teeth rushed into Gabe's mouth. He was already in the air before full shift took him. Hanging a moment in mid air, mangled and marred.

And then it was as if one of those pictures. If you moved it a little all was revealed. And what was revealed was a massive leopard launched directly at Nate's throat.

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Nate grins and moves in that impossible quick way and smirks as Gabriel crashes into Jason. He holds his hands up as he backs into the shadows.

"See, I'm not touching him. Do yourself a favor Gabe, get some help, for both of you, before you end up killing each other. I don't want to get stuck with a pard that I didn't pick."

He turns and slips into the shadows.

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