Mine

Way to put a damper on the mood

Dark clouds crept through the sky. The smell of fresh rain and moss streamed through the air as the wind picked up. A chill caused goosebumps to rise on his skin and he had to resist the urge to hug himself as they waited for the last few people to rise. 

They were currently standing in front of the big oak doors of Old Winston High. Old vines and naughty tree tendrils swallowed the building. Every time a powerful gust of wind hit, the building creaked in objection. It was a big group of them, all from the same school. All seniors received an invitation and last year's winners took charge. The broken down highschool served as the perfect place. It had plenty of space to hide and there were no adults to interfere. 

This was the first time Wres would be around so many others. He wasn’t shy, but he wasn’t exactly popular either. He was the guy that was known as “chill”. At parties, he would be in the corner sipping his cup while watching at least 5 laws being broken in one room. If you needed an answer to a test, he would give it to you, for a fee. He was that guy.

As the rest arrived, patting a few on the shoulder in greeting, he couldn’t help but feel like there were eyes on him, but when he turned to look, there was just a group of girls giggling at each other. They were looking at a couple of varsity players, so he just shrugged it off.

The crowd came to a hush as the leader of the group clapped his hands. Jason was lanky with a head of blonde curls. He was last year's captain of the soccer team and was on break from university. 

“Alright everyone, time to recap on the rules! It’s very simple. We have the seekers and the hiders. The seekers have until the night lights come on to find every single hider. If the seekers find every single hider within the time limit, then the seeker with the most finds wins. If not, the hider that didn’t get caught at all within the time limit wins the game. If multiple hiders remain unfound, then the hider who eludes capture for the longest time wins. Remember, in order to get points seekers you have to bring the hider back to the safe room, which is none other than the lunchroom! Several seekers can team up to capture one hider, so if you run into a particularly difficult one, call on a friend!”

Jason waited a few seconds to make sure everyone absorbed what he said before continuing. 

“As the leader, the director, or whatever you would like to call me, I have the right to enact havoc! What is havoc you may ask? Well, havoc is when a take all the hiders who were found and release. All seekers must close their eyes for 5 minutes and then go at it again. It’s a splendid chance for extra points”.  

Wres thank the lord that he was a hider, it seemed like much less of a headache. The group followed Jason into the building, the floor creaking with their every step. The lunch room doors were just broken pieces of wood all over the cracked tile floor. They organized them into their perspective groups on either side of the room. There was a giant bulletin board wheeled in the center with all their names written on it. Jason twirled a dry erase marker between his fingers as he waited. 

“Alrighty then everyone, take a good look at your opposition. It would suck to mistake an enemy as a friend.”

Wres slowly took in the other side, trying his best to remember their faces. He made a mental note to avoid the defensive players. He would get dragged easily by their hulking figures. His eyes caught with someones and he blinked in surprise at how intense his stare was. The guy had dark brown hair that was styled in a shoulder length wolf cut. He wore black eyeshadow and every accessory on him had a crescent moon. His clothing was so tight that Wres wondered how he could possibly breathe, but it did wonders for showing his figure. A figure Wres could only dream of possessing. 

Wres had to rip his eyes away to look at the rest of the group, but his cheeks burned from the moment. Finally, Jason announced for the hiders to run away and Wres sprinted out into the hall. Everyone sprawled in different directions. Wres opted for the basement. He knew this school had a shop room somewhere, and the basement was his best shot. His shoes banged on the stairs as he rushed down, the clock ticking in the back of his mind. 

The whole building seemed to shake as feet abused its degraded floors. Looking through the little windows, he found what he was looking for. Making sure to close the door behind him, he snapped his head back and forth. 

Where is it? Where is it? 

Bingo.

 In the far corner was a large red trash can. It’s meant for items that were covered in oil so that the janitor knew it was flammable. He took off the lid and couldn’t help but make a face. Yea, it wasn’t exactly as strong as it used to be, but there is no getting rid of the gasoline smell. 

With a deep breath, he clambered right in, leaving the lid a bit cracked so he could get some oxygen. Not his most sane decision, but the likelihood of someone looking for him in here was slim. The lights turned on at 8pm, so all he had to do was wait it out until then.

Footsteps sounded as the seekers got released. The building filled with the slamming of doors, shouts, creaks, and groans. He held his breath as the door to the shop slammed open. A seeker ran around the room, cursing in frustration before leaving. 

Just as I thought.

A scream sounded nearby. “FOUND YA”. 

He held his breath as they ran past. The rain that was in the air earlier was finally coming down. It pattered hard against the building and he wouldn’t be surprised if it began to storm. Just as he was getting ready to poke his head out, the door creaked. Shoes tapped slowly against the floor, like the person was debating on whether to come in. 

For a second, there was nothing. Wres thought maybe he missed them walking out and started to stand up when a husky voice sounded close.

“I know you’re here. Are you really gonna make me hunt you?” 

Wres’s heart thumped against his chest. He didn’t move a muscle in hopes the guy was joking. 

“Hmph, fine.”

A split second later, he and the bin went toppling over. The lid flew across the floor, and he ended up with half his body on the cold floor. A groan escaped him as he rolled onto his back. His voice got caught in his throat once he opened his eyes to stare right into the ones of the same guy from earlier. They were night black. So black that he felt the longer he stared at them, they were gonna swallow him whole. 

“Gotcha.”

With a quickness, his arm flashed out and grabbed Wres by the shirt. With ease he lifted him off the ground. He held him high, their faces so close he could see the small scar on his cheek. Wres grabbed at his hand but he had him in a tight grip. The closeness was causing his face to heat up, and he struggled to get his words out.

“Aren’t you um..gonna take me back to the- the lunchroom?”

The guy's face scrunched in confusion. “Why would I do that?”

“For the points, you know the game.”

A smile grew on his face. “I’m not here for the game”. 

Wres didn’t understand and the tight grip on him didn’t make it any easier to think. The rain was pouring harder, so loud that he could barely hear the footsteps of everyone else. “Then what are you here for?”

The guy nuzzled the side of his face against his cheek before resting his lips next to his ear. The whisper chilling Wres to the bone. “You.”

His eyes grew big as saucers and before he could really think about it he kicked him straight in his chest. With an oof the grip on his shirt was gone and Wres landed butt first on the floor. He scooted back before scampering to his feet. The guy stood there rubbing at the two footprint stains left on his black top. 

“Now was that really necessary?”

“Uh yeah!” Wres had never been so lost. “What do you mean you came for me? I don’t even know you!”

The guy cracked his finger. “Oh, my apologies. Let me introduce myself. My name is Zaré. And you,” slowly he pointed at me, his finger decorated in a silver ring that swirled all the way to the top. “are my mate.”

Mate? Who says that outside of werewolf stories? Wres started to back up, and Zaré wore nothing but a smirk at his movements. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about, but I am no one's mate. Whatever you smoke, don’t do it again.”

“Running isn’t going to keep me away from you. If anything…it excites me more”. His tongue ran against his lip at those last words. 

That was all he needed to turn tail out the door. The thunder was here. It boomed so loud that it shook the wood and he couldn’t help but jump a few times at the noise. 

“There is no point, my mate. I can smell you from miles away. The oil doesn’t conceal a thing.”

Through all the rain, his voice thundered clear. Where was everyone? He ran up the stairs, seeing no sign of life. He picked a random classroom, hiding behind a giant teacher’s desk. 

He closed his eyes as he held himself in a tight ball. He’s crazy. Maybe it’s crack. Yea, crack will do that. It was as dark as could be, and the lights were starting to flicker from the intensity of the storm. 

Way to make this worse. 

A few minutes passed, and his breathing was returning to normal. Then it hitched right back up when cold fingers stroked his cheek. His eyes snapped open, and got sucked right back into the black pool. 

“Don’t be scared my mate. I'm not trying to hurt you, at least not a lot.”

Hands grasped his shoulders as he was picked up, and slammed against the wall. Wres pushed at Zaré’s chest, but he was like a stone wall. They were chest to chest. Zaré was looking down like he wanted to devour him and his grip was sure to leave bruises.

“Just accept your fate. I will never leave you alone. You are in my mind all the time. I crave you, your breath, your skin, your very existence.” He took a deep breath as he ran his thumb down Wres’s lips. 

Wres bit at his thumb, which only caused a smile to grow on his face. Wres wriggled against him and Zaré just pushed him into the wall. Every part of them was touching. His fingers were seeping the warmth out of skin and the more he stared into his eyes, the more he felt he was losing himself.

“You’re mine. Don’t fight it. You won’t win. You are and forever will be my mate.” He growled that last sentence before digging his teeth right into the side of Wres’s neck. 

His teeth sank right in, and a shock ran through Wres’s entire body. Gripping onto his shirt, Wres could only release a silent cry. It was like a blaze of pain, reaching out to the tips of his fingertips until it encompassed his being. Until it dimmed and simmered, and when he looked into Zaré’s eyes he felt a pure pull. Like a rope had tied their very being together. 

A small part of him was yelling. Screaming. Telling him to wake up, but it was a haze. It was a blur. All he could focus on was Zaré. 

Sealing the mark with a kiss, Zaré rested his head against Wres’s, breathing in his scent. “I’ll be back for you. Whenever you need me, touch our mark. But every night, I’ll be next to you. Until you leave your home's grasp, and can come with me.”

With that, Zaré threw Wres over his shoulder and carried him out. It’s like a shake of reality. All of sudden he could hear people shouting and cheering. They made their way into the lunchroom. Everyone was already there. Zaré plopped him in a chair before facing Jason. 

“Last one with a few seconds to spare.”

Jason clapped in joy. “I guess you win then friend.”

Zaré looked down at Wres with a look that only he could decipher. And it gnawed at the deepest pit of his stomach, and if he was cold before, he was freezing now imagining the night to come.

“Yes, I do.”