Unwilling

Please feel free to comment if you feel that there's something missing, or if you like it. I want to thank roughboy18 for his excellent help! I am planning to add two more chapters after this one, but writing in a foreign language takes its time :( I have not abandoned this story though!

Small disclaimer:

Suspension of disbelief is recommended. All characters are 18+.

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~*Jared*~

Harry had passed out, and didn't seem to be in the mood to wake up as Darwin disappeared into the sunny day outside the university. Jared would have run after him, but since he had caught Harry and couldn't just drop him now, he didn't have any choice but to tend to his new charge. What to do with an unconscious werewolf in the middle of a hallway full of people? Jared looked down at the bundle in his arms and sniffed thoughtfully. Normally he would have been worried about the possibility of Harry having a panic attack as soon as he came back to his senses, but this one was a submissive, and probably easy to handle—not that Jared had any experience with situations like this. Once again having taken a back seat all his life proved to be quite unfortunate, but then again, Jared was already used to that.

Most of the students in the hallway ignored the hunk and the unconscious student in his arms, but a few stopped to stare with predator-like interest. It made Jared's hackles rise with a strange sort of protectiveness to see those humans gaping at one of his kind like hungry vultures, so Jared tightened his grip around the smaller body and got up. Jared didn't really know where best to take him since he already knew it would upset Harry even more to wake up in Jared's room, but when he caught some of the girls whispering about calling 911 he relented and started walking towards Statsby Hall. An upset werewolf wasn't fun and was pretty hard to hide, but a werewolf in the hands of modern medicine was a much bigger danger than a few nips and scratches and angered neighbors.

The odd glances and glimpses he got walking to his room with Harry in his arms were enough to make him regret his decision, and when the door of his single bed dorm room finally fell shut behind him he sighed in relief.

It felt peculiar to be taking care of someone he didn't really know, but Jared didn't want to think about this just yet. Deciding it was all due to the fact that he wanted very dearly to get into Darwin's pants, he shook himself (and Harry, too) and trotted into his sparse living quarters.

Jared despised his room, and it showed. He had been living there for two weeks but the walls were still barren, the desk was clean, the floor tidy and uncluttered. The whole place looked uninhabited, and Jared didn't feel like changing it. He hadn't had enough time to pack all of his stuff back home, mostly because he'd had to leave in quite a hurry. All he had were a few cardboard boxes with clothes that now hung neatly in his closet, his smart phone that luckily had survived the fall to the floor before, and his bank card and driver's license. His room was empty because there was nothing he could put into it, and the one picture he had of his family stayed tucked away in his wallet instead of hanging on the wall. Maybe he was being paranoid, but it just seemed wrong to show total strangers what his family looked like.

But some day that would change and he would decorate his room, Jared mused as he laid Harry on his bed. He would plaster his walls with snapshots of Darwin and himself, the happy couple, and even send some of the photos home to rub into his brother's face how happy he could be, even without his blood relatives. That would serve Tobias right.

Staring down at Harry's unconscious form, Jared realized he would have to do a lot of groveling and begging if he ever wanted to be able to get those photos. Darwin had been pissed off enough to even make Jared shrink back from his anger, and obviously pissed enough to make his best friend faint in shock. If Jared wanted Darwin, he'd have to do right by Harry and fix their friendship. Life could be so complicated sometimes!

Still, there was nothing he could do about it until Harry woke up from his peculiar blackout.

With a sigh Jared grabbed his books and sat down at his desk. Might as well do some studying while he waited, he supposed.

~*Darwin*~

The ordeal with his Alpha, Carl, began with his arms being tied together, fingers touching elbows. He was then coaxed down to his knees by a hard punch into the stomach that made him gag violently. Carl didn't seem to be in a hurry though. As soon as he had Darwin where he wanted him, he just left the room to let Darwin simmer in his fear and pain. When he finally came back after about ten minutes, Darwin had to restrain himself not to yell at him, he was that much afraid.

Although this was a part of Carl's usual routine, something just didn't feel right about the glances the Alpha shot at him, and although his fear was most probably making him see things that weren't there, he glimpsed a strange twitch in Carl's cheeks whenever the older man looked away.

"Why do you do this to me, Darwin? Didn't I help take care of your family? Didn't I pay the medical bills for your father? Your college education?" Carl's voice sounded agitated, as if he were fighting the urge to shout or lash out again. He didn't stop walking around though, not even bothering to hide his emotional state.

Again Darwin couldn't shake the feeling that something was different from all the other times, even though Carl used the same words as always, like a trustworthy swiss clock. Next Darwin would say, "I don't understand. What did I do?" and then Carl would show a controlled burst of anger, slap him a few times, or even punch him and break his nose. And then, once there was blood, Carl would shake off his fit of anger, manhandle him out the door and tell him not to show his face for another week.

Darwin heard himself pray the usual mantra, felt the words leaving his lips, and then he cowered down, waiting for the blows.

They never came. There was just an angry huff, followed by a chortle that made Darwin's blood run cold in a split second.

The Alpha walked across the room without sparing him so much as a second glance. He seemed more intent on sifting through a whole rack of torture devices, some of them looking as if he had gotten them right out of another century. "Wanna come clean before I begin?" Carl asked strangely smug sounding, and picked up a slim black riding crop.

For years Carl had never once strayed from his usual routine. If anything, the torturous evenings had notably shortened once Darwin had learned the expected actions. There had been a lot more punches in the beginning, sometimes enough to have him bedridden for a day or two.

Darwin had no idea what Carl wanted to hear. He knew very well that his Alpha was beyond odd. Carl was batshit-crazy and had been for a long time. It made answering questions like these unbelievably hard. If he gave the impression he doubted Carl's intellect, he would be punished even more severely. If he told the truth about himself he would be killed. If he didn't answer he'd probably be whipped until he answered.

"I don't know what you want to hear from me. I already told you everything." It was a struggle to keep his voice from shivering with fear, even though a little fear was undoubtedly appropriate for the situation. Darwin's shoulders creaked in protest when he inadvertently struggled against the bindings.

The riding crop sizzled through the air right next to his head, making him jump. "Don't you play stupid now, boy," Carl snarled, and started circling him. "I've watched you! My people are watching you every day! Did you really think you could hide this secret forever?"

Darwin's heart skipped a beat. There were so many secrets he'd had to keep in the last weeks, and each and every one of them would cost him dearly if exposed. But which one was Carl referring to and how had he found out?

"I've angered you, and I'm sorry! But I really don't know what you are talking about," he begged, and this time his voice audibly shook with panic.

Still Carl didn't seem to hear the confusion in Darwin's voice. He didn't seem to hear anything Darwin said, and his face was a contorted mask of anger and something close to paranoid triumph. The grip of the riding crop groaned dryly under Carl's tightening grip. "I don't like being lied to, boy. Maybe I can beat the rebelliousness out of you with this; shall we try?"

This time he didn't wait for Darwin's answer. Carl just pulled his arm back, paused for a second, and then began to strike him with vicious whistling blows all over his chest, thighs, ass and flanks. Every single whack rained down on Darwin's body with full-out force, and even though his clothes prevented him from bleeding instantly, he could feel the welts forming within seconds wherever the slim, elastic rod met his skin.

The pain was instant and gut-wrenching. Every lash set his body on fire, sending shocks of fear and burning agony through his veins. The worst part of the beating wasn't even the moment when the riding crop hit, but the intensifying sting that followed, and it got worse and worse with every second. Darwin was screaming within seconds, coiling up in a weak attempt to get away from his tormentor, only to be stopped by a casual kick to his side.

It felt like hours before the blows finally stopped, even though it had been only minutes. His whole body ached with the burning, stinging sensation of the welts, and his face was wet with tears. Darwin gulped in air greedily, despite the fact that his throat felt raw from all the screaming.

Carl walked slow circles around him, wiping sweat off the riding crop with a white linen handkerchief. "When were you going to tell me about that new werewolf?" he asked, suddenly sounding perfectly calm. He didn't even seem that out of breath after having exerted himself physically.

Pain clouded Darwin's mind and made his thoughts crawl and stumble. Before he could stop himself, he responded incredulously, "Who? Jared?"

Then it hit him.

Jared.

Another Alpha.

He had been friendly—even intimate, although still hostile—with another Alpha and hadn't told Carl about Jared's presence. Not reporting another Alpha trespassing into their district was something a trustworthy dominant would never do, special circumstances be damned. From Carl's point of view Darwin had switched sides, betrayed his pack, and was most likely planning mutiny. The old man might be crazy, but this time he actually had found a very good reason to kill Darwin and never be tried by anyone for it.

Carl started to grin widely when he saw Darwin's shocked face lose the last bit of color. "Ah, now you suddenly know, eh?" The old man's voice dripped with hatred and fierce joy. "This time you won't be able to wiggle out of this. No chance. I ALWAYS knew there was something odd about you, I just couldn't find the reason for this feeling. For quite some time I thought you might be one of them, a submissive, trying to weaken my pack with your whiny, spineless, goody-two-shoes influence. I need my pack ready to fight, ready to go to war, and those helpless puppies make them mellow and peaceful like lambs."

He crouched down next to Darwin, grabbing his hair to pull his head back with one hand. The other hand smacked his face with enough force to make his ears ring. "There are so many of those submissives I lost count, and then I started to think something was wrong with me, since you made my senses tingle despite you being dominant. My skin always crawled with unease when you were at a meeting, you know that? But as it turns out, you're just trying another route to destroy me, lurking around behind my back, waiting for the right moment to take over!"

Darwin tried to blink away the disorientation and pain. He desperately wanted to keep Carl talking, not only because he had just learned more about his Alpha's mind than ever before, but also because he feared what would happen after Carl stopped talking. But before he could say anything another punch rained down on his face, wiping the words from his lips. And then another followed, and another, and another.

Through the bloody haze Darwin realized that they'd moved on to the next stage: the kill.

~*Jared*~

It was dark when Harry started to twitch softly, not yet conscious, but on the brink of waking up. He had been out for nearly four hours, and with every passing minute Jared had gotten more and more nervous. He'd even checked Harry's pulse and breathing regularly, just to make sure the werewolf hadn't died on him while Jared sat there like an oaf, waiting for Harry to wake up. Harry wouldn't be the first submissive to die of a broken heart, even though that normally only happened if a soul mate died and the other one was left behind.

Jared put his book down and slowly crept towards the bed, his eyes fixated on the stirring body. He felt his heart starting to beat faster when he saw the twitching in Harry's fingers, and he felt his muscles tighten in caution. Jared was more than ready to catch Harry before he could reach the door, should the submissive wake up and decide to flee. It felt like stalking prey, Jared suddenly realized, and he had to gasp and swallow hard against the nervous cackle that tried to crawl out of his gullet.

At least that gasp woke Harry up. Jared stayed crouched down next to the bed and watched intently how Harry's eyelashes swept up and down while the smaller guy blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling. The silence was nerve-wracking, but breaking it would definitely scare Harry. Unfortunately, Jared had never been especially good with patience.

"Are you okay?"

With a panicked hiss Harry leapt to his feet, pressing his back against the wall above the bed. "Jesus Christ! What are you doing?" he yelled when he saw Jared crouching next to the bed, staring at him. His breath increased to short, nervous pants. His eyes had gotten the typical yellow tint werewolves got right before shifting, but he seemed too startled to run.

"Watching you. So you are okay?" Jared's voice sounded amused and relaxed. It only irritated Harry more, but at least it gave the human in him a better grip on his self-control. Slowly his eyes bled back to normal, surprising Jared. Submissive little Harry seemed to have enormous amounts of control over his actions, something rarely found even in dominant werewolves.

"Where did you grow up, in a cave? Why are you staring at me like that!" Harry exclaimed, sliding down the wall as the initial adrenaline wore off. His hair was tousled, his clothes disheveled and bluish shadows beneath his eyes showed his exhaustion, but at least he didn't seem to be planning a quick escape.

Satisfied with this reaction Jared stood up and sat back down at his desk. "South of Florida, actually. But mom always was kind of a tomboy. She even played touch-football with us, and she often won, too." Relaxing into his seat, Jared kept his eyes trained on Harry's face, watching him slowly calm down. "Not enough female influence in my youth, I guess. But you fainted, and that was a first even for me. I didn't know what to do, so I monitored your vital signs to make sure you wouldn't die. That about sums it up."

When reminded of his weakened state Harry's face fell, and Jared regretted his own thoughtless words instantly. If Harry broke down again, he'd have to go through all the insecurities and the waiting once more, and Jared really didn't fancy that idea.

"Come on now, don't flake out on me! Everything will be alright, we'll talk to Darwin together as soon as he has calmed down a bit, okay?"

Jared surprised himself with those heartfelt words. He'd always been popular and pretty carefree with his friends and relationships, never having to care for anyone's feelings because there always had been someone new if he broke a heart or two. Inside his old pack there had always been his brother Tobias—another Alpha—overshadowing everything Jared did and steadfastly keeping him from finding friends within the werewolf community for fear of having to fight his youngest brother for reign over the pack.

And now it seemed that fate had thrown socially awkward Jared right into the middle of the wide ocean of emotions and sensitivities, with no land in sight and nothing to cling to but dumb luck.

"I can't go home yet." Harry's voice was solemn and forlorn. The words made Jared cringe, but he didn't let his uneasiness show. It meant that Harry wanted to stay a while, which Jared had planned anyway—but hearing it made it so much more real and way more awkward.

"I know. How about you take a shower? I'll order pizza, and then we'll try to sort things out," Jared replied with a forced smile. Being mindful of other's needs actually felt like hard work to him, but there was no way he'd get out of this. And more importantly, if he wanted to impress Darwin, he'd better take good care of his best friend.

Harry, unaware of the rather unsocial thoughts Jared groomed, just nodded and got up. "No anchovies on mine please," he mumbled and disappeared into the small bathroom.

Sounds of running water came from the shower when Jared picked up his smart phone and dialed his favorite pizza parlor to place an order. Just as he put down his own phone, Harry's started ringing on the crumpled bed. Jared walked over and picked it up, intending to bring it to the bathroom, but as soon as he saw the caller's ID his heart stopped for a second. It was Darwin.

Jared didn't dare to pick up. If Darwin heard his voice from Harry's phone he'd freak again, Jared reckoned, but watching the phone blink, ring and vibrate was torture. When it went silent again Jared was relieved and pissed off at the same time.

A few seconds later it started ringing again, and this time Jared grudgingly took the call. He listened intently, then his face went white. As the phone hit the ground Jared was already out the door.

Seconds later he was running, forgetting about Harry and everything else in the world.

*~Darwin~*

The room was dark and silent when Darwin woke up again. He felt numb and disconnected, and he tried to stay as still as possible, dreading the pain that would take hold of him as soon as his body realized how badly hurt he was. He didn't know why he wasn't dead, but since Carl had left the room he probably thought he'd finished him off. Maybe the old Alpha had gone to get someone to clean up the mess he'd left, but that gave Darwin only minutes to act.

Unfortunately, acting meant moving first.

The pain started the second he tried to open his eyes. Somehow his left eye had survived the battering fists, but his right eye started pulsing and wouldn't open at all. Something inside felt broken, like shards scratching over his eyeball whenever he tried to look around. Maybe his eye socket had been crushed, but that wouldn't kill him. The blinding, searing pain that rushed through his spine when he tried to roll around was a whole other matter.

Gasping for air he stopped moving and bit down a scream. Every heartbeat seemed to prolong the waves of nauseating pain rushing through his upper body, but as soon as he threw caution into the wind and rolled onto his stomach, it suddenly stopped. Something in his spine seemed badly injured. His left leg was numb and wouldn't move, but his right leg still had some movement left. Something wet and sticky had glued his shirt to his back, but Darwin didn't have to check to know it was his own blood. His fingers wouldn't move at all, and the pain accompanying every attempt was disheartening. Carl had definitely done a pretty good number on him. And if he didn't get out of here soon the Alpha would finish what he'd started.