To Claim A Boy 4 by Rekhit & Griz Sylverwing

Story by Rekhit on SoFurry

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(This story is set within the Fallout universe. Paid commission for TKD DBull.)

To Claim A Boy 4 By Rekhit Redstripe & Griz Sylverwing

The Mall thronged with people, humans and anthros, clustered together tightly along the strip of land between the Washington Monument to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On the steps of the memorial stood a podium at which several television cameras were pointed, as well as news reporters from various radio stations, Galaxy News Radio being the most prominent.

What had started as a few marches and meetings had turned into an all rights march. Their demand was simple; that humans and anthros be given the right to enter into relationships with one another without fear of being ostracised from society, and the right to marry. Just to admit being in love with either a human or an anthro could cost you your job, your home and in some parts of the country, your life.

The crowd further away from the Lincoln Memorial watched on screens that had been set up as Sarah Kennedy, a small white rabbit, came up to the podium. Applause and cheers rang out through the crowd as she stood facing the mass of people. She smiled, raising her paws for silence, though it took several minutes before the clapping subsided.

"My friends, thank you so much for coming on this historical day," her voice called out, echoing through The Mall. "I know many of you have come from vast distances to be here, from every part of our great nation, just to stand with those who share your pain and your determination. I thank you for your dedication in these most troubled times. We cannot do this without you." She looked to her left. "But you didn't come here to listen to me speak. I present our guiding force, the voice of our struggle; Kevin Stone."

The applause for Sarah had been immense. The applause for Kevin was deafening. The clapping and cheering of the vast crowd echoed off the buildings surrounding The Mall. It carried up the steps to the Capitol Building. It drifted towards The White House. It could be heard across the entire city, even on the other side of the Potomac River. Televisions across the city, across the country, were tuned to this event, the biggest rights march since the Gay Rights March of 2029.

Kevin smiled out at the crowd, looking over the faces. Human of very creed, anthro of every species. All gathered, standing united, wanting only one thing; equality. "People of the Commonwealth of America," he said loudly. Gone was the nervous disposition of what had been a comic book character creator. What stood in place was the beating heart of a suppressed people. "Humans and anthros alike. Thank you for being here. Today is an historic day. Today we ask the politicians and the law makers of this great nation to give us our right. The right to love who we choose. The right to be with who with wish. The right to marry who we want to marry!"

"EQUAL RIGHTS," the crowd chanted, pumping their fists in the air. The atmosphere was electrical.

"Yes, equal rights. Rights that have so been denied us!"

"EQUAL RIGHTS," came the chant again, while some booed. Not against Kevin, it was directed towards those watching on Capitol Hill, the ones who would deny them their rights.

"Almost 300 years ago, our nation was under the boot of Great Britain. That country demanded more and more of our forefathers. They wanted us to serve them and denied them their right to freedom. But our forefathers resisted. They stood up and fought for their country. George Washington, the greatest American ever born, stood up and said 'Enough is enough', and lead the colonies to victory. America was born, born with the idea that every man is born free.

"But not every man is born free. It would take the slaves over a century to gain their freedom. It would take the anthros another century to gain theirs. But they fought for their right to freedom, just like Washington. They fought and they bled. And now they are free. Their destiny is in their hands."

Kevin looked around the crowd. Human hands clasped anthro paws, smooth arms linked with fur covered and scale covered and feather covered. The lies, the deceit, the need the suppress the truth was gone here. True feelings between partners were here for everyone to see and Kevin knew that for every human/anthro couple here today, there would be dozens more around the country watching, their support just as loud as those assembled.

"So here we are, ready to fight. Not with arms but with words. I refuse to harm others but I will fight. I fight for you all, for myself, for everyone in our nation so they too may have the same rights as others. After all, if blacks and whites can marry, if homosexuals can marry, then why can't we?"

More shouts and cheers and chants, all asking the same question; why can't we.

Kevin raised his hands for silence, though the noise only abated slightly. "We have a struggle ahead of us my friends. We must go to Capitol Hill, to the White House itself and demand our right. It will be difficult. We have overcome obstacles to get here but we have more to overcome. For there are those who do not wish for us to have our most basic right."

He turned, looking towards the far edge. Placards were raised by the Human Purity movement who jostled with the police forces there. Even from this distance Kevin could see some of the signs; "Human + Anthro = Abomination" and "Animal Sex An Affront to God". 2 years ago it would have caused Kevin to scurry away and hide. Now it made him stronger then ever. Because this movement, a movement founded to keep the human gene pool clear - even though human and anthros were not biologically compatible - was small compared to those who supported human and anthro relationships.

"Those who stand in our way are scared. We should not hate them; we should pity them for they simply don't understand what it is like to be close to someone, to love someone so utterly that for them not to be in your life feels like your heart is being torn out. These people do not know what it is like to love.

"But we do. We know what it is love and I refuse... we refuse to find that anymore. So give us our right Washington. Let us live as normal couples. Because we're not here to ask for it, we're not here to beg for it; we are here to DEMAND it!"

Across the city in Georgetown, a television flickered, illuminating the figure of a large anthro. Smoke hung thickly in the air as the large bull sucked on the stub of a cigar, then crushed it out in an over flowing ash tray. He exhaled from his snout as he took a large drink from his whisky glass, empting it in one go. Sluggishly he groped for the bottle, standing among others, but like its counterparts it was also empty.

Seeing Kevin on the black and white screen brought fresh pain to Torrin's heart. It had been only 2 months since he'd last seen his lover, his boy, but for the bull it felt like years. Sarah and a few friends had been round after Kevin had left to gather his things. Torrin tried to get them to pass a message but Sarah said simply that Kevin would not be interested.

Everything collapsed shortly after that and Torrin sunk into a deep depression. He turned to drink, the only thing that seemed to dull the pain. But when he sobered it just brought it all back. So he just drank from the moment he woke to the moment he fell asleep in the chair. He moved only to use the bathroom and to get something to eat from the kitchen.

********

The Doberman fished about in the pocket of his shorts for a few seconds, the rattling confirming that the keys were in that pocket. He took off his sunglasses with his free and hooked one of the arms over the neck of his tank top so they hung down between his defined pecs and shook the keys as he lifted them up, selecting the yale key that fitted the lock.

Pushing the key he heard it grate through the mechanism and twisted it, hearing the latch cock sideways. He leaned forwards and the door opened. He withdrew the key, dropping the bunch back into his pocket and stared into the dimly lit hallway as he pushed the door open fully.

"Torrin? Yo! You here?!" Swivelling his ears forward to hear any sound from within, the dog stepped through the entry to Torrin's home and nearly slid over backwards as his foot-paw was placed on a growing pile of unstable letters.

Catching himself on the side of the door he righted his weight and cursed, looking down at the pile of envelopes in the sunlight that shone through the open front door way. He picked up the top letter, and like most of the letters he hadn't sent spinning down the corridor, it read 'FINAL WARNING' in big red letters and he stepped over them, swinging the door closed.

"Goddamn it Torrin, what's going on?" The dobie paced slowly down the corridor, tilting his head slightly, listening for any sound of the bull. Torrin hadn't shown up for work 2 months ago without giving any reason and then seemed to vanish into seclusion. Phone calls went unanswered. Someone said they had seen him buff and bare-butt naked in the street yelling after some human, but couldn't give any more details than that.

Everyone had decided it was best to leave the big bull to his own devices but now the manager of the club was short handed with so many of his staff either ill or having left the city since they no longer felt safe there, he'd sent Scott to find out what had happened to one of the best bouncers the club had.

And so here he was. Torrin had given Scott a key for 'emergency use', knowing that the dog was straighter than an arrow and wouldn't randomly try to get into his house for any other reason than was necessary. The Doberman certainly considered the vanishing of his friend an emergency. Scott opened the door to the lounge and pushed it. While he was here he might as well see if Torrin had left any clues as to where he had gone in a hurry...

The small TV directly opposite him had moving images and flashes of a crowd of people, mostly likely the march going on in the centre of DC, but no sound emanated from the screen. Movement caught his eye and he saw a half full whisky glass empty as the silhouette of a bull tilted its head back and opened his muzzle to let the liquid slide in.

"Torrin!?" The bulls head slowly turned and bleary eyes focussed on the dog stood in the doorway before turning back to the screen and saying nothing. "What happened? Are you ok?" The bull seemed to be ignoring him so Scott moved across the floor, careful to avoid the empty bottles scattered around and stood in front of the TV with his arms folded over his well muscled chest.

"So, this is where you've been for the past two months? Sat on your ass watching TV and drinking yourself into a stupor, not even answering the phone?" The bull didn't seem to react at all to Scott who was stood in the way of the TV, the bovine just stared blankly into the distance which disturbed his friend greatly.

Scott sighed "Look, I don't know what's going on to get you like this. You've always been so level headed; this is kind of a blow so I'm just going to say my peace and leave. The boss needs you back at work. Most of the crew are either ill or unavailable and by the looks of it..." He held up the letter he had picked up "... you need the work right now."

Torrin continued to stare at nothing though his ear twitched

"I'm going to come back to pick you up in two evenings time bud, and even if I have to drag your fat ass out of that chair, you are getting out of this hole." Scott threw the letter onto Torrens lap and sighed again, moving out of the way of the TV he headed for the doorway. "Two night's time Torrin, it looks like you could do with some air anyway." He disappeared past the doorframe then leaned back "And for fuck sake, take a shower!"

The bull picked up the white envelope on his thigh. Lifting it up to chest height with his eyes trying to focus on the words on the envelope, he sniffed and wiped the back of the paw that held his glass over the ends of his nostrils. He stared at the big red letters for a long time before that arm dropped quickly back into his lap, his head relaxed back, supported by the top of the armchair, and he let out a bellow so loud it shook the walls and rocked the bottles across the floor.

As his head tilted forwards again, his features contorted into anger and tears streamed down his face as he launched the glass out of his paw at the TV. The two connected with a shatter and a flurry of sparks as the TV violently exploded.

********

Club Enigma was exactly as it sounded; a place of mystery. The motto was "If you don't want to be asked a question, don't go to Enigma". It was a place to get lost in, intentionally or not, emerging the other side blinking and confused, sated or not. It was a place where inhibitions were the first to go, and the house rule was that first timers had a glass of the club's special cocktail free, to really get the juices flowing.

Torrin stood leaning against a wall, staring out in the throng of flesh, humans and anthros, dancing and gyrating together. It was the only club in DC that was fully open to the idea of humans and anthros together and no one cared. Though it wasn't unknown for some well known people to be caught coming out of doors and into the arms of the paparazzi...

He blinked back tears and straightened his back. No, he would keep Kevin out of his mind. At least for tonight. It was difficult though. Scanning over the crowd Torrin could see so many humans enjoying the company of anthros, smiling, hugging, dancing, kissing...

Not for him. Not tonight. Not ever. Tonight Torrin had a job to do, and that was to make sure no one stepped too far out of line. It was a job he'd done since moving to DC four years ago; he was good at it and enjoyed doing it. Not just because he got to show off his strength, but the other perks.

Like now, a fox had swished up to him, stinking of drink and holding a cigarette, literally devouring Torrin's massive frame trapped in a tight long sleeved t-shirt with the word "SECURITY" emblazoned on the front. The fox was in the mood for a fuck later, but Torrin just glared and flared his nostrils. The vulpine let out a meep and scurried off.

The bull let out a snort and moved around the outer edge of the dance floor. Music pumped out of the large speakers by the stage. It was some kind of new music, psychedelic rock apparently. It didn't really appeal to Torrin's tastes. He preferred good old rock and roll. Soul had been Kevin's favourite music...

He shook his head. No, he wouldn't think about the human. He had to force his mind to think of other things. Like when Reggie had been sucking his.... "No!" he bellowed, slamming a fist into a wall. Several people around him jumped and stared at him as if he were a madman. Torrin said nothing but stormed off in another direction.

The atmosphere was electric. The march for anthro-human equal rights had been successful, and apparently Capitol Hill had accepted the member's demand that rights for humans and anthros be looked into. Not that Torrin cared, not anymore. He'd only heard about it because Scott had talked about nothing else on the way to the club. Everyone around Torrin was happy, but he felt totally empty inside. What was the point of being able to marry the one human he ever loved when that human no longer loved him...

It was then he caught a familiar sight out the corner of his eye and slowly he turned his head. It couldn't be... out of so many faces, so many scents, so any voices, Torrin could see and smell and hear one person out of hundreds. He stared into the dancers and there was Kevin, moving along with the rest.

No, he was moving along with another anthro. Furring paws gripped his hips, pressing a broad chest to Kevin's back. The human moved his head and that was when Torrin looked at the face and head of a grey timber wolf. A pain gripped his heart and pulled on his stomach and Torrin was only just able to reach the toilets before up came bile and spit.

Why now, why tonight, why did Kevin have to come with another male and dance in front of him? It was as if a dagger had been stabbed through his heart and it beat manically around it. A sob ripped from his lips as he slumped to the floor of the toilet cubicle. No, he couldn't be here tonight. Screw the club, screw the money and his home and the whole fucking city. Torrin would leave and never come back. Just head north or west or south and never stop. Just to get away from this pain. The pain of his lover, his boy, dancing with...

His head snapped up, his mind clearing suddenly. He KNEW that wolf. Not personally, no, but he knew who he was. Kreegor. He was a nasty piece of work and it wasn't simply because he was Russian. He led a pack of wolves, him being the Alpha. Their speciality was to lure defenceless males into their clutches where they would rape and, if the rumours were true, even devour their prey.

The last time Torrin had seen the wolf was shortly after becoming a bouncer at the club. He'd seen a small raccoon being led out of the back door into the alleyway. An hour later he'd gone out for a smoke only to find the raccoon barely conscious on the floor. He'd been raped and ripped to shreds by multiple claws. That was when Torrin learnt about Kreegor, and vowed to keep vigilant. The raccoon had died from his wounds and Kreegor and his pack and moved away from the city.

Now he was back. And Kevin was in his clutches!

With a loud moo Torrin bolted from the restrooms - only to see Kreegor, arm around Kevin, leading him out the back door. The same door as before. Torrin let out another loud moo and charged forward, straight into the dance floor. But the sea of bodies would not part willingly. They clung together and refused to part. He gave a large hippo a shove but the hippo turned and tried to swing for him. Torrin ducked and punched the hippo in the stomach. Others turned on him and he was hit across his chest, his arms, his face.

Torrin felt none of the blows; the pain was abstract as he fought his way out of the scrum. By now no one knew who had started the fight and who were the winners and losers, only that the other bouncers had to wade in the break up the fight that had erupted in the centre of the club. All but Torrin.

The door slammed open with such force that the frame cracked. Torrin didn't care. He looked to his left and right but couldn't see anything. Time was running out. He ran down to one end of the alleyway that looked out to the front of the club. No, there was no one there. Nothing. Turning he bolted to the far end. Again nothing.

He was about to run back when something caught his eye. Something glistened on the sidewalk, reflecting off the street light. Kneeling down, Torrin realised what it was. A single drop of blood. A cold knot tightened in his stomach. Quickly he stood and sniffed at the air. There. It was the unmistakable scent of wolf. And something else. He couldn't make out the species but it was unmistakably the scent of fear.

Torrin ran, following the drops. How could Kreegor have moved so fast... unless he was carrying Kevin. This part of the city was run down, and what few homes there were, the occupants were keeping their windows and curtains shut tight. No one would have seen the human being taken against his will.

The scents grew stronger and the blood got thicker. A huge splash of it curled around the entrance of another alleyway and that was when he heard it; the sound of muffled crying and the gleeful barking and huffing of canines. He turned the corner and moaned in horror.

Kevin was covered in blood, bleeding from long scratches in his arms, across his back, along his sides, soaking through his ripped clothing. But it was worse then this. A pack of wolves had set on him as if he were a meal. One was fucking his mouth so hard that Kevin was gagging, the bloated knot banging against his teeth. And Kreegor, he held onto the human's ass, digging his sharp claws into the soft flesh as he raped Kevin's ass, driving his cock hard inside his defenceless hole. The other wolves stood watching, stroking themselves and waiting their turn.

Torrin saw red. He let out a deafening bellow and charged.

********

The first thing the Russian wolf knew about the bull was the clenched fist that struck him in the muzzle and sent him sprawling across the alley, leaving Kevin's rear open to the cold air as the wolf was ripped out of him. With another bellow the maddened bull spun on his heel and cracked his massive fist into the wolf at Kevin's head. The problem for this wolf was that there wasn't enough near enough space for him to fly through after Torrin hit him, and the wall wasn't going anywhere particularly fast.

So he found his head stuck between the driving force of a fully grown adult male bull that was in a fit of rage and a brick wall. The sickening crunch made the rest of the pack wince and the wolf fell to the floor, his erection drawing from Kevin's mouth as it joined the pile of meat and fur in front of the human. Kevin just cried silently, scared and alone, and not knowing what was going on he curled himself into the foetal position.

Torrin was in a fury. How dare they do this to his boy! To the one he loved! He heard a whistle of air and raised his bulging left arm to protect the side of his head and a furry ankle connected with his wrist. In a turn of speed he shifted his paw slightly and caught the ankle in a vice like grip.

He snarled at the captured wolf and spinning around while keeping the grip locked, he swung the canine by his ankle and threw him into the wall which, once again, wasn't planning on moving anywhere. The wolf slid down the wall and lay there moaning.

Torrin felt something tickle his side and turned that way. A furry paw hit his chest barley making the bull move. He snorted in disgust and caught the next punch aimed at his chest and simply swung his leg up, hitting the wolf right between his legs bringing tears to canid eyes. Torrin tugged on the wolf's captured fist and launched his head forwards, butting forehead to forehead and stunning his opponent. He let go of the paw and his attack slumped to the ground.

Torrin turned mentally trying to count his remaining assailants, seeing three wolves with fangs bared and claws out as they all jumped at him. He fell backwards under a pile of fur and for a few seconds all he saw was grey and felt a weight on him pinning him down. He could feel pain up and down his hide as the wolves seemed to be all over him raking him with their claws and biting at his flesh.

Taking a deep breath as he felt something lock down on the back of his leg he bellowed and punched out, catching a wolf in the ribs and sending him up and away into the air to crash into Kreegor, who had righted himself and was running at them. Torrin grabbed the next thing that came into his vision, a grey tail and yanked sideways, dislodging a wolf and tried to get up but found he couldn't move with teeth locked in his right calf. He managed to roll onto his side and swing the captured tail away from him again hitting, Kreegor who was almost on him.

Torrin managed to rise as the wolf on his leg was savagely trying to tear out his muscle. Years of working out had toughened his body and though damage was done, the wolf only managed to tear a hole before Torrin's free hoof stamped down on the wolfs leg.

There was a sickening crunch and the wolf screamed in unbearable agony, releasing his bite hole, the leg pumped under the weight of the massive hoof. The bovine swung his good leg back and cracked several ribs of the wolf who then skidded along the floor and into a trash can, disappearing under the garbage.

Suddenly Torrin saw stars as something connected with his skull and he turned as he fell to one knee favouring his good leg. Kreegor was standing there holding a long thick metal bar he had retrieved from the rubbish in the alley and swung it again. The ringing in Torrin's ears was almost as loud as the cracking sound.

His right horn snapped off when the second hit connected with his head, dropping him to all fours as the shards bounced and skidded towards the ball of human. Kreegor was laughing and talking in a language Torrens fuzzy mind couldn't make out. His eyes followed the trail of bone as he realised what it was and then stopped on the shaking form of Kevin.

For a brief second the world froze in time. That was HIS boy. No. That was his LOVER. And this wolf had tried to KILL HIM!

The low that left Torrens open maw made Kreegor pause for a brief second before swinging the bar to kill the bull. That pause was his final mistake. As the Alpha renewed his swing with a growl of his own, Torrin seemed to launch himself from all fours as if he was sprinting a hundred metre dash, only the wolf wasn't that far away and caught the full force of a resounding head butt to the belly.

If it had been any other species he might have gotten away with being winded, but when a fully grown bull butted you, there was something else to contend with. Torrin's remaining horn went right through the wolf while the stump pierced into soft innards. Blood exploded from around the fatal wound, splattering the ground and the walls, coating both bull and wolf.

The bull continued his charge a short way before flicking his head up, standing upright to his full height and throwing his head back slightly. The muscles of his neck bulging as he lifted the Alpha up with his head and flicked him over his back, dislodging the pack leader from his horns.

He didn't look back as the wolf crashed into the floor; his eyes were fixed on the two wolves that had been thrown form him earlier, snorting with each heavy breath. His eyes were bloodshot, his t-shirt shredded and trousers torn. Muscles bulged with adrenaline, shaking with pure rage and his fur matted with fresh blood and gore. The two wolves lost all nerve and turned, sprinting away.

Staggering towards the ball of human flesh, Torrin placed a gentle paw on the boys arm and rubbed tenderly, muttering something to his boy that he couldn't even make out, but it made the boy uncurl and look at him with fear at first which turned to realisation then shock and worry.

Torrin fell to both his knees and looked at his boy. He was safe. 'That's what matters' he said to himself as the world went black and he fell onto the dirty alley floor.

********

The first thing Torrens confused mind noticed was an intermittent buzz. Buzz... Buzz... Buzz... As his thoughts started to focus he cracked an eyelid open slowly and it closed almost instantly at the glaringly white light of everything. He tried again, holding it open only very slightly and let his mind work on making his eye work.

When the light died down he saw a black screen. But it wasn't a blank black screen; it had a little wavy line on it. Buzz... Buzz... Buzz... And with each buzz the little dot that travelled from left to right spasmed up and down the screen. Buzz... Buzp... Buzp... He tried to open his eye fully but the pain in his head made his eye close again.

He concentrated on the sound as his ears cleared and tried to open his eye again watching the little funky line. Beep... Beep... Beep... He realised that it seemed to be in time with the pounding in his head and the pounding in his chest. The eye refocused away from the black screen and followed a line of white something that led up to floating spheres that swayed a little. The eye followed the white back down again and saw some sort of little green spheres attached to brown sticks in a see through cup.

Carefully Torrin blinked the eyelid before turning his head the other way and seeing a light brown rectangle, and in it there was an image of something, no - it was someone - two someones, a big someone and little scrawny someone. The little scrawny someone looked cute, but he didn't recognise the big guy, though he wouldn't want to meet him in an alleyway...

Alleyway? He carefully turned his head to a more comfortable position and found he was looking at the ceiling. This time he closed his eye as the word went round and round his foggy thoughts... Alleyway... Alleyway... It meant something, or someone meant something in an alleyway.

Gods, he'd seen enough alleyways in his time as a bodyguard... Bodyguard? No, Security! The club! Work! Why wasn't he at work? And Scott? Did he not come and get him? Had he been drinking too much? He remembered the whiskey. He remembered the Dobie that he had yet to convince to drop his trousers standing in front of the TV...

And then slowly, as if his mind was working through a spiral of thoughts, he remembered the club and being sick in the toilet... Sick in the toilet? He was never sick! But seeing him... Him! Kevin! The wolves! He tried to sit up but his body wouldn't move, his right leg was stiff and sore, and his head was all achy. As he tried to lift it up off the pillow he let out an involuntary groan.

There was a startled gasp off to his left and the shuffle of something hurriedly being put down before footsteps slipped across the distance to his bed and he felt a warm hand on his head. He opened his eye again and at first all he could see was a mush of colours that his brain slowly started to disseminate as it focussed and the features became more defined. It was a human, though he had healing cuts and bruises on his face and was sporting an unshaved look, it looked like the little cute someone he had just seen in the frame. It looked like Kevin!

The bull tried to speak only to find his voice box reluctant to work and his lips dry.

"Torrin! You're awake!" came a familiar voice from the moving lips, washing his body with a shiver of pure joy as the words settled between his ears and his lips twitched into a smile. Again he tried to talk again only to find his throat dry. It tickled and made him cough weakly.

The face disappeared from view making his heart sink but it quickly returned and something was poking at his lips, it felt plastic and he let it push in. "Drink, you must be thirsty," and he sucked, feeling the cold liquid suffuse the parched vessels in his throat as it slipped past the breathing tubes that were going through his nostril and down his airway making him cough a little.

"..'vin" he managed to squeak out before trying again. "Kevin..."

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" came the sharp retort from the human who's face was flushed pink and wet from the corners of his eyes down all over his cheeks.

"'m I?" he tried to ask and when the boy looked puzzled he tried a second time. "Where'm I?"

"The hospital. You've been in a coma for 3 weeks. You saved my life."

A tear came unbidden to the bovine's eye and rolled down his cheek. Kevin reached up and used his thumb to wipe it away with a tender smile on his face as he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I'm sorry Torrin. It was wrong of me not to talk to you. Maybe if I hadn't been so bull headed you wouldn't be here right now..." he said quickly in a rush, as if the words had been eating his mind and he needed to say them.

Torrin couldn't help but laugh at the human's unintended pun, which turned into a coughing fit and made him wince. "How bad?"

"Two got away; you broke the ribcage of one, put another in a wheelchair, and you killed two, including the Alpha. After he hit you over the head... Well, the alpha wont be bothering anyone."

Closing his eye Torrin smiled. "No, you silly boy, me."

"Oh, um... Your calf was torn pretty bad; the doctor says you're most likely going to have a permanent limp. Um... Your body has a few bald spots here and there which may grow back... A scar over your eye, if you were wondering why you can't open the other they have a patch over it. You will be able to see but look all the more like a rogue."

Torrin nodded and the pain in his head came back making him wince and Kevin continued

"And when that wolf hit you over the head he did some damage..." Torrin's eye was wide open, almost fearful but Kevin gave a gentle smile and rubbed the bulls cheek "No, Your brain is fine; all those people teasing about your thick skull? It paid off... What I meant was" and he lifted one of Torrin's arms and bent it up gently to his head. The bull found it sore to move, but let him and felt Kevin put his fingers against what felt like a stump on his head... Right where his right horn should have been "the Alpha took something from you..." and he burst into tears. "It's all my fault, if I hadn't run off..."

Torrin moved his other arm to circle the boy and carefully lifted him onto the bed, careful when he ached a little and making sure Kevin wasn't on any of his sore spots he wrapped both his arms around him and let him weep. Losing his horn was a price he would happily pay to keep Kevin safe and in the light of the room he let the boy lay there, being comforted in the strong but gentle grip and at the same time comforting the bull in a way he couldn't even fathom. Kevin was alive. He was here, and Torrin wasn't going to let him go again. Ever.

Beep... Bu-Beep... Beep...

TBC