Born Wolf - 15. Chapter 7.2

Degan Canon paced his study, waiting on the arrival of the alpha from the New Forest Pack. Technically South Bank was their closest pack, he should have contacted them in the event an adjudicator was required, but Degan hadn’t. Instead he had called Murray Hill. The relatively new alpha had come to the post recently enough not to have yet been to conclave or heard much about Kurt, and Degan was hoping it would work in his favour.

Kurt was not to blame for Philip Tanner’s death. That much was clear. They had fought before, hierarchical disputes were common among the hot blooded teenagers, and Kurt had trounced Tanner every time. Alex’s late son had been bad at knowing when he was beaten. Kurt had given him ample opportunity to back down, had pushed over and snapped at him. Philip had given up, turned his neck, and it had been a nasty trick to play. Degan was sad the boy had to die, but it had been the only way. Kurt would have spent the rest of his life fighting Philip Tanner, and no one deserved that. It had been a fairly clean kill, all things considered. Kurt hadn’t taunted the boy with the knowledge he was going to die, just ripped out his throat as easily as a man pulling weeds from the garden. The council vote would be a formality, nothing more.

At least there was no doubt now about the strength of Kurt and Tahryn’s bond. The blond lad had roared in physical pain each time his mate had been injured, had been held back from joining the fight and destroying Kurt’s chances of staying the pack. And that worried Degan. It had not been an easy fight by any means, but the idea of anyone challenging Kurt now…it would be suicide. Degan had felt a pull from the boy, the desire to hold his own at any cost even if it meant his removal from the only family he had ever known. The wolf could be an alpha. The boy in him was so far from capable of it, that Degan wondered if he ever would be. Kurt the wolf outranked them all.

And then of course there was the issue of Aliza. The new wolf, a supposed visitor, was now her mate, would apparently take her name too, which was downright unusual. Degan had received an overnight missive from National Council with Deoran’s file. Apparently he had once had potential. Degan felt sorry for the red haired man, his life had gone so wrong. Aliza was currently living off the main pack site. Degan and let her know in no uncertain terms she and her new mate were expected to move into the free house by the end of the week. The pack was growing again, along with Carson’s news of his wife’s pregnancy and Deoran’s probable continued stay. Degan began to wonder if he could afford to lose a few wolves in other ways. Maybe he could keep Kurt and get rid of him all at the same time. It would be tricky.

Neither of the two boys had shown any signs of being up or about yet. Degan had put a note under the door to let them know breakfast would be ready when they were, but the lights were off. Degan left his office and walked back through his house past the closed door of the sickroom and into the kitchen. Deidre stood at the sink, washing the final few plates from the meet, and she turned when her husband entered the room.

“Are you alright dear?” No one would ever suspect Deidre Canon of being a werewolf, she was every bit the twinkling eyed grandmother. “You look tired.”

“I was trying to sort out this problem with Kurt in my head.”

“The one about him killing Tanner’s boy? Or the one about him being too strong for his own good?” Degan smiled, his wife had always been incredibly perceptive.

“Both.”

“One thing at a time. The adjudicator has arrived. Go wake them up.”

Degan didn’t much like the idea of intruding on the sleep of the two mates, but he did. He knocked, waited, and then stepped into the room. Tahryn and Kurt lay together like a painting in the white sheets, the smaller boy pillowed and curled against the big blonds shoulder, their pale white and dark tan skin a pleasing contrast as they dreamt. Degan shook Tahryn awake gently.

“Huh..whuh?” Tahryn took a little while to focus on him. “Sir?”

“Council is meeting Tahryn. You both need to be there.”

Tahryn Ulrich looked down at his sleeping mate.

“I’ll go wherever he goes.”

“I know. It won’t come to that. Get him to wake up.”

Tahryn looked hurt, and a little worried, but he bent his head over the boy who lay sleeping to on his shoulder and murmured into his thick black hair, wordless noises of endearment until Kurt stirred. His injuries looked little better in the day light.

“Come on pup. You gotta wake up.”

“No.” Kurt spoke with the sleepy growl of a puppy. “Bed warm.”

“I know. But we still have to get up and dressed. Come on out of there babe.”

Somehow Tahryn managed to get the injured boy awake and sitting up without protest, though Kurt gritted his teeth and grunted in pain as he tried to use his injured arm to support his weight. By the time he was sitting upright with his legs over the edge of the bed he looked pale and drawn again. Werewolves healed quickly, but a human would have died of those wounds and Kurt was still weak. Tahryn pulled on jeans quickly over his bare skin, but trousers weren’t a great option for Kurt with his leg still bandaged, the white cloth on his hip spotted with blood from the big flesh wound. Degan watched as Tahryn folded one of the bed sheets and fashioned a sort of thick kilt for his mate. He tied it around Kurt’s hips, the smaller boy leaning against the other werewolf as he was forced to stand and Degan looked away as they clung together. It was too intimate a moment, more so than sex, and Degan knew the last barrier between the boys would not hold for long.

“Come on. They’re here.”

*

Kurt felt at war. More than that, he felt awful. Tired, broken, constantly on the verge of wanting to be sick or pass out. He ached everywhere. Whenever he moved his arm the twisted mess of bone on bone made him want to scream, the muscles in his leg pulled and throbbed, a dull agony which spiked in points of screeching fire. His face felt bruised and tender, the line of stitches and torn skin rough and ugly. Kurt had never been proud of his human body, but he knew, distractedly, his face could’ve been considered handsome, maybe even pretty: but that was over now. He felt like a raw bunch of nerves, naked and cold. He was sick of being injured, sick of being human. Noakes had made it very clear. Until he was healed up he was not to switch forms, he would rip his stitches, break bones anew and generally ruin himself.

He hated feeling weak. Tahryn had to lift him to his feet and help him dress, had to support him when he stood and wrap strong arms around him every time he tried to walk. He hated that he needed the contact, loathed the feeling of dependency and the way the wolf inside him tossed and turned and snapped. And yet…the touch of Tahryn’s skin in his was delicious, the strong brown hands warm and loving. Tahryn’s heartbeat had followed him into sleep, thudded alongside his own, slowed him down and made him take a deep look at his life. There was no question now, he loved the other boy, the sand coloured wolf, even if he had no idea why. He needed Tahryn like he needed to breathe. He wished he could stop thinking of the feeling as being treacherous, but he liked having the muscled blond god taking care of him. It was, somehow, sweet.

You’re going soft… his inner voice told him sharply. Kurt brushed off the feeling, and it was somehow easier than it had been before. Kurt leant against Tahryn as his mate rubbed a big hand over the back of his hair and closed his eyes. It was too good to last, but he really, really wanted it too. All too soon Degan was walking in front of them to the back lounge, leading them towards the council vote to decide their future. Kurt moved as though in a dream, cast his gaze downwards and didn’t care if he appeared submissive before the men of his pack who formed the council. Tahryn settled him in a deep wing chair that had been moved to face the rest, and then stood next him, somehow managing to look equal parts sexy as hell and dominant as fuck. Pretty and dangerous.

Kurt didn’t really listen much, but his wolf senses picked out the one person in the room whose scent was different, who wasn’t a pack brother. The adjudicator was the alpha of a local pack, Kurt could smell the travel on him, the watered down herby sort of scent of woodland strained by distance. He didn’t like being off his territory. He must be new… Kurt smiled in a lazy sort of manner which he knew looked like a threat. And that was OK too.

The alpha from the New Forest looked young, even for werewolves who tended to age well. He was probably about thirty, but he looked not much older than Tahryn. It was easy to see why he had been picked as a successor, he was powerful looking, if you were a human; tall with a shaved head and full tattooed sleeves. People were obviously intimidated by him. Kurt knew better. He followed his nose, the waft of pale greens and yellows, and found Murray Hill was scared. It was his first adjudication, he was scared of a wolf that could kill his pack brother, and terrified the rest of council would outrank him. Kurt new he was stronger than the New Forest alpha. At least, I will be when I feel better. The big black wolf knew their adjudicator would agree with whatever the alpha decided to do. Ultimately, all pack’s had to follow their alpha. It was that or the resultant conflict which could tear a pack apart. The votes were largely superfluous.

Kurt sat in his chair and didn’t listen to the argument waged between Alex Tanner and many of the others of the pack. Willis, Doug and Carson supported him outright; Dick, who Kurt sort of belatedly remembered was his own father, was staying silent along with Noakes and David James; Whelan seemed undecided, which made Tahryn flood with hot red rage; Degan said nothing, but watched his council argue, with the visiting alpha next to him.

“He should be dead for what he did to my son!” Alex Tanner was a mess in screaming rage, all his scent warped by the black and red sadness.

“Philip was the one who started the fight. He would not back down.” Doug was speaking, his voice resonating in anger.

“No one should back down to that freak!”

Tahryn snarled at Tanner’s words and stepped forwards. His husky blue eyes were dangerous and evil.

“He is my mate. Unless you want to fight me and leave your family even smaller I suggest you back the fuck down and shut up!” Tahryn was kinda scary when he shouted, and Kurt felt his heart do something warm and interesting. There was command in his mate’s voice he had only ever heard from Degan before. The room stilled. Tahryn stood with his fist’s clenched not two feet from Tanner, and showed his teeth. The moment stretched out, until Tanner dropped his gaze and turned his head to expose his neck. Tahryn growled and snorted.

“A vote then?” Kurt could hear Degan trying not to make it into a question. There hadn’t been a feeling like this at council since he’d been at risk of being kicked out. “All those in favour of Kurt remaining one of our pack brothers, an enforcer of South Sea?”

There was a general chorus of grunts and nodding.

“Those opposed?” Tahryn shot a murderous look at Tanner as the alpha spoke and wisely the man decided not to say anything.

“It’s done. He stays.” Kurt was sure he should have felt happier about the decision, but he was too tired to care right now. The council began to file out, leaving Tahryn and Kurt alone. The last one out of the door was the alpha of the New Forest pack.

“I’d step down if I were you.” Kurt spoke quietly, but clearly enough. The young man stopped and turned to look at him as he stood up, clinging tightly to Tahryn’s side.

“What?”

“Recruit someone nice and strong to be your beta and then step down. It’ll be better than getting killed when some bastard decides to challenge you for the title and fucks up your pack.”

“But…how?” Murray Hill suddenly looked very, very young and scared despite his hard man image.

Kurt reached out his good arm and patted him on the head as Tahryn lead him from the room.

“Born wolf, buddy. I am so much more wolf than you. Go step down and find yourself a nice mate.”

Tahryn tightened his grip on Kurt’s waist and the smaller boy hissed.

“That was kinda mean.”

“True though.” Kurt winced and laid his forehead on Tahryn’s shoulder. “You could have taken him. He stays alpha and it’ll get him killed.”

“You’re too good at this babe.” Tahryn got him back to the room and Kurt took one look at the bed of white sheets, all changed and pressed and clean, and wanted to vomit again. It smelt like a hospital.

“No. God no. Tay?”

“Yes pup?”

“Please can we go home?”

Tahryn thought it best not ask where home was.

“I’m going to have to carry you.” He said evenly, trying not to look excited by the prospect. He wasn’t doing well, he smelt like an enthusiastic puppy.

“I can deal. Just do it.” Kurt regretted his decision the second Tahryn lifted him. The pleasure of having his mate’s naked chest pressed against him was no way near strong enough to cover the pain and Kurt let out a sound like a wild animal dying. He had to cling to Tahryn, fingers sinking into his back and neck, trying to stay on, and then to stop Tahryn from trying to put him down again.

“Pup?”

“No. I’m good.” Kurt felt anything but. He’d shown enough weakness for one day. “Just go yeah?”

Tahryn gripped him tight under his shoulders and knees and Kurt used his one good arm to cling around his neck. Kurt took a deep breath and tried not to wince every time something hurt, which was sort of all the time. His stitches felt tight, his leg was on fire and his head pounded with all the shouting. Kurt buried his face in his mate’s neck and breathed in deep, filling himself up with the salty sweet spice of Tahryn’s skin. Sure they both could use showers, but that was somehow…enticing. You’re not happy are you? His inner voice scolded him. Is that really allowed? Kurt snapped at the voice and allowed himself to be carried to Tahryn’s house and upstairs without making eye contact with anyone.

His mate placed him gently on the bed and Kurt winced, and lifted his good hand to touch his face. He’d almost forgotten the physical presence of the scars. The reminder of the rough skin on his fingers made him press that side of his face to the pillow despite the pain. He whimpered.

“Hey,” Tahryn’s weight settled against him gently, big fingers on his chin, turning his head. Kurt shut his eyes. “Come out of there and into the world with me babe. You’re beautiful.”

“You’re weird.”

“So are you.” Tahryn kissed his cheek, right below the scars, and Kurt felt his heart do a funny little flip. Oh god, I’m turning human… “You hungry pup? You wanna eat or sleep?” ‘Or shower.’

“I heard that.”

“Oh crap. I’m sorry I-” Kurt shut his mate up by kissing him back. It worked very well.

“It’s fine. Can I sleep for a bit, then a shower?”

“Whatever you want.”

“You go do homework or something, goody-two-feet.”

“Sure?”

Kurt deeply wanted to pull his mate back to him, but now that he felt a bit less fragile and more in pain, he didn’t want to be needy.

“Yeah, go on.”

Tahryn moved away from him to sit by the desk, and flipped open one of his school books. Kurt watched him for a while, but Tahryn was obviously guarding his thoughts closely, because Kurt couldn’t hear anything but the scratch of his pen and the thudding of his heart. He’d dreamt to that sound, the slow double thud of his mate’s blood pumping around his magnificent body.

He’d dreamt of endless woods and fields, the sun in the blue sky, the sea glittering over the chalky headland. A sandy coloured wolf and a black wolf raced across the landscape, jumping, snapping, and running for the love of running, playing because there were no rules and no barriers between them. All there was to think about was the pleasure of each other’s company. They’d played in the grass, rolling in daisies and dandelions in a way Kurt hadn’t done since he was a puppy. Pollen had made them snort and sneeze, and chasing tails made them dizzy until they fell down all over each other and slept in the grass.

Kurt only realised he’d been asleep when he woke up. It was dark now, but he was still tired. The room was empty, he was alone. For a while he lay looking at the ceiling and thinking about his options. He loved Tahryn, and the boy obviously loved him back. For now they were staying in the pack, and that was a good thing. Tahryn apparently hadn’t minded leaving, and that might be useful sooner rather than later. He wanted the big blond man who was his mate, actually wanted him. Right now he couldn’t find a shred of his mind that didn’t want to feel Tahryn’s hands all over him. Of course his body had other very violent things to say about that. Sex was likely to be impossible at least for a little bit. His face felt hot and tight and Kurt walked his fingers over the stitches to find that they had started to vanish with the healing of his skin. That wouldn’t do.

He got up on shaky legs and made it across the hall to the bathroom. Once he got there, the needs of his bladder made themselves known. He pissed long and hard into the toilet bowl, not really thinking about the noise he made. He held his sheet-kilt closed and examine his face. He let the sheet fall and went to the mirror. The skin was definitely trying to absorb the stitches. They would have to come out. Kurt tried not to look at the dark circles under his eyes or the fact that he looked like he’d gone through the wringer more than once. He found a pair of tiny nail scissors in the cabinet, but before he could start slashing up his face again he smelt company.

“Hi Isla.”

“Hey. How’d you know?” The little girl was wearing a knee length brightly patterned dress and was twisting her hair into a plait. She did not seem to mind that her brother’s mate was naked in her bathroom.

“I have a good nose.” Kurt replied, and let his gaze slide back to the mirror. He couldn’t get a good angle with his right hand and scissors.

“You want me to do that?”

“Yes.” Kurt sat, begrudgingly, on the side of the bath and winced at the pain in his hip and the cold slap of tiles on his naked behind.

“Boys are silly,” Isla commented. She had the first stitch snipped and grabbed the knotted end with her fingers. “This is gonna hurt.”

Kurt nodded, gritted his teeth and grunted in pain as the tugging in his face intensified.

“How many more?”

There was a moment while Isla counted.

“Eleven.” Then, “Don’t squirm.”

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Kurt sat still and let someone pamper him, albeit in a rather painful manner.