Guardian - 17. Chapter 17

Tristan stopped to take a rest near the side of the road, his tongue rolling out as he panted some. He moved from the road and continued down south, the hot sun starting to affect him.

‘I need to just get there,’ he thought to himself, knowing he had to get down to Arizona as soon as he could. Maybe if he ran the whole way it would work. Taking a breath, he went for it. It would take days, but Tristan knew Gabriel was worth it. He’d always be worth it.

The day ended and after convincing Gabriel to stay inside, the pack moved outside before their mother moon who had yet greeted them. Gabriel was glued to the window, watching the wolves undress and wait for the moon to rise. He could feel his heart in his ears, pounding into his head as he watched the moon rise into the sky, its bright pearl orb shining brightly. It was that moment the howls sounded and his eyes widened to see the human forms morphing. His eyes were glued to Orion’s form, Tasha obviously right as he grew an extra two feet. His fur was pitch black with some grey spots in several places. He gave a loud howl as the others joined. He looked down to see Jason and Jake howling with him, their forms half his size. They were bigger than the other teen werewolves. Gabriel knew it had to have been because they had the blood of alpha running through their veins. Gabriel wanted to go out so badly but he refrained, moving away from the window.

But his presence didn’t go away. All the werewolves sensed the Jarkla inside the building that was near them. But none dared approach the home that the alpha had keenly told them not to get near. None except two sneaky teenage wolves. Jason and Jake had snuck by their father when he began to wrestle with Trent. Tasha had noticed her pups had gone missing but didn’t sweat it too much since they were always together. The two wolves snuck into the home, using a window they had kept open downstairs that went through the basement. They squeezed in, grunting some when Jason got stuck and Jake had to keep his brother quiet from howling. After fixing the slightly failed entrance, both made their way up to where Gabriel sat on the bed. The door creaked and Gabriel jumped up, seeing the twins in their anthro-morphic form and even smiling at them. Their tails wagged and then they crawled on all fours to him, Jake standing up and passing Gabriel by a full head.

“Jake? Jason? What are you two doing here?” he hissed at them, both not listening as they nuzzled up and whimpered. Gabriel couldn’t help but smile a little, resting his hands on both of their heads. “You guys are going to get your asses beat for sneaking in…” He chuckled some. The werewolves only snorted at the Jarkla, jumping up on the bed behind him and growling as they rubbed and rolled on it. “Hey! Behave you two. I just made that.” Gabriel pouted, the two bounding off and moving to stand beside him, giving whimpers. “What? I can’t go outside.” Jason knelt down, nudging Gabriel’s leg while Jake stayed standing, planting his face against Gabriel’s. “Guys I’m serious. Your dad will like murder you both.” Again they snorted. Gabriel gave a sigh and grabbed their muzzles in his hands. “Alright but here’s the deal, we go out the front and run off.” Both gave a bark and grabbed him, Jason helping Gabriel on Jake’s back. “Hey whoa!” He grabbed a hold of Jake’s shoulder as the two took him down the stairs and out the front door. Gabriel felt almost exhilarated as he rode on Jake’s back down the road with Jason running beside them. Ever since he had met the two, they seemed to just click, which didn’t bother the teen at all. He gave a laugh, the two turning and taking him far away from the pack’s safety.

The instant the twins took Gabriel a certain distance away from the pack, Orion, who was nuzzling into Trent’s neck automatically stopped, his whole body shooting up. He knew something was going on but another nibble from the beta beneath him distracted his attention once again. He gave a throaty growl and bent back down, thinking nothing of it as he enjoyed his full moon that night.

Gabriel was laughing when he finally got off Jake’s back and stumbled on the ground, falling and laying on the dirt. Jason ran around in a circle, yipping happily. Jake bent over Gabriel and stared at the Jarkla with his amber eyes. Gabriel smiled and brought his hands up, giving his cheek fur a good scratch and earning a smile from the wolf.

“That was fun.” Jason ran over and gave another yip, bounding and standing up. He gave a whimper to his brother and took a few steps forward. Jake gave a snort and shook his head. Gabriel looked at them and sat up. “Jason what are you so bouncy about?” The younger twin ran in a circle then came back and nuzzled into Jake’s chest, both brothers speaking to each other in their own grunts and growls. After a few moments then bent down and helped Gabriel up. The teen glanced at them and watched as they took a few steps and gave a whine. Gabriel gave a smile. “I think I get it. You guys want to hunt?” Both gave an affirmative bark. “Well then, let’s go!” Gabriel, even though he couldn’t see, began running. Jake and Jason got on either side of him to help lead him through the dark as they ran. The burning in his chest as he ran just made Gabriel smile wider.

He ran until he got too tired to run anymore. The two ran off after seeing something, leaving the Jarkla alone for a few minutes. Gabriel plopped himself on the ground, falling and feeling the dirt beneath him as he smiled and panted. He hadn’t felt this free in a long while. His eyes opened and he looked at the bright moon with the stars around it. He calmed his breathing and continued to smile, watching the stars twinkle. It was when he heard a yelp that he bolted into an upright position.

“Jake! Jason?!” Gabriel got up and heard another yelp, running in the sound’s direction to just stop in his tracks and gasp. Before him stood a pitch black werewolf, bright amber eyes that glared at him. His eyes went quickly to the twins who cowered at the werewolf, Jake being held down by another one. Gabriel began moving back when the black werewolf began advancing. Not seeing where he was going, he tripped and gave a soft cry. The wolf was quick to get on top of the boy, Gabriel curling and shielding his face. “Oh god, oh god oh god,” he muttered to himself as the wolf sniffed all over him, the smell of blood entering Gabriel’s nostrils. He tightened his body and held his breath when the nose of the beast touched his side and actually lifted his shirt to lick his skin. Gabriel gave a whimper but didn’t dare push him away. This wasn’t Orion, far from him. When he heard Jake whimper he was quickly silenced by a snarl that the male atop Gabriel made. He felt the werewolf continue to search him, snarling a few times until Gabriel gasped and cried out when he felt a nip at his side. “Ow!” he exclaimed, not really thinking as he shoved the wolf.

That wasn’t a smart idea. The next thing he knew he was grabbed by the hands and lifted, only to be thrown. He felt the dirt scrape him and he cried out when he landed. He fell on his arm, feeling a pop and his whole body tensed. The werewolf advanced and snarled right in his face. Gabriel covered his head and couldn’t help it when he felt his tears welling up in his eyes. The beast gave a snort and Gabriel flinched.

Scott grinned happily, seeing the Jarkla flinch after he threw him. That would teach him not to push him again. Scott grabbed the lean male and hoisted him up, hearing him start to softly cry and whimper when he dragged him over. His pack watched him and he looked down at his nephews. Their eyes were wide and on Gabriel. He snarled at them again.

“You can either go back to your dear daddy and tell him to forget about the Jarkla, or one of you can live and stay with me and the other can die.” Jake held onto his brother as the two began backing up away from their cruel uncle. Jake watched Gabriel’s expression as they did and he whimpered, looking at his brother who cowered completely into his brother’s arms.

“Jason…we can’t leave him…” he whispered to his brother.

“But didn’t you hear what he said? He’ll kill one of us...Jake I don’t want to die.” Jake moved in front of his brother, sticking his chest out to Scott as he watched in amusement.

“What if we want to join you…both of us.” Jason gave a whine and held his brother’s leg, kneeling behind him to look at their uncle. Scott gave a snort.

“You’re brother seems too weak to join my pack, pup. I don’t take babies.” Jake turned to his brother, frowning at him. “How about I do this, since you two are my nephews and I don’t want to be so ‘cold hearted’. You can come with me.” Scott pointed to Jake. “And he can crawl back to his mother’s tit.” Jake looked down at his brother and frowned. Jason stood and kicked off the ground, running straight back to the pack. Jake watched as no one left to chase his brother, turning to face Scott. Scott smirked and threw Gabriel into the arms of another wolf, the Jarkla tensing and still silently crying. “Good boy...now...time to really make you part of the pack.” He smirked, the young werewolf slightly dreading it as Scott walked up and stood before him. Jake locked eyes with him but quickly looked away, kneeling down before Scott and exposing his neck to him. Scott smiled and as quick as lighting bit into the given neck, going through the fur to actually break the skin. Jake tried not to whimper as his uncle accepted him into his pack, finishing up and then pulling the teen up and close to him. “Your blood is rather tasty. Must be your mother’s side.” He gave the teen a lick on the face, receiving a small gratitude lick on the corners of his muzzle from the younger werewolf. Knowing that Orion would be quick to come find him, he turned and grabbed the Jarkla again, shoving him in Jake’s arms. “We leave now,” he snarled out.

Gabriel was terrified about what was going on, the snarls and growls that were exchanged between the larger wolf and the twin brothers. He watched Jason run off and Jake stay, the other werewolf biting him and even licking him afterward. What had just happened? He felt himself being grabbed again by the wolf and shoved into Jake’s arms. With his arm still hurting he clung to the son of Orion. Jake helped him on his back and Gabriel held his shoulder fur tightly. He was cursing himself the whole time, wiping the eyes that watered and flowed down his cheeks. Why had he let them talk him into it? He should have stayed closer. Now Orion wasn’t there, and the only person he had left was Jake. When he kicked off, Gabriel shut his eyes and clung to the wolf for dear life. He would find out when the sun rose, just what he got himself into.

Jason bolted all the way back to the pack, standing and seeing his mother resting with other females of the conjoined packs. He whimpered and whined, nuzzling into her side. She looked at him worriedly, seeing his brother nowhere in sight. He didn’t stay long as he went in search for his father who was resting with Trent after their hour of fun. He got down on all fours and approached his father with licks to the air around him and then crawled on his belly. Orion noticed his son’s behavior and gave a grunt that he was fine. Jason quickly jumped to his side and wrapped his arms around his father, planting himself in his lap.

“Dad! Dad I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Orion was confused with his son’s sudden exclamation and stared at him, holding the pup.

“For what?” Jason cowered, his ears flat on his head staring at his father.

“We….we took Gabe out...and we were just having fun!” Orion’s arms dangerously tightened on his pup, Jason, quick to try and get away this time, flattening himself on the ground as the alpha male towered over him now.

“You what?” his snarl was dangerous, and everyone around the two stopped, Trent moving away and keeping himself on his toes.

“I’m sorry! We were just going to do some running and come right back! But...but…”

“BUT WHAT?! Where is he?”

“Jake stayed with him! ….Uncle...he...he found us.” Something snapped in Orion as he lunged for his son in anger. But Tasha had seen what was going down and quickly attacked the male before he hurt a single hair on her child. She snarled and crouched protectively over her son who cowered in the dirt. Orion stood at his full height, snarling at the female who defied him. His alpha was about to take pure control, if something hadn’t been nagging in his thoughts. He could hear Gabriel’s voice in his head from earlier that day, the scene running in his head. “What about your kids? Tasha, your pack. Would you do it for them if I wasn’t here?” Scott had Gabriel and his son who was willing to keep him safe from harm. Orion looked at the snarling female and the pup at her feet. He stopped snarling and loosened the tension in his body. Tasha soon calmed herself but continued to be on alert. Orion walked by her and went to Jason who was still terrified of being hurt. But Orion didn’t like the way he looked. The father in him ached at the way his son cowered at his feet. He bent down and pulled him into his arms, licking his face and neck and nuzzling into him. Jason gave a whimper and returned it, licking his father’s muzzle and hugging him.

“Dad I’m scared...scared for them.” Orion gave his son a soft pat on his head and hushed him with a gruff.

“Where were you when it happened?” With his anger subsided, Orion could now think clearly. Scott was in Arizona, and there was still six hours of night left. He needed to catch his brother and hopefully save his son and Gabriel from the tyrant.

“We were about four miles northwest from here.” Orion licked his son’s cheek and nose in gratitude as he stood and turned to the large pack that all looked on their leader.

“Tasha, lead a group straight north, try and catch his scent. I’ll take a group in the direction where Scott found them.” Orion turned to Trent. “You have it Trent. Stay with the others.”

“But Orion.” Orion gave a warning growl, the beta taking a step back.

“Trent, stay. I need you here.” Trent’s ears drooped some but he bowed his head.

“Yes Alpha.” Orion turned to his son who stood, staring up at his father.

“You stay with Trent, Jason. Help him out.” Jason gave a nod and Orion turned to the others. “All warriors! Rank up and split! We find Scott at any cost!” All let out a howl as Orion took off running in the direction Jason had told him while Tasha went straight north. The teams split and the hunt was on.

Find the Jarkla