Running with the Pack - 25. Chapter 25

The wolf scented the air, and knew several man-wolves were near. It took a few tentative steps to the open cage door. Peering around the edge of the enclosure, it could see the man-wolves on both sides with their pain sticks pointed at it. Ahead looked clear as it sought a path to escape. It dropped to all fours for better speed as it sprinted into the woods, quickly vanishing into the dense foliage. While it was fast on two legs, it was even faster when running on four. It knew the others would soon be after it, they always were.

The beast was used to being hunted. It briefly stopped to forage for food as its hunger demanded attention if it was to keep running. As expected, while feeding on some small caged birds, it picked up the scent of someone approaching, and the chase was on. Soon there were a number of different scents in the area and the sounds of man-wolves on two feet. It caught sight of the men a few times, and puzzled as to why in this chase they were not running as wolves. They did chase in man-bodies sometimes, but that was rare. It understood the pain sticks they held as it had felt the sting that followed the loud sound. The beast took comfort in knowing it would not feel the teeth of other wolves ripping into its fur and flesh when caught. The animal was well trained in what lay in store for it when captured, even if the wolves howled their successful hunt. It knew if it did not provide a good hunt, their teeth or pain sticks were nothing to what it would experience before being returned to its cage. It did all it could to evade those that followed. This time, it would fight to its own death to escape capture.

Try as they might, this one was not going to surrender to the pack hunters like the last several had. Every time they thought they had it penned in, it would manage to break free, and head off in another direction. It took about five hours to get this latest feral corralled, far longer than any of them liked. They were lucky the chase managed to stay in more rural areas, or they would have terminated the animal. After multiple unsuccessful attempts, the hunters managed to herd this feral into a narrow box canyon with men at the top, and more cutting off the entrance. They finally surrounded it, and tried giving orders with human voice. When that didn’t work, one of them shifted to his wolf to bark out their instructions, hoping they could get this one to submit.

The wolf looked for a path that would allow it to escape after entering a passage in the earth. It found it blocked by tall, hard rock. The only path was the way it came. It could smell the man-wolves moving in behind it. The rock walls were too tall to jump to the top in one attempt. It tried to climb, only to have the rocks give way, causing it to fall. On a second attempt, it leapt halfway to the top, hanging onto the rock, searching for a way out. It could see man-wolves around the rim with pain sticks pointed at it and blocking escape on the canyon floor. Dropping back to the ground, it landed on its powerful legs, issuing a warning growl to the others to stay away.

The beast would not return to a cage this time. It edged itself back as it searched for an escape route until it was pressed against the rock. Watching as one of the man-wolves shifted into a lupus, it told him to give up and he would not be hurt. The lunis growled its own warning as it moved as close to the rock wall as it could. Still, the lupus told it to lie down and give up, and they would take care of it. No other hunt had ended like this, and it didn’t believe the new wolf’s words. Like any trapped animal that feels threatened, it lashed out and attacked, hoping it might take at least one of them before it became one with the forest.

The hunters tried several times. The one that went wolf begged the lunis to give up. He promised it would not be hurt, and their pack would welcome it. The hunters, both above and below, looked on as it growled while backed up against the rock face. It told them to stay away as they repeated they wanted to help. Their hopes for a peaceful end were dashed. It launched itself away from the wall at two of the hunters. The lunis extended its claws, and opened its jaw for the attack. Gunfire erupted on the canyon floor and from the canyon’s rim. They had no choice but to bring this feral wolf down.

The lunis laid on the ground bleeding. Attempting to crawl away from the man-wolves with the pain sticks, it hoped they would finish it off this time. It howled in agony, still feeling the many stings they had given it. “Please let me take the long sleep on the soft soil under the trees. I want to become one with the forest. Don’t take me back to the cage or make my final sleep be on the hard rock,” it cried to the other wolf. Whimpers of pain escaped it with every handful of rock it grabbed as it tried to drag itself to the ground beneath a nearby pine tree.

Not a single hunter had dry eyes. They secured the feral’s arms and legs, and muzzled it to prevent the wounded wolf from biting anyone. Knowing time was critical, the onsite hunter in charge pulled out a small box courtesy of the sheriff’s department. Searching the feral’s body, he found the tracking device with little effort. Putting medical electrodes onto the arm of a junior hunter, he clipped the other end to the connectors on the GPS device in contact with the feral’s skin. Following instructions the doctor had provided, another hunter assisted him in detaching the device from the lunis. As soon as the procedure was completed, the wounded feral was loaded into a waiting van for transport to the clinic.

Finishing up at the capture site, some of the hunters talked about the day’s events. “Ya know? In the past I never gave any thought to killing a feral. It’s our job to protect the pack and the humans from dangers like them. We always thought they’d lost themselves to their wolf, and were a danger if they bit, killed, or got spotted by humans. No one believed they could ever be brought back, so they were better off dead. After actually catching a few safely, and getting to know them after they’ve been healed, I hate the thought of killing them now. Even when this one attacked.”

His friend nodded agreement. “It’s a life we take if we have to, but I’m with you. It feels much better saving the life instead. It about killed me hearing this one cry for us to let it die, and seeing it try to claw its way to the soft ground. If we get too complacent in killing ferals, we’re not much better than we thought they were. We may be predators, but killing another wolf has always been hard. I gotta hand it to the alpha, changing course while protecting lives all around. I’m proud to be working for this pack.”

The hunters’ sergeant contacted the command center, and found the tracker was still operating. He told the hunter who now had the GPS attached to him to get in the back of one of their trucks, and enjoy a leisurely ride around the territory. Three hours after the ride began, the hunter received a message to disconnect the device, and let it shut down. If everything worked right, it would have appeared active for over eight hours after it entered the territory.

The badly injured feral was rushed into the clinic with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. None of the hunters took a head shot like they normally would. The doctor and his staff worked to save what life was left in it, while the beast growled through the muzzle. Fortunately, a lycan can take a great deal of damage without dying, as long as the head, major organs, or arteries are not hit. After several hours in surgery, everything that could be done had been done. All they could do then was wait. The good news was since it had not died already, it was unlikely to. Those with some knowledge of the situation hoped when it woke, it might be able to remember something about the ones who put the tracking device on it.

******

Jean-Pierre read over the report from the previous day’s incursion, and could not believe the amount of time it took before the tracking device went offline. Though he was still skeptical of the information provided by his pet, it appeared this had the potential to turn into a highly profitable endeavor. It could be extremely risky as well.

He had attacked many packs throughout the Northeast and Eastern Canada over the years. It was usually simple raiding parties in a wolves version of a smash and grab operation. Sometimes it would be robbery, sometimes kidnapping for ransom, and other times acquiring merchandise for the slave trade. Testing the defenses of a group’s territory the way he did, he had never encountered it taking so long for a feral to be intercepted and killed, not even from the smaller and weaker packs. Parker Valley was a major one with hundreds of members, and should have had better defenses. He thought it was possible due to the large size of their territory they had major holes in their coverage, or that they didn’t feel they needed hunter patrols near their borders like smaller packs did.

He did not know what was wrong, but the information he saw did not sit right. Standard pack procedure was to take a DNA sample of a feral before cremating the body. Nothing of the tracker would survive the process. Could they have found the device? Were they toying with it to let him know they were on to him? He decided to keep those thoughts to himself for now, and issued orders to wait a week before sending the third feral in. He would hold off on the fourth test to give himself and his lieutenants time to figure things out. Every time he read over the data, it didn’t add up. If what he was seeing was correct, there was no early warning system, and it would be easy to send in a raiding party or possibly launch a full assault. If Parker Valley’s response time was this slow, his forces would have a chance to overwhelm the pack before they could mount a defense. Possibly giving enough time to grab the alpha pair, and demand the pack’s surrender.

He went over options with his lieutenants, trying to decide if further operations were in their best interest. Something that looked this easy could quickly turn into a battle he didn’t want. Surprises were never good in business. He was not going to allow lust for financial gain to jeopardize what he had worked years to build.

He started wondering about this human Michael was always mumbling about. The one his bitch said had become the pack’s pet. Grabbing their alpha would be one way to get him to his goal. With a large pack that could be tricky, as the alpha pair would normally be well protected, even though Michael said his parents rarely traveled with guards. Perhaps his bitch was right. If the human was as important to them as stated, grabbing it would allow him to lure the pack leadership into a trap. It was definitely something to think about.

******

The morning after the birthday party, Aiden and Ethan got up early and drove to the house. They parked on the street and stood on the walkway leading to the front door. Their eyes were fixed on the structure, taking in the big front porch, the stone and wood columns, and the big windows. It was a beautiful Craftsman-style home on four acres of land. Aiden was awed seeing it for the first time. While Ethan had been in and around it many times, and imagined what it would be like to live in it, he never dreamed it would actually be their home. Finally walking up the front steps, Aiden’s anticipation built as he turned the key to unlock the door, and pushed it open. Ethan was about to step in when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned towards his mate as he felt himself lifted off the porch. Aiden carried his pup across the threshold into their home. He gave the bundle in his arms a kiss before setting him back on the floor.

“I can’t believe Dad, Marsha, Mary, and Rafe gave us this. I never imagined we’d be starting out with a home of our own. I’ve been looking for an apartment or small house we could rent.”

Ethan reached out, taking the larger hand in his own. “Anywhere with you would be home.”

There were tears in Aiden’s eye as he pulled his pup against his chest, and wrapped his arms around him.

“This home is so much more special to me knowing you helped build it.”

The two walked room-to-room, taking in the detail put into the construction, and finishing. Ethan pointed out areas he worked on. They ended up in the master bedroom suite with a huge bathroom and a shower big enough for several people.

“Our bedroom. I can’t wait to move in and make love to you for the first time here.” Aiden’s voice caught, still feeling choked up.

They went outside, and walked through the three-car garage and into the finished loft apartment above it. The pair finally made their way to the one bedroom guesthouse. Like the loft, it was fully self-contained with a small but well equipped kitchen, a sitting area, separate bedroom, and a well-appointed bathroom. It was comparable in size to Aiden’s apartment.

“With all this space, what do you think about offering the loft or guesthouse to Casey?” Ethan bit his lip, suddenly unsure about what he had suggested. “Would you mind him being this close? Do you think he’d even want to?”

Kissing the top of his pup’s head, Aiden thought about it for a moment. “I think that’s a great idea. With Michael gone, there haven’t been any threats towards you. And it isn’t like you can’t take care of yourself. We still have ferals showing up who want your help, but they’re still dangerous until they’re cured. If he did take the guesthouse, it would mean he’d be close by at times when I have to work at night and can’t be around.”

As they discussed Casey, Aiden got a text from Doctor MacRae asking them to come by the clinic when they had a chance. “Looks like they’ve captured another one, so I’m guessing you have some work to do at the clinic.”

“If they keep coming in at this pace, I’m going to have to start billing him for house calls.” Ethan joked.

Aiden became a little more serious. “I know you suggested it, but would you want Casey living this close?”

“He’s your best friend and my family. He does see himself as my bodyguard even if I don’t need one. I guess we should talk it over with him and get his opinion. I know it’s our home, but I don’t want him to feel left out. It would be like building our own small pack here.” Getting a mischievous glint in his eye. “And he is kind of hot, especially when he strips down for skinny dipping at the lake.”

Aiden gave a playful growl. “I knew it. You just want to see him naked again.”

“Duh.” He laughed hysterically. “It’s almost as good as seeing you naked. You guys are totally different from each other, but you’re still two big, sexy, furry men who are hung like horses. No one will ever be as sexy as my Big Bad though. We need to stop. If I keep having thoughts like this, it could keep us from heading over to the clinic for a while.” Ethan jumped up into his mate’s arms, and wrapped his legs around Aiden’s waist. “Then again… I know there’s no bed or furniture yet, but… You want to go break in the master bedroom?”

Aiden rushed them back inside the house where he dropped Ethan to the floor. “Upstairs you, before you try to get me to call your brother to come over and watch or take video.” They were both giggling as he chased his pup into their new bedroom, clothes being shed along the way.

******

John had his assistant contact the alphas for the three nearest packs, and forwarded the information on the recent feral incursions. He included a full report on the GPS device found on them as well as how to detect the device. There was also a note that the use of the GPS trackers by unknown forces was being viewed as a security threat, and Parker Valley would keep its neighbors up to date on any further developments.

******

An hour after they entered their new bedroom, the pair descended the stairs, picking up clothes from where they had been tossed in the mad dash to christen their lair.

“I guess you should take me over to the clinic now. Better have Casey meet us there, so he doesn’t get pissed about not being able to help protect me.” Ethan rolled his eyes at the last part.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the clinic to find Casey leaning against his truck, flipping through messages on his phone. The trio walked in and the doctor escorted them into the secured room. Unlike the others, this feral was restrained and muzzled. Seeing the group enter the room it became agitated, pulling violently at its restraints.

“Doctor, are you sure it’s safe for Ethan to get close to this one?” Aiden stared at the lunis with concern.

“I’m hoping Ethan will have the calming effect he’s had on the others, although they were willingly passive to start with.” The doctor focused his attention on Ethan. “It’s your call. I still have no clue what it is you do for them, but if you don’t feel it’s safe, don’t do it.”

Ethan took a few hesitant steps forward, and the beast turned its head, growling at him. It sniffed the air picking up Ethan’s scent. While the snarling did not stop, it did become less aggressive. Slowly, one step at a time, Ethan made his way over to the beast. It fought its restraints, but kept its eyes locked on the small figure. As gently as possible, Ethan moved his hand atop the beast’s head. When he came in contact, it finally settled down. He searched for the spot on the head he wanted; finding it, he pressed down, and reached out to place his other hand on the beast’s chest. As time wore on, his eyes’ sapphire glow became greater. After thirty minutes, he was still working. Approaching the forty-five minute mark, the room noticeably dimmed as the reflection from his eyes off the white walls faded. He stumbled back, and was caught by Aiden.

The beast’s eyes fluttered shut, and it slowly reverted to a human form.

Seeing the concern in Aiden’s eyes, Ethan reached up, and touched his mate’s face. “I’m alright. There was just a lot of damage to repair, and I didn’t think I could stop midway.”

Aiden searched his pup’s eyes until he was satisfied with what he saw. Doctor MacRae checked Ethan’s vitals, and made sure he was okay, before he examined the now human appearing lunis. The doctor noticed most of the wounds from surgery were healed. Even with the recovery ability of a lycan, it should not have been that far along after only a few hours. He could only guess it was a byproduct of Ethan’s healing work.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. I think I’m going to have to do a second treatment with this one.”

The doctor nodded, and watched as Ethan casually walked out, like he had placed a bandage on a scraped knee.

******

Back in the parking lot, the three chatted about the newest wolf and its aggressiveness. Casey pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the clinic. “I hope when he comes around he’s a little more peaceful.”

“This one had a lot more wrong with it, and not just from the hunters shooting it. It kind of felt like he’d been feral for a long time, but there’s something that felt different from the others.”

“You can only do so much. You’ve already helped him. Let’s wait and see what happens.” Aiden turned to his friend. “Any chance you could help us move my stuff from the apartment to the house after the pack meeting today?”

“Yeah, that’s no problem. Wanting to get in there fast, I see.” Casey winked. “Oh, just so you know, that guesthouse was my idea and I put a lot of work into it.”

“So we’ll be moving your stuff into it when we move my stuff? Ethan thought you’d probably want the bedroom next to ours so you could listen in when we have sex. Or maybe watch from a chair in the corner. We were discussing maybe you joining in from time to time, or taking video. He’s insatiable! Try as I might, I can’t fill him at both ends at once. But if you want the guesthouse that’s cool too.”

Ethan turned bright red and hit Aiden’s arm before bursting out laughing.

Casey stood in stunned silence, face extremely flush, pulse racing, and an obvious tent in his shorts. There was no chance of hiding the scent of his arousal. He was not sure what if anything to say. Finally recovering somewhat, he blinked a few times, and cleared his throat before attempting to inconspicuously adjust himself to a more comfortable angle. His two friends laughed. “I’m ah… I’m just gonna… I’ll get some boxes from the market, and meet you guys back at the apartments so we can get started before the meeting. Bastards!” He jumped in his truck and rested his forehead against the steering wheel.

Finally settling down from his laughter, Ethan slapped his mate’s arm again. “I can’t believe you did that. I thought he was going to pass out from not breathing or all the blood going to that boner you gave him.”

Aiden gave a mock scowl. “Well, you were the one teasing earlier about him being kinda hot.”

Ethan smiled and shrugged before climbing in the Jeepster. “If we hurry, I’ll give you one last blowjob in the apartment before it’s packed. Or you can pack something else.”

******

Aiden put clothes in bags, and took them to his Jeep, while Ethan was busy clearing out kitchen cabinets. It wouldn’t take more than two or three trips with Casey’s truck for the few pieces of furniture Aidan had. Not long after the work started, Casey arrived with a stack of boxes.

Aiden put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I want to apologize for before at the clinic. It wasn’t cool to embarrass you like that.” He glanced at his mate before looking back to his friend. “Ethan and I had actually discussed this morning about asking you if you wanted either the loft, the guesthouse, or one of the spare bedrooms. You’re an important part of our life, and we’d be honored to share our house with you.”

“It’s all good. I know he can protect himself, but there was no way you guys were moving without me being close by for times you’re not there.” Getting a devilish smile. “Though if your offer of occasionally letting me tap that cute little ass of his still stands, I’ll have to give it some thought, and get back to you. If he’s that insatiable, I’m happy to consider that part of the rent if you want. You know me, always willing to fill, I mean help a friend. I’m here for you guys, with or without the extra benefits.”

Aiden gave him a growl, and bared his teeth while trying not to laugh. “If it was anyone other than you who said that… Give me a hand taking the bed apart.”

“If you hadn’t offered it in the first place, I’d have never said it.” Casey tipped his head slightly, baring his neck to his powerful friend.

“You know, I can hear you guys.” Ethan called out. “Hey, did we decide which bedroom we’re putting the sling in or was it going in the basement?”

The three got back to work, filling what boxes they could, before it was time to leave for the weekly pack meeting.

******

“So, my bitch, why does it seem a pack as big as your former home has such weak defenses?” The question was more rhetorical than anything. “Eight hours is far too long for any feral to be roaming around. Especially with how many times it got close to populated areas.”

Michael was reaching the point of being too far gone; it remained to be seen if that was from mental deterioration or from being pumped up on the gang’s drugs. He would still ramble on about how he was going to retake what was rightfully his. His fantasy world revolved around bringing down Aiden, getting back at his father for his exile or at the human he hated so much. Occasionally, some little bit of useful information would still slip out, but for the most part he was barely more than a feral whenever they gave him an injection.

The drug kept him exceptionally compliant with anything they wanted. Add that to his normal willingness to answer questions or submit to use, and it was simple to manipulate him. Its use now was more to keep him quiet than anything. When it wore off, he would dream of his impending takeover of his former pack, even in moments of clarity from the cloudiness of the narcotic-like effects, he felt finding the gang was the best decision he had made. He felt honored to be serving an alpha as strong as the gang’s leader.

The gang members had grown bored using him as a sex toy. He begged too much for their abuse, taking the fun away. There were far too many willing she-wolves in the gang to bother with a male bitch, unless it was for something rough the women weren’t willing to engage in. He made a better punching bag for them.

Jean-Pierre came to a decision, and issued orders to his first lieutenant. “I want recommendations by the end of the week. Go over everything we’ve collected so far with the others. If any type of assaults are possible, break them down from lowest to highest risk based on what we think we know. I want details of what assets we’ll need, and what our projected losses would be. I need better intelligence on this pack, and why the ferals survive so long before I proceed with anything.” The gang leader reviewed the latest report again. “Tell the guys at the logging camp to hold tight for now. I want one more lunis shipped down to them. They are to wait five days from today, and send in the lupus they have. The day after that, I want one lunis sent into Parker Valley’s nearest neighbor, followed by the second nearest a day later. I want an idea of response for Parker Valley’s neighbors. If we don’t have good intelligence on them soon, I’m pulling the plug on this operation.”

“Yes, sir.”

******

Following the pack meeting, Aiden, Ethan, and Casey walked back to see how much of Aiden’s apartment they could finish packing and get ready to move. About twenty minutes into their work, the entire Tucker family showed up, empty boxes in hand, and ready to help out.

Rafe observed the work already in progress. “We figured you’d probably want to move into the house as soon as possible, and could use some help. A few extra trucks to move in one trip never hurts either. Mary has all Ethan’s clothes packed in her van already.”

“Casey, while you boys finish up in here, why don’t Joe and I start packing up your apartment. Should I ask if there’s anything in there I don’t want to find?” Mary had a sparkle in her eye seeing her son’s embarrassment.

“No, Mom. But I’ll pack up my bedroom if you don’t mind. Who said I was moving?”

“Oh, so still keeping the magazine stash in there these days? Not still between the mattress and box spring is it? And you didn’t need to say you were moving, but knowing you, you’re not going to allow them to move where you can’t keep an eye out for their safety. You’re too much like your father, and we’re proud of you for that.”

“Mom! Who uses magazines? That was one of Dad’s copies of Playwolf I’d swiped when I was young. Turned out to be really boring to me. We have this wonderful modern marvel called the internet for things like that nowadays. Just ask Dad, he’ll show you the good sites.”

“He already has. Some of the ones with human furries are entertaining, but I think the men on the sites you watch would be more to my liking. Like mother, like son.” She couldn’t help but giggle as everyone stood agape.

No one thought it was possible, but the big pack enforcer and leader of the family actually blushed.

Ethan stood watching while trying not to break out laughing. He was so thankful to have been taken in by the Tucker family. “Mom, Dad, I’ve been kind of thinking about something for when Aiden and I get married. I’m not sure how to ask this.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure we can help with what you need.” Rafe rested his big paw of a hand on the young man’s shoulder.

Taking a breath. “I’ve thought about taking Aiden’s last name, but since you’re more of a family to me than my human parents were, I was wondering if you’d be okay with me changing my name from Scott to Tucker? Or should I just make it Ethan Jacobs once we’re married?”

Rafe called to the rest of his family. “Alright kids, what do you think about him taking our name?”

“You’re our brother from a different mother and father. You’re already a Tucker in every other way that counts. The name should be changed to reflect that, little brother.” Joe bumped fists with Ethan.

Casey and Mary nodded. The three younger ones cheered their agreement of Ethan becoming a Tucker

Ethan turned towards Aiden. “I know I should have talked to you first about this, but I got thinking about it, and it just came out.”

“I’d figured I would be changing my last name to Scott-Jacobs or Jacobs-Scott, but I like the sound of Tucker in there better. These people are your true family.”

Two hours later, both apartments were loaded up into the available trucks and with one last check, everyone headed over to the new house to start unloading. By nightfall, the essentials had been set up: bedroom furniture where it belonged, clothes hung in the closet or put away in the dresser and the couch and television in the family room. It would take them some time to begin furnishing the rest of the house. They were in their own home though, so the rest could wait. In the morning, Aiden would have the utilities changed over to their names.

Casey got himself setup in the guesthouse. He had plenty of room, and was close enough to feel comfortable, though a problem at this point was unlikely.

Rafe pulled Ethan aside before the family left to head home. “I’ve told you before that we think of you as our son, just as much as the ones Mary gave birth to. You asking to take our last name means a lot to me, Mary, and the rest of the family. Thank you for not closing yourself off to the love this family has to give you.”

“After what you said the day I called you Dad, I’ve been thinking about it.”

Not wanting to deal with trying to cook, Aiden took everyone to dinner at the café to say thanks for the help in moving. Getting back home, they said their goodnights to Casey as they headed in to spend their first night in the house.

******

Aiden still had one more week before he started with the sheriff’s department. He looked forward to it, but also enjoyed spending as much time with his pup as he could. Ethan was working half days, and asked to go to the clinic shortly after he got home on Monday. He wanted to check on the new lunis.

The man was still sleeping when the doctor knocked on the door. The restrains had not been removed yet, and when the three entered the room, the patient’s eyes shot open. He made no attempt to talk, but pulled on the restraints, testing their strength. Ethan cautiously walked up to the bed, with Aiden close behind.

The doctor attempted to reassure the lunis. “No harm will come to you. We’re just trying to help you find your way back to us.”

The human lunis scented the air, and seemed to remember Ethan’s scent. He kept his eyes locked on the smaller teen, but did calm down.

Ethan again placed both his hands on the head of the restrained man. Concentrating on what he was feeling, the healing process began. It took another twenty minutes of work, with him moving his hands from the head to the chest before he was finally finished. He stumbled when the connection broke, and the doctor promptly examined him.

The human lunis frantically looked around the room. His voice raspy from lack of use as his human mind tried to find the words he wanted. “Where am I? What do you want from me?” He tugged at his restraints trying to find a way to escape. “Why am I tied down? Please don’t put me in a cage again.” Tears flowed as he pulled at the bonds once more. “Why didn’t you let me die on the soft dirt.”

“You’re safe here. The restraints were for your protection as well as our own when you were brought in. We didn’t want you to hurt yourself or our staff. I know you’re scared. You’re among friends. No one will hurt you, and you will not be put in any cage. If you stay passive and let us help you, I think we can remove the restraints. Now that your wolf has receded, I don’t think you’ll harm yourself or us. I will have to have the guard stay in here just as a precaution.” He glanced at the couple. “I need you both to wait outside while I examine our patient. Would you ask the guard to notify the alpha our guest is awake and then to come in here, please?” He turned his attention back to his patient. “Do you remember your name, or anything about your past?”

“I don’t know. What’s a name?”

“It’s okay. Some of the others like you had trouble remembering things to start with. It might come back to you. My name is Ian.” He patted his chest as he said his name. “That’s what people call me. We’ll just call you Jack Doe for now.” The doctor noted it was more like talking to a ten year old than someone in their twenties as this lycan appeared to be.

Moments later, the hunter standing guard outside knocked before coming in. “I called the alpha as you requested. What can I do for you, Doc?”

“I’m going to remove our guest’s restraints and I just need you to sit in here for everyone’s safety.”

“Yes, sir.”

The doctor went about taking the bindings off their Jack Doe. He made no attempt to move, but watched the doctor and guard with wary eyes. Doctor MacRae adjusted the bed so he was sitting up.

“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”

The patient nodded, so Ian called to have something prepared. The nurse had to assist their patient as holding objects like a cup or fork was foreign to him. The doctor observed his newest patient lapped at the water in his cup canine style, instead of sipping from it. He marked in his notes that this one seemed to have been wolf for a long time, starting at an early age, and would need long term rehabilitation.

******

By the time the alpha arrived at the clinic, Jack Doe had finished a small meal. The young patient was on his bed when John showed up accompanied by Rafe and the doctor. Jack looked up from a picture book he had been given to see Ian with two new people. He could pick up a scent of power in the air. His eyes scanned over Rafe before locking on John. Confusion at the scent of these men not being familiar lasted only until recognition set in this was a powerful man-wolf. Extreme fear overtook him at what he expected to happen with someone so strong near him. He knew it would be the big man that would strike. The scent of terror flowed off him in waves as he awaited the pain.

Jack Doe’s wolf, asleep after its long time in control, woke from the fear its human felt. Its fight or flight response kicked in and told him to flee. He scrambled off the far side of the bed, sending the remains of his food and cup flying as he dove for cover. He tried to hide, and protect himself from the assault he knew was coming. “Please don’t lock me in the cage with the others, or let the others beat me again.” He cried out in terror, cowering in the corner of the room.

John slowly approached the shaking form, crouching down to try and make himself less intimidating. He watched for a moment as tears streamed down the face of the newcomer, wondering what this young man had to endure to be this afraid. “You won’t be harmed here. No one is going to do anything to you. We just want to help you.”

Jack Doe scented the air again. “You are not him, but you are strong one. Strong ones let the others always beat us before locking us in cages. I don’t want get beat again. Please don’t let him hurt me.” Through his tears, he pointed at Rafe. “Why didn’t they let me die? I begged the man-wolves with the pain sticks to let me take the long sleep on the soft dirt. Please let me die.”

John knew with Jack remembering anything from the capture the wolf was on the verge of reemerging. His instincts as an alpha and a father conflicted on how to handle this fearful pup. Fatherly emotions won out as he pulled the boyish man to him in a protective embrace. “You’re safe here. I will do everything I can to keep you safe. Yes, I’m alpha here or the strong one as you call it. That man over there is my friend and he will make sure no one hurts you too. You will not be locked in a cage or beat. It will take time for you to be able to trust us, but you are welcome here. We’ll do what we can to help you, and make you feel comfortable.” He brushed his hand over the scared man’s head in a fatherly fashion. “My men didn’t let you join the forest because I told them to help you.”

John sat on the floor beside the shaking and terrified wolf. He kept his arms wrapped around the younger man, maintaining contact and trying his best to give off a soothing scent. The two quietly talked as John held the scared child-like man. He stood and held out his hand to the newest guest to his territory, and helped him back to the bed. Jack Doe was still crying, and expected what he was told to be a lie. This was just like the tricks the men would play before he turned wolf. They would be nice to him before a harsh beating would start.

Outside the room, John ran fingers through his hair. “Ian, we need to get a counselor here that can help him as soon as possible. If you need to go through the council’s medical system, list him as a rescued stray. He’s obviously gone through extensive captivity and torture during his time as a feral, most likely from the ones who tagged him. I’d like to get him evaluated as soon as you think he’s medically able. When you think he’s ready, I’ll request volunteers to sit with and talk to him.”

******

Following the three days of incursions into Parker Valley and its two nearest neighbors, a group of the gang’s lieutenants came to Jean-Pierre. “Sir, we have a suggestion on how to possibly gather some better intelligence on Parker Valley. And we have the results on the feral incursions into the three packs.”

“Alright, you have my attention. First, what’s this suggestion?” Jean-Pierre showed mild interest.

The lieutenant swallowed and hoped not to incur the wrath of his boss. “Sir, we have one solaris in our ranks. Since they’re able to mask their lycanthropy from others, he could enter their territory as a human seeking work. He’s well skilled at evasion and surveillance, and could provide us regular updates on the pack. Once he starts providing information, we can make a better risk assessment if any attack will work. Hopefully we would get more info on their defenses, and why ferals take so long to be exterminated.”

“It’s a decent plan. I hate relying on the solaris filth for anything, but they do have their uses. I don’t trust anything that can’t shift during a full moon, but as you said, it can move around their territory posing as a human.” Jean-Pierre sat in silent thought considering the idea. “Start briefing it on the mission. Make damn sure it has a background story without any holes in it. You have until the full moon to prep the solaris. If it isn’t ready to deploy by then, or if this gets screwed up, what that bitch in the cage has received is going to look like a tropical vacation compared to what I do with you.”

His lieutenant handed him the report on the three ferals they had used, and waited for Jean-Pierre to look up. “As you can see, both of Parker Valley’s neighbors killed the feral that entered their territory within forty minutes. Parker Valley took nearly six hours again. It was stationary for about thirty minutes at around the three-hour point, and we can only guess it might have been foraging for food. Though it could have stopped for any number of reasons. If we do another test with the solaris in the area, he might be able to tell us what’s going on.”

“Six hours makes no fucking sense in any pack, especially after having a few recently cross their border. That feral looked to be doing circles around their territory for hours. Something about all this just doesn’t sit right.” He dropped the reports on his desk. “Get your solaris ready. I want information, not theory.”