Chapter 2: Taken
Blaine pounded his pillow in irritation, and rolled again. His bed felt all wrong without the warm body that usually slept beside him. Cooper had insisted he come home to the San Francisco Pack for a week, and he was on day 4 without having managed any sleep. He missed Sebastian and his intended mate tried to console him through the Pack-Bond as much as possible, but it did little to alleviate his loneliness. The only bonus was that Cooper insisted he be accompanied by another Beta from the Pack, something about decorum, and Jeff had been volunteered, more because of his pending place as the Second's mate while Blaine was intended for the Alpha-Leader, not that he minded. He and Jeff had been close since Nick had found him in that clearing, bloody, bruised and near death. Each of them had spoken to the other on an instinctive level, especially since they were both male Betas who had reached maturity, something rare in their world.
A timid knock sounded on his closed door, and he called out a quiet, "Come in," as he rolled uncomfortably again, trying once more to find a comfortable space to sleep.
Jeff opened the door and shuffled towards him, blond hair mussed and limbs lethargic from his own lack of sleep. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked quietly, taking in Blaine's irritate expression.
"You either, hun," Blaine chuckled in response, noting with satisfaction the other Beta's faint blush. He was happy for his Pack-brother; Sebastian had explained that Nick and Jeff had been skirting around getting together since they were five year old pups. Once things had settled down after the Lima Pack fiasco (as Blaine was secretly calling it), they had made their formal declarations to each other, content with the knowledge at the next Mating Moon they, like Blaine and Sebastian, would become Mate-Bonded. Although they had only started sharing a room, it didn't take long for intended mates to become reliant on each other, hence the inability for either Beta to sleep.
"Climb in," Blaine instructed, moving over as the other Beta settled beside him. Jeff sighed in relief as they curled around each other. They drew comfort from each other, as they did on the nights Sebastian and Nick were called away on Pack business. Nathaniel, the Primary-Alpha of their Pack, was still concerned about the uproar in Columbus and the rumors circulating out of Indianapolis that the Primary-Alpha, Sue Sylvester had started eradicating the Packs around hers in an effort to expand her ranks and take more territory. With the fact that the Lima Pack remained without a permanent leader, although Abe Puckerman was filling the role rather well and his son having stepped into the role of Alpha-Leader after Sebastian killed David Karfosky. Until they took the roles permanent, the Pack still wavered in their loyalties. Nathaniel was also concerned about Kurt Hummel, the late Primary-Alpha of Lima's son, who had dropped off the radar after declaring his intent to seek revenge on Blaine, the San Francisco and Chicago Packs.
Sebastian and Nick had been sent as ambassadors to the neighboring Packs, Nathaniel wanting to ensure that the treaties would be upheld if there were any uprisings. David, their scout and another Alpha in their Pack, had been sent with his mentor, Jeff's mother to scout out Columbus and keep an eye on the chaos that was all the Alphas fighting for the Alpha-Leader title; they had been at it for almost six months and the only victor so far was death, regularly collecting at least one dead Alpha a week. At the rate they were going, the Pack would obliterate itself before anyone else would need to step in. Nathaniel had commented that the Primary-Alpha liked the bloodshed and wouldn't step in, thinking that the strongest would be the victor. It had left him shaking his head saying that the victor would be the weakest because no one would have thought to attack him. Even Wesley and April had been busy, mentoring under David's parents as they learnt first aid, hoping to get ahead of their pre-med requirements as much as possible. With their mates away, and the Pack busy, Blaine, Jeff, Cordelia and Britney had been helping wherever necessary.
Most of the Entire Pack had returned to the Estate, meaning there were over thirty mouths to feed at a given time; Blaine had even met David's older brothers, Jeff's older sisters, Wes' older sister as well as brother, and Nick's older twin brothers, plus their respective mates and pups. He had been surprised at the size of that generation compared to their own, and Sebastian had simply shrugged, saying that it must have been a few wet years. The generation above their own had been given a complex of row homes in the city, where most of them worked. Sebastian had explained that only Nathaniel and Lycée actually considered the Estate their primary residence with the rest of the Pack coming and going as needed, not that it mattered, the Manor easily accommodated twice the amount of wolves currently inhabiting it. He had also been surprised that Sebastian didn't have any siblings, but he had waved it off, telling Blaine that his father had taken on the Primary-Alpha role the year before the pups of the first litter arrived, having been too busy to consider even starting a family. The Entire Pack had been in chaos with two brothers constantly fighting each other for the Primary-Alpha title until they had killed each other, allowing Nathaniel to claim the title. Under his guiding hand, peace among the Chicago Pack had been restored.
Blaine was pulled from his thoughts by a soft-snore coming from Jeff, whose head had somehow ended up on Blaine's chest. Sighing softly, he carded his hand through his friend's blond locks, happy to have escaped the chaos of the Estate but still feeling the longing of being back with his mate. He drifted to sleep with the warm presence of Jeff on his chest and thoughts of Sebastian drifting through his mind.
"We'll be back in Chicago by next week," Heather promised, straightening Blaine's collar and soothing a hand through his hair. "I am not missing my pup's mating ceremony," she added with a pointed glare at Cooper, who stood off to the side.
"I want you there," Blaine mumbled, wrapping his arms around her tightly, her own hugging back just as hard. He had missed the doting affections of the red-head who considered herself Blaine's mother in everything but DNA. His time in Lima had only increased his need to soak up the soothing presence of the Beta who had taken care of his scrapped knees and learning curves.
Blaine and Cooper's parents had been killed when Blaine had been barely a year, and with Cooper being fifteen years older, already mated, it had fallen to himself and his mate to care for the young pup. They had been there to teach Blaine to walk and talk; even for this first day of school when Heather had cried just as hard as her pup when she put him on the bus for the first time. They had guided him through his first transformation at ten, earlier than the other pups of his generation, but Blaine had always been older than his years.
And they had sat at his bedside while the Pack-doctors tried to patch him back together after the attack which had left him scarred in body and mind. It had had taken a full year of recovery and rehab, the enhanced healing of the wolf helping Blaine to be able to walk again, which had left them feeling hopeless and vulnerable to another attack.
The West Coast had been at war, off and on, since the year before Blaine was born; it was the war which had taken his parents. It had also almost taken Blaine, the attack to gain leverage from a fellow Pack-mate over Cooper as they both fought for the title of Primary-Alpha. Cooper had dealt swiftly with his rival, not showing any mercy for an Alpha who would attack a Beta pup, although it had done little in Blaine's recovery. The Beta had been fearfully of the rest of the Pack, refusing to attend Pack functions and spend time with the Pack-mates his own age. Cooper had decided to call in his favor from Burt Hummel of the Lima Pack in Ohio and sent Blaine to live with them for his own protection as Cooper had to start battling the other Packs who were trying to encroach on their territory.
"I love you, Baby," Heather murmured, pulling back and running her hands down his face. She placed a kiss on his forehead. Although, Blaine's time with the Lima Pack had been just as bad as his time with their own Pack, he had managed to find his place among a different Pack, even picking up a Mate.
"I love you too," Blaine sniffed slightly. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to his family, even if he knew Sebastian was waiting for him back in Chicago, making the parting bitter-sweet for the Beta.
"I expect you to spend some of your honeymoon in San Francisco," she ordered, brushing away a tear. "This isn't goodbye, Baby. We'll be there for your ceremony, and I'm sure Cooper will have some words with Sebastian about visiting regularly, right Cooper?" She directed a pointed look at her mate, demanding he make the promise that Blaine wasn't being torn from her again.
"That's right, Squirt," he promised, pulling Blaine into his own hug. "We'll be there for the ceremony, and I've already set up your apartment in our building for when you and Sebastian visit." He glanced at the boarding gate, noting that they were on last call. Pulling away, he smirked, "Besides, I need to give your Mate the Talk."
"Talk?" Jeff asked, coming over after having give them some privacy for their good bye.
"Yup," Cooper grinned, ruffling Jeff's hair. "I need to threaten Sebastian with the wrath of a Primary-Alpha who will kick his ass if something happens to his pup." Jeff laughed at the thought of Cooper striking the fear in their overly confident Alpha-Leader.
"Take care of Blaine for me, okay Jeff?" Cooper said seriously. The Beta nodded solemnly in agreement. "Good." Cooper ruffled his hair again. "Now off you go. We'll see you in a week."
The boys went through the private security gate and boarded the plane, heading home. They were glad that both Nathaniel and Cooper had agreed that they would not be traveling commercial. The boys had taken the Chicago Pack's private plane down to the coast and back. Settling in his seat, Blaine allowed the sound of the plane's jets to lull him to sleep, content in the knowledge that when he woke it would be with his Mate close.
He was startled awake by the hired flight attendant when she let them know they were only twenty minutes from the airport. She had inquired if they needed anything and Blaine had asked for some water, resettling himself in his seat and gazing out the window as they drew closer to Chicago and his Mate. He drank his water and smiled over at Jeff as they finally landed.
They were coming through the private waiting room when Blaine knew something wasn't right; there were two wolves, boys no older than himself and Jeff, he didn't recognize standing inside the door, which was closed and locked. He glanced over in concern at Jeff as both boys came at them. Jeff yelped as the one, who looked vaguely like their Pack-mate April, grabbed him and started to wrestle the Beta towards the door of the small bathroom off the waiting room. Blaine growled a warning as the other smirked at him and came closer. As the Alpha reached for him, he snapped off a right-hook, catching the Alpha unprepared. The boy backed off a step, with a whine.
"He said you wouldn't fight back," he muttered to himself. They both glanced towards the doorway he had dragged Jeff when a shriek and a crash was heard. The attacker came out, closing and breaking the handle of the door.
"Why haven't you subdued him yet?" he demanded of his companion.
"He fights back," Blaine's original attacker stated, pointing at the bruise blooming on his face from Blaine's hit.
Jeff's attacker snorted. "Rush him," he ordered, as they both ran at Blaine. Blaine backed up, trying to keep both in his eyesight. He felt one of them wrap their arms around him, and he struggled harder, squirming and thrashing, trying to dislodge the boys.
"Jesus, Hunt, I thought Santana was suppose to drug him," one of the boy's gasped and they wrestled him to the floor.
"I did," a female voice stated. Blaine glanced over and saw that she was the flight attendant from earlier. "It takes a few minutes for it to kick in; besides his adrenaline is probably counter-manning some of effects." Blaine continued to fight, his instincts of panic kicking in.
"Dose him again, dammit," the one called Hunt grunted, as he dropped more of his weight on the thrashing Beta.
She sauntered over and uncapped a needle, jabbing into the side of his thigh through his clothes. She emptied it and stepped back as the larger dose connected with the original and started to take effect. Blaine's thrashing slowed, and the edges of his eyesight were starting to blacken.
"Seb," he moaned quietly before darkness claimed him.
