Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.
Fandom: Numb3rs.
Pairing: Don/Charlie.
Author: Aiden.
Chapters: (7/7)
Ratings: FRT.
Warnings: Mention of abuse, language, bloody fight, well someone will be losing his head.
Summary: The fight begins.
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.
Author's note: Last chapter, don't worry there will be more of them.
Even as he said the words, Don couldn't believe he was accepting a fight to the death. He must be crazy to pick a fight with an older, more experienced alpha.
It wasn't about the fighting itself; he knew how to fight. Lucian had taught him as a boy and Nick had continued his training while he lived in the Vegas pack.
As he faced off with the belligerent, sneering alpha, Don felt Charlie grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. Turning to face his mate, Don smiled. He could see the confidence and encouragement in Charlie's face. Feeling a calm mantle settle over him, Don realized that he could do this; he would never disappoint his mate.
Gabriel looked intensely at Don. "Are you prepared to die?"
Don knew that the other man was a savage, but in this case, the challenger was required to ask his opponent if he was ready to die as part of the ritual.
"Yea, I am," Don responded according to tradition. "Are you prepared to die?" he asked formally.
"Yes, I am," he affirmed.
David walked towards the two men. "The rules require that both alphas have a second, and that the challenged party set the time and place and the choice of weapons," he said.
Both men nodded, agreeing to the rules as stated. "We understand the rules and will obey them," they said in unison.
Don looked at his mate and Charlie nodded. "My mate will be my second," Don said.
Gabriel smiled cruelly. "David will be my second," he glared at his beta, daring him to protest.
David remained silent, knowing that if he protested, he was in for it as soon as they were alone. He wouldn't give his alpha the satisfaction.
Frowning, Don thought for a moment. "The battle will take place at the ancient battlefield," he said deliberately. Don remembered a time long ago when Gil and Nick had taken him to visit the site of a famous battle fought between werewolves and hunters. It was a sacred place and many battles between alphas had taken place on that site. It was appropriate for Don to fight the alpha there.
Gabriel nodded. "Your choice of weapons?"
Don smiled widely, hoping to unnerve his opponent. It was a good thing that Lucian and Nick had trained him in ancient weapons. "The Dao."
Because Don had been watching Gabriel closely, he thought he'd seen something flash in Gabriel's eyes before the alpha said, "Okay, Dao it is." Was the alpha feeling unsure of his abilities? Was he afraid?
'I don't think he knows how to fight with a sword,' Charlie sent him, picking up on the alphas momentary expression.
Don looked straight ahead. 'He is afraid,' he sent back.
'That is a good thing,' Charlie replied cheerfully.
Don looked at Gabriel. "Tonight at sunset," he said.
Gabriel could do nothing but agree to the terms; he would have rather had time to look for weakness and soft spots. "Tonight." With that, he turned around and walked out of the room.
The instance Gabriel was out of the room, Megan looked at Don in surprise. "You know how to fight with a Dao?"
Don who started to move towards the door, nodded his head, "Yeah, and with a Kampilan, a Gladius, an Acinaces, and a Falx," he grinned. "I know how to use most of the ancient weapons. So does Charlie."
"Wow, that is amazing," David said as he led Don and Charlie outside, his tone respectful and impressed.
Don sighed as he breathed in the night air. "Yeah, Lucian taught us most of it," At Megan's questioning look, he explained, "He was an old werewolf that looked out for us when we were cubs." Don's eyes turned sad when he thought about his old teacher and friend.
Don and Charlie walked towards their car, followed by Megan and David.
"I wonder what ever happened to him," Charlie sighed, his expression wistful.
Don stood still and looked at his mate, his eyes suddenly turning hard and cold. "I don't want to know," he said harshly. "He just left us with Gil and took off."
"He did it to protect us," Charlie whispered, rubbing Don's back in a soothing manner.
Don snorted. "To protect us?! If he'd wanted to protect us, he would have stayed with us!" he spat out, old pain and hurt racing through him. Don remembered how Lucian and Raze had just left them with the Vegas pack and disappeared. "You were too young to remember!"
"You think I don't remember?!" Charlie growled, knowing he was simply reacting to his mate's hurt feelings. "You think I can ever forget what happened to our pack? The slaughter, the fire consuming our houses, the bodies of our friends, family, and our parents? I can't," he shouted at Don. Taking a deep breath, he looked away, his eyes where glistering with unshed tears, "It stays with me every minute of my life."
Don gathered his mate in his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have said that you were too young. It's just that… it hurts so much to think about how Lucian and Raze just left without a backward glance. They were the only thing left of our old life and we lost them, too," he said softly into Charlie's soft curls. He felt awful for having upset his mate. He knew better than to say such thoughtless words and hurt Charlie's feelings.
"I'm pretty sure that one day, they will come back to us. I know they will." Charlie smiled up at Don with a tear streaked face.
Smiling, Don softly wiped away the last of his mate's tears and kissed him softly. "Yeah, maybe one day." He said the words he knew Charlie wanted to hear, but he didn't believe it for one minute.
Megan and David looked at each other. 'He has a good heart,' Megan sent David, feeling more and more inclined to support Don in the upcoming fight.
'And a gentle soul,' David sent her back. 'I hope he wins.' He was still a little skeptical. He'd seen better men than Don corrupted by the power of leadership. He was tired of Gabriel's abuse, but he was also afraid of trusting another alpha – only to be beaten down without warning.
Megan nodded. 'Yeah me, too.'
~.~
The two alphas stood across from each other, weapons at the ready.
Gabriel looked at Don, trying to anticipate the other man's first move. It was not the first time since he'd issued the challenge that he'd regretted his actions.
Standing in the arena under the glare of lights, he flexed his hand around the sword handle. He didn't feel very comfortable with the sword, and had never taken the time to learn it properly. He had always favored guns. Everything would have been so much easier if the other man had chosen guns as his weapon. Then, he could have shot the other alpha and taken his head.
Don watched Gabriel closely, satisfied when he noticed how the alpha held the sword. Inexperience and ignorance was clearly visible in every step the other alpha took. Don was a bit surprised to see the other man's lack of proper training. Every boy in his pack had been trained in sword fighting; warriors and future alphas received even more training.
After a few minutes, both men began to circle each other, never taking their eyes off their opponent. Suddenly, Gabriel charged and swung his sword upwards.
Don blocked off the attack with ease. Smirking, he looked at the alpha. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted
Angry and uncertain, Gabriel growled and swung his sword wildly.
That was a big mistake.
Don took a step forward, and with one stab, he pierced Gabriel's stomach.
Gabriel staggered back, surprise flashing in his eyes. Growling, he ignored the pain and stepped forward. "You will die for this."
Raising his eyebrow sardonically, Don waited for the alpha to make another stupid mistake. "Bring it on." As with most bullies, Don had figured out early on that Gabriel would lose his cool quickly. The man was all brute strength and no strategy.
During the next couple minutes, both men fought furiously, each trying to get the upper hand. When Gabriel's sword sliced through Don's thigh, he staggered for a second. Confident that he had the upper hand, Gabriel moved closer to Don, his sword raised.
But before he knew what happening, Don had blocked his next blow and inched closer to Gabriel. Ignoring the pain in his thigh, Don raised his sword and pounded into the other alpha, giving blow after blow until Gabriel was backed into a corner.
Eyes glowing yellow and canines growing, Don growled, "Are you really ready to die?" Before Gabriel had a change to answer, Don swung his sword in a deadly arc, swiftly decapitating the alpha before he'd even had a chance to reply.
Panting and bleeding, Don stood there for a few seconds before he turned around facing the others. "It's over," he said loudly and clearly to the wolves gathered at the sacred site.
Walking over to him, Charlie hugged his mate. "Are you okay?" he asked concerned with the blood oozing from Don's thigh.
Don looked down, blinking as he felt the burning pain take his breath away. For a few minutes, he'd almost forgotten his wound. "I will be." He kissed his mate hard and bruising, needing the feel of Charlie to remind him that he'd won. He was alive!
Megan and David approached the two men and dropped to their knees. "With these words, we're pledging our undying loyalty to you," they both said in unison.
"We will obey your every command.
We will protect the pack with all of our might.
We will protect the children and the weak.
We will die for you and your mate.
You are our alpha, and we are yours to lead."
Don looked down at them in shock, his hand squeezing Charlie's. Was this really happening? Was this something he wanted? When he'd agreed to the fight with Gabriel, he'd never expected to take over the pack. He just wanted to ensure that no one would threaten him or Charlie. He glanced over to his mate, who nodded his head and smiled at him.
Clearing his throat, he tried to remember the words he'd heard his father say a lifetime ago.
"With your words, you pledged your undying loyalty to me,
Alai and my mate, Fenris, from the Waya pack.
You will protect this pack and their members with your life.
You will protect the children and the weak.
Rise and let me welcome you to the pack and your new family."
Even as he said the solemn words, Don felt the prickle of tears in his eyes. He'd grown up expecting to take over the pack from his father when he was ready. But after his father's death, he'd never anticipated having a pack of his own.
It had been so long since he'd been bonded to a pack – to a family. Even with Gil's pack, he'd been accepted and treated fairly, but it was not his pack – his family. Don felt the strange sensations as David's and Megan's energy wrapped around him and Charlie, bonding them together as a pack. Until he died or relinquished the position of alpha, Don would always feel their presence close to his heart.
When Megan and David stood up, they were embraced by Don and Charlie. David frowned when he felt something burning on his right shoulder blade and smiled, knowing that his new pack tattoo would be there.
Megan felt something sting on her back and looked at David, hardly believing that it had happened. Their oath had been accepted and they were now members of a new pack. They had a new family.
"The panther is our pack symbol," Don explained when David lowered his shirt and Megan saw the lethal black animal crouched on his shoulder blade. "You're both are part of my family now. You are now under the protection of my clan."
"Thank you," Megan smiled, feeling the warmth and energy of her new alpha invade here senses.
Don inclined his head, remembering when he'd told Megan not to thank him until it was all over. Now that he'd won and taken over the pack, he smiled back at her.
"You're welcome."
THE END.
