Disclaimer: All characters, character names, worlds, and world names belong to their respected companies, authors, producers, etc. I do not benefit money from writing this story. I do not own any of the characters or places.

Author's Note: So here's chapter 13. It's short. I know a lot of you were not terribly interested in what was going on in Greeton, but whatever. I had to tell their story, too. You will be happy to know, I'm sure, that the next chapter will be returning to Beele's pack members. But for this chapter, say hello to Jin and Shuga from Seirei no Moribito, Yoite and Miharu from Nabari no Ou, Athrun and Kira from Gundam Seed! And if you saw the poll info in chapter 12's place before, please know that the real chapter 12 has since replaced that. So go back and read it if you haven't.

**I would just like to say real quick that this story has over 11,000 views and only 99 reviews...and most of those are from faithful, repeat reviewers. I review every story I read on this site. I haven't read many, but I review them. It doesn't take long and it really helps out the writers whether it's constructive criticism, encourages them to continue, or just plain makes them feel good. People are slacking. Anyway, to reward my single reviewer for the last chapter I would like to give them the opportunity to choose a couple to get some loving in the next chapter. I will talk with them and see what they want and see how it will fit. Congratulations, arcadii ^.^

Now that that unpleasantness is over, here is chapter 13, and as always, happy reading!

Wolves 13

Okita hurried down the dirt path between the homes of his fellow pack brothers. The rest of the journey took a little longer than normal due to Kaname's leg injury. The seme was in a lot of pain and so Zero walked their horse very slowly trying to limit the jostling. Kaname argued that Zero was the one supposed to be riding and taking it easy, but the silver-haired uke really wanted nothing more than to avoid the sore and aching bottom riding the horse caused. So it was late the third night when the small group finally reached the sub-tribe. Shuga, the sub-tribe's Healer, and his seme mate, Jin, took the couple into their home for much needed rest. Okita stayed long enough to ensure Shuga did not need any help in healing Kaname's wound, then he was out the door on his way to his own home.

Okita lived with his mate Hijikata, and Saitou, Hijikata's first mate. For a long time Okita thought he would never feel that he belonged with them. Hijikata had recognized with Saitou first, after all. Saitou was even pregnant with their son when Hijikata then inexplicably recognized with Okita one day when the two bumped into each other in the village center. Saitou did not seem to know how to deal with such an unusual and unexplainable event. He did not complain, however; didn't argue or become angry as any would have expected him to. He had a right to be angry. Having to suddenly share his mate, the one seme meant for him, with another. Saitou never let it show, as was his way, but Okita knew he'd been hurt.

Okita took it upon himself to see to Saitou's comfort during the rest of his pregnancy-annoyingly so. He barely left the uke's side. He quite literally forced a friendship between the two of them by ignoring Saitou's sometimes heated words, and death threats that if Okita did not leave him alone his hands were going to be looking for his head. By the time Saitou went into labor it was Okita he called for as well as Hijikata, wanting both of them with him for the long hours ahead. Since then the three of them had formed a bond even stronger. One that, even though it had to spread out to encircle a third person in the recognition, was more powerful because of that additional love.

When Okita reached the two-storied home, he hurried into the bedroom he shared with his mates. But Saitou wasn't there as expected. The uke had barely been able to stand on his own when Okita and Hijikata were forced to leave him two days ago. Saitou's illnesses usually did not pass so quickly. So where…? He turned to walk back out of the room and jumped with a yelp. Yoite, Saitou's sixteen year old son was standing directly behind him, staring at him.

"Yoite," Okita chuckled, catching his breath and calming his racing heart. The youth was very tall and lithe, but a bit spindly. He was silent and still, like his bearer. Very good at sneaking up on people, namely Okita. Okita often wondered if this was how Yoite amused himself. Very little the youth did brought much emotion to his beautiful, pale features, but this always seemed to bring out a smirk. There it was now-the slightest lift to one side of his pale lips. Okita growled when he saw it.

"Where did you come from?" he demanded.

Yoite looked to the side, not quite an eye roll because that kind of behavior was beneath him.

"Why are you home?" Yoite asked, his voice so soft and smooth, almost weak(1). Saitou often feared that it was the illness he passed onto his pup that caused such weakness in the beautiful tones of Yoite's voice, no matter how much they tried to make him see otherwise.

Okita reached over and ruffled the pup's black hair, much to Yoite's annoyance. He then explained of their good fortune in happening upon Kaname and Zero before the two were killed by sabers.

"Your da sent me back with them to ensure their safety, and," he smiled softly, "and to keep an eye on your dadda." He scrunched his brow. "Where is he anyway?"

Yoite turned to the bathroom across the main room. "He's spent a lot of time in the bath. It's the only thing that eases his aching."

Okita nodded. Before he made it two steps in that direction Yoite hugged him. Okita was surprised. The youth rarely showed his affection for his second dadda; rarely showed his affection for anyone, really, aside from Saitou and his younger brother. The top of Yoite's head came to Okita's nose and he inhaled the youth's scent, amazed at just how tall he was when he seemed so fragile.

"I am glad you're here," Yoite mumbled. "Dadda was afraid without you and da."

When the youth pulled away he offered Okita a sincere smile. Okita found it impossible not to smile in return.

"Get yourself to bed, now," he said. "It's late."

He stayed and watched Yoite ascend the stairs to the top floor before stepping inside the bath.

The large oval tub was in the center of the room raised on a short, stone-work dais. Three wide brass, shepherd-hook faucets rose over the lip of the tub from the rock floor along one side. Sunk down with his head resting against the edge of the marble tub's surface was Saitou. His back was to Okita and he could see that long, deep purplish hair clinging to the uke's back and floating on the surface of the water in dark tendrils. In front of the uke was Okita's pup, Sano(2). The little tyke was three now with Hijikata's violet eyes and a mop of golden brown curls on his head. He looked just like Okita, they all said. The pup was playing in the water nestled safely between Saitou's legs. As Okita approached he could see that Saitou's hands were holding the pup around his small ribcage to ensure the pup did not drown while the tired uke rested.

Okita climbed the small stairs leading to the tub and leaned over to nuzzle into the hair at Saitou's neck. The ill uke roused just enough to hum a sound of recognition. Okita smiled before kissing the smooth, pale throat and slipping a hand beneath the water to run along Saitou's side to his hip. Sano continued to play, splashing and singing a discordant song he was making up on the spot that seemed to have more unintelligible sounds than words, as many young pups do. He was oblivious to his dadda's presence.

Saitou returned to awareness enough to remember that neither of his mates should be there. When he opened his eyes and turned to stare at the other uke in confusion, Okita flashed his winning smile.

"Why are you here?" Saitou mumbled.

"I annoyed the hell out of Hijikata, so he sent me back," Okita quipped, with a shrug. Hearing the sound of his dadda's voice, Sano whipped around.

"Dadda," he screamed, a beaming smile lighting his little face. Okita moved around to the side of the tub, his arms outstretched to lift the naked pup from the water. Sano leaped, trusting his dadda to catch him. Okita caught him into a tight embrace twirling him around, asking questions like, did you miss me? The room filled with the pup's echoes of squealing laughter.

When the twirling reunion came to a stop, Okita held his pup close and looked him sternly in the eye.

"Why are you still awake, anyway?"

The young pup put his little arms around his dadda's neck and pulled their heads together so Okita had to cross his eyes to continue looking him in the eye. It always made Sano laugh.

"Dadda Saidou said I could take a baff wiff him before I went to bed," the pup argued. "But then he fall asweep."

Both dadda and pup turned their heads to regard Saitou who was now standing in the tub trying to gage whether he trusted his balance enough to get out. Okita shifted his pup to his hip and offered his other hand. Together they descended the small stairs and Okita helped him one-handedly get into his robe. Okita grabbed a towel from a folded pile near the bath and wrapped it around his pup who was still clinging tightly to his neck. He rubbed it over him drying him the rest of the way.

"Can't have you getting sick, can we?" he said.

"Nope," Sano smiled, then laughed when his dadda rubbed the towel playfully over his unruly curls. "My hair isn't wet," the pup exclaimed.

"It isn't?"

"No."

"Oh, well," Okita said, and continued to ruffle his hair. Saitou smiled and followed them and the squealing laughter into the main room. Okita led him to their bedroom and kissed his cheek at the door. "Go lie down," he said. "I'll take this one upstairs and be right back." Sano leaned over to give his dadda Saitou a kiss on the cheek as well. Then he pressed his cheek against Okita's cheek, causing them both to make a funny face at Saitou, and patted his dadda's other cheek with his little hand.

"Upstairs, dadda," the pup giggled.

In Sano's bedroom, Okita dressed his pup in soft sleep pants and shirt and tucked him into his blankets. After a kiss, goodnight, Sano said, "Make dadda Saidou feel bedder."

Okita smiled before turning out the light, "I will."

Back downstairs Okita leaned over Saitou as he drifted on the edge of consciousness. He held up another towel.

"Can't have you going to bed wet, either," he said. He helped the other uke to remove the robe, then he patiently, lovingly patted him dry starting at his feet and ending with the beautiful dark purple locks. Helping Saitou into a sitting position he then combed out the hair and tied a silk ribbon in it at the base of Saitou's neck to keep it out of his face while he slept.

After Okita helped him lie back down and covered him in the blankets, Saitou stared up at him.

"Why are you really here?" he asked.

Okita told him what happened with Kaname and Zero, and Hijikata's decision to assign a small escort to make sure the couple made it to Healer Shuga safely.

"He made sure I was one of them because he was greatly worried over you," Okita said, sliding his thumb along Saitou's cheek just under his eye. "So was I."

"What if the clan leader is angry?" Saitou asked, closing his eyes at the continuing caress.

"Safety of the pack always comes first," Okita recited the first law of the pack. "Now, get some sleep. I'm your caregiver and I run a tight ship."

Saitou turned onto his side away from him. "You don't have a ship," he said.

Okita laughed and leaned over to kiss the side of Saitou's mouth.

"Ouch, love," he murmured. Saitou flashed him a half smile before turning his head enough for a proper kiss. Then Okita settled in behind him beneath the blankets and wrapped an arm around Saitou's slender waist to hold him close. Feeling so much more comfortable and protected with the return of at least one of his mates, Saitou drifted to sleep easily enough. His body was exhausted from illness and worry, and knowing he no longer had to be sole protector of their home and pups, sleep was a welcome blessing.

Healer Shuga closed the door leading into their spare bedroom behind him quietly.

"How are they?" Jin asked from the low couch in front of the fire in their main room. Shuga pushed his long white hair behind his ear with a gentle smile before sitting beside his mate. Jin tucked the hair on the other side behind his uke's ear so he could kiss there where jaw meets ear. He wrapped an arm around Shuga and pulled him close against him.

"Kaname will be all right," Shuga said. "He will have full functionality of his leg, too."

"That's good," Jin lifted away from his kisses only to nudge his nose into his mate's hair. He inhaled Shuga's scent, relaxing with a contented smile like a wolf getting his belly rubbed. "You are amazing, you know that?" he continued, kissing and nuzzling into his beautiful mate.

"You two know you have your own room to do that stuff in, right?"

Jin sighed heavily. Shuga chuckled softly.

"Miharu," Jin said, sounding very long-suffering. "Pup. My son. Come here."

Miharu recoiled a bit dramatically(3). "Not if you're going to be doing that stuff."

Shuga laughed again and quickly covered his mouth with a side-long look to his mate. Jin very slowly turned his head to regard his uke.

"You find him amusing, do you?" he asked, playing at being derisive.

Shuga removed his hand from his mouth. "No," he said, his glance skirting to his pup with a quick, amused wink. Miharu smirked.

"Come here," Jin repeated, looking to his pup. Miharu walked toward them, then deliberately sat next to his bearer opposite of his sire. Shuga wrapped an arm around his beloved pup and pulled him close with a laugh when Jin growled at the snuff. Reaching over his mate Jin grabbed his unruly pup by the scruff of his neck and hauled him over Shuga's lap into his own arms where he proceeded to tickle-torture the youth.

Amidst the small family's laughter there was a loud, frantic knocking at their door.

"Come in," Shuga called out because his mate and pup were too busy. The heavy furs flipped open and Athrun and Kira entered together. Shuga smiled kindly at them before standing. His light-hearted smile quickly faltered when he took in the young wolves' appearance. They looked a little disheveled, and seemed to be supporting each other as they approached. The looks on their faces were frightened and confused.

"Jin," Shuga said, then repeated it louder when his mate did not take notice. The tickle match stopped abruptly. Shuga looked the pair over quickly searching for obvious injuries but did not notice anything as he issued them a place to sit on a small couch across from him. "Athrun. Kira. What is wrong, young brothers? Has something happened? Are you injured?"

Athrun shook his head slowly looking down at the younger uke pressed into his side. Kira groaned softly and Athrun's arms immediately pulled him closer against him. Shuga swallowed. He recognized the signs well enough, but truly hoped that what he was thinking was not what was happening here. Athrun was old enough by a few years now, but Kira…Kira was still a youth(4).

"You are not injured," Shuga said, slowly. "But you are in pain."

Athrun nodded. Shuga looked over his shoulder to his mate. Jin's stern face was set in a deep frown. Miharu looked between his parents.

"What?" he asked. "Dadda, what's going on? Are they all right?"

"Athrun," Shuga said to the young seme. "Kira's brother is here with his mate in the next room. Would you check on them for me?"

Athrun stared at him. "Why are they here?"

"They came to see me. Kaname was injured along the way." Shuga smiled gently. "I think he would appreciate the company."

Athrun appeared torn between going to his friend and remaining with the uke in his arms. Finally, he nudged his nose into Kira's hair to offer comfort and promise a quick return. He then rose and left the room.

Shuga kneeled in front of Kira, held the youth's hand in his.

"Kira?" he said. The uke looked up at him with large brown eyes as he shuddered through another wave of pain. "When is your birth month?" the Healer asked quietly.

"Not for another seven months," the uke said, calmly. Shuga nodded.

"You know you have recognized," he said, knowing that the youth certainly knew, but had to be certain.

Kira nodded. "I know."

"When Kaname and Zero return to their home I want you and Athrun to go with them, do you understand me?" Kira nodded, a bit hesitant. "If anyone finds out that another youth has recognized before his coming of age, there will be disruption amongst the pack." The Healer looked Kira in the eye. "And punishment for you and Athrun. Remember Itachi and Deidara."

Kira swallowed, but nodded resolutely.

Shuga patted the uke's knee before rising to go to his cupboards. As he searched for the sage leaf he thought quickly to see if there were any faults in his plan. Kira was visiting Athrun's family in their village for a season, as the two families were dear friends from childhood. Kira's parents would not know the difference if he spent that time here or at the Shoukatsuryou estate(5). Athrun's family could be easily persuaded to think nothing of the two journeying to see Kaname. The two could stay there out of sight until Kira became of age. Then it would be safe for them to return and announce their recognition. But they would have to be careful. Oh, so careful because if word reached Laures…

Shuga shook his head. Finding the sage he pulled a bottle from the shelf and returned to the uke. Kira took the offered bottle, then looked up at the Healer.

"Kaname is here?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You said he was injured," Kira continued, concern clouding his features. "Is he all right?"

Shuga nodded. "They came to see me for Zero, actually, but they were attacked by sabers on the plains." Kira's eyes widened. "But," Shuga continued quickly. "The group heading out to work the fields reached them and Kaname only suffered injury to his leg, which will heal perfectly."

"Take that," Shuga continued, nodding to the sage leaf. "And stay with them tonight. They will welcome your company."

"You said they came to see you for Zero," Kira said. Shuga smiled.

"They worried Zero miscarried a pup," the Healer offered. "I am happy to report that he did not." Kira exhaled in relief. Shuga encouraged him to take the sage and get some sleep.

When Kira disappeared into the next room Shuga turned to his pup.

"Miharu," he said. "I think it's time you were off to bed yourself."

Miharu, for once, did not argue. He stood, but paused at the stairs.

"They will be all right, won't they?"

Shuga offered a confident smile. "I will do everything in my power to ensure they are safe."

Miharu nodded and turned to go up the stairs. He stopped, turned around and returned to his bearer. He hugged Shuga tightly, briefly before then hurrying up to his bedroom.

Shuga watched up the stairs long after his pup had disappeared. Jin came up behind him and wrapped his arms around the uke.

"Laures can't find out," Shuga said quietly. "What he'll do to them…"

Jin kissed his mate's temple. "He won't find out. I'll make certain of it."

Shuga turned in his strong arms and looked up at his seme. Jin leaned down the short distance and kissed him deeply. When he pulled away Shuga moaned against his lips, not in pleasure but in despair. Jin pulled his uke tightly against him and Shuga hid his face in his mate's throat.

"Why is this happening?" Shuga asked, at a loss. "It keeps happening."

Jin did not have an answer.

Kira walked to the bed where Kaname and Zero were wrapped in each other's arms. Athrun beside them. His mate-he swallowed-opened the covers for him offering a place between him and Kira's brother. Kira moved in and curled around Kaname as Athrun curled around him from behind. Kaname turned his head.

"Athrun told me," he said. Kira stiffened.

Kaname turned onto his back to pull his youngest brother against his other side and kissed the top of his head. "I will keep you safe," his brother promised. Laures would not tear their family apart any further. Rikuson and Koumei… he hoped and prayed for their safety daily. And Kira. Laures would not take him away, that he swore to himself and any of their gods who might be listening. After Deidara, other youths began to recognize. There haven't been many, but it was impossible. No one knew why it was suddenly happening either. But the 'why' wasn't so important when faced with what would happen if their Alpha learned of Kira.

Kira relaxed and settled familiarly against him, closing his eyes to wait for sleep. On Kaname's other side Zero silently wept, relieved to have not lost a pup. Kaname held him closer as if he could meld their bodies together. He had to protect what was left of his family, and he would do it if it cost him his life.

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Endnotes:

1 Don't want to spoil anything if you haven't seen the anime yet, but the voice of Yoite has a very definite weak sound to it for very good reasons. I loved his voice in the English dub; haven't seen the Japanese version.

2 This little guy is named after Harada Sanosuke from Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan. He is another favored character of mine from that anime.

3 I adored Miharu in the first few episodes of the anime (before things get all complicated and serious, as every anime tends to do) because of his dramatics, and using the excuse that he is "delicate" to get things the way he wants them.

4 I'm pretty certain that Athrun and Kira are the same age in the anime, but I've changed that obviously.

5 Remember "Shoukatsuryou" is Koumei, Zero, and Allen's family name, as they are all brothers.