They had switched drivers a little more than halfway through the trip, and Gracie woke everyone up an hour before they reached their destination, giving everyone a chance to wake up. Donnie injected the GPS trackers he had specially made so only one of three devices could read the signal. One was with Carl and the allied forces. The other was with their parents so they would be able to follow their progress. The final was hidden in the van, in case one of their party went missing. They all settled as their skin seamlessly sealed over the tiny chip. It was time. They piled out of the van after going over a map of the compound. Those who could shifted wolf. They would need their keen noses and instincts. Gabby led the way and the turtles covered the back of the group in case they were ambushed. They fanned out and moved quickly, entering where they knew patrols would be run. They were lucky. They came across the scent of the patrol guard. They had passed through only minutes before but that meant they probably wouldn't run into another patrol for a bit unless Aiden had changed his patrol habits. Gabby knew Aiden was afraid, and just like she had done, scared people did things they normally wouldn't do.
The only reason they made it to the compound was because Gabby was keeping her mind stretched to the limit, seeking any sentient beings. When she hit one she found out where they were going and what they were doing. The people she ran into didn't believe Aiden was there. They had received their orders from a superior Beta, but Gabby knew that didn't mean he wasn't there. Aiden knew they would have to send Gabby with whoever came after him. She would be able to oust his location from the first mind she ran into if they knew he was there so he probably would come in secret, trusting only a select few of his lead betas.
Gabby got as close to the edge of the woods as she dared, very cautiously picking out one mind after another, trying to find someone who would know where Aiden was. Finesse at the distance she was working at wasn't something she had developed and she slipped, touching the minds of a few people at once. She then and there knew her mistake as a howl went up through the compound. She had touched Aiden's mind. She turned and fled, her mind racing. The turtles couldn't keep up. Even with a head start they would be overtaken. There wasn't anyone close enough to save them.
"They're gonna catch us." Gabby projected to everyone as they all sprinted in the direction of the van. "Gracie, Ronnie, Melody, I want you guys to get to the van. I'll stay back with the turtles." She said.
"We're staying." Gracie ran beside her sister, letting their fur brush with every leap.
"You will go to the van and call reinforcements." Gabby commanded her sister with such intensity that her gait faltered and she stumbled for a second. Yelping her displeasure she split from the group and saffron followed her. Melody, however, remained.
"Go!" Gabby demanded.
"I'm not a wolf and I'm not in your pack. I don't have to listen to you." She said as she bolted ahead. "I'm going ahead to set a trap. Lead them to me."
The turtles were pushing themselves but the hunting howls of the wolves grew closer and closer. The fact that Aiden hadn't tried to halt them had been proof enough that he knew they were screwed. Luckily he hadn't noticed the other two run off. He was too focused on keeping tabs on Gabby and the turtles. When the wolves were finally nipping at their heels, Gabby reached out. "I can't get them to you. You'll have to come to us." She said to Melody as her talons plunged in and severed the neck of the first wolf to reach her.
Gabby thrust her mind out and stopped all of the near wolves in their tracks. The turtles rained death down upon them before the force of Aiden's mind collided with hers.
"I knew you would find me, pet. Why do you think I drew so far away. I knew you would have to come or risk losing the advantage. Now watch as your little pack dies." Aiden snarled in her mind, promising vengeance on her for her last victory. She fought him but that meant she could no longer hold back the tide of wolves streaming in. The turtles held their ground, slaughtering all who came near but Gabby couldn't split her concentration between defending herself mentally and physically. More wolves came and she felt Aiden draw close and then he appeared in the woods while his warriors piled on top of the turtles, disabling and disarming them. A beta wolf came and grabbed her by her scruff, forcing her to her knees.
"Return human, Gabby, or I will torture your little friends in front of your very eyes." Gabby's eyes swam with tears as her worst nightmare began to play before her eyes. She returned to her human form and the beta behind her twisted his fingers painfully in her hair. She clenched her jaw, determined not to show any sign of weakness. Aiden came and crouched before her, his dark eyes full of sadistic glee.
"Gabby, Gabby, Gabby. So willful. So defiant. And yet, our paths keep crossing. You could have disappeared with your new pack but you are drawn to me just as I am drawn to you. Our destinies are intertwined. Why else would we share such an exquisite gift?" He brushed his warm fingers down her jaw, brushing a finger across her lips as he examined her face at his leisure. Even in the heat of the day it made her blood run cold. "If only you had just submitted your will to me. You could have been my queen. Now, however, you have caused too much trouble
, my pet, and I'm afraid I'll have to turn you over to the care of a very special friend." His eyes glanced over his shoulder and she followed his gaze only to see her greatest nemesis besides Aiden. Val. He was a towering, bulky, mean son of a bitch. A born psychopath who delighted in blood and pain. He had often meted out punishments for Aiden. Some of her largest scars came from the master of pain. She knew Aiden would make good on his promise. The punishment for this would be worse than death.
Just then, the giant cougar that was Melody came flying from the trees above, landing squarely on top of the wolf holding her hair. There was a slicing sound and then Gabby fell forward, the hand that had held her left only with a handful of the hair that Melody had sliced with her razor like claws. Gabby shifted in an instant and lunged for the three wolves restraining Raph. They were huge and they would probably beat her half to death but he was their best chance. Raph was more than ready. As the wolves were distracted all of the turtles renewed their struggles, managing to break free with the help of the furious ball of fur and claws that was Melody. The fight was once again going full fledged but again Aiden set his will to subduing them and Gabby was forced to focus on him rather than her defense which got her captured again. She watched her friends once more get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of wolves. Aiden was furious.
"A filthy CAT?!" He thundered. "Your back up plan was a cat?" Then he laughed. Long and hard until there was no laughter left in him. His face went serious and his eyes were narrow. "She'll be the first to die." She watched his talons grow and he turned and approached when suddenly, more lions rained down on them.
"Get back to the van!" Melody yelled in their minds. Raph grabbed Gabby's hand and began hauling her back towards the van.
"But what about them?" She asked as she turned and ran.
"They can outrun the wolves. You can take on Aiden from the van. We're close enough now." He hustled her forward and she kept a tab on things. Aiden was gathering his concentration. She sent out a mental attack as she ran, trying to slow any type of attack he was ready to level on the big cats. Her jaw dropped as huge horses thundered past them through the woods from the direction of the road. They were obviously shifters. What the hell was happening? Still they ran until they reached the van where they hurriedly climbed in. Gabby again set her mind against Aiden's. She drove into him, forcing him to call a retreat. He didn't have enough wolves with him to have them protect his body as he fought with his mind. As soon as he called it, the cats and horses fell back as well, coming and meeting Gabby and Raph at the van.
"I'm Breg." Said a stocky, tan man of Native American descent. "We're friends of the triplets. When Melody called us yesterday we immediately went on standby. We know about this asshole and we'll help any way we can. We'll watch for him, make sure he doesn't leave. You guys get back to your pack. They'll be worried after the S.O.S. call."
Raph shook his hand and they all piled back into the van. On the ride home, Gabby could feel wolves fleeing back the direction they had come.
"He's called them back." She said quietly to Raph. "He's planning a big defense. We're going to have to move the battlefront this way. We're going to need everyone." She looked at Melody. "You saved our lives." She said. "We're in your debt forever."
"I always have a backup plan." She replied. "Always. I couldn't tell you in case Aiden searched your mind. If you couldn't tell, he detests cats. He wouldn't touch my mind with a ten foot pole."
"We're grateful either way." Raph replied.
"You can repay me by killing that crazy asshole." She said. The van fell silent and they again drove the long ride home.
Gabby woke trembling sometime into the night. The van was still rolling and as she opened her eyes she could see Raph's face in the glow of the dash lights. His hand smoothed down her back, soothing her and finally feeling safe, she settled back in to sleep.
Gabby and Raph hauled their stuff back into their room. The ride home had been long and awful but her mothers warm embrace had been the welcome home she needed. They quickly unpacked and as Gabby entered the bathroom to run a bath, she gasped. Her hand flew up to her mauled hair and though she hadn't ever been a vain girl her eyes welled up and spilled over. She saw Raph in the mirror, leaning on the door frame, watching.
"It looks awful." She sniffed. She had loved her hair the way it was. Raph straightened and came forward, turning on the tap for the bath she had been planning to take. Then he pulled her close, his hands finding their way under her shirt and slowly pulling it up til it was off. He unsnapped her bra and pulled the straps from her arms, revealing her breasts which he took a second to palm a little roughly. He undid her jeans and pushed them down with her panties so she stood nude before him. He pressed her back, placing a hand on the counter on each side of her, trapping her there.
"You're a beautiful woman, Gabby. It's hair. It'll grow back." He said bluntly, making her feel like a bit of an idiot. He was right. It was just hair and a wolf grew hair at a faster rate than a human. Her hair would be long again in less than a year. Still, her pride had been hurt and Aiden's attack had left her with a much more lasting and visible reminder than her scars. Instead of answering she just dropped her head, feeling defeated. Raph's put a finger under her chin, bringing her eyes back up to his. He looked into hers for a moment and then lowered his lips to hers, claiming her mouth in a kiss so gentle that she was almost surprised it had come from Raph. His fingers traced up and down her naked flesh. He watched in fascination as goosebumps erupted across her skin.
"So fuckin' hot." He murmured, as if speaking to himself. He looked her in the eye. "You're more than your hair." He kissed up her neck and then set his teeth to the outer edge of her ear, nibbling down to her earlobe which never failed to launch her into arousal. He lifted her onto the counter so he could straighten a little and press between her legs. His lips came down again, gentle in comparison to his hands which were taking their fill of her body. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip, drawing a quick, surprised gasp from Raph before he again started on her neck and ear. She felt a featherlight touch slide up between her slick folds, just barely brushing her clit. The contact was just enough to make her throb for more.
Gabby's little moan as he had tested her readiness had him groaning on the inside. He wasn't good at gentle sex. His instincts got in the way and she called to the animal in him. Each little noise she made drove the beast in him wild with a need to bury himself as deep as she could take until he filled her with his seed. He kissed her again, more chastely and then dropped his belt, shorts, and boxers. Then he gathered Gabby in his arms and they sank into the bath together, letting the warmth of the water soothe their bodies. Raph washed every inch of her, even briefly dragging the washcloth over her swollen labia and back over her puckered asshole. She then took the washcloth from him and began to wash him as well, making him groan as she washed gently over his shaft and balls. As she leaned forward to kiss his neck, she noticed a shallow cut just above his plastron. A small battle wound. She traced her tongue over it, allowing it to heal.
"Any others?" She asked sitting propped up on top of him. She felt his hand move up her leg and settle on her hip. He rolled his hips, causing the head of his hard shaft to bump her ass.
"I want you." He replied. Ignoring her question. Gabby gave him a sexy grin as she lifted herself and slid back until the head of his cock sat at her entrance. She pressed back slowly taking his cock inch by inch. She gave a satisfied groan as he bottomed out in her, his tip pressed against her cervix. She knew she couldn't take all of him in this form but he seemed to enjoy being inside her anyway. She leaned forward and claimed his lips again as she slowly rose and fell over his shaft. A true Alpha, he didn't often let her set the pace. He liked control. She took full advantage of his lenience here and used her pussy to torture him until his hips were bucking, trying to make her go faster. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he pinned her to him and vaulted up and out of the bath, making a big watery mess. He didn't even bother to get to the bed. He just set her back down on the bathroom counter and started driving into her at a furious pace. She could do nothing before the onslaught of intense pleasure except lean her head back, exposing her throat, submitting to the will of the man before her. To Raph, her surrender was the sexiest thing in the world. It meant she trusted him to give her what she needed. She trusted him not to hurt her with his impressive size and strength. It meant she was giving herself to him in every way she knew how. He slowed his thrusts for a second to lean in and skim his lips up the column of her throat, enjoying the contraction of her walls around him. When his tongue flicked out to taste at her shoulder, her head snapped back up and bit hard into his own shoulder, demanding more from him. He gave a particularly hard thrust, picking up his pace and she eased back with her teeth, nibbling at his skin where her love bite was clearly visible. She hadn't broken skin, but the indents were deep.
Raph could feel Gabby's pussy tightening around him as his body began to slam into hers at an unrelenting pace. Her little cries and gasps spurred him on until he was ready to explode. He used his thumb to press against her clit, sending her howling over the edge. Her body convulses around him and he pressed as deep as he could go, releasing a torrent of cum deep inside her. She felt him pulse with every shot until he was spent. Panting, he rested his big head on her shoulder for a second trying to regain the strength she seemed to have sucked right out of him.
"You don't know what you do to me." He said. He started to pull out of her but her heels hooked around the edge of his shell, stopping him.
"Not yet." She said. He was still half hard and if she could get it out of him, she wanted another round.
"Greedy." He chuckled as he lifted her and walked her back to the bed. He laid her down on the soft comforter without ever leaving her warm body. He gave tiny little thrusts. He was too sensitive yet to do more than that but she was obviously enjoying the sensation. He took a little time to fondle and lick at her breasts. He knew hey weren't overly sensitive, not like Donnie had said Saffrons were, but he enjoyed them. As per usual, it didn't take him too long to get hard again. He pulled out and flipped her over, running a hand over her round, supple ass before leaning back and pulling her hips up. He couldn't help but groan as he watched his cum drip out of her onto the bed beneath her. She wiggled her ass impatiently and he quit staring so he could guide himself into her. He grunted as he sheathed himself in her body. She was even tighter in this position, gripping his cock like a second skin and making him desperate for her. She was already warmed up so he wasted no time driving into her, bringing her to another explosive orgasm within minutes and quickly following himself. When he finally pulled out, she fell to the bed, not even worried about the copious amount of fluids dripping from her body. Raph gave a satisfied grin as he got up and grabbed the washcloth. He turned her over, pressing loving kisses and bites to Gabby's hips and thighs as he carefully washed away the excess fluids from their lovemaking. He cleaned himself and then crawled back into the bed, pulling the exhausted woman to rest face down on his chest. His hands took to tracing her scars as he often did when his fingers felt the need to explore her skin.
"I thought it was over today." Gabby whispered to him, confessing how afraid she had been. "They had you and I would have done anything to keep you alive, Raph. Anything." A tremor ran through her body.
"I promised you that would never happen." Raph said gently.
"I know. And it hasn't. It was just scary because it came so close to that." She said.
"I know. I ain't gonna say I wasn't scared. Ya just don't know what's gonna happen out there." Raph said. "But like I told you before. I'll be dead before I let him use me to get to you."
He felt her let out a long steadying sigh. "You make me feel safe." She murmured as her eyes began drifting shut. Emotion welled up strong inside of him at those words. To make Gabby feel safe after the life she had led was one of his biggest objectives. She deserved to feel safe. She deserved to be happy. She deserved a life away from that bastard. His hand touched the bottom of her sheared off curls. He had watched the look of horror in her eyes at the sight of them and it broke his heart. Couldn't she tell she was beautiful, short hair or long? He had tried to show her the best way he knew how but those tears, they had killed him. His Gabby had always loved her hair long. To have it made short because of Aiden and his wolves was a blow. He knew it and it made him seethe with anger on the inside. Those assholes would pay for every tear his Gabby had ever shed on their behalf.
Just an Authhors Note here... Thank you all so much for reading! As a novice writer and someone who isn't quite confident in her abilities, any follows or reviews at all are so amazing to me. I just want to thank you for sticking with me and if you have any questions, constructive criticisms, or just want to comment on the plot or characters I greatly appreciate it. Thank you all so much!