This time it wasn't just about shielding.
It was also about branching out his mind again, touching the pack's individuals and riding along as they ran and chased, stalked and waited motionlessly for their prey to make the wrong move.
Owen had learned from the previous times that fighting the pull of the raptor wasn't helping, that he needed to slide along the bond and just be.
With Blue it was easy.
Taking on the other three, too… that was the challenge. Splitting his mind like he was watching four TV screens simultaneously wasn't easy.
But Owen was determined and he knew his brain was capable of it. He was preternatural and he had forged this evolving bond. Sometimes it needed a nudge.
So he nudged it.
He had chosen the safety of one of the spots they usually sought out in the restricted area, making himself comfortable, eyes closed, and then he was off. They were off, the pack.
Owen watched, attentive, never interfering, and he fell into an easy rhythm.
Blue welcomed him, letting him ancho safely as he spread to the other three. Delta wasn't happy about the backseat rider, Charlie felt indifferent, and Echo was her bouncy self.
None of them tried to kick him out or actively shut him off, so he counted that as a success.
x XX JW XX x
The training session went without a hitch, though Owen was left with a faint thrum in the back of his head, like an ache that wasn't turning into anything else. It was simply there.
He had been rather successful, though. Not only had the piggy-backing been an amazing experience, Owen could easily tell apart the different dinosaur minds now, by species, though not by individual. He had picked them up the moment one of the pack got close to the enclosures, approaching from a direction where no tourist would see them.
Some were stronger, some were pack minds. Of course, the rex and the mosa were very distinguished and both knew him by now, almost responding to his mind touch. He didn't need to be close to feel them because they were so unique.
Blue stuck to him like glue the first hour after he pulled back from his exploration of the other minds around him, looking far from happy.
"Has to be done," he only said when she grumbled her displeasure at him.
They have no right to share you. Even if you are the alpha, you are of our pack, not theirs.
"Noted. But they are there and I have to deal with it."
Yes, he had. They all had.
He was the alpha. He was powerful enough to go beyond his pack status.
x XX JW XX x
There were hardly any troopers along the backroads running past the t-rex enclosure. The few Owen saw gave him a respectful nod, guns a little more at the ready than without the raptors around, but they didn't look too trigger happy.
They ran into Dan Carter and the chief of security raised an eyebrow as Owen raised his arm, hand a fist, telling them to stop.
"Taking them for a walk?"
Blue chuffed, tilting her muzzled head. She flexed her claws. She wasn't a dog. Owen shot her a warning look.
Carter's expression was calculating and sharp. "Trying to impress me, lady?"
She chuffed again, now intrigued by his direct address.
"Making friends or trying to get a rise out of them?" Owen asked coolly, aware that the others were more than ready for a challenge.
"Maybe a little bit of both." Carter shot him a humorless smile. "Relax, Grady. I'm not here for you or them. We got a pair of adventurers who tried to sneak into the off-limits area behind the t-rex paddock. Got them sorted out just a few minutes ago."
"Adventurers, hm?" Owen snorted. "What were they trying to prove?"
"Well, looks like he was trying to show her that he's a real tough guy. He wanted an up and close selfie with a rex."
"Good way to get eaten."
"We got them before they made it even three steps into the enclosure."
Carter studied the pack, who was shooting looks at the t-rex paddock. Blue met his gaze, snorting.
"They don't like her."
"They don't like her interest in me," Owen said truthfully.
It got him a surprised look. Then Carter's expression changed as it dawned in him what those words meant.
"Geez, Grady."
He shrugged. "So, do we get a personal escort?"
Carter chuckled. "I think you got a good escort right there. I'll head back to the office. My guess are processing that knucklehead and then they're off the island. With a ban. No returns for them."
"Have fun with that."
"Oh, I will."
He nodded at Owen, then at the raptors, meeting Blue's eyes. The pack beta nodded back.
Carter's expression was shifting, the man valiantly trying not to let his shock and surprise show, but he was failing.
"Fuck," he breathed, then turned on his heels like a soldier who had been dismissed.
"Shocked him, ladies." He grinned at Blue. "You did that on purpose."
He talked to me.
"Ah, yes, you were simply polite."
She pushed her nose against his shoulder, then brushed by him, a fully body contact, and he gave her a slap on the rump.
x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x
Owen's parents arrived a few days later. He had extended an open invitation for them to come whenever they wanted. The Hilton had an apartment for them, which his mother decided was too posh but thank you very much.
They had met the pack throughout the past years only once, in the beginning. As teenagers and only viewed from the platforms.
Now they were still in the enclosure and Owen's parents were still on the platform, but the raptors had changed.
Because of their alpha.
Blue looked up at her alpha's parents, studying them with curiosity.
"She's beautiful," his mother remarked. "They all are. They come after you."
Owen laughed. "They are not my children. I raised them and trained them, but I'm not their parent."
"The alpha protects and nourishes. He leads." His father nodded at the pack below. "And he teaches. You did really well."
"Thanks," he said softly. "They taught me a lot in turn."
"It's a lifetime commitment."
They were all aware of it. He had talked to his mother and father often enough, that coming home was okay for maybe a week, but he could never leave the pack for good.
Those were the time Owen wished his grandfather was still alive. Or his grandmother. His grampa had been like him, though not as strong, and he had understood so much more than his parents could ever hope to, even if they tried.
The pack was his life.
His girls.
"Ready for the big tour now? Family special?" Owen asked lightly, pushing the wave of mourning away.
His mother gave him a smile, understanding so much without him having to spill it out.
"Lead the way."
His mother took his hand and squeezed it before Owen got in the jeep.
In the back of his mind, Blue sat like the warm, steady anchor she was to him.
x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x
Alan was far from relaxed around the raptors.
Even two months into his consultant position.
Owen never called him on it, especially when it became clear that while he did not actively try to get out of going to Owen's place, he never dropped by out of the blue either. They usually met around the theme park, mostly after Alan's lectures or when Owen was visiting his friends.
Alan was quite interested in Reggie's work with the apatosaurs, the triceratopes and the stegosaurs. He even spent an afternoon with Nancy at the lagoon, watching her work with the mosa and then asking her a ton of questions.
He had met the Gradys when Owen had shown his family around. Owen didn't really want to know what his parents were telling his friend about him. There had been laughs and knowing looks when Owen had returned with the drinks, Alan's eyes alight with amusement.
"I won't ask," Owen had sighed.
"Good idea."
His father had just chuckled and accepted the lite beer. His mother had simply smiled.
x XX JW XX x
They left three days later.
x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x
It was an accident that the professor was at Owen's place when the pack came back from an overnight stay in the restricted area. Owen had been working on shelters, using old buildings and bunkers, and he had spent the night in one of those shelters.
Alan stood frozen to the spot when the four raptors arrived, all stopping a good distance away and regarding the visitor with calm curiosity. Delta huffed, rumbling a questions. Charlie chattered until Blue snapped at her, positioning herself so she was between the pack and their alpha's friend.
They knew him.
They didn't actively threaten or warn him off.
Blue regarded him with what went for a neutral expression in a raptor face, nostrils blowing wide once, taking in his scent. She huffed a little, like a soft question, but Alan didn't speak raptor and he wasn't preternatural.
All he could think of was not to move, not to run. Running was an invitation for the chase.
Charlie made a clicking sound, inquisitive, curious even, and stepped forward. Blue growled and the lower-ranked raptor moved back, snorting. Delta growled at her sister.
The house wasn't that far away, but it would be a flimsy barrier for a determined velociraptor. They could get in through the windows, using enough force, as well as the doors, if they threw their weight against it.
The stables weren't that far either, but Alan doubted he could reach them.
And running was an invitation to chase, he repeated to himself in his head.
Those were Owen's raptors. They weren't like the wild packs. They weren't hunting him.
Blue tilted her head, chuffing again. She barked at her pack and received varying reactions, from Echo turning and heading for the paddock to Charlie muttering to herself but following, and Delta growling her displeasure. Blue just snapped at her and the other raptor snarled, but she went, too.
Alan refused to be relived. He was still out in the open, there was still a fast and deadly predator looking at him, and he had seen enough people get killed by dinosaurs because people underestimated them.
x XX JW XX x
Owen hadn't been far behind the pack when they had returned home. It had never been a problem and his girls knew the drill, but today was different.
Today, Alan had shown up unplanned and unannounced.
He stopped the bike next to Blue, who was as calm and relaxed as they came. She radiated an air of casualness that had him want to laugh, except laughing wasn't exactly what they needed right now.
Charlie, Delta and Echo were near the entrance, waiting, especially since Echo still wore the harness and saddle bags, and Charlie and Delta had head cams. The drill was to wait for the alpha, get relieved of the gear, then go into the paddock.
All three were watching.
"Fuck," he whispered softly.
Alan's face had gone shockingly white. His lips were almost bloodless, gray, his eyes standing out brightly blue, pupils blown, and there was a faint tremor going through him.
But he wasn't running.
Good.
Delta trilled softly, almost too low for human ears. Blue rumbled, looking at the other raptor, telling her clearly to not move.
"Girls," Owen said out loud, catching their attention. He raised a hand at the three waiting velociraptors. "Stay. Echo. You're first."
Routine was good. Routine was familiar.
So Echo remained where she was. She waited to be relieved of her saddle bags, making pleased little sounds.
"Yeah, you did good as always, girl. Now don't scare the guest. Best behavior."
Of course she was on her best behavior, she told him. Alan Grant was Owen's friend and to be treated with respect and not threatened or worse.
Owen smiled as he undid the harness with practiced ease, dumping the saddle bags in a corner, He patted her neck.
"That's my Echo. Off you go. Delta, Charlie, over here. You're next."
He was quite aware of Alan still standing frozen to the spot, but he needed to go through the motions. The pack needed this to be normal.
"Heads," he ordered.
Charlie had already lowered her head and Delta hummed as he undid the straps.
He removed the head cams, then gave them the hand signals to get into the gated area where Echo was already waiting.
Owen held up his hand, palm out. "Stay inside."
They whuffled their agreement.
He went back to his pack beta. Blue, still standing where she had stopped, nuzzled at her alpha's shoulder and Owen scratched her jaw. Alan's eyes no longer looked so blown, but he was so tense he might break something.
"Alan, it's okay," Owen told him calmly.
"Not so sure," the older man whispered.
He could learn. Now. Let him.
He's not ready, Blue. He might never be. Now let's give him some room. You and the others take a break. Good work.
She chuffed, pointedly walking past in front of her alpha and seeking as much body contact as possible, then she went into the enclosure. Owen had followed and now locked the gate doors.
"Alan?" he asked, voice calm and level.
His friend drew a deep breath, visibly pulling himself together.
"Yeah," he managed, voice a little shaky. "I'm good… now. Damn, that wasn't fun."
"You weren't in any danger. You'll never be from them."
"They tell you that?" Alan snapped, then ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I know they're not like the pack from twenty years ago, but they're raptors, kid."
"Since birth."
Alan gave him a dark look at the little joke. He looked over to the enclosure.
Owen wondered if this was like fear of dogs. He had known a guy in the military who had been scared shitless of dogs. He had been bitten as a child and ever since any kind of dog bigger than a handbag had terrified him. He could tolerate smaller breeds, but only if the dog in question was extremely peaceful. One woof and he was breaking out in sweat.
One of the handlers had mentioned therapy, that you could work through this, but Owen doubted Alan's trauma could be dealt with with raptor therapy. This was deep-seated.
"C'mon, let's go inside. I think I still have some soda."
tbc...