23
Ianto walked along the river bank towards his creek without fear now, not only the fact the place was alive with wolves of all descriptions, there was something in the air crackling like electricity as he then walked the creek back to his home, leaving the woods to step into the grassy field between his house and the woods. He felt no fear, only a weird sense of … righteousness.
As he walked he looked down to find a wolf walking with him, the muzzle old and greying, the eyes deep and the head held high. He paused and looked at the wolf then whispered "Tuck?"
"Four" he replied "Circling the house … one more is inside already."
"No" Ianto spun with anger now, swallowing down his fears as he took a step forward and then patted his pocket for the phone. He rang Jack's cell phone. It went straight to voice mail. It was in use? What? Who rang him this time of night?
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"Mama, it's after midnight. I need to get home" Jack said as he sighed, sifting in the seat of the Jeep "Ianto is waiting for me."
"I know darling but I knew you would see your brother home like a good boy and I just… I needed a moment to see you. SO much has happened and everything has changed and .."
"Mama! What do you want!" Jack demanded, now growing annoyed as he shut off the motor, seeing that she was starting one of her phone tirades that could last for an hour if he didn't cut her off.
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Ianto cursed and tired again. Voice mail.. Someone was taking to Jack … distracting him? He should be back by now. He turned to the wolf "Jack is not answering his phone, I think someone if causing a distraction. I am on my own."
Three more wolves appeared from the long grass and Tuck-Wolf growled "Never alone brother."
Thank you" Ianto said shakily, still in shock at what was happening but at the same time … focusing on the problem at hand. It was not talking wolves who seemed to be allies. It was the bastards in his house.
"Hush" the wolf whispered "close your eyes and use your ears … learn to use your inner self. They speak to one another. Your spirit is there within to guide your consciousness."
Ianto took a knee, letting his arm drape over the wolf's back and he closed his eyes, letting his head fall forward to concentrate on the wind and the snatches of conversation being offered across the grass bobbing in the wind. The wind suddenly changed as the grass seemed to shift and he heard them as clearly as if standing next to them.
"They are not fucking there. Beds are still warm."
"Someone tipped them off?"
"Gotta be here somewhere, right? Come on."
"You two take the house again… you the outbuildings. You take the field out there and I will head into the trees. She is paying for results, not fuck ups!"
The wolves shifted to crouching positions as Ianto felt a growl resonating from somewhere in his own gut. Come get some.
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"MAMA!" Jack roared then looked around guiltily like he might have wokeni the town up he was still trapped in "Stop. I am hanging up now, I am over this!"
Jack disconnected the call as she shrieked at the other end that she needed him to wait. She has fallen …. The pinging of voice mail starting immediately and he frowned, putting the phone down. Whoever it was, they could wait. He was tired, wanted his man.
Jack started to drive.
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Ianto watched the two men walking along the path of the meadow, one of them peeling off to the right as he started to painstakingly check the long grass for anything hiding in it, the other confidently walking towards Ianto without a care in the world, a gun loosely swinging in his hand.
A wolf peeled off as well, moving like liquid in the grass towards the one doing the grid search while another took off in the other direction. Ianto considered… a pincer movement about to be executed and almost felt sorry it the prick. Almost.
The other two now in the house were the last of his concerns, the one in the front yard might surprise Jack. That was the next problem after these two … the wolves struck, one seizing the man's throat as it lunged, flying through the air into the man's startled arms, the second wolf turning to the sound of the attack like it was a signal to attack and rampage. Ianto took that as the signal too.
The man standing mere feet from Ianto watching as the wolf attacked his friend and he went to call out but Ianto's hand over his mouth was all the indication the other wolves needed to swam Ianto and the man, taking them both down and Ianto rolled away as the man died in the almost silent onslaught.
He felt no fear or remorse. You come… you get. Never… never pull a tiger's tail. You will get some.
He was on his feet again, running for the man in the front yard and in the distance he knew the sound of the Jeep, heralded his beloved's return.
Jack swung the Jeep into the driveway in time to see his husband running towards a man standing in their front yard, throwing his arms around him and staring to wrestle on the ground. Then Jack registered the gun in the man's hand seconds before Myfanwy ran across the driveway in front of him in the headlights, slamming into Ianto and the man with howled with pain.
Two wolves exploded from the darkness, also seizing limbs on the assailant, Ianto slamming his fists into the man's head repeatedly while making an animalistic noise that was lost in the screaming of the man and the snarling of the animals.
Jack sat in the vehicle gaping as Ianto rose to stand in the headlights.
Blood.
It was blood and Ianto was drenched in it.