A/N: Hey guys! So sorry about the lack in updates and all that JAZZ... (hehe, see what I did there? No? *sigh* Okay look. I've been binging TFs religiously lately, so my inner fangirl has just been making rlly random appearances. Although, just so we're ALL clear... Bumblebee will ALWAYS be my fav. The poor baby is just WAY too fucking sweet for this world. I think we can all agree with that, no?)
... Err, sorry guys. Went off on a bit of a tangent there. Aside from my reawakened TF addiction (haha), I've just been rlly busy with life and I recently got a new Chihuahua puppy, so things have been pwwweeety hectic. It was only with sheer luck my brain decided to come up with something worth posting. Just for the record, I don't typically DO Halloween fics, but I have a shit ton of half finished fics from ideas that never really went anywhere over summer. So. I came up with the greatest idea to somehow someWAY mix together these NUMEROUS miscellaneous prompts and - to the best of my ability - fuse them together into one fic!
Yeah, I know. I'm scared too. Better wish me luck this mess doesn't blow up in my face *crosses fingers*
Also, this thing may come off as... a little on the RANDOM side of 'makes sense,' but we're gonna get there, okay? This story is just... SPECIAL to say the least ;P
Anyhooz... If you like it, plz share your thoughts in a review, or by giving a simple fave and follow. If not, thanks for stopping by and giving this whack job of a fic a read! Thank you to all in advance! Enjoy! ^^
Final Note: Just in case some of you don't know (because I do get asked this quite a lot and I nvr make mention of it), I don't typically follow any sort of EXACT timeline in the AR series. My AR fics are products of my own imagination and/or gathered info from other fics. This fic is no exception. The entirety of this fic is based off of headcanons. The only thing I borrowed are the characters (which I will put back when I'm done. Promise on my honor as an author *winks*)
Start Date: Sept. 28, 2021
Date Completed: Oct. 15, 2021
Story Word Count (Excluding ANs): 11,601
How Many Times I Nearly Had An Aneurysm Trying To Put This Thing Together: ... You don't wanna know.
Beta'd By: The incredible, Young Escape! (I know I said this a shit ton already, but thanks again for taking the time to do this for me! There's no way I would've been able to get this out in time without your help! You're absolutely amazing, girl!)
There's Something In The Mountains
"Let's go camping!"
The sudden excited near - I kid you not - squeal from the fit SAS soldier was quickly followed by the sounds of both plastic and fabric bags being dumped on the hard wood floors. The other four occupants of the room had jumped and turned their heads questioningly at the sharp shooter, peering over the couch at what he had brought.
"What the hell is all that?" Wolf asked with a raised brow, extending a hand towards the TV to pause the movie they had all been watching.
"It's camping gear, Wolf-Man!" Eagle explained exasperatedly. As if Wolf didn't know that already. "We always stay in on Halloween, so I decided we should go camping instead!"
The other unit members shared a bewildered look. "As in... right now?" The linguist clarified. Eagle nodded. "Uhh, why?" Fox continued with a quirked brow and a slight tilt of his head.
The second youngest member gave him a look like Ben had just sprouted two heads before his very eyes. "Be-cause! We haven't done anything worth putting down as a team bonding experience - something the Sergeant himself said we needed to do - since leave. This could be it!"
The brunette haired soldier sighed. "Nicky, I don't think that's a good idea for it. No, let me finish. For one, nobody was planning on leaving anywhere today and secondly... I don't know if we'd be able to round up all the supplies for everyone by nightfall."
Nick groaned, running a hand through his copper hair. "Oh, come on guys! It'll be fun to potentially set up camp in the dark. It'll be just like training! Besides, all this shit here," he gestured to the numerous bags scattered about at his feet. "Has everything we could possibly need."
Alex gracefully slid from his spot on the arm rest of the love seat to go investigate the bags, snagging the one with all the snacks for himself. Snake made a disinterested sound as he flopped back on the couch, shamelessly resting his legs across Fox's lap. Ben immediately stiffened under the unwanted touch, eyeing the appendages like they murdered his mother. He was not the touchy feely type unless absolutely warranted.
"Dude! Don't touch me man!" Fox roughly pushed away Snake's legs. The medic snickered, narrowing his light green eyes in mirth.
"You're such a child sometimes." The sandy haired soldier muttered. Fox stuck his tongue out at him.
"I guess we could give it a try..." Wolf so meekly mumbled, they almost didn't catch it. But they all had super hearing except for the kid and they promptly turned to give wide eyed looks to their unit leader. "What?" He demanded at their endless stares.
"You want to do this? Knowing Eagle was the one to orchestrate it all?" Fox pressed, ignoring the sharp shooter's indigent protest of his abilities to quote, "prepare for a family bonding camping trip."
"I verified everything." Cub said from his spot on the floor among the bags. "We'll survive."
After Alex's confirmation that all the supplies were actually things they would need, they had all hurried to pack last minute things. Within the hour, the unit of five were all packed into Wolf's brand new blacked out, Z71 Chevy Tahoe - a gift from his many siblings because apparently they "needed to have a family vehicle so they could go out as a unit" - and hit the road. It wasn't long until Snake began to grow tired of Wolf's driving. The man seemed to be in a constant state of evasive maneuvers when behind the wheel. It wasn't until James nearly caused an accident by quickly cutting off a small sedan - for no apparent reason other than because he had the liberty to do so, mind you - that the medic finally had enough.
"Wolf!" Snake barked, glaring over from the passenger seat. And damn him if the shout wouldn't even make the Sergeant proud... "We're not in a bloody damn war zone! Stop driving like it!"
"That asshat was impeding the lane, Sam!" James yelled, throwing up a hand. "What did you want me to do?"
"React calmly and signal your intentions! You did learn that, right?" The sandy haired soldier questioned incredulously with a raised brow. It was clear the tallest unit member was still feeling more than a little peeved. In the background, quiet muffled chuckles erupted from the back.
The dark haired leader scoffed carelessly. "Of course I learned that! Doesn't mean I always have to use it."
"You should! In case you forgot, we have an impressionable child in the back watching your every move."
"Cub can take care of himself. He knows what I'm doing is wrong. Isn't that right?" He glanced in the rear view and received a quick, cheeky nod in response. "There. See? Nothing to worry about."
Sam just rolled his light green eyes and turned his attention out the window. They came upon another car (this one going about ten miles under what they should be.) Wolf got that same highly annoyed look in his eye and edged the Tahoe close enough to swallow up the other car's tail lights. The pushy tactic scared the other driver to move over; as quickly and safely as possible, Snake silently commended them. With the coast clear, the accelerator went down further until another car appeared in front of them. Again, James shamelessly tail gated until they moved, to which Wolf promptly cut them off to get around a slower group of cars. There was a heated exchange of hand signals before the unit leader flipped him off once more and made the engine roar as they thundered down the highway.
The three in the back gave small whoops of glee.
Sam alternated between glaring at Wolf and praying they wouldn't get themselves killed.
This continued for some time; James needlessly dominating people over (though the medic suspected it was done more in spite of the constant encouragement from the back seat) and Sam growing more and more agitated. The Tahoe's current victim (a silver Ford F-150) suddenly brake checked them. Snake and the group in the back all let out a surprised shout, the medic's hand flying to brace against the dash. Wolf cursed colorfully and pumped the brakes before hurling insults at the other driver. That was the last straw for Sam. His patience was officially and completely gone for Jame's antics. He whirled around with a murderous expression plastered on his face.
"What is wrong with you?! We could've died right there!" He shouted.
Wolf didn't say anything at first, no doubt still reeling a bit from the near accident. He found a rest inlet and pulled in, only then meeting the furious look sent his way head on. The medic held his steely gaze unflinchingly for several minutes. The other three in the back started snickering for some unknown reason, but were otherwise ignored for the time being.
"Would you like to drive then, dear?" Wolf finally sneered testily.
"I just might have to if we plan on getting there in one piece! It's become all to obvious ye have a bloody damn death wish!" Snake hissed through gritted teeth, his Scottish accent coming through strongly. Fox, Eagle and Cub couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing. The two elder unit members startled and glanced back.
"What the hell's so funny?" Wolf demanded in his 'Don't-give-me-your-bullshit' tone of voice, but it was far from intimidating to the three younger members.
"Y-you guys!" Ben managed to gasp out between fits of laughter. The other two were still doubled over. "You both sound way too much like an old married couple!" With that, the brunette keeled over, unable to hold in his laughter any longer. Wolf and Snake shared indigent looks.
"No we don't!" Sam argued.
"Yes you do!" Nick insisted after catching his breath. "Wolf's obviously the crazy dad hell bent on causing road rage and you're the worrisome mom constantly telling him off!"
"Hmph." A smug shrug from the driver. "He's kinda got a point. You do tend to be worrisome." Wolf muttered in agreement. Snake narrows his eyes.
"Oh and what about you? You seem to fit the bill quite easily too."
"Mom? Dad?" A quiet, timid voice from the back had the arguing adults silenced. "Can you please stop arguing? It's making my head hurt."
James and Sam were stunned and appalled, speechless. Ben and Nick chortled uncontrollably like little boys while Alex fought down a smile. The brunette gave the youngest a high-five and received a fist bump from Nick for his awesome performance. Wolf growled and whipped the vehicle around, Snake for once not commenting on his driving capability. The leader purposely threw around the wheel to shake up the troublemaker threesome in the back; Sam tapping on the screen in the middle of the dash as Wolf did so. Snake finally found a heavy metal station and turned it up full volume without a shred of remorse. It instantly drowned out both snide remarks about how they were living up to their new "roles" and complaints of soon to be bleeding ears.
Amidst their growing agony, both Wolf and Snake shared a satisfied smile.
{ * AR * }
They were now about fifteen minutes out from their destination. Traffic had lightened thankfully, so Wolf no longer felt the need to cause anymore unnecessary road rage. Snake had turned down the radio a while ago when the "kids" - as both he and James were both affectionately referring to them now as - had finally gone quiet. They'd stopped to top off the tank and to also do a quick pit stop. ("Seriously, Eagle! You're a damn soldier! Hold it!" "This isn't training, Wolf! I don't have to hold it! And I want a snack. You've starved me for long enough!")
After that, they'd hit the road again (respective snacks and drinks in hand), and left themselves to their own musings. The two elder soldiers had created quiet conversation amongst themselves while the three in the back had either messed with their phones, or read a book. Now though, Sam was starting to grow suspicious. Usually there would've been some sort of noise by now (especially with Eagle involved. Bless his big heart, he just didn't know how to quiet that chatter box of his,) but there hadn't been anything. Wolf had just turned into the park entrance, taking his place in line to check in.
Curious as to why there still wasn't any sudden eruption of joy (or relief for that matter. Yes, we're looking at you again, Eagle), he glanced back and felt a warm smile cross his features. He nudged James with his elbow, indicating with his eyes what he wanted him to see. Wolf turned as well and smirked, though there was a level of warm fondness in his cinnamon brown eyes that most missed unless they knew him well.
At some point, Ben and Nick had swapped seats. Fox now sat in the middle, while Eagle was to his left and Cub to his right. Across the bench seat, a thick beige colored throw Nick must've grabbed draped across their sleeping forms. Eagle lay curled against his elder teammate, drooling a little down the front of Ben's shirt. Ben was leaned back in his seat with Alex cuddled against his side, head resting on Fox's shoulder with an innocent expression on his face that made him look much younger than he truly was.
"Should we wake them?" Sam asked softly.
James glanced back at the slowly crawling line and shook his head. "No. We'll wake them when we get a spot. Then we'll have them do all the hard work of setting up camp." He finished with a mischievous grin. Snake rolled his eyes in an amused manner.
"How rude of you."
"Meh," Wolf shrugged. "Let's consider it punishment for calling us old earlier."
Suddenly, Sam didn't look so hesitant anymore. "For once, I actually like the sound of that plan."
Half Hour Later
New Forest National Park
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Sam! Come help me with this stupid thing!" Wolf called out, running a hand through his black hair in frustration. The tent he took as his just refused to listen and kept collapsing in on itself try after try. It was completely infuriating.
... And extremely humiliating.
Snake gave a small put upon sigh as he came over and managed to pitch up Wolf's tent in just under five minutes. The unit leader refused to look ashamed and simply gave a nod of thanks. Sam took it for what it was and went about his business finishing up last minute things around the camp that the "kids" had forgotten to do. The other three had already pitched up their respective tents and built a fire pit a short distance away in the middle (a fresh pile of scavenged wood included). They were currently constructing the wood into a proper pyramid in the fire pit so it would burn correctly. Alex and Nick were both giggling like school boys over something Ben had said. Most likely making fun of Wolf for his lack of tent pitching skills no doubt. He couldn't help but smile at them bonding. He grabbed the forest green tag they'd been given after checking in with their campsite number on it, and went to go secure their shower/bathroom villa located not too far from camp.
"James, where're the hot dogs?" Eagle asked shortly after Snake's departure, rummaging around in one of the cooler packs coming up empty handed.
"How am I supposed to know?" He grouched, still sore from his earlier experience. He finished rolling out his sleeping bag before replying. The unit leader popped his head out of his tent to be heard better, a frown marring his tanned features. "I thought you were in charge of the supplies?"
"I was!" His copper haired comrade cried as he dug around some other bags. "I don't get it. I had them sitting there in this bag..."
"Found them!" Alex announced, holding up the meaty, cheese infused logs that was their dinner. Eagle looked completely perplexed, hazel eyes narrowed. He could've sworn those were in the cooler bag. How the hell did they end up in another bag with their drinks?
He voiced the question to his team.
"You probably just got distracted and weren't paying attention." Ben told him dismissively. "You know how you get when you're all hyped up about something."
Although true... Nick knew he just wouldn't do something like that. Contrary to popular belief, he was actually quite an organized person when need be. He had to be for a sniper.
Shrugging, he put the odd occurrence on the back burner. At least they wouldn't be going hungry their first night out. That was just unacceptable.
As the night wore on, the unit sat around the glowing camp fire, telling cheesy ghost stories and laughing at random inside jokes. Eventually a bag of jumbo marshmallows and candy joined the party. Snake got into a food fight with Eagle after his suspiciously went missing when he left to go retrieve his water from his tent. Eagle's eyes held a look of pure innocence when he denied taking it, but the white goo decorating his previously clean fingers said otherwise. Sam lived up to his code name's sake, narrowed his eyes and swiftly struck out. Tackling Eagle to the ground. Fox rooted them on while Wolf shared a look with their youngest team member. Children, the lot of them.
{ * AR * }
Alex awoke to hear a small scratching noise outside his tent. He blearily sat up, senses becoming more and more awakened as the noises progressed. There was no glow of a flashlight, so it couldn't have been one of the guys. He checked his watch. 3:14 AM. He'd only been asleep for a little over an hour and a half. He'd gone to bed shortly after the repercussions of the marshmallow incident (and after helping Wolf babysit the two men while they walked down to the nearby showers to get washed off.)
Something dumped over outside his tent. A tall, human-like shadow moved across outside, illuminated by the bright moonlight. No footsteps could be heard.
Alex sat up and reached under his bag for his trusty pistol Smithers had gifted him. His hand softly gripped the zipper and he slowly started undoing it just enough to be able to peek out.
His heart froze.
There was no one there.
Deciding to be brave, Alex undid the zipper more until it was about half way undone. It had only been a few seconds, so there's no way someone could've taken off successfully in that time without being heard. He glanced around, expecting one of the guys to be hiding in the nearby shadows so they could freak the shit out of him. Not that it would work in their favor. Most likely they'd end up having to cut their trip short to go pull a bullet out of someone's gut. Alex winced at the thought and quietly flicked on the safety just in case before cautiously exiting his tent. Everything was as is when they went to bed. Nothing was out of place. Not even the half burnt pieces of wood in the ashy fire pit.
Alex frowned as he gazed around the camp. All the other tents were zipped up tight. He was even able to hear some of them snoring.
So then who the hell was lurking around? Because he knew what he saw. There was someone cruising around their campsite. He wasn't crazy.
Getting back into his tent and securing it shut, Alex picked up a book from his bag to occupy his mind. He didn't feel like sleeping much anymore. It was time to put those good ol' spy skills to use.
The next morning, Alex pretended as if nothing had happened. Which, for all intents and purposes, was true. He knew there were numerous wild animals that often frequent through here. Perhaps that's all it was.
But wouldn't there have been footprints? A mess of their belongings sitting outside? Alex had checked for both again before anyone had gotten up. There was no sign anything had been walking through there. Not even over by the chair that had supposedly sounded like it got dumped over. Cub frowned. Animals knew how to be stealthy, but they would never have a reason to hide their being there. In fact, they would take full advantage of this kind of situation.
Which brought him right back to square one again.
Who - or maybe more like what - was snooping their camp last night?
"Cub, you okay?" Ben asked him in the midst of this thinking. It was then he realized he'd been glaring at the ground.
"Fine." He mumbled distractedly. Alex had a sudden light bulb moment and turned to the slightly confused, ice blue eyed soldier. "Say, when you woke up this morning, did you catch any other scent besides ours?"
Fox frowned in thought, then shook his head. "Um, no. Why? Did you see someone last night?"
Yes. He wanted to say. Not a person exactly, - well, I can't say that. But someone for sure. "No. I was just curious. I heard something last night, so I just wanted to see if any of you caught something."
"Oh," the brunette soldier bobbed his head. "Well, this park is home to a wide range of wildlife. It was probably just a deer or something coming to check out the place." He gave the youngest an easy smile. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, kiddo. With four Werewolves running around, it'd be pretty hard for someone to come trampling through here unnoticed."
Alex nodded, taking in the information so his brain would quit it with the constant warning bells.
But he wasn't as good as he was for nothing. Something was out there last night.
And Alex was determined to find out what.
{ * AR * }
By that afternoon, the unit had decided to go for an adventure walk through the woods neighboring their campsite. The guys were in their wolf forms leading the way to some caves Eagle had come across last night after running off to stretch his "wolf legs" before he went to bed. Alex trailed behind the pack, keeping a secret eye out for anything weird. Though he knew if there was someone hiding out here, the guys would've picked up on it immediately. He's seen their keen senses in action more than once already to have such blind faith.
A copper wolf suddenly bounded out in front of him from the tall grass, startling him from his surveying. Only his training stopped him from yelping. Instead he glared darkly and made to go half heartedly swat the wolf, but Eagle bounded away playfully before he could. Tongue lulling out of his powerful maw.
/Stop getting lost in your head, Cubbie-kin!/ Eagle's voice emitted from the copper wolf, though his mouth never moved. /You'll lose sight of all the beautiful scenery!/
"I wasn't getting lost in my head, thank you very much." He muttered haughtily, but it didn't really have any heat to it. Eagle just made a canine equivalent sound to Whatever and went on his way carving a path into the knee high grass.
Off to his right, he could make out the tall, sandy form of Snake gracefully striding through the grass like he was a part of it. Up ahead, Fox's distinguishable chocolate brown coat contentedly weaved about, enjoying all the new scents. Alex had to stop and stare off into the distance to look for James. Wolf's black pelt was just barely visible along the perimeter, hidden in the shadows created by the neighboring treeline. Feeling eyes on him, the wolf glanced up and made his way back over to where the rest of the group was. Eagle decided in that moment to ambush Wolf, sending them tumbling to the ground. The black wolf snarled and growled out a warning. The copper wolf quickly scurried away with a yelp, lest he get a piece of those sharp fangs.
The group walked for a little bit longer before coming upon the system of caves Eagle was talking about. They all stepped into the mouth of the biggest cave. It was pitch black, the first several feet barely visible even with the bright sunlight outside. A cold chill caused goosebumps to appear on Alex's unprotected arms, even though no one else commented on the temperature. Wolf wordlessly began leading the way inside and the rest of the pack followed obediently behind with Alex in tow. It felt damp and dank inside. Thanks to their wolf side, their night vision was excellent for these kinds of situations. Alex felt a small surge of envy as he produced a small flashlight from his bag.
/It smells weird in here./ Snake commented after they'd walked inside quite a ways. His soft, Scottish accented voice echoed off the rounded walls. Light green eyes glanced around watchfully. /Almost like something was left to decay./
Sam's comment had Alex thinking back to the previous night almost against his will. A second later, a cold pressure rested on his lower arm. The teen jumped and whipped his head around to see what it was, but there was nothing there. Alex gulped as he discreetly made his way back over to where the rest of the guy's were. Subconsciously, the teen stuck closer to the pack after that as ideas swarmed his brain. It felt way too much like a human hand had touched his arm. A childish thought of being in the presence of a ghost coasted through his mind, but he shrugged it off. There was no such thing as ghosts.
... Right?
/Yeah. This place is kinda creeping me out./ Fox admitted, coming up to stand by Alex. He'd sensed the teen's unease as they'd walked deeper into the cave. Ben chalked it up to the wide space being dark, but now he wasn't so sure. /Let's go back and check out some of those trails./
/Pussies./ The dark mutter came from the moving shadow further ahead, though he too had picked up on Cub's energy.
/Race ya!/ The hyper copper wolf challenged and darted back in the direction they had come. Fox rolled his eyes and shook his head before loping after Nick. Snake briskly trotted after them while Wolf stayed behind with the kid.
/You're quiet./ The jet black wolf commented, taking note of how the kid's heart rate calmed considerably after agreeing to leave the cave. Alex met his curious gaze with a raised brow. /Something wrong?/
"No, I'm fine. Just enjoying the peace and quiet." He responded. James didn't look like he believed him fully, but didn't question him further on it.
{ * AR * }
The last few hours of their day they spent hiking the trails and playing at a nearby lake. Wolf and Snake were relaxing on either side of Alex under a tree, feeling the mutual need to watch over the baby of the group after the mild incident in the cave. The two older "pups" - as Snake had fondly dubbed them to be in accordance with their current physical forms - were currently wrapped up into a pretty heavy game of tag. They were quite amusing to watch, soaking wet and acting for all the world like giant puppies. Eagle had just darted in for a quick playful nip, but Fox caught on to him at the last second and bodily jumped over him to avoid being caught. This then initiated another round of zooming across the beach, muscles stretching and contracting with each powerful propulsion forward. Pink tongues lulling out of their mouths in playful canine grins. Eventually, Nick tired after having to constantly overcompensate for Ben's constant weaving to avoid being caught.
/Okay... Okay.../ The copper wolf panted, collapsing on to the green grass. /You win./
/Haha!/ Ben cried in triumph, jumping up in the air in victory. /Told ya it paid to be shorter than the rest of ya!/
Eagle couldn't even muster a reply to that, he was so out of breath. He just groaned in exhaustion and laid out flat on his side, still panting heavily. Ben continued to wear his proud look, his fluffy brown tail held high.
All playfulness left however when off in the distance, Fox heard an ATV just over the hill. Wolf, Snake and Alex apparently heard as well, the three of them quickly standing up. Eagle barked, trotting over as the two ATV's came into view. It was apparent by their dark green quads and matching uniforms that they were park rangers. The man in front gave Alex a wave as he saw the blonde headed teen approach, which was reciprocated. Once they came to a stop, the unit surrounded the rangers. Wolf in the front next to Alex, Fox and Snake flanking and Eagle bringing up the rear. The red headed ranger glanced around nervously at the obvious predatory display, but his gaze stayed glued mainly to the huge jet black beast of a canine standing calmly next to the teen. It wasn't hard to notice how the dog-wolf thing was openly sizing them up. The older ranger didn't appear bothered in the slightest.
"Good evening," Alex began politely. "Can I help you with something?"
"Hopefully," the man smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Are you aware of a missing person's case going on in these woods?"
The teen frowned sharply. "Uh, no. I had no idea. How long has this person been missing and what do they look like?"
"He's about six feet tall. Caucasian. Light brown hair and brown eyes. Family say his name is Ron. His family told us he came out here for a fishing trip, but failed to check in regularly. They called us and explained the situation. According to our records, Ron had reserved a camp site on the other side of the park, but when we went to go check it out, there was nothing there. It looked as if no one even camped in that area." The man sighed. "We've since called in some professional help, but we haven't gotten anywhere substantial. As of today, he's been missing for a little over a week now. We've been expanding the search quadrant another five miles everyday and have already scoured half the mountainside on the south side. We haven't had any luck thus far."
A small sympathetic noise left the teen. He could't imagine being lost out here with no sense of direction, nor how to fix your situation for any amount of time. He once again mentally thanked Ian for drilling in all those survival lessons at a young age. "I'm sorry to hear that. If I come across anything, I'll be sure to report it to the ranger's office as soon as possible."
"Thank you. That's all we can ask for at the moment." He glanced around them. "Are you here by yourself, kid?"
"I am." Alex nodded. "But I've got these guys with me. They'd go through hell before allowing something to happen to me." A small smile crept up when affirmative barks sounded out.
The ranger smiled as well, extending his hand to Eagle, who came up after a brief sniff of his hand to be pet. "Well, I'm glad to hear that." Retracting his hand, he started up his ATV again. "Stay safe out there." And with that the man and his partner drove back up and over the hillside, the sounds of the motors fading into the distance. The unit decided to call it a day after that and began making their way back to camp. Alex, lost in his own thoughts, lagged behind, but was still within ear shot.
He didn't know what exactly made him look up, but when he did, Cub's blood froze. A strange ghostly figure was standing just out of sight in the treeline. A feral grin plastered on the otherwise expressionless face. The corpse slowly tilted his head creepily at him when the oblivious group passed by, a rotted hand coming up in a sinister wave. A maniacal, hungry smile crawled across it's face, shark-like teeth showing openly. The ghost held the teen's gaze for a moment before fading away in the coming breeze.
His heart hammering, Alex kept his gaze focused on the road ahead the rest of the way.
They decided to take it easy that night; (something Cub was privately thankful for seeing as he still hadn't shared anything that happened this afternoon.) Since they were all pretty worn out from that day's activities, they just sat around the fire making idle chit chat with one another. Things eventually got quiet between them all and they just sat and enjoyed each other's company. Alex sat cushioned between Sam and Ben while Nick continued to try and annoy James with small twigs poking into his ear. Eventually the man had enough and wrenched the tiny object from Eagle's grasp, tossing it carelessly into the fire. The sharp shooter looked devastated for a minute before giving the unit leader a deadpanned look.
"You're absolutely zero fun." He grumbled, nestling down further into the giant throw he'd managed to cram into his bag somehow, this one different from the other still sitting discarded in the Tahoe's back seat. Wolf just grunted and stared at the fire, deciding to ignore the fact that the sharp shooter was shamelessly pressing against his side.
"Stop being so annoying then."
"I can't help it, Wolfie. You're just so fun to annoy."
Wolf glared down at his unit mate's sweetly innocent grin. Sensing a brawl coming on, Sam intervened before it could escalate to that point.
"Wolf, let it go. Eagle, stop annoying people or it's early bedtime."
The sharp shooter's mouth dropped open, while Fox and Cub laughed. "You did not just threaten me with an early bedtime."
"I did," he gave the second youngest a smug grin before turning serious once more. "And I will follow through with it if necessary."
Eagle gaped at him for a few more seconds before scoffing softly, shaking his head. "Whatever, mother."
The rest of their evening dissolved into playful ribbing after that. When it was nearing midnight, Fox volunteered to put out the fire while everyone got ready for bed. After bidding everyone goodnight, Cub closed himself up in his tent. Miraculously, he was asleep within seconds.
{ * AR * }
Blood.
So much damn blood.
It was everywhere.
Where am I?
Two muffled voices could be heard through the confused, murky fog. Both distinctly male. There was a loud clang of something heavy and made of metal banging against the floor. Whether it was done to be intimidating or to bang something into place was unknown. But the sudden surge of fear enveloping his soul told him the former was a more accurate assumption.
What do want from me?
Evil, bone chilling laughter filled the air. He felt his hair stand on end, chills running up and down his spine. He got the sudden sense he wasn't supposed to be there. Something was majorly wrong. He could feel his heart pound painfully against his chest. There's no way his captors didn't hear it. It sounded similar to that of a freight train rushing in his ears. He felt way too much like a cornered mouse waiting for the killing blow.
W-who are you?
The question was innocent. Scared, even. He felt an angry presence close in on his own. Another enclosing in on his left side. Both felt dark, nasty. They were apparitions of sorts without any kind of distinguishable features. A cruel chuckle left his captor's nonexistent lips, crawling straight into his ear. The one on his left side stroked his cheek, running down his neck. But the object wasn't a finger. It felt far to cold and sharp.
Tell us what you know.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Yes you do! Tell us or you die!
Terror unlike anything he's ever felt before burned through his veins like acid. He could hardly take a deep breath. His lungs felt like they were collapsing in on themselves. His heart started to feel like it wasn't beating properly. Was he dying? Is this what it felt like to know you were experiencing the last moments of your life before facing certain doom?
I'm not telling you anything. I won't betray them. I will never betray them.
Certainty. Finality. Acceptance. He wasn't backing down. Not now. Not ever. He would die protecting their secret.
Then you will die.
It was a cold statement. He raised his chin defiantly, allowing the glinting blade full access to the tender tissue of his throat. He stares them down, daring them to follow through with the consequence for his lack of cooperation. The captor who spoke raised the blade to his exposed throat. The cold metal made goosebumps appear, but he didn't flinch away. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
Very well. Any last words?
He musters all the last remaining bits of his cocky personality, letting the emotion shine through into his smile he gives his soon to be murderer. All previous ounce of fear was gone in that moment. Only an apathetic acceptance took it's place. He was ready.
Go to hell you son of a bitch.
All he felt was a sharp sting in the middle of his throat, before an overwhelming coppery tang filled his mouth. Thick, warm liquid bubbled up and ran down his esophagus, cutting off any chance of an air supply. He choked meekly, blood spraying out in a fine mist. Black spots soon began to dance in his vision, dizziness setting in soon after. With his final breath, he caught his captors watching his struggles from the doorway. His eyes bore into their faceless figures, a strong heated wave of rage consuming him before darkness took over and he was no more...
Alex shot up with a gasp, sweat coating his face. Once he got his bearings, the teen realized it was morning already. The sun was shining brightly and he could hear birds singing in the surrounding trees. Alex took a moment to take a deep breath. His heart still painfully hammering in his chest. Just what the hell was that? A dream? Vision? Alex ghosted a hand over his throat. It'd felt so real. Like he was... experiencing it first hand.
Voices from outside finally grabbed his attention. The guys were up and, from the sounds of it, already preparing breakfast. Deciding to ignore the strange occurrence, Alex numbly got up, wiped the sweat from his face and dressed for the day. He made sure to keep his troubling experience from showing on his face when he exited his tent and took a seat around the smoldering fire pit where hash browns were currently being cooked.
"Cubbie!" Nick cried out when he noticed him. Wolf was just coming back from grabbing a few small pots from the back of his Tahoe. "We were just getting ready to wake you."
Alex gave a small smile, feeling a strange wave of tiredness creep up on him. He glanced around, frowning. Two people were missing. "Where are Sam and Ben?"
"'Went to go check the perimeter." James answered after handing him a steaming mug of coffee. "Fox said something about his 'spidey senses' going off or something and wanted to be on the safe side."
Alex nodded along as he drank the semi sweet liquid. He had a feeling Ben's sudden need to verify their safety branched more from Alex's slight discomfort yesterday morning than anything else. The thought made his chest feel warm. Though the whole unit has made it crystal clear they'd do anything for their youngest member, there was no denying the fact Fox took his job as a big brother very seriously.
It was right when Eagle was dishing out their cooked breakfast that loud rustling noises came from the brush woodland to their right. They stopped a moment later. They all paused, waiting to see what would happen. Nothing came forth.
"What was that?" Nick finally asked, dreadfully glancing between his leader and where the noise had originated. Wolf, being the closest, stopped and regarded the woods with a steady stare. Behind him, the younger team members went silent as well. James gave it another minute, thinking it was just Snake and Fox trying to fuck with them, before calling out.
"Snake? Fox?" He edged closer when no immediate reply was followed. He felt a hand clasp around his arm before he could go any further.
"Don't." James looked down to see Cub's ashen face. A note of uncharacteristic fear in his light brown eyes. Seeing Wolf's refute coming, the teen quickly added, "It could be a bear or something. If we stay together, it'll feel more threatened and move off."
"But we don't even know if that's what it truly was." Wolf stated adamantly. From behind the teen, the unit leader caught the sharp shooter's eye. Eagle shook his head, his expression clearly saying not to press the issue. With one last look of mild contempt, James relented and took his seat back near the fire. Though he kept his keen eyesight and hearing trained on the surrounding woods. Eagle was no doubt doing it too, if the way he seemed to be hovering around Cub's general vicinity was any indication. Alex for the most part remained quiet after that. Wolf knew better. It didn't take a genius to know something about that random occurrence was troubling the teen.
More rustling suddenly erupted from the woods in the same area as last time. Snapping twigs and splintering branches could be heard as well. It sounded as if something of average size was running towards them. Eagle darted over to Cub's side protectively. Wolf stood, phasing into his wolf form, growling. Keeping himself firmly between the strange noises and his youngest teammates. The leader's hackles raised when bushes began shaking like a strong wind was whipping through the area, though there was none. Nick's eyes widened, pulling Alex closer to his side. What the fuck was happening? The strong gusts picked up some of the lighter things laying around the camp, ash from the fire billowing up into the air like a funnel cloud. Leaves and dust soon joined in, creating a mild dust cloud around their camp. Eagle hunkered them down closer to where Wolf stood, deciding there was safety in numbers at this point. He could only hope his other unit mates were alright.
Alex could only stare wide eyed, though mentally he was a million miles away. His brain immediately recalled the strange ghostly figure stalking them on their way back to camp yesterday. That hungry, bloodthirsty grin would forever be imprinted on his brain. A part of Alex's mind wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all; a ghost. Haunting him, no less!
Two heavy branches from a pine tree suddenly splintered, groaned and snapped off for no reason. Falling on to the brown earth below with a heavy thud that thumped the ground. A harsh wind barreled through the forest like a bullet train on steroids. The surrounding trees groaned under the pressure, threatening to break as leaves were ripped from their branches unforgivingly.
The mental laughing fit abruptly stopped.
Sorry, scratch that. Alex meant to say a very pissed off ghost was haunting him.
Wolf snarled savagely, sharp pearly white fangs glinting in the sunlight. Cinnamon brown eyes sharply focused. His wolven side took over completely as the instinctual need to protect his pack consumed his mind. He could feel their fear. Hear their very heartbeats, the blood rushing through their veins. They both mingled together with the unknown energy in the air like two opposing flames. Whatever this force was, it was steadily feeding off of their fear.
A waning howl suddenly sliced the tense atmosphere. It was level and steady, the rolling countryside carrying the mystical sound over the treetops. The harsh winds abruptly stopped... and all fell quiet. A moment later, another howl answered the first. This one sounding richer and sweeter. The three remaining unit members knew who the howls belonged to instantly. James answered the call with his own; his howling voice deep and rich, yet somehow still managed to carry out his typical authoritative tone. His cry spanned far and wide, no doubt reaching his two teammates; wherever they may be.
It wasn't long after that, that two wolves trotted into the camp ground clearing. Both looked a little less for wear. Sam looked a bit haggard and Ben seemed tense, almost stressed. Wolf didn't waste another second and herded his pack into the Tahoe where he knew they'd all be relatively safe until they could figure out what the hell was going on. Once Nick and Alex had safely shut the doors, the three Werewolves phased back to human form. Their stressed expressions soon turned to ones of alarm.
"You won't believe what we saw out there." Ben began, an uncharacteristic spark of genuine fear in his ice blue eyes.
"Well what was it?" Wolf questioned sternly. He was still tense about the situation. Knowing there was some kind of unknown threat out there possibly out for his pack did not sit well with the leader.
"It was some sort of a spirit or ghost, I think." Sam responded shakily, sharing an uneasy glance with Fox. "I... I didn't get a good look, but it surely did not appreciate us being there."
"What happened?" Eagle asked.
"We caught on to someone's scent by the river." Fox began to explain. "We started to follow it and we came across a fairly large patch of disturbed dirt, but it already had grass growing on it, so you wouldn't notice anything unless you were really looking. The scent was strongest in the very center so we started digging."
"That's when we heard this awful screech." Sam took over, shivering just at the memory of the sound. It was like a banshee screaming into his ear. "We looked up thinking it was some sort of a predator, but instead there was this... this... man. But he wasn't alive. His flesh had rotten off of his body and his shirt was completely bloody in the front." He gave them all a disturbed look. "I didn't know what else to do other than to tell Fox to run."
"This ghost, or whatever the hell it was, started ripping down branches as it gave chase." Ben piped in. Color was finally starting to return to his face again. "We decided to split up to make ourselves a harder target. Snake howled once the coast was clear to let me know where he was. I responded and now we're here." The linguist finished with a small shrug. James narrowed his eyes slightly. Wolf could tell Ben was shaken by the encounter, even though he was trying to play it off as indifference. He'd have to talk about that with him later in private.
"This patch of dirt," Cub spoke up for the first time. Right then, no one liked the thoughtful look on his face, as it could only mean the kid was making some sort of connection. "Would it be big enough to say... bury a body?"
The question was tinted in innocent curiosity. The unit all looked at him with varying expressions of interest. James' brow scrunched, cinnamon brown eyes narrowed. "Why would you ask something like that? You know something we don't?"
Alex gulped and looked a little nervous under their stares. "I, erm. May have experienced... something. I honestly have no clue if means anything, but I just find it quite suspicious."
"What do you mean by 'experienced'?" Snake asked him under an inquisitive stare.
Cub took a breath, steeling his nerves. He just hoped they'd actually take it into account and not blow it off as an odd dream conjured up by his mind. "I've been... noticing things. Around camp or when we're out exploring. They're just small incidents, so I never thought anything of it. But last night..."
Quietly, he began to recount the dream in detail. Bringing up the fact that their first night at the park had also been the first time Alex sighted the ghost, even if it was indirectly so, and how random things would be misplaced around camp. He even confided in them the couple of times he felt like there was someone else with them when out exploring, even though no one else noticed anything. His unit's faces displayed how invested into the tale they were. By the end of his recounting, their faces had gone grim and pale.
Well, all except James. He just looked downright confused and disbelieving.
"So you're saying you think you witnessed this guy's murder in a dream?" Wolf questioned, his tone coming off a little incredulous. Which was warranted honestly, Alex mused. It wasn't everyday a random dead guy decided to disturb your sleep and show you how he died. "And now he's... haunting us because he's pissed." Okay, now he just straight up sounded like he didn't believe him.
"I know it sounds crazy, but how else would I have come up with something like that?" Alex tried to defend his strange occurrences. Luckily, it was Snake who jumped to his defense.
"It's actually not all that uncommon, Wolf." All eyes turned to the medic now. "It's known that sometimes people can dream about loved ones or friends dying. The only difference here is that Cub dreamed about someone else dying that he has no physical or biological relation to."
The team leader seemed to contemplate this silently for a moment. Eventually, he sighed, though his expression looked a bit lost now. As if he didn't know how to go forth from this. "So, what do we do about it then?"
"We could do an exorcism?" Nick suggested. Sam, Ben and Alex all gave him flat looks. Wolf just looked incredulous. "What?!"
"Do you even know how to do an exorcism?" Ben inquired. Nick scoffed.
"Uh, duh. My sister's a Medium. Although she herself wouldn't be able to do anything, she has connections. If I call her, I bet she can have someone come out." The sharp shooter explained. Turning his gaze specifically to Sam and Ben, he asked, "Would you guys be willing to take us back to that patch of dirt you were talking about earlier?"
The medic and the linguist could only share an uneasy glance. So much for this being a nice, unit bonding get away.
Eagle's sister had actually been more than willing to help them out. Although she did sound just a tad bit irritated at having her weekend be interrupted, Maddie agreed to call up a priest that owed her a few favors. The elder Emerson sibling promised she'd be there as soon as possible.
As promised, Maddie arrived to their camp in her familiar navy blue Civic just past noon. A man the unit didn't recognize, but assumed was the priest by his garbs, climbed out of the car right after. Though aged in his late forties to early fifties, the looks of his features gave way that he most likely came from the same Hispanic decent as Wolf. He was about six feet tall and had a charming, calming aura about him that reflected in his dark brown eyes. The man greeted the unit with a dazzling white smile as walked with Maddie to meet everyone.
"Hey guys!" The olive skinned, amber haired woman greeted, giving them all hugs. Her hazel eyes, much like her brother's, always held a spark of life to them. After smothering the youngest in a motherly bear hug, she pulled the teen to her side and asked, "Have these bozos been treating you okay? I don't need to whip anyone into shape, do I?"
They ignored the indigent protests from the grown men behind Cub. Alex smiled at the image of Maddie's lithe frame kicking four ripped SAS soldiers asses. Well, it'd be funny for him. Not so much the guys. Maddie was nothing if not fierce.
"No, they've been fine." Alex answered sweetly. Cub always took advantage of Maddie's favoritism towards him.
"Good to know." Maddie said, patting his head gently and eyeing the guys in forewarning, to which they gulped and gave a brief nod in understanding. She then turned to the man standing politely beside her. "Basil; this is Wolf, Snake, Fox, Eagle and that doting little cutie is Cub. Due to their jobs, they have to go by their code names."
"I understand." The priest smiled in compliance and shook hands with the unit. "Father Basilio Àlvarez." The priest introduced, his accent soft and warm. "I hear you have a spirit problem?"
The unit then divulged into the details of what's been happening. It was mainly Snake, Fox and Alex that explained everything, since they were the only one's to come into contact with the spirit directly. The priest had nodded respectfully when they finished their tales.
"I see." The man muttered thoughtfully while stroking his goatee. "I think I know what we're dealing with now. Shall we go exorcise this entity?"
All he got was nervous or pent up nods all around.
It was raining by the time they worked their way across the woods to the spot Sam and Ben had mentioned earlier. Dark clouds had mysteriously developed not long after they departed camp with ghost killing techniques on their minds. Alex couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Was this a sign shit was about to hit the fan? He hoped not.
Leading the way were Snake and Fox, their wolven frames following the fading scent trail at a brisk trot. It was a little hard to keep up with them, considering the ground was starting to become more and more slick with mud by the minute, but they dutifully managed. Alex, Maddie and Father Basilio were in the middle of the group. The priest had, although a little intimidated at first, quickly accepted the unit's true identities. It would be impossible anyway after coming face to face with a creature that had only ever been known to live through stories and folklore. (Though Alex suspected his acceptance could have been more to do with the sudden death glare Maddie shot in his direction after the guys had told him.) Bringing up the rear, were Wolf and Eagle. No doubt the two of them were on high alert and ready to defend the group from any sudden attacks that might spring up. They hadn't noticed anything thus far. Alex prayed it would continue to stay that way.
They could just hear the gently streaming water of the river when Fox suddenly stopped. His ice blue eyes cut to the treeline on the other side of the river. A low growl emitting from his throat. Snake's ears went back in worry, his eyes fearfully glancing to the side of them before settling back in the same direction as his teammate. Wolf made his way to the front of the group, leaving Nick to keep watch from the rear. The leader set a steadying hand on Sam's back when he came to a stop beside them. The once calm atmosphere thickened with tension.
"What is it, Ben?" James questioned in his authoritative tone. It was one he only ever used for situations such as this, as it got his unit in order the fastest.
/There's someone here. I can sense it./ The chocolate brown wolf replied. Ears pricked forward and twitching at the slightest of sound.
"Well then. It must be our ghost." Father Basilio concluded, scanning the woods around them. "Hurry, we don't have much time."
With that, the sandy wolf trailed after Ben as they led the way to where the odd patch of dirt lay next to the river. The group had just descended upon the site when Alex felt a shiver run up his spine. He came to a slow stop, allowing the rest of the group to pass him up as Snake and Fox showed them the spot. Father Basilio broke out a crucifix and holy water from his bag.
Don't kill me.
The teen froze. Heart pounding, he vaguely recalled the sound of the man's voice to be the same one from his nightmare. It was still tainted in fear just like before.
Please. I'm begging you.
There's nothing for me out there.
Please! I did what I had to do! That's why I showed you!
Alex gasped and grabbed his head as it began to pound from the ghost' constant ranting. He collapsed to his knees, teeth gritted against the onslaught of thoughts, emotions and voices. He saw flashes of terrified people, seeming to be running from something. Others just looked mortified, vowing to never come back here. Then there was a sudden onslaught of bloody murder screams that sounded out in his head. Alex felt like his brain was going bleed out of his ears. Distantly, the teen felt someone grip his shoulder, a worried voice asking him what was wrong. Soft silky fur brushed against his back comfortingly; he instinctively knew it to be Fox.
Don't force me to hurt you. I just want to be left alone!
"Y-you... hurt people..." Cub manages to grate out, his eyes still squeezed shut from the pain. He ignored his unit's concerned inquiries of what was wrong. All that mattered was him and this wild spirit.
They got in the way. They were asking too many questions. I had no other choice.
"There's always a choice." Alex mustered the strength to open his eyes. He looked pointedly at Father Basilio, communicating with his eyes what needed to be done. The priest caught on and immediately began the ritual; his voice nothing more than a quiet, steady murmur under his breath.
Sudden white hot pain consumed his body. Alex didn't even get a chance to scream before his nerves went blind with pain. Shouts of alarm erupted. More hands touched him; someone lied him down. A smooth voice could be heard up by his head, a large warm hand gripping his own tightly. A cold liquid was sprinkled across his body, a distant chant on replay from a vaguely familiar voice. This time Alex did scream when it felt like his insides were being turned out. Warm hands cupped either side of his face, more aligning themselves on his arms and legs, pinning him to the ground. A shaky yet comforting timbre reached his ears, as did small warm droplets that splattered across his cheeks. Were they someone's tears, or his own blood? He didn't know. With the amount of pain coursing through his body currently, Alex wouldn't have been surprised if he had combusted by now; if he hadn't already.
After what seemed like hours of pure agony... it all disappeared as quickly as it came. Alex felt like he could finally breathe without his chest threatening to cave in under a nonexistent pressure. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Ben's face hovering over his own. The man's eyes were red rimmed and tear tracks were visible on his face. Ice blue eyes that were once full of anguish now looked happy beyond relief. The brunette soldier didn't waste another second and brought the teen up into a warm bear hug, crushing the smaller teen to his chest and holding him tight. Alex clung to him just as tightly, burying his face in Fox's shoulder as he shook with frightened sobs.
"Shhh, it's okay, Cub. You're okay. Everything's alright now." Ben kept up a soothing mantra, rubbing his back comfortingly. The combination allowed for Alex's shaking to slowly cease. Feeling utterly spent, the teen sagged further into his warm teammate. As his eyes began to droop, the teen glanced around at the worried faces staring at him before succumbing to the sweet blackness.
{ * AR * }
"... Can't believe that fucking shit happened."
Alex's mind was fuzzy when he began to regain consciousness. Although his brain supplied he knew the owner of the voice and thus was safe, instincts insisted upon the fact that he remain as still as possible. What he did note however, was the fact that he was laying down on his back, his head pillowed by someone's leg. There was a gentle rocking sensation around him, accompanied by a low reverb humming below. Were they in the car?
There was a soft sigh from someone up in the front.
"I know, James." Ah, Sam. The teen could tell by the thickness of his accent that the medic was upset about something, yet willing to be the strong one for others to lean on. "But getting angry won't help matters any. Not now anyways."
"When do you think he'll wake up?" Alex almost jumped. Nick's voice had come from his left. That must mean Ben was the one pillowing his head then.
There was a soft rustling, most likely Snake turning in his seat to peer back at him. "Soon, I hope. I couldn't find any physical injury to his person, so I'm assuming his mind just blacked out from the stress of the situation." A pause, though Alex still felt eyes on him. Fox shifted a little under his head. Oh, was Sam actually looking at him? "Ben? Ye alright? You've been awfully quiet the whole time."
A heavy silence descended upon the group in which the only sound was that of the tires rolling on the pavement. A warm hand came down to rest on his upper chest. Even through the minimal contact, the teen could feel how tense Ben was. Something was obviously bugging the linguist.
"I'm fine." Alex was sure - even though Fox did a good job of trying to hide it - that the unit could still detect the tightness in his voice. Apparently Sam was able to come up with the same deduction.
"Ben, I know how ye get in these situations. And I also know ye've heard this before, but I'm going to say it again; It's not good to bottle everything up. Nothing positive comes out of it." The medic softened his tone. It was one Alex often heard himself when he felt too close to the edge. "Ye can talk to us, Ben. We were all there the same as you were."
A pregnant silence filled the cabin. Alex could tell Fox was fighting not to squirm. It felt like hours had passed before Ben finally spoke a word.
"I just... It was hard for me to sit there and... watch that happen. Knowing I couldn't do a damn thing." Ben's voice had hitched at the end. The teen heard someone sidle closer - Eagle - and rest a hand on Fox's shoulder in support. The brunette soldier took a deep breath to calm himself, though Alex could still feel the faintest of trembles course through his muscles.
"I think that could apply to everyone here, Ben." Wolf spoke up from the driver's seat, his tone calm and understanding. "That wasn't easy for anyone of us to watch unfold. But he's here now. He's safe. And that's all we can be thankful for at the moment."
Another stretch of silence overcame the cabin. But this one, Alex noted before relenting to the pull of sleep, felt a lot more relaxed.
A few hours later, Alex awoke to something tickling under his nose, though he was surrounded by warmth. They had arrived back home by nightfall, that much he did remember; as well as the whole experience on their camping trip. He fought a shudder. That wasn't something he wanted to relive right now. But how he got here in his bed however, was unknown. The teen scrunched his face in irritation as the tickling continued before blearily opening his eyes. After assessing the situation, he couldn't help but grin in the dark of his bedroom.
Eagle, the ever easily to spot copper wolf, had found it to be the most comfortable position to tuck himself under Alex's chin with his head coming to rest over Cub's heart. The mid-size wolf sniffled in his sleep, stretching and unknowingly pushed against Wolf. The leader lay flat on his side at Alex's feet, his ebony black fur blending in seamlessly with the nightly shadows of the room. James never stirred other than giving a small grumble in his sleep.
Carefully rolling over on to his back, the teen glanced to his right to see Snake sleeping peacefully alongside him. Sam's tall and lanky, sandy colored frame acted as a nice warm comforting barrier. Grounding Alex in his sleep so nightmares had zero ground to plague his mind. Up by his head lay Fox. His small and sleep frame pillowed his head. Alex recalled the upsetting conversation in the car on the way home. He knew what went down had affected the unit as a whole (as their current behavior blindly suggests), but Ben had easily taken it the hardest. The blue eyed soldier had become something of a big brother over time to him. It was hard for either one not to feel strongly about the other's well being.
Gently he raised his hand, feeling the soft chocolate brown pelt beneath his fingertips. The wolf responds in kind and snuffles closer to the teen. His head coming to rest beside Alex's own protectively. A soft sigh left the teen as he settled back down, blanketed in the safety of his unit.
Their trip may have ended as a rather inconceivable right off, but it was just another thing Alex could add to his ever growing list of, "Things I Survived... And Will Most Likely Come Into Contact Again With At Some Point."
Besides, when you have a dysfunctional family unit of Werewolves watching your back, there wasn't much that you could be openly afraid of even if you really wanted to.
OMG! YOU GUYS! It's. Done. Like, actually DONE! Excuse me while I go burn off my excitable energy *Squeeeeeees*
Uh, yeah. Ahem. Anyhooz... If you guys enjoyed, plz leave a review with your thoughts, as I would LOVE to hear them! As always, I hope y'all have an AMAZING Halloween and pig out on all the candy to your heart's desire! Thanks so much for reading y'all and I'll catch ya later! Peace out, peeps!
~ V