Chapter Eight

"How is he?" Charles had contacted the team once he felt Warren's pain and Harry had gone after him. They were rushing back with a concerned Hank and two slightly injured teammates. Storm and Scott had been influenced by Veritgo, disrupting Storm's flight pattern as she fell from the sky and allowing Scrambler to touch a dizzy Scott.

Once sure of the intruders' abandonment, Charles had floated out to find Warren, meeting up with a panting Logan. Logan had reigned in his beast as Sabertooth ran off with the body of his fallen comrade. Both men heard a low growl the closer they approached an injured Warren. Harry crouched before his pride member, not daring to allow them to approach. Charles carefully floated forward, Logan guarding from the side, "Harry?"

But Sheik wouldn't listen, nor would his human. He swiped at the approaching men. Logan snarled in response before turning to his friend, "Chuck?"

Charles had been frowning, trying to mentally soothe the boy but was blocked from his mind, "Sheik sees us as a threat and Harry won't tell him otherwise." He tried projecting concern for Warren. "I can't get through him."

Logan grinned, claws sprouting forwarded with a thought, "My way then." Charles immediately moved backwards a few feet, trying to keep from harm, "Don't worry, Chuck. I'll keep 'im away." Blue eyes gleamed as they faced the snarling feline, "Mine now, Kid." He lunged forward with a daring slash.

Sheik dove aside, trying to avoid the slash, catching it across his shoulder. He could feel his human crying out in pain, /Sheik, we're in trouble! Our healing's slow./ He understood. They hadn't been able to keep their balance evened out, especially with Mother deciding to reclaim her child. They needed to fight fast and hard to win. The feral before them would fight to claim them as a mate; his words said as much. /Remember, he must prove he can be our Alpha! Defend, Sheik./

Logan urged his beast to the front, employing all his senses. Pheromones were swirling around the feline, causing him and his beast to hunger to claim it. Not only that Wolverine could see his mate tiring but willingly refusing to give up without a fight. His mate wouldn't submit unless Logan won the struggle for the position of Alpha. Ya mine now!

Sheik roared as metal claws tore through his skin. His magic was low, sustaining the life of Warren, therefore, he couldn't pack quite a hit as before. Now he hoped to come out on top in the battle with only his natural strength, refusing to quit or submit to someone stronger. Deep inside his human cried out, torn in two. Harry wanted to help Sheik win but he also wanted to keep their Flyer from death. He shouted encouragement to his beast, hoping to win the grappling between Sheik and Wolverine. He knew that if Logan pinned them and could keep them grounded, he won.

Harry remembered some of the memories filtering into his dreams. Sheik revered in the history of their Sire. Their Sire had been an Ancient, an Alpha of his pride. Sire once had a mate of his own, children too. But that happy memory had faded with the violence one Auror had caused his family. Both Sheik and Harry had mourned the loss of their history through such violence. And with Harry infected by an Alpha, Sheik saw himself as an Alpha. Sheik listened to his human's wolf for several reasons. The werewolf had lost almost all of his pack through violence; all he had left was his Cub. Remus was also the chosen Guardian of one Harry Potter and had become an important member of Sheik's slowly forming pride.

As Harry tried help Sheik fight, the Wolverine was delighted with his choice of mate. The feline was quick and powerful, able to defend himself despite being weak. /Our mate./ The feral would do almost anything to make the feline submit; he wanted to feel that body beneath his, to feel his mate slide against his skin. /Full of pride. Submissive and still fiery as well./ Oh, how he quivered at the thought of having that silken furred body pinned beneath him as it squirmed to be free.

Sheik snarled as he twisted one way, forcing Wolverine to stumble. As the feral moved past, Sheik raked his claws down the broad back, shredding the yellow uniform with barely a thought. Wolverine hissed as the furrows drew blood. He had enough. Feinting a swipe to the feline's right, he waited for his mate to jerk left before slamming close to three hundred pounds of natural strength and adamantium onto a struggling, hissing Sheik. He grinned with satisfaction as he watched his mate slowly relax, heated emerald glare flashing into smirking gold. He understood the gesture. His mate had already been weakened with an unbalanced level of feral and magic, then a heated fight with a Marauder. Once his mate healed and gained his strength, Wolverine was in for a second battle, a battle to remain Alpha.

Sheik glared at his mate. He accepted Wolverine as his life-mate as did his human. But he knew that once they gathered their full strength, they would challenge for their right as Alpha in the relationship. Harry shifted beneath his skin as Sheik curled in a corner to soothe his wounds. It was Harry that tilted his head to expose his throat to a feral mutant. It was Harry that submitted to Wolverine.

And it was Logan that bit the willing throat beneath him. He understood why Sheik had fled and why Wolverine had turned away from the submission. Before he rose to his feet he ran a slow lick across the furred throat. Harry shivered beneath his caress, "Come on, Kid."

Harry struggled to his feet, accepting a hand, "Help, Warren." He felt tired, sluggish. "Need help. Sustaining him." And that was the last he knew before allowing the blanket of shadows claim him.

"Charles! Logan!" Both men turned at the sound of their name to see a bounding blue doctor coming their way. "Oh, my stars and garters!" His eyes widened at the sight of two fallen figures. "What happened? You only said Warren had been attacked and downed!"

Charles tipped his head in agreement, "Yes, but it seems after Warren had been attacked, Harry came to his aide. When Sabertooth and Harpoon retreated, Harry refused our aide. He attacked Logan before his defeat."

Hank frowned as he pressed a single finger against Warren's throat, "Why?" The pulse was faint, almost irregular but there. His keen eyes watched the slow rising of the impaled chest and stomach.

Logan smirked as the doctor carefully checked his patient, leaning down to gather his mate into his arms. "It was a dominance gain. His feral saw us as a threat. I won."

A female standing behind them exhaled loudly, "Men." She turned green eyes to the kneeling doctor, "Is he still breathing?" Hank nodded. She carefully layered her telekinesis around Warren before lifting him, floating his body before her and behind a bounding doctor to the lab beneath the mansion. She gently placed the body upon an examining table, "Why can't we take the harpoon out?"

Hank peered at the embedded object closely, "It's what stopping the bleeding. We take it out and he might bleed out."

"You can't leave it in!"

Hank turned sorrowful eyes to Jean, snapping on gloves over his hands, then tossing on a large white smock to cover his fur. "Until I can get him stable, it must stay in. Otherwise there is potential that Warren's body will not handle the shock to his already damaged system."

"Perhaps this is where we can use the new technology we received. You and Moira have been improving your equipment, as well as using Charles' connections to Lilandra!"

"I won't chance Warren's life. At best he has a small percent chance of living leaving the harpoon and even a smaller chance at surviving by removing it." Hank was at a loss. He wasn't sure how to perform surgery to save his friend's life. He really didn't want to put forth his doctor's opinion of removing the harpoon and performing surgery in hopes of correcting the damaged organs with Warren's chance of survival at a very low percent.

No one noticed the entrance of a concerned werewolf. Remus had returned with an excited Bobby chatting off his ears. They had ran into a worried Betsy. She mentioned the attack and Remus rushed to his rooms before demanding the purpled haired ninja to lead him to the infirmary. They entered the tensed atmosphere, listening to the argument of removing Warren's embedded object. "What happened?"

All eyes tuned to the growl of a werewolf. Logan's arms tightened around his mate, sharp canines bared and his own growl vibrating in his throat. Charles immediately took control, knowing a werewolf concerned about his Cub and a feral concerned about his mate would be dangerous. "We were attacked by Sabertooth and Harpoon. Warren was taken down as you can see. Harry went to his aide, fighting off Harpoon. Sabertooth retreated with a possibly dead Harpoon. But before we could even get within two feet of Warren, Harry had gone feral. I believe Harry thought we didn't protect Warren and that we were the threat. He engaged in battle with Logan, losing in the end. I believe only because of his exhaustion over the week and the battle he won earlier."

Amber eyes narrowed as they scrutinized his Cub, "And did Harry say anything?"

"Something about sustaining him." Mouths dropped as Remus swore in several languages. "Remus?"

"Harry's magic has yet to balance itself. But he felt that he must protect his pride member. Predator Hybrids will do whatever it takes, even at the cost of their life, to aid a fallen member. If he's sustaining Warren then Warren's injuries should have killed him."

"What do we do?" Remus stepped forward, holding a small bag out to Hank. "What is this?" A gloved hand reached inside and pulled out small vials of liquids.

"This is your crash course in what we wizards can do for healing. Be glad you have someone who understands Potions quite well and can find ways to replenish my supply. These will help heal Warren of his injuries, replenish any blood loss, and allow him a dreamless sleep. There's a vial for pain unless you wish something else." Hank frowned, peering closely at each vial, "Harry's magic won't let Warren suffer side-effects. After we are able to perform the needed surgery to save Warren, Harry's magic will flush out the residual potions."

"There's nothing more I can do. If we wish to save him, we try your way. That is if you are willing to aide me in surgery." Remus nodded. As he set up the needed potions, Hank led the others to the waiting room. This was his quick chance to study Harry, "He seems fine. Healing sluggish. Keep a close eye upon him." Logan murmured a quiet agreement.

---------------Two hours later---------------------

Hank exited his lab, carefully pulling of the bloody plastic gloves. Seconds later exited a yawning Remus, almost stumbling into the paused doctor. "Remus, get some sleep. You done more than enough during the surgery." The amber-eyed wizard nodded, allowing Betsy to support him on one side and Bobby on the other. Hank knew everyone was waiting for the news. "He survived." They cheered, "It was close but without Remus' help it couldn't have been done. Right now, Warren is sleeping. Remus believes he should wake sometime tomorrow." He turned to Logan, "Can you bring in Harry? I wished to examine him while Warren is sleeping."

Logan unwillingly lay his mate's unconscious body upon the cold metal of a second examine table. "He hasn't woken yet."

Hank carefully examined the young man, noticing that Logan must have washed the dried blood from Harry's skin. There were faint marks still healing. Some were slowly bleeding, almost scabbing over. Resting his stethoscope over the rising and falling chest, Hank listened to the boy's lungs and thumping heart, "He's good. Lungs are clear and unmarked. His heart regular." Gentle fingers pressed over the visible flesh. "So far, good. I need him undressed and in a gown."

Logan watched as Hank moved away, re-checking a sleeping Warren while he undressed his mate. He appreciated the moment of privacy. He ran questing fingers over the silken furry skin. Blue eyes sparkled as he imagined that fur rubbing against his skin. Interesting texture. "He's dressed, Blue." He really needed to keep his fantasies to his room, no need to give his fellow sense enhanced friend whiffs of pheromones and arousal.

Hank returned with a knowing smile. He knew Logan wouldn't resist touching the young man. The boy's skin was very soft, almost like silk. With this in mind, Hank was gentle and careful to keep his own touch impersonal. "Seems to be healing well, slowly but well. He still has cuts and bruises. I'd suggest plenty rest, fluids, and limited activity until he fully heals as well as regain his energy. I need to take samples of his blood. I want to compare his blood with others, especially yours. With his similarities to Remy, there is possibilities that we can use their blood upon each other."

Logan felt his mate's body stiffening, almost as if he had heard what Hank was explaining, "Uh, Blue?"

"I felt it. Seems our new friend has suffered similar experiences as Remy." Keeping his tone soft and friendly, Hank tried explaining to the unconscious wizard, "Remy has had...bad experiences with labs and taking of his blood. His blood and genes are unique in nature. He can't accept transfusions from others, any one else could be fatal to his system. If you two are similar, I might be able to use you both as matches for each other in emergencies. Otherwise I ask for a monthly visit to donate a pint of blood for storage for worst case scenarios."

They held their breaths, waiting for Harry's body to relax. Slowly the stiff body began to loosen its tight muscles, fluidly dropping back in to a calm state of undisturbed sleep. "I'd hurry, Blue." Hank swiftly but gently filled four tiny vials of Harry's blood before waving them away. It was enough to begin his comparisons. "Come on, Darlin'. Time for bed."