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Welcome...to the Confrontation

Chapter 5

Welcome to the Jungle

"Are you crazy?"

He barely glances at Barry. Owen probably is a little crazy and a bit stupid, which he attributes to lack of sleep. Even after a full night's sleep he normally wouldn't have entered the paddock. However, the girls need to enter the new area and if he doesn't coax them in there, he worries what Dearing may suggest.

As he locks the entrance a buzzer sounds reminding him of a hockey game. Another goes off as the gate to the paddock opens. A breath leaves his lungs as he grabs a bucket of white, limp rats and steps into the territory.

He's barely past the safety of the gate and placed the metal bucket on the ground before Blue comes barreling toward him like a linebacker. She's suddenly skidding to a halt, and he has to shield his face from the mulch she kicks up. When he looks back at her, she's growling, and her muscles shift for a pounce.

What worries him, though, is the fact the other three join her. In hindsight, he probably should have had them locked away first before he ventured into insanity.

"Easy, Blue," he says softly and doesn't know how to take the screech he earns in response. Perhaps if Barry was here, he could translate.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see security death gripping their non-lethals as if his girls are suddenly going to jump up there. Owen would bet the raptors can feel their uneasiness—not that they don't have a solid reason.

Owen is surprised at the contortions Blue's face makes as she growls and for a moment he wonders if she's confused. When her eyes settle on the bucket of rats, he thinks better of it and pulls jerky from his pocket.

"Eyes on me," he says as he opens the wrapper.

There's hesitation as she looks from the bucket to the jerky, and he begins to worry if this was a smart idea. Perhaps the Jolly Ranchers didn't help his decision making. His heart is starting to pound when Blue finally looks at him. His shoulders relax, and the rest of his muscles unwind.

"That's my girl," he whispers and breaks off a piece of jerky.

He's glad to know that his girl still responds to him. Owen tosses the jerky to her and watches as she effortlessly catches it in midair. She's beautiful, so intelligent and an apex predator. He can't help but feel pride at how she's grown. When she finishes the jerky, she smacks her lips as her attention focuses back on him.

With slow, deliberate steps, he grabs the silver bucket and begins walking toward the new paddock. With head slightly turned, those bright, amber eyes of hers watch his every step and that's what he's counting on. As he passes her, he focuses his line of sight on the open door. After a moment, he hears a soft chirp and then the soft padding of talons as Blue follows him.

Her footsteps are far quieter than his own and if it wasn't for the mulch under her talons, he probably wouldn't hear her at all. It's amazing how built for stealth and speed his girls are. Why no one can understand that is beyond him. And while he knows he's foolish, he has a feeling Blue won't allow any harm to come to him.

For a moment, Owen thinks about how things used to be when he could freely walk among his girls in the Hatchling Paddock. He finds it sad they grew up so quickly. They used to be quite comical and very loving. For a while, Wu worried they wouldn't turn into the killing machines the military desired.

He pauses when he reaches the new doors. With shoulders squared, he turns to Blue and tosses her another piece of jerky. "Good girl."

As Blue munches on the jerky, movement catches his attention, and he can feel his blood chill.

With calculated and deliberate steps, Echo moves towards them, her gaze focused solely on him. He can see where Blue scratched her two months ago. The fact she's walking isn't the problem. It's the look in her eyes.

He's seen that look once before when she killed her hatch mate.

Blue's head turns slightly back, and with a flash of her white teeth, she growls at Echo. When Echo hisses softly in response, Owen's suddenly wishing he had the raptor Rosetta Stone, because, by the way Blue's lips cover her teeth again, he's worried.

When Blue's feet spread slightly apart, and she lowers her center of gravity, he can feel the blood drain from his face. With a look to Echo, whose gaze is narrowed on him, he stiffens like a board. He didn't think Blue would allow Echo to become the beta, but now he isn't so sure.

Blue snarls several heartbeats later causing Echo to take several steps back. Owen finds himself releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. The fact that his girl is still in charge comforts him in some way. For a moment, he realizes that despite his shortcomings, he's raised her right.

With newfound faith and bucket in hand, Owen moves toward the opening again. If he can just get Blue into the new paddock—

The moment a shriek sounds off, he freezes with fear. By the time he can turn, he realizes Echo's gone after Charlie. Blue's on her in a moment, making sure Echo doesn't move. Delta leads a whimpering Charlie toward the sleeping cages.

Owen watches as Blue turns and trails them, sigh leaves his lips. He'd warned Dearing about leaving no time.

Grabbing the bucket, he turns to leave. It's then he pales because Blue missed Echo's real target.

He knows he can't outrun those narrowed eyes, but if he can get into the added paddock, perhaps she'll be overwhelmed by the newness.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

As Alpha stops by the dark cave, I'm unsure of what to do. I accept the hard meat he tosses me but hesitate to follow him any further. I wonder what's in that cave. Will it hurt me? Will it hurt my siblings?

The shifting ground behind me catches my attention.

"He follows the red fleshling," Echo hisses softly.

I turn partially toward her and bare my teeth. A growl comes from my throat. She knows better to approach, and I can't imagine her causing a fight when Alpha is so close.

Echo doesn't stop but walks closer as she hisses louder. "This will be our deaths. You know the red fleshling does not like us."

I cover my teeth and shift my feet slightly. Echo has a point. The female has never been kind to us. In fact, she makes sure we don't have enough to eat.

"It's us or them," Echo continues. "He has decided to turn on us. He is no longer Alpha. We must kill him."

As she reaches me, I snarl, causing her to retreat. She's lost any ability to lead if she thinks killing Alpha is our best option. I don't care how she views him, he's still…

Well, something.

I watch as he picks up the small, shiny cave. He then moves toward the new, dark cave again. Clearly Alpha wants us in there, but—

A shriek goes off behind me. I spring into the air, eyes wide. A snarl leaves my throat when I see Echo slashing at Charlie. Delta slams into her, momentarily stopping the onslaught. Echo shoves her to the ground in the next blink.

I don't snarl again until after I've rushed Echo and slammed her to the ground. Her jaws close as her gaze drops. With a snort, I turn toward Delta, who is leading a limping Charlie toward the night caves. She's whimpering, and I walk toward her.

"Is she all right?"

Instead of responding, Delta nudges Charlie softly and the little one's tail droops. I can feel my teeth clench. Perhaps Delta is right. Maybe Echo needs to be put in her place before something worse happens. What if next time she kills Charlie? What if she kills Delta?

I pause.

Something feels off. The sound of moving ground grabs my attention.

Turning, I see Echo sprinting toward the new cave. I hiss as she disappears into the darkness. What does she think she's doing?

Her shriek sounds from beyond the new cave. She's hunting something. There's been no—

Charlie was never the target.

My eyes widen.

She's outwitted me.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Turning, he sprints down the dark corridor.

When he enters the light, Owen looks up at the large bay window to see Dearing watching in that white skirt suit of hers. Her face forms into a scream making it seem that the raptor scream is coming from her instead of from behind.

Spinning, he swings the bucket just in time to smack Echo across the face. He isn't spared the slash across his left arm in which he utters a curse and knows it's going to need stitches. He also isn't prepared for her tail to send him flying several feet. He's certain he hears several cracks. Mulch digs into his face as he rolls and sputters.

He's unable to move. She appears above him, teeth bared, soft clicks coming from her throat. The slash raked across his ribs causes him to turn to his side and throw up. He never thought that he would die this way. He always thought if he went, it would be Blue that killed him.

Suddenly, there's a shriek, and Echo's thrown from his vision. Owen can't move as Blue appears above him. Her screeches are the last thing he hears before the world disappears.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Sprinting, I hold my breath as I enter the darkness. Before my eyes adjust, the sun is on my back, and a strange new territory is around.

I freeze.

The new smells overwhelm me. There's a blinding light off the clear rock in front of me. The bushes around me rattle in the breeze.

Shaking my head harshly allows my gaze to settle on Echo who has pinned Alpha to the ground. There's an anger within me I've never felt before. It burns my body.

"What are you doing?" I shriek.

I don't even give her a chance to respond as I leap and slam into her. I snort as she skids across the ground.

Echo's up in a heartbeat, sidestepping to get to Alpha. I rush her. My teeth tear into her shoulder. Her claws dig into my flesh. Tear into my skin. I can feel her slowly trying to shift my talons.

"He doesn't deserve to live!" she snarls, trying to shove past me.

I will be dead before I let her kill him.

And that seems to be what Echo wants. She keeps snapping at the beating spot in my neck. I dodge. Again, and again. I know if she grabs it, it's certain death.

If she can only wear herself out from her aggression, I can get the upper hand. My thoughts begin to reason again as the anger slowly leaves. I don't want to harm her. Her anger is misplaced. It's the red female she should be mad at. If she would calm down and leave Alpha alone, I can make her understand.

However, I miss a tail swing and suddenly end up on my left side. Instead of attacking me, she sprints to Alpha for the kill. My gaze narrows. I feel the anger burn in me again. Leaping to my feet, I hiss as my left claw and talon scream in hurt. Snorting, I ignore it.

I rush Echo and lunge.

My talons slam into her, sending her flying. Echo hits the grey rock and drops to the ground, motionless.

I can smell the sweet scent from Alpha's red life source. I look down on him. He's not moving. I listen for a beat, but all I hear are those small, dark flying buzzes. I do hear a whimper and realize it's from me. Darkness takes over my vision, and the last thing I feel is the hard ground.

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