/AN: THANK ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY: I'm back. :) lol. Okay so I'm going to address a few things. There were a couple of reviewers that I'd like to reply to.
The Shadowhunter: Hi :) I'd like to thank you for all of the reviews you sent! I know I need to be a little better with the details, so I hope I pulled through with all of my edits and this chapter. PS. The flashbacks were needed. :P lol
Guest #1: If Chloe's mom died in a hit and run, then I must've missed that fact... or maybe it's just in the second trilogy that I have yet to read. . Anyway, thanks for the feed back. Since it's a fanfiction how ever, I don't think it matters if I stray from the minor facts a bit. Cuz I also changed Chloe's parent's names too. Along with a whole bunch of other minor details.
Guest #2: Thanks!
Um, if there's anyone else that I missed, I apologize. I promise I didn't miss you on purpose. If you guys sign in and leave a review, I ALWAYS respond. If you leave a review as a guest, this is the only way I know of to respond to you.
In other news, I've had a LOT of personal things happen in the last few months, but I promise, I'm getting back in the game.
IMPORTANT: I also did some minor editing and detail adding to ALL of the chapters. Nothing major. Bear with me guys as this IS a work in progress. So go back and read what I did, I promise, you won't be disappointed.
With out further ado: Chapter 11: The Pack
Disclaimer: I own the Alphas... The Pack and everything else goes to Kelley Armstrong./
Derek's POV
I walked out of the house fully intent on getting to the Pack and getting back. I didn't want to be out any longer than I had to.
"Hey, I need to talk to you." Dylan grabbed my arm.
"Make it quick, I've gotta go." I told him, grabbing my keys from where they laid on the floor.
Dylan released my arm. "That's kind of what I gotta talk to you about. I'm going with you."
I looked at him in disbelief. "The plan was to go alone." I headed out the door.
"Well, plans change. I've got a bike laying hidden in the woods, so all I'd have to do is follow you." Dylan tried to reason.
I rolled my eyes. "The answer is still no."
"Why not? I can be helpful!" He raised his voice.
"Many reasons actually. I don't have time to continue arguing with you. You're not going." I responded.
"If you had two minutes to argue with me, then you have two minutes to tell me why you don't want me going with you." Dylan folded his arms.
I looked at him. God damn, he was stubborn. I sighed. "I just met you. I don't trust you. And even though I really don't want you around Chloe, I know if you try anything Simon and Mason will kick your sorry ass bloody. There's also the fact that you keep insulting me, and I don't really care but the fact that you think you can insult me without consequences really pisses me off. In fact, your entire attitude pisses me off. You're arrogant, and entitled. I would rather spend eight days with Mason than with you and that's saying something." He looked unfazed. "Are we done here?"
"Boys! What's going on?" Dad came up next to us. Great. Just what I needed.
"Nothing. We're done here." I turned to leave again.
"Derek. Stay." I turned around. Damn it. "I'm gonna ask one more time. And I want a straight answer this time." Dad turned to Dylan. "Dylan. What. Is. Going. On?"
"I want to go to the Pack with Derek. Derek's too much of a stubborn ass to realize he shouldn't go alone and refuses to let me tag along even though I have my own ride." Dylan said.
"Oh, is that all? I think it's a good idea. It'll give Derek some back up and both of you some time to get to know each other. Make it happen." Dad started to walk away.
"I'm eighteen! I can do what I want!" I called.
Dad turned to face me. "As long as you are part of this team, you follow my orders. No exceptions. I don't care if you're fifty three. Dylan, you're on the mission. Derek, deal with it." He left.
I turned to Dylan. "Get your shit and let's go."
Dylan's POV
Okay. So that probably could've gone over better. And I probably could've been nicer. Let's be honest, the guy had it coming. But if I wanted to make it in this group, I needed to be nicer.
I tramped across the frost covered yard. I heard the engine of Derek's bike start from across the lawn as I entered the woods.
I wracked my brain to figure out ways I could make the situation better as I closed in on my bike. Thinking of none, I picked up the bike and walked it out of the woods.
Derek sped off before I could get on my bike. I shoved my helmet on and started the motorcycle, following Derek down the drive.
Chloe's POV
I awoke to blinding light shining in my face. I groaned and rolled over, never opening my eyes. "Derek, you left the curtains open again," I said, tugging the covers over my face. He didn't answer. "Derek?" I sat up and looked around realizing for the first time that I was alone in our room, painfully aware of my nakedness. Finally, the memories came rushing back.
"I had my first shift…" But then where was Derek?
I shut the curtain, the bright light of the sun causing a migraine. I sat on the bed, as the memories of yesterday slowly returned. Suddenly, a slip of paper on the bed side table caught my eye. The handwriting was Derek's borderline messy scrawl. It was addressed to me. I flipped it open and began reading.
He was in so much trouble when he got home.
Derek's POV
Dylan and I had been on the road for two days before we finally passed into New York and it took another two days to get to Syracuse. It was dark by the time we pulled into the gas station. It was mostly empty except for a couple of guys hanging out off to the side, speaking in hushed tones.
I put the bike in park and tugged off my helmet. Dylan pulled up beside me, removing his helmet from his head. "Dude, go home. I don't need you, and I don't want your help."
"Make me."
I rolled my eyes. As infuriating as Dylan was, I had a job to do.
"Look, you don't have to like me. But you do have to tolerate me." Dylan replied.
I sighed and looked at the map, ignoring him. From what Dad told me, the Pack was located on a nature reserve a few miles away.
From the gas station, I headed down the street, Dylan tagging along behind me. The nights were frigged now, but the cold air felt amazing against the heat of my skin. For what seemed like the millionth time, I thought about Chloe and how she was doing. I shook the thought from my mind and focused on the road. The last thing I wanted was to end up road kill.
Finally we came up on the entrance of the park. A guard pulled us over. "Hey kids, what business do you have hangin' around this late?" he asked, looking between the two of us. I weighed my options. I could either out run him, which wouldn't be hard, or I could be nice and answer him. I'd try nice Derek first. No need to make a scene.
"I'm here to see the Alphas. It's kind of urgent." I said simply.
"We're here to see the Alphas." Dylan corrected. Again, I ignored Dylan.
The guard didn't answer for a minute. Finally, he sighed and said, "I've gotta check you for weapons before I escort you in. It's protocol." I nodded and handed him my backpack as he waved the metal detector over the outline of my body. He moved to Dylan. "You're clean." He paused.
"You got any ID? Miles will be furious that he's been woken up so early. I don't wanna tell him I've got no idea who you are either." The guard continued.
"Dylan Mungovan." Dylan dorkily handed over a driver's license. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again. I mean, really? Nice way to get kidnapped. Amateur. The guard returned Dylan's ID.
"Derek Souza. No ID on me. Is that all? Like I said, I'm kind of in a hurry." The guy's eyes widened.
"You said 'Souza'?" he laughed a little. "Oh, they're gonna love this." I gave him an odd look.
The guard turned to Dylan. "You're going to have to evacuate the premises."
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Of course…"
I shoved a scrap of paper into Dylan's hand. "That's my number. I'll call you when I'm done." I smirked and followed the guard through the gates. It's nice to get what you want.
After walking down a few streets in silence, the guard went up to a dark house. It took a few minutes for someone to answer the door. They spoke low, and I strained to hear what they were saying.
"What do you want, David?"
"You're never gonna believe who appeared in front of our gates tonight." The guard, apparently named David, said.
"I swear to god, David, if this is another one of your jokes, I will personally kill you myself." The man in the house replied.
"He said his name was Derek Souza — Souza — and he was looking to discuss something urgent with the 'Alphas'."
The other guy stayed silent for a while. "You're sure he said, 'Souza'?" The guard nodded. "Have him wait a minute."
David walked back to where I was standing at the edge of the drive. "It'll be a few minutes." He said. I leaned against the bike. When you've been on the run as long as I have, you learn to sleep where you can.
It felt like seconds before I heard footsteps approaching. "You do realize how dangerous it is to wander into Pack territory alone, right?" The guy standing in front of me was in his mid thirties at least and dressed in a dark t-shirt and sweat pants.
"I'm well aware. It's not everyday you hear rumors of people taking chainsaws to trespassers." I replied.
He smirked and extended a hand. "Miles Hollis." I hated pleasantries, but I had learned to function normally in society. I shook his hand, regardless of my slight annoyance.
"You're welcome to come inside. I promise we don't bite as much as everyone says we do. At least not to you." He turned, not waiting to hear my response.
I followed. "Is anyone gonna tell me why my name isn't surprising or are we going to keep pretending that you don't know who I am?"
"Caught on to that did you? Growing up with Kit, I'm not surprised if nothing gets by you." Miles said, holding the door open for me. I entered the house. The only light was coming from the fireplace. David went back to his post at the gates.
"You know my dad?" I asked, not really surprised.
"And Andrew, and I know your father as well." He glanced at my face and caught my expression. A mixture of shock and uncertainty has creeped it's way across my features. "But I have a feeling that isn't what you're here to talk about."
"Andrew died, a few years ago." I blurted. Ugh. Chloe had grown on me.
"I'm aware of that. It's unfortunate. That was also the last time any of us here in the Pack had any idea about your whereabouts." Miles replied.
"You've been tracking me?"
Miles nodded, walking over and sitting on a couch in the middle of the den. "We were. Andrew was trying to convince Kit to let you spend summers with the Pack. We take special interest in those who've been corrupted by the evils of Edison Group. We find they need more guidance than most, a gentler hand with a firmer grip." He looked at me as I stood awkwardly in the doorway. "Come sit. You've been traveling for a long while and don't try and say you haven't." I hesitated but obeyed.
"Andrew didn't say it would have been just summers. He was basically telling my Dad that he had to drop me off and never speak to me again." I explained. "And it wasn't misinterpretation. Photographic memory. I remember everything."
"Ah, that's where things went wrong. Andrew… well, Andrew felt you would be better off if Kit just left you with us. We felt that things weren't so simple. You were a child, you wouldn't have understood. Kit and Simon were — are — your family. We respected that. I think if Kit had known that, he would've considered it." I didn't respond. "But as I said, that's not why you're here."
"You should know that over the years our group has grown. And if you can't help all of us, I'd rather take my chances on the run." Miles nodded.
"My girlfriend — mate — is pregnant with twins. About six weeks along now. She's a necromancer and a transitioning werewolf. The Edison Group nearly killed her a few weeks ago. They're viewing her as a threat. Generally we'd run, but a new member of our group mentioned that because you already wanted to monitor me more closely that maybe you'd give us some protection.
We had two options. We either run and take our chances, which are slim as it is, or beg for you and the rest of the pack to take us in." I said.
"I'm guessing Dylan is your new member. And little Chloe Saunders is the girl you're speaking of." I nodded. "I met her once, briefly after her mother died. I was working undercover then. The medical term for what she's experiencing — the mateship poisoning as it's referred to — is called Sodalis Vitae Lycanthropy. It roughly translates to 'life companion' lycanthropy. It's extremely rare, and seeing as how your mate also happens to be a necromancer, I can see why the Edison Group wants her dead. As for Dylan, Marigold will be pleased to hear he found you."
"Marigold is here?"
"She volunteers a lot around the reserve. She also serves as a midwife." Miles explained. "How many of you are there?"
"Nine. My dad, Marlee Hasich: a shaman, Mason and Lucy: my younger siblings, Simon and his sister Tori Enright, Chloe and Dylan, and as far as I know, Chloe's dad is still with them. You should know also that the Edison Group attack wasn't the only attempt on Chloe's life. Her aunt, Lauren Saunders stabbed her with a scalpel four days ago." I said.
"You found Mason and Lucy?" Miles asked. I nodded. "They were put into the system as babies and we never found them again."
"It was by complete accident, believe me." I wiped a hand down my face. Mason had been a pain in my ass ever since.
"You have our protection. But I don't advise that you bring everyone at once. You'll stay the night here, and head back in the morning. You'll need to bring Chloe here as soon as possible. Being so young, we'll need to check her over, although I presume your shaman has done her best, these are werewolf pups and no one understands how they work better than other werewolves." I nodded in understanding.
Miles continued. "By the time you get here, we'll have housing set up for you and Chloe and then housing set up for the rest of your group. Kit and the rest of them will follow two days later. Understand?" I nodded again. "Stay here."
Miles left the room and returned with a spare pillow and blanket. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to rejoin my wife and sleep." He disappeared up the steps.
I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Chloe's POV
It had been twelve hours since Derek had been gone and I was furious. "I hope he wrecks that stupid bike." I told Simon, grumpily. I had been pacing angrily across the room for at least ten minutes.
He chuckled. "You've been saying that all day. I'm starting to think you really do want him to end up a skid mark on the road."
"Good. If he thinks he can just check in and out whenever he wants, he's got another thing coming!" Simon shook his head. "And you! You think I'm overreacting!" He looked like a deer caught in headlights.
He held up his hands in surrender. "No, not at all. 'Overreact' is such a… strong word. I don't think it's one I would personally use. I think your blood pressure may be a tad bit too high. And you're probably gonna wear a hole in the floor, though I'm sure Marlee won't mind. But she might mind if you fall through the floor." I rolled my eyes and sat on the edge of the bed in defeat. I shoved my face in my hands.
"I'm going to kill him, Simon…" I looked up. "I gotta pee first." I mumbled, heading to the bathroom.
Simon laughed. "I'm enjoying pregnant Chloe. Pregnant Chloe is entertaining." I flipped him the bird. "Not that you weren't entertaining before…"
When I exited the bathroom a few minutes later, I walked out of the room. "I'm going for a hot chocolate from Starbucks. You coming with?" I asked him.
Simon stood and stretched. "Yeah. I'm inviting Lucy this time, though. She pitched a fit last time." He smiled fondly.
"It was four in the morning last time. What did she want us to do? Wake her up?" I smiled.
"Guess so. I'll make it quick." Simon left to go track down Lucy.
I don't know if it was because it was so late or if I was just pissed off, or maybe it was just pregnancy hormones, but I had really bad feeling… something was going to go wrong. I didn't know when… but it was going to happen. I just hoped it had nothing to do with the twins or Derek.
Lucy looped her arm through mine. "Ready?" She asked.
"I was born ready."
Simon, Lucy and I walked down the steps and into the main hall. "Where is everyone?" I asked, noticing the silence in the house.
"I think they're all out playing basketball or something." Lucy replied.
I looked to Simon. "You got the Barretta?"
He nodded.
Lucy was right. With Dad as a referee, Marlee, Kit, Mason, and Tori were playing a two on two game of basketball. Marlee called a time and walked over. "You're stressing. Why are you stressing? You know you shouldn't be stressing."
"My mate is AWOL, my brother is missing and I'm seventeen and pregnant. I have every right to stress out." I looked at Marlee's face and softened my tone. "And I have every right to a hot chocolate from Starbucks?"
"You know, Dylan isn't really missing. He's with Derek." Simon said, from a few feet away.
"Simon and Lucy going with you?" Marlee asked.
"Yes. And Simon's got the Barretta." I replied.
"Fine. Be back in two hours." Marlee said, leaving to return to her game.
The hair on the back of my neck prickled. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
Suddenly, a gun shot was fired. Chaos ensued and time stopped. Simon clutched his shoulder and shoved me forward to the woods. We ran.
"TAKE COVER!" I heard Marlee's voice following us from behind.
Our group scattered as more gun shots were fired.
Mason's POV
I clutched my screaming side, and ran towards the barn, ignoring the pain. The car, I had to get to the car. I flattened myself against the side of the old wooden structure, listening to my surroundings.
"You missed her? How the fuck could you miss her? You're using a freaking sniper rifle! You fucking dumb ass! Boss is gonna have our asses for this!" A gruff voice said.
"She's tiny and pregnant, how far could she have gone? We'll find her."
Chloe.
I had to find Derek. I searched my pockets. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed his number.
"Hey this is Derek. Leave a message." Damn it, straight to voice mail. What the fuck was he doing that was so insanely important that he couldn't charge his damn phone? I shoved my phone back in my pocket, angry and annoyed.
I moved to the entrance of the barn slowly and quietly, attempting to avoid attention. I had recently decided that bullets suck ass.
Successfully making it into the barn, I opened the door to an old Honda and shoved the keys into the ignition. Lucky Marlee kept spares in all of the glove boxes.
I stomped on the gas.
Derek's POV
When I opened my eyes the next morning, there was an old woman standing about two inches from my face. I jumped up. "Holy hell,"
I heard Miles laugh from the next room over. "He's alive, alright." The woman yelled over her shoulder. "Get up lazy bones, time to eat." I sat up further.
"Not to be rude or anything, but who are you?" I asked, pulling my socks back on.
"Photographic memory my ass, Miles. Boy has no clue who I am. I gave the kid my son's pants for crying out loud!" She began walking into what I assumed was the kitchen.
I could swear a light bulb popped up over my head. "Marigold?" She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me.
"Took you long enough." She continued into the kitchen. I followed.
Dylan was sitting next to Miles who was tending to a stack of important looking documents. A woman, who I assumed was Miles's wife, stood at the stove cooking.
"Um… thanks, for letting me crash on your couch. I should really get back to Chloe though. It's a four day trip back to our… um… base." I felt something thwack against the side of my head. I looked to see Marigold holding a rolled up newspaper. Dylan choked on his toast, laughing.
I hope he died.
"Sit and eat. Chloe has all of those people there to protect her, she'll there when you get back. You need your strength. Filling up on granola bars and chips," I dodged another thwack to the head. "What the hell is the matter with you?"
Dylan continued laughing. "And you, young man. I raised you better than that! Bickering nonstop, letting Derek fill up on junk. You had better be lucky it's not you I'm smacking with a newspaper." Marigold scolded. Dylan looked slightly terrified.
I didn't know how to respond.
"That reminds me. How did you even get in? I thought that guard told you to get lost?" Another hit with the newspaper. "Seriously? What is it with you people and hitting?"
"You wouldn't get hit if you managed to be respectful." Dylan mumbled. Marigold glared a warning. "Anyway, I just called Marigold and got a free pass in. You should've known I wasn't going to leave that easily."
"Alright. Jeez it's like having a bunch of five year olds." Miles said.
The woman at the stove turned and placed plates of food in front of us. "Marigold is right. You boys need to eat. Being Alpha female automatically makes me the All Mother. It would be irresponsible of me to send you off without a good meal. Now do as Marigold says before I start hitting you with something harder than a rolled up newspaper." She said, swinging the spatula at me. I sat in the chair. "My name is Gemma by the way."
Gemma sat down a few minutes later and I got better look at her. Her hair was a chestnut brown color and she looked about the same age as Miles.
"So I heard Chloe was stabbed with a scalpel a few days ago?" Gemma asked.
"Yeah." It still kinda pissed me off to think about it. And it terrified me to think about what I could've lost.
"Doesn't talk much does he?" Marigold mumbled.
Dylan smirked.
"How are her and the twins doing after such a traumatic event?" Gemma continued.
"They're fine. Better now, I expect. She had just had her first shift before I left." I replied.
"She's progressing fairly well then?" Miles asked.
I nodded.
After eating my weight in breakfast we headed out. "We'll see you back in a few days then?" Gemma asked hugging me. I resisted the urge to cringe away from her.
"That's the plan." I replied, thankful to be leaving for home.
"I'll walk them to the gates and be back shortly to discuss some things." Marigold said.
We walked to the entrance of the reserve in silence. David was still there, talking to someone.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you in. But I could call a cab for you or something. Maybe an ambulance?"
"No! No, I can't leave. Please, I have to talk to Derek—something's happen—"
"I said no!"
That voice… "Mason?" I ran forward to look around David.
Mason looked like hell. He was pale and sweaty, his hair was damp and clinging to his forehead. "Oh god, what the fuck happened?" I knelt down to his level. The panic I felt was overwhelming.
"There was an ambush—we scattered." Mason gasped in air, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
"Come on man, stay with me. What happened? Where's Chloe?" I asked, shaking him.
Mason cracked his eyes opened a little. "Simon took her and ran… I grabbed the car. I… I don't know what happened—after that." I didn't get any more from him.
Marigold had knelt down beside us. She removed his hand from his side and lifted his bloodied shirt. "Oh dear…" It was a deep graze wound that looked badly infected. "This is your brother?" Marigold asked.
"Yes." I replied. What had happened that was so bad he couldn't stitch himself up before coming to find me?
"Help me get him to the infirmary. He needs immediate attention." Marigold replied.
With Dylan's help, we dragged Mason to a building somewhere near the middle of the compound. For the first time, I noticed Dylan's silence. I looked at him. "Are you okay?"
Dylan barely looked at me. "Just worried. I mean, maybe you were right. Maybe I should've stayed at base."
The last thing I needed was a sappy, panicked, blubbering idiot on my hands. And yet, I kinda felt sorry for him. He wasn't used to the constant battle of cat and mouse like I was.
"Hey don't go second guessing yourself. There's nothing either of us could've done to prevent an ambush. Mason said that Chloe is with Simon, so I have hope. I need more information, so we have to make sure that Mason gets better. We'll find Chloe and the others." I said.
We had to.
/AN: Don't I just suck? I'm starting Chapter 12 in the morning... but y'all know not to trust me with dates. XD As always, review please! -Kit