Eddward sighs, after two whole hours of trying to find his mate and no luck he begins running back to the station only to run into Marie and a smaller very unwelcome ginger. "YOU! IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" he roars lunging for him.
Kev had the breath knocked out of him as he was slammed into a tree, Eddward's hands were around his throat and quickly tightening. He tried valiantly to get out of the grip, kicking and scratching, but he was quickly losing consciousness.
"Eddward! What the hell are you doing?!" Marie yelled at him, trying to get him to let go of the small ginger.
"He kissed me with Kevin standing right there! He knew what he was doing!" Eddward growls letting his rage consume him.
"When?! Eddward! He's been with me for the last few hours!"
"I didn't… do... anything... please..." Kev choked out.
"Impossible! He threw himself at me!" Eddward countered, continuing to hold onto the ginger's throat.
"Eddward, let him go! He didn't do anything! He was been with me since before dusk! This is not honorable!" Marie tried the very last thing she could think of besides attacking him.
Eddward glares at Marie and slowly let the ginger down. "You are quite sure?"
Kev slumps to the ground and gasps for air, grabbing his brushing throat. "Yes, you brute! Jesus..."
Marie helped Kev stand. "Are you sure it was him?"
"You are lucky I didn't snap your neck! Shut up before you even think of addressing me!" Eddward snaps at Kev then turns to Marie. "Yes it was him or one of Alistar's clones of him."
"Hey, I understand you're pissed but he didn't do anything, Eddward. Chill the hell out! When did you come across 'him'?" Marie asks, slightly perturbed from the terrifying look in her friend's eyes.
"About two hours ago. Kevin has yet to return or open our bond." Eddward sighs sadly.
"Weird, where did that duplicate run off to?"
"I do not know. I slammed him into the thickest tree nearby, I would have killed him if he hadn't pointed out that my mate ran off."
"Well, let's just hope we can find Kevin and he doesn't find the rest of our group. Can we all behave now?" Marie asks. Eddward shrugs and stalks off for the sheriff's station not looking nor caring if he is being followed.
Kevin had continued to move through the trees as a leisurely pace once he felt far enough away to not be found. He was hurt but deep down he knew he didn't have to be, but it didn't change anything. He laid down by a small river bed, just watching the water flow, feeling some relaxation come over him. Things have been very hectic recently and it was nice, he guessed, to relax. Eventually, a snapped twig alerted to him not being alone but before he could stand a gun sounded and a small pain bloomed on his shoulder.
Looking around, he spots a shock of red hair and his brother walked out. "Daniel?!" Kevin slurred out. He was getting dizzy and disoriented and he tried to concentrate on him. Daniel smirked and a muzzle came around Kevin's face, holding his muzzle shut. He tried to shake them off and run away but he fell to the ground, passing out cold. A large figure came out of the woods, grabbing the unconscious wolf and throwing him over their shoulder. Looking down at the small boy, he admonished "Good job, the doctor would be pleased" before turning and walking away.
Eddward, Marie, and Kev all get to the police station and Eddward freezes. "Shh, you hear that?" he asks suspiciously.
Kev stops and listens "I don't hear anything..."
Suddenly the front door was knocked down and Nazz was ripping into a slim body, snapping his neck and leaving him lying in a pool of blood. She looked up, confusion in her eyes when she saw Kev. Her ears twitched back but she left the lifeless body, calling out softly for the small child. A whine was heard before Daniel moved out from under the porch, trembling.
Eddward rushed forward and snatches Daniel up, holding him against his chest comfortingly "What happened?"
"This thing tried came into the station and tried to kill everyone! I told Danny to run and hide while Edd and I fought him off! Where have you been?!"
"Trying to track down Kevin. What thing?"
"This..." Edd kicked the body and moved to stand in front of Kev, gently looking at his bruised neck. "What happened?"
Eddward examines it "Good news, I don't have to kill you after all. This is the thing that kissed me. At least it was..." he says kicking it aside.
"Kissed you?" Nazz asked before she remembered that Eddward said he was tracking Kevin before coming to the sheriff's station. "That why you were tracking Kevin?"
Kev glared at Eddward "I told you, I'm over you. I love him now." Kev wrapped an arm around Edd's waist.
"Kevin saw him..." Eddward points at Kev "or rather him..." he said pointing at the dead carcass "kiss me. He, of course, misunderstood and ran off before I could explain. Furthermore, if you don't shut up, I'm going to throw you again to teach you some manners. It was a clone of you and a very convincing one at that. I will not apologize to you either, not after everything you have done -Pumpkin-" he says hissing the last word.
"Everything I've done?! I've don't nothing but try to help you and your pack for the entire time since coming to you for help! I see what a mistake that was, you ungrateful asshole!" Edd cupped a hand over Kev's mouth, scolding him lightly while Marie reminded "Remember you're holding Daniel!"
Eddward nods and calms down "Nazz, take Daniel. I must speak to the fledglings."
Daniel hops down and follows Nazz around the building to the small riverbed for a drink and some play. "Can we just go now?" Kev asks irritated.
"You are not trained and your father's hunters will find you in a matter of hours" Marie says shaking her head and elbowing Eddward who hisses in annoyance then sighs. "I will concede that you have been helpful but being helpful a few times does not make up for several times of you trying to kidnap and kill us all" he says honestly.
"Actually it was successful the once when I died" Marie points out.
"Being held prisoner cuts no ice with you?"
"You know me well enough to know I do not forgive easily" Eddward says with a shrug.
"It might have given you a few brownie points though" Marie says elbowing him again he just hisses in annoyance again. "Maybe…"
"Look, I've tried my damnedest to let your egotistical bullshit go. I've done everything you've asked of me and made the best out of a bad situation for him," nodding at Edd "but nonetheless, I deserve some respect! I've given that to you recently, have I not?"
Eddward scoffs "Egotistical? No, I think not. Overprotective and unforgiving perhaps, but no I do not do the things I do to stroke my ego as you would believe. I do it to keep my family safe" he says looking into the small ginger's eyes. "When you love someone with your whole being you would to anything to protect them, even if it meant being cold hearted to others. If you search your memory Anderson, you will find that I once protected you as I do my mate and small family" he says gently.
"Where is your mate?" Edd asked innocently, stopping Kev from making things worse. "Didn't you say you were looking for him?"
"He has blocked his side of the bond and disappeared" Eddward says sadly. "He saw that thing kissing me and took off I have no idea where he is."
"That hothead..." Marie mutters "He should know by now that you are with him and him alone. Anyway, there is little to no doubt the clone came from Alistar. The only question now is if that's the only one."
Eddward thinks for a moment "Well we must come up with a way to tell them from the real one."
"How well did that clone know you and Kev's history?"
"Very well, that is why I truly thought it was him" Eddward says.
Just then Daniel came running from around the house and jumped into Eddward's arms. "Eddward! There's another me! I saw him! Nazz is catching him!"
Eddward places him in Marie's arms "Do not let him go" he says taking off to help Nazz.
Nazz had the small angry pup by the back of the neck in her strong jaws and a paw on his back. The small redhead was growling, snapping, and calling Nazz every name in the book.
Eddward smacks him hard "Shut up. Where is Alistar?"
"Like I would tell you anything!"
Eddward smirks malevolently "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that" he says grabbing him from Nazz. "Go tell Marie to take Daniel home" he instructs dragging the small imposter into the sheriff's station. "Did you know this out post was also an execution sight?" he asks before strapping the small boy onto an electric chair then cuffing him for extra measure.
The small imposter grinned evilly before getting an innocent look on his face and calling out "Marie! Help me!" Suddenly, Marie came and barreled into Eddward, knocking him to the ground and trying to unstrap the clone.
Eddward chuckles "Nice try but she doesn't have the keys to the cuffs" he says before darting forward. "Sorry Marie" he says before knocking her out cold.
"You have no loyalty..." the duplicate sneered
"Oh I have loyalty, it's just she is clearly brainwashed. I've been keeping my eyes on her" Eddward shrugs.
"Let me go, you useless fuck!"
"I think not." Eddward says pushing him back into the chair "You are going to tell me everything."
"There's nothing to tell! The Doctor wants you to die... Plain and simple!"
"Where is the good doctor? What are his plans?" Eddward asks pulling out a silver knife and letting it glint in the moon light.
"The Doctor can be everywhere... He never stays in one spot. You'll never find him. He plans to kill you but slowly and painfully. He wants to destroy you emotionally and mentally first. It's a glorious plan!"
"I'm going to need more than that" Eddward says slashing his arm letting the metal burn him.
"He is going to see how attached you are and how strong the mating bond is" he gritted out.
"How does he plan on doing that?" Eddward asks as his stomach drops.
"He's already doing it... I'm surprised you're not feeling it? Maybe your mate is mad at you?"
"Where is he?" Eddward demands bringing the knife up to his cheek.
"Find. Him." he grins widely and laughs.
Eddward slices "Start talking or instead of killing you swiftly, I'll cut you to ribbons and make you feel everything."
The duplicate paled and strained against then restraints. "One of the labs, but I don't know which one."
"Care to tell me where the labs are?" Eddward asks pressing the knife to the imposter's chest.
"You have his son... Ask him!"
"I am asking you though, aren't I?" Eddward snaps slicing deeper.
"You're going to kill me anyway! He could have been taken to the compound where you were held, or where the experiments happen at the far North corner of the forest, or where the children are held in the center of the forest. There is also a compound to the East... I'm not sure what happens there."
Eddward nods "Good boy, have fun in Hell" he grins, snapping the small imposter's neck paralyzing him. When he gets outside, the two fledglings have a fire going, burning Kev's imposter. Eddward tosses the other imposter in the fire and watches him burn "They have my mate."
Kev sighed "I'll help you get him back... I know how important he is to you."
Nazz groaned "Victoria and Lucas are not going to be pleased... They will want to help. Please don't be stubborn, Eddward."
Eddward sighs "Some people need to stay back and watch Daniel and Marie. I wish to take you and the fledglings."
"We should let them know then. Let's get Daniel and Marie back" Nazz pulled the shivering boy out from under the desk. "We're going back to your parents, Daniel."
Daniel nods and holds his arms out to Eddward who takes him instantly "Mon petit…" he says gently.
"Marie is in the cell passed out" Edd informs the others.
"I wanna go home..." Daniel sniffed as Nazz and Kev retrieved Marie. They took off towards the safe house, Daniel trembling the entire way and trying to hold in his tears. Once he saw his mother, he called out to her and she caught him in her arms.
"Shh, shh it's okay. What happened?" she gently questioned.
"Where's Kevin?" Lucas demanded.
Eddward gives them a quick rundown of everything gesturing to the deep bruise on Kev's neck then goes silent as he lets the information and plan set in.
Victoria did everything in her power to keep from breaking down. She was terrified that she was going to lose another son against Alistar. She understood Eddward's plan, even she could recognize a good plan when she hears it, doesn't mean she has to like it. Lucas growled but gave in "We'll stay behind and protect here, bring my son back alive" he commanded.
"Of course I will, be ready to heal him" Eddward says cautiously.
"No problem, Eddward. Thank you and good luck" Victoria sniffed out before turning and taking Daniel inside, fielding questions from the small child. Nazz chuckled before turning to Eddward. "There's four of us and for locations. Are we splitting up?"
Eddward shakes his head "No, it is too dangerous to go alone. Teams of two, the small Raven will go with you since his training is going better than the ginger's, he will be going with me so I can keep an eye on him."
"Well, you're the commander here. Where do you want us to go first?"
Eddward directs Nazz and the smaller fledgling to where he was held "Anderson and I will go to the experimentation sight. If you find him, don't go in after him, not until we are all together. Strength in numbers… We meet back at the sheriff's station in thirty minutes" he instructs.
"Got it" and Nazz and Edd took off through the woods until they reached an abandoned building. They each took a side and wandered around, checking for any recent activity. Someone was here but they weren't anymore. Heading back to the sheriff's station, hoping the Eddward had better luck.
Meanwhile, Kevin woke up on a metal table and strapped down. He had a muzzle on that was holding his mouth shut and his paws were shackled together. He tried moving around to get his bearings when a figure walked in.
"Hello, Little Prince. Of course, I guess you don't have much of a pack to rule over do you?" he snickers. "You are going to be a wonderful specimen for my new experiment." Grabbing a tray with ten different needles, Alistar grabbed Kevin's arm and inserted the first serum "This one will hurt but please try to grin and bear it." Alistar then stood back, pulled out a gun, loaded it with a silver bullet and shot Kevin in the chest, breaking a rib and collapsing a lung. Kevin grunted out in pain before the serum kicked in and it felt like red hot fire was released into his veins. Another groan of pain until it subsided and he relaxed. For the next hour, Kevin was subjected to different serums and kinds of pain, each healing with varying levels of pain but each taking its toll on his body. He had stopped fighting, he was just so tired...
Soon the last needle was handled. "Now, this is the fun one. I'm going to induce the Change on you and you're going to be reborn. It's not a pretty process and I'm not sure the outcome... You're the first one to have it done so let's have fun!" Alistar injected Kevin in the same spot as the other injections were. For the first few minutes nothing happened, but soon pain laced its way through his body. The pain was worse than any other as he physically felt his body change. He eventually passed out, praying and wishing for death...