Air rushed in and out of my lungs, bringing with it the scents of the forest, and of my brother racing in a black streak beside me. We leapt over a deadfall and I pulled up short when a familiar body of fur stepped into my path.
Daniella, I am going to lock you up, so help me…
Oh Trace, you're going to give yourself a heart complex. I snorted, and bumped Derek with my hip. I'm just showing Derek around. Trace turned his attention to the smaller wolf at my side and dropped his head to the ground in a playful gesture. Derek gave a throaty chuckle and dropped low himself.
Did she go all drill sergeant on you like she did with Chase? Trace barked happily. He yelped when I lunged at him and caught the scruff of his neck softly between my teeth.
If you care to remember Mr. Brevick, you were quite the drill sergeant yourself when I was learning to control my Changes. I snarled playfully, and danced away from him before the could return the playful attacks. He was always soft with me, but it was impossible to tell when he would knock my legs out from under me, or flip me on my back. I needed to be cautious now that I knew for a fact I was pregnant. Trace caught this and regarded me with a curious expression.
Is this the new kid? Brandon jumped into view and looked Derek up and down. Still as ugly as ever there Souza. Derek barked in recognition.
Brandon Lennox? he peered closer as Brandon stood up fully.
The one and only. Brandon nodded regally.
The annoying one, and the only idiot in the pack. I snickered and he growled at me.
Watch it Alpha, or I might have to show you how annoying I can be. Brandon coiled himself to lunge and I ducked to the side as he shot past. Brandon skidded to a halt and turned, preparing to lunge again.
ENOUGH. I snarled darkly, and sighed, shaking my head. Brandon locked his muscles into place and Trace stared at me in surprise. I hated using my Alpha voice, mainly because the boys always knew something was up when I did. I'm sorry Brandon. Get up. Brandon rose to his feet tenderly, watching me like I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I was. My wolf already tilted my emotions out of whack, and now I had to add the pregnancy hormones to the balance and I was going to be a raging bitch for the next few months.
Daniella, honey, what's going on? Trace licked my muzzle and I shouldered away from him.
Nothing. It's this Cabal thing. It's just got me on edge. I'm sorry Brandon. I sighed in relief when he grinned lopsidedly at me.
Eh, it's okay. he shrugged. We all stiffened when Jason and Brian ran up, tension rolled off them in waves and I whipped my head around to the wind, sniffing for a hint of danger.
Oh, hi Derek. I'm Brian. This is Jason. Brian glanced at Trace and I and I knew immediately something was terribly wrong, but he didn't want to scare Derek. I knew Derek would sense this too, but i would try my hardest to convince him nothing was wrong until I was completely certain he would be safe. I turned to Brandon and grinned easily.
Brandon, can you show Derek the territory lines. I don't want him to accidentally wander onto south-eastern lands. I sighed in relief when he nodded.
Come on Derek. I don't bite. he promised and Derek glanced worridly at me. He followed after Brandon a little uneasily when I nodded at him. I turned back to the others when they disappeared and we pressed our noses into a tight circle close to the ground so we didn't risk Brandon and Derek overhearing.
What is it? Trace growled.
A couple black vans with dark windows just checked into Benny's hotel. Seven men in each. I snarled in distress, my whole body shaking.
Werewolves? I hissed, my eyes closed in relief when they shook their heads.
Only two by the smell of it. And guns. Lots of guns. I winced and looked over at Trace.
Okay, we'll keep an eye on them. There's no reason to…
Trace, they had the Gonzales insignia on their jackets. I snarled and Trace stiffened.
Daniella, go back to the house. he commanded, staring at me in horror. Daniella, please. He begged, a whimper of fear was building in his throat.
I can't run forever. I told him softly and took off towards town. Trace knew he couldn't stop me once I started running. I was so much faster than all the men. They could only hope to keep up with me as much as possible. Heedless of who might see me, an alert for wolves in the area was the least of my worries at the moment, I headed for the streets. I slowed my pace to allow the boys to catch up.
Is this a good idea? Jason barked as we raced down the sidewalk.
Right now, I couldn't care less. I snarled and pushed across an empty park.
Daniella, don't get careless. Trace begged and I snapped at him in exasperation. We headed straight for the hotel, and I snarled when I saw the vans. We didn't stop to check for what kind of guns they had. We headed straight for the forest at the edge of the city lines. Three hundred feet from the back of the hotel.
What are we going to do?" Brian asked as we lowered ourselves to the ground. I glanced at a patch of open dirt and I flopped down in it, rolling my white fur into the dark dirt.
I've been mistaken for a malamute before. I stepped forward and glared at Trace when he stepped in front of me. Move Trace. I know you're only protecting me, but I'm a big girl. I licked his muzzle and shot forward before he could protest. I trotted into the Benny's hotel parking lot and ensured the vans were vacant before trotting over to them and pressing my nose to the bumper, under the back door. My hackles rose when I encountered the bitter smell of gunpowder. I looked around to make sure I was alone. I stood on my hind legs and maneuvered my teeth around the handle. I managed to open the door just enough to slip inside.
My entire being was telling me this was stupid. Even a part of me knew Trace would be dragging me away by the scruff of my neck. But I hopped up into the back of the van and pawed open one of the cases, yelping in fright when I saw army grade rifles. I scrambled away from the case and hopped back out onto the ground.
"Still can't keep your nose out of where it doesn't belong, eh Mrs. Brevick." I stilled and whipped around, a stab of fear ran through me when I recognized Lenny. The detestable man that had sat by and watched as Gonzales' boys cut my baby from me. The scars that ran from his cheek, down into his collar, were from me. Three ragged claw marks that marred his skin. He cocked his pistol and I took off, yelping in pain when the bullet grazed my hip and I faltered, my leg deadened from the wound. My head whipped around to see two burly wolves barreling toward me.
Daniella! Trace howled, racing forward from the trees with Jason and Brian directly behind him.
Dani? I heard Derek bark in worry. I turned just in time to catch one of the wolves' neck in my teeth. He whipped his head around, trying to get a grip on me, but I wouldn't let up. He overpowered me too soon, and got me on my back. I whipped my head around, the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as my teeth broke his skin. He snarled and rolled onto his back, his hind legs milled dangerously close to my belly.
All I could think was that I had to protect my baby.
I released my grip on his neck and twisted away from him, freezing when I realized I was staring down the barrel of a gun. I froze in my place and whimpered when my back leg buckled from pain.
"Stop!" the mans voice echoed off the trees and the sound of the struggle I hadn't noticed until now stopped. I could hear Trace's whimper when he saw it too. Lenny chuckled and looked at the bullet wound on my leg.
"Did the big bad wolf get a booboo?" he laughed, lifting the gun to my head. "You know what they say about wounded bitches. Gotta put them out of their misery." he pressed the tip of the silencer to my forehead
Daniella! Trace whimpered, and I looked brokenly at him.
Trace… I took a deep shuddering breath and screwed my eyes shut, waiting for the final gunshot. There were snarls, and harsh barks as the rest of my pack surrounded us. I looked up sharply as Lenny's attention was adverted.
"Move, and she dies!" he shouted, and I took the opportunity to jump to the side. He jerked and the gun went off. But before he could get a chance to shoot again I grabbed his arm and wrenched it to the side, forcing him to drop the gun. Brandon and Brian took down one wolf while Connor and Jason took down the other one. I didn't see who attacked Lenny. My eyes slipped closed against the pain and my legs shook, too weak to bear my weight for much longer.
Daniella? Trace whimpered, trotting towards me. I collapsed and he whimpered in worry. I looked at him as he Changed and knelt in front of me. "Can you Change?" he asked quietly. I concentrated, and my pain intensified, before a high scream pierced the air. It took me half a moment to realize it was my own.
"Calm down Daniella!" Trace's voice shook, as he pressed his hand over the wound. It was too close to my heart. So much blood.
"Don't let them see." I whispered, screwing my eyes shut against the pain.
"Sam, take care of those three. Cody, Brandon, Conner, help him. Jason, go get my medical bag from the house. Brian, I need you." Trace set his mouth in a hard line, tears falling from his eyes. Brian knelt next to me, covering me with something warm.
"Derek..." I moaned.
"He's fine." Brian answered as he pressed something against the graze wound on my hip. "Brandon is going to help him with the Change back. He's already back at the house." I pressed my eyes closed and moaned from the pain.
"Trace... I..."
"Hush honey." he murmured, his voice rough with anxiety.
"I'm sorry." I hissed, squeezing my eyes shut when he kissed my forehead.
"It's alright." he whispered. His hand was still pressed against the wound. The pressure was more to the left than it was in the middle. More in my shoulder. I tried to relax. "Where is Jason?" Trace snarled, whipping his head around.
"Is she alright to move?" Brian asked quickly. He glanced down at me and I could see just how worried he was. Maybe I was hurt more than I'd realized and the thought made my head dizzy. I felt my hands lift to my stomach, and I rubbed a hand over the unmarred skin, just making sure. I closed my eyes in relief and clenched my teeth together in pain.
"Trace." I hissed, pain seeped into my voice and Trace brushed back my hair with a bloody hand and shook his head.
"Don't talk Dani. It's okay. You're going to be fine." he looked back down to the wound in my shoulder, his education as a doctor kicking in. "We'll have to take some blood from the boys…"
"No!" I cried, moaning in pain when I tried to sit up.
"It's alright baby." Trace shook his head. "Not that much blood. Just enough to make up for the blood you'll loose when I extract the bullet from your shoulder." I shook my head.
"They'll be weak…"
"You'll do us no good in a coma Daniella." Brian growled at me. I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut. "It'll be better if we take blood from Derek. Family blood…"
"Definitely not!" I coughed, glaring at him.
"How is she?" Jason asked as he dropped to his knees at my head.
"She can still hear you." I moaned, sneering as Trace did something to my shoulder.
"I'm just binding it until we can get back to the house." Trace told me softly.
"Lauren is coming with the truck." Jason murmured, and cradled my head on his lap when Trace instructed him to. My vision was failing, there was too much pain to fight off. I had to tell him. If he used the wrong medicines during the extraction it could hurt our baby. He'd never forgive himself if that happened.
"Trace," I reached up with my uninjured arm and caught his wrist as he bound an old shirt against the bloody bullet hole. "Trace, I'm pregnant." Trace froze and looked down at me in horror.
"God damnit Daniella Brevick, why didn't you tell us?" Brian all but roared at me. Trace held up a hand for silence as he searched my eyes.
"You're certain?" he whispered. I couldn't miss the undertone of pride in his fearful tone.
"Absolutely." I hissed, and let the security of unconsciousness take me under.
The deep sound of men talking was what finally woke me. I swallowed past my swollen tongue. I felt like I had cotton stuffed in my mouth. I rolled my head to the side and grimaced when I realized I was laying on the kitchen table. My arm was bound in a sling close to my chest, and my hip burned where Lenny's first bullet had grazed me. I struggled myself into an upright position and glanced around the empty dining room.
The sound of Trace's voice, low and methodical, as it always was when he was assessing a wound, was what drew me into the kitchen. I feared to see who else was hurt, and how badly, but I had to know. I limped through the open door and took stock of the situation. Derek was backed up against the furthest wall from the island, a snarl was rumbling deeply in his chest. I turned my head sluggishly and stared at the familiar face that stared back at me.
I recognized him, I knew that much. My mind was still under the influence of whatever painkiller Trace had given me while I was under. I blinked for a minute and knew right away he was the werewolf that had attacked me. There were teeth marks along his neck, and a gash on his arm. But I wondered why Trace was sitting calmly next to him, sewing up the wounds I'd inflicted on him. His face showed he wasn't happy with the situation, but his eyes were full of concentration. I doubted he'd even noticed I was up.
I blinked again and looked up into the other wolf's face, trying to pinpoint where I'd seen him before. It felt like a dream. Something from my childhood. I took a deep breath and chased down the memory, my hand gripped the wall for support as I struggled.
My eyes flew open wide and my body locked down when I placed his face. It was something from my childhood. A flood of hatred washed over me and I had to dig my nails into my palms to keep from attacking the cheating bastard. His dark eyes met mine and I felt a snarl of my own build in my chest.
"Daniella." he breathed, looking at me in disbelief and awe.
"Go to hell Zachary Cane." I snarled darkly and towed Derek from the kitchen.
*A/N*
Okay, so before you yell at me for that, I was having really bad writers block, and I've been really trying for the past couple days to come up with something, and this was the only thing I could think of that would keep the story new and exciting :) Originally I was going to send her to the pound, but no matter how hard I tried the end result was the same. It was just so poorly written i couldn't do that to the story. So I just threw in a total curveball!
I'd like to take this chance to thank those of you that are reviewing. It really keeps me going and gives me new ideas for where to take the story.
I'd also just like to say that I do not own the DP characters. I'm just borrowing them for a time. This will probably the the only Authors note you guys see, I think they totally take you out of the zone of the story.
Happy Reading! ~Tarya13