Prayers and Brothers
The night air around him was chilly at best and filled with the sounds of various nighttime insects. Sam knew that given the circumstances he probably shouldn't be outside but he had no desire to be inside at the time either. Besides whatever Kale had wanted to know he had found out and Sam was quite sure that his cousin wouldn't be back any time soon. He was sure that Kale knew that the Autobots wouldn't hurt them and whether he found out on his own or Mikaela told him didn't really matter anymore. Kale had tested his boundaries when it came to the alien robots and found that while they could probably kill him with ease they wouldn't.
Taking a deep breath of the cool night air Sam let it fill his lungs before letting it out in a slow breath. He had things he needed to be doing like giving everyone the explanation they deserved but he needed some time to collect his thoughts and it seemed like it was better to do it sooner than later. That and he had to figure out how to tell them that he had failed in protecting Mikaela. That Mikaela was now one of the enemy even though she didn't want to be and as much as it killed him it was likely that she would be put on the battlefield when the time came and the two packs fought it out.
Then there was telling Lennox that he'd been forced to change his mind. Because no matter how much he didn't want to bite him he didn't really have a choice anymore. Kale had pushed things so far and he needed all the help he could get. Help that lay with Lennox and the risks that the older man was willing to take.
He had to tell Lennox that there was a chance that if he took the offer he could be killed before ever seeing the battlefield. That if he couldn't be dominated then he'd have to be killed. It was something he didn't really want to think about but he had to because he was the one that was responsible for keeping his friends and family safe. He'd do what he had to do. As soon as he figured out what he was going to do.
Sam huffed as he sat down and looked up into the sky. The moon shone bright silver. The last night of the full moon had been the night before. Now the tiniest sliver of the moon was gone and it wouldn't be seen for awhile yet. Sighing Sam closed his eyes, clasped his hands and uttered a prayer,
"Dearest Mother Moon, the power you have given your children is a wonder and a gift. But out of ignorance and hatred one of your own has destroyed the balance of harmony that our kind share and it is no longer safe. Please grant my family and friends safety from the evil of our kind. Protect them from harm, so that they may live in peace."
There were so many things he needed to be doing but for the moment he wanted nothing more than to bask in the moonlight. Things could wait for a few more minutes. If the others really wanted answers right away then they could come and get him. He didn't want to go inside yet. He didn't want to loose the sense of calm that had overtaken him. The others needed answers but he needed this and he needed it badly.
He feared that if he went in before he was ready then he might scream or cry and it wasn't the time to do either of those things just yet. There would be time for such things later when everything was safe. For now there was calm and a sense of peace that was provided by the glowing moon that hung silver above his head. He could almost feel the moonlight touching his skin. It was a feeling that always left him in awe. His grandfather had once told him that the feeling he got when outside with the moon almost full was something that only leaders of the pack could feel and it was meant to reassure them.
It was a sign of the love that the Lady of the moon had for them and it was meant to comfort when times went bad. It helped a little but it wasn't enough to drive away everything that was swimming around in his head so thick that he could drown in it. He was the pack leader and every decision he made had to be thought out with the utmost care because it didn't just affect him. It affected Miles as well as Hector now too even though he doubted that Hector would be fighting with them when the time came.
Hector was too young for this and Sam had no desire to get the younger killed fighting in a battle that he'd make little difference in. Hector was too young and small to be a good fighter. Not that Sam was much bigger than he was but still he was fast and more often than not very hard to catch. That and he had more experience fighting as a wolf. Hector was merely a took to keep his older sister from rebelling against Kale because Kale knew she would in a heartbeat if she were able. It was only by turning Hector that he managed to keep her in line. So no hector wouldn't be fighting and Sam was sure that the younger boy would protest that greatly but he didn't care.
Besides he needed someone at the base while they were off fighting to watch over Sarah, Annabelle and his parents. Hector was his best and only choice for that. And when the time came and the battle had ended if they one he figured that the best thing to do would be to send the little mutt home and let his grandfather watch over him. His grandfather was the best choice for taking care of things.
The older man would be able to fix the problems with the pack while he tried his best to patch up his screwed up life and make up for all the mistakes he'd made and all the lies he'd told. He was so tired of lying but he also knew that it wouldn't be easy for him to stop. He'd spent most of his life lying for a mother that he had wanted to love him and lying to his father who tried his best to do what was right when surrounded by wolves in sheep's clothing.
Sam let out a frustrated growl and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He really needed to stop thinking about things before he drove himself insane. Sam snorted at the thought. He was probably better off insane. Glancing up at the moon one more time and repeating his prayer Sam turned towards the entrance of the base and to the sound of large footsteps. It was time to redeem himself and then damn himself even more.
Ooo
Will sighed as he looked around the room. Autobots and people and now shape shifting wolves. Was his life screwed up or what? Some part of him was waiting for vampires and mummies to pop up in the mix. It probably wouldn't surprise him too much if either one of them did. The room was quiet for the moment and he was thankful for it because he had a feeling that it wouldn't stay that way for too much longer.
Sam had yet to return and tell them anything and Bumblebee had went to find his wayward charge. Miles, Prowl, and Ratchet had returned a few minutes earlier. Miles had a clean bill of health from the Autobot medic even though Ratchet was keeping an optic on the boy like he expected him to fall over at any moment. He really doubted that Miles was going to fall over but he had learned fast to allow Ratchet his small oddities and grin and bear it when one of the medic's optic's was turned his way.
Everyone was waiting for Sam. The only exception was his parents but he wasn't going to worry about them at the moment. They had bigger fish to fry and Sam was the one with the matches and the know how. He only hoped that Sam would stop giving them half truths and tell them everything so that they really could help because it felt wrong to be relying on a pair of teenagers to do everything for them. Actually it felt more than wrong because it was supposed to be the other way around. Sam and Miles were supposed to be coming to him for help. Sam should be letting him help even if he wasn't really on the same level as they were.
There had to be something he could do even if he was a human. Hell, he'd sit in Ironhide's truck bed and shoot at them with a BB gun of he knew it would do anything other than piss of Kale and his lackeys. But apparently Sam was going to keep his foot down on this one and refuse his help no matter how much he really needed it. When he got the chance he was going to smack Sam across the back of the head and call him a dumb ass. What the hell did the kid think friends were for and he was quite certain that if Epps had popped up sometime earlier that'd he'd be more than willing to help as well. Christ, he was sure that if Sam asked those of his men that had made it through Mission City would probably do just about anything for the kid.
They all like him that much that or they felt like they owed him for the saving the world thing. His chance to smack Sam however came a little sooner than he expected because usually if Sam didn't want to be found he was damn near impossible to find and that was saying something considering that the things looking for him tended to come from another planet. But as it was Bumblebee herded his wayward charge into the room with an air of worry. One glance at Sam told him that the yellow scout had reason to be.
The poor kid looked miserable but some part of him could help but point out that it was mostly his own fault. Sam was the one who had lied to them. Will watched as Miles moved towards his friend and whispered something into his ear. Sam let out a weak laugh before sighing and shaking his head. Will had a terrible feeling that whatever Sam had to tell them wasn't good news.
"So are we going to get the entire truth this time or whatever you think we need to know?" Will couldn't help the tone that his question came out at but he was tired of half truths and being left out. He did however almost regret saying it when Sam turned brown eyes on him and made a noise that was far from human. It sent chills down his spine.
Sam's fists clinched at his side and he had to force down the rage that was still clinging desperately to him. It wouldn't due for him to loose control of his temper again. Not when it was his friends he was with because he wasn't mad at them no matter what the wolf in him seemed to be insisting. He was mad at Kale and it was Kale and only Kale that he'd take his rage out on.
The room is so quiet that Sam's quite sure that he can here the sounds of the Autobots systems running. The soft whir of fans and a quiet hiss as one of them shifts. It's actually quite a comforting sound and if he could just stand there and listen to it for the entire night he knew he would but he can't so taking a deep breath Sam opened his mouth and without thinking began to tell them about what'd happened.
When he reached the part about Kale giving him the box with his necklace in it he pulled it from around his neck and tossed it onto the bar that separated the small kitchen from everything else in the room. The next words he had to force out of his mouth (before he can be interrupted because Bumblebee, Jazz and Prowl know who was last one wearing the necklace was) and they leave a taste there so bitter he wonders for a moment if anything will ever make it go away.
"Kale took her and turned her and forced her to imprint." The noise that sounds throughout the room is enough to make his ears hurt. Everyone had spoken and none had been distinguishable from any of them. They're all mad or at lest he thinks they are and they have good reason to be.
"So he told you about Mikaela and then attacked you?" Optimus asked his tone of voice stuck somewhere between mad and worried. And Sam found that all he can really bring himself to do is smile a sad smile and shake his head in a negative fashion.
"What do you mean no?" Ironhide growled as he clenched his fingers. The black mach looked like he was about to blow his top or shoot something and there was a very good chance of that happening soon. Sam sighed.
"Kale didn't attack me. I attacked him." The silence that followed that statement was almost as bad as the noise from before was. Truthfully no one knew what exactly to say to that. The Sam they had thought they knew wasn't violent. In fact the Sam they knew went to great lengths to avoid any type of violence that may or may not have come in his direction. But things had changed a great deal in the past few days and now none of them were quite sure what to expect.
"Please stop with the silence. You guys are acting like he some sort of murderer when he just blew his top and got really pissed. Do you not remember me telling you about the rage that pops up for no reason whatsoever when you first turn." It was Prowl that turned to look down at the blonde human.
"Of course Miles but that still dos…"
"Of course it explains why he did it. That rage doesn't just disappear into thin air it stays with us." The silence that followed was an embarrassed one. They had all assumed that the rage did disappear and none of them had seemed to think Miles story through more than once. Well they'd made ass's of themselves that was for sure. Sam and Miles snorted in amusement and for the briefest of moments the mood in the room lightened.
" Yes, I attacked him and we fought and scared the shit out of my parents and so on and so forth. You guys know more or less what happened and I have something more important to get done right now then give you every little detail about my scuffle with Kale."
"And what is it you have to do Sam?" Sam snorted and turned to look at the mech in question.
"I'm about to become a hypocrite."
"Why are you becoming one?" Bumblebee asked as he stared at Sam his light blue eyes unblinking.
"Because I'm about to break my biggest rule."
"And what rule is that?" Sam didn't answer the question but his gaze was fixed on Lennox and it didn't take a genius to figure out what he was talking about. Needless to say Ironhide was not pleased and he mad it quite clear.
"You will not Sam!" The old mech's voice held all the fire of one of his cannons and then some and if Sam had been any less of a man he would have cringed and hidden.
"It's Will's choice Ironhide and as much as I hate it I don't have much of a choice."
Lennox blinked as he looked at Sam. The night before Sam had practically bitten his head off in refusal to bite him and now he was more than willing to do it. If things with kale had gotten so bad that Sam was willing to break a vow then things were a lot worse than they appeared. And Sam was right it was his choice and not Ironhide's or Sarah's. It was his and his alone.
"Before you agree or not I gotta let you know a few things. It's only right that you know what your getting yourself into and what could happen because there's a chance that you won't live to see the sun rise." Sam's voice was low and filled with such self-hatred that all the occupants of the room cringed at the sound.
Will nodded and listened with rapt attention as Sam explained what was going to happen if he agreed and what might happen if he couldn't be broken. It was his choice and no matter what he was going to do it. If it helped him keep his family safe then he was all for it. He just had to break the news to Sarah first. It wasn't something he was looking forward too.
Ooo
The ground was soft beneath her feet and the sounds of the night were clear in her ears. She'd moved past the point of being scared not to long ago or maybe she wasn't able to be scared anymore she wasn't really sure. The fire that had burned through her veins hours before was gone and had been replaced with an odd feeling of freedom that she couldn't really explain.
A black shadow moved beside her and she felt the affection that the male felt for her travel down the bond they shared. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about him. It felt like she loved him but it was almost like it was a forced love. It was like he was the only option other than being alone. There were moments that she'd rather have been alone. But she didn't want to be. Not really because whatever Kale had done to her still had her freaked out a bit. Her memory of the day was actually kinda fuzzy.
She remembered working and being picked up by Ashley. Then there was pain and a burning rage. After that there had been a fight that she had lost and then came a volley of commands that she couldn't disobey no matter how much she wanted too. Then after that there was the black wolf that was beside her now. Eddie her mate. They'd imprinted or so he had told her not long after they had began to wander around the woods. He didn't talk much at all but that was fine because everything was strange to her now. It was odd not being able to clearly remember who exactly she had been the day before.
Eddie had said that that would pass when morning came and she was human again. He'd told her that the mixture of being turned and imprinting not long after had made her brain fuzzy. She didn't really have any choice but to believe him. But there was something in the back of her mind that kept trying to get her attention. A memory that she could quite reach. She knew that the important thing about the memory was another boy and that he'd been important but she didn't know if he'd been a friend or family.
Hopefully when the sun came up he'd return to her too because trying to focus on him was making her head hurt badly. The sound of running water reached her ears and she turned to look for the source. There was a creek nearby. That meant that she'd be able to see what she looked like. She knew Eddie was pitch black with eerie blue eyes but the thought of what she looked like had occurred to her until just then. It was with nearly silent steps that she made her way towards the water.
Eddie was close behind her. The water was cool against her front paws and if she told herself the truth it felt quite good. Gathering up her courage she turned her head down and was more amazed than scared of what she saw reflected in the glass like surface. The wolf staring back at her was a beautiful tan color with light blue eyes. She noticed with a small amount of amusement that her nose had a splotch of tan on it.
It was then that she realized that she was oddly okay with what she had become. She knew that it should have bothered her more. That she should have been terrified by the whole ordeal but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't be scared, angry, or any other emotion other than oddly content.
Some part of her realized that the wolf that had bitten her had told her to be calm and so she was calm. No matter how much she knew she shouldn't be or didn't really want to be.
"You're beautiful you know." Eddie stated as he looked at her. There was an adoring look in his eyes.
"Thank you." Mikaela replied in a small voice. There was that memory of the other boy in her head again and it seemed like it was trying harder to get her to remember. She wanted too badly just to get it to go away. As if sensing her distress Eddie moved closer his dark fur a stark contrast to her lighter fur.
"Don't worry," Eddie soothed, "It'll all be better soon." Seconds after he had spoken a loud howl broke through the night air. It was a signal for then to return to the clearing where she had been turned. The alpha male was back and it was time to get to work.
Ooo
It was rage as he had never felt it before. Hot and boiling and roaring through his veins. He wanted to kill something for no reason other than the fact that he could despite the little voice that was the human part of him telling him that he needed to give in. The black brown wolf in front of him was a tempting target.
It was small and he doubted that it would stand half a chance against him in a real fight. But still there was that annoying little voice telling him that the beast across from him wasn't an enemy but a friend and he needed to give in and let the other wolf win. It was for the best. He'd be damned if he listened to it. Without any further thought he lunged only to slam into the wall that had been behind the smaller wolf.
So the little mutt was fast he'd give it that but still it didn't stand a chance against him. He pulled back from the wall shaking his head in pain as he did so. He couldn't help but look at his reflection in the shiny surface. He was a grey just a shade away from silver and his eyes were the same. Some part of him was in awe at what he was looking at. This was him the real him deep down. That human part of him was trying to get his attention again and for a moment he couldn't help but listen.
He had a reason for why he was what he was now. He was doing it to protect something. He was doing it to protect his pack from another. The enemy of the other wolf that was in the room with him. The other wolf! Whipping around so that he was facing the other direction he looked for the smaller wolf. He didn't spot it right away. The reason he didn't was a good one. Him and the smaller wolf weren't alone in the room.
There were other things in the room with them as well. Six of them to be exact. Mechs. The human in his supplied the word and he had a vague memory of them for a second before it was lost in the sea of rage that he was fighting back for the moment. There was a human as well perched on one of the mechs shoulders. He appeared to be telling them something. He didn't really care what. For now he had the other wolf to worry about.
As if thinking of it had brought it out of hiding the smaller wolf rammed into his side. Whatever focus he'd been putting on keeping the rage at bay broke and he lunged at the smaller animal snapping and clawing like the animal he knew was. He would show this pup who was boss. He was older and stronger and he was willing to kill. Sadly he realized a moment later that his way of thinking had been his undoing.
While he had strength and size on the younger wolf the younger had speed and experience on him. So it was with an annoyed growl that he backed down. It was then that something in him changed. the rage began to melt away and the man began to emerge. There was a balance now. Half man and half wolf at least in brain. Will Lennox blinked soft grey eyes as he looked around the large room that Sam had taken him too.
He'd said that they'd need the space to move around after he'd been bitten. Sam had been right. Turning on feet that were far more graceful than what he was used too Will looked into the faces of his friends. Shock and amazement filled the looks the Autobots gave him and Miles looked oddly pleased.
"Welcome to the family brother."
Will turned towards the voice that hadn't sounded out loud but in his head. Sam sat not a few feet away from him. There were several gashes that were bleeding quite heavily but he didn't seem to notice them. No what he got from Sam was a type of joy and behind that he could feel several other emotions as well. For the moment he chose to not dwell on what was going on in the other head. For now all he really wanted to do was get used to moving around in a boy that was both foreign and familiar to him. He had to admit however that something about this felt right. It was almost like he'd been waiting for this all along.
Oooo
Yay. One more chapter down and two to go. Sorry it took me so long to update but this chapter was being a pain in the ass and didn't want to come out. Though it did get a bit easier to do after I redid the beginning. Ya my first beginning sucked big time and it was practically impossible for me to think of a good way to get any further. I even redid a scene from a bit further into this chapter. So like I said just two chapter left and them I finished with this monster. I've also com to the conclusion that from now on that unless it's a one shot that if I can't do a chapter guide and be at least two to three chapter ahead before I start I really shouldn't do the story. Anyways, I hope you like the chaper and I really hope that you review.