A Son of Wolves

Chapter 11: It Was Meant To Be

That night saw an awkward one for Leo, as was pretty much the whole day to be quite frank. In one day, he's attacked by wolves, finds out they were his former family and now are once more, saves his aunt, gets attacked by Tony and interviewed by Sahara who become more or less a pup again asking all the questions about him. She was ecstatic to be able to talk to Leo again, to learn more about humans then she already did. So now you could say she was a human with the knowledge she knew of that night. It was good for Kate and Humphrey to listen as well, because they wanted to know what their son had been up to all these years and how his life was. Before all the talking, they all wanted to know what it was like for him all this time, what he remembers. He answered truthfully in saying that he didn't really remember anything before he came back. He told them his story, how he was found at a school which he afterwards explained what that was, taken to a care home and raised there. He was convinced by the workers and various doctors that his parents were psychotic people who thought they were wolves and therefore passed down their animal like behaviour to him, making his childhood terrible. He told them about the nightmares he had, when he refused to wear his necklace anymore because of them. How two weeks after they started coming back his old wolf like nature came back to him and he started hurting and terrifying the other children where it came to the point where he was going to be taken away to a horrible place where they locked him up. So he ran away, slept the night in a tree and the next day was that day where he ran into Garth, had a small brawl with him, both drawing blood and they knew the rest from there.

Sahara loved it all; it was all so fascinating to hear. Kate and Humphrey found it also, but they felt the shame and sadness that they had to do that to him and nearly cost him the chance of returning to them and understand them. His imagination as a child was the only thing that allowed him to understand what they said, but Sahara thought that these nightmares brought it all back to him as well as his former nature. Leo had to explain everything to them about the words and things they didn't know or understand as if saying it to a toddler. But he was happy to do it, as were they to know it. But then when Sahara had her own questions, it started to get awkward. One thing about humans she really didn't know about was their anatomy. Seeing as she could only watch them and had never seen them with their clothes off or anything, she didn't know. So Leo explained his hands, feet, evolution that took away his tail, his skeletal structure and his insides. But a more pressing and for some reason not embarrassing to her, was their reproductive system. Leo, now feeling that awkward, tried to explain it as good as he could without making himself look the fool and embarrass himself further. But it was all for their learning.

But Leo learnt his own things as well. One question he had on his mind which he wasn't sure whether to ask or not, but he did. He asked his parents, why didn't they have pups of their own instead of having him. He learnt that night of Kate's womb scarring and that because of it, there was little chance if not impossible that she could conceive pups, whether or not it was mating season. Leo felt he touched a terrible subject, but she assured him that he wasn't to know, and there was some good side to it. The good part being that no matter what time of year it was, they could always have fun without the consequences. That part he really didn't want to know.

They called it a night, much to Leo relief he thought he was starting to get bad verbal blabber mouth if he didn't stop. Sahara went to her den, but before leaving told him that tonight wasn't the end of it. Leo slept to the side of the den while Kate and Humphrey did the other side. It made a small dent in their hearts that Leo wasn't going to sleep with them, but it was something they knew would happen. He and they knew that he was still to warm up to them and life out here. But Leo was going to love it out here, mainly for two reasons. The first being he felt alive, he felt this was where he was supposed to be. The second, he didn't have any nightmares.

Neither did he have a nightmare the night after, or the night after that! It's been three days since Leo arrived at the pack and he only started to feel more alive and at home then he ever had before. After seeing Lily starting to walk again with his help and her family's, the pack started to see that maybe Leo was the one who was to save them, that if he could save Lily from death, maybe they could do it to them all. Day by day, the pack started to warm up to him and even coming to him for help. Help in healing them if Eve couldn't and doing tasks they found impossible whereas he could easily. He had earned their trust at the end of the third day; he was once more one of the pack. he could walk around without the pack snarling or glaring in his direction, he was one of them. Only one wolf thought he didn't belong, Tony. Tony was the only one who didn't want anything to do with Leo and made the giant detours when he approached to get around him. But neither wanted to be near one another, Leo didn't try and approach him.

Leo spent most of his time in the den, only going out when Kate, Humphrey or someone they trusted like their family and Sahara was with him in case someone tried to attack him. But he started going out on his own, sneaking out in fact. He could take care of himself. Garth saw that he could and had the nearly healed over cut to prove it. Kate knew Leo was destined to be an Alpha, and Humphrey saw it, but he loved the Omega personality he had in him. He, Leo, Salty, Shaky and Mooch laughed around and played games like the fun Omegas did. But Kate wanted to spend time with him as well. She and Leo went on runs, for once he was able to sit still long enough for her to start teaching him how to track and use his senses that might not have been as good as hers, but he told his mother how his were above the human average he was told. He was a fast learner, learning to track and find his prey. He wasn't able to catch or run it down, but he was able to find it, that's all that counted. He wanted to contribute to the pack and he did that in many ways and therefore earning their trust and gratitude all the more. Leo was an Alpha in his parents and the packs eyes now, but with the spirit of an Omega, something a few years ago, before the unification of the packs would have brought shame to the pack. But now it was a remarkable thing to see.

Three days and three nights he has been living in this pack. Three days and three nights he's been out here to be what he was supposed to be. Three days and three nights he's had to discover who he truly was...a wolf.

On the fourth day, Leo was walking around with Kate and Garth around the territory borders, something that he felt he should do. He knew all about the pack and their customs, that he was an Alpha and therefore had responsibilities to the pack. So he was woken up this morning by Kate and brought out here with his Uncle to patrol the borders and renew scent markings. His father was left asleep, but he was used to it, Humphrey usually did wake up on his own, but when Kate came back, either she'd find her mate with breakfast, or she'd find him, alone, in their den... just him...if you understand.

The packs borders have been shrunk down drastically due to the construction sight with they hadn't been to since they last did. Leo hadn't seen another human since then. In a way it was nice, he was at home out here, his new life. He wanted to leave everything behind, event humans. But he never forgot he was one. The patrol was done and dusted, the borders scents renewed so the other packs and lone wolves shouldn't enter unless they want their blood spilled. They walked back, but Garth wasn't finished with today. He and Leo, as of yesterday, started fighting one another. Not to hurt, but to practise. Garth wanted to train himself to fend of humans better, and Leo wanted to know a wolf's tactics in combat. So it was a win, win situation both their cases. They walked back through the territory and emerged into the Valley where they had open spaces. Kate told them she was going to head home, so Leo waved her off and off she went while he and Garth spaced themselves out. Other wolves were up and walking around, no longer bothered by Leo's presence, some even sitting back to watch and placing bets. Leo stretched off, and did Garth, both trying to intimidate one another. "You realise I'm only fourteen." Leo said. "Let's two in your years. You really want to be beaten by a kid old man."

"Oh with age come experience boy." Garth chuckled mockingly. "And being an Alpha, that experience has served me well." Leo let his arms drop and turned to face Garth with a smile.

"Don't go easy." He said lowering himself to be defensive but also to counter anything Garth had.

"That's not in my nature." He chuckled once more confidently. There were only two rules in this game of theirs. The first being that whoever draws blood loses, and the second…that was it, do whatever you wanted, just don't draw blood. They started by staring one another down not moving other then getting into the attack position. The wind blew gently around them, and the wolves that passed stopped to watch. They found it amusing yesterday, so they wanted to watch again. Leo had strength and weight on his side, Garth had speed, agility, both, in a way, were evenly matched. The wind dropped; there was nothing around them that made a sound. Winston came walking out of his den, looking down and out at the fight, smiling himself. The wind dying was enough to start the spark of it. They both ran at one another at the same time, Garth releasing a feral snarl as he did. When they reached one another, Garth went in for the legs, so Leo jumped over him, narrowly avoiding his jaws and rolled over onto his feet. He was quick to turn back around and charge back at him as Garth did again. Leo caught him this time and swung Garth around to throw him back. He soared over and down, crashing into the dirt. It knocked the wind out of him, but he was taught in Alpha school to not show weakness in battle.

"Lost your touch old man?" Leo taunted, something Garth himself taught him to do.

"Oh I'm only getting warmed up." Garth replied coldly back. Leo held up his made and motioned with two fingers for him to try again. So he did. This time when Garth jumped, Leo stayed put and caught Garth in his arms. He fell back, something he didn't have planned and have Garth standing over him. He used the fall and rolled over again to stand over him. Garth tried to kick him off, but he didn't, Leo was too heavy.

Ten minutes into the fight, neither were showing signs of backing down, but increasing their efforts. Once again Leo was standing over Garth, trapping his hind legs. But he was able to get one free and kick Leo in the abdomen, knocking him back eventually and then pounce in his chest. Leo grabbed a hold of Garth's neck as he placed a flexed paw on his throat, and the two froze there. Leo could easily snap his neck with a simple twist, as Garth could slit his through open just as easily. They both stayed there for a moment, panting and glaring into the others eyes. Slowly, a smile crept onto their faces, and Garth's paw began to relax. The wolves around them howl and cheer for the entertainment to their day.

But suddenly, a gunshot rung in the air and a speeding car came charging out the bushes and into the Valley towards them. Garth launched himself off Leo as Leo sat up. "Everyone inside!" Winston called out and running into his den. Everyone ran up and towards the slope or anywhere closer to hide and get protection. Leo got to his feet and the jeep with four people inside, one of which hanging off the side of it with a rifle in hand came speeding towards him. He could stop this. The wolves were hidden, and Leo as the only one left out here. The car came sliding to a halt and the four then started clambering out. "Oh damn boys, the wolves gone and run." Said one of them, a hillbilly. He looked like the classic hunter, chequered coat, cap, the others wore similar clothing. But then they saw Leo, still sitting there, now starting to fear them.

"What are you doin' out here boy?" The driver asked taking his rifle in two hands. "Don't you know it's dangerous?" Leo didn't answer; he just looked back at them as he sat back and against his elbows in the floor.

"Boy he asked you a question." Said the man who hung off the side and a little threatening. Leo watched his body language; it all indicated to them all being hunters of some sorts, here to do something about the cull placed on the wolves here.

"I'll asked again, what are you doin out here?" The driver asked again, this time far more demanding.

"I live out here." Leo answered.

"Where are your parents?" Another asked.

"They live up there." Leo said pointing to the tall cliff on the other side of the Valley. "The rest of my family live around here." He said pointing around.

"Are you ok?" Another asked a little more calmly and setting his shotgun to his side. "Did they go hurt you?" Leo stood up, thinking that he wasn't going to get rid of these guys if he just talked to them. "You need to get home; it's not safe out here."

"Those dogs nearly killed you." Another said. Leo felt a pang in his chest, a switch that turned on his rage. Calling wolves "dogs", why did that suddenly switch on the his anger towards them? He walked around them and towards their jeep and they watched his every move.

"It's a nice car." He said running his hand along the side. "Are you guy's hunters?"

"Yeah, the best in Arizona." One said proudly. "Are your parents?"

"You could say that." Leo replied as he walked towards the driver's door. They watched him sceptically, but they thought nothing of his behaviour. He was a kid; they didn't have any fear of him or anything he could do. What could a fourteen year old kid do? More then they thought as it turns out. Leo walked over to the door, reached inside and grabbed the keys, then to hold his hand out as if giving them back to him. All four men gripped their guns tighter, thinking that this kid was crazy. The state of him and his clothes suggest a runaway perhaps. The driver stepped closer, slowly raising his hand to reach for his keys. When suddenly Leo threw them over their heads, over the rise and towards the den.

"Whoops." Was all he said.

"Boy who do you think you are?" The driver exclaimed.

"Someone who could help you now." Leo said.

"Boy you talk some sense or I will shoot a hole through your head." He said cocking his gun. Leo didn't answer, not in a human way that was. Instead he threw his head back and howled. The howl didn't sound like a human's attempted at it, that's what made the men fear him. Had they their eyes closed, they would have assumed it was a wolf. There was little difference between his and a wolf's howl. They all cocked their guns and held them up a little in his direction as he brought his head down. They waited in silence, before several howls filled the air around them, and I mean all around them. They echoed and flowed in the air surrounding them, but mostly sounding like it was coming from behind them. Out of fear, they moved closer to the jeep for cover and protection. Leo still stood by the door as wolves started coming out of hiding places around them, most appearing out the giant cave over the rise still howling. While they did, they all cocked their guns and readied to shoot.

"Want your keys back?" Leo asked. They all looked down at him, confused. What could the kid do? He simple walked out from them. But he was pulled back by his arm tightly. It hurt him, but enough to say "Ow". Making the howls stop and replace them with snarls as forty wolves snarled all around them. Kate and Humphrey came running down their slope, seeing their son in the arm of a human. Leo kicked out when he was pulled back; kicking him in the stomach and winding the man and therefore releasing him from his grip. Leo stumbled over as the man let go, and he fell, scarping his arm on a rock as he did and leaving a small gash on it. It bled quickly as he got up to his feet and winced when he saw it. He looked up at them before turning back around. A second man aimed his gun at Leo as he walked away, but that caused both Kate and Humphrey to snarl at him fiercely, making him change his aim and turn to point at them. Before he had it aimed at them, Leo sensed the movement before he had it aimed at them. "Do that and you won't see another second." They all looked back up to him as he made his way up the small slope.

"Kid, get back here!" The driver exclaimed but focusing his eyes on the masses of wolves surrounding them with their growls and snarls.

"Let's get em!" Garth yelled and took a step into a run.

"NO!" Leo screamed at the top of his lungs, freezing all the wolves around them.

"Leo, they are dangerous, they need to be killed." Winston said looking back and forth from him to the humans bellow.

"If we give them the keys then they'll just go home and never come back." Leo replied bending down after walking the slope and retrieving the keys. "If they come back then you can do what you want, I swear." The pack started to mutter to themselves, most coming to the same conclusion. They were in enough trouble from the humans; killing these four would only bring more of them down onto the pack. Pups would be killed, they all would, they couldn't let that happen. Winston nodded and Leo walked to the edge of the rise. "Take your keys and get out of here." He said throwing them down to them and at the driver's feet. "If you shoot or hurt any of them, I'll let them come after you. Got it?" The driver reached down and trying to look like he had the last say in it but also a brave face while he and his friends got back into the car and started the engine. The wolves that were around them ran up the slope to join the rest of the pack as they started to turn away. Leo caught a glimpse of a tag on the side of their car, "Robinson's construction LTD". They must have been workers on a break or something. When they did, the engine roared as the humans sped away in their machine and back through the bushes they came from. They had been beaten...by a kid.

The entire pack breathed in relief and Kate and Humphrey ran up to Leo. "Are you ok?" Kate asked looking him over and jumping up on his chest.

"Did they hurt you?" Humphrey asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Leo answered.

"Is everyone alright?" Eve called out, everyone responded with yeses and confirmations. They were all accounted for and alright. But there was a new topic at hand.

"This isn't good." Winston said as the pack started to dissipate and head back to their dens or go someone safer for the time being. "Humans never come this far into the Valley."

"This can only be bad." Garth said as Kate still looked over Leo and his arm that bled and trickled with blood down it and off his fingers. She gasped at seeing it and ushered for him to go into the den and deal with it. So he, Kate and Humphrey did, but Winston, Eve, Garth and Sahara who came up to them all saw something. It was Leo; he was the one who was supposed to save them. He just did, and he could do again.

Using his good arm, and rummaged through the bag for something to stop the bleeding, a few alcohol wipes and a large plaster. He ripped open the wipes and started cleaning around it, getting bits of dirt and anything else that went in it off and out. He seethed through the stinging sensation it brought him. While he did that, Winston, Eve, Garth and Sahara came padding through still talking about the humans, but Sahara tried to change the topic back to Leo. Only she then started to see that the humans being in the Valley were their bigger priority. Kate questioned as to why Leo was putting himself into more pain and to what he was doing, so it was another thing he explained when he was done. He stuck a large plaster over it, but he saw it started to see the red underneath it, meaning he'd have to replace it soon. He took a few more out the bag to use later on and listened in to what the others were talking about.

"We can't let them get away with this." Garth spat angrily. "They've just walked into our home and left the entrance wide open."

"They're from the construction site." Leo said as he turned to face them. "I saw the side of their car." He added just as furious.

"We can't let them do this." Humphrey repeated Garth's earlier statement.

"I won't." Leo said making everyone look at him again.

"What are you talking about?" Winston asked.

"I'm going to go there and make their life a living hell. See how they like it."

"Not without me you're not." Garth said proudly.

"I'm not letting you go again." Kate said shuffling closer to his side.

"Me neither." Humphrey spoke.

"We can't let you go back." Eve said. "If they've come this far into the Valley then who knows how many there could be just in the trees. It's too dangerous."

"They won't shoot me." Leo said. "But they will shoot you. I know how their things work. If I'm there then nothing will happen to any of you. If I'm around they won't shoot you."

Night came fast approaching, the remainder of the day they spoke about the same topic and what they were going to do. They decided to do nothing for the time being, to wait and see what they were going to do next. It might after all have been a one off that they came this far and they won't again, especially after Leo's warning and the entire pack's. As night fell, as did the temperature, so they headed home to try and warm the den up with their body heat. Only Leo was beginning to freeze. He started shivering, huddled up in the corner of the room to try and warm up. He even, for the first time, huddled into Humphrey and Kate to earn their body heat, something they wanted to do again. The parents missed doing this. But after half an hour of being like that, he was still shivering. So he hatched a plan.

He got up and walked towards his bag, removing the pliers from it and throwing it into the middle of the den. He then walked out to the back and towards a tree, where he broke off a branch and pulled it back inside where he then started pulling off small twigs and leaves. He broke the branch into smaller parts, perfect for burning. Kate and Humphrey watched on, curiously and puzzled as to what he was doing. Another human thing perhaps? He removed from his pocket some of the alcohol wipes that he nabbed from the bag as well, ripping them out the packet and squeezing them into balls then placing the broken twigs over them in the centre of the den. He walked over to the side of the den, finding a fist sized rock and then taking the pliers in his other hand. He it the two together, but nothing happened other then it making a noise. He dropped the rock and picked up another, but still nothing happened. He picked up a third, struck them together, this time, sparks flew out, taking Kate and Humphrey by surprise, wondering what it was. Was it magic, dark arts? They didn't know. He walked back over to the small stack, strike the metal and rock together several times, creating sparks that flew off and onto the wipes, and after several tries he set them ablaze. His parents sat up and tensed their muscle in a way to act if they had to. What was Leo doing? What did he just do? Was it some evil thing that he shouldn't be doing? It looked like the sun, and they started to feel heat coming off it. As the flames climbed the small twigs, Leo started adding more and more, slowly increase the size of them until he was using the thicker parts of the branch. He explained to them it was a fire, something that can hurt if you get too close, but it was great for keeping warm. His parents relaxed a little and moved closer to inspect it.

As the minutes passed, the den grew warmer as did Leo. Kate and Humphrey came to like it, finding, for some reason, that it was a great feeling on their pelts. It was equal to lying on a rock after it's been in the summer sun all day. Only they were in the comfort of their own home and he brought the sun, its warmth and light inside. It felt great. The parents lay on their sides, as close to the flames as they could get without singeing their fur, trying to feel as much of it as possible. Leo lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling, just admiring the claw work that they must have done to get it to look like this and have it this big. But also trying to remember what it was like all those years ago here. This was his home once, this was the place he lived in for three years, this was in pack and his territory. "Mom, Dad?" Leo asked, making his parent's lift their heads to look at him. "Why was everyone staring at me today after the hunters came?"

Do they tell him? Do they tell their son that he's the one that is supposed to save them from the humans, that it was his destiny. No, they don't. "They must have been happy that you stopped them, that's all." Humphrey said.

"Had you not done anything, they could have killed us all." Kate added as she rolled onto her stomach and crawled over to him to rest her head on his chest. He moved his arm around and under her head, something a little more comfy to lie on. "You have a strong heart." She said, she could hear it beating inside his chest, loud, strong, healthy beats. "Use that heart to be the wolf you were meant to be." She said snuggling into him closer. He moved so they were both a little more comfortable, but as he did, he caught his arm on the floor, peeling back the plaster and ripping off the scab it had formed, therefore causing it to bleed.

He seethed and sat up quickly, covering his hand over the wound. Kate thought it was something she did; only he told her it wasn't. He reached into his pocket for a fresh plaster, but he was stopped by his mother. She reached over and pulled his arm towards him, having a look at the bleeding wound. She then began licking it clean, cleansing the wound and the surrounding areas. He looked awkwardly over to Humphrey who only smiled back at him. He let her do whatever she was doing. The first thing he thought of was that she was tasting him, getting the taste of human blood on her tongue. But he knew she wouldn't, not after everything she's said and done for him.

She finished after a few minutes, sitting back and watching to see if the blood continued to fall; only it didn't, much to Leo's surprise, the bleeding had stopped. He looked back and forth from the wound to her in astonishment. What he didn't seem to remember in his science classes at school were that wolf's saliva is a great antiseptic. It can stop a wound's bleeding and help stop infection as well as quicken the healing process. (A true fact people, the same goes for dogs too.) He thanked her and laid back down after covering it again with a plaster, just to stop anything else get back in there. Kate snuggled back up against him while Humphrey crawled around to them and laid his head behind Leo's and resting his nose against Kate's. They all closed their eyes, now allowing the guardian's of the dream world to take them. They had many reasons to thank Leo since he came back. He's saved the pack, become their sort of handy wolf for the pack for their tough jobs and he's only made his parents prouder and prouder by the day. Leo was their destined saviour; Leo was their protector, preordained by the stars themselves.

Sorry it was up late today guys, as i said, i had church this morning. Pack life for Leo seems to going good, Tony still hates him though, but who cares about that? One wolf hates him, whereas dozens more love him. Leo is a part of the United Pack, amazing! For my regular reviewers or to this that read my previews stories, i have one funny way how this story could end and i think you might find it just as amusing. I'll make two endings, one a more serious one and the second one that i really want to do because it just sounds funny. To me anyway. hehehe. But those endings are still a way away, so don't fret about this story ending any time soon. Until next time. :)

The FalconWolf