A Son of Wolves
Chapter 17: The Takeover and Away
The next day brought more then a rude awakening for a certain family. Kate and Humphrey were first to hear it, a buzzing noise followed by a loud bell like sound. Kate who was snuggled up next to Leo and Humphrey around her back, jolted awake, the sudden movement awaking Leo as well. "What's that?" Humphrey asked uncertain if he should be fearful or…actually, he wasn't really sure what to think of the strange noise. Leo groaned and rolled over to the side of the den just beside him to reach into his bag. Kate and Humphrey lay where they were, starting to guess what the sound was. It was moments later Leo pulled out his phone, discovering Rick calling him.
"Hello?" He groaned up answering it and wiping away the sleep in his eyes.
"Leo, something's happening at the construction site." Leo eyes snapped open a little more, what was going on?
"What's happening?" He asked a little more intrigued.
"There's a news report on now, saying how they've called in the police to catch us for what we did yesterday." Leo looked over to his parents as Kate mouthed.
"What is it?" Rick then continued.
"They have some recording of you and a bear."
"So what? They're not going to catch me." Leo chuckled a little.
"That's not all…" Rick added. "Al saw it." Leo's eyes snapped wider then ever before, this just got serious. He rolled back over and looked at his parents while Rick carried on talking. "He's been on the phone all morning with police, social care and the construction site; I think they're going to come for you."
"They can try." Leo said confidently.
"Dude, I say you stay the hell away from the site for a while, just until they all think you won't be coming back." Leo listened to the sound of Ricks voice, just hearing it was showing how concerned he was and how serious this situation was. He looked at his parents, stuck in a choice. Does he carry on and hope that soon Robinson got the message or the workers were scared away? Or does he leave them and do something major again later on?
"I'll stay away, don't worry about it." Leo replied.
"Good choice." He heard Rick sigh in relief.
"I'm switching my phone off, but I'll turn it back on tonight at seven, keep me updated."
"Got it, be careful."
"You too." And with that he hung up. He looked down at his phone while he turned it off, and continued to after. He didn't know what to do; things were going so well up until now. Robinson did say how Leo crossed his final warning; maybe this was the consequence to it. He called in the police, Al knows where Leo goes now, he had to keep away.
"Leo what's wrong?" Kate asked snapping him out of his thought.
"The construction site is coming after me." The parents gasped.
"Over my dead body." Humphrey growled. Leo smiled and shuffled back over to them where Kate then wrapped a paw over him and buried her head under his chin and Humphrey pulled himself closer to his mate and rest his head on her neck.
"We're not letting you go again." Kate whispered.
"Nor am I going to." Leo added and taking hold of his mothers paw. His necklace fell out of his shirt, right in front of Kate's eyes. She smiled at the small triangle that dangled in front of her. And at that sight, she fell back to sleep, with her boys either side of her.
But then she opened her eyes what felt like a few seconds later to another strange thing, this time to a smell. Leo wasn't where he was, neither was Humphrey, but over the other side of the den. They sat around that amazing, warm thing Leo made when it was cold, a "fire" as he called it. But it was different, it wasn't big at all, and lying on top of it was a thin, flat stone and something on top of that, and it was that which was emitting the smell. She instinctively licked her maw at the scent, it was… indescribable. Humphrey sat opposite the fire, staring at the sizzling thing and practically drooling onto his paws.
"Morning mom." Leo greeted when seeing her walk over and Humphrey lovingly nuzzling her neck as she lay down beside him.
"What is that?" She asked as if captivated by the scent. But then again, she was.
"Leo already caught us breakfast." Humphrey chuckled. "He's "cooking" it as he says."
"It tastes way better, but I can eat it as well if I do." Leo added.
"How long was I out?"
"It was 8:00 when we woke up before, we didn't go back to sleep after that so Leo caught us breakfast. It's nearly 10:00 now."
"Oh my god, dad wanted me to do patrol this morning!" She exclaimed and dashed for the entrance, flicking the dirt up as he did.
"What about breakfast?" Leo asked.
"I'll eat when I get back, be good!" She replied as she disappearing around the corner and down the slope. Father and son looked at one another, but they shrugged it off, they'd usually wake up to find her gone. Leo finished cooking a few minutes later, handing his father a warm piece who at first sniffed it, before widening his eyes at the amazing scent and then gorging on the meat. Taking hold of it with his paws and ripping away at it while Leo did the same. He hadn't had cooked meat while he was here, oh how good it was for him to feel it glide down his throat and taste it again. "So good" He thought. It was caribou, something he hadn't tried before, but boy oh boy it was better then beef.
Humphrey finished far faster then Leo, and as full as he may have been, he wanted more, he really did it was that good. Sure it wasn't the normal way to eat, but he loved it. Leo finished a few minutes later, he wasn't full, but it would last him till mid-day. "So what are you going to do today?" Father asked son.
"Sahara wanted to talk, so I was thinking of going to see her." Leo answered.
"I was going to see the guy's, it's been a while since it was just us."
"You saw them yesterday." Leo said puzzled as he arose to his feet and started walking towards his bag.
"We were going to check out a bigger slope, something you couldn't handle."
"I handled that one yesterday fine." Leo smiled as he dropped his phone back inside it.
"This one's bigger and faster, maybe some day we'll go down it together with your mother."
"I'd like that." Leo smiled as he started walking towards the entrance and Humphrey the back.
"Want me to come with you?"
"I'll be ok, don't worry about me."
"Be safe son."
"You too dad." Leo smiled as he walked out the entrance.
The sun was shining across the Valley, the mornings scents still lingering around the place. Leo looked across the Valley from the view he had outside, wolves were running around with pups and playing games below. He smiled; it was such an amazing thing to see. This was his home now, no matter what Tony thought of him, he wasn't leaving any time soon, nor would he let anyone take him. He turned right and started walking down the long, gentle slope and into the Valley. But it quickly turned into a jog, just to speed things up a little. Sahara's den was not far from the pack leader's dens, one of which belonged to Tony which he guessed was still hiding in, no-one had seen Tony for a while now, but Leo knew why, he seemed to be the only one who knew why Tony was never around any more. But he didn't say why, one just to be sure, and two because he wanted to hear it from Tony's mouth.
The run slowed to a brisk walk upon reaching the bottom of the slope, but only to have his Aunt Lily run ahead of Garth when seeing him come towards them and threw herself at him. He caught her in flight, both of them laughing as he caught her in his arms. They had a small conversation as to what they had done this morning thus far, Leo saying he was on his way to see Sahara and they saying how they were playing with a friends pups after they woke up. But more importantly, but not so much to Leo, for he didn't want to know, they were inspired when seeing them to have their own. They knew the time of year, mating season would be here soon, so they were going to try when she came into heat, so any day now. She leaned against him the whole time, flicking his tail with her own, already trying to be seducing. The two males being awkward around this topic now chose to bid their farewells before it went any further along the mating line.
Further down the Valley, Leo was bombard by a volley of four pups, all siblings who came to adore Leo. They jumped and scrambled up his body, knocking him against the ground. They started biting his hands and ears playfully, they didn't have to say it for Leo to know they wanted to play, but they did anyway. So he did under the eagle eyes of their Omega parents, not because he was human, but because they wanted to be sure they weren't being too rough or mischievous. They smiled, but they still had to learn humans can be dangerous, but that Leo was a nice human, one they could play with, the others weren't nice like him. They were only five moons old, so they had time to learn.
After managing to escape them, he ran away further down the Valley away from the pups, but bringing it to a walk after seeing they weren't chasing him. He greeted his grandparents who sat on the rise outside their den with one another looking over the Valley, but also managed to apologise for his mother's lateness this morning. It turns out she wasn't in trouble, although she did miss the patrol, she was tasked with scouting the pups before they leave for Alpha School in the coming weeks. Her job for the day was the assess each pup she sees and discuss with the parents if they would like to send them to Alpha School, only Alpha's had the sight to see if a pup was a destined Alpha or not, but it was the parents choice as to whether or not they went.
He didn't see her as he reached the other side of the Valley, passing Tony's den and discovering him asleep on the rise outside his den not far from Winston and Eve's. Leo scowled at him while he passed. But then he started walking through the thinning trees, only one in every ten metres of space. There was long grass, so it was ideal and no surprise the parents brought their pups here to play. The trees weren't thick with leaves, so the sun shone through without a problem onto the green grass. It was a wonderful sight to behold.
He made it, and he found Sahara waiting patiently outside her den. He hadn't seen or been to it before, but boy was it a beautiful place to have one. There was a large beam of light that shone through the trees right outside her den and she lay on her side in it. Her stark white fur shone itself in the light, as much as Lily's did. What sort of coincidence would it be if they were related, sisters perhaps. The only things different about them are their voices and eyes, not including the fact Sahara was an Alpha and Lily and Omega. If standing behind them and they were side by side, you couldn't tell the difference unless you looked them in the eye.
But there she laid, her tail swishing back and forth happily with her eyes closed to enjoy the suns heat on her side. "Are you asleep?" Leo asked as he approached. She raised her head and smiled at seeing him.
"Hey, no I wasn't, just relaxing." She smiled. "What can I do for you?" She asked then sitting up.
"You asked me to come by today." Leo replied.
"That's right, I need you help." She said as it clicked back into her mind.
"So…what with?" He asked.
"I'm making something I haven't done in a long time…" She said as she started walking into her den, so Leo followed her. Her den wasn't massive, but it was a good size for one wolf. Leo had to bend down the entire time he was in there, so instead he waited outside and looked under to listen. "Some of the ingredients are hard to come by and some I can't get for dumb evolutionary reasons." She giggled.
"What is it?" Leo asked.
"A recipe, handed down through my family and pack for generations."
"Your pack? But you live here." He questioned.
"I'm from a pack up in Alaska." She said turning to face him. "Didn't you know?"
"No I didn't." Leo replied while sitting in the entrance of the den and leaning against the wall.
"Well, my pack was a little different up there; my parents were the Alpha leaders, so I was sent to the Alpha school up there. But when I turned one I started travelling, I found Winston and Eve, they took me in as part of the Western Pack, known as the crazy one for a period of time for my beliefs and practises. Then you came along and it was all put into good use."
"What do you mean they were different?"
"We believe in nature spirits." She said as she started fondling with things in her den as if looking for something. "We have spirit of nature that watches all of us; I've seen my fair share of things only something as powerful as they could do. It's tradition for Alpha's to wear eagle feathers as a sign of power and authority." She shivered when thinking back to when she had that sharp stick jammed into her ear to hang the feathers from. "I thought there was more beyond the pack, so I travelled for a few months when I found this pack. I was young, so they didn't see me as a threat, so they welcomed me."
"But what do you mean by things?"
"I've seen wolves be healed under the power of the nature spirits, I've seen the pack healer converse with them. She could tell you things about yourself nobody else could possibly know. She talks to them, and this pack thought I was weird."
"They sound funny." Leo chuckled.
"They were, I told them I'd come back, I haven't yet." She replied and looking at a spot in the ground. She missed her pack, her family, she missed it all. But she shook her head to get the thought out. "But enough of that, I need your help." She added and turning back to trot towards him.
"What do you need?" He asked as she passed and he got up to pursue her.
"There are some things that are up trees, I can't climb." She answered simply. "Swallow eggs bring one."
"Why?" Leo chuckled right beside her.
"One of the ingredients, see what I mean by they're hard to get or come by." She giggled.
"But what is this thing you're making?" He then asked.
"Just a little something that might come in handy some day." She replied, he just shrugged it off, it was her business not his. They walked for twenty minutes before coming to a tree she had been trying so heard to climb. She knew there were eggs up there, and there was evidence that she's been here and attempted to climb it before. The bottom of the truck had several claw markings, indicating her attempts to scale it. Lower branches she was able to get a hold of had similar markings, but none higher then six feet up.
So Leo set to work in climbing for her, this tree was one a toddler could climb, but obviously not a wolf, or an Alpha as it seems. He was at the top in no time, and Sahara guided him from the ground to the nest. He found it soon after, three eggs, Sahara only needed one, so that's all he took and clambered down before the parents came home and found their egg missing and went after the thief. He handled it carefully, as not to break it; Sahara was going to use it all later. She needed his help in the harder things to acquire."
Next on the list, a caribou's antler. Leo asked her if she was some sort of witch, but she answered "sort of". She believes in the spirits and that nature has incredible power with its own nature. It's has it's own consciousness. She believes, as do her pack, that with permission from said spirits and from the right ones, they can do anything. They went to the Valley, simply hacking off a small piece of antler from one of last night's kill with a thick stick and breaking it off. Had Sahara done it, she would have taken days via using her claws to saw into it, too long and too boring when there were things to do, see and other ingredients to collect.
The third item, bark from the highest point of an elder tree, something Leo really didn't fancy doing. The elder trees around here were the tallest around, so it took him a good time and caution to climb without falling. The branches thinned out towards the top, obviously, so he had to be more cautious then ever. The question that ran through his mind was what was so different from the bark at the bottom of the tree compared to the top. He asked her after he retrieved it and climbed down. "It's more pure" she answered. The bark at the top isn't dirty or infected; it's closer to the air, the fresher air of the sky. Untouched by everything.
It took a few hours to collect each ingredient, so by the time they had all they could carry, it was mid-afternoon and a heavy downpour of rain was on its way. They had to get home and inside before it came, no-one wanted to get wet. Sahara still had a few more things she wanted to get, so she continued on, not worried about the rain while Leo began his journey back home. As he reached the den, the rain began to fall, just in the nick of time, he was half way up the slope when the first drop fell, followed by its brothers and sisters in heavier and larger drops. Kate and Humphrey were inside, lying on their sides, chests against the others, nuzzling and kissing, but Humphrey exchanging flirtatious comments and words to her, making her giggle. Kate on the other hand, slowly grinded herself against his bottom, more so, against his lower area. Thankfully, he saw they weren't doing anything, but it still left him scarred to see it.
"Whoa guys!" He exclaimed and turning away. The parents shot up and looked at him awkwardly. Kate rolled over, moving her back against his front half, but she brought her tail her over the top of her hip, something that when Leo turned around again made him suspicious.
"We weren't doing anything!" Kate exclaimed.
"Uh huh…" Leo replied as he walked in unconvinced. "So what was all that?"
"What? Can't we show how much we love one another?" Kate asked and starting to blush under her cheeks.
"But when I'm around?" Leo asked again and walking across the den. He noticed a smell, a smell he scented only marginally yesterday, but it was heavier now. It was a strange smell, nothing enticing, but certainly strange. Both the parents started to blush all the more after seeing he started to sniff the air. "What's that smell?"
"It's that time of year." Humphrey chuckled.
"What time of year?"
"Mating season." Kate answered with a bigger flush of red going to her cheeks. Leo didn't need a second to understand what she was saying, or have a degree to know what just happened between them.
"Did you guys just…!" He yelled in disgust.
"No, we didn't!" Humphrey quickly finished.
"He was helping me a little, nothing wrong with that." Kate giggled.
"Urgh!" Leo cried and walking back out to the back of the den. Both parents just laughed, this was something he was going to have to get used to. Kate shuffled back over and huddled back up to her mate and concealing "him" from view again.
Meanwhile, Tony and Winston were outside Tony's den, having one of their good old spats, about Tony's favourite topic to argue about. "This is your last warning Winston." Tony growled. "Get rid of the human or I will."
"Leo is staying, the pack want him to stay, you have been outvoted."
"Fine but don't say i didn't warn you." He grumbled and walking back into his den.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Winston snarled but confused at it.
"It means I've done something that must be done and can't be undone." Winston didn't like the sound of this, he didn't know what to make of it.
"Tony what have you done?" He dared to ask, so he did.
"What I must." He replied as he faded into the darkness of the den.
Leo sat under the white tree his mother liked to sit under. It covered him mostly from the rain, but he was still getting wet. He shivered, but not from the cold of the rain, but from the thought of what they were doing. His mind was filled against his will with what they could have been doing and he gagged every time a different one came and he shivered more violently.
A few minutes after they were walked in during their intimate, but no mating act, Kate came walking out. Leo heard her step into the entrance and looked over, but then quickly away from her; he couldn't look at her again. She only smiled and walked out to meet him. She sat beside him but he carried on looking away from her and into the distance. The rain was heavy now, coming down fast and hard, it dripped down his cheek and quickly soaked into her fur. The tree provided little shelter. "If it helps, we didn't actually do it." Kate whispered after licking his cheek.
"It's not that I don't mind it, it's just…gross!" He replied but still looking away from her.
"When you find the right girl for you, you'll feel the same as we do." She said. "Mating season is a difficult time for the she-wolves, urges can get the better of us so be thankful you saw me and your father doing that and not me and some other wolf."
"Not helping!" Leo seethed as another horrid picture flashed in his mind. Kate only giggled and shuffled next to him and nosed his arm. She slithered under his arm and rested her head on his chest and adoring his strong, healthy heart beats.
"It's a part of life." She sighed. "One day you'll be like it. Just no time soon got it." She said quickly.
"Got that right, seeing you two has put me right off."
"What about that human girl?" She then asked. "Like her?"
"Naa, we're just friends."
"That's what I said about Humphrey before Alpha school, but now…mates." She laughed.
"I'll take my time." Leo chuckled, but soon they were both laughing as the rain fell on them and he embraced his mother happily rather then by force. Suddenly, there was a howl that quickly subsided the laughs, far too quickly. Leo couldn't make it out, but it didn't sound good. "Who's that?" He asked.
"Not from our pack." Kate said before Leo let her go and the two ran back into the den.
"Who was that?" Humphrey asked as he joined them to run outside.
"Not a clue!" Kate said frantically as she, Humphrey and Leo ran outside and looked down to the Valley, but to see a horrific sight. Wolves that they didn't recognise ran around fighting the pack. So the family didn't waste any time in running down. "Leo stay here!" Kate ordered as they ran as fast as they could.
"No way, this is my pack too!" He shouted to her. They could hear screams, cries, snarls and barks as they ran and as they reached the slope they started diving into the mealy. Kate threw herself at a wolf that had Garth pinned, for once he found a wolf who he'd admit was stronger then him. She dug her claws into its back and with the momentum she gathered, she flipped the wolf off and over while she landed on her feet.
"What happened?" She asked as Humphrey and Leo came running over.
"The Northern pack, they're attacking!" He yelled.
"Where are mom and dad?"
"Around here somewhere!"
"We're here!" Eve screamed at the top of her lungs over the brawls going on all over the place.
"We can't hold them back!" Winston announced.
"Winston we have to leave, the Valley is lost." Garth said, even he was shocked to say it, but there wasn't another choice. They all admitted it. The entire Northern Pack was the fiercest and strongest pack around. They may not have numbers, but they had muscle, and plenty of it.
"RETREAT!" Winston bellowed at the top of his lungs. "RUN INTO THE FOREST!" Mothers came running out of the leader's den carrying pups, some having to run, but those that saw ran to pick one up and run with them to move faster. Leo picked up two he saw lagging behind the others as they started to run for their lives. But constantly he heard these strange wolves yelling "where's the human?" or "there he is!". Were they after him? He didn't care or wait to find out.
Tony emerged from his den with a smile, but that quickly faded when he saw what was happening. His pack was being attacked by the Northern Pack; this wasn't what was supposed to happen! He ran down his slope, and towards Sanali who came trotting towards him with a smile.
"What are you doing?" He demanded.
"I thought over your deal." She said. "Three months didn't seem enough." She grinned. "I was thinking…making it a little closer to permanent."
"That wasn't the deal!" He snapped.
"No, it wasn't, but be thankful sweetie…" She grinned ruefully and licking his cheek. "We got rid of your human."
"He's dead?" He gasped.
"Not dead, but he's run away with the rest of your pack, that's good enough for me."
The Untied Pack ran with the Northerners right behind them. They ran for their lives, they had lost their home; all they knew to do was to run and get distance out of the territory. Garth suggested back to the Eastern Territory, so that's where they ran to. It wasn't only Leo who panted heavily, but the entire pack did. He now only carried one pup; the other's father came running to him and took it, now he ran with a she-pup in his hands. But Garth's plan had one variable they didn't account for, something they tried so long to avoid, but now were about to run straight into it.
They saw a gap in the trees coming; nearly one hundred wolves ran through the trees and close together, wanting to keep an eye on one another while the Northern Pack pursued them. Only, they didn't expect what was going to happen to them. They came bursting through the trees and bushes and into the clearing, but slid to a stop after coming into hell. Before them was the construction site, men with guns, too many of them. Leo came barrelling through, and all the guns were aimed at him, he was who they were after, but they were ready for the wolves should they attack. Leo couldn't believe it, neither could Garth. The construction site cut into the Eastern territory, how could they forget? So they would have to run around, but they didn't. It was the last thing they thought about and went directly towards it, and therefore this place. They couldn't run forward, and they couldn't run back. The Northern Pack concealed themselves in the bushes a little into the trees to box them in. Leo ran in front of the pack and held the she-pup in his arms protectively. The men were stood, knelt and covered behind police cars with the flashing lights blaring in the dimmed lit area and the pouring rain. But there wasn't only the police. Stood in the middle of the wall, was Al, his old head care worker, Caitlyn, Rick and Ciara, his social worker, Robinson the manager of the site and his associates and the other forty were rangers and police, all armed.
"Run back." Leo said as he started moving back.
"We can't." Winston said frantically as the pack began to shake in fear. "The Northern Pack has us boxed in."
"Stay behind me." He said and they all moved as far back as they dared and Kate and Humphrey were right behind him.
"Son, come this way." Someone said through a megaphone. Leo didn't move, he glared back at them. So the megaphone was handed to Al.
"Leo, come back, you're not safe."
"I wasn't safe with you!" Leo bellowed back. "Leave us alone!" The armed men started to spread out and form a semi circle around the wolves. Leo eyed their weapons; they didn't look like any he'd seen before. "Come on back Leo."
"NO!" He screamed. The pack started whispering to themselves and comforting one another. Mates stood with their partners and stood protectively over their pups.
"FIRE!" Someone screamed.
"NO!" Leo bellowed louder as he heard a faint puff of something and a yelp was heard from behind him. Lily fell to the floor, dead? Leo ran up to her and as did her friends and family, but Leo had a small sigh of relief, it was a dart, a tranquiliser, and a fast acting one at that. But then again, another yelp was heard and another wolf of the pack dropped down to the floor, then again, and again. Wolves were starting to go down fast. Leo jumped to his feet adn he placed the pup back down who ran over to its parents, but he was suddenly grabbed by his arms by two people and being dragged back. "LET ME GO!" He bellowed as he started kicking and hitting the two men. Another three had to come in and restrain him, including Al. Kate screamed his name, but as soon as she and Humphrey took one step, they both fell to the ground asleep as they felt a sharp sting in their hip. "MOM, DAD!" Leo cried. Rick and Ciara went to run to help their friend, but then they were pulled back by two others. Leo was slammed against a bonnet of a car as he continued to hear the sounds of silenced bangs yelps and the cry of pups. He was able to look back as the last of them were put to sleep. He grunted and still tried to fight back, managing to kick one of them in his manhood and he fell to the ground.
Sahara couldn't believe what she was seeing, she peeked out another part of the tree line to the sides, her pack were fallen and destroyed. Her Alpha duties and pride came into kick. Her snarl echoed across the site, and a park ranger carrying a real rifle turned as the others heard her thundering paw steps and the squelching of the mud under her paws. Leo saw her running towards them, but he closed his eyes again when he heard the louder bang of a gun. She yelped, but the bullet wasn't true. It grazed her shoulder and she stumbled to the ground. "SAHARA RUN!" Leo screamed. She slid back around and ran back into the trees.
"Let's get him out of here." Al said after they finally managed to get handcuffs on him. He still fought back, cursing and trying to kick free. He saw Winston fall last after giving him a pleading look, but it went unanswered, Leo couldn't do anything. He saw his parents lying were they fell, his family and pack lying there, but he couldn't save them. Rick and Ciara continued to try and help him and he saw them.
"Guys find Sahara, please, she hurt!" He yelled to them before being dragged away and he continued to kick and yell.
"I told you kid." Robinson smirked as he passed him. "You lose." Leo was then put into a car and the door slammed and locked behind him. He just lost everything…again.
Major chapter here guys, nothing really to say other then lets hope it turns out better then it looks like it could. My backs aching and it's late, so goodnight folks. Until next time. :P
By the way, who hear likes crime or war genre stories? Just a question, let me know in a review or PM. :D
The FalconWolf