A Son of Wolves

Chapter 19: Getting A Life Back

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Ciara asked.

"We have to, for Leo." Rick answered. It was the same day that they went to see Leo, they same day they saw how crap he looked. He couldn't live in there, that wasn't how he was supposed to live. He looked far better in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wolves; he was better that way and in that life, not of that behind bars and in a tiny room as he says. They didn't need his higher empathic levels to see all that, to see that he needed to get out of there or at least have some peace to his mind. His wish was for them to seek out Sahara and make sure she was still ok, but there was a down side to that.

Leo warned them about the forest, about what had happened to him and the pack to make them foolishly forget they were running in the direction of the construction site. He told them how the territory now belonged to another wolf pack that wouldn't think twice about attacking any human, how they were after him, that was why they attacked, they came for him. They are the Northern Pack, known by the pack's of Jasper for their bloodlust for humans and said to be the strongest pack for miles around. They may not have numbers, but they are all trained fighters. Sahara, if she was alive, would be a danger from them, she too could fight, and she would after she saw what happened to the pack and what they nearly did to her. She was also a danger to them now, so they had to be wary if they found her.

So here the two were, standing side by side where Leo first walked into the forest when he ran away. He directed them here; coming from this side of the forest was far safer and would lead them towards the Valley via the east. The Northern pack may be fierce, but they wouldn't enter or come near human territory. They looked up at the cascading trees, nerves of what was waiting for them inside getting to them. If they weren't killed by another predator, then they would be by this other pack, if not them, then by Sahara if they didn't make her see sense. But Leo assured them that if they proved they were harmless and wanted to help, then she'd help them back.

Rick looked over to Ciara and she did back, they gulped and took a hold of the others hand. He smiled. "Let's find her." And they both stepped into the natural city. They held the other's hand tighter as they walked side by side and together through this place.

But only twenty minutes into the walk, did that question come into their minds. How on earth were they going to find her amongst hundreds of miles of territory? It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Only this was finding one, single wolf within hundred of miles of land. It could take them weeks, or they could run into her the over the next bush or around the next tree. More questions started running through their heads. Could they remember what she looked like? Would she attack them? Would they run in to this other pack? How were they going to communicate? It was obvious from what Leo told them they could understand all humans, but how were they going to know what she was saying? If they found her that was and hadn't died either from the pack or her wounds. They wouldn't admit it to one another, but they had low hopes that she'd be alive. It's been over a week, so the chances that she bled out, if not caught by this other pack were high.

It was now just passed mid-day; they had walked for two hours, slowly getting themselves more into the forest, but also more anxious. The deeper they went, the more they began to fear of this pack that weren't afraid about humans. They took a break, resting on a log and letting their anxiety of this pack finding them first get to them. "Scared?" Rick questioned.

"A little, you?" She asked back. Suddenly, there were barks and howls in the distance. They looked ahead of them where they sounds came from. They jumped to their feet and listened as the feral barks only drew closer.

"Terrified." He gulped in response. Why weren't they running, why weren't they getting out of here when it was so obvious that they were about to be found here but either wild dogs or this pack. But then, a wolf burst out of the bushes ahead of them and still came running towards them, but looking back. But then it looked forward and slid to a stop when it saw the humans. It was a pure white wolf, not a hint of anything else. "We're so dead." Rick said as she moved Ciara behind him. The wolf looked around frantically, but also remained cautious about them. It looked to its right, but then they saw something. Two eagle feathers dangled from its left ear and its shoulder caked in dried blood and what looked like bark covering most of it.

"Wait, isn't that her?" Ciara asked pointing to the feathers. "Sahara?" She then called out. The wolf spun its head around and looked at them. "Sahara if that's you come closer." It quickly took a few steps closer to them as the barks and snarls grew louder. "Leo sent us, come on we can get out of here." Sahara took one claw and began moving it around the dirt quickly before stepping back and tapping it. They read it.

"Follow." They remembered when Leo's mother did it to them, but this still left them gob smacked. She then took off towards and passed them with the humans in hot pursuit. They barks still became louder, enough to show they were still following them.

They ran and ran, still with barks and howls behind them and what sounded like surrounding them as well. Sahara sprinted ahead towards a small mound in the earth and around it. When they caught up, they found her trying to move what looked like a large rock out the way in the side of this mound. She looked up to them with pleading eyes and hit this rock. "She wants us to move it." Ciara said as she and Rick moved towards it and Sahara stepped back. It took a moment to loosen it, but they managed to finally move it out them way. They noticed around this rock were sticks covered with sweet and strong smelling flowers. There was a hole underneath, and a tunnel leading down. Large enough for a person to crouch down and walk down into. Sahara bolted down into the hole, followed by Ciara and lastly Rick who pulled the rock back into its place and sealed the hole again. He stayed still and listened as moments later he heard the barks just on the other side and the thundering paw steps of whatever it was chasing them run passed. He sighed in relief before turning and crawling on his hands and knees down the tunnel.

He only went a few steps as a crawl before it widened and he crawled into a dome like room under the ground. It was five feet high and around the same wide. Ciara sat on her heels on one side and Sahara on the other, both panting away. Rick sat beside his friend and pulled her into a hug, but while he did that, Sahara took her claw again and started writing into the dirt before them. When she was done, she whined quietly, and making them look at her and then down to see the word "Gone?" carved into the ground.

"Yeah, they're gone." He answered. Even they could make out a sigh of relief her her as Sahara breathed heavily. They looked around the hole, it was spacious, for one wolf that was, not a wolf and two humans. On one side of the room were small piles of different coloured flower petals and leaves by the looks of things. They looked back to Sahara after hearing her whine and tapping the floor again.

"Leo?" She questioned and looked at them with hope.

"Leo's ok, he's safe for now." Ciara replied in awe. She wiped it clear and wrote another.

"Pack?"

"The pack were taken to a zoo not far from the edge of the forest, they're safe as well and together." She answered again but with a small laugh at how incredible this was. They were communicating with a wolf! Never did they think this was possible.

"Why laugh?" She then asked into the dirt.

"It's weird." Rick chuckled. "We never thought this was possible."

"How can you understand us but we can't understand you? Leo can." Ciara said. Sahara wiped the words clear again and wrote.

"Leo believes." They humans looked at one another, not really understanding what she was saying. Sahara sighed and rolled her eyes before writing again. "Believe and understand." Then beside that. "Imagination."

"If we believe you can talk, then we'll understand you?" Ciara questioned and Sahara nodded.

"We do believe, we know you can understand us, so Leo must understand you." She shook her head and after clearing the writing spelt.

"Not enough." And then beside that. "Deeper." They needed to really believe this was possible; maybe they did in their minds, but not in their hearts. They needed to believe completely, inside and out, in mind and heart. But they didn't know how. They thought and were pretty sure they did believe, but obviously they didn't enough. Sahara saw they were struggling to come to terms with it and once more wiped clear the words and wrote a single word. "Real." She took a paw full of dirt and threw it at them. They were covered in it and it flew into their eyes. They groaned and seethed at the same time she underlined the word "Real" and whined. While their vision cleared, she walked over to the other side of the small den and pulled out a small root sticking out the wall and spun it on one claw like a human does with a basketball. The humans looked at her in amazement before she then threw that at Rick, walked over the word and with a bark she underlined it again as if saying "this is all real". She walked over to them and pushed them both back a little with some force before walking to the writing and underlining it again. She sat opposite them and ripped off the bark covering her bleeding shoulder. She seethed and whined louder as she placed her paw over it and wiped it over their chests. Her blood started to paint them as she whined and whined and whined and…spoke.

"…This real enough? Do I have to do anything more to get you to understand some simple words that I say?!" She exclaimed. The humans gasped, Ciara screaming quietly.

"You talked." She gasped.

"You understand me now?" Sahara asked as she stopped wiping her blood in Rick.

"Yeah we do." He gasped. "But how?"

"The same way Leo did." She smiled weakly and turning her back to them to walk back to the other side of the hole. "Through his imagination and belief."

"Ok, writing is one thing, seeing you move your mouth and words coming out is another!" Rick laughed lightly.

"Humans, simple minded." Sahara said as she picked up the bark and placed it back on her shoulder. She winced and dropped it again to cover it with her paw; it hurt too much to put it back on.

"Is that the gun shot?" Ciara asked.

"Yeah, I managed to stop it bleeding for a little while." Sahara sighed and looking back up to them.

"We brought something that might help." Rick said while removing his rucksack. He pulled out something she recognised, the same stuff Leo used on Lily after she was shot, that "bandage" as he called it. "Do you mind?" He asked.

"No, please." She said shuffling towards them. He moved over to her on his knees as she lifted her leg so he could start wrapping it around near her shoulder. "Did I say "simple minded"? I meant clever." She giggled lightly.

"We did some bad things, we don't blame you." Ciara replied.

"You didn't, I knew what you two were like the day I met you. You aren't like the others, you're like Leo." She smiled but then winced when Rick tightened the bandage.

"Sorry, almost done."

"You said Leo and the pack are fine." She said.

"Leo was taken to a place to try and cure him again like before, only far worse." Ciara sighed. "The pack is in a zoo, they're safe as well."

"A zoo?"

"A place animals are taken to be looked at by humans, with fences and being fed food rather then having to hunt for it."

"That sounds horrid." Sahara gasped.

"We spoke with Leo this morning..." Rick said after tying the ends together. "He wanted us to find you and make sure you were ok."

"He's sweet." She sighed. "But the pack is destroyed, our territory has been taken, we're fallen." She added and hanging her head. "I mean, we've tried everything to get them to go but…"

"We?" Ciara interjected. Sahara grinned and leaned in closer.

"I have a wolf on the inside."

Meanwhile, Tony sat on the rise outside that was once his friends den, but now Sanali's. He had his own; he wasn't going to take advantage of anything now things were like this. He watched as the Northern Wolves paraded happily across the Valley, his territory. This wasn't how he wanted things to go; this wasn't how he pictured it. All they were supposed to do was kill the human, not chase out his pack. He gave Sanali and her pack strict orders to attack the human once he's not around the pack. But no, they chose to take the Valley. They only lost two wolves, Tony's lost none, but they lost their home, and Tony his pack. He sat with a good posture, trying to look proud and prideful, but he wasn't. He was free to do as he wished here, but he was still very much a prisoner. He couldn't leave the Valley without Sanali's top Alphas going with him as an escort. He was snarled at, even abused by the Northerners for fun, but he wasn't going to let it damage his pride.

He made the wrong choice, he made the wrong decision, he wished he could have taken it back and left it after his brawl with Leo. Sure he may be the beta of this new pack, but it wasn't the same. Sanali may not admit it, but he was as much of as prisoner here. He was limited to the things he could do. And to put more shame on top of that, her best Alpha's and right paw wolves, were she-wolves. She brought the girls of the pack up and made them higher then the males. No more were they going to be the victims of rape and abuse; they were the ones to dish the dirt, not them. But this was all after she murdered her father; they were all used to this change now.

Sanali emerged out of the den behind him, but stood as she stared at him. Why didn't they get married, why did he not propose to her? They had a pup due to their mistakes at Alpha School, taking it to irresponsible standards when they mated the day she came into heat for the first time so when she conceived, she didn't know, neither did Tony or her father when she came home that she was even in heat or did. It was weird. He was coming to the end of his remaining months at Alpha School whereas she first started. They grew close, and a part of his assessment was that he teaches the new arrivals, but he grew closer to her. When he left, he came back to visit and the two only grew closer when they mated towards the end of her last few weeks.

But that time was over, she missed it, the fun times they used to have, just stupid, irresponsible young wolves. Now they were old, creaky even, but they were experienced and wise in a way. She smiled and walked outside towards him, grinding her side against his. Tony didn't look, he knew it was her. She may have been trying to seduce him, but he wasn't going to do that again, not after she lied to him. What he may have felt towards her was no more. But then again, thyey never felt anything towards one another, they only sought out company when it first started. He didn't do anything but sit there and look over what was once his. She stopped after seeing it wasn't working and sat beside him. "I'm sorry sweetie…" She said a leaning her head against his shoulder. He simply shoved her away with a light snarl. She was shocked to say the least. "How can I make it up to you?" She asked sweetly and moving back against his side. This time he didn't move, he just let her do it, but still paid no attention.

"Leave." He rasped. "Leave and don't come back."

"Now that's not going to happen, we all know that." She giggled and resting her head on his shoulder. He seethed as she did, but he made no attempt to stop her, it was mind over matter. "Come on sweetie, it's not the end of the world."

"I lost my son…." He muttered. "…Our son." He added then glaring back down at her as she lifted her head to look back at him. "I lost my pack, my friend and my family. It's the end of my world." He growled before walking away.

"At least you still have your territory."

"I'm not even granted permission to move without you sending your bitches for me." He snarled as one walked around the side of the den to walk after him. Sanali motioned for her friend to stay put, so she did and Tony walked away. He walked across the Valley and into the trees where he was finally able to do as he pleased without the fear of being beaten or insulted. But he had plans of his own which he couldn't do while being followed.

He walked for an hour until he found the scent of what he was looking for, of who he was looking for. He sighed; relieved to know she was ok. He walked a little while longer until he came to a mound in the earth, behind it, a large flat stone with potent smelling flowers that disguised her scent. But there was something else; there was more then one scent here, humans.

Leo paced back and forth in the time out room after starting a fight with another child. The Doctors thought it would be a good idea for two clinical lycanthropy patients to be put together and see how they were not mentally healthy by themselves, but oh no, it was worse. Leo did see how this kid was crazy, and being the same age as he, he had no problem putting this sorry excuse for a wolf in his place. Leo admittedly received a few blows before they were separated, but he won the fight. But now he was suffering the consequences.

The time out room was a room with cushioned walls and sealing with a light high up and out of reach. There was a single window, but bared, and on the other side was a three story drop. He paced back and forth as the claustrophobic anxiety of the room started to hit home. The room wasn't exactly small, but it still gave him a feeling it was half the size it was. He tried mind over matter, something his mother taught him, and it seemed to help. If he convinced his mind it was only playing tricks on him, then it wouldn't hurt him. He didn't know why he was being bothered about these closed rooms, he hadn't before. He hadn't had nightmares or visions of his demon, one thing that made him feel better. But then again, it didn't. He was relived that these pills he was taking for it helped, but it just didn't feel…right. It was like he was supposed to see it. He felt, in a way, better when it was around. But now it was like it had vanished. But surly not, it was all in his mind…right?

But anyway, he was happier that it was gone then worried. Although, he was worried that he wasn't going to get out of here. He was now called by the doctors "the wild one", by the way he is and how his actions and moods were wild and erratic, they weren't able to predict what he was going to do in certain situations. He refused to talk to the doctors, other children, he refused to socialize with anyone, even his head care worker who still came to visit every day, he just wanted to leave, and he made it clear before he was put in here. But he was then told he wouldn't until he admitted this was all in his head.

He stood still and wiped his hands down his face while he took a deep breath to calm him. He had to get out of here soon before things only got worse for him and the pack. He had to find his parents, he had to be with them, he had to get them out the zoo. He needed to be smart to think around what he'd face, he needed to be cunning to get passed the doctors, he needed to be fast to run, he needed to be alert, he needed… he needed the wolf.

He stared at a spot on the wall, it was so clear now; he was able to do the things before because he had the wolf. He was acrobatic like an alpha and his mother because he had the wolf; he was who he was because he had the wolf. As much as he hated it, he now came to realise that the wolf was who made him who he was. Without it, he would have been here all this time, never reunited with his family or saved his aunt. Nothing he's done or been able to do, would have been possible if he didn't have it. But now it was gone, he knew it wasn't right to take those medicines to make it go away, it just wasn't right. But the doctors always said it was in his head, so what if they were right? If it was in his head then surely all he had to do was bring it back and reel in his wolf, right?

"Ok, ok, ok." He said looking around. He needed a reflection; he never saw it in or against anything else. The window! He spun around and looked back at the partly open window; he wasn't just about able to see his own reflection as a sort of black mist in it due to him being across the other side of the room. He slowly took steps towards it. "Please, I need you." He said. "I'm sorry I said I didn't need you, but please, I need you now. I can't live without you." He closed his when he was only two steps from seeing his reflection clearly. "I'm a wolf; I need the spirit of a wolf." He took those last two steps and opened his eyes. As his head, he saw a wolf's head, that grey and tawny furred wolf stared back at him with a grin. It was so clear now; this wolf was half his father and half his mother. It had a grey face; lighter grey around its muzzle but with white running under its chin and neck and its ears the light brown. Only, its eyes were of the darkest, deepest orange. This wolf was the son of Kate and Humphrey, this wolf was in Leo, well…that's what he hoped. The wolf raised its transparent left paw and placed it against the glass, this time, not in time with Leo. But he copied his action and placed his hand on the other side.

He closed his eyes as his senses and alertness were brought to a whole new level or weird. It was like he was being filled with something, but it filled a gap in his chest that had been empty for so long. For so long he had denied who he was. He was a wolf, son of Kate and Humphrey of the United Pack, and he was going to get them back.

He opened his eyes and back to his reflection, this time his own. But there was still something strange about it. He saw his face, but there was like an aura around him that played some mind trick that still made his see that wolf. The wolf was a part of him now. Once on two sides of the same coin, but one on one side, sharing one side, sharing one body. But at a closer look, he saw how his mind was fooling him. His eyes were that deep orange of that wolf. He laughed, happy to accept this, his mind still played with him. "Leo!" A voice yelled from out the window. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, did he really hear that.

"Hey, I can smell you're up there!" Another female's voice yelled up. He leaned over and looked out through the bars and nearly laughed in hysterics and disbelief. Rick, Ciara and Sahara stood in the alleyway underneath. "See told you." Sahara giggled and shoving Ciara.

"What are you guys doing here?" Leo asked.

"Showing you Sahara's ok, she wanted to come."

"How do you know?"

"That's a story we'll be happy to tell you when you come out." Tony said as he walked out from around a corner. Leo scowled down at him. "I'm sorry for what I did to you and to the pack. I can never take it back. But we need you; you are the one that's supposed to save the pack from the humans, so get your butt down here and do that." He smiled.

"Did you just say something, nice, to me?" Leo asked in shock.

"It took some talking!" Rick shouted up.

"Don't get used to it either. Think of it as a temporary partnership." Tony added with a smile. Leo smiled back; for once he started to see the nice side of Tony.

"So are you coming down?" Sahara asked.

"Not as easy as it sounds, there's a lot of doors and guys to get passed."

"Well get to it!" Rick called up. "It was hard to get them here unnoticed, so hurry up before we're seen!"

"We'll wait down here." Tony smiled again, something Leo was still amazed to see, but he was happy to see it. He walked back and looked around, how was he going to get out of here?

"Ok, think, think, think." He said looking around.

Across the town, a young keeper to the zoo's latest additions was doing his rounds. 2:00pm, feeding time for the pack. He whistled a tune he was listening to via his Ipod as he walked through the zoo with a wheel borrow of meat. Children and parents gasped and "ew'd" as he passed, but he had gotten enough of that to no longer care, but also because he wasn't eating it, so what was there it care about. He liked his job, although he hadn't been doing it long, he loved it more then anything. Twenty three years old and with the job he always wanted.

He reached the outside of the fences and as he walked around he looked inside. There was nothing to be seen, not a movement anywhere. He gulped at the creepy feeling of being watched from within as he carried on and his whistling grew louder. He walked through the "staff only" gates and to the part the keepers threw in the food. But just as he was about the throw in the first chunk, he stopped at seeing something. A small, pink object lying ten feet inside the enclosure. He dropped the meat and walked up to the gate to narrow his vision. It looked like some baby's doll that must have been somehow thrown over. It was his job to remove dangers and things that didn't belong. So he grabbed a fire extinguisher which was regulation to take inside and opened the gate. He stepped inside, removed the catch of the extinguisher and made sure to lock the gate. He stood for a moment, he still didn't see or hear anything other then the parents and children looking though the fence up a hill and to his left. He took a deep breath and walked quickly but quietly towards the toy, oh how he hated children sometimes to make him risk his life by walking into a fenced area with wolves that have been known to kill humans before. All for a toy!

He neared it, and as he bent down to pick it up, he heard a growl. He shot his head up, and emerging out of the bushes was a large, grey wolf which the zoo came to discover the Alpha Leader. He picked up the toy and pointed the extinguisher at the wolf and started backing away towards the gate. The wolf followed after him, but when it came too close, the keeper let loose the extinguisher for a burst, spraying the wolf in the face. It yelped in freight and whimpered and ran away. The keeper smiled a little, but it was then replaced with a fearful face when another tawny brown wolf stepped out of the bushes, then another grey one, then another, and another. The pack started to come out, snarling, hackles raised and teeth bore at the human in their territory. He gulped; he didn't have enough for the entire pack.

He chanced it and took of running in the direction of the gate. The humans behind the fence gasped and some screamed when the wolves stated running after him. He cried out for help as well. He reached the gate and was able to unlock the catch. He pulled it open, but before he could step through it, he was grabbed by the jaws of that grey one by his leg, then a red one by his other. Then a pure white one another pulled his arm before the entire pack jumped on him and pulled him back. He screamed and the people behind the fences did also and started running away. But not because of what they saw, well…maybe that too, but no. They screamed...because they saw the gate still open.

Sorry it's been a while guys, had a busy week at work so i haven't had time to do it. I have come to a decision that i will finish this story first on the fact that there aren't many chapters left to it. But not only that, there is going to be two alternative endings, one of which my regular reviewers may enjoy. But anyway, for those who don't like cliffhangers, *cough*lonelywithbadenglish2*cough*...sorry. :S Things are getting intense now. The United Pack have gone baserk and killed a zoo keeper, Tony's nice and wronged side has finally emerged and he's come to see that Leo and his friends are the ones to bring back what was once his, Leo has come to terms with his inner wolf and is now one with it. I may have to admit, this may be one of my favourite chapters this far. What do you think? Read and Review to find out what happens next. Until next time. :)