When the Thompson Alpha's roar tore through the air, Aiden leapt to his feet, shifting in an instant to his hybrid form. In his distraction, his mind lifted from Raph and his pack. Raph hurried to reach Gabby as she scrambled away from her distracted tormentor. He gathered her naked form against his chest. She was shaking.
"It's okay. I got you. We're safe." He reassured her as he hurried her away from the fight. She suddenly went limp in his arms. "Gabby?" he asked but her relief was so intense after all that feat that she couldn't respond. She just blinked slowly at him. "Ronnie!" He called.
Saffron hurried over, still in her hybrid form. She sniffed at the woman in his arms before shifting back to human form. She checked her eyes and her pulse. "I think she's in shock." She concluded. "She should be fine. When they sort this mess out she'll need to eat something. We need to get her somewhere safe." She looked around at the mess of dead bodies. Some were from the Thompson pack but the majority were Aiden's followers. They had fled when it was obvious that they had brought more wolves than even Aiden had the power to control.
The other members of Raph's pack walked up to them. He handed Gabby off to her Mother and sister and they quickly found some clothes for her from the damaged truck. All of the other wolves had retreated and the Thompson wolves were cleaning up what mess was left. Raph talked with each member of his pack to make sure they were okay before turning to his brothers and Master Splinter.
"That was pretty intense." Mikey said, his usual boyish exuberance dimmed by what he had witnessed. All of the brothers nursed small injuries, and Mikey held his arm in an awkward position. Donnie was looked it over.
"Dislocated." He said. "I'm going to pop it back in." With a quick pull and a jerk of pain from Mikey, the joint slid back into place. "Maybe have one of the girls lick it later." He advised and then turned to Raph. "That was more than I expected." He sighed. "He's been using his mind a lot longer than Gabby."
"I don't ever want that guy near my pack again. Ever." Raph practically growled.
"We don't either." Leo told him. "We gotta get them somewhere safe and then we can talk about what we need to do to keep them that way."
"We should check and see if it's okay to move forward." Donnie said. "The sooner we have the protection from the full pack, the better."
They turned back and after a quick conversation with the Thompson Alpha, they piled back in to the dented and torn truck and were off. Gabby was regaining control of her adrenaline riddled body and was nibbling on some jerky. She was visibly shaken and her mother and sister parted as their Alpha came forward. He took her jaw in his hand and tilted her face up until her eyes met his.
"You were very brave." He said. "I'm proud of how long you were able to hold out and I'm sorry I couldn't keep him away from you. We're going somewhere he won't be able to get you or anyone else in this pack and then we're going to find his weakness and we're going to take care of him. Alright?"
She nodded her head and he released her. They crossed into the Thompson Territory and after about an hour and a half pulled into the driveway of their new home. It was an updated farm with a huge house and a big barn. Gabby was feeling monumentally better. Raph hadn't left her side, sensing her need for his presence through the bond and he had allowed her to lean against him and take from his strength. It was the most physical contact he had ever had with anyone since he was a child and he used to love hugs from his father. Even so, Raph had always been a protector and those instincts were still in the forefront of his mind so soon after seeing someone he was responsible for almost get raped.
They exited the van and truck and began unloading even as three more vehicles pulled up. Raph stood tense and ready but relaxed when he saw the man who had come to their rescue. He was only a couple inches shorter than Raph and had sandy hair and light blue eyes. He looked like he was maybe in his forties and looked very physically fit. He approached Raph and stuck a hand out.
"I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk earlier but as you know, getting everyone back onto pack lands was more important. I'm glad to get the chance to finally meet you in person."
"Thanks." Raph said. He had never really been one for words and he wasn't sure how to respond to this man in any case. He wished Gabby was out here to guide him though wolf etiquette. The thought irritated him a bit. He didn't like having to rely on anyone for anything.
"If you want we can give you guys a tour and then help you move in. There should be plenty of space for everyone."
Raph nodded his consent and they walked towards the house where Brandy was standing with the keys. They caught up to them just as they were going inside. Falling into the end of the line, the Thompson Alpha let out a sharp growl.
"Who's on heat?" He demanded his eyes flashing.
Everyone turned around in shock at the anger rolling off the Alpha. "It's me." Gabby admitted.
"Why was I not told?" He demanded.
"It only just started today." Brandy cut in, concerned about the aggressive stance of the Alpha. Raph was reacting instinctively. He put himself between the Alpha and his pack, his arms crossed.
"Back off." He warned.
"This is MY territory." Carl growled. "I am responsible for every Were life inside of it and that now includes your pack. Her heat puts her in danger."
"How?" Brandy asked, confused.
"I assume by what I saw when I came to rescue you that Aiden knows?" He looked at Gabby who nodded. "He has about a seven day window to make his way past our defenses, find a way into your house, and take you back. You know his considerable powers. Even with security we can't hope to hold him off that long, not from here anyway. We need to get her to the compound where I can assemble enough Weres to keep his mind powers at bay. We were lucky enough to surprise him this last time, and I was smart enough to bring a ludicrous number of wolves for a rescue mission. If he has time to strategize and you stay here you don't stand a chance."
Raph felt for his bond with Brandy. "Is it true?" He asked. He felt her affirmation through the bond.
"And my pack will be safe in your compound?" He asked.
"A hell of a lot safer than they would be anywhere else." The Alpha said. "Besides, I'm guessing you yourself don't have a lot of experience with a wolf heat. She'll want to den and we have denning rooms. She'll want to run and we'll have enough pack members to protect her while she does. I also think it would be good for them to be reintroduced to normal pack life. It's been a long time since they've had anything close to that." He turned his sympathetic gaze on to the females behind Raph. He knew there was no way they had any semblance of a normal pack life under Aiden and he knew how much a wolf needed a healthy pack life.
Raph still stood tense before the Thompson Alpha. He wasn't ready to just hand his trust over to the man and was suspicious of his motives. He knew a wolf heat was a big deal but he had no idea how safe she was around other males and she wasn't about to have another almost rape situation on his hands. He wanted everyone to leave them be. He wanted to take his pack and lock them away until the danger was passed but he could feel the yearning coming down his alpha bonds. Each of the girls wanted to take the Thompson Alpha's offer. They needed it and that was the one and only thing that made him give in.
"I won't be away from her side until her heats over." He demanded.
"I understand." The Alpha replied. "We'll introduce her to a denning room and you'll be set up right outside her door if that's what you want."
With a nod, Raphael relaxed a little bit. They hurriedly unloaded the vans into the house and grabbed what they would need for the compound, which wasn't much seeing as the compound was fully furnished and had stashed of clothes, toiletries, and all kinds of entertainment. They left the van behind and April drove the truck back after the turtles vouched for April's ability to keep a secret.
Over the half hour drive home, Gabby was having a hard time controlling her instincts. She was seated next to Raph whose intoxicating scent made her insides tighten. She could also scent Leo across from her whose scent was only very slightly less appealing to her because he wasn't an Alpha. Her hormones were building steam and her body started releasing faint trails of pheromones that would only get stronger as her heat progressed.
Raph kept glancing down at the dark haired beauty beside him. He had always thought she was a looker but he hadn't really thought about perusing her for a number of different reasons but the longer they sat in silence in the car, the less he could remember what those reasons were. Her light, sweet scent was delicious and the way she was fidgeting restlessly made him want to pin her down. He shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? This was his She-Alpha, his friend and he was supposed to be protecting her, not thinking about shoving his tongue down her throat, among other places. His mind flooded in embarrassment as he tightened his bonds with the pack so they wouldn't be able to sense what he was feeling. Her eyes collided with his and he could see desire in them. He glared at her and then turned his gaze away, angry at himself for the direction of his thoughts. He wasn't the only one.
Leo was looking at Gabby like he had never seen her before either. Had she always smelled so sweet? Had her skin always been so glowing? Were her lips always that kissable? Leo's eyes traveled the length of her body and he caught himself wondering what she wore beneath her usual jeans and sweatshirt. He shook his head and made himself look away. When had he become such an animal? He was the most centered of his brothers. He should have better control. He didn't understand where all of these thoughts and feelings were coming from. The other wolves in the van knew though.
Each and every wolf in that van was struggling to keep themselves in check. A She-Alpha in heat was something a lesser wolf wouldn't be able to control himself around. The smell was maddening and all of them were thankful it was only the first day and they only had so far to go. Most of them, with the acceptation of the Alpha, were sporting painful erections. One of the younger betas began skootching closer, sniffing at her. She could scent his arousal and his scent was not as appealing as the rich scent of her Alpha or his brother and so she let out a low growl which immediately made Raph tense up and turn his hard eyes onto the beta who was pretty close to his age. The beta froze under the Alpha stare and then lowered his eyes and skootched back where he was. Gabby could have purred at the display of dominance but she shook her head and fidgeted some more. She was super restless. The Thompson Alpha was right. She wanted to den and as soon as it was ready she wanted to run with the pack. She wanted to test the males and pick one to breed with. Again she shook her head. "No breeding." She told herself firmly.
As soon as they arrived, the betas bailed out of the truck, shifting in an instant, shredding their clothes as they didn't have the special amulets that the girls had. Luckily the turtles had been prepared for the nudity. They had been learning about pack life for the last month so they would be able to coexist with the wolves. The Thompson Alpha led them to the compound into a hallway in the far end of the left wing.
"These are our denning rooms. They're nearest to the female Beta training center so that they neither tempt the males with their scent nor sounds. Also, if the need arises, there's always a female beta close by should a male become too pushy. Luckily we only have one unmated female on heat right now and she's nearly done so you should have the quarters mostly to yourself." He directed the last part to Gabby who was eagerly craning her neck to see into the rooms. "You may pick any but the second to the last room which Emmaline is currently using."
Gabby rushed forward peeking into each room. There were a total of fifteen, some large and expansive, some just big enough for a full bed and a nightstand. Gabby chose one on the smaller side. It had a deep brown color with tan carpeting. She dimmed the lights so it wasn't so bright and then went to the bed. She growled and pushed it into the corner. Raph tried to go in and help but she turned and growled at him, her eyes flecked with amber.
"Her wolf is in charge." Saffron informed him. "The female makes the den and the male only provides materials." She reached into her bag that was slung around her shoulder and pulled out a neatly folded blanket. "This is her denning blanket. For some reason she's never satisfied with her den until it's in there. Hand it to her but shake it out first. She won't like it folded."
Raph took the fluffy blanket and sook it out. It was pretty big but it was thin and light. He approached her again and again she growled but he held it out to her and she stepped forward to take it. She was again caught by his scent and her wolf wanted his scent on that blanket and the only way she could think to make that happen was for him to be in her den. She fixed the pillows on the bed until they formed a nice even rise along the walls and then she covered them first with the comforter and then her blanket. Then she pinned her eyes on Raph.
"Get in." She demanded, using her command voice. He felt the power of it through their bond and while he didn't feel the same compulsion to follow it as she would if the situation was reversed, it did convey how absolutely serious she was about it and that alone made him settle back onto the pillows.
"I'll set a cot up outside of the door. If the rest of you want, I can show you to your rooms." The Thompson Alpha told the remaining pack.
"Thank you, Alpha." Brandy said.
"Please, call me Carl." He replied
"Thank you, Carl." She corrected herself. She turned back to Raph who was looking a bit lost as Gabby wrapped her blanket around him. "She's throwing off pheromones." She told him as Gabby ignored her. "When you're thoughts and urges get to be too much, leave her in there and lock the door. She'll be fine and we'll come back to help out in a little while."
"Poor Raph." Donnie said as he followed the rest of the pack back towards the main part of the compound.
"Poor Raph?" Mikey asked. "He's got a hot girl that wants to get laid all over him. Why couldn't it be me?"
"C'mon Mikey, he can't do anything with her that would be breaking her trust. Besides, I'm not sure he sees her like that seeing as he's responsible for her and all." Leo reasoned.
"If she's throwing pheromones he's going to be looking at her that way." Donnie informed them. "That's the whole point of pheromones. I just hope Raph knows his limits."
"You all have developed very strong discipline over the years." Splinter said. "I trust him to know himself and the situation and react accordingly."
Carl took the odd pack and showed them to the guest wing where each of them chose a room. They were large, neat, and full of natural light and the turtles couldn't help but love it, seeing as they had resided in sewers for twenty-three years. They deposited their things in their rooms and Carl, who was a busy man, introduced them to an Omega named Britta. She gave them a tour of the entire compound. She showed them where they could eat, where they could train and work out, where they could find games and movies and clothes. She showed them the pool and the jogging paths that disappeared off into the woods.
"We have over 600 acres of private land." She explained. "And that butts up to a ton of state land that not a lot of people have access to. Thompson wolves come from miles around to run and mate and give birth here because it's safe."
She steered them towards the medical facilities and Saffron's interest peaked. In a normal pack she would have trained to be a Beta, but Aiden had stunted her training and instead had her train for medical and that was fine with Saffron. She wanted to protect the pack as much as any Beta but her medical training was invaluable to her and it was something she enjoyed. Donnie was also interested because where the medical facility was, the lab was. There were a few labs actually with one set aside specifically for anyone in the pack who wanted to do any scientific exploration. Donnie drooled over all of the up to date, high tech equipment. He began to realize that there were more perks to joining this pack than just not having to hide anymore.
By the time they finished the tour of the expansive grounds and buildings, the sun had finally risen and breakfast was being served. Britta brought the pack into the dining hall and the wolves there stared openly at the turtles. Everyone was seated and Carl came in and introduced them as guests and asked that they be treated respectfully. Everyone dug in to the wonderful homemade meal. When the pack had finished, Leo and Mikey each loaded up a container for Raph and Gabby and they headed back to the denning rooms.
When they walked into Gabby's room, they couldn't help but laugh. Gabby was exhausted after the long night of fear and adrenaline and now that she had her den completed and her Alpha's scent saturated the room she had fallen asleep…. Right on him. Raph was at a loss. She had been acting so weird that he hadn't known what to do and she had just crawled right on top of him, settled her small frame right on his chest, and promptly fell asleep. She hadn't even changed into pajamas or anything.
"Shut up." Raph growled as Mikey practically howled with laughter at the uncomfortable look on his brother's face.
"You can move her." Brandy chuckled. "She needs to wake up and eat before she naps again anyway.
Raph unceremoniously shoved her off of him and she woke up with a growl. "They brought breakfast." He said as Leo handed him his dish. Gabby snatched hers away from Mikey and ate ravenously. When she finished she crawled back into her bed and fell right back asleep. Raph exited the room and collapsed on his cot.
"Wake me up when it's time for lunch." He said. He'd had enough of everything and just wanted to sleep.
The rest of the pack left him in peace and headed back to their rooms to catch up on their own sleep. It had certainly been an interesting month and they wondered and worried what the next few weeks would bring.
On the third day of Gabby's heat, a call went out. Aiden's men had breached the boarder and were heading for the compound. Gabby was at the peak of her heat for the next two days and if Aiden got a hold of her he would easily impregnate her. Raph was updated on the situation and he wanted to keep it from Gabby until he knew Aiden would be close enough to cause a serious threat. She had been moody and demanding and hard to contain. She wanted to run in the forest but with Aiden a real threat, she was kept inside much to her displeasure. She wouldn't even talk to him at the moment. He sighed. He knew she needed to be kept updated about the Aiden situation. He walked into her denning room to find her naked, her hands running all over her body. He understood she needed to find some kind of release on her heat but it made him uncomfortable among other things. He averted his eyes.
"Aiden's men have broken through the front lines. They're headed this way." He told her without looking at her.
She sat up and stared at him. "He's coming here?"
"That's what I said." He replied tersely.
He saw watched her as her form changed in an instant and for the first time he saw a female Were in her hybrid form without the special outfits that her pendant usually provided. Her lower half was more similar to a wolf, just like a male were. Her tail and legs pretty much hid her generals but her torso was similar to a humans and he could still see her breasts through the thin covering of fur. He found her form enticing but he wasn't sure if it was himself or her pheromones causing that reaction.
"Let's go." She said.
"No." He replied.
She looked at him, shocked. "We need to help them. If Aiden's there they're going to be killed like sheep. I'm the only one who can hold his mind back."
"I don't think you can. You're too easy to distract right now." Raph said, his arms crossed. "We'll stay here until we have no choice."
"I can do it!" Gabby growled. She was angry. Aiden was attacking another pack because of her. Aiden was using his powers to kill people and she was the only one in the world who rivaled his mind.
"You think so?" Raph asked, smirking.
"I KNOW so." She replied.
"Try on me." He said and she didn't need to be asked twice. She drove her mind into his and he tensed but didn't move. She was holding him still with her mind and so he did what Aiden had done to her a few days earlier. He began to imagine all of the things he had thought about doing to her the last few days. She whimpered as he drove her to distraction, using her heat against her. When her strength broke, he grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the wall. Where she panted with need against him. She shifted back to human.
"Fine." She growled.
He put her down and walked out of the room. Being near her was impossible at this time. He took up his post beside the door and wearily put his hand over his eyes. This was the longest week ever and he was only half done with it.
Leo and Donnie came to check on him a little while later. Leo could tell Raph was going stir crazy but he wouldn't leave until the danger had passed. They sat with him for an hour in silence before Brandy contacted Raph through their bond saying that Aiden's wolves were defeated and that, upon further questioning, they discovered that Aiden hadn't been in the group but had sent them as a test to discover what kind of response the Thompson Alpha would mount. Aiden wasn't a stupid wolf. He wasn't about to jump in blind.
The three turtles relaxed a little bit, knowing that they were safe at least for another day or two while Aiden orchestrated his next move. Raph stood up and stretched. He could really use a round or two in the training room.
"You know, Donnie can stay and keep an eye on Gabby. You and I could go a couple rounds."
It was the best idea anyone here had come up with since they got there. "You gonna be okay with her?" Raph asked Donnie.
Donnie smiled at his brothers. "You guys go ahead. We'll be fine. If it makes you feel better, send Ronnie to keep me company."
Raph figured it would be a good idea to have someone there with them that would be able to contact him if he was needed. He reached through his bond for Saffron. "Could you help Donnie keep an eye on Gabby?"
"Yeah, no problem." She answered.
Satisfied, Raph headed off with his brother who had been free to explore the compound while he had been keeping an eye on Gabby. Leo led him to the other side of the compound and into a large room that had wrestling mats covering most of the floor. There was a wall with a large glass picture window that gave them a view into the weight room. Raph was impressed. There was plenty of space for them to train and keep up their strength. Leo led Rap to the center of the training room and they faced off. Raph smiled. He needed this.
They had been training for over an hour by the time Raph was ready to be done. He rarely beat Leo but they'd had a good run together. As Raph belted his Sais, he realized that a fairly large group of guys had gathered around to watch them. He drew himself up and scowled at the new comers. He was sure they just wanted to watch them because they were different, like some side show in a circus. One of the younger guys broke from the crowd and came forward. He was pretty tall. Only an inch or so shy of his Alpha.
"I'll take a round with you if you don't mind." He said, his light eyes alive with excitement.
"You're gonna get your ass kicked." Raph warned him.
"Try me." He said and he shifted to his hybrid form which made him grow even taller than Raph.
Raph stood his ground. He had fought opponents larger than him on multiple occasions and had come out on top. He drew his Sais and waited for his opponent's first move. He had learned quickly that the wolf wouldn't wait to engage. They saw what they wanted and they went for it. Raph wasn't disappointed when the huge wolf hybrid charged, his talons swinging. Raph deflected him and countered his attack. The sparring match was fairly short. Raph had fighting experience beyond anything the young wolf could cope with and he knew how to use his opponent's size against him. The wolf tapped out and Raph helped him off of the mat. The Were returned to his human form and stuck out his hand to Raph. After a moment's hesitation, Raph shook it.
"I'm Jaden, Junior Beta of the Thompson Pack."
"Raph." Raphael introduced himself.
"Well Raph, I can tell a lot about a man by the way he fights. You were fair, you followed the rules, and you knew exactly what you were doing. I can respect that. You're welcome at the Junior Beta House anytime you just want to hang out or have some fun or whatever."
"Uh, thanks." Raph said. He kind of just wanted to get away from all of these people.
"Why haven't we seen you around?" Another, slightly smaller guy asked. "We've seen all of your brothers a few times."
"My She-Alpha's on heat." Raph said. "I've been guarding her."
"Oh I bet you have." Said another, nudging at the guy standing next to him who laughed at the sexual innuendo.
Raph caught it and stiffened, his jaw clenching in anger. Leo saw the imminent danger and cut in before Raph could punch someone in the face.
"Come on, Raph. Let's go get some food." He said, though much to his surprise, the group of wolves began following them. They all ended up at the same table and chatter continued from the guys about a ton of different subjects but somehow the topic always ended up going back to Gabby being on heat and how each guy would take care of their she-alpha if they had one. Finally, Raph stood and slammed his Sai into the table where it stuck threateningly.
"Say one more thing about my She-Alpha." He glared at each of them until they looked away. When Jaden stammered out an apology he pulled his Sai out of the table and sat down. He finished his meal quickly and stood and left. He wandered out on to the grounds to do some exploring of his own.
Donnie smiled at Saffron as she walked up to him carrying a book. "Hey, Ronnie." He said as she sat down beside him.
"Hey, Donnie." She replied. "I brought something for you." She handed him the book that was in her arms. "It's kind of a history book." She said. "I thought you could learn a lot about us from it."
Donnie accepted the book. It was obviously old and had no markings on the leather binding. He opened it up and scanned the first page. "Sounds interesting." He said eagerly as he set it aside. "I haven't had much of a chance to talk to you these past couple of days." He said. "Are you settling in alright?"
Saffron smiled. "I was going to ask you the same question." She said. "I've lived in a pack my whole life. It's normal for me. You, on the other hand, have lived with a grand total of four people your entire life. Isn't this whole pack thing kind of freaking you out?"
"It's different." Donnie agreed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a turtle out of water here but I think it's good for us. If we're all going to stick together as a family we should know how to be in a pack."
"And everyone seems to be okay? There haven't been any confrontations or people being rude to you?" She asked.
"No. Everyone's been great. A group of guys come and watch us train when we go but they dissipate when we're done. The only one who I have any concern for is Raph. He's not very trusting in the best of circumstances. Not to mention he jumps to conclusions and he has no patience. I'm worried he'll turn a whole lot of nothing into a whole lot of problems." Donnie fidgeted nervously. Raph could get them into a whole lot of trouble, especially without Gabby there to keep him in check.
"Don't worry so much." Gabby said. Have a little faith." Saffron nudged him playfully. He smiled at her. Maybe she was right. Raph had grown up a lot since they were teenagers. Maybe he would be able to keep it together from now on.