The day for Raph's training to begin came only two days later. He had practiced every day with his bow and was confident enough that he could kill something as long as it was calm out. His brothers helped him pack up what little he had in his room and move it over to the Beta house where he would be staying for a week. Carl knew that Beta training was something Raph could keep up with. He already knew how to fight and had enough protective instincts to keep the pack safe. What he needed to learn was how to socialize and how to relate. The Junior Betas could help with that.
Jaden welcomed Raph and his brothers to the house. Carl had decided that it might be good for the other turtles to start training with his Junior Betas as well so they could learn what it was to be a Beta. Everyone just assumed that was the role they would play in the pack. Luckily, the three brothers weren't required to live with the Junior Betas as Raph was. They just reported for Duty every morning except on Saturday and Sunday, which was Beta relaxation time.
Raph was given a room upstairs. It wasn't very big and it was a little dim but he could handle that. They put his stuff down and then followed Jaden down to the main level which had a spacious living area and kitchen.
"Don't worry man, you're going to have fun here." Jaden promised.
He didn't lie. Raph had already been getting used to the way the Junior Betas acted. Over the next week, he learned to joke the way they did, and all the way too personal comments and completely obscene conversations started being funny instead of rude. He came to learn that they talked like this because they cared and were involved in each other's lives, and they expected to be treated like that in return. He formed quite a few friendships in those short seven days and also learned a lot about hunting. They had been teaching him to track as well as how to play the wind. They taught him pack hunting formations as well as how a pack responds together to face a threat. The end of the week came and a big hunt was to be held, led by him as a final test.
Raph stalked through the underbrush quietly, his arrow already knocked. His sense of smell wasn't as sharp as his wolf friends and he was at a disadvantage there. They kept him true though, surrounding a lone buck who was cautiously making his way through the forest. Raph could see him moving and tried to ease his pounding heart. He crept closer and the buck lifted his head, looking for the source of some small noise Raph had made. Raph was thankful for his new found knowledge of wind direction as he stilled and waited for the bucks head to swivel away. He moved when the deer did, creeping well into his desired range. He drew back his bow and waited. The deer stepped forward. He released his arrow at the same time as he exhaled and the arrow flew swift and true. It disappeared into the deer which immediately ran off into the woods.
"Did I get it?" Raph asked Jaden who stood a few paces behind him.
"Yeah. I can smell its blood." He said. "Let's go find it."
Raph led the pack of Betas into the woods. He found the blood trail and followed it to where the deer lay. It kicked a few times and then went still, its breath leaving its body.
"Congratulations on your first kill." Jaden said, punching his shoulder.
"Thanks." Raph grinned. "Don't you guys have some kills to make?"
Jaden grinned. "Your She-Alpha will be waiting for yours. You head back and we'll catch up."
Raph nodded as he shouldered the deer. There was a celebration tonight in honor of his first hunt and he was expected to return with his kill and lay it at his She-Alpha's feet the way she had done the night they had hunted to celebrate their new life. It was a symbol of his skills as a provider and a protector. By his own hands would he feed his pack and that gave him a little thrill of pride. He began to walk back to the compound. They had gone a couple miles out to find a deer for him and walking would give the other Betas a chance to kill something and catch up to him. When he finally made it back to the compound, each of the seven Betas he had chosen to hunt with had returned with kills of their own.
Raph nodded at Jaden and then walked out of the forest and into the glowing light of the fire. His eyes connected with Gabby's and they shone with pride and excitement. He walked through the crowd of wolves and laid the freshly killed deer at her feet. She nodded to him, accepting his gift and then, in a fit of happiness, she got out of her chair and threw herself at him. Her arms came around his neck as she clung to him in a fierce hug. He was startled at first but then squeezed her back, letting her pride wash over him. She released him and sat back down gesturing to the chair saved for him which was close to the fire. She knew he would be cold after spending so much time out in the winter night.
"Tell me everything." She said and he didn't need to be told twice. He gave her a blow by blow of the entire hunt.
"It's great isn't it?" She asked after he finished.
"Yeah. It was really cool. I never seen a wild animal up so close. It was like seein' right into its life. It was really somethin'."
"That's what it is to be a wolf. It's to see into the lives of the animals around you and see the beauty in it. To see the way of the wild and to love it and live it. A lot of humans out there think hunting is a cruel thing but it's the most natural thing in the world. It's being able to read an animal so well, you know where it will be, when, and how to bring it down without it catching on to you. It's about pitting your own instincts and skills against theirs. It's about respecting their lives and giving them a dignified death. Hunting draws us closer as a pack and as a family. It's why we use hunts to celebrate things like mating and births and deaths."
"It makes sense." Raph replied. He couldn't help but smile softly. He hadn't had a chance to hang out with Gabby in a few days. He had only seen her a couple times over the last week and even then it was only in passing. He was surprised to find he missed her company. He missed hanging out with all of his pack.
"So what did you do while I was busy?" He asked.
"I've been talking a lot with Carl." Gabby replied. "I've been giving him intel on Aiden's pack and current compound. The more he knows about it, the better chance we have of infiltrating the place or scouting it. When I'm not doing that, I'm usually just chilling in my room with Gracie. She likes to listen to me play while she writes."
"Play what?" He asked, his mind flashed to video games but that didn't make any sense. Gabby was a terrible gamer and why would Gracie want to listen to her play video games anyway?
"Guitar." She replied. "I had to leave my old acoustic at Aiden's compound but I found one here that I borrowed."
"I didn't know you played guitar." Raph said, impressed. He didn't have much for musical talent. His creativity leaned toward the visual spectrum.
"I have since I was young." She said. "My brother Grant used to play with me."
"I couldn't imagine losing a brother." He said. "Did you feel it?" He asked. He wanted to hit himself as soon as the question left his lips. He had read about bonding. He knew that siblings shared a family bond that was similar to an Alpha bond. She must have felt that bond disappear.
"Yes." She answered softly. "He was there one minute and the next he was gone. It was just empty where he was supposed to be."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't've asked." He said, embarrassed with himself.
"It's okay, Raph." She said softly. "The more you know, the better. You might have to deal with a bond dying someday."
He gazed up into the star studded sky. She was right. They were going to war. What if he walked out of a fight with one less bond in his collection? He didn't even want to think about it. Luckily he was distracted by the rest of his pack joining him and Gabby. They all chattered excitedly about the hunt, wanting to know exactly what happened and what it was like. He was lost in his retelling and in being surrounded by his family and friends. No more melancholy thoughts crossed his mind the rest of the night.
The celebration had ended well past midnight, but not everyone had headed to bed. Leo had climbed to the flat roof of the Compound and looked up into the sky. He was a little unsettled. Flashes of emotion had been coursing through him over the last few hours. He knew himself well enough to know the emotions weren't originating from him. It made him nervous. What if Aiden was somehow manipulating his mind? What if Aiden had some sinister plan to use him to get to Gabby? He didn't know what to do for once. He had actually felt a little lost since the girls had bonded to Raph. Leo was used to leading his brothers. He was always the one they had looked at to make the right decision, but now the girls looked to Raph for that and Leo was feeling a little left out. Was this how Raph had always felt? Was this why Raph had always had such a hard time taking orders from him? Leo's brothers and his father knew that Leo was the better option for a leader because Raph's passionate emotions often clouded his judgment in their younger years. He had changed as he had aged and the girls and the pack were changing him further still. Leo saw the potential for Raph to be every bit the strong leader that he had always been. Where would that leave Leo? What would Leo's role be? He wondered if Raph had wondered at his place among his brothers the way Leo was wondering now. The thought stressed him out. Maybe they didn't need him anymore. Maybe, now that their world was growing, he was no longer useful.
Gabby was dozing off in her room but little fits of stress kept hitting her. The first time, she ignored it, the second time, it blended into her half dream, but the third time, it pulled her from her doze and she focused on her bonds. Someone was having a problem and she needed to know who. Raph was off with Em. She regretted touching his bond immediately. The pleasure radiating out of it was enough to make her stomach drop. She quickly closed the bond and searched through her family's bonds. Her sister and her mom were sleeping as were Saffron and Renee. Her next check was her faint bond with Leo. It was growing stronger all of the time, the fact that he had projected his emotions to her proved that. She climbed out of bed and wondered if Raph had a bond with his brother or if it was just a wolf to turtle thing.
Gabby couldn't connect the bond with Leo well enough to get an idea where he was yet so she decided on some good old fashioned tracking. He wasn't in his room so she went outside, downwind and began sniffing around. She found his trail and followed it to the side of the building. He had climbed up, jumping on windowsills and balconies. Gabby realized he must be on the roof. She quickly made her way up. She climbed over the edge and stood looking around. Leo was a few yards down and he didn't turn to look at her even though she knew he knew she was there. She went and stood beside him for a second, surveying the area.
"Why are you worried?" She finally asked.
"How do you know I'm worried?" He asked, still not looking at her. It occurred to her in that moment that he might not realize they were forming a bond. She had just assumed when the bond was strong enough, he would know like a wolf would. It was hard to remember that they didn't know all of this sometimes.
"Our bond's grown strong enough for you to project it to me." She answered. He looked at her sharply.
"Our bond?" He asked.
"I have a growing bond with you and all of your brothers." She answered. "I think the rest of the pack does too. Our bond is an Alpha bond because I'm a She-Alpha. I think everyone else's bond to you is just a pack bond. I also suspect that Raph might have bonded to you but I'm really not sure about that. Everything with you turtles is so different."
"So, say I've been feeling weird flashes of emotions and stuff like that. Is that from this bond?"
"Most likely." Gabby said. "I'll have to work with you on finding and manipulating your bonds just like I did with Raph."
He relaxed a little but she could still feel tension coming from him and his face still wasn't quite clear.
"Is that's all that's bothering you?" She asked. He remained silent for a while before he let out a sigh.
"Before you came along, I was the Alpha, so to speak. Now that you and the rest of the pack look to Raph, I'm feeling a little lost. Raph will be a good leader. I won't be needed anymore."
Gabby reached up and turned Leo's face towards her. Brown eyes collided with blue. "Your brothers love you, Leo." She said. "Even Raph. Especially Raph. He needs you to be there for him. Running a pack of nine isn't too hard. Wait until his pack numbers in the thousands. He will need you then. He will need your calm and collected manor and your good judgment. He will need you to stand in his place sometimes. I haven't talked to him about it yet because he doesn't understand the importance of it but he needs to choose a second and I have no doubt in my mind who that will be."
Leo gave her a gentle smile and brought his large, cold hand up to cover her small warm one. "You're as beautiful on the inside as you are on the out." He told her as he brought her hand down. He released it with a squeeze and turned to look over the grounds again. "I guess I'm just feeling a little lost right now. I'm used to leading my brothers out into the world to take down criminals and keep people safe. I've never had this much down time or lack of responsibilities in my entire life."
"Carl is planning to start scouting missions into Aiden's territory soon. I have accurate and current intel that he needs to use before they start changing things. I know stealth is your thing. Maybe you can offer your services to him."
"I can't keep up with the wolves on foot." He said.
"What do you think they're going to do, run the whole way there?" Gabby laughed. "They'll drive. Plus, they don't know your scent. Only Aiden and a few Betas survived that trap they set for us. You could sneak all over there and not raise one red flag based on your scent."
Leo looked down on the pretty brunette. Her warm chocolate eyes were smiling up at him and he couldn't help but smile back at her. "Thanks, Gabby." He said.
"Here to help." She replied. "Now can we go to bed?"
He laughed at that one, only just noticing she was in shorts and a spaghetti strap. He must have drawn her from her bed. He put his arm around her shoulder and walked with her to the edge of the roof.
"Want a ride down?" He asked. It sounded fun so she nodded. He lifted her with one arm and she put her arms around his neck, clinging to him. As any guy would, he enjoyed the press of her curves against his body. With a grin, he swung himself down, level after level until they were safe on the snowy ground.
Gabby was laughing by the time they hit the ground. Swinging around like that had been fun alright. Leo was chuckling along with her as they headed back into the compound. Leo hugged her when they got to her door and they said their good nights. He watched her close her door and sighed. He wondered if Raph would get mad if he tried to date her. She was attractive, that's for sure, and he admired her strength and her kindness. Ever since she had her heat he couldn't help but think of her like that. He wanted her. He walked away from her door shaking his head. There was more important stuff to focus on at the moment. Carl needed some stealth missions? He was the guy to talk to.
Raph's next step in training was a lesson in patience and manners. Carl sent him to George in the kitchens. Raph walked into the kitchen, his face scowling as it always seemed to be when he was put into a new situation. Gabby stood beside him, determined to help him transition into his role as an Alpha in any way that she could. Raph knew she felt she needed to be there in case he did something stupid and he couldn't help but hate it. He was a grown ass man. He shouldn't have to be babysat.
A dark skinned man in a Chef Coat and hat came up to them. "Hey. I'm George. I'm the Chef around here. It's my job to make sure the couple hundred people here get fed three meals a day. If you didn't know, that's a shit ton of work so while you're here you do it my way or you get the fuck out. Got it?" George said, staring Raph down.
Raph wasn't happy about being talked to that way but he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. "Got it." He said.
"Good." George said. He called out a name and a tall, lean guy came over. He had big ears and a long nose. "This is my man Ryker. He's one of the head servers here. I want you to stick with him for the next few days." Raph nodded and his eyes turned to Gabby. "They only told me they were sending the turtle. Guess I got lucky." His eyes raked over her figure even though she was mostly covered up in a baggy sweatshirt. "Damn I wouldn't mind takin' you out."
Raph clenched his fists at the blatant flirting and his knuckles popped. Gabby just laughed it off. "I'm Gabby, Raph's She-Alpha." She said holding out a hand. He took it and scanned her neck.
"Not his mate though?" He asked, finding no mating mark.
She laughed again. "Not mated." She confirmed, "And not interested."
With a chuckle, the chef released her hand. "You can't blame a guy for tryin'." He said. "If you wanna just hang around and watch you can. An Alpha in the kitchen? Shit."
Raph quickly discovered why the thought was so amusing. So much effort went into feeding that many people that the place was chaos. Orders had to be followed quickly and accurately just to keep on schedule and that wasn't counting all of the disasters that seemed to happen. Raph didn't like orders. He had a hard time following them and a hard time not punching people out every time they were short or rude with him. Every time he thought he just might do it, Gabby would fire a warning off in his mind which just made him madder that he was being babysat like a child. By the end of the day he was in a very bad mood.
Raph was walking back to his room and Em came bounding up to him like a rambunctious puppy. She grabbed his arm and squeezed it in a hug. "Hey Big Guy." She said, "You wanna go sit by the fire?" She asked.
"I'm beat." He replied shortly. "I wanna go in my room and unwind."
"I could help with that." She said suggestively.
He sighed. He just wanted to be alone right now. He had been around people all day. Gabby had understood that. She had praised him for his restraint during the day and then with barely another look, she had shifted and run off into the woods. He had been jealous. He wished he could grow a nice warm fur coat and take of at lightning speed into the miles and miles of wilderness around him. Instead he had come back and the girl he liked wanted to hang out with him and then some.
"Not tonight Em." He said. "I need some space."
"Are you breaking up with me?" She asked, her lip quivering as her eyes filled with tears.
"No. I just want to be alone tonight." He said sharply, his voice rising. He had been keeping his emotions in check all day and they were boiling under the surface. He didn't mean to take it out on Em but he couldn't really help it.
"I'm sorry." She said in a small voice and she took off. He rolled his eyes and walked into his room, slamming his door.
Raph needed an outlet so he picked up a semi-carved block of wood. It had the rough shape of a wolf but no features. He took his carving tools and began to shave away the wood, forming it and shaping it. He worked well into the night on it until it was completed. He looked at it. It was a wolf alright. It was sitting down, its eyes staring up at him. His thoughts flashed to Em and how he had been rude to her. He wanted to make up for it. He got up to head for her room and intersected Gabby on her way back in.
"You were out there forever." Raph said, surprised.
Gabby shrugged. "I ran hard." She said. "I need to get back in shape."
"Your shape is fine." Raph said. He blushed as he realized how that come out. "I mean you're in shape already."
"Not like I used to be." She said. "Aiden wouldn't let me and Gracie run. He didn't want us to be able to outrun him or to fight him or really to be able to do anything except breed. I need to work on my endurance again. When the fighting starts, I'll be happy I did."
"I guess." Raph said.
"Where are you going this late?" she asked him.
"I was rude to Em earlier when she came to see me." He admitted with a little embarrassment. He was supposed to be learning patience and manners and being rude to Em didn't really look good, especially after Gabby had praised him for keeping his cool earlier. "I decided to bring this to her." He said showing her the carving.
She took the wolf in her hands and examined it closely. "I can't believe this." She said as she turned it in her hands. "It's beautiful. I didn't know you were so good at that." She handed the piece back to him. "Will you do one for me?"
The question took him aback. No one had ever asked him for one before. He usually just made whatever inspired him and then sold it online. "I guess I could. You want the same thing?" He asked.
"No. I want an original." She smiled. "Whatever you want to make, I'm sure I'll like it."
"I'll figure something out." He promised.
"Awesome." Gabby said. "I'm wore out from that run though. I think I'm going to hop in my Jacuzzi bath before I head to bed. Have fun with Em. I'll see you tomorrow." She said and she walked past him.
He smiled down at the little wolf in his hands. She liked his work. She was proud of him. More than anything that night, that lifted his mood and he headed off to see Em with a better outlook on the night.
Donnie was dreaming. He was on four legs and a growl was tearing from between his bared teeth. There was a hybrid wolf in front of him. Tall and silvery, the hybrid was scaring him but he knew he couldn't back down. This wolf had killed his friends. Gabby stood next to him, already in hybrid form, a similar growl echoing from her throat. Donnie couldn't help but noticed Gabby looked thinner and her ears seemed a little too big for her head. The wolf in front of them hadn't even done anything but suddenly they couldn't move. Their growls died and the wolf advanced on them. He walked right between them to their She-Alpha who stood paralyzed next to them. The wolf flipped her on her back and dug his talons into her throat before returning her free will.
"Submit to me or I will kill you and your remaining children and the rest of your pack." Came the male's harsh, guttural hybrid voice.
Brandy bared her neck, her tail tucked between her legs and Donnie felt the Alpha bond shift to Aiden. Brandy howled in despair as he released her. With an order, the entire compound stilled and Aiden wandered among them, cutting down each Beta that wouldn't support him. Donnie saw him approach his father. Terror washed through him and then pain rocketed through him as talons plunged into his father's chest.
Donnie jolted awake. The fear and the pain was still in him. He could feel it and he didn't understand where it was coming from. He left his room and walked a few doors down, knocking on Saffron's door. When there was no answer, he opened it and peered into the darkness.
"Ronnie?" He called gently as he made his way in. She was thrashing and whimpering in her bed. He quickly went to her and shook her awake. She bolted upright, her eyes wild, looking around. Her eyes rested on Donnie and then she dissolve into tears.
"It's okay." Donnie said as he sat on the bed next to her and gathered her into his arms. "I'm here." She slowly calmed down, her sobs receding into irregular breathing.
"I was dreaming." She explained. "It was the day my dad died." A light clicked in Donnie's mind.
"I think I had the same dream." He said. She looked at him funny.
"What?" She asked.
Donnie launched into the explanation of the dream and ended with how the fear and pain didn't fade until he had woken her up.
"But how…." She trailed off. "Unless…."
Donnie waited patiently for her to come to whatever conclusion she was making. She closed her eyes and felt her pack bonds. Everyone was there. Even Leo, Mikey, and Donnie. She opened her eyes and looked at Donnie in disbelief.
"What is it?" He asked.
"We're bonded." She said.
"Like I'm your Alpha?" He asked, confused.
"No, like a pack bond. It's not fully formed yet." She said. "I've never heard of that happening before."
"That would make sense." Donnie said. "That would explain me seeing into your dream. The more intense the emotion, the more you project."
"It was the worst night of my life." Saffron admitted.
Donnie turned away from the scientific side of the whole thing and just focused on his girlfriend. He rubbed a hand up and down her back.
"I'm sorry." He said. "If there's any way I could change things I would. I don't like to see you hurting."
"I know." She said she scooted closer and he laid back so she could cuddle up against his chest. She tucked her head into his neck, breathing in his comforting scent. "Will you stay?" She asked.
"Of course." Donnie replied. "Try to get some sleep." He continued to stroke her back until he felt her whole body relax. Her breathing deepened and after a while she began to snore softly. He almost laughed. He hadn't known she snored. He grabbed another pillow so he would be more comfortable on his back and then he closed his eyes, listening to the breathing of the smart, sexy girl laying on top of him. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.