Donnie walked with Saffron back to the compound…. If you could call it walking. All of the teasing touches that night had his interest peaked and every so often he would drag her to him and press a heated kiss to her lips. He wanted her so bad that he didn't even know what to do. When they finally made it back to Saffron's room, he hesitated for a moment, nervous. Saffron didn't give him any time to think though. She pulled him into her room and he allowed her to push him onto the bed where she climbed into his lap and latched her lips onto a special spot she had found just below his jaw. She scraped her teeth against his cool skin, causing him to shudder as his cock hardened painfully. His hands wandered from the curve of her toned ass, to her tight waist, and up to tangle with her hair so he could pull her back and kiss her with an urgency that surprised him. God he wished he knew what he was doing. He knew the process of reproduction and he had seen enough porn to kind of know what girls liked but he wished he knew exactly what to do to her to make her wild.
Saffron, however, was focused on one thing. Get his clothes off and get him inside of her. His scent was surrounding her, rich with his arousal. She wasn't expecting a lot out of him his first time. No one was ever good their first time. She knew that, but she didn't care. This was Donnie. Her Donnie. She knew he would over think this so her goal was not to let him think at all. She disengaged from him and stood before him, her blue eyes sparling. She slowly unzipped her sweatshirt and let it fall to the floor. Her shoes and socks followed. She lifted her shirt over her head, leaving only her black lacey bra. Donnie couldn't look away as she slowly undid the button and fly of her jeans, revealing matching lace panties and then creamy thighs an inch at a time. His heart was pounding as she reached behind her and unclasped her bra. She slid it down her arms. Donnie couldn't believe this was happening. She had beautiful perky B cup breasts with small nipples, erect in the cool air. She turned around for him and hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her thong. She dragged it down and bent as she did, revealing her shaved pussy as the cloth came away. Dannie had to close his eyes for a second. He couldn't handle it.
"Clothes." Saffron said to him. He undressed faster than he had ever undressed in his life. She looked him over, taking in every contour. Her eyes stopped on his throbbing erection and she couldn't help the way her breath caught in her throat. It was the biggest she had ever seen. Her eyes shot up back to Donnie's and she moved closer. She put out a hand. "Your mask." She said.
Donnie reached up and untied his mask without question. He handed it to her. She respectfully folded it and placed it on the night stand. She climbed in his lap again and kissed him as she ground her wet center against his cock. His breath hitched and he let out a hard grunt as he pulled her hips tight to his. If she kept moving like that, he wasn't going to make it. Saffron wasn't having any of that though. She wanted him inside of her and she was going to get her way. Whit a passionate kiss, she pushed him backwards. She lifted herself and grabbed his cock, positioning it at her entrance.
"Ronnie" Donnie said uncertainly but she began to sink down on him, driving all thought from his mind. His hands went to her hips as she lowered herself on him, until he had stretched her to her limit. She was seated on him, moaning, his cock pulsing inside of her. She didn't move, knowing he would lose it if she did.
His eyes were closed, his brows furrowed in concentration. He was trying so hard not to lose it. She was so tight and so hot around him. It was like nothing he had ever imagined. His wildest dreams could have never prepared him for this.
"Donnie?" He heard his name. His eyes opened to see the lithe body of his girlfriend. His cock twitched hard and he heard her gasp. She shifted her hips instinctively, grinding against him and that was all it took. His world exploded and he thrust hard up into her, shooting spurt after spurt of cum deep into her body. It was the most intense orgasm he had ever had. He opened his eyes again and realized what had happened.
"Sorry, Ronnie." He said.
She laughed and bent forward, covering his lips with hers. Wordlessly she let him know that all was well. Her free hand stroked over his plastron and traced where the edges met skin. His hands began to mimic hers, tracing the lines of her body and learning her curves. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking gently and pulling at it with his teeth. He felt her walls contract around his length which was already hardening again. He focused on her breasts, which made her gasp and moan. Her nipples were obviously sensitive. She began to grind on him again, but he was ready for round two and this time he wanted to be a more active participant. Without much effort, he rolled them so he was pinning her beneath him. He began to thrust slowly and rhythmically into her, watching her face as she took his length slowly at first, and then more vigorously. He sat back on his heels, watching her pussy take his entire length as he slammed it hard into her. Her hand went between her legs, rubbing the hard nub of flesh there. Donnie was transfixed. He watched her slowly massage the little button and as her tempo increased so did his. He watched her face, her eyes closed, her muscles tensed.
"Oh god." She said "Fuck me hard Donnie."
He didn't need to be told twice. He acted on pure instinct, driving as deep and as hard as he could. Her whole body locked, her back arched, her head thrown back and panting little cries of pleasure tore from between her lips. Donnie grunted as he exploded inside of her for the second time that night.
Donnie pulled out of his girlfriend slowly as she lay limp beneath him. He could feel her walls pulsing still but he wanted to get a washcloth to clean up with. He kissed her soundly and headed into the bathroom. He wetted a washcloth and returned to his girlfriend. He wiped down her thighs which had been coated in his semen and then moved on to her pussy. He gently wiped her clean, concerned she might be sore, before he then cleaned himself. He drew back the covers and she climbed in, knowing if he didn't have them on he would be too cold to sleep. She didn't mind, his cool skin kept her from overheating.
Donnie climbed under the covers after Saffron and she immediately backed into him, pressing her back against his plastron and her ass into his groin.
"Let's do that again in the morning." She yawned.
Donnie couldn't help but chuckle a little. She sure knew how to make a turtle feel good about himself. He kissed her shoulder once more and then settled in for the night. He was falling for the brainy wolf that was for sure.
After Donnie and Saffron had left, Gracie and Mikey did too, leaving only Gabby, Leo, and Raph. Gabby rose and began clearing up the leftover s'mores stuff and turning off the heater. When the guys rose to help she shooed them away.
"Whoever hosts the party has to clean up." She said. "There isn't much. You guys head in and I'll catch up."
They tried to protest but she wouldn't budge and so they headed off to their rooms. Raph was just opening the door to his room when Gabby finally caught up to them. She said good night and headed for her room which was the next one down. Leo stood there looking at her for a second.
"Thanks for putting that together today." He said. "I haven't had that much fun just hanging out with my brothers in a while."
"Family's important. I figured we all needed a chance to appreciate it." Gabby replied.
"We really did." Leo said. "And you did really well with your guitar."
"Thanks." Gabby said, glancing down at the instrument in her hand. "I really love to play. I just don't get the chance to."
She looked so adorable as she smiled down at her guitar that he reached down and tilted her chin up. Before she knew it, his lips were on hers. She was so shocked, she didn't know what to do so she kissed him back. It was a good kiss. Great even, but she pulled away.
"Leo." She said. "I'm sorry but I don't want to get in to anything right now. I like you and you're really a great guy but you should try to find a girl that can return your affections because I can't."
Leo was embarrassed. He had forgotten himself and had acted on an impulse and she was rejecting him. It was awkward and it hurt. "I'm sorry." Leo said and he hurried away. Dazed, she went into her room and just stood there for a second. She had rejected Leo. Why? He was someone she could see herself with. He was attractive and a lot more even tempered than Raph. He had always been there for her when she needed him. Why couldn't she date him? "You're not allowed to be happy". A part of her said. "Aiden can use anything you love against you."
She started to get mad. She was twenty-two! She had been living under these rules for eight years and she was tired. She wanted to be happy! Was that too much to ask? "There is no happiness until he's dead." That dark part of her spoke up, but she might not even live long enough to see him dead. Was she supposed to just be alone and sad all of her life? She lashed out at a lamp, throwing it into the wall and shattering it. She began to pace, her thoughts running wild. It was so unfair. Her whole life was one big ball of misery and she was tired of it! She put her fist through the wall again and again. She just kept hitting things until she felt cool arms around her, forcing her to remain still. Raph's scent enveloped her and all of her rage depleted and turned instantly to despair. She finally had her own pack, a caring Alpha, and the potential to find a mate and she couldn't do it. She couldn't let herself take it while Aiden was out there, waiting to take it all away from her. Tears welled up in her eyes and began streaking quietly down her cheeks. Raph sensed her shift from rage to despair and released her. She just sat on the ground, her back against the wall and she rested her head on her knees, sniffing quietly as she cried. She wished Raph would go away so she could wallow in her misery in peace.
"Gabby." He said, crouching down. "What's wrong?"
"What isn't?" She said. "I don't want to do this anymore, Raph. I'm tired of being me."
Raph couldn't understand what she was talking about so he tried brushing her mind with his. "Let me see." He said and she did. She opened her mind to him. He saw all of the things she was thinking and it broke his heart because he could understand her reasoning. All of her hopes and dreams were laid before him and the very reason she wouldn't go after them hung in her mind like a dark cloud. She was hurting and he did the only thing he could think. He lifted her off of the ground and pulled back the covers of her bed. He slid in with her and settled her on his chest. He felt her hot tears falling on him and he stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. The whole time, he kept his bond connected with hers, hoping to lend her whatever strength and comfort he could. Her mind slowly quieted as he thought of all of the things that she had brought into his life that made him happy and all of the things she had done that made her pack happy. Her breathing slowed and her tears stopped as she finally relaxed.
"Are you going to stay with me?" She whispered as she drifted.
"As long as you want me here." He replied.
She sniffed once more and let out a big, settling sigh. He felt her drift off, her bond still open to him. He felt it when her sleep deepened and to his amazement he started seeing her dreams. They came in flashes of images at first. Her pack, her friends, the turtles. Then the dream became more solid and Gabby was in a place he didn't know, sitting on a porch swing, her stomach swollen and obviously very pregnant. Leo appeared and she smiled at him and the dream jumped to a yard with a bunch of little wolf cubs running around. The whole pack was there and Mikey was watching over the little ones while everyone else relaxed in the shade. Raph could feel the way she longed for these things in her dreams and as he drifted off to sleep, her dreams became his.
Raph woke before Gabby. She was still on his chest, having hardly moved at all in the night. He really had to pee but he didn't want to wake up the beautiful wolf laying on top of him. He stroked her back gently, feeling the rise of each scar beneath the thin material of her t-shirt. How had she come to mean so much to him in the two months he had known her? Was it her openness or her unexpected moments of vulnerability? He had always wanted to protect people and she needed him as much as he needed her sometimes. Was that what had made them such good friends or was it more? Her dreams resonated with him, and her fears mirrored a lot of his own fears. They were alike, he and Gabby. They had an understanding that he hadn't ever experienced before. Not even with his brothers. He came to the realization then and there that if he were ever going to love a girl, it would probably be her. The thought brought him joy at first, but he had seen into her thoughts last night. He had seen how she had rejected Leo and had seen that she would do the same to any who tried to date her. She wouldn't let herself love until Aiden was gone. She wouldn't survive it if the one she fell in love with was taken from her forever.
Raph's dark thoughts shifted as Gabby suddenly inhaled deeply and stretched against him. He steadied her with a hand, making sure she didn't go toppling off of him. She lifted her head and looked at him, her eyes scrunched into sleepy slits.
"Raph?" She said.
"Yeah?" He replied.
"You were in my dream." She said as she dropped her head back down.
"Good dream?" He asked. He felt her nod against his plastron though he felt a twinge of sadness run through their bond.
"Gabby?"
"Hmm?"
"I promise you that Aiden will never keep you. Even if he did somehow catch you, we'd come for you. No matter what."
"Just don't get yourself killed." She replied. "Keep our pack safe for as long as you can."
"I will. Now you should get up and go take a bath." He said
Her head popped up again and she eyed him. "Are you trying to say I stink?" She asked.
"What? No!" Raph backtracked even though he knew she was teasing. "I just know they help you relax. Besides, I'm going to be late to the kitchens if you don't let me up."
Snickering, Gabby rolled off of Raph and threw off the covers. She began to walk over to the bathroom but stopped and cursed sharply when she felt a shard of glass enter her foot. She had forgotten about shattering the lamp. Raph was by her side in an instant, examining the large shard of glass lodged in her foot.
"Do you think it will break off in there if I try to pull it out?" He asked.
"With my luck, probably." She said. "I better hit the medical center."
He scooped her up bridal style and she laughed. "I think you like this whole damsel in distress thing." She said.
"Yeah. Just call me prince charming." He replied sarcastically but he was smiling, letting her know he wasn't taking offense. Mikey came charging up to them as Raph turned the corner. Raph remembered he had promised Mikey a place in the kitchens with him that day.
"Dude, what happened?" Mikey asked, seeing the blood dripping down the shard of glass in her foot.
"I just stepped on some glass Mikey." Gabby said.
"In your room? How did broken glass get in your room?" Mikey asked.
"I broke a lamp." Gabby replied.
"Dang." Mikey replied as he fell in beside Raph. "Does it hurt?"
"It stings a little. I just don't want to pull it out and have a piece break off in there because then they'll have to go in looking for it."
"Why is it always Raph carrying you to the medical center?" Mikey asked.
Gabby could practically feel Raph roll his eyes. "He is the Alpha." Gabby pointed out.
"Not my Alpha." Mikey laughed.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Mikey." Gabby said. "You've formed an Alpha bond with me. I've been wondering if Raph is growing one with you guys too."
"How do I know?" Raph asked.
"Feel for new bonds." She replied. "They won't be as obvious though. They'll be faint. I'm hoping that someday they solidify. I'm not sure what that will take though."
Raph focused on his bonds. At first he didn't feel them but then he caught it, a faint, almost unrecognizable link to his brothers. It had been easy to overlook these past couple of months because they were so different.
"They're there." Raph said. "Will they work the same as my bonds to you guys?"
"I'm not sure." Gabby said. "I'm waiting for the bonds to solidify. If you haven't noticed their bonds yet then it would seem mine are more advanced, but I also have a gift when it comes to minds so maybe that plays a part in it. Once the bonds are set, I'll test it out."
Mikey opened the door to the medical center and Raph walked in to the waiting room where a nurse was sitting at the desk.
"Uh oh." She said. "What do we have here?"
"Glass in the foot." Gabby said. "Didn't want to try taking it out and getting a piece stuck in there."
"Smart choice. Let's get you in with Dr. Clark. He's just finished his Boards and he doesn't have too many responsibilities around here yet. He should be able to pop that out in no time."
Raph followed the nurse to an exam room and put Gabby down on the table. Mikey waited in the waiting room. The doctor showed up fairly quickly and examined the wound.
"That's a deep one alright." He said. He got a pair of forceps and pulled the glass out. He held the wound open and applied water, rinsing the blood away to see if there was any more glass. He reached into the wound and pulled out two small chips and gave it one more rinse before allowing the wound to close.
"It should be all healed up in half an hour. It might be tender until then. Watch out for glass in the future."
"Thanks." Gabby said, sliding from the table. Raph saw that she was definitely favoring her injured foot and picked her up once again. He walked out of the room and went and got Mikey.
"Why are you still carrying her?" Mikey asked as he looked at her foot. It looked bruised but the cut had already sealed over.
"It's sore, Mikey." Raph said. "I don't want her walking on it 'til it's healed."
"Which is when, in five minutes?"
"Half an hour." Gabby said. "It was pretty deep."
"Oh. So are we still going to the kitchens?" Mikey asked.
"Yes, Mikey." Gabby said patiently.
"Good. I really wanna try it out."
Raph brought Gabby in to the dining area and sat her down at a table. He headed back to the kitchen, Mikey in tow.
"Hey George." Raph said. George and Raph bumped knuckles and then George looked at the shorter turtle. "Who's this dude?" He asked.
"This is my younger brother Mikey. He wanted to give the kitchens a try if that's okay with you."
"Yeah, man." George said. "Just let him know how things work around here. Cool?"
"No problem." Raph said as he led Mikey around, introducing him to the Thompson Pack kitchen staff. They took to him immediately and helped him learn how to make sure everything was ready to go for service. Having Mikey there actually made his day, and the rest of the week easier.
Leo sat still, high in a tree. He was watching as people were pouring from trucks into the compound. Aiden had obviously succeeded in rallying his pack. Most of the people headed for the newly erected Barracks that hadn't been there when Gabby had escaped. There were a good bit of the people that headed to the medical center as well. He figured they were nurses and other medical staff. He knew Aiden had more men coming. They still had time to fortify and strategize. He figured they could buy themselves more time still if they could take out some of his supply trucks or stem the incoming flow of wolves. He checked the watch he had been given. They had quickly found out the schedules of the night patrols and he had to keep a close watch on the time if he wanted to be able to get out of there without being caught. He sighed and turned away. It was time for them to go back to the compound again. It had been five days since he had kissed Gabby and he still wanted to do it again. It made going home hard because he knew he couldn't have her.
Leo gave his report to Carl who looked down at a map and a bunch of pictures Leo had managed to take the last time he had been out scouting.
"What do you suggest we do?" He asked Leo. Carl was a good strategist but he wanted to see what the young turtle in the blue bandana thought. Leo looked down at the map.
"Those supply trucks come in on this road." He said, tracing a line on the map. "They bring everything from food to medicine to wolves. If we could raid those supply trucks, we could really slow his progress without being close enough for him to use his mind against us."
Carl was satisfied with the young Betas answer but he wanted to test his understanding of the situation. "And do you think the Thompson Pack can handle this threat alone? I have thousands of wolves under my command."
"He has hundreds of thousands." Leo said. "We need help."
"Yes we do." Carl said. "I'm going to send envoys south. I'll try to rally as many packs to our cause as I can. I want you to collaborate with Cain to get the raids started on the supply line."
"Yes, sir." Leo said. Carl eyed him speculatively.
"You know. I think you would make a great Alpha, and something tells me you could beat your brother in a fight. Why aren't you the Alpha of the Storm Pack?"
Leo mulled that one over for a second. "I wasn't there when Gabby shifted." Leo said. "And even if I was, I'm not sure I could have gotten her to submit without killing her. Raph is stronger than I am, he always has been, and he always will be."
"Sometimes a powerful mind beats a powerful body." Carl said. "Why don't you challenge him for the position?"
Leo had often beaten Raph while fighting. Leo had more control and was the more skilled fighter, he knew that, but he also knew what the pack meant to Raph. He didn't know what Raph would do to keep them. He wasn't sure how far he would go. "Raph will be a good Alpha." Leo responded. "I know how much it means to him and I love him too much to take that from him. I will help him where I can but I won't take the pack from him."
Carl nodded. "I think you'll make a good second. Every Alpha needs a loyal second."
Leo nodded and Carl dismissed him to his task.
Sunday came around again and at dinner, Carl let Gabby and Raph know that he was confident that Raph had learned what he needed to learn in the kitchens and he would be moving on to the medical center the next day. He would help care for the sick and the wounded who couldn't help themselves. So on Monday, instead of heading for the kitchen, he went to the medical center, Gabby tagging along beside him. A nurse met them at the door and immediately began her rounds. Raph helped change dressings and feed and bathe those too weak to do it themselves. He was humbled by the gratitude shown to him for something as simple as holding a head up to sip water from a straw or by the forgiving way a patient waved off his apologies for causing pain when changing a bandage. He overheard the nurse speaking with patients and was surprised how much she knew about them and their lives. She had to have done over a hundred patients that day and she knew each of them by name and asked detailed questions about their lives. Their last patient of the day was dying. It was a young girl who had cancer and she was so thin that Raph wondered how she was even able to sit up in her bed and play with her dolls like she was doing. The room was papered in drawings and cards that radiated love and hope.
"Hello little miss Julia." The nurse said.
"Miss Mae!" The girl cried happily, glad to see her favorite nurse.
"How are you feeling today darling?"
"Not sick today." The girl replied. "The medicine you gave me helps a lot." She looked at the two newcomers. "Did you bring me new friends?"
Mae nodded. "This is Gabby. She's a She-Alpha in the Storm Pack. This big green guy here is her Alpha, Raph."
"Hi. I'm Julia. I'm seven. Why do you wear that red thing on your head?"
Raph was transfixed by the child. Even so close to death she was a little bundle of energy. He moved forward and crouched down by her bed so she wouldn't have to look up at him. "My dad gave it to me." He said. "It's very special."
"But why." She asked. He smiled at her. She was so full of questions. It reminded him of Mikey.
"Red is a powerful color." Raph said. "And when I was a kid I was always mad about something."
"You sound like my brother. He's always howling." She said.
"He won't howl so much when he's older." Raph promised.
"Will you play dollies with me?" She asked. Raph looked at Gabby, panic in his eyes.
"I'll play with you Julia." Gabby rescued him. She climbed on to the end of the bed and Julia explained to her the world where her doll and her stuffed unicorn were going on adventures. Julia narrated the whole thing and all Gabby had to do was move the stuffed unicorn around and neigh once in a while. Julia handed Raph a monkey and he joined in until Nurse Mae let them know it was time for her medicine and she would be too sick to play anymore. Raph handed Julia her monkey back as gabby climbed out of the bed. She turned just in time to see Raph playfully tug on her ear just the way he did on her hair when he was being affectionate. Her heart melted. Raph was a natural with kids.
That night, after they had run and showered and done his shell, Raph lay on Gabby's bed with a magazine, listening to her pick her guitar and sing softly. They were always slow songs, often depressing, but the look on her face was never sad or upset. It was always the same peaceful, contented look.
"Don't these songs make you sad?" He finally asked after she finished one called Whiskey Lullaby in which two people who loved each other ended up drinking themselves to death.
"You would think they would but I like them. They make me feel and the music is so moving. It's calming if anything."
Raph could see where she was coming from. The melodies were always soothing even if the words were heart wrenching. She changed the tune and for once he recognized it.
It's too hard to sleep
I got the sheets on the floor
Nothing on me
And I can't take it no more
It's a hundred degrees
I got one foot out the door
Where are my keys?
'Cause I gotta leave, yeah
In the back of the cab
I tipped the driver ahead of time
Get me there fast
I got your body on my mind
I want it bad
Ooh, just the thought of you gets me so high, so high
Boy, you're the one I want to want me
And if you want me, Boy, you got me
There's nothin' I, no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do
Just to get up next to you
Boy, you're the one I want to want me
And if you want me, Boy, you got me
There's nothin' I, no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do
Just to get up next to you
Just to get up next to you
You open the door
Wearing nothing but a smile, fell to the floor
And you whisper in my ear, "Baby, I'm yours."
Ooh, just the thought of you gets me so high, so high
Boy, you're the one I want to want me
And if you want me, Boy, you got me
There's nothin' I, no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do
Just to get up next to you
Boy, you're the one I want to want me
And if you want me, Boy, you got me
There's nothin' I, no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do
Just to get up next to you
Just to get up next to you
Just the thought of you gets me so high, so high
Ooh, just the thought of you gets me so high, so high
Boy, you're the one I want to want me
And if you want me, Boy, you got me
There's nothin' I, no, I wouldn't do, I wouldn't do
Just to get up next to you
Raph couldn't help but smile at the way she played the song. She had so much fun with it and she sang it so well.
"Better?" Gabby asked as she put her guitar down.
"Sure." He replied. "I like it either way."
"Flatterer." She accused as she stood up and stretched. "I played you your lullabies, now go back to your room so I can get some sleep."
He rolled out of her bed, taking his magazine with him. "You coming with me tomorrow?" He asked.
"Sure am." She replied, climbing onto her bed and collapsing onto her pillows. "Will you hit the lights on your way out?"
He switched the lights off and headed back to his room.
Every day for the next two weeks, Raph made the rounds with Nurse Mae. He learned all of the patient's names and he talked with them just as much as Mae did. He witnessed the oldest member of the pack slip away, surrounded by his family and he watched a woman bring new life into the pack. He loved it. He loved being there to help those that needed it, so much so that when Carl told him he was satisfied with his work and wanted him to move on, he asked for one more week. Carl indulged Raph and he spent one more week helping Nurse Mae. Gabby went with almost every day.
With only a few days left, Raph was relishing every moment he could helping the patients in the center. After a long day, he and Gabby headed to what was always the last stop of the day and always their favorite. They went into Julia's room only to find her dozing fitfully and struggling to draw breath through an oxygen mask. Raph had seen her on bad days but he was part turtle and the animal instinct in him knew. She smelled of illness and death. Her mother sat near her bed, holding her hand. She stirred as she smelled her two friends enter the room. She looked at them and almost unbidden Raph gravitated closer, coming to the side of her bed. Gabby stayed back, knowing Raph needed this last goodbye. Her heart broke as Julia weakly raised her arms to him.
"Is it okay?" He asked her mother who was holding back sobs. She nodded her consent. For once, Julia wasn't connected to a bunch of machines so Raph lifted her in his arms and held her close, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He squeezed her in a gentle hug.
"I love you Raph." She said as only a seven year old could. He couldn't hold in his tears. He had played with this girl six out of seven days for three weeks straight. She had been his little friend. He herd her whisper for her mommy. Her mom climbed up in the bed and Raph laid Julia in her arms where she could cuddled her daughter for her last hour of life. He knew when her heart stopped. Her mother keened, pulling her daughter's lifeless body close to her chest. Slowly, a heartbreaking series of howls echoed among the entire compound. The Alphas had lost a pack bond. Her brother had lost a sibling bond, her mother had lost her family bond and the whole pack mourned the passing of a life too soon taken.
Gabby had never seen Raph so upset. She needed to get him out of there where he could let it out. "Come with me." She said gently and she took his hand. She led him out of the room and he crumpled against the wall and sat, cross-legged, head bowed, and shoulders slumped, weeping openly. Tears filled her own eyes at the loss of the vibrant little girl and she climbed into his lap. Without a second thought, he crushed her to him, burying his face in her thick mane of hair. She reached up and untied his red bandana, pulling it off of him so it wouldn't get soaked. She stroked his skin and let her bond brush his, offering her presence if that was what he wanted.
Raph connected their minds with a need that took her breath away. He had never really experienced death before. He was hurting so bad. She shared her sense of loss with him and she held him as tightly as he was holding her. She soothed him, letting him know he wasn't alone. She felt Ronnie's mind connect with theirs. She didn't speak, she just leant her support as did Gracie, Brandy, and Renee. After a while, everyone showed up at the medical center to collect Raph and Gabby. They needed to give Julia's Pack and Family room to grieve so Gabby pulled away and rested her forehead against Raph's, pulling herself together.
"Time to be strong." Gabby said into Raph's mind. She pulled away and climbed off of him as he wiped the tears from his face. She handed him his bandana and he took it but didn't put it back on. Gabby was welcomed into the open arms of her sister and her mom. Saffron, Renee, Donnie and Mikey surrounded Raph, hugging him and reassuring him. Leo wasn't there because he was off on a mission but Gabby knew he would be there if he could have been. As one, the pack moved out of the medical center where they passed Carl and Anne who were in a similar state of distress and were followed by members of their pack who were sharing in their grief. No one went unaffected by the loss of the little girl.
Raph had quickly fallen asleep when he had finally made it to bed but late in the night, he had awoken to something. He wasn't sure what but he laid there in his bed, listening. Then he caught it. There was a quiet music coming from the next room. Gabby was awake.
"I didn't mean to wake you." She said into his mind.
"Lets go for a run." He suggested.
"Let me get dressed." She said. She threw on her clothes and met him at the front door. Without words, they took off on their loop. It felt good to go, to loose themselves in the mindless rhythm of feet on the earth. To lose themselves in the stretching and flexing of muscles and the labored breathing. They ran together until they reached the compound again. Both of them were panting, having pushed hard throughout the run. No words were needed. They headed back to their rooms and cleaned up, just like their normal routine.
"Come sleep in here." He requested once he was back in his bed. He could still hear her music playing through the wall. His heart seemed to be missing and he knew she would understand. He heard the gentle music end and moments later, his door opened. Gabby crawled into bed with him for the first time in weeks and cuddled close, trying to anchor her turbulent emotions. She opened her bond to Raph who fell into it gratefully. It was a bond full of caring and of sadness for the young girl and of a deep need to hold on to something, to anything.
"I'm sorry." Gabby said to him. "I know how much you cared for her."
"I'm just glad you were there." He said. Comforted by her presence, he began to drift off to sleep again.