Over the next week, Raph followed his fathers advice. He didn't seek out Gabby at all except to make sure she was eating and sleeping which inevitably caused tension, but in their planning sessions with the other members of the pack and during meetings, Raph made sure to keep his distance and it seemed to help calm her a little bit and she wasn't overly angry with him. The closer they got to the raid, the more focused she seemed and the less energy she seemed to want to put into keeping away from him. He also had a few talks with the others in the pack who were equally concerned about their packmate. Raph sat in the entertainment room one night with Gracie, Saffron, Jayden, Mikey, Donnie and Leo and they discussed it.
"I think she's scared and that's why she's pushing herself so hard. She doesn't want to let us down." Ronnie said.
"There has to be more to it than that." Gracie replied. "She's scared all of the time. She came to some kind of conclusion about something and it stressed her out."
"She needs to get laid if you ask me." Jayden said earning himself a sharp look from Raph. "Hey, don't look at me. It's not normal for a wolf to repress their urges and desires. I don't know how the hell she's lasted this long."
"He's right." Ronnie agreed. "She hasn't even shown any interest in a partner since before Raph bonded with her. It's not a natural thing to do. I wonder if she's experiencing some sort of disconnect from her wolf side. If that's the case, she could be in real trouble. I believe she needs to be balanced to defeat Aiden, and she needs our support, even if she doesn't want it."
"All we can really do is be there for when she finally realizes that we're stronger together." Leo said. And they discussed well into the night.
It was a start. He hoped they would be able to figure things out after the raid because this was just killing him.
The spy's had created enough of a diversion to pull in the night patrols so the pack entered the grounds of the compound without much need to dispatch anyone. They made it right up to the tree line twenty yards from the nearest building. They could see flames climbing high into the night a ways off as one of the newly constructed barracks that housed the extra soldiers went up in flames. The team moved quickly, infiltrating as much of the compound as possible before the enemy forces could rally. Raph stayed back along with Saffron and Donnie to protect Gabby while her concentration was elsewhere. The odds of them being discovered were fairly low based on where all the ruckus was but she was close enough to seek out her old Alpha's mind. As it were, she didn't have to wait long. The great force of his mind reached out to halt the onslaught but Gabby thrust her mind forward to meet him, stopping him dead in his tracks
"My pet." He cooed to her. Her only response was to stiffen and double her focus. "You should know by now that you can't beat me. Come, join me willingly and I will spare your little war party."
"Empty promises and pain. That's all you've ever given me and I'm done. I won't stop until you're dead." She replied.
"Have it your way." He said and he drove into her mind. She was in agony. She felt a lot more sympathy for her training volunteers now, knowing how it felt to have her mind pierced. She automatically began to throw up barriers to slow the assault but she was already losing her grip. The raid would be over before it started. Everything she had feared was becoming a reality right before her eyes. Unconsciously she reached for Raph, connecting their minds. So desperate was her attempt that she drew his entire consciousness into her body. His body fell limp and unresponsive on the forest floor causing Donnie and Saffron to huddle around him trying to wake him, but he wasn't there. He was inside of Gabby. He felt what she felt and knew what she knew. She was failing.
"Attack, Gabby. Forget about defense. Attack and he'll withdraw enough for you to do something with your powers. ATTACK!" He didn't know what he was doing but he focused his energy, his consciousness, on protecting Gabby from the pain of Aiden's attack and it seemed to help. It was like their minds had fused, he was her and she was he, but they were still capable of working separately within the same consciousness. Gabby drove forward with all of her strength, sending a piercing lance of pain into Aiden's mind. Raph was right. Out of pure shock, Aiden withdrew and then they locked wills and Raph suddenly found himself occupying his own body again. Saffron and Donnie were looking down at him, concerned.
"no time to explain." He said as he stood up. "She won't last long against him, she's unbalanced. We gotta break it up, try and draw his warriors out and take them out in smaller groups." He focused on his bond with Brandy who ran with the other Alphas.
"Tell Carl she won't last much longer. Everyone needs to get out of range and head in all different directions. If we can separate them, they'll be easier to take out or escape from."
He felt her mental nod and then turned to Gabby. "Keep fighting, Gabby. I'm going to pick you up and move you back. We need to be ready to split." Raph scooped her up and they began a slow retreat, making sure neither to distract Gabby, nor to bring her out of range of Aiden. The plan was working until one of the groups of scattering warriors came across them. Raph took off, Gabby in his arms. They herded him and his packmates for miles but he was able to outrun and outsmart them. Those he could not outrun were taken care of by Donnie and Saffron. There was a sudden shriek and Gabby went limp in Raph's arms. He knew then that Gabby had fallen and he hoped the rest of his allies had been able to withdraw to a safe distance. They were still in Aiden's territory but to get back where they needed to go, they would have to turn around and wade right back into the teeming forest they were fleeing from. The only option was to head deeper into enemy territory. At least that was the last place they would look for them.
Raph kept running, and running, and running. They went until they were well out of Aiden's range of about ten miles. When they were sure they were out, they stopped to rest and eat and regroup. They had only brought light supplies, not expecting to have to camp at all. Still they did what they could and got a small fire going and a couple of pine bough beds made with some dead leaves and grass to cover the needles. It would at least keep them off of the cool ground. Gabby stayed unconscious until they started cooking but when the wolf in her smelled the food, she made sure to wake up and get some. She was weak though, and she looked at Raph with pleading eyes. He fed her and then got up and went looking for more firewood. Gabby also managed to sit up, regaining a small bit of her strength. She trembled at first but her physical strength returned quickly and she ran through her memories of the raid. She thought about how she had merged her mind with Raph's. It was something she had never done before, something she was sure Aiden had never even done before. It was something she had never even thought about, but now that she knew it could happen something had changed. For just a few moments she had known Raph as she had never known him before. His memories, his emotions, his entire being was laid bare before her and while she didn't take the time to explore him while he was with her, she had caught enough of what made him who he was to look at him differently, and to fall for him even harder. His flame, his spark of life, matched her own. He was everything she ever wanted and everything she ever needed. She knew that he was in love with her and she had no doubt in her mind that now he knew that she loved him too. Would he try to pursue her? Did she want him to? She was panicking in her own mind as she stared into the flames of the small fire. It was important she not enter any kind of relationship. Losing someone like that to Aiden or the man she loved being held over her head as a way to enslave her will was a legitimate concern. She couldn't put that on the line. She couldn't enter a relationship with Raph. She just couldn't. It was too dangerous. Having regained her strength, she stood and headed a little ways into the woods. She went just far enough to give herself some privacy without being out of calling range of her pack members.
Gabby wandered around the forest, checking the perimeter and worrying over what she was going to do about what she knew about Raph now. She headed back to their camp, still uncertain. She quietly came through the trees until she heard something, a muffled gasp that put her on high alert. She crept forward quietly, scanning the surrounding forest until their little campfire came into view. That's when Gabby saw where the noise had come from. She could see Saffron's pale skin reflecting the light of the little fire. She was naked from the waist down and sat impaled on Donnie's hard shaft. Her jaw dropped. They were doing it? Here? Now? She knew she should walk away, let them have their privacy but a deep groan from Donnie as Saffron moved riveted her in place. She watched as Saffron took her pleasure from the turtle. She watched how he ran his hands over her body as she moved, celebrating getting away with their lives the best way they knew how. Saffron leaned forward and Donnie took her mouth in a fierce, yet tender kiss. His love for her was apparent, even without the use of the bonds. Gabby's heart swelled with longing even as electric charges of desire shot into her very core. Still she watched, her dilated pupils never leaving her friends lithe form. She squeezed her thighs together, trying to relieve the pressure building there. Suddenly a hand reached out and clamped over her mouth, silencing the expected scream as she was dragged back against a hard body. His scent made her still immediately though Raph's proximity kept her tense.
"I can smell you." He growled quietly, his tone doing nothing to calm the fire in her. His hard cock was pressing into her back and she couldn't help but whimper and press into it. She could almost hear him clenching his jaw. He released her mouth and spun her around and before she could so much as protest, his lips came down hard. He claimed her mouth in a soul blistering kiss and she couldn't deny herself. She gave as good as she got, running her hands up his arms and across his plated chest. He lifted her and pressed her back into the rough bark of a wide tree, pinning her there. He ground his twitching cock into her hot center, the pressure sending sharp jolts of pleasure up her spine. He set her down after kissing her soundly and turned her so once more she had a clear view of her packmates and his gorgeous body was at her back. He popped open the button on her jeans rather deftly for only having three fingers and then slid the zipper down. She didn't dare speak a word as his hand traveled over her smooth skin and dipped into her panties, tracing the hot, slick cleft of her aching pussy.
"I'm gonna do that to you." Raph whispered in her ear as he wrapped his free arm under her chest to help support her as he manipulated her legs further apart to give him better access. His finger slid easily between swollen lips and he stroked up, brushing her clit and causing her to buck against him. "I'm going to bury my cock in your pretty little pussy and fuck you til you scream my name." Raph eased his thick digit into her tight hole and she moaned in a mix of pleasure and pain. He didn't relent though. He pressed harder and his finger sunk into her. Gabby was panting as he began moving his finger. He was pressing inside of her as though exploring, until he felt her breath hitch and her pussy clamp around him. Then he moved again, pressing deep and hard and moving fast. Gabby was writhing against his hand, grinding herself against his palm even as he ground his finger against the sweet spot inside of her. "She's going to cum." Raph whispered in her ear. Gabby looked up in time to see Ronnie stiffen over Donnie, her body shuddering. Donnie took over her movements, pumping into her hard before he too went rigid, the entirety of his long cock stuffed into her convulsing friends pussy. The long, low moan he emitted was enough to push Gabby over the edge. Her body clamped down on Raph's finger and he held her as her legs gave out. She panted wildly as she came down. He removed his finger from inside of her and steadied her on her own two feet. He was smirking triumphantly when she turned to look at him. His smirk quickly faded when he saw the torn look on her face..
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I know it's a bad time and a bad place but you needed that." Raph said, gathering her into his arms. He knew she was terrified of starting a relationship but he wasn't going to let her run away from it any longer. Not now that he knew what he knew.
"Can we just wait til we get home to talk about this?" She asked through the burning of tears in her throat.
"There's no going back now." Raph said firmly. She nodded against his plastron. "And that was the hottest thing I ever saw in my life by the way." He said. Gabby couldn't help the twinge of desire in her. It was good to know she was desirable, especially to someone like Raph. He pulled back and placed one last gentle kiss on her lips before releasing her and walking off into the woods.
When Raph returned to the makeshift campsite with an arm full of wood Ronnie was in her wolf form sprawled out next to Donnie, sharing the warmth of her fur. Gabby was sitting near the fire staring into the flames. He sat down cross-legged next to her, also staring into the flames. He needed to say something to her. He needed to.
"You don't have to be afraid." He spoke through their bond. She snorted and rolled her eyes.
"You don't know what he's capable of. He wouldn't be above using you to force me to breed with him. To mother his child and give it up for him to raise. Of course I have to be afraid. You and I getting together is a bad idea. There's just too much of a risk." Gabby said, her bond flavored with her bitterness.
Raph wanted to shake her until she saw reason. He would die before allowing Aiden to capture either him or Gabby. She didn't need to be afraid of him being used as leverage over her.
"You're so worried about him bein' able to control you in the future, but he's already controlling your life." Raph said. Gabby shot him a dark look but said nothing. "You love me Gabby, and it sure as hell ain't fair to me that you won't at least try. How many times am I gonna have to prove that we're stronger together as a team than we are apart? What you did with my mind during that raid should be enough proof that we're connected."
"I never said we weren't!" Gabby burst out, frustration evident in her mental voice. "You think I'm unaware how close we've been? Or how attracted to you I am? It doesn't matter. If Aiden knows I love you that will just make you a bigger target. He will find out if we start a relationship and he will know how to exploit that. He'll take you from me, Raph." She was pleading now, begging for him to understand and just let her go.
"Does it matter?" He asked, his intensity radiating through the bond. "We could die tonight. He could take me from you at any moment and would you feel any different? Would you somehow feel less like you needed to do anything to save me just because we weren't in a relationship."
"Of course not." Gabby replied.
"Then what's the difference?" He asked.
"Aiden will find out and it will be more dangerous to you. That's the difference."
"Gabby, after what happened tonight, odds are he already knows, or at least thinks he knows. He was in your mind when you pulled me into yours. The guy ain't an idiot. He'll jump to conclusions."
When Gabby didn't answer immediately he knew he had made her see at least part of what she had missed before. Hope blossomed inside of him as he waited for her response.
"It's all so complicated." She worried indecisively.
"Gabby, if I died tonight and you lived, would you be able to live with the fact that we could have belonged to each other and you never took that chance? Would you be okay knowing I loved you and you loved me but you let some giant asshole keep you from something you wanted?"
"No." She replied in a small, defeated voice. "But I'm still scared, Raph. I-I feel like I'm drowning and I don't want to drag you down with me."
"You can't do this on your own. Let us in. Let us help you. We're stronger together. Besides, what's all of this worth if you don't have something to loose? Friends, family, love? All of those things are reasons to stand against Aiden. He shouldn't be the reason you stand against those things."
He was right. Fear had governed her life and robbed her of everything she could have taken for herself. Still, it wasn't an easy thing to do, letting go of all of those things that had been so deeply engraved into her life for so long now. She looked at the strong and steady face of her Alpha. "Help me get us out of this mess. If we make it home safe and sound, you can ask me how I feel about making us a thing then, deal?" She asked.
"Deal" He replied. He settled against a tree. "Someone should keep watch." He said aloud.
"I'll take first shift." Saffron projected mentally. "I'll wake Gabby up for the second watch and then we should get moving. If we head west far enough we should be able to slip back through to our own territory. After the raid, most of Aiden's forces should be hanging tight to the compound. At least until they patch everything up." There was a general agreement and then Gabby shifted wolf and laid down next to Raph, keeping the night time chill from him. They slowly drifted off to sleep.
Gabby should have known better than to stop moving, even if they had needed the rest. She should have known Aiden wouldn't give up on her so easily. Saffron barked an alarm and instantly everyone was on their feet. Gabby had instinctively shifted hybrid, and seeing Saffron in her hybrid form made Gabby sure of what was coming. Raph drew his Sais and Donnie stood with his Bo staff ready and only seconds later a tracking party of seven hybrid wolves came charging into their camp. The Storm pack immediately engaged their enemies.
Sharp talons drew blood and powerful jaws broke bone as Saffron and Gabby utilized the training they had received from splinter and the turtles. Raph and Donnie lunged and swirled, landing blows hard enough to crack bone and bruise flesh. Saffron downed her only enemy and then jumped into the mess of three wolves that were overpowering Gabby. They tore through their enemies until all of them were dead and they turned to help Raph, only to see him in a furious battle with the last of Aiden's tracking party. He had already killed two of them but the one he fought was bigger than him. Gabby watched his muscles flex and ripple as he defended and then attacked. She watched as he displayed incredible flexibility for someone his size. With a snarl she leaped in, sinking her teeth into the flesh of his neck and raking her claws down his back. The hybrid threw his head back in a roar of pain which was promptly silenced as Raph shoved his Sai up through his throat and into the base of his skull. The wolf collapsed and Raph withdrew his Sai. He was just reaching for Gabby to make sure she was unharmed when Saffron cried out. They both turned and the sight that met their eyes was enough to make their stomachs drop. Donnie lay convulsing on the ground, blood spilling from a gaping wound in his side. Saffron was trying to hold him down as he thrashed in delirious pain. Raph and Gabby rushed over and pinned him down.
"Ronnie!" Gabby yelled at her frozen best friend. "Get your kit. You're gonna have to stitch him." She hoped it would be that simple. Saffron scrambled for her small pack that she kept her med kit in. She pulled it out and looped some stitching into a needle. Her hands shook as she reached for the terrible wound, making a final assessment on the damage.
"Ribs are broken and his intercostals have separated. He won't be able to breathe." Ronnie said.
"Stitch and lick Ronnie. Hurry." Gabby replied. Donnie's breaths were already heavy as though he were struggling. Saffron, however, didn't waste a minute. She aligned and stitched the torn muscles and used her saliva to make a weak patch over his broken bones. Once that was all attached, she focused on stitching the skin closed which was a challenge because of how jagged the wound was. By the time she had finished, he was limp and unconscious. She stared at him, trembling, worried it wouldn't be enough.
"We gotta move, now." Raph said. He rolled his brother across his shoulders in a fireman's carry and they headed west as fast as they could. Gabby pulled out her cell as they ran, requesting a rescue squad as soon as possible. It was Carl's second who answered the phone and though Gabby didn't have the time or focus to realize it, the implications of that were grave indeed. Even with their location the head beta couldn't get a rescue team in there until as late as the next day. He gave her a quick summary of the disaster the raid had been and told her how they still had people coming in from enemy territory and they had dispatched all of their rescue teams multiple times. Gabby relayed the message to her pack.
"Have them call April." Raph said. "She's closer to us anyway and Aiden's men won't be looking for a human. We don't have time to wait for the wolves. Donnie doesn't have time."
Gabby relayed the message into the phone. They promised to call April for a ride and so they headed for the nearest road. It took hours and a few close calls with a couple of Aiden's tracking parties. Finally, covered in sweat, dirt, and blood, the group of four made it to the road. Raph called April and told her exactly where to find them and she arrived within minutes. Donnie was getting worse. He had lost a lot of blood and he needed a transfusion as soon as they could but there was still a two hour drive ahead of them and that's if they were speeding.
A big white van pulled up and April got out and opened the back. Raph picked up Donnie and hurried him to the van. He came around the back and nearly dropped his injured brother in surprise. Leo, Melody, and Mikey all sat back there.
"What the hell is this?" Raph asked as Leo came forward to help ease Donnie to the floor.
"April's always been our go to girl." Leo responded. "Did you think you were the only one who would think to call her? Even Mikey could figure that one out."
"Hey." Mikey glared at Leo.
"What do we need to do for Donnie?" Leo asked, drawing attention back to the problem at hand.
"He needs blood." Ronnie replied. "He won't be able to take mammal blood for sure. Are any of you guys a match for his blood type?"
"Universal donor." Leo replied. "I've given these guys a lot of blood in the past. Do you have a needle and tubing in that med kit of yours?"
Ronnie grabbed her case and whipped out the supplies as fast as she could. She inserted the needles, holding up the line to make sure the blood flowed into Donnie's veins. Everyone else loaded into the van and April took off for the Thompson territory. She was careful not to draw any attention. There were cops out there that were wolves and she was sure they would be searching for suspicious vehicle activity. The drive was agony. Ronnie never took her eyes off of Donnie as Leo continued to supply him with blood. She did a more thorough examination as they drove, trying to feel for any further damage. The turtles all watched in morbid fascination as her hands skillfully pressed here and there and every once in a while she would lean in close and sniff, as though she could detect a faint scent.
"I need X-Rays, maybe even an MRI. He has some kind of slow internal bleeding going on I think. I'm worried he might have a fractured vertebrae or two. I don't smell any infection or intestinal perforations. This doesn't sound like he punctured his lung, but I'm not sure."
Raph laid a hand on Ronnie's shoulder. "You did what you could with what you got. We'll get him more help when we get back. He's a strong person. He'll be alright." He soothed the she-beta. Her worried face didn't change but one of her hands came up and covered Raph's, accepting and thanking him for his words. They once more fell silent, the fate of their brother, boyfriend, and packmate left to the hands of whatever God or gods there were.