Gabby's heart was in her throat. Raph stood tense beside her. Aiden came forward through the dense forest, coming to a halt about twenty yards from where Raph stood with Gabby and Gracie. Slowly, his soldiers started to appear like ghosts among the trees. Some were human, some wolves but the majority were hybrid. Gabby swallowed hard. That didn't bode well. She knew she could keep Aiden's mind from the people behind her but she would have to focus hard to keep him from discovering their plan from her own mind. She focused instead on the way Raph made her feel and her joy at finally claiming him as her boyfriend. When Aiden's mind touched hers, she watched his face and couldn't help a smug smile as his jaw clenched in anger before he smoothed his expression.
"Where are they?" Raph demanded and the Alphas attention switched to him. Gabby blocked his mind when she felt him attempt to read Raph and his anger grew.
"I want to make sure there is no trick planned." Aiden announced. "Order your bitch to let me into your mind and I'll show them to you."
"That's not how this works." Gabby spoke. "If you want access to my people, then allow me access to yours so I can see what you're really up to."
Aiden shook his head. "I will kill them, pet, if you don't do what I say."
"Try it and I will end you. You don't know what kind of strength that will give me. That will amplify my power beyond anything you could hope to compete with." Gabby replied.
"You think so?" Aiden sneered.
"Try me." She replied and she meant it. Desperation had revealed her ability to mind meld. She could only imagine what losing her family and her allies and the entire resistance to Aiden would pull from her. She was beginning to understand that she herself didn't really even know the extent of her own powers.
Aiden could feel the utter belief she had that she would be able to destroy him if she was pushed to desperation and his confidence faltered. "Alright, my pet. Let's just assume that there's something underhand going on here on both ends. I've brought my army, you've brought yours and I do believe a battle is about to ensue. I would never believe you would return to me willingly without some sort of escape plan. Here's what we'll do." He made a motion and three immobile bodies were dragged forward. The prisoners were deposited at Aiden's feet and he opened his mouth to speak again. Gabby struck out with her mind before he could utter anther syllable. His penchant for theatrics was a small weakness of his and she exploited it thoroughly as she mercilessly drove into his mind, releasing the prisoners from Aiden's mental control as he drew all of his power into himself to try and slow the piercing onslaught of Gabby's mental attack.
"Get here, now!" Raph commanded to Brandy. She was bloodied and weak but he hoped the command would give her the strength to push forward. Brandy pushed and pulled at her weak and wounded comrades, trying to get them away from the tyrant and his huge body guards.
As soon as the warrior betas saw that the prisoners were no longer immobile and were attempting to escape, they sprang into action only to collapse as Were-Cougars leapt from the trees. There were only a handful of them but with the element of surprise they were able to quickly dispatch the leading warriors and defend the retreating prisoners as they went. Gabby's focus faltered as she saw their ranks open to swallow the three prisoners. Five of the Beta warriors lay dead between the two sides and one cougar had fallen, causing a howl to rise up among the ranks of the resistance. The yowling of he big cats could be heard as they moved forward to stand in the front ranks.
Aiden had seized the opportunity Gabby's divided focus had presented and he launched a counter attack, driving painfully into her mind. She ground her teeth and reached for Raph. She needed his help protecting her mind until she could regain control.
"Send them in! Send them in! I can't take this for long." She said mentally.
Raph looked to his left and saw Leo and Mikey beside him. Donnie had been left behind and that only made him fear loosing one of them even more. Gabby needed him there. She needed his mind inside her body and that would leave his body vulnerable. He wouldn't be able to run into battle with them. His pack would once again be split up.
"Have faith." Leo said.
Raph nodded. "Stay alive." He said. Leo nodded and Mikey punched him in the arm.
"Time to kick some ass." Mikey said with a nervous smile. Then the two turtle brothers drew their weapons and with a loud battle cry they charged forward. Their cries were engulfed in the enormous roar of the allied packs behind them. All had shifted hybrid and Aiden's forces charged headlong into the wall of weres that were bearing down on them.
Battle raged before them but time and the outside world ceased to exist as Gabby pulled Raph into her mind to fight the onslaught Aiden had set against her. He was there, fighting beside her, protecting her in any way he could. Together they defended the vulnerable parts of her and pushed until the only thing Aiden could find was a solid wall. There was nothing inside of her he could reach to hurt.
"I'll call if I need you again." Gabby said and she released him.
Raph found himself back inside his own body. He stood and drew his Sai, prowling around the inner circle of weres that were fighting to protect Gabby. Howls of pain, screams of rage and the sound of flesh being torn filled the air. Raph could smell the tangy iron scent of blood and his own heartbeat kicked up as Were after Were attempted to penetrate the circle only to have the allied forces cut them down. No one breached the circle and Gabby's confidence seemed to grow the longer she stood strong against Aiden. Suddenly he was sucked back into her body. He instantly knew what she needed. He threw his strength into defending her mind as she used her focus to disable five Weres attempting to bury Leo. He made quick work of them with his katana and moved on. Gabby again released Raph to his own body as she again took up the defense of her mind and the defense of all the minds around her. She began to struggle, though, after nearly an hour of pressing hard to keep him at bay. It was taking a physical toll on her as she began to shake and sweat. As far as she could tell, Aiden was suffering the same exhaustion. For both of them, keeping their mind protected while hampering each other from controlling other minds was becoming impossible. Especially as it wasn't something Aiden had a lot of practice with. The only person he needed to protect himself from was Gabby and she had never pitted her power against his as she was doing now. She felt his defense flicker and she dropped her own to put all of her strength into a violent and powerful attack on his mind. She heard his shriek of agony and then his barriers returned and he fled, leaving his warriors scattered and fleeing as the resistance wolves chased and killed those who ran too slowly. A cheer went up but Gabby swayed, her vision crowded with grey spots and flashes of light. As her legs crumpled beneath her, she felt Raph grab her and swing her into his arms.
"I got ya." She heard. "You're safe now." Her head lolled back as her exhaustion dragged her from consciousness.
Raph couldn't see anything physically wrong with her so he hoped that the reason she passed out wasn't anything more serious than the exhaustion he knew she felt the last time she had locked wills with Aiden. He carried her to where the vehicles were and loaded in with Mikey, Leo, and Melody who were all a disgusting mess. Mikey was dripping blood from a gash on his thigh and one of Leo's eyes was swelled shut but other than that everyone looked mostly okay. Their wounds could wait until they made it back to the medical outpost where Saffron was waiting for the influx of wounded. Jayden came bowling in, still bleeding from a cut across his scalp, but he was grinning. He got in the drivers seat of the big van and laughed.
"Damn, it felt good to send those assholes running with their tails tucked. Bunch of pussies if you ask me." Jayden was almost giddy and if Raph wasn't so worried about Gabby he might have shared in that feeling. It was a rush facing certain death and escaping with your life. Raph's concern for Gabby kept him serious and he knew Jayden wouldn't be smiling tomorrow when he learned about all of the packmates he would never see again. He looked down at the woman in his arms. She looked like she hadn't slept in months and her skin was damp with sweat as though she had a fever. He held his cool hand to her face, trying to ease the heat on her skin.
"She'll be okay." Melody said to Raph, her strange cat-eyes looking into the She-Alpha's face. "Her body is just increasing her metabolism, trying to restore the huge amount of energy she put out. She'll be starving when she wakes up but that probably won't be for an entire day."
Raph frowned. That was a long time to wait. He wanted to talk to her, to make really sure she was alright. He just nodded and Jayden put the van in gear and headed for the Thompson Territory.
Once they had gotten to the medical outpost, Raph had one of the medics check Gabby for any sign of illness. When he was assured that she was only suffering from extreme exhaustion, he put her to bed in the house and headed out to the converted barn that they were using as a medical building. He entered and walked among the wounded that were pouring in. Mikey and Leo had already been tended to and they joined him as he spoke with those that were able to speak and helped he medics retrieve supplies and restrain thrashing patients. They worked desperately to heal and turn out as many people as they could, sending the worst cases back to the compound to receive major treatments. There were quite a few that died on the table or had lost enough blood that their bodies couldn't heal. A lot of weres were hooked up to tubes, giving blood to those who needed it to survive. Raph witnessed a number of accidental shifts as some seriously wounded soldiers came out of their unconsciousness. They were in pain and confused and their wolves took over, trying to lash out at the people around them. It was gory and scary and a hard six hours for the turtles as they saw the true result of open warfare. Raph watched one soldier die on the table and his mate keened her misery. Midway through his stint in the hospital, he saw one of the allied Alphas put down a young male wolf. His eyes had gone hard and he was trying to kill everyone and everything in sight.
"He went rogue." A familiar voice said from his side. Carl was looking out on the scene with sad eyes as the Alpha's teeth crushed the rogue's windpipe until his heart stopped. "His parents were killed a few weeks ago and he just lost his mate today. It was too much grief in too short a time. He wasn't strong enough. His wolf took over." Raph didn't speak but his heart broke for the young wolf whose loss had driven him to insanity.
When the day finally faded and the wounded were dead, those who fought and the day medics all settled in to rest. Most took their wolf form and found places to sleep on the ground and outside because there wasn't enough beds. No one contested Raph's and Gabby's right to the room she lay sleeping in. They knew it was she they had to thank for driving Aiden off and Raph had gained a huge amount of respect by successfully leading the allies into battle.
Raph opened the door. The room was dark and Gabby lay curled in a ball on top of her covers. She had rolled sometime during the day and that eased some of Raph's tension. He gently closed the door and undid his belt. He laid his Sai off to the side. He carefully climbed in to the bed next to her and settled under the covers. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. It had been a long day. He felt Gabby roll and press herself against him. He gently wrapped his arm around her, happy to have her safe beside him. The day could have been worse. A lot worse. Gabby had held her own and then some. His brothers were safe, his pack was safe, and Carl, Jerry, and Brandy were safe. It was more than he had hoped for going into the day.
Gabby was so hungry that she felt like puking. She was still dog tired but she couldn't go one more minute without food. She dragged her eyes open. She saw the big tray of food sitting on the night stand and shakily reached out and snagged the water. Her mouth was dry. She slammed it and then struggled to sit up. She pulled the tray of food in her lap and she tore into it. It was all meats, cheeses, breads, and some of her favorite salt and pepper chips. She felt like she hadn't eaten in days. She ate until she was stuffed and then she pushed the tray away, finished the second glass of water, and let out a satisfied sight. The room was bright even through the drawn shades. She could smell Raph's lingering scent. He had obviously slept there overnight. After a few deep breaths, she got up. She needed to see Raph. She needed to make sure he was alright. She tested her bonds, alerting the whole pack to the fact she was awake.
"I'm coming." Raph said mentally.
She couldn't wait, she opened the door and headed down the hall to the open living room that went into the entry. The door opened and he stood there for a second taking in her wild hair and her still pale skin. She was so relieved to see him that she took off running, he crouched down and caught her, lifting her to his full height and crushing her to himself. He was so relieved to see her up. Her body trembled in his arms and he pulled back a little to look at her to make sure she was okay. The way he was holding her up put her at eye level with him and with a need born of fear and relief mixed together she pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her back with a reckless abandon that had her breathless in seconds. She finally pulled away, resting her forehead against his, feeling his chest expand and contract with each breath.
"I was really afraid going into that fight. I was scared I wouldn't be able to hold him off. Knowing you were there, that's what got me through it. That's what gave me the strength to beat him." She said.
"We're stronger together. Always have been." Raph replied, walking forward, back towards her room. He wanted to be away from prying eyes. "I'd never let him take you." He said, hazel-green eyes boring into hers. "Your mine and I protect what's mine."
Her lips crashed down against his again and for a second he pinned her to the closed door of her room, grinding his body against her, letting her know just who she belonged to. He latched onto her throat as she threw her head back and moaned, getting caught up in his fire. He opened the door and slammed it shut, carrying her to the bed and gently laying her down, despite his eagerness. She scooted back further onto the bed as he climbed on and settled between her legs. He pushed up her shirt and his lips quickly dipped to her stomach, worshiping her skin as his hands worked at the snap of the jeans she still wore from the day before. Her breath hitched as the button gave way and he stopped to look up at her. Her face was flushed and dazed.
"Gabby, we don't gotta do this. If you ain't ready we can wait." He said, scared she might still be recovering from the previous day's battle.
"No. I want you Raph. I always have and I'm done waiting." She said, her dark eyes flecked with the amber color of her wolf eyes, letting him know how wild he was driving her. He smirked. She hadn't seen anything yet. He returned to her skin, nipping at her hips as he slid her jeans and panties down at the same time. Once her lower half was free he slid his hands up her inner thighs, opening her to him. His cock throbbed at the sight of her glistening and swollen pussy. She was more than ready for him but he knew what this was and he wouldn't rush her first time. He dragged her back to the edge of the bed and knelt on the floor which put her in the perfect position. He kissed her inner thigh and then bit the other one, drawing a startled gasp from her that quickly changed into a moan as he ran his tongue up her slit. Her body tightened as he began to work his mouth over her in earnest. Her hips began bucking, trying to gain more friction but he pinned her down with one hand. With the other he slowly eased a thick finger into her tight hole. For a second he almost stopped, worried that he would hurt her when he tried entering her but he knew what a Were body was capable of and he knew she would be fine. He found the sweet spot inside of her again, the one he had worked to drive her to an explosive orgasm the last time. He pressed and sucked at her clit at the same time and she lost it. With a wild cry, she shattered. Her body bowed back, straining until he could almost hear her bones grinding. He kept working at her until her body fell lose and only then did he draw back, grinning with her juices smeared across his face.
"Wow." Gabby said but there was still fire in her eyes. She knew he had more to give and he knew just from that look that she was going to have it all.
Raph wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and stood. He took off his bandana, which she rarely saw him without. Then he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and pulled them off along with his boxers, exposing his long hard length to her burning gaze. He watched her eyes go wide and couldn't help his cocky smirk. She had felt him against her before but she had never seen him hard and aching. As if to answer his challenge, she shifted back and then sat up, removing her shirt and then reaching behind her back and unclasping her bra. He watched in rapture as the material went slack and she slid it down her arms, revealing her D breasts.
"You got any idea what you're doin' to me?" He growled. She smiled and spread her legs in a shameless invitation. He dove for her, pinning her to the bed. "Little tease." He said. He slid his cock through her slick folds, shuddering as her wetness coated him. She gasped as his head passed over her sensitive clit and settled at her aching center.
"I need you." She breathed and he entered her with one hard thrust. The pain caused her to arch beneath him but it faded before her body even relaxed, leaving behind only the intense pleasure of him filling her. She moaned and rolled her body, encouraging him to move, desperately needing the release she knew he could give her.
Raph was doing everything in his power not to move, to give her body a second to adjust to his size. He hadn't meant to take her so fast or so roughly but she was doing things to his self control that he hadn't ever experience before. He felt her roll her hips and he pressed forward and then eased out until only the tip remained inside of her. He watched her face and tested their bond, making sure she wasn't in any pain before continuing. He pressed forward, setting a slow and easy rhythm but Gabby was having none of that.
"More." She demanded and he drove his hips forward, burying himself in her body again and again. Her eyes closed and sexy little gasps escaped past her lips with every thrust. Her body was on fire. His hands were everywhere, stroking her, gripping her hips. Every time he surged forward, nerves she never knew she had lit up and she needed more. As if he could read her thoughts, his pace increased and she opened her eyes to see Raph was the tense one now, as though he was trying to hold back his own pleasure to make sure she received hers, and she was. Tension built in her center and again her body tightened.
"Raph!" She cried as he drove into her. Her body clamped down around him like a vice, her walls pulsing around his length. Still he held back, making sure she was able to ride out the entire orgasm. When she finally opened her eyes, he let himself go. He drove into her hard but he had been so close for so long that it only took a few thrusts. Gabby watched his face as he drove into her body one last time and held himself pressed deep inside of her. His tendons stood out on his neck and a vein was popping in his forehead as she felt his cock pulsing deep within her, causing her walls to spasm around him. He let out a low moan as he released inside of her, and when he stilled, he opened his eyes only to see the dreamy eyes of his woman staring up at him. He eased out of her and settled down on top of her, tangling his fingers in her wild curls. He brought His lips to hers, kissing her sweetly.
"I love you, Gabby." He said in a soft and quiet voice.
"I love you too, Raph." She answered, her fingers stroking feather light down his neck. He kissed her again and then backed off of her, lifting her in his arms as he went. She giggled.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Shower time." He answered as he opened the door and shamelessly walked both of their naked forms down the hallway and into the bathroom. He set her down and started the shower, setting it to a temperature he was sure would be pretty warm for him but comfortable for her. Then he pulled her in after him, thankful that the Thompson pack seemed to have a penchant for luxury bathrooms with large showers. He was too big with his shell to fit two people into a normal shower.
Gabby moaned her pleasure at the warm water and Raph quickly soaped up a washcloth and began to wash her shoulders, drawing more contented moans from the beautiful girl in front of him. He washed down her muscled back and over the fleshy globes of her ass before turning her to face him. He was lucky he had already taken her because looking at her now all glistening and wet made him think he wouldn't be able to control himself. He kissed her again as he brought the washcloth to her chest, thoroughly cleaning each breast before moving down her soft stomach and over her curvy hips. He knelt down and cupped her sex with the washcloth, wiping away the cum that had poured out of her when he had stood her up. He carefully cleaned her thighs and all the way down her legs, enjoying exploring her body. He stood and turned her again, letting the spray from the shower wash away the suds. He grabbed the shampoo for her and watched as she squirted some into her hand. He watched carefully as she soaped and then rinsed her hair, determined to be able to wash it for her someday. When she asked for the conditioner he handed it to her and watched as she smoothed it through her hair. After she rinsed it out, she looked him over and smiled mischievously. He was hard again, though he wasn't planning on doing anything about it. Gabby suddenly knelt on the bottom of the shower and popped The head of his cock in her mouth. She could feel surprise through their bond.
"Damn, Gabby." He said shakily as she sucked as she drew back. Her hand came up to work his shaft as she took as much of his length as she could into her mouth. She thanked the gods that she didn't have much of a gag reflex as he repeatedly pressed against the back of her throat. His hand came down on her head, tangling in her wet hair as he guided her. His hips began to roll forward unconsciously, striking the back of her throat more forcefully. She moved over him faster, tightening her lips.
"Shit, Gabby. I'm gonna…" She cut him off by sucking and rolling her tongue along the underside of his cock. He let out a groan as his cock jumped and his salty cum exploded into her mouth. She swallowed all of it, running her tongue over his head for the last bit before releasing him. With a triumphant grin, she stood and pressed her body against his.
"Damn woman." Raph said, wrapping her in his arms, tracing a finger down her back. He leaned forward and kissed her soundly, tasting a hint of himself on her tongue as he caressed it with his own. When he pulled away he was giving her a half smile that was just for her. He reached past her and shut off the shower and then followed her out. He handed her a big fuzzy towel and grabbed one for himself. They dried off and wrapped themselves up and headed back into the hallway where they ran into Saffron and Gracie who were standing side by side, smiling like a couple of cats who got the canary.
"Hi." Gracie said in a teasing tone.
"Go away, we're busy." Gabby replied with a sly grin.
"I see." Gracie replied. "Just came to check on you, make sure you were doing okay. Looks like Raph's seeing t that though. Find us later!" She turned and the two girls hurried away whispering and giggling as they went.
Raph just chuckled at his packmates antics and followed Gabby back to the room where they both dressed and settled back in on the bed. Raph began rubbing her back, pressing into any tight muscles he ran across like she had done for him that one time. The happy noises coming from in her chest let him know he was on the right track.
"How long was I out?" She asked. She quickly checked her bonds, making sure her pack was still intact.
"The battle was yesterday. It's six now." He replied. His eyes went soft and he brushed her wild curls back and brushed a kiss over her neck. "You did it, Gabby. You sent him runnin'."
She smiled tiredly. "I couldn't have done it without you." She said. Her eyes were slowly losing their dreamy look as she his hands softened to slow and light caresses. "Did you stay with me for a long time?"
"No." He said. "They needed my help in the barn."
"Good." Gabby said. "You're a good Alpha, Raph. A strong leader."
"I'm just glad you're awake." He replied, brushing off the compliment. He wasn't good at taking praise. Gabby thought it was because he was often hard on himself and didn't see the good he did. She reached out and squeezed his forearm reassuringly. "Me too." She replied. "What happened after I passed out?"
Raph looked over to the window. The medical building's front door could be seen from there. His face was troubled as he decided what parts she needed to know just then. "They retreated." He answered. "I got you back here with Mikey, Leo, Melody, and Jayden. When the medics told me you would be sleeping for the rest of the day, I went and did what I could to help in the barn. The Lachlan Alpha had to put down one of his younger Betas. He want rogue."
Gabby watched as his eyes went sad and his voice went tight. It had been a hard thing for him to see, she could tell. Not that she blamed him. The number of people she had seen Aiden put down because he had driven them Rogue was staggering. It was always sad. More so than any other death.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. It's a hard thing to watch. I hope you never have to do that to one of ours but it's always a possibility." Gabby said.
"I know." Raph said.
"Is it still pretty bad down there?" She asked.
"Not as many are coming in as before. Mostly everyone's been treated. The more serious ones got sent back to the compound. They're hauling in the bodies and gettin' 'em ready for the funeral." He replied. He wanted to lay in bed with Gabby forever but his responsibilities were starting to nag at him and he felt the need to get up and go help.
"Well we better get moving then." She said. She gave him a quick kiss and scrambled out of the bed. With a smile, he followed his She-Alpha out into the mess that was their reality just then. She faced it head on and he wondered how he could ever be more proud of anything his whole life. Together they worked to get everything ready. They had won the battle, but the war wasn't over and they needed to be prepared.