Reita groaned feeling his body bounce up and down as sun the shined through the growing leaves in the trees. He felt his legs fall and feet drag against the dirt. Kaoru stopped moving turning his head to sniff, then barked at Kyo, making the pack stop moving. Shinya got off Kyo and ran over to check on Reita.
"How much longer do we have to travel like this?"
Kyo changed back into his human form. "We need to be able to run fast and at a short notice. We don't know if they're following us and we can't risk a surprise attack."
"Reita needs to rest." Shinya said. "Uruha and I both need to as well."
"Rest sounds nice." Ryoga mumbled sitting up against a tree in his human form and Tsuzuku sat by his side.
Kyo nodded. "Kaoru, Toshiya, Ruki, and I will keep watch then."
Toshiya shook Kai from his back before changing to help Shinya get Reita off and lay him gently on the ground. Reita whimpered out before rolling his side. He reached out and whispered out Kai's name. The two looked at one another before rubbing the blonde's back.
"Maybe you should lay alone." Toshiya suggested.
"I want to lay with my mate!" Reita growled before whimpering out. Toshiya nodded and proceeded to gather the unconscious alpha in his arms. He carried Kai over to Reita and laid him down next to the omega. Reita cuddled up against his mate's body and burying his face into Kai's neck.
"Oh, Rei, what did they do to the two of you?" Toshiya whispered.
"I'm sorry." Die whispered. "If I never—"
"Don't even finish that sentence." Toshiya snapped. "This is not your fault. You didn't do this to them."
"I know, but—" Die stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Kyo glaring at him. The pack leader walked up to him and stared him in the eyes for a moment.
"Die, stop." Kyo spoke gently. "You've gone through enough. You don't have to take the blame for something that's out of your control. Now sit down and take a break."
Die quietly followed the order plopping down where he stood, earning a smile from Toshiya and Shinya. The heard a small groan from Ryoga just before he leaned over to puke.
"Ryoga!" Tsuzuku whimpered out, but the alpha waved his hand.
"I'm okay. Just sick from the drugs they gave me. I'll be better in a few hours, don't worry." Ryoga reassured Tsuzuku, grabbing his hand. Tsuzuku dropped his head onto his alpha's chest.
"I was worried you know." The omega whimpered. "You went and protected me, but you got hurt in the process. I wish you were more careful. What if you had been killed?"
Ryoga growled. "I should be saying that to you. What were you thinking breaking in like that? You endangered your own life, for what? Me?"
"Yes!" Tsuzuku snapped. "You're my mate! I'm not some little weak pup that can't defend himself. Ryoga I'm a wolf and that means I have to help protect my pack. That includes you. Just because you're the alpha doesn't mean you're the one who always has to put himself in danger. We protect each other, you and me both."
Ryoga closed his eyes, squeezing Tsuzuku's hand. He spoke softly. "I know. But it's my job to keep you safe."
"And it's mine to keep you safe too. You have to start realizing this."
Ryoga nodded. "Okay, okay you win…this time."
"Oh! I'll show you a win." Tsuzuku laughed tackling his mate onto his back. Ryoga let out a soft laugh and rubbed Tsuzuku's cheek.
"How did you guys even manage to break in?" He asked with a hum. Tsuzuku sat up and looked over at Die who shrugged his shoulder with a smile.
"Well, Die did most of the work to be honest." Tsuzuku said.
~~~Tsuzuku and Die~~~
Tsuzuku glared at Die's back as they walked through the forest in silence. He had been following the Alpha now for an hour in the darkness. Tsuzuku didn't regret leaving his pack to find Ryoga. His alpha risked his life to save the omega and Tsuzuku was going to do everything possible to save his mate in return. He wasn't going to be to helpless pup anymore.
Die suddenly stopped and sniffed the air before walking towards the right.
"Are you sure you know where this place is?" Tsuzuku whispered.
"No." Die answered. "I told you I only had an idea of its location."
"Why is that?"
"I've never been there before."
"Then how do you even know about it?" The omega asked as he stopped walking.
Die sighed and stopped walking. "I was supposed to be transported there before I escaped. I heard them talking about it often so I was able to figure out the general location it was based on the old lab. I used that info to avoid the area. Who would have guessed I'm using it this time to get to it."
Tsuzuku felt a pain in his chest when he saw Die's smile and sad eyes. "What happened to you?"
"Terrible things." Die whispered. "Nobody should ever go through what I did. Especially your pack. I won't let them hurt the people I care for again."
"Die…"
"Let's go. The sooner we find them the better." Die spoke and turned away to walk again.
They moved quietly through the trees as they spotted soldiers walking around the area. The two wolves were on high alert as they sneaked passed groups of soldiers, which were increasing. Die knew this meant they were getting closer, but it also meant a higher chance of getting caught. They needed to do something.
Die began to backtrack a bit, confusing Tsuzuku, but he followed the alpha's lead. They walked around a few soldiers until they came up to two walking around. The soldiers were more interested in their conversation than actually looking out for anything, which made the wolves' next move easy. Die and Tsuzuku sneaked up behind them and tackled them to the ground. Before either could called for help, the wolves broke their necks and dragged their bodies into the bushes.
"I can't believe that actually worked." Tsuzuku whispered pulling the pants off one of the soldiers and looking at them, "I don't think these will fit me."
"You have to make them fit." Die said as he was undressing his soldier. "Hurry up, we have to hide these guys before anybody notices."
Tsuzuku nodded and proceeded to undress the man down to his under wear then hid his body between a bush and a tree. Die did the same before the two quickly slipped into the guard outfits, placed the helmets on their heads, and grabbed the guns the men were carrying.
"I have no idea how to use this." Tsuzuku whispered.
"If we're lucky you won't have to." Die said. "Just hold it in your arms for now. You have to own it so just act like you know what you're doing."
"Easier said than done." The omega mumbled.
Die let out a snort. "Pretty easy to do. I tricked these assholes the same way when I escaped. Come on, just follow my lead and we'll be fine."
"Right."
The two made their way around the area a couple of times realizing they had gone in circles before Die finally changed his direction a bit and before they knew it, they were staring at the new lab. Tsuzuku swallowed hard as he followed Die up to the doors and Die pulled credentials out of his chest pocket and swiped the card into the door lock. It opened up so they walked quickly inside the whited out hallway. They immediately spotted guards walking in all directions, but the two kept on going forward.
They explored each hallway and room, at least the ones they had access to, and Die was memorizing the layout. Tsuzuku was sniffing around trying to catch a whiff of his mate, but with no luck.
"This is going to take forever." Tsuzuku let out a low growl.
"Stay calm." Die ordered. "We can't give these guys a chance to catch us. We'll find your pack, we just have to move slowly, carefully. One mistake and we'll be in cages."
Tsuzuku glared, but nodded. It wasn't like Die could see his expression anyways. Die lead the way once more down the next hall.
"Hey you two!" The wolves froze, but Die was quick to turn to see a female scientist with short hair standing in a doorway. She waved her hand for them to walk over. "I need you to lift something for me."
They followed her in to a white room full of empty kennels except for one. Inside was large dark grey wolf laying on its side slowly breathing. Die felt and pain in his chest at the sight of the familiar beast. He had to bite his tongue though.
"I need you two move this wolf into this kennel here." She said tapping one that was on the right wall by her desk. Die nodded his head and placed his gun down, so Tsuzuku followed, but before they had a chance to open the kennel the main door opened up by a male scientist.
"Seph, Lori needs us downstairs. She wants to get started on the new wolves." He said making Tsuzuku and Die's ears perk up.
"Coming, Max." She sighed. "You two, get this wolf moved then exit this room. That's an order."
"Yes ma'am." Die spoke on instinct and Tsuzuku flustered trying to say something, but the two scientists left the room before he could.
He took a deep breath as Die took his helmet off making Tsuzuku snap. "What are you doing?"
"Yuca? Is that you?" Die whispered. The grey wolf's ears perked and its eyes opened showing all white irises.
"Daisuke?" The wolf's voice was rough. "Is that little Daisuke I hear?"
"Yeah it's me."
"Oh, what are you doing here?"
"We're trying to save the wolves these guys took. Tsuzuku here had his mate taken."
"Oh you poor thing." Yuca spoke. "Poor, poor, things all of us are."
"Yuca, we'll get you out too." Die said opening the cage.
"No, you mustn't do that. They'll go on lockdown and you won't be able to get your friends then."
"But—"
Yuca let out a soft laugh. "I'm done, Daisuke. I can't see nor have the strength to walk. My days are up, but you have many ahead of you still. Many with your friends and your pack. Leave this withered wolf be and save your pack."
"Yuca, I can't leave you like this." Die whispered. "If I had known you didn't make out with the rest of us I would have a came back for you."
"I know you would have." She whispered. "You don't have much time now. Get me to the kennel and get out before you bring unwanted attention yourselves."
Die nodded. He and Tsuzuku worked together to carefully pull the limp wolf out of the cage and placed her into the second one. Die placed his hand on her neck and petted her.
"I'm sorry, Yuca."
She closed her eyes. "I'm so happy you're alive. Please, keep on living."
"I will." He whispered.
Die slipped his helmet on as Tsuzuku closed the kennel door and the two left the room. Die's hands were clenched in fists as he walked briskly and Tsuzuku kept up his pace. They had to find a way downstairs now.
"Who was she?" Tsuzuku asked.
"We had cages across from each other. She was brought in with other wolves one day when I was still young. She tried so hard to escape, to resist the experiments…she was so strong. She kept talking about having to get out so she could save her son. I guess she was never able to." Die sighed. "After a while it seemed like guilt was slowly tearing her up as she was forced to watch her pack slowly die. We managed to come up with an escape plan together along with four others, but once we made it out it was every wolf for themselves. We should have stuck together."
"You couldn't have known what would've happened." Tsuzuku said. "Besides, you did what you had to do to survive."
"Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it." Die whispered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing." The alpha said. "Let's keep moving."
After a couple of hours of exploring and mapping out the upper floor, Die finally spotted guards by a stairwell talking amongst each other when three scientists walked up to them glaring and they all quickly straightened up. The woman with a long ponytail looked between them and started pointing out to a few of them then over at Die and Tsuzuku.
"You two, follow us." She ordered. Die let out a low growl, but nobody seemed to have heard it before he let out a loud 'yes ma'am' along with Tsuzuku. The other soldiers huffed and dispersed. A few complaining about not being able to see the wolves. The small selected group followed her down the stairs to a single door where she swiped her id card to open it.
Tsuzuku felt his heart beating hard in his chest as they walked through the doors. He had to keep it together, but both he and Die were struggling at this point. Lori stopped in front a cell and Tsuzuku had to hold himself from losing it. Inside was Kai holding Reita's sleeping body. He watched as the glass door opened, as Kai attacked, as the guards fought, and as the scientist injected both Kai and Reita with something. He held back a whimper as Kai attacked Reita, but the blonde seemed to be fighting through Kai's mind as the glass door shut again. Lori headed to the next cell, and the soldiers, including Die and Tsuzuku, followed.
They stopped in front of Ryoga's cell and Tsuzuku felt the urge to run to his mate. Die grabbed the omega's arm and squeezed it, reminding him to keep his head. They watched as the glass door opened and Ryoga went on the attack. Tsuzuku smiled as he watched his mate fight and felt warm inside his chest, but then the blonde looked right at him. He felt Ryoga and he knew the alpha felt him as well. Tsuzuku gasped as he watched his mate get tackled to the ground. The only reason he wasn't running in to help was because Die was holding him in place. They watched as some of the soldiers dragged Ryoga to the doors at the other end of the room.
Tsuzuku felt his heart ache from being so close to seeing his mate and watching him get hurt like he did. Tsuzuku was out of it as Die dragged him forward to follow the group to the back hallway. Lori and Seph went into one of the rooms with two of the guards outside the room. Max waved for the other three to follow him down to the next room.
"You." Max said pointing at Die, "Come in, I need your help moving the tables."
Die went in leaving Tsuzuku and the other guard outside. Max dropped a file on a metal tray and went up to the cabinet to pull some stuff out. Die glanced at the file. It was opened to a page with an experiment. 'Effects of Different Acids on a Humanoid Wolf.'
"Hey," Max snapped. "Move the metal table to the center of the room."
Die nodded and followed the order as Max moved a small metal table over with sanitized tools on it. He ordered Die to roll up another small table then the light next. All while he did this Max began speaking. "I was going to do this one on 036, but Lori thought of a different one she wanted to do on him. How different sedations will work on an altered wolf and to see if his pain reactors still work. Bums me out really. I wanted to do this one. That's okay, I'm going to get do it once she's finished with him."
Die remained silent. It was taking everything he had not to kill this man right then and there.
"I just hope the general's meeting in a couple of days doesn't mess with it."
"Meeting?" Die asked. 'Shit' he thought. He didn't mean to speak.
"Oh right, we haven't told you guys yet. A military general is coming to check out the new bioweapon Lori is developing. Anyways, you'll be told in a few hours. Most of you guys will be on guard duty upstairs and outside. It's mostly for show for the military."
Die's eyes widen and he let a small smile grace his lips. This was it, they just had to time everything perfectly.
~~~Present~~~
"Why the fuck did sneaking in work for you guys and not us?" Toshiya snapped.
"Uh, because we're smart." Die said, earning a slap on the head by the other alpha. "Ow, that hurt you asshole!"
Shinya snorted trying to hold in his laugh, but they were all startled by the sound of a low grunt. They all looked over at Kai who was squirming in his sleep. Reita's eyes opened and he gently rubbed his mate's cheek.
"Kai?" He whispered. Kai's bloodshot eyes opened wide and he let out a loud growl as he lurched forward. Reita cried out as Kai bit down on his shoulder.
"Kai!" Kyo snapped as he and Kaoru rushed to pull the crazed alpha off. Shinya ran to Reita side as Kai was yanked off. Reita gasped out gripping his bloody shoulder. He watched as Kai growled and struggled in Kaoru's hold. He snapped his fangs at the other alpha then at Kyo. Reita pulled away from Shinya and started crawling to his mate ignoring Shinya's protests for him to stop. Kyo reached out to hold Reita back, but the blonde looked him in the eyes.
"He needs me." Reita gasped.
"He's too dangerous." Kyo snapped.
"Kai…Kai's calling for me." Reita mumbled, pushing his body forward. "I can stop it. Please…"
Kyo nodded and helped Reita move towards his mate, but was ready to protect the omega at a seconds notice. Kai growled out as they came closer, but Reita ignored the threat and reached out with both hands to grab Kai's head. The alpha bared his fangs, threatening to bite as Reita moved closer placing his forehead against Kai's own.
Reita opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by tall black bushes with thick vines covered in thorns; red skies with dark grey clouds above him; and red puddles were spread across the dead black ground. Reita looked to his side to see his inner wolf walking up next to him. Reita looked ahead not hesitating as he walked forward into the opening of bushes revealing the rows upon rows of dead bushes and vines. A loud low growl sounded nearby and Reita watched with wide eyes as a huge black beast walked out one of the rows. Its hind legs were short, front legs were long, solid red eyes, and it had long sharp canines with drool dripping down.
It slowly turned to look at Reita and let out a loud growling howl before charging forward. Reita gasped stepping back, but his white wolf charged in. He watched as his white beast jumped into the air. He landed on the black beast's head and bit into its head and Reita took this chance to run forward. The black beast swing its arm at Reita, but he dodged it and charged forward leaving his other half to take care of the monster.
Reita ran down the rows of bushes until he came up to a large body of blood red water. Reita eyes widen at the sight past the water on the small island. Large wilted roses sat on the island with the biggest one having a vine cage in the center of it and inside the cage was Kai. He was wrapped in the vines and limply hung in the air.
"Kai." Reita whimpered. He looked back to see the large beast throwing his white wolf onto the ground and hitting it with its hand like paw. "No!"
The white wolf landed all fours before running to the monster again. Reita let out a sigh of relief before turning back around. He ran into the water where it was immediately stomach deep.
He reached the small island in minutes where he climbed the mound up to the largest rose. He stared at Kai's body just hanging inside the vine cage. Reita grabbed one of the vines and started pulling at it, but it was like pulling at a steal bar. A loud roar sounded behind him and he turned to see the black beast jumping into the water. It charged forward and Reita pressed his back against the vine cage watching the beast come closer. It jumped into the air right above him, but Reita waited until the last second before jumping into the water.
He was quick to pop up and found the beast growling above him, but past it was the torn cage. The beast moved to bite Reita, but his white wolf was quick to jump on its head and bit it first. Reita quickly climbed back up to the cage and slipped in. He didn't wait before pulling at the vines around Kai's body. When Reita couldn't get them loose, he climbed up until he was looking in Kai's face. He held the alpha's cheeks as he rubbed his forehead against Kai's.
"Kai, you have to wake up." Reita whimpered. The beast roared behind him, but he ignored it as he pushed for Kai to wake up. "Please…"
Kai let out a small groan as his forehead wrinkled and his eyes squeezed before opening. "Reita?"
"Kai!" Reita gasped.
"What?"
"You have to snap out of it. We—" Reita was cut off as the beast grabbed him.
"Reita!" Kai screamed, watching his mate being thrown into the water. The alpha glared at the black beast growling at him. It roared out as it swung its claws across the vines holding Kai's body in the air. He dropped hard onto the ground but he didn't have time groan before he was dodging the next attack from the beast. He barely managed to crawl out and jump into the water before the beast tore into the bottom of the vines.
Kai took this chance run to his mate who was sitting up slowly. Reita groaned leaning into Kai's body as the brunette held him. They looked at the black creature tearing into wilted rose. Kai whimpered out gripping his chest.
"The hell is that thing?" Kai gasped.
"It's you." Reita answered. "Or at least your inner wolf."
Kai groaned in pain, gripping his chest. "Damn it."
"You have to get control of it." Reita said.
Kai nodded and closed his eyes trying to focus, but in less than a minute he gasped out. Reita was quick to catch his mate before he fell to the side.
"I can't. It's too strong." Kai said.
Reita rubbed Kai's arm as they watched the beast tearing into the small island all while Kai's pain grew. "Kai, remember how my wolf would trap me inside my own soul. Maybe you can do the opposite, at least until you're strong enough to control your wolf again."
Kai gasped staring out at the beast before closing his eyes again. Reita held Kai's hand as his white wolf limped to stand in front of them. Kai hissed in pain, but used Reita to support himself as he concentrated. The beast let out a roaring howl as it turned to look at them, but before it could take a step, a thorny vine out from the ground and wrapped around its neck. It growled out as more vines shot from the ground, wrapping around its body. It tore at the vines, but more came up to wrap around its body. Reita watched as the beast was pulled onto the ground with more vines and as a large rose came up closing its petals around it.
Reita slowly opened his eyes and pulled his forehead away from Kai. The pack was still standing around them. Kaoru and Kyo were hanging onto a limp Kai in front of him. Reita whimpered as he rubbed Kai's cheek.
"Kai…"
The alpha groaned, slowly lifting his head. His eyes were still bloodshot, but they weren't as red anymore. "Rei…"
Reita gave a small smile, but his lips dropped as his body fell over. Kai's eyes grew wide as he watched his mate fall to the side. Kai felt a pain deep into his chest and he gasped out before screaming. Tears ran down his cheeks as he dropped his head and continued to scream out Reita's name.
Shinya was already at Reita's side sitting him up. The omega was limp in Shinya's arms and Toshiya moved to help carry Reita away from his mate. Kai watched as they took Reita away, but he only hung limply in Kaoru's and Kyo's arms as he continued to cry.