Barba's Home
Walking into his home, he rolled his eyes at picking up on the scent coming from his kitchen. "I am regretting ever giving you the key to my place."
Ty popped his head out of the kitchen. "Becka hasn't gone shopping yet and I am starving."
"And your first thought was to ransack my refrigerator." Tossing his briefcase on the couch, he joined the younger man. "What are you making?"
"Steak." He salivated at the raw meat.
Barba snatched the steak from the jaws of the wolf. "You are not eating that raw."
"What's the big deal?" He grumbled. "Wouldn't be the first time."
"Is that why I never have steaks left?"
"I'm going to keep my mouth shut now."
"That would be a sight to see." A female shifted by his back door.
Barba reached for a towel and tossed it to her. "If you two are here, I am going to assume the rest of the pack is nearby."
Sierra nodded. "And hungry." She approached Barba, nuzzling into his neck. "What was the verdict?"
"Guilty." He shrunk back from the touch. Suddenly not feeling the desire of having anyone touch him.
"What's the matter?" Sierra had noticed the way he recoiled from her touch. He had never done that.
Barba shrugged. "I've been feeling off today."
"You might want to go for a run." Ty suggested, running back out the door.
"Perhaps later tonight."
Enzo slid into the house on his knees. "Your true soul mate has arrived!"
"If that ever becomes a reality just shoot me in the head." Barba grumbled.
"You hurt me, Rafael." He clenched his heart. "You hurt me very badly."
"What's with the with the new scent?" He had picked up the smell as soon as Enzo appeared. It was making his stomach turn and not in a good way.
"Oh, right. New alpha in the Mirkwood pack." Enzo leaned over the bar separating the kitchen from the dining room. "I just met him briefly."
"New alpha?" Barba frowned. "What happened to Erick?"
Enzo shrugged. "I was patrolling the borderline when he just popped up. Large white wolf. Said his name was Elliot, alpha to the pack. Nothing more."
"Elliot." Barba picked a grape from the fruit bowl, tossing it into his mouth. "For now keep the pack away from the borderline. We already had a strained relationship with Erick. No need to push this one as well."
"Yes sir." Enzo grumbled at suddenly being pushed aside. "Watch it jackass."
"Don't stand in my way runt." Angelous stalked towards Sierra, pulling her into a kiss. "You ran off before I could do that."
"You have been extra needy." Sierra chuckled. "I'll get the grill set for the meat. The pack is close by. Enzo get the sides ready."
"Here." Barba gave her the pack of meat he had snatched from Ty earlier. "Add this to the pile."
"By the way, Sarah is looking for you." Sierra yelled out, knowing very well the annoyance it would cause the man. "She'll be joining the pack for lunch."
Barba growled lowly at the thought of the young pup. "Shouldn't she be doing homework? Anything but being here?" Sarah wasn't a part of his pack, but she was Mario's sister. One of his first pack mates. He had yet to mark the girl as a part of his pack, but truth be told he's been avoiding it. So, regardless of how irksome she was, he tolerated her. But it was taking a toll on the alpha. "Mario needs to have a word with that pup."
"Come on Rafa, so the girl has a crush on you." Enzo shrugged, not seeing what the big issue was. "Wouldn't be the first she-wolf or last to become infatuated with an alpha."
"She's 17 Enzo, about to hit her first heat." Barba reminded him. "She needs to stay away from the pack and me."
Angelous pulled a face. "You honestly think she'll ask you to help her through it?"
"I would think she has better sense than that." Grabbing another fruit, he leaned against the counter just as his phone went off. "Barba."
'Counselor, it's Benson.'
"I know, what can I do for you detective?" Straightening himself up, he was pulled back down by Enzo. Seeing him lean forward to hear the conversation he rolled his eyes.
'Rollins is in need of some legal counsel for her sister. I am aware this is out of your job description, but we want to keep this between the squad for as long as we can.'
Barba rolled his eyes once more. Not even a day has passed and he's already being dragged into their issues. "I can't go there now, I am committed to a previous engagement at the moment. I can meet with her tomorrow morning." Why couldn't he stop talking? "Where is the sister?"
'Rikers.'
He stopped himself from scoffing. "Right, I'm sure she can handle one night." He was sure he heard her mutter a curse. "Or you can bail her out. Makes no difference for me."
Angelous raised a brow at the slight tone. Rafael was short and can sometimes be rude to anyone he didn't consider family, but this was something different. He was forcing it. He spoke like someone looking to sound distant and disinterested with the person.
'I'll have Rollins call you in the morning.'
Giving her a short goodbye, he slipped the phone back into his pocket. "What were we talking about?"
"Mm, who was that?" The delta was more interested in the woman on the other line. "Sounds hot." Immediately regretting those words at the growl he got. "I meant lovey."
"Olivia Benson." Barba muttered. "She's a detective with the SVU unit."
Angelous chuckled at the distaste he heard. "Not even a complete day and she's already annoying you."
"She can be…" He mauled over his word choices. "Persistent."
"But she's one of the good ones?" Enzo suddenly asked in all seriousness.
Barba's eyes jumped to the younger man, spotting the guilt creep into his eyes. He knew Enzo still blamed himself, no matter how many times Barba told him not to. They couldn't have known they would be betrayed in such a manner. "She seems like it. But I won't be letting her in anytime soon."
Enzo like Barba was wary of humans. Many in the pack were downright scared of them. Before Barba gained control of the pack from their previous alpha, they were living in fear. Afraid of leaving their families and coming back to find them dead or gone. Hunters were gunning for them, desperately trying to end their lineage. Back then they were naïve. And yet they still believed humans held some good in them.
Enzo learned the truth the hard way. Despite the warning from his alpha and beta, he allowed a human to get close to them. Allowed her into the pack. Showed her what they were. Shared their world with her. He had thought he found one of the good ones. But he was terribly wrong. In that mistake, Barba lost his family, along with multiple pack mates.
"Enzo!"
Snapping out of it he looked up dazed. "Sorry, I-uh-I zoned out."
Seeing the emotions on Enzo, he decided not to pry. "Here take this to-"
"Hi, Rafa!" Sarah ran into the house, greeting the alpha with a wide smile. "How was your first day in court?"
"Sarah, it was eventful."
"Can't wait to hear all about it." Walking around the breakfast bar, she tackled the older man in a hug.
"Sarah, le-" Taking a deep breath he chocked at picking up her scent. His wolf growled at the sweet smell of pine. Yet, he himself became nauseous. "Angelous."
The beta was startled at the dangerously low growl. "Wha-" Catching a whiff of the scent, he realized what was going on. "Sierra!" Grabbing Sarah by the arm, he pulled her off Rafael.
The she-wolf popped her head in to find her alpha gripping the edge of the counter. Her mate stood between Sarah and Barba, creating a scent barrier. "Oh shit, Sarah come with me."
"What? Why?" The pup had no idea what was going on. "Rafa are you okay?" She jumped at the growl she received at stepping towards him.
"Honey it's your scent."
She frowned. "My scent?"
"Yeah, come with me. You and I need to have a conversation." She approached the girl with haste.
"But Rafa-"
"It's best if we leave Barba alone." Taking the girl's arm she dragged her out of the house. "Angelous and Enzo will care for him."
Finally able to breathe, he sagged against the counter. "Jesus didn't her mother talk to her about this?!"
"I'm surprised you held yourself back." Enzo mumbled.
Barba raised a brow at the offensive comment. "I may turn into an animal, but I still have self-control. Not to mention she's a child!"
"He meant your wolf, Rafael." Angelous elaborated. "Usually one loses control and shifts at the scent. You looked revolted almost."
Barba licked his lips nodding slowly. "I was."
"What?"
"I know what a female in heat does to one. I have gone through it multiple times and every time they require my help I am there." He glanced up at them. "This time I was nauseous. She smelled of pine, but it nearly made me throw up. There was a detestable scent mixed along with it. I wasn't controlling myself to stop any inappropriate action, I was trying not to attack the girl."
Adhara walked in having caught the last of Barba's words. "That's odd coming from an unmated male."
"Sarah?"
"Well, Sierra just had a very awkward conversation with the girl." Standing beside her mate, she laid her arms on the counter. "She took the girl home and called her mother. Mary sends her apologies."
Barba shrugged it off. "No harm was done."
"What did you mean by its odd?" Enzo brought her focus back.
Adhara sighed. "A female in heat is the forbidden fruit for an unmated male. It triggers their instinct in wanting to claim the female. Barba reacted as any mated male would."
"But he isn't mated." Enzo stated.
"That's the odd part." She eyed Rafael for a moment. "Only two reasons that would happen."
Enzo was clearly invested in the conversation. "Which are?"
"One you're mated." She shook her head. "Which we know you're not. And the second being you have chosen your mate."
Barba raised a brow. "Wouldn't that involve me claiming and marking my so call mate?"
"Yes, but a lot of time your wolf will see them as your mate before you yourself do." Adhara explained.
Looking up and finding all eyes on him, he huffed. "I'm going for that run."
"You going to miss dinner." Enzo whined.
"Won't be long."
Stepping out into the back yard he inhaled the air around him. He bought the house specifically for its access to a small wooded section. It was a few acres of nothing, but tress and freedom. The woods kept the pack grounded, giving them a space to unwind and be their true selves.
Undoing his tie, he draped it over one of the patio chairs, followed by his shirt and pants. Once he stripped down to only his briefs, Barba took in a few deep breaths to relax. Dropping on all four he gave into the beast already breaking through the skin. His hands now turned claws, torn pieces off. Within seconds a black wolf stood in where he once stood as a man. What used to be his skin was now laying on the ground around him. Shaking off anything left on him, he took off into the woods.
Barba dashed through the woods, leaping over thin winding creaks and the slippery rocks. He dodged and zipped past rotting oak trees and under lowered and snapped branches. Everything blurred into a dizzying blend of earthly colors. The earth was wet and moist under his paws. He jumped into a muddy brook, swollen by the recent rains, soaking up his paws and legs. The woods began to widen and thin layers of fallen pine needles and sentinels disguised the perilous and rocky terrain. He ran beside the twisted creek which mirrored the deep green of the trees. Leaping over a fallen pine tree, which had damned the flow. He raised his gaze to the top of the treetops and listened to the trees, as they came to life.
Reaching a rather large section of the river, he stopped at the edge. Tossing his head back, he released a low howl. His pack answered shortly after. As he continued on with his run, he kept thinking back to what Adhara had said. She wasn't wrong. His reaction had been odd. Regardless of what his feelings towards Shara were, the scent alone would have driven him crazy. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd help a pack mate with their heat.
His mind wandered to the untamed scent of Benson. The scent fitted her well. He had noticed the way it changed with her mood. The slight spike when she became angry or infuriated, he caught when she stormed out of his office. Or the way it lured him in like a baby's blanket when she was worried. That one surprised him after he smelled it in the courtroom. When he glanced back at her, he felt a ping of guilt at being the one to cause the look in her eye. But the one that drove him crazy was her normal scent. A mixture of everything he consider home rolled up creating Olivia Benson. That was a dangerous mixture for him to be around and he knew it, but he couldn't let it go.
Not yet.
Barba had been so lost deep in his thoughts, that he hadn't realized just how far he had wandered from the woods.
"Mom, look a dog!"
Looking up he froze at the young curly hair boy running towards him. His first instinct was to growl at the child in a warning, but he was stumped by the familiar scent. It was a mixture of wet soil and tree bark. To his surprise, the boy stopped just in front of him and held his hand out. Barba leaned forward poking it with his nose a few times. The kid raised his hand slowly over his head to pet him, crouching down to his.
"Noah, don't touch it!" His mother yelled.
Barba was shocked once more at seeing Olivia jogging toward them. 'This is her son? Explains the familiar smell.'
"He won't hurt me." Noah looked up at his hover mother, so sure of his words. "He's friendly."
Olivia placed a hand on his shoulder, eyeing the animal. "It probably just wants food." Now she wasn't an expert on dogs, but this one didn't resemble any dog she had seen.
'I take offense to that.' Barba grumbled.
"There is a hot dog stand over there." Noah gesture to the place. "Can we get him one?"
"Let's not." Olivia chuckled. "Once you feed him he won't want to go away."
"And that's bad why?" Noah asked.
Olivia sighed, preparing herself for the 'Why can't we have a dog.' Conversation. "We can't have a dog, Noah. Not right now."
'Bold of them to think I would even follow.' Barba groaned at the scratch behind his ear. 'That's the spot.'
Olivia crouched between the two, giving in to the temptation of petting its long coat. The dog was big, reaching up to her hips. His coat was long mainly black with some gold/brown swirled in throughout his back and sides. Running her nails up and down his chest, she was amazed at how soft it was to the touch. "He's probably someone's pet."
Barba glanced up at her, just now noticing how close she was. Having her hands on him was a test to his limits. He began wondering how those nails would feel on his bare back. How her skin would feel against his. 'I need to get away from here.' But her nails scratching through his fur kept him grounded.
Noah reached for his phone, opening the camera. "Let me get a picture of him." Barba felt her hand lay over his chest, while the other scratched the back of his neck. Turning just as the flash went off, he placed his nose against her cheek. Enzo had mentioned this move being popular with the females. And based on the laugh Olivia gave he was right. "Got it!"
"What's the picture for?"
"I haven't seen a dog like him before." Noah was already posting it on his social media. "I want to see if anyone knows the breed."
"Alright, we need to get home." Olivia sighed, giving the animal one last pet before standing up. "You have homework and Brian is coming over for dinner."
"We aren't going to leave him here are we?" Noah asked.
"Honey, he probably belongs to someone." Olivia repeated. "He will find his way home."
"But what if the pound gets him?"
Barba stayed in his spot watching them walk further and further from him. Every fiber in his body screamed to follow them. But he knew better, he was no longer a naïve pup. Past interactions with humans have taught him to stay clear of them, no matter how enticing their scent was. This was a one time thing. He hadn't meant to wander past the cover of the woods. Noah had caught him off guard for a moment and then Olivia. He should have never allowed them to touch him. His scent mixed with theirs. He should have just walked away. But her scent had managed to take control over him once more.
'What does she have over me.'
Olivia kept glancing over her shoulder at the animal. To her wonder, it remained seated where they left him. But as much as she would like to comply with her son's begging, she couldn't. A dog in their current life was too much. Still, something about that animal nagged her. Looking down at Noah she groaned at her weakness.
"We can take him, but he will only stay with us until we find his owner." Olivia tried to be stern. As if she hadn't just given into his puppy eyes. "We do not own him."
"Okay!"
Barba was already making his way back when he picked up on approaching footsteps. 'What now?' Seeing Noah rush towards him, he perked his head up.
"You want to come home with us?" Noah crouched in front of him with a huge grin. "Only until we find your owners."
Barba huffed. 'Sorry, mijo but that's a very bad idea.'
"New York is a very scary place at night." Noah leaned in closer to him, lowering his voice to whisper. "My moms a cop. She can keep us both safe."
Barba glanced over at Olivia, then back at Noah. The boy had such hope in his eyes. Before he could come to his senses, he was already walking beside the boy. 'This is going to end very badly.'
Olivia chuckled to herself. She should have known the dog would come along. Noah had a gift for animals. it had gotten to the point where she had to check his pockets after school to ensure he wasn't carrying any critters. Drove her insane at times. This time she couldn't blame him, some of it was her fault.
