For the past year, this had been Barba's life. During the day he'd focus on his pack and his job. But once night fell, he would show up at Olivia's door on all four paws. In a way he had no control over himself, it was all his wolf. The primal instinct to protect what he had claimed as his own. Something Elliot was not willing to accept. The alpha was becoming a thorn in Barba's side. But he was not going to start a war between the packs at least not at the moment.
As himself in the human world, he made sure to always keep his distance from Olivia. Speaking only when it was absolutely necessary. Which if he was being honest was every day. Mainly because he couldn't deal with her squad for more than a few hours a week.
Amaro was too hot head for Barba's temper. It wasn't always like that, usually, their meeting ended with a few raised voices, but that was about it. But just last week it had turned into something more. After Barba refused to arraign a rich man charged for assaulting a Hispanic woman from el barrio, Amaro accused him of being in the big man's pocket. A sell-out. A dog to the men. Barba had lost his temper for a moment, slamming the detective against the wall in Benson's office.
Flashback:
"Please, the only reason you won't charge him is that your handlers won't let you." Amaro barked.
Rafael rolled his eyes, tired of the whole situation. "What the hell are you talking about? I can't charge him because there is no proof!"
"You have enough proof!" Amaro stood nose to nose with the man. Trying to dominate over the alpha. "You have witnesses. The Vic's statement! What more do you want?!"
"Your witnesses were high off meth who believed they saw Papa Smurf stealing their shoes." Barba growled. "The Vic has changed her story in every interview you have conducted. Just the recent one she backed out on her id of the suspect." Not willing to get into an altercation with the hot-headed detective, he stepped back and turned to Olivia. "You find me anything coherent and I will gladly charge him. Until then let him go and step back."
Amaro scoffed. "Damn dog in the pockets of his master."
Barba tensed at hearing the words. "What was that?"
"You heard me, counselor." Amaro grumbled.
"I did." Barba was now the one dominating. "But I want to see if you have the cajones to repeat it."
Amaro smirked standing tall. "You're a dog. One order from your master and you'd submit like a bitch in h-" The air was knocked out of his lungs, at his back hitting the wall.
Barba had the man pushed up the wall with his hands flat against his chest. "No te eqivoques con migo."
"Let go." Amaro snarled.
Barba bit back the growl, glaring at the younger man. "You don't want me as an enemy Detective. You have no idea just how miserable I can make your life."
Amaro chuckled at hearing his phone ring. "Your master is calling."
Adding pressure to his hold, he smirked at the wheeze Amaro gave. Before he could lose himself in the beast, a hand landed on his arm. Looking to his left he met the worried eyes of Benson.
"Barba, let him go." Feeling the strain on the counselor's arm, she squeezed him. "Please."
Barba hadn't done any damage to the man, but the wall was a whole different tale. Benson had managed to ease him back just before he could harm Amaro. After that both men agreed to keep their distance from each other, only speaking when there was another party in the room. It usually meant Benson.
Present:
Rollins, well Barba just couldn't stand the woman. She talked too much and was always poking her nose in his business. And god help anyone that told her no. He gave up trying to work with her after half a day. He refused to go ahead on a case when she brought him nothing coherent. Nagged him all day, until he dragged them into Olivia's office and handed her back.
Flashback:
Barbara stepped off the elevator to the squad room, rolling his eyes as Rollins continued to speak. She hadn't shut up the whole drive here.
"Come on Barba, you have everything you need to charge the man." Rollins scoffed. "We have the DNA. We have witnesses and he even confessed to being in the same place as the attack. What more do you need?"
"A victim." Barba repeated for the 12th time. "Someone that will actually come forward and say he attacked them."
"You know he did!"
"No, all we know is that two teenage girls witness what could have been some rough sex in a hallway." He growled at seeing Benson talking with Brian. "It's not uncommon for couples to explore. Nor is the thrill of having sex in public or being rough with one another. Until you have a victim I can not and will not charge them."
"But, we have everything you-" She threw her hands up in annoyance at the man walking away from her and into Benson's office. "I can't stand him!"
"Join the club." Amaro grumbled.
"Counselor." Benson raised a brow at Barba barging into her office.
"I tried. I really did, but you need to take her back." Barba snarled.
Looking over his shoulder she chuckled. Rollins was pacing outside waiting for him. "You can't handle Rollins?"
"The woman will not stop." Walking to the door, he called for Rollins. "As of this moment, she is back to being your problem." He stopped the blond from retaliating. "Until you have a victim that willingly comes in, do not come back. There is only so much of you I can handle."
Rollins started wide eyes to the retreating man. "I hate that asshole."
"You could have handled that better." Amaro had blocked Barba from exiting the squad room. "She's just doing her job."
"She's waiting my time. Her job is to investigate real crimes, not chase after false ones." Moving to the left he rolled his head in annoyance at being blocked once more.
"You really are a-"
"Amaro." Benson stood by her door glaring at the detective. "Shouldn't you be following up on that call that came in?"
"Just heading out cap."
Barba cracked his neck with a growl, inhaling deeply. Big mistake. Olivia's scent trapped him in a box of only her. It was enough to calm him down, but it only reminded him that he could never truly own it.
Glancing back at her he offered her a stiff nod, taking off before Rollins could catch him. There was no need to add more stress to himself than he already did.
Present:
As for Fin well they just never really talked. But Barba had seen the way he looked out for Olivia. He respected the man. And knowing he was there for her when he couldn't be gave him some peace of mind.
Carisi was a whole different story compared to the others. The younger man was actually looking to become a lawyer. More specifically an ADA. In other words, Carisi wanted his job. He was probably the one that irritated him the less. Don't get him wrong, he still didn't like the man following him around like a lost puppy, but it was better than Rollins. And he didn't talk as much.
Regardless of having to work with Olivia, he still kept to himself. Refuses to acknowledge her in the courtrooms, unless he absolutely needed to. Which is he was being honest was killing him. The need to turn to her was eating him alive. It did nothing but put him in a bad mood. Barba saw the way his distance and coldness affected her. The hurt in her eyes every time he would snap or dismiss her. She was a strong woman nonetheless. She just kept coming back, at times snapping back at him. Many times leaving him speechless by her own coldness towards him. Something he hated to admit, but was a huge turn-on for him.
"Rafael, Enzo is here." Carmen popped her head into his office.
"Let him in, please."
Enzo walked in blowing kisses toward Carmen. "Damn she's fine."
"Don't you have a mate?"
"Don't mean I can't look."
Barba rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"We have a slight problem." Enzo slumped into the chair, tossing his head back.
Barba was about to snap at him when he noticed the bite on his neck. "Enzo what is that?" Walking around to his side, he ran his finger over the mark. "Who the hell marked you?"
"Rafa your voice." Enzo whimpered baring his neck even more.
"Sorry." Taking a breath to control himself, he stepped back. "Who was it?"
"That's the problem." He reached up to touch it, growling softly at feeling it burn. "Elliot's pack ambushed a handful of us. I don't know what they intended with marking us, but we all got one. Happened last night."
Barba growled. "Son of a bitch is trying to claim the pack as his own. Take a handful at a time."
"With a mark?" Enzo scoffed. "It wouldn't work. We wouldn't accept the claim."
Before he could ponder any longer on the situation, he was interrupted by his phone. "What is it Carisi?"
'We are in need of your assistance.'
He frowned. "With what?"
'Turn the news on counselor.'
Grabbing the remote, he flipped the channel. "Hostage situation? What's that got to do with me? You have the feds."
'We have one of the partners. We need a deal if he's to talk.'
"Alright, give him one and I'll sign off on it." He was confused as to why they were even having this conversation. "Something else?"
'Captain is one of the hostages.'
Enzo raised a brow at the low rumble coming for the alpha. "Rafael, you good?"
"Do not say or do anything until I get there." Hanging up the phone, he quickly gathered his coat and keys. "I'll deal with Elliot later."
"Barba, what's going on?" Chasing after the agitated wolf, they took the stairs. "Rafael!"
"I'll explain later, right now Liv needs help."
Watching the alpha runoff, he shook his head. Rafael might not see it, but it appears he was falling for the woman. Something even he found impossible. One she was a human and two well, she was a human. But then again he shouldn't be surprised.
The day Benson was taken by Lewis, Barba had the pack searching all over. They went as far as asking for help from other packs. The alpha was a mess getting worse with each passing hour.
Flashback:
Enzo jumped at the glass shattering against the wall. It had been three hours since Benson had been taken by Lewis. Rafael paced the living room, looking at his phone every few seconds.
"Gather the pack."
The delta male frowned. "For what?" Jumping out of the way, he followed the angered alpha. "Rafael?"
"Angelous!"
"Rafa?" The tall male stepped away from his training session, jumping over the fence. "What is it?"
"Get the best trackers." Rafael ordered. "I am not sitting on my ass anymore. We start at Olivia's apartment."
Giving him a stiff nod, Angelous called over his brother Ty. "Get Sierra, Adhara, Seth, and Verana."
"Okay."
Rafael called him before he could run off. "Grab two females and have them head to Lucy's apartment. She has Noah."
"Yes alpha."
"What's going on?" Angelous whispered. "So, the human has been taken. Isn't that what her team is for?"
"Just do what I ask." Rafael sighed. "Let me know when they are ready to go."
Apartment:
"What are we doing here?" Ty asked.
Rafael turned the knob sighing at finding it locked. "We are going hunting." Breaking the knob, he pushed the door open.
Angelous glanced around picking up on a few scents. "Who's the hunted?"
"William Lewis." Taking a deep breath, Olivia's scent was the first to hit him. But it was all wrong. Her sweet smell was covered by fear and anger. No longer giving him that comforting feeling. "Memorize his stench."
Sierra picked up a photo of Benson and Noah. "Why are we going after him? What is so important about the human?"
Barba took the photo from her, his expression softening. "He took what's mine."
Beach House:
The pack stood over a small cliff overlooking the beach house. Barba honed in on the solitary house, listening to the cries and muffled screams from Olivia. Angelous had stopped him a few times from running towards the house without a plan. They couldn't just storm the place. Well, they could, but how do you explain that in a report.
'We need to get down there.' Adhara cringed at the muffled scream.
Ty shook himself. 'How?'
Barba studied the ground below him. There wasn't another house within a few miles. The beach was empty with the occasion joggers. If they wanted to move, now would be the time. 'Storm it.'
'What?' Enzo barked.
'Quick and silent.' Barba growled. 'Enzo and Sierra are with me. The rest of you stay here.' Not wanting to hear any arguments, he slid down the sandy hillside. Sprinting across the road he slowed upon reaching the back side of the beach house. In reality, it seemed like a hut, small and yellow. 'Sierra take the left; Enzo take the right side.' Stepping back, he crouched down, eyeing the bedroom window. Based on his senses that was where Olivia was. 'On three we jump.'
'One.'
The wolves crouched down ready to sprint.
'Two.'
They pushed themselves forward reaching full speed within seconds.
'Three!'
Simultaneously the three wolves broke through the glass windows. Enzo and Sierra entered the dining room.
Barbe ignored the pieces of glass cutting his skin. The blood dripped from said wounds. Landing on the bed just over Olivia, ears laid back and teeth bared. His green eyes were wild with rage staring at Willam Lewis. The man stumbled back bumping against the dresser, knocking the content in the progress. Fake lunging towards him, Lewis dropped the bat in his hand. Trying to make a run for it, he bolted out of the room closing the door behind him. What he didn't expect were the two wolves waiting for him.
'Don't kill him.' Barba ordered. 'Take him to Angelous.'
Enzo had Lewis on the floor with a paw on his chest. 'Pack trial?'
'Yes.' Biting the tape and rope off Olivia's ankles, he moved to do the same with her wrists. The moment her hands were free, she pulled him into a hug. Barba was stunned but allowed it regardless. Her tears soaked into his fur. 'I got you.'
'Pack trial?' Sierra's voice interrupted his peace. 'But this isn't a crime against the pack.'
Barba pulled away from Olivia, locking eyes with her. It felt wrong to see her so broken. Her eyes were stained with tears, no longer holding that spark he had come to enjoy. Lewis took something that was his. Barba was just taking it back. 'He took your Luna; I'd say that's a crime against the pack.'
End flashback:
When they found out who Noah's biological father was, the pack was on pup duty until the trial. Anyone trying to come near the pup was met with snapping teeth. After the failed attempt of Noah's kidnapping, they went on the hunt once more. The next morning Johnny 'D' was found ripped to pieces in his home.
Flashback:
Olivia flashed her badge to the officer at the door. Two others ran past her, throwing up on the dead lawn. Putting on her gloves she was stopped by Fin at the door. "How bad?"
"I hope you skipped breakfast."
Immediately entering the house, she spotted the blood smeared on the wall. Furniture was flipped over, the coffee table was broken. The couches were stained with blood. Finding a trail of blood on the carpet, she followed it through the kitchen and into the back bedroom. The door was closed, but bloody hand prints stained against the white door. Crouching down she examined what appeared to be where Johnny 'D' gripped the edge of the baseboard, ripping a piece in the process. Standing up, grabbing the doorknob, and turning it, the door was pushed open.
What she saw was not something she was prepared for.
The walls were drenched in blood. Almost as if someone had gotten hoes and sprayed the wall. Against her better judgment, she looked towards the bed. The contents in her stomach threatened to return the same way they went in. Johnny 'D' was laid over the pool of blood on the bed. His right arm hanging by a piece of skin, while his left arm was laying across the room. His legs were missing chunks, giving her a clear view of white bones. Like his legs, his chest and abdomen were also missing chunks of meat. Everything that was meant to be inside of him, was laid out in the open. Finally, his throat had been ripped out and placed on the nightstand by the bed.
Not able to handle the smell anymore, she rushed out of the room. "Anything?"
Fin nodded. "Whoever did this took his dog."
"What?"
"Dog print." Fin gestured to the paw print in the blood. "Large dog by the look of it."
"Anything about the body?"
"I will know more once I get him into autopsy." Melinda signed off a few things on her chart. "Which won't last long, seeing they already opened him up for me." Seeing the look Olivia gave her, she cleared her throat. "I do know he was alive when all this happened."
"Alive?" Fin's face paled for a moment. "How long?"
"Based on the amount of blood in each wound, I'd say he passed out only after his throat was ripped out. He felt everything until the last moment." Closing her clipboard, she motioned to the crime unit. "Let's bag him."
Olivia stepped out of the house searching for some fresh air. Standing on the porch she leaned against the banister. Her eyes scanned the dark street. Looking down for a moment, she sniffled and looked up. Her eyes caught a pair of green ones. Just as she registered what she looking at they disappeared. She knew that should have scared her, but it did the complete opposite. It gave her the sense that something was looking out for her.
End Flashback:
Enzo chuckled. The wolf side of him had accepted the female, now it was his other half that needed to catch up. Barba may deny caring for the human, but he knew the alpha better than anyone. If given the ultimatum he'd give his life for the captain. The others were going to get a laugh out of this.
