Turn

CHAPTER 1

Since Then

It had been months, more than months, since he'd heard from anyone in his pack. No, not his pack. Not anymore. They had made that quite clear.

Eliot slid the lock picks into his back pocket as he turned the knob and pushed the door open slowly. This retrieval job was pretty straightforward, and he knew it wouldn't take long. He felt the urge to tap his earbud and check with Hardison to make sure the security system was off. He viciously squashed the urge and the accompanying memories.

He checked around the room and didn't spot any unexpected security. He moved silently down the hallway and into the study. This room had no windows, so he hadn't been able to get any intel on the safe's location. He started looking in all the usual places and rolled his eyes at the cliché when he found the safe behind a painting. He had just set the painting to the side when he heard the scuff of a house slipper in the hallway.

Quickly he ducked down behind the desk, hoped that the person in the hall was on their way to the kitchen, and had no interest in the study. He heard the nearly silent creek of the door hinges and rolled his eyes again; this time in frustration. The lights flipped on and Eliot knew there was no chance of getting out of the house without a confrontation.

In the case of physical violence, Eliot knew it was always best to get the first hit in as quickly as possible before the other person could formulate a plan or raise a cry of alarm. He moved at faster than human speed and sent the old man in the doorway to the thinly carpeted floor of the hall.

The man was soft and unprepared. He crumpled to the floor unconscious with no more sound than was unavoidable when he landed in a heap. Eliot picked the man up under the arms and drug him into the study. He took a quick look down the hall and seeing no one else, he silently shut the door on the study. He looked with derision at the old man as he walked around him and headed back to the safe.

Eliot had learned a lot from Parker over the years on the proper way to crack a safe. He didn't need any of the stethoscopes or digital meters to help him track the movement of the pins and tumbler. His werewolf hearing was more than up to the challenge. He listened to the clicks, clacks, and slip of metal that told him he'd found the first number and then the second. His eyes were closed and he was closing in on the third and final number when…

The urge to yell 'Dammit Hardison' washed over him with an accompanying pain that stabbed through his chest when he remembered that there was no Hardison to yell at. No Quinn to watch his back. No Parker…

Eliot shoved the pain and frustration to the side and rounded on the person that had just crept to the study door. The door was only cracked and not standing open as he'd expected.

"Papa? Is everything okay, papa?"

Eliot was relieved that it wasn't a small child on the other side of the door. He yanked the door open and grabbed the startled woman on the other side, pulling her into the room. His initial plan had been to knock her out like he had the old man but as he looked into light blue eyes, pink cheeks, and platinum blonde hair, he couldn't do it. He cursed himself for a fool but he couldn't hit her. He shoved her into the armchair and secured her there with the roll of tape he'd brought with him. He took one more look at the thin blonde woman and reminded himself that it wasn't Parker before he turned back to the safe.

It only took a few more minutes before he had the safe open. He saw the stacks of cash and felt a twinge when he imagined Parker's eyes lighting up in glee. He shoved the cash to the side and pulled out a small box. Lifting the lid, he briefly examined the silver coin inside. All the markings looked correct and the coin was, as far as he could tell, authentic. He slipped the small box into his pocket and left the room. He didn't glance back at the man or woman, he didn't pause to cover his tracks in anyway, he just walked out the front door like he owned the place.

If he'd learned anything from Nate and Sophie it was that the more you acted like something was true the more everyone else would believe it too. So he walked down the street in the wee small hours of the morning and strolled into the park and out of sight of any and all security cameras.

He transferred his clothes, the coin, and other accoutrements, into a small bag. He slung the bag cross body and started his shift. He gritted his teeth against the pain of the shift and the scratch of the strap on his raw skin. The shift took longer than he'd like and time stretched slow and painful before he finally settled onto four paws.

It didn't take long to travel to the meeting point across town. He moved unnoticed down back alleys and under bridges until the warehouse came in sight. He circled the warehouse scenting the air and the ground. The only scents he'd picked up were; George Dilsaver and two goons, as expected. He slunk to a shadowed spot in the adjacent field and started his shift. He quickly dressed and ran his fingers through his short hair. He was still getting used to the bristly feel of it under his palms and he grimaced at the unwelcome sensation.

The meeting went off without a hitch and as soon as Eliot was back in his car, he completed the complex set of transfers that would help hide the money trail. He'd gotten used to Hardison taking care of that sort of thing over the years but somethings Hardison had taught him he knew he wouldn't forget.

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"How are ye lads faring?" Nati tapped her pen against her knee.

"Same as the last time you'd called." Quinn grumbled. "So far I think we have things handled. At least as much as can be."

"Make sure ye get some rest. Won't do anyone any good if yer exhausted." Nati could hear the exhaustion in Quinn's voice and the Alpha in her wanted to order him to rest but… She was still working things out with Quinn and she didn't want to start a fight that wouldn't end well for anyone.

"I will." Quinn smiled a little when he heard the tone of Nati's voice. He could tell she was fighting down the need to give him an order. There were some days he wished he was an Alpha and days he was glad he wasn't.

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Eliot parked his truck in the back alley of a sketchy neighborhood not far from the safe-house in Clackamas. When he'd first left the pub he'd thought about moving into one of the safe houses but he knew he wouldn't be able to settle there. Even though they weren't there often the safe house would smell like his pack.

The small basement apartment smelled like mildew, greasy food, the old woman that lived upstairs, and various other unpleasant smells. If he was going to give the others a chance at life without him then he felt it was best to make a clean break.

He flopped down onto the lumpy mattress and tried to force himself to sleep. He hadn't bothered to change out of the clothes he'd worn on the job. He refused to take off his shoes. Part of him missed the comfort of old routines but the part of him that had survived as a mercenary and lone wolf couldn't allow himself to be so vulnerable.

Curling on his side with his back to the wall, he wrapped his arms around his go-bag and with a last yellow-eyed look around the cramped space, he fell into a fitful sleep.

~~o0o~~

"Sparky!" Parker cheered as she threw herself onto Eliot's bed. "Wake up Eliot!"

It was a truly rare occasion that Parker was awake before the rest of the pack and Eliot glowered at her. "What the hell Parker?"

"Today is the day!" Parker bounced off the bed and ran from the room.

Eliot felt a cold chill slide down his spine. He shoved the feeling away and reminded himself that it was just nerves. He'd been having nightmares about Parker dying for months now. Nati and Jim Skookum had both assured him that it was not a premonition just the instinctual need to change Parker before something bad would happen.

Rolling out of bed, he focused on the feeling of soft carpet under his bare feet. He let the sensation ground him. Stretching and yawning he headed for his bathroom.

He splashed a little cold water on his face and watched his eyes in the mirror. The human blue faded into a spring green and continued to transition until the yellow eyes of his wolf were staring back at him. Today they would head for his cabin and Nate and Sophie would join them that night. The next day he would change Parker into a werewolf.

He hoped that the feeling of existential dread would finally stop once Parker rose healthy, whole, and on four paws. He moved quickly through his morning routine and felt the excitement of his pack building.

The air was fresh and crisp when he stepped down from his truck in front of his cabin. He smiled when he looked at the old building. It hadn't been much more than a weather-beaten shack when he'd first bought the place. Now, it was clear that this place was used, loved, and newly renovated.

Now that an even half of his pack were wolves, the cabin and its surrounding property had become a regular hangout for moon nights when they weren't out on a job.

Quinn and Hardison had joined forces and insisted on a renovation of the old cabin. While Eliot was against it at first, they'd eventually worn him down. And even though he continued to grumble about 'Spoiled City Boys' he couldn't deny that he liked what they'd done with the place.

The front wall and the stacked stone fireplace with its polished wooden mantel were really all that was left of the old forest service cabin. The cabin had been expanded to include a bathroom and a shower room, a modern kitchen and an otherwise open floor plan that included a lot of cushions, mattresses, and storage but not much furniture surrounding the fireplace that was now the centerpiece of the room.

There were other modern touches and bits of technology, but it was clear that this was a place where the pack spent quality time together, and a lot of that time was spent in their wolf shapes. There were subtle accommodations for wolves, like door handles that didn't need to be twisted to work, pull ropes on the refrigerator doors, and an extra-large filtered water dish.

One of the first protests that Eliot had brought up at the idea of renovating the cabin was that its original use had been as a shelter for lost hikers and hunters. Something about that premise had spoken to something deep in Eliot, and that was the main reason he'd never put a lock on the door. But Eliot was also practical and that was why nothing of value was left in the cabin between visits either.

This new version of the cabin had security, including door locks, that were Parker and Hardison approved. But knowing how Eliot had felt about the service cabin and its original purpose, they had built another small cabin that had no door lock and nothing in it that required any security. There was a bed and small kitchen in one room and a small bathroom at one end. It couldn't hold more than four people really and it only had one bed that was a tight fit for two. But it was enough that if someone needed shelter there would be a warm place for them no matter what.

Eliot grabbed his go-bag and walked into the cabin. Hardison was already getting the various bits of tech up and running and Quinn was making a sweep of the cabin and surrounding grounds. Parker was bouncing around like a bee in a bottle. Eliot smiled at the frenetic energy zipping through the pack bonds.

"Parker, darlin', why don't you take a ride on the zip line and run back to the cabin. I'll give you a decent head start before I let the boys follow you." He grinned as Parker sprinted from the room.

Hardison smiled at Parker's back as the door swung shut behind her. "Nate and Sophie should be here in about three hours."

"And Julio and Chrissa should be here in two." Eliot rolled his shoulders in a subtle stretch as he dropped his bag in the corner.

"And none of that is going to stop our girl from running around like a lunatic." Quinn smiled as he strolled into the room.

"Hardison you better start your shift if you want a prayer of catching Parker." Eliot patted Hardison's shoulder and stepped past him to open the fridge.

Pulling out two bottles, he tossed one to Quinn. "Walk with me for a minute."

Quinn nodded as he twisted the top off. "Sure thing." He smiled and held a hand to his belly as he felt Hardison starting his shift.

Eliot and Quinn moved silently through the woods. Eliot sipped at his beer and glanced at Quinn.

"You know my face hasn't changed since I was turned." Quinn smirked when he caught Eliot glancing at him again.

"Tell me about how you were turned." Eliot kept his gaze on the ground and did his best to hold back the bonds so that Quinn could decide for himself.

Quinn frowned. "What do you mean? Will changed to his wolf and attacked me. There really wasn't much to it."

"And you just stood there and let him?" Eliot hadn't been able to shake the cold feeling of dread, and Quinn's explanation had done nothing to help.

"Yah, pretty much." Quinn took a long swallow of beer. "He crippled my legs first thing so I couldn't have run even if I'd have thought to." Quinn looked at Eliot's pensive face and sipped at his beer again. "I'll admit that I thought I'd made a huge mistake in those first couple of seconds and right after that I thought I was going to die." He smirked. "I guess that parts true… It's not like you can go back after that." They walked a little farther in silence and Quinn watched his Alpha work through … something. "What about you? Wasn't it pretty much the same for you?"

"No. It wasn't the same. Not exactly." Eliot remembered the shock and disbelief, which were the clearest remnants from the moments before Chastel's wolves took him down. "I didn't know that werewolves were real. I didn't get a choice. It was a surprise attack and the only thing more surprising than being killed by a giant wolf was waking up later and finding out that I'd become one."

"What did Nati or Jim Skookum say about changing someone?" Quinn knew that Eliot had been on the phone a lot recently and he was sure most of that had been in preparation for this day.

"They each had their own rituals." Eliot rolled his shoulders as if his shirt were too tight. "Nothing really appealed to me." Eliot smirked. "I'm gonna need you to be in charge of the others until Parker and I are back. I'll give Hardison an official order before Parker and I leave."

"What do you need me to do?" Quinn's posture straightened a little. He recognized the trust that Eliot was placing in him, and he didn't want to let his Alpha down.

"Take care of the others. Don't let anyone, especially Hardison, come to watch. I don't want them to see what's going to happen especially if…" Eliot quickly guzzled the last of his beer, as if to drown the thought roused by his last words.

"I'm sure Parker will be fine." Quinn squeezed Eliot's shoulder in reassurance. "She's young and strong. She's a fighter."

Eliot remembered the faces of the men from his team right before they'd been killed by werewolves. Those men had been young and strong too, but only Eliot had become a wolf. The rest had been left to rot in a manure pile.

~~o0o~~

Eliot woke with a whimper. He'd forced himself to wake from that accursed memory that had become a recurring nightmare, and the self-imposed prison and punishment that he felt he deserved.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and let his thumb hover over the menu option to call Nati. He knew that she would be glad to talk with him and she'd let him know how the others were doing now that they had more or less joined her pack.

He knew that Nate and Sophie had finally started traveling again and even though word that they were now under Nati's aegis had spread he'd also made it known that they were still under his protection as well.

They might not want to be his pack anymore, but he still felt responsible for them. It was his fault that they knew about the supernatural, so it was his responsibility to keep them safe from it.

He shoved the phone back in his pocket. He wouldn't call Nati. He knew that everyone needed to settle into the way that things are now. It wouldn't help anyone, including himself, if he kept checking in like a mother hen. Especially since he no longer had the right. They were no longer his.

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Dr. Terry finished taking the pulse and tucked the warm solid wrist back under the blanket. He stood and stretched to ease his tired back before moving to join Quinn on the other side of the room.

He felt Quinn's eyes on him throughout the whole examination and he'd had to fight down the uneasy feeling that had been niggling at him the whole time. There had been no doubt that he'd been under the scrutiny of a predator that could easily end him. He'd never gotten quite that same feeling from Hardison, but Quinn's barely restrained wolf was hard to miss.

"How is he Doc?" Quinn asked and with the simple shifting of his shoulders and the relaxing of his countenance he was suddenly the easy-going man that Tyrel had come to know.

"He's holding his own." Tyrel shrugged as he leaned back against the wall next to Quinn. "You can let Nati know that there really hasn't been much change. I've never seen anything quite like this but overall, he's as healthy as a person could get in this situation."