RUNT

missing piece

Gabriel

My throat is dry, to dry. I can’t even manage to croak out a warning as I watch her tiny blood soaked wolf disappear in the tree line. I can’t help the shudder that goes through me as I feel my brother help me to my uncertain feet. Something is definitely wrong.

I stumble a bit as I try to regain my bearings. My head feels heavy, fuzzy, and I can't hold my train of thought. The past few hours are a blur and the last thing I truly remember is having a drink with Irene. We had flirted back and forth but I had no intentions of pursuing it further. Despite what most people think of me the girls before were just fun little distractions, my heart has always been for mate alone.

Irene and I had been talking for a while, and I had learned quite a bit about the pack, when some of her friends came up and joined us. I kept drinking and flirting, I remember a weird taste, but then it’s a blur with a few partial images, I don’t remember much. I remember flashes of flesh and women and my heart drops in my chest. Did I? No, I wouldn’t have, right?

‘Where is she?’ I ask my brother through our link but all I get back is panic and rage.

Christian is seething and something tells me that this carnage before me wasn’t him. I'm impressed with the vicious way who ever this was had been killed, it sure looked allot like my brothers work. Lifting my throbbing head up it dawns on me I am naked and caked in crusty bodily fluids. Damn, I did, didn’t I?

Other people are here too. Why?

I can hear voices and words but none register. Everything is a blur. None of it makes sense. Why would I do this? A skinny balding man in a long lab coat sticks a needle in my arm and my head begins to clear.

Just what had my mate seen? Just what had I done? No answers jump out at me, but I know its bad.

That’s when the sound of someone shrieking can be heard. The voice is high pitched and nasally. Definitely female, anger and hate tinge every word.

“You will bring me back her tiny fucking corpse! I want her dead!” I think the voice is Luna Sarah but I could be wrong it could be a moose in heat.

Are they talking about our mate? My wolf roars suddenly with a rage I have never felt from him. Surprised for a moment that he is speaking to me I immediately block him out.

I feel Christian go rigid against me, the Luna's words had reached his ears. They were talking about our mate. I groan as I shift my weight on my feet, rolling my stiff shoulders.

‘We have to find our mate.’ I snap through the link. My brother just nods and shifts into his giant silver wolf that is almost identical to mine, the difference being our tail and ear tips. Mine are a reddish brown where as his are black.

Everyone's attention is back on us as I shift as well, stumbling a bit before beginning my nervous pace around the clearing. Christian is sniffing around not caring about the blood or meaty bits, I try to locate her via her mark with no luck. She is blocking me. Not that I can blame her.

Just what did she see? Guilt sweeps through me as my stomach clenches. I am a terrible mate, truly awful. But I will make it up to her. I will be the most devoted mate you will ever see, as long as she is safe. My wolf whimpers.

Four average sized brown wolves leap past us and into the woods letting out a loud howl as they pass. Trackers by the looks of them. They have caught her scent which at this point is mostly blood, Irene’s blood by the look of the remains. I hope she can get away until we can find her.

Serenity

Shit. What did I just do!?

You killed the bitch who was touching our mate! My wolf growls back.

But…that was the Alpha's assistant, right?

Yep. To bad for her we have been killing for years. She growls in delight.

Yeah, yeah. But we have never killed a pack member, they will be out for our heads now. Irene is.. was the Alpha's assistant and the Luna's cousin.

That explains the garbage taste. My wolf smirks.

I dash through the woods, circling and back tracking randomly before I make it to the pond and plunge myself in the chill waters. I stay under for as long as I can making sure the blood washes away before I shift back to my human form. I slip out of the water and continue, bare foot and naked, across the familiar terrain before I hear a group of wolves howling in the distance.

I can feel Gabriel push at the bond trying to locate me but I just push him out. He hurt me. I can’t even explain it. I know what they probably did to him, I know why they did it. I can't help it though. Thinking of those horrid women touching what is mine really hurt.

For years our pack has been using powerful aphrodisiacs on visiting alphas to try to boost the power of our pack. The whole purpose was to get the she-wolf pregnant so the pack could benefit in the future from stronger children.

I had found the records one night when I snuck in the pack office. It was a practice our pack had practiced during the last two Alphas rule.

I shift back into my wolf and sprint for the river to the north of me. There are caves that I had occupied for years. They made a good shelter on cold or rainy nights plus I could keep what few thing I had safe.

After another ten minutes I slow my pace and drop to the river banks. I can see the wrecked remains of an old beaver den and squeeze between some nearby rocks and into a narrow passage that widens significantly the further you go back. When I stop I'm in a large domed room, an old fallout shelter that no one remembers being here.

I go inside a shift back to my human form, collapsing into a puddle of depressed jelly on the large cushion I slept on. I can still smell his arousal. I frown at the thought.

I told you he wouldn't want us. It is your fault human! My wolf says mockingly.

What about Christian? If I'm not there will he be hurting? The thought suddenly crosses my mind and I let out a whimper.

I don’t know. He scares me. My wolf whispers.

I groan and decide to block her out. She isnt helping. Can I contact Christian through the bond? I shrug and give it a shot.

‘Christian?’

Silence.

Trying again I pull a dingy blanket over me. ‘Christian?’

‘Little one?’ I hear a voice back inside my head. ‘Are you okay little one?’

‘I am safe…just.. I am sorry…’

‘You have nothing to apologize for, you didn’t  do anything wrong….’ He pauses.
‘Are you blocking Gabriel?’

‘I.. am'

‘Can I ask why?’ He gently coaxes.

‘I feel hurt… I..’ I whimper. ‘I don’t understand..’

‘Where are you little one?’ he probes.

‘Up by the north river near an old beaver den, there are some caves I stay in sometimes..’

‘Good, the trackers lost you near the pond.. stay safe, I am coming to get you.’ Even in my head his voice soothes me and I barely stifle a yawn.

‘Why?’

‘What do you mean why? You are our mate.’ I can sense the hurt in his words.

‘I wasn’t sure you would still want me…I have caused allot of trouble…’

‘Of course we want you.’ Christian purrs in my head.

‘We? I am not to sure about that…’ I sigh and feel tears roll down my cheek.

I don’t push the issue but when he doesn’t reply I can’t help but break down a little. Was this what the goddess wished for me? If it is I think she may need her head examined.

I roll on my side looking up at the dark ceiling. Why couldn’t I have just eaten my cake and left?  Why did I have to watch the party?

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Even though I am tired my mind wont stop racing. The world feels heavy. What am I going to do?

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Thank you everyone who has been reading. Feel free to point out any errors i make, it would really help me out.
~furballmews