Orphan Wolf

07 The Apartment*

The drive to Brayden's apartment was very short. No one spoke until we entered. The place is small and rather unfurnished. It is a wide open space, no separate rooms apart from the bathroom. The kitchen is empty except for a couple of plates and cups. Brayden walks to the fridge and opens it.

"Well, that's depressing... it may not be much, but it's a safe place to stay... I need to talk to Ari. My Beta will be here soon to watch over you." Brayden says,"How about I order a pizza... not much else around here to eat."

"Why can't I come with you?" I ask.

Brayden runs his hand through his hair and sighs.

"Listen, Alic... I can't take you back yet." He says.

"Why not!" I scream, pacing the floor. "You CAN take me anywhere you just WON'T! You say you're trying, but it's easy! Just take me HOME!"

"Alic!" Brayden says, grabbing my shoulders. "You WILL go home... but just not yet... if I took you back now, it would only be harder when I have to take you away again."

"I want to see my dad! I want to play with Ruby! I want to figure out what I am! I can't do that here! Take me HOME!" I yell.

"No." He says. Brayden stands up as the apartment door opens.

"Everything alright, Alpha?" The man asks as he enters, closing the door behind him.

"Fine Eric... Alic, this is my Beta Eric." Brayden says. "Keep him here... order a pizza, watch TV, just don't leave." With that, Brayden leaves.

Brayden POV

With the boy safely in the care of my Beta, I left for the pack house. An hour later, I pull up in front of the house.

I quickly make my way into Ari's office. Lilly and Clay are already there.

"How is he? What happened?" Clay asks as soon as he sees me.

"He's fine... I don't think we will need the documents for Virginia Lilly... he has to see a judge tomorrow who will decide what to do with him. They will probably want to put him in a new foster home... or maybe a group home, but it's pretty obvious he wasn't the aggressor. Plus, he partially shifted when he bit the guy it looks like a dog's bite. No one will believe the human." I say.

"How did you get them to drop it so quickly?" Lilly asks. I sigh, hating to be the bearer of bad news.

"By human standards, he doesn't look good. If he weren't a wolf, he'd be in the hospital. As it sits, he is banged up, but his wolf will heal him. He is a victim of child abuse, That's how the police recorded it. They will just put him back in the system." I tell them.

"I'm gonna kill them!" Clay roars.

"Clay, sit down!" Ari says. The Beta reluctantly plops into a chair.

"He is safe now. I have him in my apartment in the city. Eric is watching over him." I say, trying to calm him.

"I want to see him." Clay jumps out of his seat.

"Not a good idea, Clay." I tell him.

"And why not? He's MY Son!" He yells at me. I turn my attention to Ari.

"Ari, you shouldn't have accepted him before you had him." I say.

"I know... how is he doing?" Ari asks.

"What is he talking about, Aaron?" Clay asks.

"You feel the pull to protect this pack, Clay... every wolf we have does. As a ranking wolf, you would feel it stronger... more passionately." Ari says.