Chapter 4

POV Eric

Waking up in a haze trying to understand what Braxton is talking about.

“What, found who?”

“Quite you’ll scare her.” Braxton whispered.

My eyes focusing, I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Standing ten feet away is a tiny pup, matted fur with chunks of mud hanging off. Absolute skin and bones, little hips and ribs sticking out. Every vertebra visible. The worst part is the smell. Rancid smell of decaying flesh and death. If not for the powder blue eyes shining in the moonlight darting around looking for a way to escape, I would have thought we found a dead animal.

“Wake your father, we can’t bring her on pack territory without permission.”

“I’m sorry, WHAT.” Looking around I realize I have no idea where we are. Nothing here looks familiar. “Where are we?”

“About halfway up the mountain by a stream, I think she’s been hiding close by. Now call your father, I’m not sure how but we need to get her home.”

“What time is it? I asked. Feeling the chill of night, the moon high in the sky.

“Must have forgot my watch at home. Here let me just reach in my fur pocket and pull out my phone. How the heck should I know.” Braxton said sarcastically.

I was left with more questions than answers. Feeling his need to protect this pup and the wall he builds to shield me from knowing what he was doing come down. I reluctantly pushed my mind reaching out to my father.

“Dad, wake up. I need you. We have a situation.” Luckily being Alpha, Aiden slept with his link to the pack open.

He didn’t even respond to me before I heard his voice booming to the pack. “Eric is off pack territory and in trouble. Find him now.” His voice shaking the walls of my mind.

“I’m not in trouble dad, we found…. something.” I searched for words to describe the situation, but I didn’t even know what I was looking at. There was no way this pup before me belonged to someone my age. It’s size alone told me it was a child, but children don’t shift.

“You are when I find you!” Aiden growled before cutting the connection.

I heard howling in the distance as the patrols rallied. “Man, I’m dead. Ok so what do we do now.” I sighed. “We better have a plan before dad gets here because he is going to kill us.”

The pup started to back away at the sound of the patrols. Trying to slink away to a nearby bush. “We won’t hurt you.” Braxton laid down trying to make himself look as small as possible and not intimidating.

Her breath rapid and shallow, eyes slowly closing before snapping back open.

Braxton inched closer trying to close the space between us. Just when I thought she was about to bolt, she collapsed. Braxton was on top of her before I realized he was moving. Gently nuzzling her face to wake her.

The sound of approaching wolves gaining his full attention. Braxton spun around standing over her small frail body.

Juxes, my father’s blue grey wolf came into view first, followed closely by Alex and Grace. The patrol and a few others not far behind. Juxes skidded to a stop directly in-front of us. Straightening up he towered above me.

“Get back over the boarder!” Juxes voice boomed.

Braxton stood tall, getting directly in Juxes face. Though he wasn’t even three quarters Juxes size. “No.” He replied calmly and with conviction.

“This is it! This is how I die. Not valiantly in battle but in the woods. Killed by my own father.” I muttered. Pacing back and forth behind Braxton’s eyes.

Grace and Alex finally reaching us, Grace whimpered. Shifting in the blink of an eye. JoAnn waved one of the patrols carrying supplies to hurry towards her.

Juxes bared teeth just inches from my face. “I said get back over the border…” stopping as soon as JoAnn’s hand touched his side.

“Look.” She said softly.

Juxes blinked and began taking in the scene. Realizing a small pair of legs were visible, sticking out from underneath Braxton.

“Let me see.” JoAnn pleaded.

Braxton moved only slightly, putting his head against the child’s face and once again nuzzling her.

JoAnn kneeling before us, a blanket in one hand, reaching out for the child with the other. Her eyes full of concern. Are meet with a low growl as she moves towards the child. Just as her hand is about to pass between our front legs, Braxton snaps at her.

Juxes moves from behind JoAnn looking like he’s going to tare us to shreds.

“Stop. Juxes, give Aiden back control. There’s no place for your temper here.” She sits on her feet looking into Braxton’s eyes. “We won’t hurt the child Braxton; you need to let me help.”

Braxton exhales deeply and seems to think to himself for a minute.

Meanwhile Aiden had shifted back retrieving a pair of shorts and a robe from one of the supply bags. He put on the shorts draping the robe over JoAnn’s shoulders. He stood behind her, letting her take lead on the situation but his eyes burned with fury as he stared down at me.

Braxton moved slightly to the side revealing her pale face and matted mess of hair. JoAnn decided it safer to hand the blanket to Braxton to cover her, reaching down to move a clump of hair draped over her face. Her fingertips grazed the child’s cheek and she gasped. “She’s burning up.” Looking behind her, a desperate plea on her face. “She needs a doctor.”