Running With Wolves

The anticipation of what was to come made it feel like a longer walk than it could ever possibly be to Conan and Knoll.

Knoll was the one who reached for the doorknob and hesitantly opened it. The large grey wolf which was standing upon the bed nudging Sage side gently snapped his head in his brother’s direction with the creak of the door, a low growl emanating from him.

“Luke,” Knoll started, his hands raised in front of him. “please don’t be a dick about this.”

Conan was beside him, his eyes narrowing on the wolf and his hands bawled into fists.

“It has to be you,”

“What?”

Conan turned to him. “You have to Turn. If I can get my hands around Luke’s jaw we’ll be good and no offense Lanky Lu but it should probably be me.” Knoll narrowed his eyes at him in annoyance but he had to admit that Conan was right.

“Fine.” He grunted reluctantly. He glanced back at his brother and pursed his lips. He took a step toward his brother while Conan inched his way around the outer perimeter of the room, hoping to get behind the Were. The wolf lunged at Knoll who side stepped him just in time. “Fine,” Knoll snarled. “be a dick.” Tremors went through Knoll and then he was a Wolf. Not unlike his brother he was a similar shade of grey but smaller and lankier, not unlike the looks of a coyote.

The two wolves circled each other, the larger growling and snapping while the smaller one kept his head low, submissive but not backing down. Lukas launched himself at his brother but while Lukas was stronger Knoll was faster. He darted away from his brother and in the blink of an eye he was up on the bed staring down at his brother who was now furious to have a Were, any Were, that close to Sage. Lukas’s muscles tightened ready to spring but Knoll launched himself at his brother, using the height to his advantage. Lukas didn’t dodge away from him and so the two collided, Knoll slamming his older brother into the wall. Sharp teeth found purchase against flesh and Knoll yelped, instinctively jumping away from the stronger wolf. That was when twelve years of football was put to good use—Conan tackled Lukas before he had the chance to rise again. He straddled the furious wolf, one hand coming down around his throat and the other reaching apprehensively for the jaw filled with sharp teeth just looking for another victim.

“You are such—a—fucking dick,” Conan growled, struggling with the beast beneath him. The grey wolf thrashed furiously, angry snarls filling the air as he attempted to latch ahold of Conan. “Don’t make me choke you out Luke.”

The wolf snarled, his head shaking violently from side to side refusing to be muzzled like a dog. The lithe wolf stood beside Conan his head low and his eyes predatory he growled at his brother. Conan was loosing his grip on the large wolf and he knew in only a matter of moments the canine would be free of him. “Sorry Luke,” he grunted before both hands clamped down on the wolf’s neck. The smaller wolf whined and paced back and forth uneasily. “Shut-up Knoll,” He grunted still fighting against Luke’s thrashing. “I’m not gonna kill him.”

Then the wolf went still and Conan released him, falling to the side in relief. He glanced at the unconscious wolf and shook his head. “Such a fucking a dick.”

He rose to his feet before grabbing the wolf by the scruff of the neck and hauling him up over his shoulder. He glanced at his grandfather who was seated on the edge of the bed beside his sister, wasting no time going to her aid. He wanted to stay, he wanted to stay with his family and be sure Sage was okay but he had to lock Lukas up before he came to. With one last look in their direction, the lanky wolf followed Conan from the room.

Conan put Lukas in the spare room down the hall and was sure to lock it before he left. He returned to Lukas’ bedroom, tossed Knoll’s pile of clothes out into the hall for him, before he moved toward his grandfather and sister.

“Sage?” He murmured apprehensively, standing over his grandfather who was dabbing her face with a washcloth.

She was awake now which relieved Conan but her eyes were empty and not seeing. She was curled into the fetal position with the blankets wrapped tight around her.

protect, protect, protect.

It became clear to Conan why Lukas was so vehement about staying beside her. Never in all of his life had Conan ever seen Sage so vulnerable. Even as children Sage had never been the vulnerable one, never the weak one; the sight of her broke his heart now.

“Sagemint,” He reached out to brush hair away from her face but Grandfather grabbed his hand and shook his head.

“Don’t touch her,” He murmured quietly. “She doesn’t want to be touched.” His hands were in his lap and his head was bowed, his wise old eyes brimming with tears. “I know you can hear me granddaughter,” He spoke quiet and comfortingly. “you’re going to be okay Sage. Your safe here, everything is okay.” He bent closer to her. “You saved them hunny, you protected them more selflessly than anyone could ever have asked of you. Your pack is okay.” Silent tears rolled down Sage’s cheeks as she stared into nothingness.

Conan glanced to his grandfather questioningly. “What do you mean her pack?”

He turned to his grandson, “those girls…they are neither Eastern nor Western pack anymore.”

“No,” he shook his head, Mankato would know if Jasmine had turned away from Western Blackwood. “Mankato he—“

the old man stiffened and narrowed his eyes. “You listen to me Conan, that man is not Alpha.” He pointed a finger at Conan. “If you look to him to guide you you will end up dead.”

Conan’s jaw locked refusing to argue with the man. “So you’re saying Sage is the Alpha of Blackwood?”

“Not Blackwood.” He shook his head. “Just those girls. I can sense it in them like a change in the air. She is their Alpha, it is she who they will follow.”

Conan’s eyes fell to Sage as though he could see some definitive physical proof on his sister that what their grandfather was saying was true.

“Mankato. If he finds out…”

“He won’t.” Grandfather stated sternly. “It would mean war on all sides if he tried to lay a hand against her.”

“Eastern Blackwood would never come to Sage’s aid.”

He gazed at Conan reproachfully, “Do you really believe that Lukas would not align himself with Sage? Or Knoll with Lukas? Two of the Alpha’s sons are unspokenly apart of Sage’s pack, if not at the very least allies.”

Conan ran a hand through his hair tiredly. “What have you done Sage?”

“It isn’t her fault. It wasn’t conscious it’s just natural.” Grandfather fixed Conan with a stare. “who do you align yourself with Conan when push comes to shove?”

Conan bristled at the mere idea that he wouldn’t side with his sister. But then he thought of Western Blackwood, his home, his friends, filled with people he had constantly tried to prove himself too. If he relinquished any hold he had within the Western pack it would never be forgiven. He’d finally be branded as the outcast they all had been itching to label him as for year. Not to mention having no real blood ties to the pack to begin with, he was lucky that since his father’s death they hadn’t shunned him. If he followed Sage into the dark and unknown there would be no going back…

His father would kill him for not staying beside Sage.

“I’d never abandon her,”

Grandfather put his hand on Conan’s shoulder and nodded. “Good man.” he gazed down at his granddaughter his other hand hovering over her hand but he knew she didn’t want to be touched. “Find strength my dear.” And then despite what was within Sage’s comfort level he kissed her forehead then rose from the bed. “Come Conan, she needs her rest.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

“Grandfather,” Conan started in alarm. It was clear that Sage needed a doctor or at the very least band aids and stitches.

“Lukas has stopped the bleeding within her wounds. For now I fear it would do more harm then good to try to search out and tend to every wound upon her body.”

Reluctantly, Conan followed the patriarch of his family out of the room and down the hall into the kitchen.

Conan glanced around the kitchen and decided that Lukas had done well for himself. Living outside the main part of town was the closest to a rebellion Lukas would take against his father. Conan knew Lukas would never forgive his father for the war and what it had cost Sage. But Lukas was also smart, he was safe within Eastern Territory and distantly Conan knew that it wasn’t until now that Lukas had a real substantial reason to stand against his father.

Conan knew that the heinous crimes that had taken place against the girls today would cause a domino affect of things that would shake both Eastern and Western Blackwood.

Shaken from his thoughts Conan turned to see Knoll walk into the kitchen with a scowl on his face.

“He’s such a dick when he’s Were.” He grunted and Grandfather could only smile faintly.

Conan ventured deeper into the kitchen where the living room was attached and led to the hallway. He froze quite suddenly, not a single muscle in his body quivered as he stood as still as any statue.

“Conan?” Knoll questioned hesitantly. Conan was still in a way a normal human could never be, he was literally statue still, Were still.

Grandfather’s eyes knitted together as he watched his grandson. A single muscle in his jaw jumped and when he turned to look at his grandfather his eyes were dialed and his nose was flared.

“Knoll!” Grandfather barked in alarm. “Grab him.”

Without question Knoll charged at Conan who had made a run for the hall. Knoll may not have made it passed Pop Warner but Knoll remembered how to tackle. He slammed into Conan with such force it sent him into the wall and then crashing into the floor.

“Grandfather?!” Knoll yelled as he struggled with Conan on the floor having no precise idea as to why he was trying to pin Conan to the floor.

Grandfather’s face was grim, his lips set into a thin line, and his eyebrows set in disapproval.
He approached the two slowly and bent down beside his grandson, gently placing a hand on Conan who instantly stilled. His eyes were still wild but he had stopped thrashing as he turned to look at the wise man.

“Stop.” Grandfather ordered in a gruff voice. “Still.”

A growl issued from somewhere deep within Conan and Knoll’s eyebrows raised as he stared at him reproachfully.

“He must be locked up—put him in with Lukas.”

“Grandfather?”

“Now,”

Knoll’s mouth closed tightly and he nodded once as he helped Conan to his feet. Conan’s eyes were still wide and his nose still flared but he made no move to struggle against Knoll as he led him into the spare bedroom where the grey wolf was pacing back and forth.

Knoll pushed Conan into the room roughly, giving neither he nor Lukas time to escape as he slammed the door closed behind them. “Play nice!” He yelled at them before he turned around to see Grandfather looking suddenly quite a great deal older as worry lines creased his face, his lips turned down, and his eyes told things Knoll didn’t understand.

“Grandfather?”

The older man glanced at the door that contained both Lukas and Conan, both respectively causing a problem Grandfather hadn’t been expecting. His eyes flickered back to Knoll, confusion suddenly adding to the emotions flooding the wise man.

“The girls,” Grandfather began, his curious eyes never leaving Knoll. “are hiding. They are in Heat.”

Knoll froze slightly and paled a bit as his eyes widened. “What?” Panic began to lace his voice. “You let Conan and I in with them here?! What the hell were you thinking?” Grandfather’s eyes narrowed and he frowned. Knoll, stricken suddenly with anxiety, couldn’t bring himself to apologize for the remarks. He couldn’t fathom what the elder had been thinking in allowing two males into a house with females in Heat.

“I could not handle Lukas by myself,” Grandfather stated his voice rough and hard. “Not to mention the room in which the girls have hidden should have concealed them. Lukas had it built for Rune as a safe haven for her at times. Apparently, it is not as sufficient as originally hoped.”

Abruptly Grandfather turned on his heels and made his way back down the hallway and toward the kitchen, leaving Knoll no other choice than to follow.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Grandfather busied himself momentarily with putting a teapot on the stove. He sighed heavily and turned to face the youngest Canis. Grandfather had watched nearly the entire pack of Blackwood be born and raised before his eyes. He wondered if he had missed something, if there was some way he could have prevented the outcome that was now beginning to weave its way into the lives of their lives.

“Lukas would never have known the room was not affective because he is not effected when Rune goes into Heat to start with. Because Lukas is a Soulmate, he has something like tunnel vision when it becomes to females in general and none of them at any given time of the year affect him because of it. He has, as those would say, eyes only for Sage.” He paused as he stared at Knoll speculatively. “Soulmates care about only that significant other, no other. Its rather extraordinary really, the nature of it goes against the animalistic side of Weres.”He cocked his head to the side and studied Knoll for a moment

Knoll swallowed hard and glanced at the teapot that was beginning to whistle. “You should get that.” his eyes met Grandfather’s and the old man nodded silently. “I’ll be sure to stay away from the hall.” He announced. “The last thing we need is the last backup you have loosing it too.”

“Wouldn’t want that,” Grandfather agreed faintly as he fixed his tea.

It was silent in the house for a moment, too silent Knoll thought, for all that had transpired within the last sixty minutes.

“You should stay here,” Grandfather announced turning toward Knoll and fixing him with a stare. “wouldn’t want anymore surprises.”

The youngest Canis nodded faintly and watched as the older man moved from the room, tea in hand.
Tiredly Knoll collapsed into the nearest chair, unable to understand how he’d woken up this morning to land up in this situation.