Loved By Danger

Chapter 7

    Both Aden and Creed walked up the long path to their building, and there were some of the warriors posted up outside the building.  Everyone was on edge, it seemed, but his parents weren't out there.  Elder gave him a grave smile before telling Aden to follow him inside.  They went to his parent's quarters, and Creed stood back at the front of the building because he couldn't go in that direction.  This was all too nerve-wracking for Aden, the attack on that woman last night, and now this.  Once they walked into the room, he could see his father lying there on the couch, his breathing was shallow, and the medic was close taking vitals while his mother was placing wet rags across his forehead.  She was trying to hold back her tears.

    "What happened," asked Aden as he broke the silence that hung in the air.  He wasn't sure what he was looking at.  He had never seen his father wounded before.  He had always thought his father was somewhat invincible to things like this, almost like the demigod Hercules he had read about as a kid.  His mother rushed over to where Aden stood. He didn't dare walk any closer to his father, thinking he would see something worse than what he could already see, and what he could see was a large gash on his face that stretched from his neck to his right eye.  The wounds were deep.  Serene lead Aden away into a corner and started to whisper to him.  What's making her paranoid in her own home, Aden thought.

    "Your father was attacked, little pup," she was trying her best to speak as the tears finally started to fall.  His mother was a strong woman, but she would always tell Aden that she was only strong because of his father and that one day Aden would know what that meant when he finally fell in love, "He was out on patrol with the scouting party.  He brought Baxter with them, but they were distracted because the hunters were in the area.  They went outside the walls thinking they could pick up any trail of the rogue because normally, they stayed away from large crowds if they weren't hunting, and while they were out there...hunters started to chase them.  We don't know if they knew what they were, but they were probably cautious because of the attack on that woman.

    "But while Baxter was leading them away, your father was heading in a different direction to throw them off, and he came in contact with the rogue.  In broad daylight, no less.  From what Baxter said, this rogue was not like any he had ever seen.  It was larger than any of us, and it almost could stand like a human or be on all fours.  It moved twice as fast, and it was dangerously out of control.  No rogues come out during the day; we don't even change during the day...it's too in the open, but that rogue only attacked the pack...not the hunters, is what Baxter told me."

    "You think the rogue was working with the hunters?"

    "We don't know...we aren't sure about any of this.  How did the hunters know they were out there?  For both the hunters and the rogue to be at the same place at the same time, something is wrong."  Aden looked back at his father, who finally went to sleep and was breathing at a steady pace, "You're father is strong, Aden...but he's also becoming old.  He can't do what he was able to do before.  The pack doesn't know how injured he is, and Elder said we should keep it that way."

    "What about Baxter?  Do you think he had something to do with this?"

    "What," his mother looked upset at even the thought, "Your father trusts Baxter with his life.  Baxter may want his role, but it's against his code to do something like this.  Your father always said that Baxter was like the old wolves back in the early days.  But we don't know how long your father has.  He has some internal bleeding going on, and you and I both know we can't take him to the hospital."  Another restriction on who they were, if the human doctors found out what he was, this entire community would be slaughtered.  Elder stood by the door with his eyes closed, and he was muttering to himself, he might be saying a small prayer to the ancients.

    "You have to keep this quiet, Aden, and not tell a soul what has happened.  Not even Creed.  You know that if your father doesn't make it, you have to take the role of the Alpha.  And you are still so young, so you need to put your differences to the side about Baxter and aid him as much as possible."  She touched Aden's face with a gentle touch. He ignored the fact that he felt her trembling.  The medic was busy trying to stitch the rest of his father's wounds as the blood continued to fall onto the bed.  So many things were going through Aden's mind like when he went outside the walls, he still didn't pick up another scent of another wolf or rogue.  His mother went back to Judge's side, and Elder called Aden over to him.  They left the room, and as soon as they were far enough away, Aden put his fists into a plastered wall making a large hole that reached the brick on the other side.

    "No need to beat up the wall, young delta," Elder pulled out his pipe and lit it.  He let out a heavy smoke ring and watched it travel upwards, "You have to keep your head on tight in this."

    "Well, what do you think happened?"

    "I think it was someone within the pack...that's what I think.  I don't know who.  But what do I know...I'm just the pack's elder who might not remember what he had for breakfast this morning.  But as a logical person, the route they took was mapped out at the night of the fireside meeting with the scouts and the warriors, of course.  All of this is connected, and not only that, we have to call a council meeting with the other packs in the region.  They will be here in two nights' time.  We haven't had a council meeting in years, but this rogue...if it is anything like that they described to us, we will need all the help we can get.  You are still young, and our pack is not as strong. We don't have the numbers or even the skill.  We have lived too much in a peaceful time, making anyone complacent.  You will have a large role that night when we meet them because you have to be your father's voice.  They will not listen to your mother or even me."

    "What could I say?  I could barely find anything out on my own."

    "Yes, well, you do have what a lot of your fellow wolves don't have, and that's human resources.  You're the first generation that was even allowed to go to school. You mingle with the locals at that hangout, and your father and Neko are pretty close, but in these times, I don't think human trust is high on the list of options."

    "I can see what I can find.  I wonder if the Terrells' have anything to do with this?  I mean to think of a rogue working alongside hunters...if they are as who everyone says they are, they would have the resources to pull it off, but why would they want to work with a werewolf?"

    "My enemy's enemy is my friend...or something like that.  All I know is I can smell war coming."

    "Well, I'm going to take a trip to the Terrells' mansion tonight.  Maybe I can sniff out something around there."

    "It would be wise to keep your friends close to you."

    "But my mother said not to tell anyone."

    "Well, that's because she doesn't trust anyone at the moment.  They may not show it, but those two love each other more than anything.  Your father actually killed a wolf for her, a nasty brute he was.  He was the alpha of another pack, leading his pack ruthlessly.  They would kill humans who went astray, and your mother never agreed to how they lived.  She was an outcast, but she was also strong and beautiful.  He tried to force marriage, and when she refused, he attacked her.  Your father was in the city for a council meeting, and he was by her side.  He didn't want to kill that alpha, but he had called a duel to the death.  Your father is a gentle creature even though he doesn't show it.  They have been inseparable ever since then.  You will find your reason to fight one day, and I'm not just talking about as an alpha fighting for his pack but as a man fighting for his life mate."

    "I doubt it. None of the women looks my way because of how insubordinate and young I am."

    "You'd be surprised what happens once you become alpha."  Elder gave Aden one last look, then shuffled along his way.  He always left Aden with more questions in his mind than ever before.  Creed was still waiting at the bottom of the steps, he was looking somewhat pale, and Aden wondered when the last time he had ate anything.  Anytime Creed was worried about something, his anxiety would go off the rocker, and he wouldn't eat or even socialize for days, sometimes weeks at a time.  But the good thing was that he was someone Aden could trust, and he would be his partner in trying to figure whatever it was he needed to figure out about what's going on in their city.

    First, Aden needed to go to the mansion and see if they could find anything there worth looking for.  Aden didn't want to tell Creed just how bad his father was because he might be a bit worried.  If it weren't for Judge showing Creed a little bit of mercy, he would've been cast out on his own a long time ago.  So in this, Creed would show a bit of passion in helping his best friend.  Creed could sense something was wrong and just placed a hand on Aden's shoulder.  He has been a long-time friend of his since they were pups. Unfortunately, his parents were never found.  On the other hand, the pack found creed outside of the city walls starving and sickly. He didn't have any memory of who he was or where he had come from.  Judge took him in against the pack's objections, and he said he couldn't live with the fact that he had let a small child die.

    "It must be bad, huh," asked Creed, trying to read Aden's expression on his face, "Well, whatever you want to do, you don't have to ask me if I'm going to help.  I don't mind sticking my neck out just a little bit."

    "Yeah, we have to grow up faster than I would expect.  Tonight we have to go to the Terrell mansion and see if we see anything."

    "What if we run into that girl?  Or any hunters?  They would be able to see us."

    "Good thing tonight will be overcast, no lights, and they're located on the border, which it's farther away from the city lights.  We're going to have to be in wolf form if we are to sneak around in a better way."

    "That's risky, and you know it."

    "I think we can handle it.  I need to find something.  Neko can do but so much, and it takes him a while to find anything out.  We have to go to this alone.  That's my father in there, and he may not know how to ask for help, so I'm just going to do it.  I need to make sure that you will have my back no matter what.  Elder thinks it was someone in the pack that set him up, and nobody thinks it's Baxter, but I do."

    Creed gave Aden a reassuring smile, "As I said...I have no problem sticking my neck out for you.  I will always be by your side Aden, even when you don't think I am."