THE STOLEN PIECE

CHAPTER 61 - THE MISSING KIDS

GABRIEL



I looked at the three girls playing downriver. She hadn't noticed so I was fine for now, but what would I do, they would notice my scent. “Zeus we need a solution.” “Solution to what? Where are we?” Zeus was confused and not helping at all. At least the girls were downriver and far from me so… Then I saw a bunch of other members running into the river, so I was now in between them and the girls. So walking through the river was now not an option. “Gabe look!” “Not now Zeus, I'm trying to think of a plan.” “GABRIEL LOOK!” I turned my sight and saw a member taking off some ridiculous shorts with pink flowers and cats. “Could they be?” “I don’t think someone actually bought that, they must be!” All or nothing. I looked at the guys and waited for the last one to get in and then I ran as fast as I could and took the shorts. I heard some screams and I ran faster. I felt something and when I put my hand in the bag I found the vial. It wasn’t that big so hopefully, the other member didn’t notice it. and the material of the shorts was really itchy. “Why did he buy this short? It's awful and itchy!” Zeus said but at this point, I was just glad he did. And as soon as I saw him I would have to apologize for screaming at him about the wolfsbane. I took some out and I just hoped it was enough. The members were getting closer, and I could hear the guys screaming at me. I threw the vial into a bush, just right in time.

-Why are you stealing my shorts?

-These are my friend's shorts. Where is he?

-Your friend? I took those to the south on the last attack…

Then I saw John, Dean, and Will and the girls following them behind.

-What's wrong?

John said to the man that looked like he was about to punch me.

-This member stole my shorts and now he says they were his friends, but I stole them during the attack! Is he your litter brother? He should respect the elders…

Mia took a step toward me.

-He is a refugee, he is human and was mistreated by the pack, so that shorts are probably of someone that didn't humiliate him, just let him keep them.

The man wasn’t sure but then he looked at me.

-You can keep them… But your friend had a weird taste. I love the design but the fabric has bulges and itches.

I touched the shorts and had some kind of embossing on the cat faces, and yes it was really itchy. “I think he didn’t feel the vail with all this happening on the shorts.” Zeus said. Then the strange guys left. Then I realized I was naked in front of their mates.

-I’m sorry I will put this on now.

-Why do you apologize?

Will said.

-I am naked in front of your mates.

-And they see naked men all the time.

I was surprised by that answer, in our pack that also happened but still, no man liked the idea of his mate near another, and less if he is naked. “These shorts are really itchy, let’s take them off!” “We can’t Zeus, we just kind of fight for them, remember?” “Well they are useless without the vial you threw away.”

-Well you look a lot better now Gabe.

Mia said to me.

-Do being around wolves scare you? I just can’t imagine what you suffer being a human with them…

-With them?

-Yes they are full of rules and you are born and you are already destined to be something you can’t change.

What is she saying? This place is the same!

-Didn’t that guy just tell me to respect the elders?

I told her.

-Well yes, but you can climb. Racco is like two?

-3.

Jhon said.

-Yes 3 litters older than us and in charge of everyone, well Mom is our leader, but no one is obligated to serve to no one. Someone can’t order you around except Racco and Mom.

-Racco?

-Yes.

Mia said, taking the spot again. She didn’t let anyone speak but I wasn’t sure she noticed it, but I was sure the wolf I saw was him... Racco, I just need to find him.

-And where is…

-We will meet the rest at the main camp, that’s why I told you we can’t take you to the doctor. We are ending tyranny.

She said triumphantly.

-The tyranny?

-Yes, we are going north and attacking the biggest group of wolves, so we are reuniting all before getting there.

-Do you know the name of the pack?

I said with a trembling voice… although I knew the answer. Mia looked confused and turned to John.

-I am not sure but they think they rule over all the werewolves and impose the rules. They decide who gets help and who doesn't.

That was wrong in so many ways… Who is telling them all these lies! I had to know what else they think it’s real that it isn’t.

-Well let’s go back. It’s almost time for us to start moving.

Will said, and everyone nodded and started walking back, I stayed behind and went to grab the vial.

-Gabe!

I heard Dean’s voice.

-I’m coming!

I ran to catch up with them and keep asking questions about the pack, but they didn’t know much and what they knew were lies. Suddenly a howl started to spread.

-We are going, you can climb on my back.

John said as he and the rest undressed and shifted. When he was in wolf form I recognized him and Mia’s wolves. They were the wolves that cut me off when I was chasing the cream wolf. He lowered himself to help me get into his back. I did it and as soon as I grabbed him he started running. Then I noticed many wolves running, At least 30… but I wasn’t sure because they didn’t run so close to each other, they kept their distance. I was confused, I have seen them fight and they fought in unity, but they interact like separate groups. How do they fight so in sync and be so disconnected from each other… John and the others kept running, they didn’t stop throughout the day. Until it was completely dark I heard a howl and they decreased their speed. Again I could hear water… Jhon’s wolf lowered himself to help me get down. As soon as I was off they started shifting back and dressing. I walked towards the water sound and saw more people. At least 40 more than what I had seen when we were coming here.

-Those are groups that are also arriving.

Mia said to me.

-What?

-Yes… When you were unconscious we also ran during the day, we are now really close to the next attack, so every night we are going to be even more than before.

So this is not the whole pack? Even more, are arriving?

-Mia stop getting far from me.

John's voice sounded annoyed.

-Sorry I was just seeing the rest.

-We can wash now or tomorrow.

-Didn’t we get into the river just this morning?

I said to Jhon.

-Yes, but we sweat a lot while running under the sun so we clean ourselves each time and then add new catnip.

He told me to get close to him, I pretended I smelled him, he still had catnip so I couldn’t smell anything.

-So why not move at night?

-At night the packs intensify their patrol, during the day they train and the patrols are less.

He was right, that did happen. They had so much wrong information but that part was so true and a weakness that I hadn't even thought about.

-What is catnip?

I asked… I wanted to know what they know about that.

-It's an herb. They say that some of the strongest and hard to kill of them have another form, they are not wolves… That protects us against them… In the pack you were, they said they saw one with a huge scar on his face!...

Mia said with great confidence. “FANG!” Zeus screamed in my head.

-And what happened to him?

-We don’t know, many of us were killed and the one that says he saw him, can’t prove it. He is probably ashamed he lost to a wolf and said it was one of the strongest shifters.

John said with a mocking voice. “So they don’t have them…” Zeus was relieved, but why attack and risk members just to exterminate other packs.

-Why are you attacking the smaller packs, and risking losing members just to then attack the biggest one?

-We take the kids.

Mia said with a big smile.

-WHAT?

-Yes, we take them and give them to Mom. She takes care of them and teaches them the way things should be. What is so wrong with Werewolves' rules and how we should be free.

She said again as if it was a good thing to do.

-But taking them away from their parents and siblings…

-They gain a Mom and even more siblings. They grew up in litter, like us.

She said pointing at the rest of the group. That made sense, they did fight like siblings, just as Sam and I used to fight in sync. I wasn’t sure what to say…

-Don’t mess his head up Mia, he hadn't that luck…

Jhon said.

-I’m sorry Gabe, I forgot about that… But if we had found you earlier Mom would have sent you to the city and you would have grown up with a normal life… You are still going to be sent to the city but right now you would have to deal with us a bit more.

I didn’t ask any more questions. I was shocked, someone has been messing up with their heads… So the wolf that I saw was Mom or Racco? It was big enough to be a male… but could it be a different type of werewolf? and that be Mom? We walked to the forest away from the river and I saw members recollecting wood. I sat down and just watched them. Some interacted with some, so I could see clearly now who were litter brothers and who weren't. They moved them in groups of litters during the attacks. The litter A was in sync and confident the litter B was also doing their job… The bond between litters was huge and apparently, they also mate with the same litter so it made it even stronger. They lit the fire up and sang and danced, they made competitions between them. I just couldn’t… I wanted to scream at them, tell them how wrong they were, that this is not how a werewolf should live! That the kids deserved to stay with their families… And then it hit me, all of them were stolen, kids… That’s why the refugees were not kids or babies or even young ones. The lack of females also made sense, they stayed with their pups and died fighting for them… I felt some tears and stood up and walked away from all the laughs and cheering. I walked as fast as I could. I then punched a tree and cried. I cried for the death of my pack members and the lives that were stolen from all of these members, a life they didn’t know they deserved.

-Gabe is that you?

I jumped a bit at the sound of my name. I was sure I wasn’t followed by the group, but who else could know my name?