My Protector

Back seat driver.

Alastair POV

I remember lights and flashes of color. People who's voices I recognized screaming. I remember the taste of my fathers blood, as it dripped from my face, and leaked into my mouth from the corners of my contorted 3 year old face.

I remember the relief I felt when my mother appeared in front of my, in place of where the bad man was.

"Not my baby. Not now Not ever." Her wolf growled, as her whole body glowed green.

"Mommy, they hurt daddy " Little Alastair cried as she took me into her arms.

"Hush now little wolf." she shushed, while wrapping me in her embrace. I called for my father as she ran with me in her arms. I watch behind us as she ran. Fire licked the sky from the tops of all the buildings in our pack village. The further we got from our home the closer we got to the river. I imagined the ground falling away and disappearing behind my mother's every step.

The full moon shined brightly, threatening to expose the true nature of the members of our pack. My mother's skin began to sprout gray and white fur, spreading from her exposed shoulder, and down her exposed back. It felt like silk, and smelled of sandalwood and mer. Her dress was torn from the shoulder I clung to. The moonlight matched the glowing green hue that my mother trailed behind her as we finally met the water.

I remember the water wrapping me in a shocking cold hug. I remember watching the blood float away from my body in little ribbons. After that, it was just pain. All of my bones breaking and moving into place.

I Don't remember when I heard him for the first time. It felt like I had been asleep in the back of our mind for weeks.

"Hello, little wolf." Clover's strong and reassuring voice rang clear as I fluttered open my small eyes. I was underneath a huge desk snuggled among many blankets.

"My name is Clover, I am here to protect you. I am your wolf. We are a part of each other. Two pieces of one soul, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself." Clover's voice was young like my own, and somehow he sounded much wiser as he explained to me that we were secured safely in his form, that my mother requested I stay safe. This was the best way to ensure it. Still, it felt like a prison. I could hear as the Alpha of this pack talked among the other leaders, explaining my parents' demise, and my disappearance through cries and heavy uncontrolled sobs. I howled and whined and carried on, but they never connected my appearance to the destruction of their friend's pack. I found no solace in the treats they offered me, or the toys. For days, I slept under the desk of this kind Alpha who knew my parents. Despite the complaints of constant howling from his housemates, it wasn't until a woman entered carrying a small screeching bundle, that my attention was finally shifted from that of my parent's absence.

"Huh. I think he likes her." The woman stated as I slowly inched closer.

"That's incredible, he hasn't stopped crying since I brought him home from the river banks." The Alpha explained.

The woman with the baby who smelled of apples and cinnamon ment down beside me. I touched my wet puppy nose to her cheek, and the infant stirred. She stopped crying immediately and all the aching for my parents was instantly taken away.

"One day she will be our mate." Clover expressed released. "What a miracle that she is here."

I silently, and gleefully accepted this.

"She stopped crying, Geg!" the woman exclaimed. She was right. The once inconsolable baby now locked eyes with me. Her dark eyes once full of pained tears, were now dry and full of awe.

"Well, I'll be a puppy's uncle." The Alpha gasped.

"Alpha... do you think we could take him upstairs with us? To the nursery?" The man named Gary asked as he entered the room.

"Well, it certainly seems as though they would both be happier." Their Alpha shrugged. "I know my Luna would appreciate that. The little guy has been keeping Beccut up for weeks."

"What a good boy you are." My mate's mommy rubbed my ears, and I at once felt the love I so craved from my own late mother.

The next few years are a blur of childhood play and adventure. Only instead of experiencing childhood as a boy, I grew up as a pup. The constant silence of not having a pack to communicate with, deeply disturbed Clover. Thus, he released control on me often. However, I spent all my time watching from behind his eyelids. Both of us finding comfort only in Tabitha. Until the day I finally shifted back into human form.

PRESENT DAY

Beccut shook me from my lucid sleep on the waiting room chair.

"Are they okay?" I muttered groggily as Beccut shoved a disposable coffee cup into my hands.

"Careful, Al. It's hot." Beccut warned, as I took a cautious sip of the dark liquid. "I didn't know if you like cream and sugar, so it is black." My tongue was slightly scolded as flavored bean water melted its way down my throat. I welcomed the distracting pain, and enjoyed the combination of caffein and columbin flavor.

"I've actually never had more than a few licks of coffee before. I mean I was a dog after all. I know Tabby takes cream and sugar, but I think I like his better." I explained, while sloshing the tasty brown liquid in my mouth.

"Well, you can experiment with cream and sugar if you're feeling adventurous, later," Beccut sighed while sipping his own joe. I gave Beccut a worried quizzical look, and he sighed again, dipping his head. "Tabby is okay. They are checking for a fetal heart beat, and giving Tabby some fluids."

"Heart beat?" I jumped from my seat, startling my fruity cousin. "Can't I be there for that? Where are they?"

As if on cue a nurse entered the waiting room and called my name. "Alaster Green? Your mate wont proceed with her ultrasound without you. Are you willing to-" I didn't wait for her to finish. The words "heart beat" and "ultrasound" triggered a paternal instinct within me that had been dormant within me until that very moment.

"Say no more, take me to her." I barked.

"Right this way sr." The nurse agreed while gesturing her hand towards the now open door. I rushed inside, and instead of playing follow the leader with the nurse, I sprinted through the hall sniffing out her trail of frankincense and amber. I tracked her to a semi-secluded lab room with screens and monitors.