10
A loud crash woke me suddenly.
"Papa!" a strange voice whispered from beside me. "What was that?"
I threw the covers back and crept to the door. The room was unfamiliar but I moved easily towards the door. Sounds of footsteps and low voices came from down the hall.
"I want you to get out of the house," another's voice came from my mouth as I turned back toward the bed. "Go where I showed you while I take care of this."
"I don't want to leave you," the young man said, nonetheless, slipping out of the bed.
"You still haven't reached your first change. I don't want anything to happen to you."
The young man brushed shaggy brown hair out of his worried eyes and nodded. He opened the window and slipped outside.
I turned back to the door, hearing voices beyond it. Suddenly it opened.
"Where's my son, you fucking bastard," a voice shouted.
There was a flash and pain cut through my body.
"Gene!"
The cry woke me from my well earned slumber. The mass of furry bodies draped around and over me surged, sending me rolling across the mats. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, trying to make sense of the scene before me.
Brian was struggling to rise, his face a mask of rage and grief. His eyes were wild, nearly black and unseeing. Guttural sounds echoed through the room.
"Brian!" Paul cried, grabbing his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Brian shrugged him off and turned toward the door.
"Brian! Wake up!" Jim said, grabbing his arm while Paul grabbed the other.
He barely seemed to register them, hauling them across the room with him.
"A little help here!" Paul called, beginning to shift.
Kip and I scrambled up, shifting as we went and latched onto the lumbering hulk. He bellowed in frustration, trying to shake us off.
"Joe!" Paul cried, grimly hanging onto his thrashing arm.
"He's not hearing me, either!" came that strange voice. "You're going to have to get his attention the hard way."
"Grab his nuts!" Paul grated.
I was in the best position to reach his sack. I grabbed a handful of nuts, squeezing gently.
"Harder than that," Jim snarled, then grunted as Brian knocked him back.
I clutched his nuts hard, pulling them sharply away from his body. He let out a wavering whine and fell to his knees, pulling us down on top of him.
He pushed himself up with a sob, his face stricken.
"Papa! They're killing him. We have to do something," he panted.
The sound of a phone ringing interrupted him.
Jim ran to answer it while Brian tried to sort himself out.
"Gene has a new cub?" he gasped.
"Yeah. Keith," I supplied.
"I'm guessing they didn't cover their tracks too well. Whoever shot him was looking for his son," he said with a shudder.
Kip locked eyes with me.
"What can we do?" he asked.
"We go help him," Brian said.
"Brian...," Paul began.
"He's not dead. And what will happen when they realize it? When they see his wounds healing?"
We looked at each other, hearing the truth in his words.
"We stopped to see him on the way here. We know where his place is," Kip said.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Brian said.
"You're staying here," Paul said.
Brian turned to glare at him.
"Why?" he asked calmly, his fists clenching.
"I don't think it will be pleasant," Paul said.
"What? You don't think I can take care of myself," Brian growled.
"I know you can," Paul said, grabbing his arms. "But we had to practically take you down just now. I don't want to lose you."
"And I can deal with losing you?" Brian cried in a tight voice. "If something were to happen, I want us to be together."
Paul looked at me helplessly.
"Brian, you haven't been a bear for long. I don't think you're ready for something like this," I said as Jim walked in carrying his phone.
"Grandpapa!" Brian shouted, turning to him. "They won't listen to me. Maybe they'll listen to him."
He grimaced and when his eyes opened them, they were a bright green.
"Boys," said a familiar voice from his lips. "You have to go now. And you're going to need him."
"Papa?" I whispered.
"Hello, Mark. We don't have much time."
Jim held out his phone.
"I'm too far away to get there in time," came Grandpapa's voice. "I'd rather Brian wasn't exposed to this yet, but we don't have much choice. Now go!"
"I'm going to call Mike," Jim said. "I didn't bring my guns with me. Know Mike's got some. We might need 'em."
"Mike with a gun," Brian said, with a shudder. "There's a scary thought."
"What about you?" I asked skeptically.
"This used to be a hunting lodge for a reason," Brian said as we tramped upstairs.
He hunted up his keys as we grabbed our clothes. He went to one of the few bare walls in the livingroom and slid a panel aside, revealing a gun safe.
"Huh," Paul snorted. "When were you going to mention that?"
"Hadn't really come up," Brian answered as he open the door. "And to be perfectly honest, I hadn't really thought about it. Haven't been hunting in years."
He pulled out a couple of rifles and handed them to Paul.
"Will these work?" he said, looking down at his papa.
"You know, I'm glad you're on our side," Paul chuckled.
"Check them over for me," he said, pulling out a couple of boxes of ammo. "I'm going to get some clothes on."
He locked the door and slid the panel closed before heading toward the bedrooms.
"Are you sure about this?" Paul asked when he walked into our room.
I took a deep breath, remembering what it felt like to have bullets cutting into my flesh.
"No," I admitted. "But I...we have to do this. Even if they just left him for dead, they're still looking for Keith. And if they find him, even if they realize it's him.... They said he hasn't changed yet. What would happen when they see it happen?"
"I'd rather not think about it," he said as he pulled out a pair of jeans.
It didn't take a mind reader to know how worried he was.
"So how're you liking papahood?" I asked as I pulled a t-shirt over my head.
"So far, I think it's going to be the end of me," he said with a sigh.
"Sorry?" I asked.
"For making you my cub?" he said as I pulled up my jeans.
He stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Never," he whispered, stuffing my cock down the leg. "Just sorry you had to see this side of us so soon."
"Regardless, this would be happening even if we hadn't met. But then, there might not be anyone who could help them in time."
"But are you sure you'll be able to control yourself," he said anxiously. "I hate to have to point this out, but you went a bit berserk down there."
I closed my eyes at the reminder. I have always had to keep my emotions under tight control, especially the last few years. The thought that I might lose it completely frightened me, but it wasn't going to stop me.
"I...I don't know, but what choice do we have?" I asked as I pulled a flat box out of my drawer. I hooked my blades to my belt.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Used to be pretty good with these," I said, sliding one of the weighted blades out of its sheath. "Quieter than a gun."
"You ever used those on someone?" he asked uneasily.
"No," I admitted. "Just targets."
"And if you have to use them on someone?" he asked, turning me to face him.
I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.
"I will do what I have to."