Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction that came from the recesses of my own mind. Any names or places are all of my own creation. Any characters that may engage in sexual activity are over 18. If reading this is illeagal where you are from then please do not continue, you know your laws. I hope you enjoy what I have tried to create. This story includes M/M relationships..if this is not for you, then please leave now.
Thirteen
River sat quietly and waited for Eithen to work up the courage to tell his tale. He could see that whatever it was that Eithen was about to reveal scared him. River stayed silent, he wouldn't push for the answers that he seeked. Finally, after what felt like hours, Eithen gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and he began talking.
Eithen took a deep breath, "I guess there really isn't an easy way to explain this other than to just come right out and say it." He kept his eyes locked with River's to watch for any kind of reaction to what he was about to say. "I was born and raised to one day take over for my father, just as he did from his father. We come from a long line of leaders... better known to those of my kind as Alpha. I am what you would call a Shifter or a Werewolf." Eithen waited for any kind of response from River but received none. He just sat there, holding his hand, waiting for Eithen to continue.
"OK, well umm...I took over as Alpha five years ago when my father decided that it was time for me to lead our pack. There are currently around 150 members that look to me as a leader, a teacher and a role model to their pups. They turn to me to help settle any disputes that may arise within the pack itself." Eithen stopped to let all that he had said to sink in for River. River sat there silently, not moving. Eithen started to worry, "River...baby....you ok? I know it's a lot to take in, but like I said, there was no easy way to explain it. Say something River...please... anything." When Eithen went to stroke the side of River's face, it was like the air was sucked out of the room. River had shied away from his touch.
River sat there and heard the words that had come out of Eithen's mouth, he had expected to hear something, anything...but certainly not that he was a...a...he couldn't even think it. He felt like his life had turned into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Just a few weeks ago he was a simple man with a stressful job, a boss he despised, and a daughter that he wanted back. Now...now he was a man that was having strange dreams, excruciating pain accompanied by visions of his daughter and an attraction to his boss so strong that he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.
Something nagged at him from his memory, a message he had heard in a dream. One of the dreams that had Siobhan in it, along with the beautiful wolf at her side. The wolf, his wolf, and with that the message became clear to him again. `Trust in myself, believe the unimaginable, see with my mind, and listen with my heart.' With the realization of what he had heard, River started to breathe a little heavier, his heart beat a little faster and his body began to tremble.
Eithen tried to pull River to him when he felt the shaking, he knew that River was having some sort of an attack and Eithen needed to get him to calm down. River resisted though, instead he scooted back, released Eithen's hand, and stood up. Eithen was afraid he had just lost his mate, that River couldn't accept him for what he was. He watched River slowly walk away from him, towards the windows that overlooked the backyard and the woods. "River, baby, what's going on in that head of yours?"
River stood at the window, arms wrapped around himself, as he tried to come to terms with his life as he knew it. He heard Eithen speak, but he couldn't open his mouth or make a sound. What could he say to that? He needed time to think, he needed to be alone. River turned around to find Eithen standing in front of him, with a look of pain and sadness in his eyes. He couldn't do this right now.
He tried to tell Eithen, but his mouth was dry. He shook his head no, as he pleaded with his eyes for Eithen to understand. He swallowed a few times, trying to get his voice back. Again he shook his head no. "I...I can't do this Eithen, not right now." River walked around Eithen and headed for the door, not wanting to see the hurt on Eithen's face. As he reached for the handle he had one more question to ask. "Before I go to my room, is there anything else I need to know?"
Raivyn sat there on the ground with her arm raised and hand out as she waited for the pretty doggy to come closer. Her daddy had always told her not to touch strange dogs because you never knew if they would bite, but she knew she was safe. It was so pretty and soft looking. The animal dropped down into a crouch and belly crawled the rest of the way to where Raivyn sat, showing it meant no harm to her. It bumped her hand with its snout, telling her in its own way that she could touch. She rubbed her hands over its head just before she threw her arms around its neck and started to cry.
She was away from the mean people now and all her fear and sadness just poured out of her little body as she laid there wrapped around this animal. She felt safe, for the first time in a long time. She could see the sky without looking through a window, she could feel the breeze against her skin and blow her hair around. She was so dirty and so tired. Raivyn held onto the pretty doggy a little tighter as her eyes started to close. "Just a little nap until the nice tall man comes to find me," she whispered to the animal.
The wolf stayed where it was, unmoving as the little angel slept wrapped around it. It would protect her, keep her safe. It would do what it could to insure nothing happened to her. It heard the snap of a twig and whipped its head around sniffing at the air. It bared its teeth, a low growl emanating from its chest to let the danger it smelled know it was there. It watched a man emerge from behind a tree with his hands held up, showing the wolf it meant no harm to either it or the little girl.
"Hey there boy," the man said in a soft voice as he fell to his knees just out of snapping range of where the wolf lay. The man could see the protective nature of the wolf with Raivyn; he just wondered why it would do it so quickly. "I won't hurt her boy, like you, I just want to keep her safe." The man inched closer as he spoke, hands still held up. "Will you allow me to take her now boy? She has people that are waiting for her to come home."
The wolf's growls quieted down after it scented the air again, smelling for any sign of deceit from the man. The wolf would let this man take his little angel, but he would follow where he took her. The wolf would now forever protect, to watch over and keep safe from a distance until the time was right.
The man knew the moment the wolf had accepted him. He reached out and pried Raivyns arms from around the wolf's neck and gently cradled her in his arms to not wake her. "Thank you my young friend," the man said to the wolf as he stood and started into the woods once again. "I think you just made a lifelong friend little one," he whispered to a sleeping Raivyn.
The man could smell the young wolf as it followed. It didn't concern him though. He just wondered where the rest of the wolf's pack was. He knew the wolf wasn't one of theirs, the man knew all the families and the pups within the Donovan Pack. He would have to inform the Alpha of a possible throwaway. It was too protective of the little one to be a wolf gone rogue, so there seemed to be no threat. He hoped that the Alpha would know what to do for the boy because he didn't see him leaving Raivyn anytime soon.
They had walked through the woods for about 20 minutes when Raivyn started to stir in the man's arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around to see where she was. The nice man had come for her, she knew he would. Raivyn looked around again and wondered where her pretty doggy was. "Don't worry little one, he's following behind us a ways. My name is Lonnie by the way and I know that your name is Raivyn."
"I miss my daddy," Raivyn whispered. "Are you taking me to my daddy now Mr. Lonnie?"
"That's the plan little one," Lonnie said with a smile. "We just have to make sure we are safe before we can head to where he is ok?"
Raivyn nodded her head and snuggled back up into his arms as they continued to walk. Mr. Lonnie hummed a song as they weaved in and around trees and over fallen branches. Every so often Raivyn would catch a glimpse of her doggy, his light brown fur with white patches. She wondered if her daddy would let her keep him. He was so soft to lie on.
The wolf followed behind the man at a distance. He had to keep her in his sight. She was his and he would insure that nothing happened to her. He had been alone to long, shunned by his pack, his family. It was an accident, he never meant for it to happen. He was lucky that he didn't pay for it with his own life. Maybe that would have been better, instead, now he had to live with the memory. The memory of seeing his little sisters face filled with fear as she was pulled under the water. There had been nothing he could do to help. Maybe if he could protect this little girl, keep her safe, his own conscience would feel redeemed.
He stayed alert, focused on all sounds and smells that came at him from every direction. There had been no sign of danger up to this point, but he wouldn't take any chances and let his guard down. He wasn't sure how long the man had walked, but it seemed like he was trying to insure that it would be very difficult to be followed. The young wolf noticed the man had started to walk a bit slower, his gait seemed off, like he was in pain. He chanced a closer look, he trotted up alongside the man, and then he saw it. A hole in the shoulder of the man's shirt with splatters of blood around it. He knew now, danger would be close.
Lonnie should have waited longer before heading off into the woods after being shot. It felt like someone kept sticking a hot poker in his shoulder. He would heal fine, he had experienced worse, but back then he didn't have to carry the weight of a sleeping child. Lonnie owed this to his Alpha though, prove himself as a member of the pack and wasn't just a screw up. He tried his best to cover their tracks. He knew it was just a matter of time before they sent out the search party for Raivyn. She had seen all of them, would be able to identify them and was now a threat to what they had going.
They were 30 minutes from the edge of the woods located behind the Alpha's home, when Lonnie noticed a shift in the air around them. The animals ceased their chatter, aware of the danger headed their way. The young wolf at his side seemed to be aware of the change as well. Lonnie watched as it took off back towards where they had come from. He couldn't just stand there and wait for them to show up though; he had to get Raivyn to safety. Lonnie took off again, headed for his Alpha's home when he heard the first shot ring out. He hoped the young wolf would be smart and stay hidden.
Raivyn was jostled awake from Lonnie speeding up; she knew the bad people were close. She tightened her arms around Mr. Lonnie's neck, hiding her face in his shoulder. She didn't want to go back with the mean people, she just wanted her daddy. She was scared; she could hear the mean people shoot their guns. "Mr. Lonnie," she whimpered, "are they going to hurt us? Where's my doggy? Did he go after the bad people Mr. Lonnie?"
Lonnie tried to think of answers to her questions that wouldn't frighten her more than she already had to be. "Your doggy will be ok little one, he can protect himself and he won't let anything happen to you. I am also going to do my best to not let them get you again. Your daddy has been looking for you and it's time for you to see him again." Lonnie hoped what he said would ease Raivyns mind a little.
Another shot rang out, they were getting closer. Lonnie needed to find a place to hide Raivyn. "I'm going to put you down here little one and I need you to crawl in under the bushes for me ok? Stay here and be as quiet as you can so they don't find you. I will be back as fast as I can, then we can go see your daddy together. Can you do that for me little one?" Raivyn looked up at him with a tear-streaked face and nodded her head as she wormed her little body out of sight.
Lonnie made sure he was far enough away from Raivyn before he allowed the change to take over. In the blink of an eye, where he once stood, there was a wolf with golden red fur. He scented the air and took off to where he knew he would find the people that were after Raivyn.
Raivyn laid there with her eyes closed and just listened. She heard shouting, growling and more shots. Then it was silent, too silent, Raivyn knew something was wrong. She did what Mr. Lonnie told her though and didn't move or make a sound. It was starting to get dark out when she heard the crunch of dried leaves. A minute later she felt something bump her hand and knew that it was her doggy. At least he was ok.
Her doggy kept bumping into her, trying to get Raivyn to move. "I can't leave doggy," she whispered, "Mr. Lonnie told me to stay here." This time the wolf gently bit down on her sleeve and tugged until she didn't have a choice but to go with him. "Are we going to find Mr. Lonnie? He knows where my daddy is." The wolf looked at her a moment before he started to walk off in the opposite direction of where she knew Mr. Lonnie should have been. "This is the wrong way doggy, we need to go that way," she said as she pointed back the other way.
Eithen wondered if River could handle any more stress, so he decided to hold off on telling him that they were mates, meant to belong to one another fully, in every way possible, heart and soul. He would give River time to digest all he had been told already before he laid that out there in the open as well. Eithen shook his head, "no, nothing that can't wait until later River. I'm sorry baby, I really am. I never meant to frighten you, and I know that this is a lot to take in. Please baby, don't let this change the things that have started between us. You take all the time you need and I will be here waiting for you. I will always wait, now that I have found you."
River had his back to Eithen as he stood at the doorway, he didn't see the pleading look in Eithen's eyes as he spoke. He didn't see the pain and the anguish on Eithen's face at the thought of never being with him. River just needed time to think and absorb it all. He wasn't running away from Eithen, he was drawn to the man and there was no way that he could just walk away from him now. "I know Eithen, and I'm sorry too." River walked out the door, to his room, where he stayed hidden away for the rest of the night.
River wasn't aware of all the times that Eithen walked up to his door and just stood there, head resting against the frame. When he would raise his hands and place them on the door, knowing that River was in there, slowly slipping away from him.
Eithen wasn't aware of River standing there at the door either, ready to go back to the office and throw himself at Eithen. Wrap his arms around the man that had become his world in such a short time. To tell him that it didn't matter what he was, but who he was as a man that River had started to fall in love with.
They were both afraid of how they felt for one another, they both needed the other, yet neither knew how to finally cross that line if it wasn't during a spur of the moment. They both needed to learn to communicate, or what they had building between them would never work.
The next day there was a strained silence around the office once they got there. The other employees knew to keep their distance from Mr. Donovan, but they chose to keep River at an arms length as well. They only spoke to him if it was necessary, and even then they kept is brief. Eithen stuck to his word and gave River all the time he needed to sort things out. River took the time to go over everything that has occurred in his life over the last 6 months. River and Eithen only spoke about work and kept to themselves at the house. That was how it went for the next week.
River didn't have any more strange dreams or visions, and he actually started to worry about that. He had done all the thinking that he could because he kept returning to the same conclusion. He had to man up and go to Eithen, to be strong and admit what he felt; about him, Eithen, and also his fears about what was going on with Raivyn. They were no closer to finding her. As each day passed without a lead, he became more afraid they would never find her.
Two weeks had gone by, it was now a few days before the big charity event for The Sanctuary, and River needed to make sure that Eithen was ready for it. He used that as his excuse to leave his room and go to where Eithen sat in his office staring out the window. River walked in silently and made his way over to stand behind Eithen, and placed his hands on the back of the chair. Unsure what to do, River slid his hands down over Eithen's shoulders and wrapped his arms around him from behind and rested his head against Eithen's.
"I'm sorry," he whispered in Eithen's ear before he placed a feather light kiss to his cheek. "I should have come to you sooner," he whispered again in Eithen's ear as he slowly made his way around the chair and sat down in Eithen's lap. Eithen wrapped both arms around River and just held onto him. It had been a long two weeks and all the emotions came flooding out of them both. "I accept you as you are Eithen. I have come to realize that I need you in my life. Whatever you are, it doesn't matter to me. It is you, Eithen, that I am falling for. Forgive me for taking so long to."
Eithen had been so sure that he had lost River, that he would never hold him in his arms again. He was relieved to know that he was wrong. "All that matters is that you're here now. I really thought I had lost you before I was ever able to call you my own. I need you River," Eithen said softly right before he claimed River's mouth.
The kiss was gentle but possessive, it left no doubt in River's mind that Eithen had just staked his claim. What they couldn't put into words they put into that kiss. They just sat there and held on to each other, there was no need to do anything more. This was a time to reconnect, to make the hurt and doubts from the last few weeks melt away and be forgotten.
River pulled back to stare into Eithen's eyes. He saw the same love reflected in them that he was sure Eithen could see in his own. He knew that they still had things to talk about, to work out, but they could get through it together, he was done running. He wanted Eithen at his side to help raise Raivyn.
They talked long into the night, River told of his past, the reason he didn't do well with large crowds. What he could remember of it that is. He was young, maybe 7 or 8 when his parents decided to have a family outing. They went to a new aquatic exhibit that had opened a month before.
River was fascinated with all the life that could be found in the ocean. For most of the day he kept his face pressed against the glass as schools of fish swam by, asking his parents question after question. They were only too happy to indulge their only child, and would come up with answers that would make him laugh. It had been a good day, one that they should have been able to look back on and smile.
It only took a moment though for it all to change. In a matter of minutes it went from a happy memory to one that would become River's personal hell. The seal on one of the tanks gave, water rushed out into the tunnel, the crowd panicked and chaos ensued. River was separated from his parents, everywhere he looked people were running and screaming, as they tried to make it to the exit doors. He was knocked down, stepped on, unseen lying there on the floor as the water level continued to rise.
River couldn't remember anything after that, he woke up in a hospital with all kinds of wires and tubes connected to his little body. He turned his head and saw his parents asleep in chairs next to his bed. When he asked later on what happened, his parents would go quiet and avoid eye contact. He overheard the doctor and his parents though and knew that he should not have survived. They moved shortly after the incident, it was never spoken of again.
Eithen listened and could understand where the panic attacks came from. He would have been messed up after something like that as well. He held River tighter in his arms, "if you ever feel that you can't handle something, come to me ok?"
"Thank you," was all River could say to that. "Ok, enough about me for now, tell me more about the pack. I want to learn all I can about you and your community here."
For Eithen's part, he talked of growing up in a pack, what it was like to have so many people to count on. He told River things he had done as a young pup that had them both laughing. Eithen spoke of the close bonds that formed among all the members. He explained that the pack was more than just a group of people, it's like a large family in a way, and everyone looked out for everyone. He only left out one important aspect of Were life. Mates, and how important it was to find the one that Fate intended to be your other half.
"There is one thing that every wolf strives for, dreams of and prays that it will one day happen to them."
River turned and gazed up at Eithen, "and what would that be?"
"For the day to come when we find that one person who will complete us and make us whole. The day we find our mate." Eithen waited for that statement to sink in, to see if River would understand what he was saying.
River's mind started to put all the small pieces of the puzzle that were Eithen and River together. "And how do you know when you've found your mate?"
"Our wolf always knows, sometimes it may take our human side a little longer to figure it out, but the wolf, it knows its mate as soon as it gets a good scent. We feel drawn to our mates and find any excuse we can to be near them. Our mates are to be loved, cherished and adored like no other, we would die for our mates. When we find our mates, there will never be another."
River was afraid to hope, afraid to ask the question of whether or not he and Eithen were fated, destined to be one. He feared that what he felt for Eithen was one-sided. The need to know the answer was stronger though. He ached for and longed to be held and loved by this man. River asked without words, the question was clear to see in his eyes.
He got his answer when Eithen tightened his hold, leaned down and whispered one simple yet powerful word...Mine.