Mine...Yours Pt. 10

A hand grabbed me and ripped me out of my truck. It broke my seat belt and I felt something tear in my shoulder at the same time making me scream! Then I was sent flying and tumbling across the road. I rolled into the deep ditch, narrowly missing bashing my head into a culvert. I lay there, stunned, trying to get my breath back. I heard a chorus of growls around me; their deep bass thrum echoing in my chest making it even harder to breathe than before. I looked up and saw four faces staring down at me, all long muzzles and exposed teeth from lips pulled back into snarls. Then one spoke,

"Gregory Bastion Brooks. The Alpha Michael Roberts says Hello!"

Chapter 29: Fight

The first thing going through my mind...I couldn't tell you. It was all a jumble. I kept on waiting for my fight or flight response to kick in, but I guess I was too stunned.

"This is what the Judge was so worried about? This thing?" I heard one of them say. He bent down, smelled me and I recoiled back from him making him give a barking laugh that sounded ugly.

"I smell magic on him, why isn't he using it?" One of them muttered. His hand, or paws...are they hands or paws when they are all human-wolf shaped? Funny what actually does go through ones mind when scared and hurt, nothing useful that's for sure.

"Wha...wha yoo wan...?" I wheezed, and then took a deep breath to get some oxygen back into my blood. It hurt to breathe in that deep, I wondered if I had broken something in my fall? Wouldn't be surprised, it all had happened before I could focus to get my shield in place. I thought about bringing it up now, but right then my shoulder really started to make itself known! My mouth opened up in another groan and then a grimace of pain.

"You turned our Alpha down, from selling him your house. We are going to make sure that you understand it would be good for you to do what he wants." The one who ripped me out of the truck said.

I sat upright in the ditch and stared at all of the faces around me in surprise and I just blurted the first words that came to me.

"Already? He is starting with the terror tactics already? We just spoke like an hour ago in my kitchen!"

The one furthest from me cocked an ear. It was the first time he heard me speak, well, the wheezing and the groans don't count. He leaned in closer.

"Hey, I know this guy. He was at Miss Robert's barbeque once when I was there. You sure this is the right guy?"

The one closest to me snarled and said, "Get your head back in the hunt! What the Alpha says we do, got it!?"

The first speaker hushed, but didn't look so enthusiastic before. Huh...I wonder...

I activated my Sight and now I saw things reversed. Before, I would see the animal past the human as a specter type image of some sort. Like a ghost if that helps you better to understand. Now it's the human image taking the back seat to the animal form. The first three I didn't recognize, the fourth one who seemed unsure, I knew him. Not his name, but I knew his face!

"Wasn't it a pain in the ass digging out the swimming pool?" I said. "I brought over some lean ground chuck that we made some awesome burgers out of. For some reason I remember you eating more hotdogs though, why was that?"

There was a pause then I heard him say, "I was hungry, the hot dogs were done faster." I smiled and then when I shifted I felt something "pop" inside me about halfway down my chest. I felt something warm trickle in my body and I knew that was bad. I coughed and spat out blood...that was really bad!

"Hey man, he's hurt bad! Weren't we just going to rough him up some?" my nameless buddy said. The first one growled back as a response.

"We have our orders, I have mine. If he lives or dies, the Alpha gets what he wants. He is already prepared to call the others to deal with the outsider for when he passes." I turned bleary eyes to him.

"What did you say?" I asked and spat more blood onto the ground. He looked down at me in the ditch, eyes narrowed.

"I said, when you die, he is going to get the old members of the Gatewatch to deal with your outsider. Then we can put this whole sordid mess behind us."

He was going after Lucretia? MY Lucretia? Why? She hadn't done anything to him! I was the one he wanted; I was the one in the way! Well Lucretia could handle herself; she could tear his hide off and make it into a trampoline. Then I remembered when Gwen, Hildy and Jemima had shown up at my work, and nearly banished her. The only reason they hadn't been able to was because of my interference. If he got Trevor and Suzanne to help him...he could...

No...she is mine, they will not touch her.

No...She is Mine, they will not touch her!

NO...SHE is MINE!

SHE...IS...

"Hey boss...what's he saying?" One of the wolves tipped his head closer down to me taking a sniff...I realized I had been muttering to myself. A cold pressure was flowing into me, a heat that chilled me to the bone. A loud pounding silence that throbbed in a discordant cadence timed to the trip hammer beating of my heart. I looked directly into the wolf's eyes and smiled. I could feel my own blood dripping from my teeth as I whispered...

"...MINE!"

My shoulder screeched in protest as my left arm shot up, wreathed in the light blue pulse of my power. I didn't care! These assholes were going to hurt my friend, so I was going to hurt them, how dare they! I heard his snarl cut off into a whine, then a few loud cracks as I crushed his throat and vertebrae in my grip. I let him go and his lifeless body flopped down, unmoving except for nerve twitches. The second wolf leapt on top of me, either trying to smother me or just get in close to use his claws and teeth. His blows couldn't get past my shield, but suddenly he was giving yelps of pain and jumped out of the hole with me clinging to him.

With him being that close I didn't have to reach out and grab him. My range is about two inches over my entire body. I gripped two inches into his body wherever he touched me, so now my chest and arms held firm to him! He crawled out of the ditch taking me with him. I braced myself and used my power to yank myself away from him, ripping off muscle and skin wherever I pulled back and away. He fell to the ground and began scratching the dirt, and then started scrambling away.

I couldn't have that! The power carried me across the ground before my brain had time to register what I was doing and I dropped kicked his head so hard and so fast I forgot to fully harden the shield around my foot. I dimly felt things, a lot of things shatter at the point of impact, but I didn't care. They had to die...They All Had to DIE!

The leader gave a long loud howl that carried on the still air, and then the werewolf roared as he rushed me.

"Bring it! Bring it you FUCK!" I screamed at him and zipped right into his charge. My shield was so strong it was opaque, I didn't need to see I could feel my target. I dug my fingers into what felt like his chest, the strength of my power rushing through me. My enemy's roars turned to pained yelps as his powerful blows impacted my shield. It didn't matter, I had a hold on him and I was not going to let go! I heard terrible cracking noises as I pulled my arms apart and the screaming cries of my enemy suddenly went silent. I let my shield weaken so I could see again and the gory ruin of my enemy lay at my feet, his blood seeping into the earth.

I heard a noise and turned my head to see a naked black man staring at me, and looking a little queasy.

"You killed them, you killed them all!" He put his hands on his head and stared at the carnage on the ground. I exhaled and I could see my breath condense into vapor. Then I coughed and spat blood again.

"Leave, tell your Alpha what happened. You will not take what is mine. I have given enough and he's taken all that I am going to give. He tries to do this again to me and mine I will bring a storm down on him that will make him beg for death...do you understand me?"

He nodded and turned and began to change, and then he stopped and looked back.

"I don't know all of what happened to who and for what reason but..." he looked around at the dead bodies of his partners. "...but I am really sorry man." He looked past me and then he finished changing before taking off at a run through the field towards the low hills and their trees.

I didn't know what he was so sorry about until I heard a howl come from behind me. I looked back the opposite direction the wolf was running and saw six more wolves coming towards me from the other side of the road! The howl that leader gave must have summoned reinforcements.

I was shaking, I guess my adrenaline or whatever had run it's course and I was crashing. I felt tears coming to my eyes; of sadness or anger I don't know. Maybe both now that I think on it. I braced myself for the attack, planning on which I would take first. The big one in the middle looked like a good candidate. Grab him with a hardened shield, though I wasn't sure how long I could maintain it with how hurt I was. Tear him a new hole to breathe out of and hope the other wolves give me enough time to...

I heard a piercing shriek from high overhead. The wolves stopped as one and turned to look around to see what had made the noise. A dark shape fell like a piece of broken lightning into the middle of the group with a boom that I felt from the other side of the road! Wolf bodies and dirt sailed for a good few meters around the impact site. As the dust cleared I saw my Lucretia in full glassy black armor ,her teeth bared. She was on all fours one clawed hand lifted slightly and tail lashing behind her folded wings.

"Dead! You are all DEAD! RAAAH!" She screamed in a full-throated shriek Then she disappeared...

...And reappeared right next to the apparent leader of the group. She grabbed his head and kissed him hard! Then she disappeared again...

...And I saw her flicker next to another wolf and kiss him as well. Then she vanished leaving a streak of pale yellow light issuing forth from the two wolves mouths.

Rinse and repeat, she did this to all six of them and then stood in the center of the group one hand held out in front of her. There was a tumbling cloud of roiling sickly yellow light in her hand that she watched grow bigger. I could hear the moans and cries from the werewolves as more and more of whatever the stuff was flowed out of them, some began changing back to human form, but it didn't help as the color just changed to white and added to the cloudy shape floating above her hand.

"Know PAIN! Know it for what you have DONE!" She shouted as her other hand rested over the top of what looked liked a sick storm cloud. The bodies began twitching faster and writhing along the ground like worms just pulled from the soil. I heard human screams mixed with inhuman bellows from animal like throats.

Then Lucretia slammed her hands together and all the noise stopped and the bodies fell silent. She opened her hand and I saw something glisten like a bright gem in her palm. She smiled at it, and then swallowed whatever it was and gave herself a shake. She turned in a circle to view the carnage around her. Then I heard her snap her fingers and hot fire appeared around each body, even those on my side of the road! I stared at it dumbly, enjoying the feel of heat. I coughed again and spit blood out into the flames hearing it hiss in the heat. Suddenly Lucretia was at my side holding me and I slumped against her, closing my eyes.

"Greg! My Greg! What have they done?" she asked, her voice breaking on the last word. I felt myself being laid down on the ground, when my eyes opened again I saw grey cloudy sky and a dark grey face peering down at me in concern. My succubus was so beautiful, I really should tell her more how beautiful she is. She takes such good care of me, I should get her some flowers or something, or a case of Hershey chocolate bars. I felt my mind drifting and my body didn't want to respond to anything I told it. I opened my mouth and tried to speak.

"Lucretia...I..."

She got right down in my face and I heard her growl through tight lips as she began wiping my mouth, I saw red on her hand and she showed her teeth in a grimace at it.

"I..." My eyes closed, it was too much trouble to keep them open. My mind was starting to shut down.

"Master...what do I do Master? I don't know what to do! Your leaking and I don't know what to do!"

My fingers touched, I think her knee...and her hand came down to hold it. Her skin was always cool to me, but now it felt very warm.

"S'okay..." I murmured. I had never taught her medical stuff beyond an icepack and band-aids. Looks like that was biting me in the ass now.

I looked up at her and I saw she was crying now, or at least tears were falling. I tasted one on my lips.

"Don' cry sweetheart...Don' cry...I l...I..." and then I knew no more.

(Lucretia's Side of the Story.)

My Master is not moving.

His hand is not grasping mine, nor is he wincing when he breathes. Is he sleeping?

If he is it's a very strange sleeping.

"Wake up! You cannot sleep while you are leaking! You need to tell me what to do!" I shouted at him.

How dare he do this to me! Why is it that humans don't heal quickly? I have been hurt worse than this and repaired myself in a few minutes with hardly a thought. With all of that energy that they have in themselves, why can't they do the same?

I needed to stop his mouth from leaking, he has blood in there, I opened his mouth and saw that there was no wound. Then he breathed and I saw blood bubble in the back of his throat. So it must be farther down inside of him where he is broken!

I was pleased with myself that I had figured this out, then a small Worry came to me...

Greg was hurt! He was hurt bad! What if he died? I would be all alone here, no one to turn to, and no one to show me things! I felt those tears come again to my eyes, such a strange human way to show an emotion of Sadness, or Anger. I myself wanted to see clearly right now so I banished those feelings away from me.

I rolled him onto his side so he didn't breathe in blood and thought about what to do. The only person I knew of who could heal was Gwen Malfour of the Gatewatch. However, these Weres were of Hilda and the man who came to threaten us today. They could not be Trusted.

A small emotion came to me that said the Gatewatch probably did not know about this nor would they approve it. I coldly silenced it.

I wanted to kill every Were I found! I wanted to make them howl and scream and BURN for this! Damn them for doing this to my Greg!

I felt another emotion, I believe it was Shame and I froze as a thought formed.

"And Damn me for not being there to protect him!" I muttered fiercely.

This was not helping, I can't fix my Greg, and the witch cannot fix him either since it isn't safe. I had heard of doctors from movies and on television programs but had never met one. I could fly Gregory to William, but it was going to be hard to get in and out of the city like this without being seen. I couldn't stay here since more Were's would come looking for their missing pack when they failed to report in. Also my Master's truck is parked on the side of the road, more people would be attracted by that.

Gregory didn't Trust many people outside of his family and a few friends so would...?

His family! I had met them twice, once at our home and once at something called Thanksgiving where we ate a large bird and a tasty thing called "pumpkin" pie made of something that tastes terrible by itself. He was going to see his family, so they should be expecting him. I prepared to fly to the Brooks home, and was about to gather my Greg into my arms when something chirped in his pocket.

I pulled out the square thing, a cell phone he calls it, and saw the name Jonathon Brooks on the screen. I tapped the green button like I had seen Master do that held it up to my ear.

"Hello...?" I tried to say Pleasantly.

"Is this Lucretia?" I heard Mr. Brooks ask.

"Yes, I need to bring Greg to you now."

"Is he alright? About twenty minutes ago I got a bad feeling and I have been on edge ever since. Where are you? I will come pick you up!" He said quickly.

I looked around, "We are in a field by some trees by a road on the way to your home. I will bring him to you since I can fly faster than a car drives."

"We will be ready, can I talk to my son?" He asked.

I looked down at my Master, "He is asleep so I don't think he will hear you."

Mr. Brooks was quiet then said, "Hurry Lucretia..." Then he hung up.

I stood, with my Master, my friend...My Greg in my arms and rubbed my nose against his forehead. He smelled of sweat, blood, and pain. I Hoped that his family could help him.

I just realized something then, he had called me "Sweetheart." What did that mean? It made me feel...I don't know. I felt warm in myself, Greg better not die or I would KILL him!

Chapter 30: Brooks

I never told Greg all of my abilities, and he had never asked. This had Puzzled me for a while, when we had been sitting in his kitchen and I waited for him to start asking me what I could do and figuring out how to use it for himself he had just asked if I was tired. I had been so Scared and Angry at him, I am not sure even now as to why...

...Yes I do know why! Even after a century, I still remember the cold chains looped over my shoulders and around my hips!

"Out of the night that covers me..." I whisper to myself and the emotion flees. I have no idea which one that is called but it likes to trouble me when I am Sad, or feeling off balance. I will have to ask Greg when he wakes up. I Hope his parents have an alarm clock, that always seems to make him wake up!

No, he never tried to see what I could do for him, he even made himself vulnerable to me! He held me, my claws and teeth ready to shred him into pieces, and just held me! I almost did it, I wanted to drain him just as I swore I would then destroy his body and return home free. Two things stopped me. Mother had whispered to me before she left,

"Daughter. There is much one can learn as a student. This man has bound you to himself, with no restrictions, cherish it. You have both freedom and protection Become...Grow...Learn...Surpass!"

The other was the way he felt. He was warm, and...and...safe. I felt safe! Was this how it was supposed to be? Was this what it meant to have a Master? Not a master...but a Master?

I flew faster...Gregory was held tight in my arms, and I could see his parent's home. There was a large gravel driveway in front of it. I tried to remember what I was supposed to do when entering someone else's home. The Gatewatch I just knocked and entered since they gave me permission. But what did I do the first time? Ah! Ring the doorbell and wait for...

Oh, I see them out front waiting for me.

I swooped low and raised up to land on my feet, crouching on the rock, still holding Greg in my arms. Mrs. Brooks came running up to me as well as Mr. Brooks. I hissed at them, but cut it off in the middle. They looked like they wanted to take my Greg from me. Which made sense, I told myself. They probably know more about fixing a human than I did. My Protective side curled back down, satisfied for the moment.

Mrs. Brooks ran up then and laid her hands on Gregory's chest and ran fingers over his face. I wanted to tell her to quit touching him like that when I saw her own face. She was always apple cheeked and smiling. Now she looked pale and her cheeks hollow. Did she feel Sad? Or was it different? I couldn't tell. I heard the thrum of a vehicle. The things that smelled funny, but people who can't fly use them a lot. Mr. Brooks was backing up the truck.

He motioned for me to come closer and opened the tailgate. I saw that he had a pad of some sort with pillows in the back of it.