Running with Wolves Ch. 03

Thank you mordbrand and MarieFlower again for editing this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys Chapter 3.

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Flint woke up to the rumble of an engine. He was sore, a combination of his most recent episode and the fight he had lost with momentum. It was dark, so still night out. He hoped he hadn't been out that long.

There was someone talking up front. "...doesn't matter right now. She ran and we don't have the resources to track her down. Knowing them, it's probably gone already... I told you, I don't know what is coming, that's why I need to leave... I can't drag you guys into this! You can sell the van to a shop and-... I'll buy a bus ticket and get out of town. I can't risk staying; It will put you guys in too much danger... No! No, no, no, that is NOT happening. You are staying-... Fucking hell Jarod put Ben on the phone!... Then put me on speaker... Ben, you ass I know you can hear me! I am not letting you destroy everything we have built- what is he saying?... Oh my fucking!- I'll deal with him when I get there. I'm still a few hours away-"

Flint groaned in pain when they went over a bump while he was trying to lift himself up onto his knees.

"What the hell?!" The van swerved to the right, coming to an abrupt stop. "Someone's in here. I'll call you back." A phone snapped shut. Flint could hear the front door open and loud steps coming his way. Still confused as to what was going on he scooted as far as he could to the back corner. The loading door opened and the above car light turning on and blinding Flint. He closed his eyes and whimpered like a pup. It was so bright after being in the dark.

"Flint?! What the fuck are you doing here? God dammit kid you have a nasty habit of being where you are not supposed to be. I almost blew your head off, you dumb ass!"

Flint opened his eyes, adjusting. At the door was Dominic, gun in hand, pointed at him for a second time. The night's events after being put in the van came into focus, and it began to make sense. Dominic must have gotten out and stolen the van, not realizing he was inside. 'Dagwood's probably worried.' The thought floated in and right back out Flint's head.

"You know, I'm going to have to point that at you to make us even again." Flint's voice was heavy with pain. He really wasn't feeling good.

Dominic laughed non-comically. "I'll have to make sure you don't get the chance." He looked Flint over. "What are you doing in here? You don't look good."

He snorted. "Yeah well your driving didn't help. I was in here waiting out an, uh, episode, when some alarms went off. Dagwood left me in here to rest while he went to go check on my family." Lifting into a sitting position was difficult, but he managed. "What happened? How did you get out? You were supposed to be sedated, Doc Rivers said you would be out for hours."

Dominic lowered the gun, most likely coming to the conclusion Flint wasn't a threat right now. "I have a high tolerance for anything drug related, and insomnia, so I woke up sooner than you probably planned. It wasn't hard to disable the guards on my door, your security sucks. The lighter I snagged was a good distraction. You probably got banged up when I busted through the gate."

Flint was confused. "Gate? The security gate?" Dominic nodded. "But, wait, how did you get past the guards? They should have heard you long before you were on them." His guard had been Thetas, Aspen and Haven.

"I'm light on my feet and I picked the cabinet and got a hold of some tranquilizers. Knocked him out cold with it."

Flint's eyes went wide. "So... You attacked your guards, set off the fire alarm, stole a van, inadvertently kidnapped me, and destroyed part of the Pine Glen pack's property?"

"Don't know who Pine Glen is, but if that was his gate then yeah I destroyed it." Dominic suddenly swayed. "Whoa."

"You OK?" Flint took his first good look at Dominic. "Oh Luna, you're bleeding!"

Dominic's entire right shoulder of his white shirt was stained red.

"I'm fine, it's just a graze."

"They shot at you?!"

'That must have been the popping sounds. No way Five Rivers shot at us, knowing who Dominic is and that I was in here. That means Pine Glen did it! Holy shit if the treaty wasn't in jeopardy before, it is now.' Flint leaned forward and got to his knees, slightly panicked. Dominic raised the gun again.

"Oh please, do I look like I can take you right now? Just give me a second." He crawled out of the van, Dominic backing up so he couldn't reach the gun, and once stable on his feet lifted the carpet and located the little metal loop underneath. Pulling up, a panel came loose and lifted to the side. Inside was a compartment that held an assortment of clothes, jugs of emergency silver antidote, and medical supplies.

Locating what he wanted, Flint lifted a first aid kit and replaced the panel, placing the hard covered pack on the top of the cover and unzipping the case. Inside was a bounty of bandages, antiseptic, gauze, scalpels, scissors, tweezers, and small bottles of the clear liquid that helped a werewolf fight off the effects of silver. Anything and everything that someone would need if ambushed. They had been in a war after all.

"OK, now can you put the gun down long enough for me to dress your wound?"

*

Dominic considered his proposal. Flint was obviously not in that great of shape. His knees shook and his face was pale. That, coupled with the fact Dom had lost quite a bit of blood decided him. "Alright." He didn't even have enough fight in him at the moment to not practically fall onto the van's floor to let Flint help him.

Flint looked a bit surprised by how easy it was to convince him, but started to work anyway. With Dom sitting in the door jam, he took up a pair of scissors and removed the ruined shirt, then carefully inspected the wound. It was just a graze, thankfully, but it was deep and would get infected if not treated properly.

They sat in silence, working together to get the wound clean. Dominic was having a difficult time keeping from flinching away from the probing and swabbing so he sought out something to preoccupy him.

"What are these bottles for?" He lifted one and read the label.

"Silver antidote?"

"For if one of us gets hurt with silver. It's the only thing that can stop a reaction from killing us too quickly before we can get it out."

"Reaction to silver? Is your family allergic or something?" Were they some sort of high class family that felt so threatened in their every day lives that they needed to have copious amounts of their antidote at all times? Oh woe the price of being rich.

Flint paused in wrapping the long strip of bandage around Dominic's shoulder. "My father didn't tell you?"

Dominic looked at him sideways, becoming suspicious again.

"Tell me what?"

"Oh well, uh,-" Dominic lifted the gun again as a warning.

"Look, kid, I like you, all things considered. But if you don't tell me what the hell is going on I will shoot you in the calf and leave you here for someone else to find. I have no patience."

Flint eyed the gun, taking a step back and gulping. "I really shouldn't, that's Misty's responsibility. I just assumed because she hadn't, father had. I thought that was why you ran."

The gun came up another inch. "Who's Misty?"

"My sister."

"Wait." Dominic's eyes went cold. "Is she the blond in the red dress? The one who ran into me?" Flint nodded slowly. The gun came up completely and Dominic charged at Flint.

"WHOA Dominic let me explain!"

"That was why you were at my truck! What, the little priss sent you after me 'cause she couldn't handle being yelled at!? BACK UP! Is that why you were going through my things? Making sure I didn't have the resources to press charges after you beat me into apologizing?!" Flint looked terrified as he backed away from an angry Dominic into the middle of the road. There were cat eyes on the center line, and he tripped over one, falling back. Dom stood over him, gun shaking in his left hand.

"It isn't like that I swear! Please just let me explain! I'll tell you everything I can, just please let me explain!"

"Then explain!"

"You're her Destined!"

Dominic froze.

"Her WHAT?" What the hell was a Destined?

"Her Destined mate! That's why we sought you out, why we were at your truck. Misty scented you while she was out in the city. She wasn't expecting you to be human, so she wasn't looking out for you when she turned the corner. Please I know how it sounds but you have to believe me it is the truth! Just please don't shoot me."

"That doesn't make any sense. What do you mean she scented me?"

"We're werewolves, OK?!"

Dominic just stood there, gauging Flint.

He suddenly began chuckling, then laughing. Soon he was in full-blown hysterics.

"Um Dominic? Are you OK?"

Dominic threw his head back, crying he was laughing so hard. It was hurting his cracked ribs. The gun dropped to his side.

It was all coming down on him. The horrible day that he had had, all the clients, the stress, running into the girl at the coffee shop, running all over the city because he was being followed, the fight, waking up in that hospital room, being held hostage, escaping, what awaited him back home, and now this kid was telling him about how his entire family was allergic to silver because they were werewolves! What made it all come out at once was that Flint truly believed what he was saying. It wasn't some ploy to get away, to scare him, he honest-to-goodness believed it. This was beyond insane and absolutely hysterical to Dominic in that moment.

"Dominic?" Flint looked worried.

It took a minute or two, but soon enough Dominic finally got a hold of himself. He wiped the tears from his eyes and took one last look at Flint, before motioning down the road with the gun.

"You know what kid, I am too tired and stressed to deal with this. You go on, there was a gas station about a mile that way. You can borrow a phone there. Tell your sister she's just going to have to get on with her life, 'cause I'm going to be long gone before she can find me. Have a good night."

Flint had an incredulous look on his face when Dominic turned his back to him. Oh well, he would just have to deal with it. Dom didn't want to have to deal with him any longer. He had too much to deal with to try and keep up with people he would never see again.

"Wait! Dominic! I'm not lying to- GAHHH!!" Flint's pained scream echoed off the tall trees and into Dominic's head. He spun around to see Flint on his knees clutching his arms around his torso. He screamed again, but this time Dominic didn't hear it. He was too focused on what he was witnessing Flint's body doing. Maybe his blood loss was worse than he had thought, because there was no way Flint's body could do something like this.

Every muscle under Flint's muscles were moving. Not in the natural way muscles move when they cramp or spasm, but moving from side to side, tightening and pulling. It looked as if snakes had taken form in his body and were trying to detach themselves from his bones so they could squirm their way out. Dominic imagined it would be even more horrifying if Flint hadn't had the fitted dress shirt on.

Flint fell to his side, curled in a fetal position, still screaming in pain. Dominic dropped the gun and rushed to crouch above the fallen teen. He grabbed his shoulder and roled him on his back. The front of Flint's shirt had fallen open, revealing the twitching and slithering muscles underneath. His eyes, shut tight in pain, opened to reveal the hazel had been replaced with a glowing gold. Flint's voice was more a growl then speaking when he forced out his next words.

"I-I-I wwasn't lllllyinng, to youuu." Dominic watched as Flint threw his head back and howled in agony.

*

Dominic pulled up to the warehouse doors. He had made the seven-hour trip in three and a half. Having a car that will go over 55 miles per hour and flying down the road will do that. Flint was in the passenger seat, still in pain, but back to himself.

When he had fallen unconscious after howling, Dominic hadn't known quite what to do, but he knew he couldn't leave him on the road. Something in the back of his mind had urged him not to, or else, he felt, Flint wouldn't last till morning. So he had slid into the van, maneuvered it as close as he could to the unconscious body, and hauled Flint as best he could into the passenger seat. Flint woke up a few hours later, disoriented but stable. No more snake like muscles.

"What was that Flint? What's happening to you?" Dominic parked the van facing the front of the building, turning the key and killing the engine, before turning his torso towards the passenger side. "I need you to tell me what is going on."

Flint simply stared glassy-eyed at him. "I'm dying."

Dominic rested his head against the headrest. "You mean that literally, not figuratively." Flint nodded. "Are the people in your family really werewolves?"

Flint snorted. "So you believe me now?"

"I believe you believe it, and I believe what I saw. Whether or not they are the same thing I do not know yet." Dominic looked ahead again. "Once I get packed up, we will make one trip through the city and drop you off. Have anywhere specific in mind?"

Flint hummed in thought, looking around for a moment. He looked confused. "Where are we?"

"My home." It was. No need to feel shame.

"But, I know this place. Its been abandoned for years. You live here?" Flint's eyes focused in on a door opening near the corner of the building. Jarod came running out.

"Yes." Dominic slipped out of the van, slamming the door in place and jogged to meet his friend. Jarod looked panicked when he made it into the light of the lantern he held.

"Holy shit man, you didn't tell us it was this bad. Garrett!"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Where is Ben?"

"Right here." Ben came striding out of the warehouse, two huge packs on his big shoulders.

"Put that shit back you dumb ass, you are not coming with me. This is my problem, and I will not let you drag everyone out of here because of something that as of yet is only affecting me- HEY don't ignore me!" Ben strode right past Dominic, placing the bags in front of the van and catching sight of Flint in the car.

"Who is he? Someone you picked up?"

"No, he is one of the people that snagged me- No!" Ben's eyes were narrowed and he made a move towards the van door. Flint looked scared when he saw the aggressive stance. "Leave him be, he didn't have a choice and he isn't a threat, so leave him be. Garrett! Take a look at our new friend in the van!" There was a "Will do!" on the other side of the giant roll up doors. "We need to discuss this insane idea of yours that you are coming with me."

Ben spun on his heels and got right in Dominic's face. They were the same height at 5'11, but Ben was all hard muscle from his manual labor jobs, while Dominic had more of a runner or swimmers build. Ben had his usual long sleeve button up shirt on, and jeans. His dark green eyes were alight with challenge. "If you think you can just BAIL on us then you have another thing coming! No fucking WAY are you running from these psychos on your own and leaving us behind. We. Are. Family! Or have you forgotten? Were you just going to leave us behind, like unwanted pets? Just move on? Well I'm not letting you leave without at least saying it to my face." Dominic stood frozen.

Ben was near tears. He hadn't seen Ben shed tears since they were young teens. Dom relaxed his posture, placing his hands on his best friend's shoulders to calm him.

"No, Ben, I wouldn't do that. But I don't know what is coming after me or how far they will take this and I can't pull you all into the crossfire."

"Is that really your decision to make?" Jarod stepped next to the two other men, his dark skin reflecting with beads of sweat in the lamp light from running up and down the stairs. "We made an agreement. No one bails. It's how we survived this long. I've already talked to Garrett and Samantha. They want to come too." At this point everyone was outside. Garrett with his dirty blond hair in a short ponytail to work in and Samantha holding baby Penny while she slept. They looked determined.

"Besides," Garrett, holding another heavy bag, spoke up. "We can't stay, no matter what. Didn't Jarod tell you what went down after you left?" He walked to the van to set his bag down by the others. "I'll go check on our new friend."

Dominic's eyebrows drew together. "I didn't get the whole story, but he told me enough. She took everything?"

Ben began fuming again. "Yeah. Lorena cleared us out. The rent, the savings, even the more valuable stuff we were waiting on pawning. We have no cash, no reserves. The Grinch came by today too, like you thought he would. He wants his money in two days or he calls the cops saying we are squatting, and we'll get arrested for trespassing."

"All the cash I made today is sitting in the truck. We can't get to it." Dominic pushed his bangs back in frustration. They really were between a rock and a hard spot. "We don't have a choice then; we have to leave."

Ben smirked at him. It was rare that he was right, so Dominic just smiled back. "I'm thinking east. We can look for a place on the coast, and there are plenty of spots along the way we can set up for a week or two and pull together some cash. It will be like before."

Jarod frowned. "I hope not. That place we stayed with the leaky faucet still bothers me sometimes." Dominic remembered that place. Jarod's OCD had kept him up for days on end worrying about a dripping sound none of them could find. Turned out to be an echo from a neighboring building. That was a rough two weeks.

"Dominic, can you come here a moment please?" Garrett called from the passenger side of the van. He was standing next to Flint, who seemed to be having issues.

Dominic jogged over. "What is it?"

"He won't talk to me. I don't know what's wrong." Dominic shook his head. "I'll figure it out. Go help Ben for now, we need to be out of here before first light." Garrett nodded and left.

"Flint, what's going on- Flint? You there, buddy?" Flint wasn't paying attention; he was just staring off after Garrett.

"Who is he?" Flint finally looked away when the focus of his attention went inside. "What's his name?"

"That's Garrett, and he is way out of your league."

"What do you mean?" Flint became slightly defensive.

"I mean he is 25 and therefore you are not his type. He isn't into jailbait."

Flint blushed dark red. "What?! No I didn't mean it that way I was just- Wait, how old do you think I am?" Dominic took him in, evaluating him in his head.

"Maybe a really tall 15?" Dominic knew he was wrong by how much darker his passenger got.

"I turned 21 in July! Do I really look that young to you?" Dominic nodded his head. Flint groaned. "Damn. It's because I haven't shifted yet. My growth is being stunted. No wonder everyone treats me like a child."

Dominic couldn't believe this guy was the same age as him, but let it go. He was curious. "Shifted?"

"Yeah." Flint blushed again. "Wolves don't shift, or turn into wolves, till puberty. Before that we're basically human. Afterwards our bodyies become stronger, and older looking as a result, but then aging slows to a crawl. You saw my father, he looks maybe 45 in human years, but he is actually over 200 years old. I haven't shifted yet, so I'm younger looking compared to everyone else my age."

Dominic shook his head. "You people really need to lay off the bath salts. It's really screwing with your heads."

Flint looked disappointed. "You still don't believe me?"

"Doesn't matter what I believe, we will be out of here and across state lines by next nightfall. We won't ever see each other again." Dominic reached out to open the sliding door. "So do you need another minute to check out my friend or can he come look you over now?"