*DISCLAIMER: This story is fiction, any reflection of real life and any description of an area or person is purely coincidental.
This story is about a young man who discovers himself and love as well as a few supernatural surprises along the way. There is death, love, hate, friendship, and bigotry.
There are potentially scenes of M/M sexual contact in each chapter, do not continue reading if reading text of this nature is illegal where you are located, likewise if you are under the legal age to read pornographic material.
Please enjoy and feel free to send comments. This is my first story being submitted to Nifty.
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Chapter 17:
I dialed the Davies' number and only had to wait for a single ring before Mrs. Davies answered the phone, "hello?" She sounded exasperated and tired, but attempting to be cheerful.
"Mrs. Davies? This is Jake..."
"JAKE!" She screamed into the phone, causing me to wince in slight pain, Luke and the Alpha cringed a little too before laughing softly. "Jake, son, oh my god, are you ok? Where are you? Are you hurt? What happened?"
I laughed lightly, "Mrs. Davies, I've missed you, I'm better now, is Alpha Rich available?"
She sighed, apparently content that I was ok, "yes yes, he's here I've had to hold him back since I shouted your name, here, I'll put it on speaker phone, we're all here, we were just finishing breakfast before continuing our search for you."
My breath caught a little bit, "you're, you're all there? JOHN!?"
His blessed voice came over the phone, "yes babe! I'm here! Oh my god its so good to hear your voice, I've been going crazy without you!" John's voice was like heaven to my ears. Instantly all the anxiety that had been built up in me for the past week began to recede, just hearing his voice again was enough to soothe my wolf.
"John, oh man, I love you so much, the pain of being away from you for so long, I..." I couldn't continue, tears were beginning to flow, the Alpha and Luke had the decency to turn around, apparently registering that I was talking to my mate.
Mr. Davies could be heard coughing, "ok, Jake, I understand the pain of being separated from your mate, but now that you've heard each others' voices at least, can we take a minute to talk about where you are and how to get you back home?"
"Yes, that's why I called, do you know an Alpha Black?"
Alpha Rich laughed lightly, "That old bag? Yes, Alpha Black and I go way back, high school football rivals before he moved to form his own pack. Black, are you there?" I had no need to put the phone on speakerphone since both Luke and Alpha Black were able to hear the phone clearly.
"Yes Davies ya ol' git, I'm here. Your pup is safe, I'll be coming along with two of my pups and Jake to your place. It'll take between an hour and a half and two hours. I can't leave until after 2pm though. If your beautiful wife doesn't mind cooking for three extra wolves, we'd love to stay for dinner and catch up."
Mrs. Davies spoke up, "oh Black, you know I'd love to see you again, I will certainly make some extras, this will be a right feast, getting Jake back and old friends all in one evening! Richard! I need to go to the store!"
Everyone laughed, including Mrs. Davies. Alpha Rich responded, "ok, that sounds fine. We'll be waiting."
Alpha Black spoke up, "make sure you do wait, you know the roads are not safe between us for solo travelers, and I'm sad to say they still hold their grudge against you so even you wouldn't get past them."
"I understand, I'll make sure they know. We'll see you before 4pm, it'll be good to see you again Jake and you too Black."
"Until later Davies."
We both hung up and I looked at Alpha Black quizzically, he chuckled and spoke up, "I assume you're wondering about that last part of the conversation. Well, between my pack and yours is a town that's patrolled by not only a very hostile werewolf pack but a police force that knows of werewolves and hunts down any werewolf that isn't part of their local pack. Your Alpha got into a bit of a trouble with them when he was a younger man because he not only dominated them on the football field when he was in high school, but his father, the previous Alpha, and him once he became Alpha both held firm opposition to that packs' ideals and did their best to liberate any wolf that was known to be being held by them. They still remember those actions, and because of Alpha Davies' rescue missions, they no longer brag about capturing rogue or lone werewolves so no one knows they're there."
"That's probably where I was, the man who was helping keep me hostage definitely knew I was a werewolf but wasn't one himself. He had a son named Derrick, about 10 years old, he was a cop in the town. He was friends with a kid named Mark who had an older brother Oliver, their father was also a cop and also not werewolves."
"Hmm, I don't remember many of their names that well, and certainly none of their children. Your Alpha Davies may be more up to date than I am, from what I've heard he's still actively trying to find out about wolves captured and held by them to help them out when he can. Anyway, I need to get home and take care of something as well as call that packs' Alpha and let him know I'll be driving through with three passengers, he requires 5 hours prior notice of someone passing through his territory, I'll be back to pick up you three shortly before 2pm."
Luke offered me breakfast and a shower. After those were done we sat out on his porch, "so, Jake, John is... he's, um, you're mate?"
"Yup! True mates. He's a wolf too, been one since puberty, I just discovered mine a few weeks ago."
"Cool, that's great. I'm happy for you. My brother's gay, he'll be home from work shortly, but he's been looking for someone, but our town is so small that I'm pretty sure he's going to have to leave to find a mate. Me too, truth be told, I'm straight, but the women available are all taken by other wolves, or are family, so I would have to settle for a human mate, I want were-pups though, so we're thinking about moving, Alpha Black knows we're considering moving and though he doesn't like it, he understands. It isn't like we're taking away a were-line from him, our family line dead-ended with us."
The wheels in my head were turning and something told me that Alpha Black was planning something too by bringing them along on the trip. I just nodded, deciding that I'd wait until at least dinner to see how things progress. The rest of the morning and early afternoon passed quickly. Luke's brother Matthew came home around 1pm and was quickly brought up to speed. By 1:30 all three of us were sitting on the porch waiting for Alpha Black, we were just chatting and talking about sports and things like that. Matthew was the same age as I was and acted much like I did. I was hoping that he and William would see sparks and hit it off, just like I was hoping Luke and Celena would maybe start dating even though she was still in high school and Luke just graduated.
At nearly 2pm, Alpha Black showed up and in the truck was a woman and a kid, I couldn't make out their faces so I assumed it was his wife and son, until I got closer, and I recognized Derrick! I rushed to the truck, "Derrick! Are you ok?!" He climbed over his mom and got out of the truck running to me and gave me a hug. "Jake! I'm glad yer ok, ya I'm ok, I told my mom what happened and what I did and she said ih was time she did tha right thing too. She packed my bags and we went ta visit Mr. Black and then we came here! I'm so glad you're ok!" His mother had climbed out of the truck by then, "Jake, my name is Mary, I'm so very sorry for what my husband and that man did to you. I've known of them doing things like that for a while now but didn't have the courage to stand up to them. Knowing that my son had the courage to do it, I knew I had to do my part, after we tell our story to your Alpha, we'll be on our way, I've got friends that he doesn't know about on the west coast, we'll get away and start over." I was in shock. I couldn't say anything so I just hugged her and Derrick again.
Alpha Black was driving us over in a full sized truck that had a back seat so Matthew, Luke and I squeezed into the back seat while Mary and Derrick took up the front seat with Alpha Black. It was a pleasant enough drive, we saw several trucks full of people sitting on the side of the road as we passed through the territory of the other pack as well as several cop cars who eyed us warily as we passed. Apparently the word had been passed on to let us through. By 3:30 we were entering town on the opposite side from my and Mr. Davies' homes. Being a Sunday afternoon, traffic was almost non-existent and so by 3:45 we were pulling into Mr. Davies' driveway. As soon as we were parked I opened the truck door as quickly as possible at the same time as the front door burst open with John sprinting out the door and we crashed into each other into a painful but amazing feeling hug and kiss.
It felt amazing to finally be back in his arms. I didn't want to let him go, they apparently left us alone for several minutes because by time Simon tapped on our shoulders, he was the only one left outside, he smiled softly at us, "I can only begin to understand, but c'mon in and at least pretend to be with us, Jake we all need to hear your story and Mrs. Davies will have a conniption fit if we delay dinner too much." We relaxed our embrace and settled for holding hands, but as soon as we broke apart, Simon pulled me into a hug, "I missed you too man, I'm glad you're ok." He broke away quickly when John began to growl threateningly, I laughed a little and Simon slapped him aside the head. "Bastard, get control of yourself, everyone's going to be hugging him once you guys get inside, you can't be growling at everyone."
John hung his head and nodded lightly, "lets go, get this hugging over with so that I can have you back to myself. I won't be able to let you out of my sight for a long time, you know that right?"
I smiled and gave him a peck on the lips before beginning to lead him into the house, "well, unless you intend to watch me while I shit, we're gonna spend some time apart. Plus we've both gotta work soon enough."
Simon was right, as soon as I got inside I was almost torn away from John, but our hands were gripping each other so tightly it was like they were literally attached to each other. No one seemed to really mind or ask him to let go, all understanding that we needed the contact after so long apart. It was a great homecoming. I hadn't had friends to ever miss me like this, my mother was the closest thing to a friend and while she loved me very much, we never had reason to receive each other like this on happy terms. Once the hugging and hand shaking were complete, I noticed everyone was now seated and looking at me. I guess this was the point where I explained everything.
I pulled John over to a chair and pushed him in and sat on his lap, cuddling into his arms, sighing contentedly. Keeping my eyes closed and myself as close to John as possible, "ok. So, Monday last week, I was walking between my house and here, I was only like 100 feet from the driveway here or something like that when I was hit by a truck. I had noticed it a second or two before so I had time to jump mostly out of the way, I only broke a leg and was dazed from hitting my head on the ground. I heard a voice telling someone to tie me up and throw me in the bed of the truck, I figured out later that it was John and Celena's father." Gasps were heard around the room and I didn't open my eyes, but I could feel John beginning to shake and could imagine the looks on Simon, William, Duke and Alpha Rich's faces. I rubbed my hand on John's chest and kissed his neck.
"When they threw me in the bed of the truck, literally, I hit my head again, this time knocking me out for a long time because when I woke up again it was night. I was shackled to a post in the ground with silver shackles. My strength was sapped and I couldn't transform. My senses could barely pick up signs of people just on the range of my senses I was naked and alone outdoors. I fell asleep again and was woken in the morning by their father and the other man pissing on me. Thankfully I had fallen asleep facing the ground so none got in my face. They were calling me all kinds of names and claiming I stole his son and daughter from him and that my `faggot ass' must be drugging John or something to make him think he was gay. They beat me pretty hard." I said that last line with true sadness as I relived the pain in my head.
I paused a little to gather my thoughts and breathe, no one was saying anything. I could feel John's anger practically boiling off him and he was gripping me tightly. I kissed his neck lightly to try and remind him that I was back and safe. "The other man's son brought me food during the days when they were gone, if it wasn't for him, I would probably have died from the combination of hunger and their beatings, but the food kept me from dying of hunger and helping my body keep up with all the healing. It continued the same routine, morning beatings and pissing, lunch from the boy, then evening beatings and pissing, most times cutting me as well, until the very early morning hours of Saturday morning. The boy, Derrick, had told his friend Mark, who told his brother Oliver, what was going on. Oliver must've been about 16, he came to where I was being held and cut the shackles for me, but had to get back before his father found out he was late. From there, I took off into the woods in wolf form. My wolf was able to hunt and find shelter. I wandered and slept until midday yesterday when I stumbled across civilization again." I paused to reaffirm my grip on John, knowing the next part would make him upset. "I was careless and a young boy shot me."
Gasps and small cries could be heard throughout the room and John practically jumped up but I pressed myself into him. "Luke here, was at the house and thankfully found me first. Apparently their town is almost exclusively pack and the family whose property I was on had just moved into town and Luke was there explaining about the `wolves', the boy was young and didn't know any better, he just thought I was a regular wolf. Anyway, Luke brought me to the town vet who removed the bullet and in this morning I woke up and was able to shift to finish healing, and now here we are."
I finally opened my eyes, seeing the women were all crying and the men all looking at nothingness with looks ranging from rage to pity on their faces. "STOP IT" I said loudly, then continuing quieter, "please. It's done, I obviously want justice but no vigilantism," I glared hard at Simon and William with one fist clutching John's shirt and the other tilting his head into my shoulder. "Please guys, don't go after him. Let the pack deal with it, not you three."
At this point Mary spoke up, "does anyone have a picture of the man, she looked at John and Celena, your father?"
Mrs. Davies jumped up, I have one here somewhere, the gathering this summer, he happened to walk past as I was photographing one of my grandkids. Here he is, he's the man in the back left.
Mary nodded and showed the picture to Derrick who also nodded and looked scared, he whispered, "that's the bad man." Mary nodded again, "yes, that's the man who my husband kidnaps with. He has been to our house every evening for the past week, claiming he and my husband had important work to do. I had overheard them saying they were keeping someone named Jake in the ravine a distance from our house in the woods. As I explained to Jake earlier. I'm not a strong woman. I have known of what my husband and that man have been doing for a number of years now. I just could not bring myself to do anything about it, I certainly couldn't leave Derrick behind and until recently had no one I could turn to that my husband didn't already know to be able to find me. This time, Derrick told me that he'd helped the young man they were holding and helped him to escape. I knew then that if my 10 year old son could find the courage to do what was right, I could as well. My husband had talked about "Alpha Black" before and called him a "goody two-shoes" so I figured I could go to him to tell my story, and well, the rest you all know. In the morning, Derrick and I are going to get on a plane and start over.
Mr. Davies nodded and voiced his agreement with that. Alpha Black coughed, "Mrs. Davies, if you think it's appropriate, I think we could all use a 5 minute break to get control of our emotions and then I think dinner is in order, does that sound good?"
Mrs. Davies nodded through her tears, "yes, I think that sounds good."
I stood up and pulled John with me into Mr. Davies office, closing the door behind us. I pulled him into a soft but passionate kiss and held him close. He was crying into my shoulder, "I'm so sorry Jake, so very sorry, I can't believe... my, my father..."
I did my best to comfort him emotionally and use his body for my own comfort for now. I pulled his head back, so that we could look each other in the eyes, but his eyes were closed, "open your eyes John, look at me." He slowly obeyed, "John, I love you so goddamn much, don't you dare even begin to blame this on yourself in any way. He will pay for what he did. We need to move on from this and I can't do that if you're constantly apologizing. I need your strength and caring and love, please."
He nodded, "ok. Ok. I can be that for you. I will be that for you."
We remained in the office holding each other companionably until Mrs. Davies knocked on the door, "boys, dinner's about to be served, come on out and grab your seats."
I leaned in to whisper into his ears, "by the way, I'm pretty sure Alpha Black brought Luke and Matthew to propose their moving to our pack and maybe during dinner they can hit it off with Celena and William. What do you think?"
His eyes widdened, "Celena's still in high school!"
"Only until December, and she's 18. Luke is turning 19 only this fall and just graduated from high school last spring. Just don't fight it, if it begins, let it happen. If you want to stop them from making babies until she graduates, fine, but don't stop them from at least dating if they start." He looked reluctant but nodded and we made our way out to the dining room where the dining room table was fully set up to it's maximum potential, there were 14 of us in total.
Once everyone was seated Mr. & Mrs. Davies began bringing out plate after plate and bowl after bowl of food for us all, the table was overloaded and barely gave room for each of our plates and glasses of water. She had cooked four meals at once and was serving them all. Once people began filling their plates though, the empty plates and dishes began piling up and making more space for everything else. Once everyone's plates were full and people had begun to eat, Alpha Black looked around the table and spoke up, "Alpha Davies, Luke, and Matthew, I have something I'd like to talk over while we eat. I have a proposal to make."*