Raivyn had followed her doggy deeper into the woods and away from Mr. Lonnie. She was scared for him, but knew that he would be ok. Her doggy led her to a cave that would shield them from the weather and keep them from being found by the bad people. He grabbed the bottom of her shirt in his teeth and pulled her over to a pile of brush that was laid out along the cave wall.
It was dark inside, but it didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to what little light was let in from the mouth of the cave. She saw a place in the back where it looked like a fire could be built but she thought nothing of it. Her doggy had already laid down on the little bed of brush and whimpered. She laid down and curled up around her doggy, he was so warm. Her doggy would protect her now, keep her safe.
Once he knew that she was asleep he slowly backed away and went out to hunt. He would have to make sure that there was food for her when she woke up. When he returned, he shifted to his human form and dressed in the clothes he had stashed in the back of the cave. The young pup would have to reveal himself to her; there was no way to cook her food while in his wolf form. He just hoped that he wouldn't spook her and have her fear him once he did.
He checked on her one last time before he started on the fire. While that was building up and the meat was roasting, he stepped just outside of the cave to gather some berries that were there. He would have to find a way to get her some water, but he had no way to carry it back from the river. He came back in and went over to sit by the fire, where he stared into the flames thinking back to the day that his life changed.
He and his little sister had been playing on the banks of the river that ran behind their home. They knew not to go into the water because of the strong undercurrents that were prominent at this time if the year. They were playing hide-n-seek and he was the seeker. He gave his sister plenty of time to find a good spot to hide before he took off into the woods looking for her. He found her trail pretty easily; he would one day be a Tracker for the pack.
When they played there were no rules as to where they could hide. His sister liked to try and fool him by hiding in the trees to make it harder for him to find her. This day would be no different. He tracked her scent along a narrow path that led up to a butte that rose above the river. Her scent got stronger the closer he got. He had just started up the path to the tree he knew she would have chosen when he heard a pop and a crack. He didn't really worry about what he heard, some of the trees around were old and on the verge of falling over.
He had just reached the top when he heard another crack, then his sister started to scream. The branch that she had hid on was weak and gave out from the added weight she placed on it. He ran as fast as he could, just to watch the branch and his little sister to fall over the edge of the butte and into the raging river below.
He panicked, there was no way he would make it back down the path to reach her in time and he knew he couldn't jump from here and be able to help her. He stood there frozen and watched as the river dragged her under time and time again. He snapped out of the grip fear had over him and shifted, he could run faster in his wolf form and just might be able to reach her.
He had just made it to the river's edge and shifted back scanning the water for his sister. She was no longer visible but he could hear her calls for help. He raced along the banks, searching for her, he couldn't see her. Tears ran unchecked down his face, he couldn't lose her. She was his best friend, his confidant. He would never forgive himself if he lost her.
He stopped and hollered her name over and over as he tried to pinpoint where she was located in the river. Then he spotted her bobbing in and out of the water, she tried to fight the undertow, but it was a battle that could not be won. The more she fought, the more she went under. He saw that she was tired, that she knew what her fate would be.
He headed into the river; he tried to save her, his own safety was unimportant. He swam to where she was, ignoring her yells telling him to go back. He waded out deeper and deeper, felt the start of the river's pull on his legs. His sister knew she wouldn't make it out of the river, he saw it in her eyes. He saw the moment that she gave up her fight and let the river take her. He screamed and yelled, telling her to fight, that he would save her. Even though he knew it was beyond hope.
Raivyn woke up from another dream where she was in the park with her daddy. She liked it when she had those dreams. They made her happy and forget for just a bit about all the bad stuff. She sat up and looked around; her doggy wasn't there next to her like he had been when she fell asleep. Raivyn could see a shadow on the wall, the fire had been lit. She stood and walked over to the fire and saw a bigger boy, he looked lost in thought. Raivyn wondered if this was who her doggy belonged to. He didn't even notice when she sat down next to him.
Raivyn looked at the boy for a long time before he seemed to realize that she was there. "Hi," she said with a little wave. "I'm Raivyn, does the pretty doggy belong to you?" she asked.
He shook his head, now was the time to let her know that he was the wolf, the one that protected her. There was no point in waiting to tell her. "No little one, I am the pretty doggy," he said quietly. He waited for her to say something, anything. She stared into his eyes and simply nodded her head.
"Ok ... well you're pretty and soft and warm when you have all that hair on you," Raivyn giggled when she said that. "So what is your name then? I can't really go around calling you pretty doggy."
"My name's Kohlton, but you can call me Kohlt if you want. Are you hungry little one? I got some food here for you."
Raivyn nodded her head and took the food that Kohlt offered to her. "Thank you," she whispered.
"How old are you Raivyn?" Kohlton thought she couldn't be any older than five.
She finished chewing what was in her mouth before she answered, her daddy always told her never talk with food in your mouth. "I'm three, almost four ...but my daddy says that I am mature."
"What were you doing in the woods Raivyn? Are you in trouble?" He watched her start to shake a little. Kohlton pulled her over onto his lap and held her tight. "Shhh little one, you're safe here with me," he whispered, as he gently rocked side to side. "You can tell me later if you want."
"No, it's ok ..." And Raivyn told Kohlt everything that had happened to her from the time her mommy left her with the bad people. Kohlt sat there and held her as she cried and he cried with her. He thought his parents and pack were bad, it was nothing compared to what this little angel had endured.
Over the next few weeks, Raivyn and Kohlt had formed a bond that would never be destroyed. He was her protector and her provider. They had fun playing hide-n-seek and tag in the woods. At night he would shift back to his wolf form to ensure that his little angel stayed warm. During the day he would only shift when he needed to go hunt up more meat. They fell into a routine during the time they were in the cave.
Kohlton had gone back and tracked Lonnie's scent; he promised Raivyn he would try to find Mr. Lonnie for her. What he found could not have been a good sign. There was dried blood, but it wasn't all his from the smell of it. He had put up a good fight. He followed the blood trail until it just stopped. Kohlton saw tire tracks, so he only assumed that whoever had been after Lonnie and Raivyn had taken his body. He hoped and prayed, for Raivyn, that this Lonnie guy was still alive and safe.
Between work and trying to locate Raivyn, River and Eithen had no time for themselves over the last few weeks. Even living under the same roof didn't allow them time for themselves. It was now a few days before the charity benefit and they had time to relax which they took full advantage of.
River had made a simple dinner of pasta and salad for him and Eithen. He had set the table with candles and a red wine. They enjoyed a quiet night together and talked about anything that came to mind. River told stories of him and Raivyn while Eithen talked about things in the pack.
Eithen needed to feel that closeness again with River. He scooted his chair back, never taking his eyes off of River for a moment and came around the table. Eithen held his hand out in invitation for River to take hold. He pulled River along behind him into the den, where he had a fire going and a throw tossed on the floor in front of it. They stood there, inches apart, lightly holding onto one another.
As they gazed into each other's eyes, they saw all of the love and desire that still lay unspoken between them. River ran his hands down the front of Eithen's chest as Eithen's hands ran up River's back. They leaned in at the same time, the barest of touches as their lips parted. "I need you River, my life, my mate." Eithen whispered before he claimed River's mouth.
Ever so slow, they both worked on releasing the buttons on their shirts and sliding them off to fall to the floor. Now they stood chest to chest, skin to skin. Eithen let out a quiet growl which caused River to let out a moan as it vibrated through his body.
"Mmmm ... do that again," River demanded.
"Do what again? This ..." Eithen smirked as he let out another deep growl that sent chills all over River's body and went straight to his manhood.
"Yeah ... your growls do things to me," River whispered as he rubbed against Eithen's own impressive length, making them both groan at the contact.
"I want you River; want you so bad ... but we will take this at your pace. We only do what you are ready for. I can and will wait for whenever that may be. Ok?"
"I know you would Eithen, which is why I say we just go with it and do whatever feels right. And right now, I want to feel you under me again."
River fell to his knees pulling Eithen down with him. He wrapped one arm around Eithen as he devoured his mouth and gently laid him out on the floor beneath him. River pulled back and stared at the beauty of this man that he could call his. "Just so you know," he whispered, "I want you too."
River started by placing little nips and kisses to Eithen's ear, along his neck and over his jaw, ending at his lips. He teased and tasted, running the tip of his tongue over them. He would bite down gently only to suck on it after to take away the sting. He repeated this over and over until Eithen had enough and pulled River into a scorching kiss that took their breath away.
River broke the kiss, grabbed Eithen's wrists and placed them above his head. "Don't move," he demanded. "This is my show, my way, remember?" Eithen just nodded, the thought of being dominated by River excited him. "That's a good little wolf." River whispered as he ran his tongue down Eithen's neck and bit into his shoulder.
Eithen arched up off the floor from the pleasure of the bite, he never knew it would feel so good to be the less dominant one in a relationship. It was all he could do to keep his hands where River had placed them. He wanted to grab hold of his mate and flip him; he wanted to feel River under him as he took what was his. But he had agreed to let River take the lead.
River licked the spot he had bit then moved down and across Eithen's chest, where his nipples were already hard and just begging for attention. What kind of partner would River be if he didn't show them the attention they deserved? He flicked his tongue over and around the tip before sucking it into his mouth and nipping at it. He repeated this on the other side, never touching Eithen with anything other than his mouth.
River leaned forward to steal a kiss before he started working his way down Eithen's stomach. He nipped, kissed and licked along each muscle, dip and ridge he came across. He ran the tip of his tongue around Eithen's belly button, dipping in and out before he followed the trail of black hair that led to a spot that River would get to know much better in time.
With each new spot that River tasted, Eithen got closer to losing his battle of staying still. It was a pleasurable torture, and he wasn't sure how much more he could endure. "River ... Baby ... Please ...."
"Please what Eithen? Tell me what you need."
"Please .... touch me baby .... I need you to touch me."
"I thought I was touching you .... hmmm .... maybe I could do this instead ...." River slowly ran the tips of his fingers over Eithen's chest and across his stomach as he took in the sight of his body as it trembled under his touch.
"So responsive you are my little wolf ...." River whispered as he continued to touch and tease. This was all new territory for him, being with a man, but what he was doing felt so right, he just let his body take control and tried not to think too much about it.
Eithen looked down the length of his body; the sight of River there took his breath away and his control to slip just that much more. He pushed himself up on his elbows and beckoned River to him. "Come up here River, I need to taste you."
River crawled up Eithen's body until he was just inches away, he breathed in the scent that was pure Eithen and his manhood hardened even more. He slowly stretched out on top, nose to nose, chest to chest, and hip to hip.
"You moved Eithen and I told you to keep your hands where I placed them. Now what do you think I should do for your disobedience?" River sternly whispered as he stared deep into Eithen's eyes. He flicked his tongue out to tease those lips that begged to be tasted.
Eithen's wolf was not liking this being submissive thing at all, he struggled to come to the surface to show his mate who was in charge. He was Alpha, he submitted to no one. Eithen had to fight to keep his wolf in check, he knew it would never hurt their mate, but this was something that River needed and he would do what he had to, to make sure he was satisfied. If that meant letting River take control, then so be it.
Even as the growls grew louder, he bared his neck to River, showing that he would submit only to him. "Anything baby .... I'll take any .... oohhh hell .... umm .... any punishment ...." he moaned out as River leaned in and licked the side of his neck and shoulder. "Bite me .... please River .... bite me again."
River ran his tongue down where shoulder and neck met, teased the skin there with nips and reveled in Eithen's reaction. The way his body pushed up to meet his, the little growls and moans that escaped, the way his voice wavered as he asked for what he wanted. River stopped to take a second to study the face of the man he had fallen in love with, the man that he was able to control with very little effort.
As River bit down on Eithen's shoulder, he also increased the pressure to their cocks as he gently thrust up and down. They needed this, just another step to further what had been building between them from the start. He released his hold on Eithen's shoulder, claimed his mouth and continued to thrust. By now, both were rapidly approaching the point of no return. They rubbed, thrust, grabbed, tasted and devoured one another.
"Eithen .... ahhh fuck ... so close ... " River swore.
"God River .... you feel so good .... faster baby," Eithen pleaded.
"Cum for me Eithen ...." River demanded.
It started soft, and then grew increasingly louder, the sound of a phone ringing. Nonstop .... persistent .... never-ending, the more it rang the louder it got. It wouldn't be ignored. As soon as it stopped it would start up again. This was what pulled River and Eithen awake where they had fallen asleep curled up on the couch together in front of the fire.
"I think that's your phone again," River whispered. He turned away to prevent Eithen from seeing his face flush as images of the dream he just had flashed in his mind.
Eithen watched as River sat up and tried to hide the heat that had crept into his face. Apparently the dream Eithen just had was another one they had shared. Eithen stood and adjusted himself as he walked over to where he had left his phone on the mantle. Checking missed calls, he noticed they were all from Troy.
"Shit .... if he's tried to call this many times something has to be wrong. Let me just take care of this real quick .... then I think we need to have a talk about these dreams River. From what I see," Eithen's gaze ran down and stopped at the very noticeable bulge in River's pants, then brought his gaze back up to his face. "We had the same dream River, therefore, that has to mean something."
River agreed, it all had to mean something. What though, he didn't know. "Call Troy, I'll be right here when you get done."
"Well let's hope that it's some good news on Raivyn, ok?" Eithen walked over to the window as he waited for Troy to pick up.
"What ya got Troy? .... what do you mean he can't be found? .... he's been gone for over a week and I am just NOW hearing about this ... NO TROY !!! I should have HEARD about it the day AFTER he went missing. I don't give a FUCK about that .... he is a member of this pack, MY PACK, and I should have been informed. Get the trackers gathered up and have them here in twenty minutes .... yes here ... yes River's here and he will stay here .... are you really gonna question me Troy? .... I didn't think so .... just get your ass here in twenty."
So many scenarios ran through Eithen's mind about what could have happened to Lonnie. He should have noticed the overexcited pup hadn't been around lately, but he had been so wrapped up in his own personal life he didn't realize. How could he have missed Lonnie not being there? Lonnie made it a point to see Eithen at least once a day since he came to be a part of the pack almost five years ago.
Eithen thought back on that day. He and Troy had been out on one of their daily runs when they came across a teen boy asleep. He looked half-starved, dirty beyond belief and so fragile. Something about the boy tugged at Eithen's heartstrings and he wondered why he was out there on his own. He needed to find a way to help this kid. Eithen shifted out of his wolf form and made his way over to the boy quietly so he wouldn't spook him.
"Hey little man, can you wake up for me?" Eithen tried to shake the boy awake with no luck, it seemed as though he would have to carry him back. "Troy, grab his stuff, we can't just leave him out here."
Troy wasn't about to question the new Alpha and did as he was told, there wasn't much and what there was looked ready to be burned. He just hoped the Alpha knew what he was doing.
Eithen gathered the boy up in his arms and headed back towards his parents place, his Ma would know what to do for the kid. The boy never stirred during the trek back and that worried Eithen. He knew the boy was a shifter, and since shifters were not susceptible to human viruses, the lack of any response or movement was concerning. He prayed they had found him in time.
It took a few days of good sleep and all the food the kid could ever want to get him up and about. They had learned that the kid had been out on his own for about year, after his own pack tossed him out. The kid, who's name was Lonnie, didn't want to reveal why he had been shunned for fear of it happening again, but Eithen assured him that he was safe now.
When they heard that Lonnie had been abused, ridiculed and scorned because he was unable to shift, Eithen became furious. A pup is something to love and cherish, no matter what. Just because Lonnie was not what they wanted him to be didn't give them the right to tell him he was un-natural, useless and nothing but a burden. There had been many occasions where a pup was unable to shift for one reason or another, they were still pack, and pack supported everyone.
Lonnie was placed with a couple that had been unable to have pups of their own and he was loved. He never wanted for anything, his adoptive parents were gentle and caring. They helped him understand that he was worthy and it was ok if he never shifted, but to not give up hope. They showed him ways to recognize when a shift was coming on and how to lessen the pain the first time.
Eithen hired Lonnie when he turned seventeen to be a runner for him. Just a simple job, but it gave him a purpose and responsibility, and for that Lonnie was grateful. Eithen was aware of the hero worship, but it was harmless. It was because of Lonnie and his story that Eithen came up with the idea of The Sanctuary. For kids like Lonnie that needed some place safe to turn to if they needed it.
"Hey Big Man, what's going on in that head of yours?" River had walked over and wrapped his arms around Eithen as he had gotten lost in his memories. It was only when he heard River's voice did he come back to the here and now.
"Sorry baby, I was just thinking of the past. I need to fill you in on some things before the guys get here. C'mon, let's sit back down." Eithen pulled River back over to the couch where he refused to let him go and placed him between his legs with River's back against his chest as they sat there.
"I'm sure you heard my part of the call to Troy." River nodded, but didn't speak, he waited for Eithen to continue. "It seems that a member of the pack has been missing for over a week now, his name is Lonnie. I want to let you know that Lonnie is special to me." Eithen felt River stiffen and knew he needed to explain. "Not special like that baby, but he is important. I'll give you a brief history ..."
By the time Eithen was done telling River about Lonnie and his past, River had tears in his eyes. "How could they do that to him? How could his parents allow them to do that to their son?"
"I don't know baby, but that is why I need to find him. The guys that will be here in a few minutes are called trackers, that's what they do, that's what they are good at. They can find him, and then we can figure out what happened and where he has been all this time. Now, you can stay here for the meeting or you can go do whatever until it's over. It is your choice, but I would like you here with me."
"How many will be here?" River was never good in crowds of more than five or six people, and without his meds he was afraid that he would have a panic attack in front of Eithen and his pack. He didn't want to appear weak to them, he already had being a human going against him.
"Besides the two of us, there will be Troy and there are ten trackers in the pack. Why ask how many River?"
River wanted to stay, he really did, but thirteen people in a small room, just the thought already had him sweating. He could feel himself start to tremble from the anxiety that was building.
"You're shaking baby, what's wrong?" Eithen questioned as he pulled River tighter to him. "Is it the idea of so many? Does it make you panic? Is that the reason you take meds, to keep from panicking?"
River simply nodded, afraid to speak as he tried to keep his breathing under control.
"Ok baby, that's fine, if it gets to be too much then you can leave."
There was a knock at the door and then Troy and the trackers entered the room. River tried to get up but Eithen wouldn't allow it. He kept his arms wrapped tightly around River. "Please guys, take a seat and we can get this started."
River sat there for the next thirty minutes, held in Eithen's arms as he spoke to his pack. For some reason, being held by Eithen prevented him from having a full out panic attack . He would still shake from time to time and his hands were sweaty, but he was able to keep his breathing even. He concentrated on the rise and fall of Eithen's chest, their breathing was synced.
Just as they were about to wrap up the meeting and start on their search there was a noise at the front door. "I'll get that for you Eithen, you finish up in here with the guys," River whispered as he stood to leave. He walked out and down the hall to the front of the house, as he reached the door he heard a thud but didn't think anything of it. River turned the knob and pulled the door open in time to see the body of a young man battered and bruised fall to the ground. "Oh God ... EITHEN ... HELP ..."
The young man looked up at River and tried to talk, he needed to let him know. He used what strength he had left to grab River and pull him down to whisper in his ear. One word was all he got out before he succumbed to the pain and fell unconscious. One word, that struck River with fear ... "Raivyn."