Little by Little

Okay guys, please no hate for starting yet another story but I actually have this written out to about three more installments so I'm going to upload this story in between writing and uploading my other stories (Gilded in Gold, Jail Bite, and Stone Cold Steele). This story will be part of a chain story with three central couples. Two will be homosexual male couples and one with be a heterosexual couple in the same ficverse. You do not have to read each of the couple's stories to get the gist of the overall story arc but you'll get a better idea if you read all of the stories. Hope you enjoy, leave comments and emails. Edited by the lovely AdrianaBelen.

Note: This was supposed to go up three days ago but was rejected due to formatting errors, so I hope I caught them all and this uploads in three days' time from now; fingers crossed.

Updates: Stone Cold Steele up next, then gilded in gold, then jail bite, and finally back to this one again (which I actually have written out so yay! :) another 10,000 update for you guys)

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Little by Little

Little things were cutest things ever.

At least that's what he'd been told when baby Keller had been shoved into his lanky arms. He supposed that if he dissected each part of the baby­ tiny pink toes and fingers, chubby little arms and legs, raspberry lips, big azure eyes­ sure, he guessed that was cute for a baby. But those sticky little fingers were fisted tightly in his hair and Keller had confused his ear lobe for a pacifier. The most he could be grateful for was that the thing hadn't thought to bite down yet.

Talon glared at Keller's mom Glenna, mate to his Alpha. That glare turned into a grimace when a line of drool dripped down his neck to form a wet spot on his blue shirt.

"Get it off!" Talon yelled as he unsuccessfully tried to pull Keller away from his now wet ear.

Marty gave her son a chiding glare. "Oh, Talon it's just a baby. He's cutest little baby I've ever seen, yes I have," Marty cooed at Keller, who finally let go of Talon's ear and blew out a spit bubble. Talon rolled his eyes when the infallible and usually sensible sentry almost swooned. Why couldn't he get this side of his mother more often-especially when he got into fights with his cousins?

Taking advantage of the Keller's momentary distraction, Talon disentangled his fingers from his hair. But before he could shove the terror back into his mother's arms, it let out a piercing wail. Keller's tiny little face scrunched up and turned red like a tomato -an ugly tomato- and he waved his tiny fists in agitation.

"Talon!" Marty snapped, grabbing the baby out of his arms. Talon heaved a sigh of relief but it was short lived and premature. Marty tried to settle Keller down, rocking him in her arms and blowing raspberries on his belly, but his cries just seemed to grow with every second. Glenna took him back into her arms, but she was equally ineffective at soothing him.

Talon was edging towards the door to a blessed escape when it burst open, narrowly missing his face by an inch. Only his quick, werewolf senses prevented him getting a black eye. The Alpha stormed in and headed straight for his baby, growling at imaginary threats. Glenna passed him the baby but he too was unsuccessful. Nathan, the pack's beta and Talon's father and a few of the sentries stood in the doorway, trying not to grin as they saw their big, bad Alpha leader reduced to a mumbling mess.

Keller swiveled his head around, looking for something and Talon had a sinking feeling that the Terror was looking for him. Once those blue eyes lit on him, Keller thumped against his father's forearm and reached for Talon. It's cries had turned into keening whimpers and everyone in the room stopped to see what the baby wanted.

The Alpha raised a brow at Talon, who blushed a bright red at having all the attention focused on him. He slowly walked forward with his son leading him, until Keller's body was hanging halfway out of his hold trying to jump onto Talon. Sighing in resignation, Talon reached up and took the baby from its father.

Keller gurgled in pleasure, a fat smile plastered onto it's ugly little face. The terror clamored up Talon's chest until it once again had a hold on his messy brown hair and latched onto his ear lobe, sucking at the flesh in small tugs with his barely there teeth.

Talon was too scared to frown at the baby since the Alpha was scrutinizing him so closely but the rest of the room was fair game. His father was openly guffawing and the sentinels, two of whom were his cousins and the other was his brother, were inches away from rolling around on the floor in laughter.

"Keller likes you," Nathan noted, looking at his nephews.

"Hah! Likes?" Jensen hooted. "It's trying to root around for milk in Talon's ear!"

Talon felt a growl climb up his throat. He was so going to slit the tires on that bastard's bikes tonight.

"Try to get him to suck on your finger, Talon," Tyson, his oldest brother advised.

Talon really didn't want to put his finger into the terror's mouth but he didn't want his ear in it's mouth even more. Trying to be as gentle as possible, he hooked a finger into its mouth and tried to pull away. Keller released a wail and the Alpha stepped closer to Talon, snarling at him. Gulping, Talon quickly removed his finger and bounced the baby in his arms a bit as it went back to sucking contently on his ear, oblivious of all the adults snickering at Talon's expense.

Stupid, cute little baby.

"It looks like Keller's getting pretty attached to his mommy," Hansen, Jensen's brother teased. He walked closer to Talon and rubbed up and down the baby's back.

"Oh, leave Talon alone. Unless you guys want me to sic him on one of you guys?" Glenna said archly, instantly quieting the men's guffaws. "Talon, are you okay to hold Keller for a while? Just until he falls asleep?"

No one in the pack had ever refused Glenna, especially not if she used that pleading yet somehow commanding tone with them. Talon was no different, plus the Alpha looked like he'd cut off Talon's ear for his son to suck on if Talon refused. Nathan was nodding his head at him in a silent signal to say yes.

Biting back a sigh, Talon nodded. "I guess..."

"Good, pup," the Alpha beamed. "But watch out for Keller's teeth." Talon couldn't help his groan, sending his cousin into peals of laughter.

"That's it!" Marty snapped, glaring at her nephews. "Get out, you all have jobs to do other than stand here gawking at Keller and Talon." She ushered them out amid their protests, even slapping a few of them upside the head.

"I'll see you in a few hours, yah," the Alpha murmured into Glenna's ear as he pulled her close to nuzzle into her neck, rubbing his cheek along her skin. She smiled but avoided kissing him back.

"Soon," Glenna promised and Talon almost gagged. Being all of seven, he could never imagine wanting to kiss a girl but the Alpha's eyes seemed to light up.

He growled at her playfully. "Get some sleep, beautiful." He kissed his mate and physically sat her down on the big, plush bed behind her.

On his way out, he paused by the door and looked back at Talon thoughtfully. "Enforcer Hunter got back to me about your training application. He said you have great potential and wants to begin his training. I'm proud of you boy. You made your father proud and you make this pack proud"

Talon's jaw hung open in astonishment. He's started his warrior training when he was five but to have the famed enforcer of the Craigen Mountain Pack personally training him, teaching him all he knew was an honor. All he could do was nod dumbly.

"Th-Thank you, sir. Thank you, I-I promise I won't disappoint or goof up or-" Talon rushed to assure his Alpha but the man just grinned and ruffled his messy brown locks. Keller's hands were dislodged in the process and he glared at his papa before sinking those sticky claws back into Talon's hair.

Glenna got up and closed the door after her mate then ushered Talon to a comfy seat.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked him. Talon wouldn't dare of asking the Alpha­mate to attend to him so he just shook his head.

She smiled at him. "You're such a good boy. I know every seven year old boy would hate to take care of a baby but your Alpha and I really appreciate this, Talon. You have no idea how long it's been since I've slept." As if to back that, she yawned.

"My pleasure." No, it was not. "If you want, you can sleep and I'll wake you when Keller, um, lets go of my ear," Talon finished uncomfortably. The little shit was still rhythmically sucking at his ear.

"You're a godsend." The words became mangled because of her yawn but Talon understood nonetheless. She gave him a tired smile and just flopped down on the bed, before curling under the covers. She was asleep within a few minutes. Talon could tell because her breathing became slower.

Sighing, Talon looked down at Keller. The baby pulled off his ear and blinked up at Talon, bringing one of its fist to its mouth with the other still at Talon's hair.

"You're a little terror but at least when I begin training I won't have to see you much." Talon felt a little silly whispering to the baby but it actually looked like Keller understood what he was saying. He tilted his head at Keller, who giggled when Talon made a face at him. "I still think you're a terror. But I guess you're cute too."

Keller lifted his hand up and down, looking extremely pleased with himself. Talon just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I bet you get enough people telling you you're cute as it is. But you're a terror plain and simple. You're also kinda spoiled." Keller nodded his head as if in agreement. Talon made another funny face, trying to get Keller to laugh again. Even if he didn't like Keller using him as his pacifier, for some reason he felt really accomplished when he managed to make Keller laugh. Keller tried to copy Talon's face but all he did was scrunch face up like a little, dried prune.

"You're kinda ugly when you do that. Ow!" Talon exclaimed when Keller pulled on his hair, looking mildly displeased. "Okay, okay you're not that bad. Like I said you can be cute...but only when you're not chewing on my ear."

Keller thumped his hand on Talon's head, then threaded his fingers back into Talon's hair.

"I can't wait until you're old enough to leave me alone," he grumbled. Although, Talon had to admit he was kind of getting used to Keller clinging to him like a leech.

Keller opened his mouth and Talon saw his little pink tongue curl like a feline's as he yawned. Talon laid Keller's drooping head on his shoulder as the baby made itself comfortable against him. Keller wrapped both chubby arms around his neck, but he still had to suckle against Talon's neck. Talon shivers at the wet feeling, knowing he'd be scrubbing his face and neck today for at least thirty minutes to get rid of the feeling. But at least he had tomorrow morning to look forward to.

Baby Keller would occasionally kick against Talon's chest but would settle down once Talon rocked him a bit. He let an hour pass before he gingerly stood up and went over to Keller's sleeping mother. She was on side of the bed. Keeping a firm but yielding grip on Keller, Talon gently shook Glenna awake. She moaned in protest but Talon swiftly trampled down the guilty feelings.

"Is Keller alright?" She mumbled, automatically reaching for Keller even though her eyes were still half closed.

"Yeah. He fell asleep about an hour ago." He lifted Keller from his shoulder but for some odd reason, his hands didn't want to let go of Keller. The wolf inside him whined when Glenna took him away. Keller twitched and in his sleep he frowned a bit but stayed asleep. Talon fisted his hands at his sides, confused as to why he should even want to hold the tiny terror any longer.

"Thank you so much Talon," Glenna said, tucking Keller against her breast. Talon just nodded and quickly left the room. He wanted to put as much distance between him and the terror as possible.

He'd recently begun to shift with ease but it was still hard to control his wolf. But in the presence of Keller, it was oddly content. It probably just liked babies, Talon thought. He shook off the feeling telling him to run back to the room and stand guard over the terror. It was nightfall now and he made his way out of the Alpha's quarters by moonlight alone. He thought he might get a few miles run in before he had to turn in.

Stripping off his clothes in front of the Alpha's cabin, he quickly let his inner wolf take over his senses. Bones broke and morphed, fur sprouted along his body and sharp claws ripped through his fingertips until a gunmetal grey wolf lay on the porch. Stumbling to his feet unsteadily, Talon shook off the kinks and ambled down the front steps. His father had told him the change came easier and faster until he'd be able to change in midair without any of the disorientating after effects.

Heading out into the woods, he followed a well worn path towards the borders where many of the sentries would be on lookout duty. Maybe he'd sneak up on one of his cousins and give them a dose of their own medicine. As he neared the borders, he tried to sniff them out but oddly didn't pick up any marking or familial scents. This was odd in itself because he should have been able to smell the marks of the Alpha on the border but he didn't even trace that. He tried to see if a lone wolf or a rogue pack had encroached on the lands but he didn't smell anything foreign. He just couldn't smell anything other than the mundane scents of nature. Feeling a bit unnerved, he followed the landmarks that detailed the borders and followed it.

It took him a few minutes before he saw something. He didn't really see it, more like he stepped into it. His paw sank into wet ground but Talon knew they hadn't had rain in a month. Backtracking, he nosed around and finally the smell of blood hit his nostrils. Grimacing, he reeled back and whimpered when he smelled a pack member.

They'd been attacked!

He didn't give any more thought as to why he hadn't smelled the blood. He was running on instinct and his instinct was telling him to run back to the Alpha cabin and protect Keller. He didn't question it and just let his intuition take over. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as his small legs carried him through the forest and towards the pack cabins.

The acrid smell of smoke reached him before he saw the bright orange flames licking at the various cabins littered around the clearing. He moaned when he saw strange men and wolves attacking his own pack. One in particular fought his attention. A black wolf with gleaming silver eyes was in the middle of the largest foray. It looked berserk, almost possessed by the devil. None of his pack members could, could touch the attacking wolf; the black wolf sliced and but through them wildly. Talon shrunk back in fear when for a moment those silver eyes fell on him, their depths frenzied with the rush of killing. Half of his brain was telling him to join the foray but the other half, the stronger half was screaming at him to go to Keller. So he willed himself to ignore the pained howls of his pack and slinked towards the Alphas cabin, those silver eyes still preying on him in the back of his mind.

Thankfully, the invading pack hadn't gotten to the Alpha's cabin yet. Talon snuck in through an open window, jumping down onto the wooden floor soundlessly. He could hear Keller's quiet whimpers and he hurriedly ran towards the sound. Bursting through the master bedroom door, Talon saw Keller sitting up in the middle of the bed whimpering and crying. As soon as he saw Talon in his wolf form, Keller stopped instantly and made grabbing motions with his hands. Talon stood up on his hind legs and put his front paws on the bed. Keller crawled towards him until he was close enough for Talon to grab him with his teeth. Since he couldn't grab onto his scruff, he bit into the back of Keller's onesie and pulled him off the bed. He was just about to head out of the cabin and back into the woods to hide with Keller when the door burst open. Growling in frustration, Talon had no choice but stay and fight. The windows were too high for him to throw a baby out of.

Shoving Keller behind him so Talon stood between the helpless baby and the door, Talon got ready for whatever was coming for them. The door opened softly and Talon growled as a tall man entered the room. Talon could tell this man was an Alpha, just by the way he carried himself.

"Get away from my boy, pup," the man commanded. Even though this man wasn't Talon's Alpha, he couldn't help but shiver at the want to give into the man's order. However, the protective urge driving him was greater and for once Talon was grateful for that.

The man stepped further into the room and Talon leapt at him. The man easily swatted Talon to the side, throwing him against the wall. The painful crunch of a broken foot didn't deter Talon as he quickly got up and bit into the man's leg as he crouched in front of Keller. Taken by surprise, the man grunted and shook Talon off with a kick. By then Keller decided he wanted a part of the action and bit into the man's other leg.

The man gently pulled Keller away from his leg and brought the baby up into his arms, cradling him as if he were a precious jewel. Talon watched as the man took Keller out of the room, the baby screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Talon, Talon, Talon!" Keller screamed his very first words. Talon felt proud even though he sometimes hated that little shit, but Keller's outcry gave him the energy to leap after the departing duo. The big man got impatient and Talon saw his hand partially transform into a claw. Only a very few powerful shifters could partially transform part of their bodies at will. Talon growled low and was about to attack, knowing that the man's claw would swipe at him and take his life but at least he'd go down fighting like his pack.

"Wait, Kaylan, don't! Talon is only a pup." Glenna's voice stopped the fighting wolves and Talon saw her standing in the doorway. She took Keller into her arms and tried to soothe him.

"He's part of this pack, Glenna and they all need to die for what they did to you and your family," the man growled.

Glenna shook her head sadly and walked over to Talon. He stumbled away from her, whimpering when he put too much pressure on his broken leg. What was going on here?

"Talon, I need you to change back," Glenna implored, crouching down in front of him. Talon shook his head and growled at her. The way things looked, Keller figured Glenna had betrayed their pack. He wanted to scream at her, ask what the hell she had done to his father but he'd only be more vulnerable as a human.

Sighing, Glenna stood up and faced the man named Kaylan. "Kaylan, please, bite him. then he'll listen to you."

The man looked at her incredulously. "You want me to make that man's child a part of my pack?" he spit out, glaring daggers at Talon. Talon glared right back, baring his teeth as well.

"Kaylan, please, he's just an innocent child like Keller. Keller loves him. He'll never forgive you if you kill Talon. I won't."

Kaylan snorted. "I'm not gonna kill him. I'm going to let him go."

"That's as good as killing him!" Glenna spat out. "He'll never survive as a lone wolf, he's not mature enough!" Talon's low growl said that he was plenty mature and didn't need her help, let alone this man's stinking bite.

Keller, confused about all the raucous was searching for something familiar. He wriggled out of Glenna's arms and she let him go, gently setting him on the ground. The adults watched as Keller crawled towards Talon and sat near Talon's wounded leg. Talon snapped at the baby in warning when it rested its chubby hand along the broken bone jutting out of his leg but Keller didn't pull away. The big man did tense up and made a step forward but Glenna held him back.