What We Must Ch. 06

She smelled the other creatures nearby as she passed. The scent of a deer, startled by her smell, the enticing aroma of rabbit, birds, squirrels. The smell of new flowers, old grasses, certain trees, the smell of the earth beneath.

**

He didn't have to press his nose to the ground anymore. Traces of her scent clung to foliage; they could move faster now. Unfortunately, this also meant others could scent her more easily, and Damn it!, unknowing, she was headed straight for the Matlin compound.

He cursed himself for not warning her about the other packs, how much worse they could be, what could happen if she ran into them, why they posted guards. He'd never lied to her, but would she have believed him? Or would she have just considered it a ploy to keep her under their power? Of course, he never truly believed she'd run off once she was pregnant.

**

She paused when she found the scent mark of a wolf. Sniffing, checking, she looked around, then continued on, a little more cautiously. Probably some actual wolves, there had to be some out here. But, then again, how would they react to her presence? And she slowed again. Maybe she should turn south now? But how would she know where their range ended? Or would she just end up in the range of the next pack? Of course, there would have to be other predators around as well. Mountain lions, bears. Oh, jeez, what if she ran across one of them?

Thinking too much. Run!

**

The McKenna pack ran, silently, tracking the female carrying their next generation. She was their Alpha and they needed to get her back. She was part of their pack, however reluctantly, and they would fight for her.

**

She was starting to pick up a higher concentration of wolf scent and she veered, starting to move southward now. A movement in the brush startled her and she yelped and jumped away.

Three wolves emerged from the surrounding brush. They scented the air and circled her, confused by the combination of scents she'd carried with her through the woods.

Shit. What had she gotten herself into now? There were three of them, just like the first time she had been caught, except, the way they were circling her, they seemed much more menacing than the McKennas had been.

Their hackles were up, and they occasionally bared their teeth and continued to circle her. The largest male ended up behind her, sniffing. The other two watched as he moved closer to her.

She saw that they were distracted and took the opportunity. Launching herself between them. She knew she was fast. The others had been hard pressed to keep up with her when she decided to take off.

**

Startled, Ian Matlin set up a howl and took off after her.

One of the other packs had been stupid enough to let one of their females get loose. Underneath the bear stench was a smell that had him dying to pummel her with his cock.

Oh, she was fast, but there was no way he was letting her get away. He would have her and he would take pleasure in taking her. The three human females they had taken were simpering examples of womanhood and had lost their allure long ago. This one, he could tell, would fight him. It would be much more exciting, and satisfying, to have her. But they had to catch her first.

**

Oh, gods, could she run far enough, fast enough, to get away from them? She had already come quite a distance, and was beginning to get tired. Which way? Back? No, away, south, run!

**

Devon heard the howl and turned in that direction, spurred by the fear that she'd been caught by the Matlins. They weren't close enough. She'd fight them and would probably end up badly injured if not killed.

**

Closer, closer. Ian and his Beta flanked her. He nipped at her and she stumbled. They came around her again as she picked herself up, panting. Obviously tired, she snarled at them and bared her teeth. Ian began to circle her, scenting. She kept turning with him, facing him. The third male finally caught up.

**

He was the Alpha, the others deferring to him, so he was who she'd have to guard against. They could overpower her if they really wanted to, kill her if they wanted. Why hadn't they warned her about this possibility once they were able to go outside?

**

Where were they? After that howl, they'd been quiet. It was this way. A snarl, yes, that was Anne, just up the hill. She was still able to do that, at least, didn't sound hurt, yet. He wondered how many of them there are.

**

Ian moved in and she bit at him, snapping at empty air. Another lunge, another miss. The next time, he made contact, ramming into her and knocking her down. She yelped.

**

There! Only three of them, but Ian was standing over Anne, who was on the ground. His howl was echoed by the others and the Matlins turned to face the intruders. Devon kept his attention on Ian but saw Anne get to her feet.

The displays and posturing now began. Anne's tired brain tried to process what was going on in front of her. Dylan Matlin noticed her rise and shift in stance too late. She scooted around the Matlin males and ended up behind the McKennas. Devon put his body between her and the Matlins.

**

Aha! There had been the report that Devon McKenna had mated with one of the human females. She must be their Alpha. And, therefore, pregnant. And she ran! She would be a prize! A prize worth fighting for. Just what would the other packs think of an Alpha who'd lost his mate, who couldn't control his own pack? What a sweet, sweet thing. Not only could he disgrace the high and mighty Devon McKenna in the eyes of the other Alphas, but he would have his bitch to use as he pleased, to show her what a real Alpha was.

**

Marcus came near and nudged her back from whence they came. Her head spinning, she headed back, moving slowly. Marcus paced her.

**

Devon glanced back toward Anne and Marcus and began to back up, away from the Matlins. The Matlins held their ground.

**

Seeing his prize moving away, Ian lunged towards her and Devon cut him off, snapping. Growling, Ian backed off. As the separation grew, the other two Matlin males began to lose interest. Ian continued to looked after them as they left.

**

Far enough away, the McKennas turned back toward their range. A glance back, Devon saw no sign of chase from the Matlins. Then he moved ahead, to check on Anne. She was uninjured, there was no blood, but she was obviously tired.

After they'd put a comfortable distance between them, he called a halt and Anne sank to the ground, head on her forepaws. Devon shifted to speak to his men. "Kevin, go back and get the truck. Bring it as close as you can get. The rest of you are here with me, in case they decide to try and steal her back."

Kevin took off and Devon shifted back to nose Anne. She didn't seem to be in any distress, just tired, her eyes closed.

He nudged her, trying to get her to move, and she stood. As a group, they started to move forward, although much more slowly than he'd like.

Matlin's pack was larger than his, and, if he came back with reinforcements, they most likely wouldn't make it back. At least Duncan was there with Amanda, William was with Abigail, and Kevin could go back to his wife. They had to move faster. He tried to get them to speed up and Anne moved faster for a time, then fell back again. They'll never make it at this rate.

He stopped and she sank to the ground again. He shifted to human form, picked her up, and started striding for home. Faster. They had to go faster.

**

Kevin was running full out, trying to get back to the compound and back to them in time. Why him? Why did Devon send him? He was older, stronger than Nick. If it came down to a fight...

**

She could finally think about something other than running. Her feet hurt, her back hurt, her throat hurt. He was carrying her against his chest in his strong arms. She felt safe again. Who knew what would have happened if they hadn't come to get her? Only one problem with this rescue: he was carrying her back to her prison. Oh, boy, why did they have to pick now to start kicking her in the kidneys?

**

He had her back. His relief at finding her almost made his knees buckle. Now, they just had to... Wait, she was making a noise in her throat, was something wrong? Then he felt the movement. Ah, the twins were kicking. And he now wondered how it would feel to have that going on inside his body. He hadn't often gotten the chance to feel it; she continued to keep him at arm's length, although he had seen the bulges in her belly shift from time to time. What? No! Too soon!

The Matlin pack was in full voice, coming after them, after her.

Nick was starting to falter. They were quickly running out of time. Closer, they were getting closer. He was going to lose them all. They were going to die.

Time to make a stand. He stopped on a relatively high spot in the field. He dropped his head towards Anne, placed a kiss on her forehead, and whispered to her, "I'm sorry." He put her gently on the ground, brushed his hand through her greased fur and stood. Shifting to wolf, he turned in the direction of the oncoming threat. Marcus, Sam, and Nick stood with him, ranged between her and the fast approaching Matlin males.

He saw them advance, all eight of them, and sensed Anne getting to her feet behind him. There was a rumble behind them but it didn't smell like rain. He turned and nudged her towards home. She ignored him, looking beyond him, her eyes starting to glow.

**

He was trying to get her to leave. Fat chance. Maybe she could get away but she wasn't going anywhere without them. She was the cause of this and she wasn't going to leave them. She'd face this with them. What was that noise?

**

The Matlins stopped briefly at the sight of the McKenna males facing them. The challenge was issued, and answered. The Matlin males began to spread out, to surround and distract. Ian again noted that Devon had again placed his body in between him and their female Alpha. She shifted and he saw something that had him stopped in his tracks. Amber, her eyes were glowing amber, as if lit from the inside!

Tuned to their Alpha, the other Matlin males also stopped. The truck roared up the hill. Kevin moved in a wide circle, aiming for and scattering the Matlins. In the ensuing confusion, Devon shifted quickly. "Nick! Get her into the truck and stay there!" Shifting back, the three of them faced the other pack. Ian raced forward and Devon slashed his flank.

**

NO! They were going to lose her. He had his blood up for this fight and the prize that awaited him. He moved forward quickly to try and block her escape.

**

Kevin swung by again and Devon pushed Sam to get in. The Matlins regrouped and came back at them. Marcus and Devon jumped in open doors. Kevin stomped on the accelerator and they peeled off for home, leaving the Matlins in the dust.

There was confusion in the truck as they drove away. Ian and his second gave brief chase, but knew they couldn't possibly keep up and that the McKennas would shut up tight when they got home. Time to wait, but hopefully, not for long.

Devon shifted to human form and started giving orders and asking questions. "Nick! Up front."

"Should I stop?" as Devon clambered over the seat.

"No, Kevin. Don't stop until we're inside the gate. Who's hurt?" He looked in the back, surprised. "Lily? What are you doing here?"

"I expected injuries, some likely serious. I came to help."

He listened to the soft whining from the back. He leaned over the seat-back, looking at Anne lying there. She was breathing heavily and shaking. "How is she?"

"There is no visible injury."

"Then why is she shaking like that?"

"It's the adrenaline, probably why your babies are so active as well." Anne's whine turned to a low growl. "Yes, Anne, your babies too." Devon placed a hand on her belly.

"It's like they're fighting in there." He stroked her slick fur.

A jolt as they went over a bump brought a yelp from her. "Sorry," Kevin threw back.

Devon took her muzzle and turned her towards him. "Anne?" He looked into her eyes. "Did they hurt you?" Those brown eyes held him, she blinked, and shook her head slightly.

Kevin flashed the lights twice as they approached the compound and the gates swung wide. They closed as the truck came to a stop and everyone piled out to welcome them back. Jen threw her arms around Kevin. He picked her up and planted a kiss on her that left her breathless. Beth approached Nick a little more shyly, dropped to one knee, and hugged his neck.

Duncan approached as Devon threw the back of the truck open and helped Lily out. "Is everything alright?" Devon picked up Anne. "Better than I could have hoped. Kevin was able to get back before the Matlins were able to close with us. No one was hurt."

"And her?"

Devon cradled Anne to his chest. She was still shaking and her eyes were closed. "I'm gonna get her cleaned up and put her to bed. I don't think they had a chance to touch her. But, now, they know about her and where she is."

Devon carried Anne to the bathroom and started the water, checking the temperature until he was satisfied it was warm enough. Taking the showerhead, he began to wet her down. As he massaged the shampoo into her fur, she stirred, then jumped upright suddenly. She slipped on the wet surface and Devon threw his arms around her to keep her from getting hurt. She snarled and lashed out, leaving a red line trailing blood down his forearm. "It's OK, Anne. You're home. I'm just getting you washed up and then I'll put you to bed. OK?"

She dropped her head and stood still, her chest heaving. "Close your eyes." She complied and he soaped her head, spending time on the fur behind her ears, then rinsed her off. Next come her forelegs and chest. Back, sides, bulging belly. She started to lean into his hands as he continued and started a little pleasurable rumble in her chest. Back legs, tail. Lower back, hindquarters. He fought the urge to caress her, to turn to wolf and show his relief by rubbing against her, covering himself with her scent and then sinking into her, knowing she wouldn't take it well. She wouldn't take it the way he meant it, that he was glad she was back, and unharmed. She'd probably think of it as a sign of possession, of dominance, when that was the last thing on his mind right now. OK, maybe not completely. She stood a little stiffly now, as he finished rinsing her off.

He then retrieved a hide and turned back in time to be spattered as she shook herself. He laughed and began rubbing her down. When he had gotten her pretty much dried off, he picked her up again and carried her to their bedroom.

He placed her on the bed and stroked her head. "Get some rest. I don't want to see you up for a while, until you feel up to it."

She shifted to human form and he placed a light kiss on her forehead, then turned to leave when he heard her exclaim, "Ooh!"

"What was it?"

"Mmm. My back. It aches worse now than when I'm wolf."

"Let me rub it for you? See if it helps?"

She glanced at him and saw nothing but concern in his eyes. "OK." He sat on the side of the bed and she rolled to her belly, at least, as much as she could. He rubbed his hands together, to warm them, then placed them on her lower back and began to rub and massage. "Here?" She nodded and closed her eyes, and, after a bit, began to murmur pleasantly.

He enjoyed the feel of her skin as he touched her, so soft, enjoyed the little noises she made. He wished he could hear similar things from her at other times. But, then again, she hadn't let him touch her since they confirmed her pregnancy. Then, she spoke, sounding a little sleepy. "Devon?"

"Hmm. Yes?"

"When they came back after us. When you set me down. Why did you say I'm sorry?"

"The Matlin pack is stronger than ours. There are more of them. And I knew, that when they came back for us, that they would kill us all to get to you. And that, as much as you may not want to, that you care about us and that it would hurt you to watch us die. Because there was no way we would let them have you as long as one of us lived. Then, part of me hoped that your instinct would be to save yourself, and the babies. But another part of me hoped that you'd stand defiant and fight them until they ended up killing you, too. Because it would be better than the alternative. Because if they took you alive, there was no way Duncan and the others would be able to get you back. And, with our numbers decimated, they would likely be overthrown soon by a rival pack. And one of the first things Ian would do, other than trumpeting their triumph at stealing our Alpha female, would be to try and make you lose the babies. Failing that, he'd kill them when they were born." He paused. "Well, actually, maybe not if you do have girls in there." He put a hand on her belly. "And you would be raped, regularly and repeatedly. It would take a while, because you're strong, but that spark in you would go out and you'd be dead inside. And, when you weren't any fun anymore, they'd probably get sick of you and kill you. And there was nothing that I could do that would stop any of it from happening."

There were tears in her eyes as she asked the next question and he could hear the emotion in her voice. "Why didn't you tell me about them?"

"I've never lied to you Anne, but, even knowing that, would you have believed me?"

She opened her mouth to object, then closed it. Truth deserved truth in response. "I don't know."

He stroked her hair. "Get some rest."

*****

He shut the door behind him as he left, then fell against the wall. What was he going to do now? She had just managed to release all manner of hell with her escape attempt.

He called his brothers and grandmother together for a high level meeting. The others would learn certain details later, mostly changes to routine. He hoped to have all precautions cemented in place before the anticipated attack.

"Alright, you all understand the ramifications of our encounter with the Matlin pack. Ian now knows about Anne and it's obvious he wants her badly."

The first response came from Marcus. "Never."

Lily and Duncan exchanged a look.

Devon clapped him on the shoulder. "Never is right. She is our Alpha female, she is bearing what could be our salvation, and Ian Matlin doesn't deserve to have her. There hasn't been a report that he has mated, so, in all these months, he has failed to get one of their made werewomen pregnant. That's another reason he wants her. Since he knows she's pregnant, he'd expect her to bear his children. I will not allow her to be taken by another pack."

Lily spoke up. "Devon. I know you men all have this strange obsession with her. But the same thing that caused you to bring her here is also responsible for the trouble we're having now, and will have in the future. Spencer told you that he went to Beth because he couldn't have Anne. Wouldn't it be better to let her have the little ones, then let her go the next time she runs?"

"What are you saying?"

"She does little but make you miserable, brother. Let her have the pups and send her on her way."

"Duncan, you too?"

"She's made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want anything to do with any of us, including you. She's been looking for a way to escape ever since she was brought here. She stabbed you in the shoulder, kicked you out of your own bed, and treats you like a leper. Granted, she has useful skills and has made some good contributions, but is it worth the price?"

The tone of command came out in his voice now. "Enough! She is our Alpha, she is my mate, and she is a full member of this pack. I'm responsible for bringing her here and for failing to warn her of what would happen if she ran into the members of a rival pack. She stays here."

"Even if she doesn't want to?"