Irregular (mlm)

Chapter 11

Kai was relieved when Owen said, "I'm fine. I'm not hurt."

"Good." He turned his attention back to the man who was standing up after being thrown into a car. He growled, "time to deal with this fucker."

Kai lunged faster than the man could react and sank his claws into his arm. He grunted and threw Kai off, but Kai just flicked the blood off his fingers and advanced again.

This time, the man was ready. He used his own claws to slash Kai's chest, cutting open the shirt he'd borrowed from Owen. He glared at the man and attacked again.

He didn't know how long they went at each other, but Owen was shouting and Kai got temporary distracted. He glanced back to where Owen was standing by the door to the complex, and the man stabbed something into the side of his neck.

He yelled in pain and stumbled back, but he didn't reach for what was stuck in his neck. He needed to take care of this wolf before he hurt Owen or anyone inside.

Kai ignored the pain in his neck and chest and stared down at the man, who was bloody and mirroring his fighting position. "This doesn't have to be a fight, Kai. You father just wanted to do a test."

Kai felt his teeth elongate into sharper canines. "Shut the fuck up."

The man rolled his eyes as Kai stepped forward again. The more he moved, the more he felt coldness spread into his skin where the man had stabbed him. What had he done?

He felt his balance waver and he had to lean against a car to steady himself. His head was spinning and he could feel wolf ears and a tail grow as his body fought to shift but couldn't. Why couldn't he shift?

He reached for his neck and yanked what was stuck into it. He looked and it was a needle with a near-empty syringe. "Fuck."

It was probably a sedation drug. But that didn't make sense. His father had some kind of test to do, but he'd used the sedation hundreds of times. He knew how it affected Kai. It had to be something else.

Kai decided to deal with that later. He dropped the syringe onto the blacktop and pushed himself off the car.

But the man wasn't there. Somehow, he'd gotten around Kai in his moment of disorientation and was now going after Owen.

Kai snapped his head to the side. Owen had his hands up but he had nothing to defend himself with.

Kai was moving before he even knew what he was doing. He tackled the man from behind and sank his teeth into his neck, ripping flesh from bone before they even hit the ground. He dug his claws into his side and nearly gutted him before he heard Owen say his name.

"Kai, stop." His voice was shaking.

Kai looked up, breathing hard and heavy. Owen looked scared. Why was he scared?

Kai pulled his claws out of the man's side and surged forward. He held Owen close and searched for any injuries, but there was nothing. He was okay, but he was scared.

Kai's ears twitched when the sound of approaching vehicles. He looked towards the entrance to the parking lot and there were three cars, one of which screeched to a halt. Paxton stepped out, already holding his gun. "Owen! What happened?"

*****

Kai stepped in front of him. Owen couldn't see him, so called from behind Kai, "He was shot up with something and he freaked out! The needle is somewhere over there."

Paxton searched the ground and found the needle Owen had seen the man stab into Kai's neck. Amy stepped out of the car, holding her mobile testing kit. Thank god.

Paxton took a step forward, but Kai snarled and pushed Owen against the side of the building. 

Owen put his hand on his shoulder and he turned his head. His pupils were blown so wide Owen could hardly see his irises. Something was seriously wrong. He wasn't acting right.

He snapped his head back towards Paxton when he and a few of the others who'd arrived tried to come closer. He bared his teeth in warning, and Owen understood what was happening.

"Paxton, stay back." Owen gently made Kai look at him. "Hey, I'm okay. Let's sit down okay? Sit down."

Kai slowly lowered himself to the ground with Owen, who kept his hands on his shoulder. He turned his body so his chest was against Owens side and his arms were around his chest.

Owen could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It was almost like an adrenaline rush.

Paxton called, "Owen, talk to me."

Owen swallowed and looked at him. He still had his gun in his hand but thankfully he listened and stayed back. "I think he's trying to protect me. Whatever was in thar syringe is making him irrational and territorial. Just stay back until I can calm him down."

Owen turned back to Kai and ran his hands soothingly up and down his arms. "It's okay, Kai. Just breathe. You're protecting me."

Kai pulled him closer. Owen felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he looked at Paxton. He pointed to Amy, who had her testing kit open on the hood of their car, and made the phone hand shape beside his ear.

Owen carefully pulled his phone from his pocket and read a text from Amy.

It's a high concentrate of epinephrine. A dose this high would cause an overdose in a human but for him it's causing this. Labetalol is used to treat epinephrine overdose, and I have some in my kit. We'll find a way to get it to you, but you'll have to give him the shot.

Owen looked back at her and nodded. She pulled a vial and a clean syringe from her kit and started prepping it.

Owen looked back at Kai, who was watching the surrounding wolves with scattered attention. He snapped his head towards any movement.

Owen slowly raised his hand so he was running it through Kai's hair. Kai stiffened, but Owen led his head down with gentle pressure until he was resting it on his shoulder. He practically curled into Owen, even his tail was curled around his knee.

Owen continued to play with his hair, which he would've enjoyed under any other circumstances, until Paxton held up a syringe with question.

Owen opened his free hand and Paxton nodded. He tossed it swiftly, and Owen caught it easily. There was a cap on the needle, which he used his teeth to pull off.

"Forgive me, Kai," he whispered, then stuck the needle into the fleshy part of his leg and pushed the liquid inside out of the syringe.

Kai flinched and held onto Owen tighter, even after Owen pulled the needle out and set it on the ground.

He was breathing unevenly, and shaking, and Owen felt horrible. He rubbed his back as comfortingly as he could until Kai eventually relaxed and groaned. "What happened..."

Owen continued to play with his hair and rub his back. "You were drugged by one of your fathers men. Epinephrine."

Owen could've sworn his breathing stopped for a moment. "How do you feel? Are you okay?"

Kai sighed heavily into Owens shoulder and slowly sad up. "My head hurts."

"Can Amy come over and check you out? I need to make sure you're okay." Owen slipped his hand into Kai's and squeezed. "I promise I'll stay right here."

Kai nodded wordlessly and Owen waved Amy over. He just hoped Kai was alright.