Fur and Fang [BXB]

Two

"Alpha, I'm getting some strange reports from the border," Tomin, the pack Beta said with a healthy dose of skepticism in his voice.

"Strange how?" the Alpha asked, sipping his morning coffee and booting up his laptop.

"Some scouts are picking up a scent they don't recognize, but it's missing some of the key characteristics that a rogue wolf would have. Are there any pack visitors I'm not aware of?"

The Alpha furrowed his brow and frowned. "No, I haven't issued any passes lately."

"Huh," the Beta said. "I'm going to give them permission to pursue."

"Tell them to be cautious," he said, "and ready a team for if things go poorly."

"Yes, sir." Tomin's eyes glazed over as he relayed instructions to various pack members through mind link.

While he waited for an update, the Alpha sifted through his email inbox, transferring action items to his to-do list so he would not forget about them later. Most of it was just housekeeping, like notifications of birthday celebrations and mating ceremonies, but there were a few requests as well. For example, it looked like the kitchen staff wanted to request a budget increase. He'd have to set up a meeting with them soon to discuss it.

"Oh shit!" his Beta suddenly interrupted his train of thought. "It's a child!"

"A child?" the Alpha suddenly became more alert. A child in packless territory was never good news. "Who's reporting?"

"Theo," Tomin said quickly.

The Alpha was already pulling on a jacket and heading for the door as he sifted through the pack link in his mind.

What's the child's condition? He asked the scout once he found their tether.

Bad, was Theo's reply. He's severely emaciated. Definitely wounded. There's traces of blood on him and lots of bruising. He was unconscious when we found him and still hasn't woken up. What should we do, Alpha?

Take him to the clinic. I'm on my way there now, the Alpha responded. He then turned to his Beta. "Is the medical team ready?"

"Yes, I've notified the doctor that a child was found."

"Good."

The clinic was only a five minute walk away from the pack house, but the Alpha made it in three. He and a couple of nurses were waiting by the entrance of the building, eyes scanning the treeline in anticipation of the new arrival.

The Alpha's thoughts wandered. He tried to recall if any of the neighboring packs had issued a missing persons report recently, but nothing came to mind. It certainly would have stood out if it was for a child. He wondered if this child was from somewhere much farther away, or perhaps had been missing for a longer time. Regardless, the thought made him restless.

When he finally caught his first glimpse of the scouts, he found his legs carrying him toward them of their own accord. He ended up jogging to meet them halfway in the yard.

He was stunned by the sight of the boy. He was older than he had pictured, but definitely still young. He was so small and thin, the Alpha wondered how he was even still alive.

Curious if he could recognize a pack scent on the boy, he stopped walking and let the scouts carry him by. He then stepped into the scent trail, inhaling deeply. He anticipated having to meticulously pick apart the boy's scent from his pack members', but it was so much stronger than he thought it'd be. It slammed into him like a wall. Despite the chill morning air, the Alpha was suddenly filled with warmth. It was that same fuzzy feeling of hugging his mother, or smelling freshly baked bread, or not wanting to leave his bed in the morning. He inhaled again, wanting more of that feeling. He was lost in the scent. He wanted to drown in it.

He was so consumed by the feeling it gave him that it took him a moment to recognize the whining of his wolf. It desperately wanted to follow the scouts. To follow the boy, he realized.

With wide eyes, the Alpha realized what it all meant. The broken boy brought back from the border was his mate.

^°^°^°^
A/N

If you could transform into a wolf, what would you look like?

Thanks for reading!

See you next Wednesday!
-Mora Montgomery