Far from Home

Chapter Four: Mistaken

At first Sean didn't move. He wasn't sure he really understood what was happening. He'd heard that Omegas were from different packs when the Apex Alpha had matured. Sometimes even when an Apex Omega matured, and Alphas were taken from the packs. Although, no one EVER mentioned them being taken like this. It wasn't until an armored Beta tackled an Omega to the group and pulled out what looked like a gun that Sean scrambled out of his chair. The armored Beta pressed the blunt end to the Omega's neck, pulling the trigger that made a sharp hissing thud of a sound. The Omega belted out a scream so loud that it put the pack Alphas and Betas on edge. Their snarling and growling thundering throughout the park. From the podium, Cliff shouted angrily at the strangers. "Stop this! You're scaring them!" The stranger yelled something back to Cliff over the noise, but Sean didn't catch it because an armored Beta was heading his way.

Flipping his chair into the armored Betas path, he started to back away. The armored Beta kicked the chair out of his way and lunged out for him. Managing to grab his wrist so hard that it would bruise. Startled yelps left Sean and instinctively he sank his teeth into the armored Beta's exposed wrist. Drawing enough blood from the Beta that he let go with a yelp of his own. Turning on his heels he bolted, while the armored Beta yelled to two others. "After that bitch!" Sean sprinted toward the kids' section of the park, hoping to use the obstacles to his advantage. Behind him, he heard his parents call his name in a panic as the armored Betas ran after him. One tried to lasso his legs, but Sean leapt up onto the ramp that led up to a large wooden castle. The castle was more than big enough for adults to get into. Which allowed parents to retrieve their stubborn pups or those pups that got lost inside. After all, it took up most of this side of the park and was built like a playhouse maze with puzzles and secret corridors.

He knew the wooden castle well. He played in it a lot as a pup. While the one armored Beta rolled his lasso back up, the other bolted up the ramp after him. Staying hot on his heels. Grabbing the posts, Sean whipped around corners and flung himself down slides. It was nothing he hadn't done as a pup to avoid being tagged by Danny and Arin. It had worked on them, why not these guys? The Beta, however, was able to anticipate him and practically mirrored him to stay on his heels. Rushing up to a tunnel, Sean dropped into a crouch to rush through it. Behind him, the Beta dropped into a crouch but instead of rushing through the tunnel, he dived through it. Catching a hold of Sean's leg as he tried to flee up a ladder. Tugging his leg hard enough to bring Sean to the ground, the Beta pulled him beneath him. More yelps left Sean as he clawed at the ground desperate to escape. Pinning him down, the armored Beta snarled out as he removed that strange gun. "Stay still!"

The Beta pressed a button on the gun that flipped a needled canisters into the barrel, then started to lower it over Sean's throat. Feeling more terrified than he'd ever been in his life, he screamed. He'd been deathly afraid of bees and needles since he was a pup. The Beta didn't care nor hesitate... until a someone dropped down into the pit with them and punched the Beta into the tunnel wall so hard that it knocked him out cold. Sean scooted away from the armored Beta, soft whines escaping him as he tried to process what had happened. The second armored Beta was closing in on them now, calling out. "Kyle? Did you get him?" Sean's eyes drifted to Mark, who let out a deep growl before turning toward him and uttering softly. "Let's go." Sean only had time to get to his feet, before Mark took his arm and pulled him through one of the mazes beneath the castle. When they reached the center, Mark paused to slide a set of puzzle pieces into place to form a picture.

Sean glanced back where they'd come nervously. He could smell the armored Beta getting closer. Sean didn't think Mark would have time to play around, when something clicked, and Mark's arm grabbed his bicep to pull him into the enclosed space. Sean remembered the space being so much bigger than it is now. It was big enough to hold them, but barely. It was mostly used as a secret clubhouse by pups, because very few could get into it. He was terrible at picture puzzles. So, his friends always teased him before just letting him in. Sitting on his knees, Mark braced his hands on the wall over Sean's shoulders. While Sean had to adjust his long legs on either side of Mark's hips to brace his feet high up on the wall behind Mark. Sitting in the dark, Sean bit his lip. He was close enough to Mark to smell his neck. To feel the warmth radiating off from him. To hear his every breath in the silence between them. Feeling awkward, he whispered to him. "Why did you come for me?"