Hercules: (Not) My kind of Hero {Complete}

Chapter ιϛ

Human Realm: Blood-Wolf Pack

Hercules kept pacing up and down in front of the queen-sized bed where he had placed Nate after he had stopped thrashing and whimpering softly. He wouldn't let anyone near him after he locked the two of them in the bedroom. Not that anyone could come in, Hercules had managed to seal even Gabriel out, who now is pacing just as madly as his mate behind the double doors. Even though he was annoyed that he was sealed out, Gabriel was secretly happy that Hercules was reacting as a true Luna would. The child's safety goes before anything, including the Alpha.

"Herc...Come on baby, open the door." Although he told himself that he would never beg anyone for anything, since he knew that Hercules was his mate, he wasn't above begging, groveling or using anything and anyone to gain his attention. "Come on babe, open the door." He felt no shame as he whined, banging his forehead slightly against the wood. This door has been closed to him for over a week now. "Talk to me."

There was no shuffle or any sound coming from the other side, no sign of life. Although he has checked several times, Gabriel knows Hercules and  Nathaniel are on the other side of the double doors. He could however smell the slight anger admitting from under the doorjambs. Indicating that someone behind the doors was slowly getting angry. "You know I won't leave before we speak about this. Nathaniel needs me to guide him through his new senses. You know he is hurting without my guidance." An inhuman growl from the other side was his answer. His own wolf bristled at the challenge of his authority.

Very slowly the two doors open and Gabriel struggles from not forcing his way in and pounce on the partly shifted child in the middle of the room. Hercules' worried face peeks from around the door as Gabriel  slowly enters the room, Hercules' fear and worry hitting him like a fist to his gut. Keeping back his snarl, he can't help but curl his lip in contempt at the child's lack of control. Gabriel's muscles strain under his skin as he fights off his own memories of his own transformation to heir. Although his was remarkably smoother than Nathaniel's since he was blood related to the previous heir.

Crouching in front of the shaking humanoid furry mishmash of human and wolf. "Relax pup."  Gabriel grumbles, his voice lower than normal since his let his wolf partly through. "I know it hurts. I know it burns." He replies soothingly, very slowly reaching out and stroking his hand through the slightly coarse tuffs of fur. A low painful whimper was his answer as two pair of struggling yellowish brown eyes look up at him. Gabriel could see the struggle between human and predator. "Try to not struggle too much against the change, it will only hurt more if you do. Imagine it a streaming river and you are trying to swim against the current to get to the other side. Try and let the current guide you to the other side. It doesn't matter that you will not get onto land where you wanted, as long as you get there. That's what is important."

Gabriel didn't break eye contact with Nathaniel as he feels Hercules sit down pressed up beside him. He kept threading his hands through the fur and the body slowly stopped shaking. With one last shuddering breath after 25 minutes Nathaniel had fully shifted since becoming an heir. "That's it Nathaniel. The hardest part is over. Now comes the trickiest part, moving."

Nathaniel's first steps are wobbly, like a just born calf, he stands on his feet only to get knocked over by nothing and falls on his side. After several tries he stands on the other side of the room. Proudly, but panting hard like he ran a marathon. His sweat drenched flanks are moving quick, in and out, tongue lolling out. Like a dog.

He looks expectantly at Gabriel and Hercules, tail slowly wagging. The motion makes Hecules smile lightly as he claps in his hands. "Well done Nate!" Nathaniel let's out a happy bark. The deep sound surprising everybody in the room, Nathaniel looks confused as he realises that he was the one making that noise. "Yeah, you are the big bad wolf now!" Nathaniel gives a snort, looking away, taking in the room with his new and improved vision.