Hammers in the Shadows

Part One: Shadows And Ice - Chapter Three

A week after my family meeting with Zane I was in class when I felt a spike of anger and frustration from my son as well as some degree of pain. As soon as I felt the pain I asked to be excused, at first the instructor was reluctant, since I was assisting one of the other students from Russia with his computer but when she saw the look in my eye she let me go. 

A bare two minutes later I arrived outside of the room where the cubs were being instructed to be met by one of the teachers. She took one look at me and Altair before letting us in. I quickly found three pups on the floor and Shawn hugging one of the other teachers and crying loudly.

"What is going on?" I growled, my cat more than a little upset at how our cub was feeling before I knelt down and gently took Shawn into my arms,

As soon as he felt me taking him he hugged me tightly and sobbed out. "Daddy I didn' start it, I promise I didn't start anything." He told me desperately, and I recalled what I had told him before we arrived. I had told him that I didn't want him to start any fights with the wolf pups, because he was stronger and faster that those his own age.

"I know kitten, I know." I said softly rocking him while looking around the room and I could feel the wolves in the room deferring to my dominance, and my protectiveness towards Shawn. They didn't want to bother a dominant male tiger in full on 'protect my cub' mode.

Shawn cuddled up tightly, and I could feel him beginning to relax in my arms, the scent of his father and dominant cat doing marvels in calming him and his cat down. I was glad that he'd not shifted because the damage he could have caused could have been much worse.

As I comforted him I saw three other she-wolves come into the room and begin trying to comfort their own pups, though one of them was sending harsh glares in my direction as she did so. Right behind them I saw Adam walk into the room and he looked more than a little displeased.

He looked around, and after softly conferring with the teachers, spoke up, "All four parents and your pups involved, come over here," he said before walking over to a corner, looking upset.

I gently picked my son up and walked to the corner that he'd indicated as I sent to Anna to carry on and stay in class, I could handle this. Beside me Altair was growling and he had his hackles up as he glared at the three other people in the corner, other than Adam.

Adam growled at Altair, "Quiet!" he told him. Altair sat instantly, and tried to look as if he hadn't been reprimanded the moment before.

"The teachers have said that you three have been bullying our guest here." Adam stated, with a slight growl. "That is unacceptable. I will deal with your punishment in a moment." He looked at Shawn, and sighed, "How are you?" he said softly.

He shivered and looked up at Adam, and I could already see the darkening around his right eye. "I'm sorry... didn't mean to get in a fight." He said softly. "Wish they didn't pick on me cause I'm a cat... wanna go home. They keep sayin' that I don't belong here, that I should go back to where I come from." He almost cried and I looked at Adam and I tried to keep myself from growling angrily. "This is why he isn't happy here..."

Adam had nearly an identical growl, "Shawn, you didn't cause the fight, and you are welcome here."

"I know, daddy told me not to start anything, but those three said that cats don't belong here in class with them." I closed my eyes as my son said that and couldn't stop myself from glaring at the guilty cubs when I opened my eyes.

"Adam, he's a junior cat, they are more dominant than he is and they are older, they should be helping him and defending him instead..." I growled, though I was trying my best not to lecture my friend on how he ran his pack. I knew that he was a popular and well loved Alpha, but right now my son was hurt and it was influencing how I felt and acted.