Chase (Chasing Tails Rewritten)

TwentyTwo - Howls

"Alpha! He's in here!"

Dresden and Julie race after Sheila. The moment she heard them, she ran out the back door and called them forward, urging them inside. Dresden doesn't let Julie go farther than his arm can reach but the moment they're inside and he sees there isn't any threat, he relaxes.

Until he sees Jack.

Bloody and bruised, Jack lies on the couch with only a blanket covering him. His pack members around him help to clean off his wounds and to bandage what they couldn't control. His arm is already wrapped in a cast-like bandage and around his torso are bite marks and scratches. Bruises gather around them nearly making him look purple. His face is half covered with bruises, making him half recognizable but the sweat dripping down his brow easily shows how much he's hurting. His eyes are closed. His grin is gone and there's a deathly pale tone to his skin as his wolf fights to heal itself.

Julie's nails dig into Dresden's arm. Her fear rushes through him like a cold chill and his anger rises.

"What happened?"

"Isaac found him near the eastern borders," Kennedy explains. "Jack was in bad shape but Isaac said there were two others dead. It looked like Jack was attacked."

Dresden hovers over Jack, taking in his injuries as Sheila and the others continue their work. "Where is Isaac now?"

"He went back for the other two that were dead. He's hoping he might find out something more."

Dresden nods and once his pack mates are done tending to Jack's wounds, he leans closer and starts his own investigation. The bite marks were definitely done by werewolves - there's not doubt about that. The deep marks suggest someone of higher rank and considering Jack's status, that means he was attacked by betas or Alphas. Any scent that might've rubbed off on him is gone now by the sterile cleaning of his wounds but the bite marks are precise. They targeted his weak points, his vulnerable organs. They're only off by just millimeters telling him that Jack was able to react in time or he was just really lucky.

"Give him something to knock him out. It'll be a few hours before he can talk but once he does, tell me," Dresden orders. "He'll be out of commission for a week with these wounds. Isaac will take up beta duties until then. No one is to leave by themselves. No one is to track or patrol alone. Is that understood?"

The pack replies with yes Alphas and then each go their own ways to continue their duties until all who's left is Jack, Sheila, Dresden, and Julie.

"Sheila, you'll keep Jack under your watch," Dresden tells her. "Do not let him get up if he tries to. Those bite marks are deep and they're too close to his weak spots."

"Yes, Alpha."

"Where are Graham and his brothers? I need them to look after Julie."

Sheila shrugs, her eyes focusing on Jack's pained expression. "I'm not sure."

Dresden stands up and holds his hand out for Julie. His mate accepts his hand and he leads her to the back porch where he waits for Graham and his brothers to come back from patrolling. Julie sits on the porch steps next to him. Her hands are tangled with each other in her lap. She's squeezing them so hard he can see the whites of her knuckles. She's pale and he can see how scared she is and his wolf wants nothing more than to destroy the threat. He just needs to find it.

"I've got to get a hit on Trisha. Ollie won't be patient for too long. He'll make his move soon."

Julie swallows. "Is there anything I can do to help?"