Fall of the Packs: Blood Ties

Chapter Twelve

"Help! Help!"

Aaron turned around to see Axle running into the clearing, his eyes wide and his voice high-pitched and strained. Glancing around, Aaron realized that he didn't see Mercy anywhere. "Axle!" he barked. "What's wrong? Where's your mother?"

The pup was panting too hard to respond when Rosalyn suddenly spoke up. "She's out gathering," she said. "She asked me to... watch them..."

"Petra's in trouble!" Axle cried, having found his voice again. "You have to help!"

"All right, all right, stay calm," Aaron said. "Show me where she is."

Axle nodded and spun around, running back to the forest. Aaron jerked his head, summoning Tara and Seamus to go with him. "Watch the other two," he said to Rosalyn, who only ducked her head in response.

As they followed after Axle, Aaron felt an uneasy feeling that made his hackles rise. What kind of trouble was Petra in? He didn't want to stop Axle to make him fully explain, but a small part of him was afraid of what they would find.

"Why are we bothering?" Seamus growled. "They're Mercy's ill-begotten pups. She should keep track of them."

"Shut up, Seamus," Aaron said absently, sniffing a patch of ferns. He froze. He now knew why he felt uneasy.

"Aaron?" Tara asked. "What is it?"

"Bear." He looked back up and realized that their guide was no longer in sight. "Axle? Axle!"

The only response was a horrified scream.

The three defenders rushed towards the direction of the sound, stopping short when they beheld the source.

"Merciful Siglitun," Tara whispered.

Axle was standing still as a stone, those eerie blue eyes of his stretched wide with terror. Before him lied what was left of Petra.

Aaron felt his stomach turn over, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing. How had no one noticed? How far had their prejudice gone if they had let something like this happen?

"Aaron," Seamus said suddenly. "The bear is still around here. We need to drive it out before it hurts anyone else."

"Right. You track it but don't engage yet. I'll tell the others." Aaron let the words slip mechanically from his mouth but he couldn't take his eyes off of Axle and Petra. Slowly he walked over and gently turned Axle's face from the bloody sight. It didn't matter who his father was; no pup needed to see that.

"Axle," he said quietly. "Go back to the clearing. I'll find your mother. Go on."

With some gentle prodding, the pup started to move, walking like he was in a daze. Aaron carefully picked up Petra's body and followed after him, occasionally nudging him back in the right direction when he strayed. As they reached the clearing, Axle automatically went in, but Aaron hung back, unsure if he wanted to just walk in holding a dead puppy. He heard Mercy's voice and his heart sank. There was no way he could tell her that her daughter was dead. In the end, he didn't have to.

She came out, mingled fear and hope in her eyes that swiftly turned to utter horror. "P... Petra?" she whispered. "...Aaron? What..."

She didn't finish and he couldn't bear to watch. He turned away and entered the clearing where Sortita approached him, her eyes wide with concern.

"Aaron?" she asked. "What's happened? Are you okay?"

He didn't answer, scanning the clearing for Kestrel. "There's a bear loose," he called flatly. "Tara and Seamus are tracking it. I came for reinforcements."

A commotion arose and the present defenders began to cluster around him, asking questions. He answered some of the robotically and began to lead a group in the direction Axle had previously taken him, but he was surprised he could even think straight. How could they let this happen? How could he leave Mercy like that? What was wrong with him?

They drew towards where they had found Petra's body and the trail of the bear became clearly apparent. Kestrel investigated the bloodstained patch of grass, a dark look on her face.

"It smells like an adult male," she said, "probably fresh out of hibernation. Let's move!"

Aaron fell in with the others, still in a daze and content to let Kestrel take the lead. It wasn't long before Tara and Seamus could be seen up ahead through the trees. Tara came to greet them, saying, "The old brute's up there. I think he heard you coming, but he hasn't moved. He must be hungry for a fight."

"He'll get one he can't handle," Kestrel growled. "Spread out and surround him if you can. Stay fast and light, don't let him hit you. I want to harass him long enough that he'll leave, but we'll kill him if we have to."

The defenders nodded and did as she ordered. Aaron went to the right with Dusty and Soleil, banishing all other thoughts from his mind and focusing solely on the task at hand. There was a bear. They needed to get it out. If he thought about anything else, he couldn't do his job.

At a howl from Kestrel, they charged into the clearing. As ordered they kept their distance, coming close enough land quick blows and quickly dancing away from his giant paws. It didn't take long for him to get frustrated, roaring in anger as he swung wildly. Oak got too close and the bear's enormous claws slashed his flank. He stumbled with a cry, but Seamus sprang to his father's defense, snarling into the grizzly's face.

He raised a paw threateningly, but Aaron slammed into his side, catching him off guard. Kestrel, Tara, and Dusty followed up with a barraged of teeth and claws while Soleil continued nipping at his heels. Seemingly this onslaught was too much for the bear, who, with an angry grunt, finally began to run. The defenders stayed close behind, not letting him slow for a second. Finally, they reached the border and the bear raced off into the unexplored territory.

"And don't come back!" Kestrel barked after him. Even if he didn't speak dog, Aaron guessed that the message was clear.

They returned to the clearing where Oak and Seamus remained. "I'll be fine," Oak assured them. "It hurts like blazes but he really only grazed me."

"Well, let Holly look at you anyway," Seamus said. "Or Mom will throw a fit."

Oak grunted in agreement and the party headed back to the main clearing. They started congratulating each other on how they'd done during the battle, but Aaron wasn't listening. His paws felt heavy as lead and his blood was cold. The thought of facing Mercy again terrified him more than any bear ever could. He'd failed her, and he hated himself for it.