If You Die Before I Wake (or How Do You Howl "I Love You"?) 2/?
Title: If You Die Before I Wake (or How Do You Howl "I Love You"?) 2/?
Sequel to I Will Love You 'til My Muzzle Turns Grey Master Post
Author: spnkinkfan
Pairing: J2 with a side of C2
Word Count: 1698
Rating: NC-17 eventually
Warnings: Violence, bloodshed, swearing, mention of death (none of the primaries), and one very pissed off Alpha
Disclaimer: I own neither of the boys (have never even met them). I wish though - I would take very good care.
A/N: Thanks so much to my awesome beta TMATEOTB for putting the spit-shine on everything, for all the wonderful suggestions and for just being so fabulous! And thank you all for coming along for the ride, I'm so happy you're here.
v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v
Christian would have made any race car driver green with envy on the way back to Jensen's farmhouse. If they had not been so preoccupied with what was happening, one of them might have marveled at not being pulled over.
Jeff had called again when they were about fifteen minutes out to say he was nearly there and see how close Jensen was. Both men had their phones on speaker.
"Two days is a hell of a lead time," Jeff said.
Someone in Jeff's vehicle spoke up. "We only have to worry about how long it's been since Alpha left his house though."
"Not true," Jeff and Jensen said in unison. Jeff went silent to allow the Alpha to elaborate, knowing they were thinking the same thing.
"If Xander has something planned against me, he has had two full days to make whatever arrangements he needs to. That's if he hasn't been planning something all along." The thought had occurred to Jensen as soon as he'd heard the other Alpha had gone missing, but it still filled him with a cold dread to voice it. Jensen was trying to be calm and rational, but he was terrified for Jared. Adrenaline made his body tingle and he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.
"Do you want me to check in when I get there?" Jeff asked.
"No," Jensen answered, "we're close, just check it out and you can update me when I get there. And Jeff?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful."
The next few minutes felt like years to Jensen, the truck was still sliding to a stop when he bolted out of the back seat toward his front door. He vaulted onto the porch and his knees tried to buckle as he realized he could smell blood.
A lot of it.
The door stood open, the top hinge was torn loose where something large and heavy had slammed into the door hard enough to crack the casing on the opposite side.
Shorty stepped out of the office into the hall just as Jensen crossed the threshold.
"The two guards are dead," Shorty answered Jensen's questioning look. "there's no sign of Jared yet, but Matt and Leo put up a hell of a fight before they went down. It looks like he was upstairs getting ready for work when the attackers broke in. The bodies are up between the stairs and the bathroom." The pain of what he had seen was clear on his face.
Jensen struggled for a moment against a maelstrom of emotions. Rage, sorrow, loss, fear, pride in the guards for fighting so hard, grief for their deaths, but that was quickly overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of failure.
He failed Jared, he'd let the security team down. He should have been more careful.
Jensen had thought with Ted gone maybe they wouldn't have to be quite so cautious. Jensen had seen Jared's discomfort at having so many others around all the time, though Jared had never actually complained. He had not wanted to give up the security entirely, not when his leadership was being questioned again, but Jensen wanted Jared to be comfortable and happy in his home.
Now he cursed himself for downgrading the vigilance. How could he have been so stupid?
Jensen knew by then Jeff and his team would have scoured every inch of the house for threats and any sign of Jared, but the urge to tear the place apart searching for his mate himself was overwhelming.
Instead, he tried to calm himself by refocusing on his senses. Jared was still alive. If he wasn't, Jensen would know it. Shoving down the emotions that were throwing his perception into total chaos, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
Blood, fear, sweat - the strongest scents. Another breath and he could smell the "other" - the strangers who had been in his home.
Eyes still closed, he sensed Jeff stepping into the entryway nearby, heard him stop perfectly still, knew his friend was aware of what he was doing.
Inhale - the scent of blood lay like a macabre blanket over everything else. Jensen could not identify exactly to whom the blood belonged - it didn't work that way. If he focused, though, he could maybe determine how many had shed the largest amount since those would be the strongest. Werewolf blood contains more powerful pheromones. As long as the blood is still relatively fresh, it is distinctive and easy to separate from human blood.
Jensen thought he could pick out three separate "trails" of blood around him. It would be easier to do if he shifted into one of his furry forms, his senses further heightened that way, but he did not want to waste the time it would take. Two of the blood trails he knew came from the security detail. At the thought of them grief poured through him again. Jensen pushed it aside once more - they had given their lives trying to protect Jared. He would make sure that sacrifice wasn't in vain.
He had to get his mate back.
When this was all over, Jensen would mourn the loss of his packmates. Matt and Leo would be properly honoured by the pack.
Swiveling his head he homed in on the third blood trail, which seemed to be coming from the kitchen area and was definitely werewolf. Calmed somewhat by the fact that he could not smell human blood, Jensen opened his eyes and looked at Jeff. Jeff nodded and together they headed for the kitchen.
There was a door leading to the back yard in the kitchen. It was intact and closed. The large windows that formed a half-moon around the back of the breakfast nook were not so fortunate.
Something big had gone out through them. Looking out the hole, Jensen could see shattered glass glittering in the grass beneath the broken window frames. Much of it was spattered with blood. Once in the kitchen, Jensen and Jeff both could detect a faint trace of human blood. Jared was hurt, but not bleeding seriously.
Not yet.
The thought of Jared hurt and in the hands of angry Weres was more than Jensen could bear, but he channeled the pain and fear into rage. Jared was his - to love, cherish and protect. They had no right to touch him.
Christian and the twins were near the treeline, checking the perimeter. When Murphy suddenly spun and bolted for the house, Jensen knew he'd found something. Throwing open the back door, Jensen ran to meet him with Jeff right on his heels. Both were careful not to disturb the traces left on the lawn as they made their way toward the younger wolf.
"Alpha there's a lot of blood over that way. It's got to be from more than one of them - if one of them is hurt that badly, they won't get far."
Jensen started to strip off his shirt and Jeff caught his arm. "You can't just take off after them. We have to - "
Jensen's growl stopped him short. "They have Jared, the trail is still fresh. I will not risk giving them more of a head start." He started to pull away and Jeff stepped in front of him, flinching as he did.
Jeff knew Jensen was on a hair trigger, but he couldn't just let his Alpha charge off blindly. "What about the Roknir? They'll want to handle this since it breaks pack laws."
Jensen stepped in close to Jeff, their noses almost touching. His fury bled out over everyone in range, but especially over Jeff and Murphy who were closest. Murphy dropped his head and stepped farther away, while every fibre of Jeff's being screamed for him to submit to the enraged Alpha. As long as Jensen didn't force him to, though, he simply couldn't. His conscience wouldn't let him.
Jensen's low voice was like a whip crack in the silence. "They have Jared," Jensen grit out through clenched teeth. "We can send someone to the Council to alert them, but I am going to get my mate back. You can either come with me, or get the hell out of my way."
"You know I am with you no matter what," Jeff answered, then lowered his voice for Jensen's ears only, "but you know I will never stop looking out for you either."
Gratitude flashed through Jensen's eyes, and Jeff saw the love shining there too as the Alpha took a deep breath and got himself under control again. Jeff had been like a father to Jensen after his own had died. He could not resist the urge to protect the pack leader any more than he could have sprouted pink polka dots on his fur.
Jensen stepped out of his friend's personal space, speaking as he did. "Jeff, you and your team with me, Christian too." Jeff moved off to gather the others and Jensen turned to Murphy. "You go get an audience with the Roknir, tell them it's an emergency and what happened here. Tell Connor to keep checking the property and log everything he finds. I will check in as soon as I can." Murphy nodded but the look on his face was positively mutinous. "Look, I know you and your brother want to go with us, but I need you to do this for me so I know it's handled properly and can focus on getting Jared back."
Murphy nodded again, grim determination washing away everything else. "Of course Alpha, whatever you need."
Christian and the others were already half stripped by the time they gathered on the lawn. It was a matter of moments for them all to finish and shift into wolf form. Aldis wore a special harness designed to carry the barest of essentials - a cellphone, a basic first aid kit and a small amount of emergency cash. Lightweight and low-profile so as not to impede his movement through dense underbrush, allowing the rest to run unhindered.
As soon as the harness was clipped, the small pack of wolves dashed off into the treeline, following the scent of blood.
Chapter 1 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Sequel to I Will Love You 'til My Muzzle Turns Grey Master Post
Author: spnkinkfan
Pairing: J2 with a side of C2
Word Count: 1698
Rating: NC-17 eventually
Warnings: Violence, bloodshed, swearing, mention of death (none of the primaries), and one very pissed off Alpha
Disclaimer: I own neither of the boys (have never even met them). I wish though - I would take very good care.
A/N: Thanks so much to my awesome beta TMATEOTB for putting the spit-shine on everything, for all the wonderful suggestions and for just being so fabulous! And thank you all for coming along for the ride, I'm so happy you're here.
v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v
Christian would have made any race car driver green with envy on the way back to Jensen's farmhouse. If they had not been so preoccupied with what was happening, one of them might have marveled at not being pulled over.
Jeff had called again when they were about fifteen minutes out to say he was nearly there and see how close Jensen was. Both men had their phones on speaker.
"Two days is a hell of a lead time," Jeff said.
Someone in Jeff's vehicle spoke up. "We only have to worry about how long it's been since Alpha left his house though."
"Not true," Jeff and Jensen said in unison. Jeff went silent to allow the Alpha to elaborate, knowing they were thinking the same thing.
"If Xander has something planned against me, he has had two full days to make whatever arrangements he needs to. That's if he hasn't been planning something all along." The thought had occurred to Jensen as soon as he'd heard the other Alpha had gone missing, but it still filled him with a cold dread to voice it. Jensen was trying to be calm and rational, but he was terrified for Jared. Adrenaline made his body tingle and he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.
"Do you want me to check in when I get there?" Jeff asked.
"No," Jensen answered, "we're close, just check it out and you can update me when I get there. And Jeff?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful."
The next few minutes felt like years to Jensen, the truck was still sliding to a stop when he bolted out of the back seat toward his front door. He vaulted onto the porch and his knees tried to buckle as he realized he could smell blood.
A lot of it.
The door stood open, the top hinge was torn loose where something large and heavy had slammed into the door hard enough to crack the casing on the opposite side.
Shorty stepped out of the office into the hall just as Jensen crossed the threshold.
"The two guards are dead," Shorty answered Jensen's questioning look. "there's no sign of Jared yet, but Matt and Leo put up a hell of a fight before they went down. It looks like he was upstairs getting ready for work when the attackers broke in. The bodies are up between the stairs and the bathroom." The pain of what he had seen was clear on his face.
Jensen struggled for a moment against a maelstrom of emotions. Rage, sorrow, loss, fear, pride in the guards for fighting so hard, grief for their deaths, but that was quickly overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of failure.
He failed Jared, he'd let the security team down. He should have been more careful.
Jensen had thought with Ted gone maybe they wouldn't have to be quite so cautious. Jensen had seen Jared's discomfort at having so many others around all the time, though Jared had never actually complained. He had not wanted to give up the security entirely, not when his leadership was being questioned again, but Jensen wanted Jared to be comfortable and happy in his home.
Now he cursed himself for downgrading the vigilance. How could he have been so stupid?
Jensen knew by then Jeff and his team would have scoured every inch of the house for threats and any sign of Jared, but the urge to tear the place apart searching for his mate himself was overwhelming.
Instead, he tried to calm himself by refocusing on his senses. Jared was still alive. If he wasn't, Jensen would know it. Shoving down the emotions that were throwing his perception into total chaos, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
Blood, fear, sweat - the strongest scents. Another breath and he could smell the "other" - the strangers who had been in his home.
Eyes still closed, he sensed Jeff stepping into the entryway nearby, heard him stop perfectly still, knew his friend was aware of what he was doing.
Inhale - the scent of blood lay like a macabre blanket over everything else. Jensen could not identify exactly to whom the blood belonged - it didn't work that way. If he focused, though, he could maybe determine how many had shed the largest amount since those would be the strongest. Werewolf blood contains more powerful pheromones. As long as the blood is still relatively fresh, it is distinctive and easy to separate from human blood.
Jensen thought he could pick out three separate "trails" of blood around him. It would be easier to do if he shifted into one of his furry forms, his senses further heightened that way, but he did not want to waste the time it would take. Two of the blood trails he knew came from the security detail. At the thought of them grief poured through him again. Jensen pushed it aside once more - they had given their lives trying to protect Jared. He would make sure that sacrifice wasn't in vain.
He had to get his mate back.
When this was all over, Jensen would mourn the loss of his packmates. Matt and Leo would be properly honoured by the pack.
Swiveling his head he homed in on the third blood trail, which seemed to be coming from the kitchen area and was definitely werewolf. Calmed somewhat by the fact that he could not smell human blood, Jensen opened his eyes and looked at Jeff. Jeff nodded and together they headed for the kitchen.
There was a door leading to the back yard in the kitchen. It was intact and closed. The large windows that formed a half-moon around the back of the breakfast nook were not so fortunate.
Something big had gone out through them. Looking out the hole, Jensen could see shattered glass glittering in the grass beneath the broken window frames. Much of it was spattered with blood. Once in the kitchen, Jensen and Jeff both could detect a faint trace of human blood. Jared was hurt, but not bleeding seriously.
Not yet.
The thought of Jared hurt and in the hands of angry Weres was more than Jensen could bear, but he channeled the pain and fear into rage. Jared was his - to love, cherish and protect. They had no right to touch him.
Christian and the twins were near the treeline, checking the perimeter. When Murphy suddenly spun and bolted for the house, Jensen knew he'd found something. Throwing open the back door, Jensen ran to meet him with Jeff right on his heels. Both were careful not to disturb the traces left on the lawn as they made their way toward the younger wolf.
"Alpha there's a lot of blood over that way. It's got to be from more than one of them - if one of them is hurt that badly, they won't get far."
Jensen started to strip off his shirt and Jeff caught his arm. "You can't just take off after them. We have to - "
Jensen's growl stopped him short. "They have Jared, the trail is still fresh. I will not risk giving them more of a head start." He started to pull away and Jeff stepped in front of him, flinching as he did.
Jeff knew Jensen was on a hair trigger, but he couldn't just let his Alpha charge off blindly. "What about the Roknir? They'll want to handle this since it breaks pack laws."
Jensen stepped in close to Jeff, their noses almost touching. His fury bled out over everyone in range, but especially over Jeff and Murphy who were closest. Murphy dropped his head and stepped farther away, while every fibre of Jeff's being screamed for him to submit to the enraged Alpha. As long as Jensen didn't force him to, though, he simply couldn't. His conscience wouldn't let him.
Jensen's low voice was like a whip crack in the silence. "They have Jared," Jensen grit out through clenched teeth. "We can send someone to the Council to alert them, but I am going to get my mate back. You can either come with me, or get the hell out of my way."
"You know I am with you no matter what," Jeff answered, then lowered his voice for Jensen's ears only, "but you know I will never stop looking out for you either."
Gratitude flashed through Jensen's eyes, and Jeff saw the love shining there too as the Alpha took a deep breath and got himself under control again. Jeff had been like a father to Jensen after his own had died. He could not resist the urge to protect the pack leader any more than he could have sprouted pink polka dots on his fur.
Jensen stepped out of his friend's personal space, speaking as he did. "Jeff, you and your team with me, Christian too." Jeff moved off to gather the others and Jensen turned to Murphy. "You go get an audience with the Roknir, tell them it's an emergency and what happened here. Tell Connor to keep checking the property and log everything he finds. I will check in as soon as I can." Murphy nodded but the look on his face was positively mutinous. "Look, I know you and your brother want to go with us, but I need you to do this for me so I know it's handled properly and can focus on getting Jared back."
Murphy nodded again, grim determination washing away everything else. "Of course Alpha, whatever you need."
Christian and the others were already half stripped by the time they gathered on the lawn. It was a matter of moments for them all to finish and shift into wolf form. Aldis wore a special harness designed to carry the barest of essentials - a cellphone, a basic first aid kit and a small amount of emergency cash. Lightweight and low-profile so as not to impede his movement through dense underbrush, allowing the rest to run unhindered.
As soon as the harness was clipped, the small pack of wolves dashed off into the treeline, following the scent of blood.
Chapter 1 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6