Calum walked down the stairs sleepily, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. He had never slept so well. Though, that was a slight lie. He had been sleeping pretty great ever since he and Michael kissed and talked everything out and, well, let their emotions on the run. The two had shared the bed every night, switching between the bedrooms. It had been a week of that, so he had slept like this for about a week now.
Yet, today was different from other days. Calum had woken up without a cute black haired boy beside him, either already looking at him, or still sleeping adorably. And it didn't worry him that much, if it weren't for the fact they'd talked about Michael's progress the night before. And by then Calum knew the black haired boy pretty well, meaning he was probably determined to make more progress again. And since the last time Michael did that he had gone out alone and gotten himself into trouble, Calum's guess was that the boy would try that again. And he feared that the boy was already out of bed because of just that.
"Morning." Ashton greeted the dark haired boy happily, unusually happy ever since the girl had found out about the boys being wolves. Or at least Luke and Calum being wolves, as she hadn't seen any prove Michael and/or Ashton were wolves yet. Still not a week later and Ashton was happy about that too.
Calum hummed in response, taking a look around the kitchen and frowning as he didn't spot the black haired boy he had been looking for. "Have you seen Michael?"
Ashton tilted his head at the Beta, confusion clear on his face. "What?"
"Have you seen Michael?" The Beta repeated, giving Ashton a weird look. The Alpha blinked a few times, his eyes narrowing right after. "Since when are you so obviously concerned about him?"
Calum sighed, rubbing his face in frustration. He knew Ashton would be confused and curious as the two hadn't told anyone about their new found interest in each other. Calum mostly just wanted to avoid Ashton's 'I told you so' like answer to it and he didn't want to seem gay. As in, the gay-gay. Which makes no sense if you're not Calum, because all he could think of when talking about liking a boy, was being weak and girly. Which Calum was not, but he was afraid if he told the other three in the pack about liking Michael a lot, they'd see him that way. And maybe even make him lose his title as Beta. It was all just stress to add to the moment.
"Just, please, tell me he hasn't left the house."
"Eh, I think he did. The kid doesn't tell me much, but I saw him in the kitchen early this morning, seeming to prepare to go out." Ashton bit his lip, seeming a bit disappointed. And Calum understood that it was because Michael was still closed off when it came to the rest of the pack. The only one he had let in once and shortly, had been Bryana. That before Calum had walked right into the boy's head and heart.
"He went out." Both boys turned to the doorway, seeing Bryana stand there, an eyebrow slightly raised. "Why is that a bad thing?"
Calum cursed quietly, running his hands through his hair. "Because, last time he went out alone he caught a bunny again and freaked out, again. He was lucky I was there to calm him, otherwise he might've passed out and for all we know would've died."
Ashton's eyes widened at the new story, his instincts immediately making him walk to the back door. "I'm going to find him."
"I'm coming along." Calum immediately told the Alpha, following him. Both exited the house and ran to the first line of trees, changing once in the shadows and running off while sniffing the air.
"He didn't go far." Ashton told the Beta, following the smell of their fellow pack-member.
"Ash... I'm afraid what you said is true, but in a whole other way." Calum whined sadly, making Ashton stop and turn around, looking at the black wolf. "What are you saying?"
"I smell humans. Quite a few. They're almost blocking his scent."
Ashton stared at the other, frozen for a moment, before turning back and sniffing along himself. And soon enough, he smelled them too, growling as he tried to focus on Michael's scent and follow that. Calum followed, still sniffing the air himself, hoping to find Michael safe and not near humans. Or just finding humans at all.
"His scent is the strongest here." Ashton turned in circles, sniffing the ground and growling. "Just like the scent of humans."
"I don't have a good feeling with this, Ash." Calum sounded sadly, his wolf-self whimpering. Ashton shook his head, growling again. "He can't be far. He might not be as good at being a wolf as us, but he's a smart kid."
"Not if the wolf took over, Ash. Haven't you noticed? The way his eyes empty the moment he tries to focus on catching a bunny? The way he acts very much like a real wolf?" Calum reasoned, looking right at the Alpha. But the Alpha shook his head, not wanting it to be true. Yet, he knew it was. Just like the first time he had went out with Michael, trying to get him to catch the bunny. How his eyes had been empty of humanity and filled with hunger and an animalistic part. It had scared the Alpha, but Michael had managed to shake it off, even if that ended in a panic attack when seeing the bunny. Which also meant the boy hadn't caught the bunny with his own mind.
"I... I wished it wasn't. But I know you're right, how unfortunate it is."
"I know, Ash. I don't like it either, hell, I hate it. But he might've let the wolf inside him lead him." Calum still sounded sad, but his eyes got this determined glance. "And even though a wolf has an instinct to avoid humans and only attack for certain reasons, his humanity was still somewhere in him. It might have come back at the wrong time and weakened him."
Ashton sighed through their mental connection, nodding. "Let's see if we can follow the human scent anywhere. If they took him, we should be able to find him by their scent."
Calum agreed with a nod, following his Alpha as he jogged off. They continued to sniff the air and ground, following the human scent a little further into the woods, until suddenly Calum whined loudly and threw himself back. He started shaking his head, howling and whining, lying down and pawing at his nose, huffing out breaths through it while he shut his eyes tightly. "Calum?!"
The Beta kept whining painfully, trying to soothe the pain in his nose that the strong scent had caused. It was as if a hundred needles were stinging the inside of his poor wolf-nose, making him cry out, before changing back to his human-form instantly, tears burning in his eyes. Ashton had approached him by then, looking at him worriedly, yet still in his wolf form. "Cal?"
"I'm- I'm fine now. Shit, fuck. That hurts." Calum held his nose, grimacing at the slight stinging that was still present. His eyes were still tearing up, but he had instantly felt better the moment he had changed back.
"What happened?" Ashton tilted his head, looking the other up and down, before looking back at where Calum had sniffed. He didn't see anything that could've hurt Calum, worrying him even more.
"They- they sprayed this stuff. You know, the one that makes bloodhounds lose their trail. Confuses them. Erases the original scent." Calum mumbled, pinching his nose before letting it go, trying to breathe through it again. He let out a sigh of relief as it felt better, not counting the slightly annoying feeling in his throat.
Ashton growled, walking towards the spot Calum had sniffed, stopping about a step away. He lightly sniffed the air, huffing and shaking his head as he had smelled it. It was definitely not great to sniff more of it. "This is shit."
Calum huffed, burying his face in his hands as he mumbled, "no shit."
Ashton looked back at his Beta sadly, approaching him again and nudging his nose against the Beta's arm. Calum sighed quietly and let his arms fall down, taking in the brown wolf next to him. The Alpha nudged his nose against the Beta's cheek this time, closing his eyes contently as Calum petted his head. "What now, Ash?"
"We'll find him." Ashton assured the other, his eyes opened and looking at the other with confidence. Calum however, was still doubtful, frowning. "But they blocked their scent. We can't follow the stuff they spread because our human form can't smell it and our wolf form will get disoriented."
"He can survive while we call in Daniel's help, right? He's stronger than he looks." Ashton said confidently, while Calum's grimace went unnoticed. He knew the boy better than Ashton at the moment and it pained him to agree with Ashton and get up. The brown wolf took the lead and walked back towards the house, Calum following with a frown.
The two arrived without any other complications, making Calum sigh in relief as he walked inside, while Ashton changed back before following. The Beta stopped in his tracks as he saw Luke pace the living room, furrowing his eyebrows at the blonde. Ashton stopped beside Calum, raising an eyebrow at the blonde's weird behavior. "Luke?"
The blonde jumped up, taking in the other two with slightly widened eyes. He then sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, hey."
"What were you doing?"
"Nothing, just thinking. It isn't important." Luke shrugged, before taking the two in again, now furrowing his eyebrows. "Where's Michael?"
He noticed how Calum's face saddened immediately, while Ashton grimaced. "I think we have a problem."
Calum huffed lightly, but didn't say anything, averting his eyes and watching Bryana and the girl (he still wasn't sure of her name and Ashton barely talked about her) enter the living room area now too. "Problem?"
Ashton immediately averted his eyes to his girlfriend, smiling sadly as he nodded. He then completely looked over the girl next to her and told Luke and his girlfriend: "We have reason to believe people have taken Michael."
Everyone -except for Ashton himself and Calum- their eyes widened at the information, Bryana even putting her hand in front over her mouth in shock. Luke was the first to react, firing questions at the two in front of them. "Who took him? Why did they take him? How long has he been gone? Are they going to kill him?"
Ashton glared at the blonde, making him shut up but frown. The Alpha then sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We're not sure. Humans took him, but they covered their trails so we can't follow them. I was planning to call Daniel so he could maybe help us."
"I don't think that's needed."
The Alpha's eyes snapped to the blonde and purple haired girl, his eyes hard as he growled lightly. "Are you kidding? I'm not letting my family be in danger."
The girl didn't seem fazed by Ashton's sudden anger, shaking her head lightly. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant it in the way that I might know where he is. Actually, I'm pretty sure. It just has to be."
Everyone -but Luke- narrowed their eyes at the girl, making her sigh and close her eyes, before she opened them again and told them all; "I knew all along what you guys were."
All of the pack was shocked, looking at the girl with either a surprised look, opened mouth or big eyes. Ashton however, soon recovered and stepped closer angrily. "You what?!"
Valeria held out her hands defensively, looking at everyone before looking back at Ashton. "I grew up in a family that knows about werewolves. The moment I woke up here, I suspected things, especially with the way you all acted around each other. But I didn't know for sure until I saw two of you change."
Ashton growled lightly again, his fists clenching at his sides as he kept his eyes on the girl. "And now what? You betrayed our location and made them take Michael?"
The girl scoffed, crossing her arms. "No. I wouldn't do that. Heck, the reason you guys found me was because I ran away. My family is crazy and I made sure they wouldn't find me by hiding in the woods. Stumbling upon you guys was a coincidence and I knew to ensure my own safety I couldn't betray you. Besides, I never planned to. I'm not like my family."
"Then how did they find Michael?" Calum asked, sadness and slight anger lacing his voice, making the girl shrug, before she seemed to realise something. "Evan."
Everyone looked confused, except for Bryana and Luke. "The dude that harassed you back then?"
Valeria nodded, groaning as she put her head in her hands. "He must've searched the area and found a spot you guys go to a lot or whatever. That fucking asshole."
Luke snorted, grinning proudly, before realising his fellow pack-member and basically brother was still in possible danger. "Where do we find them then?"
"Yeah. You better tell us right now or I won't hesitate to rip someone apart." Ashton growled, making the other two males look at him in slight fear. Though they too had that feeling, as one of their brothers was in danger. And they couldn't just live with that.
"Don't worry. I'll take you."