Drake stood behind Aiden and Jarret; his arms folded as he watched the boys talking softly while they crouched behind the trees. If he were human, he wouldn't have been able to make out what they were saying above the music blaring from the house.
"I can't see her," Aiden whispered, slightly panicked.
Drake rolled his eyes. If they were using their ears and noses, they would have noticed him by now.
"I think that ugly bald dude took her somewhere," Jarret responded, growling low.
Drake coughed to catch their attention. They both jumped up, staring wide-eyed at him.
Drake rolled his eyes once more. "If you had been using your ears and noses, you would have heard me coming. I'm assuming you're looking for Aira."
Aiden and Jarret both nodded their heads, their expressions darkening with worry. "Yes, we can't find her," Jarret muttered, his tone serious.
"Something's wrong," Aiden muttered, "I can smell something different from behind the house. She's not alone."
Drake sighed, his expression irritated and his tone incredulous. "It's called a party. Of course she won't be alone."
Aiden shook his head. "No, this is different. These kids all smell drunk, but what I'm smelling is... wrong."
Drake's expression changed.
His golden eyes narrowed; his expression serious as he sniffed the air. He froze for a moment, his nostrils flaring. "I smell it too. Something's wrong."
"You can't possibly expect us to believe-" Jarret paused as he sniffed the air, his eyes widening in surprise. "Holy shit, I smell it too..."
Aiden raised a hand, feeling the rush of emotions that had started to overtake him. "There's fear, and something... dark."
"Dark?"
Drake spun around at the sudden familiar voice behind him. Van stood there, no longer looking as weak as he did a few hours prior. His dark hair was tousled, and his eyes looked tired, but other than that he seemed to be okay. He had been so focused on the boys that he hadn't noticed Van's approach.
Van's presence was unexpected and unsettling.
"Drake?" Van tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he stared at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Some pups snuck off and I had a feeling where they would be," Drake answered. "But why are you here?"
That was probably a stupid question. Drake knew that even though Van was rejecting Aira, she was still his mate, and the urge to check on her would have gotten to him.
"I couldn't sleep," Van muttered. "When I saw these two sneak off, I had a feeling I knew what they were doing, and I wanted to make sure they were safe." His face had a stoic expression, but Drake had seen through the tough appearance and knew there was concern in his eyes.
It was then Drake noticed Ivan and Nikolai move around them in their wolf forms, growling low as they too picked up the same scent. They came to stand beside Van, towering over him.
"Ah, Ivan and Nikolai. I see they smell it too." Drake noticed the two wolves growling next to Van, their eyes narrow and their tails lashing. Their behaviour seemed more aggressive and protective. Ivan's fur stood up and he was baring his teeth in a snarl. "Something's definitely wrong."
"Told you," Aiden muttered.
"Great," Jarret mumbled, his voice trembling as he saw the wolves' reactions. "You think there's danger...?"
Drake nodded slowly, his eyes narrowed and his expression worried. The two wolves were growling louder now, and their noses were flaring wildly. Their behaviour seemed very unusual. "Yeah, something is definitely wrong..."
Aiden looked confused as he moved closer to Nikolai. "Why can't we communicate with them?" he asked anxiously.
Drake's eyes moved to Van. He was the link to them being able to communicate when they were fur side, but with Van growing weaker, the ability to communicate with shifted wolves wasn't possible.
The pained look on Van's face showed he was using every ounce of strength he had to even be here.
"You can't communicate with them because the connection isn't there," Drake explained, his expression changing from worry to concern as he saw Van struggle to maintain his strength. Van was weak and exhausted, yet he was still focused on the boys in front of him. "Van is the link between us and the wolves when they shift. But if he's not well enough to maintain that power, then it's simply not possible."
Jarret and Aiden's faces turned to shock. Everyone knew Van was unwell, but from the look on Aiden's face, his son just realized the seriousness of the situation. Drake smirked as Van threw him a scathing look.
He saw the concern and worry on the boys' faces as they looked at Van's weakened state.
"Yeah, and if Van can't maintain the link, the wolves won't be able to communicate with each other either," Jarret stated, his face showing his growing concern.
It was then that the scent came back in full force. Drake watched as Van's instincts kicked in, his head immediately snapping to the left. A few minutes later, they could hear cars revving down the dirt driveway towards the house. Ivan and Nikolai had started sniffing the air and growling even louder.
Drake could see the look of sudden realization on Van's face, knowing a dangerous situation was about to unfold.
The sudden screaming of the people partying in the house made Drake's eyes widen. Men moved out of the cars and moved quickly inside the house. Aiden and Jarret went to rush toward them, but Drake held them back in chokeholds.
"Guns," Van growled. He put his hand out, stopping Nikolai and Ivan from moving. "If we rush them, they'll start shooting."
"And?" Jarret growled as Drake released them.
Van's eyes were steely as they glared at Jarret, making the younger man take a step back.
"Aira's in there," Van snapped, making Jarret and Aiden suck in a breath.
Drake could see the tension between Van and Jarret. Van's eyes were sharp as he continued to glare at Jarret, who was starting to realize how serious the situation was.
Van's mention of Aira caught everyone off guard.
It was then they saw the men herding two boys out. Drake jumped to stop Van, holding him back as they got the boys on their knees in a execution-style position. A few minutes later, the girls were brought out.
Van froze as he saw the guns near Aira.
"My dear, I am the big bad wolf. Today, I am your god, and I decide whether you live or die. You would do well to watch your mouth."
His golden eyes glowed in the darkness, remembering what had happened to the last fool who dared try to take her life. If he remembered correctly – and he made it a priority to always remember those who wronged him – he had ripped out the idiot's heart.
Drake growled as he let Van go. Van looked at him, smirking before marching out towards the pathetic humans threatening Aira and her friends.
"My dear, I am the big bad wolf. Today, I am your god, and I decide whether you live or die. You would do well to watch your mouth."
After that very noble explanation, Van chuckled darkly, nodding his head for the others to come out of the shadows and show this fucking little shit exactly who ruled this world.
Drake, Aiden, and Jarret moved quickly, disarming the men with the guns pointed at him. They screamed in pure fear, but nothing was as good as seeing the look of pure terror on this Volk's face as he turned and saw Van glaring down at him, his canines bared, and claws flexed to strike him down. Konstantin growled viciously within him, begging to be free and shed the blood of the fool stupid enough to threaten his mate.
"Let's play a game," he growled low, taking advantage of the moron frozen in fear. "Uvas yest pyat sekund, prezhde chem ya osnastki tebya kak vetku." You have five seconds before I snap you like a twig.
The pale human before him cried out before making a mad dash for one of the vehicles surrounding the lot. Before chasing after him, Van threw a seething glare at the three teenagers still kneeling on the ground and then ran to track down his prey.
He did prefer the thrill of the hunt after all.
Before Volk got to his car, two large wolves growled and snapped their giant jaws, cutting him off. He screamed as he fell back, only to crawl to the feet of the demon he had been running from. Van smiled – a wickedly cruel smile that would have made a real demon run for the high hills.
The human Aira had taken care of herself made a mad dash for the trees, possibly hoping to hide it out until it was all over. Van sighed with annoyance and nodded in the idiot's direction. "Ivan, Nikolai, take care of it," he ordered.
Both dark wolves seemed to grunt, before lunging in the direction the coward had sprinted off to, snapping and snarling as they sniffed him out – possibly hoping for a late dinner.
Van's hand shot out as he grabbed the human's hair, pulling so hard he screamed in agony, and Van stomped his boot on his chest to stop the horrible noise from escaping his lips any longer. "What was that you had said?" he asked, his tone mocking. "You would do well to watch your mouth. Was that it?"
The wind had been thoroughly knocked out of the human, so Van momentarily forgave him for not answering. He continued to push down on the man's chest with the heel of his boot, the alpha's face darkening with every whimper he let out.
"Don't kill him!"
His torture ceased as he looked back, only to find Aira stumbling towards them, quite obviously drunk. "And why shouldn't I?" he snapped back, tired of messing around.
"Because," she huffed and put her hands on her hips, mimicking Emma when she was mad, "I'm sure he's sorry!"
He raised his left eyebrow. "Sorry?"
"Yes, I-I'm sorry! Someone else sent me here. If I came back with nothing, I would be killed!" the man cried, grunting heavily as he tried to claw at Van's hand, only to panic more when he felt sharp claws instead of human nails.
After that sob story, he watched as Aira knelt beside the human, and said something that left Van – for the first time in his life – absolutely flabbergasted. "Would you take an I.O.U? I can pay back what Dylan owes."
Apparently, alcohol made her Mother Theresa. Van growled, "It's used for drugs and gambling. These people don't donate to charities, Aira."
"Oh," she muttered and thought for a moment, "is that what Ava meant when she said Dylan brought a lot of hash tonight?"
If it were possible, his face darkened more at this new information. "I see, and did you," he kicked the man under him, ignoring his painful cry, before continuing, "have any of this hash?"
She barely noticed him assaulting the man as she shook her head, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Oh, no!"
He nodded. "Good-"
"But those brownies were amazing!" she giggled, doing a little twirl.
His eyes widened before he growled and turned, ignoring the human he had mangled, and went to kill the three kids quivering on the ground. Aira gasped and grabbed hold of Van's arm, her feet dragging across the floor as she tried to stop him. "I was kidding! Take a joke!" she cried.
Stopping in his tracks, Van looked down at the girl as she stared back up at him. She had been messing with him. The little human had been teasing him, knowing his reaction. "I think it's time you get the hell home," he grunted.
"Oh, but I have to go get my underwear first."
Before he could respond to that little bit of information, Drake suddenly appeared as he walked away from the unconscious men he and the others had handled. "And where exactly is your underwear, Aira?" Drake asked, a dangerous tilt to his voice.
Yes, where in the flying fuck was her underwear? His head turned to the two human boys on the ground in front of them. He was about to march over there and demand answers when Jarret and Aiden beat him to the punch.
He watched as Jarret knelt in front of the bald one and slapped the wide-eyed look off his face. "Hey, you the reason she's in this mess? Know anything about lost underwear?" he growled.
Aiden was glaring, something he rarely did, when he confronted the other one. "Two seconds to answer buddy, or we start getting rid of limbs."
The two humans both shook their heads, too stunned to really defend themselves.
Van was about to start his own torturing when a revving engine behind them caught his attention. The human he had completely forgotten about after the underwear confession was speeding off, skidding out of the driveway as he made his getaway.
"I don't think he'll be coming around again," Drake mumbled.
Van grunted and watched as Aira ran to the female, hugging her as if they hadn't seen each other in years. The girl cried, rambling about monsters and such, before turning her attention to Aiden and Jarret. "We used them to tie up the bathroom door, so leave them alone!"
Van nearly groaned as he and Drake both made irritated sounds. "Go get your damn underwear, and then we're leaving."
With wide, innocent eyes, Aira nodded and gave him a quick salute. "Yes sir!"
He was very close to just grabbing her and dragging her home. This situation was something he would have gladly lived his life without being a part of.
"You all good to deal with these kids and-" he looked at the unconscious bodies beside them, "-taking out the trash, Drake?"
His brother nodded, looking just as annoyed as he did, before saying, "Jarret, Aiden, take Aira home when she comes out."
Looking a little disappointed that their fun had ended, both younger males stood up and nodded. "Taking my drunk sister home? Sounds like a party," Aiden joked, nudging Jarret and laughing.
Van eyed the two, knowing full well they were planning on teasing her during her drunken state. "Get her home safe."
Drake looked as if he'd seen a ghost as he looked to the roof, making Van turn his head to see what was going on. What he saw made him sprint for the porch roof, landing on it and growling at the girl who was straddling the bathroom windowsill. "What are you doing?" he roared.
Aira laughed and waved her underwear at him, making Van nearly fall off the roof.
"I found them!" she cried proudly.
He could have murdered her. "And why are you on the fucking roof?" he growled, his patience thin.
She shrugged. "It's quicker to jump down from here."
It didn't take him long to realize, that even whilst drunk, she didn't slur her words – only walked around like she was balancing on a tightrope and waving undergarments in people's faces. "Get your damn underwear on and use the stairs."
"But-" she tried to argue, but he was having none of it. This night was over.
"Go, now!" he snapped, glaring at her.
As she pouted and climbed back into the bathroom, he ignored her when she muttered 'killjoy' and jumped back down. Aiden and Jarret were stifling their laughter, while Drake looked as if he could have tossed her over his shoulder himself and taken her home – and then she would be Emma's problem.
"Remind me to get some medicine ready for when she wakes up tomorrow," Drake mumbled, massaging the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. "I'm not trained for this."
It was a few moments later when Aira came stumbling out of the house – hopefully, with her underwear on – and waved around a half full bottle of vodka. She took three swigs out of the bottle before Drake snatched it out of her hand.
"No, no, no!" he reprimanded, holding the bottle above his head as his daughter jumped to get it back. "No more for you, princess. You're going to be seeing enough stars in the morning for all of us."
She frowned. "But I'm not-not drunk!" she cried, before adding, "enough..."
And, after that declaration, she promptly turned around and vomited – possibly from the stimulation of jumping. Drake gently patted her back, whilst Aiden came and held back her hair, grinning like a little kid.
"Come on Aira, we'll get you home," Aiden said, laughing lightly.
This time, she didn't argue and let Jarret help her down the driveway, Aiden following in case she stumbled. It wasn't long before the girl got her bearings back and started to sing, and it took all his willpower not to cover his ears as she sang some repetitive pop song the whole damn way. It was safe to say the girl had no musical talent, although she liked to think she did.
Van sighed. He could feel the effects of the drug Drake had given him wearing off, and he knew he needed to get back quickly. Looking at his brother, Van nodded, signalling he was leaving.
Drake threw him a half-smile. "I'll tell Nikolai and Ivan to head back after they finish their... hunt."
Drake turned to take care of the kids left behind, and Van took this as his queue to head home. It had been a long, hellish night. He would be a happy man if he never had to deal with the girl drunk ever again.