The Apartment

The drive to Brayden's apartment was very short. No one spoke until we entered. The place is small and rather unfurnished. It is a wide open space no separate rooms apart from the bathroom. The kitchen is empty except for a couple plates and cups. Brayden walks to the fridge and opens it.

"Well that's depressing... it may not be much but its a safe place to stay... I need to talk to Ari. My Beta will be here soon to watch over you." Brayden says "how about I order a pizza... not much else around here to eat."

"Why can't I come with you?" I ask.

Brayden runs his hand through his hair and sighs.

"Listen Alic... I can't take you back yet." He says.

"Why not!" I scream pacing the floor. "you CAN take me anywhere you just WON'T! You say you're trying but it's easy! Just take me HOME!"

"Alic!" Brayden says grabbing my shoulders. "You WILL go home... but just not yet... if I took you back now it would only be harder when I have to take you away again."

"I want to see my dad! I want to play with Ruby! I want to figure out what I am! I can't do that here! Take me HOME!" I yell.

"No." He says. Brayden stands up as the apartment door opens.

"Everything alright Alpha?" The man asks as he enters closing the door behind him.

"Fine Dylan... Alic this is my Beta Dylan." Brayden says. "Keep him here... order a pizza watch TV just don't leave." With that Brayden left.

Brayden POV

With the boy safely in the care of my Beta I left for the pack house. A hour later I pull up in front of the house.

I quickly make my way into Ari's office. Lilly and Clay are already there.

"How is he? What happened?" Clay asks as soon as he sees me.

"He's fine... I don't think we will need the documents for Virginia Lilly... he has to see a judge tomorrow who will decide what to do with him. They will probably want to put him in a new foster home... or maybe a group home but its pretty obvious he wasn't the aggressor. Plus he partially shifted when he bit the guy it looks like a dog's bite. No one will believe the human." I say.

"How did you get them to drop it so quickly?" Lilly asks I sigh hating to be the bearer of bad news.

"By human standards he doesn't look good. If he weren't a wolf he'd be in the hospital. As it sits he is banged up but his wolf will heal him. He is a victim of child abuse, That's how the police recorded it. They will just put him back in the system." I tell them.

"I'm gonna kill them!" Clay roars.

"Clay sit down!" Ari says. The Beta reluctantly plops into a chair.

"He is safe now. I have him in my apartment in the city Dylan is watching over him." I say trying to calm him.

"I want to see him." Clay jumps out of his seat.

"Not a good idea Clay." I tell him.

"And why not? He's MY Son!" He yells at me. I turn my attention to Ari.

"Ari you shouldn't have accepted him before you had him." I say.

"I know... how is he doing?" Ari asks.

"What is he talking about Aaron?" Clay asks.

"You feel the pull to protect this pack Clay... every wolf we have does. As a ranking wolf you would feel it stronger... more passionately." Ari says.

"You know that's true. I'd do anything for my pack. What's that have to do with Alaric!?" Clay grits his teeth trying not to yell at his Alpha and friend.

"He is your son heir to your position. When I accepted him it put that on him. He will have a strong desire to get back here. To be with you and the pack." Ari explains.

"That's why you were reluctant to accept him." Clay says as he sits back in the chair. Ari nods at him.

"How is he doing with it?" Ari asks me.

"Well he is having trouble staying calm. He is completely focused on getting back here and worried about what you two think of him. His father and his Alpha... he is afraid of disappointing you. He thinks you don't want him." I tell them.

"That's not true we want him!" Clay yells.

"I know that Clay but as far as he knows he saw you once and his world flipped upside down. Now he doesn't know what will happen to him and he is scared."I say.

"Why can't I see him?" He asks me 

Ari answers "Once he gets back here. Once he sees you. It will be difficult if not impossible to get him to leave for a while."

Clay puts his hand on his head staring at the carpet.

"Once he sees the judge and we get him placed we can work out a way to get custody of him." Lilly says hugging Clay around the shoulders "it should be relatively easy now that they aren't going to lock him up."

"Alpha?" I hear Dylan through my link. "You need to come back now."

"What's the problem Dylan?" I ask.

"Its the pup...he..umm..."

"Spit it out!" I yell.

"He's gone!" My Beta links. I break the connection and turn to Ari.

"Ari, Lilly... we may have a problem."

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Alaric's POV

He just left. He's going back to my pack and leaving me here! This is so stupid! I throw the one chair that sits at the dining room table. It hits the counter with a thud. Stupid, weak, worthless! I can't even throw a chair with any impact. Beta Dylan slides the chair back in place.

"So what do you want on your pizza?" He asks.

"Not hungry!" I respond and storm off throwing myself onto the small couch.

"Pepperoni it is." He says and picks up a phone. I ignore him and stare out the window. About a half hour later the pizza arrives. It smells amazing. I hear my stomach grumble.

"Not hungry hu?... come on pup you gotta eat." He says handing me a plate. I grab it and devour the slice. The Beta laughs. "Slow down theirs plenty to eat."

I go to the kitchen to get another piece and see he bought 3 pizzas! I look at him in shock.

"What? Hungry wolf here! Plus Alpha might want some." He says.

"Pft! Who cares what Brayden wants! He doesn't care what anyone else wants!" I yell at him.

"Calm down pup." He says holding his hands up.

"NO! Everyone keeps telling me that and I'm sick of it!" I can feel my claws digging into my hand.

"You are not in control you need to Cal.... relax or you will shift." He says. I grab my hand and squeeze... it helps... my claws retract and I release my hand.

"I'm going to take a bath... leave me alone!" I storm into the only private space in the apartment slamming the door.

"We could run now" I hear my wolf say. This time I agree with him. If Brayden won't take me home I'll go myself.

"Let's go!" I tell him.

I look around the room. A toilet, a shower, no tub, and a sink but behind the sink I can see a small window. Bingo. I turn on the water to the shower. The window is tiny. I barely fit through and that's saying something.

We are on the second floor.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea." I think.

"We'll be fine!" My wolf says.

"I don't think so I'm going back in." I tell him.

As I try to turn around and slip back into the small window I lose my grip and fall.

"Woooooohhh!"

Thud!

I hit the ground flat on my back knocking the wind out of me.

"Ouch." I whisper as I catch my breath and sit up.

"Told ya we'd be fine now let's go!" He says.

"I'm not so sure." I argue.

"Come on you can't hide in there all night!" I can hear Beta Dylan call knocking on the bathroom door. "I'll put on some cartoons. We can just hang until Alpha gets back! Come on... Alic?... Alic... Alaric!" I can hear the wood fraim splinter as he breaks the bathroom door. "Crap!"

"I am not waiting around for him to find us!" My wolf says and without warning he takes over forcing me to shift. I run off down the alley. I'm going home.