Gerard felt the crick in his neck before he opened his eyes, staring up at a lighting sky and few clouds. A weight in his lap made him pull his head up and he blinked. Shera was curled up, her head neatly against his chest and her body curled up in a way that resembled a young child. She didn't look angry or hurt and it was something to see. The swoop of her lashes against her cheeks, the slight twitch from her muscles as she dreamed, the way her lips parted slightly; he'd seen it once before and found it just as mesmerizing.
He carefully moved her so he could lift her without waking her up. The grass around them was covered in dew still, the air crisper than what he was used to. He lifted Shera as he stood, walking to the tent and laying her inside. He stopped short, something pressing against the back of his neck and tapping. "Well, good morning," a voice sang. "I didn't think you'd be the-"
"Catherine," Gerard growled. The woman removed her claws as Gerard zipped the tent closed, his eyes moving to look at her. "What do you want?" He turned around and crossed his arms and sighed.
"I fount Scott. He slipped up," she nodded, "He was making phone calls-"
"To Shera. She told me about them," he nodded. "I'm surprised you got the signal from it."
"He was using burners until the last call," she nodded. Gerard looked to the tent and he heard Catherine suck her teeth, "She'll stab you in the back, Gerard. Just like the last one did." There it was. Catherine the manipulator was trying yet again. This tune was different though.
"You know," Gerard sniffed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had something against little foxy." Catherine stiffened and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. That attitude was so much like her daughter's; the difference was Sherry liked Shera. Sherry liked the sheltered little lycan that gave her a run for her money.
"Sherry makes a much better mate," there it was. Gerard laughed quietly, sitting down in his seat. "A purebred with no medical issues, a clear head; you couldn't ask for better, Gerard. You're throwing her aside for some runt with a stunted-"
"See, Sherry shared a much different opinion," Gerard sniffed. "Sherry got to know the little foxy, unlike you. I've asked her opinion multiple times." The look on her face made him grin. She was distressed, angry and disappointed.
"That little-"
"Quit being power hungry. It's very unattractive," Gerard hummed, "Just because she has a condition, doesn't mean she isn't going to be a good alpha."
"It makes her a liability," Catherine snapped angrily.
"One you failed to beat," Gerard informed her and that made Catherine angry. "So unless you want to challenge her again, keep talking." The tent zipper is was pulled, Shera stepping out bristling.
"There's the little miss," Catherine forced a fake smile, bouncing a bit.
"Just challenge me out right," Shera snapped at her. Gerard covered his mouth and stepped away, the woman taking less than two seconds to shift. Catherine watched before shifting herself, taking a few times longer than Shera had.
"That position is mine," Catherine snarled angrily. "Some kid like you can't handle the war you dragged this pack into." Shera was on Catherine immediately, something more aggressive than her normal behavior coming forth. He couldn't interfere with the challenge nor could he pick who he'd support. He pulled the chair out of their way and sat in it, watching as Catherine struggled to get a grip on the smaller creature.
It wasn't long before Shera had Catherine on the floor, her claws buried at the base of Catherine's neck. Gerard tapped his foot as Shera just held the woman there, making intense eye contact. He waited with Catherine in suspense before his eyes widened. Her laws forbade killing, even in a challenge. His laws were to kill the challenger if they failed and this was a line she was still unable to cross. Gerard stood up as Catherine tried to get up from the hold.
"You kill or disgrace yourself," Gerard called. Shera looked over, her eyes wide as he motioned to the terrified Catherine. "That's two for one Catherine. If she doesn't kill you, you owe her your life."
"I don't owe this runt anything," Catherine snarled loudly.
"Shera doesn't kill. Not our own kind anyways," Gerard shrugged. "So yes, you would." Catherine snarled and Gerard didn't have time to react. There came a yelp, Shera pulling her head back even as her claws stayed where they were. Gerard barely got a few steps closer before there was a crack and a whimper, the struggles between the two females ending quickly.
Shera pulled away from Catherine's lifeless body, her head swaying as she dragged herself away. Gerard was on her in moments, pulling her shoulder back and his breath catching in his throat. That delicate little face was clawed across, her gaze unmarred by the damage as blowed dripped down her neck and chin. "Shera-"
"I didn't mean to, I couldn't see," she gushed suddenly. She was nervous, her hands shaking as she grimaced in pain. Gerard took in the conflicted look in her eyes and he grit his teeth as he glanced to the tent. The things were fine where they were, she needed to go to the hospital he decided. He gathered her up in his arms and quickly started walking, Shera resisting being carried, "I'm okay. Put me down."
"It's too deep," Gerard knew just how shallow the facial muscle was, how fragile the skin could be. He remembered just how much it could bleed and while his had only been his jaw, Shera's was across her face. He didn't realize he had shifted as he started to run, his body keeping out of view subconsciously as he made his way. He shook his head as he shifted back close to the hospital, Shera having gone quiet. He looked down at her, noting the shallow breathing and the wide eyes.
She was in shock and he knew it was more over the kill than the injury. She wasn't crying this time, making him sigh on the inside in relief. Ferdinand stopped talking to one of the nurses as Gerard passed, the man's eyes widening as he followed him down the hall swiftly.
"Gerard, what happened," he demanded. He rolled his eyes when Gerard stared at him and blinked at Shera's face, as if he hadn't seen it as they walked by him.
"Sherry is the alpha for the pack back in Denver," Gerard stated. "I'm going to need a suture kit."
"I'm fine," Shera muttered.
"Shera, have you ever been hit in the face before," Gerard snapped. He hadn't meant to as it made her flinch from him but he wasn't about to take it back. He shook his head a bit as he walked into an empty room, setting her on the table. It didn't take long for the kit to reach him and even less time for him to use it as Shera didn't bother moving. He sighed as he started to clean her face up a bit more, his eyes catching hers.
"You're lucky there's no injury to the bone," he muttered. "Or your eyes, for that matter. It's going to be a little bit before it heals up though."
"You smell like fear," Shera noted. Gerard stiffened and scowled at her observation of him. His heart was pounding yes, but he was having an adrenaline rush because of the suddenness of it. Her shock would wear off soon and she would start to cry, her own fear would suddenly take over.
"It's not fear, I'm worried," he sighed.
"I'm sorry I killed her," Shera choked. "Bernard told me- told me that she raised you and I-"
"She wasn't much of a mother. Trust me," Gerard sighed. He cursed his half-brother quietly as he pet Shera's head. There were the tears he predicted in her eyes, threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes as he wiped them. "Sherry on the other hand is going to be sad so you're going to have to be there for her when she hears the news."
"Sherry is going to hate me," Shera muttered as her head moved towards his hands. "I'm a monster-"
"Shera, it's the way things are done," Gerard sighed. "She challenged you and failed. Death was on the table and Sherry out of all people understands that. She studied law and applied it to our pack's systems."
"You're saying she won't hate me for killing Catherine," Shera hiccuped. Gerard sighed and pulled her head gently, placing it in the crook of his neck as he rubbed her back slowly.
"She won't hate you. Despite her persona, she's a critical thinker," Gerard nodded. "You doing your job as my mate and the female alpha is not going to be frowned upon by anyone here." Shera slowly nodded and touched at her face, Gerard smacking her hands away.
"Thank you," she mumbled. Gerard stared and snickered softly, sitting down in one of the chairs in the room and leaning back. He didn't need it from her, the gratitude, but it was nice to hear. Shera's face slowly turned serious as she turned her gaze to the floor, a grimace taking place when she tried to frown at it. "If we can find him now, what are we going to do?"
Gerard sighed softly, "I'll be deciding that soon, foxy. Just recover." He didn't want her to take any further a part in what was happening. Yes it effected her but there were things way more personal for her in it, way more damaging to her emotions. She was already struggling to adjust to the life he needed her to take part in and the struggle couldn't be more evident than it was in that moment.
He sent her to school to ease her, distract her as she adjusted. He had Sherry and Bernard next to her at any point of the day he couldn't be, monitoring her and making sure there had been no signs that meant danger. They didn't understand why and that was fine with him, they had already begun to think her a friend and a member of the pack.
"I want to be there," she muttered. "He's my father."
"I don't care who he is, Shera. You will hesitate to do anything to him," Gerard stated. "You won't do what needs to be done." He heard her breath hitch and he looked away from her, staring out the window in the room. Shera shifted off of the table, stepping to stand in front of him. His eyes turned to look up at her and he watched her hand without moving his head.
It hesitated before it touched the scars over his lips, the touch delicate and gentle as if she would reopen them if she touched any harder. He closed his eyes as her fingers traced them. They must have felt weird to her when he kissed her, some anomaly she probably thought was normal in her inexperience. He hoped she'd never experience anyone else's kisses, that she'd be addicted to him as much as he was addicted to her rare existence. She needed to know he dominated her with more than her instincts; he needed her to know she was his in every aspect.
His possessiveness had been at bay as she adjusted and he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it much longer. "I need you to just focus on you. I'll keep you in the loop but I don't want you involved," he told her. "You're involved enough with just your name having a cloud over it. Most likely other packs will try to wipe your family out in retaliation when all is said and done."
"You're sure my father will lose," Shera asked quietly.
"I'm confident he'll die. Might be from me, might be from a different alpha," he shrugged. He blinked when she moved his arms and sat in his lap, curling up and nestling into him.
"I don't want him to," she muttered. Gerard stared and sniffed, carefully holding her against him.
"I know but he's a threat. What happens if this spills over and the humans find out? We'll have to have repercussions," Gerard nodded a bit. Shera nodded back after a while, rubbing her eyes and wincing before Gerard could stop her. "You've had a morning, why don't you just sleep hm?"