Chris' POV
Getting back to the pack house just after Yasmine and Thomas I look over my shoulder too see them dressing back into clothes and confirm that Percy still isn't here. "To confirm, you and Percy aren't playing a prank on me are you?" Referring to Thomas' old ways of tricking Percy into sneaking out just to leave him trapped until dark out, pretty fucked up honestly but not much I can do when I already had so much to look after.
"No, we stopped that ever since Percy came back injured on his back legs" Thomas explains to me with a worried look.
"How come you don't just signal the guards, Chris?" Yasmine reminding me of my additional gift of telepathy, the main reason why the previous alpha selected me was all due to it being convenient for guard work since I was the only one in the pack able to give out mass orders. That's all I am I guess, convenient to the pack.
"I don't like it, ever since I was a kid I wasn't able to control it, I heard everything and everyone screaming into my soul like a breached dam. Let's just wait a bit longer...please" I admitted, causing Yasmine to look down at the ground, almost giving away a guilty look for asking me. Tapping my foot in impatience and worry I finally stop when I hear the pitter pattering of feet. Readying up my guard I become alert to protect the pups who've gathered together behind Thomas and Yasmine but, much to all of our ease it was just the shifted pups that Percy was looking after.
"Oh my god they're SO CUTE!" Yasmine runs over grabbing them all up like a bouquet of flowers in her arms, "Hey um...I'm not sure how to tell you this but, you're suffocating them" Thomas worryingly expresses as he runs up to help save their lives. 'I admit, that's funny for what it's worth' my wolf Hara chuckles in a husky tone as we watch Thomas diving for them in Yasmine's arms but she just refuses to let go.
This happy moment ends when we hear it, a howl of clear desperation and rage freezing us still with it's bloodlust. "You two get back inside with the children, I'm going to find it" without caring for a response I dive into all fours once again, causing dirt to kick up behind me as I shift into my sand coated fur and natural green eyes diluting into a grey hue.
'I smell it' Hara informs me
'Blood, a wolf? Tell me the exact details' I attempt prying the answers out of him as I practically gallop towards my duties to protect this place. 'Where the fuck are the guards' is all I can ask myself over and over, feeling a sense of failure the closer I get to the source of the howl.
'A wolf, there's something else but that exact smell is dulling my senses...blood?' Hara comments with curiosity.
'I can work with one so let's pray there's nothing else or anymore surrounding it, thanks Hara'
'Just get there first, thank me later'
He was right, I needed to fixate my priorities again...where's Percy? Navigating the woods while leaving the mud under my feet cracked from the heat in my paws near cooking this forest around me, 'I need to relax before I start a forest fire' I attempt to reason with myself rationally as to not cause any problems for the pack later on. I continue to run but this time controlling the heat in my body to the centre as to not release it in radiating waves but as I focus, Hara stops me. 'We're here'.
The most potent smell of blood I've came across suddenly wafted up my nose in a frenzy almost as if it had an intent to suffocate me. Peeking around a bush I notice an absolute massacre: blood scattered from tree to tree, guts of I can only assume a wolf spread along the leaves like a joyous celebration, claw marks way up in the branches and a head...with a beaten eye bashed deep into it's skull. "What. the. fuck." as my wolfish expression changes from worry to almost defeat, 'Whatever this is...I won't be a match for it' I'm a big wolf by all means especially due to my Beta heritage, but even when you cross a territory there's Wolf law agreed to every pack to not fully fucking dismantle whoever crosses it like a knitting ball of wool. 'If it wants to kill me it probably could'.
Stepping into this blood bath of an arena I see something, it's having an absolute feast with on the corpse of this poor soul, "Speak" I say to it, earning it's attention as he stops eating. Wait, I recognise that tail..."Percy?" Speaking out loud as I gain a piece of comfortability with the familiar wolf. He turns on his blood soaked paws, but not enough for me to see more than one of his eyes which is a clear sky blue, "Thank god...you're safe" I croak out still unable to comprehend the scene I saw before me.
"Speak to me-" my voice breaking in realisation that it wasn't Percy, it was Crest. Ever since he was young Percy's told us he was close with Crest almost like a father to his son but...he's never liked anyone telling him what to do, we've spoken to him when Percy swaps consciousness and he seems fine, it's just other times...well he just seems off which has only come about recently. "Crest stop...It's Chris, remember?". "So it seems I still do" he speaks fluently off the tongue, earning me a head tilt in surprise and astonishment.
"What happened?" I question.
"Rogue" Crest whispers.
"And Percy?"
"Scared"
"Of you...or the rogue?" I try to make a light joke to ease the tension, yeah that wasn't conveyed well in an emotionless wolf form, shit I guess.
"Funny" he says with half his side still to me, staring towards a tree with a mark in it.
"Thanks?" Wow I made the wolf eating...beta wolf amused at one of my jokes, finally a fan of my work. At least that's what I feel like to him, food. I know I said I wouldn't use my telepathy but, if we're covered by the silence of the woods deep away from others then there shouldn't be too much for me to block out. Plus I'm just curious, I've never seen inside of Crest's head, Percy's I've been able to and it was just as you'd expect. Fridges, filled with cookie dough for him to dine on and him being pampered like a king as he's fed grapes by the stalk, dumbass kids and their imagination I tell you.
Closing my eyes, slowing my breathing and picturing Crest's figure standing in front of me. I fall into his mind, my power was originally just being able to telepathically communicate, but as that scared me to let loose when I was younger I sealed it off. In doing so it sort of...evolved? To better suit me without needing to hear the echoes of voices I could now peek into the head of others. Immediately, I felt it, gazing eyes piercing into me like a knife slicing me open and triggering a sensation I haven't felt since I was a pup. 'This was meant to a place of vulnerability, so why the fuck does it feel like I'm the one being stalked and dissected'. Before it got more intense I got placed back into reality by the sound of a thump, causing me to jump back in defence.
'He just...dropped' Hara said, as he stays in control of our body while I was skinny dipping in this mind of a monster. 'So he did' I spoke with honest relief in my chest. I'm one of the strongest in the pack but we all have our fears, and mine was never feeling vulnerable like that again, I'm not ever letting myself get that weak. Never again.
I see his body shifting back into a human and on instinct I go to cover him...with what? I had nothing to protect either of our dignities so I guess we're gonna have to walk back with my log in the wind huh. 'Stop bragging, mine's bigger' Hara snickers, 'Shut up thanks' sending a shiver down my spine at the thought.