Mating The EMT

Valerian Talon Montgomery was only five years old when he lost his mother and father to a house fire. He watched from outside in his tree house as tears flowed down his little face. The two men that lit the house ablaze left without noticing him out there. A neighbor had called 911, but they arrived too late to save Marta and Thomas Montgomery.

"Has anyone seen their little boy?"

He heard the neighbor ask. Everyone began searching for him while he stared blankly at the burnt rubble that was once his home. He didn't register he was crying as he held his little blue stuffed rabbit close to his chest. He wore his Batman pajama top and Spider Man bottoms along with his Hulk slippers. His dark brown hair was sticking up all over the place and his piercing emerald eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight from his tears. One of the firemen spotted him in the treehouse and climbed the ladder. He knocked on the trap door on the floor before opening it slowly

"Hello, may I come in?"

He asked as he looked at Valerian. Valerian nodded and moved closer to the fireman. The fireman smiled at him and climbed further into the trap door.

"Will you come down little one?"

The firman asked him. Valerian scooted back towards the window and shook his head no.

"Well, can I call someone?"

The fireman asked as his hazel eyes scanned the little treehouse. Valerian clung to his little stuffed bunny tighter and kept his emerald eyes glued on the fireman. When the fireman noticed the bunny he smiled and spoke kindly.

"My little boy has one of those, but it is green."

Valerian looked down at his bunny then back at the fireman.

"I want my mommy!"

Valerian cried out sadly. The fireman frowned and held a look of sadness in his eyes as he shook his head no.

"I'm sorry little one. Your mommy and daddy are gone."

Valerian sobbed out a hiccup.

"B...but...I saw them leave..."

He said in his little voice between sobs. The fireman looked confused before his eyes went wide.

"Little one, Did you see the people who did this?"

He asked softly. Valerian nodded his little head.

"I...I...th...thought...i..it...was...was..m...m..mommy...a..and...da..daddy..."

He said as he hiccuped between sobs. The fireman shook his head no again.

"No, little one, your mommy and daddy went to Heaven."

He said causing Valerian to look confused between his sobs.

"H....Heaven?"

He asked the fireman.

"If you come with me I will tell you all about Heaven little one"

The fireman said with a sad smile. Valerian thought about it for a moment then nodded and moved towards the fireman. He climbed down the ladder after the fireman. The fireman told him all about Heaven on the way to the hospital. The fireman introduced him to the EMTs in the ambulance as well and they wheeled him into the hospital. The fireman stayed with Valerian the whole time he was being checked out. The police showed up and asked Valerian questions. He told them about the two men he had seen and described them. The fireman felt drawn to protect little Valerian. When the social worker arrived he asked if Valerian could be placed with his family. The fireman asked Valerian if he wanted to live with him and his family. Valerian nodded silently and the fireman took him home.

"Honey, I'm home!"

The fireman called out as he carried a sleeping Valerian in the door. His wife came around the kitchen door and look surprised to see a child in his arms.

"Who is that dear?"

She asked softly. The fireman smiled at his wife as he walked closer to her.

"This is Valerian Talon Montgomery. He is going to be staying with us for a while. He just lost his family tonight."

He explained before kissing his wife on the forehead. She smiled and shook her head, "Well, I would rather a child than another stray animal." She said with a soft laugh in her voice.

"Hank, do you think that Tommy will mind having a little brother?"

She asked as she followed behind him towards the spare room. "We can ask him in the morning." Hank said before he opened the bedroom door and entered the room. He put Valerian on the bed and removed the slippers from his feet.

"This poor little one saw it happen. I found him up in his treehouse. The only thing to his name now is that bunny and his pajamas."

Hank said as he tucked Valerian in bed and turned to leave the room. He shut the light off and then left the door cracked. He walked to his room and sat on the bed.

"Lola, my love, how do you feel about having another son?"

Hank asked as he looked up at his wife when she shut the bedroom behind her. She smiled at him as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh Hank, He's a beautiful boy. I always wanted more children. I just hope Tommy will be all right with this."

She said softly.

"Lola, I don't know why, but I need to protect this child."

Hank said as he rested his head on his wife's shoulder. She smiled again and hummed softly.

"Let's go to bed and focus on this in the morning."

She said before pulling away to get ready for bed. Hank nodded and stripped down to just his boxers before he climbed into bed and went to sleep.

"Mommy?"

A small voice asked into an empty kitchen just after the sun had risen in the sky. Valerian stood in the empty kitchen and rubbed his eyes with his left hand as his right hand still clung to his bunny. He frowned when he didn't find his mommy making breakfast in the kitchen already. He pulled one of the chairs out from near the table and climbed into it. He sat down and stared at the doorway waiting for his mommy to enter. He ended up dozing off in the chair as he waited. About 20 minutes later he woke up to soft humming and the clinking of a dish.

"Good morning little one"

A woman greeted him. He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion when he looked at her.

"You aren't my mommy...where is my mommy?"

He asked when she looked at him. Her face held a sympathetic smile as she turned to face him.

"Your mommy isn't here sweetie. My name is Lola"

The woman said softly. Valerian looked her up and down. She was beautiful with dark chocolate colored hair speckled with golden streaks through out that was pulled into a ponytail, dark chocolate eyes, milky colored skin, a slender waist, and she was tall. Well, she was tall to him since he was five and all grown ups were tall. She was wearing a pretty pink dress that ended at her slender ankles and puffy pink slippers on her feet. He stared at her slippers for a while before he spoke again.

"Mrs. Lola?"

He asked softly. She looked down at him while she held a mixing bowl in her hand.

"Yes, sweetie?"

She asked softly. His emerald eyes looked up into her dark chocolate ones.

"Can I go to Heaven with my mommy?"

He asked softly. Lola frowned and paused before she answered him.

"Heaven is very far away little one."

He looked down as he spoke.

"How do you get there?"

He asked softly. Lola put the mixing bowl down and bent down to look into his eyes when he looked up.

"Sweetie, You go to Heaven when you die"

She said softly. His eyes widened slightly.

"My mommy and daddy died?"

He asked with horror filling his little voice. Lola frowned and contemplate lying, but decided the truth would be better.

"I am so sorry Sweetie, they did."

She said softly. Valerian's face broke as tears left his eyes in big droplets.

"Do I have to die too?"

He asked between sobs. Lola shook her head no as she wiped away his tears.

"No Sweetie, You don't have to, not until you are very, very old."

She said. Valerian sniffled letting his tears dry up a little.

"B...but...where will I live now?"

He asked after a few moments of sniffles passed. Lola smiled at him.

"You can stay here with Hank, Tommy, and I."

She said softly as she stood up.

"You want me?"

He asked softly looking at the floor again. She smiled again and began mixing the ingredients in the bowl as she spoke.

"Yes, we do Sweetie."

Valerian nodded in silence. After Lola had made breakfast she made the plates and Valerian helped set the table. Hank and Tommy came in just as Valerian put the last cup onto the table.

"Good morning Love"

Hank said with a smile before planting a kiss upon Lola's lips. She smiled and returned the kiss.

"Good morning Darling"

She said softly after they finished their kiss. Valerian and Tommy both said EWW and then giggled at the same time. Tommy walked over to Valerian and looked at him closely with his hazel eyes.

"Who is this?"

He asked with a slight glare. Valerian shifted uncomfortably under the glare from Tommy.

"Tommy, this is Valerian. He is going to be your new little brother."

Lola said as she moved towards the two boys. Tommy glared and moved even closer.

"H..Hi."

Valerian said nervously as his emerald eyes locked with Tommy's hazel eyes. Tommy stopped right in front of Valerian and reached out his hand. He gently poked Valerian's right cheek before he smiled.

"COOL!!! I GET TO BE A BIG BROTHER!!!"

Tommy yelled loudly in excitement. Lola and Hank both laughed and let out a breath of relief. Valerian covered his ears and blinked at the sudden noise. Tommy let out an excited holler as he ran around the room.

"YAY!!!"

He squealed causing his parents to smile widely. Valerian smiled slightly and clung tighter to his bunny. Tommy's eyes went wide as he let out a gasp before he bolted out of the room and down the hall. Valerian stared at the blank spot Tommy had just been standing in with a confused look on his little face. A few moments later Tommy came running back into the room with a green stuffed bunny that looked like Valerian's blue bunny.

"We even have similar bunnies!"

Tommy said excitedly as he came to stand in front of Valerian.

"My bunny is name Gummy. What is yours named?"

Tommy asked with a huge smile on his face.

"B..Blaze"

Valerian said softly. Tommy smiled wider as he excitedly exclaimed.

"Gummy and Blaze are gonna be best friends just like you and me!"

Valerian smiled a little at that. They all sat down to eat breakfast after that. Tommy was excited as he gave Valerian an outfit to wear. They both got dressed after a bath each then Hank took them both to school. Tommy was excited to show off his new little brother to all his friends. Tommy was an energetic 6 year old with his fathers hazel eyes, mothers dark chocolate hair with golden streaks through out, and a nice tan complexion that he got from his father. He had his mother's plump red lips and perfect almond shaped eyes, but he had his fathers small nose. Valerian was excited to make new friends at school and had fun. He held back his sadness at losing his mommy and daddy until he was alone in bed that night.

"I miss you mommy and daddy. I promise to be a good boy like you taught me."

He said as he looked out at the moon from his window. He fell asleep clinging tightly to his stuffed bunny. He went to sleep thinking of what he would become when he grew up.

I stepped into the garden surrounded by the sunlight overhead. Today was my tenth birthday and I was excited. I walked towards the large oak tree in front of the house and climbed into the tire swing. I pushed my feet against the grass to start swinging. I smiled and closed my eyes as the wind rushed past me while I swung.

"Valley?"

I heard Tommy calling for me.

"I'm on the swing!"

I called out to him. He came running over and put his hands out to stop the swing. I opened my eyes and smiled at him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BROTHER!!"

He shouted happily as our eyes met. I climbed off the swing and gave him a hug.

"Thanks Tom-Tom"

I said using his nickname. He smiled and grabbed my hand.

"Let's go to the stream in the woods behind our house."

He said as he started walking. I shrugged and followed him, but paused when we reached the back yard.

"Does mom know where we are going?"

I asked. He turned to look at me and smiled.

"Of Course, Are you scared or something?"

He arched his perfect eyebrow. I shook my head no quickly and he laughed. I smiled at him and continued to follow him to the tree line. I walked right behind him so we were close. It didn't take us long to reach the stream. We smiled and sat down on the bank of the stream. We watched as some fish swam by paying us no mind.

"Do you ever think about them?"

He asked suddenly putting his focus on me. I looked at him with a confused face.

"I mean your real mom and dad?"

He asked after I was silent for far longer than he liked. I looked down into the water and frowned.

"I used to think about them all the time, but now I can't even remember their faces."

I said as I picked up a stick and poked the water with it. He put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into a side hug.

"Well, I am glad my mom and dad got me you as a brother."

He said and I looked up at him.

"You really mean that?"

I asked. He smiled wider.

"Yes, Mom and Dad made the right choice in picking you for their son"

He said firmly. I smiled and then looked back at the stream.

"Did Mom ask you to bring me here?"

I asked after a few moments of silence passed. He picked up a rock and tossed it into the water before he replied.

"Yeah."

I shook my head slightly as I watched the rock sink into the bottom of the water. A twig snapping nearby had me sitting up in full alert. My body stiffened and I wondered if it was just an animal or not. Tommy looked up towards the sound as well looking for the source.

"Tom-Tom...maybe we should go back"

I suggested and stood up. Tommy didn't move an inch when we heard the next twig snap.

"TOMMY!"

I called out grabbing his hand trying to get him to stand up. My heart started to pound in panic. My breathing quickened when a large chocolate colored wolf emerged from the trees across the stream in front of us. Tommy's eyes went wide as he stared at the wolf. It was easily the size of a grizzly bear. It paused in it's steps and stared at us.

"T..Tommy...W...w....We have...have..to..to..g..go..."

I stuttered out trying to calm my breathing. Tommy slowly stood to his feet keeping his wide eyes on the wolf across from us. More twigs snapped near the wolf and my eyes widened when another massive wolf that was charcoal grey stepped into my line of sight. Tommy stood frozen in pure fear as we stared at them. I gulped and stood defensively in front of Tommy.

"G..Go AWAY!"

I shouted at the wolves with as much courage as I could muster. The wolves tilted their heads and their eyes seemed to glint with amusement. I gulped again as the first wolf took a step closer to us.

"Tom-Tom...go..."

I whispered leaning my head slightly to the side trying to get him to move. He began to slowly back away as the first wolf took another step towards us. The wolf was at the other bank of the stream by the time Tommy had turned around. I kept my eyes focused of the wolves intent on following after Tommy. I stopped moving when an intense pain shot all over my body. I let out a cry of pain causing the wolf to stop. I gasped as it felt like my lungs were on fire. Both of the wolves tilted their heads as my knees hit the ground.

"AAAHH!"

I screamed out as my whole body began feeling like it was set on fire. The first wolf sniffed the air and then tilted its head again looking confused. I could hear Tommy calling for me.

"G...Get MOM!"

I managed to holler out to him before another wave of pain hit. My head felt like it was going to explode and I started seeing black dots. I heard screaming, but didn't register it was coming from me. The wolves had sat down and were just staring. My breathing quickened just before everything went dark. I don't know how long I was out for, but when my eyes opened I was still by the stream. The wolves sat there staring with what looked like shock on their faces. I let out a low whine as my body hurt terribly. I tried to stand up but wobbled and fell over. I winced when I hit the grass and closed my eyes for a few more minutes. I felt a soft nudge against my side and opened my eyes to see the chocolate colored wolf with its' snout gently pressing my side. I looked into it's golden eyes and wondered if this was were I would die. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a strange sound. I was confused about what had happened. Was I already dead? I looked down to see two paws instead of my hands. I blinked in confusion while I took in the sight of paws. I noticed that there was black up the leg part to a certain point that made it look like socks, but the rest was white. I looked back up at the wolf with confusion swirling in my eyes. The wolf pressed his snout against my side again helping me to stand. I blinked after he scooted back and I stood on my own. I slowly walked towards the stream and looked down into the water. I was surprised to see the face of a fox with shining emerald eyes. The fox was white with black tipped ears and one eye had a black ring around it. I leaned closer towards the water until my nose touched the surface. I pulled back and scrunched my nose while shaking my head slightly. The wolves both continued to stare at me.

Confusion swirled through my mind as I tried to process what happened. I felt like my eyes would bulge out of my head when the first wolf shifted into a tall human man in front of me. I looked away when I realized he was naked. I heard a chuckle before I heard him walk towards a tree and pull something out.

"Little One, you can look now"

The man said with a chuckle. I looked up and had to crane my head to an uncomfortable angle because the man was so tall. He smiled as he looked down at me with his chocolate colored eyes. He sat down as the charcoal grey wolf moved behind a tree and shifted as well. I sat back and looked down as something moved under me. I saw the white tail with a black tip moving side to side slowly. I tilted my head before I realized it was my own tail. Another noise caused me to pop my head up looking as another man came into view. He sat next to the first man and looked at me with silvery grey eyes.

"Wow, a fox shifter"

He said as he looked my way. I tilted my head to the side still confused. Both men smiled at me before the first one spoke again

"Little One, you don't have to be afraid of us. We are werewolves and you are a fox shifter. Did your parents not explain this to you?"

He asked. I felt a deep sadness when he mentioned my parents and shook my head no. The man frowned

"I wonder why they let you alone if you were so close to your first shift"

He rubbed his chin as he spoke. I felt tired after a few more minutes and a huff of breath left my mouth. The men both looked at me before the second one took off the shirt he had put on.

"You need to think of being a human to shift back."

He said as he tossed the shirt towards me. I nodded and thought hard about what my human body looked like. After some painful moments I was finally back to being my 10 year old self again. I looked at my hands in surprise then grabbed the overly large shirt. I pulled it over my head and let it fall down my body. It ended just below my knees causing me to smile a little. I yawned as I looked at the men again.

"Th...thank you"

I said softly just before another big yawn left my lips.

"Not a problem, Little One"

The men said at the same time. I let out a small laugh.

"I am Beta Cornelius and this is my eldest son Brayden. Who might you be?"

The first man asked. I smiled as I answered honestly

"I am Valerian."

They both smiled at me widely.

"How come you did not shift at home with your family, Little One?"

Beta Cornelius asked. I looked at him with a mix of sadness and confusion plastered on my face.

"I didn't know I could do that"

I said truthfully. Beta Cornelius frowned

"How old are you?"

He asked me.

"I just turned 10 today!"

I exclaimed happily. His eyes widened along with Brayden's eyes.

"You just turned 10?"

He asked with shock clear in his voice. I nodded and smiled wide.

"Happy Birthday, Little One"

Beta Cornelius smiled as he spoke.

"Thank you!"

I said with a wide smile.

"Did your parents not tell you what you are?"

He asked me. I looked down into the water of the stream as I thought about my real parents.

"My real parents died when I was five."

I said softly as pain filled my heart at the memory. Beta Cornelius and Brayden both let out a gasp.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Little One"

Beta Cornelius said softly. I looked back up at him knowing pain would be showing in my eyes.

"I live with the firefighter that saved me that night."

I said honestly letting my thankfulness spill into my voice.

"He and Mom took me in. Tommy is my older brother now."

I said. I heard as Mom, Dad, and Tommy quickly made their way to where I was at. Beta Cornelius and Brayden looked up just as they came through the trees.

"There you are Valerian! Are you all right?"

Mom asked with a worried filled voice. I smiled at her and nodded. Dad glared at Beta Cornelius

"Who are you and what are you doing with my son?"

He asked gruffly. Beta Cornelius smiled and stood up. He put a hand out towards Dad in an offer to shake it.

"Hello. I am Beta Cornelius. My son Brayden and I were on patrol and came across your boys here. You have such a brave son, Sir."

He said with a smile. Dad put his hand out and shook Beta Cornelius's hand.

"Thank you. I'm Hank, this is my wife, Lola. My sons, Tommy and Valerian"

Dad said before stepping back.

"I'm sorry if they crossed into pack territory."

Dad said causing Beta Cornelius to smile wider.

"Not at all Hank, They were on your side, but did you know that Valerian is not a human?"

He asked Dad. Dad looked at me just now realizing I was only wearing Brayden's shirt.

"No, I did not. We only got him into our custody five years ago when his parents were killed by a fire."

Dad said honestly as he scooped me into his arms. I let out a loud yawn feeling extremely tired.

"You have a special boy there Hank. He is an Arctic Fox shifter. I think he may be the last of his kind."

Beta Cornelius said causing Dad to look down at me. I yawned again and snuggled my head into his chest.

"You will have to be careful that no one sees him."

Beta Cornelius warned. Dad stared at me before looking at Beta Cornelius again.

"He shifted?"

Dad asked as my eyes began to close.

"He did indeed. Caused me quite the scare when he started screaming."

Beta Cornelius let out a chuckle when he spoke

. "He will be fine, he will just need to rest."

He said before turning to leave.

"It was nice to meet you, Little One. I hope we shall cross paths again."

Beta Cornelius said before he left with Brayden following close behind.

Two years had passed since my tenth birthday. I hadn't shifted since then and most days we all forgot about it. I decided to sit by the stream behind the house. I walked into the tree line and to the stream. I smiled as I took a seat near the edge of the water. Tommy, Mom, and Dad had all gone to town to get something. I didn't mind being alone since there was never any danger. I kicked my sneakers off then took my socks off and dipped my toes into the water. I let out a content sigh as the sun shone down on me. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of nature that surrounded me.

A snap of a twig had me snapping my eyes open. I stared at the tree line on the other side of the stream. I arched an eyebrow and sat in silence waiting to see if anything came out. After moments passed with no sound I shrugged and closed my eyes again. I heard laughter coming from somewhere in the trees on the other side. I was curious, but didn't want to get in trouble for wandering too far from home. I frowned wishing I had friends. I was the social outcast at school and I knew people took my kindness to their advantage. I shook my head and chose to ignore the thoughts that plagued me. I looked into the stream after opening my eyes and suddenly thought about my real parents. I had avoided all thoughts about them since my tenth birthday. I let out a sigh and frowned.

"I still miss you both"

I said softly while staring at the streams. I felt the familiar pang of sadness tighten my chest as I remembered them. I let out a sigh and laid down on the grass to stare up at the clear blue sky. I wondered if they were looking down on me from Heaven. I also wondered if fox shifters got to even go to Heaven. No one would know that I am a fox shifter other than those that were there on my tenth birthday. My family had kept it a secret and I hadn't seen the wolves again. I ended up falling asleep with my hands crossed under my head. My mind playing a picture behind my closed eyes.

- dream -

I climbed out of my bed and grabbed Blaze into my arms. He was my blue stuffed bunny that I took everywhere with me. I had just turned five the day before and I was wearing some of my new pajama bottoms. I had on my Batman pajama shirt, Spider-Man bottoms, and Hulk slippers. I wanted to look at the stars from my treehouse so I snuck quietly out of my room. I tiptoed down the stairs and out into the back yard. I smiled to myself as I had accomplished sneaking out without waking mommy or daddy up. I climbed up the ladder and opened the hatch before pulling myself into the treehouse. I closed the trap door and took my seat by the window. I saw two people hop the back fence and tilted my head sideways in confusion. I watched at they entered the house.

"Blaze What are they doing?"

I asked as I looked down at my stuffed bunny. I heard a loud crash and then silence. I waited to see if anything would happen. My eyes went wide as I saw bright orange lights start to fill the house and dark black smoke began rising from the open door. I watched two figures running away and frowned. I couldn't believe mommy and daddy were leaving me here alone. I watched as the house was engulfed in fire a few moments later. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt Blaze get wet. Dad came into view as a firefighter and took me to his house. The next moment everything was black. I tried feeling my way in the dark and stumbled around. I was suddenly in a room that had silver bars all around me. My heart was racing as I tried to figure out where I was. Two figures emerged from the dark and I shrank away from them. The leader of them sneered at me and I felt panic take over my body.

"You won't get away so easily little fox. We are coming for you!"

The man snarled out. I screamed as he lunged towards me with a murderous intent in his eyes and a blade in his hand.

-- end dream --

I woke up with a gasp and sat straight up. Sweat coated my skin and my breathing came out in quick rapid pants. I looked around at my surroundings and let out a shaky breath as I calmed down. I brought my knees to my chest and laid my head down on them. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around my knees. I took a deep breath trying to calm down still.

"It was just a dream...It was just a dream..."

I repeated to myself a few times. My heart started to slow down after a long while. I must have been really out of it because I let out a startled scream when I heard someone speaking to me.

"Well, Hello there Little One."

The voice said in a friendly manner. I clutched my chest with my right hand after jumping back. My eyes were wide and gasped to suck in oxygen. He chuckled softly.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to frighten you."

He said with a smile. I looked up as I caught my breath and my heart rate went down. I closed my eyes as I gasped in air.

"Hello, Beta Cornelius. You scared me."

I said causing him to laugh.

"I see that."

He said still smiling. I let out a shaky laugh and then sat back down in the grass. My breathing evened out and my heart rate went back to its' normal place.

"How are you doing, Little One?"

He asked as he sat on the other side of the stream. I shrugged before looking at him.

"I dreamed of the night I lost my real parents. I had just gotten over waking up from that when you startled me."

I answered honestly. He gave a sheepish smile and then laughed softly.

"I had said hello as I walked up. I guess you were pretty out of it to not hear me."

He said with amusement in his voice. I smiled and felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Sorry"

I said honestly as my hand dropped back by my side. He gave look of sympathy to me, but before he spoke there was a snap of a twig. I looked around for where the sound had come from. He quickly stood up.

"I have to go, Little One. Get home safely."

He said with a wave before he shifted to his wolf and ran off the way he had come. I watched after him and gulped as a slight breeze blew past me. I became very nervous all of a sudden when I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I leaned closer to the stream and stared towards the way Beta Cornelius had ran. I thought about running home, but the smell of blood and a soft whimper hit my ears. I didn't think about it as I ran towards the whimper. The water splashed as I ran across the stream and hit the air. I ran faster as the whimpering smell got louder. I came to a small clearing and paused when I saw a boy around my age with his hands over his eyes. He was whimpering and I saw as tears left his eyes. I heard a loud growl and saw a tan colored wolf standing a few feet away from the boy. I didn't even register that I was shifting until I stood protectively in front of the boy. I growled and let out a bark like noise while baring my teeth at the wolf. The wolf looked amused at my tiny fox self growling at it. I could almost see laughter behind his eyes as I crouched lower and growled again. I had my sharp teeth on full display ready to fight if need be. The wolf shifted to his human form and let out a laugh. I moved my body to protect what I could of the other boy.

"Oh how nice..the pack can't fend for themselves so they sent a little fox to take me out?"

The now naked man sneered as he looked over at me. I felt another growl rumble through my chest and chomped my teeth in an aggressive manner warning him that I wasn't playing. He let out a laugh as he walked forward. I let out the bark like noise again with another growl. He took another confident step towards the other boy and I. I lifted my head and gave a high pitched howl like noise trying to warn anyone of the danger here. My emerald eyes locked onto the man as he took one more step towards us. I crouched lower prepared to jump and attack him showing him my teeth again. I let out another growl.

"How sweet, I get two for the price of one"

The man said as he stood right in front of me. I growled and leapt at him with my mouth open. I sunk my teeth into the side of his right thigh. He let out a pained hiss as I locked my jaw. He hit my head with his fist trying to get me to let go. I growled around the bite and dug my claws into his thigh. The other boy had stopped whimpering and was staring at us. My eyes caught his and I tried pleading with my eyes for him to run. I winced and bit harder when I felt another hit to my head. Thankfully the other boy took off running away from us. I heard the sound of paws running our way as I started seeing black dots. The man grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and ripped me off his thigh before throwing me into a tree nearby. I tore a nice chunk out of his thigh when he ripped me off which landed next to me when I hit the ground. I let out a low whine from all the pain, but attempted to stand up. I whimpered and fell back down when my left front paw snapped under me. The man started coming towards me with pure anger in his eyes. I growled at him and tried to stand up again. I took in a deep breath as he came closer. I bared my teeth at him growling lowly standing on all my paws except for my left front paw. Just before he got to me a midnight black wolf knocked into his side sending him flying across the clearing. I watched as the wolf attacked the man and killed him skillfully. The wolf then turned its' focus back on me. I closed my mouth and fell back down to the ground panting hard. I watched the wolf walk closer to me just before darkness took me over.

*beep..beep...beep*

I faintly heard a noise and tried to open my eyes. My body felt heavy and I struggled to open my eyes. I could hear soft voices speaking and tried to focus on them. My eyes flickered open and I quickly closed them when a bright light hurt them. I slowly opened my eyes again and looked around. I had turned back into my human form while I was asleep. I was covered in a cream colored blanket and wearing a hospital gown. I tried to remember what happened, but was struggling. I sat up slowly and groaned at the pain that hit my body and head. I frowned and laid back down. I heard a door open and two sets of feet.

"Is this him?"

I heard a boy's voice around my age ask. I closed my eyes as I heard them begin to walk closer.

"Yeah, This is the one that saved me."

Another boy's voice said. I was curious, but pretended to be asleep. The two boys were on either side of the bed and were silent for a moment.

"He has to only be around our age."

The first boy said. I felt a hand on my right cheek. It felt soft and warm. I fought to keep my face straight so I could keep listening in. I heard the second boy speak softly.

"One day, He's gonna be my mate."

My eyes shot open when I heard that sentence causing the hand to leave my cheek quickly. My eyes locked on the boy I had protected earlier. His face was a deep shade of red and he clutched his hand to his chest. The first boy laughed and I heard as he sat down.

"You can't know that Jax."

The first boy said to the one I had saved. I gave him a weak smile causing his eyes to widen further. He looked away towards the first boy.

"I can too..He saved my life so he must be my future mate."

He said with conviction before he stuck his tongue out at the first boy. I let out a pained laugh causing them both to look back at me.

"S..sorry."

He said and then climbed into the empty chair beside the right side of my bed. I smiled and locked my eyes on him again.

"I'm glad you are ok"

I said hoarsely and grimaced at the pain in my dry throat. He gave me a wide smile and leaned back into the chair he sat on.

"Thank you for saving me."

He said. I could see a sadness in his eyes and wondered what he was sad about. The door opened again and a young male doctor walked in. He had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, tan skin, and was slightly muscular. He smiled showing off his perfectly white teeth that peaked out from behind his peach colored lips. My eyes found his for a brief moment before they returned to focusing on the boy I had saved. The doctor pulled a pen out of the front pocket on his white lab coat. He walked over and handed me a cup of water.

"Hello, I am Doc."

He said with another smile. I gulped down the water feeling relief as the cool liquid soothed my throat. I drank the whole cup full before handing it back to Doc.

"Hi. I am Valerian"

I said softly, but firmly. I was afraid my voice would squeak because I was just hitting puberty. Doc smiled and pulled out a round chair with wheels on it. He sat down and rolled over to the foot of my bed.

"How are you feeling Valerian?"

He asked as he took out a notepad. He began to write on the paper when I told him how I felt.

"I hurt all over"

I said honestly. Doc gave me a look of sympathy as he nodded. He wrote down my responses to his other questions. When he was done he smiled again. Our eyes locked as he stood up and pushed the rolling chair away.

"You cracked your skull and broke a few ribs when you got tossed into that tree. Alpha Tiberius brought you here after he took down the rouge."

Doc said just before the man that saved me walked into the room. He smiled at me then looked at the boys in my room.

"Armand and Jax, I told you not to bother the patients"

He said with a stern look on his face. Both the boys looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. I softly laughed at the sight.

"They aren't bothering me, Sir."

I said as his eyes rested on me. He smiled and shook his head before he told them both to leave.

"But, Alpha...I want to stay with my future mate"

The boy named Jax said with a frown. Alpha Tiberius looked at Jax with an arched eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

"Are you disobeying your Alpha young man?"

He asked causing Jax to frown again. Jax stood up with a huff from off the chair. I watched as he walked over to my bedside again. He placed his hand on my cheek causing my eyes to widen. He stared into my eyes for a few moments before he spoke.

"Don't forget. When we are old enough, you will be my mate."

He said firmly before he placed a light kiss on my cheek causing me to stiffen. My eyes were wide and I held my breath. Jax gave me one last look over before he turned and left with Armand following behind him. I didn't let out my breath until the door closed behind them. Doc and Alpha Tiberius stared at me in silence. I stared at the closed door then down at the foot of my bed. Alpha Tiberius took the seat that Jax had occupied.

"He must think you are his future mate since you saved him"

He said after a few minutes of silence. I sat there in silence still in shock. A knock on the door had me looking up. Doc opened the door and let in Brayden. I looked at him in silence. Brayden walked over with a huge smile on his face.

"My brother said you are his future mate, Little One"

Brayden said with a wide smile. I looked back at the bed and blinked then looked back up.

"Um...I don't know..I just didn't want him to get hurt"

I said causing Brayden and Alpha Tiberius to laugh softly. I looked at Brayden and wondered where his dad was.

"Where is your dad?"

I asked softly. Brayden bent his head down and shook his head no.

"I'm sorry, Little One, He didn't make it"

Brayden said with a deep sadness mixed in his voice. My heart hurt for him and his family.

"I'm sorry"

I said softly causing him to look up at me. He wore a sad smile then placed his hand on mine in an act of comfort. I gave him a sad smile in return.

"If you really are my baby bro's future mate then that means our dad would have been your father-in-law. He would have loved having you as part of the family."

Brayden said causing me let out a few tears over the loss of the Beta.