Prompt 083

Title: Lycan Tales
Genre: Drama, suspense
Characters: Caine, Alana, Greg, The Shapeshifters
Prompt: 083~Anxious
Word Count: 2,237~ish
Rating: PG-13
Type: Series
Summary: Greg finds them a temporary place to crash.
Warnings: Language, drug reference

Once again I want to thank Cherie for allowing me the use of Jayden/Greg in my story!


Alana restarted the fire as Greg dug around for some clothes for Caine. Her mind was numb and her body ached. She didn’t know what to make of the last few days. Let alone what had happened in the last few minutes. As quickly as all those wolves had appeared they had disappeared. Greg had said something about them having to stay hidden for a little while longer. He needed to speak to Caine about some things before the pack vied for his attention. She shook her head. This…this was just unreal. It couldn’t be happening.
“Are you decent?” she called out as she dusted off her hands and stared into the flickering flames.

“I’m dressed if that’s what you mean,” Caine said with a laugh as he came around from behind a large tree. He grinned as he looked over at Alana. She still had her back to him and he could see her slowly running her hands up and down her arms. His smile faded. Of course she was cold. She was still in her pajamas and she was bare foot.
“Alana, why don’t you get back under the shelter? It’s still raining out and we don’t want you to catch a chill.”
“Like you care,” she grumbled before turning around. She didn’t even bother to look in their direction. The more she thought about it, the more she realized whatever was going on was all their fault. And she would leave it at that. Because if she thought about it anymore she’d probably have a nervous break down.
Heaving a sigh, she sat under the awning and continued to look straight ahead even as a pair of legs entered her vision. Soon Caine’s face appeared in front of her. He looked…concerned? That was a change from his usual frown.

“Hey, tilt your head back so I could check out your injuries.”
“So, you’re a doctor now? You know, I wouldn’t even have these injuries, or running around barefoot with I don’t know how many germs crawling over me, if you weren't some lunatic,” she snapped.
She resisted as he palmed her head and started to tilt it back but finally relented when a growl rumbled up from his chest.
“I don’t know what you people are but I don’t want any part of it. Look, if you let me go I’ll just pretend none of this ever happened. I’ll go so far away no one will be able to find me.” A pleading note had entered her voice.
“I’d find you,” Caine said gently as he tilted her head this way and that. “How do you feel?”
“Oh, you know…like someone doped me up, then kidnapped me. And let’s not forget that I’m homeless, saw something that’s only supposed to exist in movies, was in a car accident and then rescued by a slobbering man beast. Other than that I feel peachy.”
A small grin tilted Caine’s mouth. “You must if you can still talk shit.”
Alana slapped his hands away as Greg chuckled.
“And just for the record I was not slobbering,” Caine said as he gently brushed a thumb against the corner of her mouth before he stood and walked over to Greg.

“So, all this time you were one of the good guys huh?”
Greg shrugged. “The majority of the pack mourned when your father died. And then to be told by Ethan that you were killed as well…my father knew something had to be done.”
“So, that’s why no one ever came looking for me,” Caine muttered. Alana thought she heard relief in his voice. She couldn’t be sure though. Now that she was sitting down all she wanted to do was sleep. Their deep voices lulled her into a semi-restful state.
“Caine, Ethan had told us that you had died fighting his beta. You were just a pup but I eventually found the place where you had stayed. I tracked down the last owner but he had died so I found his son. After talking with him I began to piece together the puzzle. He said that his father appeared on his doorstep mumbling about the ‘crazy kid’ that he had hit had snapped a wolf’s neck with his bare hands. He then told his son that he had driven for miles before dropping you off at a nuthouse and then he dumped the wolf's body and tried to forget about it. The son seemed to think there wasn’t any truth in the story so when Ethan came around he lied and said that you had ran away.”
“Which probably saved my life.”
“Undoubtedly.”
“I just want to thank you for-”
“Alpha, no thanks are needed. Just seeing you alive and healthy is good enough.”
Caine shifted uneasily. He wasn’t used to this shit. He didn’t know how to respond to that. He was saved from putting his foot in his mouth when a small snore reached them.
“Alana!” he snapped.
“What?” she snapped back before her eyes drooped once again and she curled on her side. “Just give me a couple minutes. Tired is all.”
“Look, she might have a concussion or something. We can’t stay here…and I can’t take her to a hospital either. Not yet. I need-”
“There’s a safe place I know of. It’s in the city though. We’ll only be able to take my car so far before we have to walk. Ethan knows my car.”
“That’s fine. I trust you Greg….I’d trust you with my life.”
Greg’s jaw dropped. “Alpha…you, you honor me.”
“No Greg, I’m honored to have you in the pack. Come on before Alana passes out.”

Hillcrest

“This is it,” Greg said as he looked around. “Thank God, some lights are on. I thought they might be at the club.”
“Where are we at?” Alana asked in a slurred voice. All she wanted to do was go to sleep but Caine kept waking her. If he put his elbow in her ribs one more time she was going to break it. She stumbled and Caien slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. She stiffened at first but soon a warm tingle spread through her body.
His scent. She could wallow in his scent all day. Why hadn’t she ever noticed it before? It wasn’t a synthetic smell. No, it was all Caine. Manly and dark with just a hint of a spicy overtone. She jerked away when she realized her nose was buried in his neck. His rumbling laugh made her face warm.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, shuffling her feet.
He shrugged. “You can sniff me any time…anymore.”
She glared at him. “You are such a pervert!”
“Who was sniffing who?”
Pushing away from him she started to walk away. "Who was sniffing whom?" she snapped over her shoulder.
“Alana! Wait!” Greg started to reach for her arm but a rumbling snarl from Caine had him snatching his hand away.
“Right, right. Look, I’ll go first, just to be safe. Alana, you stay in the middle and Alpha bring up the rear.”
“Christ, Greg! Would you call me Caine for fuck’s sake?”

Alana shot a look over her shoulder as Caine let out a heavy breath. He was wiping at his face as his eyes stayed glued on her butt. She whipped back around.
“You know, it might help if you paid attention to what’s going on around you!”
“I’m trying, I’m trying but your ass keeps distracting me. It’s like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Very hypnotic. I’ve always loved your ass Alana.”
She rolled her eyes. “Caine, you don’t even like me.”
“I don’t have to like you to admire your very fine figure."
“Spoken like a man.”
“In case you haven’t noticed I am a man, princess.” He paused before she felt the heat of his body behind her. Geez, he moved silently, she thought inanely.
“And just for the record,” he growled in her ear, “I do like you. Probably more than I should seeing as how you bashed my head in with an extinguisher.”
From in front of her she saw that Greg’s shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.
“You deserved it.”
“Hmm….”
Their banter stopped when Greg held up his hand and tilted his head. Alana held her breath and let it out in a rush when he motioned them forward again.
“Alright, second floor. Wait for me there.”

Caine ushered Alana up the stairs, ignoring her grumbling of him to stop pushing at her, before he started up the stairs himself. He paused on the porch when he realized that Greg wasn’t following him.
“What are you doing?” he asked without turning around as he saw Alana swaying drunkenly on the landing to the stairs before she rubbed her forehead and started up.
“I’m not sure. I just feel as if someone is watching us. I’m pretty sure that Ethan had a tail on me the entire time he had me looking for you. I don’t want to be come too careless Alpha….Caine. Now, let me do my job which is protect you. Get into the apartment and off the porch.”
“I don’t want anyone dying for me.”
“We would all die for you. Get used to it. Now, in the apartment please.”
Caine’s shoulders slumped as his responsibility seemed to weigh down on him. He had been so used to being by himself, doing what he wanted…now he had to readjusted his way of thinking to encompass so many faceless people. People that had always held out the hope that he had survived. He didn’t know if he could do it.

Greg looked down as he went up the stairs. He hadn’t been here in months but it had felt like so much longer. Doing what he did, pretending to work for Ethan, he had created some enemies within the pack. He was used to it but he didn’t want that anger to pass down to the people around him. He didn't want to cause even more trouble for his family and friends so he rarely stopped by their place. But when he did it felt like coming home. They knew the real him. They had grown up with him and understood his dedication to getting rid of Ethan. And they also understood him leaving in the middle of the night and just reappearing months later.
It was a barren existence but something that he had to do. And not just for himself. He had others he needed to think about.

Motioning Caine and Alana out of the view from the peephole he raised a hand and knocked hard on the door. Through the door her could hear the abrupt silence before heavy footsteps came toward the door.
“Who the fuck is it?” A raspy voice came not far from the door. He grinned.
“Who do you think it is knocking on your door at two in the morning?”
The door was yanked open.

“Christ Greg! It’s good to see you! We thought you were the cops again. Our neighbors downstairs are always calling the fucking cops on us. Noise complaints and shit. Almost got busted for smoking that good shit you brought back with you last time. Did you bring anymore?”
Greg shook his head. “Nah. Nolan, I need you to do something for me.”
“Whatever you need bro!”
“Some friends and I need a place to crash for a few days. Will-”
“What friends? Dude, you don’t have any friends beside us. What the fuck are you on? Give me some of it.”
Clearing his throat Caine walked over. Greg stepped away.

“Duuuuude!! Get the fuck out! Are you shitting me? Do you know who you are? Slap my ass and call me Susan. You’re him.”
“Geez, does anyone not curse?” Alana muttered as she leaned against the wall. She straightened suddenly and brushed at her shoulder as she stared in disgust at the wall.
“Who’s the broad? She’s kinda hot in a librarian way.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said-”
“Why don’t you keep your eyes in your head huh?” Caine snapped.
“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, man!”
“Caine, this is my younger brother Nolan. Nolan, this is-”
“Dude, I know who it is. Man, I never thought I’d see the day. Welcome to our humble abode alpha.” Opening his arms wide he grinned at them before waving them in.
Alana wrinkled her nose as the smell of weed reached her.

Greg grabbed his brother and gave him a bear hug. “I missed you, little brother.”
“I missed you too Greg. It’s not the same not seeing you all the time. I talked to ma the other day. She said to tell you hi and that she loves you.”
“The next time you talk to her tell her-”
“Yeah, yeah! I know what to tell her without using your name.”
“How’s the band going?” Greg asked as he looked around. Nolan nudged him.
“You don’t give a shit about The Shapeshifters. You’re just looking for…” He drifted off when his brother stiffened and he knew that he had spotted who he was looking for.
“I’ll talk to ya later Greg,” he said.
Greg didn’t responded as he took a hesitant step forward.

“I’ve missed you mate.”
Her body fit perfectly against his. He knew those planes and slopes like the back of his hand. He envisioned them a thousand times as he laid in bed at night. He let out a shuddering breath as his arms tightened around her.
“I’ve missed you every moment of every day, my love.”
He nipped gently on her bare shoulder before burying his face in her neck.