Back on the road in the neighborhood, Mark tried to push himself to keep running, but his lungs and legs were giving out on him. He didn't have the ability to keep up with a speeding truck. Despite his best efforts, his legs slowed and buckled beneath him. Dropping to all fours on the road, Mark panted so heavily that he couldn't think. All he could do was feel disappointment in himself and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Slamming his hand on the road, Mark bowed his head in shame. Catching up to him, Sean's dad slowed down and panted out just as winded. "Shit... Come on. We can't give up." Mark straightened up, telling him seriously. "I'm not... but I can't chase it down..." Sean's dad removed his phone from his pocket, growling out. "Then we'll go to plan B." Dialing a number, Noah put the phone to his ear and told the person on the other end the license plate number and vehicle model. Then hanging up, Noah dropped to sit in the grass, heaving out. "Your dad has it on voicemail... Fuck. I should have..." Mark glanced at Noah, seeing the blood dripping from his nose and bad head wound. Pulling out his own phone, Mark called an ambulance, then asked Noah. "Did you see where Nate went?"

Noah gestured off, telling him breathlessly. "He cut back through the house. Jumped the fence. Maybe he had better luck..." Mark forced himself up onto his shaking legs, telling Noah firmly. "Stay here. You need to get looked at. I'm gonna find Nate." Noah started to get up, bitterly growling out. "Fuck that! I'm fine!" Mark pointed at him, yelling out sternly. "No! Stay here!" Noah ignored him, climbing to his feet. Staggering up to him, Mark commanded in a loud defensive tone. "Noah! STAY! I MEAN IT!" Noah whined and bent over a little from Mark's powerful influence, but then to Mark's surprise, he shook it off as straightened up. Staring him down, Noah snarled back at him in a dark challenging tone. "He may be your mate, Mark. But he's MY PUP! You want me to stay. You're gonna have to kill me!" Mark turned to face him, snarling back firmly. "Sean, will never forgive me if I let something happen to you!" Noah stepped closer to Mark, his voice calming just a bit as he told him unyieldingly. "I'm his father. It's not his job to protect me. Alpha or not... You are not going to stop me. I've been protecting him his whole life. And I'll be damned if you are going to stop me now."

Mark started to say something, but when he realized that Noah was never going to relent, he just accepted it. Exhaling loudly, Mark gestured for him to follow him down the last road that he had seen the truck turn down. From almost every house in the neighborhood, the Alphas or Betas stepped out to see what was going on, while their mates peered out windows or doorways. Almost all their attention was brought to something farther up the road. Seeing the cluster of Pack Members, Mark spurred himself into a run to see for himself. Reaching the group, a few members moved aside to let him see. Mark's gut wrenched at the sight of Nathan. He was lying unconscious on the pavement. Blood was leaking from the corners of his mouth, and he was covered in red marks that suggested a brutal fight. Dropping beside him, Mark touched his shoulder and asked him with deep concern. "Nathan? Can you hear me?" Nathan's eyes opened a little to look at him, but they were unfocused and a little bloodshot. An Omega standing nearby told everyone in a shaky voice. "I called an ambulance. Here." The Omega removed a little travel pillow and eased it under Nathan's head.

Noah explained to a few of his friends what had happened with Zedekiah, and others listening confirmed they saw the truck. Mark was going to leave and keep going, but Nathan grabbed his wrist. Coughing, Nathan tried to tell him something, but he seemed to be struggling. Holding his wrist, he told him calmly. "You're going to be ok, Nate." Nathan shook his head, reaching out to grab the front of Mark's shirt. Mark placed a hand on his hand, then leaned closer to listen. He could barely hear Nathan's weak strangled voice among the chatting people and the flare of a siren approaching. Shrugging, he told him reluctantly. "I'm sorry. I can't..." The medics rushed from the vehicle and broke up the crowd as they moved in to help. Yet, Nathan's grip on Mark's shirt only tightened. When a medic tried to remove his hand, Nathan snarled at her, causing her to jump back. Mark coaxed the medic back and waited for the siren and people to go quiet. Hugging his ribs, Nate forced himself upright and coughed out to Mark with great strain. "My phone..." Mark reached for Nathan's pockets, but Nathan stopped him. Locking eyes with him, Nathan told him bluntly. "No... Track my phone, Mark."

Mark quickly removed his phone, listening to Nathan tell him in a pained voice. "I silenced it and threw it in the truck." Mark quickly got the number in and hit the tracker, causing a little light to blink in an area that he didn't recognize. Smirking to himself though, he looked up and kissed Nathan's cheek. Nathan weakly shoved him away, grumbling out. "Find him. Go." Mark made sure that Nathan was taken in the ambulance, then turned to see where Noah was. Upon turning around, he saw the older Pack members approaching him. Standing tall, one of the Alphas stated firmly. "Are you going to track them down?" Mark nodded, honestly telling them. "I'm gonna try." The Alpha glanced at the others around him, getting nods in return, before he told Mark seriously. "We'll follow you." Mark didn't know what to say, prompting one of the Beta women to state out. "First Isabelle. Then Lauren. Now your Beta. Fuck this. Time to chase them out!" Another older Alpha stepped closer, snapping out. "This is OUR TURF! They have no right to come here and cause trouble!" A few more older Alphas let out deep growls that made the older Omegas retreat from the road. An older Beta stomped his foot, snapping out sternly. "Zedekiah has already tried to take the Valley once. And damn it, as long as I breathe, he's NOT taking it now!"

Clearing his throat, Mark straightened up and told them lightly. "Alright. Gather up. I'll tell you where I'm headed and what my plan is." The older members filed in like veterans without question. They listened to his plan, then gave a few suggestions. When it was all smoothed out, Mark told them that he'd meet them there. While heading back to his car, Noah jogged up beside him and told him coolly. "What about the Alphas and Betas that are your age?" Mark winced, briefly looking back to see a few watching the older ones head to their vehicles. They didn't look particularly invested into what was going on. Sighing, Mark told Noah reluctantly. "I don't have the time to motivate them. And I can't babysit them. At the very least, they'll be behind to protect the Omegas and the pups. Just in case we kick open a hornet nest..." Noah nodded, then slipped into the passenger seat of their car. While Mark drove, Noah texted Mark's father to inform him and those with him of the location they were tracking. Mark tried to keep his racing heart calm, but it was difficult. He didn't want to think about what Zedekiah was doing to Sean. Which meant that he had to work fast to get him back.

Following the tracker to a small storage unit complex, Mark rolled down his window to buzz the attendant that worked the gate. The camera turned to see Mark's face better, then after a minute the gate rattled as it opened. Noah patted Mark's shoulder, slipping from the car as he told him. "I'm gonna have a little chat with the attendant. Odds are he let them in." Mark didn't want to draw attention to Noah and simply messed with the stick shift. Giving Noah a quick thumbs up, before pulling inside. Pulling in, Mark slowly drove down the rows of the storage units. He looked for tire marks or something that might stick out. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he hoped that he'd know it when he saw it. Leaning out the window a bit, he sniffed the air trying to catch any possible scent that wasn't covered up. The speakers suddenly clicked out around the complex and Mark stopped, listening to the commotion being broadcasted. Turning off his car, he stepped out and started to make his way to the main building, until he heard Noah say over the speakers. "I'm fine, Mark. But... we may need to work fast. He pressed something before I tackled him. Looks like a button to alert someone..." Mark raised a hand to give a thumbs up to the camera to show that he heard him.

Turning back around, he started to head to his car, until he a familiar scent caught his nose. Sniffing the air while the breeze was bringing it to him, he took off to follow it. Running up to a set of six units, Mark sniffed deeply trying to find it. Kneeling, he scanned the rough grey pavement for any tiny detail. When he didn't see anything, he kept moving to the next one and froze. Reaching out to touch the metal lock, Mark leaned closer to smell it. Closing his eyes, he smelled Sean. It was faint but there. A drop blood? Maybe the sweat of his skin smeared on the latch? Rising, Mark growled loudly and smashed the fire hose case with his fist. Yanking out the heavy metal nozzle, Mark bashed the nozzle against the metal lock. The little metal lock didn't stand a chance against the anger Mark put into the blows, causing it to break off and dent the latch. Yanking the latch open, he grabbed the handle and threw up the rolling storage door. The unit clanged and bangs from the force, but Mark didn't care if he broke it. A deep growl snarl left him as he saw the truck sitting inside. Lifting his phone, he saw the light bleeping where he was.

Checking outside for people, he slipped in and peeked inside the back of the truck. Calling Nate's phone, he didn't hear anything, but he saw a light flashing in the back of the truck bed. Retrieving the phone, Mark stashed it on himself and sighed reluctantly. So close and yet so far. Sliding out the back, Mark picked up a tool from the toolbox sitting beside the truck and stabbed it into the tires. If they came back, he'd make it harder for them to get away. Just for good measure, he popped open the door and swiped the keys from the ignition. Venturing out, he ran into the other Pack members as they pulled in. Mark clenched his teeth, feeling like he'd hit a dead end. He wanted to chuck the keys somewhere, but the woods were too far, and the roof seemed silly. Turning to look for a grate to drop them in, he stopped and took a good look at something. Noah rushed up with a few older Pack members, quickly trying to inform him. "Mark! I checked the cameras. I know where they went." Mark kneeled, answering stoically in return. "Ya. I think I know too." Touching the manhole cover, Mark looked up and said coolly. "Where does this lead?" Noah smirked, pointing off into the park toward the mountains on the other side of the forest.

Up in the abandoned Aqueduct facility, Sean winced as Zedekiah reached over his shoulder to grab his neck in his large hand. Forcing Sean's head back against his shoulder, he pushed Sean's chin up to bare his throat. Sean growled, but Zedekiah ignored it. Bringing his lips closer to Sean's neck, he whispered to him playfully. "Did you get my Claiming present? I know it wasn't delivered to MY standard... but what can I say. A lot of my Pack can't stomach cutting the heart out of a puppy. Especially one that screamed and cried as much as she did." Sean swallowed the words that he wanted to say but couldn't because Zedekiah was holding his jaw shut. A distressed whine left Sean, when Zedekiah licked Mark's bite. Grazing his own teeth over the sensitive flesh, Zedekiah watched him squirm before telling him in a dark voice. "You smell different than last we met... and it's not because he Claimed you..." Sean went very still, closing his eyes as he tried to pretend this wasn't happening. On the floor, Sean's mom whined and tried to get up, but her leg wasn't working. Zedekiah's free hand moved down Sean's chest, feeling over every curve with his vile fingers.

When his hands felt his stomach, Zedekiah chuckled against his ear as he teased out. "Ah. Like daddy like son... but I'm curious. Who's the Sire? My son? Or your Alpha?" Sean refused to grace him with an answer even if he could tell him. Zedekiah grabbed Sean's shirt, leaning in to bite it. Tearing it open, Sean inhaled jaggedly and tried to shift away. Zedekiah placed a menacing hand on his stomach, causing Sean to whine with anxious unrest. His mother growled behind her muzzle, tugging on her chains as she tried to get closer but couldn't. Sean felt Zedekiah's sharp nails press into his flesh, while he whispered playfully to him. "The thrill of forcing a miscarriage to send the little body to your mate is... VERY tempting. After all... I can't let you keep them. When I take over. I only want you to pop out puppies of MY own." Sean's eyes darted to look at him with dark guarded eyes. Zedekiah chuckled, moving back behind him. With the snap of his fingers, someone exited the door to hand Zedekiah something, but Sean couldn't see it. Still holding his head firmly in his grip, Zedekiah leaned closer to his ear again and stated excitedly. "Can you think of a better way to conquer an enemy... then to breed them out? Just imagine it. With your help... I can make some strong Deltas and cull the weak. My Pack will be stronger WITHOUT Omegas."

Sean growled, until Zedekiah draped something over his mouth. Sean whined and tried to thrash, but Zedekiah easily buckled the flat leather muzzle over his mouth. When it was in place, Zedekiah finally let him go and walked around to stand before him. Sean glared up at him, letting out throaty growls, until he reached out to pinch one of his nipples. Yelping in slight pain, he tried to scream out. Slowly sinking to his knees in front of him, Zedekiah leaned in to lick the milk that he was getting from him. Zedekiah moaned in delight at the taste, pulling off long enough to lick his lips and say warmly. "Still my favorite thing in the world. How I've missed it." Zedekiah leaned in to suckle his nipple greedily, causing Sean to thrash and squeal behind his muzzle. His mother tugged at her chains, growling and doing her best to try and break them despite her pain. Zedekiah kept going making Sean's nipple feel raw and sore as he sucked harder to draw out more. He only stopped when someone rushed out the other door, blurting out. "Zed! We have a problem." Zedekiah took his lips off Sean, snarling out angrily. "What?!" The man whimpered, but pointed to the room behind him, upon answering timidly. "Cory just sent a distress signal. That Alpha is sniffing around the complex. What do we do? Should we move?"

Zedekiah patted Sean's thighs a bit smugly as he climbed to his feet. Walking around him to the door, Zedekiah stated out. "Alert the others. If they enter the tunnels... We'll flood it. In the meantime, send out our weakest Betas. Let them go rough up a few Omegas and puppies to change their mind about trying to rally against me. I've got my bait... Now let's trap the Alpha." To Be Continued...