Sean timidly sank his canine teeth deep into Mark's warm soft flesh. Tasting his blood made Sean whine a little with worry. He didn't like the idea of hurting Mark, but Mark didn't make a sound or show any trace that he was in pain. Instead, his fingers calmly stroked Sean's neck in a way that comforted Sean. When his teeth went deep enough that Mark's scent mixed with his own, he carefully removed his teeth and licked the bite. Mark shivered from the way his tongue licked him, his beautiful smile shining on his face. When Sean finally laid back to relax, he asked him a little worried. "Did it hurt?" Mark kissed him briefly, before answering in a deep voice over his lips. "Just a little. But I've been through worse." Mark turned Sean's chin with his thumb, licking the bite he gave Sean. Sean couldn't help tilting his head more for him, enjoying the sensation of his warm breath on his skin, combined with the gentle loving caress of his tongue. Nuzzling his neck after, Mark asked him in return in a voice that held a little distress. "Did it hurt you?" Rubbing the back of Mark's neck and shoulders, he whispered to him in a sweet and honest voice. "I expected it to feel awful... but I barely felt it." Mark kissed his neck, whispering to him in a cuddly tone now. "You have no idea what a relief that is to me..."

Sean smiled to himself, hugging Mark as close as possible. He'd always liked snuggling after sex, but the feeling was so much stronger now. Having been Claimed by him, he felt closer to Mark then ever. Not just physically but emotionally and mentally. There was a special kind of comfort that being Claimed provided. Being close to him now was like having a bowl chair that Mark could share with him. Then it suddenly made sense to him. Alphas took comfort from protecting their mates. So, in a way... being Claimed was like becoming Mark's version of his bowl chair. Kissing Mark's shoulder, Sean nuzzled against him more. Enjoying the way Mark moaned and snuggled into him. He just loved how Mark's hands stroked down his sides and back. As Mark's hand drifted over his belly though, Sean tensed a little. His stomach got a strange sensation that felt like butterflies in his gut. Giggling a little, he jerked beneath Mark and grabbed his hand. As extremely ticklish as he was... that had never happened before. Mark chuckled by his neck, teasing out playfully. "Was I being too light?" Sean playfully nipped Mark's shoulder to keep from answering until the sensation calmed down.

For a few minutes, Sean completely forgot where they were, until Mark's Mother said coolly to someone. "Is anyone going to tell him to elevate his hips before my son pulls out? You weren't shy to tell me." Sean whimpered, pulling the blanket up to hide his face under it and Mark's bicep. Mark's Grandmother snorted, before replying over her glass of wine coolly. "My son was older than you when he Claimed you. I feared he wasn't virile enough to get the job done. I don't see that being an issue at Mark's age. He's young enough that he can try again." Sean covered his face, mumbling out to himself in utter embarrassment. "Oh, kill me now..." Mark cleared his throat, his voice breaking a little when he snapped out. "Can we not do this right now?" Sean heard Mark's mom growl a little, before Mark told them in a slightly stronger tone. "I don't even know if I want puppies. I've got other things to worry about right now." Sean felt his words like a stab to the heart but tried to keep his emotions from showing too much. Another Elder male at the end of the table snorted out as he finished his plate of food. "That's what they all say... but that's for the Omega to decide."

Mark looked down at Sean with a neutral look. Sean stroked his bicep with a small smile to calm the worry behind his eyes. He couldn't tell him. Not yet. Especially not like this. The Elders chatted amongst themselves a bit about the best way to spread the word to the Pack, and who was to call Mark's dad in. Since he and Sean's mom were the only Zetas not present for this. Sean couldn't help asking Mark in their moment of distraction. "How did you ever get turned on knowing your family was watching? I don't know what I'd have done if my mom was..." Sean swallowed the last of the words, his eyes drifting to the empty chair reserved for the Alpha's Beta. Mark kissed a spot under Sean's ear, before whispering to him. "I couldn't even think about them... because I was worried about you." Sean locked fragile eyes with Mark, letting him add in a buttery voice. "Seeing you so afraid. It made me feel like I had to be stronger to make you feel safe again. Nothing else mattered to me in that moment. It was torture to think you didn't feel safe..." Sean cupped Mark's face, pulling him down into a long passionate kiss. He felt like he'd been so hard on Alphas and Betas growing up. Maybe all of them weren't as caring as Mark... but the idea that more like Mark did exist made him so happy. He couldn't imagine a more caring Alpha than Mark.

As strong as he wanted to be, he found himself happier that even when he couldn't be... that Mark would be right there to support him to the best of his abilities. He didn't feel like the weaker wolf. He felt balanced with Mark at his side. After the kiss, Mark slowly pulled out of him, and Sean gasped softly from the loss of him. Mark grunted, rising stiffly onto all fours over him. Sean stroked Mark's chest lovingly, until a deep thunderous growl vibrated his chest. Sean froze, watching Mark's eyes expand into his large wolf ones. For a split second, Sean thought he was mad at him for doing something. Until Mark's grandmother told someone in the council cautiously. "Who is that? What are you doing here? Back up..." Sean turned his head to see a young man that he didn't recognize start to approach the bed. The man was soaked and dressed like anyone else from the Valley. However, barely hidden under the neck of his shirt and baggy grey sweater was a glimpse of a thick tattoo that was uncommon among wolves in the Valley. The young man approached casually; his eyes locked on him. Mark's mother and few of the Elders snarled aggressively. While Mark's Grandmother rose to her feet and yelled out in warning. "Are you stupid?! Stay back for your own safety! Don't!"

Sean took his hands off Mark, watching him start to breathe heavy through clenched canine teeth, his muscles tensing hard. He'd heard in school that Alphas were extremely aggressive toward other Sires after mating. Which was partly why the Elders were behind the tables at a distance from the bed to keep from sending Mark into a territorial display. Sean wasn't so sure that City Wolves were taught that because of their lack of Omegas to cause it. The man removed a switchblade from his pocket and threw it at Mark. Sean panicked shoving Mark up as he sat up. The switchblade sliced Sean's shoulder, where Mark's neck had been, before clattering to the floor. A sharp whine left Sean and he clutched his arm to see the blood leak from the long slice in his pale skin. Behind the tables, the Elders all stepped back with sudden terrified faces. Sean's eyes widened as Mark's body shook before growing thick brown fur. His bones popped as his body took on the form of a large humanoid wolf complete with a long bushy tail. Sean laid back, covering his crotch as Mark unintentionally lifted the blanket off him as he sat higher over him on all fours now. The snarl that left Mark canine muzzle had the Elders all taking a knee from the sheer influence of his Alpha voice. While Sean merely got a wicked case of goosebumps and shivered to be under him.

Glancing over at the City Wolf, Sean told him in a weary voice. "You better kneel or run, Squirrel." The City Wolf staggered back, uttering out under his breath. "That's not possible... It's not a full moon!" Mark bared his teeth, thick drool leaking from the sides of his canine jaws. Without warning, Mark leapt off the bed when the City Wolf didn't kneel. The City Wolf rushed toward the closed doors of the lodge, barely pushing them open in time. The man slipped out, but Mark slammed into the doors so hard that his clawed fingers pierced straight through the wood. His head lunged out the doors and Sean heard the man scream in pain. Mark had gotten him! Yanking the man back into the lodge with his powerful jaws, Mark whipped him across the cement floor. The Elders close to him, scrambled away from him as fast as they could. Sean sat up on the bed, draping a leg over his crotch as he watched Mark rise up menacingly onto his hind legs with a deep infuriated snarl. The man clutched his bleeding shoulder, scooting back across the floor as he yelled out in a panic. "Oh shit!" Mark swung his claws out at the man. The man rolled away, causing Mark's claws to squeal as they scratched the cement floor and left slashes across it. The man glanced around then; his eyes going to Sean.

Sean inhaled sharply, rolling off the bed as the man ran after him. Sean jumped over the table and bolted toward the ladder that went up to the open second floor. Just as the man jumped over the table, another dark snarl rippled out before Nathan jumped off the second floor to land in front of the man. Punching the man off his feet, Nathan kicking him so hard in the gut that he slid under the table and stopped right in front of Mark's awaiting jaws. Sean jumped back from the ladder as his dad landed in front of him. He was soaking wet and quickly grabbed him to cover his eyes. All Sean saw was the man raising his hands to plead something, before Mark dropped over him. The man's screams filled the lodge briefly, before there was only the sound of Mark's snarling. When his dad finally uncovered his eyes, Mark was walking slowly in their direction still in his werewolf form with a softer growl. His bright wolf eyes locked on Nathan, but Nathan slowly took a knee and Mark's hackles at the base of his neck eased down. Walking up the rest of the way to him, Sean stayed in place, but his dad slowly took a knee. With his dad kneeling, Mark's growls turned to soft whines as his eyes looked over Sean. Inching up to him, Sean let Mark sit like a large dog before hugging him.

Mark's furry paw-like hands wrapped around him, pulling him into his warm soft furry chest. Sean relaxed in his arms, feeling Mark's fur and size slowly return to his human form. Keeping him close, Sean heard the Elders start whispering about Mark's transformation. He barely paid attention though, because Mark ran his fingers through Sean's hair and asked him with worry. "Are you alright?" Sean nodded, feeling a little light-headed but he felt otherwise ok. Behind Mark, Nathan stood by the dead man's body, informing everyone calmly. "I don't smell anything on his knife, but I do smell Isabelle on him. He's one of the ones that had her and recently." Sean's dad inched around Mark, asking hopefully. "And Lauren?" Nathan shook his head, honestly answering. "No. A Beta like Lauren could have made canned dog food out of this young Beta... I knew this guy. He's no fighter. He's a scout." Mark turned to face Nathan, growling out. "Then why did he come for me?" Nathan locked eyes with Mark, answering promptly. "He didn't. He came for Sean." Nathan tossed Mark something and Mark caught it. Sean recognized it at once. His collar that he'd left at Nathan's apartment. Nathan gestured down at the body that was hidden behind the table, adding gruffly. "I'd bet anything that Zedekiah sent him here to crash the party. He probably told him you were too weak to fight... but..."

Nathan suddenly bent down, messing with the man's clothes, before yanking up what looked like wires. Smashing what looked like a small camera on the table, Nathan growled out to Mark. "But whatever he wanted to see. I'm sure he got it." Mark's mother quickly gathered up the robes and handed them to Mark, asking openly. "But what was he hoping to get from this? To see Mark get hurt and Sean taken? It was a pretty stupid way to do it." One of the Zetas moved up to Nathan, gesturing for the broken camera and wires as he told him. "Let me have that. My daughter might be able to look into it." Mark handed Sean's robe to him and blushing a bright red, Sean slipped it on quickly. Mark put his own robe on more casually, telling the others. "I don't like it either... It felt sloppy. Not something I'd picture Zedekiah doing unless... it was another distraction for something...?" Mark looked to his mother with worried eyes, prompting her to say under her breath with worry. "I'm going to call your father..." She removed her phone, turning away to dial the number. While Mark asked Nathan in a blunt defensive tone. "The patrols didn't see him come in? How?"

Nathan shrugged, telling him openly. "He must have been here before they set up... but that would mean that he knew this was going to happen. That you two would be here." Sean thought about it, then hugged himself as he interjected. "You think he's got someone's phone? That he's watching the Valley chat? It's not my mom... we have her phone and Isabelle doesn't have one. She's too young. Her mom argued with my mom about it once." Nathan bit his lip, then told them softly. "Lexus... She might have done something. I caught her hanging around a few phone places while the City Wolves were here. Maybe she got the number from someone?" Mark's grandmother eased back down in her seat, telling the other Elders. "If that's the case, we should change the Valley's chat room and the council's private chat passwords. Just to be safe." Nathan looked over the body more, while Mark's mom stated into the phone a bit loudly. "Honey? Where are you?" Sean heard him say something, but it was a bit muffled by the heavy rain on his end. She looked calmer then, before telling Mark in relief. "He just finished checking up on a lead and he's on his way here." Mark nodded to her, then all attention went to Nathan as he removed the dead man's phone from his pocket, asking with deep concern. "Mark? Come here?"

Mark moved closer to him, asking firmly. "What did you find?" Nathan cleared his throat, glancing around before showing Mark and asking him a bit uneasily. "Do you know where this is?" Mark glanced at it at first, then grabbed Nathan's hand with a look of both worry and anger. Composing himself, he told Nathan a bit rushed now. "Ya. That's not far from here. Let's go!" Sean rushed up, asking perplexed. "What?! What is it?!" Nathan beckoned him to follow but was already rushing out after Mark, while yelling to the Elders. "Call an ambulance! NOW!" Sean's dad ran out after them and once out in the rain, Nathan tossed the phone to Sean and took off at a full out run after Mark as they rushed into the woods behind the lodge. Sean paused long enough to see the wallpaper and gasped in horror. After looking over his shoulder, his dad patted his back and took off running with him to follow them. Splashing through the puddles, Sean tried to avoid the sticks and rocks as he ran barefoot through the woods. The rain was coming down harder and soaking his robe again, but he didn't stop. Up ahead, Mark and Nathan started calling out Isabelle's name.

Reaching the small clearing where some people stopped to have a picnic along the hiking trail, everyone spread out to look around and called out her name. Sean glanced down at the picture, but she wasn't by the bench like it showed. While the others rushed about and called her name, Sean moved to where she was supposed to be and dropped to his knees. He tried to think where she'd go in her condition at her age. Looking around, he thought about how scared she must have felt and gasped. Getting up, he ran to a tree that he remembered playing hide-in-seek in as a puppy. It had always made him feel safe and if he was scared of people coming back for him. He'd want to feel safe. No one had ever found him there because the hole at the base of the tree was covered by a little flower bush. Dropping the phone, he dropped to his knees and parted the soft plant leaves. The second he saw her muddy leg, his voice broke as he screamed out. "OVER HERE!" Reaching in, he touched her icy wet cheek. She was unresponsive to his touch. Trying to be gentle, he slipped his hands in and pulled her out. Keeping her as leveled out as he could. Pulling her out, he laid her down on the ground and his Omega training snapped to mind.

Laying her back, he leaned over her to see if she was breathing. She wasn't. Then he checked for a pulse but couldn't tell. His fingers were shaking too much. So, he started in on CPR. He watched her chest rise and slowly fall, but she was still struggling. Noticing the blood that was starting to pool by his knees, he sought out the stab wound in her side. When his dad rushed over, Sean frantically yelled out. "Dad, give me your credit card! Quick!" His dad fished out his wallet, tugging it out for him. Taking it, Sean carefully pushed the wound closed and pressed the card to it to hold pressure. Then pressing a spot above the wound to hopefully close the artery, he tried to keep the pressure, but his hands were shaking. His dad adjusted to prop her head up on his lap, rubbing her temples soothingly and checking her mouth and nose for any blockage as he told Sean in a calm voice. "Easy, Sean. Don't push too hard or you'll break her." Sean shook his head, mumbling out as he trembled from the cold. "That sick son of a bitch...!" His dad touched his shoulder, telling him softly. "Calm down. Focus." Shielding her face from the rain, his dad rubbed her throat, before saying stoically. "He's crushed her windpipe. Shite..."

Sean looked up to see Mark and Nathan leading the medics to them. Slipping in with them, the woman asked them for details as her assistant quickly pulled out supplies to help stabilize her. Sean didn't want to let up on the pressure he had on her, but the assistant eased him off to put something better on and to take over. Carefully picking her up, they started to move her, causing them all to see what had been carved into her back. Sean's dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders, but Sean couldn't get the word out of his head. Sean got the message loud and clear. The attack wasn't sloppy. Just delivered sloppily. On her back was the word. 'Congrats.' She was his sick idea of a Claiming present. To Be Continued...