“Abi.” Colten turned to her.
She didn't answer though, quickly brushing her hair as if that was the most important thing at that moment.
“Abigail!” He moved towards her with quick steps.
She paused her hair brushing and turned to face him, “Calm down, it's fine.”
“It's not fine!” He was about to explode, literally, into a wolf, “Why is your father around Mateo!”
“Who?” She stared at him, blinking.
His nostrils flared as he tried to process, “We need to go.” That was his best solution because his luna came first, then Mateo would be destroyed.
“No, no, Colten.” She grabbed his bicep, “Calm down, Daddy will be fine...”
“This is not about your father, Abigail!” He felt his anger rising and with that, so did his voice, “This has to do with the fact that your father is walking into this house with the alpha responsible for kidnapping and beating you!”
She swallowed and stared up at him, falling silent.
“Do you know anything! Do you know why!” He pressed on her, not even giving her time to think but to him, they had little to no time anyway.
“N-no...” She shook her head, “I knew he looked familiar. I think he just does some business with Daddy...”
“I don't have time for this shit!” Colten grabbed her and walked to the window, “We're leaving.”
“Colten, no! I'm not going out the window!” She screeched at him.
“You're going out the window!” He argued.
She gripped his chest as he pushed the window free from the sill, “Colten, stop. Just-”
“You think I'm letting you go down there? Are you out of your mind!” His raging wolf was turning as the moments passed, “You're going to get in the truck and leave.” He dug out his keys for her.
She started to shake her head, “I'm not going to leave you!”
“I'm going to find out what's going on. You're not going to be apart of it... then I'm going to rip Mateo's head off.” His jaw hardened as he set his sights on destroying Mateo Marquez.
“Colten, no! I'm not leaving without you.” She had every sincerity to her voice.
He smiled and shook his head, “Now is not the time to be clingy, Abi. Now, get out the window.”
Abigail shook her head.
He stepped in close to her and growled, “Do you know what's going to happen once Mateo finds out I'm here?”
She broke, tears forming as the door shot open. They both jumped away from each other and stared at Darlene in the doorframe.
She smiled at them, “Charlie's just in, he's just dealing with some business, come down stairs. I've told him you're here, Abi...”
Abigail glanced her mother and back to Colten. Her face said it all, she was torn and even more so, confused.
He stepped up to Abigail and nodded, “We're coming.” He pushed her forward, gripping her lower back.
Darlene smiled and turned, walking out into the hall.
“Stay by me and when I tell you to leave, you go.” He growled in his mate's ear, which made her whimper. Likely from the displeasure pouring off him but either way, he figured she was understanding the instruction.
“Okay.” She breathed, stopping at the top the staircase, curling herself into him, “Please don't hurt Daddy, even if he's done something bad.”
All he could smell was Mateo but her soft begging brought him back to her for a moment. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, putting his keys in the side pocket of her jeans. That was
“I'll protect your parent's, Abi.” Of course, she would come before them but he would try.
She grabbed his hand tightly and walked down the stairs with him. Colten then became hyper aware as they stepped into the vacant entry way.
He listened carefully as she pulled him towards the hall that led to the kitchen.
“Abigail.”
Their steps paused as Charles Redding's voice filled the entry way.
Abigail turned first, “Daddy.”
Colten was quick to follow and there behind Charlie stood Mateo, staring at him. Glaring even.
“Come here, Abigail.”
Colten grabbed her wrist, he should have made her go out the window and now he was in major regret. He put her behind him.
Charlie tensed, “I don't have time for games, boy.”
Abigail whimpered and fought back around her mate, looking around Charlie to Mateo, who stayed flatlined in the face.
Charlie walked towards her and pulled Abigail away from Colten, “You're not going to be involved with him.”
Colten snapped in that moment, his cool was far broke, “Why do you have this scum bag in your house!” He stared down Mateo and the other wolf stayed silent and still, almost like he was under an order to do so.
Charlie paused and stared down at Colten, “What!”
“I want to know why you have Mateo Marquez in your house, with your family. You must be stupid!” Colten grabbed Abigail and pulled her back to him. She didn't protest, she settled behind her mate and grabbed the back of his shirt.
“Go to the kitchen with your mother, Abigail.” Charlie instructed.
She didn't move, “No, Daddy! You really should answer Colten!”
Charlie moved towards her and grabbed his daughter from behind him but it was enough for Colten. He shoved Charlie back, “Don't touch her!”
Charlie stared at him, eyes wide and he lifted his hand at Mateo who drew out a silver pistol from behind his back.
“Daddy!” Abigail screamed, “What are you doing!”
“Charles?” Darlene was now scaling the hallway and Colten felt the situation getting worse and worse.
“Do it.” Charlie said to Mateo.
“Daddy...”
Colten ran forward and grabbed Mateo's arm, “I'm going to kill you!”
Mateo struggled against him, the gun still in his grip, his thumb reaching over to the back to load it, “Sure you are, just like I should have killed your luna to start with.”
Mateo swung around and slammed Colten to the wall as he spun and pointed the gun at Abigail, “Let's do catch up...”
“What are you doing!” Charlie yelled at him.
“You'll thank me. He's turned her...” Mateo grinned, hid finger resting to the trigger.
“Abigail, run!” Colten yelled at her as he shifted, causing a side table to break and a lamp to burst into oblivion on it. He set his accurate sites on Mateo as his enemy pulled the trigger.
NO!
Colten leaped on top of Mateo and grabbed his head in his jaw.
Mateo yelled out as the bullet sped the gun, leaving Mateo to shift under Colten's jaw.
Abigail's screams ricocheted around him as he began to fight with Mateo. He paused only momentarily to see his mate covered in blood. His heart exploded and it fuelled him with rage as he dropped Mateo off his back and pinned him.
“Charlie!” Darlene screamed, rushing into the entry way.
“Daddy!” Abigail fell to her knees and Colten glanced down to see the source of Abigail's blood covered it body.
It wasn't because she'd taken a shot, it was because her father had.
“Colten, he shot him!” Abigail shrieked, her hands coming to her father's chest where he bled from, “Daddy!”
Colten became enraged by his luna's desperate screaming and grabbed Mateo by his neck suddenly, dragging him into the living room. He took aim at the big bay window and threw Mateo through it.
Colten just couldn't bring himself to kill anyone in front of his mate and her mother, so he'd do it outside. He jumped through the broken window and landed on top of Mateo.
Why are you with Charlie! Colten demanded.
Mateo yelped as Colten held him pinned, and then he let out a long death cry. A call for his pack.
Colten snapped his jaw into his throat, I'm going to rip your throat out if you don't tell me!
I'm not telling some goody-little wolf like you anything. Go on, kill me. Like you have the balls. Mateo let out a snort as he lay pinned beneath Colten's white wolf.
Now, Mateo! Colten roared.
Go to hell!
That's what Darcy Holtz said too! Colten grabbed his neck again and threw him across the gravel, he rolled and slammed into the side of Charlie's brand new truck, causing a dent to the doors.
You're a crook. Colten growled.
Mateo stood, And you're always the loser, Turner.
Colten jumped on top of him, and drove him to the ground. He heard sirens in the distance, only within ear range of his ears though, at that moment in time.
Mateo started to panic under him, driving Colten up and off him.
Colten swung him back into the side of the truck, Well, I'm not always the loser. He grabbed Mateo by the neck, faster then the wolf could seem to move away and then Mateo leapt forward, throwing Colten off guard and into the truck.
Mateo took one quick sweeping glance at him before he bound over the hood of the vehicle.
Mateo! Colten snapped to his feet as quick as he could and chased him around the side but the running figure of Mateo was already in the distance and though he wanted to chase him and kill him right there and then. He held back, for the sake of Abigail and her family.
The door of the house then swung open and Abigail stopped on the porch, she stared at her still shifted mate.
“Colt...” She breathed.
Colten moved towards her, the sirens getting louder. He stopped in front of Abigail and she held out her hand. Nuzzling her through the low light around them. Darlene ran out a bag over her shoulder.
“Go, Abigail, go!” She shouted at her daughter.
“But... Momma...” Abigail stumbled forward and Colten caught her with his head.
Darlene stared at him a moment and pushed her off the stone steps past him, “Get in the truck and go now, you don't need to be involved in this!”
“What, momma!” Abigail cried.
Colten ran forward and over to his truck, shifting back into his human form, he popped his head over the side of the truck at them, “Abigail, do what you're mother is telling you. Get in the truck.”
Darlene shoved the duffel bag that had been on her shoulder, in the back seat of his truck and slammed the door, “You don't come back. I come to see you, do you understand!” She shouted at them and more specifically him.
Colten swallowed, watching the frantic women. Something seriously wrong. Worse then Charlie Redding laying on the ground bleeding out too.
Abigail was in tears now, “Momma, what are you doing?”
Darlene grabbed her by her cheeks and kissed her forehead abruptly, “Your father... if he lives, may never see the light of day. Now, go.” She shoved her daughter in the passenger seat of Colten's truck.
Colten rushed in and grabbed a towel from the back seat that he used to cover up his bare lap but he was sure Darlene was less of the caring.
Abigail sobbed, “Momma!” Her mother shut the door and ran towards the house.
“Give me the keys, baby.” Colten held out his hand.
Abigail fumbled with them from her pocket and gave him them.
He started the truck right away and put his foot down hard as the truck sped out in reverse.
“Colten, he shot him.”
“I know.”
She cried and he reached out, pulling her into him, “Hush.”
She sobbed, “I don't understand what is going on! Why did Momma freak out? Mateo shot Daddy, it's Mateo's fault!”
He kissed her forehead as the truck sped the highway towards his house, “Baby, I don't think your father brought Mateo there intentionally against us. I think he was doing business with him in a very bad way, for awhile maybe, I think that was what your mother was trying to say.”
“What do... mean?” She stuffed.
Colten sighed, “I don't know.” He just didn't think she could, at that moment, take what he believed to be the truth about Charlie Redding and what, him and Mateo Marquez had been possibly doing, all along.
He turned into his drive, the eighty miles an hour had really cut the drive in half but Abigail was still in tears and now he had his pack to get ready, just in case Oscuro took it upon themselves to invade his territory one last time, because that is all it would be. The last time and he would be making sure of it.
He pulled the truck up in front of the house and pushed it to park, taking a moment to let her cry. He wrapped his arms around her, “I thought he hurt you, Abi.”
She gripped him, “Daddy stepped in front of me.”
He kissed her cheek, not having anything to say.
“I think he was dying. It went through his chest.”
He hushed her and held her tight. Twilight was wrapping Silvertun in a haze or that was what it all felt like.
“Can we get out?” Colten asked, “I need to get the pack on alert. Just incase Oscuro comes in. I'll make Pete do it. I'll stay with you.”
Abigail nodded, lifting her cheek from his bare chest slowly, “Okay...”
He got out and wrapped the towel that had been across his lap, now around his waist and helped her out, pulling her to the ground.
He kissed her forehead, “Please, calm down till we find out more, baby.”
She nodded, wiping her blotchy cheeks.
He slammed the door and walked her towards the house. As soon as they entered, Ella's screams were heard from the kitchen as Chloe attempted to soothe her.
“Oh.” Abigail broke, “Poor thing...”
“Abi, you're covered in blood.”
She then looked over herself, “One second and then I'll be up and change...”
He let his luna go to the crying child.
Mike walked from the front room, “Hey, man.”
“Hey.” Colten said in a short voice.
“Must have been interesting visit with the parents if you're coming back clothes-less.”
Colten sighed, “Yeah, a little more than I bargained for. I'll be down in a minute.” He then bound up the stairs, leaving Mike.
He walked into the bathroom and flipped on the shower, deciding that was best to wash the dirt and blood that Abigail had smudged all over him away. He wondered momentarily what Mateo may or may not try. That was all disturbed though once Abigail walked in.
“How's Ella?” He pulled back the curtain as she shut the door.
“She's fine. Maybe tired.” Abigail said softly, walking towards him, “Do you think Momma will call?”
“Yeah.” Colten nodded, “Either that or she'll come. She said so.” However that was him hoping, she wasn't going to live never hearing from her parent's again.
“Want to shower?” He asked after a few moments.
She nodded and stripped her clothes, then took his aid and climbed into the old claw footed tub.
Colten stepped in beside her and pushed the curtains closed, turning to her. She was already washing herself of the blood on her face and hands.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
Her eye lids opened, blinking through the water and she nodded, “Yeah.”
“I'm sorry that went down like that.”
She sighed, “I just really hope Daddy's alright.”
He nodded, not knowing the correct response so he didn't say anything again.
She took his arm and put him under the water and drew her hands through his hair.
He watched her, “Abi, I'm sorry.”
She looked to him and her nose wrinkled only slightly, “Why, Colten?”
“Because I wasn't quick enough and Mateo hurt you and your father, I should have killed him.”
“Colten.” She shook her head, “You did throw him through the window.”
He nodded, “At least your mother seemed to approve before...”
Abigail nodded, “Yeah, she likes you.”
Colten turned and shut the water off, “I need to call Pete.”
“Are you going to go fight them?”
“I'm going to do whatever I have to do, Abigail.”
She swallowed as he stepped out of the tub and found some towels for them.
He passed her one, “It'll be okay, baby.”
She wrapped herself in the towel and stepped up to the mirror, checking herself over, then turned him as he finished drying.
“Can I come, Colten?”
“Where?” He looked to her.
“With you, if you have to go fight them.”
Colten creased his brow, “No. Luna's don't fight, they're protected.”
“But Daddy...”
“No, Abi.” Colten stopped her, put off by her request. He finished drying himself, “You haven't even shifted.”
“I almost did.” She breathed.
He stopped and stared at her, “You did?”
“I felt this rush when he had the gun pointed at you. My heart was racing and then my skin began to tighten. It was almost itchy.”
He thought about what she was saying and though it all seemed correct or possible, he wanted to know why it hadn't happened.
“Then... it went away?” He asked.
“Yeah, sort of. You ran at Mateo and then the feeling disappeared.”
He thought a moment, “I guess sometimes a first shift can be hard.”
She shrugged, “I'll figure it out.”
He watched her as she looked down to the counters, “Are you afraid of shifting, Abi?”
Her eyes darted back up to his and swallowed, “No.”
“Well, if you are... it's okay. We can work through all that.”
“I don't know. It's all very weird.”
Colten agreed and didn't press the topic further, “Let's go get some clothes on.”
She scooped up their dirty laundry and walked with him to his room.
She didn't have pants, she didn't have anything and he didn't have much that would help her either. Then he remembered something.
“There's some clothes that will fit you, I'll be right back.”
She sat to his bed and nodded as he left the room. It took him a few minutes of digging in a hall closet but he found the suitcase at the back and returned.
He put it down beside her and unzipped it, “Here.”
She looked to her left and her eyes fell over the folded women's clothes.
“Why do you have these?” She asked, looking up at him with a soft smile, “Girlfriend's leave them?”
He smiled at her, “No, unfortunately it's just some of Savannah's clothes she left here. Used to drive me crazy how she'd come and go and do her laundry then always forget something.” He walked to his dresser and found a pair of jeans, which he then dressed in.
Looking through the clothes, she paused, “These are really small. I don't think they'll fit...”
Colten turned to her as she tried on a pair of faded jean shorts. She did them up but made a noise.
“Tight.” She breathed at him.
He smiled, “Well, I think you've worn jeans tighter then those around me, Abi.”
“Well,” She smiled, “That was the plan, I was trying to entice you.”
“Entice me.” He laughed and walked towards her.
She searched for a shirt, her bare chest and abdomen well exposed.
He stepped up behind her as she pulled on a tank top and wrapped his arms around her waist. His mouth from the nape of her neck and kissed her.
“I hope you feel safe.”
She leaned her head back on his chest, “Very safe when you're with me.”
“Not all the time?” He asked.
“Most of the time, if you're involved.”
He kissed her cheek as there was a soft knock on the door.
Colten let her go and walked across the room, opening it to reveal Chloe.
“You guys hungry? I was gonna start something to eat. Grayson won't stop telling me how starving he is.” She rolled her eyes.
“Uh.” Colten paused as Abigail slipped by him.
“Yeah, I'll help make supper.” Abigail told her, looking over her shoulder to him, “You should call Pete.”
“Yeah.” Colten agreed and they headed downstairs together. He didn't want to think too much about it but some part of him felt the battle coming. The last battle between Oscuro and Forenone, the one his father had tried to win a war over many times but now it was up to him to conquer in the end.