Love, Be-Were! Ch. 01

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For an Alpha Were-rabbit, duty cums before pleasure...
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Part 1 of the 3 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 06/05/2013
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***Hello my lovelies! After diligent urging from a very talented author and friend (<3 u Jaz!), here is a foray into the world of shifter romance. Although drawn to the Were/shifter community, I'm determined to try something with a different spin. This chapter will be devoted to character and plot development, so please feel free to comment and let me know what you think. As always, your thoughts and opinions mean a lot to me, and will directly affect the continuation of this story line. A bit of a deviation from my latest series, I hope you enjoy this little walk through the shadows of my mind.***

Tendrils of mist curled lazily between the trees towering overhead, undisturbed as was the quiet morning air. A shadow passed through the underbrush; a well-muscled harbinger of destruction moved swiftly on four padded feet, his hackles rising as he caught another faint whiff of his prey's scent. Hunger gnawed at him, ripping at his insides as he forced his feet to tread lightly. He dropped into a slow stalk, every inch of his body taut as a spring as he closed the distance between himself and his next meal. Disappointment washed over him as he peered through the last bit of foliage and realized exactly what it was that he'd been tracking so diligently.

Piercing yellow eyes studied him with an intense stare as he brought himself up short, abruptly dropping back on his haunches as a small whine escaped his throat. His prey was, indeed, a rabbit as he'd thought...but it wasn't just a rabbit. Unfortunately, the keen human intelligence in that gaze identified this particular fuzzy treat as a Were: a shifter, a hybrid between the animal realm and the human world. Although the massive creature would feed him for a long time, he knew without hesitation that attacking it would mean the end of his own life. As hungry as he was, that wasn't a price he was willing to pay.

Rhochlan watched the wolf's motions carefully. He wasn't worried for his personal safety, but he was concerned about the beast's state of mind. He could sense the aura of desperation radiating from his stalker. Despite being heavily muscled, the wolf appeared malnourished and the way it was licking its muzzle while watching him indicated that hunger may force it into action. He was relieved to see the decision to stand down finally reflect in the animal's eyes; he wouldn't have to euthanize it to protect the other members of his colony.

Struck by inspiration, he hopped slowly toward the wolf where it was reclining with its chin on its paws. The large animal raised its head as he approached and watched him with a wary alertness, body tense and ready to flee. Rhochlan dipped his nose to the ground, nodding his head at the wolf as he turned and hopped away. He paused and inclined his head again, hoping the canine would get the message. He waited patiently as the animal finally realized he wanted to be followed, and slowly padded over behind him. The Were lead the wolf deeper into the woods, pausing every so often to make sure he was still trailing behind.

Finally making it to the copse of laurel he was looking for, he hopped to the side of the entrance and motioned for the wolf to precede him. If he could have smiled while in his animal form, he would have done so at the incredulous look he received from the other animal. While on his rounds in the early dawn, he'd run across the freshly killed carcass of a small deer that had most likely run afoul of another wolf. The dew had been heavy, making identification of the hunter difficult at best.

He'd been contemplating ideas on corpse disposal to keep the younger members from running across it. He figured that delivering it as a meal to another hunter, one who was capable of showing common sense and intelligence even in the midst of its hunger, would be a prime solution to his dilemma. The wolf bowed its head to him in silent gratitude as it walked toward the corpse, settling in for the best meal it had eaten in weeks. Satisfied that the mess would be taken care of, Rhochlan turned his back on the grisly scene and hopped back through the forest to pick up his rounds where he'd left off.

After an uneventful hour, the large Were slowed as he crept toward the most dangerous area of his route. One edge of the colony's territory fringed a local state park, and it was the one area where accidental contact with humans typically occurred. While contact with humans wasn't forbidden (after all, the Weres led human lives as well outside of the warren), such contact generally led to dire consequences so close to home. As Alpha Buck of his colony, it was his responsibility to be both judge and jury when such infringements came to light.

Rhochlan froze. A strange scent floated across the breeze, and his entire body went perfectly still except for his whiskers. Suddenly thankful for the light cloud cover that kept the sun from gleaming off of his bright white-tipped fur, he crouched low to the ground as he tried to decipher what had alarmed him. He could hear the voices of a group of children in the far distance, but he knew that wasn't what had triggered his fight or flight response. No, there was something disturbing his sense of natural balance...and that something was very close.

When a visual search didn't alleviate his tension, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his other senses. The scent was familiar, yet not; almost as if it was similar to something he'd smelled before, but just different enough to make it unique. His long, tapered ears moved independently of each other as they twisted and turned, listening for the slightest nuance of sound. His sharp hearing picked up a muffled whimper off to his side, and he held his breath as he opened his eyes to trace the sound to its source.

After gathering as much information as he could without moving, he slowly eased his rigid posture and crept towards the sound. He paused after every step, his ears constantly swiveling to vector in on the sound's location. After several such steps, a bright flash of color caught his eye, and he instinctively dropped back to the ground. Soft sounds of misery made his ears perk; as his eyes adjusted to the darkened area he'd crept into, he realized he was looking at the bowed head and hunched shoulders of a small child.

Quickly scanning the rest of the area, he was certain that they were alone. He crept closer, taking care to remain silent as he approached. He could sense the fear rolling off of the little one in waves, his small frame shaking with barely repressed sobs. One hand appeared to be clutching a plastic bag filled with plastic Easter eggs, while the other showed evidence of melted chocolate. Rhochlan paused to observe the child, taking in his disheveled appearance.

The boy was covered in mud, evidence of his tears visible in the small clean stripes cutting through the dirt on his face. The bottom of his red shirt was ripped, and there were scratches all over his tiny arms that were probably made from branches as he ran through the woods. His hair was longer than normal, brushing the collar of his shirt and feathered back from his face. Rhochlan's eyes narrowed as he noticed that his hair was dark at the roots, graduating out to light blonde at the tips...very unusual coloring for a human.

He took one step further, his whiskers twitching as he tried to catch the child's scent again. As fate would have it, his paw fell on a brittle twig and the resulting sharp crack caused the child to cry out in alarm as he darted a few steps away. As the child hesitated and looked back over his shoulder, his eyes fell on the large rabbit for the first time. He turned slowly, a tentative look of wonder creeping across his delicate features. Rhochlan was amazed at how quickly the boy moved, and as his scent washed over him, his amazement continued to grow.

The child—lost, alone, and staring down a "wild animal" that outweighed him by at least three hundred pounds—was a Were.

"Are you the Easter Bunny?" The child's tremulous voice was so quiet; he had to strain to hear it. "I snuck some chocolate away from the party while Nyrra wasn't looking...and I got lost. Can you help me find my way back? She'll be so worried."

Light blue eyes watched him expectantly as the little one began to inch toward him. Rhochlan stared at him pensively for a moment, wondering at what twist of fate had crossed their paths. His thoughts were brought up short as he remembered the starving wolf he'd run across earlier; he shuddered at what may have happened had it been the canine, and not himself, who'd stumbled upon the youth.

He moved slowly, taking a few short hops toward the boy while watching his eyes carefully for indications he was about to bolt. He stared intently into the child's eyes, and chuckled softly to himself. All of the fear scent was gone. Only a child, he mused, could be alone in the woods and feel safer with a five foot long rabbit. Only a child would see his appearance on Easter weekend as a natural occurrence, and trust him. He decided, in that instant, that he would return that trust and deliver the child safely back to his home.

"Riocha?"

He sent a mental message to his sister, the acting Alpha Doe of his colony. He would need to inform her of his plan to leave the surrounding territory, knowing she'd be tearing the countryside apart looking for him if he didn't.

"Rhochlan! I was worried when you didn't check in...everything alright?"

His sister's instant reply had him rolling his eyes. It didn't matter that he'd been Alpha for many years, he supposed, he would always be just her little brother as far as she was concerned. He loved his sister with all his heart, and couldn't imagine her any differently.

"Everything is fine. I took care of the mess I contacted you about earlier; found an honorable wolf that needed a good meal. I've found another issue that needs my attention, and have to leave the territory for a couple of hours. Have the triplets come to the south border, near the park, and take over the border patrol while I'm away."

He paused, wondering for a second if he should tell her about the boy. He could feel her curiosity through their bond, and decided to indulge her.

"I found a child while I was on my rounds; it looks like he ran away from an Easter party in the park. He thinks I'm the Easter Bunny, and asked me to take him home. I have a need to see that he makes it there safely. Rio...he's a kitten, and I don't think he has any idea of it. I need to know his story, and why a Were-rabbit child has been abandoned in the woods."

He felt her sharply drawn breath, and her gentle acceptance of his refusal to leave a baby rabbit, a kit, in the woods unsupervised. He felt a shaft of love beaming down his Alpha bond, and was reassured when he felt his sister support his decision. Turning back to the expectant gaze boring into him, he finished closing the distance between himself and the child.

Extending his head, he brought his nose up and touched the boy's nose in a customary rabbit greeting. The child giggled and ducked his head as Rhochlan's whiskers tickled against his face and neck. The large Were snuffed at him, blowing air straight at his face and sending his feathered hair straight up to the sky. Satisfied that the little one was feeling safer, he stilled his movements and sent a thought into the kit's mind.

"What is your name, little one?"

The boy started in surprise at hearing the voice in his head, before looking at the giant rabbit in wonder once more. He put a trembling hand on the side of Rhochlan's neck, stroking the soft fur as it covered his fingertips. A shy smile spread across his lips as he mentally whispered a response for the very first time.

"My name is Rye."

Rhochlan tilted his head to the side as he wracked his memory for any potential kidnappings in the surrounding colonies. He looked at the boy intently as he tried to match his coloring to any of the Weres he knew. His scent was familiar, so familiar in fact that it was making his protective instincts go haywire, but the reasoning for it eluded him for the moment. Pointing his ears straight ahead, he began to hop toward the park.

"My name is Rhochlan. Come along, child; let's see if we can find our way back to your party."

As he hopped slowly in the direction of the voices he'd heard earlier, he found the child to be a very good travel companion. They lapsed into an easy camaraderie during which he gently questioned Rye on his upbringing. He was certain that the little one wouldn't have been so forthcoming to a stranger if that stranger had been a human.

He learned that the boy was an orphan; though Rye said that he didn't remember much about how his parents died, Rhochlan caught glimpses of images in his thoughts that belied the fact. The raw pain and misery he felt emanating from the small body beside him caused his own throat to constrict, and he worked to steer the conversation to happier thoughts. He asked him about the woman, Nyrra, that the child had mentioned earlier.

Rye's face transformed with a radiant smile that crossed his small features. It was obvious that he cared for the woman a great deal, although she was just a social worker that had been assigned to him two years ago. Relieved to leave the other subject behind, he launched into describing the "angel" that he thought had been sent to protect him.

As Rhochlan listened, he was amazed at the love pouring from the child at his side. Obviously, this Nyrra person was very special; she'd taken a personal interest in the children that she worked with, trying to help ease them through a hard transition in their lives. It was unusual to find social workers that looked at children as anything other than numbers on a roster, and it appeared she was determined to help these children find some sort of normalcy in their lives. It took strength and resiliency to fight the degradation of the system, and he found himself respecting her without having met her.

Although the short legs of his companion made their trip a little time consuming, their camaraderie made the distance pass quickly. Without realizing it, they'd made it to the edge of the park and could see Rye's party group through the light brush at the forest's edge. Rhochlan came to a stop, and looked pointedly at the child.

"Wait here, little one. I'll send someone to take you the rest of the way; someone that will be able to explain your disappearance so you won't get into too much trouble."

Rye's disappointment washed over him as he soothed the child's objections. While he understood that seeing a huge rabbit would be a wonder for the other children, he had to ensure the safety of his colony first.

"You'll know who I've sent when he appears. His eyes and his hair will remind you of me. Listen and do as he says, and he'll get you delivered safely." Seeking to erase the tears he saw forming in the child's eyes, he butted his nose against the small chin and tickled the tiny face with his whiskers. Satisfied with the sheepish grin peeking from behind the sad gaze, he turned and began to hop away. "Don't despair, Rye. We'll meet each other again; we have more things to speak of, you and I."

Rhochlan moved swiftly away from the boy, pausing only long enough to make sure he'd stay where he was told. He hurried through the underbrush around the edge of the park until he reached a secret stashing point known only to him and the other members of the border patrol. He shifted to his human form, activating the hidden door to access the supplies hidden within. Grabbing a pair of khaki cargo pants, a tee-shirt, socks and boots, he dressed himself quickly.

Moving with much less noise in his human form, he returned to the spot where he'd left the child. Seeing Rye's shoulders hunched in defeat almost made him regret his decision, but he was an Alpha first. He couldn't chance exposure of the Were community until the kit was old enough to need the information he was willing to provide. Squaring his shoulders, he cleared his throat softly, trying not to scare the boy anymore than he had already been that afternoon.

Despite his effort to be less frightening, the boy cowered as he noticed the giant of a man that had entered the clearing behind him. Crouching down to make himself seem as small as possible, Rhochlan waited patiently as he gave the child time to inspect him. He knew that at 6'4" his height was intimidating to most adults, and doubtless more so for the small being located in front of him. Making sure to keep his voice low, he spoke to the lad in a soothing tone.

"Hey there, Rye. I believe you're expecting me."

The boy stood and inched toward him, his hesitation evident in the slight pause between each step. His eyes narrowed, focusing hard as he tried to compare the man in front of him to the rabbit he'd followed through the woods. He stared deeply into the yellow eyes watching his progress, feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he reached up to touch the man's unusual hair. Longer in the front as it swept over his shoulders, it was black at the roots, lightening to silver and then an astonishing white at the very tips. It was the exact same color as the rabbit's fur.

"Did the Easter Bunny send you, sir?"

Rhochlan's heart ached at the hope and trust in the small boy's humble voice. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them once more and smiling with reassurance down at Rye's questioning face. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever forces had decided to place him in the child's path, instead of one of the thousands of monsters that would have preyed upon his innocence. Holding out his hand, he stood slowly as he continued smiling.

"I'm not sure whether or not he's the bunny you have in mind, but a large fuzzy friend of mine said you needed some help. I was happy that I could lend a hand. What do you say? Let's get you back to your party. I'm sure you have friends that are worried about you."

Keeping his stride short so that he wouldn't outpace the boy by his side, Rhochlan picked his way carefully through the light underbrush. Heading toward the other children, he cast his eyes around the playground looking for the closest adult. Finding a portly looking young woman he assumed was Nyrra, he called out to keep from startling her. The last thing he wanted was for someone to think he'd kidnapped the child and taken off into the woods with him.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Glancing up from the drinks she was pouring, the young intern's eyes automatically fell first on the child standing near the table. Quickly setting the bottle of fruit juice on its surface, she exclaimed in joy as she recognized his face. Rushing around the table, she scooped him up with her arms in a gentle embrace as she set him on a nearby bench. As she carefully scanned him for injuries, she withdrew a hand-held radio from the big pocket on her scrub top.

"Nyrra, can you hear me?"

Rhochlan had been looking around, surveying the surroundings and watching the children play. He was surprised to realize that the woman before him wasn't the one that Rye had been talking about. He supposed that could be responsible for the little boy's rapidly increasing pulse and breathing. Was he upset that she wasn't there waiting on him? When he heard the voice that came back over the radio, his attention focused on the sound.

"I'm here Sarah, has anyone checked in with news?"

The voice was so pure and distinct that he could hear it echoing in his mind. The melody of her voice sang along his nerves like the sweetest song of spring, waking up his heart and causing it to beat a hard cadence in his chest. He shook his head as if to rid himself of the thoughts that suddenly sprang to life in his mind.

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