In the shadow of the shed sat a small brown wolf, a pup really. Tiny paws were covered with mud as his head shook a dead field mouse in their teeth. When Trishanna stumbled, her foot kicking a small stone, the pup stopped and looked over his shoulder. When they saw Trishanna, their tail began to wave in excitement. It got up, running to her, their dirty paws marking the bottom of her dress. Trixe just looked on in amazement. The pup sat and dropped the now dead mouse at Trishanna's feet, looking up at her with eyes that showed pride in his conquest. Trishanna placed a hand over her mouth even as she bent to slowly reach out to the pup, who gladly nuzzled her hand, before wanting to be picked up. "It can't be", Trixie whispered, her voice soft in wonder, yet as Trishanna stood, the little pup yawning as if his adventures caught up with him, Trishanna just nodded, shock still on her face. "Yes, this is Chip."
As they walked back to the house, Chip whined, his eyes on his prey left lying in the dirt. Trishanna looked apalled, but Trixie just scooped up the mouse, and the two headed back. As they passed, they told those that they met that Chip had been found, so the search could end. Nobody believed that the pup was the child that they sought, but Trixie's nod made them relay the message. Soon, everyone was back to their duties, but confused and doubtful glances were not hidden very well, some even wondered if Trishanna was lost in grief and worry, but Sammy's appearance put an end to the whispers.
Trishanna headed upstairs with Chip, laying him in the crib, mud and all. She waited, wondering if he would change back, but he just curled up and fell into a deeper sleep. Her knees grew weak, and she knelt next to the crib, just watching her son in his wolf's form sleep without a care for the panic he had caused. Sammy helped her up and gave orders for two guards to be stationed outside the nursery. If the little one so much as yawned, he wanted an immediate report. After ensuring that they were well aware of how serious and strange the matter is, he helped Trishanna to her room. She sat in the chair next to the window, her mind racing.
She turned to Trixie, "Just what the hell is going on?" She asked, hoping her response could help her make sense of it all, but Trixie's look of confusion said that she didn't know either. Trishanna reached out to El, her smug smile irritating her. 'What happened to Chip?' she asked. El just raised her leg, grooming herself. "I told you he was fine. I'm surprised that he was able to catch something on his first try. That's really good. You should get someone to check on the mice problem, princess". If she could have strangled her counterpart, she would have. Trishanna was so mad, yelling at her. 'So you couldn't tell me where he was?' If wolves could shrug, El would. "This is actually not that strange. You shifted when you were three. Had your parents worried sick. You spent two full days and one night in the woods before the guards found you in a cave." The look on her face must have shown, for Trixie shook her.
"What did El say?" Trishanna looked up at her friend, "She said that I did the same thing when I was three. Is it normal to shift that early in our realm?" Trixie stepped back. "I don't know, I can't remember much from before I was eight, but maybe the library has information on it." Trishanna's head began to hurt. She just nodded, but she didn't have the energy to go searching or reading about it. She stood. I'm gonna change and check in on Chip. I'm not sure when my mates will get here, but I know it will be soon." With that, Trixie left, and Trishanna stepped into her closet to change. She found it strange as werewolves don't shift until they are in puberty, usually around twelve, some as early as ten, but definitely when they can walk. Chip couldn't even hold up his head as a human, yet he shifted and hunted. This was too much, and she wasn't sure how James and Bradley would take it.
Meanwhile, the men were in a helicopter that Bradley rented to get them as close as possible to the pack. From there, they would shift and run home as fast as they could. Even though they knew Chip was found, something about the response gave them a feeling that something was not right. They reached out to Trishanna, but she assured them that he was fine and sleeping. They couldn't tell her exactly what time they would be there, but it would be before nightfall. The pilot asked them a question through their headset, and Bradley answered. They were making good time, but James wondered if it was necessary to have hijacked the pilot, offering him three times the usual rate to get them home. He was sure Bradley was cursing himself for not building a helicopter landing spot on top of the house, and he could sense him going over the territory to see where a good location would be. Heck, why not just make a damn airport? Braldey's smile told him that he had heard his thought, and James sighed. Sometimes he was sure that this brilliant man had at least one screw loose, but if he had that kind of money, he would have done the same. Before, thoughts of jealousy or feeling inferior would have consumed him, but not anymore. Since their new bond, they realise that they have more in common than either man would have ever realised. The main things are Trishanna and Chip. The pilot pointed at something, and Bradley nodded. They would land there in that open field, head to the surrounding forest and shift, making their way home.
The helicopter landed, and they ducked under the revolving blades, disappearing in the trees. The pilot shook his head and just chalked it up to rich people and their eccentric ways. When he left, they stripped, shifted and buried their clothes as they couldn't confirm if or how far they were in another's pack territory, and their scent could be seen as hostile. Once they got their bearings, they took off, running at full speed, their goal to get back to Goldmoon. They linked with Sam as they had left him to finish up, but his frustrated voice told Bradley that he was going to demand a raise once more. Bradley knew he could afford it, so he just told his Beta to 'buck up' and cut the link, focusing on the direction they were taking. Even though they were getting hungry, they dared not try to catch anything, only stopping to drink from one of the streams they had to cross. They were still very much concerned, but their wolves were in their element, enjoying just running.
It took many hours and a few times where they needed to course correct, but they made it back an hour after sunset. They wanted to run straight upstairs, but Mrs. Smith suggested that they should shift and change as they were covered in leaves, burrs and mud. Bradley nodded, and the two wolves headed to the long line of showers he had built for things like this. It came from the concept of a mud room, and enclosed space attached to the house, but it had a row of showers on one side and cupboards holding various shampoos and soaps on the other, there was a partition and behind it was a room where their were towels, robes, sweatpants of varying sizes as well as T-shirts. Then the wolves, using the facilities, could either continue to the house or head back to their own place. Bradley and James shifted and showered, Bradley grabbing a robe while James took a shirt and sweatpants, both heading inside.
Passing by the kitchen, their stomach rumbled at the scents, but their focus was on finding their mate and their son. They made it to their room and found Trishanna sitting on the chair by the window, looking out at the dark treeline. She turned to them, relief in her eyes. Without a word, she stood and ran to them, hugging them just as hard as they hugged her back. The men took turns examining her and placing kisses all over her face and neck, making her giggle as they always found her tender spots. A final hug, and she could feel the tension leaving all of their bodies, which was good. She pulled back, "Did you guys check on Chip?" James shook his head, "No, we needed to check on you first. How are you?" She sighed, leaning on James's chest. "I'm glad that we found him, but..." she trailed off. Bradley used one of his fingers to lift her face towards him gently. "We can tell that there is something. Did you find a clue on who took him?" She shook her head, "It's... better if you see for yourself." With that, she took both of their hands and led them to the nursery, hoping that they wouldn't freak out.
At the nursery door, she paused, her silent prayer once again going up to whoever was listening. Bradley squeezed her hand, and with a fortifying breath, she opened the door. The room was dark, except for the teddy bear lamp in the corner that provided enough light for changing Chip without any issues. They stepped closer to the crib. Three pairs of eyes took in the wide-awake form in the crib, two pairs of eyes widened in utter surprise and confusion. Chip sat there in his wolf form, the remnants of another plush toy scattered, stuffing everywhere. Trishanna sighed, "That's the third one he's played with since he woke up from his nap." At her voice, his little head turned to her, and when he spotted his fathers, he began to jump and bark, his little tail wagging so fast it was a blur. He tried to jump out of the crib, but Sammy had switched it out with one with higher bars, so unless someone picked him up, he was staying put. James was shocked, his hand trembling, but Bradley was filled with pride, picking up the happy pup and holding him up like he was in The Lion King.
"My boy", he gushed, his laugh booming around the room. James stuttered, trying to make sense of it. Bradley asked, his heart pumping, "Has Lorenzo checked him out?" Trishanna nodded, "He did, and he is totally fine. Healthy, and his blood work showed nothing out of the ordinary. We just don't know how or even when he shifted and managed to sneak out, but when I found him behind the gardeners' shed, he had caught a mouse." Bradley's eyes lit up in pride, his look stating that he was ready to crown him the next ruler of his pack. "Slow your roll, big guy." Trishanna said, placing a hand on his arm, "I know you think this is great, but what could have triggered his shifting so young? We aren't sure that this is some spell, a way to attack him to get to us, to you guys as the leader, the same way they tried to get to me." Her words made Bradley come to his senses, and he cuddled Charles to his chest, his finger absentmindedly becoming the pup's new chew toy. He looked down at him, his mind racing as she was right. Why did he shift so young?
James walked over, his hands shaking as he reached out for his son. Chip saw him and began to squirm, wanting to go to James, so Bradley held him out. James held him, inhaling his puppy scent, his wolf humming in approval. His son was a genius, but was it natural or an instinctive response when in danger? His mind drifted back to the night he was born, both Trishanna and Chip were in wolf form, as they were being targeted. "What if he sensed that he was in danger and his instincts kicked in as they did with you the night he was born?" His eyes went to Trishanna, then to Bradley's. Both of their brows furrowed in thought as they could see the connection he was talking about. "I didn't sense anything and El assured me that he was fine, but maybe because he was young, he is more sensitive and picked up on something?" Her voice was hopeful, yet if what she speculated is true, then they are all in more danger than they realised.
Trixie knocked on the door, a book in her hand. She pulled back when she saw the men, but straightened her spine. She wasn't aware of their return. She stepped forward. "Princess, I think I found something in my library that may be able to answer some of your questions, but it might also give you more. She held out a book, a faded blue one, similar to the one she read before. She took it, beginning to read, but the words looked strange, like another language. She tried making sense of it, but nothing worked. She showed it to James, but he only knew a few sentences in Spanish and even less French, but he was sure that it was neither. Bradley peeked over his shoulder, asking him to hold the book higher as he learned a few languages due to business around the world. As he did, Chip reached out a tiny paw, laying it on the open page. There was a flash of light, and when it left, the words transformed into English. Four mouths dropped open, even as Chip just continued pawing at the pages, his tail thumping against James's chest.