The House of Blues


	Title: Wolf Pack Chapter Title: The Panic Author: Baby Blues E-mail: purely_blissful@hotmail.com Rated: NC-17 Disclaimer: Not mine, but the story is. Summary: Angel freaks out as Joyce and the others try to calm him down, and he makes his conclusions on who did it. Dedication: To . . . Angelus, who I sometimes find sexier than our lovable Angel. Excerpt: ~Angelus: But you led the mate of the leader of the pack into the hands of murderers . . . That’s a crime in both the human world and our world . . . And I swear to God, Faith, if she dies . . . so will you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Angelus was out of his mind. He had raced through the woods, hoping to catch up with his mate . . . trying to search for her scent or any sign of where she had headed. But he was too frantic to concentrate, so he just ran into the woods, hoping to find her and explain . . . hoping that it wasn’t too late. Oh god . . . If he had ruined his relationship with Buffy . . . if he had lost her because of his stupid actions . . . He groaned. He continued running, past trees and fallen logs. His heart pounding angrily against his chest, punishing him for his heartache . . . as well as his mate‘s. The sound of an owl hooting in the distance reached his ears. The songs of the crickets drifted in the air, a medley of the night. The night was his home . . . he was safe in the night, but could he say the same for Buffy? And with that thought . . . he ran faster, searching for his other half, the one who had finally made him complete. He hunted for any sign, any indication where Buffy might have been. But Angelus found nothing . . . and he found no one. He collapsed on the ground in utter exhaustion, his breathing labored as his lungs broke out into a surging fire that started to consume his insides. But he didn‘t seem to care. Something was wrong, he could feel it in his bones, and his physical pain didn‘t equal the ache in his soul and heart. His eyes caught something on the ground, hiding slightly beneath a few fallen leaves. His hand reached out . . . and found a Claddagh ring. "Oh God . . . " he groaned in defeat before crying out his anguish into the skies. This wasn’t happening. It just couldn’t be happening. He clasped the ring in his hand . . . and for the first time in years . . . he was fearful, utterly and completely terrified. He stumbled on his feet before racing back to the mansion hoping against all odds that Buffy would be there, waiting for him . . . ready to hear his explanation of why he broke her heart. But Angel knew, without even searching that she wasn’t there. He knew it deep within his heart . . . because it also recognized the feeling of distance . . . that it‘s mate was gone . . . out of his reach. And that caused him even more anguish. "Angelus?" "Where is she?" he growled, running frantically through the halls, peering his head in the kitchen and the dining room, the living room and the game room. It was pointless. She wasn’t here, damnit! "Where’s who?" Joyce asked worriedly after watching Angelus face blaze in utter panic and horror. Angelus collapsed to the floor in front of the staircase, staring in space as everything inside him . . . all his strength and will dulling into utter grief and torment. He had betrayed her, not in the sense that he actually did, but the picture of Faith on top of him . . . he had betrayed her. And he didn’t even had the chance to explain . . . of his fear of what Faith held in her hands . . . the proof that would have torn Buffy away from him. He laughed bitterly, the tone hollow and frenzied. A stupid tape that voiced out his harshness. Buffy was too pure and innocent to hear those words . . . especially when it came from him. It would have frightened her. But it was still ironic to know that she didn’t have to listen to the tape for her to turn away from him . . . just the position she had had found him with Faith was enough. And it had meant nothing . . . not as she did. "Oh God . . . " he shouted, his voice of agony and tremendous grief. "Angelus," Joyce said in horror, kneeling before the broken man as she took his face between her hands. "What’s wrong? What happened?" "Buffy . . . " Joyce’s face contorted in pain as she stared at him in shock. " What happened to Buffy?" "Nothing that was my fault," he answered truthfully, shaking his head. "She’s been taken," he said, glancing up at her with tearful eyes. Joyce’s worry increased. "Angelus . . . " "What’s happening?" Willow asked with a frown as members of the pack gathered around them. "They took her," he said, the ring in his hand clattering to the floor . . . the soft clattering of the small metal the only sound that echoed as everyone fell into a shocked silence. "No . . . " Spike rumbled, pushing his way through the crowd. He grabbed Angelus by the lapels of his jacket and dragged him up. "You’re lying!" he screamed at him. "I’m not . . . " Angelus said in defeated. "We’ll find her," Faith spoke, surprising everyone as they turned towards her. She looked surprised herself and shrugged in response before blending in the crowd as the entire pack went into an uproar. Angelus looked at her as she gazed around, a hint of mischief in her eyes. His body surged with unknown power and he threw Spike off of him, causing the younger male to clatter against the stair railings. Everyone grew deathly quiet once again as their fear heightened. He pushed his way towards the brunette and she looked up at him with forced innocence, but he knew how untrue that was. "Where is she?" he growled. She looked astonished, but carelessly shrugged her indifference. "Out probably." Angelus grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the far wall, causing everyone to gasp, staring at them in horror. "I’m gonna ask again," he said through clenched teeth, "Where. Is. She?" "I don’t know!" she choked. "Don’t lie to me!" he yelled angrily. "I don’t know!" she insisted. He roared his anger, his voice echoing against the walls of the mansion, and in a flash of white light, his eyes glowed as he stared at Faith in total madness. "I’m gonna ask you again, and you will answer truthfully, Faith . . . Where. Is. She?!" he yelled. "The Initiative!" she finally yelled, fear running through her veins at the frightening power he was consumed by and was furiously radiating. Angelus growled in rage and threw her to the marble floor, staring down at her with a deeply infuriated gaze in his eyes that blazed with fire. "What did you do?!" "Nothing," Faith replied, her voice shaking a bit. "Don’t you fucking lie to me!" he bent over and straddled her, forcing her hands together above her head. If this was a different situation, Faith would have enjoyed it . . . but all she felt was alarm. "I don’t care what, how, and why you did what you did," he offered, his eyes still glowing eerily, "But you led the mate of the leader of the clan into the hands of murderers," he stated, tightening his grip on her wrists. She quietly cried out from the pain, fearing her bones would break from the utter pressure he was forcing upon her. "That’s a crime in both the human world and our world. And I swear to God, Faith, if she dies . . . so will you," he ended in a harsh whisper. He stood up, jerking her wrist away, and glared at the others. She stared up at him in a daze, swallowing back the tears of dread. Her body was shaking, and she couldn‘t get a word out. The power of the Mackenzie Clan as well as the Slayer clan had combined in that one instant. And he was grateful, for the force had known that Faith was the perpetrator. And Angelus had felt it. "I want her put in the basement. In one of the cells," he said, the energy he was devoured by still strong in his blood. Alex, Xander, and a few other males quickly obeyed. And the rest of the pack watched as Faith was dragged down to the basement, stunned and angry. "You can’t do this to me!" she began yelling, struggling in the men’s hold on her. Angelus just stared at her with indifference. The bitch would pay. If Buffy was harmed because of her petty jealousy and bitterness . . . "No one is to go down there and talk to her," Angelus growled, trying to keep his voice calm, "She is not to be fed or let to bathe," he said, staring at each one of the clan members as he gave out his orders, "Let this be a lesson to all of you. I do not tolerate actions such as this. I take care of all of you . . . but to me, my mate is my entire world followed by this pack. And to who ever brings danger to anyone in our clan will suffer the consequences . . . as well as my wrath. No mercy shall be spared." The room was silent. "Faith’s trial will be the day right after we get Buffy back," he stated, his fists clenched into balls by his side, "Until then, we search for her . . . and no one sleeps or rests until she is found. I want Buffy located, or there’s gonna be hell to pay." * * * * * * * * * * * * Buffy had been prodded, tested, forced down on a cold sterile bed, wired, and prodded some more. Her patience was being tested and she was ready to kill someone. Especially if it was this Professor Bitch or Finn who kept ogling her. She wanted to go home, to be with her friends and family . . . and of course Angel. But that wasn’t going to happen. Because first off, Angelus had betrayed her . . . had told her lies . . . It was a hard pill to swallow, the fact that she had carelessly fell in love with a man who she knew would never love her in return. And that hurt more than it should. "I hope you’re not thinking of trying to escape," Walsh commented. Buffy looked up at her and smiled sarcastically. "Why would I?" she asked sarcastically, "When I’m enjoying myself oh, so much." "You keep up with that attitude of yours, my dear," Walsh grinned impishly, "And you’ll wish we were finally done with you . . . That, or just end your obvious misery." "Touche, bitch," Buffy smirked. "But I’m not about to give in with just a few pricks of needles and tape plastered on my forehead and arms." "That’s where you’re mistaken, dear," she smirked back, "We’ve just begun." "Is this supposed to scare me?" "No . . . this should terrify you into a quivering mass of flesh." Buffy grinned. "When my pack finds me, you’re the one who will be left terrified. And there will be no quivering mass of flesh either . . . because all that will be left of you . . . are bones." Walsh stuck another needle in her arm in reply. Continue to Chapter 30: The Fight Back to Chapter 28: The Capture