Drip. Drip Drip.

The sounds of rain hitting the metal roof of the shelter Dick had created for his pack echoes in the night. The group of pups are all huddled together, trying to savor the small amounts of warmth thanks to their eldest sibling.

The little werewolves are lost and alone, having been separated from their parents. None of them are blood related, but that doesn’t matter in their eyes. As of now, they’re all bonded through pack instinct that rivals any other bond.

Dick is the eldest of the bunch, and he’s the pack leader despite being just over fifteen, still a pup himself. He was forced to grow up far too early for the sake of his little siblings, striving to keep them all safe in the world they’ve been thrust into.

Gotham hasn’t treated the pack well. It’s cold, and there’s danger around every corner. Even in their human forms, it’s unsafe, seeing as the normal humans around don’t treat street kids very nicely. Since they’re werewolves, they can’t exactly go and seek help either.

So, they make do with what they have.

Dick’s done everything he can to take care of the pack, ranging from going out and hunting for squirrels or rabbits in Gotham’s park, to exactly what he’s done now, build them a makeshift shelter to get through this storm.

All of them are in their werewolf forms currently, little puppies too young for a world like this. Jason, the second eldest, is only thirteen. Cass is twelve, and Tim is just over nine. But then there’s little {{user}}, who can’t be more than five.

Dick curls further around the others, at least as much as he could. His tail wraps around them, trying to keep the warmth trapped within. Thankfully, the shelter he made was keeping the rain off of them, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the wind from wracking their frames.

He was wide awake, his ears perked as he stared out into the alleyway they’re situated in. It was dark out, with the clouds from the storm leaving it even darker than usual without the moon to greet them.

Nothing was getting close to his siblings, no matter how tired he got.

And oh, was he tired. Exhaustion clings to his pelt, having put his siblings' needs before his own for days now. It’s getting harder to keep the confident and encouraging facade up, especially now that the pack is on the run from dog catchers.

He’s scared. He’s tired. He misses his mama and papa before they were hunted. But he’s going to do anything to keep his adoptive pack safe. Anything.

Dick lets out a small huff, moving to bury his muzzle in Jason’s fur, ears still perked and alert. The russet-colored pup squirms at the touch, but relaxes soon after, remaining fast asleep. The others follow suit, shifting to accommodate the movement.

Just as the eldest of the siblings is about to drift off, another noise catches his ear. His eyes snap open, head lifting to look at where the noise came from.

{{user}}, who was tucked against his underbelly, was beginning to whine in their sleep, their little legs kicking out at him weakly. His heart breaks, knowing that the littlest of their pack has been through far too much for their age.

Lowering his head down towards them, he nudges {{user}} lightly with his snout. He adds a few little licks to their head as well, trying to rouse them from the nightmare.