Sean sets down the bottle of ale and frowns. Whatever he’s about to say is not going to be something that I want to hear. “So let me get this straight. You want the week off to go around, exploring some radio tower because you heard voices in the tube?”

I cross my arms. “Yeah. That’s about right.”

“Have you lost your head? No, seriously. I want to know. Next thing I know, you’ll be teaching my grandfather how to suck an egg,” he says, laughing loudly.

His breath is putrid. I take a few steps back and grimace. “So you won’t do it?” I ask.

“Look, bub. You’re creative. I’ll give you that. But you can’t take off a whole week, just to go exploring some old tower. You see, the thing is, I don’t care whether the voices were real or not. It’s not my job to care. My job is to keep this old pub here running smoothly,” he says.

The trickster in me has to make a joke. “As smooth as the eggs your grandfather keeps sucking on?”

Sean’s eyebrows furrow. His cheeks turn red and fiery. “Hey!” I duck under his grasp and run through his legs. Trying to grab ahold of me, he trips on himself. I run out of the pub, never looking back.

“Oh, you’ve really messed things up this time!” I yell at myself, jumping into a cab.

“I need you to take me to the old airpark. You know the one? With the signal tower sticking out of the ceiling.” I toss the man double the payment for the ride.

The driver turns around, smiles, and puts the car in gear. “Certainly, sir,” he says.

The car speeds off into the distance. I have no idea what I am doing, but it’s better than working at the pub. I am done staring at old newspaper clippings at home. I want the old brotherhood back. I want to kick some butt again!

I reach into my back pocket and pull out the note again. A smile stretches onto my face. I close my eyes and lower my head in silence. What do I really want? Does it even need to be said? I want my omega, Jonas. I want to feel him again. I want to smell him. I want to pick his brain apart. He was always so fucking smart.

It’s about an hour’s journey to get to the old airpark, but the time rolls by quickly. I’ve been in this stinkin’ city for about a year now. An hour is nothing.

“Thanks,” I say, as the cab pulls up to the grass. “You don’t know how much you’ve helped me today.”

“Are you sure this is where you want to be, sir?” the driver asks.

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” I say.

I close the door and listen to the tires rolling against the damp pavement. In front of me is the old airpark, barely even standing. Surrounding the airpark are a set of large bushes. The grass is unkempt and wild. It doesn’t look like anyone has been here for ages.

“This is it,” I whisper. “It has to be. I can feel you nearby, Jonas.”

I walk up to the fence and carefully look for a weak point inside. There’s nothing that I can see, so I circle the property. “What am I going to do?” I ask myself.

I look at the ground. There’s a patch of wet soil nearby. I nod my head, understanding what to do now. Shifting into my wolf form, I paw at the ground, until I make a thick enough trench to house my body. I crawl under it and shake the mud off my fur.

“Bingo,” I whisper.

Ahead of me is the old radio tower. It sticks out of the building’s ceiling triumphantly. Now, I just need to get inside.

Crash. The small, dirtied window in front of me smashes in easy with a rock. Only, I didn’t throw the rock. Someone else did.

“Wait!” I yell. A small man in a hood jumps the fence and escapes into the forest.

“Who are you?” I call out. Still, no response. The trees only rustle and the silence continues. “Who in the heavens was that?”

A cold shiver runs up my spine. This whole thing is getting a little spooky.

As I walk up to that window, my memories flash before my eyes. “It’s a trap,” Genesis told Jackson, in the tunnel with Humas.

Even though this feels similar, I can’t turn around now. Going back home to my flat would mean giving up and apologizing to my boss Sean. I just can’t do that.

I step inside the window, falling face first onto the old, dirty floor. “Ew,” I moan. I dust myself off and walk toward the stairway.

People used to live in this area. They could fly in and out whenever they wanted. I guess technology just caught up with them. The city became the better choice. Now, it’s a ghost town.

On the walls are pictures of the houses that used reside here. Families stand outside, waving. At the end of the hallway, however, is something much different. There is a table with a vase of roses. They’re brand new, and they look garden-grown.

“What in the…” I reach out take one rose in my hand. I sniff it and put it back. Above the vase is a framed picture, nailed to the wall.

It’s a beautiful, yet strange picture. On the right-hand side is a broad mountain peak. At the edge stands a wolf, howling at the full moon. Below him is an old cabin. The lights are on inside, but no one seems present. In the front yard is a smoking cauldron, possibly where food cooks.

“I don’t like this at all,” I whisper.

I quickly turn away from the picture and shove my body through the door, leading to the stairwell. I make my way up, one foot at a time. Each step that I take freaks me out. It’s dark in this hallway, and even though I have fantastic vision, I can barely see in here.

I breathe calmly. I just keep walking. I’m not going to give in to the fear. When I finally get to the top, I reach the door. I grab the handle and twist it, but it’s locked.

“No way. You have to be kidding me!” I grunt and bite my lip.

“Who are you, traveler?” A voice says.

I turn around to see who’s talking, but the darkness overcomes me even more. “Don’t fret. Just answer the question. What is your name?”

“Go suck an egg!” I yell, turning back into my wolf form. I feel my claws and teeth grow sharp.

“Ah. Now we’re getting somewhere. So, you’re a shifter? There haven’t been too many around these parts lately,” the shrouded man says.

I sniff wildly, feeling some of my abilities coming back to me. “What’s going on here? Where am I? What happened to my television?” I ask.

“Step aside, and I’ll show you,” he says.

My nose is going crazy. I smell meat, cheeses, wine, and…

“Where are we? Something is happening to me,” I say.

The man unlocks the door, but before opening it, he whispers, “That’s because you are home.”

The door slowly pushes open to a massive feast. Even a fire is going in the fireplace. Directly in the middle are three other cloaked men.

“I’ve found him,” he says.

I feel my fangs jut out when he says it. A growl escapes my lips. “Show yourselves!”

All four of them snicker to themselves. I don’t know if I should strike at them or run away. One of them stands up and walks toward me. “Is it true? Are you really Fred?”

“Freddie,” I growl. “The name is Fredd-ie.”

The man lets out an exalted gasp. He falls to his knees. “Oh, my boy! We’ve finally found you!”

And then it hits me. Their scents. It smells like… home.

“No,” I whisper. “What?”

All four of them throw off their black hoods. They face me, smiling. “Yes, son. It’s us. We’re your family. Welcome back.”