Chapter 7

 

 

The gray wolf ran as fast as possible through the snow as the hunters shot at him with high power rifles from the helicopter. Behind him, strewn bodies of other dead wolves painted the white snow red with blood. The wolf dodged bullet after bullet. His tongue lolled out from exhaustion. Up ahead, on a mountain ridge surrounded by a forest, stood a castle. Instinct drove him to it. If he reached the castle, he’d survive.

The helicopter landed and men bolted out.

On foot, they’d never catch up. The wolf stopped to catch his breath. His tracks would lead them to the castle. They did not just hunt him, but those in the castle as well.

Thick fog enveloped the castle. He turned and headed away from the castle. He didn’t know why, but he had to keep the hunters from finding the place. The sound of a roaring river drew his attention. They didn’t follow. He outwitted them.

As he made his way toward the river, a beautiful black she-wolf appeared. A beta with two silver streaks on her chest. She bowed her head. “Prince Steele, you are alive.”

“Who are you?”

“Lunara.”

“Do I know you?”

“Only in passing.”

He cautiously approached her. A woman’s scream stopped him in his tracks. He cocked his head.

“Help!”

It was her, his mate. “Gaby!”

The she-wolf snapped, “Wait.”

He turned to run to Gaby, despite his inner voice telling him to stay. Gaby was not one of them. She wasn’t his.

Kane jerked awake. Another fucking nightmare. The castle in the vast forest. This time he was hunted. A mysterious she-wolf called him Prince Steele. Gaby begged for help. What did it all mean?

He lifted his wolf head and sniffed. Instead of the scent of trees and other wolves, he caught the sterile smell of disinfectant and dog. His clothing lay torn in the cage. What the fuck? He recalled the high-pitched sound that sent him reeling in pain. Then nothing. The pain had gone and his hearing returned to normal.

A light bulb on the ceiling blinked red and a monotone voice said, “The specimen is ready.”

He growled and bounced to his feet. He glanced around. Not the same room where he’d been caged when he first arrived. Two other empty cages sat across from him and a locked chamber painted black. An isolation room? On a table lay a shackled unconscious pit bull terrier with wires plugged into its shaved head. On another long table sat electrical devices that looked like cattle prods. He inhaled. A metallic smell mixed with the stench of burning rubber accosted his nose. Electroshock. Primitive. The area appeared more of a dungeon than a research lab. Familiar, but why? The dog strapped to the table convulsed once and then his heart quit beating. Poor thing. His concern turned to Gaby. Had she gotten in trouble as his dream foretold? Was she really on his side? He paced the cage.

Dr. Tomlin and Avery Kraig entered.

He snarled and charged. The steel cage remained intact. The bars too narrow for his clawed arm to reach the fucking assholes.

Avery smiled. “Tell me, Steele, has your memory returned?”

“The wolf is too riled for me to check him,” said Dr. Tomlin.

If he called him Steele again, he’d go mad. The name he heard in his dream still meant nothing. He shifted to human form and stood. “Cut the crap, who am I?”

“I am not entirely sold on the idea that you don’t know who you are, although if you have been brain wiped, you must have committed a crime worth the punishment.”

Then dumped, unlikely. “Giles told you he found me in wolf form, drowning in the Atlantic Ocean. Despite my injuries, he brought me here.” Kane put on his ripped pants.

“Yes, he thought a wolf would be a great asset for Project Sabertooth. Imagine his surprise on learning you were a werewolf.”

He sneered. “Yet, you weren’t the least bit surprised.”

Avery turned to Tomlin. “Doctor, he appears well recovered. You may leave.”

Kane scowled. “By the way, Doc, your dog is dead.”

Tomlin turned to look at the pit bull on the table. “Shit.”

Avery scoffed. “Let’s try not to be so negligent with the wolf.”

Tomlin unplugged the dog and lifted him. “I’ll leave you alone.” He took the poor animal with him and stepped out.

After he left, Avery smiled at him. “You are right.” He pulled a chair away from a desk and sat. “I’m not the least bit surprised you’re a werewolf. I’m just surprised you were caught.”

The high-pitched sound and strong tranquilizer meant Avery knew how to capture his kind. His wolf growled. The man must die. “And you claim my name is Steele.”

“Yes, Prince Steele, brother of the American lycan King Conan Wildwood.”

He furrowed his brow. King? Could he live in a castle? His wolf snarled. I feel he is right. I belong to a pack. “Sounds like a fairytale.”

“Yes, a dark fairytale.” He tapped a fist on his lips. “Although, I’m at a loss on why an important werewolf would go on special missions.”

“You speak in riddles.”

“Does the Keep sound familiar to you?”

His wolf responded with a snarl, sensing danger rather than recognition of the name. He massaged his temples. “No.” Like I would tell you even if I knew.

“We are the only humans who know of your secret lycan society. However, we don’t know where your brother the king resides or where the special werewolf ops is headquartered.”

“Yet, you seem to know names.”

“Our mole infiltrated a pack in South America, but the names of the royal werewolf family and the existence of a lycan army is all he learned.”

“I doubt your mole could convince anyone he was a werewolf. You can hide your human scent, but not your human essence.”

“We have techniques, but unfortunately, our spies are always discovered.”

His wolf had warned him about bonding with Gaby. “So my kind does not mingle with humans?”

“Werewolf packs keep humans more like servants or pets rather than equals. My brother worked for a pack and when they found he worked for the Keep, they murdered him.”

“So you want to kill me to avenge your brother’s death?”

He laughed. “Half-brother, actually. No, I want you to tell me where your king and your special ops group are located.”

His disregard for his brother’s loss revealed his bad character. Did he think he’d betray his kind? “Even if I knew, why the fuck would I tell you?”

“True enough. If I can’t convince you, maybe I can hold you hostage.”

“Good luck, since you don’t know where my alleged brother lives.”

“I’m sure he watches the news. I can show the world your picture as a poor John Doe, found suffering from amnesia.”

If he spoke the truth, his pack wouldn’t fall into the trap. “You said earlier something about having my memory wiped as punishment?”

“Serial killer or rogue werewolves and those who reveal your secret society are given a drug to erase their memory. They call it a werewolf lobotomy.”

Kane narrowed his eyes at him. “And you know this how?”

“My brother witnessed his former alpha master brain wipe one of his betas.” He smirked. “He also found out your brother, Maccon, suffered from the taint of Griswold of Bedburg.”

His wolf snarled at the reference to Griswold of Bedburg, but having a brother named Maccon did not register. “Explain.”

“The Griswold taint means you may suffer from blood lust to murder. If Maccon had not been killed, I’m sure he would have had his mind wiped.”

Kane pressed his head against the cold bars. Is that what happened? Was he some sort of criminal? He muttered. “A brain wipe makes sense.”

“Except, the drug keeps you in wolf form without memory of being human and permanently without the ability to shift. You, on the other hand, can shift and think as both a human and wolf.”

Worry gnawed at him. “Unless they gave me the wrong dose or it was a bad batch.”

Avery regarded him, and shook his head. “A werewolf with amnesia exposes your kind to the entire world.”

Kane scoffed. “Maybe I should go on national television and shift.”

“The one thing we share with werewolf society is keeping your kind a secret.”

I wonder why? Kane sighed. “If I was brain wiped, I might have deserved it.”

“I doubt the king’s own brother would be punished in such a way. As far as we know, you have not murdered people.” He chuckled. “Unless, you were given a brain wipe for political reasons. Perhaps, sibling rivalry. I imagine if you were close, mention of King Conan would spark a memory.”

Kane shrugged. “Maybe the explanation is permanent brain damage. Shit happens.”

“We’ll see.”

If his own brother ordered his mind wiped, why should he search for him or his pack?

Director Giles entered. “Human again. Good.”

“Yes, but not cooperating,” said Avery.

Kane glowered at Avery. Got that right.

“What do you plan to do with him?”

“Well, our lupine friend continues to say he doesn’t remember a damn thing.”

Giles smirked at Kane. “I see.”

“I brought the truth serum. Created in our lab to someday be used on a werewolf.”

Giles raised a brow at Avery. “So you have never tried it on a werewolf?”

“I’ll know soon enough, but first I have a question about your adopted daughter.”

Kane’s chest tightened and his hackles rose. Why bring her up?

Giles scoffed. “Gaby. What about?”

“Interesting she is sent on missions.”

Giles pulse quickened and Kane smelled his fear. Obviously, he didn’t reveal Gaby’s charm to Avery. Yet, he kept his outer composure. “She is a natural with our predators.”

“Of course, she is. Is she not a wolf-segen?”

Giles’s body stiffened. His face blanched. “What do you mean?”

“Really, Giles? Do you think I’m a fool? I had my techs hack into your encrypted files on her. Tsk, tsk. I’m your boss, not your enemy.” He chuckled. “Who sends a twelve year old on missions? I believe that was the first time you forced her to use a lion to devour a hit, correct?”

Giles swallowed. “Yes.”

Kane wanted to demand he leave Gaby out of this, but Avery knew how to avoid his mind control. Perhaps, he used a drug? Regardless, if he showed he cared, they’d use her to force him to do their bidding.

Avery smiled. “Actually, Gaby is far more important to me than a brain wiped werewolf.”

Giles shook his head. “Without her charm, no one else can force our beasts to assassinate the right target.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not taking her away permanently.”

“You want her to accompany you and help control the werewolf?” Asked Giles.

“Partly.” He winked at Kane. “She is quite fond of him.”

Kane’s fangs emerged and he growled. No matter what, his need to protect her overshadowed everything else. His raw emotions threatened release. Gaby was his. Escape.

“And, apparently, the prince is fond of her.”

Giles frowned. “Most believe wolf charmers are the stuff of legends and myths.”

“Indeed they were. We thought they no longer existed. Do you know why they vanished from the face of the earth?”

Giles nodded. “They were accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake along with thousands.”

“Yes, many burned at the stake. However, the majority were hunted down by werewolves and murdered on the spot, until every last one was eradicated. That is until Gaby.”

Could that be true? Is that why the term wolf-segen sounded familiar? A historical fact he buried along with other information about lycan society. But why kill her kind?

Giles shook his head. “I thought the werewolf was invented in your chimera labs along with the dogmen.”

“No. Lycans have existed for millennia.”

Giles frowned. “And why would werewolves kill wolf charmers?”

“Because, a wolf charmer can reveal the wolf inside the man or woman.”

Kane scoffed. “Where did you hear that?”

“From your lycan history manuscript,” said Avery. “Your kind called the proclamation the Edict of Segner 1590. It states every wolf-segen is to be eradicated.”

Giles mumbled. “She can identify werewolves?”

“Yes. Her kind was the perfect weapon for outing a werewolf. A weapon that will serve me well.”

“She is an innocent,” said Kane.

“If your memory ever returns, you will understand that even in these modern times a werewolf must always kill a wolf charmer.”

No one, not man or werewolf, would ever harm Gaby.

Giles sneered. “Gaby can be very stubborn.”

“After she ran away, you tortured her for a year until she complied, so I doubt she’ll give me any problems.” Avery’s gaze turned to the dark room next to his cage. “In there, in the dark and alone. With the exception of when you took her out and jolted her until she begged for death, isn’t that right?”

“She needed convincing,” snapped Giles.

Kane glared at Giles. She had run away at fifteen, which meant she was not even an adult when he tortured her. Giles lowered his gaze.

Avery barked. “Giles, the alpha werewolf is mesmerizing you.”

Giles shook his head. “What…did…you say?”

“Never mind. You will never reveal that werewolves exist. I’ll share our secret to prevent their mind control when we get the truth out of him.” Avery dragged Giles away from Kane and whispered in his ear, “Unfortunately, there is no hiding a lie from them.”

Whispering didn’t help, but then again the ass knew that. Kane scoffed. “Gives me an edge doesn’t it?”

Avery narrowed his eyes. “I’m more than happy to share the truth with you, Prince Steele.”

Giles looked confused but nodded. “What if he shifts?”

Avery turned to Kane. “You will stay in human form, won’t you?”

“I prefer to kill you in wolf form,” Kane growled.

“I saw your reaction to Gaby being tortured. If you go wolf, I’ll bring her in and shock her into oblivion, that is, until you turn human.”

Kane could withstand any amount of torture, but he would do anything to protect Gaby. “Leave her out of it.” He gritted his teeth. “I’ll stay in human form.”

“That’s a good wolf. Let’s hope the serum revives your memory. A win-win for both of us, Prince Steele.”

His inner wolf longed to rip out Avery’s heart for threatening Gaby, but maybe he was right. The drug could awaken his memory. Betray his kind.

Avery opened a silver box containing a small tranquilizer gun and then loaded it with a syringe. “Truth serum, powerful enough to make an entire troop of marines reveal every secret.” He tilted his head. “Though you are royal, I suspect you serve the lycan army. This would explain why you were on a mission over the Atlantic.”

The ocean. The sensation of drowning triggered fear, but no memory.

Avery aimed and shot him in the shoulder. Kane growled and removed the dart. I’m going to kill you. Dizzy, he sat on the ground, a sliver of saliva dripped from his gaping mouth.

 

Gaby worried about Kane. It had been two days since they took him to the treatment center. Zapped, drugged and tortured for answers he didn’t have. He really had amnesia. Would they believe him or would he die? Cold and alone, like she almost had. She needed to rescue him. How?

Gaby called Giles. She told him she was coming to see him. He agreed.

“Gaby, I’m so happy you called to visit. You need to start packing.” Giles gestured for her to sit.

She sat. Her heart sank. He must be sending her to California to make the hit. “With Orion?”

“No. Ken is leaving tomorrow to take care of the target.”

Her skin grew cold. Ken was their snake man. He used venomous snakes and on occasion constrictors to take out targets. “Why so soon?” She read the target’s file and memorized his phone number. After escaping, she planned to text Phil Renshaw a warning about his assassination.

“Apparently, the hit needs to take place as soon as possible.”

Ken would use a snake found in Phil’s area. “But a rattlesnake is not guaranteed to kill him,” she protested.

“Ken knows what he’s doing.”

“So where am I going?”

“You will accompany Avery to his facility.”

Her stomach knotted. “Why?”

Giles blew out a long breath. “He knows you are a wolf-segen.”

Realization dawned on her. “He used truth serum to get it out of Kane.”

“Avery knew before he arrived. He broke into my encrypted files.”

I knew this would happen sooner or later. “So he plans to use me to control beasts.”

“Not exactly.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He intends for you to find werewolves like Kane or Steele, whoever he really is.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I didn’t believe it at first. I assumed werewolves didn’t exist. I thought they’d been created in the chimera labs. I was wrong. They exist beneath our very own noses.”

Gaby kept up the pretense. “How could I possibly know who is a werewolf?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Cut the crap. You know you can.”

She flinched. “He’s mistaken.”

“While drugged, the werewolf confirmed your ability. And that you lied to me by claiming your charm works on him when it doesn’t.”

Shit. “So what else did he reveal while under truth serum?”

“Nothing more about his pack or his real name. He really has lost his memory.”

“Is he still drugged?”

“No. Last night, he slipped into a coma.”

Her heart clenched. Was he dying? “How long did you torture him?”

He scoffed. “Unfortunately, the truth serum shut down his system after only an hour of interrogation.”

Most likely overdosed him. “Will he survive?”

“Dr. Tomlin believes so.”

She trembled. After her torture in the isolation room ten years ago, she never wanted to set foot inside the treatment area. “Can I see him?”

He smiled, knowing how she hated the place. Refusing to go in even to work on animals. “I’ll ask Avery since the asset is now his to do with as he pleases.”

“I suppose I now belong to Avery as well.”

“Borrowed, my dear.”

“So when do we leave?”

“He wants to give the werewolf a few days to recover before he makes a decision whether to take him or put him down.”

“Why would he murder him?”

“You know how powerful the werewolf is and on top of that, he can mind control humans. Avery’s father is committed to wiping out the werewolf threat to our species.” He waved his hand. “Go and I’ll let you know if and when you can see him.”

“Can I go back to my cabin?”

“No. Just let Mr. Leeds know what to pack. You stay here until you fly to Avery’s lab.”

Gabby nodded. “I’ll wait for your call.”

She left and dashed back to her headquarters apartment. Immediately, she went into her bedroom. Gaby took out the burner phone she hid inside her winter gloves. She quickly texted. Dear Phil Renshaw, they know you hacked into the chimera lab, and plan to kill you during your run. Contact FBI. Go to a safe house. Do Not respond to this text. Save yourself and your sons.

Gaby disabled the phone and then returned it to its hiding place. She had to help Kane escape. Now. How could she move him while he was out?

Her phone buzzed. “Hello.”

“Dr. Tomlin thinks it’s a good idea for you to try talking to the werewolf and Avery agrees,” said Giles.

“I’ll be right over.” She ran out and in less than five minutes walked into the area she never wanted to see again, the treatment room. She pushed the button and security answered. “Gaby.”

The door opened and she shivered. The area remained as it was ten years ago, a horrific dungeon. The dark room where she had been kept was bolted. Kane lay in wolf form on the floor of a steel cage.

Dr. Tomlin turned from his computer console and stood. “Gaby, I’m happy you are here.”

She glanced around. Only Tomlin and the armed security guard at the door in sight. “How is he?”

“He is in a deep sleep.”

“You mean a coma.”

“He was, but he is moving. Like a dog having a dream.”

“I bet Avery was disappointed he turned wolf before revealing too much.”

“Actually, he stayed human during the interrogation. He turned wolf after he passed out.”

“You would think he would have turned as soon as he was drugged.”

“Avery warned him if he turned wolf, you would be tortured.”

She swallowed, at a loss of words. He tried to protect her. “Happy someone cares about me around here.”

“Avery knows all about his kind, but unfortunately, the poor beast has no memory of his identity. Only that you can’t charm him.”

Had he revealed their plans to escape? “Did he say anything else about me?”

“He says you can see his inner wolf, but when Avery started to ask him why he was so fond of you, he convulsed and passed out.”

Gaby bit the inside of her cheek. He fought the drug before he revealed their plans. His fondness.

Avery Kraig entered. “Gaby, how nice to see you again.”

Can’t say the same. “Hi.”

His smile slipped and he turned to Tomlin. “So Doc, how is the wolf doing?”

“The serum is out of his system and he’s out of danger.”

“Good. Gaby, perhaps, if he hears your voice, he’ll wake.”

She snarked. “So you can torture him with more drugs?”

“You couldn’t be further from the truth. You and he will be my guests.”

Tomlin gazed at the wolf. “I need to do my rounds, but I’ll return in a couple hours.”

“No problem. I’m on my way to make a few calls,” said Avery. He turned to Gaby. “If he wakes, have him turn human and tell the guard to call me immediately.”

He left and ordered the guard to stand outside the room. Probably to keep him from being mind controlled by Kane.

Gaby sighed and knelt next to the huge gray wolf. She glanced at the camera. Even if he shifted, better they not talk. She wanted to promise she’d never betray his kind, that is, if she could believe an entire secret society of them existed.

While he lay still as an animal rug, she avoided looking at the dark room where she’d been imprisoned. It felt like only yesterday. She found paper and pen and drew the unconscious wolf. She sketched him lying inside a den.

After a half an hour, he woke. The wolf stood and shook his fur. He walked forward and banged his head on the bars, whining. He shimmered into human form. He held his head between his hands. “My head hurts…get Tomlin.” He moaned.

She nodded and called him. “Dr. Tomlin, Kane has a headache.”

Kane groaned, “Stop the pain.”

“Hurry!” She put the phone down and looked through the cabinet for pain meds. Nothing for humans. She found a bottle of water in the refrigerator. “Drink.”