by Trina Lane
"My name is Dr Craig Johns. The knife Adam Broyles used on you was coated in compound CRS-264. When used in small doses, it prevents a shifter from being able to make the change. Broyles uses it to control his hostages. What you experienced was basically an overdose. Without the antidote, you were minutes away from death. We keep a supply on hand just in case."
"Why would you help me if you work for him?"
"What makes you think I do any of this willingly? Broyles has my family here in the compound. If I didn't do my job, he threatened to kill them.” He pointed towards Shaun. “He said that all the hostages in the barracks had been freed, and that Broyles was gone. That your men had taken control."
Jaryn put his hand on Craig's shoulder. “It's true. He's not dead, but he's definitely not here.” He saw the man's complexion go white. “Don't worry. We're going to put you someplace safe until I find the son-of-a-bitch. And when I do, you'll never have to fear for your family's safety from him again.” He looked at the double doors and remembered what lay beyond them. “Now, tell me what was happening down here."
Craig looked over at his colleagues still huddled in the corner. “Let them go, first."
Jaryn glanced over at Shaun and gave him a slight nod. Shaun walked over and released the others’ bindings. They all slowly got to their feet, rubbing their wrists.
"Done. Now talk."
"I know you're not going to believe me, but those are not your normal children out there.” He walked over the doors and peeked out the window. “They are genetic engineering at its most terrifying and finest. Each one is a shifter but with the added twist of some type of extrasensory talent or power. Born of human surrogates who were sacrificed for the cause."
"What cause?” Shaun growled.
"Those children are supposed to be a new generation of super-shifters bred specifically to act as soldiers in a revolution that will change the world."
For the first time in his life, Jaryn was truly speechless. What could a person possibly say in the face of such a revelation? How did one process such atrocities committed against the innocent?
"How long has this been going on?” he croaked.
"Twenty-five years. For the first few years, there were numerous failures.” He shivered and wrapped his arms around his waist. “I've seen recordings of... The things that happened during the first trials were... We have fifteen in residence. The oldest is nineteen the youngest is two months."
"How in the fuck does something like this happen?” Shaun exclaimed.
"Do you mean literally or ethically?"
"Both!"
"From the literal aspect, all conceptions were achieved via in vitro fertilisation. We used various combinations of sperm and eggs from shifters, humans and mutants, depending on Broyles’ goals for that test subject. We were able to bypass the enzyme that prevents conception between non-mated pairs by introducing a synthetic hormone that tricks the egg into accepting the sperm of the selected donor. Then with the help of advanced gene therapy, we either triggered a mutation in the shifter embryos during the initial stages of brain development that allows latent extrasensory talents to emerge, or we spliced in the shifter gene to a subject with inherited extrasensory talents."
"That's sick."
"I know. And while the scientist in me is in awe of what's been accomplished here, as a human, I'm disgusted by the callous disregard for life."
One of the other scientists walked up to Jaryn. “I'm Dr Tran Guppa. We only know a little bit about what those kids’ lives were like before we arrived five years ago. Our predecessors left detailed notes, both in what they did during the developmental stages and the kinds of experiments they performed on the children, starting as early as two months of age. They were treated as expendable commodities. No sense of identity, kept in isolation...and you really don't want to know what else. We've done what we can to take care of them. To nurture their development as best we can under the limitations placed on us."
"What about the experiments? Did they suddenly stop when you came on board? Why do the children trust you?” Shaun asked.
Dr Guppa faced Shaun. “When Broyles brought us here, he shifted the programme's focus. He had us training the children in physical and mental exercises. He was building an army, not trying to destroy his product. Unfortunately, the experiments didn't cease completely. He reserved those for the others. And believe me—I'm sickened by some of the things I've done."
Jaryn watched a young woman walk up and put her arm around Craig. She gave him a little squeeze then turned to face Jaryn. Dr Craig's face was decidedly more ashen than it had been a moment ago. Jaryn suspected that the doctor was struggling with his own guilt.
"I'm Dr Charlotte Kelly. It was Craig's idea to give the children names. Up till that point, they were simply referred to by their subject number."
Craig eked out a smile for Charlotte. “And it was you who taught them basic social skills. Before that they did little more than exist. Now I've seen how they band together."
The last scientist brought over a data chip and handed it to Shaun. “This is everything we have. All our data and the data of those who came before us."
"And you are?” Shaun prompted.
"Dr Irvin Rakaza. I'm in charge of intellectual development. You should know that every one of those kids have IQs off the charts. Given the proper development, they'll probably have more knowledge in their little toes than you or I ever will have in our entire bodies."
"What will happen to them now?” Charlotte asked.
Jaryn rubbed his eyes and sighed. “I don't know. I need to contact the council.” He looked over at Shaun. “Has the rest of the team checked in?"
Shaun nodded. “All secured. Oh, and your buddy Mac found his brother among the hostages. The council already has a team on the way to debrief them. As soon as they're cleared, they'll all be sent home to their families."
"Good. Let's take this one step at a time shall we? Let's go out there and get them out of those fucking cells.” He looked at Craig. “You can introduce me then we'll get everyone ready to leave. Tell them that they'll never be coming back so bring whatever they want to keep. I have a private jet on standby, and if I can get the council's agreement, I have the perfect place to hide them for a while."
"Sir, they don't have any personal possessions. They don't even have their own clothing. Broyles had us distribute items each day from a stock pile."
Jaryn cursed and clenched his fists. He heard Shaun grumbling next to him in similar fashion. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wanted to present a calm front to the children, who were probably scared out of their wits right now.
They pushed their way through the doors then Charlotte took Jaryn's hand, pulling him towards the closest cell on the left. Inside the glass was a crib.
Oh, Jesus. They're just babies.
Charlotte pushed in a numbered sequence and the glass slid away. Jaryn very slowly and quietly walked inside. He reached the edge of the crib and looked down. His heart slammed against his chest and his hands tightened on the wooden railing. Staring back at him were two sets of forest green eyes and two tiny heads covered in a slightly brighter shade of extremely familiar red hair. There was something about them that called to Jaryn. The features could have been a coincidence, but this primal recognition could not be ignored.
"I'd like you to meet Kaden and Gavin."
"Who's the biological mother of these babies?"
"Their egg donor was a human named Nicole Holland.” She frowned. “It happened about four months after she was brought to the compound. For some reason, Broyles decided to use another human as surrogate instead of having Ms Holland carry the twins.” She turned away from the crib and stared out the glass into the lab. “Once we detected her cycle, we began giving her hormones in her diet without her knowledge to nurture the egg development. She was drugged and brought down for regular ultrasounds so we could monitor the progress and make a determination when it was time to h
arvest. I was here when Broyles brought her down for the final procedure. She was already unconscious.” Charlotte wiped her eyes. “She never knew it happened. Has no idea Kaden and Gavin even exist. I'm a mother, Mr Chaunterel. I can't even imagine..."
Jaryn came over and squeezed Charlotte's shoulder. “It'll be okay."
"After Ms Holland's procedure, Broyles ordered us keep her locked up in a suite of rooms on the second floor. She was never put with the other humans again."
"What happened to the surrogate?"
"She didn't handle the pregnancy well, and we were forced to deliver Kaden and Gavin by Caesarian a month early. She haemorrhaged out. We weren't able to determine what went wrong. We shouldn't have even been... We're all researchers. I haven't treated patients since my residency, for God's sake.” Charlotte wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek. “About two months ago, Craig was forced to perform germ line gene therapy on Ms Holland. Broyles was convinced that the therapy would alter her DNA to that of a wolf shifter.” She looked back at him. “I don't even know what happened to her. I heard she disappeared a couple of months ago. Most likely she's dead, along with the others."
Jaryn walked back over to the crib. Both of the babies watched him quietly. Jaryn stared into the two innocent faces. These little boys shared DNA with his mate. He reached down into the crib and lifted the infants into his arms.
"She's not dead. She's my mate. Right now she's at our home in Montana.” Jaryn cradled the small bodies against his chest. “Hello...my sons."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Thirteen
* * * *
"Jeff?"
"Surprised? I bet Cooper told you only Jaryn's inner circle knew about this place? Well that may have been true for a while, but all secrets come to light eventually. Once I obtained the particulars from my associate, it was easy enough to lift Cooper's palm print from the station.” He stepped aside from the opening and gestured with his gun. “Now move. I have a schedule to keep."
Nicole's mind moved beyond the shock and she remembered the gun in her hand. In one motion, she flipped the safety off and raised the weapon, taking aim right between Jeff's eyes.
Jeff shook his head. “I wouldn't do that if I were you."
She had to get in a better position. Gun or not, Jeff had her cornered in the war room, and she was completely on the defensive. Jaryn had drilled into her that anytime she found herself in a situation like this, she had to do everything in her power to shift the status quo.
"And why is that?” She took a step closer and inwardly smiled when Jeff moved back. She tried not to look at the gun in Jeff's hands. If she let him see the fear currently roiling through her body, Nicole knew it would all be over.
Jeff let out a huff. “Let me play this out for you. You'll pull the trigger, I'll dodge the bullet with my superior reflexes and speed, my training will kick in and I'll most likely shoot you before you can blink. Then not only will you be in excruciating pain, but I'll have to explain to my boss why I shot the woman he intends to claim as his mate. Somehow I doubt that'll go over real well."
"I'm supposed to simply go with you quietly? Not bother defending my home, avenging my friend whom you killed in cold blood?"
"That would be nice, yes. But, I suppose unrealistic.” He held up his gun. “I really don't want to hurt you Nicole. I'm simply doing my job."
"So am I.” She squeezed the trigger and the kick of gun firing vibrated through her palm. Her eyes widened as the six-foot man in front of her disappeared before the bullet found its home in flesh. Instead she heard a crack as it burrowed into the log wall. A low growl rumbled through the room, and Nicole blinked only to find herself now facing a tanned and white wolf whose teeth looked extremely sharp with his lips curled back. She screamed and took off running.
Nicole made it to the living room, but her steps faltered as she saw Cooper lying on the floor. In that moment, her back was struck with the force of a tsunami, which sent her plummeting to the floor. She tried to push up, but a heavy weight kept her pinned to the wooden planks. The weight released, and Nicole flipped over. If she was going to die, she'd do it facing her attacker. The size of Jeff's wolf seemed massive from her vantage point. His snout was long and pointed down at her. She could see his teeth, and tears came to her eyes as she anticipated the sharp points piercing her skin and spilling her blood.
As she lay there, waiting to die, anger took the place of fear. How dare this man betray his pack, his Alpha? How dare he callously take the life of a good man all for the sake of seeking approval from someone as demented and maniacal as Adam Broyles?
A buzzing sound filled Nicole's ear, her vision turned black and white, and every muscle in her body seemed to go into convulsions. Jeff whimpered and padded backwards, then sat on his haunches. Nicole tried to ask him what was happening, but all that came out was some kind of yipping sound. She curled up into a foetal position as pressure filled her body. Her head pounded and she cried out, but instead of scream it sounded more like a howl.
"Jaryn! What's happening to me?"
She felt as though she'd explode if something didn't give soon. She clawed at the floor, trying to escape but she couldn't move.
"Nic! Don't fight it! Relax and let your wolf take over."
"Jaryn? Oh thank God! Help me, please. I'm scared."
"I know, baby. I'm sorry I'm not there. Cooper will help you."
"Cooper's dead! Jeff...Jeff's..."
She couldn't finish her thoughts as the pressure built to intolerable levels. Jaryn had said to relax. To let it happen. To let her...wolf...? Oh fuck, she was turning into a wolf? But Jaryn had said that their mating wouldn't make her change. Nicole realised that having a mental argument with herself was not helping the situation. The resistance and anxiety only caused her pain. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind. If she couldn't stop this, she might as well embrace it. A flood of warmth filled her, and light seemed to surround her in a bubble in her mind.
I've been waiting for you.
It was a voice in her head like hers and Jaryn's link, but this one was decidedly female. Was that her wolf? Jaryn always spoke of his as almost a separate entity. Something that lived inside him...that lived with him. An alternate form with which he shared a symbiotic relationship.
The pressure inside her released in a climax almost orgasmic in its intensity. Nicole opened her eyes and was shocked by how sharp everything was. Her colour vision wasn't what she was used to, but it wasn't completely black and white either. She lifted her head and rolled so she could stand up. Okay, standing on four legs versus two was a little weird.
Just then Nicole remembered exactly what had been happening right before her world was turned upside down. She turned to see Jeff, now in human form, staring at her with an expression of complete shock.
"Holy shit,” he whispered. “How...when...? You're not supposed to be..."
Nicole growled. An honest to god growl rumbled from her chest. It was kind of funny that she could still understand him, even as a wolf. She guessed this is what Jaryn experienced when she talked to him in wolf form. She stalked him across the living room. Each step backwards took Jeff closer to the front door. Jeff shook his head and in a heartbeat, Nicole was once again faced with his wolf. Man, she was going to have to learn how to change that fast.
They circled each other. Jeff was clearly larger than her, but Nicole didn't feel the fear that she had as a human in this situation.
"Nicole? Baby? Are you all right?"
"Not now Jaryn. I'm about to kill Jeff. I'll get back to you in a minute."
"What!"
Nicole shut her mental link to her mate and focused on the wolf in front of her. She watched as Jeff crouched, his eyes boring into hers. His lips curled up and he let out a howl-bark, warning her to back away. Like that was really going to happen. Nicole took a step forwards, tensed the muscles in her hind quarters then unleashed all the furry coiling inside her in a burst of kinetic energy as
she sailed through the air. But, before her wolf body slammed into Jeff's, the front door burst open and Nicole was pushed aside by a human. She skidded across the hard wood floors. She looked up and was shocked to find Kenneth standing in front of her.
"Please, we're here to help you."
Nicole looked around the young man and saw that Jeff had disappeared. She couldn't let him get away! Nicole growled at Kenneth for his trick. He must have been the one spying on her, feeding information back to Adam. She dodged around him and took off out the front door. The snow had stopped falling, but the wind blasted against her fur and caused her to squint.
Out in the meadow were two wolves, fighting. Who was the other wolf? She sat on the porch and watched as the unknown wolf grappled with Jeff. Powerful jaws snapped and paws swiped at each other. The guttural sounds of their struggle carried on the cold night air. The unknown wolf's jaws clamped down on Jeff's neck. Nicole instinctively knew this meant he was demanding Jeff's submission. However Jeff refused so with one quick snap, the unknown wolf's jaws closed, and Jeff paid for his crimes with his life. Nicole couldn't seem to find any remorse inside. Something came up beside her and Nicole yipped as an all-white wolf sat down next to her and met her gaze. The wolf rolled onto his back and exposed his belly, submitting to Nicole. She tilted her head down and received a lick for her efforts.
The white wolf got back to his feet and went inside. Nicole glanced over her shoulder to find the unknown wolf standing just off her front porch. His tail and ears were down as he tried to appear smaller and subservient to Nicole. She turned and went back inside, leaving the other wolf to follow.
When she reached the living room, she was shocked to find Cooper pulling his jeans up over his backside. Cooper held up his ruined shirt and shook his head with a sigh then walked over to the sofa and collapsed onto the cushions. She ran over to him and tried to hug him, only to realise that she was still a wolf when her paws landed on the back of the sofa beside his chest.
