by Sarah Noffke
“Thanks,” Adelaide said, her eyes on the far wall.
Rox and Aiden both paused and stared at the girl, and then she brought her eyes up to meet Rox’s. “Thanks for saving me earlier. If you hadn’t showed up…”
“Then you’d be dog food. And you’re welcome,” Rox said, allowing a sincere smile of relief on her face.
Adelaide didn’t smile back, but for once she didn’t scowl at Rox. She simply nodded.
Chapter Forty-Two
“We are fortunate that we know a vegetarian diet best suits our dream travel lifestyle. This is probably because ingesting animal fat clogs our bodies.”
- Lucidite Employee Manual
A stack of papers flew across the lab room, nearly knocking into Grant, who stood what should have been a safe distance from Mika. Then the CEO of Olento Research telekinetically picked up a container of medical supplies and launched it at the wall behind Grant.
“I’m not sure if you realize this, but I was currently using those medical supplies,” Drake said, stomping over and picking up the bandages, grabbing his old back as he did.
“Do your job and stay out of this,” Mika said, his words a coarse whisper.
“Yes, sir,” Drake said, no actual respect in his voice.
“Are you going to use those bandages now that they’ve been on the floor?” Morgan said, indicating the white gauze in Drake’s hands which had flown from the container.
“It’s not going to kill you,” Drake said, with a shrug and then added, “most likely.”
“Thanks, doc, yeah, and who knows what bacteria is on the floor of these labs,” Morgan said, his eyelids heavy most likely from the sedative, but also from the fight.
“You had him,” Mika said, his voice barely audible. He took in a breath, his eyes on Grant, who stood frozen. “You had him in your crosshairs and you let Zephyr run away.”
“Sir, if you would have been there. They all run so fast. We fired, but he was already gone,” Grant said.
“You don’t wait until someone is running away to fire,” Mika said.
“I want to remind everyone that I was passed out when this whole standoff happened,” Morgan said, a laugh in his voice.
Using his enhanced speed, Mika spun to face Morgan. “You let Kaleb Magner get away. Now the Lucidites have him also,” Mika said.
“I did shoot him, though, and that’s better than Grant can say,” Morgan said.
“You’re both incompetent. And now you, Morgan, are fairly useless,” Mika said, waving his hand at Morgan, who was having his shoulder dressed. Drake had just sewed up the injury, which had taken a long time due to the size of the laceration. He’d used a balm that Parantaa had patented that encouraged flesh regeneration in cases of large wounds like Morgan’s.
“Don’t worry. He’ll heal,” Drake said while he worked, his back to Mika.
“And in the meantime, who is going to track down these werewolves? Grant’s team has proven they can’t catch a rat, let alone a werewolf. And Morgan, you had two of them and let them get away,” Mika said, his voice steady and yet a heat rancid in his words.
“I don’t like that you describe it as ‘let.’ It’s not like I held up my hands and allowed them to walk away, like Grant. I shot Kaleb, but that girl took him, and I was fairly distracted and couldn’t intervene because of the whole Zephyr turning into a werewolf and going rabid on my ass,” Morgan said.
“Yes, I will admit that I wouldn’t have sent you alone if I thought there was a possibility you’d be overwhelmed by two of the wolves. And the timing of the change wasn’t in your favor. I think otherwise you would have been successful,” Mika said. He was superior at his ability to see a situation practically. This wasn’t a man who blamed, but he did hold grudges.
“And sir, I did have an instinct on the situation, which is why I had my team leave their post even though Morgan hadn’t called for backup,” Grant said, his eyes low but his words directed to Mika.
“Don’t remind me of your incompetence. The result of this is no different based on your team. You’re very close to losing your job, I hope you realize that,” Mika said.
“Yes, sir,” Grant said, tucking his chin down lower.
“So you think Zephyr has the ability to control the wind?” Mika said, turning his attention back on Morgan, who sat on the exam table.
“Yes, that’s how he was able to see me. He held up a hand and wind seemed to shoot from it. The dirt covered me and that’s when he got the advantage,” Morgan said.
Mika smiled to himself. He enjoyed the irony that Zephyr had the skill to control wind. This universe wasn’t random, though, and there was a significance behind names. He’d always known that. It’s like they had a spell written around them. Name a kid Buddy and everyone will like him. Call a sister Sissy and she will be quite weak. Mika’s own name had been part of his power, based on its significance: “Who is Godlike.”
The door beside Grant busted open and Kris ran into the lab room. “Are you all right?” she said, darting in the direction of her brother.
“Yeah, currently I’m floating,” Morgan said with a drunken smile.
“That will be a result of the drugs,” Drake said, cleaning up the medical supplies and making for the sink.
“Thanks, doc, I didn’t think it was from werewolf saliva,” Morgan said.
“You got bit by a werewolf?” Kris said, a look of awe on her face. “That’s so freaking cool.”
“I fail to see how your brother getting bit by a wolf and failing his mission is at all okay,” Mika said, fuming that his employees were acting overly casual in his presence. Things were getting more lax and he needed to gain back control over his staff.
Kris turned to Mika, crossing her arms as she did. “I guess you’re going to need me out in the field now that Morgan is laid up for a bit,” she said.
“We’ll see,” Mika said, his eyes sharp. He also didn’t like that she was daring to tell him what to do.
“I’m faster than Morgan. I have martial arts experience. And I’m the best weapon that you have right now,” Kris challenged.
“Which means I’m fairly screwed and I’ll need to engineer a new soldier that can go after the werewolves,” Mika said.
“You kind of take me for granted,” Kris said.
“And you absolutely misunderstand your place with Olento Research. You’re a thief. That’s what I contracted you for. That’s it,” Mika said.
“But I heard that another werewolf attack happened here in Los Angeles. Another woman was assaulted. You need me out there, tracking this guy,” Kris said.
“Yes, and the woman is in ICU. As soon as she’s stable I plan to have her questioned. However, you will not be the staff person that I assign to this case so drop it,” Mika said. It wasn’t that Kris was wrong about her being his best person for tracking down the pack, but rather that she was a woman. He didn’t want her being the one who captured a werewolf. She’d fail at it, anyway. You don’t send a lean and sassy lady to take down a beast with fangs and claws. You send a soldier, and she wasn’t that.
“Can I at least be there when she’s questioned? I’ll go invisible. She won’t even know,” Kris said.
“No. And if you think you’re getting more information on these cases, then you’ll find yourself in a body bag very soon. I don’t want you or your brother snooping and if I find out you’ve breached confidential records then you’ll both go missing,” Mika said. Kris and Morgan had been perfect for the Invisibility Project. He’d lost over a dozen subjects before them. But these two fit the physical requirements and having twins made it more cost effective. Unfortunately, they had both proven to be too rebellious and overflowing with curiosity. He didn’t trust them. Well, he never trusted anyone, but they were two people he was keeping a closer eye on.
“Sir, can I please have the privilege of questioning the woman who was attacked?” Grant said.
Mika spun around, having forgotten the nuisance was still present
. He appraised the man who always stood tall, but with his eyes low. Whereas Drake, Morgan, and Kris were disobedient, Grant was loyal.
“Don’t screw it up or you’re fired,” Mika said, knowing that was one of Grant’s worst fears.
“Thank you, sir. I promise to obtain as much information about the attacker as possible,” Grant said, his voice rising a bit.
The attack had happened the night before in the woman’s home. Her husband had been away on business. A neighbor said he heard screaming, grabbed his gun, and ran over to her house. The door was busted in and a wolfish man was crouched over the woman, a Mrs. Lacy Gibbons. Seeing the neighbor, the werewolf bolted for a door on the far side of the house. The woman was unconscious and suffering from multiple broken bones. The werewolf hadn’t gotten around to biting her, unlike in the other cases in LA where the woman was attacked in the parking lot or the one that happened in a woman’s front yard. However, there was something that all the cases shared. In all instances the werewolf had beaten their victims. Specifically in the recent one, based on the scene in the living room, he had thrown her up against walls and across the room. That told Mika one extremely important detail. For this particular werewolf, attacking these women was personal.
Chapter Forty-Three
“The greatest mission of Olento Research Corp is to prove that anything God does can be replicated through science.”
- Olento Research Employee Manual
Kaleb rubbed his eyes with his fists. “This is almost too much to believe,” he said to the room full of people. The conference room of the strategic department included all the head officials, as well as Adelaide and Rox.
“I get that, son, but Adelaide and Rox are going to help fill in the missing gaps until all this makes more sense,” Trey said from his place at the head of the conference table. “For now we’re just glad that you’re safe.”
“Yeah,” Kaleb said, running his eyes over the Head Official, whose silver hair hung loose on his forehead.
Trey turned to Rox, who was leaning against one of the glass walls, one high heel kicked up behind her. “Good work out there and in here,” he said, referring to bringing Kaleb in and protecting Adelaide. Guilt-ridden, Connor had been in his room ever since they released him from confinement. He hadn’t said a word to Adelaide, hadn’t even looked at her.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice dripping with sugar.
“Okay, Adelaide, the next phase in this case is up to you,” Trent said, breaking into the conversation. He was only a couple of years older than her, but looked like his years had somehow been harder, engraving premature wrinkles in his cocoa-colored skin.
“Oh, don’t you worry, I know exactly what we’re doing next,” she said, and because no one was a human lie detector like her, they didn’t know she was lying.
“Well, maybe before the next step can we have the guys stop by my lab? I want to do some testing,” Aiden said, standing from the table. He came around behind Trey’s wheelchair and rested his palms on the handles. “I really want the opportunity to run a few tests. See what Olento Research did exactly.”
“I’ll take them for a walk later,” Adelaide said as the three officials headed for the exit.
She spun around and evaluated the newbie. Kaleb looked like he’d just seen a three-headed dog and was about to lose the contents of his stomach over the image.
“So you’re in charge of this case?” Kaleb said to her, his tone oozing with doubt.
“Yes, and I’m also your new owner. I’ll probably answer some of your questions, but you’ve pretty much got the gist of what’s going on here at the Lucidite Institute after that orientation. Read the book and let me know what questions you have,” she said, indicating the Dream Traveler Codex resting on the table.
He nodded. Swallowed. Then shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t for a while,” Kaleb said.
“Gods, it’s getting tiresome having to give each of you werewolves your orientation,” Adelaide said, which produced a laugh from Rox.
“Did you just say ‘gods’?” he said, quirking his head to the side.
“I did,” she chirped.
“You realize there’s only one,” Kaleb said, a new confidence springing to his face.
“You realize you’re a bloody idiot who has no idea about God, gods, or who fucking created you,” Adelaide said, remembering that Kaleb had been brought up in an ultra-conservative religious home.
“And you do?” he said, his dark brown eyes narrowing.
“I have a source,” she said, thinking of her father’s book which contained knowledge on all aspects of the universe that most people didn’t know. Then Adelaide remembered the detail from Rox’s account of rescuing Kaleb that she’d been trying to forget. It sparked a pain for her she couldn’t deal with right then, maybe ever.
“I’m sorry about your father,” Adelaide said, her voice kinder now. “If you want counseling then the Lucidites have a team of therapists. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea based on everything you’ve been through.”
Kaleb had briefly shared with the group that he’d been homeless for the last few weeks. That when he was at the soup kitchen, men had come after him. It was impressive to Adelaide that he’d managed not to get caught after several attempts by Olento Research to track him down.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice a whisper.
It was too early. The death hadn’t sunk in yet. Kaleb was in shock, Adelaide realized.
“That was a senseless thing for that invisible guy to do, Kaleb,” Rox said, her voice compassionate.
He merely nodded.
“During your time out there over the last few weeks, have you noticed a skill that you possess? Like a superpower? Maybe a psychic power that you didn’t have before?” Adelaide asked, sensing Kaleb needed the subject changed.
“Are you joking?” Kaleb said, his face screwing up with offense. “I’m a werewolf now. I’m faster than humanly possible. I can scale a building and—”
“No, no,” Adelaide said, cutting him off. “That’s not what I mean. That’s your power as a werewolf, but as we explained, you’re also a Dream Traveler now. Each of us,” she indicated to Rox and herself, “is gifted with one or more special power. That’s a perk of the race.”
“You mean like reading minds or something? That’s not a real thing,” Kaleb said.
Adelaide nearly laughed. “You’ve had your race changed and been turned into a werewolf and you think that having a psychic power is unbelievable? Welcome to Oz, Toto, we’re all freaks here,” she said.
“Oh, well… no, I don’t have any strange power besides what I’ve already told you,” he said.
“Maybe you’re a dud,” Adelaide said with a shrug. “Read the bo—”
Thunderous steps stole everyone’s attention. Zephyr stormed into the strategic department, his eyes burning with intensity. Not until he laid his eyes on Rox did he soften. “Oh thank God, you made it back,” he said to her.
“And in time to stop Connor from destroying all of the Lucidites,” she said, a satisfied smile on her face.
“That’s what I feared,” he said, his shoulders dropping a degree.
“What happened?” Adelaide said, capturing Zephyr’s attention.
“I attacked the invisible man and then ran from a firing squad,” Zephyr said.
“That sounds fairly boring,” Adelaide said. “But at least you got away and you didn’t bite any innocent people.” She then stopped and regarded him with a calculated stare. “You didn’t attack any innocent people, right?”
He shook his head. “Just a loose dog.”
“Oh, that’s even worse. You’re a sick animal abuser,” Adelaide said. She waved at Kaleb. “Come on, runt, I’ll show you to your dog house.”
Zephyr extended a hand to Kaleb as he stood from the table. “I’m glad you’re safe, man. I’m Zephyr.”
“Kaleb,” he said, a bit shyly. He was so much smaller in build compar
ed to Zephyr; well, compared to anyone. “And thanks for—”
Zephyr clapped him on the shoulder. “Go rest. You need it,” he said.
Rox pushed off the wall when Adelaide and Kaleb left. She ran her eyes over Zephyr, looking for an injury. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said through a long exhale. “And you? How’d you stop Connor?”
“With my total awesomeness,” she said, tucking her pointer fingers in the pockets of her jeans. “You should have seen the werewolf’s face when he tried to take a bite out of me and met total defeat.”
“Wow,” Zephyr said, his voice flat. “I would have liked to see that.”
“You werewolves are strong, I’ll admit that, but take away your bite and you’re all bark,” Rox said.
Zephyr turned and faced her directly, a new respect on his face. More and more there was something about the girl that irked him in a good way. It’s like he wanted to look at her longer. Understand her deeper. Allow himself to laugh at her jokes. But that wasn’t right. He never really allowed himself that, especially with a girl like Rox. She was all wrong for him and yet, she seemed to be a strange match.
“I think you might be the first person who can handle us,” he said, and then slammed his mouth shut. How had he allowed such an admission to fall out of his mouth? And it had sounded sensitive, overly friendly. Was it the recent battle that had his defenses down?
“You mean you. I might be the first person who can handle you,” Rox said, taking a step in his direction.
“Don’t tell me what I mean,” he said, trying to sound insulted.
“Also I know I am the only one who can handle you, Mr. Alpha Wolf, and I think I might entertain the idea of doing so,” she said, slipping her hands from her pocket and daring to lay one on his chest. Her blonde hair was corralled back behind her ear on one side and her long bangs flopped over her eye on the other side.
He eyed the pink fingernails resting on his chest. “Are you hitting on me?” Zephyr said. It was the only thing he could think of saying since all of this was dropping down on him so fast. Rox was being bold and he was surprised that he liked it. How had things changed so much between them? Was it the battle? He’d thought of her constantly since changing back into a man, worried that she didn’t make it back or something happened.
