by Sarah Noffke
“I know. I’m sorry,” the guard said, lifting his chin to gauge the monitors, which now showed Zephyr being healed in the Project Canis Lupus lab.
The sirens echoed loudly through the room and throughout Olento Research. The main labs would be locked down, but that wouldn’t help completely since Rox had already been freed, according to the monitors. The two werewolves and Adelaide were currently battling their way out of Olento Research. They’d infiltrated his facility and created a battle while his main resources were gone. Again he’d been shown up by the Lucidites. However, Zephyr was trapped and that’s all that mattered. Mika was the real alpha wolf and the way to prove that was to take down the current one. It was time for his reign. But he needed something. One more advantage.
He spun and marched for the exit to the surveillance room. In the hallway he found Malcolm and Derek. Such loyal dogs. They marched behind Mika as he strode through the hallway. Scientists ran for the safe rooms, worry drenching their faces. They didn’t know exactly what was happening, but it was procedure for them to flee in the event of a lockdown. There they’d be quarantined.
Mika, using his access badge, scanned it across the sensor beside Drake’s lab. He was unsurprised to find his chief scientist there, standing squarely in the space, like he’d been waiting for Mika to enter. He left the werewolves in the hallway and strode forward, stopping only a few feet away.
“What are you doing here?” Mika asked. Drake knew he was required to go to the safe room in the event of a lockdown.
“I’m leaving,” Drake said plainly.
“You can’t,” Mika argued.
“I can and I don’t plan to stay here for the werewolves to seek revenge on me,” he said.
“How do you plan to get out of here?” Mika asked. “You have to clear the hallways where they could be waiting to ravage the man who created them.”
“You created them. You’re the maker, and who they are really after is you,” Drake said, a different quality in his voice. He’d never spoken to Mika quite like this.
“Watch yourself,” Mika hissed.
“No. Not anymore,” Drake said, daring to turn and put his back to Mika. He ambled for the back of his lab, unlocking a door beside where the subject for Project Vampyyri was held. It was another cell, but this one was empty.
Drake turned at the door, a smile absent of any joy on his face. “I do have one more suggestion for you. If you’re looking for an extra advantage, may I suggest the resistance serum? The spider monkey showed impressive results,” Drake said, pointing at the red bottle sitting on a lab table, a syringe beside it.
“Where are you going?” Mika asked.
“I told you. I’m getting out of here,” Drake said, pulling back the door to show an empty cell.
“How?” Mika asked, his anger boiling inside of him, filling his chest with fire.
“I think we both know I’m a Dream Traveler now and I plan to risk my life trying to escape using Lucidite technology. I don’t know how to use a GAD-C but I’d rather chance my luck with that than out there,” Drake said, his chin held high and his eyes unflinching on Mika.
“Drake, you have—”
“Betrayed you? Yes, I think we always knew that was a possibility,” Drake said, cutting Mika off for the first time ever. “You can spend your power punishing me or you can conserve it and go after the werewolf that is responsible for the greatest betrayal. I may have hidden my powers from you, but even still, I’ve left you an option. One that will ensure you’re successful.” Drake nodded at the bottle of red liquid.
“Go, you coward,” Mika said, turning for the lab table, reaching out and plucking the bottle from the surface.
“As you wish, sir,” Drake said, closing the door behind him.
A cold sting that Mika was certain would burst his veins tore down his arm. It made its way straight for his chest. He reached in the direction of the organ in his chest that was beating too fast. About to burst. An intensity he’d never felt before raced through his head. Shallow breaths fell across his lips as a strange itching sensation started at his fingertips and ran over his arms and down the rest of his body. His skin tightened all over, until he thought it would split. And then all at once the multiple sensations were gone. If the serum had worked then Mika was invincible. Regardless, he was going to murder Zephyr.
“Thanks,” Zephyr said, rubbing at his wrists.
“You’re welcome,” Cole said, standing back and helping Zephyr off the exam table and to a standing position.
“Mika will be back soon. When he does the door will be unlocked,” Zephyr said, pointing to the lab exit that he’d heard lock when the sirens started blaring. They’d now grown to a low hum in his mind. He had to keep his senses honed to be most alert. “When he does, you two need to be invisible. I want you to slip through the exit and flee.” Zephyr pointed to Kris and Cole and then to the exit, pacing as he did.
“We can’t leave you to battle him alone,” Kris said.
“That’s exactly what you’re going to do,” Zephyr said.
“But Cole could help you if get hurt,” she argued.
“And he can also be used against me or harmed. I’m not taking that chance,” Zephyr said. “This fight has to be between him and me. You remember the plan.”
She nodded, extending a hand to the man beside her whom she didn’t know. “Give me your hand. We should station ourselves by the exit,” Kris said to Cole, who nodded.
“Yes, you should hurry. I hear Mika approaching,” Zephyr said, noting that Mika had two others with him. The footsteps of the werewolves were different than Mika’s, not as loud. He marched, Zephyr had observed since the beginning.
Kris and Cole disappeared, but he heard them tread to the door where they waited. “Be careful, Zephyr. We are all relying on you,” Kris said in a whisper.
“I know,” Zephyr said, realizing that this fight was always meant to happen. He was destined for it.
The door opened wide, Mika squarely framed in the center, Malcolm and Derek at his back. He lifted his chin, which had been pinned down low, and his red eyes honed in on Zephyr. Marching forward, the man in the silver suit entered the room, the men behind him taking position at his sides. Mika appeared different than before, like fueled by a new evil. His eyes weren’t natural, but rather had taken on the appearance of those of a demon that strode the earth, leaving chaos in its wake.
Zephyr tore his attention away from the demonic man before him, focusing his gaze on Malcolm and Derek. He only had one chance.
“This isn’t your fight. As your alpha I command you to turn and walk away,” Zephyr said, injecting that same power he’d used when he spoke to Hunter during their battle. It made his voice sharp, aching with influence.
Malcolm’s face twitched. Derek blinked, like he’d just remembered something. “Go! Now!” Zephyr said, and before the three men, Zephyr morphed, changing into his werewolf form. His black and silver claws curved from his fingertips. The sharp fibers of the hair on his hands and arms pierced through his skin, sliding into place.
The two men hadn’t moved, but their faces had shifted completely. An awakening seemed to be morphing their features, making them appear human once more, not robotic. Zephyr released a loud, high-pitched howl and it triggered an action in Malcolm and Derek. In unison, they both stepped back before spinning around and fleeing from the lab.
Looking unflustered, Mika stepped forward, telekinetically shutting the door to the lab behind him. “That’s fine. You needed to show your influence. That’s what I came to take,” he said, an evil smile making his mustache curve upward.
“You did this to me. To those men,” Zephyr said, throwing his clawed fist in the direction of his chest. “You made us into monsters, all against our will.”
“Look at you,” Mika said, striding forward, making a circle around Zephyr. “You’re a majestic monster, the legendary werewolf. You’re acting ungrateful.” He completed the circle and stood before Zephyr,
his red eyes sharp.
“You’re insane,” Zephyr said. “And you will be stopped.”
A cold laugh, one so loud and piercing, burst from Mika’s mouth. “Haven’t you learned by now that I’m unstoppable? That’s why you’re here and you fail to see that I’m going to always have the advantage on you, even when you’re in werewolf form.”
Zephyr didn’t think; the wolf took action, reaching forward, slamming his claws against Mika’s shoulder and dragging them across his torso. The man didn’t budge or flinch. And Zephyr’s claws had no effect on his skin. They raked across him, ripping his suit, but not puncturing the skin, exactly like with Rox.
Mika gazed down, a pleased look on his face. When he brought his eyes up to meet Zephyr’s they were glowing bright red. “As I said before, I’m unstoppable,” Mika said. His words made a cold chill race down Zephyr’s back. He’d sent everyone away and he was in fact screwed. He’d never considered the notion that Mika would steal Rox’s gift for himself. She was the one person he could never defeat and now Mika was exactly like her. Well, not exactly; he had more powers.
I need to use my resources, Zephyr thought, backing up for the cell where Cole had been held. The wolf growled its approval when the cold metal bars met Zephyr’s back. “Why did you do it?” he asked, waiting for his advantage.
“For the practical purposes of having assassins. And for the pure desire to create mythical creatures. That’s what we do here at Olento Research. And you could have been a part of that,” Mika said. “But you’ve stormed in here and taken my prisoners. What you’ve done is a great betrayal and that can’t go without punishment.”
“You don’t get to rule other people. Choose for us what we become. And assassins, really, that’s sick. You’re one fucked up individual,” Zephyr said.
Mika rose into the air, seeming to be flying, but Zephyr assumed he was powerful enough to raise himself up using his telekinesis. The man pulled his knees up, his hand going wide. And then he shot across the space, flying through the air. The werewolf rolled to the right, but Mika didn’t dart through the opening of the cell as was the plan. Instead, he made a correction and slammed into Zephyr. His power was greater than Zephyr had ever felt. A ton of force pressed into his chest, before Mika glided back. He had the strength of Rio. I am fucking screwed. That man couldn’t be held in a cell. Now was the time to retreat. To rethink and reconvene. However, Zephyr knew he’d never get away. It was over. This was where he’d die. But if that was going to be the case then he’d die trying.
Crouching down low, Zephyr let out a howl that could be heard all over Olento Research. The scientists in the safe room would hear his distress pierce their walls. Adelaide and Connor would hear it from the rendezvous point. And it wouldn’t seek to call them to Zephyr, but rather to let them know he’d been unsuccessful. That was always a possibility.
Zephyr launched himself forward in a last-ditch effort at survival. He spun, his claws out, his fangs bared with his mouth open wide and a large scream spilling out of him. Ramming into Mika, he continued to spin, ripping his claws at the other man’s body. Mika stood like a statue, unharmed by Zephyr’s tornado of attacks. That’s why Zephyr stopped, but taking in the demented expression of the unstoppable man, he forced all of his anger into a series of punches. They connected with Mika’s chest like rain into pavement. The water droplets dissipated, but the concrete remained firm, not even softened by strongest of elements.
A laugh that resonated deep in Mika’s throat brought his chin up. Then he pulled both his hands into his body before skyrocketing them forward, straight into Zephyr’s chest. The werewolf shot up and straight into the air and then flew backward, his back nearly breaking as he collided with the bars of the cell. Wincing from a sudden aching in his torso, Zephyr tried to breathe, but found the effort taxing. Something was broken. At least a few somethings. He cradled his hand to his ribs, feeling the fracture with his hand, which was now in man form. The wolf had retreated, too wounded to aid him.
“You thought you could defeat me, but you’ve underestimated everything,” Mika said, striding over to Zephyr as he pushed to a standing position. He wouldn’t lie down and die. He’d fight with his last remaining breath. It was futile, but that didn’t matter anymore. Not giving up was what mattered.
Too close, Mika pulled back his fist but just before he launched it at Zephyr, Zephyr shot his hand forward, pushing wind from his body. It pressed Mika six feet back before it waned into only a soft breeze. That was all Zephyr had left and it wasn’t enough.
“Bow to your alpha before I kill you,” Mika said.
“Never,” Zephyr said with a growl, his midsection screaming with pain as he forced himself to stand up tall.
At Mika’s back a noise echoed in the hallway. He heard it too, which was why he turned just as the door flew open. There standing in the doorway was the best and worst sight ever. Connor stood in the front, the other pack members at his back. Adelaide must have taken Rox to safety.
The beta wolf held up his palm and shot a large fireball from his hand. It spiraled across the space and Mika allowed it to meet his chest, where it simply bounced off and dissolved. Zephyr spied the rise of Mika’s hand and sprinted around him using his super speed. He threw another round of wind as the wave of water flew from Mika. The wave was so strong that the wind did little to stop it, but the blast that hit the werewolves was minimized. They tumbled to the ground from the tsunami force, but they quickly rose to their feet, Connor pulling Zephyr up.
“You won’t hurt them. This fight is between you and me, remember?” Zephyr said to Mika.
“You’re right, I don’t plan to hurt them. I want them to watch me kill you so they know who is in control,” Mika said, reaching his hand forward and drawing Zephyr off his feet as he did. “Prepare to die, you failure of an experiment.”
“No!” Connor yelled.
Zephyr looked into the eyes of his would-be murderer. Mika’s eyes glowed brighter. Suddenly his hand shook in the air. Panic blanketed his features. Violently his arm flew up an inch and then down an inch. Zephyr dropped to the ground, the telekinesis having been distracted from something. Suddenly Mika’s body rocked forward and backward. Every part of him seemed to vibrate. The man turned for the side wall, focusing on something. Zephyr honed his vision in that direction where cages sat against the wall. Various imprisoned animals sat behind bars, some staring out. On the far side of the room a spider monkey lay dead in a cage, its red eyes still glowing. Zephyr tore himself from the image and back to Mika.
“Draaaaaaaake!” Mika yelled, clutching at his chest, his red eyes now heavy with furious fire.
“You did this to yourself,” Zephyr said, limping forward. Mika crumbled to his knees, suddenly appearing weak. He clawed at his skin.
“Make it stop! It burns,” he said, rubbing his fingers over his face and head. He covered his arms over him as he made himself into a ball, looking suddenly so small. “Make it stop…”
Whatever Mika had done to himself was now killing him. He hopefully had the same fate as the red-eyed monkey in the corner.
“I wouldn’t even if I could. This is for all the innocent lives you’ve harmed. This is your sentence, Mika Lenna,” Zephyr said, standing over the crouched man, feeling the pack at his back. Even with broken ribs and many other possible injuries, Zephyr suddenly felt strong, like the pack was aiding him physically just by being close.
Mika let out a muffled yell, his body shaking viciously. Then he convulsed, his body jumping up in the air as he rolled over to his back. “Nooooo!” he sang to the lab, clutching his chest and head, an unfathomable pain making his face look suddenly old. Then he fell completely still. His body lay frozen. His heart, Zephyr knew with his heightened hearing, had stopped. But his red eyes stared straight up to the heavens, although he was destined to be in hell forever.
Chapter Forty
“The truth is ghosts usually can’t move objects, but Dream Travelers can. We can move
objects, write on chalkboards, and make quite the mess in the physical world while dream traveling.”
- Dream Traveler Codex
The conference room had never been so full. And Zephyr had rarely felt this good. He was almost complete. He stood, taking the position at the front of the room, staring out at the seven members of his pack. They stared back at him, each one’s expression perfectly describing the different parts of Zephyr. Loyalty, bravery, intelligence, compassion, thoughtfulness, wit and resourcefulness. Each member of the pack represented one of those traits. And now they were whole. They were safe.
“The Lucidites have offered for you to stay here for as long as you’d like. You’re welcome to seek refuge at the Institute whenever you want. However, you’ve all been gone for too long from your old lives and it is now safe for you to return to it,” Zephyr said.
“What if we don’t want to return to it?” Rio asked.
“Then start brand new. You aren’t the person you were before and it is unwise to assume you’ll assimilate back into your old life like you did before. However, now that you’ve all undergone wolf integration, you’re free to be whoever you’d like. More importantly, you don’t have to live in fear,” Zephyr said.
“And we have each other,” Connor said, his green eyes strong. The lone wolf had come a long way. They all had, and they’d lost so much, Zephyr mused, thinking of Orion, Hugo, and David. In the Lucidites prison Hunter would remain for all of his life. However, more had been saved than lost.
“Yes, and the Lucidites only ask that you don’t reveal the werewolf to others. It’s not something that people will easily understand and they’ve promised to take action against us for violating that new law,” Zephyr said.
“What will happen to Olento Research?” Clay asked from the far side of the table.
