by Mia Rose
The room started up again, this time they were angry at him for giving them false information and misleading them.
“That’s not a cure!” Tom cried out.
“Silence!” Declan commanded.
Declan looked at the back of the room surprised to find that the source of reason was coming from Garett. “Let the man finish!” The room was stunned into silence and Declan continued.
“It lasts a few days, but the doctor did say that if he was given the proper resources, he could potentially develop the formula further. And ultimately create it so that the effects are long lasting. He said he might be able to develop a cure that will last forever.”
The pack members were afraid to speak at this point, but Gabriel asked the one question that was on everyone’s mind, “What resources does he need?”
Declan looked around the room and said, “He needs money and a working lab space.”
“How much money?” Tom asked. “I’ve got like two hundred and some change in savings.”
“Yeah.” Declan sighed. “He needs at least half a million.”
“Revelations can be extraordinary.”
Chapter 6
Making Deals
“I want you to kill the werewolf that did this to my family.”
Noelle distinctly remembered the last time she had seen her grandmother cry. It was at her grandfather’s funeral —her nana was dressed in a simple black dress that cut off just above her knees. She wore a small hat over her perfectly secured bun. At the time, Noelle had sat next to her and had seen her nana’s hands shaking slightly. Her nana had her head bowed so Noelle couldn’t exactly see her crying, but then she saw one drop fall into her nana’s lap and she quickly wiped it away.
That was it. That was the extent of her emotional outburst regarding the loss of her husband, her best friend. Noelle’s nana was not a woman for never-ending dramatics. She had not spoken much since her husband’s loss. Not until this past reunion when Noelle found out so much about her own family history.
But when nana found out that her children had been turned, it was a whole other ball game. This time her nana had hot tears streaming down her face as if some imaginary person who lived behind her eyes had turned on the faucet and forgot to shut it off. Noelle cradled her nana’s head in her lap as Edmund went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. One which would hopefully help her to calm down.
Noelle slid from beneath her and went to the kitchen to help Edmund. “What the hell happened, Edmund?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, puzzled.
“I mean, one minute she’s like ‘how can I help’ like a native warrior and the next minute, she’s broken down into a million pieces. I’ve never seen my nana like this. Ever.”
“Maybe it all just took a second before it hit her, Noelle. I mean this is huge news and no one thought to tell her about it.”
“Are you seriously accusing me right now? I just got back up on my own two feet. How was I supposed to…?” Edmund put up his hand and cut off the angry Noelle.
“You’re right, okay? I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I know that you have been trying to process this, too. Let’s just go back in there and see how she is doing.” Noelle nodded stiffly, still stung by Edmund’s words, but she followed him into the other room despite her annoyance.
“How are you doing, Nana?” Noelle asked as she sat down next to her. Her nana was sitting up now, dabbing at her face with a wadded-up napkin that she probably found in her bosom, somewhere.
“I guess I’ve gotten a bit emotional in my old age,” she said as she laughed weakly. “Don’t mind me, my dear. I just went straight into battle mode before I even let the news sink in, and anyway, I’m fine now.” Edmund handed her the glass of water and she nodded. “Thank you very much, my dear.”
“Okay,” Noelle said, still keeping her eyes glued to her nana, “now I think it’s time we hear this plan that you’ve been talking about, Edmund.”
Edmund nodded. “As you both know, I am a doctor, and while I was in medical school, I did much of my research on werewolves and how to fight them without using weapons. So, you can think of it kind of like chemical warfare. During my research, I found several types of elixirs that have different affects. Most of them are to harm werewolves; ultimately for killing them, but others actually ended up helping them.”
“Helping them? Helping them how?” Noelle asked.
“I found a cure, well almost a cure, for silver. If a werewolf takes it within minutes of being affected by silver, it will slow down the process of deterioration quite considerably. Now, it doesn’t last forever, but if a werewolf were to take it every week or so —well, then I guess it could be forever.”
“Wow!” Noelle gasped. Her thoughts immediately went to Declan.
She had the urge to call him and tell him the news, but she also knew in her heart that they were past that. She had to stop believing that they were friends on any level. She was a hunter and he was the hunted. Period. End of that story.
“Yes,” Edmund continued, absorbed in his explanation, “I spent much of my time and resources on studying these creatures and ultimately, it led me to discover a cure for being bitten.”
“A cure?” Noelle’s nana interrupted for the first time. “So, it will reverse the effects of the bite.”
“Precisely.” Edmund smiled. “When a human has been bitten by a werewolf, they go into a coma-like state where it may appear that they are dead, but really it is just so that they cannot feel their own genes mutating. It’s an extremely painful process and if a person were awake during that time, they would surely die from it.”
“I don’t understand,” Noelle said. “If the genes change the moment the person is bitten, how can they be cured?”
“Just like your nana said, the cure will reverse the effects of the werewolf bite. We have a window of opportunity because the gene change is not permanent until the person transforms into a wolf. Traditionally, this will happen within the first week. Sometimes, it will happen sooner if the newbie is left on their own. But for those like your family, that are immediately brought into a pack, they have more time because the alpha will want to teach them. He will want them trained to some extent, well before he lets them transform. He needs to know they will stay loyal to him once they morph into their wolf forms.”
Noelle nodded, despite her head spinning at a million miles per hour with all the information. Not only did she just find out that there may be a way to save her family, but now she found out all the information about Edmund. And it definitely had her wondering who exactly he was, as both a person and a hunter.
“The medicine you gave me,” Noelle said, “was that some kind of a potion, or something that you created as well?”
Edmund nodded. “Believe it or not, I have been able to take the desirable effects from a werewolf bite and turn them into useful things for humans.”
“Wait, what? You gave me some kind of werewolf concoction?”
“Sort of,” Edmund spoke slowly. “We all know that werewolves are able to heal themselves remarkably fast. During my research, I was able to identify that strain and dilute it down just enough to administer it to humans. I did it so that they can heal faster without compromising their genetic composition.”
“You could have killed me!” Noelle yelled at Edmund, finally giving in to her anger.
She felt everything bubbling to the surface again —her anger that her family’s life had been forever changed. This was closely followed by her anger toward Declan for making her believe that he wanted only the best for her. On top of that was her anger toward Edmund because she’d fallen for a man she hardly knew.
“You could have killed me,” Noelle whispered again.
“No, Noelle.” Edmund smiled at her, taking her hand in his. “I saved you.”
Declan went back to his apartment following the pack meeting. His head was pounding from the incessant streamline of questions. He couldn’t fault them for r
eacting this way, though. It was almost as if he had dangled a golden carrot before their eyes and then snatched it away before anyone had the chance to get a taste.
Declan went into the bathroom and washed his face, hoping that would help to clear his mind. He went around and around again, trying to think of any way possible he could get the money. The only thing he could think of was to put a lien on the apartment building —but if he was unsuccessful in this venture, he would have jeopardized the pack’s family for no reason. None whatsoever.
There was a knock at his door and Declan wanted nothing more than just to yell at whoever it was to leave him the hell alone. He swallowed his frustration and pulled open the door; Garett stood before him.
“I may have an idea,” Garett said to Declan. Declan opened the door just enough for Garett to squeeze through.
“What is it, Garett?”
“Well, Abigail and I were not sure if we wanted Noelle to follow in the family’s footsteps, so we prepared a college savings account for her. It’s not half a million by any means, but I think it’s a pretty solid chunk of change to get us somewhere.”
“How much is it?” Declan asked.
Garett shifted uncomfortably and Declan groaned impatiently when he realized that Garett didn’t want to share that information with him.
“I’m going to find out sooner or later, Garett. I’d rather it be sooner. How much is in the account?”
“About a hundred and fifty-grand,” Garett whispered. “When we realized that Noelle was bound to fulfill her destiny as a huntress, we switched it over to our emergency savings account. I’d venture to say that this counts as an emergency.”
Declan nodded. Garett was right, that was definitely a solid chunk to get them started to reach the goal. “Okay, Garett. This is a great start. Now, we only need three hundred and fifty more, and we can get started with creating the cure.” Declan clapped Garett on his shoulder and pulled him in for a brief hug. “It’s nice to have you on our side.”
“Declan, can I tell you something?”
“What is it?”
“I really liked you with Noelle.” Garett shrugged. “If it wasn’t for the whole werewolf thing, I really think you two would have made it just fine together.” Declan smiled at Garett’s backhanded compliment —he knew that Garett meant it honestly, and Declan couldn’t help but let his mind drift to Noelle.
She had been really upset with him the last time he had seen her and he wasn’t sure if she would be able to ever truly get over it —even if it meant being reunited with her family. Declan shook the thought from his mind and thanked Garett for their contribution.
He closed the door behind Garett as he left. Declan walked over to the bedroom. He took off his shirt and laid down on the bed. Closing his eyes, he thought back to the last time he’d been with Noelle —it felt like ages ago. He reached for his phone and searched for her number in his contacts. He pressed the dial button and listened to the line ring several times before he decided to hang up.
Declan closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to the memory of Noelle in the woods, and the thought of how eager she had been to please him.
Noelle finished situating her nana in her room, and then she waited with her until she fell asleep. Her mind was racing from the conversation they had earlier with Edmund and she couldn’t decide what to do.
On one hand, he seemed almost too good to be true —he had a cure for her family and he was willing to hand it right on over without any expectations? Noelle had to find out the truth about this doctor that just happened to wind up in her life. She left her nana’s room and closed the door shut behind her. She found Edmund sitting on the couch in the same position she had left him.
“So,” Noelle started, “what’s the catch to all of this?”
“What do you mean?” Edmund asked her, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.
“I mean what is the freaking catch? I’m not sure what you think of me, Edmund, but I am not stupid. You, of all people, just happen to be the doctor who ends up on my case. Then, you happen to be a hunter just like all of us. And then, if that weren’t enough, you just so happen to have a cure that could save my family from being turned. And you’re willing to give it to us for free?” Noelle was struggling, trying to keep her voice low and steady. “So, I’m asking you once more, what’s the catch?”
“There is no catch, Noelle. Yes, I saw the notes on your father’s case and it sparked my curiosity, obviously. Then when I heard that you had come in, I had to put myself on your case. I know that you think this is not all what it seems, but I promise you that I am not hiding anything from you.” Edmund stood up from his place on the couch and wrapped his arms around Noelle. “How can I prove myself to you, Noelle? Is there anything I can do to make you believe me?”
“Yes,” Noelle said slowly, “there is one thing.” She could feel her phone vibrating in her back pocket and she knew that it could only be one person trying to call her.
“What is it?” Edmund asked. “I’ll do anything.”
“I want you to kill whoever did this.”
“I want you to kill the werewolf that did this to my family.”
Chapter 7
Close Encounters
“I’m not sure that this will ever truly be over.”
Edmund looked at Noelle, not sure if he had heard her correctly. “Let me get this straight, you want me to kill a werewolf?”
“Yes!” Noelle nodded. “It’s not a big deal, I mean you are a hunter after all. And this will show me that you are serious about joining me and trying to save my family.”
“Okay,” Edmund said, “how will I know which one did this to your family?”
Noelle smiled at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll lure him out for you. There won’t be any mistaking him.” Edmund nodded, but Noelle could tell that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with her idea. This would be the best indicator as to identify his intentions.
“When do you want to do this?” Edmund asked.
“Well,” Noelle replied, walking over to the couch and pulling out her phone from her pocket, “like you said, we are running out of time. So, it has to be tonight.”
“Tonight? But that gives me little time to prepare and the wolf —how do we know he will even come out tonight?”
“Trust me,” Noelle replied, “he will come.” She looked down at her phone and read over her message to Declan. Smiling to herself, she hit the send button.
Noelle got up and handed Edmund the crossbow he had been admiring earlier. He took it into his hands as if he was carrying a piece of china.
“Meet me here in two hours,” Noelle said, handing Edmund a piece of paper with an address on it.
He looked down at the paper and swallowed thickly, knowing that this was the densest part of the wild forest —who knew how many wolves might be waiting there for him?
“Where are you going?” Edmund asked Noelle.
“I’m going to go scout the area. Don’t forget,” Noelle said, “two hours.” Edmund nodded and Noelle smiled at him before walking out of the front door. All Edmund could do at this point was wait.
Declan awoke to the incessant ringing of his phone. He had been sleeping so deeply that the ringing phone permeated his consciousness, making him dream about his phone ringing before he actually woke up. He did wake, only to find it there on his floor. When he saw who the caller was, he felt as though someone had poured iced water on him.
“Noelle?” he asked out aloud to no one. He reached for the phone and dialed the number. It rang once before the person answered on the other end.
“Declan, finally.” Noelle breathed a sigh.
“What is it?” Declan asked. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine.” Noelle sighed. “I just need to see you. I’m sorry about what I said the other night. I was just scared and I took it out on you and I shouldn’t have. I know that you didn’t have anything to do with setting up my fa
mily. Will you meet me, tonight?”
Declan listened carefully to what Noelle said, and despite her heartfelt apology, he still felt like something was off. He shook the idea from his mind and decided to speak with her in person and see how things went.
“Where do you want to meet?” Declan asked.
“Let’s meet in our usual clearing in the woods,” Noelle said. “We have so many memories there and I want to make more with you.”
Declan agreed to meet her there in thirty minutes. He got up from where he was on the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. He knew the likelihood that his shirt would get dirty was probably one hundred percent, but he didn’t particularly care.
Once he was dressed, he left the apartment and locked the door behind him, quickly making his way to his car. On the drive over to the woods, he couldn’t help but replay Noelle’s words in his head. He had never heard her speak so frankly about things. Actually, she would never usually say anything quite as emotional. Especially not about how they would be creating memories together. Something was up with Noelle, Declan could just feel it.
The last time he had been in the woods, he had been with Noelle and they had found out that seven of his pack members had been slain. She’d also learned that her family had been turned into wolves. They were both still trying to recover from that night and Declan wanted to be able to move forward together, after this night.
He still hadn’t told her about the doctor he had found that had a cure for silver. He decided that was the first thing he would tell her about after he updated her on her family’s progress.
He walked into the woods and leaned against a tree waiting for her. Noelle was right —they did have a lot of memories together in these woods. This was the place where Declan had nearly killed Noelle’s father, then the place where Cassidy had been killed by Noelle. This was the place where he and Noelle had come together to forgive each other and move forward. And, then the latest atrocity happened —it felt as though Declan and Noelle would never have peace.
