Chapter 27

Lucas’ POV

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The morning is busy, and everyone is getting ready for school and work, and I'm getting ready to head into the city, a drive I hate. I admit I’m a terrible driver, and I typically avoid it at all costs.

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Before I head out I search out Leo and find him standing alone in the library.

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"You could spend the rest of your life in here and you'd never finish reading them all," I say as I approach him.

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"It's incredible. So many of the classics, and first editions." He runs his hand down the spines of a row of books and then pulls out a hardcopy of Robinson Crusoe.

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"Ah.. Daniel Defoe, you know he was one of us,” I say and he develops a grin the size of Texas.

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"I have a lot to learn about our kind," he says and he slides the book back in its place.

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"I want you to know that I don't see you and Gideon differently. I would never want to erase you. I'm really sorry about last night and our questioning." I say and he shakes his head and looks out the window.

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"It bothers me, you know. I don't remember anything really from that place, it's like a piece of my past is just missing. I don't like talking about it mostly because I can't remember anything."

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He turns back to face me and continues.

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"The episode from the other night, I know I've had them before. The nightmares. I never remember them. Frank told me about them, but they don't make any sense."

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"We just want to make sure that there isn't anything that can be used against you. That's why I'm going to go see your case worker today and see if I can get some answers."

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"What if he makes me come back?" He asks and I can sense his nervousness. "What...What if he forces me to go back to the group home? I can't do it. I can't go back Lucas, it's just so lonely and awful--"

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I get up quickly as he starts to panic and I grab him in my arms and hug him tight.

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"I will never allow them to take you back, son."

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"Promise? I finally feel like I might have a place to call home, I've waited so long, and to have it taken away...," he says in a broken voice.

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"I promise, Leo." I hold him out in front of me and smile at him. "You are where you belong, I just wish we would have found you sooner."

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He nods and then picks up his backpack. "I should probably get to school." he says and we head out of the library.

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"I'll be back later tonight, try not to worry, okay?" I say and once we hit the front steps of the pack house Sammi and Elise grab him and start to chatter away as they head down the sidewalk.

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I, on the other hand, hop in my car and after a while I find myself navigating my way in the city through a maze of one-way streets and confusing intersections. I finally see the parking ramp that I have passed up several times by accident and I pull in, winding my way to the top of the ramp so I don’t have to worry about remembering where I parked or try and fit into one of the little spots on the lower floors.

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Luckily, getting to the office itself is easy. I step off the elevator on the third floor and a red headed woman is sitting behind a giant desk, chewing on a pen, and staring at a computer screen. When she sees me walk up, she stares at me like she’s never seen a man before.

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“Well, heeelllllo,” she drags out, “what can I help you with today honey?” She is eyeing me up and it makes me uncomfortable.

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“I’m here to see Chad Tate. I made an appointment this morning.” I say, and she just looks me up and down.

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“Hmm, maybe you want to see me instead,” she smirks, and another woman comes over and just stares at me.

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“Who is this?” She asks red.

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“Can I get a name handsome?” They both continue to gawk at me, and I smile awkwardly, feeling my cheeks flush.

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“Lucas, Lucas Best. I have a ten o’clock appointment.”

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“Best indeed, you single Lucas Best?” she asks me, and I can’t believe how forward she is. I just hold up my hand and show her my ring finger. “Too bad.” she replies. “Hold on one second and I’ll ring Tate for you.”

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I take a seat and wait for almost twenty minutes before a man walks out and greets me. He is a skinny guy, average height and has one of the worst combovers I’ve ever seen. He stinks of menthol and shakes my hand like a limp noodle.

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I instantly dislike him.

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“Follow me to my office. We can chat there Mr. Best.” We walk through a small obstacle course between stacked up boxes and sad grey cubicles before we get to his office. He sits behind his desk that’s cluttered with takeout containers and gestures for me to shut the door and take a seat.

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“So, what is it you need?” He asks as he stares at his computer screen, never looking at me.

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“I need information on Leo Ellis. It’s my understanding you are his case worker?” I say, getting annoyed that this lump in front of me won’t look me in the eye.

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“Ellis...hmm...so many kids come through here.” he says.

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“You’d likely remember him. He has very distinct eyes? He’s been in the system for almost eighteen years?” I can’t believe this guy doesn’t know who someone is that he has been responsible for.

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“Let me look him up,” he types annoyingly on his keyboard with two fingers and then spins to a file cabinet and pulls out a folder that is so thick it almost can’t hold anymore paper. “I have him right here. What is the nature of your inquiry? I am not allowed to share information unless you are his guardian. Are you his guardian Mr. Best?”

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Even the way he says my name irritates me.

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“Well, as his case worker wouldn’t you know the answer to that?” I ask, annoyed. “No, I am not his legal guardian, however he is under my supervision at the moment.”

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“It says here he hasn’t checked into the group home in weeks. He has been marked as a runaway.”

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“Might I ask, did you do anything to locate him? He was just marked as a runaway and you and your office just figured he was fine? No big deal?” I’m getting upset, the fact that he was simply discarded by this office makes me sick.

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“Look at this file, Mr. Best. Leo Ellis has been in our system his entire life and has been nothing but trouble for us.” He flips through the papers and back to the computer screen, clicking around. “He has been placed in eleven different homes, all unsuccessful, not to mention spending time in a juvenile detention center for assault of a classmate. I had to pull a lot of strings to transfer him to that fancy school, good thing he had the grades, and he just threw it away.”

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I calm myself, even though my wolf is screaming at me to rip this guy apart.

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“And yet you couldn’t recall who he was.” I say sarcastically and shake my head in disgust. “Look, I need to know about the family he was with in Glasgow.”

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“I can’t give you that information.” He says and he pulls the folder closer to him. “You need proper paperwork proving you are his guardian before we can release any information to you.”

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My patience has completely dried up. Between the nerve-wracking drive into the city, the odd behavior from red at the reception desk, and this smarmy asshole, I’ve had enough. I stand up and tower over the little man.

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“I am not asking you. I’m telling you that I need information about Glasgow, and you’re going to give it to me.” I walk over to the window, and I close the blinds. “Do you understand that I could break you in half with two fingers? This isn’t a request Chad, it’s a demand. Give me the paperwork. You obviously don’t give two shits about the boy, what do you care if his file goes missing.”

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I slam my hand on the folder and pull it away from him. Then I roll him out of the way in his little office chair and look at the computer screen. There is a section where you can put in a legal guardian, and I start typing. I click the save button and roll the little man back.

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“See, it says right there in your system that his legal guardian is Lucas Best. All my information is even in there. It’s official. The boy is mine now, I am his legal guardian, any objections?” I take the overstuffed folder and put it into my satchel.

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“I could have you brought up on charges for this,” he states, and I quickly lift him off the ground and hold him against the window by his neck.

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“Yes, you could. I could also easily kill you before anything happens. Is he worth it? Is this kid you don’t even remember or care about worth losing your shitty life over? Because I’m willing to kill for the boy.” I say, and this twerp starts gasping and shaking his head.

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“Good.” I drop him to the ground. “I need you to print out formal proof of guardianship for my records.”

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"You need a judge to sign that for it to be real." He says as he nervously scrambles to his computer.

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"Then get one up here, quickly." I say and within seconds he is on the phone calling in a favor to someone. I start to flip through Leo's file as we wait and finally after nearly ten minutes a woman walks in wearing a badly tailored suit.

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"Chad, this is it, we are even after this you understand you piece of shit?" She doesn't see me initially, and when she does she just rolls her eyes in annoyance.

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"Sign this." He says and she lowers her glasses and reads it.

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"This kid ages out in a few weeks, why go through all the trouble, who cares?" she says and I realize she is just as awful as Tate.

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"He wants it, so just do it and you're off the hook."

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She quickly signs it and pushes it back at him.

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"Leave me alone now, got it? We're done." She says with venom in her tone and she storms out and slams the door. I don't know what they hell they have going on between them and I don't give a shit. All I want is that piece of paper, so I snatch it off of the desk and look at formal document that shows that I am Leo’s official guardian.

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“Leo is officially not your problem anymore, understood?” I say and the man just nods. “I’ll find my own way out.”

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I leave the office and head out the door and back to the parking deck. Once in the car I pull out Leo’s folder and start to look through it and my heart aches with what I’m reading. This child was tossed around the system like he didn’t matter. In and out of hospitals, poked and prodded at like a lab rat. Labeled with unknown rare diseases and limited life expectancy. I flip through page after page of behavioral problems. Reading words like withdrawn, non-verbal, emotionally disconnected, depressed, bi-polar, every diagnosis was given to him. But when I get to the paperwork that places him in Glasgow, it seems like there is barely anything even there. The only thing listed is an address, the foster family names are blacked out, and there is a placement date and a removal date. But nothing in between. No wellness checks, no medical reports, no school report cards. It’s as blank as Leo’s memory of it, and that alarms me.

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It’s nearly noon, and I look up the address on my phone and see that it’s about four hours from here. I quickly dial Roman.

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“Hey, it’s me.”

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“What did you find?” Roman asks and I don’t want to tell him everything over the phone.

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“There’s an address for his placement in Glasgow, but it’s odd. There isn’t much about his stay there and the names have all been blacked out of his paperwork. I’m going to head out there and check it out.”

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“Is that wise, going alone?” he asks, but he and I both know I’ve already made up my mind.

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“Probably not, but I’m going anyway. I won’t be back until about eight or nine tonight I’m guessing. I’ll give you a call when I head back.”

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I start the drive to Glasgow, and it goes rather quickly. The scenery is beautiful, and before I know it the GPS has me turning down a long dirt driveway to a house that is situated all alone, there are no other houses in sight. It looks like it’s falling apart. Every wooden shingle has yellow paint peeling away from it, and there isn’t a single window that isn’t broken. I get out of the car and walk up to the porch of the house, noticing that the steps are crooked and there are holes in them, I take hold of the railing to steady myself, but it’s so rotted that it just breaks off in my hand.

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Once on the landing I reach for the doorknob and try and turn it, but it’s locked so I just give the wood a good hard kick and the door flies open, more rotted wood splitting from where the deadbolt would have been. The room I enter has quite a bit of sunshine coming in and it is easy to see that the room was painted white. There’s a stone fireplace on one wall and a wide entry that leads to the kitchen. It looks like the house, if it was taken care of, would have been quite lovely. The kitchen is big, and there is a large wooden table that has bench seating. I peek out the back door and there’s a large yard that looks like it was fenced in at one point.

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A staircase leads to the second floor, but it’s dark going up so I pull out my flashlight and shine it up the stairs as I climb. There are faded areas on the wall where pictures must have hung, and at the top I can easily see there are two bedrooms. One is large, but empty, and the second is a small room with a twin bed frame in the corner. I look around and shine the light into the closet and it’s empty just like the rest of the place. The house has clearly been abandoned, and there really isn’t much to it.

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I head back down to the first floor and see a door that I assume leads to the basement. I can see that the door had a lock on it at one point, which concerns me. The lock is on the outside, which tells me that whoever was here wanted to keep something from coming up.

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The door creaks when I open it and a waft of musty air hits my nostrils and causes me to pause before I look down the staircase. Cobwebs cover every corner of the stairwell and with each step I take I fear the brittle wood will crumble and my foot will go right through it. When I reach the bottom, I shine the light around the room and it is filthy, nothing like the upstairs. I can hear flies buzzing in corners which partner with the overwhelming smell of something rotting. There are exposed rusted pipes that run down the walls, and I have an overwhelming desire to run back up the stairs and leave this place, but there is something in the corner that catches my eye.

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I force myself to get closer and shine my light on a metal red box that is somehow fastened to the concrete wall. It looks like the size of a file cabinet and there’s a thin slit cut into the side of it. The small box has a door with a metal loop on the top and bottom and latches that go over it, perfect to use for a padlock. I open the door and as I flash my light around it, I feel bile rise from my stomach. I can see scratch marks all over the inside of it, and in one corner you can barely make out the words ‘I’m sorry’ scratched into the paint. Then, in the corner I see a small lump, I pick it up and it’s a small plastic toy lion.

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I have found the source of Leo’s terror. I have no doubt this was used for him. A punishment that the horrific people who were supposed to take care of him used to abuse him instead. Locking him in this small space. If they were capable of this, what else did they do?

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The anger that courses through me is intense and it takes everything to keep my wolf from ripping this small little metal prison from the wall. Instead, I grab my phone and take several photos of it, from all different angles, and I shove the tiny lion toy into my pocket. I force myself to continue looking around the basement and I find a set of rusting metal handcuffs that are fastened to a ring that is cemented into the floor. With hands that are shaking from fury I take another picture. I keep looking around and I find old ropes piled into corners, and then I find the source of the decay. Thankfully it is just an animal that has gotten in here and not something more gruesome.

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The last thing down here is an old metal desk and I search each of the drawers and find nothing. Out of anger I flip the desk, tossing it against the wall, and a book goes flying from the bottom of it. The cover of it is damaged, and when I open it, I see that it’s actually a sketch book. The first ten pages or so have the words ‘ego faciam ut Im’ written over and over. I keep flipping through the pages and there are sketches in the book as well. Sketches of wolves and flowers and warriors. But after the sketches come more pages of the same phrase again. The last entry has a drawing of an angry wolf with a sword raised above his head and Leo is written with an arrow pointing to it.

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I can’t help but get emotional as I look at this, it’s a glimpse into Leo’s life that he has no recollection of.

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I take the book and get the hell out of here, I’ve seen enough. I’m half tempted to go find that piece of shit Chad and rip him to pieces for whatever involvement he had in this.

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What should have taken me four hours to drive only took me three, I drove faster than I ever have, the entire drive thinking of poor Leo, imagining what hell he went through. Fuck, he was only eleven, or twelve, being locked in that little metal prison for who knows how long. The closer I get to home, the more my anger and heartbreak grow, and my wolf is in a full-blown rage inside of me.

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I decide I need to blow off steam before I enter the pack house and I head to the training grounds instead. I drop my bag and shift to allow my wolf to howl into the night before I shift back. I get dressed and sink against the brick wall.

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“Hey,” I hear someone and when I look up, I see Roman approaching me. He sits down beside me, and I can feel his concern radiate off of him. “You okay?”

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“What they did to him, Roman I want to find them and rip them apart organ by organ.” I say as I brush tears from my cheeks.

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“That bad?” he asks, and I pull my phone out of my bag and hand it to him.

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“Just look through the pictures.”

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Roman flips through the photos and I can feel his heart rate start to increase

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I hand Roman the sketch book and point out the wolf pictures that were drawn. “I found this book. Gideon had to have been communicating with him at this time in some way. Where else would these images have come from.”

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“My guess is he tried to break through, but as he said, he wasn't able to for any meaningful period of time. And this here... 'I will do as I’m told',” Roman says and I tilt my head confused, “that’s what this says, I will do as I’m told. It’s in Latin. This had to take hours to write that many times.”

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“What kind of people do this to a child.” I just can’t understand it.

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“Come on, we need to go inside. Leo refused to go to bed before you got back.” Roman stands up and offers a hand and pulls me up.

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"I don't think we should tell him all of what you found, not yet. I'd like to have him go through the ceremony with Jonathan, become a member of the pack, and then we can share everything with him." Roman says and I agree.

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We walk into the pack house and head towards the kitchen, Leo is sitting there with a Walkman on his head and it makes me smile. He looks up at me, eyes big with curiosity and he flashes a smile.

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I pull out the piece of paper that has me as his official guardian and I hand it to him. He slowly takes off the headphones as he reads it, and I can see his eyes start to tear up.

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“Is this for real?” he asks as a single blink causes a tear to escape down his cheek.

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“It’s for real if you’ll have me, even if it's only for a short time,” I say, and he jumps from the table and hugs me so tight I almost lose my breath.

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Roman takes the paper and looks at me shocked, and then a huge grin spreads across his face.

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“Welcome home, Leo.”