TBL-1 5

The day Eirene had her accident.

With Yoren’s presence in it, Halden’s office suddenly felt smaller. The alpha’s dominant, cold and suffocating aura filled the room. His sharp blue gaze swept across the room before stopping on Halden.

“Doctor Halden,” Yoren greeted him calmly as he stepped inside. “I’ve received your report.”

Halden stood up instinctively and bowed his head slightly. “It is an honour to have you come here yourself, Alpha.”

Yoren gave a slight nod. “The infant. Show me the full report.”

Halden picked up a red folder and handed it to Yoren. “This is the preliminary examination, Alpha. Active ADS was detected at two hours old.”

Yoren took the folder and opened it. His hand trembled slightly, not out of weakness but in remembrance, and Halden fell silent.

Yoren’s eyes skimmed quickly through the initial findings. They stated: AE7 RESPONSE: ACTIVE – INFANT 02 HOURS; Manifestations: Ocular Gold-Shift, Cardiovascular Surge, Early Neuromuscular Reflex; ADS Molecular Stability Prediction: 4%. The last page showed a twisted AE7 helix mutation pattern.

Yoren closed the folder slowly. “Four percent,” he said flatly, his gaze darkening. “Worse than mine.”

Halden nodded carefully. “Yes, Alpha.”

Yoren looked at Halden and said, “Tell me everything from the beginning.”

'The baby was born normally,” Halden explained, swallowing. “His cry was strong, and everything was stable. But after fifteen minutes, the colour of his eyes shifted to a full gold, as if resonating with primal energy. Then his heartbeat spiked and his muscles contracted, almost resembling a shift reflex.”

Yoren’s brow furrowed. “A shift in an infant?” he asked in a low, anticipatory voice. “Impossible.”

Halden understood Yoren’s disbelief. “Yes, Alpha. But that is what happened.”

Yoren fell silent, and a sense of stillness filled the room. His eyes were vacant for several seconds, as if he had been pulled back into the past.

“I've cleared the room and locked the access,” Halden continued a moment later. “No one knows about this.”

Yoren nodded quickly. “Exactly. If the public hears that ADS has resurfaced in an infant, chaos will ensue,” he said, looking at Halden. “Show me the baby.”

Halden froze for a moment because he knew this was dangerous. A meeting between two entities with the same AE7 gene resonance could have unpredictable consequences. “Alpha,” he said hesitantly. “Are you absolutely sure?”

Yoren’s gaze sharpened. “I am the only one who knows what it feels like to die slowly because of AE7. If that baby shares the same fate as me...” He took a deep breath. His voice softened, yet remained dangerous. “… then I must see him.”

Halden did not argue. “Very well, Alpha. Let us see the baby.”

Yoren and Halden stepped out. They walked through the long, sterile white corridor ahead. At that hour, the corridor lights were dimmed due to night mode, but the isolation area was bathed in a sterile white light. Meanwhile, the faint beeping of a heart monitor could be heard echoing from behind thick glass.

Halden stopped in front of a red door marked: RED SHIELD – LEVEL 4 ISOLATION Authorised Personnel Only'. He tapped his ID card and the scanner verified it.

The door slid open with a soft hiss. Inside the room, there was only one incubator holding an infant—nothing else.

Halden motioned for Yoren to enter first. He followed afterwards, and the door closed behind them.

Yoren went straight to the incubator. His steps were slow and measured; he was careful not to make any noise that might startle the baby. He stopped one metre away from it.

Inside the incubator, the baby lay quietly. Its tiny body was wrapped in a blue cloth. Its breaths were short and rapid—far too rapid for a newborn.

Yoren’s eyes darkened slightly. He murmured, “He looks so small.”

Halden stood on the left, keeping his distance. “He's only a few hours old, Alpha.”

Yoren looked at the baby and suddenly something happened. The heart monitor jumped from 140 to 150 to 160 and kept rising.

Halden tensed. “The resonance is increasing,” he said.

Yoren's brow furrowed. “Because of me?”

“It seems so, Alpha,” replied Halden, looking panicked. “AE7 recognises AE7.”

The next second, the baby opened his eyes. The irises that should have been black had turned pure gold. His pupils dilated, reflecting the same colour as Yoren’s in wolf form—yet wilder, more raw and unstable.

Yoren froze, not moving. The baby’s eyes locked onto his.

Halden was stunned. “He recognises you, Alpha.”

Suddenly, the baby scrunched up his face as though trying to cry but failing. His body tensed as though he was enduring pain he could not express.

The heart monitor climbed again. The numbers continued to rise—170, 178, 182.

Halden’s face drained of colour. “He’s having a crisis reflex!”

Yoren raised his hand slightly. “Give me a moment.”

“A-Alpha,” Halden stammered. “This is dangerous—'

Yoren repeated himself with firm emphasis. “Give me a moment.”

Halden fell silent as Yoren slowly moved closer and placed his hand on the side of the incubator. The baby’s heartbeat sped up and then suddenly stabilised. The monitor dropped from 182 to 150, then 130.

Halden froze. “Impossible.”

The baby’s eyes were still fixed on Yoren. The two of them were connected by something indescribable—a kind of genetic resonance, instinct or shared trauma.

Yoren spoke softly to the infant, almost in a whisper. “I know that pain. I know the heat in your blood. I know your body does not understand stillness.”

Suddenly, the baby curled his tiny fingers in the air as though trying to reach Yoren. His brow tightened slightly, as though in complaint.

Yoren looked at the baby for a moment longer. There was something in his eyes—sorrow, anger and pity all blended together. “He won't survive long outside the palace,” he said.

Halden nodded slowly. “Correct, Alpha.”

“Prepare an official report,” ordered Yoren, glancing at the baby once more. “This infant will be transferred to the Palace supervision house immediately. I’ll have Louise prepare everything.”

Halden asked, “And what about his family, Alpha?”

“The baby’s family will receive compensation,” Yoren replied firmly. “ADS is not an ordinary condition. The safety of this child is my responsibility.”

Halden nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”

Yoren was about to turn and leave when the baby’s heart monitor beeped again. However, before he could take a step, the baby’s heart monitor beeped again. The infant let out a soft whimper—not quite crying, but as if calling out.

Yoren stopped. Without turning around, he spoke in a low voice. “He's just like I was.”

*

Fabrizio closed the car door and immediately took the driver’s seat. At that moment, Yoren remained silent, simply staring straight ahead with his jaw clenched. The dim lights of Laconte City reflected faintly on the dashboard, tinting the car’s interior with silver shadows.

“Alpha.” Fabrizio finally spoke. He glanced briefly at Yoren as he did so. “I’ve confirmed the identity of the girl. Her name is Eirene Ravenor and she is twenty-five years old. She lives in the Laconte district.”

Yoren didn’t respond immediately. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “We're going to her house now.”

Fabrizio nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”

The car pulled away from the hospital grounds and drove along streets touched by a light drizzle. Fabrizio drove steadily, occasionally checking the rear-view mirror. He could sense the tension in Yoren’s breathing, which was thicker and heavier than usual, as though something had shaken his stability.

At the next junction, Fabrizio slowed the car down. The traffic light turned red and, at that same moment, a car appeared from the left, moving slowly as if the driver had lost focus.

Fabrizio’s eyes widened. “Alpha, that’s her. Eirene Ravenor.”

Yoren immediately sat up straight, his gaze locking onto the car that had just passed a few metres ahead.

Fabrizio asked quickly, “What should we do, Alpha?”

“Follow her,” ordered Yoren, his voice firm and urgent. “I need to speak to her as soon as possible.”

Fabrizio turned the wheel sharply. The car swerved and accelerated, chasing after Eirene’s vehicle through the rain, which had intensified from a drizzle to a downpour. Lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the wet tarmac.

“She’s driving too fast,” Fabrizio muttered, a rising sense of dread growing within him. “And the rain is getting worse.”

In the passenger seat, Yoren narrowed his eyes. Something tightened in his chest—a primal instinct. His wolf never lied. “Hurry,” he hissed. “Don’t let her—”

A violent crash split through the street, cutting him off. Eirene’s car skidded on the bend, hit the guardrail and stopped at an angle. Metal screeched. Shattered glass scattered across the road.

Fabrizio slammed on the brakes. “Alpha!”

But Yoren had already opened the door before the tyres had come to a full stop. He sprinted into the rain, his movements far faster than those of any ordinary wolf-shifter.

“Eirene!”

Fabrizio rushed out of the car behind him and followed. “I found her, Alpha!”

Yoren reached Eirene’s vehicle first. He grabbed the door and pulled, forcing it open. The hinges groaned, nearly ripping off. Inside, Eirene slumped in the seat with her head tilted and blood trickling down her temple.

Yoren’s breath caught, not because of the wound, but because of the scent filling the air. Warm. Pure. It was something he had only encountered once in his life. Primordial essence.

He held his breath and didn't waste a second. He unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her carefully. Eirene let out a faint groan, caught between consciousness and oblivion.

“Easy,” he murmured, his voice low and steady. “You’re safe with me.”

*