Chapter 2

Athena arrived at the lab the next morning, her mind still reeling from the discovery she had made the previous night. She was eager to continue her research and learn more about the true nature of werewolves.

The laboratory was her safe haven, her sanctuary, away from the rest of the world. But today, something felt different. There was an air of unease that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

As she walked through the corridors, she saw a commotion in the distance. A group of scientists was gathered around something or someone.

Curiosity piqued, Athena made her way over.

She pushed through the crowd to get a glimpse of what was happening, and there, in the center of the circle, was a man. He was tall and muscular, with long hair that was tied back in a messy bun. His eyes were a piercing blue, and they seemed to bore into her soul.

Athena felt a shiver run down her spine as she recognized him as a shapeshifter.

One of the scientists turned to her and said, "Athena, meet Ardolf. He's a rejected alpha from Esteros."

Athena looked at him, taking in his ragged appearance and the scars that crisscrossed his face. She could see the pain in his eyes, and she felt a twinge of sympathy despite herself.

"Rejected alpha?" Athena repeated, her curiosity piqued. "What does that mean?"

The scientist cleared his throat nervously. "It means that he was once the leader of his pack, but he was overthrown and cast out by his enemies.

Ardolf was a wolf shifter from the Esteros pack, born with the blood of an alpha running through his veins. He was a strong and powerful wolf, with golden fur and piercing green eyes. He had always been destined to lead his pack, but fate had other plans for him.

Growing up, Ardolf was trained to be a fierce warrior, to protect his pack and keep them safe from their enemies. He was raised to believe that being an alpha was his birthright, and that he would one day take over as the leader of the pack. He was taught to fight with every ounce of strength he had, to never back down from a challenge, and to always protect his pack, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

But Ardolf's world was turned upside down when he reached adulthood. He had always known that his pack was filled with politics and power struggles, but he never expected to be on the losing end of them. The current alpha, a cunning and ruthless wolf named luka, saw Ardolf as a threat to his own position of power. Luka feared that Ardolf's strength and leadership abilities would make him a formidable opponent in the future, and so he began to plot against him.

Luka began to spread rumors about Ardolf, accusing him of treason and plotting against the pack. He made sure that the other wolves saw Ardolf as a threat, and he slowly turned them against him. Ardolf tried to defend himself, but it was no use. Luka had already poisoned the minds of the pack, and they were convinced that Ardolf was a traitor.

But it wasn't until he was rejected by his pack that Ardolf truly became a lone wolf. He had never quite fit in with the others, but he had always thought that he was still part of the

One night, Ardolf was ambushed by a group of wolves from his own pack. They attacked him viciously, tearing into his flesh and leaving him for dead. Ardolf fought back with every ounce of strength he had, but he was outnumbered and outmatched. In the end, he was overpowered and left lying on the ground, bleeding and broken.

After being left wounded and alone in the woods by his enemies, Ardolf struggled to stay alive. He knew that his chances of survival were slim, especially since he was a shapeshifter and couldn't transform due to his injuries. He tried to keep moving, hoping to find help or shelter, but it seemed like every step was getting harder.

Ardolf had always been a lone wolf, even when he was part of his pack. He was different from the others, not quite fitting in with their pack mentality and their desire for conformity. He preferred to roam the wilderness alone, hunting and exploring on his own terms.

As he stumbled through the woods, he eventually came across a clearing. It was then that he noticed a faint buzzing sound, which grew louder as he got closer. The sound was coming from a group of strange, metallic objects that were hovering above the ground. Before he could even react, a beam of light shot out from the objects and hit him square in the chest.

The next thing Ardolf knew, he was waking up in a sterile, brightly-lit room. He was strapped to a table, and there were several scientists in lab coats hovering around him, examining his wounds and taking samples of his blood and tissue. He tried to struggle, but the restraints were too strong.

Athena looked back at Ardolf, studying him carefully.

"Who are you?" Ardolf growled, his instincts telling him to be wary of this stranger.

"I'm Athena," she said softly. "I'm a scientist here at the Omega Lab. I'm here to examine you and see what we can learn."

Ardolf snorted. "What's there to examine? You've already poked and prodded me enough."

"I need to run some tests," Athena said firmly, ignoring his sarcasm.

Ardolf rolled his eyes but didn't protest as Athena began to take some blood samples and run various tests. As she worked, she couldn't help but notice how different Ardolf was from the other werewolves she had encountered. He had an air of defiance and strength about him that was rare.

After a few minutes of silence, Ardolf spoke up. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

Athena paused, looking up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you experimenting on us?" Ardolf asked, his voice low and dangerous. "What do you hope to gain?"

Athena hesitated before answering. "I'm trying to find a cure for the werewolf gene," she said finally. "So that people like you and I can live normal lives."

Ardolf snorted. "Normal lives? There's no such thing for us," he said bitterly.

Athena frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We're monsters," Ardolf said. "No matter how hard we try, we'll never be accepted by humans. We'll always be feared and hunted."

Athena felt a pang of sympathy for him. She knew all too well how it felt to be an outcast. "But maybe if we can find a cure, we can change that," she said.

Ardolf scoffed. "You're naive if you think that's possible," he said. "But go ahead, keep experimenting on us. Keep torturing us. It won't change anything."

Athena felt a flash of anger at his words. "I'm not torturing you," she said defensively. "I'm trying to help."

Ardolf snorted. "Sure you are," he said sarcastically.

Athena felt a surge of frustration. She knew he was just trying to get a reaction out of her, but she couldn't help feeling hurt. She finished up the tests and began to pack up her supplies.

As she turned to leave, Ardolf spoke up again. "You know, you're not like the others," he said.

Athena paused, turning to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"You're not a typical scientist," Ardolf said. "You actually seem to care about us. About what happens to us."

Athena felt a warm feeling spread through her chest at his words. "I do care," she said softly.

Unknown to Ardolf, Athena has an ulterior motive which would not only put him in danger but the whole of Esteros in danger.