We follow Alpha Caleb, and the rain slowly begins to stop. The earth is wet and soon we leave the field of long grass and head into the forest. Mud sticks to my paws and I pick them up higher, flinging it behind us.Growling is heard behind me, and I turn back to find Alpha Caleb’s three pack members, covered in mud. Lila laughs loudly and I whine, apologizing. I just wanted it off my paws, I didn’t mean to hit them.Caleb turns around and looks at the commotion and I can see his body begin to shake and wiggle as he laughs too. I don’t feel as bad anymore and he picks up his pace, looking up at the moon. I know the sun will begin to come up soon, but he seems to be in a bigger hurry to get home now.I follow behind him closely until we come to a large metal fence. Signs are posted all around it- DANGER ELECTRIC FENCE.I whine at Caleb, and he pushes his head up, pointing toward a gate near the end. I look behind me and we are still being flanked but now my anxiety picks up. The last t
Colt POVI am doing well at hiding my hate right now for my handler. It wouldn’t matter if I showed him how truly disgusted, I am with him- he wouldn’t care. These men are taught we are nothing but assets. We may look human, but we aren’t, and we don’t deserve to be treated as such.I once heard the big man tell one, “They turn into wolves! Where do dogs come from!? Wolves, right? Treat them like the animals they are!” They helped make us, so they own us.I know Maddie is alive, but I don’t know where she is, and I don’t know what I am feeling toward her. I have always loved her, but this is a different feeling. These feelings are romantic. It’s not the simple feelings I used to have for her- this love is different. My wolf howls inside and I sigh, still longing for her.We killed so many souls tonight and learned nothing. When my handler lit the orphanage on fire and the children screamed, I wanted to help them; to save them but I am still just a puppet and there was nothing I could
Alpha Caleb smiles at Lila and me as we walk upstairs, “Now this is the room you girls will share. There are two beds but if anyone asks, you are mates.” Lila looks at him and before she can ask, he finally answers her question. “Werewolves have fated mates. It’s something the moon goddess does for you. Your fated mate is made for you and its true unconditional love.”Lila gasps and I smile- that does sound really nice.“Everyone has a fated mate?” I ask. Alpha Caleb nods, “Yes but sometimes you don’t find them so you can choose a different mate or if your mate dies or rejects you, it’s the same, you are free to choose.”“How do you know you find your fated mate?” Lila asks, confused. It’s a good question.Caleb sighs, “Well, I haven’t found mine yet but it’s a pull and a longing. Your wolf is so happy, and you feel what we call a bond. You want to be with one another, no matter what.”“But you said sometimes, there’s rejection.”Caleb looks sad for a moment, but his smile comes back
Colt POVThe town is old and small. There is only one grocery store, and my handler pulls up to the front of the building, “If this guy doesn’t want to help, we make him. You understand?” he asks me, holding up the cattle prod. I nod and we get out of the car. My shoes crunch into the gravel and look down, wondering if Maddie’s did the sameWe walk into the store and the bell dings as an older man comes out from a door behind the counter. I can already smell Maddie and my wolf howls inside, “How can I help you gentleman?” he asks, “We are about to close in 10 minutes.” I stand still and let my handler do the talking.My handler flashes his perfect smile, “Yes, we found groceries in a red wagon down the road.” He says, fishing the receipt out of his pocket. The store owner puts his glasses on and looks at the items on the paper, “Oh, the wagon was alone? It should have had two girls with it. They had done shopping for the orphanage keeper down the road.”My handler gasps, “Is that so?!
Maddie POVLila Shakes me awake and I gasp for air, sitting up. Tears stream down my face and she hugs me. These nightmares are nothing new to me, but I didn’t share a room with anyone; this is the first time Lila has seen this happen to me.She holds me tight and coos to me, “Shhh, Maddie. It’s okay. You’re safe.” The bedroom door swings open and Lila and I both jump as Caleb stands there like a ninja, “What happened? Are you two, ok?” he asks, turning on the light and searching the room.I wipe my eyes and try to catch my breath, but the words don’t come. Lila pets my hair and looks at Caleb, “She had a nightmare.” Caleb sighs, “I get those too. The worst ones are the stuck ones.”My teary eyes peer up at him, and I whimper, “The worst...”He nods, “I know. Take a few minutes. Compose yourself. It’s time to get up anyway. Meet me downstairs.”I nod and he walks out of the room, closing the door. I look at Lila, “I was stuck…” I whisper. Lila holds me tighter and sighs, “It was just
The same wolves that were with Alpha Caleb last night when he found Lila and I come running toward Caleb and me now. One of them must be his Beta, Lucas. They get to me and shift, staring at the dead Zobs, “Caleb, can you hear me!?” one of his men says leaning down next to him.“There was a hole in the fence when we got here. They were waiting…”“Fuck! These wounds are bad! Caleb, can you shift back?” Caleb whines and I realize he is stuck in wolf form, “Why can’t he shift back?” I ask.“He’s hurt too badly; his wolf is trying to save his life. Who helped him kill them? Zobs are strong. I haven’t met a wolf yet who could take down even two by themselves.”I speak shyly, “I was going to run but I heard him cry out, so I came back. He had killed one, but I killed the other 7.” The three men look at me like I just spoke a foreign language, “You killed 7 of them?” I nod and he scoffs, “There’s no way.”I take a step back as he picks Caleb up off the ground, “Come on, let’s get him to the
Colt POVMy handler finds a hotel two towns away. He had told me he wanted to make sure he hadn’t left a trail pointing toward us. The thing is, they ride in a caravan of black SUVs- that alone shouts suspicious. Like, who do these guys think they are? They have high-security clearance but not brains.I pretend to be a good boy and leave my window down so I can “smell” and look for Maddie but even if I did smell her, I wouldn’t say anything.“1005,” When we get there, I will prepare your kennel and you will sleep. I nod and we pull into a shitty town with dim lights. My handler looks at his phone GPS and turns left to the hotel. When we pull in front of the building my handler scoffs and grabs his hand radio, “Make sure you bring in sheets and the issued blankets. The big boss will be mad if we bring home bed bugs again. This place gives me Norman Bare vibes.”The radio squeaks and there’s a reply, “Yes, I bet the grim reaper visits this place regularly.” They both laugh and I watch
Maddie POVI gasp as I see it- 2001.HOLY SHIT, these are lab wolves. These came from the place I escaped from but what are they doing out here in the wilderness? Why are they torturing packs?! What made them into Zobs?I check each of the 8 and they all have numbers. My heart beats fast and I feel dizzy. Did they unleash them into the population on purpose or is it our fault? Did they escape when we did?The day the test happened- we didn’t know what they were. I thought they were just an experiment gone wrong but now I see it’s more than that.I hear voices and duck out of the room quietly, following until I find them. Lucas is back and he’s talking to Dr. Wayne, “Has he doing?” he asks. Dr. Wayne wipes his brow and sighs, “Not good, Beta. His vitals are already dropping.”Lucas’s voice is shaky “The antidote?” he asks hopeful. “Can we try to make it again.? There are 8 this time. There has to be a way to run more tests.”Dr. Wayne sighs, placing his hand on his shoulder, “Lucas, n