The Dream Travelers Boxed Set #2: Includes 2 Complete Series (9 Books) PLUS Bonus Material

by Sarah Noffke

  “We’re actually thinking of taking the man out of you so you’re just the dog we know you’re destined to be,” Adelaide said to Rio.

  “I’m just saying, I’m the strongest human alive. Why would I want to lose that?” Rio said.

  “That’s your Dream Traveler gift though,” Aiden corrected. “I’m not certain, but I think I should be able to remove the wolf DNA, while keeping your Dream Traveler status.”

  “Didn’t you just say our strong gifts might be because of the wolf?” Kaleb asked.

  “Yes, that’s true, but they might also be a part of being converted. This is all brand new technology and unfortunately I’m going to need—excuse the term, since I dislike it—but I’m going to need a guinea pig to test all this,” Aiden said.

  “You need one of the werewolves to determine what? Whether you can take the wolf out of the man?” Zephyr said, standing up tall, gaining a sturdy look from Rox.

  “Yes, and whether that’s the key to the strong ability or if by keeping the Dream Traveler part intact that we save the gift,” Aiden said.

  “This technology did come out of your lab. CRISPR was your genetic invention. If you gave Olento the know-how to put wolf DNA into a man, can’t you easily take it out?” Adelaide said.

  “Yes, but multiple genetic mutations could have assorted effects. That’s why I’m saying I’m going to need a volunteer. There is only so much hypothesizing I can do when we’re in this new territory,” Aiden said.

  “I guess I could do it,” Kaleb offered. He often bounced back and forth between looking happy and then also lost. The death of his father wasn’t something he could shake easily, although Adelaide guessed he was trying to submerge himself in this world in order to do that. “I hate the wolf and it sounds like Rio has grown attached to it. And we know we can’t lose our alpha wolf yet, so it’s got to be me,” he finished with a shrug that was soon punctuated by a confident nod.

  “No, not you, Runt,” Adelaide said, crossing her arms. “We can’t afford to lose your skill. It’s too valuable and you’re now the property of the strategic department.” Kaleb was the first ever time stopper in the history of Dream Travelers. Whatever Olento Research had done, they’d embarked on new territory that was going to revolutionize the way the Lucidites handled problems. Ren would have been pleased by such a prospect, although he would have pretended to be bored and told everyone to go fuck themselves. Kaleb’s ability was going to prove extremely useful for intervening in the world’s affairs to create better futures. However, the little mutt needed some discipline and training, which unfortunately fell under Adelaide’s jurisdiction.

  “Well, I don’t want to volunteer,” Rio said.

  “And here your case file said you were a team player,” Adelaide said. “But don’t worry. I need you in the field with Captain Dog Boy and Hooker Shoes.”

  “Then we will just have to wait until you rescue more of the pack,” Aiden said, clapping his hands together eagerly. And then his eyes flicked up. “And to what do I owe the honor of my wife’s lovely presence?” he said to the entrance.

  Adelaide turned to find the girl with long blonde hair and a pursed expression scanning the room. Roya was the opposite of her husband; she didn’t do pretenses or niceties. “Adelaide, I need to see you,” Roya said when her green eyes located her.

  “I believe you meant to phrase that into a request. Like, ‘May I please have the pleasure of your attention, Agent Lewis?’” Adelaide said. “Is that what you forgot to say, airhead?”

  “Oh, I guess you don’t want my newest report pertaining to your case,” Roya said and then turned and headed for the hallway.

  Adelaide spun to face Aiden. “Your wife is a real bitch. I might bloody kill her when she’s no longer of use to me.”

  “I’m sure you two lovely ladies will work out your differences,” Aiden said with a daft laugh.

  Roya waited in the hallway, knowing Adelaide would be along in only a few seconds. This was the same game her father, Ren Lewis, loved to play with Roya when he was alive. “I have something you want, come and follow me if you want it,” he’d often say. It was such a show of theatrics and not as impressive as he tried to make it out to be, but it was effective nonetheless. Roya hadn’t liked nor disliked Ren. He wasn’t a man that you could easily assign such a category to. Ren was too powerful, too cunning, and too brilliant and the problem was he knew it. And Adelaide had inherited just about everything about her father. Which meant she’d go on to do great things and piss off a lot of people in the process.

  “Oh, bravo, you got me to play your little game,” Adelaide said, coming around the corner and stopping a few feet from Roya. “I bet you feel all good about yourself. Maybe you won’t have to continuously breed to build up that self-confidence now.”

  “And hopefully you won’t breed again because we all know that redheads are inferior and we don’t need those bad genetics spread around,” Roya said, matching Adelaide’s stance, arms crossed, chest held high.

  “New report. You said you had one. Or did you just need someone to tolerate your bad attitude for a bit and this was all a ruse to get social attention?” Adelaide said.

  The ache of losing Ren was still carved into Adelaide’s face, Roya observed. She almost wanted to feel sorry for Adelaide when she spied the deep pain in the bottom of her stare. No matter what the girl said, it was still there. Roya had been in a similar position as Adelaide. She had a father who was distant, one who sacrificed himself and his family for the world. It’s an unpleasant thing to digest.

  “I located Connor in a vision,” Roya said.

  “Where is he? I’ll send the team there. Just give me the timestamp and location,” Adelaide said, her voice suddenly neutral, her approach calm.

  “He’s in Portland, at a carnival. Here’s the exact location and timeframe where he can be found,” Roya said, holding out a piece of paper. She was the only news reporter who could hone in on such specific details when spying events of the future. It was her gift to the Institute and her burden to herself. Never did the girl feel that she could work enough, see enough. She always felt that she should be reporting, finding cases where the Lucidites could make a difference. But she also needed to have a life, one outside of news reporting.

  Adelaide took the paper but paused. “What aren’t you telling me?” she said, and she must have read the look in Roya’s eyes, since she hadn’t touched her. Roya was one of the few who knew that Adelaide had inherited her father’s gift of telepathy linked to touch. If anyone understood Roya’s burden of news reporting, it was Adelaide, who also had a gift that felt more like a curse.

  “He’s in bad shape. What he’s done to himself is pretty severe,” Roya said.

  Adelaide’s eyes fell to the ground, a dark place in her seeming to open up and understand the possibilities at once. “Okay, I’ll get my team out there immediately to rescue him,” she said, turning back for Aiden’s lab. Then she turned back. “Is he going to live?”

  Roya shook her head, seeing the vision, the drugs, witnessing his pain when his body tried to change into the werewolf but couldn’t, too deprived. “I don’t know,” she said in a hush.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “The first werewolf change happened six weeks after conversion. The subjects only half changed. Sharp hairs pushed through the pores of their forearms and backs of their hands and aggressive behavior was documented.”

  - Olento Research, Canis Lupus Project File

  Kris waited until the group filed out of Aiden’s lab before heading down the hallway in the opposite direction. The werewolf with silver and black hair and the blonde were sent off to rescue Connor. And now she knew the location for where to find the lost werewolf, which according to Adelaide’s report, was slightly under the weather. Something about the redhead’s face betrayed her words. If Kris’s suspicions were correct then something extremely wrong was going on with the werewolf who had run away. She’d w
ished she’d followed Adelaide out when she spoke with Roya, then she would have known for certain what Adelaide was hiding now.

  Rio, the newest recruit, had argued that he should go on the rescue mission, but was quickly turned down.

  “You don’t know how to use a GAD-C, Rover,” Adelaide informed him.

  “What’s that?” the meathead said.

  “A form of Dream Traveler transportation that allows us to generate our body wherever our consciousness has dream traveled to, granted that it lands on another GAD-C. They are devices that the Institute has built around the country for easy transport, but using them takes an orientation or otherwise your ears could end up on our feet,” Aiden, the scientist in the lab coat, said.

  “I’ll wait for a proper orientation,” Rio said, looking appeased but disappointed.

  Kris removed her cell phone when she was around the hallway, hoping she could duck into an empty room to make the call. It still amazed her that when she was invisible, her clothes were invisible, anything on her took on that trait. How it was possible was beyond her, but she was currently on a case to recapture werewolves and steal information on teleportation, so she wasn’t sure which reality was stranger.

  The quick high she’d gained when learning the newest piece of information plummeted when Kris spied the reception meter on her phone. Zero. None. Not even one bar. However, she was in an underwater facility, so why was she that surprised. She looked around the empty hallway, doubtful there were regular phones stationed around the place. The Lucidites would have their own form of communication, probably holograms they sent. Geez, these people could teleport their bodies using a machine called a GAD-C. They were making Mika look like a two-bit small business man. But now she realized why he’d ordered her to infiltrate the organization and steal covert information. He’d be very pleased to hear about this GAD-C business and also the location of one of his missing werewolves.

  The sun was a welcome presence to Kris when she exited the submarine after a courier delivery guy. Good thing the Lucidite Institute had two trips out a day due to the delivery schedule, or Kris would have been stuck there without a way to contact Mika.

  She withdrew her cell phone from her jacket once she was a safe distance from any people. Disembodied voices always seemed to freak others out, she’d found. To her relief she had full reception. And also to her excitement, Mika answered on the first ring.

  “What?” he said, using his usual warm greeting for her.

  “I’ve been in the Institute and learned a lot of valuable information,” Kris said.

  “Which is why you’re calling. Start with the most pertinent piece of information,” Mika said. He actually had a nice voice, if he wasn’t always so pissy all the time. Actually the man himself, with his black hair and chiseled features, was quite attractive, although too old for Kris. She’d guessed he was approaching forty. Still, she enjoyed staring at a well-dressed man who displayed power like it was inborn in his soul. The problem with Mika was she didn’t think he had a soul, which was a problem for her since she’d always wanted to be married in a church.

  “Connor left the Institute and is currently in the back of a semi in Portland. He’s working for Ferocity Carnival,” Kris said.

  Mika didn’t hoot with excitement, like she’d strangely hoped. She needed to get sleep, she realized at once. This spy job made sleeping a challenge. Eating too. “You learned this spying at the Institute, didn’t you?” he said, an angry edge to his voice.

  “Well, yeah,” she said and then released a nervous giggle.

  “And let me guess, the Lucidites have already sent someone to fetch Connor,” Mika said.

  “Yes, but now you can send someone. Beat them there,” Kris said. Why isn’t he more excited? she thought.

  “Kris, I am aware that the Lucidite Institute is underwater, and that informs me that you don’t have cell service there. Consequently, I’m going to assume that you had to travel out of the Institute to make this call, is that correct?” he said.

  “Well, yes, and I agree that the extra efforts I’ve had to go to should be rewarded. I love diamonds and cash,” she said.

  “And while you were taking the trip to the surface, you realize that the Lucidites are already well on their way to retrieve Connor?” Mika said.

  “Oh, actually they are probably already there now that I think about it. I learned that they have this device called a GAD-C that allows them to dream travel to a location and then generate their body, but only if they travel to the location of another one of those devices. So it’s pretty much like teleporting, but with restrictions. Pretty cool, huh?” Kris said. Mika had to be happy about learning this information, right? she hoped.

  “That’s not as cool as you think,” Mika said, his voice bordering on hostile. “You do realize that you were sent to the Institute to gain information on how to teleport one’s body using psychic power, correct?”

  “But if you could build a device like theirs—”

  “Yes, but as you’ve previously mentioned, there are restrictions to that type of teleporting,” Mika said, cutting Kris off. He was always doing that. His mother obviously didn’t teach him any manners.

  “Okay, I’m still looking for clues on where to find teleporting information,” Kris said, her spirits utterly deflated.

  “And yes, if you can find the blueprints for the GAD-C, then get them. Take pictures of everything with your phone. I want as many details as possible,” Mika said.

  “And if you knew my phone wouldn’t work in the Institute then why didn’t you tell me or build me one that had super reception?” Kris said, not caring that this would piss him off further. He was already livid; it was kind of cute.

  “Your job is not to check in with me when you find out every piece of information. Learn as much as you can and don’t return to Olento Research until you have information on teleporting. That’s your job. You don’t need a special phone for that, you need dedication,” Mika said and ended the call.

  She had kept thinking he’d come to appreciate her and her sassy attitude, that she’d soften him somehow, but maybe that was too lofty of a dream. Mika didn’t care about anyone but himself and appreciated nothing but perfection. Kris stared down at her invisible body and smiled. She thought she was pretty perfect just the way she was.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “The second werewolf sighting happened in Salt Lake City.”

  - Lucidite Institute, Werewolf Project File

  “One hundred and three,” the nurse said, pulling the thermometer from Orion’s mouth.

  “Do I have an infection?” Orion said, staring at his bandaged hand. The piercing, overwhelming pain was more of a nagging throb now, thanks to a shot of morphine. He hadn’t wanted to drag himself, bleeding and crying to the hospital, but then the sweating and vomiting set in and he had no choice. Actually he didn’t make it all the way to the hospital—he passed out on the sidewalk to the emergency room—but he knew from his previous employment as an orderly that this happened all the time. They kept surveillance on the walkways around hospitals for this reason.

  “I’m sure you do, but the doctor is going to have to be the judge of that. He will be in to see you in just a moment, as soon as he reviews your blood results,” the nurse said, making for the door.

  Blood results! Oh no, Orion thought. That’s right, when he’d been mostly out of it they’d withdrawn blood, right after stitching him up. Actually everything had gone wrong since the beginning. He’d given them his full name, which no doubt made it so they could pull up his medical history and probably log him into the system. But the pain, it had been too much. All Orion wanted was for it stop. The pain in his heart and head was battling to win against the raw ache in his bleeding hand. And they had so many questions for him. How had he lost his fingers? Did he have them so they could be restitched onto his hand? Did he have a next of kin they could call? The questions just made him retreat furthe
r and then he’d said it. The two things he wasn’t supposed to say.

  “My name is Orion Murray. They made me into a werewolf,” he remembered saying. The person withdrawing blood paused, but then only shook her head. The nurse tending to his bandages simply smiled.

  “You’re safe now, Orion,” she said, before turning around and exiting the room.

  And now they knew his name and had his blood results. It was going to get worse. Most assuredly it was going to get worse. The bad people would find out about this. Or maybe it was the government behind this that made him into a werewolf and he’d just walked right back into their waiting arms. Orion knew only one thing with certainty, so much so, it pressed the anxiety away. He had to get away.

  With his good hand he pulled the door back to find a sterile, empty hallway. To the right, he heard nurses conversing at a nearby station. He ducked his head down low and slid out into the hallway, tiptoeing down to the next corridor. His knowledge of hospitals told him the exit was up ahead, maybe just around another hallway.

  “Orion, is that you?” a voice he knew so well said.

  He turned to find the one person he couldn’t see right then staring back at him, her soft pink mouth gaping open. “Veronica,” he said, dropping his head with shame. He realized then he was cradling his hand, which had already bled a bit through the gauze and bandages. They’d said he’d need to stay overnight, but now he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

  “What did you do to yourself?” she said, and there was the pity. He wanted her to believe him. To believe in him. As his psychiatrist she knew him better than anyone else. She knew he wasn’t a liar. Maybe she’d believe him now.