by Sarah Noffke
“She lies like a two-bit whore, so don’t listen to her. And to answer your first question, sometimes powers are dormant and haven’t surfaced yet. And then there are skills that with enough focused power, you can learn and they very much seem like gifts,” she said, thinking of her failed attempts to teleport or hypnotize.
“So there are inborn gifts and then also skills you can learn as a Dream Traveler. Huh,” Connor said, but he suddenly didn’t look as interested in the conversation. He seemed distracted and yet unwilling to acknowledge it.
Adelaide honed her attention on his face, which was twitching in places. His eyes dilated. His fingers began to drum on his leg.
“You all right?” she said, tapping the button again for level five. The elevator seemed extra slow today.
“Yeah,” he said, blowing out a breath and marching his feet, like an antsy fit just came over him.
“Connor,” Adelaide said, her eyes now on the number highlighted above the doors of the elevator. They were at level three.
“What?!” he yelled, his green eyes narrowing on her like crescent moons. And then they began to glow.
Adelaide slid back instantly, her spine colliding with the stainless steel walls. “You’re changing, aren’t you? I order you not to harm me or anyone else. We’ll get you to the safe room,” she said, realizing that she was seconds away from being locked in an elevator with a wild beast.
Thick reddish brown hair poked through the pores of the skin on his hands and arms and slid into place. Claws with a hint of orange pierced his fingertips and then he looked up at her, a hungry expression in his eyes. “I won’t be able to control the wolf,” he said, his voice a growl, but his words full of desperate regret. “Get away from me as soon as you can.”
Adelaide slammed her hand on the emergency button to the elevator, but the machine didn’t register the request right away. It slowed at level four, but wasn’t in a place where it could stop. “Don’t you hurt me,” she said, again putting her mind control behind the words.
Connor dropped his head and shook it. He looked the same and yet different. His ears slightly pointy at the end, the angles of his face a little sharper. When he lifted his face his canines had doubled in size. “All I want to do is hurt you,” he said, taking a giant step forward so he was pressed up against her. He grabbed her chin in his hands, the sharp claws pinching her neck.
From his touch, she read his thoughts. Felt them course through her. Connor had no control in werewolf form. He was powerless to the wolf’s desires. Deep in his mind her telepathy told her that he was sorry. That he didn’t want to hurt her. That it was the last thing he’d do to her if he only had a choice. But the wolf wanted flesh and it couldn’t be tamed.
Connor’s hot breath hit Adelaide’s face like a soft whip. He drew back slightly as he bared his teeth. A soft growl drummed in his throat when he slipped his long nose down, sniffing at her throat. Adelaide was powerless in that moment. The most powerful Dream Traveler at the Institute and she couldn’t stop a werewolf with her mind control. “Stop,” she begged, tears clogging her throat. He pinned her firmer to the wall with his other hand, and then slipped his nose along her neck, inhaling her into him, as the growl in his throat deepened.
The elevator doors bounced open, making Connor’s eyes dart away momentarily. Adelaide took her chance and ducked under his arm, racing through the hallway. “Help! Help me!” she screamed, feeling as if she was stuck in a dream where she was running but her feet were moving too slowly.
Behind her a howl sliced through the air, one that made her ears ring and the panic nearly tear her chest in two. Then the footsteps. They thudded on the ground behind her. Connor raced after Adelaide and she had no doubt that he’d catch her, feast on her. To be eaten alive, it was her worst fear.
Hands rammed into Adelaide’s shoulder blades, knocking her to the ground. The force that sunk onto her felt like a locomotive had rammed into her body. She attempted to breathe, but only pulled in the dense fibers of the carpet under her mouth. The pain of the pressure on her back paled to the fear that she was going to suffocate. And then Connor yanked her upright, pulling her body tight against his. She was on her feet, kind of, but mostly suspended in the air. His arm around her waist, another around her neck.
Adelaide looked out at the hallway of the Lucidite Institute that seemed to go on forever. Then her vision blurred as the tears fell over her cheeks. “No, no, no,” she said, hearing his thoughts and those of the wolf because he was touching her. She knew Connor was destroying himself right now with the idea that soon he’d murder her. And the wolf didn’t care.
“So hungry. Need meat. So hungry,” the beast said. Connor threw her to the ground again, as another howl ripped out of his mouth. The wolf was playing with its prey, enjoying the game before the feast. Adelaide pushed up to all fours and turned her head to regard the werewolf standing at her back. Squatted down low, the werewolf looked nothing like the guy from earlier. All the compassion and curiosity was gone from his face, replaced with vengeful hunger. Connor crouched down lower, again sucking in her smell. Then he backed up a few paces and she knew by the way he’d positioned himself that he was about to pounce on her, and then rip into her with his teeth. Again, like in a nightmare, she buried her head, wishing she’d wake up.
The howl pierced Rox’s ears, making her clap her hands to them. She was on the right level. For five long minutes she’d been rushing through the corridors of the Lucidite Institute, trying to find Connor. Now she knew he was just up ahead, probably around the next hallway.
Her hair whipped in her face as she sprinted for the upcoming bend in the corridor. She knew when Kaleb and Zephyr had changed that Connor would too. These guys were on the same schedule. They were connected. And now a werewolf was loose in the Institute and as powerful as these people were, they couldn’t stop a deranged beast with super strength and powers. But Rox could. She was sure of it.
Rox nearly tripped on her own feet when she rounded the corner. She halted abruptly at the sight of the werewolf crouched over the trembling girl. Adelaide had her head covered and her knees pulled into her chest, the position one takes if about to be mauled by a bear. Rox knew she was losing precious time, but she couldn’t just rush up on the beast without considering the right attack that would leave Adelaide unharmed. That’s why she simply snapped her fingers.
The werewolf revolved his head, his glowing green eyes taking in the distraction interrupting his soon-to-be feast. A snarl communicated his dissatisfaction. Then he stepped back and faced Rox, his knuckles on the ground.
“Come on, you fucking puppy. Let’s play,” Rox said, sliding into a fighting stance.
The man that had been Connor stood tall, his clawed hands in front of him. There was something beautiful about these werewolves. They weren’t the hellacious beasts from the movies Rox remembered. They wore hair on their arms and hands. But their features were elegant and sharp. And the way they moved was graceful and lacking any gross monster quality.
The werewolf stepped forward, the movement slow like he was calculating her. At his back, Rox caught Adelaide pushing to a standing position and sprinting in the opposite direction, away from the fight.
“Let’s see what you can do, doggy,” Rox said, waving him forward.
On the tails of her words the werewolf lunged forward, but Rox spun to the side, barely missing his attempt in the narrow hallway. He was fast, much faster than she could deal with. Now she knew something for certain; he could own her in this fight. However, he couldn’t kill her. And hopefully she’d tire the beast out first. She whipped around and thrust a foot into his abdomen, but it had little effect. The werewolf caught her foot in both his hands and spun it to the side, flipping Rox to the ground. Just as she hit the carpet she made to get up, but the animal’s breath was down low and his fangs close to her face. Then he tried to sink them into her jaw but they met a dead-end wall, smashing into the skin like a knife meeting a diamond. Rox’s sk
in was too resistant to be penetrated by his fangs. Yes, if her energy waned too low then that could change, but for now she was immune to his attacks. The beast, confused by this bizarre reality, grabbed both her arms and yanked her to her feet before slamming Rox into the stainless steel wall. She merely smiled. “That only tickled a little. Try harder, you fucking mutt,” she said and then nailed him in the groin with her knee. Yes, even werewolves have a sore spot between their legs.
Connor’s head darted to the long hallway. He heard something, Rox realized. This was her moment. She launched a fist at his face and then drove a kick straight into his gut. This time it connected and he slammed back into the door behind him. His claws tried to grab for Rox, but she banged her hand on the button beside the door and then pushed him into the next room, an empty office. With her last remaining energy, she slammed a fist straight between his eyes, forcing him back as she pushed the button to close the door. She spun around to find Aiden running in the lead, Adelaide behind him and a device in his hands. Having witnessed the struggle as he approached, he smashed the small block onto the button and pressed a switch on the side of the device. It was the same way they’d prepared the safe room before, locking it from the outside. The device clicked into place and the light on the button glowed red.
“For fuck sake,” Rox said, doubling over. “I can’t believe we pulled that off.”
“I can’t believe he didn’t kill you,” Aiden said, turning to Rox, appraising both her arms.
“He tried, but when he couldn’t pierce my skin the dumb dog’s head nearly exploded. I think he lost his confidence right then, stalling any attacks,” she said.
“I tried to use mind control on him… when he changed,” Adelaide said, her eyes on the floor and her words quiet.
“You can’t use mind control on an uncontrollable beast,” Rox said, taking a long deep breath as the sounds from the room started to grow more intense. The werewolf wasn’t happy. He’d had his dinner taken from him and been bested in a fight by a girl with a strange resistance.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Adelaide said, looking at Aiden, then the floor, then away.
“I’m just glad you’re both okay. And the others?” Aiden said.
“Kaleb is headed here, and hopefully Zephyr too,” Rox said, finally giving herself the capacity to think about his well-being, to care. She’d been focused on getting back to the Institute, and therefore solely in warrior mode. But now she worried for him, hoped that he got away.
“Good, well I think we’re all safe for now,” Aiden said, eyeing the door when it trembled from assaults on the other side. “He can’t get through an Institute door, I promise.”
“Thanks,” Adelaide said, her eyes on the far wall.
Rox and Aiden both paused and stared at the girl, and then she brought her eyes up to meet Rox’s. “Thanks for saving me earlier. If you hadn’t showed up…”
“Then you’d be dog food. And you’re welcome,” Rox said, allowing a sincere smile of relief on her face.
Adelaide didn’t smile back, but for once she didn’t scowl at Rox. She simply nodded.
Chapter Forty-Two
“We are fortunate that we know a vegetarian diet best suits our dream travel lifestyle. This is probably because ingesting animal fat clogs our bodies.”
- Lucidite Employee Manual
A stack of papers flew across the lab room, nearly knocking into Grant, who stood what should have been a safe distance from Mika. Then the CEO of Olento Research telekinetically picked up a container of medical supplies and launched it at the wall behind Grant.
“I’m not sure if you realize this, but I was currently using those medical supplies,” Drake said, stomping over and picking up the bandages, grabbing his old back as he did.
“Do your job and stay out of this,” Mika said, his words a coarse whisper.
“Yes, sir,” Drake said, no actual respect in his voice.
“Are you going to use those bandages now that they’ve been on the floor?” Morgan said, indicating the white gauze in Drake’s hands which had flown from the container.
“It’s not going to kill you,” Drake said, with a shrug and then added, “most likely.”
“Thanks, doc, yeah, and who knows what bacteria is on the floor of these labs,” Morgan said, his eyelids heavy most likely from the sedative, but also from the fight.
“You had him,” Mika said, his voice barely audible. He took in a breath, his eyes on Grant, who stood frozen. “You had him in your crosshairs and you let Zephyr run away.”
“Sir, if you would have been there. They all run so fast. We fired, but he was already gone,” Grant said.
“You don’t wait until someone is running away to fire,” Mika said.
“I want to remind everyone that I was passed out when this whole standoff happened,” Morgan said, a laugh in his voice.
Using his enhanced speed, Mika spun to face Morgan. “You let Kaleb Magner get away. Now the Lucidites have him also,” Mika said.
“I did shoot him, though, and that’s better than Grant can say,” Morgan said.
“You’re both incompetent. And now you, Morgan, are fairly useless,” Mika said, waving his hand at Morgan, who was having his shoulder dressed. Drake had just sewed up the injury, which had taken a long time due to the size of the laceration. He’d used a balm that Parantaa had patented that encouraged flesh regeneration in cases of large wounds like Morgan’s.
“Don’t worry. He’ll heal,” Drake said while he worked, his back to Mika.
“And in the meantime, who is going to track down these werewolves? Grant’s team has proven they can’t catch a rat, let alone a werewolf. And Morgan, you had two of them and let them get away,” Mika said, his voice steady and yet a heat rancid in his words.
“I don’t like that you describe it as ‘let.’ It’s not like I held up my hands and allowed them to walk away, like Grant. I shot Kaleb, but that girl took him, and I was fairly distracted and couldn’t intervene because of the whole Zephyr turning into a werewolf and going rabid on my ass,” Morgan said.
“Yes, I will admit that I wouldn’t have sent you alone if I thought there was a possibility you’d be overwhelmed by two of the wolves. And the timing of the change wasn’t in your favor. I think otherwise you would have been successful,” Mika said. He was superior at his ability to see a situation practically. This wasn’t a man who blamed, but he did hold grudges.
“And sir, I did have an instinct on the situation, which is why I had my team leave their post even though Morgan hadn’t called for backup,” Grant said, his eyes low but his words directed to Mika.
“Don’t remind me of your incompetence. The result of this is no different based on your team. You’re very close to losing your job, I hope you realize that,” Mika said.
“Yes, sir,” Grant said, tucking his chin down lower.
“So you think Zephyr has the ability to control the wind?” Mika said, turning his attention back on Morgan, who sat on the exam table.
“Yes, that’s how he was able to see me. He held up a hand and wind seemed to shoot from it. The dirt covered me and that’s when he got the advantage,” Morgan said.
Mika smiled to himself. He enjoyed the irony that Zephyr had the skill to control wind. This universe wasn’t random, though, and there was a significance behind names. He’d always known that. It’s like they had a spell written around them. Name a kid Buddy and everyone will like him. Call a sister Sissy and she will be quite weak. Mika’s own name had been part of his power, based on its significance: “Who is Godlike.”
The door beside Grant busted open and Kris ran into the lab room. “Are you all right?” she said, darting in the direction of her brother.
“Yeah, currently I’m floating,” Morgan said with a drunken smile.
“That will be a result of the drugs,” Drake said, cleaning up the medical supplies and making for the sink.
“Thanks, doc, I didn’t think it was from werew
olf saliva,” Morgan said.
“You got bit by a werewolf?” Kris said, a look of awe on her face. “That’s so freaking cool.”
“I fail to see how your brother getting bit by a wolf and failing his mission is at all okay,” Mika said, fuming that his employees were acting overly casual in his presence. Things were getting more lax and he needed to gain back control over his staff.
Kris turned to Mika, crossing her arms as she did. “I guess you’re going to need me out in the field now that Morgan is laid up for a bit,” she said.
“We’ll see,” Mika said, his eyes sharp. He also didn’t like that she was daring to tell him what to do.
“I’m faster than Morgan. I have martial arts experience. And I’m the best weapon that you have right now,” Kris challenged.
“Which means I’m fairly screwed and I’ll need to engineer a new soldier that can go after the werewolves,” Mika said.
“You kind of take me for granted,” Kris said.
“And you absolutely misunderstand your place with Olento Research. You’re a thief. That’s what I contracted you for. That’s it,” Mika said.
“But I heard that another werewolf attack happened here in Los Angeles. Another woman was assaulted. You need me out there, tracking this guy,” Kris said.
“Yes, and the woman is in ICU. As soon as she’s stable I plan to have her questioned. However, you will not be the staff person that I assign to this case so drop it,” Mika said. It wasn’t that Kris was wrong about her being his best person for tracking down the pack, but rather that she was a woman. He didn’t want her being the one who captured a werewolf. She’d fail at it, anyway. You don’t send a lean and sassy lady to take down a beast with fangs and claws. You send a soldier, and she wasn’t that.