Wolf's Cage

by Laura Taylor

  And then she read the final part. The part about her ideas on the experiments. And when she saw what the Professor had written, she jumped out of her seat, crowing with glee, dignity be damned as she pranced around her flat in delight.

  He loved her ideas! He found the possibility of multiple voltages per shift to be entirely plausible, and was going to arrange extra funding for her to conduct her experiments!

  Take that, Dr Evans, she thought gleefully. That would teach the good Doctor to ignore her staff.

  Getting a hold of herself, Melissa sat down again to finish reading the letter, feeling her heart speed up as she read the final part. If she’d been excited before, now she was absolutely ecstatic. Not only was the Professor impressed with her ideas, but he was coming to England personally, to review the team’s experiments.

  He was due to arrive in a few days’ time, and would personally oversee the first of the tests Melissa wanted to run, assist her in analysing the data and make suggestions for further improvements that could hone their results.

  It was a dream come true. Validation for her ideas, recognition from Headquarters, and the chance to meet Professor Ivor Banks in person. He was one of her heroes, Melissa having read every report he’d ever written on shifter physiology, and she’d been constantly impressed and inspired by his work.

  Melissa opened a new file and began typing frantic notes. There was so much to prepare for before his arrival, and she was determined that everything would be set up and ready to go, no detail left unattended.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Dee sat in the library, facing Eleanor and Andre on one side, and Caroline and Baron on the other, wondering what on earth this meeting was about.

  In the last few days, there had been no shortage of crises to solve, dramas to settle and official meetings aplenty to thrash everything out. The latest slice of chaos had been concluded this morning, with Caroline’s startling announcement that she had turned down the post in Italy.

  The Den had taken the news rather well. There had been a predictable amount of shock, a dozen questions about why and declarations that she was turning down the opportunity of a lifetime, along with plenty of confused faces. But then Caroline had given them an extremely simple explanation for her decision. “I love my Den,” she had said. “I love seeing you all every day. And I couldn’t imagine giving all that up to go and live with a bunch of politicians in an ivory tower.”

  They’d accepted her reasons with surprising calm – Dee wasn’t well versed enough in high-end politics to grasp all the implications of the decision, but she was glad to have Caroline stay, nonetheless. For all that she could be tactless, blunt and domineering, she was also loyal, intelligent, and cared more about this Den than anyone Dee knew. And then Tank had given Caroline a cheeky grin, and declared, “Damn good thing. It would have been a nightmare trying to find a new alpha.” And that had been that.

  Eleanor had declared her intention to leave early tomorrow, and as far as Dee knew, that was the end of any official business for the time being, so she was a little surprised when she’d been called into a meeting with not just Andre, but Eleanor as well. It was rather nerve racking to find herself face-to-face with a member of the Council, and she wondered if she’d done anything wrong.

  “A serious issue has come up,” Eleanor began, once everyone was seated, her eyes focused on Dee. “And time is of the essence, so unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to give you long to think about this. I received a call about the Den in Italy this morning. They recently converted one of their new recruits, and the conversion hasn’t taken. The wolf is showing all the signs of going rogue.”

  Dee felt her blood run cold at the announcement, and she instantly knew what Eleanor was going to say next. And then she decided a moment later she couldn’t stand the tension, so she blurted it out herself instead.

  “You want me to remove the human from the shifter,” she said grimly. “Or is it the other way around? You want to keep the human and get rid of the wolf?” She felt Faeydir stir in her mind at that thought. Killing wolves was something she strongly objected to, regardless of the circumstances, and Dee was anticipating quite the argument from her animal side if that was what was being asked.

  “No, you were right the first time,” Eleanor said quickly. “We’d like you to remove the human.” She glanced at Andre, who so far had said nothing. “Andre brought it to our attention, after the last time you were asked to perform such a service, that it might be appropriate to create a sanctuary for separated wolves, should a situation like this arise. Allowing the human to live isn’t a viable option – I’m sure you’re aware of the security risks that would create. But there’s no reason why we can’t keep the wolf, and care for it appropriately.”

  That was a relief, and Dee felt a jolt of satisfaction from Faeydir. We’re still going to be killing a human, she reminded the animal sharply, thinking that she was being rather insensitive about the situation, and Faeydir meekly whined in her mind, a wolf version of an apology.

  “We’ve been doing some investigating, and have secured a parcel of land in Romania that should be perfect for a wolf sanctuary. The Romanian Den is rather eager to lend a hand and have volunteered to run it. It’s not set up yet, but they have the facilities to be able to care for a single wolf for a couple of months until the proper arrangements can be made.”

  That, too, was a relief. While she liked the idea of a sanctuary for stray wolves, neither Dee nor Faeydir liked the idea of one having to live all by herself. But if she was to stay with the Romanian Den, she’d have plenty of playmates to keep her company.

  “When do we leave?” Dee asked, not looking forward to the task, but knowing that delaying it wasn’t going to make it any easier.

  “First thing in the morning,” Eleanor replied. “Once a shifter starts to turn rogue, we’ve only got two, maybe three days before they go completely mad. And after that, we’re not entirely sure that removing the human side would actually solve the problem. We may just be left with a crazed wolf at the end of it all.”

  Dee nodded. “I’ll pack my things. How long will I be away for?”

  “That raises another important point,” Eleanor said. “I understand that Andre has already spoken to you about the possibility of spending some time with the Council, to have your abilities assessed, and for us to make some more investigations into the nature of your rather unique wolf. And given that you and she are going to be in Italy anyway, would the two of you be willing to stay on for a little while?”

  Dee hesitated at that one. While she’d notionally agreed to go to Italy, the thought of being poked and prodded like a lab rat was not an appealing one. “I’ll ask Faeydir,” she said, turning her thoughts inward.

  To her surprise, Faeydir was rather intrigued at the idea. By her understanding, the Council wolves were advanced warriors, tasked with protecting their species, and Faeydir quite liked the idea of spending time in such revered company. There would be tests involved, Dee reminded her, lots of questions about Faeydir’s past life, an analysis of their abilities. That earned her a mild growl, though Faeydir remained generally in favour of the idea, and Dee told Eleanor as much. “Faeydir agrees, but she’s a little concerned about the tests you might run. As am I. So we’ll come, but on the understanding that we can refuse any given test, if we feel it’s not appropriate.”

  “Agreed,” Eleanor said easily. “We have no intention of making you uncomfortable. And given what you’re able to do for rogue shifters, we see you as an asset to our cause, rather than a threat to it. Please understand, our investigations are far more a product of curiosity than any perceived danger from you.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll go and start packing.” With a smile from Eleanor, and a nod from Baron and Caroline, she got up and headed up the stairs, excited, but also nervous about this next stage of her adventure.

  After Dee left the room, Eleanor stood up, and Baron went to follow, until she motioned him down agai
n. “That’s all from me,” Eleanor said, gathering her papers. “But I believe Andre has something he would like to speak to you about.”

  Baron shrugged and nodded, and took his seat again.

  Once Eleanor had left and closed the door, Andre hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully… and then shook his head, deciding to just bite the bullet. “I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to resign as an assassin,” he said bluntly.

  Baron looked mildly surprised, but that was the extent of his reaction. All things being equal, it was probably something he didn’t feel directly affected him too much. But Caroline’s reaction was much more dramatic. She sat up straight, eyes wide in shock, and spluttered for a reply. “You what?” she managed finally. “Why?”

  Andre sighed, not wanting to bring up dark memories again, but knowing that they both deserved an explanation. “What happened in Scotland wasn’t an isolated event,” he said grimly. “Too many innocent bystanders are being killed in this war, and for my part, I’ve grown tired of being the one to pull the trigger.”

  Caroline swore under her breath.

  “I can well understand your perspective,” Baron said. “None of us like this war, and I can’t imagine that being on the front lines of it every day would be an easy thing. But you’ve served the Council well. There’s no dishonour in realising you’ve reached your limits.”

  Andre nodded. “It wasn’t an easy decision. But now that the Council has approved my resignation, I’m left with another problem. As I’m no longer an assassin, I can’t live with the Council in Italy any more. I need to find a Den to join. I’d like to make a formal request to join yours.”

  Baron raised an eyebrow. He looked Andre up and down, glanced at Caroline, and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh God, here we go,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.

  “What?” Caroline demanded, and Andre braced himself for the latest round of bickering between the two to start up.

  But rather than snarling back at her, Baron simply laughed. “I’ve seen you get angry,” he said to Caroline, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “I’ve seen you cry, I’ve seen you laugh – maybe only twice in my entire life, but even so. But what I’ve never seen,” he went on, leaning forward gleefully, “is what it looks like when you fall in love.”

  Caroline gaped at him, speechless and completely flustered. “What? What the fuck makes you say that?”

  Baron snorted. “The other morning, you came out of Andre’s room, reeking of him like you’d been rolling around in his work-out gear. And that was after you’d taken a shower,” he added with a grin. Caroline turned beet red, and Andre sighed quietly. Fucking hell, he’d forgotten all about that. Every wolf in the house had probably picked up their scents on each other, and would have known exactly what had been going on in his bedroom that night. Hell, even Eleanor probably knew, though if she did, she’d been the epitome of discretion.

  “So I have no doubt that Caroline would gladly accept you as a member of our Den,” Baron said with a smirk. But then his expression turned grim. “But I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no.”

  Caroline’s head snapped up at that. “You what?” she demanded. Unfortunately for her, it was one of the overriding rules of Il Trosa – while the whole Den got to vote on whether a shifter could join them or not, either of the alphas had the ultimate right of veto – they could absolutely refuse a shifter membership, for any, or no reason. “How dare you?”

  “How dare I?” he repeated, a hint of anger in his voice now. He looked Andre up and down with a cool, calculating look. “I’m not handing this Den over to a poncy upstart imposter. I spent the last ten years caring for my Den, my family, and if you think you can just waltz in and take over from me, you’ve got another thing coming-”

  “What? I’m not petitioning for alpha!” Andre interrupted, shocked that Baron would jump to such a conclusion. Okay, so he was the better fighter, but that didn’t mean he wanted to kick Baron out of his place as leader. “If you like, we can have a status fight, just to-”

  “Status fight? What the fuck will that prove? Everyone knows you’d win-”

  “I’ll lose!” Andre said, rolling his eyes. Christ, it was like trying to reason with a five year old throwing a tantrum.

  Baron glared at him. “You’re the better fighter by far. So if you lose, everyone will know you threw the fight.”

  “And that’s the point. It’s not about who’s the better fighter. It’s a public declaration that I intend to support your leadership. For Christ’s sake, Baron, your entire Den is not going to abandon you and fall in behind me just because I know how to kill people better than you.” The idea was patently absurd. But apparently, he’d underestimated just how much Baron was threatened by him. It was a common problem that assassins faced, but after several months under the same roof, he’d somehow assumed that Baron would have moved past any petty rivalries.

  Baron stared at him, eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you want alpha?” There was genuine curiosity in the words, as well as an ongoing undercurrent of warning.

  “I’m retiring as a Council assassin,” Andre said wryly. “The last thing I want to do is heap myself up with a whole pile of new responsibilities.” His lips quirked upwards in a faint smile. “Frankly, I could use a holiday.”

  “That sounds… reasonable,” Baron conceded after a moment. And then asked, “I have your word on that? You won’t challenge me for alpha?”

  Andre nodded. “I do expect to end up as a high ranking wolf. But no, I have no intention of making a play for alpha.”

  Baron considered the idea for a moment. “Caroline?” he asked, turning to her.

  “Yes,” she said immediately, eyes locked on Andre. “He can join the Den.”

  Andre almost sighed in relief. He’d rather anticipated this conversation going the other way, with Baron welcoming him, a powerful addition to his Den, and Caroline putting up opposition. She was the reason he was choosing this Den, after all, but after their night together, he was honestly not sure how she would react. They’d both declared their love for each other – awkwardly, but honestly – but since then they’d both been avoiding each other like the plague, and he hadn’t dared to simply assume she’d want to resume their fumbling relationship just because he did. Even so, it wasn’t going to be easy. They came from vastly different worlds, had years of catching up to do before they could really claim to know each other again… but after long weeks of watching her from the shadows, of weighing her every action and measuring her every word in his assessment for the Council, Andre was more convinced than ever that she was the one for him.

  Though aside from that heartfelt declaration that she’d accept him into her Den, Caroline was currently giving nothing away.

  Baron looked from him to Caroline and back, and Andre wasn’t entirely sure what he was seeing on each of their faces. But finally, he sighed. “All right. Fine. We’ll take a vote with the Den, and if they agree, you can join us.”

  Andre smiled, feeling lighter, and younger than he had in years. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “You won’t regret this.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  “What the hell are you doing?” were the first words out of Caroline’s mouth, once Baron had left the room.

  “Exactly what I said,” Andre replied, hoping he hadn’t misread her. “Retiring. And hopefully, joining your Den.”

  “You’re throwing away a perfectly good career. One that benefits Il Trosa immeasurably.”

  Andre smiled wryly. “And didn’t you do exactly the same thing just yesterday?” he said gently, not intending any reprimand in the statement. He fully understood her reasons for turning down the appointment as Councillor, and if he’d been a little more selfish than he was, he might even have been relieved by her decision.

  That stopped her in her tracks, and Caroline looked away, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. “But why here?” she pressed. “Why do you want to join this Den?”

  He’d
thought it was obvious, but if she wanted to hear it out loud, he had no problem telling her. Facing up to his own long-running affection for her was a drop in the ocean, now that he’d taken the plunge and resigned from his career. “Because I love you,” he said simply. “I meant what I said the other night. I fell in love with you back in Italy, fifteen years ago. And I figured it was about time I did something for me, for a change.”

  “But I… you can’t… It’s not…” He waited while she fumbled for words, feeling strangely at peace with the whole situation. It had taken him far too long to acknowledge how he felt, even to himself, and it was a relief to finally be able to say it out loud.

  “But why me? How can you love me?” she demanded. “I’m stubborn. And hot tempered. And argumentative, and I haven’t the slightest tact or diplomacy.”

  Andre had to laugh at that. Unable to resist any more, he got up and came around to her side of the table, lowering himself to one knee beside her and taking her hand. “I’m just as stubborn,” he said cheerfully. “And after years of listening to politicians beat around the bush and phrase every banal statement in the most diplomatic way possible, it’s a relief to find someone who will just say what they think for a change. You’re more courageous than anyone I’ve met: facing your own demons takes a lot more courage than facing a horde of rampaging Noturatii. And you’re a fine warrior. Not that I couldn’t give you a few pointers,” he added with a wink, and Caroline managed to look both amused and offended by the suggestion.