by Abby Tyson
At the same time that he started saying, "I'll wait outside," Lila asked, "So when did you guys start dating?" They laughed awkwardly, and Lila repeated her question.
Standing in the doorway, Marley stumbled over his answer, realizing that he and Savi had never been on an actual date. "We met when we were kids," he said, "but we only reconnected a couple weeks ago."
"Oh," she said, her surprise evident.
"I'll be in the van," said Marley, and he darted down the stairs without waiting for her to respond. When he stepped outside, he stayed on the front step, letting the cool rain fall on his face.
Chapter Twenty-Five
After hanging up with Marley, Savi answered her bedroom door. The sight of her mom on the other side made her smile, despite the scowl on her face as she said, "Second is here to take you to meet Berto."
Behind her mom, Savi could see Berto's perpetually chipper assistant waiting by the front door of the cottage. Wiggling her fingers in a hello wave, Second asked, "Were you able to sleep?"
"A little," Savi said. Not nearly enough.
She'd been too nervous to sleep while Berto's team had driven her and Ren to a small regional airport. She didn't even remember falling asleep on the plane, but the next thing she knew their three-hour flight was over. They'd arrived at Chloe's cottage at the Den around eight that morning, and her mom had immediately ordered her to bed. All she'd done since waking up about half an hour ago was take a shower and call Marley.
"Are you up for a visit with Mr. Almeida?"
Savi glanced at her mom, who was glaring at Second with unhidden malice. "In a minute."
"Okay, I'll wait outside and enjoy this lovely weather."
Chloe waited until Second closed the door behind her to let out a snarl. "I can't stand that woman." Then she turned to Savi and gave her a long hug. "I'm not glad you're in this prison with me, but part of me can't help but be happy you're here."
"It's nice to see you too," said Savi, resting her cheek on her mom's shoulder.
"I waited to have lunch. I'll make some while you're with Berto," said Chloe, wiping at the tears in her eyes. "When you're back we can catch up on the last week. Dave won't be done with work until dinnertime."
Week? Had it really been only six days since she'd last seen her mom at the airport? It felt like a year.
Savi went back in her room and searched through the clothes that had been provided for her, settling on an ankle-length sun dress. Her own clothes were stuck in the van, which Marley had said wouldn't arrive until tomorrow. She winced as she remembered the longing in Marley's voice.
I should have said something else like, "I can't wait to see you," or, "It's nice to hear your voice too."
But Savi knew why she hadn't said either of those things. It was the same reason she was dreading seeing him tomorrow. The image of Ren as an animal was too fresh in her mind. Would she ever be able to look at Marley the person without seeing Marley the coywolf?
Grabbing a pair of flip flops, Savi studied herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. Her hair was in desperate need of attention. She parted it much farther to the left than she usually did, pulling the extra hair over to cover the unsightly tufts that were all that was left of the hair Amber had burnt off. After gathering it in a low ponytail over her shoulder, she sighed at her reflection and went to join Second outside.
"All set?" she asked, flashing her perfect white teeth in a warm smile.
Savi nodded, and walked beside Second as she led them down a wide brick road that ran between a vast grid of beach cottages identical to the one they'd left Chloe in. The houses stretched for as far as Savi could see, with narrow brick paths branching off of the main road and leading to each doorstep. A few people sat on front porches or walked among the cottages, but most of the area was empty.
"This is the Den's housing section, obviously," said Second. She couldn't have gotten much more sleep than Savi, and yet she showed no signs of fatigue, despite wearing no makeup. And although Savi was already sweating, Second seemed to relish the Florida heat. "We have 400 cottages," she continued, "housing either two adults or one family."
"There are families here?" The idea of children being trapped here, perhaps even glimpsing their werewolf parents' altering was sickening.
"Of course," Second said proudly, looking as confident and authoritative in her shorts and tank top as she had in her military garb the night before. "We have a first-rate daycare and preschool right on campus."
Do you have a morgue for their parents too?
Seething, Savi kept her thoughts to herself, staring at the road beneath her feet.
"This road leads to the square, the heart of the Den," said Second, seemingly oblivious to Savi's fuming. "We're going to the administration building, but the square is where you'll find our school, cafeteria, and medical center, as well as athletic field, tennis court, basketball courts, and market. Has your mom told you about what we do here?"
"I know what you do here," growled Savi.
She felt Second's eyes on her, but a group of four guys was approaching, and Second greeted them instead of responding.
"Good morning, gentlemen!" she said cheerily.
Gentlemen was not how Savi would have referred to this tough-looking crew. All in their mid-twenties, they each wore tight t-shirts or sleeveless tops to showcase their bulging, veined muscles. By themselves, the bandanas, shaved heads, tattoos, and gold chains would have been enough to make Savi nervous, but it was their attitude, the way they sauntered arrogantly down the middle of the road, that made her step a little closer to Second. A couple of them leered at Savi with unmasked interest, but when they turned to Second, they straightened up, their eyes sharpened, and their smirks disappeared.
"Good morning Second," they said, almost in unison.
"This is Savannah Claudie. She is a special guest of Mr. Almeida's. You've already met her mother, Chloe Claudie."
At the mention of Berto, the guys regarded her again, but warily this time, almost apologetic.
"Mr. Ford," said Second, addressing a guy wearing two thick gold chains on his neck, "did Mr. Almeida talk to you about your next assignment?"
He grinned, regaining his swagger and lifting his chin to show off his gold tooth. "He did, Ma'am. He also told me that you spoke very highly of my last performance. Thank you for that kindness." He gave a small bow, and Savi would have thought he was mocking Second, if not for the obvious respect he held for her.
"I was merely repeating what your employer told me," Second said with a proud smile. "Good work."
The guys all nodded and continued on their way.
"Employer?" asked Savi as they started walking again.
"We have excellent job placement here for alphas, including a one-of-a-kind foreign exchange program."
"Alphas?"
"That's what we call those who have graduated out of rehabilitation."
"By graduated you mean altered?" Savi scoffed.
The imperturbable Second actually gave her a soft scowl. "There's more going on here than you think. We're doing a lot of good."
"Yeah, that's what Marcia said."
"I told you, we do things differently at the Den. Everyone who is here has chosen to be here."
"Not everyone," snapped Savi.
Having the good sense not to reply, Second led them into the center of the Den campus. While the residential area of the den was almost deserted, the square, a large grassy area marked by the surrounding buildings, was bustling with activity. An open air market with tents manned by crafts and food vendors spanned the brick road that ran into the heart of the square. Two squat, brightly colored cement buildings sat to their left, with the unmistakable sounds of teachers and students in classrooms emanating from the open windows. To their right was a round white building, marked with the first aid symbol of a white cross against a red square, and beside that was a large brick building, its walls painted with murals of different foods.
; Second led them straight towards the tallest building, set at the back of the square. Everyone who saw them smiled and waved at Second, calling out to her. They had to stop more than a few times so Second could answer questions ranging in topics from soccer registration to cottage maintenance.
As they approached the administration building, Savi asked, "Why do people call you Second?"
"I'm in charge when Mr. Almeida is unavailable."
"Oh," said Savi, not fast enough to hide her surprise.
Putting her hand on the door handle, Second gave her a friendly smirk. "You thought I was simply a personal assistant?"
"No, I, umm..."
Interrupting Savi's floundering, Second said, "It's okay. A lot of people make that assumption." She put the back of her hand to her mouth and tilted her head toward Savi. "Between you and me, watching people's reactions when they learn the truth is one of my favorite things." With a wink, she opened the door.
A refreshing blast of air conditioning blew on them as Second led her past the receptionist's desk and through a room full of low cubicles, each occupied by someone busy with office work. A door in the back of the room opened to a narrow staircase that brought them to a small platform in front of two doorways. Second knocked on the door to the right.
"Enter!" called a man from inside.
Second opened the door to reveal a room that was more like a museum than an office. The wood-paneled walls were lined with animal heads mounted on plaques -- but not the typical animals like deer or moose. Gazing down on them was a glassy-eyed lion, tiger, rhino, alligator, wolf, and more. Frames and shadow boxes displayed partial animal skeletons and fossils on the walls and on pedestals. A black curtain, hanging from floor to ceiling, added to the museum atmosphere, hiding most of the left side of the room.
A man who had to be Berto sat talking on the phone behind a massive oak desk that was centered against the far wall in front of a large picture window. He held up his finger as he finished his conversation, then ran a hand through his thick black hair. "The finest stock, I assure you. Go ahead and contact anyone on the reference sheet I sent you, but be sure to get back to me soon, as they ship two days beforehand."
On one side of the desk was a full-sized brown bear standing erect with its mouth wide open in a silent roar. On the other side was a barred cage about the same size as the desk, and in it was the only animal in the room that was breathing -- a silver wolf.
"I can only provide what's listed in the proposal," the man said. "The rest of the stock is booked. However, some new products are coming down the pike, and I promise you'll be at the top of the list when they're available." He made a talking motion with his hand and grinned at Savi.
"I understand," he said. Spinning his chair around, he stood to stare out the window, watching the crowded square below. Though he looked the part of a business man, wearing a tailored business suit that would have been oppressive if it weren't for the air conditioning, his broad chest and wide build would have made him appear equally at home on a football field.
"Unfortunately I've got to run," he said, "but I look forward to hearing from you soon... Okay... Sounds good... Thanks so much... Okay... Goodbye."
He hung up and smiled at Savi. "My apologies. Demand for our goods runs high -- good for the Den, bad for my ear." Walking around the desk, he said, "Savannah Claudie, pleasure to meet you."
He took her hand and swallowed it in both of his. Up close, Savi could see wide strands of silver in his dark hair, and guessed his age to be late forties or early fifties. "Herberto Almeida. You can call me Berto. How's the knee?"
"Good as new," she said.
He gave her one more firm hand shake and then let go, returning to his chair. Leaning back, he asked, "So how did you get tangled up with the Zuun?"
Savi had come up with a cover story in the ride to the airport, but Second had never asked. "I missed my mom. My friend agreed to ride down with me."
"Your friend? You mean the fellow who single-handedly took out my team?" He looked surprisingly amused, and Savi tried not to let it distract her as she continued her explanation.
"I don't know how the Zuun found us," she said, "but they knocked us out with tranquilizer guns and we woke up in their lab."
"Good old Omar," Berto said, "fighting the good fight."
"You know him?"
With a wry smile, he said, "I know everybody."
Throughout their conversation, Savi's gaze kept flickering to the silver wolf. It was so similar to Nissa's other half, with the same shimmering fur, the same unearthly silver eyes. But there was something very different about this wolf too, something she couldn't put her finger on.
"How much do you know about your talent?" asked Berto.
"Barely anything."
"Indulge me."
Savi let out an irritated sigh. "If a werewolf bites me they unalter."
"Unalter?"
"Hollow -- whatever you want to call it. And I know it runs from mother to daughter."
When she didn't say anymore, Berto asked, "That's it?"
Savi nodded, unwilling to tell him what she'd learned from Omar. Berto didn't seem convinced, but didn't push.
"What about these coywolves?" he asked. "I don't suppose you know much about them either."
"Not really. I didn't even know Ren was one until a couple weeks ago."
Technically true.
Berto opened a drawer and pulled out a foil bag. Taking out a biscuit, he turned to the silver wolf. "Hey you, sit."
The silver wolf sat up with its back straight.
"Good puppy," said Berto, and tossed the biscuit into the cage.
"How did you find me at the Zuun lab?" asked Savi, trying to ignore the degrading scene before her.
At least Marcia revered the silver wolf she'd kept.
"Who says we were looking for you?" He glanced at Savi, smirking at her confused reaction. "Your mother came to me in a panic, saying you were missing and accusing me of somehow being involved." He let his indignance hang in the air between them before continuing. "Of course, being the forgiving person I am, I immediately sent the word out to my most trusted contacts to search for you. We were lucky to find you so quickly."
"You have a contact in the Zuun?" Savi remembered what Omar had said about Berto's vast network, but she doubted he had imagined that it stretched into his own organization.
Berto's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Hey you, beg," he commanded. The silver wolf rose up on its hind legs and barked, earning another biscuit. "Good puppy."
Growing tired of standing there for no apparent reason other than for Berto to show off his animal training skills, Savi asked, "Why did you make my mom come down here?"
"Uh-uh." Berto wagged his finger as if chastising a dog. "No one forced your mother to do anything. She chose to accept my request."
"You threatened her."
"Get your facts straight," said Berto. "I'm a philanthropist, a collector, and a business man, not a criminal. Hey you, sing."
The silver wolf howled for a few seconds, then looked at him with its ears forward and its tongue hanging out. Instead of tossing the biscuit to the wolf, Berto threw it to Savi, who barely managed to awkwardly catch it in time.
"Go ahead," he said, nodding toward the wolf. "Give her the treat." His smile was more of a sneer now.
The parallel between him ordering the wolf around and then ordering her around was not lost on Savi. She started to put the biscuit down on the desk. "No thanks."
"Your mom's been enjoying her time with us," he said. His eyes locked on Savi's as he added, "-- so far."
If Savi called him out for threatening her, he'd no doubt deny it. After all, it wasn't what he'd said, it was the way he'd said it.
Savi straightened back up, the biscuit in her hand. "Will my mom be free to leave after she hollows whoever it is you need unaltered?"
"Ms. Claudie is free to leave at any time, as are you. I did take the liberty of contacting a close friend of
mine who sits on the board of your mother's hospital, and notifying them that she has graciously acquiesced to bringing her talents to our humble program. This friend of mine assured me that they would do what they could to hold her position, but of course, there are always circumstances beyond our control."
He gestured toward the cage, and though Savi glared at him, she obeyed. The wolf whined at the treat in her hand, and as it glanced anxiously from her to Berto, Savi realized what the difference was between this wolf and Ara, Nissa's wolf half. When Savi had met Ara's gaze, she had sensed a presence, a sentience, beyond that of a wild animal. This wolf's eyes, however, were dull, without any intelligence. This wolf was no longer half human -- it was broken.
Savi tossed the treat into the cage, but the wolf skittered away, its claws scraping at the plastic floor.
"Hey you, dance," said Berto.
Immediately the wolf stood on its hind legs, jumping into the air twice.
"Good puppy." Berto tossed a biscuit in, and the wolf caught it in its mouth. "Won't eat from anyone but me," he said. "She loves me too much."
"Love?" Savi scoffed. "Looks more like fear to me."
Berto gave her a chilling look. "There is no greater fear than love."
His words struck her dumb, and even though his smug smile told her he was obviously pleased at having such an effect on her, she couldn't stop his words from ringing in her mind.
"Second," he said, "help Ms. Claudie decide where to volunteer during her stay."
"Yes, Sir," said Second.
"Volunteer?" asked Savi.
"Did you think you would stay here for free?" asked Berto. "Everyone here works for their board."
"I doubt everyone here is a prisoner."
"Go back to Massachusetts, for all I care," Berto said, waving them out. "There are plenty of people interested in keeping you under lock and key, but I am not one of them."
Second put a hand on Savi's shoulder and started leading her out of the room. Before the door closed, Berto gave the silver wolf one last directive.