by Sarah Noffke
Chapter One
“A gentleman is simply a patient wolf.”
- Lana Turner
The latch to the bathroom stall caught several times before sliding back, allowing Adelaide to exit the cramped space. She hadn’t really needed to relieve herself, but rather was waiting for the lobby restroom to empty of Parantaa Research employees. Why women had to pee in packs was confounding to Adelaide. And the ones who continued chatting between the stall walls, like everyone peeing wanted to hear their lame-ass stories, were the most infuriating women.
Adelaide had headed straight to the door marked “Women” as soon as she’d been granted clearance into the research facility. She’d inadvertently shown up ten minutes early for her first day of work, which wasn’t going to set the right tone. Most dimwits probably thought that a spy infiltrating an organization should blend in and go unnoticed. These are the same buffoons who work for a corporation that creates drugs that tie consumers to pharmaceutical companies forever, making them slaves to the drugs they provide. Drugs are rarely ever solutions. They are bandages. The Lucidites knew how to heal, how to actually make people better without putting them in debt for the rest of their lives.
Adelaide had learned from her father, Ren Lewis, that no one ever suspects someone as a spy who disregards rules. It was annoyingly one reason that Adelaide knew that the FBI bitch, Rox, was actually not a spy. She’d flaunted her disrespect for Adelaide like a trophy, which meant she wasn’t trying to hide a hidden agenda. The kiss-ass was always the most suspicious person. And even subconsciously employers knew this. But if an employee exhibits a great deal of insubordination then that becomes the concern, not the fact that they are spying.
From a foot away from the porcelain sink, Adelaide took in her image in the mirror. Her father, if he was in heaven, might be looking down at her right then and not completely repulsed by her appearance. The girl, who was raised in the poorest neighborhoods in London, had to admit that she looked sharp in her light blue blazer and pencil skirt.
Ren wasn’t looking down at Adelaide from heaven or burning in hell though. It was more likely that he was blissfully toiling away his days in the dreamscape as neither alive nor dead. His book, the one in the briefcase by Adelaide’s black heels, had said his death mission was to become someone “in-between.” However, Adelaide had lost her place in the book and hadn’t been able to find that section again, which probably detailed how Ren had done it. The book was as confounding as the man himself.
“Well, wherever you are, Ren, lend me your strength,” Adelaide said to the image of herself. She looked older somehow, like grown-up clothes actually aged her. That was just an illusion though. Everything in reality was a sort of illusion, and lucky for her she was learning how to manipulate what people saw.
Adelaide turned for the exit just as the sound of rushing water hit her ears. She paused and turned to the sink, its handle pulled in and water falling from the faucet. Leaning forward, she turned it off, her eyes to the side, like she suspected someone was standing beside her. With a slow grace she revolved in that direction, scanning the empty bathroom. It was nothing. Just a wonky sink. Shaking her head, she headed for the exit.
“Did you have trouble finding the building?” the woman with short curly hair asked from behind her desk.
“Nope,” Adelaide said, standing. She’d refused the offer to sit when she was introduced to her new boss, a Dr. Something-Or-Another. Who really cared what her name was?
“Oh. Well,” the woman said, eyeing the clock on the wall, “you’re fifteen minutes late.”
“So I am,” Adelaide said, leaning casually against the doorframe. Maybe she shouldn’t have bothered with the suit; that would have been a great show of disrespect and the heels were starting to pinch her pinky toes.
The woman let out a low breath and then picked up the file on her desk. “It’s good that you have such an impressive resume. I earned my doctorate young, but you put me to shame. You managed to earn a medical degree and a doctorate in neuropsychology.”
Adelaide yawned loudly. “I don’t sleep,” she said simply. The Lucidites could do anything, including crafting fake records which made Adelaide look like the prized pig Parantaa desperately needed on their research team.
“Right, well, how about I offer you a tour?” the woman said, standing. She also wore an uncomfortable suit, but hers didn’t fit so well, probably due to the extra weight she’d no doubt acquired since her promotion to Director of the Neuroscience Division. Adelaide knew that the promotion was recent and that the woman had regretted it. And she’d gained all that information when she shook her hand. She also learned that Mika Lenna was on campus that day and the woman was absolutely dreading her meeting with him.
“I’d really like for you to take me straight to my workstation so I can get set up. I’m not interested in a tour,” Adelaide said. This was another pro tip. A lousy spy would have jumped at the tour, thinking they’d learn something covert. However, not knowing the layout of the large building would give Adelaide the excuse for getting lost repeatedly.
The pudgy woman scowled a bit before covering the expression with a suitable one. “Right. Of course. This way,” she said, holding out a hand to the empty hallway.
Adelaide followed the woman out to a corridor that was both too bright and too white. Everything in Parantaa was white. The floors. The walls. The people. It was a stark contrast to the Institute, which was full of color.
“Your work is going to center around finding—”
“Susan,” a voice at their backs said.
Both women turned to find a man in a silver suit standing squarely in the corridor. “I was just coming to see you,” he said, striding forward, a slight accent in his words.
“Mika, I apologize. I thought our meeting wasn’t until later,” the woman apparently named Susan said.
“The meeting is when I say it is and I’m available now,” he said. Mika was Finnish, Adelaide remembered from researching him. He’d moved to the United States at age eighteen and started Parantaa Research the same year.
So this was the sinister man who had abducted men and mutated them into werewolves and Dream Travelers. Adelaide had a moment where she considered using her mind control to make Mika surrender and cart him off to the Institute. However, that was the messy approach and had too many ways to backfire. Her father had once infiltrated a government so that he could create lasting change from within, weeding out all of the problems. That was the smart approach. The long-standing one. Furthermore, it was a fool’s approach to underestimate this man. She was on his territory and knew nothing about him and his Dream Traveler skill.
“Of course,” Susan said, bowing slightly. “I can meet with you now. Let me just take our new employee to her workstation.”
“Yes, Abigail Post,” Mika said, facing Adelaide. “Your resume suggests you might be of use to Parantaa’s research team.”
“I assure you I’ll keep this bloody place afloat if given a chance.” Adelaide extended a hand to him. “And you are with the maintenance crew, I presume.”
Mika eyed her hand, his dark green eyes narrowing on it. The man wore a pencil mustache and a goatee etched into a triangle. He also wore a diabolical expression on his face, like he knew more than most and could use it to destroy innocent people and animals. She’d seen what he’d had done to several packs of wolves, slaughtering them for their blood. Kill people if you must, but leave animals out of it.
“Abigail, this is—”
Mika held up his hand, stopping Susan, who looked utterly mortified. “I think I can introduce myself,” he said to her. “I’m Mika Lenna. I’m the founder and CEO of Parantaa Research. I don’t look at all like a maintenance worker. I don’t appreciate your attempts at insubordination. And I don’t shake hands,” he said, his words attempting to cut.
It was right then that Adelaide felt the intrusion in her mind. Although only slightly, she still knew that Mika, who must have telepathy,
had pulled something from her thoughts. She guessed it was something small, like her defiant behavior, but still she tensed inside. Again Adelaide reminded herself that she was inside Mika’s sanctuary, which could also serve as her prison.
“And I’m the employee that you hired to isolate specific neuro functions and which chemicals can either stimulate those areas or repress them,” Adelaide said, her chin held high, although her chest was buzzing with nerves.
“So you’ve already briefed her on her research project?” Mika said to Susan, who looked like she would rather be chowing down on a bag of potato chips in a closet. Mika’s influence sought to saw his employees in two, rather than make them whole so they could perform uninhibited. He and Ren might have actually gotten along.
“I haven’t,” Susan said, her face dumbstruck as she looked between Adelaide and Mika.
“She hadn’t. But based on my past projects and what you’re all doing here at Parry, I can make assumptions,” Adelaide said. The truth was, this was another piece of information she’d stolen out of Susan’s brain when they shook hands. Too bad that Mika was so guarded and unwilling to shake Adelaide’s hand. He also had a shield up that protected him from her mind control, she’d realized when she made the offer. Very few could block her mind control. Only incredibly strong Dream Travelers, which she’d always suspected he was from the beginning, but now knew to be true.
Mika pinned a studious glare at Adelaide. “That’s an interesting assumption you were able to make, albeit correct. Maybe you actually have some intuition that we can use, since most around here are straddling the line between average and incompetent,” he said.
That wasn’t at all true, but also like Ren, Mika appeared to degrade his employees. This was an effective strategy if employed with the right surrounding motivators.
Mika’s hand reached for his inside breast pocket seconds before the ringer sounded. Adelaide had watched the werewolves do that several times, noticing things before they happened due to their heightened senses. Did Mika also have enhanced hearing and vision like Zephyr and the rest?
He turned, putting his back to the women as he slid the phone up to his ear. “What?” Mika said into the device and then paused. “Here? Why did you bring it here? Why not the other facility?” Another pause, this one longer. “Yes, fine. We will store it here for now,” Mika said and then shut off the phone without a proper farewell.
Other facility, Adelaide thought. He meant Olento Research, which meant it had to be in Los Angeles as well. It was probably close. And soon she was going to find out where it was and take Mika Lenna down from the inside.
“Get to work, Abigail,” Mika said, not looking at her. “Susan, come with me.”
Chapter Two
“If you live among wolves you have to act like a wolf.”
- Nikita Khrushchev
“Seriously, hit me with your full strength and I’ll throw a deadly wind that will pin you to the wall,” Zephyr said, bouncing on his toes, fists in front of his face, his black and silver hair not moving due to the gel.
Rio laughed, his position the same as Zephyr’s. “You wouldn’t survive a straight blow from me, but fortunate for you, you’re a better fighter,” he said, and then he launched his foot in a push kick at his sparring partner. Zephyr weaved to the side, spinning around and thrusting his forearm in Rio’s abdomen, making him double over slightly. While Rio was still in that position Zephyr raised his elbow before bringing it down on Rio’s spine, taking him all the way to the mat.
“See what I mean?” Rio said, his mouth half pressed into the floor.
“I think you let me get those hits on you,” Zephyr said, stepping back and extending a hand to Rio, who had already rolled over to a seated position. He wrapped his large fingers around Zephyr’s hand, allowing him to pull him to a standing position.
“And you know I’d never use my strength on you, boss. Actually, I’d never unleash that unruly power on anyone in the pack,” Rio said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder to where Rox and Connor were also sparring in the studio. Kaleb sat against the back wall eyeing a candy bar.
“You’re supposed to eat it,” Zephyr yelled over to him, having taken in the kid’s dissatisfied expression.
Kaleb shot Zephyr an annoyed look and pushed his hair off his forehead. “Don’t break my concentration, Silver Streak. I’m trying to pretend that it’s a veal sausage,” he said.
“Hey, boy, you have respect for your alpha. You may be an agent for the strategic department but you’re still a member of this pack,” Rio said, chest extended and heat in his eyes.
Zephyr clapped a hand on Rio’s shoulder. “Let’s go another round,” he said, trying to deflect the tension. It had been like this lately. Kaleb had a problem with authority, which was the exact opposite of Rio, who bowed to it, needed it. The eighteen-year-old boy from Salt Lake City wasn’t a bad kid, he just needed to grow up. And Rio, as the oldest member of the pack at thirty, had a tough time relating to the boy who had been more sheltered than all the rest.
“Yeah, why are you lurking here with us when you could be with the cool kids in the strategic department?” Rox said, ducking as Connor threw a punch at her. He wasn’t a good fighter, but he had a passion, Zephyr observed. That could fuel talent and usually did.
Kaleb shrugged, finally taking a bite out of the candy bar. “They don’t seem to take to me and since Little Red isn’t around, their disdain is a bit less palatable.” Little Red was Kaleb’s nickname for Adelaide, whom he seemed to get along with better than anyone else.
Rox landed a punch straight into Connor’s jaw, knocking him back. His hand flew to his injury at once, his eyes wide. “You totally froze up there, Pound Puppy. You’re supposed to deflect attacks. Not stand like a fucking statue,” she said, shaking her head at him.
Connor only nodded, his hand still on his jaw.
“Let’s take a break,” she said, heading in Kaleb’s direction where the water and towels were located.
Zephyr kept his eyes on Connor, who didn’t look so much hurt as he did lost. The lone wolf often grew distant or distracted when Adelaide was mentioned in conversation. He kind of understood it, because without their lead agent they were stalled. However, Zephyr had thought this time would give them a chance to train and bond as a pack, two things that would no doubt be crucial for upcoming missions.
“Have you considered that the other agents despise you because you skipped the training process? The Dream Traveler Codex made it sound like a hard requirement that has to be passed to be an agent for the strategic department,” Rox said, grabbing a towel and wiping down her shoulders, which were covered in long, lean muscles.
“That process was dictated by the old head strategist, Ren Lewis. Trent said I could skip it because my skill was too useful to wait,” Kaleb said.
“I don’t know,” Rox sang, in a high-pitched voice. “In the FBI, training is crucial. An untrained agent is one that’s going to get killed or endanger the others. Sounds like Trent is jumping the gun a little, and he doesn’t have nearly as much experience as Ren Lewis, from what I’ve heard.”
Kaleb pulled back the side of his mouth, scoffing at her. “That Ren guy was probably a pansy that didn’t know a dang thing,” he said.
“Why don’t you watch your mouth, Runt,” Connor said, his head down and eyes narrowed.
“I’ll show you Runt,” Kaleb said, throwing his chin up. “Why don’t you go get high, Earring.”
Maybe the pack didn’t need as much time together as Zephyr thought. Every time they were together lately it was like this, like an invisible tension was severing the pack in two. Something was missing, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Guys, cool it,” Zephyr said. “And Connor, that reminds me, remove your earring when sparring. Otherwise, Rox is going to pull it out since she fights unfair.”
Connor nodded, walking for the back wall as he fiddled with the gauge earring he wore in his left ear.
&nbs
p; “Oh, what fun is fighting fair?” Rox said, sidling up next to Zephyr, appraising Rio. “Actually, I’d like to practice that unfair fighting on Rio. He’ll be way more fun to fight than Connor, who can’t hit an unmoving target, or you, Zeppy, who takes it easy on me.”
“I don’t take it easy on you,” Zephyr said through clenched teeth. Why did she have to insert those little insinuations, dropping hints to the pack that there was something going on between the two of them? It had become more pronounced with Adelaide gone.
“Roxy is right, we should spar. I can actually practice fighting with my super strength, since this broad can’t be hurt,” Rio said, coming around and placing his forearm on the girl’s shoulder, like she was a shelf meant to keep him upright. He made her look like a doll, although the girl was close to five foot, nine inches tall. Anyone looked small next to the hulky mess that was Rio Hernandez.
“Yeah, and that way the captain can try and teach Connor something. I have obviously failed him,” Rox said with a laugh.
Zephyr had to admit that watching Rox and Rio spar would be interesting. They were a great match based on their skill. “Fine, fine,” he said, turning his back on the pair. “Connor, you ready to continue?”
“Sure thing, just let me grab a drink,” he said, his eyes still low and smoldering. Kaleb’s comment had really gotten to him and why shouldn’t it? A drug addict shouldn’t forever be treated like one, reminded that they’d once succumbed to the drug. Zephyr made a note to himself that he needed to talk to Kaleb about teasing Connor. Werewolves didn’t have to be sensitive, but they needed to respect each other.
“All right, Rover, show me what you learned in the police force,” Rox said, waving Rio forward.
He shot his oversized fist at her torso, but she threw a back flip, clearing the space easily. Rio let out a laugh and darted forward, his hand reaching for her shoulder just as she spun to the left and jabbed him in the ear. Ouch, those kinds of assaults were brutal. Rio didn’t look deterred as he launched forward, throwing his shoulders into it. This time the dynamic move connected, maybe because Rox wanted it to. She loved showing off. His fist, full of hundreds of pounds of pressure, sank into her stomach, but the girl’s face remained impassive as he propelled her back two feet and straight up against the wall. She casually glanced at the fist still pinned into her stomach and then up at Rio. “This is going to be fun. Let’s reset,” she said, her skin resistance making it impossible for her to be harmed even by the strongest person, like Rio.