AT THE SUBWAY TRAIN STATION The platform was partially crowded when Enora entered through the turnstile, cautiously looking through people to locate the man with the camera. When she spotted him towards the end of the platform, she quickly buttoned up her jacket and shoved her hair into a hat she had in her purse. Just in case he was to see her, he wouldn't recognize her right away. Enora's phone buzzed in her pocket, making her jump as she saw it was Gil. Her hands tapped decline hurriedly–he was probably on his way there. Thankfully the train pulled up thirty seconds later and gravitated the crowd forward, giving her the opportunity to slip into the same train car as the man. He had just finished a text when he sat down and fiddled with his camera, appearing to be scrolling through the gallery. Enora moved slowly, but as naturally as possible to avoid attracting attention. Fortunately, the shifting of people at the next stop helped her reach him quickly. Placing her phone on sile
A hand covered her mouth before a scream could escape. They pulled her against their body and panic settled in as she attempted to turn her head. She thrashed against them, ready to try and fight until they whispered in her ear, "Hey it's me. Calm down." Relief washed over her when she turned to see Gil crouched beside her with a finger to his lips. He gently removed his hand and pulled her along. They put some distance between them and the dumpsters before speaking. "Enora, I don't even know what to say," he began; arms crossed and anger evident on his face. It made her flinch. "I know that sorry isn't enough, but I am. I did this selfishly because I wasn't thinking. It just happened." "But why? You know how dangerous this is and how much we care about your safety." "I don't know... A part of it felt like I owed it to myself. To not be useless and help out," she answered honestly. Gil pressed his hands to the back of his neck, releasing a long and heavy breath as he took a few
TWO HOURS AGO, AT LOTUS HEADQUARTERS The grandfather clock in the office struck its hourly chime, jolting Victor awake from his desk. He rubbed at his forehead groggily, unable to remember falling asleep. The past couple of days away from Enora had been rough and he was unsure of how much longer he would be able to hide it. It was obvious many in the pack had noticed him being absent and calling less meetings; patrolling on his own and even sparring less, but he couldn't focus. Talking about everything with his parents gave him some clarity of the situation; those decisions had to be made for the good of the pack as well as his own well-being. It was time to get the last secret off of his chest even if it meant benefitting him more than Enora. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts; it was a pack scientist coming to report. "Alpha, the final specimen results." "Yes, come in. What's been confirmed?" "This is indeed an enhancer. When mixed with a rogue's DNA it mutates into s
MEANWHILE, WITH GIL AND ENORA Another shot went off as the car sped down the empty streets followed by four others. In the rearview mirror she saw two more cars join in the chase from the side and men hanging out of the windows to aim. She screamed as she ducked her head when two shots hit the side mirror on Gil's side and blew out the back window. Shards of glass flew towards the front and grazed her hand, the rest sprinkling all over them. "Enora, reach for my bag in the back!" "Huh? Oh, ok!" she replied hurriedly, her shaking hands trying to get a proper hold of the bag on the floor. Opening it revealed a variety of weapons and other devices she didn't recognize. "Alright, grab the cylindrical cans and throw them behind us. Don't worry, they're smoke and flash bangs. It should slow at least one of down for now." "O–oh. I'll try." She grabbed two canisters and steadied herself as Gil opened the sunroof. She ducked back in when they fired again and tried to calm herself. She co
The collision threw the car off course. The sudden jerk hurt Enora's side as she held a death grip on the seatbelt, gritting her teeth. The breath had been knocked out of her lungs, making her unable to scream as the windows shattered and littered everything in glass; the sudden onslaught of wind whipping her hair into her face. They spiraled forward, seemingly going on forever as Wilson strained to right the car and keep them from crashing, while Gil kept a firm grip on Enora. "F*ck! Hold on!" Wilson shouted, finally regaining control. "Gil! Take the wheel!" He pulled out two pistols from the side of the door and hung out of the window to aim. Shots fired into the night once again as both made contact on each other's vehicles, the bullets popping in their ears as they skimmed the sides of the car. Wilson managed to hit one of the cars in back, blowing out its tire and sending them careening into the barrier. Enora managed to wrangle the hair out of her face, wildly reaching aro
Two wolves stealthily passed between the cars towards the others, and she knew they had to be from the Quercia. She ducked her head down behind the seat, and whispered to herself in panic, "Oh no, no, no." The chances of them not discovering her were low and she didn't feel confident in trying to pick up a weapon. The cars were packed tightly around each other as they'd all arrived in a hurry, so they would hopefully serve as good cover. Gingerly, she walked backwards and around the car door, keeping her eyes on any glimpse of the wolves' fur. She knew they could probably smell her, but the area was large enough to keep a distance for now. She'd wished she had convinced Wilson to let her stay closer, the snail's pace she moved at making every moment more nerve wrecking than the next. In her bad luck, she turned too quickly at the sound of a glass bottle rolling and the canisters she was carrying hit the side of a car ever so lightly, but enough so that it alerted the two predator
AT QUERCIA HEADQUARTERS A chair shattered against the hardwood floor, and several glasses followed suit; Alessandro didn't even flinch at the splinters and shards scraping his skin. The walls vibrated from his wrathful yells and slams of more furniture. His fury would see no end until he dealt with those who hadn't listened. "These ineffective idiots! Waste of space flesh bags! Beta!" "Yes, Alpha," he answered promptly, having been right outside the door. "Status?" "There are four left to be located. Seems they have places to hide." Alessandro laughed a lengthy, hearty laugh and smiled. "These young ones truly do not understand the values of a family. Of our authority and why all is in order the way it is. What happened to the elite like you and I?" "I can't say I know. It is painfully obvious they lessen each day," his beta replied carefully. "Exactly. You understand. How is it that I only have five competent men now? There aren't more in charge because of this." "And we're g
Another snarl sounded in her ear. The air whooshed beside her from a missed swipe at her face and her heart leapt into her throat. Legs wobbled from the pressure of pushing their limits; it was after her and it wouldn't stop until she was caught. In the next moment, the world was ripped out from underneath her. Body weightless, she fell forward and into a mouth full of extra sharp teeth. *** Limbs stiff; weighed down by paralysis, she struggled to open her eyes. She willed herself to move, to not fall asleep again. She wanted to scream. Hands touched her arms with a gentle squeeze, and she was lifted into an upright position. The solace of an embrace eased her eyes open and calmed her spirit. They stayed that way for a while on account of her squeezing back whenever the hold attempted to loosen–it made Victor laugh. "I'm not going anywhere right now. I promise," he said, caressing her face. With a short nod she let go and looked around. She was back in her bedroom, but there was