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H er heart logged in her throat like a giant lump that wouldn't go down no matter how much she swallowed.

"What happened, mother? Stop crying and tell me, please." Her own voice sounded hollow in her own ears.

"Valentina fainted this afternoon, so we took her to the hospi-tal. She has a perforated appendix, the doctor said her life is in grave danger! She was taken in for emergency surgery! The doctor said she could die!" Her mother rambled on, sobbing uncontrollably.

Hospital!? Emergency surgery..!? Her sister had a burst appendix!? Tina could die...?

"Oh God, please stop crying, mother, please. Try to get yourself together, I'm coming, alright!?" She raised her tone higher, even as she tried her best to keep her panic at bay, "Do you hear me!?"

"I should have never i-ignored her when she was saying that her stomach problems w-w-were nothing.

Oh, my Jesus! What do I do now, Ismena!?

What do I do!? I'm so scared, I'm so scared!

I hate hospitals so much, I'm going out of my m-mind!

" Her mother cried, obviously too hysteric to listen to her daughter.

Ismena hung up the phone and quickly dialed her father's number. He picked up in the first ring.

"Dad? You are beside mom now right?" She said immediately.

"Yes, my daughter, I have been trying to calm her but—"

"\Please try harder, Dad. Calm her down as much as you can while I hurry to be there as fast as I can! You know how her blood pressure goes high whenever she's panicked like this. Please, dad!?" She pleaded, tears of worry for her sister and her mother filling her eyes.

"I will do everything I can, Mena." Her father vowed, sounding just as worried, "Don't worry about it and focus on coming here, okay?"

"Okay, dad. I'll be there as soon as possible." She hung up the phone, her head whirling on what to do. How to get out of here, how to be in the hospital as fast as she can.

Her poor sister... Oh, God, her poor sister!?

She took off in a dead run back to Eline's place, doing her best to hold the tears and keep herself calm.

At home, she was most grateful to see Eline in the kitchen making dinner as she hurried into the house like her feet were on fire.

Eline had heard her footsteps before she made it to the front door and as she entered the kitchen, the cougar sentinel pursed her lips.

Still stirring her fries, without looking at her, she said "When I taught you how to run, Ena, I didn't mean you should start running around helter-skelter for fun—"

"Eline, please help me! Please, help me!" Came the desperate voice of Ismena as she hurried across the large space and grabbed hold of her friend's arm, "Help me, please."

The desperation in her voice took Eline by surprise. That was when she looked at her human friend only to see that she has been crying. "What is wrong, Ismena?"

"My sister...She's in the hospital right now and I need to get to her. I really need to get to her, please." Tears overflowed from her eyes.

"Oh, Ena, I am so sorry. But you know I can't take you out of Naturiah—"

"Please, Eline, I really need your help, please...!" She cried.

"But, your life is in danger, Ismena!" Eline admonished, trying to convince her friend, "What if those wolf hunters get the wind that you're back to Oklahoma!? They will hunt for you and kill you!"

"Not if you go with me, Eline! At this point, I don't care, okay!? I don't care! Even if you don't go with me, I will go to the Wild Forest myself and go to the boundary gates alone!" She screamed, needing to get Eline's help now more than ever. Her poor sister...

"You have to think clearly, Mena, please. The sentinels on duty will not open the gates for you because they know the Alpha King's orders"

"That is why you have to help me, Eline. Pleeeease! Oh, God, pleeeeease...!" She broke down and began crying in earnest.

The cougar sentinel was so worried about her friend and also the Alpha King's orders. He will really punish her this time around if she takes Ismena to the human world without his permission. The fact that Ismena's life is in danger only makes the problem a bigger one.

But, her friend was crying so much, she can't NOT do anything. Even her cougar has become so restless and agitated, hearing the cries of their friend. It growled and paced inside her.

Turning off the stove, she turned to Ismena, wrapped her arms around her, and began consoling her with words. She told her that everything will be alright, even as it only made Ismena cry the more.

An idea came to Eline's head.

"Listen to me, Ena, listen to me." She pulled back and palmed Ismena's wet, flushed cheeks, "We will go to Alpha Alphose and beg him to help you, alright?

If we can get him to agree, he can sneak you to your world to see your sister and bring you back safe before tomorrow is over.

If anyone can protect you there, it is Alpha Alphose. "

"Okay, okay, but will he agree?" Ismena cried. That Alpha is closest to the Alpha King, so he will most likely refuse.

"No, he will not agree to it but we have no choice. We'll have to beg him until he does. He will bring you back as soon as possible. That way, the Alpha King will not be so mad even if he finds out." She lied. The Alpha King will be so mad when he finds out about this.

"Alright, t-thank you so much, Eline. Let's go to him. He has to help me, he has to...! I c-can never stay here like a coward while my sister is fighting for her life in the hospital. I will NEVER be able to f-f-forgive myself!"

Eline ushered her out of the kitchen and out of the house. They hurried to Alphose's house which wasn't far away from Eline's. As the Alpha and leader of the cougar clan, his home was big and very beautiful.

The guards did not bother asking Ismena questions because she was led by Eline. Instead, they stepped out of the way for them to pass through .

Inside Alphose's home, they waited impatiently for the housekeeper to go inform him of their arrival. Thankfully, it didn't take long before Alphose appeared in the spacious sitting room, dressed in his casual pants and a simple shirt. The Alpha looked like he just rolled out of bed.

He took one look at a crying Ismena and a worried Eline and his pleasant smile disappeared, replaced by concern. "Is everything alright, Eline?"

"No, it is not, Alpha." In a rush, she told him everything that was happening and how they came to find him.

"Please, help us, Alpha. Please?" She finished.

Alpha Alphose felt bad for the Alpha King's mate, but he was already shaking his head before Eline was done telling him everything. "She cannot go to the human world, Eline, you know this."

Ismena grabbed hold of his arm to get his attention, "Please, Alpha Alphose, please help me... Please, I cannot stay here while my sister..." Shaking her head, her eyes pleaded with him, "Please, Alpha Alphose, please...!"

"This is a bad idea from all directions, Ismena. Your life is in danger and the Alpha King does not know about this—he will never approve if he did. What if the Wolfhunters—"

"We will not stay longer than necessary, please. They will not know if we don't stay long, and even if they find out, we would have already left before they arrive. Please, help me."

Alphose tried again, "But, Ismena—"

Ismena lowered herself to her knees, still clutching his arm. Tears rolled down her eyes, "Please, help me. My mother has fear for hospitals and right now, she is scared about my sister's condition. Her blood pressure will only keep going higher if I'm not there to calm her. Help me, please..."

Alphose was torn. He does not know what to do.

Just then, his friend Eline knelt down too beside her friend. "I have never asked you of anything, Alpha. But today, I will be asking you for this favor. Help Ena, please. I would have taken her, but I know that you can protect her better. Please."

Indeed, Eline has never asked anything of him before. The cougar sentinel has been his friend for years, always kind and selfless. He has not forgotten that she saved his life so selflessly last week, either.

"Alright, I will do it." He caved at last, "Both of you get up. I will take her to see her sister."

They were already thanking him before he was done talking. They thanked him over and over again, getting to their feet.

"It is okay. But, we will not stay for long there. It'll take all night for us to get there, so your sister is likely to be out of surgery by then. Once we confirm that your sister will be alright, we will return. Is that acceptable?" He asked Ismena.

"Yes! Yes, it is. Oh, thank you so much, Alpha Alphose!"

He nodded once, "Wait for me right here, I will change into better clothes. We will take the woods, you will be riding in my back while I take the half-shift form. It is faster that way. Well, not as fast as running in full cougar form but it is long-distance, and you might fall off."

"I understand," Ismena said eagerly. She'd ridden the half-shift form of Wolfaraine before. His suggestion is perfect .

UNKNOWN LABORATORY IN AMERICA

Dr. Beloca has been expecting Simon and Cronus's calls all day, it made him feel frustrated and on edge. Especially Cronus.

That damned animal.

It has been a week now, but he has not given him the signal to attack Number 6. The animal told him that Number 6 has not gone back to his home since he arrived in the human world, instead, he lodged in a hotel that was closest to the company.

"Where he is staying is not a problem." He'd told Cronus, "What matters is that he is in New York now."

"No, it matters." He'd countered, "Only a few of us knows he's lodged in a hotel and the hotel he is lodged in. If he's attacked there, it will raise suspicion that one of us gave out the information."

"It will not because we have his ring, Cronus. He will think that the ring might have given off his location."

"Let us wait, alright? If he does not go back to his home before his business meeting here is concluded, you can attack him in the hotel.

Then, no one will suspect us because like you said, they might either think it's the ring or the fact that he has stayed to long in the human world. Let's wait alright?"

He'd agreed to wait, but on the condition that Cronus will call him today to confirm Number 6's location, so they can attack him regardless of what the location might be.

Dr. Beloca paced as he waited. He was at it when his cellphone rang.

But, it wasn't Cronus but Simon. He picked the call immediately .

"Good evening, doc. I have finally located Claro Smith's new home with her husband and children."

"Great! That is great news!" It made Dr. Beloca feel better.

"It was hard for us because they changed their identity and the ring never glowed to show us the way. It was barely flickering light."

"That's... Strange."

"Yes, it is. Anyway, we were able to find Carol Smith, or should I say... Amelia Cranes. That is her new identity. The Successful is under the name Isme—"

"I don't need their names, Simon. Just bring The Successful or her child to me." He cut in.

"Of course, doc, of course. Anyway, we located them but their house is locked. A neighbor informed us that Hazel Smith's little sister collapsed and was taken to the hospital for treatment. She gave us the hospital location."

"Good. Take all the Wolf Hunters with you and go there well equipped. They might be humans, but we have to go as prepared as we can be."

"My thoughts too, doc. The men are ready. Tomorrow, we will go and get Hazel Smith."

"You have done a good job, Simon." He complimented, "You and the men should take this night to rest. It is a big day tomorrow." With that, he hung up.

As the excitement washed over the doctor, his phone rang again. He expected it to be Simon again, but it was Cronus.

"I have been waiting." He snapped, as he picked the call .

"Well, I have been in a meeting all day. You aren’t the only person feeling cranky now, Dr. Beloca." Cronus snapped back.

Dr. Beloca took deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. "What do you have for me?"

He heard the man's exhalation from the other end of the line. When he spoke again, like himself, his voice was calmer.

"It is better news. The Alpha King has returned to his home this evening." He announced. "You can attack now. Send as many men as you can." The line went dead.

A smile was splitting Dr. Beloca's face afterward. Indeed, it is a day of good news.

Soon, he will have Hazel Smith, Number 6, and their child in his cage again. What a reunion for all of them.

Cronus is right. He will send as many men as he can and he will send them well equipped. Tonight.