Page 14

S imon Blackgun has the hospital surrounded by his men. He was happy and almost giddy with anticipation.

"I see the target's room." A male voice came through the small chip attached to his ear.

"Stay in position. Do not attack until I give the word." Simon commanded, looking through the binoculars to the hospital surroundings in calculation. He does not want this mission to go wrong.

"Copy that, sir." Came the response.

The flicker of light from the gold-colored ring in his pocket caught his attention again, and Simon couldn't help a cynical snort .

That piece of jewelry is just good for nothing. According to Dr. Beloca, it should have led him straight to The Successful and her child but the Ring barely flickered light all through his search for them.

He has no idea why the facility is so obsessed with the Ring when it couldn't do any work. It—

His thoughts cut off suddenly as a bright light shone through the Ring. In a few seconds, it went from flickering lights to full-blown blue light shining through all its pearls.

"Oh, my..." Simon trailed off in awe and reverence, as he reached into his pocket and withdrew the shining Ring.

Immediately, it's light formed an arrow and pointed at the direction of the hospital building. But it wasn't pointing at the room where The Successful and her family is, instead it was pointing at a different direction. The hospital lobby.

"Is everything alright, doc?" Another male voice asked to his ears.

"Yes. Yes, everything is alright." He replied reluctantly. The hospital lobby?

"Okay, doc."

"Tighten your guards. There are changelings in the hospital lobby."

"Changelings?" The man replied in surprise. "Here? What are they doing here?"

"I have no idea, but the Ring says they are here. I don't know how many they are but we gotta lure them out first and kill them, before going in for the Successful."

"What if it's a werewolf changeling? "

"Capture him, of course, for our experiments. If it's not, we kill them."

"Copy that."

Alpha Alphose felt a prickle down his spine. It isn't the first time, or the second time. He came out from the shadow he'd blended to again, and scouted the lobby again.

Nurses walked in and out of the hospital rooms. A patient in wheelchair was being wheeled out of the lobby. A child crying while getting an injection. Doctors running around.

Just nothing out of the ordinary.

Alphose turned to walk back to the shadows again, when a presence entered through the door and his cougar steered awake.

A beautiful young woman with hair so black, it's shiny. Her hair had him entranced for a full minute, the way it laid behind her back well past her shoulders to stop in the middle of her back.

She wasn't slim, but he would not call her fat either. She just filled out in the right places, mouth-watering curves in that simple blue gown. And his mouth did water. He swallowed audibly.

Their eyes met.

The woman's eyes widened dramatically, but that was all he saw before he turned and walked back to become one with the shadows again.

Who is she? He was curious.

Does she know him? The way her eyes widened at the sight of him could make him think that, but that'll be impossible. His home is in Naturiah, he barely comes out to the human world unless he was sent on a mission here .

Even his mountain lion is entranced by the woman, it growled inside him.

Man and beast watched the beautiful lady, quietly. She stood for a moment, looking around as if in search of him. When she couldn't find him, she blinked twice, clearly baffled.

Suddenly, it seams like she came to her senses about the reason why she was in the hospital in the first place, because she turned and started out in a hurry towards the right door.

After she left, he still watched the door she past through. Then, his back prickled again and the cougar gnawed its teeth.

That feeling of something not being right filled him again. It took his mind away from the mysterious woman.

It is unlikely that Wolf Hunters would already get the wind that a changeling is here, since it's barely an hour since he arrived here with Ismena. But with these useless human hunters, you can never be so sure.

This time around, when he stepped out of the shadows, he walked out of the hospital to scout the area.

"She's awake, she's awake...!" Amelia gasped when she saw her daughter's eyes opening slowly.

Ismena halted her conversation with her father, jerked out of the chair and hurried towards her sister, with her father trailing behind her.

"Tina? Tina? Can you hear me?" She called softly, hovering over her sister.

"Ena...?" Valentina's voice was hoarse and drowsy .

"Oh, God, baby you scared us all!" Ismena was already hugging her sister tight, tears pricking the back of her eyes. "Thank God you're alright, I was so scared...!"

"I'm s-sorry. I d-did...not mean...to scare you and mom." She replied drowsily, her eyes closed to feel her elder sister's hug.

"It's okay, it's okay. What matters now is that you are doing great," Ismena separated from her, "The doctor said your surgery was a success. You will be fine."

"The surg-ery?" Valentina asked, baffled.

"You had a perforated appendix, it was terrible!" Amelia responded, her fear clearly unhidden in her eyes, "You won't be the death of me, Tina. I t-told you let's get your belly c-checked out when you complained, several times, but you insisted that it was just a small belly pain—"

"I'm sorry, mama. I did not know... it was...such a b...ig deal."

Amelia sniffled and wiped her tears while her husband rubbed her back in comfort. "It's okay, it's okay. What matters is that you're doing good now. You will be fine."

Valentina nodded dutifully. They all pulled back for their father to have his own moment with her too. He hugged her gently, while whispering to her ears. She listened, nodding her head to whatever he was saying to her.

Ismena watched her family with a watery smile on her face. It has always been like this. Her family, sticking together and having each other's back no matter what they faced.

While growing up, they did not have much.

They faced a lot of financial difficulties, but their family managed to stick together during those hardships.

The savings her mother had from her dead biological father was used for her hospital expenses while she was eight, and it wasn't even enough.

Her step father, Alfred, paid for the rest of it and with every year that passed, he worked harder to keep the family feed and the children schooling.

Yet, their family was mostly happy. Her parents were always there were them. always within reach.

Tears filled her eyes as she watched them. She can't die now, if for no other reason but for her family. It will break them to find out about her heart disease, it will kill them to watch her die.

No, she cannot die! God, please, I don't want to die! She cried in her heart.

With those thoughts, came the thoughts of Wolfaraine. A man that has filled her every thoughts, her every dreams, these past few days.

God, let this changeling myth work. Let it be true that intimacy with him will keep her alive, and lengthen her years.

She does not know how long they'll sleep together as Wolfaraine does not want a mate, and his mountain lion is always trying to kill her.

When his ring is found, he would send her back to this world, away from him.

God, let her body's contact with his, heal her up for ten-to-twenty more years before her heart disease comes back, so that she can spend more time with her famil—

"Look who's here!" Amelia's surprised words pulled her out of her thoughts.

Ismena looked behind her to see Sandra walking into the hospital room. A smile split her lips as she stepped forward and hugged her best friend.

"I'm so glad to see you!" Ismena whispered to her ears .

"I'm just as happy to see you, but I was worried sick when your mother told me what happened last night. I couldn't sleep a wink. Counted the time until I was unable to anymore, so I hurried out here." Sandra stepped back to look behind Ismena as she asked, "How is she doing now?"

"She is better now. Her surgery went well. But, she's still being monitored in case of any complications." Ismena answered.

"Good morning...Sandra." Valentina greeted.

"Oh, look at you baby, you look like death warmed over." Sandra said, which in turn made Valentina smile. She smiled too. "How do you feel now?"

"Tired...Sleepy." she said.

While the exchange was going on, Ismena couldn't help noticing that her father seemed edgy. Occasionally, he'll look out of the window as if he's searching for something.

"Is everything alright, Dad?" She asked curiously.

He gifted her with one of those handsome smiles of his. "Yes, everything is alright, my darling."

"I'm thirsty..." Valentina effused.

"I'll get you water, my dear. I'll be right back." Alfred stepped closer to Valentina, kissed her on the forehead before he walked out of the room.

"Anyone out there?" Simon said for the tenth time, placing a hand on his earpiece to make sure it's still turned on and working right. Again, it is. "Can anyone hear me!?"

Nothing. Just beeping sounds .

He was mad at this point. He walked out of his position and angrily went in search of those damn officers Adeladin gave to him. Impotent fools! Why aren't any of them respomding to him anymore!?

The morning was becoming clearer, which allowed him to see well without using the night-vision contacts.

He was surprised to pass the first stationary, only to see all the three officers he'd stationed there dead.

Alert now, he raised his gun, corked it and began walking carefully out. Everywhere he stationed his men were filled with the corpses of the soldiers.

Damned animal monsters! Just how many of them are out here!?

He's gonna kill all of them! He will find them first and he will—

Claaaaaaang!!!

Simon heard the loud sound at the same time, he felt the impact of it at the back of his head. White filled his vision and the ground suddenly rose to meet him.

The loud thud of his body hitting the ground was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.

When he woke, he was in a dark place, tied to a chair. His hands were tied behind his back.

And when his eyes opened completely, he was completely surprised at who stood before him.

"You...." Came the hoarseness of his voice.