Page 6

I smena arrived home to see a restless Eline wringing her hands together so nervously while pacing the sitting room. Immediately, she opened the door and walked through, the Cougar sentinel was already hurrying towards her.

"Ismena, I was worried sick about you! Especially when the morning blended into noon, and now it's early evening. Where have you been and what have you been doing!? You got me so worried!" The woman cried, checking her out frantically as if she's looking for a physical wound.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. You do sound so worried." Ismena admitted as she walked gingerly to the nearest cushion and lowered herself gently to it. "You were there the night before when he took me away. You shouldn't be so worried."

"I wouldn't be if I saw you earlier in the day. Not that I expected the Alpha King to kill his own mate no matter how much he hates your kind, but I couldn't get it out of my mind how angry he was when he took you away."

Ismena couldn't fault her friend because she remembers clearly his look as he lifted her up and practically carried her out of the club. "Oh well, as you can see I'm alive and well today. Thank you so much for your concern, Eline. You're such a good friend."

The woman waved her away, still concerned about other things. "What about me? Did he say something about killing me and chewing on my bones for weeks to come?"

"Why would you think that!?" Ismena gawked in horror.

"I took you to the club the night before and you saw the eyes he gave me?" Eline shivered, "Even the cougar felt that look. He was not pleased at all. I had nightmares all night just thinking about it."

Her friend is seriously worked up. "Well, if it's any consolation, I really don't think he's gonna do that. He cares about his people too much to do that to you." She consoled.

"I doubt that. The events of the club are still the talk of the whole cougar clan this morning, talk more of other Clans. They must have heard of what happened too. Oh, he really is going to kill me!"

"I don't think he will."

Eline was not convinced but her eyes noticed other things at that moment, "How do you feel?"

"I feel...great." Mentally, she examined her chest. "I've not felt so good in a long time." She confessed.

"Of course, you're gonna feel good, you had sex with your mate, it's bound to do a major healing to your bad heart but that wasn't what I meant and you know it." She paused, arched her brows at a blushing Ismena. "I mean how do you feel, body-wise? It didn't get past me that you developed a limp."

"My God, Eline stop!" Ismena gasped, mortified. She covered her face with both hands .

"Oh, stop being so shy and start talking. You smell of him so much this morning, I would have sworn he mated you the night before if not that I can't see the fresh mating mark on your neck. I only see love bites." She said, bluntly.

Ismena groaned out loud.

"Well? Out with it, human." Eline urged.

"I probably feel like I've been run over by a train...in a good way and a bad way too. I ache all over," she admitted at last, "but Marian, his housekeeper used herbal scent leaves to run a bath for me so I feel a bit better now. And she made food for me."

"Wow. You really did have sex with him." Eline said reverently, looking her over again."Well, at least you're still alive so I'm sure that's a giant plus. For a small woman, you're stronger than you look."

Ismena let out startled laughter at the seriousness in her friend's face. "Of course, I'm stronger than I look. I'll have you know that I took some defense classes which include taekwondo and kung-fu when I was eighteen." She raised her chin with pride.

Eline cocked her head to the side in thought, "Really? Why would you do that?"

"My father suggested I learn how to defend myself and my mother seconded that. So, I did." She pursed her lips and added, "Well, I bet my fighting skills are useless here. Y'all are extra-strong motherfuckers. Not to mention that y'all morph into huge animals too."

A smile ghosted Eline's face at that grumble.

Ismena wasn't finding it as funny as her friend, she continued, "I don't scare easily, but that theory changed since I came to Naturiah.

I've been chased by a huge cougar in the woods who turned out to be a thirteen- year-old boy.

And what about last night? We were attacked by Wild Ones.

I was so scared that the alcohol cleared from my eyes but thankfully, Wolfaraine killed them all. "

"Of course, I should have known those brutally torn Wild Ones I heard about when I went to the market would be the handwork of the Alpha King.

" Eline shook her head, "Poor wild things that can't think.

If not, why would anyone in their right mind go to fight the Alpha King? That is a suicide mission."

Ismena thought of the huge male he is in his mortal form, then the mountain lion driven by his hate for humans who chased her down the hall yesterday and the large werewolf that tore those Wild Ones apart the night before.

She decided that Eline was right. No one in their right mind would attack a male like him.

"Anyway, I can teach you how to fight and defend yourself here if you want." Eline said to her as she walked towards her and sat beside her. "Not that you will need the knowledge because everyone knows who you are now. No one in their right mind will attack the Alpha King's woman."

"You'll really teach me!? I will love to learn!" Ismena gasped, excitedly. "Apart from those in their right minds, there are still Wild Ones, am I right?"

"You are. I will teach you. Not that you'll be needing any teaching if the Alpha King mates you.

With how compatible you both are seeming to be, I wouldn't be surprised if you take on some of his changeling qualities after the mating rituals, when the bond has formed between you two.

..like his strength or sensitive hearing or his ability to see clearly at night.

" Eline shrugged at the shocked look on her face, "It rarely happens but it does happen. "

Ismena remembered her discussion with Wolfaraine on the night before and sadness formed in her heart. They will never mate .

Shaking the sadness off, she smiled that Eline. "I'm still glad you're gonna teach me."

"Wouldn't be today though and definitely not in this condition you're in. So, you can go into your bedroom and sleep the rest of the day away if you want to. I'll have dinner ready when you wake up."

She wants to. So, she got up, "Thank you, Eline. I'll be taking that sleep you're offering."

"What about the Alpha King?" She bit her lips worriedly, "Is he still angry about last night?"

"Marian said he was having a meeting with his council when I woke, so I didn't get to see him." She answered. Seeing how it only made her friend more worried, she added, "But, I'll have you know that she did not look angry anymore, the night before."

"Oh..." Eline's worry cleared, "Of course, he wouldn't be." She said meaningfully.

Ismena's cheeks reddened. She turned and walked gingerly towards the bedroom, "I'll see you later."

Eline watched her silently until she got to the door. The Cougar sentinel grinned in amusement and muttered, "Poor woman."

"Stop!" Ismena's face was really blazing by the time she got into bed and closed her eyes.

UNKNOWN LABORATORY IN AMERIC A

Dr. Beloca was still waiting to hear from Simon and his team whom he sent to go and bring The Successful and her child to him. He hasn't gotten any more calls from Simon but he was waiting.

Staring at the pearls of the diamond ring in front of him, he wondered if he should have given the ring to Simon to aid him in finding The Successful faster.

In the hands of the Wolf Hunters and the scientists, the ring glows whenever a changeling is near which helps them to locate that changeling and attack. The ring is that powerful in their hands, which is why they have wanted it for decades since the first time they got to know about it.

It also glows whenever anyone who has had a special connection with the changelings is near, like any sexual partner they've been with here in the states. So, they can question that person until she gives off the location of that changeling.

It has been eighteen years but surely the ring will glow when it's within the vicinity of The Successful or the changeling child she bore? Which will definitely help them in recognizing and identifying her again after eighteen years?

Just then, his cellphone rang.

He took the call and placed it to his ears, "Dr. Beloca Wells speaking."

"I bring good news, doc." Simon's voice came through.

He straightened, the ring was momentarily forgotten.

"I was finally able to get a lead on her.

After so many dead ends, I finally managed to get hold of one of her mother's co-workers in the cleaning agency eighteen years ago.

She said that Claro Smith relocated to Oklahoma with her family months after her daughter was found. "

"Oklahoma, huh?" Dr. Beloca was thinking, "Did she say the exact town in Oklahoma? "

"Nope, she doesn't know. Another thing she knows is that Claro remarried. Nothing else."

"I doubt we'll have any need for the second info, but it's all good. Let's focus on the possibility that Hazel Smith and her family are in Oklahoma now. Take the team to that city and find her. Upend every town, search thoroughly and bring her back here to me."

"I will do just that, Doc."

His eyes landed back on the ring. "Come back to the lab and take the ring with you."

"B-But, I thought you never want the ring to leave your possession—"

"She is more important to me now. Come back here and take it, it will help you locate her faster. Besides I trust you to keep the ring safe. I will have Adeladin arrange some strong Wolf Hunters to join you on this mission. I need Hazel Smith and her child back here in the lab."

"Alright, sir. I'm taking the next available flight back."

"I am expecting you. Meanwhile, I will start conducting other experiments while I wait for The Successful. The lab is empty. I think it's time the Wolf Hunters hunt for Werewolves for us."

"They will love to do that. They want the success of our experiments as much as we do." Simon enunciated through the phone.

"More than any other Werewolf, I want him again."

Simon knows who he is. "Number 6?"

"Yes. He is the strongest and most powerful of them all. Very soon, we will have his child here but one child will not be enough. We need more from him. "

"But how do we get him? He is a very hard one to catch. You remember the Wolf Hunters telling us what happened when they encountered him in the human world when they hunted for the last pearl of the ring?"

Of course, Dr. Beloca remembered clearly. "Any information about the woman he piggybacked while running away and throwing bullets?"

"Nothing much. Her name is Ismena Cranes and she is twenty-six years old. According to the information the Wolf Hunters provided, she has no relationship with Number 6 apart from the fact that she's the thief that stole his ring," He paused, "And she's currently missing now."

"Mmm," the doctor was thinking, "Well, I don't think we have any need for her. Let's focus on getting Number 6, Hazel Smith, and her child into this lab."

"I can take care of finding Hazel Smith and her child with the help of the ring and the Wolf Hunters, but what about Number 6?"

Dr. Beloca walked towards the window and looked out of it. It's not that much of a good view, just wide forests. Like their other labs, this one is in the middle of nowhere too.

"Doc?" Simon called when silence met him from the other side of the line.

"I think it's time we reach out to him again. Late Dr. Angor told me all about him eighteen years ago. How he helped them to capture Number 6 then." The doctor was thinking aloud.

Simon knows who he's referring to this time around. "You mean the Changeling Traitor? "

"Yes. He was the one that gave us information about Number 6 coming to the human world. He was also the one that told us where he lives, and that he came with a weakness, His sister."

Dr. Beloca snorted, "The changelings do not know they have a traitor in their midst. He helped us capture Number 6, eighteen years ago. He will help us capture him again."