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Wolfaraine chuckled lightly and crossed his arm, "Alright, let's hear what you have to say."

"What if there is a barricade between you and me before you shift to your cougar form? You know, some kind of boundary that will restrict it from attacking?" Ismena suggested, her face radiant with the hope bubbling through her.

But his smile faltered and he visibly stiffened.

"That will make things worse. I hate being caged or bound so much that just the suggestion of it is awakening my primitive sides.

The cougar loathes every single thought of it, you will only get a mad, raging animal in your hands. It's like walking into a nightmare."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot! It was very insensitive of me to even come up with that after everything..." Her face mirrored her remorse and alarm, "I'm very sorry..."

He waved her away, "It's okay, Ena. I know you mean no harm." His hand massaged his forehead where he could feel a throb beginning. A throb that can easily turn to a headache if the wolf does not settle and stop banging against it .

"Thank you. That idea was very insensitive but I have another one, can I go on?"

She looked so hopeful that a smile ghosted his face again, "Alright, go on."

"Thank you, thank you." She took a deep breath and began, "Our biggest problem with the cougar is its hatred for my kind.

Because of that, it reacts with its natural instincts to kill and destroy at the scent of a human.

What if it's not the scent of a human that it sniffs?

What if the scent was dipped in another scent.

..one that our raging cougar actually likes? "

His brows furrowed in thought, "I do not understand, Ena. Besides, you are dipped in my scent already—OUR scent, including the cougar's—and it didn't work."

"I'm not talking about you this time around, I'm talking about Nalaila." She offered, smugly.

"My sister?" He asked, confused.

She began walking closer to him, "What if I have Nalaila's scent?

Or better still, what if Nalaila is there during the encounter?

I know the cougar loves her just like the wolf and the man does.

The first time you told me about Nalaila, you said that sometimes she doesn't eat, and sometimes, you have to shift to the cougar form to offer her food.

All of those times, she eats. You said that it's like they formed a different, special bond after the horrors at The Facility. You remember?"

Wolfaraine was starting to see where she was going with her analysis. For the first time since she began her persistent, crazy journey on her how to meet the cougar, he actually felt a flicker of hope.

"I remember." The cougar does love Nalaila. He was the one that stopped going to her in that form because it was like Broken meeting Broken. It does not help any of them heal .

"Yes. While I was thinking hard on it, I even remembered that very day the cougar chased me to.

..uhm...to take a bite out of me, but Alphose helped stop the attack," the memory never stopped making her shiver and it did so now, "I remembered that you were with Nalaila in cougar form that day too.

So, I know that if I have Nalaila's scent or if I'm with her, the cougar might not attack me. "

A lot of thoughts and possibilities started going through his own head. "I see the sense in that thought." He admitted.

Her cheeks spread to the widest grin he'd ever seen. "Yes!" She exclaimed, triumphantly.

He let her have the small victorious moment, for a few seconds before he went ahead to say, "It's something but it's not enough."

He continued before she could say anything else, "Nalaila's presence can only work for that moment and I doubt the cougar will give you much attention with the wolf there in the room.

Its concern and desperation to interact with the wolf will steal all its focus from you, you will not be able to bond with the cougar enough for it NOT to want a piece of you once the wolf is no longer present. "

"Hmm," her head was whirling, "So, it means that even if we bring Nalaila into the room, she still has to leave before I get the attention of the cougar?"

"That is if you do not get attacked because the cougar misread the room, thinking you are holding Nalaila captive...just like your kind did before?" He added.

Ismena was already shaking her head, "Not if it sees for itself my interactions with the wolf, how the wolf likes me. It might make the cougar see me as less of an enemy. And it might continue that way if I have the wolf's scent, even after the wolf is no longer present in the room. "

"Which is the most important part. The wolf has to leave if you want to get the cougar's attention on you. But whether it listens to you afterward, or pounces on you to kill, is the tricky unknown here. It's too dangerous, Ismena."

Silence descended upon them.

She moved around his desk to stand closely behind him. Her hands reached for one of his and enclosed the big, strong hand into hers. She squeezed gently, "I know it is. But, I want to try it."

"Ismena..." He trailed off, unsure.

"You promised to give it a try if there is the slightest way that my idea might work.

I want to be with you completely in every way possible, without restraint.

I want to feel you come inside me. I want to be with you in every position you want without the fear of losing control.

I want to sleep and wake up in your arms. I want the cougar to accept me as the Wolfe did.

Please Wolfe, just consider trying. It's not as dangerous if we play it safe enough. "

He went silent again. This time, it was longer than the first time. More tensed too.

The more time passed, she started getting the feeling that he would not agree after all. Everything about him said she was right; from the look on his face to the tautness of his muscles.

Her shoulders slumped in crippling defeat. "Okay then, let's not—"

"Let's do it." He looked at her and added more conviction, "Let us give it a try."

Her mouth opened but no words came out. Her eyes watered. Then she threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you! Thank you! Yes! Oh, yes! "

"But we will do it my way." He added.

"Okay, I agree. Anything at all!"

Her utter selflessness never ceases to amaze him. Her genuine happiness slowly bled into him, washing away his fear and uncertainty.

His arms went around her and enclosed her tightly, "I have never met a woman like you before, Ismena."

They stayed that way for a few moments before he pulled away and rose from his chair. Taking her hand, he began walking her out of his study, "Come. There is something I need to show you."

Ismena followed him dutifully as he led her to a part of the Tower she has never been to before. The basement.

Hell she had no idea it existed in the first place.

Her eyes took in the spacious, clean room they entered. Locked metal boxes are scattered around the room, some huge while some are average boxes. Everything in this place was wrapped or covered, even the paintings on the wall.

"Wow. I didn't know there was a place like this here." She breathed, openly looking around.

"No one is allowed to come here, only Mirian.

She is the one that takes care of this place.

These metal boxes are filled with artifacts, properties, and collectibles that have been in my family for many generations.

The Throne's family has so much history, sometimes, some of them are used as a moonlight tale for young changelings. "

"Wow, that is fascinating." Finally, she dragged her wandering eyes back to him, "What are we doing here?"

"If I'm going to allow you to meet the cougar, I have to make sure its dangers are as reduced as possible. I will feel better if I know you can be able to protect yourself if push comes to shove." He turned away from her and began walking to the end of the room.

She followed him. They passed table by table of metal boxes until they got to the last table. Among the boxes there, is a small metal box—the smallest she has seen in the room.He stopped in front of it.

He fished for something in the pocket of his black robe and brought up a key. Placing the key in the lock, the sound of it unlocking filled the air. Wolfaraine opened the box and stepped aside, leaving room for her to stand in front of the box.

There were four bottles inside that box.

"Get the bottles out one after another and open them." He instructed.

She went ahead to do what he said. The content of one looked like some kind of grinded old leaves. Another contained a silver powder of some sort. Another contains something that looks like dried garlic cut into little pieces, while the last one contains some kind of black powder.

"These four bottles contain our greatest weakness. Even for a changeling as strong as I am. What I am telling you now is what no other breathing soul knows because it is our greatest weakness." He began.

Reaching out, he picked up the bottle that contained the grinded old leaves and raised it for her to see.

"These are leaves from a tree called Sigillaria.

Sigillaria went extinct around 300 million years ago.

These grinded leaves are the last of their kind and a drop of it in a drink is very dangerous to changelings.

Three drops at a time can kill a changeling.

" He dropped it and picked up another bottle.

It was the bottle that looked like silver powder.

He raised it for her to see. "This is Rhodium powder.

It is not as dangerous as the leaves from the Sigillaria tree, but it is just lethal for us.

The humans know about this one. You remember what that gunshot wound to my leg that time I came back from the human world? "

She nodded quickly, "That time you were attacked by Wolfhunters right?"