Page 49

Alphose hated seeing an older man or an infant cry, especially if he cannot do anything to take the pain away.

He stood there helplessly, with Degar, watching Alfred sob like a child. They'd told the older man everything, from the tales of the Wild Psychopath down to the part the traitor played in his daughter's disappearance. It wasn't easy to tell her father, but they'd had no other choice.

The man wiped his tears with the back of his hand, trying to get a hold of himself. Alphose extended him a white handkerchief which he took gratefully.

"I failed her. I swore to her that I would always protect her... I vowed to myself that she would never go back to that hellhole again." He sniffled, "I failed her."

"Don't blame yourself, Alfred. You are recovering from a near-death experience.

It was not your fault. We are the people that failed her.

She was in our land, our home. This was in a home that was supposed to be the safest place in the world before she was kidnapped.

So if anyone is to blame here, it's us. "

"No," Alfred began.

"We can argue it from now till tomorrow, but instead of sharing the blame, I believe that we should try to do something about it. We need to find her. The Alpha King has already gone, and I fear for his safety too."

"I'm willing to help in any way I can. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save my daughter. I will give up my life to save hers in a heartbeat if that's what it takes! My poor child..." His voice cracked. Tears filled his eyes again.

Alphose moved closer, lowered himself on the bed beside the man, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Alfred. Dry your tears. You know you have a fragile heart and a frail body. You are not fully recovered."

Alfred nodded vigorously, "I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just..."

He exhaled shakily, his face crumbling again, "Dear Lord, my poor baby. She doesn't deserve this, not again! Not again!"

He broke down and began crying again. Alphose gave up. He could do nothing, but hold to the man and comfort him.

Thirty minutes later, Alfred was in better control of himself. Degar gave him water, which he took gratefully and downed the liquid.

"We need a location of the Lab where she is being held hostage. We can't find them if we don't know where to look." Degar said, sadly.

Alfred was already shaking his head, "It's been eighteen years, I don't know anything anymore.

The only lab I worked for was burnt to the ground when your King escaped with his people.

I know other laboratories existed, but I don't know where.

Everything is confidential when it comes to the Facility. "

Degar shifted desperately, running an impatient hand through his hair. "Think Alfred, anything at all. Any clue, any idea, any memory, anything at all you remember that might connect with a possible location, we will be grateful to have it."

Alfred thought about it.

Really thought about it.

Then a thought occurred to him.

"Months ago, I killed a spy of the Facility that was sniffing around my daughter. I found a card which has some kind of number coordinates in the pocket of his jean jacket, and I read it before I burnt it with the rest of his belongings."

"Numbers?" Alphose asked, bewildered.

"Yes, Like a location of some sort! I memorized it because I had the feeling that I might need to find the Facility one day and threaten them to leave my family alone if they don't stop bothering Ismena.

" He scrambled out of bed and began searching for something fanatically, "I need pen and paper to put something down. "

Alphose was already at the old shelf in the next room, picking out a dusty book. He snatched the cracked pen from the table before returning to the other room to hand it over to the older man.

For the first time today, Alphose felt a little bit of hope. He can only pray to the Moon Goddess that Alfred remembers those numbers correctly and those coordinates turn out to be a good location to start.

Wolfaraine knows his sense of smell has dulled because of his wounds, but he still perceived various scents as he came back to consciousness .

He hadn't opened his eyes, but he knew he was in captivity again. Even if he suffered from anosmia, he would still be able to make out the disgusting scent of human drugs and chemicals. And the smell of humans. More than a few of them scattered everywhere.

The smell of one was becoming stronger by the second. A human is coming.

Wolfaraine kept his eyes closed and his breathing even as he waited. Like a predator.

"Are you sure it's safe to do this now, Armond? What if he wakes up?" An unfamiliar human voice filled the air, the voice was distant.

"Yes, Dr. Gideon. According to Dr. Beloca, he won't be waking for a few more hours, but better time to get some blood for samples.

Besides, I heard he's paralyzed, so he can't move.

" The owner of the voice was moving closer to his cage as he continued talking, "I'll start with the woman since she is no longer convulsing and vomiting. Don't worry, I won't open the cell."

When Armond came really close, Wolfaraine leaped off the ground and dived for him with everything intention of ripping the man's head off, but he wasn't as fast and only managed to get hold of the man's right hand before he could react.

"What the hell...!?" The human shouted in panic at the unexpected attack.

Massive pain shot through Wolfariane’s body at the movement, but a thrill of pleasure filled him simultaneously, at the smell of fear that oozed from his prey. He gritted his teeth really hard and ripped the man's hand off.

"Holy shit!" The other voice—Gideon—roared from far away .

His victim was screaming like a woman as he ran off in the pool of his own blood. "He ripped my arm off! He ripped my arm off!! Oh my God...!!"

Wolfaraine watched him in satisfaction through slightly-blurry eyes as he disappeared from sight. He threw the hand—and the injection it was holding—across the empty room.

Then, he let out a groan as his body finally dropped to the floor, hurting so much as if all his bones were crushed to pieces by a train.

"I told you to be careful around him! Have not learned anything about this animal since you started working for the Facility...!?” Dr. Gideon was shouting, his voice becoming more distant, which told him that the man was leaving too.

Wolfaraine tuned them out.

He gritted his teeth so hard that they cracked, trying to breathe through the pain. Apart from his wounds, his insides feel as if he'd been lit up on fire because his beasts were raging mad.

They might be very wounded, but it doesn't stop them from expressing their hatred for being caged. Again.

It was too much. He needed an outlet.

He threw his head back and roared. It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. It's like being torn apart from the inside out. Another earsplitting roar tore from his mouth.

A tiny moan came from behind him, cutting off his third roar.

His head whipped to his back to see Ismena stirring awake. He'd been in so much pain that he didn't notice her presence before. The sight of her calmed him a little bit .

He shifted his body and focused on the small, fragile-looking body uncurling from the cold, hard ground behind him. A deep feeling of relief settled over him as he took in the sight of his woman for the first time since she went missing.

She is alive. His Ena is alive.

He noticed the bruises on her pale skin, and a growl emitted from his throat. She was hurt.

"Mena..." He groaned hoarsely.

Ismena woke up feeling very weak. It took a great effort to open her eyes. She must be dreaming because she just heard a voice that sounded like her Wolfe's.

"Mena?" His voice came again, followed by a ruffle of movement behind her.

Ismena's head followed the sound of that voice, and her eyes flashed when she saw him. He was lying down a few feet away from her in that familiar black robe of his, blood on his thighs, his eyes filled with pain and exhaustion.

Tears filled her eyes, "Wolfe...? Am I dreaming?"

He damned the pain shooting through his body and crawled towards her, covering the distance between them. "I'm here, honey."

"Are you really here? Oh God, you're really here." Her weak voice cracked, and she started sobbing.

Wolfaraine's eyes stung as he gathered her in his arms. By heavens, she looks so frail.

"I'm so sorry. So so sorry, baby. It's okay. I'm here now." He rocked her gently while she cried her eyes out, her hands holding his robe tightly as if she were afraid she'd let go and he'd disappear.

He kissed her teary face, messy hair, trembling shoulders, everywhere he could get his mouth on. A single tear escaped his eyes as he listened to her almost soundless but heartbreaking sobs. His woman is so weak that she was hard for her to even cry properly.

"They hurt you. I will kill them all. I'm sorry, honey." He held her until her sobs died down into occasional hiccups. His wounded wolf has calmed further in her embrace, purring against his chest. Even his cougar has gone quiet too.

She made a move to pull away, so he loosened his arms. She pulled back to look at him thoroughly before her eyes settled on his face, "Wolfe?"

"I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry, Ena."

"It wasn't...your fault. Don't apologize, please."

His eyes darkened at the hand imprint on her cheek. There was dried blood on her nose.

"What did those monsters do to you?"

"Doesn't matter," she shook her head, "You're here now. That's what matters."

He pulled her closer again, kissing her pale-yellow curls with his eyes closed, "I've missed you so much. So much."

"I've missed you too. I thought I would...never see you again." She sniffled, "I was so scared."

"I'm here now. I'm here now, baby."

"-But w-what are you doing here...? H-How...? How are you h-here? You're injured too, how d-did that happen?"

"I was ambushed by them. Killed all of them, but they got me with two bullets made of the sigillaria leaves and rhodium." He answered.

"I don't u-understand, the Sigillaria leaves? But they don't know about it—" she cut off suddenly, taking a sharp breath. Her eyes filled with panic, and she shook her head vigorously, "I didn't tell them. I s-swear to God. I didn't tell them. I never told—"

"Shh... I know you didn't," he kissed her forehead tentatively. "Even if you did, I will not be mad at you because I know they might kill you if you didn't tell them."

Ismena shook her head, "I will never...e-endanger your life just to...s-save mine. I would never...have told them even if t-they tortured me."

He believed her. "That was what I was afraid of."

She exhaled shakily, "But if I didn't...tell them, how did they know...?"

"I caught the scent of a werewolf Alpha in that hideout. His name is Cronus. I am sure he is the traitor." His banked-up anger shone through his blue eyes, "He didn't only tell them about it. He provided them with the leaves too."

"Oh God, this is very...bad. Why would he do something...like that?" Tears filled her eyes again.

"I have a few guesses, but you let me worry about that. I am concerned about you, baby. I can practically feel your pain, your exhaustion. It worries me greatly."

"Wolfe?"

"Yes, honey?"

She bit her bottom lip. She looked him dead in the eyes, a tear dropping down her cheek, "I remember everything. I remember her."

"You remember who?"

"Hazel. I remember Hazel Smith." Another tear dropped, "It's hazy because it was a long time ago, but I remember everything about that little girl I was again. I remember that Lab."

His heart broke at the pain in her eyes. He has nothing to say to that except one thing.

"I'm so sorry, Ena."

"It's okay. I welcome her memory, Wolfe. The good, the bad...the u-ugly." She sniveled, "I welcome her. I should have never...tried to push her away. I thought I was better off without her, so I ran from her. Like a coward. P-Poor Hazel. She was the strongest part of me, Wolfe."

"She was indeed strong. But you are not a coward, Ena.

You are the bravest woman I have ever met.

Accepting that little girl again as a part of you shows the extent of your bravery, honey, and I'm sure that little girl will be so proud of you.

Hazel never died. Pouty never died. She has always lived inside you. "

Ismena cried softly in his arms. Wolfaraine rocked her gently, ignoring the shards of pain that shot through his body with every movement he made.

"Oh, Wolfe... I'm so glad you are here with me." She whispered to his chest.

"I will get us out of here, Ismena. I promise you." He vowed.

"I know you will. I trust you. "

Heavens, how did he manage to get someone as perfect as this woman for his lifemate?

His lips found hers. He began a sensual kiss, groaning as she sighed and melted into him.

Her scent surrounded him; he breathed her in deeply, greedily, to draw as much as he could.

His poisoned wounds had dulled his senses, so it took extra effort for him to get a thick scent of her inside him. But when he did, he froze.

He pulled back, and a frown marred his forehead. He took another deep breath. He caught that redolent again.

Wolfaraine couldn't believe it. The scent was almost inconspicuous. He found himself inhaling deeply again just to be sure.

His eyes widened. "By the Gods..."

"What is the matter?" Ismena asked, baffled.

"Lavender. I smell lavender. Wait," he pushed his face to her neck and lapped his tongue against her sensitive spot. Ismena shivered, moaning softly.

He lapped that spot again and again, making it thoroughly wet. Then, he placed his nose right there and inhaled very deeply.

Her thick scent, which had been altered by a sweet smell of lavender, filled his nose.

Wolfariane’s eyes watered. "In the name of the Moon Goddess..." His reverent voice cracked.

"You're scaring me, Wolfe." She cried, her teeth worrying her lips, "What's going on? "

He gathered her to his chest then, holding her like treasured porcelain, tears in his eyes.

"Wolfe?" She called again in a tiny voice.

"You are pregnant, baby. You have been for over a month." He announced to her, disbelief coating his voice, "You are carrying my child in you."

"Where are my blood samples!? And how the hell did a PARALYZED MAN MANAGE TO TEAR YOUR ARM OFF, YOU FUCKING COWARD!!? " Dr. Beloca's enraged voice boomed from a distance.