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Beloca was still contemplating giving into the overriding impulse to gas the cell and take the blood he needed, when the door opened again and a guard walked in.

"A man is here looking for you." The officer said.

"Here?" His brows furrowed, "This place is practically in the middle of nowhere. Who could possibly be looking for me?"

"I'm just as confused, doc. He won't tell us a thing, said he wants to speak to the doctor in charge. He's a normal man like us."

"Mmh," Beloca gave it a thought, "Alright, let him into the facility, I'll see him in the meeting area."

The officer left. Beloca followed behind him wondering who the hell will be looking for him here. Obviously, the person must work for the Facility or was sent by the Facility.

He disposed of his injectables at his Prep Lab, took off the scrubs, putting on a grey suit instead. He took a moment to freshen up before he walked out and made his way to the living area .

It was a face he'd never seen before. Though distinctively familiar, Beloca was one to remember faces and he has never seen this one. He was a little above average and looked to be in his fifties.

"I'm Dr. Beloca, I'm in charge of this place. You wished to see me?" He greeted casually as he walked through the door into the wide, almost empty room.

The stranger faced him, "Beloca West. I know you, doctor. We met briefly, nineteen years ago."

"We did? Remind me, please."

"You were Angor's student, he taught you all his valuable formulas back in OZ9. You didn't participate much in our experiments, but he brought you in occasionally to watch and learn."

A past Beloca never forgot. How did this man know all this?

"Who are you?" Beloca asked, confused.

The stranger struck out his hand, "I'm Dr. Hector Wyatt. Partner to the late Dr. Angor."

Beloca's eyes widened. Now he remembered why the face looked somewhat familiar. "You, I remember you! How is it possible for you to be alive? I thought all of you died on doomsday when Number 6 broke out of the cell?"

"Not everyone, apparently. I was surprised to hear you were alive," Alfred said, easily. It took effort for him to keep all the anger he was feeling inside him and maintain this facade.

This monster has hurt his daughter. He experimented on his daughter! He wasn't even sure if his angel is still alive.

Alfred's hands balled into fists at the pockets of his jeans .

"I was lucky. I took a sick leave that day." Beloca answered. "How did you survive?"

"Dr. Angor sent me off with a message to give our messenger to deliver to the higher-ups. When I got back, I saw the place burnt to the ground."

"Where have you been all this time? How did you know about this place?" He asked suspiciously.

"After our lab was burned down, I laid low for a while.

Those animals hunt by scent and after breathing in mine for six months, I knew my life will be in danger if I wasn't careful, so I hid.

Ten years after, I thought I've escaped them, but I was caught and taken prisoner by Number 6.

I've been at their mercy ever since." He allowed his anger to emerge for the young doctor to see.

"These animals don't take prisoners, they would have killed you a long time ago. How are you still alive?"

"I led their leader to believe that I know other labs we operate and I'll take them to destroy it. They bought it. He kept me a prisoner in his home for years, that was when I met with Simon Blackwell and he—"

"Simon!? You met Simon!?" All the doubt Beloca had disappeared in that instant. Simon was his ghost. For this man to mention Simon, he must be telling the truth. Right?

The man, Hector, nodded casually, "Yes, I did. He was the one that told me about this place, and how to find it. He told me about you too. They captured him when he was hunting for The Successful and her child. There was no child, by the way."

"We know. Had to find out the hard way," Beloca muttered before asking, "What happened to Simon? "

"We tried to escape together, they found out we were gone and began hunting us.

They killed Simon when we were crossing their border.

Luckily for me, I was able to escape. I stayed low all these months but when I heard that he has been captured again, I know it was time for me to get my revenge.

" The man has a look of pure anger and vengeance on his face, "I want to make him pay for everything he did to me. "

Beloca examined the man carefully, while thinking of what next to do. The man's alibi seems genuine, and he knows a thing or two about wanting to make these animals pay. Hector's vengeance looks real.

But still, this is not an operation he can easily let anyone into.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Hector. But I don't think I can let you into our operation. It's against protocol. One of the officers will see you out. Just go, knowing that the animal will die in this lab. That should be enough satisfaction." That said, he turned to leave.

"Wait. Please,"

Beloca turned back to face the man.

"Please, help me, Beloca. I know everything about protocol so I understand. But I don't think I can ever live freely not knowing if he truly died or the animal escaped again. I want vengeance. I want to watch it happen!" The man, Hector, walked closer to him and knelt down.

"Please, just help me out. I promise not to interfere with your work. I won't go down to the underground if that's not what you want, but allow me to be at the lab. I want to help. I walked with your mentor for years, and I can help you with your experiment. Teach you things you never knew."

That was a tempting offer. Although Beloca had a lot of doctors at his disposal, they were all newbies. None of them have the experience working on these monsters before. He could use an old hand .

"Alright, you can stay. But you can't go near the underground until I say so. I will send out words to the higher-ups, and if they give their permission, you can join fully in the experiment. For now, you are on watch duty. That is all I can do."

"That is enough," the man, Hector, was very grateful. He couldn't thank him enough.

"Come, I will show you the Prep Lab."

As Alfred walked behind the doctor, he allowed his lip to twitch into a smile.

NATURIAH.

"You have to try and eat something, Sandy. You can't continue like this!" Eline chided her.

Sandra was staring out into space. The utter sadness on her face was threatening to weigh Eline down again, but the cougar sentinel was determined not to let it.

"I'm not hungry." Sandra breathed.

"You've not eaten anything since morning! You will make yourself sick at the rate you're going!"

Sandra turned and stared at Eline, eyes filled with tears. "I'm so worried about Mena, Eline. My poor best friend. She has been gone for almost two days. How is she coping? Is she still alive? I'm so scared, Eline."

"We are all scared for the Rahinna Queen. She is my best friend, too, remember? But I know that Ismena will not want us starving ourselves for her. She wouldn't like it. What if she comes back to us, but you're too sick to welcome her? How do you think she will feel?"

"I don't want that either, Eline, but—"

"No buts. If you don't want that you eat something.

You have been crying non-stop since she disappeared.

It's not good for you. Our Alpha and the others have already gone out to bring them home.

Ismena and the King will come back safe.

" As Eline reassured her, she was also reassuring herself.

The King and his Queen will come back safe and sound. They have to.

"Okay, okay, I'll eat." Sandra's voice sounded defeated.

"And sleep. You haven't slept a wink. You cried throughout the night."

"You wouldn't know if you were sleeping, too." Sandra countered softly.

Eline averted her eyes, knowing the woman was right. Sandra wasn't the only one who hasn't slept a wink two nights in a row.

"If I eat, you eat. If I sleep, you sleep too. Do we have a deal?"

The cougar sentinel sighed, "Alright. Let's do it. Let's be strong for Ismena. That's the best thing to do."

Sandra nodded frantically, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You're right, you're right." But tears wouldn't stop coming out.

Eline dropped the food and pulled the woman into a hug, tears in her own eyes. They hugged each other tight, weeping softly.

"I miss her so much, Eline. I miss my best friend so much." Sandra cried. "I hope she is alright wherever she is... "

Ismena woke surrounded by the softest furs ever. Wolf or Cougar?

Hopefully, it'll be with the wolf. It was easier to deal with.

Her eyes opened and she stared straight at the belly of the tawny, silvery-grey skin of the mountain lion. Damn.

She doesn't have a scratch or two. Maybe the cougar was sleeping. Warily, she looked up to the face of the animal only for it to glance down at her, its green eyes holding hers.

With the wolf, it's always to play and be cuddled by the huge, soft animal. She was a hundred percent sure she was safe with the wolf, but with the cougar? Not so much.

She wasn't as scared of the mountain lion as she was before, but she still had fear for the feral, unpredictable animal.

"Hi there," she whispered, holding its eyes.

The animal grunted. Its tongue came out and licked her forehead before it drew back to look at her again.

"Oh," Ismena's eyes widened at the unexpected tenderness. At a loss for words.

" Nadigyà, " It growled. Ismena knows it means 'Mine' in the ancient tongue.

" Nal?ng, " she replied automatically. It means 'Yours'. Wolfaraine has been teaching her smatterings of the ancient tongue.

She would have sworn that the harsh lines on the big animal's face smoothened out, and its eyes lost some of the glare. The cougar leaned forward and licked her cheek .

Ismena buried her fear and bravely placed her hand on the animal's sides. She caressed the skin there, petting it. She repeated the motion over and over again.

The cougar purred like a cat. The sound shocked Ismena.

Oh God, this untamed, feral being is starting to really accommodate her. It almost brought tears to her eyes.

Wolfaraine stayed in cougar form for a long time. Ismena has no idea how long she has lost a sense of time since she was brought in here. There were no window, crack, or anything that showed the outside world.

Ismena hated that Wolfaraine was here with her, but at the same time, she couldn't help being happy about it too. It scares her to think about what would have happened if he wasn't here with her.

She must have fallen asleep because when she stirred again, she noticed that she was wrapped in the familiar strong arms of Wolfaraine. He pulled back when he felt her wake, watching her carefully.

"You must be hungry. I found this when I woke up," He offered her a plate filled with hamburgers.

Ismena was very hungry, but she didn't want to eat alone. "What about you? I can't just eat it alone."

"Don't worry about me; I'm not hungry. You need it more." His eyes pleaded with her. He let out a satisfied sigh when she took the plate and began eating.

As he watched her devour everything, the anger came back again in full force. He has to get them out of here. He hated seeing her in this nightmare .

"How are you feeling now?" She asked softly afterward. Her eyes searched his body pointedly, but his majestic robes prevented her from seeing anything. "How are your bruises?"

"I feel much better now." And that was the truth too, "I'm not completely healed—that will take a few more days and perhaps, Harhan's herbs too—but I feel stronger. I'm not paralyzed anymore. That's good news too."

"I'm glad to hear that," she smiled warmly at him, her eyes tired.

"How do you feel?" He asked, concerned.

"Exhausted. This hard ground makes my body hurt. I'd love a bath." Her cheeks warmed as she added, "I feel sore too."

"I'm sorry, baby."

"It's okay. I love being with you, Wolfe." Her eyes found him, "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied before he drew her in for a hug.

Her eyes watered then. He really said the words. It wasn't a dream after all.

Wolfaraine held her until her body went lax in his arms. She was asleep again.

He doesn't know if he should be worried or not. She was sleeping a lot lately. Is it because she is pregnant? Or does it have something to do with what they injected into her?

Harhan needs to examine her. He has to get them out of here. Fast.

Carefully, he laid her down on her ground and pulled away from her. He glared at the silver bars that kept him captive and pondered if he should try gripping and pulling. Who knows, he might bend them out of shape, or even better, he might end up breaking them.

As his mind was weaving that ridiculous ploy, the sound of the door opening pulled his attention away from the metal bars.

He was most surprised when the door opened, and Alfred crept in.

"Alfred? What are you doing he—"

"I don't have much time. I would have done this hours ago, but that lion scared the crap out of me; I didn't want to come close, so it doesn't make a meal of me," The words rushed out of the older man's mouth as he threw a nervous glance around the room, hurrying closer towards the cell.

"I got the keys. Alphose, Degar, and the rest are waiting for your signal to attack.

I couldn't signal them because they were watching my every move, but your men told me to get you to signal them when you're free.

A Summon Howl, right? Yes, yes, that was what they called it.

I'll just leave the keys with you and disappear before they come.

They must have noticed it in the CCTV by now.

" He threw the keys, and Wolfaraine caught them.

Alfred eyed his daughter's sleeping form hungrily before he turned and started rushing out of the door.

"Alfred?" Wolfaraine called.

"Huh?" The older man turned, jumpy with nerves.

"Thank you." The Alpha King's eyes held passion and gratitude.

Alfred nodded. "Just keep her safe, King. That's all I ask."

"I will protect her with my life." He vowed .

The man's lips twitched, and some of this nervousness disappeared. "I know."

"Key is missing! Damn!!" A human voice bellowed, "Officers! Everyone assemble NOW! To the underground lab! Don't let him escape, shoot on sight, do you hear me!!? Orders are to SHOOT ON SIGHT!!!"

"Shit, I have to disappear now. Be safe!" Alfred said.

"Be safe too, Alfred. Remember your daughter, and don't get yourself killed." Wolfaraine was able to say it all before the older man ran out of the room.

Alone with Ismena, Wolfaraine stared down at the keys in his hands. He could hear the sounds of footsteps. Lots of them.

In a swift movement, he placed the key to the lock, unlocked it, and threw it away.

Then he threw his head back and let out a thunderous howl. The Summon Howl.

A second before the door burst open and bullets began flying everywhere, he shifted to his mountain lion form.