Crossing Paths With The White Wolf

Gonzalo POV

"How's everything going?" I kiss Kassie as she hands out food at the medical center.

"OK. Charles is getting a place in the packhouse this week so they are having a bit of cake to celebrate." She said as she hands out more food. I move over next to her and begin to help dish out food, making the line move steadily as we make small talk with everyone. Once it was time for them to head to sleep, we walked back towards the packhouse.

"Karissa was looking for you again earlier. When are you going to tell her she can walk all over the packhouse during the day without danger?" I asked her. I saw her lips tug upwards slightly at the mention of her sister being trapped in her room during the daylight hours without need. She's been stuck in her room for two days, making it easy for Kassie to avoid her while she can't get out of the packhouse.

'Hey, are you busy?' Seb's mind link comes through.

'No, we're walking back to the Packhouse. What's up?'

'The doctor is awake.' He said and I stopped walking.

'We'll be right there. I answered while I motion for Kassie to stop.

"What's wrong?" Kassie asked.

"Meryl is awake." The moment the words left my lips, I could feel the rage boiling in my chest through the bond as her eyes flashed red. She nods and takes my hand and we head over to the holding cells, which are in a small building to the right of the packhouse. As we pass by the door, Karissa comes out with her guard behind her.

"Kassie, can we please talk?"

"Not now Karissa. Perhaps not ever, but definitely not now." She answers without so much as looking at her. I turn to see Karissa following behind to say something and I shake my head no. She stops and looks torn but nods and moves to go back inside. At least she's not as stubborn as she seems. We walked into the holding cells. Seb and Theo were already there. D.r Meryl Argyle had been unconscious from being knocked in the head when we deboarded the plane and he tried to escape two days ago. I was pretty confident the man was faking, but we left him alone until he got hungry enough to "come to." There was an empty plate on the plate that he had already emptied. Sometimes I wonder if we're going soft. Feeding the prisoners. "Hello, Meryl," Kassie said calmly, though I could feel the storm inside of her.

"It's Dr. Argyle to you, princess," Meryl sneered at her.

"Hmmm, no. I don't think you deserve that title. You've broken your Hippocratic oath. You will die like a roach at my hand. Just like I promised you 23 years ago." She hissed.

"Everything I've done has been for the betterment of humankind. My Hippocratic oath is intact. I have never hurt a human. Everything I've done is for my kind. These gifts you people have, you do not deserve." He spits.

The door opened and in walked Helios and Nat. As he caught sight of Nat, his face changed. "The white wolf." He whispered to himself but everyone's enhanced hearing caught it and growled, making him cower back. "What do you know of my mate?" Helios growled, his eyes turning black as Ezequiel made his presence known.

The a*****e seemed to get his courage back because he smirked at Helios. "What don't I know about the legendary white wolf is a better question? Are you her newest victim?" He sneered, making Helios step into the cell and punch him in the gut. The man doubled over with a grunt and began wheezing.

Markus, Danny, and Gillian walked in. "Starting the fun without us?" Danny asked.

"Just making sure he gets all the giggles out of his system before we start," Theo said as he hauled the doctor out of the cell and into the interrogation room we had built.

I helped him strap the leg restraints on. When I stood back up, the doctor seemed to take a closer look at me and asked, "Didn't I kill you?"

I punched him in the nose, relishing the way I felt it crack under my knuckles. "Does that feel like a dead man's fist?" I asked as I stepped back and let Helios walk in with Markus. We agreed earlier that they would handle the beginning of the questioning. We had Nat outside in case things went too far too soon but we didn't want to exhaust her. Kassie agreed he wanted his head and as long as they gave her that, she would allow them to conduct the interview. She would not go easy, and we needed him to provide answers. The Doctor sighed as Danny walked inside with an assortment of tools. "You're wasting your time. I have zero incentive to talk."

Helios smirked, "Oh those aren't for us. See Kassie is letting us talk to you, but as soon as our conversation is over, we promised we'd give you two a few moments alone. If you decide you don't want to talk, I can think of a lot of better things I would rather be doing than wasting my time with you."

The piece of a s**t doctor turned to look at Kassie, whose eyes had changed to red since we came in and hadn't turned back. When their eyes made contact, she hissed at him and showed her fangs, making the doctor pale.

"So what do you say doc? Should I tell my mate that she doesn't need to wait up for me or do you want to have a chat?" Markus asked.

"I don't know what you think you're going to get out of me. I'm just an employee, a scientist." He turned back to Markus.

"One that's been working in that lab for at least 23 years. I think you can answer a lot of questions for us." Markus growled.

Meryl took one last look at Kassie before he visibly gulped and nodded.

"Tell us what the point of these labs are. What have you been trying to achieve for the last 3 decades"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

Markus stands up, "Well I guess I get to spend my night at home then. Kassie?"

"Wait!" Meryl panics.

"Don't waste our time."

"I don't know what the ultimate goal is. I was recruited right out of medical school after I published an article on extending life via altering the DNA sequence." He scoffed, "Of course, everyone laughed at me back then but who's laughing now? They haven't even tapped half of what I told them they should be able to do. I told them it was the key to everything and they laughed in my face."

"So you got recruited for this project?" Helios asked impatiently.

"I was kidnapped actually. I was driving home from dinner and I was driven off the road. I woke up a few hours later and I was in the lab, though I didn't realize it at the time." He mentioned as he scratched his neck below the right ear.

Dario mock snored in the back of my head after 15minutes of rambling answers. - This a*****e talks a lot. When do we get to the part where we can skin him alive?

When we get answers for Kassie - I reminded him.

We're going to get old before we get to that. Why haven't we heard anything from the council specialists? Maybe they have the answers and we don't need to worry about this a*****e. - He asked and I had to give it to him. That was a good question. I had expected the results by the time we got back.

I was going to link Nat to ask when suddenly Kassie turned and headed towards the exit. I could feel nothing but rage through the bond. I followed her out. "Kassie?"

"I'm fine. I just need a minute," she said without turning. I walked up to her and turned her around. I sigh as I grab the napkin in my pocket and clean her nose before I kiss her and walk her to the bench I had spent so much time on before she got here. "What's going on? Is it just seeing him again?" I ask as I pull her towards me.

"No. Yes. I don't know. I just feel so much rage. That man has ruined so many lives. I've had 23 years of this nightmare and I'm the lucky one. How many people's lives has he destroyed and he is just so......." she screams, "Nonchalant about the whole thing. How can he be that big of a monster? I dreamt of finding him one day. I dreamt of looking him in the eye and telling him what he's done to me before I tortured him and killed him. But he's just an old psychotic man. He's not the demon I made him out to be in my head. He's not even an evil genius. He's just deluded. So what do I do now, Lalo? What do I do with all this rage?"

I put my arm around her as I looked out to the forest and think. I felt Dario's agreement as a thought went through my head. I told you it would be a good idea a long time ago - He said.

"Go to therapy with me?" I asked her. She looked up at me from where she had rested her head on my chest. "I have been told I could benefit from it. I think you would too. What do you say? If I go, you go? They might help you get rid of the anger or maybe even help minimize the seizures."

She stared at me for a whole minute before she nodded and laid back against my chest. We waited outside for another half-hour before we heard Helios' roar from the holding cells. We ran back in, where we found Meryl was looking a little worse for wear and was now being tied down roughly to the arms of the chair by Danny and Gillian. Helios and Markus looked enraged and Nat was looking a little guilty.

"What happened?" I asked Theo who was frowning and trying to calm down Sebastian.

"He's not very bright, is he? He insulted Nat again. Helios got pissed and Nat entered the cell to try to calm him down. He tried to grab at Nat which of course she flipped him over, chair and all without a single issue but now both Markus and Helios are pretty close to murdering the bastard for attacking a Luna."

"They probably should have. This guy isn't worth the information we might have." Kassie growled.

"He talks a lot. Let's hope we do get something out of it. I know more about this a*****e than I've ever wanted to know. We better get something useful or we'll string him up like a piñata and we can all have a go at it." Gillian said as he stepped back out of the cell with a dark look on his face.

"I think we're done for today. Let the a*****e sleep tied up." Markus said as he exited the cell. "You OK Nat?"

Nat nodded. She opened her mouth before we heard a slam and Meryl was unconscious on the table. Helios came over and wrapped her in a hug. She turned to us instead and asked, "Are you?"

"We're fine," I answered. "Just got bored with all the bullshit. Did we find anything useful?" I asked as we started walking out.

"Only that it was Shane's father the one that recruited him. I'm not sure how to get more info out of him just yet if we can even trust anything he's said so far. It's been a while since I tortured a human." Helios answered.

"He's not lying, he just.... is not giving us anything useful on purpose," Theo said. We all stopped and looked at him.

How the hell could he possibly know?

Gonzalo PoV

"How can you say for certain?" Helios questioned Theo.

He shrugged, "I've been noticing a small knowing in my head for a while. I can tell when a person is lying or not giving whole truths."

"Since when? How come you never told us?" Helios asked.

"I wasn't sure. I've been trying it out on Seb but it's hard to tell if it's because I know him or because it's a gift. Percy isn't very helpful. He just insists he didn't use to have the gift," He looks at us a bit guiltily. "It's the same with you guys. When I can tell you're lying, I'm not sure if I know because I've known you so long or if it's a gift. I haven't tried to find out but over time it seems more obvious."

Helios nods, "Well all of your wolves are the wolf spirits we killed. That was the deal my sister made with me. If they are related to my siblings but not fully merged with them by Selene that day, it makes sense that you would all have some form of a gift. Seb, have you noticed anything?"

Sebastian nodded and we waited, "I can umm...somewhat camouflage," He said with a blush that made Theo snicker.

"What do you mean somewhat?" Kassie asked, genuinely curious. Theo started giggling a bit more and Sebastian threw him a look that just made him laugh more.

"Seb?" Helios asked again.

Sebastian sighed. "It's getting better with time, but here, I'll show you." He took off his shirt and tossed it angrily at Theo, who was hanging onto Danny for support now with tears in his eyes.

Sebastian closed his eyes and suddenly his torso began changing. Most of it was beginning to blend and reflect the colors behind and around him except for one jarring problem. I started chuckling when I realized why Theo was laughing so hard. Over the centuries, Sebastian had adorned his body with a lot of tattoos. While a couple of them seemed to have disappeared with his gift or blurred slightly with his body, the bigger ones were still very much present. We could see his outline if we looked close enough but the tattoos on both his front, back, and arms looked like they were floating in the air, breaking the illusion. Sebastian's body came back into view and the rest laughed openly at the deeper blush that graced was on his face. "Some of them are starting to blend in, but my 'gift' is fairly useless at the moment," he grumbled. Theo was laughing so hard he was wheezing and Sebastian turned around and stomped off back to the packhouse. "s**t. Wait. Amor. I didn't mean it!" Theo called after him but his voice cracked with laughter at the end. Sebastian seemed to hear it too because he growled as he slammed the door behind him.

I turned to look back at Helios with a smile and he had his arms crossed expectantly. "Well? What's your gift. If they got one, I'm betting my sister gave you a wolf with one too."

Do we have a gift? I asked Dario.

I don't think so. - He responded, feeling jealous of their gift.

"None that Dario and I have noticed," I said.

"Hmm. I wonder why?" Helios said thoughtfully as he looked at me.

"Maybe we just don't have a gift?" I asked with a shrug then smirked. "Or maybe we're already perfect as it is."

Kassie snorted at my side and I gave her a look, "Yeah, that's not it my love. Try again."

"Wow" was all I could say as everyone laughed at me, including Dario in the back of my head. Traitorous wolf. "My own mate. Aren't I supposed to be perfect in your eyes?"

"No, I'm supposed to love you despite your flaws, which are significant, darling." She mocked.

"Wow," I said again pretending to be hurt. "Guess I know where you'll be sleeping tonight. With Theo in the dog house." I said with mock indignation and walked away with my head turned up and away. I went up to my bedroom and waited, expecting her to have followed but about 5 minutes later, I could feel her anger through our bond and I went to look for her. I found her at the bottom of the stairs, arguing with Karissa.

"I said no, Karissa. Stop asking me to spend time with you."

"I need my sister Kassie." She pleaded, "Please let me explain."

"You had 200 years to explain, but you didn't need me then. Now you need me to fix your mess and I'm suddenly your sister? f**k off." She turned to walk up the stairs and saw me standing there. She stopped and closed her eyes. Then she sighed and turned back. "I need time Karissa. You can't just push me. I will try, but you can't expect me to say 'Let's start over. Give me my space and

I'll try to work my way to a conversation with you." She came up to meet me and we walked towards the suite.

"I'm proud of you," I told her once we were inside the room. She sighed into my arms as I embraced her from behind.

"Sometimes I don't want to adult." She pouted, making me laugh.

"How about I let you off the hook for insinuating I am not a perfect man and wolf specimen for being such a grown-up," I whispered.

"but I was looking forward to making up s*x" she pouted, leaning her a*s to rub on my c**k, instantly bringing it to life. I pushed a hand into her waistband, pushing her further into my growing erection as it traveled down to her

folds. She gasped when I pressed on her c**t, throwing her head back against my shoulder.

"We don't need to make up to have s*x," I whispered in her ear as I take it into my mouth and bit lightly on it. I groaned when I felt the mind link pulling from Helios.

"That was not the type of groan I was hoping for," Kassie muttered as she straightened.

"Hold that thought," I said as I answered. 'Yes, Alpha?'

I heard Helios laugh quietly in my head 'Interrupting, am I?'

'You were actually! I deadpanned.

'Well consider this payback for all the times you all c**k blocked me and Nat. I need you and Kassie downstairs. You can join Theo and Sebastian in the blue balls club. Markus is coming back with Evergreen.' 'Everything OK?'

'No clue. He asked to meet us at the gate. He said before cutting off the mind link.

"Markus needs us at the river gate," I told Kassie, who sighed and nodded.

We met up with Theo and Sebastian on the first floor. Both looked flushed and grumpy. Kassie casually puts her arm around Theo, "I feel your pain. I was trying to get some make-up nookie too" she told him, making him laugh. We walked over to the bridge where we found Natalia and Helios walking towards us with Markus, who looked like he had already changed for bed before coming over and Evergreen glued to the tablet in his hands.

"What's going on?" Sebastian asked.

"Evergreen's found a signal. We're trying to find the source. We have a theory but we can't be sure as we don't know when it first appeared." Markus explained.

"What's your theory?" I asked, already knowing what it must be in the pit of my stomach.

"The doctor," Evergreen said as he pulled out three more tablets and synced them up. "It works like a game of hot and cold. I've triangulated the signal and it's between these three points." He said while pointing at separate buildings. "Unfortunately, I can't find it without walking around and part of the area encompasses the east wing of your packhouse. The most logical place to start is

with the doctor, but Helios assured us he was thoroughly checked so if it's not him, we'll each need to take a piece of the area and look."

We all nodded and headed to the holding cells, "It should start beeping if we're within - there it is." He said as we started hearing a low beeping as we approached the door. We entered to find Meryl still tied down to the chair. As the door shut behind us with a loud slam, he startled awake. He started sweating as he noticed Evergreen coming into the cell, the beeping getting closer. He tucked his head down and tried to move away from him. "It's on his person somewhere." Evergreen let us know.

Sebastian and I pushed forward and grabbed him. He struggled weakly. I'm pretty sure he wasn't wearing these clothes when we found him so where could it be, I wondered as I patted him down. I turned to Helios. "You changed his clothes right?" He nodded, "It's going to be in him then. We need to scan him." Meryl paled, confirming my theory.

"Not necessary. Just hold him." Evergreen said as he pulled out a metal detector like the ones used by TSA agents. At the look on my face, he shrugged, "What? It was a good investment. I lose parts all the time."

He started moving it over his feet and I noticed Meryl tucking his chin again. I sighed. "Evergreen, check his neck."

Evergreen looked at me but did as I asked. Under the right ear, the metal detector went off. Sebastian brought out his knife and Meryl began trying to squirm while spouting off curses at us.

"They know where I am. They aren't going to let me go. I've been stalling this whole time. You watch. Your whole damn pack is going to be ashes soon." He snarled. I held him to my body and forced his neck still. Sebastian felt around and when

he was satisfied he had found it, slipped the knife just under the skin. Meryl screamed in my ear, making it ring. Geeze, it wasn't even that deep a cut. Sebastian did seem to struggle a bit with it and 10 secs later, Meryl passed out. I sighed and held his dead weight until Sebastian popped out the tracker, at which point I let him drop to the ground unceremoniously.

"We should double up patrol for the next couple of weeks to make sure we're not caught off guard again. Have the guard stationed at the main gate to wear his Kevlar vest and stay behind the bulletproof booth," Helios told Theo as we exited the holding cells. He broke the small chip in his hands and threw it away. Theo began to walk away and Helios turned to Markus. "You shoul - "

"Wait. There's still a signal showing." Evergreen interrupted as he looked down at the tablet.

"But we found it," I stated the obvious.

"It seems you've had more than one tracker transmitting signals. No wonder it was messing with my equipment." Evergreen said while he worked his program. We went back inside and checked Meryl again but there was no more beeping. Evergreen worked some stuff on his tablet before he synced it up with the others again and gave us the new zone to search. This new zone,

unfortunately, included most of the packhouse. We divided the floors and headed off in groups. Kassie and I wondered the entire Beta floor. We thought we heard a beep at one point on the east wing but it didn't beep again.

We met Theo and Sebastian coming from their floor at the stairs. "Nothing either?" Theo asked.

Kassie shook her head. "We thought we heard a beep on the eat side but we must have imagined it."

Theo and Sebastian looked at each other, "We did too. It can't be a coincidence."

"I'll tell Helios to focus on that side. Markus and Evergreen are on the first floor." Sebastian said before his eyes glazed over.

"Nat can tell Markus. Let's go to the guest floor." I nodded at them as we started walking again.

We headed off and both tablets started beeping as we neared the Queen's room. 'Helios, Queen's room. Now, I mind linked him as I

grabbed Karissa to stop her from bursting through the door. "Wait for Helios."

She gritted her teeth but nodded.

Helios arrived and he knocked on the door. When no one answered, he opened the door to see an empty bedroom. We walked in and began searching. I was halfway through dumping her clothes still in the suitcase when Karissa walked in with Braden behind her. Her eyes flashed red as she asked. "What the hell are you doing to my things?"

Kassie rushed to her with her vampire speed and grabbed her by the arm "What the hell did you do Karissa. I warned you about putting my family in danger." Braden once again tried to intervene but Kassie was ready for him this time and elbowed him in the face. Braden stumbled back, his nose already beginning to bleed. I saw his eyes flash red and his fangs lower. I moved to run over to stop him and found myself right in front of him almost immediately. I held out a hand to steady myself as the room spun. Everyone stopped and stared at me. "I...I didn't just imagine that did I?" I asked. There was a series of people shaking their heads. Helios was smiling.

"I thought something like this would happen. I think your mates are what trigger a gift. That's why Theo and Sebastian had theirs sooner than you. Looks like you got your mate's speed as a gift. Probably a good thing with how much she's tried to run away." He said, his lips twitching. Kassie shook her surprise and gave Helios a look of retribution while blushing, making everyone laugh.

"This is nice and all but can you take your hand off my arm and get out of my room. You're hurting me." Karissa hissed, reminding everyone that we were here for a reason.

"Not until we figure out what the f**k is going on," Kassie said, pushing her into the middle of the room and shutting the door behind her.