"For me?" Aidan asked, then sat up. "Who are the Council of Alphas?"Lia's mind was immediately cast back to the last time she'd seen delegates from the Council of Alphas: Jacob Boris' funeral, when they'd walked up to talk to Lauren. She remembered their stiff black suits, the regal way they'd spoken and stood, and the way their faces had gone cold when Lauren had called their bluff.This could not be good.Robin collapsed into the kitchen chair that Lia had been occupying before. She didn't look like the Robin Lia remembered from their wolf pack days. That Robin had been feisty, fiery; always ready to pick a fight, never looking scared or tired.This Robin looked defeated and listless. "Robin," Lia murmured, holding the woman's hand, which was trembling. "What's wrong?""Nothing." She replied hastily, then sat up. Up close the bags under her eyelids were even more prominent, her lips were chapped and her eyes were bloodshot."Are you on drugs, Robin?" Beth, ever the observant nurse
Aidan grabbed Lauren's hand and pulled her out the front door. Together they both walked into the woods that bordered Beth's house, towards the general direction of Lauren's cabin and the pack's lair."Have you ever met the Council of Alphas?" Aidan asked after some thought."Oh, yes." Lauren replied. Then she added. "At your father's funeral.""And what were they like to you?"Lauren grimaced. "Oh, they're the worst. For some reason, they think humans are not worth their time in general." When Aidan raised an eyebrow, she continued. "During the funeral, they walked up to me. I guessed they thought I was something very special because I am Dr Makovsky's daughter. They were probably pissed too that I had invited humans like Axel and Beth to a strict werewolf ceremony. When Beth stood up to shake their hands, the bastards ignored her."Aidan raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Oh!""I'd never disliked anyone as terribly as those men." Lauren shook her head. "Why do we need a Council of A
Aidan walked forward to meet them. Lauren's hand was still gripped in his, so she was dragged along. She could sense from the stiffness of his back, from the way he gripped her hand almost for dear life, that he was very nervous."It's a pleasure." He said, offering his other hand to the men. Alpha Lyall, the man in the middle, gripped Aidan's hand in a strong handshake."Why don't we continue this meeting somewhere more... private?" Alpha Lyall offered. Lauren did not miss how the alpha had completely ignored her."No." Aidan refused. Lauren watched as he tightened his jaw. She wondered just how much effort it took him to not bolt out of the pack's lair. She could see just how tense and anxious he was."No?" Alpha Lyall repeated. His eyes narrowed a notch and he waited, as though to give Aidan a chance to take back his words."I think we should have the meeting here, should we not?" Aidan continued. "I mean, everything you'll be discussing with me will have something to do with the n
The bus that took Mike from Beacontown back to Perkins smelled just as bad as the one that had brought him. Mike hated buses: the acrid stench of other people's sweat pressing against his nose, the smell of takeout food and gasoline that seemed to hang like a cloud over everyone's heads, the _bump bump_ of the bus on speed bumps that left him sick to his stomach when he got down.He'd had no choice but to take the bus. Beth had vehemently refused when he wanted to morph into his wolf form and run all the way to Perkins.Mike was still assessing his relationship with Beth. Theirs was a strained one at best, and he could not look at her without remembering the way she'd smiled down at him when he was strapped to the experiment table, the headlight above her turning her deep red hair golden. The feeling of immense hatred that had coursed through his veins alongside the werewolf Serum, that had changed his life forever.She'd turned him to the monster he was, and there was no moving away
On the night that Eric was taken back to his home, it was raining very heavily. Lauren had stayed behind in Beth's house; only Beth and a disgruntled Lia had accompanied him.Beth parked the car in front of Eric's house and turned to him. "Do you know what to say to your mother yet?""Yes, yes." Eric replied, his face blank. "I was kidnapped.""Alright." Beth eyed him warily. "Eric, how are you? Like, really. How have you been doing?""Don't know." He replied morosely. "The past few days have been a lot."Beth nodded, a knot of fear forming in her stomach. She was worried for him, more so with the way he sounded. She'd seen the worst of Dr Makovsky and the results of his experiments, had endured it for many years. But how would it look to someone who had never seen any of it before?"Lia will be checking on you from time to time. Is that okay?" Beth asked."Of course," Eric murmured and opened the car's door."Bye, kid." Lia called."Bye, werewolf." Eric answered, then stepped down an
It was a hot summer night in July. The people of Perkins were either outside their homes, trying to catch a stray breeze or populating any of the clubs and bars downtown. It was a sleepy little town, but it came alive on days like these, when there was little else to do than to watch the twinkling stars outside or party till sunrise.Clyde Roberts was behind his counter, having a busy night as customers came and went. This was his favourite time of the year, when everyone suddenly needed a cold bottle of beer to try and wash away the sweltering heat of summer. He was all smiles as he cleaned a glass with a dust rag, a glowing cigar bouncing in his mouth.Things had been very heated up in the town some few weeks back, when the Russian laboratory in the nearby woods had suddenly gone derelict. The Russian scientist who had made the laboratory his abode for more than two decades had mysteriously disappeared, and so had the people working for him. Cops and other authorities usually ignore
Eric trudged through the forest that surrounded Beacontown. Twigs snapped under his feet, echoing eerily through the trees around. He was scared shitless, and yet he couldn't stop himself from walking into the thickness of the woods. Every fibre of his being wanted to bolt out of there, but it was as though there was an invisible energy pulling him deeper and deeper into the forest.He paused and looked around, realising that he was severely lost. If he took a detour left, he might come out to Beth's backyard in about twenty minutes. His mouth went dry as he thought of Lauren, only a few minutes away from him. How he missed her, how he wished things could go back to the way they used to be, before....well, everything had happened, but he knew that everything was past wishing for at this point. He still was getting used to the idea that his best friend was a werewolf.He'd left his house last night, and now it was almost night again. He'd been walking aimlessly around for a whole day,
Eric's heart raced as he ventured deeper into the dense forest. He still had no idea where he was headed, but the pull in him was getting stronger. As he walked, he thought of Lauren, his mind consumed with thoughts of her safety. Every step he took was guided by an unexplainable force, a magnet pulling him towards something unknown. It was as though the attack from those rabid wolves had somehow tied him to them, forced his will under theirs and made him do things that an otherwise sane Eric would have objected to.The weight of the responsibility Lia had placed on him pressed heavily, but he was determined to protect Lauren from her vicious father, no matter the cost. He stopped and stared through the canopy of leaves and branches above. The sun was beginning to rise already, painting where he stood a brilliant mix of orange and yellows. Hikers and other nature-loving people would soon come out for their rounds: perhaps a quick rest wouldn't be so bad anyway. He would rest for some
Eric's heart skipped a beat at Doctor Makovsky's words. Lure Lauren and her mother here? "What do you plan to do with them?" He asked, his voice betraying a hint of defiance. "Why drag them into this? You already did that, didn't you? You used Aidan to kidnap Lauren so she could be with you. And it didn't work."Doctor Makovsky's smile widened, breaking through his poker face. "Sure, it didn't work the first time, because neither of them wanted to be with me. But this time...""...Things will be different." Eric echoed. He looked up at Doctor Makovsky slowly. "This time, you're using a bait. Me.""I want my family to witness firsthand the extent of my power and influence." The doctor continued. "They have defied me for far too long, thinking they could escape my grasp. But they will soon realize that no one can escape the fate I have designed for them. Katherine...she's a strong woman. And I know she loves her cop husband. But ultimately, she belongs to me, and so does Lauren. They're
Eric stayed awake throughout the truck drive to Perkins, his mind amok with several thoughts. A part of his heart was still in Beacontown, with Lauren and all the memories they had shared. How he terribly wished things could go back to that period of time, those moments that seemed alive only in his mind. He wondered if Lauren still thought about him, if at all. It seemed that the only part of her heart that wasn't populated by thoughts of her villainous father was taken over by that overbearing Aidan boy.Eric sighed and closed his eyes as the truck flashed past the large sign that declared that they were now in the town of Perkins. He wished he'd told Lauren more about how he felt before leaving Beacontown. Right now, with the prospect of death before him, he wished his words had been enough.He'd had a crush on her ever since he'd seen twelve-year old her in the playground with those bullies. She'd looked small and inconsequential, and yet her dark eyes had blazed with a fierceness
Eric's heart raced as he ventured deeper into the dense forest. He still had no idea where he was headed, but the pull in him was getting stronger. As he walked, he thought of Lauren, his mind consumed with thoughts of her safety. Every step he took was guided by an unexplainable force, a magnet pulling him towards something unknown. It was as though the attack from those rabid wolves had somehow tied him to them, forced his will under theirs and made him do things that an otherwise sane Eric would have objected to.The weight of the responsibility Lia had placed on him pressed heavily, but he was determined to protect Lauren from her vicious father, no matter the cost. He stopped and stared through the canopy of leaves and branches above. The sun was beginning to rise already, painting where he stood a brilliant mix of orange and yellows. Hikers and other nature-loving people would soon come out for their rounds: perhaps a quick rest wouldn't be so bad anyway. He would rest for some
Eric trudged through the forest that surrounded Beacontown. Twigs snapped under his feet, echoing eerily through the trees around. He was scared shitless, and yet he couldn't stop himself from walking into the thickness of the woods. Every fibre of his being wanted to bolt out of there, but it was as though there was an invisible energy pulling him deeper and deeper into the forest.He paused and looked around, realising that he was severely lost. If he took a detour left, he might come out to Beth's backyard in about twenty minutes. His mouth went dry as he thought of Lauren, only a few minutes away from him. How he missed her, how he wished things could go back to the way they used to be, before....well, everything had happened, but he knew that everything was past wishing for at this point. He still was getting used to the idea that his best friend was a werewolf.He'd left his house last night, and now it was almost night again. He'd been walking aimlessly around for a whole day,
It was a hot summer night in July. The people of Perkins were either outside their homes, trying to catch a stray breeze or populating any of the clubs and bars downtown. It was a sleepy little town, but it came alive on days like these, when there was little else to do than to watch the twinkling stars outside or party till sunrise.Clyde Roberts was behind his counter, having a busy night as customers came and went. This was his favourite time of the year, when everyone suddenly needed a cold bottle of beer to try and wash away the sweltering heat of summer. He was all smiles as he cleaned a glass with a dust rag, a glowing cigar bouncing in his mouth.Things had been very heated up in the town some few weeks back, when the Russian laboratory in the nearby woods had suddenly gone derelict. The Russian scientist who had made the laboratory his abode for more than two decades had mysteriously disappeared, and so had the people working for him. Cops and other authorities usually ignore
On the night that Eric was taken back to his home, it was raining very heavily. Lauren had stayed behind in Beth's house; only Beth and a disgruntled Lia had accompanied him.Beth parked the car in front of Eric's house and turned to him. "Do you know what to say to your mother yet?""Yes, yes." Eric replied, his face blank. "I was kidnapped.""Alright." Beth eyed him warily. "Eric, how are you? Like, really. How have you been doing?""Don't know." He replied morosely. "The past few days have been a lot."Beth nodded, a knot of fear forming in her stomach. She was worried for him, more so with the way he sounded. She'd seen the worst of Dr Makovsky and the results of his experiments, had endured it for many years. But how would it look to someone who had never seen any of it before?"Lia will be checking on you from time to time. Is that okay?" Beth asked."Of course," Eric murmured and opened the car's door."Bye, kid." Lia called."Bye, werewolf." Eric answered, then stepped down an
The bus that took Mike from Beacontown back to Perkins smelled just as bad as the one that had brought him. Mike hated buses: the acrid stench of other people's sweat pressing against his nose, the smell of takeout food and gasoline that seemed to hang like a cloud over everyone's heads, the _bump bump_ of the bus on speed bumps that left him sick to his stomach when he got down.He'd had no choice but to take the bus. Beth had vehemently refused when he wanted to morph into his wolf form and run all the way to Perkins.Mike was still assessing his relationship with Beth. Theirs was a strained one at best, and he could not look at her without remembering the way she'd smiled down at him when he was strapped to the experiment table, the headlight above her turning her deep red hair golden. The feeling of immense hatred that had coursed through his veins alongside the werewolf Serum, that had changed his life forever.She'd turned him to the monster he was, and there was no moving away
Aidan walked forward to meet them. Lauren's hand was still gripped in his, so she was dragged along. She could sense from the stiffness of his back, from the way he gripped her hand almost for dear life, that he was very nervous."It's a pleasure." He said, offering his other hand to the men. Alpha Lyall, the man in the middle, gripped Aidan's hand in a strong handshake."Why don't we continue this meeting somewhere more... private?" Alpha Lyall offered. Lauren did not miss how the alpha had completely ignored her."No." Aidan refused. Lauren watched as he tightened his jaw. She wondered just how much effort it took him to not bolt out of the pack's lair. She could see just how tense and anxious he was."No?" Alpha Lyall repeated. His eyes narrowed a notch and he waited, as though to give Aidan a chance to take back his words."I think we should have the meeting here, should we not?" Aidan continued. "I mean, everything you'll be discussing with me will have something to do with the n
Aidan grabbed Lauren's hand and pulled her out the front door. Together they both walked into the woods that bordered Beth's house, towards the general direction of Lauren's cabin and the pack's lair."Have you ever met the Council of Alphas?" Aidan asked after some thought."Oh, yes." Lauren replied. Then she added. "At your father's funeral.""And what were they like to you?"Lauren grimaced. "Oh, they're the worst. For some reason, they think humans are not worth their time in general." When Aidan raised an eyebrow, she continued. "During the funeral, they walked up to me. I guessed they thought I was something very special because I am Dr Makovsky's daughter. They were probably pissed too that I had invited humans like Axel and Beth to a strict werewolf ceremony. When Beth stood up to shake their hands, the bastards ignored her."Aidan raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Oh!""I'd never disliked anyone as terribly as those men." Lauren shook her head. "Why do we need a Council of A