Chapter 25 #4
“Your father is alive, incarcerated, and all I can glean thus far is he was deemed psychologically unfit for release. He’s in a maximum-security supernatural prison.
I’ve requested the records and I’ve yet to receive them.
You were the first alpha offspring to reach maturity in that group.
Any betas born from group participants are all fine, no issues.
Same with the few omega children that came from that group.
By the time the investigation got to your pack with the death of your alpha and dots were connected about you being wanted for killing him and several betas from the pack, you were missing.
There was a leadership change at the SCC, I wasn’t on the council then, but it seems likely that the transition process meant the case closed without adequate attention to finding you after the pack had been dismantled.
There are no active warrants for you, likely because you were still considered a child by your age and didn’t cause any further trouble after you disappeared.
The file was officially closed three years later.
They assumed you were dead or reverted to wolf and stayed that way. ”
“Does Jared’s dad’s wolf behave like Jared’s wolf?” Cicely asks.
“Given the testimony about the state of that pack under the leadership of Michael Stone, I believe Jared’s wolf behaves as it does because of trauma response.
As I said, there’s an alpha offspring from the control group who does have a scentless and rather lethal wolf with physical similarities to Jared’s, but he’s got full dominion over it. ”
He reaches for a bottle of water and takes a sip before continuing.
“Imagine shifters being given something to make them more alpha. Crossing through DNA, offspring omegas might develop beta traits. Betas would have alpha traits. Alphas would have extra-alpha traits. If he’d been raised in a healthy environment, he could still have the wolf he does but he’d have a connection to it like that alpha I mentioned.
Our wolves protect this form. We’re designed to leverage our wolves to optimize our chances of survival.
Your wolf emerged to protect you from your tyrant alpha uncle, feeling the need to protect your family from him.
All accounts point to the likelihood that a switch was flipped when you’d reached your limit for abuse as you reached maturity.
Your first shift resulted in the alpha being killed.
Then… the betas who harmed your mother and sister. ”
“Wait,” I say, and ask, “What do you know about what happened to my mother and sister?”
“It’s likely that’s why your wolf came back a third night. To avenge their deaths,” Mitch says.
Does he know this for a fact or is it being assumed? I don’t ask. I’m assuming nobody told him what I’ve said about my wolf murdering my family.
Did my wolf murder them? Or did it avenge them?
I work hard to pay attention to the rest of what he’s saying, though it’s not easy.
“It’s highly likely your wolf emerged early as a result of the abuse you endured leading up to your maturity.
It emerged to protect you. Extra-large, more teeth, more strength.
With most alphas, a first shift presents an adolescent wolf.
Sounds like your first shift emerged a fully-grown wolf.
And it’s likely the trauma of loss surrounding those days around that first shift disconnected you from your wolf.
Without connection to this side of you, your wolf continues on in that state it first emerged in – one of fighting for your life as well as for revenge. ”
This is a lot to take in.
He adds, “This is why Catrina and I both believe the drug administered to the Silver Hills shifters could bridge the divide between you and your wolf. It might take time, but you could begin to fuse with and have dominion over it as well as the potential to capture all the memories your wolf holds so that you’ll know everything it’s done in that form.
If you connect and work with it, you’ll know if you can trust it going forward.
If you don’t think you can, there might be medical options that could help subdue it or tweak its brain chemistry. ”
“What about our offspring?” Cicely asks. “How will the drug Jared’s father took affect our kids? And now you want to give him another experimental drug? I’m guessing you don’t know how that’ll affect our kids either, correct?”
“Correct. Raised in the right environment, there’s no reason to expect anything negative from the drug Jared’s father took.
The surviving alpha who has full dominion over his wolf has three healthy children.
Two are male and both present with the potential to be alphas.
There are no suspected issues. Both have distinct scents. ”
“But nobody will know if they’re affected until they mature?” Cicely asks.
“Correct,” he agrees.
“Did you have a scent before you matured?” she asks me.
“No,” I say. “Never had one. It pissed Uncle Mike off.”
My mate turns to Mitch. “So, the SCC treats shifters like guinea pigs or lab rats and then what? Shifters get fucked over, that’s what. Is Jared’s father actually unstable or does the SCC just want to keep him from telling anyone how they fucked him and his son up?”
Shit. My mate is losing her temper.
I grab her hand. “Let’s do the rest of this. We can talk it all through later.”
“I’m not on any of those research teams, lass,” Mitch tells her. “I’m not responsible for this.”
“But I bet you are on other ones, right? You’re a doctor for the SCC, for fuck’s sake. What other stains are on your soul?”
“I’m proud to say our council is a lot different now than it was thirty years ago,” he states, face going red.
My mate clearly doesn’t care who she pokes. Alpha or not.
“Oh, that same SCC that sentenced Erica and Riley to seven years of pain just … what… seven years ago?”
Mitch looks to me, as if expecting me to control her.
“Yeah,” she scoffs. “The same SCC that just recently had one of your witches try to siphon all the power from Erica Savage. And we’re supposed to trust you?”
Mitch’s expression hardens.
I grab her hand and want to kiss it, but I can’t with this stupid contraption on my face. “Let’s get on with this, yeah, babe? We can talk it all out later.”
She huffs out an exasperated sound and folds her arms over her chest. “I don’t want him pumping you full of drugs that could fuck you up. That could harm our children.”
“Are you here a few days?” I ask. “We need time with this before I can decide.”
“Before we decide,” my bratty mate amends.
“Before we decide,” I add. Because she’s right. This will affect her as well as me.
Cicely’s expression relaxes just slightly.
“We’re here a week,” he replies. “I came here all the way from Scotland to help, Cicely. Not to harm.”
Cat grabs Cicely’s hand. “I understand how angry you are, sweetie. I would be, too. Dr. Blakely isn’t here to push Jared into doing anything he doesn’t want to do. He’s gone to great effort to be here to help.”
My woman doesn’t respond. She’s pissed.
“Your help is appreciated,” I tell them.
Cicely scoffs. I lay my hand on the back of her neck and massage it. “Relax, babe,” I tell her, and as she shoots me a dirty look, it dawns that the fact that she’s this pissed on my behalf mends something broken in me.
“Now, if you’re ready, Jared,” Mitch continues, “We’d like to run our tests on you while shifted. After that, we can talk further.”
The way he says this, looking at me and avoiding my mate’s glare, I’m guessing he’s worried my mate is about to pull the plug.
“I don’t know about this,” she says. “I’m not sure we should let you test his wolf. Maybe we ought to have you sign a non-disclosure agreement first.”
Fuck, she’s awesome.
“I don’t think that’s necessary, is it?” Cat asks.
“It’s not,” he responds, but I can tell my mate is trying the guy’s patience.
Cicely says, “Maybe we should get Ronnie Young in here first and ask her to lay hands on you, Mitch. See if you’re hiding anything.”
“Whoa,” Mitch raises his hands. “I’m not the enemy here, folks.”
“I mean, I’m sure you can’t wait to perform experiments on his wolf, right?” she demands. “Medical marvel that it is?”
Tyson opens the door. “Veronica?”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” I ask my mate, with humor.
“Who needs a built-in attack dog when you’ve got a lass like her?” Mitch quips.
I chuckle, glad he’s seeing the humor here.
“This is no laughing matter, mister,” my gorgeous mate warns me. “Stop looking so damn handsome when I’m pissed off.”
I laugh harder.
Ronnie Young comes in.
Mitch sits on the stool and holds his hands up. “Feel free, Veronica. I want to show I’m no enemy, but I must caution you that if you utilize any information you glean from laying hands on me for anything at all, you could be subject to SCC sanctions.”
Ronnie steps up and he extends his hand.
“Understood. That’s not what I’m about. But I have to ask, am I going to regret this?” she asks. “Because if you think I will, I might ask Greyson to channel me instead.”
He sighs. “I don’t think you’ll regret it. Hopefully I won’t.”
“You won’t, Dr. Blakely,” she assures and takes his hand.
Watching Ronnie react to holding his hand is fascinating. Multiple emotions cross her face before she swallows and steps back, looking at me. Her face changes to what looks like a haunted expression for a beat.
“What is it?” I ask.
She clears her expression. “I think you’re in good hands here. Dr. Blakely is a good man.”
“What’s the look for then?” Cicely asks with suspicion.
“I’m just…” She shakes her head briefly and blows out a breath, “I’m still a little affected by all I felt when I touched your mate, Cicely. Sorry, Jared. I’m doing my best not to show it.”
She’s afraid of me.
“Sorry, Ronnie,” I rasp.
She gives me a shaky smile.
I add, “For whatever you felt when you touched me.”
“That’s not your fault,” she states and she does it with strength in her voice. “You’ve got no reason to apologize to me.”
“Let’s get the rest of this done,” I say and make my way to the cage.