28. Saint
Saint dug his hands deeper into his pockets, rounding his shoulders against the frigid wind. Shane and Ollie walked just ahead as the chilly air swirled around the three of them. It was raining again, but they strolled through a breezeway between two buildings. It kept them from getting wet but did nothing to ward off the cold.
Saint wasn’t used to weather like this. He was a desert dweller. He could deal with cold but this wind and rain? No thanks. At least Seth was warm at home with San and Fen. He cut off that line of thinking before thoughts of his mate getting railed by his best friend made this meeting any more awkward than it already was.
Saint kept his head on a swivel, keeping an eye out for any potential threats, but all he saw were students with red cheeks and windblown hair and the occasional bedraggled staff member. Shane was likely overly paranoid—a feeling Saint was painfully familiar with—but the professor wasn’t wrong. Sometimes, the government really was out to get you.
Saint’s head jerked up as Ollie sneezed, then sniffled. Great. Seth was going to murder him if Ollie got sick. Even if it wasn’t his fault. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, resisting the urge to fuss over him and insist they go somewhere warm. While Seth would appreciate the gesture, Ollie was a grown man with active military training. If Saint tried to manage him any more than he already was, Ollie would probably punch him in the face and it would be justified.
Still, when Ollie sneezed a second time, Shane said, “Let’s just grab a coffee, yeah?”
He pointed to a glass door tucked within the side of the building, right beside the campus bookstore.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Saint agreed, raising a brow to Ollie, who nodded gratefully.
The campus coffee shop was tiny, toasty, and smelled like fresh coffee and baked goods. It had a very industrial vibe with decorative iron pipes and a chalkboard menu over the counter. There was nobody else inside, with the exception of the barista who was on her laptop when they approached.
“The university has a Starbucks,” Shane explained. “So nobody really comes here except the professors who don’t want to trek across the whole campus to get an overpriced latte.”
“Ah,” Ollie said politely.
Once they had their cups in hand—coffee for Shane and Saint, hot tea for Ollie—they took a table for four tucked into the front of the shop. Saint and Ollie sat on one side, Shane on the other. Saint took the window seat. Shane opted to sit across from Ollie, leaving the other chair empty.
Shane took a few sips of his coffee like he was gathering his courage.
“We’re listening,” Ollie offered.
The professor took a deep breath and let it out, then shook his head like he couldn’t figure out how his life had come to this. “It was nothing, really. A footnote in a text from the Dutch colonial era. A single word. Raadsel .”
“ Raadsel ?” Ollie parroted.
“Mystery…or enigma.”
Ollie shifted uncomfortably but said nothing.
“The word was only intriguing because it was written in a diary. The book belonged to a Dutch settler family who brought it with them when they immigrated to New York. It was too old for the man who owned it to have written it, so he’d likely inherited it at some point. Since it was in a box of texts related to myths and legends, I took it home and translated it.”
Deke’s family was Dutch. Maren was a Dutch last name. Hell, they called Deke’s dad Dutch. Could this have belonged to someone in Deke’s family? Saint was getting ahead of himself but one look at Ollie and he knew he was thinking the same thing.
Ollie frowned. “What did it say?”
Shane stared out the window. “The beginning of it was a little dull. Talk of fishing and life events. Fascinating in a historical context but not for someone with an interest in mythology and legends. I was almost about to give up when the writer started talking about a plague.”
“A plague?” Ollie said, looking to Saint then back to Shane.
“Mm, a sickness that had hit their village. A sickness that was ‘changing people from the inside out.’”
“Changing them, how?” Saint asked.
Shane met his gaze. “Omegas were experiencing intense bouts of anger. Betas were going into rut. Of course, back then, they knew very little about modern day disease or even about secondary gender. They still had the ability to shift. When it was only a couple of people, the town blamed it on mental illness, a sort of shared delusion.”
“ Folle a deux ,” Ollie muttered.
“Exactly,” Shane said. “But as more and more people became afflicted, they began to see it wasn’t only their behavior that was changing. Their scents were altered. Their bodies, too. It was affecting every aspect of their life. The town physician said it had to be some kind of sickness, but the villagers were sure this was a progression of the curse.”
“Curse?” Ollie pressed.
Shane nodded. “Some people thought the ability to shift from human to animal was a curse. They were slaves to the moon. They thought this was some new fresh hell delivered onto them for some perceived slight.”
“And you…believed this?” Saint asked.
Saint believed it. But he’d seen Deke. He knew the enigma was real. He was sitting next to proof of it. Proof that was grasping for his hand beneath the table. Saint jerked his gaze to Ollie but he continued to look at Shane.
Saint threaded their fingers together on his thigh, noting how cold Ollie’s hand was. He was going to get the others to force him to take a hot shower when he got home. Could he take hot showers? Seth would know.
“Of course not,” Shane said, dragging Saint from his thoughts. “I’m a mythology major, but my focus is on how ancient myths reflect on views of secondary gender today. I figured this was just someone’s early attempt at creative writing. Or maybe he was the crazy one. But it was perfect for my research. If I had to read one more werewolf story, I was going to lose it.”
Werewolves. So many stories. So many tales spun about animal shifters. Some could shift at will, some could shift only with the moon. Some had to be bitten, some scratched, some were subjected to a curse on their bloodline. Some of it was fantastical. But Saint learned a long time ago that proof meant nothing. The fundamentalists rejected anything that didn’t align with their ideology.
Most people believed the science. At some point, they’d had the ability to shift into animal form and back again. But nobody knew how it worked or why they’d lost it. Evolution, maybe?
Everyone believed they were descended from wolves, hence how prolific tales of wolf shifters were. But they couldn’t all have been wolves. There were other types of shifters at one point in history, even if secondary gender was all that remained.
Seth joked that he was probably something small and fuzzy, like a rabbit shifter or a gerbil. But the way Wolf followed Seth around made Saint think the animal likely saw something of himself in the omega.
Still, there was so much they didn’t know. Even now. Saint could see how this would have felt like a jackpot to someone like Shane. A never before seen text with some grand tale from the past.
“What happened next?” Ollie asked, sounding a little breathless.
Shane took another sip of his coffee, then grimaced. “The author of the text, a man named Gilles, began to refer to it as raadsel . An enigma. A mystery to be solved. And he wasn’t the only one looking to solve it. As was common back then, when no immediate logical explanation could be found, they all began to point fingers at each other, each claiming the other was responsible, either through witchcraft, possession, or bad luck.”
“That tracks,” Ollie muttered. “Did he solve the mystery? Did he find out who had unleashed this plague on the village?”
Shane nodded. “Him.”
Ollie blinked at Shane, squeezing Saint’s hand reflexively.
“ He was the reason they were changing?” Saint said, frowning.
Shane’s mouth formed a hard line. “No, but he’d created the problem. It was his son who was causing the people to change.”
Ollie studied Shane. “His son was somehow causing people to shift into other secondary genders? That sounds very…”
“Supernatural?” Shane asked. “Yeah. Again, I study mythology. I was researching this as a piece of historical fiction, a new legend I’d never heard regarding secondary gender.”
“How did he find out it was his son?” Saint asked.
“His wife told him,” Shane explained. “She felt guilty. She’d heard the story, but she hadn’t believed it was possible.”
“Believed what was possible?” Ollie asked, frustration leaching into his voice.
“She hadn’t believed that her son would be the one.”
Saint frowned. “The enigma?”
Shane shook his head. “That’s not what she called him.”
Ollie took a sip of his tea, hand shaking slightly. “What did she call him?”
The professor looked at Ollie. “ De achtste wulf.”
It hung in the air between the three of them, like Shane was waiting for some dramatic music to swell in the background.
Ollie frowned. “The…something…wolf?”
Shane nodded. “Eighth. The eighth wolf.”
Saint kept his expression blank even as his heart rate accelerated. This time, when Ollie’s hand tightened on his own, it stayed that way, gripping him tightly.
Deke was the eighth son.
“The eighth wolf?” Saint asked. “What does it mean?”
“Because her son—their son—was the eighth wolf, he could transform people?” Ollie asked.
Shane nodded. “According to Gilles, his wife had heard the stories but never believed them. She said her family came from humble means. There was nothing ‘special’ about their bloodline. It seemed silly and impossible. But once their son presented as an alpha and the villagers began to change, that was when she knew it was true.”
“So, the genetics were on her side of the family tree, not his,” Ollie muttered.
Saint’s brows knitted together. “The only thing necessary to trigger the enigma curse was to be the eighth son?”
Shane shook his head. “No, the eighth wolf. You have to remember this was written in a time when we could still shift. Gender didn’t matter. Though, secondary gender seemed to factor in as all enigmas were alphas, but I didn’t learn that until later.”
“So, you’re the eighth alpha born to your mother or father and, boom, you’re an enigma?” Ollie asked. “Wouldn’t there be some record? Some proof that these enigmas were born? Even from a single bloodline, it could mean dozens of enigmas, especially if the families knew of the curse. Wouldn’t someone have created a category just for them? A fourth secondary gender option?”
“It’s not that simple. There wasn’t much more in that text that was of much help, but once I learned of this enigma legend, I started to dig deep. While there weren’t thousands of references like there were with, say, werewolves or skinwalkers, there were plenty of breadcrumbs for me to follow. So, that’s what I did. For six years.”
“And did you learn anything new?” Ollie asked.
Shane nodded. “From what I’ve gathered, no two enigmas from the same bloodline can exist at the same time. There can be only one.”
Ollie’s brows went up. “Wait? There’s more than one bloodline?”
“I can’t say for certain, but it read as if there may be more than one, yes,” Shane said.
“So, in order for a new enigma to be born, they have to be the eighth alpha within a specific bloodline and the previous enigma of that same bloodline has to have already passed,” Saint stated, just trying to keep it all straight in his own head.
“There are some texts that claim that astrological placement also plays a part but I only found it in one or two reference sources and I have nothing that supports the claim,” Shane said.
Saint shook his head. “No offense, but it sounds like any other myth revolving around secondary gender. When did you realize it was more than just a myth? I’m assuming that’s what you now believe. Is this why you’re being forced to switch departments? To make a point that this needs to remain in the fiction section?”
Shane sighed. “There are a lot of very rich, very powerful people involved in this. This job was a payoff. I’m not holding up my end of the bargain so they’re punishing me for it.”
“Why not just kill you if you’re such a threat?” Saint asked, earning an incredulous look from Ollie. “What? It’s a valid question.”
“Two reasons: because nobody knows more about the enigma than me. Not even their researchers. They’re keeping a pin in me in case they need more information,” Shane said, his words as bitter as the coffee Saint sipped. “And, far more importantly, my mother is the former White House press secretary. She had a lot of influence. That influence is gone.”
“I’m a little confused,” Ollie said. “You’re a professor. You were already researching the topic. Why not just hire you to research whether the enigma exists or not? Why take your evidence and erase the enigma from existence?”
Shane frowned. “You are confused. They already knew of the enigma’s existence. That’s not what they’re researching.”
“They?” Ollie asked. “Who’s they?”
Shane’s confusion only grew. “What do you mean? You already said it earlier.”
Ollie’s palm was sweaty in Saint’s, or maybe it was the other way around. Was this the proof they needed that Veritas had ulterior motives?
“Hearst?” Saint asked.
Shane shook his head. “No, Dresden.”
“I knew Dresden and Hearst are working together on this,” Saint muttered.
“Hardly,” Shane snorted.
“What does that mean?” Ollie asked. “Just tell us what you know. Why would Dresden care about the enigma?”
“Why do you think?” Shane muttered. “What do you think a billionaire private military contractor might want with access to a super-alpha?”
Saint had no fucking idea. Dresden was a psychopathic monster. The possibilities were endless. Ollie had mentioned them wanting him to work in research. Was this what Dresden had wanted Ollie doing? Experimenting on soldiers?
“He thinks he can…recreate this. Right?” Ollie asked. “He’s got it into his head that he can somehow utilize this research for himself. Create a whole line of genetically superior alphas to fight for him?”
Shane nodded.
“Wouldn’t he need the actual enigma for that?” Saint asked. “I’m not a fucking geneticist but I can’t imagine that a bunch of words on paper mean much without an actual enigma, right?”
“He didn’t have an enigma. But he had one’s blood,” Shane said.
“How? Who?” Ollie asked, exchanging a confused look with Saint. “How did they acquire this sample?”
Shane shook his head. “From what I’ve gathered, Dresden bought the sample in a private sale. He paid close to six billion dollars for half of the sample. The original owner kept the other half for himself.”
Saint grimaced. “For what?”
“For his own research,” Shane said. “Dresden bought the sample from Hearst.”
“Is…is that how Hearst got the business out of the red?” Ollie asked.
Shane shrugged. “I imagine so. But they’re not on the same side. Well, they’re both selfish, narcissistic alpha douchebags, but they have much different motives.”
“If Dresden wants to create a race of super-alphas, what the hell does Hearst plan to do?” Ollie asked.
Shane picked up a packet of sugar, turning it over in his hands. “Hearst’s passion is genetics. He tells the governing bodies that he’s researching ways to use the enigma’s genetics to create gene therapies for deadly diseases.”
“But he’s not?” Saint asked.
“I can’t prove it. But have you ever met his daughter?”
“Actually, yes. Once.”
“She’s a beta,” Shane said.
Ollie nodded. “Yeah.”
“Have you noticed she seems to have a lot of omega traits for a beta?” Shane asked.
“What are you saying?” Saint asked. “That Hearst used his own daughter for a research subject? To test changing secondary gender?”
“No,” Shane said, his voice hushed but emphatic. “I think he’s using her to test altering a person’s core abilities without changing their secondary gender. Like a beta with enhanced sight, scent, strength, shortened healing times, etc. I think he’s already mastered how to alter secondary gender and alleles.”
Ollie paled at that. “Then why hasn’t he put it up on the market? Is it still in clinical trials?”
“He’s run out of blood,” Shane said.
Ollie sucked in a sharp breath. “How do you know that?”
“He’s been out for a while. That’s why he found me in the first place,” Shane said.
Saint was getting a migraine. He didn’t understand any of this shit. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, they didn’t give a shit about my enigma research. Their only goal with that was to destroy it so others might not get the idea to do what they’re doing. What they wanted from me was the names.”
“Names?” Ollie echoed.
Shane nodded. “They wanted my genealogical research.”
“You were trying to find a living enigma?” Saint asked.
Shane huffed out a laugh. “No. I was tracing backwards, not forwards. I wanted to see if I could find the original enigma. If I could pinpoint subject zero, then I would know exactly which bloodlines stem from them and I’d be able to track the enigmas in each bloodline.”
“So, you never traced the genealogy to the present day?” Ollie asked hesitantly.
“I only had one data point. Gilles. I found his records and managed to trace his bloodline to modern day.”
Ollie shifted restlessly in his seat. “And you gave that research to Dresden?”
Shane nodded. “It wasn’t like I had a choice. He took it. He has a lot of powerful people on his side. If they knew I was talking to you, they’d probably just kill me and be done with it. My mom’s position and proximity to Dresden isn’t going to save me this time. She no longer has anything of use to Dresden. And neither do I. I’m a liability.”
“You never found subject zero?” Ollie asked.
Shane shifted to look out the window once more. “No…not yet, anyway.”
Ollie’s brows went up. “So, you are still looking?”
Shane didn’t answer, just looked at his watch. “Is there anything else? I really do have to get back. I have students to meet with.”
When he stood, they did as well, the three of them walking to the door together. Once outside, the wind hit Saint’s face like a brick wall. They all three huddled together to be heard over the wind.
Just as Shane turned to go, Ollie grabbed his arm. “Just out of curiosity, did you find an enigma? Is there one out there right now?”
Shane studied Ollie for a long moment before he said, “He’s out there, I’m just not sure he knows it yet.”
“Meaning?” Saint barked sharply.
Shane’s gaze snapped to him. “He hasn’t presented yet.”
“How do you know that?” Ollie asked.
Shane’s brows knitted together. “I have a friend at the National Registry. I have her checking periodically to see if he’s presented yet.”
“It was a good thing Deke hadn’t registered yet if Shane was keeping tabs on him.
“Does Dresden know about this potential enigma?” Ollie asked, voice shakier than a moment ago.
“Maybe? He has the same research as me,” Shane answered.
“What—What’s his name?”
“Whose name?” Shane asked. “The boy? The one who might be an enigma? Why would I tell you that?”
All of Ollie’s calm disappeared in an instant, like all the fear and doubt and uncertainty had finally broken through his wall of calm. “Please,” Ollie begged. “It’s important. I swear I won’t tell anyone. I won’t even contact them or anything. Please. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.” When Shane continued to stare, Ollie’s expression turned pleading. “Please,” he asked one final time.
Shane sighed, shoulders dropping. “I’ll tell you, but then you need to forget I exist.”
“Deal,” Ollie said before Shane even finished talking.
“Fine, his name is Misha Claasen.”
Saint frowned. When Ollie looked at him, he knew they were both thinking the same thing.
Who the fuck was Misha Claasen?