Page 13 of Redeemed Wolf

“Yes, great, I think this looks really promising,” Eric was saying as he nodded and handed the tablet back to Carter. “Next, I want you to try different combinations with the samples. See if there’s a variation in cellular reaction between the alphas and the omegas, or even if we could try splicing different species together. Wouldn’t that be something? The possibilities are endless.”

“Sure, I can do that. I’ll start a new file and have preliminary results to you by the end of next week.” Carter had already started to turn, ready to leave, and I panicked a little. What if I didn’t get another chance like this?

Before I could think it through, I’d already taken a step in, and both men turned to look at me, confusion in Carter’s eyes, alarm in Eric’s. “What are you—” Eric began, his hand twitching toward his holstered gun beneath his lab coat.

“And who might you be?” I purred, all suave charm, trying to play it cool like I was flirting. “I thought I’d met everyone here, but I’m sure I would remember meeting you. My name is Silas.” I held my hand out to shake, but Carter just stared blankly at me. Then he glanced down at my hand.

After a moment of all three of us locked in an awkward standoff, two things happened at once. Carter moved like he was actually going to shake my hand, but before he could make contact, Eric had stepped smoothly between us.

“That will be all, Carter,” he said over his shoulder without looking away from me, his glare subarctic.

Carter sighed and gave the tiniest eyeroll. “Right. Talk to you later, Dad.”

That one word was like an electric shock. “Dad?” I choked out, my wide-eyed gaze locking on Eric.

He gave me a tight smile. “That’s right, Carter is my son. You will have no need to interact with our lab techs, is that understood?”

“I hear you loud and clear,” I said, though nothing had been more confusing than it was now. “Didn’t mean to overstep, sir.”

Eric hummed, before he turned to continue the tour. I was just glad he hadn’t shot me.

I was so clueless about what game they were playing here, and how was I supposed to cheat when I didn’t even know the rules?

Chapter 6

Carter

Silas.

I blinked down through the microscope viewer, trying to focus on the blood sample on the slide, but I was having trouble concentrating. There was this buzzing sound, and at first, I’d thought it was the fluorescent lights overhead, but when I looked up, it wasn’t that. Then I realized that it was all in my head. I shook my head, trying to dislodge it, but it was no use.

Silas…

I’d been repeating his name over and over all afternoon, and I didn’t know why. Sure, he was nice-looking, with striking ginger hair and brilliant green eyes, smooth freckled cheeks, probably only a few years older than me. But I’d seen plenty of hot guys before. This was different.

Hewas different, though I couldn’t have told you why. And for some reason, I’d had the momentary urge to tilt my head to the side, exposing my neck for him, like he was some kind of vampire and I’d been held in his thrall, offering him a taste ofmy blood. It was the weirdest thing, but the urge had passed as quickly as it had come, so at least I hadn’t embarrassed myself.

A throbbing had begun in my temples, a pressure building in my skull. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, willing it to go away. I recognized the signs of an episode coming on. It had been so long since the last one, I thought I’d been doing okay.

Sighing, I pushed back from the microscope and scrubbed my palms hard over my eyes, trying to see through the fog starting to envelop my brain. My thoughts had a texture, a taste.

Silasssss…

This time, I swore the voice repeating it was not my own. It was low, rumbly, as if spoken through a growl. Wild… familiar… If I reached for it, I could just about remember…

“Are you okay, Carter?”

I jolted in my seat and tore my hands away from my eyes, blinking through the glare up at my dad, standing above me. “W-What?”

“I asked if you’re okay.” He approached me warily, before reaching out and putting a hand to my forehead. “You’re warm.” Then he peeled back an eyelid and checked to see if my eyes were clear. He grunted, a crease forming between his eyebrows. “Have you been taking your medication?”

For the briefest moment, I was tempted to lie. “I… I might have forgotten this morning,” I finally admitted, my cheeks burning. I knew better than that.

His lips pinched, and he nodded. “Well, take one now then. You know what happens if you miss a dose.”

“Right. Yeah, of course.” I pushed with my legs, my wheeled chair sliding across my workstation, and I pulled open the top drawer of my desk where I kept my personal belongings. Grabbing the pill bottle, I popped the lid and shook one of theblack-and-yellow capsules into my palm, then tossed it into my mouth and swallowed it dry.

My dad watched me, his concern foremost in his expression. “Do you think that will be enough? If you need, I can get a shot prepared.”

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