Page 14 of Redeemed Wolf

“No, no. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I was only just starting to get a headache.” I wasn’t about to tell him I was hearing voices. I sighed as the pounding began to ease, offering Dad a small smile. “I’m already starting to feel better. You don’t have to hover. I promise I’ll be okay, you can go back to work. Sandra’s here,” I added, pointing to my fellow lab tech, but she didn’t even look up from her work. She might not have been the best choice of babysitter, with her earphones tucked into her ears, no doubt playing her favorite death metal band at full volume.

“Hmm,” he murmured, unconvinced. “All the same, I’d feel better if I stayed nearby, kept an eye on you. Just as a precaution. You know, the day’s almost over anyway, and I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on… Don’t mind me. You won’t even know I’m here.”

I gave an exaggerated roll of my eyes, and he laughed. “I know, I know,” he said, waving a hand as he made his way to his desk in the corner. “I’m such a stereotypical overprotective father, so sue me.”

He was, in fact, exactly that. Nobody could blame him for it, either. My illness had almost robbed me of a normal life, but thanks to this very lab, he’d been able to create a treatment to allowed me to function. I barely remembered what it was like, the pain, the hallucinations, the volatile emotions, I was so young, but I knew my dad had put his entire life on hold for me. To help me reclaim who I was. I was so incredibly grateful for everything he’d done for me, all the sacrifices he’d made, in both his career and his personal life. I would do anything to repay him, even allow him to hover.

Shaking my head, a smile on my lips, I rolled back over to the microscope.Now, where was I…

The glass slide was a sample from Alpha IP: Wolf, and I’d been trying to see how it reacted to blood samples of other species. It was immediately obvious that any two samples of mutated alpha blood meant almost instantaneous cell death. Just to be certain, I tried it between different species, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. The alpha blood was simply too dominant to share space.

I frowned through the lens at yet another dead sample. Removing the slide from the clip, I filed it in the appropriate slot, then made a note of the result on the tablet.

But what if the blood I added it to was human, not animal…

My thoughts staggered to a halt as I yawned loudly, my jaw popping.

“All right, that’s enough,” Dad declared. “You’ve done more than enough. Time to call it a night.” He stood from his chair and gestured for me to do the same.

“What? But I wanted to try—”

He was already shaking his head. “Nope. You can try it tomorrow. The samples aren’t going anywhere.” As goal-oriented as he was, he always put his family before work. He grabbed the back of my chair and wheeled me away from the microscope. “Up you go. I’m taking you out for dinner.”

I scoffed. “Why? Because I had a little headache?”

“No, because I love my son and I would like to take him out to dinner. I’ll even let you pick the restaurant.”

Pouting, I let him lead me toward the changeroom. “Fine, but I really hate how quickly I gave in. I’m a weak, weak man.”

Dad laughed, nudging me toward the showers. “Not weak, just food-motivated. It’s an important distinction.”

I grunted, stopping at my locker. I hung up my lab coat then grabbed my bag and change of clothes. “Gimme ten minutes.”

“Take your time.” He meant what he said, but I hurried anyway, because I knew he would just be sitting there waiting for me. Maybe he thought I might pass out and drown in the shower if I wasn’t supervised.

By the time the ten minutes was up, I was clean and dressed, dragging a towel through my short hair. “So, where are you taking me?” I asked, tossing the towel into the laundry hamper.

“Benny’s?” he suggested, and my stomach gave a tight pang in approval. They served the best pizza on this side of the city.

“Sounds good.”

We’d reached the parking lot, so I turned to head toward my car, but my dad stopped me. “Why don’t we carpool? Your car will be fine here overnight.”

I frowned, confused. “Of course it would be fine in a guarded, fenced-in lot.” I sighed. “Dad, seriously. I’m okay to drive.”

The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened as his expression tightened. “Carter, listen… I worry, okay? I will never forget what it was like to watch you go through those episodes, to see my son in pain and be helpless to stop it. I know that you’re an adult now, but you’re still my child. Can you forgive me?”

Guilt gnawed at me. The memories were nothing but a hazy blur for me, but I knew how much those years still haunted him. “How about I have a sleepover at your place tonight,” I suggested, walking toward his car instead of my own. He kept a room made up for me, for whenever I wanted to stay over. I suspected he would love it if I just moved back home. He was lonely.

His smile was relieved, his shoulders relaxing back into place as he turned to walk beside me. “Perfect. Movie night?”

“Sure, but only if it’s an action flick. I’m in the mood for some blood and violence tonight.”

Maybe it was just me, but I swore his smile stuttered for a brief second. He pressed the button on the fob to unlock the doors. “We’ll see if I can wear you down for a sweet rom-com instead.”

“Speaking of romance…” I began as I slid into the passenger seat, “tell me about this new guard you hired. Silas? He’s cute.”

That definitely wiped the smile away entirely, in one fell swoop, and I laughed at his scowl. “Just kidding, Dad. You know I don’t date.”

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