Page 103 of Feral Mates
Perhaps they were terrified of the power the three wolves contained.
They were stronger than before even with the injuries. They’d integrated more of what they’d learned while in the portal and in their new bodies. They understood humans better, althoughI couldn’t say they valued or appreciated mankind more than before.
How could they?
Humans were out to capture them.
Night had given way to morning by the time we reached our destination. It was a little farm nestled in Culpeper, Virginia, close enough to DC while being far enough away to avoid traffic and prying eyes.
It was here where a man my father had served with both in the military and in the CIA lived. My father considered him trustworthy and that was good enough for me.
Convincing the wolves was something else altogether.
As soon as we reached the entrance to the farm, I saw the name engraved in a wooden plaque on the sign positioned on the long fence enclosing the property, I slipped off Kai’s back. We were all exhausted, drained from what we’d been through as well as thoughts about how we could handle ending this chapter of our lives.
My fear was that it would end in their deaths and I refused to allow that to happen. I also wondered if I could find a way to reverse the procedure, but I had a feeling the lifeforms inside them were growing, increasing their strength as well. I also had no idea what that could mean, but at some point, I’d need to question all that I knew.
Not now.
Sergeant Mark Zinger now lived a quiet life, working the farm and tending to his alpacas. His wife had recently died of cancer. That’s what my father had told me. I stood staring at the longdriveway, trying to figure out what to say to the man. My father had likely mentioned what little I’d told him, but how could I explain the existence of three shifters without him wondering if I’d lost my mind?
“You should shift,” I told them. “I think it’s best if we approach with you being human instead of in wolf form.”
“It’s dangerous,”Apollo growled, the mental tethering even stronger than before. Another scientific anomaly that continued to fascinate me.
“Not here. Not now. I promise you that we’ll all be safe.” My wolves remained agitated. I couldn’t blame them.
I stroked behind Apollo’s ear as the other two watched me carefully. When I moved to Kai, he snuffled then let off a slow, husky growl. Roman simply sniffed the air as he scanned the perimeter.
“It’s safe,” I pressed then took a backwards step into the driveway, encouraging them with my hands.
Roman was the first to shift and as always, the transition was mesmerizing to watch. Not purely from a scientist’s point of view, but from a place of caring so much about them. Being able to enjoy both sides of them was a gift. It was something I’d need to keep in mind.
I was also worried about the other animals that had been affected. The poor creatures were stuck in limbo, and there was no way of knowing what they were aware of.
If my theories were correct, the lifeforms inside could easily learn from everything around them, making them highly intelligent and easily adaptable to any situation.
They could take a character from a science fiction novel and create the alien right down to the coloration and pigmentation of the beast’s skin.
The possibilities were endless and amazing.
Yet destructive.
The ground beneath my feet vibrated as Kai and Apollo reluctantly shifted. They were much more powerful in their wolf forms, but Sergeant Zinger would need to hear their stories and wouldn’t be able to communicate with them like that.
I’d yet to develop a theory on how I could possibly understand what they were thinking or saying, but I considered it another gift.
Apollo took a deep breath while studying me. At least he finally took a step closer. When he was by my side, I turned around and slipped my hand into his. So huge. So warm.
Just being near them made me feel more protected.
As we walked up the driveway, several alpacas approached, also sniffing the air once they detected predators. Yet they weren’t afraid. As if they knew there was good in all three. I even took a second to pet one of them. Maybe I was trying to ground myself. Not everything had changed.
Not yet.
We were near the porch when the front door opened and a man walked out. He’d aged tremendously since the last time I’d seen him, his face hardened by experience and time. But when he noticed me, his features softened. In his hand was a rifle, which he lowered.
The wolves remained tense.
