Page 16 of Feral Mates
The facility was located less than a mile from Blackwell Industries.
“Holy shit.” I allowed my mind to wander. What if perhaps the wolves had also been in the forest two nights before? Watching. Maybe that’s what I’d felt.
I rubbed my eyes before finishing the article. A slow, scattered laugh erupted from the craziness running through my mind. Now I was completely certifiable. There was no chance the three men and the escaped wolves were one and the same.
But what if they were?
There were no other details in the article that would lead me to believe I was right. Maybe I’d call them. By now they’d been recaptured. Right? I grabbed my phone, searching the internet until I found Serenity’s phone number.
The call went straight to a voicemail. For a few seconds, I debated leaving a message. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all. I would sound crazy. Maybe the facility didn’t answer the phone on the weekend.
I’d try again later.
I also attempted to ignore the nagging feeling that the men I’d encountered were not of this earth, but the ridiculous thoughts wouldn’t go away. What if I was right? What if somehow, the energy source I’d been studying was lifeforms, but instead of entering our universe in their natural state, they’d somehow managed to use hosts on this side?
Absolute insanity.
Yet I couldn’t stop thinking about my theory.
And, if that was the case, how could wolves just suddenly turn into men? If the lifeforms were more evolved, perhaps altering their physique was typical.
The possibilities jetting through my mind were pure science fiction. But…
Nope. Get it out of your mind. You’re a scientist.
It nagged at me so much that after another fifteen minutes, I pushed the wine away and knew there was only one way of obtaining scientific evidence of my theory.
Returning to the source and to the scene of the…wild, ravenous experience.
Ten minutes later and against all rational judgment, I was in my car. This time I was equipped with a flashlight, my charged cellphone with a high-resolution camera, a bottle of water just in case I got lost, and a Swiss Army knife. I don’t know what I thought I’d do with it, but having the weapon with me at least provided some sense of protection.
I also had a DNA kit. If I was lucky enough to obtain a sample, I could answer my theories with scientific proof.
I was also wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a sweatshirt even though it was a warm day. Neither beasts nor men would rip my clothes off this time.
As I headed toward the road leading to the facility, I tried to piece together everything I’d learned in my mind since the start of the project weeks before. What I was thinking was crazy,but possible. But right now, jumping to any conclusions without positive proof was unscientific.
I slowed my vehicle to within a few feet of where I’d been parked earlier that morning. More than a dose of nerves scoured my system, but I finally climbed out, taking the small duffle bag with me.
After taking a deep breath, I began searching the woods. With plenty of daylight, I had high hopes.
Twenty minutes passed and I’d found nothing to indicate there were any wild animals other than the mosquitos constantly attacking my hands and face.
But I forged on, finding the river only minutes later. It wasn’t exactly where I’d been, although I had to admit, I was getting slightly turned around. I decided to cross over, finding a shallow enough spot so I was able to navigate the rocks without dumping my sometimes-clumsy self into the cold water.
I stopped long enough to grab a few sips of water before continuing on. Thirty or so minutes later, I was about ready to turn around. This was nothing but a wild goose chase and a potentially dangerous one at that.
Just a little while longer.
A sharp and joyful cheer left my throat when I noticed a road. Yes, it was grown over by the spring and summer heavy rains, and was mostly gravel dust, but it was definitely a road. So I followed it.
The trees grew thicker, the shadows more ominous, and soon it felt as if I was headed nowhere. But I forged on, finally catching sight of something just up ahead.
Another wave of powerful sensations crashed over me. My legs trembled, knees knocking with every step. Maybe this was all about nervous energy mixed with exhaustion.
When I came to a clearing, I took another deep breath, forced to lean against a tree. A little cabin in the woods near a lake. There were no vehicles and no sign of life. But I was cautious, even taking the time to grab my knife. A girl couldn’t be too careful.
After waiting for a few seconds to ensure I was alone, I took cautious steps forward.
