I felt myself blinking rapidly as I stared at Isaac, unsure of what would be an appropriate reaction. Did I tell him that he was wrong, and that they were trying to do something far worse than that? Or did I mind my business and leave him to believe what he thought best?

My eyes scanned over the members of his pack that were still within our presence, and I found myself wondering if it would be appropriate to share such information in their presence. Maybe it would be best if I waited until they had gone, or maybe I should do what Zee was most likely to recommend, and not tell them anything.

As if thinking of him had somehow summoned him, the door opened to reveal Zee, his footsteps thudding loudly as he entered. It came as no surprise when I heard a howl outside, Zee looking towards the window in irritation. He came to a halt beside my desk, but before he had the chance to get comfortable, I gave him another instruction.

“Take Alpha Isaacs’ pack with you and assist them in making dinner. You know where everything is and I’m sure that they’re all grown enough to cook for themselves.”

Zee continued to stare at me, looking at me in a manner that suggested that I was crazy or delusional. Perhaps both?

“Do you think all of them are going to fit into your kitchen?”

Trust him to find a problem with what I had planned. I allowed the chair to swivel so that I was facing him, and it was hard for me to see him as the child that everyone else saw him as.

“They all managed to fit in here, so they’re bound to fit into the kitchen. Beside, the dining room is available for their use too. Now, please escort them out. I have serious matters to discus with Isaac.”

“What’s so serious that I can’t be here for it?”

Zee took a step closer to me, my mind registering the barking outside. My eyes darted to the window and then back to Zee.

“Would you like to be present and tell your story to them yourself?”

My voice dripped with sarcasm, but my words must have sobered him up, because a silence settled around us. The only audible sound was Dev’s whining outside of the house.

“They’re here because of the resistance, aren’t they?”

Zee had sobered up completely, his face becoming withdrawn as he continued to stare at me. If I had to take a wild guess, I would say that he was busy reliving the very moments we had spent years trying to forget.

Zee, having realized what was at stake, turned to those in our company. The corners of his mouth had pulled downwards, but he was fighting to keep them level.

“I think it’s best if you all follow me. Those of you who don’t care to help prepare dinner, may be excused on the condition that you shift into your wolf form and go outside to play with Dev.”

A murmur spread through the air around us as they all vocalized what they planned on doing—dinner not being something that any of them wanted to make. Zee started leaving and I closed my eyes as the air filled with rhythmic thudding while everyone left the office—everyone except for Isaac and his Beta.

“Luciana?”

My eyes snapped to the doorway, where Zee was standing, his gaze so intense that I could practically feel his emotions. He looked so vulnerable. Gone was the confidence, the ego, the ambition to be my Beta.

“Shout if you need me to... you know.”

I nodded, knowing what he was referring to without him having to say it. He closed the door, the click wounding through the air locking us away from the outside world. I focused my attention on Isaac and his Beta. They were looking at me, clearly waiting for me to say what I do desperately needed to.

“I’d appreciate it if you guys didn’t interrupt me. Just listen, please.”

They looked at one another, their eyes connecting for a moment before their attention returned to me and their heads started nodding simultaneously in acknowledgement. There was so much that I needed to tell them, and yet I had no idea where to start. I decided that the beginning was as good a place as any.

“Zee and Dev arrived on our doorstep alongside my father after he had attacked a facility that was run by the resistance. I must have been about six or seven at the time. The fifteen year old child who had come with my father looked stronger than anyone I had ever seen.”

There were deep frowns on their forehead. It was a reaction I had been expecting, the story more difficult to comprehend than a werewolf with a dog allergy.

“He never spoke to anyone unless he needed to. He didn’t interact with the pack, and he didn’t involve himself where he wasn’t supposed to. He always had this pup running along with him. They seemed inseparable. My father ended up giving him a space on the lookout team after he was allowed to join the pack. My father trusted him, despite the fact that he was the actual Omega.”

I twirled slightly, moving the seat so that I was able to face them more fully. They looked as confused as ever. They made it seem like I was speaking a foreign language. Or maybe I just wasn’t explaining myself as well as I thought I was?

“I was celebrating my thirteenth birthday. The pack treated me like an outcast. An omega instead of the Alphas daughter. Nobody bothered to come to my party. Not a single soul. I was expecting a pity party, especially since my mother had died the previous month.”

I decided to stay quiet for a second, giving my mouth a moment to collect some moisture as I composed myself. It was always difficult when I had to talk about my mother, but I knew that what I was feeling was nothing compared to what Zee was probably feeling.

“Zee ended up coming to see my father later that afternoon, still looking like his fifteen year old self. The pup that had been following him around was no longer a pup. It had been the first time I had seen them in years, and they made a magnificent pair. I had never seen a wolf as brilliant as him ever before.”

I was starting to become irritated with their lack of reaction. Admittedly, I had told them to be quiet, but I expected more difficultly in keeping them that way. Were they slow? Or were their skulls just thick?

“I had only learnt much later that Zee had been rescued from the resistance. The only survivor. The pup that I had always seen with him was named Dev. The resistance had somehow formulated some kind of extraction procedure that makes it possible to separate us and break us into our two separate forms.”

My eyes searched for Isaacs’, the hair on my neck rising as we stared at one another. The lump in my throat felt as if it was becoming bigger by the minute, wrapping around my vocal cords in the process.

“The resistance has hopes of separating us from our wolves in the exact same way that they had removed Dev from Zee. I believe they’ll do it one by one and exterminate our wolves in the process.”

I looked down, taking in the scrapes that decorated my fathers desk. I was suddenly finding it difficult to say what I needed to say. After all, this could turn into an alliance that could save our species.