Chapter 32

(Chapter song ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' by Iron Butterfly)

EZRA “Come. Safe.” I pull on Oliver as I follow Frankie to the center of the camp. He feels scared and even though my insides don’t like this fear in him, I have to make my mind think it’s fine because we're new.

I express it to the others as we approach the center.

The area is under trees and there’s others there already. Ones that want to meet the leader.

‘We trust.’

I connect with a blonde man. ‘Yes. Trust him. Trust me.’

He looks at Oliver suspiciously.

I stand in front of Oliver and hold his arms. “Sit.” I push him to a tree.

He raises his hand to me. “OK…Lady bird…I got it. Quit pushing on me.” His face feels like annoyance, but his voice didn’t so I step back.

I nod as I watch him sit. Inside, I’m happy he’s here and not mad. I want him to feel good about my army. I’m helping dead dogs.

I spin around and sit down on the leaves beside him as Frankie and two others sit in the circle.

Oliver puts a leg out and taps his fingers together. I watch him do this and so I do it too. He smiles at me.

“Oliver.” Frankie crosses his legs and sits tall. “It’s nice to…” He looks to the ground and thinks.

“Talk you.” I help.

“See you.” Oliver corrects.

“See you.” Frankie smiles. “Nice to see you…again.”

“Yeah.” Oliver leans forward. “You were at the unit then disappeared. What happened?”

He grins. “Ezra.” He points to me.

“Frankie’s much older.” I say to Oliver. “He helped.”

Oliver nods. “OK. So, how did this…happen.” He waves his hand around.

Frankie sits back. “Ezra fetch.” He says. I feel his fear as he speaks.

‘Don’t fear. It's OK.’ I say to him.

He nods at me.

Oliver looks to ne with concern. “You fetched him?”

“NO!” Frankie growls.

The others growl too and Oliver raises his finger to Frankie. “Don’t yell at me.” He says in an angry tone.

“He didn’t mean it.” I hold Oliver’s arms. “He’s still broken.”

“I know, baby, but he still needs to be taught. You don’t yell at me. Right, Frank?” Oliver tilts his head to Frankie.

“Ezra didn’t fetch.” He grinds.

Oliver nods. “OK. Ezra didn’t fetch. What happened?”

“Frankie tried to fetch me.” My heart hurt as my memories try to come back. “Michael fetched him.”

Oliver looks between the two of us. “Frankie tried to save you.”

Frankie nods with his lips turned down. “I tried to fetch. Michael put me in a cage. Made me a dead dog. Made Ezra a dead dog. We lost. Now, Ezra fixed it. We get better. All the time better.”

Oliver sits further. “OK. Frank. I understand you guys are getting better, but better at what? What is happening?”

“Better at ourselves. More than dead dogs. Dire.” He answers.

“We can be better at our Pack. We can be together and not be alone.” I tell Oliver.

He looks me over. “Ez…did you do this to not be alone?”

I nod. “Alone isn’t better. Alone makes me sad and I want to help so they won’t be alone like me.

He places a hand ok my cheek. “You were never alone, baby. Not now. This, in here. This says you’re not alone anymore.” He points to his chest.

I place my hand over the bond. “Together…with more.” I look into his eyes and nod my head to Frankie.

He looks around the circle. “This is your pack.” He looks back at me. “Ezra, did you make a pack? Like a real pack?”

I nod fast. “Yes. We’re together…forever.”

He raises his knee, puts his elbow on it and scrubs his face. He holds his mouth. “Incredible. This…This is amazing.” He looks around the center then looks to me. “You did this?”

I get up on my knees and get close. “I did…for you. To see I’m better. It’s what I wanted you to see when the moon had colors.”

He drops his hand. “You were evolving on the blue moon. That’s why you went to Deacons? What’s in library, Ezra?”

My face drops. “I wanted answers to me. I didn’t like you mad and I wanted to take me away. The hood man has answers in there.”

“You wanted a cure.” He says.

“A cure.” I nod.

“Well, it looks like you found the cure, Ez. Turn the rogues to Dire Wolves.” He chuckles as he looks to Frankie.

“Croak.” I say as I tilt my head to him. “It's not bad when you drink.” I lock eyes with him.

“Wait. You drink the Croak and it does this?” He asks.

“But not enough.” Frankie says. “Not enough to fix all.”

“How are you finding rogues to cure?” Oliver asks Frankie.

“We fetch them. From the hood man.” I tell him.

A smile grows on his lips. “You…You’re kidnapping rogues? Seriously?”

I nod. “Yes. I fetch them back from the bad men. I want to be nice. I want them to be nice. I want to be good. I don’t want to be a fetch hound anymore.” My chest hurts and I whisper the last words.

He move closer to me. “Lady bird. I realize you want to be nice. I understand that. I know you want to be good. I think I know what you’re trying to do here, but you shouldn’t have done this on your own. You need to be better than that and learn to ask me for help. Can you do that?”

“I can.” I feel my face heat as he holds it. The bond feels stronger now.

“Good girl. Now, we need to go.” He stands up. “Frank. You too.”

Frankie turns his eyes to me and the others. He stands up. “Where?”

“Eden. I have to make a phone call.” I say as I head back to town.

My eyes widen as I feel his energy. “Oliver!” I run ahead and stop him. “Oliver. You can’t."

“Yes, I can. Let’s go.” He starts to walk again.

“No. Oliver! You can’t tell! You can't.” I pull on his arm to stop him.

He turns to me and places his hands on my arms. “Baby bird. I’m not telling the Alliance. I’m telling Ian.”

I stitch my brows. “Why Ian?”

“Because, Ez. What you have here is a pack of awesome creatures and a way to help a lot of sick people. I’m telling Ian to make a plan to bring them home.” He looks into my eyes and his energy feels real.

“Home?” I mumble.

He leans close. “Yes. Our home.” He smiles and places his lips on mine. His taste is so good. I feel so warm.

He pulls back. “So, I need you two to explain Dire Wolves to me and Ian so we know what we need to do to keep everyone safe."

“We're safe. Protect home is mission?” I ask.

He thinks on it. “Yeah. OK. I guess, first official order as leader. Protect Eden and everyone in it.”

I smile then close my eyes.

‘Hear the mission. Protect home.' I link everyone the details and I get answers back.

“Agreed.” I grin.

He looks around as my pack starts to prepare to move. “What’s going on?”

“We’re coming with you. To protect our home.” I answer.

He tilts his head. “Oh. OK. Um…Just keep them outside of town until I can talk to Ian.”

“Sure.” I nod and walk away.

A good mission and home. My heart energy feels good. I feel love. I do love. I love Oliver and I want to protect him with my life if I have to. When I’m all better, we will have a great life. I can feel it.

****

OLIVER I walk in the door with Ezra and Frankie behind me.

“I have to go talk to my brother. You two sit in the common room.” I kiss Ezra’s head.

“Come on, Frankie. Don’t worry.” She takes her brothers hand and they leave.

I jog up the stairs to Ian’s room. Stopping at his door, I grab the knob and knock. “Ian?”

I open the door and hear him cough. His eye catches mine. He’s in bed and looks sick.

I tilt my head. “Ian?”

“Hey...How was the hike.” He belts out more coughs.

I walk to his bed and sit on the side of it. He’s white as a sheet and sweating. “Ian. What’s wrong?”

He swallows. “I don’t know…I feel like shit.”

I look to his bandage and it’s soaked, but not with blood.

“Let me see that.” I roll him to his back and peel back the gauze. “Oh God.” I flick my eyes from his wound to him.

“What?” He looks down to the blue slime covering his skin. “Wha?...What the hell? Ollie, what is that?! God! What is that?!” His breath speeds up as he starts to panic.

“Ian! Calm down.” I push him back down.

“I’m poisoned! That’s what this is! I’m fucking dead!” He whines.

“Ian, shut up!” I yell as I get up and get wet and dry towel. I also grab a med kit.

I sit down and he’s still whining. “Here.” I shove a thermometer in his mouth. Namely to stop the whining.

I take the wet towel and wipe the blue slime from his skin. He screams out and twists in pain.

“Jesus.” I say as the blue slime is not only oozing from his wounds, but also the pores around it. As I wipe more comes. His wounds are healing, but they look to be infected somehow.

I put the towel in the bowl and get the dry one. As I try to wipe his side dry, I pull out my phone. I prepare fresh gauze and dress Ian’s wound again.

“Who you calling?” I manages as he lays back down.

I put my finger to my lips. I stand. “Dad…Yeah…Good…Shut up for a minute…I need access to Alliance Labs…Not just any one. I need one with all the bells and whistles. The above top secret stuff…I know…That’s fine…I found something big and I need the lab to confirm it. I don’t want the Alliance knowing this yet. I also need access to all the databases…Dad?…Tell me where it is…” I listen to my father and my brows come together and I look at Ian. “You’re serious…We would’ve…full access…OK…Code?...Um…Thanks, dad.” I pull my phone off my ear slowly.

“Ollie…What is it?” He looks at me curiously.

I try to search for the words. “You’re never going to believe this.”

****

I stand in my mother’s sewing room in the basement of the pack house. I stare at the wall with dollies and embroidery work hanging on it.

In the center is a large one that says ‘Home Sweet Home’. Should have known it was a euphemism for something else.

I lift it off and there’s a red button. I hit the button and the panel section of the wood lifts up to reveal a keypad. I press my lips together and enter Andrew’s birthday. Again, irony.

I hit enter and the wall cracks. Air is released and the wall slides to the side.

“No fucking way.” Ian says as he hangs onto Frankie and holds his side.

“Interesting.” I grumble and take steps into the stark white lighted hallway.

Everyone follows me in and the door shuts behind us. We walk past glass rooms and offices. The lights turn on as we look around.

Experiment rooms, storage and other rooms sit in the walls.

We come to the end to a door marked with a sign that says ‘Alliance Labs’. I push the door open and my jaw drops.

The lab is insanely huge. Well past the pack house property.

The wall beside us up lights up and a computer generated map pulls up.

“Holy fuck!” Ian says.

Ezra studies it. “Ollie…what is it?”

I look over the map. “It’s the whole damn town. Eden was built over Alliance Labs.” My tone is quiet as I study it. I touch the screen and the map flips. Three more lower floors appear.

“Ollie, how did we not know about this?” Ian asks.

I roll an eye to him. “It’s dad.”

He ticks his head. “Fair enough.”

The main room for the lab has hallways to the left, right and at the back.

This area is full of desks with computers on them. Above each hallway is ‘Armory Labs', ‘Holding and Storage’, and ‘Chemical and Medical Labs’.

“This way.” I take everyone through the steel metal double doors, opening up to the medical Labs.

I find a room with a bed in it. “Ian.” I point to the bed as I turn everything on. I rummage through the cabinets and pull out what I need.

“What’s wrong?” Ezra asks as Frankie lays Ian down.

I grab a stool as pull up beside him as he whines and coughs. “Not sure yet. Whatever was in your bite is infecting him.”

“My bite?” She looks wide eyed.

I glance at her. “It’s fine, baby. I’m not blaming you.”

“I am.” Ian grits.

Ezra’s mouth falls.

I rip the tape off fast and Ian screams in pain. “No…we aren’t.” I grind.

He huffs breaths. “OK…whatever.”

“Ezra…Do you know what’s going on here?” I point to the blue goo oozing from my brothers side.

She looks at it and walks over to Ian. She sticks her finger in the goo and brings it to her nose. She sniffs it.

“Ezra?” I watch, curiously.

She sticks her finger in her mouth.

“OH GOD!” Ian cringes.

“Ezra!” I pull her hand away from her mouth.

She looks to the side as she tastes. “It tastes like me.”

“What?...What does that mean?” Ian whines.

“Ezra, is Ian turning?” I ask.

Frankie reaches in and dips his finger and puts it in his mouth.

“FRANK!!”

“QUIT EATING MY OOZE!” Ian yells.

“It tastes like me too.” He blinks at us.

“What? What the fuck?! No! No way! Fuck that! Oliver, kill me! Kill me right now!” Ian grabs my shirt.

“OK.” Ezra ticks her head and takes a step.

Both Ian and I throw hands up to stop her. “NO!”

Ezra stops with confusion on her face.

I hold a finger up to her. “No one is dying today.” I turn my head to Ian. “Got it?”

“Fine, but if I turn into one of those things, I’m eating your ass.” Ian glares at me.

Both Frankie and Ezra’s eyes glow and deep growls come from their chests.

I jut my chin out at them. “He was joking. Stand down.” I warn as I glare at both of them.

Their wolves recede and they calm down.

I take a deep breath and calm down myself. “OK. I’m taking a sample and I’m going to find a testing lab. In the meantime, just rest and try not to panic. And no more threats or they will kill you.”

Ian’s brows come together. “Ollie?”

I rub my forehead. “I kind of control them now.”

“You control them?” He questions I nod. “I’ve been named the leader of them.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” He shakes his head and flops it back down on the bed.

I grab a sample and stand up. “Ian, rest. You two, come with me.”

I walk out of the room and down the hall. I look through all the glass walls on either side for a testing lab.

“Oliver, Ian be OK.” Frankie says.

“I don’t know. This is all…” I stop when I see microscopes and scanners. I push the door open and drop the sample on a steel table. I take off my jacket and roll up my sleeves.

I point to chairs. “Sit.”

Ezra and Frankie look at the chairs, they sit in them at the same time.

I get everything I need to prepare the samples.

I check chemical composition, DNA, RNA, and blood reactions. I took a sample of Ezra’s venom and tested that.

The printer prints out the results. I lean on the table and rub my chin as I read.

“Oliver? Ian is OK?” Ezra asks.

I put the paper on the table and rub my forehead. “No. Far from it. Your bite is changing him.”

Ezra’s face filled with guilt and she looked away.

I lean forward to her. “I’m not blaming you. We didn’t understand what you were. It’s my fault you bit Ian. Don’t blame yourself.”

She glances at me and nods.

“The problem is the bite is unstable. His body is fighting it like an infection and holding it back. The venom is changing the white blood cells and Ian’s body is expelling them. Essentially, he’s infected and it’s killing him slowly. I can try an anti-venom, but I don’t think it will work.” I say as I look at the paper.

“Why not?” Frankie asks.

“Because your venom is rapidly changing with your genetic manipulation. What’s in his bite and what you’re producing now is so different, making an anti-venom would be next to impossible.” I sigh.

Ezra thinks. “I bite him again.”

“Biting him again will only make it worse.” I say.

Frankie sits up. “No…we give bite, we take away bite.” He flicks his head to Ezra and me.

I tilt my head and look at the paper. Taking out a pen, I put the paper on the table and write out the formula on it and compare them. “Holy shit.” I drop the pen and roll my head to them. “You have natural anti-venom.”

Frankie nods.

I huff a laugh and look at the paper again. “Unbelievable.”

“So, we can help Ian?” Ezra asks.

I smirk at her. “Show me those canines, baby.”

She grins at me and bounces in her seat.

I collect the venom and put it in a needle. I don’t think it’s necessary to bite Ian again, he’s been traumatized enough. We’ll try this first.

I take the anti-venom to Ian who’s passed out on the bed. His heart rate it way above normal and his temperature is through the roof. The gurney is covered in blue goo and it’s dripping off the edge of the bed to a puddle on the floor.

“God, I hope this works.” I walk over to Ian’s wound and jab the needle into the center of it. Releasing all of the venom into him, I watch the monitors carefully.

His heart stutters and I watch Ian. His body jolts and alarms go off.

His face turns beat red and he arches as he starts to seize.

“IAN? NO, IAN!”

He convulses on the bed so much, it starts to roll. His blood pressure and temperatures are everywhere and his jaw is clenched. The ooze pours out of his wounds faster.

I grab his head and his eyes are wide open. “IAN!!”

He’s gripping the sheets and trying to breathe.

I look to the wound a the ooze is still coming.

He grabs my head and pulls me close. “Kill….me….” He grits hard.

He slams his head back and arches even more as he screams out a roar.

“IAN!!” My eyes wildly watch my brother suffer and I don’t know what to do.

He flops back down and his head flops to the side.

The alarms slowly stop and I watch the numbers on the screen. Heart rate, temperature and blood pressure start to stabilize.

I grab a towel and wipe the blue goo from his side. Stitches fall out, one by one, as his skin knits back together. The ooze trickles then stops.

I choke out a laugh. “I can’t believe it. It worked.”

“He’s OK?”

I nod. “Yeah…He’s gonna be pissed, but he’s fine.”

Ezra grabs Frankie’s hand and they both smile.

I walk over to Frankie. “How did you know?”

He raises a finger and taps the side of his head. “The creator. He told me.”

“The creator?” I tilt my head. “You mean Cornell. You can talk to him?”

Ezra shakes her head. “Only see dreams. Um…long time thoughts.”

“Memories.” I correct.

“Yes. Memories. Only see memories of Dire.” She says.

I squat down in front of her. “Cornell’s not a rogue, is he?”

She shakes her head. “No. He’s a Dire. The last Dire.”

My eyes widen. “He’s building an army of his own. That’s what this is about. He doesn’t want to be a rogue anymore so, he’s going around making Dire wolves.”

“What’s a Dire wolf?”

I turn around and Ian is sitting up in his bed.

I smile. “Welcome back brother.”