My Special Wolf

City of Sandy Hook, Kentucky There was Serin, arriving before him. Talen watched as his sister climbed carefully from tree to tree, maintaining a steady pace and breath. But not cautious enough, not as in control as she needed to be to avoid the Genetics Council and the soldiers they would send out to get her if they ever found out she was still alive. Serin, along with her other five "siblings," was a human/nonhuman hybrid. Biogenetically fusing Cheetah DNA with human cells, she was born a new species that the Genetics Council thought would evolve into the ideal killing machine. Talen had taken Serin and the others from the identical facilities after a fiery explosion that he believed had camouflaged their escape more than sixteen years after he and his mother had escaped from just such a lab. Since that night, they'd lived in constant fear that the Council's regular army ordered to track down Talen would eventually catch wind of their existence.

Talen stalked his sister through the woods that bordered his house, keeping a low profile with narrowed eyes, controlled breathing, and stealthy footfalls. Just ahead of him, she was treading carefully and precisely over the dead twigs and loose pebbles that littered the ground. She avoided making any noise and tread cautiously. Her cautious monitoring of the area was still insufficient. In a couple of minutes, he would have her in his grasp.

As Talen closed in on her, he caught a glimpse of their darker brother, Damen, pausing in the search. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to put Serin through this training exercise. Powers that Talen was coming to realise she lacked. Talen hid in the shadows as he climbed from tree to tree, avoiding the direction of the wind in case it bothered her sensitive nose. She might get lulled into a false feeling of security if she picks up on his scent too quickly, leading her to rely on a weakness that any well-trained soldier would be able to exploit. She would have to realise that her vulnerability made her a sitting duck for those who threatened her from behind.

No matter how well she planned, or how well she knew he would be present at this training exercise, she would be trapped. Serin was unarmed, unskilled, and completely incapable of protecting herself or helping her family if they were ever located. A bitter, defeated groan rang between the tree-shaded rock walls as Talen walked behind her, scarcely a breath stirring the air at her back, and clasped his arms around her, locking them at her side even as he braced his legs wide apart to escape the violent flailing of her feet. "Stop. Defeat is in shop for you. Please accept this as a fait accompli." When he finally let her go, he said harshly, "I don't care if you die." He then watched emotionlessly as she collapsed to the floor. While he regarded her with rage, Serin sat tensely among the dead leaves and meagre grass of the woodland floor. "Damn it Talen, you didn't even give me a shot." The blonde stood up, her long strands of dark blonde hair falling over her face and then being brushed back with a fierce motion as anger showed in the odd bright green of her eyes. The weight of her allegation hung between them now, and Talen's anger sprang up unexpectedly. "No way, no how could I even consider you? Do you really believe that, if the Council's warriors find out you're still alive, Serin, they will give you a chance? Are you optimistic about your chances against them?" His voice remained calm, but a rising rage was clearly audible in his eyes. She wasn't trying hard enough or studying efficiently.

Just as it was almost too late for him by the time the Council found him, by the time that steel hard core of strength in her could be enforced, it might be too late for her. As she stared at him, Serin snarled angrily and shook with rage. To commit dishonesty; hear "You're cheating." When she said it, he expected her to stomp her foot, but she didn't. "Cheating?" With growing astonishment, Talen asked her, wondering if the gravity of the situation would ever register with her. "Do you really believe that the big kids will be honest? What, Serin? Do you really believe that they won't just throw a net over your head and drag you back to the laboratory before giving you a head start and a list of rules? Where will they take you after they get you? Is it likely that they will ask your permission to rape you and have their way with you in terms of procreation? What do you think, Serin? Will they care if they cheat?" His words incited rage in Talen, and her expression got increasingly rebellious as time passed. "Talen, please be patient with her. The fact that she is learning is crucial." As Talen made his move against Serin, Damen stopped a few feet away. His usually attractive face was wrinkled into a scowl, and his dark emerald eyes were staring angrily at Talen. "Is it?" At this point, Talen was hostile towards him. "If she is captured, would that be enough, Damen? Just what is it that can save her arse in that case? She had no idea how to escape my grip. Worrying about the possibility that she might be surprised. I'm wasting time with her because her training is inadequate. It was your responsibility to handle this situation."

While Talen led the warriors of the Council and various mercenaries on a nationwide goose chase, Damen was responsible for training Laney and Serin. Damen had allowed his emotions get in the way of training them, causing him to lose years of progress with Serin and leaving him unsure of whether or not Laney could be trained at all. Like they'd completely forgotten that they weren't protected. The possibility always existed that all those years ago, when they escaped from the labs, Talen hadn't covered it as thoroughly as he had intended. Without the survival instincts to avoid capture, the others would be condemned if the Council found out they were still alive. The three of them—Damen, Dayan, and Webb—had a head start. They had been simpler to teach because their dispositions fit better with the lonely existences they were compelled to lead, with the requirement that they maintain a state of constant surveillance. Despite the hardships of their incarceration, the girls lacked these reflexes. "Who the heck knows how they're going to keep alive if the Council tracks them down, but dammit Damen, how? If they get isolated from us and on their own. They're sitting ducks." An angry Serin was interrupted by Talen, who he said was not a stranger. "Not a chance. There is no danger coming from either you or Damen, in my opinion. Yet, when my safety is in jeopardy, my attitude changes." Talen looked back at her, his eyes scanning the long, slender contours of her body through her skimpy shorts and tee. She was strikingly beautiful, with large breasts and long, thick, dark blonde hair. The Council's hired troops wouldn't mind raising her at all. As a result, she would be used for reproduction. They required her body to create the small, elite force they envisioned. "Then it's time for you to feel some real danger, Serin. They are aware of my presence, and it is only a matter of time before they dispatch someone more seasoned and less morally scrupulous than those they have sent thus far. You never know when I'll need your help. If they discover your survival, you might need to be there for yourself. Without knowing how to properly use your weapons, you have no chance in battle." In an instant, Talen twisted his body and re-encircled her with his arms. "Wow, look at you, you tyke. It's the same as before; you have no control. They will continue to hold you like this while the others rape you. Can you recall, Serin, the sensation of their fingers touching yours?" Talen, embarrassed by his own behaviour, reached for her breast through her t-shirt and pinched the nipple as he laughed loudly in her ear.

The wild yell reverberated through the trees just as deadly claws dug into his arm, catching him off guard and causing him to let go. The lady squirmed free of his grasp, whirling in the air as she flipped away from him then back towards him before landing in a crouch on the forest floor, teeth bared and face white, eyes filled with tears of betrayal. Talen realised that nothing could bring her as much pain as remembering her time as a slave in the laboratory, where she was raped on her fourteenth birthday and told she was destined for breeding. She was designed and bred to further the human race. Rough and amoral soldiers routinely touched her as a youngster, jeering as they foretold her impending doom. A doom from which Talen had saved her, albeit only partially. Talen took a quick glimpse at the blood that was trickling slowly down his wrist and arm. That looks like it may require stitches, Damen. Now he was watching Serin, taking note of her rapid breathing and crazy expression. "Can you tell she's done? We could have placed a net over her and gotten her undressed in the time she's been crouching there. I'm curious as to what sort of assurances the soldiers made to her in that location. How many times around the track till her lovely belly got too big for them to ride her properly?" She disappeared in the blink of an eye. Talen didn't give her any credit for being quiet as he watched her run through the woods, but he had to give her props for speed. Is that something you believe had to have happened? As he watched Serin run away, Damen leaned against a tree, crossed his arms, and frowned. Muscles tightening all around him reverberated with the urge to use violence. His tone became subdued and emotionless. "Talen, you made a mistake with that." Damen was getting ready to go after her, his protective instincts on high alert and his concern for his sister's well-being almost overwhelming him. This was the main reason why Talen had removed him from the training processes. The ten years had done little to improve Laney's and Serin's lack of self-defense skills. To compensate for the atrocities they had witnessed in the labs, Damen had cosset the girls like Maria, Talen's mother, had done. The position was untenable, and Talen knew it. Since Maria's death a year ago, he had come to realise their inherent frailty. It's the only way to make her remember how helpless she felt, so use it, Damen. Talen shook his head, struggling to overcome the feelings of shame and regret he was experiencing as a result of his actions. "It's imperative that she acquire new knowledge; otherwise, she will be of little service to either herself or me. She'll be well in time. She'll be stronger once she does." Talen was aware that that was useless. Nightmares would return for Serin. They would both be able to hear her screaming throughout the home, but he wouldn't be there to comfort her. For Serin, it was more challenging. When she was fourteen, she was almost as attractive as she was today, making her an easy target for predatory guys.

If one day Talen or Damen weren't around to look out for her, she would need to know how to survive on her own. It bothered him that they were being forced to repeat the horrors and suffering of a life they should never have known, and that teaching was more difficult than learning.

He had to help Serin get over her yearning for a normal existence before he could teach her anything. Eventually, Serin would have to accept the fact that they were abnormal and would remain such forever. She was a threat to herself up until she made that realisation. The Council thinks we're dead," Damen recalled. There is no immediate threat to Serin and Laney. As his frustration grew, all Talen could do was shake his head. The Council might not locate them, but they couldn't know for sure. That was the most difficult lesson to impart upon them. Whenever you turned, the Council was watching, suspicious, and looking. He chewed out, "That could change at any time, Damen," and looked up at the sky that was visible above the canopy of trees. The lines around Damen's eyes and mouth hinted to the onset of old age. The tragedies he witnessed as a young man working in the Genetics Council's labs had left their mark on his dark complexion and keen green eyes. Is it possible for the Council to find out we're still here? With a frown on his face, Damen asked him. Why now, after so many years? "As of right now, I have my doubts that they do. Therefore, you should not count on them remaining unaware. Never drop your guard. Girls, in particular, need to be on guard at all times "Talen's voice sounded grave and serious as he cautioned him about the dire circumstances they were in. And Talen knew they were unprepared. Friendship had been formed, and eventually those friends would be entrusted with their secrets; but, Talen knew from experience just how treacherous such friends might be. No, Talen, you can't train them the way we did. Now Damen looked at him with a hard expression and a harsh tone. "They are giving out. Yes, I did my best." Talen breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down on the ground, leaning his back against a tree. He realised his worst nightmare when he heard Damen's voice. That's strange. Inquiring as he looked up at Damen, he asked. "Dayan had them in training."

Finally, dissatisfied with Dayan, Damen gave a tight shrug of the shoulders. "Like you hoped for, indeed. Dayan coached the ladies as I kept an eye on things. Around six months ago, I decided to put an end to it." When Talen was away, Damen took charge, but Dayan's combat prowess were cooler and more effective. "Why?" Talen repeated his question. "That was too much for the girls to bear. And that's what I've been attempting to communicate to you." As he sat down opposite to Talen, Damen shook his head, his countenance tired. "Serin couldn't sleep because of Laney's nightmares, and she also stopped eating. I let Dayan drive them until they were practically dead before I intervened. My bad behaviour will never be repeated." Talen could detect a note of caution in his tone, indicating that Damen would not permit him to proceed. I doubt that was anything Talen was interested in doing. He wished that Laney had grown out of whatever it was that made her starve herself when she was stressed. They had come dangerously close to losing her twice: once in the laboratory and once after they escaped. Her existence had been in jeopardy for months. Serin had symptoms that were more subtle yet potentially lethal. This meant that she was awake the whole night. She lived for weeks on just a few hours of sleep a night, which she considered to be nothing more than naps because of the nightmares. She was becoming increasingly frail and paranoid by the day, afraid of everything from shadows to the dreary recollections of the laboratories. We have to do something," Talen urged him at last, his eyes meeting Damen's. "When Maria passed away, I was unable to gain access to the box she had delivered to her lawyer. Steven Taylor received it and read it. Just this week, he finally got it." Talen saw Damen's eyes close and his shoulders slump as he watched. They might be throwing their futures away in that box. Possibly the only proof that Damen and the others survived the explosion Talen set off in the labs during their escape was in there, along with copies of every experiment done to make Talen. "Are you sure you know what was in there?" During a few tense seconds, a worried tone crept into Damen's voice, and he questioned. To put it bluntly, he was unsure. "She promised to keep quiet about you and the others, but she did say she would give me the lawyer's contact information. And she never did." Before we find out, how long do you think we have? So, Damen questioned. "At least a week more, probably more." To this, Talen simply shrugged. "I want you to be prepared, and I expect everyone else to be as well. I'm familiar with Taylor's standing in the industry, and I have to say, this is one incredible tale. If he so chooses, he can go with what he knows and forget about evidence. In the event of a news flash, we're all leaving." With a nod and a standup, Damen agreed. And if he first seeks evidence? When he looked down at Talen, he inquired. I'll take the brunt of it and lure them away," Talen said. "But until then, caution is warranted. They should anticipate that anything he does will affect all of our lives."

After Maria's passing, I told you to kill him. After surprising Damen with his sudden presence, Dayan emerged from the forest. Talen had detected his presence mere moments earlier but kept quiet, unsure of whether Damen would notice his brother was around. If Talen didn't pick up on Dayan's presence, who could blame him? This second guy was almost as good as Talen was. Like the others, the DNA utilised to give Dayan his skills was different from Talen's lion genetics. Because he was endowed with Jaguar genetics, he made the most of the opportunities afforded to him. When compared to other species, he stood out as colder, more mercenary, and more lethal. While Talen understood his reluctance to assist bring the others back from the labs, he couldn't blame him; his very being had been shaped by a fight for survival. Talen reassured Dayan once more, "We don't kill. Talen had to constantly remind the other man of this fact. Dayan stared at him with cold indifference before shrugging. His eyes were a dark amber. Dayan, you could have just told us you were there. When confronted by the younger man, Damen displayed signs of discomfort and hostility. "Possibly, I could have. I made up my mind to not do it." Dayan flashed his brother a grin while looking at him, but the disdain he carried about with him like a shroud was never far from the surface. I'm getting back into town right now. When Damen looked at Talen, Talen caught a glimpse of the rage that his friend was struggling to contain. "Cal, we'll chat again soon. Whenever it is convenient for you." As he walked away, Talen observed him turn back towards the clearing where he had parked his truck. I've lost a lot of his respect, apparently. Dayan watched him go, and though he expressed regret, his tone seemed more snide than sorry. To this Talen said, "Your attitude leaves much to be desired, Dayan," while continuing to lean back against the tree. Talen recognised a truth that Damen missed. This iciness and cynicism sprang from Dayan's urge to prove his leadership abilities. Due to Damen's reluctance to battle with one of his brothers, the group's equilibrium had been progressively shifting prior to Talen's return to Sandy Hook. However, Dayan would not have been able to push Damen any farther. Talen was positive that the younger man had no idea that Damen's patience was rapidly running out. As Talen pointed something out, Dayan simply shrugged. "I watched as Serin sprinted away. Now, I can see why she wouldn't appreciate your style of training "As Dayan mentioned. Now Talen's irises narrowed. Talen told the younger guy, "She'll get used to them, just as you did," knowing full well that the recollection would cement Talen's position of authority. Much higher than Dayan's level.

Dayan was aggravated by this. A minor nuisance, but one that Talen decided to disregard. Talen foresaw a moment when he would have to show Dayan that power was not automatically associated with youth, and that experience was much more crucial. Until then, he'd give him slack to see how far he could go before pulling him back and making it clear who was in charge. I was wondering, "What about Laney?" When Dayan approached him, he questioned him. "I had just started to get the hang of things when Damen yanked her back. So long as you can convince him to return her to me, I can finish her training while you focus on Serin." Until he saw the unease in Laney's eyes when he offered it the day before, Talen had contemplated this possibility. Before making a final call, he would have to observe how she performed during training and determine how much stress she could handle. We'll see," Talen remarked indifferently as he got to his feet and dusted off his jeans. "I'm on my way into town to grab some supper before heading back home to bed. Where do you stand, personally?" Dayan stared at him for several minutes, his eyes cold and vigilant as he looked for a vulnerability. Although Talen would have chuckled at the attempt, he knew that it would lead to a battle with Dayan and so was not worth it. Although he was confident in his ability to defeat his brother's opponent, he decided against doing so. There are "fences" that "require fixing" on my property. In the end, Dayan gave a shrug. "I haven't finished the repairs yet, and the cattle are moving to the East pasture for the summer." Talen confirmed this with a nod. Soon summer would be upon them, and he would have to figure out what Dayan had done to make him fall so far behind. Give me until tomorrow and I'll get Webb and Damen to help you, Talen said. After all, his beef supplied their needs all through the year. "You're good to go with that. The garage on Damen and Webb has been quite busy, therefore I have recently hired some additional help." Even though Talen could tell this worried Dayan, he shrugged it off. "But if you're bored, just step outside. There's never a shortage of things to do." When asked if he had seen any changes in his brother during his nearly year apart, Talen nodded thoughtfully. There were small details that most people probably wouldn't pick up on, but Talen saw them all. Dayan's unusual rage, which caused his shoulders to tense and his amber eyes to flash. I'm thinking about it, Dayan. Talen confirmed this with a nod. "If I'm lucky, it'll be a couple of months before I have any more issues. If we have time, I'd also like to go fishing." Dayan nodded in assent, but Talen could tell that neither idea sat comfortably with the other man. Talen could tell that Dayan's issues were compounded by the fact that he and his siblings had chosen a different path in life. As for Talen, he didn't need any more hassles at the moment.