I smiled. “Let’s follow that helicopter.” I grabbed my neck. The two pinprick bite marks were pulsing. I shook off the thought of what it felt like when she bit me, the pleasure and disgust. I shifted to my wolf form and took off after Kai. He ran easily now with no sign of a limp. The multiple shifts were starting to drain my energy. I was getting hungry.

‘Max is at the water treatment plant. He said the rest of the vampires have fled. One drum of silver made it into the water supply,’ Kai told her.

We were approaching the sound of the helicopter now. It hovered above us. The two ropes dangled from above and snaked across the ground. One of the RAIDOS agents was knelt over another agent.

“He’s dead, and the vampires got away,” the agent told us without looking up. I inhaled deeply. I couldn’t pick up Layla’s scent. I felt bad that one of their people had died for our cause. I heard footsteps behind me and Dr. Tavern and another agent stopped when they saw the body.

“Brent,” Dr. Tavern whispered, a tear fell from her cheek. It was then that I realized, the RAIDOS humans were a pack. This was their family, united with one cause, to protect their kind. We weren’t so different. I tipped my head back and howled in grief. Kai joined me. Dr. Tavern composed herself and spoke over her ear piece. Two men repelled from the helicopter with a rescue basket and a bundle of clothes. They loaded Brent into the basket and Dr. Tavern nodded at Kai and me. “Can you become human? We need to talk.” They turned their backs as we shifted to our human forms. I shrugged on the black sweatpants and t-shirt. Kai put the pants on but left the shirt crumpled on the ground.

‘They smell like someone else,’ he told me. Typical Alpha. Didn’t want to smell like anyone else.

‘I’m not complaining.’  I winked.

Dr. Tavern extended her hand to Kai and looked at his forehead, not quite meeting his eyes. Smart girl.

“I’m Dr. Tavern. I have been authorized to be the communications expert between our two parties.”

Kai shook her hand. “Do you do everything you are authorized to do?”

She smiled devilishly. “Not always. You don’t exactly get chosen to join RAIDOS because you followed the rules all your life.”

Kai’s deep laughter cut the tension that had been mounting and her two partners relaxed.

‘I like her,’ he told me.

‘Me too,’ I agreed.

“I am Kai, the Alpha of the Mount Hood and Portland, Oregon territories. I have been authorized by the werewolf council to tell you what I deem necessary.” There was no mistaking his subtle threat. Kai was in control of this conversation. Dr. Tavern nodded.

“The deputy director of the intelligence division has briefed the President on this situation tonight. I have received word that it is now our mission to gather intelligence on Queen Layla and any vampire spawn she may birth after having fed on Aurora.”

My hand went to the bite marks on my neck. Kai glared at Dr. Tavern. “Do as you please in regards to the vampires.”

Dr. Tavern leaned in and produced a small silver disc from her pocket. She clicked a button and it glowed red. Her two agents began to walk away. Kai grabbed my hand and creased his eyebrows. Then she lowered her voice. “It has also been brought to my attention that if the vampire does in fact prove to have a successful birth, Aurora is too much of a threat to be allowed to roam freely. We are to take her into custody to run tests at that point.”

Kai opened his mouth to shout something but she placed a finger over her lips, then she clicked the disc and the red light went away.

“We will be in contact with you. If the vampires move to harm any humans, we may ask that you return the favor we gave you today.”

Kai was grinding his teeth. I stared into Dr. Tavern’s eyes, there was something there…. kindness and fascination. She was intrigued with our species. If Layla gave birth, they would capture me. Run tests?

‘You’re mine. No one is taking you anywhere.’

“Any final words Mr. Krishna?”

I saw Kai’s face fall at the knowledge that they knew his last name.

“Yeah, tell your boss to keep his drones off my mountain.” He shifted tearing the sweatpants in two and Dr. Tavern’s eyes widened. She didn’t look away. I was right, she was fascinated. She looked at me.

“I’m a person, I have a family. I’m sure you know about my non-profit that helps hundreds of women and children every year?” I questioned her.

She grimaced. “Yes, we are aware of your philanthropic efforts.”

“What does Layla do?”

Dr. Tavern chewed her lip. “She owns a few night clubs and an anti-aging skin crème line.”

“Ahh, well thank God for her.” I laid the sarcasm on thick and shifted. I took off after Kai. It was important to me that the high ups at RAIDOS didn’t lump vampires and werewolves together. We were nothing alike. If they thought they could just wipe me out because my blood could grow the vampire race, they had another thing coming. Did I have two enemies now? The vampires and the humans?

I ran alongside Kai as we met Max and the others at the front of the water treatment plant. None of our wolves had died.

‘If RAIDOS hadn’t helped us this would have been a lot worse,’ I told Kai.

‘I know.’

‘Dr. Tavern didn’t have to warn us about them taking me if Layla has a child.’

‘I know,’ he said again.

I sighed. I didn’t know why I was sticking up for them. Then I laughed out loud. Sylvia and her clan had joined our group.