“This doesn’t make any sense. I know my boys; they don’t take drugs.”
“I know. But what else could it be? Something had to do this to him.”
Tristan shook his head in confusion. None of it seemed real. Sensing Logan, he worried they would make it down to the room, given the rules. But then again, a little rule breaking was the least of their problems. Before he had a chance to ask Julie to go get Logan, both Logan and Kalli came into the room.
“Sorry we’re late. Traffic was a killer as usual. Had to sneak in here ’cause they said only two people were allowed, so I arranged for a distraction. What is going on with…” Logan’s words ended abruptly as he noticed it too. He rushed toward the bed and sniffed. “What’s wrong with Ryan? What did they give him? He smells…” Perplexed, Logan ran a hand over Ryan’s forehead in concern.
“Human. I know. We smell it too. Julie said he may have taken something,” Tristan added.
“Where’s Toby?”
“He didn’t make it. He’s gone.”
Logan stumbled toward a chair in shock. “No, no, no.”
Julie ran over to Logan and hugged him as they both wept openly.
Anxiety seized Kalli as she came to terms with what must have happened. There was no way in hell someone went from wolf to human without intervention; without CLI. Someone had taken her pills, and that same someone had given them to Tristan’s wolves. Someone took the CLI, and used it as a weapon just like she’d imagined in her worst nightmares. Her heart sank in guilt and anger. Like it or not, she had to confess.
“CLI. Canis Lupine Inhibitor,” Kalli whispered. “It’s why he smells human.”
Stunned, Tristan turned to Kalli. Did she just say she knew why Ryan scented human? How did she know this? Missing pills. On the balcony. She’d said that they took something from her apartment. His vision tunneled onto her, and for a few seconds, he felt as if he was seeing things through a kaleidoscope. Kalli was involved in Toby’s murder?
Before he realized what was happening, he’d sprung out of his seat, growling. Logan jumped in between them, holding up his hands. “Calm down, Tris. Just let her explain,” he pleaded.
“You knew about this?” Tristan accused Logan.
“No, I don’t know anything. But we need her help. She might be able to help him or at the very least, tell us what the hell is going on.”
“By all fucking means, Dr. Williams, which probably isn’t even your real name, explain away. I mean, one of our young wolves is dead. And Ryan, here, is apparently human. For once, I’d like the damn truth,” Tristan yelled at her.
Both Julie and Logan cringed slightly upon hearing his voice raised. Tristan was consistently calm, even during the most tense discussions or negotiations. But Toby’s death had sent him completely off the edge; he was boiling over in anger.
Kalli, unable to deal with the situation on a personal level, reverted back into her professional persona. The only way she could deal with violence or death was to compartmentalize the information, otherwise she’d simply break down in tears, especially knowing it was her formula that had caused this. She straightened her spine, readying to face the Alpha.
“I tried to tell you earlier, Tristan. You know I did. But we…we ended up, you know what happened,” Kalli insisted. “Can I look at Ryan? I mean, I need to see him to be sure.”
Tristan nodded furiously and gestured for her to move toward the bed. He was pissed at her, and he was pissed at himself for fooling around on the damn balcony. He should have pressed for all of the truth but instead, he was weak. He darted his eyes to Kalli, watching her grab a stethoscope off the wall. She inserted the ear tips and began pulling open Ryan’s hospital gown.
“I’m sorry Tristan. So sorry I didn’t tell you everything but I was scared. And now,” She looked down to Ryan. “Well, you wanted the truth? Here it is…the sad horrible truth. I told you that my parents died, but what I didn’t tell you was that I was pack. That’s right. My son of a bitch father was wolf, and my mother was human. And I was a lowly hybrid. Cross that. I was a lowly hybrid, who managed to survive abuse day after day. I was the hybrid that the great, almighty Alpha planned to utilize as concubine for the wolves who weren’t allowed to breed. I hated that pack and everyone in it. So I ran far and wide. Changed my identity. But it wasn’t enough. I needed to be human. Nothing else would do. They’d find me. Excuse me a minute.”
Kalli stopped to listen to Ryan’s heart. Then she picked up his wrist to listen to his pulse. Tristan and Logan stared at her in disbelief as she continued her confession. “I’ve been working on the formula ever since I was in grad school, but it wasn’t until two years ago that I perfected it. No more shifting during full moons, waking up alone naked in the woods. No more fear of being discovered and dragged back to that hellhole. For once in my life, I could just live quietly with my work and my animals.”
Kalli pushed the hair out of her face, and walked over to the other side of the bed. Her voice started to waver as tears brimmed her eyes. “And if I hadn’t gone for a walk that day, saved your damn snake, I’d still be living that way. But that wasn’t in the cards. The wolves I saw, they’re from my old pack; I recognized the faces. As for the pills, someone, I don’t know who, knows about my research. It’s what they were looking for. They took my spare pills, and it’s without a doubt what is running through this boy. But after looking at him, it appears that they didn’t give him a full dose. Maybe they slipped it in his drink and he didn’t drink it all?”
Kalli pulled the ophthalmoscope off the wall, lifted Ryan’s eyelids and examined him. “I’d say, from my experience of taking CLI, he should be able to shift in another two to four hours. It’s wearing off already. Whoever gave this to them knew what it was supposed to do. They probably were testing it, wanted to see if he could shift when injured, because that is exactly what this drug does, prevents shifting.” Kalli sighed, looking to the exit.
She’d had enough: enough lies, enough violence, enough of pack. But at least it was out in the open; they all knew. And even though she was terrified the wolves from her old pack would find her, the worst thing was how Tristan was looking at her; she couldn’t bear it. She feared that he’d never forgive her. Even though she hadn’t intentionally set out to hurt him or anyone in his pack, her creation had killed that boy. Sure, it kept her hidden from others who’d see her dead, but now someone out there was using it to kill wolves.
Feeling as if she was going to be sick, she made toward the door. She had to go. She didn’t belong here with Tristan or his wolves. After everything she’d told him, she wouldn’t be surprised if he loathed her.
Tristan balled his fists at his sides, reeling from her confession. She was a fucking wolf and hadn’t told him. He wanted to hate her, yet his wolf wouldn’t allow it. But his human side was enraged. He watched in astonishment as she tried to leave the room, without even discussing it. So not happening, Doctor.
“And where the hell do you think you’re going, Kalli? Is that even your real name?” he sneered.
“I told you that I had to change my identity. I had no choice. They’d find me. But just so you know, Kalli is my real name. Williams isn’t, but I’m still the same person inside. And for all intents and purposes, Dr. Williams is who I am,” she countered, stifling a sob.
“It’s one thing to lie to me, but don’t lie to yourself. You aren’t human, no matter how much you want it or how many of these pills you take,” he spat at her. “I can’t talk to you right now. Fine, you want to go; then just go. Get out of my sight. I can’t even look at you. Logan, take her to your condo. Move her things.”