WILLIAM

The gold of her eyes suddenly flooded her irises. It was beautiful seeing it so clearly. My wolf howled inside me, feeling her so close, like she was a wolf and breaking into me too. I couldn't look away from the splendor of those eyes, shining a beacon to my soul.

And I knew as she stood tall and accepted her position as Beta Female, healer of the pack, the same trance that she was in before, was taking her now.

She stepped around me and Ryan purposefully, and passed three more cells. She stood tall in front of a creature that was filling the entire door of the cell, a full foot taller than her and bloodied from nose to fingers. It was attacking the cage door with so much force that I was worried the bars would loosen right there and take my mate. I had to hold back the fear that gripped me about losing her already. What had I done, leading her down here already? I couldn't let her take on these creatures after all. The snarling beast had eyes trained down at her, black claws pressing through the beams toward her. Its fight ready and willing.

"Open it," she commanded, checking down to the lock.

Her words were not a strong enough command to force me, but I slowly stepped up to her, staring nervous to the towering thing. I looked back to the small werecreature, huddled in the corner cell. "Caroline, sweetheart? Are you sure this one? You could start with that one we talked about first." Wouldn't it be better to begin with?

"No." She stated simply, then looked back to the beady eyes meeting hers. "That is a child. We need this one."

"A child?" I gasped in surprise. Werewolves were never children. How could a child become a monster? I stared back at the small being until Caroline scolded.

"William."

My eyes trailed up the fearsome creature. "Why this one?" I asked gently. I couldn't let her get hurt already.

"This is the former Gamma."

My eyes widened taking in the beast, speeding over its features. There was nothing that made me tell who it was. "Walter? This is Gamma Walter!? We thought he ran away with his mate. He changed into one of them?"

She pointed straight faced to the row of cells at the other wall. "The former Gamma Female is there."

I turned to follow her point at a nondescript werecreature. That's Denise? Then I stared at Kara in shock. "You can tell who these creatures are?"

She turned around the room. "One omega and two other warriors from this pack. Four from the Eastern pack. Eight, including the child, from the Southern. Two from packs in other regions." Then she turned and pointed to the far corner. "Her pack is from overseas."

"Wow," Ryan spoke in a hush, from behind us.

She twisted back to the largest wolf creature, claws still beating against the bars. "Now open. I can go inside with him. You can close it after me."

I again stared up nervously at the hulking thing. "Are you sure? Sweetheart?"

"Open it," she commanded.

I sighed and grabbed the keys from the smallest werecreature's cell and took them to her. "Be careful," I fretted, but I told her I'd trust her and I needed to make good on that.

She gave a smirking smile. "Mate William. No need to be afraid." She then leaned up and kissed me slow and soft.

My body gave a wonderful jolt at her touch and I smiled to her, suddenly less nervous and let the key twist in the lock.

Her shoulders tightened and head tilted, ready to jump into the cell. "Go."

I opened the cage and she sped to the back almost a blur, the creature's eyes followed and twisted back to her. It only got a single snap in before she had it to the cage floor and hands pressed tight against its arms, a knee holding its neck in place. Her eyes closed and the creature whined a long howl that started a frenzy in the room.

The other creatures paced their cells, strange chattering sounds filling the space. The other guards all pressed in on us, even the shifted wolves transforming back to human to watch my mate's instincts.

The creature's bones started shifting, each agonizing bone snapping and reforming as needed, or shortening to the correct human figure. In mere minutes the fur was replaced by human skin and form. She stood and glided to the edge of the cage taking deep breaths.

She then strode to the other side of the room, standing at the cage of a beast who stood tall at the door but didn't move to acknowledge her. The one she called Walter's mate.

I twisted back to the nude man. It was as she said, the former Gamma. Gamma Walter. They had no children, so Garrett was given the position. We all thought that Walter and Denise had ran away together. Never once did we think they would have been placed in our own cells. I thought about the others she spoke of, one Omega and two warriors, no Betas.

"Mate." Caroline called. And even though I knew it was to open another cell and put herself in danger again, I couldn't help but smiling at being acknowledged as hers.

I grabbed the keys and let Ryan take over at Walter's side.

I placed the key in the cell and felt less apprehension letting her inside. My mate was power. My wolf loved it.

Again the scene was similar. She raced in taking the creature down right away. The Denise werecreature didn't fight and snap like Walter's did, but the minutes dragged on much slower. The reforming bones not as loud of snaps. Bends and breaks slackening as Caroline's breaths became more forced at her lungs. After Walter was clear upstairs taken by the medics, still more minutes past as the hairs started pulling into the creature skin. A line of perspiration dotted Caroline's forehead when she finally stood, a thin Denise was unconscious on the cell floor.

Caroline gave a weary smile to me and stepped to the next cage. Her heart was pounding. "This one next."

I stepped after her delicately with the keys. "Are you sure you shouldn't wait for a moment? Give yourself time to rest?" I could see the tire within her.

She shook her head and stared at the glaring pacing creature. "I need to heal them."

"You need to heal yourself."

"Open it William."

I sighed, "okay."

I opened and she raced inside again, but as I closed it the creature got its jaws across her arm.

My voice caught in my throat and I raced to turn the key back. "Caroline!"

"Don't!" she cried, and I felt my hand stalling.

"You can't keep commanding me!" I yelled as she slammed it down to the ground. "Let me go!"

The creature's jaws were snapping and she had a single hand holding the snout together, an arm across one lengthened arm, a leg smashing down against its other arm. Her eyes burned less bright and the creature's strength did not give out from under her as the seconds ticked. The limbs began to pull into a more human form, but her head tilted, eyes closing.

"Caroline, mate please," I pleaded.

My hand unlocked and I twisted the key pressing myself in with her. Ryan closed the door after us.

I grabbed her off it and sped her out of the cage, demanding Ryan to lock it as the creature jerked into the door.

Caroline was drooping in my arms but staring towards the creature. "It's not finished."

It was still a werecreature, but the form had changed. We all stared at it. A human man, but face and claws swaying between werewolf and human. Blackened claws came from human fingers. Sharp elongated teeth coming from human lips. Wolfen ears from human hair. A ridged jaw line covered in fur. Widened nose, but human cheeks and yellowed eyes.

"Not yet sweetheart. Let yourself heal first." I gestured to the bite on her arm in fear. Would she become one now? After all that, would she be gone?!

She followed my eyes to the bite, and adjusted herself that she could grab the wound with her other hand. She pressed over it and blew out. A single minute ticked by and the little I could see under her hand stitched itself together.

I let out a breath of relief.

Her hand came away from a bloodied, but smooth arm. She then pressed herself into my shoulder and became limp. Her energy draining like the last sands in an hourglass.

"Caroline?" I groaned and pulled her tight against me.

As Ryan turned back to her in my hold, he watched her lifeless form.

He replaced the keys in his pocket. "She couldn't heal that one?"

I looked down to her, pressing her hair out of her face delicately. "I think she just ran out of energy."

The werecreature was now standing in his cell, looking out over his arms, like a man checking for wounds. It was a very human act. He stepped to hold the bars with his humanized hands, nails ticking against the metal, then looked out to Caroline in my arms. It grunted.

The sound made my hairs come up in protectiveness and I growled back. Its yellowed eyes met mine and he nodded once, arms falling to his sides and bending in forced submission.

"She'll be okay," I spoke hesitantly to the surrounding pack. Should I force heal her again? Last time she ran frightened from us.

The creature grunted again, almost a sigh, and all our eyes flew to him.

Ryan asked, staring at it. "Do you think it understands us?"

The creature looked at him for a few moments before nodding with a harsh sound.

"It does!" Ryan twisted back to me. "What do we do now?"

I looked over the sleeping beauty in my arms. "Get Eric. I think I need to let her rest." I turned back to the half wolf in the cage, hoping it did understand. "This is still new to all of us, but she's healed a few other wolves. I think she can change you the rest of the way. We'll be back when she gets her strength up."

It gave a single nod and sat back down in the cage.

He really could understand then. "Someone bring him some food and clothes please," I turned to the guards crowding me and stood up. They scrambled, and I took Caroline to rest.