Chapter 23 - Felix

"All he's given us is his name," Brantley informs me in the surveillance room as we watch the werewolf go in and out of consciousness in the dungeon.

It was my brothers who'd flown into Charlottesville to gather those wolves who were still alive and burn the rest of the bodies to clean up after me.

As per the rules of the dragon shifters, we're not allowed to harm humans unless they cause enough chaos in the world. Like the war in the Middle East, we're only awaiting word from the Council to intervene.

Werewolves, on the other hand, are within our jurisdiction. Much like the other vile creatures on Earth, when they cause havoc and destruction, we're allowed to step in and stop them.

We haven't had an incident like this in almost five hundred years. The other supernatural beings had gone into hiding when they learned about our existence. Things had been peaceful until now.

"He refuses to tell me more," Brantley goes on. As one of our trusted warrior dragons, Brantley is imposing even in human form. With dark, brooding eyes and arms almost twice as big as mine, he's an acting interrogator when he needs to be.

"Is he not afraid of death?" I ask with a frown, glaring at the screen with disgust forming a lump in my throat.

The werewolf is rather brave, not telling Brantley what we need to know.

"He isn't," Brantley shakes his head. "Or maybe he's just pretending."

I huff out a frustrated breath, tearing my gaze from the screen and turning to Brantley. "He knows we won't kill him until we get answers. He's dragging this out."

As if on cue, Kairo sends me a mind link. We know what the serum is, Felix. Could you come to the lab?

I'm on my way, I let her know. "Keep an eye on him. Let me know if he makes any sudden moves."

Brantley nods. "He won't be able to shift with the silver chains binding him. Do you not want me to go back and question him a little more?"

I shake my head. "I think I'll have a go at him," I say before leaving the surveillance room and heading down to the lab.

The research facility used to be a study room in the castle—a makeshift lab set up for Yazmine's use when Aragon first forced her to the island. When she discovered a dragon bone during her work as a paleontologist, he kidnapped her, seized the bone she'd been studying, and made a deal with her to continue her research.

That's how we discovered that the bone belonged to our grandfather, who was lost in a war many centuries ago when we were still kids. Ever since they'd fallen in love and had a child, Aragon had built a special facility for her outside the castle.

I have to pass by the Aurora Island Hospital on my way to the newly-built facility. Pausing when I near the door, I take a moment to let my overworking mind go to Sierra.

When we arrived late last night, I'd taken her father to the hospital and left her there when she refused to leave his side. With a bullet wound in his chest, Doctor Amell spent hours stabilizing him. He remains in a mild coma, and Sierra doesn't want to leave his side.

Despite how much she resented him for his constant badgering and putting her down, I always knew she cared for him. She's not as cold as she'd like to pretend she is, and it's something I'd forgotten when she was on the island the first time.

She was only acting cold toward me. Her pain turns her cold toward the ones who'd wronged her, but that doesn't mean she still doesn't care or love them. Her heart is too big and pure to hold anything but love inside her. Though we haven't had time to speak yet, I'm glad she's back on the island. It's where I can protect her, keep her safe. Love her.

As my lips whisper into a fleeting smile, I head to the lab to deal with the trouble on hand. With Draco off the island, tending to his own troubles with his in-laws, I can't rely on him to take care of the werewolves. It's something I have to do, along with the help of my siblings and the new Beta of the Aurora Dragons, Aragon.

Despite having just given birth to her baby, I find Yazmine in the lab along with Kairo and Doctor Amell. As soon as I got back from the mortal world, I'd given Kairo the syringe filled with the murky green liquid and asked her to find out what it was. I didn't think Yazmine would have to help out, but I'm glad she's here. She has experience not only with fossils but with all things geological.

"What have you found?" I ask as I make my way to the three women huddled over the computer screen.

Yazmine turns to me with a frown. "The serum has a strange mix of herbs. Some stuff I've never heard of before."

"Dragonclaw," Kairo adds grimly. "A very high dose of the plant. Enough to put a dragon shifter in a coma."

"Why?" I ask as I step closer to the screen, skimming through the contents of their findings.

"Along with the traces of wolfsbane and the other debilitating herbs they've used, they were trying to knock you out," Doctor Amell responds this time. "But there's nothing more."

"There must be," I contemplate as I purse my lips. "There's a reason he wanted to knock me out. I have to find out why."

There are many reasons why the werewolves wanted me unconscious. It could be because they've been looking for our location, which puts us at a disadvantage now that we have a few of them on the island.

They're very territorial and perhaps wanted to seize the island. It's a far stretch, considering we're stronger and outnumber a single pack.

Unless the packs are working together.

I have to get to the bottom of this.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about the serum?" I ask the ladies.

Doctor Amell shakes her head. "It's no secret that they wanted you unconscious. But that's all the serum was meant for."

"I'm gonna need Aragon," I think aloud, to which Yazmine gets up.

"In that case, I should go back to the castle," she says with a yawn. They'd probably been up all night. "Aragon's been watching Dracon all night. I should take over so that he can meet you."

"Dracon?" I lament with a slight frown. "You named him after our grandfather?"

"Of course we did," Yazmine giggles, but the sweet cheer does little to douse my regret.

"I'm sorry, Yazmine," I sigh glumly. "I know I should have—"

"Uh-uh!" she shakes her head and lifts a dismissive hand. "I know you've been going through a lot. Now this…" she gestures behind her. "... This is more important right now."

Nodding my concession, I send Aragon a quick mind link to let him know I'll meet him at the dungeon where the werewolves are being kept.

"Hey, Kai…" I call out to my sister when she goes back to the screen. "Will you check up on Sierra for me, please?"

Kairo nods. "I just wanna capture these findings. Doctor Amell needs to return to the hospital to check up on Diego anyway."

"Thanks," I smile at my sister before heading out to the dungeon behind Mount Aurora. Once I've handled the situation with the werewolves, I'll be free to visit Sierra myself.

***

"I came as soon as I could," Aragon says as he jogs toward me. "I had to put Dracon to sleep. He refused to fall asleep in Yaz's arms."

"Fatherhood becomes you, Aragon," I chuckle as I pat his shoulder. "So does being the Beta of the clan."

Aragon sighs. "I'm guessing you're about to use me for something; that's why you're buttering me up. It's only been two days…"

I shake my head. "Just wanna get your permission to beat the shit out of this wolf."

He frowns, clearly taken aback. "You've killed a bunch of them already without anyone's permission."

"Yeah…" I groan. "But now that we're on the island, things are a bit different. Killing them in the mortal world is one thing, but serving death on the island is another."

"Is it, really?" he chuckles as we enter the dungeon.

I shrug. "It's for the sake of formalities. Plus, you haven't seen what I'm capable of yet."

Aragon perks up a brow as we head into the depths of the dungeon, flicking on the dim light to cast a shadow of the werewolf on the floor. The air is dense with the smell of dog, forcing me to swallow down the bile rising in my throat.

"Suddenly, I'm afraid," Aragon shudders beside me.

I kick the chair where the werewolf is tied, knocking him over until he hits the back of his head with a loud thud, skull cracking enough to wake him from his unconsciousness.

"It's not you who should be afraid," I taunt as I step over the werewolf, towering over him before leaning down and grabbing his neck. "It's this one who should be. Wake up, mutt…" I grate, shaking him like a ragdoll and lifting his chair upright with a single hand.

He opens one eye, the other swollen from being busted. "Oh, it's you…" he murmurs groggily, his raptured lips curving into a smirk.

"Happy to see me, huh?" I chuckle sadistically, slapping him across the face. He chokes on his own blood, spitting out to one side.

"Why don't you just kill me now?" he asks without any emotion in his tone. "It's not like I'm gonna fight you."

Lurking over him sinisterly, I narrow my eyes at him. "First, tell me what you wanted me for."

The werewolf chuckles. "Isn't it obvious?" He asks, to which I frown. "You have something that the rest of us don't have."

I exchange a glance with Aragon, realizing that this is easier than I thought it would be.

"What's that?"

"Immortality, of course," he says matter-of-factly. "It's something we've wanted for centuries. When you, Mr. Felix, lived in our world many years ago, a pack member saw you shifting, and we realized the legends were true. It was only a matter of time before you came back. Thanks to my old boss, of course."

A cold shiver runs down my spine, but I give nothing away on my face. I know exactly what he's talking about—it was the day I left Sierra. After leaving the apartment, I'd gone down to the parking garage, still wrestling with my decision to leave.

My conflicting feelings made it impossible to become invisible while in human form. I'd had to shift into dragon form first before being able to use the cloak of invisibility.

It was a weak moment on my path, a vulnerable moment that was an error on my part. This is a mess that I'd made, but I know my clan has my back.

Growling from within my chest, I warn the werewolf, "Immortality is not something you're meant to have."

Mateo grins. "But it's something we can harvest from your blood."

I raise a brow, knowing that this plot runs thicker. "Not anymore," I bite back. "You're the leader of your pack. Once you're dead, it won't matter."

"See, that's where you're wrong. There are others like me," the man says courageously, staring challengingly into my eyes. "Eventually, they will find you, and my kind will become unstoppable. My death won't be in vain."

In response to his bravery, I punch him square in the face and knock him out. It was easier for me to get the answers I needed, but it's only because I'm a Vulkan.

Because of the reining blood running through our veins, we maintain a powerful presence. But even with the answers and the wolves in custody, the threat remains.

I'm not even sure how many packs are out there who know about our existence.

Turning to Aragon with a heavy sigh, I say, "We need to find where they're growing dragonclaw in the mortal world. Start with this one's territory," I nod over my shoulder as I whisper to Aragon. "It may only be his pack involved this time, but we have to be sure."

"I'll wake him up and extract more information from him," Aragon suggests.

I nod. "We need to destroy any evidence of our existence and any plans they had in place to harvest my blood. If there's a facility, burn it. Burn their territory too, if you must."

Aragon nods slowly, a very misplaced, bemused grin on his face. "Sounds to me like you're still the Beta, Brother," he chuckles.

"I made a mistake. This is my mess to clean up."

"That's where you're wrong, Fel," he pats my shoulder. " We'll clean this up. Draco has already been informed about this and will return tomorrow. For now, there are other things you need to take care of."

My heart feels full, my chest swells with pride when my brother reminds me I'm not alone. Where I should be feeling guilty, I instead feel like I can take on the world with my clan by my side.

Like with Sierra, I can't let the guilt stand in the way of fighting for her. Right now, that's all that matters to me.

I have to speak to her.