n

n

n~~

nReece

n~~

nTo say that hearing what Agent Otsana had to say surprised me was an understatement. If I heard that right, my Little Bunny had commanded obedience from a non pack member that was forced to obey. Was she a former pack member that never settled with another pack? Was she actually a Red Springs wolf? I sincerely doubted it.

n

"Agent Otsana, are you saying you were compelled to follow my mate's orders?

"

n

"Yeah, that is exactly what I'm saying.

" She was still staring at Trinity with a look of shock, fear, wonder, and distrust all mixed together.

"And I want to know how she did it.

" She didn't sound as if she was planning to pull her offer of cooperation from the table, but things were definitely taking a unique turn.

n

"I don't know how I did it.

" Little Bunny's eyes were wide and full of doubt and fear.

"I don't know what's going on here.

" She looked afraid, like she was actually a rabbit cornered by a pack of wolves.

n

"Trinity, are you sure you didn't do anything, nothing different than usual?

" Samuel asked her with a calm voice.

n

"Could this be because-.

" Noah trailed off, not finishing the question because of who all was present right now, those the question was meant for knew what he was trying to say. But there were still plenty of people present who didn't know about Trinity being half witch and that it was her father we were hunting, specifically the fed that was in the room.

n

"No, I don't think it has to do with that.

" Michael was one of the few truly smiling at my mate right now.

"If you ask me, I think this all has to do with her markings.

"

n

"Markings?

" Otsana inquired.

n

"Her wolf form has special markings.

" I told her, there was no hiding it now.

n

"Special how?

" She wondered.

n

"She's been marked by the Goddess.

" Michael said in a breathy voice as he stared at his Luna with a look of awe. He sat there on the couch and watched her as if she were an idol and he was nothing but a shy fan, he used to be the one who worked with her the most now Samuel was needed to take on that role.

n

"Marked by the Goddess?

" Otsana seemed skeptical.

"That hardly seems plausible.

"

n

"Believe what you want.

" I snarled in frustration. Little Bunny was looking uncomfortable with the attention she was currently getting from the entire room.

n

"Fine, let's say I believe you, what do the markings mean?

" Otsana demanded.

n

"I wish I knew.

" Little Bunny squeaked in a weak voice. I reach over, wanting to make her feel better. I wanted to pull her to me and hold her in my arms, hiding her from view and dousing her with my scent so the others would ignore her. I didn't like the distressed look in her ice blue eyes, or the way that she was trembling slightly causing her the deep, rich brown hair hanging from her ponytail to sway slightly and the stray hairs to twitch around her neck and ears.

n

"Let's move on. There's clearly no way we can figure this out right now.

" I tried pulling the conversation away from my Little Bunny and back to the matter at hand.

n

"Fine, but we will need to discuss this at another time. I am a cop first and foremost and I am curious enough to pursue this.

" Otsana looked like she was excited rather than upset.

nOtsana was offered a seat so the conversation could be moved on to the important topics. I pulled Little Bunny to sit on my lap, freeing up another seat so the Elders and Otsana would be able to sit comfortably. The warriors and guards stood around the room watching on.

nDespite my opposition in the beginning, Otsana did have the right idea. If we got along and worked with each other from the beginning then it will be easier on all of us. I just wasn't a very trusting person anymore, all things considered.

n

"Alright, tell me what it is you have in mind?

" I asked her once we were all settled.

n

"By the way Agent Otsana, why was it that the FBI had to be summoned from Denver, isn't there an office in the city?

" My Little Bunny questioned.

n

"Ahh, well that's a bit of a long story, but let's just say that the local office has been under construction with renovations for the last few months.

" She looked as if she were hiding something but I didn't push it. We had other things to discuss as it was.

"If it's any consolation, the office will be open soon.

"

n

"Will you be working out of that office?

" Little Bunny asked.

n

"I don't know, it's a possibility.

" Otsana deflected.

n

"Let's get down to business.

" I interrupted them.

"How do you envision all this working out between us?

" I demanded. Otsana smiled as if she found me funny.

n

"Well, my plan, for now, was to have someone from your pack work closely with me. Someone with a PI license that knows the area well. Preferably someone who will be an asset when I am in the field. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that whoever it is we're looking for isn't human. And If I am right, then I would like to keep as many of the humans around us out of this situation if possible. I know we have allies in the police department, and you have me in the FBI. I would like to hope that I can count on you too.

"

n

"Why do you think that the culprit isn't human?

" Carter seemed curious at her firm, confident words.

n

"Their complete lack of scent and the way the kids seemed to just vanish into thin air.

" Her answer seemed as if it was full of annoyance for Little Bunny's cousin.

n

"I know those details already, I just wanted to see if you had any other opinions or evidence.

"

n

"Don't test me right now, I'm not in the mood.

" Otsana scolded him.

"I'm still trying to figure out just how these people left no scent trail. It completely baffles me.

" She seemed angered by herself even more. I watched as she rubbed her right hand over her forehead for a second before trailing it across the top of her head and down to her neck where she proceeded to rub her neck muscles as if in frustration or exhaustion, maybe both.

n

"You clearly haven't dealt with Warlocks then.

" Noah said softly and off to the side, but the room was so still and quiet at that moment that even his whispered words echoed loudly.

n

"Huh?

" Otsana snapped her head up to glare at him.

"What did you just say?

" She yelled at him.

n

"Nothing.

" Noah smiled sheepishly but managed to not reign that in immediately so he could hide all expressions.

n

"What about Warlocks? Are they the ones who took the kids?

" She looked shocked at this revelation. I wasn't upset about Noah revealing what we knew, or thought, about the case. I would have to tell her eventually anyway, I guess now was the best time.

n

"We can't prove it but we're running with that assumption.

" I confirmed Noah's remark, and her questions.

n

"Why would you suspect the Warlocks? The magic council has not declared any sort of war on the wolves or humans. As far as I know there has been no unrest coming from them.

" She looked skeptical and unwilling to believe what she had just heard.

n

"This isn't from the magic council. This is from a rogue coven that has been harassing our pack for twenty years now.

" Samuel's voice rang across the room, anger and sadness both clear in his voice even though his face remained calm and expressionless.

n

"Why would that coven focus so intensely on your pack?

" Her voice was still filled with doubt.

n

"Because of me.

" Little Bunny's voice held no hint of sadness or doubt as she answered the question for Otsana.

"Well, I guess it started with my mother really.

" She added.

n

"Your mother?

" Otsana tilted her head in confusion, her brows drawn together and a baffled look in her eyes.

n

"Everything started with my mother, before I was even conceived.

" Little Bunny began her tale for the agent to hear.

"My mother was only fifteen when she got pregnant with me.

" Agent Otsana's eyes went wide when she heard those words but she remained quiet and listened on.

"She was kidnapped and raped by the Warlock that leads that coven. Sacramentum de Mortis, The Covenant of Death, that's the name of his coven. And according to Edmond, their leader Gannon Cornelius Edmond, he has been trying to make hybrid children for centuries. Half vampire, half human, half fae, half shifter. He never mentioned the other shifter groups, so I don't know if he ever managed to successfully produce a hybrid with them, but as we werewolves far outnumber all the other shifters he might have just focused on us to create his shifter hybrid.

"

n

"Why does he want these hybrids?

" Otsana seemed astounded and disgusted with everything she had just heard.

n

"He wants a sleeper cell so to speak.

" Little Bunny answered with a thoughtful expression.

n

"What?

" Otsana still seemed baffled.

n

"He wants minions he can send back to their homes and wait to be activated by him to gather information, help bring about the downfall of their homes, and eventually help him to take over the world.

"

n

"He's a regular megalomaniac.

" I added to my Little Bunny's words.

n

"And this is the psychopath you think has the children? What has he done recently to make you think it's him. Don't get me wrong, if he really is like that then he deserves every ounce of suspicion thrown his way, but I don't see why you automatically suspect him.

n

"He kidnapped my mate last month.

" I answered her in a flat tone.

"We managed to significantly reduce the number of members he has in his coven, but he managed to escape. I swear I will track that man down no matter what I have to do. He will pay for what he and his cronies did to her.

" The anger in my voice was nowhere near hidden causing Otsana to blink in confusion and possibly fear at the intensity of my tone.

n

"Those dirty Warlocks tortured my cousin.

" Carter growled.

n

"Carter, that sounded racist.

" Noah reprimanded his brother.

"But he's telling the truth, they kidnapped her and tortured her during the time it took us to find her.

"

n

"Why would they torture her?

" Otsana was still confused as to why they took my Little Bunny to begin with.

n

"They were trying to awaken my magic.

" Little Bunny answered before I could stop her.

n

"Magic?!

" Otsana yelled in surprise.

n

"Yes, I was born with magic that I didn't know about. I was never supposed to get a wolf but I was supposed to have magic, at least according to Edmond.

"

n

"How would he even know?

" I didn't know if she was intentionally not grasping it yet or if she was being intentionally thick headed for the sake of the Luna of the pack.

n

"Because Edmond is my father.

" Otsana's jaw dropped and she stared, wide eyed, at my mate.

n

"Y-y-your father?

" She stammered as if she thought we were playing a game on her and she was still waiting for the punchline all the while just waiting nervously. Little Bunny just nodded her head.

"So, you're a hybrid?

" She asked with awe in her voice as if she had never seen a hybrid before. In truth she probably hadn't, hybrids weren't very common among shifters. I had met a couple in my time through work but only a couple.

n

"Yes, I am a hybrid, and my father is an evil psychopath of a Warlock. The night he awakened my magic he also awakened my wolf. I shifted for the first time while I was still being held captive, and I also used magic I never knew about before that night.

"

n

"Wait, could you being a hybrid have anything to do with you being marked by the Goddess?

" She asked looking around the room. Samuel, Noah, and Carter knew about the hybrid status, as did Vincent because he was with us when we rescued Little Bunny and had seen her magic first hand. However, Cedar and Michael had not been told about it yet. The two of them were staring with shock and awe nearly identical to Otsana's. The intensity in their eyes was making my mate uncomfortable.

n

"I don't know.

" Little Bunny spoke truthfully. No one knew exactly what was going on with her, but I would never abandon her, I'd help her any way I could, even if it killed me.

n