Adam had healed from the injuries inflicted by Caleb's torture methods. Unfortunately, signs of scavengerism started to show on his skin after about a week before. They looked like small acne spots, but after analyzing them under the microscope, the altered cells were shown.
Based on the information Adam gave them, Miles would give them a small piece of dry meat every few weeks. From the first time they took it, they start to transform, but the continuous feeding of said meat made the process slower.
"The drug that kills you makes you die slower," Adam would tell them when they asked about the dry meat.
Today, they were to try to make contact with Adam's friend, Dalia. He told them a description and a sketch of her face was drowned and passed around to the people who would go along with Luca and Adira. Caleb looked at the piece of paper with the face of a beautiful woman with full lips, a long straight nose, and almond-shaped eyes.
"So, this is Dalia?" he asked Adam. The man was no longer inside a cell but in a hospital room. Guards stood outside and the windows were reinforced with silver bars. Yes, he was no longer a prisoner to be exact, but Alexander still did not trust him enough to let him go.
"Yup. She's the main fuck toy basically. Miles is pretty attached to the inner circle, but Dalia is his favorite," Caleb nodded in understanding. Adam had explained to them about the members of the circle, and their exploitation. He believed that all of them would help them, but the inner circle was most likely to have a reason to betray Miles.
"Thank you," He folded the piece of paper and put it inside his back pocket. He then sat next to Adam, who was scratching his leg. "Stop that, you are bleeding."
Adam looked down and scoffed. "Since when do you worry about me bleeding?"
"I'm not worried about you, your blood, however, is infected," he replied. He was ready to go, but he was waiting for Adira and Luca. The new couple were inseparable since they met the day before.
They waited in silence, Adam scratching every so often, and Caleb doing breathing exercises to pass the time. He heard Adira's voice happily talking about a book she read not long ago. Caleb recognized the story as one of the presents he had given to herfor her birthday.
The two walked down the hall, Luca kept his eyes on Adira, who was moving her hands to describe a scene in the book. The entered the room after she was done, Caleb greeted them.
"Hello, precious," Adam interrupted Caled and got closer to Adira. He scanned her body shamelessly, grinning when he saw her breasts.
Luca looked over at Adam, an annoyed expression on his face was quickly hidden by a stoic one.
"Shut up, Adam," Caleb told him. "That woman is the mate of the son of the moon goddess."
Adam could not hide his surprise as he looked over at Luca. He saw his white hair, pale skin, and grey eyes. Caleb paid attention at how Adam turned his head somewhere else. Caleb knew what he was thinking, the feeling he got when he first met Luca was something like fear, intimidation. Those eyes were unnatural, they held wisdom and Caleb felt that he'd get his soul snatched if he looked into them for too long.
"So, this is the man you told me about," Luca spoke to Caleb while keeping his eyes on Adam.
"Yes. He has agreed to help us if we are able to obtain enough dosages for him to slow down the disease. Dalia, his friend, might also help us. He says she'll request to be taken out of the camp and be kept somewhere safe, away from Miles."
"Is that so?" Luca asked Adam directly.
"For my help and information, you get me the meat and give Dalia a chance. I am sure Dalia will say yes, and I am pretty sure that will be part of her negotiations."
"Shouldn't she be the one accepting our requests in exchange for our help?" Adira interrupted. "You say she wants to get out of there, so she needs to do us the favor."
"All I want is to give her the chance she needs. My info will be given but it is up to you how much of it I give up."
Caleb thought about it. He felt a powerful conscience enter his mind, he tried to resist but was easily overpowered. "Do you trust him?" Luca asked him.
Caleb was not used to the heavy weight the man's link had on him, but he tried to resist the urge to hide away.
"Yes," he replied.
"Fine."
---
Caleb prepared to go with Adira, Luca, and a warrior named Tobias. He recognized him as Adira's friend, he would see the two of them train together most of the time. The man stayed in the sidelines, a few steps away from the three of them. He would glance at Adira every few minutes and then at Luca.
Caleb approached him, he never really talked to him other than to give him instructions or orders, so when Tobias saw him walking towards him, he stood up straight.
"Relax," he told him. "Maybe try to not make it obvious."
"Huh?" Tobias looked confused at his Beta. Caleb pointed at the couple, who were still talking about the book from earlier. "Oh... is not what you think."
"And what is it that I am thinking?" Caleb asked.
"I love her, but just like a friend. I am happy for her."
"It doesn't look that way," Caleb replied. "Hey, it's okay," he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll find tour mate soon enough," Tobias seemed to get uncomfortable, so Caleb let his shoulder go and Called for the couple's attention. "You guys ready?"
Adira gave him a thumbs up and went behind a three to undress. When she came back out, she had transformed into her wolf. "Since when do you feel shame to undress in front of us?"
"Since I found my mate."
She turned around and waited for the other three men to shift. Caleb took his clothes off and folded them next to a tree, Tobias did the same, and Luca simply pulled his shorts down and shifted into a large white wolf. Caleb was impressed, he was even bigger than the Alpha.
When the four of them were ready, Caleb motioned for Adira to take them in the right direction. She concentrated for a few moments and then followed a trail only she could see. "The scouts showed me the trail last night. I can smell them even from this far away," she told the group.
Luca stayed close to her, Caleb followed them, and Tobias stayed in the back, making sure they were not being followed once they exited the pack's border. They moved fast, Adira would stop every few minutes and smell the ground, the trees, and the air. She was, after all, the best tracker.
Luca seemed to catch on to the scent and helped Adira. The two of them worked together for about an hour until Caleb and Tobias were able to smell the camp as well.
"They are about half a mile away. I do not smell any patrols," she sniffed the air for another minute. "Looks like there is some fire, alcohol, and.... Some drugs I can't identify."
Caleb nodded and he walked ahead, they saw a group of men and women drinking. They were heavily intoxicated.
They had to pass them. Caleb considered their options, maybe if the went around them...
"Stay put," He heard Luca's voice. He walked ahead and entered the clearing where the people laughing at a man who fell over, not moving.
"What the fuck is he doing?" Tobias asked the other two.
Neither replied, Caleb watched as Luca got closer to the group of people and grabbed a beer. He started to drink and talk to the others. All three of them concentrated on his words.
"Sup, ya'll?" he asked with a groovy voice, imitating a drunken state.
"You new?" one of the women asked.
Luca sat next to her and the man that had her between his legs. "No. Just been gone for a while," he extended his beer toward the woman who grabbed and took a few sips before giving it back to Luca.
Caleb watched Luca talk to the woman, she looked rather uncomfortable, she was the less drunk out of the bunch. Adira stayed put, but her tail moved every so often, annoyed at what they were looking at. Luca, like some of the people in there, was naked and Caleb figured that bothered her.
Caleb wanted to laugh, but for the sake of the mission, he simply grinned.
"Go get your own!" The man with the woman told Luca. "There were some girls back in the dormitories."
"What girls?" Luca asked.
"I don't know, I saw Cecilia, and Fernanda back there. I bet if you asked the inner circle, they can help you get one."
This caught Caleb's attention. Adam had mentioned the names of the inner circle, if this Fernanda was the same one, then maybe she could take them to Dalia.
"Where did you see them?" Luca asked, drinking some of the beer. "I might go actually. It's been a while since I saw anything cute."
The two men laughed, fist-bumping. Adira growled, but Caleb shut her up before she could call unwanted attention.
"I think they were outside the dormitories," the man pointed to his right. "Good luck, bud."
Luca walked in that direction but as soon as he was out of eyesight, he turned back around and went back to their hiding place.
Caleb shifted and kneeled next to Adira, who was still annoyed. "How did you do that? Couldn't they smell you?"
"It's a small trick my mother thought me," He explained. "I can only take one of you with me," he said. "Modifying my smell is hard, but I can manage with one more person."
"I'll go," Adira volunteered.
"No," Luca said firmly. Caleb saw her starting to shift. He kept his eyes on Luca, knowing the man might get upset by having her mate naked in front of them. Before she could even speak, Luca interrupted her. "I'm not taking you in there, especially with no clothes on."
Caleb shared a look with Tobias, who was also avoiding looking at the couple. Who knows how the strongest wolf would react if they were to look at his mate like that?
"You are also in your birthing suit," she complained.
"I'm not going to argue. I said no," he cut her off. "I'm taking Caleb with me. You and Tobias wait here."
Adira was about to reply but Caleb shut her up. "Do what he says, warrior. Follow instructions and do as you are told."
She looked at Caleb, hurt and upset. She nodded once, glanced towards her mate, and shifted back, sitting on the ground.
Luca waved his hand and Caleb stood in front of him. The two of them faced each other while Luca touched both his shoulders and closed his eyes. Caleb was able to feel something like a blanket being put on top of him, covering his body. Luca opened his eyes and sniffed him, wrinkling his nose at his scent.
"Ugh, disgusting."
Luca's appearance had disappeared, being replaced by the man who he had talked to. Caleb looked at his hands and saw they were a lighter color, the rest of his body changed to a skinnier, less healthy man.
"Wha..."
"It's just temporary. Stay close to me, otherwise, the cloak will fall, and your real appearance will show." Caleb did not recognize his voice. It was higher than his normalone, but a little bit raspy, like that of a smoker.
The two of them left an angry Adira and an uncomfortable Tobias behind and walked around the clearing where the drunk people were still celebrating whatever. They entered a bigger clearing, with a pavemented road that took you to a three-story building. The only light came from the windows that surrounded the old hospital.
There were a few rouges, most of them ignored the pair, but some women watched them enter the building. The two men walked through the hall, following the sound of people laughing. They found a large room that had once been a waiting area before the building was abandoned. There were five women sitting on the floor, all dressed provocatively.
When they saw the two men enter, their talk died down as they watched them inquisitively. Some of them looked at the pair with disgust.
"Back for more?" A woman with golden hair asked them. Caleb looked around the group, looking for the woman named Dalia. She was not there.
"Fer, it's okay." Said a ginger woman. Her hair was braided, and her fair skin was covered in freckles. She was indeed beautiful.
"What the fuck Isabella, they know Miles said no."
Caleb looked between the two women; Isabella matched the description Adam had given him. She was one of the four inner circle members. The other woman, Fer, might also be part of it, Caleb figured her name was short for Fernanda.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Caleb asked.
Isabella rolled her eyes and moved to the far end of the hall. Caleb and Luca followed her. The ginger took a sharp turn and waited for them to catch up to her with her arms crossed over her chest.
"What? I already told you both that you need Miles's permission before coming here."
"Permission for what?" Luca asked.
"Me?" she replied matter-of-factly.
"We are looking for Dalia," Caleb corrected her.
The woman pulled her head back and laughed for a good minute. She bent over herself and rested her hands on her knees. "You really think Miles will let you take her? You better had brought him an Alpha's head if you want to request her."
"We just need to ask her something."
Isabella looked at Luca, there was anger in her eyes when she approached him.
"You have no right to talk to her."
"And that is because...," said Luca.
"Uh, I don't know...," she said sarcastically. "Maybe because you rejected her not too long ago? Or are you telling me you are ready to swear loyalty to the son of a bitch?" She covered her mouth, fear in her eyes. Quickly, she fell to her knees and grabbed Luca's leg. "Please, don't tell him I said that. I'll do what you asked me. Just... just... Don't tell him."
She was afraid of Miles, that much was obvious. Would she help if they told her the truth? Was she trustworthy?
Luca kneeled in front of her and grabbed her face with one hand.
"Swear you will do as I ask and you will keep your mouth shut," Caleb felt uncomfortable hearing the man talk to her like that. The few times he had heard him talking to Adira, he was always respectful.
He sounded like the type of man you hate.
The woman nodded. "I give you my word." Luca analyzed the woman. She was now shaking under his look; confusion filled her expression and then fear. "Who...you are not Robert."
"You were being honest then," Luca helped her up.
"What's going on?" Caleb asked.
"When you make a deal with me, you are bounded to it forever. Since she was being honest, the deal was sealed, and she was able to feel it."
"What are you talking about?" she asked, holding on to Luca for support.
Luca helped her stand up before speaking again. "We need to talk with Dalia. It's important."
Isabella thought for a second time, her eyebrows furrowing.
"She's confined herself inside the room. She doesn't come out unless she's with Miles... and he left a few hours ago. I don't think she will want to come to meet you... and if you go, I'm sure someone will tell him you went to talk to her."
"It's important," Caleb reminded her. "It's about Adam."
"That may get her attention..." Isabella commented. Then, after having a conversation with herself, she came to a conclusion. "You are not Robert, are you?" she asked Luca who grinned, impressed, and affirmed with his head. "And if you guys know about Adam... is he okay?" she asked, genuine worry in her voice.
"He needs the meat," Caleb decided to be honest. Adam had mentioned all of the inner circle might be willing to help them. "And we need Dalia's help."
"I'll get you the meat and Dalia, just give me a few minutes. Wait in the back of the building. There is a door down this hall," she pointed towards the door. "You can wait for me there. Almost everyone should be asleep by now."
"How do we know you can be trusted?" Caleb wanted her to say it. Wanted to hear her reasons.
"The one who may be in more danger is definitely not you guys," she pointed between the three of them. "I gave you my word, and it may not mean much, but I always keep it. I don't know who you are but I am following my instincts here."
"Even if that means betraying Miles?" Luca asked.
"I'd throw him into the fires of hell myself if I could."
She left, walking down the hall and turning left. Caleb saw her going up the emergency stairs, her thin skirt flowing with her movements.
"Can we trust her?" Caleb asked.
"For now."
---
Half an hour later, the two of them were hiding inside the bushes facing the back of the building. Luca had his eyes closed and was chanting quietly. He had told Caleb to remind still and as silent as possible. Caleb kept watching the door, waiting for Isabella to come as she promised.
The door opened slightly, and the ginger's head poked out, looking around, followed by the rest of her body. Another woman stepped out after her. Miles had a good taste in women, they were very beautiful.
They looked around, looking for the men. Caleb called Luca and he opened his eyes. They both had their original appearance, so when they walked out of their hiding place, Isabella and the woman who was definitely Dalia, looked at them suspiciously.
"It's us," Caleb raised his hands, showing them he was not going to hurt them. Luca walked behind him. "Did you get the meat?" he asked Isabella.
She gave him a jar with a few pieces of dry meat in it. Caleb opened and smelled it but was unable to tell what kind of meat it was.
"Don't eat it," said Dalia.
Caleb looked at her, she was dressed in a long flowy skirt and a tank top, and her feet were bare. Caleb saw her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, and her eyes were puffy and red. Caleb was still able to appreciate her beauty.
"Isabella told me you had news about Adam?" she asked the two men.
Caleb shared a look with Luca and then he told her everything that happened since he attacked their pack. He omitted the torture details, making it seem like it had been a simple interrogation. She paid attention to him without interrupting him.
"So you want a spy in here?" she came to the conclusion. Caleb nodded. "What kind of information do you need?"
"Everything," Luca responded. "His plans, the number of his people, about the meat, how to prevent those who ate it transform. All of it."
She stayed silent for a few minutes until she finally shook her head. "I cannot be your mole."
"Why?" both men asked at the same time.
"I can get you his files and all useful information I can get, but you need to take me out of here. I refuse to stay in this hole any longer."
Isabella, who had remained silent until then, decided to speak up. "You can't leave us just like that!"
"I know, I was not going to. You all are going with me."
Caleb shook his head. "No, can't do. Getting one of you out will be hard enough. Getting all four of you would be close to impossible."
Dalia crossed her arms over her chest and stood taller. Her eyes never left Caleb's as she spoke.
"You need me. You need all of us. We are his closest people; we know most of his plans, the way he thinks, and his strategies. He never shares the same information with all of us, we all know different things and are never the same. I might be able to give you partial information but to see the whole picture, you need us all."
Caleb thought about her offer. The fewer people he had the better. Taking the inner circle would be a heavy blow for him, Adam mentioned sex was not their only role in the group. They had vital information that could save them and they were not willing to give it up unless they all made it out.
"Can you take them all out?" He asked Luca.
"Not right now, but I can take them out one at a time."
The two women stayed silent, both held their heads high and back straight. Caleb admired their stubbornness and loyalty toward each other. His decision was made.
"Take nothing but what I asked of you. Luca will bring you out one at a time," he instructed them. "When is he back?"
"He should be back early in the morning," Dalia replied. "One more thing..." she hesitated, looking at Isabella who gave her an encouraging nod. "It's not four people, but five. Although I think the fifth one may be able to get out by himself, he'd just need asylum."
Caleb looked at Luca, who gave it a few seconds to ponder over, but agreed to it. "That's okay."
"You have two hours, each of you should be back here alone, every ten minutes," he told them.
Then, Luca touched Caleb's shoulder and he felt the same feeling as before. His appearance changed once again. Dalia let out a gasp when she saw Luca, a silent tear falling down her cheek.
Ignoring this, the two men walked back towards where Adira and Tobias were waiting for them. They had moved closer to their location, so once they were out of eyesight, Luca let go of the magic that made them look like other people.
"Are you sure this is a safe distance?" he asked Adira who was still in her wolf form. She simply nodded and turned to see her mate. She looked over his body, and after making sure he was not injured, she turned around and avoided looking at him.
Caleb noticed the glances Luca gave her mate. He had made her angry and she was still very upset.
Using the pack link, Caleb explained what the plan was. Then he made Adira look for a safe place closer to the hospital. She did not let anyone else go with her and ventured by herself inside the forest. About half an hour later, she sent an image of some trees growing really close to each other. It was the perfect hiding place.
Luca guided them, smelling the faint trail Adira left for them to follow. She was a talented tracker and knew what to avoid touching if she wanted to make it difficult for anyone else to follow her scent. Caleb saw the trees but was not able to see Adira.
"Where are you?" he called her.
As a response, Adira's wolfish face came into view from behind the trees. The roots of the trees had fused into one another, the thick trunks offering a hiding place. Once they crossed over the big roots, they were also hidden from view. She had been carrying a small bag over her back, so Caleb placed the jar of meat inside, leaving her alone when he was done.
Two hours went by, and Adira remained silent. Tobias and Caleb gave the couple some space, concentrating on their surroundings, and listening for anyone who might be able to find them. Once the two hours were up, Luca bent over and kissed Adira's forehead. She whined softly and Luca smiled at her.
Caleb, once again, felt uncomfortable.
"I'll be back soon," he whispered to her.
He made a mental note for himself. Never go on a mission with a couple again.
Luca left their hiding place, and the three of them kept watch, waiting for him to return. Ten minutes later, he returned with the woman Caleb recognized as Fernanda. She held on to a bag and some vanilla folders. Silently, she sat down next to Adira.
Without a word, Luca went back and returned with Isabella, then a woman with curly hair, and lastly with Dalia who carried a big bag on her back. When all four of them were together, they hugged each other, whispering words among themselves.
"What about the other one?" Caleb asked Luca.
"Told me to wait a few minutes, he had to get something," Dalia replied.
"It's almost four a.m., we need to go before Miles gets here," he told her. "We cannot wait any longer. Do you have a link with him?" she shook her head and looked over at Fernanda who nodded.
"We marked each other just now so we could communicate."
"So?" Caleb asked with some annoyance in his tone. "Find out what he's doing!" he whispered.
Fernanda stayed silent for about a minute and then spoke to the group. "He's on the other side of the camp. He'll tell the group he's with that he needs to pee and then he'll leave. He told me to find him near your pack's border."
"How does he know where to go?" Caleb asked her. Fernanda looked down to the floor and responded with a shy voice.
"Dalia told us about Adam. The two of them had been in the same attack, Sam was one of the few who made it out."
Caleb hid his distaste. His instincts to protect his pack kicked in, and yet here he was, inviting one of the people who attacked them not that long ago. "Let's just get going," he told the group and shifted. The women took their clothes off, and placed everything in Dalia's bag, including the items they had brought with them. Caleb took the bag from Dalia and held on to it, ignoring her protests.
Adira initiated the run. She took them in circles, trying to hide their trail. For an hour, they ran in the opposite direction from their pack. Then they took a sharp turn after another and lastly continued straight back to their home. Once they were far from the camp, Caleb took the lead and set the pace faster.
He looked back at the women; all were keeping up with him. Adira was behind them followed by Luca and Tobias who kept glancing back, making sure they were not being followed. Caleb ignored the small part of his brain that told him that taking them out had been too easy and ran faster.
When they were near the border, Adira told them to stop. The women, as they were unable to communicate with the pack, kept running until they noticed Caleb had stopped completely. Dalia shifted into her human form, breathing fast and sweat running down her forehead.
"Why are we stopping?"
"There's a rogue near," Again, Luca had spoken inside his mind, and I made him feel small. The women had different reactions as well, not used to his link. Adira seemed to be the only one who was not affected by it. "It's Sam."
They moved forward, following Adira and Fernanda who was feeling her mate approaching. A tall man with green eyes and dark short hair made his way through the trees slowly. "It's me," He was fully dressed, holding a notebook. Dalia made a weird sound, almost like she was laughing. Sam smiled too, throwing it in front of Dalia. "Found it."
"Ask him what it is, please," he told Luca who relayed his message using what Caleb started to consider a universal link.
"His journal. He keeps it under lock and key, so I figured it was extremely important, especially since he went through all the trouble by hiding it away from the camp," He hugged his mate and kissed her forehead. Fernanda gave him a wolfish grin and licked his face. "I love you too."
Now that Sam had joined their group, the eight of them continued until they crossed the border. Caleb linked Alexander who was waiting for them in front of the packhouse. Adam was sitting next to them, surrounded by guards. He was wearing shorts and a simple t-shirt, when he saw Dalia, he ran to hug her.
Dalia turned back into her human form, and hugged him, kissing his cheek, she started crying as Adam whispered into her ear. Caleb let them have a moment before interrupting it, he dropped the bag he was carrying and shifted back. "We have work to do, Adam."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But first, give me my meat. I can smell it from here."
Adira walked toward Caleb, and he took the jar from inside the bag. He opened it, pulled out a piece of meat, and threw it at Adam. Adam coughed it easily and ate it barely chewing on it. Caleb put the jar back inside the bag. "Keep it safe. And give a sample to the lab, I need to know what's in there."
"That's mine, dude."
"You are still here under special circumstances, you cannot be fully trusted yet," Alexander told him. "You will be given the meat when needed, but we are keeping it until we find out how to recreate it."
Adam did not argue, but Dalia stepped up in front of Alexander.
"We are here to help you. We are not here as prisoners."
"Which is exactly why you will be given a room and not a cell. May I remind you, rogue, you are in my land."
"And may I remind you, Alpha, you need us," she snapped back.
Caleb heard the entrance door being open. Nora's voice came from behind Alexander. "They are guests, babe. Let's be respectful to one another," she told Dalia.
Dalia looked at the Luna, while Nora held out a thin blanket for her to cover herself. After debating it for less than a minute, Dalia accepted the blanket and wrapped herself with it. Nora dedicated her a curt smile and moved in front of the other women, giving them similar blankets.
Once everyone was in their human form and covered, Nora motioned for them to follow her.
Caleb stayed behind along with Alexander, Adira, and Luca.
"Keep an eye on them at all times. They can go about the pack house except for the offices. If they leave the house, someone needs to be with them," and without waiting for a reply, he followed his mate.
Adira and Luca left after Alexander, leaving Caleb by himself.
He expected the mission to be more complicated but was thankful it went on without any problems. Maybe, just maybe, he was overthinking it.