📎A/N. Hands up those of you who have had far too much chocolate this weekend? For those of you with an extra long weekend, I hope you are making the most of it before the working week starts again. I'm back to work tomorrow and not looking forward to it  :(

I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you do, don't forget to vote. It's my birthday weekend, so all votes appreciated.

Take care,

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Parker placed the last of Carbine's journals into her briefcase. To make sure she hadn't missed one, she rescanned Daniel's office. Positive there were no stragglers, she reached for a notepad and pen to leave a message for Daniel once he awoke.

After spending hours pouring over the pages, they were no closer to knowing what his cryptic message meant than they had been at the beginning. There was no rhyme nor reason to his bizarre jottings and clippings. The man had certainly been eclectic in the subjects covered. Parker had even spotted tips for removing stains from carpet she filed away for later. You never knew when that would come in handy. There were entire pages of words that didn't make sense. So much so, that Parker wasn't even sure what language they were written in.

While Daniel declared they were going to get nothing from the journals, Parker wasn't as convinced. There was information in there, she just need to interpret the code. She was now a woman on a mission. Jay, Zeke and the rest of the trainees in the Bunker, were about to get a new project.

The Bunker had been set up with a dual role. The first was to provide an ongoing facility in which werewolves could solve their identification issues that invariably occurred as time marched on, and it was obvious they were not aging. Parker's team would access the appropriate databases and adjust dates of birth or update qualifications as required. In addition, they would access the details recorded against the social security number to remove any transactions or information that would raise red flags. It wouldn't do to have tax records dating to well before their date of birth.

The Bunker's secondary role was to provide an education in all aspects of computer science for those werewolves that qualified. Seven Werewolves from various packs, including one from France, attended the University of Denver part-time, working their way towards a degree in computer science or engineering. In addition, Parker, Jay, and Zeke provided them with practical training on how to apply what they were learning into a tangible skill the Werewolf community was in desperate need of.

The sub-basement facility was as protected as Fort Knox and, as far as the rest of Parker's employees were concerned, was a highly-classified government contract she had secured.

Parker finished her note and zipped up her bag. Even with Daniel's assurances to the contrary, she still couldn't shake the feeling she was partially responsible for the situation they now found themselves in. Perhaps if she hadn't told Daniel what Mateo had done to her, he'd still be alive and giving them the answers they so desperately needed.

Parker rubbed her forehead. Alice, I now understand what you are going through.

Her friend hadn't been the same since the Wildfire epidemic. They had barely gotten over the fallout from Wildfire, which had not only taken the lives of an untold number of humans but had ripped through the Werewolf community as well. The dust had just settled when a dozen Werewolves across the country vanished within a matter of days. At first, no one had thought the matter an issue. But when a Werewolf from the pack in San Diego disappeared, the Alpha wanted answers. The missing man was mated, and they had only recently given birth to their first child. There was no way he would have taken off on a whim. The Lycan attacks had taken everyone's full attention, and the investigation on the missing had stalled.

This no doubt would weigh heavily on Daniel's shoulders, and she couldn't help shake the idea that she was partially responsible for the added pressure.

"You should have woken me."

Parker smiled as Daniel entered his office. Trust him to turn up just as she was thinking of him. "You've not had a decent night's sleep since this all started, I didn't want to disturb you."

"But then I miss out on this..." Daniel closed the distance in a heartbeat, and she found herself enveloped in his arms. The familiar surge of warmth and love spread through her body as his lips bent down and fused to hers. Perhaps she should have woken him to get more of this before she had to leave.

Parker let out a little moan as he pulled away. He had the ability to set her on fire with a single touch. Maybe she could be a little late into the office. After all, she was the boss.

Daniel held Parker at arm's length and his brows scrunched together. "Why are you dressed for work?"

"Because it's Monday, typically the first day of the working week."

She felt a tightening of his grip on her arms. "No."

Parker chuckled. "I know you've been busy, so you might have lost track of the days, but I can assure you, it is Monday."

Daniel's expression turned to stone. "I know it's Monday, but you are not going to work."

"I beg your pardon?" Parker pulled herself from his grip. This conversation wasn't making any sense.

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "You heard me, you are not going. I won't allow it."

Her brows rose well into her forehead. "You won't allow it?" Parker could feel her blood rising. "The last time I checked, you are my mate, not my boss, and we do not live in a dictatorship. I have a business to run, two in fact, and it requires me to actually be there."

"With Elise on the loose and wreaking havoc, I will not have you off pack grounds. Who knows where she will attack next."

Parker ignored his intimidating stance. She was livid. Instead of discussing this with her, he had the audacity to assume she could be ordered around. "Daniel, you must be out of your mind if you think she's going to try anything. Every attack has taken place in a remote location. A bunch of Lycan attacking in a city as large as Denver is not exactly her style."

Daniel let out a low growl from deep in his chest. "That is not a risk I'm willing to take. You will stay on pack ground until this is over. Am I clear?"

This was like a red flag to a bull. Parker's anger erupted in full force. "Well it's just as well it's not your risk, but mine. I have a business to run, and she is not going to scare me off that easily. We can't live our lives in fear. We need to show Elise, and the rest of the packs, that life has to go on. I am not afraid of her, and am not going to hide, waiting for something that might or might not happen."

The steam was literally flowing from his ears. "I am not going to allow my mate to be so exposed. It's my job to protect you, and that's what I am doing. You are not leaving pack land, and that's final."

Parker visibly balked, and her eyes widened to saucers. She fisted her hands on her hips. "So, you're telling me I am a prisoner here."

"I said nothing of the sort. I'm just—"

She cut him off, unable to listen anymore. "Daniel, your only job is to love me unconditionally. I am not a child or an object that's owned. You don't think I was terrified beyond belief when you and Murphy went to Iowa? Nothing could be further from the truth, but I said nothing. I trusted that you wouldn't take risks. You had a responsibility and a job to do, so I accepted it. Now you need to accept my responsibilities, and give me the same faith and leeway." She picked up her bag. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to miss the rush hour traffic."

Parker strode out the office, her hand fisted around the strap of the bag so tightly she was sure it was cutting into her skin. She was so livid she wanted to hit something. After all they'd been through, for him to turn around and make those sorts of demands was hurtful. Didn't he think she could take care of herself? Not to mention, she worked in a building that was far more secure than Nederland.

***

Daniel watched Parker's path across the compound towards the carpark. From his vantage point, he followed her stormy path with mixed emotions. There was no doubt she was mad at him. He was sure there would be dents in the ground where her heals landed with each angry step. He was torn between chasing after her to make her see reason, and throwing her over his shoulder and locking her in their room until this mess was over. It was bad enough that she blamed herself for the Lycan's wreaking havoc, but for her to now regard her safety as nothing, incensed him beyond belief.

Her disregard for his order was incomprehensible. She was his responsibility and was deliberately putting herself in harm's way. Did she not see how dangerous her decision was?

After drawing a few deep breaths, Daniel resisted marching after her. It went against everything in his nature to ignore his instincts, but he would give her the space she demanded. That, however, didn't mean that he wouldn't protect her. There was only so much leeway he would allow.

Jo.

Daniel opened a telepathic link to one of his beta's. He would have her follow Parker to work to make sure she was safe and didn't do anything rash. The last time she got it into her head to right a wrong, she nearly exposed them all by running to the CDC. Now they had a very determined molecular biologist suspicious of them. Daniel didn't care the backlash from Parker, if something happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

After satisfying himself Jo was clear of her responsibility, he made his way down to the pack house. Michele, Carbine Jefferson's friend, had arrived with his body the previous evening. Daniel had assumed that whatever knowledge Carbine had went with him to his grave. His journals were a complete mess, and the only insight it gave them was of a very troubled Werewolf. He knew he was clutching at straws, but perhaps the friend might know something. He had instructed his men to ensure she stay until he spoke to her.

When he entered the pack house, he didn't need to look far to find her. In fact, she would stand out in any setting. With her jet-black spiky hair, that threw out in all directions; thick, black, mascara-caked to her eyes; and matching dark lipstick, the woman was a far cry from what he expected. The amount of piercings over her ears and nose were only matched by the very distinctive tribal tattoo's that covered the upper part of her left arm. With her mixture of Hispanic and Asian heritage, he guessed that underneath the façade, she was a striking woman.

Is this what they call grunge, punk, or gothic? I can't keep up with these bizarre fashions

Every part of her screamed a warning to keep your distance, or else. From the way she regarded him with suspicion as he drew close, she had an issue with authority figures. If he were a betting man, she had never belonged as part of a pack community.

Daniel grabbed two cups of coffee and took a seat opposite the strangely dressed woman. "Michele, I am Alpha Locke. I understand we have you to thank for getting Carbine's body out of the hospital in a timely manner." He pushed one of the cups towards her.

Michele crossed her arms over her chest and sniffed as she regarded him. "I didn't do it for you. He was m' homie, it's what he would've done if it were me on that slab."

Daniel chose to ignore her outburst. "I understand that you were on the phone when the attack happened?"

Michele's eyes darted towards the door. There was no doubt she was skittish and would rather be anywhere else than here.

Daniel indicated for his men to give them more space. "You are safe, no one is going to harm you in any way," he said as he turned back to her.

Michele snorted and unfolded her arms. "'Ain't you, or your fucking henchmen, I'm worried about."

Again, Daniel declined to rise to the bait. "So what are you worried about."

"If the other's knew I'm speaking to you, let alone being here, my butt would be toast."

"And why is that?"

Michele's eyebrow piercing bobbed upwards. "You're fucking kidding me, right? You're pack, I'm not. You're pure blood, and my father was human."

Daniel shook his head. This conversation wasn't making any sense. "Was that supposed to mean something to me?"

"You can't be that fucking dumb."

Daniel growled. "You are speaking to an Alpha, I suggest you don't push your luck. I do not tolerate insolence in any shape for form, especially from one as young as yourself."

His tone had the desired effect. Michele averted her eyes and slumped her shoulders. While she didn't offer an apology, her stance indicated she would behave. For now.

When the silence stretched out a little too long for his liking, Daniel asked, "Was Carbine your mate? Is that why you're here?"

Michele laughed. The sound came out as bitter as her expression. "No. My fucking mate rejected me because he wasn't about to muddy his illustrious family lineage."

Daniel stilled. While a rejection was rare, it did happen. How was beyond him. It was something both he and his wolf had never understood. History had shown that it was always the human side of them that made the rejection and not the wolf. It created a rift between the two halves often resulting in madness, as the internal struggle for domination created a war neither of them could win.

Daniel pushed the coffee closer to her. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that. No werewolf should experience that sort of pain."

This time, Michele reached out and wrapped her hands around the cup. The skull and crossbones design of her nails taped against the porcelain. The black of her polish a stark contrast to the white of the cup. Still not meeting his gaze, she said, "The only reason I'm here is because I heard that your mate is human, and your pack treats non-pure werewolves as equals. I figured you can't be like the others."

Daniel cringed. While he knew there was a growing unease both within, and outside, the Alliance, this was a stark reminder of the levels of distrust that seemed to be sweeping the country. The way she spat out the word 'others' bordered on hatred.

"For the sake of Carbine's memory, how about we just focus on him? It hasn't escaped my notice that it took a lot for you to agree to get his body from the hospital and then accompany it here," said Daniel.

He only hoped that she could see his sincerity. There was enough distrust brewing across the country, he didn't want it on his doorstep. Daniel was quietly relieved when she let out a long breath and began to speak.

"We were supposed to meet up the night before, but I got stuck in Arkansas. I had a motherfucking repeat offender bail jumper I needed to bring in. I tracked the arsehole down to Fayetteville where he thought he was safe." She paused. "I'm a bail enforcement agent, and I only get paid when I get the bitches back into custody."

Michele finally took a sip of the coffee. "I'd just gotten home and Carbine called to agree a time to get the gang together."

"Gang?"

Michele scrunched her mouth into a tight line. "Not a gang, gang. Just some homies that hang whenever we are all in town. We have each other's backs. You can't trust nobody no more."

He could only assume that these 'homies' were unaligned or rogue werewolves. "I see. So, you set a time, then what?"

She fidgeted with the piercing in her eyebrow and stared intently at the table.  "He was in the cabin of the tractor, so he could talk without being overheard. That's why they got to him last, the door was locked you see."

Michele paused and continued to worry the metal in her brow. "I knew something was wrong when he cussed and screamed out 'They found me'. That's when the shit hit the fan, and he started babbling like a madman. At first, I couldn't understand a word he was saying. There were screams in the background and the fucking strangest animal grunts. That's when the banging started; they had finished with the others and were after him. There was a crack, and he told me to run. If they found him, they'd find me too."

"Who was he referring to?"

Michele shrugged her shoulders. "I have no fucking idea. That's when he made me promise to get his laptop and run. He told me to find somewhere to hide, and it was my decision on what to do with what I found on it."

At least that explains why we couldn't find any technology in his mobile home.

"Then what happened?"

A breath caught in Michele's throat, and she looked scared. A considerable feat considering the amount of dark makeup covering her face. "The glass shattered and Carbine screamed." She shuddered. "I haven't yet managed to get the damn sound out of my head. It was the most frightening thing I've ever heard, and let me tell you, in my line of work, I've seen and heard a lot of shit."

As she again picked up the cup, her hands shook. "The pain he must have been into make that noise..." She trailed off, unable to continue.

"It's okay," said Daniel. "Take your time."

Whatever had spooked her was enough to warrant her incurring the wrath of those she depended on to have her back.

"I rang the others, and we raced out to the farm where he worked. By then, it was too late, and there were cops everywhere. I rang the hospital, and they told me he was in pretty bad shape. Whatever attacked him and the others had done them over good. We woz too shit scared to go to the hospital in case what attacked them was there. I wanted to let someone know that he was in the hospital coz, you know, his wolf might have turned and all that shit. But the others wouldn't hear of it. They said it wasn't our business and to keep out of it."

She leaned back back in her chair and reached into her pocket. "I swung by his place and grabbed what I could. It wasn't till I saw the article pinned to his board I realized just how much fucking trouble I was in."

Michele pulled a folded newspaper clipping from her torn jeans pocket and slid it across the table. Daniel unfolded it and left it open flat on the table. He recognized Carbine's distinctive scrawl across the paper. The article covered the tragic deaths of some locals by a pack of coyotes. At least the authorities were still none the wiser about the true nature of the Ethiopian pack. Scrawled across the newsprint was the words 'Sheltered Boris'.

Michele pointed to the clipping "That's why I can't go motherfucking home. Carbine did too, and I dropped him off in Kansas City."

"Carbine did what exactly?"

"Sheltered Boris. I knew it was a bad idea, but he wouldn't listen. He said we had to help."

"Why?"

"Don't know, he didn't say. Just that it was the right thing to do." Michele kicked at the table leg. "My arse it was the right thing to do. It got him killed, and it's going to get me fucking dead as well."

So many things were now making sense. This is why they couldn't find a link between the locations and victims. Until now it just looked like random attacks. This revelation was the break they needed. There was nothing random about the killings. They were linked through Boris, whoever Boris was. So many questions swirled in his head. However, he needed to tread carefully with Michele. She was skittish enough, any pressure and she would close down. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, a sure sign she was panicked.

Instead of pushing the subject of Boris, he asked, "What was on his computer?"

"No fucking idea. It's password protected."

"I'm assuming that you brought the laptop with you?"

Michele reached down and opened a large canvas messenger bag that had seen better days. After reaching in, she pulled out a laptop and placed it in front of her. "I heard your mate is some sort of computer hacker. I figured we could do a bit of a deal."

"What sort of deal?"

"She gets the thing unlocked and I'll take a look at what Carbine left on there. He wanted me to decide what to do with it, and that's what I'm going to do. If I think you should have it, I'll hand it over. But first, you get me a new legit ID. Right now, I'm a fucking dead man walking."

Daniel tapped his fingers on the table and considered her offer. The reality was she was on his land, and he could simply force it off her. It was less messy than the option she had presented. She knew that as well as he did. However, this was not the way he operated, and would only reinforce the distrust that had widened the bridge between the different section of their people.

Decision now made Daniel rose. "Acceptable." He turned towards the door and headed towards it. "Let's go, and bring that laptop with you."

Michele scrambled to get the laptop back into her bag and catch up with him. "Hold up. Where are we going?"

"Kill two birds with one stone. We are going to get you a new ID, and Parker will unlock that computer."

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  📎A/N.  Oh dear, it seems that Daniel just couldn't help himself and got a little over zealous with his protective instincts.  I wonder how he's going to get out of this mess. He should know by now Parker is not one to idly sit by and be told what to do.

I wonder if Michele will hand over the laptop once she takes a look at the contents? What do you think?

And this Boris seems to be a death sentence to anyone he comes in contact with. No wonder Michele is a little antsy. 

Don't forget to vote, and all comments and feedback much appreciated. Next chapter will be posted late next Sunday PST. 

Till then, be safe and take care.

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