Abbotsford Regional Hospital, Abbotsford

Turn that stupid alarm off, will you?

Everything was dark. But the high-pitched beeps just wouldn't stop. Beep. Beep. Beep. Parker tried to focus on the rhythm. It sounded familiar. Almost like it was keeping time with her heartbeat.

God, that alarm is irritating. Who turned out the lights?

She stilled when she felt a slight tension on the upper part of her arm, and she became more alert. It wasn't dark. Her eyes were closed, and that god-awful sound was... medical monitors. When the pressure around her arm became uncomfortable, she forced her eyes open to discover a nurse in a blue uniform taking her blood pressure.

The nurse smiled. "You're awake. I'll inform the doctor."

Once he left, Parker willed her body to move, but her arms were as useless as the rest of her body. The fog was clearing and the events of the past few days came crashing over her in broken pieces.

Oh God!

She squeezed her eyes shut in the hopes that would stop her from reliving the nightmare. The beeping monitors picked up speed and kept time with her racing heart.

A much larger hand gently nudged her, and a sense of calm enveloped her. The irritating monitor beeps slowed.

She opened her eyes and looked into familiar piercing green eyes.

Relief flooded Daniel's face, and he gazed down on her with a gentle smile. His voice was deep and comforting as he leaned in and tucked an errant curl behind her ear. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Before she could reply, the nurse returned with a doctor in tow.

The doctor checked the monitors and her vitals. "I'm Doctor Greyson. Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital?"

"And do you know why you are here?"

She struggled to formulate a response. Even in her addled state, she understood she needed to be careful with her answers. She looked to Daniel, who had stepped to one side, and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "No, it's all a bit of a haze right now."

Dr. Greyson patted her hand. "That's alright Ms. Johnson, it will come back eventually. The body's ability to protect itself is extremely strong. You should make a full recovery." He made notes on her chart and smiled reassuringly. "You just won't be deep sea diving ever again." He chuckled at his own joke.

Once they were alone Daniel said, "How are you feeling?"

Parker inhaled oxygen through the small prongs resting under her nose. Scattered memories of Daniel's wolf returned. Images of Matheo as he beat her flashed before her eyes. Her body involuntarily shook when she remembered how much pleasure her injuries brought him. "Is he... I mean... is Matheo, you know..." She couldn't find the words.

Daniel reached for her hand and perched his large frame on the side of the hospital bed. "Gone?" His jaw clenched. "Yes, he is."

She swallowed. What was a dream and what was real? She struggled to find the appropriate words. "And, you really... did what you did to him?"

Daniel nodded, his face grim.

She closed her eyes and recalled the moment. While she didn't want to admit it, a part of her had been overjoyed by his brutal death. Matheo had killed her friend, and nothing was going to bring her back. With his death came a small measure of justice for Beth, Trevor, Bobby, and all the others who fell before them.

Another memory rose to the surface. She panicked and set the monitors off again. "Oh my God! Joséphine. Did you get Joséphine out?"

She struggled to sit up, and Daniel gently, but firmly, pushed her back into bed. "Yes, she's fine. Nothing that rest won't heal. In our search for you, we liberated quite a few other prisoners as well."

Parker shivered at the gruesome memory of the bone chilling noises that never seemed to end. "Even from our cell, I heard their screams." She glanced at the door and lowered her voice. "I hope you made Elise's death as painful as Matheo's."

Daniel's shoulders dropped, and he avoided eye contact. "By the time we arrived, she was gone."

A dull ache settled around her heart, and she clutched her free hand to her chest. She'd failed. "I should have gotten the message to you sooner. It's my fault she got away."

Daniel let out a low growl. "Don't you dare take the blame. This is not on you. Elise has been one step ahead at every turn."

She sunk into the pillow, but then tensed. Her mind was still fuzzy and only processing every second thought. "Where are the others? I saw blood everywhere. Who..." She trailed off, unable to put voice to the question.

Sorrow clouded Daniel's face. "We lost Jeremy, Kyle, Tony, Carlos, and Grant."

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, and she struggled to hold them back. A feeble whimper escaped her lips.

Daniel cleared his throat. "The rest are okay. They are still at the estate. Morgan is at the airport collecting Clara, and Jessica arrives in a couple of hours. You're pretty popular in the Werewolf community."

She cringed, knowing she had put everyone out. "I'm sorry for getting you all into this mess. Elise was there, I swear." Guilt at what happened flared. "There's something else I need to tell you."

Daniel cocked his head and looked directly at her. "You mean your little jaunt to the CDC?"

She braced herself and prepared for his anger. "You know about that?"

"Yes. We will discuss your transgression once you are fully healed. In the meantime, we need to deal with what you will say to the F.B.I.—they will also want to speak to you."

Daniel's easy dismissal of her going against his orders confused her. She attempted to sit up. He may have put off the discussion, but she couldn't. Daniel and the others were in danger if they stayed. "You need to get everyone and get out of here." The pain from her ribs was too much. She gave up and lay back down.

Daniel shook his head. "We aren't leaving and that is final. They think you were the target of a ransom abduction. As far as they are aware, we paid the ransom, and you were released. End of story. There is nothing on the grounds that could prove otherwise, and in the end Elise's men solved a major problem for us."

"How?"

"With the exception of the main house, they destroyed all the buildings on the property. There is no evidence left of what was really going on."

Parker stilled. "They what?"

"When you are better, Simon can give you a rundown on what happened after we left."

She frowned. "But what about the CDC?"

Daniel pushed her back on the pillow and shook his head. "The FBI thinks your visit to Atlanta was related to a client. Our only hope is that the person you visited within the CDC remains quiet on the real reason for your visit."

Daniel leaned closer and outlined the plan they had already put in motion. "It will be another abduction-ransom case, and they'll close the book on it. Murphy knows how the FBI operates and has already told us what to say and how to react. Once they have interviewed you, the doctor has agreed to clear you for travel. You'll be airlifted to Boulder, and an ambulance has been arranged to get you back to Nederland. Alice will take care of you on pack grounds."

An uneasy pressure grew in the pit of her stomach. Why the urgency to get her out of the hospital? "You don't need to go through all that trouble and expense. Besides, I am okay with going home to Portland."

His hard expression told her she wasn't going to win this battle. "It's not going to happen. You are coming home with me, and that's final."

Parker's protest stalled when the nurse came in and fussed over her. Once the nurse left, she began to squirm. Daniel hadn't moved from her side. "You know I can't exactly escape. You should get some rest."

His tone brooked no argument. "I'm not leaving."

He got up and walked over to the chair by the window. He pulled it closer to the bed and reached for her hand. She didn't protest. His touch was comforting, and she was thankful for his presence as she fell asleep.

***

Clara hovered over Parker's bed. "Are you sure she's okay?"

Daniel's gaze wandered over Parker, who was unconscious and unaware of the panic that had set in. "The doctors insist there is nothing to worry about. Alice said the same thing. It's just her body's way of repairing itself."

He had spent most of the past twenty-four hours pacing the small room. While the doctors and nurses assured him she was fine, he wasn't as convinced. Parker's temperature had escalated and she had fallen unconscious not long after coming to the previous day.

His heart broke and it killed him to see her in pain. Her face was swollen beyond all recognition. Her right eye looked like a golf ball, only a narrow slit providing any sight. Her skin resembled every shade of purple, black, and yellow. When the nurses had changed the bandages across the rest of her body, his rage at Matheo and Elise resurfaced. No part of her had escaped damage.

Thanks to Google, he was all too aware of how dangerous hospitals could be. The sooner he got Parker out of here the better. She needed to be back in Nederland where she would not catch any of the diseases that lurked in Human hospitals.

"Willing her to magically recover is not the answer," Morgan said.

Morgan had taken up vigil on the far side of the room and stood with Jessica, who was just as distraught.

Daniel let out a relieved breath when Parker finally awoke. Her eyes opened as much as the swelling allowed, and a tear slid down her cheek as she scanned the room. Her gaze rested on him, but before he could say anything, Clara raced to her bed.

"Oh Klein, you're awake. You had us so worried. Never do that to me again, I'm not getting any younger, and you took decades off my life."

He stepped back from the melee and pulled his phone from his pocket, satisfied Parker was okay. Simon and Murphy were well overdue, but before he dialed, Simon tugged at their link.

Where are you? Daniel said.

Downstairs, with Murphy and Joséphine. She's insisting on coming upstairs to see Parker. I don't know how much longer I can keep her away. His tone was desperate.

Daniel remembered the conversation with Morgan and chuckled. In the confusion, he had forgotten to put his friend out of his misery.

Bring her up here.

There was a slight pause. But you said... Are you sure?

Simon, just get up here now.

Joséphine rushed through the door a few minutes later. Her obvious irritation evaporated the moment she laid her eyes on Parker. "Mon Luna."

Simon and Murphy eased their way into the room shortly after. Simon, clearly nervous, flitted his gaze from Daniel to Joséphine and back again.

Daniel raised a questioning brow at Murphy.

"We left nothing behind and the bodies are ash," Murphy said.

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. With the extent of the mop up, it was a miracle they weren't discovered. However, it appeared that Elijah had done them a favor and made some of their job easier. "Are you sure it was him?" He'd already gotten a rundown from Simon, but he wanted to hear the profiler's take.

"Yes."

Daniel studied the other man. There was nothing in his expression that gave away his inner turmoil, but Daniel would lay odds this was tearing Murphy apart. "Any idea where he was headed, or why he wasn't with Elise?"

"None, but with Elise no longer feeding his addiction, he will start killing indiscriminately again."

"What will you do?" Daniel said.

"You know what I have to do, and you know why."

Daniel sighed and turned to face Murphy. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Survive without her?"

Murphy snorted in disgust. "You call this surviving? I buried my soul when I buried my mate. Elijah took everything from me."

Daniel considered Murphy's words. Even though Parker had been in Elise and Matheo's clutches, he still held out hope that they would rescue her. He couldn't contemplate how he would have survived had they taken her from him. Yet, the man beside him had endured forty years without his mate. Hate was the only thing fueling his existence.

Daniel looked to Murphy. "The one thing I have learned is that sometimes things creep up on you when you aren't looking, and the unexpected can happen." His heart softened for the tortured Werewolf. "A wise man once told me we need to let a little bit of joy into our lives, even if it is for a very short time. Holding on to hate will only get you so far."

"It's all I have. This time, I won't be bringing him in."

"I never expected you to. Just make sure his death is fitting for the pain he has inflicted over time."

He and Murphy stood at the back of the room, each caught up in their own demons. Once Joséphine was reassured her friend was okay, she approached Daniel.

She introduced herself, and Simon tensed, then frowned.

Daniel groaned and made a mental note to inform him that he was in no danger of Joséphine suddenly wanting to claim him as her mate.

Joséphine leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I'm not one to criticize, but you are aware that your beta is not...how do you say...normal?"

Before he could answer, raised voices drifted in from the corridor. He strode out of the room to discover a petite woman demanding entry.

"Can I help you?" he said.

Daniel stiffened when Parker called from her bed, "Dr. Baghurst?"

The small woman pushed past him and strode into the room.

All eyes were focused on the new arrival. Without saying anything, she lifted Parker's chart off the hook and scanned the contents.

What the hell is she doing here?

Daniel nodded towards the door. Simon, Jessica, Murphy, and Joséphine took the hint and made a quick exit.

Simon pushed Joséphine through the door and glanced back at Daniel. We'll do a sweep to see who is with her.

Daniel darted a glance to the doctor and frowned. Anything happens, you get everyone away. Am I clear?

The woman popped the chart back and slowly scanned Morgan, Clara, and him. He was unnerved at just how intently Dr. Baghurst was regarding them, and an uneasy feeling grew in the pit of his stomach

Dr. Baghurst folded her arms over her chest. "So, if I took a DNA sample from you all, I'm betting I would find this additional gene in each one of you."

Parker stiffened and her gaze flew to his. She cleared her throat, and said, "Dr. Baghurst, I don't know what you are implying, but I believe you need to have a court order to compel us to hand over a swab."

The doctor raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Ah, you would, normally, be correct. But in this case, Homeland Security trumps everything, and the lines are very blurred within their wide range of powers."

That was it. He'd heard enough. "Doctor, why are you here?"

"In my job, I solve puzzles. Based on the results we are getting, I estimate that one-eighth of a percent of the population may have this gene. That's about four hundred thousand people in the US. Now, I keep asking myself—why this gene? It's obviously not junk. So, what is it about the people with this gene that makes someone want to go through the effort to kill them?"

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. He was not happy with where this conversation was leading. "Can I ask you a question, doctor?"

"By all means."

"Why is it so important for you to know? Why do you really need an answer?"

Dr. Baghurst swung around to face him. "Because, as it turns out, I am one of the one-eighth of a percent."

The temperature of the room plummeted. Silence hung heavy in the air. The only noise came from the medical equipment measuring Parker's oxygen levels.

Daniel glanced at Morgan to gauge his reaction, only to discover the other alpha was as stunned as him. Clara clutched Morgan's arm and looked like someone had just walked over her grave. Parker's pulse rose and even under the bruises and swollen face, her color had drained.

Dr. Baghurst arched a brow. "Don't all speak at once."

"What were you expecting us to say?" Daniel said.

"I don't expect you to tell me what's going on right now, but make no mistake, you will be telling me."

Dr. Baghurst studied the monitors hooked up to Parker. She examined her extensive injuries, and her expression softened. "Parker, you came to see me and put your life in danger to save others. While the FBI believes this is a kidnapping, I know better. I would like you to trust me—like I trusted that you had nothing to do with the manufacture of that disease."

The doctor reached into her bag, pulled out a small blue book, and placed Parker's passport on the bedside table. "I'd like to think you can trust me with your secret."

She turned and addressed the room. "Nature dictates that if there's that much hate for someone to go through all that effort, you will continue to be targets in the future, and by definition, so will I."

She was telling the truth. There was nothing in either her demeanor or reactions that said otherwise. Whatever she was up to came from pure intent. He felt a moment of indecision. Had he made the wrong decision not reaching out? Could he have saved lives by listening to Parker and approaching Dr. Baghurst earlier? Not wanting to second guess himself, he moved to Parker's bedside table, reached for a pad, and scribbled something on the paper. He ripped off the page, folded it in half and handed it to Dr. Baghurst. "Be at this address at noon the day after tomorrow. You will be given a copy of a hard drive and journals. I can't guarantee it, but you may find the answers to help you fight this disease."

No one spoke after Dr. Baghurst left.

Parker made herself more comfortable. "Isn't there a risk she might put the pieces together?"

Daniel rubbed his jaw. It was a gamble. One he hoped wouldn't backfire. "If there is something in that computer Zeke found in Fridericks lab that will help Humans, it might help us, too. It's a risk that I am willing to take."

Clara closed the door "How much do you think she knows?"

He sighed. No doubt thiswould come back to haunt him. "The issue with Dr. Baghurst and whateversuspicions she has, will need to be dealtwith another day. We already have enough on our plate keeping our own diseased people away from Humans. Not tomention working out how Elise got away and what she's up to."