Convincing Marisol that we were not to blame was no easy task. It would seem that Verando wasn't the only one who was unreasonably suspicious; it did not occur to me that she suspected us as much as he did her. They knew eachother to well apparently, and his sudden devotion to me had unnerved her.

Our host had some unkind words for my companion, and while I didn't speak Spanish, I had an idea of what she was saying to him- a conversation not suited for tiny ears. In her mind, Verando should have tried harder to protect the bar from the invading cats, and she was struggling to come to terms with the man he had become. 

Regardless, it did nothing to improve his mood, and his temper soured with her lack of enthusiasm for his less reckless approach. It was an interesting dilemma, listening to the two of them hash it out while my body was laid victim to the merciless prodding of Tonya. 

Thankfully, Tonya's flavor of torture came with better painkillers. I drifted into a drunken haze as I dreamt of the argument between the former lovers. While the enslavement had been going on, Marisol had never met her 'Nicolas.' 

She had never had the moment that made her want to step away from the 'lifestyle.' The life that she knew, living on the edge of tolerance and fighting to the end for what was rightfully hers, was her moral code that she abided by, and he had thoroughly disgraced it by abandoning her home and business in favor of my life. 

I can hear the heated discussion in my dreams, her harsh tone, her mixture of Spanish, English, and colorful curses. He sounds tired, fed up, as if her existence brings back the worst of his past. Any question in my mind that he would return to her faded as my consciousness did.

Marisol is gone for days after the argument, and Verando is a ghost to me, no doubt fuming over her judgment. While I know he's trying not to let it affect him, he was honest when he confessed to me that she knew him better than he cared for. She pulled the depths of his person out, uncensored and unrelenting, to expose him to his core.

She thought he was a coward, soft and tamed, a slave now bearing the title 'husband' and, at her cruelest, a pet. My pet. As I heal from my wounds, I relinquish my warlord to Marcello, who seems reluctant to exercise the lycan, yet there are no other suitable matches. 

Reid and Tonic's level of fitness doesn't compare to that of a man not long out of the wilds of Romania. Marcello, on the other hand, stood a much better chance of not being murdered and seemed, at the very least, intrigued to dabble in the fighting techniques. 

Much like Tomas, he had been eyeing the assortment of knives we had arrived with.

While Verando was otherwise occupied, returning to my bed in a state of complete exhaustion at night and keeping me out of trouble while I healed, I devoted my newfound free time to devising a plan to help the city. 

The state of the smog seemed to be a significant factor that prevented valuable cloud formation and sunlight from reaching the streets.  If I could devise a method to clean the air without polluting the ground, then we would be able to, at the very least, use this city as a test subject. One city at a time felt rather ridiculous, but it was a start. 

Although I found it uncomfortable, the person who helped me the most in my quest to clean up the city was Rhea. Her knowledge of the technologies that tracked things like weather, temperature, and humidity was helpful, and I found her to be rather pleasant. 

While she didn't have the snappy sarcasm I was used to, her cut-and-dry nature was welcomed, and I had grown to appreciate her appreciation of the male form. If nothing else, it made for good commentary. 

_______________________________________

"Where's Verando? I'm surprised he isn't here." Tonya asks as she comes to sit at the table in the briefing room. 

"Beating up Marcello or being beaten by Marcello. I'm not sure which." I'm met with a mixture of looks regarding my terminology. Sometimes it's hard to remember, as I sit at another table surrounded by people, that I'm not performing for a court or trying to entertain potential political allies. 

I'm among people who, I suppose, are my extended family, trying to save the planet through much more humble means. "They have taken to training together- er.. exercising, as I'm sure you remember, Verando isn't exactly supportive of our cause." 

Helen looks offended, and I'm not sure if I care enough to ask why. I don't think I've ever seen her look much more than afraid or uncertain. It must take a lot of her to muster up something like anger. Unfortunately, time travel hadn't softened my view of the woman; while she had her merits, she was my least favorite of the group. 

Well. Maybe not least.

 Tonya had her abnormalities with her strange view of lycans. Tyler sits beside me as if it might somehow benefit his skills to be as close to me as possible. 

"Lycans need a lot of exercise to stay content. Reid and Tonic could also benefit from the training, if we are going to discuss it. But that's not why I called you here. This building, what is it?" I point to a tall structure on the floating map. 

Helen narrows her eyes as she thinks it over.

"Looks like a hotel. Maybe a corporate office?" 

"Soli would know?" Tonya attempts, though my expression tells her that that avenue might not be an option. 

"I'm trying to avoid doing more dealings with Soli, at the moment at least." I try to keep my tone dismissive, not wanting to draw undue attention. The look I get from Rhea makes me feel hostile, and I choose to ignore it. I don't have time for someone to analyze my pettiness. 

"Arguing that things are more valuable than my life is quite troublesome, wouldn't you agree?" I asked her shortly.

Rhea chews this over, pursing her lips. "Nicolas, you haven't known him as long as we have. It's bullshit that he did nothing to protect that compound. He's more than capable-"

"Was I not told this wasn't a war?" I respond, cutting her off.

It'd be easy to be upset, to allow them to see how frustrated I am with this cause, but logic and experience dictate that few get their way by stomping their feet and throwing a tantrum. 

"All you people have done is lie and deceive us, or perhaps, truly, you are so blind as to believe this is a natural occurrence. Something is going on here, not to mention that giant felines are trying to eat us. Or do I need to show you my injuries? Now, I've grown to like you, so please, don't make me regret that decision." 

Rhea stares at me, unsure of what to make of my stance. I'm not from here, I'm a King, and I didn't ask to be downgraded to the lowest denominator in this insane asylum. 

 "If we must talk to Marisol, then that is what we must do. The height isn't necessary for what I'm planning, but gaining access to the roof would make accomplishing this task much easier. 

As a solomonari, we can control the weather within reason. If I could obtain enough moisture, perhaps I could move the smog and conjure a cloud. Some rain would do the city some good; it would be a test to see how much we can influence and if it would assist in curing the land's ailment. If nothing else, it would be safer to travel amongst the civilians if we remain here much longer."  

"Remain here? Where else would we go?" Tonya responds quickly. 

"You want to fix the problems, and someone in this city does not. In my own time, remaining in one location allows your enemies to find you, and without proper defense, we are quite easily removed. We need to find what element we can influence and begin the process of fixing this; maybe we can restart the planet if we can get one small piece working again." 

Tonya flashes her reluctance; with her children and her less-than-supportive husband, leaving was not an option for them. It would mean allowing Tyler to go, which would, in turn, mean Helen. 

"I understand that you don't think a war is going on. But there are other factors at play here. Until we know who we are playing against, I would be wise to consider leaving the options of a move open." 

She shakes her head, running a hand through her messy hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. 

"Nicolas, this is not the eighteen hundreds. What you're insinuating doesn't happen! This is not a case of the government sabotaging its people; these are simply experiments running amok. I assure you, the government is too incompetent to do such things. Our home is here; my practice is here; we don't have unlimited funds as you did during your rule."

 I hold up my hand to stop her, and she makes a displeased noise, "I know you were a king, but here you are not. We are all equals."

I must choose my words wisely; as much as I hate to admit it, history repeats itself, and I find myself right back where I left off. However, I was much more prepared for what it was like to deal with a collective rather than fighting against individual political powers. 

"We are all equal in that we are alive, but beyond that, your lack of ability to realize when there is foul play is quite concerning. You came to me for help; this is my attempt to guide you, and you are free to accept or reject it. It's time to stop pretending that we're going to act and follow through.

 If funding is an issue, then we must campaign to demonstrate that we have a solution, and doing so would involve an act of truth, showing those with the funds that we are capable of delivering on our promises. So, this is what we must do to make that happen. I propose we use what remains of the old water pipe that runs to Marisol's bar; we pull it up or access it through the valve in her garage. 

We pull that water out and up into the sky, dispersing it as vapor and thus creating a storm cloud. I can do this independently, but it'll be good practice for Tyler, and the help would be useful."

The emotions I'm met with are a mixed bag. Tonya's horror at my lack of family, Rhea's thinking that I'm pompous, and Tyler's excitement at my lust for action. Helen is the one who comes to my aid, more often than not proving there is something more to this gentle, meek girl. 

"Mum, if Nicolas says we are not safe and wants us to go, we should go, regardless of what Daddy says. He's right, we can't just sit here and wait for them to come for us."

Tonya gives her a sharp look, making her avert her eyes. "Helen!" She hisses. "If your father heard this, he would be livid with all of us. This is our home, and we'd be running from what? Ghosts? No one is after us."

"If you believed that we wouldn't have been hiding underground!" Helen retorts, and Rhea nods in agreement. 

"Tonya.. I've held my tongue on this, but it's the truth. Legardo-"

"Gary!" Tonya spits at Rhea. "His name is Gary."

"Gary has gotten you so afraid of the consequences that you aren't seeing reason. I think Nicolas is an entitled bastard, but he might be onto something if those things are after us. Even if they weren't before, it seems they surely are now." Rhea sighs. "It's not my place to enter your marriage, but you don't need to be so afraid of him. When we called these men here, we were aware of the risks. Those risks now sit at our feet; we need to consider their warning." 

I watch Rhea with growing suspicion. "Speaking of which, where is your wolf...?" I demand. 

Rhea gives me a peculiar look. "I gave it up. If you stop shifting long enough, the wolf will die, or at least it seems to. There's not a lot of science on it." 

This shocks me, and I'm hit with an amount of sadness and anger that makes me fall back into my seat and rest my hands on the table. 

"Do not judge me, Nicolas; you haven't walked with one of the beasts."

"I have," I tell her before she can even finish the breath. "Alpha has been there for me when I faced such hardships that I couldn't even stomach Verando. If I call him, he comes. Knowing that you willingly killed your wolf is very... They are alive, a conscious being, Rhea." 

My attention turns to Helen, this reminds me so much of Marcus and the beast that could not be controlled once it finally got out. "Helen. Is your father why you haven't accessed your wolf? At dinner-"

Tonya stands up, approaching Helen as if to protect her from me. "Enough, Nicolas. Helen does not have a wolf."

"Yes, she does." My voice is firm,hoping to silence such nonsense. It's as plain as day; there's no need for me to relay it. 

Tonya pets the young woman's hair, smoothing it down as her eyes get misty. "She's a normal girl. She's a sweet girl, and she doesn't have a wolf. None of my children do. Their father doesn't wish it; he doesn't want them to suffer as he does-"

"It's not a curse, Tonya. Gary has convinced you of it, but they are not monsters. You saw yourself in the medical room. To deny her of her heritage-" The door swings open, and the white-haired man is before us. 

I know the hate, the disdain, all too well. He practically exudes disgust and anger over his life's circumstances.

As Legardo enters, Tonya shrinks, and Helen averts her eyes. Tyler puts his hand on my bicep, his expression pleading with me, anything to stay my course. Tyler feels as I do; to care for living things and, as much as I can't explain it, a draw. Something about the wolf pulls us, bringing us closer. 

"Helen is not a wolf," Legardo tells me firmly. 

I cross my arms over my chest; he would have to be scarier than that to affect me. 

"You're right, she's a lycan. A diluted down lycan but a lycan all the same, of royal breeding, granddaughter to Verando, great-granddaughter to Kavanza, and a descendant of the original lycan, Whitewind. There is too much blood to allow a few generations of humans to erase it. That white hair, as much as yours, indicates the truth of her lineage." 

He responds with a raspy growl, and I stand, dusting imaginary lint off my shirt. 

"Sir, I've seen dragons, I've seen the creature that is your uncle; I've been beaten, brutalized, and I have spoken before hundreds of thousands of people. Your growls do nothing to incite anything other than laughter in me. It's not my place to tell you how to conduct your family-" Lord only knows my unorthodox relationship. "But denying who that girl is does nothing but harm her."

"Listen here, you pompous little prick. I won't have you speak to me this way in front of my family! I won't have you filling my daughter's head with these falsehoods; she is not a lycan! She does not hold this damned curse! She's just Helen."

I set my jaw, feeling Tyler surge beside me, but I grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

"She's not just Helen. She's so much more than just Helen. Maybe that's why she went back in time to find us; she's so desperate for you to see her as anything. Helen is incredibly brave; while we don't always see eye to eye, there is much more there than the simple honor of being your progeny." 

Even if I don't like her, I can sympathize with her. My parents never saw me as anything more than their middle child; my brothers got most of the training and attention, and in the end, they sent me to a school to hone my skills or be slaughtered. 

"If you're so upset about it, do something." I challenge him. His expression changes, and he stiffens at my bluff. I'd been around enough lycans to know when I was in danger, and the man before me felt out of control but too far from the edge to cause alarm. Tonya was watching him as if I'm calling forward the devil himself. "Show me then, show me how uncontrollable this wolf is. Come get me."  

"Daddy-" Helen tries.

"Out." He responds sharply. "OUT! I want him out, send him back, throw him on the street; I won't be spoken to this way!"

"If he goes, I go." Tyler stands beside me. 

"Me... me, too." Helen wiggles out of Tonya's grasp to come to stand with Tyler. "Daddy, we have to do something. Even if I never-" She takes a shaky breath. "Nicolas can fix this planet." 

Tonya reaches for her, wanting her away from my heathen influence. 

"Nicolas is the only one who can help Tyler, Daddy. Tyler is who I promised myself to... It's about time I started acting like his opinion mattered." Tyler puts his arm around her waist and kisses her cheek; she turns to him and takes his hand. "Tyler.. I'm so sorry I've been acting like... as if you don't matter. You've been so patient with this... all of this."

"Helen." Legardo barks. "If you tether yourself to these fools, there will be no redemption for you! I will not accept you, I will denounce you!"

"I will go wherever you go, Tyler. I love you; I'm sorry it's taken me going back in time to remember that..."

Legardo surges towards us, and I stretch out my arm to protect the couple, feeling Rhea quickly come to stand beside me, only to be surprised when Tonya gets in between us. 

"Where is it?" Her voice is small, a whisper.

"What, Tonya? Where is what?!" He practically snarls at her.

"The wolf." She exhales. "You told me you couldn't control it; we have been locked away in this compound. I've been so.. where is it, Gary? Where is the wolf?" Legardo hesitates, his shoulders relaxing. She rests her hand over her mouth and takes a step back. "There is no wolf, is there?" 

"Leave us. All of you, get out." Legardo orders us, and as reluctant as I am to leave her alone with him, I let them go first, just in case, before I follow them out the door.