Hey!

Sorry for the long wait! I've been very busy, you have no idea! Hope you enjoy this! Feel free to follow me on instagram: MelAchenbach ;)

Have a good day,

Lissa

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How are the samples?" Amanda asked, sneaking up behind me in the laboratory. Startled, I jumped, nearly dropping the test tube in my hands. I cleared my throat and looked at her, grimacing at her smeared red lipstick, sweaty forehead, and wisps of hair in her face. While there was possibility she was hooking-up with one of her employees, which was a common rumor, it had been a long day. She was scurrying around, snapping orders, asking questions, and filling out paperwork. Behind her, Temp lingered, frowning at the scientists shoving past him. His eyes met mine and narrowed slightly; childishly, I casually flipped him off by scratching my forehead with my middle finger. I smirked when he noticed and Amanda looked between the two of us, impatiently. "Well, how are the samples?"

I shook my head. "Oh, sorry - they're coming fine."

"No problems?"

"None yet," I answered, positively. "But, I'm not the one studying the cells and trying to figure out the difference - I'm simply following the normal procedure of getting them ready." I exhaled loudly and placed the tube down, rubbing my covered hands together. "Jim over there is studying them underneath the microscope."

"Alright, I will need to speak with him," she responded, glancing over at him. I started becoming nervous when she remained standing in front of me, oblivious of a scowling Temp. He really needed to accept that I was a member of the team; I was going to continue on the assignments with him. When his eyebrows knitted together, I realized that he was trying to read my thoughts - too bad there weren't any interesting. Just a few about how frustrating the sample labeling was, how tired and hungry I was, and how his scowl made me feel uncomfortable. "Since you aren't too busy, Blue, how about you interview subject 106?"

"Ethen?"

"Our subject," she corrected, slowly. "We don't refer to them by their names - subject 110, subject 113, understand?"

"I understand," I muttered, robotically. Temp smirked, obviously pleased with the small scolding I had received. When Amanda clasped her hands together and pursed her lips, I realized that she was awaiting an answer. "Uh, why me? I mean, I already risked my life once by taking samples from him; there are plenty of other people who could ask him questions - and what questions?"

"Questions about his past - all prepared for you on this paper," she answered, before snapping her fingers. I flinched at the flicking of her manicured, red nails and watched as Temp slapped a clipboard into her hand. Unfazed, she extended the clipboard of questions towards me, raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid he's requested you."

My stomach twisted inside of me. My throat tightened and for a moment, it became hard to breathe. I can't do this, I thought, eyes widening at the sight of the questions. While a part of me knew he wasn't going to harm me, it was scary knowing how dangerous he was. I enjoyed being in a safe, comfortable environment - being in that room with him was the complete opposite. Hearing my thoughts, Temp pinched his lips together and gave a slight nod, almost as if he was wishing me the best. I knew he didn't care about my well-being; he only cared about getting the subject to talk. Shakily, I took the clipboard of questions from her hand and skimmed them.

"Believe me, we've tried," she continued, shaking her head. "But, whenever we sent someone else in there, he stayed silent."

"He wouldn't talk?"

"Not one word," Amanda said, tapping her heel. "Well, other than his request for you - if he'll answer these questions, it'll put us another step ahead."

I gulped loudly. "He could hurt me."

"I'm nearly a hundred percent sure he won't," she responded, tilting her head to one side. "It seems he's grown attached to you." I frowned at her, wondering how in the hell he capable of getting 'attached to me' after only one encounter. Temp scratched the back of his head and straightened his broad shoulders, standing taller. I listened to my heart hammering in my chest, the pumping of blood through my veins, and the frantic whispers among my fellow scientists around me, beyond nervous. Amanda watched me for a long moment, before moving closer to me. "Attachments aren't welcomed here - questions can't arise. No feelings, understand? You do your job and only your job."

"I-I don't - "

"You know what I mean," she interrupted, seriously. "Now, get those questions answered." She flashed me her bright smile and gestured towards the door leading into Ethen's room. The room was starting to become hot, so I stripped off my white laboratory coat and gloves. I snatched my lucky pen and approached the door, receiving a warning look from the security guarding it. Amanda ordered my entry and as they yanked open the heavy door, I looked towards Temp. He was watching me, fiddling with the neckline of his shirt - he only did that when he wasn't in control of a situation.

Taking a deep breath, I moved into the room with silence. Ethen was sitting on the bed, his bare back facing me. I gulped loudly at his back muscles when they stiffened, sensing my presence. He was wearing a pair of paper pants this time, the color of the blank sky. I stared at his muscular back as the door closed behind me; he raised his head and slowly, looked over his shoulder. The moment his emerald eyes landed on me, a weird sensation overwhelmed me and oddly, it wasn't bad. I started fidgeting with my pen while he scooted off the bed, rising to his feet. As he rose, his body stretched, his muscles stretching into their comfortable position, until he reached his towering height of 6'4.

"Um, I'm here to ask some questions," I told him, holding up the clipboard. "Apparently, you requested me - how difficult you are."

"I needed to see you," he responded, casually. He greeted me with a simple grin and flopped back down on the bed, sitting upright. "How are you?"

"Good," I answered, quickly. "Lets just get this over with." I looked around the room for a chair, only to be disappointed. He gestured towards the spot next to him on the bed and I shook my head, leaning against the nearest wall. He released a short chuckle, muttering the word 'stubborn' underneath his breath. I looked down at the clipboard, reading off the first question. "What's your family history?" For a second, his eyes darkened at the mention of family.

"I'll answer those questions, if you do too."

"You sure like to negotiate."

"I like learning about you," he answered, quietly. "I like learning new things in general - I'm intrigued with most things. I don't like not knowing things; I fear the unknown." I hesitated for a second; wondering whether or not it was a good idea to spill my life to him. It wasn't as if he was going to escape anytime soon to hunt down my family or my friends; if so, how was he going to find them? Plus, he told me his morals: he didn't harm anyone unless it was self-defense or in protection of his family. "So, you want to answer the first question, Thea?"

"Blue," I corrected, awkwardly. "Um, there isn't really anything interesting about my family history - my great-grandfather died during his research to prove his theory of evolution."

"That's interesting," he disagreed, grinning. "What's your family like now?" I hesitated, reminding myself that I needed his answers.

"My parents are together, married for twenty years so far," I told him, proud of my parents' long-lasting relationship. "I was a huge baby and so when my mother gave birth, it really messed her up internally. When she discovered that she couldn't have any more children, my parents started adopting - continuously. I have two older brothers and a younger brother and sister; they love children so much that they're considering adopting another within the next few years."

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that," he mumbled, rubbing his chin in thought. I nodded my head and tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear. A long moment of silence stretched between us, before he cleared his throat. "My family has never been as happy and connected as yours. My parents constantly fought, mostly physically. I grew up relying on my older brothers, especially after my brother, Ryker, murdered my father - I helped take the blame. Just like I took the blame for Caine's mistakes; he murdered a witch's son. Our village ended up murdering our mother and hanging her body in the center for us to see. . ."

"That's terrible," I whispered, before scribbling down a brief summary of his words. He looked at me and nodded his head in agreement.

"My brothers and I weren't always monsters," he continued, staring at the wall in thought. "We made stupid mistakes, stupid decisions, that destroyed our family." He scratched the back of his head and glanced at me, thoughtfully. "Sometimes, I think that maybe our family was broken long before the murders, the lies, and the running - maybe we were destined for this fate. To be werewolves, to create more of my kind, to live forever in a world where cruelty overrides kindness."

"It sounds like you aren't happy."

"I haven't been happy in a long time," he responded, releasing a small chuckle. "I wasn't even happy when my brothers and I reunited - we were brought together by enemies, not because we wanted to see each other again."

"What makes you happy?" I asked, curiously.

"Is that the next question?"

My cheeks reddened. "Uh, no. I'm sorry, I'll - "

"You're fine," he interrupted, seeming relieved that I was interested. "What makes me happy. . . traveling, learning new things, nature, hope."

"Hope?"

"Hope," he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "There are those moments where you see or experience something that gives you hope. They make you understand that it may not be okay today, or tomorrow, but eventually, it will be. Everything will fall into place and - things will get better." He smiled to himself and looked down at his fingernails, which he was picking at. "Quite frankly, I haven't experienced a lot of those moments, but that's what makes them special when they happen."

"That's very true."

"What makes you happy?"

I bit my bottom lip. "Um, books, coffee, friends and family, solving a problem, black and white movies. . ."

"Good to know," he said, his emerald eyes sparkling. For a moment, I was distracted, captivated by those eyes. I cleared my throat and looked back down at the clipboard, feeling my cheeks reddening again. It was strange how he was getting this reaction from me; I was an independent woman. I never needed or wanted a man - unlike most women; I didn't crave attention from the opposite sex. In fact, I hadn't been in a relationship since my senior year of high school.

"What are you capable of doing with your power?"

"Almost anything imaginable," he answered, honestly. "I prefer telekinesis - the movement of objects using the mind." I scribbled down his answer, scolding myself for my awful handwriting. I was hoping Amanda didn't complain.

"How - "

"You have to answer," he interrupted, frowning. "If you could have a power, what would it be?"

"Compulsion," I told him, blurting the first thing that popped into my head. To be honest, I would've loved to have Temp's gift of reading minds. "How come you were wandering that forest where you were captured?"

"I was searching for someone, carrying out a favor that I promised," he answered, quickly. A moment passed between us and when I realized he wasn't going to continue, I wrote down his answer. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Italy."

"Great place," he said, a small smirk on his face. "One of my favorites actually - I've been there sixteen times."

"Lucky you," I mumbled, moving onto the next question. "Do you have a mate?" Something flickered in his eyes and his posture changed, slightly.

"I do," he said, a dimple appearing in his left cheek. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"I don't," I answered, shrugging casually. "I've always preferred being independent, I guess. I don't like the idea of depending on someone or someone depending on me."

His eyebrows shot up. "That's what a relationship is."

"Exactly," I told him, slouching against the wall. "It's too much work." He frowned slightly at my response and exhaling loudly, stretched out on the bed. He placed his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles, yawning. "What other creatures do you know of exist?"

"Uh, witches, gypsies, warlocks, fairies," he rambled, twirling his hand in the air. "I haven't come across a vampire, surprisingly. Only those fake ones - seriously, ketchup can't ever pass up as blood, believe me."

"What about Torments?" I blurted, feeling my heart leap in my chest. I knew that the mark on my wrist was hidden underneath my watch, constantly with me. He seemed surprised at the mention of them and slowly, sat forward.

"Yes, actually," he said, curiously. "Are you researching them?"

"Sort of."

"Well, I would inform your boss to stay away from them - they're nasty creatures," he warned, eyes narrowing. "It isn't hard to fall victim to one of them."

"I know," I mumbled, then quickly recovering from my response. "I mean, we know." He watched me for a long moment, eyeing me up and down with question. Even though, there were still ten more questions left on the paper, I became nervous and panicky. "Uh, t-that's all for now." He blurted my name as I scurried towards the door, giving it a hard knock. When it was yanked open, I rushed out of the room, finally being able to breathe. What was I thinking? Asking him about Torments? I was an idiot; I should've known better. I ran my fingers through my hair as Temp stormed up to me, a scowl on his face.

"What was that, Blue?" he asked, harshly. "You didn't ask all the questions - Amanda will be pissed off."

"I-I know," I stuttered, taking deep breaths. He watched me for a long moment, debating in his head what to do. Since I was too panicky, there weren't any thoughts in my head making sense; he couldn't read them clearly.

He exhaled loudly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I answered, straightening my shoulders. "Let's not pretend to care about each other, okay?" I bumped into his shoulder as I walked away, not looking back.