SWNOVELS Chapter 85: Everyone Helps Part Three!
You Named Him Elephant!
“What was that in the office?” Kenneth asked Elijah. They were back in the library going over more books. Elijah released a sigh, it didn’t sit with him what they did, but what choice did they have?
“Alpha Adonis is stubborn. There’s jokes about it, but no one other than Jackson, Tyler and I know how stubborn he really is. Especially when he knows someone wants something from him. The Peace Treaty you and Marco came up to sign, took me months to convince him to just let that happen. We had no choice but to force his hand. Whatever it is Alpha Kane wants to talk to him about, has to be important or he wouldn’t have come personally.” Elijah replied. “The alternative was….asking you. Something else I didn’t want to do.”
“You did not want to use our friendship to garner information. And knowing that you have been testing me and studying me I would have told you what you wanted to know. That is respectable Elijah” Kenneth said.
“I don’t make….friends easily.” Elijah said,
“Your hobby is not something people warm up to, and it is hard to find others that share that particular pastime.” Kenneth nodded. “Until I moved to Howlers Bay, Marco was pretty much my only friend. I get it”
“What are we researching, Elijah?” Kenneth asked. They had been at it for a few days now.
“Have you ever heard of a wolf’s scent changing without marking their mate?” Elijah asked.
“No!” Kenneth replied, shaking his head.
“What about the height or the eye colour of the wolf?” Elijah looked at Kenneth, he again shook his head.
“Do you know what a demon wolf smells like?” Elijah asked,
“No, but I heard rumours about a campfire” Kenneth replied.
“That is exactly what we smell like, fire and smoke. The day we left Alpha Adonis underwent….changes. His smell became more fire than smoke. He got bigger in size, but it was Odin’s eye colour that really threw us off. They used to be burning fire, but now the adage of plum and silver. I can not find anything, in any book, in any language that would explain it.” Elijah said as he dropped the book he was reading back on the table.
“All your scents have changed as well. Almost all of them, Luna Dax doesn’t have the smell, which is strange, her wolf’s eye colour and she should have it. She should have been one, but she’s not.” Elijah ran his hands through his hair. This was driving him crazy, he couldn’t figure it out.
“Elijah, you need to stop. Breathe amico! What do you mean our scents have changed?” Kenneth asked.
“When we first met you and Marco, you smelled like a normal. Now you don’t. Now, you smell like smoke and fire. But the fire isn’t pure, its….artificial.” Elijah said.
“We smell like fake fire?” Kenneth asked.
“Yes!” Elijah said.
“Is that what the first day was all about?” Kenneth asked,
“It was,” Elijah nodded.
“And Queen Dax does not smell?”
“No, and she should. Out of all of you she should have been the one to smell” Elijah said.
“Now I understand the research,” Kenneth said motioning towards all the books.
“It’s not the only thing I’m looking into. I’m sure you have probably noticed Kenzi’s effect.” Elijah looked at Kenneth and nodded when he saw the look that crossed his face.
“I have. I do not understand how she can calm me and my wolf better than my mate.” Kenneth said.
“Neither do we” Elijah replied “But again all these books and nothing”
“Maybe we take a break. You are starting to go cross eyed looking at all these books. And there is something I need to discuss with King Kane” Elijah looked back at the books on the table and nodded his head.
“The fuck asshat want this time?” Jackson asked as he and Adonis were wandering around outside.
“He invited Kenzi for dinner tonight, he wants to apologize for what happened to her yesterday.” Adonis replied,
“Fuck that shit! Her had a fuckin panic attack! He ain’t goin nowhere near that girl ….grrrrrr….” Jackson growled.
“My thoughts exactly. He invited Marco as well.” Adonis said.
“No, Marco jus bout die ….grrrrrr….” Jackson growled again.
“Easy puppy. Alpha Kane is talking this over with Marco and after I calmed Kenzi down I left the decision up to her. It does provide us with an opportunity” Adonis replied.
“What opportunity? Kick his pathetic ass?” Jackson huffed.
“To figure out what the fuck Ethan is up to” Adonis answered.
“Oh yeah! That fuck nut. You think he really responsible for the attacks here?” Jackson asked.
“That’s what Emroy thinks. He has been taking care of their finances for years. Recently he has noticed large monetary amounts being taken from the pack’s funds. Apparently Ethan is broke. Rogues do nothing without being paid or stealing. I had Kennedy and Steve go over all the dates that have had attacks. And Tyler is looking into Primrose finances, to see if the date the money was withdrawn matches the timeframe for the attacks.” Adonis replied.
“Can we trust Emroy?” Jackson asked, arching his brow.
“I don’t know, he has done nothing to provoke us. And only time will tell where his loyalty falls” Adonis said.
“It better be on the right side of this,” Jackson warned.
“Can I ask you something now?” Adonis inquired.
“What?” Jackson said, looking at his Alpha.
“The fuck was that in the office?” Adonis asked.
“Yeah, it my idea, leave the others outta this. But you a stubborn son bitch. You wanna know what Alpha Kane want, but you too much a pain in the ass to sit down an jus ask him. I force yur hand an I not sorry.” Jackson replied.
“He wants something from me,” Adonis grumbled.
“Like I say, you wanna know what that is, an now you gonna fine out. Yur welcome!” Jackson said then grinned big.
“Anyone else Jackson” Adonis side glanced at his Beta.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You love me, an you be los witout me.” Jackson said, his grin getting bigger.
“If that means I don’t actively want to kill you most days” Adonis shook his head
“Soun like the same thin to me.” Jackson shot back laughing. “Hey, they Eli, the fuck he up too?”
“He looks frustrated” Adonis looked at the stress on his Gamma’s face.
“Wasn’t me!” Jackson said, holding his hands up. At least he didn’t think it was anything he did.
“Aside from you and Tyler the only other thing that can make him look that frustrated is not finding anything he’s researching.” Adonis said,
“Speak of the lil ankle biter” Jackson commented when they saw Tyler walking towards them.
“What did you find?” Adonis asked when Tyler and Elijah stopped in front of them.
“It line up” Tyler replied. “Three days before each attack a large sum of money was taken from the account. Increasin by twenty grand each time. Talk to Kennedy an Steve, they say the attacks gettin more vicious each time. First attack jus maul a few of the warriors. This las attack though, they los twenty seven pack members. Eight of em were pups.”
“I already know this, so what do I not know?” Adonis asked,
“They was another withdrawal….yesterday” Tyler replied,
“Son of a bitch. That would put the next attack on Sunday ….grrrrrr….” Adonis growled.
“We goin to dinner ain’t we?” Jackson said. Tyler looked at his brother then at his Alpha. This bullshit, I don’t wanna go! Bal was displeased by hearing this news and was releasing low growls in Tyler’s head. Imma bite one of ’em, if we has to go!
“Kenzi said she would let me know after her nap if she wanted to go.” Adonis replied,
“Her need a nap? Her has a other panic attack?” Tyler asked, sharing a concerned look with his brother.
“No, she got upset and I suggested she sleep on it and let me know. If she doesn’t want to go, I won’t force her, but we might make an appearance.” Adonis said.
“What have you found Elijah?” Adonis asked him. He too carried a displeased look on his face. Asmodeus was bitching about having to go back to that house, that coupled with his lack of progress on his research his mood was foul and something needed to die.
“Nothing!” Was all he replied, with a shake of his head and a shrug of his shoulders. “Nothing, fucking nothing. I have not found one fucking thing that explains, you, them or her. Nothing, not in any book, in any language, fucking anywhere. None of my contacts, at least the ones that have gotten back to me have ever heard of it happening anywhere. They tell me I must have been mistaken and the wolf had to have marked their mate in order for the scent to change. As for the eye colour and other physical changes they had nothing to say.” Elijah ran his hands through his hair again. Tyler and Jackson just watched him, he looked about ready to have a mental breakdown over how stressed this was making him. What Tyler did next shocked everyone. SMACK!
Elijah stared at him wide eyed as he held his now stinging cheek.
“Did....did you....just slap me?”
“Yup! Ella do it to her sister all the time when her go full on freak the fuck out mode. Calm right the fuck down, funny as fuck to. I get a kick outta it evertime her does it” Jackson broke out laughing. The look of utter shock and disbelief on Elijah’s face was killing him.
“How do you feel?” Adonis asked, trying not to laugh.
“Surprisingly a lot calmer,” Elijah replied.
“Yur welcome!” Tyler grinned.
“The fuck you doin out here?” Jackson asked when he collected himself.
“Kenneth and I took a break from research, he went to talk to Alpha Kane” Elijah replied.
“You’re not alone though” Adonis said as he watched Elijah intently. He would scan the woods briefly then turn back towards the others.
“No.” Elijah replied,
“Your theory?” Instead of answering Elijah let out a whistle. In the distance they heard the thunder of paws.
“It worked!” Not a question but a statement as they saw a red wolf run towards them.
“It did!” Elijah answered, he didn’t want to inform his Alpha of his success until he knew it was a success and the wolf remained a wolf and completely loyal to them.
“I understand! How many?” Adonis said as he continued to watch the wolf get closer and closer to them.
“Three turned human....three....didn’t make it and three were successful.” Elijah replied.
“You made a puppy?” Jackson and Tyler couldn’t help the excitement they felt over it. They both had always wanted a dog, but it was never a good idea with their kind.
“I made guard dogs,” Elijah corrected him. We made an Elephant!
“Did you....did you let Asmodeus name him Elephant?” Adonis asked, trying not to laugh. Elijah said nothing as he felt the stares of Jackson and Tyler on him.
“Elephant? You name him Elephant?” Tyler broke first.
“Who can see mister high price fancy suit standin on his back deck yellin Elephant get you furry ass in the house?” Jackson roared with laughter as both Tyler and Adonis raised their hands.
“You did tell me to let him name something Elephant” Elijah commented under his breath.
“And you listened!” Adonis grinned at him,
“It was the first name that came out. They have no memory of their former life, not even their name, but they retain their complete strength and not being bound to a human counterpart their senses are almost as good as ours.” By this time the wolf had reached them and skidded to a stop in front of Adonis.
“Who is your Alpha?” Elijah asked Alpha Adonis Bradshaw! The wolf replied and bowed before Adonis.
“What pack do you belong to? Black Shadow!
“Good boy!” I am a good boy. A really good boy. My name is Elephant, I’m a good boy. Don’t eat Kenneth!
Adonis furrowed his brow as he looked from the wolf to Elijah. Jackson and Tyler started snickering.
“Elijah, did he try to eat Kenneth?” Adonis asked, trying not to laugh, but Jackson and Tyler were not helping him keep a straight face.
“There was a small incident.” Louder and louder the brother’s snickers grew.
“Kenneth moved and he was protecting me. I needed help, this was not something I could do alone.” Yeah the first one tried to eat us! Asmodeus interjected.
“Are you alright?” Adonis asked when Asmodeus came through.
“Yes. The first successful turn did not go the way I had hoped.” Elijah replied
“Clearly, it tried to eat you,” Jackson said looking at him.
“I’m fine Jackson. The second one didn’t go any better. Kenneth emptied a full dart gun into it and it didn’t even slow it down. It took two shots of blood to get....”
“A Elephant” Tyler finished for him. He was on the ground running his hands through the wolf’s fur, its tail happily wagging at the attention it was receiving.
“They’re primitive at best, but they don’t need to be trained, they understand any command given to them. Which is a good thing….I have no idea how to train one” Elijah said as they watched Elephant throw himself into Tyler and knock him over.
“You made three....I want one....I call one,” Jackson said before anyone. “I gotta a name an everthin....Tybal”
“Me too! I want one” Tyler said from the ground.
“There is one left. Kenneth wanted one. It was the least I could do after....” Elijah tried to inform them
“Elephant tried to eat him” Adonis finished for him.
“Mine!” Jackson called first. “He mine, I call him.”
“Son bitch....I get the nex one....after the nex one.” Tyler added when he saw Adonis’s face. “I gotta great name pick out to....Kojak”
“Bring me Evan....I found the perfect punishment.” Adonis said as he continued to look down at Elephant. A wicked smile crossed his face, as Odin surfaced in his eyes.