A New Hope

Chapter 19

"Hope are you sure your okay, we can take a break if you like?"

"I'm fine this is the best way to get you every detail" I sighed.

I was mentally exhausted. I had the great idea of trying to get others to share their memories with images to me, then to share them to David or Liz. This way David and Liz could see for themselves every detail from each of the survivors.

David sat across from me his light brown hair stuck out in all directions from constantly running his hands through it. His pale blue eyes looked exhausted, but still determined and focused.

A couple notebooks, laptop, tablet, and coffee sat in front of him on the desk. It wasn't hard to tell that he had been writing down and looking up every and any detail he picked up on.

"David are you sure your fine, you don't need a break? I get that you've had your share of dark cases, but you've never had to live your witnesses statements" David gave me a wry smile and took another drink of his coffee.

"When Gabriel accidentally shared your torture with the whole pack. We could feel some of your physical pain, but were over powered by Gabriel's emotions... It was intense and crippling" David saddly shook his head remembering the feeling all to well.

"You are sharing these memories or images in a very controlled manner, impressive actually. Its almost like I am reviewing video and audio evidence. There's just a lot to review."

"And we are all very grateful that you are working so hard on this. We just need a starting point one name to start to follow." I told him as he suddenly had a thought and scribbled something in a notebook.

"Yes, but I think your memories might be the most useful, it sounds like the man in charge on the ship dealt with your experiment and none of the others." David raised his eyebrows at me expectantly.

I tried to share my memories first with David and thankfully we were outside walking to the office when I had the idea. It started off alright, I could see his body tense anytime I was roughed up or treated poorly in my memories.

My memories of my first injection made his eyes turn instantly black and he shifted into a wolf screaming through the transition not in pain but what I can only explain as madness. His wolf was growling and circling me, not aggressively towards me but protecting me from an unseen danger.

A few pack members over heard or saw what had happened and came running to help me. I told them to stay back so not to further aggravate David. I had to command him to forget the memories I shared with him and convince him I was safe. After a few minutes he shook his head and went to the tree line to shift and put on clothes. When he returned he was confused and unaware of the episode he just had.

"No! I cannot do that to you again, my memories drove you insane and that was only the injection. You will have to interview me the old fashioned way... and last and outside in case you shift again. Why can't a human we trust do my interview?"

"It couldn't have been that bad and next time I will be used to seeing others memories. Hope you know why, there is too much supernatural events to trust and use a human." He sighed at me then scribbled down something else into a different notebook.

"Their memories are different, you are able to see but not feel them... maybe it's my bond or because they are my direct memories, but you went f*****g mad. Let's just get through the others first and if we have to ill figure out how another way to share mine" I sighed and watched him open his mouth then close it again before also sighing.

As his alpha he couldn't go against my word, but I could still sense he disagreed.

"Alright one more session then you should go meet with Hudson" I nodded in agreement.

Sharing memories was so easy but felt strange at the same time. It was tiring, but didn't feel like something I just learned to do. Like it was a talent I've been honing for years not days.

I stared at Hudson while he sat back in his seat ready for the next live stream of memories to flow into his mind.

I internally commanded David to see and hear my thoughts.

Ready?

He nodded and I began to focus on the memories Holly shared with me. Both of us now reliving her life from the moment she got kidnapped till she jumped off the boat.

Somehow reliving a months worth of memories took hours not days. When we snapped out of the memories David instantly leaned over his notebooks making several notes point form while it was all fresh in his mind.

From our previous sessions I understood I wouldn't get a full sentence out of David until he put down his pen possibly hours later. So I quietly stood up and left him to his work.

Stepping outside into the light still felt like a blessing, a miracle. I no longer was restrained in a steel prison with no sense of time.

"Hey baby, ready for some lunch before our training?" Gabriel jogged up to me throwing a sweaty arm over my shoulder.

"I'm always ready for lunch!" at this point I doubted I'd ever feel full again.

All of us that received the injections had an insatiable appetite for food, we were still unsure if it was from being starved that long or a side effect that would stay with us.

All the eating has definitely benefitted us greatly. In the week since we have been free almost all signs of the malnutrition was gone. Our faces no longer hollow and white.

"Lets eat in the main lodge, if we go back to the cabin you'll distract us again and Hudson will be pissed if we're late again!" Gabriel laughed leaning down to kiss me.

"I'll distract us? Yesterday I bent over to put my shoes on and the next thing I knew my leggings were ripped off" I bit my lip thinking about it. "mmm yeah maybe your right, lunch in the lodge today"

Gabriel gave my ass a little slap then grabbed my hand as we walked towards the lodge.

There was still a lot of pack members on the compound but most of them left after the celebrations. The remainder was asked to stay and guard the newborns, incase they showed signs or going rogue or if our captors tracked our location.

As a result the main lodge always had people hanging out and plenty of cold plates or left overs to heat up.

After eating our fill we headed off to a clearing where we met with Hudson. I wanted to focus on the investigation and nothing else, but Gabriel and a few others convinced me training myself was also important.

I still haven't shifted and it didn't really bother me, I didn't feel like I would lose control either. I was more afraid of becoming a monster from the injections then becoming a wolf.

Instead of training to shift and control my wolf Hudson trained both Gabriel and I how to control our emotions and commands. To set up blocks so the pack didn't feel our every emotion.

Hudson never did training to this extent, but was excellent with control and problem solving new problems as they arise.

"Alright let's try to just send a single image. No emotion, no other ties, just the image." Hudson said to me and waited for my image.

I envisioned the view from the villa in Phucket, the white sands and beautiful sea, the lush tropical palm trees and ferns. The

romantic view I shared with Gabriel from the romantic villa.

"Woah! Kay more than an image, now I have an urge to kiss Gabriel" Hudson put his hands up as Gabriel gave him an amused look. "Dont worry i won't!" we all laughed.

"Sorry I was just focusing on the beach from the villa!" I apologized to Hudson who was still shaking his head.

"Yeah and how romantic it was, how happy you and Gabriel were... and other things."

"Want me to try next?" Gabriel laughed at Hudson.

"Maybe if it doesn't involve Hope" Hudson warned. "Now clear your thoughts, just the image, not what you were thinking or feeling at the time, only what you were seeing"

Gabriel nodded and closed his eyes focusing. Hudson stood and waited for the image. Then started nodding his head smiling.

"Yes, great! The view from your Grandfathers deck! Only the image and nothing else. Alright Hope choose an image from before you met Gabriel something that isn't emotional. Remember it's not a memory with feeling just an image. Maybe try an item instead?"

"Alright I'll try"

I found my mind blank trying to think of something to focus on enough to share with Hudson. I finally decided and stared at him waiting for him to see my image.

"A hammer?!" Gabriel laughed looking at me.

"Not just any hammer, a really nice hammer." I defended myself.

"But just a hammer and no feelings!" Hudson cheered making me smile. "Hmmm but you saw it too Gabriel?"

"Yes I saw the hammer" he said and saw the look I gave him, "the very nice hammer"

"Thats great progress tho Hope. I guess we'll have to see how far your hammer went. I have a feeling you confused a lot of pack members" Hudson laughed as he pulled out his phone to check the time.

"Alright that's enough for today its Anne's session next"

"Is she doing good?" I asked him, curious about our youngest werewolf.

"Well she's half the age of anyone's first shift for a century. She's sweet, but traumatized. She's just a child so she's still learning her emotions, but too young to follow commands. All we can really do right now is more therapy then training." he explained to us.

"Poor sweet little Anne, with your help and Alice and Max as care takers I'm sure she will be fine in no time" Gabriel said to Hudson before we said our goodbyes and left.

Gabriel got a text and burst out laughing before showing me, it was a picture of a hammer sent from Max.

"So I guess the pack all saw a random hammer" he laughed at me putting his phone away.

"Yeah yeah yeah, we can't all be perfect like you. Now come on, I want to see what David has to say... I'll race you!" I gave Gabriel a playful shove then sprinted towards the office.

Even with his new powers and speed I easily out ran him. I waited for him at the office door and gave him a kiss before going in. Laughing a little at how out of breath he was trying to catch me.

Holly and Greg were sitting inside looking at some papers. They all turned to look at us with smiles on their faces.

"Good news?" Gabriel asked them.

"So I got some sketches done of some of the captors and we now have names of two of the men!" David explained as he passed us two photos.

"Both have military background, one army one navy. Both with dishonorable discharges and both currently known as mercenaries." David grinned at us.

"Thats definitely them too, hard to forget the faces of the fuckers holding you at gunpoint" Greg said to us.

"Thats great news, but where do we go from here?" I asked David.

"Well I have connections to hire mercenaries, but not to get Intel on their current or previous employers... they know to stay away from cameras and use aliases making it difficult to track or pinpoint them. But we know they were recently in North America and Phucket, so its narrows down our hunt a little."

"Well could we hire a mercenary to capture these two... or does that go against their code?" I asked him.

"They have no code. It is an option, but I feel like all our resources could get more done... We are currently tracking down any known contacts they have and sending some... muscle, to get some answers." David said while checking his phone again.

"Hmmm I got to make a few calls, I'll let you know if I need anything. Hope, this is a step in the right direction, but let's do another two sessions tomorrow."

"Yeah I can do that, I'll let Sue and Jared know to see me tonight." I nodded to David before turning to leave.

The others thanked David then followed me out.

The next few days I continued to focus on training and helping David. The mercenaries were proving difficult to track down. Anyone with previous ties to them had either disappeared or died. Someone else was clearly tying up loose ends.

I shared the memories from everyone save Anne and myself. We decided not to make Anne relive her trauma and I was afraid David would go mad again.

Despite my training with Hudson I was unable to share my own memories without the attached feelings. I was getting better with images and was practicing on Hudson sharing the face of the man who tortured me. Even he would have a hard time controlling his wolf.

Saying my bond connected with that image made him feel like he had to protect me with his life.

"Alright David, I command you to stay calm no matter what image you see next. I command you not to shift and not to get emotional."

David nodded his head, we were seated outside in case my commands didn't work. A notepad and pen in hand he took a deep breath to prepare himself.

I focused on the face and image of my torturer and tried to do so with no emotion before sharing it with David. His eyes shot open and instantly turned back. He took a couple deep breaths then wrote down every single detail of the man's face before tossing the pen and notebook aside.

"Okay David now I command you again to let go of your anger and pain, to calm down. We have work to do"

David slowly shook his head and hands as if he was letting the negativity shake out of him. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them they were once again a pale blue.

"Pffffft that wasn't so bad! Don't know why you didn't just do that in the first place" he joked standing up and offering me a hand.

"Hmmm yeah right. Your okay?" I asked him sweetly double checking his eyes were still blue and his shaking had stopped.

"Yes now I got work to do, these sessions have been... enlightening, but im not sure how you can help now."

"Youll let me know when you know something" I sighed waving at him as he ran towards the office already on the phone.

Gabriel would be doing his morning exercises with Max. Alice and Anne were probably watching cartoons and the others were probably still lounging in their own cabins as well.

I sighed to myself and looked around unsure what I wanted to do next. I didn't have anything to keep me busy until training with Hudson in the afternoon. It felt like everything was a waiting game.

Waiting for the investigation to find a traceable lead. Waiting for our blood work to be studied. Waiting for the council to come then waiting for their decision. I was free but I didn't feel in control.

"Ah there you are!" a voice behind me made me turn in surprise.

Michael was walking towards me with a smile on his face. It was so weird to see Gabriel's father a spitting image of him, but younger.

"Oh hello there young man" I joked with him making him smile even bigger.

"That'll never get old"

"Apparently neither will you" I laughed.

"I have the chance to now because of you, but thats not why I wanted to talk."

"Oh whats going on now" I asked concerned.

"The council members will be here tomorrow and I'm rethinking the decision to keep them in the dark about your Luna... ties." he paused to read my face before continuing. "It might be better to tell them... but perhaps make a wish for their loyalty to your secret, the same way you wished to see me human?"

"This is your world and your pack, if you think thats the better option then I trust your judgment. Will they begrudge the pack because of my leadership or try to use my powers?"

"Thank you Hope. No I don't think they will. We know Luna has taken a werewolf form before, but it is as myth and not recorded as history. I believe its because Luna is benevolent and her only purpose on earth is to love her Sol... that the council will bond with you and if you don't mention the Luna myth they will scrutinize you and the pack for a reason why we are all bonded to you."

"So you think if I explain the Luna myth and powers they will trust the bond and not make a big deal about it?" I questioned him further.

"They will trust the bond and i think if asked will keep it to themselves. That way they will feel in control of the situation, because knowledge is power. But of course it wouldn't hurt if you strongly wished for their trust and approval" he explained to me as we walked.

"That does make sense... so would it be frowned apon to use my powers of persuasion to win over Alice and our newborns case?" he stopped and raised his eyebrows at me.

"I mean like a suggestion not a command..." I trailed off under his stare. He might look younger than me but his eyes some how had a look of wisdom and experience only years could offer.

"If you do, it can't be in an obvious way... and I know you won't let it become a pattern, right?" he smirked at me and we continued walking.

"Yes yes of course!" I quickly said making him laugh.

"How are liking being human again?" I asked making him furrow his brows.

"Truly happy, like I haven't since I lost my mate. I've felt joy in the years passed and the companionship of the pack, but never truly happy. I was glad to finally meet Gabriel, but it didn't take away the weight. You didn't just force me to shift, you forced that weight off of me." he smiled down at me.

"Other than that sleeping in a real bed and eating human food has been amazing. I forgot how great the small things were. Clothes are more restricting then I remembered tho."

I laughed at him as he tugged at the collar of his shirt and made a choking face.

"And appearing younger than your son must be a huge ego boost! How does that work anyways?"

"Well werewolves have always lived longer lives then most humans. Some even sleep in wolf form to stretch those years even longer. I haven't heard of any other situations like mine tho. You see the longer your a wolf the more feral you become. Most who stay in wolf form longer than a year completely loose their humanity never to shift back and becoming nothing more then the animal itself."

"My father found me a year or so after I had shifted and as my alpha commanded me to shift back to human. My pain was too much so each attempt was an excruciating failure... but somehow it brought my mind back into focus and it stayed in focus in wolf form."

Michael's expression went almost blank as he explained to me, almost thinking out loud of the painful memory.

"So theres a good chance you'll outlive Gabriel and myself? What happens to your wolf will it remain older when you shift or can your wolf die of old age when your human form is so young?"

"First off I'm not that old and neither is my wolf, but my wolf will not regain its youth when I shift back, but it will not become decrepit before my human form catches up either. I will probably live a full life with you and Gabriel now... but don't forget that I'm your elder and not the other way around!" he scolded me laughing again.

"I think the craziest thing is our kids calling you grandpa when you'll look like the young uncle!" he raised his eyebrows at me and grinned ear to ear.

"I never thought I'd even be able to know my grandchildren or hold them for that matter. I'm starting to believe this is the reason why I stayed in control of my wolf. To build a pack worthy for you and my son to lead"

"Co-lead, especially with you on two legs" I corrected him. "Michael... I don't mean to be rude but is it possible to mate again?"

"No thats not rude, but yes it is. Whatever it is that leads us to our mates, fate or some unknown science, is undeniable. I have never heard of someone rejecting their mate, they always end up together. But whatever it is that draws us together somehow knows when our other half dies and sometimes sparks it in another."

"So you have another mate out there, you must after everything you been through no one is more deserving." I smiled to him as I patted his shoulder.

"I don't need another mate to be happy and even after all these years its impossible to even contemplate loving another." Michael gave me a wry smile.

"But I'm off to office to hone my computer skills, apparently technology has changed more then I imagined in the past twenty eight years! Lets have breakfast together tomorrow before welcoming the council?"

"You might look young, but you sure sound old. You betcha, see you for eight at the lodge?"

Michael laughed and nodded his head in agreement, before running off towards the office.