The Nexus Wolf And Her Fated Mate

chapter two_ The Briefing

Avery’s POV

“What… what happened?”

“You pushed yourself to the extreme, Avery,” he said coolly.

“But… hibernation?” I asked.

His face remained unchanged.

“Yes.”

I swallowed hard.

“How?”

He groaned, leant forward a little.

“The mission of Company X demanded excessively. You had been too long tied together. You had stretched Umbra and Nexus beyond their reach.” He said. “They sent an SOS signal but you ignored it, hence they crashed and are now in hibernation.”

“I did not ignore any warning, matter of fact, I was not given any,” I said to him, but even I was not certain that it was the case, because an SOS signal was sent, but I was hell bent on succeeding I ignored it.

“You do what you always do,” he said sweetly. “And you bore the burden on your shoulders. You were pushing you because you did not want us to lose this mission.”

My stomach twisted.

“So they’re just… gone?”

“No,” he said immediately. “Not gone. Just… not available at the moment.”

But already my panic was increasing.

I could feel it swelling up my throat, so I could not breathe easily.

“I cannot-- I can not do anything without them.”

The hold of director Hale was the tighter, his thing slowly caressing my hand.

“Avery,” he said firmly. “Look at me.”

I forced my eyes up, tears gathering at the corner of my eyes.

“Let’s just say they have gone to sleep,” he repeated. “It is the way of self-protection of the body. Your wolves closed down, since your system could not endure any extra burden. They will wake up once they are well rested.”

My lips were open, but there was no sound.

“What if they don’t wake up?” I asked, voice small.

“They will,” he said without any hesitation. “We will make sure they do.”

I shook my head.

“You don’t understand. Umbra is… she’s—”

“I know,” he thought, in a lower voice. “Better than you think.”

I twitched, and attempted to suppress the impulse to burst into tears. “Did I fail?”

“Oh no my dear,” he went on. “This is not failure. This is exhaustion. You are l nineteen , Avery. No one in this organization was this powerful at 19.”

My breathing was uneven.

“And what happens now?”

“You rest,” he said. “We bring in specialists. We stabilize your mind. Then we give your wolves a rest, all right.”

I stared at him.

“You promise?”

His face softened slightly.

“I assure you that you shall have the best treatment we have. Umbra and Nexus will be fine, I promise you.”

The words fell around like a blanket, thin but not nothing.

There was a slight drop of my shoulders.

I was now terrified but at least I was not drowning in uncertainty.

“Okay,” I whispered.

Director Hale shook his head once, with satisfaction. Then there was a silence in the room, broken only by the regular beeping of the monitor next me.

Then—

Ding.

There was a sharp sound that broke the silence.

Director Hale’s phone.

He took it out of his pocket and looked at the screen.

The alteration of his face was instant. The warmth disappeared. His jaw tightened.

I noticed.

“What is it?” I asked.

He looked back at me.

“You do not need to worry about it.” He said as he pocketed his phone and got up.

Now you must sleep, he said, voice firm again.

“Director—”

“I will be back,” he said, already turning to the door.

The nurse jerked out of the way.

Director Hale hesitated with his hand on the doorframe.

“Do not leave this room,” he said.

Then he walked out.

The door shut behind him.

I stood there looking at the ceiling.

Something was happening.

Something big.

And they did not want me around.

Minutes passed.

I was attempting to cool down but my thoughts kept going back to the look on his face when he looked at his phone .

That wasn’t nothing.

That was urgency.

Then unexpectedly a voice came through the academy speakers.

“Attention all Super Wolves. Briefing in the central meeting room at once. Repeat. Every Super Wolf will report to the briefing room right away.

My body went still.

A briefing?

Now?

I swiveled my head to the nurse who walked into the room not long ago.

She looked uncomfortable.

“You heard that,” I said.

She hesitated.

“Yes, but you are not cleared—”

“I’m a Super Wolf,” I cut in.

“Avery—” she started.

“I still belong to this unit though my wolves might be hibernating.” I said, cutting her off.

She opened her mouth, and closed it again.

I swung my legs off the bed.

I almost fell to the ground as my knees bucked but I held myself by the side rail.

“Avery, you need to stay—”

“I have to be informed about what is going on.” I cut her off once more.

I left the room before she could prevent me.

It was a quiet corridor outside, dimly lit. I took a deep breathe and began walking . Voice was already building up by the time I got to the briefing wing.

I pushed through the doors—

And froze. Director Hale was in the foreground.

His gaze was immediately fixed on me. His expression hardened.

“What the hell are you up to? “ he asked.

I swallowed.

“I heard the summon.”

“You had no business to come,” he said. “You were to be taking a rest.”

“I can still help,” I insisted.

His jaw clenched.

It seemed a moment that he would command some one to take me out.

Then he exhaled.

“Sit,” he said finally.

Relief hit me quickly.

I sat aside, sitting towards the back. The room filled rapidly. Top operatives. Elite spies. The most powerful wolves that had been trained by the academy. Individuals who never used to meet before unless there was something serious. The leaders of the organization occupied their front row positions.

Behind them, director Hale was standing with his arms behind his back.

“We have had a very important clue,” he said.

The room went still.

“Dominic Rossi.”

Murmurs spread.

The most dangerous mafia lord werewolf.

The name was known to everyone. It had been impossible to find him. Like finding a needle in a haystack.

Another head continued.

“Years have passed and he has been functioning outside our borders. No location. No confirmed sightings. No direct trail.”

The first head nodded.

“It has been like trying to find a needle in a haystack. A very , very complicated maze , made entirely out of hay.”

I bent forward a little against my will.

Finally.

Something real.

Worth all the missions, something.

“This fact, this… intel.” Director hale added, “may alter all things.”

A pause.

“But we will not reveal it as yet.” He said

The room groaned in frustration.

One of the operatives put up his hand.

“Why not?”

“Since we have to ascertain its authenticity,” the head responded in a level-headed manner. “We shall not be pursued on a wild goose chase. Dominic is a very tricky man, I would not be surprised if this is one of his schemes.”

The eyes of the director Hale swept across the room.

“All operatives, until then,” added the other head, “are to stay alert. Return to your dorms. Rest. You can be called upon shortly, in the event of the plan being altered, and the authenticity of the information being confirmed.”

It was evident that people were disappointed, but nobody protested. Top spies one after another rose and marched out. The room emptied quickly.

I stayed.

Director Hale realized at once.

“Avery,” he warned.

I rose, and walked towards the front.

“I can help confirm it,” I said. “The authenticity of the intel.”

The heads turned toward me.

One raised an eyebrow.

“How?”

I lifted my chin.

“Through my wolf.”

Silence.

Then the voice of the Director Hale low.

“Avery…”

The eyes of the senior head became sharp.

“Your wolves are currently hibernating,” he said, reminding me.

My stomach dropped.

“I—”

“You are out of this mission,” the head went on. “You will go to an off-grid place where you will heal and your wolves would be treated by the best in the field”

My pulse spiked.

“What? Why?”

“To recover,” said the Director Hale.

“I can still contribute—”

“No,” he cut in. “You would go to your dorm and rest, the team will come pick you up for your departure. This is a direct order. Sienna Cross will handle this.”

I stood still for a second, the anger and fear swirling in my chest. Then I walked out, swiveled around and left them before they could notice how shaky I was. The hallway felt too long. My boots echoed. My thoughts raced.

Off-grid.

Healing.

Removed.

They were sidelining me.

This was the first occasion that I was being taken out of a mission.

And I hated it.

And even worse, they’d be giving the mission to the one she-wolf I’d hate to death… Sienna!

I balled my hands clenched to fists by the time I got to my dorm building.

I should obey.

I should rest.

Such is what a loyal operative would do.

But I had other plans.

I paused in front of the entrance.

My breath came out hard.

Then—

A second thought came to my mind.

Simple.

Reckless. Necessary. I glanced around. No guards nearby. There were no cameras that faced the side exit. I ran fast and walked round the building and out of the service gate.

My face was struck by the night air, cold and sharp.

It did not make me stop until I was past the fence of the academy. The lights of the city were shinning in the background. I came to the road, and my heart was racing as though I was being pursued. A cab rolled past. I lifted my hand. It slowed. Stopped. The window rolled down.

The driver looked at me.

“Where to?”

I looked out at the road that was open before me, and the academy was behind me.

Then I said,

“Nearest club.”