Chapter 6

Outside the training facility seems lazy compared to the interior. I knew better than to think that the calmness would last, Aguillo was going in for more than a few words with me, and he had reason, but I had a few bones to pick myself.
“Trent are you alright now?” he asks bringing my attention away from the scenery.
“I am now,” I answer carefully, looking at him warily.
“Eric, Raoul, let him go.” he nods to my keepers
“But-”
“Now,” Aguillo ordered impatiently and they practically drop me.
“Yes sir,” one of them replies cautiously.
“You may leave, he’s fine now.” Aguillo reassures them.
I don’t know but I had a feeling that someone hesitated, making him scowl and they hurriedly go back inside the training center.
Aguillo turns towards me, chilled rage is engraved on his face.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” he shouts, his voice rings in my sensitive ears making me cringe back.
“I wasn’t, I didn’t-” I try to explain hastily. But Aguillo cuts me off
“I know you didn’t, but dammit, Trent, why weren’t you?”
“I had other things on my mind,” I confess, and it was true, connecting the Guides, Aguillo and my new mission was screwing with my mind enough.
“That is no excuse,” he spits. His fists clenched tightly almost ready to give me what for.
I take a deep breath, trying not to challenge him. “That was not an excuse. You asked me why, and I answered.”
Aguillo glances over at me, his silver eyes flare up dangerously, I challenge it for a second, then quickly lower my gaze.
“You are bordering on harsh consequences, wolf” he seethes.
“When am I not?” I ask too quickly to keep the words in my head.
Aguillo responds immediately grabbing my neck. “you should’ve been kept in that crate,” his grip tightens to where I can feel his fingers against my bones. I let out a whimper in pain and fear. As my mind goes back to the days when I was ‘unsafe’.

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Bleak bars of light reach through the spaces of the wooden crate that I was in. Outside I could hear the muffled voices of people but they don’t register as important, I was so lost, I knew absolutely nothing of what was happening, the only thing I knew was pain, nothing on the planet could compare to the torture my body was putting itself through. Bones stretching like I was going through a growth spurt in fast forward. Muscles shrinking and cramping up in unnatural positions. My face I could feel it just throbbing like when you get a bloody nose, with a sinus headache, as it would bulge out slow and painful.
My entire life was now reduced to this box where I could barely stand up in, not that I wanted to, I was in a blurred spiral of pain. I was angry, not at the pain, or the crate that held me, but not knowing anything about myself. No name, no family, not even a mirror to help me recognize my own face.
My rage overwhelms the torture, and I ram myself against one of the brittle, yet firm wooden walls. It rocks the crate before settling back in place, and I hear the faint strains of laughter of the people outside, I slam against the wall again, hoping to scare whoever is outside, the crate rolls onto it’s side and I collapse as the pain reclaims its hold on me.

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Aguillo’s curled fingers are biting through my skin making my decision to get out of his grip.
“Is this why you wanted to talk, so you could threaten me?” I demand, shaking myself to smooth out my fur.
“No, you’ve been more elusive than usual lately, Wolf,” Aguillo states coldly, his gray eyes latch onto mine daring a challenge. “what secrets are you hiding now?”
“The same things you keep hiding from me, possibly?” I growl back. “I don’t hide unless I have reason to think I can’t trust the person or group I’m with.”
Aguillo was shocked that I took up his challenge, but he quickly regained his chill composure, but I could smell his anxiety growing. “I don’t have to tell you anything that I don’t have to,” he replies.
“That’s not the best method to gain my trust, Aguillo,” I give back harshly. “but when I get involved with you and everyone else’s agendas, I’d like to know what the hell people are getting me into.”
“You’re not in the position to be giving orders,” Aguillo retorted levelly.
“No, I’m not, but if you keep up this sneaking around,” I knew I was making a stupid move but I was beyond caring at the point, “you might lose a valuable asset.”
“Try it, wolf,” Aguillo threatens back, “and there will be nothing holding me back from making every breath a living hell.”
“You’ve already done that,” I mutter, turning back towards the fire escape, letting it lower to the next level, not even taking the effort to look back at him.
Once I was back on the ground I walked until I was out of Aguillo’s sight. When I was sure that no one else was in my immediate area, I ran with no idea of where I needed to go. Buildings blurred past me, stray puddles rippled in my wake. I ran up walls taking random turns through the ghetto. I felt aware of everything at once, only to forget it an instant later. I scrambled up another wall then took a moment to catch my breath and to see where the wolf had led me too.
The first thing I noticed was that the air was a little fresher, not much, but enough to make a difference. The random patches of fur began to stand on end at the realization. The wolf was in unfamiliar territory, no knowledge of these neighbors, and completely lost. I was about to turn back and go home when I heard something like an empty soda can bounce against the asphalt.
I crouch back hoping to hide behind the tarnished and rust covered trash bins.
“Who’s there?” a lady asks, coming out from the corner.
I remain still, hoping that she just keeps walking. I hear her breathing, No footsteps, just her breathing, and I smell her fear. I peer out from behind the garbage bins.
Her anxiety melted away the instant I did, and I knew that she saw me.
“What, who are you?” she asks gently coming towards me with a confident stride.
Crap. I knew she saw me now I had several options now. I could run and get back over the wall, I could kill her, or I could tell her the truth.
“What the hell?” the woman remarked when she apparently saw the rest of me backing away slightly.
“Wait, I ain’t gonna hurt you,” I reply quickly standing up, though I’m not sure of what I’m doing.
“you, it you‘re?” she asks, her eyes tracing over me purely bewildered. Her blue eyes seem unable to comprehend what she’s seeing.
“He,” I correct automatically. “I ain’t neutered.”
“What do you want?” she demands, trying to reassemble her confidence.
“Directions would be nice,” I joke, trying to settle her down.
“Huh, was that a joke?” she asks shaking her head,
Perfect, a stranger with no sense of humor.  “not a good one apparently,” I answer darkly, crossing my arms.
“Uh, you aren’t one of those EM’s are you?”  she asks hesitantly.
“I am,” I reply standing up taller with some pride.
“Then why haven’t you-”
“Killed you ?” I ask, with a slight snarl “Look, lady, we don’t kill innocents, unless they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“But you still kill them, whether you knew it or not.” she spits back.
“And most of us regret it when it does happen,” I mutter angrily glaring at her.
“What did you say?”
“You heard well enough the first time.” I growl my fur bristling again.
“Are you saying that we don’t?” she demands.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Oh really,” she remarks snidely, crossing her arms disbelievingly. “Explain that.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to a stranger, let alone a higher up.”
“Michelle,”
“Huh,” My head snaps up alert with suspicion and surprise. “is this a joke?”
“No, now who are you?” she remarks sternly, but offers her hand.
“Two seconds ago you were scared that I was going to turn you into a lump of meatloaf, now you trying to give me a handshake?” I ask her giving her a hard look.
“Is that a problem?” ‘Michelle’ replies.
“No it’s just,” I shake my head trying to make sense of everything happening.
“Odd?” she finishes.
“In a manner of speaking.” my nose smells nothing else approaching, my ears don’t hear anything either, with them twitching to catch the sound of rats which will make a good meal. no we were alone, no danger, no trap, I had the advantage. “Trent.”
“Ok, Trent,” she looks me up and down, “can you now explain what you meant with your previous statement?”
“I can, but I ain’t.”
“Am not,” she corrects exasperatedly “good grief, I don’t know if you’re better or worse than some of the kids I deal with.”
“What are you talking about?”
“ I have a major in English, incorrect grammar is one thing that sets my teeth on edge.”
“Look you’ve said ‘hello’, now I gotta say ‘adios’,” I turn around planning to bound over the wall.
“Have to- oh God!” she nearly shouts.
“What?” I ask, turning back to her alarmed.
“You, you’re bleeding,” Michelle stammers slightly her blue eyes wide with concern.
I reach for the back of my neck, my callused finger tips wipe off a layer of a damp but sticky residue on my fur. Aguillo, I realize that his grip was getting better.
“Yeah, it ain’t the first time I’ve been bleeding, and it won’t be the last time either,” I reply lightly,
“How can you laugh about that?”
I roll my eyes, “It’s better than being dead,” I retort.
“I’m not going to ask how you know that,” Michelle answered, shaking her head, I turn back to the alley wall.
“You ain’t gonna say nothing about this, are you?”
“You aren’t going to say anything about this,” she corrects, I grunt at having my words tossed back to me and no answer.
“Just answer the question,”  my ears twitching in annoyance.
“No, I won’t, you haven’t done anything worth reporting to authorities, and no one really gives much thought to what I say anyways, so why mention it?”
I nod, somewhat thankful that I wouldn’t have to kill her. “You come down this way often?” the words burst out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“Huh?” Michelle looks back over to me,
Stupid move Trent, amigo, I half growl to myself, what the hell brought that on?
“Forget it,” I growl softly, vaulting over the wall before she can say anything else. After that, I ran up the cracked buildings to the rooftops to get back home quicker.
I would deal with Aguillo tomorrow, I had to sort things out, although at the moment, all I wanted was rest. The trip back was long, but probably well worth it.  Buildings and alleys flew from under me as I barely had time to notice them before leaping to the next roof.
The maze suddenly became easier when I gained my feet to familiar territory. I had known each of these roofs to the point that I had paths worn on some of them. I stood in view of the training facility, catching my breath from the last few series of flying leaps. I needed to get Aguillo in on the mission to provide back-up support, but now was not a good time for either of us, I needed to let both of us (calm down). I turned and headed for home hoping to find some time to kick back and not have to worry about this mission until tonight. After landing on my roof, which was littered with dents from my multiple landings. I decided to take the stairwell the rest of the way down.
Back inside I just wanted to drop on the couch, like I’d been stuck with a dozen tranquilizers. I was half way to the couch when I smelled something. I sniffed the air a few times just to be sure I wasn’t going into delusions. I may be a werewolf, but I was pretty much in human form, so my sense of smell was better than most people’s but it wasn’t near as good as the wolf’s.
I could smell someone here, whoever it was they were on my territory. Cat burglars and other thieves were common pests everywhere in this city, even within the EM‘s ranks.
I opened the door ready to defend my home and give this novice thief a few scars. Instead there in my bedroom staring out the window was Pasha.
“Wha- Pasha?” I ask looking at her in disbelief.
“Huh,” she turns to face the door, “Trent, you’re back!” she opens the door, which I had been leaning on, and needless to say I stumble in, nearly sending both of us to the floor.
“Pasha, what’re you doin’ here?” I demanded after I regain my senses and my balance, somewhat frustrated at the unexpected company.
“I was worried,” she answered softly.
“Pasha, you know I’m never out very long unless it’s a mission,” I reply reassuringly, coming up beside her.
“What happened?” she asked looking out the window.
“I went out,” I remarked lightly.
“Trent, what did you say to Aguillo?” her tone hardened.
I snort in disgust, “You just had to mention him didn’t you?” I said more accusingly than I wanted.
“Trent,” Pasha was now glaring at me and looked far from being amused with my statement. “what did you say?”
“What did he tell you?” I growl back sitting down on the edge of my bed.
“He mentioned that you were getting out of hand,” Pasha replied hesitantly.
“’Mentioned’?” I asked, cocking my head up.
“He wasn’t exactly talking to me,” she clarified. “but Trent, you said you wouldn’t go looking for a fight.”
I glanced away crossing my arms, “I said I would try not to look for a fight,” I reply darkly.
Pasha sighed running her hand through her hair. “Trent, I don’t know what you said to him, but when he came back in, he was ready to cage you.”
“Aguillo always uses that empty threat,” I mutter rolling my eyes.
Pasha turned her bottle green eyes towards me. “It didn’t seem so empty this time,” she replied acidly, then quietly added  “he got the collar out.”
I jerk up in response to the news. The collar was one of the few devices that the EM’s used to train or control me when I was too dangerous to approach.
“Are you sure it was the collar?” I ask  rubbing my neck at the memory of that damned thing.
Pasha nodded silently. “I don’t anything to happen to you Trent,” she said finally, sitting down next to me.
“Heh, you just worry too much,” I reply lightly.
She stared at me for a second, “This isn’t a game anymore, Trent,” she whispered.
“It never was, but that don’t mean we can’t have some good times while we‘re here,” I say leaning back onto the old mattress. “but right now, how ‘bout we get some sleep.”
Pasha laughed at my last comment. “That’s the best suggestion you’ve had all day,” then lay down next to me.