The Wolves of London Book 2: The House of Striker

(Chapter song ‘Far From Home’ by Five Finger Death Punch)

AVERY

I stand by Zander’s throne as I play with my sweaty palms. I look over the council and try to find where to start.

“Avery?” Zander leans on the arm of his throne with his head resting on his fingers.

“Ok.” I breathe. I float my head around the room. “Zen knows some of this, but not all. I am stating right now, my history doesn’t reflect who I am. I want that clear.”

“Go ahead.” Zander says low.

I wipe my palms then fold them across my chest. “I was born in 1950. I’m 77 years old. Zen doesn’t know that. I was born in a lab in a town called Eden.”

Zander sits up. “Eden? There’s a lab in Eden?”

“Where’s Eden?” Cora asks.

“In the Midwest. South of Falcon Ridge.” I admit.

“You were born there?” Zander questions.

I nod. “Yes. Exactly 8 months after Draco Torrents escape in 1949.”

Zanders face fills with realization as he pieces it together. “You’re Torrents son.”

“In a way, yes.” I explain. “Draco had two fated mates, and one not. That one was my mother.”

“Wait…” Darius raises his hand. “That’s impossible.”

“Under normal circumstances, yes.” I agree. “But Draco was anything but normal.”

“Explain.” Zander says as he takes out his phone and starts texting.

“Who are you talking to?” I ask.

“Ricky. I’m asking her to search Eden with the satellites. My father’s first sighting was in that area and now that you say there’s a lab…” He mumbles as he texts.

“I’m not sure if you'll be able to see it. But I can tell you, it’s under the pack house.” I supply.

He rolls his eyes up to me. “Oliver.”

I nod. “Intel says he’s the Alpha of that town and his dad was the man that locked me up…on The Foundations orders.”

“Locked you up? You were an infant.” Cora furrows her brow.

“I was. My mother was a nurse when my father was a prisoner there. She started an affair with him and helped him escaped. She was shot in the process. The bullet fused to her spine. When they found out that she was pregnant, they kept her on life support in a deep coma. I was born 8 months later.” I take a breath. “He beat the fate rules because they injected him with experimental fertility drugs. These were in his system when I was conceived. As soon as I was born, they pulled the plug on my mother and took me to a lab. For years I was tested, poked and prodded. They thought they had another Draco, but they were disappointed.”

“Why?” Zander asks.

“I was a shifter. I had the genes, but when I turned 13, no wolf came. Few more years, and it still didn’t show up. I was then labeled as a wolfless shifter. Without my wolf, I had no healing, no strength, and no venom. I got nothing except the power of slow aging. I had a defective lycan gene. They performed every experiment on me. I was tortured for years. They tried to chemically alter me and nothing would take. I was worthless to them, so… they cut me loose.”

“But… You’re a Torrent.” Quaid mutters.

“I wasn’t a threat. I existed because of him, but everything he was wasn’t in me. I understand my sister and brother showed tendencies and we all know Chase was more infected, but me? I’m, for all intents and purposes, human.” I state. “I spent years identifying as one.” I glance at Zander. “Lying.”

“But you’re not.” Zander raises a brow.

“This is where it gets complicated.” I sigh. “5 years ago. I got stage 4 lung cancer. I was dying.”

“Why didn’t you come to me, Avery? I would have helped.” Quaid motions to me.

I stuff my hands in my pockets. “Quaid. I went all over the globe. Nobody could cure me. Except one group of people.”

“Shifters.” Demetri mutters. “Vampires could have cured you, too.”

“I wasn’t going there, Demetri. No. I needed a turner. I knew if I completed my process, my human side couldn’t kill me. I didn’t want to leave Zen alone and this was the only way. A group of shifters helped me find turners, but there was one problem.” I look to Zander.

“They didn’t work.” He finishes. I’m assuming he’s reading my mind as I go.

“Not one. Not even Forsaken wolves. I couldn’t know for sure, but I figured out there was a reason it wouldn’t work and there also was a reason wasn’t being killed by the venom I took.” I say.

“Draco.” Darius says.

I nod. “I concluded that my father was the only turner that could do it. His blood in me was blocking the venom from working. I was effectively being held hostage by my DNA. Die or become a Torrent. I, at first, made peace with my death. I told the shifters everything I knew about Miranda and prepared to die. But Miranda had other plans.”

The room falls silent as I try to find a way to not make this sound horrible.

“Miranda found me. Not only did she find me, but she had my father’s venom on her. She told me she was waiting for the day I’d come asking for it. She fucking knew everything. Everywhere I had been. My cancer. My search for a cure. Everything. She was keeping tabs on me. She said she would be willing to give it to me if I did something for her. I asked what and she wouldn’t tell me. She told me to be ready when she calls.” I feel the guilt set in as I explain. “I took it and agreed. I thought I could just blow her off. So, I took the venom and it worked. I got my wolf and all his powers. Then I sought out Zen. I knew she’d have a problem with it, but I didn’t want to believe that she couldn’t be swayed. So, I followed her. Kept her in my sights.” I nervously laugh. “I even slept outside her house every night when I was in Europe. I just… I needed to be sure she was safe.”

“You stalked her.” Zander says darkly..

“You can look at it that way. I guess my father’s blood did affect me in some way. My fathers obsessive tendencies is no secret. I loved her and I did this to stay with her. I didn’t care that it was his blood that was driving me.” I look to the floor as I realize how it all sounds.

“Before made myself known to Zen, we looked for labs.” I scratch my head and look around the room. “We knew Alliance labs was big, but we didn’t realize how big until we started digging. All the labs are connected to a central database. I told my friends that one of the turners they got me worked. They believed it until one of them hacked the central server and found my file. I thought I was dead. Being a Torrent among shifters isn’t a good place to be. They got pissed, but then believed that I was on their side. Then Miranda called.”

I swallow. “She found Williams army. My friend, Razor, confirmed this when we saw the activity at Liberty. Alliance labs #238.”

“Excuse me?” Zander raises a brow.

“You have no idea.” I lick my bottom lip, nod, and my brows stitch together. “We’ve found over 300 labs around the globe. All doing the same experiments. All based on the experiments they performed on my father. Liberty was the first, but it wasn’t until years later that Alliance labs was actually born. The key to all of is Miranda.”

I walk to the center of the room. “I don’t know how, but she manipulated William somehow. I mean, to suggest it is nuts, but when she says it, it sound like she was actually there. In the 1890s, she was there, Zander.” I spin around to him.

He rubs his chin. “There’s not a lot we know, but I have heard that she was involved with someone apparently from the future. She helped him. I can only assume she got tech from him. That’s the only thing I can figure out.”

“You need to find out what that tech is. She’s doing shit, Zander. This isn’t good. When she called me, she said she needed Zen. When I refused, she threatened to remove my wolf. She has this venom. It takes wolves away.”

“Yes. We have the anti-wolf in Phoenix.” Zander supplies. “But she’s never been in contact with Miranda.”

“She must have been because she has it. She used it in front of me when she cornered me in Athens. I couldn’t believe it. She told me to comply or she’d slip it in my food. The woman’s everywhere.” I walk back to Zander. “I tried to put her off, but when the dragon attacked, I had to go with it. I forced Zen to go with her, but I had a good reason.” I spin around to the council. “I needed to see where the army was and what exactly she needed Zen for. We knew the story of William and the need of Striker blood to open the door, but I didn’t know if she needed Zen alive or not. I didn’t want to test it, so I forced Zen to go with Miranda to keep her alive and find out where the army was hidden in Liberty. I came to find out it’s in a giant oil painting. Something I’m sure Alpha Black is familiar with.”

Dorian sits up. “Don’t bring me into this.”

I cross my arms and face him. “You were there. You knew.”

Zander turns to Dorian. “You knew?”

“No, I didn’t know.” He scoffs. “I was asked to enchant a painting. I refused and walked away. I don’t know what he's talking about.” He adjusts his jacket as he scowls.

“Come on, Dorian. We aren’t fools.” Demetri eyes him from behind his laced fingers.

“I know nothing of some army. I was approached. They offered to pay me and I turned it down. What they did after was not my doing.” He glares at the Vampire.

“You are the only one with the initial skill. They can’t do anything unless you open the door.” Quaid reminds.

“I’m not the only one. There was another and I’m not sure if they approached him or not. I’m telling the truth. I was never in front of a painting with an army in it.” He defends.

“You were. We have photos, Dorian. You, William Striker and another unidentified sorcerer in front of the painting.” I supply. “Don’t lie. We have the proof.”

“This is ridiculous. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never been in the same room with William Striker, let alone taken a picture with the man. You have me confused with someone else.” He sits smugly.

“We don’t.” I insist.

Zander puts his hand up. “Ok. Let’s deal with this army problem first, then Dorian can tell us why he's lying through his teeth.” He eyes the immortal.

Dorian waves him off and I shove it aside, for now.

“Anyway. At the end of the day, I’m sorry for almost getting Zen killed for my asshole mistakes, but I had good reasons. If Miranda believes she has control over me, I can get closer. I can shut her down.” I meet Zander’s eyes.

“Not now. She made you.” Dorian mutters.

“True, but it doesn’t matter, now.” I spin around. “She doesn’t have the painting anymore.”

“Who has it?” Zander asks.

“Icarus.” I answer.

“Icarus?” Cora repeats. “Why? How?”

I turn to her. “He wants the army to fight the angels. It’s why he attacked Zen. He knows he needs her to open the door. If Mikael didn’t show up, we would be fighting Williams army right now. The real problem is the painting is loose. If Icarus loses it, or damages it, all hell will break loose. Until we grab control of it, the world is under threat.”

“And we will.”

I spin around to the door and smile. “Zen.” I take big steps to her and she throws up a hand in front of my face. Are you ok? I was going out of my mind.”

“I’m fine and you have a lot to answer for.” She meets my eyes.

“You heard.” I mutter.

She nods. “We'll talk about it later.” She side eyes me.

“Zen… I'm sorry I lied… I just…” I start.

“We'll talk later.” She mutters as he walks past me to the council.

“Zen. Are you alright?” Cora asks.

“As good as I’ll ever be. Thanks to your angel.” She says.

“You’re welcome.” Nathaniel bows his head slightly.

“This army… My great grandfather’s legacy. We need to get it back from Icarus. When we do, I’m opening the door.” She states.

My brows shoot up. “You can't!” I take big strides to her.

“That’s stupid, Zen.”

“You can’t control it!”

“You'll kill us all!”

She holds up a hand to me as the rest of the council protest with me.

She holds her chin up with a dead serious face. “Icarus wants to destroys us. Now, I’m told the angels are coming. This is exactly why William created the army in the first place. As the representative for the human race, I have a lot of concerns about this. So far, I’ve been shot at, blown up, and broken. I’m done fucking around. I’m opening the door and taking Icarus and Mikael out. And none of you will stop me.”

She turns and heads for the door.

“Zen, stop!!” I yell as I chase her.

“No, Avery! I’m done playing games. I’m stopping this for good…” She says just before she runs into Zayden’s chest at the door.

We both stop dead as he lowers his eyes to both of us.

“We will stop this, but the last thing you’re doing, young lady, is opening that door.” He says in his deep, regal voice as he raises his brow and places his hands behind his back.

She crosses her arms. “Even you can’t stop me, Zayden.”

He leans to her. “Trust me, my dear. There’s much you don’t know about our dear William Striker. Unless you want to die by his hand, I suggest you turn around and take…your…seat.”

Her lips shrink. “What?”

I swallow my nerves as my wolf cowers in my ribs. Something’s off and it’s not good.