Chapter 101

Chapter 101
"They lied," Ioannis said, keeping her voice gentle despite the fury building inside her. "There are many of us. Thousands live across the continent in territories. Families, communities, children like you growing up with others who understand them."

The pendant thawed against her skin, warming as Lucas emerged further from his protective cocoon. His eyes, a light hazel that seemed too old for his young face, studied her with cautious hope.

"Really?" he whispered, the single word carrying such desperate yearning that Ioannis had to fight to maintain her composure.

"Really," she confirmed, offering a small smile. "I grew up in a place called Eternal Eclipse territory, by the sea. Nickolas, my mate, is from here, Storm Striders territory in the mountains. There are many different packs, each with its own traditions and homes."

Lucas's gaze darted to the doorway where Nickolas remained out of sight, his thin body tensing beneath the blankets. "Is he... one of the men who watches?"

Ioannis's heart clenched at the fear in his voice. "No, Lucas. Nickolas would never hurt you. None of the men here would. The people who kept you in that place, they're not like us. They don't understand what we are."

Sera shifted slightly, her expression carefully neutral, though Ioannis could see tension in the set of her shoulders. "Lucas," she said softly, "can you tell Ioannis about the other children who escaped with you? Your friends?"

The boy retreated slightly into his blankets, his eyes darting between them with renewed wariness. "Ellie and Micha," he whispered after a long pause. "We ran together when the door stayed open too long. The guards were busy with the new ones."

"New ones?" Ioannis echoed gently, trying to keep her expression calm despite the chill that returned to the pendant.

Lucas nodded, a barely perceptible movement. "They brought five more. Little ones. They were crying." His voice dropped even lower. "You're not supposed to cry. They take you to the quiet room if you cry."

Ioannis took a slow, measured breath, fighting to control her reaction. Five more children had been brought to that place, even as they planned their rescue. The pendant pulsed with cold urgency against her skin.

"Lucas," she said carefully, "do you know what happened to Ellie and Micha after you got separated?"

His thin shoulders hunched inward. "The machines were in the air. Looking. Ellie said to split up. She's older. Thirteen. She knows things." His eyes filled with sudden tears that he quickly blinked away. "She promised to find me after. But she didn't come."

A soft knock at the door drew Lucas back into his protective huddle. Miles entered with exaggerated care, carrying what appeared to be a plush wolf cub. His usual playfulness had returned. “Hey there, champ, I thought you could use a friend, and this little guy and his friends want to help yours.”

“He's so cute, Miles, you and Brodie have outdone yourselves,” Ioannis said with a smile, taking the wolf cub from Miles.

Miles smiled as he handed over the plush wolf cub. "The little guy has some special features," he explained, his voice gentle as he addressed Lucas directly. "He responds to your voice and can even learn your preferences over time."

Lucas peeked cautiously from his blanket cocoon, one hand slowly emerging to reach toward the toy. Ioannis held the wolf cub out, letting him set the pace of the interaction. The pendant warmed against her skin as the boy's fingers brushed tentatively against the soft fur.

"He feels real," Lucas whispered, wonder breaking through the fear in his voice.

"That's because he's specially made," Ioannis explained, smiling as the boy's fingers explored the toy's texture. "Would you like to hold him?"

Lucas nodded, his movements hesitant as he extended both hands. When Ioannis placed the plush wolf in his grasp, the toy emitted a soft, contented sound, a gentle rumble that mimicked a wolf cub's greeting. Lucas's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine childlike delight crossing his face.

"He likes you," Ioannis said softly. The pendant pulsed with gentle warmth as Lucas pulled the toy closer, cradling it against his chest.

"What's his name?" the boy asked, his voice stronger than before as he studied the plush wolf.

"He doesn't have one yet," Miles replied, keeping his distance to avoid frightening Lucas. "He's waiting for you to give him one."

Lucas's brow furrowed in concentration, his thin fingers stroking the wolf's fur with surprising tenderness. "Shadow," he decided after a moment. "Because he found me in the dark."

The toy responded to the name with another soft rumble, its programming recognising the verbal cue. Lucas gasped, pulling it closer. "He heard me!"

"He's very smart," Ioannis said, warmth spreading through her chest at the boy's reaction. "Shadow will stay with you now, wherever you go. He's your companion."

Lucas looked up at her, hope warring with ingrained suspicion in his eyes. "Even if... even if they find me? Can I keep him then, too?"

The pendant cooled against Ioannis's skin. She fought to keep her expression calm despite the implication behind his question; this child expected to be recaptured, expected to lose anything good that came into his life.

"No one will take you back there, Lucas," she promised, infusing her voice with gentle certainty. "You're safe here. And yes, Shadow is yours to keep always."

The boy studied her face, searching for deception with the practised wariness of someone who had been lied to repeatedly. Whatever he saw in her expression seemed to satisfy him, at least partially. He nodded once, his arms tightening around the plush wolf.

"Ellie and Micha need friends too," he said quietly. "When you find them."