Chapter 100

Chapter 100
Luna Harvey met them at the entrance, her silver hair gleaming in the soft light of the healing centre. Her storm-grey eyes, so like Nickolas's, assessed Ioannis with maternal precision before softening slightly.

"He's resting now," she said quietly, leading them through the entrance. "Sera managed to gain his trust enough to bring him here, but he remains deeply fearful. He's only spoken a handful of words since arriving."

"What do we know about him so far?" Nickolas asked, keeping his voice low as they moved through corridors lined with healing herbs and softly glowing lanterns.

"Very little," Luna Harvey replied, her elegant hands gesturing toward a private healing chamber ahead. "Approximately ten years old based on dental development. Severely malnourished. Multiple healed fractures suggest long-term physical stress or abuse. And..." she hesitated, her expression darkening, "evidence of chemical suppression of his wolf."

Ioannis felt sick. The pendant turned ice-cold against her skin, matching the horror spreading through her chest. Through their bond, Nickolas's protective rage surged like wildfire, though his exterior remained composed.

"They've been drugging him?" he asked, his voice deadly calm despite the fury Ioannis could feel flowing through their bond.

"It appears so," Luna Harvey confirmed grimly. "Our healers found traces of an unknown compound in his bloodstream. It seems designed to suppress the wolf's natural emergence. The good news is that it's already clearing from his system; his wolf is still present, just dormant."

The pendant pulsed with urgent coldness as they approached the healing chamber. Through a small observation window, Ioannis could see the boy, Lucas, curled tightly on a bed that seemed too large for his thin frame. Sera sat nearby, her posture relaxed yet alert as she maintained quiet watch over the child.

"He responds best to Sera," Luna Harvey explained softly. "She found him, brought him food and water before approaching. He seems to trust her more than anyone else so far."

"Has he said anything about the facility?" Nickolas asked, his tactical mind evident despite the gentleness of his tone. "Or the other children?"

Luna Harvey's expression tightened. "Only fragments. He mentioned 'training rooms' and 'the quiet place' where children were sent for punishment. And something about 'lessons' that hurt his head."

The pendant's chill intensified against Ioannis's skin. What had these children endured? Through their bond, she felt Nickolas processing this information, his tactical mind recalibrating with each new piece.

"I'd like to try speaking with him," Ioannis said softly, touching the pendant at her throat. Its cold warning urged her forward, guiding her toward the frightened child beyond the door. "If Sera remains present, he might feel safe enough."

Luna Harvey studied her for a moment before nodding. "The healers believe female presence is less threatening to him. Just take it easy with him.”

Ioannis nodded, “I will. I’m thinking he should be the first to get one of the toys, it might help break through, we’ll get first-hand information on if they're working and even help him feel safe around everyone. Once he's cleared to leave, I’m thinking if he still doesn’t trust men and he doesn’t have family to return to, maybe a mated female couple could adopt him.”

Luna Harvey nodded thoughtfully. "A female couple would be an excellent option. The Blue Moon Pack has several such pairs with experience fostering traumatised cubs." She glanced toward the healing chamber. "And you're right about the toy. It might provide comfort when human connection feels too threatening."

Ioannis took a deep breath, steadying herself before entering the healing chamber. The pendant's chill remained insistent against her skin, urging her forward despite her apprehension. She had never worked with traumatised children before, yet something deeper than conscious thought guided her steps.

"I'll have one of the prototypes brought immediately," Nickolas said, his voice pitched low. Through their bond, Ioannis felt his protective concern mingled with tactical assessment. "Miles mentioned they completed two full models this afternoon."

Sera looked up as Ioannis entered the healing chamber, recognition flickering across her face. The independent wolf rose silently, moving to make space beside Lucas's bed while maintaining a reassuring presence. The boy remained curled tightly beneath soft blankets, only the top of his shorn head visible.

"Lucas," Sera said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is Ioannis. She's a friend, like me."

Ioannis moved slowly, keeping her movements fluid and non-threatening as she settled onto the chair Sera had vacated. The pendant's chill eased slightly, warming just enough to feel comfortable against her skin. Lucas didn't emerge from his protective cocoon of blankets, but she noticed a slight shift, perhaps an acknowledgment of her presence.

"Hello, Lucas," she said softly, making no move to touch him. "I'm glad you're safe now."

The bundle of blankets shifted again. One wary eye appeared, studying her with the cautious assessment of a child who had learned to expect cruelty. Ioannis kept her posture open and relaxed, allowing him to look without pressure.

"You have silver hair," came a whisper so faint she almost missed it. "Like moonlight."

The pendant warmed slightly, pulsing once against her skin. Ioannis smiled gently, keeping her hands visible in her lap. "Yes, I do. My mother has the same colour."

Lucas's eye remained fixed on her, assessing, calculating in a way no child should need to. "Are you... like me?" The question carried weight beyond its simple words.

"I'm a werewolf, yes," Ioannis confirmed, keeping her voice gentle. "Like you, like Sera. Everyone here is."

The blankets shifted again, revealing more of his thin face. Dark circles beneath his eyes spoke of exhaustion beyond physical tiredness. "They said there weren't any others. That we were special. Different."

The pendant cooled against Ioannis's skin, its warning matching the anger that flared in her chest. Through their bond, she felt Nickolas's matching fury, though he remained outside the healing chamber as promised.