As he got on his bike and started towards the house Marek felt a sliver of excitement building within him. Oh, he wasn’t stupid, he knew when someone was bullshitting him and the man he’s just spoken to was doing exactly that. But the man was also telling the truth as odd as it seemed. And he knew things about shifters that not many humans knew. Like the thing about smelling out lies, and how close a shifter had to be to do that. The longer they’ve spoken the more convinced Marek was that the man who claimed to be an online activist was indeed the missing Lowell Hayes. Marek could only hope he was right.
What had surprised him was the fact that the man didn’t lie about being an online advocate for shifter’s rights. Marek suspected that with the man’s father having the exact opposite viewpoint it might have been the reason why Lowell was living in the estate, away from his family. The politician wouldn’t want an unruly son undermining his authority.
Having reached the driveway to the Pack Leader’s house Marek parked his bike and turned around to wait for the man following him. The suspected Lowell wasn’t far behind. Soon, he too was parking his bike and getting off it. Marek wondered in passing how the man escaped the fire and where he’s been all this time. But it was not the time to ask. They’d have enough time for it later, if the man proved to really be who Marek thought he was.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name…” Marek addressed the man once he removed his helmet.
“It’s Logan. Logan Caldwell.”
“I see.” What was it about people who changed names trying to keep them as close to the original one as possible? Marek wasn’t sure where he remembered that little fact from but it further convinced him he was right when it came to the stranger’s identity. “So, Logan, please follow me and we’ll discuss this job I told you about.” The man nodded and Marek turned to lead him into the house. They passed several members of his pack on the way to Marek’s office and they all eyed the newcomer with distrust. Marek couldn’t really blame them. Some pack members had had some horrific experiences with humans who hated shifters.
They reached the office and Marek sat behind the desk gesturing for his guest to sit on the opposite side of it. Marek had to give the man credit, he looked pretty well composed for someone who’d just walked into a wolf’s den – metaphorically and literally. Not many humans would feel at ease when in a middle of shifters’ pack but Logan-Lowell did pull it off.
“As I said,” Marek started getting straight to the point, “the job I’ve got for you will be a difficult one.” He paused and leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, the tips of his fingers touching. “Our pack sometimes accepts shifters who had been rescued from really bad situations. We’ve recently accepted a tiger-shifter who had been held captive in a basement for a long time.” Marek paused and tried to gauge the man’s reaction. There it was, the tiniest hitch in the man’s breath. If Marek wasn’t looking so closely he’d have missed it. Marek smiled inwardly and continued. “The problem is, even after being rescued the young man wasn’t acclimating to freedom very well. And then, through a mistake of our own, I admit, we made the situation worse.” Yep, the man’s hands clenched when he heard Marek’s admission. The Pack Leader was getting more and more convinced that he had the right person.
“Worse how?” the man asked when Marek didn’t say anything else for a while.
“I won’t lie to you.” Marek’s expression turned dark as he thought about poor Patrick’s state. “It is really bad. But I think it is best if you see it for yourself.” Marek stood up and indicated for Logan to follow him.
“But I don’t understand. What would my job be?” the man asked even as they passed the long corridor and reached the back door. Marek hesitated. They left the house and crossed through the garden to the enclosure that had been built for Patrick. Logan-Lowell followed after Marek obediently even though a frown marred his face. They stopped before the enclosure and as soon as the man saw the huge tiger inhabiting it a soft gasp escaped him.
“Your job, Logan Caldwell, will be to help Patrick revert from the feral state he’d in. Do you think you can do it, Logan? Or should I call you Lowell? Because you are Lowell Hayes, aren’t you?”
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