Seven

The two weren't able to walk for a very long time considering the fact that if they did, Whisper would miss curfew and probably receive punishment of some kind. Zane didn't want that, so he cut the outing short. They had arrived back at the facility by seven o'clock sharp so that he could spend the last half hour with her in her room. Even though Zane didn't like the place, he also didn't like the thought of the girl being hurt on his account.

Because of the recent touching, Zane was able to sit beside Whisper on the bed and wrap his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and listening to his voice. Whisper didn't smile, but her heart rate was unusually calm and her body oddly relaxed, so Zane didn't need much convincing to know she was content. He could see it easily.

At seven thirty on the dot, the door to the room opened and Zane was ordered out for the night. He was reluctant to leave Whisper because he wasn't sure when he'd be back. He had told the girl he'd try to visit the next day, but to not worry if he didn't show up. He told her to remember to use her mind when talking to her "voice" and to not worry about him. Zane would take care of everything, and all she needed to do was wait for him to come get her for good.

When he glanced back at her from the doorway, she was staring mournfully at him like he was going to disappear forever. On impulse, he went back to her and swept her into his arms, holding her tightly. "I had thought to call you Kitten, Whisper, but maybe I'll just call you my little Wolf. So, little Wolf, do not cry over me. I will be back for you. I am not going to let you rot away in here for the rest of your life. You're coming with me soon, and you'll never have to see this place again."

He heard a soft gasp like she wanted to laugh but forgot how. "I can't wait."

"Good," Zane whispered and set her back on the bed. Cupping her face, he said, "Soon little Wolf. If I want you out of here, I need to work with Anton and get a hold of some people. I will try to visit as much as I can for as long as I can. Nothing will keep me away from you for too long."

Whisper blinked up at him as the nurse cleared her throat, obviously annoyed at the whole scene. The young patient wrapped her arms around Zane and held him as tight as she could. "I can wait for a while. But I think my life will become dull without you here."

"I understand." Kissing her on the head, Zane stood straight again. "See you soon, my little Wolf."

"Whisper, get ready for bed," the nurse hissed and threw the patient a pair of white linen to wear. Whisper begrudgingly obeyed.

Zane was met by one of other best friends, Wren, who always somehow managed to get under his skin at the wrong time, but was never mad at him when he snapped at her. She had been away on patrol for better part of the week and her shift was over for now. She had brunette hair and soft brown eyes that complimented her beautiful smile perfectly. As he got out of his truck, she ran up to him and jumped into his arms. "It's about time!" she playfully scorned him.

Zane rolled his eyes. "I have only been gone for a few hours. Not months or weeks."

"Well I have and I want to now spend time with you," she said and pulled away to look at him. A wicked grin spread on her face. "You found her, didn't you?"

"Found who?"

Wren smacked his arm. "You know who! Don't play stupid with me!"

Zane chuckled and shook his head a little while leading the woman to his house. He always felt a sense of being the big brother towards Wren and ever since she joined his pack a few years ago, he looked after her. "Yes, Wren, I found her. But I can't have her yet."

"Why not?"

He looked at her gravely. "Because, she's imprisoned in a hospital and I need to break her out." As they entered the tree, he explained meeting Whisper and what Anton and Nico found on the patient. He told her about how she was treated and how she ended up there – or as much as he knew from what was said. Zane explained how Whisper had hallucinations which she was being "treated" for as well as the conversation of the woman being a wolf and her reaction to it.

When he was finished, Wren looked almost puzzled and contemplative, but then pain entered her brown gaze. "I'm sorry, Zane. Why don't you let me help?"

"How?"

Wren shrugged. "You can't be her guardian and the one and only. It would not put you in a very good position with other people. Let me take ownership of her. I can be the one to help when you're not around, the one to help her talk about girl things."

He smiled at his friend. "You'd do that?"

"What are friends for?" she said and shrugged. "Who has ownership of her right now?"

"Hang on," he said and went over to his desk and pulled out the file containing all of Whisper's information. "Her mother handed it over to a man named Will Beda."

Brown eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Will Beda?"

Zane nodded and looked up at her. "Why? Do you know him?"

Wren jumped up and took the file away from him, scanning page after page. "I not only know him, he's my brother!"

"Your brother?" Zane asked a little skeptically.

Wren glared at the alpha. "You don't understand!" she snarled.

Suddenly sensing this was a sensitive topic, Zane sobered up and walked over to see tears in the woman's eyes. "Wren, what's going on?"

Blinking furiously, she handed the folder back and put a hand to her mouth, a silent sob making her start to tremble. Zane threw the folder down and took her into his arms. Wren gasped, "It's impossible!"

"What's impossible? What did Will do to you?"

She shook her head. "He did nothing to me! It's what he did to Whisper."

The Alpha pulled away and a growl rumbled in his throat. "What did he do to her?"

Before she could answer, Nico strode through the door. "Alpha, you have a phone call."

Zane looked over at him and looked at the caller ID, cursing under his breath. "Wren, go with Nico." She nodded and followed the Beta outside, closing the door. When he was alone, he put the phone up to his ear. "Alpha Zane."

"Good evening, Alpha. This is Will Beda."

"Will, nice of you to call back."

A chuckle sounded from the other end. "I apologize. I've been busy."

Zane clenched his jaw. "Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"

"Of course! I'm always up to answer anything."

The Alpha took a deep breath, trying not to lose control even though his wolf was fighting to snap. "Are you the guardian of Whisper and sent her to the Psych ward near my pack?"

A dark laugh reverberated through the line. "Whisper! She's still alive, is she?" More laughter then Zane heard others beginning to join him. Finally, Will sobered up and said, "Yes, I do and I did."

Fisting his free hand, he said, "I want you to give me the papers concerning her rights."

"You, what?"

"You heard me!"

Will snorted. "No. That piece of shit is staying in that hospital for the rest of her life, and her mother didn't approve of any other being looking after her. I'm sorry, Alpha, but I cannot help you."

Zane seethed. "Then hand it over to your sister!"

Another dark laugh. "She isn't capable of taking care of everyday needs! For Goddess's sake, she's in a Psych ward for a reason!"

The Alpha paused at this statement, putting the words together and finding their meaning somewhere in his scrambled brain. "Your sister is in the Psych ward?"

"Obviously!"

Zane looked towards the door where Wren had left through with Nico. "What are you talking about? Your sister has been able to take care of herself for as long as I've known her."

"Which is how long?"

"Years."

"Alpha, you obviously are being manipulated. My sister has been in the Psych ward since she was a child. She should be…in her early twenties by now."

"Yes, she is in her early twenties. Wren is twenty-one."

Silence enveloped the conversation and Zane wondered if the man was still there.

"Wren?" the man questioned.

Alpha Zane thought Will Beda sounded confused and lost. "Yes, Wren. She's your sister and is not in the Psych ward. She joined my pack years ago."

More silence before Will Beda hissed, "I have no idea who Wren is, but I'm talking about Whisper. Whisper is my sister who is in the psych ward. Whisper is in her early twenties. Whisper is the only one I know of who has the same blood as I do!"

Zane couldn't hear another word, so he slammed the phone down and called Wren in a thunderous roar. When she entered, he stared hard at her. She looked nothing like Whisper, except maybe the nose and mouth. He didn't know what Will looked like, but didn't picture him looking anything like the two women who Zane came to know. "Who is your mother?"

"Her name is River."

"Did she give birth to Will as well?" Wren nodded. "Did Whisper kill her?"

Wren widened her eyes. "What? Zane, Whisper didn't killed my mother! She was killed by rogues!"

"Have you ever met your brother?"

Wren shook her head. "By the time I was two, we had already moved and switched packs. I don't know much other than he's my brother and we heard rumors of him hurting a girl named Whisper. All the packs in his area were talking about it."

Zane sighed. "Did your mother ever mention you having another sibling, a sister perhaps?"

Slowly, the female shook her head again. "I don't know of another sibling, much less a sister."

"Congratulations, Wren. You're finally going to introduce yourself to your sister of whom your brother put into a mental hospital where they beat the shit out of their patients for stepping one toe out of line. Not only that, but you will also say goodbye to your brother whom I will kill as soon as I get the chance."