5 What is a Project Z?

Roxie looked through any information she could find online and off. After the incident, she asked about some of the things the project wolves brought up. Adopting children through regular channels was tough, so when she came up as a 'special case', they took it. Neither of them had any information about where she had come from.

So, this Project Z thing? It could be her. A project. Disgusting, vile animalistic things. Some were more beast than man. The only one the world appreciated was Hero. However, Hero was nice to her. More than that, he was so extra kind, even in his eyes. No more glare existed against her.

Roxie sighed. There wasn't much information about any alphabet for projects. Most information was kept confidential, but she was endangering her parents with what she had been.

Roxie jumped when she heard a sound. She turned off the computer, and checked outside. Three dark untagged vehicles. Roxie knew her neighbor's too, those cars couldn't be theirs. “They're coming again.”

Her parents were out right now for their anniversary. They wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning. She was alone in the house, with three cars she didn't recognize. She had to get out of there. Roxie grabbed a dark jacket as she snuck out the back door. She heard car doors slam. They were after her. She took a shortcut through the alley, wanting to get to Alexandra's house.

“So, what are you doing out at this hour?”

Uh oh. She turned and saw two wolves, both waving tails in the darkness. She started to run, but it didn't take long before they knocked her out.

***

When she woke up, she was in the hills somewhere. A sort of den with men all around her. Some looked human, while others had streaks of animal signs. Large teeth, pointed ears, and manes. Some were not even transformed, being their true wolf selves. Roxie tried to stand up, but the men were nearing to her closer. Why hadn't they just killed her, were they laying another trap for Hero?

“Oh, one of you beautiful things survived. I haven't seen a Z in a long, long time.” He reached out and touched her cheek. Her heart was beating fast, what was going on? “I remember my mom, one of the most beautiful Z's ever. You are the best, only worthy of a leader.”

“What?” Roxie pushed him away as the wolves gathered closer. “Leave me alone, get off!”

“Don't worry, no one will get near enough but me, so you'll just be mine.” Roxie began to scream for help, but the leader covered her mouth.

It was quickly uncovered though as that leader project went sailing through the air.

Hero went in and knocked everyone out quickly. Roxie couldn't see well in the dark, but she knew that white fur. “Hero?”

“What are you doing out here?!” He scolded her, but took several steps back, like he was allergic to her. “Leaving your house this late at night. Don't you have any common sense at all?”

“There were three cars I never recognized in front of my n-neighbor's house,” Roxie said. She wasn't in the mood for a scolding, she was still shaken up. “I know my neighbors and their families. They wouldn't be caught dead in something of that class.”

Hero banged the fence. “Smooth. Three dark cars?” Roxie shook her head yes. “They were supposed to be surveillance. I told them to watch you.” He took another step back. “I've got to go. I'll inform them where you're at, it's not far.”

“Wait!” Roxie called, rushing toward him and grabbed his paw before he could leave. “What is a project Z? They called me that earlier today, and these wolves you just knocked out? That leader said his mother was one, and he wouldn't let the others get too close. Why?”

Hero groaned, trying to make her lose her grip. “Get away.”

“Get away why? I'm just a regular citizen, but you keep running from me,” Roxie countered as she hung on tougher and grew closer. “Am I a project wolf? I can't transform. How could I be one? And if so, why haven't you tried to take me to jail?”

“You haven't done anything wrong. I don't hunt projects because of what they are, it's what they all do.” Hero raised his other paw slowly and moved a strand of hair out of her face. “You're harmless.”

“How do you know that?” Roxie's voice was getting heavier as she grew closer. “What am I?”

“You go with project wolves.” Hero's paw touched her cheek. His voice hesitated on the last part.

Roxie stared at him. Here in the dark, she saw his eyes glow into a golden color. “Your eyes glow.” She reached her hand toward his muzzle. Roxie was hesitant, but she placed her hand on his soft, white and furry head.

“I told you once, but you don't remember. You won't remember.” Hero turned to rub his head gently across her hand. “Has anyone told you that your eyes glowed too?”

Roxie could only stare at him, barely hearing his words.

---

“Where are your parents?”

“Out, they won't be back tonight,” she said truthfully.

Hero looked around for Bose. When it came to keeping him out of trouble, he was someone Hero could depend on. He couldn't leave Roxie out in the dark, but he was too close. He did not want her nature to work on them.

Hero was only worried Bose's team wouldn't be good enough, so he wanted to check on her. Which turned out to be the correct instinct, considering Roxie was out there in a den of project wolves with one of the stupid alpha leaders! That so-called security never bothered to even leave the car. They didn't know anything, not enough to defend her from others.

“For your own good, I'm standing a little ways away,” he said. “I'll follow you back home. Then you should get in bed and go to sleep. I'll watch over your house tonight. No one will come back.”

“For my own good?” Roxie shook her head. “Fine, for my own good I guess?” She trotted back home, and Hero was only a few steps further away. Close enough that he could handle enemies, but not close enough that she could reach out to physically touch him.

When Roxie reached her door, she turned to look at him. “My parents anniversary is tonight, so they rented a hotel and won't be back before morning. Will you please talk to me about whatever is happening? I mean, I was surrounded by eleven projects. They could have killed me, but they never did?”

Don't. He couldn't. But she was all alone in a big house, and she didn't know anything. Her whole body was shook up because of those other wolves. “Okay.”

As he went into her house, her smell was all over. He dreaded going to her room.

“My computer is in my room. I've been looking at search terms like project and alphabet,” Roxie confessed. “There's nothing about any alphabet at all.”

“It's classified.” Hero's voice was already getting heavy, and his spirits were stirring as he entered her room. He strolled a few feet from her, looking to her computer. “The alphabet is nothing people need to be aware of. The worst beasts are the A's, but they tend to be clumsy and stupid. The longer the alphabet letter, the more intelligent and humane they become.” Hero sniffed the room against his mind's will. Her scent was all over. “Most of the X's were still too bad to handle, and most of the Y's were destroyed before the project wolves were released.” Hero kicked his hind leg against the computer chair, angry with himself for starting these feelings again. She was so nice to snuggle with. “The Z's should have been gone too.”

“How?” Roxie asked. “Why are they all gone?”

“Project wolves ganged up on each other, not everyone could get along. Didn't care so much about the same thing.” His eyes wandered around her room. There were posters and wall frames of wild animals. Her room was painted with spots, and the border on her wall was striped like a zebra. Even her bedding, it had a large primal tiger over it. She must have sensed the connection, but didn't understand it.

“But you survived?” she pointed out. “You're the strongest and smartest of everyone.”

“Strong, yeah, I was what was always wanted.” Smart though, not exactly. At least not around her.

“Okay, but I'm attached some way to you,” Roxie said as she moved over toward him. He moved away to the side of the bed instead. “How?”

“Your scent.” He had to be honest. “Project wolves are attracted to your scent.”

“So, pheromones?” Roxie sniffed the air. “I don't smell anything.”

“No, but don't do that.” Just because she couldn't smell anything, didn't mean it wouldn't affect her.

“So it was my scent? You actually smelled me all the way from the bridge?” Roxie asked again, moving forward. Hero moved backward a step, but ran out of room. He jumped on top of her bed. “I'm just trying to understand.” She gestured to his spot. “I'm not trying anything, and I'm not bad. You said so yourself. Why do you keep backing away? What's wrong with me?”

“Don't you get it?” Hero groaned. “Woman, what do you want to hear? You are creating a fake illusion to the senses, making projects feel like you are their mate. No, those wolves didn't kill you. They'd die protecting you if they got close enough, because you feel like their mate, and yes even I feel it! The closer I am to you, the worse it gets.” He sniffed the air, then regretted it again. “I cannot afford to have any crush or love interest so stay away from me.”

“I've never heard about smells doing that, even pheromones.”

“It's not natural, projects aren't natural, it's all experiment,” he admitted.

“But you've never done anything and you've been closer.” Roxie sniffed the air too. “I don't get it.”

“You don't remember.” She was too close though. “Back off, Roxie. There's a second part to it.”

“You act like your so familiar with me.” Roxie didn't back up. “Almost like I've known you my whole life. Your like my best friend or something? Does that have anything to do with it?”

“Sort of. Just.” Hero looked over at her bedroom door. Maybe he should separate from her now?