Partners

CHAPTER 8

Soon enough, everyone in the conference room had found a seat as their eyes all focused to the front. Aaliyah insisted on Officer Thatcher and I standing with her as the three of us were the only ones aware of the new development. 

Dr. Chen and Officer Richard's were in the closest seats to the three of us as they had the biggest part—next to our's—in Jax's case. Some nurses and a couple extra LPD officers we figured would benefit from knowing sat spread out around the rest of the table, as well. 

Eventually, Aaliyah spoke up to the room. 

"I know most of you are confused as to why I called this meeting. To that, I'd first like to inform you this meeting is relating to the case of the eight year old boy who recently came into our clinic, Jax. I've selected the nurses in this very room and this room alone to be the ones authorized to aid with anything Jax may need if Dr. Hope, Dr. Chen, or I are unavailable. Officer Thatcher selected the LPD officers that are all here as well, seeing as we may need to work together for this case. 

"Dr. Hope here has gotten some important information out of Jax that is far too risky to disregard. Now, I need all of you to remain calm when I tell you this, can you do that?" After the staff in attendance all gave a hesitant nod of their heads, Aaliyah continued, "Jax stated that he had heard the hunters discussing The Divine. It sounds as if the organization may be trying to find The Divine, possibly already have found a few. As you can imagine, this changes what we initially thought of the anti-werewolf organization and we're not entirely sure where to go from here."

Shocked and even fearful faces looked back at us after Aaliyah finished and I couldn't blame them. This was revolutionary. Whoever had slipped up in front of Jax had grown too cocky. 

The thing was, for many years everyone suspected the anti-werewolf organization to be kidnapping and experimenting on young werewolves to find a way to eradicate the race. We never had any reason to believe otherwise, until yesterday. 

The Divine were a select few of werewolves that were chosen by the Moon Goddess herself to hold a little extra power. More than just the average enhanced senses like sight, smell, scent, strength, healing, etc. . .

No, the Moon Goddess hand picked these wolves. . .all to protect her children. 

Many years ago, when The Divine first made an appearance, werewolves were nearly going extinct due to the humans. They didn't understand our kind and therefore wanted to end it. 

The Moon Goddess chose a handful of her own children to bless with her divinity, gifting them with one power that varied depending on the werewolf. Many different powers were reported throughout the years; teleportation, visions, telepathy, telekinesis, the ability to shift into anything—even if it wasn't a wolf—etc. . .

"The Divine? Aren't they extinct?" One of the nurses in the back asked, something akin to pure terror in her eyes. 

"That's what we thought and we have no proof to state otherwise. However, that doesn't mean we should take this information any less seriously as we also have no proof to support them being extinct. None other than the simple fact that none of The Divine have been reported in decades, at least." Aaliyah shifted where she stood, taking a breath at the end of her spiel. 

The small crowd around the table all nodded their agreement, seeming to understand how vital this information could become. 

"Officers, I know this changes everything the LPD thought they knew about the hunters. If they really wanted to end the werewolf species, then what on earth would they want with The Divine? If anything, those powerful werewolves would only make the hunters' jobs harder. So that begs the question, what is the actual goal of the anti-werewolf organization and what could they possibly want with The Divine?" Officer Thatcher added in next, giving a solemn look to the other LPD officers in the room. 

"Why are we involving the clinic in this?" The tone Officer Richards used sounded incredibly irritated and I was over the way the man disrespected practically everyone around him.

"Because, Richards, do you know anything about the medical side of lycanthropy? Would you know how to treat an injured werewolf or how to handle one of The Divine if they were injured out in the field?" Thatcher shook his head in what could only be disappointment. He ran a hand through his messy hair.

That was a good point. Even though The Divine had been proclaimed extinct for many years, Lycan doctors still studied them and knew the small things needed to know about their anatomy and so on to properly treat them if the situation ever presented itself. 

"No, but—"

"There are no 'buts'." Officer Thatcher cut in sharply. "We need them. Of course they can't go out into the field directly, but they can stay back and walk us through what to do if needed. And, can you confidently tell me that we would have found out about The Divine playing a role in this if not for Dr. Hope? Swallow your pride. The more help we can get to finally take down this organization, the better."

Officer Richards remained silent after that and I had to fight pretty hard to keep from cracking a smile at how pouty the grown man looked. 

"So, what's our next move?" Another officer asked, looking at Thatcher with nothing but respect in his green gaze. 

"If I may—" Aaliyah raised her hand to signify wanting to speak as she began, "I think it best for now to keep having Dr. Hope speak to Jax. See if there's any more information Jax is willing to share. If so, our next best bet would probably be looking for anything the hunters left behind at the location Jax escaped from."

Clearing her throat, Aaliyah continued, "Please be patient. Asking Jax to lead us back to where he was tortured is not something any of us want to do. It wouldn't be fair to Jax to force him into going back so soon. We need time."

I felt physically ill at the thought of having to drag that poor kid back there. If it was the only way to get justice for Aimee, though, I had a feeling he would be more than willing to do it.

Seeming to consider the horrors Jax faced while at the anti-werewolf organization, everyone in the conference room nodded their understanding. 

All but Officer Richards at least. I doubted the man would ever know what patience was; not even if it landed directly in his lap and slapped him over the head with a brick.

At least it wasn't long before Aaliyah wrapped up the meeting. Everyone began packing up anything they may have brought with them and made their way back to work. 

"Alright, now that that's done I'd really like the two of you to go get some rest." Aaliyah immediately spoke up after the room cleared out.

"But, what if Jax—" 

"I'll keep an eye on Jax, Finn. Go on now. No ands, ifs, or buts about it." The woman cut me off, a stern look on her face as she did so. 

Aaliyah shooed Officer Thatcher and I away and—truthfully—I was far too exhausted to argue against it. 

Sighing, I began the trek to one of the clinic's on call rooms with slumped shoulders, not bothering to give either of them a second glance. 

A/N~ Heyo:) So sorry for the delay, things have been hectic with me starting a new medication (Zoloft) to help with my anxiety and OCD flare ups recently. Thanks for your patience!

Anywho, chapter 9 is up now on Patreon and Ream for subs and lets just say, things are starting to get interesting;) Also for my Alone in Love readers, a new artwork of Alek is up on Patreon and Ream as well! Go enjoy<3

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