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To Miles' credit he never questioned me about Isaiah. He instead, pretended nothing had happened and lead me to the north-eastern tower. It was here that I was met by one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen.

The room was wide and perfectly circular. The walls were lined with bookcases and bookcases, filled to the brim with thick, heavy tomes of information and knowledge. A cluster of tables set in oak were scattered between the bookcases. Candles set in candelabras in the middle of the tables.

Between two bookcases at the far end of the room was the beginnings of a wide, rich, oaken staircase, done with velvet red carpeting. The staircase wound its way around behind the bookcases and reached upward, branching off at each floor that it hit. Several floors reached high above us, all of whom were set in stone. Great, monumental paintings lined the walls; wondrous landscapes and infamous monarchs from through time itself were painted in fine detail.

I gazed up and each floor had a great, gaping chasm situated in the middle so one could look straight up and see the glacial dome that covered the very top of the tower.

Sunlight danced across the tip of this wonderful room and made it all so...beautiful.

"What do you think?" Miles asked, uncertainly.

"I love it!" I grinned back.

Finally, there was something about Haven that brought a smile to my face and wouldn't bring me nightmares.

Rich, plush carpets lined the floors. The odd student could be seen examining bookcase contents, hunched over a book at a table.

Not one of them looked in my direction.

Then again, with Isaiah's demonstration still fresh in their minds, I was probably old news by now. My moment in the spotlight had all but died.

I was fine with that.

"So explain it to me one more time?" Miles asked suddenly, "The Benefactors and Linus are interested in you because your the first werewolf they've encountered that SD works on?"

He made it sound absurd. It was to be fair.

I had confided in Miles about one thing that had transpired between me and Isaiah. The talk he'd overhead between Linus and the Benefactors about me being susceptible to their wonder drug.

Miles thought about it and then said, "I suppose I can hazard a guess at why that would be something interesting to them." He sounded weak again, and not all that confident.

"What's your theory?" I asked. I started examining the contents of the bookcases. I found the fiction, and thumbed through the titles.

I might not be the best reader, but I did like to when I could.

"Alright. Bare with me on this. Here's what I think; the initiation does something to Linus' 'students' so much so that it warps their personalities and minds. Remember Yasmin? The Elite Lian killed and replaced?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the werewolves aren't susceptible and therefore aren't changed. Yeah, they are sadistic, but they aren't bound to Linus like we are. The other wolves are here out of choice, or at least that's the rumour."

I pulled a copy of Wonderland from the shelf and glanced at the cover's artwork. "You think Linus hopes to own a werewolf like he owns the rest of the initiated students? Like some kind of collection completion?" I suggested.

"Something like that. Why he even wants us all brainwashed and tamed and warped is beyond me," Miles said. He shuddered at the thought.

I could understand the repulsion.

"Well, your alright. SD doesn't effect you like the rest of us."

He nodded, then added sadly, "Until Linus deems me useless and abandons me."

"He needs you for some reason, Miles. Consider yourself safe for the time being," I replied. I smiled, trying to comfort the werefox, as I tucked the copy of Wonderland under one arm and buried my hands in my pockets. I walked from bookcase to bookcase, as Miles followed me. I examined the names of books, and the names of authors.

"You really think I'm safe for the time being?" Miles murmured weakly.

I nodded and grinned. "I think we both are so long as we're cautious and take things in our stride."

"Ohh, I dunno about that, puppy," a thick, Irish-accented voice chuckled.

I whirled around and found Broderic stepping down the last few steps on the staircase. One hand gripped the banister of the staircase, while the other was hidden in his pocket. He was dressed in the same suit as last night. The Haven logo brandished on the jacket's breast pocket. The wolf on this emblem was pitch black with maddened red eyes.

Broderic gazed at us lazily, his eyes permanently wolf amber. His long, black hair in that ponytail over one shoulder. His collar was upturned, the tie fastened at half-mast. He looked both untidy and smart at the same time.

"Yer lookin' well considerin'," he grinned.

"Considering what?" I asked.

"Considerin' you spent the night with that pet croc of yers," he grinned.

"H-How did you know about that?"

"I can smell the scaly bastard on ya skin, kid. Fuckin' on the first date. Tut, tut, lad. Didn't yer mother ever teach ya the three date rule? Meet 'em three separate times, then fuck their brains out," he grinned toothily.

Deep, growling laughter rumbled from the shadows all around us.

Wolves manifested all around. The students we'd glimpsed when we entered had disappeared. Scattered throughout the ground floor sat and stood the werewolves that I assumed were Broderic's gang. I hadn't sensed them at all, but now my nose wrinkled with their pungent odor.

"Don't worry, lad. I'm not here to cause yer any harm. Jus' wanted to see what ol' Linus sees in ya."

A low growl trickled from my lips. I sidestepped and blocked Miles from view. I wouldn't let them near him.

Cat calls and wolf whistles came from Broderic's followers.

"Spunky lil' puppy, ain't ya?" he grinned. He dropped slowly into a low stance. His hands lowered, changed, elongating and blackening with jet-black fur as long, knife-like claws sprang from his fingertips. "Time fer' some fun, after all," he sneered.

I braced myself. What about Miles? I had to protect him.

Broderic was poised when a deep voice rocked the library, "Broderic!"

Luis stepped into the library looking calm and stoic as ever.

Broderic grinned wider and straightened up. His hands changed back in a wash of black fur. "Fine. No fun times here, boss man." He buried his hands in his pockets and filed out. His followers dropped in line behind him. Luis sidestepped and let them pass him one at a time.

Snickering insults spilled over the disappointed wolves' shoulders at me and Miles. The bullies hadn't had their fun. They were bound to be pissed.

When the coast was clear Luis looked at us both over his trademark tinted shades. He frowned and then followed the wolves out. No words passed between us, but it was evident what the large werewolf had wanted to say.

Be careful.

Miles exhaled loudly, like he'd been holding his breath. Maybe he had.

I relaxed, while a fine tremble thrilled through my body. I suddenly hated the library. Haven was becoming renown for offering up the good and then replacing it with the very, very bad experiences that followed.