Two Weeks Later.... (Gabe)

Dr. Ryan Axe sat across from the stubborn young man and sighed.  In the nearly ten weeks he'd been at the facility he had stubbornly stuck to his beliefs.  With an annoyed sigh Ryan rolled his shoulders before the stood up.

"You are making great progress," acknowledged Ryan.  "I think it's time we contact your parents and let them know you're almost ready for release."

Gabe didn't respond as he stood up and stretched his muscles.  He looked around the dark green room with a troubled frown on his face.  "I wonder how they explained my absence to the pack."

Ryan arched an eyebrow and smiled, "At this time you are currently assisting displaced teenagers."

"Uh huh," mumbled Gabe as he walked to stare out the double pane diamond window, "When will I be released?"

"You can be released as early as tomorrow.  I'll call your parents to they can come get you," replied Ryan as he stared down at his fingers.  "But before you leave you do need to shift."

"And if I can't," asked Gabe as he stared out at the setting sun and to watch the red tinted waters as they rolled up the gray stone shores.  "Will I have to remain longer if I can't shift?"

"Yes," exclaimed Ryan as he stood.  "Shall we go to the court yard and see if you can before I call your parents."

Gabe shrugged as he followed Ryan out of the door and down the quiet hallway.  "Where is everyone," pondered Gabe to himself out loud.

Ryan came to a halt outside of the building in the courtyard, "They're running around the island."  Ryan turned with an impassive stare, "You are the only person that refused to shift and run.  Tell me now are you unable to shift?"

Gabe stared blankly at Ryan, "I haven't since I lost Thea."

"Do you think you can," asked Ryan as removed shift and threw it to the ground.

Gabe raised and dropped his shoulders.  "I don't think I've lost the ability," sighed Gabe as he pulled his dark green t-shirt over his head.  "And if I did I'd be usele-"

"I'd help you get it back," interrupted Ryan.  "You were born a wolf shifter and you will live and die as one.  The abilities don't come and go they are always there.  If you can't shift it's because your mind is repressing the ability."

"Okay," replied Gabe unsure.  Gabe kicked his shoes off and tugged off his pants.  HIs jade eyes stared as he waited for the doctor to finish undressing.

"You sure can strip fast," laughed the older man as he pulled his slacks down.  "Makes we wish I was young again."

Gabe chuckled and shook his head as he stared around the enclosed courtyard.  "Why did you chose here and not with the others?"

"To be honest," smiled Ryan.  "I didn't want any fighting or groans from the other male shifters."  Ryan ran an appreciative gaze up Gabe's physique.  "Let's face it not all shifters look like that."  With a huff Ryan pointed toward Gabe's six pack abs.

Gabe chuckled as he ran a hand down his offending stomach.  "My bad, next time I'll eat more," he quipped as rolled his eyes.

Ryan patted his slightly rounded stomach and frowned. "You eat like a horse," he exclaimed on a laugh.  "Shit I was surprised at how much you eat!"

Gabe laughed and shook his head, "Thea used to say that too."  A shadow covered his jade eyes but he quickly shook it off.  "Let's just do this," enthused Gabe as he looked up to see the beginning of the night sky meet the red sky of the setting sun.

"Beautiful," whispered Ryan about the sky as he shifted into a large dull yellowish-brown cat with sky blue eyes.  After several minutes passed Ryan shifted back to his human form.  "Are you unable to shift," he asked with worry in his blue eyes.

"I don't know," responded Gabe as he ran his fingers through his hair.  "To be honest I haven't tried yet."

"Can you try now," asked Ryan.

"Yeah," exhaled Gabe.  Gabe braced his legs apart and willed himself to shift.  As he took his wolf form he could feel his muscles strain and hear the crunch and pop of his bones as they rearranged themselves to shift into his wolf.  After several minutes he stood in his wolf form his silver coat shining in the moon light.

"Brilliant," praised Ryan as he reached out to touch the rare color coat.  "You are definitely in a league of your own."  Ryan touched the soft silver hair and smiled, "But it took you longer than it should have to shift.  If you were in a battle you'd have been killed before you could complete the shift.  You're rusty so shift back and do it again."

Gabe's jade green eyes glittered dangerously at Ryan's words before he nodded and shifted back to his human form. "Did that take too long too," he asked sarcastically.

"A little," responded Ryan honestly.  "I'm gonna sit over there," he pointed toward a cluster of white, wrought iron lawn chairs, "While you practice.  According to your father you could shift in less than 5 seconds so get to it."

Gabe cursed under his breath as he shifted again into his wolf form.  Each time he shifted it took less and less time and the sound of his muscles straining and bones popping started to recede.  After two hours he heard Ryan start back toward him and turned to glare at him as he sat on the ground breathing heavy and sweat soaked.

"Good job," clapped Ryan as he walked up to Gabe.  "You've cut it from 5 minutes to 15 seconds.  That's still not as fast as you used to be but I believe as you keep shifting you'll be back at your old time in no time."  Ryan reach out a hand and helped Gabe up to his feet with a small frown, "Did you want to test those powers you mom were eager to tell me about."

Gabe shock his head as he raised his hand and a flame appeared, "I think I'm fine."

Ryan nodded and went to retrieve his clothes. "You could have left at any time after the first week," mused Ryan as he pulled his pants on.

"Oh you mean after you stopped giving me the sedative," laughed Gabe as he put his clothes on.  "Oh and why'd you stay naked when you weren't shifting," asked Gabe in a fake disgusted voice.

Ryan laughed as he pulled his shirt on, "Because we had onlookers."  Ryan pointed toward the floor to ceiling windows on the first floor were several female nurses stood. 

Gabe chuckled as he picked his shoes up, "So you were using me to get some ass."

Ryan patted Gabe on the back as they walked back toward the building, "Yes I was."

************
Earlier the same day....Thea

Desiree stood in the middle of Thea's apartment with a worried frown as she watched Thea try to put together the white crib that they'd purchased online two weeks ago.

"Thea," fumed Desiree, "would you stop.  I'll have Michel come up and do this."

Thea blew strands of hair out of her eyes as she turned to stare at Desiree with determined eyes.  "I need to be more self-sufficient," replied Thea glumly.

"Why," asked Desiree confused.

"Desiree tell me the truth," grunted Thea as she awkwardly rose to her feet.  "Is this some type of retirement home for mobsters?"  At Desiree's astonished look she pressed her lips together, "Don't look at me like that.  I've heard you, Michel and Barbara talk about things that only make since if you were in a gang or in the mob before."

Desiree set her lips into a thin line as she stared at Thea wearily.  "Thea none of us were in a mob or gang per se"

"Huh?  What the heck does that mean" asked Thea as she threw the screw driver to the floor.  "I can't help but think that being here will one day endanger me and my babies."

Desiree tried not to laugh as she watched Thea struggle to sit on the couch.   "You and the babies are not in any danger," smiled Desiree as she sat down next to Thea.  "This house is a safe haven and is under the protection of a very powerful organization.  Only a fool would attack Flow House."

"That's not very comforting," snapped Thea as she stared at the woman.  "I should have known this was too good to be true.  Jocelyn had told me that apartments over here go for $1700 -$2400 and that I shouldn't be able to afford to live here."

Desiree nodded slowly, "What else did Jocelyn tell you?"

Confused Thea shook her head, "She told me about WIC and some other government programs that she say I should apply for.  Was she supposed to tell me something else?"

"Nope," grinned Desiree as she patted her hand.  "But I'm happy to say you've changed a lot since I first met you.  You were so trusting and innocent, never asking questions but now you do.  And one day soon I promise I'm gonna answer all your questions."

Thea pouted as she snatched her hand away, "One day doesn't sound like today.  I was going to wait and tell you this but I'm thinking about moving out when my lease is up."

"You signed a one year lease," admonished Desiree as she stared at Thea taken back.  "And you're already thinking of leaving."

"I was lied to enough by a person that I thought loved," snapped Thea as she rubbed her tightening stomach.  "I refused to be lied to anymore."

"Thea can I ask you a question," asked Desiree as she watched Thea's eyes tear up.  "Do you still love him?"

Thea choked back a laugh as the Braxton Hicks contraction eased, "I've always loved him and I probably always will."

"What is his name," asked Desiree softly.

Thea shook her head and a small sad smile lit her face, "I don't want to talk about him.  He's out gallivanting around the world and enjoying his single life.  The last thing he needs is for me to show up telling him he's going to be a dad."

Desiree wiped the tear that slid down Thea's cheek and gave her a sympathetic look.  "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked about him."

"I loved him so much," cried Thea as tears started to flow down her face.  "It's my fault we aren't together. If I would have just nodded, smiled and accepted his lies like I usually did we could have been a happy family."

"Thea, no!  He would have been happy but what about you?"  Desiree wrapped her arms around Thea and stoked her head in a soothing manner.  "You shouldn't have to put on a front when he was hurting you."  Desiree held Thea until her shoulders stopped shaking and her cries turned into a light snore.  "Baby girl I'm sure he can't know you're pregnant or he'd be right here holding you instead of me.  But if he were here," mused Desiree in a light whisper as she laid Thea back against the couch, "you wouldn't be crying for him."

Desiree stood up and stared down at Thea's huge stomach and sighed.  "I wish I would have asked if you knew a Cyrus or Roderick before you fell asleep."

"My friends," sighed Thea in her sleep as she tried to rollover to her side to get more comfortable.

Desiree eyebrow arched at Thea's words and she stared in disbelief.  "How could they be her friends," asked Desiree under her breath.  "Fuck it," sighed Desiree as she watched Thea's chest rise and fall.  "What's the harm in me reaching out to the council about her?"
*******

Desiree hung up the phone and shook her head toward Barbara and Michel, "They said that there's no mention of a Theadora Jacqueline Montgomery in their books."

"Are they going to contact the Midnight Pack," asked Michel as he passed a cup of coffee to Desiree.

"They claim they are trying to get in touch with Alpha William or Beta Philip to ask," replied Desiree as she stirred sugar into her coffee.  "I suggested they reach out to Roderick or Cyrus and they said they'd do that if they couldn't get in touch with either of the pack heads."

Barbara laughed as she sat her coffee down.  "Wouldn't it be a hoot and a half if the baby daddy was that boy that's been in the news?"  At the confused looks from Michel and Desiree she chuckled, “What's his name again?  Michael?  Luther?  Gabriel?  It was Gabriel," exclaimed Barbara as she clapped her hands.  "Gabriel DuPont!"

Desiree stared blankly at Barbara for several minutes before burst out in a fit of laughter.  "Do you really think the next alpha of one of the fiercest packs would have fucked around with Thea?"  Desiree waved a hand at Barbara as she continued to laugh, "Your imagination is too much!"

Barbara shook her head with a huge smile, "You never know."

Michel stared at them both with a thoughtful look, "What if he is the father?  Think about it," he said when they both went to interrupt him.  "She's caring three pups.  What normal shifter could do that?  I would take an alpha or a really strong beta.  She's from the Midnight Packs territory and seemed to have been sheltered her whole life."

Desiree stared at him with her coffee cup millimeters from her mouth before she laughed.  "Or she was outside the territory and met a displaced wolf shifter or a rouge and got into a hot and heavy relationship with him."

Michel rolled his eyes, "My story sounds more -"

"Unbelievable," jested Barbara as she cut in.  "Think about it for a second.  I don't care if that boy had 100 mistresses no woman in their right mind would leave him.  Did you not see those pictures of him?"

Desiree twisted her lips as she stared at them, "Thea would've.  She's not vain enough to care about his looks and to be honest her previous lack of financial matters make me believe she wouldn't  have cared about his money."

Barbara tapped her chin in thought before a huge smile split her face.  "You know what you're right.  But shit now I think if he were the father she'd have his ass in court trying to get those kids 28% of his adjusted gross income."

"You ain't never lied," laughed Desiree as Michel nodded.  "But we'll see what the higher ups have to say in the next few days."

"Desiree," cut in Michael as he stared down into his coffee.  "Didn't Cyrus give you her number?"

Desiree stopped laughing as she pulled out her mobile.  "Oh my goodness she sure did!"  Desiree scrolled through her numbers until she reached Cyrus McLean and pressed the call button.  Desiree released a dejected sigh.  "Cyrus I'm sorry to have missed you.  This is Desiree Johansson we met about two weeks ago at the symposium.  I was wondering if you could call me back I wanted to ask if you knew a sweet young woman named Theadora Montgomery."