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"Dear Jessica!" Dr Jace entered the rooile halo, his expression full of open aht! You’re alady, truly a rabbed on to ht it possible? A true fe!"

"Doc Jace" I tilted reat to see you again It’s been too long You’re looking well" This randfather I’d ever known He was an Essential hurandfather before hi he knew our secrets, worked for us, but was not supernatural himself Essentials were a necessity in every supernatural Sect, since the human race had no idea we existed They were doctors, teachers, lawyers; individuals recruited to play a special role within the Sect Doc Jace was a brilliant doctor, an extrelad you’re here"--I flashed hi question"

"Of course," he said "I will always do my best to answer your questions, Jessica"

"How did I survive? I thought I wasn’t coded for wolf, that it would be impossible for me to e late after puberty I’d likely die from the ordeal But I’m alive"

Doc absently stroked his short beard "Males carry their wolf markers on their second Y chromosome, very uncommon indeed, but they are there, coded very clearly You have never had any such indicators and no second chroene, the one that ion But as you can guess, I will be doing exhaustive research on that very topic" He patted enes was his life’s work "Having you make a successful transfor a new trail with this research It will be marvelous indeed"

I already kneas revolutionary, because females didn’t exist in our race My birth had sparked a frenzy of discontent, which was enhanced to a breaking point by a certain unsubstantiated but extre I was pure evil, adown the race of wolves Once the Pack found out aboutto be a huge uproar, and everything I’d built forinto all that with the Doctor, I asked instead, "What ti have I been out?"

"It’s seven o’clock in the hteen hours, which is not uncouessing you’re ready for so utilizes an incredible ary by nature"

"Yes, coffee and food sound heavenly" My sto" Dr Jace left and I turned back to hteen hours? Are you tellingalready?"

"Yes, it’s Monday" My father leaned forward in his chair "But don’t worry aboutwork I’ve already been in contact with Nicolas He’s already on his way You’ve actually been asleep with a little extra help from the Doc He wanted to be perfectly sure you would heal coreed with him Injuries like yours take time to mend, especially for a newborn I’m just thankful you came back to us in one piece That was a hell of a ride you took us on"

I was relieved to hear my business partner and best friend, Nick Michaels, was on his way It would be good to have another ally here, since I had no idea how this was going to play out "The whole transition was insane, but I don’t really remember hoent down" I corrected myself "No, that’s not exactly what I mean I do have a clear memory of the pain, but for so very well"

My father sat back "It’s not unco Your change was an unexpected, trau the process canYour wolf likely took over while your human side remained in a shocklike state It happens It’s not ideal, but it happens"

I was mildly surprised by his reaction, but ulti to hatch an immediate plan to chain me to a bed until I could master uess I could’ve been In the end she toggled soain I’d been a passenger up until that point, but when I finally slid into the driver’s seat, I took one sniff of h olf arded h his thick dark hair It was a gesture of stress, and he didn’t do it often "Well" He cleared his throat "I’m not sure what happened there, but it can take a wolf many years to ly handed control back to you, it see to have a problem with n your hu"

A as required to prove Do allowed to reenter human society By instinct your anted complete control--deh to override the wolf’s urges at all times No exceptions

I bit my bottom lip

That wasn’t exactly how it’d happened I knew I’d stopped her froain if I had to But I was content to drop it for now, and asked instead, "How did you know I changed? How did you find rew up on the Compound, so naturally I knew a lot about wolves, but I’d been kept in the dark about a lot of things too