The revelation of the orphan network was a shock to Dominic, Phoenix, and Raphael.
In the packs, at least theirs, they didn't really have orphans.
If there was a pup in need, other wolves almost felt compelled to take them in and protect them.
Pack mentality was how they survived, keeping each other alive.
To be able to leave one out in the environment took extreme circumstances.
Knowing now that the humans had a surplus of children that lived in buildings that just had to learn how to survive was blowing Dominic's mind, but also making his wheels turn.
Spies.
These had all but admitted they were incredible spies who went unnoticed.
With the three men looking at the two beautiful women on the couch, they knew they didn't hold any of the cards to make a deal.
Not yet.
If they wanted to find out any information from this new network of orphans that they had stumbled upon, then they would have to figure out just what stipulation was that the girls had.
What was the one condition?
Clearly, the girls had something if they wanted something in return.
Dominic didn't take long to ask, "What's the stipulation"?
Stella and Rhae both smiled.
"We want you to bring Alexander and Ayla down before we speak".
Phoenix and Raphael looked nervous, because they had already been told no when they wanted Ayla.
Phoenix was curious about something, though: what about Julius?
Dominic figured that the couple were potentially free at that point, or at least he was hoping as he thought the girls' 'stipulation' over.
"Phoenix, go see if they are available. If so, ask them to join us. Fill Ayla in before doing so, because you know how she can be" he nodded.
As he sent his Lieutenant to fetch the ringleader of the circus and her assistant, Dominic wondered one thing.
Why hadn't they asked about Julius?
He was just as much a part of everything as any of them, if not more.
The girls didn't ask for him, though.
They clearly mentioned that they knew about him, because they said, 'the three orphans', yet they only asked specifically for Ayla and Alexander to be present.
What did they know about Julius, and what had he done that they were going to try to exploit him for?
Orphans had a reputation for looking out for themselves, but Julius was his son.
What would Dominic do if it came down to protecting Ayla or his own son?
His nerves were starting to rise as they waited for Phoenix to return with the couple, and Raphael could sense it.
"It will be fine. I'm sure of it. You just have to trust everyone, right? You trust all of us, don't you"?
Dominic nodded his head as he finished speaking, but it wasn't confidently, and Raphael noticed, and his face showed it.
'I know you and Phoenix; everyone else is new. Not even that. All you have to do is look at your throat to know that sometimes time means nothing with people' he thought for Dominic to hear.
Raphael realized that Dominic was trying to soothe his own doubts, though, as he was speaking to him, which made him wonder,
'Who is it that he is doubting, the girls or Julius' he thought to himself, hoping no one heard him.
The answer came faster than he could have thought, because it startled him, letting the girls know that they were communicating, but it didn't bother them as they shook it off.
They expected it.
'Julius. They didn't mention wanting to see him. I'm nervous about why' he thought, knowing that Raphael heard his thoughts.
Raphael's head tilted back slightly as he looked up and out of the corner of his eyes, as he started to think.
There was no way that Julius had done anything that could be even remotely concerning toward any of them.
The General's son was the most loyal appearing person from the group when it came to Ayla and Alexander.
Was he though, or had it gone too far when Dominic got attacked?
Maybe he was loyal to Alexander, but was he loyal to Ayla?
How well did orphans stick together, or was it just the bonded ones?
All they could do now was wait.
It was awkwardly silent as they waited for Phoenix and his plus two to return.
Not wanting to question to bounce around too much longer, Raphael had to ask.
"When it comes to the town orphans, do they feel loyalty to every orphan, or just the ones that they bonded with when they were young"?
He knew the question sounded wrong, but he did his best to make it sound as far from them and as minimally intrusive as possible.
Rhae knew why he was asking and was hesitant to answer at first.
"I know you have questions, I would too. However, I am not so quick to tell you how any of our system works just yet".
That told him nothing but something at the same time.
If they were all loyal to each other, she would be proud to say that, right?
His thoughts were getting worse, and he needed a distraction, fast.
Dominic suddenly realized, while they were waiting, that he recognized the blend of scents that lingered just barely before him.
He no longer thought the two before them were purely innocent.
"Have you two been around other wolves today"?
Their eyes got big.
It was as if he had picked up on some big secret that they were trying to keep hidden.
Stella answered.
"What would make you ask that"?
Dominic let out his all-knowing little smirk.
"If you haven't noticed, wolves have a distinct smell, particularly each pack. Maybe you haven't known you were wolves long enough".
He paused to let them think or respond.
Stella jumped up to bat.
"No. We didn't know that. Why does that matter? What does that have to do with us sitting here now"?
"Everything! The three of us have a salt smell mixed in with a dash of spruce because I guess the Moon Goddess thought our pack was closer to the ocean or something. It's what I always thought. Well, it's fading now that I don't claim the Silver Moon Pack. My point. There are two smells blending in here".
Stella and Rhae swallowed hard.
"Honest, we haven't been with anyone but each other and you three. I don't know what you are smelling".
Raphael looked at Dominic, confused for a moment.
Realization finally crept over him.
"When you scared them, and their scent came off a bit, it's them, Dom. You are smelling them".
The two men sniffed the room again as they tried to separate the smells.
They were faint, so picking up the distinct characteristics was a slight challenge.
"I'm getting salt, but that could be us, okame cherry tree maybe, but she wears some kind of vanilla lotion..."
Stella was irritated by his statement.
"No, I don't. Neither one of us wears lotion. What made you think that"?
He looked at her, not wanting to say the wrong thing.
"Phoenix said you smelled almost like warm vanilla. I assumed it was lotion. I'm sorry. That means it's a pack scent, which also means we are idiots. Stella, that means your scent is almost like snow mixed with okame cherry tree. Now that we have her isolated as a Moonlight Shifter wolf, that leaves the salty, uhm, fir, and uuhhmm...dirt. She hasn't ever smelled like that, though".
Dominic laughed as he tried to talk to Raphael.
"She can't help who her pack was that she was born to. That being said, she doesn't associate with them and doesn't claim them, so she typically doesn't smell like the Deep Fang Pack. I believe that, while following Mason and such members, she showed a rather big dislike for them. Am I right"?
Rhae agreed.
"That is why she never smells like them, unless she gets extremely scared, or I believe that's why. She wants someone like them to protect her, because she sees them as ferocious and capable. However, she has no desire to have anything to do with them. That is intriguing".
"You mean I don't have to claim the pack I was born to"?
Both men shook their heads to answer her.
"I can choose her pack and stay with her"?
"Absolutely. It's your choice where you live, and who you want to be with, ultimately. Since nobody really knows about you, it will be easier to choose pack or no pack at all".
"I choose not to be a part of that awful-sounding Deep Fang pack. I choose to be a part of the..."
Rhae didn't even know the pack name, but she knew she didn't want to smell like salt and dirt.
Was that why she was so openly opposing her natural pack?
Suddenly, fear took over as she wondered what she was doing and whether what she was saying would even make a difference.
Dominic decided to help her out.
"Moonlight Shifter Pack" he said to give her the name she seemed to be searching for.
Rhae nodded her head in thanks.
"Moonlight Shifters Pack from this moment forward, that is my wish. I wish to be part of the Moonlight Shifters, not the Deep Fang wolves".
It felt like she was hit in the chest with a bolt of lightning.
Suddenly, Rhae's hands flew to her chest as she clutched it.
Raphael was looking at her, unsure what to do when he saw the lights.
Quickly, he looked out the window, then back to the girl on the couch.
Blue lights suddenly looked like they were running through her veins, running completely through her body.
Now, he was looking to Dominic as if to ask him what to do.
What had she done?