A Fox Among Wolves

Chapter Twenty-Five

"You're the one who freed me," Alex says, relaxing as his eyes quickly take in my mentor.

Dr. Greene nods her head.

"Wait, I am so confused right now," Quinn says.

"I think we all are," I mumble, resting my head against Braeden's chest.

"Well, we don't have much time, so let me explain the best that I can." Dr. Greene pulls some papers out of a file, setting them down in front of her.

"As we all know, the humans were wiped out about thirty years ago, by a deadly virus, and we have been taught that the virus was transferred via the contaminated blood of a chimpanzee. But that isn't quite true."

"Uh, what?" I say, brows scrunched in confusion.

"The virus that wiped out the humans wasn't created by mother nature. Hybrids created it, hoping to wipe out most of the human population, and sadly they succeeded."

"Why the hell would we do that?" Quinn says, sounding utterly offended, and I am right there with him.

Dr. Greene makes a sound of understanding. "Almost offensive to hear something so vulgar about your species, isn't it? But it is the truth. None of you were alive when the humans were still here." She gives a slight shake of her head, eyes wandering to a picture on her desk. "We were treated like a subspecies, only a small portion of humans treated us with compassion. It wasn't rare to hear of one of us being kept as a pet or a source of pleasure that we didn't always consent to. We had animalistic features and were considered exotic, so we were treated as a lower species.

"Our numbers were dropping, and so a group our scientists decided to take it upon themselves to wipe out our oppressors and torturers. And it mostly worked, so we thrived. Many of us, though, were deeply disturbed about what happened, because we had friends or family who were humans, and who died a torturous death.

"But, as you know, not all the humans died." She looks over at Alex, giving him a soft smile. "The ones who survived were strong, immune to the virus that wiped out all the others. Most of the humans who survived were friends to hybrids, and that is what saved them. They had a piece of hybrid genetics in them that made them immune to the virus." She swallows heavily, looking back down at her desk. "But not all who survived were our friends, and I wouldn't expect them to be. Now, there are many human compounds that are almost like old-fashioned army bases, using their women like breeders to pump out more soldiers."

"Hold on a second," Quinn says, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "How did our government keep this a secret from us? There are still many of us who were alive when the humans were alive."

Dr. Greene nods her head. "Yes, there are." She has a shaky smile on her face. "Haven't you ever wondered why the younger population heavily outweighs the older generations?"

"Yes, it is odd," Braeden mumbles.

"Well, not to me," Dr. Greene says. "Most of us, especially the generation before mine were wiped out. We were told to comply, and our history was erased. Those who refused were killed or sent away."

"Sent away?" I question. "Where would they be sent?"

"The hills," Dr. Greene says. "The ones sent away are the ones who grow most of our food. It isn't tortuous out there, but it is hard work."

"How do you know all of this? Did you let them force you to comply?" I ask.

"I was young when this all happened," she says, "barely ten years old, so I wasn't pressured as hard. Any one younger than thirteen was seen as a none threat." She clears her throat, eyes flickering over to a picture on her desk. "And I know about the hills because that was where my mate was sent after he was caught smuggling goods to human traders."