THE TEKULA PROJECT

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"Ms. Odair, I am aware that you care more for the Project, but we needed to do what was best," he replies calmly.

"What was best?" I say. "Best for who?" I ball my hands into fists. I shouldn't be questioning his authority, but I throw caution to the wind.

He shoves a pointed finger at me. "Best for us! For the company! For science! Ms. Odair, I am your superior and you have no right to question me. Now, get a flashlight and start searching like the rest of us." He retracts his hand he clenches his jaw. His eyes are pools of malice, and I can clearly see I have gone too far. Well, I'm not taking it back.

"Fine. I will help today, not because you told me to, but because I do care about what happens to him," I say, turning my back on him and marching over to the forest's edge. I sigh, trying to make myself relax from the argument I just had. I will be lucky if I don't get fired.

I step into the eerie woods. Rain pummels through the branches and soaks me to my core. If I get sick from this I swear Theseus will never hear the end of it--that is--if we find him.

I hear a distant howl deep in the darkness of the trees. That must be him. I start to quicken my pace and I see multiple people heading the same way I am. I soon break into a small clearing.

"Theseus!" I yell. I listen intently, but the heavy rain makes it too hard to detect any sounds. Through the darkness, I can make out movement in the bushes.

My heart hammers in my chest. What state will he be in? Is he scared or angry? Fear starts to grow in my core and I shiver, both from cold and nerves.

Theseus' large wolf form steps into the clearing. I barely hear a guard behind me giving orders. "Back off!" I whisper-yell. "I got this."

The men slowly back up. Theseus tilts his head up, sniffing the air. His eyes snap to mine. I stiffen as he moves towards me. His pace picks up and soon he is sprinting at me full speed.

I am frozen to my spot, unable to move myself to run. My eyes widen and my shoulders shake uncontrolably. What is he doing? He will kill me if he hits me at this speed. He is now 50 feet and closing.

I am finally able to move my legs and I start to run. I fumble over roots and branches, cutting my arms and legs as I go. My breaths come in harsh pants and my vision is blurry from fear.

"Vee!" I hear a strangled voice cry. The heartbreak and sorrow in that one word has me stopping in my tracks. I turn around slowly to come face-to-face with a Theseus, now in his human form.

I barely have a chance to react before he crushes me to his chest. Sobs rack through his body and he squeezes me as if I would float away if he were to let go. He buries his face in my neck and his shaky hands clench the back of my hoodie.

His hair is soaking wet and his skin is covered in mud and grass. I now realize he is naked. I press my hands against his chest in an attempt to put distance between us.

"Theseus! Let me go, please," I say calmly. He just pulls me closer and nuzzles his nose against my neck.

"T-they s-said you--you were d-dead," he says between sobs.

"Is that why you ran?" I say. He nods gently, stroking my back with his shaky hands.

"I-I can't live with-without you," he whispers. I furrow my brows in confusion. Is he really that attached to me?

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Thought th-they hurt Mate," he says sorrowfully. Does he mean this literally? Is that why he escaped--to find me?

Before I have a chance to question him, the security personnel start to circle us. Theseus pulls me closer to him, growling threateningly at the other men, apparently not caring about his nakedness. Granted, I am covering his front, much to my discomfort.

"Shh, Theseus. They won't hurt you," I say, patting his shoulder in what I hope is a soothing way.

"W-worried about Mate, not me," he says, still growling at the other men.

"Okay. Um, I'm cold, and you are naked, so let's go back inside, yeah?" I ask.

He pulls back and looks at me with concern etched across his features. "Y-you cold?" He asks.

"Erm, yeah," I say with a shrug. "Will you come with me?"

He nods solemnly. It can't be easy living inside a cell, that's for sure. I wish his life could be better. He deserves it. He has been alive since 1605 and he has lived freely all his life only to be captured and studied in a lab.

I wonder how I could be so...so...cruel. Seeing him now, covered in mud and scared out of his mind yet still having concern over me, of all people, is startling. How could I just leave him in that lonely cell? Sure, I didn't know of his existence at first, but even after I did, I only treated him as a project, not as the human he is.

I hold my hand out to him, careful to keep my eyes on his. He surveys the area, growling at the dart guns aimed at him. I turn around to see Dr. Vanderwall holding a pair of grey sweatpants: Theseus' usual garb.

He snatches the clothes from his grasp and snarls in the man's face. A flicker of fear flashes in his eyes before they return to their normal look of indifference.

I turn away as he pulls the pants over his lean legs. By this time my shoes are completely soaked through and my teeth chatter from the cold. Before I can turn around, strong arms wrap around my shoulders and knees, lifting me off the ground and into a warm chest.

"Theseus!" I gasp. The others look on with apprehension. Dr. Vanderwall signals the guards to back down.

I stiffen in Theseus' arms, my heart beating rapidly in my chest at the close proximity. He pulls me closer still before starting the long trek back to the lab, the guards trailing behind us.

"I can walk on my own just fine," I say.

He frowns. "But Mate is cold," he responds.

I can't help the small giggle that escapes my lips at his confused expression. The corners of his lips quirk up in a smile at my reaction. Hs sighs as he leans his forehead against mine.

"Please don't leave me, Mate."