The young man answered, “We can't meet in my room, it's too risky. Arik invited us here for a meeting, so now is a perfect chance to speak. There's news about the girl.”
His companion widened his eyes. “Do you think they know what happened?”
“Of course not!” the young man scoffed.
“What happens when they find the twin?” the contact asked.
“It doesn’t matter. She'll not be a problem.”
“And Nik?”
The young man smiled slyly. “Leave him to me. Just keep your mouth shut, do your duties and they'll never find out about Lora.”
His contact was about to respond but the sound of rushing footfalls approaching from the corridor outside silenced them both. Within moments Arik glided in, followed closely by Maria and another, younger woman behind her.
The young man looked at them with steady eyes, showing no hint that he’d had a very treacherous conversation only moments ago.
“Where is Nik?” Arik asked.
In that moment, a tall, dark-eyed man appeared from behind the door. He stepped in and surveyed them calmly. Inside he was quaking. He knew they had news.
“Ah, perfect timing,” Arik said. “Okay, Erica, you can tell us,” Arik said, turning to the younger woman beside Maria.
Erica stepped forward, scanning each face in the room before she spoke.
The suspense in the air was suffocating.
Nik clenched and unclenched his right fist.
“We’ve found her,” Erica announced.
Nik could finally breathe though he had mixed emotions about the news. He was relieved she’d been found, shocked and confused that she was even alive, excited and uncertain about meeting her. “Where is she?” he asked.
“She’s living in Sheffield, with her adopted parents.”
“She doesn’t know?”
Erica gazed gravely at Nik in response.
“About anything?” he questioned.
She remained silent.
Only he truly felt the weight of this answer. He knew the suffering the girl would go through when all was revealed to her.
“Her name is Jasmine Barker. I’ve seen her but haven’t yet made contact. I plan to go in a few days,” Erica elucidated.
Nik was itching with impatience but he was very good at self-control. He reined it in and told himself over and over again that it would take time. Just wait, he chanted inwardly.
Erica continued. “I need to gain her trust before I can do anything. I’ll keep an eye on her for any signs of... change.”
Everyone looked at her as she said the word.
It was only the young man who asked what everyone else was wondering. “She hasn’t Changed at all?”
Erica shook her head.
“Are you sure?” he pushed.
She glared at the boy, who she disliked more times than not, before replying in a sharp voice, “I am quite capable of determining these things; it is after all my speciality- not yours. I’m more than sure.” To her satisfaction, she silenced him. She then gazed at the others seriously. “She may be late in age but I have no doubt she is the one. I can smell it on her.”
“And what if you’re wrong and the same thing happens to her as it did to Lora?”
Nik shot the young man a cutting glare at his words. The young man gazed at his superior apologetically. Nik accepted it and looked away.
“It won’t,” was Erica's curt response.
“I will know the difference,” Nik added. He had a very low, velvety voice. The kind you knew, if he ever raised it in anger, it would be a deafening, terrifying sound.
“Yes, he will.” Maria turned to address Nik. “You will feel the sisterly connection between the twin and Lora the moment you touch the girl's skin. Then you'll know for yourself if this Jasmine girl is the one,” Maria acceded.
Nik looked down, pretending to concentrate on a spot on the floor.
He was ashamed that he hadn’t realized the difference. Lora had been a 'human' Were. He'd suspected what she might be but he hadn't known bearing his child would be lethal to her. If only he'd known, she would still be here.
On top of that, he'd discovered that the immense love he felt for her, didn't come from the 'bond'; because, as far as he knew, that was something only purebloods could share. He continued to hold onto the belief that his teachers were wrong about that.
It still filled him with unbearable grief that Lora may not have been his true mate. Despite knowing what they'd shared was special, he felt like they had both been cheated. Now he knew it would mean meeting her twin to find out for sure.