Chapter Fifty:

The man blinked at her, clearly taken aback.

"Yo…" he paused, closing his mouth, and then opening it again. "You want me to take him out? Your… brother?"

Jena nodded. "We did not come to this decision lightly, I assure you. And yes, he is my brother."

She waited for him to lash out at her for that revelation, but to her great surprise, he didn't even raise his voice.

What kind of a man is this? Jena wondered. That he has such character, even after all we did to him?

"What do you mean by taking him out?" he asked, though she could see he knew, but wanted to hear her say it.

"He and Xel must die," she said sadly. "And before you call us murderers, hear me out."

She offered another spoonful, and then began her account.

"Sar and Xel used to be such kind men, who always cared more about the people about them than the riches they had. All of that changed about ten years ago when Sar and Xel were hunting deep within the woods.

"While out they discovered something, and they took it. When they brought it home to show us, we were all in wonder of what it was. They'd brought home a vile with a strangely glowing, bluish-white liquid. Little did we know at the time that it was an elixir. They never told us exactly where they found it, but that they had taken this sample from a pool of the same liquid."

As she spoke, she continued to feed the man before her, who soaked in all she said.

"Sar was the first to taste it, against the wishes of his wife, as well as the rest of us. We women knew it was dangerous: we just had this feeling that nothing good would come of something like that. But Sar insisted that he'd had a vision of himself drinking it and becoming a powerful person. And Xel, who had always followed Sar like a shadow, did not wish to be left out so he took a drink too.

"Nothing happened to them for three weeks, and both men were angry, thinking that they had been tricked. Helena- Sar's wife- Ash my sister-in-law, and I were all so glad that the elixir hadn't killed them. Although there were changes in the way they ate, and they seemed to have better hearing and vision. They were also faster and stronger.

"When they realized this they were much happier, and began to shower their family with gifts, such as pelted furs from dangerous predators, to show off their newfound skills. However, when the fourth week came, so did the first full moon since they'd taken the elixir."

Jena offered him the final spoonful as she paused to collect her thoughts. A little bit dribbled from the corner of his swollen lips and she dabbed it away kindly.

"They were absolute terrors the first year after that, until they came to be able to control their wolf-selves." Jena shuddered at the memories. "Luckily, they managed to avoid killing any of their family members, but they did not care about anyone else's kin or livestock.

"After another year of honing their control over their new forms, Sar and Xel began to build the little empire they rule to this day." Jena set the rag in her lap and stared at it as she continued. "All of this technology around you is only known to a few people. Much of the townsfolk have no clue of the anarchy that lives right under their noses."

She felt hot tears sting her eyes. "And yes, my brother and Xel are both behind all the crime that our people are subjected to. They are the ones behind all the wolf activity. They plunder and murder, and then keep the goods hidden away in a storehouse. Those men who brought you down here are all the members of Sar's posse. They turn a blind eye to his activities in exchange for safety from the wolves as well as an increase in their own wealth. Which of course comes in the form of food, goods, and sometimes money.

"The men who are in on it are all the wealthiest men in the community." Jena wiped at her moistened face. "Of course, my family is privy to everything since we live with Sar and Xel. But they have terrorized us all into keeping silent. Us, their own flesh and blood!" she glared at her now-balled fists. "We are under constant abuse and fear of them. If we so much as breathe in the wrong way against them, we pay a heavy price. Not even the children are spared from their cruelty if they step out of line."

She coughed, bringing a hand to her mouth. "I have lived with the guilt of knowing that the suffering all around me is by the hand of my own blood. And the good fellow they all think Sar is… is a lie. He feeds them their own meat, and they have no idea! It sickens me!"

She finally met the man's eyes, and was encouraged to find he was not showing any signs of disgust with her.

"He and Xel were eventually discovered to be the wolves when Doctor Heresha caught them morphing." Jena dried her eyes. "And when he threatened to turn them in, Sar blackmailed him into keeping quiet. Sar knew what Heresha did in the after-hours down in the basement levels of the medical facility. And he promised to keep it a secret and even support the doctor's… hobby in exchange for his silence and cooperation.

"So when the two of them needed a scapegoat, Heresha offered the most current off-worlder to them. Sar and Xel leapt at the chance and infected the poor soul. Then, after they paraded his changed form for the village to see, they locked him away. They claimed to have caught one of the wolves, and thus became heroes.

"It is true that our medicine and technology have increased through the studies of Heresha, but his methods are atrocious." Jena shivered. "And our family has been praying for such a long time now for a way to rid our community of the tyrannical reign of their unknown kings."

She placed a hand over one of his. "And the heavens finally answered those prayers."

He was silent for long moments as he processed, and Jena took note that he looked stronger and less shaky after his period of rest as well as the food.

Indeed he is strong! Jena rejoiced.

"How, exactly, am I so important?" he finally asked.

"Because, you are a wolf: and only another wolf will be strong enough to challenge my brother and Xel… and actually have a chance at success." Jena replied. "And you will have an incentive to remove him."

She lifted her brow to see if he already knew; but when he frowned, she began to rethink that assessment.

"I am not a murderer." He said mildly.

"It is not murder to remove a tyrant if it protects the people." Jena objected. "They declared war when they began to incite terror through slaughter and plunder. And we their family are tired of being their punching bags."

Jena applied greater pressure on his hand. "I wish there was another way, I truly do. Sar is my brother, and I love him. But the Sar I love died years ago to be replaced by a true monster of a man. He is all about power and his lust to be important: and Xel is no better. Our town needs to be freed from their cruelty. This," Jena waved about them to make a point. "Also needs to end. The only way that happens is to remove the source of the issue."

He was deep in thought, his gaze somewhat distant as he absorbed her words again.

"Please help us…" Jena paused upon realizing something, and she gave a little laugh, which caught the man's attention. "You know, I never did ask what your name was."

He actually gave a small smile at that, and Jena knew that if he wasn't a married man she would fall in love with him just for the life that small act brought to his blue gaze. He was beautiful indeed when he smiled.

"Luke." He said simply. "Luke Skywalker."

"Luke…" Jena tested the name, and somehow it truly suited him. "That's a good name."

His smile turned wry. "I think so too."

Jena chuckled, and then returned to business. "Please, Luke, help my people. We cannot help ourselves, clearly. We need another wolf to stand up to them, and to remove them from the picture. They have become irredeemable; believe me, we have tried everything."

Jena felt bile rise in her throat, and she looked down again. "Sar even impregnated his own wife as a wolf in order to attempt to pass on his so-called 'noble line'. The bastard essentially murdered his own wife! I have never forgiven him for that! She had such a terrible pregnancy, and then she died after the delivery. She was carrying six pups, which died without a mother to nurse them."

Jena was rambling now, she knew, and she had missed his sharp intake of breath during her rant. So when she looked up, Jena jumped back at his suddenly furious expression.

"A-are you alright?" Jena asked worriedly. "Was it something I said?"

"He has Mara!" Luke ground out, struggling to get up. "I have to get to her before he kills her!"

"Luke, calm down!" Jena warned, placing a hand on his arm.

He glared at her, confirming what Jena had suspected all along: Sar had tangled with the wrong rival wolf. This man would, and could, do anything it took to protect the woman he loved.

If he could get out of the facility.

"Calm down!" he all but yelled. "He's going to mate with my wife! And from what you've just told me, it will not end well!"

"Please!" Jena begged, glancing frantically at the door. "I need you to calm down! If Ruche comes in here, I can no longer help you!"

He opened his mouth midway through her pleas to retort, but stopped as her words sank in.

"Help me how?" he narrowed his eyes.

"Come morning, my family and I will deliver a special batch of baked goods to the staff of this facility." Jena explained. "It will put them to sleep for several hours, during which we will free you."

He looked about ready to retort that there was no time to waste, but Jena beat him to the punch.

"Luke, Sar wants to impregnate her as a wolf. He cannot do that until he is one. And that won't happen until tomorrow evening." Jena glanced at her chrono. "Well, technically tonight since it's past midnight. Anyway; the point is, your wife is safe for now. Sar won't want her injured before he can exact his plan. That still gives us time."

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"Alright." He whispered. "I have no choice but to trust you."

Jena exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Oh, thank you. I promise to be here to get you out tomorrow. Oh and there will be a big storm tomorrow, so that will help mask your approach."

Luke nodded. "Where are they keeping Mara?"

"In the old ruins far downstream: it is there that they stash all their stolen goods." Jena replied. "When we come for you, we will take you out the northern exit. From there go due north until you come to the river. Follow that downstream until you come to the ruins; you cannot miss them, I swear. Cross the old bridge and you're there."

Luke gave her a calculating stare. "If I go, I will do whatever it takes to protect Mara. Sar and Xel have kidnapped, and intend to defile my wife. I cannot promise what the outcome will be when I arrive."

"You have our blessing to do whatever it takes," Jena said.

"Aren't you worried what their absence will do to you and your family?" Luke asked.

"We plan to keep silent, and so will the others," Jena answered. "We all know that if the town found out the truth it would incite a bloodbath, and not even the children would be spared. Our people would not recover from a civil war." Jena looked to him. "With Sar and Xel removed, the rest of them will return to how they were before. We can handle the rest on our own."

Jena placed her hand on his shoulder. "Our people will need time to heal. I would ask that you do what you can to prevent anyone else from coming here. We are not ready to join the galaxy. We are not stupid; we know it's out there… but let us handle one history-changing event at a time."

Luke nodded. "I will do what I can."

"Thank you." Jena checked her chrono again. "I need to get going in order to avoid suspicion."

Luke covered her hand briefly with his. "Thank you, Jena, for everything."

She smiled sadly. "You can thank me by saving your wife, and also my people."