(Who is this?) growled a voice accompanied by underthoughts of suspicion, fading pain, and hunger.

"Is that Ryan?" Noble asked. Cooper nodded.

"It's him alright."

(Okay, Ryan, before we go any further, I need you to narrow your thought path and focus on sending to just me for security reasons. Just picture sending through an opening no bigger than a human hand can make.)

"I need to turn this into a private connection to keep the other wolves out. I can let you three listen through me, if you'd like," Noble said aloud. The soldiers looked at each other and nodded to her.

(Who is this?) growled Ryan again, though this time it was devoid of any underthought.

(My name is Noble Howlitt, Captain Ryan. How you doing this evening?)

(I've been turned into a fucking werewolf, after which that idiot shoved a sword through me,) he sneered coldly. (How do you think I'm doing?) Noble paused to raise an eyebrow at Cooper who glared sulkily back.

(Actually, Ryan, that brings me to my next question. Why are you getting along so well with your wolf?) Noble asked curiously, a hint of authority in her speech.

(I'm sorry, who are you again?) Ryan sneered. Noble narrowed her brows, annoyed.

(I was sent here to kill these rogue werewolves. Upon finding humans here, it is now my top priority to keep them safe. That includes you, unless you've gone rogue as well,) she told him sternly. (Now, I'll ask again, why have you accepted your wolf?) This time the words were loaded with the power of an alpha demanding an answer of a beta wolf and everyone in on the connection felt it. The soldiers looked at her warily.

(I…) began Ryan, struggling against her will. (I always wanted to be a werewolf,) he gasped defiantly. The lie was obvious to all. Noble sent a snarl to him, grasped his mind more firmly.

(Ryan, you would do well to learn that lying is impossible when speaking Jotkin. You would also do well in learning not to defy me in a matter such as this as the outcome will control whether you live or die. Why have you accepted your wolf?) She asked again, bringing the full force of her will to bear. Ryan's answer was almost instantaneous, as she expected. No shifter could challenge her mentally, not when she was part dragon.

(What else could I do?) he gasped, snarling. (I could not stop it.)

(So you joined it. Okay. Thank you,) Noble replied, cheerful once more.

"Argh!" she snarled aloud as Sarge's wolf hit her again, impossibly seeming stronger than before. Maybe she was just weakening. "I'm alright," she reassured the soldiers, who had made a move towards her. "Let's focus on this."

(Where are you, Ryan?) she asked normally, a friendly question.

(Why?) Ryan asked suspiciously, not happy about being forced to answer the previous question. Noble sighed.

(Look, Ryan. I'm here to help you, if you'll let me. You know I'm telling you the truth because lies are obvious when speaking Jotkin. I need to know your location so I can hunt down the other three wolves and I don't accidentally kill you.)

(How can you help me?) he sneered in reply, yet there was a hint of desperation to his voice. Noble latched onto it, knew it was the way to keep him from going rogue.

(I can teach you how to control it, Ryan. It is possible. I can show you how to stop your wolf from emerging every time the moon is full. All it takes is some training, and that I know you can do. You've already taken the first step by accepting your wolf,) she told him, sending memories of others she had trained. Of her own training. (Just give me a chance, Ryan.) She waited, holding her breath even when Sarge's wolf attacked her again.

(Fair enough,) he answered curtly. (I'm just outside the cellar.)

(Are you alone?)

(Yes. Except for my wolf.) Noble nodded and looked around, seeing a door in the floor.

(Alright, Ryan, there's a trapdoor here in the kitchen. I want you to come through it, okay?)

"What?" exclaimed Cooper. "You want to let him in here!" Noble ignored him.

(Moving out,) came Ryan's reply. Noble got up and opened the cellar door.

"You can't honestly let him in here!" hissed Cooper. Spoon and Sarge didn't look too pleased either.

"Look," she said, doubling over for a second. "I know none of you are too fond of him for using you as bait, but I'll wager any money that he was ordered to do it. I'll even ask him," she halfway growled, pain making her short-tempered.

(Ryan, another question. Why did you use humans as bait for you mission?)

(That's classified.)

(Ryan,) Noble said warningly.

(Ms. Howlitt, even if you are able to help me, you're still a civilian and that's classified information,) he snarled curtly.

(Actually, Ryan, the moment you were Blooded I became your superior officer. And I'm ordering you to tell me why. If you don't, I will find out when we get back to civilization by talking to Blair himself if I have to. However, I won't be very happy if I have to wait that long, so why don't you just tell me now,) Noble said simply, no threat in her voice despite the words, and trusting that Ryan didn't miss much. She was speaking truth, after all. There was a moment where she assumed he thought it over.

(That's what I was ordered to use,) he said at last, disgust filling his voice.

(Thank you, Captain,) she replied, kindness and understanding filling hers.

"Happy?" she asked the three men, eyebrow raised.

"Not really," muttered Spoon. Noble doubled over, speaking when she came back up.

"He can keep you safe while I hunt the other three," she said, her voice brooking no argument. A thump came from the basement and she moved to the opening. "Captain Ryan, I presume?" offering a hand to help him up. He ignored her and came up on his own, carefully clearing the sword that was still in him. "Ooo, that looks painful. Well done on keeping your head after a three foot piece of metal is shoved through you." She closed the door to the cellar, then turned to see Ryan glaring at Cooper angrily. He looked ready to attack and Cooper knew it. He backed away cautiously, eyes never leaving Ryan. Spoon and Sarge watched carefully, ready to act.