Alone, I thought about Cherish. I had lost track of time, only to discover that the anniversary of the night I lost her was upon me. Bruna was reluctant to leave me alone, but I insisted.

I thought about the good times with her, trying to forget the last moments of her life. I missed her terribly and I tried to make some kind of prayer, although I wasn't sure if she could hear me. After everything I had seen and experienced, it was easy to believe it was possible.

When I told her how much I loved her and how much it hurt that she was gone, I felt better. As I sat alone, deep within my thoughts and feelings, something occurred to me. It was how the lies she had told me had cost so many people in our village their lives. I had forgiven her, for she had known all along that it was her own brother who was infected, a werewolf, and had tried to protect him.

There were no secrets among the pack, but it seemed obvious that Doctor Imbrium had secrets. Would their lies get my new family members killed? Would the concealed nature of their agenda bring about something so terrible that I couldn't even hope to imagine what it might be?

I trembled, realizing I couldn't rest without the truth. Lies were too dangerous, and I had no reason to forgive Doctor Imbrium. A resolution grew within me to discover what Doctor Imbrium was hiding.

My time alone was over. I had made my final peace with Cherish, only to realize the difference between her and Doctor Imbrium. Getting help from a mind reader seemed like a good idea, especially since Doctor Imbrium had avoided her. So, I went to go find McRaze.

I found her in the gym, on the bench, watching Bruna practicing basketball alone. "I need your help with something."

"Doctor Imbrium?" McRaze guessed.

Bruna saw us sitting together and couldn't resist coming over to interrupt.

"I've missed you all day, Atanarjuat." Bruna told me.

"I was remembering Cherish. It was a year ago, and I needed to think about her, forgive her." I told Bruna. I didn't mean to make her feel bad, but the look on her face was indescribably pained. She just nodded, knowing not what to say.

"This led to your intolerance of Doctor Imbrium. You've asked for my help." McRaze recalled for Bruna's benefit.

"I can help too." Bruna insisted.

"Of course." I agreed. "I'd do nothing without you." I took her hand, reassuring her.

"I cannot easily read the mind of Doctor Imbrium." McRaze informed me. "Doctor Imbrium is the person who taught me how to use my gifts and knows more about them than I do."

"I see." I considered. McRaze wasn't going to be able to tell me very much that I didn't already know. "What do you think of Doctor Imbrium?"

"I sense your deep mistrust of them." McRaze stated dryly. I looked at her and listened to her voice, but I couldn't tell what she might be thinking or feeling. "You want me to confirm that your suspicions are valid."

"Dreich thinks they are with a group called the Elders. Some kind of agent. Is there a way to know for sure?" I asked.

"I've heard of the Elders." McRaze considered. "I don't think Doctor Imbrium is one of them."

"Could they be somehow helping them?" I wondered.

"Yes. They could be helping them, although I couldn't guess why. According to my understanding, the Elders are now few in number and they live in hiding. Their magic has waned." McRaze considered.

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"What about Dreich, can you read his mind?" I tried a different approach.

"I believe Dreich has made his own thoughts and feelings quite clear. I don't have to read his mind when he voices his thoughts openly. I trust Dreich, he is like you Atanarjuat, an honest man." McRaze smiled a little when she said so.

"Well, I guess that's it. Now what?" Bruna nudged me.

"I guess now I go and talk to Doctor Imbrium." I decided.

"Do you want me to go with you?" McRaze offered.

"If you cannot read their mind, there's no point." I concluded. "And I want to try a different approach. Perhaps Doctor Imbrium can be reasoned with instead."

"What about me? I'm going with you." Bruna insisted.

"I suppose I cannot stop you." I sighed. Bruna stood, ready to go.

"Let's go." Bruna said.

We went together to Doctor Imbrium's office and found them there, relaxing with a book.

"We'd like to speak to you." Bruna told them. Doctor Imbrium sat up and gave us a welcoming gesture to the seat across from theirs.

"Nobody trusts me now, and you seek answers. I have none." Doctor Imbrium told us, frowning.

"Not that." I said. "I was wondering about something else."

"Something else?" Doctor Imbrium wondered.

"How were you able to enter the crypt, where no human may enter?" I wondered. "Unless you are not just a human."

"Very well." Doctor Imbrium stood and wandered slowly over to the werewolf skull they had. They gestured to it and then the wolf skin belt and also the tapestries. "I will tell you one thing."

"It would be nice to be able to trust you with at least one thing." I agreed.

"It is not my fault you do not trust me. I've done nothing wrong." Doctor Imbrium pointed out.

"Perhaps so." I commented. "What is it you were about to say?"

"You haven't guessed?" Doctor Imbrium shrugged. Bruna suddenly brightened and said:

"You're a lycan!"

"I am." Doctor Imbrium revealed. I was genuinely surprised, but then it all made sense.

"You're Type Two." I nodded. "You've caused yourself to change into a wolf and back into a human."

"Yes. I've done that. It was agonizing and excruciating to transform, but I successfully did it using this wolfskin belt." Doctor Imbrium gestured to it.

Bruna and I just stared, blinking. The awful willpower to do such a thing was hard to imagine. It told us a lot about Doctor Imbrium. Only someone half-mad would even consider it.

"Does the lieutenant colonel know about this?" Bruna asked quietly.

"Only those in this office know about this." Doctor Imbrium confessed. "I'd appreciate it if it stayed between us."

"I don't know." Bruna hesitated. "You can't just keep it a secret that you are Type Two."

"I can keep any secrets I want." Doctor Imbrium retorted. "My research is classified."

"We'll keep your secret." I agreed, thinking quickly. Bruna shot me a look, but then she gave way. I was glad that she chose that as one of the few moments where she submitted to me.

"I won't tell." She murmured. "But you-know-who could read my mind."

"She values your friendship more than she cares about Doctor Imbrium's secrets. She also doesn't find any reason not to trust you." I spoke to Bruna and then to Doctor Imbrium.

"You mean McRaze?" Doctor Imbrium wondered. "I'd hoped she would convince the pack I am not with Grandpa."

"Who?" I asked about the prosopopoeia.

"A codename for the Elders. The enemy." Doctor Imbrium explained simply.

Bruna and I looked at each other. Doctor Imbrium seemed to have given something away, although I couldn't quite discern what it was. "Whose codename?" I asked.

Doctor Imbrium's lips tightened, and they shook their head. "My research is classified."

"I'm not asking you about your research. I'm asking you who else is opposing Grandpa." I pointed out. Doctor Imbrium sighed.

"Major, technically you have clearance to know about this, but I've avoided the subject because Atanarjuat does not. It was my discretion that telling you could be a personal distraction for you, since you would be required to keep this a secret from him." Doctor Imbrium sat back down.

"Can I give him clearance?" Bruna asked.

"Not really, the lieutenant colonel would have to agree to that. Lieutenant Colonel Rose does not yet know about them. It is on a need-to-know basis." Doctor Imbrium was weighing something in their mind.

"If we knew, we could trust you. If we trusted you, it would be better for you." Bruna pointed out.

"I am aware of that, Major." Doctor Imbrium had made a decision.

"So?" I asked.

"There is a secret army, within the forces of our country. They are the ones who originally put this battalion together, they recruit and train Wolf Hunt, they reinforce the activities of The Farm and they are under the command of General Stone. I am also a part of their command structure, although the entirety of my authority is derived from the classified status of my research and my private communications. It would be very useful if I had the support of the two of you. Bruna and Atanarjuat, respected and trusted members of the Ravenrock Pack."

"Very well, Doctor Imbrium." Bruna determined. "We'll extend to you some trust, for the time being, and we will keep your secrets."

"Thank you, Major." Doctor Imbrium stood and shook her hand.

As we left their office, I considered that I had somehow walked away with even more questions.