Blackthorn [3] Blood Torn by Lindsay J Pryor Page B

experience the symptoms, no matter how natural to their physical chemistry.
    There had been historic warriors amongst them who had embraced it in the past, for whom surviving the pain of the initial changes physically and emotionally had marked them as superior. Superior because it took decades to learn to manage the pain, let alone decades to develop self-control as baser urges took over. But that was back in a time when lycans were allowed to run free to develop those skills.
    Now they were “managed”. Now they’d be shot on sight. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to conceal themselves. Nowhere to safely embrace what they were. Nowhere to hide their mistakes in the process.
    Harper wrapped the strap around Jask’s forearm before the inbuilt device punctured a tiny wound via an automated needle.
    Jask didn’t flinch.
    He and Kinley had the system finely tuned after so many years. And Kinley understood respect.
    Harper read the readings, inputted the data into his handheld device.
    The exact same questions always followed.
    ‘How many pack members?’ he asked as he unstrapped the device from Jask’s arm.
    ‘Two hundred and seventeen.’
    ‘Youths?’
    ‘Twenty.’
    ‘Numbers banished?’
    ‘None.’
    ‘All your pack are accounted for?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Internal or external disputes?’
    ‘None.’
    And all the while, Harper continued to input the details.
    ‘How many opting in this month?’ he asked.
    ‘The usual four.’
    Then the rights would usually be read next as the meds were issued. Then would come the herb check. The agent would assess the quantity, growth and usage of the herbs and spices grown in the greenhouse. Jask would confirm none had been shared beyond the compound and that every remaining lycan in the pack was taking them to prevent morphing. Further random blood tests would then be done to ensure there was evidence of such in their systems.
    Two hours later, the agent would leave.
    But this wasn’t just any month.
    This was a month of two full moons – an occurrence every two to three years. The strength of the morphing was greater, their bodies not having had a chance to recover fully from the last. It meant an altered and more intense remedy from the norm – both in terms of their own concoction and the meds issues by the Global Council.
    So of all the times Jask could have done without the newbie showing up, it was then – not least as it wasn’t just any blue moon either. This was the thirteenth blue moon before the new cycle began again – the most potent time for his kind.
    And things had already gone wrong. Not that he was going to give the agent any indication at all of that.
    But a newbie meant the potential to be more thorough. A newbie wasn’t as easy to read as Kinley had become.
    Harper slid the familiar packs across to him. ‘As you’re aware, your pack members are recommended to start the course two days from now for exactly nine days. Any morphed lycans found on the streets will be instantly terminated. Any word of morphed lycans here in the compound will be removed, as will your herbs. Meds will subsequently be obligatory for all. You remain with the right to use your own methods, the right to manage your own condition but you do not, however, have the right to put anybody within the boundaries of Blackthorn or Lowtown at risk. Can you confirm you understand that, please?’
    ‘Confirmed.’
    ‘And, as the head of this pack, you confirm you are willing to take responsibility for all lycans under your domain?’
    ‘Absolutely.’
    ‘And you understand that should any lycans be found to have morphed, the LCU now reserves the right to remove you from this compound for prosecution as a result of…’ he glanced up at him, ‘previous events.’
    The fact that there were still those who blamed his pack, his leadership, for the incident with Arana Malloy stabbed him deep. But this was not the time for confrontation. This was the time to get the agent out as quickly as he