Found

Found Part 2

Alice was smarter this time. She faked a birth certificate as soon as she got to Smithers. She also made visits to the doctor in a fake patient chart, knowing that the town doctors aren't that meticulous with their billing. They certainly weren't going to notice getting paid more. She had fake vaccination records for Alice the third. She had "homeschooled" for elementary school but was in the process of really taking high school by distance ed. Some of the science was new, but at this rate she would get a scholarship when she went to post secondary, again.

She technically turned a hundred this year. Officially, she was forty-six. She still looked 30. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she got sick. She had a couple of injuries, but they had healed quickly. The remarkable thing (aside from not aging, of course) was that one of the teeth she had pulled as a teenager had grown back.

This wasn't something she could explain. She had no idea if there was anyone else like her out there. She was slightly afraid to come forward. Either she wouldn't be believed and would be institutionalize or, worse, she would and she would be dissected. Working in healthcare she was all too aware of the story behind the HeLacells. But if it was possible for Henrietta Lacks, it wasn't too much of a stretch to believe Alice was experiencing something similar. The thing was, she didn't want to end up like Henrietta or her family.

One more year and she would graduate from high school again and could move on. She liked Smithers, but after 17 years, the ladies in her quilting group were starting to ask her secret. She had no idea how she had gotten away with being 70 in Prince George. Dowdy wardrobe and a old lady hair cut and the weakest grade of reading glasses perched permanently on her nose had done the trick. It wasn't working as well this time. Her hair was still light brown, but she was dying it as if to cover grey. Where hair dye had been noticeable last time, she was having to purposely give herself a bad dye job this time. Even still, people kept trying to get her to update her "look."

She had turned down a lot of dates over the years. Now that her peers were settling their divorces, she was once again under pressure to date. There had been men she had

liked spending time with, but ... her sex drive was just gone. None of them were interesting in that way, but that didn't stop them from being interested in her. Easier to just stick with the ladies from the quilting group.

----

Earl was on his way from Calgary to Prince Rupert, which, as far as he was concerned, was the edge of the world. He had divided his trip up as Calgary to Prince George the first day. That way he could have lunch in Jasper and overnight someplace with a bar. He decided to stop in Smithers for lunch on his second day on a whim.

He was barely out of his truck when he smelled her.

Female. Alone. No pack.

What the actual fuck?

He spent the day sniffing around. Her smell was everywhere. She was definitely holding this territory.

That gave him some pause and a long phone call with the council. He was told to finish his run to Prince Rupert and they would send a couple up to Smithers to help him look. He could meet them on his way back.

Earl wasn't too sure about that. Females didn't necessarily get along. She was obviously keeping her territory clear of Loopers. Michael pointed out that Earl wasn't the most diplomatic person to try to deal with a lost Female. Earl rolled his eyes and pointed out that he had managed Sarah of Bellmont better than the Trout River alpha.

Michael said he would take that under advisement.

The thing was, Michael was right. Earl was on his own because he didn't really play well with other Loopers. He knew the secret. Alpha wasn't about being bigger or stronger or faster. There were only three things you needed to be alpha.

The ability to control what pheromones you shed.

The ability to ignore what pheromones others are shedding.

And, most importantly, the desire to control others.

Earl had the first two, which meant that he didn't take any orders he did want to, but not the second. He had no desire to boss a pack around. Or to manipulate a Female into staying with him.

He had done it. That was why he had talked Sarah into staying with him and sleeping in his cabin when she hadn't wanted to do either. But it wasn't really... him. It felt morally wrong. Which was an odd philosophy coming from a man who had been a privateer. He still had his letter of marque somewhere.

The problem was, he didn't want to walk away from this to make a delivery. He wasn't hauling anything perishable and the pack in Prince Rupert could damn well wait an extra day or two for their furniture. He sat in the truck and thought about this for a moment.

Then he put on his most charming smile and went to the library.

Smithers had a surprisingly nice library for a small town. Earl walked past the children's area and the bulletin board covered in community program notices. The two women working that day were more than happy to help him, but neither Erin nor Melissa nor the clippings folder had any record of someone being attacked by a wolf in the last fifty years. There had been grizzly bear attacks on people (which he was willing to consider) and a dog that had been attacked by a wolf that also stalked the dog's owner. But no attacks by wolves on people.

"This may have been some time ago." Earl said finally.

The librarians looked at him. "If you can give us a time frame-" Melissa started.

Earl shook his head. "Nah. My mom was just telling me that a young woman was attacked by a wolf in these parts a while ago. I was just curious to get the story because wolves don't usually attack people."

"Not unless they are hurt or sick." Erin agreed. "You could check with town records, or ask Dr Robinson. He has been practicing medicine in town for almost 50 years."

"Hmm... good idea. Thank you, ladies." Earl gave them a twinkling, flirty smile and went to find the town doctor.

----

Earl had thought to town reeked of Female, but it was almost a physical wall as he walked into the hospital. The building was a depressing concrete structure in that 1970's institutional design the indicated either a hospital or a prison. The very walls seemed to be permeated with the smell of unattached Female.

The problem was, he wasn't able to charm his way past the receptionist.

He sat his ass in a chair in the waiting room and just waited. Just because the librarian had described the doctor as a he, didn't mean that he wasn't a Female passing as a man. Transgendered Female had a much easier time of it than transgendered Loopers.

He pulled out his phone and texted what he had learned so far to his friend, Rick, on the Council.

R: I thought you were supposed to leave and come back.

E: Yeah, because having a pack turn up in her territory won't activate her fight or flight response. That was a dumb ass decision on your brother's part.

R: Nathan isn't always

R: as diplomatic as he could be.

E: I'm in the hospital. She has been here a long time

R: that doesn't make sense she can't be hurt

E: unless she is on staff

R: any ideas?

E: the town dr has been prcticing for 50 yrs

R: !!!

E: yeah

"Hey! Read the signs! You can't have your cell phone on in here!"

Earl looked up and fell out of his chair. The Female was yelling at him.