Haken: A Capacity for Violence Part 5

This story features forge master Haken and takes place between the events of 'Werewolves: Haven Rising' and 'Werewolves 3: Evolution's End.' 

[If you haven't read part 4, click on the Collections tab and select 'Werewolves' to find the previous installment of this story.]

Haken groaned and put a hand to his head as he slowly came to, shifting about to work the kinks out of his back before he tried to sit up. Being forced into wolf form for an extended period of time had strained his system to its limits, and while whatever injuries he'd sustained during his capture had long since healed into nothingness, he knew from experience that he'd be feeling the effects of his protracted transformation for days if not weeks.

Automatic lights greeted him as he sat up and squinted against the glare. Motion detectors. Wonderful. He doubted that motion was the only thing Dr. Lim was monitoring in his new prison cell. A quick scan of the ceiling confirmed his suspicions and he flipped the camera the bird, making sure that whoever was watching the feed got a good look at his extended middle finger. He shifted his legs over the edge of the bed and dropped to the floor, immediately regretting his decision when the frigid tiles sent spikes of cold running up his feet and into his legs.

"Gods!" he shouted at the camera. "The least you could do is turn up the heat!" It was so freezing that he could see his breath when he spoke. 

"I'll adjust the settings now," an unexpected reply came from a small speaker beside the door. A nasally male voice. Not Dr. Lim. 

Haken turned and regarded the speaker grille suspiciously. "You went through all this trouble to get me here and you're trying to freeze me to death?"

"Quite the opposite," the voice replied. "Your prolonged transformation caused your body to run dangerously hot and we were concerned about the risk of permanent brain damage. We didn't expect the sedative to disrupt your ability to regulate internal temperature–so far your regenerative abilities have necessitated significantly larger doses than a human of similar mass. However, when you reverted to your less resilient state, there was a drastic increase of–"

"Just shut up," Haken interrupted the scientist as he droned on and on. "You eggheads all sound the same no matter where you're from." He balled his fingers up into tight fists. "I was overheated so you put me in a freezer. I get it."

"As you say," the disembodied voice replied. "The temperature has been adjusted appropriately."

A sudden burst of hot air brushed against Haken's bare legs clashing with the freezing cold and causing him to gasp. "Clothes…" he said, wrapping his arms around himself as his body shivered uncontrollably. "You're not gonna keep me naked in here, are you?"

"Of course not," the voice replied. "We're not inhumane. Our workers had you disrobed due to the overheating problem, that's all. Nothing untoward, I assure you." A portion of the wall opposite his bed slid to the right, revealing a modest wardrobe. 

Now that he could think about something other than freezing to death, Haken gave the room a once-over. It was surprisingly generous in the size department, at least three times the length and width of the cell Rivera had stuck him in not that long ago. The furniture was simple yet functional, limited to the bed he'd woke up in, a small desk, and a plastic chair. He looked dubiously at that last one. He doubted it would hold his weight and he resolved not to give his unseen watchers the satisfaction of seeing him fall flat on his ass by sitting on it. 

The walls were painted that same sterile white that the butchers back in Haven had favored. He'd always thought that was odd–it must have been hell for the cleaners to get the bloodstains out.

"What am I supposed to do, now?" He asked as he shimmied himself into a set of distressingly tight clothing. The boxer briefs left little to the imagination. There were no pants. 

A light snapped on above the table and Haken noticed a crisp white sheet of paper and a stubby pencil had been left there. He could probably use the thing as a weapon, but they hadn't left him with much to work with, probably on purpose. He took a few steps closer and looked the items over with a wary eye. It appeared to be some kind of test, like the ones the pack had given their pups back in the Haven schoolhouse. He snarled unconsciously. He'd been one of Haven's most skilled mechanics and unrivaled in the art of forging, but book learning was a skill he'd always lacked. He just never had the aptitude for it.

"You're kidding me with this stuff, right?" he asked. 

"Not at all," the voice replied. "If you're to participate in the program, we need to know the quality of your genetic material. We have ample evidence of your superior strength, but Dr. Lim insisted we measure your cognitive function as well."

Haken rolled his eyes. "It's not bad enough that you kidnapped me, stripped me naked, and stuck me in this room? You also have to come at me with this kiddy shit? I'm just about done with you."

"Dr. Lim indicated that you didn't seem terribly distressed about the breeding program. Would you prefer to be sent to an actual prison? We could arrange that if you'd rather not take the test."

Haken flipped him off with both fingers this time. No response.

He poked at the plastic chair, testing its give. It seemed sold enough; maybe it wouldn't break underneath his weight after all. He lowered himself down and it creaked alarmingly, but ultimately held up. Was that part of the test or did they really want him to fill out these forms? He snatched up the papers and started to read. 

The first few questions were easy enough–simple arithmetic and a few questions on basic morality. After that, things got significantly more complicated. His head was starting to hurt. He dropped his pencil and looked toward the camera.

"Hey," he called out. "How am I supposed to add letters to numbers? This doesn't make any sense!"

Somehow the man on the other side managed to sound even more condescending than he had before. "If you don't know the answer then leave the question blank and move on. Or take a guess."

"Gods damn it all…" Haken spent the next half hour going through the exam. In total he thought he had proper answers to around a third of the questions. The rest ranged from puzzling to downright alien to him.

He resented the fact that this man was implying that he was staying in this facility of his own free will because they promised him the opportunity to mate. If the choice was between this and Rivera's prison, then there was no true choice at all. The pompous prick would see real choice and consequence the first time he stood before Haken in person, when he was disemboweled and hung from the ceiling by his own intestines. All he needed to do was play along until the humans dropped their guard. Pretend that he could be led around by his dick and the promise of willing females. He could be patient when he needed to be–they wouldn't expect that from a man they considered to be little more than a beast. 

I'll kill you all, he thought. I'll kill you all and then I'll rescue the female wolves you've got imprisoned here with me. After that, if I'm lucky, breeding will still be an option on the table.