It's been months since anyone at the Committee has had any contact from the O'Connell family or their pack members, and they are not happy. Suspicious of the activities that took place in D.C. and determined to find out what the wolves are up to, the Committee recruits one of their newest residents, Dr. Matthew Dietrich, to play the part of neighbor and infiltrate the family.<br><br>Matthew has always been a keep-to-himself kind of person. Though idealistic and optimistic, he prefers to work in solitude, at night, while he researches the findings that he hopes will one day change the world. When he's approached by the executives of the Center, he has no idea why they'd choose him. And to say he is skeptical over the concept of men that can shift into wolves would be an understatement.<br>

Wolf, in League

“Yes,” Gavin nodded. “And no. There is blood in meat, and vitamins, and sustenance, but what is meat, Matthew? When you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, what is meat?”


Henry answered instead of Matthew. “Dead animal.”


Once again, Gavin nodded. “What is blood?”


“The body’s life fluid. It consists of red blood cells that carries oxygen to and carbon monoxide from our cells, and white blood cells that fight infection. It carries platelets to help aid in clotting, and plasma which carries nutrients,” Matthew said, as if quoting directly from The Human Body 101.


“The fluid of life. The essence of the living, so to speak. Did you know that there are some cultures that believe the essence of life flows within his blood? And did you know that mine no longer flows red, but black? That when a vampire is put to death, he doesn’t bleed, he merely disintegrates. Bloodless, boneless, nothing but carbon. He has no essence.”


Chapter 46