There, at the very back of the dead-end alley, was a white wolf pacing. Sterling frowned and crept closer. Then she gasped. Sterling had only ever seen wolfweres as humans and wolves, but she had never seen a wolf like this one. For instead of meat and fur, the wolf’s left hind-leg seemed to be made of silicon. One of his front paws looked like it was made of another kind of metal. And as he turned to look at her, Sterling caught sight of his face...his face…
Half of his face was made of metal, complete with a glowing, yellow eye that was no doubt man-made. Sterling had heard of cyborgs, but she had never seen one like this. Never seen a cyborg wolf.
She gulped and inched closer.
The wolf whimpered and backed away. Don’t hurt me, he said. Of course, wolves can’t talk, but Sterling, being a wolfwere, heard him clearly in her mind.
“I wasn’t going to hurt you,” she said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “What’s your name?”
Asteroid, he answered. What’s yours?
“I’m Beta Ivory.” Sterling replied with an air of authority before pausing. “Asteroid's a weird name.”
So is Beta, he retorted. 
“Beta Ivory’s just my code name.”
Well then, what’s your real name?
“None of your business.” Sterling started walking back the way she came. “Look, are you coming or not?”
We’re going somewhere? Asteroid c***ed his head.
Sterling rolled her eyes. “Well, you’re obviously a stray wolfwere, so I’ll just bring you to my pack’s base so that Alpha Storm, my pack’s leader, can send you to Headquarters to train. And whoever’s in charge at Headquarters can send you off as a pack member, and I can collect a reward sum.”
Will they hurt me? Asteroid asked.
“I doubt that. I mean, the training might be hard, but they won’t actually hurt you. Now, come on!”
To her relief, Asteroid didn’t argue.
“So...I’m guessing you know about the rebellion?” Sterling asked, determined to find out more about him.
Yes, he answered, not looking at her.
“Then why didn’t you join? You could’ve just asked anyone you could speak to, and they would help you because they would have to be a wolfwere to understand you. At least being in the Rebellion is better than living off the streets as a wolf. Why didn’t you join?”
I wasn’t a werewolf then, he answered. I was a normal cyborg, but then I was chosen for The Draft, and they turned me into a wolf by surgery. But I escaped. So now, I’m here.
Sterling pursed her lips. The Draft was another reason why she hated the CMT. Some unfortunate beings, sometimes a wolfwere if the government captured one, but most often a cyborg, would be sent to the CMT for the doctors to experiment on and to torture.
It doesn’t really matter. You just have to get used to being a wolf. Asteroid stayed silent.
“Don’t worry,” Sterling assured him. “They won’t hurt you.”
Finally, she saw the ghost of a wolf smile flit across his snout.

Finally they arrived at the base, and Sterling grinned smugly at Asteroid’s wonder at the pack’s base, remembering the time when she first entered the garage. She dragged him along down a hallway towards Alpha Storm’s office to explain Asteroid’s dilemma.
After typing up an email, Alpha Storm admitted that it might take a few days for Headquarters to find a pack for Asteroid. “For now,” he added, “you will stay here with us, Beta Chesnut.”
Beta Chesnut? Asteroid asked Sterling as they were leaving the office.
Sterling shrugged. “It takes time to get used to it. At least you didn’t end up with a name like Omega Jujube.” She gestured to a scrawny boy sweeping the floor while eating jujube nuts.
Seriously? Asteroid made a sound like a laugh. Well then, I should be grateful.
Sterling smiled, but something in Asteroid’s voice caught her off guard. Was it...sadness?
She frowned. “Follow me.” She told Asteroid.
Where are we going now?
“Just follow.” She turned a corner and opened a door she knew would be there, leading out to an empty driveway where they could get away for a few minutes before someone came looking for them. Closing the door, she turned around to face Asteroid.
“You don’t like being a wolf.” Sterling accused.
Asteroid said nothing.
After a few moments of silence, Sterling remembered the newspaper clipping she had in her pocket. She pulled it out, but it fluttered to the ground. Asteroid moved to read it before Sterling could pick it back up.

‘POTENTIAL CURE FOR WOLFWERES DISCOVERED IN CMT LABS
Some of the best in science and medicine had gathered at CHS a few
years ago, hoping to cure the wolfwere species. And today, they have
succeeded! “We now have a potential antidote in our very own labs!”
said Dr. Okra, the leading doctor of this breakthrough. Soon the cure

Asteroid flipped the paper with his paw, but there was nothing on the next page.
So there is a cure. Asteroid mused, suddenly looking very excited. Maybe...maybe… Do you think we could get some of that?
Sterling shook her head, for she knows all too well about the dangers in the CMT.  “Well… we can’t just walk in the CMT and ask for it, and it’s not exactly on sale. Besides, it’s not a confirmed cure yet...so-”
We’ll break in then. Asteroid interrupted her, his eyes shining.
“Umm...what?”
We’ll break in and steal the cure. After all, don’t you wolfweres excel at that kind of stuff?
“It’s not that simple, Asteroid.”
I know the building. See, Doctor Okra is leading the breakthrough… Asteroid pointed at the paper with his nose, And I know where her office is. I saw it when I escaped. Besides, I’m a cyborg. I can download blueprints into my mind and stuff.
Sterling paused to calculate and filter all possible outcomes and dangers. Then she ran through all of them again. Why not? “Are you sure about this?”
Asteroid sort-of smirked. I thought you’re supposed to be brave. Let’s do this!
Sterling rolled her eyes. “This coming from a wolf who was begging me not to hurt him a hour ago. Fine. I’ll do it. And wipe that stupid smile off your snout!”
Asteroid quickly schooled his face into indifference, though his one real eye still glimmered with laughter all the way to the CMT.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the Center, which, Sterling reflected, was actually good progress on their part since they had to stick to the mostly empty streets on foot.
Here. Asteroid nudged her in the direction of a door labeled ‘WORKERS ONLY.’
“You sure?” Sterling inched towards the door.
Asteroid rolled his eyes this time. Yes. Now go in.
They tiptoed in.
That way. Asteroid pointed his paw at another hallway.
But Sterling wasn’t paying the hallway any attention. Her focus was on Asteroid’s wrist on his nonmetal hand. Or more specifically, on a thin scar that looked recent. It looked like….
Sterling gasped and shoved him in a nearby closet. “What’s up with this?” she hissed as she pointed at his scar.
Asteroid looked away. It’s a...a tracking device, he stammered. Sterling glared at him.
“And why haven’t you told me about it?” she asked, her voice sharp.
I..I t-thought it w-wasn’t important, he muttered in her mind.
“You thought?!” Sterling quietly screeched. “You thought it wasn’t important?! Who is tracking you?!”
Doctor Okra. He looked at the ground.
Sterling gasped a second time. “You know you just put the whole Rebellion in danger! You idiot!” She grabbed a small pocketknife from her pocket. “Give me your wrist.”
Asteroid whimpered.
“Do it,” Sterling glared at him.
Asteroid held out his paw and looked away as Sterling cut into the scar. She retrieved a small, platinum-plated chip. Asteroid pressed himself to the back of the closet as Sterling dropped the bloodied chip unto the floor and smashed it with the heel of her boot. Then she turned to open the closet door.
“I’m leaving,” she announced. “I’m going back to base. Get the bloody cure yourself if that’s what you want. I’m not helping you anymore.”
She turned to leave, but was stopped when Asteroid’s voice filled her head. You said you wouldn’t hurt me, his voice cracked. You agreed to help me.
“Well, things have obviously changed.” Sterling stuffed her knife back into her pocket.
Wait...please...I know how to retrieve and destroy data...just help me, and I’ll help you. Asteroid’s voice turned pleading.
Sterling gritted her teeth. “Fine. But to make things clear….” She kicked open the door, which had closed again during their exchange. “I’m not helping you. I’m helping my pack. I’m helping the Rebellion. Not you. Understand?”
Asteroid nodded and followed her out.

Sterling silently crept around the corner, Asteroid at her heels. Her careful eyes, still bright with anger, scanned the hallway, checking for any threats. This way, said Asteroid. Sterling followed him, not saying a word, until they reached a door with a sign next to it reading: DR. OKRA
Sterling nudged the door opened, and for a second, gaped at the many computers inside. She glanced at Asteroid. “Destroy the data. I’ll look for the cure.”
Asteroid nodded and raced to the computers. Wait… he said, How can I type with paws….Oh nevermind, the keyboard’s big enough.
Sterling shook her head at him and started to search. Her focused eyes scanned every label on every bottle, not stopping until she reached the last one. No. It wasn’t here.
She reluctantly met Asteroid’s gaze and slowly shook her head. Asteroid’s face fell. I destroyed the data. He murmured, We have to keep- He didn’t get to finish his sentence.
The door banged opened just as Sterling noticed the rolling cart filled with bottles tucked in the corner. A certain doctor’s silhouette filled the doorway, about a half-dozen droids behind her.
“Well, well.” Doctor Okra smiled evilly. “I thought I smelled wolf.”

The droids rushed at Sterling and Asteroid. Instinctively, Sterling swung around and knocked one of them off balance. The droid dropped, and lay there, useless.
Sterling glanced at Asteroid and was glad he was still in one piece. She snarled at another droid rushing at her. She lept, and in midair, turned into a wolf. The droid dropped from the impact as Sterling-the-wolf landed on it, but Sterling paid no attention to it. She immediately turned on the next droid, but this one was faster. It dodged and sliced it’s sharp prongs down Sterling’s side. She growled and slammed her paw down on the visible power button on the droid’s back. The droid dropped but as soon as it hit the ground, three more took its place. Sterling leaped again and bonded to Asteroid, who was holding his own. They were both backed up against a wall of computers, surrounded by an army of droids with Dr. Okra cackling evilly in the background. Sterling launched herself into a flurry of claws, but it did no good. The droids were fast and programmed to kill.
Programmed to kill...Sterling gasped, but the sound came out as a bark. She hurried to Asteroid’s side. We can’t take the droids by force, she told him in her mind. We must reprogram them.
Asteroid blinked at her. What-
He was cut short by a yelp as Sterling slashed at a droid that had sneaked up on Asteroid. We don’t have time. Reprogram the droids. I’ll distract Dr. Okra.
With that, Sterling leaped away from the wall and tackled Dr. Okra. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Asteroid working some sort of programing magic on the droids. Panic flashed in his real eye.
I-I...my paws won’t fit the droid’s control panel!
Then turn into a human! Sterling flashed back just as Dr. Okra launched at her with a scalpel, fury in her eyes.
I..I can’t! Even his voice was doused with panic.
Do it! Sterling dodged and nipped at the doctor’s legs. It was exactly what she said a few moments ago, when she discovered the tracking chip. She wasn’t sure what Asteroid thought of it, but soon she heard a pained grunt. Asteroid had successfully transformed, and was wobbling on his two human legs. Start programming! Sterling screamed at him as she dodged Dr. Okra’s scalpel again.
“Okay, okay, I’m doing it.” Asteroid huffed. His quick nimble fingers flew across the keyboard at an unbelievable speed. He quickly inserted the reprogrammed chip back into the droids.
“Done!’ he announced.
Dr. Okra glanced at him. “What did you do to my droids?!”
At the same moment, Sterling stepped down hard on the doctor’s foot
“Owww!” Dr. Okra hopped away from Sterling, holding her injured foot. At the sound of the doctor’s voice, all the droids turned toward her and swarmed all over her. In a matter of minutes, the doctor was tied up and gagged with an assortment of cloths taken from around the room. Sterling transformed back into a human and limped over to where Asteroid was standing and grinned.
“Nice,” she gestured at the doctor.
“Thanks,” he replied with a one shouldered shrug. “Now let’s get outta here.”
“Wait,” Sterling walked to the cart she noticed. Just as she thought, it held thousands of identical bottles. She grabbed one and wordlessly handed it to Asteroid. He stared at it for a moment before understanding showed in his real eye. Sterling grasped hold of the cart just as Asteroid took the bottle and heaved it over. A thousand bottles shattered as they hit the ground.
“Mphmh!” Dr. Okra complained from the other side of the room, still surrounded by the droids.
“Why did you do that?” Asteroid asked as they both stepped back to avoid the liquid pooling at the floor.
“To make sure that it won’t be used against the Rebellion.” Sterling glanced at the empty bottle in Asteroid hand. “Did it work?”
Asteroid hardly looked disappointed when he answered, “No.” Then he proceeded to change into a wolf and back, as if to prove his point.
Sterling frowned. Then smiled. “Do you mind?”
“Actually,” Asteroid smiled as well. “I don’t. I was hoping it wouldn’t work.”
Sterling released a breath. “You...ugh.”
“I mean it. I realized that being a wolfwere isn’t that bad...I mean, at least being in the pack means I would have friends. That I would have family.” Asteroid handed Sterling the bottle.
Sterling took it. “I heard Pack 117 is looking for a programmer.”
Asteroid smiled even wider. “I’ll take it. Let’s go back to base.”
Grinning, Sterling tossed the bottle to the ground. The shattering of glass sounded like a new beginning.