"This is the sample!"
The scientist's excitement and pride were palpable, evident in his waving gestures and every word he uttered. A renowned expert in extreme confinement, he looked like a child celebrating Christmas, surrounded by beautifully wrapped gift boxes all bearing his name.
The other man present, though composed and elegant, couldn't hide his interest.
"Fantastic!" he said, his gaze fixed on the figure behind the protective glass.
Two heavily armed soldiers in black stood guard behind them—a pistol tucked into one hip, a tranquilizer dart in the other, and a dagger at their waist.
Further away, a group of staff bustled about, moving quickly through the room, pressing buttons, reading reports, and analyzing data—but without a doubt, the creature before them, "that creature" on the other side of the glass wall, was the true focus of attention.
The creature lay naked on a bench-like bed, curled up with its back to them, facing the wall. Its skin appeared exceptionally pale under the light. Red scars crisscrossed its waist, some extending to its back, and a deep red circular mark marked its neck and shoulder. It was almost motionless—if one ignored the rise and fall of its ribs with each breath.
A tattered shirt and trousers were carelessly discarded in a corner, and scattered within the protective enclosure were personal belongings such as cards, newspapers, books, and balls. There were some hastily drawn graffiti on the walls, and in a further corner was a specially designed bathroom—the most primitive kind, devoid of any technological sophistication.
In this large house filled with scientific instruments, it was undoubtedly a state-of-the-art cage.
"Of course, he's now an 'intelligent being,' you know 'intelligent being' is just a term. Technically speaking, he's not human, although he may look similar most of the time, but he's completely different from you and me."
The man raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt the scientist.
"Physically, he looks like a 'person,' an indifferent or near-indifferent bystander, but he isn't, oh~ much more than that—I've explained his 'situation' in detail from a cellular perspective, but look at him, so perfect, even in his human form you can see his wolf-like parts—look at the muscle lines in his back, his powerful shoulders and hips—isn't it beautiful?"
"Fantastic." The man repeated, his eyes fixed on "that creature." "How long have you had him?"
"Ninety-two days, just over three lunar cycles, and two days ago was a full moon, that's it. Oh~ speaking of experimental results, we always wanted to see what would happen, but we never expected them to…"
"Them?" the man asked, tilting his head as the scientist chuckled softly. "You have another…sample?"
"Oh, no, no, no, we won't be lucky enough to catch another one. They're smart, incredibly smart! But we got something good too." He suppressed a laugh. "Come here, look at this."
The scientist led the man to a computer terminal with a huge screen. A staff member was observing something a few steps away from the screen—it was connected to six cameras, allowing observation of "the creature" and everything in the cage from different angles.
"Look, here, look closely." The scientist had someone zoom in on the specific image he pointed out—a bird's-eye view of "the creature" and the "thing" it was embracing—specifically, a human.
At first glance, it was hard to tell—the person imprisoned between "the creature" and the wall looked like a man, small and sturdy, with light hair and slightly darker skin. He was asleep, his body curled up and relaxed, seemingly unbothered by being tightly surrounded by "the creature" in a possessive posture.
"He's human," the scientist said cheerfully. "An ordinary person, nothing special." He chuckled again. "The initial results of the experiment are astonishing—we haven't arranged any new tests yet, but that's only a matter of time. The sample keeps clinging to him—even so, the data we've collected will keep us busy for weeks. Before separating them, we must make sure they've mated successfully; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Mating?" The man's lips twitched, his finger casually touching the screen.
"Oh, yes!" the scientist replied, rubbing his hands together. "Without a doubt, absolutely! At first we weren't so sure, but now… we have the video! Without a doubt, without a doubt—an adult werewolf and his human partner."
"Brilliant," the man repeated, his lips twitching again.
At this moment, "that creature" opened his eyes, staring at the central camera with his sharp, gray-blue pupils—a cold and fearless gaze. Then, the light-haired man in his arms stirred, merely twisting a few times before falling asleep again. He cast a silent provocation and closed his eyes again.
"They're very reluctant to part," the scientist sighed. "We might have to extend the experiment, but it's worth it."
"I believe they are," the man said, turning away from the screen to face the scientist. "And we will continue to fund your…experiment." He spoke slowly, lifting his umbrella, "Unofficially, of course."
"Of course, of course," the scientist said. "Unofficially, absolutely." He rubbed his hands together and added, "I'm sure you greatly appreciate these expensive experimental devices. We're dealing with an unknown organism; we must be extremely careful and thorough."
"I trust you. We've already invested quite a bit of money," the man replied.
"Yes, of course, perhaps we can discuss this later?"
"I would be very grateful if you could have a cup of tea." The man said, "Do you have any Russian teaware? I always prefer to stick to tradition when it comes to tea."
The scientist glanced around, but quickly nodded, rubbing his hands together as he replied, "I think we can find some."
"Very good." The man turned his gaze back to the screen: "Very good."