by Piper Stone
I was pulled into another oversized room, very similar in appearance to the other except a portion had been burned, the charred remains a terrible reminder of what had happened. There was only a single light on, highlighting some of the scientific equipment that had remained untouched. The sounds coming from the shadows within the room were more confusing than anything else, yet I was able to hear at least a few moans.
Of creatures in pain.
There was also another HEBME unit and I knew without any doubt that it had been recently used, the smell of blood strong.
“What are you doing? What kind of horrible things did you do to the Breeds?” I barked out the question, not expecting an actual answer.
Robert’s backhand was swift, the snarl pushing past his lips even more agitated than before. “Shut your fucking mouth.”
A roar came from across the room, the sound only partially human. “Leave. Her. Alone.” The deep baritone sent a round of butterflies to my stomach.
It was obvious Robert was enjoying every second of the sound of anguish, even licking his lips as he moved toward one of the light panels, pressing his palm against it. Within seconds, the entire place was lit up, highlighting every piece of equipment as well as cages and cells, some so small they were clearly meant for cats or dogs. The secured systems seemed to go on forever and almost every one of them was occupied.
How could this be happening?
“Hey, pretty boy. I have a treat for you to snack on. I know you’re very hungry.” Robert threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh, my God. You’re a fucking monster!” I snapped, doing everything I could to break free of the soldiers’ hold.
“That’s where you’re wrong. They are the monsters. They are vile creatures who have no business living their lives as humans. If it were up to me, I’d hunt and kill every one of them.”
My eyes were drawn to the man standing in the last cage, his massive body indicating one of the powerful Breeds. I allowed my gaze to scan the other cages, trying to curtail my rage. Every one of the Breeds were naked, some curled in fetal positions within the smaller cages because of space. They’d all been treated like nothing more than animals. They were filthy, their skin sallow and their eyes haunted.
They were also malnourished. My God.
Another growl drew my attention to the one who’d spoken.
The gorgeous man with the long dark hair and sculpted body took my breath away. Standing at least six and a half feet tall, his rock-hard abs were powerful, his body carved as if out of stone.
He was also covered in bruises and other wounds, dried blood crusted on several of them. While he stood two feet away from the door, his intense blue eyes never left the other men. His chest was rising and falling in rapid succession, his rage evident.
Robert noticed my gaze, nodding to the soldiers to drag me closer to him. As they did, several of the others began howl and roar, creating an orchestration of animalistic sounds. Goosebumps appeared on my arms as I was paraded by the cages, my mind reeling from the sight of them.
Everything I’d been taught seemed to be a lie.
“What do you want us to do with her, Lieutenant?” Officer Thomas asked as he sneered at me.
“Put her in the cage,” he said, his tone husky.
“With that thing?” the other soldier hissed.
Robert walked closer, keeping his distance from the cage. “She’s got enough of the drugs inside of her. The beast should be attracted. Or he’ll simply eat her.”
“Jesus, Lieutenant. That thing is dangerous.”
“That may be the case. If we need to, we’ll euthanize him. You know what we’re trying to accomplish here. Every one of these... creatures is worthless to us now.” Robert’s voice as well as his arrogance continued to piss me off.
“But she’s for another purpose.”
Robert snarled at him, reaching for his weapon. “Do not challenge me again or you’ll be fed to that animal.”
I didn’t struggle as they pulled me closer. I knew better than to bother. “What’s his name, you bastards?” I demanded.
“What does it matter?” Robert barked.
“He has a name. They all do. They’re humans. Can’t you see that for yourself? Why are you doing this?” I’d turned my attention to the other officers, trying to find out of any of them had a conscience. My voice managed to echo, several of the other Breeds listening intently. As I glanced from one to the other, I was able to see almost every one of them had been experimented on to some degree and for a significant period of time.
“We call him beast.” Robert laughed heartedly, stepping further away in order for the door to be opened.
“Brandon. His name is Brandon,” a girl’s voice came out of nowhere. I shifted my gaze toward the blonde-haired girl who cowered in the corner of the cage, her arms folded over her knees.
Infuriated, Robert stormed closer, smashing his boot against the cage.
The girl lifted her head, letting out a commanding roar, her luminescent blue eyes a direct reminder of Luca.
“Shut the fuck up or you’re going to find yourself hooked up to the machine!” Robert threatened, more exasperated than I’d seen him.
“Where’s Sheela and Keto?” I demanded, snapping my head in Robert’s direction.
He grinned. “They were punished for their insolence earlier today.”
I did everything in my power to rush toward him, only to be stopped short. “You’re going to pay for hurting these people. I will stop at nothing to ensure that happens.”
“Give it your best shot, Officer. At least while you can.”
In the next several seconds, the energy within the room skyrocketed, the sound of various growls, howls, and roars permeating the space to the point I was shocked. Every voice being called out was haunted as well as enraged.
And prepared to fight back.
Why hadn’t they turned? They could easily get out of their horrific confines. They must be drugged, keeping them more docile and stripping away their abilities.
“Shut up!” Robert shouted, beating his fist against one of the cages. “Fucking toss her in there.” He smacked his hand on one of the panels, punching in a series of numbers, the door to Brandon’s cage sliding open.
I was given a hard shove and would have fallen to the hard concrete floor had Brandon not caught me, his powerful arms keeping me aloft. His nostrils flared as he studied me, a series of low-slung growls shifting past his lips. Then he turned his hateful gaze toward Robert, a smile curling on his lip.
As if he knew a secret.
As if Robert was nothing but fresh meat.
“Now, why don’t you give us a little show?” Robert wasn’t asking a question. He was simply giving a nasty command. “Fuck her. Mate with her. That’s what you call it, right? Disgusting beasts. I need some entertainment.”
“You’re out of your mind,” I huffed. “I’m an officer of the law. I demand you release me.”
Robert came closer to the cell bars, still smiling. “I assure you that your position will be terminated. In fact, my guess is that your entire existence will be as well unless you cooperate with every task that we give you. Now, you’re going to fuck him. Maybe that will begin to help us accomplish what we’ve been trying to do.”
“That’s not going to happen, Robert. Neither the Breeds nor I are your fucking specimens to jerk around. I suggest you call the commander right now.” I backed away, struggling to understand the connection I shared with Brandon. Lion. He’s a lion. I still found it difficult to wrap my mind around that fact. If that was the case, why did I have any electricity shared between us?
The drug.
I had to remember that I’d been drugged.
This was some horrific game in order to draw Luca to this location. What was special about him? If what Dr. Wycliff had said was true, they needed Luca to develop the serum she was talking about.
Brandon lunged toward Robert and out of the corner of my eye, I
watched as Officer Thomas grabbed a taser stick from his belt, sliding it past the bars. The jolt of pure electricity arching in Brandon’s system was unlike anything I’d ever seen used on humans or Breeds. The fuckers had altered the stick in their efforts to keep the Breeds from shifting.
“No!” Brandon screamed.
“Stop it! Stop!” My scream was matched by Brandon’s howl as his body convulsed, his hands still firmly planted around the bars.
And all the while Robert was laughing.
I raced forward, flinging my arms through the bars, able to punch the officer in the neck. While he broke the connection, he tried to make contact once again, catching me on the arm. Pain unlike anything I’d ever experienced swept through my system. Immediately my heart raced, the voltage drawing every scrap of energy from my body.
Robert smacked him away, cursing under his breath. “She’s not to be touched, you fuck. I told you that. Stand down!”
Officer Thomas gave him a nasty look yet backed away, still holding the taser stick, prepared to use it if necessary.
Robert seemed rattled by the entire experience, heat rising on his face. “You are going to fuck him.”
“No!” Brandon snarled as he moved in front of me. “That’s not going to happen. She belongs to someone else.”
“Someone else?” Robert jabbed, a smile crossing his face. “Perhaps that would be your alpha beast?”
Brandon issued a rumble coming from the very pit of his being and even from where I stood, I could see the change in his eyes. He was trying to shift.
The other Breeds followed suit, the noise even louder than before.
“Shut the fuck up!” Robert was coming unglued, his entire body shaking. “At least the commander was right. She is the one.”
I shifted slightly away, still thinking about Luca, my heart racing. The one.
“Protocol states that we need to call the commander,” the second soldier said almost in passing.
“I’m in charge here! I say what happens.” Robert ran both his hands through his hair as he paced the floor, his boots slapping against the concrete.
The unearthly growl coming from the other cages was as thrilling as it was damning. I had to get the Breeds out of here. How the hell was I going to do that? None of my training had prepared me for this. Nothing ever could.
“You have one last chance to make this decision on your own. Fuck,” Robert pressed.
“Not a chance,” I countered. “Call the commander. If you don’t, I will report you.”
His laugh managed to float past the continuous growls. “I know how to deal with this. Officer Bastille, you’re responsible for what’s about to happen. Bring the beast to me. And little girl, if you try a damn thing, I will fuck you up so badly you won’t have an opportunity to make any decisions for one hell of a long time.”
I backed away, trying to think about anything I could do. They had a huge advantage. Unless I could get my hands on one of their weapons, I had few options.
Still, I let out a primal scream when the door was opened, lunging for Robert’s face. I was knocked in the jaw, the action thrusting me backward, pain exploding inside my head. “No. No...” Blinking, I had difficulty focusing as I tried to crawl onto all fours, but I felt the power of a beast, his rage cresting through every pore in his body.
Brandon unleased his wrath on the soldiers, striking first one then the other before Robert used a smaller taser stick against the artery in his neck. As Brandon’s body stiffened, a strangled howl erupting from his throat, the door was slammed shut.
I struggled to my feet, doing everything I could to lash out.
“No. You will die for this! I promise you! You’re going to die!” I knew my threats held no merit, but I meant every word.
Robert laughed, his words stated in a singsong-y manner. “As if I give a shit.”
I watched in horror as Brandon’s body was dragged toward the modification unit, steel clamps attached to various portions of his body. While he was still recovering from the effects, I was easily able to hear just how strong his heart was, his pulse racing as he gathered energy.
The brute’s chest rising and falling, I also noticed his fists were clenched, preparing for another battle.
“Don’t do this, Robert. For God’s sake, be an officer of the law.” My words seemed muffled, strangled as I struggled to breathe.
“In case you haven’t figured it out, honey, this is entirely different situation and much better than anticipated. Well, maybe not for you. And if you think your beloved officer friends are going to find you, you’re wrong.” As Robert turned on the machine, he shifted his gaze in my direction. “What’s about to happen to this animal is all your fault, Officer Bastille. Think about that.”
I heard the clicking and whirring sounds as current rushed into the instrument.
“Don’t do it, Robert. Don’t.” There was no pleading with the madman. Whether or not this entire situation was sanctioned was debatable. I certainly knew Dr. Porter would never have allowed this kind of horror to occur.
Nothing could have prepared me for the horrific sound as the electricity crackled, filling the entire area with hissing jolts.
As Brandon’s body reacted to the tremendous volts, he still reached out, able to snag Officer Thomas by the neck. The shift of current into the officer’s body was immediate. Brandon lifted him into the air, tossing him as if he weighed nothing, another vicious roar erupting from his lungs. The officer’s body slammed against the wall, sliding down as if in slow motion.
Then a stench rolled into the cell, the odor unlike anything I’d ever smelled before. That was all I could take. “Stop!” Luca. Luca. I reached out in my mind, my entire body shaking.
Not from the horror in front of me.
Not from the fear that had wrapped around my throat, suffocating.
But from the realization that he was here.
The savior.
The lion.
The alpha...
Then all hell seemed to break loose, the sound of steel being twisted and concrete blocks being incinerated swirling in every direction. I could sense him all around me as well as others, dozens of them. My entire body tingled from increasing sensations. Suddenly, everything became a blur as a sea of beasts swarmed into the room coming from all sides, their roars deafening.
Luca...
The steel bars were no longer intact, the entire door ripped off its hinges. I had difficulty breathing as I tried to make out what was going on, finally cognizant that every creature within the facility was being released.
“Clar-ise!”
I heard him, the beast who’d taken me, the one who’d come from the shadows to try to protect me.
“Save Brandon.” I only prayed Luca would hear me.
As those who’d been caged were set free, they rushed toward the exits even as Robert and the officers attempted to stop them. The melee was incredible, a sea of people trying desperately to get away, their roars and howls ungodly.
A fire started from chemical reactions, burning quickly through the various vials and equipment, the liquid blue flame searing everything in its path.
“We have to get out of here!” I heard Dr. Wycliff scream.
“Get down on the floor,” I instructed, trying desperately to see through the increasing acrid smoke. I managed to grab her arm, tossing her to the floor and pushing her toward where I believed the door was.
“Clar...ise!” Luca called to me through the madness, the sounds of roars and high-pitched growls permeating the entire location.
“I have to get the scientists to safety. I have to.”
“No. You’re coming with me.”
“Not until they are safe.” I knew my retort would infuriate him, but Dr. Wycliff might be the only person who could solve the riddle.
The mayhem continued as one of the officers was dragged by a Breed into the shadows, his screams echoing into my eardrums.
My eyes tearing up, I still managed
to find the other scientists huddled near the door, my eyes having adjusted to the low level of light. “Stay low. You need to get out of here.” I was able to find the door and pulled Dr. Wycliff toward me. “Did Dr. Porter have notes?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“About the experiments? He always took notes.” I could see the confusion on her face. “Please. I need them.”
Her entire body began to shake but she nodded. “They have to be at his place of residence. That’s all I know. He was nervous, his instincts telling him everything was ready to implode. But I swear to you that he told me almost nothing.”
“Thank you,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Listen to me carefully. Follow your instincts. Get as far away from here as possible. I will find you later. Only you can help us.”
Us.
As if I was already one of them. A Breed. A beast.
No longer human.
“Okay. Yes. I can do that,” she said. “Be careful, Clarise. You are very important to the cause.”
The cause. Well, at least it had been given some sort of moniker other than the commander’s empire.
I stayed until I noticed the door opening before turning back, struggling to find Luca. Then I caught a glimpse of Brandon as he tossed one officer to the floor then the other, shifting his attention toward Robert.
“Don’t kill them. Don’t. You’re not killers.”
While I hadn’t said the words, I could sense that Brandon had heard my pleading call, his connection to me strong enough.
There was no doubt the beast the others had circled around was the leader, his massive body outweighing the others by hundreds of pounds. His mane swept close to the floor, his intense blue eyes unlike anything I’d ever seen. He padded toward the fallen humans, standing over them as he twisted his head back and forth.
Low and husky growls permeated the air from the other lions as they remained surrounding their leader, prepared to take orders.
To kill and feed.
“Luca. Don’t kill them. Please,” I asked in a hushed tone, uncertain I was even getting through to him. While I should feel utter terror, I was at peace. The beasts would protect me.
He shifted his gaze in my direction for a few seconds, dragging his elongated tongue across his canines. When he tipped his head back and roared, I knew he was granting me my wish.
