“There’s something I’d like you to see.”
She wanted to protest, but curiosity won out. Her feet started moving again, and she followed Tyce down a long set of stairs. She’d expected the temperature to drop the lower they got, but surprisingly it stayed just as warm all the way down to the landing.
Lights flickered on as they walked, and Tyce commented, “Motion sensors.”
Briel wasn’t listening though. Her stomach was twisted in knots. Tyce had said cells, and right now Briel was wondering if there was someone she knew that Tyce could be holding prisoner.
No. She didn’t really know anyone.
The lights flicked on row by row as they advanced, but when they got to another door, the lights stopped. Briel peered into the darkness, wondering how far this area extended.
“Come in.”
For all intents and purposes, the room Tyce ushered her into looked like any other conference room. A long glass-topped table sat in the center of the room surrounded by a dozen black leather chairs. The room felt industrial chic. A gunsmoke gray couch sat along one wall while exposed metal beams hung high overhead. Stainless steel panels covered all the walls except for the far one. That wall was clear glass windows.
Tyce gestured to the windows, and Briel slowly walked closer until she was looking down over a large room below. It looked like a massive hangar. The cinderblock walls were painted a muted gray and the floor matched. There were no windows, and glancing to one end of the massive space, Briel realized the room wasn’t empty after all.
A man stood against the far wall. Squinting, Briel’s heart seized when she realized he wasn’t standing against the wall, he was chained to it, manacles around both of his wrists.
“Tyce?” She didn’t recognize the man at all, and her mind raced as she tried to place why Tyce was showing her this. Her eyes drank in every detail, slamming to a halt on the halo around the man’s throat. He was a Skin Walker. Skin Walker, Skin Walker? Why? Why is Tyce torturing a Skin Walker?
She kept her eyes on the man as she pleaded, “Tyce, if this is about him being one of the ones who came and took me, I don’t want…”
“It’s not that, Angel.” He stepped up beside her and bent to press his lips to her brow. “But there you go again, surprising me with your generosity.”
She didn’t look up at his compliment. She couldn’t. Her eyes were riveted on the man.
Clad only in jeans, muscles tense, abs flexing with each labored breath, he glared furiously from beneath inky-black bangs. His frame was hulking and hunched forward as if he were prepared for a battle, dark brows dipping down into a vicious sneer. He looked like a beast. Wires were strapped to his muscled chest and hooked to monitors that beeped furiously.
Briel’s stomach dropped. “W-what’s happening?” She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know. Her eyes were glued to the man. “Who is that? What’s wrong with him?”
Tyce spoke again. “That’s Marko. He’s a Walker. Right now, he’s rabid. Feral.”
“Feral?” she asked quietly. A sound drew her attention to the opposite end of the room and as she watched the door opened and Pyper entered. She was wearing a sterile-looking lab coat and held an e-device in her hands. The Sentry Briel knew as Bronco followed her in, leading a pretty woman into the room. She wore a soft blue sundress and no shoes. Her golden hair shone brightly around her shoulders, and soft blue eyes locked on the man chained at the other end of the room. The woman tried to back up, but Bronco kept his grip firm. Petal pink lips parted in an ‘O’ as her eyes locked on Marko.
She took a step toward him, but Bronco’s grip on her arm stopped her.
Tyce spoke softly behind her. “The woman is Thea.”
Briel was no longer looking at the terrified woman though. Her eyes had gone back to Marko. His hard gaze was locked on where Bronco’s hand restrained Thea. Clearly, Marko didn’t like Bronco’s contact with Thea.
Marko’s breathing increased until his chest was heaving in harsh, animalistic pants. Suddenly, he lunged forward, but the chains held him secured to the wall. Across the room, Thea gasped and jerked back. She didn’t get far, because Bronco’s large body blocked her escape. Bronco released her and dropped to a knee as Pyper handed him something. Briel hadn’t been paying attention to the doctor, so she hadn’t even noticed the woman pulling a length of chain from its place secured to the wall. Bronco made fast work of securing the chain around Thea’s ankle.
“W-what’s he doing?”
“So she can’t escape.” Tyce supplied.
“But…”
Bronco turned and headed toward the door, and Pyper followed. Once they exited, Marko and Thea were alone, each chained to the wall on opposite ends of the hangar.
Minutes ticked by as the two simply stared at each other. Marko had his chin dipped and his brows speared down, his eyes narrowed on Thea. She was much more submissive, her bottom lip caught between her teeth and a worried expression marring her pretty features.
Finally, Thea tore her eyes from Marko. Looking down, she grabbed the chain with trembling hands and tugged hard where it was secured to the wall. It didn’t give, and she tried again. Her yanking grew more and more firm with each attempt, and when it was clear she wasn’t going anywhere, Thea slapped the wall and shoved off it, pacing the length of her chain before stopping several feet from the wall to drop her head into her hands with a sob.
The sound was like a trigger, and Marko lunged forward again.
Thea’s head whipped up at the sound of Marko’s chains rattling, and she recoiled back when Marko lunged forward again, this time snapping the chains that held one of his arms.
A horrified gasp exploded from Thea and she stumbled back, falling as her foot caught on the length of chain. She went down hard, a whimper leaving her lips at her jarring impact with the ground.
Briel pounded on the glass as alarm shot through her when Marko snarled and lunged again, clearly wanting to get at Thea. “He’s going to hurt her! Do something!”
Tyce didn’t move from his position right behind her. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, his large hand settling on her hip. “He couldn’t hurt her, even if he wanted to. He may be a beast right now, but he’s her beast. He belongs to her fully.”
Briel couldn’t take her eyes off Thea and Marko.
Thea struggled to her feet and limped back to the wall where her chain was secured. Frantically, she jerked and jerked trying to get loose. Her fear-filled eyes kept checking on Marko over her shoulder. Both hands were gripping the only other chain securing him. Eyes still locked on Thea, he planted his feet, took in a breath that expanded his chest, and yanked hard.
The chain ripped from of the wall, sending fragments of cinderblock shooting halfway across the room. He was free.
On the other end of the room, Thea worked harder, but the chain was too secure. She couldn’t get loose.
“Help her!” Briel yelled.
It was too late though. Marko was already moving.
Chapter 30
“She doesn’t need help.” One of Tyce’s hands smoothed down the back of Briel’s neck, and she realized distractedly that the action caused goosebumps to rise on her flesh.
Thea aborted trying to pull the chain free of the wall and dropped to the ground. Lifting a knee, her hands worked feverishly at trying to remove the manacle secured to her ankle. Her frantic attempts at freeing herself slowed until she finally swiveled around to look across the room at Marko.
He’d only made it a few steps from where he’d been secured to the wall when the wires that were still hooked to him stopped his progress. His lip peeled back in irritation as he looked down at his chest with a snarl.
Trying to take advantage of his distraction, Thea tried to scramble to her feet, but couldn’t manage it. It looked like her legs wouldn’t hold her. Without looking at Marko, Thea rolled to one side and rubbed her hip.
Briel realized she must have hurt herself when she fell.
Checking to see that Marko was still preoccupied ripping all the wires from his chest, Thea quickly peeled up her skirt to eye the area on her hip that was already bruising.
Even from here, Briel could see that it looked bad.
Thea rubbed her hand over the mark and hissed. That was all it took.
Marko’s head jerked up, and the remaining wires still connected to him snapped free as he dropped his hands and stalked determinedly across the hangar toward Thea. Nostrils flared, eyes darkened, he looked like what Tyce had called him earlier. Feral.
Thea jerked her skirt down and winced when she tried to scoot back. She was too slow. Marko was already on her.
Briel’s heart was pounding so hard she thought it would leave her chest. Spinning, she bumped into Tyce, who was right behind her. He wasn’t watching the action in the room below; his eyes were locked on Briel.
“We have to get in there!” Briel tried to sidestep Tyce, but he grabbed her and held her in place. “TYCE!” Her tone was shrill with fear. “We have to help her!” Tears flooded her eyes, “If you’re not going to help, then move so I can!”
Tyce smoothed a thumb over her bottom lip. “The fact that you would makes me want you even more.”
WHAT?
She struggled in his grip, but he turned her around, his strong hand gripping her chin and forcing her head up to watch. “Look.”
Briel stilled when she saw that Marko was kneeling over Thea who was now laying back, hands pressed firmly to Marko’s chest.
One of Marko’s hands was locked behind her Thea’s neck and the other was settled on her leg, just above her knee.
Where he’d been feral mere seconds ago, Marko’s expression was now concerned as he eyed Thea intently. His hand slid up, taking the material of her skirt with it until the satiny white of her panties showed and the bruise on her hips was exposed. Marko smoothed his hand gently over the mark and Thea whimpered, drawing Marko’s concerned gaze back to her face.
The door at the opposite end of the room, the end where Marko had been chained, opened and Bronco was back.
Marko jumped over Thea’s leg and crouched, crawling forward to place her behind him as he snarled and balled his hands into fists. Slowly, he stood to his towering height and lowered his head in clear challenge to Bronco. He was being…protective?
“I-I thought…” Briel’s words died off as Bronco walked toward Marko.
In an instant, Marko was stalking across the room to engage Thea’s captor. Bronco suddenly stopped, but Marko kept walking toward him, and Briel knew she was about to see one hell of a fight.
Behind him, Thea called out, “Marko!”
He slowed but didn’t stop. It was almost as if he was torn. When mere feet separated him from Bronco, Thea tried to get to her feet again and went down hard. She cried out and curled onto her side with a moan.
As if slamming up against an invisible wall, Marko stopped. His head jerked back to Thea. She was rocking back and forth like she was in great pain, but she pulled her knees to her and tried to get to her feet again, even as a soft whimper left her. Using the wall, she made it upright, but when she went to put weight on her bad leg it gave out. Marko was already moving, and before Thea could hit the ground for a third time, he caught her.
An enraged snarl left his lips and he gripped the length of chain that still secured her to the wall and ripped it free. He didn’t put her down. If anything, his hold on her tightened as he lowered his head, brushing his nose against her hair. Turning, he kicked the door closest to him and Thea and growled, “Get Pyper! Thea’s hurt.”
Bronco raced across the hangar and used a key code to open the door for Marko, who disappeared from the space with Thea in his arms. Bronco followed, and then the space was empty.
Briel stood dazed, staring at the empty room. “I…I don’t understand.”
“Thea is Marko’s mate, his Angel.” Tyce breathed the last two words across her neck.
“But…but, she’s afraid of him?”
“She doesn’t know yet. Neither of them know. Well, neither of them did. This is the affliction, Briel. Marko’s behavior is the result of going too long without food, water, and sleep. We’ve had to sustain him with IV drips, nutrient injections, and more drugs to force sleep. He’s been feral for a while now. Initially, we didn’t know what was going on. We didn’t know what was happening, until now. Tonight cemented it. We got to see firsthand that the only thing that can successfully bring a Skin Walker back from the edge is his Angel.
“This whole affliction/mating thing is something I’ve been kept in the dark about. Monroe StoneCrow knows what it is, knows how to delay it. We don’t have that luxury, and Monroe’s not sharing his Intel. I’ve got to get my own, so I’m…”
“Experimenting on innocent people.” Anger colored her tone, and her fury flared brighter when Tyce chuffed a laugh behind her.
“It’s not an experiment. You either are a Walker mate or you’re not.”
“Why…why are you showing me this?”
This was it, time for the big reveal. “Two reasons. First, Marko and Thea got separated from the rest of the Walkers during the attack on the Estate. Thea was shot with a tranq dart that carried an unknown substance. She protected Marko and he got her out of there, but the drugs forced him into taking her in order to save her life. They were brought here, but Thea ran. She was embarrassed. She didn’t know Marko was afflicted. He became feral and we’ve tried everything. Nothing’s worked to bring him down from the brink. Nothing but one bit of information King gave Conn when we were at StoneCrow. Thea is Marko’s. And because she’s his, she has a power over him. A power stronger than anything else on earth, including the negative aspects of the affliction. I want you to see that power.”
Briel watched Tyce silently for long moments before whispering, “And second?”
“The second reason I’m showing you this is because that’s us. What you saw down there, Briel, that’s you and I. You hold that power over me. You are my mate, my Angel.”
Chapter 31
Tyce focused on Briel as he continued, “I wanted you to see how real it is. I wanted you to know that it can’t be helped, can’t be changed. Marko and Thea. You and I. We’re definite.”
“I-I already know most of this,” she stammered. “Pyper told me. Aries told me. I just…you never told me that I was yours.”
“You are. And you don’t know about the side effects of the affliction. Like Marko, I’ve been unable to eat, drink, or sleep. I’m getting close to being at the end of my sane phase here.”
She looked at him then, really looked at him. He was thinner than she remembered, his muscles more corded and the veins in his hands and neck were standing out in stark relief. There were bags under his eyes too, and she felt like grit for not having noticed sooner. “What does that mean, the end of your sane phase?”
“I’m about to become like Marko. Feral. I need you to end this for me.”
She shook her head. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was doing anything. I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s alright, Angel,” he soothed, smoothing a hand over her hair, his hope soaring. “As soon as we’re together, everything will be alright.” His heart slammed into the wall of his chest though, because Briel was shaking her head. Dropping his hands, they tightened into white-knuckled fists as he asked, “Why not? You’re attracted to me, Briel. Don’t bother denying it, and I sure as fuck want you!”
She backed up a step and, unable to keep himself from it, Tyce followed.
“You just said Monroe could delay the affliction, but that you weren’t afforded the luxury.”
Tyce’s face blanked. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You said you wanted me to see how it can’t be helped, can’t be changed.”
“Wait! You’re getting the wrong impression. You’re twisting my words.”
She didn’t stop. “I get it. I mean, look at us!”
He shook his head once as hi
s brow furrowed.
“I’m not good enough for you, Tyce!”
His scowl deepened, and he actually recoiled, stunned by her words. “What?”
Briel shook her head adamantly before glancing down at herself. “Look at me! I’m a hot mess, all holey jeans and cranky mornings. And you!” She snorted and threw an arm toward him. “You’re…you’re…perfect!” She said the word all disgusted. “Tailored suits and never a hair out of place.” Her face fell as she looked up at him. “I’d embarrass you, Tyce. The people who know you expect a certain type of woman on your arm. Everyone says so. I’m not it. I’m not her. People would look at you differently because of me, and then you’d resent me, and,” she shook her head. “You clearly already do if you’re pissed that StoneCrow Walkers can delay the affliction and you can’t. I don’t need that. I don’t wanna be just something someone settles for. No.” She turned her back on him. “No, thank you! I don’t want that hurt, or the struggle of it all. My answer is no.”
Holy hell, it felt like he’d been kicked in the nuts. NO? No woman had ever said no to him before. No one had ever said no to him before! It pissed him off. “It wasn’t a question, Briel. And it’s not an offer. I’m not giving you a choice. And it pisses me off that you give such little credence to your worth. That shit won’t fly with me.”
Briel’s expression hardened in an instant as she turned to face him, and thank fuck, because he really couldn’t watch her wearing that wounded look a second longer.
“You’re not giving me a choice?” Tiny hands planted on slender hips as her brows winged up. “Excuse me?”
He wanted to stay angry, but just the sight of her all fiery and pissed at him made him chuckle. Fuck, I love her! His smile vanished, and he swallowed hard as the sound of his own heartbeat flooding his ears as the world stilled.
I love her? The longer the idea rolled around his head, the more his resolve hardened. I. Love. Her!
“Listen, you don’t get to tell me who I am and am not going to be…”
His arms shot out, hauling her to him before she could finish her sentence before his mouth crashed onto hers, swallowing her protest.
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