by Milly Taiden
“Doctor, they’re ready.” The man spoke from just inside the door.
When the man walked out, Mara saw a gun tucked in the waistband of his pants. She knew she caused the extra security to be in force. The hospital had lacked in the security department, her ease of escape had proven that.
“That’s my cue to leave. Don’t worry, I’ll get to you soon.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.” She glared at him when he strolled away, laughing.
Mara wasn’t going to let him do any more experiments on her. If she had her way, he wouldn’t be doing them on anyone else either. He had done enough damage to so many lives already.
The moment the doors closed behind him, Mara ran to the bars where Trina laid motionless. She knelt and reached through the bars. She was close enough for Mara to reach. She brushed the hair out of Trina’s face.
“Trina, are you okay?” Mara asked, watching her for any sign of movement.
Mara checked Trina’s pulse. Blood pulsed strong and steady, a good sign. Mara breathed a sigh of relief, knowing her friend lived. Trina’s eyelids fluttered. She was waking up.
“Trina, talk to me.” She lightly shook Trina’s shoulder. Trina’s eyelids opened and blinked a few times. After a few moments, she finally spoke.
“I thought you were dead.” Her eyes slowly closed, then opened again. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. “You smell like my brother.”
“Xeon?” Mara asked in confusion
“Yes, he’s my brother” Trina weakly said, nuzzling her nose closer to Mara as if trying to find a way home.
“Yeah, about that. Apparently, he’s my mate,” Mara confessed.
Trina laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Mara arched her eyebrow, not seeing any humor in their situation.
“I have been a wolf for thirty years and haven’t found my mate yet. You’re a shifter for less than a week, and you have already found one.” Trina looked up at her.
“Two, actually.” Mara grinned, thinking about the two hunks she had back at the compound. “I certainly didn’t expect something like that to happen to me.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me. Kyro too?” Her eyes widened.
Mara nodded. “How did you know it was Kyro?”
“I smell him too. I just thought that since he and Xeon are always together, you would smell like them both.”
“It came as a bit of a shock to me too. How are you feeling?” Mara placed her hand on Trina’s forehead to check for a fever.
“Slightly better by the minute. Dr. Crazy-ass tried to add fox DNA. Obviously, it didn’t take. I have been stuck in tiger form since yesterday.” Trina slowly sat up and leaned her back against the bars.
“That’s terrible. What about your wolf?” Mara asked.
“Hiding for all I know. She’s hoping we’ll be able to switch back and forth to either animal inside of us. I can still feel the wolf a little.”
“Where are the others? I know there were more than this last time.” Mara looked around at the other shifters.
“The humans he had didn’t make it. You remember the wolves you saw last time? Those were humans. They shifted just fine. Then they became erratic in their cells. After a couple of days, they died as wolves. I think their bodies just couldn’t handle the changes. I’m surprised they lasted as long as they did.
“There was a guy in here, originally a fox, who didn’t take the added DNA well. He nearly broke down the bars at the last place.” Trina ran her hands through her hair. “They took him out one day, and I haven’t seen him since.”
“Are you talking about Zeke?” Mara asked, remembering his name from Xeon and Kyro’s conversation.
“Yeah, I believe so. Did you see him? He wasn’t here when I last saw you.” Trina cocked her head to the side.
“No, but your brother and some of the pack mates saved him at a warehouse. Right after he tried to kill them.”
“It’s not his fault. The serums are driving us all a little crazy.” Trina twisted sideways and leaned her head against the bars.
Need blood, the vampire said inside of Mara. I need it. Mara’s thirst grew as did the voice urging her for blood. “Shut the fuck up, will you!” Trina looked at her questioning.
Mara looked around, hoping to see a window. She knew there wouldn’t be one. The room became too dark with the lights out. Plopping her ass on the cold dirt floor, Mara had an idea. Maybe she’d dig her way out. She dug her nails into the hard dirt and pulled out small clumps of dirt.
“That won’t work,” Trina warned her.
“I can get it.” She pulled another clump out. “Maybe if I shift, the panther can dig faster.”
No, get stronger, the panther said from within.
“No, you don’t understand…” Trina said with a soft, sad voice.
Mara dug into the dirt only to break one of her nails. She brushed away the dirt to reveal metal bars running under the cage. Furious, she paced back and forth faster and faster. Have to find a way out, her panther urged.
“It’s a complete cage. The bottom is just covered in dirt,” Trina stated.
“Fuck!” Mara screamed her frustration. She ran her fingers through her long black hair, trying to calm down to think rationally.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Trina sighed. “I think we all tried to dig our way out.”
Need blood. Her vampire requested.
“Does it look like any rats are running around down here?” Mara asked out loud.
“What’s it saying?” Trina asked, looking at her. “Is your panther talking to you, or the vampire this time.”
“The vampire wants blood, but there’s none here to take,” Mara explained.
“Fresh blood makes vampires strong. If you’re really part demon, then it will be feeding off the blood. It will make the demon strong too.” Trina shrugged. “At least, that’s how I think it goes. I don’t have a vampire or a demon in me.”
“I wish I didn’t either.” She fell to the floor and held her face in her hands. “I can’t handle this shit. It’s just too much. What the hell am I supposed to do with all of this going on in my head at once.”
“If it will help us get out of here, you can drink from me. Just make sure you leave me some too... you know... stay alive.” Trina tried to make light of the situation. “I have never fed a vampire before, but there’s a first time for everything, I guess. Especially if the circumstance warrants it.”
“I’m trying not to give in to the urges.” Mara sighed heavily. “It is getting hard for me to keep focused on anything right now.”
“If it will help, then do it. Do it in short drinks. A little now and a little later.” Trina offered Mara her wrist.
Mara didn’t want to; it was too intimate of an act. She thought the only person she would need to drink from would be Kyro. No one had blood like that delicious man. Though she would like to see her men again. She just had to get the hell out of there, and she’d have them in her arms again. After a few minutes of thinking hard on the subject, she decided to accept Trina’s offer.
Chapter Sixteen
Xeon walked around Raveena’s car. They needed to get it back to the compound. No need to call the cops if they were in on the operations. Once Ryder and Hunter came to get the car, they were going to pay the Sheriff a little visit.
“Can you feel her?” Kyro asked after he put Raveena’s stuff in the glovebox.
“I know she’s alive. I think everything they did to her is blocking our connection. The connection is all muddy.” Xeon thought their bonded link would be clear. Instead, it’s like the static on the radio.
“I don’t know if vampires have the same kind of bond.”
“Maybe she’s unconscious. If they drugged her, we wouldn’t be able to connect to her.”
All the more reason to find her soon. If she had meds in her system, there was no telling what other experiments the doctor might do. Mara didn’t need anything more added to her. From what
he saw the day before, Mara looked like she couldn’t handle much more. She needed to find a balance. Anything else and it might tip the scales.
Fifteen minutes later, Hunter and Ryder pulled up behind Raveena’s car. Ryder jumped out of the passenger seat and hurried over to them. Worry still etched on his face. It mirrored the look on Xeon’s face. He couldn’t handle the thought that Trina had gone missing, much less now with Mara gone.
“Does that son of a bitch have my sister?” Ryder asked and looked in the car.
“We’ll find them,” Xeon assured him. They had to find them. He wouldn’t lose Mara just after finding her.
“I know. Hunter is on his way to relieve Brody at the doctor’s house. So far, no one has come home at all. How long do you want someone to watch the house?”
“Until the doctor comes home, or we find all our pack mates.” Xeon didn’t want that house out of their sights. “Take the car home. We have a Sheriff to question.”
“He hadn’t been much help. I doubt he’ll give you anything else.” Ryder slid into the driver’s seat of Raveena’s car.
“I have different questions to ask him now.” Like where the hell he took Mara. Xeon’s anger grew when he thought about what they could be doing to her.
Back in the SUV, Xeon and Kyro went straight to the Sheriff’s department. Langley had been railroading them this whole time. He had plenty of time to warn Dr. Phenix of their search. He led them to the warehouse, thinking that the bear would take care of them. Now, he would tell them where Dr. Phenix was keeping the other shifters or suffer the consequences.
Xeon parked in front of the Sheriff’s building then calmly walked into the main lobby.
“I need to speak with Sheriff Langley,” Xeon told the woman behind the desk.
“I’m sorry, he’s not in.” She smiled, looking up at him.
“Do you know when he’ll be back in?” Kyro asked from beside him.
“He came down with a virus. He took some personal time, so I don’t expect him back for a few days.”
“Can you give him a call for me?” Xeon asked nicely.
“I wish I could, but I really can’t. You can leave a message, and I’ll make sure he gets it.”
“No, don’t worry about it.” Xeon turned and headed for the door with his beta in tow.
“I’m not buying it,” Kyro said after they left the building.
“Of course not. He may have taken time off, but it damn sure wasn’t for a virus.” Xeon rolled his eyes, climbing into the SUV. “He’s in on this. That makes him guilty just like the doctor and anyone else working with them.”
“We can’t let that mad man experiment on Mara again.” Kyro buckled his seat belt, then rolled down the window, letting the wind hit him in the face. He needed it to help calm him and clear his head.
“It’s not like we let him the first time. If Mara had stayed put, this wouldn’t have happened. Why do women never listen?” Xeon pulled out of the parking lot. The speed didn’t matter at all. They had to find their mate… NOW!
“And women say men never listen,” Kyro commented.
“Let’s get back to the compound. We’ll come up with a plan.” Xeon didn’t need to remind himself that they would find Mara, he knew in his heart if they didn’t, nothing else would matter from this moment on. There was no other options.
Xeon broke every speed limit between there and home. On the way to the compound, Kyro called to check in with Brody. No one had been in or out of the doctor’s house since they’d raided the hospital.
They made it to the compound in record time. Xeon didn’t bother to go to the house. Instead, he pulled up in front of the meeting house, where the front door was still open. Kale paced inside and peeked out when he passed by the door. Xeon understood his anxiety. Kale walked out to meet them.
“Did you find her?” Kale asked the moment Xeon opened his door.
“Not yet Kale, but we will.” Xeon got out of the SUV and walked Kale back inside.
“I don’t like this, Xeon. I don’t like it at all.” The old man hung his head. “What if you can’t find them?”
“We will,” Xeon assured him.
Xeon understood why the man had his doubts. Some of the shifters had been missing for nearly two months. There’s no telling what the doctor had done to them in that amount of time. He just hoped that they wouldn’t be broken like Zeke. Xeon’s phone rang from his pocket when they walked inside. He looked at the screen.
“Ethan, please tell me you have good news,” Xeon said, stress eating his stomach.
“I don’t know about good news, but I have some information for you. Jai ran a search on all the property Dr. Phenix owns,” Ethan said.
“All right, where are they?”
“He has a house that he shared with his wife, but it looks like they’re separated. She changed her address to her mother’s residence four months ago. He has the warehouse you raided, so I doubt he would be there. He also owns a storage building on a lot near the hospital. I don’t think it would be able to hold all the missing shifters. Jai also searched through Mrs. Phenix’s records. Get this, she inherited a rundown manor from her grandmother. I don’t know how rundown it is, but it would be large enough to hold a dozen or so shifters.” Ethan’s voice had hope.
“Thanks Ethan. Send me the addresses of the storage building and the manor. I’ll get a team together and head out there now.” Xeon was already running a plan in his mind. He had a lead and by God he wasn’t going to fail Trina and Mara.
“Let me know if I can help with anything else.”
“Will do,” Xeon hung up and looked at Kale.
“Good news?” He looked optimistic.
“I hope so.” Xeon clapped Kale on the back. “Ethan is sending some addresses over.”
“What can I do?” Raul’s large body filled the open doorway. “After finding out about your two missing today, I decided to come back and lend a hand.”
“We have some leads. I’m keeping the guys on the lookout. We can put together a small team to go to the storage building. I’m not holding much hope out for that one. The doctor has access to a rundown building. I think we should go there. Ethan is sending me the addresses.” Right on time, his phone dinged with an incoming message.
“I’ll go anywhere you need me to. Jonah is waiting outside with Vlan,” Raul informed him.
“Good, Ryder is on his way up here. Let Vlan go with Ryder to the storage building. You and Jonah can come with us to the manor.” Xeon forwarded the addresses on his phone to the others.
Once Ryder arrived, Xeon sent him the address of the storage building. Ryder promised to call if anyone showed up. Though he had full confidence in Ryder, he didn’t want them going into another trap with a pissed off bear waiting. After everyone had their directions, they all filed out of the meeting house. Ryder and Vlan jumped in Ryder’s truck and headed out to the storage building. Kyro and Jonah got in the back seat of Xeon’s SUV while Xeon drove, and Raul rode in the front passenger seat.
Anticipation built the closer they got to the manor. With luck, they would get there before nightfall. Though the cover of darkness would help conceal them. Xeon didn’t want Mara in there any longer than she already had been.
“This is the driveway to the manor. There’s no way to drive by and scope it out. We’ll be going in blind,” Xeon told them.
“If our people are in there, it’s worth the risk,” Raul stated, looking down the driveway when they passed.
“Agreed,” Xeon and Kyro said in unison.
“What’s that on the right?” Raul pointed to an old building.
“Looks like a rundown gas station. We can park behind it, out of sight.” Xeon pulled into the deserted parking lot.
Weeds had grown in the cracks of the pavement. Unrepaired potholes had Xeon weaving through the obstacle course. He parked far enough behind the building that it couldn’t be seen from the road. Trees lined two sides of the lot, and the tall weeds gave them p
artial cover in the rear. The sun was setting. Darkness would give added cover.
Everyone climbed out of the SUV and eased their doors shut. Xeon left the keys under the bumper in case someone had to flee before he got out. They trekked through the woods between the gas station and the manor. Everyone kept a lookout for cameras and security. When the tree line broke away, they had a full view of the old manor. Darkness took over. Lights were on both upstairs and down.
Xeon slipped behind a tree. He watched the manor and observed the surroundings. He saw movement on the other side of the building. A man dressed in black patrolled outside. They watched the man walk around the front of the manor. He had an AR-15 tucked tightly against his chest and a pistol strapped against his thigh. In silence, they studied his movements. He didn’t venture far from the building itself. He never even glanced in their direction.
“I got this,” Raul whispered.
Before Xeon commanded him to wait, Raul slipped off into the woods. The guard hadn’t noticed Raul sneak down the tree line. His eyes were straight ahead, focused only on what appeared in front of him. The shrubs had overgrown, leaving Raul plenty of places to hide. One by one, he jumped behind the shrubs, staying out of sight.
Xeon watched closely when the guard rounded the corner, giving Raul his back. Raul silently hurried up behind the guard. He slipped his hand over the guard’s mouth and the other on the back of his head. With one swift movement, Raul twisted the guard’s head, snapping his neck. He dragged the man’s lifeless body around the side of the manor.
“To be so big, he sure is stealthy,” Kyro commented.
They waited and listened to see if another guard would come out. Nobody. When Raul reappeared, he carried the guard’s gun, motioning for them to join him. Quietly, everyone slipped out of their spots to join Raul.
