“Jared, we have to stop. We have to do something.” Esme wrung her hands.
Jared signaled and pulled over. As cars passed, he quickly got out and into the back seat. He held Granger’s head on his lap. Jared used his Alpha voice to command his friend’s attention. “Look at me, Granger. Look at me! The pain is not yours. You cannot help your mate if you allow pain to control you.”
“Jared, it’s horrible. I don’t know how she’s surviving this. It feels as if her body is being ripped apart.” Granger panted.
“Link with me, my friend. Esme and I will help you ignore the pain. Then, you can help your mate.” Jared closed his eyes a moment and shuddered. “I will try to shield you, Esme, but I need your strength to help us.” He reached for her hand and telepathically pulled her into the link.
Fire licked at Esme’s insides, and she immediately recognized the feeling. “Oh, my God. She’s going through the change. Norris has given her lycan stem cells. She needs to shift. Only shifting will stop the pain.”
“She doesn’t know how… I’m losing her.” Granger moaned and shuddered but appeared to be regaining some control.
“Hold onto her spirit, Granger. Speak to her,” Jared sent into the link.
Esme held her breath. All three of them could feel Granger’s mate slipping away. Her pain was horrendous, and she started to give up.
“No, don’t leave me. I know you don’t know me, but I am connected to you. Please fight, sweetheart. I will help you,” Granger begged the woman as he began to send her his strength and reassurance through the mating bond.
Esme quickly added her strength to the link, as did Jared.
The woman took a shuddering breath. “Who? Why in head? Dying.”
“NO!” All three of them sent.
“Sweetheart, I am meant for you. You are the one woman who can join with me—heart, body and soul. Fight to live, for our lives, for our future.” Granger shuddered. Tears ran down his face.
“Cure not working. Pain. Cancer… kill,” the woman sent through the link.
“No, the pain is proof the cure is working. Hold on,” Esme sent.
“Another. Who? Woman?”
“Yes, I am Doctor Fortescue’s sister. He used this cure on me. It works. The cancer will be gone. I know the pain is terrible. Just ride it out.”
“What … aren’t … you … telling … me?”
“The pain will get worse very quickly now, until there is nothing except pain. You must give free rein to the wildness that rises within you. Feel how you want to growl? Go with it. Your hearing will get sharper, and your sense of smell will become so sensitive you will feel as if your nose is burning from chemicals in the room. It will feel like something is moving under your skin. Don’t fight it. Just let it happen,” Esme instructed.
“Scared … Crazy.”
“No, you aren’t crazy. Trust me. I’ve been there.” Esme sent more reassurance through the link.
“Please, sweetheart. Listen to Esme. You must keep breathing. Feel the energy I am sending you. Live for me,” Granger sent to his mate.
“Brenda … not sweetheart.”
Esme smiled. Granger’s mate was strong. Now that she knew she wasn’t alone, she fought the pain.
“All right, Brenda. Just breathe. I am here with you. We all are with you.”
§
Norris prepared a syringe of sedative and slipped it in his pocket. The shift would come soon to the women, and he needed to sedate Nurse Campbell. He couldn’t have her calling for help or locking the patients up in cages. He had no idea how he would get out of the building unseen, especially with five panicked wolves by his side.
“Doctor, Mr. Philips is failing. His heartbeat is irregular. I’m afraid we’re going to lose him.”
Norris hurried to Philip’s bed and checked his vital signs. The man was indeed struggling. “Mr. Philips, you have to fight. If you want to live, you must ignore the pain.”
The man moaned and might have said something, Norris wasn’t sure. This was the part Norris hated, the feeling of being helpless. There was really nothing he could do. Either the patients would shift into wolves, or they would die.
§
The sound of a siren behind the car broke the telepathic link Jared had established among himself, Granger and Esme. He climbed out of the car and walked toward the officer.
“Is there a problem, mister?” the officer asked.
“It’s my friend. Ate some bad food, I’m afraid. He isn’t feeling well,” Jared answered.
“Well, you’ll have to be moving on. This isn’t a good place to stop. There’s a turnout a few miles ahead. Take your friend up there.”
“Thank you, officer. I’ll do that.” Jared walked back to the car and got in the front seat. “I have to move the car. How are you guys doing?”
“Brenda needs to shift. She isn’t fighting it, but I’m afraid what her reaction will be when she realizes she has paws,” Esme sent to Jared.
“You must help her, mon coeur. You know what it feels like to shift unwillingly.”
“I will. Get us to Aberdeen. The quicker we find Brenda and Norris, the better.”
Jared agreed wholeheartedly. He pulled the car into traffic and headed north. He hated to consider that Esme had gone through such a horrific ordeal. He should have been there for her. Why hadn’t he felt something when she went through the change? Was it because an ocean separated them?
Granger hung on. His whole being concentrated on saving his mate. If Brenda died, would Granger die, as well, even though the mating bond hadn’t been cemented into place and the couple barely knew each other?
Something told Jared that Granger would follow Brenda anywhere, even into the next life. Jared gritted his teeth and pushed down on the accelerator. They needed to get to Aberdeen quickly.
§
Esme continued to pour strength and reassurance into the link she shared with Granger and his mate. Brenda stopped communicating with them, but they could feel the battle being waged in her body.
Granger continued to whisper encouragement into Brenda’s thoughts, his soft voice caressing and stroking his mate. The mating bond that stretched between them grew and was now as thick as a pencil. Glowing softly, the golden cord of light ran ahead of Granger as if leading the way.
Now, if Granger, Esme and Jared could get Brenda through the shift, she would be cured of cancer. No one knew whether she could accept being a lycan.
Sweat continued to drip from Granger’s body. He still suffered from sharing Brenda’s pain. By the time she shifted, he would be exhausted.
How to find Brenda and Norris lay heavy in Esme’s mind. She still didn’t know exactly what was going on. Was Norris working for the ruthless doctors or just trying to help someone who had cancer?
Jared took Esme’s hand. She squeezed his fingers without opening her eyes. They faced many unknowns and several more hours of travel.
§
Norris rushed to Mr. Philips. The patient seemed to be failing. His heartbeat was irregular, and he struggled to breathe. Could his body be rejecting the stem cells?
“Nurse Campbell, give him anti-rejection meds. Let’s see if we can get him through this.”
The nurse dutifully responded by injecting the meds into the man’s IV. Norris continued to monitor him but didn’t see any significant changes. What would happen if the patient’s body rejected the lycan stem cells? Would he die, or would he continue as a human with cancer?
Norris hadn’t seen this reaction in Esme, and he was unsure how to proceed. The other two male patients seemed to be moving through the process at a slower pace than the women. However, they continued to experience waves of pain as the stem cells changed the cellular structure of their bodies. Both were young enlisted men, one nineteen and the other twenty-three, whereas Mr. Philips was an older officer, who was used to leading a unit. Could the ages of the patients be causing the differences? Esme was only nineteen when she changed to a lycan. The women, who were in the
ir early twenties, were not much older. Perhaps, the body of an older person couldn’t take the strain.
“Dr. Fortescue, Mr. Philips is going into cardiac arrest.”
“Do you have a defibrillator?” Norris started giving the man CPR. The nurse nodded.
“Well, don’t just stand there. Go get it. This patient won’t last long.”
The nurse hurried back with a portable defibrillator, and Norris pulled the gown from the man’s chest. In moments, the pads were on.
“Clear,” Norris said. Electricity jerked the man’s body. Still no heartbeat. “Again, Nurse. Come on, Philips. Don’t give up now. You have a chance to beat this cancer.” The nurse pushed the button, and the man jerked. Still, no response. Norris gave the man two quick breaths of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, before going back to chest depressions. “Again, nurse. Clear.”
Suddenly, growls started coming from Miss Scott’s and Miss Adam’s beds. While continuing to work on Mr. Philips, Norris looked over and saw two beautiful grey wolves lying on the beds. Nurse Campbell’s eyes grew wide.
Norris feared Mr. Philips wasn’t going to make it. As a doctor, he needed to take care of the living. “Take over, here, nurse. I need to speak to our newly shifted lycans.”
§
“She did it. She shifted. Brenda is okay,” Granger shouted.
Esme and Jared looked at each other and smiled. They were only a couple of hours from Aberdeen, and traffic had thinned. The rest of the trip should go by quickly.
“Brenda says the other female patient shifted as well. Her name is Susan Adams. One of the men is in trouble, and the two others are still suffering through pain.” Granger shook his head.
“Five? Norris is trying to change five patients?” Esme couldn’t believe it. Was her brother out of his mind?
Jared swore low under his breath as he continued to drive.
“Brenda is kind of freaking out. I’m trying to reassure her. Could you speak to her, Esme?” Granger looked at Esme, his gaze filled with trepidation.
“Yes, give me your hand. I might have a better connection when I’m touching you.” Esme took Granger’s hand and followed the mating bond from Granger’s heart to the woman who was his mate. “Brenda. You need to stay calm. Tell Susan to relax as well. Use your telepathy. Can you communicate with Susan?” Esme felt Brenda’s assent. “That’s great. I know turning into a wolf is a shock, but you aren’t a beast. You can think. You are still you. You’ve just changed your form. How are you feeling? You need to be strong before we attempt your change back to your human form. And, yes, you can change back, and you will.”
Esme’s connection to Brenda was strong. It was as if they were related by blood. Esme could almost hear Susan’s thoughts, as well. Esme reached out a little further and linked with Susan. “Susan, you and Brenda are going to be okay. Calm down and breathe. I went through this when I was cured of cancer.” How was this possible? Esme had never been a strong telepath. Now she was able to reach Brenda and Susan as easily as she linked with Jared.
Jared gently touched her thoughts. “Did Norris use stem cells harvested from you?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. He always took my blood for his tests,” Esme replied through her telepathic link.
“It’s possible that Brenda’s and Susan’s blood is now similar to yours. If so, you would be like lycan littermates.”
“Sisters. We are lycan sisters?” Esme sent the information to Brenda and Susan. Did Norris have any idea what he’d done?
“I’m just guessing, but if Norris used your blood, that would explain why you are able to link with them so easily,” Jared sent. “They feel similar to you when I join your telepathic link.”
“Jared, how long should they wait until they try to shift back to their human form?”
“It would be better if they waited until we’re in Aberdeen. It is helpful to touch them while they are trying to focus their thoughts on resuming their human form. Have them wait for us to arrive.”
Once more, Esme relayed the information to the two women. She was very eager to meet them. She had sisters. Norris gave her sisters. Why did he try to transform five patients into lycans all at once? Whose stem cells did he use for the men? What was her brother up to?
§
“You can’t trust these people,” Norris whispered to the two women as he checked their vital signs and removed the IV’s from their legs. With their enhanced senses, they had no problem hearing him. “They turned you into wolf-shifters on purpose. They want to use you in their own private army. I’m going to help you escape. I know of a pack who will take you in and teach you how to control your wolf.”
“Dr. Fortescue, Mr. Philips is gone,” Nurse Campbell said. “He didn’t survive the treatment. I’ll have someone come in and remove the body.”
“Wait.” He would have to give Nurse Campbell the shot. If she brought in an outsider, he might lock the changed women into the cages in the room at the other end of the hall. “Before you have the body removed, I’d like to discuss with you what you think was the cause of death. Why don’t we step into the hall for a moment?”
Nurse Campbell frowned. “Very well …”
Norris walked up to her, fingering the syringe in his pocket. He took her arm. Before she could open her mouth to protest, he plunged the needle into her flesh and depressed the plunger.
“What the hell …” Nurse Campbell sagged in his arms.
Norris dragged her to a chair and sat her down. He checked her pupils and pulse. She’d be unconscious for a while. Hopefully, he’d be able to get the remaining patients out of the clinic before she woke up.
Norris hurried to the other male patients’ beds and checked their vitals. Their hearts were racing, and they were panting. From what Esme had told him, Norris knew the pain was excruciating. Both men were progressing toward the shift to wolf form. If everything worked as Norris planned, they would shift in the next hour. Then, all he needed to do was escape the clinic with four wolves in tow.
“Miss Scott, I need you to look for exit doors in this wing. I know you won’t be able to open doors with your paws, but your sense of smell is now heightened, and I think you’ll find you can see excellently in the dark. Check each room down this corridor. I can’t leave the men until I know they’re out of danger.”
Chapter Eight
While Jared drove, he kept glancing at Esme. She stared out the window at the passing scenery. She bit at her bottom lip and rubbed her hands. Granger slept in the back seat. Exhausted, he mumbled, and occasionally twitched, in his sleep.
“What are you thinking about, mon coeur, that has you so agitated?”
“I don’t understand what Norris is doing. Why is he changing cancer patients into lycans? He hated the fact that his treatment changed me. Why would he do it to complete strangers?”
“I don’t know the answer, and we said we were going to keep an open mind. I think we need to find your brother and ask him. That way, we’ll know for sure what’s going on. It won’t be much longer until we reach Aberdeen. We should probably get a hotel and rest tonight, especially if Norris and Brenda are in a safe place. Both you and Granger are worn out from helping Brenda.”
“I don’t want to wait, and I think Granger doesn’t want to wait either.”
“We need to be prepared for anything. We can’t do that if you and Granger are worn out. Try to get some rest. We’ll see how everyone feels once we arrive.” Jared caressed her cheek. He loved touching her. He loved the feel of her silky skin beneath his hands. Now, if only he could take time to savor his mate, instead of dealing with problems. She deserved to be savored.
Esme lowered the back of the seat and turned on her side. She brought Jared’s hand up to her lips and kissed it before entangling their fingers. With a sigh, she closed her eyes.
The sun was setting, and soon they would be driving in the dark. Jared wasn’t sure what they would find when they arrived at their destination.
; §
Norris held his hands up in front of him to ward off the growling male wolves now lying on hospital beds. “Okay guys, you’re okay. Let me get the IV’s out of your legs. Come on. You’ll be able to change back into your human form in a little while. Just hang in there and let me help you.”
One of the wolves quieted, and the other stood, his hackles raised, his teeth bared. Norris moved to the bed where the quieter wolf lay and slipped the IV catheter out of his leg. “I know it’s a shock, but your cancer is healed. And once you return to your human form, you will realize you are stronger and have sharper senses than a human. I didn’t want to do this. The group of doctors who brought you here threatened to kill my sister if I didn’t do it. I’m going to help you escape and introduce you to a pack that will help you learn to control your wolf. You need to trust me.”
The other wolf continued growling. One of the female lycans, Miss Scott, ran into the room and yipped at the aggressive male. After a few barks and growls, the male settled down. Norris sighed in relief and inched toward the male. He needed to remove the IV. When Norris reached for the catheter, the wolf snarled but didn’t attack. Norris slipped the catheter out and wrapped a piece of gauze around the wolf’s leg.
Now that all the patients had shifted, it was time to escape. “Miss Scott, did you find any outside doors?” The gray wolf whined and wagged her tail. “Good. Let’s get out of here.”
Norris followed the female wolf down the hall to the back of the building. The other three wolves trailed behind them. In the last room was a key-coded door with a small exterior window. They walked by five large cages. One of the males growled and sniffed at the bars. Norris looked out the window to see a small, dark alleyway. Miss Scott jumped up and looked out the window with him, her front paws resting on the ledge.
“All right, if I can get the door open, we’re going to go up the alley and try to find a car to steal. You’ll have to stay hidden as much as possible. Wolves wandering the streets of Aberdeen would attract a huge amount of attention. If anything happens, you need to run and hide. If these fanatical doctors catch you, they will experiment on you. Trust me, they have no morals where that is concerned.”
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