by Eva Gordon
“Nonetheless, I hope to convince her to hand it over, without losing my holdings.”
Nik doubted she would agree. “At least Nexus and Emma were smart enough to escape.”
Bolton sneered. “If Nexus is still alive, she’ll pay dearly for her betrayal.”
“You can’t blame her for not wanting to stay for the impending disaster.”
“By knocking us off the grid, she did more damage than Saskia could ever do.”
“Trust me, Saskia would have killed the workers anyway.”
“Help me kill Saskia and I’ll make sure your kind gets a financial boost.”
Rylee would laugh at him for thinking his money would sway her. “You want to join our pack?”
“Certainly they’d welcome a werewolf.”
If only he knew lycan society would likely execute him. Monsters were not allowed. Why not go along with him? Two against Saskia and her pack was better than one. “What do you have in mind?”
“She claims you are her mate, if not a reluctant one. Convince her you love her and then.” Bolton crossed a finger over his throat.
“I’m afraid she knows I can never be hers. Although, in her sick mind, she thinks if she keeps me prisoner, I might someday have a change of heart.”
“Only if Emma dies.”
Nik narrowed his eyes. “I will never agree to that.”
“Saskia told me you gave Emma the mating bite.”
“Lycans cannot bond with humans, so that’s impossible.” He lied, since obviously there must be an exception to the rule.
“Then try again. Bite Saskia, but this time, make it a lethal bite.”
“Odds are she won’t let me near her. Especially, if she no longer has Emma as a bargaining tool.”
Bolton sneered. “While in werewolf form, I saw both your footprints, you and Emma’s, on the trail up the mountains. I could have pursued you, but you covered the trail and her scent is undetectable. Svetlana told me about a chemical that hides scent from werewolves. So you see, you can trust me. I won’t say a word about Emma being on the island. Unless, you decide you’d rather not work for me.”
How about I kill you? “Those were not her prints.”
“Bullshit.”
Saskia and two werewolves approached. “Darling, I knew you would never leave me.”
Nik faced her and smiled. “How could I ever leave my she-wolf?”
“Your she-wolf?” She sneered. “Not until your human pet is dead and buried.”
Nik didn’t react, but noticed her men aimed wolfsbane rifles at him as if expecting him to act on her threat against Emma. She had a holster around her waist with a tranquilizer gun.
Bolton spoke. “I must bring order to the lab facility.”
“What’s left of it.” She smiled. “I have a man working on restoring the grid.”
“I need the data on the cure for us to better control the chimera werewolves,” said Bolton.
“Don’t worry. I’m keeping the information safe.”
Bolton swallowed. “Of course.”
“The grid is almost back. Return to what is left of the lab.” She sneered. “Get dressed first.”
He covered his groin area with his hands. “Have they returned to human form?”
“My new recruits are still human. The rest have been tranquilized.”
Bolton nodded. “Good.”
Saskia turned to him. “Find information on brain re-wiring drugs or other techniques.”
Bolton nodded, gave Nik one last look and then left.
He could have told Saskia where she could find Emma, but didn’t. Still, he couldn’t be trusted. What was Saskia planning? A mind-altering drug likely wouldn’t work on the werewolves, but might on him. Or did she think electrotherapy would work? Would she use it to erase all memories of Nik’s previous life? Saskia’s uncle had attempted that, but the drug he used had not been strong enough to re-wire his brain. Nik met her eyes. “Saskia, do not worry about the woman, I am yours.”
She turned to her men. “Escort him to the holding area.”
Nik nodded and walked forward, followed by Saskia and her guards. She probably wouldn’t kill him, but instead, tranquilize him. The last thing he wanted was to be helpless again.
Chapter Nineteen
Emma held her breath at the sound of footsteps. They sounded human. Could it be Nik? Why so soon? She remained still, in case it wasn’t Nik.
She peeked out from behind a boulder. Shit. Bolton. He wore shorts and a polo shirt, but remained barefoot, actually pawed. He looked like a werewolf tourist without cameras. Not exactly the person she wanted to see. She retreated to her hiding place.
Bolton scoffed. “Don’t think you can hide from me, Agent Emma.” He circled around and pointed a gun at her. “Drop your weapon and put your hands up.”
Damn, he was fast. Emma didn’t have time to swing around with her gun. She raised her arms and stepped out. “How did you find me?”
“Your comrade gave you up.”
Emma flinched. “What?” Never. Although, if he had to leave her to Saskia or Bolton, he’d definitely choose Bolton.
“Not like that.” He laughed. “I promised Nik I’d see you safely off the island.”
Nik would never trust Bolton or would he? “So why the gun?”
“He told me you were packing heat like any good spy. I only drew my gun to protect myself.”
Something wasn’t right. Nik would never put her at a disadvantage by telling him she had a weapon. “Funny, that doesn’t sound like what a comrade would say.”
He snorted. “Come now. It’s not like Russia never sent spies to infiltrate the CIA.”
“But a werewolf?”
“Why not?”
Was it possible Nik was a mole sent to infiltrate not only the LIA, but the CIA as well? Nik had helped Slade and Cricket escape the Nazi werewolves. Rylee and Lev had vetted Nik. Yet, there was the possibility Nik was a Manchurian type agent, brain washed to believe he told the truth. Good enough to trick even Lev. Nah. Why not play along with his theory? “And you have proof?”
“Nexus found the files.”
If that was true, why didn’t Nexus tell her? She didn’t want Emma to go after Nik. If he really was a double agent, she would have mentioned it. “Is that why Nexus tranquilized you?”
Bolton scowled. “Nexus betrayed us. She too works for Russian intelligence.”
Was there a grain of truth in that? Could Nexus, and worse, Nik have betrayed her? “And my so-called comrade Nik wants me to leave with you?”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t have feelings for you, I’m sure he doesn’t want you to die. Now that he and Nexus have all the data for Russia there is no need to kill you. He is romantic after all.”
“Yet, you are no longer with Saskia.”
“The bitch is insane.” He waved the gun toward the trail. “Come, we don’t have much time.”
Emma folded her arms and planted her feet. “Why don’t you just leave me here?”
“Once I get off the fucking island, I’ll have a bargaining tool.” If she stayed on the island, Saskia would kill her anyway.
“Me? Like I’m of any use.”
“You have no idea.” He growled, displaying fangs. “Move.”
“So you are giving me to Saskia?” What would he get in exchange?
“Precisely.”
“Saskia will simply sic her werewolves on you.”
“I’ll be prepared. Off the island, on my property, I’ll be protected by an army of men.”
Emma sighed. Werewolf or not, a good kick to the groin would ensure her freedom.
Bolton moved with lightning speed and stabbed a hypodermic needle into her neck.
She wobbled and then crumpled to the ground. Fucking idiot tranquilized me.
Bolton picked her up and draped her over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I used a human dose.”
Emma opened her mouth to say something, but darkness ensued.
N
ik sat caged in the destroyed lab, again. The grid, or at least the emergency generators, were working again. Near his prison, men salvaged computer equipment and a lab freezer. Their actions silent. Even the chatter and yowls of experimental animals, killed or maybe tranquilized, had quieted.
Nik could force the cage door open, but the guards armed with tranquilizer and wolfsbane rifles watched his every move. Where the hell was Saskia? Had she gone to hunt Emma? Had the vaporo’s effectiveness expired? Even if it still worked, vaporo would not prevent them from hearing or seeing her.
Nik glared at one of the guards. Pretending he was romantically interested in Saskia had been a bad idea. She’d naturally suspect he was lying. What red-blooded werewolf wouldn’t? The door slammed opened.
Saskia approached. Her face red, fangs displayed and nostrils flared. Pissed. Maybe she’d kill him. Or worse, she’d discovered Emma escaped with his help.
She inhaled deep and then grinned, or rather more of a snarl. “Power is back up.” She smiled. “I’m leaving the island, darling.”
“You are?”
“Bolton betrayed us and left.”
Nik’s tension eased. Saskia’s current rage was not directed at Emma. Bolton must have gotten the power back on and found the data he needed. No wonder he took off. Nik hadn’t heard any planes or helicopters. “How?”
“A submersible.”
“I can’t say I blame him. The lab is destroyed and his staff murdered.”
“Like it or not, he is one of us.” She huffed. “The fool won’t stay human for very long.”
“Good luck finding him.” Bolton’s primary focus must be to reverse the activated virus.
Saskia snickered. “Actually, that won’t be a problem. He left me a message about bargaining for the formula, but not where or how.”
Nik narrowed his eyes. “What is he offering?”
“Your bitch, Emma. The woman who stands between us.”
Nik swallowed. Bolton had Emma. That was far better than Saskia having her. Before the trade could happen, he’d free her. “I told you I don’t desire her.”
“Nik, your wolf does not lie.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I didn’t sense your heart rate rise when I mentioned her.”
“You plan to just hand him the formula for a human?”
“To taste her blood on my lips, I’d give him all the gold in the world. Then again, why not keep the formula and your pet?”
“Come away with me. To Russia. We can start our own pack,” offered Nik.
Saskia stared at him dreamy-eyed. “Tempting. But as my uncle once said, loyalty is guaranteed only after your brain is re-wired.”
“Must I remind you the memory wipe drugs your uncle used on Slade and me never worked?” Surely she knew that. Maybe not. As far as Nik knew, everything in her uncle’s compound had been obliterated with a cluster bomb.
Saskia glowered. “You require something stronger than mind-altering drugs. Something to shock you into becoming my true mate.”
“Electrotherapy, like in insane asylums. A bit outdated, isn’t it?”
She smiled. “I know of a psychiatrist who, in fact, worked for Russia’s intelligence.”
He racked his brain trying to identify the psychiatrist. Possibly someone who worked for the former KGB. “That won’t work.”
“Actually, combined with the werewolf lobotomy drug, it just might.”
Did she already have such a cocktail? “That drug will turn me into a wolf and rob my human memory.”
She narrowed her eyes and smiled. “There is that possibility.”
“So, as the Americans say, if you can’t have me, no one will.”
“Ah, but you see, I will. As my pet wolf.”
“Why don’t we skip the brain re-wiring and mate?”
“I doubt you’d forget Emma.”
Nik softened his voice. “Saskia, I will wake up seeing your beautiful face first. Emma is human, not meant for a werewolf. I was confused. After the change, I lived only with humans. I’m not used to the ways of the pack. I now know I can only mate a she-wolf.” He met her eyes. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s go to Russia. Start our own pack.”
Saskia raised a brow as if considering his proposal. “No. You stay here for now.”
His eyes widened as if hurt. “You don’t trust me?”
Saskia scowled. “Of course I don’t. I’d rather leave you here until you are really ready to be mine. Until Emma is dead.” She smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll see to it you are fed and taken care of by new pack members. I’ll even order my men to move the cage to the cabana on the beach. The sound of the ocean will sooth your nerves.”
“How are you getting off this island?”
“A plane is on its way.”
Where did she get a plane? Or perhaps Bolton had arranged it to facilitate the exchange. “Farewell, my mate.” At the door, she turned. “Next time I see you, Emma will be here.” She pointed to her belly and laughed as she left.
Dark rage overtook Nik. He growled and bent the bars. Before he could squeeze out, two tranquilizer darts penetrated his skin.
Emma woke with a headache. She lay on a narrow bed facing a small desk. A soft echoing sound resonated followed by a sonar pulse. Shit! I’m in a submarine. She got up and twisted the door handle only to find it locked. Slightly dizzy, she leaned against the door. Where are we going?
Was Nik still stuck on the island with the blood mistress? She pounded the door. “Hey!”
A minute later, the door opened and Bolton entered. “Good morning, Emma.”
“Where are we going?”
“The East Coast. I have a nice home in the woods of Maine, near the Canadian border.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Of course you do.”
“Before long, we’ll be at port.”
Landing on mainland United States was a very bad thing. “You do know eventually you will go ape-shit werewolf.”
“Not if I don’t shift. Until I have the cure, I won’t risk shifting. Nor will my men.”
“Are you kidding me? How many men are we talking about?”
“Three, but I’m afraid Saskia kept the rest.” So much for his loyal army.
Four, including Bolton, bloodthirsty werewolves could wreak havoc on civilization. “Let me go and I can help you find a lab to help you.” If she could get him to meet at a certain place, Team Greywolf would deal with him.
“I don’t need your help. One of my scientists found a formula that works.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. Did Nexus have it on her computer? “So what is the problem?”
“The problem is I don’t have it. Saskia does.”
“I doubt she’s the sharing type.”
“More like the bargaining type.” He sneered. “I get the formula and she gets you to do as she pleases.”
That explains why he took me as the bargaining tool. “You can’t trust her.”
“Of course I can’t. Don’t worry. I’m a master at illegal weapon trades with the most untrustworthy of people. The bargain with her will be quite detailed.”
“She destroyed your entire lab facility.”
Bolton growled and struck her in the face. “You did!”
Smelling salts shocked Emma back into consciousness. She lay flat on a bed in what looked like a sickbay. A man wearing a lab coat and Bolton hovered over her. Emma pushed the salts away. A tray next to her held a used syringe and an empty vial. He must have tranquilized her, again. Not necessary since his powerful lycan punch knocked her out cold. Emma moved her hand over a swollen lip and moved her jaw. It didn’t feel broken, but she imagined it was black and blue. He obviously underestimated his own strength. She pressed a hand to her sweaty forehead. Odd. It’s not warm in here.
“Sorry, I lost control.” He sighed. “Looks like no harm done.”
The medic checked her pupils and took her temperature. He furrowed his brow. “Everything is normal.” He handed her an ice bag.
Emma too
k it, held it to her cheek and scowled at Bolton. “Landing amongst the population is not a good idea.”
“Don’t worry, my property is very isolated. No people for miles.”
“Tell that to your men once they go rogue werewolf.”
“How do you feel otherwise?” asked Bolton.
Weird. As though she had feverish nightmares, but no clue what the dreams were about. Then again, who wouldn’t have bad dreams stuck in a submarine with the possibility of out-of-control werewolves? “Fine.”
Bolton turned to the medic. “You may go.”
Emma wondered how big the sub was and how many crewmen occupied it, not including the werewolves. No way could she put up a fight against Bolton, his pack and crew. Her best option was to wait until they landed. Once on the mainland, she’d have the opportunity to escape. Although without vaporo, hiding was a big problem. How would she contact Team Greywolf? “Let me guess, you contacted Saskia to make the exchange somewhere near your property?’
“I haven’t determined the exchange spot yet. As you said, she cannot be trusted.”
“If you had worked with Nik, he would have helped.”
Bolton snorted. “He was the distraction I needed to escape. I contacted her, and trust me, she wants nothing more than to bathe in your blood.”
“That’s not comforting.”
“Who knows? You might be able to fight her off.”
“Yeah, right.” Did he plan to let her have a gun?
“You must be hungry.”
Her stomach rumbled. “How long have I been unconscious?”
“Two days.”
I doubt just his punch knocked me out. “I’d love a hamburger.”
“I’ll have the cook make you a couple.”
Normally, she’d eat only one, but the way she felt right now she could probably eat an entire cow. Still, why fatten her up only to have Saskia murder her? “It’s not too late to contact Nik.”
“He isn’t going anywhere. One false move and they’ll tranquilize him.” He raised a brow. “I wonder how many times Nik can be tranquilized without suffering permanent paralysis?”
“Look, if you work with Nik, he’ll help you recover your data and get rid of Saskia.”
