by Kym Grosso
“You lie, Alpha. Do you really think I’d bring a knife to a gunfight? These hollow-cavity bullets will mushroom her brain apart with one shot. She’s not going to make it back, not like she used to be anyway. And that’s if she manages to shift afterwards. No, this little girl’s goin’ to pop like fireworks.”
Wynter tried to drown out his words but it was no use. Her own guilt tore at her heart. Was she really going to sit and do nothing while this monster put a bullet in Fiona’s head? God, she loved Logan…so much. Reverting to her training, she considered the known facts, the data. True, Logan would be angry if she sacrificed herself for Fiona. But his boat was powerful, much more so than the small sailboat. Logan would follow, save her and Fiona, too, would be safe. The most important fact was that if she didn’t go, another Acadian wolf would die…at her hands.
“Your choice. What’s it going to be? You or the wolf?” He dug the muzzle into Fiona’s temple and she screamed.
Logan could see that Wynter was lost in her thoughts. Goddammit all, she was considering it. As much as he cared for Fiona, he couldn’t lose his mate. His breath caught and he lunged to restrain Wynter to keep her from going. Dimitri broke for the throttle.
“I’m sorry,” Wynter cried softly as she leapt over to the sailboat. She skidded onto the deck and fell to her knees.
“No!” Logan screamed. “No, he’s going to kill you. Get back here now.”
Wynter’s body collapsed into the rough landing. She scrambled to stand upright but the man kicked her in the stomach. Her face hit the side of the boom, tearing her lip open.
“Let her go,” Wynter pleaded. Her face throbbed but she breathed through it. “You don’t need Fiona…just take my blood. No more…no more…I’ll do whatever you want. Let her go now.”
The stranger cackled wildly and threw Fiona to the floor. With a jerk, the engine roared to life and the boat sped forward. Wynter attempted to push Fiona into the water. If they could get off the boat they’d have a chance.
“Jump,” she told her, but Fiona held tight to a cleat.
Logan tore to the helm and jammed the throttle forward. They hadn’t gotten far. In his speedboat, they could easily catch up and he’d jump over to get Wynter. But his boat lurched only a few feet before the motor died.
“What the fuck? This is a brand new boat,” Logan cursed, banging the dashboard. “Take the wheel.” He jumped in the back to check the inboard. Within seconds, he’d located the source of the issue. “Shit. There’s a nick in the fuel tank fill hose.”
Logan spun and aimed his gun at the tall dark figure that had Wynter by the arm. He knew he could hit him but the man slyly pulled Wynter against him as a shield. Targeting the engine, Logan fired off six shots to the stern. The bullets ricocheted off the screeching motor. As the man instinctively moved to the right to look at the damage, Logan pulled the trigger again, clipping him in the shoulder. He watched the pink-shirted form hit the deck but no longer could he see Wynter, as she too, had fallen.
Pain shot through Wynter’s body as fingers grabbed her hair, pulling her to her feet. The man slammed her up against him, holding the gun to her head. With her back to his chest, she faced Logan whose boat grew smaller as the distance between them widened. A loud gunshot jolted Wynter, and she tried to wretch her body out of his grip. Blood sprayed as more shots rang out. As she felt his grip loosen, Wynter tumbled onto the deck. She clawed at the slippery surface, intending to jump, when the chill of a second voice blanketed her consciousness. As she caught a glimpse of the familiar face, her heart stopped. The Directeur?
A blur of revolting confusion and hopelessness overtook her body. No, this couldn’t be happening. Wynter glanced at Fiona who now sat comfortably, almost peacefully staring toward the horizon. Deception. Betrayal. The Directeur grabbed Wynter, pulling her off her feet into his deadly embrace. She prayed for strength as she let the anger roll through her mind. Anger was good, she thought. It might be the only thing that would save them all.
The sailboat careened away while Dimitri and Logan helplessly watched in disbelief. One fucking hour on the lake. Four men on guard, and within seconds, they’d taken her and Fiona. As they sped off into the distance, the miles-wide freshwater sanctuary hid their path of escape. Logan screamed out to the heavens in agony. His mate was gone.
“Search every goddamned house,” Logan growled.
“I’m sorry,” Dimitri offered.
“No, D. No words. Action. You,” Logan pointed to Zeke and Jake, “every boat. Every pack member needs to be accounted for. I want every wolf up at Marcel’s old place now. I don’t give a shit who’s in the city. Every damn wolf is to get their ass back here immediately,” he ordered. “Someone came into the marina today and cut that hose. I want to see the video now.”
Enraged, Logan paced as he barked out orders. Someone had betrayed him, he was certain of it. First the car bomb. Now this. No, it wasn’t happenstance that the hose was cut. It had been deliberately done in such a way to allow them enough gas to go out to the lake, but not enough to get back. Whoever had done it knew exactly where they were going and how long they’d be on the lake. It may have been a vampire who’d killed Dana, but it was a wolf who had helped coordinate Wynter’s abduction. No one but one of his own wolves would have had access to his boat.
“The pack will be at Marcel’s soon. You want to ride with?” Dimitri asked, trying to block the emotion he felt emanating from Logan. His Alpha’s caustic rage seethed through his own brain as if they were his own thoughts.
Logan shook him off. As much as he loved D, he couldn’t bear to be near him. He was scarcely containing his beast as his unbridled wrath escalated. It wouldn’t be good for Dimitri to be so close to him.
“I’m taking my bike. You take the SUV.” Logan stopped and rubbed his eyes. “Seriously, D. This ends tonight. I’m going to tear up this entire swamp looking for her. She’s got to be here. Every single marina’s been secured. No one could land a chopper except at the helipad. Jake’s sent men to check the outposts along the lake. No, whoever’s done this is still here.”
“Hey, I’m with ya, but we’re talking about literally thousands of square acres of swamp. In the dark. They could pull off anywhere, skip into a car and be gone.”
“No,” Logan growled. “Wynter’s here. I can feel her.”
“But why would they stay here…it doesn’t make sense. Logan, I think…”
“Because they’re goin’ to kill her. They don’t need her anymore. My guess is now that she’s turned, all they want is her blood.” Logan took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to think clearly. “Text Devereoux. I want him here now. And before you ask, I don’t care how he gets here. Send the bird if you need to. His line is responsible for this fucking mess. I’ll kill him myself if he doesn’t comply and you can quote me on that.”
Dimitri pulled out his phone and started making calls. Logan went to his gun safe that was located in the laundry room. He extracted several guns, ammo, and strapped on a harness. He preferred to go wolf, but he wasn’t taking any chances. In the bayou, his wolf may not be able to get to shore fast enough. A bullet, however, would.
By the time they’d reached Marcel’s home, Logan was convinced he knew who had sabotaged his boat. Ferocious, his wolf sought revenge. Nothing but having his mate back safely in his arms would assuage his rage. He killed the engine and jumped off his motorcycle.
“Hold up, Alpha,” Jake called over to him.
“What’d you find out?”
“I don’t know…it doesn’t make sense,” Jake hedged, incredulous as to what he’d seen on the video.
Luci rushed over to Logan, eyes down. “Alpha,” she greeted.
At the sight of her, Logan lost it. If anyone had reason to attack him and Wynter, it had been Luci. He should have recognized her aggressive behavior. How she’d connected with the vampires, he didn’t know, but he was about to damn well find out why.
“Just where the hell do you think you’re going?” As
Luci turned to walk away, Logan grabbed her arm.
Jake stepped between them.
“Jake, get out of my way. This is between Luci and me,” he snarled.
“But Alpha,” Jake began.
“I told you, Luci and I have business.” Logan turned his gaze back to her. “I should have known better than to let you stay in the pack. You’ve been so hot to get in my bed ever since he died. Seriously, did you even care about Marcel? Now listen good, I’m only going to ask you this once. What did you do with Wynter?”
“I didn’t…I swear. It wasn’t me,” she cried.
“Where. Is. She?”
“I didn’t…”
Jake put his hand over Logan’s, risking a fight. He couldn’t let Logan continue after Luci, even though she deserved at least a little bit of his ire.
“Alpha, please. You need to see this,” he pleaded.
“What?” Logan asked. His eyes flared.
“The video. Your boat. Luci didn’t do it. But someone else from the pack is on there…I’m sorry,” Jake said, shaking his head.
“Who? Who did this?” Logan demanded.
“See for yourself.” Jake pulled out his mini iPad, and pressed the play button.
Logan couldn’t believe it. Of all the people in his pack, it made no sense. The person hadn’t even tried to hide from the camera. Instead after they’d cut the line, the perpetrator purposefully stared into the lens and smiled.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Wynter’s wolf whined in agonizing pain, begging to shift. Instinctively, she knew a transformation could heal her injuries, but as she called on her wolf, nothing happened. Her head lolled back against a rough surface and she licked her cracked lips. An iron-tinged crust stuck to her tongue. She felt heavy, drained. Wynter slid her fingertips down her sides and felt metal on her midsection. She shook her head, willing her eyes to open. As she looked to her torso, she was shocked to see the silver chainmail corset that had been fastened to her body. Tugging at the seams, she couldn’t get it to budge.
The lethargy didn’t stop her from scanning the room for a clue to where they’d taken her. A dilapidated cabin? Was it the cabin they’d been in the night she shifted? The lack of screened windows and rotted wood told her no. Listening as Logan had taught her, she could hear the cicadas but other than that, she was met with silence. She knew, though, that she had to be somewhere in the swamp.
Her plan had failed miserably. She wondered what had happened to Logan. There was no way that boat could have outrun him. Why hadn’t he come for her? Did they shoot him like they’d threatened to do to Fiona? Wynter stifled the small sob bubbling in her chest. She needed to conserve her energy. She needed to escape.
“You okay?” Wynter heard the question and glanced over to see Fiona sitting in a chair.
It appeared her hands had been fastened behind her back. But there was something odd about her demeanor and posture. On the boat, after Wynter had tried to get her to jump, she’d held on. Then within minutes, she’d rested on the boat, almost as if she were relaxed, content. But now, Fiona had been bound. Had Wynter imagined what she’d seen? No, there had definitely been something strange about Fiona’s behavior and even now, her face was bright. Unlike Wynter, whose face was bruised and puffy from crying, Fiona’s complexion was clear. But why would Fiona help the vampire? And why was she playing a victim unless she weren’t one?
“I’m fine. I can’t shift. What is this thing?” Wynter asked, trying to act unsuspecting.
“Silver,” Fiona responded without even looking.
“Our kryptonite.”
“What?”
“A human throwback. Superman.”
“It won’t kill you,” Fiona told her with an icy stare. “The vampire. He wants to know what you know about the virus.”
Wynter gave her a sardonic smile and laughed bitterly. “I just bet he fucking does. Well I wish him good luck with that.”
“You have to tell him. He promised to let you go.”
“No, he promised to let you go. And he didn’t. You’re still here, Fiona. He’s a liar.”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “The man on the boat? He’s not in charge. No, I speak of the Directeur.”
“What? How do you know that name?” Wynter demanded, attempting to stand. She bent her knees and pushed upward, bracing herself against the rickety wall.
“The Directeur told me himself. He wants to know if you managed to cure Emma’s virus,” Fiona said emotionlessly.
“How do you know about Emma?” Wynter found herself yelling.
“He told me. He said she’s sick but that your blood, it’ll cure her.”
Wynter closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He knew about her blood as she’d suspected. A rush of nausea poured over her and she struggled not to vomit.
“He saw the New York Alpha in New Orleans. He knows that you sent blood to Emma…your blood. He watches you…always. So tell me, did it work?”
“Yes…yes it worked. Why do you care, Fiona? He’s got you tied up. Why are you asking me these questions?”
“So it’s true then. Have you figured a way to modify the virus? To make it portable?”
A chill crept up Wynter’s spine. Fiona was privy to details…details no one but she and Logan knew. And she hadn’t jumped from the boat. Was this all for show? Even if Wynter had been close at one time to isolating the virus, allowing others to inject it, she’d never tell a soul. She’d die first.
“No,” she lied. “I haven’t been working on it. Emma is cured; that’s all that matters.”
“He knows how to do it. He found a way while you were gone. Did you know he also is a scientist? Perhaps that is why he reveres you so?”
“What?” Wynter couldn’t believe Fiona’s words.
“It’s been him all along. His company. His research.”
“Why are you telling me this? How do you know so much about him? They were going to kill you out there on the lake. Why didn’t you just jump when I told you to?” Wynter’s voice strained. She eyed the door. So weak, but if she could make it outside maybe she could find something to remove the silver.
“I think it’s time,” Fiona said. She pushed out of the chair, placing her hands on her hips. Uninjured and altogether healthy, she gave Wynter an evil smile before clapping her hands. “Come.”
The door flew open and a tall, good-looking vampire entered the room. She knew him…Yes, the man from the boat. Her mind swam with possibilities. No, she’d met him before…at the club…with Léopold. Shocked, Wynter tried to run but Fiona easily stepped in front of her and shoved her to the ground.
“You…you…how could you? And Fiona…Logan’s going to kill you.” Wynter heaved in a deep breath. On all fours, she looked up to the vampire.
“She really is naïve, isn’t she?” Fiona merely laughed.
“You and Phillip shouldn’t have hurt her. Just look at what you’ve done, Mistress. You cannot treat her this way if she’s going to work for me.” The vampire shot Fiona a nasty look, clearly not pleased.
“Work for you? Are you kidding me? Why would ViroSun be involved with something like this? Who are you?” Wynter laughed and cried at the same time. She rolled onto her bottom, unable to stand.
“Dear scientifique, one question at a time. May I?” He retrieved a crisp handkerchief from his suit pocket and attempted to give it to Wynter. She brushed him away.
“Very well then,” he sniffed. “Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? My name’s Étienne. Étienne St. Claire, son of Kade Issacson sired by Léopold Devereoux. And as my Mistress has introduced, I am the Directeur.”
He paced, letting his hands speak flamboyantly into the air.
“However, there is one small discrepancy you should know…you see, we are not ViroSun nor have we ever been. True, though they exist, we forged the necessary documentation to make you believe you were working for them.”
“No, I went to the interview. The building, the stationery
…I interviewed with them. I met with people. This isn’t possible.” Wynter shook her head in confusion.
“Ah well, all fake I’m afraid. A necessary expense to make you believe you were going to work for them. You were so eager to find a cure for your friend.”
“But how did you know?”
“I travel to New York quite often. And lucky for me, I’d attended one of your speaking engagements. I found it quite captivating…the notion that someone, a supernatural, could be infected with a feline virus. She’s a lovely speaker,” he told Fiona, who rolled her eyes and pretended to look at her nails. “It didn’t take long to find your ‘Jane Doe’. Emma’s medical records and her blood were easy enough to get at the hospital. I can be very convincing.”
“But I’d been working…the lab. There were others with me,” Wynter countered.
“Were there? We kept you isolated. Do you recall ever meeting anyone after you insisted on leaving?”
Speechless, Wynter closed her eyes. Like a great illusion, the curtain was revealed and she, the fool, was left the victim of a great hoax. How could this happen? She’d researched the company. The high pressure interview had been held in one of the most conspicuous midtown skyscrapers. They’d done intensive background checks, interviewed her friends, Jax.
“My scientifique, are you listening?”
“Stop calling me that!” Wynter cried.
“But you are so special,” he insisted, trailing a long finger over her hair. “Really, darling, did you think you’d stay away from me so long? The Mistress, she’s powerful, but I admit, I’ve crushed on you like a school boy.”
“True,” Fiona spat out in disgust. Her forehead furrowed. “He’s quite obsessed. Too much so.”
“But I digress. You see, Fiona and I, we knew each other from New Orleans. She’s quite the devious little witch, but not so strong. Power doesn’t come easily in the wolf pack…brawn over brains and such. And for me, let’s say it’s tedious being at Kade’s beck and call. But this virus, if it could be used on wolves, well, one can easily extrapolate…vampires could be next.”
