Freeing the Feline

by Lacey Thorn

  “Fuck!” Logan yelled and took off at a run with Clara on his heels. “Someone triggered a sensor.”

  He burst out the door at the top and saw Abby getting ready to head down to the labs where she was supposed to stay with Diane. It was a safety measure to make sure Abby and the baby were as protected as possible. No one wanted another episode like what she’d been through with Harlan Jones. The labs were reinforced and had a room where Abby could be locked in and kept safe.

  “Tell Finn to stay with you,” Logan yelled to Abby. “Tell him Tah wants him as your personal guard.”

  “Already planned to,” Abby said, squeezing his shoulder then Clara’s hand as they passed. “Stay safe. Keep him safe for me.”

  “We will,” Clara answered for them. Logan knew his mate understood Abby was talking about Tah.

  Logan saw Holt stepping out of the control room. Kenzie was inside, watching the screens. “Who’s on patrol?” he asked.

  “Reno, Amia and Vic have been on night-shift this week,” Holt answered, joining them in a jog toward the front door.

  “Where’s everyone else?” Logan demanded.

  “Haven’t seen Zane,” Holt answered. “Tah headed out to find Reno. Fuck, we need a better way to communicate then with these phones. We need military-grade headsets.”

  “You find me a way to get them, and I’ll do it.” Logan grunted back. “We’re doing the best we can with what we have. And our funds are seriously limited at the moment. “

  Holt nodded. “Sorry.”

  They were only at the edge of the woods when Clara stopped and lifted her nose to the air, inhaling deeply.

  “What is it?” Logan asked.

  “Fuck!” Clara exploded as she started stripping her shoes and clothes off. “That’s Lydia.” Her eyes were glowing when she met his again. “And she’s not alone.”

  The next thing Logan saw was a lioness leaping through the air. She turned back and looked at him once with Clara’s golden-brown eyes, then she disappeared among the trees. He took off after her with Holt on his heels. The other man had gotten a good look at Logan’s mate, but it wasn’t jealousy that beat in Logan’s chest. It was pride. And one word filled his mind. Beautiful. Clara as a lioness was even more breathtaking than he’d imagined.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Clara hated leaving Logan behind, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. She’d learned to trust her instincts. If Lydia was here it wasn’t to play catch-up with Amia. And who knew what she’d told whomever she’d brought with her, because the one thing Clara was certain of was that Lydia wouldn’t have come alone. The problem was Clara couldn’t seem to focus on any scent other than Lydia’s at the moment. Whatever was about to happen, she knew Lydia was the center of it.

  She kept running, letting the scent filling her nose guide her in the right direction. Suddenly the trees cleared out a bit and she saw Reno and Amia standing there. Another woman lay slumped on the ground a few feet from them. Clara guessed it was Vic, and she wasn’t moving. Please, God, don’t let them have killed her.

  Reno was trying to stand in front of Amia, but she was having none of it. And in front of them with gun drawn was Lydia with a shifter Clara knew far too well standing behind her. Clara should have guessed. Dillion. If there was anyone as bitter as Lydia, it was Dillion whose entire family had been wiped out by hunters. Dillion carried a thirst for vengeance that had to rival Lydia’s. Clara should have seen an alliance like theirs coming.

  “Move out of the way,” Lydia was screaming. “I don’t want to hurt you. I have to kill her. She’s evil. Blane blood is running through her veins.”

  “Wrong,” Amia yelled back. “I left them just like you did. Only I didn’t turn my back on what they did. I kept doing my all to rescue people. What did you do? Hide like the coward you are!”

  “No,” Lydia said, shaking her head back and forth as if confused.

  “She’s evil,” Dillion yelled. “A Blane. A Hunter.”

  “You’re evil,” Lydia said again. “Evil.”

  Clara understood what Lydia was doing even if no one else did. It wasn’t about telling Amia she was bad or evil or whatever. It was about blocking out the guilt of leaving Amia behind. Why could no one else see that? And why was Dillion feeding it?

  “Listen, bitch,” Amia said and shoved in front of Reno.

  Lydia lifted the gun.

  Clara took it all in as she closed the distance between them. Faster, she needed to be faster. Reno took Amia to the ground. Tah burst through the trees opposite of her with a roar that had even her wanting to stop and fall to her knees. But she took the leap needed to put her where she wanted to be. Lydia fired the gun. Clara felt a burn along her back flank and landed in a heap on the ground.

  “No!” Lydia screamed.

  Clara tried to turn toward the other woman but her leg collapsed underneath her. She could feel her animal whimpering in pain as the shift began. What the fuck had been in that bullet? Her leg felt as if it was on fire.

  She blinked her eyes several times, taking a few seconds like always to adjust from seeing out of her cat’s eyes back to her human eyes.

  “No,” she tried to yell, but it came out weakly.

  Tah had Lydia dangling in the air, one hand wrapped around her throat. Reno had Dillion on the ground, knee to his back and both hands jerked up toward his shoulder blades. Amia was crawling toward Clara.

  “Clara!” Logan’s voice filled the clearing, and she struggled to turn her head toward him.

  “Clara,” Amia said, touching her leg.

  Clara screamed in agony as another wave of fire shot through her.

  “Jesus!” Amia breathed. “What the fuck is that?”

  “Logan,” Clara moaned as she felt him drop down beside her. Her vision started to blur.

  “I’m here. I got you, baby,” he said next to her ear.

  “Don’t let them be harmed.” She struggled to get the words out. “Need answers. Need them.”

  She didn’t hear his answer, didn’t even know if he’d heard her. Everything went black as she was sucked under.

  Logan thought about grabbing Clara and running, but she needed to reach the house quicker than he’d be able to move. If he were a shifter, it would be different. He’d seen how much faster the shifters were even in human form. He glanced around the clearing.

  “Reno,” he called. “I need you. Now.”

  Reno was there beside him in an instant. “Get her to the house, to Diane. I don’t know what she was shot with, but it’s knocked her the fuck out. Jesus! Go fast, Reno. Get her there as quickly as you can.”

  Reno clapped him on the shoulder, scooped Clara up and took off. Logan didn’t even care that his mate was naked. He only cared that she made it back to those who could help her in time.

  “Tah.” He turned quickly to intercede. “We need her.”

  “I know,” Tah roared and shook Lydia again.” What did you shoot her with? What?”

  She gurgled but obviously couldn’t answer.

  “It’s what we call a sludge bullet,” the guy on the ground answered. His eyes were on Tah, but not with awe. It was more of a calculated look as if he was plotting something and was just waiting for the opportune moment.

  “What’s that?” Logan demanded.

  “When it pierces the skin the liquid inside starts seeping free and releasing into the blood stream.”

  “What is it?” Logan screamed, grabbing the guy and shaking him. He thought he felt a prick on the back of his hand but ignored it.

  The guy bared his canines at Logan but jerked back as Tah growled low in his throat. Even Logan could hear the threat in Tah’s growl.

  “I don’t know,” the guy said. “I swear! I don’t know. Lydia made it.”

  Logan wasn’t sure he believed him. “If anything happens to my mate, I’ll rip your fucking head off,” Logan warned and stood up. “I’m heading to the house. I’ve got to check on Clara.”
<
br />   Tah nodded. “We’ve got this.”

  Amia had moved over to where Vic was laying. Tah held Lydia still, though now she stood on the ground in front of him. Holt had the shifter she’d brought with her face down on the ground, arms wide of his body. Murphy burst out of the clearing with Zane. Logan left them to it and ran full out toward the house. Holt was right. They needed a better form of communication. He really wanted to know how his mate was doing.

  He prayed while he ran, something he hadn’t done in a long time. He might not go to church, but he had faith. The last few months had shown him just how strong his faith was.

  “Please, God, if you’re up there watching us. Please don’t take Clara from me. I just found her.” He spoke aloud as he ran, repeating the words over again and again. “Pleased don’t take her from me.”

  He hit the front porch and slammed into the house, taking the stairs down to the lab in leaps.

  “Oh, fuck no!” he yelled, coming around the corner and seeing Clara laying too still on one of the tables. Her eyes were closed, one arm hanging limply off the table beside her. Someone had thrown a sheet over her body, hiding her nudity. He needed to touch her. His heart felt as if it was going to burst from his chest and a surge of anger fired through him.

  “Logan!”

  He could hear Diane’s voice but all of his focus was on his mate and getting to her.

  “Logan!”

  Finn stepped in front of him, and Logan shoved him out of the way.

  The Professor hollered something. Diane moved. Logan finally reached Clara.

  “Logan.” The Professor was in his face.

  “I’m taking blood. I need your arm now.”

  “Not now,” Logan grunted, eyes focused on Clara. He reached for her fingers and twined his through them.

  “Now, Logan,” the Professor ordered.

  “Not fucking now!” Logan roared.

  “Logan.” Diane shoved her face in front of his, demanding his attention. “She’s fine. Clara’s fine. The bullet contained a sedative. That’s it. It might have burned as it hit her bloodstream, but she’s okay. Just sleeping. The wound is already healing.”

  “She’s sleeping?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Clara said. “Give the Professor your arm.”

  Logan held his arm out and felt the needle pierce his skin. “Why do you need blood now?”

  She gave him a strange look. “Your eyes, Logan,” Diane said. “They’re glowing. Your eyes are glowing like your mate’s do.”

  “Well, fuck,” Logan said. “What does that mean?”

  “No idea,” the Professor said as he worked on filling another vial with blood. “But we’ll figure it out.”

  “Where’s Reno?” Logan asked. He could feel his heart rate finally slowing down. He hadn’t realized how wound up he was.

  “He took Abby back upstairs. We weren’t sure at first what kind of liquid was in the bullet Clara took. I wanted Abby out of here just in case,” Diane said. She had her fingers on the wrist of the hand he had twined with Clara. “Good. Take a few deep breaths for me. Pulse is slowing down.” She glanced at him, meeting and holding his gaze. “What happened, Logan? What got you so revved up?”

  Logan shrugged. “Clara and I heard the alarms when we were heading upstairs. We met Holt and all three of us headed out together. Clara shifted and took off ahead of us. Holt and I followed as quickly as we could. I heard the shot.”

  “Deep breath,” Diane said. “Pulse is picking up again. Remember, Clara’s fine. She’s just sleeping.”

  “Sleeping,” Logan murmured. “I heard the shot and tried to run faster. When we got to the clearing where everyone was, I saw Tah holding who I’m guessing is Lydia Blane in the air by her neck. There was another shifter on the ground. Reno had him. And Amia was by Clara. She was sprawled out and there was blood all over her leg.”

  He saw Diane throw a glance to the Professor.

  “Logan, I need you to calm down. Whatever is running through your head, you need to clear it out,” the Professor said.

  “I’m fine,” Logan said. “I’m calm.” His glance fell to Clara again. “She’s just sleeping?”

  “Clara’s only sleeping, Logan. Give me your hand. Let go of her for a minute and give me your hand,” Diane said, tugging at his fingers.

  “No,” Logan said. He needed to touch is mate. Needed it. Felt as if he might die without it.

  “Logan, did you get hit with anything?” Diane asked. “Finn, get a hold of someone now. Call all their phones until someone answers.”

  Logan felt her turn back to him.

  “There’s a mark on the back of your hand. It’s a little swollen and red. It looks almost like a bug bite or an injection site.”

  She finally tugged his hand free and Logan felt cold, so cold. Diane was asking him something, but he couldn’t focus.

  “What happened, Logan?” Diane yelled.

  “Not the sedative,” the Professor interjected. “Logan, stay with us, boy. Stay with us.”

  But he couldn’t. He could feel himself slipping away in his mind. “Shifter…did something…”

  “Logan!” Diane yelled. “Don’t you dare fucking pass out on me!”

  “I’m here,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Where’s Clara?”

  “Right here.”

  Diane put his hand back on Clara’s. He took it like a lifeline.

  “What’s going on?” Tah burst in the room with Abby. “Finn called and said Logan was injured.”

  “Professor!” Diane called. “He’s burning up.”

  “Cold,” Logan challenged her. He wasn’t hot at all. He was freezing.

  “What the hell happened? He was fine when he left the clearing,” Tah roared.

  “Well all that bellowing isn’t going to help anything,” the Professor fired back.

  “Logan, what happened to you?” Abby’s touch was hot against his skin and he groaned, pulling away from her.

  “Shifter…” Logan tried to say again. His mouth felt funny, like his words were getting all garbled up.

  “Was there another shifter there?” the Professor asked.

  “Lydia brought a shifter with her. He said his name is Dillion,” Tah answered.

  “Where is he? Who’s with him?” Diane asked frantically.

  “Zane has him. They’re putting them both in rooms downstairs until we figure out what the hell to do,” Tah said.

  “Oh, God, no,” Diane moaned, turning on him with huge eyes. “We think he injected Logan with something. Not sure what, but it seems to be bringing some major changes out in him.”

  “What changes?” Tah demanded.

  “He was shaking with rage when he got here. His pulse was frantic, breathing labored and not just from the run to get here. His eyes glowed, Tah,” Diane said. “Imagine if whatever he was given was injected in a shifter. Logan is human.”

  “Fuck!” Tah groaned, pulling out his phone.

  “We could have a real mess on our hands here. I need that shifter down here so I can see what he gave Logan. He’ll have to have it on him somewhere,” the Professor said.

  “Reno,” Tah spoke into the phone. “Tell Zane to watch out for Dillion. The kid’s got something on him. Looks like he hit Logan with it. Don’t trust him.” Tah paused and they all heard a loud growl followed by the sound of jaws snapping together and then a long hiss. “What the fuck was that?”

  “Ahh, fuck!” Reno’s yell came through the phone. “Zane. Fuck! Zane!”

  There was the sound of the phone being jostled then hitting the floor. A scuffle followed by another one of those growls, snaps and hiss sounds, then nothing. Logan heard it all as if it were happening in the room next to him. It made no sense. Were his senses that enhanced just from mating with Clara?

  “What’s going on?” he mumbled. He was suddenly feeling the heat Diane claimed his body was putting off and he was anything but tired. He stripped his shirt off over his head. “Hot. So hot.”
<
br />   All eyes shifted back to him, but it was different. They looked different. His vision was seriously fucked up. He shook his head, trying to clear it, but it didn’t work.

  “See,” Diane said.

  “Jesus Christ,” Tah grunted. “His eyes are fucking glowing.”

  Holt burst into the room. “Little prick had this on him.” He held a needle out to Diane. He said he gave lover boy some,” Holt said, nodding toward Logan. “Then hit Zane with the rest of it.”

  “What happened down there?” Diane demanded.

  “Holy shit,” Holt said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. When he hit Zane with it, Zane reacted immediately. He threw the kid against the wall and went down in a crouch. He did this growl and snapped his teeth together. His eyes were fucked up, glowing and stuff. Then he hissed and it scared the shit out of me. Next thing we knew, he was bursting out of his clothes and taking off. Reno went after him.”

  “Did Dillion say anything about what it was?” Tah demanded.

  “He said he hoped we enjoyed this taste of feral cat fever,” Holt said.

  “Oh, my God!” Diane moaned and turned huge eyes to Logan.

  “What is it?” Abby demanded. “What does it do?”

  “In Logan? I have no idea. Humans don’t get feral cat fever. I’m guessing this is something they’ve cooked up. So I have no idea of the potency of it. There might be some traces left in the syringe. I’ll run tests, but it’ll take time.”

  Logan heard the catch in her voice before she continued.

  “It’s Zane I’m worried about. He’s a full shifter.”

  “What will it do to him?” Tah asked.

  “He’s shifted into his panther. The fever will only strike faster now. He’ll be like a primitive cat, Tah. Vicious, primal, deadly. He could kill someone. The fever will ravage his mind first shutting down his ability to reason, to think outside the animal at all. He’ll essentially be no more than a lethal predator. God help anything or anyone that gets in his way,” Diane told them.

  “How long?” Tah asked.

  “I don’t know,” Diane said. “I have no idea what exactly this Dillion gave them. I don’t know how long it will affect Logan or Zane or what the repercussions of it will be. I just don’t know.”