Jerard nodded.
“Do you think we thwarted their efforts? My grandfather said most of the superwolves are at a training facility outside D.C.”
“Not surprising. We certainly didn’t pick all of them up today. More than that were captured at the Spencer ranch in Texas. I believe Cunningham upped the rate of transformations in the last weeks. The ones we picked up here today were probably newly converted.”
“So the shifters working in the lab had undoubtedly been kept in a drugged state that prevented them from shifting while they were used as work horses.”
Jerard nodded. “Many were rogue wolves he lured in with promises of a better life.”
“My grandfather is dead now. Maybe there’s a way to locate this training facility and put an end to all this mayhem.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” Jerard shook his head. “I’m afraid this operation is much larger than we can imagine. I doubt Melvin’s death will be more than a blip on the radar.”
“What about the women you rescued?” Heather asked. “I didn’t see any female supershifters anywhere. What was the purpose of our kidnapping and what drugs were we given?”
“It seems the drugs were various combinations of rohypnol and scopolamine. I believe you were given the shots to keep you malleable and docile while they tested you for other indicators. Those drugs are like date rape drugs. They probably intended to trick you into believing someone was your mate.” Jerard pulled a chair out from under the desk and sat.
Marcus remained standing. “Those date drugs you mentioned are probably the ones I was given last year.”
Jerard nodded. “Undoubtedly. That would have been in the early stages of Melvin’s research. He used you as a guinea pig to determine how far he could take the level of suggestion.”
“It didn’t work.”
“Ah, but it did. You believed both Kenzie and then Kathleen Davis were your legitimate mates. The only fault was they hadn’t received the same drug. Perhaps Melvin didn’t care about the failure of the test. He might have considered it a success that you made the attempt to mate them.”
Marcus shivered. Jerard was correct.
Heather wrapped an arm around Marcus, setting her head on his shoulder. “So what do you think he intended to do with the women, including me?”
Jerard shifted his gaze from Marcus to Heather. “I’m sure Cunningham intended to create a new army from birth. He was probably on the cusp of altering DNA either before or during gestation.”
She squeezed Marcus’s arm tighter. “Breeding? To make more superwolves?”
Jerard nodded. “Reproduction. Yes. I think he was selecting males who had the indicator in their genetic makeup and intending to breed them with the hopes of creating an entire new species of superwolves from conception.”
“I didn’t have the right genes, did I?”
Marcus turned to Heather, confused. “How do you know that?”
“Because I didn’t have a microchip in me. I wasn’t as valuable.”
“Bingo.” Jerard smiled.
Heather gave a sharp inhale. “That means Daniel Spencer’s mate, Allison, did have the right gene.”
“Yes. That’s why she’s under protection. We didn’t want to take the risk she or any of the other six women that had a GPS tracker in them were kidnapped again.”
“Do you think they’re safe now?”
Jerard shook his head. “To be honest, I’m not sure how much good it will do to have made this raid and shut down this operation. We can hope, but the reality is there are other superwolves out there already. Even if we rounded them all up, I don’t think this madness would stop. The infrastructure of the Romulus is deep. So many people work under Cunningham, I can’t guess the number.
“I’d like to think by cutting off the head, we’ve put a stop to this madness, but if someone in Washington is bankrolling the operation, there’s no telling how easy it would be to open up another facility under different leadership tomorrow. They most likely have all the same data we stole.” Jerard shook his head in dismay. “I’m afraid this is war, the likes of which our species has never undergone. And the end to our lives under the radar.
“I’ll be heading back to Seattle now to meet with everyone in The Head Council office. Now that we know who the mole was, we no longer need to tiptoe around. Everyone needs to be informed. Everyone needs to prepare. Including all civilian shifters. We’re going to have to mobilize fast to ensure the maximum number of shifters knows what’s coming.”
Marcus hated every word he was hearing, but he had to agree. Even if his grandfather was just the catalyst who got the ball rolling, the likelihood his demise would put an end to the threat was slim. Another leader could be elevated to the head position in a heartbeat. Another compound could open anywhere in the world.
In fact, it probably already had…
“We’ve met at the Gatherings for almost one hundred years. Tonight we must accept that time has come to an end. We must prepare for a new way of life, one in which we find a way to live in harmony with humans and help them fight against the evil that’s coming.” Jerard stood. “Let’s get back to Seattle.”
Marcus swallowed. Seattle wasn’t the first place he’d intended to head when this was over. It hadn’t made the short list.
Jerard glanced at them both. “If you don’t mind, I’d like you two to accompany me. You were instrumental in shutting this facility down. Many people will have questions about the last few days, hell…years, you both endured, especially you, Marcus. If you’re in agreement, I’d like to bring you onto my staff.”
The older man turned toward Heather. “You too, Heather. We’re going to need medical personal. Lots of them. You’ll need to be brought up to date about the latest genetic research, of course, but we’ll be floundering to get on top of this and every doctor and nurse available will be crucial to our operation.”
Heather nodded. “I’ll do anything I can.” She lifted her face to Marcus.
Lord, she was amazing. He loved her more now than ever before. “Wherever you go, I go. Seattle it is.”
Epilogue
One month later…
Marcus looked at the caller ID on his phone, not recognizing the number or area code. He glanced at his watch. Jerard was expecting him to attend a meeting in five minutes. On impulse he took the call. “Peters speaking.” He smiled to himself. He’d gone against the grain of society and taken his mate’s name. He never wanted to be associated with the name Cunningham again in his life.
“Hello. Is this the office of Ralph Jerard?” The deep, sure voice was not one Marcus recognized.
“It is. How may I help you? This is his assistant.” Marcus stood, tucking the phone under his chin and grabbing a stack of file folders as he gathered items for the meeting.
“This is Secretary of Defense, William Bradford. I was hoping to make an appointment with Mr. Jerard at his earliest convenience.”
Marcus froze, dropping the files back on his desk and gripping the phone tighter with his hand. The Secretary of Defense?
“Um.” He was speechless. What did Mr. Bradford want with Jerard?
“It’s a matter of national security and essential I speak with him as soon as possible,” Mr. Bradford continued.
“Of course, sir. I’m sure Mr. Jerard would be interested in speaking with you also. Is this a good number for you? I’ll check with him and get back with you within the hour.”
“Yes. This is my private cell. It’s secure. Is this a good number to contact Mr. Jerard?”
“Yes, sir. I’m his personal assistant. I’m available twenty-four/seven.”
“Good. I’m sure Mr. Jerard is a busy man, but I hope you can arrange something for me, preferably without informing anyone else and on neutral territory. I’m in Seattle now. Name the time and the place, and I’ll be there.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get back with you right away, sir.”
“Thank you, Mr. Peters. I appreciate your help.�
� The line went dead.
Marcus’s hands shook. This could be the break we’ve been waiting for. Hastily he left the room, abandoning his files altogether and striding quickly down the halls of The Head Council’s office building. When he rounded the door to the conference room, he found half a dozen people already gathered.
Jerard had his head bent over some document, looking at the details with the woman next to him. His reading glasses were perched on his nose.
Marcus silently approached and bent to whisper in his boss’s ear. “Something urgent has come up. Can you postpone this meeting?”
Jerard lifted his gaze, his brow furrowed. He must have read the seriousness on Marcus’s face, however, because he immediately curbed his surprise and turned to the room at large. “I’m sorry, everyone. Something’s come up. We need to postpone until later today.” He stood and turned toward Marcus. “What time shall I say?”
Marcus shook his head. “You won’t be available today at all.” He pursed his lips.
“All right, then. I’ll e-mail you all later with a new meeting day and time. My apologies.” He nodded at everyone and followed Marcus from the room.
Marcus felt an overwhelming sense of loyalty toward his new boss of a month. And clearly the man trusted him enough to rearrange his world on a dime if that’s what Marcus deemed necessary. No questions asked.
Jerard’s previous assistant, Alex Marshall, had been elevated to a new position within The Head Council. According to Jerard, selecting Marcus as his replacement had been an easy choice.
Never had Marcus approached Jerard with a request as this one this morning, and he felt relieved he hadn’t needed to expound on his request in front of everyone in the room.
Without a word, Jerard followed Marcus down the hall and out a side door.
Marcus didn’t utter a single syllable until they stood halfway across the outdoor patio area, typically used by employees taking a lunch break or needing a moment of privacy. This constituted the single most necessary need for privacy Marcus had encountered since Jerard hired him.
Jerard waited.
Marcus glanced around to ensure himself they were indeed alone. “I just got a call from William Bradford, Secretary of Defense.”
Jerard gasped.
“He wants to meet with you ASAP. I told him I would call him back as quickly as possible.”
“Wonderful. Hopefully this is the break we’ve been waiting for.”
“How can we be sure he knows anything?”
“We can’t. But we can hope. If we don’t find a champion on our side within the U.S. government soon, we’re doomed to failure. God knows what the Romulus has planned in D.C., or anyplace in the world for that matter.”
“Well, he sounded serious and made it perfectly clear it was urgent. I have to assume he came to Seattle for this reason alone.”
“So, he’s here? In Seattle?”
Marcus nodded.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Call him back. Let’s go meet him.”
•●•
It was late, after nine o’clock, when Marcus finally came through the front door of the apartment he shared with Heather. They’d moved into the housing base at NAR when they’d come to Seattle. They weren’t the only civilians living and working in close proximity to The Head Council. Living on base had been a no-brainer. It was the only location where their safety could be assured.
Heather stepped into the living room from the kitchen, a smile on her face. “Long day?” She came straight to him as he dropped his briefcase on the floor next to the door and kicked off his shoes. She did this every night without fail, and it warmed Marcus’s heart to know she waited eagerly for him. He certainly entered the apartment eager for her each evening.
His mate wrapped her arms around his chest and kissed him until he softened beneath her, his heart rate slowing, his breathing easier.
“Interesting day,” Marcus said as she released his lips. “The Secretary of Defense called me, and I took Jerard to meet with him.” Most normal employees of any governing force wouldn’t share such intimate details with their spouses, but there was nothing normal about Heather’s involvement in this operation, and Marcus was glad. If he had to keep hundreds of secrets from Heather, it would have driven him bonkers.
Heather raised an eyebrow and tugged Marcus to the couch. She pressed him to sit and then straddled his lap, pressing her pussy against his cock. This wasn’t unusual for her, either. She went to work on his tie as she questioned him. “Wow. That’s huge. What did he want?”
“Apparently he’s been spying on the Secretary of Homeland Security, Mr. George Fitzsimmons, and gathering intel for quite some time. He’d grown suspicious when large sums of money were being allocated to a mysterious recipient. It would seem the Secretary of Homeland Security is our government mole. Mr. Bradford finally had enough information to definitively discover the existence of shifters.”
Heather dropped the tie she’d removed and met Marcus’s gaze. “Are you shitting me?”
Marcus shook his head. “I wish. But this is a good thing. We already knew there had to be some humans out there aware of our existence. We knew the funds had to be coming from somewhere in the government. At least now we’ve met with a man who’s on our side in this mess.”
“He said that?”
“Yes. He’s been snooping around for months. He knew more about The Head Council than I do. He was beyond informed and ready to make us a deal.”
“What deal?” Heather went to work on Marcus’s shirt buttons.
“My grandfather’s people are so organized, there’s no stopping them. Even with Melvin gone, we can’t prevent the wheels that were already in motion. Apparently Mr. Fitzsimmons thinks he has himself an army of supershifters to use at his disposal.”
“And what does he think he’s going to use them for?”
“To overthrow the government for starters.”
Heather gasped. She released Marcus’s open shirt and grabbed both sides in her fists. “Do you think that’s possible?”
“It was a lot more likely before today. But now we have Bradford on our side. And he has us on his. He’s willing to do anything to keep the government from falling to this bunch of assholes, of course. There may be almost a hundred supershifters at large ready to go to war, but they can’t compare to the numbers we have in the North American Reserves, especially if you toss in the United States military.”
Heather nodded, her shoulders lowering as her heart rate slowed. “That’s a good thing.”
“It’s a great thing.” Marcus tucked his hands under her ass and squeezed. “Jerard is flying to D.C. with Mr. Bradford as we speak. He’ll meet with a constituent from the government that’s coming together to work with NAR. They’ll hold off leaking any information about shifters to the general public, or even the rest of the government, until there’s no other choice. If the Romulus pushes them against a wall, NAR will come out. Until then, let’s hope the group in D.C. can help contain this problem.
“It’s the break we’ve been waiting for. Instead of having to pick someone inside the cabinet and hope for the best explaining our species and our issues, the government has come to us. Melvin Cunningham’s band of rogue superfighters is going down.” Marcus kissed her lips firmly. “This calls for a celebration.”
“What did you have in mind?” Heather tipped her head to one side and smiled at him coyly. She ran her palms over his bare chest and pushed his shirt off his shoulders. The imp pressed her pussy firmly against his hardening cock.
Marcus lifted himself off the couch, forcing Heather to wrap her legs firmly around his waist as she squealed. He headed down the hall to their bedroom and didn’t pause until he had her flat on her back, his body hovering over hers. “Take your clothes off, baby.”
Heather scrambled to pull her shirt over her head. She dropped it on the bed and then squirmed out of her skirt. Her bra and panties followed.
Marcus smiled at her. God she
was sexy. Marcus tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and inhaled her scent deeply. When he lowered his gaze to her, he grinned. “I see.”
“You see what?”
“The reason why you’re so horny today.”
“Can’t a woman simply be horny without a specific reason?”
Marcus unbuttoned his pants and then shrugged them over his hips, taking his underwear with them. He pulled off his socks and climbed up between his mate’s spread legs. “Sure they can. Or they can be in heat.”
Heather sucked in a breath. She squirmed backward away from Marcus’s approach. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” He grabbed her legs and pulled her back toward him until her pussy lined up with his cock. The damn hard-on he had was worse than ever, compliments of his mate’s pheromones. “But don’t look so concerned. I told you I would never intentionally impregnate you until you were ready.” He leaned over her and took a nipple between his lips, sucking until she writhed and grabbed his biceps.
When he popped off, she spoke again, her voice ragged with arousal. “Now isn’t a good time, Marcus. The world is too uncertain.”
“I agree.” He sucked her other nipple into his mouth next.
She firmed her grip. “Then what are we going to do?”
Marcus finally took pity on her. He lifted his head from her chest and leaned over to the bedside table to extract a condom. When he returned to center, he held it up. “I hate these things.”
“Me too. But…”
“I know.” He smiled. “No worries. I’ll protect you from my swimmers for a few days.” As much as he would love to have a child with Heather, he had to agree with her reasoning. Now was a bad time. Hopefully soon the world would be a better place, and they wouldn’t have to worry about so many factors concerning the birth of another shifter. He ripped the foil open and rolled the condom onto his cock.
“Thank you.” She visibly relaxed her frame.
He stroked a hand between her breasts, across her stomach, and lower. When he pressed into her pussy, he found her wetter than ever.
Betrayed (Wolf Gatherings Book 6) Page 18
