Coveted

by Stacey Brutger

  She must have made a noise. Those closest didn’t even bother looking up, just curled their emaciated bodies into tighter balls. They were skin and bones, their flesh withered away. It made her realize how much Aiden had suffered, how hard he’d struggled to stay alive and not cower and give up.

  The few in the group who were in wolf form were in the worse condition. They were subdued, diminished to timid little housedogs that peed and hid at any noise. Their fur was matted, as if they were already decaying, their chests barely moving, so she couldn’t tell if they were alive or not.

  Wounds were half healed, and when she looked closer, they appeared to have been inflicted by an animal.

  Another wolf.

  “They have them fighting each other.”

  Aiden stiffened, his face white. So much anger shimmered in his green eyes that he looked ready to do murder.

  Shayla brushed her hand down his back, giving him the only reassurance she could. “We found them.”

  He stiffened, but gave a curt nod and knelt to check the body that lay curled up at his feet.

  A growl rose from a few in the back. Chains snapped as two people charged forward. Aiden surged to his feet but refused to budge from his protective spot in front of her. He bared his teeth and surprisingly, they backed down, looking confused.

  Lassie pushed forward, standing nose to nose with one of the prisoners. The man licked his parched lips, his chain stretched taut, and motioned his companion back. “You have to get out before it’s too late.”

  Lassie ignored the warning and grabbed the chain as if he, alone, would tear apart the walls to get his men free.

  A hoarse laugh from the prisoner echoed down the tunnel. “It’s no use. The only way to get out of the chains is by the key.” He turned away, his chain dragging behind him as he shuffled back to his spot.

  He coughed, then collapsed to his knees under the strain. “They rigged the vents with wolfsbane. Every breath infects us, not merciful enough to kill, but so we don’t fight back when they come for us.”

  Shayla inhaled, but couldn’t smell anything.

  Aiden shook his head at her. “They must be harvesting the pollen and venting it through the tunnels. For any of us exposed over a long period of time, it can do permanent damage. In higher doses, it can kill us outright.”

  The chained man struggled to his feet. “If you stay, the symptoms will only get worse.”

  “Where’s Shawn?” Lassie studied each wolf, as if he could see the person beneath the fur, whirling from one to the next, his movements becoming more and more agitated. “He’s not here.”

  “Those of us still alive are used for surplus. The blood is more potent in the really old or the very new.” The man in the chain hunched over, his shoulders curving in defeat for the first time. “They took him at the start of his change.”

  Lassie’s face crumpled, devastated under the blow of being too late. Deep grooves cut into his face, aging him in seconds. His eyes went yellow as his wolf rose. Teeth elongated, claws slowly emerged from his fingertips as he lost control. He tipped back his head, as if the pain was too great, and howled with such despair tears gathered in her eyes.

  When he looked at them, nothing of the Lassie she knew remained in his eyes.

  He was all beast.

  And very, very angry.

  His eyes scanned the small tunnel, muscles bunched as if ready to launch himself at the first thing that moved.

  Aiden stepped forward and gathered Lassie in a giant bear hug, pinning his arms to his side. Lassie struggled and kicked, bellowing in rage.

  All the wolves were dying, Aiden included. He would never leave his men down here to suffer alone, but Shayla knew she could help these people.

  Help him.

  She had been born for the job.

  She could find that key.

  She slowly backed away, surprised that Aiden permitted the move. If he knew what she’d planned, he would never let her go.

  She memorized every aspect of Aiden until the inky blackness of the tunnel wrapped around her, and he was stolen from view. Without him by her side, fear came rushing back in a near-paralyzing wave. Not allowing herself time to doubt the wisdom of her plan, she whirled and sprinted down the first turn that angled off the main tunnel.

  Much to her surprise, a curious tug drew her further. She crept along the tunnel, the dirt-thickened air heavy in her lungs. A bare bulb dangled every ten feet or so, and she resisted the urge to linger under the light.

  She had to hurry before Aiden used that nose of his to track her. Ignoring the way her stomach lurched at the prospect of entering the Frost World again, Shayla clutched the necklace in her fist. Heat nearly singed her fingers. Shadows began to move like water, the puddles pulling together until a wolf took shape.

  The wolf from the necklace.

  Shayla nearly sagged in relief, abjectly grateful for its presence. “You have a lot of explaining to do after the way you tricked me.”

  The big beast cocked his head. He took a step toward the darkness then glanced back at her. Excitement made her pulse race, and hope burned brighter. “You know where the key is, don’t you?”

  Shayla took off after the loping wolf, barely able to keep up, listening for any little sound that she was being chased. When she rounded the next corner, the glare of bright lights took her off guard, and she skidded to a stop. Dirt floors gave way to stone. Litter lined both sides of the tunnel, the first signs of occupation since she’d abandoned the group.

  And, unfortunately, no sign of her wolf.

  The necklace cooled against her skin, and her heart lurched to find herself truly alone. She stepped forward again, careful not to let her feet scuff against the floor.

  The first room was pitch black. She took a step forward when a gust of decay slapped her in the face. She took a cautious step…only to have her foot met open air.

  She teetered over the edge. Felt herself slide. Her heart slammed against her ribs, and she threw herself backwards, clutching at the doorway. With solid reassurance of stone against her back, Shayla glanced down.

  And looked into a pit straight from hell.

  Dead bodies were piled up haphazardly like broken dolls, tossed away and forgotten. They had been stripped of valuables, anything that marked them as a person. They were a commodity, used and discarded here to rot, no one the wiser.

  Many were at least partly submerged in water, reducing the stench. The surf crashed in the distance, waiting for the tide to sweep the dead out to sea, but there were just too many bodies to hide anymore.

  Who could’ve imagined that humans were the biggest monsters?

  Another gust of wind pushed, at her as if shoving her out of the room. Wraiths of the dead pressed against her, swirling around seeking vengeance. Overwhelmed by their violent emotions, Shayla backed away. They followed her like shadows. She couldn’t brush them off, couldn’t escape, the relentless chill of death ruthlessly clinging to her.

  This had been a horrible idea, but there was no going back, not without the key. Shayla hurried toward the next room, wishing her Neanderthal was at her side.

  The room was dark. She paused, but couldn’t see or hear anything. The need to hurry surged through her, and she took a step back to leave when a pair of glowing eyes reflected back at her from the darkness.

  Wolf eyes.

  She had to force herself to not run. Adrenaline pumping, Shayla crept into the room, feeling increasingly jumpy and ready to flee at the first sign of aggression.

  As her eyes adjusted, what she had assumed was a wolf was actually a young man strapped to a hospital bed. His beast stared at her boldly. She knew those eyes, recognized his older brother in them.

  She hurried forward, dismayed to see the kid was so young. His eyes widened at her approach. A strap of leather was stretched across his mouth, biting cruelly into his flesh. He rocked back and forth, trying to break free, but remained stuck like an insect pinned in a science experiment.
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br />   “You must be Shawn.” The kid immediately stilled. “You have one very determined brother. He never stopped searching for you.” What she had assumed was an IV was actually a bag of blood.

  They were draining him.

  She yanked out the needle, wincing when a trickle of blood dribbled from the wound. “Sorry.”

  Her fingers, still stiff from the cold, fumbled with the metal re-enforced leather straps at his wrist. His fingers clenched and unclenched, anger radiating from him like a furnace. She’d just gotten the first loop undone when a light flicked on in the room.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  Shayla whirled at the clip British accent. Temporarily blinded by the light, it took a second before her eyes finally focused on the stunning woman in the entryway. This had to be the woman who had lured Aiden and countless other wolves to their doom. The type of woman Aiden normally dated…tall, model-skinny, and gorgeous.

  The complete opposite of Shayla.

  “Nora, I presume?” Her temper threatened to snap. For tempting Aiden. For betraying and imprisoning these people, and abandoned them here to be murdered.

  By the time Shayla could see without spots, Nora had slipped a cattle prod off the wall and sauntered toward her, electricity sparking between the prongs.

  “And you must be the stupid cow who hurt Jacob. You’re going to pay for ruining his face.”

  Shayla heard the man on the table moving. All she had to do was buy some time, two against one and all that. “Can’t bear to have him touch you anymore?” Shayla shuddered, not all of it fake. “Just trying to get his face to match the ugliness inside him.”

  Shayla retreated a step, battling the instinctive need to reach behind her for the knife. It would do her no good against a human, especially if Shayla couldn’t get near enough to use the darn thing.

  When Nora jabbed the weapon forward, Shayla lunged for it.

  And nearly got stabbed for her trouble. This wasn’t the first time the woman had used the cattle prod. The gleam of malice in her eyes spoke volumes. She enjoyed inflicting pain. Being in charge.

  Shayla leapt out of the way of the next thrust, her hip crashing into the IV cart. The whole side of her body stung at the impact. She snatched up the three blood-filled bags and tossed them at the woman one at a time.

  Nora’s eyes widened in alarm, and she dropped her weapon to catch them. She managed the first, but the second smacked her in the chest, slid through her arms and crashed to the floor. Blood splattered everywhere. The third bag followed the second, the thick blood spread across the floor like a living thing.

  Nora gave an enraged howl and glared at Shayla. “You idiot. Do you know how much you just cost us?” Her teeth flashed, more of a grimace as she smiled. “I’m going to enjoy feeding you to the pets.”

  A snarl rose from the other side of the room. Nora whipped around to see that the boy had almost freed himself. He frantically jerked on the last strap imprisoning his leg. Fear tinged her expression for the first time. Instead of following through on her threat, she sprinted for the door, skidding on the blood, crashing to her knee before she caught her balance and ran.

  Shayla debated helping the kid, but took off after Nora instead. She couldn’t be allowed to sound the alarm. By the time Shayla sprinted into the hall, the woman had a good head start. Though Nora might be able to move, Shayla’s extra pounds were all muscle. She caught up in no time. Without giving herself time to think, she hurled herself forward, barreling into Nora’s scrawny back. The momentum slammed the other woman into the wall with a sickening crunch. Shayla wasn’t able to slow in time and collided with Nora a second time.

  The impact rocked through Shayla, and they both thudded to the floor. She lay stunned, her lungs trying to figure out how to work again. She shoved a bony leg off her back and pushed up into a sitting position, rubbed her stinging mouth with the back of her hand and winced when she saw the smear of blood.

  Split lip.

  All the excitement made her fingers shake, and she used her foot to nudge Nora. The bitch didn’t move. Vindictive pleasure at breaking Nora’s pretty face helped ease the pain.

  By the time Shayla could look up without her stomach crawling up her throat, the young man stood in the hall, wolf eyes still blazing from his human face.

  Though dangerously pale, he cautiously made his way toward her, sniffing her scent, all gangly arms and legs. Shayla smiled, but ruined it when her lip cracked and fresh blood welled. “I don’t suppose you know where the key is located?”

  The boy held out a hand.

  Shayla hesitated, then accepted his offer. He pulled her upright with more strength than she’d expected and she crashed into him. They both staggered, clutching each other to remain upright. When she would’ve stepped back, he tightened the grip on her arm and tugged, pulling her back the way she’d came.

  Shayla resisted, dug in her feet, but couldn’t gain any traction. “That’s the wrong way. I need to get the key.”

  The boy didn’t even look back, hauling her behind him. “We have to leave here. You can’t be caught.”

  The words were garbled as he tried to talk around some very pronounced canine teeth. Blood trickled from his lips. He reached up to touch his mouth, but dropped his hands, angling his face away from her.

  She hadn’t realized how traumatizing it could be to be turned. When he noticed her stare, he ducked his head as if ashamed.

  “Monster.” His voice cracked on the world.

  Shayla’s heart broke. Aiden said kids didn’t change until puberty. He was caught between human and wolf. The pain had to be excruciating. She tugged on his hand, not flinching as his wolf peered up at her.

  Praying she knew what the hell she was doing, Shayla touched the necklace. The shadowy shape of his wolf materialized next to him, barely discernable in the tunnel. He was painfully skinny, scruffy and fading, nothing more than a young pup compared to Aiden’s beast. If she hadn’t rescued him, she had no doubt neither of them would be alive right now. “Not a monster, but a long line of ancient warriors. Right now, you’re going through your first transition. It’s painful and terrifying but very normal.”

  Shayla could tell he was listening, even his wolf stopped pacing, and a fragile hope gleamed in his eyes. “Really?”

  The necklace warmed under her touch. “There are very few of you left. I know someone who can help you gain control and train you. I’m not afraid, and you shouldn’t be either.”

  “Then you’re an utter fool.” They both whirled at the voice. The boy cowered, his shoulders hunching, his body curling up to protect itself. A rumble spilled from his parted lips, turning into a pained whimper as he trembled. He tugged on her hand, trying to pull her behind him, determined to protect her in spite of his terror.

  Shayla squeezed his hand and planted her feet. She refused to let anyone harm him. Not while she could still fight.

  A man sauntered out of the darkness. He looked at the woman on the ground, then casually stepped over her without a second glance. When he lifted his head, Shayla barely recognized him as the man who’d taken such pleasure in torturing Aiden.

  “You.”

  The difference in the man was shocking. His once-pristine appearance resembled a character from a zombie flick. Stained clothes hung on him. The stench of sweat lingered like a toxic cloud, stinging her nose with its potency. The glitter in his eyes warned he’d stopped caring about anything but revenge.

  Four prominent slashes marred his face. The smile he gave her wasn’t pleasant, twisting the scars on his cheek until the wounds Aiden had inflicted gaped open despite the Frankenstein stitching. “You and I have things to discuss.”

  He ran a finger down the ruined side of his face, his eyes almost feverish. “Where is your wolf man?”

  Fear for Aiden rocketed through her. She’d been a fool for running off by herself. She had wanted to help, but instead had given this maniac the perfect bait. Shayla cast about for something she co
uld use as a distraction, something to give them time to run. That’s when he produced a key. It was tied to a string. Even as she watched, he wrapped it around his hand and dangled it in front of her. “Looking for something?”

  Trapped.

  Tension melted out of her. She wasn’t going anywhere without that key, and if his relaxed posture was any indication, he knew it, too. She had to get the kid out of there. She had surprise on her side. Doing the unexpected was her best weapon. “What do you want?”

  “Why, you, of course.” His grin was not nice.

  She turned toward Shawn and smiled. His eyes widened, and he shook his head as if he knew what she had planned.

  “Wait until I tell you to move. Do you understand?”

  Without giving herself a chance to hesitate, Shayla threw herself at Jacob. She had no way to defeat him, so she had to use underhanded tricks. Right before impact, she dropped and slammed into his stomach with her full weight behind the blow.

  Air swooshed out of them both. As he struggled to pin her, Shayla pulled the knife from her waistband, and slashed at his hand.

  The key dropped to the floor with a ping.

  Shayla lunged for it, only to be tackled from behind. Refusing to give up, she clawed forward until cool metal met her fingertips. She shoved the key toward Shawn, watching it skim the ground. “Run!”

  Reflexes took over. Shawn bent, the movement a blur, catching the key without fumbling. He clutched the metal in his fist, surprise widening his eyes. When he looked up at her, his body tensed as he debated joining the fight.

  A new fear took root, and Shayla frantically shook her head. “Move your ass. That’s an order.”

  Power flowed out of her and hit Shawn directly in the chest. He took a tiny step back, reluctant, but unable to disobey. Then he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

  Shayla was hauled backwards. Twisting, she brought up the knife again. She’d never expected to use the weapon on a human, but felt no remorse. Jacob deserved to be carved up and so much more.