The Wolf's Heart

by Jenna Leigh

  She peered around him to see the chaotic battle as it raged around the room. Marcus was in the thick of it too, having shifted into his larger Wolfkin form. She tensed when one of the others charged him, but he was ready. Grinning, Marcus ripped its arm off. Using the limb like a grotesque baseball bat, he slammed it into the creature’s face, breaking its neck with a resounding crack.

  She stood frozen to the spot, watching with fascinated horror. When Mick pulled on her hand again, she snapped her gaze back to his face. “No, we can’t leave Jordan here.”

  Mick made a sound between a whine and a growl. “Ma’am.”

  “I won’t leave him.”

  “Go, damn it.” Jordan glared up at her when she turned back to look at him.

  “No.”

  “Fine.” Mick leaned down and picked the other man up, slinging him easily over one broad shoulder. He turned and reached out his other hand for her to take.

  She did, but not before she pulled a metal object from its slot in the wall. At least she’d have a weapon of some kind. But it brought all new meaning to the old saying, “if you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch”.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Lainie curled her fingers in one of the belt loops on Mick’s jeans as they made their way back through the dark hallways of the warehouse. In the other hand she still held the metal object she’d taken for protection.

  “Hey, what’s that in your hand?” Jordan turned his head to look at her from his upside-down position over Mick’s shoulder.

  “I don’t know. It’s heavy though.” She swung it in an arc.

  Jordan’s eyes narrowed then he grinned. “Umm, I know what that is. One of Jacob’s people mentioned it in front of me to scare me.”

  Lainie held it up and looked at it closely. It was about six inches long, made of smooth metal that widened into a circular phalange at the end before narrowing into a convenient handle. “It reminds me of those nightsticks the cops have.”

  Mick looked over at her at the same time that Jordan answered. “Nope, it’s an anal probe.”

  She let it fall with a clang and gagged. “Ew. Gross.”

  Jordan laughed until she wiped her hand in his hair. “Hey!”

  They walked in silence for a few minutes, down the hall. “This place is huge. Where are all the damn windows?”

  “We’re underground, Ms. Westerbrook,” Mick answered, giving her a strange look.

  “Well, how was I supposed to know that? They blindfolded me before we ever got here,” Lainie defended her ignorance.

  “I was knocked out,” Jordan put in with a tone that seemed to say that he’d won this contest.

  “Shush.”

  “You don’t shush me; I’m the eldest of this group,” Jordan snarled.

  “Yeah, I guess that’s why we gotta carry your old ass out, huh?”

  “Lainie, that’s a low blow. Kicking a man while he’s down.”

  “But you aren’t down, I’m carrying you,” Mick pointed out.

  “Hush.” Jordan poked the other man in the back.

  “Don’t you be mean to him.” Lainie smacked Jordan in the head. They’d been quiet so long, but as they hadn’t met anyone, all were beginning to relax.

  “If you hit me again, I’m telling Marcus to give you a whippin’.”

  “You will not!”

  “Ah, the foibles of youth.” The voice that came from the dark stopped them in their tracks.

  Mick immediately backed Lainie into a corner, letting Jordan slide down to the floor with a thump. “Bet you wished you’d kept the anal probe now, huh? Wuss.” Lainie ignored Jordan’s muttered comment except for “accidentally” stepping on his leg hard enough to make him grunt.

  Samuel stepped out of the shadows at the far corner of the room. At his side, a huge red wolf lowered its head and growled at them, showing long gleaming fangs that Lainie was quite sure could tear off her leg with one chomp.

  “Damn, that’s one big bitch.” Jordan sounded awestruck.

  “It’s a girl?” Lainie whispered back, both of them peering through Mick’s legs. “How can you tell?” When he didn’t answer, she turned to see his leer. “Oh. Ew.”

  “Ew? Not even, she’s fine.” He peered closer. “Nice eyes too.”

  “Uh huh, you were looking at her eyes.” They were pretty though, a bright aqua, almost turquoise, that glowed eerily in the dimness of the vast room.

  “Elaine, come out of there and nobody has to get hurt.” Samuel stared down at where she crouched.

  Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin . She didn’t say it out loud, doubting that Sam would get the reference and unwilling to give Jordan any ammo about her having chin hair. Instead, she shook her head and waited.

  Mick only stood there, head lowered and shoulders hunched. A low growl emanated from deep within his chest.

  Sam seemed to be surprised, if his expression was anything to go by. “You would dare? I knew you when you were a pup.”

  “I’m not a pup now.” Mick didn’t seem intimidated. Hell, he had Lainie beat. Sam’s stern visage, combined with the big, scary bitch dog were enough to make her quake in her boots, if she were wearing any.

  “Let me have her. They’ll never have to know,” Sam cajoled. The wolf at his side snarled, and stepped forward only to stop at another growl from Mick.

  Her eyes met Lainie’s and she let out a small yip. “Yes, that’s right, girl, that’s her.” Sam petted the top of her head.

  Jordan shuffled slightly, pulling her attention from the wolf and her master. “I’m getting the feeling back in my legs. Maybe I can shift.” He began to concentrate; sweat broke out on his forehead.

  “Don’t strain yourself.” Lainie meant it. He’d gone ashen and his mouth was tight with pain.

  “Elaine!” Samuel’s voice made her jerk. “Come out of there. They won’t stop you. All of it will be over. I promise they won’t be hurt if you do.”

  “Okay, just back up.” She shifted to go around Mick’s legs but he put his hand down to stop her.

  “No.”

  “I’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me and if I do what he says, he won’t hurt you two either.” She smiled at Jordan. “Be sure to tell him I love him. I never got to say it.” She paused and turned back. “And tell him to hurry his ass up and come get me.”

  Then before either man could say anything else, she slipped out of the corner and ran toward Sam. When she got within his reach, he pulled her close. “Thank you so much for your cooperation in this matter. When I regain my position as Lupin, your actions will be taken into consideration.”

  Dear God, she’d gone over to the Vulcan side, straight to Psycho-Spock. He possessed all of the logic and none of the morals that went with the fictional character of one of her favorite TV series. However, she didn’t harbor any illusions that he’d treat her well. Oh, crap, now she was talking like him in her head.

  “Come along, Elaine. You too, Jade.” With that astounding revelation, he jerked her arm, pulling her along behind him.

  Her mind began to work furiously. Was it possible to turn a normal human into a wolf? She looked at the canine as it walked beside her, its big tail occasionally brushing against her leg. She didn’t seem ferocious now. In fact, she was almost friendly.

  The trio moved toward the exit and Lainie chanced a look down into the wolf’s eyes. “Hi there,” she whispered and got a snarl in reply. Well, hell, so much for a touching reunion.

  “Elaine, do not attempt to communicate with her in this form. She is unstable.” Sam’s voice held no inflection but some note alerted her to the fact that he wasn’t happy about whatever had caused this.

  “Why is she unstable?”

  “Incidents occurred which were beyond my control. Some of which make her skittish of being in her human form.” He pushed the door open to show a set of steps leading upwards.

  Lainie had no clue where they were. She’d been carried in here trussed up and blindfolded, so
she didn’t even know how to get out. This, combined with the big bad bitch that stalked beside her kept her from running away. Once they got outside, she hoped to get the opportunity to escape.

  Samuel’s hand tightened on her wrist when they came to yet another door. “Where are all the people?” she ventured. They hadn’t met anyone, which was strange.

  “Not many know about this place. And the ones that do are fighting with Marcus.” Sam’s tone changed when he said his son’s name, leaving her with no doubt about how much he hated him.

  “He’ll win, you know. And when he does, he’ll come after you.” Lainie sounded calm, surprising herself. Then when she thought about it, she found she really did believe it. Marcus would win, and he would come for her, no matter what. She knew she was smiling like a loon and didn’t care. “He loves me.”

  “He doesn’t love you. He wants you. It’s called chemistry.” Sam scoffed at her notion of love. “I would know, as I created it.”

  “Bullshit.” Lainie kept her goofy grin in place. “He does.” The wolf sidled closer to her and she put her hand down to touch the fur on the ruff of her neck.

  “Believe what you wish.” Sam pulled her through the last door, out into the warm desert night before stopping to glare down at her.

  “Where are we going?” She dug her toes in the dirt, hoping to slow him down. “I need shoes, unless you want to carry me.”

  Sam kept looking around in all directions, then, finally, almost as an afterthought, up at the full moon over their heads. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He pointed upwards. “When I began my experiments so long ago, I never knew it would make me a slave to the moon’s phases. Much like women, I feel its pull too.”

  “Yeah, PMS sucks, huh?” Lainie edged away from him slightly. His mood was pensive, almost sad, but she wasn’t going to put any bets on him staying this way.

  “Hmm. Come here, Elaine.” He crooked his finger at her.

  She shook her head and took a step back. “Tell me why you took me away from my mother.”

  “Your mother?” His lips curled in a sneer. “Your mother had you at my behest and then just handed you over for a pittance.”

  She slowly shook her head. Joanna’s memory blocks no longer worked. “You’re lying, I know it. I remember the fire.”

  “You remember incorrectly.”

  Lainie began to shake. “You killed her, didn’t you? You killed my mama and you took me.” The wolf whined and pushed at Lainie with her shoulder, moving her away from Sam.

  “Nonsense. That was an old nightmare. You’ve had it for a long time. I used to come and soothe you and tell you stories when you were just a little girl.” He looked benign, but she wasn’t fooled. Behind that civilized veneer, he was just as fierce as he professed Marcus to be. At least with Marcus, the ferocity was tempered with emotion, compassion. This man could be savage without remorse.

  “Why?” She kept her voice low and soft. She was afraid, sensing the anger simmering in him. It was as if the moon drew it from deep down within.

  His movements became more agitated. His features sharpened with hunger and rage. However, at her question, he snapped back, at least temporarily. “You were to be the mother of my new dynasty.”

  As if this idea made him happy, his eyes began to glow. “Then, Marcus came in and stole you from beneath my nose, with the help of David, of course. I should have killed that creature when I had the chance. Instead, I let my own scientific curiosity keep him alive to study.”

  “What about your son? Do you wish you’d killed him too?”

  “I was proud of Marcus. He’s strong, brave and intelligent. But, he has this streak of nobility that I have always found to be highly inconvenient.” He shook his head as if sad about the fact. “I tried to weed it out, but David always seemed to be able to keep it from being eradicated no matter what.”

  “I see.” Lainie swallowed hard.

  As Sam talked of David and Marcus, he started shaking.

  Desperately, she searched the area for possible hiding places besides back inside the warehouse. The moonlight illuminated the flat landscape that went on forever. Sam wanted a baby. The act that she’d have to commit with him to get it made bile rise in her throat and she shuddered. “No.” Her voice was thick with suppressed terror.

  “Your wishes no longer matter, Elaine.”

  “Did they ever?” She took a deep breath and held it for the space of a few heartbeats.

  “No.” He rolled his neck back and forth as if to release tension in his muscles.

  She watched him warily, waiting for his next move. Only the three of them stood out here. The battle that raged behind them could have been happening on the moon for all the disturbance it caused here. She was alone, isolated and terrified. In that one moment, she knew that she’d never submit to what he wanted. She’d rather die. She didn’t try to tell herself that she could prevent it from happening, but she could control the outcome. He’d have to kill her.

  He reached out and grabbed her before she could even blink. The reflexes of these men still had the ability to surprise her. He didn’t hurt her, just pulled her to his chest. He wore a lab coat and a button-down shirt, incongruous with the savage look on his face. “I won’t hurt you, if you don’t fight.”

  She bared her teeth at him. “If you think I’ll lie down and take it, you’re dead wrong. You may have made me a bitch, but I ain’t your bitch.”

  His arms tightened and she had to fight to breathe. With a whispered order for her to be still, he tried to kiss her. She jerked her head away but one of his hands twisted in her hair to hold her in place.

  “No.” She clamped her jaw closed, resisting him to the end.

  He hissed her name again, but she closed her eyes, blocking him out. His mouth pressed against hers, and when she refused to open for him, his fingers slid around and pried her jaw open.

  She kicked futilely at his shins, earning bruised toes for her efforts.

  “Stop it.” He looked into her eyes for a second then swooped down again. This time he succeeded in putting his mouth on hers and the first wave of nausea hit her. He literally sickened her.

  Her body reacted to his nearness, violently. When she heaved, he pushed her away from him. She fell, catching herself on her palms with a wince. They stung, but otherwise she was unhurt. “I…” She took a shaky breath and let it out. The nausea subsided as if it had never existed.

  “What did he do to you?” Sam crouched down and pinched her chin between his thumb and fingers. He sniffed her neck before pulling away.

  “I don’t know what you mean. I got sick. I couldn’t help it,” she babbled, terrified of the look on his face.

  His eyes were hard and flat, and his stony expression didn’t bode well for her immediate future. “You’re useless to me now.” His gaze moved up and down her form, lingering on her stomach then her breasts before pinning her with a glare. “It’s of no consequence, I’ll fix it.”

  “Fix what?” She didn’t get an answer from him, but in the next second, it didn’t matter because she heard the most beautiful sound in the world—Marcus’s voice howling her name.

  She wasted no time, just kicked out, catching Samuel in the sternum with her heel. He let out a satisfying woof as he lost both his breath and his balance.

  Lainie rolled to her feet and did what was fast becoming a habit for her. She ran like hell in the other direction, hoping that this time, she’d get lucky and get away.

  Unfortunately, she’d only taken about three steps when someone swept her up and threw her over their broad shoulder. “Put me down, you asshole!” She put both her fists together and slammed them into where she thought the kidneys were.

  “Ms. Westerbrook, please.” Without as much as breaking stride, Mick patted her leg. “We have to hurry.”

  “Mick?” She reared up and glared. “Where’s Jordan?”

  “He’s in a safe place.” He began to run faster, jostling Lainie around on his shoulder.
r />   “I can run too, you know.” She grunted.

  “No time.”

  “Why?” Her answer was an explosion that rocked the very ground beneath them.

  She stared in horror at the plume of fire and smoke belching from the hole that used to be the lab. “Marcus!” She kept screaming his name until it turned into a howl that rivaled any wolves’.

  The repercussion from the explosion lifted Mick off his feet and threw them into the air. He wrapped his arms around her and held on, tumbling to the ground. A sharp pain followed by a cold sensation on the back of her head had her gasping. “Ms. Westerbrook?” His voice faded in and out; she swallowed thickly and tried to answer. Her tongue gained about twenty pounds and then, everything went black.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Marcus ran through the corridors, looking for one particular man. When he found him, he would personally rip him to shreds. Once upon a time, he’d looked up to him, physically and otherwise, but no longer. He stopped in the dark gloom of the front of the warehouse and stared. Once upon a time, he’d called him, “Daddy.”

  At the sound of his voice, Samuel whirled in place. “Hello, boy.” He wore that smug, patronizing look that always made Marcus want to slink back into his room and hide when he was a kid, but no more.

  Marcus took in the half-healed scratches on his cheek. He could smell Lainie’s scent on him. Rage took over. He didn’t think, didn’t speak, he just reacted. He lifted his head and roared before charging at Samuel.

  Samuel feinted to the left and hit him across the neck with a blow that would have killed a human and perhaps another werewolf as well. “You’re such a stupid boy.” He kicked him in the ribs, lifting him off his feet. “Always playing fair. Why don’t you fight me in that Wolfkin form you’re so proud of, hmm?”

  “I don’t know, maybe I’m scared you have Wolfkin envy.” Marcus righted himself and grinned. “I’d hate to make you feel inadequate.” He punched Samuel with both his fists in the chest.

  The force of his blow knocked Samuel off his feet and sent him skidding across the warehouse floor but he flipped back up and stood watching him, waiting. “I won’t be for long.”