by Vivian Wood
Still, Mason couldn’t help but wonder… was there a hint of truth to Ian’s teasing? The vamp was highly perceptive. Was Mason hot for the doctor?
He pushed the question away, frowning. Sure, she was gorgeous. Blonde, curvy, legs for days if his guess was right. But he didn’t know her at all.
Just because Mason was big and muscular didn’t make him an idiot, and he was very careful in selecting his bed partners. Yeah, hotness was a big factor… but so was a decent personality and the ability to keep a secret. He couldn’t be his true self around every bimbo that he saw, otherwise his were abilities would be in the news pretty damned quick.
So no, Mason decided. In this case, Ian was wrong. Mason didn’t feel anything for their would-be savior beyond gratitude. Assuming that she pulled it off, of course. That was the tricky part, he supposed.
Mason closed his eyes, trying keep calm until Rose- the doctor, he corrected himself quickly, returned.
3
Chapter Three
Rose went over the plan in her head for what had to be the thousandth time. She shuffled papers around her desk with a sigh, pretending aggravation at her work while she schemed. The scrape of a chair drew her attention, but she didn’t look up. That would be Dr. Morart, her only superior on this floor, leaving for lunch. The lab managers and supervisors often took lunch together, heading downstairs to the employee cafeteria for an hour.
In less than one minute, the security guards would change out. Langston, who was most often posted to this floor, was usually several minutes behind in following the previous guard.
Those several minutes were Rose’s only window, and she had to use them well.
Rose looked up, her eyes following the movement of the morning guard as he passed through the hallway that led to Mason and Ian’s cages. When he’d been gone for a full minute, Rose stood up from her desk and slipped her backpack on. Then she headed toward the bathrooms again.
Instead of going into the ladies’ room, Rose stepped into a narrow hallway beside it that led to a storage room. She walked right up to the fire alarm, checking her watch and sucking in a deep breath. She waited. And waited. Blowing out the breath, she started to panic. What if…
She froze, listening. There it was. Distant, but definitely the wail of a siren. Her friend on the outside had done his job, calling in a bomb threat to her building. In two minutes, the place would be swarming with police. All according to plan, of course.
Rose reached out and pulled the fire alarm, wincing as the sprinklers went on everywhere, lights flashing and sirens bleating. She ran out into the common area, pretending panic. She pointed to the hall where the two captives were kept, frantic.
“He’s got a gun!” she screamed, watching her coworkers instantly shift into fight or flight mode. Every single one of them headed for the opposite staircase, not giving Rose a second glance. In half a minute, she was completely alone.
Slipping and sliding a bit on the sprinkler-drenched floor, Rose took off for the hallway to free her two prisoners before the security system shut down all access points. She opened Ian’s cage first, then Mason’s, stopping to catch her breath as the two huge men joined her in the hallway.
“This way!” she pointed, and they followed her to the stairwell. She pressed her palm to the scanner, but it beeped and flashed a red light. No more easy access, she guessed. The Legion was willing to let everyone inside die rather than let anyone or anything escape.
“Move back,” Ian said. He backed up and slammed the door with his shoulder, ripping the hinges away and carrying the door clear into the stairwell. The vampire simply hopped over the metal handrails and disappeared downward, leaving Rose blinking. Mason was heading down the stairs too, and Rose ran to keep up with him.
Ian was waiting when they hit the bottom floor, repeating his trick with the door and wincing at the bright sunlight. Rose pulled out a heavy-duty black trash bag and offered it to him as protection, which he took without comment. The second he was covered, he streaked off out the door and vanished into the tree line that sat a couple hundred yards from the building.
“Let’s go!” Mason said, shooing Rose out the door. He took off too, but kept looking back to make sure Rose was still behind him.
“Stop there!” came a voice, projected over a megaphone. The Legion and several police officers had spotted them and were now giving chase, probably simply because they were the only ones sprinting away from the building like thieves.
A gun was fired, which shocked Rose. Must have been one of the Legion guards, because she was pretty sure that police didn’t just randomly shoot at people. Another shot, this one causing a wild shower of splinters as it hit a tree just next to where Rose was heading.
Several of the splinters of wood hit her, biting into her arm and shoulder beneath her lab coat. Thinking quickly, Rose peeled off the coat as she ran and tossed it aside, making herself less of an easy target. Unfortunately she was paying all too much attention to her coat and not enough to her feet, because half a second later she tripped over something on the ground and stumbled hard.
There were several shouts all at once, and the sound of footsteps rustling all around. The last thing Rose saw was a mossy tree trunk, which she promptly greeted face-first before the world went black.
4
Chapter Four
When Rose opened her eyes, an enormous wave of nausea swept over her. The world spun briefly, and she rolled to her side in case she was going to be sick.
“She’s awake.”
Rose took a few deep breaths, which helped ease the nausea. She slowly grew more aware, realizing that her head was resting on something soft. Her backpack. So that had made it here, where ever here was.
She rolled her head the other way, letting out a soft groan at the pain. Her head throbbed intensely, in a way no headache ever had. When she opened her eyes again, she found Mason crouched close by. Ian stood a few feet away, nearer to a large source of light.
They were in… a cave? There were caves around here? Wow, Rose really WAS out of it.
“Uh…” she said, blinking a couple of times to adjust her eyes to the light.
“Told you she’d be fine,” Ian said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall of the cave.
Mason reached out and ran one of his large hands down her arm, his touch surprisingly gentle.
“Dr. Prentiss? Rose? Can you talk to me?” he asked.
“I’m okay,” Rose said, pushing up onto her elbows.
“I was starting to worry a little bit. I don’t really know how humans handle a blow to the head,” he said. There was an awkward silence, the word ‘human’ hanging in the air between them for a moment too long.
“I’m okay,” Rose said again. “Thanks for not leaving me for the police to find.”
“Thanks for not killing us,” Mason said, amused.
“I for one would love to hear the details on that,” Ian said, raising his hand before recrossing his arms and resuming what seemed to be his guard post by the mouth of the cave.
“It’s kind of complicated,” Rose said. “It has to do with what they are trying to accomplish in my lab.”
“Which is?” Mason asked, settling back to listen.
“We were directed to cure the supernatural element itself. Ideally we were supposed to make one antidote that would work on all supernatural beings.”
Ian choked out a laugh, and Mason frowned.
“Is that even possible?” Mason asked.
“I don’t think so, no.”
“I don’t think I understand,” Mason said.
“There was a general understanding that people who fail in our lab end up disappearing. I don’t know what happens, but it’s definitely not good. We would keep trying for a solution as long as they’d let us. Today was the first big test, you could say. We might have been able to string it along for another six months, but…” Rose said, waving a hand.
“So you were going to make a run for it a
t some point anyway,” Ian pointed out, his tone accusing.
“Wait. That doesn’t explain what would have happened today,” Mason said, shooting his friend a dark look.
“Well we made an antidote. It just doesn’t work. I don’t know precisely what it would have done to you guys, but it would have been grisly.”
“Ah,” said Mason, sounding satisfied.
Rose watched the two men exchange a look, rolling her eyes.
“Look, I got you out of there, didn’t I? I could have just left you both rotting in those cells,” she said, her feelings hurt.
“And we appreciate that, we really do,” Mason cut in.
“Not that you were going to leave Mason behind,” Ian grumbled.
“Excuse me?” Rose snapped.
“Nothing,” Ian said, turning and walking to the mouth of the cave. He stopped just shy of the big streak of sunshine pouring in, staring out into the trees.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s harmless,” Mason assured her.
Rose scoffed.
“He’s a lot less harmless than I am,” she pointed out. “I don’t have fangs.”
Mason grinned.
“He’s a little skeptical of humans. And women. And strangers. Come to mention it, Ian doesn’t really like people in general.”
“I can still hear you!” Ian announced, not moving from his guard post.
“While you were out, we were both wondering what your plan was,” Mason said, ignoring the other man.
“I don’t have much of a plan. I doubt any reasonable medical facility will have me after UC is done with me, so that’s out. And I don’t have anyone to run to, so I thought I’d just travel for a while.”
“No boyfriend to tag along?” Mason teased. Rose blushed and shook her head.
“No, no one.”
“Good. You’ll come with me, then,” Mason declared. Rose’s eyebrows shot up.
“What?”
“You know, for protection,” he said, his bravado deflating slightly. “Until it’s safe.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Rose said, confused.
“You saved my life. Of course I have to protect you afterward,” Mason said, as if it were just that simple.
“Well… where are you going?” Rose asked.
“Wherever. My pack lives in Texas, as does Ian. But I would be happy to escort you wherever you want to go.”
“That’s very generous of you. I will have to think about it,” Rose hedged.
Mason gave her a long look. Finally, he just sighed and shrugged.
“You might as well go ahead and agree. I’m just going to follow you around otherwise.”
Rose couldn’t help but laugh at his straightforward statement. She started to agree to his offer, but Ian cut in.
“I hear someone,” he said stiffly. Half a second later, Rose found herself scooped up in Mason’s warm embrace as he moved further into the cave.
“My backpack!” she whispered, but he just shushed her.
“Ian’s got it,” Mason said.
Rose went quiet, but she felt ridiculous being carried like this. She felt like a porcelain doll as she slipped her arms around Mason’s neck and laid her head on his shoulder. She wasn’t particularly small; 5’7 and a size 10 to boot. But the sheer difference between Mason’s muscular bulk and her own slimmer figure was actually quite nice, she decided.
Mason finally stopped a few minutes later, setting Rose back on her feet. She bit her lip, trying not to be disappointed by the loss of his warmth.
Looking around, she found that they were in a large, open cavern area. Light streamed in from the far corner, brightening the clearing. She could hear water trickling close by, but otherwise it was reasonably dry. The only problem would be the cold, Rose thought. As night approached she assumed it would only get cooler in here. She did have a parka and a couple of blankets stashed in her backpack, but she wasn’t sure if that would keep all three of them warm.
A soft whistle sounded, making Rose jump and look around wildly.
“It’s okay, that’s Ian,” Mason said, putting a gentling hand on Rose’s shoulder.
“You guys have signals? What are you, bank robbers?” she said, her joke going flat.
“Comes in handy,” Mason said with a shrug.
Ian stepped out of the shadows, his arms full with not only Rose’s backpack but also quite a few other items as well. He knelt and dumped it all onto the ground. There were boots, jackets, flashlights, and even a couple of pistols.
“Where’d you get all this?” Rose asked, snagging her backpack thankfully.
“Our friends outside provided it all,” Ian said, holding up one of the windbreakers to show the ‘SECURITY’ logo on the back. He smiled briefly, and Rose noticed a dark streak of something just under his lip on one side.
“You’ve got a little…” she trailed off, gesturing to the spot. “No, the other side.”
When Ian wiped it away with his thumb, Rose caught a flash of red. She swallowed, all the sudden acutely aware that Ian was more than the average man. He was a vampire, and he needed human blood to survive. She of all people should know that, since she’d studied both men nonstop for months.
When she looked up, Mason and Ian were both looking at her with concern.
“I didn’t kill him,” Ian said, rolling his eyes.
“No, it’s not that at all. I just- I guess I didn’t realize that you’d need blood once we had escaped,” Rose confessed, feeling stupid. “I didn’t plan anything even though I know you have to feed twice a day.”
Ian looked surprised.
“Don’t worry about me. I got a nice refill just a few minutes ago. You should be more worried about yourself,” the vampire said, his brows knitting.
“I brought snacks and water in my bag. Enough to sustain Mason and myself for a couple of days at least,” Rose said, pulling out her stash of Powerbars, trail mix, and other goodies for the men to see.
“Smart girl,” Mason said, making Rose blush.
“How long do you think we’re going to be holed up in here?” Rose asked, setting her bag down.
“There are police and security swarming the whole area. We’re not even close to being in the clear, so we’d all better get comfortable,” Ian said, turning to root around in the gear he’d taken off the security guards.
Rose nodded and set about getting settled in. She spread out one of the thick blankets she’d packed on the ground and then started organizing her supplies around herself. All the food she kept in the bag, but she put on the fleece-lined parka right away. The other couple of blankets she arranged around herself after first offering them to the men, who declined.
Ian stacked some of the guards’ clothes to make a comfortable spot to sit, placing himself a few feet away and close to the tunnel entrance. Mason, after poking around the cavern for a few minutes, accepted Rose’s offer of a seat and sank down onto the blanket next to her.
The sun went down as they settled in, the temperature dropping just as quickly.
“We should try to get some sleep,” Mason said, giving her a look.
“I’m fine,” she said. The giant yawn she released a few seconds later belied her statement, and she chuckled. “Okay, so I’m a little tired.”
“We’ll stand guard, don’t worry,” Mason said, pulling one of the blankets up around Rose’s shoulders when she shivered fiercely.
Rose fought against sleep as long as she could, chatting with the guys and listening to them banter. She closed her eyes for a second against the chill of the cave, sighing. A big arm wrapped around her, pulling her across the blanket and settling her against a delightfully warm body.
Cracking an eye open, Rose had to smile. Mason, of course. Leaning against him was like lying on top of a space heater. Her eyelids crept closed again, and for a while she just listened to the sound of Mason’s voice as he talked to Ian, laughing now and then.
No matter how she tried to stay awake, she couldn
’t. Mason’s warmth, plus the comfort of the blankets, plus the feeling of being safe for the first time in ages… Rose just couldn’t resist. Finally she gave in, curling up with a smile on her lips and settling into a deep sleep.
5
Chapter Five
Mason woke in the darkness. He’d fallen asleep sitting up with his back against the cave’s wall, holding Rose as she slept. She wasn’t angelic-looking, exactly; she definitely snored, although it was very soft. More like harsh breathing, really. And judging by the wet spot on his hip where she’d laid her head, she probably drooled too.
Somehow that didn’t detract from her loveliness, though. If Mason hadn’t had a thing for the doctor yesterday, he certainly did now. Especially when she was pressed so close, her warm curves enticing him to explore further. And just knowing that she already knew his secret and was still willing to get this close…
Yeah, Mason liked that all right.
The sound of Ian’s footsteps drew his attention, and soon his friend appeared from the tunnel entrance. Ian didn’t look happy.
Mason waved a hand, knowing that the vampire could see in perfect darkness.
No luck? he mouthed.
Ian just shrugged and returned to his makeshift pallet, lying down.
Mason snapped his fingers, getting Ian’s attention.
How long? he asked silently.
Ian sighed and held up three fingers, then rolled over to face away from him.
So that meant Ian was about three hours overdue for a meal, which wasn’t a crisis. On the other hand, it meant that the vampire needed to be out hunting. The fact that Ian was here must mean that the humans were out in force outside, so much so that the vampire couldn’t simply snag one without garnering too much attention.
Rose made a soft sound. Mason looked down as she turned over and wiggled further onto his lap. A fresh wave of her scent beckoned, tempting him to wake her. He didn’t normally obsess over human women like this. The full moon was still a week off, so he couldn’t entirely blame his wolf either.
