by Sydney Addae
Silas smiled. The doctor's eyes had lit up to the point his wolf showed behind his lens. “I’m glad you were able to add that component, it will make a safer situation all around…what’s happening?” Silas pointed to the screen where the woman was jumping up and down as though in pain.
“What’s going on?” Dr. Passen asked through his microphone. Silas threw out his senses to the woman and discovered the flesh covering the bomb was on fire and she was trapped between the bars.
“Open the gates,” Silas demanded of security through their link. The gates opened, the woman dropped the box holding the explosive and ran out, brushing licks of flames from her jacket. Security immediately secured the scorched package and removed it from the area.
No one spoke until the bomb had been replaced in a nearby metal container and locked away. “Seems like you need a bit more work on those devices,” Tyrone said dryly
The doctor peeked at him over his shoulder. “I’ll get a representative from the manufacturing company here. Each of these were tested three or more times before they were shipped. According to the paperwork I received, they all passed inspection with no problems.”
“Is it possible the device was installed wrong?” Tyrese asked, staring at the device on the screen.
Dr. Passen shrugged. “It’s possible. The engineer from the factory came along and installed each one.” He looked at Silas. “He was the same engineer you scanned and approved a week ago when the other new pieces of security arrived.”
Silas had been ready to rip into the man if someone had been allowed on the property he had not personally scanned. “Good job on the identification of the bombs, which was a critical part. Have your men check for errors and make the corrections asap. I want these installed yesterday.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Silas gazed at the twins. “How soon do you want to take that shot?” he asked Tyrone. There was so much work that needed to be done, now was not the best time to lose both men.
“As soon as possible. I’ve already discussed it with my mate and we both understand there is some risks.”
Silas nodded with the understanding he would need to hold some things off until Tyrese and Tyrone were available again. He spoke to the doctor who stood near the computer. “Is there someone available who can administer the shot now?”
“Yes, Sir. I will do it.”
“Okay, I’d appreciate if you take care of it. Rese, I’m going to need you and Leon to work an assignment later today once Rone stabilizes. We have a lot of information that needs to be checked out. I want to find these assholes and put them down.”
“Yes, Sir.” Tyrese nodded.
Silas watched the look that passed between the twins. He knew Tyrone wanted to do more fieldwork and now that he was out of running for the West Virginia Alpha slot, Silas would use him more. “Rone, once the effects mellow, meet me in the gym. I need to run you through your paces.”
Tyrone perked up. “Yes, Sir.”
Silas stood and straightened the crease in his pants. “I’ll see the two of you later. Doc?”
Dr. Passen gazed up at him. “Sir?”
“Get that device working, pronto.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, Sir. I’ve emailed the technicians. They should begin testing within the hour. Do you want to see a demo before they are installed throughout the compound?”
“Yes. Security is too important to me for it to half work. Send me a message after each one is tested. After they pass that bar, I want another demonstration after each one is installed, is that clear?”
“Yes, Sir. I understand.” He typed into the keyboard while Silas stepped toward the door. He glanced at the curtain and then back to the twins. “I hope this works, I’m going to be very angry if it comes back to bite me in the ass. Make sure it does not.” He stared at Tyrone.
“Yes, Sir. No matter what, I have to try. If I never shift into a hybrid at least I will be amped up enough that we can still spar and train.” And that was the root of it. The twins needed to count on the other. Silas hoped it worked for all of their sakes.
Chapter 3
Silas left the room. He didn’t travel far, just to Asia's room. He typed in the code and then entered, throwing out his signature energy so Asia would know it was him. Once the door closed, he noticed she was on the floor on her knees. Was she praying?
“Asia?”
“Yes, Patron?”
“Rise.”
Unassisted, she rose slowly. He took in her appearance. She wore a sleeveless yellow tank top, leaving her arms and neck visible. A twisted vine with thorns tattoo ran up her right shoulder, disappearing beneath her shirt. Gold cotton drawstring pants with small black diamonds printed on the pockets, and black sandals completed her attire. He agreed with Dr. Passen’s assessment. She appeared healthy if not vibrant. Toned honey-brown skin stretched over a tall, statuesque frame. Long, thin braids fell across her chest and down her back. A leather and metal blindfold with a small locked clasp covered her eyes to block any further transmissions. Silas refused to allow his enemy to see his labs or anything else of his through the camera lens embedded inside her eyes.
“How are you today?” Silas asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the cool metal door.
She tilted her head to the side before answering. “Today is a good day. The headaches have abated with the blindfold. There is still a deep throbbing in my mind which tells me they know my location but can’t reach me. They’re attempting to regain control of me.” She inhaled deep and then released her breath slowly. “I am forever in your debt, Sir, for the freedom I have experienced these past weeks. For the first time in years, my sleep is uninterrupted from nightmares. Despite the darkness, I'm seeing things clearly for the first time in years.”
Her comment peaked his interest. He watched as she navigated the room and sat in the chair without mishap. “Explain.”
She folded her hands and placed them in her lap. With a thoughtful expression, she spoke. “I am part human, part wolf, and now…part machine. My wolf hates the machine. She tolerates the human side of me. Internally there was a constant battle between them for supremacy. Since my capture, my wolf and human sides have formed a partnership of sorts to get rid of my mechanical parts.”
“That would be your arm, legs and eyes.” Silas said, wondering if she realized just how important those limbs were.
She nodded slowly. “I know. But I am functioning well without the use of my eyes.”
“You’re locked in a controlled environment.”
She chuckled dryly. “That’s not new, Sir. I’ve been controlled for years, either through the camera lens that are my eyes, or the fear they planted in my mind, along with the endless surgeries I had. Every mission I performed, every person I killed, every package I picked up and delivered, was controlled from the moment I left until I returned. I was never alone, not in here.” She tapped her head. “Never. There were, and still are to a certain extent, devices which control me. So functioning without the use of my eyes is a good thing.”
“You need your arm, and your legs, Asia.” He sensed the frustration of her wolf, felt it snapping beneath the surface despite her cool façade.
“Yes, I do.”
Neither of them spoke as wafts of determination rolled from her. He suspected she wished to be rid of the foreign objects no matter the cost. There had been cases where a wolf would gnaw his leg to break free from traps, but this was different. He would talk to Dr. Passen to see what could be done to assist the feisty bitch. She had been a tremendous help to them, and he didn’t want her to self-terminate over her metal limbs.
“I hate them, Sir. Sometimes it is so strong I can taste it,” she said in a ragged whisper. “They turned me into a monster. I will do anything to destroy them for this. I volunteered my body for research to channel my hate into a productive venue. I hope the doc finds something to turn the tides of this war.”
“War?” Although he recognized he was under atta
ck, her use of that word surprised him.
“Yes, Sir. They declared war on you years ago, you’re just now showing up on the battlefield.”
Turn the tides of this war? He stood and braced his legs apart. “You think I’m losing?”
“No disrespect, Sir, but they have you on the defensive. You’re just now learning about people like me with merged forms who are difficult to destroy in battle. I’m not the only one created, there are more like me.”
That did not surprise him. Her next comment did.
“From what I gleaned, at first they used full-bloods, but they couldn’t break through the pack mentality. Too many died in the labs. Then they discovered half-breeds who didn’t embrace their wolf as strongly, and that’s when their work really got started.”
“How long ago?”
She shrugged. “I tried to keep track of time, but they have planted so many memories in my mind I don’t know what’s true. I do remember seeing signs that said ‘colored only’ while on a mission. I remember sitting in a separate section on the train heading for Washington D.C. I remember wondering why things were so different outside. In the training facility, race was never an issue. Everything, your ranking, your living quarters, even your privileges, were based on how well you did your job.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t ideal, but it was all I knew at the time. Things were different…back then.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
During the few conversations they’d had before, her thoughts had been chaotic, disjointed. This was the first time she appeared relaxed enough to share her thoughts with logical precision.
“A few years back, there were some changes. The training became more intense. The focus shifted to my wolf. The experiments went from enabling me to merge both sides smoothly to causing tension between the two, to determine how much interference my wolf would tolerate.”
“That’s probably when the split happened,” Silas murmured, remembering the assassin’s cryptic words before releasing Jasmine into the ravine.
“Sir?”
“A man attempted to kill my mate months ago. He told me he had been approached by two groups. One wanted to kill me and the other wanted to kill my mate. Is it possible that the group began with the intent of strengthening half-breeds, to prepare them to take over the wolf nation one day?”
She frowned. “It’s possible. But if so, that group is no longer running the research. Those in charge now want the power that comes with leading the wolves. I think they realize they need you to a certain extent, at least for now. The only way to do that is to invade your den, to take and then destroy your mate and pups.”
The matter-of-fact words dropped into his gut and detonated. Perhaps if he hadn’t believed his mate had been on death’s door, or if his pups hadn’t received the marks the breeders prophesied about, he might not have reacted so swiftly or strongly. Without thought, he reacted to the threat of losing those closest to his heart.
A wild breeze whipped through the room. The glass in the window webbed, pieces of the thick material popped and crackled. Asia's braids flew around her head as she fell from the chair onto the floor. Weeks of watching his mate languish tore at him. Forcibly he fought back the idea of her demise.
Pinging from the exterior door signaled someone’s request for entry, and Jasmine’s frantic calls pierced the blinding rage that engulfed him.
“Damn it Silas, cut that out and talk to me. Forget it, I’m on my way,” Jasmine snapped through their link.
“Sir?”
Through a fog, Silas heard his name and inched back from Asia’s quivering form. He had no idea when he had moved to stand above her. The pinging from the steel door increased in frequency and volume.
“Sir?” He recognized Tyrese’s voice.
“One minute.” He reached forward and touched the top of Asia’s head. She shrank back. “I owe you an apology.”
“No…no, Sir. I apologize for speaking out of turn.” Her shaky voice ended on a sob. She inched back, her body shook as she swallowed hard. “Please forgive me, Sir.”
Silas exhaled, regretting his momentary loss of control. Losing his mate was a sore subject and too near the surface. That was no excuse. He needed Jasmine’s knack for smoothing awkward situations. “Asia, I need you to listen to me.” He waited for her to respond. “Asia,” he called her name with a demand that she responded to.
“Yes, Sir?” Her voice sounded weak and uncertain, so unlike the strong Alpha bitch he knew her to be.
He tempered his voice. “I asked you a question. You gave me an honest answer, one I needed to hear. When it comes to my mate and pups…it’s a sore spot for me. My anger wasn’t directed at you…well it was, but only because…look, I don’t want you to stop being honest with me because you’re afraid. I needed to know they were after my family and why. I don’t like it.” That was a mild statement and he knew it. “But I need all the information I can get to win this … this war.” He waited for her reaction. Her body didn’t shake as much and her face hovered above the floor instead of being plastered to the tile.
“Please stand. My mate will be here in just a moment and it will displease her to see you like this.” Jasmine was pissed and heading his way. She would have quite a few words to say when she discovered his anger had been directed toward Asia.
Instead of reducing the number of people in her inner emotional circle and taking things easy as her doctor instructed, Jasmine had taken a liking to the young bitch, and worried over Asia’s health and well-being. No matter how much he urged her to slow down, she claimed she was better and could handle everything she had been able to handle before her illness. Asia pushed up and stood. Her head remained down, she didn’t move.
Silas was unsure if he should help her find the chair or not. He opened the door. Tyrese and Tyrone stood in the entryway. “Right her chair.”
Tyrese strode forward, picked up the upholstered seat and placed it near the wall. He took Asia by the arm and assisted her so that she could sit.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
Tyrese glanced at Silas and then spoke. “You’re welcome.”
Jasmine walked into the room, glanced at Silas, and stood in front of him. “Asia, are you okay?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Clear the room,” Silas said, gazing at Tyrese and then Tyrone. “You have other places you need to be.”
Tyrese glanced at his mother and then Silas. “Yes, Sir.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.
“What happened, Asia?”
Silas’ brow rose.
Jasmine stroked his arm, the skin to skin contact soothed his wolf and excited him.
“I said some things the Patron did not like. I was not thinking clearly and should have answered the question with more finesse. I apologize again for my lack of tact.”
“What did you say? And you can say it again, he won’t react in the same way, but I need to know. Tell me please.”
“You already heard her through our link, I don’t want to hear it again,” Silas argued.
“I know, but she is our best weapon to get those bastards, at least that’s what you told me. She can’t do that if she’s afraid to offend you at every turn. We need to fix this now before she shrinks back into her shell and rarely speaks. Let me handle this, it requires a softer touch.”
He smothered his snort as he backed off. “Remember, no touching, and do not get close. Otherwise what you felt before will seem like an appetizer.”
“I already agreed to that, so stop with the big bad wolf routine.”
Asia’s head lifted slightly. She swallowed hard and repeated word for word what she had said to Silas a few moments earlier. Hearing the words burned his gut but lacked the same punch this time. His wolf became agitated. Jasmine leaned back against him, giving him the contact he needed.
“Thanks so much, Asia. That’s information we needed to know. We are newly mated and he is extremely protective. You know how mates are,
don’t you?”
Silas stiffened behind her but remained silent.
Asia frowned. “Yes, he was the same. It cost him…”
“Do you remember your mate? Mother? Or father?” Jasmine continued in a soft voice.
“I think so…I mean I had to be born, but I can’t remember.” Her hand flew to her head. “Ow…”
“Monitor her,” Jasmine told Silas.
Silas probed into Asia’s mind. At first he didn’t sense anything untoward. But something had caused her pain. He released more energy, seeking the source of the irritant. A few seconds later a small pulse behind the lens of her eyes caught his attention. Gently, his energy surrounded the pulsating vein only to discover something small and hard like a kernel.
Asia moaned as her face dropped into her hands.
Working quickly, he penetrated the vein. There appeared to be a clot in the vein. Silas prepared to dissolve the clot when he realized there was no blood flow. He stopped and followed the vein and discovered a small plate attached to brain matter. No wonder Dr. Passen had missed this, it was a cleverly disguised vein that powered their control over her. Eager to pass on this information to the doctor, Silas pulled out of Asia’s mind.
Jasmine gazed over her shoulder at him with a worried expression.
“She needs surgery,” he said through their link.
Jasmine nodded before turning back to Asia. “Sweetheart, do you want to lay down?”
“Not right now. I don’t…want to move. My head is spinning…those bastards. I know it’s them, they are doing something again,” Asia cried.
“I’m going to help you…just like you helped us. We are going to help make this right,” Silas said, feeling bad for the young woman. He stepped back, opened the door.
A woman in a lab coat snapped to attention when she saw him. “La Patron, Sir.”
“Have Dr. Passen come here immediately.” Silas did not contact the doctor via his link to give Tyrone and Tyrese some time to get situated after the shot.
