by Lexy Timms
“You would think,” I say. “Do you talk back?”
“No. Not until my body’s healed. If we establish that connection again and he morphs, he’ll kill me.”
“Wouldn't be the worst thing,” I murmur.
“I heard that.”
“Do you believe what Joel’s told Clarissa?”
“About the experimentation?” he asks.
“Yeah. Especially Chief’s role in it.”
“Unfortunately, yes. It lines up with all of Chief’s moves thus far. If he believes this experimentation could help us, then he wouldn't want Clarissa dead. Hence why he warned us when we were last here. It shows his acceptance of her in the community as well as his possible desire to create more of her.”
“Is it possible Chief’s the one that injected Kyle?” I ask.
“If that’s the running theory, then it’s the one that makes sense. But that would mean Chief was working with Igo, and I’ll never believe that. Chief is honorable. Even in the belief of experimentation, he doesn’t want anyone harmed. Joel even said that.”
“Then who injected Kyle? If that’s what we’re working with.”
“Igo. Him and those warriors. Kyle told me he’s in a secret chamber of Igo’s. Those files we found while chasing down Merti, they had things in them about Project Eden. For all we know, Igo’s the one that headed up the experiments from the beginning. We won’t ever know because of their deaths, but that seems more plausible, given where Kyle says he is.”
“Do you think they’re preparing for war?” I ask.
Theo pans his gaze over to me before he gets up. I rise with him, and we remove the conversation from within earshot of Clarissa. And I agree. This isn’t something she needs to be hearing. We sneak off down the hallway as the sun begins to set on our fourth day in the Russian woods, and the look in Theo’s eye tells me that, for once, we’re on the same page.
“Turning the females makes sense,” Theo says. “Having more of them means reviving the Primal races. But the only point of a male Primal, besides mating—”
“Is fighting,” I say.
“What if the successful turning of Kyle was all Igo needed to build an army of his own? You saw how easy those warriors went down.”
“You think the serum is to make stronger Primal men.”
“To take out humans, yes. If Joel’s right and part of the Council is gunning for war against humans, then creating a stronger, more bloodthirsty Primal that isn’t aware of our want to cohabitate with humans would be the army Igo needs. The army the Council needs.”
“We’re working with a lot of ‘ifs,’” I say.
“A lot of ‘ifs’ that fall into place, Sebastian.”
I don’t like this. The Council had been the head of the Primals for centuries. Thousands of them. And now I am supposed to believe they’re gunning to wipe out the human race? After establishing of their own order that we needed to live in peace with them? It’s a concept that’s hard for me to digest. But with Clarissa and Kyle and every single betrayal and deception that has surfaced in our quest for answers, the outlandish becomes more plausible with every passing day.
“So, what do you we about Kyle?” I ask.
I want to know where Theo stands because I’m not sure where I stand. I don’t know if I can keep the agreement I made with Clarissa. Watching her eyes light up with hope at the idea that he’s alive makes my heart hurt. I have a bond with her. According to all rules and customs within a Wolf pack, she’s mine. My mate. My forever bond. And here she is, drooling at the teeth and nipping at our heels to go get him.
A man that isn’t me.
I don’t know if I can help her bring him back. I don’t know if I can hold up my end of the bargain I promised her. Partially because of my own jealousy, and partially because of all of this conjecture. If Kyle is the first of many turned to do nothing but fight, then there’s the grave possibility that one of us will have to kill Kyle if he comes after Clarissa.
And she will never forgive the man that does.
“We go after him,” Theo says. “It’s all we’ve got. If there’s a war coming, we could use strength like his on our side. And we owe it to Clarissa. We made her a promise.”
“But what if he’s raw? Uncontrolled? I watched what him turning did to you. He was in your mind, Theo, and his rage alone almost killed you. That isn’t the Kyle we know. Whoever’s in that cage and communicating with you isn’t the Kyle Clarissa loves.”
“We made her a promise. We gave her our word. We keep alert, and we operate under the assumption that the prophecy is true. That war is coming and that we need to protect Clarissa. But we keep our promise. We go after Kyle.”
I growl and shake my head as I lean against the wall.
“Hungry?”
A tired Josie comes walking out of her room, stretching and yawning and stinking of human flesh.
“Sure,” I say.
“Whatever you have already prepared is fine,” Theo says.
“Then I better get cooking since I don’t have anything prepared,” she says.
Chapter 5
Kyle
Prison is terrible . The food is pathetic, and everyone wants to poke and prod at the new toy. I can’t stand it. But not because of the food or the people, but because of Clarissa. Because I’m in prison, I’m not out there protecting her. I’m not out there stepping in front of all those shifters who pant and howl after her like dogs in heat. She’s in danger. Luring them in without any control over the situation, and I’m not there to stop it. I’m her husband. Her confidant. The one person she can rely on.
And I’m trapped in a prison cage.
I slam myself against the ceiling and feel it dent underneath the weight of my destruction. My teeth are bare, and saliva is dripping to my toes. I have no idea what they’ve done to me. All I can remember is the agonizing pain I was in when those Primals came after me. Shearing me into shreds and removing slabs of my skin and gnawing into my body. Injecting me with some sort of serum as I laid there, bleeding out on the floor.
I can remember the ambulance hauling me off as my heart stopped. Which was the weirdest thing.
I can remember the moment my heart stopped.
The next thing I remember, I’m in a cage. Growling and clawing with talons protruding from my fingers. I’m covered in fur, and there’s skin attached from my wrist down my side and all the way to my hips. I feel different. I smell different. I can hear everything taking place around me. My anger is prevalent. Boiling and clawing at my mind. I can hear the blood rushing through my veins, and I can see every hair on every guard twitching with electricity whenever they approach.
It’s invigorating.
And petrifying.
But there’s relief every time I talk to Theo.
Well, every time I try to.
He hasn’t responded in a few days, and I’m worried. I’m afraid the connection is severed and that my hope for talking with Clarissa is gone. Are they coming after me? Did they even believe me? For all I know, they’ll convince Clarissa I’m still dead so they can have her all to themselves.
The thought alone makes me rage.
I slam myself against the bars and watch them bend underneath my weight. I always get so close. One thrust away from busting out before they catch me like they’re about to. I can see the guards with the shackles approaching me, and I scoot back into the cage. The top pops off and I try to lunge at them, but a needle comes down into my neck. My body falls limp, and everything is dark, and when I come to, I’m back in yet another cage.
Another cage that more quickly drains the life from my bones.
“Someone help me.”
I fall onto the floor of my cell and curl up into a corner.
“If there’s anybody, please.”
I can’t hear Theo. I can’t hear Clarissa. All I can hear are the guards laughing at me as they throw raw meat into the cage. The only way I can stomach it is to change. The only way I can feed myself
is to change into the monster they’ve turned me into.
But it’s easier than they think.
It’s almost like the monster is my natural form.
I morph, busting out of the last of my clothes and lunge for the meat. The men are sneering and clapping like they aren’t Primals themselves. I devour the bloodied carcasses they’ve thrown at me and lick my lips, my muscles begging for me. I’m not eating nearly enough in this place, and it’s one of the many ways they’re trying to keep me down.
Trying to rob me of the strength I know I have to tear them all apart.
“All I want is to be let out. Please. Just let me out.”
“Kyle?”
My brow furrows as my head turns on a swivel. I hear Sebastian.
Why do I hear Sebastian?
“Sebastian?”
“What the fuck?”
“Can you hear me?”
“Yes, you idiot. I can hear you. I just don’t know how.”
“I don’t know either. Where are you?”
“In the woods still.”
“So you guys aren’t coming for me?”
My heart sinks to my toes as I flop down at the back of my new crate. A prison I would never really be free from until they want to inject me with something to knock me out. I ignore the pain in my neck and my spine. Being cooped up in my human form like this is murder on my body. It forces me to look at the padded scars all over my skin. It forces me to relive that night over and over again. The night I should’ve scooped Clarissa into my arms and made passionate love to her until the sun came up.
And instead, I was eaten alive.
Literally.
“We’re coming for you, Kyle. But we have to be smart about it. You say you’re underneath the Council building?”
“Yes. There’s an obscene amount of levels. I don’t know which one I’m on.”
“Do you see any numbers around you? Anything that could signal what level you’re on?”
I squint my eyes and look out beyond the bars and feel them change. Suddenly, everything comes alive. Heat signatures and high-definition snapshots and night vision. Everything around me is luminous. I dart my head around, trying to conceal my eyes from the guards as they fall into their own boring little step. Marching around with their useless spears and talking among themselves.
Then, I see it.
“There’s a six on the wall.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“You don’t sound too happy about that.”
“Not gonna lie. I’m not.”
“If you lay a finger on Clarissa—”
“That isn’t the point right now. The point is I made her a promise.”
“What promise?”
I swallow down the growl trying to rise up my throat as I wait for Sebastian to respond.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing. I promised Clarissa we’d come find you.”
“And you still don’t sound happy.”
“None of your damn business.”
His snarl ricochets off the corners of my mind and dread sets in. If he laid a hand on Clarissa, I am going to kill him. He was supposed to protect us on the day of our wedding, and he wasn’t even fucking there. I know he wasn’t. He could lie to himself and everyone around him all he wanted, but he wasn’t there for a second of it. Too busy licking his own wounds of being rejected by Clarissa to hold up his end of the damn bargain.
But his word is the only word I have, so I have to keep faith.
I have to believe they are all coming for me.
“We can’t waste time, Kyle. I don’t know how long this connection will last.”
“Is Theo okay?”
“He’s no worse for wear. But you and I have to have an agreement.”
“What?”
What possible agreement could that Wolf want to make with me?”
“We don’t know what you are, and my concern is Clarissa. If you come after her—if you can’t control yourself—I will take you out.”
“I’m sure that would make her love you then.”
“This has nothing to do with love!”
His voice is startling, and it causes me to jump. I jump so hard I dent the roofing of my new cage, and all of the guards turn toward me. I see that look in their eyes. I see that needle being pulled from their pouch. I whimper as I scurry toward the back of the cage, no longer in tune with Sebastian’s thoughts.
But he’s in tune with mine.
“Kyle? Kyle. What’s happening?’
“No, no, no. Stop it! Please! All of you! Let me go!”
“Kyle!”
The needle sinks into my arm and the connection with Sebastian is lost. My body falls limp as my head falls off to the side. My assumption is they’re moving me. To a stronger or more stable crate. But my blood freezes in my veins when I see him.
The Dragon.
Doryu.
Oh no. They’re going to do more tests on me.
And I can’t even fight against them this time.
Chapter 6
Clarissa
“T ry to sit her up. We can move her to a different room,” Theo says.
“What if she wakes up and gets sick again?” Toshi asks.
“Here. I’ll carry her,” Sebastian says.
“No,” I say with a groan.
“You’ve been on this couch for two days,” Vlad says. “You need to be in a bed recuperating. This door swinging open and pummeling cold air your way isn’t helping things.”
“I’m not sure what you guys think of me, but I can handle this on my own,” I say.
“You’ve been sick. There’s nothing wrong—”
“Sebastian, I’m not going to say it again. Leave me alone on this couch. I survived a plane crash, conquered my fear of Africa, weathered the violent death of my husband, and managed to keep myself from reeling at the fact that he’s now alive. I’m staring down the barrel of war with a Council I want to rip to shreds, and I’m still finding time to stop you guys from ripping one another’s throats out because of cabin fever. I can take care of myself.”
My eyes flash up to them, and they all back away. I settle back down onto the couch, hoping to fuck they will leave me alone. I’m tired of their arguing. Of their bickering. Of them thinking they can continuously control me and make me some damsel in distress. I’m over it. I’m over their protection. I don’t need them standing in front of me.
I need them standing beside me.
My eyes flutter closed as they all walk off. Vlad is murmuring to himself, and I let out a low growl to shut him up. I don’t know how long I’m asleep for, but eventually, I stir on the couch as my stomach begins to roll again. For the past few days, I haven’t been feeling well. I’ve been tired. I haven’t been hungry. Smells I once enjoyed are now making me sick. I turn over onto my side and take deep breaths as I try to stave off the nausea. It’s the last thing I want to do. There isn’t another sensation on the planet I hate more than vomiting. I would rather burn at a thousand stakes than throw up even once.
But it doesn't work.
“It’s okay. Come here. You’re fine.”
I hear Josie’s voice as I throw my face over the edge of the couch.
“Let it all out,” she says.
I can feel her stroking my hair, and it sends electrical impulses throughout my body. Calming my raging stomach and stopping my sickness in its tracks. I press deeper into her hand, and she giggles then moves the bucket away from my face.
“Here, take this. Wipe your face.”
I relieve her of the cool washcloth and clean my face off.
“Aren’t you supposed to be training or something?” I ask.
“I pulled myself away for a little while. Joel’s taken over the fighting for now.”
“How’s it looking?”
“We’ve got twenty thousand fighters ready and willing, but they need some refining. I’m good with the basics, but Joel’s better with refining skills. I’m more o
f a defensive fighter, and he’s better offensive.”
“Then it sounds like the trade-off was a good thing,” I say.
I finish wiping off my face before I settle back down onto the couch. Her hand keeps stroking my hair, and it feels so wonderful. I nuzzle into her touch again and curl up on my side as my eyes begin to drift closed. I can feel sleep trying to take me under again. I can feel my body relaxing and attempting to find its point of darkness.
But Josie’s voice pulls me from it.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Is it possible you could be pregnant?”
I slowly turn over and face Josie as she removes her hand from my hair. Slowly, the nausea begins to trickle back. That terrible sensation that I hate. I reach out for her hand and bring it back to my head, and she gets the message. She strokes my hair, threading her fingers through it and untangling it as my body settles back down.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I guess it’s possible.”
“Aside from being a trainer in the ranks, I’m also a nurse. We have ways of determining if you’re pregnant. I think we should look into it. It’s one of only a handful of things that would explain why you’ve been so sick these past few days.”
“What are the other explanations?” I ask.
“Wooded fever. Tapeworms. A couple of deadly ailments a Primal can contract from things like ticks and fleas.”
“Great,” I say flatly. “I’m either pregnant or dying.”
“Some people would agree those are one and the same,” she says with a smile.
“How would you test for pregnancy out here in the middle of the woods?”
“Simple. You pee on a stick.”
“So you have pregnancy tests out here.”
“It’s funny to me that you still believe we’re so primitive,” she says. “Come on. I’ll help you to the bathroom. But if you are pregnant, we need to know. Your diet has to change if you are.”
“If I can stomach anything down.”
“Trust me, I’ve got some good recipes.”
“Are you the chef of the village as well?” I ask.
“And if I am?”
I grin at her as she helps me from the couch. My nausea is overwhelming, but I do my best to keep it at bay. The truth is, I’m scared I am pregnant. From the first moment my sickness woke me up, I was scared. Partially because I had no way of telling who the father is and partly because of the prophecy. The guys are hell-bent on the fact that I’m the girl from the prophecy they need to be protecting. The savior of the Primal races or whatever. And my only argument for getting them off my back and not being so damn overprotective all the time is the fact that the woman in the prophecy is pregnant.
