She swallowed hard, tears still rolling down her cheeks.“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t something we wanted to do, but we had prepared for that contingency.Everyone who asked to be rescued, no matter their condition, we brought them with us.”
She nodded.“Some of the earliest captives, they… incapacitated them both for experiments and to subdue them.Most of the ones I think you’re talking about were there far longer than even we were.Callum helped two of them die not long after we were both taken, and that’s when they discovered how strong he was, and…” She swallowed hard.“It wasn’t good.”
“That’s the politest way I’ve ever heard torture described,” Peyton snarked.
They both suddenly focused inside the room.Aisling suspected Callum was starting to throw off the effects of the sedative.
Bryn left the door standing wide open and disappeared into the room.In a few minutes, Aisling heard soft, deeper moans and Bryn speaking low and fast.Aisling had to force herself not to hold her breath when everything went quiet after a sharp, deep intake of breath.
She exchanged a concerned look with Trevor, but Peyton remained motionless, looking into the room.
Several minutes later, Peyton slowly stood and walked as far as the doorway, apparently motioned by Bryn.“Hello, Callum.I’m Peyton Bleacke.Badger is a very close family friend of mine, like an adopted uncle.You’ve been rescued and are safe now.”
A loud, low grunt followed, but Peyton didn’t move.
Twenty-five feet.That figure kept rolling through Aisling’s mind, the safety cordon around the strong Prime.She knew she and Trevor were currently safe, hopefully, but she prayed Peyton knew what the feckin’ hell he was doing.
Finally, Peyton slowly stepped into the room, and they heard a soft, hoarse voice say something, too low even for them to understand.
“It’s true,” Bryn said.“I looked—we’re in Wales!”
Silence.
Aisling did hold her breath that time.
“Wales?”the hoarse male voice asked.
“Yes, Cal!We’re free!”She started sobbing.“They found us and rescued us!”
“Are… are you sure?It’s not a trick?”
“Yes, we’re free!”Suddenly, more light flooded through the doorway, and Aisling let out her breath as she realized Bryn had opened the curtains.“Look!”Bryn said.
The bed creaked, and then Aisling heard the window open.“Oh… my… god…”
Peyton motioned to them from the doorway to join him.Aisling let Trevor go first because she didn’t want to be in the immediate line of fire if Callum went batshit.
But Callum stood at the open window with his back to them, shirtless, his hands on the sill, head back, and presumably eyes closed, nose to the air, with Bryn’s arm draped around him.
Horrible scars gnarled across his flesh.Aisling didn’t want to imagine how he received them.
“Free,” he said.
“We have three shifter doctors on-site,” Peyton told him.“And seven shifter nurses.Not all of them are wolf shifters, but we’re all working together.And two nurses who aren’t shifters, but are part of packs because of their mates.That’s in addition to other medical and care personnel.We haven’t awakened anyone else yet because I wanted to speak to you first.”
Callum didn’t move.“Why?”
“Because I cannot imagine the trauma you have suffered.I’m a Prime, I’m sure you can tell.There were several Primes in the rescue party.We used that to keep everyone else asleep.If something happened?—”
“You didn’t want me scaring them,” Callum said.
“Exactly.I’m sorry.No offense.”
Callum didn’t turn, but he slowly shook his head.“No offense taken.I’m… I’m okay.Just in shock.Good shock.”He took a long, deep breath.“Let me help you.Wake them, I mean.”
“Are you sure?”Peyton asked.
