“Kole was a huge part of that plan.” Sam’s voice is heavy with burden. “I don’t know how we’re going to pull it off with him off the map.”
Hayden looks up suddenly, a maniacal glint in his eye. “Thanks to our good doctor here, I think I can help with that.”
ten
Jo
Gunpowder and fresh rain tickle my nose…
Kole?
While I’m not feeling quite as shitty as I did the last time I woke up, I still don’t feel great. I immediately notice that my face is free of the muzzle, but my arms and legs are strapped down to a table.
“I do not know what you are talking about. The omega is not my scent match.” My Russian giant’s voice is the most welcome sound I’ve heard in days, even if his words have my omega howling in disagreement.
“We’re not stupid, Vasiliev,” Whitmore’s voice breaks the silence, “we’ve seen you all over her, and the pregnantbeta confirmed it.”
My stomach drops. Adela? Did she…did she betray me? But…how did she even know about Kole?
“Adela knows not of which she speaks.” Kole’s tone is dismissive, his accent thick. “You told her the omega was in danger, she scraped the bottom of the barrel for possibilities. This does not make it fact. I have no bond mark, you may check yourself.”
Oh. She…she wanted to help me. They probably made it sound like that was the only thing they wanted to do. We didn’t keep Adela in the loop, so shewouldn’tknow why we were keeping it a secret.
“Let’s test that theory out, shall we?” Whitmore snaps. My eyes pop open to see that we’re in a much nicer room than I was in before, all shining surfaces and hi-tech devices. There’s no way we’re still in the Cathedral. Is it possible…did they bring me to the lab under the abandoned wing?
Turning my head, I see Whitmore glaring at Kole, who is strapped to a chair in the corner.
Sensing my gaze, Kole’s eyes dart to me, and something breaks in his expression. Just for a moment, and then his mask of cool indifference is back.
There’s a…a security guard standing in the corner of the room, his arms crossed and a gun holstered on his hip. I’ve never seen anyone in Thornfield dressed how he is, especially not fitted with a gun like this one. His uniform is gray, and so is his bullet proof vest.
He looks like he’s a trained member of some sort of militia…could it be that the underground lab is even bigger than I had thought?
“Not to be a party pooper,” I manage to get out with my still-scratchy throat, “but I’d rather we not do any theory-testin’ till I’ve had a proper drink of water.”
To my complete and utter surprise, Nurse Helaena makes herself known in another corner of the room, silent as she lifts a straw to my lips and helps me drink.
I try to hide the shock on my face. What is shedoinghere? She doesn’t meet my eyes as she holds the straw, or when she puts the water back on the bedside table and stands back in the corner of the room.
She must be here to help…right? There’s no way she’s really been on Whitmore’s side this whole time.
“Can I proceed now,Josephine?” Whitmore’s voice drips with sarcasm.
“I suppose that’s fine.” I do my best to shrug, and don’t miss the split second when Kole’s lip tilts up. Whitmore huffs, then starts bustling around the room. “Where’s Brooks, by the way?” I ask nonchalantly, like I’m not strapped to a hospital bed in an underground, illegal testing facility.
Looks like Kole brought me back some of my mojo.
As he gathers his supplies, I shoot a questioning look at my alpha, slightly tilting my head in Helaena’s direction.
Kole gives just the slightest shake of his head before Whitmore turns back towards us. “Thatis none of your business,” he sneers, his black hair shining under the bright lights. He picks up a syringe and taps it a few times. “Let’s see what this does…” he trails off, but before he can slip the needle into my vein, the door opens.
“Oh! There he is.” I grin, loving the way Whitmore’s face turns a little red. “Why’d you get all snippy if he was just gonna come in anyway?” I frown at Whitmore, who looks like he’s about to blow a gasket. “What a strange power-play, Doc.”
Brooks stops, looking between us before shaking his head. “You can’t let her get to you, Henry.”
Whitmore huffs again, before sticking me with the needle rather indelicately, making Kole growl.
“Ow.” I wince, but it’s nothing new. Helaena was the first one to stick me that didn’t really hurt. “What does that do, Doc?”
