Brooks answers. “Just a little something to…motivate the Russian to tell the truth.”
Kole stiffens, and then I feel it. The low burning, starting in my chest but scraping outward with all the finesse of nails on a chalkboard.
I can’t stop the gasp of pain that leaves me, and Kole’s eyes turn near black as he struggles against his restraints. “Lisichka!”
“I’m okay.” The pain ramps up steadily, and then it’s like I’m slowly being burned from the inside out. “It’s alright, Sugar Bear.” I grimace. “I’ve had worse beatin’s from Daddy—ah!”
Fire. Pure, undiluted fire licking up my veins like I’m going to incinerate right here and now.
“Brooks!” Kole barks. “Give her the antidote, or whatever it is you need to make it stop.”
“Are you her true scent match?” Whitmore asks, holding up a second vial. The antidote?
“No—” My words are cut off with a scream as the pain shoots up to a level I’ve never experienced in my life. My vision goes white and spotty, and my ears start ringing.
“Make it stop, now!” Kole roars, the chair rattling as he attempts to break free.
“...not until you tell us the truth…” Brooks sounds like he’s underwater again.
For the fifth time in who knows how many days, everything fades away as the world turns black.
Ireallywish it would stop doing that.
“Tell me, Doc, is that another syringe in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” My voice is groggy when I wake, and unfortunately, I can’t find the will to laugh at the look the new security guard in the corner gives me. The classic,“what the actual fuck is wrong with you?”look.
“Lisichka,” Kole’s hand grasps mine, and when I look over, I see that we’ve been moved to another room, this one with two beds next to each other, with a plethora of IV stands and fancy equipment that looks so alien, I couldn’t even begin to say what it does. Kole is strapped to the bed next to me, his head turned to look at my face. “Are you alright?”
“What…what happened?” I ask, looking into my Russian Giant’s piercing blue eyes.
Fucking Brooks answers. “Mr. Vasiliev here finally gave us the truth we’ve been looking for, but unfortunately for you, you had an adverse reaction to the serum we gave you. You’ve been out a full day.”
I blink. A full day? Which means, Kole’s just been captive with me this whole time? Do West, Sam, and Hayden know what’s going on?
“How do you know he wasn’t just lyin’ to save me?” I ask, trying to sound unaffected. “I have that effect on people, you know. Men just want to do whatever they can to get on my good side.”
Brooks huffs. “I suppose we’ll find out shortly.” A small knock on the door followed by Helaena entering the room brings me back to my very first day in the facility. How the hell did she get in here? Is this part of Declan’s plan to get me out?
“Helaena, bond breaker serum, sample ten oh two, please.” Brooks’ voice is hard.
Kole growls at the same time that I cry out. “What?” I try to sit up, but of course, I can't. “You can’t do that—”
“Let’s get one thing straight, Ms. Harding.” Doctor Brooks lowers himself over me until we’re nose to nose. His black walnut scent invades my senses until I feel like I’m going to be sick. “Iam the one in charge here.Ican do whatever the fuck I want. If Iwantedto induce your heat and leave you a slick, writhing mess, never meeting satisfaction, I could. If I wanted to sew your big toe,” he takes a finger and pokes my forehead, making Kole snarl, “to your forehead and declare you a unicorn, the masses would praise and celebrate me for discovering a new species. So get it through your thick.”Poke. “Fucking.”Poke.“Head.”Poke. “That nobody is coming to save you, and things will go a hell of a lot smoother for you if you fall in line.”
Rage swims through me as I stare into his beady eyes, gritting my teeth. “Understood.”
He observes me for a moment, before nodding to himself and backing away. He takes a handheld recording device out of his pocket, but stalls when we all hear a loud bang from somewhere above us. Brooks frowns, waits for a moment, then shrugs, hitting record and lifting it to his mouth. “April twenty-eighth, six in the evening. Testing sample batch ten oh two. Desired result is a bond severance with no option of re-bonding. Will follow up with a sample of venom from a true scent match to see if it reverses.”
Koles hand squeezes mine. They want to…remove my bond with Hayden and see if they can bond me to Kole instead?
Butwhy?
There’s another loud thump, and Helaena frowns, looking at Brooks. “Should we see what that is?”
“I’ll go,” the security guard growls, but Brooks shakes his head.
“No. I can’t be left alone with that monster,” he nods towards Kole. “I’m sure it’s just another feral alpha throwing a tantrum.” Then he looks at Helaena. “And you, do your job,” Brooks snaps. “You shouldn’t even be down here. You signed the NDA, correct?”
Helaena nods demurely. “Yes, sir.”
