“Pathetic,” he growled. “Picking on turned’s that are weaker than you.” His hand squeezed, and the vampire’s cheeks puffedpurple. The idiot clawed at his arms, trying to get free, but it was no use. Conrad was stronger than I thought.
As the guard's legs dangled, Conrad’s hand dug into his pants, snatching a ring with some keys and a blank key card from his pockets. He hurled them at me without looking, as if he didn't have time to bother with me. “I’m a little frustrated right now, wishing I could be inside my mate, but I'm learning that violence is the next best thing. I’m warning you… this is going to hurt.” His fangs popped out, then he savagely tore into the vampire's neck.
I tongued my teeth to keep from smiling. I might not like the guy all that much, but he seemed to be learning. It seemed youcouldmake a gangster out of a businessman… with the right motivation.
A scream sounded,and I turned to see a large black wolf tearing a vampire's chest apart, piece by piece, with his claws and fangs in the most savage, unprofessional way, but fuck if it didn’t get the job done. It must hurt like a bitch.
Seeingthe fourth guard about to jump on Nick’s back to save his buddy, I pushed my power across the ground and into him, dialing up his fear until he was too stunned to fight me off. Taking out the magic gun from my waistband, I aimed it just right and shot him in his back. As soon as the bullet hit his heart, he stopped and fell to the ground with a thud.
A flash of white hair streaked past us, Nova running deeper into the cave. In a matter of seconds, she was swallowed up by darkness until she was nothing more than a vague silhouette against the black.
My chest narrowed with every step she took from my sight. The last time we were apart, she’d come back broken and with another mate. I didn’t think I could handle any more surprises like that.
She is your boss, your best friend, your mate. Trust her.
Taking a breath, I turned away from where she’d disappeared to see Nick. He’d changed back into his human form and somehow found time to put on his pants. I knew that his human brain was the reason for that, but I had to shake my head anyway. Didn’t other turned supes acclimate quicker than this? Why was he being so fucking stubborn?
If he looked in the mirror, he would see his mouth, hands, and chest covered in the blood and guts of the beings he’d just mauled. Yet, here he was, wasting time on pants before he went to the cages. He was either really shy about his dick or struggling with his other half.Not my problem,I reminded myself.
I came up to his side as he was frantically trying to pry open the lock to the door, which was obviously magicked to handle supe strength. When I dangled the keys Conrad gave me in his face, he glared at me like he wished he could incinerate me before snagging them out of my hand and making quick work of getting us inside.
“Shit.” Nick’s whisper broke the quiet as the magical walls around the cages lowered, and I followed his stare to a cage. It was full of bodies, some scrunched into corners, some huddled in groups, others sitting alone, rocking in the center. They all had their wrists, ankles, and necks cuffed to heavy individual chains. All of them were turned supes.
Muzzles were clamped over most of their mouths, even the vampires. Dirt crusted their hair, and all of their eyes were hollowed out with the same raw terror. No need for my power to tell me how they felt.
Nick went into hero mode, kneeling before the first person in front of him, a werewolf woman, as he felt around for a lock, but there was nothing. Examining the collars further, I followed the large chain from their feet, hands, and neck, all the way around to the back of their head where a black panel connected the chain. No padlock, no visible latch.
Fingering the plastic in my hand, I looked down at the card Conrad tossed me and had an idea. I slid it over the black panel and waited for a few seconds, thinking I was wrong, until I heard a beep, and the screen blinked green. All three locks released in one synchronous thud that made everyone around her jump. Chains hit dirt.
The werewolf woman scrambled away from her corner. Grabbing onto the cage to help her get up, she stumbled out of the cage and onto the ground. She pressed her face to the earth, sobs wracking her body, and I couldn’t help but see the scars littering her skin. It didn't make any sense unless… this doctor was testing more than just that enhancement substance.
I had glanced at the tunnel Nova had gone down, about to tell Nick to figure the rest out, when I felt a hand land on my leg. She turned around and clutched at Nick and me like we were anchors, her tears washing weeks of grime from her cheeks.
“Thank you,” she cried, her voice torn and raspy. “I didn’t want to die like the others. One of that cruel man's experiments.”
I wanted to ask her more questions and learn what she knew, but the rest of the captured beings suddenly scooted toward us as fast as they could. Looking back at the tunnel then the prisoners, I knew what Nova would want me to do.
“Fucking hell, let’s get this over with,” I complained.
Nick and I moved with practiced, efficient hands, passing the key card between us, freeing the rest of the prisoners until only one small person was still stuck in a corner. I stopped in my tracks. That small form was human. A boy.
The lock clattered to the ground, yet the boy clung to the cage, telling us he wouldn't go. He promised his dad he would stay here and be a good boy. I watched Nick’s eyes close, then his face completely changed. A calm, commanding voice came out.
When the boy heard that we were here to get him out and find his dad, his head turned, those wide eyes looking at both of us before narrowing on Nick. Finally, he let go of the cage and stood up on shaky limbs. “A-are you O-officer Cordova?” he cried, wiping at the tears collecting in his eyes. “M-my dad told me… t-their was an o-officer that turned. A-are you h-here to s-save us?”
The boy collapsed into Nick's frozen arms, sobbing and begging him to save his dad.
Cordova. The name stuck in my brain, twirling it over and over. Nick’s jaw went slack, his whole back tensed up, and warning bells went off in my head. He hugged the boy back, telling him that we were going to try our best, but as soon as he glanced back at me, I knew something was wrong. His eyes were shut down, not giving away any emotion, and that was telling in and of itself.
Something in me snapped. I grabbed him by the neck and hauled Nick away from the boy before I slammed him against the nearest cage. Metal screamed underneath him, and he grunted in pain. Conrad and Deslen lunged, arms out, and grabbed me, their voices sharp with warning, but I didn’t listen. Something was off, something that held the metallic tang of betrayal.
I shook off Deslen and Conrad, lunged forward, and gripped Nick's throat, squeezing it until I felt his Adam’s apple throb. His eyes darted around the space, pleading. I could feel the fear coming off him, but not for his life. No. It was because of all the lies he had told us.
“Who the fuck are you!” He spat out curses, telling me I was crazy, so I squeezed harder. I could sense that he was trying to shift, but he didn't have the training to do it under pressure. “I’m only going to ask one more time. Who the fuck are you,Officer Cordova?”
26
NOVA
