Nico was pacing, still in his human form, but he gave the impression of a caged cat just waiting to be set free to kill at random. It was having the desired effect. Both Roy and Judd were watching his every move.
“Okay,” Roy said, his eyes flickering between Teilo and Nico. “So, the big man’s looking for us. Fair enough. Look, we’ve just had a setback, nothing major. When that damn television interview came out, we had to disappear for a while. The Devil has to know sometimes that’s the best way to win the battle. And dead shifters—so what? It’s not like you or your brother’s got a mommy missing you or anything. You’re disposable assets, and we can always make more.”
Nico’s menacing growl rang around the room, and Judd tried to move away from his colleague. “Hey, Roy. Don’t go upsetting the kitty with the claws.”
“I’d pay attention if I were you, Roy,” Teilo said, causing the men to look back at him again—he could see it was wearing on Roy and Judd’s nerves when Nico just wouldn’t stand still. He disappeared behind the couch they’d plonked them on, and both Roy and Judd tried to dislocate their necks to keep him in sight. Not that they could, although Teilo could’ve helped them with that. In fact, after the disposable comment, his claws itched tohelp.
“Look, why are you here, and why the fuck are we tied up?” Judd was clearly trying for a moderate ‘let’s work this out’ tone. Teilo had heard it before. “You guys know us. You clearly not going to kill us, or you’d have done it by now. I know about your training regime. I was the one who worked with the trainers to set it up.”
That was something Teilo hadn’t known. “You set the trainers to do all those tests on us? It was your idea to see if Nico would die or shoot me? It was you who came up with the plan to have us be ‘soft-footed’ you called it, by running on a fucking electric grid? You handled that?”
“I have a creative mind.” Judd gave a semblance of a shrug. “Admit it, it was effective. We didn’t hear you come in.”
“You won’t see your death coming, either.” Suddenly, Nico was looming over the back of the couch, Judd’s jaw in his capable hands. “You put me and my mate through hell every single fucking day of our existence, and you call it creative. How about I consider how many creative ways I can tear your skull from your neck?”
Teilo tensed—he could see it. He knew how many ways Nico, and him for that matter, had for tearing a man to pieces. But Ben had said…
Ben’s not here.Nico’s growl reverberated through his skull—so intense, Teilo could tell at that moment how much Nico had been holding back.
He couldn’t show it. Nico had spent so many years being a protector, even with the bars between them. He’d known nothing else, and it’d impacted him in ways Teilo understood but didn’t have words for.
“You’re right, mate of mine.” Teilo held Nico’s eyes and nodded. “These guys can’t tell us anything, and Ben’s not here.”
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” Judd yelled, or more like squawked because of the hold on his head. “Who the hell is Ben?”
“I’m Ben, Head of the Shifter Council.” Ben’s voice came from the hallway. “Next time, beloveds, unlock a door for us, please. I had a real job getting Kylo’s fat ass through the window.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ben
His brother hissed a curse as he came in behind Ben. Ben paid him little mind as he stared at the two men instrumental in causing his mates’ pain and suffering.
Neither looked anything special, yet their evil creativity caused the pain he heard in both mates’ voices and felt through their connection. He’d listened to the conversation before they’d come into the room and now understood how much Nico held back to keep Teilo safe. It hammered at his conviction to return to the council like nothing else could. He’d do anything to protect his mates—absolutely anything.
“Talk,” he snapped through elongated fangs. “Tell us where the others have gone and why?” The need to stop what happened from being replicated anywhere else was essential and a top priority. After that, Ben would need to talk with his mates.
The one called Judd winced when Teilo came forward when he didn’t instantly answer. “They’ve gone back to the states. They’ve got contacts there and are looking to start—”
“Shut the fuck up. This guy is part of the council…” Ben didn’t so much as hesitate. He may not have the ability to shift a part of his body, he could, however, use his panther’s strength and teeth. On Roy in a second, he shoved back his head and ripped out his throat with razor-sharp teeth. The gurgling sound and wide eyes came with silence from those in the room. Ben spat the bloody flesh onto the broken mess on the ground, springing back with his cat’s agility.
He wiped his coppery-tasting mouth with the back of his hand and leered evilly at Judd before spitting once more to remove the tainted blood from his mouth. “Now, where the fuck were we?”
The dying man sitting next to Judd slumped towards him, his mouth hanging wide, his neck gapping open, revealing what Ben left of his vocal cords as he breathed his last.
Teilo moved and flanked his side, his lethal nails glinting in the daylight pouring through the windows. A second later, Nico was on Ben’s other side, his shoulder brushing against Ben’s.
Ben never took his gaze from Judd, who squirmed away from the man dripping blood over his bare arm, though Ben’s chest had filled with warm fuzzies at the move. “There’s a central place in Alaska where we were all recruited. It’s the hub of the operation.”
Ben’s gut clenched. “Not here?”
Judd glanced at the now dead man. “This place… it was supposed to be the same as the other in the states. Things in Paraguay run differently, only we didn’t know that until we got here. The council lost control of this place the moment we set up shop. The ‘Devil’ has his hand in everything.” Judd looked towards where Kylo was standing. “Even law enforcement. Nothing happens in this country without his say-so.” Judd’s attempt to shrug was hampered by the dead guy next to him and the bonds tying him up.
“So, it was the ‘Devil’ who orchestrated the way of doing things here?” Ben saw the minute the guy’s eyes got crafty.
“It was.”
Ben didn’t hold back. He drop kicked the dead guy off the couch faster than the blink of an eye, then pinned Judd by the throat, stretching his neck back and getting in his face. He scented the fresh urine a second later. Ben’s lips peeled back, and his teeth dropped. “Lying is only going to piss me off.” Ben squeezed the guy’s throat hard enough he could feel the bones crushing together. “And let me tell you, I can, just like my mates, think of a thousand ways to make you suffer. So, what do you want? More playtime or to tell the fucking truth?” He put every ounce of fury he felt at the injustice and suffering he’d read in the files into his words and his grip.
