Page 55 of Dual Nature

Walking down the last few steps, I came face to face with the most stunning man I'd ever seen. His hair was so blond it was practically white, with highlights of gold intermixed. His eyes were a soft seafoam green color and had an almond shape to them that tipped slightly upward. He watched me with wide-eyed horror that didn't make any sense until the world went dark.

thirty-five

When I came to, I found myself tied to a chair with thick chains wrapped around my shoulders, waist, and legs. I shifted around as subtly as I could, but I quickly realized I wasn’t going anywhere. Who could have knocked me out? Then my attacker walked into the open, and I came face to face with Delilah’s gorilla shifter bodyguard.

Does this mean that his owner is here as well? Was this whole thing a set-up? Did Tabitha defect and join the Dark Ring? Question after question flitted through my brain as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Seems the rat was caught in her own trap this time," the man commented, his voice deep and rough as if he didn't use it often. "My mistress will be pleased to find out that you're a surprise addition to this lot. Did you know she was trying to find you tucked away in that new pack of yours?"

I kept my face blank as he talked. The note I'd gotten said the Dark Ring was looking for me; I just hadn’t known it was her directly. It would make sense if she’d seen me on TV and put two and two together.

"Imagine her surprise when she found out the pet you picked wasn't just any werewolf, but an omega. Our plant in the United Senate told us that one was being claimed by the largest pack in Tennessee at the same time the son of Senator Vaughn called off the marshals we sent," he rambled as he paced in front of me. "I knew Cory was an omega, but my mistress didn't understand what that truly meant at the time or that more could be created with a bite. Just think what perfect slaves they will be once we create more with your help."

Thankfully, they didn't know the other part of my nature that had made the bite take. For them to believe this meant I would be kept alive and most likely not sold in a normal auction—if it got to that. This gave me at least a fighting chance to get out of this, but I needed to get out of the chains first. One step at a time, Finley, I reminded myself.

"Seems I should go check on our host since you made it in here. I was told that would be nearly impossible," he muttered, frowning at me. "Don't go anywhere. There are big plans for you."

Once the big man left, it gave me the chance I needed to get a better look at what I was tied down with. The chair I was tied to was metal, but it had to be reinforced for super-level strength since I couldn’t break out. Peering down at my feet, I noticed a padlock that secured the chains to the floor and me along with it. Taking a deep breath, I pulled on the chains with every ounce of strength I had; they creaked and groaned but didn't budge an inch no matter how hard I pulled or flexed. Panting, I relaxed back into the chair, leaning my head back to look up at the ceiling.

Tap, tap, tap.

Whipping my head around, I spotted the man I'd seen when I first walked into the place. He was smashing his chains on the clear barrier, his face a mask of rage as he threw his whole body behind the action. Finally, when I was sure he might give up, I saw a slight crack start to grow. He paused in surprise, and then our eyes met. I gasped as a connection of sorts slammed into me, coursing through my body and tossing off whatever invisible chains I had on my other nature that had been hidden for so long. My skin started to glow and pulse with power, causing the chains to burn against my skin. A scream burst from my lips at the pain, and a sensation unlike anything I'd ever felt registered in my brain. It was almost as if someone was pouring acid onto my skin where the chains touched.

In an effort to get away from it, I fought against their grip, thrashing until they snapped, and I tumbled out of the chair. My skin began to glow even brighter now that it was free from the metal, light shooting out of my fingertips and toes as if the power inside me couldn't be contained by my feeble body any longer. I screamed again, but this time it felt like when I shifted for the first time.

My body was reforming into something new, and once the power had done what it set out to do, I crumpled to my knees on the concrete floor, trying to comprehend what had happened. My hair fell loose around me, ten times longer and richer in color than it had been before. Reaching out to touch it, I noticed my skin had a shimmer to it, almost as if light danced in my veins. I felt stronger, powerful, ready to take on the world, and in the center of my chest there was a warm, soft glow of cool blue light, ready to do my bidding.

Brushing my hair out of my face, I looked around. Every cage now stood open, but none of the supers within them moved. All of them were transfixed by me, eyes wide in shock, and I couldn't blame them. If I were in their shoes, I’d be skeptical too. Taking my time, I stood, balancing on shaky legs as I took in everything around me. If I thought my eyes and ears were better after my first shift, then this was that on steroids. It was like getting glasses or hearing aids when you'd been living in a foggy world your whole life.

"It's all right. I've been sent by the Senate to free you from the Dark Ring. We need to get you all out of here before they come back to sell you off in the auction," I called out in a clear voice that sounded a tad bit more musical... if that was even a thing.

"She's edhel," a female vampire whispered to the super standing next to her.

"How can that be? They’ve been gone for centuries!" a wolf shifter protested once they returned to their human form. "You heard the gorilla; she's an omega. Only werewolves can be omegas."

This is bad. The one thing all my mates agreed on was me keeping my elf heritage a secret.

"I’m a werewolf and an omega, but before I was either of those things, I was an assassin hired to take down part of the Dark Ring. The Senate tasked me with that job, knowing you were all here and about to be sold off. Please, you need to leave," I begged.

Sensing movement behind me, I whirled and crouched, ready to attack if it was a super who didn't believe what I was saying. Instead, I found the blond-haired man kneeling before me, his head bowed and hand over his heart.

"Nin emel, nin faer, i er meant na complete nin im am at cín service," he said in the most beautiful language I'd ever heard.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you're saying," I explained, standing up from my crouch.

He looked up at me with a frown and cocked his head to the side. "Cin don't heni- i lamb -o mín núr?"

Shaking my head, I turned away and walked to the door, hoping there was a way for us to get out. There was a control panel that required a hand and retinal scan along with the passcode. Looking around, I found the objects in question, lying where I had been knocked unconscious. When I turned to head back to the scanner, the man blocked my way, his arms crossed as he looked down on me. Now that he was at his full height, I noticed just how ridiculously tall he was. I didn’t know that I'd ever seen someone as tall as he was.

I sighed. "I already told you I don't understand you."

"How can you not understand your own language?" he bit out.

Blinking at him, I tried to figure out what he was asking. "That isn't my language. I was raised here in the States. Granted, it was through the foster system, but I believe my English is perfectly understandable."

"You were what?!" he snarled. "My mate was raised by humans?"

My brain came to a screeching halt at that. "I'm sorry. Did you just say mate?"