Page 47 of Logan’s Acadian Wolves

As the blast hit, the car rolled onto its side and Wynter screamed. Mercifully, blackness fell over her the second she jolted against the window.

Bodies. Six dead bodies to be precise. The stench of death hit as soon as the vampire opened the door. With decomposition well under way, flies swarmed around the maggot-covered bodies.

“Jesus Christ,” Logan cursed. He held his sleeve to his face and swatted the insects away. “These are humans.”

“I’m tellin’ ya. This is some sick shit.” Dimitri coughed for air. The smell was nearly unbearable.

Logan moved closer so he could get a better look at the corpses. “With the way they’re bloating, I’m guessing they’ve been in here for a few days. They all look pretty young…in their twenties. What the hell is this, Devereoux?”

“Dinner,” Léopold commented with disgust. He pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief and put it over his nose. “He’s making new vampires. They’ve little control. Kill easily when feeding.”

“Great. Okay, well I don’t like this. The unlocked door. It’s too quiet,” Logan surmised. “We should get outta here.”

“I believe you are correct, Alpha,” Léopold agreed. No one in his line made vampires without registering them. And his tip about the lab’s location was looking more and more like a trap. Never one to lose his cool, he tried to contain his rage, yet could not resist the urge to descend his fangs.

As Logan was getting ready to pull everyone out of the building, a single red flickering light drew his attention. Alerting the group, he raised his hand and pointed silently to an adjoining room. Stealthily he approached, taking care not to fall through the rotted floorboards. The wide open space was empty save for the carcasses of a few dead rats and a portable table. A black laptop sat atop; its power button pulsed a glowing beat in the darkness. As the others gathered round, Logan swiped his finger across the pad, waking it out of slumber. When the screen appeared, a single message in black and white froze on it: ‘The scientifique is mine. Nowhere is safe.’ Logan’s heart lodged in his throat. Wynter.

As fast as his feet would carry him, he ran toward the exit, screaming Wynter’s name. By the time he’d reached the sidewalk, he caught a glimpse of her face through the car window as the fiery explosion detonated. Logan and the others were shoved to the ground as the shock waves hit. The roar of the blast sent rubber shrapnel flying into the air, raining down onto the street.

A split second later, Logan sprinted toward the wreckage of the SUV, which had been thrown onto its side. Through smoke and debris, he climbed up to the driver’s seat door. The blackened windows obscured his view.

“Wynter!” he screamed into the car. A low moan emanated from inside it.

Logan grunted as he yanked open the door. Gas and dust from the airbag deployment wafted into the air, causing him to cough. He managed to elevate the door fully, exposing the deflated white side curtain bags.

“Hold it open,” he ordered, noticing that Léopold had climbed up onto the hood to help. Léopold took hold of the door and effortlessly ripped it off its hinges, tossing it into the street.

Dimitri flipped open his switchblade and passed it forward to Logan, who knifed at the plastic. They tore off the curtain, revealing the inside of the compartment.

“Wyn! Can you hear me, baby? Say something,” Logan called into the car. Silence greeted him. As the powder settled, he was finally able to see Jake, whose left arm and face were badly injured.

“Shit,” Logan spat out upon seeing the damage inflicted on his friend. “Jake, hey man. Come on, wake up buddy.”

With no response, Logan continued talking to him. “We’re gonna get you out now. You’re going to be all right after you shift.”

“Cut ’em down. I’ll hold him up so he doesn’t crush Wynter,” Dimitri suggested. Jake, secured in his seatbelt, hung downward like a marionette on its strings. Thankfully, since he was belted, he hadn’t yet fallen onto Wynter.

“Ready, D?” Logan asked as he started slashing at the nylon belt. Dimitri held tightly to Jake. “That’s it.”

Together, they heaved their friend up and out of the car. Dimitri took Jake in his arms and laid him out on the street.

“Zeke, get him out of his clothes now. He’s gotta shift,” Dimitri ordered. “I’ll be right back. I need to help Logan get Wynter.”

Logan’s breath caught as Wynter came into view. Still in her seatbelt, her head rested against the sagging airbag. Although she was unconscious, her heart still beat strongly. Logan leaned all the way into the car until most of his body was inside. When he reached the straps, he frantically cut at them.

“Wyn, sweetheart. I’m here. I’m so sorry.” Logan pushed the hair out of Wynter’s face and kissed her forehead.

Logan cursed; his heart tore in a million pieces seeing her like this. He’d said he’d keep her safe and he’d failed her. Guilt washed over him, and he prayed she’d be okay. He felt the emotion swell up in his chest. Seeing her hurt and vulnerable was more than he could bear. Her heartbeat was steady, but she remained unconscious. He kissed her again, this time on her cheek.

“Please, baby. Wake up now. I need you here with me. You’re my…” he choked but couldn’t finish.

She moaned and her eyes fluttered. “My Alpha,” she whispered.

Thank the Goddess, she’d woken. He wished he could tell her right then about how she was his mate. But sanity won over and he focused on the task at hand; he needed to get her home. They could talk later.

“We’re goin’ get you out of here, okay? How do you feel? Are you in any pain?”

“Fucking vampires,” she coughed. “Do you believe this shit?”