by P. Jameson
Damn.
One problem at a time.
They pulled up to the electric fence that bordered Bastian’s property. It reminded Skittles of something that would surround a museum full of pricey treasures. Or a prison. Keep ‘em in, keep ‘em out. Either way, it was 5000 volts for anyone who dared to try crossing it.
The fence that kept mate inside, his animal growled.
Ratchet stared at the thing like he was reliving a nightmare. The cat had tried to use his body to absorb the electricity so Nyla could climb him and jump over. But instead, the zap had caused him to shift and he’d burned her.
Fucking hell. On purpose or not, the fact that Ratchet hurt her made Skittles’s anger flare.
“Can you cut the power?” Ratchet asked.
“Not from here. I need to get inside, to the breakers.” Last time he’d hacked it from his computer, but that wasn’t an option now.
Ratchet sighed, glancing at Monster. “Then we have to go over.” He turned to the others. “Felix, Fang, and Smokes you’ll have to climb us. And you gotta do it fast because the Firecat can only take so much electricity, you hear? The rest of you, surround the perimeter. You see anyone, you take ‘em down. Got it?”
As they dispersed, Ratchet started to strip his clothes off.
“Wait just a goddamn minute,” Fang said. “What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like?” Ratchet glanced at Skittles. “Lose the clothes.”
“Why?”
Monster who was already stripping too, answered. “Because you’re probably going to shift. And if you shift, you’ll ruin your clothes. And you probably don’t want to meet your mate for the first time naked, if you know what I mean.”
Oh. Yeah. That made sense.
He would have to start thinking like a shifter again. He’d become so used to human ways, and humans usually didn’t find themselves without clothing… unless they’d had too much tequila.
“Fuck,” Felix spat. “Are you saying we have to climb your asses naked? Because no. I did not fucking sign up for this shit.”
Ratchet glared at him. “Yeah, I don’t love the idea of you being on my naked ass either. But would you rather try to climb it without me?” He gave Felix a shit-eating grin. “Because fried Felix would certainly make things easier for all of us, wouldn’t it?”
Fang frowned, staring between the fence and Ratchet. “Who do I get to climb?”
Felix raised an eyebrow. “You have a preference?”
“Kinda. I mean, Ratchet’s got some experience at this. I feel like he can probably hold his shit a little longer. And maybe his ass is rounder.” He shrugged. “It’d make for a better foothold.”
Smokes pulled in a long drag of his cig and nodded. “By that logic, Skittles is probably the worst choice.”
Skittles glowered. “The hell? Why not Monster. Technically, I’ve had my Firecat longer.” Only by minutes, because Monster’s had come forward as soon as it thought his Ice Cat mate was in danger… Skittles being the danger.
“Naw,” Smokes argued. “He’s been bonding with his mate, and you haven’t even seen yours. Besides…” He tipped his chin to Skittles’s waist. “…you have a flat ass.”
“My ass is not flat, dickhead.”
Ratchet shrugged him off. “I don’t care who climbs who. Just get ready. And for fuck’s sake, make it fast.”
Skittles tossed his clothes over the fence and lined up beside Ratchet and Monster. Felix picked him to climb. Probably because the bastard hoped he’d shift and burn him so he’d have a reason to punish him, take his skin. Fang took his place at Ratchet’s back and Smokes lined up behind Monster.
There was a moment of doubt that this would work as Skittles stared at the buzzing fence. Shit. If it didn’t, he’d find another way in. Nothing was keeping him from his girl tonight.
“On three,” Ratchet called. “Grab the top, and you bastards climb like hell.”
Skittles took a deep breath.
“One… two…”
“Wait!” Fang interrupted. “Is it go on three? Or three and then go?”
“Fucking hell,” Felix snarled. “You’re an idiot.”
“I want to be sure. We’re talking 5000 volts, asshole.”
“It doesn’t matter, just climb your ass up when they grab the fence.”
“It matters,” Fang argued. “That’s precious seconds I could lose if I get it wrong.”
Skittles eyed Ratchet and then Monster. Both nodded as if they were reading his mind while Felix and Fang continued to argue and Smokes still puffed on his cigarette.
“Three!” Skittles roared, and he leaped for the top of the fence, catching it with his palms.
On contact, electricity ripped through him like a flash of pure lightning, crackling through his veins until he thought he’d shatter. Where the fire from his cat had been hot and clean, yet never actually burning, the electric made him feel brittle. Like cold glass. A single tap at the wrong angle and he’d break. Inside, his new beast roared and writhed, trying to escape the sensation.
No. Hold it… hold it. For mate.
Skittles felt his body jerk and shake as he absorbed the shock so Felix could climb over the fence. The asshole didn’t make it easy either, his boot tread raked across Skittles’s back and arms until Felix planted his foot on his head to propel himself over.
Just in time because the flames of his cat were beginning to lick at his fingers. And it was like trying to stop water from rushing through a crumbling dam. Once it started, he couldn’t hold it back.
Felix flung himself to safety just as Skittles exploded into flames, roaring his pain as the cat took it all from him. The shift was pure power streaking through his body, taking all the human pieces and rearranging them into something fearsome and… noble?
There.
He felt it. For a split second, he felt that sense that he could be something good and right. Something he never had a hope of before. For a moment, the anger and vengeance faded to the background and the fire became all about doing the right thing.
Skittles stood on one side of the fence, his flaming mane flowing out from his head. His fur burned but wasn’t consumed. As he padded across the ground, the perfectly manicured grass singed beneath his massive paws. And the heat that burned in his center was comforting, as if it had always been a part of him and it was just now finding home.
Swinging his head around, he saw Felix and Fang had made it over the fence, but Smokes was still trying to clear it. Monster was struggling to hold in the cat, flames already licking at his fingertips where he held the fence. Rachet growled low, the heat from his beast mixing with Skittle’s to create an inferno.
At the last moment, Smokes flung himself over the top and Monster’s animal came blazing out of his skin, turning things to ash in its wake.
Together, the three Firecats were a force. Skittles could feel their combined power, pulsing in the air.
Bastian wouldn’t stand a fucking chance.
Ratchet leaped over the fence, clearing it without any effort. Monster followed.
Skittles stretched his back, loving the feel of his animal. Then he took a running leap and bounded over the fence. He didn’t stop once he was on the other side. He kept running, every step taking him closer to the girl he would give his fucking life for.
I’m coming, mate. And I promise, after tonight, no one will ever hurt you again.
Chapter Five
Skittles hunkered down in the basement hallway of Bastian’s mansion, quickly pulling on his jeans. The rest would have to wait.
He’d ran his flaming animal all the way to the edge of Bastian’s lawn before coming to his senses and realizing he couldn’t blaze his way past security. He had to be stealthier than that.
He’d have to be human. Use his brain. Finagle his way in without being detected.
Luckily one of the others had brought along his clothes so he wouldn’t be buck-ass naked doing it.
Fuck.
Focus. Focus, damn it.
But the closer he got to her, the wilder his instincts became. His animal didn’t want to be patient. It didn’t want to be rational.
It wanted fucking results.
“What’s the plan?” Fang hissed.
They’d cut the lower level camera feeds, but the rest of the house was still wired until he could reach the control room. As long as none of Bastian’s men ventured to the lower level, they were safe to check the place out.
From what Vegas had told them, Skittles figured the hidden room wasn’t down here. More likely, it was something Bastian kept close. Maybe near his bedroom or office.
He drew in a long breath, scenting the air. It was cold. Dank. Like the feeling of despair permeated the walls. The hall was dark, as if Bastian didn’t want to spend any extra money on lighting. Like this part of the compound wasn’t worth it because this was where he put his trash.
No, not trash.
Dolls, he called them. Toys. And like a spoiled little child, he stomped on them and dragged them through the dirt and yelled at them when they didn’t make him happy.
Where are you, my female?
“Show me the room.”
Ratchet shook his head. “Fuck, man. You don’t want to see that.”
“I need to,” Skittles argued. Not only because some tortured part of him needed to see where his mate had spent her days, where she’d struggled, where she’d cried. But there was a more rational reason to visit the dungeon. “To catch her scent so I can track her.”
Ratchet stared, his knowing eyes roaming Skittles face. But in the end, it was the best way for them to find Nyla quickly.
He blew out a breath and pushed past Skittles, heading south through the narrow hallway. Quietly, the others followed him until they arrived at a thick steel door, set deep in the wall. There was a keypad to the side, but it wasn’t needed. The door was ajar, dim light streaming through the crack.
Ratchet peeked inside and pushed it open.
The room was empty except for two rickety metal framed beds and ratty blankets piled about the room. As if for the most part, the girls just made little nests here and there to sleep in.
“Shiiiiit.” Fang stepped into the room, looking around at the quarters with obvious disgust.
But Skittles was watching Smokes.
The cig he had in his mouth was unlit now, settled on his grim lips like a sign bearing his name. He stood in the center of the room, nothing moving except his gaze. But the most puzzling thing was that his expression showed zero emotion. Like he’d shut it all off. No disgust, no fury.
Fuck.
Sure, they were all hardened. They’d been trained to hide their feelings unless it was anger. But this cool, calm Smokes was so unnerving Skittles had to look away.
He switched to focusing on the room. There was a small walled-off portion that held a toilet and sink. No indication of how the Dolls had bathed. Looking around, he guessed he would have to just start randomly scenting until he found the one that belonged to Nyla. Now that his feline senses were returning, he was familiar with all of the other Dolls’ scents.
Marlee smelled of Ratchet and the young she carried. Vegas was uniquely… cold, like the smell of a fresh snowfall, but she also held Monster’s scent. Janet smelled like pure sadness and Skye, like despair….
What would his female smell like?
Reaching for one of the flattened pillows from the bed, he brought it to his nose and inhaled. It was mixed with evidence of all of the girls, but there was a hint… just a hint of something new.
He needed something clearer.
The small piece of her was enough to get him moving as he frantically pulled blankets up to his face, dragging in the musty scents, searching for anything that showed him how to find his girl. Piece by piece, he collected the samples, letting his animal instincts go free.
Find mate. Find her now.
His eyes lasered in on a small knit hat, shoved into a corner by the bed. He couldn’t tell the color of it, but it seemed a lighter gray. So maybe a bright color. Maybe yellow. Picking it up, he brought to his face, and instantly, he knew.
This belongs to mate.
He took in her whole scent for the first time, and it was so powerful, his knees nearly buckled with relief. She was warm like honey in tea. And spicy like the sun in the fall. If she was a color he could see, she’d be gold or orange. Funny that he’d always thought of her as darkness.
A rumbling sound rolled from his chest. Mate’s scent would lead him to her.
He stalked from the tragic room, not caring if the others followed or not. Winding down the slim hall, he came to a set of stairs. At the top was a heavy door, but he wasn’t sure it was the right one to take.
No. Not right.
He doubled back, passing the other males and headed the same direction they’d entered from. He’d seen another door at the back of the hall. That one was darker. More secluded. They’d have better luck going through there.
As if the universe decided to reward him, Nyla’s scent grew stronger. Infinitesimally, but it meant he was getting closer.
With the cats right on his tail, he snuck up the steps leading to the darker door. No light shined from beneath this one. At the top, he listened for any indication of what they’d find on the other side.
But it was silent.
No keypad. No deadbolt. Checking the small handle, he found it was unlocked, and eased it open. Beyond the door was another dark hallway. This one done up in lavish charcoal… probably navy… wallpaper. It looked rich. Not grungy like the one below. This was part of Bastian’s domain.
Skittles crept quietly into the space and let the others pass through. Minutes ticked away as they kept still, listening and watching for anyone, but the place was like a ghost town.
Looking around, he tried to get his bearings. Vegas had drawn maps of the place, and Monster knew a lot of about the layout from his time working as one of Bastian’s guards. Skittles glanced at him, mouthing where are we?
Monster shook his head and Skittles could tell by the frown curling his scarred lip that he didn’t know. “Never seen this area,” the cat hissed. “Maybe… maybe behind the bastard’s office?”
Maybe. They were going on a maybe.
Shit.
Using hand signals, Skittles indicated to the others to move forward. Staying where they were wasn’t an option, and Nyla’s scent was only getting stronger.
As a group, they made their way down the dark hall, and Skittles noticed they were headed toward light. As if they were moving out of a secret and into the sunshine.
There was nothing on the walls except for the occasional sconce that held no light and a set of heavy drapes that framed the opening where the light shone into the dark hallway. It wasn’t a window, and not a door. Just an opening.
Before them, light. Behind them, the door to the basement.
This was some kind of private entry. Or exit. It made no sense.
Skittles froze as a rhythmic tap caught his attention. Shhhnk click, shhhnk click. It was familiar, and filled him with fury so hot, he wondered if he’d blaze again. Could he call out the fire when he was so full of hate?
Bastian. The fucker was right there. He could practically reach out and strangle him.
Skittles and the others pressed against the walls, getting as close to the drapes as they could to keep from being seen. The sound of Bastian’s cane didn’t slow as his shadow passed over the opening and kept going. Skittles peeked around the curtain, to see Bastian stop at another one just like it across the room… which seemed to be some kind of foyer.
“His office is back the other way,” Monster confirmed. “That door way over there to the left.”
Skittles watched Bastian peel back the heavy drape that looked like nothing more than another wall decoration. But behind it was a door, thick and heavy, with a pad
lock instead of any sort of keypad like they’d seen downstairs.
Mate is in there. He knew it. It was in the air, in the energy. He could practically feel her radiating from that spot. They were so close.
Bastian pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and expertly, slid one into the lock, twisting it open with a flick of his wrist. Seconds later, he disappeared through the door and the curtain fell back into place.
After making sure the coast was clear, Skittles stepped into the bright light of the foyer crossed the lavishly carpeted room to the hidden door. Careful footsteps following, told him the others were on his trail. Pulling back the curtain, he pressed his ear to the door. He couldn’t hear anything, but Nyla’s warm scent was strong.
He’d found her.
His hand shook with frustration as he gripped the handle, and he paused to pull in a steadying breath. She was just beyond this door. It was going to be all right. Even if he didn’t get to kill Bastian.
Slowly, Skittles twisted the handle, holding the door still until he felt the soft click of the latch go free. With another deep breath full of his mate’s scent, he eased it open until he could see inside.
It was another narrow hallway, shorter than the last and decorated with soundproofing foam instead of fancy wallpaper. Two steps in, it took a hard turn to the right, and Bastian’s voice hit him like a hammer to the temple.
“What will it be, Seven? Will you save yourself… or die on this cold fucking floor? Give me your answer now before I change my mind and feed you to the dogs.”
The turn ended at a cell, no more than six feet wide and ten long. And there, chains around her wrists, was a bruised and broken female with dark skin and terrified eyes.
My darkness. My Nyla.
She found his eyes past Bastian’s body that blocked most of the opening. And he didn’t know what his were saying to her, but he stared hard, trying to tell her so much with just a look. Too much.
I’m here, mate.