Fur, Cloak and Dagger (Team Greywolf Series Book 4)

by Eva Gordon

  Bolton laughed. “Especially, when I’m a powerful wolf.”

  Emma’s heart froze. “Literally?”

  “Yes. After you were knocked out, I returned briefly to speak with Svetlana in her suite. She convinced me to take the drug.”

  Nik lifted a brow. “You mean coerced.”

  “You might say that.” He snorted. “I was convinced at gunpoint with two werewolves standing by to make sure I obeyed her orders.”

  That explained Nik’s reaction on seeing Bolton. Emma didn’t understand why the mind trick no longer worked, unless Bolton was an alpha or somehow immune to mind control. “How do you feel?” No doubt, Svetlana might have trained him to avoid being mesmerized.

  “I have to admit for three hours I thought my body might explode. But then the pain stopped.” He smiled. “I’ve never felt better, stronger and invincible.”

  Emma tried to not look surprised. Only three hours? Normally, lycans took at least a day to undergo the change. Then again, this new chimera werewolf never fully shifted to full wolf form.

  Nik looked him up and down. “You are no big bad wolf. Where are your fangs?”

  “Very funny. It doesn’t work that way.” He narrowed his eyes at Nik and then smiled. “You two will help me celebrate my superior body over dinner.”

  Emma quipped. “Let me guess, raw steak?”

  Nik shook his head. “More like Red Riding Hood’s babushka.”

  “I only seem to have such predatory desires in my werewolf form. As a human, I prefer seafood.” He sighed. “I’ll send one of my men for you after you freshen up, say a half hour?”

  The charming villain did not bode well. Who knew if it would be her last meal? “I’ll wear my good sneakers.”

  “There are clothes for the both of you in your closets. Vacation-in-the-islands attire.” Bolton left and locked the door.

  Emma wrinkled her brow. “So he is one of them.”

  Nik nodded. “I smelled the stench of the chimera werewolf the moment he walked in.”

  “Apparently, your alpha mind control doesn’t work on chimera werewolves?”

  “I should be able to compel lower rank werewolves, but these are different, which puts us at a real disadvantage.”

  “Svetlana, no doubt, made sure they too took the drug to stop your mind control.”

  “Or, they might be naturally immune to mind control.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nik dressed in the clothes provided by Bolton. White shirt and khaki shorts, not his preferred style, but clean clothes anyway. He knocked on Emma’s door in the adjoining room. “Ready?”

  “Come in.”

  He opened the door and gawked like a lovesick wolf. Emma wore a sexy red tight around-the-waist sundress and matching red sandals. “Little Red Riding Hood of the Tropics.”

  Emma snorted. “Although, I’m rooming with the big bad wolf, I’m missing the red-hooded cloak.”

  “Not bad wolf, but yes, big.” His arousal might be pretty obvious.

  “At least he doesn’t suspect you are a werewolf.”

  “Yes, he told the truth, so we are, as you say, good to go.”

  She sighed. “We need to escape. Bolton is more than anxious to turn me into a female werewolf.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out before that.”

  “Before or after dinner?”

  “I say before.”

  The door opened and in walked Bolton and three men, chimera werewolves. Their scent obvious to his keen nose.

  Bolton’s gaze narrowed at Emma, making Nik want to tear him apart limb from limb. “You are so much more beautiful than the so-called Jane Walker.”

  Nik draped an arm over Emma. “Why don’t we take what you Americans call a raincheck?”

  Bolton scowled at him. “Make no mistake. As much as I enjoy dinner parties, you and Agent York are prisoners.”

  “In that case, we’ll take our meals in our room,” she scoffed.

  Bolton gave her a wolfish look and smiled. “Please, I think we can come to a mutual agreement. Besides, you will be impressed by the view from our veranda.”

  “Let Boris go. He’s just a hired guide.”

  Bolton shook his head. “Your encrypted files revealed there is no Boris Orlov.”

  Nik scratched his head. “Hmm. I’ll need to speak to my mother about that.” He had been Russia’s most secretive operative. No one, except the man who rescued him, knew his true nature and had kept all his records hidden even from the former KGB.

  “Yes, please do. We found a Boris Orlov, a mercenary who died in the Middle East. About a year ago. Interestingly, he was an orphan.”

  Emma shrugged. “Like the name John Smith, there must be hundreds of Boris Orlovs.”

  So much for Rylee’s foolproof cover. Nik blurted, “I did mention I have a mother.”

  Bolton ignored her and stared at Nik. “Unlike our CIA agent, you don’t appear in any database.”

  “Trust me, I’m of no importance, but I don’t mind staying.”

  Bolton sighed and then smiled. “Come, time for the best seafood around.”

  Nik and Emma followed Bolton to the rooftop where a dining area as spectacular as any five-star resort stood. The view of the sparkling ocean under the moonlight and the night-lights was beautiful.

  Emma sat next to Bolton at the head of the table. Nik sat at the far end of the long table, next to a young woman perhaps in her early twenties. She had short raven hair styled in a page cut with bangs. Dressed in a sleeveless red summer hoodie and blue jeans, she looked like a hipster. She also wore barely visible headphones as if tuning everyone out. Rude. Was she Bolton’s daughter? He had no family in the press, but one never knew. She didn’t smile or greet anyone. In between her and Nik, five people joined them. Emma suspected they were scientists or managers at his secret company. Hmm? Were they chimera werewolves? No doubt the three guards in the background were. Something wolfish in their eyes, like when spotting prey, gave them away. Only Nik would know for sure.

  The staff brought wine and appetizers.

  Bolton stood and lifted his glass of white wine. “Welcome our guests, Emma York and Boris Orlov.” He went around and named the other guests. She’d guessed correctly, they all were heads of his lab. The young woman, however, was introduced as Nexus, head of tech security. So she must be the one who broke their firewalls.

  “Hey.” Nexus acknowledged them with a half-hearted nod before returning to stare at her smart phone.

  Their hacker looked young, barely out of her teens. Once they got out of this mess, she’d be a perfect asset, if Emma could convince her to join the CIA. Someone like her didn’t necessarily want better pay, just better challenges. In her case, probably left alone with a carton of pizza and a do-not-disturb sign.

  Bolton smiled at Emma. “What do you think of Metis Island?”

  “It looks like blood money provides extravagant living,” Emma snarked.

  “Perhaps when I first started my lucrative business, but now it’s the power of the wolf that enriches my life and soon yours.”

  “If you mean turning into a monster, not happening.”

  “Think of the strength of the inner beast’s superiority? Not just power, but heightened senses.”

  Emma sighed. “No, thank you.” Nonetheless, “No” probably wasn’t in Bolton’s vocabulary.

  Nik spoke, “Let her go and give me the experimental drug.”

  Bolton turned to him. “Not until I know who you really are. Besides, I need a woman to try the transformative SERV therapy.”

  Emma shook her head. “Therapy?”

  “Think of it as improvement over our fragile human bodies. Even if shot with bullets, you heal immediately.”

  Not that he would answer honestly, but why not ask? “How many women have you experimented on?”

  “I’ll be honest, so far twelve.”

  Emma slowly tapped her finger on the table. “Let me guess, none survived.”

  “We
have perfected the drug since those first volunteers. In fact, Nexus and two others in the group survived.”

  Emma stared at Nexus. “She’s a werewolf?”

  Nik raised a brow. Had he caught her scent indicating her shifter status?

  Nexus rolled her eyes. “I wish.”

  “Apparently, the virus only works in a few women,” answered Bolton.

  Emma narrowed her eyes. “What exactly happened to the women it did not work on?”

  Bolton changed the subject. “Not important. Our method will work this time.” He pointed his chin at the young woman. “Nexus is still here.”

  Odds are the women who shifted died. “I still want to know about the others,” said Emma. She hoped Nik could read his reaction. Bolton, obviously a sociopath, hid the truth from her.

  Nexus took out her headphones. “They ended up looking like real wolves. Dead wolves.”

  Bolton glared at her. “Shut the fuck up!”

  Nexus put her headphones back on. “Whatever.”

  “You mean they never returned to their human forms?” Emma asked.

  One of the scientists spoke, “That mistake was before we perfected the chimera virus.”

  Emma wondered where his guinea pigs had come from. He could have kidnapped hundreds. “Did they have a choice?”

  “Of course they did,” said the scientist.

  Bolton said, “The virus has been perfected. We tested the latest batch on monkeys.”

  Nik cocked his head. “You created were-monkeys?”

  Bolton smiled. “Yes. Unfortunately, after a month we had the males euthanized since they were impossible to control. We managed to create two female were-monkeys. They turned into a small wolf, about the size of a beagle.”

  “And can they return to monkey form?” asked Nik.

  “Yes. They are being dissected to get more answers as to why.”

  No way are they experimenting on me. It appeared the virus remained latent in females. “How long ago did Nexus receive the virus?”

  Nexus looked up from her smart phone. “A month ago. Nothing happened. I still had to get rid of a bad cavity, which apparently werewolves don’t get.” She scowled at Bolton.

  “And you feel normal?”

  Nexus smirked. “Me, normal? Not. Although, if you mean a reaction to the chimera drug, nope.”

  “Hmm. No side effects, yet,” said Emma. Humans had longer lifespans than any species of ape and monkey. Would the enraged behavior seen in the male monkeys eventually overtake Bolton’s men?

  Bolton changed the subject. “Ah, here’s the first course.”

  Was he worried the chimera virus would backfire? Emma gave Nik a glance. He had downed his glass of water.

  Nik had no appetite for the fresh fish and barbecued pork. Bolton threatened Emma with the poorly tested shifter drug. He would not allow that to happen. Yet…the odds had taken a turn for the worse. If he shifted to his alcohol-induced monster werewolf form, he might be able to fight off Bolton and the three guards. He just needed to communicate with Emma to run. But where? He’d only seen one motor boat and a huge yacht. The server poured Nik a glass of wine. Instead, he reached for the water and drained it. Emma ate and acted as if the entire dinner party was normal, laughing and complimenting the taste of the food. Yet, he detected her rapid pulse. The woman had nerves of iron, a real pro. They discussed Bolton’s pharma business, and Emma furrowed her brow in rapt attention. He turned to Nexus. He spoke loudly since her headphones blasted music. From her scowl and mannerisms, he sensed she either hated eating with others or the sound of chewing. “So where did you learn to hack?”

  Nexus drank coffee instead of wine and barely touched her food. She put her cup down, lifted her headphones and snorted. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Curious.”

  “Home schooled.”

  “Must have been a high-tech home.”

  She smirked. “Not.”

  “Why did you want to become a werewolf?”

  “Besides it being cool, I’d be able to tear annoying people to shreds.”

  Nik smiled. “You are not worried about side effects?”

  “If I would have turned a month ago, then yeah. I’m still human.”

  “Besides killing annoying people, why else did you want to become a werewolf?”

  “I could run away into the wilderness any damn time I pleased.”

  Nik raise a brow. “You can run away anytime.”

  “Yeah, right. At least, I’m still alive.” Maybe they had forced her to take the drug and she pretended she made the choice.

  Nik smiled. “I’m happy you didn’t die from the experiment.”

  Nexus sighed and adjusted her headphones. Her music was so loud, Nik had a hard time focusing on the other conversations. She gave him the silent treatment. Interesting that she made little eye contact with anyone and didn’t do small talk. Obviously, an introvert. He imagined her in a basement with laptops everywhere. Alone.

  Nexus glared at a woman chewing loudly, finished her salad and stood. “I’m done.”

  Bolton didn’t seem the least bit surprised. “Talk later.”

  Nexus glanced at the prime rib, but then grabbed bread rolls, nodded and left.

  Emma quipped. “She didn’t eat much.”

  “Nexus is a vegetarian, which is probably why SERV never took.”

  Nik noticed how Nexus longed for the meat. Maybe she would eventually turn.

  Bolton turned his attention to Nik and gestured toward the view. “This life could be yours.”

  Time to perform. “I am considering. How much money are we talking about?” The guests quieted, attentive to their conversation.

  Bolton laughed. “Once you tell me your real name, I’d be happy to make you a nice offer.”

  Emma give him a “don’t you dare” look.

  “And if you don’t approve of my criminal past?”

  “You don’t have any tattoos, so I can’t picture you with the Russian mafia.”

  “No one said anything about mobs.” If he’d seen his covered Team Greywolf tattoo, Bolton might have concluded he was in the mob. Yet, Svetlana would have told him the truth. Nik was the enemy.

  Bolton leaned back and steepled his hands as he watched Nik, like a scientist trying to identify a new bug from his collection jar. “There is something about you, Boris.”

  Nik scoffed. “That I’m tall and handsome.”

  Emma laughed. “And not conceited at all.”

  Bolton narrowed his eyes at Nik. “You are an excellent liar.”

  Nik faked a hurt look. “I never lie about my looks.”

  “Cut the crap, Boris,” said Bolton. “Your scent says lie.”

  So the chimeras had such abilities even as humans. Nik sniffed his armpit. “I smell like the truth, don’t I?” He turned to a man next to him, who stared at his plate. No doubt fearful of pissing off Bolton.

  “Nexus will get to the bottom of the truth soon enough,” Bolton said, and sipped his wine.

  Emma lifted her napkin and wiped her lips. “I’m done.”

  Bolton gazed at his watch. “Why don’t we enjoy an Amaretto in my private beach cabana?”

  “Coffee would be good.” Nik looked at the view. The ocean was beautiful under the moonlight, but he longed for the forest. And moreover, longed to take Emma with him. Hide her in a safe den, away from danger. If they forced her to take the chimera drug, he’d kill them all, a significant challenge now that Bolton and eleven of his men were werewolves. Yet, the fact they were shifters should not have affected his ability to mesmerize them with his alpha gaze. He scented them as omegas with Bolton as a beta at best. Whatever had happened in their physiology, they were far different than his kind.

  Bolton turned to his other guests. “Excuse us.”

  Emma and Nik followed Bolton up the stairs of his beautiful cabana. The thatched structure stood on stilts and the balcony included lounge chairs. The luxurious interior had a circular sofa and coffe
e table. A bar and small kitchen completed the guest entertainment. Further down the hallway, she assumed, was a bedroom. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She didn’t like his friendly manner. Fake, like the proverbial bad guy from every spy flick. Nik’s sudden hard look, alerted her to danger. Something was off.

  “Make yourselves at home, I’ll pour some Amaretto and start the coffee for you, Boris.”

  Emma shook her head. “I’ll skip the drinks.” Not going to get knocked out, and end up back in the cage drugged, and then turned into a wolf. A dead wolf.

  Bolton winked. “I understand, Agent Emma.” He walked into the kitchen.

  Emma whispered to Nik, “What’s wrong?”

  “His pack is behind the cabana. Their scent is coming from the greenery.”

  “How many?”

  “Eleven.”

  “We need to eliminate all chimeras, including Bolton.” Although, keeping Nexus alive might be beneficial if she could turn her into an asset.

  Nik nodded. “Understood, but not until you are safe, American Sparrow.”

  Emma blushed. Somehow the nickname he gave her felt too intimate. “We need to get in touch with Rylee. There are too many of them and only one of you.” Emma had seen just how big Ed and Lee became once they shifted. Sure Nik could go bipedal werewolf, but against twelve?

  Bolton entered with a cup of coffee and his drink. “Emma, are you sure you don’t want a nightcap. I promise I haven’t laced it with anything.”

  “I’m good.”

  Nik took the mug and sniffed. “Rich roast.” He sipped it. “Good coffee.”

  “Thank you, I get local beans.” He gazed at Emma. “Nothing but the best for my guests.”

  She gave him a sidelong glance. “Guests not prisoners?”

  “Works for me. You both will be rewarded beyond wealth. You can become the next superior species.”

  Bolton must envision a breeding program. “And if I don’t?”

  “I’ll give you two days to decide.”

  Nik stiffened.

  “Most generous. Why two days and not two hours?” Emma pushed.

  “My partner, Blood Mistress, returns in two days, and to be honest, she will have the final say in whether or not you stay. That is if you accept the gift.”