by Renee Rose
He licks the wound again. “Does it hurt, sweetheart?”
“No.”
He settles beside me and pulls me snugly against him. “Good. It’s not too deep. It might not leave a scar.” He’s grinning again. “You’re officially my mate. Hope you don’t mind.”
I snuggle into his warm arms. “I don’t know what it entails, but it sounds okay to me.”
He kisses my forehead. “I know neither of us wanted a relationship. You’re sick and I... might not live long, either.”
My heart squeezes, but I push away the fear. I want to enjoy this. Just for this moment.
“But meeting you, marking you, feels like the only right turn my life has ever taken. Does that sound crazy?”
“Yes,” I murmur. “Wonderfully crazy. Like you.”
8
Sam
I stake out Layne’s apartment before I go in. It’s not dawn yet and I parked several blocks away and crept through the shadows to get here. Leaving her warm and naked in bed nearly killed me, but so does the thought of her suffering because I’ve kept her from her meds.
I keep trying to feel bad about marking her, but I can’t make myself. My wolf is downright cheerful and for the first time—maybe ever—I slept the night without a nightmare.
I didn’t wake once in a sweat, tearing the sheets with my fingers or punching the headboard or walls. It was like what happened in the diner.
Layne calms the madness that brews within me.
So yeah, marking her was an accident and neither of us is in a position to be able to give ourselves to a mate, but I have no regrets.
I’m satisfied with being mated for this short moment in time. To know the utter peace it brought me. The pleasure.
And yes, I’m already talking like it will end, because I know it will.
We both do.
She’s dying and I’m already on borrowed time. I’ll likely be dead by the time I see this thing through with Smyth.
The keys to Layne’s place got lost in our escape attempt, but I wouldn’t have walked in the front door, anyway. She lives in a complex in El Cajon, more like townhouses, than apartments. I pop the screen off a window in the back and jimmy the lock on the window. I smell the lingering scent of human males in her place. So it’s been searched.
One thing I do know—whatever’s going on in these labs, whatever the government’s involvement, they don’t want it known to the public. The testing facility I blew up in Utah was never reported on, and I haven’t seen my photo plastered all over television for my break-in of the California lab, either.
I find her medication in the bathroom and I tuck it in my pocket. I take the time to grab her hairbrush and toiletry bag before I bail. Outside, I catch a scent I don’t like.
Guns.
I go perfectly still in a shadow, stretching my senses out to locate the problem, but all I hear are the sounds of people waking up and moving, birds starting to chirp. I don’t scent another shifter. I wait as long as I dare, but as daylight brightens, the chances of me being seen increase. I slip back into the tree line and jump a few fences to circle back to the van.
I sure as hell hope I wasn’t spotted.
~.~
Layne
Sam told me last night that he’d go get my medication in the morning, but I’m still disappointed to wake alone. No, on second thought, I’m glad he’s not here, because my hips and thighs are shaking so badly, it takes me a moment to get my balance.
I check the bite mark in the mirror in the tiny but clean bathroom. It’s just one puncture, not too deep. It stings a little, but the sensation only titillates me. I suppose the pain produces the same kind of happy endorphins released when Sam taped my hands down and spanked me.
A shiver that has nothing to do with my Barrington’s goes through me remembering my incredible lover. So much suffering he’s endured and yet his passion still runs so deep. Last night, every time he started to twitch or growl in bed, I simply laid a hand on his chest or murmured something and his entire body calmed.
I’ve been working so hard to make a difference in the world. I’ve been trying to save the lives of all the countless diseased. But the esoteric satisfaction I always imagined I’d have doesn’t compare to the pleasure of seeing my effect on this one man.
But I’m an idiot if I think we’re going to get a happily ever after. I don’t have a job to go back to, I’m on the run from my employer and possibly the government. There are definitely men who want to kill me.
So I need to do what I’ve always done—study the hell out of the problem until I find a solution. I open up the laptop Sam left to see if I can get my eyes on everything he took from Data-X’s servers.
Including my data.
~.~
Sam
I pick up coffee and muffins at Starbucks on the way back to Laurie’s guest studio. Layne jumps when I come in.
She’s sitting on the bed with my computer, apparently trying to guess my password to get in. Good thing she hasn’t been introduced to Kylie, hacker extraordinaire.
I arch a brow. “What are you doing?”
She jumps up and wrings her hands, which fucking guts me. I definitely don’t want her afraid of me. Not when we’ve come this far.
“I wanted to help.”
I set the coffee and muffins down on the bedside table and curl a finger under her chin. Her eyes widen slightly, chest lifts and falls more rapidly. I pick up the faint scent of her arousal, as if being under my scrutiny turns her on. “You don’t have to lie to me anymore, Layne,” I say softly.
She chews the inside of her cheek. “It’s not a lie—not exactly.” Her shoulders sag. “Okay, yes, I did hope to copy my research. But—”
I touch a fingertip to her lips to stop her. “I know your research is important to you, so I promised you we’d find a compromise. Baby, my word is good.”
I notice a slight tremor in her head and neck and immediately dig into my pocket for her meds, kicking myself again for not getting them sooner. “Here, let’s get you back on these.” I hand her the bottle.
Her hands shake as she uncaps the bottle and taps a pill out. I pass her the coffee to swallow it down and take the laptop. With a few keystrokes, I unlock it and get into the Data-X files. I hand it back to her.
It’s my show of faith. She’s put her life in my hands, shown this unhinged, bent on revenge wolf her trust. The least I can do is return it.
Her eyes widen at first and then she smiles. “Thanks. But I really do want to help. What are we looking for?”
“Any clues that will lead us to Smyth.”
“And what makes you think Nash knows something?”
“When I blew the lab in Utah, there was one prisoner. A lion—Nash. He escaped. I figured he was another test subject, like me. But there’s a picture in his file—look—” I point her toward the right folder. “See? That’s Nash with Smyth.” Both men are in military uniform and they look friendly with each other—shaking hands. “From the notes, it sounds like he volunteered for the program. And Nash is mentioned everywhere in the research notes. Something about creating a super shifter race, and Nash will be the Allfather.”
Layne shudders. “That’s the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I know. Total Third Reich bullshit. But I figure he would know something more about Smyth. Or whether there’s a government connection.”
She raises her brows. “You really think the government’s involved?”
I nod. “Yeah. How else do you explain the lack of media coverage of the lab I blew up in Utah? Or the number of military-type personnel working security at your lab?”
“I see what you mean.”
Layne opens another video clip from the breeding program. Nash is with the same female we saw before, only this time, she’s leaving his cage. The camera zooms in on her neck.
“Holy shit,” I breathe.
“What?”
“He mated her.” If what I’m seeing is true,
Nash’s animal must be dying to be apart from his mate. “Find the female’s file—her name is Denali Decker.”
Layne navigates to it. I pick up my phone and text Kylie, Read file on Denali Decker. Please help me get a location on her, as well.
I need something to offer Nash, and I think I just found my bargaining chip. If I can help him find his mate, he has to help me take down Smyth.
“So you need Nash to help you get to Smyth. And then what? Why do you want to find Smyth?” Her green eyes study me with concern. She already knows the answer.
My fists clench. “When I find Smyth, I’m going to kill him.” I look away so I won’t have to see Layne’s disapproval.
This is what I need to do. Uncovering the government involvement is important. So is finding Santiago. But if I died taking down Smyth, I’d consider my life complete. He’s the one who caused my personal suffering. I’ve been patiently waiting for my vengeance for a long time.
My phone rings. It’s Declan.
“This is Sam,” I answer.
“Nash agreed to the fight,” Declan says, no preamble. “Two o’clock this afternoon.”
I scoot off the bed and step outside so Layne won’t hear. “I’ll be there.”
“Parker and I don’t think you should do this.”
“I’m doing it.”
“Right, lad.” Declan says before he hangs up. “It’s your funeral.”
9
Layne
After lunch Sam leaves me with the laptop and tells me he needs to run another errand. At first, I’m thrilled to be left with my research. Feeling only marginally guilty, I upload it to a cloud drive I can access later from anywhere. Sam promised a compromise, and I do believe him, but my research is my entire life.
While it’s loading, a niggling of foreboding creeps in. The sun slants through the windows. It’s getting late.
Where the hell is Sam?
A knock on the door makes me start.
“Layne? It’s m-m-m-me,” Laurie calls. When I open the door, the tall man smiles sheepishly, holding up a white deli bag. “I brought you some food.”
“Thanks,” I say, but don’t take the bag. Something’s not right here. Sam is gone and Laurie won’t meet my eyes.
“Well, I’ll j-j-just leave you—”
“Where’s Sam?”
The man’s eyes go wide. “Um—”
I shake my head. “I knew it. He’s up to something.”
The tall man blinks at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing furiously.
I push up onto tiptoes, gaining every inch of my height. “Where is he, Laurie?”
The twitchy shifter wilts. “He didn’t want to tell you… he’s at the Pit. He and Nash are going to fight.”
~.~
As soon as Laurie pulls the car into the parking lot, I’m out and stomping to the door.
“W-w-wait!” Laurie calls. With his long legs, he catches up to me.
“Don’t even try to stop me,” I snap. A few bikers turn, probably wondering why a human is on the premises, but species of every kind recognize a pissed off female, and they immediately go back to minding their own business.
“Hold up there, lovey,” Declan appears in the door, a hand out to stop my forward march. “Lass, I don’t think—”
“I’m not leaving until I see Sam,” I hiss, and tug my collar to the side where Sam’s bite shows up against my neck, red and livid.
“Is that—” Declan trails off, eyes fixed to the scar. His nostrils flare.
“The mating bite,” Laurie murmurs. His long fingers smooth my collar aside so he can examine it more closely. “Oh Layne. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” I blink back a rush of emotion. Sam has friends in the shifter community, stronger ties than he realizes. “You have to let me in there. I need to stop him.”
“It’s crazy in there,” Declan tells me. “Crazier than last time. Sam wouldn’t want you hurt.”
“Especially when you’re his mate,” Laurie adds.
The only thing scarier than an angry female is a crying one. I think of what Sam and I shared last night, and then imagine him down and bleeding on the floor of the Pit like the last fighter to face Nash.
“Oh no,” Declan’s eyes widen almost as big as Laurie’s. “Don’t get upset. Sam will kill me.”
“Please let me through,” I say, and they finally step out of my way.
The two hover at my back as I descend into the basement. The place is packed wall to wall. “Human,” someone hisses at me, but I ignore them, heading straight to the cage where the two fighters face each other.
Declan and Laurie help me push through the thick bodies but I reach the chain link fence just in time for Parker to finish announcing the start of the fight.
I’m too late.
~.~
Sam
The crowd’s cries fade to a dull roar as Nash and I circle each other.
Nash’s eyes are always bright with the lion. Up close, no one would mistake him for a sane shifter.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he tells me.
“You’re right.” I put up my fists. He blinks but automatically balances his weight, readying himself for the fight.
“We’re the same, you and I,” I say, ducking his first punch. I may not have much weight behind me, but it makes me fast in a fight.
“Do I know you?”
“No. But you should. We have the same mission.” I take a half-hearted swipe at him, because the crowd is yelling at us to get on with it.
His brow furrows as that sinks in. “You’re special forces?”
“No. I’m taking down Data-X.”
Something flashes through his eyes and then it’s gone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
For a second I believe him. It’s possible he suffered so much trauma that he doesn’t remember.
“I was there the night you escaped. Another wolf shifter let you out. Remember?”
Nash doesn’t say anything but his lips curl up in a snarl. If he doesn’t remember the Alpha Project, his lion does. He comes after me, punching.
“It’s gone.” I retreat, ducking and slipping behind him. The crowd mocks me.
“What?” Nash’s voice is mostly a growl.
“The Data-X compound. Well, that one. The cell where they kept you and every piece of equipment. It’s gone. Wiped off the face of the earth.” I manage to land a punch in his side before he hits my jaw with a right hook that sends me flying back up against the cage.
“How do you know?” He lunges for me, fist cocked.
I duck and roll, pop up behind him. “I’m the one who set the bombs.”
For a second Nash just stares at me. I get that reaction a lot, when I admit to blowing things up.
“You’re not lying,” he murmurs.
“I stole their data too. Research files, everything—wiped from their system.”
He shakes his head. “Kid… you’re crazy.”
“Smash him,” someone shrieks in the crowd. They’re here for a fight. They want more blood.
Nash seems to remember where he is. He shifts his weight between the balls of his feet. Something in his eyes alerts me a second before his fist snaps out.
I dodge it but just barely. I can’t stop my smile. If Nash really wanted to hit me, he’d hit me. This is all for show.
I jab at him, dancing out of the way when he comes after me. For a few seconds, we spar. A couple punches land, but nothing serious.
“Is this why you challenged me? To tell me all this?”
“And ask you to help me. I’m going to take them down. I need your help to fight them.”
Nash sucks in a breath. The light in his eyes flares bright, then dies. “I can’t. My lion won’t let me.”
“No, your lion wants to. You’re holding him back.” I jab my fists at him, and twist out of reach. When I come back, I’m not facing Nash.
I’m facing the lion.
~.~
Layne
The crowd murmurs around us. Something is wrong. Nash and Sam move around the cage, almost mock fighting. They’re talking, but I can’t hear what they’re saying.
Then, it all changes.
Nash’s fist flies out, catching Sam’s jaw. I wince as Sam goes flying and crashes into the opposite wall.
The Pit shakes with the crowd’s gleeful roar.
“Feck,” Declan mutters.
I fight forward until I’m gripping the chain links of the cage. Sam is back on his feet, dodging and weaving as Nash pounds on him. Blood spurts from his broken nose after a massive punch.
“We have to stop this,” I cry.
“Too late, lass. Just pray when Sam goes down, he stays down.”
~.~
Sam
Vision blurring, I swipe sweat from my eyes. My jaw throbs, body aching. Shifters regenerate pretty quickly, but pain is pain. Punches still hurt.
And if Nash lands enough of them in a row, I’ll eventually fall. My skin will knit together, but recovering from a blow to the head can take time.
I need Nash to look at the footage and tell me what he knows. I’m out of leads on Data-X. He’s my one shot to get Smyth.
I’ve gotta win this.
Nash slams another punch to my head. I move in time for it to hit, but not knock me out. I get in a few jabs of my own—feeble punches compared to Nash’s crippling haymaker.
But I’ve got one more card to play.
“I saw her,” I pant when Nash and I have gone back to circling each other, staying close to the corners. “The lioness they put in the cell with you.”
“One of many.” Behind his blank expression, his eyes are sad.
I shake my head. “Not this one. This one was special. Her name was Denali.”
Nash blinks, going still. He drops his fighter’s stance as his eyes flare bright. He remembers.