by Lynn Hagen
Rick wanted the bastard dead.
“The promise not to use my mental abilities to kill everyone in this room who I do not hold dear to me.”
“Ah, shucks.” Miguel grinned. “I didn’t know you cared.”
Salvador stroked the rabbit in his arms, giving Miguel a quick flash of fangs. “I do not. But you are an integral part of Enrique’s group.”
“Ah, yes, Enrique Marcelo.”
Rick watched as a man who was the mirror image of himself—only years older—walk into the room and stop right next to the soldiers aiming their guns at Rick.
O’Hanlon.
The man tucked his hands behind his back, his eyes contemptuously gazing over Rick’s changeling form. “We finally meet face-to-face.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Freedman was fully aware that not only was he standing in a room with Rick’s dead nephew, but his biological father. The word explosive was created for moments like this.
“Commander Lieutenant John Freedman.” O’Hanlon said his name as if he had just run into an old friend. “I was wondering if I would meet up with you again.”
“Surprise,” Freedman said with a tight-lipped expression.
But the captain wasn’t focusing on him. He was openly staring at Rick in his changeling form. He looked fascinated and disgusted at the same time, especially when Rick began to turn back into his human form.
They just stood there for a moment, their hereditary light-grey eyes locked together. Freedman knew this was the calm before the storm. He could actually feel the lashes of violent waves begin to build.
“I have hunted you down for years, Enrique.”
Rick’s upper lip curled. “Somehow I have a feeling it wasn’t to get acquainted.”
“No,”—O’Hanlon shook his head—“it wasn’t.” He moved closer, as if he held no fear for what Rick could do to him. Freedman could hear the lack of humanity in the man’s tone. And then he proved it with his next words. “I have killed to get to you, your parents and brother being among the murdered.”
Rick looked as if he had just been punched by the fist of a god. He almost buckled at the knees as his skin paled and his eyes grew round. Freedman felt for the man. He had one emotional revelation after another in such a short span of time. If he were Rick, Freedman would be in a blind rage right now, killing everyone around him.
But Rick just stood there, Alexander’s neck still tight in his grasp as he gaped at O’Hanlon with a torn and grieving expression. “You killed my family?” Rick’s whisper was filled with shock and disbelief. He took a step forward and then stopped when the man holding Dorian chambered a bullet.
Aggression rose, filling the air with the promise of violence.
Freedman knew there was about to be a deadly war right inside this room, and he was going to be standing at Rick’s side when it began. He was dying to tell Salvador to kill these coldhearted sons of bitches, but Freedman wasn’t willing to risk his mate, not even for Rick.
Rage flashed in Rick’s light-grey eyes, burning like a cold flame. “I am going to enjoy killing you.”
“Funny,” O’Hanlon said. “I was just thinking the same thing.” He walked over to one of his soldiers and grabbed the man’s gun, quickly turning and firing.
Rick staggered back.
“No!” Dorian shouted, elbowing the man holding him in place. Another shot rang out. This time blood began to trickle down Dorian’s scalp, but he moved across the room with lightning speed, grabbing Rick as the werewolf alpha crashed into the cupboard. Alexander moved away from Rick with haste, quickly standing next to Oswego.
“Now?” Salvador asked.
“No,” Freedman replied.
“You are not going to leave this room alive, Enrique Fernando Marcelo. Your mate is going to watch you die, and then I am going to kill him, and everyone else in here.” O’Hanlon raised the gun, firing it a second time.
Rick stumbled, crashing into a cart filled with tubes and samples. The items fell to the floor, smashing into a thousand shards of glass.
“My research!” Dr. Oswego shouted.
O’Hanlon paid the man no attention.
Dorian shifted and leapt at O’Hanlon, but another shot rang out and Dorian fell short, hitting the floor hard.
“Now?” Salvador asked, his tone growing dark and deadly.
O’Hanlon turned, pointing his gun at Freedman. “You are going to die, Freedman. You betrayed this country and joined with the animals. You are no longer an American, but a traitor to your own country.”
Salvador’s features darkened as he moved to stand in front of Freedman. “I would suggest you lower your weapon, human.”
O’Hanlon glanced at Salvador. “I think it is I who has the upper hand here.” He shot his gun again, but the bullet stopped short of entering Freedman’s forehead. It was suspended in midair, twirling in a circle, but never entered its victim.
Namely Freedman.
He swallowed hard, staring at the tiny object that would end his life if Salvador’s power failed. It was a sober feeling and making Freedman sweat profusely as he stared at it.
“Now?” Salvador asked.
Freedman glanced over to where Dorian had been lying. The man was crawling on his belly, trying desperately to get to Rick who was lying there with his eyes closed.
Freedman gave a tight nod.
With stone cold precision, the bullet turned, and then shot across the room, slamming between Alexander’s eyes. Rick’s nephew crumbled to the floor as all hell broke loose.
“Do not exert yourself!” Freedman shouted at Salvador.
“But I have plenty of bodies to replenish what I use,” his mate said as he handed Omar to Freedman and then raised his hands.
The room fell silent.
No one moved.
“What the hell kind of trickery is this?” O’Hanlon shouted, his eyes darted around to his unit and then over to Salvador. “What have you done to them?”
“He’s about to kick all your asses,” Freedman said as he tucked Omar under his arm. He glanced over at his mate, seeing a trickle of blood begin to ease its way down from Salvador’s nose. Even holding these men in place was too much exertion.
O’Hanlon began to back away.
Freedman pulled his gun free and aimed it with his free hand. “Not so fast. Do you seriously think I would let you just walk out of here?”
“You have no choice,” O’Hanlon said before grabbing one of the men in his unit and throwing him at Freedman. All of a sudden the room was back in motion, only the unit of humans who had come here with O’Hanlon was writhing on the floor in pain. Freedman took off after O’Hanlon, but by the time he made it to the hallway, and then the front lobby, O’Hanlon was long gone.
Cursing under his breath, Freedman hurried back to the lab. All of the soldiers were dead. He pierced Dr. Oswego with a hard glare. “What did you do to baby Kell and the other kids at the Calvary Home of Salvation?”
Dr. Oswego stood there staring at Salvador as if he would love to get his hands on the vampire to find out what made him tick. Freedman could see that Salvador was barely holding it together. His mate was suffering and that just pissed Freedman off.
“He has enhanced their genetics,” Salvador said as he leaned against the wall, the flow of blood growing thicker. “He has enhanced their lycanthropy abilities.”
Freedman aimed his gun at Dr. Oswego as he neared Salvador. “Get out of his head. It’s hurting you too badly.”
Salvador nodded. Freedman allowed his coven to help Salvador feed from the dead soldiers as he walked over to Dr. Oswego, using extreme caution. He knew the guy was not only a nutty scientist, but a changeling as well. “What is going to happen to Kell and the other kids?”
“Wonderful things,” Dr. Oswego said, a smirk on his face as he stood there acting as if a gun wasn’t shoved in his face.
“Sorry you won’t be around to watch your subjects grow up.” Freedman shot the man before the c
hangeling even had a chance to move. Dr. Oswego crumbled to the floor.
Sitting Omar down, Freedman checked on Dorian and then Rick, stunned that both seemed to be shaken up, but not dying.
Salvador.
He must have mended them while he had the soldiers in his mental grasp. He was going to kick the man’s ass. Although he was grateful the two were alive, Salvador knew better than to use extra freaky-deaky powers when he was so obviously suffering.
Nate and his team came rushing into the room, Miguel close behind. He hadn’t even noticed Miguel leave the room.
“I chased O’Hanlon as far as I could, but he got to his car before I could capture him,” Miguel said and then grinned. “But I did shoot him in the shoulder.”
Freedman quickly grabbed Omar and tucked him in his backpack. “Come near my mate and I’ll have Salvador scramble your brains.”
“As much as his scent is driving my wolf crazy,” Nate said as he bent at the waist, “my alpha and his mate come first.” Nate hauled Rick up into his arms. Rick wasn’t a small guy, but Nate carried him with ease as he walked out of the lab.
Without a word, Sasha grabbed Dorian and then stopped, his eyes fixated on the floor. “Is that Alexander Marcelo?”
“Was,” Freedman said. “He’s dead.”
“But wasn’t he already dead?”
“Apparently he agreed to help on the scientific end of things and had his own death faked.”
“The two members of my leap?” Sasha asked as he turned toward Freedman. “Were they in on this as well?”
“No,” Freedman said. “They really did die down by the waterfront. Sorry, man.”
Sasha gazed down at Alexander once more before taking Dorian from the room.
“He’s a bunny,” Benito said, his features growing darker as he stared at Omar. “He’s really a bunny.”
“I swear to god I’ll bust a cap in your ass if you come near him.” Freedman walked over to Salvador, watching as some of his mate’s color returned to his face. “And as for you. No mind tricks until you are fully healed.”
“But he’s a bunny,” Benito almost whined.
“Go help Rick, Benito, before I wound you.”
“But I want him.” Backing out of the lab, Benito licked his lips and then turned, disappearing from sight.
“Kids,” Miguel said under his breath as he stared at the door his cousin just exited.
“I might be human, but I know you are dying to get Omar. Get out.”
Miguel gave him a wicked smile before he followed Benito.
“Damn changelings.” Freedman followed the coven as they helped Salvador from the building. Once they were back by their vehicles, Omar shifted.
“How ya feeling?” Freedman asked, checking over his mate.
“Like prey.” Omar ran his hand over his head.
“Little Bunny Foo Foo, hopping through the forest,” Benito was singing under his breath as he passed Omar.
Freedman grabbed Omar when his mate tried to get at Benito. Omar’s face was mottled with anger. “Stay away from me!”
Benito laughed, jumping away from Omar. “Stop smelling so edible.”
“Enough,” Freedman scolded, “or I’ll call Beastman and ask him to pay you a visit.”
Benito didn’t think that was funny. As a matter of fact, his face grew pensive as he walked away. Freedman knew the wererabbit was smitten with Benito, but he had only said that to needle Benito.
He wasn’t sure what was going on with the guy and didn’t care at the moment.
“How’s Salvador?” Omar asked as he grabbed some clothes from the back of the truck and dressed.
“Better.”
“I can’t believe what Alexander did.” Omar’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, looking as if he were fighting back tears. “Rick’s been through enough.”
“In this war, I just about believe anything. It wouldn’t shock me if the president walked into this parking garage and announced he was a damn fairy.” Freedman, along with Omar, walked over to where their mate’s coven was helping him.
“How are you feeling?”
Salvador’s eyes were strained around the edges. That worried Freedman. The man had exerted more power than he had to give. It had saved their asses, and Rick and Dorian’s, but it still pissed him off that Salvador would take a chance with his life.
“I just need—”
“Rest and nourishment, I know.” Freedman leaned in close, staring into the dark liquid pools of his mate’s eyes. “But if you pull a stunt like that again, I’m going to spank that ass.”
Salvador’s eyes widened as he nodded. Freedman was surprised the man had relented so easily.
“We didn’t find anyone in the building we searched,” Freedman heard Nate say to Rick. “We finished searching yours, but the jaguar was dead by the time we got to him.”
Freedman cursed under his breath. They had known Freedman and them were in the building. That probably sealed the jaguar’s fate. As much of a fuss as Alexander put up about his test subjects, he had been lying. The jaguar was the only changeling held captive.
Freedman gazed over at the alpha. Rick was sitting just inside the truck, Dorian held tightly in his arms. He looked shaken up and a bit pale. Hell, who could blame the man. He had faced his dead nephew and his biological father all in one sitting, and found out O’Hanlon had killed his family.
That was a lot to take in.
Sasha and Selene came running across the street, hauling ass as explosions began to sound and black billowing smoke began to rise from the two labs.
“We need to head out,” Sasha said. “The two buildings are going to come down and we don’t need to be around when the humans show up.”
Freedman lifted Salvador into his arms and placed him in the backseat. He and Omar sat beside their mate as the trucks pulled out and sped away.
The labs lit up the night, taking with it the horrors and research that should have never taken place.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Omar laid his head on Salvador’s shoulder, taking in a deep breath and glad as hell no one was killed. No one he cared about, at least. “I was so scared.”
“I’m okay, Omar.” Salvador wobbled a little but stayed upright. Omar held on tighter, fearing Salvador would fall over. The guy still looked a little on the weary side. “I need to sit down, meu destino.”
Omar wiped his face with his sleeve and nodded, his hands hovering as Salvador sat on the side of the bed.
“You still look a little peaked.” Freedman walked up behind Omar.
Salvador winced and then pulled from Omar’s arms, lying on the bed in the nameless motel room Nate had secured for them. “I used more than I should have, but all is well now.”
“You promised!” Omar said as he wrapped his arms tight around his stomach, already missing the feel of his vampire in his arms. “I know you had no choice, but you exerted yourself more than you should have.”
“We could argue the point all night, but I will survive. Is that not the most important thing?”
“Don’t try and get out of this. I’m mad as hell at you.” Omar crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Salvador. He was not letting Salvador off the hook so easily. His mate could have died. That was not something he even wanted to contemplate.
“Freedman, help him out please.” Salvador glanced behind Omar, his eyes almost begging the man to stop Omar’s protest. For now Omar would leave it alone. As soon as Salvador was on his feet, he was going to lay into the man. To hell with risking his life. They were bound together and Omar was not going to suffer the agony of losing one of his mates.
“I’ll let it go…for now.”
Salvador reached up and Omar immediately went to his mate. He may be mad at the man, but his breeds were anxious to know that Salvador was truly safe. “Is there nothing I can do to get out of the pet house?”
This brought a small smile to Omar’s face. “Doghouse.”
Sa
lvador winked at him, and Omar blushed. “I can think of many things that will persuade you to forgive me,” he whispered.
“I’m pretty sure you can.” Omar whispered as Salvador kissed his forehead. That wasn’t exactly where Omar wanted the man to kiss him.
“Scoot over.” Freedman tapped Omar’s leg. “Make room for me.”
Omar scooted over and let Freedman join them on the bed.
“Do you want to talk about shifting into a furry little bunny?” Freedman asked as he curled up next to Omar.
Omar turned ten shades of red as he remembered the look on Freedman’s face when he shifted. Of all the things he could have turned into, it had to be a freaking bunny. He was never going to live that one down. Not only was Benito hell-bent on teasing him, but he was pretty sure Nate would have something to say when he saw the man again. “We can discuss it in about twenty years.”
“Then I’ll let it go.” Freedman backed Omar into Salvador’s arms and pinned him in place. “But I have to let you know that you are the cutest little bunny I have ever seen.” He kissed his way down Omar’s neck and bit his chin. Goose bumps broke out all over Omar’s body as a sensation of warmth and sensual hunger washed through him. Freedman’s touch was setting Omar on fire. Omar’s could feel his eyes begin to glow as Freedman’s arousal heightened his very own.
“I need you,” Omar whispered roughly as he felt his canines grow. Freedman grabbed Omar’s wrists and put them behind Omar’s back. He could feel Salvador grabbing them and holding them in place as Freedman’s mouth covered Omar’s hungrily. Denim-covered cocks rubbed against one another as warm, moist lips ghosted along the curve of Omar’s mouth.
“You wanna get fucked, baby, don’t you?” Freedman used his teeth as he scraped them along the curve of Omar’s neck. “You want to feel one of our dicks sliding inside your ass.”
“Yes, oh, god, yes, Freedman, please.” Any semblance of calm was shattered with the hunger of Freedman’s mouth gliding along Omar’s skin. The touch of Freedman’s lips was a delicious sensation, especially when Salvador began to nibble at his neck. He had a burning desire, an aching need building inside of him that he knew could only be satisfied by these two strong men.