Seth started to pick her up, and Kellan reached out, grabbing hold of his arm. “It’s okay,” the soldier said in a low voice. “I’m not gonna hurt her, Kell.”
Letting go, Kellan stood up and pushed his hair back from his face, his voice gruff as he said, “Just be gentle with her, man. Like I said, she’s been through hell.”
“Those fuckers hurt her?” Seth growled, carefully putting her over his shoulder so that he’d still be able to hold his gun.
Kellan responded with a grim nod, impatient to get on with his search for Chloe. “Have you seen Gregory?” he asked.
“Not yet. But something weird as hell is going on around here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve run across about twenty Casus so far who look like they were just cut down, one after the other. How the hell is Gregory doing that on his own?”
“I don’t know,” he muttered, reaching for the gun tucked into the back of his jeans and checking the clip. “But I’ve gotta go find Chloe. The blast separated us, and Raine told me that Westmore’s men have got her.”
Seth shook his head. “You know, it’s a sad day when a guy can’t keep track of his own woman.”
Eyeing the hole above his head that had been made when the ceiling caved in, Kellan said, “Piss off. You don’t even have a woman.”
“Not true. I have several,” Seth murmured. “Just not interested in keeping any of them.”
As he tucked his gun back into his jeans, Kellan pinned the soldier with a hard glare. “Look, I get that you’re trying to keep me here until backup arrives, but it’s not gonna happen. I don’t have time to wait.”
Seth’s eyes narrowed with frustration. “Come on, man. You’re in rough shape, and you’re not even dressed for the weather out there. If we stay together, there’s a pack of supplies stashed outside the compound that we can give you. So be smart and wait for the others.”
“There’s no time. I didn’t even give her one of the guns,” he growled, knowing what those bastards had planned for her. No way in hell was he going to let them send her into Meridian to be Calder’s plaything. Climbing up onto the rubble, Kellan reached for the jagged edge of the hole in the ceiling, saying, “If I haven’t met up with you in the woods in the next thirty minutes, promise me that you’ll come back for Chloe.”
“Damn it, Kellan. You can’t—”
“Just promise me!” he shouted.
Kellan waited until Seth had given him a curt nod, then pulled himself up, his injured shoulder aching like a bitch as he swung his leg up onto the ledge, heaving his body onto the floor of what looked like another smoke-filled corridor. He hurt like hell from his head to his toes, but he ignored the pain, forcing himself to his feet, determined to find his woman.
She’ll only be yours when you’ve claimed her, the wolf snarled, seething with frustration.
“Shut up,” he muttered, grabbing his gun and firing a round of bullets into two Collective soldiers who suddenly rushed him from his left. He’d been trying to conserve bullets before, but he didn’t have time to waste fighting the bastards now. Searching for Chloe’s scent, he moved around the gaping hole that’d been blown through the floor, stepping over the mangled bodies of what looked like more Collective soldiers, and set off at a run. The place was a maze of hallways, the smoke from the explosions making visibility damn near impossible, not to mention the way it was screwing with his sense of smell.
Get her out alive, he thought, his mind consumed with the hunt. Just have to get her out of here.
To Kellan, that was all that mattered. Yeah, there were a few things he’d have liked to add to that list, such as taking out Westmore and Gregory DeKreznick. But if he had to settle on one last accomplishment before he bit the big one, it was going to be making sure that Chloe got out of that hellhole in one piece.
He could feel the wolf’s power surging through him—that visceral, primal instinct that pushed him to succeed at any cost. Knowing the animal’s senses were sharper than his own, Kellan let the beast rise to his surface, right up to the cusp of a full change, and allowed the predator to hunt for her. As he turned down another hallway, he caught a faint whiff of her scent, as well as the distant sound of a scream, and a low growl vibrated in his chest, his muscles burning as he pumped his legs down the passageway. When he reached an intersection with another corridor, he searched for her scent, but couldn’t find it beneath the acrid clouds of smoke lingering in the air. Then his ears picked up a noise to his right, and he started running again, following a distant sound of voices that led him to a closed door at the end of the hall. Bursting into the room, he found Westmore standing in front of a wall safe, shoving money into a leather satchel, whoever he’d been talking to already gone. Grabbing the Kraven by the throat, Kellan shoved him against the wall, his lips pulling back over his fangs as he snarled, “Where’s Chloe, you son of a bitch?”
“Where’s Raine?” the Kraven shot back, spittle spraying from his lips, his red eyes burning with madness. “Is she alive? I can’t believe that little bitch didn’t tell me Gregory wasn’t alone. Where is she?”
Ignoring his questions, Kellan slammed the Kraven against the wall so hard the back of his head split open, blood dripping down the pale stone in meandering rivulets. “Tell me where Chloe is,” he seethed, “or I’ll make you hurt in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“You can’t hurt me,” the Kraven sneered, pulling on Kellan’s wrist, but he was no match for the wolf’s strength.
Tightening his grip on the bastard’s throat, Kellan released the tip of his thumb claw, pressing it against Westmore’s jugular. “You think you’ve got a monopoly on pain? Think again, asshole.”
With an arrogant laugh, the Kraven said, “You’re wasting your time, Lycan. The Markers are already gone.”
“I don’t give a shit about the Markers,” he growled. “All I want is the girl.”
That obviously hadn’t been what Westmore was expecting to hear, his eyes narrowing with disbelief. “You’re lying. Why would you care about the Merrick?”
“My reasons aren’t any of your goddamn business. Just tell me where she is!” he roared, slamming him into the wall again. “Way I see it,” Kellan snarled, getting right in the guy’s face, “I can beat you so senseless, you’ll be easy pickings for Gregory when he finds you. Or you can tell me what I want to know and I’ll walk away before breaking your legs. Your choice.”
“All right!” the Kraven sputtered, rage darkening his face to a deep crimson. “Release me, and I’ll tell you!”
Relaxing his grip, Kellan allowed Westmore to slide down the wall until his feet touched the floor, then lowered his hand and took a step back, the savage look on his face warning the Kraven that he’d better not dick around with him.
“She’s in the library,” Westmore said, rubbing at his reddened throat. “It’s in the north arm of the compound.”
“Take me there.”
The Kraven’s eyes went wide. “With Gregory out there? You must be—”
“Take me to her,” Kellan growled, his chest heaving as he fisted his hands at his sides, “and I’ll let you walk away. But no way in hell are you getting away from me before I’ve got her.”
“Fine,” Westmore snarled, grabbing the leather bag he’d dropped on the floor and hooking it over his shoulder. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance,” he grumbled under his breath, heading out into the hallway. Kellan stayed right on the Kraven’s heels as they made their way to the north wing, finally stopping in front of a heavy wooden door.
“Give me the key,” he demanded, after trying the handle and finding it locked.
Gunfire sounded from the floor above them as Westmore curled his lip, saying, “I don’t have it.”
Chloe suddenly shouted his name from inside the room, and Kellan turned his back on the Kraven, no longer even caring about the bastard, only dimly aware of Westmore running away as he pressed both hands to the door, his fingers clenching against the d
ark wood. “Chloe!” he called out. “I need you to move away from the door, honey. I’m coming in.”
“Got it!” she shouted. “I’m getting out of the way!”
Moving to the other side of the hallway, Kellan charged the door shoulder first, slamming his weight against it. The wood splintered with a loud crack, groaning in protest, and his next try broke it open. With his heart pounding, Kellan rushed into the room, searching for Chloe, and then she was there, throwing herself into his arms, his heart damn near bursting its way out of his chest.
“Kellan!” she cried, trying to hug and kiss and inspect him all at the same time. “Oh, God, I was so scared. Are you hurt? Oh, crap. Your shoulder!”
“It’s nothing,” he growled, running his hands down her arms and sides, trying to touch every part of her that he could. “But what about you? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. No. I’m okay.”
“Thank God,” he groaned, pushing her hair away from her face, unable to believe he’d found her and she was unharmed. “You scared the hell out of me, lady.”
“Where’s Raine? Is she all right?”
“I ran into one of my friends,” he told her. “She’s with him.”
“Will your friends be able to help us get out of here?”
Wishing he had better news, Kellan shook his head. “With all the explosions that have ripped this place apart, I don’t even know if they’ll be able to reach us, and we don’t have the time to wait for them.” Taking hold of her hand, he started toward the door, saying, “We’ve got to make it out on our own.”
“Kellan, wait! We can’t go yet.”
He looked back over his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s an old safe on that table over there,” she told him, pulling him toward the back of the room, the safe illuminated by a thick, flickering candle that sat beside it. “I think the archives are locked inside.”
Shock roughened his voice. “You mean the ancient archives?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
The archives, which had been created by the original Consortium, had been lost during the years of war that followed the formation of the Collective Army, not long after the Casus had been imprisoned. For centuries, the new Consortium had searched for the ancient documents that were believed to contain valuable information about the clans, but last fall, Kellan’s Watchmen unit had learned from Seth that the Collective had already found the archives. In fact, they believed it was Westmore’s desire to have access to the ancient documents that had been the main motivation behind his partnership with the Collective.
“As much as I’m sure the others would love to get their hands on them,” he said quickly, casting another glance toward the safe, “we’ll have to come back for them. I need to get you out of here.”
He could tell from her expression that she didn’t agree. “But the Casus might come for them before we make it back, and we can’t let that happen.”
Struggling for patience, he said, “Chloe, they’ve already read them.”
“But we haven’t,” she argued, pulling her hand from his as she started pacing in front of him. “I…I don’t know how to explain it,” she said in a low voice, looking toward the safe, “but I can feel something in there, Kell.” She shivered and brought her gaze back to his. “It’s like there’s something in there that’s calling to me. We need to try to break it open.”
He quietly cursed. “Look. Whatever’s in there, it’s not worth risking your life over.”
She shook her head, wetting her lips. “If it’s going to give us answers about the Casus, then you’re wrong.”
Bracing his hands on his hips, Kellan worked his jaw, a thick sound of frustration rumbling in the back of his throat. “I don’t like this, Chloe.”
“You sound a little spooked,” she murmured, staring at the safe again. “And I don’t blame you, Kell. To be honest, I’m a little spooked myself.”
“Anything ever happen like this before?”
“No, but the Merrick—” her voice got a little huskier “—it, uh, only just got fully charged yesterday, so maybe that’s had some kind of effect on me.” Looking back at him, she said, “Can we at least try? I know we don’t have a lot of time, but I can’t shake this feeling that we’re meant to have what’s in there. And Raine told me that you’re supposed to be some kind of genius when it comes to things like this.”
Choking back his growl, Kellan moved closer to the antique cast-iron safe, the above-average height of the table making it easier for him to get a good look at what he was dealing with without having to crouch down.
Moving beside him, she asked, “Can you open it?”
“Have you found anything I could use to get in here?” he asked, pointing to the small keyhole situated in the middle of the safe’s door.
“Here,” she said, reaching into her shirt pocket and handing him three paper clips. “I found these when I searched the room, along with some matches and the candle.”
“Perfect.” Setting one of the clips on the table, Kellan straightened out the other two, then leaned close and inserted their tips into the keyhole.
“How do you know how to do that?” she whispered, watching him maneuver the metal as he carefully manipulated the inner mechanisms of the lock.
“What can I say? I’m just naturally good with my hands,” he replied in a lazy drawl.
She snuffled a soft laugh under her breath, and he hid his grin. A few minutes later, a loud snick echoed from the lock, and the front of the safe cracked open. “Nice work,” she told him, and he could hear the quiver of excitement in her quiet words.
“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got.” Reaching inside, Kellan pulled out what appeared to be a thick stack of papers wrapped in some kind of ancient oilcloth.
“Huh. To be honest,” she murmured, watching as he set the bundle on the table, “I was expecting something a little bigger.”
Pulling his hand down his face, he let out a husky laugh that had her questioning him with a look. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m really happy I’ve never heard those particular words on a woman’s lips before. Especially when I’m the only man in the room with her.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Haha. You’re so funny.”
“Come on,” Kellan drawled, sliding her a lopsided smile. “You threw that one right in my lap.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, but her grin faded as she turned her attention back to what he sure as hell hoped were the true archives, considering the time they’d wasted to get them. “Do you mind if we open them up quickly?” she asked. “I know it sounds crazy, but I want to see if there’s a journal inside.”
Knowing they’d already wasted too much time, Kellan choked back a curse, tempted to just toss her over his shoulder and start running. “Can it wait until we’re out of this place?”
At her beseeching look, he sighed and peeled back the oilcloth, rifling through the yellowed pages until he pulled out a thin leather volume with frayed edges. “This is the only one I could find.”
She reached out, laying her hand on the small journal, then quickly nodded. “That’s it. That’s the one!”
“Great,” he muttered, wondering what the hell was going on as he slipped the journal back inside the oilcloth. Casting a quick look around the library, Kellan grabbed a backpack that had been left in the corner and quickly slipped the archives inside, then hooked one of the straps over his shoulder. Jerking his chin toward the door, he said, “Now let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I know you must think I’m crazy, Kell, but thanks for doing this for me.” She started to turn away from the table, then suddenly swayed, catching herself against the edge. “Whoa.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, pressing her hand to her forehead. “Sorry. I’m just…I got a little dizzy.”
Dropping the backpack, Kellan moved closer and tipped up her chin, studying her eyes. They no longer glowed with the p
ower of the Merrick, the gray darkening like a bank of storm clouds rolling in on the horizon. Damn it, he could see how weak she’d grown, the strength she’d gained from the feeding he’d given her already drained after everything she’d been through. The Merrick, starved for so long, was obviously going to need another feeding before it was at full strength—and Kellan needed her as strong as possible if they were going to make it out of there alive.
You know what you have to do, the wolf whispered, its guttural voice coaxing and soft. Running his tongue over his teeth, Kellan wanted to argue with the animal, but damn it, the bastard was right.
“What’s wrong?” she asked unsteadily. “You look like you’re about to tell me my dog just died.”
Locking his jaw, Kellan told her to pick up the candle and grabbed her other hand, pulling her through a connecting doorway and into what looked like a private study, the candlelight flickering against the high, book-lined walls.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, setting the candle on a gleaming mahogany desk that sat in the center of the room. “Why did we come in here?”
“Because I broke the door in the library,” he explained in a raw, gritty rasp, shutting the door and twisting its lock, before turning to face her. She stared back at him, her gaze clouded with confusion, waiting for the rest of his explanation. “We’re going to have to run for it, Chloe, and you can barely stand.”
“I know.” She ran her tongue over her lower lip as she leaned back against the desk. “I’m sorry. I’ll—”
“Shh. Stop apologizing. It’s not your fault. But…” Kellan swore under his breath, rubbing a hand over his eyes, and forced out the thick, rough-edged words. “Christ, I hate like hell to put you in this situation, but you need another feeding. A strong one.”
She blinked, understanding dawning with a dark flush of color in her pale cheeks. “You mean…right now?”
With his gaze locked on hers, Kellan crossed the room to her. “I don’t know what we’re gonna run into out there, and with Gregory already here, we can’t take any chances.”
She wet her lips, her expression a mixture of so many emotions, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Feeling like a total ass, since anticipation was searing through his veins, his cock already hard and aching, Kellan cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb across that fever-glow burning beneath her fair skin. “Chloe, I’m sorry.”
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