“Not yet.” This time the other woman smiled, which so transformed her face that Blythe could only stare. “I came here to give you your reward for doing so well earlier.”
Reward? Expecting some kind of medication, Blythe waited. She wasn’t sure she wanted to take it, especially since she wouldn’t put it past them to drug her and knock her out so she’d be less trouble.
“Aren’t you even curious?” the doctor asked, her smile broadening.
Blythe licked her dry lips, struggled to focus. “Did you bring me water? Or something to eat?”
“No,” Dr. Silva said and waved her hand. “You have all that in the mini fridge in your room. This is something you claim to have wanted, so Jacob is allowing it, this one time. Maybe more, if you continue to cooperate.”
Blythe blinked. “All I want is my baby girl.”
At her words, the doctor’s smile broadened.
Blythe’s heart began to pound. Surely they wouldn’t be allowing her to see Hailey, would they?
Something must have shown in her expression. Dr. Silva chuckled. “You see, we are not all bad. Everything we do here is for the greater good.”
Blythe barely allowed the words to penetrate. No way in hell was she taking a chance of screwing this up. She focused on the doorway, every fiber of her being praying that Hailey would walk into the room. And into her arms.
“Go ahead,” Dr. Silva ordered, speaking into a walkie-talkie. “Bring her in.”
Her. Blythe could hardly breathe. Wishing, hoping...
Instead of Hailey walking, a second man came in, carrying the five-year-old’s limp form. Hailey was clearly unconscious.
Inside, Blythe’s wolf roared with rage. Externally, Blythe trembled, aching to reach out for her child, longing to gather her close. Afraid if she did so they’d cruelly snatch her away, she held herself as still as a statue.
After glancing at Dr. Silva and then Blythe, the guard unceremoniously deposited Hailey on the bed.
Unable to help herself, Blythe began weeping. “What have you done to her?” she asked. “Please, Dr. Silva. Do something, anything, to help her.”
Instead, Dr. Silva shrugged. “She has had similar tests to you. Though she was not as well behaved, so we had to drug her. We might have given her a bit too much.”
Horrified, Blythe sucked in her breath at the doctor’s callous admission. “Is she...will she be all right?”
“Probably.” Moving toward the doorway, the other woman looked dispassionately at the unconscious child. “I’ll leave you now.”
Already focusing on smoothing back Hailey’s hair from her limp little face, Blythe nodded. “Thank you,” she managed, though everything inside her wanted to rage rather than placate.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” Dr. Silva said, sounding almost normal. “The guards will be posted right outside your door.”
Blythe glanced at the two men, wishing desperately that one of them had been Lucas. As she did, she realized the one closest to the doorway had a visible aura, which made him unmistakably Pack.
How was that possible?
As she opened her mouth and then closed it, the man gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. Pack, inside Sanctuary. Traitor or ally? What could it mean? Did Lucas know?
“You have one hour,” the other guard said, before signaling to his companion. “Then we’ll be back to collect her.”
Hailey moaned, and Blythe gathered her close, her heart aching. She’d give anything, do anything, to protect her child from being hurt.
“Do you understand? One hour.”
Though she barely heard him, she managed a nod as she frantically inspected her daughter. The scarlet, irritated skin around her wrists and ankles made her see red. Not only had Hailey’s hands and feet been bound, but she’d struggled against her bonds, hard enough to rub her skin raw.
Blythe cursed. Damn Jacob. Damn Sanctuary. She had to get Hailey out of here. Immediately. Right now. But how?
Think. She needed to clear her head and think. One hour. She had one freaking hour. Frantic, Blythe made an attempt to rouse her baby girl. “Hailey, wake up. Mommy’s here, sweetheart.”
But when her daughter didn’t react, Blythe realized whatever they’d used to drug her was too strong. She cursed the missing cell phone, then took a deep breath. She needed to contact Lucas and let him know what had happened. Hopefully they had an ally in the other Shifter who wore the guard’s uniform. Lucas would know what to do. She wondered if he was still inside Sanctuary. If he was, how could she contact him, especially since they’d locked her in her room? But Lucas was her only hope. She’d just have to bet he could figure out a way to get them out of here.
Chapter 9
An exploration of one side of the basement—the part he had access to—revealed nothing. More doors, some locked, others not. All of the rooms appeared to be laboratories, though they were all empty. He saw no sign of Hailey, so he had to believe the child was being kept locked in her room, just as Blythe had been. Conceding defeat—for now—he returned to stand outside the still-closed laboratory door. His earlier companion hadn’t made it back yet.
Though Lucas kept his walkie-talkie clipped to his belt, no one called him to assist moving Blythe. He wondered what they were doing to her in there, pushing away his jumbled emotions, hating the way he felt so damn powerless.
Kane found him there after what felt like hours.
When the other man—Shifter—appeared, Lucas didn’t do anything more than nod a greeting. He wasn’t sure what exactly Kane was doing here. Was he working undercover for the Pack or had he simply betrayed his own kind for money?
“The van’s parked out front. You can go home now,” Kane said, jerking his thumb toward the elevator. As Lucas pushed off from the wall to do exactly that, Kane stopped him.
Leaning in close, he spoke under his breath. “I know why you’re here. We need your help. I’ve got your cell number, so I’ll be calling you later.”
Raising his voice, Kane inclined his head. “I’m driving the van back out in ten minutes. Be there or get left behind.” Then, with one final hard look at Lucas, the other man walked away.
Immediately, Lucas’s heart rate kicked into overtime. They had an ally. Maybe, just maybe, the odds were now tipped toward their favor. Wishing he could tell Blythe, he hurried to the elevator, rode it to the surface and strolled casually.
Luckily, all of the men he’d ridden to work with had gotten off at the same time. They all piled back into the van, joking and laughing, talking about getting a beer together before heading home.
Lucas stayed silent, aware he didn’t have transportation home from Kane’s house. Since he’d driven Mike Fletcher’s car to Kane’s, he had no way of getting home. He’d have to bum a ride.
But if things went right, he’d be getting Blythe and Hailey out soon.
Even the thought of what could have been happening to Blythe inside the laboratory made Lucas sweat. Dr. Silva worked under instructions from Sanctuary’s leader. Jacob was the worst kind of fanatic—he honestly believed wholeheartedly in everything he did. More than once he’d explained to Lucas that a little pain and suffering was nothing if the proper results were achieved in the end. What exactly those results were, Jacob had never revealed.
Regardless, Lucas had reason to know Jacob enjoyed inflicting the suffering more than any so-called cure he could ever claim.
He was glad Kane was going to help them. The sooner, the better. He hated—no, he despised—feeling helpless, powerless to do anything other than sit and wait. At least he wouldn’t have to stand around and twiddle his thumbs, forced to watch while Dr. Silva tortured Blythe.
Memories of what he’d gone through—and what had happened to his sister—still burned inside him. Finally, the time had come to exact his vengeance and make Jacob pay for what he’d done to Lilly.
Later. First, stopping Jacob from hurting Blythe—and her little girl, Hailey—was all that mattered. Only after t
hey were safe would he go back and make sure Jacob never hurt anyone again.
When they reached Kane’s house, Mike surprised Lucas by offering to drive him home. “It’s the least I can do, considering how you helped me out last night.”
They made small talk on the short drive back to the motel. Lucas noticed Mike didn’t ask him to go with him to the bar to meet the others. He guessed Mike wanted to take a break from drinking, which worked out well since Lucas had a lot to do to prepare for Kane’s call.
As soon as Mike’s taillights turned the corner, Lucas got busy. He needed to get Blythe and Hailey out of Sanctuary and to safety. He’d definitely need to stock up on supplies for where he intended them to stay. While he could make it up the winding mountain roads and long, steep driveway for supplies if the weather was good, once winter set in, that would be a problem.
With this in mind, he drove to the grocery store and stocked up on provisions. Bottled water and a lot of nonperishables. If he could, he’d get more once they were on their way, but this would be enough to sustain them while they evaded pursuit.
Finally, he returned to the motel room. Nothing to do now but wait. And think about Blythe. While he’d avoided joining the Pack, he had known his share of women, but he’d always made sure they understood he could only be casual. He’d known many who were beautiful and sexy. Together they’d enjoyed every kind of carnal delight.
None of them affected him the way Blythe did. Just being in the same room with her set his nerves on edge, making him vibrate with a fierce craving unlike any he’d ever felt before. This seriously pissed him off. He didn’t need it, not now, not ever. And worse, while she appeared open to a casual sexual relationship, he didn’t want that with her. She made him wish for more for the first time in his life.
He couldn’t have more. He didn’t know how to be a regular guy. He couldn’t allow himself to give in to his desire for Blythe. Getting involved with her would be far too dangerous for a man like him, who only wanted to be left alone, as he’d always been.
He didn’t know about normal families. He’d never wanted to be part of a couple. He’d pretended to be one of his identities since he was fifteen. How could he know how to be the right man for Blythe? How could he do that to her?
When his phone finally rang, Lucas actually jumped. Swearing, he pressed the answer button, well aware that he couldn’t afford to lose focus. Stopping Jacob had to be his only priority.
“It’s Kane,” the voice said. “If you’re ever going to have a chance to get Blythe, it’s now. They just brought Hailey to her. They’ve both been drugged. You have a short time frame. But I’ll help you all I can.”
Jacob had gotten careless. Either he was really overconfident or he was setting the mother of all traps. A prickle of unease skittered along Lucas’s spine. Immediately he discounted it, well aware he had no choice.
Lucas sucked in his breath. “Is Blythe—”
“Conscious? Yes. Her daughter is not. They’re only letting them stay together for one hour. How long will it take you to get here?”
Already running for his truck, he answered. “I’m on my way.”
The roar of the truck engine nearly drowned Kane out. “I’m sorry,” he said, shifting into Drive. “Say that again.”
“What’s your plan?” Kane asked. “I’m limited in what I can do without blowing my cover.”
His cover. That explained a lot.
“I don’t know,” Lucas admitted. “I’ll work something up on the way there. I’ll call you when I know more.” And he ended the call.
He broke every speed limit, pushing the truck to its limit. He had to come up with a way to get Blythe and Hailey out. It wouldn’t be easy, especially since the little girl was unconscious.
All Lucas could picture was the obvious—barge right in, damn them to hell and back, and fight his way to Blythe and Hailey. Which wasn’t good, as it could have disastrous results.
Pulling up in front of the massive iron gates, which were closed, he slowed to a crawl. Once again, Sanctuary appeared quiet, as though nothing out of the ordinary ever went on inside.
Shaking his head, he pressed the accelerator and drove around the corner to the spot where the fence ended. He parked facing in, just in case he had to leave the road. Then he killed the headlights.
The instant he did, his cell rang. Odd coincidence, that. Almost as if Kane had eyes on Lucas.
Once again he pushed away his mistrust and answered.
“Well?” Kane asked. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going in through the kitchen,” Lucas said, deciding as he talked. He climbed from the truck and took off toward the back door.
“I’ve got people watching them,” Kane said. “One set of guards has orders to get the kid back to her quarters and the other will be bringing the woman to the lab for more testing.”
“I’m nearly there,” Lucas told him. “Any way you can provide a distraction?”
“I can try. And Larry?”
Briefly, Lucas remembered he’d used that name. “Yes?”
“Do you have a gun?”
Lucas answered in the affirmative.
“Good,” Kane said. “Be prepared to use it.” A soft click, and Kane hung up.
Lucas continued on toward the house. He withdrew his pistol, ready for whoever might come at him.
But no one did. Not yet. Had Kane been caught? Was this actually a massive trap? Because he didn’t know and because he had no choice, Lucas waited, every nerve ending screaming an alert. He couldn’t help but remember how Jacob had always been paranoid about security. There was no reason for him to have changed so much, at least not without a specific reason.
Shaking off an ominous foreboding, he continued around to the delivery entrance. The door was slightly ajar. Still, he saw no sign of movement.
His wolf chose that moment to try to break free. The beast had been biding his time, but the combination of adrenaline and frustration proved more than he could resist.
He slammed against Lucas’s inner barriers with all the force boiling inside human Lucas.
But Lucas batted him away. “Not now,” he muttered, more for his benefit than anything else.
Keeping to the shadows, he went inside.
Again, as it had been the day he and Blythe had broken in, the place appeared deserted. No acolytes walked the halls, no students with their heads deep in textbooks. Empty. Which didn’t make sense.
He walked on, his feeling of unease deepening. Kane had said Blythe and Hailey were in her room. Which meant the second floor. Choosing to take the stairs rather than be trapped in the elevator, he headed for them.
When he reached the staircase unimpeded, he tightened his grip on his gun and began to climb. All the while, he kept an eye out for Kane—for anyone.
At the top of the stairs was a landing with long halls to the left and to the right. Long, empty halls. The place was a ghost town. It had to be a trap. Still, he turned right and began trying doors.
Though he constantly glanced over his shoulder, he saw no one. Kane had said they’d given Blythe one hour. By that calculation, he had about twenty minutes, give or take.
A shadowy figure at the end of the hallway made him freeze.
“Lucas?” It was Kane. Quickly, he crossed the length of the hall. “Come on. Come with me.”
“We’re running out of time.”
Kane grimaced. “I had to disable the video feed. I’ve got it looping some old footage so no one gets suspicious. It took me longer than I thought it would.”
“Where is she?”
“Follow me.” Kane went directly to a door midway down the hall. From inside his pocket, he produced a small silver key.
“In here,” he said, unlocking the door.
“Let’s get them out,” Lucas ordered. “Now.” He pushed into the room.
“Lucas?” Blythe breathed his name. He took in the scene—the limp, unresponsive child so still on the bed, and Bly
the, so drawn and pale. Instantly, he wanted to gather her in his arms and comfort her.
But there was no time for that. He and Kane exchanged a glance. “You take the girl, I’ll take the Blythe,” Lucas said. Crossing the room without waiting for an answer, he lifted Blythe in his arms.
“Let’s go,” he barked, already moving for the door as Kane scooped up the unresponsive child.
Blythe squirmed, trying to help. But when she tried to stand, she apparently didn’t have enough strength in her legs.
“That’s okay,” Lucas told her. “I can carry you.” Shifting her, he slung her over his shoulder and headed out with Kane right behind him, carrying Hailey.
They nearly made it.
But the way was blocked by two burly men. Guards. Though they both wore identical menacing expressions, Lucas noted neither of them appeared to be armed.
“Hold up,” Kane said, his voice authoritative and calm. “What are you doing away from your assigned perimeter?”
They exchanged glances. “We were told to retrieve the kid.”
They were early. Lucas resisted glancing at his watch.
“You were too slow,” Kane barked. “I’m taking care of this personally. You’re relieved of duty.”
The two men exchanged incredulous looks. “Relieved of... What do you mean?”
“Fired.” Kane pointed toward the stairs. “Go on, get out of here. You’ll be paid two weeks extra for your trouble.”
One man started to argue. “But—”
Kane’s sharp glare silenced him. “Now. I want you both off the premises.”
Grumbling under their breath, the two men took off. Lucas shot Kane a grim look. “Thanks, man.”
“Don’t mention it,” Kane responded. “Let’s get out of here.”
They made it down the stairs without running into anyone else. Through the kitchen to the back door, which was still wide-open. Once outside, adrenaline enabled Lucas to run, even carrying Blythe, who’d gone totally limp in his arms.
When they reached the truck, Lucas yanked open the passenger door and put her inside. Kane handed Hailey up to her and closed the door. Accepting her daughter, Blythe made a wordless sound of gratitude and held her little girl close.
The Lost Wolf's Destiny (The Pack) Page 12