by Cynthia Eden
He was sure his expression told them that very important fact.
Say the wrong thing, and we’ll fight right here.
Shane was studying Ella with narrowed eyes. Was there the faintest hint of recognition in his stare? Shane had been there the night Ella was pulled from the basement, but there’d been so much chaos then that Eric didn’t think the two had even shared more than a fast glance.
“What about the wings?” Connor wanted to know. “Don’t you think we all deserve an explanation on that?”
Okay, so he should have asked about them. But he’d been busy building her trust.
Bullshit. An internal voice called him on that. He’d just been busy getting lost in her.
“My wings?” Ella’s body brushed against Eric’s. “He knows all about those.”
Actually, he didn’t. He had a few suspicions. A few rumors and myths that he’d picked up over the years, but Eric had no proof. Not that he’d admit that right then. Long ago, he’d learned to always act as if he knew what the hell was happening.
Even when he didn’t necessarily.
The fact that the wings had vanished back inside her body—and not left any external sign—that sure hinted that he was dealing with a shifter. Had it only been a partial shift? That was his suspicion. Connor’s mate Chloe had only been able to partially shift into a wolf form. She’d never managed to fully become the beast. Maybe Ella was like that, too.
He opened his mouth to speak—
But Ella gave a little gasp and she stepped toward Shane. “I know you.” Her hand reached out, as if she’d touch him. “I just saw you in my dream.”
Oh, the hell, no. Before she could touch the vampire, Eric caught her hand and pulled her back to his side. Then he kept his arm around her shoulders for good measure. She did not need to be touching Shane. For any reason.
Jealousy. Is this what it feels like? Burning, twisting, making his fangs ache. This shit was not good.
And why the hell had she been dreaming about Shane?
“A field of blood and sand,” Ella said quietly. “With death all around.”
Eric’s shoulders stiffened as he shot a fast glance at Shane. Ella should not know about that. Very few did.
During a battle, on a mission that had gone to hell and back, life had changed for Eric.
He’d died.
Then been brought back.
“Uh, yeah…” Connor rubbed his jaw. “There’s obviously a lot going on here, but how about we handle one issue at a time. I’ve got one seriously beat-up werewolf downstairs and the guy is begging to tell you all he knows about Keegan James. So how about we handle him and then figure out what’s up with the winged vampiress here? I mean, if she’s on our team now, great. The more, the merrier, but I personally want to find out where the hell Keegan is right now. Because I’d thought he’d burned in that fire and if that SOB is still out there and he might come after my Chloe again…” His nails turned into claws. “I need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Connor was an alpha werewolf. And a vampire. A deadly mix that most thought couldn’t be created.
Until recently, it hadn’t been possible. But Eric had personally overseen the development of the cross-overs.
The Para Unit was changing the world. Or maybe, the world was just evolving again.
With a little help from the monsters, magic, and good old science.
***
For once, she wasn’t the one being watched. It was a rather novel experience for Ella. She stood in the observation room, her hands hovering near the cold glass, as she stared into the interrogation room. The werewolf who’d called himself Reece was already in there.
And even with his werewolf healing powers, the guy looked like hell.
“Shouldn’t he be…not so bruised? Not so bloody?” Ella finally asked as she slanted a quick glance at Connor.
Eric had sent her and Connor into observation. He and the other guy—the man who’d appeared in her dreams, Shane—were about to enter the interrogation room.
“The silver limits his healing,” Connor told her. “The guy was injected with…a lot…of silver earlier.”
Her gaze slid back to Reece. “He wanted to kidnap me again. Probably starve me, take all my blood, and then dump my body somewhere.” It was hard to feel much sympathy for him. “He was there the first time I was taken, too.” Her hand pressed against the glass. “He was laughing that night. I’ve never been able to forget his laughter.”
“He’s not laughing now,” Connor told her grimly.
No, he wasn’t.
The door to the interrogation room opened. Shane and Eric headed inside. As soon as he saw Eric, Reece tensed and fear flashed on his face.
“The other werewolves sure did a number on him,” Ella said.
There was a stark pause beside her. Then Connor asked, “What made you think it was the others?”
“Well, I figured they assumed he’d talk—he is about to talk and—”
“Eric gave him those marks.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t think he liked it when the guy in there told him that the big master plan was to cut your wings off.”
Ice slid over her skin. “Eric attacked him.”
“In fairness, Reece did challenge the guy. Some stupid one-on-one crap. Only you don’t really ever want to go one-on-one with Eric Pate.”
“No,” her voice had gone hoarse. “You don’t.”
“I think the big boss is letting this case get too personal.”
Her gaze was on the men in that interrogation room. Only they weren’t really men. So much more.
“And that’s all because of you,” Connor said.
***
Keegan had followed the SUVs to the base. Tricky Para Agents—hiding in plain sight. The warehouse truly looked like nothing from the outside.
He’d bet the damn thing probably went down past the ground for several floors. A whole hidden base, right there.
The agents he’d trailed slipped past security after they flashed their IDs. He wasn’t going to have that easy get-in option. No one would just wave him inside and let him go.
So he’d just fight his way in there. Fight and kill because he had nothing left to lose.
Either I get Ella or I die.
He took a step forward.
There was a rustle then, a sweep of wind that went around him. He tensed and glanced at the darkness surrounding him. Dawn was close, but the shadows around the building were still too thick and heavy.
His eyes narrowed as he tried to see through those shadows. His vision wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been before he’d burned a dozen times, but…someone was out there. Something.
Waiting.
His lips curled in a smile. Maybe he wasn’t the only one in the mood to storm the Para Unit’s stronghold.
Good. Maybe someone else could help him with this particular bit of dirty work.
“Let’s play,” Keegan murmured. Then he rushed forward, moving toward the guard station. The guy whirled toward him.
Keegan shoved a knife in the man’s stomach.
***
“So Keegan’s not dead…” Reece’s shoulders lifted and fell in a rough shrug. “You knew that shit, though, right?”
Eric braced his legs and kept his hands loose at his sides. He stared down at Reece, aware of Shane circling to stand behind the guy. The better to prepare for any attack that might be coming. “Yes, I knew that shit.” He inclined his head toward Reece. “I want to know where he is.”
“Canada. Went across the border to be safe.” Reece was talking fast now. “I’m gonna want transport out of here. Those other damn wolves already think I turned—because of you!”
“Um, you are turning on them,” Eric pointed out.
Spittle flew from Reece’s mouth. “’Cause you gave me no choice! I was just following orders! Hell, what does one freaking fey matter, anyway? She’s the last one, then—poof, all gone.”<
br />
Fey. Eric’s heartbeat quickened, but he didn’t change expression. “You want transport, you want safety, then you keep talking to me.”
“Keegan is hurt. Bad. He survived that fire.” Reece whistled. “I don’t even know how the hell he did that. He burned over and over and kept healing—must have been her blood. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But he’s weak now. Nearly human.”
Stop underestimating humans. They weren’t nearly as weak as jerks like Reece liked to believe.
“He said we had to bring her in. That she could make him strong again. The wings are supposed to work, you see. They create life, give power. That’s where we all came from, if you believe that shit—from the wings. Some mad scientist got hold of them and started playing God,” he muttered. “Stories…”
Eric glanced toward the observation glass. His own reflection stared back at him, but he knew Ella was in there. He could feel her.
Did I really drink her blood? He’d always tried to be so careful. But with her, he’d lost all thought of restraint. Even at that moment, he wanted to taste her again. Again and again, endlessly.
“How did Keegan know Ella would be at that bar?” Eric asked, his jaw locking.
“Her kind…never walks away. Revenge is in their blood.” Reece cast a nervous glance toward the mirror. He leaned forward, as if he were about to impart some big secret to Eric and he said, “That’s why they were the first experiments. Too dangerous. Too evil. I think that fool who got hold of them…he thought he could make something better.” Reece laughed. “But he just made us instead. More monsters in the world…”
***
“That laughter,” Ella said as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “How could I forget it? How could I walk away? It wasn’t going to happen. Not for me. Not after what they did. They treated me like an animal. Worse…”
“And you went to kill them.”
“It’s my way.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded sad. “That wasn’t fixed despite what that fool thought.” Fool…Reese’s word. She’d called the man many things—sick, twisted.
Lover.
Enemy.
“Um,” Connor cleared his throat, “and the fool would be?”
Her laughter came again. “Surely you realize that some myths…some old stories are a little bit true. Like Frankenstein…Cedric wanted to play God. It’s not as if he’s the first guy to do that.”
“Are you telling me Frankenstein is real?”
Ella smiled at the shock in his tone and peered over at him. “No. I’m saying that there have been men over time who thought they could make bigger, better monsters.”
His eyelids flickered. “Yeah, I know about those men. Met a few like that.”
She looked back through the glass. “I thought I was the last of my kind. Until Eric.”
Connor swore.
Her gaze cut to him once more.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
Like she cared about his curses.
“You think Eric Pate…is like you?” Connor asked her carefully.
She shook her head. “Not just like me. He’s my mate.” There would be no more denying what her instincts were telling her.
Connor rocked back on his heels. “Okay, yeah, I get that the two of you had sex earlier. He was practically growling when he opened the door, but sex isn’t mating. Surely you know that.”
“I know that.” Her cheeks burned. She didn’t need to be told that by this guy. “I also know the connection that I feel with my kind. I can only mate with another like me.” For an instant, tears stung her eyes. “Do you know what it’s like to think you’re the only one of your kind for centuries? To be so totally alone? When Keegan had me and the days and nights swam together, I started to wonder…what was the point? Why was I fighting so hard? Nothing was waiting for me out there. No one…” She smiled. “But I was wrong. Eric was out there. All along. I just didn’t know it.”
“Oh, fuck,” Connor said. “This is bad.”
“No, it’s good.” Why wasn’t he getting that?
***
Getting inside that big gate was actually much easier than Keegan had anticipated. The Para Agents were far too arrogant. So very certain of their secret location.
All he had to do was kill the three guards at the front entrance. Then he stripped one guard and took his clothes and ID. That ID gave him instant access to the base. Keegan took his silver loaded guns and he just waltzed toward the main entrance. Easy as can be…
The rustle of sound reached his ears once again. A flutter. Almost like wings, right above him. His head whipped back.
But nothing was there.
Nothing.
He swiped the guard’s ID over the security access screen. The control panel flashed green, and those big doors began to open…
Wind blew against him. Fierce, strong…
He whirled around just as the beast flew out of the shadows. Big and strong and—
Claws sank into Keegan’s chest. He fired the silver bullets into the bastard. Again and again and again.
The beast before him just laughed.
Then he grabbed Keegan and flew straight up into the air. “I know what you’ve done…” That voice was so low and sinister and the creature’s wings were beating all around Keegan. He tried to fight but—
There were no more bullets left.
“Where is she?”
“Inside!” Keegan yelled, knowing there could only be one person the creature sought. “She’s—”
An alarm was sounding. Loud and shrieking.
And Keegan was suddenly—falling.
***
When he heard the shriek of the alarm, Eric immediately ran for the door. He rushed out of the interrogation room even as he roared for other agents to guard Reece. He and Shane didn’t wait for the elevator—they just ran for the exterior of the base, rushing up the stairs as fast as they could.
Eric paused only long enough to grab his gun and then he was running outside with other agents.
And he found a dead man on the ground.
Less than five feet from the entrance to the base, a man’s body sprawled across the pavement. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, his legs and arms bent…and there was so much blood.
“What in the hell…” Shane exclaimed. “What happened to him? What did that?”
Eric bent near the body. He couldn’t see the fellow’s face yet. It had to be one of his own agents, judging by the uniform. “I need teams to sweep the area.” His hand touched the guy’s throat. No pulse. He hadn’t expected one, but he’d still needed to check. Dammit. He hated losing men. His agents were good people. They were trying to protect others. They…
His hand brushed over the side of the dead man’s head. He saw the red, raised skin. Burn marks.
Not my agent.
Eric sucked in a sharp breath as he turned the fellow’s head. Smashed and sickening because the guy had apparently hit the ground face-first but…
“Keegan?” Eric could still make out the guy’s features. And those burns—burns that he could now see on the man’s neck, on half of his face, and on his hands—those burns were a dead giveaway.
Sonofabitch. The guy on the ground was Keegan. In one of the Para Agent’s uniforms. “Check the area!” Eric roared. “There could be more—”
“Three men down,” Lawrence said as he ran toward Eric, his chest heaving. “Shot, and one of the agents had been stripped.”
No, no, no. “You were coming inside, weren’t you?” Eric snarled to the dead man. “You thought you’d get her.” He could even see the keycard now, tossed a few feet away from Keegan’s body. The man had been ready to waltz right inside the base.
There was a sharp gasp, and Eric glanced over to see that Ella had pushed her way through the crowd of agents. She stood there, with her hand over her mouth. Looking terrified. Shocked.
Connor hurried past her and came to Eric’s side. “Boss…” Connor’s voice
was low. “His injuries…that guy was dropped from a damn high height. And right now, I only know one person around here with wings who could lift up a guy like that and drop him.”
And Eric was staring straight at her.
“But she was with me,” Connor added. “I swear she was. She didn’t do this.”
Agents were swarming the area.
Wind blew against Eric’s face.
He heard the faintest rustle, almost like leaves blowing nearby.
“Take Ella back inside,” he ordered immediately.
“It’s Keegan,” she said and she rushed forward, her eyes so wide. “It’s him!”
The man who’d kidnapped her. Tortured her.
Eric’s arm wrapped around her stomach, pulling her away from the dead man. “I need you to go inside the base,” he whispered into her ear. “Sweetheart, listen to me. It isn’t safe. You have to go back inside.”
Keegan had planned to slip into the base and attack.
Something had stopped him.
Something that was still there…Still waiting? Someone.
Ella nodded. “Okay…” But she sounded almost lost and despite the power he knew she held, Ella felt fragile in his arms. She nodded once more and then slowly backed away. His gaze cut to Connor and the guy immediately moved toward her.
Ella took a few tentative steps back toward the base—
“What the fuck…” Lawrence called out, voice shocked. He jerked his gun up and aimed at the sky. “Incoming!”
Eric lifted his own weapon because sure-as-hell enough, something was coming at them from the sky. The wingspan on the thing had to be at least ten feet. Its wings were heavy and black, and it was hurtling right toward them.
No, toward Ella…
“Stay away from her!” Eric yelled and he opened fire.
But the man up there—and, yeah, he could see the body of a man—just dodged the bullets in lightning fast moves.
“Tranq him!” Eric ordered his men. “Take him out!” Eric lunged for Ella.
She was just standing there, staring with wide eyes and parted lips as she gazed up at the being hurtling toward her. Faster, faster, the guy was closing in on her.
If he touches her, he’ll take her from me.
Eric reached out for her. His fingers tangled with hers.