by L. L. Raand
Sophia’s eyes filled with tears. “You know I do. I’ve loved you for so long.”
Niki held out her hand. “Then we can leave right now. There’s nothing more I need to know.”
Sophia went into her arms and kissed her throat, her mouth, her eyes. Her hands went into Niki’s hair, gentle but demanding. “I would give you everything. You should have offspring. Your place in the Pack—”
“You forget, the centuri often do not mate. My duty is to you first and then the Alpha. That’s enough.”
Sophia turned in Niki’s arms, pressing her back to Niki’s chest, drawing Niki’s arms around her waist. She said to her parents, “I won’t have anything you say put you at risk. If there is something I need to know to protect Niki from harm, I want you to tell me. I don’t need to know anything else.”
Leo slipped his arm around Nadia’s shoulders. “We would have told you everything before this, but we weren’t certain you would take a mate. You always insisted you wouldn’t.”
Nadia grasped Leo’s hand, threading her fingers through his. “I’m so glad you have. And your mate is all she should be, and because of who she is and everything that has happened, we think you should know this.”
“You’re sure?” Sophia asked. “I love you both so much.”
Leo rumbled, a protective, possessive rumble that Niki recognized well. Whenever she thought of Sophia, she felt the same desire to shelter her, to prevent her from ever being hurt. She wrapped her arms more tightly around Sophia’s waist, kissed the side of her neck, and pulled her back to the sofa. She met Leo Revnik’s gaze. “I will never let anything harm her. The Alpha is fair and she loves every wolf in the Pack. You can trust her with your secrets.”
“We do,” Leo said. “It’s others we don’t always trust—there are others outside our Pack who might be dangerous if they knew.”
“Weres,” Nadia said quietly, “and humans.”
Niki’s gut tightened. “All the more reason we should know who our enemies are. We cannot fight shadows.”
“You’re right,” Nadia said. “You need to understand who we were before we had Sophia—long before the Exodus changed how we lived.”
“You can trust me,” Niki repeated.
“Before the Exodus,” Nadia said, “we hid our true natures, like all of our kind. Leo and I were Blackpaw, and we mated young.” A small smile crossed her face. “We shared a love of research and science and, like most Were scientists, wanted to find a cure for Were fever. Mir Industries existed then, but we were not Timberwolves, so we went to work for another large research institute. Of course, we passed as humans.”
A chill spread through Niki’s belly. “What did you study?”
“We’re virologists,” Leo said, “and we worked with a team studying human diseases with mechanisms similar to those of Were fever—hoping to extrapolate what we discovered about transmission into a way to counteract the effect in Weres.”
Niki said, “That’s not so different than the way Praeterns have always secretly integrated into the military, government, and medicine.”
Nadia nodded. “We were young and a little naïve. As you know, the Were fever virus is capable of interspecies transmission from infected Weres to humans, although most infected Weres die so quickly the risk is small. That’s why the human population doesn’t know about it.”
“At least not publicly,” Leo growled.
Sophia gripped Niki’s hand tightly. “What do you mean?”
Her mother’s expression darkened. “We thought at the time those in charge of the project were unaware of Weres. We didn’t realize some scientists were secretly experimenting with a mutant strain of a virus extracted from infected Weres.”
“Did they know the original hosts were Weres?” Niki asked, her wolf clawing at her insides.
“We don’t know,” Nadia said, “but in retrospect, we think so. We suspect they kept quiet because they had no real proof, and because they wanted to hide the true goal of their research.”
“The real focus of the research wasn’t medical at all, was it?” Sophia whispered. “The Were virus is almost uniformly fatal in humans. They were developing a biologic weapon.”
“Yes,” Leo said. “We thought we were searching for a suppressor gene to counteract the virus, but we only had access to a small part of the project.”
“What happened?” Niki asked.
“We worked closely with another research team—another husband-and-wife team.”
Nadia shuddered and pulled Leo’s hand into her lap, wrapping both of hers around his. “We think now, reconstructing everything that happened, that they were aware of the origins of the Were virus and might have suspected us of being Were. We think that’s why we were chosen to work with them.”
“And their goal?” Sophia asked.
Leo said, “They were trying to extend the viable latency period of the virus.”
Sophia caught her breath. “The Were virus has a very short latency period, which is why we have never seen an epidemic. A high kill index in a virus that can exist for days or weeks could destroy millions.”
Leo said, “That was part of the project that we didn’t work on and didn’t know about until it was too late. We would have tried to sabotage it, even if it meant exposure, but we never had the chance.”
When Leo and Nadia fell silent, Niki said, “This is the part you kept from the Alpha.”
Leo snarled. “We had to. There was nothing we could do, and we had Sophia to protect.”
“Tell us the rest,” Sophia said, her claws digging into Niki’s arm.
“The other team managed to manufacture a potent virus capable of replicating Were fever symptoms, but in the process, the research team became exposed,” Leo said.
Tears glistened on Nadia’s lashes. “The husband and wife we worked with contracted Were fever, and so did their child.”
“No,” Sophia whispered.
“By the time we found out what they were doing, it was too late. They came to us late one night, already too sick for us to help. They begged us to take their child, to do anything we could to save her.”
“I wasn’t bitten by an infected Were, was I?” Sophia asked, her voice tight but strong.
“No,” Nadia said. “That’s the story we told the Blackpaw Alpha when we took you and ran. We hoped if you survived, you would be accepted as a turned Were.”
“But I’m not,” Sophia said. “I’m not really Were at all. Not even mutia. I’m—I’m some kind of—”
“No,” Niki growled, her mouth close to Sophia’s ear. “You are Were. I scent you. I’ve tasted your skin. The Alpha recognizes you as Were. We all do. What are we, any of us, except what we believe and how we behave? We are more than what is inside our cells. We are what lives in our heart.” She pressed her hand to Sophia’s chest, covering her wildly beating heart. “In here, you are every bit Were. I don’t care whether you were born Were or turned or something else. You are Were, and you are mine.”
“We’ve always been afraid,” Nadia said, “that if Sophia’s identity was known and those in charge of the experiments knew of her, she could be at risk. We hid the truth to protect you. We’re so sorry.”
“No,” Sophia said. “You saved me. I love you both.”
“Who are these people? Who runs this laboratory?” Niki needed to know her enemy.
“We don’t know who formed this project,” Leo said, “but we believe the work probably continues. We think that these human girls are part of the same project.”
Sophia tensed in Niki’s arms. “And one of those girls bit Drake. That’s why Drake and I are different. We’re similar because we were both turned from the same manufactured virus. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“We think so,” Nadia said. “Unlike the natural viral strain that can infect Weres, the strain infecting both you and the Prima is a much more potent manufactured strain.”
“What happened to the infected humans?” Niki asked.
“Who were they?” Sophia asked. “The scientists…my biologic parents?”
Nadia and Leo spoke together. “Carol and David Gregory.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Michel eased the redhead from her lap onto the sofa beside her, positioning the girl’s head on one of Francesca’s brocade pillows. The girl was a novice, having only hosted once before, and Michel had barely begun to feed before the girl had orgasmed loudly and repeatedly until she’d collapsed and fallen into a dense slumber. In centuries gone by, Michel had appreciated prey who were so willing and so unlikely to reveal her identity to others. Usually it took very little effort to enthrall them, to erase their memories and leave them with only the faintest sensation of having had a very exciting dream. When it had been necessary for Vampires to hide, to feed in secrecy, she had deliberately sought out passive prey who were easy to ensnare and even easier to forget. Feeding became nothing more than a biological urge, a driving force that ruled her waking moments but gave her no pleasure. When she and Francesca had shared their prey, she’d at least experienced the excitement of Francesca’s dominance. When Francesca’s thrall washed over the host, the backlash often incited Michel to orgasm, and for a short time she was carried outside herself on the waves of Francesca’s power. When the thrall ebbed, however, she was still alone.
Since the Exodus, her tastes had changed. Now that she could feed openly, she chose hosts who would give her more than nourishment. Weres were always desirable, their iron-rich blood so potent she was empowered for days after feeding, their strength emboldening her body and her mind and her sex. But even so satisfied, she still never felt filled in her deepest reaches. She was always hungry, always searching. Until Katya.
When she’d held Katya the very first time, she had sought only to taste her blood, and then Katya had reached for her, asking for something more than pleasure. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had wanted anything other than the thrill of bloodlust from her. Katya had wanted freedom, something no one ever expected from a Vampire. Katya had touched her in a way no one had, before or after her turning.
She wouldn’t have taken the memory of their last joining if she hadn’t needed to hide her identity from the wolf who’d wanted her throat. She’d had time to do nothing else. She could have killed the wolf, but Sylvan would have wanted blood in return. She might be able to take Sylvan in a fight if she was very lucky, and she didn’t fear death. But she hadn’t wanted to kill the wolf that was bent on protecting Katya. She respected the wolf, and Katya would never have forgiven her if she’d killed it. So she’d done the only thing she could, she’d enthralled the wolf and taken the memory of her presence from both of them.
“You look bothered, darling.” Francesca reclined on the sofa across from Michel, indolently stroking the shoulder of the naked human male sprawled beside her. Francesca’s dressing gown was open, her bare breasts flushed with the blood she had just taken, her eyes sparkling with the aftereffects of her orgasm. Her blood-red nails trailed along the pulse beating sluggishly in her host’s throat. “Was she not to your liking?”
For a second, Michel didn’t understand the question, her thoughts going immediately to Katya, who had been so much more than simply satisfying. Then the redhead beside her moaned softly in her sleep, and Michel took in her surroundings with brutal clarity. The rich tapestries, priceless antiques, finest wines and works of art. Francesca lived surrounded by beauty, feasting on the blood of the young and lovely and vital, all to camouflage the barrenness of her existence. Of their existence.
“She was perfectly satisfying,” Michel said carefully, knowing Francesca would hear a lie.
“I think we’ve gone too long without a war,” Francesca mused, angling the edge of her nail to open the skin over her host’s jugular and paint a streak of crimson down his throat. “You need to burn for something other than blood, my darling. The Exodus has made life easy, perhaps too easy.”
Michel cupped the redhead’s breast. The ruby nipple hardened under her touch and she felt nothing. She met Francesca’s probing gaze, hiding the ennui threatening to suffocate her. “You would risk all of this,” Michel asked with a sweep of her arm over the opulent surroundings, “for excitement?”
Francesca laughed. “Darling, what else is there?”
As if invigorated, Francesca slipped out from underneath her host, letting him sleep on without her. She tied her dressing gown and smoothed it over her breasts and down her belly, lingering over her nipples before striding to the priceless side table, where an ornate, ivory phone was connected to a landline. She picked up the gilded handset, pausing to study Michel. “I hope you’re still as good as you used to be, darling, because I really don’t want this to be our last battle.”
“I take it the call earlier was from someone interesting?”
“Our dear friend Dr. Standish appears to be switching allegiances. At least, she’s considering it and very helpfully shared some interesting information with me as to Nicholas’s plans.”
Francesca held out her hand and Michel got to her feet. Francesca pulled her close, and Michel pressed against her, kissing her slowly and thoroughly. The swell of Francesca’s breasts and belly was as familiar to Michel as the taste of blood. “And you’re going to use it how?”
“I rather like the idea of having a Were Alpha in my debt,” Francesca said.
“Even if it means making enemies of one of the Shadow Lords?”
“Who would you rather fight? The Weres or the humans?”
Michel laughed. “Can you be certain the others won’t side with Gregory? I don’t mind fighting humans, but I’d rather not have to take on the Fae and other Vampires at the same time.”
Francesca ran her nails down the center of Michel’s chest, making her nipples tighten and her belly roll. Filled with blood, Michel’s sex beat steadily and she was ready to orgasm again. She caught Francesca’s wrist and guided her hand inside her open trousers, pressing Francesca’s fingertips firmly to her clitoris. Francesca hissed and let her incisors tease at Michel’s throat.
“When the time comes, darling,” Francesca murmured, “I promise you’ll have all the power you need at your disposal.”
Michel wanted Sylvan as her ally. She intended to see Katya again, and she’d rather avoid a fight that would put Katya in the middle. She cupped Francesca’s breasts and rubbed her thumbs over her nipples. “Then by all means, make the call.”
*
“The Alpha needs to know everything you’ve told me,” Niki said. “The humans we liberated from the laboratory yesterday and the one who infected the Prima have a form of Were fever, but there’s no evidence they were ever exposed to a rabid Were. This can’t be a coincidence. These experiments have been going on for much longer than we imagined.”
“We thought there might be a connection when the Prima was infected,” Leo said, “and we’ve been trying to isolate the antigen from her tissue specimens.” He looked at Sophia. “We’ve also been comparing them to samples of your blood and tissue we’ve had banked since the last time we tested you. So far they look identical, but we can’t find any evidence of an immune response in her specimens.”
“You’ll need new specimens from me,” Sophia said, her voice strong and clear. “The last ones were taken when I was still an adolescent. There may be important changes now.” She squeezed Niki’s hand. “And I need to know whether or not I’m infectious.”
“Your last test results showed circulating antigen,” her mother said, “but we’ve never been able to induce symptoms in laboratory animals using derivatives of those agents.”
“No,” Sophia said, smiling wryly, “but then you’ve never tested them on Weres or humans. This may be very species specific.”
“It’s
always been our hypothesis,” Nadia said, “that the manufactured virus only infected humans, but until the sick humans showed up in the ER and then the Prima was turned, we never had any indication that the project was ongoing.”
“I know that,” Sophia said. “The Alpha will understand that too.” She kissed Niki. “I need to go to the laboratory with my parents right away. If there’s any possibility that something in my blood might help those two females you rescued, we have to find out now. They probably won’t survive much longer.”
“I need to speak with the Alpha,” Niki said, pulling Sophia against her side. “But I want to go with you.” A rumble resonated in her chest and gold streaked through the green in her eyes. “I don’t want you so far away.”
Sophia rubbed her cheek against Niki’s throat and kissed the side of her jaw. “I don’t want to be away from you either, but the Alpha may need you back at the Compound. I want to look at the specimens with my parents. You have duties elsewhere. I ought to be back by nightfall.”
“I’ll report to the Alpha, but then I’m coming to get you.”
Sophia nodded and kissed her again. “All right. Take the SUV back. I’ll ride to the lab with my parents.”
Nadia grasped Niki’s arm. “Please tell the Alpha if there’s anyone to blame, it’s me. I trust her as I trusted her mother, but my daughter’s life was at stake. I couldn’t risk exposing her to harm.”
“You don’t have to worry,” Niki said. “We are not the Blackpaws. We do not kill innocents, and our Alpha is just.”
Leo said, “I must speak to the Alpha also. It’s important that we monitor the Prima carefully during her pregnancy. We haven’t been able to find any evidence of circulating antigen in her blood, probably because she was turned as an adult while Sophia was still young enough that her immune system tolerated the foreign particles. Nevertheless, we have to ensure that the offspring are not exposed.”