Slade, Book 1 in Team Greywolf Series

by Eva Gordon

  “Good evening, Cricket,” said Jack in his gray “I am human” coveralls. He no longer looked like a biker dude. More of a military want-to-be. An omega growled at him, but Jack ignored him.

  “No humans allowed,” Cricket snarked. “Unless you’re on the menu.”

  He chuckled, apparently not shocked by the revelation. “Henrik said you can come with me.”

  “Why?”

  “You are staying in my quarters.”

  She smirked. “I’ll stay in the doggy kennel, but thanks anyway.” Before Slade has a change in heart about cannibalism and orders Jack sautéed in steak sauce.

  “That’s an order.”

  The guard standing behind Jack nodded. “Leave with him, now.”

  Once again, the hall silenced as they walked out. She held her breath as she passed Slade’s table. He kept his gaze lowered, but she heard his pounding heart. Please, Slade, chill before they kill us both.

  After they left the dining hall, Cricket released a breath. Whatever plans Jack had in store for her, best Slade didn’t know. Anyway, if Jack had any thoughts about raping her, he best bid his balls farewell. Runt or not, her claws were sharper, longer and deadlier than any alley cat.

  They went down a set of spiral stairs to the lower level. Someone who went through the trouble to create a realistic castle must have a dungeon. Yet, the hallway looked modern. One of the guards flashed a keycard in front of a door. The door opened to a futuristic-looking apartment like the one back at the lab headquarters. “Welcome to my digs.”

  The guard glowered at her. “Harm Henrik’s human and you will be gutted in front of Prince Slade.”

  She lowered her head. “Got it.” So much for neutering Jack, just yet.

  The guard left, and the door closed.

  Alone with the still intact male.

  Jack went all perfect host. “Hey darlin’, want a beer?”

  “No, thank you.”

  He drew her in and kissed her neck. “Good. I hate wasting time.” He threw her against the bed.

  She straightened. “Your foreplay needs work.”

  He snorted and went into the bathroom. He returned with a towel and draped it over a camera.

  Odd. “Not into home porno tapes, I see.”

  “I don’t like being watched, but trust me they’ll hear your moans of pleasure.” He opened a drawer and took out a small pad of paper and pen. “Take your clothes off and get under the sheets.” He sat on the desk and wrote something while she removed her shoes and coveralls. Maybe he was into writing porn as a form of foreplay.

  Jack put his pen down and scowled. “In bed. Now!”

  Neutering him and then being disemboweled as punishment wasn’t an option. What if I knock him out and then convince him we had great sex? Or better yet, convince him he could end up on the menu if he doesn’t join my side.

  Jack approached, still dressed. “Go wolf on me bitch, and I’ll sound the alarm.”

  “Me? You’re the one going bitch.”

  He glared at her, but then grinned. This is not going to go well. For him.

  Chapter 15

  Slade sat on the bed of his locked suite and pressed his hands against his head. Watching Cricket leave with Jack tormented every fiber of his being. He should have killed Jack at the biker bar. His nostrils flared and with each loud breath, he imagined tearing him apart limb from limb. Yet, killing him wasn’t possible. Slade heeded Henrik’s warning. Try anything, and we’ll dissect her in the lab while you watch behind the bars of a werewolf proof cage.

  He had to trust Cricket wouldn’t let Jack rape her. Knowing her, she’d use her charm to manipulate him. Or not. Jack had to be psychotic. Why else would he betray his kind to serve lycans? Then again, plenty of human serial killers murdered for no reason other than a sick thrill.

  Slade glanced at the cage provided for him next to his bed. Henrik had ordered him to enter it if he chose to go wolf. No choice. He’d go mad and possibly go into phase trauma if he didn’t shift. Phase trauma would cause him to remain in a killer hybrid human lycanthrope form. He’d then progress again into clinical morphopsychosis. Again. Maybe that was their plan. At least then, they might be able to control him with force or drugs.

  Slade snapped off his coveralls, stepped into the cage, and slammed the door. It locked on impact. He shifted into wolf form. His beast understood one thing, protect Abella. He rammed against the cage. The bars took the impact without a dent.

  A camera outside the cage aimed on him. Wolfstrom laughed. “We used the strongest alloy. Even stronger than the rods your enforcers use to cage their prisoners.”

  Slade lunged for the camera, only the bars stopped him from reaching and crushing it with his extended claws. He growled at the oath breaker. Cold hate emanated from every cell of his body.

  “Magnificent. Prince Slade, you are a fine specimen. Pity, you’re the last of your pack.”

  Slade shifted back to human form. “What the fuck do you want with me?”

  “You and Agrippa will make strong alpha pups.”

  “She’s not my type.”

  “Better than the runt you bonded with.”

  His fangs extended, and his clawed hands clenched and unclenched. “Don’t call her that.”

  “I’ll allow you time with your little wolf if you agree to our new drug trials.”

  “Let her go, and I’ll do as you say.”

  “Must I spell it out? You have no choice! Cooperate, and she’ll live.”

  “How will I know if you give me a werewolf lobotomy?”

  “Modified werewolf lobotomy. You will know you are human and wolf. Superior. The true master race. Once you join our fold, you and the little wolf will attend our rally.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Slade snarled.

  “Lucky for her, Jack wants her. A worthy reward for the human instrumental in your capture.”

  “No experiments.”

  “Agreed. Unless, you betray me.” He chuckled. “Why experiment on her anyway? All I need is a sample of her DNA.” He tilted his head and gazed with focus. “I must find out how she survived the change.” He turned his attention back to Slade. “Although would a vivisection be more revealing?”

  Slade’s chest tightened. He’d jump in fire if need be to stop the mad scientist from cutting her open. Better to concede until they found an escape and possibly rescue the unchanged ones. He hoped the drug wouldn’t work on him. “Very well. I’ll go with you.”

  “Wonderful. She’ll be brought to you in the morning. You can breakfast together.”

  He gritted his teeth and lowered his head. “Thank you, sir.” Would that be the last time he’d remember her? No. Life without her didn’t seem possible. Yet, if they ever returned home, she’d be nothing more than a team mate. No future for them.

  Wolfstrom paused. “Oh dear, where are my manners? Locked in your cage, you might get bored.” A monitor screen flicked on. “Here’s tonight’s entertainment.”

  Jack leaned against the door. A sick grin on his face as Cricket opened her small suitcase and took out a nightshirt. “I said, strip!”

  Slade’s lips curled, and his fangs extended. “Turn it off!” He shifted to wolf form and roared. He bit into the bar and shook the cage with his maw. The screen went blank or rather white.

  Jack must have draped a towel over the camera.

  I still know what you are doing, asshole. Trapped. He threw back his head and howled in blood rage.

  Cricket sloughed her clothes and waited on the bed. Never going to moan in pleasure for you, asshole.

  A howl pierced the air. “Slade.”

  “He saw us.” No wonder Jack covered the camera. She wrapped the bed sheet about her.

  “He can still hear us.” Jack sneered. “Wolfstrom will break him one way or another.”

  “I don’t want to rain on your parade, but Slade is coming for you.” That is if anything is left after I’m done with you.

  “He’s locked i
n.” Jack killed the lights, then naked crawled over her and pressed his hand over her mouth. Instead of mounting her, he shoved the paper in front of her eyes and waited. His arousal evident, but no forceful penetration.

  Huh? What did he expect her to read? Some grocery list of what he planned on doing to her?

  Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and widened as she read his scribble: Must stop their doomsday bioweapon.

  Cricket stared at him and he nodded, then he slowly peeled off his fingers as if he worried she'd say the wrong thing or scream.

  He continued the act, dry humping her. “I don’t rape, but I will pleasure you.”

  “Never,” she shouted while he presented the next paper. She tried to grunt as she read: Little time. Will you help?

  “I’m not going to enter a dog. Instead, I’ll come all over you, after I give you head.” He chuckled.

  She arched. “Yes, oh yes.”

  He faked a grunt of satisfaction, and then swallowed the scraps of paper.

  Good thing he covered the camera. Would they get suspicious since he didn’t have his way with her? Not to mention the fact, she’d have to clean up the mess after she bit off his dick.

  Jack got up, handed her a paper and flicked on the lights.

  She quickly wrote. CIA?

  He grabbed the pen. Doesn’t matter.

  She wrote back. It does. Tell me or I refuse to help. Not that she would refuse to work with him. Intel, no matter how insignificant, was vital.

  He slapped her. “You want more bitch?”

  Ow. That smarted. She growled with her fangs out, and lunged at him throwing him on the ground.

  Jack held his arms up and mouthed. “Wait.” He wrote fast and handed it to her. We must stop them.

  Holding her burning cheek, she wrote: Are you with The Keep? The shadowy global government far more mysterious than all legitimate intelligence agencies, including the Lycan Intelligence Agency. And the one secret society that knew their kind existed. Had in fact, tried to exterminate their kind. So elusive even Rylee had no finger on them.

  “Irrelevant.” Jack smirked and swallowed the paper.

  His pulse elevated. So he was with The Keep! Wow, talk about the best intel. A man who worked for The Keep, and a werewolf pack bent on the human apocalypse. If she escaped to tell the tale, she would be nominated for the team member of the year award.

  Jack scribbled another note. It took me a year to infiltrate this pack.

  She grabbed the paper and wrote back. How did you find out about their bioweapon?

  He took a long breath and wrote back. They stole weaponized Marburg from us, did some changes and made it airborne. They call it Variant Midgard. One hundred percent mortality rate against humans.

  The hemorrhagic filovirus similar to Ebola, but deadlier. You guys created it? “Oh, shit.” Cricket raked her hair back. “Why?” She covered her mouth.

  He smirked and wrote. Population control.

  Okay, so he’s as fucked up as Wolfstrom. At least helping him destroy the bioweapon would give her time to uncover more about The Keep, before they too unleashed the virus. Had they infiltrated any other legitimate packs? Perhaps as lovers of unsuspecting weres? Another reason to escape and warn the LIA.

  Jack grabbed the remaining papers, went into the bathroom, and flushed them down the toilet. He walked in. “Sleep. Tomorrow you’ll take a tour of the Ragnarok Research Facility.”

  The lab he intended to annihilate. What about the other humans who worked for Wolfstrom? What were their stories? Were they kept in the dark about the doomsday weapon and cannibalism? Did they accept being kept underground until the pandemic swept the earth? Future human slaves to serve werewolf kind. She wrote. How do we destroy the virus?

  He looked up at the camera and then wrote the answer. Ultraviolet light exposure followed by a thermobaric bomb.

  She quickly wrote. Not easy to get.

  He responded. We’ll improvise.

  Slade’s howl echoed again. If he lost control, he’d kill Jack, their only ally. Or had her cries of ecstasy made him hate her? The thought of her as seductress for information had bothered the hell out of him. She’d have lots of explaining to do and fast.

  Jack, if that was his real name, helped himself to some beer and paced. Gutsy. Losing a pinky and being marked had won their trust. Not easy since human lies and intentions were obvious to lycans. How did he evade their sharp wolf senses? That could be part of The Keep’s training methods. Ancient techniques once used by werewolf hunters.

  Slade, back in human form, paced his cage. His heart pounded, battling between desire and fierce jealousy. Cricket sounded like she enjoyed sex with Jack. No. He’d be a fool to believe it wasn’t acting on her part. Damn it, she didn’t have to act that convincing. Lucky for Jack he didn’t force himself on her, which earned him the right to live. For now. But if he was so attracted to her, why wait? Jack kidnapped and murdered, not likely he drew the line at rape. Did Cricket have enough lycan mind control after all to prevent him from assaulting her?

  The door opened, and two betas brought breakfast. Cricket followed them in. “Hey, sir,” She smiled.

  The guard unlocked Slade’s door and stepped away. “We’ll come for you in an hour.”

  The thought of tackling the guard and escaping with Cricket crossed his mind, but not if she came to harm. Instead, Slade wrapped a towel around his waist and nodded. “Very well.”

  At last, they left. He narrowed his eyes at her.

  Cricket bit her lower lip. “You know?”

  “Damn it, yes, courtesy of our host.” Slade motioned toward the very visible camera. He drew her in and brushed a loose curl from her brow. He’d heard Jack slap her, which maddened him with rage. “How bad did he hurt you?”

  She placed her hand over his and briefly closed her eyes. “I’m fine.”

  “Good.” Having her so close soothed his soul. If only he could keep her here with him, forever. Not possible. Soon, they’d be separated. Harsh reality dictated if they finally escaped, he couldn’t take her as a mate. Fuck that. He’d rather never take a mate rather than live without ever touching her silky-soft skin and being lost in the gaze of her amber eyes. “Any ideas?”

  “About after breakfast? Maybe a potty break,” she snarked.

  “Very funny.”

  “Let’s shower.”

  “Huh, you look…”

  “Now.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He followed her into the spacious bathroom.

  Cricket turned on the shower, but remained outside the stall. “Drowns out our conversation.” She winked. “Nice and hot.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to eat first?” He presented his hot distended flesh anxious for her gifted mouth. What was wrong with him? Sex should be the last thing on his mind. Only escape mattered, yet she took precedence.

  Cricket fingered his shaft and smiled. “I do like extra sausage, but first we need to make changes to their menu.”

  “You didn’t…”

  “Ooh! Eat the new chicken? No way. I’d die first.”

  His mood for sex dampened. “Team Greywolf needs to wipe out this den of werewolf cannibals.”

  “Got that right.”

  He drew her in and kissed her long and hard. Sucking in her honeyed essence. He broke away from her lips. “Mine.”

  “Oh yes. As much as I want you, we need to talk. Now.”

  “About sex with Jack, I forgive you.” He trailed his fangs along her soft nape.

  “Prince Slade, we don’t have much time. I need your soldier instincts now,” she said in a commanding voice.

  Why was he thinking with his cock? They were in the shower to escape the cameras. He sighed. “What did you find out?”

  “Jack is a double agent. Wolfstrom means to unleash a bioweapon to destroy all humans.”

  “I suspected that’s what Project Ragnarok is all about, but I’m surprised Jack is a spy.”

  “Yeah, talk about a shocker.�
�

  “For who?

  “Not confirmed, yet, but I believe he’s with The Keep.”

  He’d never believed in the existence of the heinous secret society. “You buy that conspiracy?”

  “Not a conspiracy theory. We have never been this close, but yeah, they exist.”

  Cricket quickly filled him in on the weaponized Marburg virus and how to destroy it. Slade furrowed his brow. “Okay, let me get this straight. We escape, destroy the virus, and rescue the missing werewolves and unchanged ones?”

  She snorted. “Our to-do list is getting longer.”

  “We need explosives.”

  She smiled. “You’re in charge of that department.”

  “From what my nose caught, they are well stocked.”

  “I figured that much. Especially with their growing cannibalistic werewolf army bent on world domination.”

  Slade sneered. “An army of oath breakers.”

  “You need to get a hold of a master keycard. Wolfstrom and Henrik will each have one. Or better yet, a mobile phone.”

  He snarked. “That’ll be easy. Anything else?”

  “We need our coordinates and then somehow send them to Rylee.”

  “Before we stop the apocalypse and probably get killed doing so.” He lifted her chin. Jealousy overruled his good senses. “Was what I heard with you and Jack real?”

  “Fake, but convincing, I hope.”

  “Very.”

  He pressed her against the shower wall, her arms above her. “Stay alive or I swear, I’ll enter the beyond and nip your nose.”

  “I promise.”

  He plunged into her mouth and kissed her long and hard. Abella. To keep her safe, he’d do whatever it took. Even work with Jack.

  Cricket and Slade followed Henrik and Jack into the Ragnarok Research Facility. Unlike Wolf’s Lair Castle, this area offered an escape route. From here, they could drive away. But how far away from the nearest airport or even town were they? Which direction?

  And how do you escape an army of weres? Guards stationed everywhere meant a battle to escape. One powerful alpha’s brute strength wasn’t enough.