Peter swallowed hard. “I’m afraid I can’t give you that information.”
“Is that so?” Dorian insisted from somewhere behind me. I didn’t glance at him to see the expression on his face. I didn’t have to, because I could tell from the way Peter’s face paled, Dorian looked intimidating as hell.
“If I tell you, she’ll kill me,” Peter insisted.
“And what do you think we will do to you if you don’t give us the information we’re asking for?” Eli asked.
I couldn’t deny the sense of excitement slithering through me from playing the role of a bad guy in order to scare the shit out of someone who was so deserving.
Peter didn’t say another word until Eli and Dorian took a step forward.
“Okay, okay!” he shouted as he held both hands up in front of him. “I’m probably going to die anyway. There’s not a chance in hell I’m going to be able to get them what they want.”
“Actually, in exchange for information, I’m willing to offer myself up as your female werewolf,” I somehow said without a hint of a waiver entering my voice.
Peter blinked. At first, I thought I saw a tentative smile build at the corner of his lips, but it dissolved as his eyes narrowed.
Did he not believe me?
“I don’t know much,” Peter insisted as he gripped his hurt hand to his chest.
“But you know something, which is more than we do. That’s enough,” I insisted.
Peter’s chin dipped into his chest as he exhaled a long breath. “Okay. Where do I even start?”
“Do you know who Regina is?” Eli asked. It was as good a place as any.
“She’s a vampire who lives in the city,” Peter said. “I’ve never met her. I’ve only met with her guys.”
“How did you first start working with her?” I asked, wondering how a seemingly weak guy like him managed to get caught up in a mess like this.
“Drew, my brother, came to me with an offer. He said there was a chance for us to make money while we rid our town of dangerous creatures such as yourselves,” Peter insisted without meeting any of our gazes. “It wasn’t the option of money that grabbed my attention, though; it was being able to study you. That’s what I cared about most.”
“Why?” I didn’t understand what was so fascinating about us.
“Your healing capabilities are impressive. So is your speed and the fact you can shift into an animal. I wanted to figure out how it all worked. The scientific side of everything called me.”
“Did you learn anything?” Dorian asked.
Peter shook his head. “No. It’s all still a mystery. I’m guessing it’s something in your blood, but it could take years of research before I even come close to figuring anything out.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing here? Studying? Testing for your own personal knowledge?” I asked, thinking there had to be more to it than that.
“Yes and no. I was studying your kind for my own knowledge, but my job in this whole scheme was to test you. Make sure those captured were strong and their blood was pure.” His gaze lifted to lock with mine.
“Strong enough for what?” I asked, feeling sick to my stomach.
The ghost of a smile touched Peter’s lips. The sight of it had me fearful of what his next words might be. “To have your blood harvested. We’ve learned over time the weak ones either don’t produce well, or they don’t survive the process.”
Dizziness slipped through me.
How many of our pack members had they abducted? How far back did this scheme of theirs go?
“What good is werewolf blood to a vampire? We aren’t on their menu,” Dorian said.
Peter chuckled. It was a wicked chuckle that had my skin crawling. “Or are you?”
“What are you talking about?” Eli asked. “Vampires feed off humans. Some feed off animals, but it’s rare. Humans are their weakness. Everyone knows it.”
“Correct, if we’re discussing a vampire’s diet, but we are not,” Peter insisted. The smirk on his face grew and it took everything in my power to not slap it off his face.
“What are we talking about then?” Dorian asked before I could.
“A vampire’s ability to get high and their current drug of choice in the city.”
The concrete floor beneath my feet felt as though it suddenly fell away. I had no idea what Peter was talking about, but I knew it wasn’t good.
“It seems as though this is all new knowledge to you,” Peter said. “Maybe I had more information to pass along than I thought.”
“If you’re done gloating,” Eli snarled. “Tell us more about this drug floating through the city and what it has to do with us.”
Peter straightened his back as the smirk fell away from his face. It was clear he didn’t want to piss us off any more than he already had, especially not Eli or Dorian. I still didn’t think he viewed me as a threat. “Right. Well, when your blood is mixed with common ginseng, it creates a drug that seems to be irresistible to vampires. In fact, it’s selling like hot cakes in the city. They call it Abstraction. It’s supposed to make them feel completely eutrophic, the way humans do when they’re on Ecstasy.”
Great. Our blood was being harvested from us so vampires could feel good.
“How long has this been going on?” Dorian asked.
“Years,” Peter answered without hesitation.
Years? How was it possible something like this had been happening right under our nose? How could we have been blind for so long?
“You’re wrong if you think you can stop it,” Peter said, breaking through my thoughts. “Even if you kill me—like you killed my brother—Regina won’t stop. She might not take more wolves from your pack, but it doesn’t mean she won’t find others.”
“Okay. This is what’s going to happen,” Eli insisted. “Dorian, you’re going to stay here and guard him. Mina and I are going to head home to my father and fill him in. I’ll ask Tate to come help you keep watch tonight. The two of you can switch off, and in the morning, I’ll send new replacements.”
Dorian stepped to the front of the stainless-steel counter I was leaning against. He hoisted himself up on it and gave Peter a look of death. “Sounds good to me. And don’t worry, this guy isn’t going anywhere.”
“Good. Break his bones if he tries to run but don’t kill him,” I said, hoping to get a good rise out of Peter before I left. It worked. His face paled, and I enjoyed that it was because of something I’d said.
“Understood,” Dorian insisted with a nod of his head as he folded his arms over his solid chest.
“Tate will be here within the hour,” Eli said as he placed a hand on my hip and steered me toward the open basement window.
“I’ll be here waiting for him,” Dorian insisted.
When Eli and I made it through the window, he bent at the waist to scoop up the files I’d left there. Neither one of us spoke until we were halfway down the driveway, each of us lost in the haze of our own thoughts.
“I can’t believe you’re really going through with this,” he said as he shook his head.
Of course, that would be the first thing he said. “What choice do we have?” I asked, glancing at him as we continued through the woods that lined Peter’s driveway.
“There has to be something else. I just need time to think about it. This can’t be the only option.”
I didn’t say so, but I knew it was. There was no way in hell I’d let anyone else take my place. This was my decision, and Eli was going to have to deal with it if he wanted to save our pack.
15
Once we made it back to Mirror Lake Trailer Park, Eli pulled into his driveway and cut the engine. The ride home had been a long and silent one.
“I guess I should go wake my dad and tell him what’s going on,” Eli said with a sigh. I imagined the conversation would be both good and bad, considering we’d found Glenn and then let him be taken by vampires.
I glanced in the side mirror of Eli’s truck, look
ing at Gran’s trailer. It didn’t look like there were any lights on. I was fine with that. I didn’t feel like being questioned by anyone about where I had been or why I looked so upset.
“It would be best if you didn’t come with me. He’s not going to be happy when he finds out I let Glenn slip away again,” Eli said. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “You’re more than welcome to go inside my place and wait on me if you don’t feel like heading home. As a matter of fact, I’d prefer it. I’m not ready for you to go home yet.” Raw emotion hung in his voice.
I glanced at him. Something about him seemed torn and beautiful. While I’d be lying if I said Eli hadn’t always been handsome, I couldn’t deny that this was the handsomest I have ever seen him. I knew it was because I could see how much he truly cared about me reflected in his green eyes right then.
I licked my lips. “I’m not ready to go home yet either.”
Eli pulled the keys out of the ignition. “I’ll be there in a little bit.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” I asked as I popped the passenger door open and climbed out.
“No, I’ll be all right. It won’t take me long. Take these inside,” Eli said as he gathered the files he’d tossed on the seat between us. “And find the moonshine. I could use a drink.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes as I took the files. “Fine, but it doesn’t mean I’m drinking with you.”
“Just one sip. We have to celebrate everything we learned tonight, don’t we?”
I wasn’t sure if what we’d learned was worthy of celebrating.
Eli headed for his parents’ place, and I started up the wooden steps to his front door. I let myself inside and flipped on a couple of lights before moving to the kitchen. I set the files on the counter and reached into the cabinet above the stove for a jar of moonshine, then grabbed two plastic cups. As I set them on the counter, my eyes drifted to the files. The urge to flip through them was overwhelming, but I ignored it, opting to wait until Eli came back. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see whatever was inside while alone. A large part of me was positive the contents held the power to destroy me.
I filled one of the plastic cups with water and downed half of it in a few gulps. My entire body trembled as the night caught up with me. I couldn’t believe Glenn had been at Peter’s the entire time. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t been able to rescue him. Instead we’d watched him be taken by vampires. Ones who were going to harvest his blood so they could mix it with ginseng and create a potent drug.
Glenn didn’t deserve that. No one did.
My eyes zeroed in on the spines of the files, counting how many there were. Six. That meant there were six members of the pack had gone missing right under our noses.
Sickness twisted through my stomach.
I finished the rest of my water and then unscrewed the cap to Eli’s moonshine. I poured myself a little. My hand shook as I brought it to my lips. Squeezing my eyes closed, I took a big gulp. It burned like a mother, but I found I didn’t mind. Not really. With my cup in hand, I walked to the couch and switched on the TV. I remember him saying he didn’t have cable or satellite, but he had Netflix. That was enough for me. I flipped through it until I found a cheesy comedy I hadn’t seen in forever.
Laughter always was the best medicine.
When I was halfway into the movie, Eli came through the front door. I tried to gauge his mood from the expression on his face to determine if the conversation between him and his dad had gone well, but he wasn’t giving me much to go off.
“Moonshine is on the counter,” I said and then held up my cup. “I’ve already had a little.”
“You haven’t looked at the files yet? I figured that would be the first thing you did,” he said as he started toward the kitchen counter where I’d left them.
“I didn’t want to look at them alone,” I admitted. “How did things go with your dad?”
“Good and bad. Exactly like I figured they would,” Eli said as he poured himself a cup. “I think he’s just a hard man to please when it comes to this situation.”
“Why do you say that?”
Eli swiped the files off the counter and walked to the couch. I straightened myself up and tucked my feet beneath me, giving him room. “He’s upset we let Glenn slip through our fingers again, but especially that we allowed him to be taken by vampires. He’s also pretty upset we decided to strike a deal with Peter. He doesn’t want you to give yourself over to him any more than I do, but he also doesn’t see a better solution. Looks like I’m in the minority when it comes to that. He believes, same as you do, we need someone on the inside. He also thinks you’re perfect for the job.” Eli lifted his cup as though he was toasting to me, but the frown on his face said otherwise.
I squashed the excitement I felt from hearing his father had so much confidence in me and focused on Eli. “And what do you think?”
“I think he’s right. I just wish I didn’t have to send you in alone. I can’t even think about it, Mina. It makes me sick to my stomach.” Worry creased the area between his brows as his green eyes darkened.
I understood how he felt. If the shoe was on the other foot, there would be no way I’d want Eli to go in without me. I placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. He reached for it and interlaced his fingers with mine. I closed my eyes as the feeling of his warmth seeped through me. His touch felt good. Calming, soothing. Exactly what I needed.
“I know there isn’t any other way,” Eli insisted. “Talking with my dad made me realize that. We just have to figure out what you need to do once you’re inside.”
“We should probably talk to Dorian about that,” I said. “He seems good at making plans.”
“It’s definitely his forte.”
I nodded toward the files in his lap. “While he’s preoccupied with something else, maybe we should take a look at the files and see what we can learn. There might be something in them that could help us decide on a plan of action.”
“You’re probably right,” Eli said. He split the stack in two. “You look through this half and I’ll look through the other.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Eli passed me three folders. They were thicker than I thought they should be. How many tests had Peter ran on each wolf?
Knots the size of my fist twisted my stomach. I pulled in a deep breath as I prepared myself to open the first file. I had no idea who was going to be inside or what I’d find when I read through its pages. As I flipped open the top file of my stack my heart stalled out. There was a picture of Old Man Winter. He was strapped to the chair I saw in the center of Peter’s basement. A breakdown had been typed beside his picture, stating he was subject number three. It listed his height, weight, and age. There was also a breakdown of his blood type and whether he had passed a multitude of stress tests.
I drifted back to his picture as shock continued to ripple through me. I couldn’t believe the old man hadn’t gone out to the woods to die or ran away like everyone thought. Instead he’d been abducted by the same people who’d taken Glenn and Violet.
How could we have been so blind?
I flipped through the other pages in the file, checking to see what other information Peter had gathered on Old Man Winter. There wasn’t much I could make out. The majority of it was scientific mumbo-jumbo and charts I couldn’t read.
“I can’t believe this,” I said, flipping the file around so Eli could see Winter’s picture. “Look who else Peter had in his basement.”
Eli glanced up from the folder he was staring at. Something beyond disbelief flickered through his eyes. It took me a second to name the emotion I was seeing.
Sorrow.
Icy tendrils of panic brushed across my skin. “What?”
“I can’t believe it either,” he said as he flipped his folder around to show me the file he was reading. My eyes focused on the picture without ever reading the name.
It was of my mother.
&nbs
p; My stomach clenched as I inhaled a small breath while staring at her picture. This meant she hadn’t left us; she’d been taken. My eyes shifted to the stats listed beside her picture and zeroed in on the first line.
Subject number one.
My heart thundered inside my chest as I struggled to breathe. This changed everything.
All the cruel words and nasty thoughts that had plagued my mind since the day she’d left pelted me. I thought of my dad and how broken he’d been for years thinking she’d walked away because of his disability, because of his drinking. I thought of Gracie and how she’d been practically raised by Gran and me, motherless, thinking her mom didn’t want her.
Then I thought of my mom being taken by vampires to have her blood harvested so they could get high.
Livid didn’t even touch how I felt.
In that moment I was glad I’d volunteered to be taken in by Regina’s goons, because now I had more motivation and desire to see her place burned to the damn ground.
Not only was I going to rescue Glenn, but I was going to rescue every other pack member held captive by Regina, including my mother. And if I were to find out my mom hadn’t lived through the harvesting, I was going to kill the bitch that had taken her from me.
And I was going to enjoy it.
16
I woke the next morning to the sound of my cell ringing. A dull ache pulsed through my head as bright light from the window streamed in and the ringing continued. I wasn’t sure how much I had to drink last night but knew at some point I’d walked home. I remembered Eli asking me to stay. I remembered telling him I just wanted to be alone. He’d understood, especially after what we’d found in the files.
Not only was there a file for my mother and Old Man Winter, but there were files for a few others from the pack too. One of them being Felicia’s babies’ daddy. The other three were guys who’d been with the pack a short while before they disappeared. We’d thought they weren’t the type to settle in Mirror Lake and be a part of a pack; we thought they were drifters.
Moon Severed (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 3) Page 13