“I picked a few clear memories and was able to ID three of the vampires Tommy’s seen,” she said while taking a seat and ignoring the furtive glances from some of the others present. “The techs have searches underway.”
“Good work.” Cal knew those searches could result in more nothing. “Guessing he’s never seen the master?”
“No. Our guest wasn’t one of Riscarato’s close confidantes, but he was present for enough. He was also in the cellar where Thane and Morgan were held, before being turned over.” Laney made a face. “That man he mentioned, Fig?”
Cal nodded and she continued. “He was the one sent to retrieve the money Morgan stole. Riscarato let him have his pound of flesh, but it didn’t end well for him. He beat her bloody and then had the usual bright idea of raping her. Thane reacted and they had some fun tormenting him with their plans for her.”
The sick feeling that settled in Cal’s stomach was mirrored on the faces of the others. Rape was an act he’d never allowed his wolves to commit, having lost family members to its aftereffects. Unless some form of insanity were involved, the sentence was death. “What happened?”
Laney smiled. “While the three were distracted with Thane, Morgan got herself together enough to kick Fig over to him. Thane broke the guy’s neck. Took all the fun out of the situation for Tommy and the other one. Our two were then left alone until the vampires arrived to collect them.”
“Which occurred at 9 PM, local time.” Cal frowned. Almost thirty-six hours had passed since the pickup, according to the rest of the information Tommy had given them the night before. Plenty of time for Morgan and Thane to have been taken almost anywhere, including out of the country. “Do we have someone...”
“Our people with Homeland Security are on alert. International flights are being watched. So far, nothing,” Lucas said. “We’re watching the harbors too.”
“I gave our people the plate number and a description of the SUV, and they’re going through traffic cam footage.” Laney smiled. “Tommy seems to have developed a sudden terror of vagina dentata.”
Cal laughed. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”
The impromptu breakfast meeting broke up shortly after. He debated following Lucas to see what progress had been made from Laney’s newly gathered information and decided against it. I’ve spent enough time looming and snarling.
Instead, he poured a second cup of coffee and moved to sit beside Laney as she finished her breakfast. “Thank you for last night.”
“You’re welcome.”
Cal hesitated, finding himself in the strange position of not knowing what to say to a woman he’d been fucking as though his life depended on it only hours before. She tilted her head. “Was there something else?”
“Yeah. I’m a little bothered by a statement you made.”
“Which one?”
“That I didn’t need you until last night.”
Her lips quirked. “I know you need me. I’m useful, good at what I do. But you’ve never needed me for sex, not when you can have just about any woman you look at for longer than two minutes.”
“Is that why you turned me down before?”
Laney sat back. “What is it with men brooding over being turned down?”
“I’m curious, not broody.”
“I turned you down because the attraction between us is only biological. You’re the Wolf Fount, I’m a wolf. That’s not enough reason to be sexually involved with a man who can’t commit.” She shrugged, reaching for her coffee cup.
Cal regarded her for a moment. “There’s been several times since you Awakened that I’ve wished you were my Chimaera. You’d be perfect.”
That startled her enough for her eyes to widen, letting him know she’d never caught that particular thought from him. Laney recovered quickly, a faint smile appearing. “Thanks for the compliment, but frankly, I’m glad I’m not. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. I’m happy to be a little cog in the works.”
He nodded. “I want you to know that you’ve never been just another face in the crowd to me. And that I have no intention of taking advantage of last night’s offer again.”
Laney tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Hm, that last part I could take as an insult.”
Definitely not how Cal meant his comment. “It’s not an insult. Last night was absolutely fantastic. Under different circumstances, I’d love nothing more than to spend a few months in bed with you. The circumstances do bother me. You were right about my state of mind and I’ll always appreciate the fact you stepped up to help me regain control of myself.” He paused. “But I broke my own rule by agreeing. I don’t want what I am to be the reason any woman decides it’s her duty to spend time in my bed.”
Laney sipped her coffee, watching him over the rim of the cup. She put it down, leaning forward. “What and who you are can’t be neatly divided into separate things. But if it helps: king or not, and gratefulness aside, if I didn’t like you as a person I wouldn’t have offered.”
He smiled. “It does. Thanks.”
She smiled back. “Doesn’t mean I no longer think you’re an idiot about Morgan.”
“I can live with that, especially if you’re willing to help me fix it. The others are busy doing their jobs and don’t need me hanging over their shoulders.” Cal tapped the tabletop. “I’ve got time to work on that problem right now.”
Laney flipped her braid over her shoulder. “I gave you my take on the situation. You decided at some point that your Chimaera wasn’t going to appear as punishment for your past mistake. Yet you’ve kept searching for her.”
“Mistakes. There were three innocent women killed because of my actions.”
“How do you know they were innocent? Just because they weren’t on the front lines, doesn’t mean they had nothing to do with the other Founts deciding world domination was a great idea.”
She had a point, one Cal couldn’t exactly argue. “Fine. I didn’t intend to end their lives and there’s never been any evidence to suggest they were involved in those plans.”
“What’s our motto? Oh, I remember: Shit happens. Funny it’s a motto you decided on, but yet you can’t let go of something that happened thousands of years ago. Something you had no idea would happen, when you decided to save the world.” Laney raised her eyebrows. “Self-flagellation on a constant basis doesn’t become a king. Just sayin’.”
“Noted. What’s your take on my path forward, in regard to Morgan?”
“I haven’t met her yet.”
Cal grinned. “I doubt that’ll stop you from having some ideas.”
Laney chuckled. “Okay. Honestly, from what I heard, she’s going to be hard to gain forgiveness from. Considering she was able to turn around, accept, and apparently get attached to Thane so quickly, I’m going to guess there’s not some primal urge between Fount and Chimaera that results in a monogamous relationship. How big of a problem would that be for you?”
“I don’t know. I’m only now seriously considering the idea she’s my Chimaera.”
“You do know how you feel about Thane.” Her stare was level. “And you have to know how he feels about you. You’re his savior, the closest thing to family he has. But if he’s grown to actually love her...”
“I wouldn’t ask him to walk away.” He couldn’t even consider doing so. Thane deserved whatever happiness he found. “But I’ll have to have some sort of relationship with her.”
“A partnership.” Laney nodded. “That’s where Thane will come in handy, assuming she is seriously attached to him. He won’t leave you.”
“You’re certain of that? Love can make people do things they never thought they would.”
“I’m certain. He loved you first. He’s so devoted to you that he fought with himself before accepting my offer, because he knew you were attracted to me.”
Cal’s eyebrows nearly shot off his face. “You slept with him?”
“A few times, when he really needed the companion
ship.”
Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Do you sleep with anyone simply because you want to?”
“Of course I do. But I suppose that’s one thing Morgan and I have in common: we know what a useful tool sex is. She used it to earn a living. I use it to gather intel.”
That, he didn’t like to hear. “You don’t have to.”
Laney snorted. “I know that, boss. It’s an effective, quick method. I’m a big fan of effective and quick.”
“Your practicality knows no bounds.” And I don’t know whether to admire her or feel awful about putting her into situations that require it.
“Not when it comes to the greater good,” she agreed. “It’s a lesson to apply to the Morgan situation.”
“If she’s my Chimaera.”
“Right.”
Chapter Twenty-four
The new IV bag had run dry, and Morgan held still while Thane removed the catheter. The hole sealed immediately and she ran her fingertip over her lips. All the scabbing had fallen off. Nothing hurt or itched. An amazing bonus to this bullshit mess, healing like this.
They’d been served a second meal since the vampires had visited, and the empty trays from it had been collected. Basically, all they had to do was sit and stare at the door, waiting to see what would happen next. The waiting was driving her nuts, allowing her mind to conjure all sorts of tortures they’d be subjected to.
“I’m healed. Let’s try and get the hell out of here.” Thane shook his head. Morgan scowled. “If I’ve learned anything my entire life, it’s that hanging around waiting for someone to do something bad to you is for dipshits.”
He sighed, rubbed his forehead and sat on the edge of the bed. “We’re outnumbered and out armed. I can tear that door loose, but we’d end up full of bullet holes and right back in a cell.”
“We can’t just sit here.” She touched his shoulder. “And shut up.”
He rolled his eyes. “This is part of the softening process. Keep us waiting, hope we’ll panic enough to do something.”
“I’m there.”
“‘There’ is a bad place to be. We have to stay calm. The longer we’re made to wait, the more time Cal and the others have to locate us.”
If he kept talking, he’d end up too sick to do anything. She closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay, fine. Now shut up.”
Thane chuckled, and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. Morgan opened her eyes and managed a smile. Why does he trust Cal so much? The guy’s a womanizing asshole.
“But I can’t keep sitting here, doing nothing but thinking. So move it, let me pace or something.”
He stood and moved out of her way with a nod. Leaving the bed, she hesitated before walking the perimeter of the room, counting her steps. Thane watched for a few seconds before dropping to the floor to do pushups.
Guess I’m not the only nervous one. Morgan smiled to herself, crossed her arms, and turned to continue back around the room at the opposite side of the bed. Plenty of reasons to be nervous about their situation existed. She hadn’t forgotten that the were-liger was supposed to have been turned over to whomever had kept him a prisoner in the past. Was that who currently had them? Probably.
She shuddered, glancing at Thane. Does he remember that part? If he doesn’t, should I remind him?
Before she could decide, they heard footsteps outside. Morgan retreated to sit on the end of the bed as Thane rose to his feet and moved to stand next to where she sat. The viewing square was opened and a newly familiar voice spoke. “Remain as you are.”
The door was opened, one of the armed vampires sliding inside to train his weapon on them. The second armed vampire followed, and finally, the long-haired speaker appeared in the doorway. “Our master requires your presence.”
“Great, because I have some complaints to make about our room.” Morgan stood, but her attempt to step forward was checked by Thane catching hold of her arm. She shot him a look but the were-liger was focused on the two armed vampires. “What?”
“You will wait until told to approach,” the long-haired vampire said. She decided to call him “Mouth” since he was the only one who’d spoken to them. He stepped back, allowing one of the guards to back out of the doorway while keeping his weapon aimed at her head. “You will obey my instructions explicitly, or you will be shot. Now you may exit the room.”
Morgan snorted and rolled her eyes before tugging free of Thane’s grasp. She crossed her arms, looked at the guard still in the room, shrugged, and walked out. The guard in the hallway backed up another step, his gun staying pointed at her head. “Surely you guys aren’t scared of me.”
Mouth pointed to the left. “Five steps in that direction.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Thane, who frowned, and then obeyed. A moment later, the were-liger was beside her, and they’d been commanded to face forward and walk. Mouth gave them instructions for the few turns necessary before they reached a stairwell leading up.
Another hallway lay at the top of the stairs. The lack of windows made it impossible to tell whether they were aboveground or not, and the doors they passed were closed. Morgan uncrossed her arms and inched closer to Thane. Their arms bumped and she slid her hand around his. I’m not alone.
Having always faced trouble alone before, she felt a flash of warmth when Thane closed his hand, holding hers. Sure, having spent most of his possibly extremely long life as a prisoner didn’t exactly bode well that the were-liger could plan an escape, but she remembered his fury when Bully Boy was beating her. Thane had killed the bastard the instant she’d given him an opportunity to. We’re a team.
That thought steadied Morgan, even though she knew there was a possibility they’d be separated at some point.
“Turn right,” Mouth said as they reached the end of the hallway. “Walk to the third entrance on the left and halt facing it.”
It was an arch, the room beyond it concealed by heavy draperies. Once they were in place, Mouth proceeded to tell them, “You will enter, then halt halfway between the entrance and our master’s throne. You will not speak unless spoken to.”
“What if I do?” Morgan ignored Thane’s squeeze of her hand.
“Then you, or both of you, will be punished.”
“Punished how?”
“However the master decrees. He’s currently fond of skinning.”
She shuddered, sorry to have asked. Mouth edged closer, to murmur into her ear. “I didn’t have to warn you. Remember that.”
Oh, I will. Morgan nodded. The vampire wanted her in his debt, and she had no doubt he’d call in that little favor at some point. Good news, since it appeared to point to not immediately being killed. Of course, the bad news was that not being immediately killed probably meant they were in line for being tortured. Losing situation, even if they could heal.
Thane’s approach was best: stay calm. The problem was, she didn’t know how long she’d be able to pretend to be calm if blood started flowing.
Morgan’s fingers were cold, and a fine tremor shook them. Thane gently squeezed her hand again, willing her to stay calm. The guards wouldn’t hesitate to cut them down if she panicked and went for the vampire who’d whispered in her ear.
What would happen after that was anyone’s guess, but his was that they’d be separated and confined, possibly chained. The were-liger didn’t want to be alone, imagining what was being done to her. Not that being present was much better, but at least then, he’d know and neither of them would be alone.
He’d spent far too long alone, and he knew Cal had promised her that she’d never be on her own again. As part of Cal’s pack, it was Thane’s duty to keep that promise—even if Morgan hadn’t become his lover. But she had. Now all she had to do to help was stay calm.
She responded with a return squeeze, and from the corner of his eye, he watched an expressionless mask smooth over her face. There you go, sweetheart. You can handle this. We both can.
The draperies were drawn aside, and from
behind, a muzzle was shoved into his back. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and tugged her into motion. It didn’t escape his notice that she hadn’t gotten jabbed. As they entered the room, it became clear that they were being held underground.
The space was circular, and the stone walls had yet to receive the plaster treatment those of the hallway had. No work was being done at the moment, and Thane focused on the figures opposite.
The master vampire was dark-haired and slender. Most vampires weren’t physically impressive, using their slighter builds to lull their victims into a sense of false security. His thin face was on the border of appearing inhuman, due to the sharpness of his bone structure, and his eyes were so light, they appeared white at the current distance.
Thane led Morgan to the designated spot and halted, studying the master while trying to find anything remotely familiar about the vampire. Was this the being who’d held him captive all that time?
It was possible, based on the master’s facial structure and eye color, that he was one of the original vampires. He could be as old, or even a bit older, than Cal. Vampires didn’t evolve to blend in quite as well as Weres did. It didn’t help that their inability to be in the sun resulted in even the darkest-skinned vampires eventually turning inhumanly pale, as though their thirst for blood leached away even that sign of humanity.
A handful of other vampires were clustered to the right side of the master’s throne, which was an ornately carved chair with a high back. Three were female, the other two male, all of them dressed in styles from the distant past. Clothing choice meant little when it came to determining a vampire’s age. One of the females still had a tan, at odds with her early 18th century-style blue gown.
She stood closest to the master, her head tilted slightly away from him and her lips compressed. Not happy to be here, Thane decided.
“I am Nero Vitus, and you should be grateful that I chose to take you both from my human associates.” The master vampire smiled. “Their plans for the lady weren’t to my taste.”
The Wolf Fount Page 18