Still no response. It was as though he couldn’t hear me.
He unplugged Glenn from the machine and walked to the door to push a red button I hadn’t noticed before. Once it was pushed, he made his way back to Glenn’s side. I watched as he doused a cotton ball from a side table with rubbing alcohol and swiped it over the area of Glenn’s arm where the machine tubes had been hooked. He pulled a Band-Aid from a tin can on the table and secured it in place on Glenn’s arm. His motions were robotic. Precise, but robotic. The guy wasn’t here. He was lost somewhere inside his head.
How long had he been like this? Was he allowed to go home, or was he trapped underground like the rest of us?
When he was finished tending to Glenn, he stepped into the other room and resumed whatever he’d been doing before. The door to my portion of the room opened, and Neo stepped inside. He lifted Glenn out of his chair and headed toward the door without a glance in my direction.
“Is he alive?” I asked. Neo ignored me. I jerked myself back and forth in the chair, testing the restraints holding me in place. They were stronger than they should be, considering they looked as though they were only made of fabric. “Answer me!”
“He’s fine,” Neo said as he left the room with Glenn tossed over his shoulder as though he weighed nothing.
Tears welled in my eyes. He was okay. He was still alive.
Was I okay? A lump formed in my throat. How long had Glenn been hooked up to this machine? How much time did I have before I passed out like him and became useless to the effort of helping rescue my pack and take out Regina?
I shifted my focus to myself. Was the slight sense of dizziness I was already feeling from blood loss? My fingertips were cold. Did that mean anything?
I had to get out of here. I couldn’t let them take any more blood from me.
My gaze drifted around the room, carefully taking in everything with an observant eye. There wasn’t much in here besides the three chairs. There were a few shelves with equipment and a couple of extra machines like the one attached to me now. A small table where the doctor had gotten his Band-Aid and cotton ball from.
Nothing more.
I listened to the room beside this one. Keyboard keys clacking and the low hum of a machine. My gaze fixed on the doctor. He was alone, but he didn’t notice me.
I tried my restraints again. Minutes ticked away before they loosened. It still wasn’t enough for me to slip free. I’d have to work on them for hours, and I wasn’t sure I had that much time. With each passing second, I could feel myself becoming weaker.
I’d already lost more blood than my strength could spare.
I continued working on the restraints. Panic settled in when I felt the iciness present in my fingertips slip through my chest. My wolf brushed against me, letting me know I wasn’t alone. She was here, and she was ready to kick ass whenever I was.
How could I have forgotten about her? She was the best weapon available to me.
What would happen if I set her free, allowing her to take over? Would I be able to shift while strapped to a chair? Would the magic involved in my change allow me to slip through my bindings?
My teeth sank into my bottom lip. I didn’t have another option. I had to try.
I slipped my ring off and maneuvered my wrist so the bracelet inched off my hand when brushed against the restraint. My thumb hooked underneath, allowing me to wiggle the bracelet off. It fell to the floor with a clank. I inhaled a long breath to steady myself and focus.
The door to the room burst open before I could.
“You were so compliant earlier,” Neo said with a shit-eating grin. “I forgot to give you this sedative.” He held up a syringe filled with an amber liquid. I had no idea what it would do to me, but I knew I couldn’t let him give it to me. “What? You didn’t think we took precautions against your kind? Oh, little wolf, you can be so naïve.”
My heart thundered inside my chest. If I was ever going to change, it had to be now.
I called to my wolf, begging her to take over as swiftly as she could. Alarm nipped at my insides before I felt the warmth of the magic sweep through me. It didn’t last long. The change was as swift and easy as the previous time. My wolf had been waiting. She knew our lives depended on her. She knew this moment was the only chance we had of survival.
Before Neo knew what was happening I’d already shifted. My beautiful wolf revealed herself, and in the process managed to make it through the restraints that had been confining me to the chair.
Neo paused. His expression grew slack. Obviously, he hadn’t been expecting me to shift.
“Well, well.” He grinned. “Look at you. Such a clever little wolf. You figured out a way to get free. Seriously, though. Do you really think you can go up against me?”
My gaze drifted past him, to the door he’d left open behind him.
No. I wasn’t about to go up against him, but I was going to slip past him. My idea must have been visible in my eyes because he seemed to realize what I had planned. Only it was a second too late. When he leaned to the right to cut me off in my mad dash for the door, he slipped and fell, landing with a thud. It registered out of the corner of my eye that he’d landed on the syringe he’d been about to use on me.
Luck was defiantly on my side.
The sedative took effect immediately. Whatever it was, it was strong. Neo groaned behind me while I struggled to open the door wide enough with my snout so I could slip through. It wasn’t as easy as I’d thought it would be. My heart raced as I worried Neo would somehow metabolize the sedative freakishly fast and tackle me from behind.
When he didn’t, I peeked into the hall. It was empty of vampires, as I thought it would be, but there were humans. Lots of humans. Now that I knew they were compelled, I wasn’t worried about them trying to stop me. I stepped back into the room and glanced at Neo. He was out cold. Using my time wisely, I pushed my wolf aside and shifted back into my human form. She didn’t put up a fight because she understood the only way we were going to be able to rescue our pack members and get out of here was if we worked together. Also having hands to open their doors with would make things a hell of a lot easier.
Once the change was complete, I reached for a discarded lab coat someone had left near the door and slipped it on. My fingers shook as I buttoned it, covering my naked body. Between the blood loss and the swift change, I was feeling weak, but I knew I had to keep moving. I couldn’t think about me right now. I had to think about the others. About my mom. I stepped around Neo and grabbed my ring and bracelet.
After slipping them on, I stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind me. With my head down, I started back the way I’d come. This time I glanced in the windows of every door that I came to. The first two rooms were empty, but the third housed Glenn. He was sprawled across the concrete floor, sleeping. A thick silver chain had been fastened to his neck. It must be there way to ensure he healed properly so he could go back into the rotation sooner rather than later.
I made a mental note of what room he was in and continued forward, vowing to come back for him once I’d found the others. Getting him out now wouldn’t do me any good. I needed to know what shape the others were in first.
The next room housed Frank, the father of Felicia’s twins. His back was pressed against the far wall and his eyes were fixed on the window of his door. They grew wide when he spotted me. While we hadn’t known each other well before he was taken, it was clear he remembered me from the pack.
He stepped to his feet as I reached for the handle of his door. There was no lock or any type of scanner to open it that I could see. There wasn’t even a keyhole. I twisted the knob and, to my surprise, the door opened.
“Do they seriously not lock the doors?” I asked Frank once the door was wide open.
He placed his index finger to his lips. “Shh, keep your voice down. You’ll catch her attention. She’s always listening. Well, at least when she hasn’t gotten a fix in her system.”
&nbs
p; “Oh, she got her fix from me a little while ago,” I said.
“In that case, we should be good. We’ll probably have about an hour, depending on how long ago it was she took it.”
I tried to calculate how much time had passed since then, but I couldn’t be sure. “Thirty minutes, give or take.”
Frank smiled. He looked sick, like he was still recovering from the flu. I knew it was because he was still recovering from the last time his blood had been taken. “Then we’re good, darlin’. Let’s get the others and get the hell out of here.”
“The doors, are they all like that? Why are they so easy to open? They aren’t even locked.”
“They’re programed so only someone from the outside can open them. Trust me, I’ve tried,” he said as he peeked through the door, looking both ways before he entered the hall. “How did you manage to get free?”
“They forgot to give me a sedative, and I was able to shift in order to free myself from the restraints on the chair.”
“You got lucky, kid. I’ve been here a long damn time, and they’ve never forgotten my shot,” Frank said as he cut a right out of the room. “You’re Mina, right? I think I remember you. Your dad was the drunk who hurt his back and couldn’t shift, right?”
My lips pursed together. “Yeah. That’s me.”
“Thanks for letting me out.”
“You’re welcome.”
Frank paused at the next door and peeked inside the window. “Looks like Sabin’s healed.”
My mom entered my mind. “What about the woman? Do you know how she is?”
Frank glanced at me. He swept his fingers through his red hair. “How did you know about her?”
“Glenn. He told me. They just took him from one of the chairs before I escaped.”
A human in a lab coat walked past us. I pressed myself against the wall as though it would keep him from seeing me.
“You don’t have to worry about them,” Frank said as he reached for the doorknob to Sabin’s door. “He probably doesn’t even see you. They’re only focused on one task.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Whatever the queen bitch assigned them. They’re fucking mindless,” Frank said as he opened Sabin’s door. I tried to think of who Sabin was. I remembered him but not well. My guess was he’d been someone we’d all thought of as a drifter. “Get up, old man. We’re busting out of this joint.”
“You’re serious?” Sabin asked.
He had salt and pepper hair, kind eyes, and a white beard that reminded me of Santa Clause.
“As a heart attack,” Frank insisted. He pointed over his shoulder to me. “We had a kickass little princess come save us.”
“I’m no princess,” I snapped, but I didn’t debunk the theory that I was saving them.
“Might as well be, I can smell a link to the alpha on you from a mile away.” Frank grinned. His blue eyes looking iridescent. “Possibly one to the alpha’s son?”
The thought of Eli had my heart pounding and my palms growing sweaty. God, I hoped he was all right. I’d hit him hard. Hopefully not too hard. I wanted to believe he and Dorian were on their way to help us. To help me.
I needed to believe that as much as I needed to believe Tate had been smart enough to follow us so he could tell them where to go.
“Let’s blow this popsicle stand,” Sabin said as he exited his room in a hurry. “Have you checked on the others? Do you know what state they’re in?”
“Glenn is in a piss poor state. He was just removed from a rotation. Angela’s probably healed some, but it can’t be much because I know she was only removed yesterday. She should be able to walk, but she’s going to need help, and I’m sure we’ll have to carry Glenn,” Frank informed Sabin.
It was strange to hear someone besides my dad say my mom’s name. For years, all I’d heard was her name slurred in agony.
“What about Max? Do you know his status?” Sabin asked as we started down the hall, making our way to the next door.
Frank shook his head. “I haven’t seen him in weeks. They must’ve placed us on different rotations.” Worry hung heavily in his words. Did he think Max might be dead?
“He’s still alive. I know that much,” Sabin said as we stopped in front of the next door. “I think I’ve been his replacement in rotation for the last couple weeks.”
“Then he should be good,” Frank insisted.
“What about Old Man Winters?” I asked when neither of them seemed as though they would. My throat grew tight because neither of them asking could only mean one thing.
“He didn’t make it,” Frank said. His voice was low but certain, as though he might have been present for the old man’s final breaths. “What they did to us was too much for him. He was too old.”
“Oh,” I said as sadness trickled through me. Regardless of whether I knew him well, Old Man Winters was a member of our pack, which made him family; it hurt to know he was gone.
Sabin glanced in the window of the room we stood in front of. A wicked grin stretched across his face as he flipped whoever was inside off. Definitely not something Santa Clause would do. The sight had me cracking a smile even though thoughts of poor Old Man Winters still shifted through my head. “Oh yeah. Max is fine,” Sabin said.
He opened the door, and Max rushed out. “What the hell? How did y’all get out? Never mind, don’t answer that. Let’s just get out of here. You can explain it to me later.”
“Sounds good to me,” Frank insisted.
“We have to get my mom and Glenn first,” I insisted. They couldn’t possibly be thinking of leaving them behind.
“Of course,” Sabin insisted. “Heading that way now. Let’s get Angela first because she’ll probably need the least help getting out, then we can grab Glenn.”
“What’s wrong with Glenn?” Max asked.
“He just came off rotation,” I said.
Max glared at me. “And who are you?”
“She’s our little savior,” Frank insisted. He draped an arm over my shoulder while we started toward my mother’s door.
The guys continued to talk, but I tuned them out as we stepped to Mom’s door. I glanced in her window and forgot how to breathe. All I could do was stare at her, taking in the cuts and bruises that marked the skin of her wrists and arms.
What had they done to her?
Sabin was the one who realized I was having a hard time digesting how she looked. “I know she looks bad, but you have to realize she is a damn fighter. No matter how much of that drug they gave her, she fought like hell to get back to you and your sister every time they pulled her out of this room.”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.
“You’re a fighter too. Even if we didn’t have this moment as proof, I’d be able to take one look at you and know it was true,” Sabin insisted. “You get it from her.”
Warmth slipped through me. I liked knowing I’d inherited such a trait from her. It made me feel good about myself.
My gaze trailed over her again, this time taking in more than her arms and wrists. Her hair was longer than I remembered and completely wild. She was thinner as well, but I guessed that was par for the course. She still looked healthy though, which was surprising considering what was going on here. I guessed it was to be expected though.
Healthy blood made potent drugs.
A silver chain was clasped around her neck. It was identical to the ones Frank and the others wore. She’d curled into a ball and was lying on her side, sleeping while she healed.
Sabin moved to open her door. “You want to go in and get her?”
“Yes,” I heard myself say.
He nodded and twisted the knob, opening the door for me. I pulled in a deep breath and stepped inside as the guys waited in the hall. My mom didn’t stir. She must’ve been locked in a deep sleep.
“Mom?” I whispered. “Mom, it’s me, Mina.”
One eye opened, but she didn’t move. Instead she stared at me.
“You’re not her. You’re a trick of my mind. Sweet Jesus, I finally snapped,” she muttered as she rubbed her eyes and forced herself into a sitting position. One hand came up to smooth along her forehead.
“No,” I said as I stepped closer. I bent at the knees and reached out to touch her. “You haven’t snapped. I’m really here.” My fingertips grazed her shoulder. The sensation caused her to jerk away.
Her wild eyes snapped to mine. “Mina? It’s really you?”
“Yeah, Mom.” I smiled. “It’s really me.”
“How?” She glanced to the open door. “What’s going on?”
“We’re busting out of here,” I said.
She reached out for me grabbing hold of my arm. “You’ve been here? How long have you been here?” There was panic in her words, the panic of a mother fearing her child had been hurt and suffering without her knowing.
“Not long. A couple of hours maybe.”
Relief trickled through her features. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to rescue you and the others,” I insisted with a shrug of my shoulders.
“Ladies, we can continue with this family reunion after we get the hell out of here,” Frank insisted, trying to get us to move along. “We still have to get Glenn.”
I helped my mom up. Doing so wasn’t difficult. She was lighter than my dad. Once we made it through the door, we followed down the hall behind the others, heading to Glenn’s room.
My gaze trailed around, searching for anyone who looked as though he or she was on the verge of stopping us. There was no one in sight.
How could Regina be stupid enough to think nothing like this could ever happen? It really couldn’t be this easy to escape, could it?
We reached Glenn’s door. Max opened it and stepped inside to retrieve him with Sabin following right on his heels. They were able to get Glenn up and carry him through the threshold with ease. Frank led us down the hall toward the exit I’d seen earlier. I remembered the vampire I’d seen guarding the door. The one in the suit. How are we going to get past him, and why on earth hadn’t he spotted us already and attempted to stop us?
“There’s a vampire down here at the exit,” I said in a whisper. “I saw him when I was being taken to the room. How are we going to get past him?”
Moon Burned (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 4) Page 11