Captivation: Shifters Forever Worlds (Shifters Forever After Book 4) by Elle Thorne
Authors: Elle Thorne
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her mother. Carina hoped one day she’d see her as her mother, too.
Bree leaned toward Carina, her arms outstretched.
Streams of tears flowing, Carina took the sweet-smelling little black panther shifter into an embrace and buried her face in ebony black hair.
Chapter 18
B ain approached Griz and the others. “Thank you.” He surveyed the scene. Shifters from the compound were either dead or running into the woods. Now he was happy that Carina and Ciara had followed. He’d have hated for Carina to have to deal with the escapees’ wrath.
“It’s what we do,” one of Griz’s nephews said.
“What about the children inside?” He hadn’t told Carina about the cages no larger than six by six foot. He hadn’t told her Bree had been in one, nor had he told her there were many more children in there. She needed one thing right now: her daughter.
Griz frowned. “There’s someone who can help. Mac can. That’s her thing now. I’ll have Lance reach out to her.” He pointed. “There’s Lance now.”
Lance was exiting the building, a concerned look on his face, though it was clear he was trying not to let it show. “We have another situation.”
“What’s that?” Bain had seen enough of situations.
“There’s a woman being held prisoner in there, as in a human.”
“Who is it?” Griz said.
“Beats the hell out of me. Said her name was Dakotah, then clammed up.”
“Let’s go talk to her. Maybe she knows something about this operation.”
“She looked pretty beat up. I don’t think they treated her too nicely. I cut her ties loose.”
“Let’s check this out.” Griz started toward the entrance.
Bain gave Carina a backward glance. She was nuzzling and talking to Bree, her face was lit up and she was completely immersed in her daughter. He followed Lance and Griz inside.
Down the hall and two doors to the left, they entered a room that had a cage two foot larger than the other cages. Bain sneered, as if that made it better.
The room was empty.
“Where is she?” Griz asked Lance.
“No clue.”
“Let’s find her, make sure she doesn’t need medical atten—”
A scream cut through the air with a razor-edged intensity, jarring Bain and his bear.
“That’s Carina.” He spun and sprinted toward the exit.
Chapter 19
C arina couldn't just sit back and watch. She was holding Bree's hand. They were in Mikhail's jet. Bain was next to her, and Doc was treating Bree. They'd come out of the building running when she screamed. Bree had collapsed. She'd gone unconscious, pale as a ghost.
Carina knew they couldn't call just any doctor. What if she shifted while she was unconscious?
Thank goodness Doc was there. They were headed to his clinic in Bear Canyon Valley. Carina couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face. She had finally found her daughter and now this.
Doc put the stethoscope down and turned to Carina. Bain took her hand, squeezing it.
“Seems it’s probably malnourishment and dehydration. I'll run some tests when we get to the clinic, but I'm pretty sure that's what's going on. That and stress. It probably has been an ordeal for her.”
“Who are those people?”
Doc shrugged, shook his head. “Not sure. We’ll talk to Mikhail and Mae when we get back.” Then he noticed Carina’s frown. “After we take care of this little one.” He placed his hand on Bree’s forehead, smoothed dark curly hair away from her face. “The things shifters do to their own kind. Shameful.”
* * *
B ain , Carina, and the still unconscious Bree, were at Doc's clinic not far from Mae's house, in one of the private rooms. Bain's sensitive shifter hearing picked up the sound of a phone vibrating.
Doc reached into his pocket, pulled it out, and swiped across the screen. He turned away from Bain and Carina and stepped back from the bed so as not to disturb Bree. “We're here.” He listened quietly, not saying anything for a few seconds, then said, “Mac will check into it.”
Bree leaned toward Carina, her arms outstretched.
Streams of tears flowing, Carina took the sweet-smelling little black panther shifter into an embrace and buried her face in ebony black hair.
Chapter 18
B ain approached Griz and the others. “Thank you.” He surveyed the scene. Shifters from the compound were either dead or running into the woods. Now he was happy that Carina and Ciara had followed. He’d have hated for Carina to have to deal with the escapees’ wrath.
“It’s what we do,” one of Griz’s nephews said.
“What about the children inside?” He hadn’t told Carina about the cages no larger than six by six foot. He hadn’t told her Bree had been in one, nor had he told her there were many more children in there. She needed one thing right now: her daughter.
Griz frowned. “There’s someone who can help. Mac can. That’s her thing now. I’ll have Lance reach out to her.” He pointed. “There’s Lance now.”
Lance was exiting the building, a concerned look on his face, though it was clear he was trying not to let it show. “We have another situation.”
“What’s that?” Bain had seen enough of situations.
“There’s a woman being held prisoner in there, as in a human.”
“Who is it?” Griz said.
“Beats the hell out of me. Said her name was Dakotah, then clammed up.”
“Let’s go talk to her. Maybe she knows something about this operation.”
“She looked pretty beat up. I don’t think they treated her too nicely. I cut her ties loose.”
“Let’s check this out.” Griz started toward the entrance.
Bain gave Carina a backward glance. She was nuzzling and talking to Bree, her face was lit up and she was completely immersed in her daughter. He followed Lance and Griz inside.
Down the hall and two doors to the left, they entered a room that had a cage two foot larger than the other cages. Bain sneered, as if that made it better.
The room was empty.
“Where is she?” Griz asked Lance.
“No clue.”
“Let’s find her, make sure she doesn’t need medical atten—”
A scream cut through the air with a razor-edged intensity, jarring Bain and his bear.
“That’s Carina.” He spun and sprinted toward the exit.
Chapter 19
C arina couldn't just sit back and watch. She was holding Bree's hand. They were in Mikhail's jet. Bain was next to her, and Doc was treating Bree. They'd come out of the building running when she screamed. Bree had collapsed. She'd gone unconscious, pale as a ghost.
Carina knew they couldn't call just any doctor. What if she shifted while she was unconscious?
Thank goodness Doc was there. They were headed to his clinic in Bear Canyon Valley. Carina couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face. She had finally found her daughter and now this.
Doc put the stethoscope down and turned to Carina. Bain took her hand, squeezing it.
“Seems it’s probably malnourishment and dehydration. I'll run some tests when we get to the clinic, but I'm pretty sure that's what's going on. That and stress. It probably has been an ordeal for her.”
“Who are those people?”
Doc shrugged, shook his head. “Not sure. We’ll talk to Mikhail and Mae when we get back.” Then he noticed Carina’s frown. “After we take care of this little one.” He placed his hand on Bree’s forehead, smoothed dark curly hair away from her face. “The things shifters do to their own kind. Shameful.”
* * *
B ain , Carina, and the still unconscious Bree, were at Doc's clinic not far from Mae's house, in one of the private rooms. Bain's sensitive shifter hearing picked up the sound of a phone vibrating.
Doc reached into his pocket, pulled it out, and swiped across the screen. He turned away from Bain and Carina and stepped back from the bed so as not to disturb Bree. “We're here.” He listened quietly, not saying anything for a few seconds, then said, “Mac will check into it.”
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