me–”
Hanging up on his alpha and shutting off his phone, Tyler pointed to Tony. “Eric wants you to drive Spice to the hospital.”
“Hospital? I’m not that hurt.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Tell me about the warehouse.” Tyler touched her elbow and drew her aside. He needed her to tell him everything. If she clammed up and insisted on seeing Eric first, his rescue plan would fail. And if he told her about Sugar…she might not be able to speak at all.
“It’s mostly empty. There weren’t many guards because they drugged us with silver so we couldn’t–can’t shift. They chained us to the wall like fucking dogs.” She clenched her fists.
He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but he would be lying and she’d know it. No comfort there.
“I got the keys from a guard. When Katrina tried to unlock her collar the key br–broke. I didn’t want to leave her.” A tear spilled down her cheek. “The three of us should go now. We can take ’em.”
“No. Tony needs to take you to the hospital.”
Spice stepped into his personal space, jabbing her finger into his chest. A full foot shorter than him, she managed to loom. “Screw that. I promised her I’d be back. I’m not let–”
“Sugar’s hurt.”
She stepped away, her hands fluttering over her chest. “What?” She spoke in a small voice. “How bad?”
“She’s in the intensive care.” He gently pushed her to Tony’s waiting arms. “Go.”
“Is she dying?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“What?” Spice glanced at Tony, then back at him. She broke from the young shifter’s arms and grabbed Tyler by the collar, pulling him close enough to smell her breath. “Bring Katrina home.”
He kissed Spice on the forehead. “I’m not coming back without her.”
Chapter 7
Lying on the cold, hard floor, Katrina listened: distant rings of a buoy, irregular rhythm, dull and metallic…a vehicle outside creeping by the building, crunching gravel, heavy…cumbersome footsteps, slow, hard.
Moist scents of mold and dead fish filled Katrina’s nose. She kept her eyes shut tight. Hiding in the dark interior of her mind–forever, quiet, alone–eased her pain.
She could breathe, but the collar choked her freedom. Silver-tainted blood poisoned her beast and stole its presence. The empty room echoed her soul.
Running from Chen had broken an ancient treaty between her birth pack and his. Who knew what retribution Chen rained down on her parent’s people?
She’d accepted the help of the Omegas when she arrived in Chicago–in Chinatown. They’d been too small a pack to catch notice. After they grew, she should have left. Power drew Chen’s attention, and so did she. It was only a matter of time before he found her. But she’d been swept away by love.
Tyler wouldn’t ever take her back. She deserved no less for her betrayals. No hole existed that was deep enough for her to crawl into and disappear.
The door creaked open and someone entered. Quick steps approached her prone body. She didn’t have the will to even look. The sound of Spice’s empty collar clattered to the floor.
A heavy hand shook her. “Where did the bitch go?” The guard spoke in Mandarin.
Katrina fluttered her eyes open and gave him a secret smile. “She grew wings and flew away.”
He shoved her and ran from the room, fear clinging to his scent.
She laughed and savored the smell. Rising from the floor, Katrina stood in front of the door. Nothing she did would placate Chen, so she’d do her best to meet him as a Vasi werewolf.
Courage ran thin in her blood. Without her beast, without her mate, Katrina was a shadow. But people feared the dark. Somehow, she’d figure out how to instill that fear in Chen when he gazed upon her. One day…
Marching through the open door, Chen confronted her. Shades of anger darkened his complexion. “How did she escape?”
She seized her silence like a shield.
His guard showed Chen the collar.
Hanging up on his alpha and shutting off his phone, Tyler pointed to Tony. “Eric wants you to drive Spice to the hospital.”
“Hospital? I’m not that hurt.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Tell me about the warehouse.” Tyler touched her elbow and drew her aside. He needed her to tell him everything. If she clammed up and insisted on seeing Eric first, his rescue plan would fail. And if he told her about Sugar…she might not be able to speak at all.
“It’s mostly empty. There weren’t many guards because they drugged us with silver so we couldn’t–can’t shift. They chained us to the wall like fucking dogs.” She clenched her fists.
He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but he would be lying and she’d know it. No comfort there.
“I got the keys from a guard. When Katrina tried to unlock her collar the key br–broke. I didn’t want to leave her.” A tear spilled down her cheek. “The three of us should go now. We can take ’em.”
“No. Tony needs to take you to the hospital.”
Spice stepped into his personal space, jabbing her finger into his chest. A full foot shorter than him, she managed to loom. “Screw that. I promised her I’d be back. I’m not let–”
“Sugar’s hurt.”
She stepped away, her hands fluttering over her chest. “What?” She spoke in a small voice. “How bad?”
“She’s in the intensive care.” He gently pushed her to Tony’s waiting arms. “Go.”
“Is she dying?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“What?” Spice glanced at Tony, then back at him. She broke from the young shifter’s arms and grabbed Tyler by the collar, pulling him close enough to smell her breath. “Bring Katrina home.”
He kissed Spice on the forehead. “I’m not coming back without her.”
Chapter 7
Lying on the cold, hard floor, Katrina listened: distant rings of a buoy, irregular rhythm, dull and metallic…a vehicle outside creeping by the building, crunching gravel, heavy…cumbersome footsteps, slow, hard.
Moist scents of mold and dead fish filled Katrina’s nose. She kept her eyes shut tight. Hiding in the dark interior of her mind–forever, quiet, alone–eased her pain.
She could breathe, but the collar choked her freedom. Silver-tainted blood poisoned her beast and stole its presence. The empty room echoed her soul.
Running from Chen had broken an ancient treaty between her birth pack and his. Who knew what retribution Chen rained down on her parent’s people?
She’d accepted the help of the Omegas when she arrived in Chicago–in Chinatown. They’d been too small a pack to catch notice. After they grew, she should have left. Power drew Chen’s attention, and so did she. It was only a matter of time before he found her. But she’d been swept away by love.
Tyler wouldn’t ever take her back. She deserved no less for her betrayals. No hole existed that was deep enough for her to crawl into and disappear.
The door creaked open and someone entered. Quick steps approached her prone body. She didn’t have the will to even look. The sound of Spice’s empty collar clattered to the floor.
A heavy hand shook her. “Where did the bitch go?” The guard spoke in Mandarin.
Katrina fluttered her eyes open and gave him a secret smile. “She grew wings and flew away.”
He shoved her and ran from the room, fear clinging to his scent.
She laughed and savored the smell. Rising from the floor, Katrina stood in front of the door. Nothing she did would placate Chen, so she’d do her best to meet him as a Vasi werewolf.
Courage ran thin in her blood. Without her beast, without her mate, Katrina was a shadow. But people feared the dark. Somehow, she’d figure out how to instill that fear in Chen when he gazed upon her. One day…
Marching through the open door, Chen confronted her. Shades of anger darkened his complexion. “How did she escape?”
She seized her silence like a shield.
His guard showed Chen the collar.
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