Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Riot

I can’t believe how quickly things have descended into chaos, but it suits me perfectly. The sound of sirens blares all around me, but I don’t let it distract me from my mission.

I’m rushing back to the cells, desperate to free the others trapped in this place, when a flash of movement catches my eye. A massive dark wolf is cornered by a group of five guards, blood seeping from a nasty wound on its flank.

Fuck!

Without a second thought, I charge toward them, propelled by an instinctive urge to protect my own kind. The guards whirl around, their faces contorting in surprise and fear as they realize who they’re facing.

“Shit! It’s him! The Beast!” someone yells. I brace myself, advancing slowly as I size them up. They’re armed – and I know there’ll be silver in those weapons; it’s probably why the wolf is struggling – but I’m pretty sure I can take them.

One of them, foolishly brave or just plain stupid, rushes me first. I sidestep his clumsy lunge with ease, my body moving smoothly, just as it always does. My fist connects with his jaw, and I feel the satisfying crunch of bone as he crumples to the floor.

The remaining four seem to realize their mistake, hesitating for a split second before attacking me as a unit. I let out a low growl, feeding off the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. These men have no idea what they’re up against.

Sirens wail, and emergency lights flash, casting an eerie crimson glow over the hallway. I duck under the swing of a cattle prod, using the guard’s own momentum to send him crashing into the wall. Another tries to flank me, but I pivot and deliver a bone-crushing kick to his midsection, doubling him over.

A metallic grating sound alerts me to the fact that one of the others is cocking his weapon. Spinning deftly, I reach for the wheezing guard I’d just kicked, wrenching him in front of me just in time for him to take the two silver rounds that were meant for me. They hit him square in the chest, snuffing his life out a moment before I shove him away.

I close the distance between myself and the gunman before he gets a chance to fire off another round. The rifle clatters to the floor uselessly as I get my arm around his neck and twist sideways violently. The resulting crack tells me that he won’t be walking again. He’s still twitching on the floor as I turn my attention to the final guard, who’s backed up against a wall, his eyes wild with fear.

“P-please…please,” he stutters, raising his hands. I’m pretty sure the mercy he’s asking for wouldn’t have been offered to the wolf he was just about to kill. So I don’t give it to him. A sharp punch to the throat crushes his windpipe. I don’t watch him die as I turn my attention to the injured wolf, my chest barely heaving from the exertion of the rapid battle.

The creature is crouched in the corner, panting as it watches me. Our eyes meet, and I recognize the familiar glint of challenge there. When the wolf begins to shift, my suspicions are confirmed.

It’s Jagger, the Alpha from Steel Lakes.

“You fight like a motherfucker,” he grits out. He’s clamped a hand over a gaping hole above his hip.

“You okay?” I ask.

He gives a terse nod. “Winged me. But the fucking silver stings like a bitch.”

Footsteps ring out, and I swivel my head to see a craggy male emerge from around the corner. He’s followed by a pair of huge wolves – a tawny chestnut beast alongside a snow-white creature whose fur is splattered red, gore dripping from his open mouth.

“Jagger!” The shifter eyes me and then the bodies on the floor before moving quickly to his Alpha.

“I’m good, Callum. Had a bit of help.” Jagger’s lips twitch as he looks at me. “What are you doing here, anyhow?” he asks me. “You’re a long way off from the front entrance.”

“Heading back.” I jerk my head. “The cells are that way. Got more inside – shifters, other creatures. I need to let them out.”

Jagger nods, still clasping his side. “We’ll help.” He starts pushing himself to his feet and then sways precariously, his face pale from the blood loss and the effects of the silver. Callum shakes his head, eyeing the gaping wound.

“You’re in no shape to be coming with us,” he says gruffly. “You’ll just slow us down.”

Jagger opens his mouth to protest, but Callum cuts him off with a stern look. The Alpha lets out a resigned sigh and nods. “Fine. But I’m not sitting this one out completely.” He turns to me. “Callum and Gage will go with you.” As he says it, the white wolf steps forward, fur falling away as the man within shifts and emerges.

“Tarkin,” Jagger turns to the red beast. “You get the job of helping my sorry ass out of this hole.” He claps Callum on the shoulder. “Don’t let this one run off on his own,” he says, jerking his chin at me. “We need him in one piece, or Raura will rip me a new one.”

Callum gives a curt nod, and I bristle slightly at the implication that I need a babysitter. But I keep my mouth shut, knowing time is of the essence.

“Let’s move,” I growl, already turning on my heel and retracing my steps back toward the cell block.

Callum keeps pace beside me, his body tense and alert as we hurry through the empty corridors. Gage brings up the rear, keeping an eye out for more Enclave guards.

When we reach the cell block, I quickly locate the control panel and enter the override code I’ve managed to memorize while watching the daily comings and goings. The heavy metal doors groan open, and I’m immediately assaulted by a cacophony of sounds – snarls, whimpers, the rattle of chains.

“Shit…” Callum mutters, surveying the rows of cages lining the walls. Some hold human forms; others are occupied by all manner of beasts – everything from panthers to grizzly bears.

I don’t waste any time. Striding over to the nearest cell, I grab the lock and yank with all my strength until it shatters. The terrified face of a young woman stares back at me as the door swings open.

“Get out of here,” I bark at her. “Head for the exit!”

She scrambles out without a word, disappearing down the corridor. I move on to the next cell as Callum starts working on the others. Within minutes, a steady stream of figures is rushing past us – some human, some shifted into their animal forms.

Gage herds them along, barking out orders at any stragglers to keep them moving. I can hear shouts and the blaring of alarms echoing from somewhere deeper in the facility.

We’re running out of time.

Once the last cell is empty, I turn to Callum. “I’m gonna blow this place. Get everyone topside.”

“Blow this place?” He frowns. “How the fuck are you planning to do that?”

“It’s wired to self-destruct in case it’s compromised.” I glance around, feeling a dark, satisfied smile form. “Which I’m guessing it is right now. I just need to get to the security controls. The sequence has to be initiated there.”

He eyes me warily but doesn’t argue. “Just don’t get yourself killed,” he grunts before pivoting and hurrying after the others.

I watch as they leave, then head back down the hallway. It doesn’t take me long to reach the security room. I frown at the sight that greets me. The door is wide open, and there’s a trail of empty boxes and scattered paper on the floor. Somebody left the place in a mess, but I don’t have time to give it any thought right now.

Stepping through the clutter, I make my way over to the bank of monitors lining one wall. Some of the screens are dark, but many still flicker with images from the security cameras around the facility.

A heavy metal console sits in the corner of the room, covered in a dizzying array of switches, buttons, and blinking lights. I approach it cautiously, wracking my brain to recall the bits and pieces of information I’d overheard from the guards over the years about the facility’s failsafe protocols.

There was always talk of a self-destruct mechanism designed to eliminate any evidence should the Enclave ever be under attack. I’d half suspected it was just empty bravado on Parker’s part. But now, seeing that control panel in front of me, I know it’s very real.

My gaze flits over the various toggles until I land on a large red switch protected by a heavy plastic cover.

That has to be it.

Gripping the edges of the casing, I yank it free, exposing the switch beneath.

I pause for a split second, my finger hovering over the toggle as I take a deep breath. There’s no going back after this. Once I initiate the self-destruct sequence, this whole place is going up in flames.

I need to do this. If Parker and his men regroup, they’ll just come after us again. And next time, they might not fail.

Steeling myself, I flip the switch.

A deafening klaxon blares to life, and red warning lights begin flashing all around me. On the monitors, I can see people scrambling in panic as a computerized voice drones out.

“Warning. Self-destruct sequence initiated. This facility will be destroyed in five minutes.”

My heart is pounding in my chest as I turn away from the console. I need to get the hell out of here before-

Movement on one of the screens catches my eye, and I whirl back around. There, plain as day, is the smug, infuriating image of Franklin Parker himself. He’s hurrying down a corridor, clutching a briefcase to his chest.

Rage boils up inside me at the sight of him. That bastard thinks he can just slip away unscathed after everything he’s done?

I don’t fucking think so.

Spinning on my heel, I race out of the security room, following the path Parker was taking based on the camera feed. As I run, the warning klaxons continue to blare, and that robotic voice ticks off the dwindling countdown mercilessly.

“Four minutes and thirty seconds until detonation…”

I take the turns at breakneck speed. Parker’s got a head start on me, but I’m faster, and I’m fueled by a hatred that’s been simmering inside me for a decade.

I’ll find that smug son of a bitch. And when I do, I’m going to make him pay for all the pain he’s caused.

“Four minutes until detonation…”

I can see him up ahead, that sleek briefcase still clutched to his chest as he flees. Parker glances over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he catches sight of me barreling toward him. He tries to put on an extra burst of speed, dropping his briefcase. It goes skittering away, papers spilling out across the floor as he shoves open a pair of tall double doors and charges through them with me on his heels.

It’s only when he comes to a sudden halt that I realize where we’ve ended up. All around us stretches the cavernous expanse of the fight arena, the very place where I was forced to brutalize so many others for Parker’s entertainment over the years. The heavy chain-link fencing of the octagon cage looms above us, illuminated by the flashing emergency lights.

“Three minutes and thirty seconds until detonation…”

“Well, well…” Parker lets out a breathless chuckle as he stares at me, seemingly unperturbed despite his predicament. “Look who’s decided to make an appearance. You always did love making an entrance,” he sneers.

“Save it,” I snarl. “This is where it all ends for you.”

He takes a brash stance in the center of the ring as I circle him, hands flexing at my sides, a predator sizing up its prey.

He eyes me warily. “Is that so? I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed, Riot. I was expecting more of a challenge from my prized fighter.”

“I’m not here to challenge you, Parker. I’m here to end you.” I run an eye over him. It won’t be much of a fight. But it will be the most satisfying one I can remember.

“Three minutes until detonation…”

Parker’s gaze flicks toward the ceiling at the sound of the computerized voice. A flicker of uncertainty crosses his features for the first time.

“You don’t want to do this,” he says, turning back to me. “We can walk away from all this, you and I. Start over, just like that.” He snaps his fingers.

I can’t help but let out a harsh bark of laughter at his audacity. “You think I’d go anywhere with you after what you’ve done?”

“I can make it worth your while.” There’s a hint of desperation in his voice now as he tries to bargain. “Wealth, power…anything you want. Just get me out of here, and it’s yours.”

“Two minutes and thirty seconds until detonation…”

I stare into those cold, flat eyes. “I don’t want anything from you,” I growl. “The only thing I want is to see you suffer for all the lives you’ve ended, the souls you’ve destroyed.”

My fists clench at my sides as I continue circling, watching as Parker bristles with indignation. He was always so smug, so self-assured. But not anymore.

Now, he’s nothing but a rat in a cage.

Parker’s gaze darts around, clearly trying to locate an escape route. But there is none. He’s trapped, just as I was for so many years.

“Souls!” he spits, still looking around. “You’re talking about fucking animals, Riot. Animals don’t have souls.”

“The only one in here without a soul is you, Parker,” I growl. “You’re just a coward who got his kicks from watching others suffer.”

His eyes narrow at the insult, his lips curling back in a snarl of rage. Good. I want him angry. Furious. Unhinged.

Because this is where it’s going to end. Right here in the belly of the beast that he created. And I want him to go down fighting.

“Two minutes until detonation…”

Again, Parker’s eyes flicker up in the direction of the sound. I know what he’s thinking.

We need to get out of here.

Without warning, he launches himself at me, wild-eyed and screaming. I sidestep him easily as he barrels forward, slamming into the reinforced mesh on the other side with a clatter.

I watch with a twisted sense of satisfaction as Parker scrambles back to his feet, eyes wide with panic. His gaze darts around wildly. He’s trapped, and he knows it.

“What’s the matter, Parker?” I taunt, stalking toward him slowly. “You look a little rattled.”

He tries to gather himself, puffing out his chest in a feeble attempt at bravado. “This is nothing,” he sneers. “I’ve seen you fight a hundred times before. I know all your moves. You don’t scare me.”

“Maybe not.” I shrug, allowing a cruel smirk to pull at my lips. “But I bet the idea of being trapped in here with a ticking time bomb does.”

As if on cue, the computerized voice drones out again.

“One minute and thirty seconds until detonation…”

Parker flinches at the sound, his mask of confidence slipping.

This is it. There’s no getting out of this for him. Not this time.

“You’re bluffing,” he says, but his voice wavers with uncertainty. “You won’t let yourself die in here either.”

I let out a dark chuckle, shaking my head slowly. “That’s where you’re wrong, Parker. I’m not afraid to die. Not anymore.” I pause, letting that sink in as I stare him down. “But you…you’re terrified of it, aren’t you? The great Franklin Parker, brought low by the very thing he’s spent his life trying to control.”

His face twists into an ugly snarl. “You bastard…”

Parker launches himself at me again, fists swinging wildly. I deflect his blows easily, allowing a few glancing strikes to land just to drag this out a little longer. I want him to really feel the weight of his failure crashing down on him.

“Is that all you’ve got?” I growl, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and slamming him back against the cage hard enough to rattle the metal.

He wheezes out a pained breath, eyes bulging. In that moment, I can see the fight going out of him as the reality of his situation sinks in.

This is really happening. He’s not walking away from this one.

“One minute until detonation…”

I lean in close, our faces inches apart, as I stare into those ugly, fear-filled eyes.

“You’re going to die here, Parker,” I hiss, tightening my grip on his shirtfront. “Alone. Afraid. With no one to witness your final, pathetic moments except me.” I give him a brutal shake, smashing the back of his head against the mesh. “Just like all the others whose lives ended here over the years.”

He cringes, trying in vain to shrink away from me. Suddenly, he looks so small, so helpless. Just a broken husk of a man.

I want to savor this. To make it last.

But there’s no time. The clock is ticking, and I don’t intend to go out the same way he is.

Leaning in one final time, I stare into those hollow eyes and utter the words I’ve been waiting a lifetime to say to him. “I’ll make it fast,” I growl a second before I smash a clawed fist into his chest and rip his heart out.

“Thirty seconds until detonation…”

* * *

Raura

I’m standing with the others, my pulse pounding as I watch them emerge from the Enclave. Jagger, Gage, Callum, and the rest of the team are back, looking triumphant but weary. Casey hands over a stack of files to Jagger, her expression resolute. The importance of getting those files out of there had overshadowed all else for a while.

“Where’s Riot?” I ask, my voice trembling. The exhilaration of the successful attack is tempered by a growing sense of unease. My anxiety rises as I scan the faces of the returning wolves, searching for the one I need to see most.

Callum steps forward, his expression somber. “Riot stayed behind. He’s going to initiate the Enclave’s self-destruct sequence.”

Gasps and murmurs ripple through the group.

My eyes widen in disbelief. “He’s going to blow the whole place up?”

I feel a hand slip into mine and glance over to see Willow, Riot’s sister, standing beside me. We’d met briefly when I returned with the files, both of us united in our fear for Riot’s safety.

“That’s what he said.” Callum looks at me.

My breath catches as I stare up at the mountain. “But… But we have to go back and get him!”

“It’s too late to go back there, Raura.” Jagger’s hand is on my shoulder. “But he’s tough, he’ll be fine.”

“Fine?” I stare at that. “How can you—?”

Suddenly, the sound of sirens pierces the air. The ground beneath our feet begins to tremble, and a deafening explosion rips through the mountainside. I scream, lurching forward, desperate to run toward the flames. Strong arms wrap around me, holding me back.

“Raura, no!” Jagger shouts, his grip tightening. “It’s too dangerous!”

“Let me go!” I cry, struggling against him. “I have to find him! I have to—”

My words are cut off by a choked sob. Willow’s hand tightens around mine as we watch the fire plume into the sky, thick smoke billowing from the ruins of the Enclave.

I’m paralyzed, staring up at the exploding facility in abject horror. A wail of anguish rips from my throat as I watch flames erupt from the mountainside, consuming the Enclave in a blazing inferno. Thick plumes of smoke billow into the sky, obscuring everything in a choking haze.

“Riot…” His name catches in my throat, barely audible through my choked sobs.

Jagger’s arms are like vises around me, restraining me from rushing headlong into danger. I fight against him, thrashing wildly as tears stream down my face. Every instinct screams at me to run up there, to find him…to save him somehow.

“Let me go!” I plead, my voice raw. “I have to get to him! Riot!”

Willow clings to my hand, her face ashen. We’re both stricken, united in our anguish as the fire rages unchecked.

My chest heaves with ragged breaths as I helplessly watch the Enclave crumble under the force of the explosion Riot triggered.

Is he still inside? Did he make it out in time?

Panic claws at my heart, an icy fist squeezing the air from my lungs.

“Please,” I whisper. “Oh God, please…”

Riot, my mate, my everything… All of it over before it could even begin. The thought of losing him after all that we’ve endured is unfathomable.

I can’t accept it. I won’t.

With a guttural scream, I renew my struggles against Jagger’s iron grip. “Riot! Please!” My voice cracks, dissolving into wretched sobs.

He can’t be gone. He can’t!

“Wait!” someone shouts.

Willow is tugging my hand. “Raura! Raura, look!”

I blink rapidly, trying to clear the tears from my eyes as a shape begins to materialize through the billowing smoke and debris. At first, I think I’m hallucinating, my mind conjuring a desperate illusion to shield me from the crushing weight of loss.

But then the figure solidifies, the haze parting to reveal a lone silhouette striding out from the ruins. My heart thunders in my chest as realization washes over me in a dizzying wave.

It’s Riot.

Alive.

A strangled cry tears from my lips as I drink in the sight of him – his clothes torn and singed, his face streaked with grime and blood. But those piercing silver eyes are clear and focused, burning with an intensity that sears straight through me.

He’s here. He made it out.

I shake my head in disbelief, unable to process what I’m seeing. My knees threaten to buckle beneath the force of the emotions crashing over me.

Gratitude. Joy. Undeniable love.

Riot walks toward us, his gait steady despite the chaos swirling around him. I can see the grim determination etched into the hard lines of his face, the set of his jaw. Whatever he faced in that inferno, he overcame it.

I whimper as I strain against Jagger’s restraining arms. My mate is right there, so close yet still out of reach. I need to feel him, to touch him and know he’s real.

“Riot!” I scream his name, my voice cracking with desperation.

His eyes find mine through the smoke, locking onto me with an intensity that steals my breath. For a heartbeat, everything else falls away – the roaring flames, the choking fumes, the worried murmurs of my packmates. All that exists is him and the blazing connection that crackles between us.

Then Jagger’s grip slackens, freeing me, and I lurch forward. My feet pound against the asphalt as I race toward my mate.

I collide with him, flinging my arms around his solid form as I bury my face against his chest. His scent – smoke and sweat and that wild, untamed essence that is purely him – overwhelms me, and I tremble with the intensity of my relief.

“You’re alive,” I choke out.

“Of course I am.” His arms band around me, strong and solid. “Just look at everything I have to live for.”

I smile against his chest, the horror and fear gradually ebbing away. “Yes.” I look up at him. “You have everything to live for.”