Chapter 4: Whiskey

Chapter

Four

WHISKEY

T he monster's roar rattles my fucking teeth. Valek's unconscious body weighs heavy on my shoulder as I take in the sheer scale of what we're up against.

About ten solid feet of scarred muscle and raw power, crowned by an iron mask that looks like something a haunted knight might wear. White hair falls around broad shoulders in choppy strands, framing that featureless slab of metal with its glowing blue eye holes. Its right arm is all blackened iron and insane curved talons.

His, I guess.

Not really an it.

Despite this thing's monstrous appearance, it's clearly male. His massive torso ripples with corded muscle beneath skin that looks like a roadmap of torture. Surgical scars crisscross over his abs and pecs in precise patterns, while other marks are either self-inflicted or from fighting. A Y-shaped scar splits his chest from the collarbone to the waistband of his tattered gray pants, like some sick fuck performed an autopsy while he was still alive.

Wouldn't put it past these pieces of shit.

He's like Wraith cranked up to eleven. A nightmare version of my packmate with all the humanity stripped away and replaced with cold iron and endless rage.

The spears jutting from his back scrape against the walls as he takes another thundering step forward on iron and leather boots with straps that go up to his knees. His mechanical arm whirs and clicks, steel talons flexing. Each one's longer than my forearm and sharp enough to slice through bone like butter.

"Fuck me sideways," I mutter, adjusting Valek's dead weight on my shoulder. Hard to maintain a fighting stance with this asshole draped over me like a bloody cape. "Anyone got a plan that doesn't end with us getting turned into confetti?"

The monster's head snaps toward me at the sound of my voice. Those blue eye-slits flare brighter, and a bone-rattling growl builds in his chest. The sound vibrates through the flooded corridor, making the water at our feet ripple in concentric circles.

"Nope," Plague says flatly.

I've seen some scary shit in my time. But something about this thing sets every hair on my body standing on end. My instincts scream at me to run, to get the fuck away from this walking nightmare.

But we can't run.

Not with Ivy still out there somewhere.

Not with my pack in danger.

The monster takes another earth-shaking step. His talons drag across the wall, tearing through reinforced steel like tissue paper. Sparks shower down as he advances, reflecting off the pooled water in strobing patterns of orange and red.

My heart's racing, but fuck if I'm not grinning like a maniac. Been a while since we had a proper fight that wasn't against a bunch of untrained grunts, and this beast looks like he could give even Wraith a run for his money. Those glowing eyes lock onto us through the mask's slits, and I swear the temperature drops another ten degrees.

I shift Valek's dead weight on my shoulder, sizing up our odds. Between the three of us, we might have a chance.

But something tells me this fight's gonna hurt.

The Knight rolls his shoulders, those iron spears in his back catching the red emergency lights. The movement's almost casual, like he's limbering up for a workout instead of what's about to be a fucking slaughter. His mechanical hand clenches into a fist and the screech of metal on metal echoes through the room.

Gotta love a good boss fight.

"Well shit," I mutter, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. "Guess we're doing this. If there ain't any solid ideas yet, I guess I've got one."

I heft Valek's limp ass higher on my shoulder.

"Whiskey, no!" Plague hisses, but I'm already moving.

I chuck Sleeping Beauty straight at the monster like a goddamn javelin. The unconscious psycho sails through the air in a perfect arc. The monster swats him aside with a casual backhand that sends him crashing into a bank of chemical storage tanks.

"Well shit," I say with a shrug. "I tried."

The monster's glowing blue eyes lock onto me.

"Whiskey, you absolute fucking moron, I need Valek to have a halfway intact brain when I—" Plague starts, but the monster's already charging.

His footsteps shake the whole corridor as he thunders toward us. I dive left as Plague rolls right. Thane opens up with his rifle, but the bullets just spark off the monster's armored parts and barely seem to faze his scarred flesh.

I scramble to my feet and sprint toward the lab equipment. If bullets won't work, maybe some spicy-ass chemicals will. I start grabbing bottles, going for the shit I know is the most explosive and dumping them into a big glass beaker.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Plague yells at me as he ducks under a swipe from those giant talons.

"Science!" I bellow back, dumping some nasty-looking yellow powder into my cocktail. "What happens if I mix this hydro-whatever acid with this green stuff?"

"Very bad things!" Plague shouts, horror in his voice.

"PERFECT!"

I give the mixture a good swirl and hurl it at the monster's back. The beaker shatters over the iron spikes, spraying smoking liquid all over his scarred body. The monster roars as the chemicals sear his skin.

"Fuck yeah! Come to daddy!" I yell, smacking my chest. "Got more where that came from, Nightmare Wraith!"

"Don't ever call yourself a daddy again," Plague snaps as he rolls past me, narrowly avoiding getting crushed. Why is everything he does so unnecessarily fancy and coordinated?

"Aww, you love it," I shoot back. "I felt how hard you got when I was chokin' your ass."

Plague's lip curls like he's gonna kill me if the monster doesn't first.

The monster's mechanical arm crashes down, pulverizing the concrete where I was standing a second ago. I dive between his legs, coming up behind him. There's a huge tank of something that looks like glowing sewage mounted on the wall. The warning labels are in Vrissian, but skulls and crossbones are universal.

"Hey, fuckface!" I shout. "Catch!"

I shoulder-check the tank off the wall and heave it at the monster. His talons slice through the metal like butter. Green fog explodes outward as whatever was inside vaporizes. The monster staggers back with a snarl, raising his mechanical arm to shield himself in vain.

But he still recovers way too fucking fast.

The monster's talons rip through my stolen uniform and tactical vest like tissue paper. Pain explodes across my chest as he slams me into the wall, pinning me there with his mechanical arm.

" Fuck !" I roar, trying to break free. But this thing is stronger than anything I've ever fought and the talon digging into my shoulder feels like a goddamn sword. I may be a big guy, but he's holding me up like I weigh nothing.

Thane empties his rifle into the monster's muscular back, but the bullets just spark off those iron spikes and plates. The monster doesn't even flinch when a few strike flesh. His glowing blue eyes bore into mine through that featureless iron mask as he draws back his other arm for another strike, his hand curling into a fist.

Getting really fucking sick of mutants punching me in the face.

"Over here, 3686!" Plague shouts from somewhere.

The monster's head snaps around, but he keeps me pinned. Through the haze of pain and chemical smoke, I see Plague kneeling beside Valek's crumpled form. He jams a syringe into Valek's neck and pushes the plunger.

Valek jackknifes up from the floor, his silver eyes darting wildly. When his gaze lands on the monster, his face twists in recognition, then pure horror, like he's having some kind of insane flashback.

"Stay back!" Valek snarls, scrambling to his feet. "Don't touch her!"

Her ?

"Bro, what the fuck?—"

The monster lets out an earth-shattering roar, finally releasing me to turn toward the new threat. I slump to the floor, clutching my bleeding chest. Fuck, that's gonna leave a mark. Through gritted teeth, I watch as Valek lurches into a fighting stance, swaying drunkenly.

"Run!" he slurs, gesturing angrily at... me? He lurches forward, throwing himself at the monster. His fist connects with the iron mask in a glancing blow that probably hurts him more than it hurts the beast.

"Bad plan, bro," I yell at Plague, wincing as I haul myself up, using the wall for support.

Plague just glares at me. "Did you have a better one? Or did you just plan on letting that thing grind you into bone dust?"

I sneer at him. "Aw, Doc. I'm startin' to think you care."

That earns me the filthiest glare yet.

I kinda don't hate it.

Valek looks over at me with his usual freaky, lazy grin, his head lolling slightly like that zombie cat in that horror movie that kept me up for weeks. "Oh, you're not a little omega at all anymore," he slurs, his gaze sliding over me in a way that makes my skin crawl. "You're a big and beautiful omega now."

My jaw goes slack. All I can do is stare at him.

What the actual fuck.

Oh shit. He thinks I'm Ivy.

Fucker's still hallucinating. This is the worst thing to happen in the whole goddamn battle.

"You know, none of the other shit you say gets to me, but that did," I grunt, staggering a safe distance away. Let Valek be monster bait for all I care. Especially now. Fucking freak.

"Well, this is a strange twist, isn't it?" Plague asks dryly.

"I'd like to wipe that smirk off your lips," I growl at him.

"Cool it, both of you," Thane snaps, plucking a few bullets from a nearby puddle of smoking chemicals and loading them into his rifle. Huh. Better idea than my beaker. He readies the rifle and fires a few more rounds into the monster, narrowly missing Valek.

Not even sure he's trying to miss Valek.

Valek throws himself at the monster again, his movements fluid despite the drugs. Even drugged out of his mind, he's still lethal as hell. His fist connects with the iron mask in a series of rapid strikes, but the monster barely seems to notice.

"Get back, Knight," Valek slurs, stumbling as he dodges a swipe from those massive talons. "I will not let you hurt her!"

"It's got a fucking name ?" I yell back as Plague sticks something in my bleeding shoulder. I snarl through my teeth, shoving him off me. But at least the pain eases up a little.

"Stop being a barbarian for five minutes," Plague hisses at me. "I'm trying to help?—"

"Vytoskyk's pride and joy, my beautiful not-so-little omega," Valek interrupts, blood dripping from his split lip as he dances away from another strike. "Until?—"

Another bone-chilling roar cuts him off.

But not from the Knight.

This one's different. Familiar.

Wraith.

He bursts through what's left of the doorway, concrete and rebar exploding outward.

And Ivy is clinging to his back.

Her arms are wrapped around his neck, her gray hospital gown billowing behind her. Might as well be a ballgown. She's the most beautiful damn thing I've ever seen even though she's riding another man like a damn horse into battle and not me, her auburn hair spilling down over her shoulders and flowing behind her like a banner.

Tears prick my fucking eyes. All I want is to hold her in my arms and crush my lips to hers. I might be about to get pulverized by Super Wraith, but fuck if my heart isn't soaring through the clouds right now.

"Stop dreaming," Plague snaps at me. But I can tell from the way those cold blue eyes warmed up, he's feeling the same way. And so is Thane. Our usually stoic leader looks like he just got a shot in the ass of love potion.

This girl is our goddess.

Our queen.

I'm so enraptured by the sight of her, it takes me a moment to realize Wraith isn't wearing his mask. I do a double take at the rare sight.

Holy fuck.

In all the years I've known him, I've never seen Wraith's mangled face for more than a few seconds. None of us have. Not even Thane. He never takes off his damn mask. Good to know I wasn't completely hallucinating when I woke up after Valek poisoned me and got an eyeful of razor-sharp teeth roaring at me.

But Ivy's not scared of him at all. And she doesn't seem particularly afraid of the Knight, either. When her gaze lands on us, a relieved smile spreads across her tired, perfect features.

Then she gives us a little wave and my heart bottoms out.

Fuck, I love this girl.

The Knight's head snaps toward them. Those blue lights behind his mask flare brighter as he takes a thunderous step forward. Wraith's eyes narrow, a snarl ripping from his ruined throat. In one fluid motion, Wraith sets Ivy down behind him, shielding her with his massive frame.

For a split second, nobody moves.

Then all hell breaks loose.

Wraith and the Knight collide like two freight trains. The impact shakes the entire facility, sending cracks spider-webbing through the walls. Wraith isn't quite as massive, but close, and he's got that feral rage driving him. He slams the Knight backward into a support beam hard enough to bend the steel, and the monster flinches noticeably when the iron spikes sticking out of his back twist and bend.

The Knight retaliates with a snarl, his foot-long talons raking across Wraith's chest and catching what's left of the side of his face. Blood sprays, but Wraith doesn't even seem to notice. He grabs the Knight's mechanical arm and digs his fingers into it with a snarl of his own, the blackened iron bending and folding beneath his crushing grip like it's aluminum fucking foil.

Roaring in pain, the Knight yanks his sparking arm free, staggering backward like a wounded beast. A strange hollow growl that sounds almost like a moan echoes from his mask as he grips his mechanical arm with his other hand. The gesture is strangely human. So is the way he staggers back, his muscles tensing in obvious pain.

For a second, I feel a little bit guilty.

A little bit.

Wraith holds up his palms in a calming gesture, holding the Knight's gaze as the beast straightens to his full height. But I don't think this thing is half as sapient as my pack brother is. The hollow growl rattling in his scarred, partially armored chest is straight from hell itself.

Then the blue light in the eyeholes of his iron mask flicks to Ivy.

"Don't," Ivy murmurs, like he can fucking think. "Please."

And he does the last thing I expected.

He hesitates.

That moment of hesitation is all the opening Thane needs. He fires again, hitting the Knight's exposed back between the metal rods and armor.

Big fucking mistake.

The Knight whirls with a roar that shakes the whole goddamn building, charging past Wraith and straight for Thane. His smoking mechanical arm catches Thane in the chest, slamming him into the ground hard enough to crack the concrete. Before Thane can even try to get up, the Knight grabs him by his assault vest and lifts him like he weighs nothing.

Then slams him back down.

Again.

And again.

Each impact drives Thane deeper into the forming crater. Blood sprays from his mouth, staining his teeth red. His head bounces off the floor with a sickening crack that makes my stomach turn.

Fuck this.

My ribs scream in protest as I haul myself up onto one of the big chemical tanks. The Knight's still focused on turning Thane into paste, giving me the perfect shot. I launch myself off the tank with everything I've got left.

"Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!"

I crash into the monster's back, wrapping one arm around his neck in a chokehold. He ignores me, slamming Thane down again. This time, he stomps on his head with his iron boot and starts bearing down on him with a deep, rumbling growl.

Thing has a one track fucking mind.

My free hand grips one of the iron rods sticking out of his spine. "Wonder what this lever does?" I sneer in his ear before yanking it with all my strength. The metal tears free with a wet crunch. Black blood sprays everywhere, hot and sticky on my face as a hollow moan of utter anguish echoes from the monster's mask.

That's more like it.

"Stop!" Ivy's voice cuts through the chaos. "Don't hurt him! He's innocent!"

Thane barks out a choking laugh as the Knight continues to crush him into the ground. "Not… really... a concern... right now..."

I tighten my arm around the Knight's throat, trying to choke him out. But it's like trying to wrestle a fucking dragon. His mechanical arm whirs and clicks as he reaches back, trying to grab me. Those foot-long talons slash the air inches from my face.

"Get the fuck off my bro!" I roar, grabbing another rod and wrenching it free. More blood pours from the fresh wound as the Knight roars in what has to be pure agony, but he still isn't stopping.

It's like he can't stop.

His dark blood soaks through my clothes, making my grip slippery. He doesn't stop even when Wraith drives one of the rods I tore out straight into his side, digging into what has to be organs.

"Stop! Please!" Ivy screams again, her voice cracking.

Both Wraith and the iron monster freeze. The whole building shakes as another explosion rocks the foundations, but the Knight stays frozen, his glowing blue gaze flicking back to Ivy.

"You don't have to do this," Ivy says, softer now. "You're not what they made you."

For a second, I'm pretty damn sure the Knight's gonna prove her wrong, but then he staggers back from Thane.

Thane rolls to his side, spitting up blood.

I drop from the monster's back, my ribs screaming in protest. Black blood keeps dripping from the holes where I ripped out those metal rods as I grab Thane by the leg and drag his ass to a safer spot.

Fuck, I hope Ivy's the monster whisperer she seems to be now.

Wraith moves like liquid shadow, putting himself between us and the Knight. His ruined face is a mess of blood trickling down his exposed sharp teeth, but he just stands there, chest heaving, staring the bigger beast down.

The Knight's glowing eyes lock onto him.

Two monsters sizing each other up.

Then the Knight's head drops.

Another hollow growl echoes from his mask as he looks at Ivy one last time. Before any of us can move, he stomps off the way he came, the oversized chains dangling from his back dragging behind him and leaving sparks in his wake. The sound of his slow thundering footsteps fades into the bowels of the facility.

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

"Fuck yeah!" I whoop, spinning around to fist bump Wraith. "That's how we do it, baby!"

Wraith's head snaps toward me, blue eyes instantly feral. His fist connects with my face so fast I don't even see it coming. My head cracks against the wall and I slide down, tasting blood.

"Again!" I clutch my bleeding face, glaring up at Wraith. "Every fucking time with the nose. What the fuck did my nose ever do to you?"

He looms over me, his mangled face totally unreadable other than vague confusion in his eyes. Fuck, he's jarring. In a metal way. But still.

"It's called a fist bump, bro," I say, exasperated. "It's friendly. Little wildcat's gotta teach you some social cues."

He keeps staring down at me for an uncomfortably long time. Then his massive fist extends toward me, slowly and carefully, and his scarred knuckles bump against mine.

I blow a puff of air that stirs my hair, which is somehow plastered to my face. Gotta get a damn haircut before I end up with a mane like Thane. Plague can rock it, but we can't.

I wipe blood off my busted nose and haul myself up, keeping one eye on Wraith. But he's not paying attention to me anymore. His massive frame is already curled protectively around Ivy, who's pressing herself into his arms like she can't get close enough.

"You're okay," she breathes, touching his scarred face with zero hesitation. He buries his face in her shoulder, probably so she can't keep looking at him, and she nuzzles into his neck.

The sight makes my chest ache.

She used to flinch when any of us got near her.

Now look at her.

"Our turn. You've cuddled enough," I say, staggering over.

I need to touch her, to make sure she's real.

She lets me bury my face in her neck, drinking in that sweet honeysuckle scent. My hands shake as I pull her close, careful not to crush her smaller frame. To my shock, she melts into me, nuzzling under my jaw like a content little cat.

"You came for me," she murmurs.

"Always will, wildcat."

Plague and Thane crowd in too, all of us surrounding her, needing to reassure ourselves she's safe. For once, she doesn't bristle or try to escape the attention.

She just lets us scent her.

Touch her.

Hold her.

Something else is different about her, too. Can't put my finger on it at first as I drink in her scent, but then it hits me.

Her neck is bare.

The silver collar that marked her as property is gone. My hands shake as I trace the slightly paler strip of skin where it used to sit. She doesn't pull away, just tilts her head to give me better access.

Holy shit.

She's been free this whole time. Between Valek taking off with her and all this chaos, she's had a dozen chances to run.

But she's still here.

She chose us.

All that bullshit they fed us about omegas being mindless animals that need alpha dick to cure them... I already knew it was a fucking joke. If anything, it's the other way around.

Just look at Wraith. Ivy's pussy might as well be the Council College because bro's practically a scholar since he went there. Don't think I've ever seen him so calm and collected, especially right after a high-voltage battle.

I snort at the thought, earning a questioning look from Ivy. "Nothin', wildcat. Just thinking about how you've got Wraith tamed."

"Ah, yes. An omega's touch can tame any savage beast," Valek slurs from where he's propped against the wall, blood dripping steadily from his split lip. I kind of hate that we're on the same wavelength here. "How sweet. When is my turn?"

Wraith growls at him, low and dangerous, but Ivy rests her hand on his massive forearm and his frigid blue eyes soften instantly. Just melts at her fucking touch. Ivy gives him a sweet little smile before giving Valek a glare that would make any alpha shit bricks.

"Fuck you, asshole," she says flatly.

Valek's silver eyes glint with that manic light, but he looks a little less cracked out now. Better watch him if the meds and Plague's karate chop are wearing off. "Is that a promise?"

"If neutering you counts, sure," she shoots back.

Valek just grins. "Is that also a promise?"

I can't help but grin as Thane pulls Ivy closer, drinking in her sweet scent like a man dying of thirst. His big hands shake as they cup her face, thumbs brushing over her cheekbones with impossible gentleness.

"Ignore him," he mutters to Ivy. "He's not worth your time or energy."

"I beg to differ," Valek retorts.

Plague kicks him in the ribs. I ignore the sounds of them scuffling behind us. Guess Plague could use a distraction from having to show a goddamned emotion for a change.

Not like he's gonna be able to squeeze in now that Thane has his hands on her anyway. He's looking at Ivy she's the most precious thing in the universe.

And she fucking is.

After everything we've been through to get her back, after thinking we might never see her again...

My ribs hurt like fuck as I shift closer, but I don't care. Her scent's the purest damn drug. Feels like I'm actually getting high off it. Her small hand finds mine, fingers intertwining, and the simple contact sends electricity through my whole body. She squeezes gently, and I squeeze back, careful not to crush her.

"I missed you," she admits in a whisper, those sea-green eyes meeting mine. The raw honesty in her voice hits me like a punch to the gut.

"Missed you too, kiddo." My voice comes out rougher than I mean it to.

Fuck, I'm getting soft.

A louder explosion than usual rocks the facility, showering us with concrete dust. Guess the shit's hitting the fan upstairs again. "We gotta go," I say even though I really, really don't want to.

"Agreed," Plague adds, materializing next to us.

"Let's move," Thane says, taking Ivy's hand.

Even Valek starts standing up, clearly dizzy from the effort.

Cool.

For once, we're all on the same page.

Then Ivy pulls away from us. "Wait," she says. "We have to find the Knight first."

"What? No! Why?" Thane growls, snapping out of the trance Ivy's scent just had him under.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," I say, dragging my hand down my face. "You want to go back for that walking rabid tank?"

"I promised," Ivy says, her chin lifting in that stubborn way that makes my chest tight. "And he's not a rabid tank. He's like Wraith."

Wraith holds his palms out in clear offense.

"Did you miss the part where he almost turned Thane into a pancake?" I gesture at our leader, who's still spitting blood onto the floor. "No offense, bro, but you look like shit."

"None taken," Thane grunts, wiping his mouth. "And she's not going anywhere near that monster again."

Ivy's eyes flash with defiance. "That 'monster ' is from the same lab as your brother."

Thane flinches like she slapped him.

Hell, might as well have.

"What do you mean?" he asks, his tone wary, as if he isn't sure he wants to know or not.

My jaw drops as Ivy's words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. "Wait, you're saying Wraith was...?"

"Experimented on. Like the Knight." Ivy's eyes burn with that fierce fire. "I overheard enough while I was in there. Ask Valek if you don't believe me."

We all turn to look at the psycho, who's grinning that infuriating grin. His might actually be a little bit freakier than Wraith's, and that's saying something.

"Oh yes," he drawls, his accent thicker than usual. Must be all the blood in his mouth. It'll be dirt, too, when I get a moment with him. "I had my suspicions from the moment I saw him. Takes one to know one, after all. It seems we are brothers, too."

Thane curls his lip, but doesn't reply.

Wait.

What?

"You're from a fucking lab ?" I blurt out, my brain struggling to process this shit. I rake a hand through my hair. "Fuck, that explains a lot."

Valek's silver eyes flash. "That is not the insult you think it is just because your favorite cheese comes from a lab."

Fucker thinks he's so clever. "Bro, that doesn't make sense even for you. You're just jealous that shit's banned here."

Fucker thinks he's so clever.

His eyes narrow, but before he can shoot back another smartass comment, Wraith's already moving. His massive frame prowls toward the dark corridor where the Knight disappeared, following the trail of black blood.

"Hold the fuck up," Thane bellows. "So, what, you take orders from her now?"

Wraith stops and turns, but only to fix his brother with those intense blue eyes. A low growl rumbles from his ruined throat, his sharp teeth flashing in the strobing light. The guy's scary as fuck, I'll give him that. Even Thane hesitates like he's not sure it's worth the fight they're about to get into if he pushes it.

"Holy shit," I mutter.

She really does have him wrapped around her little finger.

"The rest of you need to help too," Ivy demands, her voice carrying that tone that makes my inner alpha want to roll over and show my belly. What the actual fuck. "We can't leave him here. We're not leaving him here."

"Can't he escape on his own?" I try one last time. "I mean, he's a ten-foot-tall killing machine?—"

Ivy cuts me off. "He's hurt."

I want to argue with her, but I know it won't go anywhere good. One look at the iron rods laying in pools of black blood on the floor and it's pretty damn clear she's gonna win this one.

Thane throws his hands up in exasperation. "I guess you're the leader of the Ghosts now," he mutters, already moving to follow his brother.

I can't help but grin. "You haven't figured that out yet?"

The look he shoots me could curdle milk. But I notice he doesn't deny it as we fall in behind Wraith, following the trail of destruction and black blood deeper into this hellhole.

Probably the stupidest thing we've ever done, but if our little wildcat wants us to save the giant murder machine monster, then that's what we're gonna do. At least watching her boss around a pack of alphas three or four times her size is entertaining as hell.

And seeing Thane's face when she does it?

Priceless.