Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

" T his is the place that has you spooked?" Bo narrows his eyes at the dilapidated structure.

I'd never admit it, but I share his sentiment. The gray brick building at the end of the dirt lane looks like an abandoned wing of a prestige college. The dusty windows, creeping ivy, and overgrown grass speak to its disuse.

"Looks can be deceiving," Kirk speaks for the first time in the better part of an hour.

Ripples of strong emotions press against our bond briefly and withdraw. He's trying so hard to cut himself off from our bond. Like wisps of smoke, his feelings dissipate before I can make sense of them.

His quiet panic and pessimism are at odds with the man I know. All the progress made bringing him out of his shell is obliterated with a set of coordinates. The hermit energy has returned in full force. Every second, I feel the healer sink further into himself.

"How should we proceed?" Cadoc steers the conversation to a productive place.

"This is in the back entrance. We'll park here and approach on foot. It'll allow us to sense any lingering wards." Kirk clears his throat. "The Alpha has always been paranoid."

"With good reason. He has a lot to keep hidden. If the pack knew about half of the things we've discovered," Fell trails off.

"That's why suspicions aren't enough. We need tangible proof to bring back if there's any hope of swaying them." Bo runs a hand through his hair. "He hasn't remained in power by not covering his ass."

"We can't underestimate him." Cadoc shuts off the car.

We exit. I study the back of the building. It looks harmless, but an ominous feeling clings to the structure. A chill settles over my skin. The cold intensifies the closer we get. I can't shake the feeling of being watched. I look at the three-story building. A shadow crosses by a window on the second floor.

I stumble. A strong hand wraps around my arm, steadying me.

"Careful, brat." Cadoc squeezes me gently and let's go.

"I thought I saw someone there." I point to the window.

"Where?" Bo squints as we watch the spot in the moonlight.

"My eyes might be playing tricks on me." Heat floods my cheeks.

Cadoc tilts his head and frowns. "I hear nothing."

Fell's eye narrow. "Me either."

"I think we're all a little on edge," Cadoc says.

"You wouldn't. The entire thing is soundproofed. Can't have the screams carrying." Kirk looks haunted.

"We'll keep an eye out for more movement." Cadoc continues forward.

"What the fuck, Doc?" Bo stares at him.

I nod curtly. We don't have time for the distraction arguing would cause.

"Shit. Don't move, Ylva." Fell holds out a hand.

"What's wrong?"

Face pale, he swallows hard. "We have a problem." Fell freezes. "Careful, we have mud here."

"Huh?" I look at the dry landscape. "How?"

"Stop moving." The urgency in Kirk's deep voice chills my blood.

"What's wrong?" Bo turns. Fell sinks to his ankles and my heart races.

"Quicksand. Look down." Kirk scans the area, and we all follow his orders.

"It wasn't here a second ago," Fell says.

"It's a trap." Cadoc steps close to the quickly spreading area. "Form a chain." He holds out his hand.

We link with him, and he reaches out to Fell.

"On three, we're all going to move back and pull. One. Two. There."

I throw my weight back. The quicksand holds tight before yielding.

Fell flops forward. We yank him free.

"Thanks," Fell pants.

"Be careful. I think we breached a ward and activated something." I run a hand down my tingling arm.

"Perfect," Bo's voice drips with sarcasm.

"Stay close." Cadoc shifts into protector mode. "Step where I do."

Sweat gathers on my forehead. The intense game of following the leader increases my nervousness. There's something off about this place. The distance from here to the door is only the length of a football field, but it couldn't feel further away.

"I think it's time you explain, Doc." Bo's voice holds a warning.

Something brushes my ankle. I screech and leap away. The thick vine mocks me. Heat floods my neck and ears. "Sorry. I thought it was a snake." I duck my head as the others laugh.

The rubbery green rope tightens around my ankle.

"Wh—" Another sprouts from the ground, winding around my opposite leg.

More bursts from the dirt. The organic manacles grip my wrists tight. Retracting, they yank me to the ground. I pull against them. Constricting, they dig into my flesh. My arms and legs go numb.

I open my mouth to scream. A wild vine wraps around my mouth. Thrashing, I struggle against the plant tentacles.

"Be still."

Driven by panic, I ignore the gruff command. My head gets light. I can't breathe.

"Struggling is only making it worse."

"We don't want to hurt you." Calloused hands pin my arms to the ground.

A glare blinds me. Light bounces off metal. A large knife comes down and buries into the ground beside me, slicing through my bondage.

Cadoc repeats the process, freeing my arms. The acrid scent of burning leaves melds with smoke.

Fell pulls me into a sitting position. Cadoc hacks at the vines at my feet while Bo battles the living limbs with fire. Suddenly, I'm grateful for the ever-present lighter he constantly toys with.

Kirk beats the vine into submission with a stick. A high-pitched shriek pierces my ears as the plants burn.

Cadoc and Fell stand, helping me to my feet. I brush off the limp plant matter, stomping once it hits the ground.

"Hell of a lot of security, Doc." Cadoc glares at Kirk, breathing hard.

"None of this was here before." His fingers grip the stick hard, turning his knuckles pale.

"Looks like things have changed. We have to assume we're going in blind." Cadoc kicks a piece of plant away.

The building is only a foot away now, but it feels like miles.

"Do you think that was the last one?" I shove my hands into the pockets of my cargo pants.

"Who knows?" Bo flips the lid on his lighter shut and shoves it into his pants pocket.

"Do you sense anything?" Cadoc turns to Fell.

Squinting, he studies the space between us and the front door. "Not that I can tell."

Stretching my senses, I inhale deeply and focus. I smell nothing strange or hear the hum that often accompanies magic.

The heaviness in the air has lessened.

"By now, whoever set this up knows someone is here. We can't wait too long," Kirk cautions.

Cadoc sighs. He presses his thumbs and forefinger to his eyelids. "Right." Grimacing, he lowers his hand and squares his shoulders. "We need to get in and out."

"Not going to be hard. None of us wants to be here," Bo adds.

"I'm headed in. Keep up." Cadoc rushes forward and we all sprint after him.

We reach the back porch, and it feels like a miracle. A large iron door separates us from whatever they've worked so hard to keep hidden.

"Brace yourself, it's about to get crazy." Cadoc slams his shoulder against the door. It emits a mechanical clicking noise but holds. Kirk joins. It groans. Fell and Bo lend their shoulders on the next rush.

The door flies open; we wait a few heartbeats.

"Let's head inside," Cadoc says. I hold my breath as we cross the threshold.

A U-shaped desk with a phone still has a clipboard with a sign-in form. Names and dates show an active schedule as recently as a week ago.

"I thought you said they shut this place down." I glance over my shoulder.

"It was. It should be."

"Looks like they didn't get the memo." Bo flips through the sheets.

Lights flicker overhead and go out.

"The hell?" Bo steps in front of me as the others press in around me.

A loud buzz sounds. The metallic clink of a door on a track opening makes my ear twitch. Something shuffles across the floor in the distance.

Four bodies press in closer. "Were those wings?" Bo whispers in my ear.

"Where the hell are we, Kirk?" Cadoc's words are clipped.

"The lab."

"A medical one?" I ask hopefully.

"No."

"Kirk?" I wait.

"A testing facility."

Air brushes by me, ruffling my hair. I shiver.

"I couldn't get a look." Fell's voice shakes.

"Start talking, Doc."

"They were supposed to stop. When I left. I- I destroyed all my notes."

"What are we dealing with?" Bo asks.

"I couldn't get a look," Cadoc admits.

I'm bumped. I knock into Fell.

"We're being hunted." I grip the knife attached to my utility belt. Unbuttoning the holster, I pull it free.

"We need to get the power grid back up before everything escapes." Kirk's voice is full of fear.

"We're leaving." Cadoc ushers us back to the door. He pulls on the handle.

"It's sealed shut. We're locked in." Kirk steps back. "This is a safety response to a breach to prevent escape."

I grip his shirt and tug, gaining his attention. "Escape of what, Kirk?"

A distorted growl comes from behind us. The stench of unwashed bodies, chemicals, and rage surrounds us. Hot breath fans in our face. A hulking beast drops from the ceiling. Red eyes glint at us in the darkness. It opens a fanged mouth, revealing a jagged row of teeth. Hairless, its deformed body is straight from a horror movie.

It launches at us. Cadoc shifts to half form, slicing through its neck. Blood splatters onto the floor. The wound seals.

"I don't know what I'm looking at?" Bo barks.

Hissing, the creature retreats.

"It stinks of fanger." Fell wrinkles his nose.

"That can't be right." Cadoc shakes his head.

"Thor's hammer. They've succeeded," Fell whispers.

"In what?" I face him.

"Mixing our genes." His voice cracks.

"I wouldn't call whatever that is viable." Cadoc gestures into the dark.

Bo snaps his fingers in front of Kirk's face. "Where's the main computer?"

"On the third flood."

He may as well have said Mars.

"How many more creatures?" I ask.

"I don't know."

Claws tap on the floor. Another hairless being approaches on two feet. Trapped in an in-between stage, it towers over us.

Snout elongated, eyes wide and dilated, it smells much like its predecessor. There's a bat-like quality to its pointed ears and oversized nostrils. Slick with an unknown fluid, it lurches forward.

"Help me." The high-pitched child-like voice is disturbing.

"Fenrir's chains. It can talk." Horrified, I cover my mouth.

"Release me."

"Not going to happen." Its red eyes fill with pain. I watch them glaze over. It roars. My mates morph into their half-forms.

The rotten meat caught between its teeth makes my stomach roll. They treated a sentient being like a dog. I gag. My mates rush forward on the attack. Slashing its skin with their claws, they tear out chunks of flesh. Blood flies as wounds occur on both sides.

Fell's thrust away into a wall. Bo buries his claw into the creature's back. It arches its back. Cadoc buries his claws deep into its throat, delivering a killing blow.

Relief flickers in its eyes. The life fades from its face and it hits the floor.

"You good?" Fell approaches, a warrior fresh from battles with bruises and smeared blood on his face.

"I should ask you that." I place a hand on his chest. Three distinct claw marks on his shirt show the pink flesh healing below.

Shuffling in the distance motivates us to move.

"Time to get the hell out of here." Bo grabs my hand and pulls me forward.

"We need to keep moving. Here we're sitting ducks," Cadoc replies, on the move beside us.

"Everyone needs to remain in their in-between forms."

I hesitate. It's not a form I'm familiar with.

"Guide her, Bo. We'll stand guard." Fell steps in front of us as the others form a semicircle.

"Okay, princess. Let me in and follow my lead."

Our connection lights up. His wolf approaches mine mentally. I watch as he contorts his body, tracking his cues. Muscles ripple and twist. Fur comes out in patches over my breasts, short and streamlined.

I stand beside Bo, a mix of woman and wolf. "Thank you."

"Helps to be in tune with my beast." He winks.