The moment I paused, the shadows attacked.
Only it wasn't shadows but a creature - as black as night, as invisible as a vampire, and just as fast.
Luckily, so was I.
I rolled off the bed and twisted around, lashing out with a bare foot. The blow connected with solid darkness and the creature grunted, but didn't waver. It flowed over the bed and leapt at me, a flash of deeper black that slashed with wicked-looking barbed claws.
I ducked the blow then dove sideways, over the bed, grabbing at the weapons lying casually on the bedside table. My fingers scrapped across metal, sending the lasers flying even as I grasped the knife.
"Rhoan!"
My shout rang across the silence. The creature hissed, a hushed sound that nevertheless irritated my ears. It came at me, a blur of arms and legs and claws. I backed away fast, ducking and weaving and slashing as hard as I could with the knife. One blow hit flesh, slicing deep and hard, until the shock of hitting bone reverberated up my arm. There was a plop, followed by a gush of stinking blood, then the door was flung open and the room flooded by sunlight, revealing the creature to be humanoid in shape but not proportion.
"Drop," Rhoan said.
I did, hitting the carpet hard. My breath whooshed out as darkness ran past me, chased by a thin beam of red. Glass shattered and footsteps retreated. Rhoan ran past.
I scrambled to my feet and ran after my brother. He shifted shape mid-stride and leapt through the broken window in wolf form. I remained in human form and followed, hitting the glass-covered ground beyond and cutting my back as I rolled to my feet and ran on.
The shadowy creature flicked through the trees, fast and elusive. The still air carried no scent - if it had one at all, it was being smothered by the sharp aroma of eucalyptus and earth.
But it was bleeding, and it was the blood trail that we followed.
We ran on through the trees, dodging and leaping rocks and brush and ferns and logs. Then the air grew suddenly sharper, colder, and I looked ahead. The trees ended abruptly, leaving nothing but sky. I dove forward, grabbing Rhoan by the haunches, dragging him to a halt.
He snarled and snapped at me, his teeth grazing my skin but not actually hurting. I slapped his nose. "There's a cliff ahead, idiot."
He twisted around, looking ahead, then gave a doggy sniff and rolled out of my grip, shifting shape before walking forward I stood but didn't follow Cliff edges and me were not compatible items.
"There's a splattered black shape at the bottom of the canyon," Rhoan said, peering over the edge at an angle that had my nerves twitching.
"It jumped rather than be caught," I said, amazed "Why would it do that?"
"'It' being the operative term," Rhoan said grimly "And it either jumped because it didn't see the cliff in time, or because it thought death was better than capture."
"It'd have to be the first option, wouldn't it?"
He shrugged "Who knows One thing is certain, though I've never seen anything like that before."
"No But I very doubt it was something nature made " I shivered and rubbed my arms.
He looked at me "You okay?"
I nodded "I sensed it just before it attacked, and was able to keep out of its way."
He glanced down at the body one more time, then stepped back and turned me around "Let's get you back inside before you freeze to death."
We walked back to the cabin Quinn was squatting down and examining the ground outside the window, but looked up as we arrived.
His gaze skimmed my nakedness, and the sweet taste of lust briefly stirred the air. But all he said, in a voice as cool as the air, was, "These footprints don't belong to any creature I've ever seen before."
Rhoan squatted beside him and ran a finger over the prints. "Claws," he said, looking up at me. "Just like its fingers."
I nodded. "As I said, I don't think it was nature-made."
"I think you're right." He paused, his gaze skirting the silent trees. "Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll keep watch for any more of these beasties."
He hadn't seen or sensed the first one, and I doubted he'd see or sense any follow-ups. Which begged the question: Why? I might not have sensed the creature until it was almost too late, but I had felt the sense of wrongness. So why hadn't my twin?
I didn't know. And part of me didn't want to know, because I had a vague suspicion it might just stem back to the drugs Talon and Co. had been feeding me.
But at least the creeping sense of wrongness no longer haunted the day. Maybe we'd be free from attack for a while. "I think I'll grab a shower first. I doubt I'll be able to sleep right now."
He nodded. I made my way back inside the cabin. Thankfully, someone had removed the severed arm, and made some attempt to clean up the blood. I wasted some time checking every little corner, then finally relaxed and headed for the bathroom.
But despite my protests, I did sleep, and sleep well.
Quinn was standing near the broken window when I woke, his hands clasped casually behind his back and body relaxed, but I could taste his tension. It stung the air, as sharp as the sudden spike in my pulse rate.
"There are fresh clothes at the end of the bed." His voice was soft, neutral. "Rhoan thought you might appreciate something warmer. There's no shoes, however. All our feet are bigger than yours."
"I don't need shoes." I crossed my arms and stared at his back, willing him to turn around and face me. "Why are you here?"
"Here in this room, or here in general?"
"Both."
"Ah." He paused a moment. "I'm here in this room as a second defense, in case another of those creatures got past Rhoan."
"I can protect myself."
"Not when you re fast asleep." He glanced briefly over his shoulder, his dark gaze skating down my blanket-covered body before looking away "You didn't even twitch when I came in."
Possibly because I knew his scent, and felt safe in his presence, no matter how annoying he could be at times. "So why are you here on this rescue mission?"
His shrug was little more than a slight hitch of one shoulder, and yet somehow so elegant. Muscles played enticingly under the burgundy sweater, and I had to resist the temptation to reacquaint my fingers with all that lean power.
"Because someone has tried to kill me a number of times, and I'm getting a little annoyed about it."
"That doesn't exactly explain why you're here."
"My would-be assassins were not of natural origins. I brought the bodies down to Melbourne for the Directorate to examine."
"After your own labs checked them out, of course."
"Of course."
"So, you brought the bodies down. How does that connect with you being here?"
"You went missing about the same time I arrived in Melbourne. I stayed to help with the search."
"Thank you."
He shrugged. "We are friends who have been lovers. It was the least I could do."
"Last time I checked, the definition of a friend didn't include ignoring said friend and telling them to go away."
"You know why I did that."
"Yeah, because you couldn't cope with me being a werewolf." I flung off the covers and sat up. "Would you at least have the decency to turn around and look at me when you're talking?"
"If you would have the decency to dress."
"Why? As you said, we've been lovers. You know my body intimately."
"We are not lovers now, and I do not appreciate you flaunting yourself."
I snorted softly and reached for the clothes sitting on the end of the bed. "That is so old-fashioned."
"I am old-fashioned."
Yeah, and it was one of the problems that would have lain between us if we'd been in any sort of relationship. I shook my head and got dressed. The jeans were several inches too long, but otherwise a snug fit, particularly around the butt. No surprise there, because my butt was bigger than my brother's - an injustice of nature, I think. His dark green sweater was tight, the soft wool stretched to the limits around my breasts, providing little peekaboo holes of skin. If the oncoming night hadn't promised to be so cold, I would have gone without it.
"Okay, it's safe to turn around now."
My voice was tart, but it didn't seem to have any effect. His expression was cool, almost remote. But his gaze drifted down, a slow caress that was all consuming. Heat prickled across my skin, and my nipples hardened, stretching the poor wool even farther. The deep down ache ignited, burning through me like a tidal wave.
I crossed my arms and tried to ignore desire. There was too much to sort out with this vampire to go madly jumping his bones, no matter how enticing a thought that was. Not the least being what he wanted now, when he'd stated so clearly in the recent past, that he wanted nothing else to do with me. "So, was bringing the dead bodies down to the Directorate the only reason you came to Melbourne?"
"You know it's not."
"What I know," I said, voice tart, "is that you told me to rack off and leave you alone."
"I did not say that."
I shrugged. "Words to that effect, then. What do you want, Quinn?"
"I think we need to talk."
"I spent a whole lot of time after Genoveve trying to talk to you. I'm done with talking."
"Then there are things I need to say. Things you need to hear."
"Unless it's an 'I'm sorry for my horrible behavior, please forgive me,' I'm not sure you could say anything I actually want to hear."
The door opened at that moment and Rhoan walked in. "Quinn, Jack wants to see you for a moment."
Quinn looked at me, his dark gaze promising the conversation was far from over. Then he turned and walked out.
I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Damn the man. Just as I was starting to get over the fact that he'd walked away from all the delicious possibilities that lay unexplored between us, he walks back into my life and raises the hope that maybe, just maybe, he'd changed his mind. I had to wonder just what I'd done to piss fate off so severely, because she sure seemed intent on throwing curveballs my way lately.
I rubbed a hand across still tired eyes, then grabbed the weapons I'd scattered earlier, strapping them on quickly before walking over to the window. Dusk was settling in, thick and stormy looking.
"Riley?" Concern edged Rhoan's voice.
"What?"
"You okay?"
"Just dandy, bro."
He walked across the room and wrapped his arms under my breasts, pulling me back against him. "Quinn?"
Like that was hard to guess. I rested the back of my head against his shoulder. "I still want him, Rhoan. Even though he hates what I am, even though I know a relationship between us could never be anything permanent, I want him. I thought I was over him, but I'm not."
"Because he ended it, not you."
Probably. I mean, being the finisher was always the easier option. "Thing is, I think that's why he's back. I think he may have changed his mind."
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Want a brotherly bit of advice?"
I smiled slightly. "I'm going to get it whether I want it or not."
"Ain't that a fact." Amusement touched his warm tones. "Horse boy has got one hell of a hard-on for you Enjoy that; enjoy him. Don't chase Quinn any more than you already have."
"Kade suggested much the same thing."
"He's a stallion They're randy old bastards who will use any excuse to get into a woman's pants."
Amusement ran through me. In many respects, horse-shifters were no different to men the world over. No matter what the race, they all wanted to get their end in. Even standoffish vampires. "If I just sit back and enjoy myself, Quinn will not come running."
"And that could be a good thing."
"Why? What's wrong with a little bit of fooling around?"
"Because it may start off as a little fooling around, but it probably won't end there. And what happens later? What about kids? You want them, and while you may or may not be able to physically carry them, there are other options you can explore. The one clear certainty is that he can never impregnate you. Never. What lies between you may be strong, but in the end, is it right?"
"What do you mean by 'right'?"
Yet even as I asked the question, I knew. Wolves were born with the need to reproduce, and only the desire to find the right mate stopped the world from being overrun. Something governments obviously didn't understand, because they forced the fertility controls on us all.
I wanted children. I'd dreamed of having a family of my own most of my life. Whatever else there might be between Quinn and I, there could never be life.
"Getting into any sort of relationship with Quinn is dangerous because we both know it won't stop at just a bit of fun, and that might just destroy the two of you."
He was right. I might want to explore what was going on with Quinn, but perhaps it was better for everyone if I just let sleeping vampires lie.
I squinted up at my brother. "Two months ago you were advising me not to give up on him. Now you're telling me to be careful, that I haven't the right of anything long-term. Why?"
"When I gave you that advice, neither of us was aware that our vampire genes were finally asserting themselves. It's too late for me to have children, but it may not be for you." He reached out, carefully brushing the hair from my cheek. "You always were slower to develop than me."
I smiled, as he'd intended, but it didn't ease the chill running rampant across my skin, or the churning in my stomach. And the cause wasn't only the fact that I may be becoming irreparably infertile. It was wondering what other changes my vampire genes might be making.
"Talon was trying to get me pregnant for a year. That suggests it might already be too late."
Rhoan snorted. "Talon is sterile."
"What?" I spun around to face him.
He nodded. "Came out during the tests." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Think of Quinn as a piece of chocolate. Rich and fulfilling, and in your case, totally addictive. And like chocolate, you're better off resisting it completely, because it's just not good for you."
I gave him a weak smile. "Quinn won't give me spots like chocolate does."
"Maybe not all over your face." He smiled and slid his fingers down to mine, then tugged me toward the door. "But remember, he does tend to leave nasty little spots all over your neck."
I snorted softly. I guess that was true. Only trouble was, a lot of fun was had getting those particular neck spots.
Jack didn't bother looking up as we entered the other cabin through the interconnecting door. "I ran a check on that arm you severed. There's no match in the database for a creature of that type."
"Not surprising."
"No." He slammed the lid of the com-unit closed. "Especially given we're dealing with genetic engineering. Did you see any of this place at all? Are you able to back up the map Kade gave us?"
"Having a casual stroll around the place wasn't exactly a priority when I woke naked in the alley." I paused. "I really only saw a couple of streets and the stable. Kade was in there longer."
He'd also said that he'd never left the stable. It'd be hard to give Jack a map if that were actually true, so it was a safe bet that it wasn't. But why lie to me about it?
Or was it simply a matter of not knowing at the time whether he could actually trust me or not?
"I want a report of everything you remember once this raid is over," Jack said, and picked up the com-unit. "Let's go."
We headed out the door. Quinn and Kade were already in the van, Quinn in the driver's seat and Kade checking weapons as he sat on the floor at the rear of the van.
He looked damn proficient in handling and checking guns. More so than any "ordinary" builder should be, anyway. Though maybe he was a builder who went game hunting on the weekends.
And maybe I'd grow wings and fly.
Which meant his "profession" was probably another lie. Still, I couldn't exactly get worked up over it - not when I could understand why he might have lied. It was just irritating that I'd trusted him more than I probably should have. Given all that had happened to me over the last few months, you'd think I'd have known better.
I climbed into the van and sat on the floor beside him. Between the weapons, the equipment, and the five of us, it was rather cramped.
Rhoan sat up front with Quinn. Jack slammed the side door shut, then perched in front of the com-screens, undoubtedly making last minute orders and marshalling the Directorate's forces. And though they wouldn't get there until after we'd gone in, it was comforting to know backup wasn't far away.
As the van moved off, Kade threw an arm around my shoulders and gave me a hug. It wasn't sexual in any way, just a comforting touch from someone who knew I needed it. I smiled and leaned into him.
The click of the keyboard and the hum of road noise were the only sounds to be heard. With every mile we drew closer to that place, and my stomach began to churn with renewed vigor. Obviously, whatever had gone on in there was pretty damn bad.
I reached for a nearby water bottle, but the drink did little to ease the dryness in my throat.
Energy caressed my mind, a tingling caress of warmth that stirred the fibers of my soul, intimate in a way that went beyond touch, beyond sex. Quinn, pushing lightly at my shields, wanting to talk to me, wanting me to open the psi-door we'd developed as a means of communication. The link between us went deeper than normal telepathic contact, and was not affected by the presence of psi-deadeners. It was a link that had saved our lives the day we'd walked into Talon's lair to take him out.
I stared toward the front of the van, but there was little more than shadows to be seen. Had he felt my growing fear? Or was this merely an attempt to finish the conversation we'd started back in the motel room?
Whatever the reason, I refused to open that door. Rhoan was right. In this one case, I couldn't have my cake and eat it too. Until I knew for sure whether or not I was fertile, I dare not get involved in any way with Quinn. It wouldn't be fair to either of us.
So I ignored his mental knocking. He eventually gave up and concentrated on driving again. The van rolled on through the darkness, the silence stretching my nerves to breaking point.
When we finally stopped, Kade moved his arm from my shoulder and gave me a cheerful sort of smile. "It's almost over."
I didn't answer. Couldn't answer.
Because it wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
Jack rose, the bright light of the com-screen making his pale skin gleam in the darkness. "Kade, Rhoan, and I will be going in via the front entrance. Riley, you and Quinn are heading around to secure the back. Be careful in there, and stay close to Quinn."
Thanks, but that wasn't exactly safe right now, I wanted to say, but my tongue seemed glued to the roof of my mouth.
Jack and Kade got out and slammed the door shut. Rhoan gave me a brief thumbs-up, then disappeared into the night.
Quinn's gaze touched mine through the rearview mirror. "The seat up here is free is you want to be more comfortable."
"Thanks, but no. I'd rather not see where we are going right now."
He shrugged and drove on. Ten minutes later, we stopped again, this time deep in the trees off the side of the road. I opened the side door and climbed out.
The night was still and cold, the sky cloudy through the canopy of trees. Cicadas sung in the distance, and somewhere close to my right, a stream bubbled. It would almost have been tranquil if not for the harsh sound of my breathing. I needed to get control of my nerves. If there was something out there, keeping an eye on approaching trails, I'd give the game up a mile out.
Quinn came around the van, a shadow in black that merged with the night. "We've got twenty minutes to get up the mountain."
"What?"
"Afraid so." His gaze swept down me. "You ready?"
No, I wanted to say. Never. But I forced a nod and quietly followed as he led the way across the twig-strewn ground.
Twenty minutes isn't a whole lot of time to climb a damn mountain, so we went up it fast. Thankfully, there were no cliff edges or long drops to make my stomach go haywire, but by the time we'd reached the plateau that held the compound, my legs were jelly and my lungs burned. While I might claim to be reasonably fit, this mountain sure as hell made a mockery of it. I was really, really going to have to make an attempt to get to the gym more often.
When we finally reached the clearing that held the compound, my whole body was a mess of twitching, aching muscles. I stopped beside a big old gum tree, using its girth to hide behind as I desperately dragged air into my system. Quinn stopped behind me, wafting the rich scent of sandalwood my way. His breathing was even. He might be over a thousand years old, but he was a damn sight fitter than me.
"It's empty," he said softly.
I lifted my gaze Beyond the expanse of empty pasture stood the wire of the compound's fence. No lights shone in the darkness beyond that fence. The shadowy shapes of the buildings seemed to hold no life or movement in or around them. Not even under infrared. Everything was still. Eerily so.
Even so, I had to check. Just because I wasn't seeing it didn't mean it wasn't there. And Quinn could sense the thud of life, whereas I could not. "Completely empty? As in, no life at all, human, nonhuman, or otherwise?"
His gaze met mine, dark eyes seeming to gleam in the night. "Nothing at all."
"No one's there? At all?"
"From where we stand, I wouldn't be able to sense Rhoan and the others. It's too far. But it would appear that the complex has been evacuated."
"Why would they do that? From what I saw of the place, it was huge. Why suddenly abandon it?"
"I would hazard a guess that you were the cause."
I raised an eyebrow. "Because I'd escaped?"
He nodded. "They obviously know who you are. They would know you are connected to the Directorate, even if only at an assistant level. Given what happened to the Genoveve research facility, given your part in it, they would have had an evacuation plan in place."
"How would they know my part in that?"
"Talon's mind was partially burned away, remember. Whoever did that would have done a thorough search of all his memory and thought centers first, just to check what had been happening." He paused. "At least, that is what I would have done."
A shiver ran down my spine. I didn't want to contemplate the sort of telepathic strength it took to completely burn away someone's thoughts and memories. I certainly didn't want to contemplate the fact that this vampire could do it as easily as he breathed.
"If this place was abandoned, and no clues left behind, it might take us ages to pick up the trail again." And I had a bad feeling I couldn't afford that.
"If they left in a hurry, there's a chance they left information behind." He glanced at his watch. "We have five minutes before we have to go in."
"Then I'm using them to rest."
I sank down on a nearby log. Quinn sat beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him, but not quite close enough that we touched.
I resisted the urge to move - either closer, so that we did touch, or farther away so that his closeness didn't seem to infuse my soul with heat - and kept my gaze on the fence line rather than the impressive body sitting so very near. "I very much doubt they'd have left that place unguarded. Even if we can't sense anything from here."
"Possibly."
He wasn't even looking at me, yet awareness flowed between us, as strong as it had ever been. Part of me wanted to bathe in it, to lose myself deep in its warmth and never surface.
Crazy, that's what I was.
Or was it simply a matter of wauling something I knew I shouldn't have? Like the chocolate Rhoan used to hide from me when I was a pimply teenager? It was there. I knew it was there, and I wanted it, even if I knew it wasn't good for me.
I crossed my arms, as if to ward off a chill. But the cold night air never truly had a chance to get close, chased away by the heat of Quinn's nearness.
"So, what are we going to chat about while we while away our five minutes?"
It was an invitation to chat on a more personal level, and one I wasn't entirely sure he deserved. Still, if he was going to be involved in this investigation for any length of time, then I guess we did have to start talking.
"How about we discuss mistakes?"
"Depends on whose mistakes we're going to discuss."
"I think we should start with mine." His gaze caught and held mine, his eyes dark pools I could so easily drown in. "That's what my refusal to see you again was. A mistake."
Oh, great. Like I needed that statement when I was torn between the desire to explore what lay between us and the realization that it would be wrong to go there, simply because there could never be anything truly lasting. I didn't want to end up being yet another werewolf who had hurt him.
"And what has brought about this sudden change of heart?" My voice was even, which surprised the hell out of me. Recent revelations aside, he'd still basically dumped me and, at the very least, deserved to have some annoyance flung his way.
"Lot's of things - "
"Like what?" I interrupted. "Are you perhaps finding sex a little hard to get after destroying your fiancee's life?"
It was an extremely catty comment. The annoyance mightn't be showing in my voice, but it was sitting there regardless.
His gaze hardened. "You know why I did that."
"Yeah. She pissed you off. Well, buddy boy, you've succeeded in pissing me off, and now you have to live with the consequences."
He studied me for a moment, then looked away, his face expressionless but the air vibrating with barely contained annoyance. Part of me couldn't help but be pleased with that. Hey, I was a bitch after all.
"I refuse to believe that you can walk away so easily."
"Why not? I'm a wolf, aren't I? We flit from one partner to another, without thought or morals."
Something flickered in his eyes. Recognition of a point, perhaps. "You're not like that."
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." I studied him for a moment. "I'm a wolf born and raised, Quinn. My morals and ways are never going to be compatible with yours."
"That doesn't mean we can't meet somewhere in the middle."
Yes, it did. Because he was my chocolate - and one bite was never going to be enough. But he was also a vampire, and could never provide the one thing I truly hungered for.
Damn it all, when did a simple matter like sex get so damn complicated? I rubbed a hand across my eyes. "Look, we need to discuss this more, but I don't think this is the right place. Let's just get inside and find the others."
He rose and offered me a hand. I hesitated, not wanting to risk touching him, yet knowing I'd look foolish if I didn't accept his help. Knowing also that that was the precise reason he was offering his hand. It was a dare, of sorts.
And I was never one to back down from a dare. I placed my hand in his, and something akin to electricity surged between us. His gaze jumped to mine, leaving me drowning in those lusciously dark depths. His fingers were so warm, so gentle yet strong as he pulled me upright. And suddenly I was reliving the moments when those clever, skillful hands were on my body, teasing and caressing and pleasuring. Lust shimmered, burning the air between us, as if, just for a heartbeat, those memories hung between us.
He smiled slowly, intimately. My already erratic pulse tripped into overdrive, and air became a scarce commodity. It was the sort of smile that might be shared by two lovers after a night of incredible sex. And we'd shared that, more than once.
His gaze burned mine for several more wild heartbeats, then rolled languidly down my body, melting where it rested, however briefly. Ice would have liquefied under such a look, and no one could ever accuse me of being ice. Pressure exploded low down, fanning through the rest of me in stormy waves. The air was so thick and hot and needy I could barely even breathe.
One step. That's all it would take to be in his arms, kissing those delicious lips, feeling his lean body on mine. In mine.
I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms, using the pain to battle desire. "I won't make love to you just because you've decided you can bear to fuck a werewolf on a regular basis."
Again, something glimmered in his eyes. "Why not? You once told me great sex was a good place to start a relationship."
And it was. Normally. "Things have changed since then. I've had a chance to think."
"The 'then' was only few months ago."
I stepped back and crossed my arms. I'd obviously pissed off fate right-royally, and this was her way of getting back at me.
"Not here, not now, Quinn," I said, and forced my feet past him. "Let's get to the compound."
I switched to infrared, scanning the clearing and the buildings immediately behind the fence line. Still no sign of life. No whisper of movement.
We reached the fence. Quinn held out a hand, running his fingers a hairbreadth away from the wire. "Can't feel electricity running through it." He touched it lightly. "Nothing. It's safe to cut."
I stepped back and drew one of the lasers. "If the power is turned off, then this place is definitely abandoned."
"We still can't afford to relax our guard in there."
"I know." As if I could, anyway.
I cut a hole big enough for the two of us to slip through. Quinn went through first, his gaze scanning the area before coming back to me. "Nothing. Come on."
I followed, even though my heart seemed lodged somewhere in my throat and breathing had suddenly become difficult. We padded along in the shadows of the buildings, listening to the silence as we constantly scanned the area.
Nothing.
Not even insects.
As we moved in deeper, my gaze drifted up the tree-lined hill. Up there waited the place I'd barely escaped.
Quinn touched my arm lightly, making me jump. "Sorry," I whispered.
"You don't have to go up there if you don't want to. We can wait at the fence for the others."
I licked my lips, and shook my head. "I have to do this."
He nodded, and his touch slipped to my back, guiding me forward. Warmth flared where his fingers rested, rolling through the rest of me in waves. Though it was comforting, it did little to erase the knot of fear forming in the pit of my stomach.
We stealthily made our way deeper into the complex, slowly working our way up the hill. The closer we got to the lane, the slower my steps became, until I ground to a halt at the lane's entrance. My gaze came to the place where a dead man had once rested. A dark stain remained as a reminder of what I'd done.
"What's wrong?" Quinn asked.
"This is where I woke." My gaze went to the end of the lane. "And down there is where the two orsini came from."
"Orsini? What are they?"
"Warped bearlike things." Goosebumps fled across my skin. I rubbed my arms, and swept my gaze along the concrete wall. "I don't like the feel of this lane."
"There doesn't seem to be anything out of place." He wasn't looking at me as he said it, but rather, studying the lane.
"Something's down there." Something designed to kill.
"I can't feel anything human or nonhuman," he said eventually. "Nor can I hear any sort of mind traffic."
That didn't mean something couldn't be there. Especially given what this place was probably breeding. "There must be some other way into the building. Let's just - "
The rest of the words never got past my throat. Up ahead, the wall moved. Large sections of concrete seemed to peel away, and form colorless human shapes. They were huge and gangly, with long arms and legs. Even as we watched, their skin changed from the gray of the concrete wall to the black of the night. I knew they were still there, but I couldn't see them. Couldn't even feel them.
"Fuck." Quinn's voice was flat, fierce. "Chameleons."
I shot him a glance. "They don't look like lizards to me."
No amusement lit the depths of his dark eyes as his gaze met mine. "They're a rare breed of nonhuman who can take on any background, and literally become part of that background. They're also cannibals."
Oh, fantastic. "They're obviously not as rare as you thought, because there's ten of them here."
"Blind I'm not." He grabbed my hand. "Let's get the hell out of here."
"What about the lasers?"
"There's too many of them. Even if we take out a couple, the rest of them will be on us. Come on."
He didn't give me the choice, pulling me along with him. The chameleons followed, their large, flat feet slapping noisily against the cobblestones, drawing too close, too fast.
"Scream," Quinn said, and pushed me roughly to one side.
I hit the window of one of the false shops with enough force to shatter the glass, and tumbled on through the frame. Glass flew, slicing past my face. I hit the ground with a grunt, the laser flying from my hand. I cursed and then scrambled back to my feet.
The creatures were shadows deeper than the night. I blinked, and switched to the infrared of my vampire vision. Quinn became a flame surrounded by ten muted, dark red gleams. And while I could feel the buzz of Quinn's thoughts, the creatures were a dead zone. Not dead as in mind-blind, but dead as in nothing there, just empty space.
I screamed for help as loud as I could, then drew my remaining laser, leapt over the windowsill and ran toward the nearest creature.
Though I made little sound, the chameleon swung, swatting at me with a huge, night-dark paw. I ducked the blow, and fired the laser. The bright beam cut across flesh, and four fingers plopped to the ground, where they wriggled and squirmed like fat worms at the end of a hook. The creature screamed - a sound so high, so inhuman, that chills ran across my flesh. Those chills only increased when I realized new fingers were already beginning to grow out of the burned stumps.
Air stirred. I dropped and swung around. Two of them had crept up behind me. I dodged the blow from one, then fired at the hand trying to grab me. More fingers plopped to the pavement, twitching like live things.
More fingers regrew.
God, how were you supposed to kill things that could regenerate so quickly?
The creature I'd de-fingered screamed in fury. The other lunged. I kicked it away, but teeth tore into my shoulder, biting deep. I hissed, and punched backward, hitting flesh as slimy and cold as a toad's. My blow skidded along and fell away, and the creature's teeth bit deeper, cracking bone. Pain became a red tide, and sweat broke out across my brow. Bile rose, and I swallowed heavily as the other two creatures came at me. Ignoring the thing trying to eat my shoulder, I kicked out at the first creature, sending him stumbling back into the other.
Red beams of light cut through the night, and suddenly neither creature had a head. The smell of burnt flesh rent the air, making me gag. The red light bit through the night again, slicing mere millimeters away from my arm, and the creature trying to devour my shoulder released me with a roar. I shifted to wolf shape and limped away Once I'd reached the shattered shop window, I shifted back to human form, and sunk to the ground, nursing my injured arm and hand as I watched proceedings.
The cavalry had come to the rescue. Rhoan, Jack, and Kade had joined the fray and were dealing with the chameleons with brutal efficiency. I'd never seen my brother in action before, and it was truly scary to do so now He was fast, efficient, and utterly ruthless - everything a guardian should be, and everything I thought my brother wasn't.
And while Kade mightn't be as fast or as furious, he was every bit as efficient Obviously, he wasn't just a builder.
I looked away The bright flame of Quinn's presence had disappeared, and for a moment, fear surged Then the rich scent of sandal wood stung the air, and a second later, he was kneeling beside me. His beautiful face was scratched, his sweater torn, the burgundy color deepened by blood.
"Are you all right?" The lilt in his voice was as fierce as I'd ever heard it, and fear gleamed in his dark eyes. "Did they bite you?"
I showed him the shoulder. He swore softly. "We'll have to get that tended to. The bastards are well-known carriers of several different viral infections."
"The Directorate team are about five minutes off arriving," Rhoan said, appearing out of the remaining melee. He scooped me up in his arms. "We've a med-team amongst them, just in case something like this happened."
He ran me through the night, down the hill, and into the section I'd seen but not visited, then left. The med-team was already setting up when we arrived.
The doctor took one look at my shoulder and hand, and hustled me into the nearest room. I was stripped, cleaned, and patched, then had several of the biggest needles I'd ever seen shoved into my butt. They hurt more than the damn bite did.
"Just keep an eye on that shoulder," the doctor advised as he stripped off his gloves. "You wolves haven't a history with viral infections as a rule, but even so, if you see any inflammation or start feeling off-color, just come in and see us."
I nodded.
He glanced at the com-screen on the desk. "There's a note here on your file to remind you of your appointment Friday."
I blinked. "What appointment?"
"With Dr. Harvey. At four."
I stared at him for a moment, my heart racing. Dr. Harvey was the specialist I'd been referred to - the man who would tell me whether I could have kids or not. He wasn't a Directorate doctor, but he'd been vetted and approved by them. "Does it say anything else?"
The doc glanced at me. "It's something to do with test results."
Oh God, oh God. In two days I would know, one way or another. And now that the crunch was actually near, I wasn't sure I was ready for it.
"Thanks, Doc."
He nodded and turned away. I carefully pulled my clothes back on, then walked out to the waiting area. Rhoan rose from the chair. "Verdict?"
"I'm fine." I hesitated, looking around. "Where's Quinn?"
"Waiting outside. He didn't like the feel of that place."
A smile twitched my lips. "Really?"
"He's an empath, remember. He said the rooms held too many bad memories and pain."
Quinn had some fairly tough shields to protect him, so if he'd retreated, it had to be bad. Which made me damn glad empathy wasn't one of my problems.
Rhoan cupped a hand under my good elbow, and escorted me toward the door. "You feel ready to confront what might have happened in this place, or would you rather leave it until tomorrow?"
I'd rather not confront it at all, but that wasn't an option and we both knew it. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Let's get this over with."
His gaze searched mine, his expression filled with concern. "You sure?"
"No. But I'd rather not wait."
He nodded, and we moved out into the night. Quinn was waiting one building away, and fell in step beside Rhoan. He didn't say anything and, for once, I had no sense of his emotions.
We walked back up that hill and down the alley. We turned right, and there before us stood yet another concrete building. My steps faltered, and my mouth went dry.
I didn't want to go in that building.
Didn't want to remember.
"You don't have to do this," Rhoan said softly.
I licked my lips. "I do."
Only my knees were weak, and my feet wouldn't move, and I couldn't seem to drag enough air into my lungs.
Rhoan's grip tightened. "Deep breaths," he said.
I obeyed. It didn't seem to help much.
"I'm with you. If it gets too bad, I'll get you out. I promise."
I swallowed, pulled my elbow free, and grabbed his hand. Tight. "Let's go."
Before whatever courage I had deserted me.
Quinn opened the door. He had his vampire face on, yet concern sparkled in his eyes. Or maybe that was a trick of the light flowing from the brightly lit corridor beyond the door.
Or even wishful thinking.
Our footsteps echoed in the silence, the concrete cold under my toes. Every five steps there was a door - an indication that the rooms beyond were small. We didn't stop at any of them, walking to the end of the corridor and turning left.
Jack came out of the end room as we reached the halfway point. He was carrying a clipboard and his expression was grim. "This place is nothing more than a breeding pen."
We stopped, and my gaze went past him. Saw the white walls. The neat tuck of white sheet around the mattress. The sparkle of the chains that rested atop of it.
My stomach churned. "This was my room?"
Jack glanced down at the folder he was holding.
"Yeah." He hesitated. "You were in a coma after the accident. They didn't expect you to come out of it."
"I escaped because they didn't bother to either drug me or chain me, like everyone else."
Jack nodded. "I'm no doctor, but looking at these records I have to say it's a wonder you did recover."
I released Rhoan's hand and took a step toward the room. A chill ran down my spine, and something sharp flickered through my head.
I swallowed heavily, and took another step.
Red needles of fire lanced through my brain, and sweat broke out across my brow. I shuddered, clenching my fists, fighting the urge to run as far and as fast as I could from this place and the memories that stirred in agony.
Rhoan touched my shoulder, and I jumped.
"Maybe you shouldn't push," he said softly.
"There's something I need to remember."
Why I was so sure, I couldn't say. If I was in a coma, then surely this place would mean nothing to me. Yet I'd become aware enough to escape. Maybe the answers we needed were locked behind that threatening wall of pain.
I licked dry lips and took another step.
The pain became a tidal wave, and I was falling, screaming, to the floor.