Chapter 22 #2
“Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work for you,” said Beverly, her face pinched. “Not even the most expensive spa can fix you.”
Addison dragged herself another step. “More. I just need more. Then everything will be as it should be.” Her eyes drifted toward Darian again and something desperate flashed across her face. Not evil, exactly, but worse. Hope. The dangerous kind. The kind that convinced people they were justified.
“No.” This time I stepped forward. “You’re never touching my son again. Ever.” My magic stirred beneath my skin—angry, protective, and ancient. Because whatever sympathy I might have felt for her disease ended the second she decided my child was a research project.
Addison reached out. Blisters and angry rashes covered her wrist and hand. “Just a little… more… more…”
“Never going to happen,” I told her.
Addison’s face twisted with rage, and for a split second, nothing was left of the human I remembered, just a distorted monster who would have killed my son, drained him dry, if it meant a chance to save herself.
“I need more!” shrieked Addison.
She lunged toward Darian. Her body betrayed her before she made it two steps. One knee buckled. Then the other. A horrible snapping sound echoed through the laboratory as her leg twisted sideways beneath her weight.
Addison crashed to the floor hard. She screamed as her entire body seized violently. Muscles spasmed beneath her skin. One arm jerked uncontrollably while patches of dark fur burst across her neck before vanishing again. Her fingers curled into claws and then stretched back into human hands.
Blood sprayed from her mouth. Yellow bile followed. She rolled onto her side, choking and gasping for air.
Another convulsion ripped through her body. Bones cracked. Her jaw shifted. One golden eye flashed wider than the other. For a split second, her face looked almost wereape. Then human. Then something trapped painfully between both.
Addison clawed at the concrete floor, leaving bloody streaks behind her as she dragged herself forward a few inches toward Darian.
“Please,” she gasped. The word came out broken, desperate, and terrifying. “I just need... a little more...” Another violent spasm hit her. Her back arched off the floor. A strangled cry escaped her throat.
Ronin took a step forward, black talons out as he’d vamped out. “Let me put her out of her misery. One second. All I need.” His eyes never left Addison. “Seriously. One poke. Tiny poke. Barely even a poke.” He held up two fingers. “Mercy poke.”
I thought about it. Seriously considered it.
But the thing on the floor was already dying.
And now that I knew she posed no more threat to my son, I didn’t think she deserved a quick death.
She’d treated Darian like a science project.
Let her sit with the consequences of that.
Let her face people who could judge what she’d done.
Besides, Ronin’s definition of mercy and my definition of mercy occasionally occupied different postal codes.
“Let the Gray Council deal with her,” I said. “They should decide her fate.” My voice sounded tired—not angry anymore, just exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that settled into your bones after too much fear, too much adrenaline, and entirely too many portals.
“I’ll call them,” said Dolores. She looked at me. “Your phone please.” Her hand was already out.
“Uh… I didn’t bring it.” In hindsight, maybe bringing my phone on a dangerous rescue mission would have been smart. Then again, I’d also jumped into an unstable magical portal powered entirely by maternal panic, so clearly smart decisions weren’t leading today’s agenda.
“Here.” Iris pulled out a cell phone from her bag and handed it to Dolores.
I watched as Dolores turned and dialed her contact at the Gray Council, getting the shakes all of a sudden as the adrenaline wore off.
It’s not like I’d used up all my magical mojo, but traveling through a portal did take a huge amount of energy.
My muscles felt heavy. My knees hurt from hitting the floor.
My brain felt like it had been tumble-dried on high heat.
Somewhere in the distance, Ruth was still wearing aviation goggles for absolutely no reason.
“Hey, good news,” said Ronin, his own phone in his hand.
“We’re in Ettyville. That’s like an hour and a half drive from Hollow Cove.
” He looked around the laboratory. “This place feels exactly like a town called Ettyville would feel. Kind of depressing, like it has a festival dedicated to lawn maintenance.”
“Ettyville?” I asked. “That doesn’t sound like a paranormal town I know.” And trust me, after living in Hollow Cove, I’d developed a fairly solid appreciation for weird town names.
“It’s not,” said Marcus’s voice.
I looked over my shoulder at the man now. Barefoot and naked, except for the stretched white lab coat he attempted to cover himself with but failed. The lab coat was fighting for its life yet losing badly.
“It’s a human town,” said the chief. “It’s why it was hard for us to find her.” He adjusted the coat. The coat adjusted right back.
“Well, I’m calling one of my guys to come pick us up,” said Ronin, and he pressed his phone to his ear. “Because as much as I enjoy illegal laboratory raids, I don’t feel like walking for days to get home.”
“Good,” said Beverly, wiping her blouse. “I just might make my date tonight with Havier. He’s a werehorse,” she added with a grin. “And you know what they say about werehorses?” Her eyebrows waggled suggestively.
“No,” chorused Ruth and me at the same time.
Ruth laughed. “Well, I better see what’s taking Dolores so long.” She rushed through the lab, barefoot, Beverly following her. Beverly’s heels clicked against the concrete floor like she was strutting through a fashion show instead of a crime scene.
I caught a peek of Iris stuffing her bag with vials and other medical contraptions I didn’t want to know. She moved quickly too. If something wasn’t nailed down, there was a decent chance it was about to become research. At some point I’d stopped asking questions. It was healthier that way.
I could still hear Addison wheezing on the floor, but I ignored her as I turned my full attention back to my kid.
Darian was still sitting in the chair, snoring softly.
Good. Hopefully he’d missed most of this.
Being kidnapped by a dying mad scientist was already enough trauma for one week. Maybe one lifetime.
“Let’s go home,” said Marcus. He scooped up his son and cradled him gently against his chest. The giant wereape who could tear a truck door off its hinges handled Darian like he was made of glass.
For a second I just stood there, watching the love in my husband’s eyes for his son.
The anger was still there, the fear too, but beneath all of it was something stronger.
Relief. Pure overwhelming relief. We’d found him.
We actually found him. After everything, after all the panic and portals and insanity, Darian was safe.
For the first time since I’d discovered his empty bedroom, I felt my chest loosen.
Just a little. Not enough to relax. Not enough to stop worrying.
I was still a mother, after all. Worry was basically my default setting now. But enough to breathe.
I wrapped my arm around his hard biceps. “Let’s go home.”