14. Chapter 14
“Wait here,” I whisper to Ray. He’s shivering, terrified. There are at least a dozen men, they’re going to find us if we stay. They only want me. “I’ll lead them away, then I need you to run. Get as far away from here as you can.”
He nods, his eyes wide. I slip through the rusted corrugated metal that runs along the side of the broken foundation, then shift, letting out a pathetic howl to alert the intruders to my presence. It’s the best I can muster, but it’s good enough.
I hear shouting, then barks as the pack shifts for the pursuit.
The darkness is absolute and as I race through the swamp, I stumble, then backtrack, twisting and turning, hoping that I’m giving Ray enough time to escape.
They move closer and I realize that I need to hide, that my only chance is the parish church a few miles away.
I head in that direction, slowing occasionally to make sure they’re still in pursuit.
As soon as I hit the consecrated ground, I shift, rolling onto the grass, naked and terrified, scurrying towards the rectory.
The brick foundation has a small gap, barely big enough for me to scramble through.
I crawl deeper into the dank hole, shivering as the agitated barks of the rival pack grow closer.
They won’t dare enter, but Ray, I hope that I’ve given him enough time to escape. He could be in town by now, maybe he made it to the police station. The pursuer’s barks and howls drift away and I try to get comfortable, to rest for a few minutes.
A few minutes turns into hours and when I wake, it’s daylight and Ray is gone.
I felt like I was walking through mud — drifting in and out of myself.
Sleep had been difficult. I kept waking up, kept thinking about Nadia, about Ray.
Isla looked as tired as me. She fingered the mark beneath the scarf she had wrapped around her neck and smiled.
The connection was there, surprisingly, different than it was with Nadia, but I was aware of her in a way that I wasn’t before, and I liked it.
I also liked that I could see her face, really see it, see her.
I enjoyed the way her features came together, the way they set her apart from Nadia and I could see the difference.
It was incredible. She was even more beautiful than I’d anticipated, but I hadn’t told her yet.
I wasn’t sure why I was holding back, but it was something I wanted to keep for myself and I’d tell her at some point.
Just not now.
Albert had joined us a few minutes earlier. I appreciated that he was so concerned about Nadia, but I was aware that self interest played a large role. The Peerage couldn’t allow violence against humans, that was its explicit mandate, and if human women were dying, drastic steps had to be taken.
“Do you know where Gus is?” I asked as our conversation drifted back to the case.
“He’s back in Baton Rouge, but we're sending someone else to deal with him. Your place is here.”
“I have to go,” I lowered my voice to a growl. “This case is personal, it involves my mate and my family.”
“Another team is being called in. They know what they're doing, and after the shitshow in Talinsk, I’m not sure if you’re ready for another assignment.” Albert paused and stared at me. “Gus has to die, Max, and we don’t want you hesitating because of your connection.”
“You sent me to track him in Alaska, what’s the difference?”
“We had our reasons.”
I took a step closer. “I'm going whether you send me or not.”
Albert opened his mouth to respond, but a nurse emerged from the ICU, walking towards us and interrupting the conversation.
“Nadia Popova is awake. She’s asking for Max.”
“Yes, that’s me.” My heart jumped and I tabled the conversation with Albert for later.
“She wants to speak with you, but I can only give you five minutes.”
“I understand.”
There were four beds in the long, sterile room, spaced equally apart, lined against the wall.
Hers was the only one that was occupied.
I caught a hit of her scent as I approached, then gripped her hand.
It was difficult to see her like this, but when she opened her eyes and gave me a weak smile, I knew she’d survive.
“Max,” she murmured. Her lips were dry and cracked, and it was tough to see the tubes running out of her body, but she was alive and that was enough for now.
I looked at her, still saw her face, her stunning features — the small scar and dark eyes exactly where I expected them to be, my wolf stilled.
“How are you feeling?” I rested the back of my hand against her forehead and she gifted me with a faint smile.
“Different.” She shifted her body, then grimaced. “I’m sorry…,” she started, her face twisting as tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t plan on…any of this. I didn’t know…”
“It’s not your fault.” I gripped her hand, relishing the bond between us. It was weak, but still there. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, then focused on me again.
“There’s…a flash drive…in my jeans…information…
,” she grimaced and the monitors started beeping.
Her eyes closed and her body seized violently.
I backed away as the nurses rushed in to stabilize her.
Seeing her in pain was the worst kind of torture, but I stayed, watching as a nurse shoved a needle into her arm and the beeping slowed.
Dr Serkis rushed in, checking her feed and making a note on her chart.
I wanted to talk to him but a stern looking nurse led me away.
“Where are her things?”
“Over here,” she said, guiding me to a locker in a separate room, then opening the door. I rustled through the clothing, faint hints of Nadia’s scent wafting around me, then reached into her pocket, palming the flash drive and discreetly tucking it into my pocket.
I looked back, stealing one last look at her and Dr Serkis approached me, excusing the nurse.
“How is she?”
“She’ll make it; she’s strong,” he said.
“There’s a but in there somewhere.”
“But she won’t be a lycan.” He paused, letting that sink in.
“Her genome is rejecting the modification. Reverting. We’re guiding her body through the process, but there will be a few more bumps in the road before we get to where we need to be.
Despite what just happened, things are progressing well. ” he said and relief filled me.
“You told me on the plane that you weren't sure she was human. Do you know what she is?”
“Not yet and she wouldn’t answer our questions. We’ll have her bloodwork panels back soon and that should tell us something.”
I thanked him and turned to leave. She was stable, for now, and I had a job to do. There was no way Albert was going to sideline me on this. I was involved whether he liked it or not and I hoped like hell that I could reason with Gus, bring him back from the darkness he’d embraced.
He was better than this.
Albert and Isla greeted me. She turned around, staring in my direction, arms folded, clearly frustrated. They had been talking about me and I knew I wouldn’t be happy with what they decided.
“Albert…” I started and he cut me off, pushing up his glasses as he turned to stare at me. I knew that I’d get what I wanted, but if I failed, it would cost me everything.
“I’ll give you one week on this, but if it’s not resolved one way or the other, I’m sending another team.
” I didn’t need him to tell me what resolved meant.
I already knew. Our eyes locked and he cleared his throat, his calm demeanor returning.
He turned to leave, not waiting for a response.
“I’ll be available if either of you need anything. ”
“Let’s go,” Isla murmured, grabbing my arm and dragging me towards the exit. I had a week to get to Gus, convince him to help us or kill him. I could already feel the clock ticking; there was no turning back.