Stolen and Forgiven

  “And if I won’t?” she challenged.

  The older man shrugged. “I’ll start sending him your body parts.”

  The breath was yanked from her lungs at his casual cruelty. What sort of villain could threaten to chop up a person and send her body parts to her father?

  It was…evil. Pure evil.

  She gave a disbelieving shake of her head. “You hurt me and my father and he’ll destroy you,” she warned in husky tones.

  His nose flared as if he smelled something rotten. “Careful, Ms. Wilder. Shifters who threaten me usually end up dead.”

  She believed him. She truly, truly did.

  She licked her dry lips. “What do you want with my father?”

  If possible, the Director’s expression became even more arctic.

  “Let’s just say he’s never been eager to assist the SAU,” he said, his hatred toward Jonah Wilder a tangible force. “Having you as our guest will hopefully encourage his cooperation.” The man’s reptilian eyes glittered in the light of the naked light bulb that was hanging from the ceiling. “Make the call.”

  She tilted her chin despite the fear that thundered through her.

  “I’m not going to lead him into a trap,” she muttered.

  “He won’t be hurt,” Markham promised. “And neither will you if you do as I ask.”

  Cora rolled her eyes. Did the humans think she was stupid? “I keep hearing that, but I don’t believe you any more than the other man.”

  The Director stiffened, clearly caught off guard. “Other man?”

  Cora licked her lips. Could she play the two men against each other?

  At the moment, discord among the humans was her only weapon.

  “The doctor who was just in here taking samples,” she said.

  Markham struggled to conceal his flare of anger. “Doctor?”

  “Dr. Frank Talbot.”

  “He was here?”

  “Yes.” Cora didn’t need her heightened senses to know that the man was furious at the thought of the doctor visiting her without his approval. “Just a few minutes ago.”

  “What did he want?”

  She shrugged. “He took my blood and shoved a cotton swab into my mouth.” She deliberately paused, glancing down at her bare toes with a pretense of innocence. “He took off when he heard you coming. I don’t know why.”

  There was a tense silence before Markham leaned forward to snatch the phone off the cot and pressed it into her unwilling hand.

  “Make the call, Ms. Wilder.”

  She glared into his flushed face. “I don’t trust you.”

  “Don’t push me,” he warned between clenched teeth, his icy composure in danger of shattering. “Either you make the call, or I have Grant start cutting.”

  Cora hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to put her father in danger. She’d endure any amount of torture if she knew he was safe.

  But she wasn’t naive.

  She knew that Jonah Wilder would go psycho if parts of her started showing up on his doorstep. Hell, he would burn the world to cinders to get her back.

  Swallowing a growl, Cora lifted the phone and tapped in her father’s number…

  ****

  It’d taken every bit of Soren’s skill to track the intruders after they’d climbed into their vehicles. Thankfully, they’d tossed Cora into a Jeep with a loose canvas top that had allowed her scent to escape.

  Keeping to the shadows to avoid attracting unwanted attention, he’d followed the trail from the compound to a narrow road that wound along the outskirts of Denver. Somehow, he’d assumed they would be headed to the nearby airbase. Or even the large military hospital. Instead, they continued northward.

  At last, the vehicles slowed at the edge of Boulder and turned into a long drive.

  Coming to a halt at the heavily secured fence that surrounded a large lot, Soren studied the distant brick building.

  The SAU headquarters.

  It had to be.

  Battling back his urge to storm the front gate, Soren had instead circled to the vast wilderness behind the building. His wolf form was perfect for tracking the intruders, but he couldn’t approach the guards as an animal.

  He would be shot on sight.

  Jogging along a narrow stream, he halted at a human campsite to ‘borrow’ a pair of jeans and a thick jacket he could use to cover his naked body. He also grabbed a heavy woolen scarf he could wrap around his neck to disguise the collar. Finally, he pulled a stocking hat over his hair and spilled a can of beer over himself.

  At a glance, he looked like a drunken idiot who’d become lost in the thick forest.

  To emphasize the pretense of helpless stupidity, he swayed and stumbled his way down a narrow path that led directly to the back gate.

  He was nearly at the ten-foot fence that surrounded the perimeter when a guard stepped from a small, wooden building and glared at Soren.

  Dressed in a heavy camouflage coat and matching pants, the guard towered six-foot-six at least, with the broad muscles of a weight lifter. As if that weren’t enough, he held an AK-47 in one hand.

  “Stop,” he snapped. “This is private property.”

  Soren stumbled to a halt, smiling with goofy relief. “Oh, thank God,” he muttered in slurred tones. “I didn’t think I would ever find civilization again.”

  The man scowled. “Turn around and walk away.”

  Soren took several swaying steps forward. “Look, dude, I’ve been lost for hours. My phone is dead and I need to-”

  “I said, turn around and walk away,” the guard interrupted, lifting his gun in unmistakable warning.

  “What the fuck.” Soren put his hands in the air even as he continued to stumble forward. “All I need is a phone so I can call for a ride.”

  “Not here.”

  “Why not?” Soren tilted back his head, pretending to notice the big-ass fence that blocked his path. “Is this some secret government facility?” Two more steps forward. “Shit. Do you have aliens in there or something?”

  “Or something,” the man said dryly.

  “Cool.” Another step. He hid a smile of satisfaction. He was within touching distance. “I wanna see.”

  Belatedly sensing his danger, the man gave a wave of his gun. “Take one more step and I’ll shoot your ass.”

  “Hey. I pay my taxes.” Without warning, Soren lifted his hands to shove them against the man’s chest, sending him toppling backward. “I deserve to make a lousy phone call.”

  Regaining his balance, the man lunged forward, clearly intent on smashing Soren in the face.

  “I warned you,” the guard snarled, taking a swing.

  Soren easily dodged the blow, using the movement to head back toward the nearby trees. As he’d hoped, the infuriated guard followed, taking another swing that missed by a mile.

  The guard had obviously never been in actual combat. Otherwise, he would never have allowed his anger to overcome his training.

  Two more missed jabs and several feet off the pathway, Soren was finally certain that they were out of camera range.

  Waiting for the idiot to throw another punch, Soren grabbed the man’s fist, and with one jerk, had him tossed over his shoulder. The man cried out in shock, the gun flying from his hand as he landed on his back with enough force to knock the air from his lungs.

  Stepping forward, Soren kicked him in the head, hard enough to knock him unconscious. He preferred to kill his enemies, but if he could get in and rescue Cora without any deaths, it would give the SAU less ammunition to retaliate against the Packs.

  With no time to waste, he efficiently traded coats with the guard, along with the uniform hat. Then, he reached into the man’s front pocket, a smile touching his lips.

  Keys.

  Jackpot.

  Straightening, he strolled back out of the woods, leaving the gun behind. He could kill quicker and more efficiently with his bare hands. And more importantly, he could do it without making a sound.

>   Firing off an AK-47 would alert the entire neighborhood that he was breaking in.

  With a nonchalant gesture, he lifted a thumb toward the camera on top of the fence, confident whoever was watching the feeds would assume the guard had dealt with the drunk and was returning to his post.

  Heading down the pathway, he used the keys to unlock the gate.

  Hold on, Cora, he silently pleaded. I’m coming.

  Chapter 8

  Soren swallowed a curse as he studied the steel door with the electronic lock that barred him from the lower floors.

  He’d managed to use the guard’s keys to enter the brick building and search the upper floors. No surprise, there was nothing more exciting than a few offices on the first floor and what looked like a medical lab that took up the entire top floor.

  It was obvious they hid their secrets in the basement.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t have a way to force open the door. Not without a key card to trip the lock.

  Shit.

  Retracing his steps, he jogged down the hallway, heading toward the back of the building. He’d passed by a security office that was tucked beneath the stairs. There had to be a guard with a key card inside. Or better yet, a way to turn off the entire system.

  The last thing he wanted was to get down to the basement and discover he needed yet another key.

  Only a few feet from the door, Soren grimaced as he caught the scent of a human male jogging down the stairs. There was nowhere to hide. Not unless he wanted to waste more time by taking the nearby elevator to another floor.

  Restraining his burst of impatience, he forced himself to continue forward, ignoring the security door as a uniformed guard arrived at the bottom of the stairs. One problem at a time. Dammit.

  He strolled casually past the stairs, only halting when the guard called out.

  “Stop.”

  Turning, he studied the short male with a potbelly and nearly bald head. The man’s round face was flushed with a blatant sneer, twisting the flabby features.

  “What?”

  The male reached to grasp the handle of the gun holstered at his side.

  Typical petty bully who’d been given a bit of authority. Always a dangerous thing.

  “Where are you going?”

  Soren shrugged, moving forward. “Just looking around to get my bearings. I’m new.”

  The man scowled, but like the previous guard, he didn’t seem to notice that Soren was within striking distance.

  Obviously, the SAU didn’t bother to actually train their staff.

  Dumbasses.

  “Grant didn’t say anything about a new hire,” the man said, his hand remaining on the grip of his pistol. “What’s your name?”

  Soren swiftly searched his mind. He needed to distract the man. He doubted the idiot could pull the gun and shoot him before he could rip out his throat, but he didn’t want to risk it. Not with Cora depending on him.

  “Chuck. I’m Senator Scott’s nephew,” he at last said, choosing the name of a politician who was well known for hating shifters. The bastard had made it clear he wasn’t going to be satisfied until every shifter had been caged like an animal in a zoo. “He promised me a job here if I wanted it.”

  “Shit.” The man gave a resigned shake of his head. “That’s all I need. Some politician sending me his family rejects.”

  “Hey.” Soren leaned forward, raising his voice. “Are you calling me a reject?”

  As he’d hoped, the door to the security office was shoved open, and a slender man with short brown hair and a narrow, rat-like face stepped into the hallway.

  “What the hell is going on out here?” the man demanded.

  Soren shoved his way past the first guard, heading toward the open doorway.

  “Whatcha doing in there?” he demanded, covertly making sure that the second man was unarmed. A quick glance revealed that nothing was hidden beneath the black slacks and white cotton shirt. Just the usual IT guy. “You got a TV?”

  “They’re security monitors, you moron.”

  “Oh. Let me see,” Soren pushed his head through the doorway, making a quick inventory of the long table that was loaded with computers, walkie-talkies, a sophisticated switchboard, and what looked like video recorders. There was also a narrow black box with a line of switches that he bet his left nut was attached to the alarm system.

  His attention turned to the monitors that lined one wall, his heart clenching as he caught sight of Cora. Seated on a narrow cot, she was wearing an orange jumpsuit with her hair tangled and her face marred with dirt.

  A toxic combination of relief that she was alive and rage at the sight of her locked in a fucking cage sizzled through him. A low growl rumbled in his chest, his fangs elongating as a red mist clouded his mind.

  “Get him out of there.” He heard the nerd command, feeling his shoulder being roughly grabbed.

  “Goddammit. I knew he was going to be a pain in the ass,” the first guard grumbled, yanking Soren around to face him. “Look, you entitled piece of shit…” Belatedly catching sight of Soren’s eyes that glowed with the power of his wolf and the teeth that were more animal than human, the man took a step back, fumbling for his gun. “Oh, hell.”

  With a swipe of his hand, Soren knocked the gun from the guard’s hand, sending it sliding down the hall to hit the wall with a metallic thud. At the same time, he wrapped his free hand around the man’s thick neck and began to squeeze.

  The guard made a gurgling sound, desperately reaching up to grab Soren’s wrist in a futile attempt to break his ruthless grip.

  Soren never wavered, his fingers biting deeply into the spongy flesh. Unfortunately, the bastard took longer than Soren expected to finally pass out. Which meant that the nerd had managed to dart into the security room and slam the door shut.

  Shit.

  Tossing the unconscious man to the floor, Soren lifted his leg and kicked open the door. It splinted in two beneath the impact. Stepping into the cramped room, he managed to grab the human by the back of his shirt. Giving him a sharp tug, he yanked him away from the wooden desk in the corner.

  Just for a second, he thought he’d managed to prevent a disaster. Then, as he lifted the struggling man off the ground, he caught sight of a flashing light over the monitors.

  Damn. The nerd must have set off an alarm.

  Fear twisted his gut as he slammed the man into the wall, taking satisfaction in hearing his head smack with enough force to knock him out.

  Dropping him to the floor, Soren gave him another kick just to make sure he wasn’t faking his unconsciousness before stepping over his limp body to grab the black box. With unsteady fingers, he flipped each switch, praying that he wasn’t too late.

  Then, lifting his arm, he smashed the box against the edge of the table, shattering it into a hundred pieces. Hopefully, that would prevent the doors from being locked down before he could get Cora out.

  With a last glance at the monitor that showed Cora now on her feet pacing the cell with obvious unease, he spun on his heel and headed out of the room.

  He only had a few minutes to get in and out.

  He couldn’t waste a single one.

  ****

  Frank had his shifter samples hidden in the small refrigerator that was under the built-in bar, and was hurriedly pulling on his suit jacket when the door to his office was shoved open.

  He tensed, knowing who had intruded into his private space even before he slowly turned to watch Markham stroll forward.

  “Going somewhere, Talbot?” the older man demanded.

  Frank adjusted his cuffs, pretending an indifference he was far from feeling. After all, this was his office. He might not usually work this late, but he could be there if he wanted. Right?

  Maybe he could brazen his way out of danger.

  “Home,” he said, pasting a smile on his lips. “I didn’t realize how late it was.”

  “Yes.” The man folded his arms across his chest, his pale gaze studyin
g Frank with an unnerving intensity. “Which makes me wonder why you’re here.”

  Frank waved a hand toward his desk that was stacked with file folders.

  “I had some paperwork I needed to complete.”

  “Paperwork?”

  “Yes.”

  Disbelief was etched on Markham’s square face. “And that’s the only reason?”

  He knew. Frank licked his dry lips. Someone had blabbed the news that he’d been down to the basement.

  Now, what?

  He cleared his throat, sternly reminding himself that he was Dr. Frank Talbot. He was more intelligent, more ambitious, and more suited for greatness than any other person in this idiotic organization.

  Including the barbarian glaring at him as if he’d stolen the Crown Jewels.

  “Once I heard that the guards were bringing in Cora Wilder, I decided I should stay,” he said in smooth tones.

  “An interesting decision.” Markham stepped closer, trying to use his size to intimidate him. “Would you like to explain it to me?”

  Frank arched a brow, puzzled by the question. “Obviously, I was afraid she might be in need of medical attention.”

  “Ah.” A cold, humorless smile stretched the Director’s lips. “And that’s why you deliberately went against my orders for no one to enter her cell?”

  Frank hid his annoyance. Who’d been snitching on him? Sinclair? The spineless worm who was in charge of the security cameras?

  Could it have been the shifter female?

  He gave a small shake of his head. It didn’t matter. Not now.

  With enough cunning, he could salvage his position.

  “Grant is no doubt a fine soldier, but he isn’t a trained doctor,” he attempted to reason with the condescending prick. “The female will be worthless if she dies from internal injuries your men might have unknowingly inflicted when they captured her.”

  Unimpressed by his logic, the Director took a slow, thorough survey of the office. Almost as if he were searching for something.