The Wolf Within

  But…a man in a dark gold prison uniform stared back at her. He wasn’t alone. Two others, wearing the same matching prison uniforms, were behind him. The man in the middle was big, about six foot three, maybe four, with dark black hair that had grayed slightly near his sideburns. His face was hard, so rough, and his eyes—

  They looked just like Duncan’s.

  The same glowing, bright blue that his gaze became when the beast ruled him. She could even see the shining flecks of gold in the center of this man’s eyes.

  His eyes were like Duncan’s, but his face was an older version of Connor’s.

  She’d been right. Duncan’s father hadn’t died all of those years ago.

  Hadn’t died, but he sure might have killed.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she said, lifting her chin and trying to brave her way through whatever the hell was happening.

  He inhaled. “Vampire.” He said the word the way some men might say…chocolate. Like he was about to savor a treat.

  Her knees locked. Her fangs burned. “Get out.”

  He smiled at her. “Vamp females always have a certain scent but you…you don’t just smell like a vamp.” He stalked toward her. His gaze raked over her. “There’s wolf all over you.”

  There was about to be silver in him if that jerk didn’t back off. “Guards!” Holly yelled.

  He laughed at her. “You don’t know how things work around here, do you?”

  Duncan couldn’t be that far away. Had he heard her yell? She hadn’t really yelled for the guards. She’d yelled so her lover with his enhanced hearing could pick up her cry.

  “Smells like you’ve been fucking in here.”

  Her face seemed to ice.

  “Nothin’ like fucking a female vamp…except of course…killing one.” Then he lunged toward her, with his claws up.

  She brought up her scalpel and didn’t waste her breath on another yell.

  Chapter Twelve

  The werewolves were housed in the south section. The vampires were to the north. At least, that was the spiel that the guard had given him.

  Where are you, Pate?

  The heavy, silver doors slid shut behind Duncan, and he found himself in a big, cavernous room. Dozens of men walked around, but they all froze when they saw him.

  Not men. Werewolves.

  Every single one of those guys wore a glowing silver collar. Collars all just like his. Pate’s little invention had sure been shopped around.

  So this was the general werewolf population. Only he wasn’t seeing Connor in that mix.

  His gaze drifted up. The cells were on the second level. Silver cells to imprison them when it was time to lock up the monsters again. Guards walked along that second level, guns gripped tightly in their hands. No doubt, those guns were filled with silver bullets.

  Growls reached him then. Snarls of fury. His gaze turned back to the werewolves. The group was closing in on him, and some of those faces were familiar.

  I put some of them here. Shit.

  “You,” snarled a werewolf on the right. Judd Orton. A werewolf who’d slaughtered five women on the coast. “I dreamed of slicing you open.”

  Duncan shrugged. “Better me than the humans you attacked.”

  “You’re dying!” Judd jumped toward him. His claws were out and the silver was burning his neck.

  Duncan punched him, driving his fist right into the werewolf’s face. Blood spurted as Judd’s nose broke, and Judd flopped to the floor, screaming.

  The other werewolves stopped advancing.

  “Alpha…” A low whisper that came from another convict that Duncan recognized. Charles Rist. He’d enjoyed killing children. That twisted freak should never see daylight.

  Duncan let his gaze sweep over them all. “Who’s next?”

  Charles came for him. Running and snarling, even as smoke rose from the burning skin on his neck. He swiped out with his claws, slicing Duncan across the stomach.

  And Duncan swiped out with his own claws. He gutted Charles, and the werewolf fell to the ground, screaming.

  Duncan expected shots to rain down on him from above, but when he shot a quick look up at the guards, they hadn’t moved.

  What the hell?

  But he wasn’t about to lose focus then. “Next,” Duncan said, and it was a demand.

  Only no one else stepped up. Their gazes were on the moaning Charles, and then, one by one, the men lowered their heads.

  “Alpha.” Clear. A growl from them all.

  Duncan stood before them, body tense and ready for battle. “Why aren’t the guards attacking?” His voice was low, designed to carry only to the paranormals near him.

  One man, a werewolf Duncan had never seen before, glanced up quickly at the guards, then his gaze darted to Duncan. The werewolf looked young, barely over twenty, and his face was so pale. “They like to watch us fight each other.”

  What?

  “When we kill each other,” the young werewolf continued, “that’s one less prisoner for them.”

  The werewolves were backing away from Duncan. Slinking away. No more challenges? This was too fucking easy.

  Only the pale werewolf was lingering. “You’re gonna be dead soon,” he said as he swallowed. He licked his lips. “You…you don’t want to challenge for alpha.”

  Challenge for it? Hadn’t he just damn well won the title? The competition had been slim.

  But the werewolf crept closer even as Charles crawled away. “They weren’t saying you were alpha…they were saying…s-saying they’d let the alpha take you out.”

  Oh, really? “So where the hell is he?”

  “He…he sliced open the last new werewolf and went with the guards to the infirmary. They…they let him do whatever he wants. He said…” The werewolf glanced over his shoulder. “He smelled something sweet in the air and w-wanted a bite.”

  The thunder of Duncan’s heartbeat echoed in his ears.

  Something sweet.

  There was only one sweet thing in Purgatory. And he’d left her in the infirmary.

  “The last werewolf,” Duncan forced himself to speak. “Did you get his name?”

  A fast shake of the guy’s head. “He went down too fast. Alpha…the alpha knew him. Said h-he’d finish him this time.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Duncan spun away and ran back for the silver doors that had sealed behind him. He shoved his fist against those doors. “Let me out!” He had to get back to the infirmary. Back to Holly.

  She’d said that she would leave. Be gone. Please, be gone.

  The door began to dent beneath his hammering fists. Guards shouted for him to stop. Oh, now they were getting involved? Screw that.

  The escape was supposed to go down at any time. They were cutting it to the wire. The alpha was gone. Duncan was betting that his trip out of general population had been perfectly timed so the fellow could work on the escape. Like there’d be an escape without the alpha’s permission.

  Don’t be near Holly. Don’t. Be.

  And he was in the wrong damn place. If he’d just stayed with her for a few more minutes…

  The plan was screwed.

  He kept pounding with his fists. Started to carve up that metal with his claws.

  “Stand down!” A shout from above. Duncan guessed they’d just realized the silver wasn’t working to control him. “Stand down, or we will fire!”

  Let them. He had to get out of there, and if it took some silver bullets to the back in order to get the job done, he was ready for the pain.

  Holly was in the infirmary. He suspected that Connor was there, too. He sliced open the last new werewolf. If he needed to bleed in order to get his ass taken there, so fucking be it.

  He slammed his fists into the door again.

  And the silver bullets slammed into his back.

  ***

  “You bitch!” But the words were said with admiration. Admiration? The werewolf with Duncan’s eyes stumbled back and yanked the sca
lpel out of his shoulder. He’d been too close for her to hit his heart.

  Next time.

  The doors swung open behind him, and guards came in. Gray uniformed, armed guards. “Help me!” Holly cried out. “The prisoners are—”

  They were dragging someone in behind them. A man with blond hair. His green prison jumper was soaked with blood.

  He moaned, the sound heavy with pain.

  Connor?

  “Leave him,” the werewolf—he shouldn’t have Duncan’s eyes—snapped to the guards.

  They dropped Connor and turned for the door.

  “Stop!” Holly shouted at them. “Help me!”

  But they kept going.

  And the big werewolf laughed as his men grabbed Connor’s body and tossed him onto the nearest gurney.

  “Helping you isn’t on the agenda for tonight,” the werewolf told her. “Those men…they know they need to get someplace safe and hunker down if they want to survive the night.”

  She jumped back. Grabbed another scalpel. She held it in front of her. “Who are you?”

  He tilted his head. “Isn’t it obvious?” He lifted his hands. “I’m the alpha, and I’m gonna be clawing you wide open.” His gaze drifted to Connor. “Just like I did to my sorry excuse for a son.”

  Son. She’d already known that. Her fingers clenched around her weapon.

  “The monsters are breaking out tonight, and I’m leading them to freedom.”

  His men laughed behind him. They were blocking the door. Locking her in.

  “I just needed an excuse to be brought here. Attack the new werewolf, get him so injured he had to be brought to the infirmary…and, of course, the guards were only too eager to do my bidding.”

  “You attacked your own son?”

  “Not like it’s the first time.” Anger tightened his face. “Fool thinks he has what it takes to be alpha. Only Con never had the killer instinct.”

  “Y-you do.”

  He leapt toward her. Shoved aside the table she’d stupidly hoped would be some kind of protection. “Yeah, I do.” His gaze fell to the scalpel. “Where you gonna shove that one?”

  “I was thinking in your heart.”

  He smiled. “Let’s see how that works for you.”

  She would have to be fast. Because she knew he was planning to sink his claws into her this time. If he took her head, then—

  The infirmary doors swung open.

  “I told you to stay the fuck out!” The big werewolf bellowed as he swung around.

  Only this time, the guards were different. Not the quick-to-obey men before. Men who’d been working with the werewolves.

  These guys looked shocked to see the werewolves in the infirmary, and they immediately drew their weapons.

  Immediately wasn’t fast enough. The wolves close to them attacked. Holly screamed as the humans went down, fighting desperately.

  And the man that they’d been transporting, the man on the gurney that lay so still, he was dropped to floor in the middle of the attack.

  Duncan. So bloody, so—

  Duncan leapt off the floor. He sliced into the two werewolf flunkies, sending them flying away from the humans before they could go in for the kill.

  The humans were bloody, unconscious, but still breathing.

  Duncan rushed toward the other werewolf. Then, just a step away from him, Duncan froze.

  Holly’s heart was thundering in her chest. Duncan’s eyes had widened as horror washed over his face.

  “Well, well…” The werewolf was smug. Shocked, but smug. “Knew I’d find you again someday, son.”

  “You…” Duncan’s voice was hoarse.

  “Ian,” the werewolf said. “Name’s Ian, and I’ve been looking for you a very long time.”

  She was just standing there. Screw that. Holly ran toward Connor. The breath hissed from between her teeth when she saw the damage that had been done to him. He needed to transform in order to heal from those injuries, but he’d lost so much blood that she feared he was too weak for the shift.

  “He’s already dead,” Ian said, without looking at her. “Boy was always useless. Always fucking crying.” He crept toward Duncan. “For you. He thought you’d come and save him.”

  “Y-you killed my family.” Duncan sounded lost, almost like a child.

  Holly started trying to apply pressure to Connor’s wounds. If she could stop the blood flow…

  Connor’s eyes opened. His hand flew out and wrapped around her wrist.

  “I am your family!” Ian roared this. “That bitch of a useless mother tried to take you from me. I found you, and I made sure she never betrayed me again!”

  “Her blood…” Duncan’s voice was a whisper. “I was in her blood. It ran under the closet door.”

  Ian swore. “I knew I smelled you in that house, but the cops were coming. I had to hurry, and then they hid you.”

  Connor stared up at Holly. There was so much rage, no, hate, in his stare.

  Then Connor’s gaze cut to Ian and Duncan.

  “And here you are…at the perfect moment.” Ian’s voice rose. “You can help me. We can take over this prison, bust out, just like I planned, and then we’ll make the humans all fucking sorry.”

  “How’d you plan it?” Duncan asked, and his voice held no emotion.

  Connor was nearly breaking her wrist. Been there, done that once already. She’d prefer not to have the bones snap again.

  “I got connections…thought gettin’ tossed in here was the end for me. I didn’t realize it was just the beginning.”

  “No.” Duncan shook his head. “It is the end. For you.” His shoulders pushed back. There was so much blood on him, but he didn’t seem to be weak in any way. “I remember you.”

  “Do you?” Ian’s claws were at his sides.

  “I remember hearing my mother scream. She was begging for you to stop.”

  Ian laughed. She hated his laugh.

  “I remember the sound of my brother’s voice, asking me to help him.”

  Ian was still laughing.

  “I was too afraid to move then. Too afraid to speak. My mother had told me to stay quiet. No matter what happened…stay quiet.”

  Connor was lifting Holly’s hand toward his mouth. His claws sliced her skin, but she bit her lip, refusing to cry out. She knew what he wanted.

  What Duncan wanted.

  She was trying to help them both.

  “I’m not going to be quiet any longer.” Duncan smiled at Ian, and the sight was chilling.

  Her blood dripped into Connor’s mouth.

  “The first time I saw Connor, I knew he looked familiar. But it was your face that I was really starting to remember.” Then Duncan jumped forward. His claws wrapped around Ian’s throat. “You took my life away.”

  Ian didn’t look scared. Didn’t act scared either. He drove his claws into Duncan’s throat.

  Holly screamed and jerked away from Connor.

  But Duncan didn’t so much as flinch from the attack. “I’m not some little whelp that you can kick around any longer.” His fangs were lengthening. “I’m the alpha now, and you’re just the killer that needs to be stopped.”

  A low hiss filled the air then. And Ian’s chilling laughter sounded once more. “You think I’m alone in this?”

  The gas drifting from the vents was just like the backup security system that Pate had installed at the containment center in Seattle. Was this where he’d gotten the idea? Or had he taken steps to have his system also installed here?

  She covered her mouth, but the gas didn’t seem to be doing anything to her. It wasn’t even stinging her throat.

  Connor was motionless on the gurney.

  “The gas is the first wave. Only it’s not taking out the paranormals. It’s gonna knock out all the humans. Then it won’t matter who has the controls to the fucking collars. It won’t matter who has the silver bullets. The guards who aren’t already paid off will fall, because the others—the ones working with
me—they’ll be the ones in gas masks running for the doors.”

  Holly’s gaze flew around the room. There were no controls to the collars in there. There were more surgical instruments though, against that back wall. She could rush over there and get more silver to help Duncan.

  “Who set this up?” Duncan gritted.

  But Ian wasn’t looking at him any longer. Ian’s bright blue gaze had come to rest on Holly. “What did you make him?”

  She wouldn’t, couldn’t, speak.

  “I tried to get a vampire to convert me once, but the bitch wouldn’t do it.”

  Good for her.

  “So I cut off her head.”

  Not so good.

  “If you cut off her head, Connor, I’ll take you back.”

  What?

  Then she felt the hand on her shoulder. Connor, not so still anymore. Standing right behind her. She could feel the press of his claws on her skin.

  “Kill her,” Ian ordered, “and you can walk out of here with me. All will be forgiven. We can start fresh.” His gaze darted to Duncan. “My two sons. We’ll fucking rule this new world.”

  “The new world?” Duncan repeated. “You mean the world where you start attacking the humans.”

  “We’ve lived in the shadows long enough!”

  “No, you’ve just lived long enough.”

  Connor wasn’t attacking her. Whatever he’d done, she didn’t believe he was like his father.

  Neither was Duncan.

  She broke away from Connor. Grabbed for the scalpel on the back table. I can’t let his father’s death be on him.

  Some sins shouldn’t be carried.

  Duncan yelled her name, but she didn’t stop. Her fingers were tight on the scalpel, and she moved as fast as she could. What good was being a vamp if you never used your power? So she amped up her power and moved faster than she’d ever moved before.

  It seemed like everyone around her was moving in slow motion. Connor was lunging for his father with bared fangs.

  Duncan was reaching for her.

  Ian was smiling.

  Smiling…

  And lifting a weapon she’d never seen. A wooden stake that had been tucked in his prison overalls.

  So even as she stabbed down with her knife—slicing over the bastard’s throat—he shoved that stake into her heart.