SelkiesSeduction (15 page)

Fat chance. Dr. Kvordic would rather play divide and
conquer, hence his attempt to get her to play stool pigeon.
The guy running
this place, Dr. Kvordic, isn’t dumb enough to let us get together. He’s already
made a point of warning me away from the werewolves by twisting the truth about
Sasha’s relationship with the alpha. His version involves her being forced into
sex, which seems unlikely since Jackson is head over heels in love with her.
He’s really worried about her. He’s seriously gorgeous, too, so I can see why
she fell for him.

A long pause had her wondering if her description of Jackson
had upset him. Somehow, she’d thought Wolfe was too self-confident to be the
jealous type, but then again, she hadn’t known him all that long.

Trying to look natural, she rolled over on the bed so that
she faced away from the security monitors. She didn’t need some hotshot guard
picking up something from her expression.
Are you still there?

I’m here. Just watching the main building. Looks like
they’re changing guards or something. If we can figure out their schedule it
might help us plan an escape.
Another long pause.
I’m going to hide the Jeep
and find a better place to watch from. You going to be okay for now?

Now that she knew he was here? Of course she was. Already
she felt ten times more optimistic.
I’ll be fine. The maid has the bed
turned down, and I’ve already ordered my breakfast from room service.

He sent her an image of the two of them snuggling up in bed,
with a tray or coffee and cinnamon rolls on the bedside table.
Well, have
one for me, and we’ll be back together before you know it.

* * * * *

Wolfe backed his way carefully down the ridge until he was
sure no one in the compound could spot him. This was going to be harder than he’d
expected. Oh hell, who was he kidding? He didn’t have a plan when he’d taken off
after her like a cat with its tail on fire. He’d just wanted her back.

He’d assumed she’d been the only target, and he’d just shoot
a bastard or two and drag her back home with him, caveman style.

He hadn’t expected a huge compound with organized security.
This whole thing was way bigger than he’d imagined, and by the looks of that
compound, someone had spent a lot of time and money planning this.

The research he’d managed to dig up on Dr. Kvordic had been
contradictory. Either the guy was a true scientist intent on proving the
existence of nonhuman life forms on Earth or he was a megalomaniac, intent on
taking over the world.

Wolfe didn’t really care which version was true; he just
wanted Nikki out of there and the doctor stopped. From what Nikki had said
about the other inmates, there was a good chance they’d be more than happy to
help with an escape plan as long as they were included in the escapees. That
shouldn’t be a problem. Hopefully, Sasha would be in shape to get out of there
as well.

He made his way back to the Jeep he’d left parked on a dirt
logging road before he pulled his cell phone out and checked the signal. Four
bars. Good.

He punched in Todd’s number. The guy would be thrilled to
find out his sister was still alive and about to be liberated. Five rings
later, the answering service kicked in and Wolfe hesitated. He really wanted to
tell Todd himself, not leave a message and wonder if it ever got picked up. “Todd,
give me a call when you get this.” He slipped the phone back in his pocket.

Next, he backed the car into an opening between the trees
and stacked some loose leaves and branches on it. Not a very thorough
camouflage job, but at a quick glance the vehicle was no longer visible from
the road or the air. No telling if security extended past the edges of the
compound.

He pulled out the phone and called Trina and Jack, updating
them on what he’d found.

“She sounds like she’s okay for now, but we need to get her
out of there—fast. Who knows when that jerk of a doctor is going to decide to
cut her into little pieces just to see how she works. We need to get hold of
the Druid Council. They have a team dedicated to rescues. This is a major
operation, way too big for me to handle on my own.”

“I’ll inform the Druid Council. I’m sure they’ll send a
contingent.” The soothing note in Jack’s voice did little to settle his nerves.
He didn’t want to calm down. He wanted to go in there like a cowboy with guns
blazing and rescue his woman.

“They’d better be fast. I’m not going to sit on my ass while
these lunatics hurt Nikki.”

“I know you’re a loner, but promise us you won’t do anything
until we get back to you.” Trina broke into the conversation. “You aren’t going
to do Nikki any good if you get yourself killed. I’m going to make a few calls.
Give me an hour, then call us back.”

“Okay, I’ll call you back in an hour. But if it looks like
anything has changed, or Nikki’s in danger, I’m going in on my own.”

“Fair enough. Wolfe?”

“Yeah?”

“I know Nikki cares about you. Don’t do anything stupid or
she’ll never forgive me.”

Wolfe didn’t say anything for a second. “I won’t. She’d
never forgive me either. You know how stubborn she can be.”

Trina chuckled softly and put Jack back on the line. “Okay,
buddy. Hang in there and call us back in an hour. We should have something by
then.” The line went dead, and Wolfe put the phone back in his pocket.

Reaching in to the backseat, he grabbed one of the packages
of beef jerky that he’d picked up at the 7-11 in Cranbrook. Settling down in
the passenger-side seat, he said a silent prayer of thanks that he hadn’t
bought one of those super eco-friendly cars with great gas mileage and no
legroom. Putting the seat back as far as it would go, he closed his eyes and
chewed on a piece of jerky. He could sense Nikki’s presence in his mind, calm
for the moment.
I hope she managed to fall asleep.

“I don’t need you to tell me how to conduct security at my
facility.” Dr. Kvordic glared at the dark-haired man sitting across from him. “The
werewolf problem has been taken care of, and I’ve also taken steps to secure
Belgarius within the confines of an electrically charged containment field. If
he even touches it, the shock to his system will put him out of commission for
days. I don’t need your extra staff.”

He’d suspected for some time that his backers had ulterior
motives. They’d never questioned any of his financial demands, but now they
wanted to put their own people in his facility, to help with security on his
most-prized captive, Belgarius. They said they were just being helpful, but he
knew better. They were up to something.

He’d caught Gerhart skulking around the locked gate to
enclosure twenty-one last week. The electronic containment system had just been
recharged after Belgarius’s disastrous clash with the guards. They’d had to
dispose of the bodies of the two guards who’d been unfortunate enough to take
the brunt of the creature’s wrath, deep down one of the deserted mine shafts.
Belgarius had fried them from the inside out, as if they’d taken the full brunt
of a lightning strike.

He would never admit it to the Consortium, but the attack
had left him shaken and questioning the wisdom of even keeping Belgarius alive.

Gerhart crossed his arms on his chest, a frown creasing his
brow. “The Consortium doesn’t wish to upset you or your program, but we are
concerned that all of the creatures you acquire are adequately housed. We don’t
want to have to explain this facility to the locals if there is an escape. We
know the werewolves almost succeeded in freeing the selkie despite your
security measures. And the nature of the creature you have locked up in pen
twenty-one, the one you refer to as Belgarius, concerns us. The fact that you
refuse to identify its species in your reports points to it being dangerous, or
worse yet, an actual human. We cannot condone any testing done on human
subjects. That would be totally unacceptable.”

Dr Kvordic let out a dry laugh, the sound devoid of mirth.
Did they really think he was that stupid? “I assure you that the creature in
enclosure twenty-one is far from human. I haven’t identified it in my reports
because I’m not entirely sure what its genetic background is.”

Actually, he had a very good idea, but he wasn’t about to
let this corporate busybody in on his wonderful find. “I have a team working on
that question around the clock, and as soon as we manage to quantify it, I will
give you a full report. In the meantime, all you need to know is that it is
very dangerous and the measures we have taken to isolate it from the rest of
the compound are a result of that. I’m not trying to hide anything.”

Gerhart pursed his lips in that annoying way that always
made Kvordic want to slap the other man. He thought his money and his
background made him better than the rest of the Consortium. Better than him.
Stupid, shortsighted pig.

When he’d completed phase one of his research and brought
the creatures in this facility under his express control, he would show the Consortium
who was more important. He let a small smile play across his face as he splayed
his hands out on the desk and pushed himself to his feet. “If you don’t have
any further questions, I have work to do.”

“Not so fast, Gruener.” The smirk let the other man know
that he had used the hated first name deliberately. “We have a few other
concerns.”

Dr. Kvordic considered ignoring the request, but for now he
still needed these men no matter how silly and narrow-minded they were. His
research must continue. Once he managed to breed himself an army of supernaturals,
he could control the entire world, keeping it safe for normal humans. These
abominations needed to be contained before they used their supernatural skills
to the detriment of the human race.

He sighed loudly, sinking back into his chair. “Other
concerns?”

“Yes, these creatures that you’ve collected and house here
for your research. What do you plan on doing with them once you’ve concluded
your studies? You can’t just let them go.”

“Good heavens, no. Of course, I wouldn’t turn them loose.
They will stay in the compound or similar facilities where the public can come
and observe them for themselves.”

The banker raised his brows. “Sort of like a zoo for supernatural
creatures?”

“Well, yes.”

Gerhart shook his head. “We were afraid of that. Not a good
idea. We can release video to show the world, but the creatures are too
dangerous to place in close proximity with the human population. We feel it
would be best if you turned them over to us at the Consortium. We can ensure
that they are kept under strict control.”

Dr. Kvordic stared. “You can’t be serious.”

“Very serious. Is that a problem?”

“Yes.” He took a deep breath and squelched the urge to jump
up and grab the other man by the throat. “This is my research, my life’s work.
Those creatures are my specimens. Without them as proof to back up the data, I
have nothing. I’ll be laughed at by every scientist in the world.” He shook his
head emphatically. “You are not removing them from my keeping.”

Gerhart cocked his head, his eyes narrowing as he watched
him. Gruener had the uncomfortable feeling that this was what the creatures
felt like when he studied them. Trapped.

“Perhaps we can come to a compromise. It will be some time
before you are ready to release your findings, yes? We can discuss the best way
to handle the specimens before that happens.”

Dr. Kvordic nodded slowly. They were up to something, but
what? If they managed to gain access to his collection of supernaturals, they
could have any one of a number of scientists finish his research and claim the
credit for themselves. He simply would not let that happen. “I’m sure we can.
The important thing is to finish the research.” And figure out how to cut the Consortium
out of the picture before they had time to spring whatever they had planned. “Was
there something else?”

Gerhart smiled, and it did nothing to inspire confidence. “Nothing
that I’d want to bother you with right now. I know you can’t wait to get back
to your research, and I’ve already taken up a good portion of your time. If you
could make sure that we receive a full report on Belgarius once you manage to
decide what he is, I’d appreciate it.”

“Certainly.” Dr. Kvordic stood and extended his hand. “It’s
been good to see you. I’ll have one of the guards escort you to your vehicle.”

Gerhart took his hand in a firm grip and gave it a
perfunctory shake. “Thank you. Wouldn’t want to become the victim of one of
your escaped inmates.” He gathered the reports that Dr. Kvordic’s secretary had
typed up and shoved them into this briefcase. “I look forward to our next
meeting.”

* * * * *

Wolfe eased his back up against a tree where he had a good
view of the compound below. Just having the place in sight made him feel closer
to Nikki. Looking around to make sure he was invisible from the road, he
fingered the cell phone in his pocket and fixed his gaze on the habitat on the
far left.

That must be the one where they were keeping Nikki. There
was a pond and a small waterfall barely visible from his hiding spot. Strive as
he might, he couldn’t make out a lot of detail. The lush foliage within the
walled enclosure formed a thick canopy overhead, blocking his sight of the
grounds.

Nikki? You there?
He felt like he was holding his
breath, afraid of what he might do if she didn’t answer. The thought of losing
his mate so soon after discovering her didn’t bear thinking about.

Where else would I be?

He smiled at the wry note in her voice, letting out the
breath he hadn’t been aware of holding.
I thought that maybe you caught a
ride in to town to see the symphony. Heard they were doing a salute to show
tunes this month.

Couldn’t get a balcony seat, and you know how I hate to
sit down on the floor with the rest of the commoners.

Apparently, incarceration hadn’t hampered her wit.
I’ll keep
that in mind when I plan our next date.

Do that. Any idea when you’ll be coming to get me out of
here? Because right now I’d be willing to sit on the floor in row one just to
get away from these damn security monitors.

Bad?

They threatened to cut my meals in half if I used the big
bath towel to block their view of the bathroom again. I guess they like to make
sure I pee in an appropriate manner for a nonhuman.

Wolfe clenched his hands into fists, wishing he had the
perverts right there in front of him. Not allowing a girl to use the bathroom
in privacy was just wrong on so many levels. Then again, they didn’t think of
her as a girl.

The thought didn’t do anything to lower his blood pressure.

Trina and Jack have called in the Druid Council. There’s
a military arm that specializes in getting us out of delicate situations that
are a threat to the security of the council as a whole. They should be here
within the next twenty-four hours, so maybe you could just skip the showers
until then.

Don’t think that’s going to work for me.
The image
she sent him showed her jogging on the biggest damn treadmill he’d ever seen,
her beautiful hair wet with sweat and plastered to her body as she gasped for
oxygen. Rivers of sweat poured from her body, leaving damp trails marking their
progress on her clothing.
I don’t get to lie around my cage all day looking
pretty. They want to see how much I can take, or else how long before I drop
dead on them. Right now I’m not sure which it is.

Wolfe felt the stirrings of a homicidal rage swelling within
him, and he clamped down on it hard, his teeth grinding at the effort. Now was
not the time to lose control. There were too many of those damn guards for him
to try a lone assault, and Nikki needed him. He was her only connection to the
relative sanity of the outside world. He needed to concentrate on doing what
good he could do. Time to change the subject so he could try to calm down a
bit.

Okay, so you really need to shower. What is your contact
with the other prisoners like? Can you get messages to them?

They try to keep us apart, but we all use the same gym,
and the cafeteria seating is random. The doctor wants me to play stool pigeon
and convince the others to play along with his insanity, so the guards let me
talk to them as long as the security cameras can record what’s going on. Not
sure why, but he thinks I’m more gullible than the rest.

That could work to our advantage. The guys who are coming
are something like the Navy SEALs guys you see in the movies. Maybe a dozen
guys who are really good at what they do, and rescuing supernaturals from nasty
situations is exactly what they do. If you can coordinate the escape from the
inside, maybe set up a diversion so the team can get in that would be a big
help.

Ooohhh, why didn’t you tell me that before? SEALs are so
sexy!

Yeah well, don’t be getting any ideas.
He loved the
fact that she could still joke. At least, she’d better be joking.
We’re
bonded so you’re stuck with me. Thought I’d mentioned that part. And what’s so
sexy about a seal anyways? They’re not nearly as cute as, oh say, a river
otter.

She stuck her tongue out. He could see it as clearly as if
she were right in front of him, and he could feel a smile tug the corner of his
mouth. He needed to get her back. Soon. To fill the aching void left by his
missing heart.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, building a picture of
the tree house in his mind. The windows to the master bedroom were open, and a
cool breeze wafted through the open spaces. Nikki lay upon the bed, her head
cradled in the crook of his arm. The setting sun was visible through the window
to the west, streaks of gold painting a gorgeous picture in the evening sky. He
lifted his hand to stroke the silken mass of her hair from her face, uncovering
the slender column of her neck.

Nikki took over the image, opening her eyes to stare up into
his face.
You scare me, you know. This scene. It’s too peaceful, too
tempting.
She raised one finger to trace the line of his jaw.
I’m afraid
I’ll be hooked and I won’t be able to cope when it ends.

It doesn’t have to end.
In the shared vision, Wolfe
rolled over and raised himself up on his elbows above her, one hand on either
side of her head. He lowered his mouth slowly to cover hers, barely brushing
her soft lips with the tip of his tongue. Her lashes fluttered down to cover
the soft sparkle of her eyes, and he teased her lips until she opened them
willingly to accept him.

The kiss went on for an eternity, feeling almost real. Wolfe
felt her sudden inattention, and sent a mental query.

Ssshhh. Someone’s coming.

Who is it?

I don’t know yet. I can hear footsteps outside the
barrier, and there’s more than one person.

Wolfe could feel the tension rising in her, and frustration
formed a tight knot in his belly. How much more of this was he supposed to
take?

Getting down on his stomach, he squirmed his way to the top
of the ridge and focused his binoculars on the compound. A movement to the
right caught his attention. Two guards moved along the path from the main
building, a slender girl between them. The girl looked to be in her early
twenties, with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore the same
shapeless robe he’d noticed on the rest of the inmates, marking her as a supernatural.

As the trio passed in front of the forest enclosure, a wolf
stalked to the barrier and lifted his muzzle toward the sky. An eerie howl
lifted the hairs on the back of Wolfe’s neck.