Tested on. That fucker had his consort in a cage. Chalen Palgrave meant to treat her like a beast to experiment on. Dante’s heart raced, but something dark opened inside him. If Chalen Palgrave wanted a beast—Dante would give him one.
Megan took a step back. “Is he going to hurt me?”
Julian put a fatherly hand around the girl. “No. But I suspect I can’t say the same thing about Palgrave.”
Meg smiled brightly. “Oh, good. He’s a horrible person. I’m a pacifist by nature, but I will totally help get him in the building if he’s going to kill that man. You’ll let me keep the bunnies, right?”
Dante turned without speaking. Roan fell in beside him.
“I’m going to call some of my contacts in the police force. We’ll keep it quiet. I wouldn’t want Palgrave to destroy evidence, if you know what I mean,” Julian called out.
There was the click-clack of stilettos as Meg raced to catch up with them. She had Julian’s dark shirt wrapped around her body like a robe.
“This should be fun. I know the best way into that building.” She walked on like they were going on a fun shopping trip rather than into battle. “And now that I have a minute with you, Mr. Dellacourt, I can talk to you about organic meal pills. There’s this rancher who has come up with a way to organically produce meal pills that doesn’t even kill the cow.”
He growled her way as his car was brought from the garage.
He wanted the real Meg back.
Kaja came to in fits and starts. The world was a weird mix of past and present. She dreamed of her home, but this time she ran with Dante at her side. She on four legs and he on his two powerful ones. He ran as naked in his skin as she was in her fur, his fangs and claws on full display. It was full summer, and the plains were alive with prey. Deer and stag and moose all fled in terror at their approach, but it wouldn’t matter. They would select the fattest and feast. They were unstoppable. Stronger because they were together.
Kaja reached out to him.
I’m coming, love. I’m coming.
He wasn’t coming. He was here beside her. As it should be.
Then it was white, so white. When had the snows begun? The world was coated in white and silver and cold. So cold. She shivered despite her fur.
Where was Dante? She wanted Dante. She didn’t want to be alone again. Dante?
Hush, love. I’m coming.
But he wasn’t here, and she was sick. She felt it in her brain. She was ill and in pain. Dante!
Kaj! Calm down now.
The voice in her head had taken on a distinctly domineering tone, and Kaja responded to it. She forced herself to stop. Her head was muddy, but she could move. The ground beneath her was cold, but it wasn’t soft and wet like snow. It was hard and unnatural. Metal. She opened her eyes and closed them quickly. Too bright. Far, far too bright.
“I think it’s awake.”
The voice that spoke was cold as well. Through slitted eyes, Kaja looked up. She was in a cage, though not one as nice as the gnome’s cages. This was utilitarian. Metal bars and cold metal floor beneath her. There were two men standing beside a long metal table looking down at her. One was in a white coat that reached his knees. He wore a dress shirt and slacks underneath, and had strange gloves covering his hands. The other wore a suit much like her Dante’s.
“Funny how she changed when she lost consciousness.”
“I didn’t think so. It was disgusting. She’s a fucking dog. How does Dellacourt make himself touch that?”
Kaja knew the second voice. It was the man who had been in the car. Why had he taken her?
She was in her wolf form. She knew why she had changed. Her body wanted to heal. It was stronger in this form. Already she felt better, though still so weak.
She would not drink again. Her mind sought the connection to her husband.
“I wouldn’t know, Mr. Palgrave. I don’t understand the lure. I would much rather discover how she ticks. I’d like to start with some stimuli to see if I can get her to change back to her human form.”
Dante. I am afraid.
I know, baby. But I’m coming. I won’t leave you there. How many vampires are around you?
Kaja pulled her head up. Weary. She was so weary, but she looked around. She opened her senses and let the sights and smells of the place wash over her.
Two men. One woman. Ashley. She thought the name with a sneer.
Dante seemed to get the message. His next thoughts were hesitant. Um, I can explain about her, love. You see…
Kaja growled.
I love you, Kaj.
She would see about that. For now, she had a job to do. I’m in a small cage. I can smell three others, but they are outside the door.
And then Kaja forgot to breathe, the pain was so great. It came up from her paws and radiated through her body, sending fire through her veins. Her lungs felt tight and breath was impossible. She howled with the ache that went on and on and on.
“It doesn’t seem to be doing anything,” the man in the white coat said. Kaja watched as he took his hand off some form of button.
Her body sagged as the pain stopped. Her legs shook. She had no control.
There was a kick to her cage that sent the whole thing rattling. The man in the suit stared down at her, disgust apparent on his face. “Hey, dummy, change. We want to see your human form. Do you think it has a brain in this form?”
White Coat frowned. “I believe so. That was only a medium setting though. Perhaps we should try one higher. I don’t want to push it, Mr. Palgrave. The higher settings tend to kill off the subject or at least fry its brains.”
Kaja, what the fuck was that? What are they doing to you?
Dante’s panicked voice was screaming in her head. It was too much. They wanted her to change, but she couldn’t risk it. She could handle more in this form. If she changed and they turned on the machine, there was a huge chance that she could die. She needed time. Dante would come. He would come, and she needed to be alive when he got here.
She would take the pain.
Kaja! You talk to me right now. I felt that. What are they doing?
He’d caught her pain? That wouldn’t do. She would have to shut down their connection. She was loathe to do it. Feeling Dante was the only thing that was keeping her going.
That was why she’d been afraid. She’d been afraid of loving him. She’d been unwilling to fight for him because when she couldn’t directly feel him, she didn’t trust him. It was time to move past that. It was time to believe.
They are killing me. Come quickly. I love you, my Dante.
She closed the connection between them as the pain began again. This time she was alone, with no physical sense of Dante. As the shaking began, she realized he was with her. No matter what. She didn’t need to feel him to know he was coming.
He would always come.
Kaja howled and held on to the pain. As long as she hurt, she was still alive.
Chapter Nineteen
The hovercar stopped in midair.
Dante’s brain felt numb. Oh, his every nerve felt alive. His heart was beating so fast, he was surprised the fucker didn’t set off some alarm. His senses seemed far sharper than ever before. He could see farther, smell more. Even his hearing seemed to be on some type of steroids. He’d noticed it as they had left The Club. He’d been able to hear whispered conversations from yards away. His every sense had come to full life, but there was a hole at his center. A dead space.