Chapter 11

“Mate.”

The deep, guttural voice startled her awake, her eyes snapping open. She groaned, muscles stiff and her whole body aching. She couldn’t recall how many times she’d had sex in the past few … days? How much time had passed since her heat started?

She still didn’t know. But she’d been fucked so thoroughly, her body still buzzed with aftershocks of pleasure.

Aside from her short bouts of sleep, she’d spent most of her time taking her werewolf’s cock either in her pussy or her mouth, where he’d fed her, keeping her nourished for their vigorous breeding sessions.

He’d even done his best to clean her, using his tongue to remove the excessive cum and sweat that lingered on her flesh. It had been both exhilarating and alarming, having a werewolf lick her like she was a pup in need of care after making her cum harder than she had in her life.

But surprisingly, she did feel cleaner than before.

God, what she wouldn’t give for a proper shower. Or some clothes.

At least there is a toilet in here, and my cramping is completely gone. Not even a trace of the pain remained, and it left her feeling strangely normal. Enhanced senses, aside.

She blinked, looking around the room as she stifled a yawn. Before she could fully gain her bearings, a tongue licked over the side of her neck, lapping on the bite mark Victor had placed on her skin.

Victor …

Wait—had he spoken to her?

With a gasp, Sofia jerked up and into a sitting position. She looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with her werewolf, who was awake and curled up on the floor behind her.

His eyes no longer glowed that deep shade of red. Instead, they were back to that magnificent, ethereal amber.

Thank God.

“Victor!” Sofia’s breath caught, emotion clogging her throat.

“Sofia,” Victor crooned, a deep, vibrant hum erupting in his chest as he spoke her name. “You need rest,” he drawled slowly, emphasizing each word as if it was difficult to speak.

She didn’t care how long it took him to utter a single syllable; he could talk again!

Her breath caught, and tears of relief filled her eyes. “You’re okay!”

Before she could stop to consider her actions, she threw herself at him, burying her face in his furry chest and wrapping her arms around his waist.

His low hum stalled out, but as he returned her affection, his hands finding her ass and dragging her closer to him, the rumbling noise picked up again. She found it soothing, and her eyelids grew heavy, the urge to sleep trickling in despite the fact she’d only just woken up.

She couldn’t help her reaction—it felt good to be in Victor’s arms like this. To be held so protectively.

Turning back onto his side, Victor pulled Sofia along with him, adjusting their bodies until he was curled around her small frame once more, her head resting on his arm and his legs intertwined with hers. His cock was hard between them, but he ignored it, so she did too.

A large hand sifted into her tousled hair, his claws lightly untangling some of the matted strands. “Are you … hurt?”

“Just a little sore,” she admitted, nuzzling his chest with her nose. His scent invaded her lungs, and greedily, she inhaled his fragrance, a small whimper of satisfaction pouring from her throat. “You smell nice.”

Better than nice. Like a mixture of musk, pine, sex and …

Me.

Her brows pinched together in confusion, even as her heart fluttered in appreciation. They’d been inseparable for days, at least, but how was her own scent so potent on him? It was like he was producing her own scent himself, like it was emanating from his very pores. That didn’t seem natural.

What is anymore?

Victor’s hand moved from her hair and to her neck, delicately tracing her bite mark. She shivered at the touch, grateful that it didn’t feel painful.

“It’s not infected or anything, is it?” she asked hesitantly. “I can’t see it, so I don’t know if it’s healing right, but it doesn’t hurt or anything.”

“Healed,” Victor grated out.

“Healed?” She pulled her face away from his chest, staring up at him in shock. “Completely?”

He hummed in answer.

“B-But how? You bit me a few times, Victor. I don’t heal that fast.”

“Saliva can heal.” He leaned down, lapping at her neck again. His warm breath skated over her flesh, and she arched her back, a soft moan escaping before she could contain it.

His rumbling growl of interest had her pussy spasming, slick spilling from her center in a matter of seconds. Just like that, she was ready for him. Eager for his cock to sink inside her.

He inhaled roughly, and then pinned her beneath him, looming over her like a beast ready to stake his claim. His eyes remained that beautiful amber, shining with lust and an emotion far too vulnerable for the place they were trapped in.

“Why did you bite me?” Sofia licked her lips. “Was it because of the mating heat?”

Because he hadn’t been in control of himself?

Victor stilled above her, his glowing gaze tracing over her face before lingering on the mark. “You are my mate,” he rasped slowly. “Mine.”

The words settled over her like a warm blanket, the possessive note in his voice far more enjoyable than she’d ever thought it would be.

Had anyone ever looked at her like this? Like she was an integral part of their life? Had they ever spoken to her as if her presence truly mattered?

She couldn’t recall and wasn’t that depressing?

After she’d been orphaned, the state had placed her in foster care until she was eighteen years old.

But even before she’d become an adult, she’d had to rely solely on herself. She’d bounced from foster home to foster home, living with people who viewed her as an easy paycheck rather than a child in need of love and care.

Growing up in a cold environment like that … It had been a lot. Sofia had to adapt to her surroundings. She’d become a fiercely independent woman, someone that refused to need anyone.

But now, in the most vulnerable time of her life, she’d found someone that she wanted to trust in.

But why did she feel this way? She refused to accept that it was the breeding serum. It had only altered her body, not her emotions, right?

Was it the sex, then? With Victor, she’d experienced a different plane of existence with her pleasure. Sex could heighten emotions, but she’d never felt it quite like this before.

Then again, she’d never been abducted, experimented on and forced into a breeding program with a supernatural creature that she’d ended up have frenzied, amazing sex with.

“Mate?” she asked, feeling suddenly shy. He’d called her that before, along with Omega. Didn’t wolves mate for life? Is that what he meant? “What does that mean, exactly?”

And why didn’t she feel upset about possibly being his mate?

Victor’s amber eyes darkened with emotion. “I protect you. Care … for you. Keep you safe. Love you.”

“Oh.” She blushed, and heat spread from her cheeks down to her neck, her pulse beating hard in her ears from his declaration.

Victor reached out, the pads of his fingers light on her skin. He traced the path of her blush and went further, his palm skating between her breasts and down. For a moment, she thought his destination was her pussy, so she spread her legs in invitation, anticipation heating her from the inside out.

But Victor stopped his hand at her lower belly and cupped it tenderly. “Keep you both safe,” he uttered.

Sofia stared up at him, and when his words finally registered, she stiffened in shock. “Both?”

Oh, fuck.

The warmth she’d felt disappeared, replaced by an ice-cold panic that she couldn’t suppress.

“I’m pregnant?” she asked faintly, glad she was lying on the floor. That way, if she passed out, she wouldn’t hurt herself.

Victor nodded. “Heat stopped. Can scent it.”

“Scent what? The baby?” she hissed out, squirming until she moved out from under him. Sitting up, she cast a frightened glance at the glass wall. It was opaque, as it had been since her heat had officially started.

But that didn’t mean scientists weren’t lurking on the other side of the glass, listening in on their conversation. Although, usually she heard them mulling about, thanks to the breeding serum they’d forced upon her.

Now, she didn’t hear a single sound through the glass. Not a brush of pen on paper. Not the clacking of keys, or the soft chatter of voices.

Focus!

“I can’t be pregnant,” Sofia whispered, shaking her head in denial. “It’s only been a few days, at most, since you first knotted me. That’s too soon!”

It took days for the sperm to meet the egg for conception, if it even happened, not hours! But her heat was gone, and Victor wasn’t crazed anymore.

If she really was pregnant … Oh, fuck, they were going to take the baby out of her and experiment on it, too.

Sofia let out a distressed whimper. “I can’t be pregnant,” she muttered, terror gripping her heart.

Dr. Connors told you this would happen. The heat and Victor’s frenzy would only abate with pregnancy.

And now it had.

Victor’s hand slipped from her belly, finding her ankle and closing around it. His thumb caressed her, and despite her growing fear, she found comfort in the action. But there was no true comfort to be found in this situation.

They were prisoners, trapped in hell. And they’d brought a baby into this mess to be fodder for some sick scientists.

Nausea churned in her gut.

“You are Omega.”

“You keep saying that word, but I don’t understand,” Sofia snapped, shoving his hand away from her and standing to her feet. Her legs felt like jelly, her muscles too tender as she moved away from Victor.

Suddenly, she wasn’t tired. She was too full of energy and needed to extinguish some of it before she went crazy.

We need to get the hell out of here! Fuck, how do we get out of here?

She didn’t know, and that just made her panic worse.

“I don’t understand any of this!” She wanted to punch the wall or scream in frustration.

Victor stood as well, slowly stalking her movements around the room. It made her feel hunted, but instead of more fear rising inside her, a small thrill zapped down her spine.

“Not human,” Victor rumbled. “Not anymore.”

She stilled. “What do you mean, Victor? I’m human,” she argued hotly, her voice rising.

Victor shook his head. “No. You’re not.”

Chapter 12

Sofia gaped at Victor, unblinking.

She wasn’t human?

Why would Victor say such a thing? Did he actually believe that?

Whatever he thinks … he’s wrong!

Almost as if he could read her mind, her werewolf lifted a hand to his face, tapping his nose with a clawed finger. “Can smell it on you. Omega.”

She shook her head in denial. “You’re mistaken. M-Maybe you’re smelling yourself on me, and you’re confused.”

That was a plausible explanation, right? He had to smell otherworldly. Maybe the combination of their scents—

“No mistake.” Victor prowled toward her, his padded feet thumping lightly on the ground as he moved. Reaching out, he wrapped his large hand around her neck, his thumb resting under her chin. He tilted her head back, forcing her gaze up to his.

Piercing amber eyes shined down on her, so intensely her breath caught, some of her anxiety fading as she found herself lost in those glowing depths.

“Omegas are wolves,” Victor explained, his words guttural but not unkind. His thumb slid up, the tip of his claw grazing her lower lip. His hulking frame towered over her as he took another step forward. The fur from his torso pressed against her breasts, his body heat both soothing and coaxing. “What you are now.”

Sofia’s mouth dried, shock freezing her in place for what felt like a small lifetime. Finally, she sputtered, “You think I’m a werewolf? Like—Like …” she trailed off, her eyes widening as she stared up at Victor.

Like Victor? Then why didn’t she look like him? Why was she still so remarkably human?

“That’s impossible.” She didn’t want to believe it. It couldn’t be true—and yet …

Her sense of hearing and her eyesight were so much better than they were before she’d been abducted.

She’d gone into a damned mating heat, for crying out loud, behaving in a way she’d never experienced in her entire life. Needing sex, needing Victor’s cum for nourishment, and his cock to sate the vicious lust clawing inside of her …

And Victor—she was so drawn to him. She desired him when she should have been terrified of his very existence. Even now that her heat had finished, she still wanted him sexually. She’d tried to deny it at first, to pretend his appearance turned her off, that even if she felt something, it was just the breeding serum twisting her mind—but she’d been lying to herself.

The things they’d done together these last few days proved that—as did the fact she’d spread her legs for him right now if he wanted to fuck her. She’d give in that easily, just for another chance for him to fill her with his cock, to take her savagely until she couldn’t feel anything but him.

Did she feel so connected, so drawn to him because the scientists had changed her into a werewolf, too?

She had so many questions, and now that her mind wasn’t clouded from mating heat, they were impossible to ignore. Coupled with the fact she was likely pregnant, she felt like her head was spinning.

What the hell was in that breeding serum?

She’d naively thought it was just some kind of concoction to increase her fertility and arousal, but humans didn’t experience a mating heat. Was the breeding serum that potent?

And why were her senses now enhanced if she’d only been given a breeding serum?

Victor said she smelled like a werewolf—if he was right, then the scientists had done something else to her.

Just like they’d done to him. He was a werewolf, yes, but Dr. Connors admitted to altering him physically. Of altering his genetics to make him more animalistic.

Was it really such a stretch to assume they’d altered her genetically, too?

No. No, it wasn’t.

They’d needed to ensure she could conceive a werewolf baby, and how better to do that than by making her DNA more compatible with Victor’s?

Nausea churned in her gut, the bite of acid creeping up her throat and threatening to overwhelm her. She swallowed thickly, breathing deeply until the sensation passed. She needed to be resilient, not wither away like a flower in a storm.

Her hand fluttered protectively to her belly. Now, more than ever, she needed to be strong.

And the only way to do that was to face the things that frightened her head-on. Starting with the truth.

“They made me into some version of a werewolf,” she uttered faintly, tasting the words on her tongue. Surprisingly, they weren’t as abhorrent as she would have thought, and a sense of rightness settled over her shoulders. “The breeding serum they injected me with …” She swallowed past the lump in her throat, forcing herself to continue. “It wasn’t just a breeding serum.”

And one way or another, she’d figure out what they’d done to her. What they’d done to Victor and to those other women they’d kidnapped before her.

A sudden thought intruded.

Those other women who’d died early in the trials before ever meeting Victor—had they died because they’d been turned into werewolves too? Had their bodies not been able to handle being turned into a supernatural creature?

If that was the case, then why had Sofia survived? What had made her different from all the rest?

Another question entered her mind before she could beat it back.

“Victor …” Sofia lifted her hand, her fingers locking around his thick wrist. “The women before me—the ones they presented to you … Why did you kill them?”

She knew he had difficulty controlling his instincts, but the sides of him she’d seen so far … He didn’t seem like a cold-blooded killer. He didn’t seem like a man who would ruthlessly slaughter innocent women.

You don’t know him, a voice whispered insidiously in her mind. Sofia ignored it.

She trusted Victor, and she wouldn’t let her own doubts, her own past, distort her judgment of him.

Victor’s gaze shuttered, and he withdrew his hand from her face. “Smelled wrong.”

He turned away from her, his shoulders slumping in what she could only describe as shame. Sympathy welled up within her.

“Wrong how?” she pressed, keeping her hold on his wrist firm. Gently, she tugged on his arm, hoping he’d turn back around and face her. “Talk to me, Victor. Please.”

With a deep growl, Victor spun around, looming over her. He bared his fangs at her before snarling, “Weak. Dying.”

“So you killed them,” she guessed, refusing to shrink away from him, even when a low, menacing rumble reverberated from his chest.

“Yes,” he growled. “To save them … from some … thing worse.”

Immediately, Sofia felt relieved by his answer. She could only imagine what he meant—more experiments, more humiliation and torture.

She licked her lips, weighing whether she should ask him another question about the women or leave things alone for now. It was clear that he didn’t want to talk about what he’d done. She didn’t blame him. But while they were on the subject, she had to know more.

She had to understand him.

“The scientists told me you tore those women to pieces, Victor,” she continued, keeping her voice light and not accusatory. “Is that true?”

“Did after … they died,” he confirmed, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. He rumbled out, “Can’t control … bloodlust. The smell …” He snapped his teeth together in agitation, as if he was struggling to find the right word. “Entices me.”

Sofia hummed in answer, biting her lower lip. Part of her was tempted to ask more, but she let the subject rest, not wanting to agitate him further. She glanced over at the glass wall, listening intently for any kind of movement on the other side.

Still nothing.

She released a small breath.

“Is that why you spared me when we met?” She squeezed his wrist, her thumb sliding over his pulse point in what she hoped was a soothing manner. “Because I didn’t smell like I was dying?”

She knew she was the healthiest of all the women the scientists had experimented on—she still remembered their remarks while she’d been fighting off the sedation.

Victor moved so suddenly, Sofia couldn’t even track the movement. One second, he was standing aloofly in front of her. The next, he had her pinned against the wall, his arm wrapped around her waist. He lifted her until she was eye-level with him, his nose so close to hers.

“You are … my mate, Sofia,” he rasped ardently, his deep voice straining as he spoke. “My Omega. Mine. Even sick … could never hurt you.”

Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest at his declaration. She didn’t know what he meant about her being his mate, or an Omega, but she wanted to know more.

She needed to know everything she could about Victor’s world. Needed to arm herself in any way that she could if she planned on protecting their child from harm.

“Victor,” she murmured, leaning forward. The tip of her nose brushed his, and she slid her eyes shut, simply taking comfort in his presence.

Right as she opened her eyes, the lights went out.

She gasped, flinching in Victor’s hold. “What’s happening?”

Victor pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. A subtle tremble wracked down his body. He was afraid.

Oh, God.

Then she heard it; the unmistakable sound of air being released from the vent in the ceiling.

They were being gassed again!

A small whimper of fear escaped Sofia, right as Victor’s hold on her loosened. He stumbled, and sluggishly, she clung to him.

Why did the gas feel so much stronger this time?

Fight it! she wanted to scream at her werewolf, but her lips wouldn’t cooperate, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth.

A second later, Victor toppled backward, taking her with him even as his arms fell away from her waist.

She was unconscious before they hit the ground.

Chapter 13

Sofia woke with a gasp, the panic she’d felt before she’d fallen unconscious sweeping through her with a vengeance. Her heart pounded, dots of sweat beaded on her forehead. Her mouth was dry, her throat raw as she sucked in harsh puffs of cold air. 

Bright light hung overhead, the familiar sound of machines beeping nearby drawing her fully awake. She blinked, her vision blurry, and her head swimming. As it cleared, she tensed, flexing her arms and feet against the restraints pinning her wrists and ankles to the bed.

She couldn’t move, and she was still naked, though the small milky stains on her skin were gone.

They’d cleaned her while she’d been unconscious. It was a small courtesy, but she couldn’t find it within herself to feel grateful. Not for these people.

She blinked again, clearing the last of the fog from her sight before she focused on the people surrounding her.

The only person she recognized was the scientist slumped over a desk on the other side of the room, furiously typing onto a keyboard while he stared at a computer screen.

Dr. Hines.

Revulsion crawled up her spine at the sight of him, but she vastly preferred his company over Dr. Connors, who was luckily nowhere in sight.

Another person, a small woman with blonde hair pulled back into a long, curly ponytail, sat beside Dr. Hines, jotting notes down on a clipboard while the man muttered something to her. A badge was pinned to the lapel of her lab coat; a square picture of her smiling face, with the word ‘INTERN’ in bright, bold red lettering just below her photo.

The smiling photo was enough to piss Sofia off—how depraved were these people? To not only work here, hurting people, but to be happy about it? It was vile. Disgusting.

I hope they all rot in hell, she seethed inwardly, clenching her hands into fists. Her nails dug into her palm, the slight dull pain grounding her to reality.

Swallowing past the dryness in her throat, Sofia turned her head from side to side, static crackling from where her hair rubbed against the flat pillow beneath her.

A tall man with black hair and wearing hospital scrubs stood beside the heart monitor on her left, watching her pulse rate climb on the screen. An IV stand was nestled right beside her bed, a half-full bag of fluids dangling from the pole. Wires connected the drip to an IV inserted on her left inner elbow.

Panic squeezed her heart like a vise. “What is this?” Her words were slurred, but audible. “What are you doing to me?”

Giving her some other kind of serum that would damn her further? What if they were doing something to her baby?

The blonde woman’s head jerked up from her clipboard, black plastic glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose. Quickly, she pushed them back up into place, setting the clipboard onto Dr. Hines desk. “She’s waking, sir.”

Dr. Hines grunted in answer, his gaze not straying from his computer screen.

“What are you doing to me?” Sofia spat, struggling against her restraints.

“You’re alright, Ms. Morales,” the woman continued, sending Sofia a small, reluctant smile that didn’t quite reach her blue eyes. “You’re being injected with fluids and a few antibiotics to help you feel better.”

“Antibiotics? For what?”

“Subject Zero bit you during his mating frenzy,” Dr. Hines explained flippantly, still clacking on his keyboard as if he was discussing the weather with a friend and not talking to someone he’d kidnapped. “We’re ensuring he didn’t infect you with anything that would be tedious to undo.”

They were worried about her health? An insane urge to laugh bubbled up, though it never passed her lips.

“Her heart rate is slightly elevated, but it’s no cause for alarm,” the man in scrubs said, reading whatever was on the monitor. “Hydration levels are still a little low, but a few more rounds of fluids and she’ll be in proper condition to return to her cell.”

“And her hunger?” Dr. Hines asked absentmindedly. “Is that a concern?”

“No signs of malnourishment,” the man beside Sofia continued, studying the monitor intently. “From the videos we’ve reviewed, it appears Subject Zero’s semen has been keeping her fed. He, on the other hand, requires better treatment. He’s suffering from both dehydration and malnutrition. And after mating with his breeding partner for five days, he’s exhausted.”

Five days? Had they really mated for that long? Aside from the pleasure, she couldn’t recall too much.

“Dr. Connors is providing Subject Zero with a limited amount of food and water as we speak,” Dr. Hines commented dryly, his fingers flying across the keyboard before he paused abruptly. “Our werewolf won’t be receiving much more than the necessary amount to keep him alive. With enough strength, he’ll be too much of a threat. You saw how alert he was when we retrieved him from Ms. Morales’ cell less than an hour ago. He needed another round of sedation before we could move him. Imagine what he could do if he was in prime physical condition.”

Sofia’s breath caught, a faint thread of hope stirring within her. Did they think Victor might be capable of escaping?

“Keeping him weak is our only option,” Dr. Hines finished.

Indignation rose through Sofia at the droll comment. It wasn’t enough that they’d kidnapped and tortured him; they were starving him, too.

And he’d still been doing whatever he could to take care of her.

My poor werewolf. Tears pricked Sofia’s eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to let these people, these monsters, see the despair, the fear, lurking within her heart.

The blonde woman pursed her lips, but didn’t argue with Dr. Hines. She cast an odd look in Sofia’s direction, and a flash of pity crossed her face. She stood abruptly from her seat. “If there is nothing I can help you with, Dr. Hines, I should get back to organizing the files on Subject Two.”

“You’re not done, Ms. Johnson,” Dr. Hines ordered, finally looking away from his computer screen to stare at his intern. “Subject Two has been taking up enough of your time, don’t you think?”

Ms. Johnson blinked at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Finally, she sputtered out, “I-I’m not sure what you’re implying—”

“I’m implying that your fascination with the vampire is borderline nonsensical,” Dr. Hines chastised. “It’s clearly interfering with your work, as you’re eager to leave here and continue your research on him. He is handsome, I’ll give you that. But it’s by design—a predator’s way of luring in easy prey.”

Vampire? Sofia’s eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced toward the closed door, almost as if she could envision a vampire lurking just on the other side.

It hadn’t occurred to her that other supernatural creatures existed, but it should have. Why wouldn’t there be more otherworldly beings like Victor?

And a vampire was here, trapped somewhere in this damned building with them. A potential ally to help them escape.

Or someone who’s going to drain our blood as soon as we encounter it.

“I’m not fascinated with Subject Two,” the intern denied, her blue eyes narrowing at the accusation.

Dr. Hines leaned back in his chair, studying his intern with a reproachful and cold look. “Ms. Johnson, you’re only in this program on the good faith of your father. As one of our generous supporters, we agreed to your employment on the condition that you would follow protocol to the letter. Fraternizing with that bloodsucker is against the rules.”

“I’m not fraternizing with anyone,” Ms. Johnson countered, her voice rising slightly at his condescending tone. “I’ve barely spoken with Subject Two, and only on Dr. Connors’ insistence. I’d rather not engage with any of these—” She paused, shooting Sofia an apologetic glance. “I’d rather work on the office filing,” she finished softly. “It’s peaceful there.”

“Fine. But you’ll do that after we conduct a small experiment on Ms. Morales,” Dr. Hines stated, standing from his seat as well. “Come along.”

Sofia tensed as they approached her bed, shrinking back against the thin mattress. “What are you going to do?” she asked hoarsely, her throat raw and aching.

Dr. Hines sighed in exasperation. He nodded at the man in scrubs. “I’m not in the mood to deal with an impending tantrum. Sedate her.”

“No!” Sofia exclaimed, the fear unmistakable in her voice. She licked her dry lips, and then added far more pliantly, “I’ll behave, I promise. I won’t cause problems—I’m just curious.” That was a lie. She wasn’t curious; she was terrified they were going to inject her with something else, that they were going to make her into something she didn’t recognize.

That they were going to hurt her baby.

What if they’d already done something to it while she’d been drugged? Her gut twisted in dread.

“Curiosity is never a bad thing,” Dr. Hines muttered under his breath, and for a moment, the hard planes of his face softened with understanding. “Fine, Ms. Morales, I’ll indulge you. Ms. Johnson, please step forward,” he directed, waiting until the intern was standing beside Sofia’s bed.

“Ms. Morales began experiencing odd symptoms during our last session,” he explained to the intern conversationally. “Skin to skin contact with myself and other male scientists was unbearable. I would like to see if her symptoms continue to persist with a female’s touch.”

Ms. Johnson looked at Sofia, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she took in her nakedness. She cleared her throat, looking back toward the head scientist. “Do you think Ms. Morales’s body produced a negative response to male touch to prevent the urge to mate with those who weren’t Subject Zero?”

Dr. Hines rolled his eyes. “Obviously. If you ask another unnecessary question like that again, I’ll have to reevaluate your usefulness to our entire operation.”

The intern stiffened beside him.

Dr. Hines scoffed, gesturing impatiently toward Sofia. “Don’t just stand there, proving your uselessness; touch her, Ms. Johnson.”

He stepped back, allowing the intern to crowd closer to Sofia’s bedside. The woman shifted nervously on her feet, and then reached out, her palm hovering just over Sofia’s skin.

“I’m sorry if this hurts,” Ms. Johnson whispered, compassion shining in her eyes. Hesitantly, she laid her hand on top of Sofia’s.

Sofia flinched, expecting the same blistering pain she’d endured the last time. But all she felt was the softness and warmth of the palm nestled over her knuckles.

“I’m okay,” Sofia murmured in relief, releasing a small breath.

“Noted.” Dr. Hines shuffled forward, nudging Ms. Johnson aside. Without preamble, he dropped his own hand onto Sofia’s arm.

Searing pain burned through her skin. She yelped, jerking against her restraints.

“It hurts!” she screamed, letting out a high-pitched wail as Dr. Hines continued touching her. Agony engulfed her arm, traveling up to her shoulder.

In the distance, she heard a familiar bellow of rage, so faint she almost thought she’d hallucinated. Her heart leaped into her throat.

Victor! She’d heard him!

The others in the room didn’t react in the slightest to the sound, all of their attention focused on her.

They didn’t hear him.

“I think you’ve held onto Ms. Morales enough,” Ms. Johnson cut in, a slight tremble in her voice. “Enough, Dr. Hines,” she added more firmly.

Dr. Hines let go abruptly, and Sofia slumped in her seat, a tremor wracking down her frame.

Reaching into the front pocket of his lab coat, he pulled out a folded pair of latex gloves. “It seems my hypothesis was correct.” He smiled down at Sofia, the look so cold, so clinical, that nausea churned in her gut. “Now that you’re awake and ready to cooperate, it’s time we discussed our next steps, Ms. Morales.”

He slid the latex gloves on.

She gulped. “Next steps?”

His smile widened into a grin. “Yes. Now that you’ve been impregnated with Subject Zero’s offspring, it’s time to focus on phase three of our experiment; ensuring the fetus makes it to term. We’ll begin with a pelvic exam.”

Chapter 14

They’d taken the female again.

His female.

His Omega.

His mate.

Victor’s wild gaze bounced around the room of his temporary cell, the same room they’d brought him to the last time they separated him from Sofia.

And just like last time, he’d woken up chained down to the concrete floor, his head spinning and his gut twisting in barely contained fury.

Chains were bolted into the floor near his head, hands and feet, and attached to thick silver cuffs. The manacles wrapped around his neck, ankles and wrists, meant to keep him from escaping. He’d tried to escape them on several occasions, but he’d yet to break free of his chains.

The silver was poisonous to werewolves. It weakened them, made them sick to their stomach and burned their skin everywhere it touched.

The pain was brutal, but he welcomed it, needing to feel that burning fire that rippled over his skin. Needing that reminder that he was still a werewolf, even though the scientists here had stripped away the most basic parts of himself.

They’d made him into an abomination. A mockery of his former self. Where he could once shift seamlessly from his human form and into a majestic black wolf—now he was stuck in this hybrid form, a monster caught between two worlds.

He looked more like a monster from myth, a mighty Lycan or a demonic beast portrayed in movies. Whatever these scientists had done to him, he knew there was no going back. He was bound to this body forever.

He’d become a creature he didn’t recognize, barely capable of speech, and filled with overwhelming emotions he couldn’t control. He could barely feel the pull of the moon each night, something that he’d always felt since his birth.

A werewolf’s connection to the moon goddess, Selene, was intrinsic. Instinctive. Without it, he felt so lost.

So hopeless.

Grief and rage warred within Victor’s heart, the bitter emotions far too common since they had taken him to this underground facility and experimented on him.

He’d always prided himself on being an even-tempered male, on being the voice of reason for his pack Alpha and brother, William. He approached problems with a level-head and a pure heart, and he counseled his brother on diplomatic solutions to whatever problems their pack faced.

But now? Nothing of that former male remained inside him. He was always angry—borderline rabid. He wanted to rip apart everything and everyone, to wreak destruction and pain on those who’d destroyed him.

All he felt was rage. He no longer sought diplomacy. He craved bloodshed.

He thirsted for revenge.

More than anything, he wanted to hold his goddamn mate in his arms, and yet they’d taken her from him.

Again.

Victor snarled, his lips peeling back to reveal his long, sharp fangs.

The separation from Sofia was unbearable, and far worse than the permanent changes done to his body. He needed her. Needed to protect her from the constant dangers within this damned prison.

He was desperate to get her out of here, to get her and their pup to safety. Hell was no place for his mate.

But he couldn’t do it on his own, and that failure burned him far more deeply than silver ever could. Despite the strength he always felt coiled in his new body, he was weakened from malnourishment and whatever cocktails of drugs they’d given him.

It wasn’t just the one time, either.

Since he’d been abducted—whether it had been weeks or months spent in here, he wasn’t sure—the scientists had found ways to sedate and drug him; through poisoned air seeping through the vents, or in the miniscule amounts of food or water he received when his hunger grew too much and they worried he’d die.

At first, he’d welcomed the side-effects of these drugs. Having a cloudy mind and constant lethargy had been a blessing in disguise, a way to dissociate from the horrors locked away within this lab. He’d been more than willing to pretend these horrors he endured were happening to someone else, and that he was just a spectator to the madness.

But all of that had changed with Sofia.

Since they’d been introduced, all he felt was awake and alert. They could pump him full of a million drugs, and he’d still think of her with crystal-clear clarity.

She was his light in the darkness. His fated mate—brought to him in such a turbulent, desolate time in his life, he couldn’t believe she was real.

But she was.

And she needed him. She and their pup needed him.

I have to save them.

Victor growled, the savage sound ripped from his very soul. He curled his hands into tight fists, his long, thick nails slicing into the pads of his palm. Blood bubbled up from the small wounds, the hot liquid seeping between his knuckles and spilling onto the floor.

He jerked his arms up and away from the floor, hoping to put pressure on the chains bolted to the ground. The chains rattling loudly in the quiet of the room, and he grunted as a sharp sting encompassed his wrists.

His flesh sizzled around the silver cuffs, the chains tightening as he pulled against them. The fur around the metal singed, the smell of burned hair wafting through the air. Agony danced across his flesh, and he dropped his hands back to the ground. The chains rattled against the floor as he huffed out a defeated breath.

Don’t give up. Try again. You’re stronger than this.

Gritting his teeth, Victor yanked against his restraints again, the veins in his neck and forehead throbbing as he exerted as much strength as he could against his bindings.

The chains pulled taut, and the metal groaned. His eyes widened as he felt, more than heard, the ground shift beneath him. Specifically, where the chain from the cuffs met the bolts embedded into the concrete. He tugged harder, and the groaning noise increased, the bolts on the floor rattling.

Were they … loosening?

Just as he meant to continue, the weight of the silver cuffs became too much, and in agony, Victor stopped struggling. He collapsed fully onto the ground, taking heaving breaths through the sharp pain.

“Psst. Wolf,” a male hissed suddenly, the whispered voice muffled through the thick white walls of Victor’s cell. Even as low as it was, it cut through his thoughts like a horn blaring through the room. He craned his head to the right, his ear twitching. “I know you can hear me,” the male continued casually. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Who are you?” Victor snapped, the grating sound of his own voice aggravating to listen to. Before all of this, he’d had a deep, relaxing drawl when he talked. Now, it was slow, clipped and hard to decipher.

“An elder,” the male answered, as if he needed no other introduction.

And he didn’t.

“You’re a vampire.” And an elder at that—meaning he was one of the oldest of his kind. Elders were highly feared among the supernatural community.

Stronger and faster than young vampires, elders were brutal. Borderline psychotic. They killed without a hint of remorse and were so vindictive they were known to eradicate entire bloodlines for the wrongdoing of one individual.

Had the scientists understood the monster they’d brought into their domain? Victor doubted it.

“Yes,” the male replied, his tone shifting from cocky to bored. “Not much of a conversationalist, are you?”

Victor grunted. “How did they … capture you?”

“A witch had a vision. She told me I would be ambushed, and to go along with it if I wanted to find my bride.” The vampire scoffed. “She failed to mention that I would be a lab monkey for a slew of depraved scientists,” he bit out angrily.

Much like fated mates among werewolves, brides were soul mates to vampires. Revered and cherished, they were heavily guarded by their mates. Protected.

“Did you … find her?” Victor rasped, lifting his leg up to test the restraints on his ankles. The chains rattled, his skin burning from the silver. Still, he kept lifting his leg higher and higher until the chain strained.

“Yes,” the elder hissed angrily. “I thought she would be a prisoner here. A damsel in need of saving. But she’s one of them. The vermin who’ve tortured us.”

As Victor continued testing his restraints, he looked around the room once more, wondering if anyone was monitoring his movements. They kept cameras behind the opaque glass wall, just as they did in Sofia’s cell, but he didn’t hear anyone watching him behind the glass. Didn’t feel the piercing stares of his captors trailing his every move.

He was alone in here.

He struggled against his restraints once more, a small flicker of hope igniting in his gut as the chain near his left wrist bent around the bolt, the metal creaking from the force of pressure he applied.

“They’re coming,” the vampire warned.

Abruptly, Victor ceased his attempts at escape, going limp on the floor right as the door to his cell opened. Bright light from the hall filtered in, blending in with his own white room. He spotted a closed door on the other side of the hall, but other than that, all he saw were white walls, a white ceiling, and white floors.

Was the elder behind the door across from him?

Dr. Connors stepped into the room, followed by a guard and a nurse, all of them studying Victor warily.

Good. He wanted them to be afraid of him. He wanted them to worry that one wrong move could end their life.

“Subject Zero,” Dr. Connors spat out in greeting, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “You’re just as foul-looking as I remember.”

The nurse beside the doctor shook his head, his lips twitching. “You know Dr. Hines doesn’t like it when you antagonize the test subjects.”

Dr. Connors rolled his eyes, walking over to a small desk in the corner and placing a brown paper bag on top of it. He waved a hand at the guard and nurse, ushering them inside. “Shut the door behind you, Jordan. I don’t want his stench getting out into the hallway.”

The guard closed the door, standing stiffly beside it. He was dressed in all black, holding an assault rifle in front of him, his hands cradling the weapon confidently.

“It’s feeding time, Subject Zero,” Dr. Connors began, nodding toward the bag. The faint smell of raw meat permeated the air around it, and saliva pooled in Victor’s mouth. He licked his lips, hunger gnawing at his gut.

“Nurse Torrez will feed you, but if you attempt to bite him, Jordan will shoot you with enough tranquilizer to take down an elephant. Am I understood?”

He wanted to tell them to fuck off. That he wanted nothing from them but their deaths.

But he was starving, and he needed the nourishment if he ever planned to free himself and his mate of this torment.

Before Victor could respond, he heard it—the faint, threadbare sound of Sofia’s scream.

“Stop! It hurts!” The keening wail was full of pain and terror, and so far away that the humans in the room hadn’t heard it. Just Victor, forced to listen to his mate’s panic and fear.

Her cry of anguish cut off abruptly, and with it, Victor’s own cry of rage filled the room.

Dr. Connors jerked back in surprise, the guard pushing away from the wall as Victor howled his fury at the world. He struggled against his restraints once more, but this time, he barely felt the silver as it burned his skin.

He didn’t feel weak or exhausted.

All he felt was rage.

All he heard were the chains snapping as he broke free.

Chapter 15

The chains ripped away from the bolts on the floor, dangling from Victor’s arms as he pushed quickly to his feet, towering over the occupants in the room—each wearing expressions of horror, surprise and dread on their faces. 

Dr. Connors let out a panicked shout before rushing to the locked door. “Shoot him!” he screamed over his shoulder, hitting a button connected to a scanner beside the door. It beeped shrilly, a small red light flashing above the scanner. The door didn’t budge. “Fuck, fuck!”

Refusing to waste a moment, Victor snarled, shoving the nurse aside and lunging at the guard with the weapon. He slammed the male into the wall before he could lift his gun, his movements quick and precise.

Victor ripped the gun away from the guard, only to hit him in the face with the butt of it a split-second later. The guard’s head snapped back, blood gushing from his nose. Victor struck him again, harder than before, right on the forehead. The male’s skin split open, blood spraying as his head snapped back. He felt, more than heard, the male’s skull crack as it bounced off the concrete wall.

The guard went limp, his knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Without missing a beat, Victor spun around, charging the nurse next. He threw the gun to the side and swiped up with his claws right as he reached his target. His claws connected with skin and bone, ripping through tendons and muscles. An arc of blood showered the air, hitting Victor’s furred chest as the nurse reached up, clutching at his bleeding neck.

He watched dispassionately as the male tried to staunch the flow of blood. It wouldn’t help—Victor had ripped out most of his throat. He’d be dead in just a few minutes, if not sooner.

Blood coated the nurse’s hands and the front of his scrubs, his face draining of color as he sank to his knees.

“Shit! Open!” Dr. Connors bellowed, his voice high-pitched with fear as Victor finally turned his full attention to the male. The human fumbled with a badge on his lab coat, swiping it furiously over the wall scanner. It beeped again, flashing that same shade of red.

Maybe if he wasn’t so scared, he’d have escaped by now. But the tremor in his hands caused the scanner to misread the badge repeatedly, keeping him trapped inside.

Victor growled low in his throat, stalking toward the doctor, his clawed feet clicking on the ground ominously with each step. He was thirsty for blood. For vengeance. Not just for himself, but for Sofia too, and for every unfortunate soul who’d found themselves trapped in this hellish place.

Dr. Connors made a choked noise, the stench of his fear delightfully intoxicating.

Victor heard the male’s heart beating faster and faster as he approached—the doctor knew his death was imminent.

Dr. Connors swiped his badge over the scanner one more time. The scanner pinged, the red light changing to green. The door unlocked automatically and, with a cry of victory, the human yanked it open, rushing out into the hall.

Victor wouldn’t let him get away.

With a vicious bellow, he leaped at the male’s back, slamming into him from behind. The doctor landed on his belly; the air knocking from his lungs in a whoosh.

Vaguely, he heard someone scream in panic down the hall, but he paid them no mind, his entire being focused on making his tormentor pay.

“Yes,” the vampire murmured encouragingly through the wall. “Kill him!”

Victor’s lips peeled back, showing his long, sharp teeth. He flipped the doctor onto his back, his claws cutting through clothing and piercing his skin.

Dr. Connors cried out in pain, blood staining his lab coat. He threw his hands in front of his reddening face, his eyes wild with terror.

“Wait, wait!” the doctor begged, his entire body a trembling mass of flesh, just waiting to be torn to shreds. “Please, I’ll-I’ll get you a bigger room. A-And food! Whatever you want! Just don’t hurt me.”

“What … I want?” Victor grated out, his ears twitching as footsteps thundered down a nearby hall, heading in their direction.

Suddenly, an alarm blared overhead.

Dr. Connors gulped, his fear easing momentarily. “Do you hear that? They know you escaped, Subject Zero. They’re coming to put you down. You won’t make it out of here without me! You need me!”

Need him?

Need him?

Rage, bitter and all-consuming, filled him. It flowed into his body like the hottest magma, demanding to be unleashed.

He was eager to toy with the doctor for hours, to show him even a fraction of the torture they had forced him to endure. But as the alarms continued to blare overhead, undoubtedly bringing trouble straight to him, he knew he couldn’t give the doctor the death he deserved.

He didn’t have enough time.

So he reached down, shoving his hand into the male’s stomach. His claws ripped through his clothing in an instant, and through his skin less than a second later. Hand covered in hot blood, he dug around the male’s insides before fisting his intestines.

The smell of piss rent the air as Dr. Connors wailed, grabbing hold of Victor’s wrist as if to stop him.

But it was too fucking late.

Roaring savagely, Victor wrenched his arm back, yanking out the doctor’s intestines in one vicious pull, his chains rattling as Dr. Connors screamed in sheer agony.

He slapped at Victor’s hand, his assault weakening rapidly until he his strength gave out completely. He stopped moving, hands falling limp at his sides. He stared blankly at the ceiling, pain and terror frozen on his face.

Satisfied, Victor dropped the intestines onto the ground by the doctor’s dead body, stepping over the corpse as the pounding of footsteps drew even closer.

He needed to find Sofia—time was of the essence.

“Let me out,” the elder vampire demanded through the wall.

Victor growled, hating that a vampire thought to command him. But he needed an ally, or at the very least, a distraction.

Scooping up the discarded badge, he cut across the hall and to the unmarked door he’d heard the vampire behind. He swiped the badge over an identical scanner from the previous room. The scanner beeped, the light above it flashing green before the door unlocked.

The vampire pushed the door open roughly, staring up at Victor in horrified fascination. “What have they done to you, friend?”

Victor snarled in irritation, looking the vampire over. He was tall, with long black hair. But he was emaciated—his body little more than skin and bones, his wrinkled and dirty clothes hanging off of his frame. Clearly, they’d starved him of blood. Giant, bat-like wings protruded behind him as he stepped into the hall.

“I could ask … the same,” Victor drawled slowly, staring at the abomination on his companion’s back.

“I’ve grown used to them,” the vampire shrugged.

“No cuffs?” Victor commented, confused. How had they kept him contained?

“No. They had me in a cage made of UV light. They usually gas my room to put me to sleep before they enter. When you unlocked my cell, the cage deactivated.”

The vampire inhaled, eyes rolling back into his head. Then he pivoted toward the dead body on the ground, a shudder sweeping down his frame. “That smells divine.”

He traced to the corpse, moving so quickly Victor barely tracked the movement.

Crouching above the doctor, he pulled his torso up before sinking his fangs into the doctor’s neck. His wings flared out majestically, the tips touching each side of the hall, the sound of him drinking greedily so loud Victor could hear it easily over the alarm.

“Enough,” Victor rumbled, yanking the vampire away from the body. The elder whirled around to face him, baring his fangs in warning.

His mouth, chin and neck were drenched in blood, his eyes a glowing, demonic red. But where his features had been gaunt and gray before, now he glowed with health. Muscles now filled out his shirt, his torn slacks fitting almost too tightly around his burly thighs.

The elder blinked, his vision clearing slowly, and shook his head. “Apologies, friend. The blood was too fresh to waste.”

“Victor.”

“Lucien.”

“Guards will be … here soon,” Victor informed him, though Lucien likely already heard them approaching—vampires and werewolves all had similar preternatural senses.

“Here, let me help.” Lucien grabbed the silver cuffs around Victor’s wrists, bending the metal until they snapped in half. He tossed the ruined cuffs to the ground before freeing the ones around Victor’s ankles and then his neck.

As soon as he was free, the burn marks from the cuffs began healing. He felt stronger, too, as if he could take on a thousand soldiers and rip them all apart.

And he would.

He’d do whatever it took to reach Sofia and free her.

“Need to go. Now.” Victor stepped over Dr. Connors’ corpse, heading down the hall. He’d heard Sofia’s cries from this direction. They’d been faint, but if he could catch her scent, he’d find her.

Lucien traced past him, pausing briefly in front of each closed door in the hall.

A moment later, dozens of beeps exploded through the hall. He tensed as each door unlocked.

Lucien returned to Victor’s side, sending him a wide, bloody smile, his eyes sparkling with an icy rage the werewolf felt reflected in the darkest part of his soul. “I think it’s only fair we called in some reinforcements, don’t you, Victor?”

One door in front of Victor opened, and a demon stepped through. Even taller than the werewolf, his skin was bright red, long black horns jutting up from his forehead, and a pair of wings, similar to Lucien’s, folded behind his back. He was completely nude.

How had they captured such a creature? Usually, demons lived in the demonic plane. They rarely ventured to Earth.

Another person, a vampiress, stumbled out into the hall across from the demon, looking just as gaunt as the elder, though the scientists hadn’t given her wings.

“Welcome, sister,” the elder greeted, gesturing toward the dead scientist. “Feed. You’ll need your strength.”

She spotted Dr. Connors and raced toward him, crawling on top of his corpse and feeding savagely from his bloody neck.

Another door creaked open behind Victor. He turned around, just in time to see a tall, lanky male, a warlock based on the earthy, magical scent emanating from him, step hesitantly into the hall.

The demon behind him roared furiously, “You!”

The warlock gasped in fear, throwing up a hand as if to hurl magic at the demon. Nothing happened except for a brief, blue, glittering light flickering from his fingertips.

The demon chuckled darkly, shoving past Victor without a single glance. “No more magic, little warlock? Nothing will save you from me,” he warned, stalking toward the male, his wings unfurling.

“P-Please, I didn’t want to do it. They made me lure you here!” he whimpered as the demon reached his side, plucking him up from the floor by the neck. He choked as the demon dragged him forward, pulling him flush against his body.

Victor watched dispassionately—the warlock worked with the scientists to trap the demon? He deserved whatever punishment awaited him.

“I think I’ll take you back to Hell with me,” the demon crooned, licking away a single tear that fell from the warlock’s lashes. “You summoned me for sex, after all. It’s only fair I oblige you.”

“W-What?” he squeaked out, his face turning a dull shade of blue.

“I’m an incubus, little warlock,” the demon informed him, his large cock growing hard as he struggled against him. “And I’ve been deprived of sex for far too long. You’ll feed me.”

“Fuck the warlock after,” Lucien interrupted. “We have mad scientists to slaughter.”

The demon stiffened, and then turned back to the group, as if finally noticing them for the first time. “What’s the plan?”

The warlock swatted at his chest, and with a sigh, he loosened his grip on the male’s neck. He sucked in a trembling breath.

“Kill them all,” Lucien stated. “Except for the pretty blonde intern. That one’s mine.”

“And,” Victor grated out. “Sofia.”

Before they could form a plan, the door at the end of the hall burst open, more than a dozen guards filling the space.

“This’ll be fun,” Lucien said with a demented laugh.

The guards opened fire.

Chapter 16

Dr. Hines sat down on a stool at the end of Sofia’s bed, the wheels rolling over the floor as he scooted closer to her feet.

She looked away from him, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to calm the frantic beat of her heart. She didn’t want him touching her—didn’t want him anywhere near her. She was naked and vulnerable, and absolutely petrified, though she tried to pretend otherwise. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they’d frightened her.

She just wanted this over with—wanted Victor.

God. Was he okay?

Aside from his bellow of rage a few minutes ago, she hadn’t heard anything, and it worried her.

Dr. Hine’s latex covered fingers touched the inside of her knees. She tensed, still feeling the remnants of agony from where his bare hands had grazed her skin. Luckily, with his hands covered, she didn’t feel any searing pain now. Gently, he pulled her legs apart. A whimper of fear clogged her throat—

A shrill alarm blared through a speaker in the ceiling.

Sofia flinched, the restraints digging painfully in her wrists as she tried—and failed—to cover her ears.

“What is that?” Ms. Johnson asked, turning warily toward the scientist.

Dr. Hines sighed heavily in irritation. “What does it sound like, Ms. Johnson?”

“I’m aware it’s an alarm,” the blonde snapped in exasperation. “Why is it going off?”

Before he could answer, the alarm stopped abruptly, replaced by an automated voice.

“Initiate protocol one one nine seven.”

Dr. Hines stiffened, and the nurse, who’d been silently monitored Sofia’s vitals, whipped around, his mouth hanging open in shock. “Did they say—”

“This is not a drill,” the automated voice began again. “Initiate protocol one one—”

The nurse bolted for the door before the message finished blaring overhead, a faint, putrid odor wafting over her as he raced by.

Was that … fear? She could smell his emotions?

Why was he afraid?

“We’ve gotta get out of here!” the nurse shouted, his voice laced with panic.

“This must be a mistake,” Dr. Hines stated faintly, his skin paling under the fluorescent lighting. The alarm began blaring again, and the lights went out.

A second later, emergency lights popped on, casting the room in a dull yellow glow.

“I don’t understand—what is protocol one one nine seven?” Ms. Johnson looked at both men in confusion, her hand flying to her throat.

The nurse ignored her question, swiping his badge hurriedly over the security panel on the wall. The door clicked open, and he sprinted out into the hall without another word.

Sofia’s mouth dried, anxiety coursing through her. Whatever the protocol was, it had absolutely terrified that man—enough that he’d abandoned them all here.

“W-We need to go,” Dr. Hinest sputtered, pushing up from his stool quickly. It skidded across the floor as he backed up to the open door, keeping his body angled to the room. “Come, Ms. Johnson. We’re under evacuation.”

“What?” Sofia cried, struggling against her restraints.

Why were they being evacuated?

“You can’t just leave me here!” she shouted in dismay, her bindings chafing her wrists and ankles.

“You’ll be fine,” Dr. Hines muttered hurriedly. “I’m sure this is simply a misunderstanding.”

Then why did he look so concerned? And why could she smell the same fear exuding from him, too?

Off in the distance, Sofia heard faint, rapid pops of noise. Several in quick succession before they were cut off entirely.

What was that?

It sounded almost like gunshots.

The other people in the room didn’t react; they didn’t hear it at all.

“What kind of evacuation?” Ms. Johnson asked, standing stiffly by the bed while Dr. Hines scurried to the door. “What if there’s a fire? We can’t just leave her trapped down here. That’s inhumane!”

Dr. Hines snorted. “You truly are pathetic. Look around you, Ms. Johnson. The work we’re doing here is inhumane. Ms. Morales isn’t a person—she’s an abomination. None of the subjects here are human. They’re barely more than animals.”

‘None of the subjects are human.’

“If I’m an abomination,” Sofia spat out before the intern could respond, “it’s because you’ve turned me into one!”

Dr. Hines scoffed, pausing in the doorway. He caught the door before it could close on him. “You’ve always been an animal, Ms. Morales. Why do you think you survived the breeding serum? Why Subject Zero allowed you to live? Your DNA already contained strains of the werewolf mutation. Passed down from an ancestor of yours, I’m sure. You’ve been a beast your entire life—we’ve only drawn out the truth that was bottled inside of you.”

Sofia blinked in surprise, some of her anger disappearing as his words sank in. “You’re lying.”

She wasn’t a werewolf—at least; she hadn’t been until now.

Right?

Dr. Hines shook his head, stepping backwards and out into the hall. “I admit, when we captured you, we thought you were human, like the others women we’d tested. But once we discovered your lineage and learned that we could mutate your latent werewolf genes into something truly impressive, we realized we had the chance to create the perfect specimen.”

Sofia almost didn’t believe it.

But it explained why she’d survived the breeding serum when the other women hadn’t. Victor had told her the ones presented to him were sick and dying—but she’d been healthy.

Because I’m descended from fucking werewolves.

Dr. Hines’ gaze wandered to her belly. “It’s a shame I can’t take you with me. You would have been a marvel to science.” His gaze found the intern and narrowed in disdain. “I suggest you follow me. There are safeguards in place to wipe out the evidence of this lab if it’s been compromised.”

With that, he pivoted on his heel and disappeared around the corner.

Sofia shook her head in disbelief. “Compromised? What safeguards?”

Ms. Johnson, the last one with her, didn’t reply. Instead, she took a hesitant step toward the door—to freedom.

“Wait!” Sofia cried out. The intern paused. “Please,” she begged. “Please don’t leave me chained up down here.”

If there really was a fire, she wouldn’t stand a chance of making it out alive; she’d burn to death, strapped down to this fucking bed.

Ms. Johnson stood still as a statue, the alarm ringing loudly through the room.

“I don’t want to die,” Sofia whimpered, her voice breaking on the last word.

Then she spun around, rushing to the bed. “I’ll free your arms first,” the intern instructed. She grabbed the thick cuff on Sofia’s wrist, fumbling with the buckle as her hands shook.

She’d only just freed one wrist when someone screamed down the hall.

They froze, their eyes widening at one another.

The scream continued, only to be cut off by a wet gurgle. Then something slammed against a wall, the sound jarring and absolutely terrifying.

“What the fuck was that?” Sofia hissed. She grabbed the cuff on her wrist. “Get my ankle!”

They had to get the hell out of here!

Heavy footfalls echoed down the hall—whatever it was, it dragged something on the floor with it. Those footsteps drew near as the two women frantically finished freeing Sofia.

As soon as the restraints were off of her, Sofia stumbled out of the bed. She stood up, and her knees weakened. She pitched forward, but the intern caught her before she could fall.

“It’s the sedative,” Ms. Johnson explained, helping Sofia back onto her feet. “Some of it is still in your system. Take it slow.”

“We don’t have time for slow,” Sofia bit out, wanting to shove the intern away from her. Despite the small help she’d been, she was still a monster. She still worked for a company that thought torturing and experimenting on people was okay.

Sofia took one step toward the open door just as she heard a deep, guttural growl in the hallway.

A tall, dark body filled the doorway, so tall he had to lean down as he entered the room. He dropped something carelessly to the floor behind him, before standing to his full height.

Ms. Johnson yelped in terror, angling their bodies so that she was standing protectively in front of Sofia.

But she didn’t need her protection.

“Victor!” Sofia exclaimed with a sharp cry. Legs shaking, she threw herself at her werewolf, his scent enveloping her a moment before his arms did. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Sofia,” Victor rasped, holding her tightly to him. She shook in his arms, and he hugged her more firmly to him, his big warm body easing the chill in hers.

“I don’t understand—how are you out of your cell?”

Victor hummed low in his chest, the sound soothing her panic and anxiety. She relaxed into him, finally feeling safe. “Escaped.”

Sofia leaned back, looking up at him in shock. “You escaped? That’s what the alarm is for?”

Not a fire, but—

Because Victor had busted out of his prison.

“We’ve got to get out of here!”

The scientists knew he’d broken free; they try to force him back into his cell. And she knew Victor wouldn’t go willingly.

What if they hurt him or worse?

Sofia’s heart stuttered in her chest, her relief replaced by dread.

It didn’t matter that she’d only known Victor for a handful of days; the thought of anything bad happening to him stole her breath. He was her mate, damnit, and even if she didn’t understand the meaning of it, she understood the feeling.

He was hers, and she wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Not if she could help it.

Ready to flee the room, she grabbed Victor’s hand. Hot, sticky liquid smeared her palm where they touched.

“You,” Victor snarled, noticing the intern behind her.

Ms. Johnson let out a trembling breath, the stench of her terror making Sofia’s nose twitch. She curled her upper lip in disgust—why was fear such a bad smell?

“Leave her,” Sofia pleaded, looking down at their intertwined hands. In the dimness of the room, the color was difficult to ascertain, but it looked … “You’re bleeding!”

Victor shook his head, not taking his eyes off of the intern. “Not mine.”

Not his?

Sofia looked behind Victor, toward the hall, and her eyes widened in horror.

Just in the doorway, covered in blood, was Dr. Hines. Half of his face was missing; his throat ripped to shreds. Blood pooled from his corpse and onto the floor in a macabre display.

Sofia stared down at his body, remembering the last time she’d seen something similar.

The day she’d gone downstairs and found her parents in the living room.

Bile rose in her throat, and she looked away, needing to get the image out of her head.

Just as she did, the intern raced past her, heading straight for the open door.

Victor tensed, but he didn’t chase after her. He let her go.

Ms. Johnson gasped as she reached Dr. Hines body. “Oh, fuck,” she whispered. She sidestepped him, pushing out into the hall.

Before she could flee, a tall man with wings blocked her path. He smiled wickedly, grabbing the intern before she could react. “Hello, Isabella.”

Chapter 17

Sofia gaped in horror at the man blocking the doorway. He was impressively tall, with pale, chiseled features that made him look like he’d been cut from marble. 

He was handsome, but something in his unnatural beauty sent revulsion crawling down her spine. Or maybe it was the blood staining his chin, neck, and shirt. Giant, bat-like wings unfurled behind him, stretching out and completely blocking the hallway.

Sofia shivered as he smiled at the intern, showing off a pair of long, pearly white fangs.

She froze, unbridled terror sweeping down her spine.

Holy shit—it was a vampire! And based on the way he studied the intern with an intense familiarity, she could only assume this was Subject Two.

Quickly, she pushed into Victor’s space, fighting back a small whimper as she sought her mate’s protection. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the heat of his body, and despite her fear, she relaxed against him, trusting him implicitly to keep her safe.

“Ally,” Victor rasped, the word doing little to reassure her.

“I prefer the word ‘friend,’ but ally will suffice,” the vampire answered, his eyes growing cold as they traveled over the intern’s face.

“You both escaped, then?” She whispered the question to Victor, a tremble of fear in her voice. Rationally, she shouldn’t care that another supernatural creature was here—the vampire was clearly working with Victor.

He was an ally—but everything about him gave her the creeps.

A soothing rumble emanated from Victor’s chest, and he pulled her naked body even closer. “Won’t hurt … you.”

Sofia swallowed thickly, casting another wary, and petrified, glance at the vampire. Like Victor, he’d probably been starved since he came in here.

What if he tried to take a bite out of her?

Victor would protect me, she thought, some of her trepidation disappearing. She knew without a doubt he wouldn’t let someone attack her—not if he could help it.

Luckily, the vampire hadn’t even looked in her direction. His entire focus was on Ms. Johnson.

“Oh, how I’ve longed for this moment, Isabella.” The vampire’s smile widened, and the intern stumbled backward into the room, her breath catching.

Sofia caught the faint smell of her fear, but it was quickly drowned out by a sweet, heady aroma that she could only describe as one thing.

Desire.

“Get away from me, Lucien,” Isabella ordered shakily.

She knew his name?

And he knows hers.

Maybe Dr. Hines was right, and this woman had been obsessed with the vampire.

“Get away from you, mon amour?” Irritation flashed across Lucien’s face. “I came all this way for you.”

“W-What?” The intern’s heart stalled out before picking up a frantic rhythm. “No, Lucien! Just leave. Please, you’re free, now—”

“Yes,” he hissed, his fangs seeming to grow as his eyes glowed demonically. “Despite you, I am free. And I’ll take what’s owed to me.” He closed his eyes and inhaled roughly, a tremor wracking down his frame. “You smell exquisite, mon amour. I can’t wait to taste every inch of you.”

Isabella kept moving backward until her ass hit the edge of the bed in the middle of the room. The vampire moved so quickly, Sofia didn’t even see him stir.

One second he was standing gracefully in the doorway, the next he was towering over Isabella, trapping her against the bed with his body. She stiffened, a small choked noise escaping her throat.

“Have you missed me, my bride?” the vampire murmured, his voice deceptively sweet. “I’ve missed you,” he stated when she didn’t reply.

He reached out a hand to touch her face. She jerked her head to the side and away from him. “I’m not your bride,” she snapped, shoving at his chest. “And don’t touch me.”

He growled, the sound low and threatening in the room.

“You’ll learn to welcome my touch. Eventually,” Lucien promised darkly. He grabbed Isabella’s chin, forcing her gaze up to his. If it was possible, his eyes glowed brighter. “You’ll come with me without protest.”

Instantly, the tension in Isabella’s body loosened, the traces of her fear dissolving in the air as if it had never been.

“I’ll come with you without protest,” she repeated blankly.

Almost like she wasn’t really even there.

Sofia swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “What did you do to her?”

Realistically, she shouldn’t care what happened to this woman. She worked for a corrupt and evil organization—but she still felt a sliver of compassion.

She knew what it was like to be taken against her will.

“I’ve compelled Isabella to do my bidding for the time being,” Lucien replied, cupping the back of Isabella’s neck and pulling her into his embrace. He held her to him, burying his face into her neck and inhaling deeply. “Gods, how I’ve longed for you.”

“You’re not …” Sofia trailed off, her instincts at war with one another. “You’re not going to hurt her, are you?”

Lucien lifted his head, the ominous glow leaving his eyes. “Hurt my bride? Never.”

Bride … He’d said that before. Her brows furrowed in confusion. What did it mean? Almost as if he could read her mind, Lucien sighed. “A bride is a vampire’s mate, Sofie.”

“Sofia,” Victor corrected with a threatening growl.

The alarm blared incessantly through the room, the urgency in the noise reminding her that they didn’t have time to just sit around and chat—they needed to get the hell out of here.

“Right, right. Sofia,” Lucien rectified nonchalantly. “Much like you and your werewolf are mates, so are Isabella and I. Our souls are bound to one another, decreed by the fates themselves.”

Fated mates? That’s what she and Victor were?

Heat blossomed in the center of her chest and spread throughout her body, as if her every part of her recognized that as truth.

Lucien blinked at Sofia. “You’re completely naked.”

“No looking,” Victor snarled at him, ushering Sofia more protectively into his arms. He turned her toward him, concealing her front with his body. His large hands cupped her ass, shielding the rest of her from the vampire’s gaze.

“Relax, your mate is safe from my unsavory eyes,” Lucien muttered. Then he looked back at Isabella. “Take your coat off and give it to the poor female.”

Hypnotically, Isabella removed her coat, reaching absentmindedly behind her and holding it out in offering.

Victor snatched it up, sliding Sofia’s arms through the sleeves before he pulled the lab coat all the way on her. When he fumbled with the buttons, his hands too big to secure them in the small holes, she gently moved them aside, and buttoned the coat up herself. It was heavier than it looked, but she didn’t mind, grateful to be wearing anything after going so long without.

“We need to go,” she told Victor, the alarm sounding somehow faster in tempo than it had been only moments before.

Just then, that same automated voice rang out through the overhead speakers. “Evacuation protocol is in effect. T-minus eight minutes until total system collapse. Please proceed to the nearest exit.”

Sofia’s eyes rounded.

That sounded really bad.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good,” Lucien grumbled, echoing her thoughts. “Isabella, what does it mean about ‘total system collapse’?”

“I don’t know,” she uttered mechanically.

“Dr. Hines,” Sofia began, her eyes trailing to the dead man in the doorway. Quickly, she looked back up at them. “He said something about having safeguards in the lab to wipe out evidence of what they did down here.”

“Like a virus on the computer mainframe?” Lucien tensed. “Or a bomb,” he snarled.

Sofia swallowed past the bile in her throat. “A bomb? No, that would be too extreme, right? It’s got to just be a computer wipe,” she finished, though she didn’t really believe it could be that simple.

“We are the evidence, Sofia,” Lucien stated. He looked at Isabella, a sense of urgency overcoming his too-perfect features. “We need to get out of here.”

“Come.” Victor grated out the order, picking Sofia up as if she weighed nothing and heading to the door.

“I can walk,” she told Victor, though she did nothing to shimmy out of his hold. He made her feel safe, and as that gentle rumble continued in his chest, reverberating through her body, she didn’t want any distance to separate them.

Hell, she didn’t know if she could handle being separated from him again—not after everything they’d been through together.

We’ve got to get out of here.

Victor huffed, taking three long steps forward. He ducked through the doorway, stepping in a pool of Dr. Hines blood before he moved down the hall. “I’m faster.”

Yes, he definitely was.

His hands tightened around her waist, and then he sprinted forward, charging toward the end of the hall so fast that her hair whipped over her shoulder.

The alarm continued its shrill sound as they traveled down one hall, turning sharply and entering another. The world around them felt like a blur, but she still caught sights and smells that made a tight vise squeeze around her heart.

Bodies littered each hall they turned down, so much blood coating the floor and splattered onto the walls that it made her sick. She squeezed her eyes shut, burying her head in Victor’s neck in the hopes of blocking everything else out.

She breathed him in, that intoxicating aroma of musk and the forest sinking into her very soul and easing the uncomfortable pressure in her chest. He didn’t just smell good to her—he smelled like home.

They turned one more corner, and Victor came to an abrupt stop.

“Took you long enough,” a woman said, her voice as cold as it was beautifully haunting. “I was beginning to think you’d all died.”

Sofia lifted her head, looking over her shoulder at the woman. Blood covered her mouth and the lower half of her face, staining the front of her dress entirely. She was beautiful in the same way Lucien was. And another shiver of revulsion crept down Sofia’s spine.

Was this another vampire? What other creature drank blood?

Just how many supernatural creatures were down here?

She took a hesitant look around the small room. Two elevator doors were on one wall, with a door on the far right of them leading to a set of stairs.

Lucien appeared suddenly beside Victor, and Sofia flinched, startled by his preternatural arrival. Isabella was asleep and cradled in his arms like … well, like a bride.

A thin trail of blood seeped from the side of Lucien’s mouth and down his chin, which hadn’t been there before.

Had he fed on the intern after they’d left them alone?

“I take it you handled everyone that was left?” Lucien asked.

The female vampire bristled. “I’ve done what I can.”

He nodded. “Where’s the demon?”

Sofia’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Demon?”

“Yes, a rather large, horny beastie,” Lucien supplied with a small grimace. “He was starved, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he fucked his warlock to death.”

Sofia gaped at him, unable to process everything he’d said.

This entire ordeal was simply too much, and now there were demons—

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.

Victor roared, and then dropped to the ground, shielding Sofia with his body right as gunfire exploded into the room.

Chapter 18

Crouching low to the ground, Victor pivoted away from the elevator, keeping his body between Sofia and the gunman who’d opened fire on them. He needed to shield his mate and keep her safe, no matter the cost to himself. The primal urge to protect her was all-consuming. It coupled with the rage pumping through his veins, demanding that he slaughter all those who dared to put her in danger. 

A bullet hit his arm, and he lurched forward as an inferno spread from the wound and up to his shoulder. His lips peeled back from his fangs, a roar of fury and pain bursting from his throat. Sofia screamed, huddling into his chest as more gunfire echoed through the elevator lobby.

The pain in his arm quickly ebbed—thank fuck these fools weren’t using silver bullets. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against them.

Lucien bit out a sharp curse, tracing away with Isabella tucked tightly in his arms. He’d taken his mate to safety—Victor needed to do the same.

Twisting back toward the hallway they’d just vacated, he leaped for the doorway. Another slug sank into the back of his leg, more fire spreading over the limb. His hold on Sofia tightened as desperation clawed at him. He could handle multiple gunshot wounds—werewolves were quick to heal, and now that he’d been altered, he was much stronger than he had been before.

But Sofia … He didn’t know how rapidly her body would heal when damaged. The claiming bite he’d placed on her shoulder had healed remarkably fast—but it wasn’t a bullet that could tear through her heart.

He needed to get her out of danger—to get them both out of this mess.

They were so close to being free; he could almost feel the fresh air on his skin, could almost feel the moon pulling him into its loving embrace.

Behind him, he heard the female vampire attack the shooters in the elevator, gunfire exploding in the lobby as he fled the area. Footsteps sounded heavy on the floor, followed by a feminine shriek of fury and several hoarse shouts from their assailants.

The vampire was distracting their enemies and buying him enough time; good.

Rushing around the corner and down the hallway, Victor deposited Sofia onto her feet once he was sure she was tucked safely out of sight.

“Stay,” Victor commanded his mate, giving her a quick, frantic once-over to ensure she hadn’t taken any hits while she’d been exposed.

She looked safe, and the knot of worry in his stomach eased.

He hadn’t failed her or their pup yet—and he’d make sure that he never did.

Just as he turned around, intent on heading back into the fray and ending those fucking vermin who’d dared to attack him and his mate, Sofia’s hand latched onto his wrist; her fingers couldn’t close all the way around him. It was a subtle reminder of just how different he’d become—of how different he was compared to his beautiful little mate.

“Don’t go!” Sofia exclaimed, her voice thick with fear.

He spun back around to face her once more, his heart squeezing like a vise when he spotted the tears in her wide, frightened eyes.

“Let the others handle it,” she pleaded earnestly, wiping at a stray tear that fell with her free hand. The tip of her nose grew red, and so did her cheeks as she sent him an imploring, forlorn look. “You’re hurt, Victor. Don’t go back out there. Please.”

She was afraid for him, and that knowledge caused the sweetest ache to build in his chest. He’d always longed for his true mate, but after he’d been taken and turned into this … he hadn’t expected to ever find her. And if he had, he knew she wouldn’t be able to love him.

Who could love a monster?

But Sofia … she cared for him. She longed for him, just like he yearned for her. She’d given him hope when he’d had none. And now, it was his turn to return that hope to her.

He’d kill every fucking person in this hellish place, if that’s what it took.

He cupped her cheek tenderly. “Stay,” he repeated softly, expecting his Omega’s obedience. A small hum built in his chest, meaning to calm her frayed emotions.

Instead, her chin wobbled. “I need you,” she cried bleakly, as if she didn’t think he’d return to her.

But he would. Sofia was his mate, and he would always come back to her, no matter what obstacles stood between them.

The alarm blared overhead before the automated voice rang out with a similar message as before.

They only had five more minutes to vacate the building.

Five.

With a low growl, Victor pried his wrist away from Sofia, spun on his heel and charged back toward the lobby and the sounds of battle, his mate’s cry of anguish piercing his soul more fiercely than any bullet could ever pierce his flesh.

Turning the corner and leaving the safety of the hall, the first thing Victor noticed was all the blood. Four of the shooters were already down on the ground, bleeding profusely from their necks. Jugulars had been ripped out savagely.

Each one of them was dead.

Four more shooters were currently attacking the female vampire—their backs to Victor—and shooting wildly toward the emergency stairs as she traced around the room, dodging spray after spray of ongoing bullets.

Lucien returned from wherever he’d fled, appearing at Victor’s side in an instant; Isabella was no longer with him.

“I’ll take two,” Lucien offered, before launching himself at one gunman. He collided into the male’s back, taking him to the floor in less than a second. He grabbed the male’s neck and twisted it viciously, severing his head from his spinal cord.

With a growl, Victor followed Lucien’s lead, charging at the remaining gunmen with deadly intent. Before he could reach them, they began turning in his direction, abandoning their mission to take down the female. The female used that to her advantage, jumping onto one gunman’s back. She wrapped her legs and arms around his torso before brutally slamming her fangs into his neck.

Her victim screamed in pure terror, the stench of his fear clogging up the room and mixing with the acrid aroma of gunpowder. He tried turning his gun on her, accidentally shooting himself in the chest instead as he panicked to break free.

With a gurgle, he collapsed to his knees; the gun hit the floor and slid several feet away.

Victor grabbed one of the two remaining males by the front of his bulletproof vest, launching him up toward the high ceiling at least fifteen feet in the air. The male’s back hit the plaster above with a resounding thunk, raining down debris as he grunted in pain. His limbs flailed wildly as he plummeted back down to earth.

He hit the floor with a sickening crack, his body going lax.

The last remaining male pointed his gun at Victor, his hands shaking as he pressed down on the trigger.

Victor’s eyes widened in alarm, the muscles in his legs bunching together as he prepared for the inevitable impact.

Right as the gun went off, the demon from before materialized in between Victor and his assailant.

The incubus took a slew of bullets to the chest. He barely flinched from the onslaught, his wings pinned protectively behind him as if he was worried they’d get shredded in the attack.

Victor froze, staring at the male’s back in awe. He’d assumed the male had escaped with his warlock, but he’d come back to help. He’d put himself in harm’s way to save Victor.

He knew demons were stronger than even werewolves, but … the incubus either had a death wish, or he was simply so powerful that this amount of damage wouldn’t hurt him for long, if at all.

A werewolf, even a monster like Victor, could only take so much damage to the body before they died. They were vastly stronger than humans, but that wouldn’t matter if someone cut their head off or completely eviscerated their body.

A volley of gunfire like this would put Victor out of commission for hours, maybe even longer.

Luckily, he didn’t need to worry about that now.

All too soon, the gun clicked loudly in the now mostly silent room as the male pulled the trigger frantically. Victor stepped around the demon, watching the shooter fumble for the magazine clip attached to his utility belt.

The gunman gulped, his heart beating furiously.

“Out of bullets?” the incubus asked nonchalantly, completely unphased by the wounds he’d sustained.

He really is that powerful, Victor mused, eyeing the male warily out of the corner of his eye.

Before the incubus could attack, Lucien appeared behind the gunman. He grabbed his head and wrenched it to the side, snapping his neck.

“I told you I’d take two,” the vampire said with a low chuckle.

“Two minutes remaining,” the automated voice said into the speaker. “Evacuation protocols initiated.”

They held a collective breath before they all sprang into action.

Lucien disappeared and Victor raced down the hallway, not pausing as he snatched Sofia up and into his arms before he charged back into the lobby. She gasped at the carnage, but he didn’t even spare a glance at the dead.

He wrenched the door to the stairwell open, rushing inside. He leaped over banister after banister; the stairs taking him and his mate higher with every passing second.

The vampires traced past Victor. He put on a burst of speed, his muscles straining as he pushed his body to its limits. Up and up, he didn’t slow down, not even for a moment. They must have gone up twenty flights before he spotted a door.

It was open, the night sky teasing him with a glimpse of its radiance.

“Hurry!” Lucien bellowed from the entrance.

Victor jumped over the last banister and up the few remaining steps before he sprinted out into the night, Sofia tucked safely in his arms. His heart beat wildly, hope, fear and triumph causing his steps to falter as his feet touched the cool, damp grass.

The moon shined down on him, and a shiver of recognition slid over his body, the finite connection he’d felt below ground strengthening.

Maybe the moon goddess hadn’t forsaken him after all.

He expected more enemies to be waiting for them outside. Instead, there were nothing but long stretches of land. Not a building in sight, or a road. He didn’t even see cars that would have belonged to the dead employees down below—so where were their vehicles?

“Oh my God,” Sofia whispered tearfully, pulling Victor from his thoughts. “I can’t believe we made it out.”

“Yes, and just in time, too,” Lucien agreed pleasantly.

Just then, the ground rumbled beneath Victor’s feet, and he heard a dull explosion coming from the lab below.

“There really was a fucking bomb,” Sofia muttered in disbelief as Victor carried his mate further away from the door. He didn’t want her anywhere near the explosion, so he picked up his pace, sprinting across the field until he reached the treeline.

Lucien followed after them, Isabella tucked into his arms. She appeared to be sleeping, but Victor doubted there was anything natural in her slumber.

Coming to an abrupt stop, Victor looked around, noticing that the demon and the other vampire were missing.

Sofia must have realized it at the same time as he did. “Where are the other two?” she asked Lucien hesitantly.

“Gone.” Lucien met Victor’s eyes. “I’m leaving, too. The sun will be up in a few hours—I can feel it drawing near. I need to get myself and Isabella indoors before that happens.”

Victor understood; vampires burst into flames if they stayed too long in the sun’s rays.

He nodded at the male. “Thank you,” he grated out slowly, so grateful for the vampire’s help.

He didn’t think escape would have been possible without Lucien or the others.

“We’re in northeastern Oklahoma,” Lucien told him. “Just outside of Locust Grove.”

Victor blinked at him in confusion. “How—”

“Did I know that?” Lucien nodded toward the slumbering female in his arms. “Despite her performance earlier, Isabella isn’t afraid of me. She’s told me a great many things during our time together.”

And with that, Lucien traced away, leaving Victor alone with his mate.

“Oklahoma?” she asked. “I’m from Texas.”

“Colorado,” Victor replied, baffled that they’d been abducted from two different places and brought to another.

Sofia touched his cheek, turning his face toward her until he was staring down at her enchanting brown eyes. “What do we do now, Victor?” she asked, uncertainty heavy in her tone.

“We go … home,” Victor stated.

Home to his pack. To his brother, William. His family. They’d welcome Sofia with open arms, and hopefully, him as well.

But how did he get a hold of his brother?

He used to speak with him telepathically through the pack bonds. As Alpha of their pack, William could communicate with each of the wolves under his protection. But since Victor had come to this place, that connection had gone silent.

“You want us to go to Colorado?” Sofia bit her lower lip. “What’s there? Your family?”

He nodded. “Pack.”

He just needed to figure out how to get them to their destination.

He closed his eyes, tilted his head to the sky and inhaled, dragging in the fresh air, and truly allowing himself a moment to feel the freedom he’d longed for.

Eyes peeling open, he gazed up at the moon through the canopy of trees, the pull to the moon goddess growing stronger than ever before.

The moon seemed to shine brighter, its gleaming glow hypnotic and ethereal as he beheld it.

Victor couldn’t look away from it, and a mesmerizing heat spread over his fur, seeping into his skin. It felt magnificent, until suddenly, that heat became sweltering as it sank into his muscle and bone, burning him from the inside out.

With a dull grunt of pain, he dropped Sofia onto her feet, his back hunching as his legs gave out. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, that fire burning and burning, threatening to melt him into ash.

“Victor!” Sofia shouted, dropping onto her knees beside him. The scent of her worry and fear flooded his senses, her growing distress only making his symptoms worse. “What’s wrong?”

His claws dug into the earth, dirt burying beneath his nails as the fire raging within him became unbearable.

Just when he couldn’t take it anymore, his bones began to pop.

Chapter 19

Sofia release a small, terrified cry as Victor collapsed onto his hands and knees, loud snapping and popping sounds piercing the night. It was so loud; it felt like it was emanating from every direction. But it wasn’t.

Those horrific noises were coming from him.

“Victor?” she asked hesitantly, reaching out toward his back, his body hunched in on itself. Right before her palm could connect with his furred skin, something moved under his flesh.

She recoiled in horror, a swift, choked gasp of panic escaping her throat.

Victor threw his head back, his snout turned up toward the dark sky. He roared, the fierce bellow vibrating her bones with its intensity.

She threw her hands over her aching eardrums, her heart beating frantically as she tried to figure out what to do. How did she help her mate?

What was even happening to him?

“Victor—”

Before Sofia could even get the question out, Victor’s body contorted at an odd, almost impossible angle. More bones popped, his limbs elongating and then contracting.

She froze, too petrified to move.

And then his fur began to retract into his skin, revealing pale skin that almost glowed under the moonlight. His body shrank, his lupine features disappearing as a buff, naked man took shape right in front of her.

Shocked, Sofia slid a palm over her mouth, afraid that she’d scream in equal parts horror and fascination as she watched her mate transform right before her eyes.

A few more seconds passed, and then the change overcoming Victor stopped completely. His back still toward her, he stood up from a crouch, giving her a clear view of his body.

He was tall, at least a six-feet-five, with strong, muscled thighs and arms. His shoulders and back were packed with sleek, corded muscles. Even his ass was a work of art, so enticing that it took an effort to pull her gaze away from it.

And then he turned around and faced her. Her mouth dried, her heart skipping a beat as she studied the front of him.

Every inch of his body was fit; well-toned abs, firm pectorals, and veins that stood out prominently on his forearms. His cock, even though he wasn’t aroused, was large. Her face heated with both desire and embarrassment, and she forced her gaze up.

Long, black, wavy hair hung just past his shoulders, framing his chiseled face. Scruff covered his cheeks and jaw, but she could still make out full pink lips. Deep blue eyes peered down at her, lined by long, thick black lashes.

Blue eyes … not amber?

They both stood there in the woods, staring at one another in disbelief.

She didn’t move a muscle, bewildered by what had happened. She’d never seen anything like this, and as much as she knew that this man was Victor, he looked so different from what she might have expected.

Why weren’t his eyes amber?

Victor tore his gaze away from her reluctantly, staring down at his hands in incredulity.

“I … I don’t understand,” he whispered, his voice deep and sensual. It was still gruff, with similar notes to the voice she’d grown used to since her captivity, but she couldn’t help but feel a sliver of apprehension slide down her spine as his steel-blue gaze returned to her.

This was Victor. Logically, she knew that. But this looked nothing like the man she cared for. Nothing like the werewolf she’d felt her heart stirring for, longing for, in the last few days they’d been together.

It felt like she was staring at a stranger. A handsome, alluring stranger.

He took a step toward her, and instinctively, she backed up, assuaged by wariness.

His brow furrowed. “Sofia,” he murmured softly. He held out his hand out to her, palm up toward the moon, almost like he was trying to coax a wounded animal to him. “Sofia, it’s me. It’s alright.”

“I don’t understand,” she said shakily, steeling her spine as he took another step toward her. “You’re-You …” She trailed off, her pulse racing as he drew near.

“I don’t know how long this will last,” he began simply, a hint of urgency in his voice that worried her as much as the implication. Still, he approached her cautiously. “I can already feel the moon calling to me to shift back, little mate. It’s hard to hold this form. But it’s still me.”

Little mate.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she inhaled roughly, unintentionally dragging his scent into her lungs. Pine, musk, and … her. Even after shifting, her scent clung to his body.

He smelled so achingly familiar that it snapped her out of whatever daze she’d been in.

She was moving before she’d even realized it. With a small whimper, she threw herself at Victor. He caught her effortlessly as their bodies collided, his hands tangling into her hair, as an arm banded around her waist. He hoisted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, her arms around his neck as she clung to him.

He let out a shuddering breath, his body relaxing against hers. She felt herself do the same, the response almost automatic.

Sofia buried her head into the crook of his neck, the heat from his body just as prevalent in this form as it was in the other.

“You feel so fucking good,” he breathed in her ear, the words both sexual and devastatingly tender. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to hold you like this.”

His arms tightened possessively, but she didn’t mind the added pressure; she hugged him back just as fiercely.

God, she couldn’t believe that her mate was so normal. It felt like a betrayal to even think like that; she’d grown used to Victor’s modified werewolf form, and she found comfort in his hulking size in a way she’d never expected to.

But now he was just like her—it seemed insane. Impossible.

Suddenly, a thought intruded, and she had to swallow past a lump of returning panic caught in her throat.

“Shouldn’t I be changing, too?” she asked faintly.

She tensed, terrified that even asking such a question would spur on a drastic shift of her own. It had looked beyond painful, and her mate’s agonized roar still rang in her ears.

“I don’t know,” Victor admitted. “Do you feel different? Like the moon is pulling you toward something?”

The moon?

She shook her head, her lips brushing over his neck in a gentle caress. “No,” she whispered. “I just feel you.”

He groaned and dropped his head to the space where her shoulder met her neck, his mouth brushing over the mating mark he’d given her. She shivered in delight, some of her shock easing as reality settled over her.

They’d escaped their prison, and now Victor was human. He was human.

“We need to talk,” he said, “Before I can’t resist the urge, and I end up shifting back. It’s harder to communicate with you that way. Like I’m talking through quicksand that keeps filling my mouth.”

Sadness ate at her heart at his description. “That sounds awful.”

“It’s worth the discomfort so that I can talk to you,” Victor said, kissing her mating mark.

Reluctantly, he set her back on to her feet. He took a small step back, cupping her face as he gazed down at her. “I know you had a lot of questions for me, and I don’t think I explained anything well originally.”

“Well, we’ve had a lot going on,” she replied with forced nonchalance, and he snorted out an abrupt laugh.

“That’s one way of putting it.” He grinned, showing off white, straight teeth, his canines slightly pointed.

He was so handsome, desire coursed through her before she could even try to contain it.

Immediately, Victor’s eyes flashed that glowing amber, and he growled low in his throat, the sound so charged and full of need that slick immediately seeped from her center.

This was the Victor she knew intimately.

“Fuck,” Victor bit out, slamming his eyes shut and taking a shallow breath. “We need to talk, little mate, and I can’t do that if you keep tempting me to take you.”

She pressed her thighs together, ignoring the salacious voice in her head, whispering how good it would feel to have his length sink into her core. They’d just escaped, and adrenaline was still riding her hard, demanding an outlet.

Peeling his eyes open, Victor’s now blue gaze connected with hers. “I know I’ve said this before, but we’re fated mates, Sofia. Our souls are bound together, forever. When we met, and I scented you, I sensed it. I knew you were meant to be mine.”

Her eyes filled with unshed tears as his words sank in, a sense of belonging filling her heart. “I think I felt it, too,” she admitted quietly. “I was scared of you at first, but even then, I felt drawn to you, Victor. I thought it might just have been the mating heat, but even after …”

She cleared her throat, feeling shy despite everything they’d been through together. “Even after, I still felt the same way about you. And when you’d said I was your mate, it felt right, even though I didn’t understand it.”

Victor’s eyes softened, and his hand trailed away from her neck, settling on the bite mark he’d given her. “This is how a werewolf claims his mate. It’s how we accept each other. One day, if that time ever comes when you want to cement our bond, you’ll give me a similar mark.”

“I’ll bite you, too?” She furrowed her brow, surprised when she couldn’t find anything repulsive about the action.

“If that’s what you want,” he said seriously. “It would be my greatest honor to be yours.” Worry flicked across his face, there and gone so quickly she thought she’d imagined it.

“What’s wrong?”

Victor sighed heavily and dropped his hand. Instantly, she mourned the loss of contact. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to be tied to me, Sofia. I’m going to spend most of my life as a monster, not a male.” The words were gutted as they left his mouth. “It would be a difficult burden for anyone to handle, especially a mate.”

“Don’t say that,” Sofia snapped, anger heating her insides like an inferno. “You’re not a monster, Victor.”

She cupped both sides of his face, pulling his head down slightly when he turned his gaze away from her. “Look at me,” she commanded softly.

Slowly, he did, and some of her ire cooled into adoration as their eyes met. “You’re not a monster,” she repeated gently. “I don’t care what you look like—I’ve seen your heart. I know you where it matters, Victor.”

He was a protector. A provider. Everything she’d ever hoped to find in a partner.

“Be sure this is what you want, little mate. I won’t take offense if you want to back out, but once you claim me, too, our bond is forever,” Victor explained, his voice calm despite the anxiety clearly written all over his face.

“Stop trying to change my mind.” Sofia narrowed her eyes at him, irritated that he was still giving her a chance to run away. “I don’t want anyone but you.”

She felt that truth all the way down to her bones. They’d already faced so much adversity together, and she didn’t want to face a single day without him.

Desire and something infinitely sweeter blazed in Victor’s eyes. He pulled her to him, his lips finding hers in a heated, passionate kiss. She sank into him, throwing her arms around his neck, and enjoying the way his mouth fit perfectly against hers.

“What happens after I claim you?” she murmured against his lips when he drew back slightly.

“It’ll allow us to communicate with one another telepathically. We’ll also be able to sense each other’s emotions. When we’re close enough, we can tell where the other is.”

Her brows rose in surprise. “Like some kind of tracking beacon?”

Victor shrugged, lips finding her again. “Something like that.”

“That’s kind of reassuring, especially after everything.”

“As for your other question; an omega is a designation of werewolf. There are alphas, who are the most dominant of our kind. They’re stronger and the most protective. Betas and gammas are not as strong, though they’re just as loyal. They make up most of every werewolf pack.”

“Where do omegas fit?”

“They’re in a class of their own within a pack structure.” Victor nuzzled her nose. “Omegas are the only wolves that go into heat, and they produce strong alphas for any pack to help it survive and thrive; regular female shifters will only birth beta and gamma offspring.”

“So I’m a breeder?” Even without the breeding serum, this was always going to be her fate? Sofia frowned, disappointed.

Victor shook his head. “Yes, and no. Omegas are more than that. You’re more than that. Omegas are the heart of a pack. Other werewolves are too volatile; high emotions ride us hard, and sometimes it makes us too aggressive. Wars can break out among packs because of this. But an omega is the softness of the pack. They’re the beauty and the peace. They’re everything that keeps a pack whole and strong.”

“Oh.” Sofia let out a small breath, emotion making her chest ache. The way Victor described it, she sounded important. Vital.

When had she ever felt like someone needed her? Never. She’d spent almost her entire life alone, thinking she hadn’t been good enough.

“What is it?” Victor asked softly, cupping her cheek again like he couldn’t resist touching her in any way he could.

“I just …” She bit her lower lip when it trembled. “My parents both died when I was little. My dad wasn’t a good man, and he killed my mom before he turned the gun on himself.”

Just discussing her past made bile rise in her throat, her stomach twisting uncomfortably.

Victor swore under his breath. “I’m so fucking sorry, Sofia,” he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

“I guess…” She took a shuddering breath. “I guess I’ve never felt important. I’ve never been important, either. It took me by surprise to hear you say that.”

“You are important,” Victor uttered, the sincerity in his tone making her knees weak. “You’re the most important person to me. I’ve known since the moment we met; mating bond or not, my entire world changed when I saw you.”

She sniffled at the admission, and when he wiped away a stray tear from her cheek, she let out a small, hope-filled laugh. She sobered just as quickly. “What are we going to do now? We don’t have a phone or anything, and I don’t know how far away we are from people.”

Hell, no one would even open the door if they saw a butt naked man and a half-dressed woman standing on their porch, especially so late at night.

“I—”

Pain flashed across Victor’s face a moment before he reared back, slamming his hands over the sides of his head.

“Sonofabitch,” he blurted out in a rush. His eyes widened in surprise, and then he smiled so widely, Sofia couldn’t help but do the same. “My brother. I can hear him again.” He tapped his forehead. “He can help us get home, little mate.”

Home.

The word didn’t frighten her as much as it had before, now that she knew Victor would be by her side.

His brow furrowed, and although he was staring right at her, his expression turned vacant, his attention elsewhere.

He’s talking to his brother in his head?

The idea was so bizarre, but she couldn’t help but feel a small wave of excitement. One day, that would be her and Victor, too.

And if he’s still trapped in his werewolf form most of the time, communicating won’t be difficult for him anymore.

Her eyes trailed over his face, moving to the spot between the side of his neck and his bare shoulder. One bite from her and they’d be bound together forever.

She licked her lips in anticipation.

Victor dropped his hands, and then he chuckled. He moved so quickly, Sofia didn’t even see him coming. He snatched her up from the ground and spun her around, whooping loudly into the night.

“William is on his way!” Victor exclaimed, laughing again. “He’ll be here in a few hours.”

“How can you hear him now?” she asked when he stopped spinning her. Her hands wandered over his shoulders before settling on his chest.

Victor shook his head. “I have no idea. I haven’t been able to communicate with him at all while I was down there. I thought whatever they’d done to me had severed my connection with my pack, but I must have been wrong.”

He gazed up at the moon, appreciation and wonder etched across his features.

Sofia did the same, staring up at that bright orb in the sky. She’d never felt particularly drawn to it, not like Victor described, but for a moment, she felt a comforting warmth wash over her.

“Can I mark you?” she asked timidly, resting her head on his shoulder, the tip of her nose brushing his neck. “I want to be connected to you in every way, Victor.”

He swallowed thickly, and this close to him, she could hear his heart stall out in his chest before it picked up a wild rhythm.

“You really want that?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

Gently, he cupped the nape of her neck, angling her head until her mouth pressed against his skin, right where she’d contemplated biting him. “I want that, too, little mate,” he uttered ardently.

Sofia’s lips ticked up into a smile, and then she struck, her teeth sinking into his skin.

Victor whispered her name like a prayer as his blood filled her mouth.

---

When the moon disappeared into the sky as the sun rose, Victor shifted back.

It was bittersweet for Sofia to witness the transformation from a man back to the werewolf she recognized, but as he loomed over her, those amber eyes looking directly into her soul, all she felt was warmth blossom in her chest.

The few hours she’d spent with him in his human form had been wonderful. She’d told him more about her life, and about what Dr. Hines had revealed about her werewolf lineage.

From there, they’d discussed finding a cure for Victor, if there was one to be found. He wasn’t hopeful, and truthfully, neither was she, but she’d help him look for answers.

He deserved to live the life he wanted, for himself and for their baby.

Sofia deserved answers about her own experimentation too, especially since she didn’t know just how much Dr. Hines had altered her. He’d drawn out her werewolf genetics, yes, but what else?

She leaned into Victor, breathing a small sigh of contentment as his fur tickled her cheek. “How close is your brother?”

She was exhausted, and more than ready to leave this dreadful place.

I’m not sure, Victor whispered in her mind, his voice distinctly human despite his werewolf form. She thought telepathy would feel jarring or wrong, but with Victor, it just felt right.

Everything with him felt right.

I don’t feel my pack bonds in this form, he informed her solemnly. Maybe when they altered my DNA, it was severe enough that it severed my bonds in this new body.

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest for him. “How do you fix it? There has to be a way, right?”

He nodded, running a large, clawed hand down her back in reassurance. Once we get home, William can bite me again to see if that re-triggers the fulbond. Hopefully, it will work.

“I bit you when you were in your human form, and that worked for us.”

Yes, but we marked one another, and became mated. This is different as I don’t return the bite to my Alpha.

“It’ll work,” she said with conviction, refusing to accept any alternative.

Victor hummed in agreement, and she felt his affection for her flit across her mind. It made her breath catch, and her cheeks heat with adoration as she kissed his chest.

She heard the dull roar of an engine in the distance; the sound creeping closer as the seconds ticked by.

Victor stiffened as the noise drew near, and then Sofia spotted a sleek, large truck pull into the field off in the distance.

It’s William.

Victor’s anxiety beat down on Sofia through their bond.

“It’s okay, Victor,” she murmured.

I’m afraid he’ll find me grotesque, he admitted. I told him what happened, but seeing me like this will still startle him.

Her own protective instincts swarmed to the forefront.

“If he says anything mean, I’ll slap the shit out of him,” Sofia bit out through clenched teeth.

She wouldn’t let anyone make her mate feel bad for surviving a traumatic experience and coming out on top.

Victor huffed, though she distinctly felt his amusement creep in, replacing his anxiety. I don’t deserve you, little mate.

“Yes, you do,” she said sternly, kissing his chest again. She took his hand, leading him out through the thick of the forest and into the clearing. In the distance, the truck came to an abrupt stop before it turned in their direction, moving quickly through the grass.

“We deserve each other,” Sofia stated, looking up at Victor and sending him a hopeful smile. “And we’re in this together, remember?”

Together, he murmured in her mind.

As the truck pulled up to them, and a man who looked similar to Victor jumped out of the front seat, Sofia felt hope blossom to life.

They were finally free of this mess, and together, she and Victor could handle anything.

---

Author’s note: Thank you for being with me on this journey! I’ve never written a dark romance quite like this novella before, and while I found it challenging, I also enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone to write something new.

I hope you liked Victor and Sofia’s journey!