Charming the Beast (Purgatory #3)(41)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Olivia rushed to help them.

Shane and Eric hurried into the containment area. When they opened the door, Connor could hear the sound of the werewolves howling in there.

He hurried inside after them. The werewolves were clawing at their glowing collars and slamming into the silver cell bars again and again. Their flesh was burning, and they were howling with the pain. But they weren’t stopping.

“What in the hell is wrong with them?” Eric yelled as he pulled out a remote—a small box that Connor knew would control the silver collars. “Let’s amp up the power there.”

The wolves howled louder as more silver was pumped into their blood. Connor had once worn one of those collars. He knew exactly how painful the collar could be. The collars were filled with small needles, and those needles injected silver directly into the werewolves’ blood.

The silver should have controlled them.

It wasn’t.

“They’re out of control,” Shane said. “Look at them! They’re maddened, they’re—”

More flesh was burning and the wolves were howling in pain, but they still weren’t stopping their attacks on the cells. They were fighting frantically for a freedom they couldn’t win.

Understanding settled heavily over Connor. “They’re compelled,” Connor said as he backed away. “Sonofabitch! He was two steps ahead of you, Eric! He bit all of his wolves, in case you captured them! This way, they can never turn on him.” He whirled for the door. “And he must be compelling Harris! That’s why the guy is attacking the other agents!”

But…where was Harris?

“Chloe,” Connor whispered. Fear tore into him and he ran, moving faster than he’d ever moved in his entire life. He raced through the base, whipped up the stairs and threw open the door to her room.

Only…Chloe wasn’t in that room.

***

She needed a weapon, and she needed it right then.

Chloe had slipped back inside the base just in time to see Harris Gray attack the guard. The man had rushed at Harris with his gun, but the guard hadn’t fired.

“Harris…is that you?”

Instead of answering, Harris had clawed the gun right out of the guard’s hands.

Chloe was now ducked behind a pile of boxes and Harris…

“This is your fault,” he yelled, his voice shaking. “I wouldn’t be like this…if you’d just followed orders. It goes back to that first night, when you slipped away. You led them to me. They kidnapped me, they tortured me…because of you!”

She wasn’t going to call out to him. If she did, that would be a dead giveaway to her location. But…if he’s turning into a werewolf, then aren’t all of his senses enhanced? Maybe he can hear my heart beat. Smell my fear.

She seriously needed a weapon. Serious-freaking-ly. She crawled forward. That looked like a silver knife up ahead. Had it fallen from the guard’s belt when Harris attacked him? If she could just get to it…

Hard fingers curled around her ankle.

“I don’t want to kill you,” Harris told her, voice gravelly, “but I don’t have a choice.”

***

“He’s going to die…out there,” Keegan whispered. “You were…supposed to protect him…before…but you didn’t.”

The agent he knew to be Duncan McGuire glared at Keegan.

“I know…” Talking was hard, but Keegan pushed through the pain. The vampiress kept shoving her needles into him. Later, he’d be sure to shove his fangs into her. Again and again, until she had no blood left. “I know…you didn’t keep him…in that closet with you…let your father…take him…he hates you for…that…”

“Duncan, how does he know about that?” The vampiress asked, worry making her voice sharp.

I know everything.

“He was…a sick freak…right?” Keegan had to push those words out. The drugs were still doing a number on him. “You…stayed quiet because…you were older…”

Duncan’s hand locked around Keegan’s jaw, and the guy made Keegan look at him. “Who told you this?”

“You…didn’t make a sound…Connor screamed. He was…young…”

“Who told you?”

“Bet…Connor will scream again…” Soon, as soon as Connor found Chloe’s broken body.

Then everyone would run to find Connor and Chloe. When that happened, Keegan would have the chance to get free. He just needed a little help. A little blood.

And to get the hell out of the restraints that bound him.

“Who. Told. You?”

The vampiress had already finished with her blood work. She’d know the truth soon, but why wait for her analysis? They could learn this part right now.

“Our…father told me…” How else did they think he’d become like them? It was all in the blood…though not their father’s blood.

Their mother’s.

Did Duncan and Connor even realize that she’d been a natural-born wolf? Not turned, but born?

“He killed…her…but it was her…her blood…that helped you…change.” Helped us change.

“You’re a damn liar,” Duncan said. “My mother was human!” Rage and shock battled on the guy’s face.

He shook his head. “Her…family…raised me…” She’d intended to send all of her boys to her family, but their mother hadn’t been given that chance.

He’d grown up, always knowing exactly what he was. Always seeing it in the eyes of that bloody Marrok pack.

A bastard’s twisted son. The son of the man who’d killed their precious girl.

Instead of being sheltered, the family had hated him.

And he’d hated them…right up to the moment when he’d killed them all.

Keegan had another small tidbit to share. “He’s…killing Chloe.”

“Connor would never—” The vampiress began.

He couldn’t shake his head. Not with Duncan holding him so tightly and with the drugs pumping through his blood. “H-Harris,” he rasped. “Let’s see…if she can…come back… again…”

Because no one could get away with cheating death. Not that bitch. Not his brothers.

Duncan swore and reached for a radio that had been strapped to his hip.

***

Chloe screamed and kicked out at Harris, catching him in the face. She heard the crunch of bones, and she hated that sound but…he’s trying to kill me! Her fingers had closed around the knife and she brought it up, putting that silver blade between her and Harris. “Stay back!” Chloe yelled at him.