Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory #2)(14)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Footsteps rustled behind her.

“Don’t do this,” Olivia whispered. “Please.”

His voice was hard as Evan said, “It’s survival of the fittest here…sorry.”

Survival of the fittest.

Behind, those footsteps drew closer. And even before she turned to face those stalking her, Olivia knew who would be leading the pack.

“Hello, again, Dr. Maddox…”

David’s voice wrapped around her as a hand curled around her shoulder. She looked down and saw his claws.

Then she did the only thing she could. Olivia screamed, “Dragon!”

Because Pate had told her…If hell breaks loose, look for a dragon. He might be able get your ass to safety.

Hell had broken loose. And if help didn’t come, her ass would be dead.

***

Shane’s eyelids flew open. He was on a table—an operating room table, and some bastard in green scrubs was holding a bloody knife above him.

“He’s awake!” The words were a desperate gasp from behind the bastard’s facemask. “Dose him again, dose him—”

Shane grabbed the knife. Broke the fool’s wrist. Took the weapon and hurled it at the other idiot who was trying to come toward him with a tranq.

The knife sank into the man’s arm and he fell, screaming.

Humans…always so weak.

Just as I’m…weak…

Shane glanced down and saw the blood that soaked him. There were long slashes on his chest. His arms. Fury pumped through him. “What. The. Fuck?”

“I-I was just following orders,” his soon-to-be-snack stuttered. “Just—”

Shane sank his teeth into the man’s throat. Blood poured onto his tongue and some much needed power pulsed within Shane.

“Dragon!”

The cry reached him, so very faint, and he yanked his mouth away from his prey. Olivia?

He strained, but heard no more screams.

His prey whimpered within Shane’s grasp. “Give me weapons,” Shane growled at him. “Give me your access codes…”

The man stared at him, his eyes widening as the fellow seemed to go slack within Shane’s grasp.

I have his blood. I can control him. He’d been controlling humans for centuries. “Give me everything I need,” Shane commanded.

His prey nodded.

***

David laughed. “Dragons? You won’t find them here, pet, just wolves and bloodsuckers.”

Olivia could see at least six other men behind him, all crowding in on her. All wearing collars that should have controlled them, but their claws were out and their teeth had lengthened and seriously sharpened.

“I thought they were putting you in solitary,” Olivia whispered to David.

He smiled at her, and the sight made her stomach knot. “You also thought they were keeping you safe.” He leaned toward her. David trailed a claw down her cheek. “Are you tired of being wrong yet?”

She nodded. “I really am.”

He laughed. The claw scratched her skin, and blood dripped down her cheek. Her back was pressed to the bars, shoved hard against the door as if she could find escape that way.

She couldn’t.

And she couldn’t get through the pack of werewolves in front of her.

“Most of the guards are on the north end of the prison. They think vamps are trying to escape.” David shook his head. “But there’s no need to escape, not when the thing we need is right…” His claw slid down her throat. Paused over her frantically racing pulse point. “Here.”

What he was saying made no sense to her. Why would he possibly need her?

“I’ll find out how to use you,” David promised her, “even if I have to slice you open to find out your secrets.”

This couldn’t be happening.

“You’re mine, djinn. Mine.”

What the hell had he just called her? She pushed harder against those bars, wishing with all of her might that the door would open and—

The door opened. She fell back, heading right for the floor, but strong arms caught her before she slammed down. Those arms lifted her up—and against a powerful body.

“Got you,” Shane whispered.

Then the werewolves attacked.

Chapter Four

Shane shoved Olivia behind him even as he jumped forward and rammed the door back into place. He pushed hard, using his enhanced strength, because those dick werewolves were trying to keep that door open.

But the silver bars were burning them. The silver didn’t burn him. With a ferocious roar, Shane slammed that door back into place.

David’s claws flew out at him, fitting between the bars as the werewolf tried to go for Shane’s throat. “You’re dead!” David shouted.

Shane backed up, just one step, so that his jugular wouldn’t get sliced by those swinging claws. “Undead is the correct term, jackass. Get it right.” He bared his fangs at the wolves. “Guess who gets to stay in a cage?”

“Give her to me!” David’s fury had darkened his face and made his eyes flash.

“Sorry, but I think I’m keeping her.” And why the hell did the werewolf want her so badly?

Olivia grabbed Shane’s arm. “We have to get out of here. The guard—Evan—brought me to them. Just locked me inside with them and left me.”

Sonofabitch. He needed to get her off the island. If the guards were selling her out, there would be no safe place for her there.

I warned Pate. Did he listen to me? Hell, no.

Pate never listened to anyone.

His fingers locked with Olivia’s. David began to laugh then.

“You know,” David said, “you know…and you think you can control her? I saw her first.”

He didn’t know anything right then—well, anything except the fact that he and Olivia were screwed. “The f**k you saw her first.” He pulled Olivia back down the corridor. He had all of the infirmary doctor’s keycards and access codes. He’d find a place to hide Olivia, then he’d make sure he got her off that island.

Somehow.

“I want her magic!” David bellowed. “I’ll have it—even if I have to claw through you to get her, vampire!”

Those claws weren’t hurting anyone right then. Shane’s hold tightened on Olivia. What kind of magic did the woman have? This whole situation was one serious screw-up after another.

He took off running with her then because he didn’t know how long he’d have before the guards closed in or before the werewolves got out.