The Wolf Within (Purgatory #1)(5)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Dr. Young!” Shane’s horrified voice cut through the cloud of lust.

Shane. And, just like that, Holly didn’t have to worry about breaking free of Duncan’s grip. Because at the other man’s shout, Duncan pushed her away from him and leapt from the table.

Then he went after Shane. With claws stretching from the tips of his fingers and with a snarl on his lips, Duncan launched at the other man.

“No!” Holly screamed.

But Duncan didn’t stop. Shane had the silver collar in his hands, and he’d holstered his weapon, so he had to drop the collar before he could arm himself.

The collar hit the floor, and Shane didn’t move fast enough to draw out his weapon.

Duncan’s right hand wrapped around Shane’s throat. He lifted the agent up into the air. Shane’s feet dangled, and he tried to choke out some speech.

We are so screwed. She’d been right earlier. “Duncan! Let him go!” Holly screamed. He hadn’t hurt her, but it certainly looked like he was ready to introduce Shane to a whole world of pain.

Wolves were territorial. Especially the alphas. Duncan had been coming on to her—marking her in the way of shifters, she knew that—and then another male had come into the room.

So screwed.

Shane was struggling to get out his gun. His fingers were shaking, but, on the third try, he managed to yank the weapon from the holster. Then Shane tried to lift the gun to Duncan’s chest.

“No!” Now her scream was full of fear. She raced toward them.

But, with his left hand, Duncan just snatched away the gun and tossed it across the room. “Stay away…” Duncan snarled as he lifted Shane higher, “from her.”

Holly grabbed the collar. Unlocked it. Duncan was so tall, about six foot four, and she was only five foot seven, so this was gonna be tricky. She jumped up, trying to latch on around his back.

He spun at once, slamming Shane to the floor and catching her in his arms. He lifted her, bringing her closer even as he frowned down at her.

Gotcha.

“Sorry,” Holly whispered, and she locked the collar around his throat. The silver immediately began to burn him, sending faint plumes of smoke into the air as the skin on his neck reddened and blistered.

He dropped her, and her ass hit the tile with an impact that would leave one hell of a bruise. But she jumped to her feet and rushed toward the counter. Duncan was yelling and snarling and trying to yank the silver collar away from his neck.

“Stop!” Holly shouted at him as her fingers curled around the collar’s remote. “You’re just making it hurt worse!” That was the way the collar had been designed. The more you struggled, the more you’d burn.

She typed in a code for that collar, then adjusted the setting, knocking down the intensity. “Give me just a second, and I’ll help you.”

His head whipped toward her. His fingers were still at the collar, shaking. Burning.

“I can make the pain stop,” she whispered, “but you have to show me that you have control.”

He was coming toward her. Stalking her. Seemingly uncaring now of the burns on his throat.

“D-Duncan?”

He kept coming toward her. Holly was afraid that “control” might not be part of his vocabulary anymore.

Chapter Two

Footsteps thundered behind him. “Freeze, McGuire!”

Freeze. The order was so familiar. So was the voice shouting it. Pate.

But Duncan didn’t freeze. He kept stalking toward Holly. She was the only thing that mattered to him.

Holly with her high cheekbones, those deep, dark brown eyes, her golden skin, and the dark silk of her hair.

Why hadn’t he ever noticed how sweet she smelled? Her scent was pulling him in, drawing him closer and closer.

He’d followed that scent on her neck. Tasted her skin with his tongue.

She tasted as sweet as she smelled.

He’d taken her lips. Enjoyed her mouth. Her lips were red from his kiss now, and all he could think was…

I want to taste all of her.

The beast was growling, eager to claim his prey.

“Don’t take another step, McGuire!” That annoying voice shouted again. “Or I’ll shoot!”

The swinging doors burst open behind Pate.

Duncan didn’t have to take another step. Holly was the one who rushed toward him. She hurried to stand between him…and the group of agents who’d just rushed into the med unit.

The armed agents.

Duncan’s gaze swept over them. When he’d first awoken, he’d known only lust. For Holly. He’d seen her. Smelled her. Wanted.

Then Shane had come in, and all he’d been able to think was…Stay away. A haze of red had covered his vision. Mine. An instinctive, primal response.

But the silver collar was doing its job. It was keeping the wolf in check. Holding back the beast.

For now. The sinister whisper seemed to come from within him.

His gaze swept over the agents. Pate’s face was tense. He’d clenched his jaw, and the guy’s green gaze glittered.

Elias, the poor bastard, looked miserable. He was pale, with a stricken stare.

Shane had picked himself off the floor and was rolling his right shoulder. Huh. Did I dislocate it? Maybe. Things had been a little hazy at that point.

Three other agents were behind them—Daphne, Brent, and Luke. All of their weapons were aimed at Duncan and, now, at Holly.

The weapons were pointed at Holly.

He lifted his hands. Saw the long, deadly black claws that had sprung from his fingertips.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” Holly said, but her own voice was shaking and high. “He’s collared. He’s under control.”

Collared. He barely felt the burn of the silver on his neck anymore. Or the burn in his fingers. He just felt—

Strong. Like he could rip apart anyone who got in his way.

Maybe he would.

“He doesn’t seem controlled to me,” Shane muttered, rolling that shoulder once more. “The guy nearly choked the life out of me!”

There were red imprints on Shane’s neck.

From my hands.

Duncan took a step back. Stared harder at his claws. He hadn’t wanted this. Hadn’t ever wanted it.

He looked up—and right into Elias’s gaze.

“I’m sorry,” his partner whispered the words, but Duncan heard him perfectly.

Because his senses were enhanced.

He wasn’t human anymore.

He grabbed Holly’s arm and spun her toward him. “What the f**k is happening?”

Her eyes widened.