Phoenix Reborn: An Alpha Pack Novella (10 page)

He’d resisted so far. Each time, the doctor upped the stakes. Pushed his mind and body further. Withheld food and water. Tortured him nearly beyond endurance, What more could they do to him? Nothing but kill him. That would be a blessed relief.

In the dark chamber, there were two shifters waiting. Unkempt hair hung over their round, frightened eyes, and their bodies were unwashed. One was chained on a concrete slab over a drain. The other, bolted to the stone wall, faced his companion, spread-eagle.

This was a new game their captors were playing. A chill of trepidation raced along his spine as he watched Dr.Bowman stride forward, a small smile on his face. “Ah, Micah. Welcome. Let me introduce you to Parker and Tyler. Parker is there,” Dr. Bowman said, pointing to the shifter positioned over the drain.

Dread grew in Micah’s chest, settling like a lead weight.

Whatever game Bowman was playing, it didn’t bode well for any of them. Especially when the doc and his goons had always referred to their captives by number—until now. He had a terrible suspicion that Bowman had moved on to the next stage of his plan to turn him into a killing machine, someone who wouldn’t let personal details like names interfere with his
objective.

He had no idea at the time how right he was.

“Micah,” Bowman went on pleasantly, “it’s time for you to earn your keep. Your strength will make you one of my top enforcers. You’re going to teach Parker
his
place in the hierarchy among shifters.”

“Teach him, how?” Micah asked cautiously.

“Starting with this.”

With a flick of Dr. Bowman’s hand, a guard stepped forward, holding a bullwhip. The guard presented it to Micah, who stood staring at it as though it was a venomous snake.

“You . . . you want me to whip him with that?”

“Yes, and you will.”

Glaring at the doctor in hatred, he spat, “What makes you think for one second I’ll do what you say?”

“This.”

Another guard stepped from the shadows, dragging a slender woman with long, thin blond hair. No, not a woman. The female shifter was barely more than a girl, perhaps not even twenty years old. She cried out piteously as the guard slapped her hand onto a wooden block and grabbed an ax.

“You comply, or she loses body parts. One by one.”

Bowman smiled.

Bile burned Micah’s throat, and black rage consumed his heart. But he grabbed the whip and let the coils unfurl. And he turned to Parker, regret tearing at his soul.

USA Today
bestselling author
J. D. Tyler
has written and published more than 30 books and is best known for her dark, sexy paranormal Alpha Pack series, and the Firefighters of Station Five and Sugarland Blue series as National Bestselling Author Jo Davis.
Primal Law
, the first book in her Alpha Pack series, is the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award in Paranormal. She’s also been a multiple finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards, a finalist for Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, has captured the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, has been a two-time nominee for the Australian Romance Readers Award in romantic suspense, and had one book optioned for a major motion picture. Her Alpha Pack novels include
Primal Law
,
Savage Awakening
,
Black Moon
,
Hunter’s Heart
,
Cole’s Redemption
,
Wolf’s Fall
,
and Chase the Darkness
. Visit her online at JDTyler.com.

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