Saved by Wolves (Shifters Meet Their Mate Book 1) (15 page)

She wasn’t defenseless. She’d proved that when she’d dealt with Lash. And what she didn’t have in physical prowess, she made up for in wits and intelligence. Kirra snorted under her breath. And if she kept repeating that to herself, she might even start to believe it.

I
t was a good thing she wasn’t claustrophobic. Once they’d entered the mess hall through the back entrance, the men had hustled her past the three people working in the kitchen, to a door on the far right that led down to a dim, cool cellar. Ash had grabbed an oil lantern hanging from a hook at the top of the landing and used it to light their path. It didn’t cast a lot of light, but it was enough to illuminate the ten by fifteen foot room.

Bins of carrots, potatoes, and an assortment of other root vegetables lined two of the walls. Each bin was less than a quarter full, which made sense given the time of year. Onions in net bags hung from the ceiling, competing for space with drying herbs. The rest of the cellar was dedicated to a wide worktable, shelves of jarred foods, and dried meat, especially the jerky the guys seemed to have an endless supply of.

She, Marcus, and Ash took up residence in the empty five foot square space in the middle of the room while they waited for Daisy and the alpha. Marcus watched her, Ash watched both of them, and she pretended she didn’t notice their stares and watched the door. The cellar door squeaking open broke the awkward silence, and a shaft of light shone from above.

“This had better be damn important,” a man said. At his voice, Marcus and Ash angled their bodies toward the staircase and visibly straightened. “Caspian’s going to be on my ass for skipping out of the meeting, and Vincent’s probably using the time to try to swing things his way.”

“I thought you liked Caspian,” Daisy said.

The door closed, cutting off the source of light, and there was the rasp of a match as one of them lit a lamp. “Oh, his policies are fine—if there’s one thing you can count on, he’ll vote with his head—but I’ve never met a wereowl yet who wasn’t obsessed over protocol and procedures. Caspian’s no exception.”

They hit the base of the stairs and stopped short. The man—who had to be Jasper, the alpha—held the lantern up to get a better view.

“Ash?” he said with a slightly raised brow. Then his attention switched to Marcus. “Why the hell aren’t you at your post? What’s going on? And why the hell am I skulking around in a cellar?” As he said the last, his gaze settled on Kirra with all the friendliness of a rattlesnake. Apparently Serena wasn’t the only one in the family who disliked humans. Kirra found herself reaching for nonexistent power yet again, and balled her hands into fists at her side to keep from fidgeting. This was the guy she had to turn to her side?

Compared to the other shifters she’d come across, he wasn’t physically imposing. He was a handspan or so taller than her, so maybe five seven or five eight, lean, and had a neatly trimmed black beard that matched his short-cropped hair. It was clear the others deferred to him, though, and she could tell why. It was the cold eyes and grim set of his mouth. He was a no-holds-barred, do-what-needs-to-be-done kind of person when he needed to be, even if he didn’t like it. Kirra forced herself to meet his eyes calmly and relaxed her hands. Jackson and Marcus trusted him.

“Alpha.” Marcus inclined his head. “Jackson and I—”

“Jackson’s involved in this mess too? Where’s he?”

“He’s—”

“Here,” Jackson called out from the top of the stairs. “I was... delayed.” He moved into the lamplight, and Kirra gasped. Fresh bruises decorated the left side of his jaw, mirroring the yellowed bruises on the right side, and he was rotating his right shoulder as if trying to get it aligned properly.

“Well don’t you look pretty,” Ash said, slapping Jackson on his non-injured shoulder.

“Huh.” Jackson slapped him back with the ease of long friendship.

“Eloquent as ever,” Daisy said, but she was frowning in concern. “Seriously, what happened? Was it the Cats?”

“You got into a spat with Cats?” the alpha questioned, nostrils flaring. “Of all the people... I can see your partner over there”—he hitched a thumb at Marcus—“doing something stupid that could put the treaty on the line. But you? I expected better of you, Jackson.”

“I wouldn’t have called it a spat,” Jackson muttered.

The alpha growled, the animalistic sound reverberating in the room.

Marcus stepped forward to get his attention.

You let someone get the jump on you? You must be slipping,” Ash said.

Jackson leaned against the worktable and crossed his arms, glaring until Ash donned a serious expression.

“Two bobcats picked up your trail.” He directed that at Marcus, implying that that shouldn’t have happened. “I intercepted them before they caught up. There was no ambush involved.” He switched his glare back to Ash.

“You picked a fight with a couple of bobcats because they were taking the same path?” the alpha said. “Are you trying to wreck the treaty on purpose, or are you just an idiot?”

“That’s not fair—” Kirra began. Marcus stopped her with a shake of his head, but it was too late. The alpha’s anger turned her way.

“Fair? I’ve had to sit through hours of meetings biting my tongue, and he might have destroyed months of work with one stupid decision. Vincent will demand recompense. This is neutral ground.”

“There was nothing neutral about it,” Jackson said, unbudging. “They were stalking Kirra. And Marcus,” he added.

“Kirra,” the alpha said. “A human. What’s so special about you that two of my best enforcers left their post and are doing their best to wreck a fragile treaty?” He looked her up and down, as if he thought he knew the answer.

Kirra stiffened, biting her tongue. Responding with sarcasm or anger wouldn’t help her cause. Being a hardass jerk seemed to be built into his DNA. It was hard to imagine how a cute, funny kid like Donovan had come from the alpha and Serena. He had to have some redeeming qualities, even if they were buried deep down. Considering the disdain Marcus and Jackson held for the Cat alpha, she didn’t believe they’d follow a man they considered unworthy.

“Vincent’s made some kind of a deal with the humans,” Marcus said. “They’re trying to shut Kirra up before she can blow the operation open.”

That wasn’t quite the approach they’d meant to take with the alpha, but it got his attention. He gave her a short nod, expression tight. “I’m listening.”

Kirra told her story, from growing up in the lab all the way to Francesca’s kidnapping and her flight to Shifter Territory. For the first few minutes, the alpha leaned back against a shelf, tapping his fingers against the wood—if he’d been wearing a watch, he would have been checking it every few seconds—but when she hit the part about shifters being in the lab, he focused on her with laser-like intensity.

“And they were experimenting on them?” he asked. “What kind of experiments?”

“I’m not sure,” she said. “We weren’t allowed to socialize, so other than the time I saw the Bear being tortured, I only saw them at a distance.”

“Well, what did they do to you?” he asked.

The question threw her, and her mouth went dry. Neither Marcus nor Jackson had pressed her for details, likely because they sensed how difficult it was to talk about.

Marcus draped his arm along the shelf she was leaning against, offering unspoken support.

“Francesca and I—and I’m guessing others—were born with unusual skills. I can manipulate energy. The researchers would... test my limits.”

“How? Why?” The alpha’s voice was sharp and commanding. He wasn’t going to be satisfied with vague answers.

Kirra straightened and stared him in the eye. “By shocking me over and over again, with stronger and stronger currents. And by taking me out to do ‘training runs,’ which usually meant I was overriding security systems or taking down power grids.”

It was the alpha’s turn to straighten. “You can do that?”

“If I need to, yes.” Marcus had tightened his arm around her shoulders as she spoke, subtly drawing her closer to his side. Kirra let herself lean on him. Just a little. To the alpha’s left, on the edge of the circle of lamplight, Jackson was a silent, brooding shadow. If he cared or even noticed that Marcus was being attentive to her, he didn’t let on.

Not that she was trying to make him jealous. She wasn’t that kind of person. At least she hoped she wasn’t. A little ill at the thought of being so manipulative, Kirra began to ease out of Marcus’s clasp. He tugged her closer and rubbed her upper arm in light, soothing strokes that sent tingles down her arm. She glanced at him sidelong, trying to signal for him to stop, but couldn’t catch his eye. His attention was fully on the alpha. He wasn’t attempting to rile Jackson or seduce her. His actions were unconscious, born of a pure instinct to comfort.

It was unbelievably sexy. Warmth blossomed in the pit of her belly and spread at a rapid rate. Moisture flowed, her nipples tightened, and her pulse kicked up a notch. Other than when she’d been in Jackson’s arms, she’d never become so aroused so quickly. And never in a room full of strangers.

The alpha was speaking, and she tried to hear him through the pounding in her ears.

“... can imagine they’d have a lot of uses for that. Humans are always after more power and things that aren’t theirs,” he said. “If you’re so powerful, why did you stay? Couldn’t you have electrocuted the guards and gotten away?”

Kirra shuddered. The memory of scorched flesh flooded her senses, wiping away her arousal in one swift move.

“They controlled her with her mother and sister,” Jackson said when she didn’t respond. He shoved empty canning jars to the side, clearing a section of the worktable, spread out Kirra’s map—she’d been so wrapped up in herself she hadn’t even noticed him going into her pack to get it—and set one of the lamps beside it. “Henderson Biotech, where the lab’s located, is just outside of Cat territory, in Davidston. Here.” He stabbed a finger at the spot.

“The next time you call a secret meeting, do it somewhere with better lighting,” the alpha said, lifting an edge of the map and angling it toward the lamp.

“I thought you could see in the dark,” Kirra whispered near Marcus’s ear.

“Not exactly,” he whispered back.

“This was the most secure place I could think of, sir,” Daisy said.

“And we needed to be sure no Cats were around,” Marcus added.

“You have no proof they’re involved,” the alpha said, folding the map and placing it in the front pocket of his jacket.

Removing his arm from around her, Marcus leaned forward, weight on the balls of his feet. “How can you say that? The lab is right by their land, they tried to kill Kirra, then did kidnap her—”

“That’s all circumstantial. Proximity to the lab isn’t enough to convict them of being involved, and all we have is this woman’s word that she has some kind of superpower the military wants.”

Ash, standing off to the side in a pool of darkness, cleared his throat. “Well, there’s an easy solution for that. Show us what you can do,” he said to Kirra. Every head swiveled in her direction.

She’d known it was coming. Of course they’d want proof.

“I can’t,” she muttered under her breath. “I can’t,” she said louder, when they continued to stare. “There’s nothing for me to tap into around here—unless a storm builds... or if you have anything electrical I can use. Even a small battery.” Blank faces and shaking heads were the response.

“So, circumstantial evidence, hearsay, and wild claims,” the alpha summed up.

No. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. The shifters had to help her. Help Francesca. Kirra turned to Marcus, then Jackson, silently pleading for them to step in and make everything right.

“It adds up,” Jackson said. “The disappearances over the years. My uncle and Sam—”

“And Finn and Jason,” Marcus added.

“Kidnapping makes more sense than so many people deciding to leave without telling anyone.”

“It could have been those bastard hunters,” Daisy said.

“Maybe, but there was never any blood. Never a scent trail to follow. That tells me planning and preparation went into it.”

“They like to use tranqs,” Kirra offered. “Usually strong enough to knock an elephant on its ass.”

“Noted,” the alpha said. “Daisy, Ash, find our guest a room and stay with her—for your protection, of course,” he added, with a nod to Kirra.

Marcus stepped forward, and the alpha shook his head. “No,” he said. “You’re not going with her. You and Jackson are coming with me. We’ll discuss this with the council and see what the others—Vincent included—have to say.”

“But if the Cats are involved, they could warn—”

“I can’t keep this to myself,” the alpha said, slamming his fist on the worktable. It rocked under the force of the blow, and a canning jar toppled over. Jackson caught it before it hit the floor. “I’ve spent the last two days convincing Frank and Caspian that maintaining the treaty and working together is a good thing, even if we have to play nice with Vincent. We need free passage through their lands. If I hold something like this back—something that very well could involve their people—they’ll think I was playing them and try to block off our borders. I know that’s what I would do if they pulled a stunt like that on me. No, we tell them. Now.”

He picked up a lantern and took two steps toward the stairs, then turned back.

“You still didn’t explain how you and your sister escaped. I find it hard to believe that you—at fourteen—could, but no shifters have escaped.”

“It wasn’t me. Not my plan, I mean,” Kirra said. “Our initial training was coming to an end, so whoever really runs the place—the military, I think—wanted to send Francesca and me somewhere to train in things like hand-to-hand fighting and weapons skills and computer stuff.”

Fingers tightened around her right hand, and Kirra realized she’d unconsciously reached out to Marcus. She took a deep breath and continued.

“We were afraid that after we left, they’d have no reason to keep our mom alive. Francesca refused to eat, saying she’d starve herself if they left Mom behind, and then they wouldn’t have her and they wouldn’t have leverage over me either. I did the same thing. After a few days, they force fed us, so we switched the threat to killing ourselves.”