Evie spun, her foot connecting with the last scientist’s jaw. She felt immense pleasure when he fell limp to the ground. Her heart rate sped as she looked around the room at the four men laying there unconscious. Time was short and she knew she had to get in touch with her pride.
Her hands shook as she searched the males for keys to unlock the door.
She grabbed the syringe from the floor and found its cap on the counter. She pocketed it and moved toward the door. Sliding the key in the hole, she peeked through the tiny window but couldn’t see anyone directly in front of the door. She’d have to take her chances with people in the hallway.
“You can do this,” she told herself, closing her eyes one more time so she could partially shift.
Talon…Alpha…Please hear me.
It only took a few seconds for him to reply. Evie almost cried with relief when she heard his voice in her head.
The Guardians are on a plane, heading for you.
She pressed a hand to her chest when she felt his strength wrap around her.
I’ve disabled four scientists, I’m going to fight my way out of this bunker. There is a small runway not far from the entrance.
Evie listened for her alpha to reply, but there was a long pause. She knew he’d probably yell at her and tell her to stay hidden, but she wasn’t going to listen to him until he gave the direct order.
Are you hurt?
She assured him that she was fine.
Remember your training, Evie. They are only an hour away.
She swallowed hard, wanting to ask him about Kye, but she was afraid the news was going to be bad. She’d seen him take a bullet to the chest.
He’s alive, but very weak. Come home to my brother.
Evie wiped a tear from her cheek and straightened her spine. She had to get back home, but first, she had to shut down the Community.
The door let out a soft creak when she slowly opened it. Looking to the right, she noticed the way was clear, but she remembered from paying attention as they brought her in, she needed to go left down the hallway.
She moved with speed as she ran, her eyes set on the door at the end of the corridor. White lights guided her path, doors every few feet were closed, but a sound stopped her in her tracks.
Whimpering and pleas for help reached her ears as she came upon a door several feet from the exit she needed to take. There was a small window, similar to the one in the room she had been held in. As she peeked inside, Evie’s beast pushed against her skin for release.
Several cages lined the walls. Shifters in both their human and animal forms were locked inside. The one closest to the door held a female who was laying on her side, panting hard. Evie’s eyes scanned the room and saw a male dressed in a lab coat locking her cage. The males in the room were snarling and growling as they yanked on the bars of their cages. The scientist adjusted himself and sneered at the young female. Evie knew immediately what had happened.
She fumbled with the key ring she’d stolen and prayed that the key she chose worked. Sliding it in the lock, she twisted and the lock released. A voice called out from the furthest end of the hallway. When she looked up, another man in a lab coat started running for her.
“Stop!”
Evie pulled the door open and hurried inside, her eyes throwing amber sparks. She quickly closed the door and locked it from the inside. It probably wouldn’t stop the guy in the hallway, but it would give her a few minutes to take this son of a bitch out.
“Who are you?” the guy who’d just violated the female barked.
“Your executioner,” Evie snarled when she attacked, unleashing her claws and canines as she pounced with the speed of her beast.
The male jumped back, but not far enough for Evie to miss him, and she came down hard enough to knock the male off his feet. Her right hand dug into the soft flesh on his abdomen, her left hand wrapped around his throat.
“I hope you rot in hell,” she snarled, squeezing his throat until the man’s windpipe was crushed. She used her other hand to rip him to shreds, spilling his organs on the cold tile floor just as Savage had taught her one day in training.
“Who are you?” a male called out from one of the cages.
“My name is Evie, and I am from the Shaw pride,” she panted, flipping the keys around on the chain, looking for something that resembled a cage key. “My Guardians are on the way to save us.”
“Talon?” another male gasped. “Is your alpha Talon Shaw?”
“Yes,” Evie said, looking up at the older male with wide eyes. “Do you know my alpha?”
“His father was my friend,” the male said. “My name is Theo McCormick.”
Evie found the key to the cages and started unlocking them, waiting to get to the hurt female last. All of the shifters looked up as the door to the room began to shake; the man that had been running down the hallway was yelling something through the window.
“I’m going to get this female, and I need all of you to help me fight our way out of this bunker,” Evie commanded, looking over her shoulder at the older alpha. “Are you able to carry her?”
“Give me the woman,” Theo ordered.
Evie opened her door and walked inside, holding her hands up. “My name is Evie, and I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Did you kill him?” the woman asked, rolling from her side to her knees. She looked horrible. Blood soaked her clothes and her brown hair was a matted mess. Evie swallowed hard, remembering how bad she and Liberty looked when they’d been saved.
“Yes,” Evie promised. “We are going to get everyone out.”
“Outside?” a young male asked, climbing to his feet as he moved closer to Evie. “There are wolves out there.”
“What is your name?” Evie asked, scenting the male was like her, but different. He was some sort of cat.
“My name is Zane,” he replied, pushing his long, dark blond hair out of his eyes. The male couldn’t have been more than seventeen or eighteen. Evie scented the air again and frowned when he spoke. “I’m a lion, if you’re wondering.”
“Oh, I didn’t know,” she apologized. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“We are very rare,” he explained. “I was kidnapped from Alaska when they killed my family. As far as I know, I am the only one left.”
“I’m so sorry.” Evie closed her eyes, begging for the strength to continue on. She had to get these people out of there and pray that her pride was equipped to save everyone. This had to end.
“The wolves are in the woods and they are wild,” Zane stated. “I haven’t reached my maturity yet, and I cannot compete against them.” The boy’s face crumbled at his words. Evie could tell he was pissed that he couldn’t fight yet. She understood his frustrations more than even he knew.
“I know,” Evie said. “We have to get past these guards first. Then we will worry about the wild ones.” Evie helped the female up, steadying her as she swayed. It took a moment, but the female gritted her teeth and walked out of her cage.
In all, there was an alpha, the female, a young lion, and two males big enough to be Guardians. The scents around her were confusing. She wasn’t quite sure what they were, but it didn’t matter, they were all victims, and it was time to get them home.
“Alpha, stay in the middle,” Evie ordered, blushing a little. “Sorry, alpha.”
“If you know how to get us out of this place,” he replied, “I will follow you anywhere, young female warrior.”
At that moment, the door burst open and the lab coat guy entered with two males wearing scrubs. Evie and two of the men she’d released dispatched them quickly by snapping their necks. The two males looked at her with respect and pride.
“My name is Shadow,” the tall, dark-haired male said. His eyes were golden brown and she figured he was some sort of bear. “This is Santiago.” Again, another bear.
“We have to get out of this building and make our way to the small shack not far from the runway. I saw it as they flew me in, but it looks like we have to move through the wooded area for a few hundred yards to get there without using the road. Does anyone know how many wolves are out there?”
“There are six,” Theo snarled. “I can command them to stand down, but they fight me. I was forced to give everyone here my blood to keep them from dying. I guess you could say that I’m now the alpha to them all.”
“My brother is out there,” the female cried. “He isn’t a bad male.”
“You’re a wolf?” Evie gasped, taking a step back. She scented the air, but couldn’t scent anything over the female’s blood.
“We are not all bad,” the woman growled, looking up at Evie with hazy yellow eyes. Evie noticed the woman wasn’t as young as she had previously thought. The brighter light in the hallway highlighted her features. “My brother has obeyed Theo.”
“What is your name?” Evie asked.
“Luna.” She swallowed hard. “My name is Luna Ray.”
“Can your brother protect us out there?” Evie questioned, trying to calculate how much time had passed since she’d called out to her alpha.
“Echo will help us," she promised.
“Let’s go and make sure we protect the alpha,” Evie said as she reached the door to the outside. As they pushed through, the sun blinded the prisoners since they’d been held in cages for so long.
The other males shielded the alpha and Luna as Evie searched for sounds and scents of the enemy, no matter their species. Evie made a hand signal to the people behind her; stay low and quiet. All of them nodded as they entered the wooded area.
Birds flew from their perches in the trees, knowing there were predators around, even if they didn’t know how dangerous the shifters in her wake really were. The fact that there were birds in the trees made Evie a little more at ease. If the wolves were around, there would be silence.
Kye shifted again, forced by the power of his brother, his alpha. The pain in his chest was excruciating, and he wished he’d been able to see the men who had grabbed Evie. The only thing pushing him to survive was the knowledge that she would return home to him. The tracking device she’d insisted on having imbedded in her skin was the only thing that would save her now.
His beast protested when Talon forced the animal to recess for the fourth… or was it the fifth time? He didn’t know at this point. All he knew was that when he was human, he would shiver and a blanket would cover his naked body. Liberty had held a bottle of water to his lips a few times, wearing special gloves so she could touch him without pain.
“E…Evie,” he cried, wanting information on her. Each and every time he was human, he’d call out her name, hoping for someone to talk to him, but all he received was silence. A tear escaped his eye when Liberty came close again with more water. Kye’s eyes sparked amber and he stared at his sister-in-law, begging for answers. “Please tell me she’s alive.”
“She is, but they took her far away,” Liberty whispered, stroking his head. “We need you to heal while the Guardians bring her home.”
“I…go.” He swallowed hard, trying to move, but collapsed back on the mound of blankets they’d put him on in Talon’s living room.
“No,” Talon growled, kneeling down. His brother rested his hand on Kye’s shoulder. The power from his alpha’s touch helped ease the pain from his wound, but it didn’t heal the pain from the loss of his female. “You have to stay here. You’re not in any condition to leave the pride.”
“Find… her,” Kye begged, releasing his hold on his human side when he felt Talon’s power demanding he shift again.
“I promise,” Talon whispered as he stood up and walked away.