He’d have goaded another challenger or two out of that crowd in a bid to show off like it would impress her. Every night since that first injection has been a trial not to shift and crawl into her bed to lay with her like a needy puppy, and it’s... embarrassing. He has no control, is simply a wild mess of emotions.
“I keep telling you, she’d love it,”he scoffs, and I swear, if he could use my brain as a punching bag, he would.“Our mate doesn’t want distance, she wants to be loved. She’d be flattered if you let go a little; why can’t you see that?”
Why can’t you see that I’m not you?
A few seconds pass before he taunts,“Thank goodness for that. There’s only enough room for one repressed jackass in this body, so I’m happy to let you carry the mantle. I’ll continue being her favorite; the one that was happy to break the wrist of the man that insulted her at the diner, the one that encouraged you to publicly profess your feelings. ShelikedReid the human, but shelovesReid the demon.”
Iwas the one that broke that bastard’s wrist,I snap.The one that took care of her when her wolf was released and she was scared to touch anyone else. The one that killed his best friend to protect her.
“So, you admit it, then?”
I’m forced to pause, putting my hands on my knees and taking a couple of slow breaths to combat the urge to vomit as he writhes around inside of my body like the parasite that he is.Admit what?
“That we’re the same person.”Ignoring me as I freeze, he elaborates,“Because we’re both willing to do whatever we have to in order to protect her, even if it hurts.”
Forcing my limbs into motion, I push myself into continuing along the path before Damian notices that I fell behind.What do you mean, even if it hurts?
“I’m trapped inside of someone that loathes me, and you keep calling it freedom. And still, I look at it as a blessing because it’s more than I’d ever hoped to have. Yet the one bright spot in my life, our mate, you insist on keeping me away from as if youwantto torture me. If you want to give her space, fine. Go nuts; onyourtime. I haven’t forced the shifting issue because you’re already enough of a dick about it, but I will if I have to.”
“Fucking hell, whatisthat?” Damian coughs. Following him into the warehouse, I cover my mouth and nose, but it hardly does anything to curb the stench.
Sebastian grunts, checking on the mini-centrifuge that’s separating a few vials of Sabrina’s blood so that it won’t clot in the syringes. “Hydrogen Sulfide; you get used to it. Normally isn't nearly this bad, but several tanks were caught up in the explosion the other day, and no amount of airing out the place or scrubbing seems to be helping.”
While I was originally annoyed that I got stuck with Damian canvassing the area, it looks like I actually lucked out.
Merrick wrinkles his nose, looking at one of the charred containers against the far wall. “Maybe it’s a good thing that we have this current shitstorm with Sabrina to distract Wilder, otherwise he’d be raining hell down on us as soon as he realizes how far behind schedule that setback is going to put us.”
“What do you need so much of it for that it’ll put you behind?”
Leo looks at me like I’m an idiot. “It’s one of the central components of the drug. It’s what supercharges our wolves -er-demonsinto rushing to the surface.”
Meeting Boden’s gaze, I scrunch up my face in confusion. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he mocks, “did I miss the part where you did this for a living?”
“I know trace amounts are used in a couple of pharmaceuticals, but it’s extremely toxic in large doses and, as you clearly discovered, flammable.”
When Leo begins to go off on a tangent, Hunter interjects, “What are you getting at, Reid?”
Heading over to one of the scorched tanks, I crouch down to read the warning label. I knocked out the required science courses in college my first year to get them out of the way, so it’s been a good while and I could be mixing up facts. Trying to look at things from every angle before I open my mouth and make a fool of myself, I ultimately opt for the Sabrina approach; laying it all out there and letting the cards fall where they may.
“You and Sabrina got sick when siphoning from the lycans, right? At Hunter’s nod, I skim the fine print, more confident that I’m on the right track. “Health effects of exposure include headaches, memory loss, and problems with the cardiovascular system. Prolonged exposure to hydrogen sulfide can result in eye inflammation, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and weight loss.” Looking up, I meet Merrick’s unyielding glare. “Might explain why members of your pack are bigger assholes than the others around here. Even those that don’t work in the warehouse are potentially exposed if it’s getting into the air.” Turning to Hunter, I suggest, “Could also be a factor as to why you have trouble sleeping since you guys recycle water out here.” To Damian, I note, “You said you guys struggle more with your counterparts than we do. If this stuff supercharges them into surfacing and you’ve all been exposed to it the majority of your lives, the theory fits the bill.”
While the rest are ominously silent, Bo chimes in, “By poisoning people, it's one more factor to keep them from thinking clearly. And if he has an army of lycans under his command, other alphas can't bring them to heel without getting sick and lessening themselves as a threat at the same time. It’s kind of a genius if you think about it.”
Everyone’s rendered silent for so long that it becomes far more awkward than my walk with Damian. Eventually, Hunter breaks it, and I take a minute to actually study the guy.
I cast my vote for him to be our alpha in Sabrina’s absence only because he was the least offensive option while Slade wasn’t in the running. But now... I think he may have actually been a better choice than anyone could have anticipatedbecausehe doesn’t want the position. The Slaughters have been a looming threat over his head for his entire life, yet here he is telling them to shut up to give me a chance to speak and actually considering my theory despite our history. Ash has been the monster that he, Damian, and Kaige have feared, but Hunter’s rising to the challenge at every turn now not just for Sabrina, but himself. And yet, he’s still an ass like he’s always been, just more toned down about it these days, redirecting his energy to more productive outlets.
We put so much of ourselves on the back burner for our mate and what’s expected of us in that regard, it’s actually kind of comforting to see that we don’t have to completely disappear for the sake of someone else.
“Let’s try leaving it out of this batch and see what happens.” Despite the Slaughters’ dirty glares in Hunter’s direction, he doesn’t back down. “Worst case scenario, it doesn’t work. Best case?” He meets my eye, and the conviction I see there makes me feel like shit, because I really haven’t done anything to warrant him going to bat for me. “We find a way out of this mess.”
Clearing my throat, I ask, “Who should we test it out on?”
Bo turns to Merrick. “Who was that guy glaring daggers at Sabrina the other night in the warehouse? Of anyone, it’d be the most obvious to see a difference, and honestly, it’d be a good excuse to kill him. What was that guy’s problem, anyway?”
“Let me guess; blonde, looks like he’d stab you in the back, then piss on your corpse?” At Bo’s nod, he grunts, going back to prepping a few things on one of the tables. “Marco. His brother tried to take over the pack last time we were gone looking for Annika. Never forgave us for killing him, and thinks we're too stupid to realize he's worming his way closer to us looking for an opening to get revenge. Sabrina would be the perfect way to do it.”
