Page 75 of Hunted

And it still was less inviting than Gunn’s bunker.

They walked through a vaulted hallway to an elevator—that went down, of course. To the various levels of Hell, probably.

It was hot and close in the elevator, with seven sweaty wolves in it. But the ride still didn’t take as long as Michelangela would have liked.

They walked down a hallway to a set of doors that opened by themselves in an extremely creepy manner. They were in a huge underground room with dim lights along the walls, and one huge wooden table with an ornate chair at the far end, with an unlit lamp next to it.

Okay then. They all knew who the king was here. Nobody sits in the presence of the king.

They waited just inside the doors, and then Sugar seemed to get some kind of bat signal. Before Michelangela knew what was happening, he stuck a needle in her arm. One of those mini-vials just like hers, that didn’t need a hypodermic—you just shoved it into the person.

“What the hell was that?” she demanded.

Sugar didn’t answer, because at that moment a deep voice boomed, “Come forth!”

Seriously?

Sugar unlocked her cuffs and shoved her forward. She went. Not only was there no way out, with six wolves between her and the door, but she really wanted to give this Thanatos person a piece of her mind.

Even though she was starting to feel a little weird from whatever he’d given her. She kind of hoped it was truth serum, because Thanatos could use a few truths, the pecker.

They were about two-thirds of the way down the room when the big lamp by the chair went on, shining in her eyes. Michelangela flinched back for a second, blinking, but Sugar pushed her forward until she could see past the light.

A dark figure in a hooded cloak had appeared in the chair. His face was totally hidden, like a creature she’d seen once in a sci-fi TV show. Someone you really didn’t want to see with his hood off.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered. How theatrical could you get?

Sugar pulled on her arm, and Michelangela jerked away from him and marched forward. “What the hell have you done to Gunn? Did you tell Sanchez to throw him off the helicopter?”

Thanatos drew himself up slightly, as if he were offended. Good. She was just getting started.

He said, “I told the men that I wanted to speak to you, without Gunn here, and to let him find his own way home.” He paused. “Sanchez apparently was a bit too enthusiastic in following my orders.”

“Ya think?” She was starting to feel a little loopy. And even more snarky than usual. What had he given her?

Thanatos said, “I will authorize a search. I do not wish to lose him.”

“Damn right,” Mikey said. “He’s the best thing that’s happened to this place. He’s a good alpha, and you don’t give him any support. All you do is give him shit.”

Thanatos’s hood looked slightly startled. “I give him men. Weapons. State-of-the-art equipment.”

Mikey rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You think that’s all it’s about? Shit you can list on spreadsheets? Being an alpha is a hard job, you numbnuts. It’s exhausting—physically, mentally and emotionally. You wouldn’t know that, because you’re sitting up here in your mansion binge-watching horror movies and practicing being all menacing in the mirror. Does your species even have feelings?”

“That subject has often been debated.”

Mikey widened her eyes. “Color me astonished.”

The hood gazed at her. She could see pinpoints of red light where eyes probably should be. He said, “Are you through with your female tantrum?”

Female tantrum? Mikey growled. “Oh, buddy, you haven’t seen a tantrum until you’ve seen a pussy-ass male panther shifter throwing one. Tantrums: not just for women anymore.”

Thanatos kept his voice even, but he sounded like he was working at it. “You are a difficulty and a distraction,” he said. “If I had my way, you would never have set foot in this place, making Gunn want things he can’t have.”

Mikey said, “Oops, too late. He’s already got me. And that means you do too.”

“Not for long.”

Oh, shit. That didn’t sound good. Mikey suddenly realized she was mouthing off in a drug-induced rant with no backup. Gunn was probably still hours away, if he’d been able to start making his way back at all. She didn’t know how far Boomer would go to protect her. He was outnumbered, and this was still his pack. She didn’t belong.