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“Females are wise, especially ours.” Severin took a long drink from the glass.

Chapter 12

“Happy wife, happy life, they say,” Thana joked.

Savage raised his glass. “Exactly. You two ready? I’m going to send the information to the others on a private path. You can share with your crew. Ready?”

Thana felt the familiar buzz in her mind as Savage flowed in. With Severin sharing the link, it felt like a comfort unlike any before.

“Damn, that’s wild. So their aura is similar to ours, with a slight color change and a heavy scent that, once we recognize it, is quite pungent. I’ll share the scent with my Clan. I need to look through my memories for any traces of them from my past.” Severin shot Savage a look she couldn’t decipher.

“Okay, you two. I’m going to head out and see my female. You’re welcome to stay and do what mates do.” Savage stood and winked at them.

She and Severin both finished their drinks and got to their feet. “No, we’re going to do some recon down by the tunnels.” Thana swept the glasses away, ensuring they were cleaned and put away.

“Do you need some backup?” Savage asked.

“We’re good. If things go south, my Clan will be close enough to help.” Severin held his hand out to her, sliding his fingers between hers like they’d done it hundreds of times.

“If you need more, you know we got you,” Savage reminded her.

Severin waited until Savage had left the room before he circled her body with his arms. “Are you ready to head to the tunnels?”

With a scowl, she tried to put distance between them. “Don’t you think we should take some others with us?”

“We’ll go in as mist and stay side by side. I can sense traps set by the oldest magic. Besides, with you next to me, I’ll be on alert even more.” Severin’s lips brushed against hers, hot and demanding. For the first time in her life, she was tempted to fuck a male in Savage’s domain. Suicidal but oh so tantalizing at the same time.

“Oh, Goddess. I’m nearly consumed by the desire to let you fuck me right here, right now.” Their breaths mingled, and her fingers gripped the front of his shirt. It took all her strength to hold her inner hussy in check. His pure masculine aura made her weak.

“When we finish finding the girl, I’ll make good on those thoughts going through your mind and more,” Severin promised.

“I’ll hold you to it.” Thana tapped Severin’s hard chest. Damn, the male is sexy as Hell. She couldn’t wait.

Severin’s jaw clenched, and he lifted his chin. “Stay close to me. I know you’re capable, but I need to feel you near to stay steady.”

Thana rolled her eyes. “Yes, Boss.”

She shifted to mist before he could grab her. He moved with her, their forms mingling as they rose higher. Thana shared Mari’s location, and as one, they transported as mist to the Upper East Side. They floated down beneath the highway structure. Massive dark, hollow concrete support columns rose. She sensed Severin’s confusion at the place she’d taken them.

“Trust me. Down here there’s more than meets the eye. Behind the concrete walls are maintenance crawlspaces and gated storage vaults used by the Department of Transportation. It’s a perfect place to hide shit you don’t want found, with the constant, deafening roar of traffic overhead to drown out any screams for help.” Thana tried to keep the disgust out of her voice, but Severin’s soothing aura washed over her. She realized he clearly sensed her unease.

“That is, sadly, not shocking that they’d used something so in plain sight to hide their dirty deeds. With the FDR Drive highway running directly over and alongside the Upper East Side waterfront, combined with the pedestrian esplanade built right on top, any noise would be swallowed up by the cacophony of the everyday bullshit of humans.” Severin’s even tone washed over her.

The heavy, industrial-grade hollow metal bulkhead door looked like it was made to blend into the shadows. Severin’s mist form floated around the entire mass. No apparent handle or keyhole showed on the outside—only a heavy-duty, recessed brass deadbolt cylinder.

“We go in as mist, leanabh-nighean. Stay close.” Severin’s order sounded like he’d chewed gravel.

Mari’s fear hit her through the link they’d created. “We need to hurry. I don’t know what’s wrong, but fear is like a living, breathing thing through the walls, hitting me like a sledgehammer.” I see Mari strapped to a table in what looks like a sterile white room, with heavy acoustic foam on the walls. Shit, it looks like a private medical clinic setup with a viewing station on one wall with large glass windows. I can’t see what’s on the other side of the glass, though, since she’s lying flat.”

“Don’t panic, Thana. We go in as we are and assess the situation. We’ll get her out, and anyone else who’s being held there as well.”

They moved under the gap at the bottom of the door into an almost claustrophobic space inside the FDR Vault entrance. Pitch-black darkness, heavy with the smell of damp Earth, stagnant river water, and ozone, assaulted her senses. If they’d been human, they’d have probably needed masks and flashlights.

A steep, narrow concrete utility staircase dropping below the highway level seemed to be the only way down, but Thana hadn’t lived as long as she had by taking things at face value. She and Severin scanned the space, looking for wards and hidden doorways.

“We go down. You follow me and don’t do anything rash, mo ghaol.” Severin’s ghost-like hand ran over her face after he spoke, easing the tension rising in her.

“Just because you call me your love and sound reasonable doesn’t mean you’re the boss,” she groused.