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“What’s going on?” Hannah asked, still sniffling.
Nora settled the girl down onto her lap, then stroked a few strands of hair out of her face. Hannah was clearly terrified, but she never failed to impress Nora with her sense of curiosity, even amidst a complete nightmare.
“Hudson and Logan are fighting the bad guys. I think the rest of the clan just barreled in,” Nora said, adrenaline surging through her body like a lightning storm. “We are going to be okay. We just have to hide up here for a little bit and wait.”
Nora continued to be amazed as a comforting smile grew on the child’s lips. Beyond them were howls and roars of victory blended with shrieks and cries of agony.
“They came. They came to help us,” Hannah said.
Nora kissed her forehead, then helped her settle against the wall before climbing to her feet to push the desk in tighter against them. Coming around the front of the desk, movement out the interior window caught her eye.
The large glass pane in the office she was in had a great vantage point of what looked like an operating room. Was this where those in charge sat to watch the doctors dissect their victims?
The motion she’d noticed was from a lone man in a white lab coat who had entered the operating area. He ran up a few steps to a door on the side of the room and opened it. Then she noticed another large window through which the man appeared in what looked to be a control room of some kind.
The sight of the man sneaking in made Nora’s stomach drop. She peered through the clear glass as the man fiddled with a few buttons, then pulled something from his pocket. Nora narrowed her eyes as much as she could, spotting a glint of silver reflection.
As he inserted a key into a slot on the board, a different screech of an alarm went off throughout the entire facility, causing both Hannah and Nora to clap their hands over their ears. Then, a computerized voice came over a loudspeaker.
“Self-destruction mode activated. T-minus three minutes until implementation.”
Nora’s blood ran cold. There was no time to think.
She slid her body over to Hannah, where she pushed the desk as close as she could manage. She then kissed the top of the girl’s head.
“I’m going to help us. Stay here, stay strong. You’re amazing."
Hannah kissed Nora's hand and nodded. It was all the motivation she would ever need.
She ran, color and sound disappearing, to stop the destruction of a future she desired more than anything in her world.
TWENTY-SIX
HUDSON
Hudson hadn’t ever been so razor-focused in his entire life. Even as the alpha, he had never felt his movements be so smooth, his trust in himself so profound and sure. His heart thumped hard against his ribs because he had so much more to live for than a few months ago. He had a family now.
In the moments of battle, everything else evaporated into the ether. It was clear in his mind what was most importance, and it inspired him to fight harder than he ever had. He was the alpha in his clan, it had been his birthright, but he also wanted Nora. She was his mate, and there wasn’t anything more cosmic and written in the stars but that very notion when it came to being a shifter.
But when he heard the clan smash their way into the facility, his heart lit up. They ran in, ready to protect one of their own, slashing and destroying their enemies just as they had all been raised to do as mere cubs.
They all fought bravely, feeding off one another's energy as bullets rained down hard, slashing and crushing the skulls of the men who had meant harm to his beloved family. There were nearly a dozen massive polar bears in the facility, taking on scores of men. What had seemed impossible a few seconds before was now a certainty. The humans continued thudding to the cold concrete as the bears destroyed them.
There were only a few more men left, along with a few doctors who had barricaded themselves in the adjoining offices watching through the large windows, horror etched onto their faces. First, they needed to get rid of the idiots with the guns.
Logan’s fur was stained cherry red, and his teeth bared. They had fought alongside one another, just as they always had, and stopped to regroup as a handful of men ducked around a corner.
The alpha and beta shifted to their two-legged form as the other bears went for the remaining soldiers. “Where did the others come from?” Hudson asked with a smirk. There was no way a vote could’ve taken place and backup have arrived as quickly as they did.
Logan shrugged. “I may have mentioned where I was going to a few enforcers on my way here.”
Hudson grinned. This was his clan, his extended family. He was proud of them.
“Where are Hannah and Nora?”Logan asked.
Hudson turned to where he had spotted Nora running up the stairs with Hannah in her arms. He admired her greatly not only for her strength but also for her intelligence and ability to think clearly during such savage conditions.
“She is safe on the upper floor. Let’s deal with these bastards and burn this place to the ground.”
