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“My family? What do they have to do with it?” Didn’t he just say he knew I had no family? “What are you talking about?”
The clan leader clapped his hands with glee. “Imagine my surprise when I did a little research on you and discovered that your great-great-grandfather was, in fact, a shifter,” Tomas said. Thanks to those dark, wide eyes, the look on his face bordered on maniacal, a wild grin replacing his usual smug smile.
I shook my head. “That's not possible. I'm human.” I’d know if someone in my family was a shifter. He was messing with me, trying to get in my head.
“Are you so sure about that, Mariah dear?” Tomas said, walking back and forth in front of my cage like a predator watching its prey. “You see, having even a trace of shifter blood within makes you the perfect test subject for our serum.”
My mind raced as I tried to process the implications of what he was saying. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea having shifter blood. It felt like a cruel joke, another twisted way for him to manipulate me.
“Oh, my dear,” Tomas said, “I understand your confusion. After all, how does a shifter bloodline simply die out? It's simple really. It’s when they mate with a human.” He leaned against the bars of my cage. “Your great-great-grandfather, it seems, had some strong swimmers. He managed to knock up a human woman—something that’s nearly impossible—but the child they conceived wasn't a shifter, and his bloodline essentially died with him.”
My hands balled into fists, nails digging into my palms as anger bubbled beneath the surface. “You're lying,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Am I?” he said. “All it takes is a strand, Mariah, and you have one. So, not only am I going to take your blood and break down your DNA to find it, I'm also going to use it to perfect our serum. Before long, I’ll have everything I need.”
“Even if what you're saying is true,” I said, “I’ll never help you with this sick game. I won’t let you use me to hurt anyone.”
“There’s no ‘if’ about it, and your cooperation isn't necessary, my dear,” Tomas said, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “We'll simply extract what we need from you by force if necessary.”
“Leave her alone!” Jax said as his eyes blazed with fury.
“Silence!” Tomas said, his own anger flaring. “You have no say in this matter. You're nothing more than a pathetic, beaten dog.”
“Jax is worth ten of you,” I said. “A hundred, and when Evan finds out what you've done, he'll make sure you pay for it.”
“Ah, yes,” Tomas said with a sneer. “The mighty Evan. But you see, Mariah, your precious guardian and his pathetic family will be too late to save you.”
The smirk on his face only grew as he leaned in closer, eyes shining with malicious glee. “All we need is to find that strand of your DNA. Don’t worry, my dear. That won’t be your only part to play. Once I find it, I’ll use you as my next subject.”
The door to the room swung open, and a man entered who looked like he'd stepped straight out of a horror movie. He was tall and gaunt, with thinning hair and cold, calculating eyes that seemed devoid of any warmth or empathy. His white lab coat was pristine, and something about the way he carried himself told me he took great pride in his work—work that’d undoubtedly cause me unimaginable pain.
“Ready to change the world of shifters forever, Mariah?” Tomas asked, still smirking as this terrifying figure approached my glass cage.
A chill ran down my spine. “You won't get away with this, Tomas.”
“Ah, but I already have,” he said, his grin widening. He gestured to the doctor, who began wheeling a tray of gleaming medical instruments toward me. "Dr. Montgomery here is eager to begin our little experiment. Aren't you, Doctor?”
“Indeed,” Dr. Montgomery said, his words as vacant and detached as the rest of his body while he examined the tools laid out before him. “Miss Bailey’s DNA could be the key we've been searching for.”
Chapter 25
Evan
The beast inside me was a maelstrom of fury, consuming everything in its path.
It’d been two days since Mariah was kidnapped, and every moment that passed felt like an eternity. I paced along the extended balcony of the penthouse, my fists clenched as my dragon's rage threatened to overtake me. It was a wonder I hadn’t shifted and flown through the city, raining fire down until I found my mate.
But I was already on thin ice after breaking the law at the courthouse, and even in self-defense, shifting in the city was forbidden. Sebastian and Abi had caught the first flight to New York, bringing Sofia once they learned about Mariah's kidnapping. The only place I felt was safe for my daughter was here with me. Lucas had come back to Texas and was managing things there while Sebastian was gone. Right now, all of us were focused on saving Mariah.
“Where the hell is Mason?” I said, losing patience by the second.
Sebastian had called him over when I’d woken up so agitated, I couldn’t get my talons to retract. Each second that ticked by with Mariah in Tomas’s clutches was one too many. How was I supposed to stay calm?
“I’m right here,” Mason said as he stepped out onto the balcony. He always seemed to know when I needed him, just like when he’d rushed to the courthouse the other day. I’d been ready to burn the place to the ground when I realized Mariah was gone, and I felt much the same this morning.
Mason exchanged a glance with Sebastian. “Everything okay?” he said.
Sebastian gestured at me. “Evan here is ready to go storm the gates, invade Tomas’s land, and incite a war.”
