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Finally, I discovered the code I needed and found all the cameras, lights, alarms, and mechanisms for the cells.Bingo.
“You better prepare yourself,” I said. “There’s going to be some noise.”
Clawson went to the door and prepared to launch at anyone coming our way. “I’m ready.”
Furiously typing away, I had everything shut off within seconds and the alarms blaring like it was the Fourth of July.
Taking a few extra seconds, I placed a lock on the system, then shut everything off. That would lock them out of the servers for a while. They’d have to enter through some back doors, but it gave us time to put space between us and this place while they tried to figure out what had happened.
“Head over to that building everyone hauled ass to,” I said. “I bet that’s where they’re probably keeping everybody. I’ll check the other buildings and make sure we don’t miss anything,” I told Clawson before I took off in the opposite direction.
Behind me, Clawson was cursing and naming all the reasons why separating was a terrible idea, but I ignored him and moved as fast as I could with my injury. I wasn’t going to be an idiot and do anything to endanger myself more, but I knew the smaller building held the special prisoners. That was where the hunters liked to do their experiments and break the strong-willed. With Ridge being an alpha, I figured that was where they were holding him.
I needed to see him. I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed him now. My wolf had caught his scent, and knowing he was near but not at our side had her going wild.
I didn’t encounter anyone as I skulked around the area, but that didn’t stop me from poking my head into each unlocked room I passed. Who knew what the hunters had here, or what would be of use to Ridge and all of us shifters?
My tension had me on edge just enough that my side was hurting, but I ignored the pain as much as possible. I had to hold my side and pray that the stitches stayed put because I was well-aware Ridge would have something to say when he discovered I’d had to get stitched a second time. I couldn’t imagine the conniption he’d have if I needed to get it done a third time.
Wishing to have that argument with him, I worked steadily, trying to get to him. That was how desperate I was to get him back. I’d rather fight with him than be without him any day.
The commotion on the other side of the property made this part of the compound a ghost town, making the surroundings a little eerie. Without incident, I made it to the last building and cautiously moved through the rooms until I reached the back room.
My heart pounded, and my stomach had jumped up into my throat. For a split second, I thought it was Ridge lying motionless on the slab, but the shirtless man strapped onto the metal table was Zander. Every surface of the room was plastered with what I recognized as witch markings. The same witch markings had been painted over Zander’s body. He was unconscious, and his sickly gray complexion worried me. He was close to death. The only sign of life was the shallow rising and falling of his chest.
Rushing over to Zander, I grabbed the constraints to loosen them. My skin sizzled, and I hissed. Fuck, the things were laced with silver. His skin was marked with burns. I grabbed a nearby rag, using it to cover the straps as I unfastened the buckles. When everything was undone, I moved the straps far away from both of us.
“Zander, can you hear me? We need to get out of here. Wake up.” I smacked at his cheeks, but there was no response. “Zander, come on, wake up.”
It was no secret that I wasn’t particularly fond of this shifter. He was a nasty drunk, but dread still sat in the pit of my stomach. He looked like death was about to come knocking any minute now. The burns on his skin had blistered and weren’t healing. I struggled to contain my panic and breathe normally. Silver and wolfsbane burns healed quickly if they were merely surface wounds. Typically, as soon as the irritant was removed, they’d look marginally better, with only some faint scarring until the wounds healed completely. A puncture wound with silver took longer to heal as the poison entered the system. But that wasn’t the case here.
“Zander. Zander. Wake up. You gotta wake up. I can’t carry you. Come on.” I smacked his cheeks again and tried to shake him awake, but got no response.
The door slammed open and banged against the wall. I jumped and twirled my body in a defensive posture in front of Zander’s prone form, preparing for the hunters to grab me. My wolf snarled, ready to unleash hell on whoever stood in my way of getting to Ridge.
But standing in the doorway, in all his gorgeous glory,wasRidge. Joy leaped from both me and my wolf.
Ridge glared at me, his eyes flashing with ire. He was seriously pissed off, but I didn’t care. I’d known he’d be angry with me for being here on this rescue mission when he’d been adamant that I stayed in the hospital. He wouldn’t bemyRidge if he weren’t angry about it, and his presence was all I needed to calm down. I hadn’t deluded myself into thinking he’d be happy to see me here. Ridge’s protective instincts were too potent, but I was more than happy to deal with his anger.
In fact, I looked forward to it. The make-up sex would be fucking amazing. I was counting on it.
I watched his eyes intently. It was only when I moved to launch myself at him that I realized he was holding a hostage. And of course, it was my brother.
My anger at Kyle boiled up to the surface, the hurt my family had caused me simmering wildly beneath that anger. I couldn’t hold back the emotions directed at my brother, but they were forced from my mind when Ridge started snarling at me.
Normally, I’d bristle at his high-handed alpha showboating, but I was too ecstatic to see him.
“Little wolf, you’d better get your sweet ass out of this compound like it’s on fire. You’re supposed to be healing in a hospital bed, not traipsing around like a hero, giving me a heart attack by putting yourself in further danger.”
Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of scolding me, even though he could probably scent precisely how happy I was to see him, I scoffed, “You’re very welcome, Fido. I’m glad to see you breathing.”
As the initial reality of our reunion soaked in, I raked my eyes over his body. A whimper escaped me when I saw the faint burns marring his beautiful skin and the bloody bandages wrapped around his shoulder. His face was bruised and puffy, and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. Blood spilled from his nose and lip, and his knuckles were cracked and bleeding. White-hot rage burned in my chest, and my wolf snapped and scurried inside me.
Falling back against the table, I gripped the sides and tried to focus on my breathing the way Clawson had shown me. I warred with my wolf over control. Ridge’s injuries had triggered her to break free.
But the breathing wasn’t helping. I began to hyperventilate, and the room spun around me. My temples threatened to burst, and everything around me started to fade into darkness.
The feral part of my wolf was trying to take over, even though Ridge was alive and standing in front of me. That wasn’t enough. Ridge had been hurt, could have been killed. My wolf wanted justice and revenge, and there was no reasoning with her.
