Page 14 of The Lycans: Vol Four

She closed her eyes and clenched her hands at her sides.

“You’re in the holding cells for an organization that likes to torture, kill, maim… all of the above and more.”

She looked at me. “An organization?”

“They call themselves the Assembly.” I tried to keep my voice light, but I heard the tightness in it. Bile rose in my throat by just saying the organization name. “What’s your name?”

“Kayla. Yours?”

I rested my head back and stared at the stone ceiling, swallowing as I realized this was the first time I’d had an actual conversation with someone that didn’t involve taunts and insults thrown at me. “Larkin. What’s the year?”

“The year?”

I nodded without looking at her, and when she told me, I felt shock fill every part of me.

“Gods,” I whispered and closed my eyes. “So long. So much time has passed.” Of course I knew many years had passed since I’d been taken, but I hadn’t realized just how long it had been.

“You never tried to escape?”

Bane, the clearly nosy male, barked out a harsh laugh. “Fucking escape?” he roared, and suddenly a pound-pound-pound-pound sounded.

I exhaled. “He clearly has no self-control. The males in the Otherworld don’t.” Pound-pound-pound. “I tried escaping. More than once, but you learn fast in this place that if even Bane, a demon the size of a house, can’t bust out of here, then what’s the point?” I looked at Kayla then. “But I tried. I really did… until I just stopped trying.”

“What are you? Who are you?” she whispered.

I stared at Kayla and smiled, but I knew it was sad, maybe hopeless. “I’m no one. I haven’t been important to anyone for a long time.” I exhaled a shaky breath. “You’re human but must be someone’s mate if they have you.”

She nodded. “Adryan.”

I didn’t know who that was, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered when they had you.

“And you?” she asked, but I just gave her another sad smile.

“I’d get some sleep. Since you’re new, they’ll be coming for you sooner rather than later.” I pushed away from the wall and went to the cot, lying down and getting some rest before they came back for me.

5

Odhran

Istood a few feet behind Adryan, leader of the American Vampire Clan and an all-around crazy motherfucker.

If I didn’t need him and his kind’s help in breaking into the structure we were currently scouting, I would’ve kicked his ass and been done with it already.

The psychotic, arrogant bastard was currently staring at the farmhouse down in the valley across from where we were stationed. I could sense the dark rage pouring off him. I knew that feeling well. It had been my companion for a very long time.

And I knew the only reason he was here with us, to finally help us, was because his mate had been taken and handed over to the Assembly.

His very human, very fragile mate.

We arrived in Vermont half an hour ago and were currently canvassing the area. Although Adryan mentioned his soldiers had been here watching the property for a while now, the Lycans wanted to do their own reconnaissance.

I thought over what we’d learned about the place. There were just too many inconsistencies with the property: the deed being transferred many times, the names changing, and a lot of shit seeming to have been buried to avoid whatever it was they were hiding.

And that was a facility owned and run by the Assembly, the corrupt and twisted organization that needed to burn to the fucking ground.

The information we found out on what they’d done with the Otherworlders once they captured them was speculation, given the fact that we’d never met anyone who had escaped. But we’d done enough research, heard enough rumors throughout the years, decades, hell, centuries, that we had a good idea of the monstrous things they did.

My chest clenched at the very thought of my wee Larkin in their clutches. Gods, not just recently, but for decades.

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