Page 106 of Primal Mirror

Remi met Auden’s gaze, saw the rage within, and shook his head. These two would pay, but they couldn’t risk tipping their hand just yet.

Auden squeezed her eyes shut, but stayed in place.

“The risk was too high,” Verhoeven said. “But regardless, we must confirm if the temporary transfer is complete. Have you worked out how we can get Auden to the infirmary for the necessary tests without her bodyguards?”

“No point in subtlety. A strike team is assembling to move in within the hour. Changelings are fast, but bullets and lasers are faster.”

Remi’s claws pricked at his skin, but he shook his head at Auden again when she bared her teeth in a snarl. Not yet. Let the assholes talk.

“Is that wise?” Verhoeven asked. “The death of an alpha changeling will cause political ripples.”

“He’s acting as a bodyguard. He got in the way of an assassination attempt. And it isn’t as if his pack is powerful enough to take on this family.” Charisma’s voice was unconcerned. “As for Auden, I don’t know. She has knowledge she shouldn’t have, but she also responds in ways that aren’t quite right.”

“A partial integration?” the doctor said. “In all honesty, I’m finding it increasingly hard to connect on the other end so I can’t confirm. The psychic fragmentation has picked up speed. If the integration has failed with Auden, we need the child as soon as possible.”

A tapping sound, nails against a wooden desk. “She should’ve never attempted Auden’s mind again. It was always meant to be the infant. Undamaged. A pristine canvas.”

“Unfortunately, we are not the ones making the choice.”

The scrape of a chair. “We need to rest, be ready to move after the strike team has done its job.”

Remi nudged at a trembling-with-anger Auden to move down the hall. He followed her in a stealth of shadows, blending in with the dark like the cat under his skin. He could feel her desperation to talk to him, discuss what they’d just heard, but fury or not, she held to their plan and maintained complete silence all the way to the basement storage area.

Once there, he put his lips to her ear. “Liberty is safe. Whatever happens, these bastards will never get their hands on her. My pack will rip out their throats before that and Zaira will join in.”

“Yes.” Then she turned, took his face in her hands. “And I will shoot them dead before they ever get a bead on you or Rina.” Fury in the kiss she laid on him, a depth of protectiveness that was rarely directed toward Remi.

He was the alpha. He was the protector.

Except, it seemed, to his mate. Because of course that’s what she was to him. Some part of him had known that since the start; that was why he’d allowed her touch that first day, and why his leopard had reacted so badly to her apparent inability to be the partner he needed.

“No more.” Auden’s whisper was rough and low but potent. “We find out tonight, even if that means we hold Charisma and the doctor down and inject them with their own fucking drugs!”

He growled in agreement before pulling out his phone to send Rina a text alerting her to the incoming strike team: Prep our people, but don’t move until the last possible minute. We need them to believe we’re exactly where they think we are for as long as possible.

Not expecting an answer given her current form, he slid away the phone, then hunkered down to begin searching for an access point.

Auden’s hand on his shoulder, her leg pressing into his side. “Switch is on the wall to the left, behind the shelf that holds the long-life protein bars.” Her voice was ice, the hand on his shoulder warm. “There is no threat immediately underneath the hatch.”

The hairs on his nape rising, he looked up into those eyes of moonstone blue, and saw a woman of frigid control looking back at him…but beyond the control burned the rage of her need to protect those she had claimed.

Bleedover.

With Auden in control. Because his fucking mate wasn’t about to allow anyone, even another part of her psyche, to get in the way of her protecting her people. That metal in her scent? It had returned, but as such a fine thread that it had no chance of overpowering her.

Rising, he crouched down by the shelf she’d indicated, removed the two boxes of protein bars…and there it was. A slight depression in the wall that would be invisible if you weren’t looking for it.

Heart thumping, he pressed his thumb to it.

Nothing.

“It’s DNA encoded.” Coming down beside him, Auden put her thumb to the depression.

The hatch slid back with soundless precision.

Looking at it, Auden’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s go find out who the fuck is trying to hurt my child and my man.”

Remi’s leopard rumbled in his chest, furious with pride, his own anger claws against his fingertips.

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