Page 17 of Blood Pack Beginning

The shifting of his mindset halted the day Sasha walked them back down to the panic room which resembled an open concept apartment with seating, a television bolted to the wall and a mini kitchen.

The Lycans balked. She hadn’t locked them in there since Thaddeus had cleared them days ago.

“Has something changed?” Cyrus asked.

“I need to go deal with a situation,” she said, not meeting their eyes.

“What kind of situation?” Amir asked.

“A nasty one involving ghouls.”

That brought a frown from Diego. “Aren’t those the failed vampire things you told us about?”

“They are violent creatures with a constant hunger for blood. Very dangerous, which is why you’ll be staying behind.”

“What?” Amir shook his head. “Isn’t this what we’ve been training for?”

Her lips pinched. “Yes, but you’re not ready yet.”

“Like fuck we’re not.” A bristling Amir stepped toward her, body tense and fists clenched by his sides.

“You’ve improved drastically since we started the lessons, but it’s more than skill. I’m not sure if I can trust you yet to protect my back.”

“We’ve done nothing to warrant that kind of suspicion.” Diego’s hot retort.

“Yet,” she stated. “I haven’t lived this long by being stupid about my safety. You’ll stay here while I go help Thaddeus.”

“Like fuck we will.”

“Did you think you had a choice?” Her sweet reply before her hand moved quickly. Cyrus only had a second to realize she held the tranq gun before the dart hit him.

It was filled with the same potent shit she’d used on them the first time she’d locked them in there. Just like before, he hit the ground so fast he didn’t have time to call her a nasty name.

A drooling Cyrus woke face first on the floor and rolled to his back with a groan. The first of the four to rouse, but within minutes, all but Omar stirred, with Amir, of course, being pissed.

“I can’t believe she fucking drugged us—again!” The big man rose to his feet and staggered to the door. It didn’t yield at his tug. No real surprise, but tell that to Amir, who pounded on the locked portal bellowing, “Let me out!”

The door remained shut, and no one replied, but Omar who groggily said, “What happened?”

“Sasha put us to sleep,” Cyrus answered as he dragged his sluggish ass to a chair.

“To keep us safe,” Diego opined, once more cutting her too much slack.

“You mean she did this to keep herself safe because she doesn’t trust us,” Amir grumbled as he paced in front of the only exit to the room.

“In her defense, she doesn’t know us well yet.”

“Stop making excuses for her,” Cyrus snapped at Diego. “You don’t ask someone to be your ally then drug and lock them up.”

“It is admittedly a bit overkill,” Diego admitted.

“If she didn’t trust us to guard her back, then she could have simply left us behind. No reason to lock us away,” Cyrus pointed out.

“You’re saying you wouldn’t have tried to follow?” Diego’s arched query.

Amir whirled. “I’ll bet the reason she didn’t want us along is because she’s hiding something.”

“Like what?” Diego sounded genuinely curious.

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