Page 36 of Fated Wolf's Redemption

"Underground," I say, looking around the cell. "A facility. It must be beneath the estate. Hidden."

I hear him pacing, heavy footfalls back and forth. Then a slam—his fist, probably—against his own wall. "The Crimson Claw patrols outside. I caught a scent just before I came to. We’re surrounded."

"They took our weapons."

"Of course they did."

I glance up. The ceiling’s just as seamless as the rest of the room. No vents. No obvious cameras. But they’re watching. I can feel it.

Something scratches softly to my left. I turn fast. There’s another cell beside mine. The glass in that one isn’t fully opaque. I squint, heart hammering. A body.

No—movement. Slow. Jerky. A man, crouched low, back to the wall. He’s muttering under his breath. His hair is long and matted. He’s thin—too thin—but something about the set of his shoulders sparks recognition.

"Lucas," I call softly, "someone’s in the next cell."

His voice sharpens. "Who?"

I press my face to the glass, willing my eyes to adjust to the shadows. The man moves, just enough for me to catch a glimpse of his face.

And my breath stops.

"It’s Max. Max Bennett."

A pause. Then: "You’re sure?"

"Positive. But he’s... different."

Lucas swears. Loud. Unfiltered. "Is he injured?"

"Not that I can see. But he’s not all there. He’s talking to himself. Pacing. Repeating things. Like he’s stuck in a loop."

Max’s voice rises suddenly, a rasping chant: "Can’t bleed silver. Can’t bleed silver. Can’t..."

Lucas growls. "They experimented on him."

I kneel near the glass separating Max’s cell from mine. "Max," I say softly. "It’s Sophia. Max, can you hear me?"

He stops. Just for a second. His head tilts. Then he smiles, too wide, too slow.

"The stormwalker. You followed the wind. I told them you would."

My blood runs cold. "Who did you tell, Max?"

But he just laughs and slams his head once against the wall. Then again.

"Lucas, Max has been exposed to something. We need to get out of here. Now. And we need to take him with us."

“We don’t know what they did to him. He might be dangerous.”

I laugh. Max is one of the Ironclaw Pack’s most formidable warriors. On his worst day, half dead, he was dangerous.

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t leave without him.” I can hear scrambling around coming from Lucas’ cell. “Lucas?”

Lucas doesn’t answer right away.

"Lucas?" I call again.

"I can’t shift," he says finally.

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