Page 66 of Wolf Bane
“What about you?You just couldn’t wait to see me again?”I demanded, bracing for a blow of my own.When none came, just the red flush creeping up Daniel’s neck, I added, “Does Benoit know?Or is this gonna be a surprise for him, too?Or…” A horrible, vertigo-inducing thought skittered across my rattled brain.“Was the outbreak in Lugaru thanks to you?”
Daniel stopped for just half a step, just long enough for me to feel the snap-burn ofchange, becomestart low in my spine.Then he was moving again, tense and red, not looking back as he pushed ahead to open the doors.
Beyond the doors was a lab set up and a small bay of beds.Eustace Robards lay in one, intubated and partially shifted.Beside him was a woman with glossy black hair and the sharp features of a fox.She glanced up as we came in, then back at Robards before doing a double take.“Already?”she demanded.“Are you sure he’s capable?”
Daniel nodded.“He’s up and moving, ain’t he?”
Beside me, Tyler froze.“Justin.”
Justin shuffled around the end of a bank of monitors, face pale and eyes deeply shadowed.His expression, though, was fierce and upon seeing Tyler, a shade joyful before he locked that shit down.
“Is that a fucking shock collar?”Tyler snarled, lunging towards Justin before Daniel stiff-armed him across the chest, sending him sprawling back.
“Mongrel’s gotta be kept in line,” Daniel said.The other two weres were given dismissive nods and headed into the rows of equipment.The woman beside Robards rolled her eyes.“What?”he demanded.“It’s true!”
“It’s fine,” Justin said quietly.“I’m not hurt.I’m okay, Tyler.I promise.”His smile fluttered, thin and weak.“Kinda feel better than I have in a while, actually.”
Tyler whined, an angry and animal sound.“Don’t look fine.”
“Got a lab,” Justin offered with a small, weak shrug.“Ta-da?”His gaze darted to me, and his smile was a shade more genuine.“You were right, Landry.And it’s going to be okay.”
The woman paced around the end of Robards bed, approaching on clicking stilettos.“My father spoke well of you, Doctor Babin.In his lucid moments.Unfortunately, there weren’t many of those.”
A name swam to the surface, coupled with the memory of a very curt phone call.“Eliza.You’re Eliza.”
She smiled tightly.“I prefer Elizabeth these days, but yes.”She glanced back at her father, frowning.“He lied to me for my entire life, Doctor Babin.It shouldn’t have come to this.”
“He’s part were.”
“He’s a dud,” Daniel offered, narrowed gaze fixing on me.“His abilities never manifested.Not until you.”
“He took whatever it was your friends gave him.How well do you know the Clemenses?”
Elizabeth shook her head, annoyed.“The Clemenses are useful idiots,” she said flatly.
“Just like Benoit.”
Daniel snarled, more human than wolf now.“Benoit’s not an idiot.He’s helpless!And I got the chance to make things right, asshole!He doesn’tget it.The outbreak was a fuck up, but not mine.But I can help.I can fix it.”He turned beseeching eyes on Eliza.“We can fix it.”
If he was bothered by the ways she didn’t even deign to acknowledge him with a glance, he didn’t let on.“How long have you been helping, Daniel?How long has it been?Before or after Garrow escaped?”
Eliza piped in, bored and sharp-voiced.“Daniel’s been part of our team for just under a month.He’s been quick to learn.”He perked up at that, a happy puppy at his master’s praise.“But the debacle in Lugaru has slowed us down.Made this too much of a mess.”She jerked her chin at Daniel, calling him to heel.“Don’t let the Stone spare interfere with Boudreaux.”
Tyler only had eyes for Justin, watching as he started typing something into the nearest computer.Justin darted another glance our way, “They’ve finally figured out what to do with me,” he said, a wry smirk twisting his lips.“Right, Lizzie?”
She glared at him before continuing with gritted teeth, “Doctor Babin, you have something that will be extremely useful for our project.You can either cooperate, or we can be persuasive.”
“I don’t think I want to know what persuasive might be,” I muttered, gingerly touching the healing cut near my scalp.“Why do you have Tyler?”
“He wouldn’t leave me,” Justin said, cheeks flushing.“He’s an idiot.”
“Someone has to save your ass,” Tyler groused.“You’re too nice.”
“I’m not nice.I’m cooperating until I have an out.”
“Oh my God.”
I forced a small smile at Eliza.“You brought this on yourself,” I said under their bickering.
