Page 138 of The Wolf and the Chimera
Together, we moved onward, though I drank in every detail of the strange rooms. As we walked, light hit the glass walls and revealed ancient, scrawling runes. Beyond them, covering the rooms from floor to ceiling were hundreds of green and purple plants. Their delicate, vibrantly purple petals promised death. Though I couldn’t smell their spicy, earthy scent, I recognized them by appearance alone. They flourished on the banks of a lake back home.
Wolfsbane.
“That’s what the suits are for,” Kieran whispered. “For going into these…cells.”
Right. These rooms were cells. If the locks on the outside of the doors weren’t proof enough, the silver shackles chained to the far wall made that abundantly clear.
As we approached the two gray doors at the end of the hall, I balked at their electronic locks and the keypad mounted beside them.
“Kalli didn’t mention this,” I muttered.
Abruptly, the doors were shoved open, and two wolves surged into the hall. The tall, slender male’s heavily gelled hair was askew, and something had tattered the smaller, blonde female’s otherwise pristine white jumpsuit. Upon the sight of us, their eyes rounded.
Though I tried to will my heartbeat to slow, it raced. Curses rang in my mind.
The suits don’t conceal our scents as well as we thought theydo, and we're caught—
“Hurry!” the male wolf snapped. “Before she destroyseverything!”
With that, the male and female raced past us. The doors drifted closed, but I caught one right before it snapped shut. Kieran released a low sigh and followed me into the narrow, concrete-walled stairway.
Above us, fighting clamored, but below…
Elle was there. Kalli had told me as much.
Kieran darted up the stairs.
“Kieran,” I snapped. “Kieran!”
Already a landing above me, his reply was simple.
“Mel,” he said.
I called upon my wolf’s hearing and, sure enough, recognized a female voice.
“Is that all you have?” Melanie taunted breathlessly.
Something slammed against the wall and whimpered. Kieran raced faster toward it. Kalli’s words rang in my ears.
Wecan still save her.
If I went after my mate alone, I would be sealing both our fates. Besides, if Melanie fought the Sovereign’s forces, she was still pack.
My pack.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I followed my brother. When I reached the top landing, a hazmat-wearing wolf tumbled out the door. I barely lunged out of his path before he fell down the stairs. Before me, Melanie crouched and snarled. Her pink hair had partially escaped her ponytail, and a shallow gash bled on her thigh, staining her white jumpsuit, but she was otherwise whole.
And entirely prepared to lunge at me.
“It’s Ryder!” Kieran called.
Across the expansive, shadowy room, he fought a partially shifted wolf. Melanie cocked her head, and I wrenched the mask off. Recognition shined in her wolfish eyes. Behind her, a wolf slashed for her with wickedly sharp claws. Iintercepted the blow. Knocking his cheap swipe aside, I kicked his knee, and the joint buckled. Seizing the moment, I brought him to the ground with a brutal punch to his back.
Hegroaned.
Melanie had already been engaged by yet another wolf. With a frenzied sweep of my gaze, I realized we stood in some sort of surveillance room. Across a huge, curved wall, screens poured out light and images. They shone brightly in the darkness. Half the many screens, however, were black.
More wolves poured from the depths of the room and launched themselves at my friends. Without another moment of hesitation, I jumped into the fray.
