Page 80 of Feral Mates
A light whisper of air.
Clicking sounds.
Cold. I was freezing to death, my breath skipping. My heartrate was high, much more so than normal.
A deep ache, raw and painful.
What?
The second I opened my eyes, I winced from the powerful light streaming above. Shifting my head to the side, I attempted to focus. A heavy fog remained around my eyesight as I tried to put the pieces of what had happened in my mind.
Lights were swirling a few yards away, but I couldn’t make out what I was seeing. They were ebbing and flowing, increasing and decreasing in size. Pulsing.
Exactly to the rate of my heartbeat.
Like lifeforms.
Other than that, I could see nothing, the darkness oppressive.
Fear wrapped around me, capturing me in a powerful moment as my memory began to clear. Where was I? What was happening? Panic replaced the fear, my mind tumbling through images as echoes of sounds pounded in my ears. Moaning, I tried to blink a little faster so my eyes would finally adjust, but the cloud remained.
My head felt heavy as I lifted it again, fighting tears as they would do me no good. What was happening? Where was I?
The laboratory.
The bastards had returned me to Blackwell Industries. I’d seen the report. The building had supposedly been closed due to the extensive damage done by the fire.
A lie.
Just another horrible, ridiculous lie.
Sorrow tore through me, the feeling that I’d somehow caused this to happen leaving my stomach in knots. No, I hadn’t been the only scientist working on the project, yet I felt entirely responsible. Maybe because I’d desperately wanted to discover new lifeforms. I’d put my reputation on the line by sending a memo all those weeks ago. Had I been the sole reason Dr. Blackwell had pushed the project into another direction?
The guilt was killing me.
What if I’d signed their death warrants?
Stop it. Stop thinking crazy thoughts. Breathe and concentrate.
I blinked again and a few more things came into focus.
Oh, God. Where were the wolves? What had the bastards done to them? I had to get out of here and find them. I tried to feel them, using the strong connection we’d developed, but there was nothing.
My stomach lurched. Did that mean they were… dead? No. I would know if they were. I would feel it in my bones. Wouldn’t I?
Apollo. Kai. Roman.
With the mournful thoughts lingering, I called out to them. Maybe they were still under the effects of the tranquilizer. That would make sense.
The moment I tried to jerk up, I realized I’d been constrained. I slowly tilted my head, biting back a sharp cry when I saw the metal shackles around my wrists. I twisted my hands but could barely move them.
With another moment of horror spiraling through me, I looked down at my legs. They were spread wide open, shackled at the ankles.
Even worse.
I was completely naked.
They’d stripped away my clothing. Now fury replaced everything else and I started to struggle with everything I had, groaning and hissing. On top of everything, I was lying on a cold, hard steel table like some specimen.
