Page 85 of Callen's Captive
“I got cocky, Kate. I thought I could control everything when my doctor came up with the idea for a virus. It was a tempting idea, using the WSSO’s tactics against them. Poetic justice, in fact. I was shortsighted though. That’s the danger of inviting a lone shifter in. You never know what they’re likely to do. In any case, if I had known what Alex had done, where he was headed, I would have sent shifters after Alex immediately before he infected anyone. I don’t think Alex is mentally stable. I hear he tried to kill himself.”
She nodded. Damien had said as much.
“Seriously, Kate, I didn’t intend to infect any humans. Or other shifters. I know the virus won’t hurt any of Damien’s pack or force them into isolation to keep from infecting the human population. That wasn’t my intent either. Damien’s an ally, has been for a while. I don’t agree with everything he does, especially with how his enforcer extracts information, but I need him in the fight against the WSSO, just like I need you. Losing Damien’s pack in the fight is a crippling blow.”
“You were playing God when you created that virus, Log—I mean Drake.”
“Yeah, well, that tends to be a family trait. Long story. What’s done is done at this point, Kate. I have a deadly virus so I’m damn well going to leverage it to ensure my pack’s survival.”
“They were targeting Damien’s pack next.”
“Not just Damien’s. All of us in the region. They infected our hunting lands. Many of my shifters, as well as those from Liam’s and other packs south of here, contracted the virus. A lot of good shifters died, and those who survived lost their ability to shift. Damien’s own mate is one of them.”
“This is all getting out of hand.”
“Agreed. If you have any suggestions, tell me. Or better yet, stay here and help me. You’re smart and think outside the box, Kate. I need you on my side.”
“I need to speak with Callen.” Her stomach dropped at the idea of walking away from Callen, but he was planning to leave her, and he’dliedto her. She couldn’t get past that last part. “I need to settle things.”
“I understand. Just watch yourself with Ford. He’s dangerous when he wants to be.”
She nodded, still trying to reconcile everything Drake had said about Callen with the shifter she’d come to know.
Drake strolled over to a pile of paper on the collapsible desk. “You’re timing is quite good, Kate. I was getting ready to reach out to you, but with everything happening here, I haven’t had a chance to head into Riverview.”
“You found something?” she said, feeling excited and nervous. She’d been searching for information for so long.
“About a month ago, I found a shifter who witnessed your parents’ murder.”
Her heart practically stopped. A lead. A real lead, after all this time.
“I didn’t want to tell you until I had a chance to track down the information he gave us. Anyway, we identified the shifter who killed them.” Drake was thumbing through the pile. “Where did I put that? Yes, here it is.” He pulled out a small photo. “Here’s a picture of the shifter. I still don’t know why he killed them, but we know a few things about the shifter. He’s a lone wolf. That means he doesn’t have a pack of his own. He wanders from pack to pack.”
“A drifter?”
Drake thought about it. “Not quite. He infiltrates other packs, gains their trust, and then betrays them. The witness said he has a scar down his left arm that runs from his elbow to the back of his hand.”
“I thought shifters don’t scar.”
“Not normally. Scars are rare because we heal so fast and so well, but if a wound is deep enough, and the wolf is too taxed to heal it fully, a shifter can scar.”
“How do I kill him then?” She had never voiced that before, not to Callen or Drake. She wondered what Callen would think of her. Then again, he was in no position to judge her. She still couldn’t get past how he’d lied to her. Maybe that was because if and when she did, she’d have to deal with the truth that Callen tortured, even killed people. He was no better than Briggs.
She winced at her thoughts. Callen wasn’t at all like Briggs. He couldn’t be. . .
“Kate? Kate?” Drake called her. “Pay attention. This is serious. You can’t go after this shifter alone. Forget about killing him. He’ll eviscerate you if you get close.”
“I don’t have to get close. I have my gun.”
Drake considered her for a moment before nodding. “If this is something you feel you have to do, then make it count. You won’t get a second chance. If you shoot a shifter enough times or hit a vital organ, preferably the head or heart, you’ll bring him down.”
She took the gun out of the back of her jeans. “Tell me where I can find him.”
* * *
CALLEN
“What a fucking asshole,” Blade said, his words barely audible. Shocked to hear him speak, Callen started to lift off the wound.
