Page 102 of Their Mate
Bishop moved to Aidan, snapping one shackle after another. Edward was last, still watching every move with a soldier’s suspicion, but when his chains fell, he flexed his muscles like a man already planning which throat to cut first.
The Jane Doe beat me to Sera. She raised her dart pistol, but instead of firing, she holstered it, drew a lock pick, and quickly opened the metal cuffs biting into Sera’s wrists and ankles.
Sera sagged forward, catching herself on me. My hands were under her before I even thought, steadying her, the weight of her more grounding than any dart could have managed. Her eyes caught mine and for a breath the world narrowed to that single moment.
“On your feet, lass,” I murmured. “We’ve work to do.”
She nodded once, jaw tight, and pushed herself upright.
There was a row of dented lockers bolted against the wall. Logan went over and wrenched one open, and the stale smell of old fabric rolled out. Inside hung a scatter of fatigues, plain shirts, and combat trousers, standard Watch issue, nothing fancy, but enough to cover bare skin.
One by one they tore into the lockers, dragging on whatever fit. Logan drew on pants that were too big and shrugged into a dark jacket that hung broad across his shoulders. Edward tugged on trousers and cinched a belt around his waist, foregoing a shirt. Aidan found a set of boots at least a full size too small, but wore them anyway, along with pants and shirt that mostly fit. And Declan grinned as he rolled the sleeves of a too-tight shirt past his forearms and sucked in a breath to get his pants buttoned. Sera, cheeks flushed, but chin held defiantly high, pulled on a shirt and a pair of pants that were both way too big. After only a few minutes, they were a motley crew, but none of them were naked anymore.
Another blast rattled the chamber, closer this time. The lights flickered, then steadied. The sounds of running and barked orders came through the door.
“They’ll be on us in seconds,” Bishop said.
“Then we leave first,” the lass replied.
We barreled out of the chamber into the corridor. A blast door was already sliding down behind us, hydraulics whining.
“Shit,” I spat. “They’re sealing this section!”
“Move!” the lass barked.
Nox darted forward, sliding low on the steel floor, toolkit already out. His hands were a blur, sparks spitting as he tore into the hydraulic lock. Griff braced the door with both hands, muscles bulging, buying us seconds.
“Make it quick, Nox!” he gritted out.
Nox just smirked, teeth flashing in the dim light. “Always do.” With a final twist, the hydraulics screamed, then hissed. The door juddered, halted halfway down, then slammed upward with a clang.
Griff whooped, letting it fly. “That’s more like it!”
We spilled out into the main passage, alarms wailing overhead now, red lights painting everything bloody. We ran, boots hammering against the floor, the scent of the sea air finally threading through the stale base stink.
Then there was light.
We burst out onto a catwalk that opened over the cliffs. Wind slammed into us, cold and tasting of brine. Below, the world was pure chaos.
Hundreds of dark shapes boiled out of the surf. Lycans clawed up the rocks, their howls a chorus of madness. Watch soldiers fired down from emplacements, the crack of rifles and the thunder of heavier guns rattling the stone. Explosions punched gouts of water into the air where charges went off, but still the monsters came, climbing over the corpses of their own.
Farther out, black boats carved the chop, which I assumed could only be the British. Lines of soldiers spilled onto the southern beach, their banners snapping loudly in the wind.
The Isle of Man shook with the sound of war.
“Looks like hell’s come calling,” Aidan grunted.
Edward rolled his shoulders, “Then we answer.”
Declan grinned, teeth flashing. “About bloody time.”
I pulled my rifle off my back, chambered a round, and glanced at the lass still standing cool as a blade beside me. “Well, anonymous boss-lady,” I said, grinning despite the ache in my ass. “Looks like the party’s started without us.”
Her pale eyes met mine, calm even with the storm at her back. “Then let’s not keep them waiting.”
CHAPTER 35
Sera
