happening.
It was a large needle attached to a tube in my flesh, its plastic running into his black bag. The man wore thin spectacles and a sad, reluctant expression clouded his face. Almost like he didn't want to be doing this.
Blood began draining from my body, swirling through the plastic length. I groaned, already too weakened by the tranquilizer to try to pull the needle out.
“Hurry it up,” Hannah hissed. “The guys are changing shifts in ten or twenty minutes. I've only paid off Greg and Cuddy...the others could land us in front of the Elders, doctor.”
“I'm going just as fast as I can. Listen, if I take any more from her any faster, she's gonna have a real problem. I'm not okay with that. I didn't agree to recklessness.”
“Stop being so fucking nervous, Reed! Or I'll tell wifey everything. You'll wish the Elders sent us into exile when she finds out you've been screwing Penny in the woods.”
A low growl slipped from Reed's lips. There was a shuffling sound in his bag when he reached into it, almost like a pump or something whirring to a higher speed.
My vision blurred for the dozenth time tonight. I coughed. What felt like nano-seconds must've been five minutes.
When I opened my eyes again, Reed and Hannah were struggling, practically tearing the tube out of my arm. Fearsome bear growls echoed in the chamber.
“You incompetent shit! Faster, faster, or we're not gonna get what you said we'd need.”
“Give me a chance!” Reed bellowed. “I'm confident I can fashion the perfume with what we've got.
You crank that thing up and you'll endanger her life. We've got what we need, Hannah.”
“No!” she squealed. “I need a tiger's essence. You're trying to take the easy way out, trying to deny me what I need to have my mate!”
“You're crazy. This...this is not a magic love potion. It's something that might give you a leg up attracting him. I won't let you believe there's anything special or certain about–“
Crack! Reed's words were silenced by a sound like wood rending apart.
Hannah's fists flew and fell on his forehead. Way louder than any bare fist should. He fell, crashing down on the floor next to me. His glasses jerked up over his ears, crooked on his face as I watched the light go out in his eyes.
There was something hard and thick in her hand. Whatever it was, it put him out cold.
Next thing I knew, she was crouching next to me, and the droning sound inside the bag grew louder.
Hannah hummed with pleasure, tapping her long fingernails on the concrete near my head.
“If you're a lucky girl, you won't wake up. Don't worry, hon. With any luck, James will smell you on me forever. I'll stink like a tiger if that's what it takes to set this right.” She flashed me a nasty smile.
“Old Spark was right – destiny is never a certain thing. I'm taking matters into my own hands to make sure James and I have the right one, and there's no room in it for you.”
I opened my mouth to scream, howl, or spit, but the droning filled my ears like a tsunami sloshing ashore. All my senses died and I went slack on the ground.
The last thing I heard before I passed out were Hannah's feet clicking loudly on the ground.
VI: Deal With the Devil (James)
Everything about Tiger Bay made my bear's hair stand up on end.
On the surface, it was a Potemkin village so perfect even the gods would've been fooled. Beneath it all, Shane ruled everything with an iron fist.
Ironically, the only place his guard was down was at his own estate. Nobody in the town had tried to break into the Alpha's house since it was built. I was sure all its fine gardens and gourmet kitchens on every floor made some tigers jealous, but not so jealous they were willing to risk their necks against a man who had no mercy.
Quickly slipping past an isolated section of the iron fence and a run up a tree brought me to the balcony. The door popped beneath my hands easily enough.
I sniffed the sterile air, and soft potpourri went up
It was a large needle attached to a tube in my flesh, its plastic running into his black bag. The man wore thin spectacles and a sad, reluctant expression clouded his face. Almost like he didn't want to be doing this.
Blood began draining from my body, swirling through the plastic length. I groaned, already too weakened by the tranquilizer to try to pull the needle out.
“Hurry it up,” Hannah hissed. “The guys are changing shifts in ten or twenty minutes. I've only paid off Greg and Cuddy...the others could land us in front of the Elders, doctor.”
“I'm going just as fast as I can. Listen, if I take any more from her any faster, she's gonna have a real problem. I'm not okay with that. I didn't agree to recklessness.”
“Stop being so fucking nervous, Reed! Or I'll tell wifey everything. You'll wish the Elders sent us into exile when she finds out you've been screwing Penny in the woods.”
A low growl slipped from Reed's lips. There was a shuffling sound in his bag when he reached into it, almost like a pump or something whirring to a higher speed.
My vision blurred for the dozenth time tonight. I coughed. What felt like nano-seconds must've been five minutes.
When I opened my eyes again, Reed and Hannah were struggling, practically tearing the tube out of my arm. Fearsome bear growls echoed in the chamber.
“You incompetent shit! Faster, faster, or we're not gonna get what you said we'd need.”
“Give me a chance!” Reed bellowed. “I'm confident I can fashion the perfume with what we've got.
You crank that thing up and you'll endanger her life. We've got what we need, Hannah.”
“No!” she squealed. “I need a tiger's essence. You're trying to take the easy way out, trying to deny me what I need to have my mate!”
“You're crazy. This...this is not a magic love potion. It's something that might give you a leg up attracting him. I won't let you believe there's anything special or certain about–“
Crack! Reed's words were silenced by a sound like wood rending apart.
Hannah's fists flew and fell on his forehead. Way louder than any bare fist should. He fell, crashing down on the floor next to me. His glasses jerked up over his ears, crooked on his face as I watched the light go out in his eyes.
There was something hard and thick in her hand. Whatever it was, it put him out cold.
Next thing I knew, she was crouching next to me, and the droning sound inside the bag grew louder.
Hannah hummed with pleasure, tapping her long fingernails on the concrete near my head.
“If you're a lucky girl, you won't wake up. Don't worry, hon. With any luck, James will smell you on me forever. I'll stink like a tiger if that's what it takes to set this right.” She flashed me a nasty smile.
“Old Spark was right – destiny is never a certain thing. I'm taking matters into my own hands to make sure James and I have the right one, and there's no room in it for you.”
I opened my mouth to scream, howl, or spit, but the droning filled my ears like a tsunami sloshing ashore. All my senses died and I went slack on the ground.
The last thing I heard before I passed out were Hannah's feet clicking loudly on the ground.
VI: Deal With the Devil (James)
Everything about Tiger Bay made my bear's hair stand up on end.
On the surface, it was a Potemkin village so perfect even the gods would've been fooled. Beneath it all, Shane ruled everything with an iron fist.
Ironically, the only place his guard was down was at his own estate. Nobody in the town had tried to break into the Alpha's house since it was built. I was sure all its fine gardens and gourmet kitchens on every floor made some tigers jealous, but not so jealous they were willing to risk their necks against a man who had no mercy.
Quickly slipping past an isolated section of the iron fence and a run up a tree brought me to the balcony. The door popped beneath my hands easily enough.
I sniffed the sterile air, and soft potpourri went up
Similar Books
