"Keep going!" Bailey yelled behind me. "I've got you!""I know," I said, climbing higher. "I was just worried about you." It was stupid to say because Bailey had to have been the mother of all bad*ss. "Don't worry about me," she replied. Metal clanked as she climbed the rungs behind me. "Just keep going.""Right." I looked up and kept climbing, one slat at a time, until we were close to a door."See if you can pry it open!" Bailey said behind me. "I'll hold your legs."I nodded, feeling her hands on my calves, and then her body climbing higher and supporting my waist. "Don't let go.""I won't." Trying to move my lower body as little as possible, I shoved my fingers between the doors and pried it open just enough for us to get through. When suddenly, someone's hand appeared, reaching for me.I had no idea who it was. I hoped and prayed it wasn't Nightshade, but at the moment, I had no choice. All of a sudden, the lights came on, and Xander's face appeared through the doorway. "Reach
"Have you seen the Alphas?" I asked Marcus, the only remaining shifter in the Clinic. I had set his broken arm when he came in, and it was already healing. At this rate, it would be completely healed within twenty-four hours.Bailey and I had worked all through the night patching up one shifter after another, but I hadn't seen or heard from Xander or Elias. "The last time I saw them, they were assessing the damage and seeing to the other shifters." Marcus adjusted the sling around his shoulders and hopped off the examination table. "I'll tell them you're looking for them when I see them. I shook my head, walking with him toward the front. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary, as long as they're okay."Marcus lifted his arm. "Hey! Thanks, Doc! This feels good!"I smirked, amazed that shifters healed so quickly. "Be careful not to move your arm around too much. I don't want to have to reset it in the middle of the night."He laughed. "Thanks, Doc. But I think I'm good." He raised his e
"Good morning, beautiful," Xander said, sitting on the bed beside me in our shared bedroom. I looked over, and Elias was on the other side of me, still sleeping. "Morning," I said, stretching. Faint rays of sunshine streamed through the window. My eyes flew open, and I sat straight up. "What time is it?""Time for me to go to work," Xander said, standing and buttoning his shirt. His hair was wet, he had already showered, and he was dressing for the day. "We have to find the escaped prisoner."Xander shrugged. "We'll track him. It's the only way.""There might be another way," I said, remembering. "Xander, you didn't believe me when I told you that he was the leader of Nightshade, but he is. I'm sure of it. His name is Rush Balista."Xander nodded, staring at me as he finished buttoning his shirt. "What makes you so sure that he's the leader?""He said he was the one who killed my family and wiped out The Skyefrost Pack," I replied, sliding off the bed and pulling the sheet around me.
Just then, Xander and Elias stepped off the elevator."What's going on?" Elias asked, looking between Daphne and me."I found a locator spell, and I think we may be able to find the prisoner," I replied. "Or at least the hideout for Nightshade.""Good," Xander said. "Then what are we waiting for?""Come in and let me look at the spell," Daphne said, opening the door wide. When we walked in, Daphne led us to the massive, ornately carved wooden table. "Please, sit." She motioned toward the other chairs and then reached for the book. "Kalyssa, let's take a look at the spell."When I set the book before her, Daphne read through the spell and then turned the pages. Then she pointed to another spell. "This is the one. The other spell was good, but this one is better." She looked up at the Alphas. "But first, we'll need something that belonged to him. What was his name?"Xander motioned toward me. "We tortured him for days and he wouldn't tell us anything. But just before the attack yesterda
"But we can't go off halfcocked," Xander said after Daphne finished. "We have to make a plan.""Agreed," Daphne replied. "Let's go back to the Compound, and you can plan. If you need me, I'll be in my quarters, resting." She smirked. "Magic takes a lot out of an old body."Xander chuckled, rubbing her back. "You're not old."She raised an eyebrow. "I'm older than you think." Actually, she didn't look a day over twenty-five.Elias took my hand. "Everyone, are you ready to go back?"I nodded, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's go." I reached for the grimoire, and Daphne handed it to me. I held it in my arm, and then Daphne wrapped her arm around my shoulder, and Xander held Daphne's other hand. Daphne leaned toward me and smiled. "Together?"I nodded. "Together.""Three, two, one....""Lacus!" we both yelled together. We rushed through the Space Time Continuum, through the transparent tunnel, as dark matter and the stars shone on the other side. Suddenly, we came to a stop in Daph
Pushing myself faster, I had never felt so free in my life. I kicked up dirt and the fresh lichen as I pushed myself harder, moving quickly through the trees, easily dodging them as I ran. "Are we leaving the Oasis?" Xander asked in the Pack Mind, laughing. "The edge is right up ahead, and then there's nothing but desert.""Stop," Elias said, stepping in front of me. "Smell the air."When I came to a stop, my muscles already felt better. I did as he said and caught the scent of something that smelled delicious. "Deer?"Elias nodded, smiling. "To the left.""Oh, you should have let her smell them out," Xander turned to me. "It's more fun that way. It satisfies the hunter in you."I nodded, smiling. "Well, either way, I'm starving, and they smell delicious." We stalked toward the left, and there was a small herd of mule deer. "How do I do this?""Why are you whispering?" Xander asked mentally, chuckling. I nudged his shoulder, and not gently. "Ow!" Xander laughed. "The deer can't hear
Waking in our shared bedroom, I looked over and Elias and Xander were still asleep. Feeling amorous, I rolled over on top of Xander and started kissing his neck, waking him up.He turned me over onto my back, deepening the kiss. "I like wakeup calls like this." He kissed down my neck, going straight to my sex, causing my breath to quicken. "I want you... now," I breathed, kissing his neck, his chest, virtually anywhere my lips could reach."Your wish is my command." He pushed into me slowly at first. "Let me know if I hurt you."I shook my head. "You won't." Then I turned him over and pushed myself onto him, over and again, going faster."Come here." He turned me over onto my stomach and pushed into me from behind, causing me to gasp with pleasure. He pushed faster and harder as I hugged the pillow, my buds rubbing against the pillowcase with every stroke until I gasped my orgasm. He followed shortly after, pulling my hips to him repeatedly.I lay face down on the bed, spent. And he
After saying goodbye to Cruz, I headed to the Clinic, eager to see if Bailey had received my message. But I was glad that I ran into Cruz. I didn't like the way we had left things, and I missed our friendship."Hi, Bailey! Anyone home?" I asked, stepping inside.Bailey came out from the back. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you'd be in today."I shrugged. "I finished early."Even though I trusted Bailey with my life, I didn't want it getting around that we knew where Nightshade was. The last thing we needed was for them to get tipped off and know we were coming. In fact, I had the feeling that when it was time to go, it would be at a moment's notice. We had a mole in the Diamond Pack, and it was the only way to make sure we kept the element of surprise on our side."So, have you had many patients?" I asked, looking around. "Man! You've been one busy lady! This place is immaculate!""Thanks," she said, smiling proudly. "I had just a few dislocated or broken fingers come in, alo