Broods Of Fenrir

chapter 12


Checking the street and lot for signs of additional guards, Brand walked with Alice back to the Bioden warehouse.

Halfway there, she asked, “What"s going on, Brand?”

“They"re doing some kind of experiments on Lucas.

They cut him open, and he"s hooked up to machines. I don"t know what they"re doing but there are tubes and wires everywhere.”

She seemed to huddle around herself, tucking her hands further into her coat pockets. “That"s monstrous.” He repressed a shudder. Monstrous didn"t even begin to cover the grotesque nature of the individual who had flayed Lucas open.

Following a long pause, she said, “I"m not sure I"ll be able to unplug him. It depends on what"s been done.”

“I was going to kill him until Erik mentioned you might be able to unhook him, and that"s still the backup plan.” The idea of opening the young male"s throat turned his stomach, but they couldn"t leave Lucas to that fate.

She shuddered. “At least he won"t suffer much longer either way.”

“True.” The urge to run ahead and put the two guards through a wall almost overwhelmed him. He settled into a simmering silence instead of giving in to the need for violence.

Brand had expected Alice to fall apart when she entered the room, but her expression barely flickered. She stepped up to the bed with decisive strides and examined the machines.

Her forehead creased when she turned her attention to Lucas.

She traced the path of the tubing that drew fluid away from the open cavity of his torso. Pausing to put on latex gloves, she leaned over Lucas"s prone body. With steady hands, she probed his abdomen.

With each minute that passed, her expression grew darker. Finally, her eyes rose to meet Brand"s. “He won"t survive unplugging. They"ve removed his liver and kidneys. The blood is being filtered externally for a reason I can"t determine.

If the organs were only damaged, he might regenerate them given enough time, but they"re completely gone.” Brand"s chest tightened. The realization struck him hard. He"d been so sure she"d be able to save Lucas. “Wait outside, all of you.”

Erik picked up Gunni, who struggled in his arms. He made a soothing noise, and the wolf quieted. He walked out, holding Gunni to his chest. Out in the hallway, he softly spoke to the wolf in Norse.

When Alice didn"t move, Brand came up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. “Go on, you don"t need to see this.”

She shrugged off his hand and faced him. “What I don"t need is for you to take on more guilt for something not your fault. This is my responsibility, and I"ll take care of it.”

“Alice, I don"t think you should—”

“I didn"t ask your permission.” Turning away, she spun a dial on one of the machines and pushed buttons on two others. She stripped off her gloves and put a hand on Lucas"s forehead, smoothing his hair. The soothing touch of her empathic power flooded the room.

Brand took Lucas"s hand. Confusion and fear rushed into him from the contact. He concentrated on the moon, pulling the song into him and through him. He drew on the power of the wolves around him and sent their strength into Lucas, sharing the sense of kinship he felt. The fear melted away and the pain dwindled.

The rhythm of the machines slowed like a clock winding down. The wolf inside of Lucas struggled for one heart-wrenching moment, and then gave in with the body"s last breath. Alice leaned down to kiss his cheek, then whispered,

“Run into the night, the moon awaits.” Her tears fell onto his face, and she wiped them away.

From the hallway, two forlorn howls rose and fell in unison.

Brand spread several blankets on another gurney while Alice disconnected the hoses and closed up the large incision.

When she finished, he moved Lucas over onto the bed he"d prepared.

Alice tucked a corner of the blanket around Lucas"s feet. “What are we going to do now?” He"d sent Erik to check on their three captives in hope that it would keep his friend settled a few more minutes. As incensed as Erik was, a chance existed that he"d tear the men apart, but it was better than hearing him growl and pace outside the door.

He covered Lucas"s face and folded the end of the blanket under the body. “We need to get out of here before the moon peaks.”

“Erik and Bera can"t go home.”

“We"ll head out to my hunting lodge for now. He can collect the brood and decide their next steps.” Isolated, the lodge was also a good place to ride out the full moon.

Churning white-hot fury came from the level below 113

them.

Alice let out a startled gasp. “Did Erik…?” Brand nodded and continued to wrap Lucas"s body in silence. Erik came in the room a minute later carrying Gunni"s clothes. The wolf padded in behind him.

Brand looked up and said, “What about the guards? Are you going to kill them, too?”

Erik glared at him, fists clenched. “Are you questioning my judgment?” The challenge hung in the air.

“Just asking a question.” He kept his voice calm and controlled. The last thing he wanted was to have to take down Erik. “It"s not your way to kill humans.” With a tense jaw, Erik stared at the gurney where Lucas"s body rested. “They don"t seem to share that sentiment about us, do they?”

“Killing humans is bad for us, it brings attention.” Erik"s arctic gaze swiveled up. “In case you missed it, we already have attention. Every one of them dies. Not only for what they did, but for what they know.” In the end, though it troubled him, the decision belonged to Erik. Overruling him risked a fight they couldn"t afford. “Hurry up and finish it, then. Our ride is at the construction site.”

Brand picked up the blanket-shrouded body and walked out of the room, Alice and Gunni following close behind him.

Erik remained, grumbling curses in alternating Norse and English until they were out of earshot.

He stopped a bit short of the construction site and put Lucas"s body down. He said to Alice, “Wait here with Gunni, please.”

She was wringing her hands, forehead creased. Her gaze drifted over to the warehouse. “Isn"t there anything we can do?” “If I tried to stop him, he"d attack me. Besides, it"s difficult to argue they don"t deserve it.” He inclined his head 114

toward Lucas"s body. “They"d have done the same to Erik and Gunni, Bera too, if they"d caught her. Where do you think that ends?”

She blinked three times, her lashes collecting a few errant tears. “I understand.” Lowering herself to the ground, she sat near the blanket-wrapped body.

Gunni moved to lie beside her, resting his head in her lap. She placed one hand on his head and rubbed a spot behind his right ear. He let out a sigh. The protective surge of emotion from Gunni convinced Brand that Alice was safe in his care.

Brand walked to the construction site at a quick pace.

His Escalade sat parked with the engine running at the guard shack. One guard leaned against the driver"s side door, head bent to talk to Dagny. From his expression, the guard welcomed the distraction from the usual boredom of guard duty. Dagny glanced over her shoulder at him. Her welcoming smile soothed his mounting irritation. He walked up to the vehicle and extended his hand. “Brandon Geirson.” The guard gave him a quick glance, then shook his offered hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir. This is pretty strange, you sending these ladies in here and all.” Brand offered a reassuring smile. “We were all out for a late dinner. Mr. Sorenson had some reservations about the security of this site, considering some of the problems he"s had in recent days. I offered to let him walk the outside perimeter so he could see for himself that everything is fine.”

“Find any problems?”

“Not a one. You"re doing a good job.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Brand nodded in response. “Now, if you don"t mind, I"m going to take these lovely ladies off your hands and go pick up Mr. Sorenson.” He opened the driver"s side door.

Dagny slid out of the seat and right into his arms. He missed whatever words of farewell the guard spoke as he caught the reflection of the moon in Dagny"s eyes. She pulled 115

him into a kiss that was nowhere near long enough.

“You missed me,” he said as he drew away.

A smile curled one corner of her mouth. “I did.” She moved toward the back door, then stopped. “Is Alice all right?” The concern in her voice implied that a bond had grown between them, independent from him.

He touched her hand with a fleeting caress of his fingers, just long enough to feel the warmth from her. “Well enough. Gunni is with her right now.” She reached so their fingers brushed again. “He"s the new link?”

He nodded. “It"s temporary. I had to transform him.” He stepped around her and opened the back door. She ducked under his arm to climb into the back seat. He stopped her when she passed in front of him and leaned down to rub his cheek against hers. “I missed you, too.”