Linden continued as if I hadn’t said a word. “That’s the bathroom there, if you should need it. Otherwise, I’ll take you to the wolf. Naturally, I couldn’t leave him in here with the others. Better safe than sorry.” The bathroom he pointed out was little more than a filthy toilet and sink with a curtain for a door. I recoiled at the sight of it.
In the back of the grubby room was a row of prison-like cells, each with a flimsy cot and a scrap of cloth that could hardly be called a blanket. They were all empty save one. In the last cell paced a dirty, bloody, but very much alive white wolf.
Chapter Fourteen
I threw myself on the floor beside Shaz the moment the door opened. The heavy bars banged shut as they relocked behind me.
His name was repetition on my lips, and I grabbed a handful of his fur, pressing my face to his. He nuzzled me back, making a low sound between a whine and a growl. Pine, wolf musk and blood. He smelled injured yet alive, but most importantly he smelled like home.
“I’ll give you two some time. You should make the most of it. I doubt you will go to the same buyer.” Linden turned to go, then paused and glanced back. “There are a great many people interested in you both. I can’t wait to hear the offers. Of course, they’ll have to wait their turn. I always get the first taste of the high demand ones.”
The urge to spit a nasty retort after him was strong. Somehow I held my tongue and watched him go. The human cattle he had piled into this brick prison all turned away from him as he passed. One older man openly prayed out loud as if casting out the devil himself. Linden was unfazed.
“Can you shift?” I asked Shaz when the vampires were gone.
He did so with an agonized howl that became a shout as he resumed human form. Several gasps and shrieks rang out from our fellow captives. One young girl promptly burst into tears. It was easy to forget that the world of vampires and werewolves was brand new to these people.
I grabbed the scrap of blanket from the cot and covered his nakedness with it. Having my hands bound in front of me was a small blessing. I looked him over for any sign of a serious injury. Other than a few vampire bites in miscellaneous places and much bruising, he was in one piece.
Before I could speak again, Shaz kissed me. It was a soft, tender show of emotion. His lips trembled slightly on mine. His weakness was a disadvantage if we were going to fight our way out of here.
“Is there something you need to tell me?” He asked, peering in wonder at my eyes. “I’ve never seen that before.”
“I took blood from Falon,” I whispered so I would not be overheard. “It’s risky, but it gives me strength and abilities I don’t have on my own. Unfortunately, I can’t use any power as long as I have these handcuffs on. Tell me what’s happened to you.”
Shaz leaned heavily against me. Pushing his hands through my hair, he nuzzled me with wolfish affection, sighing as he inhaled my scent. “After they trashed the nightclub, they took Arys and Jenner. Those two put up a good fight, but they were swarmed. Honestly, I think Arys held back because they threatened to kill me. I know he had the power to wipe them all out. He never tried.”
I was too stunned to reply. Arys had also said he and Jenner were outnumbered, though he hadn’t added much more. I too had believed Arys would be much harder to take down. His power had centuries of growth on mine. Could it be possible that he was willing to face potential death to keep Shaz alive? Or was he merely seeking a way out of what the future held for us?
“I was brought here and have been here since. What happened to Arys?” The concern on Shaz’s face was genuine. When did the two of them start to give a damn about each other?
Speaking quickly but quietly, I told him the rushed version of the previous evening leading up to this moment. “If Falon was here, he could get these things off me; he’s done it before. But I think that f**ker sold me out.” What Falon didn’t realize was that this meant war. I’d pay him back for leaving me hanging. Somehow.
“We can’t let them separate us,” Shaz said, desperation in his touch as he wrapped himself around me. “And we can’t leave them behind either.”
He nodded to the captives huddled outside our cell. Some of them stared at us in raw horror while others were more focused on the door, knowing the true danger lay beyond. I counted half a dozen youth among the mix of adults, about twenty in total. How were we going to get them all out of here? My brain turned over the possibilities. There had to be a way.
An onslaught of thoughts battered me. They came fast, a cacophony of fear and prayers. It was impossible to sort them out or follow one string of thought. It was overwhelming and took great effort to block it out. How could I have forgotten how bad the mind reading aspect was?