Night's Captive (6 page)

It didn’t take Alec long to put away the rest of the food on his plate before he served himself more. “Your turn.”

“I’m thirty-two, human, and I won’t live forever or even two hundred plus years.” She gave a smile as she pushed her hair behind her ear. “My parents passed away. You already know what I do in for a living.”

“Do you have any brothers and sisters?” He looked genuinely interested. “Any children?”

“No to both.” Loni shook her head. “And you?”

“I have two sisters and three brothers.” He studied her intently, his eyes drawing her in. “Married? Boyfriend?”

Again she warmed as she felt the electric connection between them. She cleared her throat. “I had a long-time relationship with a man that just ended. What about you?” she added before she could stop herself.

Alec scowled. “It ended.”

“Marie,” Loni said quietly. “She betrayed and murdered your friends.”

His gaze shot up to meet hers. “Why did you ask if you already knew?”

Loni paused. “I suppose I want to check what I read in the book.”

“It happened three years ago.” He stood abruptly and pushed in his chair as he took the now empty plates and set them in the sink. The electricity between them dissipated.

She threw away the paper napkins then took the dishcloth from the sink and wiped down the table. When they were finished, he strode from the kitchen and halted before the set of stairs that led to the floor above them.

“Anything I can get you?” he asked.

She glanced toward the stairs. “I just need to take a shower.”

“One floor above is my study.” He said as they started up the stairs, him following her. “When you’re finished you can find me there.”

“Okay.” They reached the top of the stairs and she looked at him one more time before going back into the guestroom. She carefully shut the door behind her, making sure the latch caught so that it would stay closed.

Selena had been very thorough in sending over what Loni would need. She wondered how the woman managed to get into her apartment, past the alarm system, and pick out everything that would be needed. But then considering what was happening to her, Loni figured that she shouldn’t be surprised at all.

It didn’t take long to shower and dress. She left her hair wet and put it up into a ponytail then opened the guestroom door and headed out into the hallway.

She glanced at the stairs leading up to the third level, then to the staircase leading down. If Alec was occupied, now might be her chance to get out of here and go home. She’d forgotten about the middle step and it squeaked as she went down and she winced, hoping Alec hadn’t heard it.

When she reached the hall, she went straight to the front door. She tried the door handle. Locked.
Damn.
She frowned and searched for some way to unlock the door but found nothing.

“It won’t open for you.” Alec’s voice came from behind her. “So there’s no point in trying.”

Her heart had jumped when he spoke and she turned to see him with his shoulder hitched up against the wall, watching her with his intent brown eyes.

“Let me out.” Anger rose in her. “You have no right to keep me here.” She nearly shouted the words.

The look in his gaze told her he understood her anger, but he said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Tears that had been hovering at the backs of her eyes started running down her cheeks and she covered her face with her hands. In the next moment Alec was holding her to his chest and she breathed in the clean smell of his T-shirt and his masculine scent as she felt the hardness of his body close to hers.

“This is real, isn’t it.” She stated the words, finally facing that this was her new reality. Apparently there were things in this world that she hadn’t known about that were real. Somehow she knew that she had to accept that now.

“Yes, it’s real.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Loni. But at the same time I find myself glad you’re here.”

She raised her head and met his gaze. “Why?”

He didn’t say anything. Instead, he lowered his head. His mouth hovered over hers a moment and she felt crazy feelings in her abdomen as her lips parted.

His mouth took hers and he kissed her, a long and passionate kiss. He held her tightly to him as if she might run away. But at that moment she didn’t want to be anywhere else but in his arms.

When he drew away her eyes were wide as she stared up at him, feeling so many conflicting emotions that she almost couldn’t process them. Fear and sadness for losing what had been her life, anger at being taken away, and passion for the man who had just given her the most amazing kiss.

“You told Selena that you wanted adventure.” He brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “And adventure is what you’re going to get.”

Chapter 7

In his basement control room, William watched as Samuel took one of the small glass bottles of Propara and inserted a needle into the bottle. The blue label indicated it was from a shifter donor. The small syringe filled with the potent drug as Samuel drew it out.

The human, a first time user whose name was Rick, watched with nervousness in his eyes as he waited with his arm strapped down, the veins on the inside of his elbow standing out nicely. Rick was naked, giving William the ability to easily see any changes in the human’s body after the drug was administered. It also made humans feel more vulnerable when they had no clothing on, making it even easier for William to control them.

The witch, Richmond, and his apprentice, Carter, stood by to keep the human in line once he’d been injected and any changes took place. The control room was large and nearly bare, with enough space for a first glimpse at the human’s newfound powers.

“Is it going to hurt?” Rick asked in a tight voice. The room began to smell of the human’s fear. “What’s going to happen next?”

“It will burn.” Samuel eyed the syringe to make sure it held the right dose. “But that won’t last long. And then we shall see what happens next.”

“Maybe this is a bad idea.” Rick’s knee bounced as his agitation increased. His entire body was strapped into the chair so that there would be no danger to himself or anyone in the room. Perspiration had broken out on the human’s forehead.

“There is no going back, Rick.” Samuel removed the tourniquet and blood started flowing in Rick’s arm again. The human held his breath as Samuel slid the needle into a vein and emptied the clear fluid into the male’s blood system.

A mere fraction of a moment later and Rick struggled in the chair and cried out. “It burns like a sonofabitch,” he whined.

“Give it a couple of minutes,” Samuel said as he tossed the syringe. “You will feel like a new man.”

“Shit.” The human writhed in the chair, the tendons in his neck standing out, his face contorted with pain. “It hurts. Shit, it hurts.”

Almost every human male who had been injected uttered the same words. William was starting to find it tedious.

When Rick finally sat limp and exhausted, his entire body covered in sweat, William gave a nod to Harper, one of his men, who released the human’s bonds. Harper assisted Rick out of the chair with his customary rough handling and the human dropped onto all fours.

Rick remained on the floor and Harper slammed his boot into the human’s ribs. Sometimes the change needed a catalyst and any one of several emotions—fear, pain, and anger—made especially fine catalysts.

The human fell onto his side from the power of Harper’s kick. Pain flashed across the human’s face followed by anger. The human’s eyes glowed red.

William smiled.
Excellent.

The human bared his teeth at Harper as animal instinct began to take shape. Yet the human did not transform as a shifter would normally do. He had been given the version of the drug that came from a shifter donor.

William gave a nod to Harper. “Again.”

The look on Harper’s face was vicious as he began to kick the human a second time. Rick snarled and faster than William had expected, the human grabbed Harper’s leg and pulled his feet out from under him.

Coarse black and brown hair sprouted from the human’s naked body and his features began shifting. His head changed shape, his eyes glowing a brilliant red before they darkened.

A huge Rottweiler stood over Harper, fangs bared as it gave an ominous growl. It had happened so quickly that Harper hadn’t had a chance to recover.

Just as the Rottweiler went for Harper’s throat, Richmond cast a net of power over the beast. The massive dog yelped and tumbled onto its side as the witch yanked it away from Harper, who scrambled to his feet, an expression of relief on his thin face. The net sizzled and the smell of burning dog hair carried on the air.

The dog yelped as it struggled to get up but its paws were tangled in the magic netting. It whined as the magic burned him. Harper drew a knife from his pocket, his face red with fury that the animal had almost killed him.

William made a sign for Harper to put away the knife and stay where he was then walked to where the animal lay and looked down at it. The Rottweiler snarled but froze when William raised his hand.

“You will be obedient to me or you will die.” William’s voice was cold and filled with death as he stared down the Rottweiler.

Slowly the fury faded from the animal’s eyes to be replaced by fear as it shifted back into its human form. And then Rick was cowering inside the net of magic, red marks lining his naked body where the net had burned his skin.

William nodded to Richmond who released his hold on Rick, drawing his magic back.

“Stand,” William commanded the human.

Rick visibly trembled as he got to his feet, his skin slashed with red as if he’d been whipped.

“How do you feel?” William paced around the human.

Rick hesitated. “Good.” The human sounded surprised as he stuttered over the word. He looked down at his body as the red marks faded as if they had never been in the first place. He met William’s gaze. “I actually feel great. Like I have so much energy I could run for miles. Like I could fuck a dozen women in one night. Like I’m powerful. I’ve never felt this damn good in my life.”

“Excellent.” William studied the human whose erection made it clear just how excited he was. “Now you will do as I tell you if you wish to ever take the drug again.” He knew his voice sounded cruel as he said the next words. “And if you wish to live.”

The human took a step back and shuddered as if a wave of cold air had brushed his naked flesh. His erection withered. “Yes, sir.”

“Now go with Richmond.” William gestured toward the doorway where Richmond waited to escort the human from the control room to the training center.

William nodded to Harper. “Bring me the next human.”

He recognized Todd when Harper escorted him in. The human was shaking, his eyes red as he approached William.

First and second time users were brought directly to William. Once he felt comfortable with the subject, he allowed the drug to be administered in Samuel’s home in Phoenix. Driving so many users out to Fountain Hills was impractical. Once they’d been managed and William had total control, it was much easier to have Samuel tend to their drug needs from his location.

“I need more.” The man dug into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out a wad of bills.

William gave a nod toward Harper who snatched the cash from Todd and started to count out the money.

When Harper said, “It’s all there,” William gave the human the signal to remove his clothing.

Without hesitation, Todd stripped off his shoes, shirt, slacks, socks, and boxers. The muscular, well-endowed male appeared primed and ready. He willingly climbed into the chair and waited as he was strapped down.

An excited light was in his eyes. It was not an uncommon look for humans hooked on Propara. It was probably the most addictive drug ever created—and it was William’s to control.

Clearly attempting to remain still, Todd watched as Samuel filled the syringe with the drug. This time the bottle had a yellow label indicating the donor had been a werewolf.

Samuel injected Propara into Todd’s vein. Almost instantly, the human’s face contorted as he ground his teeth and sweat broke out on his skin. He managed to hold back screams of pain this time, but it was clearly a monumental effort.

The human’s body eventually relaxed and Harper freed the male who was breathing hard. Todd stumbled from the chair, a glazed look in his eyes that rapidly cleared. He straightened and slowly smiled as he flexed his muscles that seemed even larger than before.

“Damn but that shit is good.” Todd lowered himself on all fours and shifted into wolf form.

The human paused a moment to howl, the sound echoing through the control room. He padded to where Carson waited to take him to the control room. Once the humans grew accustomed to the drug and were trained, they became quite docile and obedient when required.

William nodded to Harper to bring the next human in.

Chapter 8

The night was dark, moonlight obliterated by heavy clouds, unusual for the Phoenix area. With his shifter sight, Alec had no problem seeing the Deer Valley warehouse from across the street. All of the Enforcers had enhanced sight—it was part of the job requirement. Only the best of the best were Enforcers.