Page 92

Twenty-Four

The rogue pacedhis four-walled prison. Instinct ruled his mind. He needed to hunt. How much longer must he wait? Days? Hours? Already, he’d sensed the sun rise, only for it to sink into the horizon again.

Prey was most vulnerable at nightfall.

He could almost taste the sweet, adrenaline-laced blood sliding down his throat. Hunger burned like acid, punching dagger-like fangs into his bottom lip.

Frenzied steps carried him from wall to wall.

The weight of the cell pressed in, and his skin grew tight over his bones. His chest heaved with tightening breaths. Trapped. Pressure built. He threw back his head and roared.

“Tranq him.” The door slammed against the wall. Muffled gunfire erupted. Three rounds pierced his chest.

“No!” he snarled, lunging for the males who hesitated at the entrance. Limbs of stone swung at his sides. Boneless legs anchored his feet. Lip curling, he glanced down and brushed the red-tipped darts from his flesh.Cowards.

His knees folded, dropping him to the floor.

He drew quivering arms beneath him, fighting gravity’s pull. He would kill them all. Rip their hearts from their bodies and feast on the beating organs while they watched. He wasrogue, free of the chains of humanity. Fearless. Powerful. Nothing could stop him.

Thud. His skull smacked the ground.

“What about her?” The male gestured to the woman’s discarded body.

“Mine.” The distorted word scraped the back of the rogue’s tongue. The female, the one whose essence called to him. She was his. None would touch her. Using all his considerable strength, he dragged himself to her, straining as though he crawled from the depths of hell. With deadly claws, he gouged the concrete, moving only inches.Thud.

The larger male snorted. “Look at him. Ripped her throat out, and still, he wants more. Fucking bloodlust. We’ll deal with the girl in a minute. Helen wants her delivered to Victor in that damn chest. Stupid, theatrical bullshit.”

The smaller one shifted, throwing his partner a nervous glance. “We need to get a move on if we’re going to dump him in the city at sunset. We’re already an hour behind.”

“Screw Helen and her schedule. While she jetted off to kiss Zion’s ass, we spent the last twenty-four hours babysitting this prick. If you ask me, she wasn’t waiting for sunset. She just wanted to make sure she was an ocean away when we turned her science experiment loose.”

“Fuck, would you look at the size of him? What a freak show. The bastard we unleashed on Pulse wasn’t anywhere near this jacked-up. You think he’ll come after us?”

“Nah. Once these bastards get loose, the drug insures they only have one thing on their minds.” Laughter boomed in the enclosed space.

Festering heat climbed up the rogue’s neck.Coming for you.The smaller one would die first, the one who reeked of fear. He drew the scent into his lungs, savoring its bitter stench.

“You want me to put another dart in him?” The scent thickened.

“No. I want him awake when we drop him off. Three tranqs are usually enough to knock them on their asses.” The male’s sneering face swam into view. “Here, watch this.”

A booted foot smashed into the rogue’s ribs, throwing him to his back. Bone splintered, and pain exploded in its wake, tearing a roar from his lips.

“Not so tough now, are you?”

Icy fury ripped through his veins. With one swipe of his claws, the male’s head would tumble from his body. His fingers twitched at the end of useless, disconnected arms. He forced a garbled snarl, “Kill you first.”

“All you Council law-enforcers think you’re so big and bad. But you’re nothing. Do you hear me?”

Another kick.Pain exploded in the rogue’s jaw. Blood sprayed from his mouth.

“Holy shit.” Snickering laughter followed. “Did you see that? Hit him again. I want to see the bastard bleed.”

A hand fisted the rogue’s hair, wrenching his head from the ground. His teeth ached to bite through flesh and bone. Once he was free, this male’s death would be slow and agonizing.

His captor dropped to one knee beside him and drew back a fist. The rogue flashed fangs, bracing for the next blow.

Slim fingers wrapped around the vampire’s wrist, stopping its descent.