Page 21

She didn’t know.

All she recalled was someone she didn’t recognize walking past her as she’d been walking down the hall making baby noises at Isabella. The little princess had been restless and not sleeping, and she’d wanted to stretch her legs.

There was no need for guards in the castle. She was surrounded by hundreds of Moretti warriors.

The idea, completely insane.

But as this man had walked past her, Willow had frowned and turned her head as she’d felt the sting of something piercing her skin.

Next minute, she’d hit the ground as the world tilted and she fought to keep Isabella in her arms. Then she was lifted and carried away as the world turned black.

When she woke, not long ago, she was inside the cell she now sat in. Two of the walls were made of glass. Outside were two men holding rifles and a man in a lab coat and glasses who sat in front of a set of computer screens.

Willow strongly suspected where she was, and it made her entire body shudder in fear. Even if they were humans and she was a vampire.

Because if she was right, she was inside the same tungsten constructed lab Callan had been kept in and experimented on. In all likelihood, she was at the BioZen lab in Seattle, Washington.

Motherfuckers.

Which was why she couldn’t teleport or open the door. She’d tried.

Brayden, where are you?

If she was right, he wouldn’t be able to hear her because of the tungsten and the distance between them. Which was how they were able to hold Callan for so long.

Isabella began to wriggle and cry again. Willow stood and lightly bounced on her heels to calm the baby. Then she slid her fingers inside her diaper.

Damn.

“Excuse me,” she reluctantly called out. “My baby needs changing.”

Because diaper rash.

Her diaper was full, and Willow had no sense of time. Plus, she was dehydrated, and that meant Isabella was too.

Her heart pounded as she watched the three men ignore her.

Oh, my god. Surely they are not going to leave us here to die of dehydration and starvation.

Are they?

Panic began to wash over her.

“Hello! Hello! I need some water for my baby! I need something to change her with.” Willow yelled and walked over to the glass wall.

Still, the men didn’t react, but one of them had blinked.

They can hear me.

Anger joined the party, which was a much easier emotion to deal with than fear.

“We will die if you don’t help us. Do you want to kill a baby?” Willow yelled again.

Isabella began to scream.

Fuck.

The scientist, she assumed, turned and watched her. The expression on his face was difficult to read. When she thought she saw compassion or pity, it quickly vanished.