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Sucks being immortal, huh? Kinda amazing how any of you stay
sane.
Yes. Yes, it is.
* * *
& intake still limited to water. Subject exhibits no interest in
normal feeding. Vocalization has diminished to two to three times
an hour&
Una blinked against the harsh lights. The white coat droned on
and on into his little box. She hated him. He stank of cold metal
and unnatural things. She wanted to tear his head from his neck.
They had taken Quattuor from her. She wanted to tear them all to
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bloody shreds. But the collar was back. The fastening was
different. Her claws no longer fit in the space to open it.
She flexed her wing. It ached, but the tear had mended. The
untainted one had been so strong. Quattuor had been injured,
keening with pain when they took him from her. She should have
been with him to lick his wounds. She needed to be with her pack.
The collar-man had separated them. She hated him, too.
Una tilted her head back and howled. It pleased her that the
white coat cringed and covered his ears. Tomorrow, they would
bring her the blood of an untainted again. She was meant to lust
after it, meant to hunt them. Yet, the untainted she had fought& he
was so fierce. So strong. She could not stop her thoughts from
turning to him again and again.
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CHAPTER 9
DOUBT S SLOW POISON
Mick paced, hands clasped behind his back. So even with two
of them, you re saying this vamp was kicking their asses?
He was holding his own. Jenner tapped his pen on the table,
obviously irritated by the line of questioning. Doing damage.
They would ve had him with a third. Sure as hell wouldn t have
stood up to the whole pack.
Through the one-way glass, he could see them all from this
room, the culmination of his decades-long project, his pride and
joy. The pack, these six mongrel creations were the answer, the
final solution. While each effort had been more refined than the
previous, a last puzzle piece was still missing.
Russ. Mick stopped and turned to face his security chief.
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Why didn t you bring him in?
Jenner held up a hand. I know, I know. You want your Alpha
to keep her in line. But we were having enough trouble securing
the muties. Doug put a hole in his chest, at any rate. He might be
dust.
Might be? Didn t you make sure?
I m not stupid enough to go running after a wounded vamp
alone in the dark, Mick. By the time we checked the site, the body
was gone. Blood all over the ground, but no vamp. Either he died
and disintegrated, or someone whisked him away. Jenner held his
gaze, those cold, gray eyes holding secrets. There s something
else, Mick.
Great. Wonderful. What else?
Kempski s involved.
You saw Josh?
Our man watching the hospital saw him. He visited the
McMahon woman.
What are you saying?
He lied to us, boss. Told you there was no vamp in Ithaca.
There s no way he would ve been able to hide from Kempski s
radar. Not only is there a vamp, but it s an old one, one strong
enough to take on Una, and, I hate to say it, a damned handsome
one. And he goes visiting a known associate of this vamp? What
do you think I m saying?
Mick ran a hand over the side of his face. So our Josh may
have gone Ren, after all. Ten to one he s the one who rescued our
Alpha vamp. He shook his head, regrets piling on regrets. We
should have brought him in on the project. Should ve kept him
close.
Loose cannon, Mick. I know you liked the kid, but he always
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was. Always wanted to do things his own way.
Too late now. The boy wants to play games, he s gonna find
out he doesn t even know the rules pretty damn quick.
Jenner leaned back, cracking his knuckles. Kempski does
seem to have settled in pretty well, even seems to have a job. And
it does appear to be a pretty tight-knit community.
Mick regarded Jenner with narrowed eyes and stabbed his unlit
cigar at him. Something s going through that twisted brain of
yours.
I think we can answer all your problems at once, Mick. All we
need is a well-baited trap.
* * *
Joshua, L generally comes before O, Lynette said on a snort
as she reshelved books. A bit off today?
Sorry. Yeah.
Richard s not recovering?
What? Josh dropped a box on his foot and bit back a string of
cussing. Note to self: no sneakers at work. He straightened and
came around the shelf to Lynette. He s good. I mean, physically,
he s perfect.
Lynette s eyebrow crept up. Yes. That he is. But?
He s& Josh shrugged. I dunno& distracted? Lots of staring
out into nothing. Lots of spacing out. Mumbles to himself.
Hm. He s always done that. I think this has more to do with
the other night than Richard s odd communication habits.
Maybe.
You still don t know what happened?
Josh ran a hand back through his hair. I know what Richard
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thinks happened.
She frowned. You don t believe him?
Oh, hell, yeah. I mean, I know he s telling me what he sees as
the absolute truth. I m just not sure it happened the way he
remembers. He shifted uncomfortably under her stare. Maybe
he s& I mean, he hasn t been dealing with stuff too well since
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