Destiny of Blood (Love of a Shifter Book 4) Read online

  Sindrid closed his eyes, waiting for the fury to ease up long enough for him to focus. He wouldn’t be any use to his mate if he destroyed everything in his sight.

  “Sindrid. Can you hear me? I need for you to calm down and listen,” Larken pleaded. “I’d bet money they’re heading in your direction. Look for the woman and the van. They should be there soon.”

  Sindrid’s body fell back against the van for support. Fear took over for a moment. The idea of Lilly being abducted was unthinkable, but the wrath he was going to unleash on these people gave him the focus he needed. He couldn’t lose it; at least not yet.

  “I hear you, and we will get her back.” Sindrid’s voice was calm, which made everyone take a step back from him.

  “I’m sending some help your way,” Larken informed him.

  “No, keep them there. Figure out how they got into your lodge without being noticed, Larken. Security needs to be beefed up until we get these people. This facility seems to almost shut down at night. I think we can handle this.”

  “Okay. Bring my sister back, Sindrid.”

  “I will.” He knew Larken could trust him to protect his sister and get her back safely. But make no mistake, before he was finished he was also going to fire-bomb this place. He would send out a message to these goons that he was coming for them, and he wasn’t like the humans. These people would never see the inside of a jail, except maybe in hell.

  “We’ll get her back.” Nash spoke up when Sindrid got off the phone. “I know my cousin. Everyone thinks she’s just sweet and innocent Lilly, but the woman is a predator, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get through this.”

  Sindrid put his hand on Nash’s shoulder. “I know.”

  “Nash, inform the rest of the group what’s going on, and tell them what we’re looking for—but also tell them we’re not going home empty-handed tonight,” Jonas added.

  Sindrid could feel the back of his neck tingling as they watched the last of the workers leave the facility. He made himself focus on what the security workers were doing and at what times. It seemed that they checked the perimeter every thirty minutes, but none of them went inside the facility, which was a huge plus for them.

  What they needed to know was how much security was inside the building. Jansen tried doing some scrying, but the buildings had heavy magical protection, and he couldn’t figure out a way around it.

  “There has to be some heavy-duty magic protecting that building, because nothing I’m trying is working. I’ve never seen this kind of thing before. I’m sorry, Jonas, but I can’t break into it. Only a few people can do stuff like this and sadly Emerson Prescott was one of them. She may not even still be alive,” Jansen said sadly.

  “Let’s hope for the best, and in the meantime come up with a plan, or several plans. I think we need to have a few in case we run into problems,” Jonas replied, looking through his binoculars.

  “Boss, a white van is coming your way,” Powers Newman’s voice came over the radio. Sindrid could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He could feel his mate. This had to be her.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Powers reported. “Guess who’s sitting up front with a hat on?”

  Sindrid wanted to smile. He knew his woman was strong. She must’ve found a way to overcome the kidnappers; but what the hell was she doing going into that facility without help?

  “Hold on a minute. She just threw a black bag out the window,” Powers said. They could hear the excitement in his voice.

  “Go get it, but be careful,” Jonas responded. Sindrid waited, but his patience was growing thin. His mate would be getting a spanking from him just as soon as he got her alone. She should have contacted them. She was going in there blind, and without back-up. They had no clue what waited for them on the inside. The rage he felt was so close that he didn’t know if he could control it.

  “There was a note in it, and…” Powers laughed. “Lilly says, ‘Don’t be mad, Sindrid, but this is one of those times when you have to jump at an opportunity when it presents itself. I know you’re there, so I’m taking the chance. I’ve taken care of the male guard. The female guard is too scared to do anything. They received a call from their contact that the facility wouldn’t have people to unload their cargo—me—and that they should unload me and put me in cell block D. She said they’ve done this before, because at night they send most of the staff home. She said nobody’s awake at night, so there are no threats from the shifters or vampires. Their energy has been drained, and the magical protections keep the witches and wizards from doing anything. They’re all tied down and they’ve been knocked out with drugs. I’m going in with her to see how we can get these people out. It’s your responsibility to get the guards. I’d say leave some of your people at the front, posing as their guards, and then get your asses inside to help me get these people freed. I’ve got Nash’s cell number so I’ll call him with what I find out in here. Be ready.’

  “She also said that she was sure we would get inside, but to take the guard out in the shack first so he can’t alert any personnel off-site.”

  “Great news, then. Get ready, guys! Powers, I need you to keep our backs clear. Let me know if you have a problem. Let’s go black, guys.” Jonas switched the radio off and turned his earpiece and mic on.

  “I’m going to spank her ass when I get her home,” Sindrid muttered as the van pulled up at the gate.

  “You know, if this was you, most likely you would’ve done the same.” Jonas answered Sindrid.

  “Yes, but that’s my mate up there putting herself into danger, and I feel like I can’t help her if something goes wrong. I…” Sindrid stopped talking. He was scared for her, and he felt useless.

  “I understand. So let’s concentrate on getting her out of there quickly.”

  “Roger that,” Sindrid replied.

  “Let’s hope the girls get inside, or we’ll have to take out the shack. Any idea on how to get to the guard inside without getting noticed?” Jonas asked.

  Sindrid grinned and looked over at him. Then he disappeared from sight. “Holy shit,” Jonas said.

  Sindrid reappeared on the other side of Jonas and touched him on the shoulder. Jonas jerked around. “How did you do that?”

  “I’m fast. So fast that they can’t see me.”

  “I’ve never seen a vampire move that fast.” Jonas gaped.

  “But Jonas, I’m not an average vampire.” Sindrid smiled up at his friend.

  “Excellent. One day we need to sit down and discuss just what you can and can’t do.” They waited as the van pulled up to the guard shack. One guard came out and went over to the driver’s door. They all held their breath, waiting to see what would happen. Sindrid knew the signal, and if they couldn’t get in then he’d quickly get to the shack and take out the guards while the Unit did their job.

  *****

  “Now remember the plan, Macy. Remember the plan, and you’ll live through this. But don’t underestimate how fast I am. If you even give them the slightest hint, I will eat you alive.” Lilly snapped her teeth for added effect. Macy did exactly what she said. She smiled as the guard came to the window.

  “You’re a little late.” The guard glanced over at her in the passenger seat, and she did her best to look bored.

  “Sorry, but we had a flat tire and you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to jack this van up,” Macy explained.

  “You know the rules. You should’ve called and said you were running late.” The guard looked in the window, sniffed, and turned his nose up. “Where’s your partner?”

  Lilly ground her teeth together and looked over at the guard. “He got sick, and I got the call to take his place. Lucky me.” She snorted, then glanced away as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

  “What’s that smell?”

  “That fucking wolf gave us a battle at first until we could get her down, but we got her. She bled some.” Lilly smiled as if she’d enjoyed it. She knew this wa
s a human guard, so she figured she could act her way through this.

  She waited then looked back at the guard, who narrowed his eyes, still staring at her. “Look honey, once I get this wolf in the jail, then if you like what you see maybe we can meet up later.”

  The guard blinked a couple of times before he finally answered, “You two will have to unload the wolf by yourself. We don’t have anyone to help you out. You know the drill.” He waved at the man in the shack to open the door. Lilly blew out the breath she’d been holding as they drove through the gate.

  Macy drove to the rear of the building, backed the van up a ramp, and then stopped. “We have to go through the door, go inside, and then pull the garage doors open.”

  “Let’s do this, fast.” Lilly and Macy got out of the van and walked up to the door. Macy punched a code in, and the door popped open. To Lilly it looked like the unloading dock in the furniture store.

  “Where do you put the people you bring in?” Lilly looked around and found the place empty.

  “We go into the lab and drop them off in the holding cell,” Macy explained. She looked nervous, but Lilly didn’t sense any intent to escape from her. She was just scared, and for good reason.

  She followed Macy as they went to another security door and typed in the same code. Once they made it through that door, the smell of death nearly overwhelmed Lilly’s senses.

  “Let’s find the places they’re keeping everyone,” Lilly muttered.

  “I’ve never been any further then these holding cells,” Macy explained. Lilly walked over and looked through the windows of the cells and saw people lying on cots with tubes inserted into their arms. It looked like they were hooked up to some kind of IV drip.

  “Macy, come here and look.” Hesitantly, Macy walked over and looked through the window. A young girl was the first person she saw. Lilly carefully watched the woman’s expression as she gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

  “I thought… I was told that they only wanted a blood sample from them then they’d let them go.” Lilly knew she saw death in the girl’s half-open eyes.

  “Then you have to help me, Macy. I’ll help you get out of all of this, and you can move and forget it ever happened. You said you wanted a new life, and this is your chance,” Lilly told her.

  Macy turned to her and nodded.

  “Good. Then go back the van into the garage, and come back and help me get these people into it,” Lilly instructed.

  “You’re going to trust that I won’t just leave?”

  “Yes, I’m going to trust you, Macy.”

  She watched as Macy took one more look through the window. “I’ll be back. Get them out of the room.”

  Lilly punched in the same code she’d seen Macy use, and the damn door opened. Macy ran back to the garage. The light flickered on as she propped the door open. When she walked inside, some of the people who’d had their eyes closed opened them to watch her. She could see that they thought she was one of the staff. She needed them to help, too, but she had to tell them who she was first.

  “My name is Lilly Wilder. I’m a shifter and I’m going to get you all out of here, but I’ll need your help in doing it.” Immediately, some of the people started crying. She went to each person. “I’m sorry if this hurts, but I’ve got to get this out of your arm.” Lilly tried to be gentle, but they needed to get out of this place in a hurry before someone got suspicious and came snooping. She prayed that Macy had kept her word and was actually backing the van up.

  As Lilly turned around to help the other people, she sensed someone behind her. She let loose her claws and jerked around to see a man standing there. “I’ll help you. Sorry, but I had to make sure you were really a shifter. The meds they gave us dulled our senses.”

  Lilly patted him on the shoulder, then smiled. “Help me get the tubes out of their arms. Hopefully their strength will start to come back.” The shifter nodded and started pulling out the needles.

  Lilly went to the ones in the first beds and spoke in a soft voice. “Can you walk? I can’t carry all of you, but try to get up and walk.” Lilly held her hand out to a woman who was trying to get up, but was having some trouble. Once she was helped up, she got off the bed. They were slowly coming around. “Let’s start out that door. Just keep walking and follow me.”

  Lilly picked up the young girl, who hadn’t woken up. She didn’t know if she was dead or alive, but she wasn’t leaving her here. Her heart sank when she didn’t see Macy at first, but as soon as she opened the door she saw her running to them.

  “Sorry, but when I opened up the back of the van I got a little sick. I tried to use a broom to get all the parts of Larry out, but I couldn’t.”

  Lilly smiled grimly. “Maybe there is hope for you, Macy. Carry this girl down to the van and sit her down while I go back for the others. Hey, give me your cell phone.” Macy dug in her pocket and handed her the phone, then took the young girl to the van. The shifters slowly continued to walk. When she went back to the other holding cells, the shifter who’d had helped her was looking through the windows.

  Lilly went up to the door and typed the code in and the door opened.

  “How do you know the codes?” The shifter asked. His eyes were narrowed and unfocused as he glared at her.

  Chapter 17

  “I think we’ve given them enough time, don’t you?” Jonas looked over at Sindrid, but he was gone. Then he looked back at the guard shack, and the guards had disappeared.

  “Are you coming?” Sindrid replied over the radio.

  “Show off,” Jonas muttered as the vehicles pulled up. He and Nash ran to the vehicles and got in. The gates were already open as they drove through and followed the path the van had taken. Sindrid was nowhere to be found when they drove around back.

  “I need two men to exchange clothes with the guards and keep everyone out of the facility,” Jonas instructed. He knew whoever was last would do that.

  The garage doors were down except one, which was ajar. He figured Sindrid had already made it inside. “Powers, I need eyes out here.” His Unit members didn’t argue about who got what duties, they just did the job, and that was why he’d specially picked these people. However, Sindrid wasn’t on his team, and he had a mind of his own. He only hoped that he didn’t go on a killing spree before they located Emerson Prescott and got her out of the building. He knew Lilly was okay; he could feel it. They’d been friends a long time, and he felt in his gut that she was fine. He was sure that she was deep in the middle of shit, but alive and well.

  Slowly they opened the door and found the van backed up inside. They went further in and found people walking out of a door toward the vehicle.

  There was so many of them, and they obviously wouldn’t all fit into the van. They’d need the Unit’s vehicles too. “Alright, open the garage doors and get our SUVs inside. There’s another van over there, too. Get it running—hotwire it if you have to—and get these people inside of it.” Nash helped the people as they came toward them.

  Who could do this? It looked like Nazi concentration camps all over again.

  “Are you here to help us?” a woman asked. She could barely walk, so Jonas went over and picked her up.

  “Yes, ma’am. We’re here to take you home.”

  “Thank God. I thought I’d never see my family again.” She laid her head on Jonas’s shoulder and closed her eyes. He could smell the drugs in the shifter’s system as her body burned them off. A shifter’s metabolism was a lot faster than a human’s was. Their bodies would repair any damage they had, but first the drugs would have to be eliminated, and that’s what was happening.

  He figured that it would take at least a day before their bodies burned the drugs off, but at least the process had already started.

  Ash was watching, and he could see the tears in her eyes. He had to turn away for fear of crying in front of everyone. They needed to see him strong. They needed his help right now.

  *****

  �
�Now, listen. I’m trying to help you, and we’re wasting precious time here.” Lilly backed away from the shifter. She didn’t know what kind of shifter he was, but he was a huge one.

  “You knew the codes. How did you know the codes?”

  “I got someone on the inside to tell me. They’re helping me get you out of here, and right now you’re making me nervous and we’re wasting time,” Lilly snapped. She didn’t have the time for this shit. They needed to get everyone out before an alarm went off or the guards were alerted.

  The next thing she knew, the man had started to shift into a bear, but before she could shift and defend herself, he was gone. The bear flew through the air, hit the wall, and was knocked out. Sindrid was standing in his place.

  She wanted to run to him, but he wasn’t happy and he wasn’t smiling at her. His claws were out and he was breathing hard.

  “Sindrid.” She walked toward him slowly and reached out to touch his face.

  “Stop! I thought he was going to hurt you.”

  “But you were here.” Lilly could tell that he was almost out of control. His eyes had turned red. She stood in front of him and skimmed her fingers down his cheek.

  “I love you.” Lilly gasped when her mate jerked her toward him and kissed her hard. She didn’t care that he was bruising her lips. He needed to know she was okay, and she needed his touch.

  She didn’t want to stop, but they needed to get the rest of the victims out of there.

  “You think you two could do this another time?” Nash Wilder asked. He smiled when she glanced over at him. “I knew you’d get in trouble,” Nash teased. She could tell he’d been scared for her safety and wanted to hug her but after one look at her mate he wasn’t about to touch her right now.

  “There are more in the cells. We have to get the needles out of their arms so they’ll wake up.” Lilly went over to the other door and put in the code. As it opened up, she watched Nash tilt his nose up and scent the air. He rushed to the door and went inside.