Page 13 of Freed Wolfsbane

A tiny ember of hope burns in my chest that maybe my wolf isn’t entirely suppressed if I can still smell what supernaturals are. I only started hearing Dido when I got my wolf, so they must be a packaged deal. If my wolf gets free, that’ll mean Dido’s free too, which may be all the edge I need.

As we walk through the facility, Annabel keeps her face pressed against my shoulder and her arms tight around my neck. I can feel her shaking in my arms, which makes fury and heartache course through me in equal measures. As much as it kills me, there’s nothing I can do right now to fix it for her. Instead, I just hold her tighter and hum “Look After You” by Aron Wright softly into her hair.

Less than ten minutes later, we come to a stop in front of a plain brown door with a tarnished brass nameplate that says “Jordan Ryker.” For some reason, I didn’t think something so mundane as Jordan would be Ryker’s first name. Something like Spike or Rex would fit his less-than-charming personality better.

The sandy-haired guard steps up to the door and hesitantly knocks on the doorframe.

“What?” Ryker barks from inside, his voice dripping with annoyance.

The henchman pales and gulps before nervously taking a few steps back. He bumps into me, and I see a lightbulb go off in his head. The guard shoves me forward, making me the sacrificial lamb to disturb Ryker.

Fantastic.

Since my lady balls are apparently bigger than any of the Knights’, I blow out a breath and push through the door. I come face-to-face with Ryker, whose nearly black eyes feel like they’re staring directly into my soul. His mouth kicks up into a cruel smirk as he looks me up and down. I don’t miss the way his calculating gaze snags on Annabel in my arms, and I wish I could shield her from him. Since I can’t, I keep my face as blank as I can.

As the silence stretches and becomes increasingly uncomfortable, I look around the drab office for something to do. A dingy drop ceiling and worn white floor tiles have seen better days. Flaking white paint on the cinder block walls and the lack of a window complete the depressing feel of the office. The only furniture in here is a desk, office chair, and two hard, wooden chairs facing the desk.

For being the leader of the North American Knights, I would’ve thought Ryker would have a nicer office. I guess spearheading an organization to eradicate supernaturals doesn’t make the big bucks.

Sucks to be him.

After what feels like an eternity, Ryker pushes up from his chair and unfolds to his full, bulky size. He wanders over to stand in front of his walnut desk, propping his hip against the top. Even slightly slouched, Ryker’s still massive and incredibly intimidating. “Why are you here, cur?”

I resist the urge to retortfor shits and giggles. I’m clearly not here because I thought hanging out with Ryker and his penchant for violence would be a lovely way to spend my day.

I’m saved from having to answer by the black-haired goon chiming in. “She attempted to take the place of the whelp in her arms when we went to bring the girl to an experiment. She claimed that you would rather see her than the whelp.”

His grin widens as he reaches out a hand to touch Annabel. I twist my body to protect her from him, which only makes his face light up with delight. “Have a soft spot for children, do you now?”

Well, since I’m not a morally bankrupt psychopath, yeah, I do. Unlike Ryker, I think experimenting on kids crosses a line I didn’t believe even the Knights would. But thinking the Knights had any morals was naïve of me, apparently.

When I don’t respond, Ryker lets out a long-suffering sigh. Straightening up, he darts out his hand to fist my hair. He yanks on the strands, wrenching my neck back until I’m forced to meet his gloating gaze. Tears prick my eyes at the sharp pain in my scalp, but I refuse to let them fall. “I asked you a question,” he growls as he stays in my personal space.

I glare at him, letting him see the complete and utter hatred burning in my gaze. “As I told them, I thought the Knights’ time would be better spent experimenting on me than a random shifter child.”

Ryker doesn’t look like he believes Annabel is just a random kiddo. His dark gaze bounces between mine for a moment before he abruptly lets go of my hair and steps back. My screaming neck muscles appreciate the reprieve, but I still eye him warily, wondering what he’s going to do next.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t try to touch Annabel or ask me any more questions. Ryker simply walks around his desk and rummages in one of the drawers for something. When he triumphantly pulls out a notebook, he starts for the door. I don’t immediately follow, and he pins me with an exasperated look. “Come along now. Since you’re so eager to get back to the lab, who am I to say no? Make sure to bring the pup, too.”

I clench my teeth at the reminder that I put Annabel on his radar. While the alternative was to let the Knights take her to an experiment she may not have come back from, it still feels like I’ve painted a massive target on her back. I just want to keep her safe. Yet, all I seem to do is put people I care about in danger.

So lost in my thoughts, I don’t realize we’re at one of the lab rooms until our procession comes to an abrupt halt, and I almost bump into Ryker. Thankfully I’m able to stop short at the last second.

Fishing a key out of his pocket, Ryker pushes open the stainless steel door that opens up into a similar soulless, all-white lab space like the one I was in yesterday. Not having much choice with all the guards at my back, I hesitantly enter the room after Ryker to see three people in lab coats look up at us in surprise. One of them is the tawny-haired man from yesterday.

As soon as I’m through the threshold, Ryker reaches over to pluck Annabel out of my arms. Tightening my hold on her, I try to stop him from taking her. Even before the two Knights wrench my arms back, I’m losing the battle. Ryker is just too strong.

When the Knights pry my arms from Annabel and Ryker takes her, I try to lunge after her. “No!” I shout as I thrash around, trying to get free of the guards.

“You seemed to lack the proper motivation to shift yesterday.” Ryker gives me a smug smile that makes the scar on his face bunch as he places Annabel on the floor and kneels next to her. He roughly grabs her chin and forces her to look at me. Her terrified brown eyes filling with tears shred my heart as I keep trying to get to her. “Hopefully, this will help.”

“How do you expect me to shift?” My voice is breathy from the exertion, but I refuse to stop trying to get Annabel away from him. “You have a suppression field up.”

It feels like he’s setting me up for failure. He wants me to do something that’s impossible just so he can hurt me through Annabel.

“That’s not my problem, mutt. Now throw her in the containment circle,” Ryker orders while holding up the brown stone around his neck. He whispers something I can’t hear, but I see the circle light up in reaction.

I fight the guards dragging me every step of the way, wanting to get back to Annabel, but it’s ultimately no use. The two men throw me by my arms into the spelled area.

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