Zeus, Titus, and I jogged to the other building where she was being kept. Zeus didn’t even hesitate seeing the thick padlock, taking the steel into his jaw and crushing the mechanism. The door sprang free, allowing us inside.
We were still being cautious even though there was no stench of the bastards, only the sweet and intoxicating fragrance of the little human and her friends.
I sensed her realization we were alive almost instantly, her slight gasps causing concern in the others.
“Dr. Radcliff. What’s wrong?” I’d heard the female’s voice before, almost as soft and lilting as Lauren’s, but on this night, it was shaking.
“They’re alive. I knew they’d come for me.” In contrast, our mate’s voice was strong, full of joy. “You’re going to need to trust me, Carrie. Peter, the same. There are things you don’t know about, so many amazing realities I didn’t know existed, but they’ll challenge everything you thought you knew.”
We padded closer.
“Who’s saving us?” Carrie insisted.
“My lions. My mates.”
“That’s everything we hoped for,” the other scientist said. I could smell the man’s fear. He would face our wrath later after she was freed and safe.
As soon as she was within sight, the three of us growled, the sound full of as much joy as we’d heard from her voice.
“Oh. My. God,” Peter exclaimed. “They’re huge.” He moved backwards, hugging the wall.
“Lauren. You managed to make a connection with them.” Now the scientist was eager, daring to move closer. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
“Shut the fuck up. I don’t want to hear it.” Her anger toward him was evident, but her gaze never faltered. “Just as you and Dr. Abbott intended. How could you lie to me, deceive me and hurt these lions, Dr. Douglas? You bastard. You’re complicit. You allowed this! You condoned it.”
“We had no choice, Lauren. You don’t understand how powerful Blackwell and Zimmerman are, how many connections they have. I argued with them. I told them what they were doing was wrong, but they threatened my family.”
“I don’t give a shit. You will help me save the lioness and the others if I can. You will!”
Titus and Zeus growled, providing the wretched scientist with a moment of fear.
Dr. Douglas looked at us nervously as we moved side by side, eyeing him carefully. “Yes, of course. Absolutely.”
I bared my canines. Let the human remain terrified.
“Are you sure they’re safe?” Peter asked.
A sharp pain tore through me, making it difficult to breathe.
“You don’t need to fear them, Peter,” our little mate said as she swept her gaze from one to the other. “They’re very special. You have no idea just how much. Kyle has the keys to the lock.”
Kyle. The bastard who ran away like a scared little boy.
Titus moved in front toward the cage, allowing her to reach through the bars to stroke his fur.“We don’t need keys. Back away, little mate. We’ll get you out.”
“Okay,” she murmured. “Back away, everyone.” Before she walked away, she lowered her gaze to my abdomen. “Thor. You’re bleeding. You’re hurt.”
While there was pain creeping through my chest, the discomfort didn’t matter. I needed her free. I needed to feel her arms wrapped around my neck.
I needed to taste her. Kiss her.
Fuck her.
As before, the desire was overwhelming. For all three of us.
She was fully in heat, the scent of her pheromones driving us crazy. My cock was fully erect, the ache so strong I could barely control myself. The longing for her was becoming insatiable.
“Get her out. Now,”Zeus roared.