Abandoned and Unseen (Branded Packs #2)(34)

She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I can’t.”

His brows snapped together. “Nikki. I’m not saying to stop your vendetta, just give it a rest for a few days.”

“I’m going tonight, Soren.” She tilted her chin. “One way or another.”

“Why? What’s so special about tonight…” Soren’s breath caught and his eyes widened as he realized the date. Her son had been murdered precisely seven years ago. “Oh, shit.”

“I’m not going to do anything stupid,” she said.

He looked anything but convinced by her assurance.

“Just suicidal,” he muttered.

She shook her head. She may be reckless at times, but she wasn’t trying to get herself killed. No way in hell. She still had a mission to complete.

Stepping forward, she placed a hand on her friend’s arm, not too proud to beg.

“Let me go, Soren.”

There was a tense moment when the Beta struggled against his loyalty to his Alpha. After all, he was a male who understood what it was like to lose someone he loved.

“Dammit.” He deliberately stepped to the side. “I hope you know that Holden’s going to put my balls in a vice?”

“Cora is a lucky cat,” she said with a small smile.

“Yeah, yeah.” He studied her with a somber expression, reaching out to lightly touch her cheek. “Come home to us, Nikki. We need you.”

Waiting until the male had grudgingly turned to disappear into the shadows of the trees, Nicole reached up to adjust the high neck of her sweater that hid her collar. The piece of metal marked her as a shifter, along with the brand that marred her forearm.

To be caught without the collar was a death sentence.

She shuddered, forcing herself to focus her thoughts on the future, not the past. And that included getting out of the compound without being seen.

Moving forward, she knelt next to the fence, closing her eyes as she concentrated on her heightened sense of smell. She caught the sharp tang of pines, and the musky scent of the fallen leaves that carpeted the ground. More distant was the acrid odor of smoke, and the meat that was sizzling over the fire.

There were no humans near.

Nicole didn’t hesitate. It wouldn’t be long before one of the human guards passed by during their regular sweep of the area. She wanted to be miles away from the compound before they arrived. Once she was in Denver, she should be able to pass as a human.

Shoving aside the rock that hid her exit, she entered the tunnel and shimmied through the narrow passageway that ran beneath the fence. She came out behind a line of Dumpsters that the guards had shoved close enough to the compound to make sure the shifters would be continually assaulted by the stench of rotting garbage.

Bastards.

Cautiously crawling out of the narrow opening, Nicole quickly ran through the darkness, her soft boots barely making a sound. It was nearly an hour later when she arrived at the long metal shed where the SAU kept their vehicles—as well as their weapons. It was a new building that they’d built to replace the one Nicole had set fire to the year before. She had planned to blow this one up tonight, to mark the anniversary of her son’s death.

Instead, she had a new mission.

Easily avoiding the cameras they had placed around the open yard surrounding the building, she headed toward the extra cars that were left in the back. Less than five minutes later, she had a Jeep hotwired and was heading along the outskirts of Boulder.

When she’d heard that Soren and Cora had actually discovered the headquarters of the SAU, she’d barely been able to contain her excitement.

For years, she’d tried to track down the secret lab. The covert government agency had a dozen different buildings spread throughout the country. Hell, they had at least three in Denver alone. That’s where most of the staff had offices, and where the mundane work was accomplished.

But she’d always known there was more they kept hidden.

And now she had the opportunity to find out for herself.

Sticking to the side streets in case the Jeep got turned in as a stolen vehicle, she at last parked at Chautauqua Park. It was several miles from the headquarters, but it would allow her to approach the place without being noticed.

With a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, she hopped out of the Jeep and headed up the trail. Instantly, she was surrounded by the smells and sounds of the forest.

The tight ball in the pit of her stomach eased a fraction at the soothing peace of her surroundings. Inside, her wolf pressed against her skin, demanding to be released. This wide-open space with plenty of room to run was exactly what a shifter craved.

With effort, she resisted the temptation.

She needed to pass as human.

At least for now.

Moving at a swift pace, Nicole traveled in a wide arc that would lead her to the deepest part of the park before she was angling back toward Boulder. She didn’t have the exact coordinates, but she’d overheard Soren talking to Holden. She had a general idea of where she was going.

She was just at the point of turning back towards civilization when there was the rustle of pine needles, and a form was suddenly blocking her path.

A very large, very male form.

God almighty. She skidded to a halt. How had he managed to sneak up on her? She hadn’t heard a sound. And she could still barely catch his warm, slightly tangy scent.