The Wolf Within (Purgatory #1)(34)

Duncan’s eyes swept back to Connor. The unconscious wolf wasn’t giving him any answers.

“Good job, Holly,” Pate said. Duncan looked back as Pate’s hand lifted, and he pulled the gun from her fingers. “But I thought I told you to locate him. To confirm that he was here, then call for backup.”

“There wasn’t time for backup.” She shook her head. Duncan realized she was still staring at the unconscious werewolf. A faint furrow was between her brows. “He was going to kill the blonde.”

“He won’t be killing anyone else,” Pate said, as if making her a promise.

It wasn’t a promise that Duncan was sure the guy could keep.

And just why did Pate still have his gun out?

Pate shifted his position slightly, as if putting his body between Holly and Duncan. No, not as if he were doing it. The guy was damn well trying to separate them.

He was also lifting his gun and pointing it at Duncan. “Is the silver burning you more now?”

“Why are you pointing that at me?” Duncan demanded, not answering the question.

A muscle jerked in Pate’s jaw. “Because your eyes are glowing, and there’s smoke rising from your neck.” His lips tightened. “I didn’t need to ask. It’s obvious the silver is hurting you more. That wolf of yours wants out.”

Because another alpha was close? Or because he’d been so wild at the thought of Holly being hurt?

Maybe it was both. And maybe…maybe it didn’t matter anymore. “Drop the gun.” Or he’d rip it out of Pate’s hands.

Pate shook his head. “Before you go back to base, I need to make sure you’re in control. If I need to cage you—”

“You’re not putting him in a cell!” Holly snapped.

But Pate’s steady gaze said that he would.

Perhaps the guy would do anything, if it kept a werewolf out of his sister’s bed.

“Do you have control?” Pate demanded. It was the same question he’d asked Holly back at her place. It was time for the guy to stop worrying about the control of others and focus on himself.

Duncan leapt forward. He snatched the gun out of Pate’s hands. Threw it across the room. “No, and neither f*cking do you—”

It felt like a fist slammed into his back. A fist that was burning hot, then icy cold.

That was no fist.

His hand flew over his shoulder and closed around the dart that was embedded in his upper back. He yanked it out even as he spun and saw Elias.

Still holding his weapon.

“You…?”

“I’m sorry,” Elias looked miserable. He swallowed, sending his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, but you would. We know how the werewolves are.”

Out to kill. Destroy. Savage.

His knees started to buckle.

Another dart hit him, this one fired from Brent’s gun. Brent, the tall, silent agent who’d been the unit’s newest recruit.

“What the hell have you done?” Holly’s frantic voice. Then she was there. Wrapping her arms around him. Trying to support him. “Duncan? Duncan!”

His eyes were drooping closed. “Don’t…cell…”

“I won’t, I swear, I won’t let them put you in a cell again. Duncan, just stay with me!”

He couldn’t. The drug was in his system. Pumping fast and hard through his blood. The drug’s effect wouldn’t last long. Just long enough for Pate to toss him into a containment cell.

Before, he’d gone into a cell willingly, because he’d been afraid of what his beast might do.

This time, Duncan wondered if Pate had plans to make a cell his permanent home.

Was that what Connor had been trying to tell him? That he’d wind up in Purgatory, too? Now that he’d done the job Pate wanted, the director might not want him around anymore.

Too late, he was already in hell. He wasn’t about to head out on a one-way trip to another prison.

“Duncan?”

He wanted to talk to Holly.

But all he could do was sink into the darkness.

***

“This is a mistake!”

Yeah, right, Pate had been singing that same song for the last hour. Holly didn’t look at him. She was too busy with her patient. Her unconscious patient, thanks to her brother. Duncan was on the exam table in front of her. Strapped down and still wearing his silver collar.

“The mistake was shooting one of your own men.” Jerk. What had Pate been thinking? And Elias—Elias was supposed to be Duncan’s friend. There should have been a rule there…friends didn’t shoot friends in the back with paranormal knockout drugs.

The fact that she’d been the one to create that little brew for Pate to use on his missions? That just made her feel even more miserable.

“You saw him,” Pate gritted as he paced behind her. “His eyes were glowing. The silver was burning his neck. I was afraid his control was shattering.”

Because the full moon was coming ever closer.

“He had his control.” Her fingers stroked over his arm. He felt so warm. Hot.

“And I don’t have your confidence in him.”

“He’s your agent. You should have confidence in him.”

“After the full moon…if I see that he can stay in control then…we’ll talk about confidence.”