The Wolf Within (Purgatory #1)(55)

“Shane’s dead.”

“Is he?” Pate murmured. “I’m sure that’s what the villagers all thought a few centuries back, too.”

What?

“An escape is going down. A damn big one. The monsters are going to be let loose, and when that happens, everyone will know what’s happening here. There will be no more denials. No more secrets. Just out of control werewolves and vampires that want to feed and drain their prey dry.” He sucked in a deep breath. “They’ve been starving the vamps, did you know that? They were supposed to be contained here, but not tortured because we can be f*cking humane, or at least, we should be.”

Duncan didn’t speak.

“But someone wants it all to fall apart. Someone wants the Para Units to look like failures, and that same someone—that power that is in the FBI—wants the monsters loose so the humans can see them all at their worst.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m thinking he—or she—wants a war. An all-out battle. An annihilation. When humans find out about the monsters, how do you think they’ll react? Will they stop to see who is good, who’s bad?” Pate shook his head. “No, they’ll see fangs. They’ll see claws. And they’ll attack. The paranormals can’t compete with the humans, not in numbers, and they’ll all die.”

But it would be bloody. A massacre of both humans and paranormals.

“We won’t let that end game play out.” Pate’s voice was hard.

Duncan narrowed his gaze.

“All of the most dangerous, most powerful paranormals are here. But they aren’t getting out. No matter what plan is in place, you will stop it.”

The guy had to be insane. “Just me?”

Pate stared back at him. “Just. You.”

“You know I won’t survive. I’ll die here.”

“No, you can’t die. Not any longer.”

Right. Like he was supposed to believe—

“You’re a werewolf, and you’re a vampire. You don’t have the weaknesses of either, but you’ve got the strength of both. You’re the only paranormal of your kind in existence. Hell, most would say you shouldn’t be able to exist.”

Duncan didn’t have a ready comeback.

“I told you before…you’re an alpha, and that’s what paranormals understand. You go deeper into the prison, you face the bastards who think they’re in charge, and you damn well wipe the floor with them.” Pate’s shoulders heaved. “That will get the others to follow you. You’ll find out who’s helping to stage the escape. You’ll stop it. Hell, man, you’ll wind up saving the world.”

“Why me?” Duncan demanded. “And why the hell didn’t you tell me all of this sooner?”

“Because I didn’t trust you at first. I’d planned to do the deed myself. I’d even been getting injections of Shane’s blood so I’d be stronger, but then you had to get yourself bit.” Pate exhaled. “That sure changed up all the plans in place.”

“You were using me.”

“I’m fighting to keep this world safe,” Pate said, holding his gaze. “Sometimes, the things I have to do aren’t always pretty.”

“You’re a bastard, you know that?”

Pate nodded. “That’s what Holly told me when I took you away.”

Holly. “Where is she?”

“Do the mission, and I’ll tell you.”

Sonofabitch. Duncan surged forward and found himself right in front of Pate. The silver bars—he’d ripped them away. “How the hell…?”

“Told you,” Pate said, rocking back on his heels. “Only strength. No weaknesses.”

The bars fell from Duncan’s fingers.

“Now do the job. Stop the escape, and if you want, I’ll even damn well sing at your wedding to my sister, but we have to stop this nightmare first. Do you understand?”

Duncan wrapped his fingers around Pate’s throat. “I understand that you’ve been using me.”

Pate’s eyes widened.

“And I understand that I don’t f*cking trust you.” How many lies had Pate told him? “You shot me.”

“Only after you’d taken Holly’s blood.”

He remembered the sweet taste of honey on his tongue. No, not honey. Better. So much better. He’d gorged on that taste. I want more.

“If I hadn’t shot you, then you wouldn’t have stopped drinking from her.” Pate tried to pry Duncan’s fingers from his throat. “I saved her.”

Had he been hurting Holly?

Duncan released Pate.

Pate didn’t back away. “In five minutes,” Pate said, “a guard will come in here for you. He’ll take you to general population. The werewolves there are supposed to all have collars and the vampires aren’t let out during the night. During the day, the vamps will be as weak as humans. Controllable.”

“I won’t be controllable,” Duncan said.

Pate shook his head. “No, you won’t be.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m even hearing rumors that the vamps are being starved and the werewolves are being tortured by silver—all to make them angrier, to get them ready to fight back against their guards.” His face was haggard. “We have to stop this. Will you do it? Will you stop the escape and help me figure out who’s pulling these damn puppet strings and trying to start a war?”