The Wolf Within (Purgatory #1)(66)

Pate stared down at her. A tense moment passed, then, “You know I’d do anything for you.”

Even force her lover to become more than human? Yes, she was getting that idea. That terrifying, horrible idea.

Pate nodded grimly. “I’ll dig deeper. Shane can compel or you can or—”

“I can,” Duncan growled. “I’ll be the one to find out my brother’s secrets.”

“Fine.” Pate exhaled on a rough sigh. “If he isn’t the killer we think, he’ll go free. You have my word.”

Then Pate was walking away. Holly reached for Duncan’s hand.

“Oh, Duncan, just so you know…”

Pate had stopped near the guards’ cell. Shane was inside. The guards weren’t moving.

Duncan frowned at him.

“I was bullshitting before. Getting you amped before the battle. I do know your weakness, and I’m not talking about the desperate need you seem to have for my sister.” Pate glanced back at him. “If you ever hurt her, I’ll make everything that’s passed before this moment seem like a f*cking cake walk for you. Got me?”

Duncan’s fingers twined with Holly’s. “I got you.” He didn’t sound scared, though.

Pate grunted and entered the cell.

Duncan’s attention turned back to Holly. “I got you,” he said again, the words softer.

They were in a prison for paranormals. She was a vampire. He was, well, alpha, but she’d never been happier than she was in that moment. “You won’t ever hurt me,” she said, absolutely sure of that.

“No, I won’t.” His lips feathered over hers. “I’ll just love you, for the rest of my life.”

He kissed her again, then he was pulling her from the infirmary. More federal agents were there. She knew that Pate had hand-picked all of those agents. She and Duncan passed them all, went outside, out into the darkness that waited.

But the darkness could be beautiful. She’d learned that fact. And monsters…

They weren’t all evil.

In fact, some of the monsters were actually heroes.

They climbed onto the boat. A boat that would take them away from Purgatory.

We’ll get you out, too, Connor.

She knew they would, just as she knew her instincts about Connor weren’t wrong. The mission wasn’t over, not completely, not yet.

But they’d keep working until Connor was free, and until the werewolf working against the Para Units had been stopped.

The boat cut through the dark water.

Duncan pulled her close. “I love you,” he whispered.

She’d never get tired of hearing those words from him, and, since they both now had unnaturally long life spans ahead of them, she figured she’d be hearing those wonderful words plenty of times.

She’d died, lost her humanity, but found it again—with him.

She’d found hope. She’d found love.

She’d found her alpha. A man with a wild side that she adored.

Howls drifted on the wind behind them, and his arms tightened around her. Before them, the night seemed to stretch endlessly.

There was nothing for them to fear in the dark.

Holly smiled and knew that her fangs would flash in the night.





Epilogue


Pate stared at the werewolf and vampire who sat across from him. The werewolf was sweating. Only to be expected. This would be his first mission and his first chance to start earning some redemption.

“You understand the mission?” Pate asked carefully. Someone was trying to start a war between the humans and paranormals.

It was Pate’s job to stop that war.

By any means necessary.

Connor nodded quickly. “Y-yes.”

“And you’ll do what I say, follow the orders you’re given without question?”

Another nod.

“Good.” Despite what he’d learned about the werewolf, Pate still didn’t trust him. Not completely.

But then, he didn’t trust anyone completely. Except for Holly.

Pate’s gaze cut to the vampire. The oldest vampire he knew, and one that had cheated death more times than should be possible. “And you’re willing to take the risk?”

Shane smiled, flashing his fangs. “Purgatory will be a walk in the park.”

No, it wouldn’t be. But there were more answers to be found in that prison. Answers that he thought the vampires there could give to him.

He just needed a strong vampire to find those answers.

A vampire and a werewolf.

Because sometimes, it took monsters to save the world.

“Then, gentlemen, let’s get started…”

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