Dangerous Mating (A.L.F.A., #3)(6)
Both men breathed deeply and turned away from her. Was the director hiding a smile with his hand? She hadn’t done anything, so the joke couldn’t be on her.
“Kari,” Josh asked, “you were told about our kind, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, my director told me you guys are shifters.”
“Do you know much about shifters?” Sheldon asked.
She knew one thing, and knew it well. “When a shifter finds its mate, they are instantly in love and stay in love until the day they die. They never cheat on each other. Don’t even look at the opposite sex anymore. Their souls are half of each other, bonded together the instant they become one.”
That’s the kind of love she wanted. The type she could devote herself to and know he would always appreciate everything about her, and she, him. She let out a little sigh then looked at the guys. They stared at her with . . . fear or humor? She couldn’t tell.
“Uh, yes,” Josh finally said. “That’s one thing. But we also have extraordinary senses of smell and hearing. We can see in the dark and smell fear or lies or whatever scent the body excretes.”
Her face paled. “Any scent?” Oh god. Her panties were still wet. Oh, well, nothing she could do about it now. She was not letting a little embarrassment keep her from going on this assignment. She straightened in her chair and cleared her throat. “So, when do we leave?”
“Your itinerary and tickets are in your packet. Plane leaves in a few hours. You need to pack for cool evenings and warm days,” Josh told her.
“How many days?” she asked.
The two men looked at each other. Sheldon shrugged. “I would think I’d know something in a few days. Pack for five days. Just in case.”
Josh nodded. “Sounds good.”
She hopped up from her chair. “I gotta go, guys, if the plane leaves in few hours.” She glanced at her watch.
“Oh, don’t worry too much about that,” Josh added. “We get special security clearance and seating. You don’t have to wait in any lines.”
Sheldon then asked if he could drive her to her home, if she was taking the bus. He would also pick her up to go to the airport together. That was so thoughtful of him. He seemed like a really nice guy. Single? He didn’t wear a ring. She shook her head to clear her lusty thoughts.
This was it! She would be on her way to Europe with a gorgeous male, looking for the man whose picture she had fallen in love with, in a town known for people disappearing under the earth and never coming back.
Chapter Four
Bryon Day scrunched against the back wall of his cell, cringing every time the whip stung his back. He preferred that to the fire torture or cattle prod they used. His eyes glanced at the group on the other side of the thick cage bars—several guards and the Big Dick himself.
“I will ask one last time, Mr. Day,” Prince Goddard said, “why are you in my country?”
He had to remain strong, fight the wolf that wanted to tear into their throats and rip out their guts for the rats to feast on. Section Four, Chapter Two of the ALFA procedure handbook stated agents were not to give away their cover or their animal. If captured, allow yourself to be taken and find a place away from humans to escape, if possible. If not, wait for backup to find you. That’s what the book said and that’s what he had to do.
He just hoped backup was on its way. Each day he went without food or water, his mental and physical capacities worsened. His wolf would win control at some point. Then he’d be fucked. No telling what these bastards would do to him.
The whip split open the skin on his back. He ground his teeth. He could do this. He would.
Prince Goddard stopped the whipping and stepped closer to the cell imprisoning him. “Mr. Day, answer my question correctly, then I will set you free.” That got his attention. Of course, his wolf helped him smell the lie. He wouldn’t answer shit.
“One of the townspeople said they saw you go from a human to a wolf. Is that true? Are you a werewolf?” The way the prince said those words sounded asinine. Bryon broke into laughter, scratchy from lack of water.
“Are you listening to yourself?” Bryon whispered. “You think werewolves are real? Is Dracula hanging around, too?” He pressed his laugh louder, enraging the prince. He thought he saw the prince’s eyes glow red for a second. The bastard ordered the whip again. This time, Bryon caught the thin rope and yanked it toward him. The guard holding the whip slammed head first into the bars then fell away unconscious. Took care of that.
Now if they would give him the opportunity to take care of the rest of them, he’d get the hell out of there. He already had a plan. He’d heard some of the other prisoners talking about underground tunnels under the entire city. Supposedly, there was an entrance somewhere here in the dungeon. It was fabled as a deathtrap maze in which once lost, there was no finding your way back. Being a shifter with a decent nose, he wasn’t worried about that. It was getting past the extra-thick iron bars they kept him behind.
It was as if this cell were created with shifters and their strength in mind. He wondered if this part of the world openly believed in shifters. If someone was bold enough to say something to the prince without fear of rejection, then that did not bode well for his kind. Any surprise advantage he might have would be expected.