The Wolf Within (Purgatory 1)

“Screw that.” Duncan released him and moved back a few feet. “I’m not interested in the pack. I don’t want—”

“Then you’re dead.” Saul straightened his shoulders, seemed to gather his strength. “You fight and win, you lead…or you die.” Saul tilted his head as he studied Duncan. “This town can’t take two alphas.”

“Who’s the other alpha?” Holly demanded. They were still learning about werewolf dynamics, but if the dead werewolves had been sent to attack Duncan, then it sure stood to reason that the other alpha had been the one to send them out on the hunt.

But Saul just smirked at her. “Don’t worry, you’ll be finding out, sweets, soon enough.”

Yes, those words were definitely a threat.

“And you’ll be getting sliced open,” Duncan said as he lifted his claws. “Soon damn enough if you don’t tell me where the other alpha is.”

“I can help you,” Saul said as he paled. He held up his hands, palms out. The gesture probably would have looked more innocent if he hadn’t been sporting two inch long claws on his fingertips.

“Yeah, you can,” Duncan agreed. The sweats hung low on his hips. “Tell me where to find the alpha. Tell me who the bastard is.”

Saul licked his lips. “Get me out of here. Give me my freedom. Then we’ll talk.”

Pate laughed, drawing Saul’s attention. “Are you kidding me? You carved up humans! Six of them. I’m pretty sure you even ate one of the poor bastards. You aren’t getting out of here. You’re going to Purgatory, and you’re not getting out.”

Purgatory.

The name of the only prison for paranormals that existed. Until recently, the only way to stop a paranormal had been to kill him. Or her. But now…even though most humans didn’t even know about the existence of the paranormal creatures, Uncle Sam wanted them treated more humanely.

So Purgatory had been created. Modeled after Alcatraz, the prison was supposed to be inescapable. Located on a tiny island off the coast of Washington, the walls had been made out of a special metal formulated by the government. An unbreakable metal with silver components.

Inside, all of the cells were secured with silver bars. The guards used weapons that contained either wooden bullets—when they were in the vampire wards—or silver bullets—when they were guarding the werewolves.

Purgatory had been in operation for over a year, and, so far, the prison seemed to be doing its job—keeping the most dangerous of the paranormals locked up and away from humans.

The only prison of its kind in the world. Purgatory would succeed or…it would fail, horribly.

Personally, the idea of having all of the most dangerous paranormals in one small place…um, yeah, that idea terrified Holly. But no one had listened to her when she went before the small committee in D.C. and told them it was a very bad idea.

She was just the MD who’d been brought into the Seattle Para Unit because of her connection to Pate. The suits wanted her reports, not her take on Armageddon.

“You aren’t getting out,” Duncan said to Saul, shaking his head.

Saul’s jaw hardened. “You think you’re so different from me?”

The dead guards had been taken away, but the scent of blood lingered in the air. Holly swallowed a few times as her head began to throb. She realized that she’d lost more blood from her attack than she’d initially realized.

Too much blood. Her kind had a tendency to bleed too freely when injured.

“They’ll have you in a cage soon!” Saul threw at Duncan.

Holly barely controlled a wince at the guy’s shriek because the truth was that actually, they’d already put him in a cage.

But Duncan had somehow gotten out, and he’d rushed in to help her.

“Don’t you get it?” Saul’s lengthening teeth snapped together. “It’s us against them. You’re not human anymore. You’re better.” He spat toward Pate.

Uh, oh. The guy shouldn’t try to piss off Pate.

Pate held out his hand to Holly.

She knew he wanted the remote. She also knew this part wasn’t going to be pretty. “Pate…”

His hand waited. No expression crossed his face.

“Tell us where the alpha is,” Pate said softly as he kept his gaze on Saul, “or you’re going to find yourself in a great deal of pain soon.”

Sometimes, it was hard for her to remember Pate the way he’d been…before. Before he’d learned about the paranormals out in the world. Before he’d become so single-minded and focused on the Para Unit’s mission. Pate was determined to take the killers off the streets—the paranormal killers.

She wondered, secretly because she could never tell him, just how far would Pate be willing to go in order to stop the monsters that he hunted? Just what would he do?

Risk his own men? Set them up so that they could be exposed, could be transformed?

Would he risk his own sister?

Saul’s hands rose to the collar that circled around his throat. “Gonna punch it up? Gonna make me scream?”

“Yes,” Pate said with a nod. “I will. If it means I can keep my men alive, I’ll do anything.” His gaze cut to Holly. “The remote.” Impatience crackled in the word.

Locking her jaw, she gave it to him, but her stare met Saul’s. “There’s no need for this. Just tell us where to find the other alpha. Tell us.” So you don’t burn.

His nostrils flared. “All that sweet smelling blood…do you taste like dessert? I bet you do-”

Duncan shoved his hand through the bars again, but this time, Saul leapt back. “I’m dead if I tell you! So use the remote.” He pointed at Pate. “Blast me with the silver. I don’t care! If I talk, I die.”

It was obvious to Holly that he feared the alpha out in the city far more than he feared any pain they could give to him.

Pate glanced down at the remote. Then Pate looked back up at her. “Go outside, Holly. Maybe I was wrong about all of the guards outside. If any of them survived, they’ll need you.”

Right. Right. She should have thought—

She turned away, rushing for the door.

“Good-bye, Holly.” Duncan’s voice. Rumbling.

She risked a quick glance back over shoulder. His gaze was on hers. And he looked so…sad.

“I’ll be back,” she whispered.

His lips twisted into what could have been a smile. But wasn’t. Too rough. Too hard.