Owen’s neck twitched,his jaw tense as their eyes remained locked.
“I don’t want t’bethis way.”
“Kill yourself,then.”
“And let them win?They took my life and therefore my family and my dreams. There isno way in Hell they are having my death as well.”
“How eloquent ofyou.”
“Fuck off.”
An unexpected laughbubbled up and spilled from Owen’s lips.
“Okay, that’s it.” Istepped between them. “Can we please just try and discussthis?”
“I agree.” Dantewalked over to Owen and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Therewill be no more killing today.” He dropped his voice ever soslightly. “Go and take Scott for a run. He needs some air.”
My focus shifted tothe other younger male who hadn’t said a word or even reacted sincewe’d stepped into the room. Instead, he sat in front of the cage,back pressed to the bars, eyes closed, but his face was contortedas if he were in some kind of pain. Unlike Owen and Carter, hisskin bared no scars, and like the others, he was yet anotherphysically fit male. A fine layer of hair covered his chest, andhis muscle mass was somewhere in between Carter and Owen’s. He wasclearly taller, his features more rugged, his black hairsweat-slicked and swept back.
“Danielle, I’m afraidit has been a very long and stressful week for us all, and well, wedon’t entertain Vampires under normal circumstances, let alonerecently.” Dante’s attention moved to Nathan as he said that lastpart, and it was pretty clear that was as much of a welcome Nathanwould be receiving. “We won’t hurt you as yours is a strangecircumstance.”
“And we’re currentlytoo exhausted to do a decent job,” Carter mumbled as he followedGraham to the far corner where Michael still hung.
Nathan gave a curtnod. “Thank you.”
Dante looked back atme.
“I’m sorry you havecome all this way to find your cousin isn’t here, but I assure youshe is fine and that she is in good hands with Brendan.” Heindicated to some chairs near the cage. “I can tell you what wehave discovered, but I don’t know if it will explain the contentsof this folder.”
“I just want t’knowwhy they did this t’me.”
I gave him a thankfulsmile. “Anything you can tell us would be great.”
ChapterEleven
Owen and Scott hadleft about twenty minutes ago. Graham and Dante sat on either sideof Carter as they explained what had happened to my cousin and herWerewolf.
The Vampires had triedgiving Infecteds the Werewolf gene by injecting them and feedingthem a Werewolf’s blood, but they’d had no luck. It just proved toexhilarate their energy and then leave them flat. So, Heather hadbeen starved and Brendan had been kept weak, and they had beenshoved in a room together in the hope of attacking one another andsomehow exchanging curses.
“Hybrids,” Danteexplained. “They want to create better versions of themselves.”
“But how do I fit inwith that?” Nathan’s focus had been fixed to the stone floorthroughout Dante’s explanation, his elbows braced on his knees ashe listened intently.
“From what I canunderstand, they injected you with the Vampyrric Virus, whichkilled and ‘turned’ you.”
“Which cuts out the‘traditional’ way of feeding from their victims and then baptizingthem.”
“So what?” Nathanglanced at me. “It’s t’save time?”
A raspy laugh met ourears.
“You poor fools.”Chains rattled as Michael struggled to lift his head. “Soclueless.”
Carter growled, butthe sound only caused the Colony Leader to laugh more.
“Why castrate him?” Iasked, pulling focus back to the conversation at hand. “That … thatis so far from what they do, I don’t even understand how it fitsin. Vampires can’t conceive, so what good would neutering do?”
A shadow passed overCarter’s face. “Eve.”
My brow furrowed. “I’msorry, who is Eve?”
“My daughter. She isLoup-garou.”
He looked at me, andall I could see was a tired old man who was worried sick about hisdaughter. His eyes were a sad brown, and that proud physique thathad stood poised and ready to attack now seemed to slump on thewooden chair facing me.
Nathan and I exchangeda look.
“Able to conceive,”Dante stated as realization lit his features. “They put the virusinto your sperm.” He reached for the folder that lay open in thecentre of us all. “And froze them.”
I suddenly feltstupid. “I’m sorry, I’m not following.”
“Heather was right.”Carter’s words were filled with dread.
“Breeding a newspecies is far easier than creating one.” Michael’s voice gratedagainst his throat, exhaustion filling his tone, but the amusementthat tickled the words was obvious.
Carter lunged to hisfeet and stalked toward the dangling Leech. His foot connected withthe silver dagger in the Vampire’s torso, and a God-awful screechfilled the room.
Despite the horridnoise, the light in my head finally clicked. “They injected thevirus into you so it would mingle with your blood stream quicker,and then they took your scrotum.”
His face scrunched.“Please don’t say that ever again.”
“Living cells with thevirus, which they removed and froze. That’s why they castratedyou.”
He fell back into hischair. “They turned me because they wanted my sperm.”
Dante nodded. “Becausethey want to impregnate the females of our kind who are able toconceive.”
“Taking a leaf out ofHeather’s book.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Born Hybrids. Likeshe was a born Infected.”
“So, you’re telling methat I’m now one of the undead, unable t’see my family, have alife, or grow old just because these stupid bastards were too lazyt’break into a sperm bank?” Nathan glanced between Graham, Dante,and me.
“Highly unlikely thatit wouldn’t have worked even if they had.” I twisted to face him.My mouth opened with the need to give a better reason for what hadbeen done to him, but the only words that escaped me were, “I’msorry.”
“Fucking sorry?”
Another raspy gurgleleft Michael. Black blood oozed from his mouth, but still, helaughed.
“And fuck you.” Nathanjumped out of his chair, and within a second stood before Michael.Tension cradled his back and shoulder. He flexed his hands by hissides as he stared the Colony
