Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“We have to do something,” Ettie argues. “We can’t let Endy and the others just die.”
“There’s also the fact that if we don’t help them, they will just become soldiers against us. They will give Scar the muscle he needs to win,” Leo points out.
“What are you talking about?” Endy asks Ettie. “We will do it. We don’t have a choice.”
“You need to leave,” Oracle says. “Even now you could be broadcasting to Scar.”
“Fuck! That’s who’s been walking in my mind,” Endy mutters to himself. Oracle smiles and shrugs. There’s nothing happy about it. Oracle set up this show to prove his innocence and let Endy come to his own conclusion.
“Ettie, what can we do to stop this?” Jacob asks, pain etched in his face.
Ettie glances at Oracle before lifting her gaze to Leo, swallowing hard. “You will have to go on a machine to have your blood replaced.” Her voice is small, almost a whisper.
“It’s risky. It’s not like we can replace it with a mate’s blood like Ettie and I did together. We will need to extract your blood into one container and try to somehow divide Scar’s blood that you carry into a separate container,” Leo adds.
“Is it even possible?” Sean asks. “We only have a clean source of Scar’s blood, not Endy and Jacob’s.”
I sigh, knowing the answer as I look back at Oracle. “We do. Oracle kept their samples in his cabinet.”
“Good,” Jacob says, surprising me. I thought sure they’d get pissed over Oracle keeping their samples. “Let’s do this quickly,” he adds, and Endy nods his agreement.
“You may die,” Oracle warns.
“I’d rather die than do Scar’s bidding,” Endy declares.
“If you’re going to stay in the compound, I want restraints on you both. I won’t risk my mate getting hurt if Scar commands you through the connection,” Leo demands.
I move to stand with him. “I agree.”
“We need to change all the information on our defenses here, regardless,” Sean adds.
“Seven already has,” Oracle says. It surprises me that he knows, but I smile. Of course, he does.
Both Endy and Jacob agree to the restraints without an argument. We all know how bad this entire situation is—at least the restraints will take away the danger for our mates. Endy gets in the first bed to our left and Jacob gets in the one across from him. Leo begins putting Jacob’s chains around his wrists and ankles. I check their strength, already knowing they’re okay. They’re forged with heavy steel and anchored within a thick concrete pad. As I put the shackles over Endy’s ankles and his wrists, he looks at me with pain in his eyes. Guilt swamps me, even though I realize I have no choice.
“Once a prisoner, always a prisoner,” he sighs out.
“Sorry, old friend,” I exhale, and he nods.
“I need a favor. You and Leo get a message to Jay, in our camp. He’s the one we called Nine in front of you. He has a mate and hasn’t tasted the tainted blood. Tell him to get the others who didn’t drink. They can take the rest of the camp into the tunnels. There are individual rooms. They can put each one safely away, until we figure out what to do next. There aren’t many. Maybe they can come off of Scar’s tainted blood slowly.”
“Or we will erase the threat,” Oracle says flatly.
“We need to kill Scar,” Ettie adds.
We all silently agree. For once we are unified in what needs to be done.
19
#5
(SCAR)
I lean back and watch as the sun rises over the skyscrapers. It’s something I do every morning. It’s not because I enjoy the sky and its colors. It’s that my apartment is a penthouse and I enjoy being on top. I turn, swivel around to face my desk again, pop my neck, and then my knuckles. Next, I throw my feet up on my desk. I don’t like stress and right now that’s what I have.
A heavy sigh escapes my lips. Today…things…just seem slow. I want the threats to achieving my goals contained so I can keep on my path. That means containing Four and his rag-tag, would be do-gooders. I’ll take great pleasure in killing Four, but the others? They will be part of my army. Once they are neutralized, I will lead an army of supernatural beings—have them bowing to me and helping me build my empire. When I’ve finally achieved control, I will kill off Four’s pets one by one as if they were nothing more than bugs under my shoe—which is exactly what they are.
Glancing down at my desk, I look at the open file containing nothing useful. Grace Miller. Picking up the picture, a frown pulls down the corner of mouth. This woman has me confused. That’s something I don’t like to be. Confusion leads to being unable to move forward and that basically means I get zero results.