Alpha’s Claim (Bad Boy Bears #1)

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

P aloma

Nothing happens. Thom doesn’t respond to my challenge. My heart sinks.

Darius and Matthias step forward. “We can try to break in.”

“No,” I say. “The entire chamber is made of steel.”

Matthias holds up a hand. His nails have become bear claws. “We can try.” His voice is thick, like his vocal chords have begun to change.

“He’s got Wren.” I shake my head. “If we try anything, he’ll hurt her. But the one he really wants is me.”

There’s a hissing sound, and I step back automatically. The vault door slowly opens, revealing Thom. He’s got my sister propped against him. Her eyes are closed.

He’s holding a needle with a syringe of clear liquid to her throat. “You’re late,” he informs me.

I raise my hands, to show I’m not armed. “You don’t want her. You want me.” I take a step forward.

“ Paloma. ” Darius steps in front of me.

A huge man steps out from the shadows behind Thom. He’s holding an oddly shaped gun with a giant barrel. He fires two blasts back to back.

I flinch, but Darius takes the hit. He falls, half covering me. I stagger under his weight, and we both sag to the floor.

A few feet away, Matthias slams against the wall. He tears at his shoulder, which is bloody. He’s been hit. He groans and slides down the wall, leaving a bloody smear. His head falls back, and his eyes close.

Darius groans and pushes off me. His side is bloody, but he’s still able to move. The bullet must have clipped him.

I scramble out from under him. He braces his hands on the floor, veins in his face popping.

“Get…away…” he tells me. His eyes are pools of fire. His teeth elongate, growing until they don’t fit his jaw. His bear is about to break free.

I scramble backwards, just in time to clear the space for Thom’s henchman to deploy a silver net.

Darius roars loud enough to deafen me. He’s pinned under the net, his body writhing. His bones pop and grind as his bear fights him.

Thom’s henchman raises the shotgun.

“No!” I lunge, stepping in front of the barrel. “Don’t hurt them.” Making sure I keep my body between Darius and the shotgun, I face Thom. “It’s me you want. Take me. Just don’t hurt them.”

“She’s right. She’s the money. Take her,” Thom tells the huge man.

The man prowls forward, moving with that predatory grace that I’ve noticed in the other shifters. His eyes are pitch black. Like a demon from a nightmare.

Thom leaves Wren’s side. She slumps to the floor, her head lolling on her neck.

“Wren,” I shout. The big guy grabs me. I twist, trying to break his grip, but it might as well be an iron shackle. His hand is so large, it wraps around my arm.

Thom’s at the back of the safe room, keying something into a keypad.

“What’s wrong with my sister?” I snarl at him. “What did you do?”

“I told you, you were too late,” he says. The keypad beeps, and a door swings open, leading to a musty smelling tunnel. “I already injected her. But sadly, we won’t be able to wait around to watch her die.”

“No,” I scream. Under the net, Darius roars. Thom ducks into the escape tunnel, motioning for his henchman to follow. I plant my feet, but am helpless as the brute drags me away.

Darius

I’m pinned. All my strength is going to fight the bear. My spine cracks as he tries to take over. The wound in my side doesn’t help. The bullet only grazed me, but it was silver. I’m bleeding, and the silver poison is making my bear feral. I’m losing control.

I can only watch as Thom and his guard–some kind of shifter–drag Paloma through a second vault door. It closes and hisses as it locks. I’m left alone with my fallen brother and Paloma’s sister.

No. Get her now, my bear thrashes. If I shift now, the silver will burn every part of my bear’s body. I have to keep him down.

Matthias groans beside me. He’s been hit by a silver bullet. I can tell by his extreme weakness that the slug is still inside him. I need to free myself from the net, so I can help him.

“Matthias? Darius?” Teddy roars from the opposite end of the hall. He charges up to us, holding a machine gun in hand. He’s in a black bodysuit made of a special material that his shifter ops team wears on missions. It conforms to their bodies even when they shift. Blood smears his face and beard. The fighting on the beach must have been bad.

“Here,” I shout.

Stopping to rip the flak vest off a fallen guard, he wraps his hands to protect them before grabbing the silver net and pulling it off me. I rise, choking on adrenaline, and he whips around to crouch by Matthias.

“What happened?” Teddy asks.

“Thom’s bodyguard shot Matthias. Took Paloma.”

I clench my fists, bracing against the bear. My nails have grown to claws, and they shred my palms.

Let me OUT , the bear snarls.

Never, I reply.

Teddy frowns at me, but turns back to steady Matthais against the wall. He’s alive, his canines elongated as his bear fights the poison.

“Shoulder,” Matthias gasps. “Silver bullet.”

Teddy raises his hand, his nails elongating to claws. He scratches at Matthias’ shoulder. Matthias roars loud enough to shake the walls as Teddy digs the bullet out.

I win the fight with my bear and rise to go to Wren. She’s lying slumped on the floor, her eyes closed, her face pale. I put a hand to her throat, feeling for a pulse.

It’s there, but it’s faint.

“No,” I pant. “No…” I’ve failed Paloma.

I’ve failed Wren. I’ve failed everything.

Teddy helps Matthias to his feet. Matthias limps to me .

“It’s too late,” I say. “He injected her…just like he said he would.”

“Pick her up.” Matthais kneels beside me. His shoulder is a bloody mess, but he looks determined. He opens his vest and pulls out a carefully rolled fabric case that contains a number of vials. He holds one up and readies a syringe. “Get her upright.”

Teddy reacts first, kneeling and carefully sliding a hand under Wren so he can sit her up.

I cradle her head. “It’s okay, Wren. We’re Paloma’s friends.”

She mumbles something, but doesn’t open her eyes. She looks so much like Paloma, with the same heart-shaped face and dark hair. She’s thinner, and fine-boned like the bird she’s named for. Her body weight is as light as a handful of feathers.

“Extend her arm,” Matthias orders. He’s deep in doctor mode. Or maybe it’s Alpha mode. He certainly used alpha command when he spoke to Axel and Canyon.

He swabs Wren’s arm with antiseptic. Her limb looks tiny and fragile in comparison to his large hand.

“Wren, listen to me.” His voice is deep and soothing. “You’re going to be okay. I have the antidote.” He preps the syringe and checks it for air bubbles.

“What is that?” I ask. The liquid is clear, but my shifter sight detects the faintest pink tinge.

“A special cocktail I created myself. It includes a cure-all donated by a vampire friend.”

Vampire blood can heal humans.

I watch Matthias inject the blood and bow my head over Wren. Even my bear is quiet, hoping it will work.

The dead silence is broken by her high-pitched gasp .

“Her heart’s beating stronger.” Matthias rises, folding up his medicine kit. “But we need to get her out of here.”

I rise with Wren in my arms. “I need to go after Paloma.”

Teddy turns. “Then this door needs to go.” His eyes flash, and he tears into the wall beside the vault door. He rips out chunks of drywall and hits a rock wall. He doesn’t stop trying to worry the stone, clawing around the rounded steel door to pop it free.

“I’ll take her.” Matthias holds out his arms. I carefully lay Wren in them, and he cradles her against his unwounded shoulder.

I turn and help Teddy claw into the wall. His body grows, muscles swelling into the fur-covered bulk of the bear. With his bear power, he rips the door out of the wall.

My twin faces me as the bear. Go , he seems to say. Get your mate.

“Keep Wren safe.” I clap him on the shoulder before racing down the dank tunnel.

I can hear Teddy turn to lumber after Matthias. They’ll get Wren out. I trust them.

I’m halfway down the tunnel when I get a hit of Paloma’s scent.

And then I have to brace against the mold covered wall to fight my bear from bursting forth.

Let me out. It’s my turn now , my bear demands.

“No.” I grit my fangs and almost fall to my knees. “No.” We’re wasting time!

There’s fresh air wafting towards me. I’m almost to the end of the tunnel. I fight the bear every step of the way, my spine hunched and muscles straining. I emerge doubled over.

Thompson’s forces are waiting for me. A flurry of darts hit my body. I pull one out, snarling, and the silver tip burns my fingers. I toss it away and brush at the rest of the darts, but my bloodstream is on fire. I take a step, and a wave of weakness overtakes me. My limbs turn leaden, and I stumble.

A silver net knocks me down to the ground, and the poison in my veins drags me into darkness.