Twice Tempted: Between Two Alphas (Mia and Cameron)

Chapter 61

Chapter Sixty-One

This lab opens into a huge room. Probably thirty by fifty feet and at its center is a cylindrical multi-tiered

storage compartment with an assortment of tissue samples and–oh my god–those are fetuses.

“What the fuck, Morgan!?” Michail lifts his gun. I know him. He’s thinking about lighting this whole place

up.

Can’t say I disagree with the sentiment.

“Over here,” she says, moving to a wall of freezers at the far end of the room. “That other cooler is

used regularly and it isn’t good for samples. It introduces thermal cycling stress that can denature the

cells.”

I glance at her sharply. For someone who isn’t ‘involved’ in this company she seems to know a lot

about it.

“These are the deep freeze coolers. -135℃.”

She said she wasn’t but… “You sure you aren’t a part of this?” I ask her.

“I have degrees in psychopharmacology and biochemistry.”

“Beauty and brains,” Michail mutters.

And magic. Can’t forget that.

I notice Morgan doesn’t really answer my question. Maybe she isn’t involved now, but at one time or

another, she was tangled up in this.

Michail has an insulated bag for the transport and canisters of Liquid Nitrogen in the semi so we can

maintain the temperature on the way home. The Nitrogen had been shockingly easy to obtain from a

local store. Apparently it’s a popular addition in cocktails these days so all the cool clubs were using it

to create that smokey cauldron effect in drinks.

Morgan dons gloves to remove the samples and efficiently loads them into the bag, which Michail

immediately seals and conceals in a wrap belt around his midsection.

“Set the charges,” I tell him.

That whole ‘special delivery’ from the West Coast pack… yeah, we’re going to put that to good use. I

don’t know if Alpha Eric was aware of what’s been going on in his backyard, but we’ll do our part to

stop it.

I watch Morgan carefully as Michail positions the C4. Right on top of huge canisters of Hydrogen gas

and Liquid Nitrogen.

Morgan’s expression reveals nothing. I’m not sure how she feels about us destroying these labs, but on

principle, we can’t let them have this kind of data. They can’t get away with what they’re doing.

Jacob, I call to him, mind to mind. Access the mainframe and wipe any evidence you can.

Of our egress? I’m already on it.

I don’t care about that. Of the research. If they’re storing records–I want them destroyed. Wipe this

whole place clean if you can.

I highly doubt it would be that simple, and surely they have backups in place to prevent exactly this

scenario–we do.

“Let’s move,” I tell them.

Michail nods excitedly.

I try to conceal my excitement.

In those vials…is the chance to save my niece.

We run out of the lab and along the corridor.

Declan, where are you?

He doesn’t reply, but I do see him pushing through the double doors at the end of the opposite hall.

He’s carrying something–a woman.

Michail growls fiercely.

Behind Declan, two other beings are hunched over and walking very slowly.

They’re vampires and they’re emaciated.

My gaze swings to Morgan. Her lips are pressed into a thin line and her eyes glisten.

I personally don’t have much use for vampires, but I don’t believe that any living thing should be

tortured. And vampires are alive. Mostly. They might not age or change or need much in the way of

food or other essentials. And they are parasites, yeah, but the world is comprised of interconnected

species. Everything has its purpose.

Even vamps.

And with the way populations were out of control and the earth was at a tipping point environmentally,

maybe there was a need to lessen human numbers a bit.

I don’t know.

These things are so much bigger than me.

The few interactions my pack’s had with bloodsuckers has been limited to exterminating them when

their bloodlust got out of control.

Michail grabs the woman from Declan’s arms. I don’t see her face, only a very slight body with a tangle

of long brown hair.

Declan slings one of the vamp's arms around his shoulders and his own arm around the creature’s Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

waist.

The male nods his thanks.

We turn to the elevators, watching the blink, blink of descending numbers.

Uh, Jacob… why are both elevators coming down?

Sonofabitch! Jacob curses. You’ve got incoming!

“Stand back!’ Morgan tells us.

She gathers her magic and a wall of fire sparks from the floor to the ceiling.

“When the doors open–go. Don’t wait for me.”

Right. I’m just going to leave her here at the mercy of these savages who think nothing of torturing

other creatures and experimenting on them. Nope. That wasn’t happening.

And we are going to detonate these labs.

I sure as fuck can’t do that with Morgan down here in them.

Michail swings the weapon forward. He still holds the woman, and she’s slung her arms around his

neck, clinging to him.

“Light ’em up.” I glance at my men. “Don’t hesitate.”

These are Morgan’s people and we’re about to execute them, but this kind of evil can’t continue.

I grab the bag from Michail that was strapped to his back that has the second batch of explosives. I run

it down the opposite hallway and position the charges myself.

When I race back, my team is piling into the open elevator. Morgan’s holding the wall of fire flush

against the other elevator door.

“Let’s go!” I scream.

I grab her by the waist and drag her in as the doors start to close.

Seconds later a woman’s hands jam between the doors. The nails are long and pointed and painted a

dark dark red.

I see her face.

Pale blue eyes. Flawless red hair.

The similarities are uncanny.

Declan opens fire, but the bullets bounce back, one ricochets into Michail who curses savagely.

The woman makes a tssking sound, her eyes locked on Morgan.

It’s taunting and creepy and confident.

She’s in no hurry.

She blows a kiss to Morgan and then lets the doors close completely.