“How the hell can something that small stop a shifter from taking their other shape?”
“Nanotechnology means the smallest devices can be extremely powerful.”
“Granted, but that doesn’t explain how it manages to stop a shape-shift.”
I shrugged. “From what I’ve read, the electrical activity emanating from the brain increases exponentially when we shift. Maybe the device somehow disrupts that surge and prevents the shift process.”
So why hadn’t it prevented the seagull shift? I frowned down at the thing in my hand. Maybe it could be programmed. Maybe shifting into different shapes resulted in different energy signatures, and if these things could be programmed, then it was here to prevent the wolf shift.
Because he doesn’t know about your alternate form, that internal voice whispered. He doesn’t know about your other skills.
If only I could figure out who he was, my life would be a whole lot easier.
I dropped the metal mouse back into Evin’s hand. “Keep them safe for me.”
He looked surprised but pleased. “I will, trust me.”
I did. And not just because he wanted my help to rescue his soul mate. There was no cunning in his gaze, no artifice in his actions. Granted, he may have spent the last few days doing nothing but lying to me, but that wasn’t his nature. Wasn’t his soul.
Evin was honest. I’d stake my life on it.
And given the situation, I probably was.
“So what’s our plan of action?” he asked.
I hesitated. “As I said earlier, I think the first thing we need to do is talk to Harris. What happens after that very much depends on whether he believes us or not.”
“If he doesn’t, we’re stuck. I can’t leave Dunedan until I’m told to, because if I don’t report in every night, they’ll kill Lyndal.”
“So they’ve told you to call from that phone only?”
“Yes. They gave me the location and number, and said if I use any other phone, Lyndal will pay.”
“Meaning they’re using caller ID—and there are ways around that.” Not that I could actually recall any of them at the moment. “Is the number you call local or interstate?”
“Interstate. The calls are killing my credit card.”
I snorted. “They’re making you pay for the calls?”
“And the villa. The bastards aren’t exactly free with the cash.”
“I guess it’s one way to avoid a paper—or credit—trail.”
“And if they were planning to kill us at the end of it, I guess it’s probably easier to waste my cash than theirs.”
“Probably. If Harris can trace the phone number for us, that’ll at least give us a starting location.” Though I very much doubted the phone number would relate to wherever they were keeping Lyndal. That would be a dumb move, and whoever was behind this wasn’t dumb. Arrogant, yes, overconfident, probably, but not dumb.
“We’ve still got to get her out of there without them suspecting.”
“We will.”
“I don’t think you and I have enough firepower to stop them.”
“I don’t intend for it to be just you and me.”
He glanced at me. “Your brother?”
“If I can remember him, and find him, trust me, we won’t need a fucking army.”
He didn’t say anything to that, but the sliver of fear whisked through the darkness again. Silence fell. I kept the truck thundering through the night, but it was well after one before we got back into Dunedan.
I swung the truck down a side street and drove straight to the police station. I expected the place to be lit up, but it was as dark as a grave.
Trepidation slithered through me. I pulled up by the curb rather than the driveway and threw the gears into neutral.
“He’s not there by the look of it,” Evin said.
“But he should be. He had two captives that needed to be locked up. One of them was a vamp.” And Harris, despite his extraordinary abilities, wasn’t used to dealing with vamps. I shouldn’t have left him alone.
And yet if I hadn’t, Evin might now be dead and I wouldn’t be one step closer to much-needed answers.
I peered through the side window, scanning the building’s windows and doors. There were no broken windows, no smashed locks or doors. Everything looked in order.
And yet every instinct I had said something was wrong.
“Stay here,” I said, reaching for the door handle.
“Hanna—”
“No arguments, Evin,” I cut in. “This is what I do. Lock the doors and keep the engine running. If anyone but me or Harris comes out of that place, run for it.”
He was staring at me again. “Only guardians hunt vamps. Werewolves aren’t—can’t—be guardians.”
“They can if they possess special talents or mixed blood. I’m a dhampire, Evin. I can do what vampires do, without the drawbacks.” And as a werewolf who not only had vampire skills but who could shift into bird form, I certainly fit both those conditions. Even if I couldn’t remember it. I climbed out of the cab. “Keep safe. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Like come after you?” He snorted. “Sorry, Hanna, but I didn’t willingly sign onto this gig, and I have a pregnant mate to consider. If there’s a vamp loose in there, he’s all yours.”
“Then make sure you stay safe for her.”
I closed the door, watched him lock both, then walked around the truck and headed toward the police station. I blinked to switch to infrared and scanned the inside of the building. The body heat of four people shimmered inside, meaning Harris had called in help.
I was barely four steps away from the door when energy brushed across my mind. It was a light, probing touch—inquisitive, and not yet dangerous. My shields were up enough that he couldn’t read my thoughts, but I still felt the power surging under the surface of that touch, and it was very strong indeed.
Then I realized what I was doing, what I was feeling. That vamp might be telepathic, but so was I. Obviously, removing the earrings had worked.
As I reached for the door handle, the vamp hit me telepathically, the blow fierce and hard. I froze in my tracks for the barest of seconds, then threw all the energy I had to my shields, clenching my fists as I battled blow after mental blow.
Damn it, I’d had enough of people messing around with my thoughts! This bastard wasn’t going to get in.
But he didn’t seem to want to quit, either.
Sweat began trickling down my face and, in the pit of my stomach, fear swelled. I had strong shields, and this vamp was pushing me to my limits. What hope did Harris—and whoever else was in there with him—have?
They’d only had nanowires to protect them, and against a telepath this strong the wires were next to useless.
Then his telepathic attack ceased as suddenly as it had began. I took a deep, somewhat trembling breath and pushed the door open. Darkness greeted me, thick and silent. I flared my nostrils, drawing in the scents. Harris didn’t seem to be close, but the other wolf stood in the shadows just behind the door.
He was barely even breathing. I reached out telepathically to assess the state of his mind and hit the electronic buzz of the nanowire. I could break past its protection—I’d done it often enough in the past—but it took time and effort, and I didn’t want to risk it with another powerful telepath nearby. He might just use my concentration to get underneath my own shields.
I flexed my fingers, took a deep breath, then dove through the doorway, hitting the floor with my back, rolling neatly to my feet and spinning around.
To find the barrel of a gun pointing straight at my head.
Chapter 13
He didn’t hesitate, just pulled the trigger.
I dove out of the way, but as fast as I was, it just wasn’t enough. The bullet ripped through the fleshy part of my thigh and wedged somewhere inside. Pain welled, thick and hard.