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“I really hate these fuckers. Not you, female,” he rushed to assure Mari. He didn't know why he tried to rationalize his unsettling feelings.

“I’m ready to be freed if you’re done with the emo shit, vamp man.” Mari’s eyes held a conviction.

“Vamp man. That’s a new one. I suggest you hold your tongue until we free you, or I’ll be pressed to cut it out of your bitchy little mouth.” Thana raised her hand and made snipping motions.

Mari turned her creepy eyes toward Thana. “So fierce for your male. You need to mate and mark one another if you’re to survive what is to come.”

Thana tried to internally rationalize that the female only lashed out because of the stressful situation. However, the backlash fear of losing her male tossed rationality right out the fucking window.

“We came to save your sorry ass, Mari. Shut up and let us do it. Once we’re topside, I promise I will smack you upside the head right and proper.” Thana looked over the straps for detonations inserted within them, or any kind of explosive.

Mari wiggled her fingers, snapping the restraints easier than a full-grown male would a rubber band. She reached down and touched the bands around her ankles, making them burst into dust.

“If you could do that, why were you lying there like a docile lamb?” Severin growled.

“When they took me, I was ambushed. The first thing that I smelled was a sharp chemical tang of a strange serum that knocked me out, followed by an injection that would take down the strongest shifter, when I woke up strapped down in here. I only just regained consciousness a short time before you two arrived. At first, I thought I was imagining the fluctuations in the air, but then I caught a scent that I’d noticed in the cargo container.” Mari swung her legs over the side of the bed, shaking out her arms and wiggling her legs.

“You sensed me?” Thana wanted the female to clarify she’d heard her correctly.

Mari nodded. “I could smell traces of all beings I’ve come across if they passed by me recently. Too many scents and I might lose a particular one, but yours is very...different.”

Thana tilted her head to the side, wondering why this female hadn’t freaked out at the sight of the death of the two males. She’d taken out her mark with a hard jerk of his head, severing the spinal cord from his neck. The sound of brittle wood followed by the male’s dead weight as she let him fall to the ground. However, Sev wasn’t as clean. Goddess, her male was a thing of beauty as he created a garrote, severing Earl’s head from his body like slicing bread. Of course, the leftover loaf was nice and spongy while Earl’s neck spurted blood and his body twitched before he fell to the side. It was truly beautiful.

“Why are you not acting like a normal person who just witnessed that?” Thana waved toward the dead bodies.

“I’ve seen a lot more than you can imagine.” Mari jumped to her feet, wobbled, then steadied herself with one hand on the bed. She stepped around the mess on the floor, scrunching her nose.

Thana caught the unmistakable smell of nervous sweat rolling off of Mari. “Tough girl. Keep that skin. You’re gonna need it for a little longer.” Thana and Severin looked at each other. She knew he could see through Mari’s show. Sure, the female was obviously tough, but she was also young. Anyone would be devastated if they’d witnessed what she had.

Severin waved his hand. He cleared the area of his murder deed and then did the same for Thana’s.

“Murder deed? Your mind is truly fascinating, Thana, love.” Severin’s lips quirked up in a sexy grin.

“Can you two hold off on the foreplay? There are sensitive eyes here.” Mari walked toward the door.

“Um, hold up, girlfriend. How you planning on getting out the door? You know the code?” Thana asked, watching for signs the female would bolt.

Mari tensed, sniffed the air as if she were offended. “I happened to see Tweedle Dumb punch in the code when he left, and Tweedle Dumber used the same one when he exited. I assume that means they didn’t change the numbers.”

Thana stopped in her tracks. “Wait. I smell another scent. It’s faint, weirdly masked by industrial cleaner and rot. I can’t quite place it, but there’s a tugging sensation that reminds me of something.”

Severin’s strong hand gripped the back of her neck, his chin dipping low until she felt his warm breath on her cheek. “Is it coming through the filtering system?” he asked in a low growl.

Whatever it was coming from, it was doing crazy shit to her equilibrium. They needed to get the fuck out of there, or she’d be losing her shit.

“They might have hidden alarms,” Mari said.

Severin’s lip curled. “Since you appear to handle the crazy quite well, Mari, we’re going to fly out of here. You ever...want to transport, like in the movies?”

Mari snorted. “Sounds like a solid plan. Does this come with one of you touching me? If so, let me be really clear. The only one I’m good with doing the touchy-feely to me is Thana.”

Severin held his hands up. “Hey, I only want to touch my female.”

Chapter 14

“Mari, don’t get shit twisted. If Sev had to touch you or any female, he’d only do it in a completely platonic way. Once a male like him claims his female, he doesn’t stray.” Conviction laced her words. She didn’t want to fight with Mari over bullshit. The other female might not have meant to offend her or Sev, but she did anyway.

Her vampire beast side surged with urgency to get out of the building. “Let’s roll out. I’m going to touch your shoulder, Mari. If you want to close your eyes, I’m told that makes the trip less trippy.”