SelkiesSeduction (16 page)

That’s Jackson making that god-awful noise. He’s the
alpha of the werewolf pack, the one who tried to get Sasha free. She was
pregnant with his child but something happened. I think the doctor terminated
the pregnancy, and Sasha’s been having a tough time. Jackson wants her safely
out of here, even if he doesn’t make it.

Wolfe zeroed in on the one fact that might be important to
their plans. Did the werewolves have a way to get out of their compound
unobserved?
How did the alpha manage to get together with the selkie long
enough for her to get pregnant?

Nikki didn’t answer right away. He could feel her mulling
the question over in her mind. She looked around her enclosure, seeking some
weakness in the barrier or the security.
I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask
Jackson if I see him again.
She paused for a moment.
They’re getting
closer.

Nikki watched the trio as they approached. These see-through
walls were good for something. They let the guards and other staff observe her
at all times, but they also made it hard for anyone to sneak up and surprise her.
Good old Mrs. Simmons was on one side and her sidekick Stan was on the other.
Presumably, the girl in the middle was the missing Sasha. Cute, with long blonde
curls, she looked…fragile. Pain lurked in the depths of her blue eyes, but she
walked proudly erect, as if daring anyone to offer to help her.

Nikki swung her legs over the edge of the bed but stayed
where she was.
Can you see them from there?

Yeah, I’ve got the binoculars.

Right. Guess I better play good little selkie and meet
them.

You could just close your eyes and pretend you’re asleep.

For a second, she was tempted to take his suggestion. The
partial wall of her sleeping area blocked her view of the entrance. She heard
the footsteps stop, and the horrible squealing sound as the door swung inward.
Really. One good shot of WD-40 could fix the squeak in no time. The maintenance
crew around here needed serious help.

“Hello. You awake, Nikki? We have some company for you!”
Mrs. Simmons’s voice dripped with that annoying saccharine tone that set Nikki’s
teeth on edge.

“I’m just in the back.” Nikki stood and ran her fingers
through her hair. A little notice before they sprang stuff on her would be
nice. She stepped out into the main area and plastered a smile on her face. She
had to remember not to give away the fact that she was in contact with someone
on the outside. “Company?”

“This is Sasha. She’s a selkie just like you.” Mrs. Simmons
beamed as if she’d just discovered nuclear fusion.

Sasha met her gaze, a wry smile curving the corner of her
mouth despite the lingering sadness shadowing her eyes. “I’d say happy to meet
you, but this isn’t a place I’d wish on my worst enemy.”

“Ditto.” Nikki had a feeling they were going to get along
famously.

“Now, girls.” Mrs. Simmons tsked disapprovingly, holding up
the scanner to Sasha’s collar. “You know Dr. Kvordic takes every precaution to
keep you safe and happy. You should be more grateful.” She motioned Stan out of
the enclosure. “We’ll leave you two to get acquainted now. If you need
anything, just holler.”

“And the Peeping Guard will make notes.” Sasha waggled her
brows.

The guard smiled as if she thought they were kidding. “They’ll
send me a message. I’ve been assigned to you for the time being. I’ll be back
in the morning to take you to your appointments.”

She was halfway out the door when she turned, an ugly frown
on her face. “And don’t even think of trying to contact your lover, Sasha. Dr.
Kvordic is already considering putting him down. The rest of the pack will be
easier to handle without their leader.”

Nikki watched the blood drain from Sasha’s face. “No.”

She couldn’t help the gasp of horror that escaped her own
lips. Murder. They were talking about murdering Jackson.

She reached out to wrap her arms around the other woman’s
shoulder. “They won’t do that, she’s just trying to scare you. If they take out
the alpha, the rest of the pack will go berserk and then they’ll really have a
problem.”

“You think so?”

“Of course. Everyone knows that it’s the alpha’s influence
that keeps the pack under control. Without that, they’d just go berserk.” Nikki
was far from sure she was right, but there was no point in worrying about
something they had no control over. If the doctor and his crew thought he was
necessary to control the rest of the pack, it might help keep him alive.

She led the other girl over to the rock outcropping beside
the waterfall. The cameras had a hard time covering this angle, and the sound
of falling water would mask their conversation. “So how did you manage to get
together with Jackson?”

Sasha raised her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her
hand. “You met him?”

“Yeah. We were in the cafeteria at the same time for lunch.
Seemed like an okay guy. For a werewolf.”

“He is.” She dropped a hand to her flat stomach. “He created
a diversion while I tried to escape. He wanted to protect our child. Dr.
Kvordic killed it when they recaptured me. An innocent unborn baby. He thinks
we’re animals, all of us. Probably the kind of guy who drowned kittens when he
was a kid.”

Nikki nodded sympathetically. She couldn’t imagine what
Sasha must have gone through, having her child torn from her like that. “We’ll
get out of here. Somehow.” She didn’t want to mention Wolfe’s rescue force just
yet, not until there was a bit more of a plan in place. “So how did you meet
Jackson?”

A wry smile curved the corner of Sasha’s mouth. “Dr. Kvordic
decided to put us together. One of his little experiments. I’m not sure if he
wanted us to get along, or if he just wanted to see what would happen. When he
found out I was pregnant, he seemed happy at first.”

“And then what happened?”

“He stopped letting us be together, for one. Jackson used to
howl every night until the guards would come and threaten to beat him. Then,
when the guards thought we were all settled down, I’d go to him. I just had to
make sure I got back here before morning wakeup.”

“You can unlock the door to this place?” That was the one
big obstacle to her own escape.

A wry smile played across Sasha’s lips. “Telekinesis. Dr.
Kvordic and his pack of goons don’t know I have the ability to manipulate things
with my mind. They are so stuck on the fact that I’m a selkie, it didn’t occur
to them that I might have other useful talents. Typically shortsighted humans.”

Hope surged through Nikki, and she had to struggle not to
look too excited in case someone was watching. “So you can open the lock
whenever you want? And the ones on the other enclosures too?”

Sasha nodded. “The guards never caught on. I’d just time it
between their rounds. Slip out of here, and go to him.”

“And that’s when you planned your escape? The one that didn’t
work?”

Sasha shrugged. “Yeah, it was easy. Jackson started a fight
in the pack enclosure and when the guards ran to take care of them I opened the
door and ran the other way. I managed to take off my collar but unfortunately,
one of the security guards saw me on the monitor and came after me. I made it
as far as the outer perimeter, but he had a tranquilizer gun. I never even saw
it coming. They thought I’d managed to see the codes when Mrs. Simmons input
them, and got out that way. After my botched escape attempt, they changed all
the codes and they think that’ll keep me here. Dumb. They’re so focused on our
different physiology that they don’t see what’s right in front of them.”

Nikki chose her words carefully, not wanting to create any
false hope. “I have a friend, a Druid. I can communicate with him
telepathically and he’s trying to set up a rescue for us. They want to get us
all out at the same time and trash this place so no one else gets imprisoned
here. Could you unlock all the enclosures at the same time if we knew help was
coming?”

Sasha looked wary. “Not at the same time, but I could do
them one after the other. It only takes seconds to do each one. Your friends
would have to be willing to fight. The guards may not look like much but they
have an arsenal of guns in the main building and they aren’t afraid of killing
any of us. They think we’re animals, you know?”

“Wolfe says the Druid militia is like the supernatural
version of the Navy SEALs so they must be used to fighting.”

“Wolfe is your friend? The one you can communicate with?”

“Yes, he’s a Cosantoir.”

“Aaahhh.” The tone of Sasha’s voice said she knew exactly
what that meant. “And you are bonded.”

Nikki raised one brow. “Yes. I consented without
understanding what I was getting myself into. You know about bonding?”

“Typical. Males are so sure they know what’s right for us.
Is he hot? I’ve heard the Cosantoirs are all hot, that’s why they get away with
bossing us around.”

“Very hot! But don’t you ever tell him I said that. You know
all about the Cosantoir, and yet you chose to mate with a werewolf?”

“I’ve never actually met a Cosantoir. They are very rare
these days and frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever see one. My mom told me only
one selkie in ten will actually find a Cosantoir, and I’ve never been lucky.
When I met Jackson,” she gave an eloquent shrug, “it was like I suddenly found
the other half of me that I hadn’t even known was missing. Sounds dumb, but
that’s how it was.”

“That is so amazing!” That described exactly how she felt
about Wolfe. Which is why he scared her so much. She didn’t want to hurt him,
but she didn’t have the self-restraint to keep him at arm’s length.

There was no good way for this relationship to end, and the
thought made her want to just lie down and cry. For the children they’d never
get to cuddle or watch playing in the water. For the laughter they’d miss. For
the happy days they’d never spend holding hands while they watched the sunset
set over a quiet lake.

Sasha’s blatant disregard for the problems inherent in a
mixed-species relationship intrigued her. “Don’t you worry about what will
happen if it doesn’t work out? A werewolf and a selkie? What will your children
be like?”

Sasha shrugged. “Why would it be any different than any
other relationship? They take work and commitment. Our children will be a
blending of the best of each of us. If we truly care about each other and work
on it, we can overcome any obstacles. I love Jackson, and I know he loves me.
We’ll make it work.”

Nikki stared in wonder at how simple the other girl made it
sound. As if love could fix everything. Maybe it really could work. She could
still feel Wolfe’s presence in the back of her mind, comforting her. Did she
dare let him into her heart?

* * * * *

The accursed gong echoed through the enclosure and Nikki
pulled the blanket over her head to drown out the noise. She and Sasha had
talked late into the night, and then she’d tossed and turned before finally
falling asleep. Her eyes protested the morning light and her mouth felt dry and
fuzzy. Getting out of bed was not what she felt like doing.

“Nikki. Time to get up. You are scheduled to meet with Dr.
Kvordic in half an hour.”

This whole setup sucked. Nikki stuck her head out from under
the blankets and glanced over at Sasha. The other girl hadn’t even moved at the
sound of the gong. She must have been truly exhausted.

She could ignore the voices and stay in bed, but that would
annoy them, and she wanted to keep on the guards’ good side for now. If they
thought she was a brainless ninny, they’d be inclined to overlook her, making
escape that much easier. The clock above the bed read six thirty in the
morning. What the hell could the doctor possibly want at this time in the
morning?

Throwing the blankets back, she grudgingly swung her legs
over the side of the bed and got up, wrapping the sheet around her. She turned
the shower on as hot as it could get, waiting until the glass steamed up before
dropping the sheet and stepping into it in one calculated move.

Even if security had their eyeballs glued to the screen,
they’d be lucky to see a flash of bare thigh before it disappeared into the
steamy shower stall. She quickly flipped the lever down to a bearable
temperature and closed her eyes, letting the water wash over her in a welcoming
spray.

It had been days since she’d shifted, and already she could
feel the restless itch, the need to lose herself in the otter’s playful form.
Under present circumstances, she felt too vulnerable to let herself shift. The
otter had little in the way of defenses, other than its strong swimming
abilities and there was no one here to watch out for her while she swam.

She gave a wistful thought to Wolfe, camping out somewhere
in the mountains above the camp. She’d dreamed of him last night and of a
shared life together. That’s all it was though. A dream that would never become
reality.

The steam on the glass began to thin and she reached for the
towel, wrapping it around herself. Security would have to live without their
peep show this morning. Brushing the tangles out of her long hair, she twisted
it into a casual knot at the nape of her neck and pulled on the shapeless robe.

The click of the lock warned her of Mrs. Simmons’s arrival. “All
ready to go, I see. Dr. Kvordic will be happy to hear you’re so obedient.”

The approval in the guard’s voice made Nikki want to slap
the silly bitch. Hard. Playing stupid young selkie was beginning to get on
Nikki’s nerves. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to keep it up much longer.

Without bothering to answer, she headed to the door. Maybe
the guard would mistake her bad temper for sleepiness. When you drag people out
of bed this early, you couldn’t really expect cheerful cooperation.

“You and Sasha had a nice chat last night, did you?”

“Uh huh.” Nikki decided to play up the not-a-morning-person
routine.

“Did she tell you how she managed to sneak into the
werewolves’ compound?”

Now that was blunt. “No. Did she really manage to do that?”
Nikki stopped and looked at the guard, hoping to project innocent interest. “Wouldn’t
the werewolf pack be dangerous if you invaded their turf?”

Mrs. Simmons nodded, apparently satisfied with her answer. “Yes.
They’re an unpredictable bunch. No telling what they’ll do. So what did you two
talk about?”

“Couldn’t you hear us from the security tapes?” This
innocent thing was kind of fun.

“Too much interference from the waterfall.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize.” Like hell she didn’t. “We’re selkies
so the sound of the water is soothing.”

They stopped in front of the main building and the guard on
duty opened the door.