A part of the prophecy had come true when the same demon lord had taken a path directly through Caine on his way back to h.e.l.l, transforming him from a cur into a Were.

"You worked with Caine?"

The cur shrugged. "Yes, although we disagreed on how to accomplish our goal to turn curs into pure-blooded Weres."

"And how did you hope to accomplish such a miracle?"

She expected him to refuse to answer. Weren't mad scientists usually secretive about their strange experiments?

Instead he answered without hesitation.

"In the same way your king did."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I intend to alter the DNA of our children while they are still in your womb."

"You ..."

Words failed her, her mind refusing to return to those long days in Salvatore's clinic. She'd been a willing partic.i.p.ant and it had still been near unbearable. With an effort she squashed the rising panic. She would die before she allowed this freak to impregnate her. First, however, she would try to reason with him.

"Even supposing that you do manage to change our children into Weres, how does that help the other curs?" she asked.

His eyes lit with the gleam of a true fanatic. "I can use their blood to help create a vaccine that will transform all of us."

She shook her head, not about to try and point out to Dr. Evil that the magic that created a pure-blooded Were couldn't be found in a test tube. It was always futile to argue with a true believer.

"Why me?" she instead asked.

"You've already proven yourself to be a fertile breeder."

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

He seemed caught off guard by her response. "I mean that with the greatest respect."

Said the psycho to his electrified prisoner.

"And?" she prompted, knowing there had to be more.

"And when you moved into the neighborhood I realized that fate had at last smiled upon me," he admitted. "Why else would you be here if not to fulfill my destiny?"

Great. Of all the neighborhoods she could have chosen, she had to pick the one with Morton-the-crazy-a.s.s-cur.

"Have you considered the fact that I might not be willing to become your lab rat?"

"I'll admit that it's been a concern," he said. "I hated the thought of holding you prisoner down here for months, perhaps even years. I'm not a monster, after all."

She choked back a laugh at his seeming sincerity. "You could have fooled me."

He ignored her response, moving toward the small stool in the corner of the barren cell to pick up a heavy leather glove.

"Then a solution literally dropped in my lap."

Sophia's wolf was on full alert although the serum still pumping through her bloodstream refused to allow her to shift.

"What solution?"

Using his gloved hand, the cur reached for the small handle on the wall, pulling back the silver panel to reveal that the cell was divided in two.

Sophia hissed in sudden horror as she caught sight of the dark Were lying unconscious on the floor, a silver collar around his neck that was attached to the heavy chain bolted to the wall.

Luc.

Stupidly she'd a.s.sumed that he was waiting for her at her home. Perhaps even now wondering why she was so late.

For a moment panic threatened to consume her.

He might be a deceitful b.a.s.t.a.r.d who had broken her heart, but the thought that he might be dead was enough to send a crippling agony through her.

Then through her pain, she detected the unmistakable beat of his heart.

Oh ... thank the G.o.ds.

He was alive.

She turned her head to stab the cur with a fierce glare. "What have you done to him?"

"I gave him the same drug I used on you, although in a considerably larger dose." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "He'll eventually wake up."

Sophia sensed the sudden increase in Luc's heartbeat.

He was awake, she abruptly realized, but feigning unconsciousness. A task made possible by Morton's inferior senses.

She smoothed her expression, inwardly gathering her strength. Although she was still weak, she knew she would have to strike swiftly. The amount of silver in the room would drain what little power she had remaining in a matter of hours.

"What's the point of holding him prisoner?" she demanded. "I'm fairly certain he can't carry your litter."

"My first thought was to kill him," he admitted, his voice revealing his deep regret in being denied the pleasure. "Not only because I knew that he'd be a threat to my plans, but because he's a genuine pain in the a.s.s." He heaved a sigh. "Then I realized he could be my a.s.surance for your good behavior."

s.h.i.t.

With an effort, she forced herself to pretend confusion as she shakily rose to her feet. She needed to distract him just long enough to get that d.a.m.ned device out of his hand.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I'm not blind." His lips thinned in revulsion. "I saw how you watched him during your party."

"He's gorgeous." She shrugged. "How could I not watch him?"

"You care for him," he insisted, the crimson flickering in his eyes. "Which means you'll do whatever I ask to make sure he eventually gets out of this bas.e.m.e.nt alive."

"You're right." She gave a wave of her hand to distract from her covert step forward.

He sniffed. "Of course I am."

"You're right that I did care for him." Another wave, another step. "Past tense."

"I don't believe you."

"Then call Troy."

He frowned. "The imp?"

"Yep." She turned to glare at the unmoving Were, not having to feign her simmering anger. "Right before you went all Man vs. Wild on me in the parking lot, he revealed that Luc had lied to me."

Watching him with an eagle eye, she easily caught the faint twitch of his ears.

Guilty conscience?

Or annoyance at having been busted?

"What was the lie?" Morton wanted to know.

She pointed a finger toward Luc, again taking a step forward. Just a few more feet and she would be close enough to knock his a.s.s to the ground.

She didn't have a plan after that, but she was willing to play it by ear.

"He's not a bodyguard like he told me," she revealed. "He's a right-hand man to Salvatore and he was sent to Chicago to spy on me."

Morton scowled, obviously reluctant to believe her. Her outrage at Luc's betrayal did, after all, ruin his diabolical plans. But even a stupid cur could sense the sincerity of her angry words.

"Why would the king wish to spy on you?"

"He obviously believes I'm too stupid to make my own decisions," she snapped. "An opinion shared by that Were lying on the floor." She moved toward the cur, keeping her steps slow and unsteady, as if she was having trouble with her balance. "So if you hope to use him as a bargaining chip then you're s.h.i.t out of luck, because as far as I'm concerned you can dig his grave and toss him in."

"No." Morton pressed his gloved hand to his forehead. "You're trying to confuse me."

"What's confusing?" With another step she was able to reach out and grab his white polo shirt, giving him a small shake. "Where's your gun? I'll shoot him myself."

"Stop... ." He regarded her in puzzlement, unaware of his danger. "Don't do this... ."

Knowing she'd only have one shot at escape, Sophia pulled back her arm and smashed her fist into his face with enough force to make him fly across the cell and smack into the far wall.

If she'd been at full strength, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d would have been dead.

As it was, he was only knocked loopy.

With her heart lodged in her throat, Sophia darted toward Luc, who was on his feet, regarding her with a burning black gaze.

She didn't need to be able to read his mind to know he was furious she was trying to rescue him rather than escaping.

Ignoring the ma.s.sive fangs he bared as she knelt beside him, she clamped her hands around the silver collar. The silver seared into her skin, burning away the flesh, but there was no time to search for a key.

Already she could feel Morton stirring.

Luc growled, using his large head to try and push her away, but she held on. She could feel the silver stretching and weakening beneath her powerful tugs. Just a few more seconds and she'd be able to snap it in half.

The p.r.i.c.kle on her neck was the only warning before a bolt of electricity shot through her body. She screamed, her back bowing beneath the impact, but grimly ignoring the brutal pain she continued to pull at the collar.

Distantly she was aware of Luc's furious growls and yet more lightning dancing down her spine. Christ. She was about to black out.

Again.

Out of time, Sophia gave one more ma.s.sive tug, not certain if she actually felt the collar snap beneath her grip, but there was no mistaking the sensation of Luc's ma.s.sive body brushing past her as he launched himself forward or the shrill screams of Morton.

Death screams.

CHAPTER 9.

Once again Sophia was struggling out of a blanket of darkness.

This time it took only moments to realize she was lying on her own bed wearing a clean camisole and silk shorts. And that she wasn't alone.

Luc filled the room with his presence.

The rich, male scent. The restless power of his wolf.

And above all, the p.r.i.c.kling awareness that set her blood on fire.

For a crazed moment she felt an overwhelming surge of relief at the knowledge that they had both survived the bas.e.m.e.nt from h.e.l.l and that they were seemingly safe from Morton the crazy-a.s.s cur.

Then she abruptly remembered that Luc was a total creep who'd played her for a fool.

And that she wanted to kick him in the nuts, not shiver in pleasure as he settled on the mattress beside her reclined body and gently tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Sophia?" he murmured softly. "I know you're awake."

She kept her eyes squeezed shut. Maturity was highly overrated.

"Go away."

"No."