Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 388: Escaped

A young werewolf lay face-down on the table while overhead, surgical lights glared down on him, white and blinding. His wrists and ankles were strapped tightly to the padded restraints.

He was barely conscious, his breath coming in shallow rasps, and his pupils sluggish from the sedative coursing through his system. His spine, however, remained fully exposed, a concise incision running along the lower vertebrae, held open by retractors.

Patrick hovered over the boy with such calm that could unnerve death itself.

"Vitals?" he asked without looking up.

"Stable. BP 112 over 74. Heart rate holding at 58," one of the assisting surgeons replied from the monitors.

"Good. Suction probe."

A second surgeon placed the long, narrow spinal aspirator into Patrick’s gloved hand who held it like an artist cradling his finest brush. The tip was fine, needle-thin, designed to pierce the subarachnoid space without severing any critical nerve branches. One mistake, and the boy would seize, or worse, flatline. But he wasn’t known for mistakes, having performed this procedure several times.

He leaned in closer, his eyes magnified through the loupe visor, the lens attached to the headlight rig strapped over his surgical cap. Every muscle in the room tensed with him as the aspirator descended toward the spinal canal.

The first puncture was clean with barely a bead of blood and the suction tube filled slowly, and steadily, with the pale fluid.

"Harvesting cerebrospinal sample," Patrick murmured, his voice mechanical.

This was Ignis in its rawest form.

The machine monitoring the werewolf vitals let out a warning beep as the heart rate spiked briefly before settling again. Through it all, Patrick barely blinked.

"Almost there..." he whispered, adjusting the suction dial by a hair’s breadth.

But there was a bang and the door slammed open, the metal crashing against the wall with such force one of the retractors slipped slightly. The startled patient let out a muffled moan, still too drugged to thrash, but aware enough to feel it.

Patrick froze.

"Goddamn it!" one of the surgeons muttered under his breath.

Patrick didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Only one person would dare interrupt him mid-harvest and expect to leave with their life intact.

Cynthia.

have a problem," she said

single drop of fluid. He handed it off to the assistant without a word, then peeled off his gloves with a slick snap. The surgical mask came off next, and was

"If you were

she said, stepping fully into the room, unbothered by the bloody surgical scene. "And I wouldn’t be here if it

nod to the team. "Close him up. Keep him sedated. Mark this one batch Omega-four-seven. I want it processed in

"Yes, Doctor."

black undershirt, a splash of the boy’s blood still dotting the collar.

said as they stepped into a private

didn’t hesitate. "They have captured the

isn’t good

Griffin Hale too." Cynthia announced and Patrick halted

the first time, Patrick’s composure faltered. He asked, body taut.

Griffin," Cynthia repeated. "He was with Violet when the rogues made their

pulsed at

Asher was supposed to be with her!" he snapped. "And I gave a direct order, take the girl only!

Had he known

Violet for a long time now. A girl like her

One, Patrick hadn’t needed a psychic to figure it out. Asher’s trip had everything to do with

in Lunaris Academy. Their backgrounds, bloodlines and affiliations. But Violet was a black hole. Not to mention every attempt to get her DNA had been blocked either by Adele, or by

Patrick wasn’t stupid. He knew how Asher Nightshade’s brain

didn’t attach himself to anything that wasn’t valuable, or exceptional. And now, all four cardinal

he intended to find out just what it

own people. No, that would have raised too many red flags. Instead, he reached out to

The Rogues.

a random attack on the West Alpha and his girl.

crime. But that was until they went and fucked everything up

themselves and probably get discovered. Not to mention, Griffin of all people?! His beast wasn’t

that bastard right

already, he’s not answering," Cynthia informed

think. This was not the

I don’t know how much time we have left, either way, we don’t wait. Take a team and get the girl. Now. And get rid of the rogues while you’re at it. All

Cynthia nodded.

voice dropped to a deadly murmur. "Even Griffin

flicked up, holding his for a beat.