“How did you know I’d be here?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me as my shock ebbed.
Rick lifted his eyes to meet mine, a wry smile on his lips.
“Oh, I’ve been watching you. JC and his little group of assholes have done a good job at your apartment, but I could still watch at a distance. When you left this morning, one of my men alerted me. He followed you and told me where you were going.”
Shaking my head, I pressed even further back against the desk. With the door to the archive room closed, I might as well have been on another planet. The room was soundproofed to give anyone working here peace and quiet. Plus, most of the staff wasn’t in yet. Fear, hot and bracing, surged in my chest.
“One of JC’s guys is outside,” I said. “He’ll be wondering where I am. I’m supposed to go straight out once I grabbed what I came for.”
Maybe if Rick thought another shifter was about to come rushing in to save me, he’d think twice about trying anything. That hope was dashed when Rick grinned.
“Do you mean Sam?” He cocked his head to the side. “We won’t need to worry about poor Sam anymore. He chose the wrong side, and he’s been taken care of. We got him before your Uber made it here.”
“Oh myGod.” I slid to the side from the desk, toward the door, but Rick lunged to the side, blocking my way.
“Stop,Cameron,” he hissed, some of that madness returning to his voice. “Don’t you see how pointless this is? You and I are meant to be. That has to be obvious.”
Shaking my head, I said, “The only thing that’s obvious is that you’re fucking crazy!”
“I’m. Not. Crazy.” He smashed his fist into his palm to accentuate each word. “I’ve found a way to make myself better and become the man my father always wanted me to be. I’m a stronger wolf now. Stronger, faster, more powerful. I’m better in every way than that lone wolf piece of shit you’ve been hanging out with. He may be an alpha, but he’s notthealpha. That’s going to be me. Once JC is out of the way, I’ll be in charge.” Rick put his hands out in a pleading gesture. “Can’t you see that?I’mthe best.” He slammed his fist into his chest. “You should want to be with thebest,” he said, snarling the words, spittle flying from his lips.
“I don’t know what you think it is we had, but it’s over,” I hissed. “Can you get that through your head? Even if you were the prime minister of Canada, or the fucking president of the United States, I wouldn’t want to be with you.”
His face twisted in rage, but the side of his mouth twitched, like a tic he couldn’t control. His pupils were dilated to the point I could barely make out a hint of his irises.
There was no reason his eyes would be like that, unless…
“Rick, are you on something?”
“What?” he snapped, jerking his head back as if I’d slapped him.
“You heard me,” I said. “Are you on drugs?”
His surprise gave way to that strange smile again. “I’ve found something that can make me better. You can call it a drug, if you like, but I call it evolution. It’s unleashed my purest, most powerful form. I can protect you from anything now. I know it.”
I shook my head sadly. “If you honestly believe that, you’re even further gone than I realized.”
I pushed him aside, but he swatted my hand aside and pushed me back against the wall. I had to tighten my grip on my phone to keep it from falling to the floor.
He put his face close to mine, his breath washing across my face. My wolf snarled in rage at being pinned in like this, and my subconscious screamed out in terror.
“Dammit, Cameron,” Rick growled. “Why are you being selfish? I’ve done everything for you. Ideserveyour love. I would be so good for you. Thishasto happen. My father needs this. Without a mate and the third generation, we don’t have a claim to the alpha throne. Once we do that, then we can leave it all behind. He can have whatever he wants, and you and I can be free to live our lives. Can’t you see that? I don’t care about the pack, or money, or power. All I care about is you.”
He planted his hands on the wall behind me, one on either side of my head. There was no way I could get by him. Even though I knew how to fight and now had the strength of a shifter, I had no chance against a man twice my size and hopped up on whatever chemical he’d pumped into himself. I’d have to use my head instead of my body.
“Okay,” I said, smiling up at him.
Rick’s scowl vanished, replaced by a dumbstruck look of confusion. “Huh? What?”
“You’re right,” I said. “I can see it now. We can be together.”
Summoning my courage, I lifted a hand and squeezed his bicep. “Youhavegotten stronger,” I whispered, and his face broke into a self-satisfied smile. “Let’s do this.”
“Are you serious?” he whispered, and I could see the happiness and hope in his dilated eyes. “Really?”
Nodding, I surreptitiously slid my cell phone into my pocket, making sure it wouldn’t fall out when I made a break for it.
“You and me. Let’s leave. Get out of Toronto.”
