He fiddled with the foliage for a moment before he found the hidden scanner pad. Motioning Elias forward, Isaac said, “Open it.”
Elias glared at him. “Fuck you.”
Isaac backhanded the wolf hard enough to snap his head to the side. “The scanner will work whether you’re alive or dead. Zion advised us to chop off your hand and save ourselves the aggravation.”
“That wouldn’t have worked.” The wolf smirked. “It will only scan living tissue. It’s in your best interest to keep me alive.”
With the help of two guardians, Isaac wrestled Elias forward and forced his hand onto the scanner.
A low buzzing filled the air and then the surface of the rock formation wavered. Heart thudding in his chest, Isaac reached out and tried to touch the rocks. His hand went right through. “Thank you, Claire,” he muttered as he stepped through the hidden entrance. He found a manual trigger on the inside of the door and motioned one of the guardians over. “You’re now our doorman. I’m not depending on that dog.”
“Understood.”
“Take that piece of shit back to the lodge,” Isaac told the guardian who held the end of Elias’ leash. “If he gives you any trouble, shoot him. He has just outlived his usefulness.”
With a gleeful smile the guard nodded and jerked on Elias’ leash. The wolf started walking back toward the feline village. Isaac watched for a moment, hoping Elias was as dejected as he appeared.
Next, Isaac turned to Tara and bent to kiss her mouth. “It’s time for you to go.”
She let out a sigh of frustration, but didn’t argue. “Do I have to go back to our cabin or can I wait here? I’m desperate to see Claire and the others.”
Isaac motioned another guardian forward. “Please escort my mate to the standby troops then return as quickly as possible.”
“Right away, sir.” His smile was friendly but respectful as he led Tara away.
Isaac sent a wave of affection across the soul bond, then minimized the connection. He didn’t shut Tara out completely, but allowing her to distract him would be dangerous.
Kyle and Jon joined him just inside the concealed entrance. The remaining guardians waited on the outside of the opening. “Give us a minute to scan the scene,” Isaac said to their leader. “I don’t like walking in blind.”
Kyle was a scout. His neuro-implants and genetic alterations were designed for seeking out and providing information. Isaac motioned Kyle toward the waiting tunnel. “What do you sense?”
Moving deeper into the passageway, Kyle held out his hands and opened his mind. Isaac could feel the effort and concentration Kyle put into the scan. Something must be off. He didn’t usually take this long.
“What’s wrong?” Jon asked, coming to the same conclusion.
“Their signals should be stronger,” Kyle warned. “We need to get down there.”
Kyle and Jon drew their weapons and hurried down the tunnel. Isaac motioned for the guardians to join them then followed his teammates. Their boots echoed on the stone floors, but stealth was no longer necessary. Either the captives had been evacuated or—Isaac cut off the thought. He would not even consider the alternative.
They rounded a corner and Isaac smelled blood. Jon and Kyle detected the scent at the same time and started running. The guardians kept pace.
“Should I call for backup?” the lead guardian asked.
“Not yet.” Unfortunately, Isaac didn’t think it would be necessary.
The tunnel widened, becoming a small cavern, then the cavern opened into a massive chamber. Eight wolves were scatteredabout the room, all severely wounded or dead. The female captives were nowhere in sight.
Using his integrated comm unit, Isaac summoned the medic waiting with the standby troops. “Medical emergency. Eight victims, but most are already dead.”
The medic acknowledged the page with an audible pulse, but didn’t bother speaking.
Isaac rushed over to the nearest wolf and pressed his fingers against the male’s throat. Not only was there no pulse, but the body was ice cold. How long ago had the attack happened? Was this wolf-on-wolf violence or had a group of exotics stolen the females? Everyone knew that several hundred of the most severely mutated victims had been dumped on this planet along with everyone else, but no one had seen or heard from them in the years since their arrival.
Refusing to be derailed by the possibilities, Isaac moved on to the next wolf. He was also dead, the body cold. The third wolf Isaac came to had pulled himself to a sitting position against the wall. He was barely conscious as he pressed his wadded-up shirt against the seeping wound on his neck.
“Who did this?” Isaac asked, crouching down beside him.
“Riverside pack.” He motioned weakly toward one of the other wolves. “Is Juan dead?”
