That Girl is Poison - Milly Taiden Page 0,50

the tree line. His eyes were straight ahead, focused only on what appeared in front of him. The shrubs had overgrown, leaving Raul plenty of places to hide. One by one, he jumped behind the shrubs, staying out of sight.

Xeon watched closely when the guard rounded the corner, giving Raul his back. Raul silently hurried up behind the guard. He slipped his hand over the guard’s mouth and the other on the back of his head. With one swift movement, Raul twisted the guard’s head, snapping his neck. He dragged the man’s lifeless body around the side of the manor.

“To be so big, he sure is stealthy,” Kyro commented.

They waited and listened to see if another guard would come out. Nobody. When Raul reappeared, he carried the guard’s gun, motioning for them to join him. Quietly, everyone slipped out of their spots to join Raul.

Xeon sensed Mara close to them. He looked back at Kyro and knew he felt it too. Mara was here, no doubt in his mind. The mate pull drew him in like a magnet. Either their closeness, or Mara’s bond getting stronger, called to them. Xeon had never heard of a shifter finding their mate so soon after the transition. Would her skills be immediate, or would they need to grow to hear them?

“There are lights and movement upstairs,” Raul whispered. “Just give the word.”

“I have been ready. Let’s go,” Xeon replied and raced to the front of the manor.

Everyone else filed in behind him and made their way to the front entrance. Xeon paused, listening for the sounds of anyone coming. Being sure no one waited on the other side of the door, he tried the knob. It wasn’t locked, good. The door creaked when Xeon opened it. Once opened halfway, everyone eased inside.

Raul pointed up the stairs, but the pull didn’t come from there. Xeon knew Mara had to be somewhere underneath them, maybe in a basement or a wine cellar. He motioned for Raul and Jonah to go upstairs, and he would go with Kyro downstairs. Everyone nodded their agreement, and they went their separate ways.

Xeon led the way down the hall. He placed his feet close to the baseboards so the floors wouldn’t creak like the door did. Unfortunately, in an old place like this, the floors were bound to squeak a little. He paused after each squeak and listened for someone to come running. Once he was satisfied, he eased down the passage some more. Mara’s pull guided him to where he needed to be. Doors lined the hall. Xeon wasn’t interested in any of them other than the one at the end.

Kyro eased the door open a crack. A set of stairs led down into darkness. It was either be good or bad for them. They walked down the steps quietly. A light on the steps came on when the motion detector caught their movements. Luckily for them, no one was in the room at the foot of the stairs. Only two doors were in the small room. One to the right of the stairs and one to the left. Xeon let the pull take him to the one on the left.

Xeon turned the doorknob. He assumed that if the bastard had many prisoners held here, he would want to keep them under lock and key. No one screamed out when he eased the door open. The only light in the darkroom came from a few fixtures on the wall that gave off a dim glow.

Their eyes adjusted quickly, thanks to their wolves. Cages lined each side of the room. Some of them had shifters lying in them. Mara hunched over in the back corner of a cage with someone in the cage next to her. Xeon wanted to call out to her, but he couldn’t risk the other shifters making loud noises.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around them both. Xeon was so distracted by the mere sight of Mara that he hadn’t sensed danger already in the room with them. The lights flicked on, and the room flooded in bright fluorescent lights. The sudden lights temporarily blinded them. Xeon blinked a few times to get his bearings. Mara glanced back at them briefly. Blood dripped from her lips. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Suddenly conscious of what she’d done, she bowed her head.

“I need more.” Mara’s voice was barely recognizable, and she went back to her blood dinner. “I’m sorry Trina. Are you okay?”

Xeon barely recognized