Tempting Evil

No. He grasped the wheel and spun it. There was a soft click and the door opened, smooth as butter. But later, most certainly.

You're awfully certain there is going to be a 'later'.

If there's one thing I know about werewolves, it's that they are easily addicted to good sex. The fact of the matter is, I give good sex.

I gave a mental snort. And a whole lot of arrogance.

After over a thousand years of refining my technique, I have a right to the arrogance.

It's just a shame that a thousand years of living didn't also teach you tolerance of other race's beliefs and practices.

Amusement ran through my mind, as warm as a summer breeze and just as enticing. I left the door wide open for that jibe.

Yeah, he had. So why was he amused rather than a

And that one was hard enough to resist. I'd be putty in his hands if he actually turned on the charm for a change.

Somehow, I'm doubting that.

His voice was wry and I gri

A soft noise caught my attention. I looked at the left-hand corridor, zoning out the drone of conversation and concentrating on the noise coming only from that corridor. Again I heard it, clearer this time—the whimper of a child.

Dia's kid. Had to be.

I padded into the darkness, my bare feet making little noise on the cold white tiles.

How many hearts beat in the lab directly in front?

He paused, then said, Three, not including the child.

Can you hold the adults, make them see nothing, while I rescue the kid?

Doing so as I speak. Amusement filled his voice as he added, Not that I think they'd be taking much notice of anything else but each other at the moment anyway.

I opened the lab door and saw what he meant. The three adults—two men and one female—had obviously decided to put the darkness to good use, because they had a little menage à trois happening. The expression on the woman's face said she was enjoying every minute, and why wouldn't she? Having every need attended to so thoroughly by several willing men was bliss—though for me, personally, the whole bum entry thing just didn't work.

I looked past them and saw the small room at the end.

Inside the solitary small crib was a tiny child whose aura was so bright it forced me to blink.

Hurry, Riley. Our time is almost up.

I hurried. But only to the doorway. Starr was sick enough to set up some sort of trap to protect his hostage on the off chance that the power went off.

I couldn't see anything out of place. I stuck an arm through the doorway, and nothing happened. No alarms, no bombs, no traps. I walked over to the cot.

The child inside was the image of her mother—white on white—except for her eyes. They were the most amazing shade of violet I'd ever seen. And not only that, the kid seemed aware. Like she knew why I was there, and what I intended.

There were no wires attached to the little girl, but given Dia said her daughter had been booby-trapped, I wasn't about to pick her up until I was very sure it was safe.

I gently felt her limbs and little body, trying to see if there was anything implanted, then did the same to the area surrounding the cot. It wasn't until I looked underneath that I saw the sensors.

I looked in Qui

It looks like the cot is rigged with explosives or something. Can you search their minds and find out where the kill switch is?

There had to be one, simply because Dia was allowed to cuddle her child once a week.

Light switch near the door is the trip. He paused. Lucky you didn't just lift her up—it's powered by the backup gen, same as the security doors.

It figured. Once I'd flicked the switch, I wrapped the child in her blanket and lifted her up. She didn't say anything, didn't do anything, not even wriggle or whimper at being picked up by a sweaty, bloody stranger. She just looked at me with those amazing eyes of hers.

Seeing too much, as her mother felt too much.

A shiver ran through me. Maybe Starr wasn't just keeping this child for ransom reasons. Maybe he also wanted to know what was going on inside her head. Because something definitely was.

Jack wants me to blow this lab if possible.

I've instructed one of the lovers to reset the switch as we leave, Qui

And Starr might just think someone got careless.

Perhaps.

Qui

People come to investigate the noise. Shadow the child. He turned and led the way back out.

I drew the darkness over the child's body and followed Qui

A point he proceeded to prove by spi

We run like hell.

No, really.

Really.

Fuck. Chameleons were fast. I knew that, he knew that. Outru

As we reached the door, an explosion shook the air and the walls. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and alarms began to sound. Qui

No. I cradled the baby a little closer, shielding her as much as possible, then reluctantly nodded.

Qui

Something brushed past my hair and crashed into the wall near the door as I ran through. Bones snapped, a creature howled. Qui

Behind me, a creature roared, the reverberations echoing through the red-tinged darkness. Though I heard no sound, Qui