.Chapter 33-2
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I dodged his clumsy swing and used one of the tiny poisoned needles Saul had given me, jabbing it into his neck before he could raise an alarm. The man’s eyes went wide with surprise before rolling back as the sedative took effect. He dropped within seconds, his body going limp.
“Sorry,” I whispered, even though he couldn’t hear me. Saul’s concoctions were effective but not lethal. The guard would wake up with a headache and no memory of the past few hours.
I grabbed him under the arms and dragged him inside the dungeon, not wanting anyone to stumble across his unconscious body. He was heavier than he looked, and I was breathing hard by
the time I got him propped against a wall.
The dungeons were exactly as grim as I’d expected. The lights were off, leaving me dependent on my phone’s flashlight to navigate the rows of cells. The smell hit me immediately: unwashed bodies, fear, and the metallic tang of old blood. My wolf snarled in my mind, wanting to tear apart whoever had put my family in this place.
“Kenzi?” I whispered, moving from cell to cell.
Most of them were empty, which was probably a good thing. I didn’t want to think about how many people Kellan had imprisoned down here over the years.
“No shit,” came a weak groan from one of the back cells. “What the hell are you doing here, Si?!”
“Kenzi!” I practically shrieked, rushing toward the sound of her voice. I could see her through the bars, and my heart nearly broke at the sight.
“What does it look like? I’m rescuing you,” I said, touching the cell’s lock.
The magical barrier around it dissolved under my abilities, the energy dispersing with a faint crackling sound. It left just the physical lock to deal with, which was a relief. At least Kellan hadn’t
been paranoid enough to use purely mechanical restraints.
“But-” Kenzi started.
“Less talking. More running,” I interrupted, shifting my claws and striking the lock repeatedly until it broke apart with a satisfying snap.
My eyes filled with tears when I helped Kenzi to her feet and felt how fragile she’d become. She’d lost at least twenty pounds, maybe more, and her usual strength was completely gone. Whatever they’d been feeding her, it hadn’t been enough.
“Oh, Ken,” I whispered, pulling her into a careful hug. “I’m so sorry. I should have come sooner.”
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Chapter 33 2
“Don’t you dare apologize,” she said fiercely, though her voice was weak.
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Irene was unconscious in the corner of the cell, curled up on the stone floor with only a thin blanket for warmth. The drugs were keeping her completely out, but at least she was breathing steadily. I could see the rise and fall of her chest in the phone’s light.
“Come on,” I choked out, lifting Irene onto my back with Kenzi’s help.
She barely weighed anything, which was even more terrifying than Kenzi’s condition. Jensen was going to lose his mind when he saw what they’d done to his mate. Hell, we all were.
“They’re waiting for us outside,” I said, supporting Irene’s weight as we started moving.
Kenzi limped beside me, one hand on the wall for support. Every step looked painful, and I could tell she was pushing herself beyond her limits just to keep up.
“Fuck, Si. You were supposed to leave us,” she said, her breathing labored. “That’s the whole
reason we bought you time to escape. We told you to run and never look back.”
“I’m never leaving you behind again, Ken. Don’t say stupid shit like that. I’ve been going insane
these past months with the urge to come back. The only thing that kept me sane was planning this
rescue.”
“Your parents are going to kill you for this,” she said, but there was pride in her voice despite the
complaint.
“They know I don’t abandon family. And they don’t, either.”
We made our way through the corridor system, taking rights and lefts according to the map. My shoulders were slumping from Irene’s weight, and I could hear Kenzi struggling to keep up, but we
were almost there.
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