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know Nate s on the move.
She followed him through the unusual building, peering into each room they
passed. There were treatment areas, stockrooms, even indoor pens.  This place is
incredible.
 And you haven t even seen the best part yet. He pulled open a door
indistinguishable from the others and revealed a staircase.
Unsure what to expect, she warily descended the stairs. Her heart beat faster with
each step she took and an odd tension gripped her stomach. A short, tiled corridor led
to a control room. Security cameras and computers were arranged in six neat stations.
Only one of the stations was manned at the moment and Carissa wondered what sort of
event would require five additional operators.
The guard-technician swiveled his chair around as they entered the room.  Jenaro.
His tone was terse, his hazel eyes hostile.
 Erin s expecting us.
He ignored the response and pushed to his feet.  I m Eli. Welcome to sanctuary.
He stuck out his hand and smiled, drawing her attention to his gold-green eyes.
Awareness replaced the mistrust and the smile softened his features. With shaggy
blond hair and a rich golden tan, he looked like the ski bums who put their lives on
hold as soon as the first snowflake hit the Rockies.
 Carissa. She shook his hand, annoyed by the sudden difference in his attitude.
 They re all out at Erin s house. I ll let her know you ve arrived.
Eli seemed friendly enough until he looked at Quinn, and then resentment radiated
off him in tangible waves. Would all the Therians be like this? No wonder Quinn lived
alone.  Nice to meet you, she said as Quinn led her from the room.
They hurried along a tunnel and Carissa shivered. The hard-packed earth and thick
timber supports reminded her of a mine shaft. At least there were electric lights.
Tromping through this underground passage with nothing but a flashlight would have
been creepy and claustrophobic.
The tunnel branched off in several places, but Quinn seemed to know where he was
going.  Where do the other tunnels lead?
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Cyndi Friberg
 To other houses. The cat sanctuary sits on thirty acres, but the network owns
almost two hundred. The tunnels were dug over several generations. Now they connect
all the network properties, making it possible to pass from one to another without
exposure and little risk.
 And the neighbors have no idea any of this is here?
 Their closest neighbor is half a mile away.
When they reached the end of the tunnel, Quinn knocked on the stout wooden
door. The peephole seemed to blink as someone moved in front of the tiny lens. Then
she heard the lock click and the door was opened.
 Jenaro. Ian held the door open as they moved into a large laundry room. He
winked at Carissa then led them upstairs.
They emerged in a mudroom at the back of the house, which opened onto a large
country kitchen. With a cheerful décor that featured roosters and well-organized
counters, the overall impression was rustic yet cozy.
The low rumble of numerous voices warned Carissa that Erin wasn t alone. Ian
walked into the living room without interrupting the conversation and sat beside Erin
on the couch. Carissa and Quinn remained standing as the others rearranged, allowing
her to sit beside Quinn on the matching loveseat. The room was warm and welcoming,
much like its primary occupant.
 We all know damn good and well the only purpose for the dictate is to provoke
us. Jake, the tiger-biker Carissa had met earlier, tapped his booted foot, as if his
anxious energy demanded release.
 Provoke us into what? a massive bearded man on Jake s right asked. Gray
strands threaded through his dark hair, but his bushy beard was entirely gray. He
glanced at Carissa, his eyes so dark, she couldn t distinguish between iris and pupil.
 None of us is willing to wage war on our own clan regardless of how misguided the
alphas have become.
 The alphas aren t misguided, they re allowing themselves to be controlled by
outside forces, Jake argued.  It s the outside forces we need to confront.
The burly man snorted.  Good luck with that.
 What s going on? Quinn asked as the conversation lulled.
Erin scooted to the edge of the couch, her cheeks rosy, green eyes bright.  The
Alpha Council took advantage of Kyle s distraction to rule on several controversial
requests, including Osric s petition regarding Ava.
That snapped Carissa to full alert.  What does that mean? What did they say about
Ava?
Before Erin could respond, the burly man stood and crossed the room.  Name s
Holt. He stuck out his massive hand with obvious expectation. She shook his hand,
impressed by the controlled strength of his firm grip. His fingers released and he went
on.  You know Jake and that mean son of a bitch is Dilbert Payne. He leaned down
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and added in a stage whisper,  But don t call him Dilbert. Makes him cranky. He
prefers Payne.
 In more ways than one, Jake added with a snicker.
Carissa looked at Payne and inclined her head. He d been so still and silent, she d [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]