Chapter 203
Kael's POV
I tore through the last two guards blocking the ballroom entrance. Their bodies hit the floor before they could even raise their weapons.
The room was a war zone. Bodies everywhere. Blood on the marble floors. Smoke still rising from the explosions.
But she wasn't here.
Lynette's scent—that mix of ice and pine and something wild—led me straight to Glenn Domich's corpse in the center of the room.
I crouched down beside it. Blood pooled around his crushed skull. My kill.
But something felt off.
Glenn's right hand was mangled—three fingers missing, torn off during our fight. But his left hand...
I grabbed his wrist and turned it over.
Clean cuts. Surgical precision.
Someone had been here. After I'd killed him. Someone had taken his fingers.
My jaw tightened.
Lynette.
She'd come back. Taken what she needed.
And now she was ahead of me.
Damn it.
---
I moved through the ship's lower levels fast. No time for stealth now.
The emergency lights flickered red. The corridors were narrow. Service passages that the guests never saw.
I needed to find the control room. Whoever took Glenn's collar would be heading there.
At a junction, I spotted two of those gene-modified guards. Purple-mottled skin. Dead eyes.
I didn't slow down.
The first one turned toward me. Too slow.
I hit it full force. Drove my shoulder into its chest and slammed it against the wall. Metal dented under the impact.
The second one lunged. I ducked under its swing and kept moving.
Behind me, heavy footsteps. They were following.
I didn't care. Let them come.
The corridor opened into a wider passage. At the end—a heavy metal door. Reinforced.
And it was already open.
A thin gap. Maybe two inches.
Someone had gone through recently.
I approached cautiously. Listened.
Nothing.
I pushed the door wider. It swung inward silently.
Beyond was a short hallway. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead. At the far end, I could see a larger room—banks of monitors, the glow of screens.
And voices.
Two of them. Male. One sounded irritated.
"...should've known better than to send Glenn. Idiot got himself killed way too early. And those gene freaks are worthless—can't even keep one man alive..."
I moved down the hallway. Silent now. Every muscle coiled.
The second voice was quieter. I couldn't make out the words.
Then the first voice again—louder, clearer.
"At least that Alpha bitch is putting on a good show. Didn't think she'd last this long. Should've brought more men—"
My blood went cold.
Alpha bitch.
He was talking about Lynette.
I reached the doorway.
The room was exactly what I'd expected. A control center. Dozens of monitors showing different parts of the ship. Some showed bodies. Some showed fires. Some showed people running.
And sitting in front of all of it were two men.
One was slumped in a chair, unconscious or dead. Blood on his face.
The other was standing. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Watching the screens intently.
He hadn't noticed me yet.
I scanned the room quickly. No other exits. No weapons within his reach.
Good.
I moved.
Three strides. Fast and silent.
I grabbed a piece of broken metal piping from the floor—sharp edge, about six inches long.
And pressed it against his throat before he could turn around.
"Don't. Move."
He went rigid. His whole body locked up.
I applied just enough pressure to break skin. A thin line of blood welled up and trickled down his neck.
"Good," I said. My voice was flat. Cold. "Now sit very still."
His breathing quickened. I could smell his fear—sharp and acrid.
But there was something else too. Something calculating.
"Who are you?" His voice was rough. Controlled despite the fear. "How did you get in here?"
I didn't answer. My eyes were already scanning the monitors.
And then I saw her.
My heart stopped.
One of the screens—third row, second from the left. It showed a corridor. Bodies on the ground. Blood everywhere.
And Lynette.
She was fighting one of those enhanced guards. Her movements were fast. Precise. Lethal.
I watched her dodge a punch that would've caved in a normal person's skull. Watched her claws extend and tear into the thing's throat.
She was incredible.
And she was in danger.
The guard wasn't going down. Even with half its throat ripped out, it kept coming.
My grip tightened on the metal pipe. The man I was holding flinched as the edge bit deeper into his skin.
My jaw clenched. Every instinct screamed at me to go to her. To help her.
But I couldn't leave. Not yet.
"You..." I forced the words out through clenched teeth. "Who are you? What do you want with her?"
The man was silent for a moment. Then—
"Oh." His voice changed. Still tense, but now there was recognition. Amusement even. "Oh, this is interesting."
I pressed the pipe harder. More blood trickled down.
"You're him, aren't you?" He actually laughed. Shaky, but genuine. "Alpha Harrington. Kael Harrington. The infamous North American Alpha."
My hand trembled. Just slightly.
"I've heard stories about you. Rezar mentioned you might show up. Said you had a reputation for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." He paused. "But I have to admit—I didn't expect this."
"Expect what?" My voice came out rougher than I intended.
"This." I could hear the smirk in his voice even though I couldn't see his face. "The great Alpha Harrington. The most powerful wolf in North America. And here you are—threatening me over some girl."