I posted this bonus on my Instagram earlier this week. If you haven't read it yet, or you've been waiting for a place to comment, here it is.
Logan
I tuck the crowbar under my arm and turn on the guard's phone. The lock screen sends a small sliver of light out into the pitch-black hallway, illuminating my latest victim's unconscious form. I've taken out three guards out so far, but unlike the other two, this one's holding a gun. Thank Goddess I knocked him out before he had a chance to shoot me.
I reach down to take his weapon, grimacing as Daniel's jeans dig painfully into my waist. I momentarily consider swapping clothes with the guard, which is tempting—and definitely way more comfortable—but I don't have time to waste. I need to get to Saf, and soon. Definitely before one of the guards finds the breaker and turn the lights back on.
I manage to tuck the gun into my waistband and try to ignore the pain as it digs into my abs. At least there's absolutely no chance of it falling out. Then, I use the phone's lock screen to illuminate a small square of hallway in front of me and take a tentatively step. The phone light goes out pretty quickly, and I have to press the power button each time I take a step.
It's slow going, but my bare feet are nearly silent against the dirt floor. I've ditched the flip-flops, which means I'm leaving my scent behind. I may end up paying for it later, but right now, moving silently and sneaking up on the guards matters most. Human guards probably wouldn't be able to hear me either way—especially not over the faint sound of the alarm coming from down below—but all the guards here are Wolves. I have to tread carefully, moving on tip toe, and hope no one hears me before I hear them.
When voices echo from further down the hall, I quickly turn off the phone and slide it in my back pocket. This is not good. So far, I've only taken out individual guards. I initially thought there'd only be five of them—that's how many Mrs. Jones and I smelled near the door—but the scents down here suggest that there must be at least a dozen. If I run into the rest of them all at once, I'm screwed. No matter how I play it, the moment I take out one, the element of surprise will be gone. Then the others will fight back, and we'll all be doing it in the dark, too.
The smart thing would be to turn back, but I don't have a choice. Mrs. Jones's faint floral scent and Amaryllis's woodsy one lead this way, which means that's where I need to go. Hopefully Saf is down there too—I don't know what I'll do if she's not.
When I get closer to the guards, I realize there are only two of them: one male and one female. I pinpoint their voices to a spot some distance ahead, and around the corner to my left. They're close to the ground, and I assume that they're sitting. Probably lounging around and waiting for someone else to go check on the lights, just like the other guards I've taken out.
"I can't see a thing, babe," the male guard whines as I get closer.
"You don't say?" The female guard's raspy voice drips with sarcasm.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the male demands, his words masking my tentative steps and my hand gliding along the cold, stone wall.
"You may be my mate, Neal, but you're also a goddamn idiot."
"Well, you're... you're... you're not very nice, Lou!"
"You thought I was nice enough last night."
I barely stifle a snort at the implication. Whatever happened between these two must be pretty epic, to make them fight light this. Mates so rarely disagree or stay mad at each other for long.
"Look!" Neal suddenly shouts and I freeze, my left hand flying to the crowbar in my right. I start to lift it, ready to swing the moment they rush me, but neither of them moves.
"Stop waving your hand in my face," Lou suddenly snaps.
"So you can see!" Neal cries.
"Course I can't see, you idiot."
"Then how'd you know I was waving my hand?"
"Because you hit me in the goddamn face!"
"Sorry, Lou!"
I shake my head. I'm probably doing this guy a favor, hitting him over the head with a crowbar. I prepare to do just that, but his next words stop me.
"That Daniel guy said we'd have night vision, but I still can't see a thing!"
"We're supposed to call him Alpha, remember?" Lou snaps. "And we do have night vision. It just sucks, like the rest of this werewolf thing."
I frown. What does she mean by werewolf thing?
"It doesn't all suck," Neal coos.
"Did you just grab my boob?" A sound echoes through the hall, and I realize Lou just slapped him.
"Oh, come on babe, you know you want to."
"I'm not sleeping with you again, Neal."
"Why not?" Neal whines. "I promise I'll last longer next time."
"Longer than three seconds?" Lou snaps, and I barely contain my snicker. I also feel kind of bad for Neil, and prepare to do him a favor with the crowbar.
"Hey, it's not my fault!" Neil whines. "Daniel said I'll be better next time!"
"What does Daniel have to do with it?" Lou's voice starts to rise. "He's not the one sleeping with me."
"Yeah, but—"
"Not that I believe a thing he says! Told us we were going to live like royalty, and look at us trapped in some dungeon, kidnapping girls."
Girls! As in girl, plural. Which proves that they don't just have Amaryllis. Saffron is here, and maybe Jess, too. I haven't picked up either of their scents, but who else could Lou be talking about.
"It beats being homeless," Neal mutters.
"But is this is how you want to live the rest of your life? Like some criminal?"
"No," he grumbles. "But it's just temporary. You know that."
"Is that what you're telling yourself? I say we just leave this place now, while we have the chance."
"We can't!" Neal gasps.
"Then maybe I'll leave without you," Lou mutters and I tighten my grasp around the crowbar. Do I have it in me to knock a woman unconscious? The other three guards were all male—not that I knew it at the time—but they were also all clearly the enemy. If Lou chooses to leave, would it really be fair of me to attack her? She'll only be unconscious for a few hours, but still. Maybe I should try to convince her to join my side?
There's a grunt and some rustling, so I assume she's getting up, until I hear loud smacking sounds. Wait, are they making out?
Neal groans, Lou moans, and I realize that they are. Which is even worse. How am I supposed to attack two mates while they're going at it? Especially when they don't really sound like they're bad guys? Maybe I can just leave them to do their thing and sneak past them?
I hold onto the crowbar and slowly turn the corner. Grunts and moans and the rustling of clothing echo through the empty hall, masking the sound of my steps. This time, I can't see a thing, and I can't risk using my phone to light up the way. I follow the scents of Amaryllis and her mother instead, taking step after slow step. The scent eventually gets replaced by the smell of burgers, fries and grease. I keep going, no longer able to pick up any other scents, and then a bright light suddenly blinds me.
I snap my eyes shut and cover them with my hands so they can slowly adjust to the light. Behind me, Neal lets out a loud groan, and Lou moans in response. I wonder if either of them has even noticed that the lights are back on. Doubtful by the sound of it, but the moment they do, they'll look around, and when they do that, they'll see me.
I force myself to squint past my fingers and spot an open doorway to my right. I barely have time to dive inside what appears to be a lunchroom littered with fast food wrappers, when booted feet echo down the hall.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a man shouts.
"What does it look like, Kyle?" Lou snaps.
"Yeah, you think you can give us some privacy?" Neal adds. Then he lets out a grunt of pain. "Hey, what'd you do that for?"
"Get up!" Kyle's voice vibrates with anger. "Someone's down here with us. Maybe more than one someone."
"Let me guess... another teenage girl," Lou mutters.
"You think this is a joke?" Kyle shouts. "If anything happens to her—" He lets out a loud grunt a loud grunt and then groans weakly. "What the hell?"
"That's for touching my mate."
"I didn't," Kyle cries, then lets out another grunt.
"I don't need you protecting me," Lou shouts, and a slap echoes down the hallway. "That's for touching me."
"Nice one, babe," Neal chuckles.
Someone growls, probably Kyle. "Don't think Alpha won't hear about this... and if the prisoners escape, we will all pay."
"I'm sure they're fine," Lou tells him, "Sanchez is down there."
"Yeah, what she said," Neal adds, sounding relieved.
"Just help me search this place," Kyle snaps. "And order the others to meet us in the lunch room."
"Fine. Come on babe," Neal says as I look around the room wildly.
My graze drifts from the fridge, to the microwave, and finally lands on the discarded food wrappers on the round tables. I'm in the lunch room, which means they're all headed over here.
I raise the crow bar, ready to pounce the moment they reach the door, but then a click echoes down the hall. It sounds a lot like a gun, and I quickly drop the crowbar and reach for my own.
"Did you hear that?" Lou shouts.
"Shit, someone's in the..." Neal trails off as I step out into the hall with my gun raised high "...kitchen."
Neal looks like a grown up anorexic angel. He's tall, with blue eyes, wavy blond hair and a too long, too skinny face. Lou is almost as tall and just as skinny, though her hair is dyed red and hangs limply around her protruding cheekbones. I have to admit they make a striking couple, and they're a complete contrast to Kyle.
"Put your gun down," I order the short, chubby man standing behind them.
"You put your gun down," he shouts back.
"Do it, or I'll shoot them both," I point my gun at Neal and then at Lou.
"Oh yeah? Well, go ahead," Kyle snaps.
"What the hell, man?" Neal spins around to face him. "I thought we were on the same side."
"Yeah, Kyle. How'd you like if we told him to shoot you?" Lou demands.
I'm so busy listening to them argue that I don't even hear footsteps behind me until it's too late.
"Drop your gun," a deep, menacing voice growls. I start to turn around, and he shouts, "don't move." The sound of him cocking his gun behind me echoes loudly through the hall. Then he shoves the cold metal barrel against the back of my head. "I said drop it!"
❀ Special thanks to my Instagram followers for encouraging me when I don't feel like writing! Thanks for helping me pick wolves, outfits and book titles. You've inspired me to keep updating, so this one's for you.❀
❁ What did you think of Logan's POV? Was it interesting seeing what he's been up to?
❁ Any theories about the guards? Especially Lou and Neal. Anything strike you as odd?
❁ If it had been Saf rescuing Logan, instead of the other way around, do you think she would have done anything differently?
❁ What do you think would have happened in Kaitlyn had gone with Logan, instead of staying back at the pack house? I keep wondering about that!