It was a perfect night for running. Clear and crisp, with a touch of a breeze. Scents and sounds would carry. Morning would be cool enough to make me grateful to have others nearby, bodies contributing warmth. I rolled my shoulders, stretching, knowing what would come soon.

"You know," Leo continued in his mock-amiable tone. "I imagine you make a lovely little wolf. I'd very much like to see that."

I couldn't bring myself to care enough to tell him to shut up.

Bradley glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Him, I smiled at. "I've done this before, you know."

"Yeah, but it's a new place. New people. I just thought I'd ask."

"Thanks." I was sick of people asking if I was going to be okay. I'd made it this far, hadn't I?

I was going to be a little late. Just a few minutes. I hoped Luis would wait for me. But really, I didn't doubt that he would wait for me. Just nerves.

Leo said, "Bradley, would you mind pulling over here for just a moment? I'd like to take a look at something."

"Here?" Bradley pursed his lips, looking confused, but came to a stop at the corner, as Leo requested. "What is it?"

I wondered as well. The Crescent was only a few blocks away. I could walk there at this point.

"Don't worry, it won't take long." Leo flashed his grin at me, then lunged at Bradley.

It happened so fast the driver didn't have a chance to flinch. Leo grabbed his head and wrenched, twisting it sharply until it crunched. As a man, Leo didn't look like much. Didn't look strong enough to break a man's neck. But he was a vampire, with a strength and speed that were blinding. Bradley probably didn't even know what was happening.

I didn't even have a chance to scream.

Leo didn't pause before launching over the backseat. It should have been awkward, but he seemed to fly, leaping at me arms outstretched, pinning me. He grabbed my hands, slipped something out of his pocket, wrenched my arms back, and a second later I was locked in handcuffs, my hands behind my back. The cuffs burned, searing against my wrists like they were hot from an oven. When I pulled against them, the pain flared.

Who the hell had silver alloy handcuffs?

Leo rolled me faceup and straddled me, pinning my legs with his body, squeezing his hand on my throat. "Be a good little kitten and this will all be over soon. If you start shape-shifting, I will kill you. Understand?"

He wasn't actually wanting to rape me, was he?

I squirmed, the handcuffs seared my skin, and I whimpered.

"Oh, you poor dear." He leaned close, breathing against my cheek. I shut my eyes and turned away. I could get through this. Whatever he planned, I could get through it.

His teeth rubbed against my jawline just before a fang dug in. It felt like a pinch.

I screamed, arching my back to thrash away, not caring about him or the silver, just wanting to get away.

He held me too well, pinned against the length of the backseat, my arms immobile under me. I wasn't getting away. He licked the wound he'd made. Then, laughing, he straightened.

"My, you are high-strung, aren't you? Don't worry, as much fun as it might be, this isn't what the evening has in store for you."

Howl, claw, bite, Change, run away…

No. Couldn't let Wolf out, couldn't let her panic overwhelm me. Keep it together, stay in my body, my human body. I didn't doubt that Leo would kill me if I Changed.

That took all my strength. I didn't have enough left over to even tell him to fuck off.

From his jacket pocket he took out a couple of handkerchiefs. I was breathing hard, whining with every breath, frozen with panic. Bradley's face leaned against the seat, toward me, dead eyes staring at me. Dead, blank, gone. I should have seen it coming, he should have seen it coming, this shouldn't be happening—

Leo jammed one scarf into my mouth, tying it behind my head. Another went around my eyes.

Breathe, steady, stay anchored. Keep it together, that was what T.J. always said. Good girl.

T.J. wasn't around to rescue me this time.

Chapter 11

The car door opened, closed. Then another one opened and closed. My nose and ears worked overtime, compensating for the lack of sight. Leo had left the backseat and returned to the front seat. A weight shifted. He was shoving Bradley's body out of the way.

The engine was still running. Bradley hadn't shut it off, only shifted to park. Leo put the sedan in gear, and we drove away.

I didn't count turns, knowing it wouldn't do any good because I couldn't judge the distance. We drove for what seemed a long time. We must have been leaving town. We could be going anywhere.

All I could do was keep breathing, and keep my hands still so the silver didn't burn as much.

Finally, we stopped. Car doors opened, first the front, then the back.

"Sit up," Leo said.

I couldn't. My muscles were frozen. He grabbed my shoulder and hauled me up.

"Out."

Again, I tried. Given enough time, I could have made the epic journey from the seat to outside the car on my own. But I was too slow for Leo. He dragged me out, and he was strong enough to keep me on my feet when all I wanted to do was collapse. He held me up with one hand on my arm. The other clamped on the back of my neck, guiding me.

"Walk," he said.

I stumbled. He moved too quickly, but somehow I got my feet under me. We were outdoors, out of D.C. The air was a little fresher. Where were we? Given another moment I might have figured it out by the smell of the air, but Leo was in a hurry.

A door opened, then closed behind us. We'd entered a building. Here, the air smelled antiseptic, sickly, too much disinfectant and not enough life. The floor was tile.

I knew that smell. I'd been here before. This was the NIH Clinical Center.

We rode an elevator. I tried not to think, because thinking made me scared and angry. The more emotion I felt right now, the closer Wolf came to breaking free. The moon was so close right now.

I leaned away from Leo; his grip on my neck tightened. I had to breathe, calmly and coolly. My mouth was dry. I swallowed back screams.

The elevator opened into the basement. Leo pushed me forward again. I knew how many steps we'd go, I knew which door he guided me through. Without seeing, I could have made my way around the furniture in the office.

In the next room I smelled people. I sucked in air, trying to sense them, how many, who they were.

"My God, was this really necessary?"

I knew that voice. I knew that voice better than I knew the man it belonged to. Dr. Paul Flemming.

"Could you have done it any better, then?" Leo said, annoyed. "You wanted me to bring her, you didn't say how."

Leo rattled the handcuffs—turning a key. Unlocking them. All my muscles tensed. He said he'd kill me and I almost didn't care. I just wanted to hurt him.

The burning metal fell away, but before I could turn, he shoved me forward. I scrambled to keep my balance. I stayed on my feet, and in the same moment tore off the gag and blindfold.

I stood in the werewolf holding cell of Flemming's lab. The walls sparkled silver, pressing against me. The door was locked. Slowly, I stepped toward the Plexiglas wall. Keep it together, I told myself. I wanted to face them as a human, to tell them what I was thinking.

Flemming's lab was full of people. At least, it seemed like it. I had to stare, studying the scene before me for a long time, because it didn't seem real. I didn't believe it. Flemming stood near my window, arms crossed, looking hunched-in and miserable, lips pursed and gaze lowered. To my right, near the wall, stood Senator Duke and one of his aides, a man I recognized from the hearings. Beyond them were three hard-core army-looking types: they wore all black, down to the combat boots, had severe crew cuts, and toted machine guns. They glared at me. Leo stood directly in front of me, grinning like this was the funniest thing he'd seen all week.