Bane of My Existence

Chapter 31

Damon gritted his teeth, claws scraping against the concrete floor. Every nerve in his body was fired up and ready to respond to whatever came his way.

The facility had suddenly gone dark, leaving him alone in a shroud of shadows moving in the cells and hallway around him.  The glass panel to his cell had shrunk into the floor; a warm breeze stirred his fur, further putting him on edge. The breeze carried the scent of blood and sweat. Fear.

All Hell was breaking loose above him. Screams, human and animal alike, pierced his ears. And he was chained to a fucking wall.

Kinsey was up there somewhere, in danger, and he was stuck. The frustration tore through him and burned at his soul.

He yanked on the chains until the fur around his neck was gone and his skin rubbed raw.

A voice he feared he wouldn't hear again broke out amongst his growling and the screaming around him. "Damon!"

He froze and looked at Kinsey through the darkness. She stood panting by the door; her hair had entirely fallen out of her tie, and her clothes were rumpled and smeared with blood.

He scanned the area with his senses quickly, searching for any nearby danger. She was alone. The creatures that had been locked up with him were long gone.

Deeming they were safe for at least a few minutes, he shifted and pulled her in so she wasn't standing exposed in the middle of the hallway. "What's going on?"

What kind of threat were they facing? The Corporation had intense security, for it to all come crumbling down in a matter of minutes. . . He was just glad Kinsey was alive.

She caught her breath and wiped sweat from her forehead, smearing it with more blood. She didn't seem to care. "I'm getting you out of here."

He should hope so. He wasn't about to leave her defenseless against an unknown threat.

"Can you climb?" she asked, a steady calm washing over her. He'd never seen her so cool and methodical; it was like when his shifter instincts turned on in fight or flight situations. Kinsey had chosen to fight.

"We have to move quickly. Victor and his men have blocked the stairwell and they shut down the elevator; we'll have to climb the shaft. It's not exactly according to plan, but it'll have to do. Once we're on the upper floors, we'll be fine."

"Wait." He had to stop her. "Plan? You planned this?"

"Yes," was all she had to say then she pulled a canister out and attached a long thin nozzle to it. "Keep your distance from the spray."

His head was still reeling from the fact his sweet, gentle Kinsey had planned this. When he got himself in order, he had a few questions: "How did you know where I was? Where are my brothers? How many of my people are fighting above us right now?"

She gave him an impatient look then began spraying the chain, keeping a healthy distance away from him. Was that liquid nitrogen?

"I didn't know you were here," Kinsey answered eventually. "And your brothers aren't here. None of your people are. . . It's just me."

Just her. . .

He lost it.

"Are you fucking insane? Do you have a death wish? What were you thinking?? Do you have any idea what kind of danger you've put yourself in, Kinsey?" If he could grab her and shake some sense into her, he would, but she had taken one step back, all she needed to avoid his wrath.

She threw him a sharp glare. "Of course I know, but I wasn't about to let you rot in here. Any of you. This is why you wanted to date me, isn't it? You wanted me to be so madly in love with you I'd do anything for you, even tear this company apart from the inside. The best part? You don't lose a single shifter. You're welcome."