Page 76 of Property of Crypt Keeper

“Me too,” I agreed.

“Everyone stay alert,” Mako cautioned.

The floor of the tunnel made way from being an underground river to briefly soggy debris, then simply damp ground. Our flashlights caught on something.

Footprints.

“And they look fresh,” Dexter murmured. We followed them deeper underground.

Then we found blood. Not much. Just enough. A smear across brick that was easily over a hundred years old. Another near a rusted support beam. Then… restraints.

Silver-lined. Heavy-duty. Exactly like the ones from the warehouse. Extremely similar to the ones in my cage.

My stomach tightened. We were close. Too close.

The prints turned left down a side tunnel. I took the lead as we continued on in an uneasy silence.

The explosion hit without warning. A pulse of what seemed to be silver-infused magic erupted from the walls. Pain exploded through me as I was thrown farther down the tunnel before I hit the ground hard. My ears rang as I lay there, stunned.

Then came the sound. A high-pitched frequency that was like nails being driven into my skull. My wolf lost its mind. The beast surged forward inside me, snarling and thrashing.

I staggered upright.

Mako shouted something from back where he leaned against the wall. I couldn’t hear him. Behind him, Dexter was kneeling over Thing One, who didn’t appear to be moving. Both of them stared at me with shock in their wide eyes.

Another ward detonated. Concrete shattered. Smoke filled the tunnel. Then Mako disappeared.

One second he was there. The next—gone.

“Mako!”

No answer. Dust and smoke billowed, making me cough.

“Dexter!” I choked out.

Only echoes. And then footsteps. Slow. Measured. Approaching through the haze. I spun toward the sound, my wolf immediately demanding blood.

The figure emerged from the shadows. Tall. Controlled. Perfectly calm. Dark hair. Cold eyes.

Not a trace of concern.

He stopped a few feet away and simply watched me. Then smiled. Small. Almost amused. “Interesting,” he drawled.

Instantly, I hated him. The stranger studied me for a long moment. Like I was a specimen. Not a person.

Then he tilted his head. “You weren’t supposed to find this place yet. I thought my little cat would keep you occupied longer than this.”

The words sent ice through my veins because he sounded irritated. Not surprised. As though we’d interrupted a schedule.

His gaze traveled over me slowly. Evaluating. Calculating. “You’ve become much more fascinating than I anticipated,” he observed.

My stomach dropped. What was he talking about?

He knew something.

Something I didn’t.

The realization hit seconds before the darts did.