Page 96 of Property of Crypt Keeper

My chest tightened.

She walked beside Boomslang with her weapons drawn. Hack worked ahead of the group. Mako. Dexter. Zeus. Spook. Thing One. They all had their faces covered, but I knew them like I knew myself. They were my brothers.

What shocked me was Boomslang’s presence. Ordinarily, Killswitch would make our prez stay back. Not that Boomslang liked it, but he was the president. The chapter needed him and he knew it.

Still, he came. The entire rescue team. Alive.

Relief hit so hard it almost hurt.

The Doctor watched the screens for several long seconds, then smiled. “Remarkable.”

Rafael turned toward him immediately. “We’re leaving.”

The Doctor didn’t move. Instead, he calmly murmured, “Not yet.”

“You’ve had enough. We have to go,” Rafael insisted as he zoomed in on Katalina’s face.

“I’ve barely begun,” the Doctor argued, his eyes returning to me. “I finally have him.”

Rafael’s voice hardened. “Katalina is coming. She will kill you. Do you understand that?”

Still… nothing. The Doctor continued calmly making notes. “I require another hour.”

“You have five minutes,” Rafael snapped as he buttoned his suit jacket.

For the first time, the Doctor looked genuinely distressed. “No.”

It wasn’t anger and it wasn’t fear. It sounded like disappointment. Profound disappointment. Finally, he seemed to grasp the gravity of his situation. He hurried between trays, gathering everything he’d collected.

Samples, microscope slides, test tubes, each one disappeared into padded transport cases with practiced efficiency. He spoke while he worked. Almost to himself.

Rafael approached me. Quietly enough that only I heard, he murmured, “I’m only leaving you alive because if I kill you, Katalina will come for me, and I don’t want to have to end her. At least not yet.”

Fury consumed me, and I thrashed as my teeth snapped. Rafael coldly smiled and stepped back as the Doctor bustled between us.

“I can’t believe I finally had you,” he uttered in dismay. His hands never stopped moving. “And now I have to let you go.”

My wolf growled. The restraints screamed as I fought against them. The band burned my throat like I was a fucking dog in a shock collar.

The Doctor glanced over at me. Not annoyed. Almost… affectionate.

“But with your DNA,” he said as he smiled. “So many of my questions will finally have answers.”

Boldly, I stared back. “You’re finished, Doctor.”

“You really think this ends here?” he asked me, eyes wide in surprise.

“No,” I admitted. Because if he left me alive, I would stop at nothing until I hunted him down.

His smile somehow became warmer. “Neither do I.”

He closed the final sample case with a quiet click. “In fact,” He rested one hand atop it. “I believe this is only the beginning.”

24

KATALINA

The heavy security door exploded inward. Not from explosives. From Boomslang. The creature—I still hadn’t figured out exactly what he was—planted one boot against the steel and shoved.