Free Redemption by Cara Carnes Page B
Authors: Cara Carnes
Either they weren’t handling her in the same manner, or she was just different. Either way, I knew she’d be the key. She was too observant, too determined to survive. She hadn’t been broken, even in the end.” Pride resonated in his voice. “So I got someone inside to get intel, anything we could use if my hunch was right and someone came to blow the joint. I thought it’d be The Alliance.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” Adrik replied dryly. “So, what? We trust you with our back and we head deeper into Hell’s Playground to infiltrate and destroy an NAH facility with intel from an unknown insider from your organization?”
“Pretty much.” Blade looked over his shoulder. “Remember, you disrespect my people, we’re gone.”
“Yeah, whatever. You aren’t in charge, Impure,” Peyton said.
“No. My inside source is. That’s nonnegotiable. You don’t know the layout. My person does.”
Adrik thought about it a moment before sending his thoughts to the sentinels around him.
For now, we do this his way. We’ll take over if things go south so it doesn’t matter what we say here. We get in and get gone.
Fine.
I’m in.
Agreed.
“Fair enough,” Adrik responded. “But we all agree on the plan before we enter.”
“Certainly,” Blade said.
A lone figure appeared from the clearing. As he approached, Adrik noted a few things. First, it was a she. The slight stature, petite frame and long raven curls drifting around a narrow waist made him still in shock. Then the stench drifting forward in the air permeated his nostrils.
“Succuba,” Ren said.
“Mage,” Marek spat.
Great. The last thing he needed. “Explain yourself right now, Blade.”
“Think about it. There’s not a single NAH who’d blink twice if one of her kind applied for a job, especially at a secret facility in Hell’s Playground. Impures and Others would’ve been slaughtered onsite. Who did you think I’d have infiltrate it? Santa Claus?”
I’m not following a succuba mage bitch into battle.
Fuck no.
She’s dead before nightfall.
Great. Adrik sighed as tension settled in his shoulders. His wolf prowled along his skin. A run would ease the knots of unease, but he wasn’t about to leave Mira or his pack while they were in Hell’s Playground.
Let’s play along. For now. Keep the enemy close. His command to the sentinels was met with complicit silence. They’d always followed his lead, no matter where he led. It’s why he had the most revered packs of all the wolves.
He repeated Jarvis’s lesson a few times in his mind as the woman made her way toward them with a slow, confident swagger that made his wolf lunge within him. Their mission had just entered FUBAR territory and he had no idea how to get it on track.
Well, on a good note, at least Peyton has an outlet for all the rage she has for your girl. Ren’s humor made Adrik growl in response.
The woman halted her progress a foot in front of Blade, as though silently demanding their respect without Blade’s protection. The tactic made Ren chuckle.
The succuba mage bitch had balls.
“I’m Camryn. We’re short on time and long on tempers, so let’s settle a few things. First off, I’m half succuba, half mage and I don’t take shit off anyone. Succubae wronged your kind, but I’m on your side. If I could purge the poisoned blood from my veins, I’d exsanguinate myself.
“Now, let’s talk about the other half of my blood. Your pack has issues with the mage. I’ve heard enough talk in the Highway to know you were all captives because a mage you trusted turned on you. Again, not my fight.”
She crossed her hands in front of her and looked at each of them.
“Judge me for my actions and not the actions of either of my kind and I’ll do the same with you. You have an issue with me, you take it up directly with me. Otherwise I’ll crawl down your throat so fast you’ll be shitting thoughts of me before you realize I was in your personal space. Are we
“Sorry to disappoint,” Adrik replied dryly. “So, what? We trust you with our back and we head deeper into Hell’s Playground to infiltrate and destroy an NAH facility with intel from an unknown insider from your organization?”
“Pretty much.” Blade looked over his shoulder. “Remember, you disrespect my people, we’re gone.”
“Yeah, whatever. You aren’t in charge, Impure,” Peyton said.
“No. My inside source is. That’s nonnegotiable. You don’t know the layout. My person does.”
Adrik thought about it a moment before sending his thoughts to the sentinels around him.
For now, we do this his way. We’ll take over if things go south so it doesn’t matter what we say here. We get in and get gone.
Fine.
I’m in.
Agreed.
“Fair enough,” Adrik responded. “But we all agree on the plan before we enter.”
“Certainly,” Blade said.
A lone figure appeared from the clearing. As he approached, Adrik noted a few things. First, it was a she. The slight stature, petite frame and long raven curls drifting around a narrow waist made him still in shock. Then the stench drifting forward in the air permeated his nostrils.
“Succuba,” Ren said.
“Mage,” Marek spat.
Great. The last thing he needed. “Explain yourself right now, Blade.”
“Think about it. There’s not a single NAH who’d blink twice if one of her kind applied for a job, especially at a secret facility in Hell’s Playground. Impures and Others would’ve been slaughtered onsite. Who did you think I’d have infiltrate it? Santa Claus?”
I’m not following a succuba mage bitch into battle.
Fuck no.
She’s dead before nightfall.
Great. Adrik sighed as tension settled in his shoulders. His wolf prowled along his skin. A run would ease the knots of unease, but he wasn’t about to leave Mira or his pack while they were in Hell’s Playground.
Let’s play along. For now. Keep the enemy close. His command to the sentinels was met with complicit silence. They’d always followed his lead, no matter where he led. It’s why he had the most revered packs of all the wolves.
He repeated Jarvis’s lesson a few times in his mind as the woman made her way toward them with a slow, confident swagger that made his wolf lunge within him. Their mission had just entered FUBAR territory and he had no idea how to get it on track.
Well, on a good note, at least Peyton has an outlet for all the rage she has for your girl. Ren’s humor made Adrik growl in response.
The woman halted her progress a foot in front of Blade, as though silently demanding their respect without Blade’s protection. The tactic made Ren chuckle.
The succuba mage bitch had balls.
“I’m Camryn. We’re short on time and long on tempers, so let’s settle a few things. First off, I’m half succuba, half mage and I don’t take shit off anyone. Succubae wronged your kind, but I’m on your side. If I could purge the poisoned blood from my veins, I’d exsanguinate myself.
“Now, let’s talk about the other half of my blood. Your pack has issues with the mage. I’ve heard enough talk in the Highway to know you were all captives because a mage you trusted turned on you. Again, not my fight.”
She crossed her hands in front of her and looked at each of them.
“Judge me for my actions and not the actions of either of my kind and I’ll do the same with you. You have an issue with me, you take it up directly with me. Otherwise I’ll crawl down your throat so fast you’ll be shitting thoughts of me before you realize I was in your personal space. Are we