Free Manipulating Mikey (First Wave Book 8) by Mikayla Lane Page B

to Mikey’s bed, she kicked him as hard as she
could in the crotch. Blade dropped to his knees and groaned as he clutched his
wounded genitals.
    “Ride that memory for a while.
Asshole,” Lauren whispered into Blade’s ear before she pulled out her comm and
started scans on Mikey before she even reached the bed.
    “Lauren, that was damn unfair!”
Grai said with a low growl.
    Lauren turned and gaped at him in
shock.
    “Unfair? The guy has been tortured
and is trying to learn who he is, and you let that jerk,” she yelled, pointing
at Blade, “mess with his head! What the hell is wrong with you? Since when do
we do this to our own?”
    Grai held out a hand to help Blade
stand as he glared at Lauren.
    “You dare lecture me about doing
things to our own after what happened at Fiorn’s Folly? There is a very valid
concern regarding where his loyalties lie! I will not have him loose at this or
any of our facilities unless I know our people are safe! How the hell do you
know this isn’t a set up? That he isn’t still loyal to them even after what
they did to him?” Grai demanded, his voice rising with his anger.
    “What the hell did you do to him?”
Lauren shouted at both men.
    Blade braced his hands on his knees
as he tried to breathe away the pain as he looked up at Lauren.
    “It was a worm. Same kind I’ve used
on us since we were kids. There was no intention of hurting him, only making
sure he didn’t find a way to notify the humans where we are!” he said, his eyes
accusing as he glared at her.
    Lauren glared at both of them as
she crossed her arms over her chest.
    “A worm? Just a simple worm?
Really? Did you ever use one on anyone before they were beast bonded?” she
asked, her voice sounding deceptively casual as she saw Blade’s eyes widen
before he cursed.
    “What?” Grai asked, looking between
Blade and Lauren for an answer.
    “Blade just realized the reason he
didn’t use worms on the unbound, like Mikey. Why don’t you tell Grai why you
didn’t,” Lauren said, her anger radiating from her in waves.
    Blade wiped a hand down his face
and shook his head at his own stupidity while he turned to Grai.
    “She’s right . . . I honestly
didn’t think about the fact that he isn’t beast bonded. The energy worm I sent
into his mind was supposed to attach to the strands of energy that extend from
the beast into the brain,” Blade explained before Lauren interrupted.
    “When there are no strands that
extend, that worm is like a pinball bouncing around the beast and causes major
disruptions in the energy of the host. If not caught in time, the beast becomes
superheated and causes irreversible brain death!” Lauren yelled, her fists
clenched in anger at the risk they took with her patient’s life.
    Grai remained unfazed by her anger
or the situation.
    “A mistake was made that won’t be
made again. It does not negate the need for him to monitored closely to ensure
the safety of everyone here! Or did you forget that we have children and
families here that need protected?” Grai demanded, unwilling to feel the least
bit sorry for his decisions.
    Lauren wasn’t about to be cowed by
the intimidating leader. Not where her patients were concerned and certainly
not where this patient was concerned.
    “There are other ways to watch him
without risking his life! You should have told me! What was the point of
bringing him here if you thought he was so dangerous? You could have taken him
anywhere! Why? What are you doing?” Lauren accused as it dawned on her that
Grai was using the young soldier for something.
    Grai didn’t even flinch at her tone
or accusations.
    “The protection of our people, our
families, and children is a duty I take very seriously. I will not stand here
and allow you to chastise me for doing my job just because you don’t like the
person used to achieve it. There has never been a plot to harm the man, only to
ensure that he didn’t notify anyone where he was until he figured