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air.
    Steven's eyes swept the warehouse. The thick dust
    showed multiple footprints from earlier, but nothing else he
    could see. He slowly released his humanity, his eyes
    shifting to their sharper wolf form. Inhaling deeply, he
    sneezed, his eyes watering from the combined scents of
    dust, mouse droppings, mold, and a strong scent of the
    other creatures.
    The smell of something twisted and unnatural had
    overwhelmed all the other scents before.
    "You can't miss that scent trail," Dare said beside
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    him.
    "Let's follow it. Silver said they couldn't be too far
    from the warehouse."
    "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. What if they
    find us first?"
    "Then we'll have to be careful. I don't want anything
    to happen to you." That was the prime thought in Steven's
    mind. Nothing could happen to his mate. "I'll call the others
    and let them know where we're going."
    "All right." Dare waited until he'd made the phone
    call before they continued tracking the stench of mutant
    werewolves.
    The smell led them out the other side of the building
    and through a handful of abandoned warehouses that
    looked empty from the outside and felt hollow within. As
    they moved down to where the river flowed wide and high,
    just over the ridge where they crossed, unease churned
    Steven's stomach. If the mutants had hidden this long, he
    wondered, why would they leave such an obvious path
    back to their hideout?
    Dare's nose twitched. For a moment Steven thought
    he saw a shadowing of whiskers. "What's wrong, kitty?"
    "I don't like this."
    Steven froze where he was. Cats had good instincts.
    "What is it?" Did Dare sense the same trouble making his
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    spine itch?
    He didn't get another word out before a sharp sting
    pierced his arm. His vision went blurry as he reached a
    hand towards his lover. Blinking, he watched a silvery dart
    embed itself into Dare's arm.
    "No," Steven whispered. He knew he would be fine
    if they captured and tortured him. He was tough. The
    thought of the same people tormenting his gentle mate was
    a pain greater than any he'd felt before. Dare might be a
    large weretiger but he had a kind soul. He blinked again,
    trying to see what was happening, but his muscles were
    frozen and moments later his vision went black.

    * * * *
    Steven came back to awareness on a tide of pain.
    Fire seared across his back. He gritted his teeth to hold
    back the scream trying to burst out. He wouldn't give them
    the satisfaction of either making him beg for relief or cringe
    from pain. Stretched and bound above him, with cold,
    heavy chains, his arms burned from the strain of supporting
    his entire weight. The tips of his shoes barely brushed the
    ground. The position afforded him no traction and served
    its purpose of keeping him off balance. With the way the
    chains were wrapped around his wrists there was no hope
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    of shifting to get out of their tight hold.
    Knowing he was only putting off the inevitable,
    Steven opened his eyes, pleased when his vision cleared
    after only a moment. A large mutant wolf came to stand in
    front of him, a beast so tall he met him eye to eye even
    though Steven hung suspended a good foot in the air. The
    creature's yellow eyes were narrow, mean, and the mutant's
    expression of deep-seated hatred sent him into a cold sweat.
    He made a silent prayer that his lover escaped even as he
    knew, deep inside, he hadn't. If Dare had escaped, Steven
    would already be free. His tiger-love wouldn't leave him to
    be beaten by mutant werekin. He knew that bone deep.
    Now, he could only hope that Dillon and Farro discovered
    where they went and came to their rescue before it was too
    late.
    "So you've decided to wake up." The mutant's voice
    was so low it was almost subvocal. Steven could feel the
    vibration in his chest. He watched with morbid fascination
    as the creature walked closer.
    What had created these things?
    He knew his