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Chapter One

Aric Savage gripped the chains as the silver-barbed lash tore into his back with unmerciful precision Fire licked over the flayed skin, soaked deep to burn his guts, steal his breath

Still, he found the strength to snarl his rage between strokes, his wolf clawing desperately to be free To rip Orson Chappell'swith the bastard currently wielding the whip and thenon to Beryl, his malicious bitch of a stepsister The pair of thereat pleasure in tearing out their throats, but not beforethem screa boss hi and butcher him, too

Slowly Painfully, so that the fucker squealed like a piglet as Aric's wolf devoured him alive

Here, Piggy, Piggy, let me in!

Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!

No probleht in, and watch you piss your pants as I unleash my beast-

Another blow fell, shattering the inner dialogue as liquid agony scored him from shoulder to hip

"Ahhh! Fuck fuck this b-bastards"

With every stroke, it became harder to retain his hold on sanity Beryl's efforts were beginning to pay off After weeks of this hellish trip into Psycholand, the unbelievable pain, he was close to the breaking point

He'd never dreamed there were so many methods of brutal torture Or that he'd be forced to sample every fuckin' one of them

He wasn't aware the whipping had stopped until a hand cupped his chin and thrust his head up Beryl's flat, soulless eyes bored into his, searching for weakness, for the knowledge that stepbrother dearest was finally a broken husk A gibbering pile of shit

"Sorry to disappoint, bitch," he whispered, his throat raw and aching "I'one just yet, but screa a session with Beryl's handy silver knife If he should get out of here, he ht never recover, in more ways than one

"Good I'd be terribly put out if you gave up too quickly" One corner of her mouth curved up "As it is, you amuse me So tenacious, my fierce brother"

Her touch th to jerk his chin out of her grasp Even if she did set hieance, he didn't have the strength to let loose his raging wolf, let alone suifts of fire or telekinesis Pathetic

"I'm surprised Chappell lets you play with his test subjects," he taunted

A flash of soht've been unease interrupted the deadness in her eyes, then was gone "That isn't your concern"

He huffed a laugh that was etting better

"What?" There Again the flicker of alarm

Despite the pain assailing his battered body, he sneered "Chappell doesn't knohat you're doing towith one of his lab rats Wonder what he'd do to his pet witch if he found out?"

Flicking a lock of long auburn hair that was a shade darker than his own over her shoulder, she affected a look of complete disinterest "He has more important concerns than one shifter"

"I'll just bet"

"Whether you're here or in the lab doesn'this face a hard squeeze, she shoved, snapping his head to the side "You'll be just as dead when I'm done with you"

He didn't bother to answer He knew his chances of escaping fro on her heel, she turned and left, the gloo her forain alone with his grihts

Hoas Beryl involved in all of this? And why the special torture reserved for the older stepbrother she'd barely bothered to know, and vice versa? Why the all-consu hatred?

True, she'd always been a self-absorbed bitch From the day Aric's e, sullen teenaged nightmare home to play house, Aric had done his best to steer clear of her Not always successfully, either Joining the Navy SEALs, getting out of that pressure cooker of a house, had been a blessing

Right up until his unit had been attacked by rogue wolf shifters in the hanistan and his world had been completely fucked Forever

If he was honest, he would have to admit that he hadn't been happy since he'd lost his humanity He loved his brothers on the Alpha Pack teaiven hiave me up To save his mate When the chips were down, Aric was alone As always No one had cohtened with emotion, burned with the tears he would never allow to fall Maybe he was better off dead

But he couldn't bring hihter every single person responsible for his being in this hellhole, suffering this endless goddaony

General George Patton had it right He was going to strut through the valley of the shadow of death-and he'd be the meanest motherfucker there Make them all pay

Then, and only then, would he willingly let the Reaper take him

Rowan Chase jerked the wheel in a hard left, brought the car skidding to a stop in a filthy, garbage-strewn alley between two run-down buildings, killed the ignition, and was out before her rookie partner, Daniel Albright, even got his seat belt unbuckled

One glance at the situation told her things had already gone FUBAR-fucked up beyond all recognition

A crowd of about twenty Hispanic round, the edgy group shouting obscenities, egging the fight on Quickly, her brain assessed the struggling pair, taking in the information rapid-fire One stocky male, six feet, about two hundred twenty pounds The ser, slender, five-seven, about one sixty She recognized him as Emilio Herrera Both wore the East Side Lobos' colors Fained slur? Who knew?

Sunlight glinted off a sliver of metal between the couy's shirt Knife Shit Rowan unclipped her holster as she jogged toward theh her veins