Pushing Boundaries Ch. 09

Scrambling over to Marine, Alaron pulled her against his chest and tried to feel for her heartbeat - a faint but steady beat pulsing at her throat.

"Is she alright?" asked Eian from a distance away.

"Yes. But I'll just take a closer look to be sure."

While Alaron busied himself with Marine, the other Weres and Draven gathered around Kendall. It was Mike who had pulled the youngling up and told him to breathe.

"He's a bit blue. Should we let Alaron see to him?" asked Mike out of concern.

"And risk him being torn in half?" replied Alex. "We need him to find Keona. There is a reason why she isn't up here with them."

"Let me." Draven slid in front of the Weres with ease, relieving them off their dilemma. As Mike and Alex stepped back, Draven knelt down beside Kendall and touched his fingers gently to the youngling's temple.

He was only in for a second when he jerked his fingers back in surprise.

"Don't touch him," he warned, looking around at the pack. "He has tactile memory --if he has contact with you long enough, he'll know everything about you."

"Can you get into his mind then?" asked Eian patiently. "We don't have much time left. I'm worried."

"Yes Alpha. I can." Turning his head back to the task, Draven focused his mind to merge with the youngling's. The young Vampire was still unconscious but his mind was a spinning wheel of activity.

Draven picked out the last few moments of Kendall's conscious thoughts; seeing through the youngling's eyes as he protected and helped Marine escape from the facility and earlier on as he looked with fear into his brother's eyes... and then Keona's.

Just what the hell was Keona saying? Kendall's conscious mind had been blocked, almost as though he was putting up shields --clearly a Vanguard inherited ability. The boy was too young to learn how to shield his mind on his own.

At the back of his mind, Draven could sense his Alpha's growing impatience and worry despite his cool and calm exterior. He didn't have much time to relook at the scene with Keona. All he knew was that she had struck some sort of deal with a Pureblood Elder and by the looks of it was the reason why Kendall and Marine were released in the first place.

Breaking the connection with Kendall, Draven looked up first at Eian and took the risk of having his head torn off. Instead of telling his Alpha what he saw, Draven asked his permission to call his mother.

The growl given by Eian told him that he was on a very tight leash but he had to take it.

Moving away from the pack, Draven took out his phone and prayed that Josephine would be up. The time difference meant that it was probably just shy of dawn.

"I had a feeling you were going to call me," she said after a ring.

"Mother... I'm sorry for this but I'm pressed for time."

"Anything for you my dear."

"Is Keona safe?"

Josephine gave a small laugh. "You want to know if I've had future threads about her don't you? I wouldn't ask you why but all I can say is that if I was worried enough, I would have called Keiran myself."

"Mother..."

"Oh, I'm sorry... but yes I've had dreams about her though I didn't know what to make of it. She's always in this one room and there are so many of her. Sometimes they're talking, sometimes they're fighting but I didn't think much of it. I just thought I was missing her too much... Is she alright, Draven?"

Draven's eyes widened at the implications of what Josephine had seen but he didn't want to worry her. "Yes, she's fine Mother. I'm just concerned because Alex is getting edgy about his mate."

"Ah... young love," she chuckled just before ending the call.

Draven tucked the phone in his pocket and closed his eyes. He had seen a room full of some sort of prototype experiments in Kendall's memory but they were still babies... what if they had already matured by now? Was Keona the enabling genetic strand for these experiments?

Walking back to the Weres, Draven knew he had to make the decision.

"We have to go in. Key might be in trouble," he said, waiting a heartbeat before the Alpha went feral.

With his fingers wrapped around the Pureblood's neck, the sounds that came out of Eian's mouth sounded more like growls than words. "What are you not saying Draven?" he demanded.

Calm down Alpha... Worrying would make matters worst.

The fuck I will.

But he released his hold on his Beta. Instead, he moved to the youngling lying unconscious and picked the boy up by the collar.

"You know that's my only daughter right?"

The intentions in his eyes were apparent that the other Beta's got into defensive mode --getting ready to protect their Alpha from his own irrational thoughts.

"I think they're trying to create more of her --hybrids. We have to destroy them," said Draven as slowly as he could; his eyes watching Kendall intently.

"And my baby?" The anger was gone from Eian's voice, replaced by a sliver of what Draven could tell was fear.

"We'll find her, Alpha."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Eian gently lowered Kendall to the ground. Killing a youngling --either Vampire or Werewolf --was major enough to result in immediate termination.

"Do you know the way in?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

***

Meanwhile, Keona was starting to feel the strain of using too much power while she was still injured. But she could feel the temperature in the room starting to fall at an uncontrollable speed; ice was starting to form on the walls and on the floor.

She knew she didn't have time to wait for the whole room to freeze. Moving forward, she started to grab Riley's hand --the sudden action caused her to lose control over her ability to stop time.

At once she heard Connor's enraged voice cursing at her; his claws aiming for her neck. If it wasn't for Riley's quick instincts, he would have managed to slice her jugular vein, causing serious damage.

As the temperature in the room started to dip below freezing point, Keona gave one last mental 'push' in Connor's direction before feeling her body pulled out the door by Riley.

"Freeze it, damn it. Now now!" he was bellowing but Keona's mind was too weak to comprehend but she moved her hands nonetheless.

"You're a complete mess MacFarlane. Damn it!" she heard him swore. She was losing blood and Riley was shouting at her. How unfair! Didn't she just save his life?

"You're bleeding damn it!"

"Shut up!"

Riley didn't bother to reply her. Instead he scooped her up and started running towards his own room. Raising his shields to the maximum, he hoped that it would cloak both their scents for a few minutes for he had no doubt that her hybrid blood would attract guards like bees to honey.

She needed time to heal and the only sanctuary he could think of at the moment was his room. He had no doubt that Connor had screamed a mental cry of help to the Vanguards and they would be all over the place within minutes.

The moment he closed the door, Riley commanded her to heal herself.

"I can't guarantee that the Vanguards will all be loyal to me. Once a head hunt order is given, we have to complete it. So heal."

Keona was frowning but she paid heed to his instruction. He was right. She had heard Connor's shout in her mind and knew that it wasn't long before they were cornered.

Besides she was bleeding too profusely to argue.

"Why are you helping me anyway?" she asked instead.

His response was to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Forget it."

Riley shrugged and leaned against the door nonchalantly. "Coz I'm Marine's mate whether you like it or not. And that makes us... family."

"You're a despicable liar. What makes you think I'd accept you?"

He gave her a bored look. "We'll tell Marine how truly despicable I am then. If she still hates my guts after the truth and breaks the bond, you can kill me yourself."

Something in the sincerity of his words struck a chord in her. However she wouldn't admit it to him.

"Oh trust me... I'm not the only one on the list."

Riley stared at her for a long time before narrowing his eyes. The moment he did that, Keona sensed a blade aimed straight at her forehead. A second of hesitation would have meant instant death.

"Fuck you Riley," she growled; the blade caught firmly in her fist.

"Good, you've healed enough. Let's go." He shrugged as he opened the door.

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

As she caught up with him, they stared at each other and laughed.

"What do you want to do first?" he asked.

"Let's release all the prisoners. Then we need to destroy this place."

***

Mike was left to protect Kendall and Marine while Eian and the rest begin their infiltration of the facility. For a Beta, the task of babysitting was not only torturous; it was insulting but Mike didn't feel that way at the moment.

The young always deserved the best protection --that was what Eian had taught the pack. Hadn't the Alpha done exactly that when he took in the lost Vampire child into pack lands a few years ago?

Looking at the two Vampire younglings, Mike's heart softened. True, their pack dynamics have changed quite a bit in the past year with the addition of Draven into the ranks, the acceptance of a Vampire as a female Alpha and of course the birth of the hybrid children. Even then, Mike never thought of them as hybrids --or Halflings as some call them. He saw them as children, meant to be loved and protected.

Marine had that. She was loved and protected, not just by her parents but by the pack as well. She was family.

But the boy? Who loved him? Who'd protected and die for him?

Mike had scented nothing on the youngling. Vampires often leave very obvious traces of their bloodlines, almost in the same way that Werewolves mark their children and mates. But perhaps this child had lost his parents and yet he's been subjected to imprisonment and cruelty.

While the boy still had his innocence, it should be protected. It was then that Mike decided:

He was going to first ask his Alpha and then his mate, Pearl if they could adopt Kendall. They had enough Vampires within the pack to keep the boy in check. But most important of all, they'd give him a family and a home.

Every child deserves that.

***

Meanwhile, Eian was striding in step behind Draven, Alaron, Dominic and Alex. They were arranged in a 'V' formation with him forming the apex.

"These Vanguards are strong and they are built to kill, not just maim," warned Draven as they approached the main entrance.

"That's what I'm here for," said Alaron. "I'll heal if necessary."

The quintet kept silent for a minute as two guards approached them.

"Let's do it. Watch each other's backs," said Eian; his voice calm yet sharp as the claws slowly emerging from his fists.

There was no need to even shift yet for they took out the two guards with ease.

"Common levels," said the Alpha matter-of-factly. They weren't even Vanguards and didn't have enough Vampire blood in them to make them lethal. But that wasn't a reason for them to let their guard down. "Destroy the cameras," he instructed.

"There's more coming," Draven said, giving them a heads up as the entered the main gates. "They're coming in dozens. First up, to your left."

There was no need to ask how he knew. It wasn't just because he was a Pureblood with mind reading and erasing capabilities; but he was pack and they trusted each other --completely.

And trust was what guided the five males as they began the first stage of the infiltration; each movement thoughtfully calibrated and coordinated. All lines of communication were kept within the mental bonds of the pack as much as possible, severing the chance for the Vanguards to eavesdrop.

They continued to come in droves; surrounding the five of them at every corner such that they were forced to keep their backs to one another. Dominic and Alex were already in wolf form; teeth barred and attacking as mercilessly as the Vanguards advancing on them. Draven blanked out every single one within his mental radius while Alaron manipulated the air and blood flows of their enemies causing seizures and blackouts.

But the Alpha was as calm as could be; still in his human form, his movements so lightning quick that it looked as though he hadn't moved an inch.

There's just too many of them. If we take them all out now, we won't have time to search for Key!

I'll go. Alex raised his snout slightly to see his Alpha's reaction.

Give him cover.

At once the others moved slightly closer to allow Alex enough space and time to slip in between them. Draven jammed the thought-processes of all the Vanguards directly in Alex's line, giving him a few seconds to make his escape.

Alex didn't waste the opportunity. The tracker in him sought for the nearest darkened room, blending in with the shadows as he plotted out his next course of action. Keona's own scent had changed slightly since the first time he knew her. It could be because of all her new abilities but it was also because of their mating bond.

It felt odd to sniff the air for his own scent but Alex knew that it was probably the best way to track her down. He needed to find traces of himself within the facility and that's where he'd track his mate down.

The black wolf heightened his senses --both his tracking ability as well as his alertness for danger and padded as softly as he could, keeping his body close to the ground. Every now and then, he'd catch faint hints of his and Keona's mingled scents but then it was too little for him to be certain.

But there --

There was an odd, familiar scent coming from one of the rooms down the corridor, accompanied by the metallic scent of blood... of a hybrid variety.

Damn it Key!

Alex tried to call out but there was no response and as he came closer, he knew why.

The room was empty though the scents lingering were still fresh and heavy which meant that she was in the room only recently... and not alone.

Alex didn't need to look up at the nameplate on the door to know whose room it belonged to.

Riley... he growled and dashed off following both scents as best as he could. Riley's scent suppressing ability meant that Alex was bound to lose both their scents soon and he wasn't going to let that happen.

***

"Come on Riley, what is the password?" Keona was trying as many combinations as she could at the main holding cell entrance. It seemed like the code had been reset right after they had escaped.

"I don't know. They must have found a way to send a telepathic message bypassing me. Looks like we've got to bust the door open."

Keona thought for a moment; her eyebrows wrinkled.

"No we don't. I can open the door from the inside."

"How the hell are you going to fit through that gap under the door? No wolf can."

"I'm not a wolf," she said calmly as she started to picture the smallest possible creature in her mind --an ant. It was a risky shift but desperate times called for desperate measures. She didn't like the idea of her skeleton outside her body but she continued focusing nonetheless, feeling every part of her body shrinking... shrinking...

"Damn Keona." She heard Riley swear as she slipped under the small gap. Once on the other side, Keona shifted back; all the while alert for anyone walking pass. To be caught mid-shift could sometimes shock the mind and disrupt the process so she had to be absolutely careful.

The moment she was back in her human form, she tapped the release button of the front door, only to find Riley's throat perilously close to a lethal claw. Keona didn't need to see whose it belonged to. She could scent her mate anywhere.

"Aren't we getting cozy," she chided. "Shift back Alex. We need to release all the prisoners first. You can kill him later."

For a moment, she thought that he'd disagree and rip Riley's throat there and then but eventually he let the Vampire go but he didn't shift back into his wolf form.

"There should be seven occupied rooms. We have to do it manually," said Riley as he rubbed his throat. "If we shut down the power, it will open all the doors..."

Keona got his drift. They had left Connor in the room where Marine and Kendall were in. So they had to do it manually which could be a problem.

"Password?" she asked. "I can't keep shifting to fit through the gap. It will tire me out too much."

"Rip out the code switch?" suggested Alex.

"That'd send the alarms on Alex. We can't afford to fend off Vanguards at this moment."

"Why didn't anyone learn how to walk through walls?" Keona was rubbing her temples, trying to think of a solution. "What if I try to either melt or freeze the door and you two can try and barge through?"

"No... takes too much time. We need the control room. At the moment, we'd be going to the rooms blindly not knowing which one contains prisoners. The control room will let us turn off the code switches individually... right?" suggested Alex.

Riley nodded and pointed straight ahead. "There should be clothes as well. For godsake Alex!"

In response, Alex only snarled and started running in the direction Riley pointed to.

There was a guard outside the control room but Riley or Alex could do anything, the guard starting walking off on his own.

"I suggested that maybe he should take a leak," said Keona with a shrug. "And the passcode is 'security alert'. That's 7328748925378."

Once at the control panels, Riley took note of all the rooms currently occupied. The monitor also showed the age of the captives and the reasons why they were kept under surveillance.

"I don't know if you're going to like what you see," he said quietly. Most of the information was written in code but he was high ranking enough to know their implications.

"What do you mean?" asked Alex, fastening the button of a spare Vanguard uniform. Keona was curious too and came closer to take a look.

"The room where Kendall and Marine were kept was under code purple," he said, pointing to a square on the screen. "That means they have been kept alive with minimal supervision or interjections."

Keona frowned. "But there aren't any purple codes... but blue and red." It wasn't a statement but a question, for her eyes were set intently on Riley, demanding an explanation.

Riley closed his eyes for a moment then gave a long sigh. "Code blue means current test subjects, just as you were a week ago." He toggled the screen to show another view. This was of a young girl curled up on her bed. "Security is highest both outside and in the adjoining observation room. We can expect five Vanguards if we're lucky..."

"If not?" asked Alex.

"If not, there'll be more. At worst, a Pureblood Elder will be around."

Keona chose to ignore his silent implication and instead crossed her arms as she asked, "And code red?"

Riley looked at her, almost hesitant to answer. "I suggest we save only those code blue."

"No. These are innocent lives! We must try," she insisted.

With a sigh, Riley shook his head. "They're failed experiments, left to die because they are unsalvageable." He toggled the screen once more to a view of one of the code red rooms. Alex groaned.

"We save what we can," said Keona after a minute. "Can you two handle the code blues by yourself?"

"You've got to be kidding me Key..." said Alex as they left the control room. "What makes you think those... I mean they might not have any sense of humanity left. You could get killed!"

To his surprise, Riley shook his head and put up a hand. "Let her. We've got to save what we can and get the hell out of here."

The trio exchanged grim looks.

***

Right at that moment, the main entrance of the facility was littered with unconscious and wounded Vanguards. Still, more were coming and the four of them were exhausted. Dominic had suffered the most injuries because he couldn't heal as fast as either his Alpha or the Vampires.