Shield - A New Species Fanfiction (Wild at Heart Chronicles, Book 1)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"On your feet, soldier!" Natasha grabbed the disoriented man by his shirt and pushed him toward the massive opening on the wall, away from the entrance blocked by debris.  "Evacuate the building, now!"

The man stumbled forward and disappeared through a cloud of dust, the sound of his frantic footsteps receding. Of the thirty or so guards that had occupied the game room, only a handful remained after the ceiling caved in. Crushed to death or buried alive, when the first explosion detonated, chaos ensued and it was every man for himself.

Dougal was the first to abandon his soldiers.

Without any stragglers remaining, Natasha scrambled over chunks of brick and concrete towards Paige. Emergency lights cast the holding room in a harsh, red glow and the acrid stench of smoke was beginning to fill the air. Paige could see her mother's face and hair covered in a layer of dust, and her left arm had a streak of blood from a deep cut, but the gun strapped to the holster she'd salvaged from the wreck was a reassuring sight. Natasha produced a key from her pocket and unlocked the cage, forcing the door open with her shoulder.  Paige threw herself into her mother's embrace, relieved she'd escaped the collapse of the ceiling unharmed.

"Hey, Rambo," she teased, burrowing her face between Natasha's neck and shoulder like she often did as a child.

Natasha chuckled and kissed Paige on her forehead, then she pulled back to assess her appearance. Her fingers brushed over the bruises on her neck, prodding gently to evaluate the damage.

"Looks worse than it feels," Paige mumbled, shifting with discomfort.

"Guess I'll just have to take your word for it," Natasha said, though by the tone of her voice she didn't believe her. "We'll have our doctors take a look at you when we get home."  Her eyes narrowed, and something dangerous shifted in the air. "Nothing...happened with you and that male, right? With X-013? You were there for almost a day, honey. He didn't—"

The ground shook beneath their feet. Another section of the ceiling fell, lifting a cloud of dust as it crashed to the floor a short distance from them. Beyond the opening in the wall, a woman screamed but the sound was abrupt and followed by an eerie silence. 

"Shit, this place has gone to hell," Natasha said and approached 328's cage. "We'll finish this conversation later."

Paige wasn't looking forward to that.

The male snarled as Natasha pressed the key into the lock, cat eyes narrowed to slits. He was crouched in the corner of his cell, tail whipping from side to side as if he were preparing himself to attack once the door opened.

"Behave!" Natasha snapped, lifting her finger in warning. "Keep your fangs and claws to yourself, male. I will not tolerate your dominance alpha bullshit, unless you'd rather stay here and roast when the building collapses. Now, decide."

328 glanced at Paige and something in her expression must've reassured him, for he stood and took a calming breath. He glared at Natasha, but did not bare his teeth. "I will not attack you, female. Let me out. I do not wish to...roast."

Natasha nodded and unlocked his cage.

Paige stood beside her enclosure nervously as the male stepped out. Without bars to restrict him, his savage presence was daunting. He was easily six and a half feet tall, perhaps an inch or two shorter than X-013, but even so he towered over them with ease.  The male assessed the destroyed game room, unmoved by the human remains scattered on the ground or buried beneath the rubble. Lifting his nose to the air, he sniffed once and curled his lips in disgust.