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.He could smell terror, thick and cloying.Scheme s terror.The small, guttural sounds of uncontrolled hysteria sliced through his soul and broughtthe Bengal lurking just beneath the surface to violent life.Tanner could feel his lipspeeling back in a silent snarl as he tested the air, but found no scent other than Schemeand her terror. Tanner s Scheme Breeds 09 Page 135 of 403His night vision picked up the area, if not perfectly, then with enough clarity to be certainno enemies were lurking or waiting for him.A frown pulled at his brow as he slid silently into the cavern. I don t know anything, she sobbed. Please.Please turn the lights on.Please,Tanner& Her weeping was strained, exhausted.Hysterical. Scheme? Tanner moved quickly across the room, finding her huddled in the middle ofthe cavern floor, naked, her hair and arms wrapped around her body as she curled onthe cold stone defensively.Kneeling next to her, he reached for her, his fingers curling around her arms when sheerupted.Clawed fingers raked his cheek as her cry shattered his senses.There was no sanity inthat cry.There was only pain, fear and the need to escape. Scheme. He gripped her wrists, jerking her to him, trying to hold on to her as shefought like a wildcat.One small fist found the side of his head, her knee cameimpossibly close to his sensitive balls.Fractured sobs echoed around him as he restrained her.He wrapped his arms aroundher from the back, locking her to his chest as one powerful arm held her and the otherreached for the button of the remote at his side.Soft, gentle light filled the room as she suddenly stilled.And then he got his first look ather face. Tanner s Scheme Breeds 09 Page 136 of 403Deathly pale, her brown eyes nearly black, her face streaked with tears.The sight of itwas heartbreaking.Enraging.This was not a normal reaction to being caught in thedark. I don t know anything, she cried again as he allowed her to jerk away from him, risingquickly to his feet as she stumbled back to the bed. Leaving me in the dark won tchange that. You think I left you in the dark to punish you? he asked her slowly, grief filling his soulat the implications of her hysteria. Didn t you? Her voice was shaking, hoarse, as she jerked the quilt from the bed andwrapped it around her shuddering body. The lights wouldn t come on.There was nopower to the appliances. She was gasping, fighting for breath as she tightened her holdon the quilt and moved to the bottom of the bed. Do you really think it s going to work? she screamed, her expression twisting painfully. Think what is going to work? He wanted her in his arms.He couldn t bear to see theremnants of terror that filled her expression. Do you think turning the lights off here is worse than being tied hand and foot in afucking coffin? You son of a bitch, you don t have a clue. Rage, uncontained, filled with pain, fear, with the resounding echo of horror, filled hervoice and filled Tanner s soul. Someone buried you alive? It was all he could do to keep his voice calm, to keep theoutrage and fury out of his voice.Her laugh was bitter, cynical. Oh, really, Tanner.You ve investigated me.Watched me.For how long? Were you watching me the last time I disappeared for a few days? Tanner s Scheme Breeds 09 Page 137 of 403He had been.He nodded slowly. Would you like to know where I was? Her voice was low, guttural. You were at your father s estate, he said. You stayed a week. I was buried alive in a coffin, in my father s basement, because my profile of his favoriteCoyote was weak.The Coyote was spying on Father for the Breeds and got away withit.I paid for it.Or did you already know that, Tanner? Tell me, did you know thepunishment I would receive when Cyrus found out your Coyote was working for you? His hand clenched at his side.That had been his decision, placing the Coyote inTallant s camp, using him to gain information not just on Tallant, but on Scheme.Butthis wasn t in that Coyote s report. For three days, Tanner, she snarled. I was locked in a coffin, my hands and feet tiedwhile a goddamned electronic voice counted down the hours of oxygen I had left. The animal inside him roared in rage.A rage so black, so violent, he had to restrain theneed to leave, to go hunting for the bastard who would dare to do something so evil toher
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