Page 62 of Caged

Until that happens, I’ll continue to take pleasure in fucking with him however I can.

“I’m bringing a vial home.”

I can hear the smug smile in my own voice. This is what I need. A win.

Not only am I sticking it to Varenthrall, but Dax will be forced to admit that I’m not so ‘compromised’ that I can’t get my job done. Proof that I’m not just simping out over a random Omega because I need to get laid, which is exactly what he currently believes.

“Don’t drink it!” Dax shouts the unnecessary as fuck warning so loud I flinch away from the sound. A pointless reaction, obviously, but damn…

“Fates, Dax. I’m not an idiot,” I snap, doing a final sweep of the room. Closing my eyes, I focus and reach out, trying to get a read on the house.

Nothing. It’s dead quiet in this wing.

I let myself out and pad back down the hall and into the foyer.

“I’m going to go check out the structure in the back. The one with all the security.”

“Copy. Stay alert and get me as many visuals of the security there as possible.”

Slipping through the kitchen, I exit the house the same way I entered and cross the grounds. The structure looms ahead, and as I start a count of the motion sensors, I falter.

“What the fuck?”

The last time I was here, this place had been locked down like Fort Knox. Motion sensors, cameras, a keypad lock on the single door with a fucking biometric print signature.

Now there’s nothing. All the security is gone. There are no guards, no lights, no hum of electronics.

Cautiously, I extend a hand and push gently on the door. It swings open on a silent hinge.

“Dax, something’s wrong. The structure’s wide open. There’s no security. Door’s unlocked.”

Dax curses. “That can’t be right. Three days ago, it was swarming with security. Fates, I hate how useless my tech is around that godsdamned estate. I can’t get a read on anything.”

I step through the door, making sure it doesn’t shut behind me. There’s no need to go any further—the place is totally empty. Nothing but four stone walls, a stone floor, and the overpowering stench of bleach.

“It’s clear, but they’ve scrubbed it. Smells like cleaner and there’s fuck all here but air.”

“Think he knew we were coming?”

I snort in disbelief. “Doubtful. He probably just moved whatever was in here. Asshole has a habit of moving shit around. He swaps warehouses all the time. Makes sense, he wouldn’t keep something on his property for long.”

I pull out my cell and take plenty of photos before pocketing it again.

“Get out of there,” Dax says, clearly frustrated that we were too late to discover what Varenthrall had hidden away in here before he moved it.

As I head back to the house, my mind is racing. The blood vials, the now-empty structure, the weird as fuck decorations… this place is a nightmare. I can almost feel a threat looming in the air, patiently waiting for the perfect time to strike.

It feels like a breeding ground for something incredibly fucked up.

What, though? What the hell are the Severed and Varenthrall up to?

Once back inside the estate, I hesitate in the foyer, considering my options. There are only two places left to check. The basement and the east end of the estate.

Her end of the estate.

Fuck it.

“I’m heading to the east wing.”