Page 70 of Furry Equations
Marcus.Natalie’s voice whispered through their mate bond.The treatment’s ready. I can help them.
He slammed Ryan into a wall, buying seconds to respond.Stay in the lab. I’ll handle this.
But—
Trust me.He pushed reassurance through their connection, even as Ryan’s enhanced strength drove him back.
The facility speakers crackled to life with Natalie’s voice, broadcasting across all frequencies: “Listen up, Tomlinson’sshifter. The enhancement he gave you is fatal. Tomlinson lied. He doesn’t care if you die. But we have a treatment. Stop fighting, and we can save you.”
Ryan faltered. Blood trickled from his nose - the enhancement already taking its toll. The momentary hesitation cost him as Marcus struck, precise and brutal.
“I trusted you.” Marcus’s words carried the weight of alpha command. “The pack protected you.”
“Tomlinson promised power.” Ryan coughed red.
“And now you’re dying for his lies.”
More enhanced soldiers poured through the breach, but uncertainty showed in some faces as Natalie’s warning repeated. The pack link hummed in Marcus’s mind as his loyal wolves coordinated their defense, proving natural bonds trumped artificial power.
“Marcus!” Emily’s voice cut through the chaos. “Main lab breach! They’re?—“
A massive explosion rocked the building. Marcus’s bond with Natalie flared with alarm.
New alerts flashed: Tomlinson had entered the facility.
Marcus tried to get out of the control room to get to his mate, but three more enhanced soldiers blocked his path, and the command center remained vulnerable. He had to trust his pack - trust Natalie - while he secured their tactical hub.
Jax called out, “Go. We’ve got this.”
Marcus hesitated. A leader never abandoned his post.
“She’s your mate.” Jax shoved him toward the door. “And she’s got Tomlinson’s whole army gunning for that treatment. Get to her!”
The decision crystallized. Marcus sprinted through the chaos, following his bond with Natalie while barking orders through the pack link. His wolves responded instantly, years of training paying off as they coordinated defense patterns.
Marcus tore through the facility’s emergency stairwell, taking steps four at a time. The mate bond thrummed with Natalie’s determination, overlaid with sharp spikes of fear. Not for herself - his alpha mate worried about her research team, about the enhanced soldiers she might still save.
“Emily.” He activated his com link. “Status on lab security.”
“Outer barriers holding.” His sister’s voice crackled with static. “But not for long.”
Marcus,Natalie’s voice filled his mind,Tomlinson’s using a stronger version of the formula than the one Emily found. It’s killing them faster, but they’re nearly unstoppable until their bodies fail.
How long is that?
Hours. Maybe minutes. Their cellular structure’s collapsing, but they won’t feel it until it’s too late.
Perfect. Tomlinson had created kamikaze soldiers.
The stairwell door burst open above him. Three enhanced wolves charged down, their muscles grotesquely distorted, veins pulsing with artificial power. Blood leaked from their eyes, but they moved with terrifying speed.
Marcus met the first one with a brutal uppercut, using the narrow space to his advantage. The enhanced wolf’s head snapped back, but he kept coming. No pain response. No survival instinct.
Marcus snarled as he drove his elbow into an enhanced wolf’s throat. The soldier dropped, gurgling blood, but two more appeared above. They fought like machines, never tiring, never yielding.
A familiar howl echoed through the stairwell. Jax burst through the door below, leading a team of loyal wolves.
“Got your back, boss!” Jax launched himself into the fray. “But you might want to hurry. Your mate’s getting creative with the lab defenses.”