Darkest Powers Bonus Pack 2

PrologueAs Brad watched the three Cains devour their porterhouse steaks, he realized he should have addeda couple hundred bucks to the price of his information, just to cover dinner. They were at a steakhousein Dallas. The June heat meant they had the patio to themselves, which was good for privacy, but italso meant the Cains were on their second pitcher of beer—and only two of them were old enough todrink. Seventeen-year-old Carter had already gone through a pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade andlooked ready for a second.Brad was waiting until they’d eaten a little more before presenting his offer. It was never wise tointerfere with a werewolf and his meal, and that went double for Cains. Brad was a werewolf himself,but at five-foot-seven and a hundred and fifty pounds, even the youngest Cain dwarfed him. The oldertwo could eat him for dinner and then go looking for dessert.It was Carter who slowed first. He was small for a Cain, barely over six feet tall, maybe twohundred pounds. Good-looking enough that the young server had been eying him. Must take after hismother—the Cains weren’t known for their looks. Or for their brains. In this regard, Carter wasdefinitely part of the family.“You said you’ve got information on some kid of Uncle Zack’s. But this here”—he pointed at thescrap of paper—”says the guy’s last name is Souza, not Cain.”“He wasn’t raised as a Cain,” said the boy’s grandfather, Theo. “That’s why Brad here is offering tohelp us get him back.”Theo was the clan patriarch. Also the brightest of the bunch, which wasn’t saying a lot, but ithelped. Carter was the son of Theo’s youngest. The thirty-something guy between them was Nate, theson of Theo’s oldest. Zachary had been his middle child. Dead ten years now, when he got the damnedfool idea to join an uprising against the Pack. Zack’s only known son had been killed by a rivalwerewolf a few years ago. The old man had taken that hard. Now Brad was offering him a replacement. . . with bonuses.“You say the boy was part of an experiment?” Theo said as he finished his steak. “Making him intosome kind of super-werewolf?”“Exactly. The St. Cloud Cabal was running a secret experiment to genetically modify supernaturalsin vitro, eliminating side-effects and enhancing the powers of sorcerers, witches, necromancers, halfdemons. . .” Three pairs of eyes glazed over. Brad wasn’t sure if they didn’t understand or if they justdidn’t care. Both were equally likely. Most werewolves took no interest in either Cabals or othersupernatural types. It was only when he added, “And, of course, werewolves,” that the Cains perked upagain.“How many of these super-werewolves are there?” Theo asked.“Your grandson is the only subject left.”“Were the others Zack’s boys?” Theo asked.“I don’t know. I was hired to track four escaped subjects and bring them back to the study. Theyonly told me the absolute basics.”“I don’t get it,” Carter said. “If you’re giving all the kids back to the scientists, how do we getUncle Zack’s boy?”“Brad isn’t returning them all,” Theo said. “He’s giving us the opportunity to take Zack’s boy first.”“Oh.”Carter still sounded confused. To be honest, Brad didn’t blame him. It was confusing and it raisedlots of questions, but Brad had known better than to ask them of his employers. As far as mostsupernaturals were concerned, the Cains were merely representative of the entire breed—dumb brutes