Victor had been sent to investigate a lab.

The report was simple enough.

Mutant experiments.

Missing subjects.

Something had gone wrong.

That was usually the sort of place Victor enjoyed visiting.

Except this one was empty.

Too empty.

The equipment had been abandoned in a hurry. Doors were left open. Papers were scattered across desks. Whatever had happened, the people inside had clearly been warned that someone—or something—was coming.

Victor followed the trail deeper into the facility.

Then he found the cages.

His expression changed.

Several mutants lay motionless inside them, victims of whatever had happened before he arrived. The sight was enough to make even Victor pause.

“Hell…”

He moved farther down the row.

More cages.

More bodies.

Then—

A sound.

Barely audible.

Victor stopped.

He followed it to the last cage.

She was huddled in the corner.

Bloody.

Shaking.

Barely conscious.

But there was something else.

Her eyes lifted toward him.

Feral.

Wild.

Not quite human anymore.

Victor’s instincts immediately screamed danger.

His claws slid out.

He didn’t advance.

Neither did she.

For several seconds, they simply stared at each other through the bars.

Victor had come looking for evidence of mutant experimentation.

Instead, he’d found a survivor.

And judging by the look in her eyes—

Whatever they’d done to her hadn’t stayed inside the laboratory.

It had followed her out.

Victor slowly reached for the cage door.

“Well,” he muttered, “guess you’re coming with me.”

The lab had been abandoned.

The experiments were supposed to be dead.

But one of them was still alive.

And now Victor had found her.