King's Mate: An Alpha Shifter Romance

by Piper Stone

“That’s not what the commander ordered,” Dr. Wycliff insisted, even daring to shift around the tables, moving closer.

  Robert snapped his head in her direction, his chest rising and falling. “If you aren’t capable of doing your job, Doctor, I assure you that you will be replaced. However, that won’t bode well for your family and that pretty little girl of yours.”

  Jesus Christ. The staff had been threatened. I shrank back, reining in my rage, at least until I could figure out what the hell was actually going on.

  “Fine,” Dr. Wycliff huffed, turning away from him as if disgusted.

  The other three scientists remained cowering in the corners, doing their best not to draw any attention to themselves.

  He shook his head, slowly gazing at me once again. “You will be a good little girl, or I assure you that your punishment will be severe. We’ll return in thirty minutes. She must be ready. If she gives you any trouble, shoot her.”

  The three men stormed toward the massive metal door, wasting no time in leaving.

  Dr. Wycliff took long strides after they’d retreated, even slamming the door behind them. “Bastards,” she whispered. She slapped her palms against the metal, taking exaggerated breaths before turning to face her staff. “Prepare the injection.”

  Injection? What the hell was she talking about?

  I backed away several additional feet, searching for a weapon of any kind. There was nothing that could be helpful.

  “Unlock the cell,” Dr. Wycliff instructed before turning around. When no one responded, she hissed, “Do it!”

  Within seconds, one of the males walked in my direction, his expression one I’d never forget. As if he’d been tossed into an abyss.

  Maybe we all had.

  The Breeds had been tested from the beginning, the various scientists attempting to figure out why the chemicals had reacted in transforming their DNA. There’d been dozens of reports over the years, happy little pictures of Breeds smiling for the cameras. Had every single Netscape story been a fabrication? Had the Breeds been mistreated the entire time?

  The young scientist’s hands were shaking as he shifted his palm over the console, cringing as the nearly silent click indicating it had been unlocked shifted between us. As the door slowly began to slide to one side, he seemed even more nervous, his face white as a sheet.

  Dr. Wycliff finally shifted to face me, her mouth twisting even before she walked closer. I could see the outline of a weapon in her jacket. Everything was entirely different than Dr. Porter had purported. Had all his experiments been nothing but a lie?

  “Just try and stay calm, Officer Bastille.”

  “As of today, I don’t think I’m still considered a part of the DSIC,” I countered. “Why don’t you call me Clarise?” I took purposeful steps just outside the cell, studying the other three scientists. I could easily overpower all four of them, but I had the distinct feeling that Robert’s goons would make a sudden appearance, eager and willing to shoot to kill.

  She offered a waning smile then brushed her shaking hand through the few strands of hair that had fallen from the tight bun on top of her head. Even before getting any closer, I could tell the kind of duress she was under.

  “You’re obviously very important to them,” she offered before pointing toward the prepared instruments.

  I scanned the room, searching for any signs that Dr. Porter’s work even existed before taking any additional steps. Even then, the three other scientists backed away, obviously told that I was unhinged. Maybe it was time to live up to whatever reputation the commander had provided.

  Growling, I even issued a couple of barks, hating myself as soon as I witnessed another round of intense fear.

  Dr. Wycliff dropped whatever she was holding, finally walking in my direction with purpose. She darted a single look into the corner, her stilted body language enough to help me realize we were being watched. “Come with me, Officer Bastille. We need to prepare you.” Her eyes were imploring.

  The adrenaline from before was wearing off, yet my body remained tense, strained. “What the hell is going on in this lab? Why was Dr. Porter killed?”

  She turned away from where she’d indicated the camera, placing her finger over her mouth until I was within a foot. “You need to sit down. You also need to be quiet,” she whispered, the pulse in her neck thumping rapidly.

  “Tell me about Dr. Porter.”

  “It’s just what I said.”

  “Right. You’re lying to me.” I glanced up at the monitors, snarling. “Where are the Breeds being kept? I know it’s not in some glorified fake room with pretend consoles for entertainment.”

  Her mouth twisted. “As I said, I am required to continue my job.”

  “And what are you planning on doing?”

  Dr. Wycliff was even more uncomfortable than before, either unable or unwilling to look me in the eyes. “I have to finish your inoculations.”

  “What do you mean by finish?” My thoughts rushed to two nights before, my belief that I’d been drugged. I’d been right.

  She actually had the audacity to hum as she pulled one of the steel syringes off the metal cart. If she honestly believed that I would go along with this without question, she had another damn think coming.

  I snapped my hand around her throat, yanking her closer, grabbing the inoculation unit out of her hand, prepared to jam it into her neck. While the others rushed forward, I kept my hold, whispering so the great Netscape camera couldn’t detect my aggression. “I asked you a question. What’s the shot for, Doctor? Trust me, you don’t want to lie to me.”

  Swallowing, she nodded, immediately wrapping her hand around her throat when I let her go. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Dr. Porter never wanted this. He was a brilliant scientist who cared deeply for the Breeds, trying to care for them while performing his job. He would have never allowed this to continue.”

  “He wouldn’t, huh? All right. Just tell me who’s really responsible for his murder?” A Breed might have done the awful deed, but I was positive he’d been pushed into doing so.

  “I don’t know. I swear to you,” Dr. Wycliff hissed. “He was dead before we saw him. I was told the Breed had reacted, breaking free of his chains. The beast was also dead before I entered the room.”

  Fuck. I wasn’t getting any more out of her on that subject.

  “Okay. I was given some kind of drug before, wasn’t I? My capture was planned. Answer me that.”

  “Yes.” Her face was beet red.

  “What’s the injection for?”

  I could feel the other scientists hovering closer, prepared to protect her.

  “What?” I hissed between clenched teeth.

  “To make you more desirable.”

  “Desirable?”

  Dr. Wycliff nodded. “And compatible. If not, you’ll be torn apart.”

  “By whom?”

  “The alpha. The lion alpha. They have difficulty controlling their shifting when mating.”

  “Why is he so important? Why more than the tigers or bears, even the wolves?” I inched to within centimeters of her face, lifting the inoculating unit.

  Her eyes opening wide, she sputtered the answer. “Because he’s the only one who can save our species.”

  Chapter Ten

  Luca

  Dangerous.

  Everything that had happened during the afternoon had been entirely too dangerous, but it had been a risk I’d been willing to take. While I believed every word Clarise had said, understanding her insistence on returning to her job, I was antsy, more concerned than ever. I could also feel that Brandon and the others were slowly slipping into a more feral state, the experiments performed possibly altering their abilities to maintain some level of humanity forever.

  That couldn’t be tolerated even if they were rescued. Our rules were strict, let alone what the humans had put into place. While we still remained under the radar, the concept of starting a war wasn’t in our best interest. Although my thought
s were drifting to that level.

  Evidently, some of the other Breeds were thinking along the same lines as well. I stood outside the building used as the Pride’s communal space, noticing the number of vehicles in the dilapidated parking lot. Word had gone out that the leader of the Tiger Streak had requested a meeting. There was no formal council of the shifters; however, it had been widely known that eventually we would be forced to come together when necessary.

  While acceptance that I was the king was somewhat limited, very few Breeds wanted to upset the natural order of things.

  As they’d been in the wild all those decades ago.

  Still, some basic approval of my mate was necessary in order for our kingdom to rise. Becca’s warning remained in my mind.

  When I entered the great hall, almost immediately all conversation stopped, the Pride members stepping aside in order for me to pass. I scanned the room, noticing several concerned faces. They knew what was likely at stake, the humans attempting to capture additional lions in their quest to find some applicable serum. All the propaganda we’d heard over the years regarding helping us return to our natural state was bullshit. Everyone was completely aware, yet only a certain segment of our Pride wanted to fight the system.

  I’d known Rollins White since we were cubs, their Streak within close proximity to the Pride. We’d even found a friendship of sorts as only wild animals could do prior to the chemical imbalance. He’d succeeded his father, a man that all the other Breeds had feared. While not nearly as temperamental, Rollins had fallen into anger management issues over the arduous years of learning to live as a human. I was surprised that he hadn’t gathered his people to descend on the science ward in order to save their own.

  Unless he was harboring a secret that I wasn’t aware of.

  A table had been set up, four chairs in position, Jonas already prepared to take a seat, the other two occupied. To everyone in our Pride, this was pure entertainment, a true rarity. Rollins had brought a single soldier with him, a good sign.

  “Luca,” Rollins said as he stood, offering his hand as humans would. While I shook it, I felt the rumble of my beast from deep within.

  “Rollins. This is Jonas, one of my most trusted men.” Both Ranger and Kane stood off to the side. Only Becca was nowhere to be seen.

  Rollins nodded before sitting, eyeing the crowd with some disdain. “I had hoped we would have this conversation in private.”

  “I have no need to hide anything from the Pride. We are all aware of what the Breeds are facing.”

  “Are you certain of that?” he asked quietly.

  I could tell how agitated he was, tension ripe within every muscle. He was also sweating, an unusual occurrence for any of the Breeds.

  “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning there are rumors that the humans plan on exterminating all of us.”

  “Where have you heard these rumors?”

  He leaned over the table, locking eyes with mine. “From all across the country. Various sources from several of the Breeds.”

  “And these sources are trustworthy?”

  “Of course. They are our kind.”

  “Yet some enjoy living their lives as humans, even playing politics when necessary.”

  I could see his anger level increasing. A snarl curled on his lip before he answered. “That’s because so many have been stripped of their ability to shift, let alone the fact they are forbidden to hunt, required to do so under the guise of darkness.”

  “The same for the Streaks?”

  He nodded, his face showing exhaustion. “There are far fewer tigers who have the capability of shifting than even a year ago. The few cubs born maintain their abilities until they reach puberty. Then it becomes almost impossible.”

  “Is that why you haven’t attempted to rescue your people from the science ward?”

  “We have no way of knowing the horrors that have been inflicted or if they are even considered tigers any longer. I can’t risk bringing them back to the Streak any more than you can risk bringing lions with tainted blood back to the Pride.”

  His words caused a rumble within the great hall, several of my own people agreeing with him. I let off an intense roar, immediately shutting down their mumbles.

  “My people are worth saving. They are important to us just like all Breeds’ lives should be.”

  “You don’t understand, Luca. You’ve been lucky. Your abilities are fully intact, your blood almost pure. My world is entirely different. Cubs are rarely born, some horribly disfigured, other dying of an unknown cause. There are no human scientists that want to help us, only those who want to destroy.”

  “That’s what you’ve heard, Rollins. That doesn’t mean that all the rumors are true.”

  “What makes you dare to believe anything out of a human’s mouth?” He snarled the question, his hackles raised. “They kept us chained for the early years, terrified that we would take over their precious world. Only when they realized that with our limited numbers we would never be able to fight back did they finally allow us privileges. Only then did they help educate us, providing us alternative locations to live so we could pretend to be humans. But they’ve kept us in chains instead of cages, making certain we have no ability to be free. Free to roam. Free to be who we were born to be!” He smashed his hand down on the table, creating another reaction.

  Dozens of people clapped, many of them roaring their appreciation.

  Sadly, I could see only a faint resemblance of Rollins’ beast within his eyes. Even he was losing the ability to shift, a true tragedy.

  I shifted my gaze across the room, curling my lip. While they had every right to their opinions and expressions, the last thing I needed was a mutiny on my hands. There was so much that my people didn’t know.

  I’d become more fearful that the Breeds would lose all their animalistic qualities, reverting entirely to human, although they’d never be fully accepted.

  “Because I believe the humans need us more than we need them,” I finally said.

  Rollins narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “While it is yet to be confirmed, I believe that humans are dying of the same chemicals that altered our DNA.”

  My answer seemed to stun everyone in the room, including Jonas and the others. Jonas turned to look at me, his eyes imploring.

  Finally there was an almost giddy sense that filtered into the room, although the majority of the Pride remained quiet.

  “How do you know that?” Rollins asked.

  “From a trusted source, a woman I care about very much, as well as a year spent watching what the humans are doing. They’re running scared, a reason for the additional rules we’ve all had to endure. However, I do not believe that the majority of humans want to force us into extinction.” Even though Clarise had said very little, I’d read her mind, including her fears. She truly believed she could find the answers. What if the human race was in jeopardy?

  “I think you need to explain yourself.”

  “If I’m right, there is a bad faction of humans. Their purpose is yet to be seen.”

  Rollins seemed to take the information better than I had hoped. He sat back in his seat, taking several deep breaths. “Then what can be done and how can you find proof that this is true?”

  “First, our people must be freed from the science ward. We must know what they’ve been forced to endure.”

  He glanced at his soldier, their silent communication obvious. When Rollins faced me again, he shook his head. “It is far too dangerous to bring them back to the Streak. I’m sorry, Luca. We just won’t risk it.”

  I pushed down my anger, knowing that whatever I said had to be tempered in order to eventually work together. “Very well. Then I will see what I can do to free them.”

  “You can’t do that. They will kill their kind!” Rollins spouted off.

  “I will find them a safe harbor until we know for certain. That is the gift I will give to you. However, you will need to
explain to them why their Streak has abandoned them.”

  I could tell in his eyes how angry he was, furious that I’d challenge him in any manner. While he backed down, even lowering his eyes, I had a feeling that I hadn’t heard the last of this. He would soon need to learn his place.

  “When are you attempting to free them?” he asked.

  “Within the next two days. I believe the danger for them is increasing. I will know when the time is right.”

  “What then, Luca? What if you find out that you are correct? Who are you going to talk to that will listen to the king of the jungle?” A slight smile curled on his lip, the kind of look that pissed me off.

  I refused to take the bait. “There are ways to obtain evidence, Rollins. I intend on finding as much as possible without starting an immediate war. Sadly, I fear the humans will retaliate in some manner. While I don’t have any idea of the number of humans behind what is occurring at this scientific facility, they will not risk the information leaking to anyone, including members of the press.”

  “You’re assuming that you are right and that we won’t be exterminated.”

  “Correct. I will know soon enough.”

  Rollins took the opportunity to take a deep whiff, holding the scent before exhaling. “The rumors are true.”

  I certainly knew he was talking about something else other than the experiments. “Meaning?”

  “You are prepared to mate with a human female.”

  I wasn’t surprised that Rollins threw out the information in front of my own people. What I was surprised at was the glee in his eyes at doing so as well as the fact one of the people closest to me had betrayed me. I slowly turned my head, glancing at Jonas first, Kane second, and finally Ranger. All three of my soldiers held my gaze. They knew what I would do to them if I found they had been the one leaking information.

  There wasn’t a single Pride member who wasn’t in an uproar, several getting to their feet, stomping their disapproval. While I allowed their commotion for a few minutes, I finally threw out my arm. They dare not cross me now or they’d face my wrath.

  I leaned over the table, making certain Rollins saw my beast as a prevalent being, allowing a growl to slide up from my throat. “Who I mate with is my decision.”