by Eva Gordon
Tomlin sighed. “Despite your recent injuries, you appear completely healed. I will run your DNA and maybe get clues on your nature.”
Kane furrowed his brow. “What about my memory?”
“Amnesia is usually temporary, but in your case because of your—species— might take longer. Unless...” Dr. Tomlin shook his head. “Never mind.”
Both she and Kane asked at the same time. “What?”
Tomlin frowned. “It’s possible you are the product of some human/wolf hybridization and you have no prior memories.”
Gaby blurted. “You mean like a clone?”
Kane shook his head. “That wouldn’t explain how I know certain things.”
“They may have programmed you to have working knowledge of our world,” suggested Dr. Tomlin. “Hence, no memories of a past.”
“Pure science fiction,” snorted Gaby. Then again, her kind shouldn’t exist either.
Kane frowned. “Who would do that and then put me up in a damn helicopter?”
“Just a hypothesis,” said Dr. Tomlin. “I’m sure Director Giles will learn more.”
The hybridization labs in New Mexico were a well-guarded secret, but she knew such things were possible. Their experiments dealt with animals. Chimeras often didn’t survive long. Maybe Kane was the exception. Injected with wolf DNA. Perhaps used as a weapon.
“Doesn’t feel like I’m a clone.”
“You’re probably right.” Tomlin handed him a tote bag. “Here’s some clothes.”
“Thanks.” Kane dressed. Cargo pants and black t-shirt. The clothes didn’t hide his ripped body. His muscular physique looked like he worked out 24/7. After weeks of being in a coma, he should have appeared gaunt with no muscle tone. Not ready to join the Olympics.
A man walked in with a lunch tray and bottles of water. A turkey sandwich, three huge hamburgers, and a big bowl of fries.
Dr. Tomlin smiled. “I’ll give you an hour to eat lunch then I’ll return and run more tests.”
Kane closed his eyes and sniffed, reminding her of a cat basking in catnip. “Maybe eating will bring back my memory.” Kane bit into the hamburger and ate the entire thing in seconds.
Tomlin interrupted. “Retrograde amnesia is rare. I think viewing a variety of images might jog your memory.”
“When can I start?”
“Soon. After we run physical tests.” Dr. Tomlin turned to Gaby. “You are in charge of taking him to your office and letting him view images. Start with geographical pictures, people at work, objects, and then work up to images he might have seen before the explosion.”
Gaby almost choked. By office, he meant her apartment. She swallowed. “Wait. I’m trained in animal not human behavior.”
“I can return to wolf form if you prefer.” Kane smirked.
Dr. Tomlin raised a brow. “Excuse us while I have a word with Gaby.”
Kane shrugged. “Take all the time you want, but I’m not working with anyone but her.”
Gaby sighed and followed Dr. Tomlin out the door. She muttered, “I’m not good with people.”
“He is a wolf shifter of unknown origins, and you, my dear, like it or not, are a wolf charmer. Who better to work with him?”
“Kane in human form makes me feel…awkward.” No need to mention she detected the wolf in the man. That would only encourage him to keep her as his handler.
Tomlin smiled. “It’s obvious he’s bonded with you. You are attractive and he is constantly watching you, even when talking to others.”
Her cheeks heated. That didn’t help. “Men like that only want…you know.”
“Don’t get me wrong, but other than your looks, your innate wolf-segen charm is why he wants to work with you.”
Nope. I was wrong about my charm. He wants to get in my pants. Or is it me that wants to get in his pants? “He is too alpha. Better I stay out of it.”
“What if he turns into a wolf?”
Gaby rolled her eyes. “Sedate him and wait until he shifts to a human.”
“I’ve seen you turn vicious attack trained dogs into sweet lapdogs. A wolf charmer can calm any beast.”
Gaby mostly worked with dogs and big cats. She’d practiced her charming skills with real wolves only once when she led a group of wolves back into a national park to protect them from being hunted. “Not sure it will work with someone who is only part-time wolf.” Not to mention so good looking she lost her rationality. Truth was she feared her heart would be broken if she got too close. He might have a wife or a pack of pups waiting for him. Falling in love with a married man had nearly broken her. And even if he didn’t have a significant other, a hot hunk like him might want another flavor by next week.
“After you help jog his memory, I’ll let Giles know you deserve a two month break.”
He already reneged on giving her time off. Could Tomlin convince Giles to keep his word? If she got time off, working with the sexy werewolf would be worth it. She sighed. Time to paint her wildlife scenes. Maybe adopt a new puppy. She’d never been without a dog. “All right, you had me at two month break.”
“Good. Let’s go back in.”
They returned. Kane had wolfed down his lunch. Healthy appetite. She furrowed her brow. “Do you want more?”
“I’m good for now.” He stood and pointed to her sandwich. “Finish yours so we can get the damn tests over with.”
She sat. “Okay.”
“Sorry, I ate all the fries.”
“It’s okay. I’m not a big fan.”
“Gaby, bring him down to our gym in an hour or so.”
“Okay.” She returned to finish her sandwich, aware of Kane’s feral amber eyes on her.
Dr. Tomlin winked and left. Apparently, he trusted her wolf charm to keep Kane in check if he turned wolf. Although, last time he was in wolf form, he appeared as friendly as a loyal dog. His only outburst, growling and shaking his cage, happened in human form. When she was alone with him. No predator had ever acted aggressive toward her. Could he be the one creature her charm did not work on?
He scrubbed his light beard. “While you finish eating, where can I shave?”
“There’s a bathroom over there. The cabinet has a razor and deodorant.”
He drank his water, got up and narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t even think of leaving.”
Compelled to obey, Gabby nodded. Wait, shouldn’t I compel him? She snapped out of the I’ll-do-anything-for-you-master submission. “Actually, if anybody considered escape, it would be you.”
He smiled. “Escaping. Now there’s a thought.”
“Impossible on this level.”
“Sounds like someone who has tried.”
“Why would I? I work here.”
“My wolf intuition tells me you are not thrilled about your job.”
Gaby stiffened. How did he know? The last time she escaped, many people and animals died. She had not gotten far and paid dearly for it. Torture and isolation nearly killed her. Outside these walls, she didn’t exist. She had no social security card or driver’s license. She received a false passport, depending on where she travelled for the project’s assignments. Her online college degree was in the name of Katy Giles, an infant who died at birth. It took Giles three years to trust her again. With permission, she could now travel locally and even abroad as long as security accompanied her. She took a napkin and wiped her mouth. “I enjoy working with animals so it suits me.”
“Not people?”
She stood and poured coffee in a mug. “I’m not a people person.”
He smiled. “A lone wolf.”
“That’s accurate.” She glanced at her watch. “Go ahead and shave. I’ll finish my notes.”
Kane stood and gave her a probing stare. “Are you sure we don’t know each other?”
Should she pretend she was his girlfriend as Giles suggested? She met his eyes. Mesmerized by them. Couldn’t lie, even if it meant life or death. “No, we’ve never met until today.”
“Too
bad.”
“I might remind you of someone, perhaps a sister or wife?”
“Not a sister, that’s for sure.” He winked and left for the shower.
Gaby waited for him to close the door and then sighed. She almost told him everything. Why risk her limited freedom? She lived alone and rode her bike to the nearby town. Giles knew she wouldn’t risk others by hitching a ride with a well-meaning stranger. Supervised while on missions, she’d been to many countries. Even attempted to fit in at parties with people her age. Awkward shyness had been her real downfall. She’d even rationalized what she did helped national security and the good of mankind. Still, what she wouldn’t give to never step foot in here again. Find a place far away, rescue some dogs from the pound and spend her days painting and selling her wildlife art online. She hoped, someday, to trade the bloodstains on her hands for paint stains. Perhaps, train dogs on the side. Could this werewolf help her escape?
Chapter 3
Kane stopped the treadmill. Screw this! He yanked off the electrodes from his chest and head. Two scientists in white coats, including Dr. Tomlin, checked the results.
They mumbled, “Impossible, record breaking, super human.”
Compared to you guys, damn super human sums it up. When he reached top running speed, his arms lined with fur, his fingers clawed, and his bare feet turned into paws. While bench-pressing, he went half-man half-wolf. Shirtless, Kane stepped off the treadmill, grabbed water and wiped his brow with the towel. “Are we done?”
Tomlin blinked. “For now, yes.” He turned to his colleagues. “We’ll present the data to Director Giles in the morning. Leave us.” They nodded and exited.
The three guards remained at attention near the entrance. Despite their cool demeanor, their eyes dilated and the stench of sweat indicated their fear after they witnessed him partially shift during the physical tests. Their rapid heartbeats continued. Their fingers smoothed the triggers of their tranquilizer guns. Kane pinned them with a probing stare. They averted their gazes. Let them try to cage me again. He stretched and grinned at the doc. “I take it you were impressed with my endurance and strength?” Best he didn’t show off his fighting skills or reveal his superior senses. Tomlin had an irregular but non-threatening heart murmur. His wolf nose picked up minute details about their body chemistry. One of the guards had the early stages of prostate cancer.
“Indeed. You bench pressed over one thousand pounds and broke the speed record for completing a marathon.” He shook his head.
Rather than feeling exhausted, the under an hour run rejuvenated him. The exercise warmed his muscles for running even longer distances. “Which is what?”
“A little over two hours. You ran it in fifteen minutes.” Tomlin chuckled. “Pretty sure if you ran the Boston Marathon, they’d test you for drugs. I once ran marathons until I injured my knee.” He furrowed his brow. “Only weeks ago, you broke two legs and somehow not only healed but recovered well enough to enter and win the marathon of your choice.”
His humor wasn’t appreciated. Kane clasped his hands tightly. Not to prevent him from going wolf, or even attacking the doc, but rather circumventing his irritation and punching a hole in the wall. He grimaced. “If I’m doing so well, then how come I don’t know who the hell I am?”
Dr. Tomlin sighed. “For the past thirty years, I’ve worked on top secret biological weapons and animal research labs even presidents didn’t know about.” He furrowed his brow. “At first, I thought you were a black ops creature known as dogmen, but you far exceed their enhancements.”
Kane lifted his brow. Though he didn’t recognize the term, maybe that’s what he was. “How am I different?”
“Dogmen never shift into human form. They are bipedal and have the torso of a seven-foot human, but a canine face. With some fur. No long wolf snout. Their face is almost pug-like. Like you, they have great strength, but lack your speed. They lack the ability to speak and certainly never act human. A dangerous savage beast. We kept you caged, in case that’s what you were.”
“Have you seen one?”
“Yes, I’ve studied their anatomy and operated on a few. Unlike you, their injuries didn’t heal fast.”
“It’s possible I could be one, conceivably with wolf and human DNA.”
“Director Giles will look into it.”
“Sooner rather than later.”
Tomlin took out his mobile. “I’ll text Gaby you are ready.”
Gaby. The one person who brought him hope. Not just because she could help him regain his memory, but her sweet scent and essence comforted him. If she didn’t smell so human, he would have thought her a werewolf. Earlier, his acute hearing picked up the conversation she had with the doc outside the examination room. Tomlin suggested I am attracted to her. He smiled. True. But then he mentioned something about her using her wolf-segen charm on him? What was that all about?
Tomlin put away his mobile. “She’ll be down in fifteen minutes.”
“Did she leave the facility?”
“No. She’s working with a new dog.” He opened a small refrigerator and handed him a bottle. “Have a vitamin protein shake. No milk in it. It’s for dogs, but you might like it.”
“Sure, why not?” He twisted the top off and drank. The drink actually tasted good. “Hit me with another.”
Tomlin nodded and gave him a second bottle. “I’ll have your accommodations made more comfortable.”
“No more cage?”
“I won’t lie to you. The room will remain locked.” He stared at his tablet. “We can’t risk an escape.”
Does he honestly think he can contain me? If he wanted, Kane could force the doctor to the front door. However, staying might trigger his memory, and he wasn’t leaving without Gaby. She was the key, but he didn’t know why or her purpose. Kane smirked. “Trust me. Not going anywhere.”
“Good.” He pointed to the locker room. “Take a shower. There’s a change of clothes inside.”
“Sure thing, Doc.” He took off his clothes, stepped in the shower and turned the water on. Cold. Not sure how he knew, but he hated hot water. As he soaped his body, a vision of a snow-covered forest entered his mind. Home? He finished and dressed. Before he opened the door, he inhaled her enthralling scent. He stepped out just as she entered.
Gaby didn’t look at him. She addressed Dr. Tomlin. “Reporting for duty.”
He wanted to howl. Oh, yeah. No oversized coveralls. Gaby had changed into tight blue jeans and a long sleeved light green shirt, enhancing her mesmerizing green eyes. She pinned her hair up; better to see her soft pale throat.
Tomlin smiled at her. “Good, take him to your office and show him the images that might jog his memory.”
She flicked her gaze up and then turned to him. “Ready?”
Even annoyed she looked adorable. Kane smiled. “All my life.” He followed Gaby’s shapely little ass down the hall to an upper floor. Not alone. Three guards shadowed them, but stood by the door while they entered her office. A waste of their time. He could take them out in seconds. Weapons or not. He couldn’t remember his identity, but he certainly remembered how to kill. Both as a human, wolf, and some hybrid form in between. A monster created in a fucking underground lab?
Gaby closed the door. “Sorry about all the security.”
“Not a problem.” Kane smirked. “Are you sure it’s safe to close the door?”
“I’ve never been attacked by a dog, wolf or any other animal for that matter.”
“Really?”
“Then again, you did go pissed off werewolf on me while you were caged.”
“My rage was never directed at you.” He couldn’t blame her for being scared of him. She’d been the only person in the room and caged, his wolf raged for escape.
“I want to believe you, but I’ve never worked with a werewolf.”
“I promise not to bite.” I’ll save that pleasure for later.
He glanced around. “Is that another room?”
; Gaby nodded. “That’s my private apartment for long work nights.”
He smiled. “I’ll give myself a quick tour.”
“Wait!”
Kane raced ahead, tilted his head and sniffed. “Nice digs.” He winked.
Gaby rolled her eyes.
He finished inspecting her apartment and entered her office. “Maybe I should stay overnight?”
“It’s only one bedroom.”
“Get me a bigger one.” He pointed his chin to a small dog’s bed near her desk. “I don’t mind sleeping in wolf form.”
“I don’t have a dog bed your size. Anyway, until Director Giles gets back, you need to stay in a secured room.”
He sighed. “Yeah, the doc told me I’m moving. No more cage, but a locked room. Either way still prison.”
Gaby averted her gaze and sighed. “I’m sure it will be one of our suites.”
He smelled the tang of guilt. “As long as I have room to shift.”
“How can you just shift without the painful transformation you see in every werewolf movie?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. Except, it feels as natural as changing clothes.”
“Apparently, you don’t need to wait for the full moon.” She snorted. “Like in all those old monster movies.”
“I just will it and I shift.”
“Interesting.” She nodded. “Actually, some of the newer werewolf movies leave the full moon out of the picture.”
“Good to note.” Kane observed a framed picture of her holding a small terrier. She looked happy. Beautiful smiling lips. He sniffed. “Where is your little dog?”
Her mouth down turned. “Oz died about a month ago.”
“Sorry.”
Gaby sighed. “Old age.” She turned on a computer and the wall screen. “Have a seat.”
At least she didn’t use the command, “sit.” Kane sat on the chair in front of the screen and she at the computer console. “So what are you going to show me?”
“I’ll start with places, people and maybe throw in wolf images.”
