by Eva Gordon
Gaby frowned. “The bitch who stuck a hypodermic needle in my neck?”
“A harmless human tranquilizer. Trust me. The less you know the better. Those are the rules until you choose to sign the non-disclosure contract.”
Being part of Project Sabertooth, she knew what would happen if she revealed their operation, but still why not ask? “And if I don’t?”
Rachel sighed. “A decision will be made.”
“Meaning?”
“If you can be compelled to forget or if not, execution.”
Gaby swallowed. “If I’m compelled, will I forget knowing Ka...Steele?”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “To be honest, there is the risk a good hypnotherapist could make you remember. My father also believes a strong serum can awaken your memories as well. Not that people will believe you, but you never know.”
“I’ll sign it.” She cocked her head. “I thought compelling someone not to remember was permanent.”
“Actually, most humans we compel never remember, with the exception of those that developed a strong emotional attachment to a werewolf.”
“Like love?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “I might as well tell you, I was in the same boat you were in not too long ago.”
Horror struck every fiber of her core. They meant to turn her as part of the contract. “You mean human and in love?”
“Yes.”
Gaby flinched. “I won’t become one of you.”
“Don’t worry, you won’t turn werewolf.”
“But you chose to?”
“My situation was unique and somewhat accidental.”
“Oh?” Falling down steps or spilling milk was accidental, not becoming a werewolf.
“Lev, who led your rescue, is my mate. He’s not your usual werewolf. He is a mutant and unbeknownst to us, when he bit me to heal me, he changed my DNA.”
Bit to heal her? Kane had bitten her during hot sex. “So a normal werewolf’s bite doesn’t do that?”
“No. You will remain human.” Rachel chuckled. “I bet that’s a relief.”
“Yeah, I am happy to stay human.”
“Unfortunately, neither King Conan nor the council will approve your marriage.”
“We are more than married, we are mates.”
“Hey, I’m in your camp, but lycan society is profoundly different than ours.”
“Meaning no interspecies weddings?”
“There are exceptions, but you are not one of them.”
Probably because she couldn’t be turned. Gaby sighed. “Thanks for sharing.”
“Believe it or not, I’m still learning about their—our society.”
“How long have you been a werewolf?”
“Almost six months.” She snorted. “I’m a total newbie. Before that, I thought werewolves were only found in myths and Hollywood movies.”
“That must have been shocking, especially you being a doctor and all.”
“No kidding.” She glanced at her watch. “Anyway, I probably blabbed too much.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t share.”
“I trust you, even if I know next to nothing about you.”
“Will I ever get to see my husband?” She still wore the wedding band and, hopefully, so did he. Yet, would it soon be a meaningless trinket?
“Steele is an alpha and as such, he’s allowed to keep a human, but only as a pet.”
“You mean a mistress?” Or did she literally mean a pet?
“In a manner of speaking. If you were a Stallo woman, there might have been a chance, but even so, he’s a prince and duty bound to mate a royal alpha.”
“What do you mean a Stallo woman?”
“The werewolves’ ancestor was a wizard named Stallo. His daughter carried the DNA that allowed mating between a lycan and human. Mia, married to the pack enforcer, and I, are the only known Stallo women.”
“You tested a sample of my DNA?”
“We will, but not really necessary. Your blood type is AB negative, which is rare, but not the type Stallo women have.”
“Which is?”
“O-negative. But of those blood types only a rare number have the genetic Stallo marker.” Rachel took her phone out of her pocket and spoke, “She’s ready.” She put it away. “Cricket is on her way. I’ll leave you to dress.”
Rachel walked out and locked the door behind her.
Gaby looked up at the ceiling. Great! The friendly clinic now another prison. She dressed and waited. Where would Cricket take her? Hopefully, to see Kane, if only to say goodbye.
The door unlocked and the petite woman from yesterday entered. She sniffed, and then smiled. “Good morning, Gaby, I’ll take you to join our alpha, Rylee, for breakfast.”
“Will my…Kane be there?”
“Sorry, no. Commander Steele suffers from some sort of morphogenesis or more likely a rare brain wipe mess up.”
“A werewolf lobotomy.”
“You know the term?”
“Steele believes his pack gave him the brain wipe.”
“Nope. Self-inflicted.”
“What? Why? And how can they tell?”
“Not important. Hurry, Rylee hates tardiness.”
“I’m anxious to get answers from him so let’s go.”
“Rylee is a woman.”
“Oh, sorry.” She had only known men in authority and assumed their top commander would be a big alpha male.
Gaby followed Cricket down the hall and into an elevator. The young petite woman dressed casual in blue jeans, a red hoodie and running shoes. She looked more like a college coed than a dangerous soldier. Little Red Riding Hood instead of a big bad she-wolf, she remembered how strong Cricket was when she captured her.
Cricket turned to her. “You bow and no matter what, never make eye contact with a werewolf, especially an alpha.”
Gaby lowered her gaze. “You didn’t seem to mind.”
“I’m used to being around humans and not a fan of pecking orders.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve trained canines and understand pack behavior.”
Cricket snorted. “It’s far more complicated.”
They stepped out into a long cavern-like hallway. Cricket stopped before a double door, guarded by two black-uniformed soldiers. They stared at Gaby and then gave Cricket a nod as they opened the door.
Cricket bowed her head and elbowed Gaby, who copied her.
“At ease.”
Cricket raised her head. “Ma’am. Gaby, umm…”
“Gaby Wildwood.” Her marriage name.
An elegant woman, blonde with streaks of grey hair, stood from behind a massive desk. “Gaby, what a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rylee, alpha of the pack.” She pointed to a door to the right of her office. “Please, join me for breakfast.”
“Shall I stay, ma’am?” Cricket asked.
“No. Gaby will stay in my guest room until further notice.”
Cricket’s eyes widened as if this was out of the ordinary. “Yes, ma’am.” She bowed and left.
“Come.” She entered a posh dining room. The table had been set for breakfast. A server stood nearby. Rylee gestured. “Have a seat, Gaby.”
“Thank you.”
“I had the cook make you a human breakfast. Omelet, toast, bacon and hash browns. Or do you prefer something else?”
“No. That’s perfect, thank you.” Rylee seemed nice, almost human, yet, her plate consisted of meat. Beef or deer maybe…and raw. “Coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, please.”
The server brought a mug of fresh brew.
“I had my first breakfast already; this is my mid-morning meal of fresh venison.”
Not knowing what to say, Gaby said, “It’s an honor to meet Steele’s pack leader.”
“I’m happy you know his real name. Although, of all the people for him to escape with and even marry, I never in my wildest dreams expected you.”
“Because I’m human.”
“Yes, but even more imp
ortantly, because you are a wolf-segen, an unusual human we thought long dead.”
Gaby’s pulse quickened. No point in lying since werewolves could read the truth. “How do you know?”
“We have a man, a human, who works for the CIA. Our ears and eyes. He found out and told us about Project Sabertooth. A secret black ops group using animals to assassinate enemies. Your files were hard to access, but our techie, Manny, is a genius hacker.”
Maybe she had met her inside man. Only, she might know he was a double agent. “Does Avery Kraig work for you?”
Rylee’s mouth tightened as if she smelled a foul odor. “No, he is our number one enemy. His father Alistair Kraig is the leader of The Keep. Unfortunately, he found out about you as well.”
“That I’m a wolf charmer?”
“Yes, and so did Lunara, our wolf shaman.”
Gaby’s appetite disappeared, replaced by a gnawing feeling her days or possibly hours were over. “You plan to kill me.”
Rylee sighed and stared at an ancient-looking text encased in glass. “So dictates our laws.”
Chapter 15
The high-pressured ice cold shower hit his human skin like a fire hose. However, the freezing temperature didn’t shock him into remembering. His private den remained alien. The palatial bathroom included a natural pool surrounded by river stones with an artificial waterfall. Though it aesthetically pleased him, he chose the normal shower. He turned off the water, dried himself and dressed in the black sweats they left for him. Clothes that fit. No doubt his. He walked to the kitchen, modernized with smart appliances controlled by voice commands. “Brew a fresh cup of coffee.”
The coffee maker ground the beans and then proceeded to make coffee. He peeked in the refrigerator. Stocked with fresh meat of every variety from game to domestic. Dark beer bottles stood on the refrigerator’s side door. A snapshot of him sitting by a lake drinking the beer with a stout-looking alpha, maybe a few years older. He had a military bearing and probably worked for Team Greywolf. Odd. The beer, his favorite, no doubt triggered something.
“Dark roast, ready,” said a computerized male voice.
Kane grabbed his mug and muttered, “This place is more like a space station than a wolf den.” He walked around, trying to see if anything else jogged his memory. The soft leather furnishings, exquisite paintings, and state of the art entertainment system belonged to him. Yet, he felt like he was in a stranger’s house. And empty without Gaby. He took out their wedding picture and looked at her beautiful face and sweet body. Where was she being held? His adrenaline spiked. Or had they gotten rid of her? At best compelled to forget him; at worse, murdered. Would they kill a helpless human? No one knew she was a wolf charmer. She had a calming effect, but that could be true of any human. He hid the wedding picture in his top drawer and closed it. I have to find my wife!
He paced. “I need a fucking phone.”
A screen on the wall switched on. “Who would you like to speak with?” asked the computer-generated female voice.
Lev had told him Rylee was his alpha and head commander of the team he belonged to. However, Lev mentioned to call him first to arrange meeting with anyone else. Bullshit. “Call Rylee.”
“Yes.”
An older attractive blonde appeared on the screen. “Prince Steele, it’s good to see you’re back with us.”
“Where is my wife?”
Her tone turned haughty. “My, have we forgotten protocol?”
He released a long breath. “Ma’am, commander.” Of all people, why couldn’t he remember the alpha pack leader? He lowered his gaze. “Please. Let me go to my wife.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Gaby is not your wife, at least not by lycan law.”
His fangs emerged and he growled. “What have you done to her?”
“We have not harmed Gaby. She is safe in her temporary quarters.”
Temporary? If they booted her out, what made her think he’d stay? His heart ached. Had they compelled her to forget him? “I must see her.”
“Not quite yet.”
He gritted his teeth. “Why not? Ma’am.” It’d be impossible to fight off an entire pack and escape with Gaby. She might even be locked up. How the hell would he get the key?
“Steele, we first need to debrief you and work on your memory loss.”
“Fine. Let’s get it done.”
“Do you recall your way around?”
Headquarters should look familiar, but didn’t. Maybe he’d never been here. A hoax to get him to defect to their side. An alpha such as Rylee could hide the truth from him. “Not exactly.”
“I’ll send Lev.”
“Yes, ma’am.” As long as Gaby was unharmed, he’d play along. Do whatever it fucking took to be with her. Safe in his arms. This appeased his wolf.
“See you in ten.” The screen turned off.
In less than ten minutes, his door buzzed and he opened it. Lev stood there. Big. He looked badass in a long leather black coat. “Feeling better?”
“Not until I see Gaby.”
“Don’t worry, comrade. We would never harm an innocent human.”
“Take me to Rylee.” He followed the Russian down the hallway and into the elevator.
Lev pushed a button that said Debriefing Room. He smiled. “What do you think of your den?”
“Nice. An over the top smart home.”
“Built to your specifications. You should see your cavern mansion fifteen miles from here.”
“Really?” He couldn’t imagine anything better than his stylish den. Could he convince them to let him and Gaby stay in his mansion? Fifteen miles sounded just about far enough away for privacy.
“Only Dominic, our enforcer, has a home of equal grandeur.”
“What about you? Big den?”
“I’m a minimalist. I only need simple home, big bed and warm mate.”
He chuckled. “You and me both.”
Lev snorted. “You have changed. I only wonder what will happen when you regain your memories.”
He shrugged and stared at the numbers. As long as his memory of Gaby remained, nothing else mattered. The elevator opened into a hallway. He sniffed and caught Gaby’s scent. He heard her talking. Who was she talking to? He veered left, but Lev grabbed his arm.
“When Rylee says ten minutes, she means it.”
At least Gaby was within hearing range “Got it.” Gaby’s voice didn’t sound stressed. If she did, he’d fight the mutant werewolf and every other damn werewolf to reach her. They entered the debriefing room. Except for an oblong table and a big screen, it appeared more like a living room than a war room. The lighting was a blue hue, and he noticed his pulse rate calm.
Rylee spoke to a small pale, almost albino, skinned man. Kane sniffed. An omega. Odd. Why would he work for a special ops team? “Once she arrives, make sure she sees me immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He headed for the door.
“And Jesper?”
The pale omega paused and turned. “Ma’am.”
“Have Manny double check that we have every Project Sabertooth file hacked and copied into a secure download. ASAP.”
Jesper nodded and left.
Kane swallowed. Was it possible they knew Gaby was more than an animal handler? They could have compelled her to reveal her true nature.
Rylee smiled. “Please, sit. Both of you.”
He and Lev took a seat at the table. Time to get to the point. Kane furrowed his brow. “What is your interest in Project Sabertooth?”
“We were not aware it existed, otherwise, we would have retrieved you sooner.”
“That’s where I met a fellow prisoner, Gaby, my wife.”
She ignored his reference to his marriage status. “Mr. H., our inside man in the CIA, had no clue about it. Trust me. It must have been a well-guarded secret to escape his radar.”
“The project was run by a man named Giles.”
“He’s dead.”
“How do you
know?”
“We found out you survived, but too late. There was no sign of you when we sent a retrieval team to the crash site. Once we learned of Project Sabertooth, we knew Giles would be more than happy to add a large wolf to his collection of assassin animals.”
“They found me in the middle of the Atlantic in wolf form, broken limbs and head injury.”
Rylee released a heavy sigh and then met his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He sensed her heartfelt apology, as if she blamed herself. What alpha wouldn’t feel regret for not keeping a pack member safe? “I healed, but my amnesia continues.”
“The brain wipe was self-inflicted, but apparently, the dosage failed.”
He stiffened. This made sense. My inner wolf said the memory loss was my fault. “Why would I give myself a werewolf lobotomy?”
“It was the only alternative if captured. Your team member first priority is never to reveal our existence.” Her eyes narrowed. “Interesting you know the term.”
“The man who interrogated me, said my pack gave me the werewolf lobotomy, but it didn’t take since I didn’t stay a wolf.”
“Who was this man?”
“Avery Kraig. Sound familiar?”
Rylee scowled. “He is the son of Alistair Kraig, the leader of The Keep.” She furrowed her brow. “You are one of the few werewolves to meet him and live to tell about it.”
“So you know he hunts werewolves?”
“Not only do they want to annihilate our kind, but they control all governments behind the scenes. Conspiracy groups call them the Illuminati, the cabal, the one world government, the one percent or whatever The Keep is referred to. They knew about Project Sabertooth. Hell, they probably started it.”
“He used wolfsbane laced truth serum to jog my memory into revealing more about the king’s and your pack’s location. Fortunately, the drug failed.”
“Yes, we know about their serum. Which is why you took the mind wipe drug,” said Rylee.
He furrowed his brow. “A high price to pay.”
“Only a partial mind wipe. Our lab designed a special drug, similar to the wolf lobotomy drug to erase your human mind, temporarily. You must have deemed it necessary to take the drug.” She frowned. “It would or should have kept you in wolf form for three months. At least as a wolf, you would not reveal our nature. Dr. Becker will need to find out why you shifted to human form.”
