by Tia Didmon
“Cyril bit Lucy. Talen's mate. She's pregnant. Will that compound effect her babies in any way?” he asked.
He saw the concern in her eyes. “I honestly don't know. They’ve only had one female shifter. She had already mated and she was the first shifter they had come across so they hadn't perfected their interrogation techniques at that time. She was a Tiger. They got her DNA but nothing else before she died.”
“They killed her mate or he would have come for her.”
“Yes. She was caged in her animal form. After a week of captivity, she shifted back to her human form. When Kevin told her he would force her to give him everything on her species she lengthened her own claws and ripped her own throat out.”
“She protected her lair the only way she could.” Sadness squeeze Hunter’s heart. He had never personally met a tiger shifter but his brother Luca had. He would do everything he could to find the woman's lair and let them know what she’d done to protect them. “Is there a test you can do to see if leopard DNA is present in Lucy?”
“I’ll give you the information you need to run the tests but I won't be the one doing it.”
Hunted sucked in a sharp breath. “You would turn your back on us? On Sarah?” He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
She closed her eyes. “Yes. I can't help you.”
Hunter growled low in his throat before he got himself under control. He didn't care what her reason was. She should be doing everything possible to help his species. Christ. To help Sarah. “What kind of person turns their back on a friend who was willing to die for them?”
Racheal's gut tightened. “I would do anything for Sarah. I want to help. I wish I could do more to make up for the damage I’ve done but I don’t have time to explain. I have to get away from you before it’s too late.” He would never know it was for his own protection.
Hunter growled. “I won't let you turn your back on Sarah. Or me.”
Racheal replayed his words in her mind. “You’re already being affected. You have to let me go.”
Hunter slammed on the brakes, causing the SUV to skid to a stop in front of the cabin. He got out and walked quickly to her door, yanking it open. “Get out.”
She gave him a hard look. “No.”
Hunter undid her seatbelt and scooped her into his arms. He dropped his lips to her ear as she struggled in his arms. “Don’t push me, Racheal, I’m barely holding on.”
She was blaming him when she was the problem. She took a long deep breath to calm her anger, realizing her mistake as soon as his masculine scent hit her nostrils. Her nipples peaked. Her skin tingled. Sweat beaded at her brow. Her pussy clenched. No. No. Not now.
There had been a time when she wanted to feel aroused. Lust. Nothing. She had wished she could be normal. She was a genius. She didn't act like other girls. Now she would do anything to take it away. Her treacherous body would get Hunter killed.
He stopped at the door of the cabin, placing her on her feet. “Racheal, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?”
She couldn't speak. She crushed her arms to her chest, attempting to alleviate the pressure as memories of a time she wanted these feeling filtered through her brain. The late nights. The breakthroughs. She had been so infatuated with his brain she never questioned why she wasn't attracted. She had betrayed her best friend. Herself. Her mate. He didn't deserve that pain.
She pushed him hard, forcing him to take a surprised step back. “I can’t go with you.”
His eyes glowed. “Tell me how a woman who weighs a buck ten can push a shifter in his prime.”
Her tinted yellow eyes met his. “I’m infected.”
Chapter 2
Racheal felt relief for the first time in years. She’d held onto her emotions so long they exploded out of her in a rush. Tears ran down her face as uncontrollable sobs racked her body.
“Shit.” Hunter scooped her up and kicked in the door to get her into the cabin.
He placed her on the couch, pulling her jacket from her, and tucked a warm blanket around her.
She rolled onto her side, scrunching her eyes closed, attempting to get her raging emotions under control.
Hunter rubbed her back, occasionally running a gentle hand over her hair. The kindness made her cry harder.
He spoke low. “Baby, tell me why you're so upset.”
She took a long uneven breath. “It’s been so long since I’ve told anyone the truth.”
She knew he didn’t understand. She would take this one moment of openness. This was for her. His gentle caresses and soft words were a memory she would hold onto in her last months. She needed him safe. He wouldn't be if he stayed with her. “You have to go.”
“I won’t leave without a good reason.” He rested his hand on her hip.
Even through the thick blanket, she felt the heat from his touch. His possession.
He leaned close to her ear. “Tell me what happened to you, Racheal.”
She'd expected him to ask about her infected body. He’d surprised her again. She felt she owed him this truth. It would make it easier for him to let her go. “I met Jordan three months before my abduction.”
Hunter’s hand gripped the blanket tightly. “Sarah didn’t know about Jordon.”
“No. He told me up front his father was Kevin Kallan, that he was a result of an affair and that he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. I felt sorry for him. Not telling Sarah was the first of many mistakes I made.”
Hunter frowned. “Go on.”
“I found Jordan fascinating. He's brilliant. His work was intriguing.”
“What was he working on?”
“At the time he was working on Coyote reproductive cycles. He had several DNA samples and was isolating a specific genome.”
“They were shifter samples, weren’t they?” He failed to keep the anger out of his voice.
“Actually, the original samples were from regular coyotes located in the Cascade mountains. I didn’t know it at the time but Jordan was testing me. Seeing how long it would take me to figure out the differences once he switched the samples.”
“Why would he test you?”
Racheal wasn't sure she wanted to expose that truth. “Indigenous Coyote DNA and Shifter Coyote DNA look identical unless you know what to look for.”
“Our DNA matches the form we are in?” he asked.
“It does except for one tiny marker. I call it the shifter gene as it looks the same on every shifter species.”
“Why hasn’t anyone found this marker before? Though we try to avoid it. Accidents happen. Our blood has been tested before.”
“You’ve heard the term a needle in a haystack. Well, your marker is a needle in a stack of needles that has a tiny scratch on it.”
“But you found it.”
“Yes.”
Hunter rubbed his neck. “How long did it take you?”
“I’m not sure exactly when Jordan switched the samples. A couple of months maybe,” she said.
Amber tinted his eyes. “What was the nature of your relationship with him?”
She sighed, knowing this was the end. “We worked together for months. He told me about Kevin’s love for Gerry and his contempt for him. I believed his lies. Even after he told me he worked on the weapon systems to fund his own research. The research was for isolating mating properties in animal species for the purpose of re-population.”
Hunter squinted. “Coyotes aren't on the endangered species list. Surely you questioned that.”
“I did. He said he was perfecting the technique with local wildlife since he had access to an unlimited supply of the DNA samples.”
“He had an unlimited supply of shifter DNA you mean,” he said in disgust.
“Yes. Though I didn’t know that at the time.”
“Go on.”
“As I said. I believed all his lies, including the one when he said he loved me,” she whispered.
Hunter stood. His hands balled into fists at his sides. “You loved him?”
“I thought I should love him. He’s a genius. He saw patterns in the DNA strands that I couldn’t. He’s a whiz with computers and weapon design...”
Hunter sat back down, leaning into her, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. “I asked if you loved him. Were you excited when you saw him? Did you get wet when he touched you?”
Racheal closed her eyes. The intensity of her arousal bordered on pain. She couldn’t think with his mouth so close to hers. Her tongue licked the seam of her lips, brushing against his.
His entire body tensed. Steel bands wrapped around her, crushing her chest against his. “Answer me.”
“I slept with him once. It wasn’t good. He said we would work on it. That we only needed to do it again when we were planning to have a child.”
He growled. “You were planning a child with him?”
“No, he said that. I just went along because I enjoyed our work together. I didn’t think it was his fault I wasn’t attracted to men.”
The arms around her softened. “We both know that isn’t true.”
“I thought that there was something wrong with me. Sarah and I talked about it once. We both had no interest in men... or women.”
Hunters eyes glowed. “Your lack of interest in another is because you were made for me and no other.”
Racheal couldn't hold his gaze. Her eyes went to his chest. “I understand your anger. I was stupid to believe...”
“You were controlled by men who are master manipulators. You understand science. You don’t know how to lie with every fiber of your being like the Kallans’ do.”
She wished that were true. She wanted to leave him with this version of her - a naive little girl who’d met the wrong man. She kept her eyes downcast as a tear slipped from her eye.
“Honey. I’m sorry for what happened to you. I truly am. I wish I could change the past but I can only promise you a future.” He ran a gentle hand down her back.
Everything about him touched her. His kindness. His understanding. His values. He was nothing like the man she thought she should be with. He was the man she wanted.
She hugged him, contemplating whether she could take one moment of happiness and keep it for herself. It would be the only one she would have. But as much as she wanted that moment, it wouldn't be fair to him.
She released him and pulled back. “I wish I had a choice but I don’t. If you touch me, we both die.”
Hunter’s cat surged forward at her words. He calmed the beast, assuring it he would find out why Racheal’s life was in danger and rectify it. He felt his eyes glowing. He didn't bother to stop it. His cat needed Racheal to see him. Acknowledge him. “Why is your life in danger?”
“I was given an advanced serum. If you mark me, you will expose me to the hormone your species produces. I will transform instantly. It’s unlikely I will survive.”
Hunter’s cat backed down. It wouldn’t risk her life. “You’ll find a way to counteract that serum.” He hadn't meant it to sound like a command.
Her eyes hardened. “I don’t have time. They keep finding me. This last time was the longest stretch I had before having to run.”
Hunter rubbed his chin. “You think they have a tracker on you?”
She shrugged. “I thought so, but when I did a scan, I couldn’t find one.”
“How long were you at that building?”
“Almost two weeks,” she said.
“Did you leave often for food or supplies?” Hunter asked.
“I stayed holed up until two days ago,” she said.
“You stayed in there for almost two weeks? I didn't see a kitchen. What did you eat?” he asked in a low voice. His eyes roamed over her skinny frame.
“What does that matter?” she asked.
He leaned into her. “Answer the question, Racheal.”
She cleared her throat. “I had chips, pop and other nonperishable items.”
“When was the last time you had a home cooked meal?”
“Who cares!” she shouted.
Hunter slipped his hand behind her neck, positioning his face directly in front of hers. “I care and the sooner you accept that the easier this will be for you.”
She pushed against his chest.
He allowed her the slight retreat. “Now answer me.”
She crossed her arms.
His little spitfire was contemplating not answering him. He acknowledged the insane arousal that her defiance invoked in him. He wanted to fuck her so badly his balls ached. He tilted his head to the side, raising his eyebrows.
She rolled her eyes. “Sarah made me dinner a couple days before my abduction. I don't cook.”
“Fortunately for you Miss White, I do. Keep talking while I fix you something.”
Her defiance was replaced by shame. “Just call me Racheal okay?”
Hunter knew she was an orphan. Does she think I care about her background? Is she embarrassed? He decided that parental insecurities were an issue best left for another time. He needed her focused on the issue at hand. “No problem.” He pulled a pot from the cupboard, filling it with water. “The building where you were was made of steel and thick concrete. That kind of heavy-duty construction would interfere with a signal going out.”
Racheal put a knuckle to her lip. “I didn't have Wi-Fi there. I tried to steal it from an exterior host but couldn't get the signal to work.”
Hunter cut up vegetables before putting them in a pan to sauté. “The building shielded your signal from going out. When you left, they were able to triangulate your approximate location. They were searching from building to building when I found you. We’ll have to figure out where it is and mask it until we can get it removed.”
She wrung her hands. “That doesn’t change the toxic compound in my system.”
Hunter placed the spaghetti noodles in the boiling water. He forced his tone to remain even. “Will it kill you?”
“Not for a number of years but eventually yes,” she said.
As much as he wanted to comfort her. Tell her everything would be alright and that he would make sure of it. He sensed she was at the end of her emotional endurance. “Racheal...”
She sucked in a quick breath. “Is he alright?”
Hunter was taken off guard. “Who?”
“Cyril,” she said sadly.
He sensed her guilt. He wasn’t sure he should answer even though he believed she was stronger than she realized and he needed her trust. “No, not yet.”
Racheal’s gut tightened, thinking about the things she’d done to Cyril. She couldn’t change the past. She could only sabotage the Kallans’ future experiments, but Hunter would never agree to what she had planned. The smell of grilled chicken pulled her from her thoughts, forcing her to inhale the tempting aroma.
She watched Hunter cut crisp garlic bread. Her mouth watered as the smell of her old time favorite tickled her nose. She had always marveled at how the simplest things could be so amazing.
Hunter filled a plate with spaghetti, vegetables, chicken and garlic toast, handing it to her, before dishing out his own.
She was halfway through the meal before she realized he hadn’t sat down. She swallowed hard. “Everything alright?”
He walked around her adding more chicken on her plate. “You’re starved, and eating as if this is your last meal, so NO!”
She wasn’t about to tell him it was the best meal she had eaten in four years. He was already far too confident. “I was hungry.” Her tongue slipped over the sauce on her lips as she looked Hunter in the eyes.
He groaned, slipping his hand behind her neck, as his lips gently kissed her. He nipped lightly at her bottom lip, forcing her to open her mouth, allowing him entry. His tongue swept masterfully into hers. Claiming her.
She felt the fire in her body flame out of control. Her body beaded with sweat, pulsating with need. Pain slithered through her abdomen, making her cry out. “No!”
Hunter put his forehead on hers. “Racheal, I won�
��t hurt you.” He forcibly brought his breathing under control.
She clutched his shoulders. “You won’t mean to but you will.” She sobbed as memories from the past seared through her, pain far worse than the one slithering through her abdomen.
“Do you think that shifters act like Cyril when affected by the mating hormone? We don’t. He attacked women because he had been driven insane. Don’t hold his actions against my species.”
Of course, he thought Cyril's actions were responsible for her reaction. He had no idea regarding the scope of the experiments she had done or the ones in which she had been a guinea pig. She would have told him she didn’t blame Cyril but a ripple of awareness went through her body. It was gone quickly, leaving her questioning the cause. Was she starting the transformation without being bitten? Was more harm done than she had originally thought? Was there a side effect she hadn’t thought of? Hunter would never let her go either way. She pushed away from Hunter’s arms. “I can’t do this.”
His eyes glittered. “Do what?”
She gave him a hard look. “Get close to you?”
He huffed. “Honey, you’ll be more than close to me when I take you.”
“So, you will force me to have sex with you.”
He looked disgusted. “Hell no! I won’t take you until you beg me to.”
She rolled her eyes at his audacity. “Then it won’t happen.”
He smiled smugly. “Oh, it’ll happen.”
She held in the tears forming in her eyes. “I won’t go through that again.”
Hunter’s smile died. “Go through what again? Did Cyril bite you? Attack you?”
She pursed her lips, unsure if she should answer him. “No. It wasn't Cyril.”
Hunter laid his hands gently on her arms. “Please tell me what happened to you. I won't touch you in any way without your permission.”
“You promise?”
“You have no idea how much it hurts me that you believe this is a promise you need me to make. I could never hurt you. You seem to know a lot about the science behind my species but nothing about what makes us who we are.”
He was right. She knew a lot about the genetic makeup of his species, but nothing of their value system. The things that were truly important. “Jordan made a degenerative version of the mating serum for short-term use.”
