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She lifted a hand to stop them and mouthed one word, “Sedative.” One of them nodded sharply, spun, and rushed out of the room. The syringe on the floor had been crushed during the fight. It had been uncapped and contaminated anyway, making it useless. She tentatively touched Moon’s biceps. They were thick and left no doubt about his impressive strength. Her fingers surfed his warm skin, rubbing.
“Do you remember me at all?” She took a breath. “Don’t hurt me. I’m no threat.”
He bit down but it didn’t break the skin. He had a firm grip on her though. The remaining Species inched closer in an attempt to launch a surprise attack. The body against hers stiffened. A growl rumbled from him, making his chest vibrate. He sensed a threat.
“He’ll rip out my throat. Get out. Do you think he isn’t aware of you? I’m fine. Back off!” Joy kept direct eye contact with the guard so he’d know she spoke to him.
The Species retreated immediately and Moon’s teeth loosened their hold. Joy stared at the male who hesitated by the door and kept her voice calm. “We’re fine. Just step out and get what I asked for. I’ll call if I need assistance.” Scream. That was the word she didn’t use but would be more accurate if things turned bad. “Let me see if I can calm him while you hurry to get what is needed.”
He looked unsure but backed away until he was out of sight. Joy slowly turned her head until her cheek rested against Moon’s. He had smooth skin—Species didn’t grow facial hair easily, if at all. She massaged the muscles of his upper arms.
“I missed you.” She spoke very softly, hoping no one but Moon could hear her heartfelt words. “I’m sorry I left. I was afraid.” She didn’t elaborate, certain that, in his current mood, he didn’t want to hear her rationalizations. “Why has this been done to you?”
So many unanswered questions tormented her. Was the damage permanent? Temporary? Was the person he used to be trapped somewhere inside his mind?
His hips nuzzled tighter against her pelvis, making her very conscious of the state of his cock and what was on his mind at that moment. The tight hold on her neck eased as his teeth released her. He might not recognize her in his drugged state but he was aware of her as a woman. She slid her hands up to his broad shoulders but he didn’t snarl or protest, seemingly happy to sniff and lick her skin again.
His hair was soft as she touched it and laced her fingers through the long strands at the base of his head, holding him close. She rubbed her cheek against his again, breathing in his masculine scent, which was so familiar to her—assuring her once again that she’d gotten way too close to her former client. Her body was alive and worse, she knew the symptoms of her own arousal. Part of her longed to wrap her legs around his waist and hope he’d take advantage of the position by tearing away the clothing between them.
Just the idea of them naked, him taking her, made her muffle a moan. She’d dreamed about him almost nightly and daydreamed about him daily. Those fantasies had primed her body to respond to the flesh-and-blood male. He didn’t have to kiss her or do anything but hold her to turn her on. All it took was being near him.
He inhaled deeply, taking in more of her scent. She hoped he’d remember her, that a memory would click into place. She’d been told by her clients that what they’d termed “breeding drugs” totally obliterated their ability to think but the fact that he didn’t seem to recognize her was disturbing.
Doubt and insecurity struck sharply. Perhaps she hadn’t meant as much to him as he’d led her to believe. Those last days she’d spent with him inside her office had been intense. He’d grown progressively adamant that he wanted her. He’d told her that he obsessed about touching her and taking her to his bed. The things he’d said he wanted to do to her still made her squirm in sexual frustration. She’d wanted him to do everything he’d imagined. The fact that it was forbidden had only made it more difficult to resist.
“Moon,” she whispered. “Look at me. Please?”
Joy wasn’t sure if he heard her or would comply but he slowly moved his head until they gazed at each other, nose to nose. Up close his eyes were as striking as she remembered and looking into them made thinking difficult.
“Hi. It’s Joy.” She licked her lips. “Dr. Yards. Do you remember me now?”
No recognition flickered in his gaze but he did pull back further and lower his focus to her mouth. He growled at her. It wasn’t a ferocious sound—more of a rumble that vibrated his chest, which was still smashed against hers. The fact that he’d done what she’d asked wasn’t lost on her. He could understand what she was saying.
“You’re going to be okay. You’re on drugs. Do you understand? The NSO called me to help you and I’m here.” Her hands stroked the back of his neck and played with his hair. “Can you talk? Tell me what you need.”
He growled again. His hips wiggled tighter against her until her tailbone dug uncomfortably into the unforgiving wall. She shifted, parting her legs to alleviate the pressure and Moon took advantage of it immediately by positioning the hard ridge of his cock against the seam of her pussy. She bit back another moan. It felt good to finally feel him there and she wanted more.
He lowered his gaze to stare at her cleavage and tucked his chin to get a better view as he breathed her in again. She wasn’t surprised when he adjusted her a bit higher in his hold to nuzzle his face between her breasts. When his tongue tasted her she closed her eyes. Her belly clenched and the urge to wrap her legs around his waist struck again. Joy barely resisted.
The soft sound of quick footsteps drew her attention. It was a New Species male and he gripped a handheld dart gun. Moon heard his approach too and whipped his head around. He reacted by snarling loudly—a scary, threatening sound.
The Species male fired immediately and Joy tensed, knowing Moon had been hit in the muscle above his shoulder blade since she saw the colorful tag at the end of the dart. The man who held her responded by throwing his head back and howling as he crushed her against the wall.
They both slid to the floor when Moon’s knees gave out. She practically straddled his lap. She glimpsed pure rage on his features for a split second before his eyes rolled up into his head. He slumped backward, taking her with him since his hands still gripped her. The other Species moved fast and managed to catch Moon’s back before he sprawled flat, out cold.
Joy scrambled to get off Moon and dropped to her knees beside him, jerking out the protruding dart from his skin to prevent it from causing him more injury before it was shoved deeper when he touched the floor. The Species male frowned at her as he gently lowered the unconscious Moon.
“What the hell were you thinking by interfering? You could have been killed. My males rushed out to report what you did when you entered the room and they told me Moon had you. Are you insane?”
Joy remembered her shirt gaped open and dropped the dart to grip the edges together to hide her bra. “I’m Dr. Joyce Yards. Who are you?”
“Answer my questions. What were you doing and are you insane?”
She swallowed hard. “I saw him fighting other Species and it was obvious he wasn’t in control. Someone could have gotten hurt. I intervened to prevent that. No. I’m not insane. I have some questions myself. Why is he on the breeding drug? Who the hell gave it to him?”
Two of the New Species who had been fighting with Moon returned to the room. Both were grim-faced as Joy scrambled to her feet and tried to compose her frayed emotions. She got out of the way as the two of them approached then gently lifted their fallen comrade from the floor. They carried him between them to the bed and placed him back on the mattress. She watched them reattach the restraints to his arms, legs, and torso before the other New Species—obviously the one in charge—stepped into her path and blocked her view.
Joy swayed a little on her feet, the urge to check on Moon so strong she fisted her shirt tighter, remembering she would give too much away if she acted on impulse.
“Dr. Yards?” This Species was tall with a beautiful mane of hair a
nd pretty cat eyes, which appeared angry as he glared at her. “What do you think you were doing?”
“I’m an expert on Species. I was trying to prevent someone from being killed.”
His gaze lowered to her shirt. “He tore it?”
“I did. I knew my breasts would get his attention. I realize how unprofessional that sounds, but I was right. And I’m not here as his therapist, or in any official capacity.” Her chin lifted as she glared back, daring him to question her motives. “Who gave him breeding drugs? Why is he on them? What the hell did I walk into?”
“He could have killed you.”
She decided to be totally blunt. They appreciated that. “Your males are unlikely to injure a female, especially one they don’t consider a threat. He was more prone to attempt to engage in sexual activity than kill me outright. That’s also why I opened my shirt. The sight of cleavage seems to work wonders. It has been known to change their moods to downright friendly. It’s not a secret how horny some Species can be.”
He seemed astonished at her frankness but suddenly grinned. “True. Let’s start over. Thank you for coming so quickly. You were difficult to track down but as you can see, we have a situation.”
She relaxed the firm grip on her shirt. “What is going on, sir?”
“Call me Tiger.” He held out his hand.
She took it, making sure to keep her shirt together, feeling the entire situation was a bit surreal. “Um, what happened to Moon?”
He hesitated. “Did you sign the waiver?”
She had to think. “You mean the confidentiality clause they shoved at me while I was being processed at the gate? Yes, I did.”
“Good. Moon was attacked three days ago and our doctors haven’t been able to figure out what was done to him.”
She waited, confused. He remained silent. “How was he attacked? Why call me? I’m a psychologist. Was it a mental break caused by the trauma he suffered? What exactly happened to him?”
“No. Yes. Maybe. He was shot with what we believe was a high-powered dart rifle while he patrolled one of our walls. We haven’t been able to identify the drug yet but it’s not a breeding drug. We’re working on finding out what it was.”
“Okay.” She waited for more details.
“He woke feral. He doesn’t seem to recognize his friends. He wants to kill anyone who comes into contact with him. Our doctors hoped whatever he was given would wear off. When it didn’t, we figured it might be psychological. You were his head shrink after he was released from Mercile and we need you to assess him.”
Her heart squeezed while she ignored the derogatory title he’d labeled her job. She had grown used to it while dealing with Species. She was more concerned with 466’s condition. It was painful that something horrible had happened to him.
“It sounds more like a drug reaction than a psychotic break. You need to find out what he was given.”
Irritation flashed over Tiger’s features. “We’re aware of that fact but this isn’t a known drug. We’re being targeted by some of Mercile’s employees.”
That surprised her. “I heard they were shut down forever.”
“They were but we haven’t found all the doctors or staff who imprisoned us. A special task force hunts them but it takes time. Someone with strong ties to Mercile recently sent a team of mercenaries to retrieve one of our females. We believe he also hired someone who worked for Mercile to make this drug and infect Moon with it as a distraction. This unidentified drug has made him homicidal.”
“Anyone associated with Mercile will be prosecuted for what they did. It’s irrational to believe that killing their victims will change that. I’m assuming that’s why they created this drug? So he’d kill other Species?” It was her best guess.
His eyebrow lifted. “Rationality isn’t their strongest trait, considering what they did to us. Someone created a drug not listed in the FDA database. Mercile is the only enemy we have with the resources to manufacture a drug targeted to harm Species and the attack happened at the same time mercenaries paid by a Mercile associate attempted to recapture the female.”
She bit her lip but released it when she realized her nervousness showed. “Okay. I don’t see why you called me though. He needs a chemist or scientist to figure out what he was given and reverse this reaction. I’m not qualified to tell you what was done to him on a substance level.”
Tiger frowned. “You were close to Moon and we’re hoping you can reach him. His mental state has been affected. We’re working on figuring out what he was given but it’s taking too much time.”
What did he mean by the term “close”? Had someone suspected she had fallen in love with her client? Nothing had happened between them. She’d made sure to keep her ethics legally intact but she’d failed big-time on a personal level. She’d become too attached, had desperately wanted to be with Moon, but had managed to resist what they both had known was forbidden.
“I’m not someone he’d wish to spend more time with if he were able to talk.”
That lifted the man’s eyebrows. “Shrinks were never our favorite people but he spoke fondly of you.”
Astonishment tore through her. “He did?”
“Yes. He told me once that you made him speak of his emotions and he thought you fearless. He respected you.”
Guilt ate at her. She didn’t deserve the praise considering how she’d cut and run after finally getting him to open up during their sessions. The time they’d shared had become too intimate and his constant talk about what he wanted to do to her sexually had her soaking in cool baths after almost every session they’d spent together. She’d fled when it got to the point that he’d begun to touch her. She’d wanted him too much to resist for long, her job and future be damned.
“I don’t know what you expect me to be able to do.”
“Talk to him. We’re moving him to a special area that took us all day to refit for his needs. We were hoping the drugs would leave his system but now we’re that aware we’ll have to keep him prisoner until he’s cured. He’s too dangerous since he keeps breaching the restraints. We don’t want to use chains long-term due to the fact that, with his strength, he could break his limbs when he struggles. It would be cruel.”
“It might also remind him of his cell at Mercile if you chain him and keep him immobile.”
Tiger grimly nodded. “I won’t deny we’re worried about that. We don’t want recollections of his past to torment him or for him to believe he’s been sent back there.”
“It would only worsen his condition,” she agreed. “What arrangements do you have in mind?”
“We decided to place him in a cell, no restraints, just bars to keep him contained. We can’t keep asking our males to fight to keep him down. He sure can’t be allowed to run loose around Homeland. We have some human staff and he even sees other male Species as a threat. I’m not willing it to risk it. He could also attack our females. This was a unanimous decision by our people and your human doctors who have flown in to examine him. Our NSO doctors agreed too.”
She remembered that New Species always differentiated between themselves and humans. “It was a good call to make, considering what I just saw. He is dangerous.”
Tiger lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, a worried look crossing his striking features. “I know it’s a lot to ask but you don’t have to go inside the cell with him. We thought perhaps you could talk to him from outside it. He can’t reach you but he could see and hear you. We’re hoping it might trigger memories and being a female might also help. The other female he grew close to isn’t permitted near him.”
Jealousy hit, a useless emotion considering she had no right to feel that way. Still, it burned inside her chest. “Why can’t his girlfriend see him?”
“She’s not his,” Tiger said as he watched the Species add more restraints to hold 466 on the bed. “She belongs to another male but they are friends. Her mate would kill Moon if he harmed Trisha, even knowing he’s not responsible
for his actions.” He turned back and dropped his hand to his side. “I’d hate for him to die.”
“Mate?” Relief swept through her. “Is she New Species?”
“Human. That’s classified.” His gaze hardened. “Understood? No information leaves here.”
“I got it. I won’t repeat anything. All that was covered before I was given clearance to be here. Besides, I never told anyone I even worked with New Species.”
He stared at her. “No one?”
“No one. Not my friends or family and not even my personal therapist.”
He seemed to believe her and his body relaxed. “Trisha is one of our doctors and she is mated to one of our males. It’s a good thing no one ever learned you worked with us or you may have been targeted by someone who doesn’t agree with our continuing existence. She was in danger because of her association with the NSO. Moon was part of her security detail. They became close friends. Trisha is irritated that Slade won’t allow her to talk to her friend but we’re very protective of our mates. One bruise, or hell, even if he made her cry, Slade would tear him apart.”
“I didn’t officially work for the New Species Organization. The government subcontracted me. I worked at one of the safe locations in the desert where you stayed after you were freed, before Homeland was given to you. The NSO was formed after you left there.”
“Right. Sorry. I’m having a bad day. I read that you dealt with Species after we were freed while everyone was trying to figure out what to do with us.” Tiger smiled grimly. “I bet that was a shit job. I was a mess.”
“What was done to all of you was horrible.” She left it at that. “It was an honor helping where I could.”
He closely studied her. “You must have done some great work. You were at site four and nobody bitches about you. That says a lot. You should have met the shrink they assigned me. She was annoying as hell and really made me angry.”
“I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s our job to push to make a client release some of their frustrations.”
His gaze flicked down her before rising again. He had assessed her coldly, no emotion showing. “It might have helped if she’d looked anything similar to you. It would have been easier when she grated on our nerves. She wasn’t pleasing to the eye or the ears.” He spun around to glance at the other males. “Did you lock him down good? I don’t want him getting up from that bed again when he wakes. We’ve mostly cleared out Medical but I don’t want the few remaining staff injured.”