Page 10 of Their Marked Mate

She stepped into the living room and froze. “Was this Babcock’s cabin?” There was nothing unusual with the compact scanners or sample analyzers, but the arrangement was familiar. She’d seen a lab set up like this at the Nuevo off-world complex.

“We had it fumigated after he died,” Alex claimed with another half-smile.

“It might be wrong, but I’m glad he’s dead,” Luna muttered then forced his ghost from the room and looked at the setup objectively.

“If you hated him so much, why did you continue to work at Nuevo Biotech?” Alex challenged, his expression suddenly cold.

She faced him, hands on her hips, and boldly met his gaze. “My objection to the Griffen Project should be obvious. I don’t give a shit if the program was illegal. Scientific advancement has always broken rules. I hate that Babcock and all his minions forced their will on captives. If you had volunteered—as everyone claimed—I would have been proud to be part of the project.”

His features gradually relaxed and he studied her with new interest. “How long did you work there?”

“Eleven years. Three in a different department and eight on Babcock’s team.”

His jaw clenched and his gaze narrowed again. Apparently, he wasn’t a fan of brutal honesty. Well, that was too bad because it was standard operating procedure for her.

“When did you know we were unwilling?”

“All of my interaction with the hybrids was indirect. I was told you had volunteered and I had no reason to doubt it.”

Her nonchalance clearly pissed him off even more. His voice was so rough when he spoke again that it didn’t sound human. “You didn’t want to know.”

“I saw teams of hybrids leaving the complex with loaded weapons. They were holding the weapons. They weren’t being threatened with them. They would be gone for a day or two and then return. They weren’t supervised. They didn’t appear coerced in any way. I figured you were mercenaries, hybrid super soldiers. Earth’s militaries have been trying to create them for centuries. And my experience with military organizations is that it’s foolish to ask questions. Unlike the medical teams, I never saw the restraints. I had no idea you were being held in cages.”

His amber gaze moved over her face. His expression was still tense, but he seemed less angry. “If all of the women volunteer, can you actually do this?”

“I’m not sure,” she answered honestly. “I need time to study the formula.”

He motioned to the compact computer on the desk across the room. “All of his work is on that.”

She walked over to the desk and sat down. Twisting around so she could see him, Luna said, “Let Dawn talk to the other women. She’s subtle but compelling. They’ll respond better to her than to you.”

He nodded and left her alone in the lab.

* * *

Nate looked up from the arrowhead he’d been sharpening as Alex walked into the cabin they shared. “Was Luna any more reasonable this morning?” A sleepless night left Nate restless and edgy. His hands shook and he found it hard to sit still. His wolf prowled within him, ready to tear something apart.

After closing the door and shrugging out of his coat, Alex joined Nate at the table. “Dawn did a wonderful job of calming down Luna. Hopefully, the other women will be as receptive to her message. Luna is currently in the lab assessing the new formula.”

“Really?” Her stubbornness the night before had indicated a longer struggle. Nate was pleasantly surprised by the development, but he wasn’t sure he believed her acquiescence. “Are you sure she isn’t going through the motions so you’ll let her out of the stockade?”

“I think that’s exactly what she’s doing,” Alex admitted. “She gave in much too easily.”

Nate nodded and set the arrow aside. Alphas and betas operated as a team, but there was a definite hierarchy. Nate’s analytical mind and calm demeanor balanced Alex’s more volatile nature. Their transformation, and the mutual trauma surrounding their captivity, deepened their friendship, making it feel almost familial.

“What’s our next move?” Nate asked.

“We give her a few days to produce results, and when she accomplishes nothing,” Alex predicted, “we move on to a stronger motivation.”

Nate hoped to hell that motivation involved sex because his cock had been hard ever since he caught Luna’s scent. He’d been fantasizing about her for days, imagining all the ways they would enjoy her soft body and sassy mouth. They would touch and taste her, fill her so completely that she would never think of another male. Alex was clearly interested in her, but he didn’t seem to burn as Nate burned. Nate couldn’t purge her image from his mind and sensual dreams filled his sleep. He thought about her all day and woke up each morning aching to claim her.

“You can interact with her as often as you like, but we fuck her together,” Alex stressed, apparently guessing the direction of Nate’s thoughts.

“I understand.” He wasn’t happy about it, but there were certain lines he would never cross. It wasn’t just an honor to be chosen as beta to the village alpha. Nate genuinely liked Alex. Respected the hell out of him. They’d met in the Planetary Defense Force and their years at Nuevo Biotech solidified and strengthened the bond previously formed by years of combat on and around Earth. “What are your plans for today?”

“If the birds are going to join forces with the cats—and we both know they are—we need to lock in our alliance with the exotics. I’m meeting with the other alphas, so I need you to go talk to Soko.”

Nate cringed, pressing back into his chair. “Soko banished me from Shadow City last time I was down there. You better send someone else.”