Page 57 of Their Marked Mate

Alex sneered at her. “We have no desire to become your test subjects. I’m sure you understand.”

“The study is observational only,” Avery stressed. “No medical testing. Nothing more invasive than an interview.”

“I don’t believe you.” Alex stood and started to leave the clubhouse.

“You said barter,” Luna reminded. “What are you offering?”

Curious enough to hear the answer, Alex stopped walking and turned around.

Avery glanced at him but focused on Luna. “We easily identified two things the villages need—medical technology and females.”

“And you can fulfill those needs?” Alex asked, suddenly interested again.

“The first responder’s kit is yours if you agree to participate in the study. There are also nineteen females on the ship designated for the lupine village.”

“Did the other two villages receive females?” Drake wanted to know.

Avery’s gaze narrowed. “The females have yet to be dispersed, but both Zion and the Eagle brothers agreed to participate so each village gets twenty of the women. The first thing you have to agree to is to cease all hostilities against the other villages. Your primary reason for raiding the other villages has been to capture females. Well, this arrangement will make that unnecessary.”

“Nineteen females aren’t nearly enough to make raiding unnecessary,” Alex pointed out.

“The first nineteen are a downpayment, so to speak. We will arrange for many more.”

“How?” Luna asked, suspicion creeping into her expression. “Where are you getting these females?”

“Rydaria is a penal colony,” Drake said dryly. “Where do you think they’re getting them?”

Avery tensed, obviously uncomfortable with the questions. “Yes, they are currently incarcerated, but they have all been convicted of nonviolent crimes.”

“How comforting,” Alex growled.

“The alternative is to continue killing each other over the handful of females currently on the planet,” Avery pointed out. “All we want is information, and you will gain the ability to produce medications, mend broken bones, and a steady influx of females. Is there really anything to think about here?”

“We are all a little untrusting,” Alex told her. “I can’t imagine why.”

“We are asking for your cooperation. Nuevo Biotech took you and⁠—”

“You have been spying on us for years,” Alex reminded bitterly. “Our trackers make it impossible to leave the planet. The cage is much bigger now, but we are still prisoners.”

“It’s a valid point.” She had the decency to look uncomfortable. “I disapprove of the trackers and have attempted to have the policy changed. Unfortunately, Senator Sanderson is adamant.”

“Are you willing to discuss this?” Drake asked Alex.

Alex chuckled. “I don’t need to ask which side of the argument you fall on. Go gather the alphas. I’m accepting input on this proposal.” He turned back to Avery and asked, “When do you need a decision?”

She made a helpless gesture then shook her head. “We are so far behind schedule already, I’m not sure it matters. How long do you need?”

“Three days,” he told her.

Avery nodded as she pushed to her feet. “I’ll tell Natalie.”

* * *

Luna barely saw Alex for the next three days. When he wasn’t in the clubhouse arguing with the pack alphas, he was on the Azrithal with his cousins. Caden was lucky to be alive, and Alex was determined to repair their relationship. Caden was more than just a pack alpha, he was family. Alex didn’t excuse Caden’s rash behavior, but he understood what motivated it. Everyone was frustrated. Everyone was angry. Caden just needed to find more productive avenues for his frustration, and he needed to trust the village alpha.

Carlos, the Shadow City doctor, sent Luna a detailed assessment of her progress. His report was insightful and thought provoking, so she asked him to schedule a video conference at his earliest convenience. He’d agreed to speak with her the following day, and the conversation had lasted almost three hours. She hadn’t been sure what to expect, but Carlos seemed disappointingly normal. She wondered if the mystique surrounding the Shadow City exotics was fueled by rumor and exaggeration.

Emboldened by Carlos’ assessment, Luna administered the first injection to Tianna and Jill. Shannon received her second injection, and all their scans were well within normal parameters. Luna was encouraged by the progress, but she was still determined to advance slowly. She had learned a lot by working with Eugene Babcock, but she had no desire to become him.