Exhausted from the day’s events, they showered together, then got into bed, where Sloane pulled Dex close. During moments like this, it was hard to believe this was their life.

  They’d gone from partners at the THIRDS to lovers, then boyfriends and finally husbands. It had been a wild ride, so much happening in a few short years. They’d been through a lot together, come close to losing each other. Then came the day when Sloane thought he’d lost Dex for good and his world almost shattered. Because of Dex, Sloane had learned to live a life out of the shadows, and he’d do whatever it took to never go back.

  The next day’s events started with a brunch in the rooftop dining area. The view of the Atlas Mountains was impressive. The sky was a brilliant blue, the heat in the low nineties even this early in the day. Sloane was grateful for the sun as it meant he could keep his sunglasses on and discreetly observe everyone as Dex greeted the other guests.

  Vaughan was nowhere to be seen, and Therian security stood tucked into the shadows on the ends of the roof. Dex ate his Human portion of brunch, no doubt thinking about the room service he’d have afterward. They’d taken a table in the corner against the ornate railing so they could see everything.

  The food was great, flavorful, and the Therian portions were excellent. He’d slipped a couple of pieces of bacon from his plate to Dex’s, earning himself a discreet little smile from his husband.

  Mr. and Mrs. Ramos walked out onto the rooftop, and Sloane had to squeeze Dex’s knee, reminding him not to react. Kenley trailed behind the couple, his head lowered, and a nasty bruise on his cheek where he’d been struck. Sloane clenched his jaw, uncertain whether the flood of anger flowing through him was his or Dex’s. Kenley darted a glance at Dex, his big blue eyes going glassy before he quickly faced forward again.

  The rest of brunch went without incident. Afterward, Dex changed into a pair of designer swim trunks sporting a black jaguar print. He slipped into some equally expensive flip-flops and grabbed his designer sunglasses. Sloane made sure to lather his husband up with sunscreen since the itinerary had everyone down for cocktails and drinks by the pool. At least for the Human guests. Therians were to come in their shifted form. What did Vaughan have planned for them now?

  Sloane sat on his haunches next to Dex’s lounge chair, his tail twitching as the rest of the guests arrived with their Therians trailing behind. A familiar scent appeared, and Sloane hissed. Dawson trotted behind Hughes, tail and head lifted high.

  “I know,” Dex murmured, petting Sloane’s head. Sloane leaned into the touch even as he followed Hughes with his eyes. He didn’t like Hughes. Sniffing the air, he caught a whiff of Kenley slinking behind Ramos, his head lowered and tail between his legs. Sloane growled. He liked Ramos even less. Sloane huffed and dropped onto his belly, tail thumping against the red brick floor. He’d rather be in the trees where there was shade, but he wasn’t about to leave his mate.

  Vaughan appeared, and Sloane wrinkled his nose with a grumble. He really didn’t like Vaughan.

  “Welcome, friends. Thank you for joining me. There’s plenty of cocktails and champagne, so drink up. You’re probably wondering why I asked that your playmates come in their Therian form. Last night we tested their stamina. Today we’ll test their agility in the water.”

  At least Sloane enjoyed the water. It was a good thing Ash wasn’t here. He hated getting his mane wet. Not that Sloane expected just a regular day at the pool. Who knew what Vaughan had up his sleeve? Did no one suspect Vaughan’s motive behind these “tests”?

  “Please have your Therians get in the pool.”

  Dex scratched Sloane behind the ear. “Go on.”

  With a quick lick to Dex’s hand, Sloane trotted toward the pool. The wolf Therians went to the shallow end and waded in while the felids jumped into the deeper end. Sloane waited for the rest to get in the pool before he stepped into the shallow end and sat observing everyone. Vaughan seemed amused by this.

  “I thought jaguar Therians enjoyed the water,” Vaughan said to Dex.

  “They do,” Dex replied with a bright smile. “They’re just not great at sharing their space.”

  Sloane wasn’t about to turn his back on any of the others, no matter how young they were, especially in a situation that made him vulnerable. He moved his gaze to Dawson, who swam from one side of the pool to the other, his gaze on Sloane. Looked like Dawson didn’t trust him either. Smart kid.

  Vaughan’s smile was wide, and Dex’s irritation radiated through Sloane. His husband was dying to kick Vaughan in the balls, something Sloane wasn’t opposed to, though he’d much prefer using his claws on the man.

  “How about we test those Therian skills?” Vaughan held his arm out and one of his guards brought him a wooden box. The moment the lid opened, Sloane caught the scent of raw meat. A juicy T-bone steak, to be precise. Yum. Sloane’s ears perked up, his gaze—along with that of every other Therian in the pool—locked on to the slab of meat.

  Sloane stalked around the side of the pool, his eyes on Vaughan. The Therians in the water all huddled near Vaughan, waiting for him to release the steak. Sloane lowered himself to the ground, the tip of his tail twitching as the rest of him remained perfectly still.

  Vaughan lifted his arm to toss the steak, and Sloane took off, leaping through the air over the pool to snatch the steak in midair. He landed in the water on the far end of the pool, steak in his jaws. By the time the others realized what had happened, Sloane had made it to the stairs and trotted out of the pool. He carried his steak over to Dex and plopped down to enjoy.

  Dex chuckled and scratched Sloane behind the ear. “Never underestimate the cleverness of a jaguar Therian. Especially when it comes to food.”

  “Well then,” Vaughan said with a laugh, “a good lesson for all of us. Let’s try again.” He motioned to one of his guards, who brought another box. Sloane licked his mouth, his treat gone, bone and all. Belly satisfied, he lay in the shade next to his mate and observed the others in the pool.

  Despite his husband’s relaxed state, tension radiated through Sloane, and he didn’t like it. He wanted to groom his mate, comfort him, but his Human side wouldn’t let him. They were pretending not to care so much. It was hard to go against his instincts, but he’d done it many times before.

  With a huff, Sloane thumped his tail and watched. Vaughan tossed the meat into the pool, and everyone dove for it. The wolf Therians resurfaced quicker, paddling away from the center of the pool and the felid Therians, all of whom appeared, growling hissing, and roaring at one another as they started fighting for the meat.

  Wolf Therians might be good swimmers, but felid Therians loved the water. They could dive deep, snatch their prey, and swim for long periods of time. Lion Therians were skilled swimmers; they just tended to prefer not getting their mane wet.

  The battle for the steak became fierce, but Sloane doubted anyone was surprised when Dawson came out the victor. Even for a small tiger Therian, he was bigger than the others, with sharper claws and fangs. Blood tinted the water, and Dawson exited the pool with his prize. The rest soon followed. The injuries were minor and would heal quickly, but the whole thing grated on Sloane because like every other event, it was all for the entertainment and curiosity of Vaughan and his Human guests.

  Once Dawson had devoured his steak, Vaughan had all the Therians shift. They were given PSTC, then invited back into the pool for some “games.” Vaughan put them through their paces in the water, studying how long they could hold their breath, how fast they could swim from one end of the pool to the other. Sloane came out on top each and every time, with Dawson coming in second. By the end, Sloane pretended he couldn’t feel Vaughan’s excitement. The guy couldn’t wait to get his hands on Sloane.

  They were left to enjoy the rest of their afternoon, and Vaughan reminded Dex they were meeting for drinks later. Once they’d returned to their room, they showered, and Dex changed. Sloane was going to shift, so he didn’t bother getting dressed. He kissed Dex, savoring his husband’s soft plump lips.

  “Be careful,” Sloane murmured.

  “You too,” Dex replied. “I’ll see you later.” He kissed Sloane once more, lingering longer than he should have, but Sloane wasn’t about to complain. Kissing Dex had always been his favorite thing.

  With Dex gone, Sloane prepared for his adventure in the shadows. He placed the small black cuff on his ear. Once he shifted, the cuff would blend into his black fur. He might not be able to verbally communicate with his team in his Therian form, but his team would be able to communicate with him. They’d also see and hear what he did.

  “Ready?” Seb asked.

  “Yep. Shifting now.”

  Sloane discreetly cracked open the sliding glass door to their private deck, then headed for the bathroom. He played some classic rock on his phone, then got naked to start his shift. Focused, his inner jaguar woke up, ready to emerge, and Sloane gritted his teeth against the pain. Bones popped and muscles strained, his body tearing itself apart and putting itself together in a new form, fur piercing his skin along with claws and fangs. He hissed and growled, forcing his roar back despite the pain.

  His paws touched the cold tile floor, but he barely noticed. Shaking his massive head and flicking his tail, he stretched, yawning wide and baring his fangs. He stretched his toes, claws extending while he did, his butt in the air. Ready to go, he silently padded toward the sliding glass door, his eyesight sharp and sense of smell even greater than in his Human form. He flicked his right ear, huffing at the annoying cuff.

  “Leave it,” Seb said, his voice sounding as if he were in Sloane’s head, which was something Sloane struggled with while in this form.

  He slipped outside, his dark fur helping him become one with the shadows. Stalking and hunting were what his felid half did best. He could sit among the leaves right beside a Human and they’d never know he was there. His paws made no sound as he moved, and he stayed away from any areas where a camera might catch sight of movement. The lush greenery, trees, and shrubbery provided him with plenty of cover. Once he was away from the hotel compound and in the desert with nothing but moonlight, he would be even harder to track.

  “I’ve got eyes on you,” Seb said, “Keane’s got eyes on Dex and Vaughan.”

  Somewhere near this complex, innocent Therians were being experimented on. They had to find the damned lab. Would Cory be there?

  Using his enhanced Therian senses, he stalked his way around the complex, sneaking around the outdoor areas, his ears catching every sound. He sniffed the air in case he got wind of one of the Therian playmates. He needed to avoid them, especially Dawson. Despite Dex’s experience with the young Therians, they knew better than to trust anyone.

  Several heartbeats later, Sloane left the compound behind, his paws moving fast across rough terrain. Thanks to the Tennsift River, the area was lush with greenery alongside the sand and dirt. This also meant he needed to be mindful of any farms nearby. He sniffed the air in the hopes of catching a scent that didn’t belong. Instead, he was met with a couple of familiar scents. Rustling caught his ear, and he lowered himself to the ground to wait. Two shadows emerged from the trees.

  Seb and Rowan were both dressed in black from head to toe, their faces covered with black, green, and brown camouflage paint. “I’ll be following close behind,” Seb said, patting the Barrett M82 in his hands. The sniper rifle had a range of 1800 meters, and no one was a better shot than Seb.

  “We’ve had some heat signatures roughly 0.9 klicks northeast of our location,” Ro said, tapping away at her tiny device. “Let’s go check it out.”

  Sloane followed Ro through the dense trees, Seb watching their backs from a distance as they headed for what looked like the base of the mountain range. It didn’t take them long, not at the speed Sloane and Rowan traveled. Sloane was always confused in his Therian form when he sniffed Rowan because he couldn’t tell what kind of Therian she was, which shouldn’t be possible.

  Therians always recognized the scent of another Therian, and each Therian, much like their Human counterpart, had their own unique scent. Seb smelled like a tiger Therian and Seb, Ash a lion Therian and Ash, Cael a cheetah Therian and Cael. Rowan’s smell was like nothing Sloane had ever come across before.

  With Vaughan’s security being Therian, their scents were easier to follow. Catching a new scent, Sloane opened his mouth to get a better whiff. Felid Therians. Vaughan’s men were near.

  Rowan tapped her earpiece and crouched down next to Sloane. “Seb, we’ve got something.” She removed a small pair of binoculars from one of her tach pants pockets. “There are armed Therian guards at the base of the mountain. Going to do another scan.”

  Sloane’s Therian half would rather be with his mate, but his Human half was determined to find something. He waited as Rowan did her thing.

  “I’m getting a reading. There’s a small influx of electricity. Going in to plant surveillance.”

  “Copy that,” Seb replied. “Sloane, watch her back.”

  Sloane hurried forward, using the shadows as he followed Rowan. She hurried ahead, moving in silence, sleek and graceful like a felid. Was it possible she could be a felid Therian? But then why wouldn’t Sloane recognize her scent?

  Rowan stopped behind the trees as close to the guards as she could. Sloane kept enough distance so as not to have his scent picked up by the Therian guards. The guards came to a halt and sniffed the air, but as Sloane suspected, they were confused. Rowan worked quickly, installing hidden micro surveillance cameras on several of the trees in the area. When she was done, she hurried back to Sloane.

  “Seb, do your thing.” She pulled her mask down, waiting for the signal.

  The guards sniffed again, and this time they ran off, having caught a tiger Therian scent. Rowan sped toward the mountain, sticking several camouflaged micro cameras with microphones into the mountainside. They might not be able to see inside the lab yet, but hopefully, they’d be able to locate the facility and how to access it. Darting back into the shadows, Rowan and Sloane hurried away from the mountain.

  Rowan tapped her earpiece. “Heading back to base.”

  Sloane carefully made his way back to the resort. He’d have to wait for Dex to return to their tent before he could shift back into Human form so Dex could administer PSTC. He moved through the shrubbery near the pool but then caught a whiff of a tiger Therian scent.

  Dawson.

  If he could smell Dawson, that meant Dawson could smell him. The last thing he needed was for the kid to go telling that asshole Hughes, who’d probably be more than happy to inform Vaughan how Dash’s Therian was skulking about without his Human.

  Although his instincts wanted him to confront Dawson and force him to submit, his Human side advised against it. He’d only end up drawing unwanted attention to himself.

  Sloane quickly made his way back to their tent and snuck in through the open balcony door. He curled up on the plush rug in the bathroom and waited for his mate, head on his big paws. Maybe he’d take a little catnap.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The evening was warm, with a lovely breeze. Pink and red rose petals floated serenely on the surface of the shallow pool in the center of the courtyard, the water reflecting the glow of candles from the colorful hanging glass lanterns. The resort lit up the valley in the evening, and Dex had to admit it was gorgeous. Too bad it was infested with hideous beasts.

  Dex took a sip of the Moroccan mint tea from the intricately decorated handmade glass cup. A familiar scent made him almost drop his cup, and he quickly placed it on the mosaic surface of the small round iron table in front of him.

  “Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Delacruz,” Vaughan said cheerfully as he came around Dex and took the seat across from him, his white linen suit pristine. He removed his hat and placed it on his lap.

  “Of course,” Dex replied, forcing himself to smile. Vaughan’s scent wasn’t what had caught Dex by surprise. It was the scent mixed with Vaughan’s.

  Cheetah Therian.

  Vaughan had been around Cory.

  A startling discomfort spread through Dex, and he shifted in his seat. He pretended to make himself comfortable, then picked up his tea and took another sip even as his stomach objected. A wave of nausea and something else flared through him, but he kept his composure. What the hell was going on with him? This was not the time for him to be losing his shit.

  “How are you enjoying the tea?” Vaughan asked, signaling over one of the waitstaff who’d been standing at attention against the wall a few feet away.

  “It’s great,” Dex replied. “But I could go for something a bit stronger.”

  “My sentiments exactly,” Vaughan said, murmuring to the young man. A heartbeat later, they were each poured a glass of wine. “1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand cru brought in from France.”

  In other words, a bottle of wine that was worth five figures. With a nod of thanks, Dex took a sip and hummed his appreciation, pretending this wasn’t the first time he’d had a glass of wine that cost more than some people made in a year. Not exactly the strong alcohol he’d been hoping for, though.

  A bowl of fresh grapes was placed on their table, along with little bowls filled with finger foods like olives, almonds, and dates. A small platter of cheeses soon joined the bowls. Vaughan placed his glass on the table and sat back in his chair. He plucked one of the red grapes from the bowl and popped it into his mouth. What was more annoying than sitting across a sociopath? Sitting across a sociopath eating grapes and smacking his lips.

  “I must admit, I’m both awed and envious of you, Mr. Delacruz. You’re the only man I’ve met to have domesticated a jaguar Therian.” There was something behind his eyes. As if he were studying Dex, readying himself to dissect every part of this conversation. What did Vaughan hope to learn? He’d mentioned wanting to know more about jaguar Therians, but Dex had a feeling Vaughan was trying to figure him out. Whatever it was, Dex had to play his part just right.