“Why didn’t you call us?” Dex asked. “You know we would have done whatever we could to help.”

  “I know, but sometimes he just can’t see anyone. It’s not because he doesn’t want to. He can’t. Having someone besides me or Seb there with him could make it worse.” He gave Dex a wobbly smile. “But next time, I’ll ask him if he’s okay with one of you guys coming over. He might like it.”

  “Has he gone to his doctor to see what’s going on with his meds? They seemed to be helping him just fine,” Ash said. He didn’t like all these different Therian meds floating around, and after years of working, why were Hobbs’s meds failing him now?

  Calvin shook his head. “We’re working our way up to an appointment. I don’t get it. They were really helping him until recently. He had a refill of his prescription a couple of weeks ago, but there were no changes to his dose, so I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “Let us know if you or he needs anything,” Cael said gently.

  “Thanks. So what’s this meeting about? And why are we having it at Dekatria?”

  Ash turned to Sloane, who sat in one of the retro armchairs. “I think we need to tell them.”

  Sloane looked uncertain, but he gave Ash the okay.

  “Tell us what?” Calvin looked from Ash to Sloane and back. “What’s going on?”

  “We hadn’t said anything yet because we didn’t want to worry you guys until we knew more, but Sloane’s lost control over his Therian half twice since he was released from the hospital after the explosion.”

  Rosa gasped and turned to Sloane. “Oh my God, Sloane. What happened?”

  “The first time was after I was released from the hospital while Dex was out tracking down Hogan. I attempted to shift, but with the extent of my injuries, it did more harm than good. Dex and I got into an argument the next morning, and I lost it. I shifted. The most terrifying part was my fuzzy memory afterward. I couldn’t remember being there. I woke up, and there I was in my Therian form standing over Dex, his pajama pants torn.”

  “He pushed me down the stairs,” Ash added.

  Sloane threw a hand up. “Again with that? How many times do I have to say I’m sorry? Because I’m beginning to not be.”

  Ash shrugged. “Just saying, if you’d been present, you wouldn’t have done it.”

  “No, just tempted,” Sloane grumbled. “Anyway, it happened again before Thanksgiving. Luckily this time Dex was ready, and he tranqed me. I couldn’t remember anything after I woke up.”

  Now it was Ash’s turn. This was going to be pleasant. “I had a similar feeling in Central Park. When we caught up to Collins. Except I didn’t shift. I felt this blinding rage.” He held a hand up. “And before you say anything, yes, I’m normally pissed off, but I’ve never had trouble controlling it. After what happened with Collins, it made me wonder if what’s happening to Sloane will also happen to me.”

  Cael poked Ash on his side, his expression worried. “Wait, what happened with Collins? Seb’s report stated Collins swiped one of his agent’s guns, took aim at another agent, and was neutralized.”

  “That’s not entirely what happened.”

  “What?” Cael stared at Ash before his expression turned hurt. He looked around the room. “You all know, don’t you? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know?”

  Ash turned to Cael and took a deep breath. “When I saw the picture Hogan sent of you bloodied and bruised on Collins’s phone, I felt this intense white rage going through me. Something I’d never felt before. I wanted to kill Collins. The guy refused to tell us where Hogan had taken you. We had to find another way. Something happened, everything I felt intensified ten times over, and….” God, what would Cael think of him? Ash hadn’t wanted him to find out about what he’d done, what he’d been pushed to do. Would Cael think it was part of his nature? That he was more animal than Human? As ruthless and heartless as some believed he was?

  “Ash?”

  “I let Collins take my gun. When he aimed at Dex, I killed him. I snapped his neck.”

  Cael’s stunned, wide-eyed expression scared the shit out of Ash, and he took Cael’s hand in his. “I told everyone I’d do whatever it took to find you. That I’d go through however many of Hogan’s goons it took to get you back alive, and I would. I just never believed myself capable of killing like that. I’ve neutralized threats before, we all know I have, but this was different. I forced his hand. I knew what he wanted to do, and I gave him the means to do it so I could take him out.”

  “I….”

  Cael swallowed hard, and everyone allowed him a moment to process what he’d learned. Ash expected Cael to push him away, to tell him what he’d done was wrong and that he needed time. Instead, Cael nodded.

  “I understand. We can talk about it later if you like, okay?”

  He smiled warmly, and Ash let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

  Relief washed through Ash, and he returned Cael’s smile. “Okay. How about you tell them about the Case of the Disappearing Doctor?”

  “Right. Rosa and I were called in to investigate the murder of Dr. Ward.”

  “Wait.” Dex held a hand up. “Dr. Ward is dead? Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

  “Shit.”

  Sloane ran a hand over his face, and Ash knew his best friend was piecing it all together. It didn’t take much considering the information they had. There was no mistaking it was all connected.

  “Why’s that name familiar?” Calvin asked, looking pensive.

  “He was Sloane’s doctor,” Cael replied before turning his attention to his brother. “Sorry, we got wrapped up with the whole disappearing meds, bodies, and everything that came after.”

  “He was also my doctor,” Ash added.

  Letty looked from Sloane to Ash. “So you’re both experiencing similar problems and both happen to have had the same doctor?”

  Ash nodded. “Who also prescribed us the same doses of Thelxinomine, a Therian antibiotic meant to help our immune system and fight off infection from our injuries.”

  Something seemed to dawn on Calvin. “Wait a second. How is Dr. Ward missing if he’s dead?”

  This was getting fun. His team had no idea what the hell to make of all this. He could see it in their faces. Cael chimed in with an answer.

  “Rosa and I showed up at the crime scene like usual. I found a bottle of Thelxinomine under Dr. Ward’s desk. The name of the medication seemed familiar, so I asked Rosa to check it out on Themis, except nothing came up, which we all know never happens. So I asked a Human male nurse for more information. The guy left and never came back. When we went to find out what was taking so long, we were introduced to a Therian female nurse with the same name. Apparently the only nurse working there with that name. When we returned to the crime scene, the body was gone. The scene had been swept. The whole office was empty.”

  Rosa let out an indelicate snort. “It gets better. Hudson, Nina, and the CSIs should have been there before us, but they weren’t. We were told they’d been detained. When Cael spoke to Hudson, he said they were never called out to begin with. Then Ash and Sloane’s meds vanished from their desks, where they’d been keeping them while at work.”

  “Okay.” Calvin frowned thoughtfully. “We can rule out freak coincidence. You both had the same doctor, who wound up dead. You were prescribed the same meds, which were at the crime scene and now have mysteriously disappeared. No doc, no evidence, no pills. This is all very fascinating and weird, but I don’t understand what your investigation has to do with the rest of us.”

  “Because it was never our investigation,” Rosa said. “Sparks told us the case had already been assigned to another team. That dispatch had made a mistake by giving us the call. When Cael brought up Dr. Ward, Sparks said he was mistaken. That the body brought in was a Dr. Fredrickson, which happened to be the name on file at the hospital as the attending doctor for Sloane and Ash, which we all know is not true. After that, we were dismissed.”

  Ash met Dex’s gaze and gave him a nod. If Calvin was confused now, wait until he heard the rest of it.

  “After Sloane lost control of his shift the second time, Ash and I went to see Dr. Shultzon. We had no idea what could be causing it, so we figured we’d ask the one guy who knew more about Therians than anyone. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any answers for us, just left us with more questions. He believes the THIRDS is still carrying on with the development of the control drug from the research facility. The one Isaac used on me. One that could be used to control Therians.”

  Dex paused, and Ash understood his hesitation. Shit, he didn’t want to break the news either.

  “He also believes a high-ranking THIRDS officer is involved, most likely using specialist agents. He told us someone isn’t who they say they are, and we should be mindful of the orders we’re given.”

  Everyone went quiet as they thought about that. There was only one officer who gave them orders who could be involved. No one believed Maddock would have anything to do with this mess. The man would sooner hand in his badge than be involved with a Therian mind-control drug, and Sloane wasn’t even a consideration.

  Letty jumped to her feet. “Mierda. Are you suggesting Sparks is involved?”

  “How well do you guys know her?” Dex asked.

  Cael shrugged. “As well as anyone in our unit. She’s really reserved. But that doesn’t mean she’s involved in some control-drug conspiracy.”

  “I hate to say it,” Ash pitched in, and he really did hate saying it, but someone had to, “but when you think about it, she’s the only logical choice. She was mighty pissed off when she showed up at the research facility after we took Isaac down. What if she knew what was going on, and she was pissed off for another reason? Ward was somehow involved, and he got killed for it. Then Sparks covers it up.”

  “If Ward was involved, which is likely considering what’s happened, and he prescribed your meds, which disappeared. Do you think the meds are what’s been messing with your feral half?” Calvin asked.

  Letty looked startled. “Do you think he gave you the drug, passing it off as meds?”

  Sloane shook his head. “The drug’s supposed to control Therians. There was no control when I shifted. If it was the drug, it’s a complete failure. I can’t explain why our meds disappeared or what purpose they served, outside of what we were led to believe. Either way, it leaves us with a hell of a lot of unanswered questions.”

  He let out a sigh, and Ash knew his best friend was feeling guilty for his thoughts about Sparks. Ash felt the same. Maybe they didn’t know her all that well despite having worked under her for so long, but she always had their backs, always supported them, gave them more leeway than any officer had to. She was a damned good lieutenant. If they assigned guilt to someone simply based on their abrasive nature, Ash would be responsible for everything wrong with the world.

  “I don’t know if Sparks is involved, but her recent behavior raises a lot of questions,” Sloane admitted. “Any time I’ve asked about the First Gen Research Facility, she’s shot me down. And don’t forget Austen showed up with the very same drug when you were moving in on Bautista. Austen reports directly to Sparks. Shultzon said whoever was working on this was using specialist agents.”

  “You think Austen’s in on this too?” Letty asked worriedly.

  “God knows I don’t want to believe it, but all this has left me unsure of anything. I know the evidence right now is against him, but I believe in him. I don’t think he’s capable of doing anything like this, and if he is involved, I can’t imagine he’d do so willingly. I admit there’s a huge amount I don’t know about what his job entails, but I trust him to do what’s right.”

  “So what do we do now?” Calvin asked.

  Everyone turned their attention to Sloane.

  “It’ll be interesting to see if I have any episodes now that I’m off the meds. As for the rest, keep your eyes and ears open. I want to hear about anything you might come across that’s strange. There isn’t a whole lot we can do until we’re back in the field. I’m going to try and get a hold of Austen, see if he can shed any light on all this.”

  Ash frowned. “You really think he’ll tell you? What if he’s involved?”

  “Austen and I go way back. If there’s something he wants me to know, he’ll find a way of telling me without actually telling me. Until then, watch your backs.”

  Chapter 7

  CHRISTMAS EVE was turning out better than Cael had hoped. It might have to do with the fact he’d gone into it with little expectations other than to have a good time with his friends and family. He’d treat this Christmas like the last one. No pressure, just fun. He’d barely stopped smiling since Ash and Sloane had arrived at the house earlier in the day. They all hung out, drinking eggnog, munching on snacks, and having a great time. In the evening, Cael finished preparing a light dinner while Ash set the table. Sloane distracted Dex to keep him from eating the food before Cael served it. This had involved allowing Dex to tune the kitchen radio in to Retro Radio. There was air guitar and Ash threatening Dex with grievous bodily harm if he thrust his hips in his direction one more time. Tony watched his favorite Christmas movies in the living room, leaving them to their “shenanigans.”

  Ash had been hesitant around Cael at first, but he loosened up later in the evening. He’d even kissed Cael’s cheek in front of Tony. Cael didn’t make a big deal out of it but took it more as a wonderfully pleasant surprise. Every little gesture from Ash was a sweet revelation. Cael and Dex were finishing the dishes when he heard it. He wiped his hands on a hand towel and turned to his brother.

  “What was that?”

  “What? I didn’t hear anything,” Dex said, drying his hands.

  Cael was positive he’d heard something. “I heard a distinct ‘aw.’”

  “You did?” Dex listened intently when laughter erupted from the living room. Dex’s eyes widened the same moment as Cael’s. “He wouldn’t.”

  “This is Dad we’re talking about.”

  “Oh my God, he totally would!”

  Dex bolted from the kitchen with Cael on his heels. They ran into the living room, Dex coming to an abrupt halt and nearly forcing Cael to slam into him. Cael peered around his brother with dread. Their dad sat on the large couch flanked by Sloane and Ash, a photo album in his lap.

  “And this Halloween they decided they wanted to dress up like Ghostbusters. It was also the year a certain someone decided he was going to take green Jell-O with him while he trick-or-treated. Little did I know it was so he could throw it at the other kids and declare them ‘slimed.’”

  Everyone’s eyes moved to Dex.

  “What? Who says it was me? It could have been Cael.”

  Ash let out a snort. “Yeah, no one believes that. Dweebus.”

  With a sniff, Dex folded his arms over his chest. “I was going for authenticity.”

  “Right. Good to know you’ve been weird all your life.”

  Cael’s eyes dropped to the next album in the lineup. He gasped and swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth. Ash smiled wickedly.

  “What?”

  Cael shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Ash narrowed his eyes, and Cael made the mistake of glancing down at the baby blue album on the coffee table. Ash followed his gaze, and Cael made a dive for it, snatching up the album before Ash could get his hands on it. Cael dashed behind the couch where his dad and Sloane were sitting. Thanks for not helping, Dex. Dex took a seat on Sloane’s lap, pointing out pictures of himself and his dimples. Ash stood across the coffee table, clearly plotting his next course of action.

  “What’s in the album?” Ash asked, getting that predatory look in his amber eyes.

  Cael held it close to his chest. “Coupon clippings!”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “They’re his baby pictures,” Dex offered cheerfully.

  Cael gasped. “Traitor!”

  His brother gave a lazy shrug as he turned another page in the photo album. “You told Sloane about me and the vacuum cleaner hose, so now we’re even.”

  “We are so not even,” Cael scoffed. “I told him that because you called me Chirpy in front of him!”

  Their dad let out a bark of laughter. “Oh shit.” He looked at Sloane. “Cael told you about the vacuum cleaner?”

  “Yep.” Sloane grinned broadly, squirming when Dex poked him in the belly. “Hey, it’s not my fault. I was living in blissful ignorance before then.”

  Tony reached over and patted Sloane’s knee. “You don’t know the half of it. During his teenage years, you could bounce a quarter off his socks when laundry time came around.”

  Everyone burst into laughter, except for Dex, who appeared unimpressed. “Masturbation and food consumption were the core foundations of my teenage years. It’s perfectly healthy.”

  “I didn’t need to know that,” Ash muttered, taking a step closer to Cael as if Cael wouldn’t notice.

  Sloane wriggled his brows at Dex. “Guess some things never change.”

  “I really didn’t need to know that,” Ash ground out, glaring at Sloane, who brushed him off with a laugh. Ash moved to his right, and Cael did the same, his eyes narrowed at Ash.

  “There’s no way you’re getting your hands on this album, Keeler.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Ash slowly crept toward him, and Cael slowly backed away. Ash paused with a frown.

  “Did you leave the milk out?”

  Had he? Cael gasped. He was pretty sure he’d put it away after serving up the pie and—Two strong hands took hold of his waist and hoisted him up. Cael yelped and flailed, but he kept a firm grip on the album as Ash tossed him over his shoulder, holding him down by his legs.

  “No fair! Put me down!” The big sneak, distracting him like that. Spoiled milk was a very serious offense. Milk was needed for the enjoyment of cookies, and baking, and… more cookies. “Damn it, Ash!”