“You’ll be fine. Just don’t piss Sloane off. Or Ash. Or the girls.” He went thoughtful. “Don’t piss anyone off. They’re pretty laid-back and get on with most everyone, so you shouldn’t have a problem.”

  Trent breathed in deeply. “Right.”

  Seb headed toward Sloane and Dex, with a somewhat pale Trent following along.

  “Hey, guys.” Seb smiled when the pair turned in his direction. “This is Agent Trent Carson. He’s stepping in for Taylor while he’s on leave.”

  Trent’s smile couldn’t get any wider as he shook Sloane’s hand. The guy obviously had a little hero worship going on, despite his newfound terror. “It’s an honor to meet you, Agent Brodie. I’ve heard so many great things about you and your team. You’re a real inspiration. Please, call me Trent.”

  “Thanks, Trent. Just doing our jobs,” Sloane replied with a smile. “This is my partner, Dexter J. Daley.”

  “Call me Dex,” Dex replied with a bright smile, taking Trent’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you. Uh, wow.” Trent stared into Dex’s eyes and took a step closer. “You’re… Wow.”

  Seb groaned internally. What part of mate did Trent not understand? Come on, pal, you gotta be stronger than this. The rest of their unit had had time to adjust to Dex’s mark, plus everyone loved the guy. Whether they were pulled in by his charm, amused by his antics, or preferred his company in small doses, everyone had his back. Also, not one agent in Unit Alpha was stupid enough to challenge Sloane Brodie or the backup that came with him. Everyone respected Dex and Sloane, and they were more than aware Dex was off-limits, no matter how much Dex’s scent and mark tried to screw with their Therian halves. It took discipline but wasn’t unachievable. Trent was obviously finding it hard to resist. Seb wondered if the guy was even trying, considering the way he began to stroke Dex’s hand with his thumb.

  Dex cleared his throat and politely tried to pull his hand out of Trent’s grasp. Trent held on.

  Let go. Now.

  Trent continued to hold on to Dex’s hand, and Sloane straightened to his full height, his pupils dilating.

  Let. Go.

  Sloane took a step forward, and Seb grabbed Trent’s shoulder, jerking him back. “Hey, look at the time. Maddock’s expecting Trent. Excuse us.” Seb dragged Trent along with him, whispering hoarsely at him, “Are you out of your fucking mind? What did I say?”

  “Oh God, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. He… he just smelled so damned good. His eyes, and, Jesus, that mouth. Did you see those lips? Fuck, he’s hot.”

  Seb turned the corner and brought Trent up against the wall. “Listen and listen good. You are not off to a good start. You’re talking about another guy’s mate.”

  “It’s not my fault,” Trent huffed. “Come on, man.” He smirked and playfully smacked Seb on the chest. “You understand that kind of pull, right? Besides, those guys know what they’re in for. I think some of them secretly like the attention.”

  Seb straightened. “What?”

  “Those guys that let themselves get marked. They know what they’re in for, know other Therians are gonna want to, you know.” He shrugged, his lips curling into a wicked grin. “They’re practically begging for it. Am I right, buddy?”

  Seb shoved Trent hard, slamming him into the wall. He ignored the man’s pained grunt and fisted a handful of Trent’s shirt, pinning the smaller Therian to the spot. When he spoke, there was no mistaking the threat in his low growl.

  “Now you listen here. I’m not your friend or your buddy. I hear you say shit like that again, and not only will I make sure you’re on the first flight back to Philly, I will personally drag your ass over to Sloane Brodie, and you can look him in the eye and tell him his mate is begging for it.”

  Trent threw up his arms. “All right, I’m sorry. Shit, man. I had no idea that was such a touchy subject for you.”

  “Touchy subject?” Seb thrust a finger at the end of the hall. “Conference room is that way. You better fucking impress me out in the field because right now, I am not impressed.” He released Trent and turned to leave but not before growling over his shoulder, “Nice to fucking meet you, Trent. Stay the fuck out of my way.”

  Seb shook his head as he stalked back to his office. If there was one thing he didn’t tolerate, it was talk like that, and not just because of Hudson or Dex. That mentality that Humans and Therians invited trouble because they were marked pissed Seb off—though not as much as those who believed a marked mate getting sexually assaulted was the victim’s fault because it was “in their nature.” It was disgusting.

  “Whoa, who pissed in your Cheerios?” Dom asked, looking concerned.

  “Just met Taylor’s replacement. Agent Trent Carson.”

  “That good, huh?”

  Seb didn’t keep anything from Dom, and Dom didn’t keep anything from him. They were partners and, more importantly, friends. His first instinct was to confide in Dom. However, Seb knew him well, and when something or someone pissed Dom off, there was no hiding it. Dom’s passions ran hot, and his temper, if not controlled, was explosive.

  Seb pressed his lips together and sat without saying a word.

  Dom groaned. “It’s going to piss me off, isn’t it? What? Is he a douche?”

  Seb sighed as he took a seat at his desk. “I’ll tell you if you promise to be an adult about it.”

  “I’m always an adult,” Dom protested, his frown deep. “But now that I know what you’re gonna say is gonna piss me off, you expect me to be nice to this asshole?”

  “No, just—”

  “Fucking tell me already.”

  Seb did.

  Dom’s expression darkened, a silent fury washing over him. The only hints he was royally pissed off were the set of his jaw and the steel in his eyes.

  “Yeah, definitely an asshole,” he ground out.

  Seb grunted. Even if he hadn’t been keeping an eye on Hudson, he would be now. The last thing he wanted was to have Trent sniffing around him. The thought alone was enough to get his blood boiling. Again. Trent Carson better watch himself because if Seb got even the smallest hint the guy was up to no good, Seb wouldn’t hesitate to teach him some manners.

  THREE

  This was a terrible idea, but also the most obvious choice.

  Hudson paced the concrete room, his wolf unhappy with the enclosed space. The small room made him anxious. He could only imagine what Sloane must be feeling. Felid Therians abhorred tight spaces. “Are you certain you want to do this?” Hudson asked for the umpteenth time.

  “Positive, but Sloane has to stay here,” Dex replied, cringing at Sloane’s glower.

  “Are you out of your mind? You want me to stay in here while you face a Therian stuck in feral form?” Sloane shook his head. “Absolutely fucking not.”

  “It’s not just any Therian. It’s Taylor,” Dex reminded them.

  “Exactly! Taylor who tried to kill us!”

  Dex appeared to give that some thought. “He wasn’t trying to kill me. Only you. I think.”

  Sloane threw up his hands. “Oh, well, I feel so much better now.” He folded his arms over his chest, his lips pressed into a thin line.

  Hudson couldn’t blame Sloane for his concern. Taylor was far more lethal in this state, but Dex also had a point. If Sloane was present, Taylor’s hostility would increase exponentially, and any chance Dex might have to reach Taylor would become nonexistent.

  “Babe.” Dex tugged at Sloane’s arm, and Hudson held back a smile at the way Sloane’s anger melted away.

  Sloane pulled Dex into his embrace, his words laced with tenderness. “What if he hurts you? It’s been weeks since Moros injected him with that fucked-up version of Shultzon’s drug. We have to consider that maybe… maybe Taylor’s gone.”

  Hudson swallowed hard, his stomach lurching at the thought. For weeks TIN scientists and medical experts had worked furiously to determine what concoction Moros injected Taylor with to force his humanity to become dormant. Mere hours ago, they were informed Moros had pumped extremely high doses of Thelxinomine into Taylor’s system. Hudson was horrified to discover it was the same drug Shultzon managed to get into Sloane, Ash, and Ethan before they were kidnapped, in hopes of turning them into mindless soldiers. With enough doses, Thelxinomine would short-circuit the Therian brain, leaving the feral half in control and susceptible to Peitharchia7, which would allow the Therian to be controlled in their Human form. The thought of what Moros had done to Taylor made Hudson sick to his stomach. He turned to Sloane.

  “We need to do what we can to help him, Sloane. What Moros did was barbaric. It’s a miracle Taylor isn’t dead.”

  Dex nodded his agreement. “If seeing me helps him in any way, I have to do it. Yeah, he’s pulled some real dick moves, but he’d gotten his act together, and he sure as hell doesn’t deserve this. Moros used him to get to us. We can’t do nothing. Besides…” Dex sucked in a sharp breath, his expression pained as he held up his hand. Hudson stared at the claws piercing Dex’s skin as he drew them out. “Things are different now.”

  Hudson couldn’t stop from taking Dex’s hand to examine it. “Extraordinary.”

  Dex chuckled. “Weird, huh? It’s taking some getting used to.” Something occurred to him, and he gasped, his wide eyes on Sloane. “Dude, I was right. X-Men.”

  Sloane rolled his eyes. “You are not an X-Man.”

  Dex looked unimpressed. He waved his clawed hand in front of Sloane.

  “Yeah, okay, Wolverine. Go do whatever it is you gotta do, and try not to give me any heart palpitations today. You might be strong, but your bones aren’t made of adamantium.”

  With a big smile, Dex kissed Sloane. “I love that you’re as big a nerd as I am.”

  “No one’s as big a nerd as you are. Except maybe your brother.” Sloane gave Hudson a pointed look. “Make sure he doesn’t do anything reckless.”

  Hudson’s expression was deadpan. “Oh? Mastered the feat yourself, have you?”

  “You know what, Doc? You’re starting to sound like him. Stop it.”

  Hudson laughed before knocking on the steel door. It was immediately opened by a very large bear Therian in a black suit and auburn tie. He towered well over seven feet tall, was as wide as the doorframe, and looked as though he was carved from granite. Hudson pondered how a man that size could be a spy.

  Seeming to read his thoughts, Dex leaned in to murmur, “I’m guessing they send him to places with a lot of mountains. Blends right in.”

  Hudson snickered, following Dex and the giant bear Therian down a somber-looking corridor. Where were they? Dex had picked Hudson up at his office, and with Sloane, they’d walked to the THIRDS garage, where a black Suburban with opaque tinted windows waited for them. Inside, a partition ensured they couldn’t see the front of the vehicle or who drove it, and the windows were as black on the inside as they were on the outside. Hudson attempted to listen to his surroundings but was met with nothing but silence, and all his sense of smell picked up was Dex and Sloane. It was impossible to discern where they were being taken, other than to a secure TIN facility.

  A large iron door slid open at the far end of the gray concrete corridor. Two uniformed soldiers with frightful looking tranq rifles emerged and took positions outside the room. Hudson swallowed hard. He certainly didn’t want to come up against those men in a dark alley, or anywhere for that matter.

  The vast room was bare, with nothing but what Hudson suspected was a two-way mirror high on one wall. At the end of the room was a steel cage, and inside, Taylor paced in his leopard Therian form, hissing and spitting. Hudson stopped cold with a gasp. He knew of feral Therians, had even come across several in his time at the THIRDS, but seeing someone he knew, one of his colleagues, in that state was difficult. Dex put a hand to Hudson’s shoulder, and Hudson nodded.

  “I’m all right.”

  They approached the cage, and Hudson’s heart squeezed. Poor bloke. Taylor might have been brash, rude, and often inappropriate, but he didn’t deserve to be locked up in a cage like a rabid beast. Inside that ferocious leopard beat the heart of a man, a good man despite his many flaws and past indiscretions. Taylor’s change over the last few months had come as a surprise to everyone in Unit Alpha. At some point, the inappropriate comments had ceased. He no longer spoke incessantly of sex or his conquests. Where he’d once flirted with anything and everything that had a pulse, he had become thoughtful and at times playful. Hudson had overheard him reprimanding a fellow agent for boasting in lurid detail of his night spent with another agent. Hudson had no idea what had brought on such a change in Taylor, but it suited the man.

  Dex slowly approached the cage but stopped far enough away that if Taylor were to swipe his paw through the bars, he wouldn’t reach Dex.

  “Hey, buddy. It’s me.”

  Taylor continued to pace, fangs bared as he hissed. He was agitated and frustrated by his confinement. Canid Therians despised being locked up, but they could cope far better than Felid Therians. A trapped Canid Therian would lose heart, whereas a trapped Felid Therian would lose its mind.

  “Taylor, listen to my voice. It’s Dex. You remember me, right? I know you can smell me.” Dex edged closer, gingerly approaching the bars. Hudson remained still. If Dex should need him, he’d have to move quickly. Dex crouched in front of the bars just a foot away, and Hudson stifled a gasp when Taylor roared and made a swipe at Dex through the bars. To Hudson’s astonishment, Dex smacked Taylor’s paw away before he could get slashed. He’d never seen a Human move that fast.

  “Knock it off,” Dex scolded. “Don’t be a jerk. I’m here to help you.” Taylor hissed, and Dex moved closer. “Hey, what did I say? I’m here to help you, you ass. I want to help you. I know you’re in there. Come on.” Dex moved his hand closer to the bars, and Hudson had to refrain from asking him what the bloody hell he thought he was doing. If Dex lost a hand, Sloane was going to kill them both.

  Hudson waited with bated breath as Dex slipped his hand between the bars. “Come here,” he said softly. “It’s me. You like me. I like you too.”

  Taylor flattened his ears. He lifted his head and sniffed. When he opened his mouth, Hudson thought they were doomed. Instead of biting, Taylor stuck out his tongue. He was sniffing the air, trying to get a better idea of who Dex was.

  “Yeah, that’s it, buddy. It’s me. Come on.” Dex held his palm up, and Hudson stared, stunned as Taylor edged closer. He stretched out his thick neck and sniffed at Dex’s hand.

  “Yeah, that’s it. You remember me, don’t you? It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

  Taylor rubbed his head against Dex’s hand, and the very distinct motor-like sound of purring filled the room. Oh, thank bloody goodness. Hudson released a shaky breath.

  “Yeah, you remember. I’m here. It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

  Taylor lowered his head, releasing a grieving wail that broke Hudson’s heart. He padded to the corner of the cage, where he curled up in a tight ball, his back to them.

  “Hey, don’t do that. I know you didn’t mean to. You probably don’t even remember most of it, and that’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. Someone messed with you. Why don’t you shift so we can talk about it?”

  Another low wail followed by a mewl came from Taylor. Hudson was familiar with the sound of a heartbroken Felid. Curious. Taylor no doubt felt remorse for his actions, but why did he sound so… despairing?

  “We’ve been worried about you. You need to come back to us.”

  Nothing.

  Dex took a deep breath before speaking, his voice gentle. “Ellis Taylor, you listen to me.”

  Taylor’s ears perked up, and he looked at Dex over his shoulder.

  “It’s okay. I promise. Please. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be right here. For you.”

  Taylor stared at Dex for a minute before getting up. He walked to the center of the cage and released a huff. After several failed attempts, an anguished cry left Taylor’s mouth as his muscles flexed and shifted beneath his fur. Hudson shut his eyes tight as the roars gave way to harrowing screams. Taylor was clearly in great pain. It was to be expected after how long he’d been in his Therian form. When the screams ebbed, Hudson opened his eyes. Taylor’s transformation was nearly complete.

  Hudson turned to one of the guards. “Bring us a blanket, please.”

  “Someone open this door,” Dex ordered, standing aside while one of the guards crossed the room, then opened the cage door just as Taylor finished shifting. He was so weak he lay curled up on his side, shivering violently. Hudson took the blanket from the guard and handed it to Dex, who quickly laid it over a stark-naked Taylor.

  The door opened, and several medical officers rushed into the room. Taylor flinched and curled up even tighter, shaking his head vehemently.

  “Hey, it’s okay,” Dex assured him gently, running a hand over Taylor’s head. “They’re going to give you PSTC and take good care of you. I promise. Then we’ll talk, okay?”

  Taylor opened his mouth to speak, but only a hoarse sound escaped. He cleared his throat and tried again, his voice low and rough. “Don’t go.”

  “I’ll be right here,” Dex promised.

  They stood to one side as the medical officers administered PSTC. They dressed Taylor in a pair of sweatpants and a white T-shirt, a hoodie, and white crew socks. He looked like he’d been dragged through hell, deep dark circles around his bloodshot hazel eyes. Once Dex coaxed Taylor into eating some protein, they helped Taylor out of the room and into the room next door. It was as sparse as the one they’d vacated, but instead of a cage, it was filled with medical equipment, including a state-of-the-art hospital bed. They helped Taylor sit on the bed, and then Dex pulled up a chair next to him. Hudson took a seat beside Dex.

  “Tell me what happened?” Dex asked gently.

  Taylor stared down at his hands. “I… I’m so sorry.” He winced, as if it hurt to talk.

  Whatever tremulous hold Taylor had on his emotions shattered, and Dex was there to catch him, holding him as Taylor quietly sobbed against Dex’s shoulder. Taylor clutched Dex’s arms, as if Dex was the only thing holding him up. Several minutes later, Taylor pulled back with a sniff. He rubbed his eyes and averted his gaze, embarrassed it would seem. His face was flushed, his nose and eyes red.