“He’s going to make a great team leader,” Sloane assured Austen. “Colin wouldn’t have submitted him for consideration if he didn’t believe his brother was ready.”

  “Damn Zacharys are going to be the death of me,” Austen grumbled.

  Dex did his best to hold back a laugh. Austen had spent the majority of his life on his own, but when he fell in love with Zach, he’d inherited an entire bear Therian clan. Nothing like seeing someone as fierce as Austen try to fend off a horde of bear Therians with a penchant for hugging.

  Austen’s expression turned somber, and Dex readied himself. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. No one is better suited for this mission than we are. We can handle it.”

  With a resigned sigh, Austen removed his phone from his pocket, then tapped away at it before putting it to his ear. “Activate the legends.” He hung up and nodded. “It’s done. Go see Keane.”

  “Speaking of,” Dex said as he got to his feet, “I got a notice that the last of the purge was complete.”

  “That’s right. Any facial recognition software that’s run on you will continue to come up with the appropriate information depending on the source of the inquiry. All media coverage of you from your time with Destructive Delta, as well as the trial that led to your recruitment at the THIRDS, has either been removed, redacted, or altered. TIN has never recruited anyone who’s had as much publicity as you have. Most of Sloane’s records at the THIRDS were classified already, and Keane removed any other media coverage. Anyone who tries to dig deeper into you will find what we want them to find.”

  “Thanks.” They headed back into the hall and the elevator that would take them to the subbasement where Keane had his lab.

  The elevator doors opened, and Sloane put a hand to Dex’s shoulder. “Before we go in there, can we please try not to piss off the growly lion Therian? Again.”

  Dex blinked at him. “Me?”

  “Right. What was I thinking? It’s not like you have a history of pissing off lion Therians.” Sloane’s deadpan expression as he spoke made Dex laugh.

  “Hey, it’s not my fault. It’s like I am some kind of lion Therian allergen or something.”

  Keane’s “lab” took up the whole of the floor, a concrete warehouse of technologically advanced vehicles and gadgets the likes of which few had seen, because as far as the world was concerned, most of this stuff didn’t exist.

  They found Keane at one of his long glass tables. He tapped away at its surface, and Dex couldn’t help the goose bumps he got every time the three-dimensional projected image appeared. Dex was old-school, and although technology excited him with its coolness, he didn’t always get along with it, or rather, technology didn’t get along with him.

  “Evening, Q.” Dex beamed brightly at Keane. “What have you got for us?”

  Keane narrowed his deep brown eyes at Dex. “I told you not to call me that.”

  “Very well, Keanu.”

  “That is also not my name,” Keane replied in his accented English.

  Dex opened his mouth, and Keane arched a dark eyebrow at him.

  “Don’t even think about it.”

  Hands up in surrender, Dex pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. The thing about lion Therians and their grumpy asses was that riling them up was so damned easy, not to mention exceptionally fun. Deadly. But fun.

  Keane looked more like a college quarterback than a tech geek. Like every TIN operative, Keane’s file was classified, but after working with the guy for almost two years, Dex had managed to deduce a few things about him. He was in his midthirties, Cuban, and his thick accent indicated he was either recruited by TIN while still in Cuba or he’d moved to the US a few years ago. There was no computer he couldn’t get into, no gadget he couldn’t put together or take apart, and they were damned lucky Keane was on their side.

  “What? You don’t think I could be James Bond?”

  Keane eyed Dex. “Less James Bond, more Austin Powers.”

  Dex let out a bark of laughter. Who said lion Therians didn’t have a sense of humor? “I’ll have you know I look smashing in a cravat.” Next to him, Sloane chuckled, and Dex winked at his husband.

  “Who’s Austin Powers?” Ro asked from atop a locked equipment cabinet, where she’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere, her eyes glued to her tablet.

  “Yet another movie that came out before you were born.” Keane didn’t bother looking up from the table’s interface as he pointed to the empty chair next to him. Ro had a habit of perching on things, like gravity didn’t apply to her. Probably because it didn’t, considering how damned lanky she was. With a put-upon sigh, she slid onto the chair.

  Rowan was the opposite of Keane in every way—slender and sinewy with long legs, a mop of unruly dark hair, sharp dark eyes, trendy glasses, and a mind that was truly terrifying. She was also an enigma. No one knew where the twenty-one-year-old Therian had come from, and just as surprising was the fact no one had seen her shift. Dex had yet to figure out what kind of shifter she was. Ro was unmarked, something that had been illegal since the eighties. Then again, if anyone could get away with having an unmarked operative, it was TIN.

  “You make me feel old,” Dex grumbled at Ro, who snorted.

  “That’s because you are old.”

  “Listen here, Ralphie—”

  Ro peered at him. “Is that from another old-person movie?”

  Sloane snorted, and Dex narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know what you find so funny. You’re older than me.”

  Sloane’s expression turned deadpan. “I was team leader for Destructive Delta. I’ve been old for decades.”

  “You have my sympathies,” Keane offered solemnly.

  “Hey! It wasn’t that bad.”

  “I read the files,” Keane said.

  “Those files were grossly exaggerated.”

  Sloane hummed. “Yes. Grossly exaggerated.”

  “Wow. So convincing. I hope you don’t have to act for a living. Oh, wait…”

  Sloane laughed and turned his attention to Keane. “What have we got?”

  Keane shook his head, but Dex could see the glint of amusement in his eyes. “Your legends are ready, and everything has been uploaded. Dex, you are reclusive billionaire Dash Delacruz.”

  Sloane arched an eyebrow at Dex. “Dash? Really?”

  “What? It’s easy to remember.” It was also a nickname Dex had given to a maneuver they’d used during their Destructive Delta days. He’d married his name with Ash’s just to piss Ash off. Worked like a charm. The maneuver worked great too.

  “Sloane,” Keane continued, ignoring Dex, “you’re Broderick or Brodie.” He glanced at Dex, then moved his gaze back to Sloane. “That’s right. Your former surname. Your husband is a visionary.”

  Dex shrugged, his smile wide. “Hey, they don’t want me picking the names—”

  “They don’t.”

  “Then they shouldn’t ask.”

  “They didn’t,” Keane replied with a snort. “You insisted, and for some crazy reason, they allowed it. Everyone else gets assigned an alias. They get what they get, whether they like it or not. Except you. Of all people.”

  “Aw.” Dex put a hand over his heart. “I love you too, Q.”

  “Moving on.” Keane tapped away at the table, and information on their legends scrolled by. “Dash, you met Brodie at a Therian fetish party four years ago. You two hit it off. He was looking for a Human sugar daddy; you were looking for a live-in bodyguard with benefits. You both got what you were looking for.”

  Dex waggled his eyebrows at Sloane. “Sugar daddy, huh? Looks like you’ll be calling me Daddy after all.”

  “Nope. Keane, if you will. Please ignore my husband.”

  “With pleasure,” Keane replied, making Dex chuckle. “Dash, Brodie is your bodyguard, companion, and lover. You’re filthy rich, arrogant, and know your worth. You’ve been fascinated with Therians since you were a kid and have looked into countless cases of Humans who claimed they found a way to give Humans Therian traits, all of them bogus. The only reason you’ve accepted Vaughan’s invitation is that you’ve heard rumors about him finding the Melanoe virus and using it to create a new vaccine. Your legends include additional details, but as usual, you play the part as you see fit.”

  “Disguise?” Dex asked, wondering how much of their appearance would be altered for this mission. This was the longest they’d be immersed in their legends. Previous missions had required heavy alterations, including a couple of face masks to make them look older, but those had been either quick interactions with targets, dealing with dead-drops, or intel gathering.

  “For this mission, light.” Keane typed away at his interface, and a 3D bust of Dex and another of Sloane popped up with the changes. “The Disguise Department has issued you the appropriate wardrobe and pocket litter. Dash, your hair is getting expensively styled and darker, with a matching beard. Brodie, you’re getting those grays covered up, hair is getting longer, beard thicker. Brodie is a bad boy who generally gives no fucks. You’ll receive the appropriate attire to match, all designer labels.”

  Sloane pointed to Dex’s 3D rendering. “Those connected to Achlys?”

  “Yes.”

  Gone were Dex’s baby blues. TIN had informed him from the beginning that any fieldwork he did would require a change in eye color. The striking blue of Dex’s eyes was too identifiable. He could completely change his appearance, but his eyes would give him away, especially if he wasn’t careful with his emotions. Dex didn’t mind. It meant he got kickass contacts that could connect to TIN’s intelligence network.

  Keane reached under the table and removed a steel suitcase with a biometric lock. “Fingerprint and retina, por favor.”

  Dex placed his thumb to the pad, and when it turned green, he leaned over to let the software scan his retina. The lock clicked open, and Dex whistled. “Ooh, fancy.” Everything in the case was top-of-the-line and more than what it seemed. Dex picked up the expensive-looking watch and slipped it on. Despite the hefty price tag, its value had undoubtedly tripled after Keane’s alterations.

  The case included a wallet, complete with credit cards and debit cards linked to Dash’s obscene bank and credit accounts, a smartphone, laptop, tablet, all with a hidden access sign-in portal to TIN’s intelligence network, Achlys—not to be confused with Achilles. One was the goddess of misery and sadness, a personification of death mist, the other was a half-god warrior killed after his one weakness was exposed. Misery, sadness, and death were pretty apt descriptions of what TIN brought to those caught in their crosshairs.

  Sloane received similar items, minus the obscene bank account. He slipped the watch on and nodded toward the large velvet box next to the briefcase. “What’s that?”

  Keane’s expression turned hard. “This was requested by the higher-ups. They have certain… concerns and believe this is the only way to assure you can handle any… exposure issues.”

  Dex and Sloane exchanged glances before Dex spoke up. “I’m guessing that by ‘exposure’ they don’t mean naked.”

  “Correct.” When Keane opened the box, Dex turned away on instinct before forcing his attention back to the large collar nestled inside the padding.

  “What the fuck is that?” Dex demanded, despite knowing exactly what it was. “More importantly, why the hell did you make it?” The world was a fucked-up place. Of that, Dex had no doubt. During the span of his career, both as a THIRDS agent and now a TIN operative, he’d seen all kinds of messed-up shit, but this was the first time he’d seen a collar like this, one specifically made for Therians, and it made him feel sick to his stomach, because if Keane had made this, there was a hell of a lot more to it.

  “You’re not going to like it,” Ro said, hopping up onto the table and spinning to face them. She sat cross-legged, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Not that it’s relevant to your current mission,” Keane said, his expression dark, “but so you know, I made it as comfortable as possible, with padding and cooling material that won’t chafe in any weather. It’s waterproof and can be submerged up to ten feet, and has a failsafe hidden beneath the silver fastener here.” He held it out to Dex, who gingerly took it from him. Keane pointed to the watch Dex sported on his wrist.

  “Never take that off. As you know, with your thumbprint, retina scan, and access code, it connects to Achlys. You can get to the access screen via the settings dashboard. It’s completely waterproof so you can shower with it, swim in the ocean, deep dive with it and it’ll be fine. This particular watch has an additional feature. On the main screen, the lightning bolt takes you to the collar’s interface. It’s how you activate and deactivate it, change any settings, and control the voltage.”

  Voltage? Dex’s head snapped up. “A shock collar? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  Keane shook his head, his expression sympathetic. “As of this moment, your bond is the greatest threat to this mission. Vaughan is a smart man. If he gets the slightest hint that you two are bonded, it’s over. Intel says Vaughan has been known to use similar devices. We need to be as prepared as possible. At some point, Sloane will be physically tested. Vaughan will make sure of it. Sloane is the whole reason Dash will get an invite. I won’t lie, it’s going to hurt like a son of a bitch, but if you can work through the pain without giving yourself away, Vaughan will never know the truth. This collar will test your bond and help get you past your instinctual reaction.”

  Dex stared at him. “What now?”

  Ro jumped off the table. “Dex, how do you think it’s going to look when Sloane is brought to his knees and you have a visceral reaction at the same time? Vaughan can’t suspect you of being anything other than Sloane’s employer/lover. Affection, possibly even love, is acceptable, but under no circumstances can Vaughan discover you’re bonded.”

  “I can act my way through it.”

  Keane shook his head. “Not through this. Trust me.”

  Dex placed his hands on the table and leaned forward with a growl. “Do I need to remind you both that I’ve been fucking tortured? Twice. I can deal with physical pain.”

  “Keane’s right,” Sloane said gently, turning Dex to face him. “We can’t approach this mission the same way we have the others. You’re strong, Dex, now more than ever, but this kind of pain is going to hit you differently.”

  Dex hated to admit it, but they were right. The two of them had been through enough shit together to know how pain to one of them affected them both. “Fine. Let’s do it, then.” Dex stared at the collar for a heartbeat before turning to Sloane. Teeth gritted, his hands tightened around the device. When he hesitated, Sloane wrapped his hands around Dex’s wrists and gently guided it toward his neck. He lifted his chin, giving Dex access to what a felid considered the most vulnerable part of them. With slightly trembling hands, Dex slipped the collar around Sloane’s neck, the subtle snap of the buckle making Dex flinch.

  Plenty of Humans and Therians were into kink that involved collars, and Dex had no problem letting his freak flag fly where sex with Sloane was concerned, but this? Collars like this hadn’t been created with pleasure in mind. It had been created to hurt Therians, control them, demean them, treat them like animals, and Dex despised the way it looked on his husband. Lifting his gaze, his heart broke at Sloane’s reassuring smile.

  “It’s okay, baby. I’m okay.”

  Dex nodded. He made to step away from the table, but Keane held out a hand.

  “The watch.”

  At Dex’s scowl, Keane sighed.

  “You know it can’t be you.”

  Keane might be right, but Dex didn’t have to like it. He removed the watch and handed it over, then took his position several feet away from Sloane, facing him. To their left, Keane held up the watch.

  “Ready?”

  Dex rounded his shoulders, and Sloane nodded. “Okay. Hit us.” He kept his eyes on Sloane as a jolt of electricity exploded through him, and Dex cried out, his scream joining Sloane’s as they both hit the floor. “Fuck.” Dex rolled onto his hands and knees, then shakily pushed himself to his feet before he took a step toward Sloane, only to be slammed with another jolt. “For fuck’s sake, Keane!”

  “Fight through it,” Keane demanded. “Get your asses up and fight through the pain.”

  Sloane rolled onto his side, face red, fangs bared and claws piercing his fingertips, his felid half shining through his glowing amber eyes. This wasn’t the first time they’d been through something like this, and Dex did his best not to let his thoughts go back to the Chairman and the torture they’d endured at his hands. He’d been so close to losing Sloane. Never again.

  “This is why we need to do this,” Keane said. “If Vaughan sees you like this, not only are you both dead, but Cory will never make it out of there.”

  “Fuck you,” Dex spat, forcing himself to his feet.

  “Again,” Sloane said, breathless as he got himself up.

  Keane tapped the watch, and Dex gritted his teeth, but the pain proved to be too much, and it tore a cry from him as he dropped to his knees. His heart pounded like it was trying to make a break for it. He moved his gaze to Sloane, who was still on his feet. A surge of pride went through Dex as Sloane rolled his shoulders, his expression one of resolute determination. “Come on, sweetheart. We can do this. Get up.”

  Unsteady but determined, Dex pushed through it and straightened.

  “Again,” Sloane told Keane.

  Once. Twice. Three, four, they were brought to their knees. It was acceptable and expected for Sloane to be on his knees, but not Dex. He was the reason Sloane was being subjected to this pain. All because he couldn’t stop himself from reacting. He had to be stronger than this.

  “Again.”

  Keane eyed Sloane, uncertain. “Maybe we should take a break.”

  Sloane shook his head, his eyes meeting Dex’s. “Not until he gets it right.”

  “Sloane,” Dex groaned from where he knelt on the floor. “Please. Let’s just take a break.” Sweat dripped down the side of his face, his body ached, his chest burned, and his eyes watered.