If they had Cole, would I be able to rescues him with my pepper spray?

  I rubbed my forehead, struggling to focus in on Dr. Ageri’s conversation. A cool hand caught my elbow. “Can I talk to you?”

  Deidra now stood beside me. I nodded and followed her into her den. The decibel level was much lower there, and I did my best not to check to see if I had a clear line of sight to the kitchen from there. Her gaze bore into me. “I was hoping to meet your brother tonight.”

  “Why?” I crossed my arms. “And how did you know I even had brother anyway?”

  She leaned back against the edge of her desk. “I know you don’t remember, but we’ve met before.”

  A chill crept up my back and I was pretty sure my hands were trembling, but I kept my expression neutral. The only card I had to play was the fact that Deidra didn’t think I remembered being treated by her as a child. My best chance to get information was to keep her believing that. “Have we?”

  “Yes.” She nodded slowly. “I knew your mother.”

  “That’s interesting. She’s not happy that I’m working for you.” I raised a brow. “Why am I really here?”

  “I thought I’d be giving you and your brother a family reunion.”

  Was she going to admit she had my sister here somewhere? My mouth went dry. I cleared my throat. “I don’t understand. I can see him whenever I want to.”

  “Your mother never told you, then?”

  My heart raced as I did my best to keep my expression controlled and neutral while I tried to encourage her to tell me more. “About…?”

  “Your sister.”

  I blinked. “Excuse me? I don’t have a sister.”

  “I’m sorry your mother never told you. Chandler was not her first child.” Her gaze softened, her lips curving into a tight smile. She probably thought her expression was sympathetic, but it lacked any warmth.

  I glanced at the kitchen. Still no sign of Cole. Keep her talking. “Are you saying my mom has another daughter?”

  “No. Your mother gave her away like an unwanted gift.” She dropped the false empathy, her words becoming clipped. “She’s my daughter.”

  I frowned. “My father never would have agreed to give her up for adoption.”

  “Oh this was before she met your father.” She tapped her perfectly manicured nail against the desk, her gaze going distant. “I wonder if he knows?”

  I had so many questions for my mother, but right now all I wanted was to see Cole standing in the doorway. I wanted to run out of this house and never look back.

  But my sister needed me.

  Deidra focused on me again. “You met your sister once before. Your mother was desperate for me to cure you of your condition, and your sister made that possible. Now I need you and your brother to help her.”

  “Ridgemont,” I whispered.

  “Ah, so you do remember.” She straightened with an eager gleam in eyes sparkling with eagerness. “She was worried you’d forgotten her after your treatments.”

  My stomach lurched. Had my entire life been manipulated? I hated that this woman had messed with my head, and I couldn’t be sure which pieces of my memory she’d stolen. All I could be certain of was this woman was not helping my sister. The few times she’d reached out to me, her mental calls were desperate, asking for help. If Deidra had tried to “cure” me of my psychic abilities, what had she been doing to my sister all this time?

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked.

  She waved her hand like we could be discussing a new set of drapes instead of my sister’s psychic abilities. “She’s had issues with extra sensory abilities all her life. Inherited from your mother, I’m afraid. Over the years, I’ve targeted the lobe of her brain with overactive electronic activity.” Her gaze wandered over my face. “During the Ridgemont study, I was able to help her channel some of her power to cauterize the part of your brain with excess electrical impulses from the inside. I’ve replicated the research in a few other subjects, but I haven’t been able to utilize it to help Serenity.”

  Serenity. My sister’s name was Serenity. I concentrated on her name instead of the idea she had somehow burned parts of my brain.

  Deidra went one, seemingly oblivious to the horror she was describing. “The success rate seems to be better with similar DNA strings.”

  “Family members.” Bile stung the back of my throat, but I fought to get the words out. “When can I meet her?”

  Deidra shook her head. “It’s not so simple. Until I get her stabilized again, I can’t allow her any human contact. She could hurt you or herself.”

  Snatches of memories of holding hands with the girl in the pool filled my head. “So you just…keep her locked up?”

  “Restrained.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m doing what’s best for her.”

  I shook my head, repulsed by this woman who obviously had no trouble using human beings as guinea pigs for her research. “Does she get a say in that? Maybe psychic abilities aren’t an affliction to be cured.”

  Her brow arched. “Altered brain function can be corrected.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

  “I know what’s best for my baby girl.” She set her chin.

  “She’s far from a baby and should get a say in her own life.” I shook my head. “You can’t keep her prisoner.”

  She crossed her arms. “I’m the doctor here. Now are you going to help me willingly or should I have my guards arrange for you to stay?”

  Pots and dishes crashed from the kitchen, followed by screams. I turned as Cole raced past me with an unconscious, soaking wet, woman in his arms.

  Deidra rushed for the door, screeching, “Stop him!”

  I grabbed her wrist and held her back from leaving the room.

  She clawed at me. “He’s taking my daughter!”

  “My sister asked for my help.” I grunted.

  Her eyes widened. “That’s impossible.”

  I shook my head. “I guess your treatment wasn’t permanent.”

  She shoved me, breaking free of my grasp. I yanked the pepper spray from my pocket, dosing her with it. The strong scent stung my nose as she stumbled backward, rubbing her eyes.

  Coughing, I ran from the room, chasing after Cole.

  We burst out the front door, and Vance and met us in the driveway. He was out of breath but didn’t seem to be injured. “We got the other Timberwolf. Let’s get the hell out of here.” Vance stopped, staring at the pale, wet woman in Cole’s arms. “Is she…?”

  “She’s alive and her vitals are strong. She was in a sensory deprivation chamber. I don’t know how long she’s been in there.” Cole looked over at me. “Are you all right?”

  I just nodded, unable to pull my eyes off my sister. She wore a black tank top with black bike shorts, and the blue veins in her neck and arms were so visible it was as if her skin were translucent tissue paper. Her fingertips and feet were shriveled, pruned as if she’d been in a bathtub for days. Even closed, her eyes were swollen and…not bruised but darkened. Her long, red hair clung to her thin body like a second skin.

  I took her hand, and swore I felt her squeeze mine in return.

  Her voice whispered through my mind. Have to hurry.

  I lifted my gaze to Cole. “She says we need to hurry.”

  Vance raised a brow. “You can hear her?”

  “Sometimes.” I nodded.

  “Let’s get her someplace safe.” Cole started for the street, and I followed, with Vance close behind.

  “Ryker and Micah are heading to back to Asher’s,” Vance said. “Meet us there?”

  “Will do,” Cole huffed.

  I jogged to keep up with him. Once we were alone, I whispered, “Her name is Serenity. Deidra called her her daughter. She’s been trying to cure her of her psychic abilities.”

  He glanced over at me. “She was in a pod filled with water like you described, like a sensory deprivation chamber, but as far as I know you’re only supposed to float in them for no more than three hours. She had an IV of fluids and a catheter. She could’ve been in that pod for days…” He clenched his jaw. “Too long. It was inhumane for anyone, least of all someone you call a daughter.”

  For the first time, I noticed the bandage on her hand. He’d removed the IV and treated her in spite of the danger. I loved this man. My mate.

  With the truck in view, he slowed so I didn’t have to run to match his long strides. “Deidra wanted me to bring Chandler tonight because she thinks our DNA will be close enough to Serenity’s that the treatment would be more effective.”

  No! No more!

  I winced. Her mental screams threw off my balance. Cole caught my arm, holding my sister in the other. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” I stroked her hair back from her forehead. “Safe to say she doesn’t want anymore of Deidra’s treatments.”

  Cole popped the locks on the truck. “Can you open the door for the extended cab? I’ll lay her across the seat.”

  I opened the door and stepped back while he placed her on the back seat. She didn’t move. I worried my lower lip. What had Deidra done to her? She’d talked to me through telepathy, but she didn’t seem conscious.

  We got in the truck and drove away as sirens and flashing lights came up fast, headed for the ranch. Cole watched the rearview mirror. “That was too close.”

  We sat in silence the rest of the drive. The air seemed thick in the cab of the truck. Between the threat of police stopping us and me checking the back seat to see if my sister had regained consciousness, my anxiety bandwidth had reached maximum capacity.

  Asher was waiting outside when we rolled up to the pack’s ranch. I recognized it from the baby shower.

  He came down as Cole turned off the engine. “Vance said someone is injured?”

  “I don’t think she has physical injuries. At least none that I can treat.” Cole shook his head. “I’m honestly not sure what’s going on. She was in a sensory deprivation chamber for days I’m guessing. She doesn’t show any signs of consciousness, but she communicated mentally with Madison, and her vitals are strong.”

  Asher helped Cole lift my sister out of the truck and then took her from Cole. “Naomi’s got the guest room ready. I’ll get her settled in there.” Asher’s dark eyes met mine. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. “I think so, just…shook up, I guess.”

  “Tomorrow night is the full moon, so Chandler is bringing the twins over here while Wendy shifts with the pack. You’re welcome to stay. Vance will be patrolling, too.”

  Patrolling?

  I looked at Cole, but he didn’t say anything. I focused on Asher again. “Do you think Deidra will come here looking for my sister?”

  Asher glanced at the sleeping woman’s face. There was an aura of protectiveness coming off him even though he’d never met her and bringing her into his house potentially meant bringing danger to his door. “It’s not Deidra I’m worried about.” He lifted his eyes. “She’s hired ex-Nero jaguar shifters to come for us in the past. She has even more reason to now.”

  This was real. The stakes were life and death. Cole had tried to explain it to me earlier, but I hadn’t really understood. The threats weren’t over now that we had rescued my sister from her abusive mother. Maybe the danger would never be over.

  Asher carried my sister toward the house as he spoke. “We’ve got plenty of room if you two want to spend the night.”

  Vance followed him up, leaving Cole and me alone in the front yard. He looked like he’d aged a couple of years since we’d left his place a few hours ago. He reached for my hand, his eyes studying me. “We got lucky tonight. It could’ve ended much worse.”

  “But it didn’t.” I squeezed his hand and looked up at the house. “Do you think she’s going to be all right?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe Deidra was keeping her medicated. Maybe it’ll wear off.” He stared at me for a second and then whispered, “It’s not too late for you. This doesn’t have to be your life.”

  The pain in his eyes lanced my heart. I wanted to console him, cheer him up, but the reality of tonight weighed on me. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve never pepper-sprayed anyone before, and seeing the police speed by, knowing they were coming for us, scared me.” My gaze wandered over his exhausted features. “But the thought that I might walk away and never see you again scares me more.”

  His thumb caressed my knuckles. “One of the Timberwolves cornered me and aimed a gun at my chest. It didn’t used to shake me like this but knowing he could have been aiming that at you scares the living shit out of me. If anything happened to you…”

  I stepped closer, unable to bear the space between us. He wrapped his strong arms around me, and I breathed his masculine scent into my lungs.

  Embrace the new world you’re in.

  That’s what I’d thought I’d been doing, but I’d gone in unprepared, a liability. Cole was right. This was the moment I could cut and run back to my normal, mundane life of market targets and budgets and forecasts. Or I could stay here with the man I loved, my brother and his new family. And then there was Serenity.

  And if I stayed, I didn’t want to be a liability. I wanted to be an equal. A member of the Sedona Pack, not protected by them. I blinked at the realization. Was I seriously thinking about becoming a werewolf? I thought about my call with Vivi last weekend, how shocked I’d been to hear my best friend had become a shifter and I’d never known. It seemed so crazy then.

  But after tonight, I understood.

  “Let’s get inside.” He stepped back and took my hand. “I need to check on your sister, and you should probably loop Chandler in on what we know so far.”

  “Okay.” I tugged on his hand, stopping him. “Just one more thing.” He stopped, looking at me like I was the only source of water in the desert, and he was beyond thirsty. “Could I become a part of your pack?”

  His crooked smile melted my heart. “You already are.”

  I walked up to the house, my arm around his waist, but my mind was a million miles away.

  He didn’t understand what I’d been asking, but tonight I was too tired to explain. Maybe I was too afraid to face the real question. Was I ready to be bitten?

  CHAPTER 21

  Cole

  I woke up with Madison in my arms. We were still dressed, but parts of me wished we weren’t. I adjusted my erection and kissed her hair. We’d been up late while I did what I could to treat her sister. According to Vance, Nero used to use sensory deprivation chambers to enhance psychic abilities. He had never heard of them being utilized to shut them down.

  She still hadn’t regained consciousness. Her reflexes were still intact so I didn’t think she was paralyzed, but if she’d been drugged, it could be a few more hours before she was alert. Her heart and lungs sounded good and her blood pressure was normal. Asher and Naomi made a late-night run for supplies, and then we’d passed out in the guest room.

  Madison groaned against my chest. “Is it morning already?”

  I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Yep. I need to go check on your sister.”

  “Okay.” She stretched and looked up at me. “Why do I keep waking up without a toothbrush?”

  I rolled over and fished through a plastic shopping bag by the side of the bed. I came back brandishing a new orange toothbrush and a travel-sized toothpaste. “I’ve got you covered.”

  Her smile made my heart race. “If you think that’s going to get you laid later, you’re so right.” I laughed and embraced her. I never realized I could love someone more every single day.

  She grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste and got out of bed. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”

  “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” I stood up and stretched, stealing a peek at her perfect ass as she left the room. I couldn’t wait to get her back home.

  I swiped my med kit off the side table and headed down the hallway to check on Serenity. I froze in the doorway, trying to figure out what the hell had happened in here. The dresser drawers were out and stacked in the corner. Beside them, the closet was wide open, and the file boxes Naomi kept inside were upended, the contents tossed all over the room. I crossed the threshold and noticed words smeared on the mirror over the dresser. They appeared to be written in lotion.

  She’s coming.

  I looked over at the woman sleeping on the bed. Could she have done this? The blankets were still tucked in tight around her, and she didn’t appear to have moved.

  Now that her long, red hair was dry, it fanned out from her head like a halo of fire. I took her wrist, checking her pulse. Normal. I put on my stethoscope and listened to her heart and lungs. Both were clear and strong.

  I pulled the chair over and glanced at the mirror again. “Did you do that?” I asked.

  She didn’t move. I didn’t really expect her to but still. I slid the blood pressure cuff up her arm and pumped it up. “You’re safe now. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Her blood pressure was normal. Why wasn’t she waking up? For all I knew, Deidra could’ve shot her up with the same serum she had given to the Timberwolves. From Micah had told us about their reactions, many of the men suffered from brain bleeds. Had she had a stroke? If I could take her to a hospital, we could test her blood for traces of various drugs at least, but if Deidra had reported her missing, I’d end up in a police station for questioning.

  I’d have to bring over my IV kit today to keep her hydrated. I could probably put in a feeding tube, too, if she didn’t wake up in another day or two. As I pulled the cuff free, a book slid off the bookcase and hit the carpet with a muffled thud. I frowned, glancing over my shoulder. Another book slid out and fall to the floor like someone had dropped it.

  I looked at Serenity. “Was that you?”