The fight continued between the two tigers, their cries permeating my eardrums, but as I lumbered forward, moving within a few inches of Nicolina, I was able to see the absolute fear in her eyes.

  “What is… happening?” she managed, her body shaking violently.

  “Breathe, my love. Breathe.”

  Within seconds, her body began to convulse, bones breaking and muscles stretching. Her cry filtered into the darkness, the agony I knew she was experiencing bringing an intense ache to my heart.

  The whisper of wind floated across her body as she was forced to the ground, claws breaching her skin’s surface, her spine bending to the force of the shift. While her cries continued, mixing with the ravaging growls and snarls of the tigers who were fighting to the death, I was consumed by her beauty.

  As her tiger fully formed, the fur a shocking shade of white, I was pulled into the very darkness that I’d experienced my entire life, the need to protect her more prominent than ever.

  Lifting her head toward the canopy of trees, she let off a savage roar before turning her gaze in my direction. The golden glow in her deep green eyes was profound, sending a chill down my spine.

  “Save him,” she growled.

  And there was no method of denying her intention, her thoughts streaming into the furthest reaches of my mind. As I turned, my rage all consuming, a splash of electricity shifted all throughout my body.

  “Akuma. Listen to your heart. You know who is responsible as well as the one who is truly loyal.”

  The voice of my father stunned me for several seconds, his apparition startling. Yet as his alpha eyes glistened, I understood exactly what he was saying.

  “Believe my son, for you are the savior…”

  While the vision faded, my eyesight was gifted an even keener sense of knowing, a clarity that I should have comprehended before.

  Mika had been right. I’d been blind as well as stupid.

  Now there would be no additional mistakes.

  And this time, as I leapt into the air, prepared to make the killing blow, a sense of peace washed over me. My canines bared, I attacked.

  Nicolina

  Heartache.

  I’d known enough in my life, including the loss of my parents, my sister the only remaining family. I’d also experienced the kind of terror that no one should ever have to face. What I wasn’t prepared for was the volume of emotions that continued to bubble to the surface.

  Anger.

  Hatred.

  Loss.

  Betrayal.

  All four left me cold and bitter inside, but as I watched Akuma carrying his fallen soldier to a gravesite, I was boiled over with the kind of sacrifice and love that the entire Streak was experiencing. A loss of one of their own was tragic, but the death was made even more horrific by the circumstances. Betrayal. Lars had betrayed him in the end, able to mask his defection easily.

  The moment I’d swung open that door, racing outside, I’d seen the ugliness inside of Lars, something that neither Akuma nor I had been able to detect. The stunning realization had given Lars the edge, allowing him to take off with me. The death I’d seen in my mind was Lars’ projection of what would happen the moment Akuma set foot inside my sister’s house. By the grace of some miracle, all four tigers survived the attack.

  Sighing, I turned my head toward my sister, grateful that she was alive. While she remained sleeping, the drugs she’d been given easing her pain, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would need to confront her. There were too many unanswered questions.

  I moved my arm in front of me, flexing my fingers open and turning it over. I was fully human again. Even the thought was disturbing, my mind racing to try to comprehend what I’d gone through.

  And what I’d seen.

  I could still feel the beast that now dwelled within me, her desire to breach the surface again formidable. My fear and anger had forced the transition, at least according to Akuma. I remained in disbelief, my body aching from the horrible transformation. The agony had been unlike anything I’d ever experienced, something I never wanted to go through again. Somehow, I knew that wasn’t possible.

  The Streak remained in utter danger.

  I heard her stirring and glanced in her direction. She was lucky to be alive, although from what Akuma had told me, she’d been left in her house as bait, the fucking soldiers attempting to draw either Akuma or me to her house in order to capture one or both of us. Every cell in my body was on fire, still tingling from the effects of the transition as well as the continued fury.

  Hearing her moans didn’t provide anything but another few seconds of anger. I moved toward the bed, staring down at the IV still attached to her arm. When she opened her eyes, I crouched down, taking her hand into mine.

  Yasmine blinked several times before I was able to tell recognition settled in.

  “You’re safe,” I said absently, studying her pensive face. Almost immediately, her expression shifted into one of fear.

  “Nick,” she whispered, the sound broken.

  “I’m here.”

  “You’re…” I knew the exact reason she was unable to finish her words. I’d heard her cry of anguish as she’d laid eyes on my tiger for the first time, her disbelief and horror remaining evident. “And the tiger.”

  “His name is Akuma. He is my mate.” Just saying the words, admitting the truth was more difficult than it should have been, but even saying his name brought a wave of desire unlike anything I’d experienced before. Sighing, I rubbed her arm, trying to figure out what to say to her. “You know exactly what I’ve become since you helped in that process.” I knew she was listening, her mind reeling from the possibilities. The anger continued to broil within me, my heart aching from trying to tolerate what she’d done to me. “Don’t you?”

  She coughed, her eyes glazing over. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I love you.”

  “And by loving me you injected me with chemicals to alter my DNA?”

  “I had no other choice.”

  A bitter laugh threatened to erupt from my throat, but I pushed it aside, taking several deep breaths. “Why was I attracted to Akuma? I know there’s a reason.”

  She attempted to sit up, whimpering and refusing to look me in the eyes. I didn’t even bother trying to stop her. I was in no mood for bullshit or additional lies.

  “So tell me,” I demanded.

  Yasmine eased her feet to the floor, taking several scattered breaths as she glanced around the facility. “You couldn’t understand.”

  Laughing, I rose to a standing position, folding my arms. “It doesn’t frankly matter if I understand or not. You know what I’ve become. You wanted to ensure that your research had a viable candidate to continue your work. You used me because I was a willing candidate.”

  “Yes.”

  The single word did nothing but infuriate me even more.

  “Do you realize that Joseph Sampson is aiding the massive dissident group to destroy every village and encampment established by the local Breeds?” I glared at her when she didn’t answer, hissing under my breath.

  “I’m well aware.”

  “All right. Did you help them?”

  She jerked her head in my direction, shaking it vigorously. “No! I would never do that. You’re my sister.”

  “As if that mattered before. So, you were trying to protect me then?”

  “Yes. What I told you was the truth. Markus was killed because Joseph found out what we’d discovered.”

  “But you left something out. Didn’t you? The file that Akuma found after the destruction of your lab is interesting, but it’s not complete. Is it?”

  She glared at me incredulously, her mouth dropping open. “Akuma saved a file?”

  “Yes, including several formulas that both you and Markus were smart enough to keep off Netscape. However, the formulas aren’t finished. Are they?”

  “No. We were close. So damn close. If we are correct, both humans and Breeds can be saved. At least I think so.”

  I couldn’t help but snort as I moved toward the window, staring out at what seemed like lonely terrain. I could still see the visions of Lars being torn apart, both Mika and Akuma attacking him. What was worse than the images shifting back and forth into my mind was the joy I felt in having watched his death. That made no sense to me. I wasn’t an animal. I wasn’t a monster.

  Yet…

  “Then you’re going to fucking re-create the damn formula.”

  “How? Where?” she asked, her tone of voice so damn subdued, as if she was afraid of me. Maybe she should be.

  “We are leaving for DC within the hour.”

  “DC? Why?”

  I closed my eyes briefly, reaching out for Akuma. I remained so freaking terrified of what I’d become, uncertain of how to control the beast who continued to claw at the surface. A significant part of me wanted nothing more than to remain as the tiger, racing through the woods as I hunted. After rubbing my eyes, I realized I had no control over my tiger. Perhaps that was something to be learned. If I remained alive long enough. “To try and save the fucking world. Now, answer my goddamn question. How and why was I so attracted to Akuma? I know there is a reason.”

  When she hesitated again, it was all I could do not to toss her against the wall.

  “Tell me!” I took long strides, reaching out as my claws attempted to break free of my human skin. My God. What was happening to me?

  Yasmine’s anguished whimper was enough to pull me back to some level of sanity. I blinked several times, stumbling backwards.

  “Because you were always meant to be with him. From that very day when you were so young. Don’t you remember?”

  “What are you talking about?” I sucked in my breath, trying to put together the pieces of what she was saying.

  “The day in the city when you met him, the tiger that you couldn’t stay away from, the very one you rushed over to meet?”

  I thought about what she was saying, images floating into my mind. Suddenly, I could see his face, the handsome man who’d caught my attention, the one I’d known was a Breed.

  Akuma.

  And I knew in my heart that whatever had been done to me started when I was a child.

  The reason? Because my father, the brilliant scientist and my mentor had betrayed me, allowing his daughter to become the subject of human experimentation.

  Just like Luca’s mate.

  And I knew, just like so many other human females.

  The government had never intended on saving the Breeds, only using them to create a super human race.

  A snarl left my lips, a roar quickly following, my heart racing, my skin tingling.

  For I was no longer the quiet girl, a human fighting for the rights of creatures in whatever method I was able.

  I was no longer the woman who feared the unknown.

  Now I was one of them.

  A beast.

  A monster.

  A Breed.

  Chapter 16

  Just outside Washington, DC, two days later

  Akuma

  Revelation.

  I’d been forced to face several during the last few days, including the fact that the actual betrayal had been a shock to my mind as well as my system. There was little that had been able to squelch my anger or my sadness, Lars’ death just another aspect of the hell we’d been shoved into.

  The trip had been arduous, difficult decisions made. While the majority of our Streak who’d already succumbed to the illness had been killed, a ruthless decision made by Mika in my absence, I’d begun to understand why. They’d threatened everyone, even attempting to kill. Six others had already started to display signs of succumbing to the mutations, their behavior erratic. While I’d made the decision to bring them on our journey, it was only a matter of time before they became lost to whatever disease was corrupting their minds.

  At least we’d avoided detection until arriving in Alexandria. Fortunately, the small group of dissidents had been easy to overcome. What surprised the hell out of me was the lack of military force we’d seen. From what Luca had told me, the White House also had minimal security. Either something was going on that Luca and his soldiers hadn’t been made aware of or the man was a fool.

  However, if Luca’s plan worked, there was a possibility that we could see a future, although one likely very different than what anyone had imagined. I had to put my trust in the alpha lion as well as the rest of the Breeds.

  I remained antsy, my entire body on edge, the electricity running through every vein only partially due to the fact my mate remained by my side. Today could prove to be difficult if not destructive. I had my doubts regarding President Wilkes. While it was in my nature to distrust any human, everything I’d heard about what the man was doing behind the scenes was… disturbing. I chuckled from thinking the word. I had other thoughts as well as a hunger to dig my claws into his throat. Maybe then he’d fully disclose what the hell the government system had been doing.

  As Mika approached, I gave him a respectful nod.

  “You wanted to see me?” he asked with apprehension.

  “Yes.” I inched closer, ensuring he could see my eyes, my beast rising to the surface. “What you did was selfless, courageous. Without your help, my mate would have been taken or worse. I owe you an apology. I would be honored if my second in command would join me for our meeting with the president.”

  He studied me carefully, a look of surprise crossing his face, finally offering his hand. “I will always be by your side, Akuma. You are the alpha, a true leader. And you are my friend.”

  “No. You’re my brother.”

  While the man was almost never prone to emotion other than rage, his eyes reflected loyalty as well as a sense of belonging.

  “Brother,” he repeated.

  When he walked away, I took a deep breath. Maybe we’d found a new home. Home. It could be anywhere as long as I had Nicolina by my side. I walked into the house we’d been provided, my nostrils flaring from the intoxicating scent of her.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  I loved hearing Nicolina’s voice, my cock stirring from the sound alone. “Hell, no. I’m uncertain of everything we’re about to face, but there are no other options.” If what she suspected was true, the government leading an underground organization for years with experiments that had barely breached the surface, what we would be forced to face as Breeds was horrific.

  Damning.

  Or perhaps our salvation.

  What I found it difficult to believe was that the president hadn’t been aware of the situation from the moment he’d stepped foot in office. I’d read enough about President Wilkes to know he was an astute man, his admiration of the Breeds touted widely.

  What if he’d been lying all along?

  I pulled her into my arms, pressing my hand against her head. “I’m not certain of anything, but we will persevere.” At least Yasmine had continued to improve, even attempting to provide more details regarding the formula she’d been working on. She’d also given firsthand accounts of her limited meetings with Joseph Sampson. It would seem the man had more authority than first determined. I’d made an assumption that he wouldn’t allow Yasmine or her formula to be re-created easily.

  Although we’d been provided safe haven in an area protected by Luca’s Pride as well as another Streak, dozens of dissident groups had been reported closing in on the area. They were definitely planning on storming DC within days.

  She pushed against my chest, tipping her head, her beautiful tiger eyes sparkling in the dimness. “I still have a feeling you’re not telling me everything.”

  Chuckling darkly, I lowered my head. “You have nothing to worry about, my mate. I will protect you with my life.”

  “So you’ve told me.” She fisted my shirt as she rose onto her tiptoes, sliding forward until our lips were almost touching. “And I will protect yours. My mate.”

  The electricity soared between us, my desire soaring. She’d told me that we’d met before, her father managing to capture some of my DNA during the brief meeting. While her father had been the one to contrive our connection, in my heart I knew that what we shared was real. Love and longing. It also proved that a larger faction of human scientists had foretold what would happen to both humans and Breeds long before anyone had been made aware. Perhaps their endeavors should be considered heroic, attempting to forge a path for both species in case the worst scenario occurred. However, the pain caused by their actions had rippling effects, more so than they might have imagined.

  When the truth was revealed, that humans and Breeds would be required to forge a bond in order to survive, I feared a new resistance would be established. Until then, we’d fight to keep our dignity and our humanity, even if it meant losing a portion of the creatures that the majority of Breeds longed to regain.

  As I captured her mouth, enjoying the way her voluptuous lips pressed against mine, several images floated into my mind.

  Ones of horror.

  Ones of blood.

  Ones of death.

  The visions only fueled my beast as well as drove me toward the need for retaliation. Yet I closed my eyes and thrust my tongue inside her mouth, tasting her sweet essence. The sight of her tiger remained in the forefront of my mind, my heart racing from the desire to run with her in the wild, exploring the darkness of the forest as we enjoyed the hunt.

  I was no longer certain that would happen.

  The raging hunger swept through me. I slid my hand down her back, cupping her buttocks, squeezing as I ground my hips against her. My desire was electrifying, shifting my mind into a savage place, even as the ramifications of what our future looked like remained looming over me. Still, I couldn’t get enough of her, dominating her tongue as she clung to me.

  Her moans only fueled my needs. I broke the kiss, forcing her into an arc then yanking the strap of her dress from her shoulder, growling before taking her fully aroused nipple into my mouth. As I swirled my tongue around her hardened bud, she continued whimpering, her body shaking in my hold. When I bit down, she exclaimed, the sound guttural.