Alice’s face was a mask of irritation. She turned to Willis. “The vampire king has lived for a very long time. I think he’s realized this life has nothing more for him, and he’s apparently decided to move on from this world. He makes statements like that, so I will hasten his departure. He’s figured out that if he keeps calling me ridiculous pet names, I will cut out his heart.”

  Willis motioned between the two of them and narrowed his eyes. “So you two … aren’t together?”

  “No,” Alice snapped at the same time Cain said, “Yes.”

  The male scientist rubbed his temple. “No, you aren’t together?”

  Alice huffed “Why are you asking him?”

  “No, we aren’t not together.” Cain glared at the other male.

  Willis gave a sharp nod and put his hands in the air, palms up. “Got it. Alice’s wonderland is off limits.” The words were barely out of his mouth when a book slammed into his forehead and dropped to the floor with a loud thunk. “Oww! Damn.” Willis howled and pressed his hand to the offended area.

  “I’m not an amusement park ride.” The veins on either side of her neck pulsed. She glared at Willis for a few more moments before turning her attention back to Cain.

  “You’re even more attractive when you’re pissed off.” He licked his lips.

  Alice’s brow drew low. “Then I will have to work harder on channeling my inner peace.”

  “Maybe channeling your inner humanity would be a better place to start.” The words were raspy and followed by a groan. They came from the figure on the gurney, who was staring up at them through heavily lidded eyes. She attempted to shift her position on the gurney.

  “Why can’t I move?” she croaked.

  Cain stepped closer and leaned down until he was inches from her face. He took a deep breath and smelled her dormant blood, but also his own, as well as Alice’s. “How do you feel?” he asked, barely able to keep the look of glee from his face.

  Her eyes snapped fully open, and she tried to force her head back into the pillow. “I’d feel a lot better if there wasn’t a vampire so close to my neck.”

  “That’s a legitimate concern.” Willis nodded and gave his forehead another rub.

  Cain glanced away from the male and back to Lizzy. He gave her a little space, though he remained close enough to smell the slightest change in her emotions. To his surprise, there was no scent of fear coming from the female … or pain. “You’re no longer in pain?”

  “No, should I be?”

  “You said you were burning.” Alice held a penlight over Lizzy’s eyes and checked her pupils’ response.

  “Well, I’m not now. But write that crap down in your notes because it was not pleasant. At least your next victim can be prepared for it.” Lizzy tried to move again and then huffed. “Can you please unstrap me?”

  Alice began to unbuckle the strap at Lizzy’s head.

  “Whoa, hold up.” Willis reached out to stop the other scientist. He looked down at Lizzy. “Do you feel like you might snap and go off all fangs blazing?”

  “Fangs blazing?” Cain said dryly. “Seriously?”

  “What?” Willis shrugged. “You just turned her into a vampire. Isn’t she going to be hungry?”

  “First”—Cain stood up straight and slipped his hands into his pockets—“her transformation isn’t complete. It takes six days for the virus to fully take over a human. So her intense hunger shouldn’t hit until then.”

  Alice scoffed. “Then why did you ask her how she was feeling when I first shot her up?”

  Cain sighed. “Once again, I’ve never changed a dormant. I have no idea if her situation will be the same as that of a human’s. I thought perhaps because she possesses supernatural blood, then it was possible her change could happen faster.”

  “In all seriousness”—Alice kept her eyes on Lizzy as she unstrapped her—“how are you feeling?”

  “I’ve been serious from the moment I came into this supernatural psych ward.” Lizzy pushed herself up into a sitting position. “My organs aren’t cooking anymore, so there’s that.”

  “What else?” Alice prodded. After finishing the last buckle, she walked over to a lab table and grabbed a notebook and pen. She made notes as she looked Lizzy over.

  Cain watched the girl closely. He had no idea what her body’s reaction would be to the new blood in her system. He’d need to wait at least the full six days to make sure her transition was complete. Hopefully, she’d still be alive. If so, he’d count the experiment a success and try to turn more of the dormants.

  Lizzy took a mental inventory of how her body felt, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. When she’d blacked out, she’d been in more pain than she could ever remember. Even taking all those beatings as a child hadn’t felt as bad as her insides becoming stew. She took a deep breath and focused on her heartbeat. “Is that supposed to be pumping still?” Lizzy pointed to her heart.

  “We’re not dead.” The tone of Cain’s voice once again suggested he was talking to an exasperating child. “It’s a virus. Quit watching so many television shows about vampires.”

  “Does anything hurt at all?” Alice ignored his commentary.

  “Other than my feelings?” Lizzy batted her eyelashes at each of them. “I mean, I thought you guys were my friends. Friends don’t turn friends into mixed-blood supernatural guys. It’s in the handbook.”

  Willis laughed. “Well, whatever their blood is doing to you, it didn’t cure you of your wicked sarcasm.”

  Lizzy made a praying motion with her hands. “Thank heavens for that. Sarcasm makes the world a better place.” She looked back at Alice, who was studying her like she was a new species of bug. Lizzy noticed something strange, however. Colors seemed a bit more vibrant than before she’d passed out. “Nothing hurts.” She shrugged. “But things do seem a little … hyper-focused.” There was a knocking on the door, but it sounded to Lizzy like someone was attempting to beat it down. “And unless someone is using a battering ram on the door, my hearing has definitely improved.” She cringed. “Is someone going to answer that?”

  Willis rubbed his chin. “Aren’t those all werewolf traits?” None of them acknowledged the knocking, and thankfully, it stopped a few seconds later.

  “Yes.” Cain nodded. “But vampires have them, as well. It may be that our blood has awakened her dormant wolf.”

  “Does that mean I’m going to get to turn into a wolf and howl at the moon and bite people? The biting people is the part I’m most interested in. I’ve seriously got an urge to tear into some flesh.”

  “So you’re beginning to feel hunger pains?” Willis asked.

  “No, captain wanna-be-vamp-boy,” she snapped. “I’m not hungry to suck someone’s blood. Can you get off that train for a moment? I’m hungry to bite the shite out of someone because I’m pissed. Be careful or you might be the first.” She tilted her head for a second and thought about how she was feeling. “Does being a vampire cause heightened emotions?”

  Alice continued to scribble in her notepad as Lizzy spoke. “I would imagine that because the supernatural blood of both werewolves and vampires allows for heightened senses, it’s fair to consider that they could make your emotions more intense, as well.”

  “It wouldn’t be the vampire blood causing those emotions,” Cain countered. “Vampires’ emotions don’t tend toward anything other than intense want or need. Typically, that has to do with blood. We aren’t wired for much else, though I am finding, as of late, that perhaps we can change.”

  Lizzy looked over at the vampire king and saw his eyes were focused on Alice. When she looked at the female scientist, she noticed that the woman was completely ignoring Cain. Interesting. She almost smirked. The vamp king has a crush. At the tail end of that thought, her own romantic life came crashing into the forefront of her mind. Finn. As she said his name, she realized she didn’t feel his presence coming through the bond. She panicked momentarily, but breathed a sigh of relief when she realized the bond itself was still there, and she could sense Finn… somewhere. But there was something blocking the bond, like an invisible wall in her mind, that kept her from feeling Finn. It seemed as if he was just on the other side of it. She knew better than to broach that subject with her captors. Pushing that worry away for the moment, she looked back at Cain. “So, what now?”

  Cain stepped back and leaned against the lab table behind him. He stared at her intently, as if he could see past her skin inside her at what the blood might be doing to her cells. “Now, we wait. We should know more with every passing day. Some things, like how intense your bloodlust will be, or the change in emotional state, might differ from that of a full-on vampire.”

  “And where will this waiting be taking place?” Lizzy clasped her hands together in her lap and tried to look chill. “Will I return to my previous luxury accommodations?”

  “Surely we can get her better digs than her former cell.” Alice’s voice was tight as she clasped the pad to her chest and narrowed her eyes on Cain. “Like an actual room with a bed and furniture. She is kind of the guest of honor.”

  Cain stared back at the scientist for several heartbeats before finally answering. “I cannot put you in a regular room. Your previous room was reinforced to withstand supernatural tempers. Who knows what kind of strength you might have?” He held up his hand when Alice began to speak. “We have no idea how your change will progress. Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of dozens of people, if not more?”

  Lizzy simply stared at him wide-eyed. What a dumbass question?

  “I didn’t think so,” he said after several seconds of silence ticked by. “I will, however, endeavor to make your current room a little more comfortable. I think that is a fair trade.” He pulled out his phone, and his thumbs moved abnormally fast across the screen.

  A wave of exhaustion suddenly overtook Lizzy, and she realized she frankly didn’t give a damn where she stayed. She just wanted out of the lab, away from the three amigos, and somehow to check on Finn. “Whatever.” She sighed. “Can I get a shower, some clean clothes, some human food, and a bit of peace and quiet?”

  “Yes,” Cain studied her for a moment. “We can certainly accommodate that.”

  “I’ll be sure to leave you at least a two-star review on Yelp.”

  Willis snorted. “This chick is hilarious.” He glanced at Lizzy. “Are you sure you have a true mate? Because I’m totally—”

  Lizzy held up a hand and shook her head. “You wouldn’t be able to handle me, beaker boy. Just give it up.”

  It was Alice that laughed this time. Lizzy ignored her and simply looked at Cain, waiting for his next move.

  Cain slipped his phone back in his pocket, pushed away from the table, and headed for the door. “Let’s get you back to your room,”

  “Cell,” she corrected.

  Alice’s eyes scanned over her. “Can you walk?”

  Lizzy slid her feet over until her legs hung off the side of the gurney, then slipped down. Her feet hit the cold floor, but she didn’t collapse under her own weight. She stood there a minute, letting her body adjust to being upright, and then took a cautious step. “Looks like you won’t get to carry me, Willis.” She gave him a wink.

  “Cheeky little hybrid,” Willis muttered under his breath, and Lizzy had no trouble hearing him.

  She marched toward Cain. “Lead the way, your majesty. There’s a lovely square cell waiting for me, and I’ve got some aimless pacing to do until we know whether this whole hybrid thing is going to take or if I’m going to drop dead. Time’s a’ wasting.”

  To her surprise, the king of vampires rolled his eyes. “Time isn’t wasting if you have to actually wait on something.” He opened the door, then stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. “You’re not going to run, are you? Because if you do, I’ll have to chase you. And if that happens, my hunting instinct will kick in.” His fangs flashed at her as he smiled. There was nothing nice about it. “That won’t be a good thing.”

  “So you’re saying you’re a slave to your inner animal and controlled by your most basic instincts?” Lizzy rocked back and forth on her heels and smiled her sweetest smile. “That must be a really sad way to live. I bet a shock collar would help. As soon as you get the urge to chase something like a rabid dog, we could just zap your chompy ass.”

  He walked through the door, apparently confident she was going to behave, despite the fact that she neither confirmed nor denied a plan to flee. She realized it didn’t matter to him if she did run. He’d probably enjoy hunting her down.

  “The idea actually has merit, especially for my new vampires.” His voice was thoughtful as he walked down the corridor.

  Lizzy followed him, and she saw Alice walking beside her out of the corner of her eye. The woman was writing on her notepad again. What could she possibly be taking notes on? That Lizzy wasn’t a salivating bloodsucker with no self-control? She mentally shrugged. Perhaps that was something worth noting.

  When they reached the door to her cell, Cain pushed it open, and she stepped inside without preamble. There was no reason to fight it. Where the hell would she go, anyway? She stopped in her tracks when she saw how her room had changed.

  “How the…”

  “Supernatural speed and strength. My vampires could open their own moving company.”

  The room before her was no longer empty. The space was filled with furnishings, complete with a rug and a full-size bed that looked absolutely luxurious. It even sported throw pillows. There was a plush chair resting in the corner. To her surprise, a tall reading lamp sat beside it. Her eyes landed on a set of curtains hanging on the wall. Her brow drew tight, and she walked over to them. There hadn’t been a window in her cell before. She pushed the curtains aside and saw that a decal, which looked like a window and showed a lush meadow beyond it, had been affixed to the wall. Lizzy turned to look at Cain. “Seriously?”

  He shrugged. “I couldn’t very well give you a real window.”

  “Fair enough.” Lizzy walked over to the bed. She ran her hand across the deep green comforter and gently pushed down. The mattress was plush. “You even upgraded the mattress. How thoughtful.”

  Cain cleared his throat. “It is not my wish that you are uncomfortable, Ms. Fairchild. I need your cooperation. If you give it to me, both of our lives will be much easier. If offering a few paltry creature comforts secures that cooperation, well, why should I refuse? After all, I’m a reasonable man.”

  “No, you’re not,” Alice mumbled next to him.

  Lizzy glanced between the two. She knew Cain clearly heard the comment, but he conspicuously chose to ignore it. Lizzy even thought she might have seen him smirk for a fraction of a second. There was definitely something brewing there, but she didn’t have the energy to poke either of them about it. Maybe after a nap, or ten.

  “I will send you some food,” Cain seemed to consider his comment before adding, “Is there anything in particular that you want?”

  Lizzy thought about it. “A hamburger with everything on it, extra mayo, fries, and a milkshake.” Then she quickly added, “Make it a large.”

  Alice glanced down at her notes and then back to Lizzy. “Do you always eat that much?”

  “Have you ever lived on the streets and gone hungry for days?”

  The scientist’s face blanched.

  “Didn’t think so.” Lizzy climbed up onto the bed and sighed. “Be gone, servants of the dark,” she said dramatically. “I need my hybrid beauty rest.”

  Alice looked at Cain. “Was she this eccentric when you found her, or is this part of her transformation?”

  “I paid no attention to her personality before. But that is certainly a strange hypothesis, Dear Alice. Though I’m not sure how it would relate to vampirism.”

  “Well, you’re an eccentric ass, so, maybe the hypothesis isn’t that strange.” Lizzy closed her eyes and sighed. “Close the door on your way out, please.”

  Several moments of silence ticked by. She half expected to hear a whoosh of air and then feel Cain’s teeth on her neck, but neither he nor Alice appeared to have moved. If her prodding had pissed Cain off enough to cause a reaction, then so be it. She was done being nice to her captors. Not that she’d ever actually been polite, but who’s keeping track? For now, she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut and pretended to sleep. She refused to give either of those bastards the satisfaction of seeing her check their whereabouts. She had dismissed them. Now she held the power. At least that’s what she told herself, anyway.

  Finally, Lizzy heard the click of the latch and then another click that was no doubt the lock. She pushed aside the disturbing fact that she was once again a prisoner within a government facility that was creating new supernatural creatures. Instead, Lizzy focused on the bond. Again, she could clearly feel the bond, and she detected Finn’s presence, but she couldn’t see him. What she could see in her mind’s eye were shimmering opaque walls. This is new. Lizzy wondered if she’d erected them herself, perhaps when she’d been in terrible pain. Had this been an instinctual act to protect Finn?

  If so, it was up to her to tear them back down again. Lizzy imagined the walls falling and shattering like glass. At first, nothing happened. Then she felt a rumble within her mind. The sensation was so strong she almost thought there was an earthquake happening. She opened her eyes and looked around. The sensation vanished. Nothing around her shook. Lizzy closed her eyes again. The shaking returned. Now she began to see cracks forming in the walls. With a thunderous crash, they each came falling down around her. Lizzy mentally covered her ears with her hands.

  Lizzy’s breath whooshed from her lungs when she looked up and saw the cord that connected her to Finn. It was a mixture of shimmering green and gold, and Lizzy thought it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She almost burst into tears as a swell of emotions threatened to overtake her. Suddenly, the greenish gold chord lit up as brightly as a strand of Christmas lights. Then, like an ocean wave, a pulse of light came barreling toward her. Lizzy braced herself, expecting the worst. But instead of the pain or shock she anticipated, the woman felt warmth and peace spread through her body like a warm cup of cocoa after coming in from the cold. Her emotions felt like they had been unraveling, and now they started to smooth out and knit back together.