Moon (Laurann Dohner)

Moon

Laurann Dohner

Book 10 in the New Species series. The books can be read as stand-alone stories, but it is advisable to read them in order to get the most enjoyment from the series.

Dr. Joyce Yards has never met anyone as sexy or as irresistible as 466. He refuses to discuss anything except getting her naked beneath him. Their therapy sessions are growing hotter, his raw hunger for her is becoming aggressive, and she is falling for him. Joy knows the dire consequences if she gives in to desire. It will break her heart but she must walk away.

Moon has been drugged. He is feral and dangerous to everyone. The NSO doctors turn to the only female Moon ever cared about—the one who left him in the desert two years ago.

Moon isn’t the same male Joy once knew but she is willing to put her life on the line for him. There are no rules now. If sex tames the wild beast and triggers his fractured memories, allowing him moments of lucidity, then Joy will give him her body and her soul. She’ll do whatever it takes to save him.

A Romantica® twilight erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Moon

Laurann Dohner

Prologue

The past

Day 159 after the first New Species were freed

Joy tried to relax in the chair but worry over her client made her fidget. She glanced at the clock, noting he was late again. Minutes ticked by while her anger grew. It was the fourth session in a row that 466 had blown off. He did it on purpose. She knew he was going to be irate over what she’d done in retaliation but he’d left her with no choice.

The loud sound of a menacing growl startled her. Her gaze flew to the door a second before it was thrown open. 466 hovered in the hallway, his rich brown hair messed up as if he’d dried it upside down with a blow dryer to give it that fullness. Rage showed in his narrowed, dark gaze. She guessed he’d been the source of the noise.

He was pushed forward as one of the guards entered the office behind her client. “Here he is. He wasn’t happy but we got him.” The man shot a dirty look at 466. “Four of his men convinced him to come along or we would have had to drag his butt inside in shackles. He wanted to fight me.”

She winced. “Please sit, 466.”

“It seems I don’t have a choice.” He sauntered over to the chair in front of her desk and dropped his big body down hard enough to make the piece of furniture groan. “So much for saying we are free.”

“The therapy was agreed upon by your people and mine. This is to help you.”

He crossed his massive arms over his thick chest, a bored look on his good-looking features while he stared at her. “If you say so, but I don’t wish to be here. You talk, I’ll listen, but end it fast.”

“The point of therapy is for you to talk to me. Getting your feelings out into the open will make this experience successful.”

He regarded her with those mocha-brown eyes of his. They were beautiful, strange, yet drew her in every time. And he had such long eyelashes. She shifted in her chair and crossed her own arms. “I don’t want to have a staring contest with you again. We both know you’ll win. You always do.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I had to order you here but you have to come to these sessions.”

He continued to silently watch her. He was a master at making her feel uncomfortable. 466 had a way of looking at her as if he could read her mind. Out of all the survivors she had counseled, he was her biggest concern. She had no idea of his emotional state, how he was adjusting to his new surroundings, or if he even attempted to fit in.

“I heard you aren’t learning any sports.”

He blinked.

“You’re spending way too much time alone and you’ve been ditching the guards and wandering away from the motel. You have to know how dangerous that is.”

He said nothing.

“They are here to protect you. They can’t do their jobs if you won’t stay put. This is a secure location. You have to stay where it’s safe. What if someone sees you? Reporters would descend on the area searching for your people.”

He yawned and continued to observe her. Joy’s frustration rose. She only had so much patience and 466 was always pushing her. He could make a saint snap and, unfortunately, she wasn’t nearly that perfect. It had been an emotionally draining decision to take the job in the middle of the desert at this secret location. She’d had to move away from everyone she knew and dealing with someone who didn’t appreciate her sacrifices had begun to downright piss her off.

She leaned forward and put her hands flat on the desk. “Fine. Obviously four sessions a week with me isn’t doing you much good.”

His full lips curved upward and she was pretty sure that was happiness that shone in his eyes, the first she’d ever seen. That made her temper flare so hot that she could visualize her blood boiling.

“We finally agree. No more sessions.” He uncrossed his arms and appeared ready to leave. His ass left the chair as she spoke.

“Not so fast.”

He eased back down but the smile died as his gaze hardened.

“I’m upping the number of sessions to seven days a week.” That got a reaction—rage. She enjoyed seeing it a little since he seemed to take pleasure in making her life hellish. It was her turn to smile.

“You’re going to talk to me, 466. I’m trying to do my job and I’m going to help you, whether you like it or not. We’ll spend more time together until you feel comfortable opening up to me. I want to know why you’re antisocial with your own people, what you have against learning to play sports, and how you’re adjusting to life outside the test facility. I can’t clear you by giving a clean bill of adjustment until we cover all those basics.” She leaned back. “It’s not as if all those additional sessions will cut into your social life. You don’t have one.”

“You wouldn’t really force more sessions. I make you miserable and you don’t like me.”

His assumption surprised her. “I don’t dislike you. I don’t know you that well because you won’t talk to me. Besides, that is irrelevant.”

He turned his head to glower at the guard stationed by the door. “Make him leave.”

The guard snorted. “It’s not happening. You know procedure.”

466 stared at her and relaxed in his chair. “Do you think I’m going to kill you?”

She wondered at times if he hated her. It was obvious he resented the required therapy but she didn’t believe he’d attack a woman. She hadn’t seen any indications that he possessed a cruel streak and he didn’t exhibit bully tendencies. “No.”

“You want me to talk?”

“That would be a nice change. Yes.”

“Make the guard leave. I’m not opening up to anyone but you. I read about patient confidentiality. I want that.”

Her eyebrows arched in surprise. “All the guards are sworn to keep our sessions private. He’s not allowed to repeat anything he hears. He’s present because I’m a woman. It’s for our mutual protection.”

“You believe I’m going to kill you.” He frowned. “Or do you think I’ll pick you up, tear off your clothes and mount you against the wall?” He smirked as his gaze lowered down her body. “A fishing reference I learned on last month’s mandatory trip comes to mind—I’d toss you back for being too small. It wouldn’t be any fun for me. You’d break if I fucked something so fragile.”

“Watch your mouth and show some respect,” the guard ordered, taking a threatening step forward.

Joy was a little taken aback by 466’s crude words but it was the most she’d ever heard him say at one time. She lifted her hand to stop the guard from interfering again. She dropped her palm flat on her desk.

“Leave us.” She glanced at the guard.

“No way, Dr. Yards, this guy is unstable.”

“He’s talking at least. Get out. You can wait down the hall in reception.”

466 obviously tried to hide his surprise but failed. He schooled his features quickly though and recovered his composed expression. “You’ll hear her scream if I attack. Leave.”

The guard shook his head.

Irritation flared inside Joy. There were only a few male guards at Site Four but they never took orders well. “This is my office and the way I conduct my sessions are my decision. Shut the door on your way out and wait down the hall. You will be close enough to get here if there’s a problem. That’s a direct order, not a request.”

“Fine.” The guard spun, stomped out and slammed the door behind him.

Joy studied 466. “We’re alone now. Talk to me. Why don’t you play sports?”

He blinked a few times as the silence stretched.

“You said you’d talk if we were alone. We are. You don’t strike me as the type of man who goes back on his word.”

“How would you know?”

“I talk to a lot of New Species. They are very proud and respect honesty.”

His hands released the arms of his chair and he crossed his arms over his chest again. “They don’t interest me. This is a human thing and I’m not.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m not a man either. I’m male.”

“You’re a hybrid human.”

“I’m an animal in human form.”

She always found it fascinating that New Species differentiated themselves from humans. The lines were firmly drawn inside their minds. It helped her understand them all a little better. 466 was even more adamant than most Species.

466 had resentment issues and that was healthy, considering he’d been held prisoner his entire life after being created with mixed DNA by a drug company who’d used his people as research subjects. Mercile Industries had somehow managed to merge animal and human genetics into living, breathing individuals.

“Is that why you’ve refused to choose a new name and kept your number instead?”

“Do I look like a Doug, Thomas, or Carl to you?” An eyebrow lifted. “Do I appear normal?”

She caught the hint of pain that flashed in his eyes and it made her hurt with him. It also broke her heart and horrified her when she heard stories the survivors shared about how they’d been treated at Mercile Industries. No one deserved the hellish lives they’d led until they had been discovered and rescued. No compassion, not even sympathy, had been shown them. They were numbers with no basic human rights. Lab rats.

Her gaze traveled over his features. There were slight differences that would always set him apart from typical humans. The facial bones were more pronounced in the cheeks and chins of the New Species. Their noses also seemed wider and a bit flatter than normal. A lot of them had fuller lips and fang-like teeth. The shapes of their eyes could reflect an individual’s distinct animal ancestry.

466 had a rugged appeal about him but he’d always draw attention if he attempted to walk around in society. Everyone would notice he wasn’t quite “normal”. She inwardly winced, remembering the debate she’d had with her boss the first week after she’d arrived. It had been more of a heated argument. They’d discussed the prospect of offering plastic surgery to the victims. Joy had taken the position that it would only traumatize them more. Her boss believed it would help them fit into society if they had the opportunity to change their looks.

Was I wrong? She bit her lip. Maybe offering them the chance to correct some of their facial anomalies should be on the table. She just believed they’d been messed with enough. It also seemed somehow offensive to her. No one should have to change their appearance to fit into mainstream society. Of course, it wasn’t up to her to make those decisions. That was way above her pay grade. She wouldn’t bring it up to any of the victims until someone decided whether it was appropriate. 466 and her other clients were attractive, even beautiful, to her. They were unique and special, perfect just the way they were.

“Well, do I?” His voice deepened, drawing her out of her musings. “Can you see calling me Tom instead of 466?”

“No, and I’m guessing you’re some form of canine species. It may set you apart from others but I don’t believe that’s a bad thing.”

He seemed surprised again. “I’m impressed you’re not lying to me by denying I’m different.”

“I’m not a big fan of deceit. I’m a psychologist. I’m here to counsel you. I deal in truths and emotions. Lying and playing games would only hurt you. I want to help. Have you ever considered taking a name? Some of your people have chosen to take names that aren’t typical. Names that reflect emotions they identify with or things they discover they love. You’re more than just a number.”

He shrugged.

He has. She hid the smile that threatened to surface, thrilled he was finally opening up a little. In four months he’d stonewalled her at every turn. She’d even changed his session times to the last appointment of the day since she didn’t want to halt him if he ever decided to talk.

“What do you feel?”

“Annoyed. I’d like to skip coming here.”

“What would you do if you weren’t here at this moment?”

He hesitated. “You want the truth?”

“I was being honest when I said I’m not a big fan of deceit.”

“Fine. I’d probably be in my room watching more of those porn videos on the internet and releasing some…tension.”

Her cheeks warmed but she refused to show embarrassment. Sexual issues weren’t her specialty but she wouldn’t back away from the topic. “Do you release tension often? Does it help with some of your aggression issues?”

“How do you know I have any?”

“You have a chip on your shoulder, you seem to avoid interaction with most of the people here, and I was informed you tried to start a few fights with the male guards. You go out of your way to target them despite knowing they wouldn’t stand a chance against you. You’re physically superior.”

His pride was easy to read. “I know.”

It told her more about him and she liked that he had self-esteem. It was a promising step toward recovery. “Have you tried boxing? Some of your men enjoy it. It’s a great outlet to release anger.”

He cocked his head. “That’s not my idea of a good time.”

“What interests you then? I’ll see what I can do if you know of something that might work. I know everyone has internet and cable access so you can learn a lot more about the outside world.”

“I doubt you’d want to get me what I want.”

“You won’t know unless you ask.”

“Fine.” He smiled—a genuine one. “Females. I’d like to pound something but it wouldn’t be a weight bag.”

She shouldn’t have been shocked by his answer but for someone who had refused to talk to her for so long, he seemed intent on saying things to make her uncomfortable. She suspected it was on purpose.

“There are plenty of women around you, 466. Ninety percent of the staff is female and some New Species women live here.”

“Ninety percent of the human females are pregnant or just had babies. Your people know we’d never attack them so they send them here to work with us. Our females don’t want to be touched. There’s no one to fuck.”

She had no words. None.

He leaned forward to peer at her, still smiling, and suddenly rose to his feet. She pushed back in her chair, a little fearful with him standing. They were alone. She didn’t believe he’d hurt her but he seemed to want to make her squirm. He was accomplishing it quite well too.

He sniffed as he leaned down, placed his hands on her desk inches from her own and softly growled. “You have no male in your life and you aren’t pregnant.”

She swallowed hard. “You don’t know anything about my personal life. Please take your seat.”

“I can smell everything about you.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “You no longer wear that stink you called perfume and switched to organic soap.”

“I was informed that it bothers your sense of smell.”

“You had sex this morning but you were alone. Do you watch porn in your room, Dr. Yards? Do you use your fingers or do you own some of those sex toys I have seen?”

She felt the blood drain from her face. How does he know that? Another thought struck and she jerked her hands off the desk. Can every client I’ve seen today tell I’ve masturbated? That implication was staggering. She was mortified and hoped he was bluffing. “Please sit down and stop trying to provoke me into releasing you early from the session.”

“Where’s your honesty now?” He leaned toward her and slowly inhaled. “I. Can. Smell. You.” A soft growl came from deep within his throat. “It drives me a little crazy and wild. Do you know what I want to do about it?”

“No. Please take your seat.”

His eyes were beautiful that close, just a foot from her. They reminded her of melted chocolate with a hint of gold thrown in. The pupils seemed to narrow as he watched her. He growled again and inched even closer until she could smell him. He carried a rich, masculine scent with a hint of something familiar that she could identify—he’d recently drunk coffee.

“I want to lay you out on this desk, bare, and lick between your spread thighs, which will be hugging my face, until you beg me to take you. I’d flip you on your stomach and bend you over in front of me right here.” His finger tapped the wooden surface of her desk. “I’d fuck you until we both couldn’t walk, think, or talk.”

Her hands trembled in her lap and clenched. She wished her chair had wheels so she could push it away from him and the desk. Wishing didn’t make it so. Her heart raced and the idea of him doing that to her did odd, funny things to her lower belly.

“It would feel so good for both of us. Do you want to help me? Take off your clothes. That’s the only way you’ll make me feel better about the things that I’ve suffered.”

She latched on to his last sentence like the drowning person she was, admitting that she found him far too appealing. She had eyes—he was a perfect specimen of muscles and tan skin, all wrapped up in a six-foot-four frame.

“Sex isn’t the answer. Talking about your problems is.”

“I’ll talk while I fuck you. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about how good you’ll feel.”

She forced her gaze down to his hands. They were big and she knew there were calluses on his fingertips, the pads of his thumbs, and his palms. Most of the survivors had that anomaly and she’d noticed in other sessions that he had it too. She wondered what his hands would feel like on her skin. Rough? Good? Or like sandpaper? It was tempting to find out.

“Please take your seat, 466.” She looked up to stare directly into his eyes. “I will call for the guard to return.”

He shook his head but straightened and returned to his seat. She breathed easier when he sat. He once again crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “I’m not into threesomes. I know they are popular with humans but it sickens me. We get turned off by the scent of other males on females and I’d have to strangle him if he touched you.”

Her mouth dropped open. “That’s not why I’d call him!” She sealed her lips and frowned back at him. “You know that though. Are you having fun playing with me?”

He smiled. “You won’t allow me to play with you.” He licked his lips, purposely showing her his tongue. “Next time you engage in sex alone remember me because I’ll be doing the same.” Amusement flashed in his eyes. “As soon as I leave here I’m going to my room.” His legs spread a little and he adjusted his ass in the chair. “I’m already hard.”

Her gaze flicked downward before she could stop the reaction. The outline of his cock was clear inside the sweatpants he wore. Most New Species hated any form of underwear she’d been told, and without them it was obvious 466 wasn’t lying. She gasped at his large size and he laughed.

She glared at his face. “That’s totally inappropriate. I see you need to retake the class about what to say to people and what not to. Remember Manners 101?”

“I know the difference.” He kept the smile in place. “We speak the truth here according to you and that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to go to my room and—”

“I understand,” she cut him off. “I’m your therapist and there’s a thing called ethics. You can stop having those thoughts about me because we can’t ever have a physical relationship.”

That killed his amusement. “Why not?”

“I took an oath and you’re my client. You need my help and that means not being taken advantage of. You’re in a fragile state.”

He threw back his head and laughed then lowered his chin and spread his arms wide. “Do I appear weak to you? You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.” He dropped his hands and gripped the arms of the chair. “You could bite, scratch, wrestle with me, and get as rough as you want to during shared sex. I’d enjoy it. I’d be more worried about you getting hurt.”

“You can go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The session wasn’t going to progress with sex as the topic.

He didn’t budge.

“I said you can leave, 466.”

He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Do you know how to be totally honest?”

“Yes.” She dreaded answering him, wondering what he was up to now.

“Would you let me mount you if you weren’t my shrink?”

“I don’t know you well enough to answer that. I’m also not a shrink. I’m a doctor. We prefer that title.”

“That’s avoidance.”

“It’s perfectly honest. I don’t engage in casual sex.” She shouldn’t be telling him anything personal but he wasn’t exactly a textbook client. Nowhere in school had they covered half-beast men who’d been created by a company with no ethics. “I’ve never engaged in sex with someone I wasn’t in love with.”

“You’ve never shared sex?” The disbelief on his face was nearly comical.

“I have. I’m not a virgin.”

“He died?”

“Who?”

“The man you loved. He was killed?”

“No.”

“I don’t understand.” He leaned forward, looking genuinely baffled.

“What confuses you?”

“You are telling me lies.”

“I’m not.”

“You said you only shared sex with a male you love.”

“That’s true.”

“You don’t carry his scent. Where is he?”

“I don’t know exactly where my ex-boyfriends are. I don’t talk to any of them anymore. It’s common to cease all communication when a relationship ends.”

His gaze widened and he shot to his feet. “Boyfriends?”

Something distressed him but she didn’t know how her answers had caused that reaction. “I’ve had four serious boyfriends in my life.”

He growled.

“What is wrong?”

“Love is forever.” He gave her a disgusted look. “You have no idea what real love is, Joy.”

She watched him storm out of her office with his hands clenched furiously at his sides. She could only stare at the open door long after he’d gone.

She stood and became aware that her body had reacted to him. Her breasts were hypersensitive to the movement within the cups of her bra and she needed to change her panties for drier ones.

“Damn,” she muttered and closed her eyes. That had to be the strangest session she’d ever had. She leaned over to grab her cell phone out of her top desk drawer, scrolled through the numbers, and pressed the one she wanted.

“Dr. Megan Green,” a cheerful voice answered.

“Hi, Meg, it’s Joy.”

“What’s wrong?” Concern instantly filled the woman’s voice.

“Do you have time for a phone session?”

“Always. Hang on and let me close the bedroom door. I’m at home and so is one of my roommates. What’s wrong?”

“I’m attracted to a client. The therapist needs to be counseled.” She laughed nervously at the poor joke. “Shit. You never think it can happen to you.”

“Hot, huh?”

“Massively. He just told me what he wanted to do to me and I have to admit, it’s not something I’m going to forget any time soon.”

“What did he want to do?”

“Never mind that. The point is, he’s very attractive and he’s severely damaged.”

“Shit. A twofer. I want his number if he drives a motorcycle since he’s not one of mine.”

“Shut up. This isn’t something to joke about.” She leaned against her desk. “Worse, I think he’s a romantic. He believes love is forever.”

Meg was silent for a good five seconds. “Quit your job today. You can work here. There’s always an opening for a top-rated therapist.”

“That’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking. Run, babe. How many sessions a month do you have with him?”

Joy’s shoulders slumped. “I just changed his schedule to daily sessions. He went through a severe trauma.”

“I think I have a copy of your résumé. I’ll give it to my boss in the morning. You can have the vacant bedroom until you find a place to live. One of my roommates moved in with her boyfriend so it couldn’t be better timing. I’ll expect you in two weeks when your notice takes effect.”

“I can’t do that. I committed to this job for the long haul. It would traumatize more clients if I left.”

“They can hire someone else. You’re good but so are a lot of other professionals. You don’t want to mess with this. You could lose your license, face legal action even, and be fined at the very least.”

“I’m not going to act on it, damn it. That’s why I’m calling you.”

“You’re going to be screwed if you don’t get away from this guy and I mean that in the actual and metaphorical way. You want my advice? That’s it. Quit.”

Joy closed her eyes as her predicament settled in. “Great.”

Chapter One

The present

NSO Homeland

“What is going on?” Joy glanced at the New Species leading her through the building and continued, “I received a call that there was some kind of emergency with someone I counseled in the past. They said it was urgent that I come.”

A snarl came from farther down the hallway and made her jump. Her escort bolted away, abandoning her to rush into a room. She hurried forward despite that terrifying sound. She paused at the entrance to the room to stare in absolute horror at the scene playing out.

“Hold him down!” The New Species male who had escorted her yelled the order and two more Species males threw their massive bodies over the guy restrained on the hospital bed. An earsplitting howl fractured the room and an arm snapped free from the restraints. The Species clawed at the body over his chest, fisted the material of the other man’s shirt, and tried to toss aside the one attempting to hold him down.

“He’s still out of control!” the pale, shaken human shouted. “Paul? Where is that tranquilizer?”

Someone shoved into Joy from behind, nearly causing her to bump into the doorjamb as he rushed into the chaos. His ID tag identified him as a nurse.

“I’m here, Doctor!” The nurse uncapped the syringe in his hand just as all hell broke loose.

The guy being restrained let out another fierce howl and broke his other wrist free of the thick bindings holding him flat. He threw off two bodies, sat up, and punched the third Species square in the face, sending him crashing to the floor.

The enraged Species tore at the restraints, the sound barely audible over the commotion of men struggling to their feet. Joy stared in shock at her former client—466. His features were hauntingly familiar as he tossed his long hair back, despite the fact that she hadn’t seen him in over two years.

He slid off the bed after freeing his legs, growled at the doctor, and sent the man scurrying backward until he huddled in a corner. Worry came in a close second to Joy’s fear. Seeing 466 that way brought tears to her eyes. What the hell has happened to him? She had no answers but she wanted them.

It was clear the distressed Species planned to attack the doctor. One of the other New Species launched himself onto 466’s back but he just ended up being slung to the floor. Joy had to refrain from barging into the room to go to her former client, wanting to calm him down. Common sense held her still. Self-preservation did too.

“Moon!” the one he’d punched in the face shouted. “Look at me. You want a piece of someone? Come at me, damn it.”

466 spun and snarled, showing off sharp fangs as rage twisted his normally handsome face into something terrifying. He looked like someone out of control and filled with such hatred that he wanted to kill. He crouched into a fighting stance.

The doctor slid along the wall to get away from him and rushed toward the doorway. Moon allowed him to go, intent on attacking his Species opponent instead. The male nurse backed into Joy and dropped the uncapped syringe on the floor in his haste to escape the danger. He turned his head toward her, his eyes panic-stricken.

“Go,” the man hissed. “He’s going to kill any human he comes into contact with if he gets past them. He’s out of his mind.”

She hugged the wall as both of the human medical staff fled. She wasn’t leaving. No way. 466—Moon—might need her. Her dazed mind accepted the name he’d obviously chosen.

“Moon,” the Species male growled. “Calm yourself. We are your brothers and friends. Think and remember us.”

A horrible howl tore from Moon’s mouth before he attacked. He hit the other male shoulder-first with enough force to slam his opponent into a wall. Plaster gave way. Another Species tried to grab him but Moon gripped his arm, his teeth savagely tearing into skin instead. The bitten male bled heavily as he spun away from Moon and stumbled to the door, holding his upper arm. Joy jumped out of his way as he staggered past.

“Run,” he demanded harshly. “The smell of blood will make him worse.”

The one who had been shoved against the wall hard enough to get his elbows trapped inside the plaster broke free and launched himself at Moon again as the other New Species guard picked himself up off the floor. It was horrifying to see Moon fighting them as his big body blocked the double assault by punching out with one fist while spinning to kick at the second Species. Both males grunted with pain as they were thrown away from him.

Joy had a horrible suspicion that Moon was under the influence of what some of her clients had referred to as a breeding drug. Mercile Industries had created an experimental concoction that sent the males into a nearly violent desire to have sex. The company had used it to force them to have intercourse in an attempt to impregnate the Species females. While under the influence of the drug, the Species males could become dangerous to anyone who got in their way.

The men still attempting to subdue Moon were both injured. It dawned on Joy that they might have to seriously hurt him in order to restrain him. Memories surfaced of the things she’d learned during their sessions.

The last weeks at site four flashed through her mind. The male she’d gotten to know so well wouldn’t hurt a female unless he deemed her dangerous. They’d spent every afternoon together, sometimes expanding the hour she’d required him to be there. He’d relaxed enough to talk to her after a few days. The sexual tension between them had grown with each passing day.

Seeing him as he was now, wild and fighting other males, wasn’t how she’d fantasized their reunion would go if they ever crossed paths again. He’d wanted her once and she hoped that hadn’t changed. She had to put a stop to the violence. Her main concern was for him. She instantly kicked off her shoes. She tore out the clip that kept her hair in a bun, shaking it free to fall down her back. She clutched the front of her shirt as she stepped into the room. Nothing could distract the male she’d known back then more than the flash of her skin.

A savage face turned her way as Moon sniffed loudly, his attention fixed on her now that he was aware of her presence. Her heart raced with fear. Every fiber of her being wanted to flee but she couldn’t take the chance that the other men in the room would possibly have to kill Moon to stop his rampage.

“Easy,” she crooned. Her hands trembled as her fingers slipped between the folds of fabric and tore. Buttons landed on the floor as air hit the skin she revealed. He’d see her black lacy bra but that was the point. His gaze lowered to her cleavage as she inched into the room, keeping her back against the wall.

“Get out!” one of the other Species snarled. “Run.”

It would only make Moon go into hunt mode. The predator side of him was too close to the surface to believe any other outcome would be possible. She knew Species and was betting her life on it at the moment. She released the destroyed shirt and opened her arms wide at her sides, showing Moon her palms to prove she held no weapons.

“I’ve got this,” she stated to the other Species. “Stay back.” Her voice came out shaky at best but it didn’t crack as she battled to keep her fright under control, knowing her plan could go tragically wrong.

She focused on Moon as she slid along the wall. He watched her, seeming to forget everyone else around them. His nostrils flared as he sniffed again and advanced, stalking her.

“Easy,” she whispered. “That’s right. I’m female.”

One of the Species staggered between them, trying to prevent Moon from reaching her. “Get out of here. He’ll kill you. He’s insane and doesn’t know any of us.”

Moon grabbed the male’s shirt, easily tossing him aside, where he landed on his ass.

“His instincts are in control,” Joy surmised. She studied Moon’s dark eyes and didn’t see any signs of recognition. It scared the shit out of her. Any sense of calm she had felt vanished. He could kill her but it was too late to change her course of action. “He’s less likely to kill me than you.”

He will probably want to fuck me. She silently admitted she wouldn’t mind if he did. She’d made a mistake by running away from her feelings for him when she’d quit her job. It had hurt deeply but she’d been certain it was her only option. It had been a huge error to choose it over him but there had been no way they could be together even if she had been willing to risk everything. She’d thought a lot about Moon, almost to the point of obsession. The therapist had fallen for her client. It was inexcusable and unforgivable, but truth nonetheless.

Moon advanced as she pressed her back to the wall and turned her head to the side, expecting pain, but he didn’t hurt her when his body hit. Solid male pressed tightly against her and strong hands gripped her. He reached through the opening of her shirt to go for skin. His fingers and palms were hot, firm, as he slid them lower to dig inside the waistband of her skirt. The elastic gave and he grabbed hold of her hipbones.

She gasped when he lifted her off her feet but kept her pinned between him and the wall until his mouth hovered at the side of her throat. Hot breath fanned her skin as he panted. She was terrified as she helplessly hung there but he didn’t bite into her with his sharp fangs. His wet, raspy tongue surprised her when it licked the sensitive area of her throat underneath her ear.

He’s tasting me. Kill or sex? That’s what is going through his mind right now. She prayed he’d decide she was for the latter. Her mind scrambled to remember if she’d worn perfume that morning. She was certain she hadn’t. Nothing he would be able to smell should offend him. His lower body wedged tighter against hers and the feel of something hard nudging against the vee of her thighs reassured her somewhat. He was aroused. The stiff outline of his cock couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.

Their bellies were skin to skin since he wore only pants. She inhaled sharply when his mouth opened and clamped down over her carotid artery. He didn’t tear into her but he still could. His teeth paused there while her life was in his hands. She opened her eyes to stare at the New Species who were inching up behind Moon.

She lifted a hand to stop them and mouthed one word, “Sedative.” One of them nodded sharply, spun, and rushed out of the room. The syringe on the floor had been crushed during the fight. It had been uncapped and contaminated anyway, making it useless. She tentatively touched Moon’s biceps. They were thick and left no doubt about his impressive strength. Her fingers surfed his warm skin, rubbing.

“Do you remember me at all?” She took a breath. “Don’t hurt me. I’m no threat.”

He bit down but it didn’t break the skin. He had a firm grip on her though. The remaining Species inched closer in an attempt to launch a surprise attack. The body against hers stiffened. A growl rumbled from him, making his chest vibrate. He sensed a threat.

“He’ll rip out my throat. Get out. Do you think he isn’t aware of you? I’m fine. Back off!” Joy kept direct eye contact with the guard so he’d know she spoke to him.

The Species retreated immediately and Moon’s teeth loosened their hold. Joy stared at the male who hesitated by the door and kept her voice calm. “We’re fine. Just step out and get what I asked for. I’ll call if I need assistance.” Scream. That was the word she didn’t use but would be more accurate if things turned bad. “Let me see if I can calm him while you hurry to get what is needed.”

He looked unsure but backed away until he was out of sight. Joy slowly turned her head until her cheek rested against Moon’s. He had smooth skin—Species didn’t grow facial hair easily, if at all. She massaged the muscles of his upper arms.

“I missed you.” She spoke very softly, hoping no one but Moon could hear her heartfelt words. “I’m sorry I left. I was afraid.” She didn’t elaborate, certain that, in his current mood, he didn’t want to hear her rationalizations. “Why has this been done to you?”

So many unanswered questions tormented her. Was the damage permanent? Temporary? Was the person he used to be trapped somewhere inside his mind?

His hips nuzzled tighter against her pelvis, making her very conscious of the state of his cock and what was on his mind at that moment. The tight hold on her neck eased as his teeth released her. He might not recognize her in his drugged state but he was aware of her as a woman. She slid her hands up to his broad shoulders but he didn’t snarl or protest, seemingly happy to sniff and lick her skin again.

His hair was soft as she touched it and laced her fingers through the long strands at the base of his head, holding him close. She rubbed her cheek against his again, breathing in his masculine scent, which was so familiar to her—assuring her once again that she’d gotten way too close to her former client. Her body was alive and worse, she knew the symptoms of her own arousal. Part of her longed to wrap her legs around his waist and hope he’d take advantage of the position by tearing away the clothing between them.

Just the idea of them naked, him taking her, made her muffle a moan. She’d dreamed about him almost nightly and daydreamed about him daily. Those fantasies had primed her body to respond to the flesh-and-blood male. He didn’t have to kiss her or do anything but hold her to turn her on. All it took was being near him.

He inhaled deeply, taking in more of her scent. She hoped he’d remember her, that a memory would click into place. She’d been told by her clients that what they’d termed “breeding drugs” totally obliterated their ability to think but the fact that he didn’t seem to recognize her was disturbing.

Doubt and insecurity struck sharply. Perhaps she hadn’t meant as much to him as he’d led her to believe. Those last days she’d spent with him inside her office had been intense. He’d grown progressively adamant that he wanted her. He’d told her that he obsessed about touching her and taking her to his bed. The things he’d said he wanted to do to her still made her squirm in sexual frustration. She’d wanted him to do everything he’d imagined. The fact that it was forbidden had only made it more difficult to resist.

“Moon,” she whispered. “Look at me. Please?”

Joy wasn’t sure if he heard her or would comply but he slowly moved his head until they gazed at each other, nose to nose. Up close his eyes were as striking as she remembered and looking into them made thinking difficult.

“Hi. It’s Joy.” She licked her lips. “Dr. Yards. Do you remember me now?”

No recognition flickered in his gaze but he did pull back further and lower his focus to her mouth. He growled at her. It wasn’t a ferocious sound—more of a rumble that vibrated his chest, which was still smashed against hers. The fact that he’d done what she’d asked wasn’t lost on her. He could understand what she was saying.

“You’re going to be okay. You’re on drugs. Do you understand? The NSO called me to help you and I’m here.” Her hands stroked the back of his neck and played with his hair. “Can you talk? Tell me what you need.”

He growled again. His hips wiggled tighter against her until her tailbone dug uncomfortably into the unforgiving wall. She shifted, parting her legs to alleviate the pressure and Moon took advantage of it immediately by positioning the hard ridge of his cock against the seam of her pussy. She bit back another moan. It felt good to finally feel him there and she wanted more.

He lowered his gaze to stare at her cleavage and tucked his chin to get a better view as he breathed her in again. She wasn’t surprised when he adjusted her a bit higher in his hold to nuzzle his face between her breasts. When his tongue tasted her she closed her eyes. Her belly clenched and the urge to wrap her legs around his waist struck again. Joy barely resisted.

The soft sound of quick footsteps drew her attention. It was a New Species male and he gripped a handheld dart gun. Moon heard his approach too and whipped his head around. He reacted by snarling loudly—a scary, threatening sound.

The Species male fired immediately and Joy tensed, knowing Moon had been hit in the muscle above his shoulder blade since she saw the colorful tag at the end of the dart. The man who held her responded by throwing his head back and howling as he crushed her against the wall.

They both slid to the floor when Moon’s knees gave out. She practically straddled his lap. She glimpsed pure rage on his features for a split second before his eyes rolled up into his head. He slumped backward, taking her with him since his hands still gripped her. The other Species moved fast and managed to catch Moon’s back before he sprawled flat, out cold.

Joy scrambled to get off Moon and dropped to her knees beside him, jerking out the protruding dart from his skin to prevent it from causing him more injury before it was shoved deeper when he touched the floor. The Species male frowned at her as he gently lowered the unconscious Moon.

“What the hell were you thinking by interfering? You could have been killed. My males rushed out to report what you did when you entered the room and they told me Moon had you. Are you insane?”

Joy remembered her shirt gaped open and dropped the dart to grip the edges together to hide her bra. “I’m Dr. Joyce Yards. Who are you?”

“Answer my questions. What were you doing and are you insane?”

She swallowed hard. “I saw him fighting other Species and it was obvious he wasn’t in control. Someone could have gotten hurt. I intervened to prevent that. No. I’m not insane. I have some questions myself. Why is he on the breeding drug? Who the hell gave it to him?”

Two of the New Species who had been fighting with Moon returned to the room. Both were grim-faced as Joy scrambled to her feet and tried to compose her frayed emotions. She got out of the way as the two of them approached then gently lifted their fallen comrade from the floor. They carried him between them to the bed and placed him back on the mattress. She watched them reattach the restraints to his arms, legs, and torso before the other New Species—obviously the one in charge—stepped into her path and blocked her view.

Joy swayed a little on her feet, the urge to check on Moon so strong she fisted her shirt tighter, remembering she would give too much away if she acted on impulse.

“Dr. Yards?” This Species was tall with a beautiful mane of hair and pretty cat eyes, which appeared angry as he glared at her. “What do you think you were doing?”

“I’m an expert on Species. I was trying to prevent someone from being killed.”

His gaze lowered to her shirt. “He tore it?”

“I did. I knew my breasts would get his attention. I realize how unprofessional that sounds, but I was right. And I’m not here as his therapist, or in any official capacity.” Her chin lifted as she glared back, daring him to question her motives. “Who gave him breeding drugs? Why is he on them? What the hell did I walk into?”

“He could have killed you.”

She decided to be totally blunt. They appreciated that. “Your males are unlikely to injure a female, especially one they don’t consider a threat. He was more prone to attempt to engage in sexual activity than kill me outright. That’s also why I opened my shirt. The sight of cleavage seems to work wonders. It has been known to change their moods to downright friendly. It’s not a secret how horny some Species can be.”

He seemed astonished at her frankness but suddenly grinned. “True. Let’s start over. Thank you for coming so quickly. You were difficult to track down but as you can see, we have a situation.”

She relaxed the firm grip on her shirt. “What is going on, sir?”

“Call me Tiger.” He held out his hand.

She took it, making sure to keep her shirt together, feeling the entire situation was a bit surreal. “Um, what happened to Moon?”

He hesitated. “Did you sign the waiver?”

She had to think. “You mean the confidentiality clause they shoved at me while I was being processed at the gate? Yes, I did.”

“Good. Moon was attacked three days ago and our doctors haven’t been able to figure out what was done to him.”

She waited, confused. He remained silent. “How was he attacked? Why call me? I’m a psychologist. Was it a mental break caused by the trauma he suffered? What exactly happened to him?”

“No. Yes. Maybe. He was shot with what we believe was a high-powered dart rifle while he patrolled one of our walls. We haven’t been able to identify the drug yet but it’s not a breeding drug. We’re working on finding out what it was.”

“Okay.” She waited for more details.

“He woke feral. He doesn’t seem to recognize his friends. He wants to kill anyone who comes into contact with him. Our doctors hoped whatever he was given would wear off. When it didn’t, we figured it might be psychological. You were his head shrink after he was released from Mercile and we need you to assess him.”

Her heart squeezed while she ignored the derogatory title he’d labeled her job. She had grown used to it while dealing with Species. She was more concerned with 466’s condition. It was painful that something horrible had happened to him.

“It sounds more like a drug reaction than a psychotic break. You need to find out what he was given.”

Irritation flashed over Tiger’s features. “We’re aware of that fact but this isn’t a known drug. We’re being targeted by some of Mercile’s employees.”

That surprised her. “I heard they were shut down forever.”

“They were but we haven’t found all the doctors or staff who imprisoned us. A special task force hunts them but it takes time. Someone with strong ties to Mercile recently sent a team of mercenaries to retrieve one of our females. We believe he also hired someone who worked for Mercile to make this drug and infect Moon with it as a distraction. This unidentified drug has made him homicidal.”

“Anyone associated with Mercile will be prosecuted for what they did. It’s irrational to believe that killing their victims will change that. I’m assuming that’s why they created this drug? So he’d kill other Species?” It was her best guess.

His eyebrow lifted. “Rationality isn’t their strongest trait, considering what they did to us. Someone created a drug not listed in the FDA database. Mercile is the only enemy we have with the resources to manufacture a drug targeted to harm Species and the attack happened at the same time mercenaries paid by a Mercile associate attempted to recapture the female.”

She bit her lip but released it when she realized her nervousness showed. “Okay. I don’t see why you called me though. He needs a chemist or scientist to figure out what he was given and reverse this reaction. I’m not qualified to tell you what was done to him on a substance level.”

Tiger frowned. “You were close to Moon and we’re hoping you can reach him. His mental state has been affected. We’re working on figuring out what he was given but it’s taking too much time.”

What did he mean by the term “close”? Had someone suspected she had fallen in love with her client? Nothing had happened between them. She’d made sure to keep her ethics legally intact but she’d failed big-time on a personal level. She’d become too attached, had desperately wanted to be with Moon, but had managed to resist what they both had known was forbidden.

“I’m not someone he’d wish to spend more time with if he were able to talk.”

That lifted the man’s eyebrows. “Shrinks were never our favorite people but he spoke fondly of you.”

Astonishment tore through her. “He did?”

“Yes. He told me once that you made him speak of his emotions and he thought you fearless. He respected you.”

Guilt ate at her. She didn’t deserve the praise considering how she’d cut and run after finally getting him to open up during their sessions. The time they’d shared had become too intimate and his constant talk about what he wanted to do to her sexually had her soaking in cool baths after almost every session they’d spent together. She’d fled when it got to the point that he’d begun to touch her. She’d wanted him too much to resist for long, her job and future be damned.

“I don’t know what you expect me to be able to do.”

“Talk to him. We’re moving him to a special area that took us all day to refit for his needs. We were hoping the drugs would leave his system but now we’re that aware we’ll have to keep him prisoner until he’s cured. He’s too dangerous since he keeps breaching the restraints. We don’t want to use chains long-term due to the fact that, with his strength, he could break his limbs when he struggles. It would be cruel.”

“It might also remind him of his cell at Mercile if you chain him and keep him immobile.”

Tiger grimly nodded. “I won’t deny we’re worried about that. We don’t want recollections of his past to torment him or for him to believe he’s been sent back there.”

“It would only worsen his condition,” she agreed. “What arrangements do you have in mind?”

“We decided to place him in a cell, no restraints, just bars to keep him contained. We can’t keep asking our males to fight to keep him down. He sure can’t be allowed to run loose around Homeland. We have some human staff and he even sees other male Species as a threat. I’m not willing it to risk it. He could also attack our females. This was a unanimous decision by our people and your human doctors who have flown in to examine him. Our NSO doctors agreed too.”

She remembered that New Species always differentiated between themselves and humans. “It was a good call to make, considering what I just saw. He is dangerous.”

Tiger lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, a worried look crossing his striking features. “I know it’s a lot to ask but you don’t have to go inside the cell with him. We thought perhaps you could talk to him from outside it. He can’t reach you but he could see and hear you. We’re hoping it might trigger memories and being a female might also help. The other female he grew close to isn’t permitted near him.”

Jealousy hit, a useless emotion considering she had no right to feel that way. Still, it burned inside her chest. “Why can’t his girlfriend see him?”

“She’s not his,” Tiger said as he watched the Species add more restraints to hold 466 on the bed. “She belongs to another male but they are friends. Her mate would kill Moon if he harmed Trisha, even knowing he’s not responsible for his actions.” He turned back and dropped his hand to his side. “I’d hate for him to die.”

“Mate?” Relief swept through her. “Is she New Species?”

“Human. That’s classified.” His gaze hardened. “Understood? No information leaves here.”

“I got it. I won’t repeat anything. All that was covered before I was given clearance to be here. Besides, I never told anyone I even worked with New Species.”

He stared at her. “No one?”

“No one. Not my friends or family and not even my personal therapist.”

He seemed to believe her and his body relaxed. “Trisha is one of our doctors and she is mated to one of our males. It’s a good thing no one ever learned you worked with us or you may have been targeted by someone who doesn’t agree with our continuing existence. She was in danger because of her association with the NSO. Moon was part of her security detail. They became close friends. Trisha is irritated that Slade won’t allow her to talk to her friend but we’re very protective of our mates. One bruise, or hell, even if he made her cry, Slade would tear him apart.”

“I didn’t officially work for the New Species Organization. The government subcontracted me. I worked at one of the safe locations in the desert where you stayed after you were freed, before Homeland was given to you. The NSO was formed after you left there.”

“Right. Sorry. I’m having a bad day. I read that you dealt with Species after we were freed while everyone was trying to figure out what to do with us.” Tiger smiled grimly. “I bet that was a shit job. I was a mess.”

“What was done to all of you was horrible.” She left it at that. “It was an honor helping where I could.”

He closely studied her. “You must have done some great work. You were at site four and nobody bitches about you. That says a lot. You should have met the shrink they assigned me. She was annoying as hell and really made me angry.”

“I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s our job to push to make a client release some of their frustrations.”

His gaze flicked down her before rising again. He had assessed her coldly, no emotion showing. “It might have helped if she’d looked anything similar to you. It would have been easier when she grated on our nerves. She wasn’t pleasing to the eye or the ears.” He spun around to glance at the other males. “Did you lock him down good? I don’t want him getting up from that bed again when he wakes. We’ve mostly cleared out Medical but I don’t want the few remaining staff injured.”

“We did. I hate to see him this way,” one of the Species males grumbled.

Tiger gripped the male’s arm. “I know. I do too.”

The second male growled. “It could have been any of us but Moon was unlucky. I wish we’d been able to capture the asshole who shot him.” He glared at Joy. “Human.”

Tiger moved between them and snarled. “She’s not the enemy. We’re all angry and distressed right now. Focus that rage where it belongs. She worked with Moon after we were released from Mercile and he respected her. Do the same.”

“Fine.” The male sighed. “He bit me too.” He lifted his arm and twisted it. Blood flowed from the nasty wound.

“Let’s get it looked at.” Tiger turned and met Joy’s gaze. “We’ll be right down the hall talking to the doctor and having their injuries treated. Stay away from Moon. I’ll call one of our females to escort you to human housing to get you settled. You were told you’d be here a while, weren’t you?”

She hadn’t been, but nodded. She didn’t want to leave Moon again when he needed her. “That’s fine. I’ll stay as long as you think I can be of use.”

She’d have to call her work at some point within the next two days and tell them there was some kind of emergency. Her coworkers would need to handle her clients but that was the good thing about working for a hospital. They had the extra staff. The worst they could do was fire her but she was willing to risk it.

The three males left the room. She stared at the big body restrained on the bed. They’d not only shackled Moon’s arms and legs but run rope around his body a few times from his upper chest to his thighs to prevent him from moving. Moon wasn’t going to break free again without a heavy-duty cutting device.

She approached him slowly until she stood next to his head and peered down at a face she’d been sure she’d never see again. He was a little tanner, his hair had grown a good foot, and he’d filled out a lot. He’d been leaner when she’d met him, still recovering from being half starved by his captors. She lovingly examined each feature. He looked really peaceful.

Her hand trembled as her fingertips lightly traced his cheek. She glanced at the door, could see down the hallway, and hoped the Species weren’t within hearing distance. They had enhanced senses but she felt safe whispering. His hot skin drew her attention as she caressed him. He’d chosen a name she liked. Moon. She said it a dozen times in her head.

“Hi, Moon. I’ve dreamed about seeing you again but I didn’t want it to be this way or for this reason. I’m going to do everything in my power to help you. I won’t abandon you this time. I’ve regretted taking off on you more than you’ll ever know.”

She brushed back an errant lock of his silky hair. “Please forgive me but I would have lost everything and I couldn’t risk it because you were vulnerable. They wouldn’t have allowed it anyway.”

She released his hair and backed away, not wanting to be caught touching him again. Joy hugged her chest, knew she was in emotional turmoil and the smart thing to do would be to leave. It might ruin her career if it ever came out that she had developed a strong emotional and sexual attachment to a client but she didn’t care. She’d help him by doing her best to figure out how to restore his sanity and then she’d leave once he didn’t need her anymore.

Her time with him at site four was fresh in her memory as she longingly gazed at Moon. Excitement had made the days drag until those evening sessions when he’d been escorted into her office. She’d missed the sound of his husky voice. He’d slowly opened up about some of the abuse he’d suffered at Mercile. It had torn her to shreds listening to each horrific detail but he had needed to get it out. It was part of the healing process.

She’d managed to hide her rage while learning that he’d been beaten just to test some miracle drug that improved healing ability. Those sons of bitches had ganged up on him while he’d been chained, sometimes breaking bones as well as skin, just to see how long it would take for his body to mend. She’d silently wished she could go back in time and spare him all the pain. She was a strident advocate against violence but she’d had plenty of thoughts about performing some gruesome acts on the men and women responsible for his torture.

A few times he’d lifted his shirt to show her scars on his stomach or back. The urge to kiss them in an attempt to soothe some of his residual emotional pain had been almost irresistible. She’d been attracted to Moon in every way and wasn’t able to see those flashes of skin without having unethical thoughts. It had grown harder with every session to restrain the urge to reach out to him. Guilt had surfaced many times as well because of her fascination with his muscular, tempting body.

He’d always turned the topic to sex. It might have been a defensive gesture, a way to distract her from his real issues. Whatever the reason, listening to him speak of the sexual things he wanted to do to her had a strong effect. She’d wanted him too. It had grown harder to keep reminding him of their professional limits.

Half of her had wanted to believe him when he said sex would cure all that ailed him, despite the fact that she knew better. The line between what was best for him and what her heart demanded had blurred with each passing day. Meg had been right to tell her to quit her job but it had broken her heart to leave. Site four had severe rules when it came to contact between Species and humans. Had she stayed, it might have destroyed both of them.

Only minutes passed before footsteps sounded in the hallway. The tall Species female who appeared wasn’t one she’d counseled, and she was happy for that since she had no ready explanation for why she’d suddenly quit on them. Joy forced a smile.

“You’re the shrink?” The Species scowled when she stopped five feet away.

“Yes. I am.”

“Come with me. I’m escorting you to your living quarters and then we’ll go over what you’ll need that you didn’t bring. You don’t seem to have any luggage. You’ll need more clothes and personal items.” Her gaze flicked to where Moon slept. “I hope you can fix his head.”

“Me too,” Joy admitted honestly. “I wasn’t aware this was going to be a long stay. I have one spare set of clothes in my car if you can get someone to retrieve them.”

“We can do that and we can order whatever else you need through Homeland.” The woman evaluated her. “It may take a day or two to get clothes that fit. I apologize.”

“That’s fine.” Joy wasn’t worried about how she looked. Her gaze lingered on Moon. He was all that mattered.

* * * * *

“You will not leave your home unescorted,” Rusty informed her sternly. The Species woman growled and glared to make her point. “All your meals will be brought to you.” She studied Joy critically from head to foot. “When is your cycle?”

“My what?”

“When you bleed.”

“I don’t have regular periods.” Joy shifted her weight, glanced around the house she’d been assigned, and wished Rusty would finish her lecture. The Species seemed determined to go over every rule ever made by the NSO concerning human guests. “I take a birth control shot and have for some time.”

“Good. I will spare you the regulations and procedures then.”

“I have a good idea that I already know them.”

That drew a curious look from Rusty. “Really? I checked your history and you have never visited Homeland or Reservation before today.”

“I helped write the handbook they probably based your regulations and rules on. I was there after your people were freed from Mercile Industries. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that your males have a hypersensitive sense of smell and I’m aware of their reactions to an ovulating or menstruating woman. Also, you should keep breastfeeding women away from them.” She shrugged. “Some of your males love milk and harassed a few nursing mothers when the employees returned to work after maternity leave. I’ve talked a lot of your guys out of cornering women for many reasons. I’m the one who made it standard procedure for all female employees dealing with the males to take the shot if they weren’t already pregnant. Nursing mothers were reassigned to duties that didn’t include interaction with your males.”

Rusty frowned. “You did?”

“Yes. Someone was smart to assign pregnant women to guard the Species males but they didn’t consider what would happen beyond the pregnancy. Though they wouldn’t attack women, the scent of an ovulating one turned them on. So did the blood scent of a menstruating one. The desert heat made it worse. There wasn’t even a breeze out there sometimes so the males could pick up a hell of a lot with their noses. It was trial and error but we got it right. I changed procedure immediately after a few confrontations and called the other sites to warn them of the situation.”

A slight smile curved Rusty’s mouth. “How did you lure the males away from the females?” She gave her a once-over again. “Did you offer your body in exchange for them releasing the females they wanted?”

“No! I talked them into returning to their rooms.” Joy relaxed her tense stance. “Why can’t I eat with the general public? I read in one of the newspapers that there’s a cafeteria on site where most of your meals are prepared. Was that incorrect?”

“Head shrinks are not popular and everyone is aware you are here. We didn’t want any issues to arise. We’re keeping you separated from everyone except the ones assigned to you or Moon. Some of our people could become testy in your presence.”

“That makes sense.” She glanced around the living room again, remembering the way the Species male at Medical had glared at her and called her human. “When are they moving Moon?”

“They have already done so.” The woman removed a cell phone from her pocket, touched it, and glanced down. “They texted me to let me know he’s been safely transferred.”

“Has he woken?”

Shoulders shrugged. “They didn’t state that information.”

“We waited for my spare clothes to be delivered, I changed my shirt and ate a sandwich. I’m ready to go see where he’s being held.”

“I was told you’d start in the morning.”

That didn’t sit well with Joy one bit. She was impatient to see 466 again. “He needs help now and I’m ready to go.”

“Fine.”

Rusty led the way and Joy followed. Two males had been assigned to guard her as well though they didn’t speak and stayed far back until they reached the street. She didn’t allow it to bother her. The Species would warm to her or they wouldn’t, their choice. They drove her back to Medical and it confused Joy.

“I thought you said they transferred him.”

“They did. To a secure part of the basement. It’s divided into two parts.” Rusty motioned her to follow. “We have hospital rooms downstairs but we also have a large storage space we converted to hold him. That is where he’ll be kept. We’ll take the freight elevator.”

That kept Joy silent as they entered the building, walked down a corridor, and ended up at a huge elevator. A solitary New Species officer sat in a chair with a weapon strapped to his hip. He looked up as they approached. A laptop rested over his thighs.

“This is the head shrink.” Rusty paused. “Is Moon awake?”

“No.” The Species assessed Joy with a sweep of his gaze and obviously found her nonthreatening. “Proceed.”

The two guards remained behind as they entered the elevator. Rusty pressed the down button. The doors slid closed while nervousness gripped Joy. She hugged her chest.

“Are you cold?”

“No. I’m worried that I won’t be able to do anything for Moon.”

“He needs your help.”

“I’m going to try my best.”

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open to reveal a dim room. Rusty stepped forward and Joy followed. The basement area was big and a few cells sat across the room. From floor to ceiling were bars separating the area into three rooms, the center cell had the door closed. That one had been stripped down. The ones on either side were set up hotel-room style with a partition, a bed, nightstands and a TV. Moon’s cell contained only a bed, sink and toilet.

“It is sad to see him this way.” Rusty paused. “I will bring a chair for you to sit on and a blanket to keep you warm. I’ll return shortly. Do not go near the bars.”

“No one is down here with him?” She peered around the dim basement. “Someone should be monitoring him at all times.”

“He’s sleeping and the officer upstairs will hear if he wakes. Moon has been very loud since his attack. Seeing other males sets him off. It’s best if none are within sight or smell.”

It felt odd to be in the scary basement but Joy didn’t protest when Rusty left. She knew it was an irrational fear. The only danger was the sleeping Species male locked behind the bars. She hesitated before slowly approaching until she paused about five feet from his door.

They’d washed Moon’s hair and changed his clothing. He wore black sweatpants and his hair had been spread out above the pillow to dry. Someone had taken the time to brush the long strands and she inched a little closer. No restraints held him now. The slow rise and fall of his bare chest assured her he lived.

“I’m here, Moon.”

He must have heard her because his eyes snapped open. He sat up so fast it startled a gasp from Joy. Moon came off the bed in a fluid motion and his big body slammed into the bars. Long, lean fingers gripped the thick metal as he snarled. His dark gaze narrowed as he stared directly at her, his sharp fangs bared.

“Easy,” she crooned, refusing to back away. He couldn’t reach her.

He sniffed loudly and snarled again.

“It’s Joy. Do you remember me, Moon?”

His eyes narrowed further as he sniffed louder.

“Please remember me.” She held very still. “I’m your friend.”

He suddenly shoved away from the bars and turned to glance around the cell. He lunged at the back wall, hit it with his fists and growled when it didn’t break. He turned, attacked another wall, and Joy feared he’d hurt himself.

“Stop it!”

He jerked his head in her direction and paused.

“Easy,” she whispered. She kicked off her high heels and stepped away from them. She slowly lowered to the floor to sit on the hard surface, hoping he’d see her as less of a threat. “It’s okay, Moon.” Her hands adjusted her skirt to avoid flashing her panties as she crossed her legs to get comfortable. “I’m here with you. You’re not alone.”

He turned to face her, stalked closer and gripped the door. It rattled when he fisted the bars and shook them enough to make the muscles in his arms strain but they wouldn’t give. He sniffed at her again but lowered to his knees.

“That’s it. Remain calm.” She smiled. “You don’t want to break your hands. You’d need a jackhammer to dent the metal or concrete.”

He kept hold of the bars as he pressed his face against them. His intense stare locked on her and she realized that she studied a stranger. Moon’s personality wasn’t there, nor was there any sign that he recognized her. At least, nothing that she could assess. He peered at her as if he didn’t even know what she was. The memory of pinning her to the wall a few hours earlier seemed to have been erased.

“It’s going to be okay. I’m going to somehow help you.”

One of his hands released the metal to slip between the bars as he reached out to her. She wanted to go to him but wasn’t foolish enough to believe it would be safe. Just because he seemed calm didn’t mean he wouldn’t bite the hand she offered or try to rip her arm from the socket.

“I wish I could but you need to talk to me first.”

The elevator doors slid open behind them and Moon jerked his arm inside the bars, stood, and snarled. Joy turned her head to watch Rusty carry a folding chair and blanket closer. A loud howl ripped through the room and she gaped at Moon.

He attacked the bars and slammed his shoulder against them, trying to batter them down. Joy stood and faced the Species woman. “He was calm.”

“Not anymore.” Rusty set down the chair and dropped the blanket on it. “I’ll have them sedate him again before he hurts himself.”

“No, don’t. He was fine until you came.” Joy glanced at Moon again, saw his agitated state as he kept trying to break through the bars, and made a decision. “Leave us alone.”

“I’m supposed to stay here. We’re females and shouldn’t be threatening to him.”

Moon howled again, the sound echoing loudly through the basement. Joy winced. “He was calm until he saw you. Please, Rusty. Go. He’s going to get hurt.”

The woman hesitated. “I’ll wait inside the elevator but close the doors. I’ll remain on this floor. Yell out if you need assistance.”

Rusty spun and jogged away. Joy turned and lowered herself back to the floor.

“Moon?” Her voice softened. “Easy.”

He stopped attacking the bars as soon as the elevator doors closed, panted from his attack on his cell, and glared at her.

“It’s only you and me again. Do you remember? We used to talk a lot.”

He sank to his knees as he calmed. It gave Joy hope that some part of him did remember their sessions and he was on a slow road to recovery.

She couldn’t stand to see him so changed. It was a little petty, she admitted that, but it was upsetting that she’d done the hardest thing of her life by walking away from him only for him to end up locked inside a cell. Regret tore at her as she wondered if somehow things might have been different if she’d thrown ethics out the window, broken all the rules, and fought to remain a part of his life.

Don’t do this, she ordered herself. She knew better than to play the “what-if” game. Reality was right in front of her. Someone had done something horrific to the man she loved and all she could do was try to help him recover.

Chapter Two

Dr. Treadmont was an asshole who wouldn’t listen to reason. Joy struggled to hold her temper in check. “The drugs will only muddle Moon’s mind more. You said you had no idea what was given to him so you also have no idea if tranquilizers will worsen his condition.”

“We had to do it for days before you arrived, Miss Know-It-All.” He shot a frustrated look at Tiger and ran his fingers through his white hair. “We need more blood from Moon to try to isolate what he was injected with. I need to examine him but I can’t do it when he’s ready to kill anyone who goes near him.”

“Agreed.” Tiger sighed.

Joy gave Tiger a murderous glare. “You don’t know if it’s making him worse. He’s confused enough without purposely doing that to him.”

“We need samples.” Treadmont stared at her. “What do you suggest? We open up that door to take them and he’s going to attack. It’s not fair to ask the men to go in there to fight him so we can get him pinned.”

“You want to take them every day. That’s too much for him to handle in his present condition. You can’t drug him every time.” Her fists clenched. “Aren’t you still in charge, Tiger? Think of another way.”

“We don’t know what else to do,” Tiger admitted. “We have to test his blood and we need to take samples daily to check him. That can’t be avoided if we have any hope of finding a cure, if there is one.”

“We’re hoping to nail down what was done to him by coming up with a drug to counteract the effects.” The nurse, Paul, spoke. “It might be his only chance of recovery.”

“Adding tranquilizers into the system every day would harm a healthy person. Think of his mental state as well as his physical one.” Joy refused to back down. “There’s no point in testing him when it’s doing more damage than good.”

The silent New Species male in the corner stepped out of the shadows. “Do you have another idea, Dr. Yards?”

She was intimidated by Justice North—he was a daunting man who headed the NSO. She recognized him from television.

“He’d be better off restrained without the drugs than to constantly have them added to his system. No other chemicals should be introduced into his body until we have some answers. It could hurt him more. Anyone subjected to those levels of sedatives on a daily basis would suffer harmful effects. He’s confused already and you make him lose whatever hold on reality he has every time you knock him out.”

Tiger grumbled in obvious frustration. “I agree with her.”

“Me too.” Justice addressed Dr. Treadmont. “Ted, I’m siding with the shrink on this matter. I want him well again but messing with his mind in the process isn’t acceptable. I’ll have our males go in and pin him down. We’ll restrain him for two days for you to do your tests but I have to let him up after that. That way we’re playing it safe.”

“Two days?” Shock jolted through Joy. “That’s too long. I meant to restrain him only for the tests.”

Justice faced her. “I’ve learned a lot about compromise, Dr. Yards. You should do the same.”

“Call me Joy, please. Having him strapped down isn’t going to be good for his mental health either. Sure, it beats the drugs but that’s a long time to keep him immobile. I shouldn’t have to tell you how negatively any Species would react to that.”

“I have the whole picture to consider. There’s the safety and emotional well-being of my other males. They hate to engage him and there have been injuries. We don’t play around when we fight. Moon is feral and could kill someone. Every Species in contact with the public at the gates could be attacked again by this unknown drug. More males are in danger. Do you understand?” Justice sighed. “Compromise. No drugs but he has to be restrained. I’ll give Ted two days to do whatever tests he thinks are relevant and then we’ll give Moon freedom from the restraints for a few days inside his cell, after which we’ll reevaluate the situation. Hopefully we’ll have answers by then and discover an effective way to heal whatever was done to him.”

Joy hated it but nodded. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” Justice grimly smiled.

“I can be reasonable and I do understand. He is dangerous but I’m trying to do what is best for him.” She wanted him to understand her position.

“That’s why you were brought here. You’re his mental-health advocate. My job is to think of the safety of everyone.” Justice turned to Tiger. “We need to go in there to strap him down. Double his restraints.”

“Shit.” Tiger nodded. “We’re going to have to rig something.” Tears glittered in his eyes. “Something similar to what Mercile did to us so he has some ability to move to at least go to the bathroom. I think keeping him down twenty-four/seven would be the worst thing we could do.”

The tension in the room increased tenfold. Justice nodded sharply. “I agree. Fuck. I want to kill the son of a bitch who shot him with that drug and whoever created it.”

“Stand in line,” Tiger muttered. “I’ll handle whatever needs to be done. Go. You don’t want to see this and I highly suggest you restrict access to him even more. Everyone is going to be upset when they learn what we plan. Have Fury and Harley come. The three of us will work out the issue and set it in motion.”

Justice unbuttoned his jacket and removed it to reveal broad shoulders and a white dress shirt. His tie came off next as he toed off his dress shoes. “I’m staying. I gave the order. I’ll help implement it.”

“Justice…” Tiger frowned.

“Enough.” Justice unbuttoned the top of his shirt. “I’m staying.” He stared at the cell. “We need him flat, not restrained against the wall. That would definitely remind him of Mercile. No automated pulley systems either. The sound of the motors might trigger flashbacks.”

Tiger hesitated. “Agreed. I’m thinking ten-foot ankle chains to give him motion yet keep him clear of the door. We could hook them to the bars at the corners in the back of the cell so they would stop him short. The wrist chains can be longer and attached to the front corners, allowing him access to the back wall area. That will give him free movement in most of the area. Four of us could pull the chains taut and force him down spread-eagle on the floor when they need access to him.”

“That should work.” Justice rolled up his sleeves. “Has he lost any of his strength?”

“Nope. He’s eating plenty and doesn’t seem to feel much pain or he’s too angry to care. He’s tough as hell still.” Tiger pulled out a cell phone. “Let me make those calls.” He spun away, walking to a distant corner.

Justice removed his belt. “I had to do a press conference an hour ago. I hate wearing all these layers of window dressing.”

Joy was nervous around the NSO leader. “I don’t blame you. I hope everything is okay. I haven’t seen the news lately.”

“It’s typical stuff we deal with on a daily basis.” He sighed. “I’m going closer to Moon.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

That comment earned her a scowl. “Why?”

“He is calmly watching us but that is going to change if you approach him. I don’t want him to get hurt when he starts hitting things.”

“I’m an alpha figure. I want to see if he responds to that in his current condition.”

“He’s an alpha too.” Joy frowned. “It’s not a good idea but I can’t stop you.”

“Moon is pretty mellow.”

“The Moon you knew before he was drugged probably was but the one I knew wasn’t. He’s reverted completely.” Her gaze lingered on the big male crouched inside his cell, silently regarding them. “He’s relying on pure instinct. He’s not going to back down from you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

She glanced at him. “It’s an educated guess.”

Justice slowly approached and Moon rose, snarling.

“Please don’t,” she whispered, knowing Justice heard her.

He paused but backed up. “Okay.”

Tiger returned. “They are on their way and I called the supply department. They are sending chains and restraints once they locate them. We’ll have to make whatever they find work. It’s not as if we have this stuff lying around. It’s going to take a while. Maybe hours.”

Dr. Treadmont sighed. “Why don’t we have lunch while we wait?”

“Fine.” Justice left his discarded clothing where he’d neatly folded it. “Joy? Would you like to join us in my office?”

“No thanks. I’m staying here.”

“You barely left since you arrived. Take a break.”

“I think it’s best if I stay. I asked one of the officers to see if any clothes had been located that would fit me and I used the showers upstairs this morning.” She didn’t take her attention off Moon. “I’m not leaving him.”

“Okay.” Justice waved at the males to leave. “We’ll have lunch delivered to you both.”

“Thanks.” She waited for them to leave before facing the cell.

Moon crouched again when she slowly drew closer. “Hi.” She lowered to her hands and knees to keep on his level. “You seem calmer. You allowed them to share the room without getting upset.”

His nostrils flared as he sniffed loudly.

“We used to be friends.” She crawled closer, ignoring the unforgiving concrete floor, doing it slowly in case he protested. “You’re watching me pretty intently. I wish I knew what you were thinking.”

One of his hands released the bar and slid through, reaching out to her. She really wanted to touch him. He seemed calm enough but until he talked to her, it was too risky. She’d heard countless stories from the Mercile survivors of ways Species had killed their tormentors during captivity when given the chance. He might be toying with her to draw her close enough to assault her. She stopped when a couple of feet separated his fingertips from her face.

His gaze fixed on her body and she glanced down, noticing the way her shirt fell forward enough to flash her cleavage again. She sighed, looking up. “I’m not making progress with you, am I? You’re all instincts and urges because you can see enough of my breasts to interest you. Damn.”

She sat, blocking his view down her shirt when she straightened her shoulders. He didn’t pull his hand back inside the bars though, just continued to watch her. She smiled, trying to hide her concern.

“Will you talk to me? What are you thinking?”

He sniffed again and growled low. It wasn’t threatening in tone, more like frustration, she guessed. He wanted to touch but she wasn’t within reach. He’d always been stubborn. An idea came to her.

“You want?” She gripped the low collar of her shirt and tugged it down enough to give him a peek of the top of her breasts. “Talk to me, Moon.”

His sexy, generous lips parted before he licked them. Another growl rumbled from him, a little deeper. Sharp canines showed and she held his frustrated gaze.

“Can you talk? Try for me. Please?”

Emotion flashed in his eyes but she had no clue what it meant. He’d always been good at hiding everything from her. He shoved more of his arm through the bars until his thick biceps prevented him from reaching any farther. She rose to her knees, his fingertips only inches from her shirt when she leaned closer.

“Moon?”

He stopped staring at her cleavage to peer into her eyes.

“Say something, anything. Do you want to touch me? Give me something in return.”

His growl deepened, turning a little scary. She was playing a dangerous game, considering she was offering to let him actually put his hand on her if he complied. She’d do it. To hell with ethics. They needed to establish trust. That would be fundamental in helping him. It needed to go both ways.

“Are you in there?” She gazed deeply into his eyes. “Say one word and I’ll come closer.”

He sealed his lips together, hiding his fangs, and swallowed hard. His eyes narrowed as he watched her. “Give,” he rasped.

He could form words and he wasn’t repeating something she’d just said, which meant he could do more than mimic noises. That had to mean he could think and that whatever drug they’d given him hadn’t caused massive brain damage at least. She nodded and lifted her knee to crawl closer.

“Don’t hurt me.” It came out a plea. She could only hope for the best, which would be that he didn’t draw blood or worse.

“Don’t!”

The deep male voice startled her so badly she jerked and twisted her head around. A big form stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the room. His boots stomped loudly as he walked into the dimly lit area.

“Get away from him.”

Moon snarled, jerked his arm back inside the cell, and sprang to his feet. His chest rammed the bars, trying to push through them.

The New Species male storming closer had long brown hair that fell past his shoulders and dark-brown eyes that flashed rage. The biker jacket and boots came as a surprise. He wore faded jeans and a black top.

“What the hell are you doing to him?” He reached down, gripped her upper arm, and hauled her to her feet. He had to be at least six foot three.

“Who are you?” she gasped.

“Who the fuck are you? You think it’s fun to tease the animal in the cage?” He gave her a rough shake. “Who let you down here? You better talk fast, female. I might throw your ass in there with him and let him have you after what I saw. Do you know what he’ll do to you after cock-teasing him? You’ll be fucked for hours in every sense.”

Joy was taken aback. It took her a few seconds to recover. “Who are you? This isn’t how it seems.”

“I’m his best friend.” He dragged her a few feet away from the cell. “Be happy you’re a female. I’d kick your ass otherwise. What kind of sick bitch are you to do that to him? Is that your idea of fun? Cock-teasing the crazy Species?”

She grabbed the wrist attached to the fingers that held her. “No! I’m Dr. Joyce Yards and you have no idea what you’re talking about. I wasn’t being mean to him. It’s the only thing he responds to. I’d stand on my head and do cartwheels if that’s what it took to get him to interact with me but he’s only interested in sex.”

His hold on her arm loosened slightly and he frowned. “I know that name. I’ve heard it before.”

“I was Moon’s therapist right after he was rescued from Mercile. He—”

Moon howled in outrage.

She turned toward him. He looked pissed but she didn’t blame him. “Please calm down,” she urged.

He rammed his chest against the bars again, snarled, and glared at the other male who had prevented him from getting close enough to touch her. He was working himself into a rage.

“Let’s take a walk and discuss this farther away from him.” Joy tugged on the big Species, heading back the way he’d come. She kept her gaze on Moon though and spoke directly to him. “I’ll be right back and we’ll start over, okay? I won’t break my word. You can touch me. Let me talk to him first.”

The Species clamped down hard on her wrist again. “You aren’t going near him.”

She lifted her chin to direct her coldest look his way. “Walk away with me. Do you see what he’s doing? He could hurt himself. Move now if you care about him.”

“Fuck.” He jerked on her arm, dragging her instead of her tugging on him anymore. He didn’t halt until they were in the shadows by the far wall. “I’m taking you to Security where we’re going to discuss what I witnessed.”

“You saw me getting him to speak. Did you hear him? He can form words. That means he can communicate. He’s in there somewhere.”

“You were teasing him.”

“I wasn’t.” She jerked hard and he released her. “You’re his best friend? Do you have a name?”

“Harley, and yeah, I’m his best friend. That’s why I’m taking you to Security and they are going to bounce your ass on the street outside the gates.”

She fought frustration. “Listen to me, Harley. He spoke a word. Do you get that? Do you understand what that means?”

He growled low, revealing his canine traits.

Joy took a deep breath. “I can see how you misunderstood what you saw. Give me two minutes to explain.” She held up that many fingers. “That’s all I ask.”

“Make it good.” His voice was harsh, revealing his rage.

“He’s rejecting everyone here and the only way to reach him seems to be through his fixation with sex. I’m not above using that if it works.” She rubbed her wrist, sure it was bruised. “I’d do anything to help him, including flashing my breasts if that’s what it takes to find some part of him that will communicate with me. That’s what he was doing. Whatever drug he was given has reverted him to raw instinct but he has the ability to speak if he concentrates hard enough. It’s a really good sign that his cognitive skills are intact. The only effective way I’ve discovered so far to make him work with me is by offering him what he wants most.” She sucked in air. “I’m not being cruel. I’m trying to save him.”

Harley’s face was in the shadows and she couldn’t read his expression but he wasn’t growling. “He could have killed you.”

“He wants something else from me more. We didn’t have bars between us earlier when he had me pinned against a wall. I’d be dead already if he saw me as his enemy or as a threat.”

He softly growled. “What are you talking about?”

She quickly told him what had happened when she arrived. “So, he could have torn into my throat with his teeth or snapped my neck. He didn’t. I’m not stupid. Believe me when I say I’m more than aware of how easily he could have killed me if that’s what he intended.” She stepped back. “May I continue? I need to show him he can trust me. I said he could touch me if he’d talk. He did.”

“You’re insane.”

Joy didn’t respond to that accusation since he had a valid point. “I’m determined to do whatever it takes to help him.”

“What if he wants to do more than touch you?”

Heat warmed her cheeks. “Whatever it takes. I’ll do anything for him.”

He stepped forward and nearly bumped her. “What changed?”

“What do you mean?”

He leaned down a little until his face came into the light. His brown eyes were kind of scary combined with the severe look on his rugged features. “I remember who you are now. You split on him before when he needed you. You didn’t even have the courage to say goodbye.”

Shit. The guy really was a close friend of Moon’s.

“He felt something for you but you refused to give him a chance. Why are you here? Are they paying you a lot of money?”

“I’m not on the clock.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not on the NSO payroll. I came because they said I was needed. There was no obligation for me to drop everything to drive here but I did as soon as I got the call. I’m staying because Moon needs me. This isn’t about money. I want to help him.”

He regarded her with suspicion, not bothering to hide it. “You aren’t here on official business?”

“No.”

“Then you aren’t really his head shrink. Is that right?”

She could guess where he was going with the conversation. “I was asked by the NSO to help him. You can’t throw me off Homeland. I was invited and I’m staying.”

He leaned back, hiding his face once more in the shadows. “Ethics won’t be an obstacle this time between the two of you, will they?”

She could feel the blood drain from her face. Moon must have told his friend the things she’d said and reasons she’d given to keep him at arm’s length. Her shoulders squared and her spine stiffened. “No,” she blatantly stated. “They won’t. He’s not technically my client.” A shaky breath later she spoke again. “Do you have a problem with that?”

He backed up. “No. I’m wondering if using your body is really the only way to reach him or if you’re looking for an excuse to get close to him. Proceed, Dr. Yards. Know I’ll be watching. You cross a line that I don’t like and I’ll carry you to the gates myself. Am I clear?”

“Perfectly.” He was good at communicating his feelings. “You tell me another way to reach him and I’ll be happy to try it.”

They stood silently until she turned and walked toward Moon again. Harley didn’t have an alternate plan or he would have spoken up. Moon was furious, pacing his cell, and glared when he spotted her returning to him.

“Easy,” she whispered. “It’s me.”

He gripped the bars, attempting to tear them apart, his muscles straining. She lowered to her knees again when she was about five feet from his cell and stayed there, looking at him.

“Moon? Calm down.”

He slid down to his knees, still holding the metal bars. His sharp canines flashed as he softly growled at her. She evaluated the decline of his mood. She sat on her butt and waited until some of his rage faded. She hoped their food wouldn’t arrive any time soon because he had always been stubborn. It was going to take a while to get him to trust her.

“I’m sorry about that.” She kept her tone soft. “Your friend is really worried about you.”

He growled and released one of the bars to reach out to her. She knew a decision had to be made in that moment—either trust him or not. She had been honest with Harley. Moon could have killed her earlier if he’d wanted her dead. She leaned forward and reached for him too. Fear crept up her spine as she imagined the worst. He could yank her closer to the cell to either bite her or snap her neck.

The tips of his calloused, rough fingers brushed against hers. He stopped growling, seeming fascinated by the feel of them. She held her breath, not knowing what he would do but he just rubbed their fingers together. She relaxed.

“I’m not your enemy, Moon.”

He looked up at her then and she met his gaze. It came as a shock when he suddenly gripped her hand and pulled her closer. Her ass slid along the concrete as she gasped, praying he wouldn’t break bones when his fingers tightened even more. She tried to struggle but it didn’t do any good. Her shoulder hit the metal bars of his cell.

Another hand suddenly had her by her ribs, curving around her side. She stared at him with only the bars separating them. He sniffed at her. His focus lowered to the front of her shirt and a soft whine came from him.

He’s not hurting me. That sank in. He could. Easily. He kept her close. She stared into the depths of his brown eyes while he refused to look away from her breasts.

“Moon?”

He softly growled, a look of concentration on his face. She wondered what he was thinking so hard about but he released her hand suddenly, distracting her thoughts. She sucked in air when he cupped her breast, caressing it. He was gentle as he squeezed. He looked up then, holding her gaze.

“Joy.”

The gruff way he said her name made her want to cry. Her hand trembled as she reached through the bars to touch his face. He didn’t jerk away but allowed her to gently caress his jawline. “Yes. Do you remember me?”

He released her suddenly and pulled back until they weren’t touching anymore. She didn’t budge, just remained leaning against the bars where he’d dragged her. He stood and growled, staring across the room. She turned her head and wished Harley hadn’t stayed so close. He must have remained hidden in the shadows instead of leaving. He’d stepped back into the light.

“Move away from him, head shrink.”

“Go away,” she ordered.

Moon snarled, seeming to agree with her order.

Harley frowned. “Get the hell away from him.”

“I think he remembers me. He said my name. Didn’t you hear him?”

Harley stormed up behind her just as she felt fingers wrap around her throat, cutting off her air. Moon had her. It hurt her ears when he howled so close behind her.

Harley froze.

“Go,” Moon snarled.

“Fuck. Release her, man.” Harley growled back.

“Go,” Moon demanded again, tightening his hold.

The big Species in the biker jacket backed up a few feet. “Let her go.”

Moon reached down and gripped her upper arm while keeping a firm hold on her throat. “Kill. Go.” He forced her to her feet, yanking her hard against the bars.

She’d become a hostage. It was that simple. Moon wanted the other male to leave and she was his leverage. He could easily snap her neck. She’d have begged him to release her but she could barely breathe.

“Shit.” Harley backed up. “Don’t hurt her.”

The elevator doors opened and Rusty walked into the room, carrying a tray with two plates. She came to an abrupt halt. “Oh shit.”

Harley glanced at her before looking back at his best friend. “We’ll leave. Do not hurt her.”

“How did the human get so close to him?” Rusty retreated a few steps.

“She let him. Whoever asked her to come here made a mistake. It might end up being a fatal one.” Harley sidestepped closer to the Species female. “We’re leaving, Moon. Watch us. Don’t hurt that female.”

Both of them got into the elevator and the doors closed. The fingers loosened on her throat and arm. She shoved away from the bars on her butt and completely broke his hold when she threw her body forward. She hit the floor on her hands and knees. Gasping for air, she crawled out of Moon’s reach.

“Come,” a deep voice rasped from behind her.

Moon wanted her to return to the side of his cage. She shook her head, touching her sore throat that had to have red marks on it, if not bruises. Species were too strong. She had risked her life getting so close to him and it had almost gotten her killed. She wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

“Come!” he snarled.

Joy turned her head in his direction but couldn’t look directly at him. “No.”

Tears blinded her as she looked away. He might know her but she sure didn’t know him at the moment. The guy she’d fallen in love with never would have done that. She was lucky to be alive.

Chapter Three

“What were you doing?” Tiger was furious and not making any attempt to hide it.

“Showing Moon he could trust me.”

Joy was tired after spending a restless night in the house they’d assigned her. She’d asked to be escorted there after what had happened. She had needed time away from Moon after her close call. Her visitors had arrived after breakfast.

“She has no right being near him.” Harley wore a heavy-metal-band T-shirt with his jeans today. The biker boots must be something he wore daily. “He obviously doesn’t want her dead but next time he could force us to unlock the cell to save her life. It’s pure luck he only wanted to be left alone with her. He’s in no shape to be reasoned with.”

“Agreed.” Justice North grimly studied her. “You shouldn’t have gotten that close to him.”

“He spoke.”

Justice’s black eyebrows arched. “He did? No one told me that.”

“It was just a few words,” Tiger informed him. “He’s still dangerous and not himself.”

“He didn’t say anything to us when we were inside his cell securing him.” Justice looked at Harley. “Why didn’t he tell us to stop? He had no problem fighting us while we restrained him.”

“You did it?” Joy had wanted to be there. “Is he okay?”

“He’s angry.” Tiger shrugged. “No one was hurt.”

Relief was instant. “Good.”

“She has no right to be near him,” Harley repeated. “You don’t know their history.”

Joy wasn’t surprised that Harley was about to tell the others about her past with Moon. He had warned her he’d do anything to get her away from Moon. Harley was a man of his word.

“We’re aware of their history.” Justice dismissed it with a wave of his hand as he studied Joy. “I’m more concerned that you risked your life without consulting us first.”

“I was establishing trust. I can’t stop working with him to run a decision by you every time.”

“She allowed Moon to play with her breasts after flashing them at him.”

Joy winced at Harley’s harsh tone. “You’re making it sound vulgar but it wasn’t.” She hated the way Justice’s eyes widened in reaction. “It’s not what you must be thinking. Moon is interested in sex and it’s the only avenue I’ve found to motivate him to work with me.” Her cheeks warmed from embarrassment. “I’ll do have to get him to talk. I can’t help him otherwise. I didn’t flash my breasts either. I showed some cleavage.”

“He doesn’t want to talk,” Harley snarled. “He wants to fuck you.”

“Harley!” Justice snarled back. “Enough!”

“You know about what she did to Moon and yet you still called her?”

“Moon respects her.”

Harley snorted. “What do you know about what took place between her and Moon at site four, Justice?”

“She was his head shrink after he was released from Mercile and he spoke highly of her.”

“He trusted her and he wanted to fuck her but she bailed on him. She hurt him.”

The males in the room suddenly all turned their attention her way. Joy hugged her waist, trying to appear smaller in her chair. Her chin lifted though as she stared at Harley.

“I didn’t hurt him.”

“Bullshit. You chose your job over him. Do you think he was too stupid to know that? To figure out how little he meant to you for you to do that to him? He had feelings for you but you packed your shit and took off. You weren’t there to see how that affected him. He hated the other shrink he got stuck with too. She was a cold bitch who acted as if we were pets that needed to be handed meat treats to retrain us from the bad habits we picked up at Mercile.”

“It wasn’t like that.” Joy winced, guessing he spoke of Geraldine, her previous supervisor. The woman had no common sense. They’d never seen eye to eye on how to counsel the survivors but it made her wince inside if Harley spoke the truth. That sure hadn’t been in any of the notes she’d submitted about what was effective and what wasn’t.

Harley took a threatening step closer, his fists clenched at his sides, but halted. “It was exactly that way. He told you he wanted you and you allowed him to think he had a chance. You promised your body to make him open up in your sessions but then you fled when it was time to pay up.”

Embarrassment quickly transformed into anger. “I didn’t promise him anything. I kept telling him we couldn’t have sex. I was his therapist.”

“Ethics. Yeah. He mentioned that.” Harley growled. “Did you allow him to caress your breasts before while you were feeding him those bullshit excuses? You cock-teased him in your sessions to get him to talk and I’ll be damned if I allow you to do that to him twice, only to leave him high and dry again.”

“I did not!” She shot to her feet, glaring up at him. Her palm itched to slap the son of a bitch. “I kept it strictly professional when he was my client. He never touched my breasts or any other part of me except my hands the few times he wanted to make me uncomfortable by trying to intimidate me. I was clear that we couldn’t ever have a sexual relationship so don’t accuse me of leading him on. I didn’t!”

Harley flashed his fangs. “You are coldhearted and cared nothing about him.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Harley. You’re wrong. That’s why I quit my job. I knew it was only a matter of time before he broke me down because I felt too much for him.”

“You admit your job was more important than he was. Otherwise you would have stayed with him.”

She gaped at him, ignoring everyone else in the room since no one spoke. “How could I have stayed with him? Do you know what would have happened if I had slept with him?”

“He would have been happy.”

“I would have been fired for having sex with him…and a lot worse.”

“Your job was more important!” Harley curled his lip in disgust. He turned his head to look at Justice. “She needs to be escorted off Homeland and away from Moon. We can’t trust her not to hurt him again. His well-being isn’t her priority and never will be.”

“Fuck you, Harley,” she snapped before she could leash her temper. “I’d do anything for Moon.”

He glared at her. “You left him when you knew he needed you.”

Joy shook her head. “How naïve are you? Did you hear me when I said they would have fired me if I’d slept with him? Do you think they would have allowed me near him after that? It was a classified location!” She tried to rein in her emotions. It was tough to do. “There were cameras and guards crawling all over the place. They would have figured it out fast if I’d allowed my relationship with Moon to progress into a sexual one. I would have been forced to leave there and they would have probably kept me in jail, awaiting trial for whatever charges they could pin on me to keep me locked up for as long as possible out of fear that I’d give up the location of that site.”

Harley frowned.

“I would have lost everything to sleep with him one time.” She sat down hard in the chair, hugged her chest again, and stared at her lap. “Don’t think I wasn’t tempted. I cared about Moon. You have no idea how much.” She swallowed, clearing her emotion-choked throat. “But I also knew it would hurt Moon more if we slept together. I always put him first.”

“How would it have hurt Moon more?” It was Justice who spoke.

She met his gaze. He didn’t appear angry. “Moon had a really hard time adjusting to life beyond Mercile. He was antisocial and confrontational with the guards. Imagine how much worse it would have been if he’d had to watch me being dragged off the property in handcuffs. He might have even tried to come to my aid, thinking he was protecting me. It would have made him hate the guards more than he already did or even gotten him shot if he’d killed anyone. The guards were ordered not to hurt Species except in a life-or-death situation if one was out of control but they had the authority to permanently put down the threat in an extreme situation. I wasn’t willing to risk his life or have them decide he was unable to cope with his freedom. Do you know what they did to Species unable to integrate with the humans who worked there?”

Justice sighed. “I know. They kept them heavily sedated and secured away from the others. A lot of our Wild Zone residents were brought to us after enduring that treatment.”

“Exactly!” She shifted her gaze to Harley. He didn’t appear as angry as before. “That’s why I left when I did. I knew it was only a matter of time before he succeeded in seducing me and that it could get him killed or sent to one of the hospital wards where he’d be heavily drugged. The thought of either of those things happening to him ripped me to shreds inside. I didn’t put my career above Moon. I did the only thing I could to make sure it had the best outcome for him. I figured he’d be angry at the very worst but it would all be directed at me. He’d be safe.”

Harley stepped closer and paused, studying her. “Shit.” He spun away, sighing. “I believe her.”

“Joy?”

She hated the way her gut twisted as she held Justice North’s gaze. “Yes?” He could ask her to leave. It was the worst thing he could do. He was silent for so long her stomach threatened to heave up her breakfast. It would tear her apart if she were sent away. She had no claim to even be updated on Moon’s condition. She’d have to wonder if he recovered or if he’d worsened. There would be nothing she could do about it. “Please let me try to help him.”

He blinked, saying nothing.

“Do you want me to beg?” Her pride would take a big hit but it was Moon. “I’ll do it. I got him to talk. He calms down around me. He said my name. Let me try to reach him.”

Justice glanced around at the men. “Leave us alone for a few minutes.”

“No.” Harley faced them. “Let her try.”

The NSO leader rose. He didn’t look angry but he did seem surprised. “You’re giving me orders?”

“Moon had strong feelings for her.” Harley didn’t back down. “He’s like a brother to me. We all care but I know him best.” He paused, glancing at Joy, then back at Justice. “We’re going to have to keep him heavily sedated at all times if he doesn’t come back from what was done to him. He’s too lethal in his current condition to even be set free in the Wild Zone. Hell, I’m sure we can also agree that every male would prefer to be kept in a near coma than put the rest of our people in danger. She did get him to talk and he released her the second they were alone. He didn’t want to kill her.”

Tiger cursed. “What if he tries to hold her hostage to gain his release?”

Harley softly growled. “We’ll have to walk out and leave her there with him.” He held Joy’s gaze. “Are you willing to agree to that? It means you’re on your own if he tries to use your life to make us unlock his cell door. We can’t allow him to get free. We’d track him down fast but he could kill someone first. It’s too risky.”

The implications were clear. They wouldn’t negotiate for her life if it came down to a standoff.

“I can’t agree to that,” Justice growled. “No Species would.”

Joy swallowed down the sick feeling as she looked at Justice. “I’m not Species and I’ll do it. I’m willing to put my life on the line for Moon’s. I want to do it.”

“Moon could kill you.” His expression shuttered, hiding all emotion.

“I understand.”

“He could molest you or worse if he gets his hands on you again.” His jaw clenched. “Just because bars are between you doesn’t mean he couldn’t do a lot of things if you’re within reach.”

“I understand that too. He’s lethal even behind bars.” The memory was still very fresh in her mind of Moon’s hand squeezing her breast but so was the one where he’d grabbed her throat. “I treated your people, Justice. They told me some of the ways they killed Mercile employees.” She’d had nightmares but they weren’t invoked by sympathy for the ones who’d died. It had been the haunting knowledge that New Species would have to live with what they’d had to do to survive. “A few of them tried to horrify me with very specific details of those deaths. They thought I’d judge them for what they were forced to do to stay alive.”

“What did you tell them when they shared those stories?” Justice cocked his head, obviously curious.

“I said they should put it behind them. It wasn’t their fault. Anyone would do whatever it takes to survive in extreme circumstances and to be proud they’d made it out of that hell alive.” She paused. “Off the record, after what I heard was done to them inside those cells, those abusive Mercile assholes deserved to die after torturing Species. Too bad more of them weren’t killed.”

“You should have told them the latter.”

She smiled but it wasn’t out of amusement. “I did. Off the record.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He leaned back, relaxing. “How did they respond to that?”

“About the same way you just did. I didn’t want them to feel guilty about taking out garbage.”

Tiger chuckled. “Why couldn’t you have been my shrink?” He glanced over at Justice. “Mine kept saying it was wrong to kill under any circumstance. She was clueless.”

“Let the shrink do this,” Harley rasped. “It’s Moon.”

Justice’s smile faded as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

“You’d risk your life for any of us, Justice. We’d risk our lives for other Species. Forget she’s a human female. She’s an adult and knows the score. You heard her.” Harley crossed his arms over his wide chest. “She’s well aware of what Species are capable of.”

“I am,” she agreed, glancing between the NSO leader and Harley, still a bit dazed that he was on her side after swearing to get her escorted off Homeland.

Justice opened his eyes and anger burned in the depths of his gaze. “Fine.” He leaned forward, watching her closely. “You’re probably going to be killed or wish you had if this goes bad. He’s feral. Are you certain you’re willing to take those risks?”

“Yes,” she answered with no hesitation although inside she quivered a bit with fear.

“Did you love him?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She’d say the same if he asked if she still loved Moon.

He peered at her for long seconds, perhaps judging her honesty. “Okay. I can respect that. I’d do anything for Jessie.” He stood and walked to the door. “You should make out your will in case this goes wrong. Legal will be by before you see him again. You must sign a liability release though I doubt it will be worth anything if challenged. It is all we can do to avoid lawsuits from your family if this doesn’t work out the way we hope.” He turned, still regarding her with anger. “Reality is harsh. Be certain.”

She would have risen too but she didn’t trust her legs at the moment. It would blow her fearless act if they collapsed under her. “Could you have your lawyers put a rush on the paperwork? I already have a will. I want to get back to him.”

He blinked.

“What are the rules?”

He blinked again. “What do you mean?”

“How far am I allowed to go with him before you consider it crossing a line? So far he’s only responded to wanting me.”

“Shit,” Tiger whispered. “How far are you willing to go?”

“I’ll do anything and everything to save Moon.” She meant it. “Even if it means going inside his cell so there’s no bars between us.”

“Son of a bitch,” Justice hissed. “We don’t know what Moon will do to you.”

“I’ll bet killing me won’t be first on his wish list.”

He turned away and his broad shoulders were tense. “You better be right. I like sleeping at night and I doubt I’d do that well if you get yourself maimed or killed. I don’t know if I should say thank you or have you tossed from our land for your own protection.” He paused at the door. “Talk to her, Tiger. Explain feral sex to her. It’s her choice in the end.” The door slammed as he left.

Tiger met her gaze and opened his mouth.

“Don’t.” Joy hugged her waist, unable to hide her churning emotions anymore. “I can guess what I’m in for if it comes to that. It doesn’t change anything. I’d still risk it.”

His lips sealed tightly as he got to his feet. “Legal can have the release to you within the hour.” He paused. “You might want to call your family. Don’t tell them where you are or what is going on. Just…call them.” He paused by the door, staring at her. “Are you sure you’re willing to do this? Our females would be afraid of him right now.”

He wanted to scare her by implying she should call her loved ones to say goodbye. It worked but she wasn’t backing down now. She’d had over two years of living with painful regrets. No way was she walking away from Moon again. It might be the one and only shot she had of making up for the past.

“I’m sure.”

“You’re brave.” He left, quietly closing the door.

“You surprise me.” The deep voice held a hint of respect.

Joy had almost forgotten about Harley. He moved to stand in front of her. She shrugged. “You were wrong about me. I really care about Moon. I always have and still do.”

“It seems.” He suddenly crouched down to her level. “Listen to me.”

Here it comes, she thought, preparing for more dire threats from him about what he’d do to her if she hurt Moon. It was the natural reaction of someone feeling helpless when someone they loved was in jeopardy. They needed a way to try to control the situation.

“Don’t fight him if he ever gets his hands on you. It will send him into a rage. Go still.” He paused. “If he sinks his teeth into you, don’t pull away. Don’t scream. Don’t struggle. Am I clear? He’s more animal than human right now. Show him absolute submission if you want a chance at survival.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice at that point. His warnings put vivid images in her mind. The screaming part made her wonder how rough Moon would be if she did offer him her body. He was a really strong, big guy.

“Good.” Harley studied her features. “He talked about you to me. He said you were brave and had the courage of one of our females. I didn’t believe that until now. He could never understand why you bolted. I’m giving you a chance, so don’t screw it up. He’s the closest person to me and I’ve lost too much already in my lifetime.” His focus lowered down her body, then jerked back up. “You better not be blowing smoke up my ass and chicken out. I stood up to Justice and Tiger to give you this chance. I wouldn’t have done it but I’m desperate to save him. So are they or they’d never have agreed to allow this.”

“Me too.” Heartfelt words. “I won’t leave him this time.”

A current of understanding flowed between them. Harley suddenly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She wondered if he would offer it to her to use to make those calls. Instead he looked down and touched it, tapping the faceplate.

“I want you to see something.”

“Okay.”

He turned the phone face in her direction and a video began to play. She took it from his fingers, staring at a smiling Moon displayed on the small screen in her palm. He was outdoors, wearing a tank top and shorts. Humor glinted in his beautiful eyes. “What are you doing?” His voice was husky, the one she remembered.

“Making a memory,” Harley chuckled. “Videos are popular.”

Moon laughed. “I’m so not having sex with you. You’re not my type. I thought those were the only videos you watched.”

“Ha-ha,” Harley snorted. “I think you’re talking about yourself instead of me.”

“We are friends because we have so much in common.” Moon glanced away, then back at the camera. “Why don’t you film them?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “They are more interesting than I am.”

Harley panned the camera to record some Species females playing volleyball. After a few seconds he zoomed back to Moon. “I wanted to video you. You’re leaving for Reservation soon and I’m going to miss you. I’ll watch this when I do.”

Moon smiled. “It’s only for a month. You won’t even know I’m gone.” He pointed again in the direction of the females. “You can play with them and look sad so they keep you occupied. It sounds as if I’m doing you a big favor.” His hands gripped his hips. “It will gain you sympathy. Tell them you miss going riding with me and take them on your bike.”

“It won’t be the same.” Harley sounded a bit depressed. “I’m really going to miss you.”

Moon’s suddenly somber, dark gaze peered into the camera. “I’ll be back before you know it and we’ll have fun. I’ll miss you too. I never thought I’d ever be close to someone.” He suddenly grinned. “Now turn that off and let’s go play some ball. We’ll play two against five and show them how it’s done before I leave.”

Harley chuckled and the video ended. Joy blinked back tears as she lifted her gaze to the man holding out his hand for her to return his phone.

“I want my friend back.” Sincerity shone in his eyes. “That was recorded a few weeks ago. That’s the Moon I know.” He glanced away, shoving his phone back inside his pocket. He held her gaze once more but she saw tears shimmer in his eyes. “I need him to be fixed.”

“I’m going to do whatever it takes,” Joy swore.

* * * * *

Moon snarled, rage a living thing inside his body. He couldn’t think and nothing made sense. Pain, anger, and the urge to explode was all he knew. He threw back his head and howled. He wanted something. No. Someone. A female.

A memory struggled to surface but it was buried under layers of haze. She’s real, isn’t she? He wasn’t sure. He paced the cell, snarled at the bars that contained him, and wanted to run. His chest slammed into them but he couldn’t get free.

He wiped at his mouth and a scent made him freeze. He sniffed, drew his fingers to his nose and inhaled deeply. It was familiar, female. He closed his eyes and the image of a dark-haired human sitting behind a desk came into focus. She was smiling at him. She had a silky mass of curls pinned up at the nape of her neck in a bun but he wanted to see it down. Big blue eyes with flecks of yellow in her irises fascinated him. They were rare for a human but he wasn’t sure how he knew that.

The dim sound of a feminine laugh soothed some of his rage and had a calming effect. It was a memory. He grabbed hold of it, trying hard not to lose sight of her. Delicate, pale hands rose, showing him her palms as the flashback became more vivid.

“Don’t, 466. You’re making my stomach hurt.” She had a musical voice. Soft. Sweet. Sexy. His dick hardened instantly, nearly drawing his focus away from her to fixate on the sexual hunger it stirred.

Her hands dropped flat on the desk and she leaned in, still smiling directly at him. “You made that up to see how gullible I am.” He wanted to kiss those lips. The urge to lunge at her, grab and pin her on the flat surface was strong. Her clothes were thin, easy to tear off. “We’re supposed to be telling each other the truth, remember? That was funny but fiction.”

“Maybe.” The emotion attached to that word came through. Amusement. He was playing with her. “The truth is I actually lay in bed last night thinking about you.”

Her features shut down all emotion. “Don’t.”

He moved around her desk and crouched, so close he could pick up the scent of her arousal. His fingers itched to free her hair to see how long it would be.

“Did you think about me? Did you touch yourself?” He hoped she’d say yes. He wanted to be the one to touch her though.

“Go take your seat.”

She was shutting him out and he didn’t like it. He turned the chair despite her attempt to stop him by gripping the edge of the desk. Her strength was no match compared to his and the sight of her legs in that short skirt was something he hadn’t expected. They were smooth, shapely, and beautiful. She gasped, her eyes widened, and her breathing quickened.

“I’d rather share yours.” He reached out after releasing one side of her chair, his fingertips gently stroking her knee. So soft. He inhaled and knew his senses weren’t deceiving him. She wanted him too but she wouldn’t admit it. “Spread your thighs. Let me in.” He licked his lips. He could eat her up. Wanted to. Needed to.

“You know we can’t do this.” Panic flashed in her eyes. “Please don’t.”

He sniffed—no fear. No, she wanted him too. Why wouldn’t she give in? He’d make it so good for her, for them both. She brushed off his touch, locked her knees together and reached for the buzzer on her desk.

“Don’t make me push the alarm. Please, 466.” It was the pleading desperation of her tone that stopped him, made him straighten and step away.

Rejected. Again. It hurt. He hurt. His dick ached from the need to take her. His body responded to the emotions and feelings that surfaced with the memory.

Agony shot through him and the haze returned. He howled, prowling the confines of the cage. Rage built. He needed out. To run. He needed…something. No. Someone… He tried to remember who but couldn’t. A snarl tore from his throat.

Chapter Four

Joy studied Moon as he paced his cell. He was distracted, snarling and agitated. A howl had fractured the quiet of the room when she’d stepped out of the elevator. He immediately focused a viciously angry gaze on her before he turned and ignored her completely. She swallowed, slipped off her shoes, and slowly approached.

“Moon?”

He didn’t even glance her way. It made her wonder what had happened since she’d left. Did he remember grabbing her throat? Threatening to kill her? Maybe he thought she’d come for retaliation in some form. Mercile employees would have.

It would be suicide to get too close to him at the moment so she walked to the chair Rusty had brought and sat. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched him, hoping he’d calm or grow tired. The guard upstairs had told her that Moon had eaten an hour before. The new chains attached to his arms and legs dragged on the floor. That factored a lot into his state of mind. She’d bet her career on it.

“Can you understand me?”

He didn’t even pause his back-and-forth pacing. One arm shot out though the bars and the chain attached to it slammed into them. The sound made Joy wince.

“They had to do it. Do you understand? Everyone here is trying very hard to help you.”

Moon ignored her but he snarled again and paused, shaking each of his legs to make the chains jangle. Her focus fixed on the restraints when he held still. It appeared the Species had wrapped leather bands around his wrists and ankles then placed the metal shackles over them to protect his skin. He began pacing again, dragging the chains, and let out a tormented howl.

The sound was haunting yet terrifying at the same time. So much rage. Joy didn’t blame him. He’d been locked inside a cell in a dimly lit basement. She’d argued to have the lights turned up but the officer had shaken his head.

“He gets worse if we make them brighter. He seems to like the dark better. It’s the predator inside us.”

Joy couldn’t argue with that logic and had let it drop. Moon had shed his humanity after the dart attack. The animal side of him would prefer darkness if he couldn’t run free. There wasn’t any good news yet from the medical staff either. No cure had been found and the doctors were still clueless about what drug concoction had caused him to turn feral. Whatever his attacker had done, it hadn’t dissipated. She had hoped it would wear off and he’d return to normal but it hadn’t happened.

“Moon?”

He continued to pace, yanking on his chains every few feet, and threw out the other arm. The chains hit the bars. It was obvious they were making his condition worse but Justice North had made the decision and he was in charge.

Joy rose to her feet, trying to gain Moon’s attention. She crept closer. His nostrils flared as he sniffed loudly but he still refused to stop the back-and-forth trek inside the small cell. She did however note that with each turn, his gaze flashed her way. He watched her but did it on the sly.

Five feet from the cell was close enough. She brushed at her skirt, wishing she had a pair of pants. She hadn’t expected to stay at Homeland when she’d received the call from the NSO. They’d brought her some spare clothes but no pants. She had T-shirts, some gym shorts, and two skirts.

“Moon?”

His head snapped her way and his upper lip curled back to reveal straight, white teeth and sharp fangs. He snarled but stopped pacing. His dark eyes narrowed as he glared at her. If looks could kill, she knew she would be dead at that moment.

Her fingers shook slightly as she unbuttoned her shirt. Ah-ha. His gaze locked on her chest and heavy breathing replaced the angry sounds he’d made. She parted the silky material enough to give him a better view of her push-up bra and cleavage. It also showed him her bare waist to the waistband of her skirt.

“Now I’ve got your attention.”

He glanced up and held her gaze a moment before dropping his focus to her breasts. A soft rumble came from deep within his throat as he stalked closer to the bars and gripped them.

“Can you understand me? Nod if you can, Moon.”

His fingers clenched the bars tightly enough that his knuckles whitened.

“Moon?”

He stared into her eyes and she watched him. He pointed to the area in front of him.

“You want me there? Talk to me. Let me know you’re not going to hurt me.”

“Come.” His voice came out inhumanly deep.

Goose bumps broke out over her skin.

One step closer and she paused. It would encourage him to keep trying to communicate with her, she hoped. She wasn’t willing to allow him to put his hands on her until she could get a better fix on his state of mind.

“Here.” He pointed again.

“Not yet.”

Her heart pounded. Moon had always intimidated her with his sheer size and strength. That had been when he’d been her client and in full control of his mental faculties. He’d only gotten more muscular and bulky since he’d left site four.

Anger flashed in his eyes. “Now.”

Three words. Joy was keeping track of everything he said. “Do you know who I am?”

Confusion clouded his expression. It wasn’t the response she was hoping for.

“I’m Joy.” She pointed to herself. “Joyce. Dr. Yards. We used to know each other. Think, Moon.” An idea came to her. It might make things worse but she really didn’t see how it could get much worse. “466? I need for you to talk to me.”

He wanted the female to come to him but she stayed out of his reach. It incensed him. Rage swirled in a red haze inside his mind. Then she spoke and called him 466. Some of the fog thinned enough for a memory to surface. He tried to concentrate on it. It was something important…

Delicate pale hands with long red fingernails became clear in his mind. He wondered how they would feel against his skin, on his back particularly, since they weren’t real. Humans wore fake nails. It seemed curious to him that the females would do that. He stood, closed the distance, and grabbed hold of her wrist. It was delicate too. He could easily crush the bones if he wished. His gaze lifted at the sound of a feminine, soft gasp.

“What are you doing? Let go.”

There was a hint of fear in her pretty eyes and it pissed him off. He ran the pad of his thumb over the tip of her fingernail. Smooth, not sharp at all. He doubted she could break skin with them. He bent forward and she drew back in her chair but couldn’t get too far away with him refusing to release his hold.

“I’d never hurt you, Joy.”

“Joyce,” she corrected. “I mean, Dr. Yards.”

He laughed. “Why do you have these, Joy? What is their purpose?”

The question appeared to startle her. “Um, they look good and I guess they remind me of my feminine side.”

His gaze swept over as much of her as he could see with the desk blocking his view. “Everything about you is female. Why would you need a reminder?”

He couldn’t resist sliding his thumb over her palm. Soft and smooth. He wanted to feel the glide of it across his skin too. Preferably while she was naked under him. He’d even take her facing him the way humans preferred. He’d never tried that position but then again, he’d never wanted to mount one of them before.

She didn’t attempt to jerk out of his hold but she didn’t seem happy either. “It’s a human thing. Um, women like to feel pretty and they wear makeup and get their hair and fingernails done.”

He studied her face. “You don’t wear makeup.”

“I do.”

That surprised him. He sniffed, leaning closer until he was bent over the desk, hovering near her face. “I don’t see or smell it.”

“I don’t wear much.” She finally tugged weakly, trying to free her hand. “Please take your seat. You know the rules. You’re being ornery today, 466.”

His humor surfaced. “I want you. I’m curious about your body.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” she whispered.

That amused him and he laughed. He liked to ruffle her and get responses that weren’t expected. He loosened his grip and she pulled away. Relief washed over her expression but then he leaned over the desk so far that the edge pressing against his hips was the only thing stopping him from falling over. He carefully gripped her face with both hands to avoid bruising her skin and she gasped again.

“Good thing I’m canine then.”

He went nose to nose with her, breathing in that wonderful scent that was hers alone. He loved how Joy smelled. Her lips parted. He knew it wasn’t her intention but it was an invitation he couldn’t resist. He tilted his head and tried to kiss her.

Panic widened her eyes a split second before she twisted her head, surprising him enough to allow her to escape. His lips brushed her cheek instead. He wanted to snarl but managed to control the impulse. The last thing he wanted was her fear.

“Kiss me.” He whispered the demand. “I won’t get you with my teeth. Trust me, sweetness. I want you to enjoy it.” His dick hardened so fast he flinched at the pinching sensation where it was trapped inside his jeans. He wanted Joy too much and wouldn’t be denied much longer. “Let me in.”

“No.”

He barely heard her soft rejection. A grin surfaced as he eased back a little, releasing her. “You will soon. Look at me.”

She turned her head hesitantly, so close every breath she took teased his lips. Their gazes fused. The urge to grab the desk and throw it out of the way made him fist his hands to prevent following through. He’d be on her in a heartbeat, take her to the floor and fuck her.

His dick suddenly throbbed painfully and felt as if it had its own heartbeat. The idea of her bare under him, her legs and arms wrapped around him as he pounded into her body was enough to test his ability to remain still. She’d be soft, sweet, and hot.

It was too much. He straightened, skirted the desk, and dropped into a crouch. Her eyes widened when he forced her chair to turn, moving in closer until her knees were pressed against his belly. He forced her legs apart to fit his between hers.

“466? Don’t!”

Her voice trembled but it wasn’t fear he saw in her eyes. He inhaled, the scent of feminine arousal enough to drive him insane. She wanted him too but wouldn’t admit it. Frustration rose. Why did she keep denying their mutual attraction with her words when her body revealed the lie?

“I’ll hit the alarm.”

The silent plea in her eyes was clear. She didn’t want to do it but she would. It was always the threat she used to keep him at bay. He was tired of it.

“You won’t. They’ll shoot me with drugged darts, lock me up for a week, and assign me to the other head shrink.” He moved in closer and his hands gripped her waist. It was small and her skin under the material was pliable when he gently squeezed, fascinating him with how different she was from his own kind. “You don’t like her. I’m yours and you won’t give my care to someone else.”

Her mouth opened, closed, and her breathing became erratic. “I don’t dislike Geraldine.”

“Lie,” he stated.

“She’s a colleague of mine and I’ve never said I dislike her.”

He muffled a snarl. She wanted to start an argument to distract him from sharing sex. It wasn’t going to work. “You look at her with disgust and irritation. You don’t like her and you won’t allow her near me.”

Her hands flattened on his chest. They felt good but would feel even better if she were touching his bare skin. “We treat our clients differently, that’s all.”

“What is the difference?”

Joy licked her lips, teasing him with her tongue. “Besides her making more money? Degrees. She’s got more of them than I do. As far as training and qualifications though—not much. We’re both doctors, trained in psychotherapy. She’s a psychiatrist, I’m a psychologist. I have a Psy. D. after my name but she has an M.D. after her name. She makes a distinction, as most of them do.”

“You are nicer. I’ve heard she’s mean. You won’t hit the alarm. They will give me to her. You don’t want that.”

Her fingertips dug into his shirt to grip him more firmly. They were not strong enough to force him back when she pushed. He really liked the feel of them.

“I don’t.”

He knew it. “Let me touch you. It will be good.”

That tongue darted out again to swipe her lips. “Listen to me,” she whispered. “We can’t do this.”

“You want me. Don’t lie.”

“I do,” she admitted so quietly he had a hard time hearing those two wonderful words.

Satisfaction filled him. “Good.”

“But we can’t do this.”

Frustration rose fast. “We can.”

“No, we can’t.” She glanced toward the door, then back. “May I ask you something? Total honesty?”

“Yes.” He’d tell her anything she wanted to know.

“If I were to say yes, after you got what you wanted, would you stop coming after me? Is this curiosity to have sex with me once or more?”

He didn’t have to think. “More. Once would never be enough.”

“That’s what I thought.” Her chin lifted and determination shone in her eyes. “Back off or I have to hit the alarm. I don’t want to but I will do it.”

He could see the truth in her eyes and growled, jerking away. It would be easy to stop her from sounding the alarm. His reflexes were better than hers. She’d never reach the button if he threw her out of the chair, took her to the floor and pinned her. As tempting as that was, he’d never do it. He’d lose her forever if he broke the trust she’d given by allowing him to be alone with her during their sessions.

“It can’t happen,” she whispered. “I wish it could but it can’t.”

“Why not? I want you, you want me, and no one is here to stop us.”

“They’d figure it out.” She straightened in her chair, her spine stiff. “I think we should call it a day, don’t you?”

“No. I don’t want to leave.”

Beautiful eyes pleaded with him. “You need to go. We’ll continue this tomorrow.”

“Fine.”

Anger warred with frustration. He spun and marched out of her office. The next day they told him she no longer worked there and wasn’t coming back. He never saw her again.

He was confused because she stepped closer to him. How could she have gone when he was looking right at her? What is real? What is memory? A growl tore from him as he clasped the bars that blocked his path to Joy.

“Easy,” Joy crooned. Moon was acting irrational, his expressions changing as she regarded him. “I’m right here. You need to calm down. Relax.”

The Species behind the bars wasn’t the 466 she’d known. He’d been moody, a loner, but slowly making progress at letting her get close to him. She’d fallen in love with 466. Then the version of Moon she’d seen on Harley’s video had been charming, outgoing, and he enjoyed sports. Of course, his motive for the latter may have been that he’d wanted to play with the females. That was a strong possibility and it made her little green-eyed monster stir.

The male she faced was neither of those versions though. He was dangerous and unstable. Don’t forget that, she advised herself. “Do you know me?”

“You left me.”

The words startled her but she was grateful to hear them, despite the way he snarled the accusation. He remembered the past and obviously wasn’t happy with her. It didn’t matter. He was talking and knew who she was.

“I had no choice.”

One hand snaked through the bars, reaching for her. “Come here.”

Should she move close enough for him to touch or not? Anger radiated from him but she wasn’t a stranger to him any longer. Joy took another step closer.

“Don’t hurt me.”

“Come,” he harshly demanded.

She stepped within his reach. His hand gently gripped her upper arm, steering her closer with a light tug. She pressed against the bars, peering up at him.

“Why am I here?” He glanced at the bars.

Hope flared that the drugs were wearing off. “You’ve been sick.”

Confusion clouded his features. “I don’t catch colds.”

“You were on guard duty and you were shot with a dart that was filled with an unknown drug.”

“Guard duty? We have guards. Why would I do their job?”

Alarm rattled her. “Where do you think we are?”

“The motel.”

Shit! He is in the past, not the present. She tried not to panic. “Think hard. Do you remember leaving the motel at all? Going to Homeland?” She hoped the hints would trigger memories.

“What is that?”

Oh God. Huge chunks of his memory are gone. Calm down and hide how freaked out you are, she ordered herself. His memory hadn’t returned. He seemed able to remember her and the time in the desert, at least. That was improvement.

“Let me out.” He looked at the bars again. “Unlock the door.”

“I can’t. I don’t have the key.”

He growled and his hold on her tightened but not enough to hurt. “Why did you do this to me?”

“I didn’t.”

“You ordered me caged?” Anger narrowed his eyes and he softly growled. “I hate being locked up.”

“I didn’t order it.”

“The other doctor you hate did this to me?”

“I didn’t hate her. I just thought she was kind of a snob.”

“You left and I became hers.” He pressed his face against the bars. “I don’t like her and this is payback for my refusal to speak to her, isn’t it?”

“No.” She carefully chose her words, not wanting to send him into shock or cause him emotional trauma by hinting that he’d lost so much time in his mind. “It wasn’t her choice either. You were dangerous.”

“I wouldn’t hurt any of the female guards.”

He was definitely in the past. “I know that. But you haven’t been yourself. What is the last thing you remember?”

“You left me.”

“How long has it been since I left?” She wanted to pinpoint his time frame and then she could keep track of his progression.

His mouth twisted into a grim frown and he shook his head. “I don’t know. A while.” His other hand slipped through the bars and cupped her face. His fingertips created a welcome rasp along her cheekbone where he caressed her. “Why can’t I answer that?”

“You’ve been sick,” she reminded him. “Confused. It’s okay. You’re getting better.” She slid her hand through the bars to rest her palm over his warm, firm chest to stroke him. “You’re going to be okay though. That’s why I’m here. I’m not leaving you again, 466. I promise.” She felt it was safer to use his number rather than his name since that was what he was familiar with in his current state.

His hand released her to slip his arm around her waist and urge her closer. He inhaled, closing his eyes.

“You smell different.”

“I changed my shampoo and conditioner but I’m not wearing perfume. My body wash is new too.” She didn’t have access to her own products, using what the NSO had provided instead. She planned to ask them to allow her to order the brands she used.

Dark eyes opened to silently watch her. “Tell them to let me out.”

She wished she could.

“I need out of here.” His breathing increased. “I hate being caged.”

“I know.” Her hand trailed up his chest and down to his stomach near his bellybutton, then back up, trying to comfort him. “Relax. Don’t get upset. Just talk to me. I’m right here.”

“I need to get out of this cage.” He stopped stroking her cheek to yank his hand back and fisted the bars. “Get me out.” His tone deepened into a growl. “Call the guard, Joy. I won’t hurt anyone. I’ll tell them I’m yours and they will have to take your orders.”

Temptation was a bitch and she debated what would happen if she did call out to other Species. Would seeing who guarded him set his progress back by confusing him more? It might be the push to help him remember who he’d become since she’d known him. Shock could also set back his recovery. She didn’t know what to do. She’d studied mind-altering drugs, but not how they affected New Species.

“I’ll go talk to the people in charge.”

That drew another frown but he released her waist, backing away from her and her touch. “Do that. Get me out of here.” His gaze lowered down her body, hesitating on her breasts, before he met her stare again. “I don’t want bars between us. You aren’t leaving me again. You gave your word and I’m holding you to it.”

“Okay.” She nodded, her hand feeling cold after losing the contact of his warm skin. She closed it into a fist. “I’ll do that right now. Just stay calm. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

He looked down his body and growled, raising both arms. “Chains.”

“I know.”

Another snarl tore from him before his chin jerked up so he could hold her gaze. “Get me out of here. Get these off me. Take me to your office and tell them I’ll talk to you.”

“I will.” She backed up, hating to leave him, but needing to talk to the Species about immediately changing his living conditions. She spun, walking quickly toward the elevator.

“Joy?” She stopped, glancing back.

“Don’t run from me again. Promise.”

“I promise. I’m not leaving you this time. I’ll be back as soon as I can talk them into getting you out of there and removing those chains. I’m coming back as soon as possible.”

Chapter Five

Justice North sat behind his desk while Tiger and Fury had taken seats perched on the sides of the massive piece of furniture. Joy swallowed, waiting for the last person to arrive. Dr. Treadmont finally showed up for the meeting Joy had asked for. He closed the door behind him.

“What did you wish to speak about?”

“Moon believes he is at site four.”

Silence greeted that statement until Dr. Treadmont asked a question.

“What the hell is that?”

“There were remote sites we were relocated to after we were freed from Mercile,” Fury answered. “We were hidden from the press and given time to assimilate into life outside of Mercile.”

“They were motels,” Tiger added. “Out in bum-fuck nowhere that the government was easily able to buy or gain access to because they were abandoned. They sent in crews to clean them up, do repairs, and that’s where we were housed. They put guards around the area to keep anyone from seeing us in case stray humans happened along.”

Justice spoke next. “That’s where Moon met Dr. Yards. She was his shrink. The ones put in charge of us after our release not only wanted us to adjust to life outside Mercile but they wanted us to learn modern technology while giving us mental-health care.”

“I was Moon’s therapist,” she corrected, though she knew she’d always be a “shrink” to Species. “From what I could tell by our conversation, he believes that he’s still living at the motel. He’s come a long way though. He remembers me.” And he remembers that I left him. She decided to keep that part out. “He had a normal conversation with me. That’s a huge improvement from him saying one or two words. I think he’s slowly recovering. I’m hoping more memories will come back and he won’t have a huge gap of missing time.”

Harley growled. “Fuck.”

“That’s good.” Justice didn’t look convinced though. “Isn’t it?”

“I think so. I’m hoping his full memory will return. We need to allow him to ease into it. I don’t want to risk big shocks setting back his recovery. It’s a possibility. The chains and the cell distress him. I called this meeting to ask if we could upgrade his living conditions.”

“I will need to assess him,” Treadmont stated, shooting Joy a frown. “We don’t know her well enough to trust her judgment. I want Dr. Kregkor to talk to him.”

“Not that asshole,” Harley grumbled.

“I agree.” Fury shook his head. “That’s the last human you want to put in close quarters with Moon. I’m completely stable and I want to knock that jerk on his ass half the time I deal with him.”

“Who is Dr. Kregkor?” Joy didn’t like the sound of the guy.

“He is a shrink assigned to us by the US government.” Justice answered, not sounding happy about it. “We’ve stalled him from visiting Moon. That’s why we called you in.”

“I read that the NSO was totally under Species control.” She was confused. “That’s not true?”

“It is.” Justice leaned back in his chair. “It was a concession I made. It was easier to agree than argue. He has no real power here, and though he rubs a lot of our people the wrong way these days, it’s good publicity if the public knows we have a head shrink on staff. Otherwise I’d have him permanently escorted to the gates and banned entry.”

“Why would anyone care?” She didn’t understand.

“It makes a lot of humans feel safer if they believe we are all getting therapy.” Justice sighed. “We do what we can to minimize negative feelings directed toward Species and our publicity team thought someone sanctioned by the government would alleviate some of their fear of us.”

“As if we’re regulated in some way.” Fury snorted.

“Kregkor is annoying, but manageable. He has a confidentiality clause in his contract.” Justice stared at Joy. “We didn’t want him near Moon after how he dealt with Obsidian.”

“Who?”

“Another Species male with issues,” Tiger informed her. “The shrink would have suggested we put Moon down.”

“Kill him?” That shocked her. The logical part of her dismissed that assessment of the doctor. It was no secret that New Species disliked and distrusted most of her colleagues. No professional therapist would ever disregard a client’s right to life or fight to safeguard them. He was more than likely a bit pompous and arrogant, hence their aversion to him.

“Yes. The guy is a prick,” Harley stated. “What do you think we should do, Joy?”

She decided to be honest. “There are so many unknown factors. Species and humans are virtually alike yet the altered DNA introduces many variables.”

“I resent that.” Harley glared. “I’m nothing like humans.”

“You have human genetics too,” she reminded him, taking off the kid gloves. “You might not want to admit it after what was done to you but it’s true. A mirror will assure you of that.” She stood, too antsy to sit, focusing her attention on Justice. He was in charge. “Do you want to know what I think? That’s why we’re here, right?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. I’m not sure what to do. We could tell him the truth and hope it triggers memories. It could backfire though and hurt his recovery if the shock is too great. The Moon I knew might not have handled it well, perhaps gone into a rage, but the Moon I saw in a video isn’t the same as he used to be. He seemed better adjusted. I want to believe he could process the truth but I’m not sure.”

“What video?” Tiger stood, worry on his features. “Was there something on the news we missed?”

“I showed her a video on my phone,” Harley admitted. “I wanted her to see how he was prior to the attack. I videoed him before he left for Reservation last time.”

Tiger sat. “Okay.”

“We could also ease him back into reality.” Joy hugged her waist. “That’s a safer step to take, in my opinion.”

“How do you suggest we do that?”

She’d had time to think while she waited for the meeting. “Remove the chains and unlock the cell but keep him secluded in the basement.” She glanced at Tiger. “Do you have any women, um, female human guards working at Homeland? I’d change out his current guards with them since he believes he’s still at site four.”

“No.” Tiger shook his head.

Justice softly cursed. “Jessie could do it.” He looked angry.

“Who?” Joy peered at him.

“My mate. She worked with the human task force. She still has the uniforms. She refuses to throw them out. They aren’t the same as what Moon will remember but we’ll say she’s a medical guard.”

Fury growled. “You’re not talking my Ellie into it.”

“Slade won’t go for it either if you want to put Trisha in a uniform to pretend to be a guard,” Tiger warned. “Don’t even think about my Zandy. Obsidian won’t allow Allison to do it either. We had to send Destiny to work at Reservation to avoid issues when she started working part time at Medical again. Obsidian didn’t trust the male not to approach her for sex, knowing how Destiny felt about his mate.”

“Do you think I want to risk my mate being in danger?” Justice growled, looking anything but civilized with his lip curled up, sharp canines showing. “But I know my mate and she’d want to do this. I’m protective but I’m not stupid. Jessie doesn’t enjoy being coddled and I tell her everything. The only reason she isn’t here at this meeting is because she’s having a phone conference with her brother and his team about their efforts in Afghanistan.”

Joy opened her mouth but then closed it, not really wanting to know what they were talking about. Their expressions were all closed, angry glances flying around the room. She was good at judging undercurrents. It was very curious why the NSO had any interest about something going on across the world but it was one of those things she would let pass. Her priority was Moon.

“Besides,” Justice smiled, “do you think I’d allow my mate to do it alone?” He looked at Joy. “I’ll dress in jeans and a tank top and introduce myself as 152. He’ll think I am only another Species being held where he is. They always kept us on different schedules so he won’t find it alarming that he hasn’t seen me before. There were a lot of Species and staff I didn’t see when I was in the desert. I’ll be her backup.”

“That’s the male I know.” Fury smirked.

“I could use some time off and I know the officers are bored guarding Moon. Jessie and I will find ways to amuse ourselves while staying close enough to be there when needed.”

Tiger chuckled. “Make sure there aren’t any active cameras this time if you use one of the rooms at Medical. We all know your mate dominates you sometimes in bed but I grew tired of explaining to the males who’ve never been ridden why you’d allow it.”

Joy’s mouth dropped open. She quickly closed it. I’m not going to ask.

Harley chuckled and when she glanced at him, he was looking directly at her. “Males who haven’t shared sex with humans don’t understand the concept of having a female on top during sex. Justice was hurt once and his mate decided to, um, lift his spirits.” He laughed again and winked. “With the camera in his room on. Security got a show until Tiger ripped it off the wall.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.” She smiled though. “I do have a clue about the dominating-in-bed part though. I didn’t handle too many sexual discussions but there were occasions when it came up when I counseled Species.” She blushed. “The topic. Not… Hell.” She changed the subject. “As I said, I think it’s best if we take the chains off Moon and allow him to roam the basement.”

Harley’s amusement faded as he continued to watch her. “There will be no bars to stop him from touching you. Are you prepared for that? Are you sure you’re making that suggestion for his benefit and not your own?”

Every pair of eyes in the room swung her way and her embarrassment level rose. So did her temper. “Don’t insult me. My priority is Moon. I already told you that I’ll do whatever it takes to help him get his life back.” Her spine stiffened and she kept her chin up, glaring at him. “The chains and bars are upsetting him. He’s talking and hasn’t hurt me. I’m the one agreeing to be locked up down there with him. I wouldn’t do that if I honestly believed there was a chance he’d hurt me.”

“You’re going to be fucked.” Harley refused to back down. “He’s still obsessed with you if he thinks he’s living in the past. You were everything to him.”

She didn’t dare look away from him to see anyone else’s expression. Her cheeks burned and she broke into a sweat from being put in the spotlight. Words escaped her while she scrambled for a way to respond.

“Sex?” Dr. Treadmont shot to his feet. “Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Sit!” Justice rose from his chair too.

Joy gaped at Justice, his tone scary and loud. He growled, ignoring her, instead glaring at the white-haired doctor.

“I protest, Justice,” Treadmont sputtered. “I’m not dense. Harley was pretty clear about what her form of therapy is. This is a medical condition we’re dealing with. He needs real help, not a hooker. No amount of screwing is going to fix him.”

“Hooker?” She snapped her head in his direction and glared at him.

“If the high heel fits,” the old man snapped. “I don’t believe in sex therapists. It’s a fancy title to make prostitution legal. You’re not practicing your trade here, young lady.”

“Ted!” Justice walked out from behind his desk and stepped between her and the crusty old doctor. “Leave my office now and wait for me in reception. You’re overreacting to a situation you know nothing about. We’ll discuss this in private.”

“Sex isn’t the answer,” the doctor reiterated angrily but he stormed toward the door. It slammed when he left.

Justice turned, still looking frightening with that untamed expression. He was angry too. “I apologize.”

Her heart pounded as adrenaline rushed through her system. She nodded sharply, not sure anything that came out of her mouth at that moment would be professional. That was long gone once she’d been verbally attacked and insulted.

“We will attempt to allow Moon to slowly recover the way you’ve suggested. He can’t leave the basement until we’re sure he’s not a danger to others. I’ll talk to my mate. For the moment, we’ll ask the officers to put on casual wear and tell Moon that we’re stronger and that’s why we are guarding him. Tell him he frightens the humans at site four. That is believable.”

“Okay.”

He hesitated. “Harley does have a point. No bars means that Moon will attempt to share sex if he’s attracted to you, which I assume he is.”

“I understand.”

“You signed the release so you may return to him. I’ll call the officer and have him give you the keys to his chains and the door. Are you comfortable setting him free? I’ll come with you right now if you prefer help.”

“I can do it.”

He studied her. “Fine. I’ll double the officers outside Medical, though, to make sure he doesn’t attempt to escape the building.” He walked to his desk, lifted the phone, but didn’t dial. “You may go, Joy.” He glanced around the room. “Everyone else stay.”

She left but came face-to-face with Treadmont in reception. He sat in one of the chairs, shaking his head in disproval, his lips white from being pressed so tightly together. She debated arguing with him but fled instead, not wanting a confrontation. The man was furious and she could see his point, even if she didn’t agree with it. There wasn’t anything orthodox about what she was about to do.

Moon wasn’t a stranger though. He was 466, the New Species she’d fallen in love with and had walked away from when he’d needed her. This time she wouldn’t fail him, regardless of what anyone else thought. She’d stand on her head, sleep with him, whatever it took.

One of the uniformed NSO officers waited outside in a Jeep. “Please return me to Medical.”

“I heard what happened.” He waved her to his vehicle.

She shot him a questioning look.

“I was outside Justice’s office until Treadmont came out. He’s not so bad, just old-fashioned. He’s also frustrated. He cares about Moon but hasn’t been able to fix him. That pisses him off and you became an outlet for it.”

“He’s something,” she muttered, climbing into the passenger seat. “I’m Joy, by the way.”

“Flame.” He shoved the key into the ignition and started the engine. “Moon is a friend of mine and he spoke of you sometimes.”

Curiosity gripped her. “What did he say?”

“We were talking about regrets one night. He shared his story of losing you. I shared my story of how I met a human I really liked but I let her go. Sometimes I think about Amanda and wish I had invited her to visit me.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Flame drove, watching the road instead of glancing her way. “She’d have to leave her life to be with me. I did a background check on her and she had a rough life. A male once tried to kill her. They were engaged. She deserved better than I could offer her.”

Joy couldn’t resist probing. “I take it she was interested in you?”

“She seemed to be. She even called me a few times but I didn’t respond.”

“Why would she have to leave her life?”

“We can’t live outside NSO lands. It’s too dangerous with the hate groups and our enemies. She’d be trapped here with me and it would make her a target if she were my mate. She actually would be considered New Species. Mates are considered to be a part of us.”

Mate. He was serious about the woman. Flame parked the Jeep in front of Medical and turned off the engine.

“Here we are.”

Joy turned in the seat to face him. “If you like this woman so much, you should give her a call. I don’t know her or her history but sometimes you meet someone who changes your entire life. There’s a saying that comes to mind. Life is too short. Take a chance, Flame. The worst that could happen is she could say no.”

“I could love her if we spent time together but then she could leave me.” His voice deepened and his pretty catlike eyes held her gaze. “That would be the worst thing.”

“Or she could fall in love with you and stay. You never know until you try. Regrets are a bitch to live with. I know. You should pursue this female if you really like her. It’s worse lying awake nights remembering and torturing yourself with a bunch of ‘what-ifs’ if you’d only taken the chance to see where the relationship would have led.”

He regarded her with interest. “Moon?”

She nodded.

“Why did you quit your job then? You could have come to visit here any time if you missed him.”

“I had no choice but to leave at the time. I guess fear kept me away after Homeland opened. I’m really a chickenshit deep down. I was sure he’d hate me or have moved on with his life, once he was given one. He didn’t exactly have too many choices at site four when it came to females he had access to. Your females were less than receptive and all the guards there were either pregnant or had recently given birth. It was just me and two other women who were single. They were much older.”

“He never forgot you. He even looked you up on the internet.”

That surprised her. “He did?”

Flame slid out of the Jeep. “He did.”

“Did he try to contact me?” She hadn’t been told if he had.

“Not that I know of. He was angry.”

“Because I left him?”

“He said you were doing well without him. There were pictures of you and some males he found.”

She frowned, trying to think of why any pictures of her and some guy would be on the internet. Then she remembered the clinic fundraisers. Some pictures had been taken for the paper. “Those men were coworkers.”

“He believed you were dating them.”

“I wasn’t.” She had gone on a few dates but nothing serious and certainly not with anyone she worked with.

Flame approached her side of the Jeep and waved toward the building. “He waits.”

“Right.” She got out of the vehicle and approached Medical. When she went inside a new officer was on duty. He wore casual clothes.

“Here.” He held up two keys. “The door to the cell and to his restraints. Do you wish me to go with you?”

“No. I’m afraid it would upset him if you did. I can do it.” She glanced at his outfit. “You changed fast. I only left the meeting a few minutes ago.”

“I was nearby when the order came down. I’m relieving the officer since he didn’t have a spare set of clothes handy.”

She gripped the keys in her fist, her fear and excitement clashing. She had no idea what would happen when she released 466. It could go bad really fast. The officer stopped at the elevator and removed a set of keys.

“We’re keeping it on key access only. That way Moon can’t leave the basement. We activated the cameras below.”

“Okay.” She didn’t like the idea of being watched.

He seemed to read her mind as his expression softened while he twisted the key to open the doors. “Sound only. Justice ordered Security to blacken the screen feed.” He paused. “Only female officers are permitted to listen in. We hoped that would make you more comfortable. Call out if you need help and I’ll immediately be notified. I will come to your aid.”

“Thank you.”

He stepped inside and his finger hesitated over the button to close the doors when she followed. “I will take you down and then be stationed upstairs. It will take me about forty seconds to reach you if there is trouble. Do not fight if he attacks. Curl into a ball and be very still. Even feral, it should keep him from harming you for long enough for me to get there. Backup will only be seconds behind me. Just stay out of the way if that happens. Don’t interfere if I must fight him. You’d get hurt. I can handle Moon.”

“I don’t think he’ll attack me.”

His gaze swept over her. “Define your version of ‘attack’ for me.”

“Hurt me.”

His eyebrows arched. “Do you know the risks?”

“I know he could be dangerous.”

The doors closed them inside when he pushed the button. He was a big Species. She liked him. “He might want sex. Were you warned of that?”

Her cheeks warmed again. “Yes.”

“You are prepared for that?” He frowned, glancing down her body. “You aren’t very sturdy.”

“Um, what’s your name?”

“Darkness.”

“I’m Joy.” She didn’t offer him her hand, that being a human custom and she hadn’t noticed if Species had picked it up. “Moon and I have a history.”

“I was told about that but you never shared sex with him.”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Do you ever watch animal shows on television?”

“Sometimes.”

His eyes were really dark as they narrowed. “Wolf matings?”

“No.”

“It will be a form of that if he comes at you. Expect growling, posturing, and sniffing. When mating, we tend to stick to instinct. He’ll be aggressive and exhibit alpha behavior. Lower your eyes, make no sudden movements, and don’t fight. He’d be rough without meaning to.”

“You’re feline. How do you know about wolves?”

He hesitated. “I spent a lot of time with Reservation residents at Mercile.”

“What does that mean?”

“Our less civil Species are kept there. The ones Mercile considered failures. I was housed with them for a time before we were freed. Their animal behaviors overshadow their human traits in most cases. Don’t expect purely human actions.”

“I think I understand.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He studied her closely. “No one would blame you if you declined.”

She decided to be honest. “I love him.”

He didn’t appear surprised at her confession. “Forty seconds. That’s all you have to endure if you get into trouble.”

“I’ll remember.”

He pushed another button and the elevator lowered to the basement. Darkness stayed against the wall in order to stay out of Moon’s sightline. “Be careful,” he whispered. “Make sure you are comfortable with his behavior before releasing him.”

“Thank you,” she whispered back, stepping out as soon as the elevator doors opened.

Moon paced his cell, dragging his chains when she approached him. The doors closed behind her and she knew that they were both locked inside the basement now. She didn’t have a key to the elevator.

“Hi. I’m back.”

He stopped pacing and growled, his head turning her way.

“466?”

His lips parted and his fangs showed as he snarled. She halted about ten feet from the bars.

“Talk to me.”

He moved to the bars and growled low. She peered into his eyes and her heart dropped. No recognition showed there. Had he had an episode? Forgotten her?

“Talk to me,” she said again, afraid for him.

“Come,” he demanded harshly.

“Who am I?”

He blinked, a moment of confusion flashing on his features. Pain stabbed her chest as seconds passed. He growled again, shook the bars, and flashed his sharp canines. He didn’t know. Whatever lucidity he’d had was gone.

“466? It’s Joy.” Her mind worked, trying to figure out what was going on. They’d talked and he’d been almost normal when she’d left. Now it was as if she faced him again for the first time. “You know me. Try to remember.”

He spun away, pacing, dragging his chains. Soft growls came from him as she fought back the anguish. He wasn’t getting better. He was having moments of lucidity but then losing them. Her heart broke.

It took a lot for her to walk over to the chair and put the two keys down where he wouldn’t see them. No way could she release him now. She’d jumped the gun because she’d wanted to believe so badly that he was getting better.

“Come,” Moon snarled.

She looked at him when she turned to face his cell. “Who am I?”

He pointed in front of him and his gaze lowered to her chest. “Now.”

Joy approached slowly but kept out of his reach. She lowered to her knees, staring up at him. “Who are you?”

Confusion clouded his face.

She tried to get a handle on her raging emotions. It tore her apart that he’d lost what foothold he’d had on reality. The anger burned too at the people who’d done this to him. She’d like to take the person who shot him with the drugs and wring his neck with her bare hands.

“Come,” he demanded again, harsher than before.

“I can’t.” Would they have to start over every time she saw him? She kept her voice low, dropped her head, and her eyes closed. It hurt too much to see him that way.

Chapter Six

He wanted the female. She smelled good sitting so close to him, torturing him by refusing to allow him to touch her. His blood seemed to boil inside his body from the need to put his hands on her. His mouth. He wanted to taste her. To take her. To possess her.

She kept her chin down but he knew what she looked like. Her heart-shaped face seemed ingrained into his mind for some reason. Big blue eyes with yellow flecks haunted him.

She was familiar but he couldn’t remember why. He crouched, sniffed at her again, and something tugged on the outer edges of his mind. He kept staring at her while he tried to figure out what it was about the female that captivated him. Frustration made him growl.

She looked up at him then and tears shimmered in her eyes. It confused him but it also did more. A deep sense of guilt filled him. He somehow knew he was the cause though he hadn’t touched her or caused her pain. She blinked rapidly to keep those tears from spilling.

Such delicate features. Her mouth grabbed his attention. She should be smiling. An image of her doing just that flashed. The sound of her laugher followed and a memory surfaced from the murky depths of his mind.

“Don’t do that, 466. You’re supposed to be serious.”

“I could be,” he said. “If you give me what I want.”

Her humor faded. “What is that?”

“You.”

“Don’t make me end this session. We were doing so well.”

He scooted down a little in his chair and spread his thighs. “Sit on my lap and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

She swallowed hard and her gaze lowered to his thighs. She was tempted. He could tell. He really wanted her there.

“Sit on my lap. I won’t do anything. I want you close.”

He sat on the hard floor of a cell, not a chair, watching the female with tears in her eyes. He tried to distinguish memory from reality. She really was there but bars separated them now. That was real, the other was something from the past. She watched him as intently as he did her. Words were hard to form but he managed.

“Sit on my lap.” He repeated the words he knew he’d said to her once. “I won’t do anything. I want you close.”

Her eyes widened.

He fought to remember more and lifted his hands to her. Chains rattled, distracted him, as he frowned at them. He looked back at her. “How did we get here?”

“Where do you think we are?”

He glanced around. “I don’t know. We were in…an office.” That was right. He knew it. “Yours. I wanted you closer.”

She bit her lip. “What else do you remember?”

“You wanted to do it.”

She nodded. “I did.”

“Come to me.” He shifted position on the floor and tapped the top of his thighs.

She hesitated and then rose to her feet. He growled in protest when she turned her back on him to walk to a chair.

“No.”

She bent and picked something up, turning to face him again. “What is your name?”

He struggled for an answer and it came to him. “I am 466.”

She approached slowly, something fisted in her hand. “Who am I?”

It was on the tip of his tongue. It wouldn’t come to him though. He said what felt right. “You’re mine.”

She walked right up to the door and her gaze lowered to the lock. She did something and it clicked. She hesitated and then threw something across the room. A key hit the floor. His heart raced when the door opened and nothing was between them. The urge to lunge to reach the female was strong but fear showed on her face. He didn’t want to frighten her so he remained very still.

“Sit on my lap. I won’t hurt you.”

He held his breath when she stepped inside the cell. The chains would prevent him from reaching her if she fled. They weren’t long enough to go beyond the open door. She took one hesitant step and then another until her scent was something he couldn’t resist anymore. He drew air into his lungs, inhaling her deeply. He knew her. It confused him because he could only remember bits and pieces.

“I won’t hurt you,” he swore. He meant every word. He didn’t know her name or how they knew each other but she meant something to him. “What is wrong with me?”

“You’ve been sick.” She spoke softly as she lowered to her knees inches from him. One of her hands slowly lifted and she touched the side of his face. Her caress was light, hesitant, and fearful. “I’m Joy. Try to remember me.”

“I do. I…I’m confused.”

She surprised him when she inched closer and her other hand gripped his shoulder. He looked down as she turned a little and gently lowered herself across his thigh. Her weight was slight as she sat almost where he wanted her. He couldn’t resist anymore as his arms wrapped around her waist to position her across both legs so her ass rested over his dick. She gasped but he was careful not to crush her. She was small but he wasn’t going to let her go.

“Easy,” he demanded. “No fear of me.”

Her features changed as she relaxed in his arms. The hand clutching his shoulder eased its tight hold but she didn’t remove it.

“You can remember my office? What else is happening that you remember?” Her voice trembled.

“You wouldn’t sit on my lap but you wanted to.”

“Yes.”

“That really happened?”

“Yes.”

“It is hard to think.”

“Why are you having trouble focusing on things? Do you know?”

“I forget.”

She leaned in closer and he battled back a growl. He wanted her and his dick ached—it was hard and trapped inside the pants he wore.

“What else can you remember about that day?”

“Why do you resist me? You want me too.” He knew that about her even though he couldn’t remember how he did.

“I do,” she admitted. “I always have.”

Reality was better than memory. Joy wasn’t rejecting him. A moment of clarity hit and it made him doubt his sanity. His arms tightened around her.

“Is this a dream?”

“No. I’m really here. I’m with you. Can’t you tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?”

“Not always.” He wouldn’t lie to Joy. The name fit her, seemed right. “I get flashes of memory but then they disappear and I forget.”

A worried expression creased her features. He knew that was the right emotion, sure of it because deep down, he was very familiar with this female. “Do I have a head injury?”

“No. You were given an unknown drug and you’ve had psychological issues ever since.”

“Who did this to me?” Rage hit fast and hard as he growled.

She bit her lip and didn’t respond.

“Don’t fear me. Who did this to me?”

“Mercile,” she whispered.

Ice ran through his veins as he looked around for the technicians but didn’t see or smell anyone besides Joy. “They have recaptured me? Taken you as well?” His arms tightened as he pulled her closer and shifted his leg. His toe caught the edge of the cell door and he kicked it closed. “I’ll fight them. I’ll get us free. Don’t leave my cage. I won’t let them inside without killing them before they reach you.”

She released his shoulder to cup his face with both hands, drawing his searching gaze to her. “Listen to me. You remember being freed, right?”

“Yes. We were at site four.”

Worry showed in her direct stare. “I’m going to tell you the absolute truth but I know you’re strong enough to take it, okay? I’m making a judgment call because I don’t want you to attack anyone here thinking we’re in danger. We aren’t.”

“We are.” Maybe she was confused too and had been drugged.

“You left site four to live at a place called Homeland. It’s run by your people. Everyone here is like you. They were freed from Mercile too.”

Her words confused him more. “They put me in a cage with chains?” He wanted to believe her but didn’t understand why the ones like him would do that.

“Do you remember the guards who patrolled to keep humans away from the motel?”

“Yes.”

“That was your job here. You kept humans away who meant your people harm. There are tall walls around the area and you were on one. Someone who worked for Mercile shot you with a dart filled with drugs. You forgot who you were and attacked other males. Your friends.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” He battled uncertainty. He didn’t think Joy would lie to him, he wanted to trust her, but it didn’t make sense.

“You couldn’t remember who I was but now you do, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s been the same with your friends. You forgot who they are. What is your name?”

“466.” He was sure of that.

Joy hesitated. “You chose a name after you left site four.”

He struggled to remember but couldn’t.

“Moon,” she whispered. “That’s your name now. Is that familiar to you? Ring any bells?”

He shook his head and his hold on her tightened. “Why are you playing games? My name is 466. Is this a test?”

She stroked his cheekbones lightly with her fingertips. He liked it a lot and it calmed him a bit.

“I’m telling you the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you. You were dangerous so they had to lock you inside this space and chain you so they could take blood tests. Everyone is doing whatever they can to make you better. There are a lot of doctors, scientists, and chemists working on finding a way to reverse what was done. They called me and I came to help you too.”

“Called you?”

“On the phone.”

“You were in your office when this happened?”

“No. I was actually driving my car at the time, on my way home.”

“This Homeland is so big you need a car?”

“I wasn’t here. I live about an hour away.”

“We don’t live here?” Her words were confusing him more.

“You live here. I live somewhere else.”

Something clicked and he growled again. “Didn’t you come with me when I was moved to this Homeland?”

“No.”

Anger surged. “You lived at site four. Why don’t you live here? You’re mine and I’m yours. Did you give me to that other female?”

“No!” She squirmed on his lap. “Take some deep breaths. You’re getting agitated.”

“Explain.”

She glanced away and then back. He knew what that meant—she’d always been easy to read. She didn’t want to respond.

“Explain!” he demanded louder.

“I left site four before you moved to Homeland.”

Pain came with realization. It tightened his chest as though a fist squeezed his heart. He’d always feared she’d quit her job and abandon him. “You left me?”

Her eyes flooded with tears. “I did. I’m so sorry.”

He released her waist and leaned back, jerking his face away from her gentle touch. The urge to shove her off his lap was there but he couldn’t do it. “I left site four and came here without you?”

“Yes.” The tears slipped down her face.

He resisted the urge to wipe them with his thumbs. “Why are you here now?”

“You needed me. I came the minute they called. I didn’t even go home. I turned the car around and drove straight to Homeland.”

“You’re not in danger if you leave my cage?”

“No. You’re safe here. I promise.”

Joy had chosen to abandon him. He had pride. “Get out, Joy. Go.” He saw surprise in her eyes. “Get off my lap. Don’t touch me again. I don’t want your pity.”

“466,” she whispered, reaching for his face again.

He reacted by rolling, dumping her gently on the concrete floor, and scooted away until he could climb to his feet. He backed up to the wall of the cage, watching her, as he fought his emotions. Pain and anger were evenly matched.

“Get someone else to tell me what has happened. I don’t trust you anymore.”

Joy wiped at her tears as she watched 466 put as much distance between them as possible. Telling him so much had been a mistake. She hadn’t wanted to lie to him or risk him trying to escape, believing they were both in danger from Mercile. She’d forgotten how protective he was until he’d kicked the cell door closed in an attempt to protect her. The key to his shackles was out of his reach where she’d tossed it but he could take the door key if he wanted. It was inside her pocket where she’d slipped it after stepping into his cell.

“Please, 466.” She wasn’t above begging. Guilt was something she’d lived with since the day she’d packed her bags and driven away from that motel in the desert. “Listen to me.”

“No.” He curled his upper lip to reveal his sharp canines. “Get out. I am not yours anymore. Is my name really Moon? I chose that?”

“Yes.”

“Stop calling me a number then.” He glared at her and growled in a menacing way. “I told you I’d never take a human name.”

The professional part of her was happy to see that he seemed coherent and retained the information she’d given him. He had every right to be furious and reject her help after she’d betrayed his trust. It hurt that he wanted her to go. A selfish part of her was tempted to leave him for a few hours in hope that he’d forget what she’d said so they could start over again. Lesson learned. He hates me now that he understands some of what happened between us.

“Moon, I’m not leaving you. We need to figure out what is going on so I can help.”

“I don’t want you near me.”

Don’t cry again. Her feelings didn’t matter. “You aren’t lucid often but you are right now. Are you in any physical pain? Does anything hurt? Are you suffering a headache? Nausea?” She wasn’t a medical doctor but she was pretty sure they’d want to know that to gauge the effects of the drug. “It’s important.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, glanced down at the chains, and anger wrinkled his nose. “My body is fine.”

“Any weakness in any of your limbs?”

“No. The bands aren’t comfortable but I’ve lived with worse.”

“Any numbness in your fingers? Toes?”

He flexed his hands. “No.”

She was relieved to hear it. It wasn’t a drug designed to target his pain centers to drive him insane. “What about your emotions? Do you feel off? Are you having a hard time focusing or following our conversation now? How is your eyesight? Your hearing? Any buzzing in your ears or can you hear your own heartbeat?”

“Get out, Joy.”

“Damn it, Moon. Please answer me before I leave.”

“I feel normal.”

And very angry but she didn’t attribute that to any physical symptoms. “When you first saw me, you didn’t know who I was. Did it just come back to you? Was it fast as if you suddenly knew or was it slower?”

He leaned back against the bars and his chin lifted as he continued to regard her with that grim expression. “You were familiar but I didn’t know why. I focused on a memory and it got stronger until I knew you.”

“Do you remember being at Mercile?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember being freed?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember Homeland now?”

Some of the tension left his face as he searched his memory. “No.”

“What is the last thing you do remember?”

“Being in your office and wanting you to sit on my lap.”

She slowly got to her feet. “Try to focus on when I left.”

The anger returned. “I don’t have to. You told me what happened.”

“Try. I am here to help you. Let me.”

“Get my new therapist.”

“There isn’t one.” She remembered what had been said about Dr. Kregkor and shuddered. No way did she want someone New Species talked about that way anywhere near Moon. “Don’t you want out of this cell? Out of those chains?”

“You know I do.”

“Talk to me then. Answer my questions and let’s figure this out. Please.”

He closed his eyes and his expression cleared. She wondered if he planned to ignore her or if he was attempting to do as she asked. A few prompts might help.

“One day I was there and the next day you probably were told I was gone. I left late at night after bed check.”

His eyes snapped open and a snarl erupted. “I went to your office but the guard said you weren’t in it. I thought you were running late but she said you no longer worked there. I believed you were fired but then the human said you’d quit.”

“That’s good.” It showed he could fix on a point in time and force the memories to surface.

“There was nothing good about it.” His arms uncrossed and his hands fisted at his sides. “You didn’t even say goodbye.”

“I meant that it’s encouraging that you are able to remember if you focus on a point in time.”

“You owed me more than to leave without speaking to me first.” He pushed away from the wall, taking a step closer. “How could you do that?”

“I had no choice.”

“They lied to me? You were removed by force?”

“No.” It was tempting to lie to defuse his anger but she wouldn’t stoop that low. “The attraction between us was growing stronger and I knew I couldn’t resist you anymore. That’s why I had to leave.”

He took another step closer and paused. “You were ashamed that you wanted me? An animal half-breed?”

“No!” A smart person would continue this discussion from the other side of the bars but Joy ignored that reasoning. Moon could be frightening, intimidating. He might snarl and flash those dangerous teeth of his but she’d bet her life—was, in fact—that he wouldn’t harm her. “Of course not. I explained this dozens of times. I was your doctor and it wasn’t right if we had a physical relationship.”

“You said it would be taking advantage of me.” He took another long stride and paused inches from her, making her tilt her head back to keep eye contact. “Do I look weak?”

“No. It was your emotional state I was referring to. Do you remember that?”

He moved fast and she flinched without meaning to when one of his large hands suddenly gripped her jaw, holding her head still. She instinctively clutched his arm, avoiding the shackle at his wrist. She didn’t struggle or try to jerk free. His hold wasn’t painful but it was firm.

“They would have found out even if I was willing to toss my ethics aside. I would have been fired and promptly removed. They probably would have had to file criminal charges against me just to safeguard the location.”

“Moon,” he rasped, bending a little so their faces were closer. “You don’t know me as that name, do you? I can hear it when you speak. You easily say 466 but hesitate before you say Moon. You never saw me after I left site four. Did I recently pick this name?”

“I don’t know exactly when you took it.”

“How long has it been since you left me?”

“I’d rather not answer that. I think you’ve had enough shocks for one day.” Plus, he had a good grip on her face. She wasn’t totally stupid, despite some of her questionable choices when it came to him.

“Weeks?”

She remained silent.

His eyes narrowed. “Months?”