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Sarah put her arms around Devon’s waist, looking up at him. “It isn’t your fault your father is aging again.”

“No, but Razel took those few months of freedom from him. Talen deserved them.”

“I’ve met your brother. I’m sure he’s sad that your father is getting older, but I don’t think he cares that he has to take over. In fact, I think he thrives on it.”

Devon looked at her with speculation. “Is that a women’s or a cop’s intuition?”

Sarah laughed. “Maybe both. Just remember that when you are trying to get away with something.”

Devon kissed her cheek. “The only thing I want to get away with is your heart,” he said silkily.

Sarah put her lips to his ear. “You already have,” she whispered.

She felt his cheek smile against hers. Felt the love coming from him. “Are you actually going to go into the office with me?”

“Where you go. I go.”

Her eyes sparkled with mirth. “Well, you better suit up. Deputy Devon.”

* * *

Sarah and Devon entered the Ranger Station. They were greeted by an officer Sarah had never met with the name tag Smith.

“Hello, Miss. Marksmen.”

Sarah smile was stained. “Call me Sarah. Where’s Bob?”

“He said he would meet you in the briefing room.” He buzzed the side door to allow her entrance to the interior of the station. When Devon attempted to follow. Smith raised his hand. “He can’t go in there.”

Sarah pointed to a door halfway down the hall. “I’ll be in that room right there. Wait here for a couple of minutes so I can talk to Bob.” She felt Devon’s denial. “Please.” She didn’t want to be separated any more than he did, but they needed information and she couldn’t get it if Devon was there.

Devon halted. He was giving her what she wanted, and he hated it.

Once through the locked outer door, she turned to Smith. “Get Bob now,” she demanded.

Smith took off down the hall as she entered the briefing room.

She poured herself a glass of water. It rested on her lips when Gerald walked in from the side door.

She silently berated herself for forgetting about the side entrance to the room, trembling at the knowledge that even the station was no longer safe.

“Hello, Sarah,” Gerald said in a mocking tone.

Sarah put the glass back on the table. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you managed to buy your way in here. How do you expect to abduct me from my own office?”

“I’m not. You’re going to come with me willingly.”

Sarah huffed. “Wow. What color is the sky in your world?”

Gerald pulled his cellphone from his pocket, clicking it on before turning it toward her. “As blue as Racheal’s beautiful eyes.”

Sarah stared at Racheal’s azure terrified eyes. She was gagged and bound with her hands in front of her. Red and purple bruises marred her tear-streaked face. The time stamp on the photo was two hours old.

She forcibly controlled her cats urge to shift and remove the threat in the room with her.

Devon was right. She needed him. She’d won this battle, but her cat was looking for a chink in her armor.

It wanted out, needing to protect her. She felt the rub of fur against her skin, struggling to break free. She was in trouble.

Brian Marksmen entered the side door. The distraction gave her a reprieve from her cougar as it assessed the new threat. He turned to Gerald. “Can I have a moment with my daughter?”

Gerald didn’t seem happy about the interruption. After a dirty look at Brian, he left.

Brian’s face looked pained. “Sarah...”

Sarah stepped forward. “How can you even face me?” She snapped.

He held up both his hands. “Sarah just listen to me for a moment.”

“How could you let them do that to Racheal? She adored YOU.” She yelled. It was true, despite her father’s sordid past Racheal had adored her suave father. Admittedly, Racheal saw the best in everybody, but Brian had shown more interest in Racheal’s accomplishments than her own.

“Racheal was never supposed to be hurt. Neither were you. I just wanted you both to have the advantages of the shifter species without having to be tied to those mongrels,” he said in a rush.

“You don’t know them.”

“They killed DONNY.” He yelled.

Sarah felt like he’d slapped her. “Who did?”

“Donny was tracking a lioness. We needed a female. The only Cascade female at the time was too old to breed.”

Sarah let her family’s depravity set in. “He hunted a female lion shifter and her mate killed him.”

“Yes.”

“Then it was his own fucking fault,” she said coldly.

Brian smacked her. “Don’t you dare talk about him that way!”

She put her hand to her stinging cheek. She expected to feel betrayed. Hurt. She felt nothing for the parent in front of her.

Brian dropped his hands. “I’m sorry Sarah. I didn’t come here to fight with you. I came here to help you get Racheal out.”

She rubbed her cheek. “Why would I believe anything you say?”

“You have to believe I never wanted her hurt. I just found out.” His distress seemed real.

Sarah’s stomach sank. “What did you find out?”

“She was experimented on. Things were done to her.”

She grabbed the front of his shirt aggressively. “What was done to her?”

“I don’t know the details, but she needs to be extracted?” He wasn’t exactly lying. Though something was off about his explanation and he was clearly uncomfortable.

“I will get Racheal out. I just need to let Devon know.”

“If you tell him, she’s dead,” he said.

“They still need her.”

“Not anymore.”

* * *

Sarah followed her father through the side door and out the back entrance.

Gerald was waiting beside a black SUV with tinted windows. “I’m glad you came to your senses.”

“Fuck you, Gerry.” She saw the quick sting of pain on his face before he recovered.

He opened the vehicle’s door in a jerky motion. “Get in.”

She slid across to the far window. Gerald positioned himself beside her, his knees rubbing against hers.

He put his arm around her back. What once was a friendly comfort, now made her cat snarl and push to be released.

Gerald didn’t know her cougar was fully formed, and she didn’t want to tip her hand.

She knew he was provoking her on purpose.

They pulled away from the curb and were only a block away before she felt Devon’s emotions surge to pure fury. She hid her smile. Officer Smith was about to have a terrible day. The vehicle pulled into an underground parking garage only a few miles from the station.

She was ushered into the building and down a long corridor that reminded her of a hospital. Gerald opened the door to a small room with a table and a few chairs in it. Racheal sat in the corner.

Sarah ran to her, kneeling down to remove her gag. She moved frantically to untie her hands and hugged her fiercely.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Racheal sobbed.

Sarah rubbed Racheal’s upper arms. “I can’t take that trip we planned to the Bahamas without you. Remember flight 222?” Racheal hated warm weather and she would catch Sarah’s meaning.

“I remember,” Racheal said before turning to Gerald. “She wasn’t supposed to be brought into this.”

Gerald shrugged. “You knew she would be, eventually. You know what I want.”

A tear fell down Racheal’s face. “He wants...”

“I know what he wants. It’s not your fault,” she said soothingly.

Racheal shook her head quickly. “I let my excitement, the possibility of a new species, cloud my judgment. I should have told you right away. The day Kevin called me. The day he took me.” Her shoulders shook.

Sarah gave her a little shake. “Don’t do this. Not here. Not now.” She needed Racheal to focus so she could do the same. “He played us because he needed you.”

Gerald stepped around Brian to approach her. “We did, but we don’t anymore... do we, Racheal?”

Racheal’s gaze flicked to Gerald’s with complete disgust. “Your brother is a complete psychopath.”

Sarah startled. “Brother?”

Gerald nodded. “Half-brother actually and you’ll have the pleasure of meeting him soon.”

Racheal sniffled. “There’s nothing pleasurable about Jordon.”

Gerald sneered at Racheal. “Jordan is brilliant, and he appreciates this opportunity as well as everything it represents.”

Sarah stood abruptly. “Opportunity? You call exploiting another species an opportunity. How can you be so callous?”

Gerald moved directly in front of her. “It’s them or us.”

She shook her head. “It didn’t have to be that way.”

“They had a chance to step forward and share their DNA with the world. They didn’t. Now it will belong to us.”

“Who would volunteer for that? And why should they?”

Gerald’s anger surfaced. “They aren’t better than US.”

Sarah laughed mockingly. “Yes, they are. They would never use us this way.”

“They do use us. They need human females to reproduce.”

Sarah’s veneer snapped. She grabbed Gerald’s jacket in her hands. “They’re part human, you IDIOT.”

Gerald grabbed her wrists, removing them from his lapels. She didn’t find out what he would have said because the door opened and a man walked in.

He had dark hair and mocha colored skin. His eyes were identical to Gerald’s.

Gerald released her wrists, stepping back. “Sarah meet my brother Jordan.”