Page 30 of Savage Mates (Ruthless Instinct #2)

“About the time I started working on the grant. The university knew my intentions and I was given time to prepare the scope of the project. Some of my higher-ups could be complicit in this, but without proof, I can’t change anything.

I need to return to the lab. I need to blend in and find out what their plans are.

” Zimmerman had played me. With Blackwell being alive, the chance they were working together was something I couldn’t ignore.

Titus also stood, his entire body tensing. Every muscle strained. Every tendon ready to pop. “We cannot allow that to happen.”

“We have no other choice,” Thor said. “We have less than twelve members of our pride with several other bloodthirsty mutants eager for another hunt and as soon as Dr. Radcliff is secured behind the laboratory walls, the people you call mercenaries will strike. Whatever their intentions, either caging us for further experiments or extermination, they will take what they need.”

“They could learn much about our abilities and DNA structure from our dead bodies. Yes?” Zeus asked.

“Yes, which still begs the questions of why wait so long and what they really need me for.” I hated admitting the inevitable.

Unless they could get off the island safely and find a secure location, they’d continue to be hunted.

There was no telling how many scientists or greedy businesspeople were involved with Blackwell. Or with Zimmerman’s corporation.

The concept of how many shifters could be out there was mind boggling.

Especially given the birth of the cub.

They could blend easily into society based on whatever host the lifeforms had adopted. My head hurt from the possibilities. If there were offspring, they could alter the face of our world. And that of the animals.

Including in a very bad way.

“Did you know what happened to Doctor Morgan?” Thor’s question was one I’d already been thinking about.

“From what I remember reading, all charges were dropped against her. Then she stepped out of the limelight. I don’t know if she’s even involved with science any longer.”

“That’s not all, little mate. She cared for several wolves. She was taken and tested for her breeding capabilities.”

“Unbelievable. You’re saying she was their mate.

So they were already trying for reproduction.

That’s what this is about. They are trying to create a master species.

” I looked away, nervous energy ticking inside.

The ideology around my thoughts and summations shouldn’t excite me in the least, yet it did.

“It would seem so,” Titus said quietly. “The mutants. The mercenary humans are violating them.”

It took me a few seconds to realize what he was telling me. “Either they don’t know what they could be doing and are simply sick fucks or they were hired to do that. Unbelievable.”

“A controlled species,” Thor snarled and looked away.

“Human and animal. A controlled population.” I was thinking out loud.

Nothing could shock me any longer. Not this.

Not the endless possibilities of what happened with new life being created.

However, his answer did provide me with yet another one I needed to process the detailed information.

If I was their mate, somehow either Blackwell or Zimmerman had known or suspected.

But how? Blood tests? DNA samples?

Both would be easy to accomplish by hacking into medical databases and by taking a lock of hair from a hairbrush. Would Zimmerman go to that extreme? Or was it even necessary given lifeforms had created the hybrids? There was one way of obtaining at least some primitive answers.

“I need to see the cub,” I told them, which surprised all three.

“Why?” Zeus growled.

“Along with other shifters, several female lions that hadn’t been experimented on were also dropped here with you.

They conducted a more natural experiment while they were putting the pieces back together after the arrests were made.

Once they learn a cub has been born, they will come for him and will kill you if you try and stop them.

I need to take some DNA to discover if the cub had special qualities, mutated DNA.

That will go a long way in determining what could happen.

I promise the baby won’t be hurt. Have you seen any sign the cub can shift? ”

Zeus sighed. “None.”

“That could come with puberty. As if I know what I’m talking about. But that makes sense.”

I didn’t bother admonishing them for communicating between themselves. They were dealing with something that they couldn’t understand. What we were all facing didn’t have easy answers.

“We’ll take you to the cub. Then we’ll guide you back to the laboratory. Make no mistake, there are locked locations within the compound you likely were not shown. They include prison cells. We explored every inch of the facility before coming here.” Thor was very insistent.

My mouth went dry although it made sense. “You took some things for this camp.”

“Yes, we did. That’s how we know.” Titus took a deep breath. “You were brought here in a plane.”

“The storm caused electrical issues. We can’t leave.” The lightning strike had been real. Was it possible the plane was flyable? Something to think about investigating.

“I know what you’re thinking, little mate. However, you need to be very careful,” Thor continued. “We understand what you’re trying to do, but this is much more dangerous than you realize. We will protect you the best we can. Do not fight us on this. We won’t allow it.”

“I won’t fight you.”

But I would discover as much information as I could about what the hell was going on. I owed it not only to the lions, but also to myself.