Page 42 of Savage Mates (Ruthless Instinct #2)

“Thor will be fine, little human.” Zeus still wouldn’t call me his mate.

From where I was on the gurney, I could see Peter lifting his head. At least my assistants were being troopers, but what they’d already been through was horrific.

Just like the lions.

Now that it was just the four of us in the room, I could take a deep breath. I looked over at Thor and the heart monitor. At least it seemed his heart was strong. My gaze dropped to the blood flowing into his arm.

“What now?” Titus asked.

“Now, we wait.”

Minutes ticked by and I tried to remain calm.

“The lifeforms need to be destroyed.” While Zeus might be right, I had a feeling nothing on this earth could do that.

“I’m not sure about that.” And I wasn’t. “What if they can cure the mutants? Other human diseases. Prevent birth defects.”

“What if they create dangerous beasts instead? What if they’re angry with humans at what has happened?” Titus backed against the wall, folding his arms. He was as tense as I was, constantly glancing toward the door even though the other lions were keeping a watch for any movement.

“They are angry.”

Zeus narrowed his eyes. “You know this how?”

“Because I could feel it when Dr. Abbott entered the room.”

The two lions looked at each other. While I’d been able to hear what they were silently saying before or maybe I’d read their minds, right now mine was too muddled to be able to do that. Maybe from exhaustion. Maybe fear.

“He’s so pale,” I said. “Why is this happening? If Blackwell knew he couldn’t control what he’d discovered, why hadn’t he stopped the project before it got out of hand?”

“You know why, little mate. They believed they could control the creatures and therefore everyone around them. Now they need to continue their experiments because of promises made.” Titus’ voice was softer than before.

“You’re right. How many people are involved? How much money provided?” There was no reason to laugh, but I did. Was there anything sacred in this world that wasn’t torn apart by greed?

“Thor will be alright.” Titus seemed so certain. I wish I had his confidence.

“How many more subjects are out there? Innocent animals? How many more are suffering?”

Zeus’ jaw was clenched to the point I was certain he was in pain. “Enough, little human, but you can’t heal them all.”

“I know I can’t. However, the lifeforms responded to me.

They were listening to me. I’m positive they were.

” I was still certain of it. “If so, maybe I can talk to them about healing the mutant lions.” Their silence made me laugh.

“What am I saying? I’m not like Blackwell and Zimmerman.

I’m just… not. But they won’t live the way they are.

That much I found out through testing. Just like the lioness and her cub won’t survive.

Her organs will begin to fail if they haven’t already. ”

I had so many fears. So many worries. A strangled sound escaped my lips, the deep sobbing noise creating another wave of vibrations between us.

“You’re terrified that will happen with us.”

With a heavy heart, I glanced at Zeus. “Yes. There’s no concrete proof for what I’m saying, but without further tests, I won’t know for certain.”

“No more tests!” he growled.

When I placed my hand on his chest, he took a deep, scattered breath.

“Calm down, Zeus,” Titus said under his breath. “She has every right to question what is going on.”

“As soon as Thor is stabilized, we need to go free the other lions.”

“They will try and kill us.”

This time I sat up, glaring at Titus. “They will die in the hurricane. I can talk to them.”

“You’re not a miracle worker, little human.” Zeus stood over me as if his presence alone would keep me from going against their wishes.

No chance.

“I will not allow them to die.”

“You will do as you’re told.”

Hearing Thor’s voice shocked me. “Thor. You’re alive.”

He took a deep breath, slowly turning his head. “Yes, very much alive. I have you to thank for that. I need your hands.”

“My hands.”

“Yes. Remove the IV.”

“No,” I told him. “I’m the doctor here. You’re not going to bully me into doing what you want.”

In both man and beast, the looks he could give were completely dominating and they made me shudder all the way to my core. “Do it, little mate. Your hands. Now.” The sparkle in his eyes had returned, enough so they glowed the same stunning shade of amber I’d seen two hours before.

“If you hurt yourself, I’ll be pissed.” I removed the needle from my arm first, slowly easing off the table.

“She still believes she can control us.” At least there was more amusement in Zeus’ voice.

“Yeah, well, you have no idea how formidable I can be.” I moved toward Thor, peering down at him.

While it might be difficult to fully explain the connection, there was no doubt the lifeforms had created the possibility.

At some point, there would be textbooks written on what had occurred, but that would take years for anyone to fully believe let alone comprehend.

With what Blackwell and his team had accomplished, not only had they discovered life from a different universe, but they’d also altered the face of our world forever. Where would their experimentation take them and how many other creatures would suffer?

At least once off this island, I could draw attention to what I knew about their intentions.

As soon as I removed the IV from Thor’s arm, placing it on the table, he grabbed my hand, easing my fingers onto the area of the wound. It was covered by a bandage, but almost immediately, I could feel building heat.

“What’s happening? I can feel energy going back and forth.” I was amazed at the tingling sensations.

“You’re healing me as we managed to do with you.”

“My God. This is insane. I should…” I laughed and closed my eyes. As a scientist, I was still having difficulty believing everything I’d seen and heard. But as a woman infatuated, eager to learn new things, I was torn with the guilt racing through me.

“This is what we’ve become.” Zeus’ words and reminder were chilling.

I glanced into his eyes. “No more tests. No more. We will get off this island. Tomorrow. Wait. We don’t have a pilot. Because we can’t trust the two who flew us here.”

Zeus chuckled. “Yes, we do. Alexander has the knowledge of a pilot.”

I tipped my head as the other two crowded against me. The warmth was incredible, so many intense feelings and emotions breaching the surface.

“What are you doing, Dr. Ratcliff? Thor’s stats are much improved.” Carrie’s voice held the same incredulous tone that I felt through and through.

“I’m healing him physically. Don’t ask me how it’s possible or about the scientific ramifications. You’ll need to trust me that I can feel the energy level changing as his body is healing.”

Carrie walked in from the other room, no longer tentative as she was before. There was something truly fascinating about the alteration in their DNA.

Thor removed my hand seconds later, bringing my palm to his lips. As soon as he pressed them against my skin, my nipples became completely taut.

The quick dart of his tongue was unexpected and I laughed nervously.

I pulled my hand away and as soon as I did, Thor sat up, swinging his long legs to the floor. With his eyes locked onto mine, he removed the bandage.

“That is just not possible,” Carrie said. “The wound is almost completely healed.”

“I don’t know. I’m absolutely clueless,” I barely managed to whisper.

“Because you’re our mate,” Titus answered. He rubbed his hand down my back and the warmth expanded. Now my pussy was throbbing, the desire so powerful control was becoming difficult. How inappropriate, but the draw to them was that commanding.

Without bothering to look at his injury, Thor pulled my hand to his naked chest, placing my fingers on what was left of the wound. It was difficult to explain the sensations I felt, deep vibrations so intense that for a few seconds, I couldn’t think clearly.

The lump in my throat remained, but now, the one in my stomach had been consumed by butterflies. This was more than just breaking ground in science or anything else. This was all because of the lifeforms from another world.

I finally pulled my hand away, but was unable to look down.

“There isn’t even a scar.” Carrie’s voice was a husky whisper. “I think I need a drink.”

“Maybe we all do.” My fingers ached and I rubbed them with my other hand. The moment was slightly awkward and mostly because of the continued desire that had no place at the moment.

We weren’t completely safe no matter the number of mercenaries the lions had killed.

“We need to save the other lions before we leave,” I insisted. “That’s the least I can do.”

“As you were told, they are dangerous.” Thor’s insistence was more qualified than mine, but I couldn’t simply walk away and leave them to die. Nothing in my oath would allow me to do that.

Dangerous or not.

“I need to check on the lioness.” I backed away, now rubbing my arm where the needle had been inserted. Even though I had what doctors had always called good veins, my skin was such that I always bruised.

Not this time.

There wasn’t even a single drop of blood to indicate a transfusion.

Reality as I knew it had been obliterated.