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The wolf went to her, cupping her chin and raising her face. “We didn’t hurt you, did we? I was there the entire time. I made damn sure no one hurt you.”

“But that’s not me. I would never…” A soft sob rattled her chest and she covered her mouth with her hand.

“I thought you wanted this as badly as I do,” he chided, displeasure hardening his features.

“I do, but I didn’t realize what it would take.”

“No one will hurt you.” He kissed her forehead. “No one will touch you unless you want them to.”

“But I’ll want them to,” she cried. “I’ll want all of them to.”

“Then there isn’t a problem.” He smiled broadly and brushed his lips over hers. “You’re sexy as hell when you’re fucking. You know I like watching you.”

She looked at Babcock, lips trembling, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “How many injections will this take?”

“It’s hard to say. Six, perhaps as many as ten.”

Another distressed cry escaped her lips and she shook her head. “I don’t think I can do this.”

The wolf lifted his hands and took a step back. “We do this together or not at all. I will not make you do any of it. I told you that from the start. You know how badly I want this, but the decision is yours.”

The wolf’s attitude surprised Isaac. He’d expected pressure, even outright coercion.

But everything indicated that the female was a willing participant in this experiment.

Experiment , he shuddered. Just the word brought his captivity back in vivid detail.

Endless painful procedures and weeks of isolation as he gradually became a being he didn’t recognize.

“I want it too,” she finally relented. “If a few wild nights are the price I must pay, then so be it.” She looked at Babcock and said firmly, “I’m ready for the next injection.”

I’ve seen enough , Jon growled. Let’s get out of here before I forget our mission parameters and rip out all their throats.

Agreed , Isaac responded.

They exited through the back door and hurried through the village.

Reaching the tree limb was no easy task from inside the walls.

Isaac and Kyle hoisted Jon up and then Jon hung down and helped pull them up.

It required Jon to become partly visible long enough for them to grasp his hands, so the maneuver always made Isaac uncomfortable.

But the mission was completed without complication, and they were soon jogging through the forest on their way back to the feline village.

Once they were well on their way, they dispersed their shields to conserve energy.

They hadn’t gone far when someone shouted, “Halt and identify yourselves!”

Isaac glanced behind him and found two wolves with pulse rifles pointed in his direction. Run! he ordered . I’ve got this.

As he turned to face the wolves, Isaac released his animal nature.

Searing energy swept over his body, momentarily driving the breath from his lungs.

He absorbed the pain, welcomed it, as he frantically shed his clothes.

His joints popped and his muscles stretched.

He was bare to the waist when the change hit him, so he skillfully shifted out of his pants and boots.

The metamorphosis only took a few seconds, but it was long enough for the wolves to fire.

The first pulse zinged over his head. The second drilled into his shoulder.

Isaac roared angrily and lunged for the lupine hybrids. Seeing a massive lion charging toward them, both guards turned and ran.

Cowards , he snarled inwardly. Damn it. He was in the mood for a good brawl.

Panting for a moment, Isaac paused to refocus his mind. Bloodlust pounded through his veins, and the wound in his shoulder throbbed.

Kyle gathered up Isaac’s clothes and walked back toward his friend.

Isaac released the shift, reluctantly caging his lion. “I told you to run.”

Kyle shrugged as he handed Isaac his pants. “I did run, but then I circled back.”

After quickly tugging on his pants, Isaac poured energy into his shoulder. The wound had been closed by the shift, but the surrounding tissue was still charred and bruised. “What were they doing out this far?”

“Elias must have ordered more patrols,” Jon supposed. He stood slightly back from Kyle patiently waiting for the others.

Isaac finished dressing and they continued their trek toward home.

“Any idea what the injections are about?” Kyle asked as they zigzagged through the trees.

“Some sort of conversion,” Jon mused. “Maybe sexual compatibility. The wolves are even more animalistic than we are. Human females might not enjoy their idea of sex.”

“It didn’t sound like she was having trouble adjusting to his demands,” Isaac pointed out. “Are those fuckers trying to breed her?”

Jon stopped running and faced him. “That isn’t possible, is it?”

“I don’t know.” Isaac shook his head. “I hope not. The last thing we need is more wolves.”

They resumed their trek through the trees, all three of them lost in thoughts and speculation.

Isaac reached out telepathically for Diego, Shadow Leader, as they approached the feline village. We’re back. Would you like an update now or in the morning?

Lexie and I are babysitting the gathering . Diego did not sound happy. Please, come distract me.

Wishing they had something more definitive to report, Isaac told him, We’re on our way.

Rumbling laughter and boisterous conversations echoed through the lodge.

Tara watched it all with a vague sense of detachment.

There were thirty-eight women and well over a hundred hybrid males mingling in the large open room.

The number of attendees was supposed to be limited to one hundred twenty, so both sides were bending the rules.

Fresh fruit and thinly sliced meats had been used to create a variety of finger foods.

There was even a bar offering a small selection of Rydarian liquor.

Each item appeared to welcome the females.

In truth they were temptations, subtle enticements meant to wear down the women’s defenses.

“Are you alright?” Lexie asked, her voice warm and filled with compassion. “You’ve hardly spoken a word all night and we both know that’s not like you.”

Tara glanced at Lexie and sighed. “Zion gave me an ultimatum this morning. If I don’t convince Akari to let a team of Shadows take the images of her attackers from her mind, he’ll make me move into the shelter.”

“Sounds like Zion.” Lexie shook her head and the overhead lights gleamed off her long blonde hair. “How did Akari react, or haven’t you asked her yet?”

“She’s thinking about it.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment. Tara took a sip of iolla berry wine and struggled with the fallout of her conversation with Zion.

Her wrestling match with the Shadows in the storeroom had a lasting effect.

She hadn’t been able to rid her mind of their images or the sensations they’d unleashed in her.

Having an intense weekend encounter with them would be amazing, but binding herself to someone so domineering was far less appealing.

“There you are,” Claire cried as she worked her way through the crowd. “Can you believe this turnout? There are even more people tonight than the last time I attended.”

Lexie nodded. “People aren’t obeying the rules.”

“Can you blame them?” Claire defended. “It’s been years since any of these guys have touched a female, and the women are trying to avoid starvation and freezing to death.”

“You make it sound so transactional,” Tara grumbled as her gaze swept the room. Without even realizing it, she was looking for her Shadows. Her Shadows? Oh, this wasn’t good. “I want companionship and stability, protection and passion.”

“And the right coalition can provide it,” Lexie assured with a dreamy smile. “I’ve never been happier.”

A bit of Claire’s cheer fell away as she asked, “Where are your mates? I’m surprised they let you out of their sight.”

“Kane and Malik are out on patrol. Diego is around here somewhere.” Lexie rolled to the balls of her feet as she tried to spot her mate, but apparently the room was too crowded. She shrugged and turned back to Claire. “Has anyone caught your eye? You’ve been to several of these, haven’t you?”

“This is my third, and there has been no real spark with anyone yet.”

“Keep an open mind and it’s bound to happen.” Lexie shifted her gaze to Tara, a playful smile curving her lips. “What about you? Did sparks fly between you and Zion this morning?”

“Good God, no! I can’t stand that jerk.” Tara shuddered just thinking about the arrogant hybrid.

This was not really the time or place for this conversation, but getting Lexie alone was almost impossible.

Besides, it might be nice to have more than one opinion on the possibilities.

“Do you know Isaac and Jon from Shadow Team One?”

“Zion ordered Team One to work with Akari?” All playfulness vanished from Lexie’s demeanor and her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Team One is Diego’s go-to team. He uses them for everything, but Jon can be downright scary. Was Kyle there? You didn’t mention his name.”

Pivoting toward her friends, Tara lowered her voice as much as the noisy room allowed. “Isaac mentioned Kyle, but he wasn’t there this morning. What’s he like?”

Lexie’s brows arched and her smile returned. “Is there a particular reason we’re talking about Shadow Team One?”

Lexie knew Tara too well. They’d been through too much together to attempt to keep secrets from each other. “I might have had a private conversation with Jon and Isaac after we left Zion’s office. I was wondering if the conversation might have been less… overwhelming if Kyle had been there too.”

Claire listened intently, but said nothing. Like Tara, Claire looked at Lexie and waited for her to answer.

“You’ll like Kyle,” Lexie predicted. “He’s less intense than the other two.”

Tara let out a shaky breath as she fought back erotic memories of what had gone on in that storeroom. “Jon and Isaac could definitely use a little balancing.”