Biological Instinct 5t324z

Biological Instinct (Aleka Chronicles 1) M. A. Freeman

All rights reserved. Copyright ©2021 M. A. Freeman

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Publisher: Changeling Press LLC 315 N. Centre St. Martinsburg, WV 25404 www.ChangelingPress.com

Editor: Jean Cooper Cover Artist: Angela Knight

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Table of Contents Biological Instinct (Aleka Chronicles 1) Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue M. A. Freeman

Biological Instinct (Aleka Chronicles 1)

M. A. Freeman

Melanie: The plan is simple. Go on vacation and finally relax after five solid years of hard work. How was she supposed to know her well-meaning friends would hijack said vacation to set her up with a drool-worthy photographer -- or that their setup would lead to a whole host of other problems like kidnapping, illegal experimentation, and weirdest of all, psychic abilities? Through it all is Liam, a written-off experiment, and their overwhelming connection.

Liam: Nothing is ever simple when it comes to Liam and the entity that lives inside him. All he knows is the entity is pushing for him to get to know Melanie. Their connection is undeniable, and it’s of interest to the ones who created him in a lab, as well. Liam’s one of the few of their experiments that worked, and the only one to form a bond outside of their scientific creations.

Prologue To: [email protected] Subject: Issue with Contracted Photographs Attached: MJR Info

Dear Mr. Patton, I am sorry to inform you the negatives for the contracted photographs were not received in the package containing the hard copies. As these photographs are going to be used in the issue of our magazine, it is imperative they be sent out as soon as possible, especially since the contract deadline is also fast approaching. I understand it can be difficult to communicate while you’re on location for a photo shoot, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you expedite those negatives. My information is attached.

Thank you, MJ Radcliff istration/Journalist Terra Publishing

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Contracted Photos

Ms. Radcliff, All negatives are attached to the hard copies of the contracted photos before being sent by my assistant, Frank. He does not make errors; therefore, the issue is on your end. Find those negatives or I won’t be the only one in breach of contract.

O. Liam Patton P.S. Frank, keep an eye on this situation!

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: No Negatives!

Mr. Patton, I personally checked the photography department for the negatives on the offchance they were improperly received or misplaced, but no such luck. This tells me the error must have occurred on your end, no matter how unlikely. I’m sure you have competent people to handle your business stateside while you’re on location. However, everyone makes mistakes. Per your previous email, I awaited from your assistant Frank, but none was forthcoming and this issue is becoming more time-sensitive. Contractual obligations aside, those photos are perfect for the layout planned for the issue, and I would hate to have to use substandard images from another freelancer. Please follow up as soon as possible.

Thanks, MJ Radcliff istration/Journalist Terra Publishing

* * * To: [email protected] CC: Frank Subject: Negatives

Ms. Radcliff, I am currently knee-deep in tribal conflicts in a country no one would ever want to visit and do not have time to deal with the blame game over something I have no way of knowing has occurred. I guarantee those photos are for publication by your magazine only. Use them all you want. All other queries should be directed to my assistant at the following information:

[email protected] Liam Patton, Patton Photography Vail, NC 22220

* * * To: [email protected]

Subject: Contract Points

Mr. Patton, While I ire the depths you go to in order to obtain genuinely spectacular shots, your e-mail guarantee is not enough. In fact, according to our in-house counsel, we would be in breach of contract if we used your photos without the negatives or digital copy, per the agreement between Terra Publishing and Patton Photography. Unfortunately, your assistant has failed to us, and the deadline for the issue will expire within two days. I have been authorized to inform you we will not be using your photos and any monetary obligation will be forfeit on the same date. Also, any further images required for the magazine will be open to any freelancer bid, and you no longer have first consideration by us. Please me if you need any information regarding our open bid policies for freelancers.

MJ Radcliff istration/Journalist Terra Publishing

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Meeting

I will be stateside within the week and will address this issue in person. Schedule an appointment at the earliest of next week with whoever needs to attend, including yourself as you have been the person throughout this whole fiasco.

Patton

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Automatic Reply: Meeting

I am currently away on vacation and will have limited access to email during this time. If you need immediate assistance, please the istration department at [email protected]. All other queries will be answered when I return.

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Personal Information

To whom it may concern, My name is O. Liam Patton, owner of Patton Photography, and it is essential I get in with Melanie Radcliff. I understand she is on vacation, but she has pertinent information involving contractual obligations between Terra Publishing and Patton Photography. Please respond as soon as possible.

O. Liam Patton Patton Photography

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Personal Information

Dear Mr. Patton, It is against company policy to give out personal information on any employee of Terra Publishing. However, Ms. Radcliff has left instructions for any communication involving Patton Publishing to be dealt with as priority business. You can her at the information provided to you previously in case of an urgent situation. An appointment has been scheduled for you and our photography editor for Wednesday, March 2, 2016, and if there is anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to email.

Thank you, Rose Herman istration, Terra Publishing

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: APT-8 Attached: E-Mails

Subject APT-8 has begun to exhibit a hunting mentality concerning a possibly compatible female. E-mail communication between the subject and the female are attached for analysis. Health and physical information on the said female can be found in the employee database, but further tests are recommended if the female is to be selected for the PS Project. Please advise for continued monitoring of female?

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: APT-8 Analysis complete. Female is compatible with subject APT-8 and for induction into the PS Project, based on current health information. Await further instructions.

Chapter One Melanie

“I still don’t understand your choice of vacation, Mel. You live at the beach. Granted not on the beach, but close enough. Why’re you going to some random tropical island again?” Melanie rolled her eyes at the angst-ridden demand as she continued to sort through the freshly washed clothes piled on her bed. She should have known better than to wait until the last minute, but making sure her office could function while she was away had tied up more of her time than expected. The whole situation with Patton Photography was just unfortunate. “Are you ignoring me?” A ball of socks flew through the air and hit Melanie in the head. “I’m making a valid point about your vacation locale!” She turned to face her best friend, Lorelei Sapelo, and smirked. “Yes, I am. The beach here and the beach on an island are two different beasts. Besides, I’m more excited about the jungle than the ocean.” Lorelei sighed as she plopped down on the clothes-covered bed. “You’re usually more organized than this. Why’re you packing so late? Where’s the crazy OCDness I had to deal with all through college?” Yanking on the sleeve of a T-shirt until Lorelei shifted her fat butt, Melanie pulled out the extra large tee and began to roll it into a tube. “There’s been a lot going on at work I wanted to handle myself. Besides, I don’t want all the hard work I’ve put into getting the editorial staff in shape to implode while I’m gone.” “I know what you mean.” Lorelei shoved more clothes closer to Melanie. “One day…” She held up her index finger for emphasis. “… is all it takes for all your hard work to just poof out of existence.” “At least I have Rose to handle anything serious while I’m away. Your one-man show at your job is just asking for a headache. All those dusty tomes. My

allergies would make me pay in so many ways, all of them horrible. Are you going to help me pack or just watch? I can’t be late to the airport in the morning.” “You’re not going to be late. I’ll have you there in plenty of time.” Lorelei bounced off the bed and pawed through Melanie’s neatly organized closet. “Are you not taking anything but casual clothes? What if you meet a hot guy and you’re wearing grandma shorts?” “Those are Bermuda shorts, and I’m taking a few maxi dresses and skirts as well, so I’ll try to meet this ‘hot guy’ while I’m wearing one of those.” Lorelei sniffed, but she stopped mes her closet. “There’s no need for that snippy tone, Melanie! I’m trying to be a true friend and help you not die an old cat lady.” Melanie burst out laughing. “You know, I’m thinking of getting a cat when I return. It would be nice to come home to someone even if it is only an animal.” “I rest my case, budding cat lady. Please don’t become a stereotype because I’ll never forgive you, knowing I’ll probably share the same fate.” Bras, underwear, and a variety of mix and match bathing suits were added to the suitcase. “You’re not a cat person, so I doubt that will happen to you, Lori.” Melanie glanced around and frowned. “Would you check the bathroom for my toiletry case while I figure out where to put my shoes?” Lorelei wandered into the bathroom, her voice slightly muffled. “Your less-thanconcerned attitude concerns me. Oh my God, you met a guy, didn’t you?!” She returned, clutching the toiletry case. “Who is he? Do I know him? How hot is he? He’s not an idiot or a serial killer, is he?” She paused for breath before shaking her head. “No, you wouldn’t tolerate a moron, no matter how pretty, and a serial killer would already be taken care of.” “This tendency you have to jump to weird conclusions will get you in serious trouble one day.” Melanie neatly situated her toiletry case in the space she had saved before adding a few other miscellaneous items: outlet adapters, copies of all her travel documents, and backup chargers for her cell phone and tablet. “And I haven’t met anyone. It was at work.”

“Ooooh, you’re lying. Tell me about Mr. Work?” Knowing nothing would budge Lorelei when she got stubborn, Melanie went into the living room and grabbed her tablet off the coffee table. A few taps and the image of a lush jungle came into view. That was what she showed Lorelei. Her eyes examined the picture for a moment and widened when she found the hidden jaguar perched in the trees. The incredible, close jaguar that stared from the image with boneless curiosity. “How did he take this without getting eaten?” Melanie reached over and tapped the image again to get the byline information to come up. “I’d like to know that, too, because you and I both know there was no zoom involved, and the camera wasn’t perched in the tree. However, Mr. Patton has been out of the country for months, and when he is stateside, he’s basically a recluse.” Lorelei read the short byline information before handing the tablet back to Melanie. “So, spill. What sort of have you had? And where’s a picture?” A few more taps on the tablet and Melanie answered, “Like I said, it’s been for work. We’ve been communicating through email about an issue with some of the photographs. Nothing personal has been involved, so you can get that gleam out of your eyes. I would like to meet him because there’s something about his photos, and I’m curious about the process he uses to achieve what he does.” She turned the tablet back to Lorelei. “This is the only picture he has for his bio.” They both looked at the candid photo of a tall, well-muscled man wearing khaki cargo pants, a khaki bush shirt, and a plain baseball cap. His features were shadowed, but they could make out a generous amount of scruff on his face and the displeased line of his mouth, not much else. “Figures you would go for the unkempt mountain man type. I mean, he’s certainly big and strong, but I don’t see the attraction.” Lorelei rolled her eyes. “So what’s the plan for your sad fangirl stalking?” Annoyed now, Melanie closed her suitcase and zipped it. “I’m going to let him come to me. I sent him my personal information. That’s not stalking.”

Laughing, Lorelei shook her head. “Stalking technique: set trap and lie in wait. I hope he likes neurotics who are too smart.” “Hello, pot, this is kettle calling. What about you, ‘Ms. Freak Out if one precious title is out of place?’ I thought your head was going to explode when I accidentally put one book in the wrong section of the B’s. Who alphabetizes their magazines anyway?” “Hey, you can always find what you’re looking for at my library. Are you done packing? It was a long tiring day at work and an even longer day dealing with that idiot contractor.” Melanie followed Lorelei out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen. “Oh yeah, how is the great library construction going? Did the shelves finally come in?” Lorelei pulled two Coronas from the fridge, popped the tops, and shoved pieces of lemon into them instead of limes. “Yes, but they’re the wrong color. Apparently, the moron decided to order cherry wood instead of mahogany without consulting me, because cherry is easier to work with. I informed him that since I would be looking at those shelves every day, he could put in what I wanted, no matter how difficult, or he was fired. I now have to find another contractor, preferably one who can follow directions.” “Maybe you can find a female contractor?” They both plopped down on the sofa before Lorelei responded. “Now, that’s a good idea. I’ll look into that tomorrow after I get back from the airport. The sooner the better because that idiot has left a complete mess.” Melanie took a swig of the beer. “So let’s go over it one more time.” Lorelei groaned, but obediently began to recite, “I have the spare keys to your house, your car, and your fireproof box. I also have all the notarized documents enabling me to get into your safe deposit box.” A swig of beer and the recitation continued. “The little black book containing all your s for your bills and such is locked in the fireproof box. Should you randomly disappear, I am to pay everything until your savings run out. Okay, I’m going to stop you there. What has brought on this bout of paranoia?” Melanie finished her beer in one long swig, then set the empty bottle on a

coaster. “I don’t know if I can explain it right. This vacation is happening, that’s a given, but something is on the horizon. It’s the same feeling I got when my parents died. The same one I got at the bonfire senior year. It’s that drive that I need to be somewhere, and I will be required to do something very bad.” Lorelei’s fingers twitched. Neither of them liked to be reminded of the upheaval they both went through senior year. “I understand, and I believe the trip will be worthwhile. In a way. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. So, for my peace of mind, even if you get kidnapped or get amnesia or some other ridiculousness, I need you to take this.” She reached over and pulled out the slim black phone with no logo. “Jesus, now who’s the one that’s paranoid!” Melanie flinched when the screen lit up with scrolling music notes that spelled out IMP P. “Where did you even get that? Last I heard Phoebe was in Ibiza or some other club music haven.” “You’re not the only one who has serious, ominous feelings about this vacation. That being said, and since I am the more pragmatic of the two of us, you’re going to take this phone and use it as your personal cell.” Lorelei handed it to her, and the home screen appeared. “It’s set up like the ones we had in college, minus the overkill spyware. Phoebe promised. It’s just in case you get lost. She even cloned your phone so everything is laid out the way you like it. As a bonus, you’ll have coverage everywhere that even remotely gets a signal without the charges.” The emoji icon on the phone flashed, drawing her attention, then winked before reverting back to its original format. Melanie scowled down at the screen, knowing Phoebe was watching from the front-facing camera before giving a sharp nod. “All right, Lori. I’ll take this, but not because I need it. I better not get a dossier on anyone we have discussed tonight, or I’ll know for sure this thing is full of spyware.” Snickering, Lorelei finished her beer. “Is it really spying if you know she’s spying because she sent you a dossier on things she thinks you need to know? Besides, if anything happens, maybe that Patton hottie will rescue you. On the other hand, he seems the type who would bitch at you for getting kidnapped in the first place.” “Please, like I need some testosterone-ridden Neanderthal to come rescue me. I

can rescue myself, thank you very much.” Melanie smirked. “The whole thing is moot anyway. I’m pretty sure I’m not his type. Not to mention, it’s becoming less and less likely I’ll even meet Mr. Patton, let alone start a relationship with him. Now, what about you? Any prospects on campus?” Lorelei gave a huff of annoyance. “There’s a new adjunct professor who’s supposed to start this semester. He’s some sort of traveling teacher, and stays for two semesters before moving on. I think his subject is animal behavior or something.” Melanie waited. When Lorelei didn’t add to her comment, she found the lack of information intriguing. “And… ? Is he a young stud or a silver fox? Why doesn’t he have tenure? Is he hot?” She noted the slight red tinge on Lorelei’s cheeks with vengeance in mind. “Oh ho! Is someone hot for teacher? This is too perfect!” “Shut up!” Lorelei frowned. “You and I both know I can’t date anyone I work with. It’s in the policies of the college.” “Like that applies to a traveling adjunct professor? And technically, you don’t work for the college. You’re contracted through the foundation, so I say go for it before some idiot coed snaps him up.” Lorelei snorted. “I wouldn’t want him if he’s easily snapped up by an idiotic coed.” “Touché. On that note, we need to turn in. My flight isn’t that early, but I want enough time available in the morning to not be rushed. Do you need me to get you up in the morning?” That earned her a grimace. “You better make sure I’m fully awake before you take your shower. Otherwise, I’ll roll over and go back to sleep. It takes three alarm clocks well out of reach to get me up in the mornings. I think I have a sleep disorder or something.” Melanie bumped her hip against Lorelei’s as they headed toward the spare bedroom. “I think you’re just crazy and should accept it.” Lorelei bumped her back. “Uh-huh. And you’re whole ‘instantly awake’ thing isn’t nuts? No one should wake up completely aware. It’s unnatural.”

“You should be thanking me, since I made sure you didn’t flunk out of college for being perpetually late.” “Please. I would have invented my alarm clock cascade that much sooner.” Lorelei smiled. “Goodnight, Mel.” “‘Night, Lori.”

* * * Liam

Oliver Liam Patton arrived home after a twenty-five-hour flight to find the main gate to his estate covered in crime scene tape. On closer inspection, he noted the gate was a bit mangled and had been forced open. Annoyed, he pulled out his cell phone and searched for the information for the local sheriff’s department. “McLeod County Sheriff’s Department, how may I direct your call?” The voice, young and chirpy, grated on every single one of Liam’s sleep-deprived nerves. “Get me Sheriff Grady.” “Sir, if this is an emergency I urge you to 911. The sheriff is a busy man.” Liam ground his teeth. “This is Liam Patton, and since I’m staring at crime scene tape on my front gate, you can get the sheriff on the phone to explain the situation.” “Hold, please.” A series of beeps followed before a gruff voice came over the line. “Sheriff Grady.” “Mike, it’s Liam. Why is my gate trussed up with crime scene tape?” “Hell, Liam, you’re finally home. Wait for me. I’ll be at your place in five

minutes.” The chirp of sirens sounded before the sheriff disconnected the call. Less than five minutes later, the sheriff’s SUV pulled into the drive next to Liam. They both exited their cars and shook hands. “Welcome home, Liam. Sorry about the gate, but the EMS truck needed to get through. It’s Frank.” Annoyance morphed into concern. “Is he okay? I’ve been trying to reach him, but there’s been no response.” Sympathy clouded Mike’s face. “I’m sorry, Liam, but Frank had a heart attack. He died en route to the hospital. He was at your house when he called 911.” Grief, swift and sharp, twisted his gut as Liam leaned against the side of his car. “This must be hell on Josie. I should have been here.” “It was sudden, and there was nothing that could be done. Josie is a trooper -you know that. It was a simple graveside service. No frills. Frank wouldn’t have wanted all the fuss. He’s at McLeod Cemetery on Cypress. Glad you’re home. Going to be staying awhile?” Mike removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sure would like to see more of you in the community.” Liam smiled tiredly at that. It was always the same. The small town of Vail wanted him to stick around and play local celebrity. Maybe even open a gallery in their historic downtown area. It was something he and Frank had talked about. Grief twisted his gut again. Perhaps it was time to settle down and cage the restlessness that had plagued him all his life. Josie would be tickled, more so if he settled down with a woman to give him cubs -- babies. “I’ll give it some thought. There’s a lot I’ll have to consider. Thank you for getting here so quickly.” He pushed away from his car. “I’m going to see Josie before I do anything else. Is it okay if I leave the crime scene tape up until I can get someone out here to fix the gate?” Mike nodded. “Of course. I’ll also have the deputies do drive-bys to make sure no one is getting any funny ideas.” “Thanks.” Liam climbed back into his vehicle and waited until the sheriff had driven off. He sat there for a moment, trying to process the loss of the man he had considered his father. Frank and Josie had taken him in and given him purpose, which was more than a runaway orphan could have expected, given the

path he’d been on. He drove through Vail toward the small cottage he had built for Frank and Josie when his photography had taken off. When he’d first landed in Vail, he hadn’t believed the people were as friendly as they made out to be. It hadn’t occurred to him he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought. Photography was a skill of observation and patience, something Frank had in abundance. Frank and Josie lived above the bakery, and Frank made a living as the building handyman. Trusting them was the best decision Liam had ever made. As he pulled up in the gravel driveway, the red door to the cottage opened, and Josie’s well-rounded figure stepped out onto the porch. The mixture of stone and wood blended with the trees and land the cottage had been built on, and he was glad to see it had aged well in the ten years since its completion. As he was getting out of his SUV, the ringtone he had assigned to the harpy at Terra Publishing went off. The anger from the missed contract briefly distracted him, but he decided it would have to wait. Josie needed him, and he needed her. “Oliver Liam Patton, it’s about time you came home.” Josie stood on the porch, waiting for him with her arms crossed. “You have been missed.” Noting the red-rimmed eyes and the clothes that didn’t fit as well up close, Liam enfolded Josie in his arms and breathed in the fresh-baked bread and sunshine smell he had figured out was acceptance and love. He noticed there was less of her to hug than last time. “Josie, I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” “Hush with that. You’re here now.” She motioned for him to her at the table and chairs set up on the porch. “How was your trip? Did you get the photos you were hoping to?” Liam’s heart warmed. Josie was always interested in the trips he took. “Yes, I was able to get close to the pride and follow them for a while. I have several pictures of the different .” Smiling at the love she could hear in his voice, Josie looked out over the overgrown yard. “My wild child. Now that you’re home, there are some things I need to discuss with you.” “I’m not staying long.” He blinked. He hadn’t intended to make such a statement, but accepting it as a truth emerging from his wild side. “There’s

someone I need to track down.” The brine scent of sadness filled the air between them. “You built that big house, but you never stay long enough to make it a home, Liam. Is this someone I will eventually meet? You’re not getting any younger.” Liam pulled out his phone and pulled up the Terra Publishing website. He still wasn’t sure what had made him look up who was communicating with him. He had never cared before, but something in that first email snared the attention of what was inside him. He had learned to not ignore those instincts and warnings. So, when that secret part of him made its presence known, he listened. A few taps, and he turned to show Josie the enlarged picture of one Melanie Radcliff. “She’s in charge of the use of my photos for a magazine. There’s something, but I’m not sure what, about her. Whatever it is, the cat is intrigued by her.” Josie studied the picture, and cotton candy excitement tempered the brine of sadness. “She’s pretty. I love that auburn hair. What about the emails sparked the cat’s attention?” Liam removed his ball cap and ran his fingers through his oddly streaked hair. The mix of browns, blonds, and reds had garnered too much attention all his life, so he kept it covered with a variety of hats depending on his locations, though he favored baseball caps. He didn’t have the patience for dyeing it. “I’m not sure. They were professional and flattering, at least until she didn’t get what she wanted. Then there was a sense of sharpness, as if she were angry, and regret.” “So you picked up emotions from the written word? Has that ever happened before?” The cotton candy scent sharpened until the air was saturated with the sugary sweetness. Josie was fit to bursting with it. “No. It’s unprecedented, as far as I know. I don’t know what it means or why it’s happening, and the cat is playing it close. I can’t tell what it wants, but its attention is there.” “I don’t know why you insist the cat-like behavior and instincts you have are a separate entity.” Josie reached out and took his hand in hers. She traced the faint lines up his arm. Those lines were only a shade or two darker than his own golden skin, but they were reminiscent of tiger stripes and were much darker on his back. “The cat has never focused on one person like this?” An eye roll. “Not even Crystal of the fast ways, of whom we did not approve?”

Liam’s face heated at the reminder of his college girlfriend, who as Josie said, had been fast. “No. That was just hormones. You’ll be happy to know I’ve decided it’s time to cut back on all the traveling and settle down.” Smugness, like ozone before a storm, crackled as Josie leaned back in her chair. “Was this before or after your communication with the redhead?” A chuffing rumbled his chest, and his eyes closed at the sound. It meant he was relaxed enough to expose more of his feline traits. “You think she’s the one that appeals to the cat? What if I’m not in agreement?” The smugness deepened, the smell almost too much for his acute senses. “Granted, the picture is only a headshot, but I can tell she’s a curvy thing. That nicely rounded face says it all. Besides, the cat might sense something the human part of you can’t. I sense hidden depths to those direct green eyes.” Josie rose from the table and ran her fingers through his mussed hair. “Your room is ready as always. Stay at least a couple of days before you go hunting again. Visit Frank.” “Of course.” Liam followed her into the house. “I have to get the gate fixed before I go anywhere.” Later that evening, after they shared a memory-filled dinner about Frank and his life, Liam retreated to his bedroom for some much-needed rest. He took a shower, and the hot water finally relaxed his muscles, rigid after hours trapped among too many people. Something about crowds and closed-in spaces suffocated him. Surrounded by the scent of home -- Josie was right; his place wasn’t home yet -- he finally pulled out his phone to satisfy his curiosity about the message he had received earlier. He opened the email only to find a single link. Click here for information. That one line told him it hadn’t come from Melanie, although it was her personal email and not the work one. More curious than ever, he tapped the link. A few exchanges flashed across the screen until a general-looking message board opened with a message already loaded.

* * * LibLori: Hi, Mr. Oliver Liam Patton. My name is Lorelei, and I’m Melanie’s best friend. Not sure how to take this surprise communication from someone he didn’t know, Liam considered things. Obviously, this Lorelei knew Melanie well enough to have access to her personal email, but the communication method was suspect since they were now on an anonymous-type message board with only the two of them as participants. It was the feline that decided how to proceed, though with a sub-vocal growl. Piatton: This is Liam. His ID moniker was appropriate at least. Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, a response popped up. LibLori: Finally! Sorry, that was rude. I’ve been waiting all day for your response. We need to talk, Mr. Patton. Piatton: I’m confused. Why would you be ing me? Ms. Radcliff is supposedly on vacation and won’t be able to help me with contracts between Patton Photography and Terra Publishing. There was an even longer delay this time. He waited impatiently, realizing too late he shouldn’t have been so aggressive. Here was the self-proclaimed best friend of the woman his feline was wholly focused on. No need to alienate her until he got more information about the object of his slight obsession. Piatton: Sorry, it’s been a long day traveling. What is it we need to discuss? Are there pictures you’re interested in? LibLori: Not exactly, although Mel would love something of yours for her birthday. Surely you’ve noticed how often your work is used by Terra by now? Liam frowned. Come to think of it, there had been a lot of deposits from Terra Publishing lately. More than any other publication, which made the loss of the contract that much more of a big deal.

Piatton: You have my attention. What exactly are you after here? And before you start, get straight to the point. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be too brusque, but he was tired. Too tired to play these types of games with a woman he didn’t know. LibLori: All right. Melanie is enamored of your work and more than likely your person, not that she would ever it it. I want to facilitate a meeting to see if the feelings are mutual. Well, this was fortuitous. A non-business related meeting where he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping the feline traits entirely under control. Professionalism would not be required. Piatton: Just to be clear, you want to set me up with your friend? Like a date? LibLori: Yes. I have a feeling the two of you would hit it off. You even communicate the same way, clipped and snippy. No offense! It would be good for both of you. He’d always had the impression he would see eye-to-eye with Melanie. Now here her self-proclaimed best friend said the same thing. Granted, it was only after a texted short conversation, but who was he to argue? Besides, this would save him the time of tracking her down himself and give him an ally in convincing her to agree to whatever the feline instincts wanted. Piatton: All right, I it she has intrigued me in the communication we’ve exchanged, and I’d be open to a recreational meeting. What arrangements do you propose? It took longer than before until a response popped up. It was lengthy, but it made him smile. Josie was going to be pleased. LibLori: Attached is Melanie’s vacation information. She won’t be expecting you, so you can approach her any way you wish. I prefer you leave my meddling out of this. If she gives you any trouble, you can mention my interference and approval. Be warned, you’ve been investigated, and we will ruin your life if anything untoward happens to Melanie. LibLori: Happy trails.

Looked like he’d be leaving sooner than he had intended. He clicked the link for the travel information, but nothing happened. It was then he noticed a new person had popped up in the chat. ImpP: Be kind to Mel, and we won’t destroy you. I’m watching. The sudden flash on his front-facing camera blinded him. When his vision cleared, the travel information had loaded on his phone, and he could see precisely where his redhead had gone. For a moment, he considered letting it all go because, apparently, someone had been watching him from his own camera. That was disturbing on so many levels. But he knew he wasn’t going to let it go. He covered the camera with his thumb and began to scroll through the travel information, making plans as he read.

Chapter Two Melanie

After a solid thirteen hours of traveling, Melanie breathed a sigh of relief as the water taxi docked on Sandbar Caye and the end was in sight. She could retire to her water-based bungalow and begin her two weeks of relaxation. A man stood on the dock dressed casually in shorts and an open button-down shirt. “Ms. Radcliff? Welcome to Sandbar Caye. I’m Bill Sinclair.” Recognizing the name from the communications she had received about her stay, she extended her hand to shake. “Mr. Sinclair, nice to finally meet you.” He motioned for the water taxi driver to follow them with her bags. “Bill will do. How was your trip? No snags or delays?” “No, everything was fine. I’m glad to have finally arrived. This place looks just like it did in the photos online.” The tiny, lush caye was d as a true vacation spot where visitors were meant to relax and enjoy all the natural beauty around them. It was beautiful, from the sparkling turquoise water to the abundant, green-leafed palm trees. Only a few locals lived on the island, and all of them worked for the resort directly or indirectly. There was one restaurant with a lounge attached and one store to shop in. “Yes, a member of the company that funded our business is a photographer in his everyday life. Liam Patton.” Bill turned right when the dock split into three directions. “He did the pictures while he was surveying our operation.” Surprised, Melanie stumbled over her own feet. Patton was part owner of this place? She would recognize his photos anywhere, part of the reason she had chosen such an out-of-the-way and somewhat expensive vacation spot. None of this had come up in their cursory background check. “Are you all right? Was the board loose?” Bill looked at her with concern.

“No, I’m fine. Just a bit klutzy. And tired.” She hitched her backpack higher up on her shoulders. “It’s been a long day.” Bill shook his head in sympathy. “We are a bit out-of-the-way, but it’s well worth it to be unplugged from everything. That’s what a true vacation is. Your bungalow is prepared to your specifications, and there’s a light dinner waiting for you, so you can rest full and happy.” He led the way up a few steps to a thatched roof bungalow, made from the same pale wood as the dock. All the windows were thrown open to welcome the breeze directly off the water. Instead of a keycard, Bill unlocked her door and pushed it open with an old-fashioned brass key before handing it to her. “If there is anything else you need, just pick up the phone and dial zero. We’re here to accommodate you to the best of our ability. There’s a map of the caye on the desk, if you wish to venture out later this evening. Drinks and snacks are served in the lounge until two a.m.” After depositing her luggage, Bill and the water taxi driver backed out of her room. “Again, welcome.” Then they left. Melanie looked around the one-room bungalow and stretched her arms wide. It was perfect, with whitewashed walls, pale tiled floors, and windows on every wall to allow light and breeze directly off the water. French doors led out onto a deck that had direct access to the beach, as well. The room itself had a king-size bed with a pure white quilt and a low dresser at the foot. An alcove seating area held chairs and a table that could be used as a desk, since the map of the caye was on top of a stack of papers next to a covered tray she assumed was her light dinner. An open door showed a full bathroom. A kitchenette featured a small refrigerator and hot plate next to a free-standing sink. Drawing in a deep breath of the sea-scented air, Melanie tossed her backpack onto the bed before dragging her suitcase over to the dresser. Once she unpacked, ate whatever was on that covered tray, and took a shower, she would be ready to get some sleep. The three large drawers of the dresser held all the clothes she had brought with her. It was a good thing she hadn’t really brought anything that required hangers because there wasn’t a closet. Once she was done, she re-zipped the suitcase and slid it under the bed, out-of-the-way. The room was only so big.

Before she could see what was for dinner, a three-toned chime sounded from her backpack. Unbelievable. It figured she would still be getting service on a caye in the middle of nowhere. Lorelei had warned her. She dug the slim black device out of her bag. Speak of the devil, she had a text from Lorelei. Hope you arrived safe and sound. Don’t be mad. Well, that didn’t sound good. Do I even want to know? What did Phoebe do? There was a slight delay. While she waited, Melanie walked over to the table and uncovered the tray to see what had been left for dinner. It was a cold plate with meats, cheeses, and fruits, just what she needed after all the processed food she had been eating while traveling. Included was a small bottle of wine and a bottle of water. Famished, she sat down to eat. This was all me, and I am not going to tell you what I did. Just don’t be angry when it occurs. Great, now she had some unspecified surprise coming to her. Although Lorelei’s surprises tended to be on the benign end. If it had been a Phoebe surprise, she probably would have already repacked her things to get the hell off the caye. All right. I reserve the right to kick your ass if this goes sideways. So many meddling friends, but they loved her, and that was all that mattered. She finished the food on the plate and byed the wine for water. There would be plenty of time later to drink and be merry. No response was forthcoming from Lorelei, so she continued with her plan to get ready for bed by taking a long, hot shower. The bathroom was a surprise. It was larger than expected with a glass-enclosed shower and an oversize claw-foot tub. A standard toilet and another freestanding sink took up the remainder of the space. She looked forward to a soak. While the tub filled, she examined the various bath salts and selected the ones that appealed. When she climbed into bed, she plugged her phone in to charge and spotted another text from Lorelei.

Agreed. She laughed and put the phone on the nightstand by the bed. It wasn’t long before the fresh sea breeze and the sound of the waves lulled her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * * Melanie woke to the sun shining directly in her face, making her realize the French doors across from her bed faced east. She wouldn’t forget to close the blinds before bed next time. A glance at the phone showed no new messages, so she climbed out of bed and began her morning routine. Wash the face, brush the teeth, and restore order to her wild hair. She dressed in a simple T-shirt and a pair of shorts before slipping her feet into flip-flops to explore where to get breakfast. Before she left the bungalow, she grabbed the map of the caye off the table along with last night’s dinner tray. According to the map, if she followed the boardwalk through the trees, it would take her straight to the Seahorse Lounge. Bird calls echoed overhead, and an ocean breeze caused limbs to sway. After a few minutes’ walk, she cleared the trees and once again saw the vast expanse of the ocean. There, to her right, was the Seahorse Lounge. All the windows and doors were open. She entered the chilled interior and smiled when she saw Bill standing behind a bar laid out with food, buffet-style. Otherwise, the place was empty. “Ms. Radcliff, you didn’t have to bring your tray. It would have been retrieved.” Melanie set the tray where the dirty dishes were placed and approached the buffet. “No problem.” She surveyed the offerings on the bar. Lots of fruits, cheeses, slices of bread. Having a fondness for the tart, Melanie picked up a plate and loaded it down with pineapple, orange slices, and green apples. She added a few pieces of cheese and some bread. “If you’re interested in some water sports, we have paddleboarding and canoeing, as well as snorkeling and scuba, if you’re certified.” Bill rearranged some offerings on the buffet. “Some of the other guests enjoy the saltwater pool, if you’re looking for a less strenuous day. And if you’re interested in an

adventurous day, we do jungle hikes on the mainland.” She sat at a table. “Sounds like a good start. I may do that today before trying anything too adventurous. How many other guests are here right now?” “It’s our slow season. We have two couples and another solo guest due to arrive within the week.” Bill frowned. “It was a last-minute addition, so we’re not sure when he’ll show up.” She was glad the caye wasn’t busy. The goal had been to get away from it all. Melanie wasn’t sure, but lately, she had been feeling restless. It was time to reevaluate her life. Something was missing, and until she found it, the restlessness would remain. “We’ll be having a sit-down dinner for all guests who want to attend. We’re a small community, so it makes sense to have a mixer once a week.” Bill wiped along the sideboard of the buffet. “It’s casual, so whatever you have for a beach vacation will be appropriate.” That was something to consider. Melanie did enjoy meeting new people, and the couples wouldn’t expect much from her, as they had each other. “Is the dinner tonight?” Bill removed her empty plate from in front of her and refilled her juice glass. “Yes, at seven. If you have any food allergies, please let us know by one p.m. so we can make special arrangements for you.” “Thank you, Bill.” Melanie finished her juice and rose from the table. “I think I’m going to change into a bathing suit and check out the saltwater pool. Any chance I can get some snorkeling gear for the afternoon? And where’s the best place to snorkel?” He removed the empty glass and brought out two chilled bottles of water. “The gear hut is not too far from the adventure dock. Just take the dock through the trees. Stay hydrated, and be sure to ask for more water, if needed, at the gear hut.” Melanie picked up the waters as she rose from the table. “Thanks, Bill. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Melanie returned to her cabana to put on a bathing suit and get a beach bag together with a towel, sunblock, and the water. After a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed the cell from the charger. She would want to listen to music at some point while lying on the beach. It was a relief to see she had no texts or phone calls, even though there were two bars of service. Phoebe had outdone herself this time. When she exited, it was to find two oversized felines waiting for her. They were about hip high with spotted sandy-colored fur and haughty blue eyes. Recognizing the Savannah breed, Melanie waited patiently to see if they would accept her in their territory. It was a stare-down, but eventually the cats approached and began to sniff. They must have approved of her because the weight of both of them bumping and rubbing into her legs almost knocked her over. “Pretty kitties.” Melanie made sure to give each one equal attention. The purrs let her know her petting was appreciated. The chirpy noises were even more adorable when she scratched in happy places like their chests and behind their ears. After several minutes, Melanie gave them both a gentle rub along their back before continuing on her way to saltwater pool. It didn’t surprise her when the cats came along.

* * * Liam

The sun was high in the sky when Liam maneuvered the small sports boat into its space under the overwater cabana. Once he cut the engine, the sound of the ocean soothed his nerves. After he had tied off the boat to its berth, he tossed his duffle and messenger bag on the dock before following. He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the upper deck and the entrance to his cabana. The French doors were unlocked, and all the windows were open to allow in the brisk ocean breeze. Bill must have gotten his message.

The open floor plan of the cabana with its whitewashed walls and tiled floor made the feline inside him rumble in approval. Liam was pleased to see the king-size bed he had requested had arrived. Full-size didn’t do it for his six-foottwo frame. As he wandered over to the full kitchen, instead of a nook like the other cabanas, he opened the refrigerator to see it fully stocked. He grabbed his camera and a bottle of water before returning to the deck. He sat in one of the chairs and had just propped up his feet on the railing when he heard a high-pitched squeal followed by laughter. He jerked in surprise and almost dropped his camera. But the cat was intrigued, and he scanned the water through the viewfinder until he located the noisemaker. With the zoom, he honed in on the swim platform several meters from the end of the adventure dock. Splayed out across the pale wood was an ivory-skinned woman in a brilliant blue bathing suit, and next to her sat Bill’s two Savannah cats. From this distance, he couldn’t make out her features, but that brilliant auburn hair glistening in the sunlight, even wet, gave him a good guess it was Melanie Radcliff lying there. Liam bristled with excitement. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he returned inside to retrieve the binoculars he used when observing wildlife at a distance. He would be able to watch her and attempt to discern what it was that riled the cat so much that he had to leave Josie to deal with his estate and the busted gate. Never had he seen Bill’s lazy cats take to anyone so quickly. They frolicked in the water and then returned to the floating dock to bask in the sunlight. Josie had been correct to assume Ms. Radcliff was a curvy thing. His eyes wandered over all that pale skin on display and lingered on full breasts and wide hips that had a purr rumbling through his chest. Physically, she was what he wanted in a woman. After a while, he grew concerned. The heat and the sun strengthened as the afternoon ed, and even he felt the burn in his skin. Her fair skin would blister, if she stayed out much longer. Oddly enough, the Savannah cats seemed to understand that, as well. From his deck, he heard their yowling as they herded Melanie back toward shore. He watched until she disappeared around the gear hut. The cats returned to the activities dock to resume their sun lounging. Deciding it was time to do a bit of

reconnaissance, Liam dropped off his camera and binoculars inside before venturing out to find Bill. Now that he was on the caye, his inner feline had become impatient.

* * * “Mr. Patton, welcome back.” Bill climbed the stairs from where the floating bar was attached to the deck that encircled the saltwater pool. “I thought I heard your boat earlier.” As they shook hands, Liam grinned. “Bill, you can call me Liam. We’ve only known each other for the better part of ten years.” Bill chuckled at that familiar onishment. “So how goes the picture-taking? Finally taking a break?” “Something like that.” Liam briefly debated with himself how much to reveal, but impatience won out. “How many guests do you have right now? I saw your Savannah cats playing with one of them not too long ago.” Bill sighed. “That would be Ms. Radcliff. Ever since they met her, it’s like they’re her cats.” Well, this was a curious development. Bill’s Savannah cats were not a fan of Liam’s. They sensed the animal below the surface, and it made them nervous. “I thought your cats were wary of guests and tended to hide?” “They usually are, but they’ve taken quite a shine to that girl.” Bill laughed. “She’s obviously a cat person because if they’re near, she loves on them without getting annoyed or tired of their demands.” Liam wondered if that was it. If the cat was interested in her because she was a cat person. Of course, that didn’t explain his infatuation with her. “Huh.” Time to change focus. “The other guests? I know this is your low season.” While stocking the liquor on the floating bar, not as many bottles as usual, Bill shrugged. “Besides the solo Ms. Radcliff, there are two couples. The Baileys are celebrating their honeymoon, and the Cochrans frequently come here this time of year.” A sly look. “You’re our only surprise.”

“So when is the next dinner mixer? I’d be interested in meeting everyone.” Liam began handing Bill bottles from the box on the deck. Bill chuckled at that question. “We gather every night and take turns cooking to give Reynaldo new recipes. Ms. Radcliff is to blame for that, too. She put forth the idea at the first mixer she attended, and it was a resounding success. I it I do like the vegetarian lasagna she made.” Liam was shocked. The menu never changed. Perhaps there was even more to this Melanie Radcliff than he thought. “Great. Work me into the rotation, and I’ll make my famous chili.” “No can do, Liam.” Bill headed toward the Seahorse. “Ms. Radcliff is in charge of that. She organized the deliveries from the mainland for each person’s cooking requests. You’ll have to take it up with her and Reynaldo. They’re oddly in cahoots about ingredients and kitchen time.” Liam fell in step with him, but took the boardwalk left to return to his cabana. “Well, I guess I’ll handle that tonight at dinnertime.”

* * * Later that evening, Liam stood outside the Seahorse Lounge and listened to the music and laughter coming from inside. He pushed opened the door and slipped inside as unobtrusively as possible. While standing in the shadows beyond the door, Liam scanned the room, and his eyes widened slightly at the laid-back atmosphere among guests and employees of the caye. Bill and the cook, Reynaldo, played pool in the corner. A young couple he assumed were the Baileys slow-danced to a bluesy number coming from the jukebox. The older couple -- the Cochrans -- were seated at one of the small tables playing a game of checkers. Behind the bar was a new employee he didn’t know. Talking to him were Gary and his two sons. And there, seated in one of the hammock chairs, was Melanie Radcliff. With one foot tucked under her and the other just touching the floor, Melanie swayed in the chair as she tapped away at the tablet in her lap. She knew the

words to the song playing because he could see her lips moving, and her head bobbed slightly. Her extended time in the sun had settled her complexion into a warm cinnamon color instead of the lobster red he had expected. “Ho, Liam! You’re just in time for me to fleece you out of some of your money.” Bill waved him over to the pool table. A curious thing happened then. Melanie’s head shot up and pinned him in the shadows by the door with no hesitation about where he was. Her ability to multitask and still be aware of her surroundings was impressive, animal-like in its intensity if the look on her face was anything to go by. He was too far away to see her eyes properly, but he was about to change that. Liam gave a wave to Bill to let him know he would be there in a minute, but strode across the room to where Melanie sat. The closer he got, the more things he noted about her. Her mouth was tight as if she was displeased, but her gaze never wavered. She had stopped swaying by the time he reached her. Ah. It was a one-two punch right where it counted. The first was the utterly feral judgment in her brilliant green eyes. It weighed him as any wild thing would, whether he was prey or predator and knew that should she decide predator, her reaction would be swift and violent. But while she judged him, the most beautiful scent in the world teased his nose: the smell of wild grass on the Serengeti, a windswept mountaintop, and verdant green, all rolled together. In a word, it was freedom. This small woman with the heart of a beast was his mate. He and the feline were in agreement with that. “Ms. Radcliff.” A shade slid over her eyes, the feral gaze gone, as her lips curved in a fake, professional smile. “Mr. Patton.”

* * * Melanie

Not good. Not good at all. She was going to kill Lorelei and Phoebe. They knew better than to pull this surprise crap on her. It never ended well. Even now, her heart raced, and cold sweat broke out along her back. Next would be the shortness of breath, and then the darkness would come. Speaking of breathing, she sucked in a desperate spate of air through her nose, and everything froze. Her panic, the fight-or-flight response, and the ensuing black tide of violence that usually resulted evaporated. That part of her brain created in the crucible of her childhood had already analyzed the situation and come up with no less than five potential weapons and three ways to disable Mr. Patton, should that be required. All negative thoughts stopped when she picked up a scent, the one that was new and fresh and made her insides settle down. It was kitten fur, the breeze off the sea, and the yeasty goodness of home-baked bread. God, it was perfect. As an added benefit, it stopped the madness and forced her to focus on the fact Liamfreaking-Patton stood right in front of her. For one blessed moment, she took in the unrestricted view of his face, since he had that ridiculous baseball cap on backward. Strong jaw and pouty lips she had spent many a day drooling over. Sharp cheekbones and a blade of a nose. Those eyes. Warm amber with honey accents all swirled together. She had never seen eyes quite like them. His height and mass, in general, was another surprise. Built was the word. Liam was all muscle, but not bulky. He would definitely tower over her well-rounded five-feet, four-inches. She didn’t realize how long they’d been staring at each other until Bill walked up and slapped Liam on the shoulder. “Liam, we have a friendly game of pool going on, if you want to get in on the action. Five dollars a game and a dollar for every ball you shot-call.” Not taking his eyes from hers, Liam nodded. “All right, just get me worked into the cooking rotation real quick. I’m sure Ms. Radcliff knows the perfect night for me.” Either she was lightheaded from the scent wrapping around her lungs and libido, or those words had a slight purr to them. Melanie blinked as Bill walked back over to the pool table, laughing.

“It is Ms. Radcliff, isn’t it?” Liam asked with a slight curve to those full, kissable lips. “You can call me Melanie.” She started to get out of the hammock chair and, of course, the klutz curse went into full effect. Somehow, her tablet went flying like a Frisbee; her foot got tangled in the netting of the hammock chair, and she managed to slap him in the groin all at the same time while taking a header to the floor. There was a hiss of anger, very much like a cat, before he grabbed her. Blood rushed every which way when she was abruptly upright. As the lightheadedness faded, Melanie found herself face-to-face with Liam. Feet dangling and skin tingling where his hands wrapped tightly around her arms, she blushed crimson. She wasn’t the only one either. Liam had a slight tinge of red across his cheekbones. “If I were on the floor, now would be the time for it to open up and swallow me.” Melanie gave a slight wiggle, and Liam obliged by setting her on her feet, but not releasing her right away. “I am so sorry.” An aggravated huff of air. “It’s all right.” He eased his grip on her arms and stepped back before turning to look behind him. “I think your tablet landed somewhere over there.” He wandered over to the other side of the table where Diane and Marvin Cochran played checkers and returned with her tablet. As he approached, his steps slowed and she realized that the tablet still displayed the various pictures she’d been examining. His photographs and only his. Busted. Because that was her personal tablet, not the work one for magazine layouts. Basically, she had stolen his intellectual property and used it as a screensaver and background. “I’m sorry, again?” He looked up at her. “For what? Loving my photos enough that you look at them every time you look at your tablet?” His eyes seemed to darken. “You’re more than welcome to them. In fact, I brought my camera and tablet with what I was working on recently, if you’re interested in taking a preview. You can even select your favorites to keep if you want.” Melanie blinked in surprise at that very generous offer. Liam’s photographs were different, which meant they sold very well. Well enough that she would only be

able to afford one or two of the originals if she purchased them from his online store. Definitely not an opportunity to up. Yet, she couldn’t shake the sense of rightness, and that rubbed her the wrong way. Nothing in life was free or easy, at least, not for her. “Really, Mr. Patton? You will give me your originals? Like if I purchased them from your site?” Glad to have her pissy, pragmatic attitude back in place, Melanie took her tablet from him. He did look mildly offended at what he probably thought was a snatch, though. “Liam, if you please, Melanie.” He studied her for a beat and whatever he saw must have made him forgive her for the snippy tone because his features softened. “And yes, you can have your pick. I want to get to know you beyond business communications. You are more than welcome to vet me with your friends. They did.” Dammit, now she was crimson again. She would murder them. Murder them both in terrible, bloody fashion. She could imagine the type of vetting Lorelei did, pleasant and polite, but Phoebe… Melanie gave a mental shake of her head. Phoebe was a whole different beast. A feral munchkin bent on world domination -- or at least control of her and her friends’ lives via computers. On the plus side, that meant Liam was probably on the up-and-up. She could proceed and relax her paranoid brain… after she had a little chat with two busybodies. “All right. Sorry, again!” She snapped the case to her tablet shut. “You can cook tomorrow night. It’s open. I’m sure Reynaldo won’t mind. He’ll need to know what ingredients to get, so tell him before you leave. I’ll meet you in the morning for breakfast.” Liam grinned, and she blinked in surprise. His eyeteeth and incisors were… different. Overly developed and sharp. There was something altogether odd about him, but also intriguing. She had always been a sucker for those who were different. “Great!” He seemed to dither like he wasn’t sure what to do next before he leaned down and buried his nose in the curve of her neck. He drew a few deep breaths and then pulled back, blush in full effect. “See you in the morning.” As he sauntered away, Melanie stood there dumbfounded. He was even weirder than she’d thought. Who randomly sniffed women they just met? Then again,

hadn’t she been subtly sniffing the air since his approach? They were both weird, but there was a connection. Something she looked forward to investigating because Liam was without a doubt the most intriguing male specimen who had ever caught her eye. Ignoring the sly looks from the Cochrans and the wolf whistles from the others she had met, Melanie left the lounge and headed for her cabana. Time to find out what Phoebe had dug up and Lorelei’s impressions.

Chapter Three Liam

The lights were too bright, and the greasy smell of sausage and eggs exacerbated the burning in his gut. What had possessed him to try Bill’s attempt at making his own liquor? He’d been too keyed up after finally meeting Melanie, and Bill and Reynaldo had taken advantage of that. Josie was right, though. Melanie was perfect. The door to the lounge swung open, letting in a swath of pure sunlight that sizzled his brain like the eggs currently on the grill. The light blinded him, and the breeze off the water made his skin prickle uncomfortably. Slowly, he pushed himself up from one of the chaises situated in the back of the lounge where he had ed out in the wee hours of the morning. He was in hell. Bootleg liquor hell. “Liam, is that you?” God, no. He blearily looked at his watch. It was after eight a.m. Melanie had arrived for their breakfast date. This was a disaster. “Hey.” A racking throat clear. “Hey, Melanie.” Her brows shot up when she got a good look at him, and the judgment in her eyes made him feel slightly ashamed. Josie would beat him with a wooden mixing spoon if she were there. Melanie’s narrowed green eyes had the same effect. She sighed, and he thought, here it comes. The condemnation and dismissal. What woman wanted a drunk? She could do so much better, but that smell of freedom swirled around his nose, and his queasy stomach settled. God, he couldn’t let that go. She reached out and laid her hand on his sweaty forehead. Then tsked. “What exactly were you drinking last night?” At his deer in the headlight look, she laughed. “You have that well-pickled look that tells me you were drinking

something way stronger than what you find on the shelf of the local liquor store.” Liam started to laugh, but the movement triggered a pretty severe bout of nausea. He doubted she would ever let him see her naked if he vomited on her. He really wanted to see her bare and, even better, touch all that cinnamon and cream skin. “You’re right. It was some concoction Bill’s been tinkering with. I regret it now. So much.” Melanie’s low laugh flowed over him, and the feline made a rumbly noise in his chest. Her eyes were warm on his, and his heart tipped. It scared him because he was fresh from losing someone he loved. “Well, let’s get you cleaned up and soberish. I don’t think lying here is doing you any good.” She touched his forehead again, and his baseball cap became dislodged. Her eyes widened when his hair was revealed. Liam watched her with no comment. His hair was something he did not discuss with anyone. Or even show them if he could help it. It always invited trouble. But Melanie didn’t hesitate. She ran her fingers through the tousled strands and even rubbed a hank of it between two fingers as if trying to figure out the texture. She moved closer until she stood between his legs and his face was even with her generous chest. That scent was richer there, as if warmed by her very essence. Liam could practically feel the breeze on the Serengeti and the heat of sun-warmed rock. He had to stop himself from burying his face in her neck again. It was a bit early for that, and he felt like he would probably lose a limb if he even tried. Something decidedly angry and violent swirled inside Melanie. The feline sensed it and remained wary. “Your hair reminds me of kitten fur.” Melanie reached for his hat, the softness of her chest briefly pressed against him, and he had to hope she didn’t see the sudden evidence of his desire for her. He stayed perfectly still while she replaced the hat, the bill covering his face, which he was thankful for. “All right, Mr. Patton. Let’s go. If you behave, I’ll make my overdid-it cure-all.” Liam pushed himself to his feet and swayed a bit before finding his equilibrium. Melanie stood close, but didn’t offer to help. Her small stature would be no match for his two-hundred-plus-pound frame suddenly toppling over. Reynaldo

grinned at him from the window where the kitchen was visible, and Liam flicked him the middle finger behind Melanie’s back. It was like she had eyes in the back of her head because as soon as he did it, Melanie snickered. “I take it that’s the pickler?” Then she laughed harder. “Okay, that was much weirder out loud.” Liam laughed and then groaned. As they wandered down the wooded paths of the caye, he said, “Tell me about this cure-all. Will it really work? If not, kill me now.” The sun was a blistering curse, and the humidity was higher than usual for this time of year, making his suffering even worse. “I hope you have all the ingredients in your cabana. Otherwise, we’ll have to ask your pickler.” A giggle. “Since you have a full kitchen, you should have everything I need.” Somebody had been gossiping, probably Bill and Reynaldo. They were such a pair of old biddies sometimes. “As long as it makes this godawful hangover go away, I don’t care what you whip up.” They were almost to his cabana when he asked the question that had led to his current condition. “Why are you so comfortable with everything? My strangeness and our connection? I know you sense it.” Liam pushed open the door to his cabana. No need to lock it when everyone knew him on the caye. Melanie followed behind him and gave the open floor plan a quick scan before turning her attention to him. There was that predatory nature again. He wondered why. Melanie shut the door and made her way into the kitchen. Her tone was thoughtful as she replied, “It’s hard to explain, but I can tell you it started with the first picture you submitted to Terra Publishing. The one with the leopard lazing in the tree.” Eight months ago. Frank had pushed him to connect to Terra Publishing. His gut twisted. Frank would have loved those e-mails, the stick and carrot approach of them. He looked up to see her removing the blender from the shelf above the sink. “The risk you took to get that picture made me realize I wasn’t living. I was existing. That very day, I began planning this trip. I also decided I would meet

you at some point, and well, it wasn’t planned but here we are.” Melanie glanced back at him from opening the cabinets and frowned. “You’re looking a little green, Liam. Go take a shower while I make this. We have plenty of time for us to explore this thing between us. We’ve both acknowledged it, so it isn’t going anywhere.” Liam nodded and pulled the cap off. No need to wear it. Plus, she was here in his house, so to speak, saying she wasn’t going anywhere. He could finally relax and just bask in not having that drive to go-go-go. Josie would be happy. Finally, for the first time in his life, he was content to stay right where he was. He headed for the bathroom.

* * * Melanie

When Liam finally left the room, Melanie breathed a sigh of relief. She needed a few precious moments to get her freakout over with before he returned. Last night, Lorelei had been less than helpful. Her impressions of Liam were that he was a no-nonsense type person with a go-getter attitude. He would have to be, with all the traveling he did and the dangerous situations he put himself into for photographs. Phoebe, on the other hand, had dug deep. Much deeper than she had thought possible in such a short amount of time. That girl was going to take over the world mwah-ha-ha style, she just knew it. In the meantime, Melanie needed to consider how deep she wanted to go. Liam’s weirdness intrigued her. It was the disturbing documentation Phoebe had obtained from the orphanage. Phoebe was a hacker, yet she had a paper file she swore belonged to Liam -- except he wasn’t called Liam in it. He was designated as APT-8, and there were some very freaky notes in that file about his genetics, which were not altogether human. Melanie took a deep breath and then snorted. Human. As if that was a selling point for anyone. What had her concerned was the unmitigated glee with which Phoebe had shared that file. Phoebe hadn’t been concerned that Liam might be less than human, or that in fact, that his DNA might have been mixed with large feline breeds. God, that was weird to think about. Ethical issues aside, because

there were agencies in place to stop that type of tampering, how had they done it? Phoebe hadn’t been sure, but she planned to check with the science nerd of their group and get back to her. After dumping in bananas, spinach, an entire bottle of Gatorade, and some flax seeds, Melanie fired up the blender. Once the ingredients were well combined, she paused the mixer and added two ibuprofen and one tablet of Dramamine. No one liked to vomit. She couldn’t stop Phoebe from researching some random company she’d found on one of the documents, not with something this juicy. She could only hope Phoebe wouldn’t disappear into some black site the government would deny existed. It would be a bitch to go get her. Melanie poured the thick liquid into a thermal mug and snapped the lid into place. She doubted Liam would want to drink anything that weird shade of gangrenous green. Even she winced at the color. However, it worked like a charm to replenish fluids, and the drugs helped counteract the worst aspects of a hangover. Still lost in thought, she wandered over to the bathroom and caught her foot under an uneven area rug. She bumped into the slightly ajar door, and it swung open. Steam flowed out, and she absently noted his bathroom resembled hers, all white tile and silver fixtures, with an open-air shower. No curtain, no frosted glass, no nothing. Just wet, gleaming flesh. And not just any flesh, but skin bearing the faintest stripes across his back, resembling a tiger. Her fingers tightened around the mug when she realized exactly what she was watching. Liam stood under the spray, eyes closed, and had his hand gripped around himself. Slow stroke after stroke as the head of his penis darkened and his balls tightened closer to his body. Heat flushed her own body, her stomach and lower area tightened while she watched him pleasure himself. Just imagining that body caging her own and his flesh tunneling into her had her practically panting. Much like Liam as he began to stroke faster and faster. Muscles tightened, his arm flexing as his grip became more aggressive. His stance widened as the faint trembling in his body spread, and he tipped his head back, his mouth open as a long hiss of completion began. With an almost violent jerk, his seed exploded out and mixed with the hot water. Her eyes were locked

on each jet of white, and she didn’t realize he was watching her until she looked up and found those slumberous amber eyes regarding her with hunger in the depths. It was right then she knew he had been thinking of her during his orgasm. They stared at one another for a long moment, and Melanie was at a loss. These things didn’t happen to her. In the two intimate relationships she had in the past, there was never this angst-type longing she’d only read about in books or seen in those sappy movies Lorelei liked to watch. Nor had there been this awkwardness. Embarrassment, yes, but not this jittery feeling that had her wanting to strip off her own clothes and him under the hot water. “Your smoothie is ready.” Oh God, how inane. Melanie kind of wished her klutz curse would kick in right then and make sure she died. Liam made no effort to turn away or hide what he had been doing. He just smiled. “Thanks. I was about to get out anyway.” Oh. Now he was the ridiculous one! Get out. Get off, more like. Melanie’s eyes narrowed. It had been a tease. That… that… cat had been playing games with her. The unlocked door had been an enticement. Who the hell laid traps while hungover? Who could even get it up when bongos were playing in their brain? All that blood… Well, actually all that blood traveling south probably quieted the bongos. She slammed the smoothie down on the counter by the sink. “Uh-huh. Enjoy. You’ll need to rest after drinking that.” He stalked out of the shower cubicle, easily maneuvering on the wet floor without any sign of instability. She probably would have broken her neck on the first step. “Don’t leave, please.” Her ire calmed, and Melanie sighed. “I’m not leaving. I’m going to fix you some dry toast. You need something else in your stomach besides that.” The sweetness vanished, and the predator came out to play. “Good. Do you mind grabbing a pair of boxers out of my bag? I doubt you want me walking around like this.” A sly wink. “Of course, I could be persuaded.” At this point, Melanie decided two could play this game. If he wanted to grab the

tiger by the tail, heh, then he was going to learn she was not one to bluff. Her family had learned that the hard way and to their detriment. She carefully crossed to him in the bathroom, no need to fall, and almost groaned at that scent. Only now that baked bread-ocean-kitty fur scent was coated in the smell of rain. How the hell did he smell like rain coming out of the shower? She reached out and placed a finger in the middle of his chest. He was hot to the touch, and her finger followed the trail of water down, over his ridged stomach, below his belly button, and paused just above where the blood pooled once again. Melanie stared into those amber eyes and watched them slit when she smiled. With no hesitation -- that would defeat the purpose -- she took her hand away and reached down to pull off the tank top she had thrown on that morning. His lips parted in shock and eyes widened almost comically when she stepped close enough to allow his member to touch the bare skin of her rounded stomach. His hands clenched into fists, and triumph was hers. However, the victory was hollow, and he deserved to know when she won, she rewarded. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she reached out and gripped the velvety skin over steel. As she began stroking him, the tip rubbed along her skin and spread the precum that almost immediately began to leak out the tip. Even though he had orgasmed not five minutes ago, it didn’t take long for him to start spurting all over her stomach. All the while he watched her with those wide eyes and flaring nose as if her scent excited him beyond all reason. When he began to soften in her hand, she stepped back. “No problem, Liam. Your boxers should fit comfortably now.” Then she sauntered out of the room.

* * * Liam

His heart wobbled a little more. Melanie was bold, someone who took what she wanted and gave just as much. She would make an excellent addition to his family. Josie would love her, and well, the others would be afraid of her, as they should be.

Liam grabbed the mug off the counter and tipped it back. As he chugged and tried to ignore the bizarre combination of flavors, he considered what he was going to do when he followed her. Despite two orgasms, he was still very much hungover and needed a good couple of hours of rest. When he finished whatever the hell she’d blended, which was currently confusing his stomach, Liam rinsed the mug out in the sink and left it on the counter. Before he left the bathroom, he picked up her tank top. She would want it later. When he exited the bathroom, soft cotton slammed into his face. He caught it before it fell to the floor and saw a pair of his boxers. A giggle and he turned to see Melanie standing beside his bed. She was in the process of demolishing the pillows and comforter that had been pristinely made. What struck him was that she was wearing one of his T-shirts, and judging from the sway of those breasts, not much else underneath it. “Is there a reason you’re mes my bed?” He pulled on the boxers before approaching her. He watched her tug the top sheet out from where it tucked under the mattress. “I’m not so good with confinement. I like to be able to stretch bits of myself outside the covers.” Inherent in that comment was the fact that she planned to stay. To sleep in the same bed with him. That was a relief. Liam had already been considering the best arguments to get her to stay. He wanted to explore this thing as thoroughly and as soon as possible. He plain wanted her. In the meantime, he also felt the need to return the favor. He wanted her relaxed, near boneless, as he was feeling. So with that thought, he came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. Melanie paused in her tugging but didn’t resist when he trailed his hands up her sides until he could cup the swaying breasts he had been dying to get his hands on. In fact, she gave a slight arch when his palms lightly squeezed. They stood like that, him manipulating the flesh that swelled and hardened at the tips. He leaned down and trailed his lips along her ear. “Is this all right? I don’t want to do anything you don’t want.” As he said it, he pinched her hardened nipples and rolled them through his fingers, which elicited a light moan from her. Pleased, he nipped her ear with teeth that were way sharper than they should be. “I take that as a yes?”

There was a mumble before a very clearly articulated, “God, yes.” Liam grinned as he plucked her nipples while the other hand drifted down her belly and stroked along the edge of her panties. The rich freedom scent grew stronger, warming as if the sun rose to heat the air and earth. His fingers slipped under the waistband of those simple cotton panties and found short tufty hair and warm slick skin. He explored that cleft, never quite touching the aching nub or penetrating the weeping hole. His goal was to drive her crazy and then satisfy her. Melanie, apparently, did not have the patience for his plan. One of his questing fingers stroked along her cleft, and the little minx managed to arch enough to have it penetrate inside where that wet, clinging flesh tightened. Liam used his free hand to tug on the T-shirt until the shoulder by his mouth was free. Not really knowing what he was doing beyond pleasuring the female he and the feline had claimed as his, he settled his mouth on that curve of flesh as he began to stroke inside her. She was wet, growing wetter by the minute, and that silken tunnel tried to cling and keep his fingers deep inside. He added another finger, stretching the age more while using his thumb to stroke along her clitoris. The combined sensations had her tensing in his arms. Moans and gasps poured from her lips. His teeth sank into the flesh of her shoulder almost as if he were trying to hold her in place, but not enough to break the skin. Every time he bit down, she undulated in his arms and her channel clenched around his fingers. Before long, she panted, chasing the pleasure he gave her. A steady thrum of her clit and she went off like a bottle rocket, all hissing breath and rapid clenching. He inadvertently bit down a little too hard, and his teeth broke the skin. There wasn’t much blood, but he laved the wound until it stopped bleeding, hoping she wouldn’t notice in the euphoria of orgasm. That hope was short-lived. “Did you bite me?” The husky question had him scrambling to find an answer that wasn’t too weird or make her want to leave. Honest, but not weird. “Yes?” Hell, that sounded like he’d questioned himself. Time to man up. “Yes. You were moving, and it was something to keep you in place.”

Melanie hummed a happy tune. “Okay.” She wiggled and gave a slight moan as his fingers slipped out of her panties. “I look forward to the next time.” Who was this girl? He’d thought he was weird, but her easy acceptance of his weirdness weirded him out. Melanie yawned and pulled the covers back. She climbed into the bed, scooted to the other side, and wiggled around until she was lying flat. “You need to sleep, Liam. We can talk when you’re not hungover.” She patted the space next to her. “Come on.” Liam obeyed and slid beneath the covers. “You’re going to stay? Sleep and everything?” Melanie yawned again. “Definitely. I was up late last night talking to Lorelei and Phoebe. Lorelei thinks you’re perfect for me, and Phoebe, well… Phoebe has some information you might want to look at after our nap.” He slid closer to her under the covers and used his arm to pull her into the curve of his body. Her scent wrapped around him, as well as the smell of his seed and her own spent ion. As they settled down together, Liam licked the place he had bitten on her shoulder. “Okay. And I am perfect for you, just as you’re perfect for me.” Her even breathing let him know she was already asleep and probably hadn’t heard him. No bother. She’d realize it when he refused to let her go.

* * * Melanie

The sun was angled to shine directly on her face through the French doors that led out onto the deck. It was the one irritation in an otherwise idyllic situation. She was snuggled up against Liam, in his bed, and not feeling that overwhelming suffocation she had gotten any time someone was in her personal space. Perfection, or it would be if that light weren’t shining directly in her face. Great, now that she was awake, other issues were beginning to make themselves

known. There was an odd stiffness in her shoulder. It was sore and tingly at the same time. Her bladder wasn’t thanking her, either. That was the cue for her stomach to start growling. Liam began to chuckle behind her. “Your irritation woke me up. You think loud.” Melanie sighed. That wasn’t the first time she had heard that complaint. Although, Liam sounded more amused than alarmed. Some people couldn’t handle the fact she was so emotive. At least that was what the psychiatrist had told her in her formative years. It bothered people. She decided it bothered weak people, and therefore wasn’t her problem. “I have to pee.” She cringed. Not what she wanted to say at all, especially since he had had his hands down there not too long ago. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. “And I’m hungry. How about you?” Another chuckle and a squeeze that did not do her bladder any good. “I feel better. Your concoction is magic. Food would be good.” Relieved, she wiggled her way free from him and the covers that had somehow wrapped around them both like a cocoon. Huh. Not something she would usually tolerate. Once she was on her feet, she stretched. “Yes, we’ve been lazy enough. Let’s have whatever meal it is and talk about some things.” Melanie turned and saw the panicked expression. “You know, about the things that Phoebe dug up. Have you ever seen your file from the orphanage, from when you arrived?” That cleared his expression, but it made her wonder. Was this the typical male response when a woman said they need to talk? Or was it more? Ugh, she hated the uncertainty that seemed to plague any new relationship, intimate or not. After a beat, she decided to proceed as she would with anyone who would fit her family group. Straightforward honesty, even if it scared the bejesus out of her and him. They would both be grateful for it in the end. “Liam, let me be clear about something.” Melanie paused to gather her thoughts. She wasn’t big on emotional displays, but she felt like the effort would be worthwhile in this case. “We share a connection I have never felt with another person. I have ones I love, ones I would do unspeakable things for, and I believe

you’re in that category already. If that’s something you don’t want or something you’re not ready for, now is the time to tell me. I’m not the most intuitive when it comes to people and their good intentions. Bad intentions, yes. Good things, not so much. So I’m going to need you to be very clear with me about what you expect.” He sat up among the pillows and covers she knew were in disarray because of her restlessness and smiled. “I thought my differences were too much for you.” Melanie laughed. No matter how different and animal-like Liam was, the human part of him worried her more. Animals were simple and straightforward. Humans were different. “Oh, no. That’s perfect. I actually like that best about you right now.” Well, that sounded kind of bad, like she didn’t like him as a person. God, interpersonal relationships were so hard. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” Liam smoothed the sheet around his midsection. “I understand what you mean. People are hard. Animals are not. Besides, you think I don’t get you, but I do. You’re a predator, a monster to regular people, but you see things the way the animal does.” That wiped the smile off her face. Melanie felt a cold, dark place yawn open inside her. It was a place she didn’t willingly venture, a place born from abuse and torture. It had recognized Liam, as he had recognized it. This was concerning. Liam could rouse that place, and it wanted him. Wanted to keep him and possess him in ways she didn’t understand. Like it belonged to him, and therefore he belonged to her. “I don’t… I’m not…” But whatever she was about to say would be a lie. He was right. She was a monster, a predator who saw things for what they were and acted accordingly. Usually very, very violently because that had been what created it. “Does your cat believe that?” Melanie considered him. He could say he understood, but until he was there to witness the swift and all-consuming rage, he wouldn’t honestly know what she was. Only three other people knew, people who had benefited from having a dark fiend. Liam rose out of bed and pulled her closer. He gripped her shoulders and leaned down to stare directly into her eyes. “The cat and I are in agreement that you’re mine, and we’re yours. If you believe nothing else, believe that.”

She stared into those amber eyes, eyes that now seemed to have more honey, as if he was lightened by her presence. Hard to trust, but the predator as Liam called it, had never been wrong. It said the same. They belonged to each other. “All right. But in the future, there will be a moment where you will see exactly what it is you claim. I’ll remind you of this then.” He flashed those sharp teeth, then pecked her full on the mouth. “Deal. Although, the reaction you think will happen won’t. The cat thinks you’re going to be a wonderful mother to our cubs. Very protective.” That blanked her mind. She was worried about him bailing on her after witnessing what she was capable of, and he already had them having kids. Wait. Cubs? “What?” Liam leapt across the bed, those thigh muscles more than just for her to drool over. “Didn’t you say you wanted to show me what your friend found?” He disappeared into the bathroom, but his voice carried. “Let’s get dressed, and we’ll have food delivered to your cabana.” She could argue the point, but did she really want to? Melanie dithered until her growling stomach and full bladder won the argument. Whatever the future held, there would be a discussion about babies vs. cubs. Not something she had ever really thought about. Here she had considered getting a cat before her vacation, and now she not only had a man, but potential young. “Melanie, you might want to shower before we go or I will not be held able for any molestation you suffer between my cabana and yours.” Liam had poked his head out of the bathroom and sniffed the air with a grin. “Feel free to show me every delectable inch of yourself.” Snorting at that, Melanie went into the bathroom with her tank top and shorts from earlier. It took some shoving, and her weak muscles were not very useful in removing Liam from the bathroom, but she managed after some growling and purrs. “I’ll shower when I have access to fresh clothes. Out! I need to wash up and relieve myself.” Liam’s laughter could be heard through the door as she tried to pee as quietly as possible. There were just some things you did not do when you had only met someone. Never mind that they had that awesome connection, and someone was

already planning babies. Men! They were all exhibitionists. After washing herself up, Melanie dressed. She hated to take off Liam’s T-shirt, it smelled just like him, but she figured she could always steal it again. Or any number of his other clothes that struck her fancy. It was guaranteed to make him do that grumbly rumble he did when slightly annoyed. There were so many things to look forward to. To learn about Liam and maybe make sense of the connection that was so strong, yet so new. It would only get stronger, she was sure. There were the traditional things, too. Meeting each other’s families. Learning each other’s likes and dislikes. Driving each other completely crazy. “Melanie? I’m starving!” The whine in his voice was playful and made her smile. “I highly doubt that, Liam.” Melanie bundled up her wild curls and secured them with a hair tie she kept around her wrist. As she pushed the door open, Liam grabbed her around the waist and swung her around. Melanie squealed in surprise, then burst out laughing. “If I puke, that’s on you!” Liam immediately stopped and hugged her close with his nose buried in the neck that still bore his bite. It boggled her mind how strong he was. She wasn’t a lightweight -- but Liam snatched her up without even a grunt. In fact, he seemed to like her extra cushion, he was so big himself. “Whatever you’re thinking about, stop.” He made the grumbly noise, the one that vibrated in his chest and reminded her of pissed-off cats. It was a warning, and she knew it. “I can feel your muscles tense and I know you’re displeased with something. What is it?” Melanie really didn’t want to have the weight talk with him. His burly frame did not have any fat or jiggly bits on him. She smirked in her mind. One bit did bob up and down, though. A sharp nip on the still sore and tingling bite had her yelping more in surprise than pain. “Now you have to tell me what you’re thinking! I felt that, a splash of humor. You laughed.” So in sync already. Only Lorelei was this close. It was disconcerting but nice.

Melanie breathed into the side of his neck, causing a shudder. Ooh, a hot spot. She would . “Women are funny about their weight. I had some mean thoughts about myself, and then I amused myself with a dirty thought about you.” A nip, this one not as sharp. “What was it?” Melanie grinned into his neck, then whispered in his ear, “That while I have jiggly bits you like, you have one that bobs that I like.” The full-on laughter was well worth the embarrassment such a remark caused. In fact, Liam gave her a squeeze of pure happiness.

Chapter Four To: [email protected] Subject: Arrival

Liam Patton has arrived on the caye. He came after the solo female on vacation, Melanie Radcliff. They know each other from work. Same deal as before?

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Deal

All interactions are to be reported between Patton and female. Any physical out of the ordinary is of particular interest. Money will be delivered by electronic transfer.

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Bite-mark

I confirmed that Liam did come to the caye specifically to meet with Ms.

Radcliff. They are spending time together, and Ms. Radcliff has a hickey on the side of her neck that has teeth marks in it.

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Payment Payment complete. Await further instructions.

* * * Liam

Melanie’s cabana turned out to be of more interest to him than he would have thought. Not one to normally question a female’s space, Liam found he was curious about things and their placements. Like, why were there bras and panties clipped to the ceiling fan? Or why did Melanie have to crawl under the bed, pull out a locked suitcase, and remove a phone that was wrapped in a T-shirt and zipped into a plastic bag? That seemed odd and extreme. “Is there a reason you hid your cell phone?” Liam watched her tap away on the phone before replying. “This is not a phone. It’s a spy device.” Melanie rolled her eyes at something on the screen. “Yep, spying.” Liam dodged the dangling lingerie and peered over Melanie’s shoulder. The screen was aglow, and the text messages were open. You can’t hide from me, Mel! I cloned your boycat’s phone too, ho! Liam’s eyebrows shot up at that. “What exactly does that mean, Melanie?”

That earned him a long-suffering sigh and absentminded response while fingers went to work on the screen’s keyboard. “It means you are officially part of our family. Phoebe doesn’t start spying on you or invading your privacy unless she accepts you’re going to be around for a while. So, your phone on your nightstand may have been used to spy on any sounds, or the camera may have been turned on when we were standing next to the bed.” I better not see that on any website! Stop getting your rocks off with others’ love lives! Liam wasn’t sure how to take that, and he definitely didn’t like the idea their first physical encounter might wind up on some random porn site. Everything that was theirs belonged to them and them alone, including their sexy fun times as Melanie called it. “She wouldn’t put that up on the Internet?” I shut it down at the first growl, ho! BTW congratulations on bagging someone even weirder than you are, psycho. “No, she wouldn’t. She’s just nosy and loves me. Our relationship is complicated.” Melanie fired off another rapid finger-tapping response. Good to know. Love to everyone, nutcase. Please unencrypt the file you sent me about Liam. A complicated relationship, but maybe Melanie and her friends were some of the weirdest people he had ever met. And he hadn’t even met them yet, not really. Texts and messages didn’t count. Until he could scent their truths, they were an unknown with the potential to remove Melanie from his life. In a word, competition. “Ah, got it.” Melanie handed him the phone. “Read this while I take a shower.” Before she left the room, she flicked his baseball cap off his head and ran her fingers through his hair. “No need to hide when it’s just you and me.” The phone in his hand pinged. And me. AWESOME HAIR!!!

Liam blinked. Okay, maybe not competition after all. The screen cleared of the text, and jpeg images of a file popped open on the tiny screen. As he read, his mood darkened. The whole file read like a science experiment on an animal. He had been constructed in a test tube and placed in a surrogate to incubate. What worried him, but made sense in a way, was the mention of others in his same batch. Or litter to use the proper, degrading term. Ping. I can see your growly face. It was slightly disturbing that the noise preceded the text bubble. Like it was warning him it was coming. Not a typical function on a cell. After a slight hesitation, he typed out a response. Where did you get this? Is this IMP P? Musical notes scrolled across the whole screen that spelled out IMP P as soon as he pressed send. After the fanfare, there was a response. I have it set to do that any time someone types my name. It will drive Mel nuts. Haha. Yes, it is I, the DJ Master IMP P!!! Liam wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. To be honest, she seemed a little crazy, but a genius, too. This file, were there others? The screen with the file popped back up on the screen with a section at the bottom of the last page highlighted. It was a link to two other case files each tagged APC-8 and APU-8. Liam had a pretty good idea who those belonged to. He felt kind of odd, like his life wasn’t what he’d thought it was. To find out he was constructed like a jigsaw puzzle, then just given away, was a lot to take in. He knew they would feel the same. His brothers, Connor and Royce. The three of them had bonded in that orphanage until each went their separate ways. He’d run away. Royce was adopted. Connor was stuck until he aged out at eighteen. Each of them with different animals, but the same. Ping.

I didn’t have time to get copies of the others. I am intrigued by all this though. I will investigate pro bono. So not a good idea. Liam might not have known Melanie long, but he knew enough to know she would not like one of her friends, her family, doing anything dangerous. This whole situation screamed danger. I would prefer you didn’t. These files can wait. Forever if need be. Ping. Haha nice try, cat-toy. Already in place to retrieve the other files. Will keep you apprised what I find. Share what you know with your friends. Son of a bitch. This was not going to end well. He could feel it. “So, did Phoebe piss you off or what?” Liam’s head jerked up at Melanie’s voice, and all anger was forgotten, swept away in a tide of lust. She stood framed in the steam-filled doorway wrapped in nothing but a white towel too small for her luscious curves. How she managed to tuck it in he didn’t know, but the gap along her side revealed a strip of pale milk flesh and cinnamon tanned skin. If he had anything to say about it, all her towels would be too small in the future. She walked toward him with a smile and warmth that made those emerald eyes glow. “She did, didn’t she? Don’t worry about it. It’s a talent she has.” Melanie plucked the cell out of his hand and wrapped it back in the T-shirt before returning it to the plastic bag. “Let’s put the spy away for a while.” Liam reached up and ran his hands down her arms where droplets of water had escaped the towel. She shivered in his hands, but it wasn’t from the cold. She could feel the heat rising between them just as much as he could. Melanie’s hands cupped his face, and she leaned down to press her lips to his. They slid across his own, and that was when the fire engulfed them both. A quick twist and the towel was gone, and Melanie was sprawled under him on the bed. That milky skin outlined in cinnamon red just begged to be teased. He first used his fingers and then his mouth until Melanie was a quivering, wet mess. Each location had its own flavor and texture he wanted to imprint on his

brain. It wasn’t long before her demands became more persistent. Her sharp nails dug into his skin through the thin material of his T-shirt. He ached where he was trapped in his shorts. When he pulled back to tear off his shirt, Melanie reared up on the bed and attacked the buttons of his fly. “Off, off, off.” She ripped his shorts open and pushed them down his thighs. Her fingers tightened around him as she pulled with sure, strong strokes. The sensations were immediate and intense with the impetuousness she wanted to get from him. Liam pushed her back on the bed and spread her legs wide. The glistening pink core of her was on full display, and he wanted to watch as he sank every inch of himself inside her. With his hands on her thighs, he positioned the tip of his penis against her opening and slowly pushed inside. Not one to wait, Melanie somehow managed to arch her hips, and her sheath hungrily gobbled more inches than he had planned. The hot, wet heat of her massaged his hardness, and Liam clenched his teeth at the perfect sensation. His balls were already so tight and drawn up, he knew this wouldn’t last long. She was too tight and hungry for him. As he began to rut into her, much rougher than he’d intended their first time to be, Liam listened to her moans and gasps. They were music to his ears and let him know she was right there with him. The orgasm caught him by surprise. Her sheath contracted, to the point of almost pain, and began to milk him. The look of surprise on her face let him know he wasn’t the only one surprised. She was much wetter now and engorged, a vise around his cock. Liam could feel the tingling in his spine that signaled he was close, but he wanted to make this moment perfect for Melanie. She was perfect. And his heart was more than tipped now. The only hope was that she was with him in that fall. Melanie’s hands reached up and gripped his arms. Those blunt nails dug into his flesh. Her skin was flushed and had a sheen of sweat to it that made her glow. It was coming, his orgasm -- and hers, if he had anything to do with it. Without dislodging those little claws, he reached between her legs and began to rub her clit in time with his thrusts. Her nails bit deeper into his arms and moans poured from her open lips. Liam felt himself harden even more because he was going to give her everything. Balls tight and close, he made sure every return

bottomed out inside her. “God, Liam!” At those whispered words, husky from her harsh breathing, Liam picked up the pace until her full breasts bounced and the bed slammed against the wall. He bent his knees slightly, and just like that, the angle inside her changed, and a scream burst from her lips. He flexed into her once, twice, and then shuddered as ropes and ropes of cum were massaged out of him by the rapid pulsation of her walls. Liam unconsciously continued to roll his hips even as he softened inside. Melanie’s eyes stared into his, and he could tell what she was thinking. The search was over, for both of them. They were it. He started to say exactly that, but what came out of his mouth was the feline’s growl. “Mine.” Then before he could stop himself he swooped down and bit the shoulder he had already marked. This time deliberately hard enough to break the skin. Melanie gasped, and a fresh flood of wetness coated his softened cock before it slipped out of her body. As he licked the wound, a purr rumbled through his chest. Liam rearranged them on the bed until they were cuddled together. “Sleep.” Melanie snuggled closer and agreed. “Yes, sleep.”

* * * Melanie

There was so much soreness, Melanie wasn’t quite sure what to do. None of her other lovers, few as there had been, had ever been as well-endowed as Liam. God, the things he made her feel. She was still blissed out and boneless. She hadn’t planned on having sex with him. Not so soon anyway. A purr sounded in her ear, and his tongue laved the bite on her neck. Already that

did nothing but make her stomach clench with want. When Liam bit into her, it made her so hot and desperate there would be no stopping her from jumping him right then and there. Her original concerns resurfaced. There had been no proper discussion of their sexual histories or even the use of protection. Granted, she was as guilty as he was, and she kind of already knew his sexual history, thanks to Phoebe’s focused health report. That didn’t negate the fact they needed to have a discussion about condoms and contraceptives. Another lick and she had to clench her thighs together. That conversation needed to happen sooner rather than later! Not sure how long they had been asleep, Melanie pulled Liam’s arm up higher on her chest so she could see the heavy industrial watch he wore. His hand automatically cupped her breast and kneaded. But she had seen the time, barely noon. They had only been asleep for about half an hour. A quirk of her lips. She would tease Liam about his lack of wearing her out. A loud growl burst from her stomach, and Liam’s fingers tightened until they pinched. “Ow!” “Sleep.” Liam released her breast and purred in her ear. “You need rest.” Melanie rolled her eyes at his sleepy tone. It was his own fault for partying with the guys and then being so active during the day. “I’m hungry, Liam.” A grumble was her response. That did not work for her. She used her fingers and pinched his arm. “Hungry! Feed me or suffer the consequences. I promise we can laze about after.” Liam sighed into her hair. “All right. I’ll call room service.” He rolled over and off the bed. “You put some clothes on.” Melanie sat up and winced. Yep, definitely tender. She stretched her legs out in front of her and began to stretch a little. Those muscles were not accustomed to such activity. With a glance to see what Liam was doing, she frowned. What was that? Surely she hadn’t been gripping him that hard. On the back of his upper arms were several crescent-shaped cuts, four to be exact, on each arm. She looked down at her hands and saw red under each nail. So she had dug in enough to draw blood. That he caused so much loss of control in her was a bit

terrifying. “I ordered some fish sandwiches and fries. Hope that’s okay?” Liam turned around and frowned. “What’s wrong?” Melanie stood up and clenched her thighs together to keep the stickiness from running down her legs. “I didn’t expect our physical relationship to escalate so quickly. Or for us to be so… combustible?” Liam grinned. “Neither did I.” He stalked across the room, his face taking on a decidedly lustful expression. “Being inside you, I feel complete. Like I’m home.” When he reached her, he trailed a finger across her lips before kissing her. A swipe of his tongue and they were entwined. Ravenous almost. Before she knew, Melanie arched into his body, his hardened cock pinned against her stomach. Liam reached down and hoisted her up so that she could rub the wet stickiness between her legs against him. Her tenderness and swollen age were forgotten. All that mattered was having him inside her again so that she too could feel like she was complete. That she was home. “See what you do to me, Melanie?” Liam adjusted his grip and slammed into her channel much rougher than he had intended. They both groaned. “Combustion. We burn together.” Melanie rotated her hips, and the sensation that splashed through her was almost too much but nowhere near enough. That edge of pain from already being well sexed just made it that much better. The world spun, and suddenly her back was plastered against a hard surface. With the extra leverage, Liam bent his knees and powered into her again and again and again. With each thrust, he made sure to scrape along her clit until she was one ball of sensation waiting to explode. She could tell he was getting close too from the growls and snarls that were almost continuous in her ear. Licking her dry lips, she whispered in his ear. “Come, Liam.” She clenched the muscles low, and she felt his cock pulse in response to the tightness. “I need it. Make me come. Fill me up.” The amber was barely discernable, pupils blown in pleasure. Liam’s fingers bit

into the flesh of her ass and pulled her tighter against him. Impossibly, it felt like he sank at least another inch into her, where the pleasure-pain of his bumping against her cervix had her crying out. Using his hands, he manipulated her until he wasn’t really withdrawing anymore, but rubbing the tip of his penis against her cervix. The sensation was too much, especially when his pelvic bone was grinding against her nub. Melanie’s head cracked against the wall when she threw it back, but she didn’t feel any pain. Just waves and waves of crackling pleasure lighting up every nerve ending in her body. Liam’s body jerked against hers, and the splash of heat inside her channel let her know he had followed her into orgasm. The knock on the door surprised them both. Liam’s head spun with a snarl while Melanie blushed crimson. Whoever was on the other side had surely heard them. Neither of them had been what you would call quiet. Melanie pushed against his chest, and Liam reluctantly set her on her feet. His cock was still semi-hard and glistening with the juices from both of them. “I bet it’s the food.” Liam reached down, pulled on his boxers, nothing else, and strode to the door. Melanie wasn’t embarrassed by them, just by the fact that what should have been private wasn’t. Not anymore. Like a coward, she beelined to the bathroom, intent on avoiding whatever confrontation was about to occur. Liam nixed that idea. He grabbed her arm as she darted past and manhandled her into the shirt he had taken off. “I don’t think so, Melanie.” He frog-marched her to the door and pulled it open before she could twist free. “Hi, Bill.” God, let the floor open up and swallow her now. She could only imagine what Bill saw. Her hair was definitely a mess, the sweat and sex and mini-nap not helping things. And the smell. She could smell sex in the air. No doubt Bill could, as well. Bill’s eyes widened at them over the covered tray he was carrying. “Your lunch.” Liam stepped forward and took the tray. “You brought it yourself, Bill?” Melanie looked up to see Liam giving Bill a hard look. She glanced at Bill and

saw a weird expression on his face that immediately smoothed when he noticed her attention was on him. “Of course. I have to take care of my solo people, or they won’t come back.” Bill grinned at Melanie, and for some reason, she didn’t like it. Not one bit. The sensation was so intense, Melanie felt the darkness inside stir. It sensed Bill was lying. Like she wouldn’t ever come back. Like she would be dead. Liam grinned, as if they shared an inside joke. “Right. Well, thanks. We’ll bring the tray back when we turn up for supper.” While Liam was dealing with the tray, Melanie watched Bill head back toward the Seahorse Lounge with narrowed eyes. Something did not ring true. Her instincts were roused, and they sensed danger. Bill was a threat somehow. On the other hand, Liam didn’t seem to sense anything. “Does Bill always show such an interest in new people on the caye?” That earned her a flush and eye flash to the side, pure indicators Liam was not only hiding something, but he was about to lie to her. She held up a hand. “If he takes such good care of all your conquests, then I’m reading too much into the situation.” Melanie didn’t let her emotions show -- the worry she was just another notch on his belt, or how much that idea hurt her. “If not, then we might have a problem.” Liam turned to face her, and he was angry. “You are not a conquest. You are mine.” All evidence of deceit was gone. “Bill and every other man on this caye knows it, too. I made sure of it when…” He abruptly stopped talking. Melanie frowned. “What did you do, Liam? You made sure of what? That we would be together? That I was a claim to be staked? Were there bets?” Anger roared through her, but it was nothing compared to Liam’s reaction. In a flash, he was across the room and had her eye-level with him. His eyes were narrowed, and the sharp tips of his teeth were visible as he breathed through his mouth. “Let me be very clear with you, Melanie. You are mine. The woman I am going

to marry and the woman who will bless me with a home and cubs. The feline and I have chosen, and we have decided on you. You won’t be able to weasel out of it, and I will spank your ass if you ever try to trivialize what we have again.” Melanie stared into his eyes, eyes that never blinked or turned away. It was she who blinked first. Technically, it had only been a day. How could he know so fast? “Spank your ass!” Okay, so maybe she did know. She panicked. Melanie was so overwhelmed by her physical reactions. He touched her, and all she could think about was him caging her, driving into her, making ecstasy pour through her body like honey. God, she was doing it again. “Yes, Liam. I’m sorry. I feel like I’m lost.” He sat her down on the bed and took his place next to her. “I warned the others that you were the one to make an honest man of me. I was leaving nothing up to chance. Yes, there have been previous relationships with other female guests, and yes, they were competitions, for lack of a better word. That is not the case here. It was dumb luck you picked this place to vacation. I was coming for you, no matter what. Since the first glowing e-mail.” Melanie took a deep breath and itted she was a bit dramatic. It was because it mattered so much. She believed Liam. She definitely thought he would spank the hell out of her if she questioned him again. “We never talked about contraceptives. Or protection.” Liam burst out laughing. “Honey, we are way past that conversation. Unless you’re on some type of pill or shot, you’re probably already knocked up. I’m clean, and from how tight you were, I’m guessing you are, too. Been a while?” At that, just to be a bitch, Melanie shoved him off the bed. He was still laughing, on the floor, while she wandered over to the table to eat the sandwiches and fries before they got cold.

* * *

Liam

He never wanted to see that stricken look on Melanie’s face again. It was all over her face, the fact she believed she was some prize to win. That he would have sex with her just so he could win a bet or boast to the other men on the caye. He kind of hoped his seed did take. When his cub was growing inside her, she would believe. She would have to. “Save some fries for me.” He stood up and stretched. She was strong, stronger than she looked. All that softness hid a core of steel. When he reached the table, they got into a slight tussle over the fries. She wanted them all, and Liam wanted just a few. “I’m on birth control.” Regret. No cubs yet. Oh well, there was plenty of time for that. In the meantime, there was practice. Lots and lots of practice. “Okay.” He really didn’t want to wear condoms. Being inside her skin to skin was amazing. He wanted nothing between them that might dull the sensation. Melanie snorted. “There’s no need for condoms, either. Not now that we’ve done the deed without. You can stop pouting.” One hurdle down. Liam considered how to best approach the subject of her moving into his cabana. He wanted her with him at all times. Melanie was very independent. It was easy to spot in the way she made decisions and followed through with them. No doubt, no hesitation. What it boiled down to was, did she want to be with him? “I want you to move in with me.” WTF. Just bald. In your face. Liam froze before blurting out. “While on vacation.” What the hell was he thinking to add a clause like that? He wanted her to move in with him period. Make his big house a home. Melanie’s brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed as if she considered whether or not to squash a bug with her shoe. Not the reaction he was hoping for. “You

want me to move into your cabana for the rest of my vacation?” Liam tried to salvage the situation. The slight stress she placed on the word “my” did not bode well. “Yes, so we can get to know one another better.” Okay, that was worse. Like they couldn’t get to know each other in separate residences. Melanie blinked, but gave no other response. She simply munched away on the fries and picked at the fish sandwich. Liam wanted to squirm. “Also as a trial run for when we return to Vail.” Danger, danger, danger! He could practically hear the red alert siren from Star Trek. Nostrils flared, and her mouth became a tight line. “Return to Vail? Why would I go with you to Vail?” Melanie set down the fry she was about to put in her mouth. “I have a very nice beach cottage on Isla Bedros. It would be perfect for the two of us.” The blaring siren was constant now. Liam had blundered, and he had blundered badly. He could hear Captain Kirk yelling to raise shields. Wait. The sirens stopped mid claxon. She said Isla Bedros. An island. “Why would you take a vacation on an island when you live on an island?” Apparently, something she had been asked before if the angry huff was any indication. “The jungle.” What kind of answer was that? The jungle was on the mainland that was only accessible twice a day. Why not stay on the mainland, in the jungle? “I see the judgment on your face, Liam. I didn’t want to stay on the mainland. I wanted to be by the water.” Melanie crossed her arms. “That’s beside the point! What makes you think I’m just going to uproot my life and move to Vail to live with you? What about my job? God, we’ve only known each other a day.” Anger curled in his stomach. They had just discussed their lack of face-to-face time. Frankly, he considered their timeline longer. They had known each other at least a month starting with the e-mails. Looked like he was going to have to pink some cheeks. “I was getting to that. I’m going to open a gallery, and I’ll need someone to run it. I have a lot of material to show, things I’ve never submitted for publication.

Plus, I have some stuff from another photographer that deserves credit for the genius he was.” He watched her expressions change. Intrigue, excitement, and then confusion. “Another photographer? Is he as good as you?” Liam thought about Frank and all the times they had sat in the woods waiting for the perfect shot to come to them. A lot of people didn’t realize that photography was more than point and shoot. It was patience and beauty and getting to know oneself. The camera became an extension of his perception of the world. It was a gift he could make others feel or understand those perceptions. “He taught me everything he knew.” Liam took a deep breath. Time to open up. “He was the man who adopted me when I was twelve. He died while I was on that last shoot. He’s the reason those pictures didn’t make it to your magazine.” Sadness and grief were written all over Melanie’s face. “Liam, I’m so sorry.” She touched his hand in sympathy. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be home?” This was much harder than he had anticipated. Liam pried the wound open a bit more. “When I got the e-mail that you were gone on vacation, I had just returned to Vail. I missed the funeral, and Josie -- that’s my adoptive mother -- had already taken care of the arrangements for Frank. I felt like I would miss my chance with you if I didn’t go after you immediately. Josie was in agreement. She’s been waiting a long time for me to settle down, and my restlessness was the worst she had ever seen.” She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed lightly. “Let’s be honest. You could have lured me to your house with the job offer and promises to have Patton photos of my very own. I would have gone willingly just to meet the great Oliver Liam Patton.” He didn’t want to push his luck, but he was unable to deny the desire to have her all to himself. That urge rode him and rode him hard. Liam had never known himself to be so impatient and demanding. “The offer stands.” He watched Melanie pick at the food on the tray. Her expression was thoughtful. “It would be a challenge. I have no experience with this type of venture. I work in publishing, not the art world.”

Triumph flashed through him. She was considering it. Working out the logistics. “Neither do I. We would learn and grow together.” Melanie took a sip of water. Her eyes were unfocused, and he could practically see the wheels turning in her head. “There would be long, frustrating hours. That’s a given with any new business. Profit would also be iffy in the beginning.” That had not occurred to him; money would be an issue. Melanie’s situation was completely unknown. All he knew was she worked for Terra Publishing and lived on Isla Bedros, an island that was three hours too far from Vail. In fact, now that he thought about it, he didn’t really know even the most basic facts about her life. “Were you raised on Isla Bedros?” Liam frowned. “Any brothers and sisters?” Abruptly, Melanie focused entirely on him, and her eyes were hard. “I moved there after college. No brothers or sisters.” The clipped answers made him more curious. Melanie was hiding something. “What about your parents?” “They’re dead.” Her eyes grew cold, and the predator glinted in the depths. That concerned Liam. It indicated deep, rooted anger at her parents. Maybe she was angry they had died and left her alone? “I’m sorry. That must have been hard for you. Was it recent?” For her to be so angry, Liam wondered if it was still fresh. Like his loss over Frank. Melanie stared at him, this time without blinking. He was perplexed. She was angry but silent. It was a simple question. The muffled ping startled them both. Without an answer, Melanie went to retrieve the plastic and T-shirt wrapped cell phone. She unwrapped it and stared at the screen blankly. Liam did not like her lack of response. “What is it? Bad news?” Melanie shrugged. “No, just a reminder that I’m going to be in Vail after my vacation anyway. Lorelei has to have surgery. I’ll be staying with her, but we could continue the discussion about the gallery and maybe my relocating.”

Okay. He could work with this. Granted, her visit to Vail was on a provisional basis, and she would have to take care of her friend, but he believed once he had her in his grasp and was able to show what they could build together, she would be only too happy to stay. He would sic Josie on her. No one could resist Josie, especially when she baked her delicious loaves of bread. “Nothing serious, I hope?” Liam was curious to see if the reluctance extended to her meddling clique. “No, nothing serious. Just a problem with sinuses.” Melanie tapped out a response. “I’ll be with her for a few weeks. The job may balk, my taking time off again so soon after returning from vacation.” Liam just smiled. “Good thing you have a wonderful opportunity that is openended, huh?” Melanie rolled her eyes. “It’s not a done deal, Liam. Trial basis.” He decided to press his advantage. “Now would be a good time for a trial basis. You, me, my large cabana. Direct access to the fun dock. I know how you like the floating platform.” Uh-oh. Melanie’s head whipped around. “Floating platform?” Embarrassed, Liam felt his face heat. “I may have seen you playing with the Savannahs. Maybe took a few pictures.” Melanie tossed the phone on the bed and raised an eyebrow. “Spying, Liam? You surprise me.” Now Liam knew how the gazelle felt when it spotted the predator in the tall grass by the watering hole. “A beautiful woman playing in the water with some cats. Of course, I spied. You were half-naked and happy. It was a sight to behold.” Melanie burst out laughing as she shook her head. “All right. Let’s pack me up. I’ll let you get my undies and bras off the ceiling fan. It was super dangerous for me to stand on my bed to get them up there. The cats kept trying to attack them and me.”

Chapter Five Melanie

Living with Liam was different. Living with a man was something she had never done. Melanie liked her space. Her alone time. The freedom to do whatever she wanted when she wanted. She’d always thought if she settled down, it would only be a matter of time before she would want to take a pillow, cover his face while asleep, and press down. Hard. Oddly enough, she had that freedom. Liam placed no restrictions on her. She came and went as she pleased. The Savannah cats visited her when Liam was out. There was a weird rivalry there Liam had been unable to explain beyond they were cats. Cats that had issues with each other and territory. She wasn’t going to lie. It secretly tickled her to see her panties sharing space with Liam’s boxers in a drawer. She even laughed outright, when Liam was out of hearing, when he discovered some new girly thing she had placed and stared at it in shock. Melanie got the feeling he wasn’t any more used to sharing space with the opposite sex than she was. The French doors were open, letting in the breeze, and Melanie was glad Liam was out with the fellas. It was nice having the cabana to herself, even if she would never it out loud that she kind of missed him. They had been like two peas in a pod the past week and had grown close. There were still secrets she worried about. What would Liam think when he found out? Her upbringing and the events in high school were dark. It wasn’t something people handled well. After those first questions about her parents, Melanie had done a lot of hard thinking about how much she would reveal. She had touched base with Lorelei, who was all for the honest truth, but even Lorelei didn’t know the whole of it. Certain secrets were dangerous. For her. It was Phoebe who helped her decide. She had stumbled across some of Liam’s secrets. Not the details, but that they existed. Melanie could respect someone who could keep a secret. Plus, the more time she spent with Liam, the more she trusted him. Not to mention the oddly possessive protectiveness he couldn’t

entirely hide. As she moved around the cabana, straightening up and considering the future, Melanie frowned. She paused in the middle of the room and slowly looked around. The faintest squeak had her stiffening. The noise didn’t belong, and she knew. This was what she’d been waiting for. The other shoe was about to drop and perhaps crush everything. The reason she had to come on this trip and the reason she shouldn’t have. Melanie moved over to Liam’s work area, the place where he had left his camera and more importantly, had been physically cropping photos. Next to his camera sat her cell phone. She’d never been more grateful for Lorelei’s insistence. A few taps on the phone and it was connected to Liam’s camera. It took longer to set the camera to record video. She was unfamiliar with the model. Another squeak. This one closer, on the deck right outside the French doors. Time was out. No chance of escape. The cabana was surrounded. She palmed the Exacto blade and kept it hidden while picking up the long-bladed scissors and holding them in her non-dominant hand. They would regret their actions. There was a puffing sound, like when the air is shoved through a tube, and a feathered dart struck her in the chest. The sting was nothing compared to the lethargy that immediately began to spread. Melanie braced herself against Liam’s worktable and waited. Two men entered the cabana. Both of them were dressed for the island, shorts, and T-shirts, but the sneakers had given the telltale squeak. One had dark hair and eyes, while the other had blond hair and blue eyes. They looked completely normal, but with an edge that made her think this was not the first time they had hunted humans. They paused when they saw her still standing, surprise evident on their faces. The dark one frowned while the blond grinned at her. “Interesting.” The blond one approached, and his eyebrows shot up at the scissors gripped in her hand. “What do you think you’re going to do with those?” Melanie didn’t respond, just waited. It was always smart to let them make the first move. They never expected someone like her to be a fighter, for some

reason. He reached forward to take the scissors and cursed when she jerked them up and drew blood from his arm. The dark one laughed while the blond one scowled and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the scissors. Too tight and with bruising strength. Whatever they had shot her with was rapidly limiting her abilities. Her legs began to give way, and the dark one pried her fingers open while she sank to her knees, a full sprawl only prevented by his grip on her arm. “The fat chick got you good.” The dark one approached now. “Wonder why she didn’t run. They usually do.” They moved so there was one on each side. It was obvious they planned to distribute her weight between the two of them. Her vision blurred. When they were close enough, Melanie lashed out with the hand that had palmed the Exacto blade. It made and sank deep into flesh. When she felt the gush of blood, she smiled. Wham! Something hard slammed into her cheek, and Melanie crashed to the floor, dazed. Closed fist, cheekbone on fire, but intact. He hit like a little girl. She’d had much worse growing up. Broken bones. Burned and cut flesh. Nice to see she could still take a hit and stay semi-conscious. “That crazy bitch stabbed me!” Shuffling noises. “Look at this!” Heavy footsteps sounded from outside and quieted slightly when they stepped onto the tiled floor of the cabana. “Report!” Tension skyrocketed in the room. “We have subdued the subject.” There was a long pause. “Why is there a dart in her chest and a bruise and swelling on her cheek?” Even more tension. That quiet question seemed to unnerve her two attackers. “She attacked.” That was the dark one. “Look at this!” Blondie. “She stabbed me!”

Steps moving closer. “Bennet, go to the medic. Don’t remove the blade.” Now she could sense a type of controlled panic. Apparently, these men were used to being in combat. However, no one liked to see their own blood. “Sir?” Blondie again. Melanie was pleased. Even drugged, she had still struck true. Her blade teacher would have been satisfied. Kneeling, she’d had perfect access to several points that would cause severe bleeding. Since they didn’t want to remove the blade right away, something most people did in their stupidity, she must have hit one of those points. “The blade is close to your groin, on the inside of your thigh. You do the math. Garcia and I will take the subject to the boat.” A shuffling step retreated, and Melanie hoped he bled to death. Her rage and fear were in full effect and quickly burning off whatever they had shot her up with. She lay there waiting and willed her metabolism to work faster. “Dr. Rainier isn’t going to be pleased about the blow to the head. He wanted her brain intact. If she has a concussion, that blade in Bennet’s thigh will be the least of his worries.” Jesus, were they zombies or something? They wanted her brain intact with no damage? That was… concerning. Even worse was the fact they were calling her “the subject.” That denoted a type of distancing people would do to avoid attachments and empathy. She didn’t want to be a subject. “Sir, why didn’t she run? She obviously knew we were coming, enough to arm herself.” Body heat wafted a musk she wrinkled her nose at. Like mothballs and mildew. “She’s a fighter. That’s a surprise, and a welcome one. It means she may survive.” Better and better news. Melanie blinked, and her vision wobbled before abruptly snapping into focus. A pair of muddy blue eyes in a weathered face regarded her with interest.

“Hello, little subject.” Melanie’s own eyes narrowed, rage a living thing. “I will kill you all.” A smirk that revealed yellowed teeth, evidence Mr. Mothball was a smoker. “Really? I look forward to that.” She watched him pull out a capped syringe that contained a sickly yellow liquid. He uncapped it with his teeth -- gross -- and stabbed it into her neck. A sharp sting followed by liquid fire shot through her when he pressed the plunger down. Nausea was immediate and unwelcome. The world swirled, muddy blue, blinding white, and angry red blending and warping together until she had to shut her eyes. Once they were closed, the darkness welcomed her, and she was still.

* * * Melanie blinked. It was time. She couldn’t take it anymore. She listened to her mother and stepfather argue in the front seat of the car. They were angry because their supply of drugs had run out much faster than anticipated. Weekend addicts, functional during the week but stoned out of their minds when they didn’t have to be somewhere, they were a match made in hell. That was what she lived in -hell. Besides doing drugs, their other favorite activity was to torture her. Their newest game: one would hold her down while the other would make small cuts on her back. Whoever drew the least amount of blood won. She shifted slightly and winced. Those incisions were like paper-cuts. They bled but clotted quickly. They were so very careful to leave no visible evidence, and it wasn’t worth it to tell anyone. They made sure of that. Her mother was a lawyer, and her stepfather was the owner of a finance firm. They were well-to-do, and dressed her in the best clothes and made sure she had the latest of whatever was hot right then. Bright lights flashed in the interior, and the rain fell heavier. They were almost to the bend in the road where a thick copse of trees waited. She studied her mother, who had similar auburn hair but with blue eyes instead of green and a slim figure that had the men sniffing after her even though she was married. No seat belt. Her blond-haired blue-eyed all-American stepfather was the same. No seat belt again.

At the approach to the curve, Melanie saw how it would all play out and set her plan into motion. She clipped the seat belt over her lap and drew up her legs. Legs that were strong from all the running she did to escape whatever new punishment they had devised. She kicked out, slamming into the back of the driver’s seat, where her stepfather was. Her mother turned to look at her in angry surprise, but it was no comparison to the flash-fire rage that caused her stepfather to take his hands off the wheel and twist around. He tried to reach for her, probably to choke her. That was a favorite pastime of his, to choke her until she turned blue and ed out. The car accelerated, and the wheel spun, causing them to run off the road onto the soft shoulder. Her mother screeched, which caused her stepfather to turn back around and grab the wheel. He overcorrected. They raced toward the trees and slammed into them with a deafening crash as metal crunched and glass shattered. The blare of the horn was a continuous sound as was the hiss of air escaping. Melanie slowly gasped awake, her abdomen a stripe of fire where the seat belt had done its job and kept her from going anywhere. She looked to the front seat, and her stepfather was gone. Her mother was halfway through where the windshield had been, blood coating her body and an abbreviated gasping noise accompanying her slight moans. Melanie tried to open her door, but it wouldn’t budge. She unclipped her seat belt and slid to the other door. Same issue. The window on the rear enger side was shattered, so she haltingly climbed out and fell to the wet leaves and grass. Lying there as the rain fell on her, she took stock. Beyond the fire of the cuts on her back and the strip of pain across her abdomen, she felt okay. Her teeth chattered, and she experienced a jittery sensation as if she had drunk way too much coffee, but she knew that was the adrenalin and shock. “Jack?” Her mother, still alive, inquired after her stepfather. Never mind about her. Rage burned hot and chased away the shaky feeling. Melanie climbed to her feet and walked around until she could see her mother, half sprawled on the crumpled hood of the car. Hundreds of cuts scattered across her face and upper torso, and her open head injury should have killed her. After debating a moment, Melanie abandoned her mother and limped into the trees to see if she could find Jack. A few yards away, she did.

He was crumpled against another tree, eyes staring wide and blank. Oddly enough, there was very little blood on him, but his neck looked wrong. Things poking out of the skin, and his head tilted too far to the side. Satisfaction sang through her blood. One tormentor down. She returned to the car and stared down at her mother. The woman who had birthed her and who had tormented her following the marriage to Jack ten years ago. Before that, it was mostly indifference, with staff giving Melanie most of her care. She knew nothing of her real father. One blue eye was completely swollen shut, but the other glared at her. “Jack?” That whisper and an accompanying sucking sound that couldn’t be good had Melanie leaning down and replying, “Dead.” “You… did…” Melanie smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was the smile of the monster they had created in their basement fun room. The one born of blood and broken bones and beatings. “Yes.” Nails scrambled on metal, and Melanie watched her mother struggle to breathe. She watched when her chest stopped rising and when the light faded from her blue eyes. She was still watching when the police and rescue people arrived.

* * * Liam

His attachment to Melanie concerned him. It grew stronger and stronger. Her smell, the cute little noises she made when asleep, the clinging warmth of her pussy. Just thinking about her had him reaching down to adjust himself. To be honest, he would have preferred to stay in with her this evening, but Bill had insisted on a boys’ night. All in all, he thought he was handling things pretty well. Never having shared space with someone -- least of all someone of the opposite sex -- living with

Melanie was an eye-opener. He still hadn’t figured out how she could have so much stuff. He had seen her suitcase. How the hell had she fit everything in it? “Ho, Liam!” Liam waved at Reynaldo. “Hey, Rey. Ready for me to take all your money again?” Reynaldo just laughed. “So, how goes it with Melanie? I see you managed to convince her to move into your cabana. Do I hear wedding bells in the future?” They both entered the Seahorse Lounge to find a poker table set up in the middle. Liam waved at the other guys and Bill as he replied, “That may take some more convincing. Melanie is a very strong-willed personality.” Reynaldo burst out laughing. “You’re telling me. She wandered into my kitchen like she was lost, and the next thing I know I’ve got all the guests in and out of there making suggestions and offering to cook meals. I was afraid to stop her. She has a way with knives.” That gave Liam pause. Knives? That was… disturbing. Especially with the darkness that lurked within her. Time to ask about any conflicts with the law -he knew there had been conflicts. She was too volatile not to have had any. “I could see that.” Liam made his way over to the poker table, and the cotton candy scent of excitement almost bowled him over. Bill grinned. “So I got us a regulation table and cards. The chips are all new, too. I think we could add this to the activities roster for men.” Maybe it was because he now had a woman of his own, the perfect woman in his opinion, but Liam frowned. “What about the women? Do you have a similar activity planned for them?” Considering Melanie and her insane clique made him add, “Or have a poker night for them?” Reynaldo laughed. “We could all play together. Women always spice up an evening.” They all sat down: Bill, Reynaldo, Liam, Gary, Enrico, José, and lastly, Marvin Cochran. Bill divided up the chips while Gary shuffled the cards.

“The game is Texas Hold ‘em. Five and ten chip blinds.” Bill motioned to Liam and Gary who were sitting immediately to the right of Reynaldo. The games got underway. The chip piles varied as some won and some lost, but they were all having a good time. As the conversation flowed around the table, Liam began to sense something amiss. The cotton candy scent was fading, replaced by something that concerned him. Something he had only scented once or twice before. It was acrid and burnt his nose. The stench of betrayal. Liam glanced around the room, but saw nothing amiss. One minute they were all bullshitting with each other, and the next, one of them reeked of deception. What had changed? Bill caught his eye, but that was crazy. He had known Bill for years, trusted him to run this caye and manage anything that might arise. However, that was the third time he had checked his watch in the past ten minutes. At first, he thought it was some weird tell Bill had developed as his chips dwindled, but now he was worried. That acrid scent did not bode well. “So, Liam, you never did answer my question. Are there wedding bells in your future?” Reynaldo tossed his two cards down, folding from this round. Liam raised an eyebrow, but kept his eye on Bill. “After a suitable time, I’ll ask her.” Marvin snorted at that. “I asked my Diane three days after I met her. When you know, you know. We’ve shared forty years of wedded bliss.” That was highly doubtful. Liam glanced at Marvin. “You asked, but how long before she accepted?” He’d seen Diane and Melanie getting kind of chummy, a strong indication that Diane was probably a bit of a nut, as well. His woman did know how to find like-minded individuals. A good question because Marvin reddened. “Let’s just say Diane was rounding nicely with our first child when she walked down the aisle.” All the men burst out laughing. Bill looked at his watch again, and that was when the Savannah cats began caterwauling. It was loud and angry and panicinducing. For them to put up such a racket, it could mean only one thing. Something was wrong with Melanie.

Liam jumped to his feet, and Bill wasn’t far behind him. The rest of the men looked at each other in confusion. They didn’t understand, and Liam didn’t have time to consider why Bill was so quick to react. He had to get to Melanie. Now. He dashed out of the lounge and raced along the boardwalk toward his cabana. The pounding of feet behind him let him know Bill was in hot pursuit. “Liam, wait!” Bill’s shout fell on deaf ears. Liam wasn’t going to stop until he saw Melanie was well. As he burst through the trees, out in the open, lights flooded the area and blinded him. He skidded to a stop, and there were several puffs of air he recognized as a dart gun. Three darts struck true. Two in his chest and one in his left thigh. A roar burst from his throat, and he bounded forward to get to Melanie. Whatever was in the darts was swift and detrimental. Liam’s legs wobbled like he walked across shifting sand. When he collapsed to his knees, he dropped to crawl. “You have to it, he’s a determined son of a bitch.” Booted feet appeared in his visual field, and a hand snatched off his baseball cap. “Ah, there’s the cat. You look almost normal.” A snarl built in his chest, but came out halfhearted. Those drugs were potent, and with a triple dose, Liam didn’t really stand a chance. “Melanie…” Bill’s face appeared, and the acrid scent of betrayal poured out of him. “Don’t you worry none, Liam, your bitch is going with you. Some people are very interested in your mating with her. Although you might not like her anymore, once they’re done with her.” Liam had a few secrets that no one knew about with regards to the feline that lived within him. The hair, skin, and teeth were easily visible and explained away. His fingernails were another story. If he didn’t keep them clipped, they grew long, sharp, and curved. Even shorn, they were still sharp. Much sharper than nails should be. A flex of his hand and those sharp, feline claws seemed to grow a bit. Using the last of his strength, Liam lashed out and caught the soft skin of Bill’s throat.

Blood spurted out like a high-powered hose, the skin, tendons, and vessels all torn out. “Fuck!” Rough hands grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back where they were secured with something that bit into his skin. “What the fuck was that?” There was a slight squeak of rubber on wood, and Liam forced himself to roll to the side. A man approached, dressed for the warm weather in shorts, T-shirt, and sneakers. He surveyed the situation and snorted. “I warned you, never underestimate the animal. It can present in all manner of strange ways when mixed with human.” He squatted down next to Bill’s body. “Guess we don’t have to pay him. Good riddance.” Liam was hoisted up with rough hands. As they moved him toward his cabana and where he could see his boat being readied to launch, the man in charge chuckled. “You two are a pair. The scientists are going to very pleased with this run.” Liam was tossed into the boat next to an unconscious Melanie. She also had blood on her hands, and a swelling bruise on her face. “I know you can still hear me, feline. Three darts incapacitate you briefly, but I want you to know you are to behave or your female will suffer.” Hands touched Melanie’s face, then moved to bind her arms, in front instead of behind like Liam. “No harm will come to her if you behave. Do you understand?” Liam glared but nodded. They were all fools anyway. They thought he was the predator. He was, in a way -- made that way by unknown scientists in a lab. Melanie was different. That darkness that lived inside her had been honed in fire and torture. He had seen the silver lines across her back. Not wanting to upset her, Liam had let it go. She would share her secrets when she was ready. “Good. I knew you would be pragmatic.” A capped needle appeared. “This is for our safety. Can’t let you get any ideas.” As Liam’s vision blurred from whatever they had injected him with, he turned to look at Melanie’s face. Her mouth was tight, and her forehead had wrinkles across it as if she dreamed something unpleasant. When she woke up, the

destruction would begin. That darkness would sweep across all those who had taken them, and Melanie would kill them all. He would help. Then they would have secrets that bound them together even more tightly. He couldn’t wait to see her in all her dark glory.

* * * LibLori: Have you heard from Mel? ImpP: No, not since she shacked up with her man. LibLori: Something weird is going on. ImpP: Weird? LibLori: Mel says she quit her job and decided to travel with Liam. ImpP: Wait, what? LibLori: This was after she agreed to be my chauffeur for my nasal surgery. ImpP: Do you need a ride? A nurse? LibLori: No, I have it covered. But something weird is going on. ImpP: You have no idea. I’ll look into it. In the meantime, do not draw attention to this. LibLori: Your attention is all that’s required. If Mel did run off with Liam, that’s one thing, but I can’t help but think something terrible has happened. ImpP: I’ll find out what’s happened. Let me know if you need anything for your surgery. I can get Ursula if you want. LibLori: No, no. She’s happier with her critters than with humans. I’ll be fine. I have a ride and someone to take care of me postop. Find our girl. ImpP: On it.

* * * One Week Later

ImpP: I’m in. The job interview went surprisingly well. Thanks for the tips. LibLori: I knew you had it in you to be normal. ImpP: Ha, ha. LibLori: So, any word? Found anything yet? ImpP: Not yet. I’m still being oriented, so I have a constant babysitter. There are some anomalies in their systems which makes me feel like I’m not the first one to go this route. LibLori: Another hacker? Are you safe? Mel wouldn’t want you at risk for her! ImpP: Calm yourself. I’m fine. Maybe another hacker, but one who has left little doorways all through their systems. I can appropriate a few for my own use. LibLori: Are you sure this Aleka Group is the one at fault? For whatever it is you’re investigating? I still don’t understand why you’re so interested in them or what their connection is to Mel’s bizarre choices of late. ImpP: Not my secret to tell. I’ll keep you updated. LibLori: Okay, for now. At least tell me the game plan, so I know the level of bail money I need to set aside now. ImpP: Lori, if I get caught, there will be no bail. I’ll disappear into a black site. The government will snap me up in a heartbeat. LibLori: It concerns me when you say things like this. And it reminds me of how Mel has dropped off the face of the planet. ImpP: It is concerning. The cell you gave her remains off, so I’m limited in tracking her.

LibLori: Not something Mel would ever do, not when it would worry us. Something has happened, I just know it. ImpP: You focus on healing after your surgery. I got this.

Chapter Six Melanie

Something was different. Melanie lay still, instantly awake as was her nature. Wherever she was, it smelled antiseptic and cold. Like tile in an institution. That wasn’t even the most concerning thing. There was a difference inside. Her internal voice, the one that spoke her thoughts, had an odd echo to it. Like the place that it came from, the self, was a larger space than before. That didn’t make any sense, but that was the best way she could think to describe it. That inside was larger. “Subject PsLv is awake. Vitals are stable.” The fuck? Melanie opened her eyes and looked around. What kind of Silence of the Lambs cage was this? Granted, it seemed a lot cleaner than Lecter’s little pen in the basement of that nut house, but still. It was all white tile and plastic walls. Standing just on the other side of the plastic was a man in a white lab coat. He was unremarkable, someone easily overlooked with “blah” blond hair and boring features. However, he had her undivided attention, something he probably wasn’t used to at all, and she knew she would never forget him as long as she lived. Weirdness happened. A voice, not her own, sounded inside her head. She hasn’t made a peep yet. Rainier is going to be so pissed. The MRI was remarkable, but the lack of data hinders any understanding of what it may mean. Well, that just freaked her right the hell out. The voice was masculine and weak, and exactly like she would expect Mr. Lab Coat to sound, not how he sounded in real life. Instant uproar rose in her mind as she tried to decide if she had finally snapped and was having hallucinations. Unlikely as that was. “PsLv, how are you feeling? Any nausea? Headache?”

Huh, so his speaking voice and internal voice were different. Maybe that was her perception at work. Hearing with her ears and… For the love of God, was she even really considering the alternative to hallucinations? That she suddenly could listen to other people’s thoughts beyond her own snarky internal voice? Telepathy? Really? Now that he mentioned it, she did have a nagging headache at the top of her head, and her stomach swished about all crazy. Melanie reached up, and the minute she touched her head, she knew. Knew why those soldier guys had made such a big deal about making sure her brain was intact. They weren’t zombies. They were ghouls. Her shoulder-length hair was short. Bob short, something she would have never done on her own. Not with her curls making it a big old mess. Another was the raised incision on her scalp hidden by her hair. Melanie pinned the little lab tech with narrowed eyes and listened as he freaked out. Holy shit! No wonder the soldiers were spooked when they returned with her. Even unconscious they gave her a wide berth. Totally get that now. There’s crazy in those eyes. Little Mr. Lab Coat had no idea. As she explored the incision site, a neat circle at the top of her head edging toward the back, she gathered data from her helpful little informant. She was on a boat somewhere in the Atlantic, but her surgery had been done at one of the off-the-books sites for illegal experimentation on humans. Huh, they are trying to give evolution a boost. Isn’t that altruistic of them? Bastards. Oh, that was interesting and somewhat disturbing. Her surgery had been botched. They had only meant to tinker with her motor cortex, to develop some type of movement-based psychic abilities. Psychic abilities? Jesus! Maybe not that farfetched. Melanie was listening to the thoughts of someone else after all. Although, last she checked, the motor cortex did not involve speech. Ah. The probe had sunk too deep when she… WTF! Levitated? She could fly? “PsLv, how would you rate your pain on a level from one to ten?”

He was starting to get frustrated at her lack of response. Good. Melanie decided then and there to say not a word. They would have to deal with whatever data they had gleaned while she was unconscious because now that she was awake, they could take their research and shove it. Kidnapping, abuse, illegal experimentation, and Lord knew what else. Yeah, they could suck it. Melanie maneuvered herself until she was sitting cross-legged on the cot that served as her bed. It was hard and uncomfortable but would do the job. She glanced around and discovered something integral about how the telepathy worked. It wasn’t tuned to her ears, apparently, but to her vision. When her eyes were on Mr. Lab Coat, she could hear what he was thinking. When she trained her eyes elsewhere, the eavesdropping stopped. Good to know. Ignoring the questions being asked of her, she examined her cage. Three of the walls were white tile with the plastic wall ahead of her. The observation window for their lab rat. Ugh. There was an open space, large enough for her to pace a bit because she knew she would only feel more and more cooped up after a while. Behind some frosted-glass bricks was a toilet/sink combo and an open shower similar to the one in Liam’s cabana. To the far left of that was a steel door reminiscent of those sealed hatches in submarines, except it was just smooth metal with no doorknob. Obviously, it would only open from the outside. Liam. What had happened to Liam? Surely he would have noticed she was gone by now. Unless he was also taken? He was a curiosity, and it only stood to reason that these mad scientists were the same ones who had made Liam all those years ago. Logically that made sense, that they would have an interest in Liam even now and anyone he had bonded with. There was no telling what weird genetics would down. Why they would want to experiment on her, though, was the question. Unless the bonding was the reason. Also, the only reason she had popped up on their radar. Melanie narrowed her eyes as her brain seemed to wake up more. How long had she been wherever she was? Brain surgery took serious recovery time and judging from her hair they had shaved her head. They were going to pay so much for that alone. Creak. Melanie glanced over at the observation window. The lab tech was gone. The hallway was clear. Curious, she rose from the cot and made her way over to

the Plexiglas. That was what it looked like, anyway. Plain white-tiled floors and metal walls, which made her think the boat they were on was not a cruise liner. Worse and worse, this situation. Plopping down on the floor in the center of the room, Melanie felt a little shaky on her feet. Her body was off and her brain… Well, the debate was still out about hallucinating. The coolness of the tile helped, but time would tell. In the meantime, she needed to work out whatever they had done to her. Take stock of her situation and figure a way to be ready because once Phoebe realized she was gone, something would happen. Phoebe would find her, and then shit would hit the fan in a big way. So first things first. Telepathy. If what she had gleaned was correct, then whatever junk they had injected or tinkered with inside her brain made her able to hear other people’s thoughts. This was something they were apparently unaware of, and she would not be enlightening them about it, ever. Exploring that and gathering as much information as possible was a must. The telepathy was also dependent on eye . So basically she could hear with vision? Then again the eyes were one conduit for the perception that the brain was responsible for interpreting. Then there was the levitation thing. No idea how that could possibly work. Maybe it wasn’t vision-based? Mr. Lab Coat had seen her do it while unconscious during brain surgery. It was a wonder they hadn’t lobotomized her or killed her. Melanie was thankful for small favors. Maybe it was by feel? Melanie took some deep breaths and focused on her physical body. The way she was feeling, the heaviness of her limbs, and the rise and fall of her chest during each inhalation and exhalation. Big fat nothing. Must have been a subconscious thing. Useless until she could figure out how to use it while awake. Creak. Her eyes automatically glanced at the observation wall, but the hallway was empty. Perhaps it was hallucination after all. Melanie glanced around, absently noting the camera right above the bathing area but angled so that she would at least have a bit of privacy there. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That noise could be the boat settling, much like older houses.

Creak. Or not. The headache was getting worse as well. Anger burned in her gut, making the nausea flare up, and it was all she could do not to scream and vent in frustration. Hands tightened into fists, she bowed her head to block out the confinement. That’s when she saw it. Being on a boat, any equilibrium change was automatically chalked up to the sea. The cot, bolted to the floor with steel, should not dip on just one end. Four legs of the bed bolted to the floor, and one of them was bent. Bent just enough that the cot was lopsided, as if the boat was going down a wave. Well, that was weird. Melanie looked at the leg next to the bent one and narrowed her eyes. The headache gave a vicious pulse and the leg bent, just like that, to match. Huh. Telekinesis. Scarily strong telekinesis, to be able to bend steel. Granted, it was only a bed leg, not a great thing when compared to the solid steel door keeping her locked inside. But she had the determination and a whole lot of rage on her side. She could escape, but not before determining if Liam was a captive as well. She wouldn’t leave him behind. A glance at the Plexiglas wall. Yep, escape would be easy.

* * * Liam

Liam sat quietly while the lab tech drew his blood. As he watched the small tube fill, he tried his luck again. “Where is Melanie?” Like before, there was no reply except the nervous flicker of eyelids and the sickly cloying smell of fear. Of course, no response. Not from the lackeys anyway. So many times, he could have overpowered one of them and escaped,

but he ed what the soldier had told him. Melanie’s survival depended on his behaving. “APT-8, any changes today?” Liam looked up from the cot to where the head scientist, Dr. Rainier, watched him just beyond the Plexiglas wall. His cage was boring and small. Too small for someone used to being in wide open spaces in untouched corners of the world. “No, Doctor. Everything is the same,” Liam lied easily. He might sit quietly and allow them to take his blood or do other tests, but he wasn’t going to share anything he had observed about himself. They would have to establish their own baseline. That didn’t mean Liam wasn’t aware of the changes occurring inside his body. Whatever they routinely injected him with caused the animalistic traits to strengthen. Sometimes it was all he could do to keep the cat from ripping everyone to shreds. His strength was also increasing well past the norm. His norm, anyway. The stripes in his skin had darkened and lengthened along his torso. They now wrapped around his ribs onto his chest and down his arms. His hair, from what little he could see in the Plexiglas reflection, had grown out and thickened with the hues of orange and black deepening instead of just highlighted like before. “Melanie has recovered well. She has awakened, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Perhaps I could arrange for you to see her?” Liam suppressed the flare of excitement at that prospect. He had to play this calmly. Otherwise, they would sedate him again. “I’d like that. She’s probably wondering where I am and if I’m concerned for her.” Rainier smiled, and the sweet smell of bananas wafted off him, a scent Liam had begun to associate with a sick sort of curiosity. “I will arrange it as soon as she is fully recovered.” The scratch of a pen on paper, and Liam realized the interview was over. Rainier only ever took notes after they were finished with their interactions. He waited until the hallway cleared before stretching out his arms and flexing his fingers, careful to keep his back to the camera in the corner.

His nails were intact, the overly sharp and strong ones. However, now there were retractable ones underneath the regular fingernails. Liam wasn’t sure, but those nails were matte black and faintly metallic. It was a strange mutation he didn’t want the scientists to know about. When they had grown in, the accompanying pain and fever hadn’t been fun. Liam had tested their strength against a corner of the bathroom. The tile never stood a chance, the nails slicing through it until it crumbled away. The metal wall underneath fared better, but still, he had gouged out a small hole with a bit of effort. Keeping his mind from venturing into the horrors he had witnessed through all his travels and associating them with whatever they might be doing to Melanie was a full-time occupation. If he dwelled on it too long, he would drive himself crazy. That led to the urge to shred things with his newly retractable claws. He could understand why cats did it now, as a stress release mechanism. It concerned him how much the bloodlust and aggression were growing. Of course, he had never been held captive quite like this. Penned up in a small space and unable to do anything about it because of Melanie. He kept hoping she would do something, anything, to let him know she was alive and well and so very, very angry. “APT-8, Dr. Rainier has indicated you can visit with your mate. To ensure her safety, I need to psychologically evaluate you. Are you amenable to answering some questions?” Liam was glad he had let his arms drop. This new person had done something very few people had ever accomplished: he had snuck up on him. He was a short, fussy man with balding grey hair, wearing a neatly pressed grey suit and a bowtie in a garish shade of purple. “Yes.” Liam sighed internally. He had to at least pretend interest. “I’ll answer to the best of my ability.” Meaning he would lie through his teeth. This wasn’t the first time he’d been psychoanalyzed. “I’m Dr. Gleason. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” A guard appeared and set a chair down in the hallway. “You don’t mind if I sit? My old bones aren’t what they used to be.”

Different was not good. Liam knew this doctor was just another hoop to jump through, but something was off about him. For one thing, there was no scent. No way for him to gauge how his answers might affect his chances of seeing Melanie. “No, go ahead. I’ll sit as well.” Liam sat on the end of the cot facing the Plexiglas window and his new tormentor. “So, Liam. What attracted you to your mate? Was it her appearance? Her personality? Animal magnetism?” Gleason appeared ready to note whatever he said, legal pad and pen in hand. Liam wanted to bare his teeth, but he didn’t. He remained calm and even-toned. “To be honest, it was her attitude. Bossy-like. Strong.” Fast scribbling and surprise on Gleason’s face. Obviously not what he was expecting. “That’s interesting. Most males do not like a bossy female. They can cause emasculating emotions.” There was almost a snort. Almost. Of course, prissy little Dr. Gleason wouldn’t like a female like that. “Did the animal in you agree with your assessment? Was it as enamored with her as you?” Those questions amused him. This was something he had noticed with a lot of the medical personnel tending to him. They considered the feline traits and the human traits completely separate entities. While Liam may have agreed with them once upon a time, he had understood they were one and the same after a fashion. No need to enlighten them of that though. Let them scrabble along with incorrect info, at least until he burned them to the ground. “Yes, it was a mutual attraction. She is what we want.” Gleason nodded. “Interesting. Do you have to dominate her? Make her submit, female to your male?” Liam almost rolled his eyes, but caught the reaction in time. Again, they assumed the animal was stronger since they had made it stronger. In reality, they had made Liam stronger.

“No, there is no domination. There is togetherness and the basic understanding of male to female. We are together because we choose to be together.” This line of questioning irritated him. They were trying to make Melanie less when she was so much more than him. “She understands that you are, in part, an animal? You shared your genetic mutations with her? There were clear marks on her shoulder where you bit her. That speaks to domination. She still chose you?” Gleason had a hard gleam in his eye at that last question, as if he couldn’t believe a woman would choose someone like him. He wanted a reaction, but he wouldn’t get the one he wanted. Liam just shrugged. “She does. As for her choices, well, you’ll have to ask her about them. I wouldn’t speak for her.” That seemed to make the good doctor angry. “I will be asking your mate. I must speak with both of you to determine if you are a good match for each other. Stress can be a detriment to recovery, and your mate has shown tremendous promise we don’t want to endanger.” Son of a bitch! Liam embedded his hands into the cot beneath him when what he really wanted to do was rip the prissy little bastard’s throat out. All in good time. Delayed gratification and all that. Besides, he was kind of curious about what the doctor would make of Melanie, of the predator she was with that wellspring of darkness. “Of course. I want to do nothing to jeopardize her recovery.” Sneaky sniveling weasel. “I only want what’s best for her.” Gleason nodded, apparently satisfied with Liam’s civility. “That’s good to know, APT-8.” Uh-oh. The use of the experimentation moniker did not bode well. It meant distance was being created so there would be no empathy toward him. Liam wasn’t concerned they seemed to have more interest in Melanie than they did in him. That meant she was as safe as could be with people bent on experimenting on other people. What concerned him was that the interest in him wasn’t as strong. That made him disposable, and he would be damned if he was going to go quietly into the night.

“When you see her, please let her know that I am fine. She’ll be worried about me.” Liam hoped the doctor would at least confirm for Melanie he was not only alive, but also caged. He doubted anyone had let her know. It was kind of funny. They thought he was the threat. “Of course, APT-8.” The doctor rose from his chair and closed the portfolio that housed his legal pad. “Hopefully things will go well, and we can allow you two to see each other.” They in no way wanted them together. That meant his time was counting down. Something would have to be done soon.

* * * Melanie

Meditation was a godsend. It helped with the headaches, and allowed Melanie to somewhat de-stress. She couldn’t be sure how long she had been held in that cage, but she sensed it was much longer than she ed. There were times where she woke up with fresh bruises and injection sites, but she was always on her cot. They must be drugging her while she slept. Nice to know the uncooperativeness was having an effect. Mr. Lab Coat had been by a couple more times, and Melanie had gradually been introduced to more and more scientists and a few of the guards. While she couldn’t pick out their names -- who thought of themselves by name anyway? -that didn’t stop her from naming them herself. Two guards were hot for each other but trying to hide it. She dubbed them Top and Bottom. They were the nicer ones. One other guard leered at her every time he was assigned to her cage area. Creeper was the one she watched closely, and knew if he ever acted on any of his disgusting pornographic thoughts she would out herself and crush him like a boulder. There were a few other lab techs: one female and two other males she named Frizzy, Asshole, and Weakling. To be honest, she didn’t really care to know their names.

The only one who had actually introduced himself to her was Dr. Rainier, the head honcho himself. His mind was… different. Nothing was linear in there, nor did he think about anything but science. She had gotten a migraine and a nosebleed after a visit from him. He was a smart one, though. He sensed she was hiding something. Probably why there had been an increase in those nightly kidnap sessions. “PsLv, we have found no indication your mutism is biological. All your tests have come back in normal ranges. We can only assume it is psychological, so we have a therapist coming. We hope that you cooperate.” Ah, finally the threats. They had had more patience than she thought, considering there had been more incidents of levitation. It was purely an unconscious thing because she couldn’t get her fluffy self off the ground to save her life. Maybe it was a weird offshoot of the telekinesis she had attempted to hone without the camera catching anything. It was amazing how much concentration it took to manipulate a strand of hair into a bow with just the power of the mind. Melanie snorted as Weakling’s thoughts took on a bitter edge. He was angry she was not cooperating and that Frizzy had stolen his limelight at the daily staff meeting in front of some prominent psychiatrist who had boarded their ship. Frizzy had been by earlier, and now she understood the smugness in her thoughts. “You should feel privileged that he’s taking the time to participate in our project. He very rarely sees patients anymore. Strictly research and writing now.” Boring and lazy, then. Melanie wondered if she could freak him out like she had the school counselor after her parents died. Granted, she went through a hard adjustment period being on her own, but he was the last person she would ever trust. Couldn’t get therapy or be open with someone you couldn’t trust, and she had been right. In her general psych class during freshman year of college, she had found a paper that counselor had written about her. There were no names, but some of the details she recognized as information deemed confidential by the court that had awarded her emancipation. He had also gotten hold of her medical records somehow, and the evidence of her abuse was splashed throughout that paper, as

well. Then there was the other incident in her senior year. Nothing was ever proven, but that prick had kept an even closer eye on her afterward: mandated meetings three times a week for her to graduate. Lorelei had been forced to attend the other two days of the week. He thought he could get them to turn on each other, but that had failed. “Ah, here he is now. Please let him help you, PsLv.” Melanie rolled her eyes. She continued to sit cross-legged in the middle of her cage, where she felt the freest. It was hard to meditate when you were locked up like an animal. A chair was placed directly across from her on the other side of the Plexiglas, and a fussy little man appeared, wearing a grey suit and a blinding purple tie. That hue so did not exist in nature. When he settled in the chair and Melanie got a good look at his face, she made the first sound since she had awakened in her incarceration. She burst out laughing. Tummy hurting, tears streaming down her face, snorting laughter. Melanie rolled on the floor laughing so hard. Good thing they kept that tile so clean. Otherwise, her white smock and white pajama pants would have been filthy. Melanie couldn’t even stop laughing long enough to focus on him to hear his thoughts. This was perfect. It was her high school counselor. Finally something to break up the monotony, because she knew she could make something happen with him. There were still a few snorts escaping her when she finally focused on him. But that just sent her into gales of laughter again. His mind was in complete chaos. It was all panicked profanity, incomplete plans to terminate her, and a thread of curiosity about what she had become. “Dr. Gleason, is there a problem? This has never happened before. She’s been completely mute until you arrived.” Lord, the distress in Weakling’s voice just set her off again. At this rate, Melanie felt she was going to pop a blood vessel or something. Or, she had finally

cracked after being locked up for so long. Laughter was a great de-stressor, though. Meditation could only do so much. “Ms. Radcliff?” Oh God, that hesitant, please-tell-me-I’m-hallucinating tone got to her again. Yep, definitely going to pop a vessel. Or vomit. Or stop breathing because she could barely catch her breath as it was. Melanie hadn’t laughed like this in a long, long time, if ever. Weakling looked back and forth between them. “You know her, Dr. Gleason? Gleason pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I need to speak to Dr. Rainier right away. This is not good.” Melanie smirked and realized Gleason was all set to tell Rainier all her dirty secrets. Good, but it wouldn’t help them. It just meant she would have to move her timetable up a bit. Surely Phoebe would have figured out her location by now. She had seen Creeper walking around with her cell phone. “Dr. Rainier is examining the changes occurring within APT-8’s genetic code right now. The clean room is off-limits when he’s there.” Weakling reached for the boxy walkie-talkie type phone attached to his hip. “I’ll page him and tell him you need to meet.” There was a slight chirp, and Weakling spoke urgently into the walkie-talkie. Gleason regarded her through the Plexiglas, his face pale and covered in sweat. Melanie continued to chuckle off and on as she picked through his brain and found he had been keeping track of her for years. All the incidences of violence in high school and through her college years gave him a pretty decent understanding of her psyche. College had been especially different because that was where she and Lorelei bonded with another pair of misfits. She still didn’t like being referred to as a sociopath with delusions of grandeur and a severe lack of knowledge in right or wrong. “Ms. Radcliff, I am surprised to see you here. In such company.” It was their sessions all over again. He made inane comments, and she ignored him except to continue to chuckle. Melanie understood right and wrong just fine.

The rest of the world had a problem with it. Granted, some of her reactions tended to be extreme when it came to certain situations. Shattering the bones of the boy who had attacked Lorelei and other incidences of violence to protect those she considered her own were to be expected after her upbringing and being so much smaller than her tormentors. “You managed to ‘mate’ with an animal. Does he realize what a monster you are?” Big words from a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth, only for Daddy to lose it all before he could gain access to it. Gleason was bitter and took that bitterness out on everyone. Plus, his privileged upbringing colored his viewpoints on others. He was judgy and believed his degree in psychology gave him the right. “Dr. Gleason, Dr. Rainier says he will meet you in the conference room in ten minutes. It will take him that long to decontaminate.” “Wonderful. There are some concerns I need to share with him, and I’ll need the complete file on Ms. Radcliff here. All the experiments that were done and the results.” Oh goody. Gleason was now going to pry into her medical history again. Good luck with that, asshole. They didn’t even know the extent of her abilities. Drip. Melanie looked down at the bright red splatter on the tile floor. Great, she had another nosebleed, which meant another nightly kidnapping. They were extremely curious about why she got so many. Needless to say, they were in the dark. She considered several theories. Her brain was hemorrhaging. That was the scariest one. The argument she preferred was that it was growing pains. These new abilities, the telepathy, and the telekinesis required more brain power. In turn, her brain had to generate energy it was not used to having. The result was that the new growth caused some minor injuries. Weakling stared at her with wide eyes as Gleason left. “You’re mute on purpose? Why? Don’t you realize you’re the next step in human evolution, that you’re a

miracle?” Melanie wiped the blood from her nose and ignored him. She didn’t ask to be the next step in human evolution. That choice had been made for her. It was one they would all regret.

Chapter Seven

Gleason slammed into the conference room and paced the length of the grand table while he waited for Rainier to arrive. Things were problematic. Melanie Radcliff should have never been chosen for the psychic program. She was too volatile and definitely not controllable. None of the behavioral embedding would work on her. “There better be a good reason I’m in here with you, Gleason, when I was trying to understand a new genetic anomaly in our feline project.” Rainier stripped off his lab coat and adjusted his glasses. “Well? You’ve spoken to Liam. What of his mate?” Grimness tightened his mouth. “Melanie Radcliff is not an acceptable subject for what you’re trying to do. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but she was the subject of the paper that brought me to the group’s attention. You won’t be able to manage her like you do the other subjects.” Rainier sighed. “I was not aware. However, there was no other choice. Liam has rejected every female we’ve ever introduced him to without any bonding. His bonding with Radcliff was quick and has presented new data of what the APs are capable of. There are anomalies in her from him, but he’s showing aspects of her DNA, as well. It’s unprecedented.” Gleason tugged at his ear, a nervous habit his father had relentlessly mocked. “That girl is a murderer and is likely to explode into wanton violence at any moment. I read the report about when she was acquired. She injured two of your soldiers. One of them quite severely. He almost bled out, Rainier.” “You posited she was a murderer. The accident was ruled just that, an accident.” Rainier frowned. “That situation belies your sociopath theory. What person would risk their own life just to take another?” Gleason sighed. “She is a fascinating mix of cunning, self-sacrifice, and rage. Then there’s the bad attitude, high IQ, and complete lack of regard for authority. It makes her a poor subject for what you’re trying to accomplish here. I’m afraid using her is something we will all come to regret.”

“None of this was evident in her work history or college career.” Rainier looked slightly confused. “High IQ? She was an average college student, graduated middling from her university.” That caused Gleason to laugh. “Of course, she did. What good is the predator if it’s easily recognized? I have the placement tests and psychological profiles she was required to take after she missed several weeks of school following the car accident that killed her parents. It indicates a very high IQ and moral ambiguity.” A high-pitched whine erupted from the walkie-talkie in Rainier’s lab coat, but it stopped without any comment. “My hands are tied. Liam has chosen her, and the surgery was somewhat of a success.” Sweat broke out on his brow when Gleason considered the abilities the group had managed to already get humans to exhibit. Melanie with psychic abilities, motor-based ones to boot, terrified him. If his suspicions were correct, they were all in more danger than they realized. “Tell me about that. The surgeon proceeded as planned, but after the first exposure to the nootropic compound, there was an immediate reaction?” Rainier sighed. “Yes, everything was fine. She had responded beautifully to the prep-drugs, the bonding with Liam aiding in the transition. After the first flush with the compound, her stats went crazy. Heart rate through the roof, but her blood pressure and oxygen level declined rapidly, nearly bottoming out. Everything in the room began to shake. It was like an earthquake, only it wasn’t happening anywhere else.” Gleason blanched. This was not good. Not good at all. “Was it then the levitation was noted? She was floating a few inches off the surgical bed?” Excitement then. Rainier had been amazed. “Yes, it was the quickest of any manifestation of psychic ability since these experiments began. For her to react so fast makes her invaluable. Unfortunately, the probe the surgeon was using sank a bit deeper than intended and as the probe was removed the surgical tech gave the surgeon more of the compound instead of the saline flush.” That had not been in the official file. That Melanie had received a double dose of the compound used to give humans psychic abilities. It was neurogenic with aspects of nootropics that forced the brain to create new structures and

connections. Melanie’s MRI was remarkable. There was extensive new growth in her motor cortex, but around Wernicke’s area, there was some type of dense mass. Not a tumor, but a ball of dark, solid connections. No transmission, no firing of neurons, yet containing regenerative capabilities. “The levitation manifestation? How many incidences?” Rainier ran his fingers through his hair. “Not as many as we’d hoped for. The lack of demonstrative ability is troubling. Also, the double dose of the compound created health issues: headaches and nosebleeds, a grand mal seizure. We’re concerned she won’t live long enough for us to discover why she’s different.” Gleason nodded. “Let me tell you of my findings. Liam is truly bonded to her. Be prepared that if you lose her, you will most certainly lose him. It’s interesting, but he’s the beta in the relationship, despite the domineering bite he gave Melanie. His regard for her is almost reverent, but possessive and caring. He seems virtually enamored by the predator she is, which is understandable. The most basic drive is to find a mate capable of giving the strongest of offspring and the ability to protect said offspring. He certainly has done that.” Rainier nodded. “Good. We can learn so much from them and whatever offspring they may have. The blending of man, animal, and psychic abilities through natural breeding. The early experiments were not as we had hoped. What of Melanie?” “She’s as stubborn as ever.” Gleason pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his brow. “Unfortunately, she has all of you snowed. The levitation is a smokescreen meant to hide her true ability.” Rainier’s eyes widened slightly. “She laughed the entire time you were there with her. How do you know anything significant about her in that brief amount of time?” Gleason gave a mirthless laugh. “I’ve spent years trying to understand that girl and what could have happened to her to make her so prone to violence. She presents as a well-adjusted individual, but underneath beats the heart of a beast. There was evidence of torture when she was examined following the car accident, but the ER physician chalked it up to injuries sustained in the crash with no regard for the older scars and breaks.”

“You think the parents? We noted some odd marks on her skin and her full body scan revealed some healed breaks and a few abnormalities.” “Exactly. There’s a lot that doesn’t add up about Melanie. She is a true enigma.” Gleason sighed. “Which is why it pains me to caution you. Melanie may levitate, but the actual ability is telekinesis. Even unconscious, she was hiding her true self in plain sight. The nosebleeds and headaches are all manifestations of her trying to harness her abilities. When she releases them, we’re all dead.” “Unsubstantiated, Dr. Gleason.” Rainier put his lab coat back on. “There is no correlation between her levitation and the nosebleeds and headaches.” “If that was her only ability, I’d agree with you. You said yourself she not only got a double dose of the compound but also the speech area was affected. You don’t think there were repercussions from that? I would guarantee she has some latent ability involved in speech. Some form of telepathy, perhaps?” Rainier froze at the door to the conference room. “The only confirmed cases of telepathy are dead. Suicides, because they had no way to block the constant bombardment.” He turned to face Gleason. “If what you’re saying is true, that she’s telepathic without the accompanying issues, then she is priceless to our research. How do we confirm your hypothesis?” Gleason shook his head. He was like Cassandra, doomed to warn people of their folly who would not heed his words. “You don’t. If you try, you’ll regret it because you forget one critical thing. Melanie is lying in wait. Honing her skills until she’s ready to make a break for it. When she does, people will die. You won’t be able to reason with her any more than you can reason with a rabid dog.” “Surely not!” Rainier was finally listening, at least a little. “You said she’s smart. We can form some sort of arrangement. House her and Liam together on the condition they both submit to testing.” Nope, not listening at all. Time to be clear. “If you try to force her hand, she will respond, swiftly and violently. Melanie will burn up her own brain trying to escape and just to spite you, because that is who she is. There are always several purposes for her actions. Or are you forgetting the car accident that killed her parents, exposed them for child abs, and emancipated her, all in one event?”

Rainier shook his head. “That type of premeditation is not possible. How would she even know she would survive? That’s too risky.” “Too risky for the likes of you and me.” Gleason sighed. “Not for her. Melanie isn’t like us. We’re basically damned if we do and damned if we don’t. If you move on her to confirm the telepathy, she’ll fight with the full force of the telekinesis she has been honing right under your nose. If you try to reverse the telekinesis, you run the risk of destroying the telepathy you have inadvertently gifted her with. Be warned, leave Liam out of whatever you plan. She’ll destroy herself to save him.” Rainier opened his mouth to speak when an alarm blared full-force through the overhead speakers. They looked at each other, then hit the door at a dead run. Ship-wide alarms were never good.

* * * Liam

The alarm was loud, much louder than he would have thought possible through that little overhead speaker. Maybe he was more sensitive to sound since he had been given gene therapy? At least that was what the lab techs called it. Liam watched several lab techs and security guards race by his window until the subtle hiss of compressed air drew his attention to the door of his cage. Freedom? He crept forward, then froze when all the lights blinked out. Immediately red floodlights snapped on, highlighting ages but not really illuminating anything. Either way, it was time to go. This sudden meltdown was suspect, but Liam got the feeling it was more from outside than inside. Melanie’s friend, Phoebe, might have had something to do with it. He pulled the metal door to his cell open and peered out into the narrow hallway behind. It was almost like a service hallway, only wide enough for a person pushing a cart. At the moment, it was empty. Liam crept out of his cell and immediately turned right. Why he chose that direction, he wasn’t sure, but some

unidentifiable feeling told him Melanie was that way. As he wandered down the hall, alert to any changes, Liam winced as the siren seemed to get louder and louder the farther he traveled down the hall. He hoped he could find Melanie quickly and they could find their way off this boat before anyone realized they were gone in the chaos. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than one of the doors popped open and one of the security forces appeared. Liam bared his teeth and flexed his fingers, making the metallic claws extend. The guard froze at the sight of him before grappling with his radio, probably to alert every one of Liam’s escape and location. He couldn’t have that. Dashing forward, much faster than he had anticipated, Liam slammed into the guard, propelling them both back into the room. After a cursory scan, which found no one else present, Liam attacked. One swipe of his hand and blood bloomed across the man’s face. In reaction, he reached to protect his eyes, simultaneously dropping the walkie-talkie. Liam didn’t stop there, the rage and bloodlust upon him. Swipe after swipe struck with those razor-sharp claws until the guard was on the floor and too still to be living. Breathing hard and still slightly frenzied, Liam took a moment to look around and realized he was in the guard’s private quarters. A quick examination and he decided the guard was approximately his size. It would be much easier to look for Melanie if he appeared to be the one holding her captive. When he looked down at the guard, he felt a slight flash of regret, but hardened his resolve. These people had started this. They had kidnapped and experimented on him and the love of his life. It worried him he didn’t know the things they had done to Melanie or were currently doing to her. Liam ransacked the closet and found a pair of sweats with an insignia that consisted of the letters A and G blended together, with a matching hoodie. Perfect, since he would need to hide his hair. Using the tiny sink in the room, Liam washed his hands before changing into the sweats, scrounged some socks from one of the cabinets above the closet, and slipped on a pair of the guard’s sneakers. They were tight, but he could work with them. Anything to not appear too out of place. Before leaving the guard’s quarters, he grabbed the walkie-talkie. It seemed

prudent to be aware of what was going on over the rest of the ship. So far, he had just heard clearings, as if the guards were searching the ship for something. It made him think the alarm was triggered from maybe an unauthorized boarding. Hopefully, nothing biological had been released from the labs. As he progressed deeper into the ship, his disguise seemed to do the trick. It was something he had learned on his travels. If you appeared to know where you were going, walking with a purposeful stride, people saw what they wanted to see. In his case, a guard that was on his downtime heading to his designated area. The walkie-talkie in hand seemed to be in his favor, too. “APT-8 is loose. Anyone got eyes? Over.” Great, they had discovered he was missing. It was only a matter of time before they found the guard and the ransacked closet. Time was running out. Suddenly the alarm cut off, but the lights remained out with just the red emergency ones. Liam had come to the end of the hall and stared at the door that more than likely led outside the caged area. It had disturbed him to realize the guards were on the same hall, with access at any given time. The only saving grace was that camera in the room. The red dot never wavered, so he assumed he was being monitored at every given moment. He prayed the same was true for Melanie. Another concern was he might have ed her cage without realizing it. However, he had seen no other doors that resembled the outside of his with a turn wheel to seal the room and a keypad that required a fingerprint. No, Melanie was ahead of him somewhere. The only thing to do was continue and hope he wasn’t caught before he found her. Decision made, Liam pushed the door open and entered the hallway. There was more traffic in this area, mostly lab techs hurrying by with demands to know if anyone knew what was going on. They ignored him, so he ed the traffic going left this time. “Is PsLv secure?” “All doors opened per fire protocol.” Liam paused, looking around for a place out-of-the-way to catch everything that

was said. To his right was a door. He pushed it open and found himself in a conference room with a large table dominating the space. It was empty. “Anyone got eyes?” “All guards, report!” Liam recognized that voice, and his rage flared white-hot. It was that jackass who had kidnapped him and Melanie. The older man with the muddy blue eyes. “Charlie one, bridge.” “Charlie two, labs.” Uh-oh. They were going to realize a guard was missing. Liam debated on whether it would be wiser to ditch the walkie-talkie or keep it. “Charlie three, muster station 4.” “Charlie four, cafeteria.” “Charlie five, stern.” “Charlie six, media room.” “I got eyes on PsLv. She remains caged. Her door malfunctioned.” Liam’s eyes narrowed. That couldn’t be true. “Report on PsLv. Charlie one, over.” “Charlie eight, PsLv has made no move to escape. Dr. Gleason is present at the entrance with me. We are preparing to breach the room. Orders, over?” Lies, every bit of that lies. Liam knew Melanie would seize this opportunity to escape just as he had. The only truth in that statement was that the guard, Charlie eight, was about to enter her room. There was incipient violence, and a desire in that voice that Liam knew was targeted at his mate. Not something he could allow. Time to let the hunters know where he was. A glance at the room he was in. One entrance, so no one could come at him from behind. He just hoped that Melanie would come to find him.

“Hello, kidnappers.” Silence. “Oh, right. Over.” “Identify yourself! How did you get on this secure channel?” Liam shook his head. Not the brightest crayon in the box. “It’s your pet feline, free and on the prowl. Unfortunately one of your guards met a rather gruesome end. Claws were involved. It’s not pretty. Over.” More silence. Liam glanced down and saw the channel knob. Keeping channel five in his mind, he began to flip through them until he found another one that was live with chatter. This one was not security, though. It was the medical personnel, and they were freaking out. “The cat is gone! What are we going to do? Over!” “Dr. Gleason says we need to be more concerned with the female subject, that she is dangerous and a murderer. Over.” “Levitation is not an offensive ability. Over.” “What if she can take you up with her and then drop you from a great height? Did you think about that? Over.” Liam snorted at that. It was a legitimate question, but still dumb. It did give him some insight into what they had been up to. Liam would have noticed if Melanie could float, so that was something they had done to her. Guilt was swift. It was his fault. She was targeted because of him. The murder charge was new, though. He was curious how Gleason had come to that conclusion. “Levitation only applies to the subject. Did you not read up on the previous skills exhibited by subjects?” The speaker clearly thought the previous one was an idiot. “This subject is different. Therefore, her results would vary. It is a distinct possibility she would have the capability of using levitation to hurt people.”

Like Melanie needed some psychic ability to hurt people. That was something they would realize to their great regret. He just hoped one of them would give him some clue to her location, but that was not looking likely. Liam twisted the channel dial again and came across a channel playing rolling tones he recognized. “Phoebe? Over.” “Liam! Oh, thank God! I’ve been waiting for one of you to pick up a radio. Oh and uh, over?” “What’s going on, Phoebe? Where is Melanie? Over.” There was static before Phoebe’s voice came back over the channel. “Where are you so that I can give you directions?” A pause with static. “Over.” “I’m in the conference room not too far from the cage they held me in. Does that help? Over.” Cursing came over the channel before static drowned it out. Liam waited impatiently for Phoebe to come back. Apparently, something was happening on her end, wherever she was. He hoped nothing was wrong, or that nothing happened to her. Melanie would be so pissed. “Sorry, had to change locations. The conference room is close to where Mel is. When you exit the room, turn left and continue to the end of the corridor.” More static and when Phoebe came back, she was speaking more quickly. “Turn right and enter the third door on the left. You’ll need a keycard. Security reset when they stopped the fire alarm. Beyond that door is a hallway with only one entrance at the opposite end. That’s Melanie’s cage.” Static buzzed. “Crap! Gotta go. Good luck, Liam. Oh, your private boat is moored as a lifeboat. Get to it and get out. That ship is going to sink.” Well, that was wonderful. Liam had a time limit and a threat looming over him. Time to go. He set the walkie-talkie on the conference table. He wouldn’t need it anymore. The key card was going to be more problematic. He would have to mug someone, expose himself to the ones hunting him. There was no other way. He had to get to Melanie, and they had to get off this boat. Suddenly, the speakers overhead blared another alarm, this one different. The

lights flashed from red to brilliant white. Time was up. Phoebe had done whatever she was planning. Liam stumbled when the ship dipped alarmingly to the left. There was a vibration from the engines he could feel through the floor, and the siren cut out for an announcement. “This is your captain speaking. We are experiencing engine trouble. Please proceed to your muster stations and prepare to board the lifeboats.” Jesus, that was a fast decision. The boat listed to the right, and Liam slammed against the wall by the door. Maybe not quick enough. Definitely time to go. He flexed his fingers and the claws appeared, deadly and metallic. They would make good grippers for the walls to keep him upright. He hoped Melanie really could levitate because otherwise, she was going to get banged up before they got topside to his boat. He opened the door and ed the crowd in the hallway. Excellent, he wouldn’t have to mug anyone, just dust off his pickpocketing skills. He ed a group heading in the direction he needed, and as they approached the end of the hallway, he made sure to grab several key cards instead of just one. Never knew when they might come in handy. With a swipe of one, he was in the corridor leading to Melanie.

* * * Melanie

The alarm was loud. Much louder than she would expect from overhead speakers. She watched the people dash by her window, snippets of their panicked thoughts filtering through her brain. So it was a fire alarm. Great. Obviously not a false one either or they wouldn’t be freaking out the way they were. A subtle hiss caught her attention. When Melanie turned, she saw the door to her cage was unsealed. That made her laugh. Definitely a real fire, then. Otherwise, they would have made sure her door remained locked. Fools, but wonderful fools. Guess that meant she didn’t have to shatter the Plexiglas. Vaguely, she wondered if Gleason was on his way to put a bullet in her head. That thought had crossed his mind as soon as he realized who she was and what they had

made her. Melanie climbed to her feet and stretched. Meditation was hard on the spine, and the tile floor didn’t help. She would have to ask Phoebe about where she got her little meditation cushions from, or if she made them, crafty minx that she was. Melanie wondered what it would cost her to have Phoebe make her some. Suddenly her door pushed open, and Creeper entered her cell. He was careful to keep his body in the way so she couldn’t escape, and the plans spiraling through his mind made her so impossibly angry. He preyed on the weak. Several females throughout his lifetime, drugging them and assaulting them for hours. Even a few of the lab techs on this ship, Frizzy among them. Perhaps she would spare a few after all. She wasn’t a monster like him. “Pretty Melanie. I’m glad we have this chance.” Melanie’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained focused on him, even if she didn’t want to see the things he had in store for her. Abduction, degradation, he planned to keep her in his cabin as his pet, a slave to his every sick need. He would report she escaped in the fire alarm confusion. No one would question such a loyal guard. Her eyes flickered to the camera in her room and saw the red light was not glowing. Good. “I actually like that you’re mute. I won’t have to worry about your cries or screams.” Such an unfortunate thing, revealing herself. When they found his body, they would question it. How she could do such a thing? Maybe not why, if the lab techs on this ship ed anything of their time with him. He pulled out zip ties and tossed them at her feet. “Put those around your wrists and tighten them.” When she didn’t immediately comply, he pulled out his Taser and pointed it at her. “Now.” Melanie sighed. She almost regretted this, but examples must be made. He was a perfect target. Now to get the pressure just right. She focused on his arm, the one pointing the Taser, and shoved with her mind.

Screams erupted when his arm rolled back like those Swatch bracelets that had been popular when she was young. Blood, gore, and bone chips were very much in evidence from the trauma done to him. Okay, maybe a bit much. Less shove? More focus? Vice versa? Melanie studied him. Lord, he was louder than the damn alarm. Such a wimp after all the pain and horror he had dished out. Couldn’t take even a little in return. Blood was beginning to spread, somewhat rapidly, under his prone body. Melanie worked her way around that puddle. Son of a bitch, there was blood splattered across her smock and pants. Not something she could hide. “Wait, don’t let me die!” That earned a snort. Melanie paused and stared down at him. Predator of the weak. “You are going to die. You’ve already lost too much blood for anyone to save you. It’s no more than you deserve.” Ooh, expandable metal baton. She wasn’t allowed to have one of those anymore, not after that incident with the bullies in college. Melanie plucked that from the holder on the side of his pants. He grabbed her with his good hand, squeezing enough to bruise, but his grip was fading. Melanie pinned him with narrowed eyes again. “Do you really want to do that? Knowing what I can do with just my mind?” His face blanched, horror filling his eyes, as he got a good look at what she truly was. At the monster that lived inside her, the one that did not suffer those who preyed on the weak to thrive. “You see, don’t you?” His hand released her as if burned. “Yes…” “Now, where is my phone?” He reached up toward his breast pocket, but his arm dropped before it could reach it. He had ed out from blood loss. Possibly died already. Melanie didn’t really care either way. If he weren’t dead, he would be soon enough. She reached into the breast pocket and pulled out her phone.

Tapping the screen, she opened a new text screen. Took you long enough! While she waited for a response, Melanie flicked out the baton until it was fully extended. Telekinesis was hard, but metal could get the point across just as well. She headed for the door to her cage and pushed it open. The hallway beyond was lit with red lights, the main ones apparently out. She wondered if there really was a fire. No sooner had that thought crossed her mind than the alarm cut out. Guess not. Ugh, that meant this was probably going to get very ugly. Ping. Where are you? That had to be Phoebe. When Melanie read that, she rolled her eyes. How the hell was she supposed to know? No idea, kidnapped, ? Ping. How could a ping sound annoyed? No shit, where are you on the ship?! Liam is looking for you! Ohhh. Melanie frowned. Phoebe wasn’t usually so literal. If their messing around in her brain had done anything serious like get rid of her sense of humor or make her super serious, she was going to blow this ship up. With her mind! See how they liked that! Oh. At my cell. Ping. On it. BTW, you fail. That alarm went off for a long time, and you’re just now leaving your cell? Melanie snorted. It wasn’t like she could have just left right away. She had been

busy. Good to know. Escape route? When no response was forthcoming, Melanie frowned at the phone. Something must be going on with Phoebe. That was when a new alarm blared, and the lights flashed from red to white. That definitely wasn’t good. Melanie debated whether she should venture down the hallway or wait where she was for Liam to come find her. “This is your captain speaking. We are experiencing engine trouble. Please proceed to your muster stations and prepare to board the lifeboats.” Engine trouble? Suddenly the boat listed hard to the side, and Melanie automatically threw out her arms to prevent from slamming into the wall. Only none of that happened. The hallway listed back and forth, but she remained upright and centered. When she looked down, she saw she was levitating, careful to adjust and prevent injuries from what the boat was doing. Huh. So she could levitate. No idea how she was doing it, but she was glad to see the lab techs and doctors weren’t just full of shit. The door at the opposite end of the hallway opened and silhouetted against the light was Liam. She couldn’t make out his features or anything, but she would know him anywhere. “Melanie!” How did she make herself go? If she could float, she could fly, dammit! Why was her brain always so damn complicated? “Liam, I’m stuck.” He raced down the hallway, and she blinked at how fast he was. That was new. Looked like she wasn’t the only one to gain some extra skills from being part of inhumane experiments. Even the listing floor didn’t slow him down. In seconds, he was snatching her out of the air and crushing her. “Can’t… breathe… Liam.”

The sharp growl, much more animalistic than his previous ones froze her. “I smell blood. Are you injured? Who do I have to kill?” “Air… need… breathe…” He loosened his arms and allowed her to float near him -- well within an arm’s length, in case he needed to snatch her to him again. Melanie quickly filled her lungs with much-needed air before responding. “Not mine. Someone didn’t want to get out of my way, so I made him.” She watched Liam glance at the door to her cell with speculative eyes. “No. We need to get off this boat. I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be this rough. Did Phoebe tell you anything? How did you get hold of her?” Liam grabbed her arm, the one not holding the baton, and began to drag her down the hallway. “I stole a radio from a guard. They were looking for me, but since the ship is going to sink, they shouldn’t bother us. Phoebe says my boat is moored at one of the lifeboats. We need to get to it.” They burst through the door at the end of the hallway and found it empty. Liam immediately turned right and dashed down the main corridor, this one much wider and not as institutional as the ones where their cages had been. “Great, and the people on this boat? The data they collected on us? The things they did to us? What about them?” Melanie was very much a grudge holder. She planned for all of them to pay, one way or another. Ping. They both looked down at the phone. I’ve got enough evidence to lock up everyone involved. Unfortunately, the experimental data was all corrupted. Oops. Liam just shook his head. “Phoebe has us covered on that front. We need to get to the boat and away.” Up some stairs, several flights Melanie would never have been able to run up without giving herself a heart attack. She wasn’t an athlete. Not like Liam’s muscular self. God, she had missed him.

“All right, I’m with you.” Melanie blinked at the brilliant sunshine when they burst through a door and out onto the deck. “Gah, I’m blind.” Liam didn’t even slow down, just pulled her along like a floating balloon. It was beginning to concern her that the levitation was not letting her down. How was she even doing it? Nothing was different in her thought processes or concentration. Just adrenaline, but that didn’t make sense since she had levitated in her… oh. Threats of bodily harm. The rough rocking of the ship. Unwanted surgical procedures. That made sense now. “There it is. Fuck, Rainier and Gleason are trying to unmoor it.” If she thought Liam was running fast before, it was nothing compared to the speed he put on to prevent their escape from being taken away from them. Once Melanie was close enough, she swung the baton with bone-cracking force against Rainier’s knee. Gleason had the good sense to dart out of range. A highpitched scream burst from Rainier’s mouth, and Melanie thumped back to the ground. “Dr. Rainier, a pleasure to see you outside my cage.” Melanie squatted down next to where he was sitting on the deck clutching his rapidly swelling knee. “You know -- when I’m not unconscious.” Liam ignored them as he began to loosen the rope-and-pulley system that would launch his boat into the water. It was like he trusted her to watch his back while he got to work on getting them to safety. Rainier watched her in horror. “I gave you a gift.” Melanie laughed, and it wasn’t a nice laugh. “Oh yes, my ‘gifts.’” She made sure to make the air quotes with her free hand. “Let’s see how well I’ve learned to conquer those gifts.” The telepathy she would never it to. Even if someone suspected. The fact that she got nothing from Liam was grounds for experimentation later, but in the meantime, she could reveal the telekinesis. The destructive power she would rain down on them if they even thought to pursue them. So, less force and focus? Melanie stared down at Rainier’s hand, specifically the index finger. It was small, wouldn’t take too much to snap that like a twig. Not

the Swatch thing again though, that had been gross and disturbing to watch. Snap. More high-pitched screams that were getting on her nerves. Liam glanced at her, then down at Rainier’s now completely broken and deformed finger. “That’s new.” Melanie just shrugged. “Makes the violence easier.” They practically had to shout to drown out the downright blubbering wails. Pain really did have the most interesting effect on the brain. Melanie couldn’t penetrate into his thoughts, not well anyway. There was this weird haze even before she broke his bones. Looked like the good doctor was partaking of the Kool-Aid. “So just to be clear, Dr. Rainier, Liam and I will be leaving your care as soon as possible. Should you have any thoughts about revisiting us or following up, don’t. I’m sure arthritis will set into your knee and finger, and it will be a daily reminder of this day. However, in case you get any bright ideas, this, as well.” Melanie turned to where she and Liam had exited the stairwell. Obviously, there was more to the ship, at higher levels, since the bridge was at the top and there were at least two more floors up. One thing she had discovered was that telekinesis was like gas in a silo, it built up and had to be purged regularly or boom. So that’s what Melanie did. She purged. In a blast that shook the ship even harder than the listing they had been subjected to below, the entire two levels were obliterated by the force of her mind. Okay, so definitely too much. Screams could be heard all around them, but Melanie wasn’t concerned about them. They were torturers who thought scientific advancement gave them the right. “Yeah, did not expect that.” Melanie turned at Liam’s dry comment and found him regarding her with that lustful gaze that always ended up with her naked. He was such a freak. Melanie started to say something in response, but it was too much. The last thing she saw was the wooden deck rushing up to her face.

Chapter Eight Liam

Looking over the destruction that had come from one curvy five-feet, four-inch female, Liam burst out laughing. Especially when he saw Rainier was mute in the wake of the destructive force that was his mate. He reached down and picked her up from where she was floating just above the deck. Cradling her in his arms, he leaped into his boat. “She’ll turn on you. It’s her nature.” Liam whirled to where Gleason was and found him standing on the deck of the boat as fires erupted from the lower levels. He was watching them with an intensity that screamed obsession. “That’s my business. My female, my life. It would do you well to that. Stay away from us, or I’ll show you just how much of an animal I truly am.” Liam bared his teeth and let out a growl that should not have been able to come from a human throat. “You’ve been warned.” He gently placed Melanie on the cushioned seat at the rear of the boat. Liam stroked her face, the thinness that had not been there before their abduction. Even her body was not as plush as it had once been. He mourned those bountiful curves, but was determined to see them returned. “Don’t you worry? I’ll take care of us.” Liam released the mooring, and his boat dropped into the water. He cranked the engine and sailed out of there at full speed. No destination in mind -- just away. Away from the needles and speculation. Away from the torture of wondering what had become of the woman he loved. He kept his attention on driving the boat out into the ocean, but was aware of every breath Melanie took and of the little sounds she made in her sleep. The sounds of distress hurt him. The purring sounds made him realize she was altered, as he had been changed. If only a little.

Liam wondered about their game plan. Did they return to their lives, a little bit darker, a little bit more worried about if someone would come for them in the night? He didn’t want to live like that, and it would be intolerable to Melanie. She would do something crazy if forced to deal with constant fear. After a while, Liam relaxed. Being on the open sea was good. Fresh air and the wind off the water was refreshing after being stuck in a tiny cage for the past however-long-it-had-been. Besides, he was tired and worried about Melanie. He let the boat slow, and when it bobbed in the gentle waves, he cut the engine. Better to wait and make a decision together than for him to decide for them. Liam wasn’t ashamed to it Melanie terrified him a little. The amount of power harnessed inside her was daunting. It was impressive and frightening, like a hurricane or a volcanic eruption. A natural disaster waiting to happen in all its glory. While he waited for Melanie to awaken, Liam searched for anything that might be amiss or that his abductors may have done to the boat. As far as he could tell, all his instruments were intact, with the settings still in his preferred modes. He also checked the hatches where he would usually stash supplies and spare life jackets. Liam was pleasantly surprised to find his and Melanie’s things from his cabana. Looked like the kidnappers had been conscientious about making it appear they had just packed up and moved on. As Liam went through the suitcase and his travel bag, he found their ports and other identifying documents, his camera, which was dead, and his phone which he promptly stomped on and threw into the ocean. He did not want anyone tracking his phone. Come to think of it, Melanie had had her phone in hand. Liam walked over to where she was resting, but she wasn’t holding anything in her hands. Not the cell phone and not the baton she had used to break Rainier’s knee. She must have dropped it when she ed out. Liam returned to checking his cubbies and found a couple of MRE’s from God knew when. He didn’t putting them in there, but then again, he wasn’t the only one to use the boat when heading out to the caye. Liam set those aside. It had been a while since he had eaten, and he was sure Melanie would want something after expending so much energy.

As his search continued, he turned up a couple of emergency blankets, some granola bars of questionable origin, and a couple of jugs of water they would have to ration. Hopefully, they weren’t too far from a habitable island where they could get a flight back to the States. A sharp gasp and Melanie jerked upright on the cushions. There was a slight rumble through the wood of the boat, but it abruptly stopped when she focused on where she was. “Melanie?” Her eyes fixed on him, and then they were in each other’s arms, squeezing tight as if they never wanted to be parted again. “So I didn’t dream that? We escaped?” Liam cuddled her close, just breathing in that freedom scent of hers nothing could mask or alter. “Yes, we escaped. Are you hungry? I have some dubious granola bars and an MRE we could share.” Melanie’s nose wrinkled at those options. “Where are we?” Taking that as a no to the food, Liam set both options down on the cushions. “I’m not sure yet. I was waiting for you to decide where we wanted to go once I check our position. We have ports and money, so travel won’t be an issue, even if those things are flagged. I think we should both be checked over by a doctor of our choosing. One we can trust with our unique conditions.” Blood began to drip from her nose, and Liam frowned. “How long has that been going on?” The sight of bright red blood scared him more than the fact she could crush him like a soda can with her mind. She definitely needed to see a doctor as soon as possible. There was no telling what was wrong with her. “Nothing new. Whatever mucking around they did in my brain, this and the headaches are the results.” Melanie wiped her nose and grimaced. “You’re not wrong about seeing a doctor, but I’ll see my doctor, if it’s all the same to you.” Worry continued to eat at Liam. Melanie was obviously sick. The experimentation bastards had emphasized how important she was to their efforts. That meant they had performed more procedures on her than necessary.

“I think maybe we need to see a neuroscientist or something.” The look on Melanie’s face said absolutely not. “Or find someone we can both trust to confide in about our special genetics.” “My doctor can handle all that. She’s different.” Melanie patted herself down. “Where’s my phone?” Liam winced. “You dropped it after, well after, and I was more focused on grabbing you than anything else. I destroyed mine when I found it on this boat. If they want to find us, they’ll have to wait for our IDs to pop up.” He could tell she was unhappy about that, but she didn’t say anything. Just sighed. Liam tapped his fingers against the cushion they were seated on. “Are you angry?” She covered his hands with her own, her fingers cold and so much smaller than his. “No, I’m just trying to keep reminding myself we’re out. The unrelenting ocean is a good sign, as is that beautiful briny smell of the water. I’ve missed being outside.” For a while, they both basked in the sun and allowed nature to soothe the raw nerves created by their captivity. After a while, Liam noticed Melanie was starting to turn pink along her nose and cheeks, sure signs her fair skin was beginning to burn. “We need to take a look at the GPS and decide where we want to go. Am I to understand you can get word to your doctor to meet us when we get back stateside?” Melanie huffed out an eh-maybe type of breath. “I’ll leave word, but it may take her a while to get to us. She travels extensively, but she’ll drop everything if I need her to come. Until then, the headaches and nosebleeds will keep. The doctors on the ship didn’t seem too concerned about them after the fifth or sixth time, and I never told them about the headaches. I never said a word, actually.” That startled a laugh out of Liam. He could just imagine the type of frustration she’d caused. Not to have verbal confirmation of their creations or any about what their experiment was feeling or going through. “I bet they just loved you.” Melanie laughed, as well. “Yeah, a little bit. So tell me, Liam, how bad is it? My hair? I can tell it’s short, but I haven’t seen for myself how much it’s ruined.”

Liam reached up and ran his fingers through those short ringlets, the auburn strands now threaded with white and black. That was evidence the animal had bonded with her. The bob suited the new thinness of her face. “It’s just different. Am I not different? Do you think less of me for that? You’re still mine, short hair, long hair, telekinesis, and darkness.” Liam gripped her hair and pulled her mouth to his. Melanie moaned into his mouth. “You’re right. None of that matters. You’re mine, too.” They were lost in each other, the physical denied for too long. It took strength, but he pulled his mouth away and brushed his lips on her forehead. “Come on, let’s pick out a place to land.” Melanie allowed him to pull her to her feet, and they both huddled over the GPS as they configured their location. “It looks like we’re farther south from the caye, closer to Panama and Colombia.” He considered their gas. “I say we head for Panama and catch a flight home.” With a nod, Melanie agreed. “Sounds like a plan. Always wanted to see a bit more of the world. Lead on, Capitan.” Liam just laughed. “Maybe we’ll stay overnight, have a good meal, and get some sleep. You’ll be able to your doctor and get her moving in the right direction. Vail?” He waited, somewhat worried she would prefer to go to her home and be amongst her own things. Her gaze was distant, as if she saw something besides the deep blue sea and cloudless sky. After a long moment, she gave a sharp nod. Liam got the impression she agreed with herself more than with his question. “Yes, to Vail. I need to see Lorelei, and I need to prepare your place for my family. They’ll try to take over, so making sure certain areas are off-limits is a must. They’re like toddlers on sugar laced with crack when they go to a new

place.” Melanie smirked. “You’ll get to meet Phoebe in the flesh. I can’t wait to see your face.” He’d agree to anything if it kept a smile on her face. Liam would let them trash his house and just build a new one, if that was what it took. “Deal. It will be nice having a house full of people again. Josie is going to be fit to be tied.” “Well, Capitan, what are you waiting for? Homeward, please.” Liam fired up the engine and, following the map on the GPS, set out for Panama.

* * * Melanie

The sound of the ocean was a welcome alarm clock, even if it pounded the shores with full-on fury. Melanie lay on her side, Liam wrapped tightly around her, and watched the curtains whip around the open doorway. Thunder rumbled overhead, but not the sharp clap that would disturb Liam’s sleep. Lightning flashed and illuminated their simple hotel room. There was just the bed they shared, a wardrobe, and two spindly chairs outside on the abbreviated balcony Liam had paid extra for. Neither one of them could stand being confined. Melanie was thankful to be free, but she was concerned about the future. What was she now? A weapon? On her way to an early grave? If she had been meant to have these abilities, she wouldn’t suffer for them. The nosebleeds and headaches were much worse than she had led Liam to believe. The scans she had “overheard” the techs discuss were beyond their realm of expertise. She had been an anomaly, one they were desperate to understand and recreate. That meant she would be hunted. Six months. That was how long they had been held captive. It seemed longer. Liam had been furious once he realized. More on her behalf than his own since he was apt to drop off the face of the earth any given time on a shoot. Melanie, not so much. Lorelei had cried when she called her. Phoebe hadn’t answered her phone, which was no surprise considering the destruction she’d accomplished from half a world away.

Her doctor friend, Ursula, had been more problematic. She was deep in her research in the Alaskan wilds. Hadn’t even known Melanie was missing until the ice thawed and communications picked back up. Melanie would arrive home before Ursula. In the meantime, they were to cool their heels at Liam’s place. Lorelei would be there, and she would con, pressure, and guilt Phoebe into coming. It was their version of circling the wagons. It gave Melanie a warm feeling to know they would do something like that for her. She just worried they would shy away from what she had become. It wasn’t every day you met someone who could blow up a building with only the power of their mind. Even she wasn’t sure what these abilities made her capable of. She’d need to work these issues out, to ensure those around her were safe. “You worry too much, Melanie. Rest. We can handle it.” Liam buried his face in her neck and snuffled. “Mmm, you smell good.” Men. They were all so in the moment. Women were planners and dwellers. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she understood her new reality. “Did you get in with your friends?” Melanie stretched as much as she could with him wrapped around her. He rumbled displeasure in her ear at the movement, but stopped when she made no move to get up. “Yes, they’ll be meeting us at my house, as well. Josie is ecstatic you’re coming home with me, and that we’re okay. I wasn’t sure how much to tell her, so I just put it off. Told her we’d explain when we got there.” A snort. “That’s the only reason she let it go, the fact that she’ll have access to you. That you’ve finally grounded me.” Melanie considered that. There would be several explanations to be given. They would have to decide together what they would share and what they would keep secret. But what about the secrets between them? They had been apart, experimented on separately. Even she didn’t know the details of Liam’s studies, despite her eavesdropping. “We need to decide what we’re going to tell them.” Melanie pulled his arm tighter around her waist. “And we need to tell each other what was done.” Liam was quiet for a long time, watching the weather outside. “They made the feline stronger. The physical evidence is easier to see, but there are other

changes I kept hidden.” He held up his hand for her to see and flexed so the metallic claws popped out from underneath his regular, albeit still nonhumanlooking nails. Melanie reached out and traced the sharp edges, inadvertently drawing blood. They were sharp. Curious, she tapped one and a distinct chime was heard, like when you flicked a metal bell. Okay, that was way cool. She didn’t even know the human body could manufacture something like that. “How sturdy are they?” Melanie continued to play with the talons of death. Yep, that was what she was going to call them from now on. Liam obligingly stretched out his other hand and popped those claws out, too. “I’ve only tested them on the tile and metal in the cage where I was held. The tile never stood a chance. I had to work against the metal. The flesh was too easy.” Melanie nodded, not feeling anything over the fact Liam had used those claws against someone who probably hadn’t survived. Had she not done the same thing? “I wouldn’t think so. Guard? Me too, but he had it coming, preying on the weak. In my case, what he perceived as weak.” Liam licked her neck. “Yes. His death was quick. The others, probably not, if they didn’t get off that boat.” No judgment. They were survivors, and sometimes survivors had to do things others would never understand. “There were eight people on that portion of the boat I destroyed.” She felt Liam’s lips against her skin. “You can’t know that.” Melanie gave a shuddering breath and revealed the last secret. “I do know because Dr. Rainier knew. The telekinesis is flashy, but the telepathy is the real threat they never discovered.” “Can you read my mind?” Of course, that would be the concern. For some reason, that annoyed Melanie and gave her a bit of anxiety regarding their relationship. She was the first to it it would have been somewhat reassuring if she could know what Liam

thought when he looked at her. To confirm his feelings and always see if they remained true. “No, when I look at you, it’s as it was before. I see your expressions and read your body language to know what you’re thinking or your intentions.” She arched her back slightly and felt the substantial evidence of his desire. “And there’s this. You can’t hide that.” Liam nipped her neck, which made her entire body flush in ed pleasure. “That will never change.” He nuzzled her. “Your scent.” A lave of his tongue. “Your taste.” A sharp nip that caused a shudder. “Your reaction that is equal to my own.” That was true. Desire was a conflagration anytime they were near each other. Melanie breathed a small internal sigh of relief. The telepathy thing hadn’t freaked him out, even if she was blocked from his mind somehow. “The telepathy is more limited than the telekinesis. It only works when I’m looking at someone, focused in a way. The telekinesis is movement and feel.” Melanie considered it, how it worked. “I can feel an object and move it. That’s why the levitation was the first to manifest. I can feel myself the best.” Liam stretched out his leg, then threw it back over her hip. “Interesting. We’ll have to explore these abilities. I would like to know what these nails are made of and their tensile strength. What limitations they may have. We can do the same for you.” Melanie was curious about that, too. It made her wonder if those scientists had included some extra things when they injected Liam with their compounds. She knew they hadn’t intended for her to manifest two abilities. “I’ll need space for that. The telekinesis is big.” Melanie could feel it even now, building and wanting to purge. She would have to be careful. Maybe figure out a way to blunt it. Her temper was going to be a problem, though. It burned fast and bright. “Training is not a terrible idea.” More kisses and nips along her neck, as if Liam couldn’t get enough of her skin and taste. “You’ll love Vail. I bought up a lot of woodlands and built my house in the middle of it. Lots of places to roam, away from prying eyes. My darkroom is in the basement, but we can look at property in the town proper for the studio.”

It was cute that Liam was all set for them to be normal, to make plans for the future like their additional bits were of no consequence. Not so cute that he just assumed she would go along with his plans, and it annoyed her she was going to do it, even though it chafed against her independence. She and Liam were in this together, bonded stronger than she had thought possible for two people. He knew what she was, and it didn’t matter one jot. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” Melanie was sure, which scared her to death. A purr, one much stronger and more feline than before. “Of course. You’re the one who’s taken some convincing. I can’t wait to get you to my house and keep you.” Melanie sighed. “There will be growing pains. Our cabana living was like a honeymoon period where we were both on our best behavior. Living together for real is a whole different game. Plus, we have our other issues to deal with. We do need to decide now who we are going to tell and how much of it. Phoebe may know it all since she hacked that ship. The cameras.” Liam was quiet, his thinking a low hum, but that was their bond more than her telepathy. It had been there even before the experiments. “I have two friends, brothers for lack of a better word, who are similar to me. They’ll have to know the potential threat of these people. I’ll share everything about what I was and what I am now with them. Just in case.” Liam paused. “Your secrets are yours. You can share with them if you wish, but I won’t tell them anything except about our mating. I want this for them, if they’re capable of having it.” Melanie nodded, giving her consent. She would want this for her friends, as well. Speaking of them. “I plan to do the same with my friends. They’ll be curious, especially when they see us together. I’m not the most demonstrative person, and we’re very touchy-feely. I plan to tell them about the psychic abilities -- even demonstrate -- so they’ll know it’s real. We can tell our people together, if you wish.” “A family meeting for lack of a better word?” Liam indicated the clock on the bedside table. “We have to get up and get ready. Our flight leaves in four hours.”

After some thought, Melanie added, “We should tell Josie everything. She is your mother, and it’s obvious she can keep a secret. Besides, I’m sure she’ll offer a valuable viewpoint about all this. I feel like we’ll need all the help we can get to navigate this new life that’s been forced on us.” Liam turned her over and gave her a smacking kiss on the lips. “I know you prefer to keep things close to the chest, but I thank you for that. I hate the idea of keeping something from Josie. Besides, what if the cubs inherit these things? She’ll have to know to be able to take care of them.” The idea of babies froze her blood. Melanie hadn’t even considered the possibility, but she had also been off her birth control for six months now. It was doubtful the doctors on that ship had continued the regime. That would be way too much to deal with, but what if it was moot at this point? It wasn’t like she and Liam could keep their hands off each other. “I don’t think that would be a good thing right now.” Melanie stared into Liam’s amber eyes -- the gold was mostly gone since the gene therapy. “I’m not saying no forever, but there’s so much. Let’s get a hold of things before we start planning for a family.” The pupils, human round, but constricting and expanding like a cat’s eyes, bored into her own, trying to pluck the truth from her. “I agree, but if you do get pregnant, it’s cause for celebration and not worry. I don’t want you to worry.” Melanie’s heart melted at those whispered words, knowing she had hurt him by the instant denial that their bond would be fruitful. “Okay.” What else could she say? He kissed her again, gently and with great care as if she were a fragile thing. “Come on, we have to get packed up and to the airport. Home awaits.”

Chapter Nine To: [email protected] Subject: Research Boat

There were five survivors rescued and taken to nearby Colombia out of seventyfive reported researchers. They all say the same thing. A fire alarm, followed by an announcement of engine trouble, sounded before the explosion. The research subjects escaped. They are in Panama heading back to the States. Instructions?

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Research Subjects

Interview survivors regarding research subjects. Determine the cost/benefit ratio in acquirement. Retire survivors.

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Survivors

Orders understood. Notification will arrive after completion of objectives. Await intel.

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Survivors Attached: Research Data/Incomplete

Cleanse complete. Returning to the States to await further instructions. Cost/benefit ratio is undetermined -- poor data acquirement. Surveillance recommended on research subjects for data gathering.

* * * To: [email protected] Subject: Surveillance

Agreed to surveillance on research subjects. Weekly updates required.

SYSTEM FAILURE SYSTEM FAILURE SYSTEM FAILURE

GOTCHA! BEWARE THE WRATH OF IMP P. ANY FURTHER ATTEMPT ON RESEARCH SUBJECTS WILL RESULT IN ALL YOUR DIRTY SECRETS EXPOSED. [email protected] YOUR EXPOSÉ IS COMING. THE HUNT IS ON.

* * * Liam

Oddly enough, his Land Rover was where he had left it at the airport months ago. Liam was relieved, but the long-term parking fee had been exorbitant. Then again, he had been gone for over six months. He glanced over at Melanie. She’d been withdrawn and pensive ever since the real possibility of children had come up. Liam knew she was worried, scared of the future, with their new abilities not really understood. He was hoping once she was around her family, the women she had bonded with, and his mother, she would see it wasn’t such a bad thing. “Did you need to stop anywhere before we get there?” Liam would do anything to alleviate her tension. “No, I’m fine.” Melanie looked out the window. “I’m looking forward to just being able to stop. You said your mother would be there and Lorelei and your friend, Connor, arrived last night?” Finally, some conversation that had a spark of interest in it. “Yes, and your doctor friend sent word she would be arriving tomorrow. I wasn’t able to get a hold of Royce, but I left an urgent message for him to call back as soon as he could.” Liam glanced over at her again. “We’re in this together.” That had Melanie turning to face him, her face a bit drawn. “I know. I’m just worried. We’re so different now.”

Ah. So it wasn’t the possibility of pregnancy, at least not at the forefront of her mind. Liam itted he had a few moments of doubt about what his friends and family would see when they arrived. Melanie was right. They were different. Not just the things that had been forced on them, but their personalities were a bit darker than before. They had both killed to survive and escape. That changed a person. “True, but we’ll get through this.” Liam merged onto the exit that would take him outside Vail where he had built his house. They were close. Time to prepare her for Josie. “So, when we get there, don’t be alarmed by Josie’s focused attention. You’re the only woman I’ve ever brought home, and she’s ecstatic about that.” That caused Melanie to frown. “Really, Liam? You’re an attractive guy. I highly doubt I’m the first woman to catch your interest.” Liam almost ran them off the road at that comment and how utterly wrong it was. “You’re the only woman to capture both my and the feline’s interest. That makes you unique. Josie told me the onset of puberty was hard for all of us, that I was only allowed to bring home a woman who appealed to both sides of my nature. So, that’s you, which means you’re going to be given intense focus by my mother.” Melanie gripped the door handle and gave Liam a pointed look. “Understood. Please pay attention to the road.” “There have been other relationships.” Liam returned her pointed look. “Just as you have had other relationships, but none of those matter in the face of what we have. All that matters is us.” Those sharp words seemed to prod the fire in Melanie. Her emerald eyes flashed at him. “I know that.” Liam turned and saw the new unblemished gate Josie had taken care of in his absence. He pulled up to the keypad/intercom situated before the entrance and punched in the number they had agreed to use before he left. The gate swung open, and Liam entered his estate. He felt himself relax when they ed through. He was home, in the space chosen by him. It was a surprise, the subtle tension he had been carrying, a

tension he hadn’t known or even realized. “Liam, it’s wonderful.” Melanie stared out at the untouched wilderness, at trees Liam never allowed timber companies near. It was beautiful and appealed to something in the senses Melanie would understand. She had that same wildness inside that he did. It was what made them so good together. “I had a feeling you would appreciate it. I own about two hundred acres, and I’m currently negotiating with the landowner to the north of me for more.” They drove around the bend, and the house came into view. This was something he had wondered about, if Melanie would hate the house. She lived on an island. Water was a critical thing to her. While he did have various streams on his property and a couple of ponds, it wasn’t the same as the ocean. Her eyes widened at the house. It was large. Liam had planned for a big family once he settled down, and not to mention the men he considered his brothers and their families. Rustic in a way, with outside weathered shingles and a tin roof. There were lots of windows, and the floor plan was open to capture natural light. Parked out front was Josie’s tiny SUV and Connor’s Four-Runner. Melanie frowned, but didn’t say anything until they parked between the two vehicles. “I thought you said Lorelei was here. I don’t see her car.” “Maybe she hitched a ride with someone else? Phoebe seems the type to just appear out of nowhere with people in tow.” Melanie laughed. “So true. Well, Liam, are you ready to do this? Blend our families?” What Melanie didn’t realize was that Liam would do anything, accept any situation, just to have her. Besides, how bad could this be? As they walked into the house, Liam wished he had never thought those words. Inside was pure chaos. Once they got beyond the small foyer, Liam had to yank Melanie out-of-the-way as what he recognized as his remote control to the TV went whizzing by. An inarticulate growl of anger followed by shouts. “Woman, don’t break the controller!”

What could only be a blonde bombshell stormed out of the room to the right of them, utterly oblivious to their presence as she shot back. “Then don’t put the books back wrong! No wonder this is the first time you’ve been here, you heathen! Mr. Patton probably knows what a slob you are.” “Liam is not a control freak like you, princess!” A man stormed out of the living room and pointed at the blonde before noticing them standing there. “Oh. Liam.” “Connor, what’s going on here?” A squeal drowned out Liam’s question. “Mel!” The blonde slammed into them, and Liam got an inadvertent squeeze when she grabbed Melanie out of his arms. “I’m so glad to see you! My God, your hair!” Melanie hugged her back. “I know, right? I’m hoping it will grow out faster now that I can use a proper product on it.” The two women pulled apart and just stared at each other before the blonde pulled her into the library and slammed the door shut. Liam blinked, then turned to look at his friend, who looked just as mystified as he did. The overpowering scent of cotton candy preceded Josie as she appeared from the kitchen. She grabbed Liam and squeezed until he made a rumble of displeasure. It had always been like that any time he worried her, a clinging hug to show that he was missed. For such a small woman, she was astonishingly strong. “Boys, I’ve baked some fresh bread, and I stopped and got some fresh meat from the deli. I figured sandwiches would tide everyone over until dinner. We’re having steaks. Connor, you’ll need to fire up the grill.” Connor’s eyebrows shot up. “Yes, ma’am.” Liam’s nose twitched, the smell too much for him. He could tell from Connor’s face he wasn’t the only one. As they followed Josie into the kitchen where the entire counter was littered with sandwich makings, Liam sighed. He knew what was coming. Josie lived to embarrass him, like any mother would do with their offspring. And it was obvious she had been holding it in. “So, Connor, are you a cat like my boy?” Yep, embarrassing. Also, not the most discreet of questions. Liam proceeded to

fix himself a sandwich while he waited for Connor’s answer. He was curious himself how he would respond. “No, ma’am. I would be canine. Mostly timber wolf to be exact.” He pointed to his hair which was black, but streaked with grey and white, resembling a wolf’s pelt. Distinctive, but not as distinctive as his own striped hair. “A handsome one at that.” Josie smiled. “Lorelei agrees with me.” Liam blinked in surprise when Connor blushed. Mr. GQ himself, who always lured the girls with his pretty face. “Really? Because she just tried to brain me with the remote to the TV.” “Oh, she’s just running scared. Mark my words, that girl has been hurt in the past.” Josie pulled out a pitcher of sweet tea. “She’ll come around with such a handsome young man sniffing after her.” A sly look. “You will have to work for her, though.” Familiar with that refrain, Liam took the glass of tea Josie handed him. “Did you get the file I sent you? And has anyone heard from Royce?” Connor nodded. “Yes, I got it. And that answers a lot of questions, but also brings up so many more. Royce e-mailed me. He’s doing the fall rounds through his territory and is out of . You know that’s rough country with zero service, but I’m sure he’ll be pissed he missed all this craziness.” They were edging into the whole kidnapping and experimentation territory, something Liam was not going to discuss without Melanie present. They were a united front, and all questions would be answered by them together. Josie busied herself around the kitchen while Liam and Connor ate sandwiches and while they waited for the women to get done with whatever they were doing in the library. It was a relief that Josie and Connor seemed to be doing the same. They weren’t badgering him with questions or demands to know where he had been for six months. There was a sharp rap, only one on the door, before they heard the clicking of heels across the tile of the foyer. A small Asian woman appeared around the corner and pinned them all with violet eyes.

“Where are Melanie and Lorelei?” Josie smiled. “Hello, Phoebe, glad you could make it. They’re in the library. Would you tell them there are sandwiches, if they’re hungry?” So that was Phoebe. Not what Liam had expected, but exactly what should she be? Dressed in a smart business suit and wearing heels to give the illusion of height, she glared at him before turning on her heel and heading for what he had used as a junk room. “Has she been here before, Josie?” Liam found it strange she had barely knocked before barging into the house. And when had the junk room became the library? Apparently, he had missed a lot, like the fact his home looked a bit different, or that Josie had moved in. He could see her touches all over the place: the fussy pillows on the couch, the kitchen appliances arranged for her preferences. Come to think of it, what about Connor and Lorelei? They seemed terribly comfortable in his house, too. “Oh, we’ve all been here for the past couple of months. Off and on anyway.” Josie wiped down the counter. “It’s nice having a house full of people again, instead of just me puttering around alone.” Great. A houseful of people much sooner than he had expected. Liam looked over at Connor and scowled when he saw the smirk. “What?” “You thought you were going to be all alone in this house with your woman, didn’t you?” Connor’s expression turned decidedly lecherous. “Surely there was enough of that while you were away?” If only. Liam would have loved nothing better than to have been with Melanie in some love nest. Whatever was on his face must have tipped Connor off that that was not what had happened. “Liam?” “We’re going to have to wait for that talk. Melanie and I want to tell everyone together.” Liam glanced toward the library. “I’m sure once the girls are done doing whatever they’re doing, we’ll be ready. It’s a long story and not a very pleasant one.”

Josie touched his hand. “Of course, Liam. Whenever you’re ready.”

* * * Melanie

Lorelei had apparently been in Liam’s house for a while. The small library had all the trademarks of having been created from scratch. There were stacks everywhere, waiting to be put away properly. They were even color-coded, kind of. Melanie wandered over to the only free reading chair, an overstuffed microfiber affair she was happy to sink into. When she looked up, Lorelei was staring at her with tears in her eyes. “I thought you were dead. You just dropped off the face of the earth. If Phoebe hadn’t been able to connect with that phone, we would have never known what had happened to you. What did happen?” “That is kind of what did happen. I will be forever grateful for you insisting I take that phone.” Melanie rubbed her temples, the headache a dull throb but promising to bloom into a completely horrendous migraine soon. “We plan to discuss everything with everyone.” Lorelei never liked being delayed, but she must have noticed Melanie wasn’t feeling well. Instead, she changed the topic. “So, things have gotten weird.” That tone was new. Lorelei sounded a combination of scared and proud. “How so?” Melanie’s eyebrows shot up at the blush on Lorelei’s face. “Really? Connor?” That made her so proud. Busying herself with placing books on shelves, Lorelei answered, “Yes, he’s different. I don’t know quite how to describe it. He makes me feel safe and violent at the same time.” That was lip service. Melanie recognized it because she had used it herself. Lorelei was hiding something about Connor, and she bet it was the same secrets

Liam had. It stood to reason Connor was one of the other hybrids created. However, if her reaction to Liam was in any way similar to Lorelei and Connor’s connection, then she couldn’t be happier for them. It was no less than Lorelei deserved. Connor could handle it. “I get that.” Boy, did Melanie get that! “Any word from Ursula? I need her to take a look at me.” “She sent word to Phoebe she was coming. Hopefully by this evening, in the morning at the latest. Why Ursula? Are you sick? Oh my God, are you pregnant?” Ugh, not something she wanted to talk about. Melanie waved a hand as if to dismiss the idea. “No, no. I’ve been having some headaches, a few nosebleeds, and I want to see someone I trust.” The door burst open, and Phoebe stormed into the room kicking off a set of heels so high it was a wonder she hadn’t broken her ankles. “All right, heifers, we have fallen into some intense shit here.” Melanie stared at Phoebe in shock. Where was her colorful, sneaker-clad, hacker friend? There were no purple and blue streaks in that jet hair, nor was there a graphic tee or pair of ripped jeans in sight. Instead, it was a power suit of indiscriminate grey, subdued makeup, except for bright red lips, and hair pulled back in a tight bun. “Phoebe, what?” Ripping pins out of her hair, Phoebe took the seat opposite Melanie and curled her legs under her. “Day job. I infiltrated the enemy.” Enemy? What enemy? Melanie hoped this was one of Phoebe’s more outlandish conspiracy theories. “Phoebs, we’ve discussed this. The Aleka Group is into philanthropic research for sustainable living and the advancement of humankind. They also fund various other types of research, like my position with the library, one I hope you don’t jeopardize with your snooping.” Melanie was confused. “Wait, what are you talking about? Phoebe, since when

do you work for corporate America? And Lorelei, there’s something different. You never just pick up and stay in some random place. Yet here you are, in Liam’s house with a man I’m assuming is the hot teacher.” “You also disappeared for six months, and when you come back you look sickly, with a man who’s part cat in tow.” Phoebe gestured to Lorelei. “This one is acting like a love-struck teenager with a man who snarls and snaps his teeth like a dog if anyone gets too close. I swear, I was going to pop him in his pretty face if he did that to me again. What the hell is wrong with you two? Plus, The Aleka Group is not a peaceful organization set to change the world. It’s a shadowy cabal that is experimenting on any and everything, including humans. We have fallen down the rabbit hole, people.” Lorelei frowned, but Melanie understood exactly what Phoebe was saying. While she didn’t know who was in charge, she was a product of someone’s goal of changing the world, she would have to say she didn’t agree with their methods. At all. Not to mention, they were breaking so many laws. “How much did you get from that ship, Phoebe? There were cameras everywhere, so I’m sure you saw things.” “Wait, what ship?” Lorelei looked back and forth between them. “I saw your surgery and your quiet rebellion. After that, my viruses fried everything. I assume you found Liam’s boat and escaped.” Phoebe stared at her. “Was it faked?” Melanie knew what she was really asking. Was the levitation real? Not even she had known until the telepathy. Speaking of which, it was strange she got nothing from her friends. Lorelei was a hum of energy similar to what she got from Liam, and she would be questioning her about bonding with a certain gorgeous man. Phoebe, she didn’t even question, the girl was a nut because all she got was ones and zeros. It was like those screens in The Matrix. Figured she thought in freaking computer code. “No, and there is more to it.” Melanie looked at Lorelei. “I was kidnapped and experimented on by what Phoebe says is a black site for The Aleka Group.” After dropping that bombshell, Melanie climbed to her feet. “I’m hungry, and the smell of fresh bread is driving me crazy. Let’s go eat something before we get into the details. You’re going to want a full stomach when Liam and I show you

exactly what they made.” Phoebe bounced to her feet and raced to the door in her bare feet. “Cool, let’s go.” A sly look at Lorelei. “Lori, you’re going to freak. It would be kind of amazing, if it didn’t come from a bunch of douchebags with very questionable morals.” “You guys are really scaring me.” Lorelei set the books down. “You were kidnapped, Mel? For real?” Melanie followed Phoebe through the door and immediately saw Liam sitting at the bar talking to Josie and the man Lorelei had attacked. “Yes, and we’re talking drugged, and black-bagged. Although I don’t a black bag. Just drugs, lots of drugs.” “They didn’t sell you into sex slavery or anything? You weren’t violated?” This was Lorelei’s worst fear, and what would’ve happened to her in high school had Melanie not intervened. “No.” A pause as Melanie ed the guard she had killed. “That wasn’t what they wanted from me.” “Ah good. Are we ready to get this show on the road?” Liam pulled Melanie into his side and began feeding her bits of his roast beef sandwich. “Oh, Melanie, this is Connor. Connor, this is my mate, Melanie.” Here it came. Phoebe’s eyebrows shot up, and she mouthed “mate” before jerking her eyebrows up and down suggestively. She was so immature sometimes. Not to mention blowing everything way out of proportion. Lorelei frowned, and her eyes automatically cut to Connor, as if he could the truth of that statement. Huh, guess they were farther along in their courtship than she thought. That let her know Connor was serious if he had mentioned something along those lines. When Melanie looked at Josie, she blushed full to the roots of her hair. Josie, human Josie, was an open book to the telepathy and she was already thinking about grandbabies. The sooner the better, which meant getting all these people out of the house. Liam must have sensed the trail of those thoughts because he gave her side a reassuring squeeze.

“Well? What happened?” Phoebe was vibrating with impatience. They looked at each other, and Liam shoved a piece of sandwich in Melanie’s mouth before beginning their story. He told them about their kidnapping, the experiments he had been subjected to, and his history, which Phoebe had dug up at the orphanage. While he talked, he continued to feed bits of this and that to Melanie until she felt like her stomach was going to explode. While she gulped down some tea, Liam demonstrated his new metallic nails. They fascinated everyone. Even the mechanism that made the nails pop out was the topic of conversation. It gave Melanie much needed time to gather her thoughts, read the room, and prepare to show them Liam was small potatoes, compared to what had been done to her. Phoebe had an idea, and the exasperation on her face was telling. She knew there was more to the story. While Liam entertained with his striped skin and hair and feline attributes, the real fun was about to begin. Josie had covered her mouth at the recitation of events and the horror. The pure fury that had burst through her mind at her child being tortured was what reassured Melanie, to know there were those who would miss them and fight for them. Melanie set her tea glass down and began her story. It was similar to Liam’s, they had been kidnapped in much the same way, but their stories diverged at the experimentation stage. Melanie explained how she would go to sleep and awaken with punctures and bruising from blood draws and Lord knew what else. When she got to the psychic abilities, Lorelei and Connor glanced at each other. Phoebe, of course, already knew most of it. Josie was the one to scoff and would need convincing. The telepathy, she didn’t want to reveal just yet. However, the telekinesis could use a release valve. It was a little bit of focus and a nudge. Not too much. Let’s not have an explosion like before. All the sandwich ingredients on the island bar suddenly shot into the air and hovered about eye level with Liam. Everyone froze. Silent and still. Like the plates, meats, cheese, and veggies. “Awesome! So much cooler than cat attributes. Sure, you can hiss, but can you make shit fly?” Phoebe poked at things, making them move. They were floating

like they were out of flux with gravity. “Melanie, dear?” Josie’s voice trembled. “Can you put those things down?” Hmm… Melanie found this was something she had never done. There was a low level of concentration involved in keeping everything in the air. Perhaps, if she decreased that energy. Liam’s fingers on her side were a welcome distraction, one that was no hardship to focus on. One by one, each item drooped until they were back on the island bar. Maybe not in the same places, but all down. “That’s the result of the experiments they did on me. They cracked my skull and dug around in there.” Melanie reached up to touch her head. The headache had kind of eased, but something felt different. “I’m different, but still me.” Lorelei stared at her with tears in her eyes. Her face was set and her mouth tight. “This is why you want Ursula. To check you out? To make sure whatever they did isn’t going to have lasting damage? To kill you?” Liam’s fingers spanned her side. She knew he hadn’t considered there might be way more wrong with her. “Not just that, but I really don’t trust any other doctor at this point. Doctors did this to me. Lori, Dr. Gleason was there.” “Motherfucker!” At that outburst from wholesome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Lorelei who dressed like she lived in the 1950s, everyone turned to stare. Everyone except Connor, who just snorted. Phoebe giggled. “I like this. The animal people are loosening you two up something fierce. To telekinesis, not levitation? Awesome, just awesome.” Melanie silently agreed. The longer she was around Lorelei the more she saw. Her friend was hiding things and not acting like herself. Josie stared at them, and her thoughts were a jumbled mess, but there was acceptance and worry. “Who did this? Do we know?” Phoebe raised her hand. “Working on it. I’ve managed to get inside their organization, but it’s slow going because they haven’t given me a lot of access. I had to go way out on a limb just to find and help Liam and Mel in their black

site. It’s The Aleka Group.” Connor frowned and glanced at Lorelei. “Really? I thought they were all into saving humanity and advancements for human rights.” “Apparently not.” Melanie reached up and touched her nose. Great, another nosebleed. They were getting more and more frequent. “I think that’s enough for today. Melanie and Liam need to rest. Tomorrow is a new day, and we can try to get a handle on all this then. After Melanie has seen a doctor.” Josie handed her a paper towel. “Go on now, you two. I’ve completely aired out the master bedroom. There are fresh sheets and towels. Food will be waiting for whenever you wake up.” Phoebe started to protest, but shut her mouth when Josie gave her a hard mom glare. “Yeah, tomorrow. Ursula should be here, so we can get some details.” Liam pulled Melanie along through the open floor plan, through the dining area which led into the main living room, down a short hallway to the master bedroom. Melanie would never it it, but she was glad to escape the attention and return to just them. Tomorrow would be enough time to re-bond with her loved ones. Tonight, she needed rest. Rest, and Liam.

Chapter Ten Liam

The next morning, Liam slipped out of their bed without waking Melanie and went to find Connor. It concerned him, the way Connor was with Lorelei, and he needed to be warned about toying with her affections as he was wont to do with the females who crossed his path. Melanie was not one to trifle with, nor were the females in her family. When he entered the living room, he found another stranger standing in the foyer. She was tall, much taller than the other females who had invaded, and dressed like a lumberjack, with a long braid of dark brown hair. Still, there was no mistaking her for a male with those brickhouse curves. “Can I help you?” Did no one lock the door? Even more worrisome, were they handing out access to his gate and the keys to his house at random? Liam was going to have to talk to Josie about all the things she had done while he was away. Phoebe appeared from the kitchen and grinned. “About time, stranger!” She hugged the tall girl and gestured in his direction. “That’s Liam, owner of this very posh house. I’ll show you to your room.” When had he lost control? When he asked Josie to oversee the gate installation? When he forwarded those files to Connor and Royce? Wait. Room? “Phoebe?” Liam internally winced at that growled question. Phoebe was another one not to be trifled with. “Oops, sorry, Liam. That’s Ursula.” So this was Ursula. The doctor. She wasn’t quite what Liam was expecting. “Mr. Patton, thank you for your hospitality. Where is Melanie?” Ursula handed her bag to Phoebe who dropped it on the floor. “Really, Phoebe? There could be breakable things in there!”

“Uh-huh.” Phoebe wandered back into the kitchen. “Mel’s still asleep, as is the rest of the household at this ungodly hour.” “You’re welcome.” Liam studied Ursula, trying to figure her out. Something didn’t add up. “I’m glad you could make it on such short notice. Melanie and I just got in ourselves yesterday.” Ursula’s warm brown eyes studied him before she nodded. “Interesting.” Liam winced. Any time Melanie said that, it did not bode well. It meant she noticed something out of the ordinary that was not necessarily on the positive side. “What’s interesting?” He really hated that word. “Phoebe, I’m going to go rustle Mel out of bed.” Ursula raised an eyebrow in question at him. “Lead the way, Mr. Patton.” Huh. Maybe there was something to this doctor who didn’t look like a doctor. She followed him back across the living room and into the master bedroom suite. In the sitting room, he stopped. Ursula paused, as well and smiled. “I didn’t think I’d ever see one of us bonded to a male in such a similar way as we are bonded to each other. It’s special and unique to the four, well five of us now.” That was nothing new. What he had with Melanie was unique in every way. But Melanie was also deeply committed to her chosen family, and he’d have nothing but heartache and pain if he didn’t accept that. “I’m not quite sure how to ask. You know Melanie and I were kept captive and experimented on…” “You want to know what damage or changes they may have made. Or if they damaged the connection you share with Mel?” A slight furrow appeared between Ursula’s brows before she continued, “Would you consent to a cursory exam?” Liam was relieved he didn’t have to spell it out because even he wasn’t sure what he was getting at. He just knew a distance and a worry had popped up between him and Melanie that hadn’t been there before their kidnapping. “Yes.” Ursula nodded. “I need to get my bag. Do you want Melanie present? If so, you

need to wake her.” “No, I’d rather do this without her, as I’m sure she’ll want you to examine and talk to her privately.” Liam ran his fingers through his hair, only just then realizing he wasn’t wearing his baseball cap. In fact, he hadn’t been wearing it for some time now. Well, that cat was out of the bag. The door opened, and Ursula returned carrying a traditional doctor’s bag, one that anyone pictured when thinking about doctors who make house calls. At Liam’s raised eyebrow, Ursula shrugged. “I know. Everyone looks at this bag and thinks the same thing. I blame Phoebe and her ridiculous sense of humor.” She removed a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and something small with a digital readout on the top. “I’m going to take your vitals, just to get a baseline. Is that okay?” He watched her remove a simple, black notebook he recognized. It was similar to the one he carried on his travels to make notes and observations regarding the pictures he took. Although Liam preferred the lined version and not the grid version Ursula had. “That’s fine. Do you keep journals?” Ursula put the blood pressure cuff around his arm and clipped the little device to his finger on the same side. “Yes, I prefer the tactile sensation of paper.” Using the stethoscope, she manually took his blood pressure and oxygen saturation level. Both were silent while she took the readings and noted them in her notebook. Liam flinched at her cold hands and cold instruments as she began to do a physical examination. Having avoided doctors as much as possible due to his weirdness, Liam complied with her absentminded commands. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Take several deep breaths. “Do you have any previous medical records I could look at?” Ursula put away her instruments, but continued to make notations. “It would be helpful if I had some type of history for you.” “Not really.” There was a pause before Liam continued, “Phoebe may be able to get you the tests and results of experiments that were done on me. From what I understand, she hacked their database on the ship we were being held on.”

Ursula grimaced. “If I know Phoebe, she purged those databases so no one would get access, especially if there were things in there about Mel. I’ll check to be sure, but in the meantime, there are other ways.” Well, that wasn’t ominous at all. Liam wasn’t too sure about this exam going any farther. “As long as you’ve noted nothing out of the ordinary, this is fine.” That just earned him a sharp look. Ursula picked up his wrist and placed her fingers over his pulse point. “Be still and try not to fight me.” Fight her? That didn’t make any sense. Why would --? A flash of heat suddenly swept through his veins like wildfire. It wasn’t hurting him, but it was invasive and made every hair on his body stand on end. In fact, he felt the urge to growl and hiss his displeasure, but curbed that instinct. Ursula was trying to find answers for him, answers that would benefit his life with Melanie. It seemed to last forever, but Ursula pulled her hand away and opened eyes he hadn’t even realized she had closed. The pupils were completely expanded, and she blinked a few times as they shrank back down to a normal size. “Well, that was not what I was expecting. I’m sure you’re aware that the animal DNA you have is a part of you down to the cellular level. It’s something you were born with and it can never be separated from who you are.” Ursula waited for him to nod his understanding before she continued, “That being said, I believe the people who experimented on you were trying to weaponize the animal. I think as you explore the changes, you’ll note more than the metal nails hidden in their sheaths beneath the human nails.” “Is there anything that could harm others -- harm Melanie?” That was Liam’s biggest concern, that he would inadvertently hurt Melanie. Something like that would devastate him. “The bonding is there, biological and intact. I’m not sure how it happened, but you and Melanie share a hybridization of DNA conceived from both of you.” Ursula made a few more notations in her notebook. “I would like to monitor you both for a little while to ensure the changes won’t have any lasting issues. You’re healthy as a horse and then some.” That was a relief. Liam found it odd he trusted Ursula’s opinion, but why wouldn’t he? She was Melanie’s sister in all but blood and the one doctor his

mate trusted. It did make him curious about how the four of them had got together. “Thank you, Ursula. I’ll leave you to do your examination of Melanie. She wanted to speak to you alone.” Ursula put her things back into the doctor’s bag before heading for the bedroom door. “You’re welcome, Liam, and welcome to the family.” He heard a faint tap and the sleepy murmur of Melanie’s voice before he left the sitting room and went hunting for Connor. He found Josie in the kitchen, humming as she rolled out dough on the island counter. She gave him a knowing smile. “Morning, sweetheart. I’m making cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Will you wake the others?” Liam smiled at her as he headed up the stairs. “I will, Josie. Can’t wait.” Josie’s cinnamon rolls were so good he had dreams about them. When he reached the second floor, he turned right and headed for the door directly ahead of him. It was the room Connor had picked out after Liam had had the house built. A brief tap and he opened the door. Only his superior reflexes saved him from a small blade to the face. It sailed past the tip of his nose and embedded into the wall of the hallway. Liam stared at the blonde sitting up in Connor’s bed with her arm outstretched. “What the hell, Liam?” Connor scrubbed a hand over his face as he maneuvered Lorelei behind him. Not that she needed protecting. “Josie is making cinnamon rolls.” Liam blinked as Lorelei gently touched Connor’s shoulder before scooching down so she was completely out of sight. “And I need to talk to you about some things.” Connor nodded. “I’ll be down in five minutes. You might want to rouse Phoebe out of the basement. That one gets real cranky if she misses any food.” Liam thought that was a great idea. He glanced at the dagger sticking out of the wall and shrugged. Melanie wasn’t the only female predator, apparently. When he got back downstairs, Phoebe was sitting at the island bar in the kitchen

watching Josie with an intensity that made him uncomfortable. Kind of reminded him of a lion watching a gazelle at a watering hole. It was all predator. Hungry predator. A hand clapped on his back startled him, and Connor grinned. “Why so jumpy, Liam?” “Ha, ha.” Liam nodded toward what was now the library, and the two of them headed that way. Once they were inside, Liam blinked at the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that had not been there before he left. In fact, this room had been a junk room of sorts where he had left old camera equipment. “I know what you’re going to say, Liam, and you needn’t worry. I know what I’m doing, as does Lori.” Connor ran his fingers over the books on the shelves. “Are you sure, Connor? These women are different, and they won’t suffer any toying with their affections. I don’t want you to end up with a blade stuck in you.” Liam grimaced as he considered what Melanie would do if her friend was hurt. Phoebe was also somewhat terrifying. The only one who seemed even remotely normal was Ursula. Then again, he wasn’t exactly normal, nor were Connor or Royce. Connor stared Liam in his eyes and never wavered. “I’m sure. Lorelei is the one. My mate. Mine.” Liam recognized that resolve because he saw it in the mirror when he was thinking of Melanie, his own mate. “All right, Connor. Just wanted to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. We better go out before Phoebe becomes suspicious or Josie comes to find us.” “Not to mention what Lori will do if she finds us touching her books.” Connor gave Liam a pointed look before preceding him out of the room and into the sweet-and-spice-smelling kitchen.

* * * Melanie

When Ursula entered the bedroom, Melanie sat on the side of the bed with her head tilted back in a vain attempt to get the nosebleed under control. They were increasing in frequency and the amount of blood they produced was more than in the beginning. “Give me a second, and I’ll have that stopped.” Ursula’s hands framed her face, and warmth seeped into her bones before traveling along her veins. It was soothing and familiar. Melanie relaxed into her touch, and after a moment, the blood flow from her nose lessened. Another few more moments and it had stopped completely. Relieved, Melanie opened her eyes and blinked because Ursula’s eyes were wide open and the pupil was so wide she couldn’t see any of the chocolate-colored iris. However, there was a blankness to the gaze as if Ursula was elsewhere. It was another five minutes before awareness returned. “There are definitely some things to be concerned about.” Ursula sat on the bed next to her. “Am I pregnant?” For Melanie, that was what concerned her most at the moment. She needed to know and hoped she wasn’t. Not until they got a grip on these changes. And the psychic abilities she had a nascent control over. “No, you’re not pregnant.” Ursula pushed the hair that had come loose from her braid behind her ear. “You do have extensive brain bruising and your genetic code is in flux. The latter is not something to worry about. It’s just a physical manifestation of your bonding with Liam. His DNA is also in flux.” Interesting that Ursula would pick up on that. The scientists on the boat had been super excited when they found the DNA transfer between them. The brain bruising was a concern, but that dulled against the relief she felt on discovering she wasn’t pregnant. Melanie knew Liam would be disappointed, but they weren’t in a good place to bring an innocent child into the mix. “How is my brain bruised if my surgery was months ago?” The duh moment struck as soon as the words ed her lips. Melanie knew exactly what was bruising her brain. The psychic abilities, probably the telekinesis being the main culprit, but she couldn’t rule out the telepathy, too.

Ursula gave her a knowing look. “Phoebe told me about your little display, and I’m surprised your ability is as well integrated as it is. I can only imagine what your brain looked like following the trauma of surgery and the surge of connectivity among the neurons that sparked your ability.” Melanie grimaced at the memory of those dark days. “So, I’m not going to drop dead of an aneurysm or bleed to death from the nosebleeds?” That earned her a snort. “No, definitely not. The plasticity of your brain will allow you to accommodate these new neurological pathways and hone your skills. It’s like anything else. You must work the muscles to strengthen them for use and endurance. The bruising will heal. You may want to take it easy and do small exercises to build up your mental capacity.” That was easier said than done when the telekinesis was like that chemical bomb from Die Hard with a Vengeance. Once mixed, the explosion was inevitable. There had to be a way to vent it safely. Melanie rubbed her head where a headache started to bloom again. “Telekinesis is volatile. It has to release, or it builds up and only explodes outward. I don’t think small exercises are going to cut it.” Thinking of the last explosion, Melanie stifled a groan. She didn’t want that happening to people who didn’t deserve it. “Well, let me take a look.” Ursula placed her hand across Melanie’s forehead like she was checking to see if she had a fever. “Now, do something telekinetic.” This time, Melanie did groan, but she focused on the lamp on the nightstand. Just a light touch. Nothing too crazy. The lamp rose slightly in the air and wobbled before straightening out. She held it there and waited until Ursula gave her the go-ahead to stop. It was weird, but she could feel Ursula poking around in her brain as a strange warmth and a flash of white-hot here and there. Something gave a wrench, and she winced at the pain that reverberated through her skull. “That’s the valve for the telekinesis. You can manage it better and control the venting of it, so there are no explosions.” Ursula tweaked it again just to make sure Melanie could feel where it was. “It’s in a sensitive area, so you may experience some discomfort and the nosebleeds may continue until you can get the connections in shape to handle the demands of your abilities.”

Melanie winced again, but nodded. “Thank you. Between this and the meditation I’ve been doing, I should have a handle on things now.” Ursula’s eyebrows shot up at the mention of meditation. “Phoebe will be pleased at least one of us is doing it, after she forced all of us to her over the years. Does meditation help?” “I can see why Phoebe needs it,” Melanie remarked, thinking about her captivity. “It helped keep me calm while I was locked up in a plastic and tile box. I think it’ll help more if I can do it in a natural environment, like Phoebe’s greenhouse.” “Interesting, and that may help you with training your brain to use the release valve for your abilities.” Ursula opened her bag and took out a pad and pen. She scribbled on the pad before tearing off the top two sheets. “Here’s a prescription for something to help with the headaches, and one for birth control.” That was a relief. She wouldn’t have to go to another doctor any time soon. Ursula knew her well. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ursula. How long can you stay?” The door creaked open, and Liam poked his head through. “Everything all right? Melanie, I have breakfast for you.” Ursula picked up her doctor’s bag and lightly touched Melanie on the forehead again. “I was able to get leave from my job for a week. It’ll be good to see everyone and hang out.” Liam came fully into the room with a breakfast tray perched on his hip. There was a glass of milk and a cinnamon roll that covered an entire dinner plate. Instantly, Melanie started salivating from the gooey goodness smell coming off it. Ursula left the room, laughing. “I see nothing has changed with your food love affair. I’ll be in the kitchen getting my own breakfast.” She nodded to Liam as she ed. “Don’t lose a finger trying to feed her.” Liam frowned as she left before turning to Melanie. “Lose a finger?” Melanie felt her face heat. That had been one time, and it wasn’t as bad as Ursula made it out to be. One time, she stabbed someone in the hand, and maybe they had to have surgery because of how extensive the damage had been. Bet they wouldn’t take food off other people’s plates again. “It was nothing. An

accident, really.” Melanie grinned as Liam approached cautiously. “That smells amazing!” Liam perched on the bed next to her, and they settled the tray between their two laps. Melanie picked up the fork and tore into the cinnamon roll with gusto. Nothing had ever tasted so good. While she ate, Liam watched her, an indulgent curve to his lips and his eyes warm. “Josie plans to take the girls to town for shopping, and Connor is going to go with them. I thought we could stay here, and I could show you the house and land.” Liam watched her drink the last of the milk before pulling the tray away from her lap. “Unless you want to go with them?” Melanie grimaced. She was all for some girl time, but her head was tender, and the peace and quiet offered by Liam was just what she needed. “Please give Josie my regrets. The others will understand.” Liam nodded and left the room with the tray. After he was gone, Melanie crawled back into the bed and just relaxed into its soft surface. Her head hurt after Ursula’s exam, but not as bad as it usually did after she had been using these new abilities. That gave her hope that the healing was well underway, and if she knew Ursula, she had done something to boost that healing factor. She was such a healer, couldn’t stand to see anyone hurt. When Liam returned a few minutes later, he stretched beside the bed. “They’re clearing out as soon as the breakfast dishes are done.” Melanie appreciated his pure masculine beauty, even if it was leaner than it had been. “Let’s just stay in bed, Liam. I feel like we just need to be.” Liam laughed as he maneuvered her until he was all but wrapped around her. “I can do that. It’s all been a bit much.” That was an understatement. Everything about them had been a whirlwind. Their meeting, the instant connection they both felt, the unfortunate kidnapping and subsequent experimentation that had bonded them even closer together. Melanie had come to some decisions in that cage. If they ever got out, she wouldn’t let fear or her weird hang-ups stop her from milking every bit of life out of their relationship. She loved Liam, and the darkness inside owned him, whether he wanted that or not.

“Busy, busy brain. I can practically feel you humming along.” Liam nuzzled her neck, licking the delicate skin. “Care to share?” Already the heat flooded her body, the physical connection they shared as strong as ever. “We’re in this together, no matter what. I just wanted you to know I wouldn’t change anything if it meant I didn’t have you.” Liam’s sexy fun times halted, and he rolled her enough that he could stare into her eyes. “Of course, Melanie. You’re mine and I’m yours. Always.” Her heart rate picked up speed, and there was some hesitation, but Melanie wouldn’t let anything stop her from doing anything she desired. Right now, she desired to tell Liam exactly how she felt. “Liam, I love you.” His eyes widened, and she saw the fire flare. With a growl, he leaned down and claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss. The ion flared between them, and Melanie gave herself over to it. They both needed the connection the physical reinforced. “I love you too, Melanie.”

Epilogue Lorelei

When Connor reentered the bedroom, Lorelei splutter-coughed to hide her laughter. He looked like a thundercloud. “What’d Liam want?” “He warned me not to toy with your affections.” His face cleared. “Seemed to think it’d be dangerous for me.” They both grinned. It was true after all. “Anything else?” Lorelei threw the covers back and rose. “Did you see Mel?” Connor pulled her to him and ran his hands along her back. “Josie’s making breakfast, and Phoebe’s watching her like a hawk. No one else was around.” Lorelei leaned into Connor’s lanky strength and sighed. “That won’t last long. Once Melanie acclimates, she’ll notice what’s different. Plus she’ll want all the gossip about how we got together.” His hand followed the curve of her buttocks and gripped the flesh. “Not to mention when Royce finally gets back to civilization. I miss the days when it was just you and me.” She snorted. “Yes, the stalking and arson notwithstanding,” Lorelei wrapped her arms round his neck. “And the unfortunateness with my surgery. Mel, she’ll feel guilty about that.” Teeth scraped along her neck and Lorelei shivered at the want it stirred up. She felt Connor’s lips curve against her skin at the response. “We’ll be okay. They won’t win. Phoebe will make sure of that. In the meantime, we’ll take it one day at a time. Share our woes and help each other.” “And our secrets? The things that happened and what I’ve become?” A snort against her pulse. “After Melanie’s little show? They won’t judge you.

They might fear you. Liam certainly does… now.” Connor was so accepting, so patient, and for that Lorelei was thankful. “We’ll tell them all about it tomorrow.” “Tomorrow,” Connor agreed as he tumbled her back into the bed.

M. A. Freeman

M.A. Freeman lives near Wilmington, NC and never makes it to the beach. Any free time is consumed with books, either reading or writing. An avid traveller and self proclaimed geek, trips abroad and to cons such as DragonCon in Atlanta are always on the agenda. Currently working full time in healthcare and attending school to obtain a Master of Library and Information Science degree to compliment the Bachelor’s of Arts in English and Creative Writing. M. A. Freeman at Changeling: changelingpress.com/m-a-freeman-a-220