by Kathy Lyon
He fought to make his body move, but it was like a dead weight. Nothing did as he willed, so he had to use his mind. The forces that drove him poured into his thoughts. No longer pushing his body, they helped him think as long as he protected her.
“What the fuck?” one of the men was saying. “I thought you said he was dying?”
“That’s what she said,” the other huffed, and he finally recognized the voice. It was Simon, his alpha. “She said come fast. She sounded panicked.”
“He doesn’t look dead to me,” the other one groused, and in that tone, he remembered the person. This was Vic, Simon’s beta. He was a hybrid and both men were his friends. Or so they claimed.
Why then had they attacked?
“How is she?” Simon asked.
“Fine. Coming around, I think. Do we tie her up?”
Ryan growled at that. In his mind, he bared his teeth and he tore out Vic’s throat for even suggesting it. But his body didn’t move, though there was a sound. A deep, throaty sound that he knew he’d made.
“He’s not out,” Vic said. “Ryan, can you hear me? We’re not here to hurt you.”
“Or her,” Simon stressed. “We’re not going to touch her.”
A moment’s pause, then Vic spoke again, his voice slightly more relaxed. “Is that what happened? Did we interrupt—”
“I don’t know. I thought she was hurting him. Look at her. I thought—”
“Not all hybrids are insane, you know,” Vic said. He should know. He was one of the sane ones.
“But most are. And if Ryan was hurt—”
Vic snorted. “Don’t think that was the problem.” Then Ryan felt someone nudge his foot. “Come on, Ryan. We know you’re awake.”
“Stay away from him,” she said. His mate. “Stay back.” Her words were slurred but everyone heard her.
“We’re not here to hurt him,” Simon stressed. “We’re here to help.”
“He’ll hurt you,” she said, her words getting clearer. “He’s not rational right now. Give him time.”
A pause then Simon spoke. “Why not? What did you do to him?”
She blew out a breath. “I saved his life.”
Which is when Ryan at last got some muscle control back. It came to his face first as his lip curled, exposing his teeth. Then he lifted his head. His arms and legs were still useless, but his face wasn’t. Let them see his teeth. And he would see exactly where everyone stood.
Simon was crouched over Frankie. Vic remained standing, his gun out and his gaze trained hard on Ryan. He was the one who spoke.
“Keep it together, man. We aren’t here to hurt you or her.”
Simon kept his focus on Frankie. “What did you do to him?”
“Only way.”
“What was the only way?” Simon hadn’t raised his tone one decibel, but there was threat in his voice and Ryan reacted to it. His arm twitched. It wasn’t much, but he was coming back.
“Easy, big guy,” Vic said. Then he looked at Simon. “He’s protecting her.”
Simon didn’t relent. “We need to know now. What did you do to him?”
She sighed. The sound filled Ryan’s head with the bitter taste of defeat. He didn’t know why. She’d fought valiantly; he was the one who had failed to protect her. And yet the sound he heard was painful in its darkness.
“The serum,” she said.
“What?”
She gestured weakly with a finger. Simon turned to look into the bedroom. A moment later, he stepped over Ryan’s body to grab something from the floor. A hypodermic needle.
“You shot him up with this?” Simon demanded, anger a tangible force in the air.
“You prefer him dead?” Her voice was stronger now, and she’d lifted her head. She looked first at Simon, but then to him. Her words were entirely for him. “You needed adrenaline. You weren’t breathing, and I couldn’t feel your pulse. It was the only thing I had.” Then she shrugged. “But it worked, right? You’re alive. You’re okay.”
The last words were as much a question as a statement. Was he okay? No. He couldn’t fucking move. But he was breathing, his mind was clearing, and truthfully, he felt stronger than ever before.
He curled his fingers. They were stiff, but they moved, clenching slowly into fists.
“Keep it together, Ryan,” Vic said. “We’re not here to hurt anyone. We came because she said you were dying.”
His tongue worked, as did his jaw. Which meant he was able to speak. “Stay away from her.”
“What does this shit do?” Simon asked as he held up the needle.
She swallowed, and her eyes never left Ryan’s face. “Amps them up. Like a thousand percent. But he did something more. Something I’ve never seen before.”
“What?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. One second, he was dying. The next, he was on top of me.”
“He attacked?”
She nodded. “But not to hurt me.” She moved her arms to cover her breasts. Damn it, her upper body was naked, and they were looking at her.
Ryan growled, and Simon shot him a look. A second later, he pulled a blanket off the cot and draped it carefully around her shoulders. She clutched it weakly, and he saw that her feet moved. His did, too, but he held himself back. He wasn’t going to attack them yet. Not until he had more strength. Not until he could take them both down.
“Ryan,” she said, her voice soothing. “Can you talk? Do you know what happened?”
“Tased.” Then he glared at Simon and Vic. “Stay away from her.”
Vic threw up his hands. “We got that, man. We’re more worried about you. Where the hell have you been? First thing we heard from you in a day is her begging us to come save your ass.”
He sorted through his memories. Things were coming back in focus now. “Sewers,” he said. “Shot. Saved. Wolves.” His eyes narrowed on her. “Enemy.” No, that wasn’t right. “Mate.”
Well shit, that made no sense. And the looks on both Simon and Vic’s faces echoed the thought. He remembered specifically not trusting her. And then he remembered—still felt—the burning need to claim her.
“What did you do…to me?”
She shuddered as she breathed, her eyes completely on his. They held his, grounded him. “You were dying. I gave you a stimulant.”
He looked at the needle in Simon’s hand. “The poison?”
Her gaze slid away to the floor.
“Answer me!” he bellowed.
Her eyes locked back on to his. “Yes!” she spit back. “You were dying, and it was the only way.” Then she shuddered as she clutched the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “It’s addictive,” she said softly. “You should know that.”
He stared at the needle, his mind revolting at the thought that she had shoved it into his arm.
Meanwhile, Simon dropped it into a plastic baggie that Vic held out. “How did you get it?” he asked.
She shot him a glare. “I told you. It’s addictive.”
His gaze abruptly sharpened. “You’re an addict?”
“No.” Then she winced. “Yes.” She blew out a breath. “I want it, but I haven’t had it. I’m clean.”
Simon squatted down right in front of her. “I think you better start talking. Who are you and what do you know about the serum? How did you get it and—”
Ryan surged forward. He didn’t quite have his full body together. His movements were sluggish, his power unsteady, but he had enough to catch Simon unawares as he barreled into him broadside. Simon stumbled, but didn’t fall. Vic reacted quickly as well, his gun out, and his eyes narrowed. But rather than further the attack, Ryan crouched there beside Frankie. “Stay back,” he growled.
Simon threw his hand sideways to hold Vic back. His eyes narrowed and his skin flushed, but he didn’t attack. He just held still and watched. Ryan knew that if he made a move toward either of them, Vic wouldn’t hesitate to shoot. So, he made a deliberate choice to turn to Frankie. If anyone was go
ing to interrogate her, it was him.
“Where did you get the poison?”
She lifted her chin. “How do you think I became like this?”
He only now realized that her face was part wolf. Fur was on her ears, her mouth was elongated and showed sharp canines. Arms and claws were definitely wolf, but her legs were human. Odd how the sight pleased him. In fact, he reached out and stroked the fur along her arms.
“It wasn’t the water?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Injected. Straight into my veins. Multiple doses starting three months ago.”
“So you chose this?”
“I was unconscious the first time. But then…” She shrugged.
“Addiction kicked in?”
“My brother said I needed more to complete the change.” She held up her paw. “I agreed.” Then she let it drop into her lap. “Plus, I wanted it. It made me feel invincible.”
“How many doses?”
She swallowed. “Eight in total. By then I’d felt the addiction, knew it was making me reckless.”
“You stopped?”
She nodded. She took a deep breath, and as she blew it out, her body reverted back to human. Still beautiful, but now 100 percent human. “I wasn’t changing into a full wolf. I was just getting hungry.”
Vic spoke from the top of the stairs. “Hungry? Like for food?”
Ryan shook his head, already knowing what she meant. It was a dark need, not even noticeable until he looked. It was a desire for more. More food, more sex, more attention, more power. It didn’t even have a focus until he saw her, and he wanted all of her. His thinking mind reminded him that he didn’t know her well enough to want her, but the need just burned hotter.
“What do you want, Frankie?” He made her name a caress, and her eyes burned bright as she looked at him.
“To be seen.”
“I see you.”
“And you nearly killed me.”
His entire body rebelled at that thought. He hadn’t been trying to kill her. He’d been trying to have her, to catch and hold her. To mate. “Never,” he whispered.
Her eyes widened. Did she understand what he meant? He wasn’t even sure, but he felt like she was the most important person in his life. He’d been attracted to her before. She was a gorgeous, powerful woman, and she’d saved his life. Who wouldn’t want her? But now there was an extra drive. An obsession even, because he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. If it weren’t for the potential rivals standing behind him, he would be content to just sit here and look at her.
Especially, since she was looking back. She was holding his gaze and not wavering, though he caught shifting emotions as they skittered across her face. Fear, interest, anger, desire. Or maybe he was just projecting his own emotions onto her because he absolutely was afraid of whatever she’d shot into his veins. Angry, too, that she’d done it. But overriding all was an interest in her, and a desire to have her as intimately as possible in every way.
“Does the obsession fade?” he asked. He couldn’t imagine the possibility, but then who knew what happened with this drug?
She shrugged. “It’s different with each person.” She held his gaze. “It hasn’t with me.”
“So you crave the spotlight?” That didn’t fit with what he’d seen from her. Hell, it had taken him forever to figure out her name. And from everything he’d heard about her, she worked hard to stay in the shadows.
Her jaw tightened, and he could tell she was fighting herself. Wolves didn’t talk to outsiders, but she wasn’t a typical werewolf. Eventually, she spoke, her words clipped and angry. “I want people to listen to me. I need it.” She lifted her chin. “So will you listen?”
“Of course.”
“Arrest my brother, Raoul Wolf. He’s the one poisoning the city.”
He felt rather than saw Simon stiffen, but the words were clear enough. “You’re Emory Wolf’s daughter?”
Her gaze shifted to Simon and Ryan felt his insides clench. He didn’t like her looking at anyone else. “I am, and I’m trying to stop this.”
“You’re the ones who started this!” Vic said stepping around Simon to glare at Frankie. “You may have picked becoming a hybrid, but I sure as hell didn’t.” He squatted down. Not close enough to hurt her, but so that he could look her in the eye. “I had a perfectly sane life before.” He nodded. “That’s right. I’m a hybrid just like you. Only I didn’t shoot it into my veins on purpose.”
“Neither did I,” she growled. She was getting movement back into her body, shifting her legs as she straightened off the wall.
“You wolves sure as hell are doing it now! You want us to arrest your brother? Great. Tell us where he is, and I’ll go—”
Ryan interrupted. “Not your job.” It was his. He was the cop here, but everything was jumbled. His priority was to the people of Detroit. He’d sworn that oath and he lived by it. But right now, everything in him was trying to protect Frankie and everyone else be damned. That wasn’t him, and he didn’t like the conflicting loyalties, but he couldn’t deny that she came first.
“Can you stand?” he asked. He didn’t like her sitting half naked on the floor while Simon and Vic grilled her.
She shook her head. “Not yet, but soon.”
Meanwhile, Simon was focused on the larger picture. “Why not arrest Emory? Isn’t he your alpha?”
“He is, but he’s not thinking right. I’m pretty sure my brother has poisoned him. If you take Raoul out of the picture, then I can get my father clean and thinking clearly. I can also get you enough proof to lock up my brother.” Her gaze returned to his, her green eyes cutting right through him. “Please.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to agree. The urge was powerfully strong, but he recognized how irrational that was. He couldn’t just arrest someone without charges on her say so. Truthfully, he’d wanted to take in the whole damn pack two days ago when the Griz had raided the wolf lab and discovered the poison, but Simon had talked him out of it on a purely logistical basis. More than half the cops were out with the Flu. The rest wouldn’t be able to handle werewolves hopped up on poison.
This was a shifter problem. The best thing to do was find and destroy the wolves’ stash of poison, then make the ones responsible pay. That’s what his original plan had been when he’d started tailing the two werewolves through the sewer system. He saw no reason to change tactics. At least he didn’t until he looked into her eyes and saw the crystal clear purpose in her. She believed her way was the best, and part of him agreed with whatever she wanted.
“Where are you keeping the poison?” he asked. “And how are you getting it into the water?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I was trying to find that out when you got shot.”
“Not good enough,” Simon snapped.
She rounded on him, her teeth flashing. “What would you have me do? I’m telling you who is responsible. Go get Raoul! I’ll find out the rest.”
“How?” Ryan asked.
She swallowed. “There are people I can talk to. People who aren’t addicted.”
“Like the ones in the sewers? Like the guy who shot me?”
She lifted a hand in a helpless gesture. “He didn’t kill you, and he was under orders.” Her gaze went to Simon. “Tell your people to travel in groups. The wolves will kill them if they can.”
“And let the dogs run wild? I don’t think so.”
“I’m trying to save lives!”
“You’re doing a piss-poor job of it.”
Ryan saw the impact of those words on her. She covered quickly, but the flinch told him it was a true hit. She really was trying to help, but people were still dying. “I’m giving up my brother,” she said, fury in her clenched jaw and narrowed expression.
He held up his hand to stop the argument, and though his body moved closer to Frankie’s, his gaze connected with his alpha. “Can you have Alyssa get whatever information she can on Raoul? Frankie and I will go talk to her peopl
e. Find her brother’s stash of poison.”
Simon nodded, a quick slash of his chin, but he clearly wasn’t on board with trusting Frankie. “I don’t want you going alone,” he said but Frankie cut him off.
“I can’t take him, let alone anyone else. He’s a bear.”
“I’m going,” he said. No argument.
She tensed at his words and he reached down and grabbed her wrist. He’d meant to keep her from fleeing, but instead of gripping her in a tight hold, he ended up holding her gently while his thumb stroked up and down her wrist. He was aware of what he was doing. The pleasure it gave him to touch her was beyond anything expected for so simple a gesture.
What the hell had happened to him that he would caress an enemy wolf?
Simon was still considering his options when his cell phone buzzed. He answered it without shifting his gaze from either Frankie or Ryan, but as he talked, his expression tightened into fury.
“Yes? How many? Understood.”
He thumbed off the phone and anger radiated through the room. “The wolves are scouting our territory, checking for weaknesses. Killing bears when they can.”
Frankie dropped her head back against the wall. “The serum has made everyone crazy.”
“Why is Emory doing this? Why poison an entire city? Why start a war with the bears?”
“It’s not him. It’s my brother.”
Simon didn’t speak, but then again, he didn’t have to. Everyone in this room knew that her father did as he pleased. He was not a man to be run by his son. And yet, Frankie shook her head.
“Raoul heard about the serum. Our numbers are low since the cat-wolf war. This was a way of getting more people quickly.”
“By dumping it in the water supply?”
“Yes. It activates latent shifter DNA. So people who are part wolf can turn into full werewolves.”
Vic snarled out an angry retort. “And fuck the ones who go crazy? Too bad about the dead people?”
“No one knew that would happen. He started small.” She gestured to the hypodermic. “Direct injection.”