Alpha Unit One, New York

by Chris T. Kat

  Chapter Twelve

  Sam

  NICK’S BEHAVIOR on the phone had been odd, but that was a puzzle to solve later. Right now, I wanted Jesse to recover fully. When the same thing happened at the Chicago Alpha Unit, not everyone did. Though the doctors had been able to create an antidote, for some of the people on that team, all help came too late. I swallowed hard.

  Annie came up next to me where I sat slumped in a chair positioned right next to the door of Jesse’s room. He was still out cold, but at least he couldn’t fall into a full-blown panic. His room was situated in the west wing of the hospital, the part that was reserved for shifter treatment. Usually shifters didn’t need medical attention, but when they did… it was better to have steel doors to keep them in.

  “How’s he doing?” Annie asked.

  I shrugged. “Sleeping.”

  “You believe we’re being targeted by the same people who destroyed the Chicago team.” It wasn’t a question, rather a statement. That was one of the things I liked about Annie. She was incredibly perceptive, and she didn’t ask stupid questions.

  “I do.”

  “You caught it earlier than the Chicago team. Jesse’s going to be all right. He’ll be his usual asshole self in no time.”

  I sure hoped so. I didn’t want to think about the possibility of Jesse going completely feral. We all knew how that would end. To distract myself, I asked her, “How are you holding up? Still intent on producing cubs?”

  Annie grimaced. “No, the suppressants are fully working again. I’m guessing the gas bypassed the effect and put me into heat. It went away after a couple of hours.”

  “Did Jake survive?” I teased.

  Annie gave a full belly laugh. “He might have some scratches here and there, but he’s good. I’m always careful with him, you know that. I’d never do anything to hurt my baby. Not even some drug can compel me to harm him.”

  I patted her arm when she clutched the back of a chair, denting it slightly. She let go of it with a soft hiss. “I know you wouldn’t. That’s the one thing that drug didn’t accomplish so far—it’s impossible to overrule the instinct to protect your mate.”

  “Nothing will ever change that,” Annie replied with utmost conviction.

  Two people on the Chicago unit had only survived because their mates were able to get through to them and keep them sane until they could take the antidote. They still remained under observation but seemed to show no long-lasting effects. Still, three of the team were dead.

  “Hey, don’t go all maudlin on me.” Annie clapped a hand on my shoulder, but though her words came out strong, her hand trembled. “Jake’s fine, and so is everyone else. None of us were under the influence for that long. Only Jesse showed any strong signs of the effects of the drug. You know that the other team showed unusual behavior for weeks before everything went to hell.”

  Jake ambled out of a room, pushing down on a small pad in the bend of his elbow. The scent of blood was strong on him. Annie went on alert in an instant. In three long strides she was by his side, her nostrils flaring. “Why are you still bleeding? That’s supposed to be a small pinch.”

  Shaking his head, Jake surrendered his arm to Annie, who held it gently in her hands while she inspected the bandage. “Chill, woman. I’m good. The vein rolled away, so they had to try several times. Plus, I think the girl was new and nervous.”

  “They allowed a newbie to take your blood?” Annie’s voice fell into that distinct growl she always used when she wasn’t pleased with something.

  “Annie.” Jake sighed.

  “How dare they do that to you!”

  “I guess the drug’s still coursing through her veins,” I muttered, wondering if I’d have to fight Annie as well today. She already wore that stubborn, determined look that screamed Don’t mess with my mate!

  Jake yanked his arm away, then smashed himself against Annie’s body. He wound his arms around Annie’s neck with so much strength, his muscles rippled underneath his skin. She reciprocated the hug with vigor, and for a moment they stood in silence. Annie sniffed Jake’s neck, inhaling deeply and emitting a pleased chuff.

  When Jake loosened his grip on her, he grinned. Everything under control again. Thank God for small mercies. They walked over to me, and Annie plonked onto a seat next to me, pulling Jake onto her lap as she sat. Years ago, it would’ve struck me as weird to see a grown man sitting on a woman’s lap, but it worked for the two of them. Jake never came across as emasculated—quite the contrary. He was all man, but he also very obviously enjoyed Annie’s pampering and manhandling.

  The elevator door opposite us opened to reveal Connor and Nick. They looked nervous, and a slight scent of anxiety preceded them. Should I be able to smell them?

  Annie stared at the two of them as they visibly forced themselves to walk over to us. She tilted her head to the side. “They must be very distressed.”

  “Huh? Why?” Jake asked.

  “We can smell them,” I answered for both of us.

  Nick and Connor seemed to have heard our comment, and they exchanged hasty looks. Connor’s face remained impassive, but Nick…? He seemed to be on the verge of tears. What the hell was going on?

  Before I realized it, I’d gotten up and closed the distance between Nick and me. Connor sidestepped us with a wary gaze. Nick’s scent slammed into me, all fear and need mixed together. I pulled him against my chest, and after a moment’s hesitation, his arms came around me, holding on to me. Small quivers ran through his body. I stroked along his back, feeling his spine and muscles move subtly. I dropped a kiss onto his tousled blond hair, which earned me a sharp gasp that was somewhat muffled in my shirt.

  Someone cleared a throat, and I opened my eyes. When had I closed them? I kept a tight hold on Nick—nothing and no one could bring me to let go of him right now—and searched for whoever had intruded.

  “You might want to take him somewhere private.” Annie grinned at me, then at Jake. “I won.”

  Jake groaned and hid his face in Annie’s neck.

  “You won what?” I asked, irritated.

  “We had a bet. I said you’re mates. Jake didn’t want to believe me. Now he’s got to pay up.”

  “I don’t think I want to know what his payment will be,” Nick mumbled into my chest. He made as if to move out of my arms, but I would have none of it. “Um, Sam, can you let go of me?”

  No. No, I couldn’t. My inner beast roared at me to claim my mate, to keep him safe and protected at all costs. I shook my head and clutched him tighter.

  “Shit, he’s not going feral, is he?” Connor spoke up, sounding terrified.

  “No, I don’t think so. Nick’s his mate. It’s not in our biology to strike out against our mates. Besides, Nick never gave him any signal of rejection,” Annie said. Slowly, she walked toward me, but didn’t come too close. “Isn’t that so, Nick? If he asked to mate you, you wouldn’t say no. You’d say yes, because you felt the pull right away.”

  The silence around me was deafening, save for my heart, which pounded too loud, too frantic, against my rib cage. Please say yes, please say yes.

  “Yes,” Nick whispered. “I’d say yes.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nick

  I WAS so dead. Or at least my career as a cop would be soon. Still, I couldn’t say no. My snow leopard chuffed in approval, something he didn’t do all that often. So far I must’ve been a real disappointment to the tiny thing I shared body and mind with.

  He’s going to take you somewhere private now. You know that, right? He’s going to mate you, and everything will have been in vain. Connor’s voice shrieked in my mind so loudly that I cringed.

  Sam’s hand immediately curved around the back of my head, sheltering me. Now he didn’t only ooze arousal pheromones, but a scent of comfort as well.

  I know, I replied to Connor, but I can’t deny him any longer. I just can’t.

  What about your secret? If you take him home to your apartment, he’l
l smell it. No amount of cologne can hide your scent there.

  I don’t know. Fuck, Connor, I’m so scared.

  Yes, I can smell that.

  My eyes flew open, and my fingers clenched tighter in Sam’s shirt. A low rumble went up and down in his chest, and it took me a moment to realize he was purring to ease my distress. I glanced up at him to gauge his reaction. Did he already realize I was some kind of imposter?

  His hazel eyes were dilated. I could feel his inner beast straining to get a good look at his mate. Tiny inside me didn’t waste any time. He sprang to the forefront, causing me to wheeze to stop myself from shifting on the spot. Obviously it was enough for Sam’s beast to acknowledge Tiny, because he inhaled deeply.

  “Mate,” he stated.

  I nodded, cheered on by Tiny, and replied in kind. “Mate.”

  Nick! He’ll find out. Everyone will know! Connor sounded panicky.

  I won’t tell on you. I swear.

  But—

  I’m sorry, Connor. The mating pull’s too strong to resist any longer. I want this. I want Sam.

  It’s going to cost you your job!

  Maybe I can convince him to let me keep my job. Jake’s a cop, even though he’s mated to Annie. Maybe… maybe Sam can be reasoned with.

  I didn’t hold out much hope for that, but the desire for Sam to make me his, to take me and bind us together, was too intense. The chances he’d allow me to stay on the job were pretty much nonexistent. Mates of baby shifters were also always their legal guardian and had a say in everything. Humans who were mated to shifters had more of a say and stayed their own person, legally speaking. Not for the first time, I wished I could be a normal shifter, or that the fucking archaic law would be overruled, but…. No buts. That’s how things were at the moment.

  Tears pricked at my eyes, and instantly an aroma of comfort and soothing enveloped me.

  You’re kidding yourself, Connor said.

  Yes, probably, I agreed.

  I don’t understand how becoming Sam’s mate can be of greater importance than keeping our secret, when you know what’ll happen.

  Connor sounded so confused and sad and… hurt. How could I make him understand me when I didn’t understand myself? The only thing I knew was that I needed to be with Sam, and it had to be now. I shrugged. I can’t explain it. Maybe you’d understand better if your instincts weren’t being suppressed by the drug.

  Connor flinched. From the corner of my eye, I caught Jake and Annie staring from him to me. At least Sam seemed to be oblivious to my conversation with Connor—a dead giveaway that I was anything but human.

  Sam’s voice drew me away from my plight. “You’re consenting to become my mate?”

  “Yes.”

  Sam’s chest puffed out in pride. I chuckled and gave him a firm squeeze. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  Jake piped up from his position on Annie’s lap. “Shouldn’t you two wait until you know the drug that’s been pumped in our office isn’t affecting you negatively?”

  Sam’s body went rigid. When he exhaled, his muscles underneath my hands rippled with power. What would it feel like to have all that power unleashed on me?

  Roland chose that moment to stroll up to us from wherever he’d been hiding before. The guy had perfected the art of merging with shadows and springing out of them without anyone noticing. Julie paced right next to him, looking harassed.

  “I’ve talked to the scientists and doctors in Chicago who investigated their incident,” Roland explained, “and I’ve also talked to the techs searching our office. We’ve caught the gas, which they call XP-27, early. The level of concentration was still low and shouldn’t have any long-lasting negative effects. In the amount they found it in the office, it mostly stimulates sexual interest, especially in mates or destined mates. I think it’s safe to say it’s only speeding up a natural process. Take him home, Sam.”

  Sam turned me toward the elevator, but I dug in my heels. Well, I tried. Sam simply lifted me into his arms and carried me. Tiny approved wholeheartedly and snuggled deeper into Sam’s embrace. Right when the elevator door pinged open, I came to myself and shouted, “Wait! What about Jesse? Why did he go feral?”

  Thank God, Sam stopped. He frowned at me. “That’s a valid point.”

  “Jesse has always been more susceptible to drugs. You know that, Sam,” Julie replied. “The doctors think it hit him so hard because his mate’s rejecting him.”

  Sam and I winced. I glanced over to Connor, who’d wrapped his arms around his torso, looking lost and anxious. “I’m the reason he went feral?”

  “No, the reason he went feral is the drug someone pumped into our office.” Roland walked up to Connor, unwrapped his arms, and gave him a hard hug. Connor clung to him, seemingly stricken. “It might’ve made him even more susceptible to the drug, though.”

  Connor closed his eyes and dropped his head to Roland’s shoulder. Roland patted his back but remained silent for a moment. When he looked over to us, the left corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Sam, take him home. I’ve got this here.”

  Jesse was second-in-command, but since he was out of it, that role fell to Roland. I had no doubt he could fill it.

  Sam nodded and slammed a palm on the elevator button. The doors opened right away. Sam growled at a lady who was staring at us. She skirted backward to the farthest point from us. I tried loosening Sam’s hold on me so I could stand. The woman’s eyes widened in horror, and I felt compelled to explain the situation. “He’s my mate. I mean, we’re going to mate. Now. Uh, not right now, but as soon as possible.”

  Sam shifted one hand underneath my butt to hoist me higher, and the lady gasped. The elevator doors opened again at that moment, allowing the poor woman to stumble outside. Sam followed at a more sedate pace. People stared at us, and I felt color rise high in my cheeks.

  “Sam, put me down.”

  “No. By the way, your rambling in the elevator didn’t exactly put that woman at ease.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at me.

  I huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know why. It sounded perfectly reasonable to me.”

  “That’s because you’re horny. Anything would sound reasonable to you now.”

  “Says the one who reeks of arousal a mile away against the wind.” As soon as the words had slipped out of my mouth, I froze. Fuck! Fuckety-fuck!

  “I know you’re not human,” Sam said, his voice dipping to a level that sent a shiver up my spine, and not a pleasant one. “I don’t know what you are or how you hid it, but right now I need to claim you or my lion will make an appearance and bite you right here.”

  My fingers clenched into his neck, giving away my sudden onslaught of fear. If his lion appeared, my snow leopard would as well. And although Sam shouldn’t be able to hurt me since I really seemed to be his mate, I couldn’t stop the image of him roaring his anger at me. I didn’t want him to find out who I was before he’d claimed me.

  The mating bite would prevent him from attacking me. At least, that’s how it was supposed to work, like a safety catch invented by Mother Nature to prevent disasters when it came to mating. Hopefully the things I’d heard would prove to be right.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sam

  ALL THE little odd things about Nicky added up now. He’d lied to me, to all of us. He was no human.

  I had no idea how he’d done it. Drugs? Though that would be illegal and could cost him his job if it came out. If he’d taken any drugs and jeopardized his health, that would be the least of his worries, because I’d make sure he’d never waste another thought on that kind of drug for the rest of his entire life.

  I should’ve set him down, brought some distance between us since he’d lied to me like Taylor had. Still, this felt completely different. Nicky showed all the right signs to my dominance. Shifters who took drugs to suppress their shifter sides usually didn’t clue in on the subtle, or not so subtle, signs of dominance and submission. While neither I n
or my lion needed a meek weakling, we needed someone who’d agree we were the one in charge. Nicky did that perfectly.

  Since I’d ridden in the ambulance with Jesse, I hailed a cab to take us to my home. The driver ushered us inside and drove us quickly to my apartment. Nicky sat next to me, plastered against my side during the whole ride. I held his hands in mine, stroking a finger along the back of one of them, eliciting little shivers. His scent changed from nervousness to arousal and contentment. I sniffed the air to get a good whiff of him. There was still way too much cologne on my mate.

  I paid the driver, then guided Nicky into the apartment complex. The elevator arrived promptly to take us to the top level, where I had the penthouse suite. Nicky’s eyes grew big when he took in his surroundings.

  “This is all yours?” he asked.

  I towed him toward my bedroom, wondering if he liked the sparse furniture or not. While I’d used warm earth tones for everything, I had no patience for making the apartment overly opulent. I was all about convenience.

  Nicky’s gasp pulled my attention back to him, where it should have been. “Your bed’s huge! What do you do in it? Hold orgies?”

  I partially shifted my right hand and unsheathed my claws to slice through his shirt. It fell to the floor with a flutter, leaving Nicky looking stupefied. “Hey! I liked that shirt.”

  “I like you better without a shirt.”

  Nicky groaned. “Does that line ever work?”

  “Nicky.” I shifted fully back to human and slid my hands from his shoulders along his flanks.

  Nicky’s tongue peeked out before he licked along his lower lip. He was slender but all sinewy, full of hidden strength. I admired the view for a moment while he reciprocated, obviously looking his fill. I puffed out my chest, gaining me another chuckle from Nicky.

  “Proud of your physique, huh?”

  “You see anything to criticize?” I challenged.