by Helen Scott
“Do you believe?” Her smoky voice was even lower than it had been the first time, still feminine, but deep, like the jaguar’s growl.
“What—what was that? What are you?” He hated the weakness in his tone, but he’d theoretically just seen a woman change into a cat and back again.
“I think the question you should be asking is what are you?”
His mind went blank, as if she’d put up a brick wall and he could no longer follow.
“Haven’t you wondered why you are here and not in a hospital? A moment ago, your vision changed. It became a little blurry with the colors washed out, right? That’s because your shift started, but you wouldn’t let go, so it didn’t complete. I can make you shift if I need to, but you should do it yourself. It would be better that way.”
The phrasing she used brought a memory screaming to the surface of his mind.
“I’ll make you shift,” the man said to him after he’d been attacked by that black panther, although attacked was the wrong word. He had been put in a cage with the angry animal with nowhere to go and no way to defend himself.
Everything around him went blurry as the memory of what had happened suddenly rose up and overwhelmed him. He could do nothing to stop himself from reliving it as it played over his mind’s eye.
Elijah had been enjoying some drinks with friends, when the next thing he knew, the room went out of focus, and as he left to get some air, a pair of arms wrapped around him. A woman’s voice had whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, you’re just having a bad reaction to the drug.”
He tried to ask her what she was talking about, but he couldn’t seem to get his mouth to work, and all that came out was an incoherent grunt. Nothing else seemed to make it through his swollen and slightly numb tongue.
“Now, let’s get you into this van, and we’ll get you taken care of, okay?”
His limbs were so heavy that he didn’t really have a choice, and when they gave him a hard push, he fell face first onto the hard metal and plastic floor of a delivery van. The sliding door closed behind him with a whoosh and a bang. The whole world seemed to be spinning, and as the van lurched forward, he had to close his eyes or risk vomiting everywhere.
It turned out closing his eyes had been a mistake, though, as he promptly passed out. The next thing he knew, he was being woken up with a bucket of ice-cold water thrown over his face. His body still didn’t completely function, but sensations were slowly returning as he was dragged half naked through a hallway into what looked like an old abandoned warehouse or storage room of some kind.
In the center was a large cage. Bars as thick as his forearm surrounded an area about half the size of a basketball court. There was something large and lethal moving around behind a curtain on the other side of the cage. Something he didn’t want to encounter, but had the sinking sensation he would.
“In we go,” the woman’s voice said again as she and a man pushed him into the cage.
Without their help, he couldn’t stand up and collapsed onto the ground. A low growl sounded from behind the curtain.
“How are you feeling?” a man asked as he approached the edge of the cage in a white lab coat with clipboard in hand. He had a slight accent, something European.
“What the hell did you do to me?” Elijah’s voice was hoarse and slurred, as though he had downed a whole bottle of bourbon instead of one glass.
“Well, that is a little complicated, and I’m afraid in your current state of mind, you will neither understand nor remember this conversation. So, if you can just tell me what you are experiencing right now, that would be wonderful.”
“Screw you.”
“Anger, that’s good. Do you have sensation in your legs yet?” When he received no response, the man turned and addressed the couple who had carried Elijah into the room. “I understand he had an adverse reaction to the drug?”
“We couldn’t even get him out of the bar before he lost control,” the man said.
“Also, he was unconscious for longer than normal,” the woman helpfully chimed in.
“I see. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the bite. I have a theory that the stronger the reaction, the weaker the animal produced will be, so this will give me another data point to use.” The doctor seemed to be talking more to himself at the end than to anyone else.
Elijah felt as though he was in a teaching hospital and the doctors were discussing his condition as though he weren’t even a real person. He heard movement behind him, but didn’t want to, no, didn’t have the energy to turn around. He was stuck in some kind of nightmare, and all he wanted was to wake up.
Something cold and hard landed on the underside of his foot, and he instinctively yanked his leg underneath him, trying to protect the sensitive skin.
“Feeling has returned to his feet,” the doctor was saying, and when the large metal rod came into view, it was swinging toward him through the bars of the cage, and judging from the trajectory, it would smack him in the head if he didn’t stop it.
His hand moved, batting it out of the way, not quite dexterous enough to grab it like he wanted to.
“Movement has returned to his arms,” the man continued. “Please stand.”
Elijah didn’t move. He’d be damned if he’d give them what they wanted. His fury was rising, and that wasn’t good for anyone. If he could get close enough to one of them, he might be able to use them as a human shield, force the doctor to release him.
The next thing he knew, a searing pain flew through his whole body, making every muscle go rigid. He couldn’t focus on anything, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. His world dissolved around him to the pinpoints of pain that existed for him.
Chapter 3
Valentina watched as the man retreated into himself for a moment. It was clear that he had been through something traumatic, and as much as she wanted to give him his privacy, she couldn’t. She needed to know exactly what had happened.
“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice soft as she tried to temper her alpha side that demanded she show this stranger who was in charge.
Haunted eyes looked back up at her, and she tried her best to make herself look unassuming, soft, and helpful, not the hard woman she was most of the time. Eventually, he said, “Elijah, Elijah Berridge.”
“I’m Valentina, as I’m sure you overheard. All I want is to help you. If it will make you feel better, I will undo the restraints on your legs and provide you with some clothing other than a hospital gown.”
“Can I leave?” Elijah almost snarled the question at her.
“Not just yet. First, I need to make sure you’re healthy and that you understand what you are. Second, I would like you to tell me what happened so I can investigate.”
“You really believe I can change into an animal?” he asked, his temper lowering as he stared at her.
Something was making her cat restless. She could feel it pacing inside her, the need for control, for strength, singing through her. It had to have something to do with the alpha vibes Elijah had been throwing off ever since he’d woken up. Valentina couldn’t give in to her impulses, so she simply nodded. “I really do.” She paused. “Listen, why don’t Liam and I go get you something to wear and some food, and when I come back, we can talk some more?” She bent down and undid the clasps around his ankles.
Without once looking back at Elijah, she waved Liam over and they left the room. The man either couldn’t remember the event that turned him, or didn’t want to, and if he was ever going to talk to her about it, she needed him to trust her, and keeping him chained up in the medical room half-naked wasn’t going to accomplish that.
“You sure this is a good idea, boss?” Liam asked as they exited the medical wing.
“It’s the only option I can see. Besides”—she turned to the control panel next to the door to the garages and typed in her code, locking all the outside doors to anyone who didn’t also know the code—“it’s not like he can leave the house.”
Liam sighed and shook his head, but her jaguar within roared in approval. She would protect her pack and this strange man, even if it meant protecting him from himself. They walked together for a while in companionable silence before she asked, “Could you find him some clothing? You got a better look at his size than I did, so you’ll know better than me what will fit him.”
“Really?” He smirked. “You seemed to be getting a pretty good eyeful in there.”
“Liam . . .” she said in a warning tone. The last thing she wanted right now was for him to push her toward a man who was clearly going to be an alpha once he got his bearings.
“What? I’m just saying, it doesn’t hurt to investigate, does it?”
“What’s the point? The alpha vibes he was throwing off in there are the last thing I need to get tangled up in. You know I need to be in control.”
“Not even a roll in the hay? Aren’t alpha boys supposed to be the best lovers? Don’t let Asher know I said that.”
Valentina laughed. “If the rumors are true, but I’ve never put any stock in them.”
He grumbled something about her being no fun as he went off in search of clothes. She opened the big cabinet door that hid the giant refrigerator and began rummaging for some leftovers. She pulled out a large container of lasagna and scooped out what she hoped was enough to feed a hungry alpha male, before popping it in the microwave. The lecture Lizzy would give her about not using the stove to reheat food was already playing in her head almost word for word.
Their personal chef was campaigning to get rid of the microwave. It didn’t matter that she was only there a couple times a week to cook enough food so that the pack didn’t starve. She hated the idea of heating up the food in the microwave, but Valentina couldn’t help it. It was so fast and easy. Plus, she really didn’t want to do any dishes on her day off, so the microwave it was. She doubted Elijah would care either way.
While the microwave whirred behind her, she leaned against the large island that sat in the cooking half of the kitchen and sent out a pack-wide text.
Hey, guys, we have a guest staying. He’s a shifter, possibly alpha, but doesn’t know much. Please avoid contact until I get a better handle on the situation. -V xx
Almost immediately, Liana texted her back, demanding details, mainly about his appearance, followed by Kinsley, who simply inquired as to the kind of shifter he was. Valentina responded to both and advised them she’d be out of contact for the rest of the day while she worked with him, and if they had any more questions, they could message Liam. She giggled to herself at that, sure that as soon as they received the message, they would be following up with their resident doctor.
A muffled sound drew her attention, and she found a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that had landed in the great room behind the kitchen. When she peered up at the balcony, she saw Liam looking back at her.
“That’s for telling the girls they can interrogate me about the strange man we are hiding.”
Valentina laughed, knowing he wasn’t really mad, just pretending. She scooped up the clothing as the beep of the microwave drew her away. The smell of the meat and cheese made her own stomach growl, so she made a portion up for herself, folding the clothes while she waited. No need for Elijah to know they were so unceremoniously delivered to her.
As she knocked on the door to medical, she heard a gruff, “Come in.”
“Could you get the door?” she asked as she balanced the two bowls of lasagna, a couple bottles of water, and the clothes.
A second later, it swung open, gusting the air between them, allowing his scent to swirl around her. Her jaguar reacted as she never had before, pacing and growling, rubbing against her skin as though she wanted to come out but wasn’t sure. She drank in the sight of him for a split second before snapping herself out of it. Two alphas never worked. That being said, the man was gorgeous. He had taken the papery disposable gown off and replaced it with a thick, fluffy white towel he’d found somewhere, leaving the large expanse of his torso uncovered. Flat planes of muscle covered most of his upper torso, with just the hint of a six pack on his abdomen, culminating in those mouth-watering V-lines that disappeared into the towel.
“Food . . .” she said quietly.
“That smells amazing!” He practically groaned as he swiped a bottle of water and the bowl with the larger portion from her hands.
“Lizzy is an amazing chef, so it should be at least as good as it smells, if not better.” She regained control of her faculties and was able to at least get a full sentence out before she found herself ogling the muscles of his butt as they flexed under the towel as he walked away.
“You have a chef?” His eyebrows raised in surprise.
“We have a lot of things. Most of us hold full-time jobs, and Woodhaven is big enough for us all to live here, so it just makes sense. Sometimes we each still cook for ourselves, but it’s never as good as what Lizzy makes.”
“Who’s all of us?” he asked, and her guards fell right back into place.
“Tell you what, you put some clothes on, and we’ll do a quid pro quo. You ask, I answer, and vice versa. Deal?”
He looked at her a moment before he acquiesced. As he took the clothes from her outstretched hand, he stared at her, waiting. “Going to turn around?”
Valentina’s cheeks heated as she realized she was just waiting for him to get naked in front of her. “Sorry, of course,” she said as she spun around on the stool, her back stick-straight as the slight embarrassment nipped at her heels. Her ears were painfully alert to every sound he made—the soft rustle of the towel dropping to the floor, followed by the slight creak of the metal examination table as he leaned against it to put the clothing on.
“You’re good to turn around now.”
She turned back around, plastering her professional smile to her face, the one that said, “You can trust me. I know what I’m talking about.” He settled on the table, his legs hanging off each side of the corner while the green plastic cushion peeked out from between his legs. He clutched the bowl of lasagna in one hand while the other held the fork, as though he was waiting for her to eat first. That wasn’t how this game was going to go, though. She was alpha. She might get her choice of food, but she made sure everyone else was eating before she ever took her first bite. It was part of making sure her pack was taken care of, and he might not be a packmate, but he was injured, maybe not so much physically, but injured nonetheless.
There was a moment of standoff between them, each waiting for the other to eat first, before he relented and ate the first bite. As soon as the fork entered his mouth, she began devouring her own bowl, watching as his eyes closed in bliss at the rich taste of the tangy food.
“Damn, your chef can cook!”
Valentina laughed and agreed. They ate in silence for a while, which felt oddly intimate, or maybe it had more to do with the furtive glances they kept sneaking at each other. She could feel his eyes on her, and whenever she looked up, his eyes would dart away, usually to his food. The faint musk of his arousal, or at the very least, interest, colored the air, and was making her body respond in kind, even though her brain was slamming on the breaks and trying to lock all the doors.
Chapter 4
Elijah couldn’t take his eyes off Valentina for more than a second. Her pouty lips were a pretty pink color, and when she blushed, it hit just the apples of her cheeks, making him want to bite them. The combination somehow highlighted the bright amber of her eyes, which occasionally flashed a golden yellow before reverting to the amber he was staring at now.
She swept a lock of her ebony hair over her shoulder, the gentle wave clinging to her ear as she exposed the regal line of her neck. “Do you remember any of what happened?” Valentina had asked the question quietly enough, but it still felt as though she had dropped a bomb. Something inside him wanted to snarl and lash out. Instead, he just shoved a forkful of the delicious lasagna into his mouth while he thought.
He
r eyes watched him. He could feel them tracing lines over his face and down his chest. It made him want to sit a little straighter, flex a little when he moved even though he didn’t have to. She was bringing out the preening, swaggering side of him that he usually reserved for women he was trying to bed, but she wasn’t his usual type. He loved blondes, natural, not dyed. There was something about them that drew him in. Yet he was having the same reaction to Valentina, a woman who for all he knew had kidnapped him from his kidnappers and was keeping him there, wherever there was, against his will.
He sighed after he swallowed a mouthful of water, clearing the food from his mouth. “I remember fragments. Some of it seems to be coherent; other parts don’t make any sense at all.” He paused, having answered her question in as few words as possible, and asked, “How many people live here?”
“About ten, with room for growth.”
He nodded, thinking about the size of the place and all the people who knew about this world, this supposed ability he now had.
“What are the parts you remember that make sense?”
Elijah tried to speak about it objectively. “I was drugged or something while I was out for a drink with my coworkers. The next thing I know, a woman is shoving me into a van. I pass out. When I wake up, I’m being dragged down a hallway and shoved into a cage. There is something in a secondary part of the cage, but it’s hidden by a sheet. I get into a confrontation with the man and the woman holding me and the doctor-looking guy who was interrogating me. Then I’m being electrocuted or something and pass out again. When I wake up, it’s like my body was conscious before my mind, and I’m fighting off some big black animal. Are you all cats?” He didn’t even pause as he asked the question, having shared as much as he could.
“No, my pack is different. We’re a pack of misfits, some rogues, some true bloods, and a variety of animals, which is unusual for shifters. Everything from bears to wolves to cats, all kinds. What are the parts that don’t make sense?”