by Cecilia Lane
Liv sank back against her chair. “We have a leak?”
“This is a small town; some information about what we do here is bound to get out.”
Point noted, Liv tried not to squirm in her seat.
“But yes, it seems someone is pilfering actual research and handing it over to hunters.” Rylee sighed sadly. “I wish I could say I was surprised. Those that want to do harm to our supernatural friends always have a way of digging their grubby fingers into things. This was the first enclave to reveal itself and seems to be an epicenter of activity because of it.”
With a clearing of her throat, Rylee swung back into brisk determination. “No matter. We’ve survived worse than some pages falling into the wrong hands. We’ll make it through this. That’s our superpower. We’re still standing and living our lives, no matter what gets thrown our way.”
The attitude was admirable and Liv took solace in Rylee’s optimism. “Happy to help in any way possible,” she said.
“And how are you settling in, outside of outing one of our volunteers?” Rylee tempered the soft teasing with a smile and adjusted her glasses. “I like to check in with our new hires. This seems as good an excuse as any.”
“Oh, uhm.” Liv wracked her brain. The question blindsided her. The revelation of a leak within the facility seemed more important than if she felt at home. “Good, I suppose. Just trying to find my place with everyone else on the team. They’ve been here longer, and it’s never easy being the new kid in the lab. They ambushed me this morning with a plan for a trail ride this weekend.”
“Trail ride? Huh. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.” Rylee slashed her eyes to her notepad. “Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Back to work with you.”
The others were already hard at work by the time Liv buzzed herself into the lab. She lifted fingers in greeting to the few faces that glanced up from their tasks.
Liv settled in at her desk. She went through the ritual of plugging in her earbuds and cranking up her music, then opened a series of files to review the last trials. She felt a little sick to imagine someone else with dangerous motives sifting through the same documents. Even worse, she may have met the person who handed them over.
The entire premise of the serum was to reverse changes on a genetic level caused by the bite of a shifter. A contagion to anti-shifter groups. A fascinating process to everyone on the serum team. Those changes left visible markers in a subject’s blood—ridges around the cells that weren’t present in pure humans or shifters born with an animal inside them.
The actual process was more involved than switching something on or off again. That was where she and the others on the team stepped in. Genome editing allowed genetic material to be added, removed, or altered within particular locations of a subject’s makeup. The bite of a shifter was a catalyst. The research team wanted to figure out another catalyst to nullify the first. When the bite held the potential of death, a reversal serum could save lives.
Liv tapped her finger against her lips as she scrolled through the research already conducted. She tagged a few places and printed out page after page of sequences. With those, she marked and circled and added notes of what she wanted to try or compare to previous work.
She lived for being in a lab. Most of the time, it was just theory. But those theories sparked more ideas and discussions on what was possible. The science field was an ever-shifting, uneven staircase of progress. What seemed like magic a hundred years ago was used as a common building block in current research.
She’d loved it from the moment she opened up her first chemistry set, to miniature volcanic eruptions, and all the way through the years of math and science courses and defending her dissertation. She couldn’t imagine not working to find more questions to answers about the world around her.
Liv jumped at a tap on her shoulder and hastily removed an earbud.
“Hey,” Jenny said. “We’re all breaking for lunch. Care to join us?”
“Yeah. Be there in a sec,” Liv answered.
Was it her imagination, or did Jenny eye her screen a little too long before turning away?
Her imagination. Balls. Jenny had access to the same findings. She’d have no reason to spy over a shoulder.
Liv closed out of her computer and joined the team in the break room. Most were already seated and digging into their lunches. Leela excused herself to find something in the cafeteria. Liv tracked her from her spot at the microwave.
“What was your meeting about this morning?” Jenny asked, popping a grape between her lips.
All eyes turned to her. Too curious? Too unconcerned?
Liv shook off the unease tightening her shoulders. “Oh, nothing important,” she said lightly. “Dr. Strathorn just wanted to check in and see how I was adjusting.”
Not a lie, but not the whole truth, either.
“And you told her everything was good, right? Otherwise,” Chuck sliced a finger across his throat, “we’ll have to take care of you.”
The others snorted or chuckled.
Liv raised her hands in mock defeat. “They won’t get a word out of me,” she promised.
The others lapsed into discussing their weekend activities and future plans. Jokes and teasing were tossed back and forth while Liv eyed the others from under her lashes. She didn’t want to believe anyone in that room was capable of betraying their project. Working with a group that wanted to destroy others went against everything she believed in.
But Rylee’s words still stuck with her even as she laughed around a bite of food. Someone had leaked information.
Any one of them could be a spy.
Chapter 8
Alex flicked the long line and pushed Lula into a faster gait. Her ears turned and twitched at his every noise, as well as the bleating of the calf in the paddock with them.
The mare had been slower than usual on the last trail ride, then listless the next day. He’d pulled her from the lineup and kept a close eye on her, but all signs pointed to her recovering from whatever ran through her system. Probably just feeling mopey over being forced to work. Damn horses were moodier than the vampires living under Bearden.
Something warm and hard crashed into his knee and he stumbled before catching himself.
“Dammit, Daisy,” Alex muttered. He shot a glare at the calf slowly stepping back to wind up another attack.
The little calf butted him again, then took off after the horse. Lula whinnied and turned from a trot to a prancing walk. Daisy slowed her run to copy the move, complete with an impressively loud moo. Then she took off again with a leap that took all four cloven hooves off the ground.
“Okay, okay, you little punk. I know what you want.” Daisy stopped at the sound of his voice and flicked her ears in his direction. She was born in the first wave of calves for the season, but had been rejected within a couple of hours. He’d raised her by hand ever since. Every season saw at least one or two calves who needed extra tending. Alex always volunteered for the job.
Alex pulled a few alfalfa pellets from his pocket and both Daisy and Lula turned for him. Lula stuck her nose right against his chest and pushed. “Greedy monster,” he chastised. He ran a hand down her neck as he gave Daisy her treat, then switched and scratched Daisy’s ears while Lula nibbled out of his hand.
Animals were easy to understand. Humans were where everything went wrong.
Automatically, Alex pressed back on the urges and faint sendings from his bear. He didn’t want to think about Liv.
Across the yard, Ethan stepped out of the main house and adjusted his Stetson on his head. Then he trudged off the front porch and didn’t stop until he leaned against the paddock fence.
Well, shit.
He’d avoided everyone since the disastrous breakfast days ago. They’d surprisingly given him space, too, and hadn’t hounded after him to give in to their demands for peace and love and all the bullshit that went with it.
“How’s she doing? One of the others threw
a shoe this morning and there’s a kid who has his heart set on her. Apparently, Tansey is now posting pictures and fake profiles on the ranch website. Lula here likes long stalks of hay on the beach.”
Alex almost smiled. Almost.
First he’d heard of another horse needing a new horseshoe, though. “She’s fine to go.”
Ethan took off his Stetson and rubbed a hand over his head. Balls. Alex recognized the motion as one made right before there was a big ask.
“Jesse is running late. Think you can help load up the mounts and haul them to the mountain trailhead?”
Alex frowned. He kept as far from the trail rides and overnight guests as possible. Courtesy for Ethan. He couldn’t keep his head on straight, which was a dangerous combo with cameras and jumpy humans. Mixing with them was trouble he didn’t want to bring down on the ranch.
He could be considerate sometimes.
Besides, most of the guests were just salivating over seeing some shifter lose his shit. Alex didn’t appreciate being another sight on a damn safari.
He eyed Ethan and scented the air, feeling like something was brewing. His involvement with the research facility was still a sore spot. Days of quiet didn’t mean the matter was settled.
“I suppose I can help haul them,” he said carefully.
“Good. I’ll pull the big trailer around and we can clear out the barn. There’s a big group today.”
Alex led Lula back through her stall and shut Daisy out in the paddock. She had her own stall to slip into if she got tired of running around like a giant puppy. Lula, he gave an extra handful of oats for cutting her vacation short.
By the time he had her brushed down and ready to go, Ethan pulled to a stop outside the double doors. Together, they led most of Black Claw’s horses as well as the mounts borrowed from the neighboring lion pride into the trailer. Those loaned horses made the entire trail riding business possible. Ethan was slowly building his own herd of horses, but extras were still needed. That was where the lions came in. Trent Crowley hated humans, but had the horses. Ethan ran the trail rides, Trent provided the mounts, and they made a partnership filled with tension and demands.
They were on the road for barely a full five minutes when Ethan shot Alex a look that had him regretting ever stepping foot on the ranch.
“So that trouble the other day—”
“Isn’t up for discussion.” Alex rolled his head to the side. “I know you force everyone else onto these little drives to get their feelings out. Too bad for you because I don’t have any.”
“No, not you. You’re just a raging pain in everyone’s ass. You make everyone else around you suffer.”
Alex spread his hands wide and pasted on his most infuriating smile. “If the shoe fits.”
“What happens if you get your wish and drive everyone away? You act like you don’t need anyone.”
“I don’t.” His inner bear growled in an echo of his irritation.
Ethan gave him a flat stare. “You didn’t know the first thing about what you were when I found you. Even now, I don’t think you have a clue what you’re doing. You need a clan, probably more than any of the others.”
“Yeah, I need to fuck up more lives.”
“It’s not always about what you can offer someone else. Sometimes you need to lean on someone else. You need someone to ground you and pull you out of that dark hole.”
Ethan’s look bored into him, but Alex braced himself against the encouragement to talk. Fuck talking. He had a beast under his skin. He knew the danger he brought to the table. He wouldn’t put that on anyone. Ethan was insane for bringing him to Black Claw in the first place.
The rest of the ride stayed blessedly silent. They were the first to arrive at the trailhead, as planned. He knew the others didn’t like the guests all up in their business while they unloaded mounts and prepped gear. Too many cooks in the kitchen.
He and Ethan worked quickly to bring the horses out of the trailer and secure them in neat little rows. They were just about done when the first car slowly eased up the road. Ethan left Alex to finish settling the horses while he went to greet the man and woman.
Another car arrived and more guests joined Ethan’s little group.
Then a third pulled up, music blasting even through the closed windows. The back door creaked open and Alex jerked upright as he inhaled a tangy scent.
Sweet and tropical, coconut and flowers, exotic and familiar.
Liv stepped out of a car packed full of people and jerked to a stop. A hand behind her shoved her forward and broke their stare. She scowled and whirled away.
Alex lifted a lip and snarled at the man exiting the car.
An elbow jammed into his side. “Behave,” Ethan growled under his breath.
“What the fuck is this?” he demanded. He twisted around to face his alpha, bear boiling under his skin and pressing against every inch of his mind. “What did you do?”
“Got a call from Rylee about a group coming from the facility and a guest one of my clan should avoid.” Ethan’s phone rang, and he held up a finger to silence Alex’s objections.
Yeah, fuck that. “What, Ethan?”
“Yep,” Ethan said to the person on the other line. He stalked away and glanced over his shoulder at Alex, then studied the trees again. “I’ll head back once you get here.”
Alex glared, suspicion prickling up and down his spine.
Ethan shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Listen,” he started, “something came up at the ranch. I have to back out of the ride today.”
Alex growled. “Fuck you, Ethan. I work better with animals than humans. There’s a reason I don’t do these.”
“We’re all just animals, buddy. It’s high time to push you out of the nest. Fly free, little bird.”
“At least animals are honest in their doings. They don’t need any dirty tricks.”
“Didn’t I just see your little calf head butt you when your back was turned?”
Liv laughed at something one of the others said. The noise of it punched him in the gut. He couldn’t stick around with her there. He couldn’t be near her.
“I don’t have a horse.” Alex bit down on his tongue for inserting the tiniest quaver of desperation.
Ethan pointed to his own regular mount. “Patches has four legs. I made sure to slip your saddle in with the rest.”
Down the road, the front end of a truck appeared. Alex bit the insides of his cheeks. Fuck. He needed to do something to get out of the trail ride.
“You’re trusting me with your old nag?”
“Like you said, you’re better with animals than humans. Doubt you’d hurt him on purpose.” Ethan turned and walked backward, still calling out advice. “Clear your pockets if you have any food in them. He’s a thief.”
Jesse pulled to a stop and slid out of the driver’s seat. Ethan beat a quick path to his second, took the keys from Jesse, and hauled himself behind the wheel almost before Sloan dropped to the ground.
Motherfucker.
They were all in it together.
And they called him the asshole?
“Hey, Alex,” Sloan greeted with a wave of her hand.
Yep, send the SEA agent out on the trail. He could see the protection against his potential misbehavior not-so-subtlety strapped to her waist. If he was lucky, she’d miss her shot and give him a dose of silver straight to the heart.
Alex stared after the puff of dust from Ethan’s tires.
“You going to get to work?” Jesse asked from right behind him.
Alex jumped. “You know I’m going to be shit at this.”
Jesse shrugged. “Probably. But these suckers are all stuck in town with you, so they might as well learn who to avoid.”
“And the kid that wanted Lula?”
“Oh, he and his folks are booked in a couple weeks. You think Ethan or Tansey would let you near a child?”
Alex made a noise of annoyance. His bear echoed the sentiment. “I’d never h
urt a kid. Joss and Hunter are going to let me around their cub.”
“Joss is high on pregnancy hormones and Hunter is just as crazy as you are. Not really the best measuring stick.” Jesse dipped his hat to a passing guest, then moved past Alex with a deliberate knock of his shoulder. “Come on. Got people and horses to see to. Faster we get started, faster we get home.”
Chapter 9
Alex bit back a sigh and the urge to pass a hand down his face. There was a reason he didn’t deal with guests. They were idiots. Their idiot actions poked and prodded at his bear.
“Foot in the stirrup. Other one.” He swallowed his irritated growl. “Now stand up and swing your leg over.”
Over the back of the horse, he watched Jesse look around for the next rider to assist. His gut twisted when the only one still on the ground was Liv. Jesse took another look around, then stepped toward her.
Alex’s bear snarled at the other man. Unmated, just as unattached as himself. A threat.
No one belonged anywhere near Liv but him.
Alex shook the thoughts away. Not his own. Not logical. Liv had her own life. He didn’t need to get involved.
He handed the reins to Chuck and blindly strode toward Liv. There was nothing else in the world. No other guests. No horses in his way. Just Liv, and the man walking toward her.
Jesse spotted him and found somewhere else to be.
Alex came to a stop right behind her and coughed. “You good?”
Liv jumped at the sound of his voice. She pressed her lips together like she had a thousand things running through her head and didn’t know which one to say out loud. Finally, she gestured to Lula. “She keeps moving when I try to get up.”
“Lazy nag,” he chided. Liv pulled back sharply, and he rushed to explain. “Lula. She’s succeeded in getting a little time off by faking being sick. I guess she still doesn’t want to get back to work.”
Liv’s lips twitched. “Been there.”
“Like that time you came back from visiting your folks at Christmas and couldn’t drag yourself back to the labs? Thought you were going to fail out that semester.”