“But I’ll want them to,” she cried. “I’ll wantall of themto.”
“Then there isn’t a problem.” He smiled broadly and brushed his lips over hers. “You’re sexy as hell when you’re fucking. You know I like watching you.”
She looked at Babcock, lips trembling, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “How many injections will this take?”
“It’s hard to say. Six, perhaps as many as ten.”
Another distressed cry escaped her lips and she shook her head. “I don’t think I can do this.”
The wolf lifted his hands and took a step back. “We do this together or not at all. I will not make you do any of it. I told you that from the start. You know how badly I want this, but the decision is yours.”
The wolf’s attitude surprised Isaac. He’d expected pressure, even outright coercion. But everything indicated that the female was a willing participant in this experiment.Experiment, he shuddered. Just the word brought his captivity back in vivid detail. Endless painful procedures and weeks of isolation as he gradually became a being he didn’t recognize.
“I want it too,” she finally relented. “If a few wild nights are the price I must pay, then so be it.” She looked at Babcock and said firmly, “I’m ready for the next injection.”
I’ve seen enough, Jon growled.Let’s get out of here before I forget our mission parameters and rip out all their throats.
Agreed, Isaac responded.
They exited through the back door and hurried through the village. Reaching the tree limb was no easy task from inside the walls. Isaac and Kyle hoisted Jon up and then Jon hung down and helped pull them up. It required Jon to become partly visible long enough for them to grasp his hands, so the maneuver always made Isaac uncomfortable. But the mission was completed without complication, and they were soon jogging through the forest on their way back to the feline village. Once they were well on their way, they dispersed their shields to conserve energy.
They hadn’t gone far when someone shouted, “Halt and identify yourselves!”
Isaac glanced behind him and found two wolves with pulse rifles pointed in his direction.Run!he ordered. I’ve got this.
As he turned to face the wolves, Isaac released his animal nature. Searing energy swept over his body, momentarily driving the breath from his lungs. He absorbed the pain, welcomed it, as he frantically shed his clothes. His joints popped and his muscles stretched. He was bare to the waist when the change hit him, so he skillfully shifted out of his pants and boots. The metamorphosis only took a few seconds, but it was long enough for the wolves to fire. The first pulse zinged over his head. The second drilled into his shoulder.
Isaac roared angrily and lunged for the lupine hybrids. Seeing a massive lion charging toward them, both guards turned and ran.
Cowards, he snarled inwardly. Damn it. He was in the mood for a good brawl.
Panting for a moment, Isaac paused to refocus his mind. Bloodlust pounded through his veins, and the wound in his shoulder throbbed.
Kyle gathered up Isaac’s clothes and walked back toward his friend.
Isaac released the shift, reluctantly caging his lion. “I told you to run.”
Kyle shrugged as he handed Isaac his pants. “I did run, but then I circled back.”
After quickly tugging on his pants, Isaac poured energy into his shoulder. The wound had been closed by the shift, but the surrounding tissue was still charred and bruised. “What were they doing out this far?”
“Elias must have ordered more patrols,” Jon supposed. He stood slightly back from Kyle patiently waiting for the others.
Isaac finished dressing and they continued their trek toward home.
“Any idea what the injections are about?” Kyle asked as they zigzagged through the trees.
“Some sort of conversion,” Jon mused. “Maybe sexual compatibility. The wolves are even more animalistic than we are. Human females might not enjoy their idea of sex.”
“It didn’t sound like she was having trouble adjusting to his demands,” Isaac pointed out. “Are those fuckers trying to breed her?”
Jon stopped running and faced him. “That isn’t possible, is it?”
“I don’t know.” Isaac shook his head. “I hope not. The last thing we need is more wolves.”
They resumed their trek through the trees, all three of them lost in thoughts and speculation.
Isaac reached out telepathically for Diego, Shadow Leader, as they approached the feline village.We’re back. Would you like an update now or in the morning?
