Laurann Dohner: Moon (Laurann Dohner)

Her heart squeezed while she ignored the derogatory title he’d labeled her job. She had grown used to it while dealing with Species. She was more concerned with 466’s condition. It was painful that something horrible had happened to him.

“It sounds more like a drug reaction than a psychotic break. You need to find out what he was given.”

Irritation flashed over Tiger’s features. “We’re aware of that fact but this isn’t a known drug. We’re being targeted by some of Mercile’s employees.”

That surprised her. “I heard they were shut down forever.”

“They were but we haven’t found all the doctors or staff who imprisoned us. A special task force hunts them but it takes time. Someone with strong ties to Mercile recently sent a team of mercenaries to retrieve one of our females. We believe he also hired someone who worked for Mercile to make this drug and infect Moon with it as a distraction. This unidentified drug has made him homicidal.”

“Anyone associated with Mercile will be prosecuted for what they did. It’s irrational to believe that killing their victims will change that. I’m assuming that’s why they created this drug? So he’d kill other Species?” It was her best guess.

His eyebrow lifted. “Rationality isn’t their strongest trait, considering what they did to us. Someone created a drug not listed in the FDA database. Mercile is the only enemy we have with the resources to manufacture a drug targeted to harm Species and the attack happened at the same time mercenaries paid by a Mercile associate attempted to recapture the female.”

She bit her lip but released it when she realized her nervousness showed. “Okay. I don’t see why you called me though. He needs a chemist or scientist to figure out what he was given and reverse this reaction. I’m not qualified to tell you what was done to him on a substance level.”

Tiger frowned. “You were close to Moon and we’re hoping you can reach him. His mental state has been affected. We’re working on figuring out what he was given but it’s taking too much time.”

What did he mean by the term “close”? Had someone suspected she had fallen in love with her client? Nothing had happened between them. She’d made sure to keep her ethics legally intact but she’d failed big-time on a personal level. She’d become too attached, had desperately wanted to be with Moon, but had managed to resist what they both had known was forbidden.

“I’m not someone he’d wish to spend more time with if he were able to talk.”

That lifted the man’s eyebrows. “Shrinks were never our favorite people but he spoke fondly of you.”

Astonishment tore through her. “He did?”

“Yes. He told me once that you made him speak of his emotions and he thought you fearless. He respected you.”

Guilt ate at her. She didn’t deserve the praise considering how she’d cut and run after finally getting him to open up during their sessions. The time they’d shared had become too intimate and his constant talk about what he wanted to do to her sexually had her soaking in cool baths after almost every session they’d spent together. She’d fled when it got to the point that he’d begun to touch her. She’d wanted him too much to resist for long, her job and future be damned.

“I don’t know what you expect me to be able to do.”

“Talk to him. We’re moving him to a special area that took us all day to refit for his needs. We were hoping the drugs would leave his system but now we’re that aware we’ll have to keep him prisoner until he’s cured. He’s too dangerous since he keeps breaching the restraints. We don’t want to use chains long-term due to the fact that, with his strength, he could break his limbs when he struggles. It would be cruel.”

“It might also remind him of his cell at Mercile if you chain him and keep him immobile.”

Tiger grimly nodded. “I won’t deny we’re worried about that. We don’t want recollections of his past to torment him or for him to believe he’s been sent back there.”

“It would only worsen his condition,” she agreed. “What arrangements do you have in mind?”

“We decided to place him in a cell, no restraints, just bars to keep him contained. We can’t keep asking our males to fight to keep him down. He sure can’t be allowed to run loose around Homeland. We have some human staff and he even sees other male Species as a threat. I’m not willing it to risk it. He could also attack our females. This was a unanimous decision by our people and your human doctors who have flown in to examine him. Our NSO doctors agreed too.”

She remembered that New Species always differentiated between themselves and humans. “It was a good call to make, considering what I just saw. He is dangerous.”

Tiger lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, a worried look crossing his striking features. “I know it’s a lot to ask but you don’t have to go inside the cell with him. We thought perhaps you could talk to him from outside it. He can’t reach you but he could see and hear you. We’re hoping it might trigger memories and being a female might also help. The other female he grew close to isn’t permitted near him.”

Jealousy hit, a useless emotion considering she had no right to feel that way. Still, it burned inside her chest. “Why can’t his girlfriend see him?”

“She’s not his,” Tiger said as he watched the Species add more restraints to hold 466 on the bed. “She belongs to another male but they are friends. Her mate would kill Moon if he harmed Trisha, even knowing he’s not responsible for his actions.” He turned back and dropped his hand to his side. “I’d hate for him to die.”

“Mate?” Relief swept through her. “Is she New Species?”

“Human. That’s classified.” His gaze hardened. “Understood? No information leaves here.”

“I got it. I won’t repeat anything. All that was covered before I was given clearance to be here. Besides, I never told anyone I even worked with New Species.”

He stared at her. “No one?”

“No one. Not my friends or family and not even my personal therapist.”

He seemed to believe her and his body relaxed. “Trisha is one of our doctors and she is mated to one of our males. It’s a good thing no one ever learned you worked with us or you may have been targeted by someone who doesn’t agree with our continuing existence. She was in danger because of her association with the NSO. Moon was part of her security detail. They became close friends. Trisha is irritated that Slade won’t allow her to talk to her friend but we’re very protective of our mates. One bruise, or hell, even if he made her cry, Slade would tear him apart.”

“I didn’t officially work for the New Species Organization. The government subcontracted me. I worked at one of the safe locations in the desert where you stayed after you were freed, before Homeland was given to you. The NSO was formed after you left there.”

“Right. Sorry. I’m having a bad day. I read that you dealt with Species after we were freed while everyone was trying to figure out what to do with us.” Tiger smiled grimly. “I bet that was a shit job. I was a mess.”

“What was done to all of you was horrible.” She left it at that. “It was an honor helping where I could.”

He closely studied her. “You must have done some great work. You were at site four and nobody bitches about you. That says a lot. You should have met the shrink they assigned me. She was annoying as hell and really made me angry.”

“I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s our job to push to make a client release some of their frustrations.”

His gaze flicked down her before rising again. He had assessed her coldly, no emotion showing. “It might have helped if she’d looked anything similar to you. It would have been easier when she grated on our nerves. She wasn’t pleasing to the eye or the ears.” He spun around to glance at the other males. “Did you lock him down good? I don’t want him getting up from that bed again when he wakes. We’ve mostly cleared out Medical but I don’t want the few remaining staff injured.”