3

Dr. Treadmont was an asshole who wouldn’t listen to reason. Joy struggled to hold her temper in check. “The drugs will only muddle Moon’s mind more. You said you had no idea what was given to him so you also have no idea if tranquilizers will worsen his condition.”

“We had to do it for days before you arrived, Miss Know-It-All.” He shot a frustrated look at Tiger and ran his fingers through his white hair. “We need more blood from Moon to try to isolate what he was injected with. I need to examine him but I can’t do it when he’s ready to kill anyone who goes near him.”

“Agreed.” Tiger sighed.

Joy gave Tiger a murderous glare. “You don’t know if it’s making him worse. He’s confused enough without purposely doing that to him.”

“We need samples.” Treadmont stared at her. “What do you suggest? We open up that door to take them and he’s going to attack. It’s not fair to ask the men to go in there to fight him so we can get him pinned.”

“You want to take them every day. That’s too much for him to handle in his present condition. You can’t drug him every time.” Her fists clenched. “Aren’t you still in charge, Tiger? Think of another way.”

“We don’t know what else to do,” Tiger admitted. “We have to test his blood and we need to take samples daily to check him. That can’t be avoided if we have any hope of finding a cure, if there is one.”

“We’re hoping to nail down what was done to him by coming up with a drug to counteract the effects.” The nurse, Paul, spoke. “It might be his only chance of recovery.”

“Adding tranquilizers into the system every day would harm a healthy person. Think of his mental state as well as his physical one.” Joy refused to back down. “There’s no point in testing him when it’s doing more damage than good.”

The silent New Species male in the corner stepped out of the shadows. “Do you have another idea, Dr. Yards?”

She was intimidated by Justice North—he was a daunting man who headed the NSO. She recognized him from television.

“He’d be better off restrained without the drugs than to constantly have them added to his system. No other chemicals should be introduced into his body until we have some answers. It could hurt him more. Anyone subjected to those levels of sedatives on a daily basis would suffer harmful effects. He’s confused already and you make him lose whatever hold on reality he has every time you knock him out.”

Tiger grumbled in obvious frustration. “I agree with her.”

“Me too.” Justice addressed Dr. Treadmont. “Ted, I’m siding with the shrink on this matter. I want him well again but messing with his mind in the process isn’t acceptable. I’ll have our males go in and pin him down. We’ll restrain him for two days for you to do your tests but I have to let him up after that. That way we’re playing it safe.”

“Two days?” Shock jolted through Joy. “That’s too long. I meant to restrain him only for the tests.”

Justice faced her. “I’ve learned a lot about compromise, Dr. Yards. You should do the same.”

“Call me Joy, please. Having him strapped down isn’t going to be good for his mental health either. Sure, it beats the drugs but that’s a long time to keep him immobile. I shouldn’t have to tell you how negatively any Species would react to that.”

“I have the whole picture to consider. There’s the safety and emotional well-being of my other males. They hate to engage him and there have been injuries. We don’t play around when we fight. Moon is feral and could kill someone. Every Species in contact with the public at the gates could be attacked again by this unknown drug. More males are in danger. Do you understand?” Justice sighed. “Compromise. No drugs but he has to be restrained. I’ll give Ted two days to do whatever tests he thinks are relevant and then we’ll give Moon freedom from the restraints for a few days inside his cell, after which we’ll reevaluate the situation. Hopefully we’ll have answers by then and discover an effective way to heal whatever was done to him.”

Joy hated it but nodded. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” Justice grimly smiled.

“I can be reasonable and I do understand. He is dangerous but I’m trying to do what is best for him.” She wanted him to understand her position.

“That’s why you were brought here. You’re his mental-health advocate. My job is to think of the safety of everyone.” Justice turned to Tiger. “We need to go in there to strap him down. Double his restraints.”

“Shit.” Tiger nodded. “We’re going to have to rig something.” Tears glittered in his eyes. “Something similar to what Mercile did to us so he has some ability to move to at least go to the bathroom. I think keeping him down twenty-four/seven would be the worst thing we could do.”

The tension in the room increased tenfold. Justice nodded sharply. “I agree. Fuck. I want to kill the son of a bitch who shot him with that drug and whoever created it.”

“Stand in line,” Tiger muttered. “I’ll handle whatever needs to be done. Go. You don’t want to see this and I highly suggest you restrict access to him even more. Everyone is going to be upset when they learn what we plan. Have Fury and Harley come. The three of us will work out the issue and set it in motion.”

Justice unbuttoned his jacket and removed it to reveal broad shoulders and a white dress shirt. His tie came off next as he toed off his dress shoes. “I’m staying. I gave the order. I’ll help implement it.”

“Justice…” Tiger frowned.

“Enough.” Justice unbuttoned the top of his shirt. “I’m staying.” He stared at the cell. “We need him flat, not restrained against the wall. That would definitely remind him of Mercile. No automated pulley systems either. The sound of the motors might trigger flashbacks.”

Tiger hesitated. “Agreed. I’m thinking ten-foot ankle chains to give him motion yet keep him clear of the door. We could hook them to the bars at the corners in the back of the cell so they would stop him short. The wrist chains can be longer and attached to the front corners, allowing him access to the back wall area. That will give him free movement in most of the area. Four of us could pull the chains taut and force him down spread-eagle on the floor when they need access to him.”

“That should work.” Justice rolled up his sleeves. “Has he lost any of his strength?”

“Nope. He’s eating plenty and doesn’t seem to feel much pain or he’s too angry to care. He’s tough as hell still.” Tiger pulled out a cell phone. “Let me make those calls.” He spun away, walking to a distant corner.

Justice removed his belt. “I had to do a press conference an hour ago. I hate wearing all these layers of window dressing.”

Joy was nervous around the NSO leader. “I don’t blame you. I hope everything is okay. I haven’t seen the news lately.”

“It’s typical stuff we deal with on a daily basis.” He sighed. “I’m going closer to Moon.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

That comment earned her a scowl. “Why?”

“He is calmly watching us but that is going to change if you approach him. I don’t want him to get hurt when he starts hitting things.”

“I’m an alpha figure. I want to see if he responds to that in his current condition.”

“He’s an alpha too.” Joy frowned. “It’s not a good idea but I can’t stop you.”

“Moon is pretty mellow.”

“The Moon you knew before he was drugged probably was but the one I knew wasn’t. He’s reverted completely.” Her gaze lingered on the big male crouched inside his cell, silently regarding them. “He’s relying on pure instinct. He’s not going to back down from you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

She glanced at him. “It’s an educated guess.”

Justice slowly approached and Moon rose, snarling.

“Please don’t,” she whispered, knowing Justice heard her.

He paused but backed up. “Okay.”

Tiger returned. “They are on their way and I called the supply department. They are sending chains and restraints once they locate them. We’ll have to make whatever they find work. It’s not as if we have this stuff lying around. It’s going to take a while. Maybe hours.”

Dr. Treadmont sighed. “Why don’t we have lunch while we wait?”

“Fine.” Justice left his discarded clothing where he’d neatly folded it. “Joy? Would you like to join us in my office?”

“No thanks. I’m staying here.”

“You barely left since you arrived. Take a break.”

“I think it’s best if I stay. I asked one of the officers to see if any clothes had been located that would fit me and I used the showers upstairs this morning.” She didn’t take her attention off Moon. “I’m not leaving him.”

“Okay.” Justice waved at the males to leave. “We’ll have lunch delivered to you both.”

“Thanks.” She waited for them to leave before facing the cell.

Moon crouched again when she slowly drew closer. “Hi.” She lowered to her hands and knees to keep on his level. “You seem calmer. You allowed them to share the room without getting upset.”

His nostrils flared as he sniffed loudly.

“We used to be friends.” She crawled closer, ignoring the unforgiving concrete floor, doing it slowly in case he protested. “You’re watching me pretty intently. I wish I knew what you were thinking.”

One of his hands released the bar and slid through, reaching out to her. She really wanted to touch him. He seemed calm enough but until he talked to her, it was too risky. She’d heard countless stories from the Mercile survivors of ways Species had killed their tormentors during captivity when given the chance. He might be toying with her to draw her close enough to assault her. She stopped when a couple of feet separated his fingertips from her face.

His gaze fixed on her body and she glanced down, noticing the way her shirt fell forward enough to flash her cleavage again. She sighed, looking up. “I’m not making progress with you, am I? You’re all instincts and urges because you can see enough of my breasts to interest you. Damn.”

She sat, blocking his view down her shirt when she straightened her shoulders. He didn’t pull his hand back inside the bars though, just continued to watch her. She smiled, trying to hide her concern.

“Will you talk to me? What are you thinking?”

He sniffed again and growled low. It wasn’t threatening in tone, more like frustration, she guessed. He wanted to touch but she wasn’t within reach. He’d always been stubborn. An idea came to her.

“You want?” She gripped the low collar of her shirt and tugged it down enough to give him a peek of the top of her breasts. “Talk to me, Moon.”

His sexy, generous lips parted before he licked them. Another growl rumbled from him, a little deeper. Sharp canines showed and she held his frustrated gaze.

“Can you talk? Try for me. Please?”

Emotion flashed in his eyes but she had no clue what it meant. He’d always been good at hiding everything from her. He shoved more of his arm through the bars until his thick biceps prevented him from reaching any farther. She rose to her knees, his fingertips only inches from her shirt when she leaned closer.

“Moon?”

He stopped staring at her cleavage to peer into her eyes.

“Say something, anything. Do you want to touch me? Give me something in return.”

His growl deepened, turning a little scary. She was playing a dangerous game, considering she was offering to let him actually put his hand on her if he complied. She’d do it. To hell with ethics. They needed to establish trust. That would be fundamental in helping him. It needed to go both ways.

“Are you in there?” She gazed deeply into his eyes. “Say one word and I’ll come closer.”

He sealed his lips together, hiding his fangs, and swallowed hard. His eyes narrowed as he watched her. “Give,” he rasped.

He could form words and he wasn’t repeating something she’d just said, which meant he could do more than mimic noises. That had to mean he could think and that whatever drug they’d given him hadn’t caused massive brain damage at least. She nodded and lifted her knee to crawl closer.

“Don’t hurt me.” It came out a plea. She could only hope for the best, which would be that he didn’t draw blood or worse.

“Don’t!”

The deep male voice startled her so badly she jerked and twisted her head around. A big form stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the room. His boots stomped loudly as he walked into the dimly lit area.

“Get away from him.”

Moon snarled, jerked his arm back inside the cell, and sprang to his feet. His chest rammed the bars, trying to push through them.

The New Species male storming closer had long brown hair that fell past his shoulders and dark-brown eyes that flashed rage. The biker jacket and boots came as a surprise. He wore faded jeans and a black top.

“What the hell are you doing to him?” He reached down, gripped her upper arm, and hauled her to her feet. He had to be at least six foot three.

“Who are you?” she gasped.

“Who the fuck are you? You think it’s fun to tease the animal in the cage?” He gave her a rough shake. “Who let you down here? You better talk fast, female. I might throw your ass in there with him and let him have you after what I saw. Do you know what he’ll do to you after cock-teasing him? You’ll be fucked for hours in every sense.”

Joy was taken aback. It took her a few seconds to recover. “Who are you? This isn’t how it seems.”

“I’m his best friend.” He dragged her a few feet away from the cell. “Be happy you’re a female. I’d kick your ass otherwise. What kind of sick bitch are you to do that to him? Is that your idea of fun? Cock-teasing the crazy Species?”

She grabbed the wrist attached to the fingers that held her. “No! I’m Dr. Joyce Yards and you have no idea what you’re talking about. I wasn’t being mean to him. It’s the only thing he responds to. I’d stand on my head and do cartwheels if that’s what it took to get him to interact with me but he’s only interested in sex.”

His hold on her arm loosened slightly and he frowned. “I know that name. I’ve heard it before.”

“I was Moon’s therapist right after he was rescued from Mercile. He—”

Moon howled in outrage.

She turned toward him. He looked pissed but she didn’t blame him. “Please calm down,” she urged.

He rammed his chest against the bars again, snarled, and glared at the other male who had prevented him from getting close enough to touch her. He was working himself into a rage.

“Let’s take a walk and discuss this farther away from him.” Joy tugged on the big Species, heading back the way he’d come. She kept her gaze on Moon though and spoke directly to him. “I’ll be right back and we’ll start over, okay? I won’t break my word. You can touch me. Let me talk to him first.”

The Species clamped down hard on her wrist again. “You aren’t going near him.”

She lifted her chin to direct her coldest look his way. “Walk away with me. Do you see what he’s doing? He could hurt himself. Move now if you care about him.”

“Fuck.” He jerked on her arm, dragging her instead of her tugging on him anymore. He didn’t halt until they were in the shadows by the far wall. “I’m taking you to Security where we’re going to discuss what I witnessed.”

“You saw me getting him to speak. Did you hear him? He can form words. That means he can communicate. He’s in there somewhere.”

“You were teasing him.”

“I wasn’t.” She jerked hard and he released her. “You’re his best friend? Do you have a name?”

“Harley, and yeah, I’m his best friend. That’s why I’m taking you to Security and they are going to bounce your ass on the street outside the gates.”

She fought frustration. “Listen to me, Harley. He spoke a word. Do you get that? Do you understand what that means?”

He growled low, revealing his canine traits.

Joy took a deep breath. “I can see how you misunderstood what you saw. Give me two minutes to explain.” She held up that many fingers. “That’s all I ask.”

“Make it good.” His voice was harsh, revealing his rage.

“He’s rejecting everyone here and the only way to reach him seems to be through his fixation with sex. I’m not above using that if it works.” She rubbed her wrist, sure it was bruised. “I’d do anything to help him, including flashing my breasts if that’s what it takes to find some part of him that will communicate with me. That’s what he was doing. Whatever drug he was given has reverted him to raw instinct but he has the ability to speak if he concentrates hard enough. It’s a really good sign that his cognitive skills are intact. The only effective way I’ve discovered so far to make him work with me is by offering him what he wants most.” She sucked in air. “I’m not being cruel. I’m trying to save him.”

Harley’s face was in the shadows and she couldn’t read his expression but he wasn’t growling. “He could have killed you.”

“He wants something else from me more. We didn’t have bars between us earlier when he had me pinned against a wall. I’d be dead already if he saw me as his enemy or as a threat.”

He softly growled. “What are you talking about?”

She quickly told him what had happened when she arrived. “So, he could have torn into my throat with his teeth or snapped my neck. He didn’t. I’m not stupid. Believe me when I say I’m more than aware of how easily he could have killed me if that’s what he intended.” She stepped back. “May I continue? I need to show him he can trust me. I said he could touch me if he’d talk. He did.”

“You’re insane.”

Joy didn’t respond to that accusation since he had a valid point. “I’m determined to do whatever it takes to help him.”

“What if he wants to do more than touch you?”

Heat warmed her cheeks. “Whatever it takes. I’ll do anything for him.”

He stepped forward and nearly bumped her. “What changed?”

“What do you mean?”

He leaned down a little until his face came into the light. His brown eyes were kind of scary combined with the severe look on his rugged features. “I remember who you are now. You split on him before when he needed you. You didn’t even have the courage to say goodbye.”

Shit. The guy really was a close friend of Moon’s.

“He felt something for you but you refused to give him a chance. Why are you here? Are they paying you a lot of money?”

“I’m not on the clock.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not on the NSO payroll. I came because they said I was needed. There was no obligation for me to drop everything to drive here but I did as soon as I got the call. I’m staying because Moon needs me. This isn’t about money. I want to help him.”

He regarded her with suspicion, not bothering to hide it. “You aren’t here on official business?”

“No.”

“Then you aren’t really his head shrink. Is that right?”

She could guess where he was going with the conversation. “I was asked by the NSO to help him. You can’t throw me off Homeland. I was invited and I’m staying.”

He leaned back, hiding his face once more in the shadows. “Ethics won’t be an obstacle this time between the two of you, will they?”

She could feel the blood drain from her face. Moon must have told his friend the things she’d said and reasons she’d given to keep him at arm’s length. Her shoulders squared and her spine stiffened. “No,” she blatantly stated. “They won’t. He’s not technically my client.” A shaky breath later she spoke again. “Do you have a problem with that?”

He backed up. “No. I’m wondering if using your body is really the only way to reach him or if you’re looking for an excuse to get close to him. Proceed, Dr. Yards. Know I’ll be watching. You cross a line that I don’t like and I’ll carry you to the gates myself. Am I clear?”

“Perfectly.” He was good at communicating his feelings. “You tell me another way to reach him and I’ll be happy to try it.”

They stood silently until she turned and walked toward Moon again. Harley didn’t have an alternate plan or he would have spoken up. Moon was furious, pacing his cell, and glared when he spotted her returning to him.

“Easy,” she whispered. “It’s me.”

He gripped the bars, attempting to tear them apart, his muscles straining. She lowered to her knees again when she was about five feet from his cell and stayed there, looking at him.

“Moon? Calm down.”

He slid down to his knees, still holding the metal bars. His sharp canines flashed as he softly growled at her. She evaluated the decline of his mood. She sat on her butt and waited until some of his rage faded. She hoped their food wouldn’t arrive any time soon because he had always been stubborn. It was going to take a while to get him to trust her.

“I’m sorry about that.” She kept her tone soft. “Your friend is really worried about you.”

He growled and released one of the bars to reach out to her. She knew a decision had to be made in that moment—either trust him or not. She had been honest with Harley. Moon could have killed her earlier if he’d wanted her dead. She leaned forward and reached for him too. Fear crept up her spine as she imagined the worst. He could yank her closer to the cell to either bite her or snap her neck.

The tips of his calloused, rough fingers brushed against hers. He stopped growling, seeming fascinated by the feel of them. She held her breath, not knowing what he would do but he just rubbed their fingers together. She relaxed.

“I’m not your enemy, Moon.”

He looked up at her then and she met his gaze. It came as a shock when he suddenly gripped her hand and pulled her closer. Her ass slid along the concrete as she gasped, praying he wouldn’t break bones when his fingers tightened even more. She tried to struggle but it didn’t do any good. Her shoulder hit the metal bars of his cell.

Another hand suddenly had her by her ribs, curving around her side. She stared at him with only the bars separating them. He sniffed at her. His focus lowered to the front of her shirt and a soft whine came from him.

He’s not hurting me. That sank in. He could. Easily. He kept her close. She stared into the depths of his brown eyes while he refused to look away from her breasts.

“Moon?”

He softly growled, a look of concentration on his face. She wondered what he was thinking so hard about but he released her hand suddenly, distracting her thoughts. She sucked in air when he cupped her breast, caressing it. He was gentle as he squeezed. He looked up then, holding her gaze.

“Joy.”

The gruff way he said her name made her want to cry. Her hand trembled as she reached through the bars to touch his face. He didn’t jerk away but allowed her to gently caress his jawline. “Yes. Do you remember me?”

He released her suddenly and pulled back until they weren’t touching anymore. She didn’t budge, just remained leaning against the bars where he’d dragged her. He stood and growled, staring across the room. She turned her head and wished Harley hadn’t stayed so close. He must have remained hidden in the shadows instead of leaving. He’d stepped back into the light.

“Move away from him, head shrink.”

“Go away,” she ordered.

Moon snarled, seeming to agree with her order.

Harley frowned. “Get the hell away from him.”

“I think he remembers me. He said my name. Didn’t you hear him?”

Harley stormed up behind her just as she felt fingers wrap around her throat, cutting off her air. Moon had her. It hurt her ears when he howled so close behind her.

Harley froze.

“Go,” Moon snarled.

“Fuck. Release her, man.” Harley growled back.

“Go,” Moon demanded again, tightening his hold.

The big Species in the biker jacket backed up a few feet. “Let her go.”

Moon reached down and gripped her upper arm while keeping a firm hold on her throat. “Kill. Go.” He forced her to her feet, yanking her hard against the bars.

She’d become a hostage. It was that simple. Moon wanted the other male to leave and she was his leverage. He could easily snap her neck. She’d have begged him to release her but she could barely breathe.

“Shit.” Harley backed up. “Don’t hurt her.”

The elevator doors opened and Rusty walked into the room, carrying a tray with two plates. She came to an abrupt halt. “Oh shit.”

Harley glanced at her before looking back at his best friend. “We’ll leave. Do not hurt her.”

“How did the human get so close to him?” Rusty retreated a few steps.

“She let him. Whoever asked her to come here made a mistake. It might end up being a fatal one.” Harley sidestepped closer to the Species female. “We’re leaving, Moon. Watch us. Don’t hurt that female.”

Both of them got into the elevator and the doors closed. The fingers loosened on her throat and arm. She shoved away from the bars on her butt and completely broke his hold when she threw her body forward. She hit the floor on her hands and knees. Gasping for air, she crawled out of Moon’s reach.

“Come,” a deep voice rasped from behind her.

Moon wanted her to return to the side of his cage. She shook her head, touching her sore throat that had to have red marks on it, if not bruises. Species were too strong. She had risked her life getting so close to him and it had almost gotten her killed. She wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

“Come!” he snarled.

Joy turned her head in his direction but couldn’t look directly at him. “No.”

Tears blinded her as she looked away. He might know her but she sure didn’t know him at the moment. The guy she’d fallen in love with never would have done that. She was lucky to be alive.