“Okay.” She didn’t like the idea of being watched.
He seemed to read her mind as his expression softened while he twisted the key to open the doors. “Sound only. Justice ordered Security to blacken the screen feed.” He paused. “Only female officers are permitted to listen in. We hoped that would make you more comfortable. Call out if you need help and I’ll immediately be notified. I will come to your aid.”
“Thank you.”
He stepped inside and his finger hesitated over the button to close the doors when she followed. “I will take you down and then be stationed upstairs. It will take me about forty seconds to reach you if there is trouble. Do not fight if he attacks. Curl into a ball and be very still. Even feral, it should keep him from harming you for long enough for me to get there. Backup will only be seconds behind me. Just stay out of the way if that happens. Don’t interfere if I must fight him. You’d get hurt. I can handle Moon.”
“I don’t think he’ll attack me.”
His gaze swept over her. “Define your version of ‘attack’ for me.”
“Hurt me.”
His eyebrows arched. “Do you know the risks?”
“I know he could be dangerous.”
The doors closed them inside when he pushed the button. He was a big Species. She liked him. “He might want sex. Were you warned of that?”
Her cheeks warmed again. “Yes.”
“You are prepared for that?” He frowned, glancing down her body. “You aren’t very sturdy.”
“Um, what’s your name?”
“Darkness.”
“I’m Joy.” She didn’t offer him her hand, that being a human custom and she hadn’t noticed if Species had picked it up. “Moon and I have a history.”
“I was told about that but you never shared sex with him.”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Do you ever watch animal shows on television?”
“Sometimes.”
His eyes were really dark as they narrowed. “Wolf matings?”
“No.”
“It will be a form of that if he comes at you. Expect growling, posturing, and sniffing. When mating, we tend to stick to instinct. He’ll be aggressive and exhibit alpha behavior. Lower your eyes, make no sudden movements, and don’t fight. He’d be rough without meaning to.”
“You’re feline. How do you know about wolves?”
He hesitated. “I spent a lot of time with Reservation residents at Mercile.”
“What does that mean?”
“Our less civil Species are kept there. The ones Mercile considered failures. I was housed with them for a time before we were freed. Their animal behaviors overshadow their human traits in most cases. Don’t expect purely human actions.”
“I think I understand.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He studied her closely. “No one would blame you if you declined.”
She decided to be honest. “I love him.”
He didn’t appear surprised at her confession. “Forty seconds. That’s all you have to endure if you get into trouble.”
“I’ll remember.”
He pushed another button and the elevator lowered to the basement. Darkness stayed against the wall in order to stay out of Moon’s sightline. “Be careful,” he whispered. “Make sure you are comfortable with his behavior before releasing him.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back, stepping out as soon as the elevator doors opened.
Moon paced his cell, dragging his chains when she approached him. The doors closed behind her and she knew that they were both locked inside the basement now. She didn’t have a key to the elevator.
“Hi. I’m back.”
He stopped pacing and growled, his head turning her way.
“466?”
His lips parted and his fangs showed as he snarled. She halted about ten feet from the bars.
“Talk to me.”
He moved to the bars and growled low. She peered into his eyes and her heart dropped. No recognition showed there. Had he had an episode? Forgotten her?
“Talk to me,” she said again, afraid for him.
“Come,” he demanded harshly.
“Who am I?”
He blinked, a moment of confusion flashing on his features. Pain stabbed her chest as seconds passed. He growled again, shook the bars, and flashed his sharp canines. He didn’t know. Whatever lucidity he’d had was gone.
“466? It’s Joy.” Her mind worked, trying to figure out what was going on. They’d talked and he’d been almost normal when she’d left. Now it was as if she faced him again for the first time. “You know me. Try to remember.”
He spun away, pacing, dragging his chains. Soft growls came from him as she fought back the anguish. He wasn’t getting better. He was having moments of lucidity but then losing them. Her heart broke.
It took a lot for her to walk over to the chair and put the two keys down where he wouldn’t see them. No way could she release him now. She’d jumped the gun because she’d wanted to believe so badly that he was getting better.
“Come,” Moon snarled.
She looked at him when she turned to face his cell. “Who am I?”
He pointed in front of him and his gaze lowered to her chest. “Now.”
Joy approached slowly but kept out of his reach. She lowered to her knees, staring up at him. “Who are you?”
He seemed to read her mind as his expression softened while he twisted the key to open the doors. “Sound only. Justice ordered Security to blacken the screen feed.” He paused. “Only female officers are permitted to listen in. We hoped that would make you more comfortable. Call out if you need help and I’ll immediately be notified. I will come to your aid.”
“Thank you.”
He stepped inside and his finger hesitated over the button to close the doors when she followed. “I will take you down and then be stationed upstairs. It will take me about forty seconds to reach you if there is trouble. Do not fight if he attacks. Curl into a ball and be very still. Even feral, it should keep him from harming you for long enough for me to get there. Backup will only be seconds behind me. Just stay out of the way if that happens. Don’t interfere if I must fight him. You’d get hurt. I can handle Moon.”
“I don’t think he’ll attack me.”
His gaze swept over her. “Define your version of ‘attack’ for me.”
“Hurt me.”
His eyebrows arched. “Do you know the risks?”
“I know he could be dangerous.”
The doors closed them inside when he pushed the button. He was a big Species. She liked him. “He might want sex. Were you warned of that?”
Her cheeks warmed again. “Yes.”
“You are prepared for that?” He frowned, glancing down her body. “You aren’t very sturdy.”
“Um, what’s your name?”
“Darkness.”
“I’m Joy.” She didn’t offer him her hand, that being a human custom and she hadn’t noticed if Species had picked it up. “Moon and I have a history.”
“I was told about that but you never shared sex with him.”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Do you ever watch animal shows on television?”
“Sometimes.”
His eyes were really dark as they narrowed. “Wolf matings?”
“No.”
“It will be a form of that if he comes at you. Expect growling, posturing, and sniffing. When mating, we tend to stick to instinct. He’ll be aggressive and exhibit alpha behavior. Lower your eyes, make no sudden movements, and don’t fight. He’d be rough without meaning to.”
“You’re feline. How do you know about wolves?”
He hesitated. “I spent a lot of time with Reservation residents at Mercile.”
“What does that mean?”
“Our less civil Species are kept there. The ones Mercile considered failures. I was housed with them for a time before we were freed. Their animal behaviors overshadow their human traits in most cases. Don’t expect purely human actions.”
“I think I understand.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He studied her closely. “No one would blame you if you declined.”
She decided to be honest. “I love him.”
He didn’t appear surprised at her confession. “Forty seconds. That’s all you have to endure if you get into trouble.”
“I’ll remember.”
He pushed another button and the elevator lowered to the basement. Darkness stayed against the wall in order to stay out of Moon’s sightline. “Be careful,” he whispered. “Make sure you are comfortable with his behavior before releasing him.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back, stepping out as soon as the elevator doors opened.
Moon paced his cell, dragging his chains when she approached him. The doors closed behind her and she knew that they were both locked inside the basement now. She didn’t have a key to the elevator.
“Hi. I’m back.”
He stopped pacing and growled, his head turning her way.
“466?”
His lips parted and his fangs showed as he snarled. She halted about ten feet from the bars.
“Talk to me.”
He moved to the bars and growled low. She peered into his eyes and her heart dropped. No recognition showed there. Had he had an episode? Forgotten her?
“Talk to me,” she said again, afraid for him.
“Come,” he demanded harshly.
“Who am I?”
He blinked, a moment of confusion flashing on his features. Pain stabbed her chest as seconds passed. He growled again, shook the bars, and flashed his sharp canines. He didn’t know. Whatever lucidity he’d had was gone.
“466? It’s Joy.” Her mind worked, trying to figure out what was going on. They’d talked and he’d been almost normal when she’d left. Now it was as if she faced him again for the first time. “You know me. Try to remember.”
He spun away, pacing, dragging his chains. Soft growls came from him as she fought back the anguish. He wasn’t getting better. He was having moments of lucidity but then losing them. Her heart broke.
It took a lot for her to walk over to the chair and put the two keys down where he wouldn’t see them. No way could she release him now. She’d jumped the gun because she’d wanted to believe so badly that he was getting better.
“Come,” Moon snarled.
She looked at him when she turned to face his cell. “Who am I?”
He pointed in front of him and his gaze lowered to her chest. “Now.”
Joy approached slowly but kept out of his reach. She lowered to her knees, staring up at him. “Who are you?”
