“Easy,” he demanded. “No fear of me.”
Her features changed as she relaxed in his arms. The hand clutching his shoulder eased its tight hold but she didn’t remove it.
“You can remember my office? What else is happening that you remember?” Her voice trembled.
“You wouldn’t sit on my lap but you wanted to.”
“Yes.”
“That really happened?”
“Yes.”
“It is hard to think.”
“Why are you having trouble focusing on things? Do you know?”
“I forget.”
She leaned in closer and he battled back a growl. He wanted her and his dick ached—it was hard and trapped inside the pants he wore.
“What else can you remember about that day?”
“Why do you resist me? You want me too.” He knew that about her even though he couldn’t remember how he did.
“I do,” she admitted. “I always have.”
Reality was better than memory. Joy wasn’t rejecting him. A moment of clarity hit and it made him doubt his sanity. His arms tightened around her.
“Is this a dream?”
“No. I’m really here. I’m with you. Can’t you tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?”
“Not always.” He wouldn’t lie to Joy. The name fit her, seemed right. “I get flashes of memory but then they disappear and I forget.”
A worried expression creased her features. He knew that was the right emotion, sure of it because deep down, he was very familiar with this female. “Do I have a head injury?”
“No. You were given an unknown drug and you’ve had psychological issues ever since.”
“Who did this to me?” Rage hit fast and hard as he growled.
She bit her lip and didn’t respond.
“Don’t fear me. Who did this to me?”
“Mercile,” she whispered.
Ice ran through his veins as he looked around for the technicians but didn’t see or smell anyone besides Joy. “They have recaptured me? Taken you as well?” His arms tightened as he pulled her closer and shifted his leg. His toe caught the edge of the cell door and he kicked it closed. “I’ll fight them. I’ll get us free. Don’t leave my cage. I won’t let them inside without killing them before they reach you.”
She released his shoulder to cup his face with both hands, drawing his searching gaze to her. “Listen to me. You remember being freed, right?”
“Yes. We were at site four.”
Worry showed in her direct stare. “I’m going to tell you the absolute truth but I know you’re strong enough to take it, okay? I’m making a judgment call because I don’t want you to attack anyone here thinking we’re in danger. We aren’t.”
“We are.” Maybe she was confused too and had been drugged.
“You left site four to live at a place called Homeland. It’s run by your people. Everyone here is like you. They were freed from Mercile too.”
Her words confused him more. “They put me in a cage with chains?” He wanted to believe her but didn’t understand why the ones like him would do that.
“Do you remember the guards who patrolled to keep humans away from the motel?”
“Yes.”
“That was your job here. You kept humans away who meant your people harm. There are tall walls around the area and you were on one. Someone who worked for Mercile shot you with a dart filled with drugs. You forgot who you were and attacked other males. Your friends.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” He battled uncertainty. He didn’t think Joy would lie to him, he wanted to trust her, but it didn’t make sense.
“You couldn’t remember who I was but now you do, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s been the same with your friends. You forgot who they are. What is your name?”
“466.” He was sure of that.
Joy hesitated. “You chose a name after you left site four.”
He struggled to remember but couldn’t.
“Moon,” she whispered. “That’s your name now. Is that familiar to you? Ring any bells?”
He shook his head and his hold on her tightened. “Why are you playing games? My name is 466. Is this a test?”
She stroked his cheekbones lightly with her fingertips. He liked it a lot and it calmed him a bit.
“I’m telling you the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you. You were dangerous so they had to lock you inside this space and chain you so they could take blood tests. Everyone is doing whatever they can to make you better. There are a lot of doctors, scientists, and chemists working on finding a way to reverse what was done. They called me and I came to help you too.”
“Called you?”
“On the phone.”
“You were in your office when this happened?”
“No. I was actually driving my car at the time, on my way home.”
“This Homeland is so big you need a car?”
“I wasn’t here. I live about an hour away.”
“We don’t live here?” Her words were confusing him more.
“You live here. I live somewhere else.”
Something clicked and he growled again. “Didn’t you come with me when I was moved to this Homeland?”
“No.”
Anger surged. “You lived at site four. Why don’t you live here? You’re mine and I’m yours. Did you give me to that other female?”
Her features changed as she relaxed in his arms. The hand clutching his shoulder eased its tight hold but she didn’t remove it.
“You can remember my office? What else is happening that you remember?” Her voice trembled.
“You wouldn’t sit on my lap but you wanted to.”
“Yes.”
“That really happened?”
“Yes.”
“It is hard to think.”
“Why are you having trouble focusing on things? Do you know?”
“I forget.”
She leaned in closer and he battled back a growl. He wanted her and his dick ached—it was hard and trapped inside the pants he wore.
“What else can you remember about that day?”
“Why do you resist me? You want me too.” He knew that about her even though he couldn’t remember how he did.
“I do,” she admitted. “I always have.”
Reality was better than memory. Joy wasn’t rejecting him. A moment of clarity hit and it made him doubt his sanity. His arms tightened around her.
“Is this a dream?”
“No. I’m really here. I’m with you. Can’t you tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?”
“Not always.” He wouldn’t lie to Joy. The name fit her, seemed right. “I get flashes of memory but then they disappear and I forget.”
A worried expression creased her features. He knew that was the right emotion, sure of it because deep down, he was very familiar with this female. “Do I have a head injury?”
“No. You were given an unknown drug and you’ve had psychological issues ever since.”
“Who did this to me?” Rage hit fast and hard as he growled.
She bit her lip and didn’t respond.
“Don’t fear me. Who did this to me?”
“Mercile,” she whispered.
Ice ran through his veins as he looked around for the technicians but didn’t see or smell anyone besides Joy. “They have recaptured me? Taken you as well?” His arms tightened as he pulled her closer and shifted his leg. His toe caught the edge of the cell door and he kicked it closed. “I’ll fight them. I’ll get us free. Don’t leave my cage. I won’t let them inside without killing them before they reach you.”
She released his shoulder to cup his face with both hands, drawing his searching gaze to her. “Listen to me. You remember being freed, right?”
“Yes. We were at site four.”
Worry showed in her direct stare. “I’m going to tell you the absolute truth but I know you’re strong enough to take it, okay? I’m making a judgment call because I don’t want you to attack anyone here thinking we’re in danger. We aren’t.”
“We are.” Maybe she was confused too and had been drugged.
“You left site four to live at a place called Homeland. It’s run by your people. Everyone here is like you. They were freed from Mercile too.”
Her words confused him more. “They put me in a cage with chains?” He wanted to believe her but didn’t understand why the ones like him would do that.
“Do you remember the guards who patrolled to keep humans away from the motel?”
“Yes.”
“That was your job here. You kept humans away who meant your people harm. There are tall walls around the area and you were on one. Someone who worked for Mercile shot you with a dart filled with drugs. You forgot who you were and attacked other males. Your friends.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” He battled uncertainty. He didn’t think Joy would lie to him, he wanted to trust her, but it didn’t make sense.
“You couldn’t remember who I was but now you do, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s been the same with your friends. You forgot who they are. What is your name?”
“466.” He was sure of that.
Joy hesitated. “You chose a name after you left site four.”
He struggled to remember but couldn’t.
“Moon,” she whispered. “That’s your name now. Is that familiar to you? Ring any bells?”
He shook his head and his hold on her tightened. “Why are you playing games? My name is 466. Is this a test?”
She stroked his cheekbones lightly with her fingertips. He liked it a lot and it calmed him a bit.
“I’m telling you the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you. You were dangerous so they had to lock you inside this space and chain you so they could take blood tests. Everyone is doing whatever they can to make you better. There are a lot of doctors, scientists, and chemists working on finding a way to reverse what was done. They called me and I came to help you too.”
“Called you?”
“On the phone.”
“You were in your office when this happened?”
“No. I was actually driving my car at the time, on my way home.”
“This Homeland is so big you need a car?”
“I wasn’t here. I live about an hour away.”
“We don’t live here?” Her words were confusing him more.
“You live here. I live somewhere else.”
Something clicked and he growled again. “Didn’t you come with me when I was moved to this Homeland?”
“No.”
Anger surged. “You lived at site four. Why don’t you live here? You’re mine and I’m yours. Did you give me to that other female?”
