Her hands flattened on his chest and fear inched along her spine. “Please listen to me. Mercile is gone. You are no longer being controlled by them. An unknown drug has affected your memory. You get confused. You don’t need to hurt me to get me to tell you anything you want to know. Just ask. I’m here because I want to be and I care about you.”
His chest vibrated when he snarled. “You care about me?”
“Yes.”
“You’re human.”
“I am.” She couldn’t deny that.
“They are my enemy.”
“I’m not.”
The concentrated way he studied her made her optimistic that he’d at least reflect on her words. “466, what is the last thing you remember? Focusing on a fixed point in time seems to help you remember more. Will you please close your eyes and try to tell me anything that comes to mind?”
He continued to watch her. “I want you again.” He slowly withdrew his semi-stiff c**k from her body though. “Don’t distract me anymore with sex. I demand answers.”
“I’m giving them to you. You need to help me help you.”
He smirked. “I don’t like that saying. I’ve heard it before.”
“That’s good. It means you’re recalling something. What is it?”
His eyes closed and she patiently waited. It was paramount that he concentrate on any fragments he could locate to piece together any part of his life. She wanted to get the man she loved back. The ache in her chest grew stronger as time passed while she worried he wouldn’t find lucidity. His expression began to change. His dark eyes snapped open and the pain in them almost stole her breath.
His gaze slid to the bite mark and he snarled, released her, and moved faster than she thought possible. One second he was over her and the next he had rolled away. She turned her head in time to see him land on the floor on all fours.
She struggled to sit up, deeply concerned when he stayed crouched there with his back to her. “466?”
His head whipped around and the shimmer of tears pooling in his eyes had her reaching out to him. He rose to his feet, turned to face her as he backed away, and didn’t stop until his ass hit the bars. He growled, spun, and crossed the room to the far corner.
Joy watched him grip the bars and every muscle in his body seemed to grow rigid. The sight of him totally bare was distracting since he was so beautiful but her worry about his mental state made her feel guilty about noticing his perfect physique.
“466?”
“Get out of here,” he rasped. “I hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault.” She stood on unsteady legs. Between the sex and having him sleep on her, her body felt a little sluggish and achy. It was a reminder of how out of shape she’d allowed herself to get over the years, sitting behind a desk. A heavy workload didn’t allow any spare time to go to the gym. “Look at me.”
“I can’t.” He drew in a deep breath, his back expanding. “Get out, Joy. Now. I’m dangerous.”
He’d realized who she was. His tortured tone was a clue to the deep regret and anguish he must feel if he had regained some of his memory. “It’s okay. I’m fine. It’s nothing a bandage and a few days won’t take care of.”
He shook his head, his hair brushing against his back. “I savagely mauled you. Get out!” He snarled. “Go!”
“I’m not leaving you. It’s a bite. I won’t die from it or anything.”
He released the bars and slowly turned around. She almost wished he hadn’t when she saw his face.
“You already left me. Why did you come back? Why are you here?”
“I have told you many times. What do you remember?”
“You left me there. You quit.” He took a step forward but halted. His hands clenched at his sides. “I was drugged by an enemy, suffered memory loss, and you came to help me claim my life again.”
She nodded, ignoring the chill in the room that was becoming increasingly noticeable. She no longer had his body heat to keep her warm. “That’s all true. What is the last thing you remember?”
“All of it.”
She wasn’t sure if that statement was accurate. He couldn’t know that for sure, the way he kept relapsing. “What is your name?”
His chin rose a little and his eyes narrowed. “Moon. I live at Homeland and sometimes Reservation. We were transported from site four, given Homeland by the United States government as a way to bribe us into forgiving them for their part in funding Mercile Industries. We bought Reservation on our own.”
Her heart pounded. He wasn’t exactly the man she’d fallen in love with but he was Moon, the person he’d become after she’d left his life. “Do you remember the attack? The one where you were drugged?”
She tried hard to be clinical. The woman in her was heartbroken though at the cold way he stared at her. Her worst fear was becoming reality. He said he remembered everything and if that was true, he’d decided to reject having her in his life. She’d always been afraid he wouldn’t be able to forgive her. It seemed that fear was justified.
“Some bastard shot me with a tranquilizer dart. I was at Reservation.” He looked away from her then, studying the room. “Is this the basement of Medical at Homeland?”
“Yes. You were brought here.”
“I attacked my friends.” His tone deepened and his fingers unclenched. Anger flushed his features as his gaze turned her way.
His chest vibrated when he snarled. “You care about me?”
“Yes.”
“You’re human.”
“I am.” She couldn’t deny that.
“They are my enemy.”
“I’m not.”
The concentrated way he studied her made her optimistic that he’d at least reflect on her words. “466, what is the last thing you remember? Focusing on a fixed point in time seems to help you remember more. Will you please close your eyes and try to tell me anything that comes to mind?”
He continued to watch her. “I want you again.” He slowly withdrew his semi-stiff c**k from her body though. “Don’t distract me anymore with sex. I demand answers.”
“I’m giving them to you. You need to help me help you.”
He smirked. “I don’t like that saying. I’ve heard it before.”
“That’s good. It means you’re recalling something. What is it?”
His eyes closed and she patiently waited. It was paramount that he concentrate on any fragments he could locate to piece together any part of his life. She wanted to get the man she loved back. The ache in her chest grew stronger as time passed while she worried he wouldn’t find lucidity. His expression began to change. His dark eyes snapped open and the pain in them almost stole her breath.
His gaze slid to the bite mark and he snarled, released her, and moved faster than she thought possible. One second he was over her and the next he had rolled away. She turned her head in time to see him land on the floor on all fours.
She struggled to sit up, deeply concerned when he stayed crouched there with his back to her. “466?”
His head whipped around and the shimmer of tears pooling in his eyes had her reaching out to him. He rose to his feet, turned to face her as he backed away, and didn’t stop until his ass hit the bars. He growled, spun, and crossed the room to the far corner.
Joy watched him grip the bars and every muscle in his body seemed to grow rigid. The sight of him totally bare was distracting since he was so beautiful but her worry about his mental state made her feel guilty about noticing his perfect physique.
“466?”
“Get out of here,” he rasped. “I hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault.” She stood on unsteady legs. Between the sex and having him sleep on her, her body felt a little sluggish and achy. It was a reminder of how out of shape she’d allowed herself to get over the years, sitting behind a desk. A heavy workload didn’t allow any spare time to go to the gym. “Look at me.”
“I can’t.” He drew in a deep breath, his back expanding. “Get out, Joy. Now. I’m dangerous.”
He’d realized who she was. His tortured tone was a clue to the deep regret and anguish he must feel if he had regained some of his memory. “It’s okay. I’m fine. It’s nothing a bandage and a few days won’t take care of.”
He shook his head, his hair brushing against his back. “I savagely mauled you. Get out!” He snarled. “Go!”
“I’m not leaving you. It’s a bite. I won’t die from it or anything.”
He released the bars and slowly turned around. She almost wished he hadn’t when she saw his face.
“You already left me. Why did you come back? Why are you here?”
“I have told you many times. What do you remember?”
“You left me there. You quit.” He took a step forward but halted. His hands clenched at his sides. “I was drugged by an enemy, suffered memory loss, and you came to help me claim my life again.”
She nodded, ignoring the chill in the room that was becoming increasingly noticeable. She no longer had his body heat to keep her warm. “That’s all true. What is the last thing you remember?”
“All of it.”
She wasn’t sure if that statement was accurate. He couldn’t know that for sure, the way he kept relapsing. “What is your name?”
His chin rose a little and his eyes narrowed. “Moon. I live at Homeland and sometimes Reservation. We were transported from site four, given Homeland by the United States government as a way to bribe us into forgiving them for their part in funding Mercile Industries. We bought Reservation on our own.”
Her heart pounded. He wasn’t exactly the man she’d fallen in love with but he was Moon, the person he’d become after she’d left his life. “Do you remember the attack? The one where you were drugged?”
She tried hard to be clinical. The woman in her was heartbroken though at the cold way he stared at her. Her worst fear was becoming reality. He said he remembered everything and if that was true, he’d decided to reject having her in his life. She’d always been afraid he wouldn’t be able to forgive her. It seemed that fear was justified.
“Some bastard shot me with a tranquilizer dart. I was at Reservation.” He looked away from her then, studying the room. “Is this the basement of Medical at Homeland?”
“Yes. You were brought here.”
“I attacked my friends.” His tone deepened and his fingers unclenched. Anger flushed his features as his gaze turned her way.
