“The female who stole you is human but she isn’t a technician working for Mercile. She’s a good one who just wanted to save your life. She meant you no harm.”

It could be a trap but 880 made the decision to open his eyes. The light was blinding but something suddenly leaned over him to block out most of it. He stared into a face inches above his own. The male had features that weren’t human and strongly familiar since he’d seen his own reflection at times. His heart raced.

The male smiled, his expression alight with kindness, and he opened his mouth enough to show his sharp teeth. “I am Justice. Can you speak, 880? You are safe. See? We are the same and I was created by Mercile as well.”

Movement to his left drew his attention and he turned his head to stare at yet another male with altered features. That male smiled.

“I’m Tiger. You’re safe. Mercile no longer has you. We’ve been freed.”

Shock gripped him as the words sank into his confused mind. It couldn’t be true but he stared at two males, proof that it might be. He didn’t even know other males existed besides the ones he’d smelled recently when his mate was murdered.

He opened his mouth, his throat dry, but managed to speak.

“Are we the only three left?”

Justice shook his head. “There are many of us.”

The male turned his head. “Get Destiny in here but keep Ted and Paul out. No humans. Species only.”

Tiger left. 880 stared deeply into the male’s gaze.

“You didn’t know there were more of us?”

Justice asked.

It hurt to speak so 880 held up two fingers.

“You were kept away from our females except for one. Is that accurate?”

He nodded.

An emotion close to pain twisted the male’s features as he spoke. “There are many of us, 880.

We were freed from Mercile cells. We are in control of our lives.”

880 tried to shift his arm but couldn’t since it was restrained. A soft growl burst from his lips. The other male noticed the movement and glanced up before meeting his gaze again.

“We’ll get those off you. We just didn’t know if you were dangerous or not. We didn’t want you to get hurt or to hurt us if you woke not knowing you aren’t amongst enemies.”

“The female?” He wanted to know where Alli was and what she’d done to him. “The two males?”

“I’m sorry.” The male leaned in closer. “Your mate was killed. We rescued the two males who were witness to it and they survived.” Anger deepened his voice. “We weren’t able to recover your mate’s body. I’m so sorry. It was gone by the time we located you and the other males held with you. The Mercile employees who would speak during interrogation said her body was removed and destroyed. They burned it.”

He knew his mate had died. “The technician.”

The other male drew back a little. “Dr. Allison?”

“Alli.” It hurt to get the words out, speaking hurt his throat, but he wanted to know about her.

“She is a human doctor who works for us. You were rescued some months ago and brought to us after you were in coma. After your mate was murdered you attacked the bars of your cell and it caused massive damage to your body. Even though your injuries healed, you wouldn’t wake.”

He licked his lips and took a deep breath. “Dr.

Allison didn’t mean any harm but she stole you from us. She believed you scenting another female would lure you from your deep sleep and perhaps pique your interest. We refused to allow it, concerned that you’d want the female whose scent you grew to know.

“She will be punished for taking you. We can’t condone the risk she took that our enemies would locate you. There are humans who hate us but we are safe from them here. She took you away from us, where we couldn’t protect you.”

880 tried to understand the information he’d been given. A lot of it didn’t make sense to him, the sketchy details overloaded his mind, and he still had a hard time grasping that his people had been liberated and so many had survived. Mercile no longer had them at their mercy. He was tempted to believe it was all a scheme to gain his trust for some new experiment but he refused to consider that males of his own kind would meekly submit to helping the vicious humans fool him.

He stared into the other male’s steady gaze.

“Truth?”

“It’s all true.” Justice leaned in again. “I know what you must be thinking. This isn’t a game and they aren’t forcing me to lie to you. No female will suffer if I don’t say something they made me repeat. We are free and Mercile is no longer in control. Your hellish life as you knew it no longer exists.”

The approaching footsteps drew his attention and 880 turned to watch the male named Tiger enter the room, along with a new male with altered features. Both of them smiled at him as Justice backed away.

“Unlock him, Destiny.”

The new male hesitated, shooting 880 a dubious look.

“It is safe. He isn’t feral. We’ve been talking.”

“I am now called Destiny.” The male approached his bed cautiously and withdrew keys.

“I will unlock your restraints. We mean you no harm.”

“He knows,” Justice stated. “Just set him free.”

The ankle cuffs were removed first and finally his arms were released. 880 attempted to sit but his body responded sluggishly. Justice and Destiny gripped his arms—he allowed it—as they helped him into an upright position. Tiger shoved pillows behind his back before they all withdrew a few feet to watch him.

“You have been sleeping for months.” Destiny spoke. “Your body needs to recover but you should be fine. We’ll get you on solid foods to help you quickly regain your full strength.”

880 lifted the blanket to stare down at his body.

He could see his belly had shrunken, his skin tight over his bones, and he growled when he saw his dick. Something was taped to it and a tube trailed out of sight over one thigh. His head jerked up to shoot them an accusatory glare.

“It’s a catheter,” Destiny informed him. “It’s there to help you go to the bathroom without soiling your bedding. I’ll remove it as soon as you are strong enough to stand.”

“Take it out now.” He wanted free of it and the thin tubes hooked to his arm. “Take it all off.”

Destiny hesitated.

Justice cleared his throat. “Do it. We’ll help him stand until he is able to on his own. Give him his pride back.”

880 lifted his chin as his gaze swept around the room. It wasn’t a cell, just a room. The walls were not concrete or bars. The door was open to allow him to leave if he wished. No armed guards were in sight and he couldn’t detect any human scent as he inhaled but he knew his senses were still dulled. His body relaxed and he began to believe the males. He was free.

Bitterness gripped him next. It wasn’t right that he’d survived long enough to know this day when 46 had not. He’d let his female down. He’d somehow done something to cause her death. Pain filled his heart.

“What were you thinking?”

Alli hesitated, staring at Trisha, the doctor who not only had become her friend but was mated to a New Species. “I just wanted to save him and no one would listen to my suggestions on how to get him to wake from his coma.”

“You could have called me or waited until I got back. I was only going to be gone for six weeks at Reservation.”

“880 was getting worse. He’d lost too much weight. I couldn’t stand to watch him waste away.

How is he? No one will say a word about him. Did he wake up again?”

Trisha took a seat on her bed a few feet away and sighed. “He’s awake.”

Tears of joy filled Alli’s eyes. “Really? That’s great.”

“He’s recovering amazingly fast. He’s already on his feet. He demanded food, ate more than they wanted, and took a walk down the hallway before he almost crashed into the floor when his legs gave out on him.”