Human males were the animals. They wouldn’t harm Becca as long as they could use her to keep him in line but once they didn’t need that anymore, he feared the men would plot to touch her. He held back a snarl of outrage.

He needed to get her out of there, to escape with her and he was still outraged that she’d even suggested he allow her to die so he might break free at her expense. She believed the Species males were his priority but she was wrong. He nuzzled the top of her head, breathed in her scent and held her tighter.

His gaze left the double doors once the threat was gone, glanced at the two cages containing the sleeping males and could still pick up the scent of the third. Worry ate at him for those three males and the smell of drugs in the air assured him that’s what kept them so docile and he knew that if he had to choose, the choice had already been made.

Becca was the most important thing to him. Without hesitation, he’d give his life and those of the males and kill every human who posed a threat to her. He adjusted his hold, lifted her gently in his arms and saw how pale she looked when she stared into his eyes. Tears made her blue eyes glimmer and he felt like a total bastard. He’d promised to shield her body yet he hadn’t. He’d selfishly taken her at a great expense.

She’d never forgive him regardless of her being generous enough to share the blame. He knew the truth. Even if they survived somehow, if they got out of this nightmare alive, their time together was tainted by the ugliness of being locked inside a cage by their captors. He laid her down on the cot, curled up tightly to her on the small bed and tucked her firmly against his body.

“Sleep,” he urged. “I am here and will protect you.” As much as I am able. Shame burned deeply that he felt so helpless. She deserved a better male. He’d failed her miserably.

Chapter Nine

Tim Oberto was fit to be tied. “What the fuck is taking so long?”

Tiger, head of security for the NSO, watched the man grimly. “We lost the signal.”

“How the hell could this happen?” Tim paced like a caged animal. “They took my daughter.”

Tiger knew what it was like to pace that way. He’d been caged. He watched the human male and could relate to his worry. Tiger felt that emotion too. He didn’t know the man’s daughter, Rebecca Oberto, but he did know Brawn.

“We have to search the area and it’s taking time. You have your men out here too, going to every building.” Tiger took a deep breath. “The signal was last active in this section and they have to be within a mile radius. It’s an industrial area and hundreds of buildings are close together.”

Tim spun. “You know this guy, right? This Brawn? I want you to tell me everything about him now. He’s with my daughter.”

“Brawn is a council member. He’s—”

"Explain the council to me."

Tiger took another breath. “Each of the four testing facilities that we were rescued from appointed a Species to represent them after we elected Justice to lead. We knew he would be busy dealing with the outside world and trying to handle our people as well. Some human suggested each set of survivors from the testing facilities have one spokesperson to represent their needs and issues. They keep track of all the Species from their labs and report to Justice if there is a problem. Brawn was chosen for his ability to remain calm under pressure, his fighting skills and his intelligence. He’s known among my people to have a good sense of humor and to be very reasonable.”

“His fighting skills didn’t save him and my daughter,” Tim raged. “If he was any good they’d never have been taken.”

Tiger immediately took offense. “He never would have been captured if he wasn’t protecting your daughter. He could have fled and left her. He’s feline. He could have easily leapt onto your roof from the window or to the ground below without injury on his own. We believe he was mixed with black leopard. I have hunted with him myself and he’s really fast. I told you that there were at least six men inside your daughter’s home and you saw the body. He fought but they had drugs. He didn’t flee because he stayed with your daughter. Do not dare insult him.”

Trey Roberts cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, everyone calm down, please. This isn’t helping.”

A man sitting in front of a laptop computer cursed suddenly. He turned to face his boss, Tim. “I’ve got really bad news.”

“What is it?” Tim tensed.

“It was tough but I have hacked into the dead guy’s financials. He’s been getting regular deposits from a shell company. I was able to trace that to the real source of money.” He held Tim’s gaze. “Mercile Industries is behind this. The money is coming from a slush fund they have. All the deposits in that account were made by their investors. The dead guy was getting paid by them.”

Tim fisted his hand and jerked his head to Tiger. “Why would they want my daughter when they killed my neighbors? Why keep her alive?”

Tiger tensed as he studied Tim, trying to judge if the man could handle the truth without coming completely unglued. Tiger took a deep breath. “You need to assign one of your men to handle the task force. You’re too emotionally invested.”

“No!” Tim yelled.

Trey suddenly reached out and gripped Tim’s arm. “He’s right. You can stay but you have to step down for this one. I know you are going out of your head. This is Becca, Tim. I understand but you need to let me take this one.”

Tim cursed viciously. “Why?”

Tiger hesitated. “Mercile Industries took another human once who had an association with a Species male. I am afraid if I tell you and you are heading this that you will be very unreasonable. I can’t inform you of facts without you being a father and becoming unstable.”

Tim tensed and rage swept through him. “What do you think they are going to do to my daughter?”

Tiger hesitated. “Give over command to your second and I will share the information we know.”

Tim turned and punched the inside of the van. He nodded at Trey. “You’re in charge.”

Trey nodded and stared at Tiger. “What do you think is going on?”

Tiger hesitated. “Are you very close to his daughter?”

Trey nodded. “Yes but I’m more rational and objective. Becca and I are friends but I can stay cool-headed.”

Tiger regarded him carefully and saw a calm control there. He nodded but he focused on the father of the missing female. “A human female was kidnapped by a Mercile doctor and his team recently. She is mated with one of my kind. Since this Rebecca was with Brawn they might have mistaken her for his mate. They don’t have our sense of smell, which would make it obvious to one of us that she slept in her bed alone. She only ended up in his room because of the attack. He put her inside his bathroom because they had to fight him to get to her there.”

Trey nodded. “Rebecca isn’t the type to jump into bed with someone.”

“Brawn wouldn’t touch a female human either. He likes our women and has been very clear that he holds no sexual interest in your females.”

“Just tell us what you think they took my daughter for and why I’m only hearing about this other woman being taken now. I’m supposed to be informed of all issues that arise and my team should have been called in if a mate was kidnapped.” Tim’s voice shook.

Tiger hesitated. “We handled the situation and didn’t want to call you unless we had to. They took the other human to breed with Species they’d stolen from Mercile before the testing facility they worked in was breached by your law enforcement. They wanted her because she was mated to a Species. The doctor assumed that since one Species would take her to bed that another of my kind would without killing her, perhaps believing that because she carried one of our male’s scents would make her irresistible. They probably took your daughter alive to breed her to a Species male. They want to see if a human female can get impregnated by my kind.”