Resigned, she went in search of a willing assistant. At the end of the corridor near the dining room, she spotted Zander leaning against the wall, talking with the big, bald man she’d seen earlier. Curious, she studied the bald guy as she approached. He wasn’t classically handsome, but was impressive in a macho, muscled, Vin Diesel kind of way. His resemblance to the actor was remarkable, and he smiled tentatively as he looked away from Zander and saw her approaching.

Her stomach fluttered a bit as she returned the smile, and she decided for sure, homely men were not allowed to apply to work with Alpha Pack. The whole place was a testosterone feast that was about as healthy as downing half of an entire strawberry cheesecake in one sitting.

“Hey, guys,” she said in greeting, and turned to Zander’s friend. “We haven’t officially met. I’m Kira Locke. Call me Kira.”

He held out his hand, which she took. “Kira, I’m Hammer. Nice to meet you.”

“Same here. Did Nick tell either one of you what my new duties are?”

Zander rubbed his chin. “Come to think of it, no. What’s up?”

“He offered me a job. I’m starting tomorrow in the lab as an assistant.”

“Wow, that was fast,” Zan said, studying her. “Then again, the boss isn’t known for dragging his heels when he feels something is right. Congrats.”

Hammer echoed the approval, and she wondered how they’d take the next bit of news. “I’m also going to work with the guests in Block R to get them ready for life in our world. Well, life outside their cells will have to do for now, but you know what I mean.”

“You’re kidding.” He shook his dark head, looking at her in sympathy. “Good luck with that.”

“I need more than luck, I need an assistant. I’m under strict orders from our boss not to go in there alone, and my self-appointed helper seems to have flown the coop.”

“Jax?”

“The one and only. So which one of you is going to volunteer to beard the lion’s den with me?”

Hammer laughed and backed away. “Not me. The last time I went in there snake boy almost ate me. That bastard’s evil.”

Zan arched a brow. “I think he takes exception to being called snake boy to his face.”

“Now ya tell me.”

She looked to Zan. “Come on, I need somebody to step up to the plate here. What do you say?”

“I don’t think so . . .”

“I thought you were wolves, not chickens,” she muttered. “Fine. I’ll just go find Aric. He’ll be willing to—”

“No!” Zan blurted. He cleared his throat. “That won’t be necessary. One dogfight in a week is enough, and next time one or both of them will end up in the infirmary.”

That made her feel sort of bad for coercing him into seeing things her way, but not enough to relent. The memory of the winged guy sitting on his bed, lost and alone, tugged at her. “I don’t want that any more than you, but I can’t do this by myself and those poor souls deserve a fair shake. Can you imagine what it must be like to stare at four walls day after day, not even being from our realm or comprehending our rules? To be without any of your kind to communicate with, devoid of hope?”

“I can more than imagine,” Zan said, eyes softening. “Since it happened to us.”

She groaned aloud at her thoughtless words. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t worry about it. I may regret this, but I’ll help.”

Hammer sighed. “Shit, me, too.”

“Thanks,” she said, shoving aside her embarrassment. Of course these men had been through hell when they’d been turned. How stupid could she be? “Show me the way. I was turned around before, so I’m not sure how to get back there.”

As they started off, Zan commented, “Persuasive little thing, isn’t she? Jax is so screwed and he doesn’t even know it.”

“Hmph,” followed by a small smile was all his friend contributed.

Zan led her in the direction of the place she suspected was the lobby of the infirmary she’d stumbled onto earlier where nobody had been working the desk. Before they reached it, however, he made a couple of turns and strode down a long corridor she recognized. It had a set of double doors at the end marked “Restricted Area.”

She waved a hand at it as they approached and pushed through. “I didn’t see the sign before, but I was able to enter with no problem. How come there’s not a pass card or code required?”

“We don’t get any visitors,” Zan replied. “Besides, this isn’t the high security area for the staff. That would be Block T, in the basement.”

A chill crept down her spine. “What does T stand for?”

“Termination.”

Halting just before the row of cells began, she gaped at Jax’s friend. “What? Nick told me none of the residents of Block R have ever been terminated!”

“That’s true.”

“Then what’s the deal with having a death row on site? I’d like a straight answer to my questions, damn it!”

“He wasn’t lying to you, Kira. He simply isn’t in the habit of giving away more information than is absolutely necessary.” Seeing this wasn’t going to placate her, the dark-haired man continued. “Beings that are not only deadly but evil beyond hope are sent straight to Block T. Do not pass go, etcetera. Not every paranormal creature is redeemable, sweetheart, just as not every human is.”

Kira swallowed hard, struggling with this. She didn’t consider herself a bleeding-heart liberal by any means, but life was precious. Yes, she stood by the law and the guilty deserved to be punished accordingly, but if there was any hope that a soul might be saved, it seemed a waste to extinguish it.

“Are there any residents there now?” she managed in an even tone.

His eyes hardened. “Yes, there’s one. And don’t even think of going down there, hoping to play savior to that scum, do you hear me? He doesn’t want or need Mary Poppins to sweep in with a spoonful of sugar and fix him, and the only reason he isn’t worm food is because he has vital information we need. End of story. Got it?”

“Yes.” She wondered what type of creature he was, but it didn’t matter. No point in arguing. If he was as bad as all that, she’d stay away. Despite her awful curiosity. Dropping the subject, she gestured toward the cell she was most anxious to visit. “Shall we?”

Hammer spoke up, sounding amused. “What, we’re not checking out snake boy first?”

“From the way his disposition has been described, I think he can hold his own for a while.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

The basilisk was going to be a pill, it seemed. But looks could be deceiving and she had to wonder how hard any of them had tried after their help had been initially rebuked. Even humans would snarl or lash out when afraid. Why would these guys be any different?

Zan entered a code on the keypad beside the door, but blocked her view with his body, so she couldn’t see the number sequence. She’d have to earn their trust to gain the codes, and she didn’t blame them. He gave a shove and the heavy door swung inward with a groan. He and Hammer went in first, Kira close on their heels.

She wasn’t sure what to expect, but the sight that greeted them hit her even harder than when she’d seen him before. The slim figure huddled on his bed, wedged in the corner where the walls met, sitting up, knees bent, large azure wings draped protectively around his body, crossed in front. Only the top of his head and his toes were visible, and she couldn’t tell whether he was asleep or not.

Stepping around her two companions, she tried a soft greeting. “Hello? Are you awake?”

No response.

She edged closer, brought up short by Zan’s hand on her arm, pulling her back in warning. She shook him off, but stayed put and tried again. “Hey there, are you hungry? Have you had any breakfast?”

Immediately, she felt like a fool. Would a member of the Fae know the term “breakfast”? Stupid.

“We’re not going to hurt you, I promise. Would you please speak with us . . . Your Highness?” The last, she’d added on impulse. Why, she wasn’t sure. Just that it seemed right, as though she was picking up a vibe from the gorgeous man. Whatever the case, it turned out to be the right thing to say.