The B.E.A.S.T. Within

Champagne Books www.champagnebooks.com Copyright ©2006 by Rebecca Goings NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

Champagne Books Presents The B*E*A*S*T Within By Rebecca Goings

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Champagne Books www.champagnebooks.com Copyright © 2006 by Rebecca Goings ISBN 1897261276 October 2006 Cover Art © Chris Butts Produced in Canada Champagne Books #35069-4604 37 ST SW Calgary, AB T3E 7C7 Canada

Dedication This book is dedicated to my ‘extended family’ at Champagne Books, the publisher, editors, artists, and authors alike, for being so encouraging, loving, and supportive. I am truly privileged to be a part of it all.

One Somewhere in the Colorado Rockies Blood covered the ground. The woman smelled its pungent tang on the air. It stained the snow red and steamed hot in the crisp breeze of the winter morning. But where did it come from? Another scent wafted to her, one of smoke and burned rubber. Opening her eyes, the woman squinted at the fuzzy shapes in front of her. The blurry outlines soon solidified into pine trees reaching for the steel-grey sky. She groaned at the sudden pain shooting through her skull when she turned her head. Lying on her back, she finally felt the chill of the snow beneath her jacket. Her arms lay useless at her side, and her legs trembled. Golden hair soaked with blood lay on the ground next to her face, hair that looked just like her own. Was it her hair? She couldn't tell. Twisting her head the other way, she winced in pain and gritted her teeth. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight that greeted her. A car lay there on its side, revealing its chassis and undercarriage. The front and back wheels spun in the air as if the car had just skidded to a halt. Without warning, the engine burst into orange flames, the sound of the swift-moving fire roaring in her ears. The woman panicked. Not too far away, a clear liquid pooled in the snow, mixing with the red blood and emitting a foul odor. She recognized that smell but couldn't think of what it could be. Her mind clouded from the intense desire to flee, yet her body refused to respond. Opening her mouth, she tried to call for help, but all that escaped was a soft moan. As the fire raged on, the woman realized the car must be hers. Did she have an accident? Had she been thrown from the vehicle? Oh, God ... it was her blood! Hot tears streamed down her face as she continued to shout, but it was useless. No more than a whimper came out. She finally recognized the smell permeating the air—gasoline! The engine's fire quickly consumed the car, raging perilously close to the pool of gas right next to her. She willed her body to stand, to run and not look back, but she could only lie there, unable to do more than stare in horror as her own death drew near. What a cruel irony to survive the crash only to die in the explosion that followed. But just as she had that thought, bright blue eyes looked down on her, regarding her curiously. White fur covered the enormous face they belonged to, along with a few black stripes here and there. Rounded ears pricked forward then lay back as the beast smelled her with its large pink nose before it grabbed the fluffy collar of her leather jacket in its massive jaws. Oh, God, it was dragging her! Dragging her away from the flames with a strength that any woodland creature couldn't possibly possess. But it was big. Whatever it was, the animal was immense as it continued to pull her further into the forest. At that moment, the car exploded, deafening her and rocking the surrounding trees. They bent and swayed at the colossal force of the blast as a column of fire licked hungrily at the sky. With tears in her eyes, she found her voice and finally screamed in terror. Thick plumes of black smoke now rose from where the shell of the car lay. Miraculously, no shrapnel hit her, even though bits and pieces of the vehicle rained down, lighting small fires here and there. Yet the creature continued to drag her. She could hear it growling, and she begged for her life. “Please! Please don't!" She knew it was futile to ask for mercy from a vicious, hungry beast. She was going to be eaten! It had probably been attracted to the smell of her blood. Crying pitifully, the woman surrendered to her fate and hoped for all she was worth that the creature killed her before it feasted on her flesh. **** Her mouth was dry, and she smacked her lips, groaning in pain. What she wouldn't give for a glass of water. Had she passed out again? Where was she? No longer cold, she snuggled in the warmth of a blanket that covered her. Shaking her head, she struggled to remember what had happened. The car. She remembered the car. And an explosion. Snapping open her eyes, she glanced around frantically and found herself in a small cave. Oh God, that ... that creature! Was it still nearby? And where had the blanket come from? "Thirsty?" The sound of a deep, male voice resonated through the cave. Letting out a small cry of fear, the woman scrambled to a sitting position, amazed that her body now heeded her commands. Not more than a few feet away sat a man regarding her as he held out a canteen and smiled gently. Long, sandy-blond hair framed his face and fell to just below his ears. Reaching up with one hand, he ran his fingers through it as if it were a habit to keep it out of his eyes. And his eyes—as icy blue as the winter sky. They glimmered as he looked at her, concern clearly evident on his handsome face. She sat mesmerized, just staring at him in his shirtless state that revealed his athletic build to her. He was wearing jeans, but they were ripped and torn, showing her glimpses of skin underneath. Glancing about, she once again remembered the animal that had dragged her away from the wreck, and she shuddered with panic. The woman quivered, clutching the ends of the blanket around her shoulders as if it could protect her from the creature. "Where is it?” she managed to say past her chattering teeth. "Where is what?" "That ... that thing. That monster! We have to get out of here!" The man's gaze softened as he broke eye contact. “He will not hurt you."

"But ... but I heard him growling! He was sniffing me. He smelled my blood!" "Trust me. He is my ... friend. He will not hurt you." It was hard to calm her galloping heart, but as he caught her gaze again, she could see sincerity in his eyes. "Your friend? What is that thing?" "Are you thirsty?” he asked again, ignoring her query. Reaching out her hand, she gladly took the canteen and moaned as the cool liquid wet her mouth. Water had never tasted so good. After a few more gulps, she realized her head had been bandaged along with her right arm. Tentatively, she touched the dressings. "Nothing is broken,” he said, making her look at him once again. “Your bones, I mean. Nothing is broken. It's a miracle you survived at all." Leaning her head back on the wall of the cave, she tried to remember anything about what had happened. “I swerved to avoid hitting something. It just darted out in front of me. And the roads were already so icy that I ... crashed through the guardrail and ... there was a ravine..." Tears flooded her eyes as she covered her mouth, trying futilely to hold back the sobs that ripped from her chest. Before she knew his intent, she was wrapped in the man's arms as he hugged her. Even though a chill hung in the air, his skin was warm to the touch, and she clung to him with all her might. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,” he said, his voice muffled by her hair. He rocked her back and forth in his strong arms. “I'm just so glad you didn't ... you could have been..." He shuddered, still holding her close as his arms tightened around her. He held her like that for a long while, until her cries abated. "What's your name?” he finally asked, pulling back. Giving her a gentle grin, he wiped away her tears. She concentrated on controlling her breathing, taking a few deep breaths before she answered him. “My name is Lanie,” she told him after a few moments of thought. “Lanie Erickson. What's yours?" "Noah Carpenter. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to shake hers. Sitting next to her, he once again ran his fingers through his hair. She watched in fascination as the muscles played on his arms. “So that creature ... is a friend of yours?" He looked at her, making her shift uncomfortably under his heavy stare. “Yes,” he answered. "Is it a dog or something?” It had seemed bigger than a dog at the time, but she supposed it could have been a St. Bernard or a Great Dane. "No, it's not a dog." "Is he around?” Shivering, Lanie once again pulled the blanket close as she gazed out the mouth of the cave. "He's near, but he won't show himself. He will not hurt you. You have my word on that." Nodding, she bit her lip and wondered what it could possibly have been if it wasn't a dog. Maybe she didn't want to know. "Well, thank him for saving me. If he hadn't come to pull me out of there when he did, then I..." Noah lifted his hand to stop her. “I wouldn't have left you there. Not when I caused the accident." "Caused? What do you mean caused?" Sighing to himself, he looked as if he just regretted what he said. “My ... friend was up there on the roadway, Lanie. It was him you swerved to avoid."

Two Noah held her gaze as she processed his words. He felt so damn guilty just looking at her that it was hard not to look away to hide it. Yet he schooled his features, keeping a straight face. What he'd told her was the truth. He was responsible for her accident, but it had nothing to do with a so-called friend. There was no “creature"—no one but the two of them for miles—yet he couldn't risk telling her the truth. She couldn't possibly understand. Not when he barely believed it himself. As understanding dawned on Lanie's features, Noah feared her reaction as if she could somehow deduce the awful truth on her own. He held his breath as she spoke. "Holy God,” she whispered in awe. “There was a white tiger in the road! That's what it was! A white friggin’ tiger!" Noah could only nod. Lying to her now would raise her suspicions. After she'd swerved to miss the “creature,” she'd plunged over the edge of a steep ravine, and Noah knew in that instant that he couldn't let her die. Without another thought, he'd leapt over the side of the ravine as well, practically killing himself to reach her car before it blew. But she'd seen him. She'd seen him in his shifted state. Noah had hoped somewhere in the corner of his mind that she'd be unconscious, but she'd been very much aware, and the horror on her face then had almost matched the horror he now saw in her eyes. "Your friend is a white tiger? What the hell are you, some kind of escaped circus performer or something?" "No,” he told her, finally looking away. "Well, is he a pet?" Slowly, Noah began pacing the cave, wondering how he should proceed with her. “Not ... exactly." "Is he friendly?" "I've already told you he wouldn't hurt you." Lanie glanced around the small cave, her gaze stopping on a small backpack. “Do you live here?" "I've been staying here for a couple of days, if that's what you mean." "Aren't you cold?" Glancing down at his chest, he realized for the first time that he'd only put on his jeans since he'd shifted back to his human form. He couldn't help but blush just a little. If Lanie had awakened just a few moments earlier than she had, she would have seen a lot more of him than his bare chest! "The cold doesn't bother me,” he told her. And that was the truth. Whatever those bastards had done to him in that horrid lab made him not feel the cold air like he used to. Lanie suddenly leaned her head against the wall of the cave and groaned. "Hurting?” he asked. She nodded. “I need to get to a hospital. Do you have a cell phone?" "No." "Walkie-talkie? One of those GPS locator thingies or whatever it is you hikers use?" She thought he was a hiker? Maybe that could work in his favor. "No, sorry. I don't bring much equipment with me." "Well, that's irresponsible of you,” she chastised softly, closing her eyes. "Why don't you sleep and get comfortable? We have to move in the morning." "What do you mean move?” Lanie cracked open an eye at him. Hunkering down next to the fire once more, he fed it a few more dry twigs. “We can't stay here. It's not safe." "Will you take me to a hospital?" "No." "Look, mister, I just tumbled end-over-end in my car, got ejected on the way down and was dragged away from it by your tiger friend right before the damn thing exploded. I'm thinking I need to go to a hospital!" "I can't risk it.” Staring at her once again, he saw the hardened lines of anger cross her beautiful face. Her hazel eyes darkened as she scowled at him. “What are you talking about?" "Trust me, it's better if you don't know. But I can't take you to a hospital. I'm sorry." "Oh, God."

"What?" "You're not one of those creepy guys who rapes women in the wilderness, are you? Because I gotta warn you, I carry mace in my jacket." Noah had to smile at that. This woman sure was feisty, even after what she'd endured. "Don't worry,” he told her. “I'm not one of those guys." She seemed to relax somewhat, but he sensed her guard was still raised by the way her knuckles went white as she clutched onto the blanket. Her glorious scent gave away what else she was feeling. "And I've already told you nothing is broken,” he added. "Well, can you at least take me to the nearest road?” she asked. He shook his head. “I can't. You're with me now. If I let you go, they'll find you. They'll know—they always know. I need to protect you." "Just what the hell are you talking about, Mr. Carpenter?" "I'm talking about one of the most ruthless secret agencies in the world, Lanie. They're after me. And now they'll be after you too." **** Lanie stared at him in shock. What the heck was going on here? "Secret agency? What are you, some kind of James Bond?" "Not quite,” he said as he sighed heavily. His fingers once again trailed through his hair. “Look, I can't tell you much. Just about all of it is classified, but there are some really bad guys out there, and I've got no doubt in my mind that they know about your car accident by now." "You're scaring me, Noah. What are you talking about?” Lanie looked out at the snow-covered trees beyond the cave and shivered. “The tiger—are they after the tiger?" "In a manner of speaking." "Did ... did you steal him?” Her teeth chattered as she peered at him, watching his emotions play across his face. The man was handsome, there was no denying that, but there was something cold-blooded about him as well, and she didn't trust him completely. "No, I didn't. Just trust me. I know it's hard. You don't know me from Adam, but believe me when I say these men will stop at nothing to get to me, even if that means going through you. And I will not allow that to happen. You have nothing to do with any of this." "Any of what? Noah, why would these guys be after me? What did I do to them? And who are ‘they’ anyway? FBI? CIA? Homeland Security?" She could have sworn that he growled at her as she returned his gaze. There was something familiar in those blue eyes as she stared back at him, but she couldn't place it. He walked toward her and hunkered on his knees. "They aren't an American agency, Lanie. They have a secret base here in the states, but they aren't funded by our government. They're after you now, simply because of your contact with me. Anyone I come in contact with is suspect, which is why I needed to hide out here for a while. But if they know about your accident then they're close by, and I refuse to be caught again." "Again? You mean you escaped from them?" Noah broke her gaze and stared at the ground. He nodded and closed his eyes for several seconds. “I don't know how long I was with them. It's hard to remember my life ... before." "Wait, wait, wait,” Lanie said, holding up her bandaged arm. “Your ‘life before'? Before what?" "It's what we call who we used to be. The life we used to live before we were taken." "Who's ‘we'?" "There are others. But I am the only one who has managed to escape without being killed." "Good Lord! You need to go to the authorities about this!" "What this secret agency does, Lanie, is not something your average cop is going to understand, much less believe. Besides, if I went to the authorities, these men would find me within an hour, and it all would have been for nothing." "What did they do to you?” Lanie asked, not really sure she wanted to know. "Horrible things,” he whispered. As the silence stretched on, Lanie wasn't about to pressure him into telling her. Obviously it was painful for him, as his hands now shook when they rubbed his face. "You need to sleep,” he said, his gentle voice a stark contrast to his trembling body. "What about you? Is this your only blanket?" "I'll be fine."

"But—" "I'll be fine,” he repeated. "All right. What about your tiger friend?" "He'll be fine too." His stony demeanor prevented Lanie from asking him any more questions as he stared into the fire. What the hell was she going to do now? Stuck in the middle of nowhere with a man she knew nothing about who spouted stories of white tigers and secret agencies. Should she even believe him? Right now, she needed his help while her head still spun from her injuries. Yet he'd said those horrible men would be after her too now just for making contact with him. Lanie snuggled under the blanket and closed her eyes, trembling violently herself. She was exhausted, but whether or not she'd actually be able to sleep was another matter. Her entire body ached, her ears were ringing, and she was stranded in the mountains with a tiger and a man on the run. What in God's name had she gotten herself into?

Three Noah couldn't move. He twisted and turned, but, try as he might, his arms and legs were held down by thick leather straps. He could feel the cool metal of the table underneath him as a bright light shone in his eyes, making them water. He couldn't even turn his head because it too was strapped to the table. Suddenly, he felt sharp needles pierce his skin everywhere. They seemed to be burrowing deeper and deeper into his muscles, and Noah screamed in agony. It echoed through his skull as he tried to break free. The pain was unbearable as the needles burned hot, scorching him from the inside out. His heart raced as he gasped for breath, straining once again to break free. "Resisting will only make it hurt more,” a voice whispered in his ear. With a yelp, Noah sat up, and his eyes darted around, taking in the darkened cave surrounding him. A sheen of sweat covered his body as he gulped in air, trying in vain to calm his pounding heart. The dreams were getting worse. With trembling hands, he wiped his eyes that were damp with tears. “Christ,” he whispered. Swallowing hard, he tried to work moisture into his mouth. He glanced around for the canteen and remembered that Lanie had drank some water earlier. Looking over his shoulder to where she slept, every hair on his body suddenly stood on end. She wasn't there. The blanket was gone, but the canteen still lay on the ground where she'd left it. "Lanie?” he called out. In one fluid movement, Noah grabbed his shirt from the ground and stood. He pulled the ratty brown tee over his head as he grabbed the canteen on his way out of the cave. "Lanie?” he called out a little louder. He didn't dare shout. If B*E*A*S*T* knew of the car accident, then it was a safe bet they were already roaming these woods looking for him. His breath puffed on the slight breeze as a crescent moon hung in the sky, illuminating the snow. He could see Lanie's footprints in the white powder, but he didn't need them. He could smell her as he jogged along her trail, suddenly feeling his heart in his throat. What was she doing, wandering these woods alone? Her trail didn't go on for long before he found her standing near a small copse of trees with her back to him. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and turned her to face him, his eyes flashing. Lanie yelped loudly, making Noah clamp his hand over her mouth. "What the hell are you doing?” he whispered furiously. Her eyes were large and round, and he could smell the fear radiating off of her in waves. With a sigh, he released her mouth but still held her shoulders. "I—” she began, but Noah placed a finger over her lips. "Not so loud!” he hissed. Now her scent was laced with anger as she tried to shove him off. But he wouldn't be budged. "I had to ... use the little girl's room!" Noah's eyebrows knitted together in confusion before he finally understood and let her go. “Well, you should have woke me, woman! You have no idea who or what is roaming these woods." "I'm not about to wake you just so you can watch me do my business!” Her voice shrilled through the woods, and Noah once again slapped his hand over her mouth. "Be quiet!” he demanded. “I don't want to watch, I would have simply protected you.” Once again, he lowered his hand, and she looked as if she were about to say something, but a scent and a sound wafted to him on the breeze at the same time. Something was out of place—something odd. He dropped to the ground, pulling her with him, and he motioned for her to stay silent as he gazed out through the brush. That scent—he'd smelled it before. Every nerve ending in his body screamed to shift and hunt, but he fought the urge for all he was worth. He couldn't risk shifting into a tiger right in front of Lanie. His instincts were to kill, and he knew without a doubt that the men who hunted him were nearby, but he couldn't risk Lanie's life in his bid for revenge. Glancing back at her, he grabbed her hand and whispered, “They've spotted the cave. We've got to go!" With that, he sprinted into the forest, pulling Lanie along behind him. **** Lanie's lungs were on fire. The crisp mountain air burned them every time she took a breath, and her arm felt as if Noah were going to pull it from the socket. But she didn't dare stop running. Noah's urgency fueled her own and all sorts of horrid, evil thoughts raced through her brain. Were they being chased? Who had found the cave? What the hell was going on? She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and she stumbled in the snow. A cry escaped her lips as Noah dragged her to her feet. "Come on!” he demanded. The world was spinning, and Lanie fell once more. “I can't ... I can't go ... on!"

She panted, her head throbbing and threatening to explode at any moment. A sudden wave of nausea overcame her, and she turned to wretch on the ground. "Oh, God,” she moaned. "Lanie! Are you all right?" She shook her head and suddenly regretted it. “No,” she managed to say. Her eyes filled with tears as her stomach lurched once more and a baleful roar rose from the trees behind them, raising every hair on the back of Lanie's neck. "What the hell was that?” she exclaimed, turning her large eyes into the darkness. “Was that your tiger?" Noah's body stiffened as he knelt over her. “No,” he said. “We've got to get out of here. Now!" He scooped her up in his arms and dashed through the trees as if she weighed nothing. Too late, Lanie realized that she'd dropped the blanket she'd been carrying, but she wasn't about to ask Noah to turn back and get it regardless of the chills racking her body. Not with that ungodly howl she'd just heard. Terror overcame her as she clutched onto Noah's neck, and she willed him to run faster. Lanie had to close her eyes as her head still spun. Was Noah growling? She couldn't be sure with her pain. She hissed through her teeth at being jostled in his arms. After what seemed an eternity, Noah climbed a small embankment. She would have marveled at his strength if she hadn't been trembling with fright. Before she knew it, they were standing on a roadway—perhaps the very same road she'd been traveling on before her accident. Was it her imagination, or did she hear that shrill yowl again? And it seemed to be closer this time. "Noah!” she shrieked, clutching him even harder. "I know, I know!" Suddenly, a brown sedan rounded a bend toward them, illuminating the road with its headlights. It slowed as it got closer, and the driver-side window rolled down, revealing the face of an older man. "You two all right?” he asked with concern in his eyes as he brought his car to a stop. "Please, sir,” Noah said frantically, “we were just in an accident—our car skidded off the road, and she's hurt. Can you help us?" "Good Lord!” the man exclaimed. “Well, hop on in the back and I'll take you to town. Granite Ridge is about thirty miles away." "Thank you. Thank you very much!” Noah opened the rear door and climbed in with Lanie on his lap. He slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. “Please hurry, sir!" "You got it,” the man said. “But these roads are slick. Can't go too fast." "Just please go as fast as you can." "Th—thank you, s—sir,” Lanie murmured through chattering teeth. The man glanced at them in his rear-view mirror. “Right next to you is an armrest. Pull it down and you'll see a little door behind it that opens into the trunk. If you feel around a bit, you'll find a blanket." Noah reached into the trunk and grabbed the blanket. In no time, he had it wrapped around Lanie's shoulders. The combined warmth of his body and the blanket gradually soothed away her shivers. "Are you all right?” he whispered, rubbing her shoulders with his large hands. "What was that thing?” she whispered back, her face mere inches from his. Placing a finger on her lips, he shook his head and looked up at the driver. She understood and gave him a nod. "How do you feel?” he asked. “Do you want to sit up?" She tried to move, but her head once again exploded with pain. With a grunt, she said, “No, please. Just let me lie here. You're so warm." Under any other circumstances, Lanie would have been mortified to say those words to a man she barely knew, but right now she was beyond caring. Noah brought his large hand up to her head and urged her to lay it on his shoulder. “Sure thing, baby."

Four He could smell him on the wind—the man who was a traitor; the man he wanted to rip limb from limb. And he smelled her as well. The woman's sweet perfume entwined with the traitor's putrid scent, rising from the ground in waves. Bounding through the snow, his black paws demolished their pristine tracks, but he didn't care. They were close. He'd found their stink in the cave not too far away, and he knew they'd just left it. He also knew that if he pushed himself, he could catch them. Roaring, he pounced, landing on a blanket that was still warm. Within seconds, nothing but shreds remained. She'd been wearing it. Her scent was unmistakable. Never before had Tam been filled with the desire to kill and to mate at the same time. It had been so long—so very long since he'd felt a woman underneath him, and he knew if he continued on, he would be able to satiate both of his desires. But for now, he remained in his shifted state, his golden eyes flashing in the moonlight. Bounding across the snow, he could almost taste them, their scent was so strong. Then, not more than mere yards ahead of him, he saw a road with a car stopped in the middle of it. The bastard was going to escape! Urging his body beyond its limits, Tam raced for all he was worth to catch them before the car sped into the night, but as the sleek black panther leapt onto the highway, he could already see the car's taillights fading into the distance. Rage boiled inside of him and he screamed, his howl echoing off the surrounding hills as he chased the car in vain. He would soon find Noah Carpenter— wherever he went—and he would kill him. Noah might think he could run, but Tam knew he couldn't hide. Not when he belonged to B*E*A*S*T*. **** "Mind if I turn on the radio?" The old man looked in his rear-view mirror at Noah with a smile. "Go right ahead,” Noah said with a nod. "Don't like to listen to music much. Hope my talk radio won't bother you." "Not at all." The soft tones of a man speaking about the weather filled the car as Noah glanced down at Lanie. Her eyes were closed, but he could tell by her breathing that she wasn't asleep. She snuggled closer to him, and he knew she was still cold, but the faint scent of her fear still lingered in the air. Lanie was probably scared half out of her mind, but she hid her fear well. He had to admire her for that. Just remembering the roar that had chased them through the woods raised the hair on his arms. He knew what—and who—it was the moment he'd smelled the odd odor in the air. Tam. One of the most ruthless shifters the agency had ever created, Tam was a black panther, a man who reveled in his new abilities and never once challenged the orders he was given. Because of Tam's loyalty to B*E*A*S*T*, he was allowed to roam the halls of their compound rather than being thrown into a cage like the rest of the men. He'd often bragged of that fact, and it hadn't taken long before he was resented by the others. It was safe to say that he was one of the favorites of the scientists, always being tested and always getting rewarded. Now B*E*A*S*T* had sent Tam to hunt Noah. Damn, they must want him bad. Glancing out the window, he watched in silence as the scenery flew by. Noah should have known better than to hope they'd just let it lie, just let him leave the compound without bothering to search for him. Each shifter had cost millions of dollars to produce, so he wasn't just a man anymore, he was a commodity. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the seat. He couldn't allow himself to be caught again. Punishment wasn't what was in store for him. Reprogramming would be his fate. Obviously, his first imprint hadn't taken if he could still remember glimpses, shades of his life before. He knew killing without remorse was wrong, and he knew being a shifter wasn't right either. His captors weren't friendly and wanted their creations to become as ruthless as they were, dreaming and desiring the taste of blood. Shuddering at the bitter memories flowing through him, Noah squeezed Lanie a little tighter. Now they'd be after her as well, he was sure of it. Regardless of the fact that he hadn't told her the truth of who or what he was, the agency wouldn't be able to take that chance. It was too risky to let her go now. Shit! Anger welled up inside of him. Lanie had nothing to do with any of this, and now she had to hide just as he did. And for how long? For the rest of her life? Just what the hell had he done to this poor woman? For the first time in a long while, Noah felt tears fill his eyes. Just the thought of Tam getting his hands on Lanie made a growl rise low in his throat. He'd protect her. He had to. He just hoped she wouldn't hate him when she found out what he really was. **** Lanie shivered once more as she felt Noah sigh. She wondered what he was thinking about. The sound of that ghastly howl kept replaying in her mind and she simply couldn't ignore it. She wanted to ask him about it but knew she couldn't, not in front of their Good Samaritan. Noah had said the howl hadn't come from the tiger that followed him, so what the hell had it come from? And what would happen to the tiger now that they'd left him behind? She hoped

the poor creature would be all right fending for itself against ... whatever was out there. With a forlorn sigh of her own, Lanie wondered what she was going to do now. Her car was wrecked, her body ached from numerous scrapes and bruises, and she was on the run with a man who hadn't really told her much about the people he was running from. What a great way to start off the new year. Spending the Christmas holidays with her family in their secluded cabin had been a wonderful, festive time, and she'd hated to leave them and return to her normal life. They'd cut down one of the nearby fir trees and decorated it, her mother and father and a few aunts, uncles, and cousins. They'd sung carols around the piano and sipped eggnog and brandy by the fire. And now, not only was her car destroyed, she'd lost all of her Christmas presents as well! Her father had packed them in the trunk before she'd been on her way. Lanie could even remember him telling her to drive safely. Now, here she was. She couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes, and her chest heaved with her pent-up sobs as she turned her face into Noah's broad chest. "Hey, what's wrong?” he whispered. "It's just too much. I don't know what to do! Oh, God, what do I do?” She curled her arms around his neck and cried. Noah held her with an iron grip. “Don't you worry, Lanie. I'll take care of you." "Noah...” she said, her voice cracking. "What?” He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Will you please tell me what's going on?" Noah looked at her for so long that she thought he wouldn't answer. Finally, he nodded. “I will, but not here. Not now." "I'm so scared,” she admitted, once again clinging to him. "So am I,” he whispered.

Five "Gotta stop for gas,” the old man said, pulling his car into a deserted gas station. Lanie looked out at the run-down building of the service station and cuddled further into the blanket. She was still perched on Noah's lap. His strength and warmth soothed her. Never before had she pictured herself as a coward, but with the threat of secret agencies and wild animals roaming about, she found that she wished she could simply disappear. After turning off the engine, the man stepped from the car. “Be right back,” he said. Lanie watched him with a critical eye as he slipped his credit card through the slot and placed the gas nozzle into the tank. Once the pump was started, he wandered over to the convenience store inside the station. He'd left the keys in the ignition, and the radio still emitted the monotonous voice of the man reading the news. Suddenly, the voice stopped and the rustling of papers could be heard. "This just in," the announcer said. "Authorities have issued a statewide all points bulletin for a highly dangerous criminal. The suspect is approximately six-feet-three and two hundred pounds, with blue eyes and sandy blond hair. The man goes by the name of Noah Carpenter and is believed to have recently abducted a local woman, Lanie Erickson, who is five-foot-six with blonde hair and hazel eyes. This suspect is considered armed and dangerous. If you see a man and woman who fit this description, please contact authorities immediately." Lanie sat up, her eyes wide. “Oh my God, Noah! Oh my God!" "Shit!” Noah exclaimed, pushing her off his lap. “Lanie, buckle up." "But—" "Don't argue with me!” He opened the car door and stepped outside, slamming it behind him. Lanie watched as he removed the gas nozzle and twisted the cap back onto the tank. He ran around the front of the car and slid into the driver's seat. "What are you doing?” she asked in a panicked voice as she reached behind her for the seatbelt. "Getting the hell out of here!” The engine roared to life as Noah clicked off the radio and put the car in drive. The tires squealed as he pealed out, barreling the car back onto the road. "But what about that nice man?” Lanie said, looking out the rear window with tears in her eyes. “We just stole his car!" "Lanie, listen to me. We can't worry about anyone but ourselves right now. Those bastards contacted the media. Christ, I should have seen this coming!” With a shaking hand, he ran his fingers through his hair. "They said you'd kidnapped me." "They'll say anything to get people to keep a lookout for us. If the public thinks you're in some kind of peril, they'll keep a sharper eye open." "But it's not true!" "They don't care if it's true! They just want us captured. They don't care where; they don't care how, and they're not going to just let you go, Lanie. You heard what the announcer said. They already know about you. I'm sure they know every little detail too, down to what type of laundry detergent you use. Probably have agents waiting at your home even as we speak in case you go back there." "I can't even go home?” she said through her tears. Noah shook his head. “No, baby, you can't. I'm so sorry to do this to you, but you have to stick with me. If the agency gets their hands on you, then..." He let the sentence hang. Lanie looked out the window through her blur of tears. She felt as if someone had just pulled the ground out from under her feet. Holy God, she truly was on the run! And she didn't even know who was chasing her. **** Lanie's stomach growled as the sun peeked over the horizon, but the thought of food made her groan and cover her mouth. She still sat in the back seat while Noah drove, cuddled deep within the warm blanket. She didn't think she'd ever stop shivering. The report on the radio had said she'd been kidnapped. Was it the truth? Ever since her accident, she'd been with this man who told her stories of a white tiger and a secret agency that sounded more like fiction than fact. However, she remembered with clarity the tiger she'd swerved to avoid on the roadway. Yet Noah had refused to take her to a hospital or even to the main road until someone—or something had begun chasing them. For all she knew, the roar in the woods had been his tiger friend. Chancing a glance at him, she didn't know what to believe. Not too long ago, she'd been wrapped within the warmth of his arms, and never before had she felt so ... safe. But perhaps her imagination was running away with her. Could it be possible that Noah was mental? He had just stolen a car, for heaven's sake. With another shiver, she glanced out the window, her mind racing. She really knew nothing about him. "Lanie?” His deep voice penetrated her thoughts. “I'm going to pull over, and I want you to get into the passenger seat. We need to check the car and see if there's anything in here that we can use." "Like what?” she asked in a small voice as her thoughts continued to race. Perhaps this was her chance to get away. "Like money or credit cards. Just something." Lanie nodded and Noah pulled over, finally bringing the car to a stop next to a snow bank. She yanked open the door and leapt out, running before her feet even touched the ground. If she could get away, perhaps she could reach the authorities herself and let them know that she was all right. If Noah was a

nutcase, she had to flee him! "Lanie!” Noah yelled after her. With a sob, she stumbled and fell face-down in the snow. In a split second, Noah landed on top of her. "What are you doing, woman?” he shouted. He allowed her to roll over but didn't get off her. She twisted and bucked, but he wouldn't be moved. Drawing a ragged breath, Lanie looked into his icy blue eyes and yelled, “I don't know what to believe!" "What are you talking about?" "Did you abduct me, Noah? Did you? You haven't let me out of your sight since you found me. You won't let me leave. I can't help but wonder if the news report was right!" "Lanie, I did not abduct you, and I'm not telling you lies! This agency is real, and we need to stay one step ahead of them. If we don't, we'll both end up back at their compound as experiments!" Once again, Lanie's head was spinning. She should have known better than to try to run away before she had fully recovered from her accident. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" He was silent a moment before he said, “That roar in the woods—I know what it was, Lanie." "You do?” she asked in a small voice. Noah nodded. “It was a black panther. His name is Tam." Her eyes widened. "Look, I know this is going to be very hard for you to understand, but I need you to just listen to me for a moment. This agency trains these animals to be hunters—to kill. And I'm not talking about a gazelle here, Lanie. I'm talking about people. They are trained to hunt and kill people." "A p—panther?” Her face twisted in disbelief. “Are you shitting me?" Noah shook his head. “I wish I was, but you have to believe me. As difficult as it was for you to believe that I am friends with a white tiger, you need to trust me when I say this is true. The agency has sent this panther after us—to track us. I know him. He's good at what he's trained to do, and we are damn lucky that we escaped him when we did." "Sweet Jesus,” she whispered. “Is your tiger one of these trained creatures too?" "Yes, but he and I escaped. Neither of us could stand the torture they put us through anymore. But the tiger is not a killer." Lanie looked into his eyes and bit her bottom lip. “Noah, please tell me you're one of the good guys. I need to know." Sitting up, Noah pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “I'm one of the good guys, Lanie. I promise you that." She was going insane. That must be what was happening. She'd wanted to flee Noah only a moment before, and now here she was hugging him in desperation, sinking into his body heat and hoping to God that he never let her go. "I know this is hard for you,” he said in her ear, “but you've got to believe me. I'll explain everything later when we have some time to breathe. But right now we need to move. We can't stay here." "I'm sorry,” Lanie said through her sniffles. "Don't apologize. I'm not even sure I believe it myself." Pulling back, she gazed into his eyes and gave him a tentative smile. He returned it, and for the first time in a long while, Lanie realized just how handsome he was. His straight nose complimented his face perfectly, and his eyes pierced hers, making her shiver once again, but not from the cold. His hair fell over his forehead, making her want to smooth it back. Lanie had no idea how long they sat there staring at each other, but Noah was the first to pull away. "Come on,” he said. “Let's get back to the car.” Offering her his hand, he pulled her up and led her to the car. Once they were both inside, Noah pulled the car back onto the mountain road. Lanie had to swallow hard to get rid of the sudden lump in her throat. She felt like an idiot for running from him. True, his story was preposterous, and she probably wouldn't have believed it—if she hadn't seen his tiger with her own two eyes. "Dig through the glove box,” he said, his deep voice suddenly washing over her. “See if you can find any money or something." With a nod, Lanie moved her shaking hand and opened the box, but she found nothing more than a repair manual and the car's registration. Digging through the center console between the driver and passenger seats, she found only a few CDs and some receipts. With a sigh, she leaned over and pulled out the ash tray, then she gasped. Tucked inside was a neatly folded twenty-dollar bill sitting atop a handful of coins. Noah grinned. “Good work." "There's got to be at least another five dollars in change here too,” she said, pulling it out to count it.

"Great! You hungry?" As if in response, Lanie's belly growled. "Guess that answers my question." She blushed, concentrating on the change in her hand. "We'll have to be quick about getting some food,” he said, glancing in his rear-view mirror. “We can't afford to stop for too long." "Where are we going?" Noah sighed as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I don't know." The low timbre of his voice made her heart flutter with fear once more. "We can't stay in Colorado, can we?" "No,” he said, glancing at her. “I don't think we can." "I have some family—" "No,” he said, his voice firm. “We are not going to put their lives in jeopardy, Lanie. We're on our own." Sucking in her breath, Lanie fought the tears that threatened to come once more. How long must she live like this? Gazing out the window, she watched the trees as they whipped by and fervently prayed that Noah was telling her the truth.

Six By the time they pulled into a McDonald's parking lot, the clock on the dash read 7:53 a.m. Lanie had to smile. "What are you smiling at?” Noah asked as he found a parking spot and killed the engine. "My father calls McDonald's ‘Scottish food'. I just think of that every time I come here." "Scottish?" "Yeah. Mac-Donald's. It's lame I know, but...” She shrugged as she let the sentence hang. Noah gazed at her and grinned. It was all she could do to hold eye contact with him. Perhaps being in his company 24/7 wasn't such a bad thing. Noah Carpenter was a hottie. "Can I trust you?” he asked after a few moments of silence. She gave him a quizzical stare. Nodding toward the restaurant, he said, “In there. Can I trust you to get us some breakfast and not go running off?" Biting her lip, Lanie glanced at her lap. She was suddenly ashamed of herself for trying to get away from him earlier. She nodded and grabbed the twenty out of the ash tray. "I have to use their restroom,” she said, “but I'll be back." "You sure?” he asked, hooking his finger under her chin and forcing her to look at him. With a trembling jaw, Lanie suddenly found that she couldn't breathe. Wow, Noah was intense. "Yes, I'm coming back,” she promised. His eyes roamed her face for a few seconds before he let her chin go, seemingly satisfied with her answer. “Okay, hurry. We can't stay in Granite Ridge for long." Without looking back, Lanie opened the car door and took a deep breath. She felt as if the weight of the world had just been lifted from her shoulders. She almost closed the door before she stopped herself. "Hey, what do you want?” she asked. "Surprise me,” he said with a wink. Lanie's heart slammed to life as she walked on limp legs toward the front door of McDonald's. She'd gone too long without a man—that had to be why she was suddenly aware of just how sexy Noah really was. But she had to ignore it. They were on the run. There wouldn't be time for anything else. Besides, did she even want to start something with him? Noah wasn't exactly the kind of guy she could take home to meet the folks. It would be stupid to think of him romantically. Squaring her shoulders, she was determined to think no more on it. She was being silly. The man was hungry and she was going to buy him breakfast. If she couldn't control her libido, well, that was her problem. **** Noah raked his hands through his hair so hard that he hurt his scalp. The car smelled of her—everywhere. His body was trembling. How long had it been since a woman had such control over him? He couldn't even remember. But her scent was almost oppressive, prompting him to pop open the trunk and climb out of the car just to see what was back there. Lanie's scent had gone from fear to shame to desire at the drop of a hat, leaving him feeling jumbled inside. His new ability to shift into a tiger also gave him a keen sense of smell—even in his human state—and he could definitely smell her moods. He'd known almost immediately the moment she'd looked at him with longing, and it had floored him. His body had reacted savagely, but he had to hide it from her. She was afraid of him already; there was no need to make her fear him even more. The animal side of him wanted to pull the car over and ravage her again and again, but his human side knew he couldn't. He couldn't afford to. Having a fling with Lanie would accomplish nothing because they wouldn't be able to continue a relationship with each other. Not with B*E*A*S*T* still out there hunting them both. And what would she think of him once she learned the truth? He wanted to keep his secret from her for as long as he could, but he knew that eventually he'd have to tell her. Things suddenly became much more complicated with his tiger side thrown into the mix. Lanie couldn't possibly understand. She'd either hate him or flee him or both. Pursuing anything with her would be nothing more than a fool's dream. He knew he couldn't keep her. But she was his to protect, and he took comfort in that. He would just have to ignore her marvelous scent and keep his instincts in check. But even as he had that thought, he could feel every nerve ending in his body demanding to make her his. The pull was strong. He just hoped his willpower was stronger. While he waited for her to come back, Noah found a small toolbox in the trunk of the car. He smiled to himself as he pulled out a screwdriver and looked around him. A few other cars were in the parking lot as well, but he chose the blue sedan with Arizona plates. Something tugged at his brain as he stared at the plate, but he couldn't quite grasp it. Like a ghost, it was almost as if a memory was fluttering on the edge of his subconscious. Damn. The image suddenly disappeared.

He removed the Arizona plate and replaced it with the Colorado plate he'd pulled off their stolen car. Just as Lanie emerged from the restaurant holding a steaming bag of food, Noah adjusted the last screw to fit the Arizona plate on their car. "What are you doing?” she asked when she walked up. "Buying us a little time,” he said. “Hopefully, the owners of that car over there won't notice I've changed the plates for a little while, and maybe the cops won't bother us. They'll be looking for a stolen car with Colorado plates, not ones from Arizona." Lanie nodded and watched as he quickly threw the tools back into the trunk then slammed it shut. "Shall we go?” he said. “We'll eat on the road." Lanie gave him a nod and climbed in. "So what'd you get me?" "A breakfast burrito and a few egg biscuits." "Mmm, my favorite." "Really?” she asked, throwing him a sidelong glance. "Honestly? I don't know. I don't remember much of my life before." "You mentioned something like that back at the cave,” Lanie said, taking a bite of her food. “What does that mean, your ‘life before'?" "I think I have amnesia." "Amnesia?" "Yeah.” Noah ate his burrito before continuing. “I can't remember anything about myself other than being with the agency. My childhood, learning how to drive, my first job—it's all gone. But sometimes I have dreams, flashes of images and feelings. Like memories I guess, but with what that agency did to me, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd deliberately taken away my memories." "But how can they do that?" "How can they do a lot of things?” he countered. “Lanie, this agency can do so much more than you've ever dreamed. If I told you everything, you wouldn't believe me." "I'm not sure I believe you now." "I rest my case,” he said with a grin. "Well, what do you remember? What is your first memory?" Noah was silent for a moment, trying to sift through the pictures in his mind. One stood out as the oldest, yet he couldn't be sure. "A white van." "A white van?” Lanie gave him a confused look. "Yeah, I know it doesn't make much sense, but that's what I remember. I remember a van and being pulled into it. I don't remember what happened to me in that van. The next thing I remember is shouting and banging. And needles. God, there was pain ... so much pain." Noah wasn't even aware of the tears in his eyes until Lanie laid her small hand on his. Having her touch him in such a comforting way sent an unexpected jolt of desire through his body, and he removed his hand to wipe his eyes. "I'm sorry,” he said, trying to smile at her and calm his racing heart at the same time. "They tortured you?” she asked in a small voice. Noah simply nodded as he drove. “Most of my memories are of pain—burning, piercing, stabbing. But, most of all, I remember my cage." Lanie gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. “Your cage?" Swallowing hard, Noah had to clear his throat. “They kept all of us in our own cages. We barely had enough room to pace back and forth. They wanted us to hate them. Damn, I don't think I've hated anyone so much in my entire life. If I have, I don't remember it." "Dear Lord, Noah!” Lanie exclaimed. “I can't believe what you've had to go through. And they tortured the animals as well?" Noah could remember all too well the tests they'd administered on him in his shifted state, and he shuddered. “Yes, on the animals as well." "And that's why you saved the tiger?" He glanced at her and held her eyes for a few silent moments. “Yes,” he said simply. "I hope he'll be all right,” she whispered. “We just left him back there in the forest." Noah concentrated on the road in front of him without saying a word. Lanie truly had no clue.

"He'll be all right,” he said finally. “I'm sure of it."

Seven Tam stepped out of the pristine black Hummer and adjusted his tie. No longer in his shifted state, he ran his human fingers through his coal-black hair and sighed. Noah had come to this gas station, he could smell him. The stench of the traitor made bile rise up in the back of Tam's throat. She'd been here too, although her scent was fainter. Perhaps she hadn't stepped out of the car they had stolen not long before. But now Tam knew her name—Lanie. Lanie Erickson. It hadn't taken the agency long to pull up files on her, and he wasn't disappointed. The woman was beautiful, and he wanted nothing more than to claim her as his own, in part to steal her from the traitor, but also because lust was riding him hard. Women were not allowed in the B*E*A*S*T* compound, probably for this very reason. The experiments themselves would want to fight each other over who would be her mate, but Tam had decided about this woman. Lanie was his. And he would take her. It wouldn't be that hard to convince the scientists that Lanie would make the perfect first female specimen. Tam was loyal; he worked hard, so he deserved her. Just the thought alone had his trousers pulling tight over his groin as he extended his hand to the older man standing next to the gas pump. "Good morning, Mr.—" "Peterson. Charles Peterson." Grasping his hand, Tam feigned a smile. He knew it must look more like a sneer, but still his Asian features relaxed and softened somewhat, revealing the handsome man he was. His dark brown eyes gazed at the man. "Thank you for calling the authorities, Mr. Peterson. My name is Agent Tam. Can you tell me what happened here?" "Well, I'd picked up two drifters and stopped here for gas not too long after. When I came out of the store, my car was gone. They stole it." "Can you tell me a bit about the people you picked up?" "Man and woman, both probably in their late twenties, early thirties. He was holding the woman in his arms. Said they'd gotten into an accident and their car went off the road." "So you simply thought they needed a ride to town?" "Yes." Pursing his lips, Tam resisted the urge to shift and tear this man's throat out. The pull to do it was so strong that he had to turn away. Ever since he'd been altered into his new existence, he craved the taste of blood. Human blood. His belly lurched. "Did they tell you their names?" "No, they were pretty much silent. The woman sat on his lap the whole time, which I thought was strange, but I believe she was cold. They wrapped up in the blanket I keep in the trunk." Tam growled at the thought of the traitor touching what was his. “What kind of car do you drive?” he asked the man. "It's a 2002 four-door tan Acura with Colorado plates—109RLG. Don't you want to write this stuff down, Agent Tam?" Whirling back toward the older man, Tam lifted the side of his mouth and couldn't stop his fangs from growing. The emptiness in his belly consumed him. He needed to feed. Now. Charles Peterson took a step back with a look of horror. His screams echoed all around them as Tam shifted into a black panther before his eyes. Like lightning, Tam tackled the man, sinking his sharp teeth deep into his throat and savoring the pulse of warm blood in his mouth as he ripped the soft flesh to ribbons. It had been much too long since he'd had a warm meal. Tam ate his fill. **** "How much gas do we have?” Lanie asked as she laid her head back on the seat. "About half a tank,” Noah replied. “We left that gas station before the tank was full." After a moment of silence, Lanie asked, “What are we going to do for money?" "We'll have to steal some, I guess." She gasped. “We've already stolen this car; we don't need to steal anything else! I have some money if we could just get to a bank—" "Lanie, if the authorities are looking for us, that's probably not a very good idea. They have cameras in banks. Not to mention that any transactions by you are traceable, and it's a safe bet that the agency has already flagged all your accounts." "Good Lord, Noah. Then what are we going to do? We can't keep running and stealing!" "I don't know. I wasn't planning on..." "What?" "Well, to tell you the truth, I wasn't planning on having company. If I was by myself, I could have stayed in the forest, lived off the land."

"So all of this is my fault?” Lanie looked at him in disbelief. "No, of course not!” he snapped. “But now you're with me, and plans need to be changed. We have to think about what we're going to do." "We're not going to get very far on a half tank of gas.” Lanie folded her arms in irritation. Noah sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. The sun inched higher in the sky as he drove, leaving the town of Granite Ridge far behind them. "So we're headed south?” Lanie asked a few minutes later. "We're headed wherever this road leads us. I have no idea where we're going." "Could I maybe call my mom? Have her get some money for us?" "I told you we cannot involve your family. They're being watched as well. The agency will not harm them unless it's obvious that we've made contact. I cannot take that risk. I've already ruined your..." "My what? My life?" Noah didn't answer but gave her a sidelong glance. She had to rub her arms to rid herself of the goose bumps that rose from that look. "You ... you said this agency tortured animals. What kind of animals do they have there?" "All kinds." "Like what—besides the obvious tiger and panther? Did they raid a zoo?" Noah cracked a smile. “I have no idea where they obtained their specimens, but there are all sorts of animals they experiment on. Hawks, bears, cougars, wolves ... hell, I've even seen a few sharks there." "Sharks?" Nodding, he swallowed hard at the memory. “Yeah." "Whatever happened to doing tests on lab rats? Sounds like these guys are only into predators." "They are." "Well, what do they do with the men? You said there were other men there too. What do the experiments between the animals and the men have to do with each other?" "I didn't ask,” he said, making her sigh loudly. A few minutes of silence passed as Lanie continued to stare out the window. She had a feeling that Noah wasn't quite telling her the entire story. However, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it either. The fact that they were doing their experiments on predators told her that they weren't simply testing cosmetics. This agency, whoever they were, was doing something big—something they'd kill to keep secret. Just remembering that they'd sent a panther to track them in the woods made her shiver once again. Closing her eyes, she tried hard to keep the tears at bay this time. "We're going to have to change your looks." Noah's deep voice filled the car and made her nipples pucker under her sweater in response. Damn, she had no hope of getting her libido under control around him. "What do you mean?” she asked, breathless. "We'll have to get you some hair color, maybe a cut as well." "You want to cut my hair?” Lanie said, fingering her long, golden locks. "You stand out too much with that pretty hair, baby. We're gonna have to change it." Lanie's breath caught in her throat, and she didn't know if it was due to him suggesting that she color her hair or because he'd just called her baby. She cracked her window open just a bit to allow the cool mountain air into the cabin of the car. He looked at her and winked. “I've always had a thing for redheads." She couldn't help but chuckle. It released some of her tension as she looked back at him. "What about you? Don't you need a change?" "Yeah, I do,” he said, scrubbing his own sandy blond mane. “How do you feel about brunettes?" "Well, it's a shame to cover this up,” she said, reaching out to touch his hair. “It looks so good on you." Noah's gaze pierced hers, and she could hardly breathe. Pulling away her hand as if she'd touched a flame, she cleared her throat and pretended to adjust her coat. "Yes, well,” she said, “there's nothing wrong with tall, dark, and handsome." She couldn't look at him again. What had come over her? Why had she touched him? Lanie couldn't stop shaking. She hid her hands by once again

crossing her arms in front of her. "I'm thinking of growing a beard as well,” he said, probably to make conversation. "Just keep it short,” Lanie said, looking at the dashboard as if it were the most important thing in the world. "Oh? Why is that?” he asked. "Because there's nothing worse than a scruffy beard on a..." "On a what?” he prodded. Lanie blushed but continued. “On a good-looking man." "Ah, you think I'm good-looking?" "I must admit you're easy on the eyes, Mr. Carpenter. But don't go getting any ideas." That sentence hung in the air as they drove. After what seemed an eternity, Noah said, “Why don't you lean your seat back and try to get some rest? I know you're tired." She was exhausted. Rest sounded so wonderful. Taking him up on his suggestion, she adjusted the seat and closed her eyes with a contented sigh. She could have sworn she heard Noah respond with a groan. She didn't dare open her eyes to find out.

Eight Damn. Noah gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles went white. Being on the run with Lanie was going to be harder than he'd first thought. Here it was barely a full day since he'd saved her from her accident, and already he could feel his manhood swelling beneath his torn jeans. She'd leaned back in the seat like he'd suggested, and now her breasts strained against the light-blue sweater under her jacket. It was all he could do to keep his eyes on the road. She wasn't sleeping, and he knew she was wary of him. Wary and aroused herself. Lanie had admitted that she found him a handsome man, and her light touch on his hair had almost made him pull over the car. Just as she'd lamented hiding his hair with color, he hated to do the same to her. Her blonde hair was glorious, almost like spun gold, and Noah's hands gripped the wheel tighter at the thought of running his fingers through it. It was hard fighting his animal instincts, the ones that demanded he simply take her as his mate. But he knew that couldn't be done. Licking his lips, he realized he was trembling. If she could smell him as he smelled her, she'd know exactly how aroused he was. Noah couldn't even remember the last time he'd been with a woman. How long had it been? In an effort to take his mind off Lanie next to him, he bit his lip and attempted to remember something—anything—about his life before. Concentrating on a woman, he searched his memories for something familiar, something that would tell him about himself. Flickers teased his brain as he tried to remember. Had he ever been in love? Did he have many girlfriends? A wife? In a flash, he smelled roses and saw a glimpse of long black hair. But as soon as it came, it left him. "Shit,” he whispered under his breath. "Are you all right, Noah?” Lanie asked. Glancing down at her, he saw her eyes were merely cracked open. She was so damn sexy at the moment that he had to look away. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just fine,” he said, hearing for himself the tension in his voice. “I'm just trying to remember ... anything about myself." "No luck?" "I think I remember a woman's black hair, but that's about all." "Well, that's great. Maybe you're starting to get your memory back." "Maybe,” he said, “but every time I try, I hit a brick wall. And whenever I feel something with a tug of familiarity, it's gone before I can hold on to it. Like earlier at the restaurant, I had the same feeling with the Arizona plates." "Maybe you used to live there, or maybe you have family there." "It's possible, I guess." "Since we're already heading south, we could make our way to Arizona, and maybe some more memories will come to you." Noah scratched his head. “That's not a bad idea." "No, it's not,” Lanie said with a grin. “We might be on the run, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to find out who you are." "As long as we do it discreetly, Lanie.” He gave her another sidelong glance. “We don't want to get caught." He watched as she shuddered and pulled the edges of her jacket together. “No, we definitely don't want that." "How are you feeling?” he asked after a few moments of silence. "Like there is a herd of wild horses pounding on my skull. You?" "Good, actually.” He wasn't about to tell her about his raging hard-on. “I'm wondering how we're going to get money to buy food." "Don't think I'm going to go all Bonnie-and-Clyde with you, because I'm not.” She gave him a defensive glare. "Don't worry about that. I'm not thinking about knocking over any banks. Too high profile." "Thank God for small favors." Glancing at her, he saw a small smile curving her lips. He chuckled himself. “Looks like we're going to hit another town in about twenty-five miles or so. We'll find a grocery store and see if we can get some hair color and maybe some more money." Lanie stayed silent. "We'll have to ditch this car soon." "I thought you said we'd be buying some time with these new plates,” she said, sitting up in the seat. "We did, but not for long. I'm sure the cops have a description of this car by now, and they might even anticipate a plate swap. As soon as the owners of that car back at McDonald's realize that those aren't their plates, the police will know we have theirs, and soon they'll be all over us." "I don't like stealing cars,” she said in a small voice.

"Neither do I, baby, but we've got to stay ahead of the bad guys." He just hoped to God that they could. **** Lanie rubbed her palms on her jeans to get rid of the moisture. He'd called her baby again. She couldn't keep her traitorous body from responding to it. She was shaking with desire and had to cross her arms to hide her puckering nipples. She didn't know what it was about him, but Noah was unbelievably sexy. Perhaps it was her fear that made her so desperate, driving her to crave intimacy with the one person who knew what she was going through. Maybe she merely wanted comfort, and being in his arms had definitely comforted her. But lusting after a man she barely knew was foreign to her. Usually she was very leery of men, wondering about their intentions and not wanting to get too close too fast, because a lasting relationship didn't always spring from spontaneous sex. But, damn, she wanted some spontaneity with Noah. He had a wild side to him, untamed and ruthless. She knew it was there, even though he took pains to hide it from her. Perhaps it was merely a reaction to his torture that made him that way. Thinking about someone torturing this Adonis in the car with her made her anger rise to the fore. Noah was such a nice, considerate man that even the thought of him enduring such pain made her stomach churn. He never spoke of the specific things they'd done to him, but she was sure she didn't want to know. Maybe her desire sprang from wanting to comfort him. The man was on the run, after all. Lanie knew he shivered at the thought of getting caught by the agency, of having to endure the pain all over again. She couldn't let that happen. Then a thought occurred to her, and she gasped. Noah looked at her in concern. "You okay?" "Are you sure this agency wants to recapture you, Noah?" "What do you mean?" "Well, you said yourself that they train animals to desire the taste of human blood. If they sent a panther to hunt you down, they might just want to kill you instead." "They're not going to kill me,” he whispered. "How do you know?" "Because ... I'm worth a lot of money to them. They're not going to throw that away. They have ways of making a person forget their life before—they did it to me once already. It's obvious it didn't quite take the first time since I can still see glimpses of memories, but if I'm ever caught, they'll do it again." "They'd mind-wipe you so you won't remember anything?" "Nothing except for what they want me to remember." "You would forget me.” Lanie whispered the words, not even realizing she'd said them aloud. Without warning, Lanie felt Noah's strong hand on hers. The contact of his skin sent sharp jolts of electricity to every corner of her body. She looked into his icy-blue eyes as she laced her fingers through his. His eyes darkened, making her skin tingle. "Then let's make sure that never happens,” he told her. She could do no more than nod. If she opened her mouth, she'd lean over and kiss him senseless.

Nine They entered the town of Hillsdale, exiting the highway in search of a grocery store. Once they found the market, Noah pulled into the parking lot and found a stall not too far from the entrance. "Okay, Lanie, take whatever money we have left and go buy some hair color for both of us. We don't need more heat on us by stealing them.” Rummaging through the center console, he pulled out an old rubber band. “Here, put your hair back with this and take off your jacket." Lanie did has she was told while her heart thundered in her throat. "I don't know if I can do this,” she whispered, glancing at the door of the market as if she were going to enter the gates of Hell. "Sure you can,” he said with a grin. “Haven't you ever bought something from the store before?" "Yeah, but—" "Don't worry, Lanie,” he said, his voice lowering an octave. “I wouldn't send you in if I didn't think things were safe here. Besides, you'll be in and out before anyone realizes who you are. And with your hair back, maybe they won't remember you quite as you're described in the news. I'd do this for you, but I'm afraid that my build and my hair would stick out in people's memories, not to mention my ratty clothing." Lanie sighed but nodded. “All right." "But I'm going to take us to a different store to find a purse,” he said. “I don't want to be too obvious by stealing a purse from the same store we just bought something from." Swallowing her racing heart, she opened the passenger door and climbed out of the car. She tried her hardest to stay calm, to look like any other woman would on her way to the store. It wasn't hard to find the hair care products once she was inside, and Lanie mulled about in the aisle. "Can I help you find anything today, ma'am?” a man's voice asked from behind her. She wasn't prepared for it and jumped, coming face to face with a teenaged boy in a red vest and a name tag that read Mark. "Oh, no thank you,” she replied. “I'm just looking." He smiled and nodded, walking back down the aisle to leave her in peace. Placing one hand over her chest, she felt her blood pulsing in her veins. "Dear Lord, I've got to calm down,” she whispered to herself. Grabbing a box of auburn for her and chocolate brown for Noah, she walked back down the aisle and stopped unexpectedly. Right there in front of her was a display of assorted condoms. Lanie blushed. But, glancing at them, she had to wonder. Being alone with Noah for who knew how long, day after day would wear on her. And if she'd correctly interpreted the looks he'd given her a few times, she knew he wasn't as unaffected as he'd like it to seem. Perhaps buying a box wasn't out of the question. But each box of hair color was five dollars—ten dollars together plus the seven she'd spent on breakfast left them with about eight dollars. The condoms were over ten. Damn. She didn't want to spend the money, but she didn't want to leave the store without protection either, just in case something did happen between her and Noah. She could compromise and buy cheaper hair color, but she didn't want to fry her hair. Besides, they needed what little money they had to buy dinner in case they didn't find someone's purse to snatch. Glancing down the aisle to the left and to the right, Lanie made a snap decision. Grabbing one of the condom boxes, she ripped it open and poured out the contents into her hand. She took about half the condoms and stuffed them into her pocket before replacing the box on the display behind another one to hide it. Lanie pulled her sweater over her pants to hide any telltale bulges and walked to the checkout with the hair color. "Will that be all for you today?” the friendly checker asked. Nodding, Lanie smiled and hoped it looked genuine. She felt as if police officers with their guns drawn would greet her at the door. When her purchases were safe within a bag, Lanie walked back out to the car. It was hard not to break into a run. Once she was inside the car, Noah started the engine and pulled back out onto the road. “Got the color?” he asked. "Yeah. Yeah I did,” she answered, still trying to catch her breath. Never in her life had she shoplifted, and now that she was on the run, she had her first taste of it. But not for something she needed to survive, for condoms for heaven's sake. With a groan, she closed her eyes and beat the back of her head against the seat. Noah was going to be the death of her. **** Glancing at Lanie with her eyes closed, Noah noticed her cheeks were flushed and her breathing came in short gasps. "Are you all right?” he asked, concern lacing his voice. Lanie nodded and licked her lips. “Yeah, sure. I'm great. I'm just so glad to be back in the car with you."

Noah's heart slammed to life at her words. Damn. His hands were shaking. He clutched the steering wheel to hide them. "You are?” he said lamely. "God, yes,” she said, opening her eyes and sitting up in the seat. “I felt like I was on display in there. Like someone was going to jump me." Flashing her a grin, he said, “You didn't steal anything, did you?" She gasped and gave him a damning glare. “What?" He shrugged. “It's just that sometimes a person's guilty conscience can get in the way of things." "I didn't steal anything.” With a pretty pout, she crossed her arms on her chest. "All right, all right. I didn't mean to offend you." "I'm not offended,” she said after a short pause. “I just felt so vulnerable. It's not every day a girl hears she's being hunted by a black panther and a ruthless secret agency. I feel like I'm the star of one of those Hollywood thriller movies." "Or in a bad dream and you can't wake up,” he offered. "Exactly." A few moments of silence descended on them as they drove. Finally, Noah said, “Well, I guess I should try to find another store to lift someone's purse." "I really don't like the idea of stealing some poor woman's purse, Noah." "Well, what other choice do we have?" Suddenly, Lanie's mouth dropped open. “Noah, go back. Turn around. Turn the car around!" "What? Why?" "Just do it!” she yelled. With a sigh, he complied, wondering what it was that she'd seen. "Turn in here,” she said, pointing to a small parking lot next to a brick building. The sign on the store said Craig's Pawn Shop. "What are we doing?" "Look, there are about ten CDs in this center console and tools in the trunk, right?" Furrowing his brow, Noah nodded. “Yes." "We can hock them!" "Really?” Noah stared at her and tried not to think of how beautiful she was when her eyes lit up. "I had a friend a long time ago who used to hock anything she could for extra money. Pawn shops don't just take jewelry." "How much do you think we can get?" "I don't know. Enough for dinner I'm hoping. Help me round it all up." Noah got out of the car and opened the trunk. He pulled out the small Craftsman toolbox and handed it to Lanie as she joined him at the rear of the car. In her arms she held the CDs. "Wish me luck,” she said with a grin. Glancing around the parking lot, Noah ran his hands through his hair a few times before he stepped back into the car, this time in the passenger seat. It was Lanie's turn to drive as far as he was concerned. He needed to rest. He hoped she would be able to get some good money. Pawning what they could was definitely preferable to stealing some lady's purse. After almost fifteen minutes, he wondered if he should go in after her. Did it take this long to hock something? He had no idea. He nervously glanced back at the road a few times, thinking in the back of his mind that the cops were going to drive up in force at any moment. Another five minutes passed before Lanie finally emerged with a large grin pasted on her face. Noah couldn't help but grin back. Climbing into the driver's seat, she reached behind her for the belt buckle. "So? How'd you make out?" "I got a hundred and fifty bucks." "A hundred and fifty?” he shrieked, unable to contain his giddiness. "Yeah! He gave me seven dollars for each of the CDs because they were in such good shape, and he wanted to give me only fifty for the tools, but I managed to find my inner actress." "What do you mean?"

"I told him I'd just broken up with my boyfriend, and these were the last of his things. I even had tears in my eyes, although I don't know where they came from. Maybe the stress, I don't know. But I managed to talk him up to eighty dollars for the tools, can you believe that?" "Baby, that's awesome!” he exclaimed, framing her face in his hands. It wasn't anything he had planned. In fact, it was more like instinct that had made him do it, but before he realized what was happening, his mouth swooped down and closed over hers. **** Lanie couldn't have been any more shocked if Noah had reached over and slapped her. She sat still for a few agonizing moments as his lips caressed hers, marveling at the tingling she felt racing up and down her spine. Suddenly her limbs were like jelly, and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Noah was kissing her! With a soft sigh, Lanie's own hands found his face, only to thread up into his hair. He groaned, and instantly her skin ached for his touch. She couldn't believe how much she wanted to feel every inch of him pressed against her, and she tried to scoot closer to him on the seat. As if he'd read her mind, he opened his mouth at the exact moment she opened hers, slipping his tongue inside while one of his hands held the back of her head. Lanie answered him in kind, sliding her tongue along his and whimpering in answer to his growls. Hot damn, was the car going up in smoke? Noah's hands pulled her even closer, his eagerness to have her pressed against him apparent in his firm grip. It was almost painful the way he clutched her so hard, but she wasn't complaining. Her fingers clenched into fists in his hair, giving him back some of the pleasure-pain he was giving her. He pulled away, panting against her neck. "Noah?” she asked, breathless as well. "Shit, Lanie. I'm so sorry." "Why?” she asked before she could think about her words. "Because...” His voice trailed off as she nuzzled his ear. "Because you kissed me?” she whispered. Her hands were still in his hair, and she wasn't about to pull away first. "We don't have time for this, Lanie. Getting involved on the run—it's madness. We can't afford to do something we might regret." "Why would we regret it?” She gave him feather-soft kisses along his cheek. Noah pulled back just enough to pin her with his icy-blue stare. “Christ, Lanie. You don't know how hard it is to resist kissing you again." Lanie didn't give him a choice in the matter; she simply pulled him to her and kissed him once more. Instantly their tongues danced, thrilling her with his wet fire. Noah's warm palm was suddenly under her sweater as he stroked the bare skin of her belly, making her pull back from his mouth in order to breathe. "We've got to stop, baby,” he said, looking as if her were being tortured again. “This can't go any further. If you keep kissing me like this, I'm going to take you right here in the parking lot." His words made her gasp at his audacity, yet her insides jumped at the thought of the image he'd summoned. Lanie knew without a doubt that if she made love to Noah it would be the best sex she'd ever had. He would be rough with her—his lovemaking as untamed as he was—and that excited her beyond reason. "You think being on the run for who knows how long will get any easier?” she asked. “We're attracted to each other, Noah. That much is obvious." "It will complicate things.” His hand was still resting on her heated skin underneath her sweater. “We don't know anything about each other." Stroking his hair, she said, “You're the man who saved me twice from death. Once when your tiger friend saved me from my accident, and once from a horrid black panther. I feel so safe with you. I just ... I just want to be surrounded by you. Filled with you.” Lanie swallowed hard at her own words. Never before had she been so bold with a man. Noah grabbed her hair and pulled her close until their noses touched. “Don't say such words to me, woman.” He growled low in his throat. “I can barely control myself right now as it is." "Then lose control,” she whispered, caressing his cheek. Noah stared hard at her for a few moments before he grunted and released her, easing back into his seat. “You don't know what you're asking, Lanie.” With an irritated sigh, he rubbed his eyes. “It's your turn to drive. Let's get out of here and find some food. I'm starving." Lanie sat there with her mouth open, shocked at his sudden dismissal of her. She had never been tossed aside so quickly before—and without a thought! She'd just bared her soul to him, practically begged him to have sex with her right there in the car, and he'd turned her down flat. Fighting the tears in her eyes, Lanie tried hard not to feel like a piece of trash. Turning the key in the ignition, the car's engine roared to life. She pulled back onto the road, and opened the window a crack to cool her cheeks. She had to wipe her eyes of the offending tears, and she hoped to God that Noah didn't notice.

Ten "Do you know where they're going?" Tam sniffed the air, turning his attention once more to the cop who had spoken to him. It was twilight, the sun having just set mere minutes before, and the town of Granite Ridge was getting ready for another storm. Dark clouds loomed in the sky with the promise of snow hanging in the air. "Well, now,” Tam said, turning his dark eyes on the man in uniform, “this new turn of events is most interesting. I can't say I know for sure where they're headed, but I've got a good idea." Lifting the Colorado license plate in his hand, he once again read the letters: 109RLG. Noah had the foresight to change the plates on his stolen car, but the ones he'd stolen from the blue sedan were from Arizona. The local authorities had already been informed to keep their eyes open for a tan Acura with stolen Arizona plates. It shouldn't be too hard to find him now. But even if they didn't, Tam knew where he was going. The traitor's first mind wipe hadn't taken completely. Everyone at B*E*A*S*T* knew that he could sometimes see flashes of memories from his life before. Those flashes were what had ultimately led to his escape from the compound, so perhaps seeing a license plate from Arizona had triggered his memory. He'd lived there during his life before, after all. With his memories returning, Tam knew Noah would try as hard as he could to find out who he used to be, and Tam would be there to pounce when he made a wrong move. Not only to claim his victory over the traitor, but to claim his mate as well. Tam growled low with satisfaction, his eyes flashing gold in the dim light. The cop took a step back at the sight, making Tam smile. Fortunately for Colorado's finest, Tam's belly was already full. **** "Mr. and Mrs. Jones?” Lanie said irritably, opening the motel room door with a tarnished 9 nailed to it. “Might as well have said ‘Hi, we're on the run and we have stupid aliases. Please call the police.’” Lanie crossed the small room and turned on the lamp by the queen-sized bed, then she folded her arms over her chest. Faded green shag carpet lined the floor, and sagging wicker chairs adorned either side of a small round table near the window. A modest dresser was on the opposite wall from the bed, with a thirteen-inch television perched on it. Lanie wondered if the thing even broadcasted in color. Noah slammed the door behind him, making her jump. She gave him a withering look as he locked it. "What, so people aren't named Jones in the world?” he snapped, obviously irritated himself. "No, I'm just saying you could have thought of something better." "I didn't see you offering any advice." "Yeah, well, I didn't realize we'd have to lie to get a room." "So you thought we'd be okay using our real names? And you're mad at me?” He gave her an incredulous look. "No, numb-nuts, I obviously wouldn't have used our real names, just something more ... incognito than Jones." Noah snorted and turned away, placing the bag with the hair color on the bed. “Seems to me that something like Mr. and Mrs. Culpepper would have aroused even more suspicion." Lanie sat on the bed, bouncing a few times to test its firmness. "Besides,” Noah said in a softer voice, “the guy at the front desk probably thinks we're just lovers looking for a room." "As if,” Lanie said under her breath. She stood and grabbed her box of auburn color from the bag. “I'll be in the bathroom." Closing the door behind her, Lanie took her first real look at herself in awhile. She sighed at what she saw in the mirror, thankful that she'd be taking a shower soon. She placed the box on the counter and took off her sweater to avoid getting it stained. Gazing at herself again, she dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the condoms she'd stolen from the store. There were about six of them in her hand. Lanie couldn't help but chuckle at herself. How presumptuous of her to believe Noah might want to make love with her. The man had certainly doused the flames earlier, and her eyes watered at the memory. Never before had she been kissed so savagely, and Lanie couldn't believe how much she'd liked it. In the past, men had been passionate and sometimes demanding with their kisses, but never wild, never unbridled like Noah had been. She groaned and made a fist, lamenting that she'd stolen the condoms for nothing. Noah had made that quite clear. Lanie pulled out the trash can from under the counter and tossed them in with a sigh of regret. Turning back to the mirror, she took out her aggressions on mixing the hair chemicals. It was hard applying the color to her scalp with tears in her eyes. **** Noah stood just on the other side of the bathroom door, caressing it with his palm. His forehead leaned against the cool wood, and he closed his eyes, trying to calm his raging lust. Kissing Lanie had scorched him, burned him from the inside out. He had been a hairsbreadth away from pulling her across his lap and taking what she'd offered. But he hadn't. Now, as he stood there, he could hear her every sniffle, and her muted scent was one of utter disappointment. It floored him to think she wanted him so

badly, but, then again, he wanted her as well. Lanie was a beautiful woman, but she was also smart and independent even though she was under his protection. Just thinking of her coming to harm had his hackles raised. The pungent aroma of chemicals filled the air as Noah eased back to the bed. He sat on the edge and stayed there, staring off into space. He had no idea how long they would be on the run or where they could hide. Tam wasn't an idiot. He was probably trying to second guess where they were even now. They'd driven to a gas station and bought cheap hot dogs for dinner, using only a few dollars to put gas in the tank. Noah knew they'd have to ditch the car soon, so he hadn't wanted to waste all their money by filling the tank. But now those hot dogs sat in his belly like lead weights. He could have been having a pleasant evening. He could have been making love to Lanie right this very moment, hearing her moans and fevered pleas as she begged him to plunge deep into her heat... Groaning, Noah lay back on the blanket and stared at the ceiling. This was for the best. It had to be. Lanie wouldn't want to be involved with a man who could shift into a tiger. How could she ever understand? But that thought didn't stop the pain he felt as his erection demanded to be set free from his jeans. "Damn it,” he whispered, trying hard to ignore the sounds of the shower turning on. His mind went wild, imagining Lanie naked—her soft skin, her perfect breasts begging for his tongue. It was all he could do not to break down the bathroom door and join her in the hot shower spray.

Eleven Lanie emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. Keeping her eyes on the carpet, she moved across the room, setting her shoes by the front door. "You look nice,” Noah said, his voice coming from the direction of the bed. "I look weird,” she answered. Her golden locks were now a deep shade of auburn, a color she'd never had in her hair before. It was odd seeing herself in the mirror with such dark hair. "I like it." Chancing a glance at him, her breath caught at the look he gave her. In that moment, he reminded her of a predator himself, one who was looking at his prey. Coughing nervously behind her hand, she tucked her damp hair behind her ears. "Thanks." Noah stood suddenly, and Lanie took a step back in spite of herself. Her heart raced and she didn't know why. It wasn't as if he were going to pounce on her and pull her down on the bed, although the thought of it was appealing. Without another word, he grabbed his own box of hair color and looked back at her. "While I'm in the bathroom, keep the door locked and don't open it for any reason. Keep the curtains shut on the window, and if you watch TV, make sure the volume is low." "All right,” she told him with a nod. He stood there for a moment before he retreated into the bathroom. Lanie took a deep breath and rubbed her arms to get rid of the sudden goose bumps that sprang up. Intense was too tame a word to describe Noah. He did crazy things to her insides. Having him in the other room relieved her somewhat. Taking a few pillows off the bed, Lanie dropped them on the floor for him and pulled the coverlet off the mattress. Another blanket was underneath it on the bed, and Lanie knew she'd be warm enough. Laying the coverlet on the floor, she smiled at her handiwork. Noah had insisted on sleeping on the floor, and she wasn't going to fight him for it. In fact, she barely felt any remorse for his having to lie on the shag carpet all night long. Lanie smiled. A small, petty revenge it may be, but that didn't stop her from plopping on the bed with a sigh and a grin. Pulling the remaining blanket over her, she couldn't believe how tired she was. It had been a while since she'd had a good rest, and the bed was so comfortable. Within moments, she was asleep. **** Noah couldn't believe his own reflection. Lanie had been right. Weird was indeed how he would describe his new look. He had to smile when he thought of her cute little pout as she'd said the word, so very alluring. He wasn't even sure she knew she was pouting. But all he'd been able to think about was kissing those pursed lips. He'd bounded from the bed, fully intent on crossing the room and tasting her once more, but he'd succeeded in stopping himself. Now, as he ran his fingers through his newly brunette hair, he sighed in frustration. What the hell was he going to do? Lanie was right; they were powerfully attracted to each other, and denying that attraction was going to lead to many sleepless nights, of that he was sure. Maybe if he just told her the truth... No, God no. He couldn't do that. She'd fear him. She'd run away in terror, perhaps getting herself captured, or worse, killed in the process. Gathering the empty chemical bottles, he placed them back in the box and pulled out the trash can under the counter. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. Were those ... condoms? Reaching into the can, he found six of them, still perfectly sealed in their wrappers. Where had they come from? Could they have been left over from the previous tenants of this room? He didn't think so. The maids would have been thorough in cleaning up after them. That only left one alternative—Lanie. It made sense; she'd looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar after she'd emerged from the grocery store. He hadn't thought much of it then, but now, as he gazed at the condoms in his hand, he knew the truth of it. She'd stolen them. No wonder she'd been so eager to make love with him! All at once, every inch of his skin demanded her touch. If Lanie had wanted him badly enough to lift some condoms, then he'd have to be very careful around her from now on. But she'd thrown them in the trash. He didn't blame her. He'd pulled away rather abruptly after their kiss, and her silent tears hadn't been lost on him. Stuffing the condoms into his pocket, Noah damned himself for his weakness. Lanie was just too tempting. Better to be safe with the condoms than sorry without them. He opened the door and emerged, wondering if he should simply cave and make love with her tonight. Sleeping on the bed curled against her naked body sounded much more enticing than a night on the hard floor by himself. Just the thought had his pants growing tight. But the scene that greeted him made him smile with tenderness. Lanie was asleep, sprawled under the blanket on the bed with the lamplight shining right in her face. She was so exhausted that apparently she didn't care about the glare. And she'd made his bed on the floor before conking out herself. Padding softly to the bed, Noah leaned over and smoothed the hair away from her forehead gently. He gave her a soft kiss on her smooth skin and turned off the light. "Noah?” she moaned in her sleep, her eyes fluttering.

Stroking her cheek, Noah whispered, “Go back to sleep, baby. You're safe. I'm here." "Don't leave me,” she said, so softly that he had to strain to hear it. "Not a chance, lady. You're stuck with me." Lanie rolled over, heaving what sounded like a contented sigh. With a grin, Noah eased onto his makeshift bed on the floor. Listening to Lanie's steady breathing, he finally drifted off himself. **** "Anthony!" Noah turned to see a woman with long black hair running toward him. A wide grin was on her face as she rushed forward, holding her skirt up high. "Anthony, you're home!" His heart burst within him at the sight of her, and he opened his arms wide. Crashing into his embrace, the woman hugged him fiercely. "I missed you so much,” she whispered in his ear. "I missed you too, babe,” he heard himself say. She smelled of roses as he inhaled her scent, a sudden calm washing over him. Tilting back her head, he kissed her, roving his tongue in her mouth and savoring her sweet sighs. "Oh, when can we get married?” she asked, pulling away just far enough for him to look into her expressive green eyes. Her fingers ran through his hair. “When can I be Mrs. Anthony Mercer?" "Soon, sweetheart, I promise." Those words echoed in his head as Noah sat up, disoriented. Looking around him, he saw he was still lying on the floor of the hotel room, with Lanie sound asleep on the bed next to him. Damn, that dream had been vivid. Who was the woman? And who the hell was Anthony Mercer? Noah stood from his blanket and wandered into the bathroom. He splashed water on his face, then he ran his hands through his hair. He felt as if he should know the woman's name, but no matter how hard he tried, it eluded him. She called him Anthony. Had he just been dreaming, or was it a memory? The details of her face were fading now, and he could barely remember the color of her eyes. Green weren't they? He wasn't sure. "Damn it!” he hissed. Sauntering back out into the room, he crawled under the blanket once more and stared at the ceiling. Not being able to remember a damn thing was frustrating. Looking at the ring finger of his left hand, he didn't see the mark of a ring. Was he married? The woman in his dream had asked about a wedding. Had she been his wife? With a sigh, Noah rolled over and punched his pillow a few times. His anger demanded that he shift and kill something. The thought of it made him sick. He'd told Lanie that the tiger wasn't a killer, but that wasn't altogether true. He'd been trained to kill just as Tam had, just as all the others. But his memories of his life before made him different. At least he hoped so. The need to shift was so strong that it was like an intense itch he couldn't scratch. Rolling a few times, Noah shuddered, hating himself for what he was. How could anyone ever love him? He was nothing more than a monster.

Twelve With a stretch and a sigh, Lanie rolled over and cracked open her eyes. She was warm under the blanket as she looked around the darkened room and read the time on the digital clock on the bedside table. It was eight fifteen. Just a sliver of sunlight filtered in through the heavy drapes on the window, doing little to illuminate the room. Noah's soft breathing drifted up to her on the bed. He was still sleeping. Leaning over the side of the bed, she glanced down at him. He lay on his belly with both arms tucked under his pillow. He wasn't wearing his ratty T-shirt, and she had a front-row seat to his wide, muscular back. She lay there and admired him for a few blissful moments, lamenting that he wasn't sleeping with her in the bed. Stubborn man. She knew damn good and well that he wanted her. Why did he fight it so much? Hell, she should be the one beating him off. Lanie didn't exactly make it a habit of falling into bed with any man she met. Usually, she kept them at arm's length for a good long time. Getting your heart broken by a cheating jackass will do that to you. But here she was, saddened over the fact that Noah had pushed her away. She supposed she understood why, as they really didn't have any time to worry about a relationship when other things were already escalating around them. Noah's newly brown hair seemed odd on him but didn't diminish his looks. He'd be sexy with any hair color. All Lanie wanted to do was run her fingers through it as she had the day before. Just thinking about his passionate kiss had her body tightening, and she suddenly found her clothing abrasive against her skin. Noah shifted on his pillow but continued to sleep, and that's when Lanie spotted something on the back of his neck that looked like a tattoo. Leaning in closer, she could see that it was a tattoo, but an odd one. "B*E*A*S*T* #121,” she whispered. What the heck kind of tattoo is that? And on the back of his neck? It was right at the bottom of his hairline, so if he grew his hair long, it wouldn't even be noticeable. Nothing else was on his neck, just that strange, small tattoo. Maybe she'd ask him about it when he woke up. It looked like some kind of acronym. Did B*E*A*S*T* stand for something? Had the agency put that mark on him? If they had, perhaps he didn't have any recollection of it. Her belly growled, and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since the hotdog she'd had the previous night. After that amazing kiss with Noah, she hadn't felt like eating much of anything. Her belly had been roiling at the time. Now it was protesting, and loudly at that. Lanie blushed when a particularly loud growl woke him. He rolled over and looked up at her, giving her such a sexy grin that she had to look away. The man obviously had no idea what he was doing to her with his hooded eyes and bare chest. "Good morning,” he said as he stretched. “How'd you sleep?" "Like a baby. You?" "Crappy. Had bad dreams all night." "I'm sorry.” And she was, too. After all he'd been through, he at least deserved some solace in his sleep. "You hungry?” he asked, running his hands through his hair. Lanie's mouth watered, but it wasn't for food. “Uh, yeah, I am." "Well, let's get a move on then,” he said. “We've got to ditch that car today and find us a new one. I have no doubt that the owners of that sedan I stole the plates from have alerted the cops by now." Chills raced up her spine, and she shuddered. Being reminded that they were on the run worked wonders on her raging libido. She felt as if a bucket of ice water had just been poured on her head. She got up from the bed and put on her shoes, then she went to use the bathroom. Without a brush, all she could do was comb her hair with her fingers. She still looked odd to herself, but she had to admit that she kind of liked the new hair color. Once she was done, she waited for Noah by the front door as he wandered into the bathroom. He'd already cleaned up his makeshift bed, putting the coverlet and the pillows back on the bed. It looked as if he'd slept there instead of on the floor. "I wish,” she said out loud. "What's that?” Noah asked as he emerged from the bathroom. "Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself,” she said, almost dying from embarrassment. "Ready to go? I saw a donut shop yesterday that we can stop at on our way out of town." "Yeah, just let me get my coat,” she said, lifting it off the back of one of the wicker chairs. A few minutes later, they had checked out and were back on the road. Noah once again took the wheel. "I think we'll drive the fifteen miles to the next town and ditch the car there. I'm sure we can find something else." "All right,” Lanie said in a small voice. Swallowing hard, she turned to look at him and remembered what she'd seen earlier, so she asked, “Why do you have a tattoo on your neck?"

"What?" "A tattoo. It says ‘B*E*A*S*T* number 121.’ What does that mean? Does B*E*A*S*T* stand for something?" Noah sighed and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles went white. He was silent for a few moments before he said, “The agency that's chasing us, Lanie, that's their name. Number 121 was the number they delegated to me. I was experiment number 121." "Dear God,” Lanie said under her breath, her eyes wide. "They tattooed every man they experimented on in the compound. We all have a number. It was their way of keeping track of us, I guess. Make us less human in the minds of the scientists. You can't have a moral dilemma if you're performing torture tests on a number rather than a name." Lanie's mouth went dry as she looked out the window. She felt as if she were going to be sick. “Why is the agency called B*E*A*S*T*?” she asked after a few moments of silence. "I ... I don't remember,” Noah told her, giving her a sidelong glance. After that, Lanie didn't feel much like talking. Digging her hands down deep into the pockets of her coat, she tried to warm herself from the sudden chills that racked her. Noah turned up the heat on the dash. "Thank you,” she whispered. "You're welcome."

Thirteen "I had a dream last night about a man named Anthony Mercer.” Noah's deep voice penetrated the silence in the car, startling Lanie. "Who's that?” she asked, a little harsher than she'd planned. "I have no idea, but there was a woman in my dream. And she called me Anthony." "Do you think it's a memory?" "I don't know. But it was so real, so vivid.” He paused before he said, “She was happy that I finally came home. And she ... she asked when we would be married." Lanie gave him a sharp glance, feeling the icy fingers of jealousy crawling across her skin. “Oh?” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Yeah. I don't know if that means anything—if she was my fiancée or wife or what. As soon as I woke up, the image of her was gone. All I can remember is her black hair and the scent of roses." "Did she say her name?" "No, just Anthony's." "Is that name familiar to you at all?" "No." "Well, maybe it was just a dream. Sometimes your mind plays tricks on you when you're asleep. Not every dream will be a memory." "I know, I know,” he said with a sigh. “But maybe we can keep the name in the back of our minds and see if we can find anything on him, if he exists." "Okay,” Lanie said. “Perhaps he was a friend of yours and you became him in your dream or something. Stranger things have happened." "Yeah, that's true. It's just that I feel like ... I feel like she was talking to me and not another man. I mean, I kissed her and..." "And what?” Lanie prodded. Was Noah blushing? Glancing at her, he said, “I could taste it." Lanie's heart plummeted to her toes. Noah was a man with no memory of his former self, before this B*E*A*S*T* agency got hold of him. It was altogether possible that he'd left behind a woman. Or a wife. Good Lord, he could have kids! "Well, did you ... uh, recognize the ... the taste?” Lanie asked, blushing herself. "I think I did,” he admitted. “Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could remember for a split second, but then it was gone. I've had flashes of her for awhile now, but last night was the one time I saw her face clearly." Turning away to look out the window, Lanie tried hard to fight her tears, but they filled her eyes regardless. "I have to find out who I am, Lanie,” he said gently, rubbing her shoulder with one of his big hands. “I can't afford not to." "I know,” she said, unable to keep her voice from cracking. “You could have a family." "That's why I can't ... why we can't—" "I know,” Lanie said again, turning this time to face him. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she tried to give him a smile but failed. “I know, Noah." "Lanie, I'm sorry." She bit the inside of her bottom lip to stop the sobs from escaping. “I'm sorry too,” she managed to say past the lump in her throat. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Noah glanced in the rear view mirror and cursed under his breath. "What is it?” Lanie asked, wiping her damp cheeks and sniffling. She turned to look, but Noah stopped her. "Don't!" "Noah, what is it?” she asked again, her voice rising. "A cop's behind us." "Oh, God...” Lanie's tears were suddenly forgotten. "Just be calm and don't look back,” Noah said. “His lights aren't on. Maybe we'll get lucky." Lanie's hands began to shake. “What if we don't get lucky? What the hell are we going to do?" "Calm down, baby,” Noah said, glancing in the mirror again. “If he turns on his lights, then we'll have to get away." "Get away how?"

He gave her a knowing look. "You can't mean..." "We have to." "No one actually gets away in a car chase, Noah! Don't you watch TV?” Lanie started to panic. “Oh, God ... oh, God,” she said over and over. "Easy, Lanie,” he muttered. “You're making me nervous." "I'm making you nervous?" Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She could see the cop behind them in the passenger side window on her door. He was driving too close to their rear bumper. "Christ,” Noah whispered. "I think he's running the plate,” Lanie said, a hint of fear in her voice. “He's too close to us. Cops only tailgate you for one reason, Noah." "Is your seatbelt fastened?” he asked in a low voice as he reached up for his own buckle. "Y—yes,” she answered, feeling as if she were going to vomit at any moment. “Noah, please..." "I need you to be ready just in case." Terrified didn't even begin to describe the turmoil inside her at that moment. Sweat beaded along her brow as she leaned her head against the back of the seat. She had to remind herself to continue breathing. If they were caught, then this B*E*A*S*T* agency would definitely find them. According to Noah, they'd both become nothing more than experiments to be tortured. Lanie found herself praying to every god she could think of to rain fire and brimstone down on the cop behind them. Fifty-five miles per hour never seemed so slow. She wanted Noah to go faster, her fight or flight instincts almost choking her with their intensity. As if through a tunnel, Lanie heard the familiar wail of a cop's siren. Noah hissed a foul curse as the red and blue lights reflected onto his face from the mirror. "Hold on to something, baby!” he bellowed right before his foot slammed down on the accelerator.

Fourteen The brown sedan lurched forward, and Lanie couldn't stop the squeal that escaped her. This wasn't happening! She had to be dreaming. But her racing heart told her she was wide awake. Swallowing hard, she grabbed hold of her seatbelt and concentrated on not hyperventilating. The car's engine roared as the needle on the speedometer climbed. Trees outside raced by while her head spun. Memories of her accident suddenly bombarded her, and Lanie felt herself panicking. "Noah, we have to stop!” she exclaimed, her palms itching with sweat. "Are you crazy? Not a friggin’ chance!" "How are we going to get away on the highway? He'll know exactly where we're going and have his cop buddies there to stop us!" "I don't know, Lanie, but we can't afford to let them catch us." "But we might crash,” she wailed, her voice cracking. "I'll be careful." "Yeah, I was careful too, until a white tiger leapt out in front of me!" "That was an accident!" "What the hell do you think they call a car crash, Noah?" The speedometer inched toward one hundred miles per hour. “Lanie, just be quiet! I need to concentrate." More tears filled her eyes as she stared at the road in front of them. “We're gonna die." "We're not going to die!" "Watch out for that car!” she shrieked. A slow-moving car appeared around a bend. Cursing under his breath, Noah pulled the wheel and passed him in the oncoming lane, but another car was barreling toward them, making him jerk back quickly and almost lose control. "Shit!” Lanie yelled, looking behind them. The cop couldn't go around either car and was forced to pass them on the shoulder. The slick snow made his car spin out in a cloud of white powder. “Noah, the cop slid off the road. Oh my God!" "Hang on,” he said, pressing the gas even harder. After a few minutes of driving like a hellion, Noah finally braked and forced the car off the road, plowing into a snow bank. "Let's go,” he commanded, out of breath himself. After popping open the driver-side door, he jumped out of the car. Lanie couldn't unbuckle her seatbelt because her hands were shaking too badly. With a growl, Noah ripped open her door and helped her. "Come on!" "Wait,” she said, reaching behind her to grab the blanket from the back seat. “We might need this." "Hurry up!" She rolled the blanket into a ball, then she grabbed Noah's hand and ran off with him into the cover of trees. “Won't they just follow our footprints?” she asked as her breath puffed in the cool air. "Maybe,” Noah said. “But judging by that dark cloud overhead, it's likely to snow again very soon. Maybe we'll get lucky this time." With her lungs on fire, Lanie groaned at his words. He'd said them before and luck had forsaken them. So far, their luck was wearing a little too thin. Now, they were literally on the run, trusting their fate to the whim of Mother Nature. Lanie would have laughed bitterly at the hopelessness of it all if she'd had the breath. **** Collapsing in the snow, Lanie struggled audibly to breathe, and Noah knew he'd pushed her too hard. Running his hands through his hair, he let out a low growl and looked over his shoulder. "I ... I can't ... go on...” Lanie said, gasping. "I know,” he told her, urging her to roll under a low bush. "Wh—what ... are you—" "Shh,” he said, placing his finger on her mouth. “You should be safe here, Lanie. I'm going to go back and see if I can cover our tracks." "But—" "Don't argue with me, woman,” he said in a gentle voice, pushing the hair away from her face. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Don't leave ... me, Noah,” she panted. "I'll be right back, I promise.” Looking deep into her eyes, he said again, “I promise." He turned and ran back the way they'd come, ripping off his shirt as he went. Once that was gone, he tore out of his pants, leaving them in a heap in the snow. Naked and sprinting, Noah made sure he was far enough away from Lanie before he shifted. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do, but he hoped the appearance of a white tiger in the woods would confuse the cops and give them the time they needed to get away. Shifting was such a strange sensation every time. He could hear his bones popping as they distorted, turning thick and solid, changing shape. His body became heavier, growing white fur as his hands and feet turned into paws that thundered through the snow. It had taken only mere seconds, but Noah was now a tiger. He could still think as a human and understand human language, which gave him an advantage over a regular tiger. However, a DNA test would prove that he was indeed a tiger and not a man. That was one perk the B*E*A*S*T* agency had woven into their shifters should they ever be caught. They could merely pretend to be the animals they shifted into until they found the right moment to escape. His paws decimated his human tracks, and he purposefully rubbed his body along trees and bushes, leaving tufts of white fur behind. What would their bloodhounds think of that? Probably shit themselves, he thought. His chuckle came out more like a growl as he ran through the trees, skidding to a halt yards away from the car he'd stolen with Lanie. Only a few minutes had passed, but already there were swarms of cops surrounding the vehicle, searching it while others scoped the trees. A few men had dogs, and he knew those dogs could smell him. They began yipping and whining, some straining to be set free from their leashes to lunge at him, others trying to run the other way. Noah's coloring made him difficult for the police to see against the snow as they charged in the direction their dogs were leading them. Without wasting any more time, Noah's eyes flashed as he took a deep breath. He roared at the top of his lungs and the trees shook at its intensity. That stopped the cops in their tracks. "Holy shit!” one yelled. "Oh my God!” yelled another. “It's a tiger!" "What the f—" Noah roared again, this time growling as he laid his ears back, making sure they could see his long, sharp teeth. "Sweet Jesus, shoot it! Shoot it!" One of the cops reached for his gun, but Noah turned and leapt in the opposite direction from Lanie. Within seconds, he weaved in and out of the trees, knowing they didn't have a chance at a clear shot. Let the bastards think on that for a while. He growled in satisfaction. Being a shifter definitely had its advantages. **** Lanie sat up at the sound echoing through the forest. The roar was familiar—too familiar. Instantly, shivers racked her body. That sound had come from the direction of the road. Noah! Dear God, had Noah encountered the black panther? Panic gripped her as she tried to stand, stumbling a few times before she finally found her footing. But she felt as if she were being watched. With tears in her eyes, she whipped around and came face to face with the largest timber wolf she'd ever seen in her life. "Oh, God,” she said under her breath. It was pacing back and forth, staring at her with yellow eyes, its dark grey coat a stark contrast against the snow. Its ears pricked back and forth, never once taking its eyes off her. Terror entered her heart. Where there was one wolf, the whole pack was sure to follow. Remembering a documentary about wolves she'd once watched, she knew they rarely attacked humans unless provoked or starving, but that didn't stop her from grabbing the nearest stick she could find on the ground. "Go away,” she said. The wolf cocked its head and sat on the ground. “Go away,” she said again, flicking her hand in a shooing motion. The animal cocked its head in the other direction and merely continued to stare, panting. Glancing around the trees, Lanie saw no sign of Noah. She moved ever-so-slowly in the direction he'd disappeared. The wolf stood once again and followed. When she stopped, it stopped as well. "Go away!” She jogged a few steps, noticing the wolf loping along behind her. In exasperation, she grabbed a handful of snow and threw it, hitting the wolf square in the snout. It sneezed a few times. "I said leave me alone!" As the wolf glanced back at her, its eyes flashed, and Lanie wondered if this was the last thing she'd ever see. What the hell was she doing? She'd just thrown a snowball at a wild animal for Heaven's sake! A growl rose from the wolf's throat as its hackles suddenly raised. "Oh, no,” she whispered. At that moment, a loud commotion came from the trees behind her, and before she could think of what it could be, a white tiger sprang out of the foliage, growling at the wolf and flicking it's tail.

"What the—?" Loud snarling interrupted her as she stared at the creature before her. This was the same white tiger she and Noah had left miles behind them! It had to be. The odds of another white tiger roaming the Colorado wilderness were slim to none. But there was no way that animal could have found them! The wolf paced in front of the tiger, neither animal taking its eyes off the other. Wherever the wolf paced, the tiger followed, keeping its large body between Lanie and the wolf. Was it protecting her? Suddenly, the wolf gave out a small yip and sat in the snow, thumping its tail. After a moment of silence, it lay down, placing its head on its front paws. The tiger approached the wolf, and Lanie was sure she would witness a bloodbath. The cat was twice if not three times as big as the timber wolf, but instead of going for the throat, the tiger sniffed the top of the wolf's head. The tiger turned to look over its shoulder directly into Lanie's eyes. All the times Noah had told her the tiger would never hurt her came flooding back to her now, and she hoped to God he'd been right. And the tiger indeed didn't look as though it wanted to tear her limb from limb. Leaving the wolf lying in the snow, the tiger padded over to Lanie, and she dared not move. There was no way she could outrun a six-hundred-pound predator. She didn't even risk breathing as those ice-blue eyes took her in. Before she could guess its intent, the tiger placed its head under her hand and rubbed itself on her, as if to say it wouldn't hurt her. With a trembling hand, she scratched the animal behind its ear, amazed that she was actually touching such a fearsome creature. The wolf continued to calmly watch them, still lying in the snow wagging its tail. If Lanie hadn't known better, she would have thought she was dreaming. What the hell was going on? Remembering Noah, she glanced around at the trees but still saw no sign of him. Good Lord, was the tiger purring? That had to be the loudest purr she'd ever heard. Once again, she looked into the tiger's eyes which suddenly seemed familiar. She remembered looking into those eyes for the first time after her accident when it had dragged her away from the burning wreck of her car before it exploded. "How did you get here?” she asked, feeling silly for talking to an animal. “How did you know where to find us?" The creature chuffed in the air and turned, finding an unmarked patch of snow. Lanie watched in awe as the tiger scratched it with its paw. Were those letters? No, it couldn't possibly be! Holy ... they were letters! N-O-A-H "Noah?” she said, her voice wavering. “My God, you can spell Noah? What's wrong, did something happen to him?” Tears suddenly threatened to fall from her eyes. Was it her imagination, or had the tiger just shaken its head? "Can you understand me?” she asked. The tiger nodded. Twice. "Christ,” Lanie hissed through her teeth. Her skin was crawling. “Where's Noah?" Walking over to her, the tiger pushed her with its head until she stumbled in the snow. Lying on her back, Lanie gave out a cry of fear as the huge cat loomed over her. Then ... something began to happen. The tiger was ... changing. Before her eyes, the white fur disappeared and was replaced with skin. The paws on the ground beside her became hands and arms. And the face of the tiger thinned out, its eyes becoming more human, its nose and mouth transforming into that of a man. Within seconds, Noah himself was hovering above her. "It's me, baby,” he said in a gentle voice. “The tiger is me." Lanie closed her eyes while the world spun out of control. She was going to be sick, but before she could turn her head to retch in the snow, she fainted into oblivion.

Fifteen "Way to go, Romeo." Noah scowled and stood, staring down at Lanie out cold in the snow. “Shut up, Rogan,” he said with a sigh. Spinning around, he glared at the man who now stood where the wolf had been, stark-raving naked. His brown hair was short, and his dark eyes were smiling. "Oh, God,” Noah grumbled, leaning over and taking the blanket from Lanie's limp hand. “Do me a favor and wrap up in this, would you?" "What, you haven't seen a grown man naked before?" "Just shut up and put it on!" "What about you? If your eyes are burning, then mine are on fire!" My clothes are over there,” Noah said as he pointed and trudged in their general direction. "So you didn't tell this pretty little lady you were a shifter?" "No, Rogan, I didn't. How exactly do you tell a woman you're lusting after that you can turn into a tiger at will?" "Ah, so you're lusting after her?" Noah scoffed as he picked up his jeans. “I thought you'd be able to smell it. And what the hell are you doing here?" "I can smell it, but I like tormenting you." Noah rolled his eyes as he searched for his shirt and shoes. “How did you find me?" Rogan pointed at the sky, and Noah looked up. He could see a large bird soaring high above them, circling the forest. "Justin's been following you for a while now, and I just followed him. We're here to tell you Tam is getting closer, and I'm not so sure he's going to listen to B*E*A*S*T*'s directives not to kill you." "He's that pissed off, eh?” Noah finally found his shirt and grimaced. It was wet with patches of melted snow. Rogan gave him a humorless smile. “Pissed and horny, yeah." Noah stopped in his tracks. “What's that supposed to mean?" "Let's just say you're not the only one lusting after Miss Erickson here." The hair on the back of Noah's neck stood on end. A sudden jealousy and possessiveness welled up inside him as he moved to stand over Lanie. His eyes darkened as his hands clenched. "He wants Lanie?" Rogan nodded. Noah could only stare at the man who'd helped him escape from B*E*A*S*T* not more than a week before. If it hadn't been for Rogan, he wouldn't have been able to get away from the agency. As far as they knew, Rogan was loyal to B*E*A*S*T*, a shifter almost as highly prized as Tam himself, but they couldn't have been more wrong. Rogan could also remember flashes from his life before, but he chose to stay with the agency to find out if they had any kind of files on who he used to be. "He wants her something fierce, my friend,” Rogan said. “You've got to get far, far away from him." "No shit,” Noah snapped, bending down to lift Lanie in his arms. “How do you propose we do that? We're in the middle of a forest with cops on our trail. We've got to move." "Come with me. Justin and I stole one of B*E*A*S*T*'s Hummers." "But—" "Don't worry about a thing, Noah,” Rogan said, walking away through the trees. “We've taken care of everything." Noah followed, holding Lanie close so she wouldn't get hit in the face by tree branches. “But it's one of their vehicles, Rogan!" Tossing a grin over his shoulder, Rogan said, “True, but we've ripped out the GPS locator." Noah gave him a skeptical stare. “Aren't they going to realize the car is gone?" "Not if someone tampered with their records. As far as they know, this baby is still sitting in their garage. Justin even found some old plates from a junkyard a few miles from here." Noah's mouth dropped open as they came upon a shiny, dark red Hummer sitting innocently in the snow a few yards ahead. "She's got a full tank of gas, and there's some food inside. And plenty of room in the back to get cozy, if you know what I mean." Noah had to smile when Rogan winked at him, and his cheeks bloomed with color. “I don't know what to say."

"You can start by saying thank you." "Thank you!" Rogan opened the passenger door so Noah could put Lanie in the seat. She moaned as her head lolled forward. "Better get out of here. Those dogs are getting closer." Once Lanie's seatbelt was fastened, Noah turned back to Rogan and held out his hand. "I owe you one,” he said. "You owe me two, Tiger. But who's counting?" "Thank Justin for me." "Sure thing. Oh, and Noah?" "What?" "There's about a grand in twenties in the glove box. Don't spend it all in one place, okay?" The two men smiled at each other. "Thank you so much,” Noah said again. "It's the least I can do to get back at those bastards for giving me Wolfe as a last name.” He slapped Noah on the back and they both chuckled. “Give me your shirt, Noah. Tam's going to want to know why I smell like you. I'll tell him I found your clothes but not you." "Think he'll believe that?" "I don't care what that sonofabitch believes. But Justin and I will throw him off the scent.” He smiled at his own double entendre. “There's a change of clothes in there too." "Damn, you thought of everything, haven't you?" "I try. Now will you get out of here? Stay much longer and our plans will be ruined." Noah grinned as Rogan pulled the blanket from around his shoulders and threw it back at him. "Take care of that lady, Noah,” Rogan warned. “If Tam gets hold of her, I shudder to think of what could happen." Instantly, Noah's smile was gone. “Tam will never touch her. Not if I can help it." "I hope you're right, friend.” Rogan turned and sprinted back into the forest, shifting as he ran. The hawk in the sky also turned and followed him, flying back in the direction of the stolen car. Noah sighed as he slammed the passenger door shut. Once he'd crawled into the driver's side and found the keys in the ignition, he silently thanked his friends for all they had done for him. He just hoped Lanie wouldn't hate him when she came to. **** Lanie opened her eyes and gasped. Where the hell was she? Glancing around, she took in the spaciousness around her as well as the leather seats and huge dashboard. Noah looked at her and gave her a soft smile. He was wearing a different T-shirt—a black one. Where had he gotten it? "What happened?” she asked as she rubbed her pounding head. “Where are we?" "Are you okay?” Noah asked, ignoring her question with concern on his face. "My head hurts. Are we in a Hummer?" "Yeah. Yeah, we are." "What's going on?” she asked. Confusion clouded her mind as they plowed through the snow. Noah wasn't following any kind of road she could see. How had they gotten another vehicle? The last thing she could remember was... Lanie swallowed hard as memories of a wolf and a tiger came back to her, and her body trembled. She could see the tiger standing over her—with Noah's eyes. "Oh my God,” she whispered, squirming on the seat. “Noah? The ... the tiger—it became ... you. What the hell is going on? Am I dreaming? Holy sh—” She broke off and looked out the window, covering her mouth to contain her sobs. "Lanie, listen to me. I didn't want you to find out that way, but I didn't know any other way to tell you." "Tell me what? That you're some kind of..."

"Of what—monster? Go ahead and say it, Lanie. You won't be saying anything I haven't already said to myself. Yes, I am a monster—a freak. I don't know what the hell I am, but what I told you about B*E*A*S*T* is true. They did nothing but torture me. They tortured all of us. They made me what I am, and I can't do a damn thing about it but live with it." "There's more like you?” she asked, her eyes wide. "More shifters—yes. That's what we're called. I'm a shifter. I can become a tiger whenever I want to. I don't know how they did it, but they mutated my DNA and made me into something un-human." Lanie felt as if she were going to be sick. There were more ‘shifters'? Thinking back, her entire body shuddered as she remembered not only the friendly wolf but the black panther as well. "Oh my God." "I'm the same man, Lanie. Nothing has changed except now you know the truth. You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep this from you." "Why? Why did you keep something like this a secret?" "How on Earth do you propose I should have told you? ‘Oh, by the way, I can become a tiger.’ You would have thought I was insane!" "Not if you'd showed me, Noah!" "You would have run away, you know you would have! You were scared enough as it was to be hunted by B*E*A*S*T* I would have just scared you even more by telling you the truth. How could I do that to you?" "I don't know!” she yelled, letting tears slip down her cheeks. “I don't know what to believe anymore! It's not possible what you are. It can't be done!" "It can and it has been done, baby. Many times." Lanie shivered again as she wiped away the tears, yet she'd also felt a jolt of desire pulse through her when he'd called her baby. How could she still have feelings for him? She knew he was some kind of mutant, and all she wanted to do was hug him and cry into his shoulder. And he was right, she would have tried to find a way to escape him if he'd revealed himself to her any sooner. But now, even though he had been changed by this insane agency, and even though there was a possibility that he might have a family of his own somewhere, Lanie was falling for him, and falling hard. Noah glanced at her with concern and what looked like a hint of sorrow. Did he think she hated him now? She didn't hate him, but she was damned confused and more than a little freaked out. "B*E*A*S*T* does stand for something, doesn't it?” she asked. "Yes,” he replied. "What?" Noah sighed. “It stands for Bio-Engineering to Attain Shift Transformation. I have no idea how these guys got started or where they even get their funding. But somehow, they've mastered a way to splice human and animal DNA, making us able to shift into one or the other whenever we choose. But ... when I'm a tiger, I can still think as a man. I can understand words, and I know what I need to do. B*E*A*S*T* tried to implant us with the desire to kill—to love the taste of human blood—but I couldn't stand it. All I could feel was the pain, and all I could hear was the screams of the men around me. Not to mention the animals they experimented on." "Oh, Noah. I'm so sorry.” Her breath hitched in her throat, and she could see tears glistening in his eyes. "Baby, I need to know. How are we?" Lanie knew what he was asking. He wanted to know her reaction to him—what she thought of him now that she knew. It was crazy, but she didn't hate him. And she couldn't leave him. "Stop the car,” she whispered. Without a word he complied, braking then putting the Hummer in park. For a few agonizing seconds, he looked as if he expected her to jump out and run away. She unbuckled her seatbelt, and Noah actually flinched. The poor man had been through so much, and she knew what he needed from her. Climbing over the center console, Lanie positioned herself by straddling his lap, facing him in the driver's seat. He looked shocked but a bit relieved as well that she hadn't run. "I have never felt more confused and afraid than I do right now,” she said. “And even though I have no idea how you could be what you are, I can't leave you, Noah. Not now." His entire body shuddered as she ran her fingers through his hair. His strong arms circled her waist, pulling her closer to him. Their faces were mere inches away from each other, and Lanie couldn't have broken their eye contact even if she'd wanted to. His eyes were haunted, telling her of all the hell he'd endured. She wanted to be the one to offer him a safe haven. "God, Lanie. I thought I'd lose you." She bit her lip and shook her head. “Not a chance, mister. You're stuck with me." He smiled at her use of the very same words he'd spoken to her only the night before. Leaning forward, Lanie pressed her lips against his. It was a soft, chaste kiss as she moved her mouth against him, trying to give him the comfort he both wanted and needed from her.

But it wasn't enough. She could feel his desire through his jeans, pressing hard against her and making her want him more and more with each passing second. Noah's hands clenched in her hair to hold her tight, as if to make sure she could feel every inch of him. Before she knew it, his tongue had forced her mouth open, and he tasted her deeply, making her gasp at his boldness. She answered him timidly at first, then with an ardor all her own. She could hear his growls low in his throat, and it excited her. Even knowing the truth of what he was, even knowing he had another side to him—an animal side, Lanie didn't care. All she wanted was to feel him moving inside her. Her breasts ached for his touch, and as if he'd heard her thoughts, one of his hands slipped under her sweater. Her bra was a lacy one and did nothing to prevent the heat of his hand from scorching her skin. Instantly her nipple puckered for him, and she moaned as his thumb rubbed it back and forth. Without letting go of her mouth, he pulled her bra up over her breast, releasing it fully for his ardent fingers. Lanie gasped with surprise but held on tight, hoping to God he wouldn't stop. His hand on her felt so good, and she fervently wished they were in a bed. Noah ended the kiss, but only to bite and suck on her neck. Lanie almost came apart at that alone. "Oh, Noah,” she whimpered, scooting closer and trying to rub herself on him to ease her ache. "Damn, woman. You taste so good!" "I want you,” she whispered in his ear. "I know,” he growled in response. “I can smell it." "Do you want me?” She didn't know what had made her say it, but she had to know. "Yes!" With that one word, he lifted her shirt and suckled her breast. Lanie cried out and leaned back, allowing him to rake his teeth against her. His mouth was like molten lava as he swirled her nipple with his tongue, but that was all it took for her to come apart swiftly against him. As soon as she plunged over the edge, Noah moved his hand to press against her jeans, intensifying the feeling. Again and again she pressed into his hand, holding his head to her breast. Suddenly, her backside pressed against the horn on the steering wheel, bringing them both to their senses. Noah pulled away, giving her a feral grin. She grinned back but with hooded eyes. "Wow,” she said, her head still spinning. "I found the condoms,” he whispered after a few moments, a mischievous light in his eyes. Lanie bit her lip and blushed five shades of red. “You weren't supposed to." "Oh? They weren't for me?" He was teasing her and she knew it, but she still smacked his shoulder. "Yes, they were for you, but I threw them away after ... well, after..." "After I rejected you?" She could only nod. "Well, I kept them." Her eyes flew to his as she stroked his face. “You did?" "Yes." "But I thought ... I thought you said you had to find out about Anthony Mercer before—" "I did. But I figured we should have them anyway to be safe. I can't resist you much longer, Lanie." Her heart soared at his words, but it quickly plunged back to Earth. “What if you do have a family, Noah? What if there's another woman waiting for you? Then ... then you'd belong to her.” More tears clouded her eyes and she said, “We can't do this." She tried to crawl off of his lap, but his hands held her fast. "Lanie, stop." Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as she gazed at him. "We don't know what B*E*A*S*T* told this other woman, if she even exists. If they stole me away from that life, then she probably thinks I'm dead." "But you're not.” A sob escaped her. “You're not dead, Noah, you're here with me. Kissing me. Holding me. If you have a wife, if you have kids, they deserve to have you back." Running his fingers through her hair, he whispered, “But would they accept me like you have? Would they understand everything I've gone through?"

"If they loved you they would." He gave her a long, hard stare. “What about you?" "I don't matter." "Yes you do!” He sounded offended. "No I don't, Noah. Whatever I feel for you, it doesn't matter if you're married." "And if I'm not? What then?" "Then ... we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Noah's eyes softened. “God, baby. I hope I'm not married." He pulled her close, and Lanie didn't fight him. She wanted nothing more than to have his arms around her. With a tortured sigh, she embraced him, crying out her frustration into his shoulder.

Sixteen "His stink is all over you." Rogan scowled at Tam as he threw Noah's shirt at him, now torn to shreds. “I found this." "And Noah? The woman?" "Nowhere,” Rogan replied. “I followed their tracks for about a mile, but their scent disappeared once I reached another road not too far away. It's possible they stole another car or hitched a ride." "Damn it!” Tam paced back and forth as his eyes flashed, giving Rogan a glimpse of the panther he was. Inwardly, Rogan shuddered, knowing Tam wouldn't hesitate to rip out his throat if he so much as suspected he was a traitor. He needed to be careful —very careful—of how he played this game. Running his fingers through his dark brown hair, Rogan sighed. He'd gotten dressed a few minutes before, and he was thankful that at least the agency had the foresight to send changes of clothing for their shifters, knowing the men would destroy any clothes they were wearing once they changed into the creatures they could become. Justin rounded one of B*E*A*S*T*'s Hummers next to them, pulling a white t-shirt over his head. He was the youngest shifter at the agency, only twentyone years old and able to shift into a hawk. But his physical condition was top notch, probably the reason he'd been chosen for the B*E*A*S*T* program. Rogan smirked at his own thoughts. Chosen wasn't the word he'd use to explain how B*E*A*S*T* obtained their subjects. Abducted would be a better word. Rogan could even remember the moment he'd been taken off the streets, and he growled every time he thought of it, anger boiling inside of him. If the agency ever found out that he could remember, they'd mind-wipe him again. Rogan would escape before that ever happened. "Did you see where they went?” Tam asked Justin, turning his harsh eyes on the younger man. Justin looked back and forth between Rogan and Tam, licking his lips. Rogan knew the kid didn't have the skill to lie convincingly, but he hoped Tam wouldn't be able to see right through him. "Yeah, they were heading east." "East?” Tam spat the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Yes,” Justin said with a nod. “They hitchhiked on the road Rogan told you about and climbed into an older Ford pickup." "What color was it?” Tam asked irritably, pulling out a notepad he scribbled on. "Blue. Light blue." "Did you see its plates?" The tone of Tam's voice was condescending, and Justin narrowed his eyes. Even from where he sat, Rogan could smell Justin's anger. "Yes, I did,” he answered in the same mocking tone. Tam gave Justin an icy glare that made even Rogan's skin crawl, but Justin held his eye contact. “Iowa plates, 993JDV." "Iowa?” Tam's eyes went wide. “Iowa?" "That's what I saw,” Justin said. “My eyes haven't failed me yet." Tam scribbled more notes and moved to talk to the police who were searching the stolen vehicle Noah had lodged in the snowdrift. Rogan watched him walk away and breathed a sigh of relief, then he looked at Justin. "Where did you get that info?" "Pulled it out of my ass,” Justin replied. “Impressive, eh?" "Better hope Tam doesn't find out, J. He's not right in the head." Justin scoffed. “Are any of us right in the head?" "Touché,” Rogan said with a chuckle. "Besides, I'm not afraid of Tam. I can do something he can't." "Oh? And what's that?" Justin winked. “I can fly." **** Tam scowled as he gave Justin's information to the cops who were pulling the tan Acura out of the snow bank with a tow truck. Just because Noah had gotten a ride from someone with Iowa plates didn't mean he was heading to Iowa, although he'd probably wanted to move in the opposite direction in order to confuse the agency. Now Tam had no idea where he was going. Perhaps the Arizona plates he'd stolen had merely been a coincidence. Noah could remember flashes of his life before, but the agency thought he'd never remembered anything specific. Did he even know he'd once lived in Arizona? The Iowa lead was too promising to pass up, however. Tam would send Rogan on to Arizona just in case Noah doubled back, but he was going to

personally check out the lead Justin had given him. If Noah and Lanie were indeed headed to Iowa, Tam wanted to be the one to catch them. In his hand, he still clutched the ripped shirt Noah had once worn. It reeked of the traitor, but it also smelled of the flowery perfume of the woman Tam was going to take as his mate. Her scent made him salivate, and he wiped his mouth with the shirt's tattered remains. He climbed into the driver's side of his vehicle and pushed a button on the center console that darkened the windows. Lust was riding him hard, and he could no longer resist the pull to mate. Unzipping his pants, Tam stroked himself while inhaling the scent of the shirt, imagining, dreaming, fantasizing. It didn't take long before his handsome Asian features contorted as he gasped his release, pulsing onto the torn fabric. Smiling to himself, Tam readjusted his clothes and tossed the soiled shirt out the window. The images of Lanie writhing underneath him flitted through his head and would soon become a reality. What he hadn't decided yet was whether or not he would make Noah watch **** It was getting late. The sun had set hours ago. When the Hummer had traversed the forest, they came upon the highway once more, many miles away from the car they'd previously stolen. There were no cops waiting for them, so when they finally reached civilization, Noah used one of the twenties in the glove box to buy them some fast food to eat on the road. Once again, he silently thanked his friends for risking their lives to help him. If it weren't for them, he had to wonder if he'd be sitting in another one of B*E*A*S*T*'s cages—without Lanie by his side. He shuddered at the thought. The town they'd just passed through was the only one for at least another hundred miles until they reached the border of Colorado and Arizona at the Four Corners. The road was dark, and the clock on the dash read half past ten. Maybe he should pull over for the night. Glancing in the back, he had to smile at the absence of a back seat. The entire rear-end of the Hummer was carpeted and comfortable, cozy enough for him to snuggle against Lanie and hold her in his arms. He hoped she wouldn't scoff. "What are you doing?” Lanie asked in a tired voice as he began to slow down. "Pulling over,” he answered, driving a few yards away from the road. “It's time we get some sleep. Care to join me in the back?" "Noah—" He held up his hand. “It's all innocent, I assure you. I just thought that ... that it would be ... well, more comfortable. For both of us." She looked at him with red eyes, and his stomach lurched. He hadn't spent more than a few days in her presence, but it felt like a lifetime to him. She was so beautiful, and he longed to tell her—longed even more to show her. But he couldn't, not when too many unanswered questions about his past still swirled around them. That didn't stop him from wanting her pressed against him, feeding off her body heat and being surrounded by her sweet scent. She was the one good thing in his life, and he wanted to hold on to her and never let go, but she was right about his past. If he did have a wife, he'd have to say goodbye to Lanie or at least banish all thoughts of her from his mind, but he wasn't sure that could be done. Noah was getting used to having her soothing presence around him. If he ever had to live without it, he didn't know what he would do. "All right,” she said in answer to his suggestion about sleeping. Without giving her a chance to change her mind, Noah crawled into the back of the truck and opened a few compartments that lined the interior. Inside, he found some small pillows and thin blankets. "Will these keep us warm enough?” Lanie asked after he tossed her one. "I'll keep you warm enough, baby,” he said, flashing her a wide grin. Even in the dim light, he could see her blush, and he had to bite his lip to hold back the growl that wanted to escape. Would he be able to simply hold her without wanting more? He might drive himself insane, but it would be well worth the risk. "You shouldn't talk like that,” she said. "Then let's stop talking." He held out his hand to her, and she took it timidly then spread out on the floor of the truck beside him. Noah laid the blankets over the top of them and tucked his arm around her from behind. He pulled her close and kissed her cheek. "You cold?” he asked when he felt her trembling. "No,” she said, her shivers contradicting her words. "Then why are you shaking?" "Because ... because you drive me crazy, Noah." He squeezed his arm around her, making sure she could feel every inch of him against her back. He kissed her cheek once more and whispered, “I'm glad I'm not the only one going crazy. If I find out that I'm not married, I'm going to make you mine, Lanie Erickson. Hard and fast or slow and gentle, it doesn't matter to me, baby. As long as you're gasping beneath me." "Oh, God, Noah—" "Shh,” he whispered. “Will you deny me?" Lanie's small hand covered his across her belly, lacing their fingers together. All she gave him was a curt shake of her head, but her scent gave her away. She wanted him to make her his, of that he was sure.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep,” he confessed. "Noah,” she said, breathless. "What?" "Please shut up.” Her voice was strained, telling him of the need spiraling inside of her. He chuckled. “Right. No more talking."

Seventeen Lanie stared into the darkness. It was impossible to sleep after the words Noah had spoken seductively in her ear and with his breath softly fanning her face. He was asleep, or at least she hoped he was, as his breathing was deep and even. His chest warmed her back and his arm draped over her belly. Swallowing hard, Lanie tried to calm her raging libido. Just feeling him against her was enough to drive her wild. Now, however, she had images of what he had a mind to do if he found out he wasn't married. His words had shocked her. No man had ever talked to her so bluntly, so brazenly. And Lanie couldn't believe how much she liked it. Noah was a shifter, and just that thought alone should have been enough to cool her ardor. But his wild animal side seemed to bleed into his human side, and Lanie was shocked at just how much she liked his brusque demeanor. She'd never been wild in her youth. Always the good girl, she'd been the designated driver at parties, never wanting to rock the boat by letting her hair down. Now she was with Noah, and it felt so good not knowing what was going to happen next, finally having the chance to be wild and crazy. Being chased by B*E*A*S*T* scared her half to death, but being on the run with Noah brought her a certain peace. Lanie knew it was insane, but she was falling in love with Noah Carpenter. And they'd only been together a few days. Last week, she hadn't even known he existed, yet here she was wrapped in his arms, sighing with contentment and eagerly anticipating when he would make love to her. But would he? If Noah's memories of a woman were real, if he was indeed Anthony Mercer, then it was altogether possible that he was married. Heck, he could even have children. It wasn't right for her to have feelings for him. It wasn't right for her to hope and pray that he had no one waiting for him. A silent tear rolled down her cheek as she snuggled next to him. Perhaps this was the closest she'd ever get. She tried hard to banish the thought. If the time came when she had to walk away from Noah, Lanie knew she'd never find another man quite like him. He groaned in his sleep, suddenly twisting away from her, and Lanie rolled over to see his head toss back and forth. "No,” he whispered as his face contorted in pain. “Stop. Please! NO!" "Noah? Noah, wake up.” Lanie shook his shoulder, but his grunts continued. “Noah? Honey, can you hear me?” Stroking his cheek, she could feel her heart in her throat. He screamed and sat up, his wild eyes darting around the interior of the Hummer before resting on her. Lanie could see the tears that pooled in them, and it broke her heart. "Lanie?” he whispered, suddenly breaking down into sobs. She sat up and pulled him into her arms. “It's okay, Noah,” she cooed as she stroked his hair. “You're with me now. It was just a dream." "Jesus, Lanie,” he said, his voice cracking. “How could they do that to me?" She shivered, not wanting to know what he'd dreamt about. His arms pulled her tight against him as he dragged her onto his lap. Burying his face in her neck, he cried deep, heart-wrenching sobs as he trembled, telling her of his terror at the hands of the B*E*A*S*T* agency. "Noah, you're all right. You're safe." "You're all I have, Lanie. I don't have a damn thing that they didn't give me—except for you. You're the only bright spot in my life!” Lanie's own tears spilled over as he cried those words to her. “You keep me sane, baby." "Oh, Noah,” she said through her sniffles. “How can I care about you so much already? It's barely been a few days, and I can hardly imagine a life without you." "Promise me, Lanie." "What? Promise you what?" Raising his head, he looked at her and the torture in his eyes made her stomach threaten to revolt. He'd endured so much that it was criminal. If Noah deserved anything, it was peace. "Promise that no matter what happens, you'll always be there for me. That you won't be too far away. That I can always find you. I'm terrified of myself at times, I can't even imagine how scared you must be. I'm not sure anyone else in the world will accept me for who I am. But you have, baby, and I don't want to lose that. So promise me." Lanie nodded. “I promise, Noah. No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. Always." Once again, she found herself crushed against him as he rocked her back and forth. “I need you,” he said, sounding as if he were trying to hold back more tears. “I can't do this alone!" "You're not alone.” Kissing his cheek, she whispered again, “You're not alone, Noah. I'm here." She had no idea how long they sat there holding each other. But she would have rather died than let him go. **** Noah's eyes burned. He hadn't returned to sleep after he'd cried his heart out to Lanie. She lay on his chest with her head tucked under his chin, her steady breathing and melodic heartbeat soothing him somewhat. Damn, it felt good holding her like this. When he squeezed her closer to him, she mewled in her sleep and snuggled closer, her leg tangled with his. Noah bit his lip and glanced out the window as the sky pinkened with the dawn. They should try and get some miles behind them, but he didn't want to move. He liked it just the way he was, cuddled with Lanie, sharing her body heat, smelling her sweet scent.

Rogan had said that Tam desired her as well. Instantly, Noah's hackles were raised. How dare that bastard think of Lanie in that way? She didn't belong to him. Hell, Tam hadn't even met her! But Noah supposed that wouldn't stop him. Her scent had obviously intrigued B*E*A*S*T*'s number one killer the same way it had captivated him, and Noah knew Tam wouldn't give up until he found her. The man was mad, there was no doubt about it. Noah remembered how, when the scientists would take Tam for testing, he was the only shifter who welcomed it, seeming to revel in the pain they inflicted. No one understood him. Perhaps it was part of what made him such a ruthless assassin. But Tam would never get Lanie, not while Noah still had breath. If he found out that he was married with a family, he would still protect Lanie until his dying day. No one deserved what Tam had to offer. Noah had no doubt that even as his mate, Lanie would feel only pain, no pleasure. She moved a bit, shifting her body to get into a more comfortable position. Her arm draped across his chest and her hand rested against his neck. It was all he could do not to caress the skin under her sweater. The woman was so soft that Noah knew he'd never tire of touching her. Rubbing his eyes, he sighed and watched as the sun turned the sky from pink to gold. “Lanie?” he whispered. “Lanie, baby, we've got to get up." "Mmm?” Her soft response made his body tighten. "Damn it,” he grumbled under his breath. "Noah? What's wrong?” Lanie lifted her head, and her hair framed her face like an angel. He sucked in his breath at the sight of her sexy, hooded eyes. "I think I'm going insane,” he said. "Did you have another bad dream?” she asked, stroking his cheek. The look of concern she gave him was his undoing. Noah shook his head and leaned over her, shifting his body weight to lie on top of her. He kissed her gently and held her head in his hands, yet he didn't deepen the kiss. But, damn, how he wanted to. Resting his forehead on hers, he groaned. "We've got to get back on the road." "I know,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "This is going to be hard, Lanie." "It's already hard,” she said, teasing him with a small smile. He gave her a wicked grin. “I was hoping you couldn't feel that." Lanie opened her legs, allowing him to settle between them completely. They both moaned at the intimate contact. "I was hoping I could." "Goddamn, Lanie, don't talk to me like that.” Noah's heart began to race as his body trembled with desire. "Like what?” she asked innocently, batting her eyes at him. "You're going to be the death of me,” he growled, surging to his knees before he did anything stupid. "Perhaps,” she said, sitting up and caressing his shoulders. “But you'll die a happy man." Noah couldn't help but chuckle at that, hugging her close.

Eighteen "I have an idea." It was around noon when Lanie spoke again, too lost in her own thoughts to make much conversation. The terrain had turned from mountainous to flat, dry desert awhile back, with sagebrush rushing past the windows. They were approaching the Four Corners, the famous juncture where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico met. Soon they would cross over into Arizona, with absolutely no clue as to where to go from there. "Oh?” Noah answered, giving her a sideways glance as he drove. “And what's that?" "We could find a phone somewhere and call Information to see if we might be able to find a listing for an Anthony Mercer." He was quiet for a moment before he said, “That's not a bad idea." "And if we find something,” Lanie went on, “I could call and ask for him, maybe claim to be an old friend." "Next time we stop for gas, you could use one of the pay phones at the station." Nodding, Lanie suddenly felt her heart in her throat. Would they be able to find anything? Did Anthony Mercer actually exist? She realized she really didn't want to know, but she needed to know. It might not be too much longer before she could know for sure. If Noah had a family, she'd have to deal with her own feelings and let him go, but she wasn't sure she could. It was true they'd only known each other for a short while, but it felt like a lifetime. Hell, two lifetimes. Having him pressed against her that morning had been heaven. His body fit hers like a glove, and she couldn't help but selfishly pray that she could keep him. It was easy to pretend he wasn't a shifter— and that scared her half to death. Noah wasn't a normal man. He wasn't even anything that resembled normal. Her family would never understand, but maybe her family wouldn't have to know. If she ever brought Noah home to meet her parents— That thought stopped cold as she glanced at him. Would she ever bring him home to meet her parents? Would she ever see them again? Tears pooled in her eyes and she tried to hide them, but Noah turned to look at her with concern on his face. "What's wrong, Lanie?" "Nothing,” she said, trying to put a smile on her face. "Don't lie, baby,” he said gently. “I can smell you. Something's wrong." "I just ... I want to see my family again, Noah. I want to talk to them—tell them I'm all right. My God, they must be half out of their minds by now. They probably all think you've kidnapped me!" Noah's grip on the steering wheel tightened. “I know, and I'm sorry. But we can't contact them." "When can we?" He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “I don't know. Maybe ... never." Lanie gasped. “That's not an option! I can't live like this forever, Noah. Don't tell me I can never see my family again." "If we contact them, B*E*A*S*T* will know, and they don't play games, Lanie. Your family would be interrogated, maybe even tortured. We can't do that to them." "I can't live the rest of my life never seeing them, never spending another holiday with them." Noah sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe in a few months, I don't know. But Tam is on our trail now, watching every move we make. We can't risk contacting them." "Tam? You've said that name before.” Lanie swallowed hard, goose bumps raising the hair on her arms. “He's the panther, isn't he?" Noah took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before nodding and releasing it. “Tam is one of the most ruthless shifters the agency ever created.” He looked at her, holding her eye contact before looking away again at the road. “He's not ... right in the head. I've known him for a long time. He even seemed to regard the torture at the hands of the scientists with some kind of perverse pleasure. He loves being ... what he is. And he's highly prized at B*E*A*S*T* because of it." He paused to take another fortifying breath. "If we're ever caught, Lanie, we have no hope. Tam is brutal. I don't think the man even has a conscience. Rogan will try to keep him at bay, but we still have to be careful. Very careful." "Is Rogan your wolf friend?" The corner of Noah's mouth lifted immediately. “Yeah. He helped me escape B*E*A*S*T*. Twice, actually. Even stole this Hummer right out from under the agency's nose just so we could get away." "Wow, isn't that a bit risky?" "Hell yeah it is!” Noah shook his head. “Sometimes I don't know why he sticks out his neck for me the way he does. But he stayed with B*E*A*S*T* to see if he could find out who he really is. He has dreams of his life before just like I do, but no one at the agency knows it. As far as they know, he's one of them."

"What would happen to him if they found him out?” she asked. "They'd mind-wipe him again and see if that would fix the problem. If not, they'd end his experiment." "You mean ... kill him?" "That's exactly what I mean." Lanie shivered again, turning her attention back to the passing scenery. If they hadn't been sitting so far apart, she would have grabbed hold of Noah's hand for comfort. Instead, she firmly clasped her own hands together in her lap, trying her hardest to think of rainbows and butterflies. **** With a sigh, Lanie hung up the receiver of the pay phone for the fifth time. No luck in Phoenix. Or Tempe. Or Tucson. There was a listing for an Anthony Mercer in Yuma City, however, but that man was seventy-five years old and had even answered the phone. Wrong man. They'd stopped at a gas station shortly after they'd eaten lunch, and Lanie had approached the pay phone with trepidation. Now she was beginning to think calling Information was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. How was she supposed to know which city Noah had once lived in? Pulling more change from her pocket, she deposited it and redialed 4-1-1. "City and state?" came the monotone voice on the other end. "Flagstaff, Arizona." "Yes?" "Anthony Mercer." "One moment please." After a few minutes of typing, the operator said, "Thank you." Lanie heard a phone number recited by the computer. Repeating it to herself over and over, she deposited more change and dialed the number. First one ring, then two. Finally, a woman answered. "Hello?" "Yes, hello,” Lanie said, trying to sound happy and bubbly. “Is Mr. Anthony Mercer there?" A long pause, then, “Who wants to know?" "My name is Tiffany Copeland, and I'm with Mr. Mercer's high school reunion committee. I'm calling because we lost track of him over the years, and I was wondering if we'd found the right person at this number." "Yes, this used to be Anthony's phone number, but I'm sorry to say he's passed away." Lanie's stomach bottomed out. “Oh my goodness,” she said into the phone. “How horrible! I'm so sorry." "It's all right,” the woman replied. “It happened a couple of years ago." "I'm sorry to hear that. Is this his widow?" "No, I'm not his widow, but we were engaged to be married. I guess it was never meant to be." "If you don't mind me asking, ma'am, would you be willing to verify his full name and birth date? I just want to be sure I have the right man." "Of course. His name was Anthony Noah Mercer, and his birth date was January 24, 1972." Lanie swallowed hard, her palms sweating. “Ye—yes, I believe that is the same man I've been looking for. About six foot three, dark blond hair, blue eyes?" The woman on the other end sighed forlornly. “Yes, that's the one." "Can you share any details about his passing or where he's buried? I just know the reunion committee will want to print a memorial for him in our program.” Lanie couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. She hoped she sounded convincing. "Anthony was in a horrible car accident. The car caught on fire, and there was nothing anyone could do. They had to identify him through his dental records." "I'm so sorry.” Lanie gasped, truly shocked at all his fiancée must have gone through. The woman paused and sniffled before continuing. “He's buried at Oak Park Cemetery here in Flagstaff." "Oh, thank you, I might try to get a picture of his tombstone for the memorial. Do you know if Mr. Mercer had any children?" "Not that I know of. He was in the Marines, so he didn't have time for a lot of fooling around. He was even stationed in Iraq for a time. He'd been dating me since college. We were just six months away from our wedding date when he was killed." "That must have been a horrible time for you." "It was, but I've moved on. I'm engaged again now, as a matter of fact." "Oh?” Lanie was unable to keep the curiosity from her voice.

"Yes, to a wonderful man. He healed my heart after Anthony passed. I'm truly blessed." "It sounds like it." "It's a good thing you called me when you did, Miss Copeland. My fiancé and I are getting married in a few days, actually, and this phone number will soon be disconnected." Lanie sighed with relief at her good fortune. “Well, thank you for all you've shared, and congratulations, Miss...?" "Garner. Patricia Garner." "Thank you, Miss Garner. It was nice talking to you." "You're very welcome. I hope you have a wonderful reunion despite Anthony's passing. Take care." "Goodbye." With a shaking hand, Lanie hung up the phone. There was no doubt in her mind that the woman she'd just talked to was the woman in Noah's memories. She'd said Anthony's middle name was Noah. It was too big of a coincidence to ignore. His age and description had been right on as well. And Lanie's heart also took flight in knowing that Noah wasn't married and had no children! She glanced at him as he pumped the gas and couldn't help but smile. The man was hers, all hers. She supposed she should have told Miss Garner that he was alive and well, but the man Patricia had once known no longer existed. In a way, Anthony Mercer had died two years ago. Now, no one existed but Noah Carpenter. Lanie shivered as she had a thought: two years. Noah had been with B*E*A*S*T* for two years! Dear Lord, the pain and suffering he must have endured. It was a wonder the man wasn't catatonic. The agency must have abducted him, taken him off the streets and faked his death. The body in Anthony's grave wasn't his, so whose was it? Lanie shuddered and tried not to think about it. Walking over to the Hummer, she avoided Noah and climbed into the passenger side. She didn't want to tell him the news of what she'd found out next to a gasoline pump in the middle of nowhere. But she could see the frustrated look he gave her through the window. His eyes flashed, giving Lanie a glimpse of the tiger he could become. Could she handle him? Could she truly love a man who was almost a monster? Her own thoughts stopped cold. Love? Was she in love with him? Groaning to herself, she knew it was true. Noah, despite his abnormalities, was the perfect man—for her anyway. She must be mad. She was in love with a shifter! But, as Noah finally climbed into the driver's seat flashing her his sexy grin, she sighed and her heart melted. Yes, it was true. She was in love with a shifter.

Nineteen Rogan scowled as he drove over the border into Arizona with Justin in the car beside him. Heaving another sigh, he gripped the steering wheel tightly. "What?” Justin asked, giving him an innocent look that made Rogan's blood boil. "You know damn well what!” he exclaimed. Justin leaned back his head on the passenger seat, closed his eyes, and smiled. The cocky little bastard even had the nerve to fold his hands on his lap. "Why the hell do you insist on tormenting me, J?" "You?” Justin said with a chuckle, turning his head and cracking open an eye. “It's Tam I'm trying to torment." "Yeah, and we all know what his response is going to be. It's not going to take him long to figure out that the information you gave him about the Iowa plates was wrong!" "I kinda want to see how long it will take him, don't you?" "No, Justin, I don't. He's going to find out you lied to him and come looking for you. Hell, he'll come looking for me. He'll put two and two together, you know. He's not stupid. We work too close together for me not to know about your disloyalty. Damn it, this isn't a game!" "Of course it is, Rogan,” Justin said with another wry grin. “We're driving in the opposite direction as he is. By the time he realizes what's happened, I plan to fly the coop." "Why not leave now?” Rogan asked. “Get while the gettin’ is good." "Because I want to see the look on his face.” Justin laughed, and Rogan had to wonder about the kid's sanity. Justin appeared to laugh even harder at Rogan's sour expression. “I'm joking, Wolfe. Geez." "Damn, kid. I thought for a minute there that you mighta had a death wish." Justin shook his head. “Maybe I do. It does make me happy to get the best of Tam. If I could, I'd kill the sonofabitch." "Good Lord, J. What's gotten into you?" Justin glanced out the window and was silent a few moments before he said, “Before we left the compound to look for Noah, I managed to hack into B*E*A*S*T*'s mainframe. Know what I found?" Rogan shrugged. “What?" "My classified file. Told me everything I needed to know about who I am, where I came from. And it also told me another little nugget of truth." Rogan looked at him as he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “What?" "Tam killed my girlfriend.” Rogan gasped as Justin's eyes turned glassy. “When I was abducted by B*E*A*S*T* in the middle of the night, she was with me, lying naked in my bed. He ... tore out her throat, but not before he ... raped her.” Justin covered his eyes as a sob escaped him. "Jesus,” Rogan whispered, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “I'm sorry, man." "I'm sorry too,” Justin said, wiping his cheeks. “I'm not supposed to remember any of it, but I couldn't sleep at night. All I could hear were her screams echoing in my ears. Once I read the file, I remembered glimpses of that night, glimpses of a huge black cat that pounced on us from out of nowhere. I'm not even sure how I survived." "I guess B*E*A*S*T*'s method of mind-wiping us isn't working too well." "No, it isn't. I know who I am, Rogan. But I can't go back to that life. And I can't go back to the agency. So where does that leave me?" "I don't know." "Yeah, I don't know either." A few miles passed in silence before Rogan spoke again. “How did you hack into B*E*A*S*T*'s classified files?" Justin smiled wickedly. “Well, first, you need to get yourself an access code—" "How do I get one of those?" "Do you want to hear this or not?” Justin glared at him, crossing his arms on his chest. "I'm sorry, O Magnanimous One. Do enlighten me.” Rogan rolled his eyes. With a satisfied nod, Justin continued. “You get yourself an access code..." **** Tam glared at the technician behind the desk and growled. “You're sure this information is correct?" "Checked it twice,” the tech replied, turning the monitor so Tam could see. “That license plate number you gave me belongs to a Eunice Marx, age eightytwo. The car it's registered to is a white 1988 Lincoln Continental. The woman's never owned a blue pickup in her life."

Leaning back in his chair, Tam heaved a sigh and stared at the ceiling. He'd returned to the B*E*A*S*T* compound to relay the information on Noah to his superiors and dig up an address from Justin's intel. But it appeared that a certain hawk needed to get his eyes checked—and his wings clipped. Justin had lied to him. The bastard had lied! What was he hiding? Had he simply made up a story to circumvent Tam's wrath? Or had he fabricated the story to help Noah and Lanie escape? At that moment, Tam realized the truth. He should have seen it coming. Noah had friends while he was at B*E*A*S*T*. Tam should have known better than to believe that Noah's friends had turned on him so quickly, but he'd been so consumed with rage at the thought of a shifter actually escaping the compound that he hadn't realized their obvious ruse. Noah had been close not only to Justin, but to Rogan and Wade as well. Both Justin and Rogan had been chosen for this mission on the basis of their loyalty to the agency, but Wade was still rotting in his cell for all Tam knew. Wade was another shifter—a cougar who could also remember his life before as they liked to call it. Until he could be brainwashed again, they kept him drugged to suppress the effects the memories were having on him—something that should have been done to Noah. But it was obvious to Tam that he'd been getting some help, and perhaps there were more traitors in their midst. It had boggled Tam's brain that one shifter could have escaped so easily. Now he knew how. Noah's old friends might still be with the agency, but their loyalties lay with that damned white tiger, not to B*E*A*S*T*. Shaking his head, Tam couldn't stop the side of his mouth from curving into a grin. Before long, chuckles escaped him and turned into loud peals of laughter. It all made sense. It finally all made sense! The technician stared at him as if he'd gone mad, but Tam didn't care. In a flash, he was on his feet and walking out the door, determined to raise a little hell.

Twenty "So?” Noah asked. "So what?" "So are you going to tell me what you found out? You haven't said a word for miles!" Lanie could hear the frustration in his voice, and she pursed her lips. They'd left the gas station long ago, and still she was silent, not saying a word. Why didn't she just tell him the news? What was she afraid of? She supposed she feared the unknown. How exactly could she have a future with Noah? True, she was already in love with him, but once she crossed the line—fully crossed it—there would be no turning back. Could Noah control the animal side of him? Was there something inside him that was primal, instinctual? If there was, could it be tamed? Looking at him from across the cab, her entire body shook, but she wasn't sure if it was from fear or desire. "I think I found the woman you dreamt about,” she finally said, releasing the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Noah slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. He threw the Hummer in park when it finally lurched to a stop and pierced her with his intense gaze. "Tell me what she said!” he demanded. "Her name is Patricia." "Patricia...” he whispered as he closed his eyes. "She lives in Flagstaff, and she told me that Anthony Mercer died about two years ago in a horrible car accident. Apparently, he burned to death and they could only identify him by his dental records. She told me his full name and his birth date. His middle name was Noah." With a sigh, Noah raked his fingers through his hair. Lanie could see the tears pooling in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" "Yes!” He startled her with his anger. “I'm sorry, baby. But I've got to know. Keep talking." "You were born on January 24, 1972. You were in the Marines and engaged to be married, but you never were. Patricia told me you didn't have any kids either. And she's found someone else now, Noah. She's engaged again and told me that her fiancé had healed her heart after you ... passed." Noah wiped the tears from his eyes but couldn't stop his sobs. Lanie desperately wanted to climb onto his lap once more to comfort him. Sniffling, he pounded the steering wheel. "Those bastards stole my life from me! How could they? How could they, Lanie?" "I don't know,” she answered, wiping away tears of her own. "God, it's liberating in a way though. I finally know. Christ, I know who I am." They sat there in silence for several minutes before he glanced at her once more. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he smiled in spite of it. More tears spilled over as he chuckled and covered his face with his hands. "Noah, are you all right?" "I'm not married!” he exclaimed, as if he'd just won the lottery. Lanie smiled. “No, you're not." When he looked at her once more, she could clearly see the hunger in his eyes. It must have been mirrored in her own, because he groaned and slipped the car into drive. "Where are we going?” she asked warily. "Somewhere with a bed." **** The door to the motel room hadn't even slammed behind them before Noah pushed Lanie down on the large bed in the middle of the room. Without missing a beat, he lowered himself on top of her and kissed her savagely. A bolt of lightning raced through her veins, making her moan and buck against him. His hands seemed to be everywhere, scooting her farther back on the bed and following her with his big body. Lanie opened her legs for him without conscious thought, gasping as his body fit snuggly on top of hers. His fingers threaded through her hair, holding her head still for his roving mouth, invading her, possessing her with his tongue. She answered him in kind, raising her legs to caress his thighs. "Dear God, woman, you smell so good. So damn good.” He panted against her neck, nipping at her skin. It was a little painful, but each small sensation of pain also shot an arc of desire throughout her entire body. She was on fire, and all she wanted was him. His palms were suddenly under her sweater, lifting it up and over her head, burning her sensitive skin. She cried out as they claimed her breasts still clad in her bra.

"Lanie, baby, you'll have to help me with this, or so help me I'm going to rip it off!” He licked her skin just above the frilly lace. She slipped her own hands under his shirt, stroking his masculine skin. “My hands are busy at the moment,” she told him boldly. “You'll just have to rip it." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than her bra was torn away, the sound of it filling the room. Instantly he pounced, claiming one of her breasts with his mouth. "Noah ... oh, Noah,” she whispered with a moan. “Please hurry. I want you inside of me!" "Damn, Lanie,” he said as he kissed her once again. “You're going to make me come in my pants." "Then take them off!” She plunged her fingers into his waistband. She'd never seen a man undress so quickly, but once he was naked before her, all she could do was stare. "Noah, you're ... beautiful." Had she actually made him blush? He hid it by picking up his discarded pants and digging in the pocket for one of the condoms he'd been carrying. He tore open the package, but Lanie's hand on his stopped him. "Let me,” she said, wanting nothing more than to wrap her hands around his length. Noah bit his lip and nodded, handing it to her. With slow, determined strokes, Lanie sheathed him in the condom, languidly fondling him up and down. Beads of sweat dotted his brow. With a low growl, he tossed her back into the pillows. "Your turn,” he said as he fumbled with the button and zipper of her jeans. Within moments, he'd yanked them off along with her panties, and she was naked before him. Her skin pebbled at the cool air, but she wasn't cold. Far from it. She was hot, burning to a crisp from the blue flames in Noah's eyes. Crouching low, his big hands caressed her thighs, urging her legs to open for him. Once she did, Noah wasted no time as he plunged two fingers inside of her. Lanie cried out, arching into his hand, silently asking for more. His thumb rubbed her slick skin as his fingers eased in and out, slowly bringing her to the brink of ecstasy. Leaning over her body, he devoured her breasts, and Lanie could do nothing more than plunge her hands in his hair and hold on tight. His touch drove her wild as she strained for release against him. Just as she was about to fall over the edge, Noah lifted his head and kissed her, capturing her shuddering gasps in his mouth. Their tongues tangled while his fingers continued their erotic caress, bringing forth more whimpers of pleasure from Lanie's throat. Noah shifted his weight, and in a split second his fingers were gone, only to be replaced by the very root of him driving into her as deeply as he could go. Noah lifted her hips to receive him as he pulled back only to thrust forward once again. Lanie cried out at the exquisite feel of him. This was it, the moment she'd dreamt of for what seemed an eternity; having him moving inside of her. "Noah!” She took his earlobe into her mouth and sucked hard. He groaned and pressed forward once again, demanding her response. “Don't stop, Noah! Don't ever stop." "Never, baby,” he said, holding on to her. “Never." Within moments, Lanie was crying out again, another orgasm rocking through her like a pulse of electricity. Noah groaned at the same time, quaking on top of her and holding her hips steady as he thrust hard and deep. Spent and panting, he collapsed on her, but she welcomed his weight. He hid his face in the crook of her neck, and it was all Lanie could do to catch her breath. No one had ever made love to her like that—so savagely. Noah knew what he wanted and took it without asking. She was shocked to find she was still in one piece, her pleasure had been so intense. Noah moved as if to sit up, but Lanie's arms stopped him. "No,” she whispered, still panting. "But—" "Stay." With a slow nod, he rested his head on her chest. Neither one spoke, because there was no need for words. What they'd just shared was too intense, too passionate. Instead, Lanie stroked his hair and kissed the top of his head, content to lay beneath him in his warm, comforting embrace.

Twenty One "Did I hurt you?" Noah's voice seemed to drift down to her through a fog. Lanie opened her eyes to see him hovering above her, holding his weight on his elbows. He was still buried inside of her, making her bite her lip at the sensation. "What?” she asked, somewhat distracted as he moved just a bit. "Did I hurt you?” he repeated, giving her a small, chaste kiss. "A little,” she confessed, finally able to control her breathing. "I'm sorry.” His eyes were impossibly blue at the moment, and he sounded as if he truly regretted it. “My instincts kicked in and I—" Lanie put her hand on his mouth. “Don't, Noah. Don't apologize to me. There was some pain when you bit me, but it only made me hotter for you." "I bit you?” he asked, genuinely confused. Lanie nodded. “Right here.” She pointed to her neck. With a groan, Noah kissed her there, and she felt his tongue caress her skin. “Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. You're already bruising." "I said don't apologize.” She chuckled playfully, smacking him on the shoulder. “I'm just a marked woman, that's all." Something changed in Noah's eyes at her comment. He was so unbelievably sexy that Lanie's heart skipped a beat. “Wearing my mark,” he whispered, his eyes flashing. “Covered in my scent." He kissed her, and Lanie was lost. His possessiveness had suddenly kicked in, and she couldn't believe how much she loved it. She wanted to be marked by Noah, to be his. She supposed it was in part an animal thing. Noah was a shifter, after all. His possessive feelings could be due to his animalistic desire to mate. But Lanie didn't care. She'd finally made love to him, and it had been a glorious experience. Now, with him kissing her, her body was firing up to feel the ecstasy all over again. "Let's take a shower,” he said against her skin, his hot breath making her shiver. "Together?” she asked. "Definitely. After that torturous night in our other motel room, showering with you is all I can think about." "I don't remember that night being torturous,” Lanie said, her face twisting with confusion as she tried to recall it. "Maybe not for you,” he said with a sly grin. “But it was all I could do not to break down the door and take you right then and there." "I wish you had,” she whispered to him, running her fingers through his hair. "So do I." Noah gave her another long, gentle kiss before pulling away. Lanie was suddenly cold, but once he stood, he held out his hand for her and helped her off the bed. Their rigorous love-making had made her legs weak, and she welcomed the strength of Noah holding her upright. Before long, steam filled the small bathroom as they both stepped into the water together. “Turn around,” Noah said in her ear, making her quake despite the hot shower spray. She did as he said, gasping as his large hands urged her under the water. Once her body was completely wet, he grabbed the soap on the edge of the tub and began lathering her body. Lanie couldn't stop the moans of pleasure she gave him, closing her eyes to the delicious feeling. "Lanie...” His voice trailed off. Snapping open her eyes, she looked at him and caught his gaze roving over her naked skin, and she blushed despite all they'd shared. "You are so lovely,” he said. No man had ever called her lovely. She felt tears in her eyes. “You really think so?” she said, amazed that she'd found her voice. With a grin, he slipped his soapy hand between her legs and gently explored. “I know so, baby. You're perfect." Lanie had to clutch onto his shoulders or risk collapsing right there in the shower. Her tongue slipped between her lips as she moaned, and Noah took advantage of its appearance. With a determined, predatory stance, he pressed her against the wall of the shower, leaning in close enough to kiss her exposed tongue. Lanie didn't need any more urging. With a sigh, she opened her mouth to him and let him conquer. "I'm all soapy,” she said, amazed at the grittiness of her voice. "I know,” he growled in response, pressing his entire body against her, leaving no room for doubt about where his thoughts were headed. "Do you have a ... a condom?" He slowly shook his head, and she bit the inside of her lip in frustration until an idea came to her.

"Get wet,” she ordered, pushing him into the water. He grinned at her but moved obediently. With his body turned away from her, she couldn't help but admire his firm backside, and she had to touch him. "I want to lick every inch of you." Noah whipped around at her words, making her chuckle. She squeezed past him and rinsed the soap off before turning to face him once again. "Funny, I was just thinking the very same thing,” he said with a seductive grin. But as he reached for her, she pushed him away and shook her head. "Not so fast, Noah Carpenter. You were in charge on the bed. In the shower, it's my turn." He raised his brow but dropped his hands. Lanie smiled and adjusted the showerhead to spray a little higher, hitting Noah in the chest. She knelt before him, holding his eye contact and swallowing hard. His gaze was intense, telling her she would once again be his prey the moment they emerged from the shower. With a slight smile, she ran her hands up his thighs, feeling his entire body shake. She marveled at the power she had over this man. And she wanted him to surrender to her. Her hands drifted up his skin, coming to rest on his hardened flesh, stroking, massaging ever so gently. She suddenly felt shy but remembered how aggressive he'd been only a little while before. She was a quick study. Raising her mouth, she ran her tongue along his skin, circling him before taking him fully inside. "Lanie!” he exclaimed. “Dear God..." "Shh,” she whispered, still stroking him. His eyes caught hers, and she got a glimpse of his tiger side as his fingers threaded through her hair. Returning her mouth to his length, she thought how much she loved the taste of him, so completely male that her nipples puckered in response. She couldn't keep herself from groaning. "Damn,” he said under his breath, holding on to her hair so tightly that Lanie actually winced, but she wasn't about to stop. Again and again she took him in, and each time he moaned in response. "Stop. Lanie—" "No,” she responded gently, continuing. "But I ... I'm going to ... sweet Jesus!" His body tensed, and she could taste the salty tang of his pleasure on her tongue. She didn't stop her conquest until his shuddering gasps had subsided. She stood and gave him a timid smile, and his eyes burned her to the core. She wondered for a moment if he'd truly enjoyed what she'd done, and a shiver of doubt raced down her spine. But another rush of desire engulfed her when the side of his mouth turned up into a most-wicked grin. Leaning over her, he turned off the shower. "Your turn,” he whispered hotly in her ear. Lanie shuddered as Noah gathered her in his arms, striding swiftly out of the bathroom without even stopping for a towel.

Twenty-Two They'd left the bed minutes before only to return to it sopping wet. When Lanie realized that he meant to lay her back down, she tried to stop him. "Wait, Noah, we'll get the sheets all—” he tossed her onto the mattress “—wet!" "I don't care,” he said, crouching over her belly and reminding her of a cat about to pounce. In a sense, that's exactly what he was. She could even hear a sound coming from his throat. Was Noah purring? Lanie's thoughts were scattered when he slowly began licking the skin of her belly, dipping lower and lower to glide down each of her legs. Noah grabbed her thighs with his hands and forced them open, eliciting a yelp from her. "Did I hurt you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "No, you just startled me is all. You're so demanding. You could have just asked me to open up." He growled at her words, and she could have sworn she saw his eyes flash. A hint of fear laced her passion, magnifying it and bringing forth a longing so strong that she almost begged for him to ravish her again. "I'm sorry, baby,” he said, his voice gruff. “But I don't think I can go slow. I can smell every little detail about you, and something inside me wants to take you fast and hard—and without mercy..." As he spoke, he dipped his head and ran his tongue along her slick skin, with just barely enough pressure for her to feel nothing but frustration. "And something tells me you like it that way, Lanie.” He did it again, and she cried out. "Noah...” She tried to scoot closer to him. "What?” he asked, teasing her a third time. "You're driving me wild!" "Good,” he whispered. “Now that you know the feeling, you know what I have to live with every day, barely able to contain the beast that lives inside of me." Taking his finger, he outlined her sex, doing nothing more than making her writhe at his touch. "I want you wild, baby,” he said, his eyes locking with hers as he hovered between her legs. It was the single-most erotic scene she'd ever been a witness to, especially when he licked the finger that had been stroking her. Lanie closed her eyes and panted hard, feeling a deep fire burning in her loins, practically screaming for his touch. Then his tongue was on her again, but this time, instead of a smooth liquid sensation, she felt tiny nubs on it that felt so good it made her cry out. "Like that?” he asked, his voice making her skin tingle. She could do no more than nod. She didn't trust her own voice. "I can control the way my body changes when I shift,” he told her right before he ran his tongue along her folds once more. “I can change the texture of my tongue just enough—” another lick “—to drive you wild. Is it working?" "Y—yes, Noah. Yes! Oh my God..." Noah's voice turned deep and husky. “I want you for my mate, Lanie. For always.” With that, he plunged a finger inside of her and she bucked. “Tigers do not mate for life, but I can't imagine living the rest of my life without you." His mouth returned to her, and she clutched the pillows with a vengeance, wondering to herself if she were in heaven or hell. His strokes were slow but in no way gentle as he attacked her senses as only a predator would. "Will you be my mate?” he asked, pushing another finger inside of her. Lanie would have agreed to anything to get him to finish what he'd started, but glancing at the ceiling, she realized the enormity of what he was asking her. To stay with him. Forever. To be his and only his, the mate of a shifter. Who knew what kind of life they would lead or if she would ever see her family again. But her heart burst at his words, and she knew she couldn't live without him either. If for some reason he left her, she didn't think she would ever be the same. Noah Carpenter was in her blood, just as the tiger was in his. There was no way she could deny his heartfelt plea. "Noah,” she whispered with her eyes closed, “I can't lose you. Not now." "What's your answer?” he asked, dipping his head again to continue his erotic game. Opening her eyes, she looked down, and once again his eyes met hers. Looking into his fiery-blue depths, Lanie knew her fate was sealed. "Yes. Yes, I will be your mate. I'll be your—oh, God!" The moment she said the words, Noah feasted, finally giving her what she'd craved all along. His exquisite tongue danced upon her, making her hold his head there with her hand. Within moments she was screaming, her orgasm more intense and powerful than any she'd ever felt in her life. And before she could come down from the sky, Noah was on top of her, making sure she had no doubt in her mind that she was his and his alone. Before she knew he had moved, he was inside of her while kissing her into oblivion. Lanie's entire world was Noah in that moment, and she lost herself in him. He thrust and she answered him stroke for stroke, telling him without words what being his mate meant to her.

"I love you, Noah,” she whispered, threading her fingers through his hair. He answered her by kissing her hungrily, groaning and pouring himself into her at the same time. "Don't stop, don't stop!” Lanie pleaded. And he didn't, despite having found his own pleasure. A few moments later, she gasped and arched her back, climaxing around him and opening her eyes to see him gazing down at her, watching her come. She would have blushed, but she barely had strength to blink. Instead, she smiled weakly. "I love you too, baby,” he whispered, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “And I swear I won't let anything bad happen to you." "Just stay with me, Noah. That's all I want." He nodded and rested his head on hers. “You got it, my passionate tigress." Lanie bit her lip and did blush that time. Pulling his head down, she gave him a kiss full of love, full of promise, and full of the dreams they shared for tomorrow and beyond. **** "Hey, Justin, is that Noah's red Hummer?" Rogan pulled over to the side of the road and stared at the truck in the motel parking lot. Justin sat up from napping in the passenger seat to look where Rogan was pointing. "Holy crap, it is! What's he doing at a motel in the middle of the day?" "I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count. Damn, J, you can be dense sometimes." The younger man managed to look hurt. “Ouch, Wolfe. You wound me." Rogan rolled his eyes and pulled their vehicle into the truck stop on the other side of the road. He parked so they would be able to keep an eye on the motel. "We're staking them out?” Justin asked. "No, we're protecting them, remember? We were sent to Arizona to find them, and we have. We just need to prevent anyone else from finding them." "Ah,” Justin said, nodding. “So does that mean I can finish my nap?" "Go ahead,” Rogan answered as he leaned back his seat to get comfortable. “Just means you'll get the night watch." Justin scoffed and closed his eyes. “Whatever, old man."

Twenty-Three Tam smiled as he watched the monitor and pointed to a flashing red dot on the terrain map. “That is their signal?" "Yup.” The technician who'd pulled up the beacon on Rogan and Justin's GPS locator seemed nervous. His hands shook and he cleared his throat several times, but it was his scent that gave him away. Tam enjoyed scaring the shit out of people. "How long have they been there?" "At least five hours, sir,” the man answered, coughing behind his hand. “They haven't moved an inch." "Excellent." Tam's belly growled and both men heard it. The technician's eyes went wide, and he visibly began to shake. Tam chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are safe,” he whispered in the man's ear. Tam had much larger prey in mind. Perhaps a wolf and a hawk. And, if he was lucky, a tiger as well. Not to mention the sweetest pound of flesh any shifter could ever ask for—Lanie Erickson. "For now, anyway,” Tam added, breathing deep the scent of the man's fear. “Scramble the chopper,” he told him. “I want to be in Arizona within the hour." "Yes sir!” The man jumped up from his seat and ran out the door of the command center. Tam found it amusing, especially since the man could have easily called the pilots from the phone on his desk. "Going somewhere, Tam?” The familiar voice of his creator, Dr. Lucian Carver, filled the room behind him. Without bothering to turn around, Tam answered, “I am going to retrieve my mate." "Ah, yes, the woman. Are you sure you haven't lost sight of your mission chasing after this ... Lanie Erickson?" "I have not forgotten,” Tam said, turning around, yet keeping his head bowed. “I want nothing more than to see Noah's throat ripped to shreds." Dr. Carver strode across the floor, coming face to face with the brutal man who could shift into a panther at will. He was one of the only men who didn't fear Tam, and that made Tam respect him. The doctor's hair was thinning on top, turning a salt-and-pepper grey, and the round spectacles he wore hid wizened, dark eyes behind them. At first glance, Dr. Carver did not appear to be a formidable man. But Tam knew better. "Must I remind you that killing experiment #121 was never part of the plan? Mr. Covington wants him alive. He's invested too much money to watch it be thrown away. Noah can be reprogrammed." Tam growled with fury but nodded, knowing he couldn't go against a direct order. “I have a plan for retrieving him." "Oh? And what's that?" "Abduct the woman and he will follow." "You are so sure?" Tam nodded, licking his lips. “When he comes, you will have your prize. And I will have mine." Dr. Carver clasped his hands behind his back and appeared deep in thought. “If he does come, you can have the woman. If he does not, then perhaps it is you who needs reprogramming, Tam. I am tired of your failures. Best you start showing results." A shiver raced down Tam's spine. He had no doubt this man would live up to his word. Tam bowed low and strode from the room, determined to complete his mission. **** Lanie watched Noah sleep for the better part of an hour. They'd gotten up only once for dinner—a pizza delivery—then they'd returned to the bed after the meal, where they'd remained ever since. The clock on the side table read 11:58 p.m. and the moonlight filtering in through the crack in the drapes was just enough to illuminate Noah's face. He was truly a beautiful man, and Lanie tried hard to think of one she'd ever met who was better looking. His features were strong but not overpowering— straight nose, full lips, rounded cheeks. She longed to touch him but didn't dare for fear of waking him. He'd told her that he loved her. She was giddy at the memory. This man had been through so much hell that he deserved a little tenderness, and she was going to be the one to give it to him. She was his mate now, akin in the animal kingdom to being his wife. More than lovers or fiancées, they were mates, bonded to each other through their love. Lanie supposed her deep feelings could have sprung from the need to cling to someone while running from B*E*A*S*T*, but she didn't believe that. What she felt for him was real, not something fleeting. The days that had passed since they'd first met seemed like an eternity. She didn't even feel the aches and pains from her car accident any longer. She couldn't remember when she'd stopped hurting. Soon the clock changed to midnight, and Lanie smiled. A new day. According the clock, it was now Thursday, January 6. As she stared at it, she realized something. The woman she'd spoken with on the phone—Patricia—had told her that Anthony Mercer's birthday was January 24. He'd have a birthday in just eighteen days. A sudden warmth overcame her. They'd be celebrating it together ... somewhere. God only knew where they would be. Would they still be on the run?

Trying to stay one step ahead of the agency that hunted them? Would they ever have peace? With a sigh, Lanie glanced at the shadows on the ceiling. She hoped they didn't have to live the rest of their lives in hiding. Her family would never understand. The sound of a truck passing on the nearby highway reminded her of something, and she groaned. When they'd found the motel on the side of the highway, Noah had turned so sharply into the parking lot that the tires had actually squealed, and when they'd reached the room, he'd hopped out of the truck without even taking time to grab the keys from the ignition. "Damn,” she said under her breath, gazing once more at the sexy man in bed next to her. She had half a mind to leave it until morning, but the longer she lay there, the more it weighed on her mind. Anyone could come along and steal the Hummer, which was now their one and only lifeline to safety. If that happened, they'd be sitting ducks. Biting the inside of her lip, Lanie groaned and tossed the covers aside, then she slipped on her sweater and jeans and wondered if she should wake Noah. Once that crossed her mind, she scoffed at herself. The car was parked right outside the door. All she had to do was go outside, grab the keys and come right back in. It would take all of ten seconds. Besides, the man had had quite the workout this evening and deserved his rest. She smiled and decided to let him sleep. She unlocked the door to their room and slipped out quietly into the night.

Twenty-Four Tam's chopper had landed just a few miles away where a car had been waiting to take him to the exact coordinates of Rogan's signal. Now it was a few hours later, and Tam sat on the side of the road waiting for something to happen. It was obvious that Rogan's vehicle was parked at the truck stop. Tam could even tell that both Rogan and Justin were inside sleeping. He would have killed them both without a thought, but something caught his eye: across the street was a small motel, and in the parking lot sat a pristine red Hummer that looked oddly like a vehicle owned by B*E*A*S*T*. Could it be one of theirs? The moon shone down as Tam exited his car and stood a few yards away from it, his nose wrinkling from the stench he detected. No doubt about it, both Lanie and Noah were there. His heart beat faster at the thought of finally putting an end to everything here and now. Just then, one of the motel room doors opened, and a woman stepped out. Tam couldn't believe his good fortune. It was Lanie! Her sweet scent drifted to him, driving him mad with lust. His entire body hardened and he crouched, wanting to pounce on her and take her savagely right there in the parking lot. But something was wrong. Noah's scent permeated the air as well, and Tam's skin crawled as he realized what he smelled. They had mated. A growl rose deep in his throat and would have become a mindless howl of rage if he hadn't forced himself to focus his attention on the beautiful woman before him. Walking briskly to where she stood, he tamped down his jealousy and tried his best to put a smile on his face. He knew it must have looked more like a sneer, but Tam was far beyond caring. **** "Excuse me, miss?" Lanie gasped and whipped around with her fingers still on the handle of the car door. Her heart was in her throat as she gazed into the dark Asian eyes of the man behind her. His black hair shimmered in the moonlight, and he towered over her head. She chanced a glance back at the motel room door, willing Noah to wake up. What the hell had she been thinking coming outside all alone? When she didn't answer the man, he continued on his own. “I seem to be lost and was wondering if you could help me." Lanie shook her head. “No, I'm afraid not. I don't know anything about this area.” She tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm. Painfully. "I didn't say you could leave." The timbre of his voice made Lanie's skin crawl, and the way he looked at her made her feel as if he were fantasizing about her. A sudden panic welled up inside her heart. "Let me go!” she demanded, trying her hardest to break his hold on her arm. "I think not." His eyes flashed in the same exact way Noah's did, and Lanie's heart suddenly stopped. This man was a shifter. This was Tam! "Noah!” she cried out, twisting this way and that to no avail. “NO—" With lightning speed, the man enclosed her within his powerful arms and covered her mouth. She couldn't do more than writhe futilely against him as he dragged her away. Her muffled screams went unnoticed in the still of the night. **** "Rogan, wake up! Holy shit, wake up!" Cracking open his eyes, Rogan glared at Justin. “What is it?” he said behind a yawn. "Tam just took Lanie!" Rogan sat up straight, his gaze immediately spying two figures struggling next to a car in the motel parking lot. "What the f—" "Come on!” Justin climbed out of the car. “We've got to go help her!" Ripping open his own door, Rogan leapt out and began running, but it was too late. Tam had already managed to stuff Lanie into his car and was speeding off, almost hitting Justin in the process. The dust from his tires swirled above the pavement. "Son of a bitch!” Justin yelled, chasing the car for a few strides. Rogan looked from Justin to Noah's room and ran the rest of the way across the highway. He crashed through the locked door and barged into the room. "Noah!" Noah's head popped up, sleep clouding his eyes. “What the—" "Christ, Noah, wake up! He's taken her!" "Rogan, what the hell? Get out of here, Lanie's—” He broke off and his eyes widened at the empty place on the bed beside him.

"She's gone, Noah!” Rogan shouted. “He's got her!" "What?” Noah ran his fingers through his hair, everything clearly still not registering with him. “When? How..." "It doesn't matter, just get up! We might be able to catch him!" **** Noah bounded off the bed, his emotions raging as it all finally sank in. What the hell was going on? How could Tam have Lanie? He didn't take long to ponder the thought before he'd thrown on his jeans and was out the door. Outside he could smell for himself the familiar scent of the black panther. It was all he could do to fight the urge to shift and kill. Tam had taken his mate. There was no way in hell he would simply let him get away with it. The urge to shift was strong, but he didn't let it take control. Not now, and not here. Noah refused to think about what might be in store for Lanie; he had to get her back. He had to save her! He'd told her he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, and he'd meant it. It was a promise he was determined to uphold. She was the one woman on Earth who accepted him for what he truly was, and he'd be damned before B*E*A*S*T* took that away from him. Not again. Climbing into his Hummer, he barely waited for Rogan and Justin to get in too before the engine roared to life. Within moments, he had the truck on the road, driving like a madman. "They went that way!” Rogan yelled, pointing out the windshield. The truck lurched as Noah hit the gas. "I'm coming, baby.” He growled under his breath. “Hold on." **** "Look—there!” Justin pointed at a car on the side of the road that sat open and empty a few minutes later. “That's the car." Slamming on the brakes, Noah jumped out of the Hummer before it had come to a complete stop, but he was too late. A helicopter had just taken off, the familiar sound of its rotors still echoing in the sky. The scents of Tam and Lanie were swirling through the air, and Noah had no doubt that they were on that chopper. "What the hell are we gonna do?” Justin exclaimed as he watched the helicopter fly away with his mouth wide open. "I've got to go after her.” Noah's voice was low, but he knew both men would be able to hear him over the commotion. "Wait a minute,” Rogan said, holding up his hand. “Tam's taking her back to the B*E*A*S*T* compound, Noah." "I know." "But you'll be walking back into the lion's den! You can't possibly go back there!" "And what's going to happen to her if I don't, Rogan?” Noah yelled, grabbing the collar of his friend's shirt. “They're going to make her one of us. I can't let that happen. Tam wants her for his mate. But she's my mate—MINE! Do you understand?" Rogan nodded and took a step back, his eyes wide. "We have to go back,” Noah said. “We have to." As the men watched the chopper drift away, Rogan placed a hand on Noah's shoulder and squeezed. “We'll get her back, Tiger." Noah hoped to God his friend was right.

Twenty-Five "How did he find us? How did that sonofabitch find us?” Justin fidgeted in the passenger seat as Rogan crouched low in the back of the Hummer. "How did you find us?” Noah wanted to know, speeding into the night. "After we let you escape in the forest, we gave Tam some false information,” Justin said. “I told him you'd been picked up by a blue truck with Iowa plates. I wanted to throw him for a loop, you know? I guess he went back to the compound to check out my information, but before he did, he told Rogan and me to continue on to Arizona just in case you doubled back, and I guess we were traveling on the same road. We saw your Hummer parked outside that motel and decided to keep watch at the truck stop across the street. But, damn it, I fell asleep! I had the night watch, and I fell asleep. Christ!” Justin ran his fingers through his hair, clearly beating himself up over it. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen,” Noah said, gripping the steering wheel tightly. His emotions still raged inside of him, but along with the anger came an insurmountable fear. They were going to torture Lanie just like they'd tortured him. He had to find her. Losing her to B*E*A*S*T* was not an option. Noah pressed a little harder on the accelerator. Rogan groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Oh, God." Noah glanced at him in the rear view mirror. “What's wrong?" "Tam must have found out we lied to him back at the agency. He must have used B*E*A*S*T*'s computers to put a lock on where we were. Jesus, how could we have been so careless?" "What are you talking about, Wolfe?” asked Justin. Rogan looked at him and shook his head. “We ripped the GPS locator out of Noah's truck, but we forgot about our own!" "Oh, shit. Oh, God...” Justin closed his eyes and banged his head on the seat. “We led him straight to you!" "Noah, I'm so sorry,” Rogan said. “We were stupid, we were careless—" "What's done is done!” Noah growled, his face set in stone. “You only did what you thought was right. Now we've got to concentrate on rescuing Lanie." A short silence followed before Rogan spoke again. “There are three drivers here, so we should drive straight through until we get to the compound. We'll only stop for gas. Whoever's not driving can rest in the back." Noah nodded. “Does Tam know you're both traitors?" "He might, but I really don't know. It was Justin who gave him the false information, so I'm pretty sure he knows he can't be relied upon. He might assume the same about me since I work so closely with Justin." "Well, one thing we do know,” Noah said, “Tam's not an idiot. If he found you guys through your GPS locator, then it's a safe bet to say he knew you both were there. And if you were sleeping, you would have made ridiculously easy targets, yet he didn't kill you. Which means he was after Lanie all along. I think he's counting on me coming for her and bringing you two along. It's the perfect way to get us all back to the agency without killing us." Rogan sighed and shook his head. “Damn." "There's a slim chance that you might be able to convince him you're not a traitor, Wolfe,” Noah said, glancing again into his mirror. "Oh? What's that?" "Return to B*E*A*S*T* with Justin and me as your prisoners." Justin turned to look at Noah with his eyes wide. “You can't be serious!" Noah gave him a hardened stare. “I'm completely serious. It's the only way we can get into the compound. Even if Tam believes Rogan is a traitor, he'd still let us in if only to have us in custody. But I have an idea." "What?" "We free the other shifters." Silence permeated the air. "This could work,” Rogan said, sitting back on his haunches. “If we free the others, there would be—" "Total chaos,” Noah finished for him. “We know plenty of guys who can remember glimpses of their lives before. Some want revenge against the scientists who made them what they are. I say we give them the opportunity." "But how are we going to get past security?” Rogan asked. “Once we're inside, they'll capture us and inject us with that damned serum that won't allow us to shift." Noah chewed the inside of his lip and remembered the times he'd been injected with that serum. They'd used it on him as both a human and as a tiger. No matter which state he was in, he could not shift back. He couldn't count the times he'd been scared shitless as a tiger, thinking he'd never be able to become human again. But eventually, the serum had always worn off. "No, they won't inject us with anything,” Noah said under his breath. "How do you know?” Justin swallowed hard.

"We're shifters, J,” Rogan told him. “He means we'll shift before they have the opportunity." "And we're going to kill every single person we see.” Noah stared straight ahead at the road and shivered at his own thoughts. He'd always prided himself on believing that he wasn't a killer, but those bastards at the compound deserved to die. Oddly, he felt no remorse. B*E*A*S*T* needed to be destroyed. And he was going to see to it personally. **** Noah couldn't rest despite his exhaustion. He'd been driving for most of the day, but when Rogan had insisted that he take over, Noah had climbed into the back of the Hummer and simply stared at the ceiling. B*E*A*S*T* had Lanie. The bastards had stolen his mate! He could feel the familiar crawling of his skin as his body ached to shift. He wasn't just angry that B*E*A*S*T* had her; his instincts were beginning to take over. Every hair stood on end as he shivered, breathing through his teeth and trying like mad to control the urge. Closing his eyes tightly, he rubbed them with his fists. Damn, he needed sleep. But all he could see behind his eyes was Lanie's soft smile and her willing body as she'd made love to him not more than a few hours ago. Memories of their shower bombarded him, and he rolled over as if he'd been punched in the gut. Stopping the tears that rolled down his cheeks was impossible. He knew Justin and Rogan could smell his change of mood, and he was grateful that they said nothing as he silently cried his heart out. He'd tasted her, been with her for one glorious night only to have that bliss shattered and taken from him. She'd admitted her love for him, and that's what haunted him the most. Her words still rang in his ears: “I love you, Noah." He knew damn well there wasn't another woman on the planet who would be able to accept him as Lanie had. He knew it must have been hard for her, but all she'd wanted to do was comfort him, even during his darkest hours. With a broken sigh, he tried again to concentrate on sleep, knowing he'd only be troubled by his dreams if he should succeed. But this time, instead of torture at the hands of B*E*A*S*T*, his dreams would torture him with images of the woman he loved.

Twenty-Six Justin squinted as he drove, finally feeling his lack of sleep. But he'd be damned if he would fall asleep now. Noah had drifted off into a whimpering slumber, and Justin could hear his rhythmic breathing in the back of the truck. With a determined scowl, he concentrated hard on the road ahead. "Pull over, J. Let me drive.” Rogan's soft voice drew him out of his thoughts. "No,” he said simply. "Come on, I can tell you're beat. You've been driving for a few hours now, ever since Noah fell asleep. I've rested a bit, so pull over." "No, Wolfe. I need to drive." Rogan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What's the matter?" Justin could feel his eyes welling with tears and tried to steel himself. “It's my fault. All of it." "You couldn't have—" "It was my turn to watch! My turn to be awake, and I blew it! I fell asleep. And Tam took Noah's mate." "You've got to stop blaming yourself. Tam would have come regardless. He locked onto our signal, remember? We're both to blame." "No,” Justin said, shaking his head. “If I had been awake, we might have been able to stop him." Rogan scoffed. “Stop Tam? Can it even be done?" "With two of us we might have had a chance." "J, listen. There's nothing we could have done, okay? Tam is an evil, conniving asshole who duped us all." "He didn't dupe us,” Justin said under his breath. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Justin twisted his face and sighed. “I didn't forget about the GPS beacon." Silence filled the cab. “What?” Rogan said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't forget about it. I wanted him to come. I wanted him to come so I could sink my talons into his jugular and watch him die." "Jesus, Justin,” Rogan said. “What the hell has gotten into you?" Emotions raged inside of him, and Justin couldn't tell if he was more angry at Tam or himself. "I wanted to make him pay—to see to it that he would never be able to hurt anyone again. When I realized he'd killed the woman I loved, I vowed to get revenge." "And you were going to gamble with everyone's lives for your own petty revenge?" "We could have taken him." Rogan threw up his hands. “It's like I'm talking to a brick wall!" "There's three of us, Wolfe!” Justin exclaimed. “You, me, and Noah. We could have taken him!" "Well, your little plan backfired, J, and now he's taken Lanie." "I know, I know. And we'll get her back, then I'm going to kill the bastard." "More like get yourself killed. He's a panther, you're a hawk. It's no big stretch to think he'll get the best of you." "Not if we give him the serum first." Rogan stared at him with his mouth open. “I want no part of your foolish plan, J. If you want to kill yourself, be my guest. I'm just gonna go in, release the others, and try to find out something about who I used to be. That's it." Justin shrugged, his face set in stone. “Suit yourself." **** It was dark again when Noah opened his eyes. They'd been driving all day. His belly growled something fierce and he groaned, holding his midsection. Leaning over, he opened one of the side compartments and pulled out a bag of beef jerky. The meat was hard and chewy, but it tasted good for the time being. Rogan was driving, and despite the late hour, both he and Justin were awake but not speaking to the other. Justin stared out the window at the inky blackness, and Rogan kept his eyes on the road. Noah could see Rogan's face in the mirror and couldn't tell if the scowl he wore was from anger or fatigue. "Need me to take over, Wolfe?” he offered between bites.

"I'm fine,” Rogan answered, seeming to snap out of his deep thoughts to glance at Noah in the rear-view mirror. "Jerky?” Noah offered, handing it to him. "Sure.” Rogan took the bag and fished through it for a piece. Noah took back the bag and pulled out another piece, then waved the bag under Justin's nose. “You?" Justin shook his head. “Not hungry." After a few moments of silence, Noah said, “I know who I am. Who I used to be. Lanie and I found out just yesterday." "Oh?” Rogan asked. "Yeah. I've been having these dreams, kind of like the ones I had a little while back when we were both still at the B*E*A*S*T* compound, but these were more vivid. The woman in my dream called me Anthony Mercer, so Lanie called Information in just about every city in Arizona to find the right listing." "And she found it?” Justin asked. "Yup. The lady said Anthony had been killed in a horrible car fire a couple of years ago. Even verified that his middle name was Noah." "Damn,” Rogan said. "Yeah, creepy, isn't it? Said we'd been engaged to be married when I passed away, and that I was once in the Marines." "No shit?” Justin exclaimed, turning in the seat to look at him. "Nope,” Noah answered with a small grin. "I used to be in the Marines as well,” he said, glancing between Noah and Rogan. “Found out not too long ago when I hacked into B*E*A*S*T*'s computers." "You hacked into their computers?” Noah asked. It was Justin's turn to grin. “Indeed I did." "Well, it's great that you finally know who you are, Tiger,” Rogan said. “And what a coincidence that both of you were once in the military during your lives before, huh?" Justin gasped. “You don't think it's too much of a coincidence, do you?" "Now what are you talking about, J?” Rogan asked, rolling his eyes. "Both of us being in the military. Is that just a coincidence?" "Could be,” Noah said. “A lot of men are in the service." Justin shook his head. “I don't believe for one second that anything B*E*A*S*T* does is coincidental." Rogan's eyes narrowed. “So you're suggesting that the American military—the government knows what this agency is doing? That's crazy." "Is it?” Justin countered. “How are they getting their funding? Where do the scientists come from? And how exactly would an agency such as this pick their subjects? Don't you think they'd want the best of the best instead of some random Joe off the street corner?" "You make it sound as if the goal for their experiments is to create some kind of ... super soldier,” Noah said. "Isn't that exactly what we are?” Justin countered. “What the hell is our purpose if not to be the ultimate killing machine? Think about it! Who would want to implement this kind of killing machine? Who would benefit most from trained killers? The U.S. military. The U.S. government." Silence filled the truck for a few moments while they all pondered the implications. Noah shivered at the thought. From the way Rogan was rubbing his arms, he knew he was thinking the same thing. Holy shit. "It sounds too much like the rantings of a crazy conspiracy theorist to me,” Rogan said with a clearly forced grin. "It might sound crazy,” Justin said, “but that doesn't mean it's not true. When you hack into the computers and find your file, Wolfe, I'd be willing to bet you'll find out that you were in some branch of the armed forces. And if you were, then it just proves that I'm right." "Let's hope you're not,” Rogan said. “Cause if you are and the American government is backing the B*E*A*S*T* agency, then there's nowhere in this entire country that we'll be able to hide." Noah spit out his last piece of beef jerky and tossed the bag to the floor. He suddenly didn't feel much like eating.

Twenty-Seven Lanie opened her eyes, but it did her no good. She was surrounded by inky blackness. Try as she might to strain her eyes, not a single shaft of light penetrated the gloom. Her arms screamed from being held high above her head in some kind of manacles. Giving them a few tugs, she found they would not be moved. The cold stone she could feel behind her radiated through her skin, chilling her to the bone. Dear God, was she naked? With a groan, she shivered and knew that she'd probably be able to see her breath if someone turned on the lights. Swallowing hard, Lanie tried in vain to quiet her thundering heart. Where was she? The smell in the room was enough to make her gag, reminding her of rotting meat. Her stomach almost revolted right then and there, but somehow she managed to quell her fear. Lanie didn't remember much of anything beyond the parking lot of the motel. She remembered talking to a man, and that was it. Sifting through her memories, she tried to piece together what had happened and realized that the man had grabbed her in an iron grip. No matter how hard she'd tried to twist out of his grasp, his arms had tightened like a vise. She remembered he'd covered her mouth with his hand, and that's when she must have lost consciousness. She couldn't remember a thing after that. Lanie shuddered. That hadn't been just an ordinary man, it had been Tam, the very one she and Noah were running from! He was the panther, the one who'd made that ungodly howl in the forest. He's the one that had been chasing them through both Colorado and Arizona. Lanie shifted her weight to ease the pressure on her arms, but her entire body cried out at the effort. She groaned in response. How long had she been chained against this wall? She desperately wanted to cry out for help, but she didn't dare bring attention to herself for fear of what that might bring. But how long could she possibly stand there? How much longer could her body take? She heard a low growl from somewhere in the darkness, and it made her blood turn to ice. It was close—in the room with her! Her heart leapt into her throat, almost choking her with fear. She heard it again, this time accompanied by the sound of shuffling across the floor. It sounded big. She could also make out the sound of footsteps in the room, soft as they padded across the floor but almost thunderous to her straining ears. Another long, low growl followed, this time right in front of her. That wasn't the growl of any kind of dog, it was a large—a very large cat. Like a panther. Sweet Jesus, was Tam in there with her? Sudden tears sprang to her eyes as she tried again to free herself from the wall. "Please ... oh, please,” she cried. “Please don't eat me. Don't hurt me. I ... I know y—you can ... understand me." Something cold and wet touched her thigh, and Lanie shrieked. "Please don't kill me!" Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her terror was intensified because she couldn't see him before her. Then again, she was pretty sure she didn't want to see a huge black panther standing perilously close to her. Now it was sniffing her. She knew because she could feel the hot puffs of breath against her skin. Lanie's eyes bulged and she shivered again, scared out of her mind. When the big cat sniffed between her legs, she cried out once more, hoping for mercy although she wasn't sure the animal or the man was even capable of mercy. The creature took long, deep breaths of her essence, making Lanie's skin crawl. What the hell was he doing? Was he planning to ... Oh, God, was he going to rape her? Lanie gasped at the sudden feeling of warm hands on her calves, slowly working their way up, fingers digging into her cold flesh. "You smell delicious,” he whispered. She knew he must have shifted, but that didn't allay her fear at all. She closed her eyes and tried not to whimper. "You will be my mate, Lanie Erickson. In every way." From somewhere deep inside her, she found the courage to speak. “I ... I'm Noah's mate,” she managed to say. "No!” Tam exclaimed, his voice ricocheting on the walls and making Lanie tremble so violently that the chains holding her rattled. “No, he is not,” Tam continued in a much calmer voice. “You are mine—the scientists will see to that." "Oh my God,” Lanie said. “You can't mean to ... to make me into a shifter?” Her entire body lurched at the thought. "Oh, yes,” Tam said, his hands capturing her breasts. He rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefingers. “A panther like me. You will be reprogrammed—cleansed you might say." "Reprogrammed?” she whispered. “You mean mind-wiped?" Tam chuckled, still playing with her breasts. “Yes, my sweet. You'll remember nothing but me, want no one but me. And I will be only too happy to oblige you." "I will never be your mate,” she spat, trying to move her body away from his greedy hands. His fingers suddenly dug into her skin, making her cry out. "Yes, you will, Lanie,” he growled. “You will be mine, I will see to it." "Please, Tam, don't hurt me,” she pleaded, hoping against hope that he had some shred of compassion. "The only pain you will feel is if you resist,” he answered, his breath raising the hair on the back of her neck. “So don't fight it. Surrender to your fate." Lanie couldn't control the heart-wrenching sobs that echoed through the darkness.

**** "I'm worried about Justin." Noah looked up at Rogan from the gas nozzle as he placed it in the top of the Hummer's tank. “Oh?" "Yeah. He's obsessed with getting his revenge on Tam." "Revenge? What are you talking about?" Rogan sighed. “We're not the only ones who can remember bits and pieces of our lives before. Justin can remember the moment he was taken by B*E*A*S*T*. And it was Tam who came for him, killing his fiancée in the process." "Good Lord.” Noah rubbed his eyes and groaned. He glanced at the restrooms of the gas station where Justin had wandered off to a few minutes before. "He's not going to stop until blood is shed,” Rogan went on. “But instead of Tam's, I'm worried that it might be his own. While you were asleep earlier, he told me that he didn't forget about our GPS locator beacon. He wanted Tam to come." "What?" Noah pierced Rogan with an icy glare. His stomach bottomed out at the thought of Justin just letting Tam take Lanie. "He didn't know he would fall asleep is the thing,” Rogan said, continuing. “He figured the three of us could take Tam, but he didn't bother informing you or me. Personally, I think he wanted to confront Tam on his own. I mean, we all have a grudge against the guy, but this is consuming Justin, and I think he just might get himself killed." Justin emerged from the restrooms and began walking back toward the truck. Noah growled deep in his throat and approached the younger man. "What'd I miss?” Justin asked, giving Noah his infuriating grin. Noah grabbed Justin's shirt in his fists and swung him around, slamming his back against the grill of the Hummer. “If I catch you doing a stupid, insane stunt like that again, I'll kill you myself." "What the hell, Noah?” Justin asked. "I told him what you confessed to me about Tam,” Rogan said, topping off the gas tank and returning the nozzle to its cradle. Justin looked back and forth between the two men. “Look, Noah, I can explain—" "Rogan just did. How dare you? How dare you take a chance like that!" "It wasn't supposed to go down like it did. I didn't think that—" "Exactly!” Noah exclaimed, rattling Justin's skull. “You didn't think, and now Lanie is gone—gone! All because you wanted to play vigilante and had a bone to pick with Tam! Hell, kid, we've all got issues with that asshole, but if I catch you getting in my way again, Tam will be the least of your worries! That damned black panther is mine. Do you understand?" Justin scowled darkly and took a few moments before answering with a curt nod. “Maybe I should just leave,” he said. “It's obvious that neither of you understand why I did what I did." "Go ahead,” Noah said, releasing him so suddenly that he stumbled a bit. “No one's stopping you." Adjusting his clothes, Justin gave Rogan and Noah a withering stare. “Fine. See you both in hell.” With that, he stalked away, making his way to a patch of trees at the side of the road. "Justin—” Rogan called out, but Noah's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Let him go,” Noah said as he watched him disappear into the foliage. “He's too full of his own vengeance to see clearly. He'd only get us captured, or killed." "But you know what he's going to try to do,” Rogan said. “He's going to go back to B*E*A*S*T* and try to finish things himself!" Noah nodded and watched as a majestic hawk suddenly took flight from the patch of trees, beating its wings furiously to gain speed and altitude. “I'm sure he will." "Well, we can't just let him." "Why not?” Noah asked, turning to look his friend in the eye. “If Justin goes back, he's going to fall right into Tam's trap and get caught. Then he'll be scheduled for reprogramming. Once we get there, we'll rescue him along with the others." Rogan sighed and climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut behind him. “I hope you're right, Tiger. I hope Tam doesn't kill him." "He won't." "How do you know?" "Because, just like the rest of us, he's worth a lot of money to B*E*A*S*T*'s investors. If he dies, they'd be very unhappy." "You think they'd actually reprimand Tam? He's one of their best shifters." "Hell yes they would! They'd torture him to within an inch of his life, simply because he is one of the best. And Tam damn well knows it."

"I hope Justin will be all right,” Rogan muttered as they got back in the Hummer. "Me too.” Noah started the truck and pulled out of the gas station, turning back onto the road.

Twenty-Eight "I just fled these mountains, and now here I am racing to get back to them.” Noah glanced at the looming granite and shivered. “Those bastards better not have laid one finger on Lanie." "We'll get her back,” Rogan whispered, running his hands through his hair. Noah was silent for a few minutes, lost in his own thoughts. By now, they could have done anything to her. Every hair on his body stood on end. With each beat of his heart, he felt panic set in, almost choking him. Noah gripped the steering wheel tightly. Had Tam already claimed Lanie as his own? Had they begun the process of making her a shifter? If so, the first step was reprogramming. Christ. She would forget him. Forever. "We're close.” Rogan's voice snapped Noah out of his agonizing thoughts. “There's the mountain." As they rounded a bend, Noah could see it tall and foreboding off in the distance—the very crag that had haunted his dreams. B*E*A*S*T*'s compound was carved out of the bedrock hundreds of feet below the surface, directly underneath that mountain. Noah presumed it was so they wouldn't be detected by a satellite scan of the area, but he knew this mountain. And seeing it again brought bile rising in the back of his throat. "You'll have to tie me up and make it look like I'm your prisoner,” Noah said. Rogan gave him a sidelong glance. “Think this will work?" Pulling the truck to the side of the road, Noah put it in park and glanced at his friend. “Yes. I'm convinced they'll let us in even if they're suspicious. It's the easiest way to get us inside without a fight." "Are there syringes of serum in this truck?” Rogan asked, climbing out of his seat and into the back. “We'll have to claim you have it in your blood, or they'll never believe you'd allow me to drag you back in your human form." "I haven't checked all these compartments,” Noah said. “I have no idea if we have any of the serum or not." After a few minutes of rooting around in the back of the truck, Rogan smiled broadly. “Aha!” he exclaimed, holding up his prize. “We do. This oughta come in handy.” He put one of the syringes in his pocket and handed another to Noah. "Did you find any rope?" Rogan nodded, a grin still plastered across his face. “And duct tape." The look Rogan gave him was not lost on Noah. He arched a brow and grinned himself. “Well, let's get this over with. We need to get inside as soon as possible." "Great, because this just makes me giddy." "No it doesn't,” Noah countered. “You're scared as hell. I can smell it coming off of you in waves." Rogan growled. “Shut up and turn around, Tiger." "Not too tight,” Noah said with a smirk. **** Security guards greeted them a little while later on the dirt road that led into a large cave on the face of the bedrock. Rogan rolled down his window and managed to appear irritated. "Look, I'm expected,” he said, glaring for their benefit. “Tam knows I'm coming. I've caught the traitor Noah Carpenter, and if you make me wait very much longer, I can't be responsible for what that panther does with your remains." The two guards looked at each other and adjusted the machine guns strapped to their shoulders. One of them cleared his throat and said, “Who should we say is coming, sir?" With a loud sigh, Rogan pinned him with an icy stare. “My name is Rogan Wolfe. That's W-O-L-F-E. I'm one of B*E*A*S*T*'s prized shifters, and if you don't get the hell out of my way, I just might consider moving dinner up a couple of hours!” The man's face paled as Rogan's eyes flashed. “So get Tam on the goddamned phone and tell him we're coming." "Y—yes sir. Right away, sir!” The guard ran to the booth on the side of the road and picked up the handheld phone inside. "Sounded convincing to me,” Noah whispered in amusement from the back. "Shut the hell up!” Rogan hissed furiously. “Put that duct tape back on your mouth. They're going to let us through. You'll ruin everything if they see you." "I don't care if they see me,” Noah said, sitting up from his prone position. "Jesus, Noah—" "I have a better plan,” he interrupted. Rogan swallowed hard, almost too afraid to ask. “What? Now's not the time for second thoughts, my friend." Noah tore out of his bonds and opened the rear doors of the Hummer. Before his feet even hit the ground, he shifted, tearing out of his clothes and charging before the guards could react.

Rogan watched with his mouth wide open as Noah pounced on one of the men, heedless of his screams, but he did not maul him. Just as the second guard ran out of the booth and readied his gun to fire, Rogan wrenched the driver's door open and jumped out. Grabbing the barrel of the gun, he forced the muzzle to the sky just as the guard fired several rounds. Using the strength B*E*A*S*T* had so generously given him, Rogan jerked the weapon out of the guard's hands and pointed it at his chest. "Get over there!” Rogan nodded toward the other guard, who was still screaming at having a tiger on top of him that was growling and baring its teeth. The second guard didn't hesitate to do as he was told. “Get on your knees and put your hands behind your head." Once the man was on the ground, Rogan told Noah to get the rope. Noah shifted and relieved the first guard of his gun before giving him a glare for good measure. The guard was far beyond caring, and Rogan could smell from where he was standing that the man had wet himself. Noah ran to the truck and grabbed both the rope and the tape. With Rogan pointing the gun at them, the two men didn't offer any resistance as Noah bound and gagged them. "Grab their ammo,” Rogan said, nodding toward their utility belts. Noah nodded and complied, then he rushed past Rogan to get in the Hummer again. Within moments, he was dressed in the extra clothing stored in the compartments. Rogan watched as Noah dug through his ruined pants on the ground for the syringe of serum. Once he'd found it, he stuffed it into his pocket. "Get in the truck,” Noah said, climbing into the driver's seat. “We've gotta hurry. The bastards will have all that on tape." Swallowing hard, Rogan climbed in the passenger side and slammed the door shut. Before it had closed all the way, Noah was barreling through the cave entrance, leaving the two guards behind in a cloud of dust. Rogan's heart raced, his eyes were wide, and he clutched the machine gun as if it were his only salvation. This was it. **** "What the hell am I looking at?” Tam squinted as he glared at the screen, then he caught his breath. “Holy shit!" There on the tape, from many different angles, were Noah and Rogan firing machine guns in the vehicle bay as they ran to the elevator. When the spray of bullets ceased, they had disappeared behind the elevator doors. "How old is this tape?” Tam demanded. When none of the five guards answered him, he grabbed the man standing closest to him and twisted his neck. The crack of breaking bone could be heard loud and clear as the man crumpled dead to the floor. "HOW OLD?" Tam yelled, his eyes on fire. "Fi—five minutes, sir!” one of them replied. "Five minutes? Are you shitting me?” Tam viciously kicked the body of the dead man in frustration. “They could be anywhere by now! Sound the goddamned alarm and put the entire complex in lockdown. No one enters, no one leaves!" "Sir, the guards at the front entrance are ... well, they're tied up." "Then get some more damn men out there Now! Move, people!" As they scrambled to assemble search teams, Tam resisted the urge to shift and feed on the still-warm body of the man he'd killed. His belly twisted with hunger, but he refused to give in to it. He'd wasted too much time dallying with Lanie and the scientists to notice what the hell was going on right under his nose. He'd predicted the traitors would come back, but not like this. He should have been better prepared, but no matter. He could still take them. With a growl, Tam sprinted toward the stairs. He needed help to contain them, and he knew of a few loyal shifters who would be only too happy to comply.

Twenty-Nine Justin woke up in a dark cell. He could barely make out the bars on the door in front of him. Wait a minute, this wasn't a cell—this was a cage. Where the hell was he? All he could remember was being shot out of the sky and falling to the earth. Since he wasn't dead, he figured he must have been shot with a tranquilizer gun. His plan to infiltrate the B*E*A*S*T* stronghold on his own had sure as hell backfired, and now here he was, a captive again. Terror filled his heart at what was undoubtedly in store for him. He'd be reprogrammed, made to be more like Tam. Just the thought of it made his body quake. Then he realized something. Feathers. What the hell? His arms were wings. Flapping them a few times, he knew he was in his shifted state, but try as he might, he couldn't shift back. He couldn't become human. They'd given him the serum. Those bastards had given him the serum! And that wasn't all. Glancing at his wings, he could tell by the missing feathers that one of his worst fears had come true: they'd clipped his wings. Flapping around the cage, Justin panicked, hoping against hope that Noah and Rogan were successful. If not, they were all screwed. And what was the point of making sure he couldn't shift back into a human? Were they planning an experiment on him? The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became, wondering what the hell he was going to do. Justin yelled and screamed for help, but all that came out were the squawks and screeches of a grounded bird of prey. "There you are, you damned traitor!" Justin recognized that voice—Sean Ross, another of B*E*A*S*T*'s prized shifters, loyal to the agency without question. He and Justin had once been friends, but Sean had soon became obsessed with the taste of blood, and Justin hadn't been able to stand talking to him anymore. Now he was terrified of him, knowing full well that Sean could kill him if he wanted to. A hawk could never compete against a Kodiak grizzly. "Tam wants you out, pretty bird,” Sean said mockingly, turning a key in the lock of the cage. “You're coming with me." Once the door to the cage was opened, Justin tried desperately to escape, but all he could manage was to flutter lamely on the floor. It had been hard enough learning to fly as it was. Flying with his wings clipped was pretty much an impossibility. He couldn't get his bearings before Sean grabbed him in his gloved hands, clutching the leather strap Justin hadn't even realized was attached to his leg. Sean slipped a hood over his eyes, and Justin protested loudly and tried again to flap away. But it was useless. He could no longer see, and he definitely couldn't fly. He was at Sean's mercy. Justin finally noticed the nagging sound that had been echoing all around him. Was that an alarm? Suddenly, his hope soared. Maybe Noah and Rogan were there! He could only pray it was true, because if Tam wanted to see him, it couldn't be good. **** "We have to split up,” Rogan said, glancing around the corner of the long passageway and turning back to Noah, who was pressed hard against the wall. “I'll free the shifters, and you go find Lanie." Noah nodded and looked back the way they'd come. They couldn't stay there for long. The alarm wailed throughout the corridors, and already they'd had to hide from three groups of guards, and Rogan had been forced to kill one of the scientists they'd encountered. "Don't do anything stupid,” Noah said under his breath, pointing his machine gun at the ceiling. "Now why would I do that?” Rogan said with a grin, gripping Noah's shoulder. “Good luck, Tiger.” He ran back toward the elevator that would take him to the cells where the shifters were kept ten floors below. Noah licked his lips and glanced down the corridor Rogan had just been scoping. If the scientists were going to do anything with Lanie, she'd be in one of those labs straight ahead. After reloading his gun, he made sure it was cocked before he turned and ran down the passage. Noah couldn't deny that holding the weapon felt familiar to him. It was as if he were operating it with someone else's knowledge, and in a way he supposed he was—using the knowledge of Anthony Mercer to his advantage. The man had been in the military, after all. He hadn't gone twenty feet before he could smell Lanie's sweet scent on the air. Inhaling deeply, his entire body sang. She was here—close! He couldn't afford to mess up. Following her fragrance, he came to a set of closed double doors. She had to be behind the doors, but there was no one on this level—no guards, no scientists. For a fleeting moment, Noah had a bad feeling nagging at the back of his mind. And that's when he smelled it—Justin. And Tam. The bastard was behind these doors as well, probably holding Justin prisoner as well as Lanie. Shit. It wasn't a coincidence that no one was on this floor. Tam knew Noah wouldn't leave Lanie in the lab. He was walking into a trap, but he had to go in. Noah swallowed hard before swiping the security badge he'd stolen off the scientist Rogan had killed a few floors above. The green light on the locking terminal came on, and Noah turned the handle of the door as silently as possible. He was going to kill Tam once and for all.

Thirty Fortunately for Rogan, he knew the code that would take the elevator to the twentieth level of the compound where the shifters were held captive. The panel on the wall beeped as he punched in the code and waited for it to be accepted and the doors to close. He had a split second of panic when the doors stayed open longer than usual, but he sagged against the back wall in relief when they finally shut. Thank God they hadn't changed the code. He made sure his weapon was cocked and fully loaded before the elevator came to a stop. When the chime rang, he pressed his body against the front wall, holding his gun close to his chest. The doors rumbled open and he waited a second before venturing out into the hallway. Immediately, shots rang out and struck the elevator behind him. Rogan dropped to the ground and fired without really aiming at anything. Crawling to the far wall of the passage, he leaned against it and found his target. There, a few paces away, were three guards taking cover behind a desk in front of a huge chain link fence with a locked gate. Rogan could hear the roars and shouts of the men in their cells who evidently heard the volley of bullets in the corridor. "Surrender now!” one of the men yelled, pointing his handgun in Rogan's general direction and firing. The bullet went wide. "Funny, I was about to tell you the very same thing,” Rogan countered, in the mood to be cocky. Slowly, he inched closer. "You're outnumbered!" "That may be,” he yelled. “But I doubt I'm outwitted." "You sonofa—" "Carl, shut the hell up!" Rogan smiled at the evidence of their panic. "We have the serum!” one of the guards shouted. "Don't think we won't use it!” another shouted. "Ah,” Rogan said, pursing his lips. “You'll have to catch me first!" "Come any closer and we'll kill you!" He made a tsking sound with his tongue. “I don't think the wealthy benefactors will like that. Do you know how much money they invest in each one of us?" "Christ, he's right,” one of them whispered. They clearly didn't realize that being a shifter enhanced his hearing as well as his sense of smell. While they were distracted, he crawled closer, bit by bit. "If we kill him, then we're dead. All of us." "If we don't kill him, he'll kill us." "Either way we're dead, so which one do you think gives us the best odds?" Rogan slid up against the front of the desk. The men were still whispering furiously, then one of them decided to look back down the passage. "Shit!” he exclaimed. “Where'd he go?" As the other two poked their heads above the desk to have a look, Rogan jumped up and knocked them cold with the butt of his gun. Before the other man could aim at him, Rogan pointed his own weapon and shook his head. "I wouldn't. Trust me, your best odds for staying alive come from doing exactly as I say." Rogan grabbed their guns as well as the keys off one man's belt, then he noticed they each had a pair of handcuffs, so he made the guard who still conscious drag the other two over to the fence. "Cuff both of them to the fence, then cuff yourself,” Rogan commanded. "Don't kill us!” the man screamed with tears in his eyes. "I won't kill you,” Rogan said under his breath as he grabbed the key card from the man to open the gate. “But I can't make any promises about them." The man's eyes went wide and his face paled. “Sweet Jesus!" Swiping the key card in the locking terminal, Rogan opened the gate and ran inside, fumbling with the keys. He couldn't afford to think about the fate of the guards just now. "Rogan! Rogan, let me out!" "Over here!" "Please, oh, please!" The desperate voices of the men echoed throughout the cells, and Rogan tried to shut them out. He needed to concentrate on the keys. Wait a minute!

Walking over to a keypad on the wall, he remembered something. Each cell could be open individually with the keys in his hand, or they could be opened simultaneously by punching in a code on this access panel. He marched back out to the three guards, the two he'd knocked out starting to come around and the other one trying desperately to wrench his hands out of the cuffs. Grabbing the man by his shirt collar, Rogan said, “Tell me the code to open all the cages." The man was practically drooling from hysterical fear. "Tell me the code!" Rogan yelled, shaking him. Breathing heavily through his teeth, the man stammered, “The code is ... 95325. Please ... please let me go! Please!" Rogan ignored him and turned back through the open gate, walking toward the keypad. He knew cameras were capturing his every move, so he couldn't waste time dealing with the guards. With a shaking hand, he punched in the code, and a short bell could be heard right before every cage door opened, releasing countless shifters. Rogan sighed with relief and slumped against the wall. Now all hell would break loose for sure. And, as the horrifying screams of the shackled guards reached his ears, he couldn't help the stab of guilt that pierced his heart. No man deserved to be eaten by hungry, vengeful shifters. Oh, God. What have I done? Rogan doubled over and puked violently on the floor. **** After he'd recovered somewhat, Rogan waded through the throng of men and beasts to find the cage of his long-time friend, Wade McAllister. Wade, along with Justin and Noah, had been Rogan's friend there at the agency, but Wade hadn't been able to convince the scientists that he was a loyal shifter, and Rogan had been unable to help him escape. He'd felt horrible allowing one of his closest friends to continue enduring torture at the hands of these bastards, but he tried to push that to the back of his mind when he rounded a corner and saw Wade lying on the floor of his cage. The door was wide open, but he either didn't care or didn't have the strength to pull himself up. Rogan entered the cage and lifted his friend to a sitting position so he could look into his eyes. Wade's pupils were dilated, and his eyes were glassy. "Wade? Wade, can you hear me?” They'd drugged him, damn it. Rogan could barely keep his anger in check. “Wade?" "Wha...” Wade's head lolled forward as he blinked, trying to focus on Rogan's face. "I need you to stand, buddy. Do you think you can manage?" "Rogan?” Wade touched his face. “Is it really you, or am I dreaming again? If you're real, please don't let them hurt me anymore." Setting his jaw, Rogan stood and hooked an arm around Wade's waist. “Don't you worry about that, man. I just freed all the shifters, and I think the tide has turned here at the B*E*A*S*T* compound." "Did ... did Noah make it?" Both men limped out of the cell. “Noah escaped, but now he's back to rescue his mate. That bastard Tam stole her from him." "Wow, Noah has a mate? I'm out of it for a while, and all kinds of stuff happens." Wade staggered, stumbling to the floor and bringing Rogan along with him. Rogan got up and offered him a hand. “Yeah, it's a long story. Come with me and I'll tell you all about it later. Right now I need to find a computer terminal." "What for?” Wade asked, trying in vain to stand once more. Rogan sighed before he answered. “To find out who the hell the damned woman is that I dream about every night." Wade chuckled as he held on to Rogan. “Maybe that mysterious woman is your mate." Rogan smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. That's exactly what he was afraid of.

Thirty-One "Mother ... of ... God." "They're all over the compound, sir. We need to get you out of here!" Dr. Lucian Carver couldn't believe his eyes. Shifters were everywhere, killing anyone in their path. Every monitor showed the carnage, and for the first time since he'd begun the B*E*A*S*T* project, he felt fear creep up his spine. Not even when he'd first mixed animal DNA with that of humans or when he'd watched the painful experiments being performed had he felt any twinge of fear or guilt. But now, here he was wondering if this was the last day he'd ever see. "Get the goddamned chopper ready!” he barked, walking briskly out the door and down the corridor to the elevator that would take him to the helipad on the surface. Without missing a beat, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "This is Covington,” a man's voice answered. "Clive, it's Lucian. We've been infiltrated." "What?" "The traitor—Noah Carpenter—he returned with a few of his friends and stormed the compound. They've set the shifters free!" Dead silence greeted him as he entered the elevator with his guards, including Brett Walker, his personal bodyguard and the very first subject he'd experimented on. Brett was a shifter like the others but loyal to a fault, almost as trustworthy as Tam himself, and having the bloodthirsty cheetah for a watchdog made Lucian feel a little more secure, especially with the compound falling down around his ears. "All of the shifters?” Clive wanted to know. "Holy Christ!” one of the men in Lucian's entourage yelled as he pointed his gun down the corridor. Charging the elevator was a giant silverback gorilla. He roared, and the entire passage shook. Lucian knew who it was—Jack Washington, a man who'd always had murder in his eyes whenever he was on the experimentation table. "Shoot him!” Lucian ordered just as the man next to him pulled the trigger. Again and again, the guard fired rounds into the creature, until the gorilla finally went down, sliding along the floor until his black arm slipped into the elevator, preventing it from closing. One of the guards kicked the arm out of the doorway, and the elevator began its ascent. Lucian's heart was in his throat. For years, he'd assured the benefactors that his experiments were safe, that nothing could possibly go wrong. He almost laughed at the absurdity of his own ignorance. "Yes, Clive.” Lucian sneered into the phone. “All of the shifters!" He snapped his phone closed and dropped it into the pocket of his lab coat. Grinding his teeth, he ran his hands through his greasy hair and wondered how the hell he was going to explain this if they managed to get out alive. **** Noah stepped over the threshold of the lab, shocked at the scene that greeted him. Lanie was strapped to one of the tables, and it was standing upright facing the door. Her arms and legs were tightly bound, she was unconscious, and she was completely naked. Noah's hackles rose at the sight, his possessiveness almost overcoming him. He should be the only one to see her bare skin! Tam stood to her right, grinning like the madman he was. Next to him was Sean, a shifter Noah was very familiar with. On Sean's arm was Justin in his shifted state, squawking and attempting to flee despite the strap on his claw that Sean held in his iron grip. "We meet again, Noah,” Tam said, running his hand up and down Lanie's bare skin. Noah took a step forward in spite of himself, but Tam's hiss of breath stopped him when he saw a bead of blood on Lanie's chest. "I wouldn't come any closer if I were you,” Tam whispered. "What do you want, Tam?” Noah said, glancing back and forth between the two men in front of him. "I want you dead,” Tam said without a trace of remorse. “But since the benefactors won't allow it, I'll have to settle for torturing you a bit before you're reprogrammed." "Oh, haven't you heard?” Noah asked, his eyes wide in mock concern. “Rogan has released all the shifters. I seriously doubt there'll be anyone around to reprogram me or anyone else before too long, not to mention there won't be anyone to finish what you've started on Lanie. She will never be yours." Tam growled and his eyes flashed, giving Noah a glimpse of the panther within him as he barely controlled the urge to shift. “You lie." "Now why would I do that?” Noah asked. “I stormed this compound with Rogan, you know that. Where is he if not freeing the others? I suggest you start running and save yourself before the others find you. I'm sure they'll have a few scores to settle. That is, if you can get through me." He leveled his gun and took aim at Tam. Glancing at Sean, Tam nodded and Sean shifted into a giant Kodiak grizzly. Justin never had a chance. The hawk on his arm fluttered a few times as Sean shifted, but no sooner did it shriek than Sean pounced, tearing into the bird's fragile body with a vengeance. It didn't take long before the tile was stained blood. Sean shook his head back and forth with the bird in his mouth. "Justin!” Noah couldn't believe his eyes. "No!"

He pointed the gun at the bear and fired, but his shots went astray when the beast began to charge. "Find the wolf!” Tam screamed. “Leave the traitor to me!" At the last moment before colliding with Noah, Sean changed course and slammed through the locked doors, making them crash into the passage beyond. Then he was gone. And that's when Tam pounced.

Thirty-Two Rogan found the control room easily enough, having spent countless hours in there himself, poring over notes of where Noah might have gone after his initial escape. He stood there now with Wade still leaning on him and his gun pointed at the head of a terrified technician. "Enter the access code exactly as I told you, and you won't get hurt. And I don't have to shoot you, you know. I could tear your throat out before you could even scream." The man's eyes were as big as silver dollars and his hands shook violently, but he complied, opening the files Justin had said would be on the mainframe. "Find the file for Rogan Wolfe,” he demanded. Licking his lips, the technician nodded furiously, having to retype the name three times due to his trembling fingers. Finally, Rogan's file opened, and he gazed upon his real name for the first time. "My name is Matthew Silver,” he said to himself, leaning far over the technician and tossing him out of the seat. The man wasted no time in running out the door as fast as his legs could carry him. Scrolling through the notes, Rogan came across a picture of himself and one of a woman—the same woman he'd been dreaming about for days. He hadn't told anyone of his dreams, but he knew they had to be memories. Every night it was the same, making love to her beneath the light of the moon. Even now, he had to close his eyes to rid his mind of his torrid thoughts. Scrolling a bit more, he stopped dead in his tracks. "What is it?” Wade asked, trying to look over Rogan's shoulder. "Her name is Marlie. Marlie Silver." "Is she related to you?" "Um, yeah,” Rogan said, his entire body quaking. “She's my wife." Wade whistled through his teeth. “Hot damn!" Rogan turned to scowl at him before turning back to the computer. “Looks like she ... I ... we used to live in Alaska." "Beautiful country up there,” Wade said, his head on Rogan's shoulder. Rogan sighed but continued to scroll through the file, chewing on his lip. He had a wife. Dear Lord, what had they told her? Like the woman Noah had dreamt of, she had to think he was dead. He stopped scrolling again, his mouth hanging open at what he saw on the computer screen. "Oh my God, Justin was right!" "About what?” Wade asked, cracking open his eye. "I was in the military—the Marines. Just like Noah; just like Justin. Holy shit, this can't possibly be coincidence. Christ, what the hell is the government doing?" "Hey, can you look up my file on that thing?” Wade asked, trying to stand upright. Rogan ran his hands through his hair so hard that he winced. “Yeah, sure. Hang on." A deafening roar filled one of the corridors that connected with the room, and Rogan's head whipped up as he grabbed Wade around the waist. "Actually, I think that's our cue to run—now!" Racing to the opposite end of the room, Rogan and Wade disappeared through one of the rear doors of the command center just as a huge grizzly crashed into the room behind them in hot pursuit. **** Noah dropped his gun as the huge panther landed on him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Tam yowled, and the sound was deafening in the enclosed lab. Twisting this way and that, Noah barely avoided Tam's gaping maw as he viciously snapped and snarled above him. Noah knew he wouldn't be able to fight Tam in his human state, so he shifted. His clothing ripped as his body became that of a white tiger, taking less than a couple of seconds to complete the transformation. Instantly, he grabbed hold of Tam's throat with his teeth and clamped down hard as he kicked him from underneath with his claws. The soft skin of Tam's belly gave away easily. With one mighty heave, Noah threw Tam off of him, but not without leaving a tuft of his black fur behind in Noah's mouth. Noah spit it out with silent satisfaction. He knew Tam could see the loathing in his eyes as he roared, urging the panther to pounce on him once more. The two cats circled each other until Tam suddenly stopped, seeming to shake his head. He growled low in his throat right before he sprang again, but Noah was ready for him. Raising up on his hind legs, Noah caught him within his powerful limbs and crashed to the floor, both of them rolling and biting as they tried to tear each other apart. Tam managed to wrestle out of Noah's grasp and stood a split second before he crashed down on Noah again, this time digging his sharp claws into his back. Again and again he bit Noah on the neck, drawing blood. Noah growled and twirled around, catching Tam on the side of his face. His sharp fangs raked across his eyeball, eliciting a sharp howl of pain from the

panther. When Tam pulled away with his left eye mangled, fat drops of blood hit the floor, and he charged again. Noah ducked right as Tam launched at him, missing him completely. Tam instead smashed into the countertops on the far wall, crashing beakers, books, and notes to the floor. But once he got his bearings, he launched himself again. Noah rolled with it, still biting and clawing, trying to hit the panther's injured eye. But Tam was strong, and Noah was beginning to tire. Both of them were covered in blood. Noah knew Tam hadn't originally intended to kill him, but perhaps Noah's boasting of releasing the shifters had changed his mind, because now Noah could tell from the murderous light in the panther's eyes that he wanted to spill all of his blood. Spying the gun out of the corner of his eye, Noah tried to make his way over to it. If he could just reach it, he might be able to shift in time to grab it and use it. But Tam attacked again and again, jumping atop him and continuing to rip his flesh. With a heave, Noah succeeded in pushing Tam back just enough to escape from beneath him, but instead of trying to tear him apart, Tam leapt for the gun himself, landing on it before shifting and grabbing it with his hands. "I'll make you pay, traitor!” Tam yelled. “And if I can't kill you, I'll take away the one thing you love!" Noah glanced at Lanie in terror, not believing what Tam was about to do. He didn't even think before he acted next. Perhaps things would have turned out differently if he had thought about it, but Tam had obviously underestimated exactly what Noah would do if his mate's life were threatened. Just as the gun fired three short bursts, Noah jumped into the line of fire, taking the bullets meant for Lanie. Flames of pain exploded through his right shoulder and down his leg, and instantly he collapsed in a heap on top of the rags of his own clothes. Unable to hold his shifted state any longer, he turned back into his human form and tried not to look at the blood that pumped out of his wounds. But seeing the expression on Tam's face made shivers race down Noah's spine as he realized another thought had crossed the madman's mind. Hunger. "Then again,” Tam said, lowering the gun and looking as though he'd just had another brilliant idea, “my belly has been growling for hours. Perhaps it's time to fill it." Swallowing hard, Noah tried to backpedal away from him, but another eruption of flame shot through his shoulder and spread to his entire body. Noah cried out and fell back to the floor, watching with horror as the room began to spin. He saw Tam walk over to where he lay and hover over him like a conquering hero. Noah took short, labored breaths as tears pooled in his eyes. This wasn't how things were supposed to end, damn it! Tam wasn't supposed to get the better of him. Crouching low, Tam buried the hot barrel of the gun into one of Noah's bullet wounds and laughed when Noah cried out in agony. "I'm going to eat you alive, Tiger.” Tam sneered, tossing the gun away while licking his lips at the same time. “Then I'm going to eat her, but in a much different way." Noah closed his eyes and groaned while beads of sweat dotted his brow. This was the end.

Thirty-Three Rogan could barely draw breath as he hauled himself and Wade down the long hallway. After stumbling twice, he was actually shocked that Sean hadn't caught up with them. Yeah, he'd recognized that bear instantly despite knowing there were three Kodiak grizzlies at the B*E*A*S*T* compound. Sean was the only one who had a scar across his snout—a scar Rogan had given him. The scientists had once thought it might be interesting to spar a timber wolf against a bear, but of course they'd stopped the fight before things had gotten too ugly. Rogan had gotten his ass handed to him, but not before he'd scratched the hell out of Sean's face. Ever since then, neither shifter could look at the other without wanting to rip out his opponent's throat. Tam had sent Sean. Rogan had no doubt about that. Tam must know that Rogan had split from Noah in order to free the others. And Sean would have been only too happy to oblige and find him. Sean didn't want revenge, he wanted blood. And his roars were getting closer as Rogan and Wade tried to stagger away. A few more twists and turns awaited them before they came to the elevator that would take them back to the vehicle bay. Rogan couldn't afford to go looking for Noah—the tiger was on his own. He just hoped he'd be able to take on Tam and live. A group of four men suddenly rounded the corner at a full run, looking as if they wanted to rip something to shreds. Rogan recognized them as shifters he'd freed not too long ago. "Hey, you there!" "Rogan!” one of them shouted with a grin. His mouth was bloody, and Rogan shuddered to think where he'd been and what he'd done. "I need some help!” Rogan shouted. The men rallied around him, clearly eager to do anything for the man who'd released them from their prisons. “What's the problem?" "That!” Pointing back down the hall, Rogan's eyes widened at the bear charging them with his mouth covered in foam and his eyes full of murder. "Holy shit, that's Sean!” one of the men yelled. "Don't worry,” another of the men told Rogan. “Go! We'll take care of him." All four men shifted at the exact same moment. A lion, a bald eagle, a crocodile, and a leopard appeared in the passage then rushed forward with a vengeance. Rogan didn't waste any time. “Come on!” he yelled to Wade as he turned away, ignoring the roars of carnage behind them. **** Noah's arm was useless as he stared into Tam's enraged eyes. Any moment now, the bastard was going to shift and end his pathetic life. With one last glance of remorse at Lanie, Noah could only hope she wouldn't feel too much pain at Tam's touch. He damned himself for failing her and knew that he deserved this. He'd told her time and again that he'd never let anything bad happen to her, yet here she was strapped to a table in one of B*E*A*S*T*'s labs. He wished he'd never met her—never raced out on that icy mountain road and made her car swerve out of control. At least then he wouldn't have ruined the life of the woman he loved. That's when he felt it. Right underneath his left hand in the pocket of his ruined jeans was the syringe of serum! Noah's heart stopped as a ray of hope pulsed through his entire body. This was exactly the upper hand he needed. "Wait a minute, Tam! Can't we talk about this?” Noah panted, trying to distract the panther while he inched his hand into his pocket. Tam shook his head slowly and continued to sneer at him. "But ... what about the benefactors?” Noah said. “And the scientists? What will they say if you kill me? You've already killed Justin.” Noah swallowed hard as he continued. “You'll be severely punished if you destroy another of their expensive experiments." "I don't care!” Tam snarled. “I'm done being their puppet. If they come after me, I'll kill them, just like I'm going to kill you." Noah's fingers curled around the syringe as he pulled it out. "Oh, so now you're a traitor like me?" Noah knew that would be Tam's last straw, but he was faster than the panther. With lightning speed, he bit the plastic cover off the needle and plunged it into Tam's neck, pushing the plunger to inject the serum into Tam's bloodstream. Tam pulled back, yanking the needle from his neck. “What the hell did you just do?” he demanded, his eyes flashing. From the look on his face, Noah could tell he was trying to shift but couldn't. "I just turned the tables." Using the last of his strength, Noah shifted back into a tiger and launched himself at Tam, his sharp fangs digging deeply into the man's throat. Tam fell back with a look of utter shock on his face, but Noah didn't let up. Tam's hot blood gushed into Noah's mouth, and he resisted the urge to groan. He couldn't be sure if it was a groan of disgust or pleasure, but he released him anyway, standing over his human form with his jaws dripping blood. Tam's body twitched on the floor, gurgling a few seconds before he stilled. Noah heard for himself Tam's very last breath, and nothing had ever given him more satisfaction.

But he didn't allow himself time to gloat over his victory. His shoulder burned, and every move was pure hell. He'd taken three bullets, and now that he was no longer sustained with adrenaline, Noah could feel his loss of blood. His head spun as he slowly shifted back, grinding his teeth because the pain was so unbearable. Muscle and sinew changing shape, stretching and pulling on the wounds, making him wince and cry out before he fell over just to the side of Tam's body. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried to regain his bearings—tears of pain, tears of relief, tears of joy. Lanie wouldn't have to suffer at the hands of that insane panther after all. It took him three tries, but Noah finally succeeded in lifting himself off the floor. He trudged to the observation room hidden behind the large mirror in the rear of the lab. He knew it was there from once being strapped to the table in this very room not too long ago. He pushed on the well-concealed door, and it opened to reveal a small room inside, presumably where the scientists could stand and talk, perhaps even learn a few new torture techniques while the experiments were being conducted. Just the thought had shudders racking his body. What he was looking for was in the far corner. Inside a small cabinet Noah found three pristine lab coats. Jackpot. Both he and Lanie were naked. This would help until they were able to get a change of clothes, so Noah grabbed all three of them. When he walked back into the lab, Lanie was moaning, and Noah's heart skipped a beat. "Baby? Can you hear me?" She moaned again, moving her head ever so slightly. "Lanie?" Noah threw one of the lab coats on himself, sucking his breath through his teeth when he had to move his right arm to get it through the sleeve. He blinked to clear the spots in front of his eyes and wondered if he'd be able to carry Lanie on his own. He didn't know, but he knew he would do it or die trying. Noah scrambled to free her arms and legs until she sagged against him. Grunting with exertion, he did his best to get her in one of the lab coats. He had to stop a few times as the spots in his eyes became flashes of light. "If there is a God,” he puffed under his breath, “please help me get her out of here." He heard footsteps in the hall, and Noah's heart leapt into his throat. If Sean had returned, then he and Lanie were both dead, because he had no more fight in him. With the last of his strength, he turned to face whoever had just walked into the room.

Thirty-Four Rogan's eyes widened as he took in the scene. The entire lab was covered in blood, and so was Noah. He and Lanie were both wearing white lab coats, and the still form of Tam lay on the floor. Noah looked as though he were going to fall over at any given moment. "Jesus H. Christ, Noah. Are you all right?” Rogan rushed to his friend. Noah gave him a small grin. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you here." "Be thankful,” Rogan said, smiling himself. “I almost left you here, Tiger, but my damned conscience wouldn't leave me alone. I had to come back and find you." "I'm glad you did.” Noah looked past him at the doorway. “Wade, you made it!" Wade shuffled into the room rubbing his eyes and said, “Just barely. Looks like you took Tam down." Noah nodded and clutched Lanie a little tighter. Her head was tucked into his neck, and it felt like heaven. "It's about damn time you got him,” Wade said, rolling his eyes. "Yeah,” Noah agreed. “But he gave me a run for my money." "I bet." "Oh, no.” Rogan's voice rang through the room. “He killed Justin. The bastard killed Justin!" "Tam ordered Sean to do it,” Noah said. “Justin didn't have a chance." Rogan wiped tears from his eyes. He knew Justin's cocky attitude would get him killed one day, but he'd secretly hoped that day would never come. "I don't think he felt much pain,” Noah said gently. “At least it was quick." Rogan nodded, closing his eyes and flexing his jaw. He'd kill Sean if it was the last thing he'd ever do. Turning back to Noah, he said, “Here, let me take Lanie. Damn, Tiger. You're covered in blood." "Most of it is mine,” Noah said, grunting as he handed Lanie over to Rogan. “I took three bullets meant for her. Tam was going to kill her. I ... had to do something." "I would have done the same thing,” Rogan said. Noah moved to stand over Justin, now just a broken, bloody hawk unmoving on the tile floor. Taking the last lab coat, he covered Justin's body and wrapped him in the white fabric, then he picked him up and cradled his body in the crook of his elbow. "We can't leave him here." Rogan's eyes once again filled with fresh tears. “No. No, we can't." They walked out of the lab without once looking back over their shoulders. **** Lanie's eyes fluttered open. She could see she was again in the passenger seat of a Hummer. It was dark outside, and the headlights were the only thing illuminating the mountain road. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, and she snuggled into it, feeling a sudden chill as a few flakes of snow hit the windshield. Licking her lips, she glanced at the driver but didn't recognize him. He looked at her and smiled, and his brown eyes seemed kind, but Lanie didn't know what the hell to believe anymore. "Good, you're awake,” he said. “How are you feeling?" Lanie didn't answer. She was shivering again, and her heart began to race. The last thing she remembered was Tam's face peering down into hers as he strapped her to a table. One of the scientists had injected her with something, and now here she was. "My name's Rogan, by the way. This here is Wade.” The driver pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "Hi,” another man said from behind her. Lanie tried not to jump out of her skin. “Wh—who are you? Where's Tam?" "In hell I'd imagine,” Rogan said and Wade chuckled. “We're Noah's friends." "Noah?” she asked, sitting up. “Where is he? Is he all right?" "He's here in the back with me,” Wade said. “But he's not doing too good." Lanie unbuckled her seatbelt, her blanket forgotten as she crawled past Wade. Noah was stretched out on the floorboard also wrapped in a blanket, and he was covered in blood, sweating and shivering at the same time. "Oh my God!” Lanie cried. “What happened to him?” Kneeling next to him, she framed his handsome face with her hands. His skin was pallid and hot to the touch. “Noah? Honey, can you hear me?"

"He's been out of it for about an hour now,” Wade said. "An hour?" Rogan glanced at her in the rearview mirror and nodded. “Tam shot him." "He's been shot?” Lanie pushed the blanket off him to see for herself. Hot tears stung her eyes at his makeshift bandage. "Yeah,” Wade said, “we found some gauze in the first aid kit back there, but we need new supplies. He's already bled through these." "Give me that blanket,” Lanie commanded, nodding toward the one she'd left on the passenger seat. “We'll make him a new one." Wade leaned over and grabbed it. “You sure? You're still shivering." "I'm shivering because I'm terrified that the man I love is going to die! Now tear it!" The sound of ripping fabric filled the truck. Lanie hurried to take off the saturated bandages that had stuck to Noah's skin as the blood dried. She winced herself as she pulled at his wounds, making them bleed a little once more. "Damn it,” she hissed under her breath. “Do we have any water?" "Just what's in this canteen,” Wade offered, grabbing it from one of the compartments. "Rogan, pull over!" Rogan glanced at her in the mirror once again, but he complied. "There's plenty of snow out there,” she said. “We can use that." "Stay with him,” Rogan said and he turned to look at her. “Wade and I will get it for you." Lanie nodded as both men jumped out of the vehicle and began scooping pristine, white snow into their hands. Wade opened the rear doors and handed it to her, and she didn't waste any time as she rubbed it onto Noah's wounds, wiping off the dried blood with the corner of his blanket. "You say Tam shot Noah,” she said as she accepted more snow from Rogan. “What happened to Tam?" Rogan smiled. “Noah killed him." A surge of satisfaction raced through her body, shocking her with its intensity. “Good,” she spat, making a face as more blood seeped out of Noah's wounds. "Noah wasn't about to leave you at B*E*A*S*T* with that bastard,” Rogan said, “so we stormed the compound and rescued you." "You stormed the B*E*A*S*T* compound?” Lanie gasped with her mouth wide open. Both Rogan and Wade nodded. "Good Lord, didn't you think of the risk? You could have gotten yourselves killed—or worse, captured!" "We knew the risks,” Rogan said. “But Noah wouldn't leave you. You're his mate. He loves you something fierce." Despite all they'd shared, Lanie still blushed as she stroked his hair and whispered, “I love him too." "Rogan also freed the other shifters,” Wade said with a grin. Lanie looked at him in shock. Rogan nodded. “That I did. Now no one will be tortured by B*E*A*S*T* anymore. The others actually made it possible for us to escape by keeping the guards and scientists busy long enough for us to hop in a truck and take off." "Wow,” she said under her breath as she wrapped the swatches of blanket around Noah's shoulder. “That's amazing." The men climbed back into the Hummer, then Rogan pulled it out onto the road again with Wade in the passenger seat this time. Lanie's thoughts were whirling. They'd actually raided the B*E*A*S*T* compound and freed everyone? She was floored. "So, which one of you is the wolf?” she asked, still tying Noah's new bandage. Wade and Rogan looked at each other and grinned. "That would be me,” Rogan said, raising his hand. "And what are you?” she asked Wade. He glanced at her then lowered his eyes and murmured, “I'm a cougar." Lanie shook her head. “I can't even imagine the hell you guys have gone through, but at least it's over now." Rogan sighed. “I wouldn't say it's over. The shifters had a small victory in destroying the compound, but B*E*A*S*T* is much bigger than we ever thought before. From what I've recently discovered, I believe that every one of us was originally from some branch of the military, and I think the government has

their hand in this pie as well. If that's the case, they're not going to sit idly by and let us walk away." "What are you saying?” Lanie's eyes widened at his words. "I'm saying that just because a few scientists are dead doesn't mean the B*E*A*S*T* project is over. If it's being funded by members of our government, or even just overseen by it, then we still have to lay low." "For how long?” she asked in a small voice. "For as long as it takes."

Thirty-Five Noah's eyes opened, but his vision was too blurry to see anything. Blinking a few times did nothing to improve it. He tried to reach up and rub his eyes, but the pain shooting through his shoulder stopped him. However, it wasn't as bad as it had been before. Then confusion set in. Where the hell was he? Was this a bed? He could make out a paned window beside him with quaint, country curtains. He smacked his lips a few times. His mouth was unbelievably dry, and he'd give anything for a glass of ice cold water. Inhaling deeply, he could smell the soothing scent of Lanie as well as Rogan and Wade. But there were also other scents he wasn't familiar with—ones that instantly put him on guard. He glanced at his shoulder and noticed the fresh bandage on his arm. He had half a mind to rip it off, but he hesitated when he detected Lanie's scent on his pillow. If she was there, perhaps she could tell him what the hell was going on. "Lanie,” he called, but his voice didn't sound like his own. Clearing his throat, he tried again louder. “Lanie!" A door on the far side of the room opened, revealing his mate. Noah's heart swelled at the sight of her unharmed and well. Her eyes were wide and he could smell her concern, but all he could think about was getting close to her. Before he could utter the words that would bring her to him, she ran across the room and kissed his cheeks, his eyes, his nose, and finally his mouth. "Noah!” She moaned against his lips. “You're awake. Are you all right? Are you in pain?" "I'm better now that you're here,” he said, giving her a weak smile. "Oh, God, Noah. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" "Sorry for what?” His left hand found its way through her hair, holding her close as he rubbed his nose on hers. "For getting caught. I did something stupid. I went outside after we made love because I remembered you'd left the keys in the ignition of the truck. If I hadn't gone out there, Tam wouldn't have grabbed me, and you ... you wouldn't have been shot.” With a sob, she hugged him. "Baby, if Tam was right outside our door, then we weren't even safe inside that room." "But you got hurt trying to rescue me,” she cried, her eyes wet with tears that broke his heart. "Do you know why I have three bullets in my shoulder?” he asked. "Because Tam is a bastard?" "Was a bastard,” he corrected her with a slight grin. “He was going to kill you. I dropped a gun on the floor while we were fighting, and he grabbed it and pointed it at you. He was going to kill you, Lanie, so I did the only thing I could think of to stop him; I jumped in front of his line of fire. Then I killed him." "You took bullets meant for me?” she asked, framing his face with her hands. Noah nodded, feeling his eyes fill with tears as well. "I love you, Noah Carpenter,” she whispered, kissing him again. This time he made sure she couldn't pull away until he was finished, exploring her mouth slowly and leisurely with his tongue. She did not fight him. Instead, she whimpered in the back of her throat and moved her body against him, making him think of using the bed for something other than sleep. But that thought made him break the kiss. "Where are we?” he asked. Lanie bit her lip and lowered her eyes. “We're at my family's winter cabin. This is where we had our Christmas celebration not too long ago. I was driving home from this cabin when ... well, when you darted out in front of me on the road. We were already in the mountains, and it was the safest place I could think to bring you. Noah, you lost so much blood." "Please tell me Rogan didn't patch me up." Lanie shook her head. “No, he didn't. But I don't think you're going to like hearing who did." Noah raised his brow. “What are you talking about? Who did it?" "My father,” she replied. “He's a surgeon, and I called him once we got here. He raced right out from Denver." Noah took a deep breath and sighed, but Lanie held up her hand. "Before you tell me how stupid it was for me to call him, you need to understand how badly you were hurt. You managed for a little while after you fought Tam, but shortly after you guys got away from the B*E*A*S*T* compound, you were unconscious from the insane amount of blood you'd lost. My father said you were on death's door. If we hadn't called him, you'd be dead now. I knew we couldn't risk a hospital, and I was desperate. I cannot lose you, Noah." He placed a finger on her lips and smiled. “Baby, I understand. I would have done the same thing." "They didn't believe me at first that you weren't a bad guy. They'd believed all the news reports that you'd kidnapped me, but I explained everything to them. Rogan and Wade were even eager to demonstrate for them what exactly I was talking about by calling you guys shifters." Noah's brow knit with confusion. “They? I thought you said you only called your father?" Lanie blushed. “Yes, well, my mother is here too. There was no way I could tell her to stay home, not when her baby had been missing for days."

Noah grinned. “Well, it's good of your parents to give us the master suite.” He looked at the bathroom door not too far away. “I feel so honored." Lanie rolled her eyes just as Rogan walked in with a wide smile. "Looks like that bastard didn't kill you after all, Tiger." "Yeah, for a while there, I thought Tam had gotten the best of me." "I was talking about Lanie's father.” She hit him square on the shoulder and he yelped, rubbing his battered appendage. “Ow!" "You deserved that, Mr. Wolfe,” she said. "Guess I did,” he said with a chuckle. “How could I dare say anything bad about the two most wonderful people on the planet? I think your mother makes the best biscuits in the state." "You're probably right,” Lanie said with a grin of her own. "I'm surprised they didn't kick us out after they saw us shift,” Rogan said. “But they sure did scream loud enough to wake the dead. I doubt there's many folks who would be so accepting." "They don't have much choice,” Lanie said with her hands on her hips. “I intend to make one of you shifters their son-in-law." Rogan's loud guffaws rang out through the room. “Now here I was thinking it was the man who was the one to propose." "Noah already asked me,” Lanie whispered with a blush. “He asked me to be his mate. For always." "Well, I can only assume you said yes,” Rogan said, batting his eyes. "She said yes and oh, God and all sorts of colorful things after I asked her,” Noah said, his eyes twinkling. "Did she now?” Rogan hitched his eyebrows. Lanie gasped and covered her mouth, shocked that Noah would say a thing like that. But it did prove one thing—he was no longer at death's door. "I'd smack you, Noah Carpenter, if you weren't already an invalid!" "Ooo, ouch!” Rogan said, licking his finger and drawing a tally mark in the air. “Game, set, and match!" All three of them chuckled. After a few moments of silence, Rogan sobered and sat on the edge of the bed. “Look, Noah, I wanted to tell you something." "What?" "I think Justin was right about the government being involved with B*E*A*S*T*. I found my file on their mainframe computer, and I was in the military too. The Marines just like you and Justin." Noah stared at his friend. “That can't be a coincidence." "No, I don't believe it is." "So what the hell do we do?” Noah asked. "Well, the good news is that we released all the shifters, so anyone who tries looking for them has a long list to choose from." "And the bad news?" "I'm sure our names are on the top of that list. I don't think for one second that whoever was running the show at B*E*A*S*T* is going to let this ‘mishap’ slide. If anything, I think we just declared war. And the fact that it was you and me who stormed their compound will make us particularly wanted by the higher ups. They've got us in all our glory on B*E*A*S*T*'s video footage." Noah closed his eyes and sank against his pillow. Would it never end? How long was he going to have to run from these people? And how could he offer Lanie a life on the run? He knew she wanted to settle down, to return to her life and have a white picket fence. And Noah was beginning to believe that he could never, ever make that dream come true. Shaking his head at the hopelessness of it all, he took a deep breath and sighed. "We're screwed."

Thirty-Six Lanie snuggled next to Noah as he pulled her close. The bed they lay on was small, but all the better for cuddling. Night had fallen once more, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of their breathing. She knew he wasn't sleeping, because his fingers were tracing lazy circles on her belly under her nightshirt. "What are you thinking about?” she whispered, breaking the stillness of the night. "Your mother's biscuits,” he said mischievously. “I think Rogan is right about them being the best in the state." Lanie chuckled. “Well, I think you packed away enough for a small country." "Mmm, it was worth it,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. After a few more moments of silence, he said, “Do you feel any different?" Lanie turned her head to look at him, but he was only a shadow in the dark. “What do you mean?" "Did they ... do anything to you at B*E*A*S*T*? Do you remember anything?" She took a deep breath and said, “I remember being chained to a wall in a pitch-dark room with Tam. I wasn't wearing any clothes, and he was ... sniffing me." Noah's body tensed. “Did he touch you?" "Yes,” she whispered. "Did...” He paused to swallow. “Did he..." Lanie shook her head on the pillow. “I don't think so." "You don't think so?" "Well, I know he didn't while I was conscious." Noah growled and pulled her closer. Now he was sniffing her. "What are you doing?" "Looking for his scent. If I can smell it, then I'll know." "But it's been a couple of days, Noah. I've showered since then." "Doesn't matter. Mating releases many different scents—heavy scents that linger for days. If he violated you, Lanie, I'll know." Noah moved down her neck, inhaling as he went. Lanie tried to ignore the intense yearning she felt at that moment. She shivered as he moved lower, bunching up her shirt to smell her bare skin. Swallowing hard, Lanie said, “He did tell me that I needed to be cleansed. That I was going to be made into a panther like he was." "Those were his words?” Noah asked, ceasing his erotic breaths. “That you needed to be cleansed?" "Yes." "Then he did not mate with you. My scent was still permeating from you, marking you as mine.” As he spoke, his hand slid up the inside of her thigh. “He wouldn't have been able to stand smelling me while joining with you." "Noah, what are you doing?” She panted, trying not to sound too obvious as to what he was doing to her libido. He chuckled. “It's been a damned long time." "Only a few days..." "A damned long time,” he repeated, kissing her belly. "But you'll hurt yourself." "Not if you're on top." Lanie gasped as she felt his tongue begin a sensual ascent up her skin. He didn't stop until his mouth had claimed one of her breasts, his tongue swirling back and forth slowly, igniting her passion. "We shouldn't do this,” she said with a groan, but she didn't do a thing to stop him. "You're probably right,” he answered. “But how can I resist when I can smell that you want me?" His hand found its target and gently rubbed her aching skin through the fabric of her panties. Lanie couldn't help it; she arched into his hand, opening her legs a little wider. "See what I mean?” he said, a grin audible in his voice. He didn't bother pulling off her panties, he merely pushed the fabric aside and continued, running his fingers up and down her slick skin. Lanie moaned

loudly, threading her fingers through his hair. His tongue flicked her nipple, the heat of it driving her wild. They had yet to make love at a leisurely pace, and Noah now seemed determined to take his time. "I don't have a condom, baby,” he whispered. "I don't care." "You sure?" Swallowing hard, Lanie said, “I don't think it matters. Rogan told me that according to his file on B*E*A*S*T*'s mainframe, he's sterile. He believes they made all their shifters sterile." Noah was quiet for a long time. "Don't think about that now,” she whispered, pulling him back up to kiss his mouth. “Let me make love to you." "God, Lanie, how can you possibly want to stay with me?" "Because I love you." Without giving him any more opportunity to argue, she kissed him and pushed him back onto the pillows. Slowly she peeled off his briefs while trying to wiggle out of her panties at the same time. She sat up and tossed her nightshirt over her head to land somewhere across the room. "Lanie—” Noah began, but she interrupted him. "Noah,” she said, crawling over his body. “Shut up." As she slicked his hardened flesh with her own moist heat, she leaned over him and took one of his nipples in her mouth. "Right,” he said as he took a shuddering breath. “No more talking." He guided her hips over him with his left hand, reaching up to cup her breast with his right. Lanie gasped and bit her lip as she took him inside of her, easing down inch by inch. Once he was fully sheathed, she began her rhythm—short, sharp thrusts that felt so damn good that she wasn't sure she'd be able to last much longer. "Lanie,” he whispered, following her tempo. "What?” She grasped his hand and threaded her fingers through his. "I love you, baby. With all my heart." Tears welled in her eyes at his words, but she couldn't answer him. Shuddering against him, the waves of her pleasure rocked her to the very core, but she continued her thrusts until Noah joined her in release, pulling her down for a savage kiss. Lanie collapsed on top of him, but he held her there, unwilling to let her go just yet. They were both panting, and Lanie couldn't resist giving him soft kisses on his chest. After a few minutes of breathless silence, she felt his chest rise and fall sharply a few times. Was Noah crying? Pulling up her head, she gazed at him and saw moisture in his eyes. "What's wrong?” she whispered, smoothing the hair away from his face. "What can I possibly offer you?” he asked in a broken voice. She gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?" "I'm a freak who'll be hunted by B*E*A*S*T* until the day I die, and they won't be satisfied until I'm cold in the ground. Rogan's right in that regard. More than anyone else, they'll be after us with both barrels, and they'll make sure that anyone we love is either tortured or dead themselves. I can't give you a stable life, Lanie. I can't give you a nice house in the suburbs or a fancy car, or hell, even children!" He took her face in his hands. "Just because you're my mate, I don't want you to feel that you have to stay with me. I've ruined your life so far, baby. If you stick with me, there's no telling what will happen." "Noah, do you know what I was before I met you?” she said. “The manager of a bookstore. And I wasn't just the floor manager, I managed what books they did or didn't order, I made the schedules, and stocked the shelves. Do you think for a minute that I'd choose that over you? No matter what you are, I'm in love with you. No matter where you go, I want to go there too. No matter who you're running from, I'm running from them too. And if you're sterile, it's not the end of the world. We'll work through it." She paused to kiss him gently. "See, I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Maybe it's destiny, maybe it's fate, but that night I swerved on the roadway was the best night of my life because I met you. I think about what my life would be like if I hadn't met you, Noah, and I shudder. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I intend to keep you." "Even if it means seeing your family only once in a blue moon? Even if it means we might have to leave the country?" "Even if all that,” she answered as she wiped the tears from his face. “I know everything I'm risking by staying with you, but you are my mate, and I don't

take commitment lightly. So you need to tell me right now if you want me with you, because I don't ever want to hear you talk like this again. You get me?" Noah chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Of course I want you with me, baby. For always." "Then it's settled." "We'll have to move on soon. We can't stay at this cabin forever." "I know. My dad's given me one of his no limit credit cards. He said he won't report it stolen and he'll pay for any charges we rack up." "He doesn't have to—" "He wants to, Noah. And I'm not saying no to my father." Noah sighed but said nothing. "How's your arm?” she asked a few minutes later. "Hurts like hell." "I'll get you some more medicine,” she said, rolling off him and standing up from the bed. "Or you could just make love to me again,” he said. Lanie scoffed with her hands on her hips. “You'll just aggravate it even more." "Let's find out, shall we? Come back to bed, baby." "Noah—" "Lanie,” he said with a grin. “Shut up."

Thirty-Seven The next morning, Noah insisted on getting out of bed. He figured if he was well enough to make love to Lanie, he was well enough to walk around. She made him a sling for his arm, and when he emerged from the bedroom wearing clothes borrowed from Lanie's father, he found both Wade and Rogan on the couches enjoying a show on TV. "What are you watching?” Noah asked. "Shh!” Rogan hissed, making a face. “We're about to find out who's the real father of Jessica's baby." Noah chuckled and took a seat next to his friend. It wasn't until the commercial break that Rogan finally turned to him and smiled. "Looks like you're feeling better this morning, Tiger." "Yeah,” Noah replied. “Much." "Sounded like it too,” Wade piped in, hiding his smile behind a cup of coffee. “Oh, sometime around 2:30 a.m." "Damn straight.” Noah winked and tossed a grin in Lanie's direction, making her blush clear to her roots. "Can't expect the man to deny himself when he went through hell to get his mate back, for heaven's sake,” Rogan said, rolling his eyes as if that were a given. "Exactly,” Noah said, nodding. Wade just continued to grin, drinking his coffee. "Hey, Rogan,” Noah said. “I wanted to ask if you guys got a chance to bury Justin." Rogan's expression turned somber. “Yeah, the day we got here. Buried him near a big overturned pine tree." "Would you mind taking me out there?" Rogan looked at him a moment before he grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. “Not at all, Tiger. Just let me get my shoes on." Noah stood and walked into the kitchen where Lanie was making herself a bagel and cream cheese. "You hungry?” she asked. "No, I'm going with the guys to say a few words at Justin's grave. Will you be all right?" "Go,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “I'll be fine here. I'll catch up with the family. But don't overdo it." "Don't worry, I won't. Love you." "Love you too, Tiger." Noah raised his brow at her but said nothing. Instead, he swept her into a long, passionate kiss that he hoped she could feel clear to her toes. "Ahem," Rogan said, pretending to cough behind his hand. “Forest is this way, big guy." Giving Lanie a wide grin, Noah smacked her backside before walking out the front door. The morning was crisp and cool, with a fresh layer of snow on the ground. The Hummer they had stolen from B*E*A*S*T*—a yellow one this time—sat a few feet away, along with a white Lexus that Noah could only assume belonged to Lanie's parents. Rogan and Wade led him down a path around the back of the cabin that seemed to go on and on. After about ten minutes of walking, Rogan stepped off the path and began weaving through the trees until he came to an overturned pine tree that looked as if it had been struck by lightning years before. Near the trunk of the tree was a small, fresh mound of dirt. "We buried him pretty deep,” Wade said. “So the scavengers wouldn't get him." Noah nodded and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “We all figured it would come to this. Justin wouldn't listen to anyone." "To be fair,” Rogan said, kicking the snow with his shoe, “he had a damn good reason to want revenge on Tam." "He did indeed.” Noah took a deep breath and sighed. “Justin was a good man. He helped me out of more than one tight spot, and I'll never forget him." Rogan and Wade both nodded, and Rogan said, “He died fighting for what he believed in." Noah ran his left hand through his hair and smiled. “Hey, you guys remembered to take off that GPS locator on the Hummer, right?" "First thing to go,” Rogan said. They all chuckled. "Goodbye, Justin,” Noah whispered, bowing his head. “Wherever you are now, I can only pray it's better than the hell you had to live through on Earth." "Here, here,” Rogan agreed.

All three men turned back toward the path. They walked in silence for a bit before Noah said, “Rogan, Lanie told me you read in your file at the compound that you were sterile. What makes you think we all are?” He could have sworn he saw Rogan blush. "Well, my file specifically stated that I was made sterile, not that I was sterile. If they gelded me, it's a safe bet that they did it to everyone else. I mean, think about it. We're mutants. Whatever the hell we are, those scientists were playing God with our DNA. If we were to reproduce and have children, who knows what kind of monsters our offspring would become." Wade shivered at his words. “Good thing,” he said as he trudged through the snow. “Don't want kids anyway." "Just wait until you find a mate,” Noah said. “She might think differently." Wade shook his head. “I don't think there's a woman out there who can put up with me." "Amen to that!” Rogan exclaimed with a laugh, slapping Wade in the middle of his back. “Finally the boy has seen the light." "I'm serious,” Wade said, looking uncomfortable. “I hate myself. How could a woman love me?" "You might be surprised,” Noah said as he glanced at the cabin and smiled.

Thirty-Eight Richard Erickson was an imposing man, tall and lean with a shock of white hair and a mustache to match. Noah could see where Lanie got her beautiful eyes, but he could also see that she'd received her smile from her mother, Gloria Erickson. Noah sat at the table as dinner was passed around, grinning shyly whenever his eyes met those of Lanie's parents. "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life, sir,” Noah said, glancing across the table at Richard. "I don't believe I thanked you either, son,” he said, his rich baritone filling the room. "For what?" "For saving my daughter's life." Noah blushed and picked at his mashed potatoes. “I think I ruined her life." Lanie scoffed and took his hand. “You did no such thing." He looked at her but said nothing, simply squeezing her fingers. "That's not what I hear,” Richard said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “The way my daughter talks about you, I wouldn't be surprised if you could walk on water." "Oh, really?” Noah said, grinning at Lanie. "You have plans for a wedding?” Gloria looked at him pointedly, clearly expecting an answer. "Well, yes ma'am,” Noah replied. “I want Lanie to be mine for as long as she'll have me. Hopefully it's for the rest of my life." "You know it will be,” Lanie assured him. He smiled. “But I'm not sure I can marry her until I change my name. If it's true that Rogan and I are at the top of B*E*A*S*T*'s most wanted list, then I can't go traipsing about leaving a paper trail as Noah Carpenter." Richard nodded as he took a bite of his roast beef. "I shouldn't even be talking to you,” Noah went on, “but I know Lanie had to call you here to patch me up, so I have to warn you that B*E*A*S*T* will probably try to contact you, maybe pretend to be from the F.B.I. and claim they're looking for me or even for Lanie. They'll more than likely make up stories about crimes we've committed, but you can't tell them where we are." "No, of course not,” Richard said. "In fact, we probably won't tell even you where we are. We'll keep in touch, but you'll have to wait to hear from us. Don't try to find us." Gloria dabbed at her eyes as she looked across the table at her daughter. “Does it have to be this way?" Rogan and Noah exchanged knowing looks. It wasn't going to be easy to separate his mate from her family. "Yes,” Lanie said, and Noah could tell by her scent that she was saddened at the thought of leaving her family again. “Mom, these guys are ruthless. If they know you've been helping us, they'd kill you without a thought. That's why I haven't tried to make contact before now." "They found your car,” her mother said, more tears filling her eyes. “They found your ruined car at the bottom of that ravine, and we all feared the worst. You can't believe what the news reports were saying about this young man of yours." "Believe me, I know what they said.” Lanie stabbed at her vegetables. "Well, listen,” Richard said, “if you kids need anything—anything at all—you let us know." "Sir, you've given us so much already,” Noah protested. "I'm a dad. It's what I do. But I do have one thing to say to you, young man." Noah looked up, taken aback by Richard's sudden change of tone. “And what's that?” he asked warily. Pointing his fork at him, Richard said, “You'd best take good care of my daughter, Noah Carpenter, or this secret agency will be the least of your problems." Lanie gaped at her father, but Noah grinned. “You have my word on that, sir. I'll die before I see her come to any harm." Richard nodded as if he expected nothing less. “If I hadn't been the one to fish three bullets out of you, son, I might not believe your words." "Well, thank you again,” Noah said. "I couldn't disappoint my little girl,” Richard said, squeezing Lanie's shoulder. Noah's heart swelled to near bursting. Not only had he gained a mate in all this madness, he'd gotten a family as well. Never before had he felt so ... wanted. With a smile on his face, he ate another of her mother's biscuits. ****

"I have a wife." Rogan's voice was soft, but Noah heard it nonetheless in the cool evening air. He was sitting on the front steps of the cabin with both Rogan and Wade, staring up at the night sky. The moon wasn't out, but the snow seemed to glow regardless. The clouds had since moved on, revealing a beautiful tapestry of stars, each one twinkling down upon them. "Are you kidding?” Noah asked, somewhat shocked at his friend's words. "Nope. I've been dreaming about her, but I haven't told anyone about it. I saw her picture in my file at the B*E*A*S*T* compound, and I was shocked as shit to find out she's a real person. And not only that, she's my wife. Her name is Marlie Silver." "So your real name is Silver?" Rogan nodded. “Matthew Silver." "What are you going to do?” Noah asked. "I don't know. Haven't thought it through yet.” Rogan picked up a rock and tossed it across the yard. “You say the woman you've had dreams about told Lanie that you were killed in a car accident?" "Yeah,” Noah replied. “B*E*A*S*T* must have faked my death somehow." "I have a feeling they did that with all of us,” Wade said, gazing at the stars. "You're probably right,” Noah agreed. "And if that's the case,” Rogan said, “then this woman most likely thinks she's a widow.” He pulled the edges of his jacket closer together. “But she's not." "Where does she live?” Noah asked. "Alaska." "Alaska? Holy crap, how are you going to get all the way up there?" "Steal a car, hitchhike, walk—hell, I don't know. But she has a right to know." "Are you sure, man?” Wade asked, leaning in close to him. “What if she's moved on, gotten remarried. What then?" Rogan shook his head and shrugged. “I don't know. I mean, I know that B*E*A*S*T* probably obtained all the pertinent paperwork to make my ‘death’ legal, so for all intents and purposes, Matthew Silver is dead. But I'm not. Does that mean that if she's remarried, her new marriage is null and void? Or does it mean I'm simply no longer married?" "I don't know,” Noah said, rubbing his injured shoulder. “But it sounds like this is going to bother you until you find out for sure. It's altogether possible that she hasn't found another man. Maybe she's still pining away over you." Rogan scoffed. “Yeah, and how exactly is this reunion going to go down? How do you explain to a woman who shared your life before—who loved the man you used to be—that you're now a monster? ‘Hey, look at me, honey. I'm not dead after all, and wait ‘til you see what I can do now.’” "Just about give the poor woman a heart attack,” Wade said with a chuckle. "Right. That's what I'm thinking,” Rogan said. "Maybe you should go and find her,” Noah said. “Maybe case her house a little while and find out as much information as you can, then try to break the news to her gently.” Noah squinted up at the stars. “It's worth a try." "Yeah, but if I go look for her in Alaska, wouldn't that be the first place B*E*A*S*T* is going to look for me?" "Maybe. But I don't think B*E*A*S*T* accosted the lady Lanie talked to. What was her name again?” Noah furrowed his brow as he tried to remember. “Patricia, that's it." "Maybe you got lucky,” Rogan said. "It's possible, but they might not expect us to go looking for the people from our life before. They seem to think their mind-wipes are infallible, but I'd be willing to bet that every single shifter at that compound could remember something." Wade nodded. “Noah's right. A lot of people I talked to down in the dungeons could remember bits and pieces, sometimes even just shades of a memory, and they all hid that information from the scientists. I was the stupid one who had to go and tell them that I could remember things, and what did I gain? Days of being medicated as I waited for reprogramming." "I'm sorry about that, Wade,” Rogan said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Don't be,” Wade said. “I don't blame you. It's those bastards who deserve all the blame—the scientists, the benefactors, hell, even some of our fellow shifters are the ones I hold accountable." "Well, if this agency is as big as we think it is,” Rogan said, “then Noah and I just opened an epic-sized can of worms. I can't even think of a way they'll be able to contain all of the shifters, unless they plan to kill every single one of us. Makes me wonder if the security we used to feel in knowing they wouldn't risk harming us has finally come to an end." Noah nodded. “Yeah, I have a feeling that all bets are off now."

All three men stared up at the stars in uncomfortable silence.

Thirty-Nine While the men talked on the porch, Lanie and her mother washed the dishes, and her father put them back in the cupboards after they were rinsed and dried. "Do you love him?” Gloria asked, handing Lanie a cup. "More than I ever thought I could love a man,” Lanie answered, knowing full well that she had a silly grin on her face. "Are you sure, honey? You've only been with Noah for a little while.” Richard was always the voice of reason. "I'm sure, Dad,” she said. “It may only have been a few days since this all began, but it feels like so much longer. It's almost as if Noah and I have known each other for years." "A traumatic experience can bring two people closer together than they would be otherwise,” Richard said, giving her a small hug. “Believe me, I know." Lanie knew what he meant. Not only was her father a surgeon, he was a veteran of the Vietnam War as well. Lanie could only imagine the type of traumatic experiences he was talking about. "Does he love you?” Gloria wanted to know, this time handing her daughter a plate. "Yes, I have no doubt about that.” Especially not after he'd come to her for a third helping of lovemaking the previous night. Lanie smiled just thinking about it. "But, honey, is this what you really want?” Gloria asked. Lanie glanced at her mother and got a worried look. She knew her mom wouldn't be satisfied until she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that her daughter was happy with the man she'd chosen. "Yes, Mom,” she said with a smile. “I never thought for one second that this would be the path I'd take, but I can't leave him. I can't afford to lose him. I love him with everything I am, and I don't think I could go on living if I had to be separated from him." Gloria looked over her shoulder at Richard and grinned. “Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Lanie's father nodded and gave his wife a kiss on the forehead. “It does. But unfortunately, we had to be separated for a time." "It must have been hell,” Lanie said, shaking her head, unable to imagine it. Her father was talking about the war and how their only lifeline to each other had been the letters they'd written. "It was at times,” her mother said, handing her some flatware to rinse. “And I don't think we ever got out of bed the first month after he came back home to me." "Mother!” Lanie was so shocked that she dropped the fork she'd been holding. Gloria blushed. “All I'm saying, honey, is that if you love Noah, then don't ever let him go." With a grin, Lanie kissed her mother on the cheek and whispered, “Thanks, Mom.” Turning around, she poked her father in the ribs and said playfully, “Stud." Richard chuckled. “Was there ever any doubt?" The men wandered in from the porch, and Lanie watched as Noah scanned the cabin until his eyes rested on her. The gentle smile he gave her warmed her heart. "Goodnight, all,” Rogan said, holding up his hand as he walked past the kitchen to the couch. "Yeah, I second that,” Wade murmured behind a yawn. "Goodnight, boys,” Gloria said as she turned off the water and wiped her hands on a towel. Clearing his throat, Noah entered the kitchen and leaned on the countertop. “Lanie and I will be leaving in the morning." Gloria's smile faded. “I figured you would,” she said, her disappointment obvious. "We can't stay here forever, Mom,” Lanie said, trying to spare Noah anymore discomfort. “We're still so close to the B*E*A*S*T* compound, and it's only a matter of time before they find us here. We have to move on." "I know,” Gloria said, dabbing at her eyes. “I just wish we could have had a little while longer." "I'll write,” Lanie promised. “I'll send postcards, but you've got to agree to burn them after you get them." Her father held up his hand. “Scout's honor." "Thanks, Dad,” she said, smiling. Noah watched as she put down her own dishrag and turned to smile at him. After closing the gap between them, Lanie leaned into him, making sure not to bump his injured arm. He wrapped his good arm around her shoulder. "I'll have more pain medication ready for you by morning,” Richard offered. “I have some in my bag."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that, and you don't have to worry about Wade and Rogan.” Noah pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “They'll be moving on in the morning as well." "I hope you boys will be all right.” Lanie's mom chewed the inside of her bottom lip. "I'm sure we will be, ma'am,” Noah said. “Just have to lay low." "Remember to keep one eye on the road and one on your back,” Richard said as he held out his hand to shake Noah's in a friendly handshake. “It was good to meet you, son." Noah nodded. “Good to meet you too, sir. I was beginning to think I never would." Richard smiled before he hugged his daughter. “Will we see you in the morning?" "Oh, yes,” Noah said, pulling Lanie close once more. “We'll leave at dawn." "Do you even know where you're going?” Richard asked. "Haven't the foggiest,” Noah replied. They all smiled.

Forty "Take a shower with me." Noah's whispered words to her early the next morning made Lanie shiver despite being snuggled close to him under the blanket they shared. “What about your arm?" "Still hurts something fierce, but I figure we can change my dressings afterward." "All right." "Besides, I must smell awful." "Well,” Lanie said with a grin as she slipped off the bed, “I wasn't going to say anything, but..." With a growl, Noah sprang off the mattress and chased her into the master bathroom. It didn't take long before the steam from the shower spray fogged up the room. "Let's get that bandage off you,” Lanie said, peeling it away. Once the gauze was gone, she gasped at the sight of the three raw, reddened wounds that marred his perfect skin. With careful fingers, she touched each one. "I could have lost you,” she whispered, feeling sudden tears in her eyes. "I could have lost you,” he countered, caressing her face. "I can't believe you took three bullets for me." "I would have let Tam kill me if I'd thought it would save your life." Lanie bit her lip. “I've never known a man like you, Noah." "That's an understatement,” he said with a grin. Lanie waved her hand in front of her face. “Besides being a shifter. No one has ever loved me as ... fiercely as you do." "I'm an alpha male and you're my mate.” He shrugged. “What can I say? I protect what's mine, take care of what's mine, and love what's mine to the best of my ability." Grabbing his hand, Lanie smiled and led him into the tub, adjusting the showerhead to the right setting and angle. "That you do,” she said, taking hold of the soap. “And you do it well." "I'm glad to hear that, baby,” he whispered as he pressed her against the tile. “You do it well too." "Wait!” She squealed, holding up the soap. “What about getting clean?" "Later,” he said, his voice husky. “Right now I want to be dirty." Lanie giggled but didn't stop him as his mouth began a sensual exploration of her neck. After a minute, he groaned with frustration, looking at his injured shoulder. "Damn, this is going to be hard." Lanie grinned wickedly as she grasped his length in her hands. “It's already hard.” He gazed at her with fire in his eyes and said, “So it is." As she stroked him, she felt his entire body shudder. "I want you inside of me, Noah Carpenter,” she whispered, kissing his chest and tasting his skin with her tongue. Grabbing hold of her hair in his left hand, he pulled her head back and growled. “Then let's take a bath instead." He claimed her mouth with his, and Lanie answered his passion with her own. Leaning over, she fumbled with the faucet and plugged the tub. As the water rose, so did the need spiraling inside of her, and when Noah pulled her down on top of him, she welcomed him with a pleasured gasp. "I love that little sound you make,” he said, biting her neck. "I make a lot of sounds,” she said breathlessly. "I mean the one you make when I enter you." "Mmm, it just feels so good." "Amen to that,” he said, squeezing her backside with his hand as he guided her in her rhythm. It didn't take long until the world shattered, leaving nothing but Noah surrounding her—filling her, loving her. As she kissed him fervently, she could only hope that he knew exactly what he meant to her. For the rest of her life, she would endeavor to tell him. He was a shifter, he was her mate, and he was the man she adored. She'd follow him to the gates of hell if she had to. No matter what life threw at them,

nothing could change that. Not even B*E*A*S*T*.

Epilogue The grainy photographs were spread out on the mahogany conference table. The fifteen plush chairs gathered around the table were each occupied, and all eyes were on the pacing form of Clive Covington. Back and forth he walked the length of the table, rubbing his face, visibly irritated. Three men were pictured in the photographs—two of them holding B*E*A*S*T* issued machine guns. "I want to know their names,” Clive said, finally coming to rest at the head of the table and leaning over it on both hands. “Who the hell has the balls to infiltrate my facility?" "We know for sure the first one is Noah Carpenter,” Dr. Lucian Carver said. “The man who went missing not too long ago. The second man is Wade McAllister, the man we drugged to keep his old memories suppressed. The third man we'll have to work on identifying.” He pointed at the picture of the mystery man. "I know who it is,” offered another man sitting on the other side of the table. His arm was in a sling and various cuts and bruises were clearly evident on his face, and his expression was set in stone. "Do enlighten us,” Clive demanded, turning his fiery eyes on one of the only two shifters allowed in the room. Sean Ross cleared his throat. “His name is Rogan. Rogan Wolfe." Dr. Carver sat up straight. “The same man we pitted against you months ago?" Sean growled low in his throat as he turned his gaze upon the scientist with a sneer. “The very same." Dr. Carver looked flustered. "And he can become a...?” Clive let the sentence hang, again glancing around the table. "A wolf,” Sean replied. “I suppose your scientist goons have a sense of humor after all." Clive sighed and took a seat, lifting the photos to his eyes for the hundredth time. “I want them found. I want all the shifters found. If word leaks out that these men have gotten loose, not to mention what they can become, then we're in deep shit." "If you don't mind me saying,” Dr. Carver piped up, “we're already in deep shit. There is no way in hell these escaped shifters are going to simply let us recapture them. And it's obvious that our mind-wiping technology needs some tweaking." Clive hit the table hard with his closed fist, making everyone present jump in their seats. “You think?” he bellowed, standing up so violently that his chair fell back on the floor. “Christ, what the hell am I going to tell the others?" Brett Walker raised his hand, the other shifter allowed in the meeting. He was a cheetah, and a particularly nasty one at that. "If I wanted a bodyguard's opinion, I would have asked for it!” Clive raged, his eyes shooting sparks. Brett pursed his lips and stared back at the furious benefactor. “You'll have to kill them,” he said quietly, steepling his fingers. "Excuse me?” Dr. Carver said. "Kill them,” Brett said again, raising his brow. “It's the only way." "Do you know how much each of you COST?” Clive yelled. “Are you aware of how much money went into funding this project? Well, do you?” Clive was at his wit's end, running his fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair so painfully that he winced. "I have absolutely no idea, sir,” Brett said, clearly mocking him. “But if you want to contain the problem without a giant mess on your hands, then you'll have to kill them all." Dr. Carver took off his spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate to say it, Senator, but I think he's right." "You have got to be shitting me!” Clive yelled, throwing up his hands. When he looked at the grave faces of the other scientists and benefactors sitting at the table, he calmly straightened his chair and sat back down, ripping off his silk tie and throwing it across the length of the table. “We have to start over from scratch—is that what you're telling me?" "We might be able to tranquilize some of the men,” Dr. Carver said, shrugging. “Get them back and try reprogramming them again. But the others..." "Will have to be killed,” Sean finished for him. "I want these three dead for certain. DEAD!” Clive picked up the photos, and they soon followed his tie across the table. “I have no doubt that they cannot be redeemed. They stormed my compound and killed my best shifter! I will not ignore that. They must be eliminated." "Leave the wolf to me,” Sean said, his eyes flashing. “He and I have a score to settle. Nothing will bring me greater pleasure than to kill him." Clive rubbed his eyes and sighed, but he nodded at Sean. "Sean will be successful,” Dr. Carver said. “When we pitted him against Rogan, Sean was only a few hits away from killing him. A wolf simply cannot stand against a Kodiak grizzly." "You'd better be right, Lucian,” Clive said, cradling his head in his hands. "Don't worry yourself, Senator,” Sean said with a wicked grin. “I'll kill him nice and slow for you, and I'll enjoy every moment of it." "Yes, you will,” Clive said, raising his eyes to the shifter's. “Because if you fail, then I'll be feasting on your remains.” He stood up and swept out of the

room, slamming the door behind him. **** Sean sat in his chair and smiled as he watched the doors reverberate from Clive's violent exit. Finally he was going to have his revenge on the wolf that had almost gotten the better of him. Oh, Dr. Carver liked to exaggerate, making it sound as if the fight had been in his favor, but Sean knew better. Rogan Wolfe was a sneaky bastard, and Sean was only too happy to put him out of his misery. Picking up one of the pictures Clive had thrown down the table, a silent satisfaction swept over Sean as he stared at the blurry image of Rogan's face. After his successful brawl with the other traitorous shifters in the hallway, he'd gone back to the control room and seen for himself the file Rogan had opened on B*E*A*S*T*'s mainframe computer. He knew exactly where he was headed. Back to Alaska. Back to his wife. Now that Sean had seen for himself that he could take on four powerful shifters by himself, he knew he wouldn't have any problem killing that damned wolf. He crumpled the picture in his hand, crushing it in his iron grip. "I'm coming for you, Wolfe,” he said under his breath. “And your pretty wife." Sean chuckled to himself as he too stood and left the conference room. He had to be well-rested if he was going to find Rogan. No doubt, tomorrow would be a long day.

About Rebecca Rebecca Goings's first love is historical romance. But she's also been known to write a few contemporaries as well. Becoming a writer has been her life's goal, and she's finally living her dream. Rebecca resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband Jim, and four rugrats (whom she home-schools). She fell in love with Oregon at the age of sixteen, and was able to convince her husband to move there after six LONG years in Los Angeles. She doesn't anticipate ever leaving. Rebecca is never at a loss for book plots, and hopes to be around for a very long time. Other Titles By Rebecca: In Your Arms On Eagle's Wings Visit our website for our growing catalogue of quality books. www.champagnebooks.com

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