Coyote Marked (Wounded Warriors Book 3) Read online

  He hesitated for a second longer, looking like he wanted to say something, before his blue eyes looked away from hers. He turned and left the room without another word.

  She eyed the food suspiciously, both because it could be drugged, and because of his comment about the quality of it. Eventually, her hunger won, and she peeled off the plastic sealing the tray to reveal a hideous-looking mess beneath. She could make out the odd bit of tuna among the mushy noodles, and she took a deep breath for courage as she lifted her fork to stab into the pile of what was supposed to be food. She barely choked down the first bite after discovering it tasted worse than it looked, and it was a battle of wills to keep from expelling it from her mouth.

  Only the knowledge she would need her strength to withstand torture allowed her to persevere. It was still slow going, and she had a few bites left when the hydraulic door hissed open. Caswell stood in the doorway. A surge of bile accompanied the sight of him, and she barely swallowed it down. Her stomach was tight with fear, and her nerves stretched taut, but she struggled not to show any reaction as he crossed the threshold and stepped into the room, closing the door behind himself.

  Her gaze darted to his hands, and she was surprised to see no visible tools of torture. Recalling he’d undergone part of the process of transformation, making him a bear-human hybrid, she figured he didn’t actually need any other tools besides the claws he could form with his hands.

  She didn’t speak, and neither did he for a long moment. The silence lengthened, and there was an edge to it that made her jumpy. Abruptly, she stood up from the bed and faced him, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the lieutenant colonel. “What are you doing here? Why am I here, and what happened to my teammates?”

  “Your teammates remain as fugitives. I had hoped my soldiers would be able to acquire more than you, but you were the priority target. We’ll find the others eventually.”

  She glared at him as he came closer, resisting the urge to back away when he loomed into her personal space.

  He moved forward suddenly, his reflexes enhanced. Hers were quick as well, thanks to the coyote inside. She darted away from him, but there was really nowhere to go in the small room. A moment later, he slammed her against the wall, sending a jarring pain throughout her body that originated from where her jaw slammed into the metal. The weight of his body crushed her, keeping her pinned to the wall despite her struggles to escape.

  “Your friends will be apprehended in time, and we’ll add them to our growing army. I can live without them, but not without you.”

  She trembled at his tone of voice, uncertain how to interpret it. “What do you mean? What do you want from me?”

  His answer was his teeth sinking into the same spot on the back of her neck, where he had bitten her earlier. It had continued to be a bothersome, itchy nuisance, but the pain flared fresh again. Despite her desire not to, she whimpered and tried to move away from him, though she would have preferred to remain impassive and not reveal how much his touch disturbed her.

  When he pulled his mouth from her, there was an unsettling undertone of desire lacing his words. “You’re my mate, Alexandria. I knew it the moment I saw you.”

  She shuddered at the words, trying to pull away with renewed determination. The only reason she managed to free herself was because he let her. She backed away from him before whirling to face him. “You’re mad. I’m not your anything.”

  He simply smiled at her, but there was nothing calming about it. It had a chilling effect on her. “My bear recognized your pheromone signature, and I just knew you belonged to me. It was the strangest thing about my new existence, to just smell you and recognize you as mine. Surely you know bears identify their mates at first meeting?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “So do some hyenas, but it’s an unusual trait in the shifter world—and you aren’t a shifter.”

  His skin rippled, and his arms bulged with muscles as dark fur sprouted. His skin seemed to melt away during the process, and a moment later, he stood before her in his half-shifted form.

  In spite of herself, she was intimidated by the display. She glared at him. “You’re still only half a man and half a bear. And I’m being generous crediting you with being half of anything.”

  He seemed unbothered by her insult as he shifted back to his regular form. “It was simply a reminder to you that I’ve been enhanced. I have all the senses of a shifter, and all the gifts, with none of the drawbacks.”

  She shook her head. “You can only half-shift. That’s a pretty big drawback.”

  He ignored that. “You can fight it if you want to, but you’ll accept it soon enough.”

  He stalked toward her with those words, and she backed away from him until her back hit the wall. She put up her hands as he approached, using them to keep space between them. “I’ll never accept you.”

  He grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head back sharply enough to make her scalp sting. “Not only will you accept me, but you’ll soon beg for me. We’re meant to be mates, and you can’t deny the connection.”

  She glared at him. “I can deny it easily. I want nothing to do with you, and as a coyote-shifter, I’m not compelled to recognize anyone as my mate. You might consider it a gift to recognize someone you think is your mate, but it can be equally a curse when that person rejects you. Just so you know, I firmly reject you. I want nothing to do with you.”

  He jerked sharply on her hair again, dragging her face closer to his. His mouth was inches from her own, which made his sharp-beaked nose look more like a bird of prey than ever. “We’ll see how long your bravado lasts.”

  Her eyes widened, and she hated how her pheromones must have betrayed her sense of fear. “Are you going to torture me?”

  He shook his head. “You’re my mate. It’s my duty to protect you, but I also won’t be denied what’s mine.” With those words, he pressed his lips to hers.

  She kept her mouth tense underneath him, refusing to soften her lips or let him penetrate the barrier sealing her mouth from his. She squirmed in his arms, anxious to pull free, and finally managed to shove him back when she wedged her arm and shoulder in the right position. She obviously wiped her mouth with a hint of melodrama before wiping the same hand on her pajama shorts. “You disgust me, and I’d never willingly be your mate.”

  He shrugged. “Willing or unwilling, you’re already my mate. I’ve marked you with my bite, and I can find you anywhere. Consummation is simply a formality to the union, but you should get used to it now.”

  “Used to what?” she asked with strong amount of suspicion.

  “Belonging to me. I’ll give you some time to settle in and play your foolish games, but I will have you, and I guarantee you’ll be begging for it.”

  She shuddered with revulsion. “I’d be begging for death before I begged for that.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Still glaring at him, she asked, “Why did you let my friends go free?”

  “They aren’t exactly free. They’re still being hunted, because they’re a valuable resource to the program, but I couldn’t risk losing you by pursuing them tonight. They’re still on the list, and we will acquire them.”

  Lex licked her lips nervously. “What do you mean about them being a valuable resource? We thought you were trying to kill us.” She wasn’t even certain if he would answer or provide more information, but since she had the opportunity to ask, she might as well take it.

  He hesitated for a moment as though weighing the wisdom of answering her question. With a shrug, he said, “You probably don’t realize it, but you were among the first group to receive the artificial intelligence chips.”

  A shudder of horror went through her, and she put a hand on her head in an absentminded fashion, as though she could dig around and feel it in her skull.

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry, Alexandria. Your shifter’s immune system dissolved the chip and refused to accept direction from it. It recognized it as a foreig
n invader and shut it down no matter what our scientists tried. That’s why we moved on to brainwashing instead, along with trying to lull the human side into a trance and bring forth the animal side. Even that met with mixed results.”

  “I know that. We couldn’t be controlled, so why do you want to acquire us rather than eliminate us?”

  “One of our scientists has synthesized a protein with which we encapsulate the A.I. chip. Your immune system recognizes it as beneficial, so it doesn’t make any fuss about taking the chip. By the time the immune system realizes what’s going on, it’s too late. Our chips have already conquered the shifter’s ability to fight it off.

  “Hybrids have their place, especially for instilling fear, but shifters are more valuable soldiers. Far more valuable, because they can get in and out of places where our hybrid soldiers can’t. We can send you undercover behind enemy lines in your animal forms, and your handlers will control every aspect of what you do. They’re like drone pilots, only they’re piloting the soldiers’ bodies instead of a plane.”

  She shuddered. “You’re completely obliterating their minds just to use their bodies. Have you had any successes?”

  He hesitated for a moment, as though debating whether he would answer. Finally, he shrugged. “It’s a lengthy process, but there’ve been successes.”

  “Are you going to do that to me?”

  He frowned. “Of course not. You’re my mate. Whether or not I do it to your friends…that’s up to you though. Cooperate and make me happy, and perhaps I’ll spare them. Fight me, and I’ll force you to watch as I systematically strip the mind of each one of them.”

  She glared at him. “You have to catch them first, and my friends will continue to evade you. You can’t use them to force me to cooperate.”

  He just smirked at her. “You’d be surprised what I can do, Alexandria.”

  She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck bristling as the coyote tried to surge to the forefront. “Stop calling me that.”

  “Why? It’s your name, and it’s far more beautiful than Lex. You’re my Alexandria.”

  She gagged, uncertain if it was from the tender note in his voice or from losing the battle to hold down the tuna noodle casserole. Whatever the cause, she barely managed to keep from vomiting.

  Once again, he stepped closer, swallowing her space. She braced herself to fight, but all he did was put his palms against the wall on either side of her head, not quite touching. His body pressed against hers, but again, he didn’t quite touch.

  “Move away from me.”

  He ignored her words, brushing his nose against hers as she flinched away. “Let go of the past. You need to realize I’m your future, and accept I’ll never let you go.”

  She glared at him. “And you need to comprehend I’ll never surrender. The idea of you touching me in any fashion makes me physically ill.”

  His lips tightened, but it was the only sign of anger that briefly showed before his face assumed a more neutral expression. Deliberately and methodically, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to her forehead in a parody of a gentle touch. “Good night, Alexandria. Dream of me.”

  “They’ll be nightmares. I’d rather be dead than accept what you propose.”

  He didn’t speak again as he pulled away, moving away without looking back. After he had crossed the threshold, and the door hissed closed behind him, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  Despite her words, she was terrified on a deep level. She wasn’t fearful at all that he would crack her exterior or force her to accept what he envisioned. Instead, she was simply terrified he would get tired of playing the game of giving her the illusion of choice and take that from her too. The idea of him violating her body sent another surge of nausea through her, but it was the realization that he could just as easily violate her mind and steal everything that made her unique that finally caused her to lose the battle and vomit into the trashcan.

  Chapter Four

  Somehow, she got lucky and didn’t see anyone until the next day. She had half-expected Caswell to come back again that night, but he hadn’t. By the next morning, she was restless, bored, and angry at being held captive. When her door opened, she crouched low, preparing to leap. She had a moment of remorse when she pounced on Aidan, using her teeth against his neck to hold him still. The coyote had sprung free without much effort, and she enjoyed the freedom of movement the form allowed.

  The attendant was surprisingly calm and still underneath her, and she watched with untrusting eyes as he carefully pulled off his badge and extended it to her. She didn’t take it, because that would mean relinquishing her hold on his throat, and she was certain it was a trap.

  He held it for another moment before laying it on his chest, where she could easily snap it up. Instead, she remained still, holding him beneath her with his throat clamped in her jaws. She hadn’t yet broken skin or injured him in any way, but she could in a heartbeat if needed. She was holding him lightly enough that he was able to speak, though his voice sounded a little strained.

  “I’m sure you want my badge, and you want to get out of here. I understand that, but you’ll never make it on your own. Word is they had some kind of break-in a few days ago, and they’ve tightened security almost overnight. It was already hard to get around here, and now it’s practically impossible.

  “There are those animal things prowling the perimeter, and they have actual shifters standing guard. I imagine you’re quick and light on your feet, but you’re no match for what you’re facing here. I don’t know what Caswell will do to you if you try to escape, but it probably won’t be good. He threw the last attempted escapee into the pit.”

  Still distrustfully, Lex leaned back and allowed her human form to take shape. Her fingers itched to reach for the badge, but she needed more information first. Her nudity didn’t really bother her, because she was used to running around without clothing to facilitate shifting, but it was obviously having an effect on him.

  His gaze dropped to her breasts, and he shifted on the floor in a way that suggested he was suddenly uncomfortable. She should have been disgusted, but when she inhaled his pheromones and caught nothing but pure desire, slow heat burned in her belly. With a growl of frustration at herself, she stretched and reached for the pajama shirt she had left on the bunk. She wasn’t about to risk tearing it when it was the only semi-decent thing she had with which to cover herself. The options in the drawers were meant to entice, and the last thing she wanted to do was give Caswell any further thoughts about her.

  After shrugging on her shirt, she asked, “What’s the pit?”

  “It’s where they train the handlers who maneuver the shifters and soldiers they control. They used the last guy who tried to escape for practice. Using the soldiers they controlled, the handlers tore him apart. At least they weren’t feral.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean, feral?”

  “Sometimes, something in the process goes wrong, and the A.I. doesn’t take, or takes over the wrong way, I guess. They’re aggressive beyond control, and they’re usually put down immediately.”

  She shuddered at the way he said put down. “You mean killed.” She didn’t bother to phrase it as a question, because she already knew the answer.

  He looked sick when he nodded. “Sometimes though, Caswell decides he wants a little entertainment first, so he puts two ferals in the pit, and they fight to the death. Then he kills the one who survives. It’s their idea of entertainment around here.” His tone dripped with disgust.

  She got up from the cold cement floor and reached for her pajama shorts, sliding them on quickly with her back turned to him before turning to face Aidan again. “You know a lot for a guy who brings meals.”

  His lips parted, and he seemed on the verge of saying something, but then his expression closed, and he looked away from her as he got up from the floor. “I can bring more than meals, if you’d like? Do you want some books or something?”<
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  She nodded. “Anything to keep me busy—and some clothes.” She waved a hand in the direction of the small dresser. “Lt. Col. Pervert has stocked it with centerfold lingerie, and I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that stuff for him.”

  Aidan looked troubled. “I don’t blame you, but he might kill you if you don’t.”

  She sniffed. “Considering what he has planned for me, that might be a good thing.”

  Aidan clipped his badge onto his shirt again before moving to the wheeled cart to take a tray that he handed her. He acted like she hadn’t pounced on him, and he seemed unafraid of her. People often underestimated Lex, but that was before they realized she was a coyote-shifter. That was a carefully guarded secret, but he’d seen her transform and still wasn’t freaking out. She might admire his courage if he wasn’t working with these people. She took the tray he offered, bracing herself for something equally as horrible as tuna noodle casserole.

  “It’s oatmeal and powdered eggs. Still gross, but not as bad as last night.” He handed her plastic silverware, though there was no knife included. Not even a plastic one? What did he think she could do with a plastic knife? She shook her head, but didn’t make an issue of it.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  She shrugged as she pulled the plastic cellophane wrap off the tray and grimaced at what they considered food. “Go ahead. I might or might not answer.”

  “What does he have planned for you? Usually, the people they bring in are almost immediately processed into the program, and they’re certainly never brought to a private room like this. If there’s a delay before they start in on them, they’re taken to the holding cells.”

  Seeing no harm in answering him, and welcoming the opportunity to delay putting the so-called food in her mouth for another moment, she said in a tone thick with sarcasm, “I’m the lucky girl he’s picked to be Mrs. Caswell. Apparently, his fucked-up bear tells him I’m his mate.”