Page 29 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

“You can’t blame me for wanting to stay in one piece.”

Tracy tapped her chin and acted like she was thinking for a split second before she glared at the agent.

“Yeah, I think I can.Now, I’d like to make my phone call,” she snapped.

Agent Southpaw pursed her lips.“That won’t be necessary.If you’ll follow me.”

The exasperated tone of the other shifter caused Tracy’s eyes to narrow in response.With a suspicious glare, she studied the other shifter before cautiously taking a step forward.As she paused in the doorway, her eyes narrowed with caution as she observed the two uniformed guards standing on either side of it.She stepped out of her cell and followed on silent feet behind Southpaw.

“Where is Mitchell?”she asked.

Agent Southpaw paused and looked at her.“Is that his name?He’s refused to speak since he woke.”

“Where is he?”

The two guards leaned toward her, reacting to her aggressive tone and ready to spring into restraining her.Southpaw raised her hand and the guards eased back.Tracy’s eyes remained fixed Southpaw's face.

“What is the human to you?”Southpaw finally asked.

Tracy hesitated before she responded in a low voice.“He’s my mate.”

Silence greeted her admission.Tracy returned the other woman’s assessing gaze with a steady one of her own.Finally, the shifter bowed her head and smiled.

“Interesting.”

Leaning his head back, Mitchell felt the coolness of the wall against his scalp as he fixated on the round circle mounted in the corner.A strange unease had settled over him after he had awakened in the room, as though a hidden presence lurked nearby, observing his every move—until he cleverly covered the "eye" of the strange device with the food they had provided.

Hours blended into days, and he found himself unable to determine the length of his stay in this unfamiliar place.There were no windows to see when the sun rose or set.Every time he moved, the lights in his cell would toggle between on and off, creating an eerie atmosphere.At the moment, the lights were off.He found solace in the darkness, a respite from the harsh brightness that pained his eyes.

He stiffened when he heard footsteps approaching.There was more than one set.A shiver ran down his spine.They came in groups of three or more when they wanted to take him out of his cell.

He had fought the first time they came.The man in the white jacket had injected him with a sedative.It hadn’t been enough to knock him out, just incapacitate him.The medicine had made him sick to his stomach and he vomited all over one of his shifter guards.A small revenge.He had aimed.

The shifters in the white coats had tried to reassure him that he was only here temporarily to make sure he was alright, but then they had shone a light in his eyes, taken his blood, given him shots, and examined his head and neck for tenderness.

His face flushed with anger at the memories of them asking him personal questions.He had been angrier still when all they would say about Tracy was that she was recovering, she would be fine, and he might be allowed to see her in a couple of days.They would not say what she was recoveringfrom.When he had been returned to his cell, they had given him fresh clothes and shown him how to use the shower.He had scrubbed his body and dressed.

After the first time, they had only taken him to a room down the corridor from his cell.The room had a table, two chairs, and a large reflective mirror.An old, gray-haired shifter had entered the room.This shifter had tried to reassure him as well, but it was clear that he was not allowed to leave and he was not allowed to see Tracy, and that was all that mattered.He had ignored the shifter’s repeated questions.They had taken him out of his cell twice more after that.Each time there had been a different shifter in a white coat asking him questions or putting things in front of him.He had ignored them all.

The bright lights came on, temporarily blinding him when the door opened.He shielded his eyes from the painful light.He stared dispassionately at the guard in the doorway.Surprise swept through him when a slender hand impatiently nudged the guard aside.

The woman was tall, lean, and impeccably dressed in a navy-blue power suit with a cream-colored blouse.Her dark hair was swept up at the sides, revealing a touch of silver at her temples.She exuded a sense of authority.What surprised him was the humor and compassion in her eyes as they swept over him.

“I don’t think they could’ve picked a more hideous outfit for you,” she stated, stepping into his cell and looking around with an expression of distaste.

“This division is either seriously over-funded if they think they need to treat humans this way or seriously under-funded for giving you this box.The director and I will be having a serious discussion about this,” the woman murmured.

A man standing outside the doorway cleared his throat.“Madame President, I assure you that humans were not intended to be housed here.”

“Since humans were thought to be extinct, I’m sure that is true, Alvin.Now be a good badger and shut the door.I would like to have a private conversation with…” She paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.When he didn’t respond, she shrugged and continued, “Our new guest.”

“Yes, Madame President,” Alvin responded.

“Oh, and Alvin?—”

“Yes, Madame President?”

The woman turned and gave Alvin a sweet smile.“Turn off the damn cameras,” she ordered.

---