Page 32 of Feral Mates
The same as the early human thoughts that had been flowing through my brain when I’d awakened experiencing anguish.
After placing the items on the kitchen table, she immediately headed toward the door. “We’ll figure out what’s going on. There’s one thing I will say before I go.” She tipped her head so she could see all of us at the same time. “I am not your mate. That’s impossible.”
As soon as she walked out the door, the three of us looked at each other.
The beautiful human was wrong.
Very wrong.
CHAPTER 9
Savannah
“Serenity Wildlife Refuge. This is Maggie. How can I help you?”
I was shocked someone had answered so early. I was already sitting in the parking lot of Blackwell Industries, waiting to go in. At this point, I needed a plan.
I needed to discover what the fuck was going on inside the laboratory and on the secure floor I didn’t have access to. That would be a feat. If caught snooping, I’d be fired on the spot.
No questions asked.
I’d scratched Kai on purpose, collecting his DNA under my fingernails, which I’d promptly placed into the DNA kit I’d brought. The test would be made easy enough to determine if he was completely human. What I was thinking was still mindboggling.
“Hi, Maggie. I hope your Monday has started off well. This is Jane Martin of the Arlington Press,” I started. The lie seemed plausible enough. “I’m doing a follow-up story on reports of an escape at your amazing facility.” I lied. The refuge had a dicey reputation at best, stories from two years ago prompting an investigation into their practices. They’d even been reprimanded by the government. But I’d found nothing to connect them with Blackwell Industries so what the wolves had endured and who they’d become could be a fluke.
Supposedly, the refuge had cleaned up their image and had recently won an award for best practices. I found the sudden turnaround suspicious.
“Oh, yes. We had three wolves escape, but they’ve been caught and brought back to the facility. Fortunately, they weren’t injured in any way. We’re so happy to have them back.”
Maggie’s voice was too gleeful and practiced. However, a sudden wash of emotions I hadn’t expected created doubt in my mind.
What if what I’d experienced had been manufactured by the three men? Maybe not escaped convicts, but con artists. As soon as the thought tickled my mind, another feeling replaced any and all doubt.
Hunger.
The same deep and intense need that had slowly faded the night before. When I shifted in my seat, I was reminded of the harsh spanking. The brutes truly believed I would be obedient to them.
Not a chance.
Then why had the intense throbbing increased?
Get a grip, girl. Concentrate.
I closed my eyes briefly, physically shaking my body to try to remove the lurid images from my mind.
“I’m so happy to hear that. Are you certain they were the same wolves?”
Her hesitation meant she was uncertain my intentions were purely story driven.
“I think the readers would love to hear more about them. You know how people respond to stories of animals being rescued.”
“Ah, yes,” Maggie said. “We are certain. We tag every animal that comes into the facility.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Fantastic. Would you mind if I learned their names? You know what they say about putting a name to a face.”
She laughed with me. “Yes, I do. I don’t mind at all. Apollo, Kai, and Roman.”
As soon as the names left her mouth, I was lost in thought while she went on to explain how names were selected. So far, my instincts had been spot on. That didn’t make me feel any better.
