“I’m Emily,” she finally said.
Emily! Mate. Mine. Mine. Mate!Carter’s lion chorused in his mind.
He did his best to ignore the inner monologue as a charged silence stretched out between them. He could feel the weight of his mountain lion’s curiosity, satisfaction, and eagerness blending seamlessly with his own whirlwind of emotions.
“Do you live here?” Emily asked, nodding to the buildings behind her.
Carter shook his head. He hesitated, wondering what he should tell her, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere if he kept his intention to himself.
“No. I’m here to visit a friend of my sister’s—Maria. My sister has gone missing and I’m hoping she can shed some light on the situation.”
“Missing?” Emily repeated, her voice catching on the word.
Carter nodded. “For a few days now. Our parents are worried, naturally. As am I.”
“I’m sorry,” Emily said, averting her gaze. She swallowed audibly. “What’s her name?”
“Megan.”
There was no denying the spark of recognition that flared in her eyes at the mention of his sister’s name. Carter held her gaze.
“You know her, don’t you?”
Emily glanced around then before answering as though checking they were alone. “I think we should talk,” she said, her voice soft yet firm. “But not out here. Please, come inside.”
With a brief nod, Carter waited for her to unlock her door then followed her in. He hesitated just inside the threshold, scanning the area for any sign of a threat. He half expected her to pull out a syringe and stick him with it, just as he’d seen the guard do to the shifter at the facility and he shivered involuntarily.
No! Mate!his lion said in an annoyed tone of voice.Mate would never harm us.
Carter rolled his eyes. He took a moment to scan the apartment, noting its clean lines, the muted tones that seemed to be both comforting and organized, so contrasting with the current chaos in his life. It seemed so veryher, even though he had only just met her and knew nothing about her.
He turned his gaze to the woman herself. She was breathtaking. Carter hated that they had met under these circumstances, and even more that he had to question her intentions. Emily looked both fragile and fiercely determined. She sat across from him on a small corner sofa, and motioned for him to take a seat, and as he settled into a chair opposite her, the air grew tense. The pull of the mate bond was palpable, making the space between them feel charged and intense.
“You’re probably wondering how much I know, and why I’ve asked you to come in,” she began, taking a deep breath, as if preparing herself for a challenging confession.
“I have my guesses,” Carter responded, trying to keep his voice neutral. “But hearing it from you would be more…helpful.”
She glanced at him, and for a second he saw vulnerability in her eyes. “I’ve seen your sister, Megan. She’s being held in the facility where I work.”
His heart plummeted. The confirmation of his worst fears nearly took the air from his lungs. “What are they doing to her?”
“She’s...involved in some experiments,” Emily hesitated. “They do tests, I’m not entirely sure what they all are as there are other scientists who work there, and we are all told to keep our research top secret, but I know it’s not pleasant, for any of the shifters there. I’m sorry.”
So, she knew all about shifters, and if she knew about Megan that meant she knew about him, too. Carter clenched his jaw, trying to contain the mountain lion that raged within him at the idea of Megan being treated like a lab rat. The lion’s rage threatened to tear through Carter’s human façade.
Easy,he mentally commanded, taking a deep breath. Rage won’t help Megan.
“How many shifters are they holding there?”
Emily met his gaze and held it. “A lot.”
“What can you tell me about the facility?” Carter asked.
Emily heaved a sigh. “Their ultimate goal is to create some sort of super soldier. Some of the experiments are to try to make the shifters compliant so they can be easily controlled. Others are being used to try to create a drug that can be given to humans to make them stronger and faster. They are trying to determine what in a shifter’s genetics gives them their strength and speed and the ability to shift at will.”
Carter muttered a curse then his gaze hardened.
“How could you do that?” he asked, even as his lion roared in defense of his mate.
