Killian and I moved at the same time, growls tearing from our chests as we stepped in front of her, bodies squared, blocking her from his line of sight.
“Explain,” I snarled. “What do you meananother, Zolkos?”
His tone remained clinical and even. “We collected a preliminary slick sample while the subject was in heat and sedated. The request came directly from General Green prior to finalizing her placement in your unit.”
Rowan made a small, broken sound behind us.
“He required confirmation,” Zolkos continued, unbothered, “that she was biologically viable for breeding.”
Killian’s teeth bared fully. The air around him vibrated with rage.
“You touched her,” he growled.
“The procedure was conducted by a female researcher. Command authorized it.”
I felt my temper growing thin. “And you think you are taking more?”
“Yes. A significantly larger sample is necessary for ongoing research,” Zolkos said. “Another will also be required as her heat approaches peak.”
"No,” Killian snapped, stepping forward, his voice a promise of violence.
Zolkos finally lifted his gaze to us. “General Green has already approved all necessary procedures. I am informing you out of courtesy. Should I note your resistancein my report?”
"Not touching her. Ours. Mine," Killian roared.
"I do not need to touch her. I am happy to let you both collect the sample from her, as long as you do it in one of our sterile rooms, without contaminating it with any of our own DNA."
Inside, my temper clawed at the edges of my control. The idea of Rowan being touched, examined, or analyzed again made something protective coil tight in my chest. But I couldn't jeopardize her safety by defying a direct order from my father. Not yet.
Zolkos had revealed enough to make it clear the General was the true puppet master behind the curtain, but what he wanted still was uncertain. The explanation about her carrying shifter DNA would mean nothing to him if she never presented or could not be weaponized.
He was not a man of science. He was a man of war.
I signed to Killian.Stand down. We have to let this happen. No one will touch her but us.
No way, Cade. Crane doesn't want to do this. She's scared.
That's your job, brother. Keep her calm. She's strong and will be okay with us. We're going to challenge the General. But it can't be now; it can't be this. Compliance is how we keep her safe and hidden, for now.
Killian growled, but shook his head in begrudging agreement.
"I will authorize the procedure," I said, each syllable clipped and commanding. "However, in the future, there will be absolutely no unnecessary procedures. No tests you cannot justify to me directly. And no one touches her except us. You upset her, frighten her, or lay a hand on her, and I promise you we will have a problem that will not end in your favor."
I did not break eye contact. I wanted him to feel exactly how thin my patience had become.
His head tilted slightly, his expression unreadable. "Agreed," he said simply. "Let us begin. Follow me."
Rowan shot me a look that said she intended to make this difficult, but followed anyway. She had the good sense to know that it wasn't the time or place to argue.
The doctor led us down the hall into a small room with a padded examination table in the center. There was a counter with a sink and a cabinet, but otherwise the room was bare and smelled strongly of antiseptic.
"You will need to collect larger samples. I have left three collection containers on the counter and marked where they need to be filled. Wear gloves. Do not touch her directly with your skin, or it will contaminate the sample and we will need to repeat the process. There are… tools in the cabinet to assist with the collection. When you finish, leave the samples on the counter. Do you have questions?"
"No, leave," I told him sharply.
As he passed, my brother released a low, guttural warning growl that echoed through the room. Killian did not like Zolkos, and the aggression rolling off him was impossible to miss.
The moment the door clicked shut, Rowan exhaled a shaky breath. She parted her lips to speak, but I lifted a finger to mine and motioned around the room.
