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"But you have had some success."

"Yes. But those were very small shifters. Nothing like a tiger. Definitely not a Siberian tiger—the largest of all tiger species."

"Amur," he corrects.

I glance up. "Excuse me?"

"Amur tiger. Siberian is what most Westerners call us. Our homeland is the Russian Far East."

I lift a brow. "Well, excuse me for using the name that appears in half the zoological journals in my library."

His mouth twitches. Not quite a smile, but close. "Then your journals need updating, Doctor."

"Then perhaps you should fund a new collection for me, Mr. Brusilov."

One of his brothers coughs into his fist. Ivan looks at him, and the cough stops immediately. "I'll be happy to, once you fix my brother. I wasn't exaggerating when I said you can have whatever you want. This is very important to our family.

"I understand that. But understanding how important it is doesn't mean I can perform a miracle." I set the film down carefully. "Listen. I have a sister. I would do anything for her. But I can't do this. Not the way you're asking. It would be unethical—immoral to implant an experimental—"

"He's not asking you to experiment on Alex," one of his brothers cuts me off. His voice is rougher than Ivan's. "He's asking you to give our brother a chance."

I look at the X-ray again, imagining the man attached to that arm. If he's anything like the three sitting in my office, he's accustomed to depending on his tiger for everything. Strength, speed, healing, the ability to defend himself. Losing that would be like telling a man he could never walk again, maybe worse. A shifter's animal isn't just a limb. It's part of who we are.

My cougar shivers uneasily inside me.

"I'm sorry," I tell him, and I am. "But I can't..."

Ivan stands, and even from across the desk, I step back. He might be in his human form, but the tiger is right there. His eyes haven't completely changed, but a flicker of copper moves through the reddish-brown, catching the light like a flame beneath dark glass. He's every inch a tiger—even fully a man. An alpha male.

"You misunderstand me, Dr. Cienna Layne. I did not come here to ask your permission to help my brother. I came here to take you to Alex. And that is where we are going. So call your assistant. Gather your supplies. We leave for Russia in an hour."

"That is impossible," I say firmly. "I can't do this."

"Can I offer you money?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Is there anything else that you would—"

"No. I can't. I'm sorry. I wish the best for you and your brother."

"Good. Then we are agreed. And since you are the best..." He spreads his hands open wide, as if the conclusion is already a done deal. "You will come with us."

He steps around the desk. Everything I've studied tells me to stand my ground—but I retreat anyway. Because despite everything I've learned, he is still an alpha. And I am still an omega.

"Mr. Brusilov," I sputter hastily, "it's not even just about my job. I just got engaged." I flash my ring.

He looks at it—and growls.

Not a human growl. Not the irritated rumble a man makes when someone cuts him off in traffic. This comes from somewhere deep in his chest, and my cougar responds so abruptly that I almost stumble.

"If you want rings, I will buy you one ten times bigger than that pea-sized diamond."

My mouth falls open. "Did you just insult my engagement ring?"

He looks at my hand again, his expression suggesting he's considering several more insults.

"That ring means something to me."