“That is your name?”
That is a question, not a statement.
She cleared her throat. “Yes.”
He glanced away to stare at something near the center of the room. “I did that?”
She followed his gaze, spotting the chains on the door. “Yes.”
Dark eyes fixed on her. “Why?”
“You wanted to make sure no one could come in here.”
Keep calm, and damn it, stop crying.
Her emotions were so raw that the hated tears were always just below the surface, waiting to escape at the most inopportune times. She felt like an emotional wreck and had to constantly battle for composure. She almost never cried, yet it seemed she fought tears at every turn now. Only Moon could do that to her.
She’d just shared intimate relations with someone who considered her a stranger. It hurt on many emotional levels. What they had was something she cherished yet to him she could have been any woman. She’d made love to him but he’d fucked her.
He glanced at her throat then held her gaze. “I didn’t mean to draw blood. I am sincere.”
“I believe you. It’s okay.”
“No.” He softly growled. “I’m furious.” His hand suddenly cupped her cheek. The loving way he regarded her was promising. “I don’t understand why but you are important to me.”
Somehow he sensed they had a strong connection. “You’re having a difficult time remembering your life.”
“I was given the breeding drug.”
“No. It’s something else.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t seen it before.”
“We?” His voice deepened and his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You are Mercile?”
“No!” She shook her head in denial. “You were freed from there.” She paused. “Does the name 466 or Moon mean anything to you?” She hoped one of them would trigger some clarity.
“466.” He seemed a little excited. “I know that. It’s my name!”
“Yes, it is.”
He glanced around again, lowering his tone. “Where are we?”
“Homeland. It’s safe here.”
His voice lowered as he inched their faces closer until their lips almost touched. “Tell me what is going on. What is wrong with me? Who are you and why are we sharing sex? Is this a trick? Are you being forced into a breeding experiment with me? I want the truth, female.”
Her hands flattened on his chest and fear inched along her spine. “Please listen to me. Mercile is gone. You are no longer being controlled by them. An unknown drug has affected your memory. You get confused. You don’t need to hurt me to get me to tell you anything you want to know. Just ask. I’m here because I want to be and I care about you.”
His chest vibrated when he snarled. “You care about me?”
“Yes.”
“You’re human.”
“I am.” She couldn’t deny that.
“They are my enemy.”
“I’m not.”
The concentrated way he studied her made her optimistic that he’d at least reflect on her words. “466, what is the last thing you remember? Focusing on a fixed point in time seems to help you remember more. Will you please close your eyes and try to tell me anything that comes to mind?”
He continued to watch her. “I want you again.” He slowly withdrew his semi-stiff cock from her body though. “Don’t distract me anymore with sex. I demand answers.”
“I’m giving them to you. You need to help me help you.”
He smirked. “I don’t like that saying. I’ve heard it before.”
“That’s good. It means you’re recalling something. What is it?”
His eyes closed and she patiently waited. It was paramount that he concentrate on any fragments he could locate to piece together any part of his life. She wanted to get the man she loved back. The ache in her chest grew stronger as time passed while she worried he wouldn’t find lucidity. His expression began to change. His dark eyes snapped open and the pain in them almost stole her breath.
His gaze slid to the bite mark and he snarled, released her, and moved faster than she thought possible. One second he was over her and the next he had rolled away. She turned her head in time to see him land on the floor on all fours.
She struggled to sit up, deeply concerned when he stayed crouched there with his back to her. “466?”
His head whipped around and the shimmer of tears pooling in his eyes had her reaching out to him. He rose to his feet, turned to face her as he backed away, and didn’t stop until his ass hit the bars. He growled, spun, and crossed the room to the far corner.
Joy watched him grip the bars and every muscle in his body seemed to grow rigid. The sight of him totally bare was distracting since he was so beautiful but her worry about his mental state made her feel guilty about noticing his perfect physique.
“466?”
“Get out of here,” he rasped. “I hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault.” She stood on unsteady legs. Between the sex and having him sleep on her, her body felt a little sluggish and achy. It was a reminder of how out of shape she’d allowed herself to get over the years, sitting behind a desk. A heavy workload didn’t allow any spare time to go to the gym. “Look at me.”
“I can’t.” He drew in a deep breath, his back expanding. “Get out, Joy. Now. I’m dangerous.”
He’d realized who she was. His tortured tone was a clue to the deep regret and anguish he must feel if he had regained some of his memory. “It’s okay. I’m fine. It’s nothing a bandage and a few days won’t take care of.”
He shook his head, his hair brushing against his back. “I savagely mauled you. Get out!” He snarled. “Go!”
“I’m not leaving you. It’s a bite. I won’t die from it or anything.”
He released the bars and slowly turned around. She almost wished he hadn’t when she saw his face.
“You already left me. Why did you come back? Why are you here?”
“I have told you many times. What do you remember?”
“You left me there. You quit.” He took a step forward but halted. His hands clenched at his sides. “I was drugged by an enemy, suffered memory loss, and you came to help me claim my life again.”
She nodded, ignoring the chill in the room that was becoming increasingly noticeable. She no longer had his body heat to keep her warm. “That’s all true. What is the last thing you remember?”
“All of it.”
She wasn’t sure if that statement was accurate. He couldn’t know that for sure, the way he kept relapsing. “What is your name?”
His chin rose a little and his eyes narrowed. “Moon. I live at Homeland and sometimes Reservation. We were transported from site four, given Homeland by the United States government as a way to bribe us into forgiving them for their part in funding Mercile Industries. We bought Reservation on our own.”
Her heart pounded. He wasn’t exactly the man she’d fallen in love with but he was Moon, the person he’d become after she’d left his life. “Do you remember the attack? The one where you were drugged?”
She tried hard to be clinical. The woman in her was heartbroken though at the cold way he stared at her. Her worst fear was becoming reality. He said he remembered everything and if that was true, he’d decided to reject having her in his life. She’d always been afraid he wouldn’t be able to forgive her. It seemed that fear was justified.
“Some bastard shot me with a tranquilizer dart. I was at Reservation.” He looked away from her then, studying the room. “Is this the basement of Medical at Homeland?”
“Yes. You were brought here.”
“I attacked my friends.” His tone deepened and his fingers unclenched. Anger flushed his features as his gaze turned her way.
The way he perused her naked body from her toes upward until he met her gaze made her blush. “Put on your clothes.” He glanced down at his chest, seeming to notice his own naked state. “Shit.”
“This is the first time you’ve been completely lucid since you were drugged.” She didn’t move toward her discarded clothes. It was pure agony for her to resist doing as he ordered. He was angry that they’d had sex and didn’t bother to spare her feelings. She pushed aside her embarrassment and hurt to focus on his mental state. “How do you feel?”
“I’m calling for help. Put on something,” he demanded harshly, “or they will see all of you.”
“Talk to me. Are you in pain? Do you have a headache? Buzzing in your ears? Any numbness in your extremities?” It was tough to keep in therapist mode. “Do you know what happens to you when you lose your memories?”
“Goddamn it,” he growled, staring at her. “Cover yourself now. I can’t get dressed since I destroyed my sweats when I tore them off over the shackles.”
Joy blushed and bent, her hands trembling as she attempted to get dressed. Pain pierced her chest as though a dagger had been jabbed directly into her heart. He regretted what they’d done. She’d screwed everything up by having sex with him when she should have known better.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, dragging her skirt up her legs and failing to zip it all the way. The shirt was easier to put on.
“For what?” Chains rattled. He still sounded angry.
She looked at him and was surprised to see him use the key on the shackles. He unwound the chains from the bars, dropped them to the floor, and yanked open the door. He didn’t leave the cell though but instead stalked her way. Joy kept her gaze on his face.
Her thoughts were jumbled. He respected the truth so she couldn’t lie by apologizing for what had transpired between them on his bed. He might regret it but she didn’t. “I’m sorry you’re upset.” That was the best she could do under the circumstances.
Moon walked past her, ripped the sheet off the mattress and proceeded to wrap it around his waist to cover his lower half. She got one good look at his ass before he knotted the material to keep it in place and slowly faced her. One quick glance down her body and he held her gaze.
“You shouldn’t have come back. You made your choice a long time ago not to be a part of my life.” He reached up suddenly and gripped her arm. Strong fingers dug in but it didn’t hurt. “What the hell were you thinking by coming into this room with me when I was out of my mind? You’re lucky I didn’t kill you.” His gaze flicked to her wound and his mouth compressed into a tight line. “Cover your ears.”
She hesitated.
“Do it. When I yell it will echo in here.”
She lifted both hands to do as he’d ordered.
“Security!” he shouted. “We need assistance now!”
Joy stopped pressing her palms against her ears when he released her and stepped back. Moon’s furious gaze swept the cell before he looked at her again.
“Get out. I’m still dangerous. I have no idea how long I’ll remain rational but I think it won’t be for long.”
The elevator doors slid open but Joy ignored whoever entered the basement. She fixed her attention on Moon. “I’m not going.”
A muscle jumped along his jaw. He didn’t glance at her but instead at whoever had come when he’d yelled for help. Surprise changed his expression.
“Jessie? What the hell are you doing here?”
Joy turned to watch a pretty redhead wearing all black approach the cell. The woman gripped a dart gun that was aimed at Moon. Her hair was really long, falling over one shoulder in a braid that nearly reached her waist. The woman halted, a frown firmly on her face.
“Moon?” The uncertainty in the guard’s voice was clear. “You know who I am?”
“Of course I do. I’m not screwed up at the moment but I could lose it at any time. Get her out of here and lock me up. I’m dangerous.”
The weapon lowered and the redhead shot Joy an angry glare. “You totally unchained him and left the door open?”
“Jessie?” Moon interrupted before Joy could answer. “Catch. I can’t keep that.”
He tossed the key to his shackles. The redhead caught it. Joy was stunned when Moon bent and grabbed one of the chains. He dragged it over and secured the shackle to one ankle then pressed the auto-lock into place until it clicked.
“What are you doing?”
He glanced up at her while he secured the second one. “Fixing your mistake. You never should have set me free.” Anger deepened his voice. “I could have attacked my friends again. They put me in these for a damn reason.”
His admonishment left Joy reeling. She’d allowed her personal feelings to cloud her judgment. He’d called her on it and she couldn’t even deny her culpability. Harley’s accusations that first time she’d met him came back to her. All the good intensions in the world didn’t matter when faced with Moon’s anger.
“Moon?” The male voice surprised Joy and she jumped, staring at Justice North standing behind his wife. She hadn’t heard him come into the room.
“Good to see you, Justice. I wish the circumstances were better.” Moon snapped the restraint onto his wrist. “Why the hell is your mate close to me? She shouldn’t be. Have you lost your mind too?”
Justice entered the cell and gripped Moon by the shoulders. “Moon?”
“I’m present. Currently.” Moon reached up and clutched Justice’s arms. “Did you catch the bastard who shot me?”
“Not yet but we have solid leads. We managed to capture a few of the humans who attempted to steal Beauty. They didn’t want to talk at first but I was persuasive.”