Page 77 of Claimed By the Guardian

“Second floor,” the guard said, motioning them to go on through a door set behind the security station. “Right through here.”

He wasn’t following them and being threatening? Cecilia took that as a good sign. Even better was that it was relatively mundane housing for a high-tech lab: a two-story office building with security and offices on the first floor and the lab on the second.

Hank didn’t let her go first up the stairs. He pushed her behind him as he slowly opened the door to the second floor and then stepped inside before her. She watched from the stairwell as his body visibly tensed. She saw his shoulders shoot backward and his hands curl into claws. But he didn’t shift. He couldn’t since he’d gone bear this morning and had to wait another two days before doing it again. And then he grimly gestured her inside.

She went nervously, but she was determined. She stepped out into a cluttered, messy lab, allowing the heavy fireproof door to thunk closed behind her. She looked around her, mentally sorting through the equipment scattered about. She noted immediately that it was all secondhand, of the ancient model variety. For all that beta Sims had claimed a beautiful lab, this was not what she was used to even at the cash-strapped CDC.

The second thing she noticed was the smell. Hybrid stench, pure and simple. It made Cecilia’s eyes burn and her gag reflex kick in. Fortunately, it wasn’t bad enough that Cecilia doubled over, but damn, that would take some getting used to. And some industrial-grade ventilation.

And then there were the people. Five plus her and Hank. All men, probably all wolves, and all of them grinning.

That did not bode well, especially since she now recognized one of them as the werewolf alpha Emory Wolf. But closest to her was a middle-aged man with a balding pate and a feverish look in his eyes. He turned to her with the widest grin and approached her quickly.

“Dr. Cecilia Lu. I’m very excited to meet you. Were you at my presentation? I was so sick, but I prayed—literally prayed—that my message would get across. Have you seen my paper? I couldn’t get it to upload onto my website, and of course no one would publish it, but you know about shifters.”

His words came manically fast, but she followed them. Hell, she’d probably sounded like that a few times in her life. So she shook his hand but she kept her expression cold. “Why did you lie to me, Dr. Oltheten?”

“What? Oh, yes! Sorry.” He rubbed a hand over his forehead and across the top of his head. It was like he was smoothing down hair that had long since disappeared. “Emory said you wouldn’t come if you knew I was working for him. But I didn’t lie about the rest. I have data on the Flu. I know all about it. And he’s an excellent employer, I can tell you that for certain. I’m sure we’ll get along famously.”

She held up her hand to stop him from speaking, and her eyes went to the werewolf alpha. “I don’t accept jobs from people who try to abduct me. Or kill people.”

He arched a brow. “I don’t believe I was the one who killed anyone.” His voice trailed suggestively away and his eyes went to Hank. Which was bullshit, and they all knew it. The werewolves had attacked them first. But now that she was here, she might as well make the best of it. If she could get any information out of Dr. Oltheten, then this would be worth it. She hoped. And in the meantime, she’d lead with false bravado before she hightailed it out.

“Whatever,” she said with a sigh. “Consider this my official refusal of your job offer.” Then her gaze went to Dr. Oltheten. “But I need to see your data. People are dying.”

Dr. Oltheten nodded. “You know it’s not a virus. It’s?—”

“Privileged data,” the alpha interrupted. He gestured to two of the other men in the room. They nodded, each picked up a cardboard box, and disappeared out a far side door. Meanwhile, the alpha strode forward, his expression congenial. “Come work for me, Dr. Lu. I’m confident that you and Dr. Oltheten will figure out how to stabilize the hybrids. We need them functional, not crazy.”

It took her a moment, but she figured it out. “You’re creating hybrids on purpose.” Not a question, and he didn’t deny it.

“I’ll admit that this has gotten away from me. I didn’t expect so much damage.”

“Damage? You mean the dead people?”

He sighed. “That’s why you’re here. Work with him. Find a way to stabilize the hybrids. It’s what we all want.”

Cecilia glared at him. “And if I say no?”

He smiled as he headed toward the same distant door. “Don’t. People are dying, and he can’t figure it out alone.” Then he pushed his way through the far door.

“You can’t do this,” Cecilia cried. “You can’t—” Her words abruptly stopped when she heard a heavy thunk. She didn’t at first know what the sound was, but Hank did. He spun around and tried to open the near door, but it didn’t budge.

He spun immediately to search for the other doors, but Dr. Oltheten held up both his hands. “Don’t bother. We’re locked in.” He exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Dr. Lu. The alpha means it quite literally that you’ll work for him.”

“Bullshit,” she snapped. “He can’t make me do anything.”

“No, he can’t. But Travis over there can make life very unpleasant for your friend.”

Travis grinned at her. Which is when she noticed he was armed with a pistol and a Taser.

“He can try,” Hank growled in response.

“Yes, but I have chemicals everywhere. Including the serum in its original form. It’s quite potent.” He pointed to a refrigerator filled with vials and bottles where it stood between Travis and Hank. “Nobody would like what happens to them if the shifters get exposed.” He looked expectantly up at Hank. “You are a full shifter, right? They get very aggressive. I’m a hybrid now, but I lose control sometimes. It’s very scary. In fact,” he said with a sigh, “as the only normal human here, Dr. Lu, you’ll be in significant danger. And then all the good things we can do together will be lost. You don’t want that, do you? I’ve gone to a significant amount of trouble to wake people up to shifters. I’ve sacrificed my entire career, you see. My wife, too. She never accepted. Refused to believe and it destroyed our marriage. I had no hope until my sister developed this serum and the alpha funded my research. It’s important. You see that right? People need to know about shifters.”

Once again, it was hard following all his rapid-fire words, and then when she did, she felt her hands tighten at her sides. “You’re saying you’re the one who created the Detroit Flu? You’re the one?—”

“Oh no!” he said, though his expression was more like a man pretending to be humble. “Like I said, my sister and her friend developed it. But she sent me the data and I refined it.” His expression tightened. “Or I thought I did. Apparently not everyone handles becoming a hybrid as well as I do.”