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  She'd stood up and pulled her clothing on, keeping her back to him. Hurt and anger shot through his body with equal intensities. Her statement was bold, even without the words. His mate was

  rejecting him.

  His eyes narrowed. It would be over his dead body before he let her ever leave him. It was

  unheard of. Mates simply didn't refuse their mating. He'd waited nearly his entire life for her, it was past time to move forward with this.

  He knew she was hurt, scared, and healing from a terrible time. Marrok wanted to be a part of

  that, a part of her future. Recovering from that terrible ordeal was one thing. He could accept it and give her as much time as she needed. This was something unacceptable, though. Taylor was outright refusing him as a mate, and that was something he couldn't allow.

  He stood up and gently turned her around. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her expression

  was calm. “I want to know what happened to you during the years we were apart,” he said with his eyes locked on hers. “I have to know what happened.”

  She shook her head in refusal. “What happened to me is my own burden to bear. I'll tell you

  anything but that. That's the one thing I will never talk about. Ever.”

  “I won't accept that,” he growled out, his voice quietly dangerous and determined, even to his own ears.

  Whether or not he could have swayed her, Marrok would never know. A knock sounded on the

  front door, and Taylor appeared relieved at the interruption. Marrok didn't leave, though. Instead he stared down at her, silently willing her to say something, anything to give him hope. She pressed her lips together and looked away.

  The caller began to beat impatiently. He shot a glare at the wall, his body pulsating with anger, anxiety, and lust. “This isn't over, Taylor,” he said, looking back down at her. “Whatever has happened to you we can get through, if you let me in. Just let me in. ”

  * * * * *

  Marrok walked out of the bedroom without a backward look. She exhaled deeply, feeling

  exhausted again. Her stomach growled, demanding food, not to mention she still had to use the

  bathroom. Funny how a woman could forget those things in the heat of the moment. Then again,

  Marrok was fine enough to make a woman forget anything but being in his bed.

  She heard him answer the door. Knowing the coast was clear, she headed to the bathroom.

  Washing her face and brushing her teeth, she stared at the woman in the mirror. Her face was

  completely calm, nothing more than a mask. Deep within she was in turmoil, but it was hidden behind the effects of the drugs.

  Walking down the hallway she followed the sound of their voices, not that she needed to. In a

  house this small, there were only so many places they could be. Stepping into the large, open room that served as living room and kitchen, she immediately recognized the doctor from the night before.

  Doctor Sanders sat in a chair across from Marrok, his face grave. “Ah, there you are, Taylor,”

  he said, standing up in greeting. “Marrok said you'd be along shortly.”

  “Yes, I'm here now,” she replied uncomfortably. “Did you get the results of my tests back?” She hoped so. She had to know where she stood. Sometimes she wondered if she was even still human.

  “Yes,” Doctor Sanders replied, sitting back down and looking in the folder he held in his hands.

  “As you know, we ran a range of tests on your blood work. It wasn't inconsiderable. We are able to check for anything that a human lab can, and many more they've never heard of. What we got back is interesting, to say the least.”

  “What do you mean?” Marrok asked, refusing to look at Taylor. He was in complete control of

  his emotions, his expression unreadable. Nobody would have guessed that moments before they'd been locked in a passionate embrace... Or the subsequent disagreement that had followed.

  Doctor Sanders reviewed the paperwork in his hand. “Essentially Taylor is healthy, but there are some concerns. She's malnourished for one, although that's easily rectified with a steady diet of healthy food. Physically she's got the body of a twenty-five year old woman.” He stopped and sighed heavily, before pulling off his glasses and rubbing at his eyes.

  Marrok looked at him impatiently. “Well?” He asked as the doctor continued to delay, his

  eyebrow arched. “Anybody can tell by looking at her that she hasn't aged. I'm more concerned about the things we can't see.” Another knock sounded on the door.

  “What is this, a damned open house?” He growled irritably as he moved to the door to yank it

  open. Alexander and Carole Anne waited patiently on the steps, looking much more rested than the last time Taylor had seen them. They were with a gentleman that looked remarkably like Alexander. Carole Anne was holding a large tray of food, the tantalizing smell reaching her from where she stood near the hallway. “My Liege,” Marrok acknowledged respectfully, stepping back so they could enter.

  Alexander glared at him in response before shaking his head in reproach. “I thought we moved

  past that.”

  “Sorry,” Marrok replied with a wry grin. “What can I do for you?”

  “We heard Doctor Sanders had the test results in, and we hoped you wouldn't mind if we sat in

  for it. It's important that we know exactly what was done to your ma- I mean Taylor,” he quickly corrected himself. “Plus, Carole Anne wanted to bring some food over.”

  Marrok left the door open after they stepped in. “Excuse me for a moment.” Everyone watched

  with interest while he grabbed a piece of paper. Within a minute, a quickly written do not disturb sign was taped to the front door, before Marrok shut it firmly.

  Alexander grinned widely, his expression amused. “I'll have to keep that one in mind,”

  Alexander muttered suggestively, winking at Carole Anne. She just grinned in response, placing the tray of food on the table in front of the couch.

  The man with them moved over to her, his hand extended. “You must be Taylor,” he said to her

  kindly. “I'm Ivan, Alexander's grandfather.” He chuckled as she stared at him in shock. “It's not often I actually get to surprise anyone with that information. Welcome to Wolf Town, though.”

  “Thank you,” she replied politely. Ivan smiled in response.

  Marrok moved back to the chair he had been sitting in, while everyone else moved to sit down.

  Carole Anne looked up at Taylor, who was still standing. “Don't you want to sit?”

  “No, thank you,” she answered, watching the doctor. Taylor knew she sounded stilted and

  formal, but she couldn't help it. “I'd just like to hear what the tests showed.”

  Doctor Sanders flushed as he cleared his throat. “Well, like I mentioned before, you're

  essentially healthy. We did find a lot of one drug in your body, but it's not one we've ever heard of before. It seems to be something that suppresses your emotions. We are researching it now to get a better idea of what it is. From what I can tell, I believe it will wear off a lot in the next few weeks. Do you have any idea of what it could be?”

  She nodded. “Every month I was given an injection. I noticed the effects almost immediately. It leaves my mind hazy, and it makes it hard for me to feel anything. Almost like someone is throwing a blanket over my feelings. They are still there, just smothered down to the point of where I simply can't acknowledge them.”

  Everyone watched her curiously. “Does anything seem to relieve it?” Ivan asked, concerned.

  Taylor blushed, watching Marrok out of the corner of her eyes. He didn't look back. After a

  brief hesitation, she shook her head. She wasn't about to inform them that sexual contact with Marrok lessened the symptoms.

  Ivan noticed the exchange between Marrok and his mate, and he was secretly pleased. It was

  obvious to everyone in the roo
m that she was attracted, just as it was blatantly obvious that Marrok was purposely ignoring her. He swallowed down the chuckle. Something told him that Marrok's days of strict self-control were fixing to come to an end. Nothing could ruffle a man's calm faster than his mate.

  Taylor was feisty, and she was going to lead Marrok on a merry chase, of that he was sure.

  Doctor Sanders cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. “Obviously, there have been some changes in your body. I think we all know that humans age, no matter what. Something had to of happened to stop the aging, and we did a lot of testing to try to determine and isolate the cause.”

  “What did you find?” Alexander asked, exchanging a puzzled look with Marrok. It was clear to

  Taylor that the men weren't used to the doctor hedging around the issue like he apparently was.

  Doctor Sanders dropped the folder on the table in front of him. “I'm just going to say it. Taylor is carrying wolf essence. It's not enough to make her shift during the full moon, but it's enough to delay aging and give her the benefits of a werewolf.” He sat back and waited for their reaction.

  Taylor watched the doctor in puzzlement. She was surprised but relieved to finally know the

  truth. It explained a lot. There were things far worse than being a small fraction of a werewolf, so she couldn't understand why the doctor had hesitated to such an extent. She looked at the others curiously.

  The room was quiet as a tomb. Everyone except Marrok looked uncomfortable. He just looked

  completely pissed, his expression savage. Marrok jumped up from the seat he was in, his dark

  eyebrows drawn together as he stared at her. Taylor frowned back at him, bewildered by his reaction.

  “Who is he?” Marrok bit out, his voice barely passing for human. The air around him grew

  charged as Alexander and Ivan jumped to their feet in concern.

  “Who is who?” She responded, puzzled by his question. “What are you talking about?”

  He growled, the sound animalistic to make Alexander grab his shoulder. “The werewolf you

  mated. I want his name now.”

  Taylor glared at him. “You overgrown ass,” she spat out, angered at the accusation. “Do you

  really think that people and wolves were falling in love and mating at the research facility? Hell no. We were too busy wondering if we were going to live to see another day, or trying to survive yet another test or procedure. How dare you accuse me of getting to do anything as carefree as mate someone.

  What were you doing the last thirty years, Marrok? It sure as hell wasn't spent in the torment and misery I was going through.”

  Marrok stared back at his mate in torment, breathing heavily as he fought to control himself.

  “Carole Anne, take Taylor to the bedroom,” Alexander hissed to his mate, his tone urging her to move quickly. “I know he wouldn't hurt anyone, at least on purpose, but I highly doubt Taylor needs this right now.”

  “Come on, Taylor,” Carole Anne said, picking up the tray and leading her away with a look of

  worry over her shoulder. “I'm sure you must be hungry. We will leave the men to solve this mystery, while we get to know each other a bit better.”

  * * * * *

  Marrok watched Taylor trail behind Carole Anne, letting her go despite the gnawing pain deep

  inside of him. Her refusal to let him claim her was making him crazy, leaving him vulnerable in a way nothing else could. His wolf needed the reassurance of her devotion. She was refusing it, and it was destroying him, from the inside out.

  He didn't believe that Taylor had purposely accepted another, but he believed a werewolf had

  taken advantage of her innocence. Regardless of what had happened, he was her true mate. He'd never hurt her or turn his back on her, but he would have the other man's name. Nobody attempted to claim his mate but him.

  Alexander didn't move until the door shut and the lock clicked in place. He released Marrok,

  moving to stand in between him and the hallway as he crossed his arms across his powerful chest. With a pointed glare he asked, “What the hell, Marrok? Did it ever occur to you that you're the fool that mated her?”

  Marrok stared at the closed door, fighting the urge to shift. “I never fucked her that night. I didn't finish it, so it couldn't have been me.”

  “I beg to differ,” Doctor Sanders said, as all eyes swung in his direction. “I said she had some wolf essence in her. If you had enough contact with her, combined with enough intent and reciprocated desire, it's very likely that you did start the mating process with her. Certainly enough to give her an acceptable amount of essence to delay her aging and encourage her healing abilities.”

  Marrok froze, turning his head to glare at the doctor. Immediately his body calmed, the

  supernatural aura of the change dissipating. “So you don't think she mated with someone else?”

  “Not at all,” Doctor Sanders replied calmly. “Didn't you hear her reaction? If that wasn't enough to convince you, though, our tests have proven it. Her body biologically is that of a twenty-five year old female. It had to of happened during the time you were together. Beyond that, we found a trace amount of your DNA in the blood tests.”

  “Why didn't you just tell us this to begin with?” Marrok asked frustrated.

  “I was working up to it,” he replied with a glare of his own. “It had to be presented in the proper order.”

  Marrok was infuriated and embarrassed by the loss of his control. He growled halfheartedly at

  the doctor, his cheekbones slightly tinged with red. Ivan slapped him on the back. “Don't worry about it, Marrok,” he told him lightly. “Welcome to the wolf version of married life. Be prepared to grovel. I predict that your ass will be in the proverbial doghouse tonight.”

  The doctor changed papers, ignoring their bantering. “There's more, though. I want to talk to

  you about what I discovered with the woman that came with her, Nicole.”

  “What's that?” Alexander asked, moving to sit back down.

  “As we can all see, she hasn't aged much, either. It started about fifteen years ago. Physically, she is in the same range as the average forty-year old woman. When we ran her blood work, we

  discovered Nicole is carrying a trace of wolf essence as well. Unlike Taylor, though, her body contains traces of multiple wolves, and it doesn't appear to be long-lasting.”

  Alexander gave him a droll look. “Break it down, Doc, in simple terms that I can understand.”

  Doctor Sanders grimaced. “It appears that the research facility has managed to partially

  duplicate a mating, at least temporarily. Based on the repeated injections, I'm guessing that they were dosing her periodically with wolf blood. I'm not sure if they were trying to turn her, or experimenting to keep her from aging. My guess is a little bit of both. We all know it takes more than wolf blood to create a werewolf, but they probably don't.”

  Ivan looked at him incredulously. “So what happens to her now?”

  “I believe eventually the wolf essence will dilute and leave her body, unless she becomes mated to a werewolf. Otherwise, she will be completely human and continue aging, but she will always look younger than what she truly is.”

  “Thanks, Doctor,” Marrok said, his mind racing. “We get one question answered, and there are

  ten more. We are shooting in the dark here.”

  “Let's hope like hell they haven't managed to do a true mating,” Ivan added grimly. They all

  knew it was the only way for werewolves to sire offspring, if they could at all. They weren't prolific breeders. “There would be no end if they figured out how to breed us.”

  Alexander sighed heavily. “Thank God there was no sign of offspring in that facility. Maybe we can stop all of this in time. It has to end, the sooner the better. Power is like a drug for some humans.

  The demand for it just keeps growing until it's out of control.”<
br />
  “Makes you damned glad you're part wolf, eh?” Ivan chortled.

  “It's a nasty business,” Doctor Sanders agreed, standing up to depart. “I'm going to head to the tavern for a stiff drink. Anyone want to join me?”

  “I believe I will,” Ivan said amicably. “It's been awhile since I stopped off there.” Waving

  goodbye he followed the other man out of the door, bantering with the doctor about which whiskey tasted the best.

  Marrok watched the two leave with amusement. Alcohol wasn't very potent for wolves with

  their high metabolisms, but there was something to be said about the camaraderie that came from sharing a stout drink. The tavern was a popular hangout for the wolves in Wolf Town.

  Carole Anne and Taylor rejoined them. She ignored him, but he could sense the anger and

  disapproval rolling off of her. It was muted, but it was still there. He'd messed up with his mate badly, he just wasn't sure how to fix it.

  “I'd like to visit Nicole,” she stated simply, directing her request to Alexander.

  “I'll take you,” Marrok replied immediately, but she shook her head.

  “I'd rather go alone. Can you tell me where she's at?”

  Marrok stared at her in stunned disbelief. Despite his outburst earlier, he didn't deserve this. His mate was rejecting him again, and it simply didn't sit well with him. “Could you take her?” he asked Alexander, giving up. He needed time alone to regroup.

  Taylor stared at him in surprise, but this time Marrok was the one to ignore her. She looked as if she'd expected him to insist on going but let down when he didn't. Women. He'd never understand them.

  Alexander looked at his mate with his eyebrow arched questioningly. At her nod, he replied,

  “Carole Anne and I will take her over. A guardian can bring her back when she's ready to leave. Is this acceptable to you, Taylor?”

  “Yes,” she agreed, her tone curt. Taylor stared straight ahead, following them out the door

  without a backward glance. It closed behind her with a finality that shattered his heart. Their mating should have been taking an entirely different course, preferably resulting in a lot of bed sport. Instead, she couldn't wait to be away from him, and it was tearing him up.