“I think I’d rather tell you everything and be done with it.” She blew out a shaky breath then explained, “After Carly realized the catalyst was useless on me, she dosed me with some sort of gene therapy. And it wasn’t just me. She used the new compound on some of the others too. It was supposed to make us easier to control, more susceptible to suggestions.”
“Was this the same injection they gave Dhane?”
“Basically. They made changes to the formula after seeing how it affected us. They tried to make it as potent as possible.”
He knew where this subject led, so he chose his words carefully. “I know it spiked Dhane’s libido. Did it have that effect on everyone?” He wanted to touch her, turn her around so he could see her face, but he wasn’t sure how she’d react. She held the comb in one hand though she no longer pulled it through her hair.
“It seemed to work better on the male and on me. I was the only female who was still latent, but they weren’t sure if that explained my reaction or if I was just naturally…aggressive.”
She’d insisted that Dhane hadn’t touched her. What about the tiger male? “Was Dhane the only male they put in your cell?” She immediately nodded, but he suspected there was more to the story. He’d seen guilt in her eyes when she’d first explained what had happened to Dhane. She might not have been raped in the conventional sense of the word, but something had happened, something haunting and…sexual.
Silence descended again, but he allowed it this time. She’d already shared more than he’d expected. Details would emerge as she was ready to release them. He reached over her shoulder and motioned for the comb. “You can sleep here or in the bed.” She handed him the comb and he eased away from her then stood. “The bed’s softer, but you’ll probably be warmer down here.”
She looked back at him with a tentative smile. “Could you toss me the t-shirt?”
“Sure.” He returned to the bathroom and tossed the comb onto the counter then retrieved the t-shirt from the towel rack. “Is this going to be warm enough? I can get one of my flannel shirts.”
“The t-shirt’s fine.” She took it from him and put it on, pushing to her knees as she pulled off the two damp towels. She held them out, not quite meeting his gaze.
More of her skin had been exposed by the towels, but he couldn’t help fixating on the fact that she was naked beneath the borrowed shirt. She was calm now, firelight gleaming in her long dark hair. He took the towels from her, balled them up and threw them into the bathroom.
“I’ll stay here.”
He suspected not wanting to crawl out from under the quilt had more to do with her choice than the need for warmth. Still, he accepted her decision with a nod. “Then you should probably get some sleep. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
She lay on her side facing the fire, the quilt covering all but her head. Ian pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. 9:53 p.m. He smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in bed by ten. He turned off the lights and crossed to the bed, sitting so he could pull off his boots. It was his habit to sleep naked. Somehow that didn’t seem wise tonight. He also liked to shift into an eagle and fly for an hour or so to help him unwind. Obviously that wasn’t an option either. There was no way he was leaving Devon alone.
His phone vibrated and he swiped the screen with his thumb, unlocking the functions. There were sixteen messages from Erin and nine from Kyle.
The most recent was from Erin. Bring her back or I will never speak 2 u again!
Ian couldn’t help but smile. Erin had never been one to mince words.
D is safe. Give her a few days 2 decompress. When Erin didn’t immediately respond, he added, Surely u know I would never hurt her.
Again she didn’t respond and Ian sighed. Apparently the silent treatment had begun. I luv u both! No harm will come to her. He didn’t expect a response and he didn’t get one. He set the phone on the small shelf beside the bed and pulled back the covers.
“Was that my mother?” Devon’s voice drifted to him out of the darkness.
“Yeah. As you might expect, she’s not happy with me right now.” He crawled into bed and groaned. Even through his clothes the sheets were freezing.
“If it’s too cold over there, I’ll make room for you down here.” The offer sounded weak and uncertain. Was she afraid he’d accept or that he wouldn’t?
He clenched his fists and debated what to say. If she was frightened, he needed to make her feel safe, but he definitely didn’t want her to feel…