Page 11 of Their Marked Mate

Alex shook his head. “I can’t trust this to anyone else. You’re my beta for a reason.” Nate started to argue, but Alex silenced him with an upraised hand. “Take Paul with you. Everyone likes Paul. Besides, you’re going to offer Soko a gift so valuable that he’ll embrace you like a brother.” He handed Nate a datasheet without further explanation.

Nate tensed but said nothing. Part of the reason he’d been successful as Alex’s beta was because Nate knew when to push and when to back off. Alex had already determined his next move. It wasn’t open for discussion, which meant it was Nate’s job to implement the plan. He activated the datasheet, knowing what he would see. Static images of six females scrolled across the screen. He didn’t know their names, hadn’t interacted with any of them, but they were here in the lupine village. Why would Alex give away females who were meant to bond with wolves? There had to be something else they could offer, something valuable but not irreplaceable.

“You disagree?” Alex studied him for a moment, arms crossed over his chest.

He’d invited input, so Nate obliged him. “We have so few females as it is. It seems wasteful to give any of them away, especially when the exotics can’t form mating bonds. You’re dooming the females to sexual servitude.”

“No, I’m giving our allies hope.” He uncrossed his arms, but the tension remained in his features. “According to Babcock’s notes the formula can be modified for any hybrid species. That includes the exotics. I will only release the females once the formula is complete. They must be claimed as mates or there is no deal.”

“You honestly believe in this formula?” A sneer twisted Nate’s lips as he averted his gaze. “I don’t trust anything that comes from Babcock.”

“Neither do I,” Alex insisted. “But I think it’s foolish to ignore the information completely. Very few of our hunters have triggered bonding fever in the females. We must explore every option, and Babcock is the one who successfully created hybrid shifters. Who better to resolve this complication?”

Nate paused and studied his best friend and alpha. Alex was a good leader, always had been. Still, Nate wasn’t sure he agreed with this strategy. The transformation program was inescapable, but why share it with the exotics? “The exotics have chosen to keep themselves separate from the other villages. Six females are not enough motivation to change Soko’s mind.”

“You’re probably right, but we won’t know until you ask the question.” Alpha authority crept into Alex’s tone as he asked, “Are you refusing to go?”

“Of course not. I’ll go and I’ll be as compelling as possible. Just don’t be surprised if Soko laughs in my face.”

Alex nodded and his features finally relaxed. “Stop by the lab on your way out of the village. Let’s see how convincingly Luna intends to play this role.”

“Will do.” After a thoughtful pause, Nate asked, “Are you feeling the pull with Luna or is it just her feistiness that attracts you?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Alex admitted. “She appeals to me. There’s no denying that. But I don’t feel a soul deep need to claim her.”

“You will,” Nate predicted with a smirk.

Alex stilled and their gazes locked. “Did you have a premonition?”

Nate hated the word psychic, but his impressions were too specific, and too accurate, to ignore. “I’m not sure if the bond will form naturally or if this mysterious formula will actually work, but I have every confidence that Luna is our mate.”

Accepting the assurance with a curt nod, Alex digressed. “The secret of dealing with Soko is to allow him to believe he is in control. The exotics don’t use the term alpha, but that’s what Soko is. Treat him as you would any other alpha and you should be fine.”

Nate wasn’t as confident in the outcome as Alex, but he didn’t really have a choice. “Did you notify Paul?”

“I notified Drake. Paul’s expecting you.”

Of course. Paul was Drake’s beta, so the order had to go through the alpha. The titles might have changed, but the structure was still military. “Wish me luck,” Nate muttered as he pushed back from the table. “I suspect I’m going to need it.”

Nate left the cabin a few minutes later and used the walk through the village to organize his thoughts. The trip down to Shadow City was long but easy. Climbing back up, on the other hand, was challenging. If he hoped to make it back before nightfall, he needed to get moving. Still, his wolf would not calm down until he saw Luna. He had to know that she was safe and had everything she needed.

The ‘lab’ was simply a cabin in which scientific equipment had been placed. Nate nodded to the guards then let himself in with a palm scan. Because he was Alex’s beta, Nate had the authority to enter any building in the village at any time. The only exception was the cabins occupied by the pack alphas. Only Alex had the authority to invade the privacy of the pack alphas.

Luna looked up from her computer as Nate stepped into the room. She sat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace rather than at the compact desk in the corner. She looked comfortable and relaxed, which helped ease the restlessness of Nate’s wolf.

“How’s it going?” Nate greeted as he shut the door.

“Babcock’s notes are meticulous, but he also uses a unique code.” She closed the computer on her lap. “He wanted to document his findings without giving too much away.”

Not sure he could resist the temptation of touching her, Nate kept his distance. “Will you be able to unravel the mystery?”

Her shoulders lifted, but she shook her head. “I don’t know. My familiarity with the original process will help me fill in the blanks, but there are a lot of blanks.” She set the computer aside and stood up. “There are bedrooms and a bathroom. Will I be allowed to stay here while I work through this?”

“The doors can be secured from the outside and there are guards posted. I’m relatively sure this is your new home.”

She smoothed down her shirt, looking slightly uncomfortable. “If Alex hasn’t decided yet, will you please tell him I often solve problems in the middle of the night? I don’t sleep well, so having access to the lab will benefit my overall progress.”

Nate nodded. Gods, she was beautiful. Her dramatic coloring was an outward expression of her personality, and her personality appealed to him on every level. “I have a lengthy errand to run so I might not see you until tomorrow.”