Page 9 of Their Marked Mate

That’s right. Dawn had been part of the administration rather than the research team. “Evelyn and I are geneticists, and the new formula requires customized editing. Alex is trying to motivate us to finish what Babcock started.” The original formula had also required customization. Luna had figured out that the generic trigger was inherently unstable. Adapting the formula to each specific genome had quadrupled the percentage of hybrids who survived transformation.

“I worked in payroll. I’m not sure what ‘customized editing’ means.”

Rather than rattling off a bunch of scientific terms a payroll clerk wouldn’t understand, Luna stuck with the overarching concepts. “Each person’s DNA is unique and different. For the transformation to be successful, the triggering mechanism, a virus in this case, must be specifically engineered for each female’s genetic code.”

“Each female?” Dawn’s eyes widened again and she shook her head. “They want the female to go through transformation?”

“I haven’t seen the actual formula, so I don’t know the scope of the transformation. But yes, the procedure will be done on us, not the males.”

“Is this something I’ll need if I want a baby with my mates?” Dawn asked after a tense pause.

Luna shook her head. “You’re already bonded. This is designed to create the connection that you formed naturally.”

Dawn took a moment to soak that in before she asked, “Are you going to do it?”

“Hell, no,” Luna sneered. And she was relatively certain that Evelyn didn’t possess the skills needed for that sort of customization. “If the women volunteer, that’s a different story, but I’m not forcing this on anyone.”

“Have you told Alex that?”

The question surprised Luna. Did she want to enable the wolves to breed with human females? No, the question was should she protect the lives of human females if they chose to breed with wolf shifters? That was the only way she would even consider facilitating the program. But did she really want to bend even that far? Alex had kidnapped and imprisoned her.

“Our interaction last night was more screaming match than conversation,” Luna admitted. “And I’m not sure I’m willing to help at all.”

“That’s understandable.” Dawn paused and looked around the room. “What about Evelyn? Does she feel as strongly about this as you do?”

Luna narrowed her eyes as she studied Dawn. This suddenly felt like a setup. Was Dawn as innocent as she seemed or was she a clever spy digging for information? “Tell Alex to leave Evelyn out of this. I know a lot more about the transformation protocol than she does. Her field of expertise has nothing to do with reproduction.”

“Alex didn’t send me. Caden did, and his generosity only extends so far.” Dawn nodded toward the bathroom. “You better get in the shower. I’ll wait a few minutes before I call the guard.”

Luna stacked the dishes on the tray then stood up. “Are they going to let you bring me all my meals?”

“No idea. I work in the kitchen, so it’s possible. But I think Alex is trying to appease you.”

Luna scoffed. “Alex doesn’t appease anyone. You’re either a bribe or a spy. And I don’t even care which.” Luna hugged her one last time then ducked into the bathroom and undressed. Dawn handed her the backpack, which Luna had neglected to grab, then Luna handed her the dirty clothes. “Thank you for all of this,” she said, shielding herself with the door. “I’ll see you later. I hope.”

Unsure when her next shower would be, Luna took her time in the bathroom. She vigorously washed her hair and slathered her entire body with the cleansing liquid. She was squeaky clean and fresh smelling by the time she stepped out of the enclosure. The jeans fit well and the shirt wasn’t her usual style, but it was clean so she buttoned the front with a contented smile on her face. She was pulling a comb through her damp hair as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Alex lounged on her bed. His back pressed against the wall and his long legs angled so his boots rested off the edge of the mattress. “Evelyn has been returned to cabin four,” he informed her. “Are you ready to cooperate?”

He’d opened with a concession, so she paused to strategize. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of the night before. “I’d like to cooperate with you, but I will not behave as reprehensively as Eugene Babcock.”

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, but remained seated. “What are you willing to do?”

She wasn’t sure why he was being so reasonable. Intimidation and bullying seemed to be his strategies the night before. “I’ll analyze the formula and run simulations, but I will not test it on any female unless she volunteers for the procedure.”

He looked as if he would argue, then heaved a sigh and stood up. “Fine. I’ll convince some of the women to volunteer. Unlike my predecessor, I am capable of compromise.”

Luna had never met Elias, but she’d witnessed the brutality he sanctioned. She’d put Alex in the same category, but this development gave her a flicker of hope.

“I brought you some boots and a coat.” He motioned to the table. The boots rested on the floor and the coat was folded on one of the stools. “Finish dressing and I’ll show you to the lab.”

The lab, like the stockade, was a converted cabin. It was located near the center of the village, unlike the stockade, which had been set apart from the other cabins. Luna had been in all three villages and found the common characteristics fascinating.

She noticed the size and shape of the lab as Alex unlocked the door. “Do you guys only have one floorplan?”

He glanced at her, but a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. “There are three, but construction is clearly not our strong suit.”

No, raising hell is. She kept the thought to herself, but everything she knew about the wolf shifters reinforced the conclusion. They’d instigated nearly all the attacks and had been responsible for murdering hundreds of human males. Granted, the village had been under the command of a different alpha at the time. But that didn’t excuse their brutality. They were much more like ancient Vikings than peaceful settlers.