Chapter 3

Zarina woke to the sound of voices outside the tent. She frowned and pushed herself up on an elbow, trying to hear what Tanner and the other man were saying, but they were speaking too quietly for her to make anything out. Sighing, she flopped back down on the sleeping bags. Considering she’d never spent the night in a tent in the middle of the forest, she was surprised by how well she’d slept.

Of course, she probably wouldn’t be nearly this well rested if she’d been huddled outside by the fire trying to stay warm and freaking out about every little sound she heard. Instead, she’d snuggled down in Tanner’s sleeping bag, surrounded by his scent and secure in the knowledge that absolutely nothing was going to get past him in the darkness, not even a big, pissed-off grizzly bear.

She started to smile at that, but then froze as she remembered what Tanner had said the night before about park rangers not liking people staying in the forest for extended periods of time.

She bolted up, reaching for the zipper on the door flap only to realize she was still cocooned in the double sleeping bags she’d slept in the night before. The arrangement had been cozy when she’d been freezing her butt off, but now it was claustrophobic.

She scrambled around inside the bag until she found the first zipper and got that one down, then searched for the second one. As she moved her fingers furiously around the quilted material, she strained her ears, listening for the sounds of an argument. Or worse, growling. Tanner would never hurt her, but if another person irritated him—or implied some threat to her—all bets were off. Tanner had already demonstrated on numerous occasions that he could be extremely dangerous if he thought someone he cared about was in jeopardy.

Zarina yanked down the second zipper and shoved her way out of the sleeping bags. Goose bumps spread over her skin as the cold air hit her. That’s when she realized she wasn’t wearing anything but the flannel pajamas she’d bought in town before hitting the trails. The things had looked absolutely adorable on the store shelf, and the salesman had insisted they’d help keep her warm. That had been another lie, like the one about the flashlight.

The pajamas were also a bit snugger than she’d realized. She didn’t mind Tanner seeing her in the curve-hugging clothes, but she wasn’t as crazy about a complete stranger ogling her. Unfortunately, the rest of her stuff was out by the fire, so all she was left with was one of Tanner’s sweatshirts that he’d rolled up and tucked to one side of the small tent. She quickly pulled it over her head, reveling in his masculine scent for a moment before shoving aside the door flap and crawling out of the tent.

Zarina wished there was a more dignified way to scramble out of it other than on her hands and knees, but she didn’t know one. She got out as fast as she could and stood up, then pushed her long hair back from her face, fearing the worst.

But Tanner merely stood there talking to their visitor, no claws or fangs in sight. The newcomer had dark hair and a thick beard and was dressed in jeans and boots similar to Tanner’s, as well as a heavy jacket. Tanner, on the other hand, was standing there bare-chested. The sight of him made her both hot and cold at the same time.

Tanner gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry we woke you.” He glanced at the man. “This is Burt.”

She waited for Tanner to elaborate on who Burt was, but instead, he introduced her with the same amount of eloquence.

“Burt, Zarina.”

The man gave her a nod, clearly not impressed by her moose-print pajama pants in the least, then turned his attention back to Tanner.

“They hit the south end of the camp this morning,” he told Tanner. “There were at least half a dozen of them, and they were armed with automatic weapons this time. I’m assuming you heard the gunfire?”

Tanner nodded. “Yeah, I heard.” He jerked his chin in Zarina’s direction. “I wasn’t able to come help. Sorry.”

Zarina had no idea what they were talking about, but she definitely hadn’t heard any gunfire. Then again, with Tanner’s hearing, the shooting could have come from very far away. But that would suggest Burt knew about Tanner’s enhanced hearing.

“Just as well you didn’t,” Burt said. “They raided us with military efficiency and were in and out in less than five minutes. As fast as you are, you still wouldn’t have gotten there in time.”

Zarina frowned. That answered the question about whether Burt knew of Tanner’s abilities.

Tanner didn’t comment on that assumption one way or the other. “Was anyone hurt?”

Pain flickered across Burt’s face. “Three people, including Lorraine. She got shot in the leg. She’ll make it, but I doubt she’s going to be able to walk again for a long time, if ever.”

Zarina stepped closer to Tanner, hugging herself with her arms in an effort to ward off the morning chill. “What did the doctor say?”

She was surprised the woman was already out of surgery with injuries that bad.

“No one in our camp goes to doctors.” Burt’s mouth tightened. “We don’t trust them.”

Zarina gaped at him. “Why not?”

Beside her, Tanner sighed. “It’s a long story.”

Zarina fought the urge to throw her hands in the air. “Then you can tell me on the way to Burt’s camp. I’m going to check on Lorraine and the other people who are injured.”

Zarina ignored Tanner’s scowl as she crouched down beside her pack. No doubt he’d been planning to take her into town this morning and get her on the first plane out of Seattle. She wouldn’t have gone anyway, but now she had even more reason to stay. This woman Lorraine needed medical attention, and she might be the only one who could give it.

As she rummaged through the pack for fresh clothes, Zarina tried to make sense of Tanner’s behavior the previous night. He’d been angry with her, but she’d expected that. He was a stubborn man who’d decided to run off and live like a hermit in the wilderness rather than risk hurting the people he cared about. She’d never expected him to be happy about her tracking him down.

But something told her there was more to it than that. When she’d explained about the antidote that would repair the damage the hybrid serum had done to his DNA, she’d expected him to jump at the chance to be human. Instead, he’d started talking about never being normal again. That made no sense.

Even more confusing—if that were possible—was the way Tanner had reacted after he’d carried her into his tent. She could tell from the bulge in his jeans he’d been aroused, but instead of taking her up on the offer to share the sleeping bags, he’d bolted. It was like he couldn’t stand the sight of her, and that rejection had hurt more than she could ever have imagined.

“Did they grab anyone this time?” Tanner asked Burt.

Zarina stilled, hand on a long-sleeved T-shirt. The thought that whoever attacked Burt’s camp had kidnapped people hadn’t even entered her mind. Who were these lunatics? She glanced over her shoulder to see Burt’s eyes fill with sadness.

“Josh is missing.” Burt shook his head. “He was right beside me during the fight, but then next time I looked, he was nowhere to be found. We’re still looking, but…”

Tanner growled. “What the hell was Josh doing fighting? He’s frigging seventeen years old!”

Burt met Tanner’s gaze. “He’s old enough to carry a weapon, so he’s old enough to protect the camp.”

Tanner cursed and turned away from her and Burt to gaze into the forest. Zarina wondered if it was because his eyes had turned hybrid red. She tightened her grip on the shirt in her hand, fighting the urge to comfort him. Something told her he wouldn’t appreciate a gesture like that at the moment.

“Chad thinks it would be a good idea if you stayed with us until we figure out how to stop these people,” Burt said. “He doesn’t think you should be out here on your own.”

Tanner grunted but didn’t turn around. Zarina didn’t have to see his face to know he was still angry. “Chad wants me in his camp to help protect the place.”

Burt shrugged. “Maybe. I know I’d feel better if you were there.”

Tanner made no comment.

“Look, I have no doubt you’ll be fine on your own, but are you ready to risk Zarina?” Burt demanded. “Are you sure you can keep her safe from these psychos?”

That must have struck a nerve, because Tanner swung around, his face dark. He went crazy at the mere notion she might so much as stub her toe. The idea that she might be in danger would make him go ballistic. She appreciated that he wanted to keep her safe, but she hated that he thought he could do it without asking her opinion on the matter.

“It’s not really an issue,” Tanner stated flatly. “She’s leaving after she checks on Lorraine.”

Straightening up, she glared at him. “No, I’m not.”

Burt must have found that amusing, because his mouth twitched under his mustache. “Do what’s best for you and Zarina, Tanner, but if you want to stay with us, you’re welcome to. Like I said, we could use your help.” He gave Zarina a nod. “I’ll tell Lorraine you’ll be stopping by.”

Zarina waited until Burt had disappeared into the trees before looking Tanner’s way. “Okay, what the heck was all that about? Who are Burt and his friends? Why don’t they trust doctors? And who are these crazies that keep attacking their camp?”

“They’re preppers,” Tanner said casually, as if that explained everything. “They have a place north of here, just on the edge of the federal property above Lake Chelan. They don’t know who keeps attacking their camp, but a few nearby prepper communities have been hit recently, too.”

Zarina waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. Instead, he crouched down and started folding the blanket he’d slept on last night. She couldn’t believe he’d been comfortable using nothing but a thin piece of fabric to keep him warm, but that came with being a hybrid.

She forced her attention away from the display of rippling muscles as he moved and focused on what he’d said. “Okay, maybe I’m losing something in translation, but what’s a prepper? And why would anyone want to attack them? Are they wealthy or something?”

Tanner chuckled softly. “No, they’re definitely not wealthy. Preppers are people who think there’s going to be a big disaster in the world at some point, so they stockpile food, water, and other supplies. As for why they don’t trust doctors, they just prefer to depend on themselves instead of outsiders.”

Zarina folded her arms. “So they’re paranoid kooks waiting for the zombie apocalypse?”

Tanner finished folding the blanket and stood, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “They’re not kooks. I’ll admit, some of them are a little more paranoid than others, especially when it comes to the authorities, but most of them are normal, everyday people who live off the grid.”

“Who keep a year’s supply of food in their pantry,” she said.

“Who keep a year’s supply of food in their pantry,” he agreed. “A lot of them—like Burt and his friends—have community farms, too.”

Zarina nodded. That she could understand. Farms were a way of life back home in Russia. She even got the part about not trusting the authorities. That was a way of life in Russia, too. But living off the grid and keeping that much food on hand sounded a little odd to her.

“So why are these people attacking the preppers if they’re not wealthy?” she asked. “Is it to take their food and supplies?”

“The attackers weren’t after food or supplies, that’s for sure.”

Tanner dropped to one knee beside her pack, then took everything out. He hesitated a moment when he ran into the stack of panties that must have been all the way in the bottom, maybe overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. But there weren’t any washing machines out here, and the idea of wearing panties more than once made her feel gross. She reached out and snagged a pair from his hand so she could change into them later.

Tanner didn’t look at her as he stuffed them back in the pack. “If they grabbed Josh, that makes him the fifth person who’s been abducted in the past few weeks. That’s not counting the people missing from the homeless camps located in other parts of the forest. I’d assumed it was the locals trying to chase them off, but now I’m not so sure. My gut tells me there’s something else going on, though I don’t have a clue what it might be.”

“What are the police saying about the abductions?” she asked as Tanner finished with her pack. “Do they have any leads?”

“I doubt the police even realize anything is going on,” he said, walking over to his tent.

Zarina watched as Tanner leaned in and pulled out the sleeping bag, then rolled it up. If he was packing up, that must mean they’d be staying at the prepper camp. She wasn’t surprised. The moment Burt had suggested she might be in danger, she’d known Tanner would agree to move to their camp. That also meant he was smart enough to know he wasn’t getting rid of her.

He quickly finished shoving his stuff in his pack before starting in on the tent. Zarina would have volunteered to help, but he was moving so fast, she’d only get in the way.

“Like I said, preppers don’t trust outsiders, especially the police. I’m pretty sure they didn’t even report it,” Tanner told her.

She blinked. “So the preppers are going to try to find their friends on their own?”

Tanner shrugged. “Probably.”

She didn’t see them having much success. “Okay, so they don’t like the police, but what’s the deal with doctors and hospitals? They’re willing to let Lorraine lose the ability to walk simply because they have trust issues?”

Tanner was silent as he finished strapping the tent on top of his pack. “Hospitals mean paperwork, lots of questions, and ultimately, cops. None of them want that.”

Zarina shook her head. Picking up her backpack, she dragged it on over her shoulders. “How long will it take to get to this prepper camp?”

It could already be too late for Lorraine. A person could go into life-threatening shock within an hour of a major injury. Burt didn’t say whether the woman had been hurt sometime last night or early this morning, but either way, that was a long time to go without proper medical attention.

As Tanner shrugged his pack on his broad shoulders, Zarina looked around and realized he’d been right. There was nothing left to show anyone had made camp except for the cold fire pit. Tanner really did carry everything he owned on his back.

“The trip would take me a solid hour at a steady walk.” Reaching out, he snagged her pack off her back and hung it casually off one of his shoulders. “It would take you a lot longer, especially weighed down with all this stuff. I’ll carry your pack so we can get there faster.”

In any other situation, Zarina would have complained, but Tanner was right. This wasn’t about her or her pride. There were people hurt who needed her help.

“Okay,” she said. “But don’t think this means I’m going to let you carry my pack all the time.”

Tanner snorted and turned in the same direction the prepper had gone a few minutes ago. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He glanced over his shoulder. “You coming or what?”

Zarina started after him, jogging to catch up. Five minutes later, they were heading up a steep slope, and she was already gasping for breath. Maybe if she asked nicely, Tanner would carry her and her pack?

* * *

Zarina stepped onto the front porch of the small cabin, closing the door quietly behind her. She’d expected to find the camp’s residents waiting expectantly for her, but no one was around. That wasn’t surprising. Lorraine’s surgery had taken a long time. Reaching around, she pressed the heels of her hands to the small of her back and stretched, letting out a groan. From the position of the sun, it must be midday, which meant she’d been working for at least three hours straight. The backache was worth it, though. Lorraine wasn’t going to lose her life—or her leg—even though it felt like Zarina had just performed surgery in the middle of the Stone Age.

She and Tanner had practically run all the way to the prepper camp. Okay, maybe she was exaggerating. Tanner had walked at a brisk pace. She’d mostly stumbled over rocks and tree roots every five feet, trying to keep up.

She looked around at the collection of cabins and tents, searching for Tanner. She and Tanner had been moving too fast when they’d first gotten here to give the place more than a quick glance, but now that she had a minute to take it in, she had to admit it reminded her of something you’d see on The Walking Dead—without the zombies.

Zarina found Tanner standing off to one side of the porch, his back against the cabin wall, his face heavy with exhaustion. He’d been at her side while she’d treated Lorraine for almost the entire morning, helping out any way he could. Even though he didn’t say as much, it was obvious it hurt him to see the old woman in so much pain. But there was nothing Zarina could do to relieve the woman’s agony. The camp’s supply of heavy-duty drugs had been used up in the previous attack or given to the other prepper camps that had also been hit.

“Is she okay?” he asked softly.

He’d left a few minutes earlier, after one of Lorraine’s more vocal moments. It had been difficult for Zarina to take, but she knew it’d been worse for him. His hybrid half had immediately responded to the primal sounds of pain, his eyes flaring red, his fangs and claws extending. Zarina didn’t blame him for walking out. She would have left if she could.

“She’s better,” Zarina said, moving off the porch and walking over to him. “Lorraine will be in pain for a while, but it should start to taper off within the next twelve hours or so.”

Sighing, Tanner closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall of the cabin again. Zarina didn’t say anything else, not wanting to interrupt him if he was silently saying a prayer of thanks. She frowned a little, realizing she didn’t know whether he was religious or not. Then again, there was a lot about Tanner she didn’t know. He kept a lot of stuff to himself. She wished he didn’t do that. Maybe she could make his life better if she knew more about him. Which, strangely enough, was part of the reason she was so attracted to him. That stoic, stubborn nature of his was alluring—when it wasn’t driving her crazy.

Tanner’s eyes abruptly snapped open, and he pushed away from the wall, completely alert. A moment later, Zarina heard the sound of footsteps approaching the cabin. She turned to see Burt, along with another man and a dark-haired teenage girl who was about eighteen or nineteen. The man was probably the same age as Burt, but his face was more lined and his eyes more weary.

It wasn’t until the trio stopped in front of them that Zarina caught sight of the half-healed scar along one side of the girl’s neck. Four parallel wounds, the two in the middle deeper than the ones on either side. It took Zarina only half a second to recognize those scars had come from a shifter—or a hybrid.

Zarina shot a quick look Tanner’s way, telling herself it wasn’t possible. She searched his face for some indication he was the one who’d hurt the girl, but he merely returned her gaze.

“Zarina, you know Burt already,” Tanner said. “This is Chad and his daughter, Lillie.”

Burt gave Zarina a nod while Chad and Lillie took turns shaking her hand. Zarina should have realized the girl was the man’s daughter as soon as she saw them together. They had the same gray eyes, aquiline nose, and arching brows.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you getting here so fast, Tanner,” Chad said. “And for bringing your friend.” He looked at Zarina. “I don’t know what we would have done without her, except maybe lose Lorraine. How is she?”

Zarina opened her mouth to point out that there would have been a lot less drama if they’d simply taken the woman to a hospital like normal people, but the sight of three huge, fierce-looking men coming toward them made her forget what she’d been about to say.

It wasn’t just the blatant anger on the men’s faces that stunned her speechless. It was the fact that she recognized them. But even as she stood there with her mouth hanging open, she told herself she had to be wrong. There was no way they could possibly be the men she thought they were, because the last time she’d seen them, Stutmeir’s goons had been dragging their dead bodies out of an abandoned ski lodge not more than fifteen miles from here.

“What the hell is she doing here?” one of the men snarled, showing off inch-long fangs to go along with his suddenly flaming red eyes. Dark-haired with a broad nose and full lips, he was nearly as tall as Tanner. “She’s one of those damn doctors who tortured us. I’d know her fucking scent anywhere.”

Zarina was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that the hybrids were alive when the one who’d spoken strode toward her, his clawed hands itching to do damage. She barely had enough time to get out of the way before Tanner stepped in front of her and stiff-armed the guy in the chest.

“Back off, Spencer,” Tanner growled, his tone more menacing than Zarina had ever heard it. He pinned the other two hybrids with a glare. One had blond hair and a stocky build while the other was a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man. “Peter and Malcolm, that goes for you too.”

That warning only got them more riled up. Zarina watched in alarm as Peter and Malcolm snarled and bared their fangs. Clearly, they were ready to go through him to get to her.

Tanner didn’t give them a chance. He dropped his hands to his sides, his claws extending to their full length so fast that blood splattered on the wooden planks of the porch. Then he bared his fangs at the men and roared so loud, people five miles away probably heard it.

Zarina reached out to grab his arm, desperate to stop the fight before it started, but Tanner slipped left and caught the blond-haired Peter in midjump. Latching onto the man’s shoulders, Tanner spun him around and sent him crashing into one of the pillars supporting the porch. Peter slammed into it with an audible crunch. Something told Zarina the sound wasn’t entirely from the wood breaking.

Peter hadn’t even tumbled to the ground before Tanner was moving again. He intercepted Malcolm just as the man lashed out at Zarina’s face with his claws. Their sharp points missed her by mere inches, and she gasped as Tanner ran headlong into her attacker, shoving him away from her.

Tanner and Malcolm went down in a pile, quickly becoming a rolling ball of muscles, snarls, growls, and flashing claws. A split second later, Spencer joined the fray.

Crap. This was going to get so much worse.

Heart pounding, Zarina hurried forward to intervene, but an arm wrapped around her waist, jerking her to a stop before she’d gone more than a few feet. She glanced over her shoulder to see Burt holding onto her. A few feet away, Chad was doing the same to his daughter. All around the camp, people poked their heads out of doors and windows, a few of them venturing out of their cabins to see what the commotion was about.

“You can’t get between them, not while they’re like this,” Burt insisted. “You do, and you’re the one who’s going to get hurt.”

Zarina knew Burt was right, but that didn’t keep her from fighting against his grip anyway. Tanner was in danger. That was all she cared about.

But Burt refused to let her go, so she was forced to watch as Peter joined Spencer and Malcolm. The three hybrids looked barely human now, their eyes completely lost in a glow of red and fangs flashing.

Tanner might be bigger than all three of them and a former Army Ranger to boot, but there was no way he could fight that many out-of-control hybrids all at once. He was so focused on Spencer and Malcolm that he never saw Peter coming at his back. Malcolm gripped Tanner’s shoulder, digging his claws in deep and flipping Tanner over. Peter immediately lunged forward and sank his fangs into Tanner’s free arm, pinning it to the ground and holding him tight. That’s when Spencer leaned in close and lifted his hand, his claws aimed at Tanner’s exposed neck.

Zarina’s heart seized in her chest. Oh God. Spencer was going to kill him.

Just then, Lillie broke loose of her father’s grip and threw herself into Spencer’s arms, ignoring his claws as if they weren’t there. Her father shouted for her to get away from the hybrid, but Lillie didn’t pay any attention. Instead, she placed her small hands firmly in the middle of Spencer’s chest and pushed, resolutely facing down the snarling hybrid like she wasn’t scared of him at all.

That interruption was all Tanner needed.

He broke loose from the two hybrids holding him, blood flying as he roared so loud, Zarina swore she felt the ground tremble beneath her. He slashed Peter across the chest as he got to his feet, knocking the air out of the hybrid and putting him on his back. The wound wasn’t deep enough to kill, but it was bad enough to jerk Peter out of his shift. The red faded from the man’s eyes, and he rolled over, groaning in pain.

Tanner quickly moved over to put himself between Malcolm and Zarina, as if he still thought she might be in danger. From where she stood, she had a three-quarter view of Tanner’s face, and the rage she saw there shocked her. She’d seen his hybrid side many times, but she’d never seen him like this.

He roared again, louder than even before. That, along with the display of three-inch-long fangs, which were much larger and more terrifying than any other hybrid’s, was enough to make Malcolm take a step back, the red glow fading from his eyes.

That should have ended the fight, but Tanner was too far gone for that. He stalked toward Malcolm, his clawed hands ready to strike.

Zarina froze. He was going to kill Malcolm because the hybrid had tried to hurt her.

She yanked away from Burt before he could stop her and lunged for Tanner. This time, she wasn’t worried about protecting him from physical harm but from something much worse. If he killed the other hybrid in cold blood like this, it would crush his soul. For him, that would be more than he could take.

Zarina ran around in front of Tanner, putting herself between him and Malcolm. But the sight of her wasn’t enough to halt him in his tracks like it usually was. His eyes were as ruby red and feral as the three other hybrids’ eyes had been mere moments ago. He was so far gone, she wasn’t sure if she could get him back from the edge.

“Tanner, it’s me…Zarina,” she said in the calmest, softest voice she could manage. “It’s okay now. You can relax. The danger is past. Breathe, Tanner, just breathe.”

He hesitated, and she stepped closer to him, saying the words over and over again, first in English, then in Russian, before repeating them in English. She knew he couldn’t understand her when she spoke in her native language, but when he was this far gone, she doubted he could understand what she was saying in English, either. But the words she used never mattered. It was her tone and the soft sound of her voice calming the beast that fought to completely take control of him.

Little by little, the red glow in his eyes began to fade, and she knew she was getting through to him despite the fact that his claws and fangs were still fully extended.

“I’m safe, Tanner,” she murmured as she moved closer. “You can relax.”

Stopping in front of him, she put her hands on his chest and leaned in, letting her scent envelop him until the red glow finally disappeared from his eyes and his fangs and claws retracted.

Zarina nudged him back, wanting to put a little more distance between him and the other three hybrids.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lillie doing the same thing to Spencer. Even more shocking, the big hybrid let her do it, though the girl was literally half his size and his eyes were still blazing a deep, angry red. That answered Zarina’s earlier question about how Lillie had gotten those scars on her neck. She’d put herself in front of an angry hybrid, something Zarina had done more times than she could count.

Now that the hybrid testosterone had finally receded, Chad got his hands on Peter while Burt urged Malcolm back, putting a little more space between everyone.

“Move away from Spencer, Lillie,” Chad ordered.

She didn’t answer but simply met his gaze and stayed where she was.

Chad gave his daughter an angry look but didn’t argue. Muttering something under his breath, he checked the slash on Peter’s chest.

While Tanner had calmed down, Zarina could feel his body shaking as he fought to keep control of his inner hybrid. He stood there with his hands at his sides, breathing deeply, blood running down his arm from the wound on his shoulder. The lion was gone, and in its place was a man who looked exhausted and crushed to his core. She longed to check his wounds, especially the bite, but that could wait. A hybrid wouldn’t bleed to death from a wound like that, and right now, getting him completely relaxed was the most important thing.

It took a lot longer for the other three hybrids to get it together. But even after Spencer’s fangs and claws had retracted, he and his friends stared at her with hate in their eyes.

“What the hell are you doing with her, Tanner?” Spencer finally demanded, his voice rough with emotion. “She was there. She helped turn us into monsters.”

Zarina opened her mouth to tell her side of the story, but Tanner spoke before she could.

“She was there, yes, but she was as much of a prisoner as we were,” he said firmly.

“What does that mean?” Peter asked.

“Stutmeir kidnapped her and forced her to work for him. If she didn’t, he would have killed her,” Tanner explained. “She had nothing to do with what happened to us. In fact, she did everything she could to stop it. I know it doesn’t mean anything to you, but Zarina risked her life to get me out when it looked like the other doctors were going to keep pumping me full of drugs until I died for real. She saved my life, so if you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me.”

Tanner didn’t so much as let out a growl, but his message came through loud and clear anyway. All three of the hybrids backed off. Spencer even let Lillie nudge him another few feet away. While none of the men looked happy, at least they weren’t eyeing Zarina like they still wanted to attack her.

Zarina was eager to use the pause in hostilities to ask how the three men had gotten there. Or more precisely, how it was possible they were still alive. She’d personally checked their pulses after Stutmeir’s doctors had injected them with the hybrid serum, and they’d been dead. Of that, she was certain.

Before she could get her first question out, Tanner asked one of his own.

“Where’s Bryce?”

The three hybrids visibly tensed. Zarina stiffened, too, afraid there was going to be another fight. But Spencer merely shook his head.

“He disappeared right after the attack. We were hoping he was out tracking Josh, but he still hasn’t come back. We’re starting to worry maybe those assholes grabbed him, too.”

“We tried to follow his trail, but we lost the scent pretty quickly,” Malcolm said. “Maybe you can try. Your nose is way better than any of ours.”

Tanner didn’t answer but instead threw a quick look at Zarina. “Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

He was gone before she could say anything, leaving her standing on the porch with a group of preppers she didn’t know and three hybrids who still didn’t act like they thought very much of her.

Chad and Burt headed into the cabin to check on Lorraine while Lillie and Spencer moved several feet away to talk softly to each other. The young woman turned and looked Zarina’s way a few times, like they were talking about her. Zarina couldn’t help but wonder what they were saying.

The other two hybrids stood off to the side, Malcolm tending to the wound on Peter’s chest. Zarina would have offered to help, but she was pretty sure her gesture wouldn’t be appreciated. So she simply walked back onto the porch and took a seat in the Adirondack-style chair there and waited. Even the preppers who’d come out of their cabins before had disappeared inside.

Tanner jogged back into the camp five minutes after he’d left, a concerned expression on his face. Zarina could tell he’d been running fast, because there was a sheen of sweat covering his skin, but he wasn’t breathing hard at all. He stepped onto the porch just as Chad came out of the cabin. Spencer, Lillie, Peter, and Malcolm moved closer to listen in.

“Well?” Chad asked.

“Bryce’s trail converges with Josh’s and the men who attacked your camp not more than a half mile into the woods,” Tanner said, his face grim. “There was a gunfight, and Bryce was hit. I found brass from an M16 or M4, as well as Bryce’s blood. The amount of blood didn’t suggest the injury was severe, but it must have been bad enough to knock him out. I found marks along the ground indicating they’d dragged both Bryce and Josh several hundred feet to the dirt road that runs along the south side of the farm. From there, they put them in a big vehicle, a van or SUV judging by the tire tracks.”

No one said a word. The preppers and hybrids simply looked around at one another like they were hoping Bryce and Josh would appear and announce Tanner had been wrong, that they’d merely been lost in the woods.

“We need to call the police,” Zarina finally said when no one spoke.

Chad shook his head, his mouth tight. “No cops.”

Not that again.

“Your community was attacked by someone with weapons, and two of your friends were captured—or worse,” Zarina pointed out.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Chad shot her an angry look. “There are people we know and trust in the other camps near here. We’ll get some trackers out there. We’ll find them.”

Zarina stared at Chad in disbelief. Was he insane? Not even Tanner could track Bryce and Josh if the men were in a vehicle.

“That hasn’t worked so far, and now there’s what, half a dozen people missing?” Zarina folded her arms. “You don’t even know who captured them or where they took them. You need trained professionals if you ever hope to find them.”

Chad stood silently, his jaw clenched tight.

Zarina was tempted to walk over and slap the man. His damn pride and his stubbornness were going to get his friends killed. If they weren’t already. But then she had a better idea. She pointed at where her backpack leaned against the side of the cabin alongside Tanner’s.

“I have a satellite phone in my pack,” she said. “Tanner and I can call some friends of ours in DC. They’re very good at dealing with this kind of situation.”

The man’s eyes sharpened. “DC?” he said warily. “What kind of friends? You mean feds?”

Zarina started to answer, but Tanner got the words out first. “Yeah, they’re feds. But they’re good people I’d vouch for any day of the week.”

If Zarina thought Chad seemed suspicious before, it was nothing compared to the expression on his face now. “No. No feds of any kind.”

“Dad,” Lillie said softly. “They’re trying to help.”

“We don’t need that kind of help,” her father insisted. “Chad and Bryce are my responsibility. I won’t risk their lives calling in the feds. We’ll do it our way, just like we always have.”

Zarina cursed silently. She’d never dealt with anyone so infuriating in her life, and that included Tanner.

“What do you expect, that Tanner and I are going to stand around here and do nothing?” she demanded.

Chad shook his head. “I don’t expect you and Tanner to do anything. This is our problem, and we’ll handle it. You’ve done more than enough for us already.” His expression softened. “If you really want to help, then maybe you could go into town and pick up some supplies? We’ve been sticking close to camp for the past couple of weeks, and we’re out of just about everything, especially medical supplies. Since you’re a doctor, you might have an easier time replacing the antibiotics and pain meds we’re out of.”

Zarina frowned. Yes, she was a doctor, but she wasn’t licensed to practice in Washington—or the United States for that matter. Even if she was, she couldn’t simply walk into a pharmacy and load up a cart full of prescription drugs, then walk out the door with a wave and a smile. It didn’t work that way.

“I’ll do the best I can with the meds,” she said. “But I’m not too sure how successful I’ll be. It’s not like I have any connections out here.”

He nodded. “That’s all I can ask. I can give you the names of the doctors who have helped us out in the past. Maybe with you doing the asking, they’ll help us again.”

Chad stayed long enough to tell them where they could get the supplies they needed and give them a key for a vehicle.

“I want your promise you won’t call your friends back in DC,” he said as he handed it over.

Tanner’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “You have my word.”

Chad walked off after that, disappearing into a big building on the other side of camp. The hybrids followed suit. Lillie stood where she was for a moment, gazing at Tanner and Zarina like she wanted to say something but couldn’t, before she left as well.

Zarina watched her go. She didn’t understand these people at all. Sighing, she turned to Tanner.

“Are we really going to go along with Chad’s demands and do absolutely nothing while his trackers run around in the woods on the off chance they stumble across Josh and Bryce?” she asked.

When Tanner didn’t say anything, Zarina was afraid he was going to go along with Chad. But then he bit back a growl, and she knew he was as frustrated as she was.

“I promised I wouldn’t call the feds, and I won’t. I owe Chad that much,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t call someone else.”

“Who?”

“My brother.”