When he woke he was in a cell. Alone.

They’d taken Eve.

Fear churned his guts, and he felt lightheaded.

When he staggered to his feet, sickness rushed up, pushing him back to his knees. His chest rattled. The skin around his eyes ached.

His insides were raw, like they had been taken apart and then put back together. He had no doubt it was the aftereffect of the Elysian male transporting him to this place.

His breath came in short, sharp gasps, and his palms were clammy. He bent his head, waiting for the world to stop whirling. Dragging his hand over his face, he forced himself to think. He had to keep calm. It was the only way to save himself and find Eve.

Where was this place?

It was dark, and the only light came in from a window high up. He tilted his head to listen to any other sound. Nothing but for a faint ebb and flow which he identified as waves in the distance. He was in an underground cell?

He had to shift and find a way to escape.

He shut his eyes and dropped into himself. Sinking into the essence of his shifter self, he lowered his psychic shield and let the beast out.

The lion leaped, only to come up against a barrier which should not be there. Roaring in fury, the lion threw himself at the invisible wall again and again. Nothing gave.

The Elysian had done something to him—he’d managed to put in a second level of psychic shields when there should be none.

Frustration ripped through him as the meaning of this sank in. He was trapped here, with no way out while the Elysians had Eve.

The thought had him throwing his head back and roaring in fury. Fear propelled him to his feet. He had to do something. He couldn’t sit here while they broke her. They’d taken Eve, just like they’d kidnapped Serena.

Both the women in his life were in danger.

Desperation ripped through him.

Springing to his feet, he ran and flung himself at the bars of the cell. The sound echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls of the empty corridor in front.

White pain tore up his side as he sank to his feet.

A pair of legs in black pants came into his line of sight.

Coughing, he swallowed down the bile, raising his head to meet the gaze of the man who’d kidnapped them.

He clenched the bars and rose to his feet. “What have you done to her?”

The man tilted his head. His features were blank and devoid of emotion. “She’ll be safe as long as you cooperate with us.” He spoke in that same monotone.

It grated across Cain’s skin. “What have you done to me?” He rattled the bars, stomach churning with fury. “Why can’t I shift?”

“Just a temporary block. We had to make sure you stayed human, just until we complete our experiments.”

A woman glided over to stand next to him.

Unlike the man, she was dressed in leather pants and a vest cut low enough to show the valley between her breasts. Her thick blonde hair was a cloud around her shoulders.

She wasn’t armed, but Cain had no doubt that this woman was more lethal that the Elysian male who’d kidnapped them. She raised her head to kiss him on the mouth.

The Elysian’s gaze swooped down on her.

They appeared emotionless, but clearly that was only on the surface.

Cain caught the unmistakable hint of lust between them.

Tearing her lips from his, she turned to survey Cain. “Who’s the shifter?”

“He seems devoted to the dragon.” The man shoved his hand in his pocket and shuffled his feet. “This one is almost as strong-willed as dragons. He should make for a good test subject, don’t you think, Vesta?”

The woman tilted her head.

For a second there was only the muted sound of the waves in the background, then something brushed up against Cain’s senses.

Vesta’s psychic presence was dark metal, so strong and sharp it cut into his psychic shield.

Pain slashed through him. His spine bowed, his neck snapped back.

A scream boiled up, and he stifled it. It was like all his nightmares had concentrated into this ball of liquid darkness that threatened to overcome his mind.

His shield cracked but held. The psychic presence stopped as if surprised, then it withdrew.

The back of his throat hurt. Sweat ran down his forehead.

She was powerful. He wouldn’t be able to defeat her in a straightforward fight.

The woman’s face lit up in a smile that transformed her features into something almost girlish. “This one has as strong a shield as a dragon shifter, he’ll be perfect.” Her voice was smooth and low. “You think of everything, Tibor. It’s why I chose to side with you over Zach.”

Tibor’s features tightened.

Just a fraction, but enough for Cain to pick up the change.

This Elysian woman was manipulating Tibor.

His lion growled at the metallic stench that wafted from the female. He didn’t trust her. He knew without a doubt that she was going to kill him. He had to be smart and find a way out of this cell to help Eve.

Inside, his lion prowled with frustration at not being able to break free.

Clamping down on his emotions, he met the woman’s gaze. “What do you want from me?”