It took quite a bit of cajoling before Ryker and Jett managed to persuade their stubborn mates to let Pier run tests on them. Both women were more interested in the interrogation than being poked and prodded. By unspoken agreement, the brothers had not mentioned the possibility that their health could be at risk.

Their mates didn't need the added stress.

Neither did they.

Their cats were stressing enough for all of them. The thought of something happening to Harper slayed Ryker. He'd just found her. No way in hell could he even bear to think about losing her. 'Not lose mine,' his lion insisted adamantly. 'Make bad men talk.' For once, both man and beast were in perfect accord.

Needless to say, both he and Jett looked as grim as death when they entered the cave where the prisoners were being held. Years ago, while roaming the Nevada desert in their cat forms, the brothers had discovered a small manmade tunnel that ran through the side of a mountain and led to an enormous hidden cavern.

After extensive exploration, they had mapped out a tunnel system that had been laboriously dug through tons of solid rock centuries before. It was obvious that the tunnels had been vacant for nearly that long except for the occasional stray animal seeking shelter. Much the same as they had done.

The main cavern had its own fresh water supply, a rarity and a vital necessity in the desert, and provided a temperate climate year round. Realizing that the cavern could provide a safe haven for an entire pride, Jett had claimed the territory as his own and purchased the land surrounding it.

The Pussycat Palace was actually built over one of many entrances which allowed the werecats to access the tunnel system without being seen. The entire pride could disappear within a matter of minutes. Since it was fully stocked with supplies at all times, quite a few of them frequented it on a regular basis.

Wilder practically lived there.

Its secondary purpose served an equally important function. A dead-end tunnel had been blocked off with steel bars coated in silver to safely contain a shifter who had lost control of their cat. If more drastic measures were called for, silver manacles had been embedded into the rock to hold them securely in place.

At the moment, the two human intruders that Ryker had captured were occupying the space, and the stench of fear rolling off of them was palpable. That was completely understandable considering that Wilds was standing guard. The tiger shifter's claws were extended, his golden eyes were glowing brightly, and his expression was completely feral.

Yeah. The fuckers had a right to be scared shitless. It was truly a terrifying sight even for those who knew him well. Because Wilds had never even tried to embrace his human side. He was more animal than human and as such, the most volatile and lethal of all the brothers. Hence his position as the enforcer for the animal sanctuaries.

It was obvious that he was itching for an excuse to turn his cat loose and shred their prisoners. Hopefully, he could keep the beast at bay until they got the information they needed. Since they knew his methods well, both shifters knew exactly what would happen when Jett merely gave their brother a nod.

Wilds stalked over to the more belligerent looking of the two and ripped the beating heart from his chest with the speed and precision of a true predator. The other man gasped in horror and pissed himself. When the tiger shifter bit a chunk out of the still pulsating organ, the bastard began to sob uncontrollably and plead for his life.

Within a matter of minutes, they knew everything that he did, and then some.

 

***

 

"Seriously, Pier?" Harper grumbled impatiently. She'd been poked, prodded, x-rayed, and scanned with every device known to man as had Aylese and Justis. All of this useless testing could wait until after they'd questioned the fidiots who'd invaded her shelter. "Is all this really necessary?"

"Yes," he responded absently as he read the latest batch of test results.

"Give him a break, Harp," her half-sister chided as she rocked the cub sleeping peacefully in her arms. "He's just trying to figure out how we can shift."

"Who cares?" She demanded and hopped off of the examination table. "Shit happens, and you gotta learn to roll with it."

"Yes, but it's also important to know why it happened," the doctor responded as he scowled at the computer screen.

"We can shift. What's the big deal?" She asked in exasperation. "It's not like its gonna kill us, right?"

When the doctor didn't answer, she exchanged a look with her sister before Aylese prompted, "Right, Pierce?"

When he turned to face them, concern was etched all over the cougar shifters handsome face. "I don't know," he confessed and scared the hell out of both sisters with the admission. "As expected, the test results prove that neither of you have the were gene. However, they also show a fifth chemical base not commonly found in human DNA. Or any other living organism."

"That's… impossible," Harper denied in a shaken tone since she had aced biology.

"What kind of chemical base?" Her sister demanded. Aylese was the CEO of Purity Pharmaceuticals, so she had a better than average comprehension of chemical compounds.

"It's nothing I've ever seen before," he denied.

"And you think it could be life-threatening?" Harper queried anxiously.

"At this point, I don't know what to think," Pier admitted grimly.

Aylese paled to ash and asked, "Does Justis have it, too?"

"No. His test results are normal for a werecat, so they obviously did not make any genetic modifications to him," he imparted solemnly. "With that in mind, I feel safe in assuming that whatever it is that allows you to shift is a direct result of the DNA anomaly and not from contact with the cub."

"Thank the stars for that," the oldest said and placed a tender kiss on the cub's head.

"So what's next?" Harper queried and was eager to get some answers now that there was a cause for concern.

"I'd like to test your twin as a baseline for comparison since she doesn't have a mating mark," Pier commented.

"You think the mark could have done this?" Aylese asked in surprise.

"Normally I would say no, but now that we've ruled the cub out as a possible source of contagion, that is the only other likely commonality that you both share," the doctor confirmed.

"Judas Priest," Harper exclaimed as an idea occurred to her. "Could it have anything to do with Lese being allergic to cats?"

The cougar shifter blinked at her, and she could almost see the wheels spinning in his head as he processed the question. "That would not be a consideration unless you're allergic to cats as well," he denied.

"She's not," her sister responded. "And I haven't had an allergic reaction since Jett and I became mates."

"Shifter blood has been known to cure various human ailments," the doctor mused thoughtfully. "However it's not relevant. Werecats do not carry any form of disease so you could not have been infected through the bite."

"Unless we're reacting to the blood itself," Harper suggested.

"Which is why testing your sister is of the utmost importance," he insisted.

Judas Priest.

Hayden was going to raise hell over being used as a guinea pig.

 

***

 

"Of course, I will," Hayden readily agreed.

"You what?" Harper demanded in shock because she hadn't even put up a fight. Her twin argued with everyone over everything, which was why they called her Hades. Even in a good mood, her sister was pure hell to deal with.

"You will?" Aylese asked and looked as surprised as Harper felt.

"Anything to help my two favorite sisters," she confirmed with a simply dazzling smile.

Eyes narrowed suspiciously because the easy acquiescence was as unusual as the smile, Harper demanded, "What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want something?" She asked, and the innocent expression was a dead giveaway.

"Hello. Twins, remember," she said dryly. "I know all of your tricks."

"Well maybe I need to learn a few of yours," Hayden grumbled and dropped the cheerful façade for a pouting expression. "Wilds is still avoiding me like the plague."

"And?"

"And if there's anything to this mating business then we ought to at least give it a chance, right?" She complained. "I mean it worked for both of you, so what am I doing wrong?"

Harper and Aylese exchanged a look before replying in unison, "Everything."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," the volatile twin groused and flung both hands in the air. "I should have known better than to think you two would be any help."

Aylese sighed wearily and held up a hand to stop the tirade that was sure to follow. "Hayden, you verbally and physically attack the man every time he's in the same room. Can you honestly blame him for avoiding you?" She queried.

"Fighting is not an acceptable form of foreplay," her twin imparted dryly.

"Foreplay? Hell, I can't even get him to talk to me," she complained.

"From what Jett tells me, Wilder doesn't talk much at all. To anyone," the oldest admitted. "Maybe you should try talking to him instead of yelling."

"And say what?"

"Just tell him how you feel," Harper suggested with a shrug. "What have you got to lose?"

"A mate," her twin replied with a scowl.