Fierce Protector (Sierra Pride Book 3) by Liza Street Read Free Book Online Page A

and who knew what her plans were for Gabriel. He had some guesses, and they weren’t pretty.
    The two women turned suddenly, and Gabriel closed his eyes to slits. Only if they got up close would they be able to see his eyes were open. Although he could see quite well in the fading light, he knew they could not. Miranda had a confident look about her face, and a tinge of pink decorated her high cheekbones. How could she look in such good spirits?
    But he remembered the tension in her voice. Maybe she felt bad for him. Maybe she was having regrets.
    “Let me get a quick blood sample,” Miranda said.
    Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears. Miranda? Taking samples from him? She’d seen how thoroughly he’d destroyed some of her samples—she had to know how important it was that samples of him and his kind weren’t held by scientists.
    “We should take another sample once he’s…transformed,” Miranda added. “See if the blood matches in the same ways, or if it transformed, as well.”
    “Good thinking,” Gutierrez said. “Spoken like a true scientist.”
    Miranda approached, one soft footstep ahead of the other, as if afraid of waking him. He forced himself not to flinch or react when she pressed the needle to his skin. Feigning sleep would buy him time to come up with an escape.
    There was nothing more than the initial prick of the needle, no pain except for the growing emptiness in his chest. He wanted to believe that she had some greater purpose for doing this, that she was merely pretending to help Gutierrez, but there was no mistaking the very real scent of blood when she removed the needle a few seconds later.
    She didn’t touch him. She could have given him a gentle caress or stroke with those long fingers of hers, but there was no contact.
    “Got it,” she said cheerfully.
    Miranda, his mate, the woman he loved—she’d betrayed him.
    He wanted to roar with grief and anger, but there was no time. He had to find a way out of this, a way to escape these scientists.
    “I should wait to leave until you get the second sample,” Gutierrez said.
    “Of course, Dr. Gutierrez,” Miranda answered. “I’ll just…hmm. Do you know how to make him transform?”
    “I’ve no idea. You’re the one with the practical field experience.”
    Gabriel didn’t think he imagined the sarcastic tone of Gutierrez’s voice.
    Miranda walked over to him, no longer trying to be subtle or quiet. “I’ve seen him transform. It was ghastly.”
    The words wounded him. He’d been raised to love his lion form and the natural process of his changes. But if the woman he loved couldn’t see that…it meant one of them was wrong.
    Gabriel had been wrong before—he’d been wrong about Hera. So wrong.
    Miranda was still crouched over him, as if considering his body. He could lash out, twist his entire form around. It wouldn’t do much more than knock her down, hurt her a little. But he couldn’t do that, not even to escape. Could he?
    “He needed room, when he was changing before.”
    “Room?”
    “Yes, like space to move around in. His body flexed and moved, the joints popped. It was like something out of a horror movie. But he seemed to need motion. We can’t do that, though, because he’s bound. What are we going to do with him, anyway?”
    “I’ve brought a cage to our remote lab in Nubston,” Gutierrez said. “I want the samples now, though. Loosen the bindings, but not all the way, and maybe he’ll change when we wake him up.”
    “Are you sure?” Miranda asked. “It doesn’t seem safe—”
    “Ms. Hsin, I assure you, we’ll be safe. If nothing else, I’ve a weapon for eliminating any threats he might pose once he’s transformed. All we need is the DNA, and that’s just as easy to collect from a dead sample than a live one.”
    “If you’re sure,” Miranda said.
    “Stop questioning me and do your job, Ms. Hsin.”
    Gabriel felt the ropes loosen around his ankles. He felt the barest brush of her hand