“That’s right. Those two words saved countless lives, Sloane. I asked you what you wanted, and you asked for meat. Four double quarter pounders later, and you were good as new. As soon as we made that discovery, the rest fell into place. Think about it.”
Sloane didn’t know if that was true. He didn’t know how much to believe. Shultzon had been good to him when he wasn’t running tests, but he’d been the head doctor at the facility. How much of what he’d been told had been the truth, and how much had been to get Sloane to cooperate? The only thing that kept the Therian children from escaping had been fear. In their Therian forms, they were physically stronger. Fear of the outside world—of being alone—kept Sloane from trying to escape. Every child in that facility had been discarded. Treated like rabid animals.
Behind him Shultzon was going on about everything Sloane had supposedly done to help his fellow Therians, but it was hard to hear past the screaming in his head. He flexed his fingers, forming fists as he tried to shut out the memories of his own screams. The cries of agony became louder, and he felt the Felid inside him stir. His heartbeat sped up, his pulse soared, and he balanced precariously before the abyss. If he didn’t regain control….
“Dex.”
Sloane’s eyes snapped open, his vision sharp. When he turned, Shultzon was smiling warmly at him. “What did you say?”
Shultzon hadn’t moved from his position, looking calm and collected as always. “I was asking how your partner Dex is.”
For a moment, Sloane stood staring dumbly at the man. His brows drew together, and he frowned. Why was Shultzon asking about Dex? “Dex is fine.”
“He seems to be doing very well. I thought he might have trouble making the leap from homicide detective to Defense Agent.”
Sloane walked to the couch and sat down. “He’s done great, considering he was thrown into the HumaniTherian murder case his first week on the job.” Why were they talking about Dex all of a sudden?
“How’s he handling being unable to carry out his own investigations?”
“It frustrates him,” Sloane admitted, chuckling when an image of Dex looking stumped came into his mind. Not being able to chase down every lead they received frustrated the hell out of his ex-detective partner. So while Recon did the investigating, Sloane had started distracting Dex with training sessions and puzzle games during their down time. His partner would get absorbed in them, and then when they were called out, Dex was raring to go. “We’ve found a way around it.”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Sure.” Sloane sat back, thinking about Dex and all his crazy little quirks while Shultzon disappeared into the kitchen to make coffee. Although Dex was technically still a rookie, he’d come a hell of a long way. He was a quick learner. During training sessions, he’d watch Sloane sparring with Ash and Hobbs and quickly pick up the moves. What Dex lacked in strength compared to his Therian teammates, he made up for in cunning. He was also good at catching his opponents off guard. Shultzon returned with a tray and handed Sloane a cup of coffee. Sloane added a little milk and sugar to it, which was all Dex’s doing. He used to be content to take his coffee black. As he sipped his coffee, he could feel himself relaxing.
“I’ve been meaning to ask. How long have you and Dex been together?”
Sloane nearly choked on his coffee. So much for feeling relaxed. He wiped at his mouth and met Shultzon’s gaze. “Excuse me?”
“Dex. You two are together, aren’t you?”
Sloane observed Shultzon as he tranquilly stirred his coffee. “He’s my work partner.”
“Ah, I see.” Shultzon nodded and took a sip, as if those three little words explained everything. It was obvious he didn’t believe Sloane.
“What?”
“You were always very good at hiding the truth, even if it was from yourself. But you could never hide from me.” Shultzon nodded to where Sloane had stood minutes ago. “You were seconds away from going feral but you didn’t.”
“I don’t lose control that easily.” Maybe that had been true once upon a time when he was younger and had trouble controlling his emotions but not now. Sloane didn’t go feral unless he wanted to.
“I was losing you. I could tell. Nothing I said was getting through. Until I said his name.”
Sloane vaguely remembered Shultzon talking, but for the life of him couldn’t recall what about. He did recall Dex’s name. Was it possible he had been going feral and not known it? Shit, that wasn’t good.
“That and the fact Isaac chose Dex to use against you tells me the young man means a great deal to you. I’m sorry I put him in such a difficult position. I hope he forgives me.”
“He’s pretty pissed he can’t remember, but he’s not angry with you.”
“Then you haven’t told him everything, or he would be.”
That much was true. “He knows enough. There’s no point in worrying him with the gory details.” Sloane had spent enough time around Dex to know how personally he took the pain of those he cared about. Knowing the details of what Sloane had suffered would only bring his partner heartache. Was it selfish of Sloane to want to always see Dex happy? His partner didn’t seem right without a smile.
“You’re protecting him.” Shultzon nodded his understanding. He placed his coffee on the table and sat back to study Sloane. “After everything we’ve been through, do you really believe I’m going to tell Lieutenant Sparks about your boyfriend?”
Sloane scowled but didn’t answer. Let Shultzon think what he wanted. Sloane wasn’t about to give up his relationship.
“Either way, I’m glad you’re happy again. You deserve to be happy.”