As he pulsed, she ground against his pelvis and climaxed. Every ripple of her vaginal walls milked him dry, until he was spent, exhausted, and too worn-out to care that he'd just come inside a woman he'd just met.
“I've been dreaming about this,” she breathed, her eyes once again human, her voice an echo of the beast that had just before demanded his all.
Hale blinked down at her, caught in the haze of drugging pleasure that obliterated all else. Yet as he stared, he realized a hard truth.
Nothing would ever be the same again.
McKinley didn't like the fact he'd had to send Paige with Rogers, but he instinctively knew the man would keep her safe. As much as McKinley pretended to know little about Circe's Recruits, he actually knew quite a bit.
He raced away from the PPA combing through the park. Wondering just who the bastards were really after, and how they'd found them, McKinley made sure not to be followed as he returned to his car. He did a thorough sweep of his vehicle. Convinced he wouldn't be tracked, he drove back to Pearson Labs, where he needed to check on a few things.
Four months ago, someone, or some thing, had killed Elliot Pearl. At the time, he'd thought Paige might have done it. She had no love for the man who'd made her life hell. Five years ago when he'd first met her, she'd been out of her mind. In pain, wounded, alone. They'd connected, bringing him back from the black hole of depression he'd settled into. Being different had weighed hard on him for years, forcing him into a bleak life on the fringes of society. But Paige gave him a new direction—a goal in life and a chance to right the wrong done to him long ago.
He'd suffered because of Elliot Pearl. He'd lost his family, his life, hell, his face.
McKinley stroked his cheeks, still unsure as to how he'd survived the car wreck that had killed his parents. By all rights, he should have died. Instead, he'd woken up alone, in the woods, with a different face, body, and inhuman abilities. His eyes had never returned to their natural green, but at least he didn't have to go through the change so many other Circs did.
He used to think of the odd genetic enhancements as monstrous, but after seeing Circe's Recruits in their altered states, McKinley had changed his mind. To his shock, his instincts recognized Hale Rogers the same way they recognized Paige. And he wanted, a bad, bad thing for a beast like McKinley.
He viewed sex as a necessity, another hunger to be fed. Except his needs were dark, depraved. He worked hard to hide his sickness from Paige. So good, she lit up his life, taking him away from the daily drudgery of his existence. As long as he sated himself regularly, he could tolerate Paige's nearness. He loved the woman so much it hurt, and not sharing that love physically took its toll. But he refused to harm her.
Leaving her tonight had been his only recourse. If the PPA ever got their hands on her again, she'd wish for death.
He mulled over thoughts of the PPA as he drove back to the place where the nightmare continued—Pearson Labs. Pulling into the underground parking lot, he left his SUV and accessed the private elevators leading to the top floor of the building.
A place very few had access to, the fourth floor housed those at the top of the organization. Now that McKinley knew who was really pulling the strings around here, he could plan the labs' destruction. He rode the elevator to the top and exited, only to run into Simon Dunn. On the surface, the man looked like he had it all. Charm, good looks, a fat bank account. But something was missing inside Dunn. The man had been born without a conscience.
“McKinley.” Dunn nodded, guarded yet excited. McKinley could smell it on him.
“We've been looking for you. The big man wants to see you. He's not happy.”
Dunn's slow smile warned McKinley to tread warily. He said nothing, just stared at Dunn until the man walked away.
McKinley shored himself and strode down the hall. He passed a few promoted scientists, men who tried but could never match Elliot Pearl's genius. For all that Elliot had done wrong, few could match his ability to understand and manipulate genetics.
With the recent failure to control the mutant rogues, McKinley had a feeling the big boss wanted a replacement.
Elliot's death had not been planned. McKinley still didn't know who'd ultimately killed the man. At first, he'd thought the killer had been Circ. Elliot's eyes had been plucked out of his head, after all. But the notion didn't fit. He didn't know how he knew, but McKinley sensed Elliot's killer had intentionally staged his death to look as if Circs had done it.
“McKinley, come in,” a deep voice called out with authority. The CEO's office door stood slightly ajar.
Opening it, McKinley walked through, stunned to see General Harold Kohl and Senator Richard Kuntz huddled together over something on the large desk. Kuntz had become a regular at the lab. But this was the first time Kohl allowed anyone else to see him in charge. For years he'd been the man behind the curtain.
Months ago, when McKinley had first learned that Elliot's major detractors were in fact behind the funding for the new and improved Project Dawn, he'd been baffled.
But now he understood.
Greed motivated even those with the best of intentions.
“Ah, McKinley, come in.” Senator Kuntz smiled and straightened. “Have a seat.” McKinley remained standing, satisfied when he scented fear wafting from Kuntz's pores.
“Or stand, if it pleases you,” Kuntz murmured, as if trying to prove his command of the situation. But they both knew who ruled Pearson Labs. The stern man sitting behind the desk.
General Kohl fixed his hard gray eyes on him. “Report.”
“There's still no sign of Paige Masters, though I think it's evident she's the woman Elliot called Subject 31. The rogues sniffed her out once again.” Nothing the assholes didn’t already know.
“Interesting that they can find her, but you can't.” Kohl watched McKinley over steepled fingers. “What would you suggest we do next?”
“Keep an eye on her house. I doubt she's had time to clear out the way she left the last three places. We can find something there to track her. Worst case, find a recently turned mutant, drug it to control it, and let it sniff her out.” Kohl tapped the desk. “Elliot attributed the mutants' odd connection to the woman as a result of their common genetics. He manufactured this last bunch using Paige Masters's DNA, correct, Richard?”
McKinley forced himself to remain stoic. They talked about Paige as if she were no more than a name on a piece of paper. He wanted to rip Kohl's throat out and hand Kuntz his intestines on a platter. But he didn't bat an eye.
Kuntz answered, “Well, that's what I read in his files. It's too bad he's not here to report his findings himself. Then again, most of what we know of the Masters girl, we obtained after his death. Elliot liked to keep secrets, didn't he?”
“Yes, he did,” Kohl murmured, not taking his eyes from McKinley. After a terse moment of silence, Kohl nodded at the paperwork in front of him. “It's unfortunate that Elliot died before he could see this, but I think you'll be happy to learn we've finally done it, McKinley.”
“Done what, sir?”
“We've given birth to the first viable rogue. Though it will take years before the young are grown enough to be useful, I'm sure that given time, our scientists will find a way to speed the maturation process. In the meantime, we'll continue to use our Circs.
They now last well past six months. I believe Dr. Eckles has managed to give them a good year before their minds rot. So we no longer need to use the control drug.” Kohl paused. “We've decided to scrap the current mutant project. You will, of course, consent to testing.”