Page 121 of Alpha Awakened

“A coward who likes all of his fingers,” Two said, unfazed. “If you’re so braveyoutake it off.”

“Leave the stupid mask on then.”

Number Two settled more comfortably in his chair. “That was my plan.”

The debate over, it was quiet for several minutes. Then, Number Three’s radio crackled to life.

“The doctor is on site,” someone said on the other end of their comm link. “He’ll be there to see the prisoner in a few minutes.”

Number Three clicked the button on his radio to respond.

“Copy that. Prisoner is secure and ready.”

“Finally,” Number Two said with a tired sigh as he stood. “Let’s get this over with so we can go home.”

Ah. So, the interrogationwasa front, as he’d suspected. He didn’t know why the doctor was coming. But their visit was more than likely the real reason for his capture. Ready to find out what this was all about, Ice waited, anticipation building in his chest with every passing minute.

On the other side of the door, a key turned in the lock. The door swung open and a short man, human by the smell of him, walked in. He wore a white lab coat over black scrubs. Like the soldiers, his face and head were covered by a plain black balaclava. A similarly dressed assistant, minus the lab coat, followed behind, pushing a metal cart carrying medical supplies.The guard who’d escorted the doctor closed and locked the door behind him.

“So. This is the specimen.”

The doctor came over, stopping right in front of Ice to stare down at him. Ice stared right back.

The doctor’s eyes were green. But unlike Hazard’s pretty green eyes, they didn’t have flecks of gold or sparkle with warmth. These eyes were cold and clinical. They looked at Ice as if he was less than human. Nothing more than the specimen he’d called him. If the doc was about to experiment on him, those eyes wouldn’t blink during the process.

Ice felt a flash of apprehension not knowing what this man was about to do to him.Washe going to experiment on him in some sick and twisted way? Ice pushed the apprehension down and stoically braced himself. Whatever happened he would endure and survive.

The assistant snapped on a pair of rubber gloves. Next, they picked up a pair of scissors from the tray while the doctor stood by and watched. Ice’s sleeve was cut away, baring his arm up past the elbow. The assistant stepped behind Ice, so he couldn’t see what was coming next.

Number Three moved a little closer, his rifle up.

“Move and I’ll—.”

Ice cut him off. “You’ll kneecap me. The threat has been noted,” he said dryly. He wasn’t going to flail around trying to resist. He was too well-trained for that. They might knock him out if he did and he wanted to be awake so he could follow whatever they were about to do.

A needle slid into his arm. He’d been injected twice more with the anti-shift serum, but this time they didn’t inject him with anything. Instead, the assistant drew blood. Behind his mask, Ice’s brows pulled together in a frown. What the hell did these people want with his blood?

Several vials worth of blood were drawn, each one safely stored in a small, metal container.

Ice knew he wouldn’t get an answer, but he asked anyway. “Why are you taking my blood?”

The doctor replied short and sharp.

“That’s classified, soldier.”

He didn’t get an answer, but he was given a clue. Going by word usage and the air of authority with which he spoke, the doctor was military. Current or former. And his accent was American. Midwestern. Was this doctor a traitor working for an enemy government or was he contracted by a private enterprise?

Once the syringe was returned to the cart, Ice thought they were finished. But blood wasn’t the only thing the doctor wanted.

The assistant picked up the scissors again. Ice’s uniform collar was cut away, exposing the area beneath his own balaclava. The assistant selected a new syringe. Ice inwardly cringed as they prodded the scent gland on his neck with gloved fingers. For the first time, his Instinct almost overrode his training. He did not like being touched there by a stranger. An enemy.

A picture of Hazard, the one person he would allow to touch his scent glands, flashed in his mind. Ice focused on Hazard’s face and forced himself to remain still and calm. He wouldn’t be able to get back to his lover if he lost control and they ended up killing him.

As he breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, the assistant pricked him with the fresh needle to draw secretions from the gland. After the needle slid out of his neck, the assistant passed the full vial to the doctor.

Ice watched as he held it up, eyeing the clear, amber liquid inside with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

“Perfect,” he said before he passed it back to the assistant to be stored in a container with dry ice.