Feral Magnetism by Lacey Savage

alpha with the serum, and its effects will spread through the pack like wildfire.”
    Eve gnawed on her lower lip. “How?”
    “Genetics. J.C.’s boys’ night out is the perfect opportunity for the formula to do its job. Brad will be cured next, as will anyone the two of them have sex with from there on. It’s fool-proof.”
    Thoughts churned through Eve’s brain, flashing by before she could formulate them into coherent sentences. The last week had been a jumble of strange situations and bizarre phenomena. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, yearning for the days of never-ending spore analysis.
    “How do you know so much about J.C.?” she asked at last.
    Daniel shrugged. “Any good scientist does his research before embarking on a new project, you know that. When J.C.’s father died, I was the one who performed the autopsy. I know more about lycan anatomy than anyone else.”
    Doubt nagged at the back of Eve’s mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp its source. Something in Daniel’s explanation didn’t make sense. “Did J.C.’s dead father tell you about his son’s fondness for men?”
    He waved away her question as if flicking away an annoying insect. “Don’t be absurd. Knowing their physiology isn’t enough. I needed to know the alpha’s habits, his hobbies, his impulses and obsessions.”
    He still hadn’t answered her question, but she didn’t push him. Her head spun. “Why don’t you inject him, then? Why do you need me?”
    She had the satisfaction of seeing him frown. It wasn’t something Daniel did often. “Because he trusts you. He’d never let me get that close to him.”
    “Will this hurt him? Kill him? What kind of cure are we talking about?”
    Daniel’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Nothing like that. He’ll simply no longer be affected by the full moon, or anything else that might cause his shift, for that matter. He’ll remain human for the rest of his days.”
    Human ? Well, that would be good, wouldn’t it? She’d seen the aggravation being stuck in mid-shift had caused J.C. Maybe a cure for lycanthropy wasn’t such a bad thing. It would certainly solve a lot of problems for him. And for her.
    The notion of a relationship between a human and a werewolf was absurd. But if J.C. was no longer in danger of turning into a creature of the night when they were together… well, things could be different then.
    Eve slid the case into the front pocket of her lab coat. “I’ll talk to him. I can’t promise anything else.”
    Daniel gripped her arm as she turned to leave. “No. You can’t let him know what the formula does. Werewolves don’t see their condition as a medical anomaly that needs to be cured. For them, it’s simply a way of life.”
    Pain flashed behind Eve’s eyes as the migraine that had been lurking dimly in her head all night finally hit with sudden force. She shook off Daniel’s grasp. “I’m not promising anything. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on seeing J.C. again. Ever.”
    Liar . She saw the accusation in Daniel’s dancing hazel eyes, in the upturn of his lips. “You’ll have to do what you think is best for you, of course. Take the day off and think about it.”
    Eve nodded and headed for the door. Back in her office, she pulled out the box from her pocket, shed the lab coat, and grabbed her briefcase and keys.
    Outside, the sky wasn’t quite black anymore. Dawn would break soon. The digital display of her wristwatch read 5 AM.
    It was Friday morning. J.C. would be at Hard Delights tonight.
    And so would she.

 
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
    In one short night, Eve had managed to take every rebellious feeling J.C. had ever harbored against finding a mate and turn it into a mass of lust and confusion. He still didn’t want a mate any more than he’d wanted one a week ago. That hadn’t changed. Unfortunately, neither had the pressure the elders were applying. He had just a little over three weeks to mate before the elders took