He seemed astonished at her frankness but suddenly grinned. “True. Let’s start over. Thank you for coming so quickly. You were difficult to track down but as you can see, we have a situation.”

She relaxed the firm grip on her shirt. “What is going on, sir?”

“Call me Tiger.” He held out his hand.

She took it, making sure to keep her shirt together, feeling the entire situation was a bit surreal. “Um, what happened to Moon?”

He hesitated. “Did you sign the waiver?”

She had to think. “You mean the confidentiality clause they shoved at me while I was being processed at the gate? Yes, I did.”

“Good. Moon was attacked three days ago and our doctors haven’t been able to figure out what was done to him.”

She waited, confused. He remained silent. “How was he attacked? Why call me? I’m a psychologist. Was it a mental break caused by the trauma he suffered? What exactly happened to him?”

“No. Yes. Maybe. He was shot with what we believe was a high-powered dart rifle while he patrolled one of our walls. We haven’t been able to identify the drug yet but it’s not a breeding drug. We’re working on finding out what it was.”

“Okay.” She waited for more details.

“He woke feral. He doesn’t seem to recognize his friends. He wants to kill anyone who comes into contact with him. Our doctors hoped whatever he was given would wear off. When it didn’t, we figured it might be psychological. You were his head shrink after he was released from Mercile and we need you to assess him.”

Her heart squeezed while she ignored the derogatory title he’d labeled her job. She had grown used to it while dealing with Species. She was more concerned with 466’s condition. It was painful that something horrible had happened to him.

“It sounds more like a drug reaction than a psychotic break. You need to find out what he was given.”

Irritation flashed over Tiger’s features. “We’re aware of that fact but this isn’t a known drug. We’re being targeted by some of Mercile’s employees.”

That surprised her. “I heard they were shut down forever.”

“They were but we haven’t found all the doctors or staff who imprisoned us. A special task force hunts them but it takes time. Someone with strong ties to Mercile recently sent a team of mercenaries to retrieve one of our females. We believe he also hired someone who worked for Mercile to make this drug and infect Moon with it as a distraction. This unidentified drug has made him homicidal.”

“Anyone associated with Mercile will be prosecuted for what they did. It’s irrational to believe that killing their victims will change that. I’m assuming that’s why they created this drug? So he’d kill other Species?” It was her best guess.

His eyebrow lifted. “Rationality isn’t their strongest trait, considering what they did to us. Someone created a drug not listed in the FDA database. Mercile is the only enemy we have with the resources to manufacture a drug targeted to harm Species and the attack happened at the same time mercenaries paid by a Mercile associate attempted to recapture the female.”

She bit her lip but released it when she realized her nervousness showed. “Okay. I don’t see why you called me though. He needs a chemist or scientist to figure out what he was given and reverse this reaction. I’m not qualified to tell you what was done to him on a substance level.”

Tiger frowned. “You were close to Moon and we’re hoping you can reach him. His mental state has been affected. We’re working on figuring out what he was given but it’s taking too much time.”

What did he mean by the term “close”? Had someone suspected she had fallen in love with her client? Nothing had happened between them. She’d made sure to keep her ethics legally intact but she’d failed big-time on a personal level. She’d become too attached, had desperately wanted to be with Moon, but had managed to resist what they both had known was forbidden.

“I’m not someone he’d wish to spend more time with if he were able to talk.”

That lifted the man’s eyebrows. “Shrinks were never our favorite people but he spoke fondly of you.”

Astonishment tore through her. “He did?”

“Yes. He told me once that you made him speak of his emotions and he thought you fearless. He respected you.”

Guilt ate at her. She didn’t deserve the praise considering how she’d cut and run after finally getting him to open up during their sessions. The time they’d shared had become too intimate and his constant talk about what he wanted to do to her sexually had her soaking in cool baths after almost every session they’d spent together. She’d fled when it got to the point that he’d begun to touch her. She’d wanted him too much to resist for long, her job and future be damned.

“I don’t know what you expect me to be able to do.”

“Talk to him. We’re moving him to a special area that took us all day to refit for his needs. We were hoping the drugs would leave his system but now we’re that aware we’ll have to keep him prisoner until he’s cured. He’s too dangerous since he keeps breaching the restraints. We don’t want to use chains long-term due to the fact that, with his strength, he could break his limbs when he struggles. It would be cruel.”

“It might also remind him of his cell at Mercile if you chain him and keep him immobile.”