“By killing these couples off and making them look like accidents or murders.”
“Yes. Except they no longer had the list. All they could do was wait until a Human who’d been marked by a Therian sought treatment at the hospital, check their records for anomalies, and the moment they showed certain symptoms, dispatch them.”
“And the First Gen children? The ones on the list?”
“There was no way to discern who had been on the list, but First Gens were far too important, and if we did have children whose names were on the list, they were under our watch.” Shultzon glanced up at Sloane. “We had big plans for these blessed souls.”
“Like turn them into mindless soldiers with your Therian control drug?”
Shultzon turned his attention back to Dex. “Yes, that was one of our many projects. Our healthiest, strongest, sharpest First Gens would be recruited for military programs.”
“And my condition?”
“It’s all connected. Do you truly believe you’re here by accident, Dex? You becoming an HPF officer, your partner shooting that boy, your testifying, getting pushed out and recruited by the THIRDS?”
“Are you saying that was all planned?” Dex arched an eyebrow at him. “For what purpose?”
“To bring you closer.” Shultzon moved his gaze to Sparks before he turned back to Dex. “You were destined for great things, Dexter, but even a savior must be shown the path. But before you can become who you are meant to be—” Shultzon leaned toward Dex, his bony hands on the table in front of him. “—you’re going to die, and when you do, it will be glorious. It’s the dawn of a new era, and it begins and ends with you.”
“You son of a bitch!”
Dex launched out of his chair, and Sloane was there in two strides, throwing his arms around Dex to lift him off his feet, his muscles straining with Dex’s weight. Why was Sloane having trouble holding him? Dex pulled at Sloane’s arms, and Sloane found himself gritting his teeth as he struggled to keep Dex restrained. Something was wrong. Dex wasn’t weak by any means, but Sloane was
stronger. He should have had Dex on the floor by now. Was something messing with him? Sloane didn’t feel any different.
“Dex, stop!” Sloane didn’t know what was happening, but it was freaking him out. Was he losing his strength? Was something getting fucked up inside him?
“You murderous motherfucker!” Dex struggled against Sloane, pushing at his chest. “You had her killed, and now you want to kill me?”
“Nonsense. I don’t want to kill you, Dex. Your lover is going to kill you.”
Dex let out a fierce cry, and Sloane could feel Dex slipping from his grip.
“Sparks! I can’t hold him!”
Sparks tapped her earpiece, and the door flew open, half a dozen Therian operatives flooding in. It was rather excessive, as surely two or three could easily restrain Dex, but if it meant calming Dex down, he’d go with it. Sloane reluctantly released Dex, wincing as his partner was tackled by the six Therian operatives.
“What the hell is going on?”
Sloane frowned down at his hands when he heard Sparks gasp. His head shot up, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. Not only was Dex putting up a fight against the six operatives, but he was still on his feet. Sloane rushed in to help when he heard it.
Holy fuck, his Human partner just hissed like a Felid!
With an additional two bear Therian operatives joining the struggle, they got Dex on the floor onto his stomach, and even then Dex wouldn’t give in. Sparks hurried over to Sloane.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. One second it was fine. Next thing I knew, it’s like his weight doubled. I couldn’t hold him. I thought it was me, that there was something wrong with me. I, um—” Sloane leaned in, his voice quiet. “—he hissed.”
“Clarify.”
“He hissed like a Felid.”
Sparks’s eyes widened, and she dropped to her knees next to Dex, who continued to struggle against the TIN operatives.
“Dex, so help me, if you bite me I will seriously hurt you.”
Sloane got closer, curious as to why the hell Sparks was trying to get Dex to open his mouth. When she did, Sloane cursed under his breath. “Are those what I think they are?”