Rayna shook her head. "Never!" she said with a mouth full of disgust.

"I will never touch you in any way, you filthy bastard!"

Those were not the words Boden wanted to hear. He grabbed her by her hair, tilting her head back until her mouth opened wide with a scream. He then positioned himself over her, putting the tip of his dick in her mouth. When she bit down hard he resisted the urge to yell out and yanked her head back so hard he pulled out a handful of hair. She screamed, releasing her hold on his now throbbing cock.

"Simple bitch!" he called to her as he dragged her across the floor toward the couch.

Bianca cried silently. Boden ignored the tears and the rapid beating of her heart he could hear over every other sound in the room.

"You need to teach your little sister some manners," he told Bianca.

She shook her head. "She doesn't know any better, Boden. Just let her go. She's not worth it," Bianca pleaded.

"I am worth it!" Rayna yelled. "And so are you! We can walk out of here, Bianca. Get up and help me, we can take him!" she yelled, her cat's claws breaking free as she reached around to swipe at Boden.

He was faster and he tossed her away like a dirty rag, watching as she rolled across the floor. When her cat pressed harder for freedom and she lunged at Boden again, he caught her with one hand, gripping her neck as his own claws and teeth were bared.

"You're too much trouble," he told her. "But I would have enjoyed fucking you."

Rayna reared back slightly and spit in Boden's face, two seconds before he opened his mouth wide and bit into the side of her head.

"No!" Bianca yelled loud and long, a sickening cry that made Boden rage.

With his claws he cut into Rayna's limp body, blood spewing in all directions before he let her fall in a heap at his feet. When he turned to Bianca, who was still yelling and screaming on the couch, all he could see was red, all he could feel was the incessant anger of once again being betrayed. Bianca was crying but she was going to shift. She was going to turn into her tiger and come at him with death in her heart because of some meddling cat. After all he'd given her, all he'd done to get them where they were today, this bitch was going to try and kill him because of what he'd done to her sister.

Boden was faster. He was stronger, smarter, and in seconds, his jaguar was in full control, the big cat jumping onto the couch where the hysterical feline lay, unable to shift in time to try and defend herself. Her death was quick and a lot less bloody because he was too angry to care anymore, too sick of the Lormenian females that believed they could play him for a fool.

Jumping down from the chair, his teeth covered in blood, the jaguar roared loud and long. With his flanks heaving, Boden shifted, staying on his hands and knees until he could catch his breath. When he was breathing normally again, he shook his head and came to his feet. Moving around the blood and bodies, he went to the table where his cell phone sat.

"I need a clean-up in the penthouse suite," he said simply before dropping the phone and heading to take a shower.

He had to get dressed. Tonight was a very important night. It was finally time to take his revenge.

General Oscar Pierson, Major Randall Guthrie, and Captain Lawrence Crowe were dressed in full military regalia. Metals shined, creases stiff, hats positioned perfectly, and frowns affixed appropriately.

"The four prototypes are ready to go. I'll do a short introduction then let them close the deal. The bidding war will start and by midnight we'll all be very wealthy men," Crowe said after emptying his glass of scotch.

Pierson and Guthrie had arrived five minutes ago, worry and anxiety making them even harder than usual to get along with.

"And you've worked out all the kinks to these prototypes?" Guthrie asked. "We don't have to worry about a repeat of the previous catastrophes in Arizona or D.C.?"

Crowe resisted the urge to snap back at the pompous bastard. These two had a lot of nerve. Neither had done a damned thing but puff out their chests and talk a lot of BS throughout the entire Genesis Project. Hell, the part of this project that was supposed to be in their control had basically fallen to chance since the ATD conference had been scheduled over a year ago and the same foreign attendees with their deeply lined pockets would have been here without their involvement. But it was too late for regrets, too late to tell both of them to go to hell, no matter how much he wanted to.

Instead, Crowe stood his ground, shoulders squared, gaze leveled on Guthrie, the ugly motherfucker, with his cratered face, leathery skin, and hideous scar that ran down the left side of his face, curving beneath his neck. "I've done my part to make this deal a success. You just make sure your people are ready to put their money on the table once I'm done."

Guthrie frowned and Pierson nodded toward him, pulling the cigar he sucked on from his lips. "If anything happens tonight to mess up this deal, I'm gonna personally cut off your balls and feed them to you, Crowe. You arrogant piece of crap!"

Crowe managed a smirk. "Nice doing business with you too, Pierson."

They left the room together, walking as if they were on the battlefield with slow precision, garnering stares from guests and staff as they stepped off the elevator and headed toward the ballroom where tonight's festivities would take place. Once inside the large room filled with tables topped with black linens and crystal and china dishes surrounding huge and pointless flower arrangements, the threesome separated. Each went to their own tables in the front of the room. Crowe looked down at his table and noted there were assigned seats. Names he didn't recognize, but figured were the high rollers in tonight's little auction, were seated around him. He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, turning his back to the tables where Guthrie and Pierson were sitting and spoke quietly.

"I'm in the ballroom. Bring them down whenever you're ready, but keep them disarmed until I give you the word."

"All of them?" came the reply from the other end of the phone.

Crowe clenched his teeth. He had no idea what Boden wanted with hundreds of hybrids. But he'd had his people in the new lab working around the clock to make sure they were ready. Crowe had faced a lot in his many tours of duty. He'd aimed his gun at men, women, children, armed and unarmed, he'd watched as houses, churches, and schools were burnt to the ground and destinies changed forever, but he'd never seen anything like Boden. And try as he might, the U.S. Marine Corps hadn't taught him how not to fear a beast like that one.

"Yeah," he said tightly. "All of them."

At six thirty on Friday evening the Shadow Shifters climbed out of the black SUVs they'd arrived in. Some parked in the garage, some on National Harbor Boulevard, and others on Waterfront Street. They were coming from all directions, taking up residence at the locations that had been outlined to them by their team leaders. X and a team of five guards headed into the resort, moving to the lower level where the IT department and all the control boards for the hotel were located. They were equipped with laptops and com links, focused on taking full control of the hotel's power supply if need be, and intercepting any outgoing or incoming communications about tonight's event and the sale of the hybrids.

There were teams assigned to the roof of the resort, guards monitoring every stairwell and every bank of elevators on each floor. They blended in with the guests in the lobby, the resort restaurants, lobby bar, and penthouse club. Outside they stood at each corner, near each exit of the resort, and the parking garage. Rome had ordered full coverage and they were going to provide it.

At six forty-five when all teams had verified their positions via com link, Rome, Nick, Eli, Ezra, Nivea, and Caprise made their way to the Potomac Ballroom. The official conference activities would begin tomorrow, but defense industry guests had already begun to assemble for this ticketed event.

They spread out, each taking corners of the room, walking around, looking at and scenting the guests that filled the room. Most of them were either in full military regalia or fatigues. Even the foreign dignitaries wore their dress military gear so that the room seemed to be filled with pompous, overdressed, aging men who were on the hunt for the next best killing machine. The thought alone made Nivea angry. Sure, she believed in defense. Wasn't that what she was currently doing, dressed in a business suit and heels when she'd much rather have on her guard's uniform? But these men were specifically looking for weapons of mass destruction. That wasn't about defense, it was about killing, period. And she couldn't stand it.

"I'll be right over here," Eli said, using the private station on the e-band they both wore.

She tried not to frown because she knew it was taking a lot out of him to watch her go into battle. Last night he'd shared with her the dreams he'd had recently, as well as his guilt over the females in his life dying because of him. Of course she'd told him he was being silly on all accounts, but deep inside she recognized his fear. She too had carried fear for her sisters in the last few years. No matter how many times her therapist had told her that the abuse was not her fault and whatever Richard chose to do to anyone else was not her responsibility to stop. She'd felt different and so she'd done what she considered necessary to prevent that from happening. As such, she would not disregard Eli's feelings, nor would she judge him for them.

"I'll be in this area," she replied, looking over to make sure they made eye contact.

He nodded and Nivea smiled. Eli was wearing his shades again but they didn't bother her so much now because she knew what his eyes looked like. She'd stared into them for so long last night, when he came inside of her, when he'd roared in pleasure, and when he'd simply looked at her as if this was the first time he'd ever truly seen her. She knew the changes in color and the moods that brought it on. She cherished that knowledge, loved that he'd shared so much with her, including the fact that he'd fallen in love with her.

That had been the best.

The lights grew dim and Nivea instantly registered that her best memories were over. It was showtime.

"The doors are locked," she heard through the com link.

It was Ezra speaking and since all the guests were seated she could see all the way across the room to where she and the other shifters had come in. He was standing near the doors. Rome was closer to the podium at the front of the room, but behind him was an exit door. He sighed into the com link repeating Ezra's words, "Locked."

Nivea looked to Eli. He was about to say something when the clapping began.

"Thank you. Thank you," the man stepping to the stage said, nodding his head stiffly as his way of addressing the crowd.

"That's Crowe!" Ezra all but shouted into their ears.

CHAPTER 23.

"We're not making a scene. Wait until there's a reason to act. Otherwise we'll get him when he steps off stage," Rome directed.

Nivea nodded, rolling her shoulders back and focusing her attention on the man dressed in the U.S. Marine Corps uniform and speaking into the microphone, acknowledging that this was how a true monster looked.

"Thank you all for graciously accepting my invitation," Crowe began. "It is not every day that like-minded individuals of our training and caliber are gathered in one place."

"He really means like-minded assholes," Caprise said through the link.

Nivea didn't even try to hide her smile.

"I won't waste time with platitudes and chitchat, but will get right to the point. Tonight I have gathered you here to allow you to be the first to witness the next phase in the world's defense. I introduce to you the Genesis Project, Prototype V."

With his words Nivea's cat reared up, her back straightening, cat's eyes widening as she focused on the center of the stage where Crowe had just stepped from the podium, his arm extended to the curtains opening in the center. There was immediate mumbling throughout the room as one of those damned hybrids stepped through the curtain, dressed in battle fatigues and even wearing a fitted cap pulled down low over its brow. To hide the eerie green eyes, no doubt.

It took long, wide strides until coming to a stop at the edge of the stage. Crowe looked to be saying something, his lips moving. And then all hell broke loose.

The hybrid stepped right off the stage, lifting its beefy arms and slamming them down on the first table in its reach, its mouth opening so that a deafening roar vibrated throughout the room. The guests screamed, some of them getting up from their seats as the curtains moved and out came two more hybrids.

"Cut the lights! Cut the lights!" Rome yelled into his com link.

"We'll take the one over here," Eli said, coming up behind Nivea, touching a hand to her back.

They moved easily through the dark, whereas the humans were still scrambling around. They couldn't see, and also, they didn't know what the hell was roaring at them or breaking all the glassware around them. Nivea ran beside Eli until the hybrid was standing directly in front of them, roaring and dripping its sickly ooze.

"On three," Eli told her, but Nivea ignored him.

Instead she leapt forward, catching hold of the hybrid's arm and propelling herself up the front of its body. Her feet slammed into its chest and it began to fall backward just as her clawed hand swung out to the spot beneath its ear, knowing she would take it down. It was quick and jolting as her body almost immediately made contact with the floor. A strong arm went around her waist and pulled her upward to her relief. The angry voice in her ear was not.

"I said on three," Eli yelled.

"Yeah, I forgot," she replied, without the shrug that would have only irritated him more. "Behind you!" she yelled just in time for him to turn and strike the hybrid in the stomach area. It barely stopped moving but the second of contact gave Eli enough time to send another blow to its arm, then its lower leg and finally, to leap onto its back and dispatch the hybrid. He jumped down before the ashes could drop him to the floor as they had Nivea. They didn't speak again but turned immediately to the continued chaos in the room, fighting, side by side.

Outside the Gaylord, the night seemed as normal as any other. Cars pulled into the garage to park, while people stepped out of the vehicles and headed into the hotel's lobby. None were the wiser, not even the woman that walked directly beside him. He almost laughed at the situation. She'd looked up and smiled when he opened the door for her.

"Thank you," she said, her long lashes blinking wildly against the smooth ivory tone of her skin.

"You're so very welcome," he replied with a smile of his own, one that revealed his long, sharp teeth.

She gasped and tried to hurry away but he was quicker. Reaching out he grabbed her, pulling her to him, chuckling. "What's the matter, baby? You don't like sharp teeth?" he asked before ducking his head and licking the cleavage she so boldly displayed through the low-cut blouse she was wearing. She let out a scream that should have broken the glass doors. And he bit her right there, teeth sinking straight into the pliant human skin, pulling his mouth away as she continued to yell, then pushing her body back until she fell onto the ground.

That one action set everything in motion and only seconds later, there were rogues and those fucking hybrids coming from every direction. They'd been in cars, behind bushes, inside the hotel, inside the garage, every one on special orders from Boden. And now, with Boden's appearance, they were free to do whatever the hell they wanted.

Oh happy day, he thought, ripping through the lobby as his human body shifted into that of a cougar and he roared to make his presence known.

"Shit! They're fucking everywhere out here! Cats!" Zach yelled into the com link. "They're goddamned cats!"

Rome's standing order was that they not shift under any circumstances. The Assembly Leader had said this time and time again, but as Zach came to a stop at the corner of Waterfront Street, after having run a block from where he'd been stationed, all he could see was pandemonium. There were cats climbing up the walls of the Gaylord, jumping through the resort windows. They stood on top of cars, crashing through hoods as they ran to the nearest human that appeared. Whoever they saw they terrorized, either by picking them up or tossing them a distance that all but assured they would be dead when they hit the ground. There was screaming and yelling and the otherwise cool air stilled with the stench that they'd all recognized ... death.

"We don't have a choice," Zach finally said into the com link, before shifting as he ran to confront a rogue that had just pounced on the hood of a moving car.

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" Priya cursed from the back of the news van she'd been sitting in with Bas and four other guards.

Their assignment had been to wait and to monitor. Rome had been banking on exposing Crowe for his illegal arms dealing with Robert Slakeman and having Priya there to get the scoop on that story to possibly take the heat off the cat people sightings. She was sure he had no idea the scoop would be the cat people!

"I'm getting out," Bas yelled. "You three stay with her and drive to Havenway. Now!"

He was heading to the back door when Priya grabbed him, tears already welling in her eyes as her heart pounded in her chest. She'd known who and what he was, knew what this entire situation had meant for him and his tribe, but damn if she'd let herself believe that something would happen to him, that maybe she'd never see him again. She opened her mouth but the words wouldn't come.

"I'm coming back to you," he told her seriously. "I promise you I'm coming back."

She couldn't talk, her lips trembling as his touched hers softly. "I promise," he whispered again before disappearing through that door.

"Promise." Priya heard her own whisper as the truck pulled off. She tried to keep looking at him, to keep Bas in her sights, but there were too many of them.

They were all over the place in what seemed like seconds, like they'd simply been waiting. Like they'd laid the trap for the Shadows and were now pouncing, killing. There was a time when the reporter in her would have demanded she get out of that truck, to follow the story wherever it led. But that was before she'd met Bas and the shifters. It was before she saw what they were and realized how quickly all of this could go bad and how the world as she'd known it could change with her words and observations. She'd vowed to do the opposite of what she'd been taught at the Post about doing whatever was necessary for the story. Instead, she committed herself to protecting her kind and those she loved. Now, all that had seemed for nothing.

Rome and the others broke through the doors of the ballroom just in time to see more people running, this time from big cats with even bigger teeth. The roaring and chuffing sounded like they were in the middle of the jungle and not a five-star resort.

He'd heard the yelling through the com link from other Shadows. Bas and Cole had just checked in with their locations in the parking garage of the building. X had abandoned his spot at the control board and was headed out to take on as many as he could. Nick was standing right beside Rome, his cat on the verge of breaking free. Rome reached out a hand to grab his best friend's arm.

"We are Shadow Shifters," he said to Nick.

Nick looked right into Rome's eyes and nodded his head. "And we will prevail," he finished Rome's statement.

They parted ways, each of them knowing what had to be done. Eli saw the moment Rome had made his decision and Eli was right on his heels, pulling Nivea along with him. He'd been at the stairs when something stopped him. It wasn't a sound or an occurrence, but a feeling deep in his gut, a shifting of something other than his cat and he turned around immediately.

"What is it?" Nivea asked as she was pushed up against him by someone screaming and trying to get out of the building. "Eli?" she called to him again, lifting a hand to his chin, attempting to turn his face to hers.

He touched the wrist of that hand, holding her still as he continued to stare back toward the ballroom they'd just come from. Through the open doors, three uniformed men came running out, guns drawn. He remembered the first two had sat at the two tables closest to the stage and they hadn't seemed at all surprised when the hybrids had appeared. The last one had been on the stageCrowe. He had looked cocky but Eli had sensed some trepidation in him, definitely some anxiety. Now, that anxiety radiated as fear, combining with the sickening scent of terror that permeated the air. In the next moment Eli saw Ezra, and Eli's cat roared deep inside because he knew how this confrontation was going to end.

Lawrence Crowe had emotionally and physically abused Ezra's mate, Dawn. He'd threatened Dawn's father and had him kidnapped. Crowe had escaped when Ezra had attempted to apprehend him back in Sedona. To say there was bad blood between them that went beyond Crowe's creation of the hybrids was an understatement. Ezra shouted to Crowe and he turned to see who it was calling after him. Subsequently, he lifted his arm and aimed the gun at Ezra's head and Eli knew exactly what would happen next.

His brother shifted into the huge black jaguar with glowing green eyes that Eli knew was more powerful than just about any shifter he'd ever seen. Opening his mouth wide, he roared and leapt toward Crowe, but not before Crowe fired the gun. The cat knocked Crowe to the floor and Eli was already on his way across the hallway.

He didn't know if Nivea was still behind him because he'd released his hold on her the moment his claws extended from his fingers. Mowing people down in front of him was a necessity, his brother's life was in danger. When he came to the spot where Crowe had gone down, it was just in time to see Ezra's cat bite deeply into Crowe's skull, killing the man instantly as his paws held him down by the chest.

Someone screamed so loud Eli's ears rang. The other two military men that had been moving with Crowe were long gone as Eli looked around for them. Then he saw Nivea going to her knees, her hand on the back of Ezra's cat's head.

"Let him go," she was saying as quietly as she could through all the noise. "Let him go, Ezra. It is done."

For the first time in the last five minutes it seemed, Eli breathed, he actually sucked in air and released it, yelling into his com link, "I need a couple of guards to the ballroom, now!" he yelled. "Shifter injured. Get here now!"