Page 40 of Hansen

A hand squeezed Evan’s shoulder hard.“Please,” Hansen said.“Franklin saved my life.One of the hunters was going to take me as a hostage, but Franklin knocked him out.”

That was the only thing that could convince Evan to let go.The problem was that he didn’t know how to do it.“I can’t control it.”

“What do you mean, you can’t control it?”Franklin asked as a root wrapped around his throat.

Evan squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.“Thisis what happens in those labs.They turn you into something you don’t recognize and don’t know how to control.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, but my brother and my sister need me.Please don’t kill me.”

Lips suddenly landed on Evans, shocking him.He didn’t have to open his eyes to know who was kissing him.He could feel it in the bond that vibrated between him and Hansen.The bond wanted more, as did Evan.

“Is this going to keep happening?”Matthew asked.

Evan blinked and leaned away from Hansen.He wasn’t surprised to see that Franklin was free.He also wasn’t surprised when Franklin took a step away from him when he saw that Evan was watching him.

“I don’t know,” he told Matthew.“I really didn’t mean any of this.”

“He’s going to have to learn control,” Rikar said.“And maybe try not to get angry.It’s clear that this ability is reactive to your feelings.You were angry at me because I wouldn’t let you go after Hansen, and at Franklin because you thought he was here to hurt you and the people you care about.”

It was true.It seemed like Evan’s ability got out of control when Evan himself did.It wasn’t the same as it had been at the bakery when he’d touched the potted plant.That plant had grown out of his control, too, but not like this.He hadn’t been afraid that the plant would hurt someone.

He was afraid that the roots would, thathewould since he was the one controlling them.

“I’m a shifter,” Franklin explained.

He was keeping some distance between himself and Evan, but Evan didn’t think it mattered.If his ability wanted Franklin, it could reach him.

“Or so you say,” Hansen said.

Franklin narrowed his eyes at him.“Iama shifter, and you’ll realize that as soon as the spray fades or you let me shower.I worked as a guard in the facilities to find my siblings.They were kidnapped, and my mother was killed.I’ve been looking for them since then.”

Evan wasn’t a hundred percent sure he believed Franklin, but if Franklin was telling the truth, Evan felt sorry for him.“What are their names?”

“Leah and Garrett.They’re twins.”

Evan chewed on his lower lip as he tried to remember if he’d ever talked to a Leah or a Garrett.Initially, he’d talked to as many people as he could in the cages, hoping to find solidarity and help.He’d realized soon enough that most of the people who were locked up had lost hope.It wasn’t that they didn’t care what was done to them.It was that they didn’t think they could ever escape the labs and had lost the will to try.

Evan never had.Evan had always known that Davey was out there, looking for him.Maybe that was what had made the difference.Davey knew what he was looking for.He knew about the labs and how dangerous they were.The other prisoners hadn’t had that.Their families might have been looking for them, but they wouldn’t know where to start.Davey had.

And clearly, so had Franklin.Evan had questions, and he wanted answers.“How did you know they were in a lab?”he asked.

Franklin eyed him.“Is this a test?”

“Consider it one.If you fail it, my roots might not take it well.”

Franklin looked scared, which wasn’t something Evan was used to.People weren’t scared of him.They found him cute and sometimes adorable, but not scary.Even when he’d threatened some of the doctors and the guards, no one had been scared of him.

Until Franklin.

Evan wiggled his fingers.Maybe he didn’t hate this new ability, after all.He’d have to learn to live with it.He might as well enjoy it, right?

“Maybe stop trying to scare him,” Hansen murmured.

Evan was relieved that his mate hadn’t gone far.As soon as he was done getting answers out of Franklin, he’d dragged Hansen home andnotto get clothes.No, he had every intention of getting Hansenoutof the clothing he was wearing.Hansen looked good in a doctor’s white coat, but he’d look even better naked, especially if Evan was allowed to add a bonding mark to his neck.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he told Franklin, even though he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control it.

Franklin didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway.“It took me a long time.At first, I focused on my mother.She survived long enough to tell me that someone had taken my siblings, but she couldn’t give me any details.I went back to the scene where the car had crashed and got my hands on the incident report.It snowballed from there.I found out about the labs through the hunters.”

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