Page 18 of Reconditioning the Wolf

“Well, you can’t have it both ways, man.” Payson pointed at Yuma. “That’s Yuma in penguin form, and I poured cold water on your head. Either both things happened, or neither of them happened.” Reaching forward, Payson flipped a lock of soaked hair off Ishmael’s forehead. “Which is it, man?”

Freezing, Ishmael realized he was suddenly faced with the truth. His shoulders slumped, and he whined softly. Once again, he wrapped his arms around his knees, and a second later, Madagascar was beside him, wrapping his arms around him, offering support.

Ishmael peered up at Madagascar as sadness filled him. “Doctor Meyer lied to me, didn’t she?”

“I’m afraid so, baby,” Madagascar confirmed, sadness filling his voice.

“Why?” Ishmael whined. “Why would someone do that?”

Payson sighed deeply as he crossed his legs and settled before them on the grass. “Look. I’ve been experimented on by scientists, too.” He touched his nose. “It’s why I ended up with such an awesome schnozz, but I lost the ability to recognize my mate.” As if on cue, Land settled on Payson’s lap, cuddling up to him, and Payson wrapped his human in a hug. “I had to fuck a lot of people and hope someday, my hyena would want them, too.” Payson kissed the side of Land’s neck, who stared at him adoringly even though he’d just mentioned fucking around... a lot. “Anyway, what I’m sayin’ is, yeah, it sucks that these assholes are around doin’ this shit to us, but don’t let it stop you from movin’ forward.” After pecking a kiss to Land’s lips, Payson grinned widely and waved around at the guys clustered around. “Ya got a helluva lot of guys here who’ll help you get past it.”

Ishmael nodded slowly, accepting the rather eccentric man’s words. “Okay,” he whispered. Then he frowned. “How do I do that? Move on, I mean?”

Yuma, back in human form, knelt beside them, already wearing a pair of shorts. “Reconnect with your wolf,” he told him with a reassuring smile. “Focus on your hobbies. Enjoy time with your mate, family, and friends.”

“And if you say you don’t have any family, I’ll smack you upside the back of your head, just like I would any of the guys,” Congo stated with a soft growl and a frown. “You’re my brother’s mate. You’re family.”

Feeling a little warmth begin to ease the cold of having the truth revealed to him—or maybe that was the water—Ishmael smiled tentatively at Congo. The bear shifter was almost as intimidating as Kontra. He’d heard that bear was a grizzly, and he wasn’t certain he wanted to see that shifter’s animal anytime soon.

“And I’m a friend,” Yuma piped up, raising his hand as he grinned broadly at him. “I’ve been traveling the world for decades, so I’d be happy to help you explore your interests and hobbies.”

“I’m your friend, too,” Payson claimed, smirking at him. “After all, how many people would tolerate me pouring water on their head without smacking me.”

Unable to help himself, Ishmael snorted as he smiled.

“That’s a great look on you, Ish,” Madagascar crooned into his ear. “I like hearing you laugh and seeing you happy.”

Ishmael smiled up at Madagascar, realizing he liked it, too. Slowly, he sobered as something else Yuma said rose in his mind.

“How do I reconnect with my wolf?”

“Depending on your meds, that could take a little time,” Ryan warned while shaking his head. “We just don’t know.”

A dark-haired man who looked to be in his late forties with steel-gray eyes appeared next to them. “You think you’re a wolf shifter?” he asked bluntly, staring at him intently.

Feeling the urge to duck his head, Ishmael did just that as he murmured, “Um, maybe?”

“I’m Diego Tamang, ex-wolf-shifter alpha,” the man told him, lowering to one knee next to him. “Vail is my grandson, also a wolf shifter.”

“Grandson?” Ishmael gaped at the man. “Wow.”

“I’m sure Mads told you we live a few centuries.” Chuckling, Diego held out his hand, palm up. “Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll see if we can’t connect with your wolf.”

After looking at Madagascar and receiving a reassuring nod, Ishmael took Diego’s hand and allowed the other man to help him to his feet.

Chapter Nine

“How’s Ishmael doing?” Kontra asked as he settled in a camping chair beside Madagascar’s. “He looks happy in his furry form.”

Madagascar smiled as he watched Ishmael frolic with not only Vail in wolf form but several other shifters in their furry forms. They were wrestling and tumbling across the lawn. Even though Ishmael’s wolf form was just as massive as his human form, he was just as sweet as a canine, too—a gentle giant. Ishmael easily deferred to not only Diego but Vail, too.

Hell, in a real pack, Madagascar would bet that his mate would actually have ended up a fairly submissive wolf. He bet that it was the scientists who’d turned him into such a large animal. While Madagascar loved his wolf’s size—he and some of the other bears had joined in the play for a short while, too—he loved his nature even more.

“He really does.” Madagascar loved that it had only taken the wolves half a day to coax out Ishmael’s animal. He figured it was because he’d already missed a couple of doses of meds coupled with Ishmael already claiming him and Diego’s dominant nature. “I’m really happy for him.” Frowning, Madagascar admitted, “Those marks on his back sure as hell don’t look like burn marks. More like whip marks. I’m almost afraid to talk to him about trying to find out what happened to him.”

Kontra cleared his throat as he placed a tablet on his thigh. “Well, I have a little information about that.” A muscle ticked in the grizzly shifter’s jaw once before he met Madagascar’s gaze. “Normally, I’d have Lamar bury any information this traumatic to a psyche, but in this case, there’s bits I think Ishmael needs to know.”

Madagascar tensed, a frown tugging at his lips. Tightening his hold on his beer bottle, he asked, “What is it?”

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