Free More Than Life (Arcane Crossbreeds) by Amanda Vyne

male, her head thrown back, her face contorted in pleasure, Dr. Rupple ran his hand over the ridge of his erection and reached for his cell phone.
    Flipping it open, he pressed a button. He needed her in his lab immediately.
    “Bring me the female subject.”

    RAIFE’S BODY CAME awake all at once.
    What the hell had woken him? Even now, his body felt heavy with the effects of the mating. A chill rushed over his skin, and he shuddered, pulling the bedding around his body and carefully tucking it around Katya.
    Why the hell was it so cold?
    Darkness cloaked the small cell, and he glanced over to the large window. The sun had set hours ago, and they’d moved to the bed, where he’d taken her again and again. Finally, the screaming instinct to mate her had eased, and they’d collapsed in exhaustion. He still didn’t feel too far from it now.
    So why was he awake if he still felt so groggy? Something wasn’t right. He felt…off. Careful not to disturb the slight weight draped over his chest, he stretched his legs and flexed his shoulders to get his blood moving, but it was difficult. The springs of the wide cot complained at his slow and awkward movements.
    What the hell?
    Glancing around the room, he could see it in vibrant detail. Hear every nuance of sound. The dull rush of desert wind against the thick panes of glass at the window, the soft sounds of the woman draping him…the hissing of air through the vents.
    Frowning, he glanced at the ceiling. The air that curled and drifted down was visible, a heavy white mist that slowly dissipated as it sank. Were they being gassed?
    It took a Herculean effort to pull the bedding up to cover her head where it rested on his chest. His breath burst from his lips in a white plume. Not gassed – put on ice. His muscles tensed, and he tried to force more movement from his body. They were dropping the temperature in the room to incapacitate him. That could mean only one thing – they were coming in.
    He couldn’t do a damn thing about it, because he couldn’t maintain his own body heat. The cold worked on him as good as any sedative. That Elemental’s source knew his shit. It wasn’t exactly something that was common knowledge. Not one of those little details the entire Arcane world needed to know. “Tell me you assholes are nearby.” He directed the thought to Tag . Taggart Jennings had been the ideal person to partner him in this case. He worked security for Incog, so he’d be able to fuck with the security system here, but even better, Tag was a Drachon and could communicate telepathically with him. He’d been there nearly as long as Raife had, so he was familiar. Trustworthy.
    “What the fuck, asswipe? We were beginning to think you were dead. Tell me something good, bro.”
    “We’ve got to abort the operation. Like yesterday. I need an extraction ASAP.”
    “What the fuck is going on in there? Any intel on the missing Drachon? It looks like a damn fortress from here.”
    “I didn’t confirm the presence of any other Drachon, but whatever they got going on in here, the bastards are well-informed about us. It bears a closer investigation once I get Katya to safety.”
    “Wait – Katya? As in that pretty little bloodsucker you used to take care of? What in the hell is she doing there?”
    “Good damn question.” One he intended to find the answer to. “I think they paired us.”
    “Paired as in mated? She’s Sanguen. Is that possible?”
    “I think they altered her somehow. She’s different. She issued a mate challenge. Breathed fire. Now I think they are going to separate us.” Both of them knew that separating a mated pair this early could risk dissolving the bond.
    “The tracking device we planted in your bloodstream allowed us to follow you way out in the middle of fucking Death Valley. Let me consult with the boss man and see how he wants to proceed. We’ll get you out. Both of you. I’ll get back to you with the details.”
    Raife lay there for a