Horror jolted through him as he realized what he’d done. He jerked his mouth away and stared at the bite he’d inflicted upon the female. Bright-red blood from two puncture wounds stained her neck and shoulder and dripped on the bedding. The indentations of his lower teeth were already forming bruises on her pale flesh near the base of her throat in the curve of her shoulder.

She released him and grabbed at the injury. He looked at her eyes then. They were filled with distress as she stared at him.

He would have rolled away but his swollen dick held him captive inside her. He snarled, enraged at what he’d done. Regret didn’t undo the action. Her legs released his h*ps and straightened along the length of his. Tears slipped silently down the side of her face. A ragged sob escaped her.

“I didn’t mean to.” He winced over how raw his voice came out but he couldn’t mute his sorrow.

He grabbed her trembling hand and pulled it away from the wound. He studied what he’d done to the female. The bite would scar where he’d pierced her skin. She’d carry his mark for the rest of her life.

She turned her head away, giving him a better view of the damage he’d inflicted, and used her other hand to hide her upper face. He would have urged her to trust him but it seemed insincere under the circumstances.

“I’ll tend it. Relax.”

She didn’t say a word but it had to hurt. He lowered his mouth and prepared to hold her securely if she struggled. His swiped the injury with his tongue as gently as possible. It drew a gasp from her but she didn’t flinch away.

The taste of her made his dick twitch and harden. It was uncomfortable instead of arousing with the swelling still receding from the knot that had formed near the base of his shaft. They both suffered a little as he finished cleaning the wound.

Joy shielded her eyes while she attempted to get a handle on what had happened. She didn’t argue about germs or how unsanitary it was for 466 to lick at the bite. Animals tended to wounds that way and there was no denying his DNA.

He bit me. She couldn’t get over that fact. It was bad enough that he didn’t know who she was. It wasn’t much of a surprise, albeit disappointing. He could have reacted in various ways when he’d awoken to find an unknown woman na**d under him. It took control not to shudder as those scenarios scrolled through her mind. The worst being that it could have cost her life.

Where is he right now? Still at Mercile? She was afraid to ask. He might think she was the enemy. He could go from being tender to tearing her apart with his bare hands. The stories she’d heard about Species killing their captors were the makings of nightmares. Nope, don’t go there, she decided. A bite suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

He finished licking her and raised his head. She needed to get a read on his emotional state but kept her hand over her eyes. Dragging out the moment didn’t seem so terrible as she dealt with her own turmoil.

“Joy?”

Hope flared that his memory had finally returned. She wiped at her tears, blinked rapidly to clear them, and shifted her hand to peer at his handsome face. “You remember me?”

His frown and the confusion in his eyes was answer enough. It would be a terrifying situation if she wasn’t in love with him.

“That is your name?”

That is a question, not a statement. She cleared her throat. “Yes.”

He glanced away to stare at something near the center of the room. “I did that?”

She followed his gaze, spotting the chains on the door. “Yes.”

Dark eyes fixed on her. “Why?”

“You wanted to make sure no one could come in here.”

Keep calm, and damn it, stop crying. Her emotions were so raw that the hated tears were always just below the surface, waiting to escape at the most inopportune times. She felt like an emotional wreck and had to constantly battle for composure. She almost never cried, yet it seemed she fought tears at every turn now. Only Moon could do that to her.

She’d just shared intimate relations with someone who considered her a stranger. It hurt on many emotional levels. What they had was something she cherished yet to him she could have been any woman. She’d made love to him but he’d f**ked her.

He glanced at her throat then held her gaze. “I didn’t mean to draw blood. I am sincere.”

“I believe you. It’s okay.”

“No.” He softly growled. “I’m furious.” His hand suddenly cupped her cheek. The loving way he regarded her was promising. “I don’t understand why but you are important to me.”

Somehow he sensed they had a strong connection. “You’re having a difficult time remembering your life.”

“I was given the breeding drug.”

“No. It’s something else.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t seen it before.”

“We?” His voice deepened and his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You are Mercile?”

“No!” She shook her head in denial. “You were freed from there.” She paused. “Does the name 466 or Moon mean anything to you?” She hoped one of them would trigger some clarity.

“466.” He seemed a little excited. “I know that. It’s my name!”

“Yes, it is.”

He glanced around again, lowering his tone. “Where are we?”

“Homeland. It’s safe here.”

His voice lowered as he inched their faces closer until their lips almost touched. “Tell me what is going on. What is wrong with me? Who are you and why are we sharing sex? Is this a trick? Are you being forced into a breeding experiment with me? I want the truth, female.”