Ryder wants to be more than a lab rat; he wants to be free. Katie wants him to save the world. Purists want him dead. A supervirus threatens to wipe out the human population. The only hope for the future is a cure hidden inside Ryder Stone. Created in a lab and brutalized, betrayed and hated by humans, Ryder yearns for freedom. Outside, a group of human genetic purists want him dead. When Katie Marsh, a brilliant young geneticist, discovers his secret, she must fight to protect Ryder, gain his trust...and convince him to save humanity before the purists destroy them both. ** Originally titled The Venom of Vipers **