As quietly as she could, she picked up a set and hit the unlock button while Fena fidgeted beside her. In the darkness, nothing happened, so she set down that set of keys and grabbed another. She was three sets in before lights on one of the vehicles parked out front flashed.
YES!
Turning, she looked at Fena and pressed her finger to her lips again before reaching for the doorknob.
The door opened without so much as a click, and internally she mocked Tyce and his ‘sort of’ military base. Thinking she was home free, she jerked the door open.
All hell broke loose.
A loud alarm blared to life causing Fena to scream and cling to her leg. The house was flooded with lights, both inside and out, and the doors that lined the corridors on both sides of her slammed open as half-dressed men carrying weapons rushed her.
“Ghaaaa!” Unsure what to do, she shoved Fena behind her and shot her hands into the air praying no one shot her.
In seconds, she was surrounded by eight men, all with weapons, all pointed at her. She recognized a few from the hotel in DC and the jet , as well as the drive back to Apex. The men she recognized were quick to lower their weapons. The rest followed suit when Tyce snarled from the top of the stairs in a tone that threatened violent retribution, “Get those fucking weapons off my family!”
My family?
All weapons were swiftly lowered, and Briel watched wide-eyed as most of the men melted back into their rooms. The one she knew as Conn remained. She didn’t know the man, and she certainly didn’t like him, but she seriously had to fight the urge to hide behind him as Tyce narrowed hard eyes on her and slowly descended the steps like a beast stalking its prey. There was a lethal grace to the way he moved, and she would have been mesmerized if she wasn’t so worried.
Still clad in his black fatigues, he looked like a damn Navy Seal and had the build to match. Damn, he’s sexy. Her emotions warred with her logic as she watched him stalk slowly toward her.
His tone was mocking as he asked, “Going somewhere, my Sweet?”
She wanted to confront him, to scream and fight, but Fena was clutching her leg so damn tight. Clearing her throat, she gave him a pointed look. “I was…just taking Fena up to bed.” It was an obvious lie, but she didn’t know what else to say. She was basically asking him, without words, to permit her to take Fena back up to bed.
Tyce’s eyes dipped behind her, and his stern expression fled. He smiled down at the scared little girl, and it looked so genuine that Briel felt relieved even though she knew it was just for show.
“Fena, are you tired, sweetheart?”
Briel felt Fena nod against her back before asking tiredly, “Can I go back to bed now?”
Tyce’s smile faded, and he gave Briel a severe look full of admonishment. “Yeah.” He reached around Briel. “Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”
Briel could only watch as Tyce carried Fena up the stairs, turning at the landing to take her sister back to her room. She didn’t move for long minutes. Something about the look Tyce had given her had made her feel hollow. She dissected her reaction, and was shocked to realize she felt bad for disappointing him. She snorted and shook her head sadly. Fucking Stockholm syndrome? Really!
Beside her, Conn cleared his throat. “All the doors and windows have triggers. All the vehicles have tracking devices.” He looked down and pointed to an object attached to the baseboard. “There are floor sensors throughout the house. The second you left your room, he knew. Don’t try to run again. We Walkers enjoy our sleep just as much as you humans do.”
His tone pissed her off. First, because the way he enunciated ‘Walkers’ and ‘humans’ made it sound like he thought her a prejudiced a-hole, and secondly, because she didn’t want to be kept here in the first place.
“And what would you do?” she snapped. “If you’d been kidnapped?” She lifted her hand to the halo around her throat. “Oh, and let’s not forget the whole ‘collared like some stray dog’ part. You’d just accept it?”
He shook his head. “Women make no sense.” His eyes dipped to the halo she still tugged on. “And that dog collar makes you more powerful than you’ll ever know.” He jerked his head toward the stairs. “That man rules here and he’s choosing you. It’s an honor.”
Briel’s jaw clenched. What? Choosing her? Clearly, Conn had no idea what was really happening. Briel jammed her finger in the direction of the stairs. “An honor I didn’t ask for.” Whatever in the hell that meant! “I don’t even know him! I don’t you, I don’t know this place! All I know is that my father is dead! And his death had something to do with Skin Walkers. Tyce told me about your mission and its objective, and I’m sorry, but Monroe StoneCrow lied to you all. I don’t know where any safe house is. I’ve only ever heard the word Megalya uttered once.” She held up a single finger, repeating, “Once!” Lowering her head, she sagged as defeat filled her. “I can’t lead you all to what it is you’re looking for, and that terrifies the shit out of me. Tyce has already been mislead by Monroe, and I don’t want him thinking he’ll get information out of me. Because, Hey! Guess what? I. Don’t. Have. Any! And it makes me sick, because once he realizes I’m of no use to him, what then? I have nothing to give him. What I do have is a five-year-old little girl who depends on me. She’s expecting me to get her through this safe and sound.” Suddenly, hysterical tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know how to make that happen. If Tyce, or you, or someone would just tell me what it is you people want from me, something that I can actually give you, I’d do it gladly and be on my way.”
“Your heart.”
The feminine voice that spoke the words carried down the hall, and as Conn stepped to the side, Briel saw the woman from the hotel, the one who’d pretended to be the maid. The one who had trapped her, dragging her into this totally screwed up mess. She was wearing a black slip with matching satin ballet slippers on her feet, and Briel couldn’t help but feel the femininity of her seemed out of place in this bastion of testosterone fueled masculinity.
“Briel,” Conn began, as he held out a hand, fingers closing around the woman’s before he pulled her into his body and looped a hand around her waist. “This is Aries, my Angel.” Dipping his head, he brushed his lips against Aries’ forehead. “Aries, this is Briel, Tyce’s Angel.”
Briel wanted to protest the statement but didn’t. Why bother? No one here listened to her anyway.
“Did she wake Wynter?”
“Naw. Our baby’s still asleep.” Aries tore her eyes from Briel and smiled up at the man holding her. “Love, why don’t you leave us so Briel and I can talk?”
Conn smiled and kissed Aries fully on the lips, and they held like that long enough that Briel fidgeted in discomfort.
When they finally separated, Conn beamed down at Aries with such adoration and affection that it caused a twinge of yearning inside Briel.
“Make it quick, beautiful.” He pecked her on the lips one last time and disappeared down the hall, rifle hung loosely at his side.
Aries motioned with her arm down the hall. “How about coffee and cookies? They’re chocolate chip and walnut. Fena helped me bake ‘em. She said they’re your favorite.”
Chapter 18
Sitting on a wooden stool at a kitchen island in what was probably the most elegant kitchen she’d ever seen, Briel quietly studied Aries as the woman filled two mugs with coffee before pulling creamer out of the large glass-front fridge.
Aries was beautiful. Long satiny waves of thick jet-black hair hung down to the middle of her back. The inky blackness was interrupted by a stark white streak that started just at the hairline above her right eye. The pale strands mixed with the black, making it hard not to stare. Yeah, Aries was unique, but something about her exuded a lethality that let Briel know that Aries wasn’t to be messed with. Warm hazel eyes flicked up to catch Briel staring. Briel tensed, tearing her eyes from where Aries was gathering napkins with one hand while the other snagged the giant plate of cookies from the
microwave where she’d heated them.
“So, ask,” Aries directed. “I know you’ve got questions, so shoot.”
Briel’s eyes instantly dipped to the halo around Aries’ throat as she lifted her fingers to clamp on the one she wore. “Does that thing make you sick too?”
Settling on a stool across from Briel, Aries placed napkins beside each of their cups of steaming coffee before dolling out two cookies onto each napkin. “Aaah, the halo. A good place to start. The short answer is, no. My claiming was different though. My Walker abilities were suppressed, so things were different for Conn and me. But, to answer your question, yes. Most women who are collared have flu-like symptoms for the first few days after they wake. Doc Jenny thinks it’s because the males have an inherent need to care for their females, and women being sick for the first few days is just a way of driving home for the male Walkers that they are now responsible for their Angels.”
So many questions, so many questions. “Claiming? Angels? What are you even talking about?”
“Us.” Aries grinned, before sinking her teeth into a warm cookie. She shrugged and spoke around the bite. “Angels have halos. Female Walkers grow their own, but even if the woman has her own, Walkers gift us theirs, making us their Angels.”
“But, Tyce only said he’s responsible for me. You’re making it sound like Angels are synonymous with girlfriends.”
Aries shook her head as she swallowed. “No. Nothing like a girlfriend.”
Briel relaxed a little, but her relief quickly dissipated with Aries’ next words.
“Angels are more synonymous with wife, only more so. It’s like if you were already his wife for thirty years. That’s how he feels about you. A Walker can’t live without his Angel. She is the single most important thing in his universe.”
Aries’ admission rocked Briel to her core. She had to be wrong. The woman. Had. To. Be. Wrong! The corners of Briel’s eyes crinkled in a frown as she breathed, “No. You’re wrong! He doesn’t even know me, he couldn’t…”
“Conn didn’t know me either,” Aries cut in. “I was on the run, hiding in the South American jungle. He and his team were sent to hunt me, to retrieve me. I was literally racing through the jungle, running from him, when we finally locked eyes.” She grinned. “He went down like a sack of bricks and there was this loud noise before his halo flashed. At first, I thought he’d been shot, but it was the affliction.”
Briel’s mind went back to when Tyce dropped to his knees back at the hotel. There’d been a loud noise and a bright flash. If what Aries was saying was true, then why hadn’t Tyce said anything to her? Wouldn’t he want her to know? “A-affliction? What’s that?”
“It’s the instantaneous trigger that happens when a Skin Walker meets their mate.” She snapped her fingers. “That fast, they know you’re the One. No second guessing, no uncertainty. It’s a gift, really. Could you imagine if humans knew in just a moment whether someone was their One or not? Walkers will only ever have one mate, and it gets even better.” Aries grinned wildly, eyebrows winging up. “No cheating.”
When Briel’s expression morphed into one of disbelief, Aries continued. “And I’m not just talking about them not wanting other women. They can’t even get hard for anyone other than their Angel.”
Briel snorted. “And now I suppose you’re going to tell me that doesn’t make them resentful.”
“Why would it? They’re not regular men. They don’t have time for chasing women and playing games, Briel. They’re struggling to survive. Part of that survival is finding their compatible female. They’ve only got one, so it’s paramount to their very existence that when they find their Angel, they keep her.”
Feeling guilty, Briel lowered her head. Aries sighed, her tone softening. “Look, I know this is a lot to take in. Too much, really. But, I’ve been where you are. And I ran, just like you tried to do. Only I got away, and it was stupid. I was so stupid! I ran from the one man who would literally rip out his own heart to ensure my safety. And I can’t explain it, because there’s nothing I can say that’s going to make sense to you. Yes, you just met Tyce. And yes, you are now more important to him than his next fucking breath. You and Fena both. If you can’t trust him for yourself, trust him for her. Give him a chance to prove he means what he says.”
“You’re wrong. This claiming, this ‘affliction’, isn’t happening to Tyce and I. I’m only here for ransom, or so he can get answers. I’m not sure which, but I can’t give him anything. I don’t know about any safehouse, and I certainly don’t know about any cash.”
A grin split Aries’ lips. “And surprisingly, for the first time ever, Tyce doesn’t care about cash. He doesn’t want the safehouse, Briel. He wants you. He needs you to accept him, or at least to try to let him in, even a little.”
“I can’t believe you actually think that’s what’s happening. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh, it does.”
“And what about the people hunting us? Even if it’s not other Skin Walkers, I could still be bringing trouble right to his doorstep.”
“And he’d welcome it if it meant finding out who’s after you and actually getting his hands on them.”
“And what if he finds out the men that are after Fena and me, the men who killed my father, are Skin Walkers? What then? You actually think he’s gonna go to war with his own kind over me? A woman he just met?
At her question Aries turned serious. “Conn told me that your father was helping Monroe. If he was helping Monroe, than he was helping all of us. It doesn’t make sense that a Skin Walker would have killed him. But if one did, then yes. To answer you as simply as possible, yes. Tyce wouldn’t hesitate to go to war with his own kind over you. He’d go to war with any person currently under this roof if he thought it would protect you.”
Briel hesitated a moment with her next question, but she had to know, and despite blushing to the roots of her hair, she asked, “And sex? Will he expect it, if he thinks I belong to him?” She didn’t want to admit that he’d already kissed her twice. The question was difficult enough to ask, because while she didn’t know Tyce, she still found him savagely handsome. Just the idea of being his in all ways sent a zing of excitement tearing through her.
As if she could sense it, Aries smiled knowingly. “He won’t force it. Never would. But,” she lifted her head and sniffed, loudly. “I don’t think you’re as opposed to it as you want to believe you are.”
If possible, she blushed brighter and looked away, stammering, “I-I’m not even his type.”
“No,” Aries agreed with a smile. “You’re not, which is why this is going to be really interesting. I admit, I always pictured Tyce with a spoiled rich bitch. But you…”
Her words stung, and Briel regretted her impulse to fish for info on whether Aries thought she was Tyce’s type. The problem was that, while Aries was all giddy and gung-ho on the theory of Briel being Tyce’s Angel, she was missing the big picture. Tyce had said nothing to Briel about any of this. Perhaps he was hoping it wasn’t true. Aries’ admission wasn’t helping matters either. If Briel wasn’t Tyce’s type, then yeah, maybe he was holding out hope that someone better would come along. Maybe him falling to his knees back at the hotel hadn’t been the affliction, maybe it was something else entirely.
“You’re way better than I hoped for,” Aries finished with a confident grin. “You’re real, and you’re gonna make this place better. You’re gonna make Tyce better, and he needs that. He’s been way too dangerous, too frivolous with his own well-being and ours. It’s why Conn and I mostly reside at StoneCrow.” She waved her hand at the kitchen. “Apex is great, but it’s not secure enough for Walker children. I can’t take the risk with my little girl, Wynter. I’ve gotta do what’s best for her, and right now best means safest, which means StoneCrow Estates.”
Her words ripped Briel from her thoughts about Tyce wanting someone better. “Is Fena safe here?”
“Don’t worry,” Aries grinned. “Appare
ntly, Tyce is hiring contractors.” She winked at Briel. “Let the changes begin.”
Chapter 19
Tyce watched Briel, not even bothering to be sneaky about it. She lay on the floor with Fena and Wynter, the three of them working on a puzzle. Conn rested on one of the leather sofas drawing lazy circles on Aries’ arm while she quietly read from a hardbound book she’d pulled off one of the book-lined shelves that filled an entire wall. A fire burned brightly in the hearth, and the house smelled of chocolate, because Aries and Fena had made one of his favorites for breakfast, biscuits and chocolate gravy. Apex felt homey, which was odd because he’d built the place from the ground up and adored it, but it had never oozed the warmth and rightness that was currently making his chest feel tight.
Two days. Briel and Fena had been at Apex for two whole days without incident or another attempt at escape. Granted, he’d upped security measures and had a Sentry now stationed on night patrol. However, it didn’t change the fact that Briel hadn’t tried to run off again, or even brought up leaving. While his hope of her staying willingly mounted with each passing day, he himself was starting to diminish. A side effect of the affliction was that, until it was sated, a Walker couldn’t eat or sleep. Consumed with thoughts of claiming his mate, he ignored his own personal needs. No, ignored wasn’t right. ‘Ignored’ implied he had a choice. There wasn’t. He’d eat and sleep if he could, but that’s not how the affliction worked. Mother Nature was a bitch, and she’d designed Walkers to be like rutting elk. The urge to ensure his seed was passed on was all-consuming, forcing him to forego all creature comforts.
He openly leered at Briel. He wished they were alone, so he could slide off his chair and crawl over to her. He’d roll her over and kiss her again, more deeply this time, and in more intimate places. His cock, which had been hard as steel since he’d found her, jerked in response to his thoughts. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her.
Lying on her stomach, her tight, ripped-up jeans hugged her ass and her dainty bare feet were crossed at the ankles. Her short hair brushed shoulders hidden beneath a worn baseball T-shirt.
Skin Walkers Page 8
