Manipulating Mikey (First Wave Book 8)

by Mikayla Lane

  Lauren laughed. Most people had no clue that their taxes paid for those companies to pollute their water and now were going to have to pay again to clean up the mess. It was a win-win for the companies, and the politicians would retire with a high profile position in the companies they helped while the people continued to pay through the damage to their health and their taxes.

  “Yeah, most people don’t know all that though,” Lauren admitted.

  Mikey popped a grape in his mouth and chewed before responding.

  “My dad used to say that the politicians stopped working for the people when the lobbyists were allowed to buy the votes away from the people. He said that it wouldn’t take long before the only party that existed was the one out only for themselves and their bank accounts. He was right; there is no longer any party for the people—only people out for themselves,” Mikey said ruefully.

  They lapsed into silence again, each wrapped in their own thoughts while they ate. Usually, Mikey felt the need to fill the silence with idle chatter, but this time he felt comfortable and more at ease than he’d felt in a long time. He didn’t know if it was Lauren and the supposed mating bond they shared, but he liked it.

  He felt a coolness in his mind and wondered at the feeling for a moment before asking Lauren.

  “Why does my head feel really cold sometimes?”

  “That’s your beast,” she replied, before explaining further. “It reflects his activity in your brain. He’s not harming you in any way; he could be using his energy to expand your abilities or talking with other beasts through the Shengari’.”

  Mikey thought about it a minute.

  “Isn’t that how a bond is formed? Him using his abilities more and expanding mine?” he asked, less afraid of the answer than he’d been the day before.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lauren briefly thought about lying to him or sugar coating her answer, but she knew keeping the truth from him had only driven him away from her, and she wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

  “Yes, it means that your actions are allowing him to deepen your bond. The more accepting you become of the bond, the beast senses it and responds by embedding himself further into your brain. The deeper the bond, the more attuned and focused your energy becomes, making it easier for the beast to expand your abilities,” she explained, hoping he’d take the news better than he had taken similar information previously.

  Mikey thought about it, surprised he didn’t feel the panic he’d felt when they talked about it before.

  In my defense, a lot has happened since then, he thought.

  Still, he wondered what the whole bonding process entailed and what it would mean for him and his beast. It was time he asked some questions.

  “So, what’s it like? Being fully bonded?”

  Lauren was thrilled that he wasn’t only asking about it, but he seemed to be taking it pretty well, and she hoped that continuing to speak honestly would help him through this.

  “It’s very different for the males and females,” Lauren said with a small smile. “And I’m probably not the best one to ask since I’ve never had to use my abilities the way others have. I’ve never killed anyone with my ability and never needed to use my extra senses to save my life until recently, and even then Grai had me protected. But, from an everyday standpoint, it’s really nice.”

  “How so?” he asked curiously.

  Lauren shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of coffee.

  “Like I said, it’s different for everyone, but for me it’s like having a best friend with you all the time. I never feel lonely; there’s always someone to talk to that talks back and has an intelligent response,” she admitted.

  Mikey remembered when he was trapped in the military facility. Every time he faced torture, the voice in his head encouraged him to remain strong, to fight in his head until he could fight with his fists. He remembered how the voice comforted him at his lowest moments and tried to cheer him up. Through his darkest moments, it was the beast in his head that had been there for him unfailingly, even when he tried to push it away.

  The sentient creature had been everything for him that Lauren described, and Mikey realized he wouldn’t have made it through that madness without the friend in his head.

  “I am truly sorry for not seeing you for what you are, my friend. I hope one day you will forgive me for being an idiot,” Mikey said in his mind and smiled as his head grew cooler in response.

  It may not have been the voice response he was hoping for, but it beat no response at all, and he was more than thrilled with it.

  Figuring he needed to get started on the vids for Grai, Mikey changed the subject.

  “OK, so how do I do this vid thing?” he asked as he pulled the comm from his side pocket and laid it on the table.

  Lauren reached across the table for the comm and pulled it closer until she could start tapping on the screen.

  “OK, we’ll start here with this icon,” Lauren said as she leaned closer so he could see which one she was talking about.

  Mikey breathed deeply of her unique scent as she spoke and it took a few minutes for him to realize that she was done speaking and looking at him for a response.

  “Uh . . . sorry. My mind kind of wandered for a minute there, and I didn’t hear you. Computers have never been my thing,” Mikey said, trying to cover his embarrassment.

  Lauren smiled patiently, wondering what he’d been thinking about but not brave enough to ask. Instead, she began her explanation again.

  This time Mikey paid attention and followed her instructions. He was more than a little surprised at how easy it was to use the compact device. It was like having an entire computer in one hand. Not only could it access the internet, it could access the powerful systems used by Grai and Fiorn’s people.

  “We’re still integrating everything, so there won’t be two separate points of access in the near future, but for right now we still have to access both systems from different computer portals,” Lauren explained.

  “Is the information different on each system?” Mikey asked, curious why they hadn’t combined the systems yet.

  “Actually, some of it is. Each one of our groups specialized in one particular area. Grai’s group are a highly trained and skilled fighting force. They are the ones who run the missions, not only for our people, but the humans as well. When you get a chance, you’ll have to look at some of the vids. They really are incredibly good at what they do,” Lauren admitted as she thought of how they brought her back from the jungle unharmed.

  Mikey nodded. He’d seen the group in action and had no doubts of their unique abilities and skill.

  “What of the other group? Fiorn’s?” he asked.

  “That’s the one I came from. Fiorn was more interested in keeping us alive and hidden from the world. We learned computers, hacking, and intimidation. You probably heard of us as the men in black,” Lauren said with a blush, more than a little embarrassed when Mikey’s mouth dropped open in shock.

  “No way . . .” Mikey breathed out. “No freaking way! You’re the men in black? Seriously? No way . . . Prove it!” Mikey said, not really doubting her. He was more in shock that he hadn’t put it together until now.

  Lauren giggled at the awe in his voice.

  “Here, I’ll show you a funny montage that Traze put together for us after our little incident in the forest that day,” Lauren said as she pulled up the well know vid and played it for Mikey.

  There were dozens of short clips put together into a format that had been hilarious for all of them to watch. Even Fiorn had roared with laughter when he saw the spliced vid of Leif and True in the forest that day intimidating the campers and hikers, along with other vids Traze had found when he’d gone through their systems.

  “Oh my God!” Mikey said before he started laughing at the funny little clip.

  When it was over, Mikey had to play it several more times before he’d finally seen enough of it. For now. He knew he’d
be watching it again later. It was hilarious and a less intimidating view of what he’d always thought the men in black would be if they existed.

  “OK, so you’ve combined your forces. Do Fiorn’s people still do intel and Grai’s missions?” he asked, wondering if Lauren ever had to go on dangerous missions.

  Lauren shook her head and smiled at him.

  “No, a lot of our people shifted to different teams and duties depending on what they wanted to do. Blade is a good example,” Lauren said, at Mikey’s doubtful look she continued. “Seriously, his talents work incredibly well on the humans, and he helped get the information that helped to find you. He is much better suited to field work than the computer work he’d been doing. And he’s happier.”

  Mikey didn’t say that he thought Blade enjoyed his work a little too much. But he was surprised by what Lauren had said.

  “So you let your people do whatever they want? What if they aren’t good at it?”

  Lauren laughed at the question.

  “We’re pretty level headed as a whole and a little more realistic about our abilities and limits. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. We have several people who’ve failed out of mission training, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have tried or that they shouldn’t try again,” she explained.

  Mikey considered it for a moment while he convinced himself he was going to ask the next question purely out of curiosity and not because he really wanted to know.

  “So anyone can join a mission team as long as they qualify?”

  “Yes. With your skills, you could easily qualify,” Lauren said as a spark of hope flashed through her. She was hoping he was considering staying with them.

  “What kind of missions do they do?” Mikey asked, really curious now.

  “Well, they rescue our own, as you know. We intervene when the Relians do something to the humans . . .” Lauren explained before Mikey interrupted her.

  “Wait. What do you mean when the Relians do something to the humans?” he asked.

  “They have infiltrated the world governments and militaries; we try to help the humans whenever we can. There are mission vids on there that you can look at and get a feel for what they do. You can also talk to any of the mission teams if you have questions,” Lauren offered, trying to tamp down her excitement at what she hoped was his interest in staying.

  “I’d be real interested in seeing some of them. Later though. I told Grai I’d look at the forest vids,” Mikey said honestly.

  He wasn’t just curious about what the Relians looked like; he wanted to know just what it was that these guys did on the planet. Lauren was right, they had saved his life on one of their missions. He wouldn’t mind helping others—like him—who had been clueless about why they were suddenly cast as an enemy when they had no idea who they were.

  If the other missions were compatible with his own beliefs and code of honor, he wouldn’t mind staying awhile and seeing how well he could fit in. He had to admit, they had some of the most kick ass gadgets he’d ever seen and after spending time in a hidden, ancient city after porting to Nassau, their travel methods were the best around.

  Mikey did his best not to think about the fact that staying meant he’d probably be spending more time with Lauren. And he definitely didn’t want to consider that the more time they were together the deeper the bond would form between them.

  Nope, that’s not why I want to stay, he thought, trying unsuccessfully to convince himself.

  “I moved the icon for the footage to the first screen on your comm so you can find it easier,” Lauren said as she held up the device and showed him the icon. “I also put a file next to it with mission vids in case you want to look at it later. Now, I’ll show you how to control the vids.”

  Mikey paid enough attention to what she said to be able to stop, rewind, and fast forward the footage, but beyond that he’d have to figure it out on his own because he wasn’t about to admit he’d been staring at her creamy skin and wondering what it would be like to kiss her.

  When she stood to leave, he launched himself to his feet and then stood there feeling a little awkward.

  “Thanks . . . um . . . for everything. Especially the chance to try to start all over again. I really appreciate it,” Mikey stammered, mentally kicking himself for sounding like an idiot.

  Lauren smiled at him, she could feel how awkward he felt through his energy and was pretty sure it was a good sign.

  “You’re very welcome, Mikey. If you need help with anything, just call me through the path in your mind,” Lauren offered, trying not to think of how excited she’d be if he did.

  Mikey walked with her to the doorway and watched her walk halfway down the hallway before she turned, blushed, sent him a short wave, and then sped the rest of the way down the hall until she turned out of sight. He couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face at her interest.

  It had to be interest. Right? What else could it be? Nope, it was interest, he thought, his grin broadening.

  He headed back into the room and sat in one of the comfortable leather-like chairs closest to the wall he was going to project the vids on. Feeling much happier and content than he had in a long while, Mikey pulled his plate and what was left of Lauren’s closer to him.

  He looked at comm, found the icon, and began watching the footage as he relaxed back in the chair and put a plate in his lap, his eyes glued to the scene unfolding on the wall.

  *****

  Lauren was glad her back was turned and Mikey couldn’t see the huge grin on her face. It took everything she had not to stumble in the hall when she turned and saw him staring at her. It had sent a rush of pleasant energy through her so fast it had shocked her.

  Even now, several hallways away from him, she could still feel the threads of energy forming its bond between them. They were able to be separated by a much greater distance than even the day before. That told her how much deeper the bond had become in such a short period of time.

  It was a little scary to think about it, but it was exciting and thrilling at the same time. They may have gotten off to a really rocky start, but Lauren truly liked Mikey and felt that they stood a chance of making things work. She was going to have to give a little, and he probably would as well, but she was much more optimistic about a future with him than she’d been up to that point.

  “Lauren?”

  Lauren looked up, startled to see Amun standing in front of her looking at her curiously.

  “Amun! Sorry, I was deep in thought. I didn’t realize you were still here,” she said, wondering what was keeping him since he usually left and went back to his mate and child aboard the Adaria.

  Amun smiled gently at the doctor and moved to walk beside her down the hallway.

  “After removing the tracking device from Mikey, I noticed the derivation in the mitochondrial DNA that you had noted in your report. I was wondering if we could discuss it for a few minutes. I believe it may have broader implications,” Amun explained.

  Lauren stopped mid-stride, shocked at what Amun said.

  “What did you find?” she asked, hoping there wasn’t anything wrong with Mikey.

  Amun chuckled, hoping to ease some of the fear he could feel in Lauren.

  “I haven’t found anything bad. I just wanted to try and isolate the oddities and see if we can find anything that we can compare it to.”

  Lauren wasn’t fooled. She knew that Amun wouldn’t be staying down here if he didn’t think there was something about the DNA that they needed to figure out.

  “What do you think we’re looking at?” she asked bluntly.

  Amun looked around the hallway, saw no one, and gently moved her towards the nearby MedLab.

  “I don’t have a clue what we’re looking at. That’s why we need to sequence it and try to find a comparison,” Amun explained, not wanting to have the conversation in the middle of the hallway.

  Lauren stopped in front of the medlab door and turned to Amun.

  “D
on’t lie to me, Amun. You wouldn’t be here and asking me if you didn’t think there was something to it. What are your thoughts?” she demanded.

  Amun sighed and ran a hand through his short, dark hair.

  “Lauren, I really don’t have a clue. I know there’s something we’re missing—I just don’t know what it is. Which is why I’m asking you to help me. If you don’t want to, I will ask Sergei to assist me,” Amun countered, knowing she’d pull herself together.

  Lauren blew out a frustrated breath and glared at Amun before opening the door and going inside the lab. Once Amun was inside, she looked around and realized no one was there.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” she demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face him.

  If there was one thing being hunted in the jungle taught her, it was that she was stronger than she thought she was, and she needed to step out of her isolated world and pay more attention to the bigger picture—especially if Mikey was going to stay and possibly be a member of a mission team.

  Amun studied her for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

  “I’ve done exhaustive research on the unique mitochondrial DNA of the hybrids,” Amun began, “and even the hybrids of hybrids. There’s something different about Mikey’s, but also familiar in a way that I cannot seem to place.”

  Lauren looked at him with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out why it bothered him so much. She finally just asked.

  “Why is this bothering you?”

  Amun laid his palms on the desk he’d been working at and lowered his head a moment before looking back at Lauren.

  “I don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something here. Something . . . I don’t know,” Amun said, his frustration bleeding from his energy.

  Lauren shook her head, trying to understand what Amun was trying to say. A thought struck her and she looked up with narrowed eyes.

  “Do you think he’s dangerous? Or anomalous?” she asked, fear skittering down her spine at the thought.