Silence pervades for a few minutes. “I wish you guys had been sent to Earth with me.” I speak up after a bit. “That you got to experience the joy I did growing up. I hate that you grew up without love and fun. It’s so wrong.” My heart aches for them, and I make a solemn promise that, no matter what else is going on, I will ensure we make time for fun. Screw alien enemies and prophecies and powers. The guys deserve to have some downtime, and to have fun in their life.
“It’s okay, Alinthia,” Cooper says, touching my cheek as I settle back in the couch. “We’re happy you had a good childhood, and things weren’t so bad for us after we left the compound.”
“I still can’t believe they sent you out into the galaxy on your own at twelve years of age.”
“Verronians reach full maturity at twelve. We were adults then, as you were too.” Dane spears me with a knowing look. I’ve never really thought of it like that, even when they first mentioned this to me, but he’s right. And it was more than just being super advanced in school and how easily things came to me. I was the tallest girl in my class and the first one to develop boobs and a woman’s curves. I remember how self-conscious I was back then until the other girls started catching up to me.
“We’ve mostly enjoyed traveling the galaxy looking for you, but nothing beats our setup on Earth.” Maddox winks at me. “Of every place we’ve been, we feel most at home there.”
“Yeah?” That’s amazing to hear, and it helps ease my guilt a little.
“Absolutely.” Coop brings my hand to his mouth, kissing my skin. “It’s the most normal any of us have felt. I know you want to stay there to be close to your mom and friends, but we haven’t opposed it because we like it there too. We’re all in agreement that Earth is where we should be.”
“Unless it becomes unsafe,” Dane adds, always the responsible one. “Because if it becomes too precarious for Alinthia, or we bring unwanted danger or risk to the humans, then we’ll have no choice but to move planet.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” I’m eager to lighten the mood, so I turn to Cooper and quip, “I think I understand now why you love to break the rules so much.”
He grins. “After years of being forced to live a certain way, and years of constant pressure and responsibility, being able to do and say what I want is unbelievably freeing.” He kisses me quickly on the lips. “Although they keep a close eye on us, and we still have to report in, this is the first time when I really feel like I’m living.”
Gosh, is it any wonder Maddox struggles with his self-worth, that Dane is so closed off, how Beck is scared of my touch, and Cooper craves affection? The guys have known nothing but fear, routine, and responsibility their whole lives.
That stops, right now.
I’m going to ensure their lives are more fulfilling going forward, even if I have to fight every Tom, Dick, and Alien to do it.
CHAPTER 16
“What the hell is taking Zorc so long?” Maddox asks, drumming his fingers impatiently off his knees.
Dane shrugs. “You’ve no idea how involved even the simplest of decisions can be. I’ve sat in on a couple meetings with the elders and their thought-process and decision-making ability is long-winded and drawn out. It’s a wonder they get anything done around here. Everything, and I mean, everything, is political.”
“I’m not sure I trust Zorc,” I casually throw out. “I’m sensing a weird vibe off him.” Dane cocks his head to the side, observing me with shrewd eyes. “He seems to contradict himself a lot, and it’s almost like he says one thing but means something completely different.”
“The guy’s a freaking nut job,” Coop supplies. “Like, he’s seriously hormonal most of the time. How the hell he got to be a senior handler is beyond me.”
Speaking of the nut job … Zorc rushes into the room, his cape flapping behind him. “You need to hide,” he barks out. “The elders are on their way, and they can’t find you here.” He grabs me up, a little too roughly for my liking.
Cooper jumps into action, shoving Zorc off me. “Don’t manhandle her like that!”
I curl my fingers around Coop’s wrist in warning, shaking my head a little. Now isn’t the time. I eyeball Zorc. “Where can we hide?”
He rubs a hand back and forth across his cropped hair, clearly agitated. “I’ve sent coordinates to Brint. There’s an old cave underneath the structure of the house you can hide in. The walls are full of reddin which will cloak your heat signatures. They won’t be able to detect your presence in there. No teleporting, you’ll have to go on foot, so, hurry, go now!” He grabs hold of Beck’s arm, tugging him forward. “Use the back passage and follow the coordinates.” Dane starts leading the charge, as usual, but Zorc holds him back. “Not you. You need to stay. They know a craft landed here, so I told them you were reporting in.”
Dane nods tersely before turning to us. “Okay. Alinthia is in charge in my place. If anything happens, you defer to her decision,” he tells his brothers. I quirk a brow, completely dumbfounded that he’d say that. He’s made no secret of how little he values my intelligence, so this is unusual and unexpected. I guess wonders will never cease.
Coop takes my hand and we hurry out of the room, following Maddox and Beck in silence. Beck rushes through the house, holding a small technical device in his hand as he leads us out through the lobby. Maddox swipes his backpack off the floor of the lobby where we dumped our bags earlier, following us through the door Zorc had originally emerged from. We race through a few more rooms and out into a narrow corridor, and then Beck opens a side door which leads outside onto a narrow black walkway. Waist-length metallic railings rim the walkway on the outer edge, protecting us from the massive drop below. We’re essentially scaling the side of the mountain, and adrenaline starts pumping through my veins. My sneakers slip and slide on the shiny surface, and Coop snakes his arm around my waist holding me firmly in place. “We need to use superspeed,” he says. “Are you up for this or you want me to carry you?”
Maddox glances over his shoulder, shooting me a reassuring grin. “Alinthia’s got this.”
Despite the circumstances, I smile at him. “I do.” It’s basically the only gift I’ve mastered control of, the only one I’m confident I can summon when needed. Then Beck and Maddox are a blur, and we dash after them, Cooper keeping a firm hold on my waist as wind whips my loose hair around my face. We’re descending along the side of the mountain, going lower and lower at enormous speed, until we come to a sudden stop.
Coop brushes tangled strands of hair back off my face, taking my hand and guiding me into a narrow opening in the side of the mountain. We both hunch over and inch our way through. The walls are made of a strange gold-, orange-, and red-colored stone with tiny bits of purple glinting in parts. A damp, musty smell swirls through the air as we hurry after Beck and Maddox. Leaving daylight behind us, we proceed through the tunnel, visibility lessening with every step until Coop is a dark, shadowy form at my side. While I can’t see the other boys up ahead, the sound of their voices reverberates within the tight confines of the passageway. We emerge into a wider space, and I shiver in the cooler temp. Coop hauls me into his chest, and I go willingly, fisting his shirt and stealing some of his body heat. A burst of light blooms in the small cave, illuminating our embrace. As my eyes slowly adjust to the light, I squint at Maddox and Beck in the corner. They’re sitting on a narrow ledge that juts out of one side of the cave.
“Over here.” Maddox motions us forward with his fingers. We step toward them as Beck affixes a circular torch-like device to the wall, adjusting the position of the beam so it’s not hitting us full glare.
“Were did that come from?” I ask.
Maddox rustles the backpack on his lap. “I always pack for emergencies.”
I press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Good thinking. If you tell me you also have a portable heater in that magic bag of yours, you’ll be my hero for life.”
“Well, damn it,” he retorts, moc
k scowling. “There goes all hope of fulfilling my life’s mission.”
“You got anything for Alinthia to wear in there?” Coop asks, ignoring our banter. “It’s fucking freezing in here.”
Maddox rummages in the bag, extracting a long-sleeved black body warmer. He hands it to me. “Best I can do, sorry.”
“No, that’s great. Thanks.” I rip my sweater and tank off without hesitation, thrusting the clothing at Cooper to hold. Beck averts his eyes, his cheeks flaring so red I could probably warm my hands against them. The other two boys grin at his obvious discomfort. Coop opens his mouth, to tease him no doubt, but I level him with a solemn look. “Don’t, please,” I mouth.
Coop’s gaze rakes over my shoulders, down over my bra, and trickles along my bare stomach. He licks his lips, and his eyes darken with lust. “If the body warmer doesn’t do the job, I can think of some other ways to keep you warm.” His low, seductive voice laps over me like an aphrodisiac, and I shiver all over in a way that has nothing to do with the frigid air.
Maddox groans. “We don’t want to hear that shit, dude.”
Coop snorts. “As if you haven’t had the same thoughts.”
“Stay the fuck out of my head,” Maddox growls, all good humor gone. If there’s one surefire way to push Maddox’s buttons, that’s it. He hates that he hasn’t mastered the art of shielding the guys from his mind. I’ve even managed to do it despite my considerable failings. If I only knew how, I could probably help him out.
I pull the body warmer over my head, roll up the sleeves, and tuck the end into the waistband of my jeans. Then I put my sweater back on, ball up my tank, and stuff it in Maddox’s bag. “Focus, and play nice,” I warn them, sliding onto Maddox’s lap. The small ledge Maddox and Beck are perched on barely fits two, and Beck’s arm brushes against my back when I sit down.
A rustle of wind filters into the cave, and I look up, spying a cylindrical hole in the wall a few feet above us which is obviously the source of the chilly atmosphere, which is strange, because the outside temp is supposed to be so hot it’d burn my skin upon impact, and the artificial environment surrounding Zorc’s home is more temperate, so I’ve no clue where this cold wind is coming from. All it does is serve to pique my curiosity. “I wonder what that is?” I crane my neck in the direction of the hole, straining to see.
“Only one way to find out.” Coop stalks toward the opening. Maddox stands up, quickly depositing me on the ledge as he walks over to Coop. They have a quick chat, and then Coop bends his knees and pushes off his feet, jumping high in the air. Gripping the edge of the hole, he hauls himself up, turning to grin at me. “We’ll go check it out.” Maddox effortlessly follows his lead, while I sit there with my mouth hanging open.
No matter how often I see the guys doing superhuman stuff, it never fails to amaze me. “Be careful, and don’t wander outside.”
“No problem, boss lady.” Coop blows me a kiss, and then they both disappear from view.
“How you doing?” I ask Beck. He’s skimming something on his tablet, but I can’t see what in the dim light of the cave.
“I’m fine. Just testing that vial Zorc gave you.”
“What’s the verdict?”
“I’ve assessed the composition, and I don’t see anything that could cause an adverse reaction or anything that looks worrying.”
I smooth a hand over my hair. “Do you think I should take it?”
Carefully, he sets the tablet down on the ground, finally looking at me. “I don’t like the thought of what the curse is doing to you, so, yes, I think you should take it. If I thought it was risky or dangerous, I wouldn’t let you near it.”
I flick my lower lip between my teeth as I think. “Do you think it’s coincidental we turn up here and he just happens to have a cure?”
“A little, but, you know, Dane was probably aware of this, and he didn’t want to say anything in case he got your hopes up.” Very gently, Beck reaches up, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. “Despite the way he acts, Dane is trying to shelter you from unnecessary worry. Like he does with all of us.”
“I don’t want him to do that. He needs to share the load.”
Beck’s answering smile is sad. “It’s not easy for him to do that. He’s always taken it upon himself to protect us, and he doesn’t know how to be any different. I lost count of the amount of times he took the rap for something one of us did when we were kids. And he was always jumping in to defend me. He’s like the big brother I never had.”
I twist around, and our knees touch. “What happened to your families? Do any of you even know your parents or if you have any siblings?” Do we have that in common also?
He shakes his head forlornly. “We don’t know. We were ripped right out of our mother’s arms the instant we were born and taken to you.”
Slowly, I reach up and thread my fingers through his hair. His hands fall to his lap. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I hate what you guys went through. I really do.”
“It’s made us who we are. I may not agree with the elder’s methods, but they worked, and it led us to you,” he says, trying to downplay it.
I shake my head, tracing my fingers along the soft, smooth, shorn hairs at the back of his neck. Beck instinctively moves in a little closer until there is only a sliver of a gap between us. The connection is going haywire, which is something that doesn’t really happen anymore. As I’ve grown more comfortable with the guys, the connection has settled down, and it doesn’t overreact like it did in the beginning. Most times, I barely notice it, even though it’s always there, humming in the background. It’s going crazy now because it’s rare that Beck and I are close like this.
“Our bond, this connection we share, led you to me,” I tell him. “The elders had nothing to do with that.” The more I hear of these elders, the less I want to meet them. Beck’s eyes flare, and his gaze drops to my mouth. Expectation is heavy in the air, and I hold my breath while I wait for Beck to make his move. When it becomes clear he’s terrified to bridge that step, I decide to help him out.
“Beck.” My voice is soft, almost a whisper in the chilly cave. “Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you right now?” His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat as he nods. “What’s holding you back?” I peer into his eyes, running my fingers back and forth across the nape of his neck, hoping it’s helping to relax him.
“Sometimes,” he whispers, “I’m terrified of how deep-seated my feelings are for you because it’s like nothing I’ve experienced, and I deal with facts and tangible stuff. My brain can’t compute this logically, and that scares me.”
“It’s okay to be scared and to feel strong emotion. That’s how you know it’s right. If you didn’t feel those things, then it wouldn’t be worth pursuing. The best things in life are those you have to fight tooth and nail for, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. If it’s too easy, if it doesn’t make you feel a ton of conflicting, confusing emotions, then it can’t be real.” I gently cup his face. “In a way, that’s how I knew I had to let Jensen go, even though a part of me will love him forever. But it doesn’t compare to how I feel when I’m with you or any of your brothers. If you had asked me a couple of months ago if I could develop feelings for four boys at the same time—and want to act on those feelings—I would’ve told you you’re insane. But now it’s happened, and nothing in my life has ever felt more right.”
He rests his hands lightly on my waist, sucking in a sharp breath as he zones in on my lips again. I’m tempted to close the gap myself, but I want him to be the one to progress things between us.
He traces a path up one side of my body with his hand, his fingers trembling as they glide over my shoulder and up into my hair. His fingers wind through the knotted strands as his gaze fixates on my mouth. The sensation is exquisite, and a little whimper of satisfaction escapes my lips. That seems to spur him on, and, gingerly, he tightens his grip on the back of my head as he draws me closer. My heart is
doing somersaults, and my mouth waters in anticipation of our kiss. Just before our mouths meet, he stops, looking deep into my eyes, and I sense there’s something he wants to say. I’m scarcely breathing, and my body is achy and tense with longing, and I hope he doesn’t back out now. But he doesn’t say anything. With a small smile, he breaches the last gap between us, pressing his lips softly to mine. Fireworks detonate in my chest as our mouths move softly against one another. Beck is kissing me tenderly, and, although I feel his uncertainty, I know his kisses are deliberately gentle because it’s his way of worshiping me, of telling me how precious I am to him.
It would be so easy to kiss him harder, to infuse my kisses with the strength of my need for him, but I promised him he could set the pace, and I’m not going back on my word. Besides, it’s actually really nice to just make out like it’s the first time I’ve ever kissed a boy and to slowly explore his lips as he explores mine. He holds me close to him, angling his head as he takes the kiss a little deeper, growing in confidence as our mouths continue to move against one another. All memories of being cold are gone, replaced with a heady warmth filling every part of me. An innate sense of satisfaction floods my body as the bond relishes the growing connection with the last of my protectors.
“Ahem.” A throat clearing has us breaking apart in an instant. Beck eases back from me, his face flaring up again, and he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose in an obvious nervous tell. I glance over my shoulder at Maddox. He’s grinning from ear to ear and clearly struggling to hold back a laugh. I stick my tongue out at him, and he lets loose, his booming laughter ringing around the chamber. “If you’re done sucking each other’s faces, you need to come up here.”
I stand, pulling Beck with me. “What have you found?”
“There’s no way to describe it. You need to see for yourself.”
CHAPTER 17
The Secret Heir (Alinthia Series Book 2) Page 12
