The Secret Heir (Alinthia Series Book 2)

by Siobhan Davis

  “I’m glad you find this amusing,” Dane snaps. “I doubt you’ll find it funny later when you’re administering memory erases to half the fucking school,” he adds in a low, menacing tone.

  I gulp nervously, looking left and right at the shocked faces surrounding me. Kylie is still shooting daggers at anyone who dares look funny at me. Aw, crap. Any gloating smugness I felt dissipates in the knowledge that I may have just exposed us and placed some of the humans at risk.

  I stand up, too annoyed and upset at myself to speak to anyone right now.

  “Tori.” Jensen appears at my side. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

  “Fuck off.” Cooper stands up, putting himself in between us.

  “I’m fine, Jensen. Truly, I am. Just let it go.” I beseech him with pleading eyes.

  “Are you sure?” His brow furrows as he scrutinizes my face. I nod, forcing a smile on my lips. “Okay. Well, you know where I am if you need me.”

  I slam my hand over Coop’s mouth before he can utter some derogatory comment. “Thanks, Jensen.”

  Quick as a flash, he darts in, kissing my cheek. “See you around, Tori.” He gives Coop the middle finger as he saunters off, whistling.

  I grab Coop into my side before he can retaliate. “Let it go. We’ve enough problems,” I whisper, subtly jerking my head at the two tables on either side of us. Hushed conversations and suspicious looks are leveled my way.

  “Outside. Now. All of you,” Dane barks, striding from the cafeteria like a demon.

  We leave Kylie behind at school and drive straight home. No one says a peep the whole ride. Dane’s potent fury swirls through the connection, seeping into my pores.

  Parking the car in front of the house, he jumps out, slamming the driver-side door with more force than necessary.

  Walking through the front door feels a lot like walking the gangplank. “In here,” he roars out from his office, and we all traipse in that direction, sharing anxious looks. I can tell the guys are silently conversing, and I attempt to focus my mind, to see if I can tap into the discussion, but it’s not working. Perhaps the scene back at the cafeteria was a lucky fluke after all. A stupid, childish prank that is beneath me.

  I step into Dane’s office first, flanked by the other three guys. He obviously grabbed a speedy shower and changed in the time it took us to walk from the car to here, because his hair is wet and his clothes are dry. Dane slaps a blank piece of paper down on the table. Curling a pen around my fingers, he nudges me into a chair. “Write down the names of everyone who was seated at the tables around us.”

  “Dane.” Coop attempts to intervene, and he’s shot straight down.

  “Don’t fucking say it, Coop. I don’t want to hear it.”

  I start writing names down on the page, while the others stand silently around me. I can almost hear Dane fuming behind me. When I’m done, I stand up, holding the page to my chest. “What are you planning to do?”

  “What the fuck do you think?”

  “Don’t curse at her,” Maddox says. “We know you’re pissed, but lashing out isn’t helping the situation.”

  “If I want your advice, I’ll ask for it.” Dane’s eyes blaze with anger as he glowers at his brother.

  “Dane has every right to be pissed. You all do. I risked exposure, and that’s not acceptable. I know that.” I eyeball Dane. “I’m sorry. It was childish and petty and dangerous. It won’t happen again.”

  “It had better not,” he threatens.

  “Do we have to do this?” I ask, glancing at the list of names.

  “We have no choice. It was fast and most probably didn’t notice, but we can’t take any chances.”

  “I understand, and I want to be involved. I caused this, so it’s only right I fix it.”

  “No.” A muscle clenches in his jaw. “You will stay here with Coop while the rest of us fix your latest mess.”

  “That’s enough, Dane. We’ve all fucked up, on numerous occasions.” Coop puts his face in Dane’s. “And if you weren’t being Douchey McDouche at the table, this never would’ve happened.”

  “It’s not Dane’s fault I overreacted.” I place my arm on Coop’s, cautioning him to back down. “But I want to go tonight. I don’t want to stay here.”

  Dane turns furious eyes on me. “You think I give a shit what you want right now? You will do as you’re told. You’re staying here.”

  A tense standoff pursues.

  Beck clears his throat, his eyes sparking with hope. “On the plus side, the cure appears to be working.” Dane spins around, leveling a ferocious look at Beck. Beck eyeballs him back, holding his ground in a calm manner. “Let’s not blow this out of proportion, Dane. We’ll administer the erase, and it will go away.”

  Dane ignores him, snatching the page out of my hand and thrusting it at Beck. “Get the memory erase patches ready. We’re leaving in a half hour.” Then he storms out of the room without a backward glance.

  I hold a hand over my mouth, suddenly drained.

  I’m so sick and tired of everything.

  Of myself.

  Of waiting for something to happen.

  Of prophecies and powers and I shit I can’t do.

  Without looking at the guys, I flee the room, seeking refuge in my bedroom.

  How ironic that just as I’ve worked up the courage to confess everything to the guys, this shit happens, and now I’m back to square one—terrified to admit the truth.

  I’m coiled on the couch in my room, with a blanket thrown over me, watching my favorite movie, when Maddox knocks on my door. “Come in,” I holler, too depressed to get up from my horizontal position.

  “Hey, princess.” He perches on the arm of the couch. “We’re leaving shortly, but I wanted to check you were okay first.”

  He caresses my face, and I pull myself half upright, resting my head on his lap. “I feel awful. We’re going to mess with all those people’s minds, and it’s all because I got mad and didn’t think. I’m so stupid.”

  He smooths a hand over my hair. “You’re not stupid. You’ve just got more human in you than we expected.”

  “Is that a good or a bad thing?” I peer up at him.

  He bends down and kisses me softly. “I think it’s a good thing.”

  “Do you think I’m a bad person, Maddox?”

  He frowns. “Of course not. Why would you ask that?” I shrug, letting him draw his own conclusions. It’s not like I can tell him where my self-doubt is emanating from. “If it helps at all, I regularly want to chuck stuff at Dane.” He chortles, bending down to kiss me again. “He’s not an easy guy to live with at the moment.”

  “He’s not always like this?”

  “He has his moments, but the last few weeks, he seems really stressed. He clams up anytime we ask him what’s wrong.”

  Shit. Could Zorc be right?

  My unease and uncertainty are back with a vengeance.

  “Dane’s waiting on you,” Coop says to Maddox, strolling through the open door. He’s changed into low-hanging gray sweats and not much else.

  “Bruh. You forgot a shirt.”

  Coop grins wickedly. “Guess I’ll just have to snuggle under the blanket with Alinthia to keep warm then.”

  Maddox gently lifts my head off his lap, helping reposition me on the couch as Coop sits at the opposite end, pulling my feet onto his lap. “Don’t make yourself too comfy, asshole.” Maddox kisses the top of my head. “Don’t worry about this, princess. Dane will have cooled down by morning, we’ll have fixed the issue, and it will all be forgotten about.”

  “Thanks. Be careful.”

  He pulls my hand to his mouth, kissing the tips of my fingers. “Always am, gorgeous. See you later.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Maddox’s prediction rings true, and the whole episode in the cafeteria becomes a non-issue in the coming days. The guys administered the memory erase patches, no one at school passes more than the usual glances our way, and those who were seated ne
ar us don’t appear to be suffering any ill effects of the procedure. A couple days go by, and while Dane isn’t really speaking to me, he hasn’t blown up at me either.

  I haven’t had any more interactions with Arantu in my dreams, and my ability to move objects with my mind has drastically improved.

  After track practice on Thursday, Maddox and I head out to the round pen to see if I can summon any of my other powers at will. Obviously, I can’t test the full extent of my supertouch, but I’m eager to see if I can summon my fire power or the ability to soar off the ground again.

  We’ve already tested my ability to influence people once I am touching them, and we’ve come to the conclusion it only works on humans. I’ve proven that several times in the last few months, but I haven’t been able to influence my protectors at all. Either it’s because we are connected or it doesn’t work on aliens.

  Maddox and I have changed into baggy sweats and long-sleeved shirts. I hop from foot to foot, loosening my arms and cricking my neck from side to side. “Okay.” Maddox crouches into a fighting position. “I want you to pretend I’m the enemy, focus your mind, and imagine the fire igniting the tips of your fingers.”

  I mirror his position and steady my mind, visualizing the flames bursting from the tips of my fingers, flickering and glowing, casting shadows across the land. I look down at my hands and groan.

  Nothing. Nada.

  I’m not even feeling any tingly heat in my fingers.

  “Don’t lose hope,” Maddox reassures me. “Try again.”

  I do, and it’s still the same. My frustration grows, but I refuse to let this beat me. I know the cure has worked because I feel different inside. Lighter and less restricted. That dark entity hiding inside me seems to have diminished in size, and it’s like I have more energy, more positivity, or something.

  I’m going to figure this out.

  “Let’s try and change it up,” I suggest, straightening up as I think aloud. “I want you to disappear and then creep up on me as if you are the enemy. Try and take me. If I can summon my abilities with the element of surprise, perhaps I can practice controlling it then.”

  Maddox nods, and there’s a mischievous glint in his eye before he vanishes. I scan my surroundings, slowly turning around, my eyes darting left and right, my body alert and primed for attack. Adrenaline courses through my veins, and my limbs are jittery and ready to fight. A blur in the trees at the back of the field briefly captures my attention, and then an arm encircles me from behind, securing tightly under my chin and restricting my airflow. Blood rushes to my head and I react instinctively. Energy flows through my limbs, supercharging my body, and I reach up, clasping Maddox’s wrist, allowing my power to penetrate his skin. Maddox emits several expletives, attempting to wrest his arm away from my grasp, and I let go before I do permanent damage. Whirling around, I lift my hand, flinging him across the pen using my enhanced strength and the power of my mind. He scrambles to his feet, racing to my side in a flash, but I’m expecting it, and I dart to the right, avoiding his reach.

  We dance around one another, darting from one side of the pen to the other, trying to outmaneuver one another.

  “Try to fly,” he yells, before lunging at me again. I sidestep him, excitement and anticipation fueling my energy reserves. With minimal effort, I push off the ground, raising several feet. A giggle escapes my throat before I can stop it. Maddox has stopped on the ground below, grinning up at me. “That’s it, princess. You’ve got this.” Gently, I lean forward until my body is almost horizontal with the ground below, outstretching my arms and urging my body forward. At first, I just kinda hover in one place, but then I imagine gliding through the air, and I’m flying across the pen at a steady pace, shrieking and screaming with glee. I stretch my arms out farther, visualizing going faster and higher, but nothing happens. I attempt to twist around, to see if I can fly upright, higher into the sky, but I lose my control, plummeting to the ground instead, tumbling over and over. I stop myself from crash landing at the last second, righting my body and hovering about three feet off the ground. I stare up at the darkening sky, laughing like a crazy person.

  Maddox grins at me. “Great job, sweetheart.” He helps lower my feet to the ground.

  “Oh my God!” I squeal. “That was freaking awesome!”

  He chuckles. “It was. I’m very envious right now.” High on adrenaline, I throw myself at him, planting a hard kiss on his mouth. He kisses me once and then pulls back, groaning. “You’re on a roll. Let’s not get distracted. See if you can fly again.”

  I spend the next twenty minutes flying at will. While I can’t go very fast, or very high, I am now able to invoke the skill at will. It gives me hope that I can master my other abilities in a similar fashion.

  “I think that’s enough for tonight,” Maddox roars from the ground below. He opens his arms. “Come here, princess.”

  I float down to the ground and straight into his arms. His mouth collides with mine the instant my feet hit solid ground. “You did it, baby,” he murmurs in between consuming kisses. “I’m so fucking proud of you.” His strong arms wrap around me, hugging me close, and the contours of his muscular body press against mine, suffusing every inch of my body with desire. I grab hold of his beautiful biceps, angling my head and kissing him deeply. He caresses my mouth in a succession of drugging kisses, and I’m lapping them up, worshiping his mouth similarly. I’m intoxicated on the feel and taste of him and the fact I might actually be able to master my abilities after all.

  “So, this is what you do at your training sessions, huh?” We both break apart at the sound of Coop’s voice. There’s an edge to it I’ve come to recognize, and his jealousy zings through the connection. “Maybe I need to change up our sessions, Alinthia.” He’s leaning against the fence that surrounds the round pen with his arms folded and a noticeable scowl on his face. He’s wearing sweats and sneakers, and his tight running shirt strains across his impressive chest, sending my current level of arousal into orbit. I want to kiss and touch him too, and I wonder what they would think of sharing me in this moment. The thought of alternating my affections between them is a massive turn-on. I surprise myself with the idea, but I don’t articulate it. I know it’d take a lot for Cooper to get to that point. “I hoped you might like to go for a late run, but I can see you’re otherwise occupied.” Coop pushes off the fence and starts jogging away from the house toward the outer fields and the woods at the back.

  “Coop, wait!” I holler after him.

  I want to be alone. The thought plops into my mind, and I know he’s put it there.

  I watch his retreating form blur, and then he’s gone in a flash. I kick at the ground under foot. “We really need to have a group conversation about our relationship.”

  “I agree, because Coop is way too possessive of you. He’s never been great at sharing, and I suspect this is extremely difficult for him.”

  I sigh, and Maddox slings his arm around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head. “Let him run it out of his system.”

  “I think I should go after him. I hate the thought of him being upset, and he’s always there to console me when I’m feeling down.”

  Beck pops into existence before the conversation continues, startling me. “Holy fuck, Beck!” I rub a hand over my chest. “I seriously think you guys do that on purpose to freak me out.”

  He doesn’t laugh, and the grave expression on his face has me instantly worried. “Tori, your aunt just called the house. Your mom is sick, and she thinks you should come over.”

  The heaviest pressure settles on my chest. “Did she say what’s wrong with her?” I plant my hands on his shoulders. “How serious is it?”

  He holds my face. “I don’t think it’s serious, but she knew you’d want to be there.”

  “I can take you,” Maddox says.

  “Can you come too?” I ask Beck. “And bring your medical stuff. If she is sick, maybe you have something that will help?”

  �
��Maybe. I’ll go get it and meet you out by the car. We’d best not teleport considering your aunt isn’t in the know.”

  “Okay, but hurry,” I beseech him.

  All thoughts of Cooper are forgotten as we drive to the farmhouse. Maddox floors it, and I’m grateful. Every minute that passes increases my anxiety. By the time we reach the house, I’m a nervous wreck. I have the car door open before the engine has fully died.

  Aunt May opens the door to me. “Where is she? Is she okay? How serious is it?”

  “Victoria. Calm down.” My aunt takes my hands in hers. “The doctor has been here. She has caught that nasty bout of flu that’s going around, but she’s going to be fine. She just needs plenty of rest and fluids and she’ll recover. She knew you would worry if you heard this around town, so she asked me to call you.”

  Maddox and Beck appear behind me. Aunt May shoos them inside. “Come in, boys. I don’t want any draft to enter the house.” She quickly closes the door, securing the draft stopper at the base of the solid wooden door to keep the cold out. I rush into the living room. Mom is huddled under a thick blanket on a chair in front of a roaring fire. Strips of damp hair are plastered to her brow, and her pallor is unnaturally pale. Little beads of sweat have formed over her lip, and she shivers uncontrollably.

  I drop to my knees in front of her. “Momma. How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve felt better, but it’s not too bad. I just didn’t want you worrying, and I knew you’d want to see for yourself.”

  “Let Beck check you over, Mom. He might have something to help.”

  She casts a glance over her shoulder. “May, could you make some hot chocolate? I know the boys love it.”

  “I’ll help,” Maddox offers, trailing after May. He slants me a reassuring look, letting me know he’ll keep her occupied until Beck has finished.

  Beck quickly checks her vitals. “You have a fever and a low-grade infection. I have a serum I can give you, but I’ve never tested it on humans before. I can’t say exactly how it will affect you.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t want to take any risks. We’ll just have to let the infection run its course.”