Varius: #9 (Luna Lodge)

by Madison Stevens

  She smiled and walked over to him. He loved that this smile was all for him.

  Lena wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes. Varius met her the rest of the way for a soft kiss. This one was brief but still seemed to carry all the emotions from last night.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “I know the sleeping arrangement isn’t ideal, but I’m glad to see them.”

  Varius smiled down at her. “They seem glad to see you, too.”

  She sighed and placed her head against his chest. “They’ll be glad to know you too once they get to know you better.”

  Varius ran a hand through her hair, not near as certain as she was about that but unwilling to voice his concerns.

  “I better call Titus,” he said and stepped away. Varius made his way to the door and looked back at her. “You might want to get a nap in. I want you well rested for when we get home.”

  He chuckled as a blush spread across her face and hurried back to his room before he got himself into trouble.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Your people eat their steaks cooked, right?” Lena’s mother asked, a slight frown on her face.

  Lena could feel her eyelid start to twitch again. She loved her parents, but so help her God, she was about five seconds away from laying into them both.

  “Mom,” Lena said and ground her teeth. Her mother frowned at her.

  “What? How am I supposed to know? They say a lot of things on the news. It’s hard to know.” She waved. “It’s not exactly like I’ve known a lot of these hybrids types.”

  Varius placed his hand on Lena’s in her lap, likely trying to stop her from squeezing them so hard they popped.

  “Yes, cooked is preferable, Sue,” he said.

  Relief spread across her mother’s face. Apparently she was happy their house guest wasn’t some raw meat-consuming monster.

  The tension in the room thinned a bit. Although now that Varius had his sunglasses off, Lena caught them staring at his unusual eyes. Not that Lena could blame them for that. They were amazing, and she sometimes found herself getting a bit lost in them.

  Her mother passed the food around and took one of the smaller steaks from the plate. They had always been a steak and potatoes sort of family. Nothing about that was ever going to change, and tonight was no different. Steak, mashed potatoes and green beans. Simple but still good.

  And she was just sure her mom had pulled out all the stops by making her pineapple upside down cake. One blue ribbon at the county fair, and it suddenly became the only cake she wanted to make.

  “So, Varius, that’s an unusual name,” her mother said as she dished out some green beans for herself.

  Lena glanced over at the large man next to her.

  “It was the name I was assigned,” he said simply.

  She could see the looks her parents gave each other. Assigned wasn’t really something someone attributed to their name in her world.

  She was sure Varius wasn’t eager to discuss the evil Horatius Group. Although she was still learning about the hybrids’ past, the little she knew was horrific: children taken from or given by their mothers, trained to be soldiers, with nothing approaching a normal life until the last few years. It was miracle they could normally function at all.

  Her father cleared his throat. Apparently it was his turn to start grilling Varius.

  “And, um, want sort of job do you do? Do you have a job?”

  Varius looked over to her father as Lena pushed around the food on her plate.

  “I’m a part of the security forces. Usually I’m assigned to recon or scout missions, since I’ve good eyesight, even for one of our kind, but right now I’ve been assigned to keep your daughter safe.”

  Her mother gasped loudly. She shot a panicked look over at Lena’s father.

  “Is she in some sort of danger?” she asked Varius and then turned to Lena. “Are you in danger?”

  Lena sighed. She had been hoping to avoid creating unnecessary worry for her parents. Her eyes found Varius, who looked a little surprised that they were unaware.

  “I’m totally safe,” she said. “There were just some issues with some men bothering Paige, and since we’re friends, I was at risk.”

  Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but Lena hurried on and said, “But we’ve not heard anything from them in several months, so it’s really just a precaution.”

  Varius nodded his agreement. “We’re not worried at all.”

  They ate in silence for a bit, her parents just trying to sort out what she’d just said. Lena knew they would worry. It was what parents did, but Varius added a whole new element to all this.

  She hoped she could make them see that he not only would keep her safe, but that he made her happy.

  Once dinner finished, she helped her mother clear the table while Varius and her father went in the living room to watch a little football. She had no idea if Varius knew the first thing about football, but he seemed content to go in the other room with her father. All things considered, the visit was going pretty well.

  When they had everything in the kitchen, her mother started filling the sink. There was no dishwasher in their house. As her mother had told her a million times, hands did a better job of scrubbing.

  “Is this some sort of rebellion?” her mother asked as she poured in a little soap.

  Lena frowned, her stomach clenching. Apparently things weren’t going as well as she thought. “What?”

  Her mother turned to look at her from the sink. “This relationship, are you rebelling against us?”

  Lena rolled her eyes. “I’m twenty-five and haven’t lived at home in years, it’s a little late for that I think.”

  Her mother scrubbed the plates hard and set them in the sink next to her. “Then why him? This just doesn’t make sense. Why not someone more normal?”

  “That’s why.” Lena walked over and rinsed off the dishes and set them in the rack. “He’s different, just like you said,” she said quietly. “He listens when I talk and cares about what I think. I’ve never met a man like him.”

  “He’s a hybrid.” Her mother paused to look at her. “He’s not really a man, is he?”

  Lena pressed her lips in a hard line. “No,” she said as she stared hard at her mother. “He’s more than that. What’s more, I think I’m falling in love with him.”

  The words came out before she really knew she had said it.

  Love? It had maybe crossed her mind before, but it just seemed so soon. How much time did a person need before they knew it was more than just dating?

  Her mother’s shoulders sagged a little, and she slowed down her scrubbing. She gave a little laugh. “Did I ever tell you how I met your father?”

  Lena smiled. “Grandpa hired him for some summer work moving bales of hay.”

  Her mother nodded. “I knew the moment I saw him that he was special.” Her voice was soft like she was remembering the day. She shook her head a little. “Although it wasn’t hurt by the fact he had his shirt off and was lifting bales of hay into the truck.”

  “Mom! Too much information.”

  Her mom chuckled at the outburst. “I might be your mom, but I wasn’t blind,” she said and turned to Lena. “And because of him I have you.”

  Lena placed the plate she had been holding on the drying rack.

  “We just want to see you happy,” her mom said. “I don’t understand all of this, and I don’t understand his kind at all, but if he makes you happy then that’s all we can ask.”

  Lena dried her hands and wrapped them around her mother. “Thanks, Mom.”

  * * *

  Varius watched the men on the screen slam into each other. Football wasn’t a sport he’d gotten into, but he understood the general principles. Some even said it was a kind of simulated battle.

  Things were simple for the fan though: pick a team and cheer when they scored. It seemed that they were cheering for the ones in the green and yellow uniforms.
<
br />   Jim hadn’t said anything to him since they came into the room, and despite trying to give Lena and her mother privacy, it was hard to tune them out when they were talking about him, the blessing and the curse of superior hearing.

  Lena said she was falling in love with him. The words echoed in his head and made him want to stand up and shout his love for her. He’d worried for so long that he’d never be able to convince her.

  Varius allowed himself small smile. Her mother seemed to be accepting Lena’s admission, but her father might prove tougher to convince.

  “You don’t talk much do you?” Jim said.

  Varius turned to look at Jim. “No, sir.”

  Jim nodded. “Good,” he said. “I hate men who feel they have to jabber on about nothing just to hear themselves talk. World would be a better place if more people shut their traps.”

  He chuckled. It wasn’t exactly the sort of conversation he was expecting, but at least he’d curried some favor with her father by just being the quiet person he was.

  There was no point in admitting that he’s learned that being quiet often let him know when his enemy was near, and it allowed him to collect intelligence.

  It was something he’d learned at the Horatius Group facility, even when he wasn’t actively training. Even the Group scientists and technicians liked to talk and would often tell him things they shouldn’t have just to fill the air with some sort of noise.

  Being quiet also was a form of open stealth, even in front of others. People at the facility would forget he was there and talk about their plans. He knew well before the others that the US military was on to them. He’d heard the Group staff talking about moving all the material out and then shipping out the hybrids.

  Fortunately for them, the military had acted faster than they expected, and the workers only had enough time to escape leaving the hybrids behind.

  Varius shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to have his head full of thoughts of the facility while visiting with Lena’s father.

  “You play sports?” Jim asked.

  He nearly laughed. It wasn’t really the sort of thing they had been allowed to do. Even now, they still lived a life shaped by their experiences with the Horatius Group.

  “Of a sort,” he said. “It’s a bit like capture the flag. We also used to run some training exercises with the military. Combat situation simulations.”

  Her father nodded and went back to watching the game. Varius guessed that was a reasonable response. Plenty of non-hybrids were soldiers too, after all.

  He instantly knew when Lena entered the room. Her sweet tropical scent floated over to him, enticing him to her side.

  “Mom made her famous pineapple upside down cake,” Lena said. She smiled and handed him a slice.

  Her mother blushed at the compliment. “Oh stop.”

  Varius took a bite and nodded to Sue.

  “Best pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever had.” Strictly speaking it was true, given that he’d never had pineapple upside down cake before.

  Sue smiled from ear-to-ear.

  “Well, you just have as much as you want. I imagine a man like you burns off calories like their nothing, being so huge and all.”

  “Mom!” Lena said.

  She blushed hard, and he resisted reaching up to run his hand across her hot cheek. Instead he focused on the cake in front of him. He finished the dessert in a few bites.

  Varius stood, and Sue took the plate from him.

  “I think I’d better head to bed. It was a long drive here.”

  Lena nodded.

  “Same here,” she said.

  Sue looked between the two of them and nodded. “I think we’ll be up for a little longer,” she said and glanced over to Jim.

  Varius guessed that it was a warning in case they had any ideas about slipping into one another's rooms.

  “Good night,” he said. He nodded to them both and made his way up to the top of the stairs.

  He stopped just outside his door and waited for Lena.

  She blushed again when she saw he had waited.

  Without waiting, he kissed her hard. They would have to be fast before her mother decided there was something she needed from upstairs. He doubted she would appreciate finding them making out in the hallway.

  Varius pulled back and stared down at her.

  “Wow,” she whispered.

  He couldn’t stop the grin as it spread on his face.

  “Goodnight, Lena,” he said quietly.

  Lena nodded.

  “Goodnight, Varius.”

  Not able to trust himself, he gave a sharp nod and went into his room.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lena tossed and turned in her bed, sleep elusive. Her mind remained focused on the hot hybrid across the hall.

  The kiss lingered in her thoughts. It only helped to further inflame the passion she felt for Varius.

  She cursed silently before rolling in her bed and punching her pillow.

  Timing. Oh, the timing.

  It had seemed like such a great idea to visit her parents right away. They wanted to see her, and she wanted them to meet and accept her new boyfriend. Then she showed up and her parents stuck them in separate rooms.

  Lena bit her lip. They should have holed up at Luna Lodge for a good week of non-stop sex before going on this trip. The threatened agony of waiting already seemed unbearable.

  She ached for Varius, even more now than she had before. Knowing how he felt inside her hadn’t lessened the need but only amplified it. Those fingers, his tongue, his cock, her body demanded their return.

  Lena sighed loudly and decided she would just take a shower. If anything, she might be able to achieve a fraction of relief from her own hands in there. Better something than nothing.

  She climbed out of bed and stepped into the hall. As quietly as she could manage, she opened the door to the linen closet where her mother kept the extra towels. No reason everyone else needed to get up because she couldn’t sleep. Not like she wanted to explain the reason to her mother.

  Lena pulled a towel from the shelf and turned around. A hand quickly clamped over her mouth before she could shout in fright. Her heart began thundering.

  Two soft yellow eyes stared down at her. Lust swallowed fear. Her own gaze drifted to his shirtless chest. Her nipples tightened. Her center ached.

  Varius shook his head in an indication to stay quiet and moved them to her room. Once inside, he closed the door behind them quietly.

  “What are you doing?” he asked as he took his hand off her mouth.

  “Huh?” Lena crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m taking a shower. What are you doing?” She raised a brow.

  “Listening to you move around.” Her breath caught in her throat as he stepped closer to her. “Oh.”

  The ache between her legs only grew the closer he moved. Her legs bumped the bed as she backed up in retreat from him. He glanced down to the bed, and his eyes only glowed brighter.

  Despite her body’s urgent demands, her rational mind still had an objection.

  “My parents,” she whispered. “They’ll hear.”

  Varius stopped and tilted his head, as if listening, for a moment. “Out solid,” he said and moved closer. “Your dad is snoring.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she said and sighed. “You already heard though. I’m not quiet.” She placed a hand against his chest. Her thumb moved along the muscles there. Her center throbbed.

  Varius leaned in, his mouth near her ear.

  “I know,” he rumbled.

  Heat shot through Lena. She was half-temped to strip down and get it over with given the overwhelming ache between her legs, regardless of who might have heard.

  Varius moved away from her and looked out the open window. With ease he quietly popped the screen off and stepped through onto the overhang. He held out his hand, and Lena shook her head.

  She almost wanted to laugh. Twenty-five years old, and yet she
was sneaking out windows like some sort of love-sick teenager.

  “What about the stairs?” she whispered.

  “Too creaky.” Varius shook his head. “Too loud.”

  She glanced back at the door and then to him.

  He motioned with his hand.

  “Trust me,” he said. “I know a thing or two about sneaking around.”

  Lena sighed and made her way to the window. As quietly as she could, she climbed through and onto the roof.

  Varius snatched her up. Then they left the roof. She bit her lip as she realized they were sailing through the air. Her pulse pounding, she snapped her eyes shut so she wouldn’t be tempted to cry out.

  As if it were nothing, Varius landed softly. Then they were running. Or more accurately, he was running.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, her mouth near his ear. She tightened her arms around his neck.

  “The nearest water,” he said.

  Lena frowned. There was a creek nearby, but she didn’t remember ever talking about it with Varius. No sooner had she thought about the creek than they arrived.

  She blinked, still in Varius arms, as he stood right in front of the creek. He placed her feet on the ground, and she looked up at him.

  “How did you know about this place?” she asked.

  She wondered if he’d looked at maps or something before arriving. It seemed like something a suspicious hybrid might do.

  Varius shrugged. “I could smell it.”

  Lena stared at him with awe. The more she learned about the hybrids, the more their abilities surprised her.

  Varius stepped over to the water’s edge, the pale moon light casting him in a soft glow like some sort of Roman god summoned from the ancient world into modern times.

  She gasped when he pulled down the pajama pants he was wearing. Given his lack of change in his expression, he was content to be totally naked.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  Varius turned to her in his full glory, and she had to fight to keep her eyes on his face.

  He shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? Going for a swim.”