Finding Trust (Centre Games)

by Natalie Gayle

  She spun on her heel and left before he could say another word. Her annoyed footsteps echoed down the corridor. Christ, she was formidable. He almost felt sorry for the boss.

  Their altered physical state was a lot to lie on a person. Jazz seemed to be coping with it just fine. A bit pissed off but she was dealing. He only hoped Rihanna was as understanding. He couldn’t let her go now that he’d found her. He’d decided that days ago. Now that she was pregnant, he’d fight with everything in him to make sure her and the baby were with him always. This was the future he wanted more than anything. Now he just had to convince Rihanna.

  ***

  She was propped up in bed, a big pillow under her right hip and side providing some extra comfort. She didn’t see him at first as she stared off into space.

  He was nearly to the bed before she recognised he was there.

  “Bray,” she breathed, turning slightly to greet him.

  He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, not quite sure how welcome he would be. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss her till neither of them could think of anything else but he sensed that was not what she needed right now.

  “Hey, baby, how are you feeling?” he asked gently, his voice clearly full of concern.

  “I’ve been better. At least the pain meds are kicking in.”

  He perched his hip on the side of the bed and stroked the hair from her forehead.

  “Is it safe for you to be having pain meds?”

  “What do you mean, Brayden?” She was obviously more than a little annoyed at his question. “I’m in pain. Lots of pain—getting trampled by a horse will do that.”

  He nodded his concern but he still had more on his mind. “Well, aren’t pregnant women supposed to refrain from taking medications?”

  “I’m not sure I’m even pregnant. Why does everyone seem to think it’s a foregone conclusion?”

  Her voice was becoming more and more annoyed by the second. This was not going to go well if she got even more pissed at him before he had a chance to explain.

  “Besides, shouldn’t we be talking about the ‘trust’ issues we clearly have?” She winced and lowered her arms, immediately regretting the angry air quotes she’d given to emphasise her point.

  His face flashed with shame, horror, and something else. “You remember that conversation.”

  “Bit hard to forget, Brayden. Not every day you find out your boyfriend is not quite human, well at least not as you know the definition to be,” she flared back at him.

  He visibly flinched at her words. She was technically correct but it still stung like a bitch. He wasn’t human as everyone knew humans to be. He was enhanced by the science of humans to a whole new level.

  “It’s true I’m not human, quite as human as you generally know people to be. The team at the Centre and I are all products of the science of humans. We had no choice in it. We were born this way, if you can call it that.”

  He’d tried but the regret and hurt in his voice was undeniable.

  “Why don’t you tell me the truth for a change? I think I at least deserve that. And besides, they don’t seem like they’re in a hurry to let me out so it’s not like I haven’t got the time.” He may be hurt but she was, too. He’d betrayed her trust by not telling her earlier.

  He owed her the “truth” as she’d so obviously pointed out to him. He could only hope his worst fears did not come true.

  He shifted on the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position.

  “The twelve of us at the Centre all have altered DNA. Our DNA was altered in test tubes prior to us being implanted and then born. They spliced our human DNA with the DNA of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac.”

  Rihanna burst out laughing and wheezed out, “Chinese zodiac,” before the pain became too much.

  He paused. The irony was not lost on him. “I know, hard to believe and a little too close to home after what we’ve been through the last couple of weeks. Why the Chinese zodiac, anyone knows. Apparently, they thought it was the best balance of animal genes or something. Doesn’t really matter, we just all ended up with it.”

  She settled and looked at him expectantly, so he continued. “So each of us has DNA from all the animal signs but we have more of one in particular. Mine, if you haven’t guessed, is equine.”

  He could see Rihanna processing this information and comparing it with the various experiences they’d shared. Brayden waited; he knew she’d quickly put the pieces together. His girl was super smart.

  “So that’s why you’re so good with horses. They see you as the alpha stallion.”

  She looked at him with her beautiful eyes, seeking confirmation of her thinking.

  “Exactly. That’s why I could calm the mare and she followed me like I’d known her for years. It’s also why I could interact with the young stock at the sale.” He paused before he went on. “It was also the main reason I was given the assignment. My dominant equine DNA made me the obvious choice.”

  Brayden could see she hadn’t decided how she felt about the last piece of information. No doubt she would feel manipulated; he could understand that. It was true in a lot of ways. However, their relationship was something neither of them could have predicted. It was one of those things that happened to thousands of people every day. They fell in love and it was beautiful. It was theirs and that’s what he was fighting for.

  Rather than let her gather her thoughts too long, he pressed on. “So as you now know, my dominant animal is the horse. Rory’s is dog and Quade is tiger. Knowing what you now know, you might be able to pick up the subtle differences.”

  She thought for a moment. “Yes, I can see it. It’s in the mannerisms. Quade’s definitely feline. He always seems to be stalking something. It’s so obvious now that I know.” There was almost a hint of excitement in her voice. The satisfaction of finally understanding something she’d been trying to process for a while. “Rory’s loyal, affectionate fun, and even a little goofy. Kind of a cross between a Labrador and a golden retriever.”

  At this, Brayden burst out laughing. “Now that you mention it, I can see it. Although knowing him as I do, I think there’s a fair bit of Rottweiler in there as well.”

  He could almost see her mind fly back to the scene at the stables were the bullet was fired. “He killed that guy, didn’t he?” she asked quietly.

  Brayden’s face had changed. Now solemn, it held none of the humour of a moment ago. “He did and for that I will be eternally grateful. If he hadn’t I wouldn’t be talking to you now, looking at the woman I love. The one who carries my child.”

  Rihanna gasped, clearly shocked by his words.

  God, he was stupid. He should have eased her into it slowly. Shit, he’d got all melancholy and emotional and so not how he normally was. She did this to him. He’d never felt things so clearly or so deeply. Only now, because he’d rushed it, he could feel things unravelling further. She was pulling away.

  “What do you mean ‘the one who carries my child’?”

  “Exactly that, Rihanna. You’re pregnant. I didn’t mean to break it to you this way.” One look at her face and he knew he’d screwed up, said too much, too soon; it was all too weird. “Christ, I’m stupid sometimes.” He shook his head, clearly angry with himself.

  “Brayden, how do you know I’m pregnant? I’m not even late yet. You’re assuming.” She dropped her gaze. Embarrassment, anger, frustration all flashed across her face.

  “I’m not assuming, Minky. I can smell the hormonal changes in your body. You’re as pregnant as can be.”

  The look of horror on her face was clear. He’d seen it once before and he’d had to work double quick to hide his abilities and ease her concerns on that occasion. This time he’d give her the truth.

  “We all have heighted sense of smells. Rory about ten thousand times a normal human and me around seven thousand times. I can distinguish your unique scents from millions of others.”


  “That’s how you found me New Year’s Eve. You saw them take me but you could track me by scent. You slipped up that day in the car park and nearly gave yourself away.”

  He nodded, indicating she was correct.

  “What else can you do? What other talents do you have?”

  “We generally refer to them as enhancements but talents or abilities works just as well.” He shot her a seductive smile and winked at her.

  She wasn’t having any of his charm right now. “That’s exactly how I got into this damned mess. Answer the question, Brayden.”

  “Well, I don’t see this as a ‘damned mess.’ I see this as the most incredible thing that has happened in my life and I hope in yours, but we’ll leave that portion of the discussion for later. As to what I can do, well, all five of my human senses are enhanced to at least animal proportions, some more so. So taste, sight, hearing, smell, touch are all off the human charts. However, I also have animal speed, strength, and endurance, and a sixth sense for danger. I have a huge appetite, which I’ve disguised the best I can but I’ve seriously been starving, and I can exist on next to no sleep. That enhancement I’m hoping you’ll be grateful for in about nine months’ time when our baby arrives.”

  He could see her trying to process everything. It was a lot to take in. It had to be next to impossible with what she’d been through over the last couple of weeks.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know it’s an insane amount of information to take in but you wanted to know, you need to know, and what’s more, you deserve to know. That’s it. The secret. The one that no one outside the Centre knows, except for you, Jazz, and a few other top agency officials. My life is now an open book to you.”

  She looked at him, her hazel eyes full of hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  He swallowed hard, fighting back all the emotions he was feeling. “Because we’re not allowed to disclose our enhancements. It could create all sorts of problems. We didn’t even know we had them until we were all pulled into a class when we started university. All staged, of course. We all just happened to end up in a room and they confirmed what each of us had individually suspected for a long time. We were different. We had abilities. Strange abilities, incredible abilities. That’s when we became part of the Centre. It was a lot to process and to be honest, the news immediately isolated all of us from the rest of the population because of our abilities.” He paused and took a breath before continuing on.

  “However, we also gained brothers and sisters through the process. For that, I’ll be forever thankful. Meeting them, being with them somehow gave me a sense of comfort. Somehow from then on, I wasn’t so incredibly different that no one else was the same. Eleven other people knew exactly how I felt, what I was going through. That created a bond that will be unbreakable till death.”

  He waited while she thought about his words. His nerves were frazzled and he felt as if he was crossing a minefield about to explode at any second.

  Her next question surprised him. “So if you feel so bonded to them with their special abilities, how can I ever be enough?”

  “Oh, Rihanna, I don’t see any of them that way. I said they’re like brothers and sisters and they are.”

  At his words, she immediately protested. “But you and Rheeba seem so close. Like something more?”

  He laughed out loud at the suggestion.

  “No, definitely not. Rheeba enjoys ragging on me and vice versa. We’ve both spent so much time together our relationship is incredibly close. But don’t for one minute think there’s anything more.” He shook his head, clearing away the mental image that Rihanna’s words had made.

  “Honestly, the thought of kissing Rheeba is enough to make my dick shrivel up and hide. No, definitely not going there.” He looked at her directly with an undeniable hunger. “You, on the other hand, have a very different effect on me. I only have to think about you, look at you, scent you, and I have an unquenchable need to be with you, not as a sister, not as just a friend but as your partner, your lover, your man.”

  He tried to let his words sink in before he said anymore.

  “So you were looking for me on New Year’s Eve? How did you know what I smelt like?”

  Rihanna would have hundreds of questions and he fully intended to answer every one of them honestly and as fully as he could.

  “I’d been briefed that you’d be there. I was given your photo and a USB stick that you’d forwarded to your government colleagues. It was enough for me to get a scent profile. As soon as you moved into the crowd, I picked up on your scent because I knew what scent I was looking for.”

  She tilted her head, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, considering his explanation. “So all that flirting was just the job?”

  He sighed. God, this was difficult. He could see where she was heading and it was logical, but it was only part of the story for him.

  “Yes and no. Yes, I had to get close to you but no, you were never just a job. Like I said before, the sight and smell of you together was enough to get me very interested before I even met you. Once I met you, I knew that you were something very different and I wanted a chance to explore that. If you recall, I suggested we go back to my place; if you were just a job, I would never have taken you back there. As you know by now, I value my privacy very highly. Only the team, you, your father, Jazz, and the band have been to my place.”

  “So this is all based on how I look and how I smell?” She looked at him with doubt, desperately trying to understand.

  “No, you’re so much more than that. But at the time, that’s all I had to go on before I got the opportunity to meet you. I knew immediately I was physically attracted to you, but physical attraction wouldn’t have held my interest very long. It was when I got to know you that I knew you were the one for me.”

  She still looked sceptical, so he went on.

  “I know you’re struggling to believe this but it’s true. Yes, I’ve been attracted to other people. No doubt you have as well. Neither of us were virgins. But the point is you’re different. You showed me a side of you that cemented the physical attraction I already had. It rounded out you as a total person. That’s the person I’ve fallen in love with.”

  She looked at him again, trying to study his face to confirm what he’d told her.

  “It’s the truth, Rihanna, you can trust me. I have no more secrets.”

  The silence sat between them for a few long seconds.

  Why wasn’t she saying anything? Shit, even yelling at him would be better than this resigned silence. He was getting more and more desperate by the second.

  “Talk to me, Rihanna. What are you thinking?”

  “That’s the problem, Brayden; there’s just too much to take in and understand. I’ve lived through craziness the last couple of weeks. People have been killed. A virus has been released and I’ve become involved in a relationship with someone I thought and hoped was the one. Now I find out you have a huge secret but even more the secret is something that I couldn’t even consider in my wildest dreams. And on top of that, you now tell me I’m pregnant. Did we even manage to contain the virus?”

  She turned and looked away, shaking her head in frustration.

  “Yes, we did. The virus is contained to the sale yard, and we believe all the Chinese nationals have been detained. The boss has just about put all the pieces together and will give us a briefing tomorrow.”

  She shook her head, trying to take it all in.

  “Brayden, I don’t know what to think. I need time to process it all. I can’t deal with you, or any of this right now. Just go.”

  She spun away from him on the bed. The effort surely had to hurt but she refused to even whimper.

  He knew he’d handled it badly. It was just too much for anyone to take in. He needed to think as well.

  What he needed was a plan.

  ***

  Brayden walked into the briefing room he’d just come from visiting with Quade. Quade had come
out of surgery and was resting comfortably. He’d lost a lot of blood but fortunately the bullets had not hit anything major. They expected he’d be up for some company tomorrow.

  Peter and Jazz were at the table with the boss. If he had to guess, he’d say that Jazz was getting the briefing Tom had promised her.

  He took a chair and slumped in the seat, exhausted both physically and emotionally.

  “How is she taking it, son?” Peter immediately asked. He’d popped into see her just after Brayden had visited. She’d put on a brave face but he knew she was hurting far more than her physical injuries belied.

  “Physically, she’s in pain but toughing it out. Emotionally, that’s a whole other story. I came past on my way from seeing Quade; she still doesn’t want to talk to me. Fuck, what a mess!”

  Jazz rose to her feet and headed towards the door. “She needs to sleep right now. If I know Rih, she’ll be analysing everything to death and not letting herself have the time she needs to heal and put things into perspective. I’ll organise with the doctor to give her something to help with that.”

  “Won’t the drugs be harmful to the baby?” Brayden immediately asked, alarmed.

  Jazz paused mid-turn of the door handle, spun and blazed, “Brayden, if I hear you say that one more time, so help me, I’ll shoot you myself. Do you seriously think I would give her or let anyone else prescribe something for her that may hurt the baby?”

  “No,” he objected. “But nobody seems to believe me around here. She’s pregnant, I’m telling you.”

  “We believe you, Brayden. The blood results came back and she’s definitely pregnant with hormone levels far more elevated than we would normally expect for a woman only a few days after conception. We’re guessing that’s the effects of your DNA causing that,” Jazz confirmed, still hovering in the door.

  “It mirrors the information I pulled from the files about the pregnancies that resulted in all of you,” the boss put in. “Apparently all the women had elevated pregnancy hormones almost immediately.”