by LeAnn Mason
Devlin stared at me, searching for some unknown answer to his unasked questions. The man looked menacing when his considerable attention was fixed solely on one thing. That day, it was me. Yippee! After a few moments of watching me squirm under his scrutiny, he answered the commander.
"I can push her harder. Work on conditioning and finding and exploiting weaknesses. Yeah, I can work with this." Satisfaction radiated from him. He really liked the idea of me being more rounded in my skills and strength. He chose to focus on the future and how he could help me to take care of myself and be more effective as a backup for the rest of the team. I had to admit that I was, too. I hated that I was the only one on the team who didn't have an ability that could be projected outward. Yeah, I could hear their thoughts, which was handy, but I couldn't do anything about it. I still couldn't, but I could at least get in the middle of the fight and physically help. That'd have to do.
I slapped my hands onto the table, breaking everyone's contemplation, their eyes flitting to me. "Sorry. Are we good to go? You know all the dirty deets now." I smiled, but it fled when pain radiated from my bruised ribs, reality jumping back in, and I added, "Please keep this between us. My father obviously thought there was a big enough threat to me, if it was known, that we hadn’t told a soul. Please, don't make me regret trusting you."
"Didn't even tell me," Jade grumbled from my side. "That fact still hurts, you know."
Using my best bear hug as a distraction, I lifted her from the ground and quipped, "Take it up with my dad. He's the one that had me running scared." Then, I put her back to the floor as she cursed my name in her head. I just laughed, winced, and headed for the back door, letting the guys stew on the new information they'd been given. I needed a nap, and the farmhouse was calling my name.
Before we'd made our exit, Trent piped up. "Everyone is going to know that something’s up. You know that, right?" When I turned back to face him, I found all of them staring at my retreating form. "You've had that cast on for weeks, Nat. It's going to be very noticeable that you're no longer wearing it. It’ll raise questions. From everyone. People who knew when you got the cast will be extra curious. Are you all right with that?"
Was I? I guess I needed to be. I didn't want to hide anymore, and like Dev said, we needed to be able to trust our team but I was frozen stiff with fear. I was standing on a precipice. With a deep breath, I took a step off the edge praying I’d be caught instead of hauled in to become some science experiment. "You've got my back, right? I trust you guys to keep me safe. Plus, who even noticed how long ago I got the thing?" Did my voice wobble?
“Commander? I have someone in mind for a Primal recruit if you’re interested in adding another, especially if we aren’t sure about Brielle.” Jade made a play to get her recruit wiggled into the conversation, now that all the important information had been dished. She definitely had someone in mind, and I hadn’t even known that she’d grown close with her. Am I losing my best friend? My eyebrows drew together in my anxiety, drawing an equally-perplexed look from Jade in return.
Intelligent and curious cinnamon eyes found Jade’s greens as Commander James gave the go-ahead for her to pitch her recruit. Jade cleared her throat nervously, drawing invisible shapes absently on her jean-clad thigh, something she seemed to do when nervous. “I have gotten pretty close to the Wilson family as of late, since… since Dane. His sister Aimee is also a tracker, and her temperament is much like her brother’s. I think she’d make a great addition. I’d definitely choose her over Brielle as a female Primal contender. Anyway, just thought I’d throw her name out there. Do with it what you will.” Jade tipped an imaginary hat and turned on her heel to beat me out the secure steel door, exiting through the team’s entrance.
The door closed behind us before I could make out much more than the general agreement each had. They would take this information seriously, and they would guard it as best they could. If something happened, at least my team would know why. I wouldn't just disappear and be forgotten.
“Well, aren’t you just full of surprises.” I eyed Jade as we walked out into the daylight beyond the stark hallway.
“She’s very sweet; a lot like Dane, actually. Maybe that’s why I like her, I don’t know. But I do think she’d be a good addition to the team, and we don’t have a tracker anymore.”
“If it keeps you around and she doesn’t steal you away from me and force me to cut a bitch, then I guess I can’t complain.” I smirked to show I was kidding—-mostly. “If you like and trust her, then I will give her a chance.”
CHAPTER 6
Returning to consciousness was a slow process. Music pervaded my ears and roused my awareness, the symphonic melody part of a soothing blend I put together for sleeping or to just relax and open my mind. The feel of a hand running across my arm and down my back felt heavenly and further wakened me.
"How long have I been out?" I asked Holden, my voice still gravelly from sleep. Rolling onto my back in the bed, I stretched. My whole body elongated and unfurled, a pleasant tingle shaking my limbs.
It's dinner time, Holden said in answer, his finger still running up and down my right arm, my castless right arm. What happened? Why is your cast gone? How do you plan to explain it? His voice was soothing and curious, with an undertone of concern that he was trying to hide. Hadn't he learned yet that he couldn't hide his feelings from me?
Sitting up, I lay my back against the wall at the head of the bed and just looked at Holden. Man, I was a lucky girl. That gorgeous specimen of a man was all mine. From the top of his dark head to the bottom of his boot-clad feet—mine. The thought brought a smile to my face, and I couldn't stop myself from leaning forward for a kiss. Holden obliged and met me halfway, our lips touching gently, igniting the hunger we carried for each other and forcing the kiss deeper. Hands roamed and temperatures rose as we got completely sidetracked. The intoxicating scent of pine and sunshine was my drug and Holden, my supplier.
I landed flat on my back, head cushioned on a pillow as Holden grabbed my hips and pulled me down the bed so he could hover over me. My gasp was caught by his lips as his hand wandered south. I writhed beneath him, his teasing touches only driving my temperature toward “scalding”. When he released me, I turned my attention to his defined pecs, delivering a love bite that carried a little sting. Holden hissed his pleasure at my attention.
"C'mon, guys. No hanky-panky! I want to eat, and we need y'all present to get started, so… hop to!" Jade's silky voice followed by little fists rapping on the closed door diffused the haze of lust we'd been in, making me feel sheepish, just like every other time we’d been caught. "You've got three minutes before I let the guys loose on the tacos, and you know what that means. There is no such thing as leftovers." In the silence after her ultimatum, we heard light steps heading away.
With one last punishing kiss, I pushed Holden off me.
He rolled to lay on his back on the bed, arms behind his head and a lazy smirk plastered to his beautiful face. His eyes were that pretty turquoise color that affected him when he was worked, up until black eclipsed it. You never answered me about your arm. What happened to your cast? You can't go down to dinner without it and not out yourself.
"I outed myself to Commander James, Dev, and Trent this afternoon," I said as I rolled out of bed and put myself to rights, which included zipping up my shorts again. Silence greeted my statement, making me search out his eyes in question. "What? Does my hair scream ‘I was getting frisky with my man’?" I patted down my hair and finger-combed the tresses back into submission. It seemed as though my flippant comment was truer than I wanted to admit. But I knew that's not what had rendered him mute, pun totally intended, and I chuckled at my own joke before shrugging and turning toward the door.
I hadn't made it more than two steps before Holden grabbed my trailing hand, pulling me to a halt just before I reached the door. "You have something you'd like to say, do you?" I asked sarcastically as I turned to meet him, taking in his scrun
ched brows and slack jaw.
You told the team?
"I did."
I never thought you'd do that. Never thought you'd tell Boat Shoes.
"Ah, well, I didn't tell Boat Shoes. He wasn't there, but sans cast… he'll know."
And that doesn't worry you?
"It worries me very much, but I've decided that I can't continue hiding parts of me. I need to be strong enough to own the whole. Honestly, the team knowing should only benefit me. I see that now. Even if something happens, heaven forbid, if you guys know my… uniqueness, it may allow y'all to keep a level head. You know, trust me to be all right. It worked for you, didn't it?"
To some extent, he conceded. But I still worry about you. You know that. When you get hurt, I will still worry, even if I know good and well that it is nowhere near as serious as it appears. Speaking of, what triggered your info dump on the team?
"Well, Dev had me spar with Brielle today, and she took a cheap shot that collided with my cast, rendering it no more." My explanation was accompanied by hand movements, making a “poof” gesture to elaborate. I paused my descent toward the kitchen and looked back when I no longer heard footsteps behind me. Holden had stopped on the stairs—a statue—as he stared at me.
"What?" I knew my hair was fine; I'd already checked it. "Uh-uh. Nope. No worries, remember. Flip those eyes back to blue, Mister. It's all good. Broke the cast, that's all." I brought up my right arm, maneuvering it this way and that as a demonstration. "See? Good to go. Now, knock it off." I wasn't going to stand there and wait while he got himself back in order. I was hungry, and dinner smelled divine.
I gave him a finger wave as I hit the ground floor and turned toward the dining area, more than ready to stuff my mouth with deliciousness. I'd slept, which was the first step in healing the bruises and aches left by Brielle. I needed protein to complete the cycle and get back to being blemish-free.
The marvelous smell continued to lure me to the kitchen where there was an array of taco toppings to quell my hunger, which was good, because just looking over my options had my stomach rumbling, loudly.
Feed the beast. She's hangry. Holden chuckled as he handed me a plate in encouragement. You will want to be sated when you set eyes on Steve, or, rather, when he sets eyes on you.
"Fair point," I conceded. I would probably do something stupid and impulsive if Boat Shoes opened his mouth and I was still hungry. "I think I'll eat one in here. You know, take the edge off a bit."
Good call.
We each quickly made a taco and proceeded to snarf it down like it was our last meal on Earth. With a bit of taco in my tummy, I could face the rest of the team, the people I had opened up to with information that could change my life dramatically. That included Boat Shoes, by default. With a quick pep talk as I made myself two more tacos, I stood straighter, head held high as I marched to the table where the rest of the team was gathered. "Here goes nothing," I murmured as I crossed the threshold, Holden's large hand a reassuring weight at my back.
For a few moments, I thought I might actually get through dinner unscathed, mainly because Steve wasn't there. But, as I was finishing up my second taco, Steve graced us with his presence. I ignored him, as did the rest of the table, but I knew the moment it registered.
"Where is your cast?"
"Gone," I answered as I took another bite of deliciousness. Tacos were such great things, and being relatively easy to make, they were a staple in the meal rotation.
"How exactly is it gone?"
Hearing the exasperation in Steve's voice just made me want to continue being vague. It was fun, and one needed to find humor where they could in trying times. "It came off."
I couldn't completely stifle the snort that bubbled up as Steve huffed, rolled his eyes, and crossed his measly arms across his measly chest. He looked like a spoiled child, complete with collared shirt and boat shoes. He didn't know how to wear anything else, and his immaculate duds always made the rest of our cast-off wardrobe seem even less spiffy in comparison. I'd manage, though, if it meant I didn't resemble the Davidsons in any way. Besides, I liked the enforcer gear.
"How is your arm fixed?" he grated.
"It's all better. See?" I waved and flipped the appendage around like a fish out of water before bringing it back to where it was needed, helping get a taco into my mouth. That was much more important than handing Steve the answer he was looking for. The rest of the team gathered around the table were also trying to stifle their amusement. We all liked to see Steve squirm. It seemed only fair when he thought so little of the rest of us.
He stomped past where we sat happily munching on our meal, throwing a disgruntled, "Fine. I don't need you to spell it out for me. I'm more intelligent than all of you put together. I get that her arm is healed. But sure, play games."
When Steve's surly voice trailed into the kitchen, the snickers burst forth from the table's occupants. Tears were shed and thighs were slapped in mirth. It was all a little overkill for the situation, but being bottled up and buttoned down so much of the last several weeks had caused a backup, and the dam had broken. I was glad that laughter was what escaped. It was infinitely better than anger or sorrow, both of which were swirling around in our heads and hearts.
"Anyone up for a movie night?" The idea came to me on the heels of our laughter. We needed a night to just hang out. No expectations, no training. Just a bit of bonding time. By the time everyone had agreed with either a verbal affirmation or a head nod, I was giddy. I wasn't sure just how long we'd all be cohabitating, and I was feeling nostalgic at the thought that these squad nights would be much harder to come by in the future. For a group that didn't exactly get along at the beginning, we were a pretty damn good team.
"Guys pick the movie!" Trent shouted, a triumphant smile lighting his face as he nearly toppled his chair in his haste to be the first to make it to the selection.
"Don't hurt yourself, brother. We all know just how out of shape you are." Dev shook his head in mock reproach as he slid out of his chair and followed Trent into the living room, a bit of friendly bickering ensuing.
"Why don't you go keep them in line, Jade? I'll clean up here, seeing as I crashed and didn't help with any prep." I ducked my head a bit at the realization.
"Girl, no worries. You had an eventful morning, and because I am proud of you, I will let your tardiness slide—this time." She winked playfully as she, too, wandered toward the TV, which held the attention of most of our team.
"Where did Steve go?" I wondered aloud once I realized he never reappeared after our circling the subject of my arm. Holden's shrug of indifference told me that, like me, he had no clue and less than cared. "Oh, well. Not like he'd join us anyway."
It made me sad in a way. The rest of the team was getting along famously, working together and backing each other up when needed. But Steve was still on the outskirts. We had so far been able to count on him to have our back in tactical situations, but any form of personal interaction was met with derision. I felt sheepish when I realized that my interaction with him tonight did us no favors in changing that fact. Well, crap. Guess that means I need to at least attempt to be nice and include Boat Shoes, I thought a little ruefully. "Maybe I should try to find him. You know, invite him to watch with us?" I looked to Holden for input, the uncertainty painting my face.
I think he went up to his room. Not sure if he left, though. Holden shrugged again.
"Okay, guess I'll go check. Do you know what they decided on?"
Haven't heard a decision yet, but with Trent and Dev in charge, I'm quite sure it will be an action flick. With a swift swat to my derriere, Holden winked and headed to the living room to join the discussion or at least moderate. Be quick, or I just might give your seat away…
I gasped in mock outrage. "You would never!"
I laughed as he threw out a, Watch me, before disappearing from the room. It was time to put my team-building thoughts into action. There was definite friction between Steve and the r
est of the team, me included, but how much of it was perpetuated by us? Were we ostracizing him, making him feel more in control if he lashed out? I'd not heard any hurt in his mental voice, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. Time for me to put on my Captain pants and bring this team together. The nickname was still thrown about as a joke now and then, but it was becoming more of a reality as we took on new recruits. Devlin and I were the two who seemed to have the most sway, giving us each a bit more authority than we maybe wanted.
I stepped up to the landing on the second floor, having been lost in my contemplation as I ascended the staircase. I was good at that: losing myself to thought or music and being pretty much oblivious to the outside world. It was a defense mechanism, a way for me to shut out the unwanted external voices, my version of a mental wall.
Another step brought me to Steve's closed door at the end of the hall. I heard a bit of thought, so I rapped my knuckles on the white surface before I could talk myself out of it. Physical silence greeted me in its wake, but the mental voice perked. He was suspicious. We never came to his door if we could help it. Which is exactly what you're seeking to rectify, Nat, I scolded myself. So naturally, I pounded again, a little more obnoxiously.
"Steve. I know you're in there. Telepathic, remember?" I paused and leaned against the doorway, a thoughtful visage upon my face. "Though, I will admit you are doing a very good job, otherwise, of pretending you're not in there—"
"What do you want?" Steve complained as he plowed heavily toward the door and yanked it open to glare at me where I perched against the frame.
"Well, I figured I should be a polite and accepting person and invite you to watch a movie with us downstairs." I already knew he'd be declining, his thoughts shocked but veering quickly to derisive. "Dude. Just… give it a rest for a few, yeah? What else were you going to do tonight? Sit in your room and brood about how much you hate us all?"
