by Wendi Wilson
Purify
Blood Persuasion Book 2
Wendi Wilson
Copyright © 2018 by Wendi Wilson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover by Molly Phipps at We Got You Covered Book Design
Created with Vellum
For my mother, Audrey Wolicki and my granny, Lizzie Alma Williams, both in heaven.
I inherited the Williams temper and you both were in my heart when I created Savanna James. I wish you were here to meet her.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Untitled
Thank You
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
“Hey, Savanna, how’s it goin’?”
I looked around, wondering where the hidden cameras were. Because there was no way I wasn’t getting punked.
“Hey, Lizzie,” I said, my words coming out slow and brimming with disbelief.
Lizzie Williams was the best friend of my arch nemesis, Fiona Butler. She was always at Fiona’s side, giggling behind her hand every time Fiona took it upon herself to torture me or try to put me in my place. Sure, things had gotten much better after my boyfriend Jett used persuasion to make Fiona leave me alone, but neither of them had ever spoken to me cordially.
“Can I sit with you guys?” she asked.
My eyes flitted over to her usual table and I saw Fiona, looking at Lizzie with pain in her eyes. She looked over at me and her face turned pink before she snarled and looked back down at her lunch tray. I watched her for a moment. She surreptitiously swiped at her eyes. Was she crying? I’d known Fiona since kindergarten and hadn’t seen her cry since the incident. The one where I’d lost my temper with her teasing and yanked her to the ground by her pigtail. Needless to say, she’s hated me ever since.
Lizzie hated me by default, because Fiona did, which was why I was so shocked by her sudden, unexpected friendliness. I looked at Jett, then Wyatt and Beckett, who all wore identical expressions of disbelief mixed with a healthy dose of suspicion. Lizzie didn’t seem to notice and slid onto the bench beside me.
She flipped her dark, perfectly spiraled hair over her shoulder and leaned in close to me. The scent of baby powder and lilies wafted up my nose. She smelled sweet, but that didn’t mean she was sweet. I needed to keep my guard up.
“These boys are fine,” she whispered behind her hand, her breath tickling my ear. “Are any of them available?”
My eyes widened as I looked at each of the brothers. Of course, they heard every word. Alts have super-hearing. Either Lizzie didn’t know that, or she did and was hoping they’d hear. Jett had his arrogant smirk plastered on his face, Wyatt was grinning ear to ear and Beckett was staring at his book, a pink hue tingeing his cheeks.
Despite their bland responses, I knew they were on pins and needles, waiting to see what I’d say. Or do. My temper was somewhat famous, so it wasn’t beyond the realm of reality that I’d lose it and push her right off the bench and onto the floor.
Because no, they weren’t available. They were mine. All of them. But no one knew that yet, save for my parents and their uncle. We hadn’t made it public knowledge. I wasn’t ready. But I wasn’t about to let Lizzie Williams, with her perfect hair and beautiful café au lait complexion, come in and try to take them from me, either.
I struggled to find the right words, something that would discourage her interest while still keeping my secret. As I opened my mouth, a memory hit me and I closed it again. My eyes narrowed, thinking back to the boys’ first day at school, when I was hiding out in the bathroom. Lizzie and Fiona came in and had a conversation, not knowing I was there.
“Did you see them?” a high-pitched voice asked as the sound of a zipper met my ears.
“Yes,” said another voice. “One of them is in my trig class, second period. I just about died when he walked in. I wonder if I can switch to another class.”
The first voice was Fiona, who went on to say she wanted them and that she’d try to get them to fight over her. Repugnance filled me at the memory. My main goal since this whole thing started was to keep the boys from fighting over me. Fiona’s desire to make them challenge each other for her was disgusting.
The second voice had been Lizzie. She had sounded appalled, like it offended her tender sensibilities to share the same classroom with an Alt. I remembered thinking that one day, she’d probably end up a Purist, a member of the radical religious group that wanted to rid the earth of Alts.
I wondered what she was playing at, cozying up to me and showing an interest in my boys. I knew I needed to handle the situation gently if I was going to get answers. I turned toward her and whispered, mimicking her gesture by holding my hand up to block my mouth.
“Maybe you should ask them.”
Wyatt coughed, an action I knew was meant to cover a laugh. Beckett’s head snapped up from his book, his expression slightly incredulous. I turned my head to look at Jett, who sat on the opposite side of me from Lizzie. A soft smile played about his lips, one lacking his usual arrogance. He was proud of my calm, logical response. I arched a brow at him, daring him to comment on my usual fly-off-the-handle style of handling unwanted situations. His grin grew bigger.
“I’m Lizzie,” she said, bringing my attention back to her.
“Lizzie, meet Wyatt, Beckett, and Jett Patton,” I said, pointing at each of them in turn.
“They are so identical,” she gushed. “How can you even tell them apart?”
Ignoring my annoyance at the fact she was talking about them like they weren’t there, I said, “They might look alike, but they are each so different, so unique, I could never confuse one for the other.”
Three gorgeous smiles met my words. I mentally slapped myself. I needed to be more careful, my feelings for them colored my words and their feelings for me were written all over their faces. Luckily, Lizzie was so self-absorbed, she didn’t notice.
She slid off the bench and stood beside the table. “I have to bounce, but it was very nice to meet you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
The sultry tone of her voice confirmed the innuendo, causing my head to swell. Jett’s hand wrapped around my arm, keeping me from following her across the cafeteria and snatching her baldheaded. I looked at his big, strong hand, then flicked my narrowed eyes up to his.
“Easy there, Rocky,” he murmured. “She’s not worth it.”
I deflated. He was right. She wasn’t worth it and I was secure in my relationship with them. We all loved each other and interest from a pretty girl wasn’t going to change that. At least, I hope
d it wouldn’t.
“We’ve been here three months,” Beckett said, “why is she suddenly being nice to us, after all this time?”
“Yeah,” Wyatt added. “She and Fiona have avoided us like the plague, giving us dirty looks whenever we do happen to cross paths.”
“It’s strange,” I mused, then told them about the conversation I overheard that first day. “She was repulsed by thought of being in math with one of you, and now she wants to know if any of you are single? It just doesn’t add up.”
I watched as Lizzie left the cafeteria, not even acknowledging Fiona’s presence. Fiona had been smiling at her, but her face fell when Lizzie strolled by without stopping. As much as I hated her, I got no satisfaction from her disappointment. I knew how it felt to have friends turn their back on me. Sure, when it happened to me it was all Fiona’s doing, so maybe what they say is true. Karma really is a bitch.
“Well,” Jett said, pulling me back to the present, “we’ll have to keep an eye on her and, if necessary, we’ll just persuade her to tell us what she’s up to.”
I nodded, despite my aversion to the use of persuasion. Sometimes, in certain situations, it was necessary. I had a bad feeling about Lizzie’s turnaround and suspected it might turn into one of those cases.
“Okay,” I said, and each of them nodded in response.
We were all on the same page. If Lizzie thought she was going to infiltrate our group and pull something over on us, she had another thing coming. We were solid, and nothing could tear us apart.
Chapter Two
Well, this is new.
I’d been visiting Dr. Patton’s office once a week for over two months, and the place was always deserted when I got there. I assumed I was a secret and that he didn’t want a single soul to know what he was doing with me. I kind of preferred it that way, as well. I hated those visits and I didn’t want people asking why I looked so pissed every time I stepped foot in the place.
But on that cold Thursday in February, everything changed. When I arrived, the waiting room was, for the first time, occupied. My shock at seeing people wiped the frown from my face, and I attempted to keep a neutral expression after that. It was hard.
Every eye in the room landed on me when I walked through the door, it’s swinging causing the little string of bells hanging there to jingle. The hairs on my arms stood on end when they continued to stare, no one making a sound, as I crossed the room to the door that led to the lab in the back. I turned the knob, but the door didn’t swing open as it usually did. It was locked.
I glanced back at the seating area. All eight patients were still staring, but I couldn’t quite read the expressions on their faces. I felt like I was being sized up and found lacking. I told myself I was being paranoid, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had reason to fear these people. A chill ran down my spine.
I went to the window situated next to the door to see if I could get Dr. Patton’s attention. For the first time, a receptionist sat at the desk on the other side. My eyebrows drew down. I’d never met an employee before, either.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I’m here for my weekly appointment with Dr. Patton. My name is Savanna James.”
“Please take a seat. You’ll be called when the doctor is ready for you.”
I wanted to argue, to tell her that she didn’t know what she was talking about. I had never been asked to wait. There were never patients or employees here and I didn’t appreciate being stared at by all these weirdos. But I held my tongue.
They were still staring when I nodded my head and turned to look for a seat. There were only two open chairs. Both of them sat against a wall, facing the other side of the room where all the other chairs were. I sat in one of them, cringing at the fact that I was pretty much front and center, giving all the zombies in the room a clear view.
I pulled my phone from my purse and checked the date and time. It was Thursday, six in the evening. Same time and day I’d been going there for over two months. I looked up without lifting my head, scanning the room. Those people were still staring. I pulled up my texting app and opened the group chat me and the boys had going.
I think you dropped me off in the Twilight Zone. There are patients here and they’re all staring at me.
Jett: Do you want us to come back? We’re at a coffee shop ten minutes away.
Wyatt: Of course, they’re staring, gorgeous. They’d be crazy not to. ;)
Beckett: Do you need us?
I think I’m okay. They’re just staring, not hurting me. It’s kind of freaking me out, though.
Jett: We’re on our way.
“Savanna James, the doctor will see you, now.”
I shot off a text to tell the boys I’d been called to the back and to wait out front for me. Dr. Patton insisted I come to these appointments alone. I wasn’t sure why it was so important, but neither my parents nor his nephews were allowed to accompany me inside. They had all tried to fight him on that, but he wouldn’t budge. It was that, or he’d spill my secret to the government.
And it was a big one. I was an Alt at conception, my mother having been a volunteer in a drug trial. XRT-90 was supposed to have been the fountain of youth, its developers claiming it could pretty much stop the aging process. It failed. Some of the patients died. The women who lived experienced off the charts fertility and got pregnant quickly, most of them with multiples. The babies were born with unique characteristics. They needed to drink blood to survive. They had enhanced hearing abilities. And craziest of all, they could use what would be later termed as “persuasion” to control people.
When Mom found out she was pregnant, she freaked. She wanted a normal life for her child and my father agreed. His coworker, Dr. Patton, offered a solution. He injected her with something, only he knew what, and it changed me in utero. I was born normal…at least, that’s what they thought.
Turns out, I was still an Alt, just modified. I didn’t need blood to live, but once I tasted it, I craved it like any other Alt. Persuasion didn’t work on me. I didn’t have supersonic hearing, but I did have one ability— I could persuade other Alts. That’s the one thing no one else on the planet could do. It made me special, according to the boys.
It also made me a target for Dr. Patton. He’d seen me do it and demanded that I submit to his testing, or else he’d tell the world what I was and send the brothers away. I didn’t know which threat was worse, but they were both unbearable, so my parents and I conceded. I’d do what he wanted.
“Savanna, my dear, sorry for the wait. Come in, come in,” Dr. Patton said as I entered the back hallway.
He waved me into the usual examination room. I took a seat in a high-backed leather chair with a long armrest, the same one I sat in every week. He tied a rubber band around my bicep and told me to make a fist, like I didn’t know the drill after more than eight visits here. I had no idea what he thought would change in my DNA from week to week, but he took three vials every single time.
“Who were all those people out there?” I asked.
“Oh, I am not at liberty to discuss my patients, Savanna. I must respect doctor-patient confidentiality.”
“I know,” I said. “It’s just weird. No one has ever been here when I’ve come before.”
He untied the band around my arm and let the last vial finish filling. “My receptionist overbooked me today. You’re all done,” he said, placing a cotton ball over the needle and pulling it out.
I held the cotton in place while he placed a sticky bandage over it. “They were all staring at me.”
“Were they?” he asked.
“Yeah. It was creepy.”
“Strange,” he said, stroking his beard. “Perhaps they were bored and your beauty gave them a welcome distraction.”
I huffed but didn’t respond to that. If he knew what their deal was, he wasn’t going to tell me, so there was no point in continuing the conversation. I stood up and grabbed my purse. The doctor’s hand on my shoulder stopped me from beatin
g a hasty exit.
“I’ll see you on Saturday,” he said in a warning tone, like he thought I wouldn’t show up.
“Of course.”
In addition to the weekly blood tests, I also had to go to his house every Saturday morning. He made me use persuasion on Jett, Wyatt and Beckett while he observed. All the practice had greatly improved my skill. I could persuade them at will, no warm up or strong emotion needed. But Dr. Patton knew I hated doing it, which was why he felt the need to remind me, not so subtly, that I better show up.
When I walked back through the waiting room, the other patients’ eyes followed me all the way to the door. If I were anywhere else, I would have whirled on them, yelling at them to take a picture or something, but not there. Dr. Patton would’ve become angry with me, and I needed to avoid that at all costs. I had too much to lose.
I slammed through the door and heaved a sigh of relief. Not only was I away from the weirdos, but the boys’ big, black pickup truck was parked right outside, motor running. The back door swung open and Jett motioned for me to hop in. I didn’t waste any time. As soon as my door slammed shut behind me, Wyatt hit the gas and peeled out.
“Are you okay?” Jett asked, his hand trailing over my hair and face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little spooked,” I said, grabbing his roving hand and holding it in mine.
Jett was the more reserved of the three when it came to showing his true emotions, so seeing him so worried made me feel a little guilty. I probably overreacted when I texted them.
