Hyde, Book Three of the Devil's Roses

by Tara Brown

  "Ahhhhh, yes you would never be one of those stay at home Sirens. He is a fool to try to make rules for you. I will send Aimee tomorrow."

  "She's here now. Well not here but she's down stairs."

  "I will send her a text with instructions now then."

  "Thank you."

  Lorri laughed, "Don’t thank me yet Hanna."'

  Hanna pressed end and grabbed a suitcase.

  Roland appeared at the door. He looked at the suitcase, "You're leaving?"

  She nodded, "For a while. I'm going to be trained."

  "The Roses?"

  She nodded.

  He beamed, "This is the miracle your father always wanted for himself. He always wished to have the control you now have."

  Hanna frowned, "Yeah but it's like I gained control of one monster and now another has suddenly appeared."

  Roland laughed, "Yes well life can't always be easy. I want phone calls every other night."

  She smiled, "Okay." She ran to him and hugged him. He tensed.

  She pulled back, "Even you?"

  He nodded making a sickened face, "Even me. Everyone can feel your special blend of emotions my dear."

  She felt nauseous. She let go of him and stepped back, "I'm sorry Roland. I guess I should have noticed you were keeping your distance."

  "The same thing happened with your mother. Well until she committed herself to your father."

  She frowned, "What?"

  He nodded, "A Siren's power is dulled the moment she falls in love, true love. The kiss and declaration mutes the power."

  She laughed, "Sounds like a fairytale."

  "It does but its true. She was never easy to be around until it happened. Even then she needed a charm bracelet for some of us."

  "How did they fall in love?"

  He smiled, "The old fashioned way, he attacked her. Tried to force himself on her. She beat him with a bat. He changed. Even his beast couldn’t resist her. She ran, he chased. She got hurt, he felt terrible. He brought her to Lydia. He begged for her help. He offered himself up if Lydia would help her. Obviously the Roses had wanted your father dead for some time. Lorri agreed they would fix her if he would allow himself to be killed."

  Hanna sighed, "How tragic."

  Roland's eyes sparkled, "Not so tragic. Once they saved her she convinced him to take the elixir until they could find a cure. He and Lorri agreed, obviously since he ending up living another seventy years."

  "How did she die?"

  His face hardened, "Have a great trip my dear. Since the Roses Institute is gone I have no idea where you'll be going but I imagine Aimee will tell you soon enough."

  Marcus stepped into the room, "Tell her what?"

  Roland turned and left the room, "Don't forget to call." He spoke softly leaving her alone with Marcus who looked less than pleased.

  "Aimee. She should be up here any moment so if you'll excuse me I need to pack."

  She turned away from him but he grabbed her arm, "Don’t you dare turn your back on me." He spun her to face him, "You can't be serious?"

  She nodded defiantly, "Well I am. You'll just have to suck it up and accept that I want this."

  He shook his head, "No you don’t. You're doing this because I spoke for you. I apologize, I shouldn’t have done that."

  She shrugged, "Apology accepted." She walked into her massive closet and grabbed a few things. She stuffed them in the bag.

  He walked to the suitcase and ripped it in half, "NO HANNA!"

  Her clothes spilled out onto the floor. She giggled nervously.

  "I'm leaving Marcus. You may accept that and say goodbye nicely or leave now."

  She pointed to the door.

  He grabbed her hand crushing it, "You're not leaving."

  She ripped it away from him, "You're hurting me."

  His voice broke, "They will kill you. This is a ploy."

  She shook her head, "No they want me to join them and I want to go and see if it's where I belong."

  He stepped closer to her, "You belong to me."

  She trembled, "No I don’t."

  His eyes bore down on her, "You belong to me."

  She felt her will being taken from her. She pulled away feeling horrified, "How dare you. Leave now."

  She stomped into her closet and grabbed another bag.

  He grabbed it and ripped it to pieces.

  She laughed at him, "You are ridiculous. You're a child. Ripping everything I own to pieces will not stop me."

  His nostrils flared as his breathing became harsh and uncontrolled, "You will not go Hanna. They will not take you from me."

  She felt hot tears roll down her cheeks, "They could never have taken me from you Marcus. You're pushing me away yourself." She turned and walked to the door.

  It slammed in her face.

  She felt the rage filling her, as the room became a cage. She grabbed the door ripping it off the hinges and throwing it in his direction.

  Aimee stepped through and touched her arm and everything was gone instantly.

  As her feet touched the ground in the dark alley she bent and threw up everywhere.

  Aimee jumped back quickly as Hanna heaved and gagged.

  "I-I-I'm sorry." She heaved again.

  "No don’t be. I hated it in the beginning to. Are you alight?"

  Hanna stood wiping her mouth off, "I will be."

  Aimee looked truly remorseful, "I'm so sorry all of this happened Hanna. I know what its like to just wish everything could be normal."

  Hanna nodded, "I don’t get how my personal life can be so fucked and then my romantic life has to be a train wreck too. Like one thing can't just be easy."

  Aimee laughed, "Oh god my sentiments exactly. We need to go this way." She pointed down the dark cold alley. Hanna didn't know where they were.

  She followed Aimee, scared Marcus might have been right. Aimee might have led her to her death.

  Chapter Forty-Five: Monster Mash

  Aleksander

  He paced inside the building waiting. He knew things had started to deteriorate at Hanna's house when Marcus realized what was happening. Aleks hadn’t even known Hanna was being considered as a Rose. He was scared they were bringing her to her death but he felt better seeing Sam and Anne in the room as well. Surely they weren't doing a mass killing and there was no way Anne was a threat to anyone. Her gifts were simple and never harmed a soul. He actually felt she was the only one who could live a normal life.

  He watched as a pale Hanna and angry looking Aimee walked through the doorway.

  He looked at Aimee, "How'd it go?"

  She looked annoyed, "Marcus was a dick." She looked back at Hanna with a huge smile, "She handled it well though. Needless to say Roland will be doing some renovating while she's gone."

  Hanna looked around the large finely decorated room.

  He smiled at her, "You okay Hanna?"

  She nodded, "Yeah just feeling funny. I got so angry, I swear I saw red."

  He looked at her bright red bracelet and smiled, "Yeah no kidding."

  She saw where his eyes went and blushed, "Not that kind of red."

  He laughed, "You know Sam and Anne obviously?"

  She smiled at Anna and avoided Sam's gaze altogether, "Hey."

  Anne twitched a smile, "Yo."

  He pointed to the other kids he'd only just met, "This is Lisa, she's from Kansas and this is Don he's from DC. This is Hanna she's from Portland."

  She smiled at them. Don instantly brightened up. He'd been gloomy but seeing Hanna smile lit him right up. Aleks winced watching her reaction.

  Lisa seemed lost in it all.

  Hanna groaned, "Well do we have rooms or what? Are we sleeping on cots in this apartment?"

  Aleks looked at Aimee and shrugged, "No clue."

  Aimee smiled, "I've been here once. I didn’t get a tour. Lorri should be here soon."

  "Lorri is here now. This is Giselle, she'll be here with you all training. Thank you everyone for
coming a couple days early. I know it was sudden but we had to move the date up." She spoke sharply as she strolled into the room wearing tight white pants, a teal jogging jacket and silver strappy flip-flops.

  Aleks couldn’t help but notice how nice she always looked. Her fiery red hair and perfect skin were always flawless.

  Giselle followed in behind her making Lorri look plain. She wore a dark purple sweater and light jeans. He wanted to peel every layer of her clothing off slowly to see more of her skin.

  She glanced at him smiling, he tried not to grab her hand and pull her into him.

  Lorri looked around the room, "Alright kids lets get some basic rules down, do what you want in your own rooms. The communal rooms are not for anything that makes anyone else uncomfortable. No bringing anyone here, ever. No friends and no family. No fighting in the house. No leaving. We've down sized a bit recently and need to be extra careful. Everyone is kind to others, unless we're in the ring. Then its no holds barred." She pulled a cigarette out and looked at everyone, "Your rooms are that way, down the hall. We have the top four floors of this building. No exploring without someone else with you, as in me or Aimee or Aleks or Dorian or Ari or Lucas or Ben. We will be your instructors here. No one else is permitted inside." She walked through the huge room to the massive balcony.

  Aleks looked at Giselle who stood beside Hanna. They both looked panicked.

  Aleks smiled, "So you guys want to see your rooms?"

  Anne snarled, "Whatever, I just need some TV. I am so not watching GCB on my iphone again."

  He laughed leading them down the hall. He'd never been down the hallway either. It was huge and wide like a museum.

  The walls were a sand color with paintings and the rooms were full of beautiful furniture. The rooms were set up like they had been back at the Roses in New York. Each room was filled with a double bed, a desk, a table, night-light and a rug. The rooms were large and shared a massive bathroom with the room next to them.

  Lisa took the first room on the right and Don took the room on the left. Giselle took the next room on the right and Anne took the one on the left. Hanna took the next room on the right.

  Aleks watched her walk in and smiled, "Maybe just call him and let him know you're okay. It would be bad if he showed up."

  Hanna looked distressed, "I will."

  She closed her door. He looked at Sam and smirked, "Keep your pants on. She could break your neck."

  Sam laughed never taking his eyes off Hanna's door. He took the room next to hers and closed the door.

  "Aimee I'm going to the take this one." He pointed to the one across from Hanna.

  She smirked, "Still under that spell?"

  He shook his head, "Nope just worried about Marcus."

  Aimee nodded, "I will take the one across from Sam, I'm a little worried about him."

  Aleks felt a grin cross his lips, "This might actually be more entertaining than TV."

  She rolled her eyes, "Ah yeah, more fun for you dudes. Hot Giselle and horny Hanna, sounds like porn. Should be absolutely nuts."

  He walked into his room and thought about how close he was to Giselle's room. He wondered if she was as scared as she looked.

  Chapter Forty-Six: Facetime for Fidelity

  Hanna

  She looked around the room feeling terrible. She picked up her phone seeing she'd missed seven calls.

  She checked them, none of them were from Marcus. She dialed his number frightened by his response.

  "Hanna." His words bit at her.

  "Marcus can we talk rationally?"

  "No, absolutely not."

  "Marcus can we try?"

  "No."

  "Are you going to hang up on me?" She asked trying not to smile imagining his stubborn face.

  "No, what are you wearing?"

  She laughed, "Nothing."

  "Liar."

  "Can we talk about this?"

  "No."

  "Admit you are you being a big baby?"

  "I'm not."

  "Liar."

  He laughed into the phone, "If they harm one hair on your head I want you to know I will destroy the entire city and I will unleash the Henry beast on them. Tell me where you are."

  "No. Behave yourself. I'm fine really."

  "I will be there tomorrow to ensure that. I will find you."

  She inhaled sharply, "No please don’t come. It's one of the rules. No outsiders."

  He was silent. She could hear her heart beat.

  "Marcus?"

  "I'm an outsider?"

  "You're not a Rose."

  "Fine but I will need to see you're okay. Not to mention the fact you will become quite difficult to live with in about a week." He chuckled.

  She frowned, "Why?"

  "I've been reading that book of yours. You need to release weekly to avoid tension build up."

  She smiled, "Well I'm pretty sure I can handle myself there."

  He laughed, "We could use that Facetime thing on your phone, I think that might be interesting."

  She laughed feeling her face flushing, "No you don’t. That’s such a bad idea. You would rip the building apart to come to me and finish."

  He chuckled, "Hanna I love you."

  She smiled, "I know you do."

  "When will you love me and only me?"

  She shrugged, "I don’t know. I don’t know how to turn it off and on."

  "Sleep tight."

  "You too."

  She pressed the phone off and sat on her bed staring out the massive window at the city below. She didn’t even know what city she was in. The lights of it gave way to her imagination.

  "Hanna."

  She turned to see Sam walking into her room from the joined bathroom.

  Her stomach flipped, "Hey Sam." Her eyes darted from the bathroom to the door to her room.

  "I need to talk to you."

  She smiled, "Okay. Want to go to the living room?"

  He smirked making her very uncomfortable and aware of his scent filling her room, "No."

  He took a step toward her but changed his mind and sat on the chair in the corner.

  His eyes searched her.

  She gulped, "What's up?"

  He looked down at the bracelet, "Where did you get that?"

  "Lydia made it for me. It stops me from making everyone go nuts."

  "Have you tried taking it off?"

  "No but apparently the feelings you all had before, where you couldn’t stop following me, come back but much stronger."

  He smiled wickedly, "So I take it you want to keep it on?"

  She nodded, "I do."

  He shrugged, "I still feel something for you. Even with the bracelet on. I know which room you're in and where you are exactly. I can sense you no matter where I am. I can smell you in the air around me. You smell sweet. It's why I'm here. I want to talk to you about something. I've been meaning to talk to you for a while but…"

  "I need to get you a cure. It'll go away. Sam we can't do this. I'm seeing someone. You only feel that way about me because of the way I am and…"

  He smiled and interrupted her, "No Hanna, it only works on me when you're really…"

  She argued cutting him off again, "No, you being Nephilim makes me feel that things about you too. It's not real. It's what we are that's making us feel this way. I'm seeing someone so we can't."

  "The old guy?" He looked defeated for a moment.

  She laughed, Marcus looked twenty-five tops even though he was crazy old. She nodded.

  "I'm pretty sure he's too old for you. Besides isn’t what he is making you want him?"

  She nodded, he was right, "I need space from everyone of you."

  He got up off the chair slowly. He walked to her bedside and knelt on the floor in front of her. He was a big boy, kneeling he was still taller than her sitting on the bed.

  His lips parted in a seductive grin. She wanted to look away from his lips. She wanted to move away from him but the smell of him was intoxi
cating. He was by far the worst as far as her little problem was concerned. Even Marcus couldn’t make her breath get lost in her throat the way he did.

  He leaned in looking into her eyes. She got lost in the darkness of them. She watched as he took a deep inhale of the air around her. She felt the betrayal in her mind but her body was pushing ahead.

  He brushed his lips against hers. The electrifying kiss was exactly as she remembered it being, perfect.

  He pulled back laughing, "You are going to be a problem Hanna Hyde. We can talk later."

  He was gone instantly.

  She felt sadness fill her as she realized what she'd nearly done mixed with her heart aching for him to come back. She would have had sex with him in a heartbeat if he'd tried. The bracelet looked like it would ignite any second.

  She thought about what Roland said. Her mother's power was gone the moment she fell in love, true love. True loves kiss and a declaration. She wondered if she loved Marcus or if his powers made her feel things? She wondered the same about Sam. She didn’t want her heart full of different guys. She decided to take the time at the Roses to rid her heart of everything. As long as it was empty she might find clarity in her feelings.

  She sighed looking out the window again.

  ****

  The next morning training started, full throttle.

  Lorri taught them about the possible types of things they would run into. They studied lore on creatures thought extinct and how to defeat them just in case they weren’t.

  Hanna felt the days pass quickly. Her brain was more full than it had ever been. Giselle was the surprise student, she was a star at it all. Her combat skills came fast and furious and her natural interest in the knowledge part of it made it easy for her to remember.

  Hanna on the other hand was distracted at every turn. Sam smiled at her and she stopped hearing everything Lorri spoke about. Aleks walked past her and she thought of nothing but the smell of him. Marcus texted her and she thought about him pulling her hair again.

  She was getting exhausted with the dreams she had every night. The bracelet was a fiery glowing red. It glowed in the dark at night. Her thighs ached constantly.