“And it’s too easy to slip, up so we try and act human around humans,” Coop adds.
“The only time we’re comfortable letting our guard down is at our place,” Maddox supplies, talking as he stares out the passenger-side window.
“And excessive teleporting drains our abilities,” I confirm. “Especially over long distances. It’s only supposed to be used sporadically and only really when the necessity arises. It’s too easy to be lazy, but we need to reserve our strength for what’s coming.”
“What is coming? And why?” She leans forward in her seat, poking her head through the gap between me and Mad Dog. “I mean, I get what you said about females being a rare commodity and needing to preserve our species, but I don’t get why you’re all so concerned about my safety.” I feel her gaze boring a hole in the side of my head. “What don’t I know?”
The others hold their collective breath, and I know they’re waiting for me to respond. While Alinthia appears to be handling this far better than I assumed, I still think the full truth has the potential to knock her flat on her ass. I told the others we can’t lie to her, and I meant it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bend the truth to protect her until she’s ready.
“You remember I told you an invading enemy occupied our home planet and it was the reason we were sent away?” I ask her, keeping my focus on the road as I drive.
“Yes.”
“That enemy has full control now, and our people continue to suffer. Millions have been killed, and they seem intent on wiping our race from existence. Somehow, they’ve discovered some of us were smuggled out, and they’ve sent bounty hunters all over the galaxy searching for us.”
“How many escaped?”
“It’s hard to say,” I fudge, deliberately not answering the question. “We were babies.”
She’s quiet for a bit. “So, the person that sent a curse-infector after Jack is someone who is after me? He wants to kidnap me and take me home a prisoner?” she deduces.
“We think so.” I’m not sharing my other theories with her. Those would have her running screaming for the hills.
Her sigh is heavy. “I don’t understand why he didn’t just take me when he first discovered where I was. Why wait until my protectors show up and make the job harder? That doesn’t make any sense.”
That’s an intelligent observation and one which I’ve pondered myself. Alinthia has surprised me, in different ways. Her mind is sharp, her analytical skills adept, and her instincts seem good. She is courageous and honest, and there’s no denying she displays potential, but she’s still very far removed from the Alinthia of my imagination. Not for the first time, I question the validity of her identity and whether the prophecy is all we know and expect it to be.
“Agreed, but there’s obviously some other agenda at play, which is why we all need to take extra precautions.”
“Like you moving in with us,” Coop adds, flashing her a dazzling smile.
“Not happening,” she snaps. “Move on.”
My lips fight a twitch. There’s no denying Coop has the best relationship with her, and there’s an ease in their interactions that doesn’t exist with the rest of us yet, but I refuse to bow to his reasoning. Irrespective of the intense yearning building within me, I’m determined to keep this professional. She might be the missing piece of our puzzle, but she’s still got to earn my trust and my respect. She’s no different from anyone else in that regard.
Back at the house, Mad Dog takes Alinthia outside to the training gym to begin her physical training while the rest of us go to check on the prisoner in the basement. Jack—or whatever the hell that thing is—is pacing his cage, muttering to himself in his native tongue. Hunched over, he drags his feet across the floor, plucking the slimy, thin hairs on his head as if they’re the strings on Coop’s guitar. It really is the most hideous creature to look at.
“Hey, assholes,” he shouts when he notices us approaching. He stops shuffling around the cell, gripping the bars and baring his teeth at us. “My master is going to rip the skin from your bones, slowly and painfully, and when you plead for mercy, he’ll take pleasure crushing your bones, one limb at a time.” He cackles, and the sound sends chills across the back of my neck.
I pull a chair in front of the cage and sit down, leaning forward on my elbows. “I’d like to see him try.”
“He’ll do more than try. And as for her …” He licks his lips, and that dark menacing glint in his eye flares up. “He won’t kill her. He has other plans for her, but he’ll enjoy her first, and he’ll make you watch as he takes her over and over. He’ll make sure you suffer as you watch him make her bleed.”
“Enough!” Coop rushes the cell, reaching in and grabbing the monstrosity around the neck. The creature emits a choked sound as Coop lifts him up off his feet, squeezing his throat.
“Drop him.” I stand up, stabbing Coop with a deadly look. “Now.”
Coop grits his teeth in frustration, tossing Jack away, and the freak flies across the cell, hitting the bars before slumping to the ground. He pulls his knees up to his chest, drawing croaky breaths as he sucks air into his lungs.
“He’s no use to us dead, Coop.”
“He’s no use to us, period, Dane. He refuses to tell us anything, so I don’t understand why we’re bothering with him.”
“Because Jack’s life matters to Alinthia.” Beck quietly speaks up.
“Jack!” the creature spits out. “That insipid fool!” He struggles to his feet, hobbling to the front of the cell and snarling at us. “He wanted her, but he was too weak to do anything about it, but I felt his desire when I touched her. He wants to fuck her. We would have too, if you hadn’t interfered.”
Coop rattles the cage, his eyes exploding with anger. “Shut the fuck up. You don’t get to speak about her like that.”
The creature’s eyes light up. “What a pity she’s such a dirty little slut.” He cackles again, and the sound never fails to send shivers all over me. “It’s ironic. All this trouble for her, when I wonder if she’s worthy of it.” He wets his cracked lips, sending Coop a malevolent look. “I smelt it on her—impurity. Did you know some other male’s hands have touched her body, tasted her, fucked her?!”
Cooper roars, reaching into the cell as the creature bends over laughing. I yank him away before he kills him, shoving him up against the wall, and trapping him in place.
“This is exactly why we will keep that freak alive.”
Coop slants an incredulous look at me. “To insult Alinthia?”
“Don’t be an idiot. He just admitted something he shouldn’t have.”
All the fight leaves Coop as he thinks it over. He nods, and I release my hold on him.
“Jack’s still alive in there.”
“Yes. And if we can keep him talking, he might admit other stuff without realizing it.”
“Okay. You’re right.”
“I usually am.”
He flips me the bird, and I slap him on the back before approaching the cell again.
“Go check on Alinthia and Mad Dog. Make sure he isn’t pushing her too hard. We’ll join you shortly.”
Cooper disappears from the room. I take the knife out of the box and approach the cage. Even though it’s encased in a protected plastic bag, I’m still wary carrying it. One slight graze of this weapon almost killed Alinthia, and I’m taking no chances.
“Who made this?” I ask him, holding it up.
“Not telling.” He smirks.
“What does this symbol mean?” I point to the strange eight-pronged shape at the base of the handle. A fiery ball of flames rests in the center of the shape, and it’s like nothing any of us has seen before. Beck is scouring his mind for clues, but, so far, he’s come up empty-handed.
“Don’t know, but if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“Interesting. He doesn’t know of it either,” Beck projects in my mind.
“Who sent you here?” I ask for the umpteenth time.
“Who is your master?”
“Fuck you.”
I stand up, ignoring him as I turn to Beck. “Are the wards enforced?”
“Yes. He’s not getting out of that cage or this basement alive.”
“You’ve got surveillance set up?”
He nods affirmatively.
“Good. Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
We teleport to the outbuilding closest to the house, the one Mad Dog set up with a bunch of gym equipment. Staying physically fit is important, and we all work out here daily. If we really want to go at it, we use the old outdoor round pen.
Maddox has Alinthia on the mats, and he’s demonstrating some basic self-defense techniques. Cooper is lounging against the wall, watching her every move. He’s totally obsessed with her, and I’m worried about his focus.
None of us can afford to drop the ball.
Especially after last night.
I’ll never forget the hideous fear I felt when I lost the ability to see her, confronted by a white wall I could see nothing behind. Thanks to the bond, I knew she was somewhere in the vicinity of the house, but without the ability to see her, it took us a few minutes to locate her. We were frantic with worry, because we knew something was going down. Her fear and her rage fed through the bond, informing us of that fact. Coop lost the ability to hear her the same time I lost sight of her, and that’s only added to my worries. Nothing like that has ever happened to us before, and I’d like to know why.
It places more importance on her staying as close to us as possible.
How can we protect her from afar if I can’t see her to know where she is and Coop can’t hear her to find out what’s going down?
Until we resolve the gap in our abilities, I’d feel calmer knowing she’s here with us. But I don’t want to freak her out either, so we’ve deliberately not shared that nugget of information. We need to find some other way of convincing her it’s safest to stay together. Maybe her parents can help. They seem to understand the gravity of the situation, and we’ve already gained their trust. Her mom was quick to realize we were the ones who healed Alinthia’s injury, thus saving her life, and that’s all it took to convince them we have her best interests at heart. I might drop by to see them later—perhaps they can persuade her to change her mind.
It’s obvious they love her a great deal and that she returns those emotions.
A stab of envy pricks my heart.
What I wouldn’t give to have grown up without the knowledge of who I am, what’s expected of me, and the weight of responsibility I’ve felt every day since I was old enough to understand. What was it like to grow up in a loving home, surrounded by parents who love you, I wonder. I wouldn’t know, because our upbringing couldn’t have been more different.
“Ow!” Alinthia’s anguished cry pulls me out of my depressive inner monologue, and I jerk my head to where she’s lying flat on her back, rubbing her shoulder, with tears in her eyes. Unsurprisingly, Cooper is there in a millisecond, lifting her up and cradling her to his chest.
“What happened?” I ask in a controlled voice.
“I’ve just spent twenty minutes teaching her that move, but she didn’t react fast enough, and I hit her hard,” Maddox explains.
Alinthia shucks out of Cooper’s arms, pushing to her feet. She stomps over to Mad Dog, anger reflecting on her face. “Try it again. I know what I did wrong.”
“Go easy on her this time.” Coop glares at Maddox, and it’s more of a demand than a suggestion.
“The enemy won’t go easy on her,” he growls.
“I don’t want you to go easy on me,” she agrees, earning another bonus point. “Hit me with everything you’ve got.”
Anxiety races across Coop’s face. “Maybe you should call it quits? Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he quips, wrapping his arms around her from behind and leaning his head on her shoulder. He can’t seem to stop himself from touching her, and I don’t think she minds too much. My irritability totally stems from his lack of focus and how that leaves gaps in our defense.
Nothing else.
Gently, she uncurls his hands from her waist. “Stop babying me, Coop. I need to learn this stuff, and that won’t happen if I’m treated with kid gloves.”
I fight a smirk. Maybe she has more gumption than I’ve given her credit for.
We watch them sparring for another half hour before wandering off to attend to other stuff.
Three hours later, we all converge on the kitchen for lunch. With dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, Alinthia looks exhausted, and the sheen of her sweat-slicked skin indicates she’s in desperate need of a shower. They’ve been going at it for hours, and I admire her determination and stamina.
“Would you like me to run you a bath?” Beck asks, his cheeks turning red as he nervously pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His unease around females is a running joke among the rest of us. “If you like,” he adds, looking down at the table in embarrassment.
“Is there time?” she asks Mad Dog. He’s at the counter, busy chopping vegetables for our meal.
“Absolutely. Knock yourself out, princess.”
“I’ll get it,” Coop cuts in, pushing back his chair. “Did you like those oils I added last night? Or would you prefer a different scent? I picked up a bunch of different ones at the store because I didn’t know which one you’d like.”
What the actual fuck?! And he wonders why I’m on his back about priorities?
Maddox almost chokes on his laughter, raising his eyes to meet mine. Even he’s different since we found her. He hasn’t had a single blowout since we arrived in Eaton Lake, and, honestly, I think it’s been years since he’s gone this long without getting high or wasted.
I can’t deny the effect she’s having on all of us, but something is niggling at me, and I never ignore my intuition. My gift of sight isn’t contained to physical vision; it also extends to insight, so I’ve learned not to ignore my instincts.
“You’re turning into a pussy,” I grumble, shaking my head. “Should I be worried about you?”
“Should I be worried about you?” Coop throws back at me.
“I’m perfectly capable of running my own bath,” Alinthia says, getting up.
“I know that, beautiful, but I want to look after you.” Coop holds out his arms.
“We all do,” Beck supplies, and I detect the note of hurt in his tone. He buries his head in his laptop, tapping furiously on the keypad.
This is exactly the point I was making. We don’t have time for this competitive, jealous bullshit.
“And I’m grateful, genuinely, I am.” Alinthia places Coop’s arms down at his sides. He looks like a wounded puppy, and I scarcely resist the urge to roll my eyes. “But we’ve got to establish some ground rules.” Whipping her head in my direction, she eyeballs me. “Like no touching me when I’m asleep.”
Coop already ripped into me last night when he made that little discovery, and I’m not in the mood for another lecture.
“You act like I molested you or something, when all I was trying to do was provide comfort.” Huh. Look where that got me. “You had a bad nightmare and you were whimpering and crying in your sleep,” I continue. “I brushed your hair off your face is all. No need to make out like I’m some creepy perv.” My tone is harsher than intended, but it pisses me off that Coop can, apparently, touch her at will, and she has zero issue with it. I barely touched her, and she’s getting all pissy.
“I never suggested it was inappropriate, but we have to have some boundaries.”
I push out of my chair, the legs screeching painfully across the tile floor. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I don’t plan on touching you again. And I got the message loud and clear.” I grind my teeth, and a muscle clenches in my jaw. “Next time I’ll let you scream your head off in your sleep. It makes not a damn bit of difference to me.”
Annoyed, in more ways than one, I s
tride across the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind me as I decide to skip lunch and get back to work. Unlike some I could mention, I know where my priorities lie.
Chapter 28
Alinthia/Tori
I was glad to get home Sunday night, needing a reprieve from the tense atmosphere in the guys’ place, and in desperate need of my bed. I’ve never been so tired in my entire life—and I’m used to running marathons. I spent most of the day, on and off, training with Maddox, which I enjoyed despite the fact I sucked butt. I also spent a little while with Cooper, and he showed me some meditation exercises which I have to practice every day to prepare my mind for the incoming onslaught of information.
Apparently, the intel hidden in my brain is not just memories. My parents embedded trusted information in my mind, along with important knowledge of our planet, our history, and our legacy. Or so Cooper explained.
I deliberately ran off in search of Beck after that, because being around Cooper cranks my guilt to the top of the guilt-o-meter. The connection is at its most intense when I’m around him, and it’s getting harder and harder to avoid touching him. When I’m around him, I want to crawl up his body like a spider monkey.
Beck showed me his lair, explaining the myriad of different technical devices and the various forms of monitoring he has in place. He’s explained how my mind holds the key to how fast I develop and learn to adapt to my new abilities. Most of what I need to know already resides within me, and now the cork has been unplugged, so to speak, everything should start rising to the surface.
I guess it explains how I’ve instinctively known what to do when under attack and where that calm confidence comes from, but it’s still an awful lot to take in.
Most of it went over my head, and I really need some quiet time to sit down and absorb all this newfound knowledge.
A knock on my door puts paid to that idea. “Come in,” I call out, and my dad steps into my bedroom.
“You have a minute, sweet pea?”
I put my book down, patting the space beside me with a smile. “For you, always.” Dad eases himself down onto the edge of the bed, wincing a little. “I wish you’d seek a second opinion. I hate seeing you in so much pain.” He waves my concern away as I scoot over, swinging my legs over the edge and planting my feet on the ground.
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