The Powerful Pride of an Immortal (Immortal Supers Book 4)

by Kurtis Eckstein

  “Sam, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, sounding like she was about to cry.

  “Hey,” I said gently. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault you work with such an asshole.”

  She shook her head against me, hitting all the wrong spots in all the right ways. Shit Lexi, my lap was really not the best pillow!

  “I shouldn’t have taunted him,” she continued quietly with a sniffle. “But he just made me so pissed with the way he was…he was…” She seemed to struggle for the right word.

  “Acting like you’re his?” I offered. “Overstepping boundaries?”

  She sucked in a deep breath, nuzzling against me more.

  Dammit Lexi! What in the hell were you doing to me?

  “We dated for a few months a while back,” she said quietly, her tone turning flat. “Years ago. He never got over me breaking up with him.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” I agreed, trying to shift my weight.

  Too late.

  She felt me.

  Gasping, she pulled away to focus on my lap, as if she was sincerely surprised by what she’d done, before looking up at me. “Oh! I’m sorry.” She paused. “Umm, d-do you want me to take care of that for you?”

  Shit!

  Yes!

  Wait, no! No, no, no, no, no !

  “Lexi, umm, I mean, someone could just barge in and…” Not to mention, I was taken!

  She shook her head, reaching up to touch me gently in the one place she should not be touching me.

  Shit!

  “No one will bother us,” she whispered, looking up at me through her eyelashes, her tone thick, her violet eyes seductive. “My mouth is all yours if you need some help getting this big guy under control.”

  Holy shit !

  I carefully grabbed her hand to pull it off me, before standing up despite the extreme discomfort, only to immediately realize I was trapped! She had me so turned on right now, just with a few simple words combined with her seductive and willing attitude, and I literally couldn’t escape her office without everyone seeing!

  Shit!

  Was there any way to get out of this without having her mouth wrapped around me?! How was I supposed to cool off in this situation?!

  Unexpectedly, there was a knock on the door.

  That snapped her out of it. “Oh shit,” she hissed, jumping to her feet. “Sit,” she demanded, only to grab one of the tablets, turn it on, and hand it to me after I plopped down in her chair, so I could try to cover myself up.

  Damn, it was almost strange having a woman understand how to help a guy hide his erection, but it wasn’t like she was inexperienced in the dating department.

  I did my best to focus on the screen, trying to familiarize myself with her setup in order to distract myself. Tapping on a document, I pulled it up so it would actually look like I was doing something.

  She then yanked the door open with a hard expression. “Can I help you?” she demanded, even before she saw who it was.

  Of course, I figured it would be one of her coworkers – that was obvious. However, out of everyone it could have been, it was the one person I never would have thought.

  Nick.

  Shit! I forgot they offered him a job here!

  “Sorry to bother you, Lexi,” Nick said in his nasally voice. “But I could have sworn I saw…” His eyes widened when I came into focus. “Sam? It really is you!”

  “Hey Nick,” I replied uncomfortably.

  But damn, his presence was having the exact opposite effect as Lexi. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hug him for saving my life just now, or punch him square in the eyes for destroying what might have been one of the most shamefully amazing orgasms ever.

  And there wasn’t a trashcan in here, so there was only one way this could go down.

  Literally.

  And that made Lexi responsible for whatever mess came up as a result.

  Also literally.

  “What are you doing here?” he continued in shock, only for it to dawn on him. “Wait, are you the new guy? They offered you a job too?”

  “Yep,” I admitted, clearing my throat. “Sorry I didn’t mention it before. When we met at that Bar and Grill, I wasn’t sure if I was going to accept the offer. And really, nothing was official at all until just a little bit ago. Technically, I haven’t even officially signed on yet.”

  “Well damn,” he replied. “This is awesome ! We get to keep working together!”

  “Yep,” I agreed again. “Although, I’ll have to catch up with you later. Lexi was going over some pretty important stuff with me.”

  Shit, what was I doing to myself?!

  What in the hell was I doing to myself?!

  This was my ticket out of this mess!

  He nodded in complete and total understanding, having absolutely no clue what was really going on. “Yeah, no problem. Sorry to interrupt. I’ll let you two get back to it. Talk to you in a bit!” And with that, he began walking away.

  Lexi hesitated, before closing the door, slowly turning around to face me.

  Shit.

  7: Mixed Feelings

  Lily Dodson

  April 13, 2735 – 3 Days Later – Afternoon

  Lily couldn’t believe this was really happening. It was Saturday afternoon and Heidi, of all people, was going out on a date later this evening with some random guy she started talking to online! When Lily asked her about it, Heidi assured her that it was nothing serious, and they were just going out for coffee and maybe a movie afterward, but still.

  Lily didn’t like it at all.

  And not just because Heidi barely knew the guy.

  Lily was well aware that Heidi needed to get out. And most importantly, she knew Heidi needed to move on and have a life of her own, rather than remaining infatuated with Lily’s man.

  But still.

  She really didn’t like it.

  Part of the problem was Lily’s experience with Blaze, knowing that any guy Heidi brought around might be secretly a horrible person. And sure, they could just demand Heidi not bring her dates home. And sure, Freya could even read their mind to ensure they weren’t dangerous.

  But, at that point, their family was exerting a lot of control over Heidi’s life.

  Which wasn’t fair to her at all.

  They would be literally choosing who she could or couldn’t date. And, in the end, Heidi might just date whoever she wanted and stop hanging around so much. She’d move out, since she was basically living with them now, and everyone would see her a lot less.

  And that was the other part of the problem. This wonderful setup they had going on would crumble apart.

  Rose would see her less.

  Lily would see her less.

  The everyday life they’d established would suddenly become a lot more empty, especially since Heidi brought so much personality to their family. It also meant Lily would get to spend less time hanging out alone with Freya, something she knew her best friend needed, since Heidi was always willing to watch Rose and would likely have watched Eden too.

  Seriously, the more Lily thought about it, the more she realized just how perfect it was right now. Their household needed Heidi, and not just to serve as a babysitter, but rather as an important piece to the puzzle that was their family.

  But more than that.

  Lily needed Heidi – someone close to her own age, who could help balance out the sometimes-somber and depressing attitudes of Sam and Freya.

  Yes, as much as Lily was worried about the fact that Heidi wanted her man, she too needed her. She sincerely liked Heidi being around. A lot.

  Yet she knew it wasn’t fair to just expect Heidi to remain single all her life.

  But then, that made it feel like there were really only two options. There probably only would have been the one option, if it weren’t for the fact that Lily had gotten used to sharing Sam with Freya. But now there were two.

  Both undesirable.

  Either Lily had to just accept what was going to com
e – Heidi moving on with her life and all the associated implications…

  Or else, Lily needed to give Heidi a reason to stay. A way for it to work for her too.

  Lily couldn’t decide which was worse.

  ❖ ❖ ❖

  Sam Archer

  April 13, 2735 – 3 Hours Later – Early Evening

  I took a deep breath as I slowly chopped up the bell peppers in front of me, my focus mostly internal, my mind elsewhere. I was currently making dinner for everyone, getting everything ready to bake some enchiladas – Heidi’s favorite. Yet I was pretty much maneuvering the knife on autopilot.

  I had so much on my mind right now.

  Technically, I should be thrilled, since it appeared the impossible had really happened – Lily could heal now. Like, faster than Heidi even, Lily could heal .

  That was a huge deal! It was a miracle!

  And even though I hadn’t been given access to my superpower evaluation yet, I knew it could only mean one thing – when I was in Lily’s body, I brought my regeneration superpower with me, and when I returned to my own body, I left it behind.

  Of course, I was still a regenerator myself, but that implied that I’d given Lily a superpower she wasn’t born with. As if in preparation for my astral form to take over a new body, I’d modified hers to become my new vessel, with me ultimately leaving it in better condition than I’d found it when I returned to my own body.

  The implications were mind-boggling.

  And also kind of scary, because my eyes might imply something too. That I would end up with her problem in the near future. And what if I lacked the same control she’d spent over a year developing? What if I accidentally burned someone, or worse?

  And yet, all that wasn’t even the worst of what was on my mind right now.

  For one, three days ago had been a close one with Lexi. Too close. After Nick left, she just assumed that I wasn’t going to accept her offer, getting down to more serious business – not literally…unfortunately – and I managed to keep my mouth shut.

  It was a major problem, because the line between friend and lover was really starting to blur with both of the Stockton sisters, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Like, holding hands for example. Platonic friends of the opposite sex really didn’t do that kind of thing, and yet I’d gotten pretty comfortable doing so whenever it seemed appropriate. Or just allowing it to happen, whenever my hand was taken by either of them.

  Granted, Heidi had been kind of distant for the last few days, and I had no idea why. I figured that fixing her one of her favorite meals might help cheer her up a little. And if not, maybe I’d take the time later to sit down and talk with her. Make sure everything was going alright.

  Of course, that just exacerbated the primary problem.

  I cared about them.

  Probably more than I should. And I also wanted them. Really bad.

  But, even that wasn’t the worst of my concerns right now, because an entirely different issue had come up not even a few hours ago.

  A call from Dr. Hawthorne…

  About Eden’s DNA…

  She was mine of course. That wasn’t the problem. And of course, she wasn’t biologically linked to Freya, even though it was her egg and her body that allowed Eden to come into the world a second time.

  However, her DNA wasn’t natural.

  It was just as artificial as Rose’s, being about half mine, a little less than half from her actual mother – my previous wife – and something like nine percent from an unknown source.

  Dammit, how was this possible?!

  My little girl wasn’t created in a lab!

  And yet, the evidence suggested otherwise. Even though I knew for a fact my previous wife carried Eden for the full nine months, from beginning to end, and even though she was definitely my kid biologically, the evidence suggested she didn’t originate naturally.

  She was an experiment, just like Rose was an experiment.

  Shit.

  Dr. Hawthorne found out sooner than today, but waited to call us for a few reasons. First, he got busy with other things, so he put Eden’s medical record stuff off for a few days. In a normal situation, he would have signed and had everything filed to the state by the end of the day, but because of our unique circumstances, he intended on taking a closer look at everything, including Eden’s DNA.

  After all, Freya would go down as her mother, but wouldn’t be genetically her mother, so investigating Eden’s DNA in detail was a must, as well as determining the best way to handle possibly fabricating an artificial code. Not to mention, Eden would supposedly be a seven-year-old in less than a year, which meant we had to fabricate her birth year to match what her age would be.

  But now what?

  What did this mean? What did it imply? How was it possible?

  So many questions.

  Ultimately, there wasn’t anything we could do about the situation, and I definitely didn’t want to talk about it with anyone right now, so Freya and Lily had given me my space. I wasn’t sure Lexi or Heidi knew yet, but I suspected they’d find out soon enough.

  In the end, it didn’t change how I felt about my kids. I still loved them the same. But it did cause me a lot of anxiety knowing someone created them behind my back. I mean, did my wife know? Surely not. But then, did she go in for a checkup, only to have a rogue doctor do something to her?

  Even with technology back then, that kind of thing might be theoretically possible. Nanomachines or something used to genetically modify an embryo or whatever.

  Dammit.

  Movement in the corner of my eye prompted me to focus my second-sight toward the stairs, seeing Heidi coming down, wearing ripped jeans, a shiny gold sequins top, and some pretty heavy makeup around the eyes.

  Damn, she looked hot.

  The amount of makeup she was wearing seemed a lot more than usual, but both she and her sister dressed fashionably most days, so I didn’t think much of it. She hesitated when she reached the bottom, before stepping into the kitchen.

  “Hey Sam,” she said, her tone somber. “I just found out. Rose told me.”

  I paused what I was doing and sucked in a deep breath, prompting her to move closer.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, standing a couple of feet to my side.

  I shook my head and looked up at her. “It is, what it is. Just worries me is all. Feels like my whole life up until this point has been secretly orchestrated by people I didn’t even know existed until recently. Also makes me wonder if Eden’s first mother knew about it. Kind of scary to think that she might have.”

  Heidi nodded, her expression sympathetic. “What was she like?” she wondered hesitantly.

  I set the knife down and turned around to lean on the counter, crossing my arms. “My wife? She was…really nice. Sweet, gentle, kind, compassionate, loving. Honestly, she made me feel like a king. Like there was no person more important in the whole world.”

  Heidi gulped, seeming to want to change the subject. “Have any kickass powers?” she asked with an uneasy grin.

  I shook my head. “No, actually she didn’t. She was one of the rare people who ended up completely normal. No detectable powers at all. No speed, no heightened senses. Nothing. It’s why I wasn’t too surprised when Eden came out normal too. I just assumed that it must be because her mother was superpower-less.”

  Unexpectedly, Heidi looked like she’d seen a ghost, all the color draining from her face.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked in concern.

  “N-Nothing,” she said slowly. “J-Just surprising is all.”

  I shrugged. “Superpowers have never meant a lot to me. I guess there are some people who actually care, but I never have. Definitely never affected my dating decisions.” I paused. “Well, it kind of did with Lily, but that was a unique case.” I took a deep breath. “But to me, love isn’t about what someone has to offer. Take Eden for example. Even though it turns out she does have a superpower, she’s still technically a normal p
erson. And yet, I’ll still love her no matter what.”

  Heidi seemed really uneasy now.

  I sighed. “Anyway, I’ll have dinner ready probably in about twenty minutes. Figured I’d make your favorite,” I added, gesturing to the counter, with all the ingredients laid out. When she didn’t respond right away, it made me a little concerned. “Unless you want something else. It’s not too late to abandon ship. Could still do something different for dinner, if you want.”

  Now she looked like she was going to be sick.

  “Heidi?”

  “Sam, I’ve got a date,” she blurted out.

  Suddenly, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I tried not to react outwardly, but was pretty sure I failed miserably. The room was suddenly completely silent, neither of us making a sound.

  “You look like you’re going to be sick,” she finally whispered.

  I still couldn’t believe what she just said. She had a date? How? When? Who?

  Why?

  I mean, I knew I told her only a few days ago that it wasn’t fair for her to put her life on hold for us, but she reassured me that she was content now. She told me she was fine with how things were! Was that a lie? Did she change her mind?

  And why now ?

  Why decide to start dating now ?

  I couldn’t deal with this. I just couldn’t.

  She tried speaking again, but her voice was strained. “Sam, we’re just going out for coffee. And we might see a movie afterward, but that’s it. Nothing serious. And I’m driving separately, so I can leave whenever I want.”

  “Someone from high school?” I wondered, trying to force a response. Trying to say anything , instead of just supporting myself against the counter in silence like I was about to pass out.

  She didn’t respond.

  I assumed the reason why, considering she said she didn’t have any friends.

  We were both silent again.

  “A-Anyway,” she said hesitantly, sounding almost just as pained as I felt. “I’m not planning on eating much, maybe popcorn if we do the movie, so save me some, okay?”

  I nodded, unable to look at her.

  Everything in my entire being wanted to selfishly beg her to stay, to not go out and hang with some random guy. But then what? Ask her to stay home, so she could continue putting her life on hold forever?