“I’ve kissed. I mean, not a lot, but I have…” He sounded offended that she believed him to be a virtuous Hybrid. His reaction alarmed her, considering they were all supposed to be virtuous Hybrids.
“Jason, kissing another Hybrid on the cheek isn’t enough of an experience to understand the type of affection Vanessa and Brian expect to see from us.”
“I know. I’ve kissed a human before. I mean, only a couple of times, and definitely not the way we kissed last week, but I’ve done it...” He shifted again, almost like the conversation was making him uncomfortable.
“Oh, yeah?” She was glad the others had left. “How was it different than kissing me?”
“It was…” He looked at her. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“I think with time and a little more practice—”
“All right,” he pulled her closer and leaned toward her. Kat stared at him with wide-eyes, amazed that he had misunderstood what she had planned on saying. “Let’s start now—”
“Kissing?” Her voice cracked when he leaned closer still.
“If you think we have to then, yeah.” Jason stared at her for a moment, “Katarina?”
“Don’t do that.” She shook her head as she shifted away from him, the effect he had over her was overwhelming. “Call me Kat, or think of something else that’s cute. Humans like pet names.”
“Like Kit Kat?”
“Yeah, I think Vanessa was about four when she started calling me that. Brian and I were teaching her how to spell,” she laughed. “And she would spell cat with a k, so Brian told her it was only spelled that way for my name, which she disagreed with. Kit Kat’s, she felt the need to point out, also started with a k, hence the name.”
“All right, Kat,” he cleared his throat. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“Why not?” She asked. “Maybe try to think of something else or use one of the popular terms of endearment, like honey.”
“Or buttercup?” He asked.
“Yeah,” she whispered. Something about the way he said it caused her heartbeat to accelerate. She exhaled slowly.
“I like Kat too. It’ll just take me a while to get used to—”
There was a soft tap on the door, so they pulled the covers back and slipped under them. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her between his legs. Her back pressed against his chest in the nicest way.
“Come in,” Jason called.
“Kit Kat,” Vanessa’s head came around the door. “We’re gonna take off, sorry about interrupting.”
“It’s okay. You two okay?”
“Yeah, we’re good. Gonna head to our room. I’ll call you in the morning, love you.”
“Love you, too.”
“Night, Jason,” Vanessa said just before she closed the door.
“She is the most dramatic human I’ve ever encountered,” he stared at the door.
“Yeah, she’s pretty high strung.” She sighed. Kat raised her knees up then tucked her chin onto her right kneecap.
“Why is she here anyway?” He ran his fingers through her hair, which sent a chill up her spine. “I don’t claim to be an expert on seventeen-year-old human females, but isn’t it uncommon for your parents to let her run around all the time?”
“That would be my fault,” she looked over her shoulder and studied him for a moment. “She’s always followed me around and as we’ve gotten older she started sneaking out to follow me.”
“Has she ever found you doing something mission related?” He asked still playing with her hair.
“No. But it concerned my mom enough that she convinced Brian that it was better to let her tag along with me rather than get herself killed by running around D.C. alone.” She sighed as she propped her chin back onto her knee again. Kat was sure that Vanessa’s life wouldn’t be so dramatic had it not been for her always trying to keep up with her big sister.
“What’s wrong?” Jason tugged a strand of her hair gently.
“With?” She looked over her shoulder again.
“You sound so, I don’t know…” He shrugged, “like that bothers you.”
“What?” She sucked her teeth then exhaled loudly in an attempt to play off her emotional response regarding her sister. “No. I mean, it’s annoying…not even. I don’t care about her.” She finished quickly, then pulled her hair over her shoulder and twirled it.
“Right,” he said after a long moment of studying her. “Should I call the others back? It’s pretty late so maybe we should just wait until morning.”
“Yeah, it can wait. Once everyone gets to their houses and starts settling in it can be a pain in the ass gathering everyone together again.”
“That won’t be a problem for too much longer,” he said pulling her hair back over her shoulder. “We should all start living with our lifemates shortly—”
“Ariel and David already do and it’s still a pain in the butt.” She giggled at that. David was comical about complaining about how long it took Ariel to get ready. Ariel didn’t find it funny but David had a way of cracking Kat up, even when he wasn’t trying to be a goofball. Out of every Hybrid male, David was Kat’s favorite. She saw him as the big brother she never had.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly, trying to cover for another uncalled for display of affection. “Ever consider a profession as a hairstylist?”
“Excuse me?” His hand stopped midway through her hair. She looked over her shoulder at him. He matched her stare and she had to force herself to look away.
“You’re just always playing with my hair,” she propped her chin on her knee and exhaled slowly. Man, those baby blues always made her winded.
“It’s so soft,” he went back to running his fingers through it. “And it always smells nice...” He pressed his nose against the back of her hair and took a deep inhale. A chill ran up the length of her back and caused goose bumps to erupt all over her body. When he exhaled, his breath made the already sensitive flesh shudder. She moved to get away from him, the sudden movement, in combination with her feet being tangled in the sheets, caused her to fall from the bed.
“Kat!” He stood and helped her up. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” she backed away from him and almost fell again, the sheets still twisted around her feet. She kicked them off of her. “Great.”
“Really?” He laughed. “Cause you look a little disoriented. Did you bang your head?”
“No,” she smoothed his shirt down and took a deep breath. “No,” she smiled. “I’m fine.” She walked toward the door and pulled it open. “I’ll sleep out here tonight, you can have the room.”
“No,” he grabbed her hand and stopped her progress. “You take the room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No, Jason, its fine—”
“Next time you get the couch…deal?”
“That doesn’t really seem fair since there shouldn’t be too many next times before I get to move into the dorms. Then we’ll be home free—”
“But you won’t be moving into the dorms. I think we’ll begin residing with each other over the summer, so perhaps—”
“What? Won’t you stay in your dorm room while I move into one of my own?”
“I believe the Elders have decided that we will become engaged shortly. I’m not certain, but Father and I will be leaving for New York on Monday. I have an appointment to select your engagement ring at Harry Winston’s. I overheard Father talking to his paparazzi contact.”
“Jason, that’s ridiculous. A human girl would never consider getting married at this age—”
“As I said, I’m not certain. Nor do I know how long one can hold onto a ring before asking, but I’m assuming it will be over the summer, sometime before classes resume at Georgetown.”
“Well, that’s just bull…” She bit down on her lip. “I mean,” she exhaled then smiled. “That sounds like a great plan.” She cleared her throat. “Good night, Jason.”
“Good night, Kat.”
Kat walked back to the room and climbed onto the bed. She couldn’t believe that she was going to have to live with him. Were they out of their freaking minds? Did they not take into consideration how much of an effect he had on her? No, she supposed those stone-cold buttheads hadn’t thought of it since they weren’t attracted to their lifemates. Well, she was. And it continued to get worse with each passing day. But come on, who wouldn’t drool over those abs, and pecs, and arms? Whoa.
She shook her head and tried to focus on anything but him. Of course, with him just a few feet away on the couch, thinking of anything other than him was impossible. The night was restless and the morning was worse. Having to play lovey-dovey with him over breakfast because they met up with Vanessa practically killed her. If he gently caressed her cheek one more time she was going to have to kick him. She figured it would be better than kissing him, which was what she wanted to do, but damned if she couldn’t. She really did hate being half alien.
He left for New York the following morning. Unlike Kat, he didn’t have to worry about school because his spring semester was over. He returned late Thursday night and was sitting with her mother in the kitchen when she got home from school Friday afternoon. Slightly annoyed that he didn’t bring her ring along so she could steal a peek, she went up to her room and packed a bag for their weekend getaway to Martha’s Vineyard.
Senator McCarthy had called Brian to insist that he allow Kat to come with the family as an early graduation present. Of course, they weren’t going on vacation. She and Jason had a mission, and Kat got the impression that her mother liked having an excuse for her to getaway that didn’t involve dragging Vanessa along, especially when she found out they had an amazing mother/daughter weekend planned at the spa.
Staying at Jason’s house that evening, Kat felt awkward and jumpy. It would have been nice to know that she had been mated into royalty. Her mother hadn’t told her because she hadn’t known either. Needless to say, Kat was floored by the news and it showed when members of the High Council joined them for dinner and bowed first to the senator and Barbara, then to her and Jason. Had Jason not bumped her arm with his elbow, Kat was sure everyone would have noticed her wide-eyed, open-mouthed stare.
When Jason walked her to her bedroom later that evening, he apologized for not telling her about their status. It was highly classified information that they hadn’t planned on sharing with her. Of course, with her staying with them over the weekend it had been unavoidable, so she was sworn to secrecy. It was a vow she knew she would break the second she was home. She had to at least tell her mother and Lauren.
The following morning, they left for a money-making mission in Africa. The missions weren’t technically called money-making missions. It was a term that Kat and Lauren had come up with, which referred to those missions whose sole purpose was making large sums of money that went toward the Agency.
The team spent the day waiting for the mineworkers to show up with the tanzanite that Kat’s team would smuggle back into the United States. Tanzanite was worth a fortune when sold on the black market. It was an easy enough job because they let the humans do all the grueling mine work, and her team didn’t have to worry about any pesky customs agents at the teleporter.
Kat was relieved that the other dealer didn’t interrupt their brief exchange. Being on a mission with Jason made her self-conscious for reasons she didn’t understand, so she was glad it went smoothly. After the exchange, she and Wyatt listened in from the safety of Ariel’s conference room, as her team drove toward a small village where another sleeper cell was embedded.
Kat and Wyatt had been trained as snipers and were only utilized when necessary. Their jobs ensured that they were always a safe distance so they survived to accomplish whatever mission the Elders had planned for them. Jason, who was deemed more important than all of them, had been trained as a communication expert to ensure that he was never in danger.
With the humans en route and unaware of their Hybrid status, it was better to send in Hybrids that were seen as expendable. This meant her team, something that shouldn’t have bothered Kat but did, especially when she couldn’t provide cover for them. She and Wyatt stared at each other when Jason reported two vehicles approaching her team. Both had armed men that gave them an upper hand against her small team.
Without any provocation, the two vehicles opened fire on her team’s convoy. Jason reported the activity from the helicopter where he was handling communication. Kat listened to the exchange over her earpiece while she pulled up a map of their location. She requested to be teleported after the first shot was fired. Her request was denied.
Kat pulled down her ski mask when she heard Lauren was shot. She shrugged off Wyatt’s hand when he attempted to stop her, then teleported to the location. She took cover by a tree and fired her weapon. She cursed herself for not bringing her M40 because it was easier to carry, the M82 was over thirty pounds and cumbersome. But she had only planned for long-distance firing so needed the M82 for its precisions and power; the aluminum-tipped fifty caliber bullets annihilated its victims on contact.
She eliminated five of the humans who had encroached on her team, teleported her weapon to Wyatt’s location, then pulled out her side arms and approached firing. She took out two more humans as she ran to an overturned vehicle for cover.
Communication was flying over her earpiece but Kat always managed to ignore it, especially being so focused on making it to Lauren. Their orders dictated that unless directed she was not allowed to enter into combat. But Kat wasn’t going to let her best friend die, not if she could help it.
“Kat!” Jason screamed loud enough to grab her attention, “Behind you!”
She turned just in time to get knocked onto the ground, both her weapons flying out of her hands when the tire iron struck her head. Grateful to have her iron-plated headpiece on beneath her ski mask, Kat shook her head and stumbled away from her attacker. Dazed for a second longer, she recovered and blocked another blow with her arm, then she spun and kicked, her foot connecting with his chest. He managed to punch her in the face before she pulled her ballistic knife from her boot. She almost dropped it when someone grabbed her in a chokehold from behind.
Annoyed that Jason insisted someone come to her rescue, Kat head-butted her unseen assailant, spun around, slit his throat, and then plunged her knife into the other humans gut. With no time to react because David appeared and shot him the head, Kat turned her face so she wouldn’t get spattered. She looked down in amazement. She had managed to hang onto the knife even as the human’s lifeless corpse fell to the ground.
Jason gave them the all clear and reported that Ariel was tracking two humans that were escaping on foot. David ran to assist her while Kat got to Lauren. A bullet had pierced her thigh and had missed her femoral artery. Jason teleported them to Lauren’s house and Kat carried her to the regenerator as she called out to Lauren’s parents. They came to assist and took over Lauren’s care.
Jason teleported Kat back to the village and she assisted with cleanup. Kat, David, and Ariel teleported the human bodies to their morgue facility, then Kat rode in with Ariel and David while they delivered the gems to their Hybrid contact. When they were done, they reported back to Ariel’s. Kat used Ariel’s regenerator, then met everyone for their debriefing with Council.
When she and Jason got back to his house, they tiptoed to their rooms. She bid him goodnight then startled when he stopped the door from closing. She looked at him, then at the hand that was still holding the door in place. She matched his stare, and when she asked if he was okay, he clenched his jaw together and walked away. She stood with the door in the same position, her curiosity wanting her to follow and ask what the hell that had been about, but her fear kept her immobilized.
She closed the door and gathered her pajamas. She took a long shower and tried to analyze his behavior. Beyond frustrated that she couldn’t figure him out, she stepped from the shower and got
dressed. She brushed her teeth then ran a comb through her hair. A small scream escaped her when she walked into the bedroom and saw Jason sitting in one of the armchairs.
“That wasn’t authorized,” Jason said before Kat could account for her uncharacteristic response to seeing him. Hybrids weren’t supposed to spook easily.
“Huh?” She looked back at the bathroom then at him. “I didn’t realize I couldn’t—”
“I’m not talking about the damn shower!” He shouted. He bolted from the chair and quickly closed the distance between them.
“Okay?” She said, her brow going up. “Then what—”
“Your cheek was practically shattered, your arm was broken and, you nearly got your windpipe crushed! And that all transpired after you suffered a concussion…”
“Okay…” Her wide-eyed stare a testament to how ill-prepared she was for a seemingly angry Jason. “Are you always gonna give me the replay afterward? I was there, so I don’t really need—”
“That wasn’t authorized!” He snapped. “You weren’t supposed to come in unless I told you to come in—”
“Lauren was shot and they were outnumbered—”
“Which does not justify putting you or Wyatt in danger—”
“Well, that’s just bullshit and you know it!”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, there were orders in place—”
“Listen, I made sure to clear you and Wyatt from getting into any kind of trouble—”
“That is not the point!”
“Then what is?” She snapped.
“I don’t know!” He shouted.
They stared at each other for a long moment, both of them breathless. There was a knock on the door. They looked at it then back at each other. He tossed her the remote control for the television on his way to the bathroom. She turned it on, hit the mute button, and then made sure the bathroom door was closed all the way before she pulled the bedroom door open.
“Blessed be, Mrs. McCarthy,” Kat plastered a fake smile on her face.
Sleeper Cells Page 5