He returned the gesture, but only for a moment before pulling away.
“I know you didn’t ask for this. It’s been an adjustment. If you still resented me, I wouldn’t blame you—”
“Stop. I don’t. We are the one thing right in my world right now.” We still had a lot to figure out. But being with Declan felt right. I wasn’t going to deny that feeling any longer.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Declan tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and rested his forehead against mine.
“You’ve been attacked more times than I can count. Abducted. Experimented on. You should talk to somebody. It will help.”
“I’ll think about it,” I told him.
“That’s all I ask.” He captured my lips with his once more. “If Caden or one of the other children you’d rescued came to you with concerns, what would you tell them to do?”
I sighed. “It isn’t the same. They were kidnapped and tortured by the HAC.”
Declan met my gaze and waited.
Fine, they were the same. But my mind rebelled at the thought of exposing myself to a virtual stranger.
It wouldn’t help. Talking never did.
I knew what would help.
I needed to kill my mother and dismantle the HAC piece by piece. After watching her emotionless eyes look down on me as I was strapped down to a cold metal table and had my psyker energy ripped apart inside of me, I realized in that moment that she needed to die.
I’d come to terms with that truth over the last few weeks.
I still didn’t know if I could actually do it. She’d raised me. She’d brushed my waist-length hair every night before bed, kissed my cheek, and told me she loved me for years.
The small child inside of me loved her with every fiber of my being.
But she was the head of the proverbial snake.
There were no signs of the mother I grew up loving anymore. She’d died six years ago.
“Christian believes the work will be completed by week’s end,” I said.
Declan didn’t comment on my change of subject.
“I could use a gig right now to get my mind off of things and get out of the Compound. I’m beginning to develop cabin fever.”
“You don’t need to work. You—”
I lifted my hand. “I need to work. I need to be independent. We had an agreement.”
“We still do. I only want you to know that you have choices. You don’t have to put yourself in danger to have independence.”
“I like what I do. I help people.” My work wasn’t always rewarding. Bodyguard duty for a water nymph or retrieving lost genetically manipulated pets weren’t the gigs I was most proud of.
But keeping families safe. Eliminating the monsters. That I was proud of.
Declan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and stared down at the screen. A furrow formed between his brows.
I peered over to see what he was looking at.
Christian: The building is being watched. I can’t spot them, but I know someone is out there.
Declan typed a quick response.
Declan: How long have you felt them?
Christian: The last two hours. Bobby wants to go take a look around outside.
Declan: Don’t engage. I’ll be right there.
“Christian thinks someone is spying on them. I’m going to go check things out.” Declan shoved his phone into his pocket.
“If something is going on at Sanborn Place, I should be the one checking things out. Besides, you’re Alpha. If anyone is there, they’ll get sight of you and head for the hills before you have the chance to pick up their scent.”
“The same applies to you. You won’t have any more luck showing up without whoever is out there spotting you either.”
He had a point.
“I’ll send Inarus. He can port in and out unseen. He can also evacuate everyone inside if the need arises. Your men will be safe, and he’ll have an easier time spotting whoever it is that’s being an idiot and sleuthing around my business.”
He nodded. “Do it.”
9
I busied myself training. Olivia had called earlier today and relayed a message from Marcella.
“The TK has to die.”
She couldn’t tell me which TK it was, only that Marcella had had a vision and that a TK needed to die in order for me to live. Inarus was a telekinetic. As was Dia. But It wasn’t like I was going to kill either of them so I decided to ignore Marcella’s warning.
It wasn’t helpful and only worked to dampen my mood. So I decided to push the thought far from my mind and focus on the fight at hand.
It was an unfair fight, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
I would have preferred to spar with Declan. When he wanted to, he pushed me to be at my best.
It was rare when he didn’t hold back, but there were brief moments when I wormed my way under his skin just enough to force his control to slip.
In those moments, his beast would rise to the surface and then things really got interesting.
Today I had Caden.
At seventeen years old, he was still slender and growing too fast. He’d passed six feet and kept going. Bright cognac eyes and sculpted cheekbones hinted at the masculine beauty he would inherit.
He would give girls reason to chase should he ever look in their direction.
But as a recent addition to the Pack, having been rescued from the HAC, Caden only ever seemed to have one goal in mind. Grow stronger.
I couldn’t blame him.
I pulled my daggers from the sheaths resting low on my hips.
Caden raised a single brow, and claws inched their way from his fingertips. At seventeen, he shouldn’t have been able to manage a partial shift.
But Caden was older than his years and full of surprises.
“I’ll go easy on you,” I told him.
He smirked. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
I whirled my blades, warming up my wrists.
Caden assumed a warrior’s stance, and I lunged.
My blade whistled past his left side. He sidestepped my maneuver, dodged my charge, and shoved me between my shoulder blades.
I whirled back just enough to avoid the prick of his claws.
Ducking low, I kicked out, landing a blow to his right kneecap. His stance faltered, but only for a moment before he righted himself.
“You’re getting better.” Only a few weeks ago that move would have taken him to his knees.
“I’m a quick study.”
Caden lunged. With the speed only a vampire or shifter could master, his clawed fingers sank into my shoulders, and he threw me to the mat.
I smelled blood.
Gold glinted in Caden’s eyes. His beast scented prey.
Not today, buddy.
I rolled to my feet. Recognizing that Caden was still too young, his beast still untrained, I ended the match before the blood overruled his senses.
I rammed the hilt of my dagger into his temple while my knee connected with his gut.
He sucked in a pained gasp, but didn’t go down.
Definitely getting stronger.
I twisted and issued a roundhouse kick while he was still dazed, and he toppled over like a leaning tower.
His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm as he lay on the mat.
I crouched down beside him and waited for his vision to clear and for his gaze to sharpen on me.
“Your control slipped. Your lion smelled blood, and you let it take over. He’s stronger than you are, but you need the man’s mind to take down a more experienced opponent.”
He nodded. “It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.”
I sheathed my blades and grabbed a towel from a nearby bench.
Caden was slow to get up, so I wiped the sweat from my brow and stretched out the aches in my neck and shoulders.
“Hey, Aria …” His voice was hesitant.
>
“Yes?”
“You’ve killed before, right?”
I nodded. Where was he going with this?
“Does it follow you? The stain of death?”
I shook my head. “I only kill if I have to. I kill to protect myself, and I kill to protect others. I don’t kill for sport, and I don’t kill lesser creatures that don’t know any better unless I’m given no choice. At the end of the day, I can look myself in the mirror. Have a purpose behind your kills, and you’ll be able to look yourself in the mirror too.”
He nodded, but worry still marked his expression.
“What’s this all about?”
Golden eyes met mine. “James is gone.”
“He won’t be gone forever.” As Pack Hunter, Declan couldn’t afford for him to be gone much longer. He was dealing with Pack business. I didn’t know what exactly, and I had enough on my plate to worry about, so I chose to remain ignorant.
It was easier than worrying about my best friend.
“Declan pulled me aside last week. Before you were hurt …” He averted his gaze, and my own concern rose to the surface.
“What did he talk to you about?”
“He told me I’m Hunter-born.”
Ah, all of this made sense now. “And how do you feel about that?”
Being Hunter-born was both a blessing and a curse. James had been the Pack’s Hunter since the age of eighteen. It was a lonely occupation, and he had a hard time building relationships within the Pack for fear he’d one day have to end a friend’s life.
The Hunter took down rogue shifters. If Caden was hunter-born, he’d be expected to kill rogues one day too.
Caden didn’t answer my question, so I waited.
And then my patience snapped, because let’s be honest, I didn’t have much to begin with.
“Could you kill to protect those you loved?”
“Yes.”
“Could you kill to protect those weaker than you?”
“Yes.”
“If faced with killing someone you know, someone you may have once considered a friend or family, could you do it if you knew sparing their life would end Suzie, Tito’s, Yuli’s, or any of the other children’s lives who came to the Pack when you did?”
He paused and considered the question before answering. “Yes.”
“Then don’t let the weight of being Hunter-born consume you. When a shifter goes rogue, there’s no coming back.”
“I know, it’s just that …”
It’s just that having no choice but to kill a friend had the tendency to kill your soul.
I could relate. But telling Caden that slaying his friend when the time came would in fact leave him marked wasn’t going to help him.
Nothing I said could. So I weaved a pretty lie with enough truth that he wouldn’t scent it.
Lycanthropy, or Lyc-V for short, was a vicious virus that infected without discrimination. But because of its aggressive nature, it pushed a shifter’s humanity to its limits and forced them to choose. Humanity, with all of its razor-thin control, or release, and the freedom to let the beast take over.
Nearly one in every twenty shifters turned rogue.
It was why a Hunter was so important to the health of any Pack. Because only a Hunter was strong enough and dominant enough to challenge any Pack-mate—Alpha or otherwise—and not have their own beasts shaking with the urge to submit.
“Death is never easy. Neither is life. The Hunter does their Pack-mates a service by ending their life when they have lost the very essence of who they once were. The Hunter grants them peace. Would you deny them that?”
He shook his head.
“Then embrace your burden and train. James is still here, so the mantle of Hunter won’t fall on your shoulders any time soon. Take advantage of the time you have to grow in both strength and confidence.”
“Thanks. I needed that.”
I walked over to him and ruffled his unkempt hair. “I like to think I give a mean pep talk.”
10
Dinner was a private affair. Shifters craved companionship, and mealtime was a time to socialize. But tonight, easy camaraderie and conversation weren’t what was on the menu.
Seated in one of the Compound’s private dining rooms were Robert, Dia, Derek and Teagan—Joint Alphas of Clan Wolf—Caden, Brock, Declan, and myself.
Brock was here at Declan’s request. Caden at mine. And Derek and Teagan had invited themselves when they realized that Dia and Robert were joining us.
The brothers didn’t want to miss out on any of the action. Not that I could blame them.
We each were seated around a rectangular table with Declan at the head, me on his right, Brock on his left, the rest of our party seated around us, and Dia seated farthest away.
It was for her own safety.
Inarus was still at Sanborn Place. Beneath the table, I typed a quick text. It had been several hours since I’d heard from him.
I wasn’t one to worry. He was a telekinetic. He could take care of himself. But not checking in was unlike him, and I was curious to see what he’d discovered.
Aria: Where are you? Check in.
Putting my phone aside, I focused my attention on Robert and lifted a brow. He didn’t seem to get the hint and continued on with his private conversation with Dia.
Declan’s ears twitched, but there was no other indication that he was listening in on their conversation.
Dammit. I wished I had shifter hearing.
I checked the clock on the wall. It was six forty-eight, and time moved too slow.
Declan bit into his steak, and suddenly everyone at the table was ravenous. We ate in silence with only the sound of clinking silverware to fill the empty room.
I sent furtive glances in Dia’s direction. Each one she met with a cold stare. Right back atcha. I wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence, so I ate with a single-minded focus.
Caden was the one to speak first, surprising all of us.
“Were you involved in my abduction?”
Shit. I hadn’t seen that coming.
Judging by the expression on Declan’s face, neither had he.
“Perhaps we could entertain lighter dinner conversation—” I wanted to punch Robert in the teeth. Caden had been through a lot. This might not be the most comfortable setting, but he was owed answers.
Dia pushed her plate aside and leaned back in her chair. She met Caden’s gaze straight on.
Gold flecks filled his eyes, but he made no move or sound. He waited.
I could all but see his lion pacing just beneath the surface.
“That depends. When were you abducted?”
“Thirteen months and eleven days ago.”
Damn. I hadn’t realized he’d been keeping track.
Dia shook her head. “Too long ago. I’ve only been working with the HAC for the past six months after learning my brother had gone AWOL.”
“So you didn’t participate in mine, but you have in others?”
Dia glowered. “I didn’t say that.”
Caden’s skin rippled.
I reached out and placed a hand on the bare skin of his left arm. He didn’t look my way, but the touch grounded him, and his skin settled.
“Look, I’m a soldier. I was enlisted in the United States Army when society fell. I take orders. I don’t ask questions. The HAC has given me plenty of orders, and I’ve followed every one of them. But I was never involved in assignments involving children. Are we good?”
Hardly. But we all waited to see what Caden would say.
He didn’t disappoint.
“No. We’re not good. You are my enemy. If you hurt any of mine, I will end you. I don’t care if you think you’re more experienced or stronger than I am. You’re not. If you attack Aria again or harm anyone in my Pack, I will kill you. I won’t think twice about it. Do we understand each other?”
Whoa.
Dia’s lips pressed into a thin white line. Seconds ticked by,
and she finally nodded.
Caden pushed his chair back and stood.
“With respect, I will excuse myself now.”
Declan nodded, and Caden left the room.
If tensions were thick before, they were suffocating now.
“Dia has no intentions of attacking our Pack. Isn’t that right?” Robert said in an attempt to ease the tension.
“No.” She tried for a smile, but it didn’t quit fit. “Previous altercations were just a misunderstanding.”
I choked on the piece of steak I’d been chewing.
“A misunderstanding? Trying to kill me was a misunderstanding?” I fought the urge to rub at my neck.
She nodded. “I was under the impression you were manipulating my brother. I held you personally responsible for his standing within our organization.”
Wonderful. “So what was your plan? Kill me, and big bro would get his place back in the HAC, and then all would be well in the world?” I snorted. “They tried to kill him. More than once. You should be thanking me for getting him out of there.”
She rose from her seat, palms spread on the table as she glared at me. “They never would have come after him if it weren’t for you.”
I stood, and fire licked my fingertips. “They didn’t attack him because of me. They attacked him because he saved children. Children! They had kids locked in cages as they abused and experimented on them. What was he supposed to do, let them rot?”
“The HAC isn’t perfect. But Viola is trying—”
“NO!” The room shook, and Dia flinched as if she’d been struck. Power filled my voice. My hair floated around me, and fire licked higher up my arms, encasing my upper body.
“You do not get to bring my mother into this.”
Her eyes widened. “Your mother?”
She had to be kidding. How could she not have known?
I laughed. The sound echoed in the room. I felt Declan’s concern through the bond and ignored it. “You didn’t know? Viola Reynolds is my mother.”
Consumed by Fire Page 5