"That'll be the last time I get caught in a trap, red. I promise you that."
I snorted. "Right, I highly doubt that."
"I swear it. Now..." His voice suddenly dropped to low, seductive tones. "Can I kiss you properly?"
I tapped my finger against my chin. "Hm, I'm not sure," I teased. "I find myself rather tired suddenly and-"
But I didn't get the rest out because Lex was suddenly there. Desperate and eager, pushing me up against the rough bark of a tree trunk. The wood dug into my skin, making me gasp. And then his lips were on my mouth and there was nothing awkward about it this time around. There was no possession in it or anger. It hadn't been what our first kiss had been. This one was a happy realization. It was fun and quirky. Lex put everything that he was into the kiss and held onto me as if he feared losing himself if he let go.
And then he was kissing the side of my mouth, trailing his lips and tongue down my jawline to the exposure of my neck. His mouth seemed to be everywhere at once. Maybe he didn't quite know where to start. But I did.
Slipping my hands into his shirt, I let my hands roam over the smooth skin of his stomach. A flat surface met my fingertips. He was warm, eager beneath my touch, doing exactly what I wanted him to do as if he could read my mind. I let my fingers trail down to the waistband of his jeans and I slipped inside.
He jumped, letting out a surprised yelp and the sound invigorated me; made me want more, made me want to do more. I smiled and ran a fingernail along the side of his shaft. He jumped again, hips slamming into me. The restrictions of his pants were too much. I wanted them gone. I wanted free reign to touch him how I wished without annoying barriers holding me back…
He seemed to read my want. Pulling away, he undid the top button of his jeans and slid the zipper down. I watched with hungry half lidded eyes as he pulled his boxers down until he was free for my ministrations.
I grabbed him in my palm and squeezed tightly. He sucked in a painful breath as my hand worked against him, up and down. His hips thrust against my hand, heightening the rhythm, the pleasure.
His hands were against me again, roaming down my sides, to my hips and behind to grip my ass. He grinded himself against me before letting one hand go to my front and press against my mound.
My knees buckled at the action and I gasped. The pressure somehow built to a painful peak with clothes between us. But it was oh, so fun. I let my head fall back against the tree trunk as his fingers dug almost painfully into me, trying to pleasure me through my jeans. I kept up my movements against his warm flesh.
The quiet, dark woods was filled with our heavy breathing, with our desperation for release.
And then there were the voices.
I stilled my movements immediately. Lex hadn't heard. He was still touching me, still moving his hips against my hand.
"Lex," I whispered urgently.
"Red," he whispered back, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I want you."
"Lex, be quiet," I hissed. I took my hands from him and gripped his wrists tightly. He stilled and looked at me in questioning. I jerked my head to the side and he stopped and listened. The voices were growing closer. I didn't want to be caught this way. Maybe I shouldn't have been embarrassed at the thought of getting caught when I'd participated in an orgy the night before but that was an entirely different matter.
I let go of Lex and he quickly righted himself. When he finished, I pulled him deeper into the shadows of shrubbery and shoved him to the ground in a kneeling position, following after him.
I don't know why I hid. But I also don't know what had come over me. Fornicating in the woods, so far from camp and so close to the Hybrid Laboratory? We could've been attacked at any moment. It had been foolish. Too foolish.
I peeked over the edge of the bushes and watched as silhouetted figures walked into the clearing Lex had been hanging from. I could slightly make out their forms. But I didn't need the light to see them and know who they were.
I recognized their hushed voices immediately.
Akir's brothers.
Cole and Braxtyn Murtaugh.
Chapter Eight
I held my breath and strained an ear to listen to what they were saying.
"This whole endeavor is a waste of time," Braxtyn complained.
I didn't miss his cranky tone or the anger there. The bastard. If he was so against it then why had he come? Because he's a traitor… I leaned forward further.
"Our brother doesn't seem to think so," Cole replied, a little louder. His voice was more cheerful, not so weighed down by anger or hardships. He was young. So young he hadn't yet seen the horrors of life. Even if he did, I doubted it'd ever change him. He seemed too naive for his own good.
"Our brother is a fool. Bringing all of our men out here on the whim of some country whore."
My skin bristled at those words. Even Lex beside me stiffened defensively.
"Careful how you speak of the princess. Soon, she'll be our queen."
Braxtyn scoffed at that. "Queen, my ass. She killed ten of our city officials and she didn't get a word of punishment for it."
My heart hurt at that. I'd killed them to survive. Not because I wanted to. And that had been before I knew Akir. Before I knew of the freedoms of the Ruined City.
"That's because Akir is in love with her," Cole said simply, as if the matter and the whole conversation were already boring him. "You saw how quickly he ran to redecorate his room when he found out they were to be married. He also gave up all women. Helga seemed pretty upset about that." He laughed, the sound was high pitched and pleasant. But his words had me flushing.
Akir. In love with me? He'd redecorated the room for our marriage, sure but did that mean he was in love? It's not like he knew me aside from what his spies had gathered. And Helga? He'd been with his guard? I tried to ignore the jealousy that seared through me at that little bit of information. He had been free to do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted. I couldn't be mad about that. I definitely couldn't be mad about it when I also had Lex, River and Kael.
Besides, Helga didn't seem to be too upset with me and Akir. She was ever so careful when doing my hair, with helping me dress. She was nice with gentle and encouraging smiles. Maybe she was over it. Or maybe she was still with Akir…
That thought hurt more than it should have.
I shook my head back and forth to clear the emotions away.
"He hasn't known the bitch long enough to love her." Braxtyn waved Cole's comment off with a flick of his wrist.
Bastard.
"I don't think time matters when it comes to love, big brother," Cole replied absently.
Of the two, I liked him best.
"Since when did you become a philosopher, Cole?" Braxtyn snapped impatiently. "Our brother has gone soft in the head ever since he got engaged to that bitch princess. I hope we at least find a hybrid or two in that lab. If only so it could rip the whore in two."
That's it.
A growl rumbled deep in my chest as I burst through the shrubbery and made myself known. The gun from my holster was in my hand before I even blinked as if my body's instinct had taken over. Lex let out a curse as he followed behind me. I walked straight up to them, startling them both by shooting and aiming inches from their feet.
"What the fuck?" Braxtyn yelled, jumping back. He looked up, finding me a few feet away from him with my gun now pointed at his lower region. "What the fuck is your problem, princess?" he demanded. Already he was reaching for his own weapon and pulling it out, cocking it.
"Oh, it's 'princess' now, is it? What happened to 'whore' and 'bitch'?" I let sarcasm slip through between the spaces of my anger.
They didn't have to like me. Hell, I didn't like them. But I also wasn't shit talking as badly as they were. If they had something to say, they could look me in the eyes and do so. I would not be talked about by a traitor to
his own blood.
Braxtyn held his own gun up. But he didn't point it at any of my limbs. He pointed it straight at my forehead. And there was murderous rage in his eyes that let me know that he was more than willing to pull the trigger.
But his intent didn't make me nervous. It made a thrill spiral down the length of my spine. It made adrenaline rush through the blood in my veins. It made my hands tremble with anticipation. My finger brushed against the trigger. I itched to squeeze it.
"Is that any way to speak of your future queen, Braxtyn?" I taunted.
Akir's brother let out a harsh laugh and then spat on the ground in front of me. "Queen? You are no queen of mine."
Lex stepped closer to me. I could feel the tightness on him. Could feel the nerves radiating off of him. Even Cole looked nervous. He stepped forward and put a hand on Braxtyn's arm. Braxtyn shook him off angrily.
"Your brother, the king, seems to feel differently."
Braxtyn snorted. "Some king he is. A foreign slut of a princess comes into his kingdom and kills his men and he doesn't even bat an eye because he's too busy panting after her." He laughed harshly. "If our father were here, he would have had you killed where you stood."
I smirked. "Well, the fact of the matter is that your fatherisn't here. I'm sure we have you to thank for that."
His eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You tell me...traitor."
His face paled even in the darkness. "How dare you-" he broke off with a growl. "Stupid bitch!"
And then he squeezed the trigger.
It all seemed to happen so slowly.
Beside me, Lex shouted my name. But his voice was so far away. I stared down the barrel of the gun. Saw a burst of fire and light. And then I felt the fire trail a painful path against the curve of my cheek. The gun fell from my hand.
Blood trickled down my face. Numbly, I put my fingers to it, felt its warmth. I looked back up in time to see Lex become a blur rushing towards Braxtyn. There was another gunshot and Lex grunted but still, he tackled Braxtyn.
I watched, nearly numb with shock as Lex toppled him down and began throwing punches. There was the sound of flesh pounding painfully against flesh.
It was my awakening.
I snapped out of it and pushed Cole-who had somehow ended up beside me, frantically asking me if I was okay-aside to rush forward. Lex wasn't stopping. It was like some demon had taken over his body and was fueling violence inside of him. He pounded against Braxtyn's face with his fists. And Braxtyn was immobile beneath him.
"Lex," I yelled. "Please stop!" But he didn't seem to hear me. He punched violently. I grabbed his elbow from behind and tugged with all of my might, pulling him towards me. He fell back against my chest and that seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he'd found himself in.
"Keanna," he turned around, his eyes blank for a brief moment before looking over me. His hands were there, touching every inch of me to assure himself that I was okay. But his eyes went to my cheek and his gaze darkened. "We need Kael. We need to-" he winced.
"You're hurt." My hands went to his abdomen. It came away stained with blood. "Damn it, Lex. You've been shot. Why would you jump in front of a damn gun?"
Lex didn't smile. "I had to protect you, red."
I didn't have a retort so I helped him up. I threw his arm over my shoulder and started to walk away. I turned back to get one last glance at Braxtyn. Cole was kneeling on the grass beside him. "He's alive," Cole whispered.
"And he'll stay that way. If only because he's my fiancée's brother." I glared at Cole. "Don't tell Akir what happened."
And then we walked away.
"I'll kill him." River said viciously.
"You will not."
"I'll fucking kill him."
I sighed loudly. River was pacing back and forth inside our tent. It was a big enough structure to fit ten people. But we were only four. I sat among a mound of pillows, holding a cold compress against my burning face.
We'd arrived at the tent and Lex had immediately made Kael tend to me. My wounds weren't as bad as his were but Lex had refused any help unless I'd been treated first. So Kael cleaned and disinfected the graze wound and taped a square piece of gauze to my cheek.
The healer now tended to Lex, who dealt with the removal of the bullet and the stitching with minimal complaints.
River was the one stressing me out.
He marched back and forth from one end of the tent to the other. His hand would go to his weapon, pull it out, then put it back in again. It was like his physical instincts as my bodyguard were trying to override his common sense.
"I'll kill the bastard," he said again. He'd mentioned that about fifty times already.
"You can't. No matter how badly you want to."
River went on as if I hadn't even spoken. "I told you, Keanna. Itold you not to go near him without me. Didn't I tell you?"
I rolled my eyes. He was starting to sound a lot like my mother. "I didn't go looking for him, Riv. We happened on him by chance."
River stopped pacing to narrow his eyes at me. "And you had to get involved, didn't you? You always have to get involved."
I dropped the compress from my cheek and frowned at my best friend. This argument was all new to me. We never fought like this before. Our fights were always over trivial things. About who ran faster, about who'd won the race. I'd never really snuck off without him because he always wanted to be behind me. He always wanted to compete. And he always wanted to protect despite the fact that I could very well protect myself. And perhaps he was just so used to a life by my side that he couldn't fathom why I'd ever run off without him.
"I don't like people talking shit about me."
"You should have let him talk shit!" River shouted. His patience entirely gone now. I flinched at his tone. "Your inability to look the other way, your inability to stay silent nearly got you both killed, Keanna. Look at Lex!" He gestured to the nomad. Lex's face was pale as Kael fixed up the last of his stitching. He started at his name and tried changing his expression into one of bravery.
"I'm fine," Lex said. It was obvious he was lying. He was in pain. Not just from the bullet wound but the skin along his knuckles were split open and bleeding as well.
"You're not fine. You were nearly killed. Keanna was nearly shot in the head!"
Lex's face suddenly went grave. "I'd never let anything happen to her, River. Never."
For a heartbreaking second, River's face went raw with vulnerability but he shook it off to glare and grind out from between clenched teeth. "But the fact is, you did Lex. You let her go into that clearing and get you both shot."
Lex tensed and both men stared each other down. It was obvious an argument was about to ensue. But Kael, level headed Kael, broke it up. "Have you ever tried stopping the princess from doing something she'd set her mind to?" River tensed. That was response enough. Kael began putting his instruments into bowls of disinfectant and continued, "It is completely unfair for you to put the blame on Lex for that. Yes, the princess should not have done what she did, but she is a human. She made a mistake. Luckily nothing worse happened. What's important now is that we all learn from this mistake and move forward."
Kael was truly a wizard. His words had all of us relaxing our tense postures and calming. We put the arguments behind us. River sighed and plopped himself onto a sleeping bag. "So how do we move forward from this?"
They all looked to me for answers.
"We pretend it didn't happen."
"How?" Lex asked. "I don't think I could look him in the eyes without wanting to punch them to the back of his skull."
"I'd like to wring his traitorous neck."
"I wouldn't mind hurting him, either," Kael added. "But the princess decides."
"Whatever happened can't get out. Akir can't find out because we need him and his men an
d weapons to get into the lab," I explained.
"And how do you know Braxtyn will keep the secret?" River asked, a little skeptical.
I shrugged. "I don't. But how would he explain to his brother that heshot his fiancée in the face? Just like I can't explain how I started it by shooting at their feet. He wouldn't want to take sides."
The men before me looked at each other with a slight bit of doubt before muttering their agreements.
"So, it's settled," I said with finality. "Akir can't find out."
"Akir can't find what out?"
My entire body tensed at the sound of my fiancée's voice. I turned to see him closing the tent flaps behind him. His blue gaze ignored the other men and focused solely on me. Reading me. Assessing me. His eyes flickered to the gauze over my cheek.
"Where have you been?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I could ask you the same. I heard gunshots and as king, had to check on my people. Are you okay, lass?" His eyes flickered to Lex and the blood on his clothes and then back to me.
We were done for.
He knew.
"I'm fine." I started throwing pillows about to the guys before settling into my sleeping bag. I was in full clothes. In case an unexpected battle broke out. "I've been waiting for you to get back, actually." I patted the spot next to me in invitation. "Come to bed."
Akir looked over the medical kit, Kael's bloody hands, the gauze on my cheek. But he said nothing. He just smiled, the side of his lip lifting up with the action. "Lights out," he commanded. "We have a long, long day tomorrow." He stripped off his leather jacket and tossed it to the floor.
I was captivated by the movements.
River snorted. Lex sighed heavily. Kael chuckled lowly.
My own face flushed. But they all got ready for bed, taking their own spots and sliding into their sleeping bags. They were all to my left and I watched as they turned their backs to me as if they meant to give me and Akir privacy.
Escaping the Beasts (The Hybrid Trilogy Book 2) Page 7