by Owens, C. M.
“I love you,” he murmurs against my lips, and then he slams into me again.
“It’s just the blood,” I gasp out as his next thrust goes so much deeper, and then I growl, “Just fuck me.”
His lips cover mine as he moans into my mouth, and he savagely ravages me as if his sanity hasn’t returned. I’m torn as to why I still feel like this about Hale when I’m with Brazen.
It’s just the blood. It’s just the blood… Please, God, let it be just because of the blood.
My hand strokes Hale’s hair as he sleeps on my chest. His warm breath heats the curl of my neck from his angled position. I could stay like this. I could forgive him for everything. I love him that damn much, but I love Brazen too. I don’t think Hale loves me, he just needed me.
I sigh as I stare out the window at the full glow starting to show itself. His arms tighten around me as he nestles into me, and my leg twists around him to give him the comfort his sleeping state needs.
It’s so bright outside, and I’ve only slept for about an hour at the most. It won’t be long until they start calling my name on the speaker. Hale needs sleep after having gone savage, and I have to tell Brazen what the hell happened - or what the Hale happened.
Fuck.
I kiss him softly on the cheek before I crawl out from under him without disturbing his sleep. I quickly grab a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom, and then I find a towel to hang up. I let the water thrash against me to cleanse me of the blood fuck with my unloving ex, and tears start seeping out to hide amongst the trickling downpour cloaking my face.
I was fine until last night. Everything was fine, and I was starting to feel like I could finally move on. Hale is always going to be apart of my life, and we’re always going to need each other. I can’t do that to Brazen. Hale doesn’t have to love me, and I don’t have to be with him, but I have to be there for him when he needs me. I can’t do that if I’m married to Brazen. It will destroy him, and I’m a selfish bitch for ever even considering saying yes to such a thing. Brazen deserves someone without such a connection to someone else. He deserves someone who can focus solely on him. I love him enough to do the right thing even though it’s killing me to even think about.
I turn the water off, and I stare at the tears on my face that are masked by the runs of the water dripping from my hair. A few weeks ago, I had the choice of two men, now I have to let them both go for very different reasons.
With a tired mind and a devastated heart, I wrap up, and then I poke my head out to see Hale is already gone. I finally let the floodgates free as I sob into my towel. My life has always been fucked up, and I’d actually be happy to know there isn’t much time left on my span. Perhaps I will ask Clay to do the blood test.
I pull on my clothes, and then I begin brushing my hair just as the loud speaker comes over.
“Araya Crush, please report to interrogation room seven.”
Well that’s just fucking great.
My sleek camisole clings to me with its satin fabric, and my dark jeans are low enough to reveal my hip bones. My still damp hair hanging past my shoulders and my face barely carrying any makeup will have to do. I’m too tired to start this shit again, and I’m just ready for a full night of sleep.
I scurry down to the interrogation room, and my heart sinks when I see Hale standing with Nicholas inside the viewing room as they stare at a guy in his mid-twenties through the glass.
“Nicholas,” I murmur softly, and Hale continues to stare into the glass while intentionally avoiding eye contact with me.
“Araya, I need you to find out what this guy knows about the blood runners from last night. Captain Banner tells me he saw him at the bar during the fight. He got out before my men got there. We found him sniffing around in the visitor yard after he logged himself under a false name. Our alarms sounded the second he typed it in, and we watched him until it was safe to apprehend him. Now we need you to find out what he wanted to do.”
“Yes, Sir,” I mumble, and then I stare at the guy to study him a little so I can come up with a plan of attack.
“Any quirks or weaknesses I can exploit?” I ask to anyone listening.
“He’s hybrid, so be careful,” Hale murmurs softly.
“A hybrid is undiluted blood?”
“I just know he’s part of this. I don’t know which part,” Hale murmurs softly. “He’s somewhat new, and his scent is very different. His eyes are still a little dark, but he refuses to look up to let us view them from in here. He’s odd, and he’s damn fast to have escaped last night. He’s just too young to outsmart the system.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
For nothing, you cold bastard.
I start to walk out, but his hand tugs at mine before I can leave.
“I mean it,” he mutters gently, his eyes piercing mine with the first bit of animation I‘ve seen him hold since last night. “Be careful, Araya. Go invincible with this one. I’ve got a really bad feeling, and I won’t risk your safety.”
“I usually always go invincible. I just use it in spurts so I don’t run out of time. Chill out,” I grumble, and his hand releases mine with some reluctance.
Crap. I wish he hadn’t touched me.
I start walk out while trying to shake off my lingering desire, and then I realize the guy’s attention turns to the door. He knows I’m about to come in, but he shouldn’t. This is room seven. Seven, nine, and fifteen are padded rooms built to withstand the extraordinary hearing of hybrids when we’re on the other side of the glass. He shouldn’t be able to hear.
I decide to test my theory by walking back over to the other side of the room, and Hale’s eyes follow me with curiosity.
“He’s a little twitchy,” I murmur while staring at his bouncing knee, and instantly he stops moving his leg.
A sick feeling overcomes me, and Hale looks at the man.
“He’s not moving at all, Araya,” he mutters as he sizes up the man who is now perfectly still.
I pull out my phone to text Nicholas and Hale. Their pockets buzz in unison, and both of them are wide-eyed as I go to prove my theory to them as I already have to myself.
“I guess I saw something wrong. We do need to get the pesticide crew in here sometime soon though. Those spiders have built new webs in the corners, and I hate going in there with that distracting me.”
His eyes reflexively move over to the corners in front of him, and then they shift in the mirror to view the ones behind him as he catches a glimpse of the spiders I’m referring to. Hale’s lips tighten, and then Nicholas runs his fingers through his hair while fighting his huff of exasperated disbelief that would give us away.
Hale has already told this asshole I can go invincible now, and I’ll have to be even more careful. No one should be able to hear through this much padding. I motion for them to remain quiet as I exit the room, and Hale’s hand takes mine yet again.
“Let’s let a full blood interrogate him since he’s hybrid. It might look bad for one of our own to interrogate him,” he murmurs, and he’s dangerously close to giving us away.
He doesn’t want me to go in there now that the guy is expecting me to go invincible, and now this guy knows I can’t maintain it for very long.
“I’ve interrogated hybrids before, Captain Banner. I’m sure I can be fair in my assessment,” I mumble as I pull free from his grip, and then he pulls me to his body.
“I still don’t like this guy, and I want someone else to interrogate him, given that I’m your superior, I feel within my rights to make such a request.”
My breath becomes a little harsher as I stare into his eyes, and then I look at Nicholas.
“You’re not my superior here. This isn’t United business, and that is my captain who expects me to fully interrogate this witness. Now, let me go, Captain.”
He quickly looks to Nicholas who seems to be torn as to whether or not he should let me proceed. I dash out of the room before he can side with Hale. I pop into the ro
om to see the smug smirk on the guy’s face as I stroll across the floor in front of him.
“I’m Araya Crush, and according to your false listing, you must like the name Ladon. So, Ladon, tell me what you were doing sniffing around our visitor section,” I murmur very casually, and his cuffed hands make no attempt to move.
“I have no interest in telling you anything, Ms. Crush,” he says with his indistinguishable accent.
“That’s a very unique accent, Ladon. Where are you from?”
He smirks lightly while staring directly into my eyes, and Hale’s right. His eyes are different… very different.
“I’m sure you have more important concerns than my birthplace, no?” he smugly retorts.
“Actually, not really. I’ve studied your eyes, and I can tell you’re very new to your change which means you’re far too weak to be a part of this. I’ve also studied your actions which mean you most likely are quite the cowardly lookout. I’m just here to find out what small bits of information you might have heard from the people you worked for - the important people.”
He laughs lightly, and then he reclines back in his steel chair.
“I know you were scared to come in here with me. If I’m so little in your eyes, then why all the trepidation?” he snickers, and now he has given away the fact he can hear through our walls.
“I wasn’t scared. My superiors were a little worried due to the fact you eluded the officers at the bar, but I’m not scared of someone who’s damn good at running away,” I say with a provokingly arrogant air.
His lips tighten because he knows I’m right. I purposely made it clear I was coming in here because I knew he was waiting to see if I was scared. To prove my words to be more than a bluff, I intentionally prick my finger on my uranium tipped knife to show him I’m not invincible - even though I draw my invincibility the second the blood starts to fall.
“Damn it,” I grumble while pulling my finger into my mouth. “I hate it when I do that shit.”
His eyes narrow, and he leans forward to express his insulted emotion.
“You really aren’t afraid, are you?” he muses with an angered tone.
“Not in the least,” I say with heavy distraction as I pretend to obsess over my finger. “I hate knife cuts. They’re so annoying, and now I’ll need blood because this was uranium dipped.”
His clenching jaw reveals his heavily pissed attitude when he feels as though I’ve disrespected him. I gasp as he rips free from the cuffs too fast for their blades to do any damage. They clank to the ground before crushing their blades on nothing more than air. He goes from across the room to me in less than a blink, and suddenly I’m being hurled into the wall. The cracking sound behind me rings out as the white flakes of concrete swirl around like dust motes stuck in the beams of the sun.
He punches me three times in the face before Hale can get in there, and then I see Hale flying backwards as the rapid man delivers blows to his stomach too fast to count. I fling my hand, and the man goes sailing into the wall behind him. He gasps as I hold him down using my gift, and Hale shakes his head before pulling out a gun. He shoots the man in the head and heart until the chamber on the gun clicks empty.
“What the hell?” Nicholas screams.
“I had to. He would have waited on her to let him go, and he would have escaped to do more harm. I think it’s fairly obvious he was gifted, and he sure as fuck wasn’t part of the United. It’s the law to kill any gifted hybrid straying from the United while in United territory.”
“I’m aware of why you fucking killed him, and I’m perfectly fine with it. I’m asking what the hell is that?” he screeches while pointing to the second set of blood bringers protruding from the unknown man’s gums.
“Shit,” Hale shrieks. “I don’t fucking know.”
“He’s one of them,” I almost whisper as the white takes my face.
“One of who?” Nicholas prompts.
“They didn’t have a second set of blood bringers,” Hale counters to my accusation.
“The one we encountered wasn’t fully turned. This one is. He may not have been gifted. They may just be faster than we ever thought about being. They’re still alive.”
“Fuck,” he exasperates. “I have to call Clay.”
“I’ll call the examiner. We need to get him dissected before his blood goes cold,” I murmur aloud while pulling my phone to my ear.
“I’ll do it, Araya,” Nicholas sighs. “I’m starting to feel a little helpless right now, and at least I’ll feel like I’m contributing this way.”
I smile while tucking my phone back into my pocket, and he leaves just as the men rush in with a stretcher to move the body. Once the body is gone, I press the flame button to burn the blood, and then the water falls to wash it away.
“I shouldn’t have let you come in here,” Hale grumbles.
“He was arrogant. I caught on pretty quickly, and I had my invincibility up the moment I knew I had gotten to him. I was safe and cautious. Besides, I’m no longer of any consequence to you. I’m sorry you ever felt like you were responsible for my safety. I’ll always be here for you if you need me the way you did, but other than that, I strongly believe we should be formal and nothing else.”
His eyes stain over with pain, and he takes my hand in his.
“I’m sorry about leaving while you were in the shower, but I needed to speak with Captain Hawkins about the mess. I felt bad for having abandoned the cleanup, but I was trying to get my savage subdued. I swear I injected myself three or four times with olophine.”
I pat his chest before staring into the eyes that continue to break my heart.
“You don’t owe me an apology. We’re not a couple, and you weren’t there for any other reason than what you had already gotten. Avoiding this morning’s awkwardness isn’t a crime. I was actually hoping you would leave,” I lie, and then I suck back the emotion before saying, “As for the other, I knew you weren’t out of the woods. You almost always need me after the savage appears no matter how much olophine you take. It has always been my body mixed with the medicine that brings you back. I’m sorry that’s a problem for you, and I hope you don’t have to endure sharing yourself with me in that form again. I need to go finish getting ready right now since my morning routine was interrupted. Have a safe trip back, Captain Banner.”
My tone is bittersweet, but there’s such deception in my words. It’s all I can do to not beg him just to be with me, but I deserve more than he’ll ever give me now that I know he never loved me. I deserve more than he’ll ever give me of himself, and Brazen deserves more than I can give him.
“I’ll be staying, Araya. Clay is going to want to come here since this is the last place they were spotted. He’ll have the others come to set up, and Hershian will become base until we get another lead,” he interjects just before I disappear.
“Then I hope you enjoy your stay here, Captain,” I force out with a cordial and indifferent tone while fighting the true emotion choking me - my back staying turned to him.
“I really did need to speak with Captain Hawkins. I planned to return to thank you for what you did. I know that wasn’t easy for you. I was sidetracked by the new hybrid. I wasn’t avoiding any awkwardness. I owe you a lot for bringing me back. I could have hurt so many if you hadn’t.”
I turn back to smile lightly, and then my lips tighten.
“I told you I’m always here when you need me. That’s our only tie, and I’ll never let you do anything you’ll regret. Goodbye, Captain,” I murmur softly, and then I make my escape before I fall apart in the hallway.
I hide the tears by letting my hair hang in front of my face, and I quickly dart up the stairs to my apartment. Brazen will be back tomorrow, and now Hale will be staying. Damn my luck.
Chapter 6
Savaged and Ravaged
Brazen’s car pulls up, and the knots in my stomach tighten all the more. I haven’t spoken to Hale since yesterday, and I’ve kept myself busy jum
ping from interrogation room to interrogation room. The others from the United have all started arriving, and now Brazen has come unwittingly into a mess he can’t even begin to fathom.
When he left, I was his. I was considering marriage again. Now, I’m the fornicating slut who can’t cipher her own heart. There’s no way he will understand what I had to do with Hale. There’s no way I could ever ask him to either.
Clay greets him to update him on the situation, and his face shows his shock. I can see the confused stare Clay is giving him. I’m sure he thought I was filling Brazen in, but I’ve been dodging his calls. I’ve been far too ashamed of myself and the terrible news I have to deliver to him.
Brazen takes off sprinting inside the compound, and I take a sip of my whiskey before turning away from the window. I sit down on the couch as I wait for the door to open. It almost bursts off its hinges seconds later, and Brazen’s ashen face still bears his fear mixed with a touch of anger as he steps in.
“Why the hell didn’t you call me or answer when I called you? Araya, you should have told me there was an attack, and you should have told me about the hybrid you interrogated,” he scolds.
“We need to talk,” I mumble, my whiskey sloshing in my hand as I shift in my seat.
His eyes shift to fear, and his body freezes in place.
“I really don’t like the way you just said that,” he murmurs in a near whisper, and he walks over to pull me into his arms. “And I should have done this as soon as I walked in instead of barking at you,” he murmurs while bringing his lips to mine.
My tears flow instantly to carry their guilty flavor to our kiss, and I gently push him back while turning away.
“Brazen, we can’t be together anymore.”
He goes silent. I can’t even hear his lungs sucking in a breath. I know it’s because I’ve just knocked the wind out of him, and I feel like the world’s biggest bitch right now. I keep my back turned to him so I don’t have to stare into the pale eyes I know are destroyed. I’m such a coward.