Defining Human (Only Human Book 4)

by Candace Blevins

  “What are you saying?”

  “Lauren starts back to school in three and a half weeks. Xiaolan will return in three weeks. This is Lauren’s senior year and I’m going to focus on her. I’ll be available for any Drake employees who need to talk to a therapist, but otherwise, I’m out.”

  Abbott shook his head. “You’ll need to lead our city-wide meetings. You’ll have to organize them and mediate them. You took that power from me.”

  “And I’m going to give it to Aaron. I’m still a little angry with him, but we’ll work through it. The bottom line is that he was the voice of reason, so he’s the one who should lead those meetings for a while.”

  “And Nathan?”

  It was my turn to shake my head. “He’s pretty pissed at me. That may be over, anyway.” I sat up and took a fortifying breath. “It doesn’t matter, though. I’m pulling away from everyone until Lauren graduates — possibly until she starts college. It’s looking more and more like she’ll be going out of town, and I want to make the most of this last year, before she moves out.”

  Abbott looked to his side, and Kendra stepped into the frame to ask, “You’ll pull away from Cora?”

  I sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t think I can completely pull away without hurting her.”

  Everyone was silent a good ten seconds, and I said, “I know the two of you are telepathing.”

  “How?” asked Abbott.

  “Intuition? Or maybe it was just logic. Still, it felt a little rude.”

  “I apologize,” said Kendra. “I was asking permission to give you advice as a friend.” She looked at Abbott and back to me. “I don’t believe it’s safe for you to completely pull away. However, should you insist upon trying, you should ask for Ryan’s input.”

  “Aaron’s as well,” said Abbott. “For my part, I need you to turn down any of my people who come to you for therapy. Tell them all arrangements must be made through me.”

  “I’ll agree to it only because I know you care for your people and will make sure their needs are taken care of — if not by me, then by someone else.” I sighed. “We’ve danced around the issue of Gavin.”

  “Our deal still holds. I can make him available Friday night.”

  I shook my head. “Saturday night, please.”

  He nodded, and I looked at Kendra. “I value your friendship, but you’re second in command to The Abbott, and I’m pulling away from the supernatural world — and especially supernatural politics.”

  “With good reason. Talk to Ryan and Aaron about the safest way to pull back. I’ll be here when you want to talk. I hope to see you at least two or three times in the coming year, but I understand your need to spend time with your daughter.”

  Lauren and I packed our things and left Nathan’s house for good Monday morning. She went home, and I went to work.

  My session with Master James that afternoon was exactly what I needed after so much time away. He centered me, made me hurt in the best ways, and demanded my focus be entirely on him. For a few hours, nothing existed except his flogger, his hands, his whip, and his voice. I was strung up, blindfolded, and all I had to do was accept the sensations. Whether they were pain or pleasure didn’t matter after a while — his voice was paramount in my dark, lust-filled world.

  He finished by giving me a grand-finale of orgasms, like the chaotic ending of a fireworks show, and walked me to a bed for aftercare.

  “I’ve missed you, Dear One. No conversations unless you need to talk. Just float. I have you.”

  The alarm on his phone woke me nearly two hours later, and he brushed the hair from my face. “You aren’t taking care of yourself. You need more sleep.”

  “I know, Sir. I intend to simplify my life. I should be able to get more sleep once I do.” I snuggled into him. “I’ve missed you too. Do you think we can have dinner one evening? I’d love to tell you about our little mini-safari. We were so close to actual lions. It was surreal.” Finally, a lion I could talk to him about.

  “I believe I can either Wednesday or Thursday. Look at your schedule and let me know which works best for you.” He caressed my arm. “Up, Dear One. It’s time to get dressed.”

  I’d emailed Ryan earlier and asked him if it would be possible for us to talk, but I came close to pulling my gun on him when I pulled into my driveway to see him sitting on a bench in my side yard.

  “Why are you here?”

  “You wanted to talk?”

  “I didn’t invite you to my home.”

  “No, but I felt it important we speak without it being common knowledge.”

  I sat on another bench, facing him. “I’m pulling out. I’m done. Maybe not forever, but for a year. I intend to focus on my daughter during her senior year of high school. She’ll go away to college next year and I’ll never have her like this again.”

  He was sitting as if he didn’t have a care in the world, and yet I had the sense he was aware of every bird and squirrel in the trees around us. “So the rumors are true. You made it to the top and suddenly don’t want to be there?”

  “Not suddenly.”

  “I’ll help you do this safely, but I have some conditions.”

  I refrained from rolling my eyes. “And those are?”

  “Should we need you for a specific fight, you’ll come. I vow to you I won’t pull you into something unless the power balance is shifting towards the dark and we desperately need you.”

  “The big battle everyone’s talking about?”

  He nodded. “I think it’s at least six to eight months away, but possibly three to five years. That isn’t my only condition though. I need you to stay in top form. It’s essential the supernatural community knows you’ll eliminate anyone who fucks with you. If you stop working out, they’ll think you’ve gone soft.”

  “I have no intention of backing off.”

  “Xiaolan will be living with her boyfriend, yes? You have the guest room open again?”

  I nodded.

  “Move Cora into it.”

  “Xiaolan will still be around. I’ll pay her to clean and grocery shop. I’d like to keep her room available to her.”

  “Figure something out. I need you to have Cora here, I need you to stay on top of your game, and I need your word you’ll fight alongside the other local supernaturals you trust should we come down to good or evil ruling the world. Things are in flux, as it stands. We don’t want another Dark Age.”

  “And what will I get for agreeing to these things?”

  “I’ll put the word out you’re in a shoot-first-and-ask-questions later mood, and that you wish to be left alone. I’ll let you know if I hear whispers of someone coming after you, or if your name is put out for bid on the assassin network.” He sighed. “I’ve already let my people know you consider yourself human and I’m inclined to agree, despite your abilities. They’re also aware of Bran’s legal wrangling to get the Concilio to officially label you a human based on lab tests.”

  “In your opinion, can I do this and stay safe? I mean, you’re absolutely right about being tempted to shoot anyone who disturbs my peace, but I don’t want to have to do it.”

  “Yes, but only if you and Cora are seen running together, and if the rumors say the two of you are still working out and upping your game.”

  “Word’s gotten out about her yielding a light weapon?”

  “It has.”

  “Does losing Abbott’s protection put me at more risk, or less?”

  “I’m not sure it makes much difference. Are you really going to torture Gavin?”

  I shrugged. “He’s mine for a full night. I’m not inclined to talk about what will or won’t happen behind closed doors.”

  He looked away a few seconds before meeting my gaze again. “If Nathan doesn’t come back, you likely won’t have the luxury of bowing out.”

  My heart stopped beating at the thought of Nathan not returning. He’d acted like he just had to go handle something. There’d been no hint of the possibility of
…

  “What do you mean? He didn’t know how long he’d be gone, but he didn’t say anything about not coming back.”

  Ryan shook his head. “Nathan's fighting for the Pride and his life right now. The odds are in his favor, but it isn’t a sure thing. You should be prepared for news he isn’t coming back.”

  When he looked away this time, I had the sense he was feeling for the presence of others — assuring no one was listening. “Traditionally, when the Amakhosi is on the dark side, the power balance shifts. If I thought it wouldn't cause more problems than it solved for you to help him, I’d charter the fastest jet available and fly you down there — but you can't help him win this. He has to do it on his own.”

  “And if I could go to him without a jet?”

  He shook his head. “He must win this without outside help — nothing more than the energy he draws from his lions and lionesses. Please believe me when I say it will hurt him more if you show up than if you stay away.”

  “Is that why I didn’t see RaeLynn the last couple of days I was at Nathan’s?”

  “Those in his Pride who want him to succeed are gathering as much energy as possible, to make it available to him.”

  “Who’s he fighting?”

  “A lion strong enough to assist The Abbott without The Amakhosi knowing. He’s leader of a Pride in Mexico, just over the border.”

  “Can you keep me updated? How do you know what’s happening?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not getting regular updates, but I’ll try to get news to you as I get it.”

  “Why are you in Chattanooga?”

  “If one of you’d killed in cold blood, I’d have needed to consider the circumstances.”

  I let that soak in before asking, “Who appointed you judge and executioner?”

  “I’m a slayer. It’s my birthright.”

  Worrying about Nathan wasn’t productive, but I couldn’t help it. I texted him through the Drake app to let him know I’d help in any way I could, and then worried even more when he didn’t respond.

  With nothing else pressing, I drove to the farmer’s market and grocery store to buy ingredients for eggplant lasagna. I also bought a box of brownie mix and some mint-chocolate-chip ice cream. Lauren and I were going to celebrate our first night home with style.

  She walked in the door tired but happy, hugged Smokey and then me, and asked what smelled good.

  Our dinner conversation was as mundane as you can get — plans for back-to-school shopping, and a possible pool party the first weekend after school started. Backpacks, notebooks, gel pens, and new stickers for her Chromebook because the ones on it were ‘so last year’.

  Before I’d talked to Ryan, I’d been worried about my conversation with Nathan when he returned. Now? I just wanted to have the conversation with him.

  In the meantime, I was looking forward to a year without supernatural politics. I’d mostly had it before preparing for the trip to Africa, and the previous weeks had shown me I preferred to live life as a human. I wasn’t prepared to excise my friends completely from my life, but I was going to have to find a way to enjoy my daughter’s senior year without worry of either of us being abducted, killed, or worse.

  I’d fight whatever battle was coming when it arrived, but I hoped it stayed away long enough to fully devote myself to motherhood for another year.

  Stay up to date on Candace’s new releases by signing up for her newsletter.

  Do you want to know more about the bikers in this world? Keep reading for an excerpt from Brain’s story!

  Also by Candace Blevins

  If you enjoyed Defining Human, you may also like the other books set in the same universe, though in different series.

  Chattanooga Supernaturals series, paranormal romance:

  The Dragon King (Aaron Drake’s story, and the first time we meet Duke and Brain)

  Riding the Storm (Kendra and Eric’s story)

  Acceptable Risk (Bethany, Ranger, Mac, and Jonathan’s story)

  Careful What You Ask For

  Hallowed Destiny – Forged by Darkness

  Uncaged (Ghost’s mother’s story)

  Slave – A Dark(ish) Faerie Tale

  Only Human series, urban fantasy

  Only Human

  An Unhuman Journey

  Of Humans and Monsters

  Defining Human

  Unhuman Acts (TBA)

  Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Series

  Duke

  Brain

  Bash Volume I

  Bash Volume II

  Bash Volume III

  Horse

  Gonzo (where we first meet Britches/Briana)

  Nix

  Ghost

  Bud

  Razor (TBA)

  The Dark Underbelly of The Chattanooga Supernaturals

  Pride (A short story featuring The Lion King)

  Indentured Freedom: Owned by the Vampire (Gavin)

  Leashed (Abbott)

  An Elegant Weapon (Bran)

  The Safeword series, intense BDSM contemporary romance

  Safeword Rainbow

  Safeword: Davenport

  Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon

  Safeword: Quinacridone

  Safeword: Matte (Sam and Ethan Levi’s story, we first meet Frisco and Cassie)

  Safeword: Matte – In Training

  No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon

  No Safeword: Matte – Happily Ever After

  Safeword: Arabesque (Frisco, Cassie, Abbot, and Cam’s story)

  Safeword: Mayday (TBA)

  Check out other books by Candace Blevins at candaceblevins.com.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Brain.

  Excerpt from Brain

  Brain

  Candace Blevins

  Brain is available at most online retailers

  Ice

  Some people talk about going off the grid like it's sexy, fun. But sometimes, the reality sucks.

  I made my choices at twenty-one, and I’ve made it to twenty-five against all odds. I've successfully evaded law enforcement from the top dozen or so countries in the world, not to mention having members of the Russian Mafia after me, but now I've come up against another hacker.

  For the first time in over four years, I'm not sure of my ability to elude him.

  The asshole drives a Harley. He's tall and thin, all sculptured wiry muscles with a cocky assed attitude. If he wasn't my arch enemy, apparently out to kill or capture me at all costs, I might actually be interested. Genius hackers don’t usually come with muscles, speed, strength, leather clothes, and motorcycles.

  However, he was most certainly after me — pissed at me for breaking through his firewalls and selling his MC’s secrets — and he's been on my tail for more than a week.

  I used a fake identity he doesn’t know about to rent a high dollar hotel room. While I'd like to think the penthouse’s fancy security was good enough to keep him out, if he figured out where I was, I knew it’d barely slow him down. He drives a Harley and wears biker clothes, but I doubt he’d have trouble infiltrating even this place.

  I hadn't slept in days, though, so I was going to have to crash and trust he wouldn’t figure out my location.

  I chose this hotel, in part, because the penthouse suite has a balcony with access to the rooftop pool, giving me three exits — stairs, private elevator, and through the pool area to the public elevators and stairwell.

  Of course, this meant he also had three ways to get to me, all of which required a key card, but he wouldn’t have any problems making what he needed to get past the electronics.

  I was beginning to talk myself out of how safe this place was, but I was exhausted.

  I hacked into the hotel security and rigged it to ring the hotel phone if anyone used a key card to access the penthouse elevator. I also hung bells on all the doors — it might be low tech but it would wake me if anyone entered.

  And I crashed, fully clothed with my knife, pepper spray
, and taser in my pocket, and my backpack ready to go in case I had to make a hasty exit.

  I don't know how long I slept when the phone rang, and as I rolled out of bed and grabbed my backpack, the bell on the terrace door jangled.

  He silenced it in a microsecond, though. He’s inhumanly fast, but I already knew that.

  I’d left the window open, and I pulled my knife from my pocket and slung it open as I neared it, prepared to slash the screen so I could make it onto the terrace, and then hopefully get up to the pool and onto an elevator before he could get to me.

  My ability to run fast has saved my ass more times than I can count, but this dude can run faster, and he terrifies me, which is why I chose to run instead of going for my pepper spray.

  I lifted my hand, and a millisecond before I swiped down to cut the screen, he grabbed my arm and wrenched the knife from my hand.

  The next thing I knew, I was on the bed, face down as he strapped my wrists and ankles with zip-ties. Panic threatened, but I’ve managed to get out of close scrapes before — I just needed to keep my head on straight and figure out how to get away from him. I breathed through my fear and reminded myself I needed to keep my wits about me if I was going to get away from him.

  My eye had been tender from wearing my contact so long, and I’d taken it off before going to sleep.

  When he rolled me over, I kept my eyes closed.

  “You’re Ice?” he asked, but I kept my mouth and eyes shut.

  “I already know you wear colored contacts,” he said, his voice soft, deadly, “so you may as well open them. Before we’re finished, I’m going to know everything about you, so open your eyes and let’s get started.”

  My left eye is two-thirds brilliant blue, the other third an orangish-yellow, and my right eye is brown. Most of the time I wear a brown contact over my multi-colored eye, but other times I wear green or blue contacts designed to look natural. Sometimes, I’ve been known to wear cat-eye contacts, or unnatural colors like hot pink, purple, or fuchsia. Besides the Russians, no one who knows my hacker name has ever seen my eye without a masking contact.