Yet here she was, marking it all down, trying to be objective as she noted the general risks. The very act made her feel sick to her stomach.
She gritted her teeth. Objectively, the presence of the hybrids was creating a risk. She had to note that, but she wondered if the government would care about circumstances, or instead just focus on the negative parts as an excuse for their own agenda.
A small knock came from the door. She bolted upright. She hoped to God it wasn’t the general. She just wasn’t in the mood to deal with his crap at the moment.
April frowned and made her way over to the door. She looked outside and blinked. Cyrus stood there, no anger on his face. Instead, he looked weary.
She opened the door and stared at him. Soot covered his clothes, and the acrid stench of smoke still clung to him.
He ran a hand through his short hair. “I saw your light on and thought I should stop and check on you.”
April moved out of the doorway and waved inside.
“It’s cold out,” she said. “Why don’t you come in?”
He seemed like he might say no for a moment but instead stepped through the door.
April closed the door behind him as he took a seat in an arm chair, and she returned to her spot on the couch. She glanced down at herself and resisted wincing.
She hadn’t expected any visitors. For the first time, she was painfully aware that she was currently wearing little puppy pajamas. Not exactly professional.
Chapter Nine
His gaze darted down her body and then back up to her face. Her cheeks flamed scarlet as he did so, and it only made him think more about what exactly he wanted to do with her.
Cyrus knew he shouldn’t have stopped to see her. There was no reason for him to, but he couldn’t just walk by. Before he could even think, his feet were moving in the direction of the dorm.
“You got a shower in,” he said simply.
April nodded and blushed even more.
His gaze fell on her sweet mouth, and he couldn’t help but think of the kiss. Even though it’d been in a moment of high emotion, he regretted nothing. It also convinced him that he wouldn’t just be able to push his longing for her aside.
After the kiss, all questions about who she was had vanished. Instead, his mind filled with thoughts of her and the feel of her pressed under him. He wanted more, much more, not just a kiss.
He wanted her. No. That wasn’t right. He needed her.
Cyrus shook his head and let his gaze slip even farther down her body. For the first time, he realized she was wearing pink pajamas decorated with little dogs.
Her whole look stood in such stark contrast from the prim and proper woman he’d seen before. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a small pony tail.
He wanted to blink and see if she’d remain the same. Seeing her like this was different. She looked like almost a different person.
He’d been so focused on everything else it had escaped his attention totally. This wasn’t him. Never in his life had he been a guy who didn’t notice details. His attention to detail made him such a good trainer. He was more than happy to chew the ass of a trainee who demonstrated a lack of attention to detail.
Everything about April made his mind wander, and he wasn’t so sure that was a good thing. For either of them.
Cyrus pulled his attention off her and focused on the table. Papers, folders, notes. From what he could see, it was all about Luna Lodge.
He needed to keep his focus. Even though her presence called to every part of him, that didn’t change the reason she was there. Whatever kiss they’d shared earlier didn’t seem to be stopping her from doing her job.
“So this is what you do?” he asked. Cyrus brought his eyes back to hers. It was hard to hide the irritation in his voice.
“Ah, well,” April said. She stumbled and shuffled some of the papers back into a pile. “The simplest way to explain it is I just sort of assess risks. Both financial and personal. I started out focused more on financial matters, but in the last few years, my work has gotten a bit broader. Still risk though. That’s what it comes down to.”
“And what happens if we’re a risk?” He didn’t bother to hide the venom in his voice.
April stared at him, her deep green eyes piercing him. “I don’t make those decisions,” she said. “All I do is report my findings.”
Cyrus stood and stared down at her, his anger only growing.
“So that’s how it is. You come in and make snap judgements and then walk away.” He snorted. “Then after you leave, whatever happens isn’t your problem.” He let out a harsh laugh. “I should have known,” he mumbled.
He’d thought that maybe she would be different. That Titus was right. Maybe she could be swayed.
But the truth was obvious now. She cared more about her job than whatever wreckage she left behind. In the end, April was just a cog in the whole process.
He spun and stomped toward the door. He’d had enough of this crap.
“Wait,” she called.
A small hand landed on his arm just as he reached the door. Cyrus tensed at her touch. He could feel the pulse that seemed to beat inside him whenever she was too close.
“You don’t understand,” she said softly. “It’s not like that.”
He turned to stare at her.
“I know what the government is hoping for,” she said. “I’m not an idiot. I realize that they are looking for a reason to take over.”
Cyrus frowned. Confirmation. She knew what they were up to, and she was still there. That was almost worse.
“They might have hired me, but no one tells me how to do my job,” she said.
He was surprised when she stepped closer.
“I’m going to be honest in my reports,” she said. A small blush came to her cheeks. “I’m going to tell the facts, not hyped-up scare-mongering like they want.”
His nostrils flared as her arousal permeated the air around them. She must have thought about the kiss and how that wasn’t a part of the facts.
Cyrus found himself stepping closer to her. “And what facts are those?”
She swallowed and stared up at him. “That your people were set upon by the locals, and the police were of little help, despite the obvious crimes being committed. That things were handled in a calm manner, and no one was hurt.” She sucked in a little breath with the last word. “Earlier…” she said. Her voice was low and husky as she spoke. “I didn’t get to thank you.”
Cyrus leaned in even more, now focused on her soft lips and the little red tongue that darted out to lick them.
“It was my pleasure,” he said.
Their mouths were now just inches from one another. For a moment, he thought she was going to pull away but was surprised when she pressed in.
“Fuck it,” he thought he heard her mumble just before her soft mouth pressed against his.
The animal in him raged to be let lose. He wanted her with an intensity that he’d never known before outside of the battlefield. Every piece of him wanted to show her just where she belonged. That being mostly under him.
Christ, she was kissing him again! And this time she was the one to make the move.
April could feel the internal dialogue already starting about what a colossally bad idea this was, but her body was pretty sure it had been a long time since she’d been satisfied by anything that didn’t involve a battery.
He slanted his mouth over hers, and she wrapped her hands around his thick neck to thread her fingers through his short dark hair.
A rumble filled his chest, and instead of scaring her, like she would have thought, it only excited her more. She could feel her nipples respond and pebble against his hard muscles.
Cyrus stepped forward, pressing her against the wall by the door. The sensation of her back against the cool surface sent a shiver down her spine.
She felt his fingers at her side, just in the gap where her shirt had ridden up. His calloused fingers grabbed her there roughly.
He invaded her now, his wicked tongue mimicking what her body needed.
She lifted her leg and was glad when his thick palm landed on the underside of her thigh, helping her to press their centers against one another.
This time the rumble in his chest sent a tingle right down to her aching center. April pressed herself hard against the thick ridge she found there.
Her eyes flew open wide as she recognized the very large package between. He was huge! It hadn’t even crossed her mind, but he was a large man in general. How the hell would he even fit that thing inside her? Her center grew slick at the thought of trying.
Cyrus gave a loud groan and pulled away. He gently placed her leg back down on the floor.
April opened her mouth to say something but stopped when he held up a hand.
“I want to,” he said gruffly. “I really want to, but not this way.”
She frowned, not quite sure what he meant.
“We could go upstairs,” she said quietly.
Cyrus froze. She watched as his gaze darted to the stairs, and then his face grew hard.
“Go on a date with me,” he said, his bright amber eyes staring back at her.
“A date?” she asked. “Isn’t that a bit unprofessional?”
She watched as the corner of his mouth twitched. “I’m fairly certain we’ve already crossed that line.” Cyrus stepped forward and placed a hand against her cheek. “We have something. I know you can feel it. Go on a date with me tomorrow.”
She thought about it for a moment. She’d scheduled an appointment to interview the lodge doctor tomorrow and examine her records. There would be time after.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Maybe after my appointment?” He already knew her entire schedule after all.
For the first time since meeting him, a true smile spread across his face.
“Good,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at the clinic.”
She gave a small nod.
Cyrus leaned in and placed a soft kiss against her mouth. It was so tender it made her ache.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he whispered.
April watched as he walked out the door and locked it behind him. She leaned against the cool surface trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
She shook her head. All she could think was how excited she was for tomorrow, and she knew this was trouble. But still there was no stopping it. From the moment she’d met him, she’d felt the pull. Now she just wanted to see where things went.
If that were even possible.
Chapter Ten
As Cyrus sat there in the meeting, his mind drifted. April’s scent, her lips, her face all pushed out the details of whatever Titus was talking about.
He had trouble all morning focusing during his meetings. He knew April was at the clinic with Rachel and would be well handled but still couldn’t stop the nagging worry.
Cyrus was certain now that she was his Vestal. He felt the pull between them when they weren’t together and even more so when they were.
He’d grown too close to her too quickly. Not that he had much choice. No hybrid could truly resist their Vestal. The question came down to whether the opposite was true.
He held out hope that she was on their side. After the kisses they had shared yesterday, it was all he could do but hope. Never in his life had he been so conflicted.
Sure, other hybrids had dealt with danger concerning their Vestals, but his Vestal could potentially doom the entire Lodge by helping to take away their freedom. No matter how he felt about her, he needed to always keep that in mind.
Cyrus refocused on the current meeting. They had already discussed the riot outside the fence from yesterday. It still wasn’t certain why it had come about other than normal media hype, but they assumed Woods was behind it all.
Given the signal and the apparent mind control previously shown of the people from town, it would have been stupid to trust anyone from the local area. The riot yesterday was only a small piece of a much bigger problem.
They were being watched. More than that, they were being assessed. And if they didn’t pass the assessment, it was certain they would be met with more than just a few angry townies at the gate.
The US Army would come to Luna Lodge, and this time they would never leave. Woods would make sure of it. Hell, he’d probably make sure that dick Major General West was in charge.
Titus ran a hand across the stubble on his chin as he listened to the number of military people they would be speaking to over the next few weeks. He had been looking a bit more drained the last month.
Kate, his mate, was nearly due to deliver their triplets. On top of everything else that was going on, they were about to welcome three new hybrids into the fold.
It wasn’t lost on any of them just what was at stake. This wasn’t just about bureaucratic hassle. This was about whether they would stay free.
They wouldn’t be able to look themselves in the mirror if their children were treated as second-class citizens who needed to be guarded by soldiers.
“Erica is trying to get a hold of all the contacts she can,” Sol said. “Most don’t want to touch this with a 10-foot pole though. After the Reverend John TV broadcast, many in the government are nervous. Some even are saying that Woods has been right all along.”
Titus sighed. “Course they are,” he groaned. “All the news shows are replaying that same damn clip.” He shook his head. “At least we have some small bit of pushback.”
Cyrus grunted. “Who would’ve thought that reporter would end up on our side, especially after all the lies she peddled about us.”
Jill Hope had been a pain in their ass from day one, always running the most salacious stories and constantly hyping up anything they did. Whether they stayed to themselves or travelled into town, she’d put out stories always suggesting they were up to something sinister.
It was more than a little ironic that a hybrid saved her, and she was now their greatest ally in the media.
“Too bad it’s all coming a little too late,” Lucius said.
The large man leaned back in his seat and stretched. Lucius had temporarily replaced Cyrus on the training field with the men.
In fact, even before the current mess, he’d originally been the tactical leader for the whole Lodge but had reduced his role when he took a mate. Many of the men with mates now took leadership roles in the community.
Now that they were looking past survival and to the future, the issue of stable families couldn’t be ignored. It made sense for the family men to lower their risk profile, even if it rubbed their initial hybrid instincts the wrong way. Cyrus supposed that would be his fate as well.
“If this woman sends out a bad report, we’re fucked,” Lucius said.
“We keep with our plan,” Titus said. He looked directly at Cyrus now as he spoke. “If she is your Vestal, then do what you need to.”
Cyrus frowned. “She is, but my loyalty is with the hybrids.”
Titus shook his head. “You still don’t understand. Your loyalty is to her and hers to you. Everything else will fall into place.”
Cyrus balked at the idea. Things were never that simple.
“And what if her loyalty is to me but not the hybrids?”
Titus stared at him for a moment. He wasn’t angry or surprised. He stared at him as if he already knew the answer to the problem.
“Trust her,” he said softly. “She may surprise you yet.”
“Are you serious?”
Cyrus looked around the table as if his leader had just lost his mind. He barely knew this woman, and yet Titus was ready for their whole existence to be bet on trusting her.
“Show her who we are and believe that the Vestal made for you will pick you above all else.”
The other bonded men nodded in agreement. Cyrus only barely stopped himself from snorting. Passion was one thing, but passion didn’t gua
rantee loyalty.
As if the discussion was over, Titus closed the folder in front of him and nodded to the team. “The rest of you know what to do.”
Now the whole thing was hedged on faith and love. What the hell playbook were they getting this from? Because none of it made sense to Cyrus.
Chapter Eleven
One thing was certain, Rachel kept fantastic notes. So much so that April had spent a good portion of the day making her way through the very large pile only to find she’d made a small dent.
It was a useful resource. People found it easy to lie. They thought they could make paper lie easily as well, but a few inconsistencies here and there was more than enough to point toward something questionable.
Embezzlement. Misallocation of funds. Black market selling of supplies. Excessive expenditures for mundane items to mask the purchase of something else. She’d seen plenty of that sort of thing in her line of work and could spot it easily if the hybrids were pulling something similar.
Still, nothing stood out to April. At least for their medical staff, all the relevant numbers seemed consistent with the usage and necessity.
Rachel, from what she could tell, was a great doctor who worked hard for people who lived there.
April stood from her spot at the desk and stretched high. It felt good to work out the kinks from sitting for such a long time.
She paused and frowned as something pulled at the edge of her consciousness. It was an odd feeling, but she was certain that someone was calling to her.
She waited a moment. Though her brain felt like someone was calling her, she also was dead certain she wasn’t hearing anything.
She shook her head. Maybe she’d been staring at documents and numbers for too long.
Quietly, she peeked out from around the corner and was surprised to see a small woman carrying two babies in her arms.
Rachel and the woman spoke quietly with one another but stopped when they noticed her.
“April,” Rachel called to her. “Come meet Erica. She’s Sol’s mate.”
Cyrus: #11 (Luna Lodge) Page 5