Mason found his guard easing with Michael. His senses told him Michael was indeed an ally. “We are offtrack. Cut to the chase. Why are you here?”
Michael went on as if Mason hadn’t spoken, answering his previous question. “You are as Arion as I am, Mason. That’s the answer to how you can mate.”
He wanted to deny it. “I can’t do the things you can do.”
“Yes,” Michael stated. “You can.”
Sterling added, “Michael says you don’t know how to harness the skills. He can teach you.”
“Why would I want that?” Mason demanded.
A muscle in Michael’s jaw jumped. “Because you are the only one who can defeat your brother. He tampered with your injections. He wanted a ruling bloodline. He thought being Arion would be enough. But it’s not. Arions aren’t evil. It’s one’s soul that is or isn’t black.”
Mason stood up, rubbing the back of his neck where tension had built. “This is not happening.”
“We have to stop him, Mason. There are other Arions who are against him. I have a team of people ready to help. You alone can defeat David, blood to blood. You have to kill your brother.”
“I thought your brother was dead.”
Mason froze. Shit. Not now. He wasn’t prepared to deal with Holly. He whirled to face her. She now wore his robe, sleeves rolled up, and it was still huge on her. “I told you to wait in the bedroom.”
Her eyes flashed. “I don’t take orders well.” Then, “I thought your brother was dead.”
“He is,” he replied flatly and then brusquely added, “To me.”
Mason averted his gaze, not able to stomach the look he knew he would see in her eyes. He hadn’t been completely honest with her. How could he tell her his brother was Arion? Hell, that he was Arion. It killed him to think of her rejection.
A long, pregnant silence filled the room. Finally, Holly said, “Sterling, is there any word on Roger?”
Sterling’s eyes went to Mason’s and held. He took his time answering, searching Mason’s expression before speaking. “Michael here,” he said, motioning with his head, “knows about Roger and the abducted woman from the news.”
Holly’s eyes narrowed marginally on Michael. “Is he…is he dead?”
Michael gave Holly a direct look. He never minced words. “The last I heard he was alive, yes, but that doesn’t mean he is now.”
Holly tilted her head to the side as she continued looking at Michael. “Your eyes, they’re black, like Mason’s and Sterling’s. Are you a Black Knight as well?”
Mason and Michael locked gazes. One of Michael’s brows inched up in silent challenge. “I was,” Michael responded to Holly but continued looking at Mason.
Her voice held a hint of trepidation. “And now?”
Mason swallowed as he forced his gaze to Holly’s, praying he was able to hide the anguish in his eyes. “Holly, I’ve asked you to wait for me in the bedroom.”
Her chin tilted up defiantly. “I’m not a child to be sent to her room.”
Michael stood. “You two need to talk. I’ll wait.” His simple statement held a deeper meaning, which Mason quickly understood. He had to deal with Holly before he could focus on the other issues.
Sterling stood as well. “We’ll wait in the security booth.”
“No,” Mason said in a sharp, but low, voice. “We’ll talk now. Holly will wait in the bedroom.” His eyes locked with Holly’s. She glared at him, fists clenched at her sides, and then, with a disgusted snort, turned and disappeared into the bedroom.
The door slammed behind her.
A pregnant silence followed.
“Well?” Mason said to the two men. “Speak up. Obviously, there is still much to discuss.”
Sterling fixed Mason in his gaze. “She’s a strong woman. She’ll understand.”
“And you need her right now,” Michael added. “Together you will be stronger.”
Mason wasn’t so sure Holly would understand. The only thing he was certain of at the moment was his need to figure out what in the hell Michael was all about. He couldn’t deal with Holly until he knew the whole big picture of matters and what risk it might subject her to.
Quietly, Mason said, “Make me understand how I can possibly be Arion.”
Mason sat on the couch with Sterling by his side, silently absorbing the details Michael relayed about the Arions and his own connection to them.
Michael’s gaze settled on Mason’s features as he concluded his story. “You are the key to fighting your brother. There are plenty ready to follow you. Now, you must decide if you are willing to rise to the challenge.”
Mason’s gaze sharpened for a fraction of a second. “Our government is what needs to be followed, not me.”
Michael gave him a hard look. “The corruption is deep, Mason. Our country has Arions deep in its core.”
Mason stared at him in surprise, a horrible feeling of dread filling his heart. Things were much worse than he had expected. “Since when?”
“Power feeds deceit,” Michael said with grimness to his tone. “Almost from the beginning of the Arions’ escape, there has been corruption at the top of government ranks. We need a leader who offers hope.” Michael paused. “You are that hope.”
Mason ran his hand across the back of his neck where tension was quickly building. “I would think my family ties to David would be a negative.”
“Quite the opposite,” Michael assured him. “If you, as his brother, will stand and fight, so will others.”
“Mason,” Sterling said quietly. “You can do this. I know you can.”
Mason leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he let his head drop between his shoulders. It was so much to digest and think about. He needed time to think.
When it was evident Mason wasn’t going to speak, Michael said, “There are several critical issues we need to address as quickly as possible.”
Sterling added, “The Arions are responsible for having abducted the women the news has been talking about.”
Mason’s head raised. “They’re trying to breed?”
Michael nodded. “Most definitely. Cloning will follow. They are searching for a team of people who can make it happen.”
“What?” Mason said, blinking. “Breeding isn’t fast enough for them?”
“That’s part of it but it’s even more complex than timelines. Recently, it was discovered that Arions can only breed once they mate,” Michael explained. “This gives them few options, since mating is so rare. Without a female with the perfect chemistry, an Arion simply cannot reproduce. They must find their mates to breed.”
“Clearly humans can mate with Arions. Mason is an example of this,” Sterling added.
“They’re crazy if they think to abduct women and find Arion mates for them. It’ll turn into some kind of sex camp.”
Michael sighed heavily. “No doubt they will become a party to some not very nice things. They will be kept in hopes of a later match, while being used in artificial insemination experiments.”
Mason scrubbed his jaw. “Jesus, this is crazy.”
Sterling nodded. “We have to rescue them.”
“Yes,” Mason agreed, “but we can’t afford to send them back to their homes. We can’t have them spreading their stories. What in the hell are we going to do with them?”
“They won’t talk,” Michael said. “Arions have the power to wipe out memories.” In a lower voice, he added, “There is much for you to learn.”
“Apparently,” he said tersely.
“We need you to lead this fight, Mason.” Michael spoke with conviction, his eyes probing Mason’s.
Mason ran his hand through his hair, pushing to his feet and walking toward the fireplace. He gave the two men his back as he responded. “This is a lot to digest. I need time to think.”
“There’s little time for consideration. We must act,” Michael insisted, urgency to his tone.
Mason turned, sharpness to his movement. �
��I’m aware of this.” He needed time to deal with Holly, amongst other things. “Once I become familiar with my skills, how are you so certain I won’t follow my brother?”
No hesitation. “You won’t. You’re a good man, Mason. David isn’t. I hate saying that to you because I know it causes you great pain. Your brother draws evil to him. Holly is pure and good. She would know David for the darkness he represents. The fact that you were able to mate with her speaks worlds about who you are.”
Holly filled his mind with concern in so many ways. “They had humans try to assassinate her.”
“When?” Sterling asked, shifting on the couch to see Mason more clearly.
“On the trip here.”
Michael nodded. “They want her one way or the other, either on their team or dead. They believe she can help them continue to make enhancements. There are others they could use for this effort but they believe she is special.”
“I was hoping she might be able to study the Arion weaknesses so they could be more easily defeated,” Sterling suggested.
“That could be a good and bad thing,” Michael added. “Mason and I are Arion, as are many men willing to stand with us. Anything we can use on the Arions can be used on us as well.”
“Yes, but there are many, like myself, that need an advantage,” Sterling argued.
Mason’s lips thinned. “Holly will never help you with combat-related issues.”
“Give her a chance by sharing all the facts. She’s a smart woman. Surely she will see the need to defeat the Arions.”
Mason sighed. “I need some air,” he said, shaking his head. “I left Holly’s bag at the cabin. I’m going to go get it. When I get back, we can make plans.”
“Will you lead us to victory, Mason?” Michael asked.
Mason knew the answer but he needed time to accept it himself. “Ask me when I return.”
Sterling and Michael sat watching his retreat. “We must act.” Michael’s tone was terse.
“He’ll come through,” Sterling assured him. “The connecting cavern is mine,” he said, pushing to his feet. “Perhaps we should clear out and give Mason and Holly some space.”
* * * * *
Mason forced himself to take a deep breath as he walked into the bedroom. Holly sat on the end of the bed glaring at him, anger alive in her eyes.
“Don’t you ever treat me like that again,” she said through clenched teeth.
“You gave me no option,” he said moving to a drawer and pulling out socks before retrieving his boots. “I told you to give me a chance to ensure your safety and you came out there anyway.”
“But it wasn’t about my safety, was it, Mason?” Her voice was raw with bitter challenge. “It was about keeping secrets.”
He didn’t look at her, couldn’t. He walked to the side of the bed, sitting down, giving her his back. “I can’t do this right now.”
He felt her weight lift from the bed as she stomped around to face him, hands on her hips. “You can and you will! You’ve turned my life upside down and have the nerve to tell me not now?!” She glowered. “That’s a load of crap and apparently so is everything you tell me.”
Holly’s eyes were accusing and it twisted his insides into knots. “I didn’t lie to you, Holly. I spoke the truth as I see it.”
Her tone was crisp. “But you knew you left out important details.”
What could he say? “Yes,” he said tightly. “I guess I did.”
“You said your brother was dead.” Anger etched her features as she stared at him.
“He’s Arion, Holly. How was I supposed to tell you something like that? Besides,” he bit out tightly. “He is dead to me.”
“You should have been honest,” she said in a voice that trembled. “What did you mean when you said Michael is like you?”
Mason tried to find the words to tell her he, like Michael, was Arion but they just wouldn’t form. Abruptly, Holly turned on her heel and marched into the bathroom.
Two hands dashed through his hair in an act of utter frustration. His mind raced with options. Resolutely, he stepped forward. He had to make this right.
Holly was standing with her back to him, her shoulders slightly hunched over, arms wrapped tightly around her. When his hands settled on her shoulders she didn’t move away. He saw that as a positive but, when she spoke, some of his confidence faltered. “I kidded myself into thinking we had something special. Maybe it’s just extreme circumstances and a whole lot of adrenaline.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “God, no, Holly.” He slid his hands around her stomach, pulling her against his body, needing to feel her close. “We do have something special.”
She turned then, facing him but allowing his hands to remain on her waist. Through their physical connections he felt their soul-deep link. As upset as she was, she didn’t move away from him and he knew she felt the link between them despite her anger.
Her voice and her eyes held so much pain it made him ache with guilt. “Then why won’t you trust me?”
He averted his gaze momentarily. “It’s not about trust. It’s…complicated.”
“I see.” Bitterness etched her tone. She stepped out of his reach, breaking their physical connection. He felt the emptiness instantly. “Too complicated for me, I guess.”
He was grasping for the right approach. “Holly,” he said in the midst of a breath that was both a plea and a worried sigh.
Before he could find the words to finish his sentence, she said, “If this is all we can be together, two people who can’t trust and share together, I don’t want any part of it.” She tipped her chin up. “I won’t do this thing with you and me. Not like this.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples. He couldn’t tell her now. He needed time to think. “I’m going out for a while,” he said before turning away from her and leaving the bathroom. Gathering his clothes, he left the room without another word or look at Holly.
He was having a hard enough time not condemning himself for what he had become. He wouldn’t survive seeing the horror of his confession in her eyes. Not now.
Chapter Sixteen
Pushing his motorcycle to stable ground, Mason didn’t bother with a helmet. Straddling the bike, he kicked the engine into gear. The rain had cleared, leaving sunshine in its place. He had spent a lot of time underground over the last few years. The feel of the sunshine warming his shoulders felt good. It represented space and freedom, things he didn’t feel he would ever completely have again.
Nor would Holly.
How was she going to feel about living underground once she figured out how long-term it would be?
The news Michael had brought with him was hard to digest. Holly was his real concern. She was an amazing woman, a scientist with dreams of making a difference. The last thing she had wanted was to create super soldiers. Instead, she had become linked to one. No, he thought bitterly.
Worse.
An Arion.
He took the rocks and bumps on the tough terrain with reckless force, pushing himself and the bike to the edge, pressing for a release. Knowing he wouldn’t find it but trying anyway.
Burning in his mind was the inevitable. He would have to tell Holly the whole story.
Today.
* * * * *
Holly was furious. She paced the bedroom floor with angry steps. It was easier to be mad than to deal with the pain lurking just below her surface, threatening to fog her brain or, worse, make her break down.
She had to get out of here.
She couldn’t be trapped like this.
She wouldn’t be ordered around like a child.
Thinks, think, think. She paced some more. She stopped. Think!
She paced.
Maybe if she left the state… She stopped walking again, finger on her chin as she thought.
Her parents had left her a small condo in San Francisco. Leaving the state would hide her from the Arions. Wouldn’t it? Her teeth found her bottom lip as she tried to
decide. She threw her hands up and dropped them again. What option did she really have?
She couldn’t stay here knowing Mason wouldn’t be honest with her. How could she trust her life to him when she didn’t even know what was truth and what was fiction?
She couldn’t.
The worst part was…it was quite possible she loved him. Sure, she had only just met him but he made her feel things no other could. But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t live like this.
Leaving was her only option.
Gathering her still-damp clothes, Holly dressed quickly. Then she moved to the bedroom door, pulling it open slowly as she peeked through the opening. No one in sight.
Tentatively, she stepped into the room, ignoring the growling of her stomach. It had been hours since she’d eaten. Now, heading toward the elevator, she thought of the trip back to the cabin. She’d have to walk. Riding a motorcycle wasn’t an option. Breaking her neck simply wasn’t appealing.
Mentally she tried to calculate how long it would take her to get to the cabin. It had taken them about an hour on the motorcycle but it had been raining. Two hours at least to walk, she guessed.
Stepping onto the elevator, she blew out a breath. What were the chances Mason would have left the keys in the truck? Maybe there was a set in the cabin. She hoped.
Stepping out of the cave, Holly squinted into the sunlight, covering her brow with her hand. Even her purse was in the truck. If her cell phone wasn’t dead she could call a cab. She hoped. Looking at her surroundings, she frowned. Well, once she was back in civilized territory. Even then, could one get a cab out this far in the mountains?
At a different time, under different circumstances, she would have enjoyed the spectacular view of mountain peaks on the horizon and the billowing trees crowning the cave. One of the things she loved about Nevada was being surrounded by such beauty.
But now wasn’t the time to take in scenery.
She started walking to the west, hoping and praying she was right about the direction of the cabin.
* * * * *
Underground Guardians: Protector Page 18