by Angela White
The two men stammered answers, and Neil pointed to a dark corner that wasn’t being used. “Let’s go over there so he doesn’t get us next for distracting them.”
Marc thought about repeating his question but realized he didn’t need to. After watching all of this, he knew the answer. There were no women here because this was man’s work. Few females would have the courage to try, let alone be strong enough to actually succeed.
Angie does! Angie is! his heart defended her, and Marc pushed it away uneasily. She wouldn’t want this…would she?
“I’ve counted six tests. What’s the seventh?” Marc asked, not wanting to explore that any further. He wasn’t sure he could take the answer.
“Adrian’s approval. You either have it or you don’t.”
Marc frowned, confused. “He didn’t give it to Ray, but he passed.”
“Ray earned it by the rules, but there are some things that will not be accepted by these people. What the camp is against as a whole, I am, too,” Adrian’s voice rang out as he and the last group of men came into the dark tent behind them. “He passed the tests, but the camp’s approval and mine go together.”
Marc nodded. They had his back, and he had theirs. God help those caught in between.
“Have you decided to accept the place with my Eagles?”
“Of course,” Marc answered easily. “If you’ll have me.”
“I will, but I must ask. Why the change of heart?”
Marc was keenly aware of Kenn’s furious visage in the group of thirteen black-clad guards. “I haven’t had one. I just think it’s a good way to spend my time. I like to stay busy.”
“Not enough,” Kenn sneered, stepping past them. “That’s not enough to get you your own team. They won’t follow you for that reason.”
Marc snorted, ready for the big confrontation if it was to be now. “You’re the only one still hoping for power and control. The rest of us just want to survive.”
There was a thick silence as most expected a fight because of the dig, but Kenn only raised a corner of the flap.
“I’d never betray Adrian that way, and he knows it. He’s my first priority and you’ll never be a true Eagle until you can say the same. Your only loyalty is to a woman, and that won’t be enough to make a place here.” Kenn stepped into the cool night air, voice a low mutter. “I’ll see to that.”
12
Angela was more than tired by the time Chris said they were done. She had stayed for many reasons, but the biggest was his standing up to Kenn for her. The vet hadn’t given the impression that he wanted to talk about it, which was good with her, because everyone else sure did. He clearly didn’t want her “thank you” either, so she’d given him her help instead. By eleven, every animal had been watered, fed, and bedded down in clean areas, and they had finished repacking everything and putting it all away.
“It’s late,” she commented, using lotion on chapped skin.
The vet blew out their light, and then gave her an unexpected smile that revealed a quietly handsome man.
“Not for me. I’m usually here until two or so.”
“Hi. I’m Angie.” She held out a hand, feeling like she’d made a little progress, and was pleased when he didn’t hesitate to shake with her. He even added a heartfelt apology as the wind blew garbage from the forest around their boots.
“Yeah, I’m Chris. Sorry. I’m not sociable. It’s why I treat animals and not people.”
“You do all this once a week?”
He nodded, and she turned to go, wolf heeling smartly. “I’ll be here next week, as long as they don’t have me scheduled for something else.”
Chris stared thoughtfully as she and the wild, yet well-trained wolf vanished silently into the dark forest. She was smart, quiet, and hardworking, and he was already anticipating the next time.
Every single male here will want her, the vet thought, reluctantly including himself. He wasn’t worried about her getting into his doors. His secrets were hidden deeper than she could go and they were always guarded.
13
Most of the camp was in their tents for the night, and Angela was glad to find no lines for the showers. Gun within reach, she lingered inside the dim dampness, wishing for Marc’s comforting presence outside the door instead of Dog’s.
It had hit her hard while she was laboring with the silent, sullen veterinarian, that this was how her days would be now. No more little moments, no more small gestures, no jokes. Certainly not the occasional brush of Marc’s strong hand against hers, but it was the loss of their nights alone that hurt the most. She wanted so many more of those, and she may never have even one! Being separated from Marc was horrible, and though she was forcing herself to handle it, it was hard. She missed him so much!
Marc saw Angela emerge from the shower camper and slowed, but didn’t go where he’d wanted to be all day–her side. Instead of studying her, Marc noted how many men were staring, hoping she would respond. These were the proven, the accepted males and they had a place here that Marc might never have, if Kenn’s words were true. Hadn’t the silence afterward said they were?
Marc couldn’t help the self-doubt. Why would Angie pick him over these men? Would their time together hold her while he earned a place? Was there a chance for them at all?
As if she sensed him (Marc thought later that his pain had drawn her) she stopped and turned.
Angela couldn’t stop the open need and despair, and was hurt when Marc turned away. He pretended he hadn’t seen her and ducked into his tent.
She could feel him wanting to take it back, but he didn’t, and she got moving with a heavy heart. She’d loved Marc all her life, and while she knew he would fight for her freedom, she still wasn’t sure if he’d fight for her.
Angela pushed it away, concentrating instead on everything she’d done today as she headed to the mess. Male eyes followed, including Adrian’s from his dark tent, unable to help himself. Her hair was down past her cheeks, wet, shiny, black curls that a man longed to have wrapped in his fist as they made love. She was beautiful, and when she went by, men noticed, whether they intended to or not.
The sense of a job well done followed Angela, even when she recognized the lone man at a corner table of the dark, deserted mess. She ignored him as she walked toward the front, starting to feel the chill now that her hair was wet.
“She’s off duty, and the boy covering the mess is asleep in the cabin. I’ve got a thermos over here.”
Angela considered how badly she wanted the coffee.
“I can leave if you want.”
Kenn’s offer surprised her, and she slowly joined him at the table. She was comforted by the sounds of guards walking by, and though she couldn’t view the moon, Marc, or Adrian, she knew all three of them were there, two of them watching her.
A little less nervous than she had been, Angela sat on the opposite bench, at the far end. As he unscrewed the lid, she studied him. He certainly looked different from the Kenny she’d known before the war. Back then, his hair was neat and trim, never a beard, and his fingernails were always pristine. He had worn designer fashions bought at the most expensive shops in the mall and always sported the latest athletic shoe. She had hated the ones that were solid red. They appeared covered in blood and after a rough day at the hospital, it wasn’t something she’d needed to see every time she’d gone into their closet.
The man who gently set her coffee down bore little physical resemblance to that person. This new Kenn wore dusty jeans, muddy boots, and a filthy army jacket that had clearly seen a lot of wear. He had a thin goatee, jaw was covered with a couple days of stubble, and there was dirt under his nails–all things he used to pride himself on avoiding.
“Sugar?”
Angela shook her head and caught his surprised expression. She started to tell him that she no longer needed to seek comfort in food but thought better of it. He wouldn’t understand. The Kenny she had come to loathe was a lazy, cruel man who was only happy wh
en he was the center of attention. He hated kids and pets, had nothing good to say unless it benefited him somehow, and he had been a slob. She’d picked up after him for a decade, and he had never once helped. He said it was woman’s work and he meant it.
If the man across from her pretending to read his papers was what he appeared to be, then Kenn had changed and the slaps were…what? Twitches from the past? This man was helpful, sought-after, and when he’d said he did a little of everything, he hadn’t been lying. Angela was sore about how high up he was here, but not surprised by it. She hoped he wasn’t secretly after Adrian’s job. Those shoes were way too big for Kenn to fill, no matter how many friends he had.
Angela sighed. Safe Haven’s XO was calm, easy-going, and patient, and she was suddenly filled with cold resentment for the man now lighting a cigarette. Why was Adrian worthy of that kind of strength, but not her and her son? Kenn could stop himself from hurting some drunken camp member who’d taken a swing at him this morning, but he couldn’t keep from shoving her eight-year-old son into a wall for jumping on his bed. For Adrian…but not for me.
Angela shivered, recognizing the moment. She had made up her mind, and it had little to do with Marc. She would feel this way if she had come alone, and it wouldn’t go away, even if Kenn never mistreated either of them again. She hated him for his weaknesses before the war, and his being so different now made it clear. She didn’t love Kenn. She couldn’t forgive him, and she certainly couldn’t abide the thought of him touching her ever again. It was over.
The door in her mind swung shut with a final thud that echoed, and she could feel the witch applauding.
“You’re quiet.” Kenn had been trying to let her speak first so that he could get a feel for her mood, but he didn’t like the resolve he was reading. He wanted to know what was going on in that pretty, brainless head.
“There are decisions to be made,” Angela informed him icily. “I can’t think if you’re talking.”
Her tone suggested bad news for his plans of reconciliation. When she said nothing else, just sipped her coffee, Kenn felt that ball of rage return. “What decisions?”
Cool and untouchable in the flickering glow of the big bonfire, Angela delivered a warning at his tone, “A lot of things, though, I must say, most of the votes have been counted.”
Kenn’s face fell, and sadness overwhelmed the anger for a moment. He was going to lose it all. It had been so good here, so perfect.
“That’s it, then. You’ve picked him.”
The words were full of hurt, and she chose to fight the guilt. Kenn couldn’t be allowed to spot a weakness like sympathy, and she was acutely aware of people spying on them from shadowy tent flaps. “My choices are based on our past.”
“But things are different here. I’d never be like before.”
“It’s too late.”
Kenn was quiet for a long minute. He had known as soon as he’d recognized her show of force. Brady had always been better.
“You want to be with him?” He pushed.
Angela forced an angry tone to cover her fear. Marc wouldn’t let him hit her more than once, and neither would Adrian or his men. Kenn’s words had been a bluff. “Right now, I only know what I don’t want.”
Kenn flushed angrily, controlling the violent need to slap her openly for her defiance. “You don’t have to be such a bitch about it!”
“Why should I tiptoe?” Angela’s eyes were like chips of ice. “You never cared for anyone’s feelings until now, until Adrian, and that stings for me. One day, it’ll be old news, and maybe we’ll even be friends, but not now!”
She shoved herself away from the table and Kenn let her go, still wanting her body but hating her for reminding him of his mistakes. He was changing, was ashamed of most of his behavior toward her and the boy, but a bigger part of him still wanted to make her pay…wanted to hurt her.
Kenn had always been skilled at giving people what they wanted. Before, it had always been act one way and think another, but the war and his time with Adrian was working on him, changing him. If not for Angela and her Wolfman, he wouldn’t be feeling like an outsider. Why can’t she be happy I’ve changed? Why can’t she give me a chance? Why didn’t she just die on the way here?
14
“I wasn’t sure if you’d let me come.”
Becky was breathless, and Neil frowned, wishing she were older and longing for an hour alone with the hot little piece. His post was farthest from camp tonight, and he had worried about her coming out here all day. They were surrounded by thick trees and almost total darkness, but alone? He was never sure, thanks to Adrian’s setup.
“I shouldn’t have,” he stated. “This isn’t safe for either of us.”
“There’s no other guard here.” Becky came to him in the cool darkness, heart pounding in her chest. “That’s why I chose it. We’re alone.”
Neil tried to fight the arousal when she swept his body with innocent desire. This was the furthest that their flirting had gone so far.
“Don’t play games with me, Rebecca. I’m not one of the little boys you like to toy with,” he warned.
She regarded him with a guiltless gaze full of challenge. “Playing is not what I had in mind.”
His body responded, but he scowled. “Tell me why we’re here.”
She blushed prettily, and Neil realized she was working up the courage for something forbidden, but didn’t stop her. As long as it was her doing the actual touching, his place was safe.
“I need to ask you something.”
Neil’s body responded again to the invitation. “Go ahead.
Becky moved even closer, putting them inches apart. “Do you like me? ‘Cause I sure do you!”
Before he could speak, she edged forward and pressed her soft lips to his.
Neil froze, very aware of the rules as his body strained to get to her.
The teenager felt his coolness after only a few seconds and stepped back, face scarlet. She turned away. “Sorry, guess I misread.”
Her muffled voice was thick with humiliation, and Neil moved toward her even as he told himself he shouldn’t.
“Wait.” Neil pulled her gently around and into his arms. “You didn’t misread.”
He leaned down. “Can I kiss you?”
Her blush deepened as she nodded, and Neil placed a long, chaste kiss on her mouth. Her arms went around his neck, and he held himself still with iron willpower. God, it’s been a long time!
He broke the embrace, carefully tilting her chin up. “I am interested, but this is forbidden right now, and I won’t break Adrian’s rules again, not even for you.”
When he slowly pushed her back, she let go.
“But in October…”
Neil sighed, body tight. “Come fall, I’ll be one of the many tapping on your tent flap.”
Before she could swear he was the only one she wanted, Neil held up a hand. “No promises from either of us. That’s still a long way off. There’s a lot to be done.”
“And I’m gonna help. You’ll see.” She beamed at him. “October, Neil, and then I expect at least a real kiss.”
Neil was thoughtful as she left. He wanted the flirty teenager, but right now, there were other, more urgent things, and he wouldn’t miss them, not even for her.
“You know, there can be exceptions to my rules.”
Neil jumped, startled, and turned to discover Adrian coming from behind a nearby tree.
“She’s made a very adult choice. If you want her now, you have my approval.”
A little embarrassed and not about to tell the truth, the trooper swept the thick, black hills around them. Clear. “She’s not ready yet.”
“She thinks she is.”
Neil frowned and pushed his hat further onto his head as the wind gusted sharply. “She’s fifteen. What does she know?”
“She knows you’re attracted to someone else. I imagine she saw the way all my army was gawking at Angela, and she wanted to stake some sor
t of claim on you.” Adrian raised a brow. “Did it succeed? Are you marked?”
Neil blew out an awkward laugh, shrugging. “Not as much as the Wolfman, but yeah, Becky’s got some of my attention.”
“Good. It’s a great match for her, a solid start to this side of being an adult. Tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll set it up.”
Neil nodded, always grateful to have Adrian. He was the solution to so many of their problems. Their population was mostly male, and to keep the men from fighting so much, the age of consent had been lowered, but it went deeper than that. Adrian knew they needed babies to keep their country going. Without new life, they were doomed.
“You spent the day with him.”
Neil was glad of the subject change. This was what the boss had really come for. “Yeah, he should be at the showers now. I told him I’d meet him at your tent.”
“What’s the verdict?”
“I think Marc is one of those special few you asked me to look out for,” Neil answered without hesitation. “He’s already starting to win people over.”
“While my right hand has spent the last two days pushing everyone away,” Adrian noted grimly.
“If Kenn doesn’t back off, the camp might file a charge and vote for punishment,” Neil warned angrily.
“He’ll come around. I hope.”
Neither man thought it would be easy.
“What about Rick?” Neil asked.
Adrian scowled this time. “He’s out of quarantine now, with a twenty-four-hour guard.”
“His schedule starts tomorrow?”
“Yes. Come morning, all the new people are on company time, though, I’m sure that will come earlier for some than others. Kenn will be hot-to-trot for a while.”
“Did you see his face when we got in line at the match? I thought he was going to choke.”
“Yes, I did.” There was no answering mirth from Adrian. He wasn’t the least bit amused by it. “Kenn didn’t want me to know how good Marc is, didn’t tell me that Marc was his team leader. What else is he hiding?”