Remus: #6

by Madison Stevens

  “You got this,” she whispered. “It’s just a nice walk in the woods.”

  She jumped when something rustled in the brush near her. Jenna pulled out her gun and waited. A squirrel ran up the tree near her and chided her from a branch.

  “You better run,” she said.

  The door clacked shut, and she offered a silent prayer before setting off.

  At least spring was starting to peek out. Crocuses popped through the ground, revealing little bits of purple and yellow. The ground was still soggy from all the rain they’d been having, but she was glad to have it over snow.

  She carefully made her way. The chances of someone hearing her were greater than ever before, and it had never been more imperative she keep quiet.

  Periodically she would pull out the GPS and check her location. When she was about half-way there, Jenna leaned against a tree and drank from her container. She listened as the birds chirped happily in the trees above her. Under other circumstances, it might have actually seemed like a nice walk.

  She sighed. After everything that had happened, going through with this meeting seemed like the worst plan ever. She could always quit, especially now, knowing that her uncle wasn’t planning on going back. But maybe that was the problem.

  In her heart of hearts, she really didn’t want to quit. She liked the people at the lodge. They treated her with respect, and she had a place there despite trying to distance herself from them. Being at the lodge was like being with family, and after all she’d been through, that felt damn good.

  Jenna blinked a few times as she thought about it.

  She’d already come this far. She might as well see it through. Besides, she had some things to clear up.

  Pushing off a tree, she used the momentum to propel herself further along the course. It wouldn’t be much longer.

  The closer she walked to the meeting point, the more anxious she became. It was only then she realized the silence around her. No birds chirped. No animals stirred, like they knew the predators lurking nearby. She swallowed hard. If the birds didn’t want to get any closer, then what the hell was she doing?

  She moved far more cautiously than before. One loud snap could end her short life.

  The area turned from forest to slightly more rocky terrain, and she struggled to maintain her footing as the land started to slope.

  She looked down at the map. She was close, but she still needed to make it up the steep drop above her. Then she would be there.

  Jenna glanced behind her and cursed herself for looking back. If she fell, it wouldn’t really matter how far the fall was, they would find her, and it would be all over.

  Painstakingly slow, she climbed up the small cliff. Her arms shook as she ascended, but she just pushed harder. Her glasses started to slide down her face, and she nudged them back with her shoulder. It was then that her foot slipped a little, and the ground around it crumbled.

  She clamped her mouth shut and just prayed that wasn’t enough to draw their attention.

  “Hello, Jenna.”

  She looked up to the source of the voice that seemed to haunt her at night and felt that all-too-familiar tingle whenever he was around. His bright green eyes stared down at her.

  “Rem,” she breathed out before her mind could tell her to stop. Jenna snapped her mouth closed and struggled to find the footing she so desperately needed.

  “Give me your hand,” he said quietly and reached down to her.

  She sighed and reached out. A heat spread through her as her hand slipped into his.

  He lifted her like it was nothing. And in truth, it likely was. Jenna had seen the reports on Rem. He surpassed all the others in just about every way. He wasn’t just a hybrid. Rem was the hybrid.

  “I got you,” he said and lowered her back to the ground.

  Her legs shook after all the walking and the effort from climbing. She took a step and stumbled into his solid chest. The muscles beneath her hand shifted, and she could feel the strength that she knew lay under his black t-shirt.

  She had never been this close to him. Or at least she tried to not be. It was hard when they were working together. Allowing herself to get close to anyone meant something, and she just didn’t know if she could.

  “You okay?” he rumbled. The tingle she had been feeling ran a little deeper to the center of her body, and she shivered at the warm feeling.

  When she looked up at him, his eyes glowed an eerie green that entranced her where she stood.

  She opened her mouth to say something but stopped when he took a step back and turned around.

  “We should get out of view, so we aren’t spotted,” he tossed over his shoulder before walking around the corner.

  Jenna glanced around. He was right. She couldn’t go making mistakes like that if she was going to make it out of this alive.

  She followed him around the corner and was surprised to find they were in the opening of a cave. During all their talks, Rem had always been very vague about the meeting spot. It had to be close enough to where he would be, but still not something that could be easily found.

  Lights flickered from far in the back, and she wondered if this was an entrance to their lair.

  She frowned at the word but didn’t really have a better name for it. After all, it was where the bad guys lived. Well, mostly bad guys lived.

  Jenna turned and found Rem staring at her. She swallowed.

  Saying that Rem was a good guy would be a bit of a stretch, but he didn’t belong with Romulus and his men. She wasn’t really sure where he belonged. Part of her kept expecting him to fling off his shirt and live up to his playboy image.

  She stared closely at him. He looked different in just the few weeks he’d been gone. There were faint circles under his eyes, and his face looked a little paler.

  “Looks like you didn’t have issues getting here,” he said and continued to look her up and down.

  Jenna crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t excited by him. Well, not in that particular moment. It was the damn cold, and there was no way she’d let him think otherwise.

  She jumped when he stepped closer.

  “Who did this?” he asked and touched the marks on her forehead from earlier. His face was close to hers, and she could smell the soap he had used. It was fresh and more inviting than she remembered.

  Rem furrowed his brow and stared at the red mark on her forehead.

  She stepped back a little. Having him so close was making it difficult to think.

  “I just hit a cabinet,” she said and tried to collect her thoughts.

  He was staring so hard at her she could feel the blush grow with just the weight of his stare.

  A sound echoed off the walls in the back of the cave. Something flickered in the light way in the back.

  Like lightning, Rem was pressing her into the wall of the cave behind her. He wrapped his massive arms around her and pressed hard against her body.

  If she wasn’t shaking with fear, it might have crossed her mind how entwined they were. But at that moment, his protection was the only thing keeping her safe, and she wasn’t about to step outside the safety of his arms.

  Rem relaxed his body after a few moments and pulled his head back to look at her.

  “They’re gone,” he whispered, his face firmly fixed on her own.

  Jenna waited, expecting that he would step away. When he didn’t, she frowned.

  “Do you mind?” she asked quietly.

  The playboy smile she’d become so accustomed to lit up his face, and for a moment, he was the Rem she knew.

  “I do,” he said with a grin. His eyes flashed bright green again. Her breath hitched at the sight. “You never asked about it.” He leaned his head a little closer.

  Her heart seemed to be on a never-ending loop going four times faster than normal.

  “Asked about what?” she said and licked her lips.

  His eyes followed her tongue and narrowed a little.

  “Don
’t tell me you’ve forgotten,” he murmured to her. “You really know how to wound a man’s pride.”

  She knew what he meant. The thing she’d thought on over and over since he’d left, the kiss that kept her up at night and made her weak with desire when she was able to dream. Oh, she hadn’t forgotten. It was near impossible for her to forget.

  Her insides quivered just thinking about it.

  His smile grew, and she cursed his sensitive nose.

  Jenna waited for it, half wanting him to close the distance between them.

  Then he was gone and standing several feet away as if nothing just happened.

  “You reek,” he said and took in another deep breath. He turned away from her yet again.

  Jenna leaned her head to her side and smelled. Maybe a little soap, but she’d done what he said. No scents. No scented clothing. Boring shampoo.

  She gasped when his shirt smacked her in the chest, his skin bare for her to see. His tight muscles rippled as he gestured to the shirt.

  “Put it on,” he said quickly.

  Jenna stared for a moment at him, mesmerized by the sight of his naked chest. She’d seen plenty of men with their shirts off. Being at the lodge had cured her of that embarrassment. Still, this was the first time she was excited to see something like that.

  She blushed and looked down at the black shirt.

  Jenna slid off her pack and pulled the shirt over her head. It smelled like him, slightly woodsy, a bit of soap and something a little minty.

  “Sleep with it,” he said and stared at her.

  All the light jesting from earlier was gone.

  “Why?” she asked and picked the pack up from the floor.

  He smiled as he spoke, and she knew he was enjoying this just a little too much.

  “The more you smell like me, the better,” he said. His mouth was a firm line. “You have to know that as you are right now, you’re pretty much calling out to all of them.”

  She frowned and narrowed her eyes. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

  He gave a sinister grin and made her ache inside.

  “I’m saying that right now, you smell like a tasty little Jenna snack.”

  His eyes flashed again, and she blinked several times. For a moment, they were an odd color. Maybe it was the light from the sun as it peeked through.

  The last thing she wanted to be was a snack to anyone.

  “We’re supposed to be exchanging information,” she said stiffly.

  All the sexual tension from earlier dried up as Rem watched her carefully.

  “What’s the news?” he asked and paced the opening of the cave.

  She’d gone over the information she was supposed to deliver with Titus.

  “They’ve patched the door,” she said. “They are sealed tight now.”

  Rem shook his dark hair. “There’s no such thing. The best thing they can do is be ready.”

  She actually agreed with this. They had spent so much time trying to make sure the walls weren’t going to be broken when the people they let in were the real danger.

  “They can’t find Justus,” she said quickly and twisted her hands, trying to remember all the information.

  His laughter surprised her. Maybe this had been his plan all along.

  “He finally did it,” Rem said with a grin. “Can’t say I blame him.”

  She frowned. “Did you know he would run?”

  Rem shook his head. “Just a good guess.”

  Jenna stared at him skeptically but didn’t press the issue.

  It grew quiet as he slowed his pacing. He turned his handsome face to hers. A light cover of stubble made him seem far more rugged than she remembered.

  “And the dead?” he asked quietly.

  This was something she’d talked about with Titus. It was something they differed on. Titus didn’t see a reason to tell Rem, but she couldn’t find a reason not to.

  Their plan had hurt people. Their plan had killed people. She didn’t want to hurt him, but Rem had the right to know the truth.

  “A half-dozen military men and one hybrid,” she answered.

  He nodded. There was no need for him to ask about the hybrid. They had all seen the young hybrid, Dean, dead at the hands of the Glycons.

  “And you?” she asked.

  He shrugged and glanced back to the lights that filled the back of the hall.

  “Right now I’m being watched too closely,” Rem said and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I just need a few more days.”

  Jenna pushed her glasses back up her nose. She’d been expecting as much.

  “My uncle is retiring,” she said suddenly. There was no reason for her to share that information, but it was out before she could stop herself.

  To her surprise, Rem paled at her revelation. He moved over to her quickly and gripped her arms.

  “And you?” he asked, searching her face.

  That hadn’t been the reaction she was expecting. Not that she knew just what to expect.

  “I…” She glanced away. “I don’t plan to leave.”

  She could hear him exhale and was oddly comforted. There was no way that she wanted him, but still, it was nice to know that he didn’t want her to quit.

  “Good,” he breathed out. When he looked at her again, he seemed more in control. “Does Titus know?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll let my uncle tell him. It’s not my place to say.”

  Rem nodded. His thumbs absently rubbed her arms, and she shivered at the feeling.

  He looked down at her movement and opened his mouth as if to say something. They stared at one another for a moment before he stepped away yet again.

  She shouldn’t be irritated. Starting something with him was more than a bad idea. It was the worst idea she could have, considering the situation they were in. And yet, she wanted to feel him next to her again.

  “Tell Titus the process has been slow,” Rem said and stared down the dimly lit hallway. “I’m watched closely, which makes it hard to find my way to the library without drawing attention. However…” He turned back to her. “I’ve got help looking for me, and they have found a way.”

  Jenna frowned. “Help?”

  Rem nodded. “It’s best if you don’t know more than you already do.”

  Jenna raised a brow but didn’t push. If he wanted to keep his secrets, what did she care? As long as it didn’t end up getting her killed.

  “What about another attack?” she asked. Her heart kicked up at the thought of the lodge being hit again so soon. They were all still reeling from the last attack.

  Rem shook his head. His dark hair fell onto his forehead, and she resisted the urge to brush it back.

  “Romulus is making plans for something, but it doesn’t look like there’s anything in the works to launch another attack,” he said and glanced around quickly. “I think they didn’t expect as many casualties on their end from the last attack.”

  He glanced down the hall as if he was hearing something she couldn’t.

  He looked back to her, his eyes sharp and alert.

  “I can’t stay much longer without putting us both at risk.”

  Jenna felt her blood run cold at the thought of being found. There would only be so much Rem would be able to do to protect her.

  “Take this,” he said and shoved a paper from his pocket into her hand. “Give it to Titus.”

  She nodded. Her hand trembled a little as she shoved the paper into her pocket.

  “Jenna,” Rem said. Her name on his lips made her stomach flip. She watched as he stepped toward the back of the cave. “Meet me in three days.”

  She nodded and quickly made her way to the sun.

  “And Jenna,” he called back to her.

  She turned from the doorway and saw the playful twinkle in his eye.

  “Next time, bring chocolate cake.”

  Chapter Three

  Rem chuckled to himself as he listened to Jenna huff loudly out t
he door. Luckily, the guards had decided to get some breakfast, or they both would have been caught.

  He made his way back to his current prison through the dimly lit passageway. Seemed like one way or another, he was always being held somewhere. It didn’t matter though. What the hell else was he going to do?

  Something tugged at his heart, and he pushed it down a little further. Thinking about things that would never happen wasn’t going to help the situation at hand. It certainly wasn’t going to help Jenna at all.

  There hadn’t been a day that went by in which he didn’t think about her, about how this was going to be far more dangerous than he’d ever thought. He didn’t anticipate that Romulus would be keeping him so close to his side. It only showed how little trust the other hybrid had.

  Rem gave a wicked smile.

  In the end, that mistrust hadn’t been totally misplaced. He’d get the information needed and then deal with every last one of them. They had it coming.

  His hands clenched as he tried to suppress the rage that boiled inside him. For years these bastards had been unchecked. It was time someone did something. The Horatius Group might have created him, but they had no idea of the true depth of his abilities.

  Rem had learned from an early age never to give up everything. Romulus had and, in the end, was paying the price. But then, Romulus had always sought power just as his father had. He made sure that his prized son was first in line for anything that might enhance him further until he could barely be called a man anymore.

  Not that Rem could really call himself much of a man either. The irony of their positions was not lost on him.

  It didn’t matter. That would all be rectified soon.

  Rem stopped outside the entrance to the inner cave. He glanced down at his shirtless chest. It wasn’t like it would be that hard to explain, but still, it wasn’t something he normally did, and if Romulus caught him, there would be questions that he really didn’t want being asked.

  “What? Did you wrestle her?” a female voice called from behind.