by Kali Argent
Roux didn’t move, didn’t breathe. Her gaze fixed on his mouth, and when he closed the distance between them, she closed her eyes with a soft moan. He kissed her sweetly, just a soft rub of his lips, but the intimate touch made her heart race and her head spin.
“Are you ready for bed?” he asked, pulling away from her.
Dazed, Roux nodded. “Um, there’s leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
“I’m hungry,” he admitted, his heated gaze raking over her, “just not for food.” Then he kissed her again and stood. “Goodnight, kitten.”
Roux watched him walk down the hallway and disappear into his bedroom. She didn’t know what she’d expected to happen or if she’d wanted more than that chaste kiss. His parting words had stoked the embers of desire, but then, he’d just walked away.
“Men,” she mumbled, rising from the sofa to carry her glass and the brownies into the kitchen.
She’d never understood human men, and she didn’t see why a shifter male should be any different. In many ways, things had been so much simpler when she’d been running for her life. At least Cade and the others hadn’t expected more from her than to watch their backs and pick a few locks.
Even if he hadn’t said it, Deke wanted more, so much more, and he’d already convinced her to stay in Trinity Grove. The man posed a real threat to her, but not for the reasons she’d initially believed. In just one day, he’d gotten under her skin and made her question everything she’d thought she knew.
Yes, he was dangerous, because while she didn’t know if she could give him what he wanted, in a small corner of her heart, she was willing to try.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next several days passed in relative quiet, and by week’s end, Deke was losing his patience. Roux had something on her mind, and he’d hoped by giving her space, she’d eventually confide in him. He should have known better. His stubborn mate never did anything the easy way.
She’d been unusually docile, less combative, but that worried him more than her sharp tongue. A part of him actually missed her constant threats to kill him. She didn’t complain about staying inside when he went out for patrol, nor had she freaked out about being a registered companion. She’d even requested her token be a replica of his dog tags.
When he’d taken her to the registration office to receive her vaccines—a Coalition inoculation that would protect her from any future illness and help her heal faster—she’d only complained about the needle. He’d been a little disappointed when she’d eagerly accepted the birth control shot Abby had offered, but the rational part of him knew it was for the best.
Unlike human methods for birth control, the injection the Coalition doctors had concocted lasted for a full year with a hundred percent effectiveness. That gave him an entire twelve months to work on being a better mate before he even thought about becoming a father.
At no point during the week had she asked to see her friends, but Deke had still taken her to the Bastille, and he’d done his best not to eavesdrop. Goddess, he’d even gone to Abby for advice, but the female wouldn’t tell him anything, except that he should talk to Roux. He’d felt the need to remind her that if Roux would actually talk to him, he wouldn’t have needed to seek out her counsel in the first place.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, he untangled himself from the sheets and sat up on the side of his bed. The sun had already crested over the eastern horizon, but the morning remained dark and gloomy as storm clouds gathered overhead. Considering how his week had been going, it didn’t surprise him that it would rain on his only day off, not that he had anything exciting planned. Still, the depressing gray skies did nothing to improve his mood.
He’d fought against werewolves and vampires. He’d battled the Ravagers, and on boring days, he led an entire city of guards. Yet, he couldn’t contend with one human female.
Snorting at the absurdity of it all, he rubbed both hands over his face and stood. He’d let her mope, or think, or whatever she’d been doing for the past week, and they’d tried it her way, but no more.
An upbeat pop song played on the stereo in the living room—one of those boy-band songs from the nineties—and the scent of sizzling bacon wafted to him from the kitchen. So, Roux was already awake. Good. Now, she was going to talk to him, whether she liked it or not.
Pulling on a pair of black basketball shorts, he shuffled out of his room and down the hallway to the bathroom. He took his time, going through his morning routine on autopilot, then headed for the kitchen to find his mate.
Dressed only in the T-shirt he’d given her that first night, Roux bounced and wiggled, dancing to the music as she searched through the contents of the refrigerator. She pulled out the orange juice and set it on the counter, letting the door swing closed as she sashayed back to the stove to flip the bacon.
Deke paused at the entryway of the kitchen, leaning his shoulder against the wall, and just watched her. She’d gained a little weight since she’d arrived in Trinity Grove, and her fair skin had lost its sickly hue. Her hair fell in spiraling curls down her back, the chestnut-brown locks shining with renewed health. She’d never looked more beautiful.
When she started to sing, he bit the inside of his cheek, but he couldn’t stop the smile that stretched his lips. She had the voice of an angel, but she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. What she lacked in talent, she made up for in enthusiasm, and it loosened the knot in Deke’s chest to see her happy for a change.
Roux pulled a tray of fresh, golden-brown biscuits from the oven, and while they smelled delicious, they didn’t make his mouth water nearly as much as the sight of her bare, slender legs. Pushing away from the wall, he moved silently across the floor, not even stirring the air, until he stood just behind her. He inhaled her sweet scent, then released the breath with a rumbling purr as he settled his hands on her hips, pulling her back against his chest.
“Good morning, kitten.”
Roux shrieked and spun around, slapping him in the chest and shoulders with a plastic spatula. “Damn it, Deke! Don’t do that!” Her fingertips slid over his bare stomach, and her eyes widened almost comically. “Where is your shirt? Why aren’t you wearing a shirt? You could…could…you’ll catch a cold!”
“It’s the middle of summer and eighty-five degrees.”
“Yes, well…”
Deke chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. “Do I make you nervous, kitten?”
“What? No.” With a cute sigh, she dropped her forehead to his chest and relaxed into him. “Yes,” she whispered. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Is that why you made breakfast? Are you trying to bribe me, Miss Jennings?”
Lifting her head, she looked up at him through her thick, dark lashes. “More like a peace offering. You know, for being such a maudlin bitch the past few days.”
Deke couldn’t stop smiling at her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he cupped the side of her face and bent to kiss her brow. “Do you need help?”
After a brief hesitation, Roux bit her lip and tilted her head to the side. “You could pour the orange juice and get the plates.”
She didn’t say anything else while she finished preparing breakfast, and Deke respected her unspoken request for quiet as he set the table, complete with two glasses of orange juice. Once seated, however, with only the clink of forks against their plates to fill the silence, the atmosphere in the kitchen changed from comfortable to awkward, much like it had been in previous days.
“You wanted to talk to me about something?” he prodded. “What’s on your mind?”
Roux didn’t respond right away, and as the seconds ticked by, Deke worried she wouldn’t answer him. Her shoulders tensed, and she held her fork in a white-knuckle grip while she stared down at her plate.
“Is this about Phelps? What happened wasn’t your fault. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”
The
Wardens had ruled it justifiable force, which he’d known they would. The questioning had lasted less than an hour, a formality more than anything. Deke was no stranger to death and carnage, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed killing. Still, if he had it to do over, he wouldn’t hesitate to end that miserable mutt’s life—or anyone else who dared to threaten his mate.
“I know,” Roux whispered. “I don’t feel great about dragging you into it, but I don’t feel guilty about Phelps, either.”
“Then, what is it?” Lowering his fork, he reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing firmly when she tried to pull away. “Knock it off, and just talk to me.”
“Are we…mates?” She waved her other hand. “Wait, no, don’t answer that.”
“Roux—”
“No, I’m being a coward. I know we have this mating bond thing.” Instead of struggling to free herself, she returned Deke’s grip and met his gaze. “I guess I’m just trying to figure out what that means.”
He didn’t try to placate or patronize her. It didn’t matter where she’d heard about mating bonds, but Deke had a pretty good idea who had dropped that bit of information. He’d deal with Abby later.
“Is that what’s been bothering you?”
“Among other things.” Shrugging, she pulled her hand out of his grasp and leaned away. “So, it’s like soul mates, but not. Or, it’s more?” Roux dropped her head back on her shoulders and covered her face with both hands. “This is so fucking confusing.”
“It’s really not that complicated, kitten.” He paused for a minute, trying to think of an example that would fit more into her scope of understanding. “Have you ever had something happen—good or bad—that seemed random at first? Then later, it feels almost like it was meant to happen?”
Roux lowered her hands and looked at him, her brow furrowed. “Sure, I guess. My roommate asked me to pick up her dry cleaning once. I figured I’d just swing by before I went to work, even though the cleaner was in the opposite direction. I took a different route to work that day.” She looked down at the table, her gaze soft and a little sad. “There was a seven-car pileup on the highway I usually took to get to the diner. Four people died.”
Not exactly what he’d meant. “Okay, well, the mating bond is kind of like that, only less morbid.”
Yep, great, he’d just compared their connection to vehicular manslaughter. That would win her over. It had made sense in his head, but out loud, he sounded like an idiot, and he was making a fucking mess of explaining his world to her. Goddess, why had he thought this would be easy?
“It’s fate,” he said simply, boiling his explanation down to its most basic form. “It’s intense and unpredictable. One minute, it makes all the sense in the world, and the next, you can’t make heads or tails of it.”
The more he talked, the more he realized he really didn’t understand it himself, but unlike Roux, he didn’t need to know how all the working parts moved together. The moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d felt it. While she hadn’t been as immediately struck by the connection forming between them as he had, she clearly felt something now. Otherwise, he doubted they’d be having the conversation.
Trying to make sense of something that defied all logic and rationale couldn’t be done. So, Deke stopped trying and simply spoke from his heart.
“It’s safety and it’s comfort. It’s not just a feeling, but like this living, breathing entity that consumes you and fills this emptiness you didn’t even realize you had.”
“Like finding a piece of yourself you didn’t know was missing,” Roux added, her voice quiet, thoughtful.
“Yes.” He smiled, encouraged by her response. “You see this person, the one person in all the world that fate has chosen just for you, and everything changes. Your priorities shift, and you’d do anything to make them happy, to keep them safe.”
A lovely shade of pink swept over her cheeks, and she chuckled under her breath. “Is intense jealousy part of this package? Or is that just a bonus?”
“Gemini in general are territorial and intensely protective. We don’t share, and we’ll do anything—anything—to eliminate a threat to our mates.”
“I guess it’s not really so different than humans, just more intense,” Roux agreed after a significant hesitation. “I mean, we’re pretty big on monogamy and loyalty for the most part.” She stopped, tilted her head to the side, and glared at him in accusation. “You were going to let me leave.”
“Yes,” he admitted, “but only after I did everything I could to make you stay.”
“So, how does that work? What happens when making your mate happy conflicts with keeping her safe?”
“Protecting her—you—wins every time.” He could see the confusion returning, dimming the brilliance of her green eyes. “In this case, letting you go probably would have been safer.”
“Explain. Does this have to do with your dangerous-secret tattoo?”
He had to give his girl credit. She had good instincts, and she didn’t waste time with insecurity. During their conversation, she’d had justifiable questions, but never once had she doubted that a connection between them actually existed. Not only did Deke appreciate her confidence, he found it sexy as hell.
“The tattoo isn’t secret, but we don’t exactly flaunt it.”
“But what it represents is secret.”
He nodded, pushing away from the table to stand. “Come on, kitten, let’s move this party to the living room.”
“I didn’t even finish my bacon.” She pouted for a heartbeat, then grabbed all three strips of bacon and followed him into the living room. “What?” she asked around a mouthful of pork when he shook his head at her. “I like bacon.”
She lowered herself into the far corner of the sofa and tucked her feet under her. While she waited, staring up at him expectantly, Deke removed a small notebook and a pen from the end table drawer. Joining her on the sofa, he drew a crude replica of his tattoo and passed the notepad over to her.
“Duty, loyalty, courage,” he said, pointing to the each three stars within in the hollow circle of the moon in turn. Then he tapped the star that sat outside the crescent, right at the uppermost point. “And above all, sacrifice.”
“The moon?” Roux asked, tracing the drawing with her fingertip.
“The Revenant keeps watch over everyone the moon touches.”
“The who?”
The Revenant had been formed long before the Purge to defend those unable or unwilling to protect themselves—humans and Gemini alike. They moved in secret, sticking to the shadows like phantoms. Even in paranormal circles, the Revenant was just a myth, a legend told around campfires to give people hope and optimism that things could get better.
Roux finished her bacon, then pushed the pen through the spiral spine of the notebook before tossing them both to the coffee table. Sitting up a little straighter, she folded her hands in her lap and watched him intently as he explained the history of the Revenant. Occasionally, she’d nod or frown or lift an eyebrow, but she never interrupted.
“I know you think I don’t understand what’s it like out there, but I do.” He’d seen more than she could even begin to imagine. “Trinity Grove is better than most, but far from perfect. There’s a different way, though, a place where everyone is equal and free.”
Some came to Trinity Grove to stay, but some only stayed long enough to rest and replenish their supplies before moving on to the next checkpoint. Revenant controlled havens had been set up across North America, mostly in the Deadlands, but a few had been hidden within populated cities.
“We hide them in a room beneath the infirmary at the Bastille,” he concluded, holding his breath for her reaction.
“You’re like an underground railroad,” Roux said, bobbing her head as though it made perfect sense. “I’m assuming these rest stops all lead somewhere. So, where is this Atlantis?”
Caught up in Roux’s excitement and enthusiasm, D
eke couldn’t help but laugh. She had the most infectious smile, and happiness looked damn good on her.
“Actually, we call it Olympus. It’s in Washington, on the edge of the Olympic National Park.
She wrinkled her nose. “Washington?”
“What’s wrong with Washington?”
“Nothing. With a name like Olympus, I just expected somewhere a bit more magical, I guess.” She waved a hand and tilted her head. “Have you seen it?”
Deke nodded slowly. “I was born there, and I spent a little time in the mountains right after the Purge started.”
“That’s where your sisters are, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Evie and Jazz are in Washington, waiting for me to come home.”
It had been almost a year since he’d seen his two younger sisters, and it would probably be longer than that before he could be with them again. It was a price he had to pay to know they were safe.
“I had a sister once,” Roux whispered, moisture gathering along her lower lashes. “A vampire killed her.”
“Do you want to talk about her?” Deke didn’t know what to say to comfort her. He’d be devastated if something happened to one of his sisters.
Roux parted her lips as if she wanted to say something more on the subject, but she stopped and shook her head. “Okay, so say I believe you, that this place in Washington exists.” Leaning back, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins. “Why bring us here? Me, Cade, Greg, the others? You knew we were going to raid that grocer, so why not hide us out under the Bastille and then send us on our way?”
“Yes, we knew you where your party would be, and it’s not that simple.”
“How did you know?”
She’d find out eventually, and Deke hated keeping secrets from her. “Nevah. The Wardens use human spies, usually one of the blood donors who live in the mansion.”
When they received word of rebels nearby, they sent out spies to infiltrate the group and report back. In the beginning, if the party posed no threat to the city, the scout would quietly slip away without anyone being the wiser. In recent months, however, the royal family had adopted a zero tolerance policy, and anyone found within city limits was to be detained on sight. The guards hadn’t been given a reason or an explanation, not one that Deke bought anyway.