by Elise Jae
A geothermal pool set in the center of the room puts off streams of vapor and Trench leads me to it.
“Is it okay?”
It’s not as hot as I expected. And I nod as he steadies me and helps me over the rocky edge.
He pulls me back against him, and we sit in the water, saying nothing, as the heat sinks into our bodies.
I can’t stay without bonding to him—I’ve seen how the others are, I know how he is. It would eat away at him if I was here, and couldn’t fully choose to be his.
Exhaustion. A feeling that should be wonderful, is tainted by the sharp ache in my chest. But at least I’m too tired to cry anymore.
THIRTEEN
JESSICA
I’m not back to one hundred percent when we walk into Kimba and Drift’s home. But I’ve managed to put myself together and the subject is distracting enough.
And while I want to hang on to Trench like I’ll get to keep him. There are too many questions that would raise.
My skin feels like it’s got a low electric current pulsing through it, and I have to force myself to not itch my arms.
I need the meeting to start so that I can use the distraction, and then I can leave.
Before everyone’s even sat down, Trench starts to talk. “Let’s get through this quickly. Jessica’s figured something out—”
Arc laughs loudly enough that Trench stops talking. “She’s finally come to her senses and wants to move into someone else’s house?”
From where I stand beside Trench, I know Arc isn’t the only one who sees the hard glare I give him.
I’m grateful no one laughs. Gladder still that that Arc actually looks uncomfortable.
I don’t bother to give them any other preamble. They aren’t going to stop Arc’s bad behavior. I’m not going to give them any courtesy when it comes to learning ugly information.
Their wives however…. “I’m sorry for the graphic nature of the images I’m about to pull up.”
“As long as it’s not Trench’s cock.” Arc snickers from his side of the sofa.
“Do you want to shut up, or leave?” I meet Arc’s gaze and don’t back down. “Because those are your only options.”
One of the ones beside him, Risk, I think, puts a hand on his shoulder and pulls him back against the seat, saying something low and in their language.
When the silence has stretched long enough, I look back to where Laurel and Andrea sit, since this is more for them than anyone else. “If you want to step out for this part, I’ll understand.”
Laurel shakes her head, and Andrea glances at her bondmate before saying. “I can leave if I need to.”
Turning my back to them and looking at the blown-up images on the screen in front of us, I try to remember how I wanted to say this.
The photo in question is a trio of lined up heads, and I look at each one before I start.
“Because Trench has been trying to figure these things out for so long, we have a lot of visual data I can pull from, which has exposed this pattern. No matter how the monster was killed, this part of their skull was caved in.”
I don’t bother to point at the missing part of the head. You couldn’t miss it.
“Why, though?” Kimba asks.
“I think there’s something here,” I point to the spot where the dark mark had been before the other one had begun to eat. “That detonates when they’re killed.”
“Or when they’re about to be captured.” Trench adds.
“I’ve found fragments of something that seems to be made out of a compound similar to graphene. It might be a suicide device.”
“Like a cyanide pill?” Laurel asks, her face scrunched in confusion. “I thought you were leaning toward the idea they weren’t as smart as the brotherhood gave them credit for.”
“I still am. I’d guess this was an implant, and I’m starting to think someone—or something—is controlling them.”
Trench scowls at the pictures behind me. “The one I cornered… it didn’t look like it wanted to die.”
The whole room goes silent, punctured only by the cooing bundle in Cindy’s arms.
“We all know there are people on both planets who don’t want us here….” Laurel says, carefully.
Kimba is shaking her head. “But the monsters are the reason we’re here. It’s not like they showed up after.”
“So, it’s not us… but them?” Laurel looks from me to the Richter. “Someone’s trying to make the sian go extinct?”
“Who would want that?” I glance around the room, but no one has any answers.
“I guess we’ll have to look into it.”
I’m not sure how easy that’s going to be.
“There’s one other thing.” I wait for silence. “Trench killed one with its skull intact. And a second attacked us at home.”
“What do you mean it attacked you?” Laurel is on her feet so fast, Richter all but scoops her off the ground to keep her from coming after me.
“It tried.” I hold up my hands before any of them can start to talk over me. “Trench got me inside before it could do any damage.”
Several glances slide toward where Trench stands, his face a mask of concentration.
“The important part,” I say, holding my hands up. “is that the one that attacked wasn’t there for me.”
That gets their attention back.
“I’m sure it would have taken me out if it had the chance, but that wasn’t its main goal.” No one interrupts me, thank God. “It came to destroy the evidence.”
I flick the security video still up on the main screen. “See this dark spot on their forehead? This is why you’ve never been able to get a clear picture of one from the corpses you’ve recovered.”
“The corpses Trench recovered. We’re not all ghouls.”
I am getting sick of how quick Arc is to cast his brother as some sort of villain. I turn to look at him, glaring. Daring him to say something else.
He actually looks cowed.
“Well it’s a good thing he has recovered them because I can tell you now that whatever that is when the creature is alive… it detonates when they die.”
“So why didn’t we notice it?” Drift has moved to Trench’s side. “If their heads explode when we kill them, I feel like we would have noticed.”
“I don’t know that it’s an actual explosion. There's a chemical that I’ve only just managed to isolate. It seems to eat through their cells.”
They start talking, one over the other, and I step away. I might be the one who found the problem, but they’re the ones who are going to have to deal with it.
The reminder that I’m leaving roils my stomach again.
Kimba pulls me aside. “Do you need anything?”
And I can’t stop myself from looking back at Trench. “No.”
With a sad sort of smile, Kimba nods. “Are you feeling up to attending ‘girls’ night’ with us? I know you probably need a break from your work.”
I have plenty of distractions as it is, but… “Sure. It’ll be nice to spend some time with you guys without all that.” I nod toward where the men are talking about something—I think it’s safe to say they aren’t discussing the monsters anymore.
“I’m so glad you’ve said that, because we’re definitely holding it at your place.”
Laughing, because what else can I do, I agree.
TRENCH
It’s tough to stay put, but I manage it.
There’s no one in this room who’s actually a threat to Jess, but my body still aches with the need to claim her.
It’s the other reason I manage to keep my feet planted on this side of the room.
Unfortunately, distracting both body and mind, has taken me out of the conversation occurring on the couch. And when Core moves to sand next to me… when I hear the ends of the previous statements, that might have been a mistake.
Core jabs me in the ribs with a finger, and I ignore him. “I’ve seen the way you look at her
. You’ve done something.”
“What we have or haven’t done, is none of your business.”
“I mean, there’s a lot you can do….”
Core and Richter start throwing out ideas. Bouncing back and forth variations of the same things. I ignore them.
It’s the unbonded men who are the problem.
Leaning back, Shock snorts and says, “There’s no way she let you put it in her ass.”
The comment halts all conversation, and they look at me. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I try to think of something to say to that, but when I open my eyes, it’s already too late.
“Oh, my Saints.” Shock leans forward, elbows on knees. “You’ve put it in her ass.”
“How old are you?”
“That’s what he says when we’ve guessed right.” Arc chuckles, glancing at her and then back to me. “Another woman who clearly wants to be here. Just not stuck with you.”
If he hadn’t been saying things like that for years, I might have reacted. I might have thrown myself across the room and slammed his head into the floor until all that was left was a smear of brain matter that was the same color as the red I’d briefly seen when he’d spoken.
But I’m used to it now. And exhaustion might have stopped me before, but something else stops me now.
Because he’s wrong.
It should bother me that—once again—no one has stepped in to defend me. They’re all standing by.
Watching.
Holding their breath.
Maybe they have money riding on which of us would survive that fight.
Before I need to say anything else, Kimba pushes her way into our circle. “Who wants to tell me what’s going on here?”
The others all share glances. If anyone of their bondmates would have been part of the conversation, it was her. But none of them are brave enough to admit what they’d said. Not because of me…. No one cared about how their words affected me.
“Nothing is going on here.” I say trying to keep my tone as even as possible. “Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway.”
I leave them and go to Jessica. But I stop before I’m actually in the circle of conversation that currently holds her. She looks at me immediately.
We don’t have a bond… she was watching me.
Her smile falters, but brightens as she excuses herself from the others and comes to me. “You’re ready to leave, aren’t you?”
There might be concern in her eyes, but her smile doesn’t dim as she looks up at me. She’s so close, and the differences in our heights are such that she has to.
I have to remind myself that Arc is wrong. She wants me… just not my planet. It allows me to return that smile. “I find that I prefer your company to anyone else’s.”
She leans even closer, “Me too.”
But when we get in the car, she asks the question I’ve been expecting.
“What did they say that had you so agitated?”
“It’s just Arc, being Arc. Something I should be completely immune to by now.”
FOURTEEN
JESSICA
Neuroanatomy was one of my favorite subjects in school.
Dissecting brains might have made others squeamish, but—once outside of a body—they are just organs like any other inside the body.
I don’t know when my focus switched. When it became more important to understand the monsters than the men. But I need to know. I need answers. And I need to find them quickly.
The door opens as I’m using one of the cameras to document a dark line that travels along the monster’s longitudinal fissure to its brain stem. And I don’t look up.
“Are you done with your morning workout?” I ask, vaguely remembering leaving Trench on his way downstairs… hoping that no more than a few hours have passed.
When he doesn’t respond a small chorus of “oh shit” begins echoing in the back of my mind.
But the person who’s joined me isn’t one I expected.
Arc stands in the doorway. His skin has turned an odd shade of green, and his eyes are round as saucers.
“If you’re going to throw up, please aim for the trash can.”
He glances toward the bin I’m pointing at, but doesn’t move.
“I don’t want your vomit contaminating any of the samples.”
His expression turns to one of disgust, and he spins on his heel, heading back into the house.
There was a flash of… something in his eyes. I don’t trust whatever he’s about to do.
Stripping off my gloves, I follow him. I hear the shouting before I get to the closed door.
Inside, I stop well behind Arc. His hands are fisted at his sides, his back tensely coiled muscles, as though he’s trying to hold himself immobile.
Trench on the other hand… just looks tired.
I move around Arc’s side, making sure I keep my distance.
“She’s a biologist, what did you expect.”
“What did I—” Eyes wide, Arc looks at me and recoils.
I freeze. Arc’s particular brand of bravado has never been appealing, but this… disgust, horror.... Whatever it is in his eyes, it makes me feel inhuman.
That’s when I realize the problem.
“Arc.” I say his name in as commanding of a tone as I can manage.
It’s enough to get him to stop. Enough to make him turn and—though he clearly doesn’t want to—look at me.
“They’re from the monsters. They’re not sian brains.”
Trench is the one who turns on his brother this time. “What the actual hell?”
If Trench looked tired before, he’s gotten a pure shot of adrenaline. His muscles tense and from the look on his face, I might have to step between them. I don’t know if I’d survive that, but if it comes to it and I don’t… one of them won’t be walking away.
“What,” Trench repeats. “And I cannot begin to fathom what a good answer to this would be, the actual Hell?”
Face red, Arc only gets tenser. “She’s here to study us. What else was I supposed to think?”
“And where, exactly would you expect her to get her hands on sian….” Trench’s face blanks, and then, instead of confusion, his brows pinch in pain. “You thought I went out and murdered someone?”
“I think you’d do just about anything for her.”
“Get out.”
Arc flinches like he’s been hit.
Something deep inside of me freezes. Locks in place as though it’s broken.
“Get out of my house, and don’t come back. I don’t want to see you again unless it’s at Drifts, and even then…” He clenches the countertop and when he looks up at Arc, there’s an emotion in his face that I can’t read. “You don’t need to worry about what I would or wouldn’t do for anyone.”
Arc hesitates, glancing first at me and then back.
“Don’t make me throw you out.”
Clenching his jaw, Arc goes to the door. But he stops with his hand on the knob. “Sometimes I don’t think I know you anymore.”
“I think it’s pretty clear you never did.”
I stare at the closed door for another three heartbeats before I struggle out of my coat, throwing it on the ground and going directly to Trench.
I hug him tightly, and am grateful when his arms wrap around me, pressing me even more tightly to him.
“Are you okay? Arc was just startled. The stuff out there can be, grotesque, even when you’re prepared for it. Your brother doesn’t think you’re a murderer.”
Trench’s grip on me loosens, just enough that he can pull back. Just enough his hand can travel up my neck, that his thumb can trace my jaw, pressing my face upward so I can look at him.
“That’s not what this is about.” He says, the words softer than I expect.
“Then what is it?”
“He thought you would ask me to kill someone.”
I have to pause, have to swallow back the smart-ass comment that was the first to come to mind.
/>
Instead, I kiss him.
Just once.
A light touch of lips.
“Your brother doesn’t seem to know anything about anyone.”
And I don’t want to talk about him anymore.
This time when I kiss him, it’s not soft, or sweet, or fleeting. This time, when I kiss him, it’s with my whole body.
I want him with my whole being.
Pulling back, I close my eyes and a wicked thought fills my mind.
“Hang on.” I run up the stairs, and straight to the bathroom. Making sure I wash my hands again; I grab my supplies and change.
Trench is waiting for me, exactly where I left him.
I untuck the wrap from I’d twisted at my left breast, and let it fall to the floor.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing the way my nakedness affects him. Don’t think I’ll ever get used to how hard he gets.
I hold up the bottle of lube and the tiny vibrator. “What do I need to do to convince you to fuck my ass again?”
“All you have to do is ask. You know that.”
Biting my lip, setting the lube on the counter, I cross the short distance to him. “Trench?”
“Yes, Jessica?”
I hook my fingers in the knot that holds his wrap on. “Will you please shove that giant cock inside me until we both come, or I die of sheer ecstasy?”
“Anything for you, Jess.”
I can’t contain my smile, and I turn, hurrying back to the counter, to raise one of his barstools to its highest setting, so I can climb up it.
I wiggle down so my ass is hanging off… at the perfect height for him.
“Are you sure?”
“You fit once, you’ll fit again.” And if I can’t have him inside my pussy. I’ll have him any way I can take him.
Especially when it feels so good.
Growling something in his language, he leaves me, and I hold onto the barstool back more tightly, blinking after him, wondering….
But he stops at the control panel and after tapping through a few buttons, I hear the door lock, hear mechanisms clattering inside the walls.