I open my eyes - and stare into my own. I blink. It's not a mirror, nor is it one of the twins.
K2.
I try to get up and preferably as far away from her as possible, but my body refuses to budge.
She stares at me, her gaze boring into mine, but she's not attacking. I allow myself to relax again, although I keep up my guard. K2 is too unpredictable not to.
"We need to talk," she says, her voice no longer robotic. It almost sounds like my own, but a little deeper with a trace of a lisp.
"Where are the others?"
"I'm here." Gryphon steps into my field of view. "Lennox has taken Ryker home, helped by the twins. And all the cats. They got in the way more than they helped, but that wasn't to be avoided. They're very protective of him."
Alright, I'm on my own with Gryphon and K2. And she's talking normally. My head swirls with questions. I start with the most obvious one.
"What the fuck is going on?"
"We need to talk," K2 repeats. "Now."
"She's right. I'm not sure how long I can keep her like this."
"Like a person?" I ask just to make sure.
She hisses and I can't help but flinch. I'm in the most vulnerable position possible, with an aggressive cat shifter on top of me. Not used to that.
"We only have a few minutes," she snaps. Not a ray of sunshine behind her serial killer persona then. I'm not surprised. "Doctor Jayden's death has released me from the siren net, but it's closing in already. Gryphon is holding it open, but he's not got enough experience."
"Death?" I repeat. "He's dead?"
"The twins," Ryker explains. "But don't worry, they found out quite a few things."
"Quiet," K2 hisses.
"I've not felt this clear in years. There's something you need to know. They can do this to you too. We're all the same. You can't let them close. If you let them give you the drug again, they'll get into your mind."
"This drug?" I take one of the vials from my pocket, amazed it's not broken.
She sniffs the air and anger flashes across her face. "Yes. Destroy it. If you take it often enough, they turn you into theirs. It weakens your barriers, makes you vulnerable. And it twists your connection with your cat."
Her anger morphs into sadness. Regret.
"Is that why your claws are like that?"
K2 nods. "It's the only thing I have left of her. They've forced everything else into my human body. The strength, the endurance."
I stare at her in shock. "You can no longer shift?"
"I can't keep her for much longer," Gryphon warns sharply.
"You need to kill me," K2 says as simply as if she was talking about the weather or telling me that the night is dark. "I can't take this any longer."
"You're free now. We can find a way to make you better."
She laughs harshly. "There is no way. I welcome death. I've craved it for years, whenever I've had a lucid moment. They've become rare, but I do still have them, sometimes. They forbid me to kill myself; otherwise I would have long since done it, especially after what I did to the twins."
True regret shines in her eyes. Her sorrow makes me feel cold inside and this time, it's got nothing to do with poison.
"No. I can't do that. But I promise you we'll help you. I've got friends who're great with science. They'll find an antidote to the drug they've given you."
K2 shakes her head. "There's no hope for me, trust me. They told me how they tried to reverse the effects of the drug in other clones. They all died. It's permanent."
Suddenly, she cringes and for a moment, her eyes go blank. She blinks, twice, then her expression is back to normal, animated rather than static, but it's clear that she's fading.
"Please," she begs, no longer as tough as she appeared earlier. "You have to do it. It has to be you."
"No," I repeat. "I can't."
"Then I will try and kill you. Your siren won't always have control of me. As soon as he loses it, I'll be attacking you and the other clones. It's what I'm programmed to do. I can't fight it. It's you or me, sunshine."
"Sisters."
"What?"
"I call them my sisters. Not clones. And you're my sister too. I'm not going to kill one of my own."
She stares at me as if I've said something confusing.
"Sisters?"
"Yes. Family. We're the same, yet we do have our differences. We may have been created rather than born, but that doesn't mean we can't be like people. I've made my own family. Mates, sisters, friends. And you can be part of it."
"Almost gone," Gryphon groans, visibly struggling. I don't really understand the whole siren thing, but it's clear that he's not going to be able to hold on for much longer.
"We'll help you," I say once more. "Do you have a name?"
Again, she stares at me in confusion. "K2," she mutters after a pause. "But you know that already."
"I meant a real name. One that doesn't contain a number. I know K1 and Kat are kind of similar, but that's just a coincidence. My full name is Katriona. How about you come up with one too? One that you can make your own. A new start to a new life."
A tiny smile curves her lips. "That would be nice."
Gryphon cries out and I turn to look at him, but he's fine, just looking extremely exhausted. When I look back at K2, her expression is completely gone once more. She's a robot again.
Flaring hate fills me. The Pack have done this to her. I thought they'd done bad things to Little Kat, the twins and me, but this trumps it all. The worst part is that she has lucid moments. She's aware of her predicament and can't do anything about it.
I reach out and stroke her cheek. Of course she doesn't respond at all, but I'd like to imagine that she can feel it, somehow.
Gryphon hums a few notes and she steps back, giving him space to kneel by my side.
"How are you feeling?"
I smile up at him. "Alive."
"Good. Then let's get you home and keep it that way."
On the way back to the wagon, Gryphon fills me in on what happened.
The collar Lennox put around Shaun Jayden's neck worked. Not quite as expected though. It turned him into a very friendly, very helpful man who was only too happy to show them where the antidote for my poison was hidden. He also answered all the questions Lennox and the twins put to him. Gryphon doesn't know much about that, so I'm going to have to wait until we're back home to find out. Doctor Jayden even gave them files containing everything about Project Indigo.
Annoyingly, the collar also had the side effect of exploding the doctor's head after a couple of minutes. I laugh when Gryphon mentions that. How sad. While it's disappointing that I didn't get to torture and kill the man myself, it's a satisfying ending. Death by exploded head. Brilliant. Life does have a sense of humour after all.
"There were bits of brain on Four's shirt," Gryphon chuckles. "I don't know why the twins wear white clothes, it's so impractical."
"I've been thinking that all night. They must love doing the washing. Maybe we should give them our clothes too." I look at my blood-stained suit, ripped in several places. One sleeve has fallen victim to K2's slashing. "Not sure I can salvage this one though."
My wound has closed and no longer looks as bad. It still needs some proper cleaning and dressing when we're back home, but the effects of the poison are gone now. My body is warm again and while I'm not quite feeling strong, I'm at least no longer as weak. I think it's mostly exhaustion catching up with me. I need to sleep. We all do.
K2 follows behind us, silent and expressionless. I feel like I should include her in the conversation, but it's no use. She's not herself just now.
"Explain the siren net she mentioned," I ask Gryphon as we make our way through the town. "The way the sirens control her."
"I don't really understand myself. When I control someone with my powers, it feels a bit like a leash that I weave around their mind. I tell them what to do and if they resist, I tighten the leash, increasing the pressure."
<
br /> "That's not what it feels like to me," I interrupt.
He chuckles. "That's both because I've never tried to force you to do something completely evil and because you're not human. I've been told that humans feel it as a kind of painful suit around their body that moves them around without them able to do anything about it."
Definitely not what I feel when he does it. His music is more like a warm hug, gentle and loving. A caress that's almost intimate.
"Anyway, even if I control several people at once, it's still like I'm holding leashes. I've never felt like having a net nor have I heard any other sirens mention it. I've not been part of siren circles for a while though. My father always pressured me to go to meetings and get more involved, but I took any excuse I could find to avoid that. I don't know how I managed to grow up with a conscience despite being surrounded by power-hungry sirens, but somehow it happened."
I take his hand. "I'm glad. Not that your conscience is that well developed. You wouldn't be enjoying your job otherwise."
He laughs. "That's true. I'd say I have a good moral compass though. Yes, I kill, but I only kill the bad people. I usually let the good ones run, or only hurt them a tiny bit. For good measure, you know?"
"Yeah, same. How strange that we found each other, two assassins with a conscience."
He stops and squeezes my hand. "Is this the moment where I kiss you?"
I look at K2. "I'm not much into other people watching, especially not someone controlled by sirens."
Gryphon smirks. "Good point. Let's continue this conversation when we're home."
Tickles spread through my belly. Is that what they call butterflies? No, I'm not someone to experience something as pathetic as that. I need to get a grip. I'm acting way too emotional just now. Must be the aftereffects of the poison.
We're close to the wagon now. Finally. I hope the others have already had a shower so that I can claim the bathroom to myself. My skin is covered in blood, both other people's and my own, and luckily I no longer feel the urge to lick it. I don't know what I'd do if a bleeding mutant suddenly fell out of the sky in front of me, so let's not test it. My next fix is going to be catnip, not blood.
Chapter Thirteen
This time, I really do wake up in a bed. I barely remember falling asleep. I think I sat down on the bed after having a shower, planning to go to the kitchen to get some food, but I must have nodded off.
I stretch and bump against a warm body. I'm surrounded by them. Gryphon, Lennox and Ryker are all on the mattress with me, sleeping in various positions. Ryker is at my feet, curled up like a cat, a soft snore coming from his throat. Adorable.
Gryphon is to my right, on his belly, his chest exposed. Scars run parallel across his back, reminding me of the ones on his face. Like an animal clawed him. I roll to one side and gently run my fingers along one of the scars. His breathing changes; he's awake.
His scars are soft beneath my finger, but they still feel different from his healthy skin. I follow them back and forth, fighting the temptation to lean over and run my tongue over his scars.
I've been with many men, yet their bodies are still a mystery to me. My own body is hard from training, but there are still soft bits. My boobs, mostly, plus there are always a few wobbly bits around my hips and bum. Not with these men, though. Hard planes meet hard planes. If he turned around, I'd find that even his breast is hard. No man boobs in sight. How can they be so hard yet still have a softness inside that bubbles to the surface whenever they interact with me?
"Do continue," he whispers and I realise I've stopped, having come to the end of the longest of the scars.
"No, my turn." Lennox's voice is husky.
His hot breath kisses my back just before his lips do the same. A pleasant shiver runs over my skin. This is turning into something exciting. The last time we were all in bed like this, I got scared and ran. Now, I want to touch them all. Something's changed, like a switch being flipped inside my head. Maybe it was admitting my worries to them. Maybe it was almost dying. Either way, I want them. Lots.
"Turn onto your back," Lennox whispers.
I oblige, although I regret no longer being able to play with Gryphon's scars.
Both of them are now on their side, staring down at me.
"How much do you like this shirt?" the wolf asks with a cheeky grin.
I have to look down at myself to even know what I'm wearing. I just randomly grabbed something from the wardrobe last night. It's a bland grey t-shirt with some sort of slogan on it. It's not even my own shirt; probably one of Bethany's.
"Not much." My voice has grown hoarse with need. The cat in me is aching to mount the guys and fuck them one by one. Calm down, kitty. Patience.
Lennox grins and his blue eyes glow as he shifts his hand into a wolf's paw. He rips my shirt apart in the middle, exposing my chest, before shifting back into full human.
"I love it when you go all feral." I smile at him. "Do continue with that."
"That dog wouldn't know feral if it hit him in the head," Ryker chuckles, followed by a yawn. "I see you started the party without me. Kat, how much do you like your panties?"
"Copycat," Lennox mutters, but Ryker is already pulling down my panties. At least he's not ripping them. I don't have many of those in the wardrobe.
Gryphon ignores the two shifters and closes in on me, his body pressed to my side. He cups my cheek and makes me turn my head towards him. His lips meet mine in a passionate kiss.
Kissing him is like floating in a sea of catnip. Exhilarating. Beautiful. Overwhelming.
Ryker nudges me to spread my legs. I do so without needing much encouragement. I'm burning to feel him beneath my legs. All of them. I'm greedy today and I'm not going to leave this room until I've had them all.
Soft lips trail a row of kisses along my belly, slowly moving upwards. Lennox. He stops when he reaches my breast and gently swirls his tongue around the base of it. How can I feel so much from such a small touch? It shouldn't be possible. It's magic, I'm sure of it.
Sparks fly when Ryker’s tongue licks my core from top to bottom. He may be human, but his tongue is raspy like that of a cat, making me moan whenever he touches my clit. I spread my legs further, hoping he’ll get the hint. I need more. I’m desperate. Moans tumble from my lips and I’m unable to stop them. The more Ryker licks my core, the more I writhe on the bed, shaking, whimpering. It’s too much and yet not enough.
Gryphon is still kissing me and I almost feel bad because I can’t return his passionate kiss as much as I would like. Too many sensations, not enough brainpower to deal with it.
Lennox suckles on one nipple while twirling the other between his fingers. He teases me with soft kisses all over my breasts, then takes my nub into his mouth again.
I can’t bear it.
“Fuck me,” I groan against Gryphon’s lips.
“Say please,” Lennox whispers, gently biting my breast.
I don’t want him to be gentle. I want them to go wild and crazy and fuck me like there’s no tomorrow.
“Do it or I’ll kill you,” I hiss. “Now.”
Lennox chuckles. “That works too.”
Ryker’s tongue disappears and I want to complain, but then his cock pushes into me, hard and fast, and I can no longer hold back.
I wake up alone, slow and gentle, but the scents of the guys are still fresh. I dimly remember waking up when they got up, but I still needed some more sleep, so I ignored them. I pull the duvet closer and breathe in deep. All of their scents combined. I love it. I wish I could wrap myself in the blanket and wear it like a dress. Not that I ever wear dresses. They’re not practical attire for an assassin. I tried combining a skirt with leggings once and regretted that when the skirt got caught on a roof tile, almost making me fall. Never again.
I stretch before climbing from our makeshift bed. Just before I’m about to open the door, I realise that I’m naked. Maybe not give my sisters this shock. They’re fourteen, so I doubt they’re sexual
ly active. I certainly hope not. They’re way too messed up to start any relationships anyway.
I smile as I realise how protective I feel about them. Like I want to lock them in a room and never let them out in the real world. Is that what parents feel? If so, then it’s amazing that you ever see kids playing out in the street. Mine would probably wear leashes and live in a windowless room just so that they couldn’t get in danger. I’ve seen how evil the world is.
One of the guys left a shirt on the floor, so I put that on, too lazy to rummage through the wardrobe. I only have two sets of panties left in the drawer. Time to find out if my sisters really do like to do the washing. If so, they’re going to be my favourite siblings ever. Which reminds me of Little Kat. I should visit her again soon, check up on her. And she might like to meet her older sisters. Not K2, that wouldn’t be safe, but the twins should be fine. They’re messed up but not a danger per se.
I run my hands through my hair to try and tame my mane, but then, the guys have seen me in a lot more messed up states. Covered in blood and body parts. They’ll survive a little frizz.
“Morning,” Lily greets me cheerily as soon as I step into the living area. “Eggs?”
I nod. “Starving. Are they safe to eat, though?”
She throws a spoon at me which I catch just before it hits my face. “Totally safe. I can cook, you know.”
“Cooking and creating something edible isn’t quite the same,” I quip. “But yes, I’ll take eggs. And tea. And catnip cookies, if you have any.”
“We don’t. I’m never making those again.”
I shrug. “Thought I’d try.”
“Catnip cookies?” Four perks up. “Those sound good.”
“No,” Lily says in her strictest voice. “I’m not being your drug dealer.”
“I could provide you with the ‘nip,” I offer. “You just have to do to the baking. I tried it and…well, you remember what happened.”
“She set the kitchen on fire,” Lily explains to the twins. “It wasn’t pretty. That’s why all she’s allowed to make is sandwiches. I get worried every time she switches on the kettle.”
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