I shifted away from him, uncomfortable. His body radiated the same kind of heat as Olezka, but where my mate’s was warm, Timur’s was oddly different.
“Don’t ask me that.”
“I must. Once you know more, you will understand why I need you to trust me.”
“And let me guess – you’re doing this for the greater good and all that?” I frowned and stared up at him, daring him to deny it.
He smiled, his eyes alight with humor. “No, Sixx, I do this for the betterment of my people and for my brother. You will be the key to his true happiness. And while I have no right, I must ask this of you.”
Confusion and distrust swam in my gut. “Can you at least give me something solid to hold onto?”
“You are sem’ya, family, now. I am putting my trust in you, versus taking you to a vampire or witch who could easily alter your memory.”
I closed my eyes. My gut said this would come to bite me in the butt one day. But in the end, I nodded.
Chapter 21
The feeling of slime coating my skin followed me until I returned home, took a shower, and ended up on the couch. After popping some popcorn, I clutched the bowl close to my body. Grabbing a handful, I shoved it in my mouth, chewing mindlessly while staring at the blank TV screen ahead of me. Timur had followed me back to the apartment on all fours, making sure I kept to my bargain and didn’t alert Z. With a final glance at me, he turned tail and took off.
I only agreed because I didn’t completely trust that he wouldn’t hurt me. That sort of loyalty to family was foreign to me. There was only one person in this world that I counted on with that kind of fierce loyalty, and that was the same person who happened to poke my toe for the fifth time in the last couple of minutes. I turned my attention to her after shoving another handful of popcorn into my mouth.
“So… you wanna talk about it?” Ana asked, concerned.
I shook-nodded my head at the same time for a weird combination that made Ana give me a shaky smile. When she reached for the popcorn bowl, I fought her for a second before allowing her to take it from me.
“Okay… Since you won’t talk, let me see if I can guess. I got home shortly after three, and you were gone. Then, you show up at fiveish and take a shower before collapsing on the couch and proceeding to stress-eat popcorn. Something is going on. Don’t even try to tell me otherwise. Fill me in.” Then Ana gasped and her eyes went wide. “Did you go to Olezka’s for a booty call?”
I snorted and rolled my eyes as I shook my head. Wrapping my arms around my knees, I pressed my forehead against them as a headache started to form. The frames of my glasses pressed into my cheeks, leaving indentions in the skin.
“I screwed up, Ana. I jumped the gun. Blame it on a power nap mixed with a couple of pots of coffee, some energy drinks, and an information-dump-slash-adrenaline rush. I found the company that bought the original pharmaceutical company that produced the drug Dreamscape was based on. The company is called Nova. I got overly excited then did something stupid. I went to your room to ask you to come with me, but you weren’t home yet. So, I figured I would just …check the place out.”
“What happened?” Ana asked, her grip tightening on the bowl.
I recounted the conversation I overheard between Timur and Erebus and then the chat that Timur and I had. She remained quiet during my explanation, but her hands tightened further, and sparks of electricity crackled up her arms. Once I finished, we were both quiet.
“I’m going to kill him,” Ana finally muttered.
“No! Timur said he wouldn’t hurt me. Plus, we don’t have all the facts yet. I think we have to get more information before we say anything to Kallan or Olezka. I’m just… something about the exchange didn’t sit right with me.”
“Well, why didn’t you just hack inside Nova’s system and look at the blueprints of the building? Then you could have seen if there were any places they could keep a secret lab,”
Her words sparked a reminder that my software programs were still running on Nova’s systems. Dumping the popcorn all over the floor, I ran to my room and checked my computer, thrilled to see that a ton of information had already been pulled up. It was mainly e-mails between co-workers talking about projects, and most of it seemed clean. If the project to manufacture and distribute Dreamscape was secret, especially since it had been rejected by the FDA, I’d hope the employees would be smarter than to be emailing each other about it.
“What did you find?” Ana asked, following me into my room and placing her hand on the back of my chair.
“I might have another lead. I’m speculating here, and we don’t know for sure that Dreamscape is supposed to be modeled off the one that was rejected by the FDA, but if so, then this is a list of the chemicals used to produce the opioid Quaalude. A big part of the problem is that I don’t know anything for certain until we get lab results.”
I toyed with the baggie that held our only sample of Dreamscape. For the last week, I’d been waiting for one of the guys to demand it, and part of me resisted the idea because I was the one who managed to get it. But if they had people that could break down the compound, it would be better than my guessing game.
Sighing, I peeked over my shoulder at Ana. Her brows were pinched, and her lips were tight.
“What are you thinking?” she asked warily.
“I think we need to put a little more trust in Z and Kallan.”
****
I tugged on the strap of my purse and fidgeted in my seat as we pulled up to the abandoned warehouse. Or at least that was what it looked like from the outside. Glamour and wards were placed around the building to keep humans from coming any closer. Ana used her magic so I could see and enter the wards.
The building’s purpose was two-fold: ample space to allow paras to practice their hand-to-hand fighting skills and a separate space to hone their magic. The inside was cavernous. One corner held a vast array of machinery including treadmills, weightlifting machines, and others that were outfitted for the needs of specific paras. Above our heads were tightropes along with bars used to swing from one to another. Apparently, they were used for paras that could fly and were instrumental in helping them learn how to perfect their skills. The middle of the gym was full of mats where sparring took place. Another corner was dedicated to weapons training. Ana was allowed over there. I was not.
Tonight, we would give the tablet to the guys so they could have their resources study its chemical composition. My stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing Olezka. If he didn’t say anything about the date tonight, I would assume he wanted to call it off. At this point, I wasn’t sure if I could go on it and not spill my guts about what I overheard between his brother and Erebus. Even so, I was eager to see him.
“Do you remember when Titan came to us and said he could help us with our werewolf problem?” I whispered. Titan was one of the “cool guys” in high school; football star, prom king, all-around likable guy.
“This isn’t like Titan. We didn’t know about him.”
Yeah, we didn’t know that Titan was, in fact, a werewolf himself and had smelled the others on us. After we went to him for help, he ended up selling us out to his father. Paras looked out for paras. Ana probably would have been safe from them because she was half-para, but because I was human and I learned their secret, I wasn’t. It wasn’t long after that before we were kidnapped and taken by the pack. The days that followed were the scariest of my life. Nightmares still haunted me.
“Trust me. My gut says they don’t mean us harm,” Ana said. I nodded tightly before we got out of the car.
Kallan stood outside the gym, waiting for us with his usual cool look on his face. He wore loose workout pants and a tight tank top that showed off his sculpted arms. His features lit up when he saw Ana, though, if only for a moment. I looked at her quizzically to see her cheeks were flushed. Ana got out of the car before I could ask. I wonder what’s going on there. We hadn’t had time to chat lately, but I resolved to rectify that as soon as po
ssible. It was high time she and I had a chat. After training, of course. I rounded the car as Kallan waved us inside and we filed into the gym.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little bit for your lessons this evening, Sixx. Olezka called and said he’s running late and may not make it. I’ll go through a few moves with you after I work with Ana.”
I tried not to let my disappointment show. “Okay,”
The gym was empty as it was every time we came, which made me think that either paras trained at really odd times or they reserved this place for us. I got comfortable on the floor as Ana tugged off her oversized hoodie. She wore a slim black tank top underneath that sharply contrasted her pale blonde hair. Her black capris leggings hugged her calf muscles, flexing as she started bouncing on the balls of her feet. She had her fists posed in front of her while Kallan watched her closely.
“Today, we’ll work on showing you how to conjure a different type of magic.”
Ana kept doing her warm-ups while Kallan circled her and spoke. I noticed his gaze dropped to her ass, and I snorted a laugh. Shaking my head, I pulled out my phone and started to play a game while they worked.
“You need to focus on your magic. Do you feel it?” Kallan asked.
I looked up. Ana’s eyes were pinched shut, her lips tightened with her frustration. Suddenly, something shifted in the air, and a weightier presence filled the space around us. Ana’s hair fluttered around her.
“Good. Let it fill you up,” Kallan directed.
Her features seemed to shift in front of me. Her normally stunning features became unearthly like Kallan’s did when he dropped his glamour. Feeling lost under her spell, I set my phone aside and stood. “So pretty,” I muttered. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew that what I was feeling was fabricated, but that tiny inkling was smothered as another wave hit me and propelled me forward.
Arms wrapped around my waist, and I tried to take another step forward. A chin dropped heavily on my shoulder and a nose nuzzled my neck. “My mate, I would hope that you would only have that look for me,” a husky voice purred in my ear.
His voice heightened the feeling I got as I looked at Ana. I wanted him. Twisting around, I blindly grabbed for his face, determined to taste him, have him. I clutched at his shirt, trying to pull him down to my level. Blinded by lust, all I knew was the heated body pressed against mine.
“Calm, priyatel.” He grabbed my wrists and halted my awkward movements. “Kallan? Mind toning your fae power down a bit?”
Olezka pulled me away from the sparring ring, and my thoughts started to clear the further I stepped from the magic Ana emitted. I blinked slowly, my mouth drying up. “Oh, shoot.” Mortified, I peeked up at those stunning amber eyes. “I’m so sorry, Olezka.”
“Do not apologize. I do not mind your, what is your American term… petting?” he said with a smirk. I resisted rolling my eyes at his teasing.
“And your kind enjoys petting?”
“Nyet. At least most would not like to pet us.”
“Is that because you would burn them alive?”
With my words, something shut off in him. His shoulders tightened, and his gaze went over my shoulder. “We should begin your training,” Olezka said, all business again. “Come, priyatel.”
I frowned, not liking the sudden change in his demeanor. “Wait – care to explain what happened to me back there?”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Fae draw, similar to a lure. They all have it to a certain degree. Anastasia has never accessed all her magic before, and now that she has, it is unlocking fundamentals that most fae on this side of the Veil learn how to control as children. That is another reason it is important your friend learns these things. If she is found to be breaching the laws the fae have in place, she will be forced to return to the Veil.”
“But she’s half-human!” I protested, panic rushing through me at the thought of losing Ana to the other side of the Veil, a place we knew nothing about and where I couldn’t follow.
“It will not matter.”
Suddenly, I realized we had to put all our trust in these two men we barely knew or I’d lose my best friend, the person I considered my sister.
Chapter 22
Olezka pulled me farther away from them as Ana continued to work with Kallan, but my mind was still lost to a million new thoughts.
“You need to focus, Sixx.”
“But…”
“The issue with your friend is not a problem yet. We must focus on the now,” Olezka demanded.
He stepped up behind me, grabbed my hips, and twisted them slightly in the correct direction. We had been working on my stance since my training began. Unlike Ana, none of this came easily to me. Olezka had to work me through the basics for most of our allotted time.
“Focus,” Olezka whispered, his huge hand covering the expanse of my hip and slowly caressing upward. A fluttering of heat went through my veins as my eyelids drooped heavily. My body wanted to give in to this feeling. Give into him.
“Nyet, Sixx.”
“I’m focusing!” I stomped my foot, aiming at his just to prove my point. But instead of making contact, he moved with snake-like agility, wrapping his leg around mine and tugging our legs back. In the second before I would hit the ground, he grabbed me.
“Nyet, you are not.” He paused before bringing me back to my feet and releasing me. Then, he stepped in front of me and sized me up. “Again.”
I took the same position, and even I knew my stance was loose. Olezka pushed my shoulder to test my stability, and I stumbled back a couple of steps.
“Again. You must start with a firm base. If you must defend, you must be unmovable.”
Gritting my teeth, I placed my feet slightly past my shoulders, locked my knees, and twisted my hips. I had my hands in the same position that Ana had hers when she began. Olezka pushed me from behind. When I managed to stay put, a surge of pride went through me. Until he pushed me between the shoulders and I tripped forward.
“Fudge nuggets!” I bit out.
Olezka moved around to my front again and crossed his arms, a look of disapproval on his face. “We will move on from that today, but you must practice your stance. Now, I want you to try to hit me.”
I gave him a look of disbelief. We both knew how this would end. I wouldn’t be able to land a single hit, and he would dance around me as I tried.
“Do not give me that look, ozornoy.”
“What look?”
“Your I’m-ready-to-give-up look. I do not expect you to get it after one lesson, or even one week. Don’t be so hard on yourself. We train to learn. Attack me.”
My eyes flicked to Ana and Kallan, and my anger rose. Ana moved with fluidity and ease. When learning something combative like this, she was a quick study. On the other hand, I was book-smart, not street smart. Repeated failures like what I was enduring now made me shut down, and I couldn’t seem to retain the information.
Lunging forward, I threw out my fist, not really feeling the weight behind it. The chances of me actually hitting Olezka were laughable.
“You must take this seriously, ozornoy.”
“What are you calling me now?”
“Hellion. Now show me you are.”
I cringed at the parallel he bridged together; he the hellhound, me the hellion. Deciding to ignore that thought, I took up my position again. Olezka stood with his muscles loose, his stance seeming very chill. Knowing he didn’t consider me a threat, my rage grew. Even though I knew I wasn’t a threat and there was no way I could really hurt him, it still annoyed me that he didn’t seem to be treating this seriously.
Growling, I gritted my teeth and lurched forward as he’d taught me. Olezka’s brows went up at my renewed vigor, but he still darted away before I could hit him. When he brushed his hand over my hip, my cheeks heated as my loose shirt rode up. His own look grew hungry.
“Better. But again.”
And we did. Again and again. I never landed a hit, but
each time I tried, Olezka got a bit more handsy. I didn’t mind. If anything, my body reacted a little too kindly to his brief touches and soft swipes. After what felt like hours had passed, I became aware of how sweaty I was, which made me want to keep a healthy distance. I didn’t want him to smell or touch me.
“Z, I think she’s done. We have finished,” Kallan called over to us. I peeked over my shoulder to see Ana had reverted to her human form. Thankfully, her fae lure was gone. I breathed a little easier. Slumping my shoulders that burned with overuse, I shuffled forward. Every part of me ached, and my mind was solely focused on showering.
“Sixx.”
Cringing, I realized the snappish tone in Olezka’s voice. I was about to get my ass kicked.
“What did I tell you?”
Thinking back on our lessons, I remembered one of the first lessons he gave me. Don’t turn your back on a predator. Truthfully, any para was considered a predator to me. But we were done with practice. I didn’t want to do this with him. Turning around to protest, I realized that Olezka had moved silently and now stood right behind me.
I glanced all the way up his insanely tall frame. Part of me felt small and feminine, while the other part of me knew right now he wasn’t in mate-mode, he was in I’m trying to intimidate you mode.
“Don’t do this right now, Z. I’m so, so tired. And we have a long night ahead of us,” I whispered, reaching up to touch his defined pecs. He was so insanely built, I sort of hated him for it. When I peeked up at him, his features softened. He reached up and brushed a wayward curl behind my ear.
“This does not count.”
“Not looking to win right now,” I whispered breathlessly. Heat pulsed off of him, penetrating my skin. Stupidly, I licked my lips, and he leaned in a little closer. My heartbeat pounded in the back of my neck as my mind raced.
Someone cleared their throat rather loudly. Blushing fiercely, I took a step away from Olezka and realized we had an audience. Ana watched us with a guarded look.
“I think we all may want to have a little chat. Sixx found some pretty good evidence,” Ana started.
The Sidekick Chronicles: Sixx and the Hellhound Page 14