by Rachel Jonas
“Well, if you’re Aaric, then I believe this belongs to you,” Banks chimed in, handing a small, blue device to Aaric who stared at the piece curiously.
“Thanks, but … I’m not sure I know what this is.”
Banks chuckled a bit. “Cori mentioned your team had a close call with the authorities closing in on your signal. This will keep you guys off those menacing bastards’ radar. Problem solved,” he added with an even cockier grin.
Aaric glanced down at the device again. “This small thing does that?”
“Yup,” Banks nodded. “Felix designed one just like it for us, and we’ve been flying undetected for years.”
“Minus one close call,” Fe jumped in, but then moved toward Silas with an eager look in his eyes. “Looks like you’ve brought everything.” With those words, he glanced at the backpack Silas wore.
“Ready to start whenever you are,” Silas replied.
They definitely had some serious work to do, but there was no missing how excited these two were to go geek out in the lab.
When they turned to exit, a laugh slipped out. “Have fun boys,” I teased. “Clean up after yourselves.”
“Yes, Mother,” Felix called out from somewhere down the hall.
My gaze shifted to Aaric, and I gestured toward a nearby chair. “Take a load off.”
He smiled when I did, glancing around the command center as he lowered onto the cushion.
“There’s so much equipment here. Where’d it all come from?”
I didn’t have to think long to come up with an answer. “My parents, mostly. At least, they organized most of the big scoring missions that yielded a lot of it. They worked hard with the old team to outfit this place with as much equipment as they could manage—the monitoring devices, security system, electricity and filtration systems.” I peered around. “It was a labor of love.”
Aaric let his eyes wander, too. “There was never a doubt in my mind about that.”
“We had a guy who was pretty loyal to them,” I shared. “He had a knack for getting goods to us we wouldn’t otherwise have access to, and he’s been a crucial component in our effort to free our people from the camps.”
“Sounds like a decent guy to have on your side,” Aaric remarked.
“He is,” I answered. “His name’s Spencer. And as far as Ianites go, he’s one of the good ones.” Thinking of him brought a smile to my face. “Any word on him yet?” I turned to Liv when asking.
Only, the look she offered in return revealed more than I think she meant for it to. Then, when she made it a point to come closer, I knew.
“Cori, we’ve been wondering when it would be right to tell you,” she began. “But … Spence was killed.”
My heart felt weighed down as soon as she spoke aloud what I already guessed. Spencer had been such a crucial part of our organization. Not only that, he was a friend. Even if we hadn’t been paying him to do what he did for us, I believed deep down in my heart he would have still helped. That was just the kind of guy he was.
“What happened?” I asked distractedly. “Do we know who’s responsible.”
That look of dread filled her expression once more.
“From what we were told, it was Jon Carlisle,” she revealed. “He caught wind that Spencer was an ally of the team and delivered him to the Butcher.”
I didn’t need details beyond that. She’d already said enough. Any death dealt at the hand of that monster was a tortuous one.
“He didn’t deserve that,” I said aimlessly, letting my thoughts wander.
“If we were in a position to do something about it, we would,” Banks interjected. “Maybe when all is said and done, we’ll get justice for him.”
I liked the sound of that, but wasn’t sure how likely it would be.
“This Jon Carlisle,” Aaric said, “he’s trouble, I presume.”
“Oh, yeah,” Shay jumped in with a sigh. “Big time.”
“He’s the one who outed Julian after he saved Cori’s life,” Liv said.
I peered up at Aaric. “Remember the conversation you mentioned overhearing when Roman visited?”
He nodded, but still seemed confused.
“This is the same Jon he spoke of,” I clarified. “The one who outed me to Roman and, ultimately, the princes.”
There was a grave look on Aaric’s face, and I imagined he was just as concerned that a man such as this walked the streets, knowing my deepest secret.
However, Jon would have to be dealt with later. Our main focus had to be honed in on creating the serum.
I managed to hold in my tears but wouldn’t likely get over my friend’s death for quite some time.
The hours passed rapidly, and Riot had been asleep on top of—not next to—my feet for most of them. Felix and Silas still hadn’t resurfaced, but I knew they were still hard at work. Aaric and I got more comfortable, settling in at a card table to join Liv and Dev in a game. It was quiet and leisurely at first, but somewhere around the fifth round, Liv got rowdy.
I hadn’t witnessed one of these late-night, punch-drunk breakdowns in a long time, and missed it more than I realized. With each loss, she hit a new level of craziness and disbelief at her misfortune. I hadn’t laughed that hard in too long to remember. And, from the looks of it, Aaric needed this, too. I wasn’t sure if he ever made time to let loose and pretend we lived in a normal world, but that was one thing my team had perfected. They knew how to help me forget what was at stake, until we needed to sober our minds and attack a problem head on. Imagining he didn’t have that, I watched him in awe—laughing easily, behaving like the young twenty-something I sometimes forgot he was.
We were alike in that way, carrying responsibility that aged us beyond our years mentally.
“Ok, I’m getting tired of beating you now,” I announced with a yawn, pushing the sunglasses further up my nose.
“Next time you visit,” Liv countered. “I demand a rematch.”
Laughing, I nodded. “If you promise to brush up on the basics before then.”
She answered by sticking out her tongue as she stood.
“You two want a drink? We have a ton of bottled water thanks to the princes.”
It warmed my heart hearing that they were still being taken care of by my mates.
“I’ll have one,” I answered.
Aaric shook his head. “None for me. Thank you.”
I glanced his way and got caught in his stare. How strange was it to have him so easily accepted here? To have him blend into this side of my world so easily?
“One water, coming up,” Liv announced on her way out.
She was back in no time, carrying a bottle for herself and one for me. She also balanced an apple and knife on a plate. I accepted my water, and Liv dropped back down on her side of the table.
“So, this is all really happening, huh? We’re actually on our way to putting an end to this nightmare, once and for all.” There was silence while she thought, maybe imagining how different things would be in the near future.
“If we’re lucky,” I answered.
She sliced a wedge of apple before popping it into her mouth. “Lucky is one way of putting it.” The words were muffled by the sound of her chewing.
“I’ve been thinking. There’s a great big world out there we haven’t been able to see. You know, on account of being stuck down in this hole ninety-nine percent of the time. I started a list of things I want to do, places I want to see, with no idea where I want to start. So far, I’m leaning toward—”
Her words cut off when she winced in pain, suddenly cradling her hand to her chest as the knife clattered to the floor. And then … I smelled it. Blood.
Fresh, potent, and something else I absolutely didn’t anticipate.
It was … tempting.
On instinct, I tightly clasped a hand over my mouth and nose, practically leaping from my seat. Liv, Shay, Banks, Jonesy, and O.C. each snapped a look my way, seemingly startled by my sudden movement.
Liv stared, her brow tensing. “I’m okay,” she insisted. “It’s just a small nick.”
Just a small nick. One that made my thoughts scream for me to find and consume every ounce of blood in the room. It was a primal instinct. An instinct that felt bigger than me.
“I need to go,” I rushed to say from behind the hand still forcefully clasped over my mouth.
The moment I turned and left the room, I heard another set of footsteps, someone right on my heels. Glancing back to make sure one of my teammates hadn’t followed me, my gaze landed on Aaric. His hand came to rest at the small of my back and his steps matched my pace.
We were nearly to the hatch and the course of my thoughts frightened me. It felt like, with a few quick words of justification, I could convince myself to return to the command center of our hub and feed this carnal need that had suddenly arisen.
I could convince myself to return and devour them all.
It would have been that easy.
I climbed the ladder in record time, bursting through the hatch before gulping down the fresh air with desperation. I’d held it until this point and prayed it would curb my appetite. So far, it hadn’t.
Panting, I ripped off the sunglasses and shoved them into my pocket, before pacing through the leaves. In an effort to change the course of my thoughts, I shook my hands, panicking.
I couldn’t do this. Couldn’t be the person capable of hurting my own family. Capable of being one of the monsters I’d fought my whole life to defeat.
Warm tears slipped down my cheeks and I wanted nothing more than to rewind time and go back to how things were before. I would have taken living hand to mouth, with uncertainty around every corner over this. Without question.
“Corina, stop,” Aaric said, firm and calm. “Relax for just one second.”
I threw my hands into the air. “How can I relax? Did you see me in there?” I shrieked in disbelief. “I nearly attacked my best friend a moment ago.”
“But you didn’t.”
I shot a frustrated look toward Aaric when he spoke so lightly of the situation.
“Corina, you’re a fresh turn,” he explained. “Most Ianites haven’t seen many if at all, because of the No-Turn Law, but growing up among Roamers, where the law had several gray areas … I’ve witnessed this before.”
I still stared his way, but for a very different reason. Now, I was intrigued as to what insight he held.
“And this is normal?”
“Completely.” He nodded, reassuring me. “And what’s even more important is that the hunger eventually subsides, and you’ll be in control.”
That was good to hear, considering I currently felt like transitioning was in control of me.
He was so casual about all this, so sure. His calm demeanor was contagious. Eventually, it rubbed off on me. He stood beside me with both hands in his pockets, staring up at the sky.
“How long until the change is complete?”
I peered over at him, soaking in the sound of his deep voice. I liked it, and became less ashamed about that with each passing day.
“A week and a half,” I revealed, which didn’t seem to shock him. He simply nodded again.
For a moment, the only sounds between us were those of nearby crickets and an owl off in the distance.
“Suppose that means I’ll have to keep my distance from all my humans for a while,” I said with a small laugh that felt out of place.
“Perhaps. Although, Jax was a late turn,” he revealed, “and he hasn’t tried to eat anyone in years.”
At first, I just stared, but when the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile, I realized that was meant to be a joke. I think I shocked him by returning the gesture.
“Dark,” I commented.
“And in poor taste, considering,” he added. “Forgive me. I couldn’t resist.”
My eyes hadn’t left him yet, and without realizing it, the smile had begun to slip from my face. It dawned on me when he peered down and seemed confused by how I watched him.
Moonlight outlined his light-colored hair with hues of blue, and the sharp edges of his features. The cool silver centers of his eyes reflected it like a feral animal—wild, free.
I forced myself to look away again, for fear of what might happen if I didn’t. Something about him called out to me. Always.
“I’ve never met anyone like you. You know that?” he revealed.
His eyes landed on me for a moment, and then he tore them away again. I couldn’t help but to wonder if he felt it too. That deep, unshakeable pull.
“How so?” I asked.
His shoulders lifted with a shrug. “Someone so selfless, brave to the point of reckless abandon, flawlessly loyal,” he added, turning to face me when I wasn’t expecting it. “And just … flawless in general.”
There it was again. Those unruly flutters he set loose in my stomach, like a million butterflies. My cheeks were red, I was sure of it. And when he smiled a little, I guessed he had noticed, confirming.
Leaves crunched beneath his feet when he turned to face me, making it necessary to tilt my head back to fully see his face. There was a look in his eyes that set me ablaze on the inside, but it wasn’t the type of flame one longed to quench. No, this flame was one I welcomed.
He stepped closer, devouring the space between us. On one hand, I wanted him to keep his distance. On the other, he couldn’t get close enough. His steely gaze leveled on me and my chest was nearly touching his. He drew in a single breath, and I took several.
Then, his lips parted.
“Corina, I … I’m finding it very difficult to stay away from you. I know you’ve had every reason to hate me, but I—”
“Kiss me.”
The reckless words slipped from my mouth and there was no taking them back. I didn’t want to take them back.
His stare deepened, penetrating straight through me, and then he put an end to my torture.
His lips against mine were surprisingly warm, and the softness of his kiss contrasted the cruelty I’d seen him show in the not-so-distant past. I’d seen him be all ice, and now I’d seen his fire.
My toes were, literally, curling inside my shoes. He’d somehow drawn emotion from me I hadn’t even realized I held for him, but it was there. As real as the moon that shone down on us as our lips moved in perfect harmony.
Firm hands gripped my waist and I had no idea I’d enjoy being held by him so much, but I did. Tremendously.
The moment I felt him preparing to pull away, I began to miss the contact. And when cool air touched my mouth where his had once been, I knew he was somehow a missing piece for me. One I had no idea would fit into my world so seamlessly.
His embrace still held me close and I rested my forehead against his chest. Being held by him had somehow made me forget about the incident I’d only fled from a moment ago. With him, I felt … normal. Like Corina.
“I was right,” he rasped, the words passing through strands of my hair when he spoke them.
I was already smiling, even without having heard his answer. “In what way?”
Another kiss pressed to the top of my hair and his chest rose. “It was fate that brought you to me. Only, for very different reasons that I first believed.”
I hadn’t forgot that those were among the first words he’d spoken to me. Although, at the time, the context had been quite different.
“Got all that from one kiss, huh?” I asked with a grin.
“Some things are undeniable,” was the only answer he gave.
Standing there, in his arms, a chuckle slipped out.
“A man confesses his feelings and you laugh?” There’s amusement in his tone, so I know he hasn’t really taken offense.
“It’s not that,” I share. “I was just reflecting on the thoughts I had on the way here and, honestly, I was worried you would be the one who made things awkward, meeting my team.”
“Well, while I’d have taken that burden from you in a heartbeat
, I’m also glad I didn’t live up to your expectations,” he joked.
My arms slipped around his waist tighter, making it clear I was in no rush to let go. Standing there with him comforted me in ways I hadn’t realized he was capable.
“I’m not going back in there,” I confessed.
“If you honestly think that’s best, I won’t force you, but that wouldn’t be my advice.”
Despite myself, I asked a question. “Then, what would you advise?”
He didn’t need to think for long. “I’d tell you to fix your thinking, force your mind into submission. It can only maintain the thoughts you allow it to. If you’re determined to be in control, then you will be in control.”
I let those words settle with me, feeling them sink into my soul like a stone in water.
“I just need a little time, but … I’ll go,” I promised.
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
Who was this man? He’d somehow shed the façade of wickedness he’d been assigned in my mind, emerging this beautiful, steadfast creature I felt honored to have at my side.
At some point, when my back was turned … the caterpillar had become a butterfly.
Chapter Nineteen
Aaric
“I’m not letting you go alone.” Paige spoke with authority, hawking my every move. She’d never been good accepting the word ‘no’, but she’d have to learn.
Starting now.
I spun to face her, halting my steps and hers. She stared with fury burning within her gaze.
“I won’t be in any danger,” I reminded her. “The princes know they’re outnumbered here and they’re not idiots. Attacking me would be suicide.”
Her shoulders heaved when she breathed in deeply. “I don’t trust them.”
“And they don’t trust us,” I retorted with a smile she didn’t seem to appreciate. “So, if we go in there together, they’ll feel cornered and I’ll get nowhere with them,” I explained. “And I need them to hear me, Paige.”
And I truly did. I was certain our timeline wasn’t quite what we or Corina originally believed, which meant action needed to be taken.
Paige was unwavering at first, but with one deep sigh, her shoulders heaved and then slumped in defeat.