Chapter 11

Tasting Love

My smile plays on my lips before my eyes even open because of the cool arms lovingly holding onto me. I wake up to stare into his eyes, expecting some afterglow, but it seems as though Jase is lost in thought instead.

Nestling into him, my lips stroke his chest, forcing that beautiful smile of his to emerge. He runs a hand through the strands of my hair, and then it trails down my bare side before heading back up again.

"Thoughts?" I muse, and he lets his enigmatic smirk free.

"You look incredible."

I giggle lightly, and then his lips find mine before sliding over in the bed and wrapping me up tighter. I never knew blood fucking someone would feel so amazing. I've heard it described, but no one ever told me anything like what I felt with him.

He starts smiling behind the kiss, and then he pulls back with a more serious look.

"I have something I need to tell you," he murmurs softly.

I shrug, my fingertips strolling over his perfect chest as I slide my leg to be between his.

"Aria, I'm… I'm... fuck."

"Jase, what is it?" I prompt.

"I'm the-"

His phone rings and he huffs in agitation while pulling it up to look at the screen. He curses under his breath while standing up, and he leans down to kiss my forehead before jerking on a pair of pants.

"Where are you going?" I pout.

"Jase Ericson. Hold on just a minute," he says into the phone before the person has a chance to announce themselves. He holds the phone to his chest before turning back to me. "I'll be right. I have to take this."

My pout stays on my lips, and he bends down again to kiss my puckered lips as a small smile comes to play on his soft, perfect lips. I stifle my own foolish grin, and he winks at me before walking out of the room.

"Alright, I'm back," he says into the phone while walking onto the balcony.

The soundproof door shuts behind him, and I stand up and climb free from the bed for the first time in over twenty hours. I could use a run or something to help my poor, tight limbs. Maybe after I shower I'll do that. I want to wait on him for a shower though.

I pull on a robe, and the feel of fabric almost seems alien to my body after having spent so long naked. I know he wants privacy for that call, but I want to feel his arms around me. With fear of rejection surging forth as a likely possibility, I make my way onto the balcony.

He smirks and rolls his eyes when he sees me, and I breathe out a sigh of relief when he doesn't get mad. He opens his arms and I go to straddle his lap, my lips instantly pressing against his neck the moment I sit down.

"Are you going to be in Stringham for the hearing?" the man on the other line asks.

"No. I'll be in Chessire by tomorrow afternoon. We're getting out of border cities right now."

"I think you should be in Stringham for this. I'm surprised you're not going to be. Is it because of that girl your sister was telling me about?" the man's gruff, disapproving voice interjects.

My stomach knots, and I lean back to see Jase still smiling, not really looking mad, despite my obvious intrusion. He pulls me back to his chest, and his lips stroll over my forehead.

"Maybe it is, but I'm also needed in Chessire more than I'm needed in Stringham. They found some leads, and my girl is going to track from the drone footage."

"You know how dangerous it is for you to get involved with just anyone," the man snaps.

Dangerous?

"Good thing she's not just anyone, Dad. I need to go right now. I've got to get ready for a conference call with some of the other officials here."

He hangs up, and his smile finds my lips - my foolishly grinning lips that is. He called me his girl.

"You, pretty girl, need to stop acting so damn timid around me," he lightly scolds, his lips still etched up in a grin.

"I just… well you were… I'm sorry," I huff out.

This is new. I've never been in an actual relationship, and I don't know how to be. I just don't want to do anything stupid to piss him off.

He sighs out, and then he tilts my chin up to force my eyes to stare into his.

"You can't worry about this ending all the time. I don't want you walking around too afraid to tell me what's on your mind. Not to mention, I happen to love you, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm a little engulfed in you too."

I grin so foolishly, and then my lips find his. He shakes his head while pulling back, and he stands with my legs still wrapped around his waist.

"So, how do you know about my kind?" I ask in a near whisper as he carries me back into the room.

"You don't have to whisper," he says while putting me down. "No one outside this room can hear us. This room is heavily padded. It's one of the reasons I always request the best."

I smirk, and then I follow him into the kitchen where he pulls down the coffee.

"Did you deliberately avoid my question, or did you just sidestep it by accident?"

He smiles his secretive grin, and then he shrugs while resuming the task of making the early morning brew.

"I learned about them a long time ago actually. I don't think you want the details, and I don't want to lie to you."

Lie to me? Why would he have to lie to me? It's my burden.

He turns back around while shaking his head.

"Just because you come from a place others don't understand, it doesn't make you unworthy. Stop acting as though it does," he almost scolds.

I sit back, uncertain of why he's so passionate about this. He's acting like he's the one who has been dealing with it for centuries instead of me.

"I don't feel unworthy. Believe me, that's not my problem. I feel unaccepted. That's all," I say to clarify, and a smile comes to his lips.

"You're starting to be a little more honest with me these days. I like that," he says with his adorable grin, and then he walks around to kiss me.

"Your turn to be honest with me. No lies, no sidestepping. How do you know about emergents?" I murmur while pulling back from the kiss.

He sighs, his forehead pressing against mine as he does, and then he walks back around.

"Don't freak out," he mumbles.

"About?"

He turns back around, and he props up against the counter beside the slow-going coffeemaker.

"Your dad told me about you and your mom centuries ago," he sighs out, his eyes looking toward the floor.

"What?" I shriek while jumping up. "And you're just now mentioning this?"

"Please calm down," he murmurs, his eyes still on the ground. "I can't tell you anything else until you do."

Hale Banner! I'd kick your ass if you were here right now!

"My mother? Does my mother know you know?" I gasp, suddenly realizing I could at least chastise one of my parents.

He stifles a grin for reasons unbeknownst to me, and then he shakes his head while finally meeting my gaze.

"Definitely not. Your mom would freak out. Your dad only told me because he wanted someone else to help him keep the two of you safe after he was gone. My family is very prominent, powerful people. We can make things happen, and he trusted me with your biggest secret."

Holy shady Daddy.

"I can't believe he told you and never told my mom. He didn't keep anything from her," I growl.

"He had to. The safety of you and your mom was all that ever mattered to him. In truth, it's why he took the commander's position to begin with. He knew he could keep anyone from ever doing emergent research. The fewer people who knew about the emergents and their secrets, the lesser the chance of your secret being found out. He spoke on behalf of the new commander, knowing he could trust him to take care of his family."

I shake my head, the contents of all my drama sloshing together, and then I lower my head to the bar.

"So you lied when you told me you told me you didn't know until that day when I did my freaky thing and killed all those people."

I look away, feeling a little... I don't know what to feel right now.

"I didn't lie. I simply stated that I saw your eyes that day. I did. I never said that was the way I learned about you and your mom."

"Is that why you spoke to me that night?" I almost whimper, now feeling as though he was merely curious about something that isn't supposed to exist.

His arms wrap around me, and he jerks me up to feel his shirtless, incredible upper body pressed against me, as his comforting embrace brings me back from the brink of tears.

"Not at all. I didn't even know what you looked like. I came to that campsite because I felt like that's where I was needed the most at the time. I can't really explain it. Then I saw a girl sitting off to the side, her back turned on all the fun. I was intrigued, and I felt… I don't know… a little drawn to you. I walked over, and then you told me your name. I wanted to meet you before I knew you were Hale Banner's daughter.

"I only heard of Hedin's lashing that day. I didn't see it, so I had no idea it was you when I initially struck up a conversation. I actually found it humorous that I literally stumbled upon you."

I can't believe my dad trusted a full blood with our secret. That's so unlike him. The only full blood he ever trusted with such things was my Uncle Brazen. Why trust Jase so much?

"Your dad trusted me because I owed him a hell of a lot more than I could ever repay him for," he says to answer my silent thoughts.

I lean back, my head tilting to the side. Something hits me. I think back, and I realize this isn't the first time he has done that - answered my thoughts. Suddenly an image of my bloody side intentionally pops into my mind, and he winces while looking away.

"I can't believe this," I murmur in a nearly muted tone, my eyes growing wide in shock.

"You're not the only one with secrets, baby," he says with a bit of a smirk while walking toward the finished pot of coffee.

"You've been reading my fucking mind this whole time?" I screech, my cheeks suddenly heating up, and I feel his laughter rather than hear it.

"Sorry. It's not like I can shut it off, and it's not like I can just tell someone about my little ability. Full bloods aren't supposed to have such a thing."

Oh crap. Oh my holy crap. He's seen all the dirty, scandalous, and unbelievably provocative desires I've fantasized about.

His cheeks heat up, and my eyes widen again. Fucking shit. Stop thinking!

"Holy shit!" I scream while covering my face. "So the greenhouse? That's why you damn tripped, fell, stumbled, and looked like a clumsy fool?"

He laughs ferociously, and then he hands me a cup of coffee that I swear is even laughing at me.

"I thought I was going to die in that damn greenhouse. I was ready to throw you down on the ground and destroy the entire fifth floor of it."

Oh damn. Don't turn me on. I'm trying to be mad.

His dark grin emerges, and he leans over to let his chilly breath invade my fuming body.

"I like turning you on, and when we fuck… damn your thoughts are incredible."

I swallow hard, my heart pounding too hard from his crude but hot-as-fuck comment. I slide my hands over my face as all the deviously demented thoughts I've had since I met him race through my mind, and his coffee suddenly spews from his mouth before his glass drops and shatters to the floor.

"Well, that explains so fucking much," I gripe, my eyes refusing to look up.

"I haven't seen all of those," he coughs out, and I can't stifle my grin as I look up to see his terribly red cheeks as he cleans up the mess he just made.

"Well hell. Now you have," I huff.

Oh damn. He knew it was me who pushed that girl in the tub of ice water.

He starts laughing, and my cheeks burn to pieces.

"Yeah. It was all I could do not to rupture something from my laughter. It made me feel good you actually wanted me."

I loved you, jerk.

"I know," he says with a smirk while standing from the freshly cleaned floor.

"Stop doing that," I scold, and he laughs a little harder.

"I told you, I can't shut it off," he laughs, his arms closing around me as he kisses my forehead.

"So the restaurant... you heard my mind when you and your sister showed up for brunch?"

"Not until I saw you. There were too many people with so many loud thoughts, and I didn't know you were there to hone in on. Your head was always a little fuzzy to me unless I was really close to you. Until now. A blood fuck seems to have opened up your thoughts to me with much more clarity."

Great.

"So... in the underground facility... did you hear my mind there? Or Rex's?"

Panic tries to settle in as I await his response. He tilts his head, obviously listening in for insight.

"I heard everything you were thinking. That's how I knew you needed a mask. The only time I couldn't hear you was when you and Rex disappeared into that one back room. I wasn't paying attention to his thoughts. Why do you ask?"

Change the subject, Aria .

"So my dad... you knew our secret before he told you, didn't you?" I ask while leaning back.

It's obvious he wants to prod me more on the underground facility deal, especially after my mind's obvious attempt to shift the topic, but he continues to answer me.

"No. He never thought about it even once. I was clueless until he pulled me aside. Your dad was hard as hell to understand because he always had a thousand thoughts going on at once, and it all came to me in a jumbled up mess. Since then, I have heard your mom think about it. I know everyone's secrets, baby. You're one of the few who knows mine though," he says with a devious smirk.

"So, can your sister-"

"No, she's adopted, remember?" he interrupts.

"But the day when she and Rex came back... you were reading my mind? It seemed like she was in on the joke."

"Ah," he says with a chuckle. "No. She can't read minds, but she's good at reading me. She knew by my reaction your head was in a bad place."

I blush fiercely while gripping my head, but then genius strikes. A burden can be a blessing if used correctly.

Hmm… I could have some fun with this.

"I don't like the way that sounded," he grumbles, his eyes scolding me for the hidden undertones of menace in my mind.

"Then learn to block me out," I say with my scandalous smile emerging.

"I feel like you're plotting," he says with heavy suspicion.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. You won't see any thoughts on the matter though," I murmur very teasingly while walking backwards toward the shower.

He grins, his intrigue shining through, as he walks toward me.

"You're taking this news much better than I expected, Ms. Banner," he smolders, those eyes staring at me in a way I love.

I love you too much to lose you over some harmless secret.

His eyes soften, and then he starts to speak, but my lips find his to silence anything he's going to say. I jump up to wrap my legs around his waist, and he grips me tightly to his body while carrying me to the shower.

"You don't know how good it feels to hear you say that," he murmurs against my lips.

"I didn't say it, but it was meant for you to hear. If you can deal with my secret-"

No. My secret could get him killed. What am I thinking?

His lips press against mine as a wall slams against my back. Our mission to make it to the shower has been halted as he opens my robe to him.

"Don't you dare try leaving me because you're worried about my safety, damn it. I love you, and I'm not losing you," he growls, his hands gripping my hips tighter as he jerks me to meet his center.

"I love you," I utter in a moan as the tip of his erection meets my entrance.

"Tell me you won't leave," he whispers before slamming into me, stealing my breath.

I gasp out my moan, and then my head flops back as he slams into me again.

"Tell me," he prompts, urgency in his tone before slamming into me harder.

Never. I'll never leave.

His lips find mine, and then his punishing rhythm picks up as my back pounds into the wall hard enough to crack it. I gasp for air, and then he plows into me again, his desire overwhelming me, his love finally mine.

I cling to his neck, and he grips my ass while pumping into me from such an incredibly perfect angle. My climax promises to come too soon, and I feel my contacts burning against my far too overheated body.

His touch becomes hotter, burning against me, heating my already fiery core. He cools again, his chill becoming delicious, and then his incredible thrusts only deepen, resulting in my undoing as I cry out my release.

He thrusts in twice more - two incredibly divine thrusts - and then his warmth spreads inside me. His lips twist with mine momentarily, and then we both pull back to pant for air, my head dropping to his shoulder.

I'm not supposed to need air, but that was breathtaking enough to make me hungry for a fresh breath.

"Damn, I'm so fucking crazy about you," he murmurs against the side of my cheek, and my girly grin grows to be painful.

"That's good because I'm pretty crazy about you too."

He smirks, and then his lips find mine again as he pulls me free from the wall and stands me up. I keep my arms wrapped around his neck, but then a damn buzzing inside the room jars me into a little squeal.

He laughs while shaking his head, and then he presses a button on the intercom beside us.

"Yeah," he says while grinning at me.

"It's Rex and Melania. We've got the footage you called us about," my brother's voice says from the small, digital box.

"Okay, give us just a minute," Jase says with a devilish grin, and I hear my brother grumbling before the box goes silent.

We both snicker lightly, and we blur to the room to change clothes. I try to smooth out some of my wild strands, but I throw it into a ponytail when it proves to be completely useless.

We've been in here for almost an entire day. My hair is beyond repair at this point without a shower. If I was human, I wouldn't be able to walk right now.

Jase groans while shaking his head as he pulls up his pants, and then his eyes scold me, forcing my laughter free. I pop in the contacts while keeping my own smirk intact.

"Stop thinking like that. There's about to be ten people here looking at this footage with us," he huffs, and I giggle louder, my head bobbing back a bit.

"Well, I suppose you shouldn't have done such a thorough job of fucking me," I crudely seduce, and suddenly my back is against the wall as his lips consume mine.

Damn he's fast.

"I hope you mean speed fast and not something else," he teases, his humor slicing through the sexual build.

I roll my eyes, and then my lips stroll across his as we walk over to the room door.

"Definitely just speed fast. Everything in the other area is perfect," I say while blushing.

"I can't believe you're speaking your mind for a change, but I love it," he says while kissing the back of my hand.

"Well, it's not like I can keep it in since you can read my mind."

He shrugs, his smile growing, and then we open the door to the counters tired of waiting.

"Damn, what took so long?" Rex huffs while walking in, holding his girl's hand.

"Don't ask that," Melania says with her nose wrinkled up, and then my brother rolls his eyes after quickly taking in the destroyed room.

We both snicker, and then Aunt Angelica walks in with my uncle just before the door fully shuts back into place. Her eyes roll as well, and she flicks her wrist to straighten up the thoroughly fucked room within seconds.

"Thanks," Jase chirps while messing with a remote to drop a screen from the ceiling.

"Don't mention it… really, don't mention it," she says with an ew face.

He laughs while shaking his head, and my uncle's jaw almost clenches shut while my aunt's teasing expression taunts him.

"I think we might should have met somewhere else," Uncle Grayson finally releases through strain.

I'm really proud of him for not trying to do anything to Jase. Usually he hits first and asks questions later. It has always been his thing.

Jase lets his smirk free, but it's not so secretive anymore. Damn mind reader.

He lets a laugh free while shaking his head, and I roll my eyes as the screen lights up with all the drone footage.

"We've sifted through this, but there wasn't any footage of the landmine installation. Someone knows our drones' schedules. We probably need to change it up," my uncle says, his attention focused solely on the screen rather than my sexy full blood now.

"Is there anything leading us to the mystery men in the jets? They weren't from the Unaligned," Jase interjects, his interest in me dissolving into seriousness.

"Nothing. How do you know they weren't Unaligned?" my brother asks.

"I had a pretty good view of them. The markings weren't the Unaligned symbols. They were marked with a scorpion," Jase says too casually, and my stomach hits the floor, nausea overcoming me as the faces of my family become ashen.

"What the hell did we miss?" Melania prompts, her face becoming very serious.

My uncle looks at me and back to the stupefied faces of Jase and his sister.

"Just a scorpion or a scorpion shredding a sparrow?" Unc asks.

"Just a scorpion, why?" Jase probes, apparently not pulling anything from our minds.

My uncle exhales as if in relief, and then he shakes his head.

"The new hybrid phenomenon organization represented themselves with a scorpion shredding a bird. Their changelings had sparrows emerging from a cocoon. It just worried us is all."

More like it fucking terrified us, considering that psychotic organization kidnapped, tortured, and damn near killed my mother. There's no telling what they would do to get at my blood if they were still around.

Jase's eyes grow a little wider, and then he walks over to push his lips against my forehead. His arms wrap around my waist as he pulls me into the comforting chill of his body.

"Sorry, I wasn't ever versed on any symbols from that investigation."

"It was kept quiet. We didn't want too many people outside of our inner circle knowing about it," my uncle answers in a near whisper.

A buzzing emerges from the annoying box on the wall, and my aunt goes to take care of it as Jase holds me to his body.

"Who else is coming?" I muse.

"Captain Fricks, and a few other ranked officials."

I just nod, and then I walk off alone to start staring at another screen with different footage in an effort to distract myself. What if this new threat has adopted the scorpion for reasons tied to Ty Silvers - the sadist mastermind behind the old Scorpion affiliation?

They're not a new form of hybrid this time though. They're a more powerful breed of life all together that has evolved the way I have. Technically, I'm not the normal version of hybrid, though I have more in common with hybrids than any other breed… especially the lustful side.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Rex asks in a whisper.

"Don't think anything at all right now. Keep your mind blank and devoid of all this," I whisper too low for Jase to hear.

"Huh?" Rex asks in bemusement, and then suddenly the cool hands are on my waist, his touch letting me know my brother's big mind has opened its mouth.

"You can trust me, baby. You know you can. Tell me about them," he whispers in my ear.

Rex's face changes, distorting to disbelief, and his eyes widen when he realizes just as I did, Jase's unusual ability.

"Fuck," he breathes, his hands gripping his hair. "Damn it, Aria. Why didn't you warn me?" he angrily whispers.

I huff out, and my eyes fall on the new captains bringing in several different files and folders, but they don't look to be staying.

"I tried, Rex," I sigh out.

"Why are you trying to hide this from me when I already know about you?" Jase says in a nearly muted tone.

"He fucking knows?" Rex gushes. "Aria, have you lost your damn mind?"

"Not here, Rex. Wait on the others to leave," I whisper, my eyes motioning to the captains shaking hands and starting to walk back out.

"Damn it," he growls while walking away.

"Your brother really, really doesn't like me being with you," Jase grumbles.

"He's protective."

"He's worried I'm going to do something to hurt you. I can hear his thoughts, and he doesn't trust me even a little bit. He should have some faith in me, considering my sister is his counter," he huffs out.

"He was a forgotten. They have a hard time trusting full bloods. It took him a really long time to be comfortable around Uncle Brazen."

I look to Melania, and I wonder how a forgotten child felt being raised in a home that left her surrounded by full bloods.

Jase shifts uncomfortably, and then he walks over to the door to lock it shut once the brief visit from the other officials comes to an end.

"Now tell me what's going on," Jace says with too much seriousness, and everyone looks over to me.

"Aria, what's this about?" my uncle prompts.

"He knows she's a damn-"

My brother's words cut off as his eyes shift to Melania, who apparently is the only one in the room that doesn't know what I am… or does she?

My eyes trail over to Jase, and he shakes his head to answer my inner thoughts.

"You can trust her though," he says while looking at me, and Melania tilts her head to the side.

"Aria, you barely know him, and it's not just your fucking secret to share," Rex scolds.

"She didn't share it, Rex," Aunt Angelica admonishes, finally jumping in to defuse my brother.

"Then he fucking read-"

"Dad told him," I interject to keep him from sharing Jase's secret with my aunt and uncle.

Rex stumbles backwards as his jaw unhinges. He falls onto the couch, and I take a seat in front of him to gauge his eyes and watch for dilation before tossing him a vial of olophine to inject himself with. He breaks the skin on his wrist, and he forces the medicine in while leaning back.

"That's bullshit. Dad wouldn't ever-"

"It's true," Uncle Grayson says while sitting down beside me. "Hale told me he had to make sure there was someone he trusted, someone strong, to carry on after he and Clay were gone. Someone who would do as they did to help keep the secrets Araya and Aria shared. I didn't find out who until close to the end of Hale's span. He told me to trust Jase with absolutely everything. I knew then that was the person he had told."

"That would have been nice to know," my aunt interjects.

Unc shrugs apologetically, but he doesn't offer an explanation past that. This family is nothing but a wide web of secrets. Unbelievable.

"Why the hell would Dad tell anyone?" Rex blares, tears staining his eyes. "Our mother could be fucking killed for this. Aria could be killed. What the hell do you think will happen to this world if it comes to that? None of us would come down from savage until we killed every-fucking-body."

I walk over to the couch, and my brother pulls me to him as his body trembles in fear. I've never seen him so worked up, and I know it's because he's already on the verge of a breakdown, worrying about the new emergents.

"New emergents?" Jase prompts, his eyes widening.

"I thought you knew when you came over to me and R-"

"I saw the pictures of you, your mom… that's all he was thinking about. What do you mean by new emergents ?"

"What the hell do either of you mean?" my uncle says as he stares at us in bemusement.

Melania's eyes are wide, her jaw unhinged, and Rex's head drops as he stares at the girl who just figured out what the hell was going on around her.

"You didn't trust me?" she asks in a trembling, wounded tone. "After all I've told you, you didn't trust me?"

I wonder what she told him.

Jase's lips tighten, and his eyes narrow at his sister. She turns to meet his eyes, and apparently she explains whatever secrets she divulged to my brother without actually speaking aloud.

Jase breathes out a sigh of relief, and then he turns back to me, my eyes narrowing at him now.

What are you keeping from me?

His lips form a thin line, and he shakes his head in response to my question.

"We need to know what you were talking about. My stuff can be discussed later," he sighs out, his brow riddled with stress.

"I don't know. There were tons of images on that board with purple eyes glowing for all to see. There were a hell of a lot more than just me and my mother. I don't know if that means they're hiding their powers or what, because Mom has never had anyone outshine her."

"Araya had Clay helping her unlock her abilities. He was good with her blood, and he found ways for her to tap into the power she wouldn't have known she had otherwise," Uncle Grayson insightfully adds. "It's possible these either don't know of their full potential, or they don't want anyone else to know. Just because they're emergent-bred, it doesn't mean they are violent. Only the human carrying the emergent gene becomes vile, and we don't know if that would subside or not. It could be like the full blood changelings. After so many decades, the rage could subside."

I grip my head in near agony. We never discuss these sorts of things. We always acknowledge what my mother and I are, but we never speak of it.

"So you think the Unaligned have figured out about the emergents and they're planning on studying them and using them in this war," Jase states rather than asks as he looks at my brother.

Rex scowls at him while crossing his arms in front of his chest, and then he snarls out, "Yes. That's what I think. "

I roll my eyes at my antagonistic, judgmental brother, and then I turn my attention back to the screen I had abandoned as I step in front of it.

There's nothing here. There aren't any tracks, no evidence of people coming or going, nothing at all to use. They didn't leave any clues as to who they are.

Is it the entire Unaligned or a special militia? Is it someone like Ty Silvers, or is it the government? I sigh out, and then my phone buzzes.

The clambering theories rattling off in unison by our little group grows distracting, so I walk out onto the balcony and shut the soundproof door before answering the number I don't know.

"Aria Banner," I huff.

There's a pause on the other end, and I check my phone to see if I've lost signal. I return my ear to my phone to listen closer when I see the call is still underway.

"Hello?" I prompt.

"The Unaligned don't know about emergents or their power. You need to look closer at the footage caught from the underground facility you were in."

"Who is this?" I urge, my whole body tingling, my scalp prickling, and chills forming all over me.

It's the same voice that warned me of the aerial strike. It's the same accent of the man I don't know; the one who possibly saved my life. Who is this phantom?

"Look at the footage. Study it closer," he says again, and the line goes silent, leaving me with only the eerie crawl on my skin.

I almost burst back through the door, and everyone startles out of their seat as I toss my phone to my uncle.

"Trace the number that just called me. It was him again," I murmur while flipping through the mounds of data storage devices.

"What the hell did he say?" Jase asks in panic while joining me at my side.

"This is Captain Morris. I just sent you a number. Run a trace and contact me immediately with your findings," my uncle asserts into his phone.

"Aria, what the hell did he say?" Jase prompts again, and my eyes trail over to my uncle as I wait for him to hang up before I answer.

Jase tightens his lips as he turns and waits as well, and my eyes go back to their mission of scouring the massive pile.

"No problem, Sir. Is this classified?"

"Very," my uncle says while finishing. "Only me or the commander are to know about these results. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir, Captain Morris."

My uncle finally hangs up, and my full blood's expectant eyes turn back to me.

"Now, Aria," he demands.

I finally find the data I'm looking for and I slam it into the computer while moving back and watching the oversized screen change.

"He told me it wasn't the Unaligned. He said to look at this footage," I murmur quietly, my eyes staying focused on the footage.

"Fuck. He knows what we're talking about in here," Jase growls.

"What?" I ask in bemusement.

"He called at the exact moment we're in here speaking about this, and you don't find that coincidental?" he snaps, and then he starts scouring the walls with his hands, rapping against every surface.

"Damn it," Rex growls while leaping up and pulling out a bug tracker.

The machine doesn't go off like it should. It doesn't ring out an alarm of anything even being present. There's no beeping telling whether he's too far away or close.

A buzzing finds my ears as I tune out all other senses. My eyes close, my sense of smell shuts down, my taste goes into hibernation, and my feeling is lost as I focus solely on the buzzing sound.

The voices in the room grow duller as I push them to the side of my mind. Jase's incessant rapping fades into nothing as I drown it out to make the buzzing sound grow stronger. My blind body moves through the room as I near the humming beauty, and I open my eyes in front of a place Jase has already moved away from.

"It's here," I murmur, all eyes falling on me in a different way as I step back.

Jase slams his fist into the wall, and the soundproof padding is ripped out as he digs in to find the eavesdropping beast. He jerks out the small box and shakes his head in disbelief. I take it from his hand, and I jerk out the wire on the side to disable it.

"How did you do that? I didn't think you could control it," Rex says, his eyes gaping.

"My senses? I can't, usually. They seem to be getting a little better these days. I think there are more important things to worry about right now."

Jase punches the wall, exploding more of the padding from its place.

"Yeah, a hell of a lot more. He knows about you now, damn it," Jase says while rolling his fingers through his hair, his panic only growing.

"He already knew. I think he's trying to help us," I murmur causally while my eyes rest on the footage ahead.

"Why do you think that?" Melania interjects.

"Because he didn't mention the emergents at all. He spoke of the people after the emergents. This bug has the same signature design as the landmines we found that obliterated the Unaligned ambushers. He did it. He warned us of the aerial strike, and now he pointed out this footage which I never intended on looking at," I murmur while pausing the screen.

"What about it?" Jase asks while leaning on the back of a chair, his eyes studying and searching the screen.

"This," I murmur while pointing to the bloody symbol of a scorpion. "And this," I murmur while rewinding the footage and pausing it again.

His eyes study the footage once more, and he gasps when he finds what I wanted him to see for himself.

"What is it?" Uncle Grayson prompts while staring harder.

Finally his eyes find the monitor that is hanging in the bloody room, the screen stained red with an image of a girl bound to a steel table - her body bare, her eyes held open by a metal contraption, and her skin pale from blood loss as the needles and lines in her veins bleed her dry. Tears stroll down the conscious girl's cheeks when I press play, and we all watch the horror show we overlooked while we were there - our eyes distracted by all of the other horrific images.

Her blue contacts melt against the acidic tears, and her violet eyes emerge. Everyone gasps, and the video of the screen cuts away as the small drone continues capturing other images.

"They're studying my kind. We know that for sure now. I just wonder how they subdued her. An emergent hybrid is too strong to be held down unless their powers have been blocked," I gripe, my eyes shooting to my brother, and he lowers his head.

"Damn it. We have to call Araya," my uncle sighs.

"Not a chance in hell," I snap. "You know damn well my mother will go after this threat, and she'll do it alone. She'll die, Uncle Grayson. Whatever did this, it was powerful enough to kill this many without letting anyone get a shot off. It was probably an emergent hybrid who was sick of being toyed with the way this girl was. Hell, it could have been this girl for all we know. She could be out there now."

"We should be more afraid of who these people are than whatever did this to them," Rex interjects. "What if you're right? What if an emergent hybrid did that in self defense? Why would we fear them? These people obviously deserved to die, and whoever or whatever did this did the world a favor - did you and Mom a favor."

I move the screen back to the men whose bodies are mangled in different ways. I shake my head, and then I pause the screen again.

"No, Rex. We should be scared of them both. If they've used emergent blood to bond with someone or something else all together, we should be terrified of what they might have created. Do you see that?" I ask while pointing to the screen, and his eyes move upward.

"What about it?" he says with a wince, the gory sight forcing him too look away.

"Something was feeding off these bodies after it slaughtered them. There's no telling what our blood could do if some crazy ass son of a bitch is messing with it. Had Ty known what Mom's blood really was capable of, had he known all we know today, there's no telling what the hell he could have created with it."

His eyes lose their anger, lose their control, and Melania swishes over to be in his lap before handing him another vial of olophine. Jase's arms wrap around my waist, and everyone soaks in the crazy under a heavy silence.

"Araya can't know. Aria is right," Aunt Angelica sighs, finally breaking the spell of quiet. "Not until we know for sure what or who did this and we find out what threat it poses, if any. It could have a savage like we encountered before. I probably need to call Simone."

"Simone?" Melania asks.

"Clay Jude's daughter," Jase answers. "She has the gift of her father."

And the gift of her mother, but no one knows about that.

Jase lets his wry smirk cock up, and I slap my forehead.

Stupid unfiltered mind!

"Baby, you can trust me," he murmurs against my lips as be bends down to kiss me so softly, so endearingly.

"I know," I almost whisper, my hands clasping around the back of his neck. "I'm just not used to sharing so many of our circle's secrets."

"Well, consider me part of your circle now," he says with a smile, and his lips find mine again, the passion intensifying while his hands pull me to his body.

"We'll see you guys in a few days," Aunt Angelica says to defuse the accidental moment of fire.

Jase smiles while pulling back, and he wraps me up in his arms while turning to face my aunt.

"Yeah. Just keep me updated on all progress. We'll stay here for a while, and then we'll move locations to keep from being in one place for too long. I'll see if I can drum up some of the blood samples that made it out of that facility. With her gift, Simone should be able to sort through it quicker than the lab processors."

He's so sexy when he's in command - especially since there are three others in here that outrank him. His secretive smirk emerges, and he rolls his eyes while kissing my forehead.

"I've got more to tell you, baby."

Mmm… I'd rather you show me.

He lets a small laugh out, and then he shakes his head while kissing the back of my hand. Everyone else starts filtering out of the room, but Rex stops and lets his eyes burn into my full blood's for far too long before he turns to walk out.

I look to see Jase's jaw a little tense, and I realize my brother just used my man's mind reading abilities against him. The door shuts, and I grab his hand in mine.

"What did he say?" I exasperate.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter," he sighs while walking over to the kitchen and pulling free a bottle of whiskey.

"Tell me. If I'm forced to share my thoughts with you, you should oblige me with the same," I murmur timidly, suddenly worried my brother has fucked up Jase's feelings for me.

"There's absolutely nothing your brother could say or do to make me stop loving you, Aria. Stop thinking like that," he grumbles out, his eyes shifting to me briefly before returning back to his whiskey.

"Then why do I feel you getting colder in a bad way?" I mumble, my knees pulling to my chest as I sink down on the couch.

He takes a deep breath, and then he walks over to join me, the whiskey bottle joining him as he sits down beside me. He puts the bottle on the table, and then he sips on the amber liquid in his glass while wrapping his arm around me and pulling my body against his chill.

"Did he threaten you?" I grumble.

I'll kick your ass, Rex Banner.

Jase's smirk emerges, and then his lips stroke my forehead while shaking his head.

"He just gave me some insight on how differently you're constructed. I've heard you mention your heightened emotions in your mind, but I didn't understand what you meant. Now I do. It actually explains a hell of a lot."

And it's going to be hard for you to deal with.

I huff, and then I cringe as I realize he heard that damn thought.

"There's nothing hard about being with you, Aria. I just now realize I can't treat you like other girls."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

His eyes widen, and then he huffs out a frustrated groan while gripping his head.

"Sorry. It's just, I meant I expect you to… damn. I think I need some help digging out of my hole," he chuckles out, but there's no humor inside me right now.

I lean up and away from him while staring expectantly.

"What do you mean about treating me different? What do you expect?"

He sighs out, and then he guzzles the rest of his whiskey in almost one sip.

"In the past, insecurities and constant worrying agitated me. You're the first girl I've ever tolerated it from. I hate arguing about everything I say or do, or something being taken out of context, but your brother showed me your mind, how you think. It just made me realize I can't expect that from you."

Great .

I stand up, my mind blown, and I grab up my phone.

"What are you doing?" he asks curiously.

"I'm about to scream into my brother's ear."

"Aria, please don't," he says while jumping up and running over to me.

"Don't what? Expect everyone to stop treating me like some fragile piece of glass? I'm fucking sick of it."

He sighs out as I walk onto the balcony, and my brother's worried breaths answer instead of his voice.

"I suppose you've seen why I'm calling," I growl.

"Aria, he needs to be aware. He's not your counter, so he could very easily destroy you. I've seen how easily you break, and I've seen the hell that your heart goes through when you do."

"Damn it, Rex. I broke once! It was a stupid fucking crush. That was hundreds of years ago!"

"And it kept you from ever getting close to anyone for all those years," he quickly counters.

My teeth grind together, and I grip the side of the balcony railing so hard it folds under my hand.

"I am sick of this. You're fucking his sister, and he hasn't said a damn thing out of the way to you."

"I'm her counter, Aria," he sighs.

"Don't act as though that gives you some divine right to escape any drama, jackass. You know as well as I do how badly Dad hurt Mom even though he had the best of intentions. Now listen, I'm not going to deal with this anymore. Either you get the fuck over your issues with my being in control of my own fucking life, or you stay out of it. I'm tired of everyone huddling around me and trying to put me in a bubble. Don't take this from me. I've been wanting this. I'm finally happy, Rex. I finally wake up without feeling empty, dead, and pathetic. I finally feel like I belong, and he accepts me. Don't make him start treating me like the rest of you do, you asshole," I sob out, my eyes dripping feverishly with their tears, sizzling my contacts into nothing.

He breathes out hard, and I hear his hand in his hair as he struggles with what to say next.

"I'm sorry, Aria. I just… I worry is all. I never want to see you hurting."

"Well, people get hurt. It's the way of the world. You're hurting me right now by trying to make Jase walk on eggshells. It's hard to love someone who is afraid to be who they really are."

He sighs out again, and then I hear the defeat in his breath coming out.

"You're right. I'll stay out of it. I swear though, if he hurts you-"

"Then I'll be just like anyone else who had a relationship end," I grumble in interruption. "If he hurts me, I'll be a big girl this time. I may cry, eat ice cream, and live on junk food for a while, because I'm older now. I promise it won't be like last time."

"I hope not, Aria. I sincerely fucking hope not."

I hang up the phone, and then I take a deep breath as memories from my past rattle around. I hope he didn't show Jase that much detail. I'll cut him out of my life if he did.

"Hey," Jase murmurs while walking out to join me on the balcony.

I turn away to hide my tear-streaked face, but he knows. Damn mind reader.

His cool hands slide around my waist, and his soft, deliciously cool lips stroke the back of my head.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out so condescending. I'm not too great at wording things. I swear I won't tread lightly. I want us to be able to say anything to each other," he sighs out, his chilled breath cooling my heated body.

"How did you hear that?" I grumble.

"Your thoughts were pretty loud. Soundproof glass doesn't stop your mind from reaching mine."

Perfect.

He turns me around, and his lips crush mine, his hands grip my waist, and his erection presses against me.

"I love you, Aria. That's all that should matter. We'll figure this out little by little."

My arms wrap around his neck, and then my legs slide up to be around his waist when he hoists me from the ground. I love him too much to lose him. I've never felt so drawn to anyone in my life, and everyday it just gets stronger. I hope Rex isn't right.

"He's not," my beautiful mind reader murmurs into my mouth, and then I feel the fabric tearing from my body as he presses against me.

"I'm never losing you," he promises, and then I'm lost in him.