Chapter

"What are you doing?" I grumble, squeezing my head between my hands as Simone packs me down with more bags of ice.

I'm almost freezing to death in this tub right now. She frowns while staring down at me.

"If it's his chill, then this should be working. Still no better?" she asks while kneeling on the floor beside me.

"No, and Kellan is supposed to be here any minute. I can't believe they wouldn't let you transport him."

She scowls, thinking back to her hellacious argument when they belittled her rank.

"Don't get me started on that again. I'll remember that shit when the commander wants a favor. I'll tell him to kiss my ass and ask the jerk he did allow to transport him."

I laugh a little, enjoying her angry face. She's so petite and looks so young that she resembles a pissed off teen instead of a centuries-old hybrid woman.

A knock at the door sounds out, announcing the arrival of my new houseguest. I stand up, shivering so hard my teeth chatter, and Simone hands me my robe. I almost want to rip my head off and throw it away, replace it with one that isn't defective.

Tying the robe shut, I follow Simone to the door to greet my new roommate. She lets them in, and I gasp when I see the blood matting the dirty blond hair. Uncle Grayson walks in with Jase right behind him as Kellan stumbles in, his lip just as bloody as his forehead.

His face is swollen, bruised, and streaked with red. He's limping, barely able to stand to his feet as he staggers and drops to a chair. His hands are cuffed in front of him, and his feet are shackled with little slack in the chain.

That explains why they refused to let Simone escort him. They couldn't beat the fuck out of him.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" I bark while walking over to inspect Kellan's numerous wounds.

Jase tightens his lips when he sees me in just my robe, more than likely assuming this was a welcoming wardrobe for the guy he thinks I'm falling for.

"Then what was it?" he asks, ignoring my voiced question and stating his own query.

Answer me, and I'll answer you .

He cracks his neck to the side as Kellan sinks back, struggling for air. Simone rushes to the kitchen and returns with a glass full of blood. Kellan appreciatively takes it from her, and he guzzles it down to start the healing process.

"I simply wanted him to know what would happen if he tried anything on you," Jase says casually, shrugging as though I'm being dramatic.

Rex walks in to join us, and he drops a heavy duffel bag to the floor. I start to question it, when Jase interrupts my curiosity.

"Your turn," he says, his eyes burning through me.

I narrow my eyes, ignoring the confusion on my uncle's face. He's the only one who doesn't know Jase's little secret.

Jase tilts his head, his eyes moving from Kellan.

Yes he knows. He figured it out on his own. As for the robe... ice bath. Been in one for hours. You're welcome to check my icy fingertips if you want.

His interest in Kellan falls away as his eyes narrow in scrutiny.

"Ice bath?Why?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Unc grumbles, walking over to the sink to wash his bloody knuckles clean.

I look back to Kellan who relaxes immensely once the sound of his broken bones snapping into place rings out. He takes a painless breath, and then he wipes some of the stray blood from his mouth.

"If you touch him again, I'll heal him with my blood right in front of you," I threaten, staring at Unc and Jase very deliberately.

Jase curses me with his eyes, and Unc swears under his breath for my crude, warning taunt. Kellan stifles a grin, enjoying my stance on his beating. He reaches up and takes my hand in his, mocking my full blood with our touch.

"Fucking touch her, and I'll-"

"Believe me, I know," Kellan interrupts dismissively, swatting away the threat he doesn't fear.

Stop being such an ass. He's here to help.

Jase doesn't answer or acknowledge I've even silently spoken to him. Then I remember Kellan's little ability to shut him out, helping me shut him out when touching me. I have to know how he does that.

I shiver hard as the numbness my body held from the chill fades, and I start to painfully thaw out.

"Damn you're cold," Kellan murmurs, pulling my hands into his as he blows a fiery warm breath on them.

It almost hurts as I start to return to my normal temperature, but Jase's jaw audibly clenching sours the delicious heat the hybrid offers.

"Get your fucking hands off her," he growls before blurring across the room and launching Kellan backwards.

My wall cracks behind his body, and I grip my head as it tries to explode. Every thing with glass suddenly shatters as my dormant gift decides to come to life. I cry out while dropping to my knees, and the cool hands of my heartbreaking full blood rescue me from the excruciating pain.

Within seconds of being against his chill, the pain creeps out, leaving me with relief. With no other option, I curl into him, relishing the reprieve he's offering.

I sigh out, feeling so ridiculously handicapped in this moment. Kellan dusts himself off while glaring at Jase, but I can't move. It hurts too much to try. I can't play mediator when I need the one I should be kicking out.

"It's better, isn't it?" Simone asks, walking over toward me.

"What's happening to her?" Unc asks, worry etched in his tone.

Rex comes over to pull me to him, and I start crying when the headache returns upon losing Jase's touch.

"What the fuck?" he says, seeming stupefied by my weakness.

Jase returns to save me once more, scooping me up and carrying me to couch. I nestle into his lap as he sits down, and he strokes my hair affectionately while Simone pulls up a chair right in front of us.

"I want to try something. Can I use your blood?" Simone asks to Jase.

He tenses, seeming uncomfortable by that request. Figures he wouldn't do something like that for me... the hybrid he doesn't trust enough to love.

"Do it," he says, obviously prompted by my thoughts.

Simone pulls out a uranium-tipped knife, and she breaks the skin on his finger, releasing his red in a trickle that makes my mouth water. I almost blindly go for it, lunging at the red, but Simone pushes me back, dumbfounded by my blood thirst.

"What the hell?"

Jase tilts his head, seeming confused as well, but I want that blood... need it. It happens so fast. One second my blood bringers have emerged, and the next I'm on my back, Jase straddling me and pinning me to the ground with impossible strength, keeping my snapping jaws out of reach.

"She's fucking losing it," Rex gasps, terror striking his tone.

"If she wants blood, give her blood, damn it," Kellan chimes in.

"No," Simone interrupts. "Something bad is going on, and we need to find out what. Giving her blood could just fuel whatever is going on inside her right now."

"It's her fucking hybrid," Kellan gripes. "She's denied it for too long, and now it's more savage side is taking over."

"Her pupils are fine," Jase says while studying me intensely.

He draws back quickly, pinning me with more force, when I try to snap at his face, my blood bringers still drawn and aching to feel the tear of his flesh.

"Not that sort of savage side. A hybrid is full of lustful energy. Aria is damn near human with her sexual side. She's denied her heritage and the truth for too long. Blood will help. Fresh blood."

"I'm not blood fucking her when she's not lucid," Jase growls. "And as you can tell, she's clearly not in her right frame of mind. You don't know for sure what is going on, so stay out of it."

Kellan's jaw clenches, and I look to him, knowing he'll gladly give me that red drink I crave so dearly. He stifles a grin when he falls under my wanting eyes, and I try to buck Jase off in order to make it happen.

"Shit, she's strong," Jase growls while pinning me harder, showing me he has far more strength than he should.

He looks down, his eyes finding my bare body beneath my parted robe, and I see the desire form as his pants tighten. I don't have to read his mind to know how much he wants to cede to me right now.

My door swings open, and I hear a gasp as my mother's presence becomes known. Jase goes flying into a wall, and I'm freed from my hold as I jump up and latch my blood bringers into the first bit of flesh they can find.

Kellan grips me to him as the erotic sensations burst free, and gasps ring out around the room when his lips find mine, own mine. I don't let them stay there long. I need more of his melted chocolate and dark cherry blood.

"Damn it, Araya!" Jase scolds to my mother as he stares helplessly at me.

"What the hell is going on?" she mutters in complete bemusement.

I've lost interest in the room around me, though, as the blood pours into my mouth like saving grace. It fills me like the most refreshing drink in the world right now, and I sink my blood bringers in deeper, drawing out larger gulps.

"Fuck," Kellan breathes, and then he rips me away from the wound I'm bleeding while sealing my lips with his.

I let him this time, because I'm thirsty for something more now.

"She's fucking lost it, Mom, and you just let her loose. Now she's gone and sunk her teeth into the fucking killer she's babysitting," Rex says to chastise my foolish mother.

The door presses against my back briefly as Kellan opens it. My legs stay wrapped around his waist as we fall into the room. He lands on top of me, laughing lightly while secretly aching to be inside me.

My gift seeps out, slams the door, and then the ground around us vibrates.

"Let's make you feel better," he murmurs against my lips, and then I feel air tug at me as he stands with me wrapped around him.

The bed finds my back, his tongue finds my mouth, and his erection finds its way inside my throbbing haven, making me moan out for the fulfilling touch I longed for as my robe falls open completely.

"Jase, don't!" Simone yells, and then I hear a loud crashing as something happens.

"I'm not going to let them do this. I won't just stand here and let him touch her that way!"

Then I hear the chimed voice of my mother as she ends the battle on the other side of the door. "Sleep."

A thud rings out, proving the commander just lost a fight he never stood a chance in. Mom's voice comes through once more.

"Call me when she's done. I've got to go talk to someone. Rex, you coming?"

"Fuck yes."

"Me too," Uncle Grayson quickly interjects, leaving Simone and Jase alone.

"What happens if he wakes up?"

"You can hold him," Mom says confidently. "Rex, you can fill me in on what the hell is going on."

And then they're gone, and I'm thankful for end of the distractions as Kellan continues his pounding assault.

It's dark outside and quiet inside. Kellan is lovingly draped over me, sleeping off our crazy day we spent locked in my bedroom.

My headache is still there, but it's so dull that it's barely a hindrance right now. Maybe I really did just need blood. What I did was illegal though. I'm glad Kellan isn't the type to press charges for a forced blood fuck.

He stirs, drawing me closer to him, and he breathes out a sweet breath of good dreams. I'd smile, but my thoughts are lost on Jase right now. I hate that I fucking lost my mind in front of him and made him witness the bite I shared with Kellan.

I stand up and actually have to stretch to allow my tightened muscles a chance to warm up before I can move. Kellan snuggles with the blanket in my place, and I lean down to kiss him softly on the cheek.

I shrug my robe on once again, curious as to how it survived our torrid bedroom romp. As I tie it shut, I emerge from the bedroom for the first time in hours.

Simone peers out from behind her book, and after seeing it's me, she puts it down while sitting up on the couch.

"How are you feeling?"

I shake my head as a gushing flow of overwhelming emotions come to mind.

"A little embarrassed more than anything. Care to offer me some insight as to what really happened, Dr. Jude?"

She doesn't laugh the way I expected her to. Instead, she pats the seat beside her, motioning for me to join her.

"I wish I knew. You completely lost it in a way I've never seen before. It was almost as if you were an old-school full blood lusting after the vein of a human. I don't know if I've ever bore witness to such a thing."

I grumble, putting my head in my hands. "What happened with Mom?"

"Aunt Araya is completely oblivious. She thinks your hybrid is on the fritz, which is a possibility, but I'm worried it's something more. I wish I could ask Uncle Brazen. He's been around much longer, and he's probably seen this before, but I know I can't."

I nod, agreeing with her. Mom and Uncle Brazen would flip the hell out if they knew to what extent I just lost it.

"And Jase?" I ask with a grimace.

"I took him back to his place while the two of you were at it. He was still out cold, and he never heard a thing. No worries."

At least he didn't have to endure anything I did in there.

"Mom could get in trouble for using her gifts on the commander. I hope he doesn't press charges," I mumble, gripping my head.

"He's not going to. He would have killed Kellan Maverick if he had gotten in there, and that would have landed him in a cell. I think he's regretting pushing to keep him alive for capture now, instead of issuing a death sentence when he had the chance. Now the council is looking into the case more, per your request. They agree it seems as though he was tracking the creature, as opposed to helping it. Jase is with them right now, listening to their findings. It's possible Kellan will just serve a probation as opposed to a sentence. If so, Jase is going to be incredibly pissed."

I sigh out, leaning back just as Kellan walks out in a deliciously low pair of track pants. He yawns and stretches as his bare torso twists from side to side, making my eyes glue themselves to his perfection.

"Is there anything to eat in here?" he asks through a yawn while walking over to the kitchen.

"Plenty," Simone chirps while tearing her eyes away from his sleek, bare upper body.

I stifle my grin, not willing to call her out on gawking at him the way she was. Kellan walks back in while crunching on a bag of chips. His eyes rake over me as a devious smirk appears on his face and he props up against the wall across from me.

"I'm assuming I've not won any brownie points with the commander now."

Simone lets a burst of a bitter laugh free while shaking her head. "Definitely not, but he has no real choice but to go along with the council's decision. They're-"

"I heard. That's why I came in here," he interrupts, crunching on more chips as if he's indifferent to the subject.

"That's it?" she mutters in disbelief. "That's all you've got to say? If you're found innocent, then you don't ever have to worry about Stringham again."

He shrugs, showing nothing but a cool composure. "I could have broken out of Stringham several times. I only stayed there to look for some answers. They had some juicy sources inside those walls. They wouldn't have just talked to anyone though. That's how I got so hot on the trail of these people. As for the pardon they will offer me, I don't need it. I didn't do anything but try to save their sorry asses.

"Right now, I need the United's resources to keep tracking this thing. It's dangerous for me to do alone anymore because they've caught wind of me. They know I'm getting close. All I needed was a way back in so this chase could resume without such a risk. Aria gave me that, and the rest is meaningless. They can condemn me if they want to - which they won't. I'd just escape again if they did."

"How are you so confident you'll be pardoned?" Simone asks while leaning forward, her eyes too dedicated to him.

It's almost uncomfortable for me to be sitting here with the way she's looking at him. Not to mention, I feel a little territorial. I almost want to slap her and tell her he's mine. I'd kick her ass if she looked at Jase this way.

"Aria is the one who presented the evidence, no?" he asks, his arm falling to rest over my shoulders.

Simone lets her lips form a tight smile while leaning back and dropping the intensity of her gaze.

"Yes."

"Then it's that simple. She's good. That's one of the reasons I trusted her to begin with. She was the only one clever enough to listen to the truth instead of seeing what she wanted to."

Simone stands, smiling her fake smile, and she heads back to her guestroom without another word.

"That was weird," I say in a whisper too low for her to overhear.

"What was?" he says while leaning over and kissing just behind my ear, bringing a tingling to a stir within the pit of my stomach.

"Simone," I murmur distractedly as his lips move lower, finding the hollow of my neck this time.

"How so?" he asks while letting his heated breath slide down the front of my barely parted robe.

Distracting ass.

"She just... I don't know. Didn't you see how she was looking at you? And then she just left. Weird, right?"

For some reason, he smiles against my neck before turning me to meet his lips. Those grinning lips confuse me a little, but I let them claim mine as he pushes me onto my back and falls between my legs.

"Jealous?" he asks, teasing me in so many different ways.

"I was just pointing out that it was weird," I grumble, feeling his laughter more than seeing it.

"So you said... three times."

He moves his lips back to mine, and his tongue slips in, toying with me more, as his warm hand slides through my robe to find my overheating skin.

"You're quite literally hot and cold," he says to mock me, his accent sounding so much sexier than usual.

"Ha," I mumble, feeling sweat forming on my brow.

"How's your head?" he asks sincerely, stroking my cheek directly after, while continuing to press against me, his weight pinning me beneath him.

"Better, somewhat. I guess the fresh blood really did help. It helped last time too, but it didn't last long. It's slowly coming back."

His menacing grin could be read by the most innocent of minds. He's so frigging sexy though when he's thinking dirty.

"I suppose I could let you jump me again, when the time comes," he chuckles out, tickling my ribs directly after.

I buck beneath him, laughing wildly as he continues his tickling assault, and then Simone's door opens for her to rejoin us.

"Jase is about to be here," she mutters softly, barely gauging my interaction with Kellan.

"Okay. When?" I giggle out more, though it's not funny. Kellan refuses to release me from his tickling torture though, so laughter isn't exactly optional, it's mandatory. "Why?"

"A mission. And he'll be here-"

Someone knocks, and my laughter ceases as Kellan withdraws and Simone opens the door. I sit up quickly, pulling my robe shut, as Jase walks in, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

Kellan tosses his arm around my shoulders, claiming me his territory to deliberately provoke the commander, but he doesn't give the hybrid the satisfaction of offering a reaction. That stings a little.

Jase can't read my mind with Kellan touching me either, so I can't tell him I'm sorry without saying it aloud.

"You need to get your things, starting with your clothes," he says while walking toward Simone. "We're leaving in ten minutes. We've got a trail, and we'll need both of you to lead the track. I'll wait downstairs."

He walks back out, leaving us before we can even say anything.

"If he was going to be that brief, he could have just called," I mumble, covering myself a little better.

"He probably wanted to see if you were really you again," Simone says while shrugging, her eyes drifting to Kellan momentarily before she draws them back in.

What is up with her? Does she really have a crush on one of the guys I have... Now I just sound pathetic. Not going there.

"Let's go," Kellan chirps, grabbing my hand in his.

I follow him to the room, looking back to catch Simone's eyes ripping away from Kellan once more.

"What's wrong?" he asks when I get lost in the thoughts he can't read.

"Nothing."

It's so much easier to keep secrets from him. I don't actually like my every thought being played out for someone.

He laughs as if to himself, his eyes moving toward the door. "You really hate her looking at me."

Apparently he doesn't have to read my mind to know what I'm thinking. That's just as annoying.

"It's just-"

"Weird?" he says, laughing directly after.

I frown at him poking fun at me. He's lucky he's cute. He's also my responsibility. I hope he doesn't show his ass on this mission. He's not exactly known for playing by the rules.

"So what kind are you? Are you like me or my mom?"

His laughter stops as he tosses my packed bag to the ground, and then he starts packing his. I hadn't even realized he was packing for me.

"I'm surprised it's taken you this long to ask."

I start rifling through what few clothes I have remaining. I have to go shopping. Most of these are Simone's clothes. I settle for a pair of dark denim jeans that will go into my boots with ease. Then I pull out a daring shirt that will show at least four inches of my midriff. I don't have any better options though.

"Well?" I prompt while dropping the robe to pull on my lacy underwear.

I turn to see he's staring at me, mouth open a little, and I let out a laugh.

"You've seen me naked before."

His mouth closes, and his eyes come up to meet mine. "It's just... you're comfortable with me."

I shrug, a little confused by that. "You've saved my life repetitively and you've spent the majority of the day in my bed. Yes, I'm comfortable with you."

I laugh again while pulling on my pants, and as I start to fasten my bra, his lips are against mine. It's not like it was with Jase, nor will it ever be. I don't love Kellan at all, but I feel... good with him. It feels... it's possible he's really my... I have to stop thinking like that.

Built up hopes are nothing more than disastrous falls waiting to happen. Until I find my savage, I don't want to think about the possibility of finding my counter.

Kellan grips me a little tighter than I'm used to with him, and then he releases me. I'm curious as to why he's so breathless, but I'd rather hear if he's like me or my mother.

His hearing is like mine, but I don't know enough about emergents and their descendents to make the assumption based on that.

"Like your mother. You're rare. Very rare."

Exactly why I knew better than to assume.

"Why do you hear as good as I can?"

He threads his fingers to line up with mine with one hand, and my bare upper half presses against the soft fabric of his shirt as he runs his free hand up and down my back.

"I don't know. I guess because we're all different. Different strengths, different weaknesses."

I lean into him more, letting his body heat me, though I don't need heating. Though his heat is actually a little uncomfortable, this is nice. I needed comfort, and here he is. Jase left me in shambles, and though it's selfish and not at all fair to him, Kellan might just be what I need to get through this.

"Let's go, guys," Simone says from the other side of my door, breaking up our low-whispered conversation.

"So you can't help me unblock myself," I say, rather than ask.

"I think you're doing just fine," he says while motioning to the distraught room.

It's absolutely nothing compared to the destruction I've caused while blood fucking Jase. Maybe it's good I bit Kellan instead. I just got this place.

I quickly finish dressing, and I open the door to wait on the prisoner I'm in charge of. Could this be considered abuse of power?

Kellan takes both of our bags in one hand, and he laces my fingers with his as we walk out. Simone is already gone, which is odd. I'm surprised she left me behind.

"How do you block out Jase?" I ask in a muted whisper as far as anyone else is concerned.

"It's all mind power. What I'd like to know is how a full blood has the ability to read minds. Gifts don't flow to their blood."

"It's an evolving world out there. There could be all sorts of full bloods with level two powers like that, but we'd never know because we fear the new... the different."

He nods, accepting that to be a complete truth.

"We'll pick this up later. It might look odd if everyone sees our mouths moving but hear no words."

He's right. Our whispers are too low, silent to the ears of the ones already surrounding us around the large vehicles meant for upgraded camping.

Yay. No tent tonight.

"Everyone ready?" a man asks, motioning to the vehicles.

We all start loading up, and Jase walks by me without so much as a glance. He heads into the vehicle I was about to board, but a man holding a screen shakes his head.

"Ranked personnel only."

Kellan smirks, and then he motions to the one in front of it. "I'd rather not be around him anyhow," he says while pulling me away.

I glance back just in time to see the man moving aside to let Simone board the ride I could not. She better not be on a mission to pick up my leftovers.

"Two per bunk," a guy says as soon as we climb in.

"That sounds pretty damn perfect," Kellan murmurs into the back of my head, his hands sliding around my waist as he pushes me to a lower bed.

I force a smile while leaning into him, ignoring the scrutinizing eyes of everyone else. My mind is on the other RV right now. That's where Jase is, and that's where my temptress cousin is.

Normally I wouldn't question her loyalty to me, but with the way she's been checking out Kellan, I'm not so sure her hybrid isn't running her.

Kellan's lips find mine, forcing a few gasps from the disapproving onlookers. I suppose the daughter of Hale Banner shouldn't be making out with an enemy of the United.

"I wonder what the council said," I murmur while pulling back.

"Nothing I care to hear," he scoffs, pulling me into him as the large vehicle starts moving.

The heat is terrible today, and even with the air conditioning on in here, I'm still sweating. There are too many hybrids in here, and they're all stealing what bit of chill the small vents offer.

"You're sweating," Kellan murmurs while wiping my damp brow.

"Observant," I grumble, sounding cranky already. "I wish I could have driven. This is going to be a nightmare. There are maybe two full bloods, and the rest are hybrids. It's going to get a thousand degrees in here," I dramatically add.

He laughs lightly, tucking me against his own heat. It's not comfortable anymore. His heat isn't desirable because I'm burning up. Maybe I can go to sleep without drowning in my own sweat.