Primitive, p.22
Primitive, page 22
“I’ll keep a watch on what the blood cells are doing. Shouldn’t Brexin have returned by now?” Rowena’s question held a tone of fear.
There was no sense of time in this place, or even on this planet. Days had gone by. Long days. “Let me see if I can find him.” I dropped the syringe and walked toward the door. At least the soldier could find out what was going on. I bit back a gasp, a shudder of fear rocketing into my system. The soldier was dead, shot by what appeared to be a very human bullet. I grabbed for the weapon I’d been given, retreating back into the room at the same time.
“What’s wrong?” Rowena asked, concentrating on the gun in my hand.
I shook my head, saying nothing but forcing myself to advance once again. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t!”
I didn’t wait, sliding into the corridor and against the wall. Everything was so damn dark, the lighting barely highlighting more than a few feet on either side.
Tap. Tap.
The sound drew my attention. I gripped the weapon in both hands, stepping over the fallen soldier. “Brexin?”
A single laugh, deep and throaty cut through the silence.
“Run!” Brexin’s voice filtered through followed by the sounds of footsteps.
I pointed the gun in that direction, taking several deep breaths.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, sweetheart. That is unless you want to kill one of your lovers.”
I blinked several times, uncertain of who I was seeing. As his face came into the light, I gasped. “Samuel.”
“Thought I was dead?” Samuel laughed and tightened his grip around Brexin’s throat. I could see clear gashes on Brexin’s face where he’d been struck repeatedly.
“You bastard. You’re a part of this. Oh, my God.”
“You were such a little fool. Do you honestly think that Dr. Forrester would allow you to come on this trip by yourself?” Samuel dragged Brexin closer, a gun cocked in my direction.
There was no way to get a clear shot without hitting Brexin. While he was groggy, his eyes were focused on me. He struggled to get out of Samuel’s hold, only to be strangled until he stopped. I was taken aback how profoundly this affected me, my heart racing and the adrenaline flowing. Nothing could happen to Brexin.
“You didn’t think I knew everything about you? The city. The stupid aliens. The love fest you have going on?” Samuel hissed, shaking his head. “You were tougher than we thought. I’ll give you that.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Where’s Kevin?” I calculated the distance between us, taking two cautious steps.
“What’s going on?” Rowena gasped after moving into the hall.
Samuel’s eyes flashed when he noticed her.
“Go back inside!” I snapped at her.
“That’s right, Rowena. Protect yourself and the human race. You have the means of doing so,” Samuel snickered, his eyes darting back in my direction. “Don’t come any closer, sweetheart, or I’ll blow his head off.” He pointed the barrel at Brexin’s head.
“Why? I thought you hated the experiments, loathing the hypocrisy of what you called ‘Big Brother.’” I shot a quick look at Rowena and the blank stare on her face. “Go, Rowena. Protect Erik.”
She finally stepped out of the line of fire, disappearing into the lab.
“Oh, quite the contrary. I was in on this from the very beginning. And Kevin lived out his usefulness. He believed that his way was better suited for Earth Two. It was kind of your aliens to lock him in the cell for me. Made things so much easier for me to be able to end his life. I assure you, he suffered in much the manner as the beasts he created. An eye for an eye.” His grin widened. “Granted, things do need to change. The Galerians are formidable but not without weaknesses. Dr. Forrester is, or should I say he was a good friend. Seems like the man wanted to betray me. Fuck him. I recruited all his vile and disgusting volunteers. I made certain he had everything he needed. Worthless fucking criminals. Why do you think they turned so violent? The true beast within a man will always surface, no matter how their rehabilitation is handled.”
The audacity of the man was incredible. “They’re violent because of what you did to them.” I could tell that Brexin was regaining his strength, calculating his next move. He was much larger than Samuel, his strength unparalleled. When Brexin’s eyes flashed, what had to be a sign he was prepared to act, I locked my arms, attempting to read Brexin’s mind. Please let me save him. Please.
“Well, that no longer matters. You and I are going to have some fun with this debacle.” Samuel glanced down the length of me, furrowing his brow. “You’re going to do exactly as I say.”
“What do you want?” I asked in an exasperated fashion.
Save him...
I could hear Erik’s plea in my mind, knew that our connection was as strong as ever. He wasn’t only a beast hell-bent on destroying everything around him.
He was my mate.
“What do I want? Everything that’s owed to me. First, say goodbye to the fuck head. Then you and I are going to ceremoniously eradicate the Galerian clans. I have the knowledge and you have the connections. Imagine our wealth as the select humans arrive, which will be soon, my sweet Cassia. Very soon.”
The savage roar in the corridor echoed off the walls.
“No!” Everything happened in slow motion. Brexin jerked away, tossing him against the wall with ease, and even as Samuel recovered, ready to take a shot, I didn’t hesitate to react.
Boom!
Chapter Thirteen
Cassia
Save him...
There was no doubt Erik had spoken to me, eliminating my fears, at least for a few minutes.
The shot had pierced Samuel’s temple, killing him instantly. I knew I should feel some level of guilt, but I was elated, my body tingling. I’d also saved Brexin’s life in the process. I was sick at the thought of almost having lost him.
There were signs at least some of the scientists and workers had survived, escaping the melee, but we were unable to find any evidence of where they’d gone. The realization they could attack at any time was never far from our minds.
Brexin had his body wrapped around mine but was unable to stop my body from shaking. One of the soldiers had located the all-terrain vehicle and we decided to set off sometime before midnight. Erik’s head was cradled in my lap and there had been no reportable change, zero reactions at all. I wasn’t certain if he’d fallen into a coma, but I knew that even with his size, the sedative should have already worn off. The prognosis was grim.
Every report, the working computer and as much of the drugs and enhancers as possible had been boxed. We were a long ways away from making any real progress and everything boiled down to whether or not Erik survived.
“Samuel. Who is he?” Brexin finally asked.
“A scientist who worked for my caretaker, the infamous Dr. Forrester. I met him on the shuttle and thought he was a naysayer.” My words had zero emotion. I was completely drained, incapable of feeling anything but sadness.
“Dr. Samuel Winter went to school with Steve Forrester. They were best friends all through college and medical school. Samuel’s father helped finance the project. There were several investors. I never learned the names of the others.” Rowena seemed reluctant to admit the information.
“How do you know this?” I prompted.
“Samuel visited the lab on a few occasions, always talking with Steve behind closed doors and there was always a massive disagreement. I didn’t realize who he was at first, but it’s funny how your memory can trick you, details coming back when you really need them,” Rowena said, laughing softly. “I’m so sorry I got involved with this. I had no idea what was really going on. I was promised a fresh start, a new chance. In truth, I had no choice. Dr. Forrester knew everything about my past, every ugly secret. He hand-selected the scientists from ones he knew he could manipulate, including Kevin. I don’t think Samuel appreciated being coerced, but that’s all I know. But I wanted a new life, devoid of what Earth had become. I didn’t know I was walking into a lion’s den by coming here.”
“We were all promised a new life,” I muttered, squeezing Brexin’s hand. “Including me. Dr. Forrester was very controlling in all aspects.”
“You were special to him.” She lifted her head and even in the darkness, I could still see such concern.
“He told you.”
“He didn’t have to, Cassia. He had pictures of you and every accomplishment you ever achieved in a very special drawer in his office. I heard so many amazing stories and when he told me that you were going to be a part of the experiment, I thought you’d agreed. I never knew he’d lied to you. He was a true monster, but he wasn’t always.”
“You were in love with him,” I huffed. “I thought you and Kevin were close.”
She laughed. “Kevin was a true pig. Arrogant bastard. I loved Steve and would have done anything for him. Only when you arrived and started asking pointed questions did I realize that you had no idea about the true nature of our work. I wanted to tell you, but I was terrified that if Kevin found out, I’d be another one of our party who disappeared.”
Every muscle and tendon in my body was cold. Shivering, I dropped my head into my hands, unable to process or think clearly.
“Why don’t you rest,” Brexin suggested. “It’s been a very long couple of days. We have about an hour to go.”
“Maybe I will.” I closed my eyes, trying to see Erik’s face, holding that in my memory banks. I was cold, so damn cold. I longed for a warm fire and a soft blanket and...
“You’ve been a very bad girl and you need to be punished.”
I glared at him, the man I hated the most. My caretaker. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Besides, I’m a grown woman. You can’t punish me any longer.” The smile on his face was evil, his eyes without focus. He’d lost his mind. I was certain of it. As he advanced, I found myself walking around the table, terrified of what he was going to do. We were in the laboratory working. What the hell did he think he was doing?
Within a second, he snagged my wrist, pulling my arm painfully behind my back. “You know how this goes, sweet Cassia. You know what happens with you don’t do everything I ask.”
I blinked, fighting the memories, horrified that he still could manage this much control over me. “You’re not doing this. I won’t take it any longer.”
“You will do as I say.”
I heard the sound of the door opening, was able to see the two goons who worked for him. They never left his side.
“Take my lovely ward to her own very private cell. Let’s see what a few days of isolation will do. That’s always worked throughout the years.” Steve laughed as they advanced, taking me out of his arms.
“Why are you doing this? Why?” I screamed as I was dragged from the room.
“Because I’m God.”
I struggled, begging then wailing. Then I saw his face. His. Face.
“Wake up. Come on, Cassia. What in the hell?”
Brexin. His voice. Soft and comforting. So caring. I finally opened my eyes, the dream remaining fresh in the forefront of my mind. “What just happened?” I jerked up, taking several deep breaths. “Erik. I saw his face. He and I have met before or at least we’ve seen each other.”
“You were dreaming and from what I could tell, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.” Rowena had my hand in hers. “What was that?”
“Your connection?” Brexin asked.
I crowded closer to Erik, leaning down and caressing his face. “There is a forced connection. They did something to both of us before we left.” I was as certain of this as I’d ever been of anything. “Bastards.”
“That’s not why you love him, Cassia. I know the difference.” Rowena’s soft voice filtered into my mind. “But you are right. That’s when I knew Steve had lost his mind. He’d created some ridiculous concoction that he injected both you and Erik with to draw you together. They couldn’t risk the two of you not forming a bond.”
I held my breath then burst into laughter. “Let me guess. The investors wanted to make certain that a human female was able to not only get along with these glorious hybrids but could even potentially produce children.”
“There’s more to it than that,” she whispered, “but yes, that’s part of it. He had to make certain Erik would be attracted to you, but from what I’ve seen, the two of you have a special bond that goes way beyond science. If Erik didn’t respond or worse, if he... If he killed you, then the entire hybrid project was going to be put on hold and there was nothing he could do about it. Steve invested everything he had. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen.”
“This scientist is a nutcase,” Brexin snorted.
“What else do you know?” I demanded.
“I do believe Steve cared about humanity, at least in the beginning. He became greedy and lost his way.” Rowena could no longer look me in the eye.
“You helped Erik escape from the facility. Dr. Forrester couldn’t trust Kevin, but he could trust you.”
“I’m sorry, Cassia,” she managed.
“Sorry. You’re sorry. You had no understanding of what Erik could or would do. There were no controls. You simply allowed him to escape to initiate some crazy plan? You were both playing with lives. My life. Erik’s life. Every fucking human on Earth. You fucked with them all!” Yelling wasn’t going to solve anything, but right now, all I wanted to do was rip her apart. I rose onto my knees, getting in her face. “How fucking dare you.”
“Calm down.” Brexin jerked me into a sitting position. “You have to remain strong.”
“She’s right, Brexin. I will do everything I can to help you. I had no idea about the disease and I honestly don’t believe that Steve did either. Please believe me,” Rowena pleaded.
“Oh, Steve knew everything. He played everyone, including the Galerians.” Huffing, I moved closer to Erik.
There was no way any longer of telling the truth and besides, what did it matter? Tears slipped past my lashes, streaming down my face. Once I placed my head on his chest and heard his slow heartbeat, I knew we’d lost the battle. There was no way he would survive. “I do love you. Come back to us. Come back.” The hum of the motor beneath us should be lulling, even comforting, but there was little in my mind but the need for retribution. One day, I would hunt down Steve Forrester and quite frankly, I would kill him with my bare hands.
The tears continued to fall, soaking Erik’s shirt. He was so cold, his body temperature having dropped. He was so close to death. “Come back.” I couldn’t stop sobbing, my heart breaking in two. I adored the man, loved him and Rowena was right. The way I felt had nothing to do with any fake connection.
“Cassia,” Brexin said in a gentle manner.
“What?”
“He’s moving.”
Jerking my head, I stared at his face, able to see his lips moving, twitching. “Involuntary.”
“His hand. Look at his hand,” Brexin nodded, a grin on his face.
I sat up, glaring down. His fingers were moving, lifting and flexing. “Erik. Oh, God.”
Rowena took his other arm, feeling for his pulse. “He’s much stronger. We might be out of the woods.”
“Leave him alone!” I snapped.
“She’s helped us so far. We need her, Cassia.” Brexin kept his tone calm.
“Fine, but if you do anything to hurt him, I’ll kill you myself.”
“Where is the other sedative, Cassia? We have to be prepared in case he becomes aggressive.”
I wanted to lash out at Brexin but he was right. “In my bag. Erik. Open your eyes. Come on. I need you to listen to me and do as I say.”
There was no additional movement for a full minute. I placed my hand on his heart, taking gulping breaths. His heart was almost beating normally. “Erik. Come on. Open your eyes.”
A snarl curled on Erik’s lips but very slowly, he responded.
“I need a light. Now!” I gasped for air, unable to think clearly. He had to be all right. He had to come back to me.
“Breathe, Cassia.” Brexin slapped a light into my hand.
I darted the harsh glow into his eyes. When they refracted, attempting to focus, I was elated. I repeated the action, biting back a moan.
Erik growled, shifting forcefully.
“Ah, shit. Get the sedative ready!” Brexin snapped, trying to pull me away from Erik.
“No! Wait. Just fucking wait.” My voice faltered, choking back another round of tears. “Erik. Do you know who I am?” I held the light aloft, studying his facial expressions.
He snarled and opened his eyes all the way, staring straight into mine. “Cassia.”
“Jesus,” Rowena breathed. “Maybe this worked.”
“And maybe it didn’t.” I checked his pulse myself, finally taking a deep breath. “Do you know where you are?”
Erik’s lips moved several times before he spoke. “By the rumble I’d say you found the vehicle stored away.” His voice was almost inaudible.
I almost lost it, clinging to him, rubbing my fingers up and down his arm. “You’re alive. Oh, God.”
“Fuck, my brother. I thought we’d lost you.” Brexin gripped Erik’s shoulder. “You’re not looking too bad for a predator. You almost killed me.”
Erik groaned and attempted to sit up. “You found a cure.”
“Not exactly but close. Maybe.” I wrapped my arm around his neck, easing him into a sitting position. “Contact Steen. Have him prepare the others with a saline drip. That will make inducing the drug easier and much faster. They are all dehydrated. This is only the first step, but we should be able to pull back the disease until we can finish what we started.” I had no idea if we could trust Rowena, but I realized I couldn’t handle the others by myself. But she knew more than she was willing to tell.
Brexin grinned, yanking his arm toward his face. “I’ll be honored.”
I glanced at Brexin as if seeing him for the first time. He was my rock, my gentle giant and he’d do anything for me. I mouthed ‘thank you’ and leaned over, kissing his cheek. The softness of his skin and the way he brushed his fingers across my cheek sent tingles dancing through every cell and muscle.
