Forbidden Call (New Breed Novels, Book 1) (20 page)

“Oh, partly medical curiosity and partly to help out. I know that Reyn gets mostly complaints, but that’s only because the civilians who are grateful for what the Order is doing just don’t let them know as much. There are a lot of shifters out there who are thankful these guys are putting themselves on the line to protect them, believe me. So, anyway, when the chance came around, I took it.”

Ana laid her head on the railing of SE’s bed again. The thing was, she hadn’t been about to say she felt tired. She was about to say she felt…
strange.
For the most part, she figured it was just the silver.

But there was a darker thought.

Something crept into her mind and made her worry that her mother could have done the unthinkable. Would Victrixa really be able to do that to her own daughter? The answer was a firm yes. They had barely stopped her from taking Adriana’s baby to experiment on, so why wouldn’t she be capable of turning her daughter into a
hellion
? Ana was sure her mother’s rage must have been unimaginable. She’d seen her lose it in her own quiet way many times, and what followed was always horrific. Maybe the torture wasn’t enough to satisfy her. Maybe there was more to those injections than liquid silver.

SE opened his eyes and looked down the bed. His female was fast asleep with her head on the mattress and her hand on top of his. As he watched her body rise and fall with each breath, he was so moved by her strength, beauty, and grace he actually that he teared up.

“Hey, you’re awake.” She smiled in that way she had that drove him crazy. He realized there was a part of him that hadn’t been shot off.
Good news.

“Yeah,” he said. “I just woke up. Come here and let me put my arm around you, female.”

She stood up, took down the rail, and tucked herself under his arm.

“You know,
ihkweea
, there’s plenty of room up here for both of us.”

Just then, Helen came into the room. “Not on your life. It’s good to see you awake. How do you feel?”

“Pretty much like I got shot in the chest.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. The bullet went in quite a ways. How’s your pain?”

“Not too bad. As long as I don’t move.”

“Good. You won’t be moving for a while. You do have a few fans outside that would like to see you…if you’re up to it.”

SE smiled. “Sure, send them on in.”

Helen disappeared for a moment, and then the whole of the Order wandered in.

“Hey, guys!”

“It’s good to see you in one piece,” Richard said.

“You’re not kidding,” SE answered.

“How do you feel?”

“Okay, actually.”

“Aw,” said Pax, “he’ll be up and causing trouble in no time.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Reyn said. “What do you guys say to having SE’s initiation as soon as he’s up for it? It’s early, I know, but...”

Richard was the first to speak. “Well, he’s certainly earned it.”

As SE looked up at his friend, Richard smiled and suddenly things just felt like old times, as if there had never been any bad blood between them. As the rest of the brothers assented to Reyn’s proposal, SE understood for the first time that the males in front of him would die for him in the same way he’d die for them. Blood bond yet or no, he was looking at family. He gave Ana a squeeze.

“Okay, everyone out. Enough for now,” Helen said, as she ushered everyone to the door.

“I’m so proud of you,” Ana said, putting her hand on his cheek and giving him a quick kiss.”

“Right back atcha, female.”

“Me? I screwed up the mission and you had to come in after me.”

“Hey, I put me in this bed. If I hadn’t taken off after you like the crazed mated male that I am, I would’ve had proper backup. Now, are you going to get up here?”

“You are incorrigible, you know that?”

He grinned at her. “I’ve been called a lot worse.”

He raised his arm and his mate crawled in beside him. Right where she belonged.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

James woke up to a knock on the door. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was, but as he took in the feel of the mattress under his body, and checked out the exquisite art on the wall, he realized he was safe. And, like, living in a palace or some shit. He got up and wandered to the door in his boxers. When he opened it, a huge New Breed with dark hair and gray eyes was standing in the hallway.

“I’m sorry. Looks like I woke you up. My name is Richard.”

“I’m James.”

“It’s good to meet you, James. Mind if I come in for a sec, son?”

James opened the door and stepped back. “Sure.”

The male came in, pulled out the desk chair, and sat down.
Man, he’s huge.
He’d heard that they were. When the male sat down in the delicate desk chair, James was afraid he was going to break the thing.

“I just wanted to make sure you have everything you need. Geoffrey runs the house. He’ll pick up some clothes for you tomorrow, so you can start coming to meals.”

James sat on the edge of the bed. “Start coming to meals?”

Richard smiled. “That is, if you’re staying. We’d be more than happy to take you back to the high school. That is where you’ve been living, correct?”

“But how did you—”

“Know what you were thinking? I’m a telepath. You see, some New Breed shifters have extra abilities. I’m sure you’ve already noticed that Pax can take the form of any shifter or human. That’s his special gift.”

Huh.
“So how did you get these abilities?”

“That’s a good question. We just have a little more
k’ul
. We don’t know why, exactly, but they come in handy when we need them. As I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

James fidgeted with the duvet. Should he tell him about his own power? The male had felt very free to share his. Plus, he was a telepath. He probably knew anyway. “I have a power, too,” he said. “I can manipulate electricity with my mind.”

He focused for a moment and made the lights in the room flicker on and off.

Richard smiled again. “Really? That’s interesting. Is that how you’ve been getting into the school at night?”

James nodded. “Yeah. I shut down the alarm for a few seconds.”

“Clever.”

“Hey, uh, I’m not in any kind of trouble am I?”

Richard eyebrows came together. “Trouble?”

“For, uh, you know, breaking into school and all. I planned to pay it all back.”

The male laughed. “Look, when my own parents found out about me, they threw me out. Same as you. I know what it’s like. Your secret is safe with us. Actually, I came by to make you an offer.”

“What kind of offer?” James asked cautiously.

“The thing is, James, I know about your plans to play hoops and go to college. What you’ve been able to accomplish in spite of your circumstances is very admirable. I just don’t think they’ll let you play once you’ve gone through the transition.”

“The…but, I’m already a shifter.” It took James a minute to put together what Richard was saying.

And then it hit him.

He was going to be a New Breed.

Victrixa walked down the back corridor of the old mental hospital, seething with anger. How was it possible that her daughter had escaped? No one escaped from Cerberus. She had the proof on her own face, for Christ’s sake. There was no use denying it. She knew exactly how Ana had managed to get free. She had been rescued by a New Breed. Based on Cerberus’ account, a mated male. It was the final insult. Her only daughter mated to that filth. She could feel the hatred coursing through her body as if it were her very blood.

But no one in Toltec must know.

She had worked too hard to get where she was, and she’d be damned if she was going to let an abomination like this destroy what she had spent a lifetime building.

Obviously, I’ll have to take care of Ana myself.

She bent down and pulled up the trapdoor. Jesus, she hated this place. The smell nearly made her sick. It was insulting that she even had to put up with it. She was the goddamn Director of Operations and the head of the Initiative. She stood at the foot of the stairs and crossed her arms. Her demon was nailed to the wall.

“Cerberus, what the hell happened?” she barked.

“What does it look like? The New Breed nailed me to the wall.”

“Impaled to a wall by your own sword.” She let out a harsh laugh. “Now there’s something I never thought I’d see.”

“Just get me down, goddammit.”

Getting a good grip on the hilt and using her strong legs for leverage, Victrixa pushed the sword the rest of the way in. As Cerberus screamed, she laughed again. “That’s for my face, you demonic piece of shit. Now you listen to me. You may be his right hand man, but I’m his middle finger. Understand?”

Cerberus nodded.

She yanked the sword out.

The demon bent over, trying to catch his breath.

“You’re sure the New Breed that came for her was her mate?”

“No New Breed’s eyes are going to light up like that just to save any old female.”

So it was true. Her head started to throb like hell. “Get me the body of that little rodent techie she loved so much.”

Cerberus stood up straight. “The gay one?”

“That’s the one.”

“No problem.”

“Morning, my male.” Ana set the breakfast tray she was carrying on the bedside table, then kissed her mate and helped him sit up against the pillows.

Soaring Eagle laughed. “Why does all this seem so familiar?”

She smiled. “Having a little déjà vu, huh? No Starbucks this time.” She eased the tray over his lap.

“Mary’s Belgian waffles kick Starbucks’ ass on their best freaking day.”

She crawled carefully up from the foot of the bed until she sat beside him. “Happy to be back in your own bed?”

“Absofuckinglutely. But I gotta to tell you, female—sleeping next to you all night without being able to take you is getting old real fast.”

Ana grinned. She knew exactly how he felt. “Well, only one more night. You’re almost healed.”

“Want a bite?”

“Mmhmm.”

SE forked up a bit of waffle, dipped it in whipped cream, poured a little syrup on it, and fed it to his mate.

“Oh, my God. That’s, like, the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“I told you. Want some more?”

She licked her lips. “Yes, please.”

“Come here.”

“I’m not going to sit on your lap, my male. I’ll hurt you.”

“I won’t let you hurt me.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Ana crouched over him and then gently sat down on his knees. SE put a strawberry in his mouth and she leaned forward and bit off the end. And then their lips met.
Oh, God
. It felt like centuries, not days, since she’d felt the warmth of his mouth against hers. He leaned into her, took her face in his hands, and deepened the kiss. Suddenly, she was on fire.
Not good.

She felt around on the tray next to them, scooped up some whipped cream, and spread it down his nose and cheeks. They both started to laugh.

He sighed. “All right, Nurse Ana, you get your way till tomorrow. Then you’re all mine.”

“God, yes,” she said, as she licked some of the whipped cream from his face. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I teasing you?”

SE spread some whipped cream on her nose and she giggled. “You tease me just by breathing.”

There was a knock at the door. Ana reluctantly went to answer it.

“Oh, hi, Geoffrey. Come in.”

“Pardon the interruption. I’m just back from town. I picked up the few things you needed.”

SE smiled. “Thanks, Geoffrey.”

The male put the bags down on the Victorian table. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m on the mend. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. If you need anything, Dr. Sussman asked me to let you know that she’s in the library with Diesel.”

SE chuckled. “Diesel’s in the library? I didn’t even know he knew where it was.”

Geoffrey picked up the breakfast tray. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Ana smiled. “I think we’re all set.”

“If you think of anything, just call.”

She closed the door and started to go through the bags. “Hey, there’s a package here.”

SE frowned. “That’s odd. It’s not like we actually get mail.”

“It says it’s from Cesar.”

“What?”

She carried the box over to him. “Look. I think that’s the right address for the compound in Mexico, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Let me get the scissors to cut the tape for you.”

She smiled to herself as she worked on opening the box. This was amazing. She knew Cesar pretty damn well. They had been at the compound together in the Yucatán with Adriana and Richard for almost ten years. That is, until they’d figured out she was a spy. Cesar was an amazing male. She knew he would contact SE, but she didn’t expect it to be so soon. She fiddled with the box some more until she realized the tape was stuck to something inside. She didn’t want to break anything, so she gingerly worked the sticky tape off the rough material. Suddenly, the box opened and the room was flooded with the worst scent imaginable.

“Ana, wait! Don’t!” SE yelled.

But it was too late.

In the box lay Bastian’s severed head.

Ana did not scream. She just stared down at the box. It was as if her brain couldn’t process what her eyes were seeing. When it finally clicked, the truth cut her to her very soul. They had killed him because they’d seen Pax in Bastian’s form on the security cameras. They’d thought it really
was
Bastian.
Oh, my God.
This is all my fault.
It hadn’t even…how could the fact that she was incriminating her friend not enter her mind? Tears started to roll down her cheeks.

She felt SE’s hand on her shoulder.

“Ana—”

“No.”

She didn’t want to be comforted. She didn’t want to be told that it wasn’t her fault, because
it was her fault
. She put her face in her hands, and gleamed out.

“Fuck!” SE yelled. The damn house phone was across the room and it was going to take him a fricking hour to get to it. He leaned toward the nightstand, picked up his cell, and dialed X’s number.