The Change: Episode one, page 11
After the two days we’d spent at the complex, I wasn’t sure he was capable of it, and I moved toward the door with a nagging sense that I’d forgotten something. I hadn’t searched it before he went in, but Angelica had been here…
My hand turned the knob before I stopped, remembering these weren’t just my rooms anymore. Smirking slightly at the feeling, I knocked.
“Come in.”
His voice sent that familiar ache into my gut, and I pushed it back, starting to get frustrated with my lack of control. I opened the door and stepped inside, but didn’t go any further. I wanted him to feel that this room, at least, was his, so that he would have a sanctuary. I personally had dens all over our hunting grounds.
“Thank you. I’ll try to take care of it all.”
I was glad he was aware of the cost of replacing things, but I wanted him to understand it didn’t matter. With a deliberate move, I flipped the window open and shoved a box he’d already gone through out the window.
I turned to see his shock, and started to explain…
“What the hell?”
Angelica’s voice was angry, and I snorted laughter at the thought of it landing on her.
I snapped the window shut with an honest grin and finally took in his reaction.
“Why did you do that?”
He was mad! To my shock, Daniel headed for the door.
“I want those!” he complained, hand reaching for the knob… and then he remembered who he was talking to.
D
I expected her to be heading my way in anger, but she was trying not to laugh! Not understanding, but determined to reclaim the gift, I stomped from the rooms without permission.
On the way down the stairs, I became aware of a sound that rang through my head and stuck there. Candy was laughing. It sent flashes of that dream girl into my brain, bouncing around, opening doors.
I stopped on the stairs, head turned toward the sound like a hunter scenting prey. I wasn’t the only one it drew. Her parents came to the bottom of the stairs to stare up at me in shock. I also felt her furious little relative nearby listening, and it took my anger away, replaced it with curiosity. “I guess you haven’t heard that much either.”
My comment pulled a snort from her Father and a pointed look from her Mother.
“When you were gone, she closed up. We haven’t seen or heard from that girl in ten years.”
I watched them step out of view, mind flying over the newest piece of my puzzle. I’d been Candy’s. Before the Change, she’d wanted me. It was a powerful moment, knowing I’d had at least one person I had trusted enough to be attached to. The rest of my family memories were awful, ugly enough to make me wish the flashes would stop. I didn’t need to know everything that had happened to me, but I longed to have those images of Candice in place in the proper order, rather than the choppy picture that I worried might always be there.
Aware of the quiet, I moved outside with careful steps, seeing her cousin was still near the scattered packages. I gathered the items back into the box quickly, sure she was watching. I wanted to say something, like “sorry they fell on your head.” but I knew better. Changelings didn’t handle the sound of male voices very well. Candice was the only exception I’d ever seen.
As I turned to go, Angelica moved in front of me, and I instinctively looked up to the window. I already viewed Candice as my protector, and her cousin saw it. She grinned at me.
I was leery of her, but Candice clearly trusted the smaller woman, and I decided I would give her a chance. She didn’t seem to be hateful, just… in pain. “Sorry.”
Angelica’s face paled, eyes flickering.
I hurried around her, worried again over the new rules I needed to learn. I had no idea what was expected of me, and I was so tired! I’d only allowed myself a few minutes rest, and I could feel the veins throbbing in my head.
I moved through her open door with a quick look that confirmed Candice was still in my room, and kept my steps steady. I had to stop tiptoeing around her. It was embarrassing, but even more, it angered her, and that wouldn’t help my plans to stay close. I stepped into the room and set the box where it had been before.
A small smile was playing along her lips, and those flat, black eyes were warmer, more relaxed than I’d seen so far. She liked being at home, I realized. How nice that must feel.
“Are you done for now?”
I nodded at her amused question, unable to miss the way her cloak clung to her hips. Covered, she was a dangerous foe to be recognized on sight. Clad for bed, she was an exotic, tattooed temptation with fiery eyes and sharp nails. She hadn’t touched me since my lesson about who was in charge, and I was on fire at even the thought… and I was still afraid. I couldn’t seem to get rid of it.
C
I saw the bags under his eyes, the wild hair he liked to be neat, and took pity on him. “Get in bed.”
Daniel flinched back instead of being relieved, and I shook my head. “You, not me.”
He flushed, but moved toward the bed, and I took up a seat on the ledge. I’d often laid here as a child and stared out the window at his house. Now, he was in my room, pushing his boots off to climb into my bed. The moment was intense, and I kept my heat to myself, knowing he needed to sleep before dealing with another of my… attacks.
Despite my good will, the sight of him removing the cloak and tossing it over the headboard like a man getting ready for a fun evening, had me standing up. Maybe I could use a nap as well.
I only took off my cloak and weapons belt, then my boots, before dropping heavily into the soft bed. I turned away, letting my eyes close. I had dreamed of sharing a bed with him, of feeling this peace, but wasn’t sure I’d really thought it would happen. I had bought his things and made my plans because it’s the way I was. I wouldn’t accept any less than what I wanted, but I had felt fear. Now that we were here, I could breathe again.
I listened to him get settled, wondering if my parents’ words had given him a flash of me. I’d heard them with my Changeling ears and hoped…
D
I realized she was tired, too, and relaxed a little. I hadn’t slept on the train-ride except for ten minute droops when my eyes simply refused to stay open any longer. I was grateful for the books and the light she’d provided, and very surprised by the size of the box I’d been shoved into. It had even held a port-o, which kept me from arriving in a totally humiliating state.
I knew who Candice was now. I didn’t remember all of our moments, but I had enough of them to finally understand why she’d chosen me. I was wanted! I had my loving owner…
I didn’t remember dozing off, but I came awake instantly at the feel of the woman lying on my chest.
Candice was snoring softly, breath even, and I guessed she’d been there for a while from the drool spot she was leaving on my shirt. She was open in that moment, no longer the hardened killer, but only that little girl I’d loved, all grown up. The past snagged me, and I went back into the grayness as a flash rippled over my mind.
“I won’t eat them.”
“Yes, you will.”
“You can’t make me!”
“Wanna bet?”
I was under the concrete slabs, one of my favorite hiding places because of the graffiti the runaways left, and she’d tossed the apples into my hideout. I hadn’t asked her for them!
“If I come in there, I’ll make you eat them all right now and get the shits.”
“Go away!” I was still crying from the awful words my sister had beaten me with, and the sight of a Pruett standing between me and escape had me striking out like a cornered rat.
“Fine, starve. Don’t know why I tried.”
She moved away and I waited, not sure if it was a trick. My family hated the Pruetts, called them killers of the worst sort, but the apples, well… I hadn’t had an apple in my whole life that I knew of, and here were five of them!
It took me until dark to finish her gift, sitting in that fly-infested shade with apple juice all over my chin and seeds littering the rubble. I buried a few of them in the gritty sand, not really thinking they would grow, but in my heart, I needed something to hope for.
I woke again at a louder, uneasy snort from the Changeling on my chest, but the memory remained vivid. I ended up getting slapped for the stains on my clothes and the carpet the next day, but that had been the start of a friendship I’d never completely forgotten.
I tracked her down on her own property a week later, sitting in one of the deadly thorn trees outside this very house. She grinned when she came out for school and saw me. We’d been together every day after that.
That friendship had held me through, given me strength to cling to, and it was still hard to place adult Candice with my little friend. Even now, the girl’s face, her eyes… it was hard to believe it was this woman, and I studied her intently. In my concentration, I didn’t realize she’d stopped snoring.
C
My normal process upon waking was to examine the chinks in my control and shore them up before facing a day among my family. I never really relaxed around them, and I feared it would be that way with Daniel as well. I was so afraid of doing it again. The injury I’d caused to my Mother was unforgivable some days, and the only way to face her was to ensure I was in complete control around her at all times. With Daniel, that would be a struggle, and I began like any other day... I took a deep breath.
His smells swirled into my nose and set fire to everything they touched. Musky and sharp, I wasn’t ready for the Change.
My fingers tangled in the blanket as I struggled to keep from flipping into an animal. I didn’t know he was awake until he spoke.
“I still hate apples.”
Those words told me he was remembering how we’d met, and I snorted, not realizing I was being distracted from the rising need.
“Shouldn’t have eaten them all at once.”
“You should have told me.”
“I kinda did.”
Daniel chuckled, but the sadness and anger were clear in his answer. “I’d never had one before.”
I hadn’t known that and felt my heart clench. I drew back to look at him. “You’ll never be neglected again.”
He gave me a slow smile and reached out a big hand to gently smooth a lock of hair back behind my ear. “Thank you for not forgetting about me.”
I leaned into his caress, closing my eyes at the pleasure of his simple touch. “I’ve needed you my whole life. There was no choice to be made.”
I felt him shift and kept my eyes closed; waiting to see what he would do at that admission. Did he know of true emotion… of love? His hand gently drew me closer and his lips pressed softly to mine, but only lingered for a second of fire before moving back.
Wanting a real kiss, I dropped my head to his chest. When he sighed lowly, the noise rumbled through his chest and into my head like a bullet. He sounded happy.
D
I was so surprised by every new thing I learned about her, but even more, by her control, and it made me bolder. She hadn’t snapped once, and the blood she’d drawn was only light nail marks that were mostly gone now. I was remembering our past, starting to relax with her. Would she take me soon? I couldn’t stop the tensing of my arms or the rising of my trousers. She noticed both.
Her breath caught, and then her nostrils flared as she scented my desire. I heard her nails rip into the sheet next to my hip and chose to face my fear. I pushed the rules into a mental file and locked it up tight. From now on, I would play this game by instinct.
“Candy…”
I knew what it did to her, to hear my voice, but I was only guessing about the name. I sensed I had the right to call her that and more, and it was confirmed when she only tensed further.
“It’s the start of a new day…”
I was able to tell when she understood by the way the tension already sparking between us flared up hot enough to burn. I wasn’t sure which way she would go, or even which way I was rooting for. She was so dangerous… so sexy.
“As you would.”
My heart thumped, and a grin spread across my face that surprised me. It seemed I’d been rooting after all.
I wasn’t as careful as I’d intended to be when I slid a hand around her waist and pulled her fully on top of me. My other hand went behind her tattooed neck and tugged her down for a taste of that sweet mouth. I wanted her even though I was scared, and now was as good a time as any to make it clear.
My tongue dipped inside her mouth, catching her groan. It rolled through my body like the drugs they’d used before, and I forgot my place. I rolled us over like I’d been taught, pressing my hard body against her with a sharp thrust that sent the blood pounding into my heads.
I deepened the kiss, automatically protecting myself from her razor-like claws as she writhed beneath me, and I stroked her sleepy skin without a thought to where it was leading, full of her taste, her sounds. She mewled, driving me into sliding a hand under her shirt to cup a full breast. I squeezed, thrusting against her.
“Candice…?”
C
The sound of Angelica’s voice had him rolling away from me, and I groaned. Damn it!
“Candice?”
“We’ll be down!”
My shout killed the rest of the moment, and I reluctantly stood to face the new evening.
“Get a shower and come on down. I’ll be waiting.”
He moved for the washroom right away, and I tried not to think about my flames or charring skin as I laid out what I wanted him to wear. He looked so good in blue.
D
I sat where she’d pointed and kept my head down as her Mother handed out heaping plates that smelled better than anything I’d scrounged from the Network. They didn’t want their bachelors to get too big, too strong, and I slid my hands under my legs to keep from reaching for a spoon before anyone else.
I nodded my thanks and got a warm smile in return.
“You’re welcome,” Mary stated.
The friendly tone made me stare. It took a moment to understand that Candice’s parent was in stage three. How did a… meek woman manage to run a bounty-hunting family?
The table was wide, leaving plenty of room between me and the younger female on my left. The bags under Angelica’s eyes said she’d passed a rough night, and I wondered why she didn’t have a mate yet. Maybe she did, I amended, and turned my attention away before drawing hers.
The light from the windows was a pretty shade of orange and purple, but the feel of the soft breeze and the scents of nature had my eye now. I hadn’t been outside after being turned over to the Head Defender at the complex. I frowned, thinking I might…
Squawk!
A large black shape with broad wings landed on the window ledge and croaked. Squawk!
It had beady eyes that stared at me intently, and I watched it hop around in delight. I’d only seen birds in books. “What is it?”
They were all watching me, my reaction. I flushed, dropping my head. I wasn’t supposed to speak unless spoken to, and I waited for my punishment. Would her Mother be as lenient?
“It’s a raven.”
The tone was warm enough to get me to look up. I didn’t see any anger, and I immediately pushed. “Are they pets?”
That drew a frown that had me cringing back.
“No. Nature turned against man years ago. Pets are not safe to have.”
I nodded like I understood and vowed to keep my mouth shut unless I was asked a question.
C
“A fresh contract came this morning.”
Not expecting a call, I looked up from my soup to see my Mother’s frown.
“They want four of us on this one.”
That got my attention, and I nodded in response to her raised brow directed at Daniel. “Do you want him to hear?”
“Go ahead.” Better that he saw what we did for a living now, so he understood the life we would lead.
She slid the disk into the wall screen, and we listened to the computer-generated voice without speaking.
“Hello and good wishes, Pruett family. The Network sends its regards and hopes to contract your services once again. Your successful record with this particular convict is why we are only paying the standard fee of 4 million UDs. Full details upon acceptance. We await your response.”
My Mother pushed another button and a very familiar face appeared on our screen.
“Baker!”
Angelica’s growl echoed mine. We had brought him in once already, and the coincidence was more than odd that it should be a contract for my lover on the same day I’d brought home my mate.
“Can’t they build a slam that will hold him?”
“How many kills does he have now?” my Father asked.
He was already sure of my choice. Of my parents, he was the one able to guess at my intentions the closest. My Mother had chosen not to go against the Network to help me save Daniel. She already knew I would pick differently.
Mary hit the info button with a resigned sigh. She was perfectly brutal on runs, but she hated them. “Thirteen. Last seen in the South.”
“What extras are they offering?” Angelica asked for me, letting me eat.
“Rations, weapons, a bonus for being fast… oh, wow.”
Again, that drew me, hearing such a fiery emotion as surprise from my changed and done parent.
“If no one else dies, they’ll throw in a breeding pass. The same if he’s brought in dead.”
Damn. Dead or alive had finally been called. What else had Baker done while I was away?
“Just for a male child right? A female would have to be aborted.”
“No. Even for twin girls.”
My heart skipped. I could have a family! But I wouldn’t get the pass, I realized. It would come in my Mother’s name, and she would have need of it when Daniel and I moved into our own home. She would want to refill these rooms with life. For her then - a small payment for the damage I’d done… and maybe a chance to tell Baker goodbye.
