Mate Run, page 21
I cupped the swell of her ass, massaging lightly. Cara was such an innocent. “You could look at it that way, sure. Or you could see it as twice the safety, twice the security for not only her, but for you and Jock. Like Thad said, you hold all the cards. What you say goes. All I ask for is equal time.”
Cara gave me an impish grin as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I don’t know. What if you snore? What if you drool or talk in your sleep? Those might be deal breakers.”
I narrowed my eyes and cornered her against the wall, ignoring the open elevator doors behind me. “If I snore, elbow me. If I talk in my sleep, take notes. I might say something important. I tend to problem-solve while I sleep. If I drool... Well, baby, you’ll just have to deal with it, won’t you?”
Though nothing in my expression or body language showed it, it made my heart happy to know she felt comfortable enough with me to tease.
“You two planning on staying in there all night?” Thad asked from behind us. “The doors opened and closed minutes ago.”
Cara jumped and tried to pull free, but I held her firmly in place. I liked her right where she was. Since I’d thwarted her efforts, she rose on tiptoe so that she could see over my shoulder. “Don’t blame me. He has an elevator fetish.”
“Our guests are waiting,” Thad announced.
At his tone, I turned and gave him a long look. “What crawled up your ass? We’ll get there when we get there. If we’re late, they’ll start without us as they normally do.”
“In the past, we didn’t have her,” Thad said, nodding his head in Cara’s direction. “I’ve been fielding questions all damn day, from men and women.”
I stiffened, my hold on Cara relaxing as I turned to fully face Thad. “They don’t think—”
“Hell, no, and if any man did I quickly abused him of the notion,” Thad said.
“Think what?” Cara asked.
“They’re just curious as hell. They see the boy and wonder about the mother. I just don’t like being questioned. I swear, they’re like a bunch of gossiping women. The quicker we get in there, the sooner they can see for themselves,” Thad said, his annoyance clear.
Cara stepped from around me. Thad’s gaze fell on her, and he scowled. “Why is your hair loose?”
She reached up a hand and touched her long curls. “What’s wrong with my hair? Damn it. What is wrong with you two? Stop criticizing my appearance when you know I’m nervous.”
“You’re a beautiful woman. If you don’t know that by now, you should. Pull your hair up into a ponytail. I want everyone to see you’ve been marked, in case someone gets any ideas about you being available,” Thad muttered.
She glanced at Thad and then turned to me. “Is he serious?”
“Very,” I confirmed, studying her neck. Why hadn’t I thought to leave my mark on her? I’d take care of that particular omission tonight.
“Look, do you want to spend the next week with men subtly testing the waters with you? Or do you want to make it clear to one and all that you’re not available?” Thad asked.
Cara reached back, gathered her hair into a high ponytail, and secured it with her hair tie.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Cara
Although it had been upgraded several times since being installed in the nineteenth century, the elevator car was still its original compact size. With three of us inside of it, I felt hemmed in.
“Can we go now? I’d like to see my son,” I said, pushing past Sam.
Thad pressed the button to open the door, silently answering my question.
Sam caught me by my ponytail, halting my forward momentum. “Are you angry?”
“No,” I said, eyes focused on the opening where Thad stood.
“You sound angry. You know I don’t like it when you’re angry,” Sam said. I could feel him studying my face.
I gave a long-suffering sigh and glanced at him over my shoulder, my expression annoyed. “I'm hungry, and I want my son. Can we please go?”
There was no sense in explaining why I was upset. Neither man would understand. They both oozed confidence and an ‘I don’t give a damn what you think about me’ attitude. Maybe it was their military training. My father had been the same.
Thad arched an eyebrow at Sam. “If she’s not angry, preventing her from getting to Jock will make her so.”
Sam released me, but I could feel his reluctance.
“Moving right along,” I said, stepping into the corridor. Sam and Thad paced beside me like personal bodyguards as I stalked toward the dining hall. Their presence made me feel a little more confident, though nerves still rode me hard. Despite what the men said, these next few hours would be the truest test of whether I’d be accepted into the infected community. After so many rejections, it was difficult to believe I would. It was vital for Jock’s sake that I was.
The double doors to the large room were propped open. Boisterous laughter rang out as people chatted lively. These people knew each other well, and from the sound of it, there were more people inside than I’d anticipated.
I reached out and grabbed both men’s hands. I felt the looks both gave me, but they didn’t reject me or belittle my need for added support. We entered the dining hall as a unit and stopped right inside the entrance, the last to arrive.
I scanned the room. There were over thirty people inside. They were a mix of men, women, and children of varying ages and sizes. They had set up two long tables with half of the group sitting at one and the other half at the other. There were a few more people visible through the kitchen opening, finishing the last of the evening meal preparations.
As though a signal only the infected could hear sounded, every eye turned to focus on us, and the conversations abruptly ceased. Involuntarily, my grip on both men’s hands tightened under the intense scrutiny. I forced my expression not to betray just how nervous I was and hoped they couldn’t see the white-knuckled grip I had on Sam and Thad.
“Momma!” Jock shouted when he spotted me. He came barreling towards me as if I’d been gone for years instead of a few hours. Immediately, I relaxed and released both men. I braced for impact as Jock ran full speed into me, laughing as he wrapped his arms around my legs and pressed his head into my belly. If Thad hadn’t caught us, we’d have both toppled over. I returned Jock’s hug with equal fervor.
“Momma, guess what I did today?” Jock said excitedly.
"Hmm, let me see." Gripping his shoulders, I pushed him back a step so I could examine him. Based on the amount of dirt on his clothes, he’d spent the day outside. “Drove Thad’s car?” I guessed.
He giggled. “No, silly. I hunted with the men.”
Both my eyebrows rose as my questioning gaze shifted to meet his father’s. “Really?”
Correctly interpreting my expression, Thad said, “He mostly played with the other youth while the men laid traps.”
“Oh,” I said, happy no guns had been involved. I was familiar with trap hunting, having gone with my father several times. With winter coming, it was a great way to stock up on meat and reduce the wildlife population, which could quickly get out of control.
Jock talked a mile a minute, telling me of his day's adventures. I cupped his face and listened attentively. He was so excited and happy, glowing with good health and a day spent in the fresh air and sun. At that moment, no one existed except him, and I was satisfied with my life choices that had brought us to this moment.
“You gotta meet my friends,” Jock said abruptly and turned to dash off.
I caught him by the back of his shirt and held him in place. “Did you forget to speak?”
Obediently, Jock turned to face us again. “Hey, Sam.”
“Jock,” Sam said, nodding politely.
Jock grabbed my hand and tugged. “Let’s go, Momma.”
I let him drag me to the table where the majority of the children sat with a few of the women.
“This my momma,” Jock said proudly.
“Hello,” I said to everyone, keeping it simple.
From their expressions, I could tell the women were curious about me but they greeted me friendly enough. It helped that I’d met two of them as they’d escorted their relatives to the lab. Before I was forced to make small talk to keep things from getting awkward, I heard Sam call my name. I looked up to see him motioning me over to the end of the other table where he and Thad sat.
“Let’s go, Jock,” I said.
“Can I stay here?” Jock pleaded.
When I hesitated, one of the women said, “I’ll watch him. He’s been playing with my son most of the day.”
She was older than me, appearing to be in her late thirties or early forties. Like the other women, she wore a simple t-shirt and jeans, and her hair was pulled back into the classic ponytail. Her complexion was darker than mine, but her hair was ruler straight.
“Thank you,” I told her. “Jock, mind your manners.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said and scrambled into the seat next to a little boy maybe a year or two older than Jock. The two immediately began conversing like lifelong friends.
I walked over to join my men, taking the empty seat they’d left between them. As soon as I settled, they delivered the food to the tables. It was served family-style, with large bowls of potatoes, greens, and corn on the cob being passed from person to person, along with platters of meat.
During the meal, I mostly kept quiet, letting conversations wash around me. I’d tune in here and there, but they spoke of people and places unfamiliar to me. I had nothing to contribute, so I didn’t try to insert myself. As delicious and fresh as the food was, I wouldn’t totally relax until the meal was over and it was just the four of us again.
Sometime later, I had zoned out, deep in plans and hopes for the future when Sam leaned over and murmured into my ear, “Are you ready to go?”
I glanced around, realizing the meal was coming to an end. People were already taking their empty plates and bowls to the kitchen. “Yes. Let me tell Thad.”
“I’ll take our plates to the kitchen. Are you finished?” he asked.
We both looked at my plate. I’d only eaten about half of the food. Sighing, I scooped up two final bites of meat and one of potatoes before shoving my plate in his direction. The food had been excellent, but I’d been too mentally off-balanced to relax and enjoy it.
As Sam walked away, I caught Thad’s attention by bumping his shoulder. When he gazed at me, I leaned in closer, motioning for him to lend me his ear. He obligingly tilted his head towards my upturned lips.
“Sam wants me to stay with him tonight. I told him I needed to put Jock to bed first,” I said, explaining the arrangement.
Thad’s expression turned quizzical, one eyebrow arched with the other eye half-closed. “If you want to go with Sam, go. I’ve got Jock.”
“Oh, but...” I swallowed. “It’s my night to put Jock to bed. What if he questions where I am?”
Thad pointed at where Jock sat. “He’s so tired, as soon as he has his bath he’ll be out for the rest of the night. Look at him.”
Jock sat slumped in his seat, eyes half-closed, elbow planted on the table with his head propped up on his hand. Even from this distance, I could see he was more asleep than awake.
“If he asks about you, I’ll tell him you’re with Sam and will be home in the morning,” Thad continued, a questioning lilt to his voice.
“Yes, we’ll be there for breakfast. I’ll need to shower and change for work,” I said as confirmation.
Thad shook his head, his mouth forming a crooked grin. “Take a change of clothes with you. No need for the walk of shame.”
His words gave me pause. Tonight wasn’t a tryst with Sam but hopefully the start of a beautiful relationship with my mate. I needed to adjust my thinking accordingly.
I kissed Thad on the cheek. “Thanks. See you and Jock in the morning.”
Seeing Sam approach, I stood and then bit my lip indecisively. There was movement all around us as people pitched in to clean. “Should I offer to help?”
“No,” both men said.
“Are you sure?” Even the children were helping now. I didn’t want to leave a bad impression.
Sam took me by the hand and began leading me away. “They know you’re my lab assistant. Everyone contributes something to the community as a whole and helping me find a cure is yours. Even if you offered to help, it would be declined.”
Trusting that he knew what he was talking about, I followed Sam out of the dining hall and back to our floor. As we stepped out of the elevator, I said, “Thad is going to put Jock to bed. I just need to grab a few items for in the morning, and I’ll be ready.”
I opened the door and used our joined hands to pull Sam inside after me, very conscious that the last time we’d been in this position, I’d left him on the other side of the door. That seemed so long ago.
“You’re inviting me inside,” he murmured in surprise as I closed the door behind us.
I shrugged. “Thad invited you first. I’m just following his lead. Give me a second.”
I strode into the bedroom, thoughts already shifting to what I’d need: a pair of pants, a shirt, undergarments, and clean socks for tomorrow. In addition, I grabbed my toothbrush, bath, and hair products from the bathroom. All went into a small pile on the bed. Reaching into a different drawer, I pulled out my preferred sleeping attire of leggings and an oversized t-shirt.
“What are those for?” Sam asked, standing in the doorway.
“Sleeping,” I said.
“You won’t need anything,” he said, his gaze smoldering.
“If you want me to sleep naked, you’ll have to strip it off me later. I want a shower, and it’s too early for bed.” It was a little after sunset. Jock’s bedtime was at eight. After he was in bed, I usually spent an hour reading or watching television to relax before calling it a night. “Speaking of bed, how do you unwind after work? What do you do?” I asked. Just what did Sam do at night when the workday was done?
“I work.”
I looked at him, waiting for the rest of it. “That’s it?” I finally asked.
“Cara, why do you think my bedroom was in the lab? I work until I can’t see straight, fall into bed mentally exhausted, get up in the morning, and do it again,” he explained patiently.
I frowned at the picture of himself he painted. “What about when the clans are here and you have...female companionship available?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and propped one shoulder on the doorjamb. “If sex was offered and I felt like partaking, we fucked, parted ways, and I went back to work.”
Now instead of jealousy, I felt disturbed. That was no way for anyone to live. No wonder Thad was concerned. Sam needed a keeper, or he’d work himself into an early grave. I decided that I wouldn’t allow that to happen. I smiled at him, plans swirling in my mind for the coming night.
Sam frowned and straightened. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at me.”
I found a bag and placed all my items inside for easy toting. Sam came forward and took the bag from me, tossing the strap over his shoulder.
“Do your quarters have a television?” I asked as I followed him out of the bedroom.
“All of them do. Why?” he asked, his tone wary.
“Because I’m going to teach you how to unwind,” I said.
“By watching television?” Sam said, turning to face me. Now his expression was dubious.
“Out of curiosity, have you ever watched t.v.?” I asked.
“For what purpose?” he asked blankly.
I shook my head, made a tsking sound, and patted him soothingly on the chest. “Oh, you poor deprived man. Don’t worry. I’ll show you what you’ve been missing.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cara
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen,” Sam said when the movie finished.
We sat on the couch next to each other. I had my legs draped across Sam’s thigh and rested my head on his shoulder. Sam had his hand resting on my inner thigh, holding me to him. Discarded glasses and a large bowl with popcorn remains littered the coffee table where Sam had his feet propped.
I laughed. “You’re joking, right?”
He scowled at me. “No. They really expect viewers to believe they mutated the measles virus as a cure for cancer? And said virus then proceeded to destroy half the human population?”
My jaw dropped as I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? Do you not see the irony?”
“What irony?” Sam asked, dead serious.
I shifted to face him more fully. “They mutated a virus to cure cancer. You mutated a virus to create super soldiers.”
He gestured dismissively. “That’s different.”
Eyes rounded, I stared at him. “Oh my god. You’re serious.”
“Of course I’m serious. I never joke about science,” Sam muttered.
“You truly don’t see the similarity? A virologist, who works for the military, seeks to find a cure for a virus that’s decimated half the human population?” I prompted.
Sam stared at me expressionless.
“Oh, come on,” I said, throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation. “Now I know you’re messing with me.”
Sam tackled me onto the couch, coming down on top of me. He braced his elbows on either side of my head and placed his face inches from mine. “Of course I noticed. I’m not a moron. It’s still a stupid movie. Who spends all of that time finding a cure only to kill himself at the end?”
“He was upset. His last connection to his family, his reason for living, was gone. Once he fulfilled his promise to his daughter, he had no reason to continue living,” I argued.
He scowled down at me. “That’s absurd. His reason for living was to find a cure.”
“Which he did,” I said.
Sam shook his head. “Viruses mutate. It’s the nature of the beast. Just because the cure worked on one of the mutants doesn’t mean it will continue to work. Each strain of the virus requires its own vaccine. A virologist would know that finding a viable vaccine was just the beginning.”
