Alice’s breath stopped in her throat. The room seemed to tilt around her. Then Cain was speaking again, smooth as silk.
“You have my word that I will inform you immediately when we achieve substantive results. At this stage, all I can report is steady progress toward that end goal.”
The colonel still looked suspicious, but Cain remained unruffled, the picture of reason. After a taut moment, Mark Douglas gave a curt nod. “Very well. But my superiors will want hard evidence soon. This project is nearing a critical juncture.”
“Of course.” Cain’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “We all want the same outcome here.”
Alice slowly released a shaky breath. Crisis averted, for now. But the scrutiny would only increase. They were running out of time.
The rest of the meeting passed in a tense discussion of budgets, timetables, and contingencies. Alice kept her eyes down and her mouth shut. She could feel her father’s gaze boring into her periodically, as if trying to see into her mind and root out the truth.
At last, the officials seemed satisfied … or at least placated. As they filed out, her father paused beside her chair.
“I expect to hear from you very soon.” His tone brooked no argument.
Alice’s guts twisted, but she nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Once the room cleared, she practically collapsed into Cain’s waiting arms. “That was too close.”
Cain stroked her hair soothingly. “I’m going to have to make another hybrid. I told you I’d keep Lizzy safe, and I will keep my word. But they won’t stay off my back for much longer.”
She peered up at him in dismay. “You meanI’mgoing to have to make another hybrid? It takes my blood.”
His jaw ticked. “Yes. Making successful hybrids is how we keep Lizzy safe. And I need your blood for that. And soon you’ll need to make a choice.”
Alice pulled back, eyes widening. “A choice? Between what?”
Cain cupped her cheek gently. “Between revealing what you are to your father, which will allow you to stay here, or returning to your human life.”
Leaving? Her father? Then the truth dawned on her. When Colonel Douglas found out what she was–a gypsy healer, a supernatural being–he’d want to run experiments on her. He’d want to know howshecould be of service to the government’s cause.
And Cain was giving her the opportunity to return to her human life? Was that even still an option? The idea sank like a stone in Alice’s gut. She realized this place had become her home, and Cain had become … everything. Could she really just abandon it all?
Cain seemed to read the turmoil in her eyes. He drew her close again, lips brushing her hair. “There’s time yet to decide. Whatever comes, we’ll face it together.”
Some of Alice’s anxiety eased. No matter what happened, she wouldn’t be alone. She had Cain, Lizzy, and Finn. And for now, that was enough.
Over the next few days, Alice wrestled constantly with the choice looming before her. On this particular day, as she roamed the corridors aimlessly, she realized it was time to talk to Lizzy. She could put it off no longer.
Two guards stood on either side of the door to the hybrid female’s room. Alice ignored them and knocked.
“You don’t have to knock.” Lizzy’s voice carried through the barrier. “Do you think this is a five-star hotel and I’m some kind of guest that can choose when and to whom I open my door? I’m lockedinside this hellhole. I’m not exactly locking people out.”
One guard snorted a laugh but quickly smoothed his features.
Alice pushed the door open, then closed it behind her. Lizzy was lying on her stomach on the bed. When she saw Alice, she jumped up and hurried to her. “Holy hell, woman.” Lizzy wrapped her in a tight hug. “Are you okay? Cain wouldn’t tell us crap because he’s an ass, and I’ve been worried about you. That doesn’t mean I’m not pissed as hell at you because you helped make me a hybrid. But chick solidarity has to be elevated above ‘you made a dick move by turning me into a hybrid -wolf-vampire.’ You know what I mean?” She said all of this while still continuing to hug Alice. “And besides Finn, you’re my only friend in this Frankenstein existence, so naturally I was worried sick that Claude had killed you, or maybe bloodlust got the best of Cain and he accidentally offed you, which totally would have sucked because you’re growing on me … like a fungus.”
“Good grief, Lizzy.” Alice chuckled. “You’re going to pass out if you don’t stop talking long enough to take a breath.”
Lizzy released her and stepped back. She gave Alice a quick once over, her eyes landing on the spot on her neck that was nearly healed. “So, you’re not dead. But are you undead?” Lizzy narrowed her eyes.
Alice made a motion to a chair. “Can we sit for this talk?”
Lizzy’s eyes widened. “There’s a talk? Not just an answer? ‘Yep, I’m a vampire-gypsy-healer’ or ‘Nope, that shit failed. Thank goodness’.”
Alice walked over to the chair and took a seat. “There’s a talk. If I’ve learned anything in my time here, it’s that there are no simple answers in Area 51.”
Lizzy took the other seat and curled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them as she rested her chin on her knee. “Okay. This is obviously something that’s stressing you out on a whole new level because you’re usually as cool as a cucumber. And the chick I see before me isn’t as cool as a cucumber, carrot, tomato, eggplant, spinach, or any other vegetable you might keep in the refrigerator. So, take a breath and then just let it out.”
