“That is fascinating,” Jet commented, standing right beside me.
I was a little startled that he was so close. That boy needed a bell around his neck. It was crazy that someone that big could move that quietly.
“Can you continue to fill us in?” Jet looked at Damien expectantly.
“Nathan can fill you in. I’m going to find out where my Nexus is and head there now. I’ll be in contact so we can coordinate in a few days.” He headed back into the barn, too impatient to see his family to give my parents any more time. I didn’t blame him. It had been years since he’d seen them.
Nathan began to speak, squeezing me tightly, my back against his chest, both of us facing everyone.
“It was intense there. Aurathia is a mix of advanced technology and the ancient.” He stopped, gathering his thoughts. “The battles I witnessed in the coliseum were brutal. Limbs torn off, blood and gore everywhere. I really hate that we left before I got to fight.”
Why was I not surprised?
I hit his thigh, and he laughed, “The only thing that could have dragged me out of there was you, my sweet Nexi.” He leaned down and whispered, “My existence depends on yours. Without you, there is no me.”
I leaned my head back, and he kissed me; the kiss soon turned heated. He grabbed my hair, pulling my head back further to deepen the kiss. His taste consumed me as I turned in his arms, trying to climb inside him. This man and the other guys standing here with us were my soul.
A throat cleared, dragging me back to the present. Nathan reluctantly raised his head but kissed me softly before looking back at the guys.
“Hayes…dammit…Sly found out that an attack on my Nexi’s parents might be imminent, so we moved our escape plan forward. Not that he told any of us before we left.” Nathan frowned.
He looked down at me. “There were some complications that will probably cause us major trouble.”
“What complications?” Zeke asked in concern. “The head bitch’s bitch was killed, and I don’t think she is going to take it well.” The expression on Nathan’s face was freaking me out. He was rarely serious, so I took notice when he was.
“Just to clarify, we are talking about Selene Ormand?” Oren asked. It sounded like he was really hoping he was wrong.
“Yes, and she’s a fucking nutcase. I can’t imagine being forced to become one of her Faction.” Nathan shivered involuntarily.
“Fuck!” Oren ran his hands through his hair, then turned and jerked me away from Nathan, hugging me tightly.
“What the fuck, man? I’m the one that’s been away from her for months.” Nathan scowled at Oren. “Plus, we have some shit to deal with. I want details on how you made it into the Faction before the Wonder Twins.”
Zane grinned at Zeke, “Finally, he gets it right.”
“Wonder Twins, my ass,” Chloe smirked. “More like two hanging nut sacks.”
Zeke rolled his eyes at her and said to Nathan, “We can discuss all of that later. We need to figure out the best way to stay safe until we have a fully bonded Faction.”
“I agree. We do need to have a discussion.” He frowned at Nathan. “We will address it, but for now, we must decide our next move.” He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply, squeezing me tighter than before.
“Who is Selene, and why does she scare you?” I returned his hug.
This man didn’t seem intimidated by much. Through our bond, I could feel the intensity of his worry.
“She is the third most powerful Aurathion and a vicious bitch. Beatrice has been her most loyal Faction, and if it’s possible for a person like Selene to feel love, Beatrice would be it. They’re both bloodthirsty psychopaths that love to torture and kill.” Oren kissed the top of my head and then began pacing.
“We need to find out the extent of the damage here, then get back to the academy. There are only a few weeks before Christmas break. I need to learn everything I can from Kristine and my father.” He frowned and then turned to me.
“What?” I asked when a few seconds passed, and he still hadn’t spoken.
“We have to keep our bond secret. There is no way I can find out the information we need if my father learns of our connection.” Oren spoke with regret in his voice.
I sighed, “Just one more secret in a long line of secrets.” I knew he was right, but keeping my Faction a secret felt wrong and had from the beginning.
“It does suck, but I agree with the Shitstorm,” Chloe said. “You’d have to be on alert twenty-four seven if Kristine knew.”
“I’m not scared of that bitch.” I glowered at her, annoyed that Kristine controlled my choices, even inadvertently.
