coming back as something even worse—but now she delivers the news with no hint of emotion besides resignation.
“ Can you grab her and meet us at Paulson’s?” My mind starts to race as a decidedly bad idea begins to form. Tilly isn’t nearly the lost cause they think she is. If it’s only been a couple of days, the Veritas serum could still save her.
E xcept, I’m entirely sure that I’m not supposed to be advertising our location. I wish I could say that I have no idea what the right answer is, but there’s really not even a question. I trust these people—they were my family when I had none. I won’t sacrifice a girl to keep Veritas’s secrets. I’ll have to force their hand.
Doctor Silvers will never forgive me for this. “As quickly as possible.”
Marybeth glances briefly at Alex for approval. He offers a quick nod before she takes off out the front door, yell ing, “Paulson’s house. Five minutes,” behind her right before the door swings shut.
At last, I ’m alone with my guys. No one speaks. Alex and Pierce are right in front of me and I’m completely at a loss for words. It’s Alex who moves first, his face finally registering something other than shock or worry, and for the first time, I can’t read what it is he’s feeling. He steps toward me as his shoulders fall. In one smooth motion, he folds me up in his arms, welcoming me back. With one arm, I reach around his lean body and return the hug. With the other, I reach out and find Pierce’s hand, giving it a squeeze. We only stay like that for a moment, but as soon as we each retreat back into our own personal space, all of the tension between us retreats as well. These are my people, and it’s good to be home. Even if I know it can’t last.
Chapter 13 – Chelsea
The beast is mostly quiet when I awake from my boredom-induced nap. It ’s stalking through the back of my mind, worried and tired. There’s a stillness in her now that neither one of us expected—a calm that penetrates everything.
Without a window to judge the hour of the day, I can ’t know for sure how much time has passed. It feels like early evening. My mind is sharp and well rested though, which is promising. But I’m going to have to eat their paltry offering of food soon or this newfound strength won’t last. It’s strange though—even my hunger feels different. Before it was the element that tainted everything else in my existence. Every mood and desire was colored by hunger. Now, the hunger sits on the surface. It’s manageable. Simple.
The more I think about it, the more I flip-flop from grateful to nervous. Am I dying ? What is happening to the beast within me? For the first time, I wish someone would talk to me and explain. I can’t fill in all these gaps on my own.
Except, who would bother taking the time to explain anything to someone like me? As far as anyone here knows, I ’m a mindless, flesh-hungry monster, and I haven’t been doing anything to dissuade them from their ideas. In fact, I’ve been going out of my way to convince them that I’m nothing more than something to be feared. They’ve yet to seem impressed by my efforts, but they haven’t been forthcoming with information either. I need to show them that maybe there’s still something inside of me that’s worth saving.
But could I? If I wanted to? Could I push my instincts down long enough to show them I want to hear what they have to say? Maybe. My last attempt at being more than just the beast still weighs heav ily on me. Even in my most human moment, I couldn’t do something as simple as speaking.
I lie there a minute longer, contemplating my potential, until hunger becomes the most pressing issue. I have to eat.
Everything they’ve left for me is painfully human and doesn’t look remotely appetizing, but it’s my only option if I want to stay strong enough to get answers. I’ll have to suffer through it.
Grimacing, I sit down on the floor and pull my latest
“ Can you grab her and meet us at Paulson’s?” My mind starts to race as a decidedly bad idea begins to form. Tilly isn’t nearly the lost cause they think she is. If it’s only been a couple of days, the Veritas serum could still save her.
E xcept, I’m entirely sure that I’m not supposed to be advertising our location. I wish I could say that I have no idea what the right answer is, but there’s really not even a question. I trust these people—they were my family when I had none. I won’t sacrifice a girl to keep Veritas’s secrets. I’ll have to force their hand.
Doctor Silvers will never forgive me for this. “As quickly as possible.”
Marybeth glances briefly at Alex for approval. He offers a quick nod before she takes off out the front door, yell ing, “Paulson’s house. Five minutes,” behind her right before the door swings shut.
At last, I ’m alone with my guys. No one speaks. Alex and Pierce are right in front of me and I’m completely at a loss for words. It’s Alex who moves first, his face finally registering something other than shock or worry, and for the first time, I can’t read what it is he’s feeling. He steps toward me as his shoulders fall. In one smooth motion, he folds me up in his arms, welcoming me back. With one arm, I reach around his lean body and return the hug. With the other, I reach out and find Pierce’s hand, giving it a squeeze. We only stay like that for a moment, but as soon as we each retreat back into our own personal space, all of the tension between us retreats as well. These are my people, and it’s good to be home. Even if I know it can’t last.
Chapter 13 – Chelsea
The beast is mostly quiet when I awake from my boredom-induced nap. It ’s stalking through the back of my mind, worried and tired. There’s a stillness in her now that neither one of us expected—a calm that penetrates everything.
Without a window to judge the hour of the day, I can ’t know for sure how much time has passed. It feels like early evening. My mind is sharp and well rested though, which is promising. But I’m going to have to eat their paltry offering of food soon or this newfound strength won’t last. It’s strange though—even my hunger feels different. Before it was the element that tainted everything else in my existence. Every mood and desire was colored by hunger. Now, the hunger sits on the surface. It’s manageable. Simple.
The more I think about it, the more I flip-flop from grateful to nervous. Am I dying ? What is happening to the beast within me? For the first time, I wish someone would talk to me and explain. I can’t fill in all these gaps on my own.
Except, who would bother taking the time to explain anything to someone like me? As far as anyone here knows, I ’m a mindless, flesh-hungry monster, and I haven’t been doing anything to dissuade them from their ideas. In fact, I’ve been going out of my way to convince them that I’m nothing more than something to be feared. They’ve yet to seem impressed by my efforts, but they haven’t been forthcoming with information either. I need to show them that maybe there’s still something inside of me that’s worth saving.
But could I? If I wanted to? Could I push my instincts down long enough to show them I want to hear what they have to say? Maybe. My last attempt at being more than just the beast still weighs heav ily on me. Even in my most human moment, I couldn’t do something as simple as speaking.
I lie there a minute longer, contemplating my potential, until hunger becomes the most pressing issue. I have to eat.
Everything they’ve left for me is painfully human and doesn’t look remotely appetizing, but it’s my only option if I want to stay strong enough to get answers. I’ll have to suffer through it.
Grimacing, I sit down on the floor and pull my latest
Similar Books
