Page 64 of Revenant

His startled gaze drops to mine, then he rears back when he notices I’m touching him. Not willing to let him retreat, I tighten my hold. After the initial contact, the temperature actually feels like slipping into a hot bath. When I don’t burst into flames, the tension eases out of his spine. He shuffles closer, watching me as he curls his arms around me, as if not used to showing affection and worried about how I will react.

I don’t hesitate to press myself against his front, melting against him. He remains stiff for a moment before I’m crushed against his chest. My brows furrow when I swear that his torso was harder than granite just a second ago, but I brush it off as a figment of my imagination.

Maybe I should still be leery after the way Hicks treated me last time, but I’m determined to start fresh. That he came for me when I disappeared earns him a second chance. In truth, I’m surprised he’s not pissed at me for dragging him and the others into this mess.

Because of me, they are no longer human.

It’s not lost on me that Hicks never admitted to how my blood has changed him, and I find that worrisome. I rest myforehead against his chest, then yank back when it feels like he is running a fever. I glare up at him, cringing when concern turns my voice harsh. “Why didn’t you tell me you are sick?”

“I’m not.” Hicks pulls back, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

I eye him suspiciously, slipping my hand around the back of his neck and jerking him down so I can slap my hand against his forehead. “You have a fever.” The accusation comes out as a snarl.

He captures my wrist, pulling my hand down until I’m cupping his face. His expression softens, and I swear his pupils narrow into vertical slits, splinters of yellow displacing the green color, until I’m staring at something not exactly human. “Hicks?”

He pulls back sharply, dropping my hand as though I burned him. He runs his palm down the front of his shirt, as if to straighten the wrinkles, avoiding my questioning gaze. When I step toward him, his head snaps up, and he hastily backs away. “Don’t.”

I halt when he recoils, curling my hand against my chest, not realizing I was reaching for him. I didn’t pull back in fear that he would hurt me, it’s the rejection that stings. When I retreat, his eyes widen in panic, and he holds a beseeching hand out toward me. “I’m not sick, I promise.”

I tilt my head and survey him with narrowed eyes. “You’re hiding something. What abilities did you manifest?”

“I’m not sure what I am,” he admits with a grimace, never once breaking eye contact with me. He takes a minuscule step in my direction, as if expecting me to bolt.

My scowl darkens, and I place my hand on my hips. “So let me see if I can understand this…it’s okay for me to?—”

A hand slaps over my mouth, and I still when Jameson practically shouts in my ear. “Ixnay on the secrets, pookie.We’re being watched,” he whisper shouts, his eyebrows wiggling manically as he nods toward the cameras in the corners.

I flush, wanting to smack myself for my own stupidity. Of course we are being watched. I can’t believe I forgot that for even a second. I tap my fingers against the back of Jameson’s hand, signaling for him to release me, but he pulls me closer, a furrow between his brows as he pouts.

“No can do, pookie,” he murmurs, shaking his head as he snuggles against me. “What’s the password?”

Confusion distracts me for a moment, and I purse my lips, trying to work out this conundrum. When my lips inadvertently brush against his palm, adoration brightens his blue eyes. He yanks his hand off, then swoops down and smacks a kiss against my lips before humming happily. “Password accepted.”

Bemused, I watch him saunter off with a sexy swagger. It’s only when Ellis slips his hand into mine, threading our fingers together, that I snap out of my daze.

Who knew kisses could be potent enough to scramble all rational thoughts?

It takes a concentrated effort for me to focus on Ellis.

“Don’t worry,” he murmurs, drawing me against his side and kissing my temple. “Though I wasn’t able to shut off the cameras, I could turn their audio feed to static. They didn’t hear anything.”

My shoulders slump in relief, hating that I almost screwed up so completely. To my credit, I spent most of my life held in captivity, so who can blame me for forgetting when I am used to being watched every second of the day?

“Thank you.” I snuggle into his side, frowning when I see grooves carved around his eyes and mouth. “Are you okay?”

He winces, then rubs his temple. “It’s just a headache. Nothing to be concerned about.”

But that’s just it—I am worried.

Who knows what kind of side effects the serum will have on them?

Before I can demand to look him over, the dinner alarm rings, and he tugs on my hand. “We should eat. It wouldn’t do for us to be late. I suspect they will use any excuse to punish us.”

The rest of the guys quickly follow. When we exit the labs, we merge with the other occupants leaving the training cavern. The guys tighten their circle around me, glaring at anyone stupid enough to invade our space.

The thud of feet on metal stairs echoes throughout the stairwell, the contraption swaying alarmingly, but no one seems the least bit concerned about their safety. As we trudge toward the courtyard for lunch, everyone shuffles along like a bunch of zombies. The patients seem to fall into three categories—those who don’t seem to be aware of us, those who peer at us warily from the corner of their eyes, and those who openly stare.

Gordan sneers in our direction, while Crystal glares at me and ogles my men at the same time. Thankfully, she doesn’t have telekinesis, or the boys might be stripped naked from her will alone. I lean toward Jaceson, never taking my eyes off the threat. “What ability does Crystal wield?”

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