Page 67 of Revenant

“My pookie is defending our honor by kicking that bitch’s ass.” I hum a cheerful fight song under my breath, throwing punches, hoping to show pookie some pointers. The rest of the guys might think I’m a few logs short of a full cabin, but my pookie understands my architecture just fine.

She glances at me from the corner of her eye, a vicious little smirk curling her lips, and I fucking love it.

“She could get hurt,” Gunner frets, his voice a low rumble that is full of menace.

I roll my eyes at the guys, then lift my hands and wiggle my fingers. “And I now have the ability to heal whatever she’s unable to heal herself.”

Maybe the others regret the changes the serum brought, but the trouble was worth it, in my opinion. Now, anytime my pookie is hurt, I can fix her. It’s the perfect solution. When the guys don’t say anything, I smile smugly, then throw another couple of punches. I scurry forward, showing her my best boxing moves, my feet light as I dance with my shadowy opponent.

Pookie watches me closely, because she is the best girlfriend ever—and my chest puffs out in pride. When the guys catch up with me, pookie captures my hand and tugs me to her side, and I curl around her in contentment.

Sure, we’re in a secret government lab that may or may not be trying to kill us, but I’m with my pookie, so everything is perfect.

“There are two different groups in training,” Rue says, trepidation darkening her eyes. “One group is like me, who havemental abilities. The second group is like Gunner and Hicks, who have physical manifestations. They call them morphs.”

I glare at Gunner and Hicks at the reminder, still jealous of their abilities…until I remember I can heal pookie whenever she’s hurt and grudgingly accept that fate gifted me the ability for a reason.

I tune into the conversation as pookie nudges me. “We don’t know the long-term consequences of you guys using your gifts yet, so I want you to resist if you can.”

She specifically looks at me and my brother, the fear in her teal eyes slaying me. “Anything to do with ghosts and the afterlife is dangerous. You’re not built for interactions with them. Every time you touch the afterlife, you might not come back. I’ve been pushing back the ghosts since I arrived, but they’re becoming restless. Sooner rather than later, they’re going to demand attention, and I won’t be able to stop them.”

We’re almost at the bottom of the stairwell. When I reach the last step, I turn toward pookie, grinning when we’re almost the same height. I cup her face, brushing my fingers across her wrinkled brow. “We will do whatever it takes for us all to survive. If the abilities make that possible, I won’t hesitate to use them.”

The rest of the guys crowd close, their expressions solemn when they nod in agreement. None of us will budge on this point. When she looks ready to protest, I lean forward and steal a kiss, though not just to shut her up. The urge happens whenever she’s near, and I’m done with holding back.

“He’s right.” Hicks backs me up, coming up right behind her, not stopping until she is pressed between us. “Our way of life isn’t easy. Our lives are in danger every time we accept a job. We’re used to calculating the odds and deciding if it’s worth the risk. We’ll accept whatever consequences that might come.”

Gunner wraps his big hand around her throat, nudging me aside until he stands before her. He’s so big that she can’t focuson anything but him. Even with her standing on the step to boost her height, she looks petite against his massive size.

Something about seeing his hand wrapped around her throat has my cock awakening with a vengeance, despite the workout from this morning.

Once wasn’t enough.

Gunner nudges her chin up, his expression softening in a way that I didn’t think was possible. He leans down until he’s hunched over her smaller form. “You are not to blame for any of this.”

“But—”

“Stop.” He barks out the command, his grip tightening, cutting off her protest and forcing her onto her toes. His customary scowl is back in place, as if trying to intimidate her into listening. “You see this as a curse, but maybe it’s what will allow us to stay in your life. We’re stronger and faster now. Maybe this is what was always meant to happen.”

I nod in agreement, but pookie practically oozes misery. Gunner presses his advantage, slipping his hand up to rub his thumb over her bottom lip, and I find myself licking my lip at the sexy image they make together.

“I’ve been here long enough to hear the whispers.” Jace snags her hand and places it on his chest, stealing her attention. “The serum didn’t introduce these abilities to us. It just activates something in our DNA.”

“We accepted you for what you are.” Ellis takes over seamlessly, his eyes earnest behind his glasses. “Please accept that this is our reality now. Fighting it changes nothing. The only thing we can do is learn about our new abilities and use them to keep us safe. We can get through this together.”

Pookie heaves a massive sigh. Though her eyes remain haunted, determination and acceptance settle over her. “Look forward, not back, and accept the things we cannot change.”

We don’t have a chance to say more when the alarm shrieks. I grin and snatch her hand, then drag her toward the training area. The rest of the guys curse from behind us, but I don’t wait for them to catch up.

I want to see pookie kick some serious ass.

Sure, she could be hurt—my mind shies away from the thought—but that’s why we are here.

If anything happens to her, we will slaughter them all.

Chapter Twenty-five

RUE

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