Page 160 of The Order

“There's more here than we realize, Xavier,” I say, reaching for his hands. Before I can touch him, he lifts my hands up instead, looking over the faint red marks surrounding my wrists. I hadn’t noticed the marks earlier, and in the moment, Fallan’s grip gave me nothing but pleasure.

“You’ve been together.”

It’s not a question.

All I can do is swallow. My throat is dry, and my breath is hard to catch.

Xavier’s eyes lower, fixating on Fallan.

“Did you touch her?” Xavier questions, grasping my wrists tightly.

I try to pull away, his hold stronger than I expected. Fallan shoves him back before pulling me into him. He lets out an aggressive snarl, baring his teeth at Xavier.

“Couldn’t keep my hands off her. Like I’ve told you, she was never yours,” Fallan urges. Xavier’s jaw clenches, a promise of violence in his expression.

People start to pull themselves up off the ground, some emerging from the half-assed hiding spots they’d found. Meeting my gaze, my brother pulls away from his own hidden position, begging Hunter to stay back, only to grow more frustrated when he realizes Hunter is already trailing closely behind him. My brother looks around, his pace quickening the closer he got to me. It doesn't take a mind reader to know how scared he is, questioning whether or not my voice in his mind was a spout of insanity or something much more. Xavier lingers nearby, his eyes on the ground.

“More Officials are coming. We saw them when we came out of our hiding spot. You all need to leave,” Hunter says, his foot kicking the motionless creature.

“They are guaranteed to try and use your chips. Best case scenario, no one else is murdered,” Xavier says, finally breaking his silence.

“Go,” Fallan starts, his hands touching the sides of my face. “Before things get worse. I promise I will find you soon.”.

Ignoring our audience, he leans into me, his lips pressing to mine, giving me a moment of peace amongst all this chaos. My mark burns with pleasure, his thoughts of concern and admiration coming together to form something safe that encapsulates my heart. I hear Kai and Hunter gasp, both caught off guard by us. Xavier is nothing short of rageful.

The kiss doesn't feel long enough, my desire to be with him and no one else is unbearable. Pulling away from him, I step back, following Xavier and Kai towards the path we need to take to get out of the sector.

“Stay alive,” I whisper, his mouth curling into a smirk.

“Always do, Dove,” he says, his eyes panning back to Xavier. “Always will.”

Xavier grabs the bottom of my shirt, pulling me to follow him, his eyes set forward. Keeping up with his fast pace, I allow him to move me along, shuddering as his hand passes over the rough skin of my mark. Kai moves quickly, his mouth shut, processing the attack and, I'm sure, what he saw between me and Fallan. Xavier’s pace is punishing, but we don’t let up.

“Do you hate me?” I question, startling him as though it was the last question he expected.

He says nothing at first, his hand running along the wall, helping him retrace his steps.

“I wish I did,” he starts, finally looking back at me. “Maybe then I’d have the strength to kill him and never have to look at you again,” he spits hatefully. A fissure opens in my chest at his response, stopping my feet from moving forward. I was in pain because I'd hurt him.

And nothing has hurt me more than the way he looks at me now.

“And so, things just get more complicated,”It whispers.

Chapter fifty-two

Forest

Thehouseisstill,the windows void of any sign of life. Our walk home became a full-fledged sprint moments after we’d made it out of the Unfortunate sector. Running through bushes and tearing through tree lines, we’re a jumbled mess of blood and sweat by the time we reach our neighborhood. My legs ache more than they did earlier, and my adrenaline is still high. The Shifter’s words play over and over in my mind.

“This wasn’t my choice.”

It had said that honestly. But was it an apology for what it had to do, like some sort or penance for the people it had murdered, or had it simply wanted to try and save itself from imminent death?

“Who would have the ability to control Shifters?”the other part of me questions, my hand grazing over my mark.

“Maybe the mystery visitor who came over the intercom at the Solstice festival is a start,”I mutter, reflecting on the man’s voice who managed to breach both my mind and Fallan’s within the span of the last few days.

Kai stops abruptly. Clutching his lower stomach, he lurches over and gags. Pausing his run, Xavier comes over to touch my brother's back, looking to me for support.

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