Page 21 of Black Bay Protector
When Jace didn’t say anything, she added, “About six weeks later, he told me he’d met someone and wanted to date her. I expected to feel hurt or jealous, but I didn’t. Just further proof that we weren’t really in love.”
Jace curled his hand around her neck and rested his forehead against hers. “If you were mine, I would have been at your side, supporting you. Your brother died. Your mother wasn’t the only one grieving.”
Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled as she shot him a watery smile full of wonder. “How is it you’ve known me such a short time and understand me so well?”
Pulling back slightly, he wiggled his eyebrows comically. “Must be the animal inside.”
That quickly, that easily, he’d eased her sadness.
Curling into him with a little chuckle, her fingers absently stroked his chest and a low, rumbling purr was her reward.
“You have feline DNA,” she guessed. “I’d already thought your eyes were kind of cat-like but the purring tonight solidified the hunch.”
Jace’s eyes moved over her face to gauge her reaction. He wasn’t normal. Never had been and never would be. Did that bother her?
“Since being freed,” he told her, “some of the others have had their DNA mapped to see what exactly they have inside of them.” He shrugged. “I didn’t bother since it didn’t really matter to me. It is what it is, knowing all the details won’t change anything, but yes, jaguar DNA was used to a great extent when they made me.”
A memory from his childhood came to mind. It was the first time he’d heard about what he was, at least that he could recall. He didn’t know how young he’d been at the time, but he’d been pretty small. Maybe a toddler? But even then he’d been able to climb and leap at prey. He’d been in Doctor Dietrich’s office, perched on top of her bookshelf looking down at the back of her neck as his mind calculated the trajectory of the jump. He’d wanted to bite her.
One of the other white coats had walked in, and after a glance, Jace had dismissed the thin man as no challenge. The man hadn’t dismissed him though. “You shouldn’t let him do that,” he’d told Doctor Dietrich.
“Do what?”
“Let him have the high ground. He’s hunting you.”
She waved away his concern. “He’s a baby.”
“He’s a predator.”
“The whole point of this experiment is to see how the animal DNA transforms a human and how it translates in combat situations. Those animal instincts are a vital part of the package.”
The tech had shaken his head. “You’ve got bigger balls than me, Doctor Dietrich. I certainly wouldn’t want a jaguar at my back. Baby or not.”
“And the healing?” Paige asked, pulling Jace from that long-ago time. “Where does that come from?”
“A mystery. Not all of us can heal like me, but of the ones who can who had their DNA mapped, that aspect stumped the scientists they brought in. They termed it a marker of unknown origin. There was nothing in the files to explain the anomaly and when Doctor Dietrich was questioned, she refused to say.” The details of what she’d done was her ace and she’d held it hostage to use as leverage.
Jace frowned as he thought of his people and some of their more unusual traits. Aside from his unique eye color and his teeth, Jace looked human. Not all of them had been so lucky and Paige was going to be meeting them soon. He didn’t want her to freak out.
“Ah, listen, Paige. I feel like I should probably warn you before we get to Black Bay.”
“Black Bay? Is that where we’re going? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a government facility, but it’s also become a haven for some of us.”
When he saw the curiosity in her eyes, he explained, “Some of my people…” Jace paused and cleared his throat as he tried to figure out the best way to explain it. “Some of them are closer to their animal side. They might look a little strange to you.”
Paige reached out and took his hand. “I’m a nurse, Jace. I see a lot of strange things and I know better than to react in a way that might make someone uncomfortable.”
He nodded. She was a good woman. Kind, and thoughtful, with a strength of character he respected. She’d keep it together.
“But just out of curiosity, give me an example of what I might see so I can mentally prepare.”
He told her of Lark with her slitted reptilian eyes that could mesmerize people if they held her gaze and the iridescent scales that covered a portion of her body. Kong with his gorilla DNA that had translated into an upper body that was so burly he often drew stares, and Mako, who refused to go out in public because of his grayish skin tone and noticeable gill slits.
“There are also some who look perfectly normal, but their actions might surprise you,” he warned. “Some might try to sniff you or growl at you, but I won’t let them hurt you.”
“I know.” Paige shot him a smile. “You’ve been protecting me since the moment we met.”
