CASSIE
“Making up stuff about me being an alien because you like me,” I mimicked Jason’s voice. After he’d left the coffee shop, I thought of great comebacks I could have thrown at him, but in the moment, I’d been so shocked by the idea he could think I’d like an alien, I’d been speechless.
I snagged a parking spot on the second row, and snatched my bookbag from the passenger seat. As I walked toward the front entrance of the school, a chill swept over me, and I paused. A black SUV idled at the curb. I would have dismissed it without a second thought except my gaze caught the small rectangular sticker in the lower left corner of the windshield. I would recognize the symbol of the agency anywhere.
Alien Eradication and Defense Department. I stared, trying to figure out which agent was behind the wheel, but the tint was too dark. They didn’t come around the school unless they were watching someone. Forcing myself to walk slowly, and calmly, I slipped in with a throng of students heading into the building. As I passed through the front door, I glanced over my shoulder. The SUV hadn’t moved, and I couldn’t shake the dread. Though the agency hunted aliens and I was glad, I didn’t like seeing the reminders that there were beings on Earth that wanted to kill humans.
I hurried into the school. I needed to get to the library to do research on a paper for Mr. Perry’s class. It wasn’t like me to wait until the last minute, but I’d kept putting it of, then because of the rescue had forgotten about it.
I slipped into the quiet of the room, inhaling the familiar scent. Books were my addiction, my escape to other places when my own life became too hard to bear. I smiled at the librarian, and looked around for a place to sit. My heart stuttered when I spotted Jason at a table where he had a clear view of the door. As I walked closer, I saw that he had several of the books I needed scattered on the table in front of him. I touched the top corner of one of them. “I have to use these, too.”
He didn’t even look up. “Stalking won’t make me ask you out on a date.”
I tightened my grip on my bookbag to keep from smacking him with it. “As if I’d date someone who might be an alien.”
He looked at me then. I hated the way I noticed how arresting his eyes were. Hated how well his shirt clung to his chest. I ignored the compulsion to touch him.
“You can have the books when I’m done,” he said.
“Which will be…”
“Later.”
Much to his obvious annoyance, I pulled out a chair and plopped down across from him. “I’ll just look at the books you’re not using.”
“Whatever.”
I ignored his attitude and started flipping through the pages.
When a noise erupted from a corner of the library, Jason tensed and looked around the room, sweeping his gaze over every window and every exit.
His actions, checking to see where the danger was, were actions a survivor did. I should know. I worked silently across from Jason until he suddenly pushed his chair back and scooped up the books. Ignoring my protests he walked toward the shelves.
Alien or not, I was sick of his rudeness. I followed after him. “You’re the biggest jerk I’ve ever met,” I said. “You act like every girl wants you.”
His lips curved in a half smile. “They do.”
“Not me.”
“That’s a lie you tell yourself because you know you’ll never have me.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The world would end before there would ever be anything between us.”
As if emphasizing my words, the room started shaking. Pictures rattled back and forth on the wall until they fell onto the floor and glass splintered in several directions. The librarian let out a startled screech, yelled at us to leave, and ran from the room.
Jason dropped the books and knelt, placing his hands flat on the carpet. He closed his eyes, his face a mask of concentration. “The intensity of the shaking is growing with each earthquake. It’s a 5.9 at least.”
“How can you read an earthquake?” This was another sign Jason was possibly an alien. Their sense of touch was sensitive. I backed away and my legs started shaking. First the cliff, now this.
He ignored me.
The fact that he didn’t answer was more proof. If he didn’t have anything to hide, he wouldn’t ignore me.
“I know that—”
A cracking noise rumbled ominously, cutting me off. Jason opened his eyes and jumped up to rush at me, throwing his body over mine. We tumbled to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. The weight of him kept me pinned to the floor and the difference between our two bodies was evident. He was solid, his body firm, unyielding where mine was giving. Everywhere we were connected, my body came to life. I took a deep breath and when it pushed my breasts against him, his eyes widened.
Seconds later, part of the ceiling collapsed onto two rows of bookshelves causing them to crash heavily onto his back, pressing us both hard against the floor. Breathing was almost impossible. My heart slammed against my chest.
“Can’t breathe,” I gasped out. Panic hit me and I began to thrash, trying to claw my way out from under him. Nausea cramped my stomach. I was going to die.
Twisting his arm backward, Jason put his hand against the shelves. I saw a quick flash of blue light and the shelves flew away from us at high speed. They burst apart, shredding like kindling, and impaled the wall behind him.
Fear of the past tangled with the knowledge I couldn’t shake. I’d been right all along. This boy was definitely an alien. I wanted to yell, to scream, to get up and move but the fall to the floor coupled with my fear kept me soundless and motionless. I could only let out a whimper. I hated the panic attacks, but I had no control over them. All I could do was ride it out while trying to find my normal again.
He rose slowly, and extended his hand to help me stand.
I ignored his hand, not wanting to touch him as I sat up and rocked back and forth with my arms around my knees. “You’re one of them. One of the Tazavorn.” There was no way he could deny what just happened.
His eyes did the rapid color change as he crouched in front of me. He spoke in a harsh tone. “If you tell anyone what you’ve seen—”
I flinched and he frowned. I thought I saw a glimpse of compassion in his eyes, but that was probably my imagination. I pushed my hair out of my eyes with my hand, not surprised to see it trembling. “I w-w-won’t say anything,” I lied as I got to my feet while keeping an eye on him. I intended to tell my father as soon as I could reach him.
I turned and ran from the room, dodging chunks of plaster falling from the walls as I threaded my way around piles of debris. In the hallway, the lights flickered, then the space went dark. I stopped running and started feeling my way along the wall, trying not to let the panic overwhelm me. It had been dark the night the alien had tried to kill me and I hadn’t slept with the lights off since then. The hallway rumbled and I covered my ears with my hands. The shadows took on ghostly shapes with hands that burned my skin.
When someone grabbed my arm, I let out a shriek and then fought back for all I was worth, managing to land a hard kick against someone’s leg.
“Stop!” Jason’s voice was a menacing growl in the darkness.
“I can’t…can’t breathe,” I said. “I’m afraid.”
Jason hauled me back into the library. Once in the room, he held his hand up. The center of his palm lit up with the same blue glow I’d seen him use to get the shelves off of us.
“Please don’t kill me,” I whispered, stumbling backward toward the door to escape, but he was in front of me so fast it was like he hadn’t moved at all.
“I can’t let you leave,” he said.
“I won’t tell anyone what I saw.” I sank to the floor. “You don’t have to worry about your safety.”
He picked up a paperweight that had fallen from the librarian’s desk. Holding it in one hand, he closed his fingers around it and crushed it to dust. “This is what will happen to Micah if you tell anyone what I am.”
“Micah? You’re threatening a child?”
He dusted his hand down the side of his jeans. “No. I’m trying to explain. We’re not the only aliens that were left on the Earth. Some of the Ragespawn are here as well.”
I gasped. I knew what the Ragespawn could do, but I thought they’d all left. “Why would Micah be in danger?”
“When I save someone’s life, it leaves a scent on them that humans can’t detect but other aliens can.”
“What kind of scent?”
He seemed reluctant to tell me.
“What kind of scent?” I asked again.
“The Tazavorn normally leaves the scent when protecting family or someone we love. It’s an involuntary function that acts as a warning to our enemies not to mess with the person who belongs with us.”
My mind raced. “I belong with you?”
“You wish. I don’t know why the scent was left on Micah or you. That’s never happened before.”
I wanted to slug him. “I’m trying to grasp what I’ve seen and what you’re telling me, not flirt with you.” His expression was blank. I grabbed the front of his shirt. I was still afraid of him, but more afraid for Micah. “If you know what’s going to happen to Micah, tell me or I swear I’ll—”
He pried my fingers from his shirt. “You’ll what?” A wicked gleam danced in his eyes. He ran his fingers up my arm and across my shoulders.
A shudder rippled through me. Every vein in my body pulsated. My muscles were too heavy to move. I tipped my head back. “I will turn you in.”
“Go ahead.”
We glared at each other. I could happily spend the rest of my life never speaking to him again but this wasn’t about me. I had someone I cared about to protect. “Are you saying Micah’s a target for aliens now?”
“Yes, and now because I saved you, so are you. I’m the only one who can protect you and Micah. If you give me up, it’ll leave both of you defenseless.”
My heart squeezed. I loved Micah. The thought of something happening to him wasn’t something I could allow. The Ragespawn were too fast and deadly for humans to handle. “You won’t be with either of us twenty-four seven. How can you claim to protect us?”
“I can hear their heartbeat. It has a different rhythm from a human or Tazavorn one.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?”
“You don’t.” He shrugged. “Feel free to gamble with Micah’s life.”
I chewed my lip. I wasn’t willing to risk Micah. “Fine. I won’t say anything in exchange for you keeping Micah safe. But stay away from me. I don’t want anything to do with your kind.”
“That’s too bad because your father has something that belongs to the Tazavorn.”
“What?”
“It’s an artifact that I need back and you’re going to take me to your house and help me find it.”
Was he crazy? “My father doesn’t have any artifacts at the house.”
“Then where are they?”
“He keeps any artifacts that are logged into evidence at the agency warehouse. That place is heavily guarded.”
“That’s not my problem. We’ll work together to find a way inside.”
“I can’t. I can’t be around aliens,” I said. “It’s too hard.”
“Do you think I like being around humans?” he demanded. “Your kind are weak, whiny, and destructive.” When he moved closer, I braced myself for his attack. But all he did was to run his fingers lightly across a strand of my hair. “I can hear your heart beating.”
“That should make me easier to locate when you want to kill me,” I said.
“I’m not going to kill you, Cassie. The Tazavorn will defend themselves if threatened, but we don’t actively seek to kill humans.”
“I know that’s a lie,” I blurted out, thinking of how that alien had attacked me unprovoked.
“Just because you read it in a book somewhere doesn’t make it the truth,” he argued.
There was no way I was going to show him the proof in the scars on my body. I touched the one on my cheek. I used thick makeup to cover it, but I was worried that it had faded and the scar was exposed. I guess it wasn’t because Jason’s gaze didn’t go there and his expression didn’t change. He seemed as impatient as ever. I put some distance between us. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. “Because you saved Micah and me, and you’re going to keep him safe, I feel like I owe you, I’ll help you find the artifact.”
“Saving both of you put my family at risk. You do owe me. Or did you think I did that because I’m such a nice guy?”
Nice guy my ass. I gritted my teeth. “What do we do first?”
“We can’t search the warehouse until it gets dark. First, I have to scrub this place to make sure I didn’t leave any evidence of alien activity.”
“I can check for signs of your power pattern.” I crossed my arms at his incredulous expression. Not many humans knew about power patterns. Unlike humans, the Tazavorn didn’t have fingerprints. Instead, they had unique patterns left behind whenever they used their power. “Yes, I know what they are. I worked in my dad’s office for a couple of summers. I’ve read some of his alien studies. I know how he finds power patterns and identifies which alien they belong to.”
He curled his upper lip. “No, thanks. I can work faster alone. Go.”
I hesitated, torn between leaving and helping. The fact that Jason had said he wasn’t going to kill me didn’t change my mind and it didn’t make me feel any safer. I hated aliens. They were killers and yet, Jason had protected me in the library. I owed him something in return and I didn’t want to owe an alien anything.
“You can quit looking at me with that dreamy expression. I’m not going to kiss you.”
Dreamy expression? “Why are you always such a jerk?”
“Because I can be. Because I’m an alien. Because I don’t like you. Take your pick.”
I hated his attitude. I hated everything about him. I flipped him the bird and stomped off. The school had an eerie echo as if I was the last human on Earth. I quickened my pace, bursting through the doors out into the sunshine. As soon as she saw me, the librarian rushed to my side. “Did Jason get out okay?”
“He’s fine.” I melted into the crowd to sneak away from the teachers trying to round everyone up, and take us to the gym until parents could arrive. Some of the students were upset about the earthquake but others were excited at the rumors school would be dismissed for the day.
In the parking lot, I headed for my car. If I had any other way to save Micah from the Ragespawn and if I didn’t feel like I owed him for saving our lives, I wouldn’t have to deal with Jason or his arrogance.
I drove to the coffee shop and as soon as I walked inside, and got a quick glimpse of the mess, Mom said, “Light bulbs blew.”
I groaned. The lights were stored in the back room. I hated dragging the ladder out of the supply closet where random spiders loved to jump out at me. I walked through the swinging door dividing the back from the eating area to get it over with.
I made my way to the closet and peeked in, searching the ceiling before reaching in, and grabbing the ladder. I positioned the ladder beneath the light fixture and locked the sides, then gave it a good shake to make sure it was steady. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jason and I hated that.
I searched for a package of light bulbs. Jason had said he didn’t like me. I grabbed the bulbs. So what? What he thought of me didn’t matter.
Sydney burst into the room, startling me out of my thoughts. “Glad to see you survived the earthquake. Thanks for calling. You’ve always called to check on me before.”
“Sorry. I was dealing with Jason. The guy is a total ass.”
“A total hot ass,” Sydney grinned.
The fact that he was didn’t make my mood any better.
“I brought some sodas.” She set one on a shelf for me, then headed back into the main area. “I’ll help your mom pick up the broken dishes.”
The back door opened without warning, and Jason walked in uninvited.
“You covered your tracks in the library fast, alien.”
I could feel the anger radiating from him even though I was across the room. “As soon as you get off work tonight, we’ll search for the artifact. Come to my house at eleven.”
I took my time climbing down, then put the ladder away.
“Did you hear me?” he demanded, his gaze intense.
“Yep.” I dusted my hands off. “Tonight doesn’t work for me.”
“I told you we’d search tonight. I’m not asking you, Cassie. I’m telling you.”
Again with that arrogance. “No, you said we can’t search until it gets dark. That didn’t mean tonight. And I’m telling you. You don’t own me.”
“Eli was beaten by an agent.”
I gasped, my anger draining. “From my father’s agency?” Even though I’d asked the question, I already knew the answer. Many of the agents had ugly tempers.
Jason’s jaw clenched and he gave a quick nod. “Agent Reed.”
I only knew Eli from a couple of classes we shared. He was quiet, tall, and lanky and if he inspired this kind of reaction from Jason, probably one of them, though that was hard to believe. Eli was shy and kind, so opposite Jason.
I’d seen Agent Reed more than I liked. He was at every company function Mom and I had attended with Dad. He often dropped by the house to talk to Dad and was full of himself. Always bragging, always staring at me and leering. “What does the beating have to do with looking for the artifact tonight?”
“Reed is on the security roster there tonight.”
“Confronting him isn’t smart,” I said.
Something dark flashed in Jason’s eyes, reminding me of the alien that had attacked me. “You don’t plan to confront him. You’re going to kill him.” My voice shook.
“Be at my house.” He tore a piece of cardboard off the side of a box and wrote something on it. “This is my address. Be there.” He tossed the cardboard onto the counter, then turned to leave.
“I can’t let you kill him.”
Jason flicked his gaze toward me, not bothering to hide his impatience. “You can’t stop me.”
I wasn’t strong enough to fight against Jason, but I had to try. If he killed the agent, someone might find out he was an alien. People would panic and my past would be dredged up again and rehashed in the news. Then it might get out that I’d known Jason was an alien. I would be in just as much trouble as Jason was. I walked to block the door and leaned my back against it. “You’re not leaving until you promise you won’t kill him.”
Jason was a blur as he moved. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” He put his hands, firm but not painful, under my arms and lifted me up and out of his way.
“I won’t be a part of that.”
“If you don’t show up at my house tonight, I’ll come find you.”
“You don’t scare me.”
He turned around and locked the door that led into the shop, then locked the back door. Taking one of my hands in his, he pressed it to the side of his face. “Do you think because you feel flesh and the warmth of my blood that I have the same conscience that a human does?”
Sensation exploded up my arm and I jerked my hand away.
He put a hand on either side of me, encasing me between his body and the door.
I was so close I could see the stubble along his jawline. My stomach fluttered and I was aware of the sound of my heart beating. My fingers itched with the desire to run them through his hair. I licked my lips. “Now you’re deliberately trying to scare me with your alien act.”
“No, I’m trying to get you to see that it’s no act. Playing human is what’s not in my nature.”
“So you’re saying if you find the agent, it’ll be an eye for an eye?” I whispered, hating that I had to try hard not to think about how close his lips were to mine. How much I wanted to taste them and quiet the longing for him that I didn’t understand.
“Exactly.”
“If I go with you to find that artifact and you kill anyone, I’ll turn you in and take my chances protecting Micah myself.”
I flinched at the darkness radiating from his eyes. His gaze swept over me, leaving me chilled to the bone. His hands clenched. Without another word, he unlocked the door, nearly tearing it off the hinges as he opened it, and left.
JASON
Cassie was going to drive me insane. When I’d leaned into her, I’d caught a scent of vanilla and chocolate. Then she’d licked her lips and I’d thought I’d go up in flames. Every nerve ending in my body had been painfully aware of the urge to touch her. I’d had to leave before I’d given in and kissed her. On a list of stupid ideas, that would have been number one. She and I weren’t on the same wavelength let alone the same in any other way. She wanted to spare the life of an agent who wasn’t worth it.
Eli wasn’t the first person the agent had beaten up. Everyone in town was afraid to stand up to any of the agents, and over the years many of them had become bullies who enjoyed doing whatever they wanted without fear of repercussion. Tonight, regardless of Cassie’s warning, I would teach the agent a lesson.
I drove to the urgent care where Eli had gone to get stitches in the cut above his eyebrow. He got into the truck, and I tightened my fingers around the steering wheel at the defeated expression on his face. Eli would never fight back. He’d become too afraid of the consequences.
“I checked into the guy that hit you. His name is Agent Reed and he’ll be on duty at the agency warehouse tonight.”
Eli stared straight ahead, unblinking. “If you’re not careful, you could make things worse.”
“I’ll handle it.”
Eli slammed his fist against the door. “What are you going to do? Find him and make him disappear? Use your power to torture him? Then kill him?” He ground his teeth together. “That’s how Carl would respond, and you’re better than him. What if this is a test? Hurting me to provoke us to take action?”
The thought made me pause. I hated to admit it, but Eli was right. If someone suspected me of being an alien, having the agent hit Eli could have been a test to see if I’d respond.” Which I had to do. I couldn’t let this one pass.
As if he guessed my thoughts, Eli said, “Sometimes, Jason, we have to turn the other cheek if we want to survive.”
“Not this time.” I pulled into the driveway and idled the truck. I wanted to go back and see Cassie. I should be angry with her for threatening to turn me in, but I’d seen her glance at the exit. I’d caught the way her pupils had dilated and her body had tensed. I’d scared her and for some reason, I felt bad about that. Why I gave a damn about a girl’s feelings was out of the ordinary for me. I’d never experienced this emotion until now.
Eli opened the passenger door and got out. “Killing someone for revenge will make you lose yourself, and I don’t want to you end up like Carl.”
“I said I’ll handle it. Close the door. I’m going back to talk to Cassie.”
“Why?”
“Because I scared her.”
Eli frowned. “You’ve never worried about a girl’s feelings before.”
I adjusted the rearview mirror. “I’m not worried about hers.” A lie. I didn’t know why I worried about her feelings. Great. Now I was lying to myself. I knew exactly why. She was afraid of me yet was brave enough to stand up for what she thought was right. She knew what I was, and I’d seen the longing in her eyes. If I would’ve kissed her, she would have kissed me back, and I don’t know if either of us would have stopped at that.
“Do you like this girl?”
“What? No. We need her help and if she’s jumpy because she’s afraid of me, it might make people suspicious, that’s all.”
He grinned. “Right. You want to get laid.”
“She’s human.”
“And she’s got a nice body. She’s pretty, too.”
“Shut the damn door.”
He stubbornly held on to it. “You’ve always been the king of getting girls to lower their guard and spill their secrets.”
“Finding out information about what goes in the human world has helped to protect us.”
“I know that, but this time, you getting closer to Cassie feels different than those other girls.” He stared at me. “I think you’re in trouble and don’t realize it yet.”
“I can handle Cassie.”
“Are you sure?”
I thought about wanting to kiss Cassie again and looked away. “Yes. Shut the door.”
When he ignored me, I leaned across the seat and shut it myself. Eli shook his head.
There was no need for him to worry. Nothing had happened between Cassie and me. I hadn’t allowed it. I was the one with all the power and no girl had ever brought me to my knees. I thought about kissing her. Again. Shit. Eli was right. I might be in trouble.