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I was a puppet, a marionette on a string. My bidding was not my own. My arms and legs jerked around at the puppet master’s bidding.
My heart pounded against my ribs as I appeared back in that same dining room, but it was empty. All the food was cleared, and sheets were thrown over the chairs and table.
One by one, against my will, I grasped each sheet and flung them off with an exuberance I didn't hold, until all the chairs were cleared. At the edge of the table, I clutched the white sheet and dragged it down the center until it crumpled at my feet.
A grin filled my face, but I was not happy.
The double doors opened. Eric came through, clapping his hands with an evil smile. “Well done, darling.”
My unwilling body walked toward him as I struggled to pull back, but I was met with resistance. Once at his side, he laid his filthy hands on my shoulders and peered into my eyes as he leaned in. “Now it's time to celebrate.” Stepping back, he opened his arms wide. “To show the world who you belong to—to announce that you are mine.” His gaze once again caught mine. “My darling.”
He moved in close and I feared his lips would graze mine. I wanted to rear back but remained frozen. I was relieved when his smooth cheek brushed along mine as he murmured in my ear, “It’s simply a matter of time...”
***
I wrenched out of sleep, my breath falling in pants, when I heard it. A familiar voice calling my name. “Trace? Where are you?”
The bathroom door rattled as one of the guys pounded on it. “Come on, Trace. Don't make me shim in there. What are you doing that would take this long?”
I clambered up, swishing the shower curtain open and stepping out of the bathtub. Then I yanked the curtain back, counting on it to cover up where I slept.
My frame shuddered as if my sugars had dropped like Hannah’s always did. My heart hammered against my rib cage. I struggled to think up a witty remark, uncertain how to play this out, then cleared my throat as I decided to go with the pissed off approach. “I took a damn bath! Just give me a minute.” My voice was shaky, even to my own ears. I quietly cursed at my vulnerability.
I withdrew the armchair from the door and set it to the side out of anyone's view, opened the door, and peered out to see Cameron there. One of his arms was stretched out, palm planted on the door frame as he loomed over me. His jaw was clenched, and concern filled his soft gray eyes. His other hand raised to adjust his glasses as he took in the same too big shirt and sweatpants I had worn yesterday. “A bath?”
My gaze narrowed. “Yes, a fuckin’ bath.” I pulled an unsteady hand through my hair before it dropped. My tone didn’t match my emotions, but it was necessary. I didn’t want him to know I’d slept in the bathtub. That would lead to questions I didn’t want to answer.
He stepped back when I moved out, shutting the door behind me. I tucked my arms around me and leaned against the bathroom door while he eyed me. “Your hair isn’t even-”
“I’m hungry,” I cut him off. I looked around the suite, noting the mattress with just the sheets, before I brought my gaze back to his. “And I have no clothes or shoes.” I bent my head to the side, studying him. “When am I going to get my things?”
“I'm hungry too.” He turned then paused to stare at the bed. “Where are your blankets and pillows?”
My heart hammered as I debated how to respond. I side-stepped past him toward the bedroom door, intending to head downstairs since I couldn't do that fancy shim thing, and opened it. “They fell down when I got up this morning,” I fibbed before twisting back to face him. “You coming?”
His lips twitched upward as he shook his head. “That’s a good thing to know,” he said when he approached me.
I ignored him, glad there weren’t any more questions, and moved out the door, letting him catch it before it closed. “My stomach is calling for food. What's for breakfast?”
He caught up down the hall. “A variety of things. We can slip into the cafeteria and find out or we can just see what's down in the kitchen.”
I halted at the stairs and threw him a puzzled glance. “Justin took me to the kitchen, but there's a cafeteria?”
He paused with me, adjusting his glasses again. “Yep.” I followed the movement and noticed his “key” tattoo peeking out from his wrist. It was like Justin’s. “If you want good, hot food, the cafeteria is the best place to go, but you might have to deal with other Lydents staring at you...” He grimaced. “Uh, maybe that’s not the best idea.”
I started down the steps, disagreeing. “No, I like hot food.”
On the second to last step, I felt a whirl surround me, and my clothes changed to a fuckin’ green gown. I wavered and Cameron caught me before I stumbled, whispering, “What the fuck?”
Now off the stairs, I rotated around on my still bare feet and growled, “What the hell, Cameron?”
He reared backward, gray eyes wide with his palms in the air. “I didn’t do this.”
I reached up and felt a beaded choker around my neck before dropping my hand. “Then who fuckin’ did?”
“I did,” a voice declared from around the corner in the hallway. A guy strode out. Tall, lean, and with a head full of blond hair, he was nearly as tall as Nox and Thad but not quite. His eyebrows lowered, glancing between the two of us.
Cameron flinched as a look of bewilderment crossed his face. “No,” he said, letting go of me and striding toward the man, shaking a finger at him. “No way.”
The guy's eyes shot over to Cameron's and a delighted smile flickered across his face. “I'm allowed to come and see her. She’s family after all,” he mused, his eyes zooming to mine again.
This time my eyebrows shot up. “What the fuckin’ hell?”
Cameron growled, “I disagree.”
He hadn’t even reached the guy yet when the man shimmed, only to appear by my side. He touched my shoulder before I could move away. “Cam-” I wasn’t quick enough.
One moment we were there, the next we stood in front of my house. My feet were bare against the concrete while I stood outside in a fuckin’ ball gown. “What the...?” I rounded on the mystery guy. Who in the hell was this dude? He had the nerve to stroll away from me, proceed up the steps to my house, and fuckin’ walk in.
“Hey! Hey! You can’t do that!” But the guy went on, leaving the door open for me to follow. I remained there, hands on my hips and huffed. Then I did the only thing I could do—I followed him inside.
In my bedroom, I discovered him laying on my bed. I leaned against the doorjamb, annoyed but unafraid. He hadn’t harmed me – yet. “Who in the hell are you?” I demanded.
He chuckled, shifting his gaze from the ceiling to where I stood. “Didn’t expect you’d follow. I can’t understand why they wouldn’t let you get your things. Clothes are a necessity, as are shoes, or at least, that's what my mother says. You’ll love her. They should have let you come and grab your stuff.”
“I agree.” Fuck. We were agreeing. My guard was slipping. “I may need my stuff, but I don’t know you. So, forgive me for being cautious. You’re fuckin’ weirding me out right now.”
He smirked and got off my bed. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stated, “You are blunt. I’m not here to hurt you. I will take you back, but your best interest is my first priority, so don’t be hesitant to get your things.”
I folded my arms and scowled at him. “I’m your first priority? What am I, six? No. Who are you? We aren’t related.”
“Tell you what.” He nodded to my closet. “You get what you need, and I’ll explain. So, grab your stuff, love.”
After having an internal debate, getting out of this gown finally won out. I proceeded cautiously past my computer and bed toward my closet door on the far wall. Maybe I could use my computer after I grabbed my things, or call Hannah. Damn, I should have called Hannah on the downstairs phone before I ran after him.
With my back to him now, I rushed into my closet and gathered up anything and everything I'd need. Since I had used my luggage bag already when I had attempted to run away, I had to use several tote bags instead. After I’d filled five of them full of underwear, pants, shirts, nightshirts, and a pair of shoes, I realized Naylor wasn’t talking.
"Weren't you going to explain yourself?" I questioned. When I realized he hadn't spoken, I peeked out of my closet and my mouth gaped open. The spot where my computer had been was empty. But it wasn’t just my computer missing; the whole damn desk was gone. "Fuck."
The man of the hour walked out of my bathroom holding all my lotions. He quirked an eyebrow. "You know, I could help you with this issue of yours."
Momentarily distracted, I tossed my things on the bed and marched up to him, the gown swishing as I went. I swiped the three lotions out of his hands, which he easily let go of, and went to my nightstand drawer to pull out my favorite navy-colored tote bag. "I think that was uncalled for.” I waved a hand to the empty spot in my room. “And where in the fuckin’ hell did my desk go?"
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I shimmed it back to Warrior Camp."
I glanced from the bare place it had once stood then back at him, my eyebrows lifted. "You can do that?"
A smirk stretched across his mouth. "Yes."
My lips twisted. "Give me your name."
He nodded. "Fair enough, love. It's Naylor."
"Naylor?" I questioned, still holding my toy. "Hm, I don't think we're related... at all."
He gestured to blue bag. "You going to put that away?"
"It’s a tote," I corrected, shaking it at him. “Can you put the tote away."
He drew back from my attack, I'm sure not understanding why I was upset. "It's not real."
I lifted my nose at him while stepping away. "I know, but I’m not letting other grubby hands on it," I fired back, thrusting the tote into the bottom of one of the bags.
He winced. "Touche."
"Whatever. Besides," I pointed out, recalling his suggestive comment with the lotion, "we're supposedly related. That's just weird."
“Only by light, not by blood.”
I froze and my gaze shot to his amused one. It was the touch of fear that engulfed me. Was he related to that psycho Eric and his brother Ivan? I tiptoed back, away from my bags and him. Even though he hadn’t harmed me, there was still time.
“By light?” I asked slowly, watching him watch me.
Noticing my retreat, he frowned. “Yeah, but I’m one of the good ones. Mom and one of my dads are on the West Coast Council. They wanted to come right away but needed to take care of a few things first.”
I shifted nervously. “I don’t trust you.”
He shrugged, unmoved by my statement. “Well, that makes two of us.”
I eyed him. “So, what are we going to do about it?”
“Nothing.”
I jerked back at that comment.
He noticed. “We’re going to do nothing because in order to trust someone, you have to know them. And you don’t know me.”
He came over to the bed and started to drag my bags onto his arm. I went to reach for them, but he had already slipped them all on one arm. With his free hand, he reached for me and shimmed us back to the warrior camp lodge.
I jerked out of his hold, peering around, but saw no one in sight. Cameron was gone. I turned back to him. “What did you do that for?”
He gestured around with his free hand. “I told you I'd bring you back. I'm not like the others. My family isn't. I'm one of the good guys. We’re working on trust. So, chill.”
He lifted his arm that held all the bags. “Where do you want me to put these? Where's your room?” He rounded me and started up the stairs.
Twisting around, I watched him for a brief moment until I followed him up, hoping the gown wouldn’t trip me along the way. “What? Fuck, wait.”
Once he reached the top he asked, “Left or right?”
“Left,” I growled, following once again. I watched him pass my door and stopped. “You passed it.”
He turned around with a sheepish grin. “Right.” Stopping next to me, he nodded to my room. “Going to let me in, love?”
“No. I’ll take them.” I lifted my hand and gestured for him to hand the bags over.
He sighed. “Fine.”
He put them in my waiting hand and stepped back. I opened my door and tossed them in before spinning back to him. He had shoved his hands in his pockets. “I swear I'm not all that bad.”
I gestured to his hands. “That’s a good place to keep them... contained.”
He ignored me. “I need to go to the counsel about you.”
That threw me for a loop. “What?”
“I need to make sure things are going okay with you. My parents should be in sometime this week, if not sooner. If you need me, just ask one of those guys who seem to be following you around. They’ll most likely be back here soon enough.”
He gave me a wide grin, then shimmed away but almost immediately returned with a plate of food. He gave it to me. How did he get one so quickly?
“What is this?”
“Food. Eat.” Then he was gone once more.
I glanced down at the food. Eggs, hash browns, and toast. I stared at the empty space where he once was and sighed. I was starting to believe that Naylor might actually be a good guy.
***
Going into my room with the plate of food, I waited to see which guy would find me first, if they were even searching. My bet was on Cameron, but it was Nox who showed up. He didn’t seem concerned when he shimmed into my room unannounced. It fuckin’ startled me so much that I let out a little scream before I recognized it was him. His eyebrows lifted as he put up his hands when he saw me dive for the other side of the bed.
“Trace?”
Pausing before completely going down to the ground, I realized who it was that had shown up and rose awkwardly, unsure what to do with myself. I knew one of them would come, but I was still skittish from what had happened the other day. Probably always would be. Some sleuth I was, frightened of my own shadow.
“Fuck, sorry. I guess I'm still a little jittery.”
I took him in, staring at his bulky frame and tats that lined his arms. I realized he still made me nervous despite the whole saving thing him and his buddies had done.
His cyan gaze traveled to my bags I had yet to pick up off the floor and then to the closed bathroom door they laid against. His gaze shot back to mine, and he asked, “Naylor help you get those?”
“Yeah,” I answered, getting back on the bed and scooting up against the headboard. My plate of food was resting to the side, and I leaned over to pluck it up as my stomach growled with hunger.
He eyed my plate. “He got you food too?”
I picked up the warm buttered toast with what looked like a mix of sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top and took a bite. “Mm-hm.”
His mouth quirked. “I bet he was super fast at it too.”
“Yes, he was. But he has yet to tell me where my computer is. He claimed he shimmed it here, but it's missing.”
His eyes flickered to the left. Not good. He was going to lie. “Huh. I’ll look into it for you.” He focused back on me with a smile. Lie. Lie. Lie. I was amazed his nose didn’t grow.
Putting the toast down, I challenged him, “You know, if you Lydents can shim anywhere and shim stuff too, do you have, like, Lydent thieves? Lydents who do a little B&E? And I don’t mean bacon and eggs for breakfast.”
He smirked, holding his gaze on me. “There are some, but I’m more of a late night in bed with morning breakfast after kinda guy, anyways. Work them up, wear them out, and refuel.”
My insides squeezed as I realized I’d set him up for that one. I wanted a harem. One with his rules. “I could get behind that...”
He shook his head, letting out a small snort. “I’m sure you could.”
I winced, realizing I might have stepped over his invisible bounds for flirting. He had mates. “Fuck, sorry. That was inconsiderate of me.”
He tilted his head to the side as if I was a puzzle he had to solve. “You are not what I expected.”
I grunted. “Neither are you.”
He gestured to the tats on my arms. “When did you get those?”
After Hannah got hers, I had to get my own, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. He didn’t need to know about Hannah.
I shrugged, took a bite of the hash browns that had a smidgen of garlic spice on them, and scrunched my nose. “Fake ID and some liquid courage, and I had them.” I dipped my head to the side. “So, you want to tell me where my computer's at?”
He chuckled with an incline of his head. “Touché. Tell me, what gave me away?”
My bit my lips as I studied him. He was standing there just shy of the bed, hands now in his pockets, and waiting with a curious expression to see what I would say. “You have a tell.”
His eyebrows rose. “Really? Do share.”
I shook my head. “I’ll reserve it for later. Never know when I'll need it again.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
I paused, putting my plate to the side on the bed. Did he know that I slept in the bathtub? I stared into his eyes wishing I could read his thoughts to find out. He was waiting. For what? I left the plate on the bed and scooted off. “So, where is it?”
“We're holding it for evidence.”
My eyebrows scrunched up. “What evidence? How would you even do that? It's not like this place has damn inter...” My gaze narrowed in on him. “Wait, you have internet, don’t you?”
This was important. No, this was essential to me because internet was my world. It could get me information, and information was what I needed. But I didn't tell him that. I stepped up to him toe-to-toe for a moment, so immersed in the fact that they might have internet, that my fear of him and what he could possibly do to me diminished. It was all about getting access. And I wanted access granted.
He folded his arms, back to being aloof, and again shrugged. “We might have internet... somewhere.”
“I’m starting to get that. Where?”
“Around,” was his clipped answer.
I flung up my hands. “Of course. He planned it. Naylor never said he was bringing it back for me. Just that he brought it back. He’s an asshole.”
A chuckle escaped him. “Naylor is an asshole. He thinks your computer might have information regarding one of his missions. If it was me, I would have done the same.”
I scowled. “So... you’re saying you’re an asshole?”
He winked. “You seem to like them.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not everyone likes to stick it up there.” I smiled mischievously at him. “Or get stuffed.”
A funny expression crossed his face; then he shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to say to that.”
I licked my finger and pretended to mark a tally on a scoreboard in the air. “Trace, one. Nox, zero.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “So, we’re keeping score? Good to know.”
I ignored that. “What does Naylor think he’s going to find on my computer?”
His face shut down as he shrugged his bulky shoulders. “Whatever you have hidden on there.”
That comment irked me because I was hiding stuff on there. Just really well hidden and deep. “I don't have anything hidden.”
His lips curled into a slow smile and he called me out. “Sweetheart, you have a lot hiding on there. It's just a matter of time before we find it.”
He glanced at the bed then sauntered around my body and plucked up my toast from where I’d left my plate on the bed. He shoved the last bite in his mouth.
“Uh, that’s mine.”
He winked at me. “I know, but I haven't eaten anything today. Plus, you're not going to eat the hash browns. They have garlic and you don’t like garlic.”
“And how in the hell would you know that?”
He snapped his fingers and simply stated, “I know things. Variables. Fate always fluctuating. That and some other things, too.” He took a bite of my hash browns. “Like garlic,” he added, his playfulness once again gone. “Some things just don't change.”
He devoured my food, then hopped up and disposed of the plate in the trash can beside the bed. He strode over and reached for my hand.
I jerked it back.
When I raised an eyebrow at him, he held out his hand instead. “Come with me. I want to take you somewhere.”
Cautious, I asked, “Where?”
“I want to show you more of the Lydent world. Feed the curiosity you seem to have bottled up inside you. Things,” he said, nodding to the bathroom, “that you can't find in that book.”
My gaze darted to the still closed door and blushed, wondering again if he knew I’d slept in there.
Nox shook his hand, waiting for me to take it. “Come with me?”
My lips twisted with uncertainty. This was the first time any of them had asked me to go with them and not just claimed me and shimmed us away. Nox asked. So, I put my hand is his and agreed. “Sure, why not?”
He gave me a wicked grin before tugging on my hand and yanking me into his great, big body right before he shimmed. Like the others had. Nox might have asked, but he took a burst of light when all I gave was a twinkle.
Nox... one. The score was now even.