Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
She rubbed a fisted hand over her heart.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “If you’re the reason I’m me.”
Being a psychometric was all that had saved her from becoming a mirror of her father and mother. She had touched emotion all her life, even if it had been muted, and it had forever altered her. She’d never treat any sentient being as disposable. And she’d never hurt her child in the pursuit of power.
“I’ll protect you,” she said as she levered herself down to the futon by bracing one hand atop a short bedside dresser she’d placed there for just this purpose. “I’ll find a way.”
Because while she could protect her child’s mind inside her own, she couldn’t protect their body. That didn’t even take the devastation in the PsyNet into account. Her baby was going to be born into a world where her life hung by a psychic thread—and into a house where people were far too interested in a pregnancy that should never have happened.
Her mouth tightened.
Exhaling after she was settled on the futon, she reached into the last drawer of the dresser to retrieve a small and narrow black box. When she opened it, it was to reveal a gleaming black laser weapon.
Small enough to fit into her palm.
Three settings, including a stun that could kill.
A gift from her father on her fifteenth birthday.
“Secrets can be power, Auden,” he’d told her, his big hand warm on her shoulder. “This weapon is our secret. It’s recorded nowhere, and has no history. It can never be traced back to you.”
“The imprints, Father?”
“It’s new, machine fabricated with only minor handling. Leave it aside for a year to eighteen months to ensure no imprints remain, then I’ll take you shooting.”
He never had done the latter. Because Auden hadn’t been Auden by then.
She still couldn’t bring herself to touch the weapon. Her stomach lurched at the very idea, disturbing the child growing inside her.
Slamming the lid shut, she used her telepathy to soothe the mind that was yet amorphous.
She’d get to the gun, just not today.
Today, she’d sit in this cabin far from the dangers of the Scott household, and she’d work on how to protect the baby her mother had wanted so much that she’d consented to it in her role as the person with authority over an impaired Auden.
Now Charisma and Dr. Verhoeven would carry out her ruthless and brilliant mother’s orders. Their loyalty to Shoshanna was a truth unshakable—and no matter the lip service paid to Auden’s role as CEO, or her uncle’s role as head of the family, Charisma was the one in charge, the one to whom Shoshanna had entrusted the codes needed to run the entire Scott operation.
And two days ago, Charisma had ordered an intensive brain scan of Auden’s baby—even though her unborn child didn’t even have a fully formed brain. Auden had permitted it only because it had been noninvasive and caused her baby no distress. She’d had to grit her teeth throughout, however; remind herself that she was playing the long game.
Her silent rage had been a heat scalding enough to start a forest fire.
She turned to the box that held the gun, picked it up again. It didn’t matter what it did to her to handle a weapon, didn’t matter if doing violence would destroy a piece of her. This wasn’t about her. She was already damaged in ways nothing would heal, but her baby? Her baby had a chance to live a life free of pain and fear.
Auden opened the box.
Chapter 11
LvrBoo: Life would be mega simples if the other races understood skin privileges as a concept.
Dnx09: I mean, they do when we explain it. My last lover was a human and he was adorable about skin privileges.
Novemba: I dunno. I like that it’s our thing.
KixKix: That’s because you’re a smug-mated, Novemba. Shed a tear for those of us in the dating trenches.
Ferla78: There’s just something delicious about exchanging skin privileges with a lover who understands the trust in touch, isn’t there? Funnily enough, the last two Psy I picked up got it at once. I guess because they were taught never to touch, they see it as a decadent gift. I’ve never been touched with so much intent.
LvrBoo: Wait, wait, girl. Back up. You can’t just drop that you’re picking up multiple Psy and not elaborate! Where are you finding these Psy? And are they virgins? Because I’m hearing reports of seriously hot virgin soldier types. Spill!
—Wild Woman Forum
REMI USUALLY NEVER hesitated to share data with the Arrows; RainFire and the squad were friends as well as allies. But he had no intention of doing so when it came to Auden’s pregnancy. His leopard growled at the idea of it, the human half in full agreement. It went against every ounce of honor in his body to pass on a truth so private.