Guards watched from a safe distance, automatic rifles held in readiness as hard eyes watched the commotion. There had to be over a hundred Breeds milling about, as she could see. Which meant there were likely many others sleeping, working, doing whatever it took to keep the place running.
The entrance to the compound was heavily fortified and guarded as well. It would be damned near impossible to get in or out without being seen. And despite the beauty of the compound, it was still that…a heavily protected area.
Charity bit her lip as she eased herself onto the rough wood porch swing to the side of the porch, and continued to watch the work below. They were still imprisoned, just in a different way. The freedom she had always envisioned for the Breeds hadn’t come about as she had thought it would.
As she watched the commotion going on, she realized her appearance on the porch hadn’t gone unnoticed. She was being watched and carefully guarded. One of the men stood within a small stand of trees, the other in a fortified stand atop the compound wall. Both watched her with hard, determined gazes.
The enjoyment she had taken in feeling the breeze wash over her, smelling the clean, natural scent of the lake beyond and watching the men below at work suddenly dimmed. She rose to her feet and made her way carefully back into the house.
They didn’t know, she thought. They couldn’t know how she had helped them in the Labs, how she had helped plan their rescue. Few people did know. She had been a shadowy figure on the edge of the group working to destroy the Council and its mad schemes.
Not that they had succeeded. She pushed her fingers wearily through her hair as she stretched out on the couch and gazed moodily up at the ceiling. They were still creating, still experimenting, playing God and destroying lives.
The sudden opening of the door had her jerking upright, turning to watch as Aiden came into the cabin. He closed the door as he turned to look at her.
“Doing okay?” he asked her carefully.
“I was,” she drawled. “Until a second ago.”
Mocking amusement lit his eyes. “Too bad. I have to sleep sometime.”
He bent over, unlacing his boots before toeing them off with a sigh of relief.
“You didn’t sleep last night?” she asked him curiously, wondering what he had done.
“I was working last night.” He moved to the kitchen.
“Working at what?” She frowned, realizing she had no idea what he did.
“Security.” He shrugged. “I coordinate all the little details that keep the compound secure. We had someone sniffing around the perimeters of the wall last night.”
“Coyotes?” she asked trying to still her fears. The Council would not let her go without trying to recapture her. The tests they had conducted on her were too important.
He shook his head. “I’m not certain. We could never tell for sure.”
Charity watched silently as he pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator and took a long drink. His head tilted back, revealing the stubborn curve of his chin, the strong line of his neck.
His dark flesh glistened with perspiration, the open collar of the cotton shirt revealed dark, tempting flesh. Her cunt clenched, her breasts aching as her gaze went to the hand wrapped around the bottle.
Large, strong hands, surprisingly graceful looking for a man.
“Have you eaten?” He lowered the bottle, placing it back in the refrigerator as he glanced at her.
“I ate.” One hunger was satisfied, the other was killing her.
“I have to run into town in a bit,” he told her. “Do a drive-through and see what I can see. Want to go with me?”
The invitation caught her off guard. She looked at him in surprise.
“What do you mean, see what you can see?” she asked him. “I thought you were going to go to sleep.”
“Nap.” He shrugged, watching her more closely now. “It’s getting worse, Charity. Are you ready to stop fighting it yet?”
She shook her head. “What?” Confusion shot through her. She had no idea what his question meant.
“The arousal.” He walked to her slowly, stopping at the edge of the couch, his eyes darkening. “We’d both sleep better if you stopped fighting it.”
The amusement and knowledge in his voice and expression had her eyes narrowing in anger.
“Ah. I see.” She folded her arms across her breasts. “So, everything would work out if I would just go ahead and let you fuck me. Right?”
He stilled then. Finally, after a long moment, he just shook his head as his expression flashed with regret.
He sighed wearily. “Forget it. I don’t want to fight with you, Charity. This situation isn’t sitting any easier with me. But facts are facts. You’re in pain and I’m your best bet, baby, to escape it.”
She’d rather die horny. The self-satisfied, egotistical bastard. What made it worse, was the knowledge that he was right.
“It gets easier.” She shrugged. At least, it always had before. “How long was I unconscious anyway?” She frowned, wondering how much longer she had to wait.
She didn’t like the grin that tilted his lips.
“Two days.”
She thought quickly. “It should be over in a few more. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “Possibly. But what you’re unaware of, sweet thing, was that I had to supply the blood transfusion you needed. That little anomaly in your blood system jumped by more than a hundred percent, according to the doctor. You’re screwed, honey.” Triumph glittered in his eyes, echoed in his voice.
Charity felt her heart jump in her breast. Her eyes widened in shock and fear. “No,” she whispered, the implications of the information slapping her in the face. “No. You’re lying.”
“About what?” He frowned down at her. “I haven’t lied to you about any part of it, Charity.”
“The blood.” She swallowed tightly. “Tell me, Aiden, you didn’t give me blood.”
His white teeth flashed as he smiled slowly. “Yeah, I did. Doc said it was the most amazing thing she ever saw. Your blood cells and those little Breed things I have in my blood were friggin’ like crazy under that microscope. I think mine topped yours, honey. Doc is getting all kinds of ideas on how to help Faith and Hope now.”
Weakness flooded her system. She pressed one hand to her abdomen, above the wound the scientists had made into her womb. She had no doubt in her mind the added component in his blood had dominated her blood cells. It made sense. The small amount contained in his semen had started the process; the addition of his unique blood was more than likely her downfall now.
She shook her head, fighting the tears threatening to flood her eyes.
“I need to talk to the doctor.”
Aiden snorted. “You need to be fucked, sleep, then more sleep and food first. No way I’m letting you around that damned quack until you’re stronger. The two of you are too damned much alike. You’ll be strapped in an exam table first thing and the rest will be history. No.”
“I have to see what you’ve done,” she bit out, moving carefully to her feet, facing him, furious at him and the unknown doctor who had dared to transfuse her without tests first. “And why the hell did they give me your blood? Surely you had a supply of regular blood.”
“We did.” He nodded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Plenty of it. But none of it compatible to yours. We even had the right type, but tests showed a rejection of it from the anomaly in your blood. Only I matched, baby. Lucky you, huh?”
Sarcasm was thick, heavy in his voice.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” She shook her head, almost dazed by the knowledge. “My body would have accepted my blood type. It may have protested mildly, but it would have accepted. You don’t know what you’ve done.”
“Oh, but I do,” he informed her softly. “The transfusion merely cemented what we both know is true…”