“I know when it was, Hale. I don’t know why you felt it necessary to put it out before forcing me to come here,” I mumble.
“I didn’t. It’s been everywhere I’ve been since the day you left me. I always make sure to put it directly by the door so that whatever place I’m living in feels a little more like home. That’s what you are to me - home,” he says much too sincerely, and my eyes water fiercely.
“Stop it. You don’t have the right to do this to me. It took me a fucking year to move on and longer than that to get over you. You don’t get to make me feel guilty after all the shit you put me through,” I cry.
“Hey. Whoa. I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty, and I sure as hell wasn’t trying to make you cry. I swear I was just trying to tell you the truth about the damn picture. I told you, I’m playing it completely honest with you.”
He takes a deep breath as I glare at him, and he shifts his weight uncomfortably as if he’s trying to figure out how to proceed.
It’s too late for honesty, damn it. Too fucking late!
He sighs out while clasping his hands behind his head, and then he continues with, “I didn’t call you here to hash out our fucked up relationship. I called you to tell you Clay contacted me via messenger to say they were coming back to Seminole in three days. You can leave - as you intend to - but then you’ll have to come right back. It takes at least eight hours to drive from Javeline to here, so I think you should just stay. We’ll debrief, they’ll rest for a couple of days, and then they’ll head back out,” he says very informatively.
“I’ll just drive back. Then I’ll leave the second they do,” I grumble, and I start to walk back out the door when his phone rings.
He sighs before answering, and I linger accidentally while trying to find out who is calling him.
I’m so fucking nosy.
“Captain Banner,” he answers.
“Sir, this is Corporal James Verlon. We’ve got a situation in Hensen, and our United officers are taking fire,” the man panics, and my heart almost drops to the floor as I stare into Hale’s terrified eyes.
“Commander Jude and the others, what’s their status?” Hale prompts.
“They’ve been hit hard. These people have uranium dipped bullets and other weapons built for the demise of our stronger kinds. We’re trying to get to them, but we’re outgunned, Sir. They’re cut off from communication any other way, leaving you in charge, Sir. They don’t have shelter. Right now the only thing protecting them from the hailing uranium bullets is a small, natural bunker. They’re running low on ammo, and we can’t get close enough to supply them with more. We don’t have much time either, Sir.”
“I’ve already sent a message to the three nearest armies, and they’ll be there within three hours. I’m on my way right now,” Hale asserts, and he grabs his keys before swishing by me in a blur.
“I’m coming with you,” I blare from behind.
“No you’re not. It’s too dangerous,” he counters, and we’re outside within a blink.
He races over to a convertible, and I flash over to the blood bank.
“I’m going with or without you,” I snap, and I break the door free from its hinges when I feel the locked resistance.
“What the hell are you doing?” he barks.
“They’re going to be hurt. They’ll need blood to heal,” I explain.
“They’ll have blood there.”
“If they’ve got our weapons, they won’t have enough blood to go around by the time we get there,” I counter.
He lets out a dramatic huff and starts aiding me in my fervent attempt to fill the trunk of his convertible. I don’t give him another second to argue before he slams it into drive, and I jump in the passenger seat.
“I don’t want you coming,” he growls.
“I really don’t give a fuck. They don’t have shelter, and the atmosphere’s timer is ticking. The sky will lose its tint and be in full glow for an hour in less than forty-five minutes. The armies are three hours out. The fight will be over with by then. We can be at Hensen in less than forty minutes if you drive the way I remember you driving. I’m not letting Brazen turn to ash just because you don’t want me coming,” I bark.
“I can still drive, baby, but five minutes is all we’ll have to get them out of there,” he worries.
“Five minutes is all I’ll need,” I murmur as the demons within me start to howl.
My human half has never held me back the way it does the rest of our kind. I’m stronger, faster, and damn near impossible to stop when I’m pissed. Right now, I’d register a full blown fifteen on a scale of one to ten.
“What happens if you-”
