When the United States had apportioned the land in Colorado out to the Breeds and aided them in building the large protective compound, the fury within the Council had overflowed to the Labs. Recapturing or killing the Breeds was out of the question now. The focus of the world was frowning so heavily on those suspected and known of being within the Council, that any movement toward recouping their loses had been put on hold.Except for the Coyote Breeds. The Council had finally found the perfect soldier there. They followed orders precisely, their mercilessness nearly equal to their creators. She stepped out on the porch, breathing in the clean, crisp air of the early fall morning and stared around with a sense of surprise.
A tall stone wall enclosed the acres-large compound. From where Aiden’s cabin sat, slightly higher atop a rise, Charity could see the crystalline lake outside the enclosure, as well as the rolling hills that led to thickly forested mountains around them.
Inside the compound, friendly chaos seemed to reign. The cabins were set some distance apart, providing privacy and a sense of freedom, she thought. There were quite a few trees growing within the compound, a large blue pond, and several long, low buildings and storehouses. It was beginning to resemble a small town.
The central portion of the area was, at the moment, filled with dozens of men and women unloading boxes of equipment from several trucks that had pulled into the compound. 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 br**sts 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 br**sts. “So, everything would work out if I would just go ahead and let you f**k 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.”