Amanda

Relief floods me as I take in the surrounding scene. There are no cages or men in lab coats. People are sitting around on furniture, sipping tea and reading? The only threatening air of the place is us. Everyone from the base is here. The tattoo covered guy, the easy-going guy who keeps to himself. Even the quiet woman who's skin is now black! her eyes glow yellow, she's frighteningly eerie. I look away, trying not to stare.

It seems I'm not the only one they've recruited. All johns captives are here except the big guy with the ugly-looking scar. There are a lot of unfamiliar faces, too. An older man, the one who was trying to calm Michael down. He has reddish brown hair and dark brown eyes that seem to see right through you. There's a man in the corner who's silent and watches everyone easily blending into the backdrop. His eyes are black, and they move abnormally. Two more attractive men sit on the couch conversing amongst themselves like no one is in the room.

I can't put my finger on it, but I get a very off vibe in here. It's like being in the eye of the storm, and you know everything outside of it is in utter chaos. That's how these people make me feel. Like they all have masks on to cover what lurks within. Austin's staring at her, the quiet one. Is he interested? Well, why not she's attractive enough in a boss sort of way. I watch their exchange, wishing I had heightened hearing instead of the ripoff I received.

"Amanda! Did you hear me?"

"What?" I say, snapping my head towards Katie. She gives me a suspicion look.

"I said what happened? What did he say?"

I have to really think to focus on her questions. Oh yeah, why we're here.

"He made me come."

Katie's eyes go wide, and I look at her questioningly.

"Wow, well that's good. I guess at least you're getting along... Michael doesn't like him that's for sure."

I finally get the meaning behind her look,

"Not that way, Katie! He took me here."

She breathes a sigh of relief, and I shake my head. Is that how she views me? Some hoe that hops on anything that comes my way?

"Sorry I didn't mean to assume. It's not like I think you're easy or anything. I just thought I saw a connection between you two."

I look away, embarrassed because it's not far from the truth, but only on my end. Sure, he had an erection, but it's not like he tried anything, and he knew I was excited. He could feel it.

"No, no connection, but he didn't hurt me or anything."

I can sense her study me, I keep my head down fiddling with my watch strap.

"Good, cause if he did. He'd have to answer to me."

A chuckle slips out, and I give her a small smile. Katie mimics my expression. I can tell the conversations not over. She's trying to draw conclusions.

"Please, could you all calm down and take a seat. I need to tell you why you're here."

I look over at the man with the dreamy, intense eyes. I think he's their leader or something.

"My name is Jacob, and I've brought you all here for your own protection -"

Murmurs arise between the guys, Katie gives Michael a look, and he pipes down, quieting the others.

"I'm extending an invitation to all of you to stay at our facility. You would each have a room and, more importantly, our protection."

"Protection from who exactly?"

It's the tattooed guy that inquires this time. I glance at Austin, who's looking back at me. Shying away momentarily, I chance another sideways look, but his attention is back on Jacob. I'm curious to see if he's going to accept the invitation and stay. I'm undecided. Sure, I want to be safe, but if I have a repeat of last week, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Austin. I'd make a fool of myself, and for some unknown reason, I find his opinion matters.

"They're a group of people made up of corrupt scientists, ex-military, there are even a couple of police officers and an FBI agent that we know of. A large number of people are involved, and we're not talking about civilians here. They're highly trained and are not afraid to break the law. Trust me, once you cross one line you'll easily cross them all."

Michael clears his throat before speaking,

"What do they want with us?"

Jacobs lips lift in a sad smile.

"My guess? They want you wiped out same as they do us?"

"So let me get this straight. You want us to uproot our lives, that we just got back to, by the way. To be protected by a few guys with an enemy that may or may not be interested in us? Connerie! (Bullshit) I'm going home."

Katie starts toward Michael as he heads for the exit, and Jacob stops him with a hand on his shoulder. I watch Michael's nostrils flare, and his jacket stretches tight as he eyes the offending hand. Uh oh, that can't be good. I think Jacob is going to take the hint, I know I would, but he remains calm and stern.

"I strongly advise you stay, I've seen the outcomes of both options, and trust me, this one is the best for you and your lovely wife."

Michael pauses, re-evaluating Jacob's measure. grinding his teeth, he walks back toward the primary room. Even katie looks unsure. That's when I notice a young girl in the hallway. She pops her head back when she realizes I've spotted her. She can't be any older than fourteen, maybe fifteen. The curious girl is adorable. Like a pixie with freckles all over and Fiery fluffs of red, unruly hair. Her pale pink skin makes the combination all the more striking.

I focus back on Jacob when he calls my name, motioning for me to join the group. I reluctantly step closer to the crowd. I guess we're introducing ourselves.

"Hi, I'm Amanda."

Speaking in public has always made me nervous, and I dip my head, avoiding the awkward situation. The guy with the tattoos is next, and I'm relieved to learn his name.

"Jace."

The average-looking guy with the piercing blue eyes that always seem to be invisible is Everest, and he leaves immediately after the introduction. Jacob looks like he's going to stop him but instead advises against it. The silence extends a moment as he's waiting for someone else to follow, then resumes when no one moves. I wait for Jacob to get to Austin. I've been annoyingly aware of him the moment he left my side, but Jacob passes him completely.

"you dear? In the corner?"

I flinch when I follow Jacob's line of sight. The quiet girl isn't fully black-skinned anymore, but veiny black lines spread across her face and neck.

"Rosa."

She responds with a hiss, and the sound makes me cringe. It's almost as if she's in pain.

"Let me introduce all of you to the members on our team. Then I'll explain what we do. The two guys on the couch engrossed in their own conversation and oblivious to the world around them are Grayson and Elliot. Elliot is a Nephilim demon, and Gra- "

"I'm Grayson, and I'm a wolf, I like long walks on the beach and countless hours between a woman's thighs. My door is always open for any needs you may have."

the room is silent, and Jacob awkwardly clears his throat before continuing.

"Thank you for that, Grayson. Estevan is a vampire, but don't worry. He has a supply of donor blood. He doesn't talk much, so don't take offense."

Holy, shit! Is he for real? And I thought I had it bad. Wait, yes, I think I'd rather drink blood than semen it's a lot more discreet to retrieve, unless Jacob can get me a hook up, too? I roll my eyes at the thought. Maybe it was a one-time thing? If I stay full, I might be able to avoid certain incidents from ever happening again. I realize I've been staring at Estevan, off thinking in my own little world. He looks back at me, and my heart picks up from the steady staccato I've kept it at Into a pounding, rapid rhythm. His eyes are deep, dark pools it's hypnotizing. Instead of fear or arousal, I find it comforting. He gives me a peculiar look, as if he's studying me, and smiles at whatever he finds. I recuperate the action. Something tells me his smile is a rarity.

A sudden heat warms my back, and I turn to see the source of warmth and find Austin standing behind me. He doesn't look down at me. Instead, he shoots daggers at Estevan with his piercing stare. I look over, and Estevan has a mischievous expression. They both keep eye contact for an uncomfortable amount of time, and I ignore it, trying to focus on Jacob's speech.

"There's another member of our team that I've asked to sit this meeting out. She's young and unable to control her gifts at this time. Tally is our computer tech, and she's a Phoenix. When there's a lot of excitement, she sometimes blows things up or accidentally lights things on fire. While you are here, you will treat her with respect. If there's any rule you feel like breaking refrain from that one."

Well, that's reassuring, don't piss off the red head or shell blow you up and were supposed to be safer here? Jeez, what a delightful bunch. I stare straight ahead. Ignoring Austin is hard. with this close proximity, his presence is overwhelming. I can feel my skin flush as my thoughts turn amorous. I think back to the feel of him pressed against me. His hard length - oh, man! Mind in the gutter. I wrap my arms around myself, embarrassed by my thoughts and the fact I've grown wet. I glance back at Austin. He's no longer looking at Estevan. His nostrils are flared, and his focus has shifted to me. Oh my god, he's intense. My hormones spike, and my belly does a flip-flop.

"and you all know Austin. He was our undercover at the base."

I blink repetitively as Jacobs' words register and the flip-flop in my belly turns to a rock-hard lump of anger.

"because of him, we were able to locate and shut down numerous operations, all stemming from a worldwide organization bent on destroying anything they don't understand."

My eyebrows drop, and my eyes narrow accusingly,

"How could you! Why didn't you at least tell me? You could have gotten me out of there the entire time!?" I lower my voice to an angry whisper,

"What about what he did to you?"

I think I see guilt for a fraction of a second, then it's gone, replaced with icy reserve. Tears threaten to spill. I gulp hard, holding back an array of emotions.

"That never happened, I have special... abilities. He thought he was... but I wasn't even in the same room. It was an illusion, a trick of the senses."

He shrugs his shoulders like it's no big deal. My voice is shrill,

"You just let me believe that? I felt... I was sad for you. It hurt me in unimaginable ways... "What I went through hurt me... changed me."

My words break on the last sentence, and he looks away angrily. He's angry? Seriously?

I realize everyone has stopped talking. Me and Austin's exchange is now the focus of the room. I leave in a hurry, feeling embarrassed and, most of all, betrayed...