Changeling Winds: Episode Two (The Bachelor Battles Book 2) (11 page)

“He was a massive coward, like the rest of us. Apparently your cousin retrained him into a legend in weeks.”

Jason smiled at me, stealing my breath.

“One of the rebels was caught and put back into the cells. He said Daniel
took
a Changeling and made her fall in love without burning out!”

I nearly growled in my agony. I’d been there for enough of it to ache for the same. Daniel was something of a legend to me, as well. “So, you want more courage?”

“And strength. If the rebels fight, I want to be able to help.”

I thought about Candice and Daniel, about her words to him as we’d left the destroyed base.

“I’ll make you the strongest man in his Safe Zone. You’ll be at my side and we’ll help him rebuild our world - together.”

I pushed away from the table. “We’ll start in the morning.”

I fled to the safety of the master bedroom with red sight and a hardening heart. I wanted him, but I would give him what he’d asked for. During the heat, I would pick out those traits that drew this harsh reaction from me, so I would know what to search for in another male.

I sighed, dropping onto the well-braced bed. The rebels already had a lot to live up to.

Chapter Six

Day 8

Angelica

Jason doing pushups stunned me.

Whenever it was possible, I started my day with a set of muscle-building exercises. We’d started on it this morning, going nice and slow, but Jason didn’t need to. He was in great shape, not breathing harsh even after the steady running for five minutes.

We hadn’t talked, just worked side by side, dripping sweat from pull-ups on the doorframes. I’d almost lost it then, watching those arms heft that rigid body into the air. I had turned my head before he caught me drooling over him, but I couldn’t look away from those pushups. With every one, his body dipped, rose, flexed.

I want to be under that!

“Angelica?”

I tried to think beyond the need, the smell of him. I hadn’t considered scent very important until Jason’s had filled my brain and begun burning.

“I’m good.”

And I was. My sight was pink, like it had been around him most of the day, but I wasn’t in danger of snapping. I was being drawn to his naked skin, though, and my hands wanted to touch him so badly that I could hardly stand it. He had drops of sweat rolling down his sides and from his hair, and I felt my heat flip up another notch.

I turned my head and dug into my own sets. Up…down…up…
damn
. What would I do in a room with fifty of them sweating this way while Candice whipped them into shape? I wanted to be at her side for the rebellion, but like this, I was useless to her. I dug in harder.

Up, down, up, down.

Beside me, his breathing was finally growing harsh and I stole another quick look at his arms.

Up,
flex
, down,
ripple
…

Up,
heat
, down,
flames
…

Aware of his head swinging my way like he could feel me obsessing, I shoved to my feet. “That’s enough for now. Walk it off.”

He stood up, within touching distance, and I watched my hand rise.

Jason

Fear and curiosity warred as Angelica lifted her fingers.

She stared at my sweaty chest with intent flames, but her eyes were only pink, and I pushed my luck, stepping closer. “Tolerance, remember. Go ahead.”

“I won’t need to…”

She stopped, realizing she would want to touch whichever male she chose, and I held still as she thought it over.

“I’m not sure this is what I meant by tolerance, Jason.”

I knew instantly that she’d never done this and wasn’t surprised by the feeling. I liked it that my chest would be the first she’d ever touched.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

I knew what she needed, and I gave the lie easily. “I trust you.”

Her lips quivered and there was the feeling she might cry. Instead, she placed her hand over my heart.

I’d been ready for fondling or even an unconscious swipe of her claws, and I froze under her touch as tension crackled. Her hand was heavy, a bit rough, and very hot. I slowly brought my own up to cover hers.

My body responded to her touch on its own, pressing back and drawing a current of electricity that had her nipples hardening.
Hmm…

“We’ll probably have to get you used to a bit more of this,” I commented, and felt the skin next to mine heat up another degree.

Our eyes met, sparking violently. Mine slid to her lips, wanting to taste her…

Angelica gently pulled out of my loose grip and took a step back.
“Slowly, Jason.
I’m not made of iron.”

I shook my head, trying to push away the daze. “There’s no way anyone will think we’re mates.”

Angelica

I hadn’t thought of that and it cooled me off, sent me away from the delicious temptation of touching him again. “They don’t need to think that. They only need to see I’m content with you.”

“But they won’t. They’ll see you holding back.”

Sam especially would notice it, but I wasn’t sure what to do about that yet. “I’ll figure it out.”

“You could tell the truth - you’re freeing me and you haven’t picked a mate yet.”

“That will get you claimed before we can get to the compound!”

My voice lowered. “Sam’s Runners would love to make use of your services.”

Horrible jealousy.

“Get us set for lunch. I’ll have the shower,” I muttered, turning away.
“A cold one.”

Jason

“I was thinking you might want to draw up a list of requirements.”

Angelica looked up from her plate of duck and wild rice. It was the first words I’d spoken since she fled this afternoon.

“Requirements for what?”

I tried to keep my voice casual.
“A mate.”

Her grip tightened on the fork, but she agreed.

“That’s a good idea.”

“Sure. It’ll be easier to narrow it down... with some interviews?”

I led it carefully, already anticipating her actual list. Once I fulfilled my duty to the rebels, I would start my own life and I was very curious to see how well Angelica and I matched.

“Feel like doing it now or should we work out some more?”

Her face darkened at the thought of being that close to me again while I was half-naked and dripping sweat.

“The list.”

She nearly growled it and I hid a smile, surprised at my own bravery. I was successfully manipulating a Changeling. It was exciting.

“Okay.
I’ll write, you pick.”

She dropped the silverware and shoved away from the table.
“Yeah, done a great job there so far.”

My guilt rose up, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.

Angelica pulled a note-writer from a drawer and tossed it onto the table by my hand. “We’ll do it based on a set of personal questions once I get a...
batch
narrowed down.”

She’d clearly been thinking about it, about how to sort through the hundreds of rebel males. I didn’t like that.

“Okay. Let’s start with something easy. Do you have a preference for hair color?”

Her pink gaze went straight to mine, and I hid a prideful smirk as I wrote it down.
“Long or short?”

Her fingers curled into fists. “Long is good.”

I recorded it, trying to remember my next question. Angelica had a sexy undercurrent to her voice that made it hard to think. And we’d all thought it was only
our
voices that were special.

I cleared my throat. “Okay. How about height? Do you like ‘em big?
”

She flushed and dropped her head again, making me want to know what she was thinking.

“Size isn’t very important.”

Now why did I think that was a lie? “Okay… what about facial hair?”

Her gaze traveled my freshly shaven
jaw,
and I prepared to write down neat and clean…

“I don’t mind a beard.”

I tried not to protest as I wrote it down. I minded. “And weight?”

“Healthy.”

Now I did frown. Her tone implied I wasn’t. “Healthy?”

She glanced over my body lightly.
“Another twenty pounds, maybe thirty.”

I blanched. She wanted a fat mate? I wasn’t sure I could do that and I copied it down -
heavier is better -
with a shake of the head. Rankin had drilled my weight into me, being sure I didn’t exceed what she wanted. It would be hard to go against that.

“Okay, any other features you prefer?
Lips?
Hands?
Teeth?”

Angelica snorted. “It would be good if they had them.”

I stared. A sense of humor was something I hadn’t expected her to have. She was so ruthless…. I moved on with an awakening sense that this might be more insightful than I’d first thought.

“Okay, must have lips, hands, and teeth.” I leered at her and got a small smile in return… and a glimpse of my future. She was relaxing, showing her true nature without meaning to. I quickly asked the next question before she could realize it and close back up.

“Any special skills you’d like them to have?”

“There are a few…”

I was ready to take them down. I already knew she liked it that I was educated and had good house skills. What else did she want in a mate?

“Courage…”

I snapped my head
up,
aware that I was scowling at a Changeling, but right then, fear wasn’t in my mind. She’d laid down a quality I wasn’t sure I could live up to.

“In a male?
Naturally?”

She gave a curt nod, and I wrote it down with a sinking feeling. “That’ll thin the group.”

“Exactly.
If they can’t even speak to me, how could we ever build a life together?”

I relaxed a little, understanding she meant it in smaller ways. “So not scared to talk to you…”

I dropped my head back to the screen. “How… bold should they be personally?”

There was a moment of thick silence and I knew not to look up.

“In public, not unless it’s called for.
In private… no limits.”

My heart thudded at the image. I wrote it down with a shaky hand.

“You said there were a few things...”

Angelica’s voice roughened, sharpened with need.
“Smell.
They have to
smell
good to me!”

The image of her sniffing rebel males had me reacting a bit quicker than I wanted to. “So, you’ll have to be close to them during the interview. Should you be cuffed?”

She should have been angry at my tone, but only gave a shrug.

“Maybe.”

I scowled. “Next?”

She turned toward the window, and I waited while she gathered her thoughts. When she spoke, I wasn’t prepared for the words.

“No kids - ever. I won’t curse a child with this world.”

No kids.

I underlined it and felt my heart give a lurch. That was something we couldn’t work around.

“How do… the bachelors feel about the breeding program?”

Knowing that she hated the Network as much as I did allowed the truth to come out.

“We hate it. It’s a whole different level of rape.” My tone lowered. “I would have been in it if not for Rankin.”

Angelica

I was starting to hate the New Head Defender. What would I feel for her when we actually met? I had no doubt we would, not after spending this short time with the male she wanted. Jason was special, impossible to resist. I could see how a female might become obsessed, and I held little doubt that the Blue-haired Den Mother was right about Rankin coming for him.

“I’d also like him to be able to hunt with us.”

“Like Daniel will?”

Was that jealousy?
Interesting.
“Yes. I don’t want to have to leave my mate at home for weeks or even months.”

Jason started to question that and I followed up on it when he stopped.

“He wouldn’t have to kill. That’s my job.”

His face relaxed and it confirmed some of my suspicions about why he was so willing to do this. Jason wanted to be retrained - by Pruett standards. Why?

“What do you want, after the rebellion is all over? House and settle down?
Keep bounty
hunting?
Something else?”

I wasn’t expecting such an insightful question and I opened my mouth to say something Candice would have slapped me for. “I don’t see that far.”

Jason didn’t like it either. I knew by the way his lips thinned into a hard line.

I shrugged like I wasn’t terrified. “It’s only a matter of time before stage three or four ends me.”

“You do know. I wasn’t sure.”

Desperation had me uttering the next words. I had to have hope! “Yes. Unless one of the males can help me, I’ll snap and never come back.”

“How can they help? When Changelings find happiness, Burn-out takes over. Up or out, it’s no good.”