Flawed (36 page)

She stepped into her father’s office. The same white walls and tile shone clean, no designs or pictures to mar the purity. On the other side of the room, she could see Lake Michigan’s grey waters through the picture windows. The only difference was that the room was completely empty of furnishings.

Ellyssa’s father stood where the furniture should have been, wearing his white lab coat, his silver hair combed neatly back. Delight showed on his face. His hands were hidden behind his back.

“
Der Vater
,” Ellyssa said. Her voice held no inflection. Her face felt hard and smooth like polished stone. Familiar hatred joined the anger. Together, the two sensations twisted and folded into each other, becoming one.

His blue eyes twinkled with amusement as he regarded her.

Father never could hide his emotions as well as he wished he could
.

“You have returned to the fold,” he said.

“No. I have not.”

“But you will.”

“No. I will not.”

“You must join your siblings,” he said, raising his arms outward as if about to present a magnificent show.

Her father didn’t disappoint.

From behind him Aalexis and Xaver stepped out, flanking Father. Behind them, farther away, Ahron and Micah appeared out of thin air, like ghosts.

Ellyssa felt her muscles’ desire to recoil at the sight. She refused and raised her chin. “You are all dead,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Her father paused, bringing his index finger to his mouth as if in thought. A slight frown produced two lines between his eyes. He considered for a moment before he spoke. “Are we?”

“Yes. My family and I exterminated you.” Although her voice remained robotic, she accentuated “my family” to grind the point home.

He arched his eyebrows. “Did you?”

“Yes.”

Tucking his chin in slightly, an unsettling grin pulled her father’s lips. “Are you sure?”

His menacing smile evoked nothing in Ellyssa. The doctor was dead, as he should be. “I am.”

“Yet, here I am.” He moved his hand from his head downward in presentation of the obvious. “As I always will be. You are my daughter, my creation. I will always be a part of you.”

A small string of resolve snapped. Ellyssa tied it back together. “No.”

“Always. As your sister and brother are.”

He didn’t reference Micah or Ahron farther behind him. Neither had moved, but they seemed to be floating instead of standing on two feet, their images wavering and unclear.

Ellyssa’s father moved out from between Xaver and Aalexis and stood a little off to the side, examining them. His chest inflated with self-importance. “Are they not beautiful? Just look at them.”

Ellyssa did. Both her siblings stared at her with deadpan eyes. Somehow, Aalexis seemed taller and older than when Ellyssa had fought her back when she’d rescued Rein a few months ago. Xaver definitely was bigger; his boyish stature had filled out with defined adult male muscles and length.

The doctor studied them for a second longer before he returned his attention to Ellyssa. “As are you,” he said, gliding toward her.

Ellyssa wanted to move, her feet twitching with the anticipation of backing away, but she couldn’t. They were glued to the floor.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up
, she commanded.

Dr. Hirch stood before her, his blue eyes boring into hers. She could feel his warm breath against her skin.

“You almost killed my old associate.” Ellyssa’s eyes widened at the revelation.
How could he know?
“The satisfying feel of his flesh beneath your fingers—it must have been hard to stop.” The doctor’s white teeth gleamed between his smiling lips. “You cannot fight who you truly are, Ellyssa. That is why you lost control. First and foremost, you are a killer of those beneath you. That is what you were bred to be.”

Ellyssa shook her head. “No.”

“It is, and you will join your brother and sister.”

“I am not dead.”

“Neither are they.”

Ellyssa’s eyes popped open.

Rein had felt the soft shudder of Ellyssa’s shoulders, but it’d taken awhile for the meaning to sink into his sleeping mind. He opened his eyes to darkness and a whispering sob.

“Ellyssa?” he said.

She didn’t answer.

“Baby?” Rein reached over and flipped the light on. A bright white washed the black away. He lifted up on his elbow and touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ellyssa answered, wiping away the tears she didn’t want him to see.

“Look at me.”

Rolling over, she stared at him; her eyes were red and a little swollen. She blinked, trying to keep the moisture trapped behind her lids. He touched a tear she’d missed glistening on her cheek.

“Don’t tell me nothing’s wrong.”

“It’s silly,” Ellyssa said, looking away. “I just had a nightmare.”

“A nightmare. It must’ve been one hell of a nightmare, then.”

She rolled over, her back facing him. “It was, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Rein’s lips parted, words of comfort teasing his tongue. He closed his mouth instead. When she wanted to talk about it, she would. Slipping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close to him, letting her know he was there—that he would always be there. Her body was warm and soft against his, and the scent of her hair tantalized his nose. They lay like that for a few minutes, her chest rising and falling.

Finally, Ellyssa shifted onto her back so she could look into his eyes. Even with swollen lids, she was so beautiful. Her platinum hair spread across the pillow like spun silk, her flawless skin glowed, her full lips pouted. Rein smiled down at her, his lips preparing to brush against hers.

“Do you think I’m a monster?”

The smile faltered, then fell. Rein frowned at the question. “Of course not.”

“But I am.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“I almost killed Dr. Loki. I could have easily killed him. Just a twist of my wrist.” Ashamed, she glanced away.

“Is that what your nightmare was about?”

“No.” Ellyssa paused. “Sort of. It’s complicated.”

Rein shifted so she was forced to look at him. Misery and irresoluteness clouded the clear sky-blue color of her irises. “You are the most loving, caring person I’ve ever met. What you experienced was nothing more than a normal human emotion. You felt betrayed and angry.”

“I lost control.”

Rein pulled his fingers through his hair. “Do you think
I’m
a monster?”

A scoffing laugh burst from her mouth.

“Yet, if it wasn’t for you, I would’ve beat a hole through Tim and Sarah’s wall using Dyllon’s head as a battering ram.”

Lips pursing together thoughtfully, Ellyssa sat up. The sadness started to melt away. “True.”

“You are who you are, Ellyssa. Nothing more, and nothing less.” He cupped her face in the palm of his hand and stared into her eyes. “I love who you are, exactly the way you are, and everything that has made you the amazing person that you are.”

Leaning against his touch, Ellyssa uttered, “Thank you.”

Rein dipped his head and put his lips against hers, softly. He lingered there for a moment, inhaling her scent, memorizing the feel of her mouth, before he pulled away. “Now, what about the dream?”

The lifting sorrow sank right back onto her face. A light shudder trembled through her body. “I had a dream about my father. About all my old family. They were alive.” She stopped for a moment, a crease forming between her eyebrows. “Well, my father, Aalexis and Xaver were alive. Ahron and Micah were in the background, floating like spirits.” Her lids slid closed. “He told me that I was a killer and that I couldn’t deny who I was.”

Rein traced his thumb along the curve of her cheekbone. “It was just a dream.”

“It just seemed so real,” she breathed. Ellyssa opened her eyes and moisture shimmered. Rein leaned over and kissed her.

“But it wasn’t. He can’t touch you, can’t hurt you. He has no hold over you. He never did. You’re free. And you’re with me,” Rein said, followed by a kiss. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Reaching up, she folded her fingers around his hand. A small smile surfaced. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

Ellyssa leaned over and placed her mouth against his. Her kiss was warm and sweet…and electrifying. As he parted his lips to slide his tongue to hers, tingles swept through him, and warmth hummed in his veins. What she could do to him with a mere look, touch, kiss still amazed him—the expansion in his heart, the stirring within his lower midsection. He wrapped his hand around the back of Ellyssa’s neck, locking her in place.

“Can I try something?” she asked against his lips.

“Anything,” Rein whispered, hoping whatever it was would be quick.

Hesitantly, Ellyssa placed her hand against his face. “Tell me what you feel.”

Rein gazed at her for a moment, wondering what she was trying to do.

“Please.”

Nodding, he closed his eyes. At first, he felt nothing but the excitement of her touch. Then gradually, his heart slowed, and he felt…calm. “I feel relaxed,” he said. “I feel very relaxed.”

“What about now?”

Tension flowed from Ellyssa’s palm. He felt it. Not just from knowing her, like the uncomfortable tension when things got weird, but really felt it in his heart, his muscles, his bones. He felt frustrated and wanted to throw things and punch something. “I feel angry,” Rein said, his teeth clenched together. His eyes snapped open to her surprised face.

“It works,” she muttered. “And what about now?”

The anger released from Rein’s jaw, and once again, he felt calm. Ellyssa dropped her hand. At the release of her gift, Rein felt normal. Not calm, not angry, just normal.

“Wow,” he said, astonishment coloring his tone. “What did you do?”

“At first, I thought about relaxing things, like being safe in your arms. Then I thought about my father and Aalexis and the things they did to you.”

Rein flinched at the reminder. Even now, he remembered the pain that had flowed through his mind with nothing more than Ellyssa’s sister wanting it to be so.

“I’m sorry. But it was the only thing that I could think about that really evoked anger in me.”

“I understand. Besides, that’s all over with now.” He smiled at her. “We were right about your ability to influence our emotions.”

“Yes, it seems that you were.”

His lips upturned into an sly grin. “I can think of other things I’d rather feel.”

“Such as?” Ellyssa blinked innocently.

Rein wasn’t sure if she was flirting, Trista’s influence or not. Ellyssa was innocent in so many ways.

“Shall I demonstrate?”

Before Ellyssa had a chance to answer, Rein brushed his arm under her knees and flipped her onto her back. She squealed. Settling over her, he propped up on one elbow and slid a finger down the side of her face to her parted lips. She was so beautiful, flawless skin blushing with want, azure eyes shimmering with love.

He brushed his lips against hers once, twice, then deepened the kiss. Afterward, Rein broke away from Ellyssa’s inviting lips and worked his way down her jaw. She lifted her chin, giving access to the hollow of her neck, her breaths coming in short pants.

“I’m never going to leave you,” Rein breathed against her as he moved his hand under her shirt. She gasped, and her stomach twitched in anticipation.

Ellyssa wrapped her fingers in his hair. “I never want you to.”

After breakfast, Dr. Loki met Ellyssa and the others at the tunnel entrance. They all wore their snowsuits in preparation for the weather. The doctor disappeared inside a room, then popped back out in a thick parka.

“You ready?” the doctor asked, slipping on black leather gloves. “I don’t think you will be pleased.”

“Let’s just go and see it,” Woody said.

Dr. Loki entered the code, and the door popped open. He stepped through and went into the side room, where the quads were kept. “Take your pick.” He turned the engine, the roar shattering the quiet, and rolled out into the long passageway.

Pulling out in the same arrangement as last time, Ellyssa with Rein, Trista with Dyllon, and Woody by himself, the five followed behind Dr. Loki. Cool air swept by, and as they closed in on the entrance, the temperature dropped. Ellyssa ducked her face behind Rein’s back to ward off freezing air.

Before they reached the opening, Dr. Loki glided to a stop and climbed off the four-wheeler. Quiet returned as the roar of engines died down one by one.

“Follow me,” the doctor said.

He went to the entrance and pulled the camouflage curtain back. Glaring white bounced into the tunnel, as if the sun itself rose within the rocky walls. Wind blew in with the white and brushed its icy fingers against Ellyssa’s exposed flesh.

Blinking back the light and cold, Ellyssa followed behind Rein to the drape and joined the crowd. A thick blanket of snow covered everything. The scrub brush and trees had disappeared under the white. Big, fluffy flakes fell and blew across the canyon.

“There has to be at least a meter of snow on the ground,” Woody uttered in disbelief from over Trista’s shoulder.

“And it hasn’t stopped yet,” the doctor confirmed. “The worst of the blizzard is over, though.” Dr. Loki stepped away from the wintery scene. “Until it stops, you are more than welcome to stay with us.”