Savage Betrayal: Savage, Book 2 (24 page)

She’d never wanted him to know. Never wanted anyone in the P.I.A. to know.

“Jocelyn Feloray is the aunt that raised you? Tell me it isn’t true.”

She wanted to more than anything.

“Answer me, dammit. This fucking bitch shares your
blood
?”

“Yes,” she whispered, curling her hands into fists.

“And you never thought it might be relevant to let me know? To let
anyone
in the P.I.A. know?” he ground out.

No. If anything, she’d tried like hell to keep that part of her life buried and a secret.

“Dammit, look at me,” he snarled.

Grace lifted her chin and met his gaze, trying not to flinch at the rage and dismay in his eyes.

“I tried to protect you all this time. I felt anguish for what you’d gone through.” He gave a slow shake of his head. “And all this time you’ve probably been working with her.”

Shock ripped through, momentarily robbing her of a response. And then it tumbled out. “No. Never. You’ve got the wrong idea.”

He shook his head and strode past her. “I don’t think I do. Fuck this. Fuck you.”

The pain that lanced through her nearly brought Grace to her knees. But pride and the fact that Jocelyn stood watching in glee made her hold herself together. Just barely.

“Where are you going?” she asked, hating how husky her voice was and the desperation in it.

He paused at the door, shooting her another loathing glance. “I’m going out. I figure that yeah, maybe I will give you both that time to talk alone. Besides, it’s not looking like you need my protection as much as I thought.”

Before she could reply, he’d strode out the door. She heard the sounds of his body shifting and could envision him racing out into the darkness of the woods.

Turning to face the woman she hated to acknowledge as family, she shook her head. “That was despicable. You know I never wanted them to realize who I was.”

Jocelyn closed the door and gave a slight shrug. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of your roots.”

“Why not? You sure as hell are.” Her little jab that Jocelyn Feloray was half-shifter didn’t go unnoticed. The other woman’s face tightened with disgust and her eyes narrowed, showing the fine lines she tried so hard to hide.

“Of course I’m ashamed. It’s a disease I would rid the earth of if possible.”

“Even if that meant eliminating yourself?”

Jocelyn didn’t even hesitate. “Even then.”

“You’re so absolutely insane,” Grace whispered. How had she ever made it the first twenty or so years of her life without realizing how bat shit crazy her aunt was? How blatant her hatred for the shapeshifter population had become.

Grace’s mother and Jocelyn had been twins, and both half-shifter. As far as Grace’s memories went, she couldn’t recall her mother despising that side of her when she’d been alive.

“I need a drink.” Jocelyn sighed. “Do you have any vodka? Champagne? Wine? Anything, really?”

“No.” She turned and walked into the kitchen, wishing like hell she
did
keep alcohol in the house because she could sure as hell use something right now. “You’ll have to make do with water.”

“I suppose.”

“Why are you here, Jocelyn? Why show up at my house tonight? Besides attempting to ruin my reputation.” It had been her parents’ house, one of the things they’d left her and Aubree in their will. The first item Grace had eagerly claimed when she’d turned eighteen. “You just don’t come out here.”

“No, I don’t. But I’m wondering if Aubree’s here, or has been here recently?”

Grace froze as she handed Jocelyn a bottle of water from the fridge. Unease slid through her.

“No, she’s not here. She’s been at school, hasn’t she?” She crossed the room to her purse that sat on the table and fished around for her phone. “Have you checked the dorms?”

“I’ve checked everywhere I know to check. The school contacted me to let me know she hasn’t been seen in two days and wanted to confirm that I’d taken her out on an extended weekend.”

Grace’s stomach bottomed out as she searched her phone for new messages, but there was nothing. Fear began to coil its debilitating tendons around her insides and each breath she drew in, she reminded herself to be calm.

“Let me try calling her again.” She hit the button to dial her sister’s number, but had little faith she’d answer this time.

Come on, Aubree, where are you
?

Betrayed.

Darrius lunged through the forest in his wolf form, barely hindered by the night that surrounded him. The betrayal he felt right now was like a poison in his gut, burning acid-like on his tongue.

She’d lied. She’d fucking lied to his face when he’d asked her what she was hiding. Nothing? Hell, she was hiding everything. Every goddamn thing.

Jocelyn Feloray—the woman who’d made it a personal goal apparently to bring down the shapeshifter community and the P.I.A. in particular—was Grace’s aunt.

Grace had told him some things, had mentioned that her parents had been killed and she’d been raised by her aunt and uncle, but she’d never indicated who that aunt was.

A howl of rage erupted from inside him, and he quickened his pace. His volatile presence sent nocturnal animals scurrying away in surprise.

There were evil souls in this world, and Jocelyn ranked right up there with the worst of them.

The realization that had been playing in the back of his mind sank in. If Jocelyn was Grace’s aunt, that meant she likely had shifter blood. The woman was part shifter—and her goal in life was to exterminate them?

What the hell?

Christ, he didn’t even know what to do with this information. He couldn’t keep it from the agency. Could he? It would ultimately come out—was amazing it hadn’t already.

Grace hadn’t wanted anyone to know. With good reason. How involved was she with her aunt’s plans? It all made a little more sense now—why Grace would’ve signed up for the experiments. Were her goals as nefarious as her aunt’s? Was she a plant within the P.I.A. for Jocelyn?

And yet she’d nearly lost her life during the experiments.

None of it made sense.

He tried to pinpoint what part made him most angry, and the discovery left him oddly deflated.

Darrius slowed his run and paused at the edge of an incline. His gaze swept the small valley of trees below, but he wasn’t really seeing them.

She hadn’t trusted him enough, that’s what stung. He’d pleaded with her to confide the truth—because, dammit, he’d sensed she was hiding something big.

He just hadn’t suspected
this
.

The anger left him, seeping from his body with the sheen of sweat that now covered it.

Dammit. What a mess. What was even more screwed up was that he still trusted her. Now that the fury had abated—the shock of her betrayal diluted—he knew without a doubt that Grace wasn’t in cahoots with her aunt.

Those attacks on her life hadn’t been random, and they sure as hell hadn’t been staged. He’d seen the blood and bruising. The aftermath that had left fear in her eyes and a vulnerability Grace Masterson didn’t show many people.

And you just left her alone.

With another low growl, Darrius turned and charged through the trees, heading back to her house. No matter her reasons for hiding the truth, he’d been an idiot to run out on her.

When he arrived back at her house—after carefully maneuvering through the alarms that were once again on—he noticed the lights were still on but there was a heavy silence.

He strode in the door, his gaze sweeping the interior. “Grace?”

Footsteps sounded, and then she moved out of the kitchen to meet him in the hallway. Her brows were drawn together and her eyes round with uncertainty.

“Darrius—”

“Is she gone?”

Grace gave a slight nod.

With a ragged breath, he strode forward and dragged her into his arms. Her palms slid to his chest and she made a startled sound that he quickly caught with his mouth.

His tongue stroked deep, finding hers and lashing at it, almost punishing her for his earlier anger, and his constant need for her. She molded into him, sliding her hands up his chest to his shoulders. Her nails bit lightly into his skin as she clung to him and kissed him back.

He tore his mouth from hers a moment later and pressed his forehead against hers.

“No more lies,” he rasped. “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she whispered brokenly. “I’m so sorry.”

“I am too. I shouldn’t have run out on you. No matter how angry I was.”

“Honestly, I don’t blame you.”

He stepped back, putting just enough distance between them that he could watch her. There was the spark of wariness in her eyes, but the fear underneath sent a frisson of unease through him.

“What’s going on, Grace?”

“Aubree is missing.” She hesitated. “I think. That’s why Jocelyn was here tonight, to ask if I’d seen her.”

Darrius swore softly under his breath. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“A couple nights ago—when you first met her.”

“Any texts? Phone calls?”

“I missed a phone call from her this afternoon, but she didn’t leave a message. I’ve tried to call her several times since but she’s not answering.” She shook her head. “I just assumed she was busy with her classes. I know she has some big tests coming up.”

“We’ll find her. We can track her.” And they could. The P.I.A. did this kind of thing all the time. “Did Jocelyn file a missing person report with the P.I.A. or human police force?”

“No, she wanted to talk to me first. I don’t sense she’s in danger, and I really think I would. I have before. She hates her school, hates Jocelyn, she’s ready to be eighteen and on her own. Or with me. Maybe she just took off somewhere for a few days…”

But why wouldn’t she answer her sister’s calls then? Something wasn’t right.

“Remember how the tires on her car were slashed? I thought whoever did it was targeting me, but what if they weren’t. What if—”

“No what-ifs. Not yet. Call Jocelyn back and tell her we’re handling this. Let’s give it a day or two before we make it official. If we need to, we’ll call Larson and let him know what’s going on and recruit more help. But we’ll find her.”

“I know. I trust you, Darrius.”

Did she? He couldn’t help but arch a brow and give a low, slightly bitter laugh. “But you obviously didn’t trust me enough with who you are.”

“That’s not it…” Unhappiness flashed in her eyes and she folded her arms across her chest. “It’s just not something I publically acknowledge. I am
nothing
like my aunt—I can barely tolerate her.”

“Then why don’t you tell me the real reason you volunteered for the experiments?”

She visibly swallowed and there was anguish and regret in her eyes. “Essentially I was blackmailed. She threatened to put Aubree in them if I didn’t volunteer. My sister isn’t quite eighteen and unfortunately my aunt has complete custody. She would’ve used her chronic pain from her disability as an excuse.”

Of course. It made complete sense from everything he knew about Grace that she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself for her sister’s safety.

“Those of us in the experiments went through hell, and to think that she might’ve had to go through that… She’s not as tough, Darrius. I don’t know if she would’ve come out alive.”

It was almost too incredible to believe.

“What the hell kind of aunt would do that to her own niece?” Darrius ground out. “Why does she hate shifters so much? Hell, isn’t she one?”

“She’s half. And I have no idea.”

Wait a minute. “Was your mother only half as well?”

A flush darkened her cheeks. “Yes.”

“So that makes you and Aubree—”

“We’re not full-blooded shifters. We’re three-fourths, but it’s always been enough for us to have most of the same capabilities.” She glanced away. “Some things we just have to work a little harder at. It’s another thing I don’t share openly, because I’d rather not have that flaw on my record.”

Interesting. He’d never sensed she wasn’t full. Any disadvantage Grace had at having diluted wolf blood she hid damn well. The P.I.A. would’ve known, because she would’ve had to have disclosed her shifter status when she applied. A blood test would’ve confirmed it.

Three-fourth shifters weren’t discriminated against, though. Not the way that those with only half-shifter blood had been. It was only with the recent discovery of the drug that could give halves the ability to shift that had balanced things out more—had there been more acceptance.

Someone like Sienna, or Jocelyn’s aunt, might not have even realized they were shifters before unless they’d been told.

“Did your aunt ever take the drug she created? The one that ended up giving halves the ability to shift?”

Grace’s laugh was loud and full of harsh amusement. “Never. She’d rather die first. I know she hates that side of her.”