AN: I wanna say thank you for the overwhelming support, honestly I wasn't expecting this story to take roots, but it has. So thank you all for the reviews, faves, follows and reading of course. This is one of, if not the only chap that has a shared POV with Lauren. Next chapter is a shorter one so I aim to have up today if not tomorrow and then we can get to present tense.
Also, someone asked about the ROTF world, I didn't understand if you were asking me to go back and redo the earlier stories in POV as I did the last two or if you were requesting I make a story that explains how they got to that point? If it's the second there is three stories prior to Darkness Within, that explain how it all came to be. They're third-person and some of my first stories so they aren't as flushed out as DW and ROTF but they have the first part of the story.
Thank you.
CHAPTER FIVE: 2 DAYS BEFORE
Bo's Voiceover: Origins are the footprints we've left on the world thus far or
maybe they're the footprints the world leaves on us.
.
"I am going to kill you." Lauren mumbles, storming right from the office to the bar where Vex is munching on something. "Stop taking my tools." She shoves his arm, pulling a….scalpel away from his area. "This is not a toy Vex."
"I needed to open my chips."
"It's a bag of chips, pinch each side of the bag and pull."
"I tried."
"Then ask your boyfriend to open it. Leave my tools alone."
"After all the time you and Bo spent hiding away last night I thought you'd be in better mood. Losing your touch succubus?"
"Hey." I smack his arm, walking up behind him. "Stay behaved."
"So glad I came for this abuse."
"I can't believe he took it, again. I just talked to him about touching my things this morning." She sighs, my hand on her back guiding her toward the office. "This morning."
"Just gotta shake, shake it off."
"Did you just Taylor me?" She stops in the doorway, glaring at me as I desperately try not to laugh. "Never letting this go are you?"
"Never ever."
"This is why I don't tell you things." She laughs, watching me push the door closed behind us. "Not that I'm complaining, but what exactly are we doing?"
"It's time."
"Time?"
"Your injection babe."
"Oh," She nods, sighing. "We can worry about that later."
"No, we can worry about that now. I don't want to be running around out there today and be worried about you."
"I thought you always worry about me?"
"I do, but it would be different."
"Bo-."
"Lauren, come on. A little prick and it's all done."
"I didn't bring-."
"I have it." Gloating smirk creeping over my lips, pulling the little, black pouch from my back pocket. "I'm like a girl scout, always prepared."
"That's a boy scout."
"Okay, then what about succu-scout?"
"I'd say that is probably the worst joke you've made in a while."
"You're mean today." Laughing my words, coming to trap her between the desk and my body. "Wake up on the wrong side of your sleeping bag?" Lips brushing against hers, half expecting her to turn away. Instead, her arms wrap around my neck, keeping me close.
"Maybe."
"Wanna tell me why?" Eyebrow raising as she shakes her head. "Why not?"
"It's nothing Bo, I just forgot what it was like to worry about you like this."
"I could skip this, just do some running on the streets like back in the old days."
"We both know that isn't an option."
"It could be, if you asked."
"I repeat, we both know that isn't an option."
"I promise I won't do anything stupid. One hundred and fifty percent behaved."
"I know." She smiles heavily, eyes falling from mine down to something. Maybe my stomach or chest. I don't think it really matters where she's looking, just where she's not. "Who is going with you?"
"Dyson of course," Snorting, placing the pouch on the desk beside her. "And Kenz."
"The original three."
"Mm-hm." Nodding, my hands running down from her sides to her hips. "She's about the only one I know for sure, other than you who will behave with Dyson." Fingertips running along the waistband of her scrubs. "I'd want you to come, but I need someone running things here. Everything feels like it could fall apart with one wrong look."
"They'll be fine."
"Now try saying that like you believe it."
"Give them a mission and they'll be fine."
"Well, hopefully after my little hand shaking today we'll have a clearer picture of what we're actually doing because right now I can't say it makes much sense."
"It does, depending on which view you look at it."
"Okay," Fingers slipping underneath her waistband, pulling them down to the bottom of her hips. "Well how I look at it, it's not making sense."
"Like you said Bo, hopefully after today you'll have some answers for us."
"Did you want to come with me?" Leaning in, lips finding her jaw. "I can bench Kenz." Words trailing as my lips do the same down to the curve of her neck.
"N-no." She moans softly, my hands on her hips turning her around. "We stick to the plan."
"Okay." Mind wandering as I push her shirt up halfway, kneeling down. Smile firmly on my lips as they trail down her spine. It should be illegal to love someone's body as much as I love hers. Every inch, every curve, every slight imperfection that it anything but. "Thank you." Words whispered against her skin, taking the syringe from her with one hand while the other keeps her shirt lifted. "Now let's see." Words playful, looking up at her as she glances down over her shoulder.
"Left or right cheek Bo, it's not that big of a decision."
"Oh, on the contrary. It's a very serious decision."
She shakes her head and I earn the first genuine laugh of the day. Lips wandering over the starting curve of her ass. Left or right. Left or right. Eyes catching the tiny mark embedded in her skin, curtesy of me injecting her one too many times in the same spot. Left it is. Smirking as I run my tongue over the tiny area, biting playfully before mumbling "Mine" against her skin earning a giggle this time. There we go, that's my Lauren. One more brush of my tongue before tilting my head back just enough push the needle in. The quicker the better as per her request.
"Are-?"
"What are you doing?" I snap, looking toward the door. Dyson staring at us like a deer in headlights. "Get out!"
"Sorry." He cuts off his own apology with the light slam of the door closing.
"I'm going to kill him, it's going to happen." Sighing as I pull the needle back out, tossing it on the desk.
"It was an accident." The edge to her words says she feels different. Or at the very least she's growing short on patience. "It's probably time for you to go."
"He shouldn't just barge in." Coming to my feet, gently pulling her pants up as I do.
"In all fairness it is his bar."
"We'll see for how long."
"What?"
"Nothing, one problem at a time." Sighing for the millionth time this morning, hands cupping her cheeks as I guide her face up slightly. Her pupils slowly contracting. "Little slower than normal."
"It's nothing."
"It was slow last injection too."
"And it was fine then."
"You're the doctor." Leaning in, lips brushing against hers. Note to self: When zombie shit storm is over, come back to this.
"You have to get going." She smiles gently, lightly smacking my ass.
"Mm. Keep that up and I won't be going anywhere."
"I love you." Her lips capturing mine in a gentle but lingering kiss. Slowly pulling back her eyes meet mine. "Now go be you. Go be incredible."
.
LAUREN'S POV: 2:13 p.m.
.
"I'm going to tell you a story. A story of one of the greatest champions the world has ever saw. What made her different from the others was her heart. She wanted to be a champion just as much as she didn't. Battles were fought and soldiers were lost, but one day it came to an end. The greatest victory won or so was thought. A new war began. A war that's victory would change the world for millions."
Drawing a breath, pulling up three shot glasses. Neatly arranging them in a line, before turning around to find the best bottle.
"It started so easy, in retrospect it was too easy. In the first month a hundred people had come forward joining the cause. Titles like Dark, Light and salve were abandoned. By the third month the new colony was unlike anything anyone ever believed possible. Three hundred strong and spread over two districts. Family that had left returned and new hope grew."
Turning back around finally having found the appropriate bottle. Eyes watching the honey brown liquid fill the glasses.
"By the sixth month the first member of one of the oldest and richest remaining families came forward, denouncing his aligned status. At that time it was seen as yet another victory, what would turn the tide against opposition, but what it was in reality would be the downfall of the greatest revolution that never was."
I push one glass in front of each of them, hand wrapped around the base of the bottle.
"The plan was simple, turn enough in one district to the cause. Turn someone respected and honest. Someone who believed in the mission. Once that was done, go to the next and leave said individual in charge of the previous district to carry on the work. The math was done and if the pattern held steady, in three years eighty-five percent of the population of the world of the Fae would have been free."
"I'm sensing the revolution never got to three years." Theo says gently, hanging on my every words as he takes his shot.
"No, it never did." Evony takes her own shot, pulling the bottle from my hand.
"Three years for eighty-five percent seemed too long for some. And at eleven months opposition grew. A general of the champion so to speak sought for a more effective solution. A drive that was easily manipulated. The prominent family though did not share the sentiment of its one member. The mentioned general was taken prisoner or so was the assumption. So the leader and her loyalist of soldiers ran to his aid. Beyond loyalty the core of the revolution needed to remain intact. A single beating heart at the center of everything."
"What happened next?" Ayesha leans forward, hanging on every word even more than Theo. I assume Dagny never told her this story.
"What happened next was the end of life as believed. The champion was found weak. Her inner circle found themselves in disarray while the opposition joined forces. Within a single month all was lost. Hundreds killed as publicly as possible. And restrictions put back into place. Tyranny reigned once again. The champion and her cause had failed and slowly her soldiers disbanded."
"You should be a writer Lauren, you have a way of making what happen sound, romantic even." Evony snorts, taking another shot. "The fairytale of Champion Bo."
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"What happened in the part you skipped over?"
"Dyson killed her." Vex answers Theo, racking the pool balls.
"Wait a minute." Theo snorts, looking around the somber room. "Everyone is just okay with this? And wait, if he killed you how are you back?"
"Obviously not everyone was okay with it country boy, otherwise we wouldn't have ever left." Ash snorts, breaking the balls.
"Bo saved me. As a succubus she survives by feeding on chi, a person's life force. She can sometimes, depending on the circumstances revive a recently," I pause, lump in my throat. "A recently deceased person. Luckily in my case, it was enough."
"Ya'll are crazy thinking that we can trust him. If what you're saying is true. He's the reason the revolution fell through. The reason your sister is dead. The reason you died Lauren. The reason all those people died. We're just supposed to trust him again?"
"He's family." Words a whisper, palms tapping the top of the bar. "He's family."
"I hate to break up story time," Ash looks up from the table. "But Lauren, I'm going stir crazy in here. I need to do something. Tell me you have something for me to do."
"There's something, but Bo isn't going to be pleased about it."
"Yeah well our fearless leader isn't here right now so that means it's you Doc. Come on, give me something. Hell I'll even run to the store for some food."
"No, what I have in mind requites a lot more violence."
"You say the sweetest things." She throws her cue on the table, earning a mumble from Vex who was attempting to take a shot. "What do we got?"
"I need you and Theo to take me to get a new specimen."
"I got this!" Dagny jumps into the conversation. "I need to get out too."
"Sorry, no. You are grounded here until your sister says otherwise."
"This isn't related to Jack. This is zombies, he runs hell, he would just send some demons or something."
"He's not in charge of that kind of hell, think more purgatory than actual hell."
"Even further supporting my point."
"One we can't be sure that Jack doesn't have a hand in this. And two, you're the lowest on the combat ready list."
"Um, excuse me? How exactly did I end up lowest?"
"A number of factors, your age for one. The fact that you've seen no actual combat. You may be the target of this. Oh and your sister would kill me."
"I still refuse to be last." She folds her arms, giving that grumpy pout that Bo's mastered. "Baby I love you so don't hate me for this, but how am I not above Ayesha? I was here during the revolution that should count for combat experience."
"Ayesha is technically older than you, and she's matured naturally with her abilities. Also the fact that she is a fire Fae. That makes her one of the highest on the list."
"Your woman is badass." Ayesha smirks at Dagny. It's cute and innocent. That makes me worry. Worry that whatever is happening is going to taint that for them.
"Is this list an actual thing?" Mark asks from the corner, looking up from his phone.
"Actually," I nod. "It is. I came up with it last night. When Bo returns there is only two ways this can go. Either it is something simple, something we can handle quickly and all of us returning was unnecessary."
"Or?"
"Or that feeling that has been resonating in the pit of our stomachs enough to drive us all back here is accurate. If that's the case we need to be more prepared than we were before. A combat ready list is a good way for Bo to assess who goes where and when if need be."
"Is there a loyalty ranking list too Lauren?" Mark's eyes narrow.
"Excuse me, why wasn't I considered for this fieldtrip?" Vex comes up behind Evony, blocking the line of sight between me and Mark.
"You were, but I need you here on protective detail for Dagny."
"Fair enough." He shrugs, stealing the bottle from Evony. "Let the fun and games begin."
.
BO'S POV: 2:48 p.m.
.
This is a seriously huge truck. I shift for the sixth time, gripping the steering wheel tighter than normal. Should have taken someone else's car. Glancing up into the mirror my eyes end up lingering, watching Kenz as she stares out the window. What is going on with her?
"I thought it was pills."
"What?" Eyes shifting to him.
"I thought what Lauren made was pills."
"No, you don't get to ask about that. You don't get to ask about her."
"I was drunk last night."
"Drunk last night. Thought you were protecting everyone before. Not in control when you…killed Lauren. Always have some excuse."
"Today is going to be a long day Bo, we need to hold together otherwise we're not going to get anyone to help us."
"Firstly, it's me who's getting the help. Remember the whole reason you needed me so badly, because no one would deal with you? Secondly, today's anger with you isn't even about the history of us. It's about you lying."
"If I told you, you needed to play politician I knew you'd run the other way. Besides, I didn't think you would mind Lauren knowing before you."
"That isn't even what I'm talking about." I take sharp left turn, glancing in the side mirror. Yep, we have a tail. Dumbasses, don't tail someone in a glossy, red car. You stick out! "I'm talking about the whole Kendra situation."
"You weren't her biggest fan, didn't think it mattered."
"Ah right, because I don't wanna be BFFs with someone means I'm okay with if they die." Snorting, shaking my head. "You know me so well. Its times like this I can't believe we didn't last."
"Do you plan on losing these guys?" Kenz asks, glancing up toward the rearview mirror so she knows I can see the look she's shooting me.
"You want me to move past what happened, to trust you? Then tell me what happened." A sharp right down an alley, narrowly missing a minivan seems to do the trick. "Either you start making real steps in fixing this Dyson," Nope. I was wrong, just slowed them down. "Or you're getting voted off the island."
"I answered a call, possible drunk and disorderly. When I arrived there were two men. They didn't smell right, but there was people around. Other police pulling up. I had to keep cover so I drew on them."
"Let me guys, our zombie buddies."
"They charged and I unloaded. It was a mess of paperwork. A PR nightmare. The men were teens, good boys. The story spun was that under peer pressure they took something and had a reaction. But I was the cop who shot first. Given my stance with the Fae leaders they hung me out to dry. I slipped into a dark place, I'll admit. Hunting for what drug did this. For what I smelled. Nothing. For months. Then, I ran into Kendra. She was in town for a meeting, I hadn't seen her since the incident."
"Skip to the part that makes Ash wanna nail you to a wall." Sharp right, sharp left, swerve between a Toyota and a Honda.
"She saved me. We had something that was, real."
"Real like good enough to wait with until Lauren died so you can chase after me-."
"It was real." He growls, glancing back seeing how close our tail is. "One day she vanished, eventually I found her back at home. She was different. She was violent. Clawing at her own skin. Pealing it off and her words made no sense. The one thing that did was your name. Over and over again. I had to nearly kill her to get her to the Fae doctors, beg them to take her. She died a week later."
"I-I'm sorry." Glancing at him. "I'm sorry, really. I know what it's like to have the person you love most in the world die."
"Lauren came back, Kendra didn't. Maybe if you hadn't run away, you could have saved her too."
"Take a left now." Kenz orders, sending me shooting out between two oncoming trucks.
.
LAUREN'S POV: 3:02 p.m.
.
"Hey, Doc the-."
His voice scares me, but I can't seem to manage to raise my head from the toilet seat. The faint coolness brining a sliver of comfort. Sweat running down my face, stinging my eyes, but I can't manage to find the strength to wipe it away.
"What in the bloody hell?" His steps toward me slow, he's making his concerned face. I must look awful. "I hate to break this to you Doc but you're the only doctor we have."
"I don't need a doctor."
"I've seen things I've killed look better than you."
"It's just the injections, sometimes they have an effect. Bo forgot to pass me some of her chi when she gave me the injection."
"Yeah. Alright." He turns his back to me, grabbing several napkins before running them under water. Uncharacteristically he remains silent, walking back to me. I think he's going to give me the napkins but instead he wraps his arms around me, pulling me up onto the toilet. "Lauren." Crouching down, one hand on my knee as he gently dabs my forehead.
"Th-thank you."
"I'll go, you stay."
"No, it's already passing. Only ever lasts a little while."
"Have a lot of experience in this do ya'?"
"Only recently."
"Maybe it's time we got you back in a lab."
"It's fine Vex. This is always a risk, the serum is very sensitive. If any of your hormones are off," I cut myself off, taking the napkins from him. Sweating beginning to slow as the nausea is creeping towards bearable. "I'm fine."
"Yeah. Alright. I'll tell Dumb and Dumber to give you a few."
"Vex?" His name leaves my mouth despite every instinct inside of me arguing to keep quiet. He stops at the door, looking back at me. Don't Lauren. "Are we still friends?"
"Of course."
"No, are we friends?"
"I don't follow."
"Are we still friends like when you tried to kill Dyson for what he did to me. Or are we friends like everyone out there is friends?"
"I haven't been Dark in a long time, but if you hadn't stopped me Dyson would be dead now. I still wouldn't feel bad about it."
"Then when I leave, I need to you get something for me and no one can know."
"Okay."
"No one. Not Mark. Not Bo. And not even Evony."
"Double ball gag me babe, I'm your slave boy." He smirks as my eyebrow raises. "I stopped being Dark, I didn't stop enjoying life's little pleasures. Seriously, you had to find yourself the tamest of all succubi. You're missing out."
"We are not tame."
"Pffft."
"Don't pffft me. We're not."
"The fact that the worst skeleton hanging in your closest is a love for Taylor Swift says it all."
"Well not all of us enjoy teacups." I try to keep from smirking as he gasps. "That you can't drink out of."
"They're value decreases if-." He cuts himself off, eyes narrow. "My teacups are fine collectables."
"They are," I nod. "For a pretty, pretty princess."
"The jokes on you because I am a pretty, pretty princess." He kicks his heel up and for a solid five seconds he manages to keep a straight face.
"I missed you Vex." My admission a laugh, body nearly back to normal.
"And I missed you Doc, but how about you tell me what's going on?"
"I need you to get me a pregnancy test."
"It has been a bit since I ventured to the land of wet and squishy lady parts, but last I checked your goodies and Bo's goodies couldn't make a succu-human."
"Vex."
"Alright. Alright. I'm on it."
Never would I have ever imagined that one day the two people I trust most besides Bo would both be reformed Dark Fae, both of which had tried to kill us. Several times over. The funny thing about them is that underneath everything they were probably the most sensitive and insecure of us all. Logically I know if I was to ask someone to sneak out it should have been Evony, Vex leaving is taking a great deal of protection from Dagny. The problem with Evony ever since she turned human is that she's had trouble controlling her emotions and is oddly protective. Last think I need is a repeat of last night from Dyson to end up with Evony stabbing him with her wine glass. Though to be fair, Bo might enjoy that.
Oh Lauren, what have we gotten ourselves into now?
.
BO'S POV: 6:25 p.m.
.
"Count Dalaj, I introduce to you Bo Dennis, the re-unaligned succubus. Champion of the innocent. Lover of humans. Daughter of Hades and descendant of the Blood King."
"I feel a little like Khaleesi." Leaning to my left, whispering to Kenz who just ignores me. I thought it was a funny joke. Okay maybe not funny like ha-ha, but funny like a smirk at least. "Too much binge watching." I whisper to Dyson, who ignores me too. Beginning to think anyone would have been better company than them.
"I see manners weren't something you developed while hiding." He shifts in his seat, setting his silverware down.
"Hiding? Is that what you think I was doing?" Snorting at his comment, taking a step forward. His cheap, rip-off, secret service looking guards taking a step forward. You'd think for a guy in a ten thousand dollar suit he could spend more than fifty bucks on his help.
"You lost a fight, you ran, no one has seen you since. Dear girl that is hiding."
"Look here buddy, I've been all over town today, smiling and shaking hands. I've done everything but literally kiss your royal buddies' asses. What did I get? Shit. Five families and not a one want to help. I'm starting to get the impression that this whole run around was just that, a run around."
"Clever girl." He claps his hands, leaning back into his seat. "I heard it was your human pet that was the smart one."
"He's not going to help us either, it was a waste of time." Kenz says, hand on my arm as she starts to turn.
"You do love the humans don't you succubus." He stands up, buttoning his dress jacket back up. "Do you know what an insult it is to my family to have you standing here? The remaining members believe that I am insane for speaking to you. And helping you? Well, I'm sure they wish they could cut off my head as they did my brother. You do remember my brother, don't you?"
"You want to help me?"
"No, I don't want to, but if there is one person who can help me it's you."
"You want me to help you?"
"Yes, because see all you want is men. Track down some abominations. Simple. I have men. I have slaves. Human and Fae alike. Take what you please."
"But I have to do what for you?"
"Come. Bring your pets too, I know you can't live without them."
The Count and his six bodyguards lead us through the 'small' dining room into the 'small' living room and then down through what I expected to lead to a basement. Turns out the Count and his family aren't exactly puritan. A narrow white hall, painfully shiny leading to nowhere. But on either side of us, eight seventy by seventy inch glass windows. Though by the looks of it, I doubt its glass. Note to self: Deal with zombies, come back and evict the pervs.
The first on our right occupied by a naked woman, hands bound above her head with a cloth over her eyes. The second window to our left a naked man hung from his ankles, swinging back and forth through the air. The fifth window to our right where he comes to a stop, a young woman, covered in blood but clothed. Her hands chained to the wall as she attempts to run at us. This place would give Vex the hibigeebies.
"Relax succubus, this is all consensual."
"Consensual, really?"
"You saw my Aunt Cecelia and my nephew Raphael."
"Sure, what's a little bondage between family?" My eyes widening slightly as I glance at Kenzi who's looking into the dark window behind us. "And her?"
"This would be what I need your help with."
"Sorry, my kinky is limited to toys you can purchase at regular stores."
"She is my sister, we found her like this yesterday morning. Rabid like some lowbred common Fae. We thought she had experimented with something. Then she began to peal the flesh from her bone."
"Like Kendra." Dyson states the obvious.
"These abomination did not just fall from the sky. Something caused them, intentionally or not. You feel you are the Jesus of Fae. You must save everyone. Lead your people to a better life. Well, I'll give you all the men, money and lab equipment for your pet for as long as you need."
"But?"
"But you must save my sister."
"My pet as you continue to call her, her name is Lauren. And we have a problem because Lauren hasn't even been able to figure out what they are. She's working with Walmart supplies and a doctor bag from four years ago. It's gonna take some time."
"No, it won't. If half of what I've heard about her is true, the second she gets into a lab she should have something."
"Well, you have all the answers don't you."
"I don't make a move unless I'm sure I come out on top. A key difference between us."
"Mm."
"Do we have a deal?" He extends his hand. "Or do you need to run back and discuss it with your pets?"
"Yeah," Eyes dropping to his hand, scoffing. "We have a deal."
"It's a shame when the trash is useful."
"I just need to make one thing clear, so there's no misunderstanding." His snide comment pulling me and by extension them to a stop. Turning back around to face him. "When this is all over, the abominations are gone along with the person responsible and your sister is cured. I am going to come back here and kill you. Along with any of your freaky little family who gets in my way. And just to make sure we understand each other, I know I have a reputation for mercy, but when I say kill, I mean your heart will stop and you will cease to exist."
"Excuse me?"
"See karma is a bitch, but she has nothing on me. I know who you are. I know you're Mesmer strong enough to control thoughts, even those of a fifteen hundred year old shifter."
"And here is the weakness." He laughs, looking to his guards before back to me. "You know who I am, what I did and you will still work with me? Either your precious pet means that little to you or you are as weak as we've thought."
"Work with you?" This time it's me who laughs. "No, I'm using you and everything you have, then I'm going to kill you and take what's left. See being back here is reminding me exactly why I started the rebellion and I'm beginning to think that maybe it's time for another. And your money, your resources, your men, some of which I'm sure fought on my side before, I'm going to take it all." Unable to keep from smirking as that cocky ass grin of his falters. "So sleep well Dimitri and enjoy what life you have left because before you know it, it's all gonna be over."
"Okay, that was a little Khaleesi." Kenzi whispers when we reach the top of the stairs and had I not been still so pissed I would have smirked.
The guards following closely behind us until we're back out on the driveway. Walking around the massive fountain that for some reason is right in the middle my eye catches the tail end of a red car parked between two SUVs. Ha. Guess we have an answer now to who was following us.
"What is wrong with you Bo?"
"What?" I glance up to him, it's his growl not his words that catch my attention.
"The one man who is offering us help and you threaten to kill him?"
"I wasn't aware you had warm and fuzzies for him considering he made you his personal bitch."
"You don't think I want to kill him myself?" His growl interwoven into his words. "But we need help."
"And we have it."
"Are you sure?"
"You know how Lauren said there wasn't much to do? Well one thing I did at work, really before Theo got there was read. I read everything. Horror. Mystery. Lauren's books. I really think I grew as a person." My hand grabs his arm, pulling him to a stop. Kenz already a few feet ahead near the truck. "I read a theory that every group has an alpha, a beta and an omega, or several omega. Now to be an omega or beta, there's nothing wrong with it. Hell they could even possibly be alpha in another group."
"Is that supposed to mean something?"
"Yeah, in this group there is one alpha, one leader and that's me. If you haven't guessed it, Lauren's the beta. Everyone else by default is omegas. Evony used to lead a whole district, but now she follows orders. Ash is scary but even before, she followed orders. Vex is pretty scary, but you know what? He follows orders. What I'm getting at Dyson is you either remember how to follow orders or you find yourself another group, team, family, whatever you wanna call us right now."
"Are you sure this is how you want to play this Bo?" His voice lowers as he leans down slightly. Kenz staring at us from the right and two guards hesitantly approaching from the left.
"This game has already been over."
.
LAUREN'S POV: 7:16 p.m.
.
"Gotta be honest, hunting zombies in theory is a lot more fun than this." Ash complains, rubbing the back of her neck as we continue walking through the junkyard.
"We'll find one."
"Why here? Not that I'm an expert or nothing, but the times I've seen those things it was public." Theo looks behind us again, he's beginning to fail his field test. Come on Theo, I have high hopes for you.
"I have a theory, several actually and I'm putting it to the test."
"Do you care to share?" She glances back at us. "Didn't think so."
"We have to be near one, it's been too long."
"Been too long?" She laughs. "Oh! We're playing bait! I get it now."
"These infected, they've come after me and Bo. As of right now, any other victims have been collateral damage. Bo has been out all day, they haven't attacked otherwise she would have called. We've been out here for a few hours and nothing. Why?"
"If they aren't after Bo or you then what?" He keeps his hand on his gun. At this rate he's going to drop to sixty percent usefulness. We need you to stay above Mark.
"That's the question isn't it?"
"We got company!" She waves Theo up to her side. "Protect the doctor."
The two draw their weapons, Theo being the only one of the two that actually need it. Ash just likes weapons and bombs and knifes. She loves her toys. The SUV in question speeding toward us. The car is too far to get back to now. If we ran we'd be run down. Fight it is. My steps cautious as I back up. Bo is going to kill me.
"Do we shoot? Lauren, do we shoot?"
"No, hold."
Speed increases, but neither move and just when I think I'm going to be forced in to giving the order the SUV does a hundred and eighty degree turn. It comes to a stop and even though the pair glance back at me, I honestly have no clue. The doors fly open and four men step out almost in sync.
"Dimitri sends his regards." The driver says, pulling open the trunk. "He thought you would need one of these." He pulls out the body of an infected. Even from here I can see it's fresh. "There will be more awaiting your arrival at the lab tomorrow ma'am."
"This situation is making me about as confused as a fart in a fan factory."
"Um," I nod, stepping out from between them. The SUV already turning around. "I'm right there with you."
"Is it just me who is disappointed we didn't get to kill anything today?"
"Well to be fair," Kneeling down beside the body, looking up toward her. "You only said you wanted to get out, we're out."
"Everybody is a comedian."
.
BO'S POV: 9:18 p.m.
.
"Hey, can you hold up?"
"I have to pee."
"I'm sure."
"You don't believe I have to pee?" She gives me that side glare she's perfected. "Glad to see your trust issues aren't limited to Dyson."
"Why'd you come back Kenz?"
"Did you want me to leave?"
"I want you to stop." I manage to jog ahead of her, stopping in her path giving her no choice but to face me. "No one forced you to come back."
"Yeah. Just like no one forced me to come back before."
"You're still mad about that." I nod, looking past her to the street. "I apologized so many times, I thought it was safe Kenz. We all did. Even you did. You wanted to be in the fight as much as any of us."
"Yes, because that way everyone we lost, their deaths would mean something."
"It wasn't my fault the rebellion fell apart Kenz. I tried. I gave everything I had."
"Keep telling yourself that."
"You think it's my fault?"
"I think it's all of our fault. We got too cocky. We got too comfortable. You're so focused on the fact that you almost lost Lauren that night, you missed the fact that you lost everyone else. We all lost everyone else."
"I couldn't keep us together, I failed. I know that. But how could you expect me just to forgive Dyson, like you did. Oh so what he killed Lauren. Whoops?"
"Bullshit Bo. You know I love Lauren."
"Just not as much as D-Man right? Team Dyson forever."
"That's so much bullshit. We moved past all that. See you want to sit on your high horse and say you've moved past it all and screw us all because we've dragged you back. But everything you throw at him, it's all past shit. You turned what happened with Dyson into some love triangle assignation. He takes shots at you and you think it has to do with Lauren. Take two seconds to realize things other than Lauren exist."
"Kiss my ass." Snorting, jaw clenching to keep from saying anything else. Her hand grabs my wrist, pulling me back to a stop. "Kenz, let go."
"Do you even realize you lost your sister, you lost me when that happened?"
"Kenz, the second Hale died you went running. No matter how hard I held onto you I couldn't keep you. Even when it was safe, you jumped at the chance to take Dagny and go be normal. I had to beg and plead to get you to stay when Dagny came of age, when the rebellion was making progress and the second it fell through you went running again. And as to why I let Dagny go back with you? You raised her. Tamsin may be her mother, but you are her mom. What was I supposed to do? Say no, you have to stay with me now. Say sorry I gave you this life but now I'm just going to take it away?"
"You could have fought for more than Lauren." She finally let's go of my arm, tears in her eyes. "I know you love me Bo, but you've been fighting for Lauren since we met, it just got to be too much. You stopped noticing you were losing everyone else."
"That isn't fair."
"Tell me, when you started your crusade for freedom, was it with me in mind or was it to remove that dog collar from Lauren?"
"I always protected you, you weren't affected the same way she was. She was enslaved. How can you compare?"
"One day you're going to get it Bo. One day it will click for you. You may be our great leader, but you became a shitty friend." She brushes past me, walking into the Dal without so much as a glance.
"Well, today has been lovely." Snorting to myself, sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as my feet drag. I need Lauren. I need a drink. I need sleep. In that order. "What?" Knees locking as I find everyone staring at me. "Who died?" Awkward laugh dying out as they all avoid looking me in the eye. "Where's Lauren? Is-?"
"She fine." Evony says from behind the bar, pouring herself a drink. "Well, she's alive anyway."
"What happened?" Eyes running over them, but I'm already storming toward the office. My heart sinking to the pit of my stomach, terrified of what I'll fine. "Lauren?" Kicking the door shut, I nearly slide across the floor as I drop to my knees. "Lauren, what happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She just leans against the wall, knees up to her chest as tears stream down her cheeks. "Baby talk to me. Baby please. What is it? What happened?"
"I did this."
"W-what?"
"I did this. This is me."
"I-I don't understand." Eyes running over her frantically, hands hovering over her knees, scared to touch her.
"There's enough components I'm able to identify, common denominators between them all. It's my research."
"Research? What research?"
"Taft. Turning Evony. Turning myself."
"Oh."
"It's my research Bo. Someone took it and turned it into the equivalent of a chemical weapon. They're taking people and injecting them with this. Lethal doses. I found puncture marks on them, at first I wasn't sure. But the last, it's my research."
"Lauren, you can't blame yourself for this."
"It was already a weapon Bo, that's how I used it. It shouldn't be a surprise someone, perfected it for that use."
"You are not responsible for this."
"Do you know what it's doing to these people? These victims? It's literally liquefying their insides. It's slow at first. Bone becomes a hard gelatin, running into organs that they don't puncture but rather infuse with. The blood boils. They lose all control. Until eventually everything shuts down. Then they liquefy quite literally. Skin, muscle, it all just slips from the bone."
"This isn't what you made. Whatever is doing this is what this sick freak added. He or she or it changed the rules. They changed the ingredient that did."
"Bo," She looks up so quickly I find myself holding a breath. Red, teary eyes staring into mine. "Either sit with me and let me process or get out and let me process." Her features riddled in pain, trying to keep tears at bay. "I really hope it's the first because I don't want you to go." Words a broken whisper.
I can't seem to find the right words to say or even the right way to say yes, so instead I crawl beside her. Back against the wall, knees bended, a lax imitation of her pose. Eyes fixed on the door, more accurately the keyhole. Hand gently taking hers in my own, giving a squeeze with every sob I hear escape her.
It's okay babe, I'm not going anywhere. Promise.