Varius: #9 (Luna Lodge) (2 page)

Thinking about that bastard Reverend John made Varius clench his fists in rage. The details of the attack on Justus and Paige, where Lena had been used as a hostage and bait, came back in a rush.

He’d jumped in to save them just in time. Lena and Paige had been pinned between a fire and one of Reverend John’s crazed followers. Seeing her being jerked around by her hair, something clicked in him. The animal side of him burst out, howling for blood.

He knew she had seen the true him before she passed out from the smoke. That was why he’d kept his distance, despite every cell in his body telling him she was his. The way she fidgeted around him, he knew he scared her. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten his Vestal. All he could do was keep watch on her, be around her, but not too close.

But Varius couldn’t keep that up anymore. Not being able to touch her was slowly killing him inside. He needed to show her she shouldn’t be scared of him.

“Any changes with the Reverend’s men since your last report?” Titus said. “If you’ve seen unusual activity, that might be a reason to wait.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Varius shook his head. “Most have gone back to doing what they did before. Working and being with their families, acting normal and not like a bunch of psychos who formed a homicidal mob.”

Titus raised a brow. “And the others?”

He shook his head. “They have to be hiding out somewhere. I’ve searched all over, but it’s a big area, and there is a lot of private property I can’t get onto without being seen.”

Titus nodded. “We’ll keep this tight,” he said. “I don’t expect that this is over with him. He’s just licking his wounds and waiting for the right moment. Like I said, although I doubt he’ll make his move in broad daylight, we can’t be sure of anything knowing his connections.” He slammed his fist on the table. “There’s just too much going on. Those strange signals affecting some of the people in town may not be directly controlled by Reverend John, but he’s definitely taking advantage of them.”

Varius nodded. After what happened in the town, it was clear that someone in the government was working with the fanatic. He didn’t have the technical skill to pull off something like that, given what he’d demonstrated in his previous attacks on the hybrids.

Every bit of intelligence they’d gleaned suggested the government was involved with the signals, and that meant probably an asshole like the anti-hybrid Senator Woods.

The existence of parts of the government that wanted the hybrids gone so badly they were willing to sacrifice innocent people sickened and frightened Varius.

“While you should be careful,” Titus said, “I doubt anything will happen tomorrow. Just remember to be vigilant.” He nodded his dismissal.

Varius stood and made his way to the door. He stopped just before opening it, his back still to his leader.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “For the chance to be near her.”

He turned when he heard Titus chuckle.

“It wasn’t like there was much of a choice,” he said. His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “You have every other man giving her about ten feet space because they are afraid you’ll rip their heads off. I know you’ve been trying to keep your distance in a way, but you’ve been doing a piss-poor job of it.”

Varius frowned. He’d never threatened the men. In fact, he was surprised any of them even cared. He hadn’t made many friends really anyway, and everyone understood how important Vestals were to their community. No Vestals, no children, no future.

Titus stood and walked over to him. He smiled widely at Varius and clapped him on the shoulder. “You were made for one another. Anyone that saw your heroic save that night knows it as well.”

Varius wasn’t one to talk about his feelings, but it was good to know that his leader had his back when he needed it.

“Show her that you belong together,” Titus said. “Then she’ll want to be with you.”

Varius gave him another nod and opened the door. Now all he had to do was wait for tomorrow.

Chapter Three

Lena yawned, still tired. Sleep had eluded her, the night filled with panicked thoughts about Reverend John and his men. The memories of the fire and violence from months ago always hovered in the back of her mind, feeding the fear and unease that never quieted completely.

It didn’t help things that she’d been forced to deal with another source of nervous discomfort.

Not only was she going outside the compound, something she hadn’t wanted and actively avoided since she first came to Luna Lodge, but she was also spending the whole day with Varius.

She didn’t dislike him. She definitely didn’t dislike looking at him. He was quiet and always polite, and of course looked like a god on steroids. The whole thing just made her feel odd. Lena had never experienced such a strong attraction to someone, let alone instantly feeling such a way.

For a while, she wondered if it was because he’d saved her life, but enough time had passed now for mere gratitude to have worn off. The lodge was filled with handsome, brave hunks, but she could only muster passing lust for any of them, not the slow-burning and constant desire she felt for Varius whether she was around him or not.

Now she sat in the car with the quiet hybrid, nerves frazzled and lacking any real sleep.

She twisted her hands in her lap as the gates opened.

Lena took in a deep breath. Varius glanced over to her as they pulled through. In the mirror, she could see the giant doors close behind them.

“You’re safe with me,” he said. “I won’t let anyone hurt you as long as you’re with me.”

His deep rumble startled her, but she did feel safe with him. She took him at his word. More than that, she felt it in her heart. Lena knew this without a doubt. He’d already saved her once.

The longer she was in the car, the more she relaxed. The quiet lull of the road soothed her nerves. She opened her mouth several times to say something, but nothing seemed to come out.

It wasn’t exactly easy coming up with the words to tell someone thanks for saving your life, especially at risk to themselves.

He didn’t know her then. For all he knew, she could have been a hybrid hater. Plenty of people in town disliked the hybrids even if they weren’t maniacs about it like Reverend John.

Lena watched Varius out of the corner of her eyes. His hands remained firmly on the steering wheel and eyes forward. Not that she could see them behind the dark shades he wore to hide his beautiful amber eyes.

What was the point? Just to make people more comfortable if they ran into someone? The idea the hybrids had been forced into such things irritated her. They’d done so many heroic things. She didn’t understand why other people refused to believe that.

Varius hadn’t said anything since they had passed through the gate, and it didn’t seem to bother him that they were sitting in silence. But then, she’d noticed that about him.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

The words were out of her mouth before she’d even had time to think about them.

His arm muscles flexed at her question. He spared a glance at her.

“No.”

Lena cleared her throat. Seeing that he wasn’t planning on breaking the habit, someone had to move things along.

“I like to talk when I’m nervous,” she said, “but I’m sure that annoys you. I tend to go on when I should just shut my trap. Like now. I know I should stop, but I just am having trouble.”

The side of his mouth twitched a little. “I don’t mind you talking.”

His voice was deep, and with just those few words, he had somehow pulled them closer together.

She sighed a little, glad to know that she wasn’t annoying him. Or at least, he wasn’t saying if she was. She could deal with that.

“I know it’s silly to be nervous about going back to my apartment,” she said. “I know they won’t be there.” She nodded at her own statement to try and affirm the truth.

“It’s unlikely,” he said quietly. “Especially during the day.”

He was trying to comfort her, and at that moment, she’d take it.

“Thank you,” she said. A blush worked its way up her neck. “For coming with me.”

She still wasn’t quite able to get out all of what she wanted to say, but it was a start.

Varius grunted his acknowledgment.

She opened her mouth to say more but stopped as they had just reached the outskirts of town.

Familiar fear surged back into her heart. She clung to the door and gripped the seat so hard her knuckles popped from the strain.

A large warm hand covered her hand on the seat, and she looked over to find Varius had placed his hand on hers.

She was surprised to find his eyes still fixed on the road ahead. They flicked over to her and flashed the golden light she’d seen several times before.

“Nothing will happen to you,” he said. “I swear it. I’d die before I let anything happen to you.”

The conviction in his voice reverberated down to her very bones. Lena nodded, warmed by his hand and words.

He brushed his thumb lightly across her knuckles, and her body’s response to such a simple touch surprised her.

Varius took in a deep breath and pulled his hand away.

A part of her wanted to reach out and pull it back to where it belonged, but she knew it was crazy. He had offered her comfort. That was all. No reason to make him uncomfortable. He was just doing his job.

The car slowed to a halt. Lena looked around at a familiar building. Her apartment stood right in front of them, one floor up.

“We’re here,” Varius said.

* * *

After nearly three hours inside, they hadn’t talked much. They’d been busy. Varius had to admit Lena had a lot more stuff to pack than he’d anticipated.

How did one woman have so much crap? And how many shoes could she possibly use? Still, he didn’t say anything as he loaded them into a container, maybe because there were a couple he wouldn’t mind seeing her in such as the strappy black heels he knew she would look amazing in, especially when wearing nothing else.

Varius grunted as he placed the heels quickly in the container. The last thing he needed to do was work himself up at a time like this. He needed to keep focused.

They’d come to the apartment to pack, nothing more. This wasn’t a date.

He placed the lid on the container and shoved it back into the mostly packed closet. When he looked over to Lena, she was sorting through some paperwork. Her face scrunched up as she tossed the last of it into the wide box.

Their eyes met from across the room. He could smell the tropical scent of her shampoo. Calling to him. Enticing him to do something more. Spending the last hour in the bedroom didn’t help keep his mind away from sex.

“What’s left?” he asked, trying to refocus.

Lena looked around the room. “I just need to get a suitcase for the rest of my clothes.” She sighed. “There’s still a ton to do. We’re not going to get it all done today.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m sorry.” A nervous laugh followed. “Never planned to abruptly leave my place in advance.”

Varius stood and grabbed a large suitcase from the top of the shelf in the closet.

“Don’t worry about it. Just get to what you can,” he said but stopped when something dropped to the floor from the shelf.

“Shit!” Lena yelled.

Something rubber bounced off his foot and hit the ground next to it.

His eyes widened as he realized what the object was just before Lena threw herself on top of it.

Her body didn’t absorb the buzzing sound of the rubber-bristled vibrator.

“Fucking shit,” Lena said as she struggled to turn it off.

Varius cleared his throat loudly, looking away.

“I’ll just start in the kitchen,” he said and practically ran from the room, his blood now screaming. He was unable to stay in the room a moment longer thinking about what she used that toy for. His pulse thumped hard in his neck and even more down lower, as he put some distance between himself and the woman slowly driving him crazy.

Lena struggled to turn off the damn sex toy. Of all the things, that had been the last thing on her mind when he pulled her suitcase from the shelf.

She flicked the switch on the end and tossed it in the suitcase. No way she was chancing that it might come on during the move and some other hybrid would learn what she liked to do at night. It was bad enough Varius now knew.

Well, maybe not bad. More embarrassing. She had seen it in his eyes. He knew what it was.

Did she dare hope that she had seen excitement there as well?

She sighed and sat on the end of the bed. She’d suffered through a nighttime fun time dry spell. So what? It wasn’t like there were people lining up to help her out.

Her gaze drifted out the door and to the kitchen. Varius stood against the counter, his back to her as he packed the glasses from her shelves. She could see the strong muscles there as they worked to put things away.

Her insides twitched as she watched him.

She sure wouldn’t mind if one man in particular lined up to help her end her dry spell.

Varius glanced back at her, likely feeling her eyes on him. She shook herself and got back to packing. There were still so many things to do and not near enough time to be dreaming about what she wished would happen.

Chapter Four

“I’m finished,” Lena said.

Varius turned and found her standing at the door. He’d nearly finished packing the items in the kitchen while she loaded up her suitcase. He noticed her bag sitting beside her, and he briefly wondered if she packed the toy, but then pushed the thought from his head.

It definitely wasn’t the time or the place. He was supposed to be helping her and keeping her safe, not thinking about fucking her.

He dusted his hands on his pants and sighed.

The sound of a vehicle pulling up reached his ears, but that wasn’t unusual. They were in an apartment building after all.

It wouldn’t be the first group of people who had come and gone in the last few hours. Even though a few people had eyed him as they walked to her place, nobody had really seemed to care all that much, and it’d be too difficult to try and concentrate on listening all around the building.