Chapter 13 Nova #3
He whispered against my hair, "If you don't want to tell me what's really going on, that's fine.
I get it. I understand the need for privacy.
Just know," he gripped my shoulders and pulled away slightly so those eyes that perfectly matched mine could stare down at me with a glimpse of genuine brotherly love, "we're here for you.
All of us. Whatever you need, whenever you need it.
That's what makes us stronger than anyone else who might come against us.
That's what makes us Syndicate. Makes us unstoppable. "
Knowing with absolute certainty that he was right, I nodded.
I’d always had my siblings' backs without question, never thought less of them when they called on me for help or support.
In fact, I had enjoyed those moments when I could help them, when they needed me.
Those times confirmed my place in this family, in this world, proving that I mattered and belonged.
Drawing on that strength, that unshakeable foundation of family loyalty, I took a deep breath and squeezed his arm before I let go.
His eyes settled back into their normal expression, and a lazy smirk formed on his lips as he crossed his arms. "You know that doesn't give you license to boss me around, so don't even try it.
Also, I'll just hand off most of the work you send me to Rack anyway because I'm a busy fucking man with better things to do. "
I lifted a brow at him, knowing he only half-meant what he was saying. Typical Calix. Always trying to maintain his image as someone who didn't care too much about anything.
Throwing my hand around to indicate the elaborate lab surrounding us, I said, "Sure. Right. That's why you came running to this little replica."
He laughed loud and hard, his face turned up toward the ceiling in genuine amusement before he said, "Well, I want to do the fun stuff. The boring administrative crap can go to someone else."
Shaking my head, I mumbled, "Gods, I feel bad for Rack. He has the worst job of them all, dealing with your lazy ass."
"Don't worry about him." Calix waved off my concern as he glanced down at his watch. "He's perfectly fine where he is." He smiled in a way that immediately made me suspicious. "Speaking of seconds, yours just rolled up outside."
My heart began to pound, and without warning, thoughts of him and Lucy came flooding back. The memory of him smiling down at her as she clung to him was so vivid and painful that my claws popped out involuntarily, my wolf responding to the uncontrollable surge of jealousy and possessiveness.
"Oooohhhh." Calix rubbed his hands together with obvious glee, a savage glint sparkling in his eyes. Of course, my personal drama would be the most entertaining thing he'd seen all day. "Trouble in paradise? Need me to knock him into tomorrow? Bleed him until he collapses from blood loss?"
When I sliced a deadly glare at him, his voice went up a hopeful octave. "Maybe just punch him in his stupid demon face? Just once? For funsies?"
"What’s your deal with him?" I asked, genuinely curious about his obvious animosity. "You've never liked Zeth, not even when we were younger and he was just another Syndicate kid hanging around."
Calix glared down at his watch as if the timepiece had personally wronged him, and I barely caught his angry muttered words, "I hate a weak will."
What the hell does that mean? The comment was so cryptic and loaded with implication that I knew I was missing some crucial piece of information.
Before I could ask him to elaborate, Zeth's loud voice rang out from somewhere outside the building. "Nova! Are you in there?" A complex mix of emotions ran through me—anger, longing, frustration, and something that might have been relief.
Did he leave Lucy to catch up to me? How had he found me here? Had he asked Rack for the location? And if so, why? I'd given him full license to stay behind and hang out with her, practically encouraging him to pursue whatever was happening between them.
Maybe he felt guilty about the whole situation? I knew he'd had women at his place a time or two, but this was the first time it had happened so blatantly in my face, the first time I'd been forced to witness it so directly.
As I thought about everything going on, the serious trouble I was facing with this mysterious substance, the threats to my territory and my people, I still somehow had enough emotional energy left over to focus on Zeth and his romantic entanglements. A disturbing thought occurred to me.
Are we just holding each other back? Were both of us unable to move on and find happiness because we were constantly in each other's daily lives, always being reminded of what we couldn't have? Did I need to change that?
"Before you go," Calix called to my back, completely ignoring Zeth's increasingly urgent calls from outside, "I want you to know that this place is coded to let you in anytime. The magical locks will recognize you and grant you access whenever you need it."
He grabbed a few sheets of paper from one of his workstations and darted in front of me.
"It's not complete yet, but here's a list of all the chemical compounds I identified in that sample.
If you can't find a source or a dealer through normal channels, try following the ingredients instead.
I'll also check the coasts to see if this stuff is being brought in from outside the country. "
I carefully folded the papers and tucked them into my back pocket, their weight a physical reminder of the responsibility I carried. “Thanks, Cal. I really appreciate this. First, Aniyah had to deal with all that bullshit, and now this.”
He nodded, but his expression fell by the second, growing more and more serious. “Aniyah. That lady she was fighting. How she described her turning…” He looked back at his lab, his body vibrating like it was itching to do something.
“You think this has something to do with that?” I lifted up the papers and watched his eyes narrow.
“Maybe.” He turned around in a circle, answering me absently. “I’ll have to see if I can scrounge up some samples to test against, but I’ll let you know.” His eyes lost focus as he stared at the wall, muttering to himself.
I had turned away from him, not wanting to disturb the mad scientist, when he called out, “Also, I’m going to send the details to Father.”
I opened my mouth to object.
Our parents were on a well-deserved trip overseas, so I didn't want to bother them unless absolutely necessary, but Calix shook his head before I could voice my concerns.
"I don't want to disturb them either, trust me, but I have to do this. I need to see if he's ever encountered anything like this before, or if we're dealing with something completely new. His experience might help us figure out who's behind this and what they're really after."
Biting my lip, I was torn between wanting to handle this on my own and knowing he was right. Having experienced eyes on the problem was smart. More ideas, more information, more resources… even if it meant admitting I needed help.
"Fine," I finally agreed, "but tell me what he says the moment he responds.
The second he gives you anything, I want to know.
Got it?" I jabbed my finger at him to make sure he understood I was dead serious.
Calix had this frustrating habit of finding out important information then getting distracted by other projects before sharing it.
He put his hand on top of my head and ruffled my hair, turning it into a knotty mess.
I yanked away and growled in annoyance, pushing my claws out and swiping at him.
He dodged my attack, using his supernatural speed to appear across the room in a blink.
Smart fucking vampire knew exactly how far he could push me.
"You got it, little sis." Raising his fist in the air, he grinned like a complete psycho. "Talk to you soon!"
I had opened my mouth to respond when a loud banging echoed from one of the walls. Calix’s expression immediately became murderous.
"If you don't quit fucking with my lab, you damn demon, I'll rip your horns out and shove them up your ass!” he yelled at the door. “Don't think I won't do it, because you know I absolutely will!"
The pounding stopped immediately, and I smirked at Calix. Being a violent psycho was definitely a family trait, so sometimes you just had to laugh it off and appreciate the effectiveness of a good threat.
“I'll be expecting that call soon,” I warned him. “If I don't hear from you within a reasonable timeframe, I'll hunt you down myself.”
With my hand on the door handle, he laughed. “You'll have to catch me first, and we both know how that usually goes.”
Shaking my head at his arrogance, I opened the door and immediately ran into my panicked second.
Zeth's hair was sticking up in several directions, and there was a jittery energy about him that hadn't been there when I'd left him with Lucy. His whole demeanor screamed anxiety and distress.
“What the fuck is going on, Nova?” he demanded, his voice tight with worry and confusion.
Looking at him with a much calmer head than I'd had earlier, I sighed deeply, exhausted by our complicated situation. I needed to face this head-on. We needed a significant change, needed to finally address what had been festering between us for far too long.
“Let's go to my house,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my heart.
“We need to talk.”