Chapter Two #3
Franklin was glad that Moore had pointed that out, but at the same time, how could he be sure that nothing would happen to Garrett if they did this?
He’d heard about the raids before. A lot of the guards who worked for the Glass Research Company talked about it with fear.
They knew what would happen to them if the lab they worked at was raided, and Franklin had seen proof of that during the last raid.
He was lucky he’d come out of it the way he had.
But he’d heard stories. He knew that sometimes, some of the test subjects didn’t make it.
He couldn’t afford for that to happen to Garrett, not when he was so close to getting his brother back.
He didn’t want anything to happen to anyone, which meant that they needed to use everything and everyone they could, including Reed.
That left a bitter taste in Franklin’s mouth.
He didn’t like Reed. He didn’t like that he found him attractive, with that stupid white streak in his hair and his stupid soft eyes.
It didn’t matter how beautiful the man was on the outside when, on the inside, he might as well be a monster.
He was saying all the right things, talking about atoning for what he’d done and everything, but how could anyone believe him?
“I’m sure you can understand why we’re wary of you,” Moore said. “We don’t know you, and you just confessed to having worked for the Glass Research Company willingly.”
“I did work for them willingly. I won’t deny that,” Reed said. “I never wanted to hurt anyone, though. I did what I could while I was there, helping the test subjects, but I realized that it wasn’t enough. That’s why I want to help you get everyone out.”
Franklin couldn’t continue listening to this.
His mind was going into overdrive. He wanted to see Garrett desperately, but he was afraid that if they involved Reed, he might lose his brother completely.
He needed to trust Reed, but he wasn’t sure he could.
Maybe it would’ve been better if he hadn’t been present at this meeting.
He didn’t want to freak Reed out because the man still needed to give them the information he was talking about, so instead of doing what he wanted, which was to reach over the table and grab the man, Franklin got to his feet.
That seemed to startle everyone at the table.
Moore frowned at Franklin, while Reed’s eyes widened.
Franklin didn’t say anything. He shook his head and made to leave, walking past Reed as he did so.
Everything would’ve been fine if Reed hadn’t reached for him.
Franklin felt the fingers on his wrist, making him shiver, just as Reed’s words reached him.
“I’m really sorry about your brother.”
Franklin froze. He wasn’t normally a violent person, but he’d lost his mother.
His siblings had been kidnapped and hurt.
He desperately wanted to help them, to save them from the labs, but he couldn’t.
There was nothing he could do by himself, and he’d always blamed himself for that.
He should’ve been there when Garrett and Leah had been taken.
He might have died with their mother, or he might have become a test subject like Leah and Garrett had, but he also might have been able to do something.
As it was, he’d dealt with the consequences, and those consequences had left him completely alone.
He moved quickly. He reached down, grabbed Reed’s arm, and hauled him to his feet. Reed squeaked, but Franklin ignored it. He’d been thinking about doing this before, about taking his anger out on Reed, but he told himself he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t allowed to, not when they needed Reed.
But Reed had been the one to touch him. He’d been the one who’d reached out. He’d been the one who’d made Franklin snap.
Franklin pressed Reed against the wall and ignored his wide eyes and the fear he could see lurking in them. To his surprise, Reed didn’t try to push him away. He behaved like he felt he deserved this, and he did.
Franklin leaned close and let out a little growl. His lion wanted to come out and play, but to his surprise, it didn’t want to hurt Reed. It took Franklin a few seconds to realize why, and when he did, he released Reed instantly and stumbled back.
Franklin could hear himself breathing hard. He could see Reed staring back at him, the strand of white hair flopped on his forehead. He could feel Moore hovering close, as if he expected to have to stop Franklin from doing something stupid.
Franklin already had. He’d gotten close to Reed, and in doing so, he’d smelled him.
He’d smelled his mate.
Franklin’s brain couldn’t make sense of that. There was no way his mate was someone who’d signed up to work for the Glass Research Company. It couldn’t be someone who’d probably hurt his brother, if not both of his siblings.
“Franklin?” Moore asked.
Franklin shook his head. “I’m not going to hurt him.” He laughed bitterly. “I couldn’t even if I tried.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
Franklin tore his gaze away from Reed to look at Moore. “He’s my mate. That’s what’s going on.”
“He’s what?”
“My mate, Moore. He’s my mate.”
Franklin turned. He couldn’t stay in this room for one second longer. He didn’t know what he’d do if he did. So instead, he walked out the door, unsure where he was going. He just needed to get away.
He needed to get away from his mate.
* * * *
REED HAD NO IDEA WHAT was going on. He wasn’t surprised that Franklin had attacked him.
In fact, he’d expected something like that to happen.
He was a little surprised that Moore had seemed about to jump in to help him, although he was probably doing it because he wanted access to the information that Reed had told him about.
Reed didn’t blame him, just like he didn’t blame Franklin.
What had the two of them been murmuring to each other just now, though? Did it have anything to do with Reed?
“Well, that’s an interesting development,” Rikar murmured.
Reed frowned at him. “What is?”
Rikar didn’t have to answer. He was close enough to Franklin and Moore to hear Franklin’s last words as he walked away.
He’s my mate.
Reed’s brain couldn’t make sense of the words, even though he understood them. He stood there, watching Franklin disappear through the door. He wanted to think he’d heard that wrong, mostly for Franklin’s sake, but he didn’t think he had, and that might be a problem.
When had his life not been a problem?
“You’re okay?” Moore asked as he turned toward Reed.
Reed was still pressed against the wall, and he could feel everyone around them watching him. It made his body go hot, and he nodded, quickly sliding back into his seat. “I’m perfectly fine,” he whispered.
Moore watched him for a minute before nodding. He seemed to accept Reed’s words easily, but he had to have questions. Franklin had just told him that Reed was his mate. What did that mean? What was Reed going to do about it?
Reed was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question.
There was no way that Franklin would ever want him, and he shouldn’t.
Whatever the reason why Reed was Franklin’s mate, it wasn’t fair to him.
Franklin knew enough about mates to be aware of the fact that there would be no changing it.
For the rest of Franklin’s life, he’d feel like something was missing because he would reject Reed.
Reed wasn’t sure how he should feel about any of that.
He’d been a human before he became a mutant, so he wouldn’t feel the mate bond as keenly as a shifter would, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy.
It wasn’t only that he wouldn’t be with his mate, either.
It was because he knew why Franklin didn’t want to be with him.
He knew that it was a consequence of his own actions and that he was paying for what he’d done.
Part of him was eager to do just that, but another part was already mourning what he could’ve had.