Page 100 of Tainted Gifts
I calm down just slightly, praying my savage doesn't emerge for the first time ever and destroy this tent and everyone standing in front of us.
"Do you need olophine, Ms. Banner?" a woman asks, her voice just as rattled and shaken as the man's.
"She does," Jase says, walking over to accept the offer I wasn't going to.
He returns with the vial of medicine that has subdued savages for centuries, and I stare at it in complete disbelief. I've never needed this before. I can't believe after so long of begging my savage to come, I dread it surfacing.
"Take it, baby. Your eyes are starting to dilate, and as much as I'd love to see what you can really do, I'd rather not risk losing you to your counter."
Shakily, I reach out and take it from him. You wouldn't lose me. I doubt even my savage would want him more than I want you.
He smirks, but his eyes tell me he's not convinced. Groaning inwardly, I bite through the flesh on my wrist to inject the meds. The strange, foreign burn it produces slides through my veins and acquaints itself with my veins. The only problem is... it doesn't do anything.
I still feel the overwhelming desire to release the Kraken, so to speak.
"More?" a woman asks, noticing there's no change.
Jase frowns, realizing as I have that I must be immune to the drug that frees so many others from their savage's curse.
"I've got it under control," I mumble. "I would have gone savage earlier, when all of you stood by and watched the man I love die, if I didn't have it handled."
Jase sighs out, kissing the top of my head before turning his attention back to the council.
"You can proceed," he says, trying to rush them so he can get me out of here before I do some serious damage.
I'm playing with a fire I've never before had to extinguish. I'd hate to see what sort of metaphorical flames I'd create.
"As I was saying earlier," the man says, his voice even more strained, choosing his phrasing a little more carefully, "this is a recent change. We were worried some of the other members of the United wouldn't be so accepting of such news. To be led by the unknown is scary to anyone."
"Not to me," I interject, my eyes taunting the scared committee members. "It's not scary to the men out there right now, the ones still breathing because of what we did. We were the ones who defeated the hounds. Not you. Not the full bloods. Not the ungifted. We did it. Mainly me. I'm an unknown as well, the only one of my kind we know about so far. I've fought for the United, my mother has saved the fucking world, and Jase is the same person he was two days ago. He's the same committed, loyal, powerful, and passionate leader he was. It's just that now he's stronger than you realized."
Jase leans over, smiling as he whispers into my ear. "Let them finish, my little fireball."
I stifle a grin, and he kisses my cheek before leaning back up. The man is almost sweating as my eyes dare him to fuck with me.
"I really think I'm going about this all wrong," he hurries out. "The point is, tonight, we saw a taste of what's to come. Ms. Banner was correct about us being afraid. We were... we are. But we're more afraid of the ones out there than we are of the man who stood out front and gave his life to save our people. We're more afraid of the unknown army willing to change thousands of savage animals into killing machines. That shouldn't be possible.
"We've often wondered if Ms. Banner was holding back, and tonight we saw how very gravely we've underestimated her abilities. We feel stronger with you then we would ever feel without you... either of you. Our deepest apologies for not making that clear from the start of this meeting."
Oh. Oops.
Jase covers his mouth with his hand when my mind provokes a silent laughter he doesn't wish to show the committee.
"Commander Ericson, it would be an honor to continue serving under your rule. You have to trust and faith of the committee, and we'll back you when your secret comes out to the rest of the United. For now, we're keeping it quiet to keep the advantage. The enemy doesn't know our Commander is gifted, at least a level eight."
Jase's eyes widen a little, surprised that he's a level higher than he ranked himself.
"Ms. Banner, we'd also like to keep your true power under wraps. The less the Unaligned or this new threat have on us, the better. If they underestimate us, then we have the best chance of winning these wars."
I hope they aren't putting all their faith in my gifts. I don't know how I did that, and I sure as hell don't know if I can duplicate such a feat.
"Very well. Then if it pleases the committee, I'd like to take Ms. Banner and get cleaned up after I assemble a team to discuss a plan of action."
They all bow their heads in compliance, finally offering him the respect he deserves.
"That's your call, Commander."
He nods, and then we start walking out. Jase is smiling ear to ear as we make our way out into the middle of the messy landscape.
