Page 35 of Rebels Rising

‘Why Cadmus and Henrik?’

Her lips pinched as her eyes darted about the room, unwilling to speak in front of the others using the equipment. ‘I’ll explain that in the meeting, too. One turn. I’ll see you there?’

She’d phrased it as a question but it really wasn’t. It was a requirement set by my captain and I was expected to follow. I nodded once, not liking this strange shift in our dynamic. It had been a long time since we’d spent any real time together, but we’d gotten close before everything went to shit. Or at least I thought we had.

It saddened me to acknowledge it, even internally, but even though I trusted Artemis for the most part I wasn’t sure how much of our friendship was real. She may have come back for me, but I’d discerned enough about the situation to determine I hadn’t been her priority. Not that I blamed her for putting those kids first, but it still stung that I was more of an afterthought.

Was that selfish? Probably, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel it.

I settled back in with the weights as she walked away, focusing back on my newest purpose. The physical exertion allowed my mind to clear, my focus onmy body’s actions rather than all the other bullshit currently surrounding my life. Here and now, with each repetition, I pushed the memories of weakness and despair to the side and focused solely on the next breath, the strain each motion caused, and the sensation of the sweat trickling over my brow.

With a final push I finished my last rep and put the weights back in their place, then I wiped the sweat off my brow with my sleeve and stretched out my freshly worked muscles to avoid any cramping and stiffness, just the way I’d been taught. The familiar motions were a soothing balm to my soul, another reminder that I was free and I hadn’t lost this part of myself. I may have been a lot skinnier than before, but I was no less capable of bringing myself back to where I used to be.

It didn’t take me long to head back to my room and wash off the residual stench from my workout, and I quickly redressed in a clean jumpsuit after making a mental note to acquire some more appropriate workout attire.

I found myself in the infirmary not long after, seated in a chair to the side of the room while Henrik took up one of the cots and Cadmus was positioned at Bromm’s side. I wasn’t sure how or why he was holding the unconscious Griknot’s hand, but I figured it probably had something to do with what had happened in the facility.

The memory of the three of them together shoved itself to the front of my mind, playing out in high definition as the grunts and moans sounded as if they were happening right now instead of in the past. It was such a vivid memory that my body’s reaction was impossible to prevent, my cock twitching without my consent inside my jumpsuit. I just hoped no one noticed as I tried to discretely adjust to hide the sudden bulge.

It wasn’t even that I wanted to be a part of that. Any man would get hard when people fucked right in front of them. It had nothing to do with the way they moved together like they were one being, undulating against one another with the slap of slick flesh, the panting… the pleasure.

Sex turned me on. That was all it was.

I couldn’t decide if I was thankful or even more embarrassed when the woman in question stepped into the room, Adara trailing behind her. The door closed behind them both, locking us in for whatever this meeting was about. Artemis surprised me when she immediately handed me a Nutri-Bar, but I took it gratefully and a little abashedly since I’d forgotten to feed myselfa second time. Maybe Ihadneeded to follow Adara and Xander to grab something to eat earlier. I clearly still hadn’t screwed my head on straight enough yet.

‘I didn’t think you were going to tell anyone else,’ Cadmus commented as I took my first bite. It tasted like ash and chalk on my tongue, and it was any wonder how my mouth didn’t try out from the contact. Still, it was better than nothing. I wasn’t about to take that for granted again.

Artemis shot Cadmus an apologetic look. ‘That was the idea, but then I realised this affected them too. Keeping them in the dark didn’t feel right.’

‘What are you talking about?’ asked Adara, frowning between the two. ‘What’s going on?’

Artemis inhaled deeply and levelled us all with a serious gaze. ‘We need to talk about the nanites.’

‘You want me to monitor these guys, too,’ Henrik assumed, excitement alighting in his eyes even through his attempts to disguise it.

‘That discussion is on the agenda for this meeting, yes,’ Artemis admitted, and my eyebrows shot up.

I opened my mouth to protest but Henrik continued on before I could even get a sound out.

‘That explains why I’m here, but why does Cadmus need to be here for this?’

‘Because…’ she began, looking to the man in question as if asking for permission.

Instead of giving it, he spoke for himself. ‘Because we think what’s happening to Bromm is also happening to me.’

Shock drew us all up short as we took a moment to process that information.

‘What? How?’ asked Henrik, his excitement immediately souring at the idea of his friend being in any sort of danger.

That was when Artemis dropped an even bigger bomb that sent a chill down my spine.

‘The nanites seem to be evolving, and I think they may be contagious.’

‘Fuck,’ Adara cursed on a strangled breath.

Fuck indeed.

CHAPTER 11

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