Page 61 of Twisted Gift

My head snaps up. “No,” I croak.Dammit. I clear my throat and repeat the word, clearer this time.

The man sighs, stepping into the room and closing the door. He opens a panel in the wall, tapping on the screen a few times, and the alarm stops. When he turns to face me again, I take him in. He’s eerily attractive. Dark brown hair sweeps across his forehead, just short of covering his matching brown eyes. My gaze drops, and I frown. He’s not wearing a lab coat. Instead, he looks casual, comfortable in dark jeans and a gray, short-sleeved V-neck. Even the comfort of his appearance makes me bitter. I’m not comfortable here. Why is he?

He clears his throat. “Aurora.”

My eyes fly up to his face.

He smiles. “I need you to put the knife down for me.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Who the hellareyou?”

“I can be your friend so long as you do as I ask. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

An angry laugh leaves me. “Right,” I snap, shaking my head. “You’re one ofthem. Keeping me here against my will—”

“I’d like to help you,” he says, cutting me off. He leans against the closed door, waiting for me to respond.

“I don’t want your help.”All I want is to get the hell out of here.

He tips his head back, making the hair fall away from his face. “Ah, but you need it.”

I lift my arm, pointing the scalpel at him. “You want to help? Great. Let me out of here.”

He frowns. “I can’t do that.”

I push the panic down, shrugging. “Then you can’t help me, so get out of my way.”

He shoves his hands into his pockets. The move makes my pulse tick faster. This guy isn’t even concerned that I’m pointing a surgical knife at him.

“I’m not going to let you psychos experiment on me,” I announce.

He nods. “You’ve spoken to Richelle.”

“No, I was locked in a room and strapped to a bed while she told me about The Experiment,” I correct. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“You should get used to that,” he comments in a casual tone.

My jaw clenches so tight I can’t speak for several seconds. “If they sent you to talk me down, you’re not doing a great job.”

The corner of his mouth twitches. “They sent me to intervene, yes. It’s my job to keep you here, by whatever means necessary. It’s up to you to decide what that means for you.”

I lower my arm, dropping my gaze. “Why are you doing this?”

He pushes away from the door, approaching me at an easy pace. “This a good thing. You’ll see that soon—trust me.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, blinking away the dampness in my eyes before lifting my gaze to meet his. He’s standing two feet away from me now. I should move away.Why didn’t I move away?It’s too late now. “I don’t even know who you are, and you’re asking me to trust you?”

He looks at me with a thoughtful expression—it almost makes mewantto trust him. “You mean you don’t remember me?”

I frown. “Should I?”

He laughs, plucking the scalpel out of my hand before I can pull away. “I suppose not.” He puts the knife blade down in his back pocket. “Nikolai stole the show the day we met. He doesn’t know hownotto be a spectacle.”

As much as I want to agree with that statement, it makes my eyes widen. “You...” I trail off, my head spinning. “The fae that attacked me in the parking lot. That wasyou?” This guy looks different than the fae I remember. His hair color has changed. Taking a closer look, I recognize him now.

His cheeks flush a light pink. “Wasme,” he says. “I’m not that person anymore. I apologize for the pain I caused you.” He offers a small smile. “My name is Carter.”

My hands tighten into fists at my sides, a painful reminder I no longer have a weapon. “Hold on, The Experiment has fae working for them? Hypocritical much?” I mutter, my tone heavy with bitterness.

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