Page 48 of Chaos Destiny
“It’s not what you think,” I said.
“Later, enlighten me.”
When the camp gates opened, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I felt like the school’s weirdest student contemplating asking the school’s most popular girl for her hand in marriage despite never saying “hi” to her.
The truck barely stopped before I hopped off, and my legs buckled when I hit the ground. Rashida and I had been tracking the deer for days, and my body had been showing signs of starvation for a while. The deer would have satisfied my hunger, but my brain craved glucose.
A woman wearing scrubs hurried over to us, but then she slowed as if there was something wrong with hurrying. I noticed Gage start to smile, but then he wiped it away with a swipe of his hand as if there was something wrong with smiling.
He motioned to the deer. “Look what we got you, madame. It’s not a steer, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t come home empty-handed. Wouldn’t want my girl,” he pretended to clear his throat, “excuse me, myfriendto be disappointed.”
The woman’s smile lit up the entire camp. “I’m glad you’re back,” she said.
“I’m glad to be back.”
“I didn’t miss you, just so you know. Maybe give me something to miss next time?”
“Oh, I can give you a few things.”
She pointed behind her. “By the way, I’ll need your help later. I’ve got some things I need assistance with in the supply room.”
Gage scratched the side of his neck, holding back another smile. “How bad do you need my help?”
The rise and fall of her chest grew visible. “Bad. It’s important. I tried, but I can’t put it off anymore.”
“I can help,” the man I’d heard called “Allen” said.
The woman didn’t look away from Gage.
Gage slapped Allen’s shoulder. “It’s all right, mate. I’ve got it. I’m the right size for the help the doc needs. No hard feelings, yeah?”
I watched Gage and the “doc,” wondering whether she knew that Gage had gone full predator with her set in his sights. Noone on our team had ever seen an infatuated Gage, but his desire, at least, for this woman was as plain as saltine crackers.
A dark-haired woman crossing the middle of the camp stole my attention, a baby tucked against her hip. As far as I knew, the only baby at the camp was the one who carried half of my DNA. I’d planned to clean up and eat something—I didn’t want Ari to see me like this—but even if I didn’t already know, I felt a strange pull. Somehow, Iknewthis was my daughter.
“Is that…” I raised a limp finger. “Is that her?”
Gage nodded. “Yeah, mate. Ready to meet her?”
I backed away, head shaking, and passed my dirty fingers through my dirty hair. The last time Ari saw me, it was with thirty more pounds on my frame, most of it muscle, and I wasn’t covered in blood and animal guts. I’d looked like the man she fell for, and not even our worst team assignments had resulted in an image as bad asthis.
“Julien, it’s all right, mate.”
The woman wearing the scrubs turned to me, and her eyes opened wide. “Julien? This is Julien? You found him?”
“Ari told you?” Gage asked. “Actually, let’s circle back to this discussion later, love.”
Gage leaned down as if to kiss her, but then he stopped midway, squeezed her hand, and told me to follow him into a large building.
Compared to what Rashida and I had stumbled upon since leaving Atlanta, this place was essentially five-star luxury. The corridors were clean, and there were only a few flights of stairs to contend with before I followed Gage into a room. The minute I entered, I sensed Ari’s presence and internally panicked.
“She’s not here,” he said. “She’s helping out at the school.”
I looked around the room. “There’s a school here?”
“Yep. This place is pretty sophisticated.”
He grabbed a towel and washcloth from a laundry basket and tossed them at me. Then, he rifled through a metal rack, scanning different articles of clothing that probably would have fit me a year ago.
