Lucius (Luna Lodge #3) (3 page)

He guided Hannah over the uneven gravel and offered his hand until they were at the car. It wasn’t until she was safe inside that he was actually able to breathe easily. Her fall bothered him more than he cared to admit. Something just wasn’t right about Rachel, and the sooner he could get Hannah away from her, the better. They had already dealt with one traitorous doctor after all.

After climbing in, he took a deep breath. This had been one long night, and he still had to make sure she made it home. He would have expected the job to be simple, but it was proving to be more challenging than he ever expected.

She was quiet as they drove to the women’s quarters. It bothered him that she was sitting so quietly and wondered if maybe the shot had done more than the doctor anticipated. Lucius glanced at Hannah a few times. She seemed to be normal. Maybe she was just overly tired. Working back in her hot little room, it was a wonder she hadn’t passed out yet. Maybe he’d request a fan be installed.

They stopped outside the plain brown building. It looked more like a house than quarters, but there were only four living spaces available. Originally, it was meant to house any extra staff they hired for the lodge, but that whole idea had fizzled quickly after Sol outed them to the world. The revelation hadn’t really bothered Lucius. He had always assumed they were just a time bomb waiting to happen, and technically, he had been right.

“Let me help you,” he said and climbed out of the car.

When he reached the other side, he could see just how tired she really was. Her eyes drooped, and she stumbled slightly as he helped her from the car.

“Maybe I should take you back to the doctor,” he said.

Hannah shook her head sleepily.

“I’ll be fine,” she said and pulled her body toward the door. “I just need to get some sleep. I’m always like this after fainting.”

Lucius steadied her as they made their way.

“Does that happen often?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

She stiffened.

“Not really,” she said tightly.

He wanted to ask more, but her body language made it very clear she wouldn’t be receptive.

They stopped outside her door, and he waited for her to get out her keys. When the door was unlocked and opened, she turned her sleepy face up to him.

“Thank you for everything,” she said softly.

His throat tightened. He didn’t want things to end.

“Do you need me to help you get to your room?” he asked.

Hannah smiled and shook her head.

“I think I can manage,” she said.

He paused. There was nothing really left. She had been delivered just like he had said. Lucius cleared his throat uncomfortably and nodded.

“Goodnight,” he said and quickly walked back to his car. He needed to get out of there before he did something stupid.

Hannah watched in the window as he drove away and sighed. She couldn’t really explain her feelings for Lucius. Ever since she’d first met him, something in her just ached to be near him. Too bad she couldn’t convince him to feel the same way.

After hanging her purse on the hook, Hannah made her way into the common area. There were four bedroom suites inside the dorm-style housing. They shared a common living room and kitchen, but each suite had its own bathroom as well as room for a small sitting area. When she first moved in, she was struck by how much it was similar to a hotel, including the presence of a small refrigerator and microwave in each suite. Hannah had wondered how much input the military men had given. It just seemed like something a bunch of men would do.

Over time, she made it more home-like. A few touches here and there. Bits of colors. A picture on the wall. It made her happy to turn the drab place into something entirely more cheerful. Now, if only Rachel would let Hannah at her suite. There were so many things she could do, but the room was the one place Rachel had been firm about. No one went into her room. As a matter of fact, she was very secretive about it. They had been living together for a year now, and she had never even caught a glimpse of it. To say it wasn’t driving her crazy would be a lie, but if there was one thing Hannah understood, it was secrets.

She sighed as she walked into the living room. A coffee mug, half full, sat on the table without a coaster, likely an early morning jolt for Rachel before work. Just something else she’d gotten used to. Rachel was an in-the-moment sort of person. If something came into her mind, it had to come out. One evening, when they were eating dinner, she excused herself quickly and rushed off to the office. Not that Hannah couldn’t understand. She had traded her sitting area in her room for work space because she needed room to develop all the ideas she had. If someone were to come in there and examine her walls, they’d think she was some sort of party planning hit-man, red string and all.

Hannah carried the cold mug to the sink and poured it out. Things had been going well between her and Rachel, but with the latest incident, she was at a loss. Maybe she didn’t know her as well as she thought if Rachel could just poke her like that, not to mention that Rachel had been pulling away recently. Things just weren’t adding up. Throw in her secret bedroom and the recent deception of Dr. Fisher, Hannah wondered if she should be more concerned. It wouldn’t be the first time she had been burned by someone she cared about.

She shook her head. It wouldn’t do any good being suspicious of everyone. Even if Rachel was a bad guy, there wasn’t much she could do. Besides, why would she be working so hard for an organization she would just betray? The hybrids were keeping an eye on her as well.

Her hand rubbed absently over the injection site. The muscles in that arm were sore, and she yawned. Maybe a good night’s rest would be enough to put her mind at ease.

Slowly, she climbed the stairs to her room and entered. She loved the light green that popped in various parts of her room. Every time she saw it, her spirit was refreshed. Without bothering to shower, Hannah pulled off her clothes and slipped on a worn t-shirt. She had never really been big on nightgowns, despite her love of frilly things.

Deep in the covers, she thought of Lucius, specifically the way he had looked when she had woken up. She had never actually seen him worried like that and wondered if his emotions meant something. Maybe after all this time, she was finally breaking through his shell. Her eyes grew heavy as she drifted off on that final thought.

Chapter Three

Hannah jumped at the light rap on her door. She had been so busy working all day that there hadn’t been much of a chance to even think about lunch. As soon as she got in, Titus sent her a note saying that he wanted to have a fall event. All the details would be up to her. This was gold.

She smiled up at Apollo. The tall, easy-going hybrid often came to chat with her, so it wasn’t surprising to see him there.

“You about ready for lunch?” he asked.

Hannah was always struck by his face. Although he had the same height and build as many of the other hybrids, his face didn’t have the weathered look that most of them carried. Of course, that look was exactly what did it for her as far as Lucius went, but she could appreciate Apollo’s charm. Lord knew he certainly saw the charms in himself.

“Just about,” she said with a smile. “I’m just getting things sorted for the fall party.”

He stooped down to her spot on the floor and helped her stack the magazines to the side. As he had been by often enough, she trusted him to put things in an orderly manner. Unlike some, he seemed to understand there was a method to her madness.

“I like that you’re including green,” Apollo said, standing.

She held onto the table as she slipped on her shoes. “What’s fall without green?” She shrugged.

“Seems like you’ve got a lot of ideas here.” He held up a picture of hay and some pretty ballroom lights.

Hannah wrinkled her nose. “I’m in a predicament. Titus wants a costume dance, but that’s really only one aspect of fall. I’d really like to do a festival.”

Apollo looked at the pictures and then at her. “Can’t you do both?”

“Well,” she said, leaning over his arm and looking at the ballroom lights. “I might be able to.” She stared hard at the pictures. Her stomach growled loudly, and she blushed. “Maybe after some lunch.”

Apollo laughed, and she liked that he didn’t make her feel self-conscious about those sorts of things. After turning the lock, she followed him out the door and through the halls. At first, she had found it annoying constantly being escorted by someone, but more often than not, it was Apollo, and most times he would stay to eat with them. Without Erica or Kate, meals were far quieter than they had ever been. A little distraction was nice. Hannah was certain that he was under orders to do so, but she didn’t let that bother her. Apollo was funny, and it was just nice spending time around a man that actually treated them like women. The men had been trying, and she knew that Kate had been pushing for more, but there was only so much that could be done. It was like living on a military base half the time.

They reached the door to the cafeteria, and she braced herself for what happened every day.

Apollo opened the door, and she walked in. Conversations dipped across the room. Every. Single. Time. It was like they somehow forgot that more women worked there. They just considered Rachel one of the guys. Hannah knew Rachel was far prettier, but her absent mindedness and dismissive attitude had annoyed a lot of the men.

“They will get used to you eventually,” Apollo murmured next to her ear.

She jumped at his nearness.

“You’d think they wouldn’t care,” she said quietly. “Lucius said I don’t have a special smell.”

Apollo froze and gave her a funny look. It made her heart thump hard in her chest.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said in a low voice. “I wouldn’t say that at all.”

Her face flashed hot, and she quickly looked away. She might not be interested in Apollo, but that didn’t mean he had no effect. Hannah jumped when her eyes clashed with Lucius from across the room. His eyes burned into her, and her heart raced at the sight of him. Even from across the room, she thought he looked amazing and shivered at the desire he stirred in her.

“Let’s get lunch,” Apollo rumbled as he followed her line of sight.

She jumped when his hand came around her waist and guided her to the line. Hannah moved along with Apollo, glancing occasionally behind her at the hulking man. Lucius continued to watch them as he ate his lunch.

Slightly nervous, she skipped all the good stuff and just grabbed a sandwich and fruit. She paused at the brownies. It really wouldn’t be a good idea. She already had enough calories and didn’t really need the added fat. Holding onto her willpower, she turned and walked to the table. Rachel was already munching on her pasta but stopped when she sat across from her. Apollo slid in easily next to her.

“Still mad at me?” Rachel asked.

She could feel Apollo look curiously between them.

Hannah shook her head. “Not mad but don’t inject me with things without my knowing first.”

Apollo coughed loudly. “Something I should know about?”

Rachel waved her hand, and before Hannah could give her the eye, she was talking.

“I just gave her the birth control shot,” she said.

The men around them quieted. Hannah groaned inwardly. There was no need for super-hearing when Rachel was willing to blab it to the world.

“We’re all going to get them,” Rachel said matter-of-factly. “You men are a little too fertile, and it seems every time a woman is with one of you, she ends up pregnant…with multiples.” She eyed him suspiciously as if his sperm were somehow going to infect her from across the table. “Women have the right to decide when they want to have babies,” she said, pointing her fork at him with emphasis.

“Uh,” he began. He looked to Hannah for help.

She shrugged. “Sure.”

“So,” Hannah said, trying to break the tension. “We’re going to have a fall festival.”

She smiled excitedly to Rachel whose mood seemed to only worsen with this news.

“Great,” she mumbled.

“Didn’t you have fun at the last one?” Hannah said. Her smile fell. She knew she shouldn’t let Rachel get to her, but she had worked so hard to make the last one fun for everyone.

Rachel’s face softened. “I’m sorry. I did have a good time, but these things just aren’t me.” She sighed. “With everything that’s happened recently, I wonder if it’s even a good idea.”

“I think that’s why he’s doing it,” Apollo chimed in between bites. When they had first started eating together, Hannah had been amazed with how much he could eat, but looking around, most of the hybrids were that way, eating ten times what a normal man would eat. She was just glad they weren’t farting and scratching their balls at the table. Some table manners were better than none. “We could all use a little something right now. With the babies and Kate being pregnant, everyone is on edge. We can’t let what little happiness we’ve gotten be ruined.”

Hannah could understand that. When Erica and Sol’s son and daughter, Atticus and Cassia, were born, it was a birth felt by all the hybrids. They weren’t just a community, but a family, and as a family, they wanted to protect their young. Not only were Erica and Kate given guards, but the hybrid facility housing the younger boys was also being closely watched. There was a general thought that no one was safe. The Horatius Group was ruthless.

“Are you finished?”

A gruff voice came from behind her. She jumped as it startled her thoughts. Hannah turned around to find Lucius standing just behind her.

“I…” she stammered. “What?”

“Are you finished eating?” He stared at her now empty plate and blinked a few times. She hadn’t even realized she had eaten her sandwich and fruit.

“Yes,” she said and stared up at him. It was the first time he had ever talked to her in the lunch room. It was the first time he had talked to her outside of his duty in general.

He nodded and turned to look at Apollo.