Marius (22 page)
“Fast,” she said.
Her breathing turned ragged as he hammered into her. The sound of the harsh slaps of skin filled the room. Rachel rubbed her clit and massaged his hard cock as it pumped into her.
“More,” she cried out.
His fingers bit into her skin, and she held on to the desk.
He slapped against her harder and harder. She groaned loudly as he pushed in hard one last time and came deep inside. She moaned as her pussy continued to milk his cock.
She leaned forward and sighed when he slipped from inside her.
Rachel rolled on the desk to look at him. She was more happy than she could ever say.
Marius slipped back on his pants without looking at her.
“Titus thinks I should move back to my house,” he said.
Her smile slipped from her face. Rachel grabbed a few tissues and cleaned up a bit.
“Oh?” she said.
She went to get her skirt and he stepped in front of her.
“I’d like you to move in with me,” he said.
She blinked a few times and then launched herself into his arms.
“Yes!”
Marius laughed and spun her around. “We’ll figure it all out later, but I’m so happy.”
She kissed him hard. “That makes two of us.”
Chapter Nineteen
Rachel looked around the room as they settled into their seats. She likely would have been a bit more embarrassed, considering how sensitive some of the noses in the room were, but from what she could see, she and Marius weren’t the only ones who decided it would be a good day for a romp in the office.
Lucius and Hannah sat near them when they came in the room.
“Nice hair,” Rachel said and winked at Hannah.
Hannah laughed. “Back at you.”
Rachel ran a hand through her hair before scowling back at her. “Whatever.”
She was about to say something else but stopped when Titus stepped to the front of the room.
“This has been a tense time for us,” he said and looked around the room. “But we are growing. And as we grow, we learn.”
His eyes landed on her, and she flushed a little. Rachel wasn’t sure if he was talking about her, but she’d certainly heard her fill of people saying they were sorry over the past few days.
She realized the wolf’s bane had played more a role than any of them likely ever expected. Still, it was weird, and she wanted them all to just move forward. They’d all made their mistakes, but the important thing is none of the Luna Lodge hybrids had died.
“We’re expanding in ways that might be hard to adjust to, but I’m asking us all to offer a hand and give the support that we can,” he said.
A few people clapped, but it was clear there would be tension for some time.
The doors opened, and a murmur fell over the room as Rem stepped up to the front.
Titus cleared his throat and waited for the noise to simmer down.
“We’ve been in talks for some time, and I think it’s time Rem shared his story.” Titus shook his head. “Our story.”
Rem stood in front of the crowd, obviously at ease, like he’d been doing it his whole life. She wondered what sort of watered-down version of their history they were going to get.
“We have documentation of hybrids like us from as early as ancient Rome and possibly even ancient Greece,” Rem began. The whispering started, and she wondered where he was going with this. It didn’t totally make sense. “That’s not to say we don’t date back earlier, but that this is as far back as I’ve been able to go. That is, the original Group seemed to be attempting to breed men of superior abilities, men that were more than men. They obviously lacked the scientific tools to manage what they’ve done in recent decades, but they made good use of selective breeding.”
He looked around the room.
“No one seems to be quite sure why the Horatius Group came about and their true goal with all of this. There are several ideas though. It’s unclear if they created the original hybrids or if they came from somewhere else.”
The whispers picked up again.
“What kinds of ideas?” a hybrid asked.
“Well, the most common concerns ancient gladiators and how the games were often used to mask our abilities. There is documentation proving the superhuman strength, speed and agility of these men. There is even some thought that there were different breed lines and that was how the fights were based so they could tell how each line of hybrids was doing,” Rem said. He pointed to his face. “Our eyes are one of the largest markers, but there are a few others as well.”
“Want to tell what those are?” someone shouted.
Rem gave a sly smile. “Feel like telling the group all your abilities?”
The person stayed quiet, and Rachel wasn’t all that surprised. None of the hybrids were keen on talking about their abilities.
“Wait, if this is all true, why bother with the science?” someone else shouted.
“Why bother with genetic engineering of plants or animals, if you can just selectively breed them? It’s quicker. More efficient. You can mix more traits,” Rem said. “Traits that wouldn’t easily go together.”
“Are you saying they have been experimenting on your kind for centuries?” Rachel asked.
Rem nodded. “From what I’ve been able to tell, they have always done some manipulation, but the last fifty years have involved the highest level of manipulation. The technology caught up to their vision of sculpting us.”
A shudder ran through her. Then, for a brief second, the scientist in her considered what Rem had related. The hybrids could even represent a different lineage of mankind previously unknown to evolutionary history. She blinked. The truth of the hybrid’s origins could potentially revolutionize mankind’s understanding of the nature of humanity.
“So what does that mean for us?” Marius asked.
Rem clapped his hands together and grinned. “Good questions.” He smiled at the crowd. “I think we need to push to explore this further. There are libraries that the Horatius Group doesn’t want us to see.” He carefully surveyed the room with his gaze. “We need to see these. No longer can we be the people that live in the dark and let their past be shrouded in mystery. We deserve better. We deserve the truth.”
Titus stepped back up to the front and clapped Rem on the back. “We are working together on this, and the more the better. Jenna will take names after the meeting is over.”
Jenna waved a hand from the corner.
“If no one has any further questions, the meeting is dismissed,” Titus said. He nodded at Marius.
Rachel smiled when he stood. “I want details later.”
She watched as he left and hoped for good news.
* * *
Marius followed the men into the room and took a seat at the table. Titus took his seat at the head. As everyone settled in, he noticed Sol and Lucius had been able to make it and was glad to have the backbone of their force available.
“Okay, let’s get this over quickly,” Titus said. “Have we finished dealing with the police on the dead nurse?”
Major Carter nodded. “I don’t think they like it, but she was crazy and everyone in town pretty much knew it. Even the hospital had some issues with her,” he said. “They don’t seem to want the trouble of getting involved with us, especially with so many witnesses on our side.”
Marius frowned. “So they sent her out anyway? What the hell is the matter with these people?”
Major Carter shrugged a single shoulder. “People weren’t exactly lining up to come here from the hospital. I think they were desperate, and she volunteered.”
“How did Reverend John’s group know we’d hire her?” Lucius asked.
Titus shook his head. “We don’t think they did. From the way this has all played out, it seemed like more luck than anything.”
Marius frowned. “How was this luck?”
“They likely were on the crew when we first started building this place. The wolf’s bane flowers take a bit of time to grow. It gave them enough time to poison this place and to get their nurse into position at the hospital,” Titus said. “They probably knew we’d want help from the hospital eventually.”
Sol frowned. “That seemed like they might have overdone it.”
Titus nodded. “I wouldn’t actually expect any less in this case,” he said. “They were preparing for end time, the apocalypse.”
“Didn’t seem to help them much in the end,” Apollo said with a smirk.
Marius nodded. “Reverend John lost most of his men either to us or the fire.”
“Not to mention his own life,” Apollo said.
Titus shook his head. “I doubt that. We never found the body.”
Apollo grimaced.
“And the police?” Sol asked.
Titus shook his head. “We’re keeping this local. Too much damage for this to get out. Major Carter is pulling some strings, but we can’t be known as going off our land to engage in battles.”
They all nodded in agreement.
Marius watched as Jenna came in and whispered between Rem and Major Carter before shooting them both a funny look.
She stood and waited for Titus.
“Yes?”
“There’s a call on line two,” she said and hurried to the door.
“Jenna?” he called, and she stopped. “Who’s on the line?”
She glanced to Major Carter, who nodded. “Senator Woods.”
Titus frowned. “I don’t—”
“You want to take this one,” the major said with a smile.
Titus hit the appropriate button on the meeting room phone.
“Senator Woods, to what do I owe the honor?”
“Don’t you fucking play games with me, Titus,” Woods yelled loud and clear over the speaker.
Titus leaned back. “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Listen here, asshole,” he said loudly. “I don’t know where you got this money, but it better be on the up and up, or I’ll have your hybrid asses. I know that little mercenary shit you’ve been doing with Carter isn’t enough to generate that kind of cash that quickly.”
Titus let out a bark of laughter.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “Well, if that’s all, we’ve got to make plans on how to spend it.”
“This isn’t over, you mother fu—”
The phone cut out before they were forced to listen any more.
Marius stared at Titus, stunned.
“We have money?” he asked.
Titus nodded and turned to Rem.
“And you made this happen?” Marius asked.
Rem shrugged. “Technically it’s the Horatius Group’s money, so it’s all of ours,” he said.
Marius sat back in his chair. This was it. It was the piece that would help them make their place in the world. They’d no longer have to scratch by, fighting for mere survival. They had children and resources. They had a future.
A Note from Madison
Thank you for reading
Marius
. If you enjoyed this book, please consider reviewing it. We authors live and die by reviews.
Please keep an eye out for the next book in the series,
Apollo.
You can join my release mailing list at
http://eepurl.com/OX9r5
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Luna Lodge (Paranormal Romance)
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Holding On (Road House #2)
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Author Bio
Madison currently lives with her husband and two children in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona. After leaving the frozen tundra of the north, she was more surprised than anyone with how much she has enjoyed living in the desert. Seeing as she stated on more than one occasion before moving to Arizona how much she hated heat, it was an odd move, but it seems her hatred for sub-zero temperatures and ice has won out in the end.
When she’s not writing, she’s enjoying time with her family. Madison and her family frequent festivals in the area, as well as local cultural events, and spend time with family in the area. In the summer, she is most likely to be found in the pool with the family and in the winter by the fireplace. Since both her children are autistic, days can be a little chaotic, but with her husband beside her, there’s nothing she can’t handle.
Madison has a full schedule of releases planned for 2014 listed and updated on her blog:
http://madisonstevensauthor.com/
She can be contacted at [email protected]