Reed looked away, only to realize that Franklin was staring at him.He wasn’t sure what to think of the man, but the way he was watching Reed was odd.He probably just wanted to strangle Reed, and Reed couldn’t blame him.He wouldn’t blame anyone who wanted to hurt him.Some days, he wanted to hurt himself, both because of what he’d done and what he’d become.
There was no way out of this for him.He would have to learn to accept his present, but maybe helping people, helpingGarrett, would help with that.
* * * *
FRANKLIN WASN’T SUREwhat to think of Reed.On the one hand, he’d been in a similar position Reed had been in.He’d worked for a few labs over the years as he tried to find his siblings, and while there, he’d seen things that had made him wish he could intervene.He’d tried helping the people in the cages as much as he could, but he’d had to be careful.He’d known they wouldn’t hesitate to kick him out, or worse, if they thought he was planning on freeing anyone.His goal had always been to find his siblings, and as much as he wanted to help other people, that hadn’t changed.He’d had to step away from things that made him want to scream and cry, and he had.He still felt guilty about it, and he suspected he always would.
It was different for Reed.He hadn’t gone into the labs looking for a loved one.He hadn’t gotten in there to help people.He’d started working for the Glass Research Company because he wanted money, and the only reason he’d stopped was that he’d turned into a mutant and they’d been using him.And now, well.He couldn’t change what he was.He’d never be able to.Maybe this was his punishment for what he’d done while he worked for the company, just like he’d said.Franklin didn’t know, and he told himself that he shouldn’t care.Reed had hurt people willingly, not because he’d been trying to help someone else.That made him different from Franklin.
It might just make him the enemy.
But Franklin needed Reed.He was the only one who could help them with Garrett, and Franklin wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of that.He’d be friendly with Reed if he had to.He wasn’t sure what Rikar and Moore were going to do about him once this was over, and he didn’t really care.He only cared about finding Garrett, and he was pretty sure the only way for him to do that was through Reed.That meant he’d help the man, no matter what.
But part of him couldn’t help but wonder if Reed had ever hurt his siblings.From the way he talked, it was clear that he knew Garrett and that he’d had some kind of contact with him.What had he done to Garrett?Had he hurt him?Had he been one of the people who’d turned Garrett into whatever he was now?Reed had said that he was a lab technician, so maybe not, but at the very least, he’d helped.If Franklin ever found out that Reed had a hand in what happened to his siblings, he wasn’t sure how he would react.Other than not well.
He tightened his hands into fists.He wanted to demand answers, but he didn’t want Moore to decide to kick him out of the diner.He could feel the man watching him as it was.
“So you want to work with us,” Moore said.
Reed nodded once.“I do.I’ll give you all the information I have.Hopefully, it’ll be enough for you to get into the lab and free everyone.”
“We’ve done something similar before, and we didn’t have your help.Everything went well anyway.”
Franklin was glad that Moore had pointed that out, but at the same time, how could he be sure that nothing would happen to Garrett if they did this?He’d heard about the raids before.A lot of the guards who worked for the Glass Research Company talked about it with fear.They knew what would happen to them if the lab they worked at was raided, and Franklin had seen proof of that during the last raid.He was lucky he’d come out of it the way he had.
But he’d heard stories.He knew that sometimes, some of the test subjects didn’t make it.He couldn’t afford for that to happen to Garrett, not when he was so close to getting his brother back.He didn’t want anything to happen to anyone, which meant that they needed to use everything and everyone they could, including Reed.
That left a bitter taste in Franklin’s mouth.He didn’t like Reed.He didn’t like that he found him attractive, with that stupid white streak in his hair and his stupid soft eyes.It didn’t matter how beautiful the man was on the outside when, on the inside, he might as well be a monster.He was saying all the right things, talking about atoning for what he’d done and everything, but how could anyone believe him?
“I’m sure you can understand why we’re wary of you,” Moore said.“We don’t know you, and you just confessed to having worked for the Glass Research Company willingly.”
“I did work for them willingly.I won’t deny that,” Reed said.“I never wanted to hurt anyone, though.I did what I could while I was there, helping the test subjects, but I realized that it wasn’t enough.That’s why I want to help you get everyone out.”
Franklin couldn’t continue listening to this.His mind was going into overdrive.He wanted to see Garrett desperately, but he was afraid that if they involved Reed, he might lose his brother completely.He needed to trust Reed, but he wasn’t sure he could.Maybe it would’ve been better if he hadn’t been present at this meeting.He didn’t want to freak Reed out because the man still needed to give them the information he was talking about, so instead of doing what he wanted, which was to reach over the table and grab the man, Franklin got to his feet.
That seemed to startle everyone at the table.Moore frowned at Franklin, while Reed’s eyes widened.Franklin didn’t say anything.He shook his head and made to leave, walking past Reed as he did so.Everything would’ve been fine if Reed hadn’t reached for him.Franklin felt the fingers on his wrist, making him shiver, just as Reed’s words reached him.
“I’m really sorry about your brother.”
Franklin froze.He wasn’t normally a violent person, but he’d lost his mother.His siblings had been kidnapped and hurt.He desperately wanted to help them, to save them from the labs, but he couldn’t.There was nothing he could do by himself, and he’d always blamed himself for that.He should’ve been there when Garrett and Leah had been taken.He might have died with their mother, or he might have become a test subject like Leah and Garrett had, but he also might have been able to do something.As it was, he’d dealt with the consequences, and those consequences had left him completely alone.
He moved quickly.He reached down, grabbed Reed’s arm, and hauled him to his feet.Reed squeaked, but Franklin ignored it.He’d been thinking about doing this before, about taking his anger out on Reed, but he told himself he couldn’t do it.He wasn’t allowed to, not when they needed Reed.
But Reed had been the one to touch him.He’d been the one who’d reached out.He’d been the one who’d made Franklin snap.
Franklin pressed Reed against the wall and ignored his wide eyes and the fear he could see lurking in them.To his surprise, Reed didn’t try to push him away.He behaved like he felt he deserved this, and he did.
Franklin leaned close and let out a little growl.His lion wanted to come out and play, but to his surprise, it didn’t want to hurt Reed.It took Franklin a few seconds to realize why, and when he did, he released Reed instantly and stumbled back.
Franklin could hear himself breathing hard.He could see Reed staring back at him, the strand of white hair flopped on his forehead.He could feel Moore hovering close, as if he expected to have to stop Franklin from doing something stupid.
Franklin already had.He’d gotten close to Reed, and in doing so, he’d smelled him.
He’d smelled his mate.
Franklin’s brain couldn’t make sense of that.There was no way his mate was someone who’d signed up to work for the Glass Research Company.It couldn’t be someone who’d probably hurt his brother, if not both of his siblings.
“Franklin?”Moore asked.
