Page 42 of Born Savage

“For obvious reasons. You will need a healer as you face the next phase of your life. They are rare and to be cherished. Given she is so young, she will also need your protection.”

“What does that mean?” I pulled the rim to my lips, inhaling the incredible aroma. There was nothing quite as comforting as enjoying a cup of tea. To think I’d loathed the taste as a child.

Very carefully he placed his mug on the table, pushing it away. There was a seriousness dwelling within his eyes that made me very nervous. “Tell me about them.”

“Wren and Jake?”

His smile was almost but not quite condescending. “The Savages who protected you.”

I could feel my mouth drop open. “How did you know?”

“There are things that an old man always knows. The dreams you’ve been having have increased in frequency. Yes?”

There was no reason to be nervous around him, but a cold shiver replaced the warmth from the tea. And suddenly, my mouth was dry. “Am I sick? Do I need to be banished? Is that why I need a healer?”

He seemed surprised, even reaching over to place his hand on mine. “No, child. There is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect in every way. The dreams are merely an awakening, your brain allowing you to remember what has been up until now far too painful for you to do. The significance is in me knowing the time has come.”

“The time,” I repeated. “You’re scaring me.”

The way he squeezed my hand continued fueling the endless shudders. “There is nothing wrong with being frightened. The emotion will help you alert and alive until you reach your destination.”

While he didn’t stop me when I jerked my hand free, I could see a flash of disappointment in his eyes. I jumped from the stool, backing away with my arms crossed, chilled to the bone. Not because of what he’d said, but because his words were similar to what Rage had told me.

“What destination?”

“Somewhere allowing you to grow once again.”

“What is going on, Peter? Why do I feel as if I’ve been groomed for a duty I neither understand nor want?”

“Because that is exactly what has occurred in your life. Now, your destiny awaits you. Tell me about the Savages you met.”

How he knew didn’t seem to matter. I looked away at the glowing lights in the two dozen terrariums, all filled with plants lovingly cared for. Nothing seemed real any longer.

“They were Savages, eight to ten of them. They confronted me in the city. I think they’d been stalking me.”

“They confronted you or they protected you?”

I pressed my fingers to my lips, both still slightly swollen from Rage’s rough kisses. Since I’d yet to take a shower, his scent lingered on every inch of skin. Maybe that’s how Peter had known I’d betrayed not only myself but my village. “I’m so sorry. I had a moment of weakness. They just…”

“Are you under the impression I’m angry with you?”

“You should be. I’m enraged with myself for letting my guard down.” I paced the floor, fighting the horrific chill already clashing with the enflamed throb pulsing between my legs.

Never quick to intervene, he allowed me a full minute of wallowing in whatever I was doing. At this point, I wasn’t certain myself. “Have I ever told you that there are two different groups of Savages?”

Was this another test? Peter remained a professor through and through, always testing my knowledge even when I wasn’t aware. There were never any pieces of paper to score, or questions written down I was required to spend time on like a thesis. His method of educating me had been brilliant, more because I hungered for more, even begging him for just one more topic.

But not about Savages. Once I’d learned they were brutal, vicious creatures, their sole intent on killing everyone in the Resistance, the subject had been closed. “No. What does that mean?”

“Sit, child. Your pacing is giving me a headache. Drink your tea before it gets cold.”

He waited for me to obey, which prompted another even uglier thought about Rage. But I sat down because whatever Peter wanted to share with me, I needed to hear.

“Alright. Please tell me what that means.”

“You already know why the Savages were created. Some of the finest scientific minds, those in several disciplines intending on creating the ultimate soldier. You also know why.”

“Because you told them it was necessary.”