Page 91 of Born Savage

I leaned my head against the headrest, studying Rage’s silhouette even as he continued to ooze with anger. While talking had been limited, maybe because we didn’t know what we’d face, he was carrying on a conversation with Wrath, which allowed me an unfettered few minutes to enjoy looking at him.

He hadn’t shaved since his arrival and maybe because of his upgraded DNA the scruff covering his jaw was definitely sexier than his clean-shaven face. Or maybe the dark wave of coarse hair was because he was all male. There was no sense in lying to myself that I wasn’t attracted to him.

Since our savage passion shared in my quarters, the last two days had been all about preparation. That didn’t mean there hadn’t been some angst between us. I had a feeling that would remain as long as I knew him.

With the hum of the engine, my core was far too overheated already. I purposely looked away but was drawn to him again within seconds. I’d been surprised he and the others had fit into the big shell of a vehicle given their size, but he was without question the largest of the group.

Maybe six-seven? I wasn’t certain. All I knew was that he dwarfed me when I stood next to him. Or in front. Or when he laid on top of me, although there was no issue with how his cock managed to fit perfectly. He stretched out my pussy muscles to the point that even after a couple of days, I continued to ache.

My hand fluttered to my neck, the bruises from the attacker already turning yellow. I hadn’t placed my hand there because of the injury, but because every other inch of me ached. I crawled my fingers down the side of my neck while noticing how his Adam’s apple bobbed while he talked.

His jaw was a carved creation of beauty, perfectly angular and accenting his other chiseled features. Wow. I was getting warm just thinking about how much I’d enjoyed his rough touch.

I looked down at Wren, realizing her head was tilted, her eyes searching mine.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, pulling the puppy even closer. I was still amazed there were no outward signs that she’d suffered because of her healing abilities, but I’d heard what my father had said. Her special gift couldn’t be used for just anyone. One day I’d find the right way of explaining to her just how grateful I was for what she’d done for my mother.

“Are you hungry?”

Her head shook vehemently and the other thing I wished for was for her to feel comfortable talking to us. Or even just to me. She was a special child and didn’t deserve to suffer. In truth, none of us did.

Yet here we were, evoking bad karma by heading on a long journey. From what had been told to the soldiers, we’d face eleven hundred plus miles of nothing but barren land and rubble.

“Just let me know if you need something to eat.”

She slumped against me and I hoped she felt safe. As safe as a child could feel around strangers.

Rage stopped talking at that moment, twisting so he could steal a glance into the back seat. But I caught him, our eyes locking as they’d done so many times over the last few days. Nothing seemed real any longer, everything becoming stranger than fiction. Maybe I’d lived in my own little world of fantasy for far too long.

“We’re going to stop for the night. Everyone needs a break,” he said, his tone softer than normal yet holding the strong warrior vibe I’d come to expect. He’d changed since meeting him, the sharp edge to his personality softening.

“Where are we?”

“Pennsylvania,” Wrath answered. I noticed his eyes in the mirror hanging in the front window. Or windshield. That’s what it was called. The tanklike vehicle provided an even greater feeling of claustrophobia than the steel bunker.

“We’re coming up on a town that supposedly still exists, at least in infrastructure,” Rage added.

“How do you know these things?”

Vicious leaned over from the back seat, folding his arms as he did. Something else that had struck me since leaving the community. They were a team, working together seamlessly, yet they were obviously also friends. Since I didn’t have any real friends within the community my family had created, I didn’t understand the bond. The more time I spent with them, the more envious I became.

“We were programmed with certain knowledge, including corroborated details about locations.” His answer didn’t surprise me as much as make me curious.

“Programmed genetically?”

“Nodes strategically placed throughout our brains. Think of it as having computer chips placed in our brains. Data wired without our cranial synapses holding extensive details regarding everything from knowledge about mission systems to medical terminology, weaponry and logistics.”

“Along with buildings, engineering data, the ability to identify poisons and other dangers,” Wrath added.

“I even heard a few Verndari were gifted with culinary skills and appreciation of music, arts, and history.”

“So what was important all those years ago wasn’t lost,” I mused, finding the entire science incredible if not terrifying.

Rage mirrored my thoughts, his facial features hardening. “The implants were described as a glorious gift, instead being an invasive violation of the mind, contrasting the cold perfection of previous technology with the chaotic, messy nature of true human emotion.”

His words sucked the energy out of the space.