Page 34 of Anarchy Chained: Alpha Thomas

“To kill me,” he says.

“But you already said I can’t kill you. Wouldn’t these people know that?”

“I’m sure they figured they had a way past my protection. My power. Perhaps Yasmine’s drug wasn’t in their plans.”

“But if she’s on their side—”

He points his finger at me. “Maybe she’s not. Maybe we have two enemies, Sadie? Ever think of that? Maybe what Yasmine did was not part of their plan. And that drug she gave me unleashed the power of my mind. A power I’ve held tightly in control since I walked out of that burning Prodigy building fifteen years ago? Maybe,” he says, “what Yasmine did went against what they were doing.”

A flashing red alert races through my mind. Abort! Abort! Abort! I put my hands to my head, trying to make it go away.

“You remember something?” Thomas asks, a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Yes,” I whisper. “Something flashing across my eyes. The word ‘abort’ in red letters.”

“See,” he says, like I just confirmed his theory. “Prodigy sent you, but they didn’t expect Yasmine to unleash me. Maybe you can kill me, Sadie. Or could, I should say. Maybe before Yasmine released my mind from the grip of the drugs I’ve used to hold it prisoner, you had that power. But it’s gone now. I assure you. It’s gone now. I am the most powerful weapon to ever come out of a Prodigy School.”

Until me, I think.

And I have no idea where that came from.

But like everything else popping into my head today—I know it to be true.

“We’d make a good team,” he says, grabbing the arm of my office chair and pulling me closer to him. “Think about it. They wouldn’t send you if you weren’t powerful. Mentalist is the most powerful weapon they can produce from the kids. But illusionist is pretty powerful too. We’re perfect, Sadie. We’re practically meant for each other.”

His hand is back on my cheek. Softly stroking me as he looks down into my eyes. When I don’t stop him, he leans in. His soft lips brush against mine, just like in the nightmare last night.

I kiss him back this time too. I wait for his wandering hand to slip between my legs and make me feel the pressure of his fingers against my sex.

But he just pulls back. Smiling. “See,” he says in a soft, low voice. “See how perfect we are?”

I bite my lip and inhale deeply.

“We can change things, Sadie. We can make them pay for turning us into little science projects. For stealing our childhoods away. Taking our innocence. Us,” he whispers as his mouth covers mine once again. “We are the enemy they’ve been waiting for.”

I give in. Hell, who am I kidding? I practically melt against him. I want more. I want him to touch me again. I want him to take what he wants and not ask for permission. I want him to control me the way they did. I want my submission to set me free.

“I need it,” I whisper.

“What?” he answers back. Kissing me one more time. “What do you need?”

But I can’t say it out loud. I can’t admit what I really want. So I say, “A friend.”

“I’ll be your friend, Sadie. Just trust me. We’ll be good together, I promise.”