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Breathing.
I jerk my head up as I stumble from my stool, realising a monster snuck down here without me even hearing.
Cato’s brother.
Fear fills me as I stare at him. “Cato just went to talk to Akuji’s people,” I whisper.
“I know,” he tells me, watching me carefully as he prowls closer. I stumble back a step, and he stills, cocking his head to the side as he watches me. “You are scared of me.”
“Wouldn’t you be? You want to kill me.” I laugh hysterically, wondering if I could get past him or scream for Cato before he killed me.
Probably not.
He observes me for a moment. “I did want to kill you,” he admits.
“Yay me,” I whisper, swallowing hard. “Wait, did… What changed?”
“I saw the way you were with him, with our people. You’re not like the other humans. It doesn’t mean I trust you, but…but I don’t want to lose my brother.” His lips curl inwards, and he lowers his head. “It has always been my job to protect him, to protect my family, and you threatened that, but I reacted badly.”
I’m so confused. “I-I don’t want to threaten anything,” I tell him softly. “I’m trying to help, I really am.”
“Humans surround our walls, searching for the research you are holding. You could have given it to them, could have left, but you didn’t.”
He’s right—I had every opportunity.
“And I don’t plan to,” I state. “What they have been doing is wrong. It’s sick. No one should play god.”
“I don’t know if I can trust that,” he says and moves closer. Fear blooms inside of me as I see the conflicting emotions in his eyes.
“You are going to have to,” I tell him bravely, “because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do not hurt him,” he begs, and I see the desperation in his eyes. “He’s all I have left, please don’t take him away from me.”
“I would never hurt him. It’s the last thing I would ever want to do,” I assure him, sighing at the vulnerability in his eyes. It’s easy to be afraid of him, to hate him, but it’s harder to do that when I can see the truth.
He’s just worried for his brother and his people.
“I’m not like them. I know you don’t believe that, but I want to help. I truly do. What humans did to you…” I shake my head as he flinches. “I cannot begin to make up for that, but I will keep trying. Every day, I will try to make this right, because you all deserve a future. You deserve safety and happiness, Cato above all. I could no more hurt him than I could hurt myself.”
His eyes watch me carefully. “You love him.”
I jerk at his words. Is he right? I don’t have a chance to respond, because Cato comes bounding in, smiling when he sees me before it fades when his gaze lands on his brother. The snarl he lets out breaks my heart as Cato leaps between us, and the pain I see reflected in his brother’s eyes is too much.
Placing my hand on Cato’s back, I step to his side. “Shh, he doesn’t mean any harm. He came to speak to me, not threaten or hurt me. He just wants to understand.” I look up at Cato. “He’s your brother, Cato. He made a mistake, one I won’t hold against him. I don’t blame him for hating me or being worried about my presence, and neither should you.”
“He threatened you,” Cato snarls, his fists clenched.
“Yes, he did, and I respect that. He did it because he loves you, so kiss and make up, boys.” I huff. “We have much bigger things to deal with than your dick measuring contest.”
Cato peers down at me, confused. “Why would we measure our dicks? Mine is clearly bigger.”
“Men.” I groan. “It seems even monsters are the same.”
His brother sniffs indignantly. “And mine is spectacular.”
“I’m sure you both have very nice cocks,” I patiently offer, “but now we need to get to work. Is Akuji okay with us being here?”
Cato nods and looks down at me. “I also told him you had something to show them, since you are close to a breakthrough, so one of his men is outside to help watch our backs.”
