AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How could I not be?” Cato winks at me.
“Is that the news?” Aria asks excitedly, and I sober, swallowing hard.
“No, I-I found something in the research, something…something I can barely believe, but I think it’s best I just explain without questions, okay? I don’t know what it means yet or where to go, but this affects everyone… This affects us, Aria.”
She watches me carefully and crosses her arms. “Whatever you have to say, we can handle it. We trust you, Talia. Tell us.”
Akuji places his palm on his mate’s shoulder, and she leans into him. Cato comes to my side, offering his strength to me as well, basically mirroring the others’ poses.
Licking my lips, I glance at him, and he nods. “Okay, so we know humans made monsters. They experimented on them to push their limits. Whilst at the HQ, I found out not only that, but since the wall was erected, they have been trying to create more by splicing different DNA together. I think they did that here as well, which means some monsters might have different traits or strengths, but they also…they also created a breeding programme.”
Aria’s eyes narrow, and I nod.
“They want humans and monsters to mate. They need their offspring for the next generation, and they realised mated pairs were the way to go. That’s why they sent us over the wall, in hopes we would. That’s why…that’s why…” Cato pulls me closer, and I carry on. “They tried to have me raped before the monster refused.” Aria snarls, so I push forward. “It turns out our bodies change when we mate.” Her eyes flash, and I realise she knows that. “Our blood, our entire beings rearrange. It’s magnificent actually and scientifically impossible, but it’s happening, and that’s what they wanted. They have been trying to recreate that by pumping the slums with drugs. That’s why there is so much sickness and death. They are weeding out the weak, but when I looked into it further…”
“What?” Aria prompts.
“They are changing our DNA, and it’s not natural, but it made me realise some of our DNA wasn’t natural to begin with. I think they are experimenting on us. I think this is one big experiment.” Swallowing hard, I meet their eyes. “And I don’t think we are human at all.”
This news goes off like a bomb, and Aria just stares.
I stare back, unsure what else to say.
The sound of booted feet hitting the stairs causes us to turn. Standing at the top with a grin is a dark-haired, curvy female. She looks familiar, and then I realise she’s the same woman from my job when I first got it—a journalist, they called her. She grins knowingly at us, her eyes hard with a strength that scares me. Behind her, standing like a scarred shadow, looms Samael, who snarls and glares at us all.
“She’s right, and I have proof,” the woman calls.
EPILOGUE
A MONTH LATER…
TALIA
Iwait nervously for Cato to arrive, biting my lip. Drinks are flowing at The Hideout, and everyone is celebrating, making the most of the time they have. They need to with everything going on, but me? I’m not. I’m waiting for my mate, who walks through the door, clapping Akuji on the shoulder as he grins. His eyes instantly find me, and his grin widens as he heads straight for me.
Aria snickers at my side. “Good luck,” she whispers as she slides from the booth and throws herself at her mate, who catches her mid-air with a chuckle. Their tiger winds through their legs, but I stay clear of him—bad memories and all. I can agree, however, that he looks after Aria.
“Tally.” Cato sighs, as if he’s finally happy now that he’s with me as he slides in to sit by my side, kissing me soundly before smiling at me. “How was your girls’ day?”
“It was good. I found something out,” I hedge.
His eyebrows rise. “You told me you weren’t working.”
“I wasn’t.” I’ve been working non-stop since the bombshell I dropped in the lab all those weeks ago, collecting proof and trying to find out just what exactly we are. Aria tries to help but mostly annoys me, and Cato assists when he can, but with the humans prepping for war at our walls, they are busy upgrading the city every night.
This war has brought all the monsters back together again, even Samuel’s Darklings, although just thinking of him makes me shiver in fear. He hates humans more than any monster, and I feel sorry for the woman, the human, who is with their tribe. He wouldn’t let her go. No one knows why, but I have my theories it’s to torture her. She didn’t seem afraid, however, so we let her walk away with a promise to show us the proof she spoke of.
We are still waiting, and I’m starting to believe she might not have it.
Hell, maybe she’s just as crazy as Samael. After all, only a madwoman would walk back into hell, which is what their tribe land is. I saw it once with Cato, and it haunts me to this day.
It’s filled with scarred, criminal monsters, the worst of the worst, and it’s a total wasteland.
They make Akuji’s warriors look non-threatening.
“No, not working.” I fidget nervously, and he frowns.
“Tally,” he warns.
