Touched by Lightning Read online

  Ever since Brit unlocked the door to her desires, Gyda had explored the dark hungers she hadn’t even realized she had. Tora was sick and tired of all the fucking and wanted to get back to working on an escape plan. Sixteen didn’t mind all the fucking, wanted more of it, but she also kept warning Gyda not to get her heart all tied in knots over Brit. She fought Tora and Sixteen constantly, fought the memories Tora used as fuel to fan the fires of revenge, fought Sixteen’s warnings of how easily men discarded women. Right now, she was happier than she’d ever been. Every day brought a new experience, a new smile from Brit.

  Brit. She leaned against the tree with a sigh, her body giving a little zing of anticipation despite the orgasm he’d given her just an hour before. If she wasn’t basking in the glow of belonging with the recruits, Gyda was daydreaming about Brit or plotting a way to have sex with him while everyone else was occupied. Three weeks of sex and she couldn’t get enough.

  You know this is gonna end bad, Sixteen told her in a near mutter. Sex is all well and good, but you can’t let it blind you completely. Everything’s happy, happy right now but in a few more days he’ll be itching to get away and you’ll be stuck trailing after him like a puppy dog. Better to walk away now before you do something stupid and fall in love.

  It seemed that while Sixteen was fine with fucking and sex and anything that was meaningless, when Brit looked at Gyda a certain way, or Gyda started to feel strong emotions well in her chest, Tora and Sixteen would work together to remind her of her past. She didn’t really need to be reminded of it. She knew the score better than either of them thought.

  She had nothing to offer Brit. Not really. He could get sex anywhere. Even some of the women among the recruits stared at him with hungry eyes, regarding Gyda with jealousy because they all saw the way he was with her. But other than her body, which was horribly scarred, she had nothing else. Her past was…something she’d never talk about with anyone. Her future was murky at best and her present was spent pretending she was normal.

  Yeah, she was a real prize, wasn’t she? Some of the lightness in her heart faded at the thought.

  The door to the cabin opened and a tall vision in pink stepped onto the porch with a massive dog at her side. Gyda immediately recognized the woman as Josephina Daly, but wondering why the O.T. Director was here so early was a secondary thought when she realized Joe had been in the house with Brit. Alone. And she’d left him in the shower where he was very naked and very sexy.

  She was on her feet heading for the cabin before she even realized she’d moved. Tora was a quiet, watchful presence in the back of her mind, ready to defend Gyda if needed but allowing her to solve this issue on her own. As far as her other self was concerned, Joe could have Brit with her thanks. The man was trouble. Sixteen knew it and she didn’t want Gyda involved in any type of emotional relationship. Sex was fine. Cuddling and snuggling and sleeping with a man was not cool.

  ’Cause look what happens when you get attached, Sixteen muttered as Gyda approached the porch at a brisk walk, passing through the sparring pairs. You lose your fucking mind and want to kill bitches for swimming in your pool. You do know there are plenty of swinging dicks out there who can take care of this newly discovered lust thing you have going on. We can find one no problem. And they’d even let us dominate them. You just leave that to me. But don’t get tangled up in some dude.

  Gyda ignored Sixteen and stalked up the porch where Joe stood, completely at ease with the glare aimed at her. In fact, the closer Gyda got to her, the more excited Joe became, her face lighting up and almost glowing. When she finally stopped in front of the other woman who towered over her by several inches, Joe did a little hop in place.

  “You look fabulous! Oh my God it looks like they’re feeding you and all!”

  Some of Gyda’s anger faded by the comments, not sure how to take them.

  Joe waved one of her hands, the other planted on her dog’s head. The dog Gyda hadn’t even paid attention to because she wanted to kill the woman. Her gaze dropped to the canine, which even seated was an impressive sight. His golden-brown eyes watched her with gentle understanding, melting away the rest of her angst. When Joe squealed something about Gyda having a healthy glow, the wolfhound heaved a long-suffering sigh and she swore it rolled its eyes.

  “I haven’t been in the country in like…” Joe paused and tapped her cheek with one perfectly manicured finger. She shook her head. “It’s been a long time but if it makes you look as good as this? I’m moving back to Iowa.” She bent a look on the dog. “How does that sound, Mr. Dimples? You want to move to Iowa and chase rabbits and shit? You do, don’t you? But you know Mommy wouldn’t let you kill them or eat them, don’t you? Don’t you?”

  Gyda’s jaw had to be hanging open at the ridiculous conversation the O.T. Director was having with her dog, which looked mildly irritated… If a dog could even have facial expressions, which she wasn’t certain they could. She vaguely remembered hearing a similar conversation between a woman and a silent person when she was at O.T. Headquarters. Now she suspected it had been between Joe and the poor beleaguered Mr. Dimples, but she’d been nearly catatonic from Leo’s mental push and hadn’t cared or paid attention. Now she wished she had.

  Joe crouched in front of the dog, doing one of those smoothing things with her skirt that Gyda knew she’d never manage, until she was face-to-face with the wolfhound. “He’s Mommy’s baby, isn’t he? He wuvs sweeping with Mommy and cuddling with Mommy when she’s cranky, doesn’t he? Yes you do!”

  Gyda winced at the high-pitched baby talk. The dog did as well, pulling away from Joe for a moment to swipe his tongue over the back of Gyda’s hand. At first she tensed, waiting for him to take off the whole limb, but he was surprisingly dainty about it, being sure to keep his sharp teeth away from her skin. Her nose wrinkled a little at the feel of the dog’s tongue, but when he pulled away, all displeasure and anger and angst and jealousy faded.

  She stared at her hand, expecting to see something, a rash or something that would account for the strange buzz floating through her body. It was almost the same sensation she had when she used her knives, or when she was flying high from the pleasure Brit gave her. Sixteen was all mellow and even Tora was at peace and calm, their tantrums about men and lovers and everything else a forgotten litany. Her skin remained clear though, no darkness or redness to indicate a drug. And what would a dog be doing with saliva that could medicate a person anyway?

  But this was the Order of Themis. Human evolution was changing on a daily basis, leading to new abilities cropping up in the most obscure ways. She’d never heard of animals going through the same evolutionary changes, but it didn’t mean it was impossible. Maybe there were supernatural dogs out there with powers, because there was no way in hell this behemoth was anything but a dog. Unless he really wasn’t a dog…

  Gyda’s gaze darted from her hand to the wolfhound, who was suffering through Joe peppering air kisses around his face. His tongue lolled out his mouth and he actually seemed to be enjoying the kisses and baby talk, because his eyes were a little glazed and trained on Joe’s face with complete love. No, he had to be a dog. No one could endure that kind of attention without going insane. Even if it was part of some elaborate plan to… She shook her head, not even sure what would be important enough to put up with this kind of behavior and finally gave it up.

  It was a dog. A dog whose only power was the ability to share pure love with nothing expected in return. Maybe she should’ve gotten a pet at some point, Gyda mused as she watched Joe finally bring an end to her adoration fest with her dog. A pet might have made life a little less lonely, would have provided the love she needed but didn’t trust enough to ask of a person.

  We’ll look into a pet after we finish up with the O.T., Sixteen acknowledged in a very mellow tone. You know, if this is what it feels like when you cut yourself…I can sort of understand it. Sort of.

  Joe turned to her just as the door opened, bringing the scent of
ozone with it. Brit. Gyda’s gaze left the other woman, her attention focusing on the man who’d brought about such a powerful change in her life. His handsome face was impassive until he saw her. Then a spark of life lit his dark eyes, his dimples played peek-a-boo with her in a fleeting smile before he buried everything deep again.

  Her heart did a strange hitch in her chest before Sixteen’s cynicism emerged. Told you. You’re good for fucking, but as soon as something better comes along…

  Before she could let that thought take root, another man appeared right behind Brit. For a moment, she thought she was seeing double, but as he stepped into the daylight from the shadows of the house, she saw various differences between the men. This man with his dark eyes and hair was colder, less charming than Gyda’s country lover. He had the same-shaped face and vaguely the same body shape, but where Brit was muscled and tattooed, vibrant with the life and power held in his body, this man was pale and lean. Brit wore a t-shirt and plain cargos, just about the only thing he owned other than worn jeans, while the faded copy of Brit wore an expensive suit.

  Gyda might not have been much of a fashion fiend the way Joe obviously was, but even she could tell good quality in clothes, cars and furnishings. It helped when you needed to make quick money and swiping a few coats or a car were your only options. This man’s clothes were expensive and tailor-made for him, his shoes shiny enough to act like mirrors. Despite his perfectly groomed hair and well-fitting clothes, Gyda wanted to move away from him, her instincts on high alert. There was something about him that raised the hair on her nape, causing her to take an unintended step back. Sixteen’s mellow mood disappeared as she absorbed Gyda’s instinctive reaction.

  Her mental shields, cracked open to allow her to feel closer to Brit, were assaulted by a strange, almost acidic lust. She flinched away from her lover as he approached, her body automatically putting distance between her and the source of that insidious emotion. She stepped off the porch, her body tense, Tora surfacing as a snarling, hissing presence in her mind.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off the newcomer, her heart speeding up as though she’d run a five-minute mile. Her palms became clammy with sweat and her fingers curled into claws at this threat. Tora shoved against the barrier separating their minds, memories slamming into her like a jackhammer.

  Pain, so much pain she wanted to die from it. Echoes of ribald laughter as she screamed and pled for mercy rang in her ears. The blind hope when they healed her, the warmth as her body was knitted together and then the betrayal as they broke her again. Only to heal her and break her yet again. Over and over until she couldn’t even scream anymore, until she couldn’t fight, until she didn’t care what they did to her. All of it flipped through her mind like a bad movie with jumpy pictures.

  In each one the master was blurry, his face indistinct, his voice masked, but the pictures slowed until she could see them easier, see the second man in them. The one who wasn’t quite protected, whose face and eyes became more distinct until she saw him reflected in this man before her.

  Him. The healer. The one who’d destroyed more than her body. He’d shredded her future, his laughing claims ringing in her head as she stared at him.

  “It’s a very successful procedure,” he said as he held his hand over her lower abdomen. “I’ve experimented with forced hormonal sterilization with a few of our other toys.” He looked up at Sixteen with liquid-dark eyes. “No more periods to keep you off rotation, baby. This little pussy will be in action twenty-four seven, three hundred sixty-four days a year.”

  He touched her skin, sending sharp needles of pain into her. It burned like acid and she fought against her restraints, tears leaking from her eyes, her mouth open to scream but nothing came out. Not anymore. Not after the last time…

  “Ah, caught ya,” he drawled as he frowned. He looked over at the man standing on the other side of Sixteen. “Whoever had her last left some very active swimmers who were headed for fertile ground. But I got ’em in time.”

  “How long will it last?” the indistinct voice of her master asked over the rushing of blood through Sixteen’s veins.

  The healer straightened with a smirk. “Forever. This little bitch won’t be going into heat or making brats until I take it off her and since I don’t plan on doing that, we have ourselves a sterilized whore.”

  “Excellent.” Her master said, stroking his hand over Sixteen’s wet cheek. “Be sure to heal her when you’re finished, I have plans for her tonight.”

  He left her with the healer, who shed his clothes and set about playing, his leering face looming over her…

  “Fuck!”

  The shout was muffled, a distant roar to the screaming, howling Beast in Gyda’s soul. Tora pushed forward, stepping into her consciousness with the ease of long practice. The healer, the man who’d abused her so horribly was within her grasp and she wasn’t letting him go.

  Brit, Gyda’s oh so charming swain, stepped into Tora’s path, his body puffed up with electricity, protecting the very man who’d committed a heinous crime against her.

  Protecting the healer from true justice. He’s protecting the man who destroyed us.

  This was why she hadn’t wanted them to get attached to anyone. They thought they had the right to butt into your business and this man, this healer was definitely Tora’s business.

  She shoved Brit out of the way, using all the strength she possessed, sending his body spinning into the bitch in the pink suit. They went down in a jumble of limbs while the damn dog stared at Tora with disappointment. She shrugged off the thought and faced her target.

  His smirk hadn’t died away, the gleam in his eyes brighter than ever. He knew she remembered him. His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he stared at her. He wasn’t frightened of her, his arrogance a shield he thought he could hide behind. He probably thought the recruits and trainers would save him.

  Tora bared her teeth at him. No one was going to get between them. She could still feel his hands on her, his powers leeching the maternal purpose of her womb from her. He’d stolen something more precious than her soul or her life. He’d taken the promise of children from her. It didn’t matter to her that she had no intentions of having children, no desire to give birth, but having it stolen from her by this man to make her body the perfect vessel for lust was too much.

  She snarled as she reached for him, only to be brought up short by a hard arm around her midriff. Tora bucked to free herself, her head slamming back, kicking her heels against the hard legs and digging her fingernails into the arm holding her. But it was Murphy whose body was impervious to her attack. She hissed and snarled, fighting him anyway, madness clawing at her.

  All while that smug bastard stared at her with a knowing smile. She roared at him, her hands leaving the solid metal of Murphy’s arm and lifting to lunge at him one last time.

  “Contain her!” an authoritative voice ordered from nearby. “Goddamn, someone bring her down!”

  “Gyda, please,” Brit’s familiar voice pleaded with her, his sorrow beating at her mental shields. “Please come back.”

  Tora felt Gyda perk up at her lover’s voice, at his pleas, felt her shove at the thick barrier separating them. Gyda wanted out, wanted to talk rationally with Brit, the man she loved more than anything. And Tora almost let her, but as though he knew exactly what she planned, the healer spoke.

  “Lord almighty, cousin, I sure hope she’s more of a pussy cat in bed than this.”

  Everything inside her went still inside her as Gyda, Sixteen and Tora absorbed this information. United in their fear of betrayal. Brit stood right next to the healer, a much brighter, vibrant presence, but the similarities were evident. The shape of their eyes, their coloring similar, and most telling was Brit turning to the healer to shout. How could she have missed that? How could she have been so stupid as to not remember what her tormenter looked like?

  Because Brit had a different emotional wavelength than the healer did, something warmer an
d more compassionate, yet even beneath that she could feel the familial bond. A shared past, shared memories. And it broke her heart. No, not broke it, smashed it to a million pieces.

  “Shut your mouth, Asa, ain’t nobody got time for your bullshit. You’re here to heal her. That’s it.” His frustrated look bounced between Gyda and the healer, confusion twisting at his face. “Gyda, just please…calm down and let him heal you.”

  Cousins with the monster who’d taken away her future, who’d helped torture her. Brit shared blood with the healer, his features similar enough that she was shocked she hadn’t noticed it before now. Her memories were still too fuzzy for her to see everything clearly, but seeing Asa now cracked open another door in her mind, allowing her a sneak peek at his face. And she wanted to shred it, dismember him, tear him apart piece by piece.

  Asa smiled again, his gaze drifting over her. “I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.”

  Words so similar to ones he’d used all those years ago snapped Gyda’s last hold on sanity. The thought of him touching her for anything, of breathing the same fucking air as her was enough to send Tora and Sixteen over the edge. Gyda curled up in the back of her mind, shell-shocked to realize the man she’d fallen in love with, trusted with her body and her soul, had been planning to hand her over to the healer who’d brought her so much harm.

  Tora, hungry for vengeance, planted her foot on Murphy’s thigh and kicked off, lunging for the healer. There were more shouts, a few screams and then the sharp sting of electricity bouncing through her body. She convulsed, her hands falling away before they reached the bastard’s throat.

  And when she hit the floor of the porch with a thud, the last thing she saw was Brit’s shocked and sad eyes.