Page 27

That’s the moment our armor falls away and I know for absolute certain that this man is different than the one I was Ordered to. There’s no façade here. No farce. No mind games or manipulation.

There’s only us.

Until, there isn’t.

“Ah, the lover’s reunion.” Anex’s voice carries from across the room. My spine tenses, habit and self-preservation propelling me to bow and honor my leader. Rex doesn’t allow it, hands cupping my cheeks as he continues to kiss me. He groans regretfully against my mouth, before stepping back. “Don’t stop on my account, Son.”

Rex turns, his hand dropping to hold mine. “You told me we’d have time—alone.”

“That was when I was under the assumption that everyone was playing by the rules.” Rex’s fingers twitch against mine, and his shoulders stiffen, the armor setting back in place. “I’ve allowed this meeting because Rex fulfilled a promise to me. Which,” he addresses his son with his eyebrow raised, impressed, “well done. I’ve never had someone hand over her entire fortune to me so quickly. Whatever you did to her must have been magnificent.”

There’s an implication in his words—that Rex had done something to convince a recruit to hand over her fortune. I’m not stupid. I’m well aware of what Rex and the others are required to do to fill the coffers of Serendee. He’d made a promise to me, that he wouldn’t sleep with another woman, but none of us have autonomy right now. It’s nothing but a constant state of survival.

If Anex wanted a reaction from me, he doesn’t get one, and continues, shifting his blue eyes to me. “Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Imogene who continues her Regressive ways.”

“I—” I swallow past the lump in my throat, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Anex crosses the room, passing us, and approaching Margaret who is standing near the door. He kisses her on the cheek, lifting a hand to her full breast, and squeezing it gently. He then bends, pressing another soft kiss to her belly. Once I would have thought this was sweet—a loving father expressing his delight for a new child, but now I know better. It’s a display of power. That Margaret, her body and the child inside, belongs to him. Just like we all do.

He faces us and says, “Security caught Silas going into the Childcare center—entering the back door carrying a box from the apothecary. Once this was confirmed, Healer Bloom conducted a complete inventory of our supplies and discovered you’d been taking supplements not prescribed to you. In fact, they have the opposite, desired effect.”

The blood rushes down my body, leaving my head woozy and light. As if he can tell, Rex’s hand drops mine and circles my waist.

“That’s Silas’ issue,” he says, pulling me to his side. “Not Imogene’s. She couldn’t have known.”

Anex shakes his head. “You think I’m stupid.”

“No,” I blurt. All that does is turn his gaze from his son onto me. My knees shake at his attention, increasing as he walks over.

“Oh, Imogene. I’d like to say my son and his friends corrupted you, but we both know it’s the other way around.” His hands snap out, one grabbing for my collar, the other clasping my skull.

“Get your filthy hands off her!” Rex lunges, but the tell-tale sound of a gun racking forces him still. Erik, the guard is across the room, the gun leveled at him, a hair's breath away from shooting.

“Rex,” I whisper, terror squeezing my vocal chords. “Don’t.”

He grimaces and swears under his breath. Anex cuts his eyes between us, then wrenches my head and neck apart. “Care to tell me where you got this little bruise?” His eyes narrow. “Careful, Imogene, I’ll know if you’re lying.”

“It was an accident,” I reply quietly. “While I was doing chores.”

“It looks like a love bite.” He releases me, fingers trailing down my neck. “If you haven’t seen Silas, been intimate with him, then where did you get this? Are there other men trying to claim you?”

That last question is a trick. He knows there are no other men that can get access to me. He wants me to report Silas for breaking the rules. I can’t—won’t.

“I understand. You don’t want to betray one of your lovers.” The corners of his mouth turn down. “Well, I’ll save you, Imogene. One of your housemates saw the mark directly after his intrusion.”

It had to be Maria. The hurt from knowing she went to Anex about me… it burns in my gut.

“Do you deny it?”

I can’t speak, but I manage to shake my head.

“For the violation of meeting with another member of the Fallen, for going against medical policy, and most of all,” his jaw tenses, “betraying my trust, you’ll receive Correction.”

“Hell no, she won’t.” Rex moves toward his father, uncaring that the gun tracks his every move. “That’s not happening.”

“There is no alternative, Son. She willingly violated the rules of Serendee.”

“Yourrules! No one voted on these. There were no agreements. It’s your unilateral command.”