Chapter Twelve: 2/2

Noah:

Shit, I’m running late.

I was too worried about what I was going to wear that I changed a couple times. It didn’t help that the pain in my back returned with a vengeance.

This wasn’t really happening, right?

Why was I so concerned with my appearance now? I usually didn’t give a shit.

I was way too worried about what she would think when she saw me.

Fuck it.

I decided to wear the outfit Eileen helped me pick out.

The shirt is black, with long sleeves. The material is a little thinner than a thermal, but that’s what it looked like. Three buttons held the top of my shirt closed.

I felt a little self-conscious in this shirt, it was a little tighter than I was used to.

I hiked up the sleeves before pulling on my dark blue jeans. These too are a little tighter than I felt comfortable wearing.

I just wanted to look good, I felt silly that I was trying so hard.

Eileen said I looked good in this, so here we are. When I bent over to put on my socks and shoes, the pain in my back turned into a dull throbbing.

Both my socks and my shoes are black.

My watch is on my right wrist. My ring is on my middle finger, same hand.

I tucked the necklace Eileen gave me into my shirt so that the necklace the facility issued was in full view.

It was a small black metal rectangle, going down the long way. My tracker.

It was our version of a dog tag.

My last name and birthday were written on it. Birthday on the back, last name on the front.

I couldn’t delay it anymore.

My mind was all over the place. I wanted to run as fast as I could down there, but I had to be a little more patient than that.

I made my way out of my room, and I let Baird know that I was on my way down.

I just needed to get there.

The walk felt longer than usual, but I felt it when I got close.

I felt her.

She is in the next room, and the pain in my back felt minuscule.

I knocked lightly on the door.

I didn’t wait for a response, I opened it.

Shay was standing up, looking right at me.

“Noah?” she asked.

She looked stunning.

“Hi,” I said.

I could see it on her face, she wasn't sure what to think of her match being me.

“Take your seat,” Baird said.

I didn’t even want to look at him.

I pulled the chair out before sitting down.

“Did you know?” she asked me.

I opened my mouth, but Baird spoke first.

“Now that you two have met, your interview process may begin,” he said, “I am here strictly to monitor.”

“Monitor what?” Shay asked him.

“Us,” I said.

“Think of me as a small buffer,” he said, “Ask each other anything and answer as honestly as possible.”

“What if we don’t want to answer?” she asked.

“Then just tell me,” I said, “I will do the same.”

“This process is for you two to get to know each other in a safe environment,” Baird said.

“Safe?” she asked, “I would feel safer in a crowd.”

I didn’t want to have to say something so soon.

“This is safer,” I said, “For me, and everybody like me.”

She looked at me.

“Because you are a Devil?”

I only nodded.

“Why?” she asked, “What makes this safer?”

Baird, of course, didn’t answer. It was all on me now.

“In case I change,” I stated, “It’s safer so that I don’t scare anyone, and safer for you.”

“So that you can’t kill me?” she asked.

I nodded.

How was she so calm?

She glanced at Baird.

“Any questions you have, please direct them to Noah.”

Her gold and brown eyes burning holes into me, the longer she stared.

“Ask me questions too,” she said, “This all feels a little strange.”

I could see it now, she is nervous.

Was she only nervous after knowing I could kill her?

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I couldn’t tell you before.”

“But you knew,” she said, “Did Eileen?”

I quickly glanced at Baird.

He actually stopped what he was doing, surprise dominating his face.

“You know Eileen?” he asked her.

Shit.

She looked from him to me.

“I’m not going to answer that,” she said.

Wait, did she really just say that to Baird?

“Shay,” he said, “Do you know Eileen?”

She took in a breath before leaning back in her chair.

This girl was something else.

“This interview is over.”

Baird stood up.

Holy shit.

She didn’t move, so neither did I.

“Then trade places with Steven,” I said.

Baird met my gaze. I don’t think I have ever seen him angry.

“This process is not a Joke,” Baird said, “I need this information.”

I looked over at Shay, and her gaze was already on me.

“Tell him,” I said, “Or else we won’t be able to meet again.”

“What if I tell him, and we still don’t?” she asked.

So, she did feel something.

“Then, I will take my punishment for it.”

I almost said again, but I didn’t want to elaborate on that if she asked.

“What if I don’t want you to be punished because of me?”

“I give you my word,” Baird said, “If you tell me, I will not cancel future meetings.”

“Tell him,” I said, “Baird does not lie.”

She looked a little unsure, but she nodded.

“She works at the daycare,” Shay said, “My brothers go there.”

Baird looked down at the tablet as if searching for something.

There is no point in looking. The program only wants information about the person entering it. The rest of the family doesn’t get a whole lot of attention.

“Was that really so hard to say?” Baird asked before sitting back down.

I didn’t even want to respond.

“What is with the two of you?” she asked.

The room was silent.

“Baird,” she said, “An answer for an answer.”

Fuck.

“He is angry with me,” Baird stated.

“Why?” she asked quickly.

“That is one answer.”

“It is part of an answer,” she said, “Why?”

“He had me punished after I met you,” I said.

She looked genuinely confused.

“Punished for what?” she asked. “For talking to me?”

“No,” Baird said, “Rules are rules.”

“Sort of,” I said, “I spoke to you, outside of the facility.”

“And before the interview,” Baird stated.

She glared at Baird.

“It was not up to me,” He said, “I simply report, and they take it from there.”

“What did they do to you?” she asked.

She was asking all the hard questions.

“I prefer not to say,” I said.

“Be open with me,” she said, “And I will be open with you.”

I felt like that is something a girl says when someone has lied to her before.

“Be more specific,” I stated.

“I will answer every question, no matter how difficult,” she said, “If you do.”

“How do I know you aren’t just saying that now?” I asked.

She reached across the table and held her hand out to me.

“You trust me,” she said, “And I am trusting you.”

“Please refrain from physical contact,” Baird said.

“Why?” Shay asked.

“Because we don’t know how touching you will make me react.”

She made a face, sort of like she was thinking hard about something. It was cute.

“I trust that you won’t hurt me,” she said.

Not once did she remove her hand.

“It is not a voluntary reaction,” I stated.

I didn’t want to lose the chance, though.

My hand slowly raised to touch hers.

She grinned at me.

My hand was firmly in hers, and it felt good.

“See,” she said, “You look fine to me.”

“Noah,” Baird warned.

My hand retracted.

“What happened?” she asked.

“A spike in vitals,” I said, “Much more, and there would be a reaction.”

“You keep saying reaction,” she said, “But I don’t know what that means.”

I wasn’t even sure where to begin.

“A physical change,” Baird supplied.

“Physical?” she asked, “How physical?”

She narrowed her eyes at me.

“Wait,” I said, “What do you think I mean?”

“Boner,” she didn’t hesitate to say it.

Baird looked startled by her response.

“No,” I said, “It takes a little more than hand-holding to get my motor running.”

She pat the table in front of me.

“Then why did you let go?”

“I advise against this,” Baird said.

I placed my hand in hers again.

“The first change will be my eyes,” I warned. “Then, it could be anything else.”

“What is a Devil?” she asked, “I keep hearing it, but nobody told me exactly what makes them what they are.”

I had to clear my throat for this one.

“You do know what an Alpha is, right?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Well, each type of Alpha is classified differently,” I said, “But you are categorized based on your abilities.”

“Fire then?” she asked.

“No,” I said, “A Devil has a physical change.”

“I thought that didn’t matter?” she asked, “That one Alpha from uptown changed physically, but he isn’t a Devil.”

“It also has to do with control,” I said, not meeting her eyes.

“Oh,” she said.

“The physical change isn’t just a physical manifestation of what your ability is.” I said, “It makes us look like monsters.”

She just stared at me.

I didn’t want to scare her away.

“Okay,” she said, “So what are your powers or abilities?”

I wish I had something amazing that I could do, but I just don’t.

“I don’t do anything special,” I admitted, “I just know that I am stronger than the average human, and my senses are heightened.”

“So, not mind reading?” she asked.

“No,” I said.

“No stretchy body parts?” she asked.

“No.”

That one threw me off.

“What senses are heightened?” she asked.

“All of them,” I said.

“Taste?” she asked, “Do things taste amazing? Do you taste things that you smell?”

“Yes,” I said, “I guess, and sometimes.”

She smiled at me.

It wasn’t like the usual smiles, this one looked like she had something devious in mind.

“What?” I asked.

“I was just thinking,” she said, “Can you smell me from there?”

I don’t think I liked where this was going.

Okay, I mean yeah, I liked it. I just didn’t like where we were and the person with us right now.

I had to focus on her.

“I can’t,” I said, “I have to focus if someone is a little far.”

“Try it,” she said, “I know what I smell like, I want to know if you can figure it out.”

Her words came to my mind, and I felt a little scared to try.

Can you taste things that you smell?

I shivered at the thought.

“Come on,” she said.

I felt a dull pain behind my eyes.

Shit, I was starting to change.

I focused on her in hopes of stopping the change.

I shut my eyes.

Focus damn it.

It only took a minute before I could hear her heart pounding.

It took a lot to suppress a groan.

“Your heart is racing,” I said.

I could almost feel the sun on her skin, it felt amazing.

“Keep going,” she whispered.

Her words felt like ripples across my skin, burning me.

I needed to focus.

It took more concentration than I was used to, to try and get her scent.

Something sweet caught my attention.

It was familiar, and at the same time, foreign.

Lemon was a scent I knew well, the other I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

She smelled sweet and a little sour because of the lemon.

“I smell lemon,” I said, “But I’m having trouble with the other one.”

“Watermelon,” she supplied.

Something clicked after she said it.

I was so stupid.

Her scent mixed with the lemon and watermelon. I needed to focus on something else.

“Noah,” Baird warned.

My eyes opened, and I could see it on her face.

She wasn’t scared.