Page 77 of Mated to the Vikings

“You were special to him.” She lifted her head and even in the darkness, I could still see such concern.

“He told you.”

“He didn’t have to, Cassia. He had pictures of you and every accomplishment you ever achieved in a very special drawer in his office. I heard so many amazing stories and when he told me that you were going to be a part of the experiment, I thought you’d agreed. I never knew he’d lied to you. He was a true monster, but he wasn’t always.”

“You were in love with him,” I huffed. “I thought you and Kevin were close.”

She laughed. “Kevin was a true pig. Arrogant bastard. I loved Steve and would have done anything for him. Only when you arrived and started asking pointed questions did I realize that you had no idea about the true nature of our work. I wanted to tell you, but I was terrified that if Kevin found out, I’d be another one of our party who disappeared.”

Every muscle and tendon in my body was cold. Shivering, I dropped my head into my hands, unable to process or think clearly.

“Why don’t you rest,” Brexin suggested. “It’s been a very long couple of days. We have about an hour to go.”

“Maybe I will.” I closed my eyes, trying to see Erik’s face, holding that in my memory banks. I was cold, so damn cold. I longed for a warm fire and a soft blanket and…

“You’ve been a very bad girl and you need to be punished.”

I glared at him, the man I hated the most. My caretaker. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Besides, I’m a grown woman. You can’t punish me any longer.” The smile on his face was evil, his eyes without focus. He’d lost his mind. I was certain of it. As he advanced, I found myself walking around the table, terrified of what he was going to do. We were in the laboratory working. What the hell did he think he was doing?

Within a second, he snagged my wrist, pulling my arm painfully behind my back. “You know how this goes, sweet Cassia. You know what happens with you don’t do everything I ask.”

I blinked, fighting the memories, horrified that he still could manage this much control over me. “You’re not doing this. I won’t take it any longer.”

“You will do as I say.”

I heard the sound of the door opening, was able to see the two goons who worked for him. They never left his side.

“Take my lovely ward to her own very private cell. Let’s see what a few days of isolation will do. That’s always worked throughout the years.” Steve laughed as they advanced, taking me out of his arms.

“Why are you doing this? Why?” I screamed as I was dragged from the room.

“Because I’m God.”

I struggled, begging then wailing. Then I saw his face. His. Face.

“Wake up. Come on, Cassia. What in the hell?”

Brexin. His voice. Soft and comforting. So caring. I finally opened my eyes, the dream remaining fresh in the forefront of my mind. “What just happened?” I jerked up, taking several deep breaths. “Erik. I saw his face. He and I have met before or at least we’ve seen each other.”

“You were dreaming and from what I could tell, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.” Rowena had my hand in hers. “What was that?”

“Your connection?” Brexin asked.

I crowded closer to Erik, leaning down and caressing his face. “There is a forced connection. They did something to both of us before we left.” I was as certain of this as I’d ever been of anything. “Bastards.”

“That’s not why you love him, Cassia. I know the difference.” Rowena’s soft voice filtered into my mind. “But you are right. That’s when I knew Steve had lost his mind. He’d created some ridiculous concoction that he injected both you and Erik with to draw you together. They couldn’t risk the two of you not forming a bond.”

I held my breath then burst into laughter. “Let me guess. The investors wanted to make certain that a human female was able to not only get along with these glorious hybrids but could even potentially produce children.”

“There’s more to it than that,” she whispered, “but yes, that’s part of it. He had to make certain Erik would be attracted to you, but from what I’ve seen, the two of you have a special bond that goes way beyond science. If Erik didn’t respond or worse, if he… If he killed you, then the entire hybrid project was going to be put on hold and there was nothing he could do about it. Steve invested everything he had. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen.”

“This scientist is a nutcase,” Brexin snorted.

“What else do you know?” I demanded.

“I do believe Steve cared about humanity, at least in the beginning. He became greedy and lost his way.” Rowena could no longer look me in the eye.

“You helped Erik escape from the facility. Dr. Forrester couldn’t trust Kevin, but he could trust you.”