Desired - A dangerous attraction

- POV MEGAN

The sound of the rain is a torment against the fogged glass window. Every breath I take makes the outside less clear.

I can't see what's outside clearly, through no fault of my own. The air coming out of my lungs fogs up the transparent glass.

This is what my life looks like.

I can't see a future.

I've messed everything up and now nothing seems right. I can't see any hope in my destiny, just that blurred vision of something I don't even know if I can handle.

One step at a time. That's what I've agreed with myself, but it doesn't always work.

The room is cold and clear, but I like the smell of chlorine. The floor is so shiny that I can see my reflection through it.

My dirty clothes from my failed escape attempt make me more nervous than I should be.

They've found me.

I have to get away as soon as possible.

It's been years of hiding in the shadows, walking in places a young girl shouldn't walk.

I've learned to fend for myself so as not to go hungry, cold, or suffer at the hands of the cruel people who live by night.

I made my way. I got a job, not very well paid, but it paid the bills and a roof over my head so that I could live without having to hide on the sidewalks.

And that was my mistake.

I shouldn't have settled down. I should have stuck to my original plan and moved to another city, wiping out my traces without looking back.

I let my guard down because I was tired.

Now I'm stuck in a room waiting for my companions to arrive, to finish off what's left of me.

I turn away from the window, huffing with frustration, and sit down in the chair opposite the door.

At any moment they could walk through that white door.

I try to ignore the throbbing pain under my body. That gifted man was huge and threw himself at me without any mercy. He must be a good few meters tall, no doubt about it.

Perhaps he showed more hatred than I expected to receive.

I wonder if my companions feel the same way about me.

I hope they do. I want them to hate me as much as I need to hate them.

I settle into the uncomfortable chair, trying to reduce the pain in my spine. On the table is the file I haven't dared to open.

The file that shows the five people who will be responsible for my fate.

The five people who must hate me the most.

This is not common in our society. Predestined companions are like soul mates. Somehow, nature crosses the gifted so that our powers remain in constant evolution.

When we are old enough, we are registered in a database and the system shows us our mates. The bond is so strong that it brings us a certain honor to belong to someone.

In our society, we value power.

Being linked means more power.

We weren't born to be alone but to share our life and gift with one or more other people.

My case was extremely rare.

It's common to find a central with two companions. A central with three companions is much stronger.

When they found out that five companions were linked to me, I was scared.

Mom said that everything would be fine, that they would take care of me and be good people, just like my three parents.

Although only one was my biological father, I was raised by my mother's three partners.

I haven't seen them for years.

I miss them so much.

Our society doesn't function in the usual way that non-gifted people do, but despite our great differences, we manage to get along.

We don't live together, but we don't live at war either.

That's because our council lives in negotiations with the government of the non-gifted.

We have our representatives. They inherited their positions, and are usually created to take over their duties and retire their parents.

I know that one of my companions is an advisor.

I flick through the closed file folder on the table and finally pluck up the courage to open it.

On the first sheet, I come across the name of Nathan Hill, age. I don't think he's old enough for a counselor, but his photo shows a man with a mature look. His black beard is neatly trimmed and his hair combed, he emanates power.

The part about his gift is empty.

I turn the page to see what's next and find his younger brother: Ace Hill.

The Hill family is known by society for being old and renowned, I only know this because my mother mentioned it as soon as the results came out, but I made a point of forgetting this surname so that I wouldn't have any attachment to them.

Ace has the same eyes as Nathan, but his gaze is much harder. His black hair is disheveled and, like his brother, he doesn't smile. His air is too serious for a man of years. He is the director of an educational institute.

Looking straight ahead, a predatory green eye makes my stomach knot. He wears a black military uniform bearing the symbol of the council in white. His light brown hair is curled on top of his head. His beard is longer than Nathan's. Soldiers usually wear their hair closely cropped. Soldiers usually wear their hair well cut, but not this guy, he is a contradiction to my senses.

Shadow Lennox, First Lieutenant of the Military Organization of the Gifted (OMD).

What the fuck?

I'm just some girl who lived among the ungifted in a country town. How did nature choose these men for me?

My parents are rich, I know, but they're nowhere near as influential or important to society.

A counselor. A principal. A lieutenant. Who will be next? Superman himself?

These men are young to be in such important positions. I haven't even finished my studies...

I'm going to throw up.

I regret once again that I got caught. How could I have been so stupid and sloppy? These men hate me now.

In our society, it's a great blasphemy to turn your back on the bond, it's considered a crime.

It's not in our nature to reject our partners.

I take a few deep breaths, trying to stop the nausea I feel when I see the records of the men I've been trying to escape for years.

The next one looks younger and his smile makes me smile unintentionally, his blue eyes are captivating, his blond hair shines against the sun, and he seems nice, totally different from the first three I've just seen.

Noah G. Nash III.

Another heir to the council. Law student and athlete at Hill University.

- POV MEGAN

Wait, isn't that the last name of the first two? This is so confusing.

Like the previous ones, there's no sign of your gift.

Why are they keeping this from me?

I lose the will to continue looking at the file, afraid that it might get worse, but I face the last page determined to get it over with.

Tristan Davis, years old, student at Hill University.

Simply the son of the current fucking president of the Gifted Council.

I throw the file on the table, huffing my frustration.

I'm fucked.

I lose track of how long I've been waiting for someone to come and talk to me. I'm told they're going to call my companions to let them know I've been found.

My stomach rumbles, reminding me that my last meal was lunch the day before. After I was captured and left in this room, no one came back. I wasn't even offered a glass of water.

That's what you should expect if you run away from your companions.

I wonder if the Council will want to force the bond.

That would be rape.

My body shudders at the thought of such barbarity. The Gifted system can be very misogynistic.

When the center is a woman, we're treated like cheap commodities.

"Take everything you can, I'm here to serve you."

I refuse to accept the obligation to live with men I don't even know properly.

Would my companions do that? Would they be so cruel and vindictive? Will I be forced to live with men who only want the power they can suck out of my body?

My thoughts are interrupted by the lock on the door being unlocked.

My heart leaps out of my mouth as the door opens and four men walk quietly in.

The first is the nice blond man. Noah doesn't seem so nice in person his face is scowling, as is the one I recognize as Shadow. None of them look in my direction, only the man I recognize as Ace stares openly at me with a cruel smile on his face.

I try to hide the nervousness in my body by wearing the dullest expression I can manage. They can't realize how much they shake me.

I can't be afraid of them.

Everyone sits down, Noah on my left, Shadow and Ace on my right, leaving the chair opposite for Nathan.

There's no sign of Tristan.

Nathan raises an eyebrow at the closed file in front of me. He looks like a fortress: powerless, strong, powerful, unshakeable...

I close off my senses so as not to smell the masculine scent that has taken over the room, eliminating all that chlorine smell for something spicy.

I look at each of them with an air of debauchery... if they think they're going to scare me, they're sorely mistaken.

"If you're expecting an explanation or an apology, I must warn you that there won't be one." I manage to say without flinching, breaking the awkward silence.

Shadow clenches his fist over the table, probably trying to control his anger, but despite his reaction, he continues to ignore me. Nathan arches his eyebrow further, staring at me as if he could snatch my life away at any second.

"You see that? The girl thinks we expect something from her." Ace replied with contempt. "I can't believe we were fated to have a runaway child. She can be thrown in a cell and rot for all I care."

My chest tightens at his voice. It sounds like a knife in my heart.

"That would be too little for her, too easy. She deserves to suffer everything we've suffered over the last few years." Noah stares at me with his eyes promising me hell.

I'm already there, baby!

I smile sweetly trying not to show how much his words hurt me, the bond inside me pushes through my stomach, causing the nausea to return.

Don't you dare vomit in front of your companions, bitch.

I scold myself internally.

"Hm, did you suffer, darling? What a sin..."

"You think that's funny?" Nathan's cutting voice echoes through the room. "Do you realize how much trouble you've caused us? How many resources and money were used to find you? We've been dealing with the problems you've caused us since you disappeared in your act of childish rebellion."

I stare at my older companion sitting in front of me, his face a stone. I'd do anything to change that countenance... but I can't.

"After all these years, we've finally found our central companion, only for her to be a dirty brat who makes fun of us. I can't see any funny bits!"

I swallow dry, trying to keep my posture.

"Let me go. I don't want to be around you..."

"You have no choice, chérie." Ace says quietly, only now realizing his slight French accent. "You belong to us and we decide what to do with you. Isn't that what you've been running away from for six years? From the monsters who would control your life? It's time we lived up to the reputation for cruelty you've bestowed on us."

He smiles, showing his bright white teeth, but his eyes could be those of a demon.

I never thought they were cruel, that's not why I stayed away from them, but I'm sure I won't be able to convince them of that.

"The council is divided." Nathan informs me, "Half want the bond to happen, regardless of your goodwill..." his eyes penetrate mine and I struggle not to turn away or show weakness. "The other half wants you to be arrested like some deserter since you haven't fulfilled your obligations to the Council."

"Good to know you're complicit in rape..."

"We're not!" Nathan doesn't let me finish. "I convinced them to leave you in our care until you accept us."

"That won't happen..."

"You'll go back to school and be kept under our supervision. I don't want to hear your complaints about it or your useless opinion." He seems very calm. "You belong to us, Red. You'd better start getting used to it."

I look away and rest my eyes on Shadow, of all of them, he's the one who shows the most that he doesn't want to be here. He doesn't look in my direction. His jaw is clenched as if he's trying not to turn the tables on me.

"What if I don't want to?" I defy him, fighting for my freedom.

"You'll be thrown in a dirty cell and forgotten by everyone."

I try to digest his words with caution.

If I'm arrested, it will be much harder to escape.

If I feign obedience, perhaps I can find a loophole to escape.

I can't win every battle. Sometimes you have to take steps back and push harder.

- POV NATE

My teeth grind as I clench my jaw. The heat under this navy blue suit is suffocating, and I restrain myself from loosening my tie to show how uncomfortable I am.

But it's not the heat that's making me like this...

Standing in front of me is the girl/woman who turned my life upside down.

I had waited for years for the moment when I would be introduced to my soul mate... the person who would share a life with me.

The main Hill Mansion was abandoned the day the new one was completed, leaving behind all my brother's dark past.

I provided the residence to build a new family. After a lot of therapy, I decided that my past doesn't define me, my destiny is up to me, whether it's a success or a curse... it's up to me.

I spent years of my life waiting, longing, watching my closest colleagues find their partners, having their heirs, and experiencing indescribable happiness. Even knowing how difficult it was to find a bandmate, I never gave up hope.

When the system finally got in touch to inform me that they had found my bond, I thought that luck was finally smiling at me.

They told me she was years old. Ten years younger, that frustrated me, but I didn't think it was a problem, because I had waited for so many years, I could expect more.

I wanted her to live out her youthful experiences, in the best schools, receiving everything my companion deserves, all the luxury that the Hill name carries until the day we could finally make her Mrs. Hill.

She should have known places, traveled, and seen different people and other cultures. She would choose her field of training and if she wanted to, she would work, but if she wanted to stay at home and look after our family, that would be fine too.

It would be completely up to her, as there is no shortage of employees so that she could fulfill her dreams, without the worry of looking after a house.

I would have liked to have courted her, given her gifts, made dinners for two, gotten to know her dreams and her desires, and learned to deal with her fears and frustrations. I wanted every part of her, just as she would have mine.

I was going to make her the happiest woman in the world.

I look at the curvy redhead sitting in front of me.

She's different from the photos when she was in her teens.

She's put on weight, her breasts are big. I wonder what her ass looks like. From the size of it, it's big, unlike any of the women in society around me.

There isn't a woman in our midst who is overweight, so it makes me curious to know what it would be like to have her soft body against mine.

The bond purrs inside me, wanting her companion more and more.

Her hair looks like flames, her green eyes are surrounded by dark circles showing that she must not be getting much rest.

We made her wait on purpose.

I wanted her to feel the same anxiety that I have felt for all these years. I still remember the fulminating pain in my chest the day she disappeared.

Shade's team found her, he didn't mind going after her when he found out she was living on her own, and not under the enemy's thumb.

The center of a bond is always very strong, everyone thought I would be the center when the time came. It was a big surprise to find out that I had a girl of years as my center and would have to share her with four other men, one of whom was my brother and the other my best friend.

Noah turned his back on his family, as they were against him joining our bond, at the time he was just a boy. He shouldn't have suffered two rejections like that. The first by his blood, the second by the person he decided to pledge his life to.

He became a younger brother to Ace, Shade, and me. His presence brought life into our home and relieved the tragedy of not being able to be with our partner.

As it was a six-member bond, the residence was carefully planned so that everyone could have their privacy; my colleagues on the board even joked that I had built a city rather than a house.

There was an indoor gym, whirlpool, indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, a cinema room, a golf course, a sports court, suites for each member, the main one for our companion.

I left her suite as a blank canvas for her to decorate when she took over.

The others came to live with me when everything was ready, we met every day for breakfast or dinner, and we got used to each other's presence. Even Tristan.

I look at the vacant chair next to Noah. Tristan disappeared when he found out that she had run away and not been kidnapped.

Of all of us, he and my brother Ace are the most problematic, so I always try to keep them under my radar.

Noah is very easy to deal with, and he fits easily into this family, Tristan, and Ace are difficult to live with.

They are tormented by their demons.

Ace wanted us to leave her in the hands of the system, but Shade and Noah voted for me.

We want to find out what happened.

I need to know if she's a cold bitch, or was coerced into leaving.

Right now, I want to have Shade's powers and feel what she's feeling to know if this debauched, detached attitude is a façade or really who she is.

Who is Megan Redwood? What is she hiding underneath her sarcastic attitude?

Do I want to know?

I glance at the Rolex on my wrist, marking nine o'clock at night. It's late, I need to move her home.

"You're going to live with us. You'll follow the house rules, you won't go anywhere without your security guards, be aware that we'll know your every move, if you step out of line we'll hand you over to the system and I'm not one to go back on my decisions."

Being an heir to the council has trained me to make important decisions, always thinking of the common good, and I'll take our relationship in the same way. I won't let her make fools of us again.

She's still staring at me, trying to hide her nervousness. Her clothes are dirty and worn, she could easily pass for a beggar.

"I hope you'll follow us nicely, I don't want to use force on you, but I will if I have to..."

With that, I get up and leave the room. I cross the corridors, ignoring the curious stares of the system's employees.

They moved out of my way as if I were something to be feared, which I was.