Edge of Instinct: Rabids Book 1 (41 page)

He understood now. With that one simple reply, Amiel had changed everything. Until this moment, he hadn’t been able to grasp the reasoning behind the strange shift in his reactions to being near her. His instincts had recognized it all along, reacting to her as nature’s sudden rule changes dictated. But it wasn’t until the memories reemerged that Harley finally understood. She had become an ingrained part of him the moment his instincts had accepted her as part of its responsibilities. But then she had taken him in, taken care of him, and accepted him without reservation, even without the answers she craved. In return, his instincts had adopted her into his world, accepting her, wanting her, and loyal to her. He would no longer be able to look at her out of a mere sense of duty. Whether he had wanted it or not, he’d just added a permanent member to his little circle of family.

“Amiel. You look lovely as always.” Harley’s head jerked upward, halting in the process of trying to figure out what had happened to the button on his jeans. His darkness raged within at the sound of the voice at Amiel’s doorway. Growling he yanked open the bathroom door and stalked toward the owner. Amiel stood with the door barely cracked open, her tank top making her tense muscles easily visible.

“Darvey,” she replied cautiously, unaware of Harley’s approach. “I’m in the middle of something, can this wait?”

“I’d wait till the end of time to be in your presence, Amiel. But I brought you something,” he replied silkily. Eyes narrowing, Harley gripped Amiel’s shoulders, thumbs instinctually responding to her surprise by rubbing comfortingly along the delicate skin, gently moving her to the side. Teeth barring aggressively, Harley yanked the door wider, letting his frame fill the opening. Darvey stood outside the door, one hand pressed against the door jamb in what would likely appear casual to Cleans. But Harley’s Hybrid could sense the underlying intentions of Darvey’s current mood, and therefore understood the seemingly casual stance as it truly was; a dominant position laced heavily with lust. His other hand held a black backpack, which quickly disappeared behind his back when he saw Amiel wasn’t alone. One look at his face, the sound of his oily voice, that was all it took to jog the rest of Harley’s memories front and center.

“
You
,” Harley growled. The Rat’s eyes flew wide in surprise at the sight of Harley standing in Amiel’s doorway, hate sizzling in his arctic gaze. The surprise was quickly covered, shifting into his typical haughty scowl.

“Harley. What an unpleasant surprise,” Darvey sneered.

“Shut up, Twinkle Toes.” Harley stormed into the hall, his advance pressing the Rat back against the wall without even having to touch him. Taking a deep whiff, he confirmed his suspicions. “That’s what I thought. It
wasn’t
you.”

“What are you talking about?” The Rat’s gaze sharpened. “And what happened to you, Hybrid? You don’t look so good.” There could be no mistaking the glee held in those gray eyes, or the triumph reflected there. Harley had no patience for his games

“Y’all are about five minutes away from a dirt nap, so start talkin’.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” His eyes darted to the side before shifting back.

“And I don’t know why your daddy didn’t use a condom, but that ain’t the point of this conversation. Y’all are gonna tell me what the hell happened the other night, or I’m gonna start shovin’ them snaggleteeth down the back of your throat!”

“Very pithy commentary, Hybrid, yet I still don’t know what you are referring to.” Harley wanted nothing more than to beat the answers out of the loser, but he knew that any physical contact he made with the rodent would come back to bite him at Foundatio
n
. Based on his comment on Harley’s appearance, and the fact that his mini me had been the one to cause the damage, it was easy to guess that Darvey knew Harley had been wounded enough that he’d Collapsed. And everyone at Foundation knew how unstable a Hybrid’s emotions and senses were for the first few days after a Collapse. The pitiful excuse for a man was intentionally baiting him, trying to get him to make a physical attack that would land him in deep manure at Foundation. So instead
,
Harley settled on intimidation, drawing deeper on his darker instincts, letting them glower in his eyes.

“Y’all need to stop tryin’ to sound smart, ‘cause it ain’t workin’.” Harley stepped closer, using his full height and proximity to his advantage, towering over his prey. “Now, tell me
how
and
why
there’s a mini Darbis runnin’ ‘round the Skirts tryin’ to barbeque me.”

“A mini
me
, running around in the Outskirts?” He sniffed haughtily. “You’ve gone mad. Perhaps I should report your sudden lack of mental stability to Foundation Medical. I’m sure they would be more than eager to enquire further.” There was a depth of calculated pleasure in those watery eyes that drove Harley up the wall.

“Your mama musta had to take a double dose of laxatives to bring you into this world, ya lyin’ little turd,” he growled, fists clenching at his sides. Darvey’s voice dropped a level above a whisper, smile shifting into something a little more arrogant and a lot more annoying.

“Maybe. But this lying little turd has Amiel crying his name out in pleasure in the middle of the night whilst she dreams. I know, I’ve heard it. It’s only a matter of time before I make those dreams a reality.” Darvey was pushing his luck hard tonight, having found some unknown source of courage that was eagerly taunting Harley into snapping. Harley drew a deep breath, concentrating on control.

“Stay away from her, Rat.”

“No.” His gutter trash mouth sunk into a filthy leer. “Actually I quite enjoy being near her. She has the most deliciously soft skin. I can’t wait to taste it.”

“Bull pucky! Besides, she ain’t your type, puke face. She ain’t inflatable.”

“Oh she’s plenty inflated and soft in all the right places for my liking.” Harley drew another deep breath, though he no longer much cared for the idea of practicing control. Foundation couldn’t punish him if they couldn’t find the body. The world wouldn’t miss a dirty leech like Darvis. Harley’s lips drew back in a snarl, instincts raging within, more than ready to make good on the unspoken promise to make Darvey disappear.

“Harley?” Amiel’s voice forced its way through the growing haze of violence in Harley’s mind, as she moved into the hallway. It broke through his fury like rays of sun amidst a typhoon. Still his instincts kept his eyes pinned on Darvey, refusing to back down with even something as innocent as the shifting of his eyes. As though purposely trying to pull him back from the edge of losing it, her scent caressed his nose, wrapping itself around his Hybrid side which stretched leisurely beneath its touch. A shiver raced Harley’s spine and he fought to keep it from showing outwardly. Darvey shot him a malicious grin before putting on a drama-worthy face for Amiel.

“Amiel, stay back! He’s crazy!” Amiel ignored him, moving closer to Harley. There was a mixture of confusion and apprehension in her scent that didn’t sit well with Harley’s protective instincts. He could feel her eyes on his skin, feel the warmth of her radiating against his back.

“I told you once before, Darvey, you don’t get to choose who I am friends with,” she stated firmly, and Harley’s inner darkness practically purred. “Let’s go back inside, Harley,” she whispered at his back, just loud enough for his sensitive ears. She seemed more apprehensive in Darvey’s presence than the day they’d had pancakes together. Had the lametard done something to her since then that was the cause of her new depth of discomfort? Harley’s knuckles popped under the pressure of his clenched fists. Darvey grinned like a world class donkey’s backside.

“You don’t understand what he is, Amiel, what he is capable of.  Now you see the first glimmering of it yourself. I warned you, Chipmunk, I warned you about his true nature! But it’s alright, I forgive you of your innocent nature. Go back inside. I’ll handle this and then we can talk.” Harley’s fist shot out without a second thought, slamming into the wall only millimeters from Darvey’s ear. Cracks rifted through the paint and drywall beneath, etching outward in a chain reaction.

“Shit!” A surge of pure malicious enjoyment erupted within Harley as the Rat squealed like a girl and made a run for his door. The look of sheer terror was priceless.

“Some protector you make, Dunkin Donuts. Runnin’ to hide behind ya mama’s skirts. And watch your language in front of the lady!” Harley shouted after his foes retreating form. The Rat turned just outside his door, anger burning in his bulging eyes.

“Just you wait until you check in tonight, Hybrid. Foundation is going to have your head!”

“Y’all are assumin’ you’re gonna be alive long enough to tell ‘em,” Harley threatened, pupils dilating as he allowed the rage of his darkness to show through entirely. Darvey paled and slammed his apartment door shut, locks clicking into place immediately. Harley ground his teeth, moving to follow. He froze as a small warm hand pressed to his back, halting him with little effort.

“Harley, don’t. Please.” His eyes dropped from their targeting on Darbutt’s door, sinking into Amiel’s gaze, her emerald’s anchoring him. “You’ve been through a rough couple of days, and while you are apparently superman, your wounds still aren’t completely healed. Please be careful.” She added a mischievous smile, lightening her statement. “Besides, how would I fix you up again? You used all of my band-aids already.” He blinked down at her. She’d been concerned when Darvey showed, but she’d been concerned
for him
. His instincts stretched smugly, enjoying this fact. Harley grunted, looking toward the Rat’s door once more, though he already knew he wouldn’t ignore Amiel’s request.

The darker instincts of a Hybrid were very similar in ways to animals. Hybrids had an ever growing ‘pack’, thanks to Foundation’s efforts. However, there were smaller packs within the larger whole, with members that instinctually gravitated towards others that correlated with their own inner darkness. Once they were accepted into the pack, there was a strong sense of loyalty and devotion held for that new member and vice versa. Harley and Cajun were in a pack together, along with Charleen of course. They were the top of the food chain amongst the Hybrids, having been the first created. Now Amiel had slipped her way into his pack, and his loyalty was to her protection and wellbeing forevermore. And as her protection was not currently in question, he would listen to her pleas. He’d deal with the Rat and Foundation later.

Placing a gentle hand at the small of her back, he moved to guide her into the apartment, remaining in his protective mode until the door was locked behind them. She turned to him and he nearly groaned when he could practically see the questions in her eyes had doubled. Running a hand through his hair and down to rub his neck he nodded.

“You want answers, I know.” She bit her lip, conflict now entering the battle for knowledge in her eyes.

“Is it truly so difficult to talk about?” She paused, then lifted her chin slightly. “If you need more time, I can wait.” Harley’s brow lifted, surprised when his senses confirmed the sincerity of her statement. She really would wait if he told her he wasn’t ready to answer her questions. The idea was tempting. His life was never a story he felt comfortable delving into, even in his own mind. But she was yet again showing her willingness to protect him in her own way, as well as showing her trust in his character. Folding his arms and leaning against the counters, he decided to test the waters, give her a little poke and see how she responded.

“I thought y’all were hot to trot over gettin’ them answers?”

“I really would like to
know
, to
understand
, you better Harley. But you are my friend, and I don’t want to cause you discomfort. So I can wait.” She smiled bravely, before turning to the fridge. “Would you like something to eat? I’m running a little low, but I have enough to make a few things. And please tell me you don’t want raw fish anymore. Please, please, please.” He allowed a small grin to grace his lips, pleased with her responses.

“How ‘bout some of them
any time of day
pancakes.” She glanced up at him, her smile brightening.

“Now you’re speaking my language.” She smirked, digging in the cupboards and fridge. Harley watched her for a long moment, gathering his courage. She’d earned the truth.

“I’m what they call a Hybrid.” Amiel froze for a moment, half way inside the fridge. She recovered quickly, moving about her pancake making. He noticed she was careful to avoid looking at him, as if afraid he’d quit talking if she glanced his way. This was good, because he just might lose his nerve if she had.

“My brother’s fiancé, Charleen, was the first Hybrid in history. Through scientific experiments, she was born with both human and Rabid DNA.” His grin made a reappearance as he watched her mouth drop open in awe, staring down at the pan heating up in front of her. “She was created as a key weapon in the Rabid War. When they thought they had it right, they brought in a couple more experiments to test on. Me and Cajun.”

“Why you?” Amiel asked carefully. Instead of clamming up at her question, Harley was surprised to find he felt approval that she was joining in. Weird.

“The Hybrid DNA is picky. It has to be given to the right candidates, with the right DNA mixture. It just so happens to enjoy the taste of cancer.” Amiel turned to look at him, left brow quirking in surprise. He chuckled quietly as she remembered herself and quickly turned back around.