Ai's POV

The boy with tawny eyes and snow-kissed forelock folds his arms, blocking my only exit. All solemn now. If he wasn't so darned cute, I'd cry.

"I'm looking for my sister. The cap you were wearing, it belongs to her." I say, honestly. Trying not to smile – my dimple shows when I smile.

"You're not going to tell me who you are, are you?" he asks.

I bite my lower lip, and then shake my head.

"Never mind. I don't really care. You should just go, now before anyone sees what you are. Your sister isn't here." He steps to the side, allowing me to pass. His demeanor closed and almost fearful, so far removed from his former, cock-sure self.

Not moving an inch, I take a slug of beer. "Just tell me where you got the cap then I'll be on my way."

I'm not leaving until I get answers. Skunk boy knows something about Shae, if not directly. I might be flaunting my eyes here but with Jax in the building I'm not worried.

He takes breath, frowning up a storm. "How do you even know it's hers, there must be hundreds like it?"

I've never pretended to have a special connection with my twin, we're not even close. But I know on this, I'm right.

"Her name is inside the label. Do you have it? I can show you."

"Do I look like I have it?" He sounds plagued, exasperated.

"You came in with it, I saw you. You must have left it with Red. Shall we go and check?" I start walking towards his hybrid girlfriend.

Without hesitation grabs my shoulders, guiding me back into the alcove. "Oh for Eve's sake, are you really this annoying?"

"Only to the assclowns." I snipe back, bristling and brushing him off me.

He holds up his hands. "Easy babe, chill ok?"

"I know you know something," I hiss, definitely not his babe and not in the mood to chill. "I'm not leaving here until you tell me what it is. You have my sister's cap, one which she never leaves the house without. You're an Eve, but you're also here having a wild time here getting sucked on!"

The boy sighs, running hands through his hair. "Look, I can't help you. Not here. Here is where I'm bottom of the food chain, literally."

He pulls his sleeve up and I wince at the mess of crescent bite marks all the way up to his elbow.

"This isn't even half of it." The last part comes out in a whisper.

I didn't see those marks before when he had his shirt off. I was probably too busy gawping. But under the light, his lovely skin is scarred and twisted. I can't help but grimace.

I've heard reports of wildcards being sold to hybrids when they are born into poorer families. Why wait until they're fully grown to send them off to military school, when you can make a few thousand credits and as well save yourself the trouble of another mouth to feed?

I've also heard of wildcards who sell themselves. To escape the clutches of the ESTAS and all their evil plans.

"The ESTAS, they must be looking for you." I say a lot quieter, relenting a little. I have a lower opinion of him now, than I did before. At least before, he was an idiot with too many vices, maybe a victim. Now I just feel sorry for him.

"And they're not looking for you?" He asks, curious about me all of a sudden.

"I'm just here looking for my sister." I say, dismissing the subject.

I don't mention my mother is pals with both the Senate and the Board.

I don't mention they all wanted me gone.

Cove – Red called him that – bites both his lips for a moment, lost in what I can only assume is disturbed thought. A decision seems to agree with him. He takes my hand and drags me behind him, out of the VIP area and into the corridor behind it. He hurries me a few doors down to room marked 'private' and pushes me through the ornate door.

Inside is a large office with sweeping floor to ceiling windows, leading out onto a roof-top terrace. I walk over to the glass and stare out at the Ruined City. There are other capitals and other cities beyond the horizon, but right now, in this moment, this could be the edge of the world.

Cove locks the door behind us and strides inside, switching off a few of the lamps to dim the light. The vast darkness of the Outside suddenly closes in, making me feel isolated and alone. But I'm not afraid, not of Cove.

I could definitely beat him in a fight. He's human for one.

"Ok, we should be relatively safe here for a while." He says.

He flops himself onto the leather sofa, rubs his head, and then looks at me expectantly. The lipstick is still smeared over his face so he seems a little comical. I grin. He looks confused so I point to his mouth until he wipes it off.

"Don't clean up at my expense." I say, raising both brows.

He rolls his eyes, half a smirk slinking onto his face. "Are you always this scrappy?"

I ignore his question, take my beer (which I'd left on the side while looking at the view) and sit next to him, putting my feet on the table.

I'm shattered. I feel it at my center.

I tilt my head so I can look at him and offer my free hand.

"Hmmm let's start again. Nice to meet you. I'm Ai."

A ghost of a smile tugs at his lips. Hazel eyes more melted caramel in the dark. "Cove. But you already knew that." He takes my hand, palm surprisingly warm, and shakes it.

"Nice name, unusual. Does it mean anything?"

"Hmm yeah, it's Japanese, it means indigo."

My brother chose it when he was eight. My mother wanted our names to remind me and my sister of our heritage and legacy. Every Elect family's gene pool stems from one of the twelve, great founding nations. After we were born, she gave Daemon a list of options, from both her and our father's country of birth; beautiful names, bold names. For my sister he chose the prettiest. An Irish variant. For me, Daemon chose the easiest to spell.

Got to love my brother.

My name also means love, but I never tell anyone that. It's like I'm inviting trouble or I am trouble. One of those.

"So Ai, how have you managed to stay off grid? You're on the run too right? From the ESTAS?" He asks, trying to be casual but actually getting straight to the point. I can see desperation radiating from him. Good to know I have something to trade.

"Not so fast." I say sitting up. "You first. How did you get out?"

By 'out' I mean out from under ESTAS control. Not that signing up is compulsory, but it's a legal nightmare to dodge any form of service to your species, especially if you show a lot of potential. And wildcards, they always do.

He considers me for moment, and then shrugs.

"I guess I can tell you. I was approached, not long ago, by an agency recruiting EVes away from the ESTAS. Made me offer I couldn't refuse."

"What kind of offer?"

"To be part of their special training programme. No money or scholarship needed, no questions asked. Just one-year of intense training. At the end of the programme we'd be free to pick a viper to bond with and join their elite force, if that was what we wanted, or we'd be free to drop out. No commitments. Not like it is with the ESTAS. And we'd still get paid. They even offered to scrub me from the ESTAS enlistment records."

"Sounds too good to be true." I shudder as he mentions the vipers.

What are the Visicarii up to?

"It was. It is. In exchange, the vipers would be free to run a few tests, collect some data, blood samples... that sort of thing."

My brow furrows. "Is it legit?"

"Oh, it's not legit. I realised my mistake as soon as they took me underground. The place was crawling with hybrids and restricted areas. The training was extreme, messed up. And then they started these hellish tests. Some recruits just disappeared after that. I like to think they got out. I was there for a while, before I got out too..." Cove tails off, looking down at his hands holding the beer, eyelashes fluttering like they're trying to escape. I experience a moment of pure jealousy. They are as twice as long as mine.

"Is that where you got the cap?" I ask, lightly. "Do you think my sister was there?"

"Oh, right. Why I brought you here." He suddenly leans over, towards me, eyelashes and everything. I'm aware of just how close he is, how warm he feels next to me, and how few buttons on his shirt are actually done up. When he reaches behind the cushion to the far side of me.

"Here. Keep it." The cap twirls out of his fingers and into my lap.

Within seconds, I have the label exposed, and I see it perfectly, in fancy red marker:

♡SHAE♡

***

Author's Note - 

[Image thumbnail credit to the stunning Adrianna Ho. I can't decide if Adrianna or Sakura Heffron should represent Ai. Maybe I like them both. Anyway, I feel in this one she's got that 'look' down - 'i'm not your babe' - you know what I mean?]

Hope you like the update, and my boy Cove! ^^

Thanks to all my new readers for giving this story a chance! And to all my loyal readers who keep coming back for more. You're awesome!

p.s. if you love this chapter, please don't forget ❤ its means a lot to a newbie write, trust me!

Lisxx