Grace Goodwin - Faith- Ascension Saga Books 4-6

“I’m surprised by this, Faith. I am. Even my pets liked you, and they don’t care for anyone but me.”

That brought my chin up with a snap and I realized I’d dropped it in shame, just like when my dad had come to give me a stern talking to. Usually well-deserved, but still, not fun. “They did? How could you tell?”

“They don’t normally appear for others.”

“She’s seen those precious animals of yours?” Thor’s shocked voice barely registered as Lord Jax and I were sharing a smile that felt like a secret handshake, like I’d just been granted membership to a secret club.

“They don’t?” I asked. I’d spent hours in their presence. More than once, they’d actually looked at me, nearly come close enough to pet. The only reason I hadn’t touched one was because I didn’t want to ask permission, and I was afraid to anger Lord Jax.

“They do not. They are very selective, young lady. But I trust their judgment. So, tell me, who are you really and why were you snooping around in my home?”

“My love, she refuses to talk, so let the police take her away,” Lady Jax intervened. “Lord Wyse and his team will get the truth out of her, which will certainly get the media attention off of us. The Jax family name can now be vindicated.” She was as severe and uptight as I’d thought her before. I had to respect the one thing she had in spades, absolute love and loyalty to her family. I’d fucked with them and she disliked me for it. I couldn’t really fault her for that. I’d watched her, listened to her conversations. She was like a lioness when it came to her son and her mate. No one fucked with them. No one undermined their position or their power. I respected her, for that alone.

But I’d also learned that the Jax family was more closely allied with the Wyse family, my cousins, as my mother had told me. Lord Wyse himself was the head of the Royal Guards’ Optimus unit—which, as far as I could tell, was like the head of the FBI back home. The Inspector Optimi were detectives and district attorneys all rolled into one. They investigated crimes, examined the evidence, and prosecuted the guilty in the Aleran courts.

He was old, but sharp as a tack. He’d been to the house for dinner twice already in the short time I’d been here, spending long hours holed up in either the living area or library with either Lord or Lady Jax, or both. I’d learned that Lady Jax had once been an inspector herself, and a damn good one. The other servants told me that she was brilliant and was often consulted on cases now that she was retired.

So, basically, I’d just been caught snooping around in an FBI agent’s bedroom.

Dumb. Unlike her distracted husband, she was too clever and too aware of everything going on around her. I should have waited for her to go to the market, or to a meeting. I should have waited until she was out of the house, not having a quickie with her mate just down the hall.

Oh well. Faith zero, Ardor one. I had a hard time waiting for anything the last few days. My patience was, well, non-existent.

“I’m sorry. I’m not your enemy. I promise you that.” The words were for Thor, but I spoke to Lord Jax, whose disappointment was palpable, like a heavy fog pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.

So much like my dad. I hoped he was okay, back on Earth. Giving those stupid alien chasers a run for their money.

“We will discover the truth. Have no doubt of that.” Lady Jax stepped forward and slid her arm through her mate’s to stand in solidarity with him. In that moment, she reminded me of my mother. “Take her away and be careful with her. She’s obviously more dangerous than she lets on. Not only spying, but resisting arrest. I’ll contact Lord Wyse at once.”

The guards gripped my upper arms behind my back, pushed me toward the door and I didn’t resist. Not this time, not with handcuffs on. The wild Kung Fu moves I’d used on the other guard still upset me. It was like an alien had taken over my body and I’d just been along for the ride. It had been real sci-fi movie kind of insanity, and I wanted no part of it. Except I was all “it.”

The ride to the police station, or whatever they called it here, was shorter than I’d hoped. Less than twenty minutes later I was being led inside, scanned and scowled at and generally disliked instantly by anyone who saw the handcuffs. I was used to being adored by human and animal alike.

But they weren’t human, no matter how much this looked or felt like home. I had to remember that.

They didn’t take me to a cell. Instead, they dumped me into a room I recognized from watching one too many thriller movies. Dum-dum-dah—the interrogation room. Cold table. Stark white walls. One chair, presumably mine, bolted to the floor.

I thought they’d chain me down, but apparently, they didn’t think I was much of a threat because the cuffs were removed and I was told to sit.

Sit. And wait.

Faith, police headquarters, interrogation room #3

I’d never been to a police station before, even on Earth. I hadn’t really ever met a police officer. One had come to my second-grade classroom to give a talk about stranger danger, but that was as close as I’d ever gotten. I just never felt the need to break the law. Laugh at the rules? Push the envelope. Every day. But actually break the law?

That was more my twin sister, Destiny’s, style.

Trinity had been the one to steal some of the neighbor’s flowers to make a bouquet for Mother’s Day. While it had been taking something that hadn’t belonged to her, and our mother had required her to confess her transgression to poor Mrs. Kluger while holding a handful of the old woman’s prized daffodils and tulips, it hadn’t been serial killer level problems

Destiny had stolen a lipstick from the dollar store once. Mom had dragged her back, made her tell the manager, bought the lipstick, and then my poor twin had to wash dishes after dinner every night for a month to pay Mom back. Ridiculous since it had only been a dollar, but at ten years old, she’d learned tough love.

Yet here I was, the most innocent of the trio, and these people thought I was an assassin? I was the one sitting in police custody. I couldn’t really blame them since I’d attacked the one officer. But what was going to happen now? I’d been sitting here for at least an hour—it felt that way since there was no clock—waiting. I had to pee and I wondered if making me uncomfortable was part of their scare tactic.

Deny me a bathroom, food and water, sleep. Was I in for waterboarding, too?

Lord Jax had been disappointed. I’d seen the sad, resigned look in his eyes and the slump of his shoulders. He wasn’t going to rescue me. He wanted answers.

Lady Jax? Ha! Enough said there. She lived to make me feel small.

And Thor? God, my body heated just thinking of him. I raised my hands to my lips, felt them still tingle from his aggressive kisses. My nipples had a mind of their own and formed hard points beneath my bra. Instant attraction wasn’t going to save me. He might want to fuck me, but he hadn’t been thinking with the head in his pants there at the end. It felt good to know he wouldn’t fuck anyone, especially a potential planetary threat like me.

His cock had some discretion, or at least his mind did.

And as for me, did I have any discretion left? I had no idea if he were mated, widowed or what. He might even have kids at home and I’d been ready to climb him like a monkey. I wasn’t a virgin, but I was careful. Until now. Until this stupid Ardor.