Its Eyes Are for the Stars Ch. 02

I've decided to do shorter chapters that come out faster. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks again to Archangel for being such a great editor!

SRB

*

Sitting up quickly, he struggled to catch his breath. It was still light out; he must have taken a nap. He hadn't meant to fall asleep; he had just wanted to enjoy the soft bed with all of its blankets and pillows for a moment. Raised in a lab, he wasn't used to such luxuries.

Those same jade eyes flashed in his mind, and the longing crept in once again. He hadn't understood his reaction to the stranger with the auburn hair, but something primal within him had reached out to her. When she turned those clear, jade eyes on him it was as if his entire world had faded away and in its place was something beautiful and magical but so temporary. He had loved her and watched her die in a span of two minutes.

He had been there when they locked her cold, lifeless body in the tomb, and it had felt as if a part of his heart was locked away in the dark along with her.

These feelings were so new to him. His entire life had been filled with nothing but training and experiments. He had lived his life within the confines of a glass room. His only interactions were with the trainers and the doctors. He could see the other hybrids, as they had called them, but he had never communicated with them beyond curious stares.

"Delta?" a small voice called through the door. He recognized the voice as Rain's, his daughter. That had been another shock. There were eight of them. He had eight young children, and he hated the Doctor even more for the fact that he didn't know them. There was Rain, who was 16, Sadie and Sam, 14 year old twins, Lucas and Liam, who were 13 and also twins, Ashley, 5 , and Regan and Dillon, who were both 4. He smiled as he thought of them, his children. There had been another, Sophie, but she had died. Anger for the doctor flared once more at that thought.

He had felt it, each of their births, but was unable to comprehend those feelings at the time. There was no denying that they belonged to him. Each had the same nearly black hair and large brown eyes that he possessed. He wasn't sure how to be a father, but upon learning of their existence, he had vowed to take care of and protect them.

"Delta? Are you awake?" Rain's sweet, young voice rang out once more.

"Yes, I am. What do you need?" his deep, gravelly voice responded. He was met with brief silence. He couldn't help but laugh a little. Rain always seemed so uncomfortable and shy. "Rain?"

"Uh..." she began and paused once more. "Dillon, Regan and Ashley were wondering if you would come play with them or take them to the park."

Park? That was a new word. His vocabulary had been limited to only what he needed to know, but it grew daily as he learned to live on the outside. He pushed the covers away and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He was still in his jeans and t-shirt. Running his large hand down his face, he made his way to the door and opened it to reveal his uncomfortable-looking daughter.

He couldn't tell if he was biased, but he thought she was one of the loveliest females he had ever seen. She couldn't have been more than 5'5'' and she was thin but strong. Her dark hair fell in wild, riotous curls, its color making her appear even paler, but the peach undertone of her skin prevented her from looking sickly. Her brown eyes were doe-like and framed by thick, long lashes.

He had read the story of Snow White to Ashley the other night at her beckoning. After reading the description if the title character, little Ashley had called out, "Like Rain! She looks like Rain, Delta!" He had to agree.

To smile at her was so natural, and he was pleased with her small smile back.

"Hi, Rain."

"Hi, Delta."

Unfortunately, social training hadn't been a part of the curriculum at the lab, so, the two watched each other awkwardly, both unsure of what to say. He was her father and she his daughter, but the two had no idea of how to act around one another.

"So... what's a park?" He asked sheepishly, breaking the silence.

He was rewarded with another small smile. "It's a place outside where children can go to play. The younger ones seem to really enjoy it."

Being around the humans caused him a little anxiety and, as if sensing his apprehension, she added, "Adam will go with you. He took us there last time."

He nodded and looked up at her as she made her way to leave. "Rain, would you like to go... to this park with us?"

A large smile spread across her charming face. "Thank you for asking, Delta, but today is the first day of, 'Pretending to be Human 101,'" she responded, making air quotes with her fingers. He laughed. "Don't laugh. Today is just the teenage edition. Adult edition is scheduled for later this week."

He laughed louder. "It appears the Carlisle family is trying to make us more civilized."

"Or... you know... ensure that we don't give the 'big secret' away." She giggled and turned to leave. "I'll see you later, Delta!" she called out as she left his apartment.

He padded barefoot to the kitchen and took down a glass from the cabinet. He filled it with water from the faucet and leaned against the counter. All of this was so new to him. He thought back to the dreams he had been having of her. It was always the same. She stood there in the dark, her jade gaze never wavering. She never spoke; she just stared, beckoning him to her.

There were times when he felt as he was being pulled towards something, like every fiber of his being wanted to be somewhere else. He had thought about following it, giving into instinct, but then he'd remember Rain, Sadie, Sam, Lucas, Liam, Ashley, Regan, and Dillon. He needed to be there for them, his children. There was no time for chasing ghosts.

***

Audrienne passed her young cousin in the hall as she made her way to the parking garage. Santana had given her permission to take her car. Quickly locating the less flashy Audi sedan, she set out for Chantilly, VA with what felt like bats flying around in her stomach.

Every fiber of her being buzzed and vibrated the closer she got. She wondered if he felt it too, if he knew that she was coming.

"In 1.5 miles, turn right," the navigation system called out. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, repeatedly, in an attempt to calm her erratic nerves. "Turn left; your destination will be on the right." She turned into the parking lot, shut off the car, and sat there.

The parking lot was nearly empty. She knew that the lab was closed during the hours that the hybrids were on the premises. She looked around, wondering which car was his.

Her head jerked up as she heard the front door of the large building open. A man walked out, shrugging out of a lab coat and lighting a cigarette simultaneously. His blonde hair was in disarray as he ran a hand through it. She watched him in the side mirror. He was a Were. She could sense it in his animal-like movements.

She watched him until he put out the remainder of his cigarette and went back inside. She sighed as she was once again alone in the parking lot. She wished he had lifted his head so she could have seen his eyes.

Staring at the door the stranger had entered, she felt her anxiety increase once more. Taking calming breaths, she began to give herself a pep talk. "Audrienne, stop being a child. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this..." she repeated to herself as she unfastened her seatbelt and exited the car.

Each step towards the door became easier and easier and before she knew it, she was standing in front of the receptionist's desk.

"I'm here to see Dr. Otto!" rushed from her mouth and she immediately covered her mouth with her hand, mortified by her excited words. "I mean... I have an appointment with Dr. Otto," she amended after a calming breath.

The receptionist looked up and studied her. She was young and very pretty. Audrienne immediately hated that this woman worked with her mate. Just like the man she had spotted earlier, this slight brunette woman was a Were.

"Name?" the woman asked, angling her head to the side like a puppy would. The thought almost made Audrienne giggle.

"Audrienne Renee."

"Last name?"

"I... I don't have one." Audrienne admitted.

The expression that crossed the woman's face made Audrienne want to slap her so hard that even her wolf felt it. "Oh... you're one of them. Have a seat please. I'll let the doctor you're here." Without another glance, the woman picked up the phone announcing, to the person on the other end that Audrienne was there.

She wasn't going to let the nasty woman ruin her mood. She was going to meet her mate today. Today was a good day! She picked up a magazine and began flipping through the pages aimlessly. No more than two minutes passed before she heard her name.

Olive green eyes met one light green ones tinged with gold. The slight scent of cigarette smoke wafted in her direction. The man from outside. He smiled at her warmly. And her insides flipped a little. The reaction was subtle, and she wondered if maybe she was different; maybe her reaction wouldn't be as intense as the others.

"You'll have to excuse Lidia. She's a bit of a purist, "he winked at the other woman and Audrienne couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. This was wrong. It wasn't supposed to feel like this.

"Let's head back shall we?" he asked without so much as looking at her. She nodded and followed, holding back her tears as disappointment flooded her.

He asked her some general questions like her age and birthdate. He took her weight and height, measured her blood pressure and checked her reflexes.

"Change into these, please." He gestured towards some sweat pants and a t-shirt. "I want you to do some light exercise."

She shook her head. "I'd rather not. I've been wearing a uniform like that for my entire life. I'll do what you need me to do in this. It's not like I'll break a sweat anyway."

"Whatever you want," he stated, pointing to a treadmill in the corner of the room. "Just follow my instructions."

She nodded, walked towards the treadmill and got on. She began to move, watching as he adjusted the settings.

"Ok, I'm going to increase the speed. Tell me if it's too fast." She laughed a little and nodded, effortlessly keeping up with the increasing pace. "Wow," he exclaimed as he watched her run faster and faster with ease. "I guess I know where your abilities lie." She laughed and continued running.

"Alright, let's make this interesting." He said seconds before throwing a ball in her direction without warning. She caught it without missing a beat and dropped it to the ground. "Catch each ball I throw but don't stop moving. Got it?" She nodded her understanding.

He watched as she caught each ball no matter where he threw it, all the while running faster than anything he had ever seen.

Clear, emerald eyes flashed in her mind and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips. Where had that come from?

"Audrienne, are you okay?" The deep, male voice belonging to her supposed mate asked.

She ignored him, concentrating on those clear eyes that held so many possibilities. Her heart rate increased to a dangerous pace and her body began to warm. She stumbled slightly, feeling suddenly off-balance as her entire body began to pull in the direction of the hallway.

"Audrienne?!" The doctor yelled out but she couldn't hear him.

Suddenly the door slammed open, getting her attention. In the doorway stood a man, a tall man with broad shoulders, lean muscles, short dark blonde hair, and glassy green eyes. Their eyes met and time stood still.

She stumbled once more, this time unable to regain her footing on the fast-moving treadmill. Her left knee slammed hard into the plastic followed by her elbow before she slid off onto the cold floor. She had been on the floor no longer than one second before she felt four strong hands hauling her up into a sitting position.

Looking up, she realized her mistake. Twins. They were twins, the only difference being the golden hue that one set of eyes possessed and the slight smell of cigarettes.

Her assessment of the two was cut short by the slight pressure of a hand on her cheek, beckoning her to turn and look solely at the new stranger. He smiled, his eyes holding an intense wonderment.

"This isn't how I wanted us to meet," she said quietly, watching the man who she knew would be her salvation.

"It'll make a funny story to tell our grandkids," was his reply.

***

She listened as the pilot alerted the passengers that the plane would be landing soon. The closer the plane got to Charleston, South Carolina, the better she felt. It had been a month since she had seen Epic. As an alpha he was kept busy, and she was trying her best to be understanding.

Their first meeting had been so much less intense than the others', but she knew it was because they hadn't sensed one another until the moment that panel was moved. She sighed as she thought about her mate. He was so strong, so intense, and so hers.

Her body heated as she thought of their first kiss. It had been him saying goodbye when he had to return to his pack. At first, his lips had only whispered against her own, soft and unsure. It was the first time another's lips had touched her own, and she couldn't have held back the resulting whimper if she'd tried.

Her response had snapped his resolve and she soon found herself up against the wall, his large hands pressing deliciously into her hips as he held her in place for his assault. Her head had begun to swim and she struggled to return his intensity, giving back everything that she took.

When his full lips were crushed against hers, she had wanted everything that he could give her. Her body called out for his, heating in ways she had never felt. She nearly begged him to take her, not entirely sure what she was asking for but knowing that she wanted it, all of it. And then he had pulled away, his breathing harsh and ragged.

"You make me want to lose control, to break the rules, and I can't do that, sweetheart," he had said.

She had been confused by his words, and it was obviously written across her young face. He sighed and ran his large hand down his face. His grey eyes held so much desire. A sheen of sweat was visable on his light brown skin.

"Pack law dictates that no female shall be... deflowered... before her eighteenth birthday," he stated, his control barely there as gold mixed with his stormy eyes.

"But I am not pack," she noted as she moved forward, reaching for her struggling mate.

"Not yet, no. But even as Alpha, I am not above the law." He took her hands, resuming their contact without pulling her close. "I want you so badly. It's probably a good thing that I'm going away."

She leaned in, testing his control. "Us not together will never be a good thing."

The memory was interrupted as the plane descended. She couldn't control her excitement. She was to spend one month with him, assess if his pack was a suitable home for a number of the hybrids, return to her family briefly, then move to live with him and his pack. Being away from her family was going to be difficult, but being with Epic was her fate.

He and she had made a list of the things they'd do together while she visited, but there was one item that would be a surprise. During her visit, she would have a birthday, her eighteenth birthday, and she'd finally get to appease all of those dirty thoughts her beautiful mate had inspired in her innocent mind.

***

Delta sat on a bench, watching Ashley go across what Adam had called the "monkey bars." He could barely contain his smile as his beautiful little girl went all the way across twice before dropping to the ground and running for the swings.

Regan and Dillon sat in a box of what appeared to be dirt and built some sort of structure. They shared a bucket and tiny shovel with another small boy with curly red hair. He watched his two youngest interact with the human child effortlessly and felt silly for his apprehension towards the humans. He watched each of them carefully ensuring that none of them showed their abilities.

"Which one is yours?" A short, thin woman asked him.

He looked up at her; her hair was a golden blonde and her hazel eyes were bright. He supposed she was an attractive woman, but she did nothing for him. The woman from his dreams still haunted him. "Excuse me?" he asked, not quite understanding her question.

She laughed softly. "Child. Which child is yours? You do have a child here right, you're not just here watching small children play, I hope," her smile alluded to the fact that she was joking.

He forced a smile and looked to Adam for guidance. The other man stared ahead, a smirk on his face. Asshole, he thought as he turned back to face the stranger.

"Mine is that one," The woman stated, pointing to a tiny blonde on a spinning contraption.

"She's lovely," he said, meaning it. The woman smiled. "The two in the sandbox are mine and the dark haired girl on the swing, she's mine also," He stated, pointing out each of his children with a natural smile befitting his status as a father.

"My God, they're beautiful!" she exclaimed. "And all so young, your wife must have her hands full," she laughed, staring at him expectantly.

Not accustomed to social norms, her digging evaded him and he answered honestly. "No wife. Just me and my eight children."

The woman looked confused for a moment then opened her mouth as if she was about to speak. "Ma'am, my friend and I need to have an important conversation. So, if you don't mind..." Adam finally spoke up, staring intently at the small woman.

"Yes, of course," she mumbled as she walked away, slightly defeated.

"Why did that stranger have so many questions? Do you think she's working for people from the lab?" Delta asked with a serious expression on his face.

Adam laughed loudly, eying his friend. "Look around for a moment, Delta. Do you notice any prying eyes?"

Confused, Delta allowed his gaze to peruse their surroundings. "Why are all of these women staring at us?"

Chuckling, Adam replied, "Well, supernaturals are usually more attractive than our human counterparts. It has something to do with us being predators. We don't have to chase our prey; they'll come right to us. They sense our beasts on a primal level and their bodies call out for it." He gestured to blonde woman. "She wanted you. Bad. The more time you spend out here, the more used you'll get to these cues. You can have your pick of the litter, my friend."

Delta debated telling Adam about his dreams, but decided against it. "Yeah," was his weak response. "So, do we really have important things to talk about?" he asked, wanting to change the subject.

Hearing Adam's deep sigh caused his attention to drift from the playground to his friend. He stared at him expectantly. "We need to discuss the kids... your kids."

He turned back towards the playground as he heard Dillon laugh. "What about them?"

"You know that we've been putting all of our efforts into integrating each of you hybrids into the outside world." Delta nodded, beckoning him to continue. "Santana is the oldest hybrid, and she's only 23. The true hybrids appear older but you all matured quickly, needing only five years to mature. Other than Audrienne, Zachary, and Aara, and very few others, the majority of the hybrids are children. There's no way that my family can take care of so many young children. Out of the true hybrids, you're the only one who has shown any sort of awareness apart from receiving orders. There's no way we can leave the children in their care, so, we've begun placing them in the homes of supernaturals who we've known for centuries."