Those Eyes Ch. 12

Peeking over at Aara and Aaron, I watched her awkwardly hold his hand as she stole glances in his direction. Though uncomfortable, she seemed settled somehow. She looked up at that moment, her eyes meeting mine and she simply nodded. It was as if she was silently saying, "Yes, it's all going to be alright."

***

"How are we looking in terms of casualties?" Epic asked as he pulled a very anxious Carmendi through the halls. They had only run into a small group of guards who had been quickly taken down by Zach and Audrienne, her speed and his strength creating a deadly combination.

"No major casualties on our end. A few gunshot wounds, one or two missing limbs, but everyone will walk out of here," Aislyn spoke as she pulled her gloves tighter onto her hands and flexed each finger.

"We have two things left to do before we can meet everyone at the rendezvous point." Aaron said, looking down at his small mate. "Take down the doctor and release the hybrids. Do you know where he'd be right now? He obviously wasn't out there fighting with his men." The disgust in his voice was obvious.

They all stopped walking and looked to Aara. "Did you search his office and the surveillance rooms?" she asked, looking at her mate. He nodded. She sighed, that only left one other place that he'd be. "Does anyone have the time?"

Confused by her question, Aislyn looked down at her watch, surprised it hadn't broken. "It's five til six. Why?"

"At six these metal panels will open and the other hybrids will be released. They'll probably be anxious; they've most likely heard what was going on out here." The situation could escalate very quickly and she needed to think of a way around it. "Audrienne and Carmendi, if any attack, incapacitate them. Then calm down the rest. Epic, lead them out of here. Zach and I will lead the Carlisles to the doctor."

Epic watched the way that she handed out orders. It seemed that these hybrids would be a perfect addition to his pack which gave him an idea. He smirked to himself as he nodded.

"There's only one place that he'd be now: the lab with the true hybrids. He's protecting his greatest assets, most likely behind an excessive number of guards" She watched the apprehensive looks pass between the siblings. She began walking towards the lab, hoping that they'd follow.

Aislyn tried shaking the anxious feeling away. She needed her mind right for what they were possibly about to face. Taking a deep breath, she followed behind Aara, ignoring the restlessness that had suddenly overtaken her.

The scene before them as they entered the room was one that caused surprise. There in the center was a middle-aged man with white hair. He was tall and lanky; his skin was pale but weathered. Surrounding him was at least 50 guards, and beside him was a young boy with olive toned skin and red hair.

Stopping abruptly, Aara looked into the eyes of her baby brother. The doctor had lied, used them all. "You son of a bitch," was all she could say as she stared at him with an incredulous expression.

"Tisk tisk, Aara Belle. Did you really think it'd be so easy? "The smirk on his face was sickening. "I saw how good of an incentive little Stevie was in getting you all back here. I figured he would have other purposes, like punishment for when you misbehaved. And you and your siblings have been very, very bad, little one." In one swift motion, Stephen was kneeling on the ground, a gun to his head.

His frightened expression caused her to move forward and she felt Zach at her side move also. "No no no. You do one thing that I don't like and I'll kill him. He serves one purpose to me and that's to hurt you."

"What do you want?" It was Aislyn who spoke. She saw the anguish on the faces of Aara and Zach and couldn't take it. She knew that if it had been one of her siblings in this situation, she'd do whatever she had to. The crazed doctor looked in her direction and smiled slowly.

"Ahhh, Aislyn Fate Carlisle, the infamous Washington socialite. What I want is for my three lovely hybrids here to hold you and your siblings down while these hybrids..." he said, gesturing to the glass panels behind him. They held men and women, otherworldly in looks but their eyes spoke of the primal nature within them. "...tear you all apart. Only then will I let this failure of science go." Slowly, he met the eyes of Aara, then Zach, and finally Santana. "I'll count to three. One...two... Oh, who am I kidding, you'll never do what I've asked." Those were his last words before the gunshot rang out.

The world seemed to slow down in that moment. Steven's body swayed to the left before collapsing to the ground. Blood splattered the floor in an elaborate pattern.

"Stephen!" Zach bellowed out in an anguished scream before charging towards the doctor. The guards unfortunate enough to be in his way were thrown, dismembered, broken, and left in a heap of unconsciousness on the floor where Stephen's blood poured out.

Aara joined in seconds later, followed by her mate, creating a path to the man who had just torn her world apart. Bodies flew through the air, fell to the ground. Screams of pain rang out, both of emotional and physical nature.

The scene before her was almost too ghastly to watch but Santana rushed to the aid of her siblings, followed quickly by Alex and Aislyn. They made quick work of the human guards, obviously not trained for this sort of onslaught.

Aislyn swung at a guard as she dodged a bullet intended for her head. Her fist made contact with his nose and the crunch was more than satisfying. He fell to the ground before her and left her staring at a man behind a glass wall. He watched her with deep brown eyes, the kind of eyes she had dreamed of looking into her entire life.

Hesitantly, she stepped towards the glass. He was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing nothing but a pair of low slung sweat pants. He was beautiful. Soulful brown eyes, nearly black hair, pale peach colored skin, a well-trimmed beard that did little to hide the deep dimples in his cheeks and, full, red lips.

He moved forward and placed his hand on the glass. Following suit, she placed hers on top of his. The glass was an unwelcome barrier.

The battle continued around them but they were lost in their own realm. Jade eyes met nearly black ones and they both knew that their worlds would never be the same.

Alex looked around him. Each guard had been taken down. Now only stood the doctor, a look of panic on his face as the three hybrids advanced on him. For this reason, when the shots rang out he was confused.

Aislyn felt each of them, the four bullets that lodged themselves into her back. She especially felt the one that hit her heart. Staring up at him, she thanked God that she had least gotten to see him once.

-Alex-

We both ran to her as she fell to the blood-covered floor. Aaron reached her first, pulling her limp body into his arms. "Aislyn, don't you dare die on us!"

She sputtered as blood dripped down the side of her lips. I couldn't speak; there were no words for what I felt in that moment. She reached up, touching a hand to my face and then to Aaron's. A small smile graced her perfect face. Her gaze remained on the glass wall in front of us.

The man behind the glass looked rabid as he slammed his fist into the barrier with more intensity than I had ever witnessed. The glass was soundproof, but I could tell from his expression that he was screaming out.

His reaction confused me but my attention to him was shattered by the sound of breaking bones behind me. I watched as a despondent Santana shoved her foot into the chest of a man with a bloody face, the one who had shot Aislyn. Her eyes met mine; so much remorse was there that I had to tear my own away.

Tears blurred my vision as I looked back to my dying sister. Even in this state, she was beautiful. Her red-brown hair spilled out around her head like a halo. Tears poured from her eyes unremittingly as she continued to watch the man behind the glass. The light slowly drained from her eyes and I felt my heart break.

A snapping noise alerted me to the death of the doctor. A broken neck, it was a clean and quick death, much more humane than he deserved.

I refused to look away from my sister. I felt Santana beside me, her hand reached out, stroking Aislyn's hair. She didn't speak. She didn't need to.

Aara moved to stand behind Aaron; she placed her hand on his shoulder giving all of the comfort that she could in that moment. She knew what he felt, the loss of a piece of his soul The simple gesture was all that she could manage. I hoped Aaron realized that it was enough.

We all sat there, Aislyn lying in both my and Aaron's arm; Aara behind him, Santana beside me. Their brother was off somewhere to the side. No one spoke, the only movement in the room coming from guards regaining consciousness and the hybrids behind the glass walls. The one before us had stopped screaming and pounding the glass and now he sat against the window, sobbing.

A movement to my right caught my eye and I looked up the see the young, red haired boy standing beside me covered in blood. My gasp alerted the others to what I was seeing.

"Stephen? What the..." Aara said as she began to move towards him.

He put his hand up, halting her actions. "Shh..." Kneeling down, he stared at Aaron and then me. "May I?" I had no idea what he was asking for with that simple question, but I nodded my consent, trusting him.

We all watched in awe as he pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and presented his wrist to me. "Would you mind giving me a hand here?" I didn't understand his request. "Cut my wrist open, vertically." I began shaking my head vehemently. He'd surely bleed out if I did that.

"Let me save her before it's too late."

Before I could react, Aaron reached over and used a talon to slice into the young boy's wrist. He understood what I had yet to. Nodding his thanks, Stephen placed his wrist above Aislyn's mouth, urging the blood to pour inside and down her throat. The blood pooled in her mouth.

Lifting her head slightly, she coughed faintly but began swallowing. No one took their eyes off of her. Suddenly it dawned on me, his blood was meant to keep her alive. I prayed under my breath, asking God not to take her but it seemed that prayers were not to be answered.

She had only swallowed a small amount before she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. She was gone.

"I don't understand." Stephen was the first to speak. "That should have worked, she shouldn't have..." He stopped and looked up, once more looking at Aaron then at me. "I'm sorry."

It was only a slight cracking noise at first, that's what got our attention. Looking up, I watched the hairline crack web throughout the window, growing and spreading. The harder the man pounded, the more cracks appeared in the glass. Sensing what was about to happen, Aaron gathered up Aislyn in his arms and we all moved back, away from the window.

In the silence the noise was ear-splitting. We shielded our faces as shards of glass flew everywhere. Stepping through the frame, the hybrid moved towards us, his eyes never leaving Aislyn. He reached for her and I stepped in his path. His gaze flickered from my sister to mine. Anger flared in those deep chocolate depths but quickly retreated to be followed by anguish and loss. I knew that it was the same feelings reflected in my eyes.

He was her mate.

"Give her to him."

Realizing what I had, Aaron handed our sister's body to the stranger. He held her with such gentleness.

"Do you speak?" I asked him, never breaking eye contact.

"Yes." His voice was deep and gravelly.

"Her name..." I nodded to the body in his arms. "...was Aislyn Fate. Our sister."

He looked down at her with so much adoration and longing that I had to look away. It was too much, this was all too much.

"If we let them go, the other hybrids, will they attack?" Aara asked, holding Aaron's hand with one hand and Stephen's with the other.

I really looked around for the first time. Behind seven other windows were men and women, watching the scene with docile expressions.

"Not if they're not ordered to."

Nodding, I moved towards the exit. "Let them out and follow us. You're all fee."

I wouldn't think about it here. I couldn't, not yet.

Today, in this godforsaken lab, I had gotten back my soul mate but lost a part of my soul.

Epilogue

***

One Month Later...

Zachary leaned against the counter watching his new family uncomfortably interact. Aara held Aaron's hand beneath the table. She seemed at odds with the action but she was trying to offer him the type of comfort only a mate could give, albeit awkwardly. Carmendi and Epic sat together in a window seat overlooking the city. They shared a pair of ear buds, while watching each other; their nearness and the music putting them in their own world.

Alex and Santana sat quietly at the table; her eating, him staring off into space. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the loss of Aislyn was killing him inside. Her absence was felt in every corner of the room, seen in each of their expressions. He remembered watching them when he and his siblings were trailing Santana; they had all seemed so exuberant, and full of life. Now each of the Carlisle siblings appeared as only a shadow of their former selves.

The funeral was held less than a week after her death. He supposed that the family wanted to begin their healing process as soon as possible. Only the immediate family was in attendance, even Santana stayed behind in DC while the family flew out to the mid-west to bury their Aislyn.

His eyes shifted as he watched Rain sitting among her youngest siblings as they played with an iPad. Though these children were strangers to the situation, their awareness was seen in the way their tiny heads lifted and watched the adults with open concern.

Ash and Adam had offered to show Stephen around the city in an evident need to get out of the apartment complex. Zachary knew exactly how they felt. The sorrow and budding love was suffocating. He had made up his mind the night before. He would be gone before anyone woke up the next morning.

-Alex-

I sat and watched her. The thoughts going through my mind were unsettling. Each time I looked at her, I saw my sister dying. Images of Aislyn falling to the floor, the bright red blood pouring out around her, flooded my brain. I shook my head to scatter the thoughts knowing it was useless. They'd be back. They always came back.

I had promised her everything, promised to keep her safe. I had fulfilled that promise but at the expense of part of my heart. The guilt and blame were weighing down on me so heavily that it was hard to breathe at times. Each time I looked at her, my mate, I saw what she had cost me.

It was happening again, the uncontrollable swirling of thoughts. Blood. So much blood. Jade eyes that had been so bright and shining, now dull and lifeless. The sound she made as she hit the floor echoed in my ears repeatedly. The crying stranger, banging on the glass as he watched his soul die like I had. It was too much. Everything was too much. All of these new people in my home, those bright green eyes that watched me constantly, and her absence. Suddenly, I was standing and walking, leaving the suite with a loud crash of the door.

***

Zachary wished that he had Carmendi's aptitude for stealth in that moment. He knew that his footsteps had already woken at least three people. He excited the apartment quickly hoping that no one would investigate the noise.

He knew that he should have said goodbye, but that would have been too hard. His siblings had so effortlessly molded into this new world and he felt like an outsider. His decision would hurt them but he knew it was best for him. He was finally able to live for himself and he wasn't going to pass up this chance.

Once in the garage, he perused the array of cars, bikes, and trucks. His gaze settled on a black motorcycle. He had seen Aislyn ride this bike several times when he was trailing her and her family. He felt like an asshole when his immediate thought was that she wouldn't need it now.

He had been riding for days with no destination in mind. He had never felt this kind of freedom. It was intoxicating. Each time an emotion he didn't want to deal with entered his mind, he pushed it away and pushed the bike harder.

Noticing that the gas tank was getting low, he rode until he found a small diner with a few pumps out front. Once the tank was full, he went inside for what he hoped was a decent meal. The menu was filled with typical diner fare and he settled on pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs hoping they were better than the ones served at the lab.

"Are you ready to order sir?" a soft, feminine voice asked. He turned from the window where he had been watching a bird while sipping from a glass of much needed water and was met with blue eyes tinted with green. He gasped causing himself to choke a little. The girl patted his back softly, her concern evident. "Are you alright?"

He looked up at her for a moment completely confused. Her eyes watched him, a perfect reflection of his.

"Do I know you?" she asked as she smoothed back the auburn hair that had fallen from her messy bun. "It feels like I should know who you are."

Before he had completely thought out his reply, he responded. "No. We've never met."

They watched each other for a few more moments before he cleared his throat and extended his hand.

"I'm Zachary."

She watched him with open curiosity before returning the gesture and placing her hand in his. He noticed that her hands were bruised and covered in healed scars.

"I'm Anna Brown. It's very nice to meet you Zachary."