“We still believe it’s in all our best interests to keep this under wraps,” Tyler said.
“How long can we do that?” Callum stalked up to the table, placed his palms down on the smooth metal, and searched each face for some sign that they were breaking, but they were resolute as ever. Stubborn bloody bastards. “I’m done with skulking away.”
“Well, do what we’ve done, and then you wouldn’t need to skulk.”
Callum’s eyes narrowed. “No thank you. I’m not into self-mutilation.”
They’d been locked in argument all day. Callum wanted to go public—let the world see what was happening. Whatever that was.
He was eager to find out.
Until they announced their changes, any research had to be clandestine, and he wanted a major push—put a shitload of money and every resource they could get their hands on to find out exactly what they were becoming. That meant research into Trakis Seven, as that was the only planet where Meridian had ever been found. But no one spent time on Trakis Seven unless they had to. The planet was lethal to anyone who hadn’t had the Meridian treatment—those sentenced to the mines lasted anywhere between two weeks and two years, but eventually, they all died, and not a good death. And even those who had taken the treatment found the planet uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, it appeared he was the only one who wanted to know the truth. The rest of them would rather pretend the changes weren’t happening.
They’d been shaken by Aiden’s suicide. Hell, Callum had been shaken—despite the fact that Aiden had always been an asshole, and he was hardly going to miss the man.
But while the suicide had shocked them, that a motley bunch of misfit space pirates knew the truth terrified them. They’d gone all out to silence the crew of El Cazador and been furious that Callum had them in his grasp a month ago, but let them go free.
They claimed the Collective’s wealth was based on the sale of Meridian and no one would be willing to pay the exorbitant prices if they knew they’d turn into something other than human. Personally, Callum thought they’d pay, but that was beside the point. Their financial security was no longer dependent on Meridian. They had expanded until they controlled half the known universe—the profitable half.
He’d told the Council that he’d had no choice but to let the El Cazador go after that final showdown. But the truth was, an idea had been forming in his mind for a long time. El Cazador had been the catalyst that crystallized the idea into something tangible.
And if he was honest, there was something else. As he closed his eyes, an image formed in his mind. A woman with a long, sinuous body and yellow snake eyes that hadn’t left him for the entire time they’d been together.
His body tightened at the memory, and amazingly, his cock hardened in his pants. He frowned at the unexpected feeling. How long was it since any woman had affected him that way? He’d presumed his low sexual libido was another long-term response to Meridian. Now he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he’d just been as bored with sex as he was with everything else these days.
For the first time in years, he was looking forward to something. He pictured her again and savored the heat that coiled low in his belly.
“So?” Tyler asked. “Are we all in agreement? You’ll go along with the majority vote of the Council and give out the publicity statement we prepared.”
Callum nodded.
“And you’ll cover those up?” Tyler nodded at the wings.
“Of course,” he said smoothly and watched the relief blossom on the faces around the table.
Your new friends are coming in to land. The colonel’s words sounded in his mind.
Good. Let’s do this.
He picked up his cloak and flung it around his shoulders, covering, if not hiding, the wings. After a quick nod to the colonel, he strode toward the big set of double doors that led to the stadium.
Outside, he could hear the murmur of a thousand voices. He’d invited the entire worlds’ presses here, and now the Council wanted him to keep quiet. He was fed up with the lot of them. They’d had a month to come to terms with this and still they cowered in fear.
He hesitated in the doorway, and the colonel came up beside him.
You’re sure about this? You won’t wait and take The Endeavor when she’s done.
The Endeavor was Callum’s new super-star cruiser. She was a beauty, the most advanced ship ever built, but there had been some problems with the initial test flights, and he didn’t want to wait until the modifications were completed.
I’m sure.
You still plan to go to Trakis Two?
Callum glanced at his friend, but the colonel’s face was expressionless. If you still want me to.
The colonel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package. Would you give Rosalie this from me?
Callum stared at the package for a second, then up at the colonel’s face. Why don’t you come? Give it to her yourself?