“But you…”
“I what?”
“You hide it well,” she said. “I thought you were a little weird, but nothing too different.”
“But I am,” he said. “Remember when I fought those jerks in Annapolis?” he asked.
“Yeah. What about it? You kicked their butts.”
“I was holding back. I purposely didn’t break bones or kill them. I could’ve killed them in a heartbeat.” He watched her to see how she handled that revelation.
Allison held very still watching him carefully.
“It would take only a loss of temper,” he said. “Regular humans wouldn’t stand a chance. And getting into your house at night was a piece of cake. Any door, any window, any room. Nothing would’ve stopped me from getting in.”
“Peter, stop, you’re scaring me.”
“Sorry, but I want you to understand who I am, Allison.” He knew he was being harsh and a little scary, but he had to make her understand why she had to leave and pursue her dreams in New York. If she stayed, he’d have to watch her inner flame burn lower by inches year after year. It would kill something inside him.
Allison stared at the man she’d thought she loved, but now realized she didn’t know him at all. Her mind reeled with everything she’d learned tonight. To think that Peter was some kind of super human person. She’d had no idea. He was gentle and handsome and loving to her.
She’d planned on telling him she’d changed her mind about moving to New York the next time she’d seen him. She wasn’t giving up on her dream of becoming a rock star, but she didn’t want to leave Peter, and he’d been clear that he wouldn’t come to New York with her. Now she understood that he couldn’t.
“What do we do now?” she asked. “Are they your bosses?”
He nodded.
“Your bosses kidnapped me. Isn’t it illegal? I could call the cops or go screaming about this place to the news.”
He gave her a doubtful look. “How? You’re stuck here unless they let you go, and this place has more power than the police. And do you really think people would believe you? They’d think you’re crazy.”
He was probably right, but hearing him explain the facts scared her. “Are you like them, Peter? Are you going to make me stay?”
“No. I already told you. I won’t trap you here against your will. You have to leave.”
His words reminded her that he’d been mostly trapped here for twenty years. “Let’s run away,” she said. “Together. I’m not strong enough to break out on my own, but you are, right?”
“Well, yes…” he said slowly. “But I was bred for a purpose, Allison. They’d come after me. I’m one of the military’s strongest assets. I doubt they’d let me go easily.”
“What do your parents say?”
“About what?”
Was he purposely being dense? “About you being a soldier. My parents were pretty big hippies during Vietnam. They’d be upset if my brother joined the army.”
“My dad fought in Vietnam.”
“Oh, but I was wondering if your parents would be okay if you walked away from this place.”
He blinked at her. “My parents gave birth to me specifically so I could serve here. I can’t imagine them being okay with me abandoning it.”
She bit at a cuticle. The metal handcuffs hit her in the chin. “What do you want?”
“What I want isn’t a factor, because it can’t happen,” he said sounding a bit robotic. “I want you to stay here with me as my match, and I want you to be a famous singer. But it won’t happen.”
“Wow. Way to be encouraging.” She hugged her knees to her chest and watched him as intently as he watched her. “How long are they going to keep us in this room?” she finally asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know the process for initiating matches onto the campus.”