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  Caleb huffed. “I do get up early, you know...” Caitlyn gave him a knowing look. “Well, sometimes. Anyways, I had some early morning appointments this morning I needed to attend and I ran into Declan.”

  Declan was happy to note that Caitlyn appeared to take the answer at face value as she dropped the line of questioning to Caleb. “Well, anyways, it was nice to see you in the early morning daylight. Try to have a good morning.”

  Caleb already appeared distracted fiddling with the flash drive Declan had given him muttering a simple, “You too.”

  As he walked away, Caitlyn eyed Declan with a smirk on her face. She grabbed a cup of steaming coffee, handing it to him. “Black, no cream, two sugars just the way you like it. So what’s going on?”

  Declan gratefully took the cup of coffee, taking a sip. “What are you talking about?”

  Caitlyn jerked her head in Caleb’s direction and then back at him. “Please. Give me a little credit, will you? Between the two of you. He was meeting you this morning, was he not? Something happened last night. You have not even switched out of yesterday’s clothes.”

  Declan really hated Caitlyn’s perception sometimes. He wouldn’t lie to Caitlyn, but he could not exactly tell her the full truth, either, even though he trusted her. “Yes, he was meeting me. But it is a matter that is classified so I can’t talk about it.”

  Caitlyn nodded, just satisfied with the knowledge that she was correct. He always respected that she knew when she should not be prying further. “Okay then. But really, you look exhausted, Declan. I mean, more exhausted than usual. Are you sure you want to train today? We can take a day off.”

  Declan almost laughed at Caitlyn making that particular comment. He knew she was right. He could have used some sleep, he should have gone to sleep, but he was not about to be the one to stop their training. “Positive. I just need a little caffeine and I will be good as new.”

  She walked towards the training room, shaking her head. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when I kick your ass.”

  The first scenario’s he ran with her, he was able to keep pace with her. Then slowly, he let Caitlyn take the reins on most of the training.

  Declan tried to stifle a yawn. She stopped mid-levitation, placing the object back on the ground, as she sat on the ground in her yoga pants, crossing her legs, staring at Declan as she sat across from him. “This is ridiculous.”

  “What?”

  “In all this time, I have seen you sick. I have seen you sleepy, but I have never seen you this exhausted. You need sleep or at the very least, rest.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not. We are here so I can learn, but I am not getting anything out of today.”

  He raised his eyebrow at her. “Don’t hold back.”

  He heard her mutter something along the lines of, “Have I ever?”

  Declan sat down in a chair. “Fine. But I cannot sleep even if I wanted to. There is too much going on in my head at the moment.”

  Caitlyn joined him… “Listen, it’s barely lunch time. Come back to my apartment. I haven’t cooked in a while, so why don’t I just make us lunch and we can have a nice, relaxing afternoon.”

  “But what are you going to learn from that?”

  She cocked her head, a sly grin crossing her face. “I am going to learn about you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Declan, you know everything about me. I think it is time I get to know about you, don’t you think?”

  Declan thought this interesting because he felt that Caitlyn knew him so well already. She was quickly turning into a friend, a role that he did not allow many people. “What don’t you know about me?”

  “Well, I know you. I know your favorite coffee, how your insane drive is almost as bad as mine, and how you detest folk music, but I don’t know about your past, your childhood, why you are the way you are. I want to know about you.”

  “That may take some time.”

  She smiled again. “We have all afternoon. It seems my training got cancelled today.”

  They arrived at her apartment and Caitlyn sat Declan down. “Relax. I’ll make us some coffee. What would you like for lunch?”

  “What do you have?”

  Her voice came muffled from behind the refrigerator. “Pasta, leftover Chinese, and deli meats.”

  “A sandwich would be fine.”

  Caitlyn prepared lunch and brought it out for the both of them in the living room. Declan took a bite of his sandwich. It was comfortable here, and not necessarily a bad way to spend the afternoon, especially given the stress levels he felt.

  Caitlyn took a sip of her coffee. “So what made you so close to your father?”

  Declan paused, placing down his sandwich. So many people knew everything about his past that it was hard to forget she did not know them already. And those details that most did not know, he kept tight to his chest. But he wanted Caitlyn to know those, understand why he was so driven.

  “As I told you our first week, my mom died when I was twelve. It was really hard on my father and me. She was an amazing mother and wife to my father. When she died, we both were lost. Just like I am sure you were when your mom died.”

  Declan paused, gathering his thoughts. “My dad and I are both really private people, believe it or not. There was not anyone else to take solace in, so we took comfort in each other. My father, well, his life was the Trust, so he began teaching me about all the different aspects of it. He taught me the fine art of skillful negotiations and being able to read someone. As the talks between the Cine Tofa and Trust inevitably began to break down, my father found that there were less and less people he could confide in.”

  “At fourteen, I found that I became one of his confidants. It was then that I began to separate from the other kids my age. They couldn’t appreciate or comprehend what it was like to be an Actual, even those whose families were of old lineages and were taught their heritage at a young age. They were all about sports and school. I was talking with my father about issues occurring in the Trust.”

  Caitlyn grabbed Declan’s hand then, giving it a squeeze. He smiled appreciatively at the gesture before continuing. “Then to make matters worse, I awoke at age sixteen… well, imagine a teenager going through the change. You thought it was difficult being twenty-four. No one my age went through it, they couldn’t understand. I had to deal with the difficulties of being an Actual on top of all the hormonal changes and personal growth that comes with being a teenager. I found myself becoming even more of an outsider. It was easier to be alone than not being accepted by my peers. I graduated early that year from high school. I never went to high school football games, joined drama club, or even went to a prom. My life at sixteen revolved around the Trust only.”

  Caitlyn squeezed his hand again. It was comforting. “I’m sorry, Declan. That had to have been very difficult for you. Normally a teenager would resent their father for that. But you look like you didn’t.”

  “I did a little at first. But my family are Descendants. There are certain obligations that come with that and I understand that. My life revolves around the Trust, it always has. My father carries tremendous guilt to this day about my young adulthood, but he wasn’t responsible for my changing early. Nature was in charge of that.”

  “But, and I mean this with all due respect because I think your father is a wonderful man, don’t you think it was unfair that he put so much responsibility on you at such a young age? You are twenty-eight years old and you were a negotiator by twenty. That has to be a huge weight to bear.”

  Declan pursed his lips. “It was-It is. But it’s life. When your most trusted friends, your most trusted advisors, begin to decide that the Cine Tofa is a better way for Actuals, and begin selling your secrets to the highest bidder, you have to be very careful about whom you trust. And my father could trust me. I was his blood, his heir. If he can’t trust me, then who can he trust?”

  Caitlyn leaned over and gave him a
hug quickly before pulling away. “I understand. For the record, I admire you for how you have handled it all. Not many sixteen years olds would have the strength or the ability to handle what you went through.”

  “I have a feeling you would have done just fine.”

  “You obviously did not know me as a teenager. My mother would have respectively disagreed.”

  They sat there for hours just talking. It turned into a game of twenty questions, with both of them answering the questions. Declan revealed to Caitlyn that he did not have any fears with the exception of disappointing his father. He also told her that his first kiss was with a blonde girl named Nia, at the age of seventeen. He lost his virginity at nineteen, his proudest moment was when his passed the Threshold, and someday, he did want to marry and have children of his own. Declan explained how important it was to continue his bloodline.

  Caitlyn had admitted to him that her first kiss was at fourteen, she did not lose her virginity until age twenty and it was an awful experience, her proudest moment was when she graduated summa cum laude from graduate school, and she too, wanted to someday settle down and have kids of her own, though she did not know when.

  It was the nicest afternoon Declan had spent in a long time. By the time the sun was setting, he felt closer to her and he hoped that the questions that he answered filled in some of the questions she had about him.

  Declan tried to stifle a yawn and Caitlyn moved to put their long empty plates in the kitchen sink. “I think it is time that you get some sleep, Declan. For me.”

  He acquiesced. Before he transported out of the apartment, she gave him a deep hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Just so you know, I think your mom would be very, very proud of the man you turned out to be.”

  “And your mom would be very, very proud of the woman you turned out to be. Have a good night. I’ll see you in morning.”

  That night, Declan McPherson slept very well for the first time in weeks.

  Chapter 17

  Caitlyn pulled out her backpack from Declan’s SUV and slung it over her shoulder, staring at the trailhead that greeted her. Despite the fact that she had not been hiking since she was a young girl, she had been the one initially to suggest the outing. Garrett had been sent on yet another assignment that the Trust had given him with no known date of return, and she found herself itching to get out of the small town, explore some of the mountains that she could always see on the town’s outskirts.

  “Thanks again for inviting me.” He said, tightening up the laces of his worn hiking boots.

  “Thanks for coming. I wanted a friend to come with me and didn’t want to hike this alone.”

  Declan’s grin was from ear to ear. “So, I am a friend now?”

  She couldn’t help but scoff good naturedly. “Of course you are. What else would you be?”

  He shoved his water bottle into his bag, following her as she walked to the beginning of the trail. “Well, after everything with Garrett, I think I still have a hard time believing that I am not the enemy to you.”

  She stopped abruptly and turned to him. “Have I given you that impression?”

  “Well… no.”

  “Good. Because you are my friend. Any animosity that I had towards you regarding Garrett’s removal as my mentor disappeared quite some time ago. Now,” Caitlyn pointed to a trail sign, “Are you sure you are up for this?”

  It was his turn to scoff. “Caitlyn, you are the one who has not been hiking in years. Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

  “What? With the way you train me? Please. I could probably run up the trail.”

  Declan did not argue that fact as they began their ascent. Over the past few weeks, his trainings had become more intense, the workouts more rigorous. He had Caitlyn getting up at the crack of dawn to run four miles a day, five times a week, and four of the five days, lifting weights as well.

  But through it all, Declan was there with her every morning, pushing himself as hard as he did her. Together, they pressed each other to work harder, run faster, and move nimbler. Caitlyn had always been fit prior to becoming an Actual, but thanks to Declan’s training, she was seeing a transformation in her body that she had never enjoyed before.

  As he moved ahead of her in the trail, she couldn’t help but admire the change in his physique as well, and he was already extremely fit. She felt a bit of pride in that; she knew that if she had not put forth the effort that she exerted into her workouts, he would not be benefiting either.

  They climbed up boulders and steep inclines, never stopping unless Declan did first. It was a crazy rule she had; keep going as long as Declan does, see who passes out from exhaustion first.

  It was only when they called a break for lunch that Caitlyn wiped the sweat off her brow. Declan’s eyes arched up. “Getting tired?”

  She shook her head. “Tired no. Sweaty, yes.” Truth was, she was beyond exhausted. She knew muscles she did not even know existed would be sore tomorrow. This hiking thing was a little harder than she anticipated. Plus, her feet were killing her.

  She grabbed a sandwich and an apple from her bag, smiling to herself as Declan admired the partially obstructed view of the mountain range. His muscles had relaxed, the tenseness in his face as of late almost disappeared. She tossed the apple in the air. “You know, I like seeing you like this.”

  “Like what?” Declan stole the fruit from her, taking a large bite before she had a chance to protest.

  She gave him a look as he sheepishly smiled, and grabbed his granola bar in retaliation. “Relaxed. You have not been on the phone once today. It’s nice. You have been so stressed.”

  Declan’s forehead puckered as he absorbed her words. “I’ve seemed stressed to you?”

  Caitlyn unwrapped the sandwich, taking a large bite before responding. “Yes. Very. When you are not training with me you are distracted.”

  He finished the pilfered apple. “And here I was thinking I was hiding it well.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “I’m just concerned is all. You are kind of like a pressure cooker ready to blow. So what’s up? Is this related to when I saw you and Caleb meeting a couple of weeks back?”

  Caitlyn could practically see him trying to figure out in his head exactly how much he could disclose to her without getting in trouble. “Sort of. Things have been very taxing as of late. Not only has the Cine Tofa been encroaching on some of the Trusts territory for Potentials, but there are several members of the Trust that are missing.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “My father has asked me to aid in recovering the Trust members.”

  The blonde wondered when he found time to take care of all his responsibilities. Did he ever sleep? “And how is that going?”

  “Not well. The Cine Tofa has been denying all our requests for renegotiation or arbitration in order to free them.”

  She sat quietly processing what he just told her. “And here I am making you go on a hike with me. Do you want to go back? We can, and I would completely understand. In fact, I can help you if you need it.”

  “Thank you for the offer, but no. Besides, you are helping me. I needed a break, even if it’s just for a day. My father assured me that he has our legal department working on this as we speak, so nothing is on hold.”

  “Good.” She did not want to have him linger on his unfinished work. “The next mile is supposedly really challenging.”

  She stood up and winced, her right foot felt as if a blister were rubbing right against her boot. Declan reached out to steady her. “You okay?”

  “Damn new hiking boots. I should have known better. I think I have a blister.”

  “Let me look.”

  “No, I’ll be okay.”

  He looked at her pointedly. “Caitlyn, I can help. Just let me take a look.”

  She plopped down on the ground, defeated by her own stupidity. Declan untied the boot, removing it gently. He rolled up the leg of her jeans before stripping her wool sock. Together they examined
the angry red welt that was now forming on her heel. “Damn.”

  “It’s a blister alright.” He grabbed her ankle.

  “What are you doing?” Declan's large hands began to massage her foot, a pleasing tingling sensation replacing the pain. Her heart began to race just a little quicker as she watched him.

  “Healing the blister.” She focused on the way that his hands made several passes gliding partly up her calf muscle before trailing its way back down to the arch of her sole. Finally, his fingers rested on her heel for several minutes, and she didn’t speak, not wanting to break his concentration. “There. Done.”

  She lifted her foot, twisting the ankle at various angles, inspecting it. The heel was still red, but the welt was not raised anymore and the pain was virtually gone. It was much better than anything she could have done. “Amazing.”

  He reached into his backpack, handing her a small package. “Here is some moleskin. It should help prevent the blister from coming back. Let me know if you start getting a blister on the other foot.”

  “Thank you.” She wanted desperately to ask if she did get another blister if he could teach her how to heal it herself, but she wouldn’t. Declan definitely needed a day off and truth was, she probably did too. So she bit her tongue, applying the moleskin. “You ready to keep going?”

  “Only if you are.”

  The trail quickly turned to rock ledge, and Caitlyn found herself scrambling almost vertically up the granite, silently thanking Declan for healing her foot. Her calves were burning and it was with great relief when they finally reached the summit an hour later. She plopped down, taking a large swig of her water. Declan joined her thirty seconds later.

  From where she sat, she could see the sleepy town below, the outlines of the Trust compound so far away. It almost felt like a dream to her, these past five months, the whirlwind romance of Garrett, the daily structure that was Declan’s regimented training.