False Gods | The Prime Archives #3 ✓

eleven

The aircraft floor shuddered as they cut through the thick, snow-filled clouds. A sticky silence filled the cabin. None of the Jaegers spoke—they were likely too busy mulling over their inability to capture the other Primes.

Stella found herself watching Orion for most of the ride to their temporary headquarters—which was a barn that belonged to a farmer who lived near the forest. All their gear and vehicles were stored on site. Before she went after the escapees, she needed to collect new information and draft up a new plan of action.

She also needed to tell General North what happened. That was a phone call she wasn't looking forward to. Not at all.

Until then, she tried psychoanalyzing Orion.

Over the past couple of years, she had become quite good at reading people. Just one interaction was usually enough for her to get a clear view of a person.

But this man—this being—was different.

Everything about him was different.

He was beautiful but in an intimidating way. His skin reminded her of the color of warm caramel, yet it was cold to the touch. And it wasn't because of the low temperatures outside. His eyes, bright like gold heated to its melting point, were devoid of the warmth they should've held.

He rarely spoke.

She wasn't sure she had ever heard his voice. Though, she had only met him the day before when they were leaving headquarters for North Dakota. Perhaps he would finally say something to her now.

Yawning and stretching her taut muscles, she stepped out of her seat and carefully made her way over to him.

He was sitting away from the other agents. Or maybe they were sitting away from him. She could tell they weren't quite comfortable with him around. They had just started to let their guards down around the other Primes and now there was one who was made in a lab like a new vaccine. Their distrust was more than justified. Stella was still skeptical of him herself.

She still found herself taking up a seat beside him. He didn't acknowledge her joining him in the back of the aircraft. His eyes were closed and his head was hanging ever so slightly. But he wasn't sleeping. It almost looked like he was meditating. Maybe he was.

Her fingers fidgeted with the end of her long braid. Chewing on her bottom lip, she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"How are you doing?" she finally asked him.

Orion opened one of his eyes and tilted his head.

"I'm just...you know, checking in," she quickly added, her cheeks going red. "I am your commander after all."

He chuckled. "Yes, you are." His voice was deep and rich like honey. She had never heard a more pleasant sound before.

She swallowed hard as she felt her blush spreading across her face. "You were amazing out there. I've never seen anything like that before."

"I could have done better," he replied. His brows furrowed as he stared at his hands. "I should have destroyed the other van. It was my fault they escaped."

"No, no." She waved his words off. "That was on me. But don't worry. My team will find them. Trust me."

He nodded and smiled.

Well, he seems like a human to me.

"I can tell the others are...wary of me," Orion said. He peered at the Jaegers in front of him. "I can't say that I blame them." He flipped his hands over as he stared at them, almost as if he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. "Existing is...quite new to me. I am still coming to grips with it."