Dark Empathy Archibald Bradford (best books to read in your 20s TXT) 📖

stood on his tip toes when the angel gave him a monstrous wedgie from behind.

“My thanks for your concern Aegis Semper, but worry not for my husband, his sanity remains unshaken. Besides it is past time you should be in bed. Unless I am mistaking her, I believe the lovely Linda has intentions for you before you will get any sleep tonight.” She suggested archly while he struggled to fix his underpants situation.

Grant froze as he processed her words, then a slow smile spread across her face.

“Right, well, anyways, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Volka watched him walk away, a slight smirk on her lips.

“I like him.”

When they got to their quarters they found the others, trying to make sense of the day each in their own way.

Milly hadn’t let go of Erica for what seemed like hours.

The Katje didn’t mind as she boasted of her achievements on the field.

“Totally saved Miranda’s life!” She said for perhaps the fourth time.

Ophelia smiled at her, but the light of it didn’t reach her eyes as she dwelled on the patient she had been unable to save.

Drained from his earlier ordeal with the widowed monster girl, and with the chaotic swirl of emotions coming from Erica, Nameless found it a bit hard to focus, but he managed to get a feel for Ophelia’s mental state.

What he found there made no sense.

Stubborn pride.

Lots of it.

“Ophelia?” He asked.

Meanwhile Nina, fed up with Erica’s boasting, seized her by the ankle and threw her into bed before she and Milly jumped on her, the three of them finding an outlet for the Katje’s manic energy.

The Flutterby had to tear her eyes away from the sudden threesome taking place on the bed.

“Dearheart?”

His eyes were unfocused as he puzzled over her emotional state.

There was regret for the loss of her patient, but she had wisdom enough to know that she and the other medics did everything they could.

But that swell of pride inside her made no sense to him.

“Why were you dreading coming here?” He asked suddenly as he remembered her anxiety when he told her of their mission.

Her smile faltered slightly, her eyes going a bit distant.

“As you know, many of my people live in the fancier parts of Algrade. I grew up here.”

With the context she provided he could see it now: her pride was that of a child that had succeeded despite the disapproval of her parents.

She tsked at him though as he thought to explore further.

“Now now, don’t you think there are more pressing things we ought to be doing?”

Despite his fatigue, the looks she and Volka were giving him were enough to bring him fully awake.

__________

It was close to midnight, and the compound was quiet.

With the pain of her injury keeping her from sleeping, Miranda stole away from her bond-mates intending on catch some air in the compound’s yard.

She didn’t make it there though.

On her way out she heard quiet sobbing coming from one of the guest bunks.

Rebecca was crying her heart out, though she was apparently trying to be quiet about it.

“Fuck.” Miranda muttered.

She was hardly the tenderest touch, but if anyone in the city of Algrade needed her to be, it was the courageous young bunny.

With one knuckle she rapped on the door.

The sobbing halted and silence reigned for several seconds.

“Wh-who’s there?” The bunny’s voice sounded from inside.

Plain as could be, the operative recognized the sound of someone trying to keep it together.

“It’s Miranda, can I come in?”

There was another beat of silence, then some rustling.

“Just a second!”

Everything about the situation had her at her most patient, so she waited without complaint.

It was a good twenty seconds later before the door opened to reveal the Lapine’s bruised face, her eyes red-rimmed from her tears.

“How you holding up kiddo?”

“I’m okay.” She answered right away.

Girl’s got moxie.

Miranda smiled with one side of her mouth at the Lapine standing in the door.

“Can I come in? Little weird hanging out in the hall like this.”

“Oh! O-of course.” The monster girl turned away to allow Miranda to step inside.

The bunny took a moment to wipe at her eyes when she thought the older woman wasn’t looking.

The gruff operative sighed.

“Yeah, you’re not okay.”

Becks whirled to face Miranda, surprise and fear all over her face.

“I-she!” She seemed to trip over whatever she was trying to say, her mouth working as tears began to fall; “She was going to kill me! I can still feel the g-gun, here.”

With a violent gesture she drove two of her fingers against the side of her head where Bethany Sinclair had earlier held the sabotaged pistol.

“And now, n-now all I can hear is those wolves! Tearing her to pieces!”

Damn you Lilly.

Miranda’s eyes narrowed as she mentally cursed out the pack-leader, but she stayed focused on Rebecca.

“You feel raw? Like if someone made a loud noise you’d die?”

The Lapine’s head nodded emphatically.

“Yes! It’s like I’m going mad with all these different feelings, I keep seeing her pull the trigger! I keep seeing her kill me! I keep dying over and over! I don’t- I can’t, I can’t breath!”

She gasped and sobbed as she began to hyperventilate, quickly devolving into a mess of a Lapine.

Ignoring her own injury, Miranda grabbed hold of her as she fell apart.

She didn’t shush her as one would a child; instead she gave her a much needed lifeline by simply squeezing her tight, one arm around her waist and the other hand cupping the back of her head.

The fragile creature in her arms broke her heart as she clutched at her, wracked with violent and desperate sobs.

Miranda waited a few minutes, mentally cursing