Species Traitor: A Science Fiction Dystopian Novel by Kate Mary (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📗

and his dark, slightly shaggy hair falling over his forehead and nearly getting caught in his long lashes when he blinked.

“You have company,” Rye said, his gaze never once straying from his wife.

Ione beamed up at him with equal admiration, her soft hazel eyes shining. “Ava brought my things.”

My cousin wasn’t a tall person, only four inches over five feet, and it seemed as if Rye had to bend in half when he leaned down to kiss her. Not that Ione acted like she cared or even noticed as she threw her arms around him, kissing him back with enough passion to make me blush.

I looked away from the display and found Rye’s friend still watching me. This close, his eyes looked almost amber, although it could have been the dim light, and like before, a barrage of tingles moved through me under his gaze.

“Hi,” I said, giving the newcomer an almost shy smile. After seeing him on the walkway, it felt as if his sudden appearance was some kind of stroke of luck. “I’m Ava, Ione’s cousin.”

“Finn,” he replied in a flat tone, not returning my smile.

I waited for him to say something else, shifting from foot to foot as the seconds ticked by and he remained silent. Coldness—possibly even a twinge of hostility—seemed to radiate off Finn as he stared at me. The tingles didn’t go away, not completely, but in seconds my scalp had begun to prickle. Unlike before, his scrutiny now seemed intrusive and unwanted, even a little antagonistic.

After a few seconds, I pulled my gaze from Finn’s and turned to my cousin. Her lips were still locked with Rye’s, their focus completely on one another, and they were totally unaware of the uneasy tension that had settled over the room. On the other side of me, Finn remained silent, standing stony and impassive as if an impenetrable wall had been erected between us.

“So, you’re Rye’s friend?” I asked when the silence had stretched out too long.

I’d never been good at keeping my mouth shut, and his cold expression wasn’t going to change that. If anything, it would do the opposite. I was a notorious nervous talker.

Finn’s eyebrows lifted slightly, his golden-orange eyes focused on me but not revealing a thing about him. They reminded me of an animal’s eyes. Not just the color, but also the cool, almost calculated way he looked me over. Like he was trying to decide whether I was worth his time.

“I’m his cousin,” he finally said, his voice as icy as his gaze.

“His cousin?” I repeated, then flushed when I realized how idiotic I sounded. Like I didn’t quite understand how family trees worked or, even worse, like I was questioning their relationship. Like I didn’t believe him.

“Yes.” Finn’s tone didn’t change. “Our mothers are sisters.”

“Oh,” I said, sounding even dumber than before. “And your dad?”

Finn’s lips pressed together, and his back stiffened, making it seem like he’d grown several inches. My neck had to stretch an unreasonable amount as I stared up at him, waiting for an answer. He was so tall, so imposing, both in stature and in personality.

“He was never around,” Finn replied, and his tone made it seem as if an icy wind had swept through the house.

“Oh,” was all I could get out.

He finally looked away from me, focusing instead on Ione and Rye. They’d stopped kissing but were still engrossed in one another, as if they’d forgotten anyone else existed.

Standing beside Finn, cool indifference emanating off him, I should have been annoyed. But I couldn’t be. Not with the way my cousin was staring at her new husband—like he was the most amazing thing in the world. The love in her eyes and the expression of sheer adoration made it impossible not to root for them.

Finn cleared his throat. “I’m going to head out.”

Rye tore his gaze from Ione and blinked as if suddenly remembering they weren’t alone. “Oh, yeah.” When he looked back at his wife, he gave her an apologetic smile. “We heard a shipment is being brought in and were about to head down. We’re looking for an e-reader, and you know we have to be at the front of the pack if we have any chance of snagging one. I just wanted to stop by really fast and let you know where I was going.”

My cousin gave an exaggerated pout, her full lips—so like mine—making her appear sensual. “But I want you here with me.”

“You have company.” Rye pressed his lips against her temple, once again seeming like he had to bend in half. “And I won’t be gone long.”

When he released her, he walked backward, moving toward the door where Finn stood waiting. Rye and Ione didn’t take their eyes off one another the whole time, but my focus was only half on them. The rest of my attention was on Finn.

He stood beside the door, his gaze on the ground and his eyes hidden from view, but the expression on his face was as clear as the sky outside. Annoyance, and even a little anger.

Was it directed at Rye and Ione? Did this guy, who just so happened to be half-human, disapprove of their marriage? It seemed like it, even though it made no sense. I’d been inside the District too many times to count, had met and interacted with dozens of Veilorians, and not once had I been greeted with anything but politeness. Until this moment. Now, I felt like a very unwanted guest. Like someone who’d stumbled upon a party and decided to crash it.

When Rye finally turned away from Ione, Finn opened the door and slipped out, never looking back, his cousin only two steps behind him.

The door clicked shut, and I turned to face Ione.

“That was Rye’s cousin?” I asked even though he’d already told me.

She wasn’t looking at me when she rolled her eyes; she was too focused on digging through the few belongings I’d brought her. “Yeah.”

“He’s so much older than most