Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(40)
I didn’t know everything about the Breed world, but Learners took on the surnames of their Creator in order to create a lineage. It was also a practice put in place to help humans sever their ties with the human world—probably more psychological than anything. I knew that some Creators didn’t have last names because they were ancients, but I wasn’t sure how they handled naming their progeny. It was frustrating to have so many questions about my own kind and no one to give me those answers without making me feel ignorant.
“I’ve always been fascinated by gemstones,” she continued. “I wish my last name was Stone. How spectacular would that be? But alas…”
“Did you like your Creator?”
She looked wistfully at something in the distance. “I loved her like a mother.” After a moment, Gem tilted her head, holding me in her rapt attention as if she were an otherworldly bird just seconds from flying away. “Are you strong like a Vampire?”
“No.”
“What’s it like to be half Vampire? What’s it feel like?”
My answer came out as a trembling whisper. “Terrifying.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it. Is Raven your real name or what your Creator gave to you?”
“It’s my given name.”
She rocked on her heels. “I bet your mother loved you a lot to give you such a special name.”
My eyes dragged downward, and Gem gripped my hand.
“Look, I’m sorry if I brought up a touchy subject. I’m just so curious about you and don’t know how to start a conversation that might not be a land mine of trauma.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “That’s one way to put it. What’s the deal with Christian?”
She stepped on the bench to my right. “Tell me you’re not—”
“No. God, no.”
Gem blew out a breath and crouched next to me. “Good. He’s trouble, and if this job means anything to you, then you won’t hook up with anyone in the house. It won’t take long for any temptations to vanish, especially when you learn about their appalling habits. Wyatt never cleans up after himself, and Claude snores. I had to move to a different hall so I could sleep at night.”
“And Niko? He seems pretty perfect.”
She wagged a finger at me. “Just remember what I told you. Your curiosity will pass, but if you start up anything, it’s going to make working together a nightmare. Imagine a nasty breakup where they start seeing other people and telling you all the ways that you don’t compare. You’ll have to see each other in the halls, eat at the same table, and go on assignments together. Someone’s going to wind up dead.”
Gem and I were going to get along just fine.
“You don’t get tempted by Claude? He’s a looker as far as Chitahs go.”
She snorted. “Why would you think that?”
“He’s your partner. I’m guessing you spend a lot of quality time with him.”
“When we first started working together, I got hurt on the job. Nothing serious, but I guess I took it hard because I didn’t want to look weak in front of the group. Someone as tough as you probably can’t relate, but I fell asleep in a puddle of tears. When I woke up in the middle of the night, Claude was stretched out across my legs, warming them the way his kind does when they’re trying to be compassionate. Trust me, if anything was going to happen between us, it would have happened that night.”
“Is he gay?”
“No, he’s definitely not gay. But he does great hair. Women just love him. You know how Chitahs worship their females? Well, just imagine all the clients he has lined up who want a big guy like Claude doting all over them for an hour or two.”
“I’m guessing he gets a lot of information. Women talk a lot when they’re nervous or want to impress someone.”
“Bingo. He overhears a lot of stuff too. Unless he’s forced to give his word that he won’t share the information, he relays anything of importance to us.”
I flicked an ant off my jeans that was attempting to crawl inside a hole. “Does he date his clients?”
“Chitahs like their own kind. I think he wants a girl who will purr for him. Have you ever heard a Chitah purr?”
“Um, no.”
She gripped my arm. “It’s wonderful, like walking into a house and smelling homemade cookies. He doesn’t do it a lot, but every so often he’ll be in one of his moods, and I’ll just snuggle up next to him the moment he starts up his motor. He also does my hair. I’m sure Claude wouldn’t mind if you asked him to cut or dye yours, although I think it’s pretty just the way it is. Maybe a few inches to clean up the split ends.”
“Thanks, Gem. I don’t mean about my hair, but for making me feel better.”
“I didn’t want you to come out here and sulk alone. It’s not easy being the new kid on the block. It’s lonely. Blue’s more reserved, and our personalities don’t blend. We get along okay, but we don’t hang out a whole lot. Her experience is a lot different than mine since she’s a Shifter. I feel more comfortable talking to you, so I’ve decided we’re going to be best friends.”
It almost made me want to look around to see if this was a practical joke. I’d never met anyone so forthright and vibrantly positive. She also seemed a touch nosy, so I decided to make it a point to sit on a different area of the roof at night so she wouldn’t be wondering what I was doing up there.