Primals (Reverse Harem 1)

“As an assassin,” Theo enlightens. “Cats happen to be the best ones.”

I grin. “Thank you, Theo.”

“Not that there is any honor to be had from it,” Sebastian mutters half under his breath.

“Honor, no. Profit, yes.”

“You’re an assassin?” Clarissa asks me, her eyes going wide. “Wait. Were you going to kill Noboru?”

I don’t answer.

“Wait. Did you kill him already?”

“A job is a job and these days, jobs are rare.”

Clarissa looks like she’s going to throw up and for the first time in my life, I feel...awkward. Ill at ease for who I am. Is this shame? I’m unsure and I don’t like it.

“Were you going to kill Clarissa, too?” Theo asks, the look in his eyes telling me I should be very careful in choosing the words I’m about to say.

“If I was going to, I would have already,” I answer. “Without a sound. Without a warning.”

Theo steps forward.

“But I didn’t, did I?” I continue, unfazed. “I don’t want her dead. I just wanted to find out who she was and maybe, like you, find out what she was.”

“And?” Kyle asks. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing,” I admit.

“So, you were just trying to amuse yourself?” Clarissa asks me. Her voice is hurt. I see the realization in her eyes. There was no school project. Everything I’d told her was a lie.

“At first,” I tell her, a little awkwardly then I smile. “Though I did find you very amusing.”

Clarissa rolls her eyes. Apparently she doesn’t see that as the compliment that I do.

“There’s nothing more we can find out here,” Sebastian speaks. “You know that, Clarissa.”

“You can’t force her to go to Africa,” Kyle says. “Can you imagine how hard this is for her?”

“I’ll go,” Clarissa says, taking a deep breath.

Sebastian, Kyle and Theo all look at her in surprise.

“You will?” Kyle asks.

“You’re right, Sebastian,” she says. “I can’t run away from this. And you’re right, Toshi.” She glances at me. “I have a duty to myself to find out who I am and I can’t let anyone use that against me.”

Sebastian’s opal eyes narrow at me. “You said that?”

I shrug.

“He might not be as good as I thought he was and his intentions may have been less pure,” Clarissa says, the words like pin pricks on my skin. “But his words make sense.”

“So, we’re going to Africa?” Kyle asks.

“We?” Sebastian faces him. “Kyle, it’s dangerous...”

“I thought we already established that where Clarissa goes, I go,” Kyle says, squaring his shoulders. “Unless Clarissa says otherwise.”