Eve of Man (The Harvest Book 2) by Anne Ferretti Read Free Book Online Page B

image of her face. She looked forward to seeing the girl again,
and felt perhaps their relationship might be different this time. After all no
glass prison or General Roth would be watching this time. And no voice of her
father telling her what to do or not do. She was her own master now. Charlie
would be her friend and maybe she would be more. With this thought in mind Eve
whisked herself back to the temple where she proceeded directly to Agra’s
chambers. She stood outside his door and waited. Rules didn’t mean a great deal
to her, but she knew entering Agra’s chamber without an invitation had irritated
and angered him. She needed him to be calm, his mind was easier to follow when
not stirred into a frenzy.
    “Enter.” The word, his voice, echoed in and around the
hallway.
    Eve pushed open the door and stepped inside, careful
to keep her head down until he acknowledged her.
    “Eve. A pleasant surprise. I did not hear you coming.”
     Eve looked up into her father’s face. They both knew this
a lie. Eve had made certain he heard her, for had she not taken this precaution
he would have grown suspicious; he would have given her additional
consideration, which Eve wished to avoid. Let him continue to trust in his
assessment of her intellect as an inferior being, one who continued to stumble
about in her new way of life. As in any pack, only one alpha was allowed and
that one alpha, if threatened, would attempt to eliminate any and all threats. She
would not challenge his position, not now, not yet.
    “I’m sorry to arrive unannounced, but I wish to
discuss...”
    “I agree you should leave as soon as possible.
However, the matter of taking the boy will have to be approved by the Elders.”
He walked over to Eve. “However, I expect they will see the benefits of sending
him to Earth.”
    “Yes father. I think only then will we know his full
immunity to the human’s blood.” Eve replied.
    “And you are willing to take this risk?”
    “I’m confident his genetics are everything the Elders
expected and possibly more.”
    Agra paused to listen. His suspicions were always
heightened when it came to Eve. He checked thoroughly, but found nothing to
justify his doubts. “While on Earth, you will collect the boy’s father and
bring him back as was decried by the council.”
    “Yes, of course father.” Eve nodded. “I think that
task will be made easier by having his son as an enticement.” Eve waited,
patient and quiet, while her father looked into the future. A future guided
indiscriminately by Eve. A future of certainty to sooth Agra’s underlying fears
and anxiety, his insecurities that she wasn’t able to grasp onto. 
    Agra relaxed his shoulders, satisfied with what he
saw. “I will speak with the Elders.”
    “Thank you father.”
    Agra placed his arm around Eve’s shoulders. “I know
coming here has been difficult for you, but do you see how pleased I am with
your progress of late? The discovery of the human, your return and most of all the
boy. All these things have given the Elders, the Adita, great hope for
survival.”
    Eve laid her hand on top of his, suppressing the urge
to reach out and snap his neck. “Yes father and thank you. It has been a great
comfort knowing I belong here, that I have a family. One I will do anything to
protect.” These words couldn’t ring more true, but not in the context Agra
understood them to be.
    “Your loyalty will comfort me in the months to come as
we proceed with the harvest.” He walked her towards the door. “The Svan have
begun to moving into the southern regions to gather more humans.”
    Eve hid her surprise. “Do we not have enough for the
harvest?”
    “For the Elders and the Saciva, yes, but we need more
and especially the young. The first children the Svan tested were filled with
defects. We must find as many of the purest of their species, if we are to be
ready by the ninth moon.”
    Eve chose her words carefully. “I thought we had