Read Varius: #9 (Luna Lodge) for Free Online

reprimand that was sure to come. There were about a million other ways he could have handled the situation. At the time, making sure she didn’t have a breakdown seemed to be the top priority. Neither of them were public speakers.
    “We need to get the rest of her stuff today,” Titus said. “We can’t make multiple trips with that reporter hounding us.”
    Varius raised a brow. That hadn’t been at all what he thought Titus was going to say.
    “I want you to assemble a team of men to clear out her things and get them back to the compound as quickly as you can before we’re swamped with more media,” Titus said and then turned to Sol. “Kate isn’t in any shape to handle this. She’s still very weak from having the boys.”
    Sol nodded. Carrying the three hybrid boys to full term had been harder than any of them could have expected. It had only been about a month since she’d had a C-section to deliver the triplets and raising three newborns was demanding. Varius didn’t know much about the situation but was aware that Lucius’s bonded, Hannah, had been a big help to them.
    “I’ll speak to Erica and Ava about making the rounds on shows,” Sol said. “Maybe we can counter this. This Jill is a problem though. She keeps drumming up new stuff, and she’s getting her information from someone in the know, someone who doesn’t like us.”
    It was pretty clear to them all where the leak was coming from. Senator Woods had made clear his thoughts about the hybrids and their place in America, namely they didn’t have one.
    Titus shook his head. “There’s nothing to be done about that. For now, we’re just putting out fires as we find them and keeping our noses clean. As long as they can’t pin anything on us, we’re good.”
    Varius sighed. It all seemed like they were just waiting for the inevitable, the day when this all came to a head and Woods actually got what he wanted: for them all to be back with the Horatius Group and out of the public eye, if not dead.
    “Let’s break for now and meet back later,” Titus said. “We’ve all got shit we need to get done.”
     
    * * *
     
    Lena stared at the pasta she’d picked out as she settled on the cold, hard cafeteria chair. She didn’t really have much of an appetite. After Varius had left the night before, she went through the box he brought her. Mostly it contained pictures she had hanging around her apartment.
    She longed for her family. Usually she didn’t spend so much time in between talking to her parents, although she’d told them she had taken a new job, and it would be hard to talk to them for a bit.
    Of course they understood and had been so supportive of the new job, but she hated not being totally upfront with them. She somehow suspected that if they knew where she really was, they would have worried for her.
    “You know not eating isn’t going to get back at him,” Rachel said with a smirk from across from her.
    Lena looked up at the pretty doctor and smiled. “I’m not trying to get back at him.”
    Rachel gave a little laugh and looked over to the table where Servius was sitting and giving them both the stink eye.
    “I think your patient from yesterday is wishing he had waited to come in today,” Rachel said.
    Lena’s cheeks warmed. Maybe she had been a bit harsh with him.
    Servius, obviously having heard what was being said, huffed and turned his back to them.
    Lena sighed. She’d have to apologize to him when she got the chance.
    Paige, her fellow nurse, patted her on the back from beside her. “Don’t worry,” she said with a smile. “I’m sure he’ll live.”
    Lena shook her head. She had been such a child yesterday, but she was just so frustrated. For the first time ever, she wanted someone so badly she could almost taste them.
    It was an odd feeling to want someone like that who was virtually a stranger in every other way.
    Still, she didn’t really feel that way about Varius. Although she had only known him for a