Read Online The Wild One by Melinda Metz - Free Book Online Page B

behind her. “I had to meet you. If you hadn’t come walking into my dream, I would have come into yours.” Nikolas stepped over the rock next to Isabel. He sat down and pulled her down next to him.
    â€œGot back from where?” Isabel asked. Her heart was still pounding, but somehow she didn’t know whether it was from fear or from the excitement of feeling him so close to her.
    Nikolas didn’t answer.
    â€œLook. I know you said you don’t like questions,” she said. “But if you want me to stay, you’ve got to start talking. Your choice.”
    â€œOkay, okay,” Nikolas said. “I broke out of my pod first. I waited for a while, but I got cold and hungry. I left the cave. I dragged my pod with me—my own little security blanket. I got adopted. My family moved to California a few months later,” he said in a singsong voice. “A few months ago I started getting these dreams and visions. I knew I had to come back. So I arranged it. And here I am. Happy?”
    Isabel stared at him, shocked. A Project Clean Slate agent
might
have been able to come up with that whole story. But if so, they knew a lot more about the aliens than Isabel had ever imagined.
    Nikolas’s golden brown eyes narrowed as hestared at her. “Don’t you believe me?” he murmured. Isabel could think of only one way to test him.
    Slowly she reached out and touched Nikolas’s face. She took a deep breath, trying to form a connection. Once they were connected, she would be able to see Nikolas’s memories. She would know the truth.
    Nikolas knocked her hand away and sprang to his feet. “What the hell are you doing? You think I’m just going to let you open my head and take a look around?”
    So he knew she was trying to form a connection. And he knew about the pods. And he knew about dream walking. “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?” she whispered. “You really are one of us.”
    â€œWell, duh.”
    Isabel shook her head, trying to clear away the confusion that seemed to be clouding her thoughts. Another alien. Another one of them.
    Just like she had always dreamed.
    â€œI’m sorry I tried to connect without asking or anything. It’s just … I thought you might be with Project Clean Slate,” Isabel explained in a rush.
    Nikolas sat back down. “I don’t even know what that is.”
    â€œIt’s a government agency that was formed to track down aliens living on Earth,” Isabel said. Suddenly the confusion was gone. Suddenly she wanted to tell him everything. He was one of them! Practically family. She felt as though she had to explain her entire life to him, the life with Max and Michael that Nikolas had missed, growing up alone. “Sheriff Valenti—the Roswell sheriff—he’s one of them,” she added. “He’s looking for us.”
    She glanced over at Nikolas, trying to gauge his reaction. When she’d found out the truth about Valenti, it had terrified her.
    â€œSo that’s why you were so scared. Because you thought I was an alien hunter or something?” Nikolas asked.
    â€œYeah,” she answered. “You’ve got to be careful, Nikolas. Really, really careful. You have to stop using your powers. Even little stuff like what you did to the mascot or to my golf ball. That
was
you, right?”
    Nikolas nodded. But he didn’t look upset. Isabel wondered if he was in shock or something.
    â€œI don’t get it,” Nikolas said.
    â€œI know. When I found out they were watching for us, I was blown away. But if you’re careful, then—”
    â€œNo. That’s not what I mean,” Nikolas interrupted. His golden brown eyes burned with intensity. “I don’t get why you’re afraid of Valenti—or anyone else. I mean, they’re only humans. How can you even
think
that one of them could hurt you? You’re the one with