by Zara Zenia
I walked out of my chambers, making my way to my office. Down the hall, I saw the two guards who were posted outside her door. Good. I didn't trust her. She was now my prisoner, but she gave me no choice. This was what needed to happen. But why did it make me feel like shit?
Chapter 21
Andi
I cried uncontrollably. For the first time in a long time I was terribly afraid, I was shaking. I was more scared now than I was when I found out there was a bomb in my home. This had me rattled unlike anything else. This was all wrong. I was being accused of something that wasn’t true, but it all looked like it was. This was going to be hard to get out of. Why wouldn't he listen to me? He wouldn't even allow me to explain. Having those blaster guns pointed at me, as though I was nothing but a common criminal was terrifying. How could he think I would hurt him? He called me a spy. I’m not a spy! What did his lieutenant tell him that he found?
How could they have found out about Jake and me? How did he know that we were lovers? I was very screwed because of course, it looked like I was involved with Humanity First if Jake was involved. How could two lovers not be involved in the same organizations or have the same feelings? This would make it look like I tried to infiltrate the palace as a spy. But it wasn’t true, none of it was true. Why wouldn't he speak to me? Why didn't I just shout on top of him, as he was shouting at me? Explain to him what happened between Jake and me, the truth. Telling him that I knew Jake before Jake was in Humanity First. But he probably wouldn't believe me anyway if I said so. I really needed to talk to Manzar and explain. He owed me that much. First, my father was missing, and now this. I wondered if Manzar would call off the search for my father, or would he be searching for him as a criminal now?
The crying didn’t stop. I was tougher than this. I forced myself to wipe the tears away. Keep it together, Andi, you need your wits about you right now.
I wondered if Jake had posted something online that caught the lieutenant's attention. I moved over to the side of the bed and pulled the sheet around me. I couldn't believe that only hours before, we were intertwined together in ecstasy. We had been sleeping, calmly and I felt safe. For the first time in a long time, I felt very safe in his strong arms. Nothing could touch me with this formidable alien man at my side. But now this beast, wanted my head.
I pulled on fresh clothing from the closet. I didn’t want to wear the clothes I wore when I was with him, because I could smell his manly scent all over them. I pulled on my boots, walked over to my tablet and began to look through the forums. Then underneath the last message that Jake had… was another one. I couldn’t believe what it said.
A. L. we have him. Marry me and he will be safe. Meet me tomorrow at C.T. 8 p.m. and he will not be harmed. J.M.
My eyes opened wide. I couldn’t believe that Jake left this message. He had my father! Now he was threatening me. He wanted me to marry him, and then my father would be set free. He wanted me to meet him in front of the Cajun Tavern on the waterfront at 8 p.m. tomorrow night. How could I do such a thing? I was being held captive now. I wouldn’t marry Jake! But if it meant my father's safety, I might not have a choice. I would do anything to see that my father was safe.
Did Lieutenant Danja find this message, or something else? I didn’t know. What I did know was that I needed to speak to the prince and immediately. I hoped that he had calmed from his rage and would listen to what I had to say.
I moved to the door and pushed the buttons on the control panel to unlock it and open it. But it didn’t open. I was truly a prisoner. I pounded my fists on the door.
“Open the door! I must speak with the prince! Open the door!”
There was no answer. I knew that there were guards out there because I heard Manzar say that he was posting guards. I continued to bang on the door. I wasn’t going to let up. Finally, the door opened.
A blaster gun was aimed at my face. “Get back, human,” the guard said.
I stepped backwards into the room with my hands up in the air. This was humiliating and my rage was boiling inside of me. “I need to speak with the prince immediately. It is about my father and it is important!”
The other guard in the hallway stood in the doorway. “Don’t listen to her. It’s a trick. The prince said she would try to pull something and here she is doing exactly that. Get back human and stay in your room. We will not let you near our prince so that you can harm him.”
“I don’t want to harm him. I love him!” I shouted.
The moment the words left my lips, my mouth fell open in shock. I couldn’t believe it. I loved him. I did love him. Why had I not realize that before? It wasn't until all of this was put on the line did I realize that I cared for him so deeply. This was love.
“She will say anything to speak with the prince. We let her near him and she could take our blaster gun and shoot him for all we know. She’s a spy. She’s tricky. Look at her she seduced the prince into her bed. It is lucky Lieutenant Danja found out before she did something.”
“Yes, we need to keep a watch on this one. Stay in your chambers, human.” The guards turned around and left closing the door behind them.
Their words hurt me. I would never hurt Manzar.
I sat down on the bed, trying to come to terms with this new realization, I was in love with a Trilyn. My heart was owned by a Trilyn Prince, Manzar. I was in love. I didn't know how it happened or when it happened exactly, but it must be the reason that I allowed him inside of me. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was true—I loved him.
I stared down at the tablet, looking at the message that Jake left. These guards weren’t going to let me talk to Manzar, and knowing Manzar, he wasn’t going to come visit me anytime soon. Anytime his temper got the best of him, he would wait two to three days before coming to speak with me. I didn’t have that kind of time. I needed to figure out a way to escape. I didn't want to go against Manzar, but my father was important to me. If I didn't show up at 8 p.m. tomorrow on the waterfront, who knew what Jake and the Humanity First Movement would do to him.
I will not let you down, Father. I had to figure out a way to leave the ship. But how? Manzar had taken my wristband, so I didn’t have access to use the elevator or any other parts of the ship. So even if I made it out of my chambers, I would just be stuck in the hallway. No, I would need something to get Manzar’s attention. It would be the only way.
I looked through the cabinets of the kitchen area. Looking for something anything, trying to come up with some idea. I really didn't know what I could possibly do. Even if I were able to get Manzar’s attention to talk to him, how would I convince him that I wasn’t lying? He didn’t trust me and saw me as a spy. I could show him the messages that Jake was leaving me, but that would only made me look more suspicious.
But what was hurting me even more, was how Manzar could think that I was here to hurt him. Did he not feel what I felt when he was inside of me? I felt a bond between us unlike anything else I had ever felt before. Did he not feel it too?
Chapter 22
Manzar
“These are the reports that we found on Andromeda LaBelle,” Lieutenant Danja handed reports to me.
I could hardly look them over I was so distracted.
The feeling of being burned was more than anything I had ever felt before. I was a prince so it had been very rare that anyone crossed me in my life. Let alone someone that I had given my heart to and invited into my bed. When I was inside of Andromeda, I felt something I had never felt before. But if I felt that she was my match, but did she figure out a way to fake that?
I felt that rush of heat, almost blinding me. In that moment I knew, she was a true match. Other Trilyns had said this happened whenever they mated with a human female who was a true match to their DNA. As though nature itself was alerting you that you were compatible. But now I wondered if I had imagined it. Did I feel it because I wanted to feel that with her? Because now, it seemed that she could have possibly faked the DNA scan. She would have all
the resources of Humanity First to come up with a way to fake it.
Damn, why was this affecting me so much? Then I realized I knew exactly why, it was because of the way I felt about her. I had never felt this way about a human before. I cared for her deeply, more than that.
I loved her.
It was true—I loved Andromeda. I loved someone who had betrayed me in the worst way possible. She was a spy among us and now, I cared for her greatly and that couldn’t be. How was I to deal with this? There would be no way to continue to be a partner with her, and she definitely couldn’t be a Trilyn Queen, my wife. This was the most dangerous human of them all, because she had such a good disguise. She had disguised herself as my lover— she was the enemy.
“These are the reports on the human,” Lieutenant Danja said. He projected the information onto a screen, and showed me.
Andi, indeed had a history with Sergeant Jake Marsh, a Humanity First Commander. I tightened my fist, she had been his lover for several months, before coming to me. This was no coincidence. This was all part of the plan.
I couldn’t stand to think of her in the arms of another. My jealousy rose within me, I wanted to find this sergeant and hurt him. He had it coming. He had it coming because this was probably his idea. He had decided to use her in his games. “Anything else you have on her?”
“No, so far that is all that we’ve found. But we continue to dig and search. We are staying on top of it,” he said.
“Good, I want you to keep me updated on this. Keep searching, I want her records. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
I was incredibly angry, pissed off. I left the room, and stomped down the hall taking the elevator down to my living quarters. As soon as I walked in front of her door with my two guards posted out front, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Open the door,” I said.
“Prince, is that wise? This human is dangerous, we have been told by Lieutenant Danja,” the guard said.
I gave him a dark look. “Open the door, stand guard if you wish.”
“Yes, sir,” he said opening the door.
“Manzar, there you are. I’m so sorry. I have something that I need to tell you…” She ran to me.
Seeing her made me drop my defenses, but only for a moment. Her beauty did that to me. But I had to remember who she really was. “Stop! Don’t come closer, human. Why did you do this? Why are you really here? What is it that you want from me? Are you trying to murder me? What does Humanity First want from me specifically? I know they target all Trilyn, because they want them gone from Earth. They want Humanity to be first, that I understand. But what do they want from me specifically?” I asked knowing that I had someone in front of me who had the answers.
“What? Manzar no, it’s not like that. I’m not with Humanity First. I’ve tried to tell you this already. It’s not what you—”
“Silence! I don’t want to hear your excuses. I only want to hear the answers to my questions. What does Humanity First want from me?”
“And I’ve told you I don’t know! I’m not a part of that group. Why won't you believe me? I’m not lying, I know it seems like a coincidence, but that’s all it is.”
“So you didn't fuck Sergeant Jake Marsh?”
She was silent. There was a look upon her face, one of guilt. “I did, but that’s in my past. It’s not my present, and when I knew him he was not…”
“That is all that I need to hear! You lied to me. You infiltrated my home, my ship. I don't know what your plans are with me, why they sent you here, but I know that you spy for them. Guards!”
“Yes, Prince?”
“Take everything from this room electronic. The camera equipment she has been using to document the workings of this ship, to send it to Humanity First. That is if her father didn’t already have files of her photographs with him when he left. I’ve been a fool to get this for you,” I said in regards to the gift I gave her of photography equipment, my wedding gift to her only helped her in her trickery.
“Yes, Prince.”
They stomped into her room, throwing things around, gathering cameras, tablets, and anything electronic that wasn't on the panel wall.
“Manzar, it’s not like that. My father is out there, and I believe he is a prisoner of Humanity First. You must believe me, they are going to hurt him and…”
“How do you know such a thing? Are you in communication with them?”
“No, not exactly, but—”
“Enough of your lies, human! I’ve had enough. I’ve been a fool. You were my bride-to-be, but no longer. Now you are my prisoner! There is nothing left to say.” I turned and walked for the door.
She continued to shout at me, begging me to listen to what she had to say. But there was nothing that could change this. There was no point. I walked out and the guards locked the door behind us.
I continued on to my living quarters. The anger inside of me couldn’t be stopped. I punched the wall. I needed to relieve some steam. I walked over to the control panel. “Lieutenant Danja.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Ready my ship. I am going out with the very next scouting team to look for James LaBelle.”
“Yes, right away.”
I changed into my battle gear. I wasn't going to battle, but I was certainly looking for a fight. It was the only thing that would calm my raging blood. I was beyond angry, I needed to hurt something. I needed to draw blood, it was the only thing that would satisfy and calm me.
I walked down the hall, stopping in front of her door once more. I needed to remember that when I returned, I would need to move her to a different floor. Perhaps I would move her to the room that her father had occupied. Those were on a different floor and I wouldn't be tormenting myself by thinking about her on the other side of that wall every time I needed to walk by to get my own quarters.
I left, ready for a fight. I was ready to find her father, and put all of this nonsense to an end.
Chapter 23
Andi
I was so close, if only he had listened. I hadn’t expected him to come into my room the way he did, and I wasn’t prepared. I wanted to tell him that I needed to leave to find my father. Tell him that I needed to leave to meet Jake in order to convince him to leave my father alone and then I wasn't going to marry him. But I couldn't exactly tell Manzar that. He wouldn't understand. He didn't know Jake the way I did, and everything was already a mess. But I’d needed to talk to him, quietly and explain to him in steps. First, I needed him to trust me again, otherwise he would think that what I was telling him was a lie. That was the first step and the most crucial, as only then could I tell him everything.
However, he wouldn't even let me get in a word. The beast came out. He was a roaring beast when he was angry, and all he did was shout at me through his rage. I couldn't get a word in edgewise, except when he asked me if I’d had sex with Jake. I didn't want to answer that, but I knew that I had to answer it honestly, if I wanted him to trust me again. But answering it honestly only made him angrier.
Then, he took the tablet. The only outlet I had to knowing what Jake was up to, with his messages to me. Now I had no way of knowing if Jake had changed plans. In truth, I had never responded to any of his messages, so it was possible that he thought I didn't see the message at all. But Jake would be there, he would be there at the Cajun Tavern on the waterfront, waiting for me. I knew he’d be there, and it was the only time I could get my father back. I had no idea where the Humanity First headquarters were. Did anyone? They seemed to be an ever-moving band, never sitting still very often, that was how they didn't get caught.
Now, I had to figure out a way to get out of the ship. Manzar’s words echoed in my mind, I was his prisoner now. I had guards watching me, I was no longer treated as a queen-to-be. I was the enemy, and it would be impossible to leave the ship by sneaking out to escape. The only way I could leave was with his permission, but how?
It bothered me greatly, that Jake was ruining my life ag
ain. When I dated him for those few months, he had nearly destroyed my spirit.
Everything had been right as rain in the beginning. I found his strong nature and confidence very attractive. He was my type, the strong and proud type. A soldier and I felt safe with him. I tended to gravitate toward that type of man, since I had practically raised myself because my father sometimes acted like a big child. It was always nice when I found a take charge man who could relieve me of having to look after myself and allow me to get some much-needed rest. I enjoyed being a strong woman, but even a strong woman needed a break sometime.
In the beginning, he was very sexy and charming. But before long, he grew possessive.
“Where are you going dressed like that, Andi?” he’d said to me a couple of weeks after we started dating.
“I’m going to dinner with a girlfriend. I told you this already.” I’d looked in the mirror fixing my hair.
“Yes, you told me. But I didn’t think you’d be going out dressed like that. Why do you need to dress like that for anyone but me?” he’d said.
I laughed, I thought he was kidding and being playful. But when I turned to him he had a very dark look on his face. I knew then that he wasn’t kidding. I couldn’t believe he was actually jealous over the way I’d been dressed. “I’m not dressing like this for someone else, I’m dressing for myself. We’re going to a very elegant restaurant, therefore I’m going to wear this dress. I have to go or I’ll be late,” I’d said. I turned and walked toward the door.
He’d grabbed my arm. “What time will you be home?” he’d questioned me.
“I don’t know,” I’d said in exasperation, trying to yank my arm from him.
“What? How long can this dinner take? You should be home in no less than an hour or two,” he demanded, a look of fury on his face.