by Kelly Goode
Too quiet.
She hadn’t spoken to Blake since he’d confessed to using her key code to access HQ, as Tom had pounced on her the second she’d entered the boardroom and ordered them to split up and search for Doctor Peters. Blake had checked the doctor’s home while Carson had concentrated on her other places of work. Neither yielded any clues to where the woman had gone with the stolen microchip. There was a possibility she hadn’t left willingly, as her car was still parked across the road from Carson’s house.
Carson tried not to dwell on how well her day had started with Blake’s hand between her legs and his mouth on the back of her neck. Something was going on with him – something big – and it hurt that he couldn’t confide in her. She lifted the bottle to her lips, but froze as a scuffling sound broke the otherwise silence.
Although she lived in a residential area on the outskirts of town, her property backed directly onto woodlands. Probably not the wisest choice, given the fact the aliens had managed to stage a strike using the cover of those very trees. She wished Blake was beside her, as his eyesight was perfect and he could tell her if she was paranoid or not.
‘Hello? Is someone out there?’
Carson wasn’t expecting a reply, so when the low growl resonated from the back of her garden, she felt the small hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. She left the safety of her patio and headed towards the noise, not stopping to consider whether her actions were prudent. Leap before you look was her usual way of dealing with things. She didn’t have her gun, but the beer bottle made a useful substitute weapon. She also had her phone with a torch function, so she swung that back and forth, fracturing the shadows with the beam of light.
‘I know you’re out here,’ she said, as she reached the wooden fence that indicated where her property ended. It was waist-high, which gave her a clear view of the forestry beyond her border.
Carson put down her bottle and placed her hands on the top of the fence. She vaulted over with ease, but a low growl filled the void between her and the trees. She swung her phone again, but this time the shadows didn’t fade when the light cut through them - they revealed a mass of fur.
‘Shit,’ Carson cursed, as the creature sprang forward and connected with her chest. She fell backwards and landed hard on the ground. Her phone fell out of her hand and the light cut out, plunging her into darkness. She grunted with pain, as the air was forced out of her lungs. A small sliver of the moon remained unobscured by the trees and it highlighted golden eyes.
Eyes that tugged at a memory.
Of being pinned down in the mud.
‘I know you.’
Carson said the words aloud, even though they made no sense. The creature holding her down with its giant paws was a jaktten. Not the same one that she’d shot in the warehouse a few days ago, this one had lighter fur. Almost tawny compared to the midnight black beast that had escaped her. Whilst the jaktten might resemble a wolf, it was bigger than any she’d seen in a zoo, and weighed more than she benched-pressed in the gym.
‘What do you want? Why are you here?’
The jaktten moved its paws, allowing her room to breathe. Her chest felt bruised from its weight and she pushed her hands into its fur, trying to push it off her completely, but it was an immovable force. She took slight comfort in the fact that the creature wasn’t using its claws, so it only meant to subdue her and not hurt her. It lowered its head to nuzzle her short hair and hot breath tickled against the side of her neck.
‘My boyfriend isn’t going to like you making a move on me,’ she said, and she was sure the creature smiled when it lifted its head again. ‘Yeah, that’s right. I know it’s hard to believe that someone like me found someone to put up with my shit, but he’s big and bad, and he’ll kick your arse, if I don’t get the chance to do it first.’
The jaktten licked her cheek and its tongue felt hot and gravelly against her skin.
‘Yuck, gross. Kindly refrain from drooling over me please.’
It lifted its head once again and Carson was struck with that feeling of familiarity. She ran her fingers through its fur and scratched its soft ears.
‘Who are you?’
29
‘Carson, where are you?’
Blake growled, as he heard Chief Melman’s voice echo from Carson’s patio. Why couldn’t that damn man leave them alone? He’d come here with the intention of switching forms and coming clean about his duplicity, but he couldn’t do that now with an approaching audience.
‘You’d better let me up,’ Carson said. ‘That’s my boss. He’s stressed and pissed off, which is not a good combination for me. Or for you for that matter. I’m supposed to be finding someone – our doctor – she ran away with something important.’
Blake had searched Doctor Peters’ house for the stolen microchip, and surprisingly her scent had led him here, to the woods behind Carson’s house. He reluctantly lifted his paws so she could get to her feet and he watched her brush the dirt from her trousers. Even though he was in his natural form, he felt their connection as acute as ever. She’d felt it too. She’d recognised him on a subconscious level. If only she could see beyond the creature.
‘Next time you come at me like that, jaktten,’ she said, and he guessed her voice was supposed to be low and menacing, but it came across raspy and sexy. ‘I’ll fight back.’
Blake tried not to laugh, but failed. Carson snarled at him, which only confirmed what he already knew about her. His beautiful warrior, with her scarred skin and scorched hair, was always ready for a battle, no matter whether the odds were in her favour or not.
‘Carson, where are you?’
‘Tom,’ Carson called over the shoulder. ‘It’s ok. I’m over here.’
Blake’s ears snapped backwards. Since when had she started calling him Tom and not sir? He didn’t like that, and he barred his teeth and adopted a more hostile stance.
‘What the hell are you doing in the forest?’ the chief snapped back.
‘I thought I heard something.’
‘Well unless it’s Doctor Peters with my microchip, get your arse back inside the house before you freeze to death. I’ll get us both a beer and we can talk.’
Blake growled. The need to chase off another male, even a familiar one, was hard to ignore. Carson was his mate. His to protect.
‘Was that a growl I heard?’
Carson’s blue eyes widened in alarm and she started flapping her arms in Blake’s direction as if she was funnelling chickens into their coop.
‘It was nothing, Tom. I’m fine. It’s fine.’
‘I don’t believe you. I’m coming to get you.’
Carson pushed her hands against Blake’s hind legs. ‘You need to go. My boss isn’t feeling too hospitable towards jakttens at the moment. Go on. Go. Shoo.’
Blake didn’t enjoy being treated like a dog and he nipped at her fingers.
‘Ouch, what did you do that for?’
He nipped her again; this time on the arse, which caused her to swat him on the top of the head. It was nothing more than he deserved, but he wanted her to stay with him, not have a beer with Chief Melman.
‘I told you earlier, I’m already in a relationship so less of the touchy-feely stuff.’
Blake used his nose to push against her thigh until she relented and walked in the direction that he wanted.
‘You know it would be a hell of a lot easier if you shifted forms so we could talk,’ she grumbled.
The chief called out to Carson again, but before she could answer, the trees thinned and they reached the road that ran adjacent to hers.
‘Shit, look, that’s the doc’s stethoscope,’ Carson said, falling to her knees and digging the partially buried item from beneath the leaves.
Blake followed the scent and growled when he found a briefcase behind a large rock. Carson followed him and picked it up.
‘Good boy, you found her bag.’
That won him another ear scratch, which he tolerated for a f
ew seconds before nipping at her hand to tell her to knock it off.
‘So Helen was here, in the forest behind my property. Why? Where did she go?’
Blake used his paws to scuff the ground where they stood and Carson correctly interpreted his discovery.
‘Tyre tracks. Yeah, you’re right. Luckily, it didn’t rain last night so we should be able to take a cast. She got into a car, not her own, but why would she leave her bag and stethoscope behind? And why am I talking to you as if you’ll suddenly answer me?’
Blake could answer her, as he didn’t lose the ability to communicate in this form, but there was always the chance she would recognise his voice so he growled louder, as the fur on his back bristled.
Chief Melman burst through the trees and skidded to a halt. He looked at Carson and the relief at finding her was evident on his face.
‘Tom, look over here. It’s the doc’s bag.’
Chief Melman wasn’t paying attention to Carson, as his eyes were fixated on Blake. He slowly lifted his hand and pointed a gun in his direction.
‘Is that what I think it is?’
‘Yes, it’s a jaktten.’
‘What’s it doing here?’
‘Does it matter? It seems peaceful enough. It helped me find Helen’s stuff.’
‘Probably because he’s the one who took her.’
‘Don’t be silly.’
‘It makes sense. The aliens want the data that Doctor Malone concealed, so they kidnap the new doctor and then send another one to eliminate you.’
Carson looked at Blake as if she was suddenly considering that possibility.
‘I didn’t get the impression that it wanted to hurt me,’ she said thoughtfully.
‘You don’t know what they’re capable of, Carson. Now walk towards me slowly. Don’t turn your back on it. It might attack.’
Blake watched helplessly as Carson did as instructed, fighting the urge to follow her. From the steely determination in Melman’s eyes, he knew the man would shoot if he so much as twitched. He didn’t want her to leave. She belonged with him. A growl reverberated through his throat, as his claws dug into the soft earth beneath his paws.
‘I promised your mother I would protect you from them,’ Melman said to Carson as he wrapped his hand around her upper arm and yanked her behind him, his gun never once wavering from Blake’s head. ‘You’re in constant danger from these aliens. Just like she was. You’ll never be free unless I do something about it.’
Realisation dawned on Blake a split-second too late. Melman was going to kill him whether he attacked or not. Even with his super speed and strength, he couldn’t dodge a speeding bullet and the impact took his breath away, as the force exploded against his chest.
‘NO.’
Carson’s scream of anguish hit him harder than the bullet. Melman lifted his gun to take a second shot but she scrambled to put herself in the line of fire. As much as Blake wanted to retaliate, he knew the smartest course of action was to retreat. He couldn’t risk Carson becoming collateral damage to a stray bullet.
Blake lifted his head and howled into the sky; one wounded jaktten calling to another for aid, but nothing came back as he wasn’t part of the colony. No one had his back. He’d chosen to live a solitary life amongst the humans, but god damn it, he wasn’t going to die amongst them.
Blake ignored the pain in his chest, and launched himself over the top of Carson. The required height was immense, as was the agony it caused, but he landed safely and escaped into the protection of the dark forest.
30
Helen woke to the welcomed warmth of sunshine on her face. She’d forgotten to close the curtains before she went to bed and wished she could grumble about lack of sleep, but in reality she’d slept soundly on a mattress that felt as if it had been designed especially for her. Tiredness had trumped Viktor’s rejection last night, but she covered her face with her hands as the embarrassment of her naked portrait session came flooding back. She couldn’t even blame the wine for the sudden bout of self-confidence. She should have said no. No to coming to his apartment. No to being his model. No to his kisses. But something compelled her to please him.
Stockholm syndrome.
Helen rolled out of bed and used the bathroom. She took her time under the shower in order to delay facing Viktor. She’d told him to stop kissing her, but she was just as guilty and needed to show an equal amount of restraint. She felt an intense connection to him, even though they came from different worlds.
She switched off the shower and used one of the fluffy towels to dry. She brushed her teeth and tied up her long hair, but rather than put Viktor’s T-shirt back on, she used the towelling robe which she found hanging in a closet. She unlocked the door and crept along the corridor to his art room. She needed to see her portrait one last time, before she insisted he paint over it or destroy it.
Helen eased open the door, but found the easel empty. She scanned the room and didn’t see the canvas. Anxiety built like an inferno, as she thought he might have already put it on display. She made a thorough investigation of the apartment, but didn’t find the painting or Viktor.
He’d left her.
No sooner had she thought that, the lift doors opened, but it wasn’t Viktor that stepped into the apartment. Instead, a small, grey haired lady with weathered skin and a large smile walked towards Helen. She carried several brown paper bags and left two of them beside Helen’s feet, and then took the others into the kitchen.
‘Good morning, Doctor Peters,’ she said when she returned.
‘Good morning,’ Helen replied. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m the housekeeper. It’s usually my day off, but Master Viktor called me in today to tend to you.’
‘Tend to me?’
The woman smiled. ‘Don’t look so scared. I don’t bite.’
‘Are you...?’
Helen couldn’t bring herself to say the word. The woman looked human, but she would never take that for granted ever again.
‘I am a jaktten, yes. You can call me Hetti. Viktor asked me to bring you some clothes and fix you something to eat. Does that sound ok?’
‘Yes.’
Hetti gestured to the bags. ‘Start with the clothes. I hope they fit. He wasn’t very clear on the sizing, only that you were petite with some pleasing curves. His words, not mine.’
Helen picked up the bags and looked inside. Her face flushed as she found black lacy underwear.
‘Does he do this often?’
Hetti inclined her head. ‘Do what?’
‘Ask you to buy ladies underwear for women who stay the night.’
‘Tut, tut, child. Viktor is not like that, but I have to admit, this task was more fun than shopping for the usual home wear items that he never uses. You are the first human he has ever brought here, and the first female he had chosen to spend the night with. I’ve always thought he was lonely and I’m glad he has found someone to share his time with.’
Hetti reached up and touched Helen’s hair.
‘I have never seen hair this colour before,’ she said wistfully. ‘So beautiful.’
Helen jerked her head back. ‘We didn’t spend the night together. Not like that. We’re just friends.’
They weren’t even that, but she didn’t think Hetti would appreciate hearing the kidnapping saga.
‘Friendship is always the best place to start. Now go upstairs and dress, child. I’ll start breakfast.’
31
Laughter filled Viktor’s apartment when he stepped out of the lift and that sense of unaccustomed longing once again filled his chest. He’d run until he could barely breathe, but he couldn’t escape the scent of Helen’s skin or the feel of her lips against his.
Viktor crept softly through the lounge area towards the kitchen, so he could observe Helen unnoticed. She sat on a stool beside the island in the centre of his kitchen, holding a mug of coffee. Hetti was talking and making her laugh. Probably telling her stories about his youth, but he c
ouldn’t bring himself to mind.
Helen was beautiful. Her pale blue eyes radiated happiness and there was an attractive flush to her creamy skin. He wanted to stand there and stare at her all day, but Hetti noticed his arrival and fell silent. Helen’s laughter died too and she spun around on her stool to see what had caused the older woman’s demeanour to suddenly change.
‘Good morning,’ Viktor managed to say after clearing his throat. ‘I trust you slept well.’
Helen’s eyes narrowed. ‘I thought you’d left me.’
‘I did leave you in my multi-million pound penthouse apartment where I knew you’d be safe. Were you worried I wouldn’t come back?’
Viktor stalked towards her. His hands itched to slide through that luscious red hair of hers, but then he remembered what she’d said last night about them staying away from each other and his hands dropped to his side.
‘I see the clothes fit,’ he said, his voice sounding rougher than usual. ‘Thank you, Hetti. You may leave us now.’
Hetti had been the equivalent to his father’s housekeeper on Jakttera, so he kept her in employment in honour of that service, though he’d much rather she retired and spent out the rest of her days at ease within the colony.
‘Hetti was going to join me for coffee,’ Helen said, obviously annoyed by the curt dismissal, but the old woman lowered her gaze to the floor.
‘My time here is up, Doctor Peters. It was a pleasure to meet you. I do hope we meet again.’
Helen didn’t answer, although he had the feeling she wanted to say something. Viktor waited for Hetti to leave the room, but then changed his mind and followed her.
‘I will be right back,’ he said to Helen and then he caught up with Hetti at the lift. He took her arm and squeezed it affectionately.
‘I meant what I said. Thank you for looking after her.’
Hetti smiled. ‘I meant what I said too, my prince. I hope to see her again.’
‘You won’t.’