by Erin Raegan
I snorted again. “Not Peyton though. She could have made him come back and get her mom. What was stopping you guys from flying over to her mom's place and looking for her there?”
“You do not understand,” Fihk growled. “Veeveen’s mate was waiting for them here. Peyton could not search for her mother until they were reunited.” Vivian and Peyton had been coming back here those first days of the invasion to meet with Vivian’s fiancé, Hector.
“Oh, so her girl’s man was more important than her mom?” I raised my brows and bit into my Pop-Tart.
Fihk scowled and watched me chew. “No, Hyctoor was a vital contact to gain entry onto Earth and begin the battle with the enemy.”
“And how well did that work out?” I looked at him and smiled a small, victorious grin. It’s not that I was happy it hadn’t worked out—obviously I was not—but it was awesome to see Fihk flush in anger. You had to take pleasure in the little things these days. “Oh, that’s right”—I snapped my fingers— “they shot you down literally.”
Stupid meatheads blew their ship right out of the sky. That was not surprising at all. Had to say, if I’d been in charge when these guys showed up spouting about wars and alien weapons, I might have done the same thing. Humans were just not prepared to deal with real-life aliens, proof we weren’t the only species in the trillions and trillions of stars in the universe.
We were self-centered like that.
Fihk snarled something beneath his breath then marched back outside. I grinned. Olynth watched me and scowled at my mouth. I licked the sweet crumbs from my lips, relishing the heat in his eyes.
“Want some?” I held out the Pop-Tart.
“No.” He scowled.
I shrugged and followed Nathan into the living room.
“Why are you pissing them off?” Nathan glared at me but couldn’t hide his own smile.
“It’s fun.” I winked and jumped up the stairs.
I was counting on Peyton having some spare clothes. I needed to get out of these torn ones. Especially since Olynth said I smelled like those men. I heard Nathan following close behind me, and I was glad. I wasn’t ready to leave him with his new purple babysitters.
Peyton’s room had been raided, but I found some jeans and shirts in her drawers. After I was sure Nate would stay in the bedroom, I went into the bathroom, ignoring my big stalker in the hallway, and stripped. My bra was ripped and too dirty to put back on, but Peyton was much more endowed than me, so I would have to go without. Her jeans were a little tight on my wide hips and too long, but I stuffed the ends into my boots. Her shirts were a little long too, and the bust was a little big, but they were clean. I rinsed off with a water bottle and combed through my hair.
I needed a shower badly, but I felt a million times better.
After leaving the bathroom, I grabbed a jean jacket from her closet and tossed mine. Olynth was gazing out the window, and Nathan was looking through Peyton’s book collection. I found a T-shirt that might fit Nate and tossed it to him. He made a disgusted face but changed. I rolled on some deodorant from my bag then went back to the bathroom to brush my teeth with Nate.
Before we left the bedroom, I dug through what was left of her clothes and found a few more things to take with us and a backpack to put them in. Nathan carried it, and I didn’t miss the few books he put in too. I didn’t call him on it. He had his comics, but I knew he loved to read and who knew when he’d get another chance to snap some up.
I just hoped he had the chance to read them.
When we got back downstairs, the group was walking around and sniffing the air like a pack of hound dogs.
“Do you smell her?” Nathan asked.
Tohn nodded and pointed at the woods. “She was here not long ago.”
“Why were we not alerted?” Fihk spat furiously.
Tohn and Albun shook their heads.
“Comm Dahk One,” Fihk snapped into his comm, “I want a direct report from Klando.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, watching Fihk pace.
“We have eyes on this location from orbit,” Tohn said carefully. “Had she reached this location, we should have been made aware immediately.”
I stepped in front of Fihk, halting him. “So your guys aren’t doing their job?”
He glowered at me. “The commander’s council will answer for the error.”
“Error?” I scoffed. “You vowed to Peyton you would find her mom. That’s hardly an error. It’s a major fuck-up.”
“Bailey,” Nathan hissed.
How was I supposed to trust them to protect Nathan if Fihk couldn’t even trust his own guys to do a little surveillance?
Fihk straightened and stepped up to me. Olynth growled, but Fihk and I ignored him.
“Do not test me, sweets,” Fihk warned.
“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, boss?” I crossed my arms and stepped up closer to him. It would be a lie if I said all those lean muscles rippling didn’t affect me.
“Do you wish to find out?” Fihk gnashed his teeth and ran his eyes down to my chest, where I just knew he could see how the chilly air was affecting me.
Olynth clamped a hand on my arm and moved me back behind him. The two of them faced off and bumped chests in a display of testosterone and ridiculous male show.
I huffed and spun away, pulling Nathan into the woods. The woman, Linda, wouldn’t have gone far. If she came all this way to find her daughter, she wasn’t going to leave the only place she knew to look for her. Especially after Peyton left her that note.
“Look for tracks,” I told Nate and searched myself.
I had taken him on enough of my camping trips that he knew what to look for. I liked to climb in a center, but I got most of my skill from the outdoors. I would go to the popular campsites, but when I could afford to take off work longer, we would travel. It was rare, but the more remote sights were more fun, and Nate loved the seclusion.
I looked over my shoulder to see Tohn and Albun following us curiously, their noses in the air.
Nate giggled and walked a little farther away. “Here.” He pointed.
“You have found her trail. Job well done, youngling.” Tohn thumped Nate’s shoulder roughly.
Nate grinned. “I thought you guys would sniff her out?”
“The treees are potent and dilute her scent.” Tohn grinned back.
We traipsed through the woods, following her trail. At some point, Fihk and Olynth came barreling through the woods behind us, but Fihk stayed a few feet away, scowling, and Olynth practically mowed me over for how close he got.
Eventually Nate had a hard time spotting the trail, so I took over. It was an hour before we heard it.
A loud screech.
A Vitat screech.
Chapter 7
Bailey
We ran.
Olynth tried to pull me back, but when Nathan took off, I roughly shook him off and raced after my brother. Olynth didn’t try it again. Fihk and Tohn sprinted ahead of us, snapping branches back as they ran through the trees. I caught up with Nate and grabbed his hand, pulling him along.
Then we heard a woman scream. Only Olynth stayed with us as the others picked up speed. When we finally caught up, I was panting, and Nathan was holding his side. Fihk and the others were circling a Vitat and shouting.
A dead Vitat. The Vitat’s body was whole, not a scratch on it.
Fihk’s sword was clean as he sniffed the air. “She is here.”
“Where?” Nathan asked.
“She hides. Why?” Tohn asked with his nose up and turning in a circle.
“Gee, I don’t know, probably because a bunch of purple, winged aliens are growling in an alien language,” I said sarcastically while panting.
Fihk scowled at me.
“Come out, lady, we don’t have all day,” I shouted.
A rustle in the bushes to my right startled Nathan, and he jumped.
“Who are you? What do you want?” A woman emerged, looking
way too prim and proper for an apocalypse. Her hair was the only thing out of place. It was knotted and frizzed into an impressive ball of fluff.
“Bailey”—I stuck out my hand— “and we’re here to save your ass.”
Her eyes bulged on the aliens, and she shuffled uncertainly on her heels. Sure, the heel was low, but still, who wore heels to an alien invasion?
She wiped her hand down her buttoned blouse and pressed slacks then unsteadily returned my handshake. “Linda. And them?” She nodded to the purple muscle party.
“Aliens.” I crossed my arms.
She nodded.
“You kill this one?” I nodded at the dead Vitat.
She stiffened. “Yes.”
“Good for you, lady.” I nodded, impressed.
“How?” Nathan asked in amazement, also noting her attire.
She shifted a purse hanging on her shoulder. “Taser.”
Why didn’t I think of that? I’d had a stun gun at my apartment but grabbing it hadn’t even crossed my mind. All I could think about that day was my gun. “It killed it?”
“Yes, they react poorly to them.” She sniffed, still eyeing the Dahk aliens.
“Are you here alone?” Fihk asked, and she jumped.
Her eyes grew huge, and she looked at me. She was tall and thin, with blonde hair and perfectly shaped eyebrows. Her face was lacking any makeup, but her clothes looked impressively ironed.
“He wants to know if you’re by yourself,” I told her.
“He?” she asked in surprise.
“Yeah, that’s Fihk. Your daughter sent him.”
She paled then jumped forward and clamped both hands on my arms. I winced at her grip and frowned at Olynth when he growled.
“Peyton?”
I nodded, watching as a range of emotions held her before relief filled her eyes.
“Is she okay?” she asked in a strained whisper.
I looked at Fihk. I didn’t know much beyond she was on another planet with an alien Commander. What constituted well?
Fihk nodded.
“Yup,” I told her, wincing again when her grip tightened until her acrylic nails pinched my skin.
“W-where is she?”
“Uh…” I looked back at Fihk. I wasn’t sure how smart it would be to tell this woman all about Peyton’s new man while I was so close to her and her claws.
“Tell her she is safe and waiting for her call,” Fihk said lowly, probably so he wouldn’t startle her with his growling.
I did and watched the woman’s white face flush with color.
A gun cocked off to the side. I stiffened, along with Nate and the aliens.
Looking to the side, I watched a man and a young girl emerge from the trees, guns aimed at us. The man was short and thick around the middle. He was bald with a graying beard and covered in hunting gear. The girl was a little taller than me, with pitch-black hair and pale skin. She was also sporting hunting gear and a bow and arrow.
Linda gasped and stepped toward them. “Nick, I told you to go.”
“We weren’t about to leave you here alone.” The man, Nick, said, “We’ve been keeping an eye on you. We heard you scream.” He looked at the aliens in accusation, his shotgun cocked and ready to fire.
“You should have left me.” She sighed and walked to stand beside them.
“What’re you doin’ with those monsters, girl?” Nick asked me.
Olynth and the others growled lowly. The girl raised her bow and aimed it at Olynth. The biggest threat. I stepped in front of him slowly, earning myself another low growl.
“They won’t hurt you,” I told the new human group. I hoped I wasn’t lying. I couldn’t guarantee Olynth wouldn’t tear them apart if they got a little trigger happy. “Unless you shoot me,” I added on a wince.
Thankfully, Nate was behind Tohn. The alien was shielding him with his body.
“Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it,” the man said.
“I don’t blame you.” I didn’t even one-hundred percent believe me. Though it was getting a little easier to. Tohn’s protective stance definitely helped.
“We don’t want any trouble. We’ll just be on our way.” Nick backed up, keeping his gun raised.
Linda looked at her feet and shook her head.
“Linda?” the man questioned.
“They know where my daughter is,” she said sadly.
The man sputtered.
“Bahyly,” Fihk warned low, “tell the humans to lower their weapons. Olynth will not be held back for much longer.”
I looked over my shoulder and watched the big guy vibrate in weakly controlled rage.
“What did it say?” the girl asked.
“He wants you to lower your weapons. The big guy isn’t too keen on you aiming it at me,” I said, my voice full of warning. I could feel Olynth about to pounce.
The girl looked at Nick but didn’t lower her bow.
“You might get a shot off,” I told them, “but that’s all you’ll get. You’ll be dead before you can get another.” I didn’t add that I wasn’t sure guns or arrows would hurt them. Olynth and Fihk had been cautious of mine back at Linda’s house, but not to the point a human would have been.
Nick searched my face before nodding at the girl. She gulped and released a ragged breath but lowered it. Nick did not. But his was pointed at Fihk. Olynth stepped up to my back and wrapped an arm around my waist. He tried to shuffle me back, but I dug my boots into the ground. He bent and scraped his fangs along my neck. I shivered.
“Do not place yourself in front of danger for me again,” he warned menacingly.
“They wouldn’t have shot me.” At least I was hoping they wouldn’t have.
He bit me harder. I stomped on his clawed foot as hard as I could. He cursed and retracted his teeth. I looked up to see Nick, the girl, and Linda looking at us with equal shock, confusion, and curiosity.
“They aren’t like the others,” I told them, looking at the dead Vitat.
“You know where Linda’s girl is?” the man asked, carefully lowering his gun but keeping his finger on the trigger.
I nodded. “She got herself hitched to these guys’ leader.”
“Our commander,” Fihk corrected me. “Uthyf is king.”
“Yeah, yeah, boss,” I muttered back. “Sorry, their commander.”
“She what?” Linda screeched.
We stood on opposing sides while I filled Linda in on her daughter’s recent escapades. The woman did not take it well. On the plus side, they seemed a little less hostile by the end of my explanation.
“I’m Star,” the girl said shyly. “This is my dad, Nick.”
I nodded. “I’m Bailey, and that’s my brother, Nathan.”
Nate waved from the back with a cautious grin.
“The big guy is Olynth, and that’s Tohn, Albun, and Gunnor.” I pointed them each out. “That’s Fihk, their leader.”
He scowled. “Lieutenant.”
“Aren’t Olynth and Tohn lieutenants too?”
Fihk sighed.
“So you’re their leader, boss.” I grinned at him. “He’s acting commander while Peyton’s man is off meandering through space.”
Fihk cursed and stepped up to my side. He bowed and thumped his chest, introducing himself in alien.
“He says hi,” I told them.
Fihk spun and waved us toward the house.
Olynth stayed his usual inches from trampling me on the walk back, and I crowded Nathan nearly as closely. New people meant new threats. These people didn’t trust us, but I didn’t trust them either.
We stopped in the clearing in front of the house and watched the newcomers in amusement as they gaped at the enormous ship hovering over the house. Wyvr hadn’t landed it—not that he could have—but he also hadn’t made it disappear. It was practically blocking out the sun.
“Now what?” the girl shyly asked us.
I looked at the boss. He looked at her then Linda and Nick. Sighing,
he scrubbed his head between his horns.
“We must travel to Dahk One for you to comm your daughter,” he told Linda. “Our signal is too weak here.”
The girl gasped. “In space?”
Nathan nodded and sidled up to her. “In space.” His eyes roamed over her in a way no ten-year-old’s eyes should roam.
I glared at him. She was at least sixteen or older, way too old for him.
“No.” Linda shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly travel to space.”
“You want to talk to your daughter, don’t you?” I asked her. She had come this far for her daughter. What was a little space travel?
She stuck up her nose and looked me up and down. I tried not to fidget. I probably looked like last week’s trash next to her. I’d never cared what people thought about me, but I’d tried to teach Nathan respect for others and his elders, and how you projected yourself could either earn you that respect back or not.
Well, I guess all those parenting books must have rubbed off on me over the years.
This woman was unlike any woman I had ever dealt with before. For one, she was money. She looked and smelled like it. Impressive for this new world order. Second, she was snooty. You know the type—better than. I was most certainly nowhere near her caliber of a lady.
I was as opposite of a lady as a girl could get. I had blue hair that needed a dye weeks ago, was wearing someone else’s clothes, and had the demeanor of girl who’d grown up on the streets. Not fancy houses and five-star meals like this lady. And I had never used an iron in my life.
Her dismissive glance at me told me she knew it too. I fidgeted in my boots, but I would not let this lady make me feel bad about the woman I had become. I’d done the best I could with what scraps were tossed my way. None of that crap mattered nowadays anyway. Fancy clothes and manicured nails weren’t going to help you survive.
Nope, but the steel in my boots and the defense classes I’d taken sure would.
“Very well.” She turned and went into the house, Nick and Star hot on her heels.
“Good luck with that one,” I muttered to Fihk.
“You will be coming with us,” he smarted back.