Having no choice, she left the sparse cover she’d found. She felt exposed with every step she took.
No one called at her to stop or took a shot at her. She kept advancing, reminding herself that if she made it out of this alive, she would never reenlist.
She let her breath out when she made it behind the first building. Taking her time, she crept to where she saw the movement. Maybe she’d been mistaken. There was no movement now.
She kicked the door in to the small house. It was already half off of its hinges. When no one cried out, she stuck her gun in, before chancing to look inside. Sitting in the center of the room were three huge males.
She stopped to stare. Her mouth dropped open.
“They sent this one to her death.” The man with long brown hair spoke.
“Excuse me?” She choked on her reply, the confusion evident in her eyes as she looked around the room.
“Why are you here?” The next male spoke, he had blonde hair and looked at her with light brown eyes.
None of the men seemed to be concerned that they were in the middle of the desert chained to a heavy metal post in the middle of a small house.
“Why are you here?” She replied with a false bravado she no longer felt. Her inner voice was screaming at her to run. Where would she go if her Sarge and the General had sold her out? She was as good as dead.
“Your government looks for a way to eradicate its dirty secret.” She looked at him, not comprehending what he meant. “They’re looking for a way to destroy us and the ones that have followed us here.”
“They’re going to test a new weapon on this site. We need to leave. I’ll get those chains off of you.” She spoke quickly trying to convey a sense of urgency.
“That isn’t necessary.” They broke the chains holding them and stood. “What did you do to the government for them to send you out here?” The first male with the blonde hair asked her.
“Nothing. I’m protecting the General. We need to leave now.” Lorali answered.
“It is much too late. You’ll be safer here. Hold her.” A male came up behind her and grabbed her so she couldn’t move. She screamed. They ignored her. “He said you would need this.” The blonde said.
A syringe was taken out and plunged into her arm. “Close in and protect the human.” The third male said.
She was surrounded by tall male bodies when she heard the first blast go off. It was followed by a second, third and finally a fourth. Why hadn’t they waited until she was free? She wanted to cry out that she was here. She was still alive. The thick fog-like-smoke that crept through the open doors and broken windows was enough to keep her mouth closed tightly.
“You’ll live.” That was the last sound she heard before she passed out from the deadly chemical that had been released.
After that, her memories were fragmented. She remembered enough in the end to know that the males saved her weren’t human. She also knew they were friendlier than the men who were supposed to care for her.
Chapter Seven
Jumping from the bed she grabbed her bag and began placing her clothes in the drawers and closet. She didn’t have that much anyway. She traveled light. It was easier to stay ahead of the government that way.
She heard voices coming from downstairs. Moving into the sitting room, she could hear female voices. Quietly, she walked to the top of the stairs, wanting to hear what was happening.
“Where is she?” The first female voice said.
“Is she hiding in the bathroom?” This came from the second voice.
Why would she be hiding in the bathroom? Lorali wondered.
“Rena, will you ever let me live that down?” Dee had lost it when she found out Nikos true identity and decided to hide in the bathroom closet.
“Hey, at least you were hiding in the closet. I was sitting behind the door like a dummy.”
Their laughter came up the steps. Rena on the other hand had chosen to hide in the bathroom, sitting right behind the door.
Whatever was happening, it was evident that they weren’t really mad at Sergey. Lorali took the stairs down, hoping to get a closer look.
“There she is.” The second voice said. They were standing just outside the door to the game room.
The second voice belonged to a rubenesque female. She was beautiful. Model beautiful. She was exactly what she expected a man like Sergey to be attracted to.
“Hi, my name is Rena. This is my friend Dee.”
She turned to look at Dee. No wonder these two were friends. They were both beautiful. Dee, the first voice, was short with a slender build that most women would kill for. What cinched her beauty wasn’t her size. It was the allure of her face.
That’s what made them both exceptionally beautiful. There was something about their faces that pulled her in.
“Did Sergey scare you?” Dee asked.
She almost laughed at the question. Then she saw their grins and the attempt to hide their laughter. She smiled with them.
“He growled a little,” Lorali replied. He also moaned nice and deep when he was grinding on her, bringing her more pleasure than she’d felt in years. Her cheeks pinked. She’d be keeping that to herself.
“Bad Sergey.” Rena said, trying not to laugh.
Sergey walked into the hallway from the back of the house in time to here Rena’s ‘Bad Sergey’ comment.
“Please forgive me, little one.” Sergey said.
Lorali met his eyes and he smiled at her. She felt like they had their own little secret. So much for pink cheeks. She could feel the heat as they got brighter.
“Are you going to invite us into the game room?” Dee asked with her hands on her hips.
“When did you start needing an invitation?” Laughter was evident in Sergey’s eyes.
“Brothers.” Rena and Dee said in unison. “We’ll see you in the game room. Hopefully, Sergey will be ready to introduce you then.”
They walked away. Lorali’s lips moved in a silent O. She’d forgotten to introduce herself. She’d been too busy watching the interaction between the two of them.
Sergey held out his hand to her. “They’re bossy, but you’ll get used to it. I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do.”
She came down the rest of the stairs and took his hand. Hers looked so small in his. They walked into the game room to find two other males there.
She’d met this one earlier at the office. He’d taken her car keys.
“You remember, Niko. Dee is his mate.”
“This is Aran. Rena is his mate.”
“Everyone, this is Lorali.”
“Glad to finally meet you, Lorali.” Rena said to her with Dee echoing her.
Aran stood and crossed the room. “Welcome to the family, Lorali.”
Rena watched until he stood in front of Lorali, towering over her. He held out his hand and waited patiently until she took it.
“Aran, you’re going to scare her.” Rena scolded him the moment he moved away from Lorali.
“I don’t get the impression she scares easily.”
Dee stood up and began looking behind the numerous loveseats that filled the room. Rena, seeing what she was doing, began checking behind the curtains.
“What are you two doing? ‘ Sergey asked as they continued their search.
They both looked at him with wide eyes. “Looking for Dante of course,” Dee replied.
“Where is he?” Rena asked. “There is no way you bring home a mate and Dante stays away. I expected him to be here before they even made it to the house.”
“You think his abilities are waning?” Dee whispered in a voice filled with terror followed by soft laughter.
There was a knock at the door, interrupting Rena’s reply. They ran to the door with the energy of school girls.
“Dante!” They screamed in unison.
There was the sound of the door closing, before they appeared in the game room. Rena and Dee went back to sit with their mates. They each got com
fortable and watched Dante and Lorali.
“Where’s the popcorn when you need it?” Dee asked, perched back on Niko’s lap.
“Girl, I don’t know, but now you got me craving some.” Rena replied.
“You’ve been craving everything lately. Wonder why?” Dee said casting her a sidewise look.
“Shut up and watch,” Rena huffed.
Their eyes went back to Lorali.
“Dante according to Rena and Dee you’re late.” Aran said with a wide smile.
“I’m on time, believe me.” Dante said giving them a huge smile.
The males in the room nodded their heads.
Lorali looked at the new comer. He had a scar on his face. It did nothing to distract from his beauty.
“You must be Dante.”
His lips twitched. “You must be Lorali.”
She nodded, wondering what she was supposed to do now.
“I see the injection helped.” Dante said casually.
She found herself moving closer to Sergey. “Injection?”
“Yes. The one that allowed you to live.”
“The one that destroyed my life?” Lorali said in a dry voice.
“You can thank your military for that. I had nothing to do with it. All I did was give you a second chance at life.” Dante’s voice was soft.
“I can’t feel anything. Every nerve ending I had died that day.” Her voice was calm, going against the desire she had to scream at him.
“Is that so?” He crossed the room and pinched the exposed flesh on her lower arm hard.
“Oww that hurt.”
Chapter Eight
‘That hurt.’ The words reverberated around in her head, making her dizzy with the implications. She ran her hand up and down her arm, feeling the pressure of her fingertips. Even more disconcerting, she felt the pleasure in her hand as she touched her arm.
“How is this possible?” She demanded, looking at Dante.
“That chemical concoction that you were subjected to was meant for the created. Your government wanted to make sure they had something that would allow them to control us if the need arose.” Dante replied.
“Then why was I sent in as the sacrificial lamb?” Lorali demanded.
“A control is needed in every test. Consider yourself the control.”
“They wanted to see how it would work on a human and not just an alien.” She’d been in the military too long not to be able to understand the way they thought. Sometimes men and women were collateral damage, deaths that were justifiable in the pursuit of keeping the world safe from its enemies. She’d never thought she would be one of those deaths.
“Obviously, they got the formula wrong. I’m still alive and I suspect the aliens with me lived also,” Lorali said.
“They lived. Your military didn’t get the formula wrong, that injection saved your life. You should’ve died.” Dante said giving his head a small shake.
“I didn’t and neither did the aliens that protected me.”
“You met three of my brothers, that concoction wouldn’t have affected us, even as children. So yes, their formula was way off base for us. It was lethal for humans. It could’ve wiped you all quickly from the face of this planet.”
“Could have?” She asked.
“The experiments have been stopped. All knowledge of the drug and its possible consequences have been eradicated.”
“How’s that possible?” She felt four pairs of alien eyes on her. “In other news, how did you manage to save my life?”
“An injection was prepared for you. As long as you were injected with it three to five minutes before the blast we felt you would be fine, at least that’s what our calculations led us to believe.” Dante replied.
She frowned. None of it made sense to her. “You would’ve had to know I’d be there to prepare something for me.”
“Now we’re coming to the good part.” Rena interjected, turning to Dee.
“I know. Do you think he’ll let any of his secrets slip out? Did he prepare the injection especially for Lorali or was it prepared in a random dose for any one?” Dee asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Girl, you’re good. I was just wondering if she was going to get to eat some Rowl. That stuff is the bomb!” Rena said.
“Better than popcorn,” Dee said.
Lorali’s head moved back and forth as she watched the women talk. Were they crazy? They seemed relaxed considering the fact that they were mated to aliens. But they had brought up a good question, one she’d been wondering how to pose.
“Did you know that I, Lorali Johnson, would be in that deserted village or was that syringe prepped for any human casualty?”
She stared at Dante, wanting answers.
“We knew that you would be there that day.”
It felt like a kick to her solar plexus. All the wind left her, making her body drop. Sergey caught her. He carried her over to a loveseat and sat, placing her on his lap.
“Why?” She whispered. Clearing her throat and jutting her head up, she asked again in a stronger voice. “Why me?”
“Maybe you were a random choice.” Niko interjected.
“No I wasn’t. I was targeted and you know why.”
“Why do you think you were targeted?” Aran asked.
She shifted on Sergey’s lap and felt him respond to the movement. Her attention was diverted immediately to the swell she felt under her rear. He wanted her, even knowing she’d been targeted by her own military. The one she’d served for years without question.
She pulled her mind away from the intriguing male holding her to refocus on Dante.
“I should’ve been in the states, spending time with my fiancé. I had another week of time off before I was due to return back.”
“You have a mate?” Sergey’s arms had tightened around her. His deep voice had spoken directly in her ear, sending shivers down her back. She tried to discern what she heard in his voice with no such luck.
“Had. I came home without telling him.” Home. It had been the house they were buying together. She’d sent him money monthly to apply to the mortgage.
That’s how she surprised him. She slipped her key into the lock, so glad to be back home. She’d walked into the kitchen first, wondering why he’d redecorated it without mentioning it to her.
That’s when she’d heard the noises. Was he home? That would be even better. She wouldn’t have to wait for him to get in from work. She’d tiptoed to the bedroom, not wanting to wait a minute more to see him. She’d thrown open the door, yelling ‘Surprise’. She’d seen everything.
“When I walked into the bedroom, I found him with another woman. I walked away, never looking back.”
It had been much too late to look back after she woke up in a hospital where she’d lain in a semi-coma for months.
“I decided to go back to what I knew, instead of staying in the states. The arrangements were made much too quickly. I realize that now. They seemed to be waiting on my return before leaving on the mission. I was targeted. I also realize that.”
Dante nodded his head at her words. “We agree you were targeted. Your records were confiscated when all of the other information was destroyed. Most of your squad no longer remembers you. That was done for your safety.”
That made sense to her in a weird way. She’d run into a few of them in her travels. They had never seemed to recognize her. She’d been too thankful to wonder why.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Lorali said.
“We believe you were targeted for your reflexes.” Dante replied.
“What?” She frowned at his words.
“Your reflexes as well as your instincts are off the chart. I’d wager that something bothered you that day. If you hadn’t been given a direct order to participate, you would’ve bowed out.” He said.
She nodded her head. She would’ve never been a part of what they were planning, if not ordered to be there by her superior officer. No wonder they
didn’t ask for volunteers.
“You were flagged as different. You’re definitely human, although your medical results show a shift. The next step in human evolution? I’d say they were trying to kill two birds with one stone. We wanted to make sure they failed.” Dante continued.
“Who is this we you keep talking about?” Lorali asked.
“My brothers and I. Several of them you met that afternoon.” He replied.
“Do all aliens come with a set of brothers?” She asked thinking of Sergey.
“Yes.” Rena replied, rubbing her cheek against Aran’s chest. She squirmed on his lap, fighting a smile.
Lorali looked at them. She could see the love and desire Rena had for her mate. Happiness came from her in waves, but it wasn’t Rena’s happiness that caught and held her attention.
It was Aran’s. His eyes blazed adoration as he looked down on Rena. There was no way anyone could’ve missed the ‘happy you’re all mine’ look on his face. He was devoted. It was the look she’d always thought her fiancé would give her one day. The ‘I’d walk through hell for you’ look. She’d learned quickly that wasn’t in her future.
“I do have both good news and great news for you.” Dante’s words drew her attention back to him.
“Spill.”
“You no longer have to continue your wandering.”
She lived her life as a gypsy since her honorable discharge from the army. She’d spent months in that hospital facility. One day she’d been told she was as well as she would ever be. They gave her discharge papers and told her to have a nice life.
Since then she’d moved every several months, feeling eyes on her like she was being watched.
“What’s the great news?” She asked.
“They can’t get to you here.” He replied.
She didn’t pretend ignorance. She understood what he meant. She’d several close calls where she’d just managed to escape the men who wanted to capture her. They were military, she assumed. They wanted her back for tests or to kill. She never wanted to find out the answer.
Sergey: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 4