by Hope Hart
I think of my best friend Angie, and the baby girl she’s giving birth to in just six weeks. Angie and I are like sisters, and I’ve already been named Auntie Harlow. I’m supposed to be there for every milestone in her daughters life.
Instead, my life will be spent alone, hiding from an alien race who will put every resource they have into finding me. If I’d been mated to any other Arcav, maybe people would’ve forgotten. After a few years fading into obscurity, I could’ve returned to my life.
But no. I had to be mated to the King.
I wrinkle my nose at the word ‘mated.’ It’s a word that means nothing to me. Humans use words like ‘engaged,’ or ‘married.’ But a word I consider meaningless has the power to ruin my life.
I feel the car begin to slow, and brush the tears off my cheeks. I only have time for a short breakdown. My life may never look the same, but it’s still mine. And the Arcav King won’t take it from me.
The car stops, and Blake opens the trunk, offering his hand as I climb out. We’re at the end of a long driveway, and Blake hustles me into a large, open-plan house.
He opens the fridge, taking out fruit, cheese, bread, and cold cuts. I missed lunch, and I know I can’t afford to miss too many meals, so I load up a plate while he takes a call.
He walks back in, grabs an apple and bites into it with obvious relish as he sits beside me.
“Good to see you haven’t lost your appetite. Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do. You can’t drive within the city. Too many red light cameras. I can’t drive you out either. We risked enough getting you here, but as soon as you don’t turn up, I’m going to be suspect number one.”
I put down my grape as my stomach churns anxiously. Blake is risking his life for me. If he gets caught…
“Nuh-uh. You don’t get to do that,” he says. “Wipe that expression off your face. We’re partners. You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count, and it goes both ways. Keep eating, or I’m not going to tell you what happens next.”
I sigh and obediently pop a grape in my mouth. “You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?”
He smirks. “Sure do. Anyway, our biggest issue right now is getting all the wheels in motion. This operation needs to run like a well-oiled machine. And that means I need a couple of hours to put the plan in place. I know you only have five hours, and I know you’re going to panic and want to run. But I need you to trust me. Deal?”
I blow out a breath in frustration. I’m a notorious control freak, and this is the most out-of-control situation I could imagine, relying on other people to assure my freedom.
“Deal.”
“Okay. So you’ll be driven out of the city and away from the highways. It’s all back roads from now on. I’m arranging for you to swap cars along the way. You’ll have a burner phone to get in contact so we can make sure you always have gas- you can’t go near a gas station because they all have cameras. That means you’ll either be hiding while someone fills up your car, or changing cars completely.”
I blink. “Are you sure you have time to put this in place?”
“Oh yeah. We have a massive network. That’s all I can say.”
I frown as I realize he can’t afford to tell me any details in case I end up in the enemy’s hands. Who knows what technology they have that could make me talk?
“In the meantime, you should take a nap.”
“You want me to nap?”
“I know it sounds ludicrous right now. But you’re going to be going hard-as-a-motherfucker over the next few days. The more food and sleep you get now, the better position you’ll be in when you’re running.”
“I know you’re right, but I don’t know how the hell I could sleep right now.”
“I’d give you a sleeping pill, but you can’t afford to be groggy later. Just lie down and try to sleep. Otherwise, at least you’ll be a little rested. You can’t do anything right now. It’s all on me” He pauses. “Is there anything you absolutely can’t live without in your apartment? I can rescue it and look after it until I can get it to you.”
I blink back tears. My apartment is my nest. There are no words for what that space means to me. Another thing I’m losing.
“Just… look after Tom, okay?”
Tom is my cat. I rescued him as a kitten and I’m the only person he likes.
Blake nods. “I’m going to make sure you’re reunited one day,” he promises me. “That cat hates me. He scratched the shit out of me last time I was at your place.”
I try a smile but it falls flat. “My brother,” I say.
Blake heaves a sigh. “Harlow…”
“I know. But I have to talk to him.”
“I’ll try and make it happen. But I can’t guarantee it. You know Josh is a screwup.”
“He’s still my brother.”
Surprisingly, I sleep. I wake up groggy and confused when Blake walks in, and then it hits me. I’m about to go on the run from a highly advanced alien race. I wish I could turn back time thirty seconds and enjoy that brief moment of obliviousness again.
“What’s the situation?” I ask Blake. He looks like he’s aged five years since this morning, and I’m sure I look the same.
“I’ve spoken to everyone I need to speak to. They’re getting ready now. My friend is going to drop off a car that’s not connected to us in any way. I’ll wear a hat, glasses, and scarf, and hope my face isn’t picked up. The good news is you still have an hour before you’re meant to turn yourself in. By the time the car gets here, we’ll already be on our way out of the city. I’m betting they won’t close any roads- simply because they won’t expect you to run.”
I nod, wiping my sweaty palms on the sweatpants I borrowed from whoever lives here.
“Do I have time for a shower?”
“Yeah, just make it quick.”
He hands me a bag of clothes, and I pull out jeans, a sweater, and underwear. One day, in the distant future, I may feel embarrassed at the idea of my partner finding me a bra and panties. For now, I’m just grateful I won’t be going commando.
I strip off and enjoy the feel of the warm water on my skin. Who knows if this will be my last shower for a while. I wash my hair and try to scrounge up some confidence.
When I was small, my mother had cancer. We had no health insurance and she didn’t go to the doctor until it was too late. My father had disappeared when my brother was a toddler and she was pregnant with me. Her family wanted nothing to do with her, so she worked herself into the ground, not realizing she was sick until there was nothing the doctors could do.
She knew Josh and I would be put into foster care. Her family didn’t give a shit, and she had no one else who would take us. Her biggest fear was that we’d be separated.
“You look after your brother, okay Harlow? You’re my tough girl.”
I’d nodded. My brother was older, but he didn’t think sometimes. My mother said he was mad at the world, and that’s why he acted out. He had something she called poor impulse control. All I knew was that it was my job to keep him safe.
We’d fought tooth and nail to stay together in the foster system. I hadn’t wanted another mother. I’d had a mother. And she was perfect. I didn’t want to be adopted. I only wanted my brother.
But Josh got angrier and angrier.
Sometimes, when Chicago is slowly thawing after the winter, and a spring breeze swirls across the lake, I think I can smell my mother. She still had all her hair when she died. It was far too late for chemo, so I’d washed her hair for her every second day, so she would always look pretty.
Josh and I had both been at her bedside when she died. “I love you,” she’d said to Josh.
To me, she’d said “Stay strong, and don’t ever give up.”
I rinse off my hair. “I’m staying strong mom. And I won’t ever give up.”
I dry my hair while Blake explains his plan. The trip will be broken down into different checkpoints. If I can’t get to one by a certain time, I
’ll either go straight to the next one, or try to get to that checkpoint at the same time the next day.
“Where am I going?”
“Close to Glasgow, Montana.”
I almost laugh. I’m the biggest city girl I know. But the alternative is life on a strange planet.
“Why Montana?”
“This town is tiny, and better yet, it’s four and a half hours from the closest city. That makes it perfect for you,” he pauses as I run a brush through my hair.
“I bought the property through a friend of a friend. I’d planned to take my cousin there when she came back.”
His voice is bleak. He doesn’t think she’s coming back.
I open the door. “Montana it is. Maybe the solitude will be good for me.”
Blake slips a pocket knife into my bag, and I throw the shower gel and hairbrush inside. He hands me a wad of cash and raise my brow.
“You need to hide some of that on you. Put it in your shoes, in your socks, wherever you can. If you need to drop everything and run, you’ll need cash.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
I obediently begin dispersing cash. I take out my own wallet, hand him my cards and write down my pin numbers.
“You take these.
He shakes his head and I push them at him. “I’m serious, I can’t use them now, you may as well take the money.”
He sighs and takes them. “I’ll see how we go. For now we’ve got more than enough to keep you on the run for a while. My contacts will have extra cash if you run into trouble.”
He pulls out a gun and I freeze.
“Are you crazy? Where the hell did you get that?”
Guns aren’t just banned. Most of them were destroyed. I’d known there were likely to be some on the black market, but never imagined Blake would have one.
“Take it. Use it if you have to.” He hands me a holster and for the first time in two years, I’m armed with more than just a taser.
“Feels weird.”
He grins. “I’m sure you’ll get used to it.”
I grin back. “I’m sure I will.”
He holds up a fake drivers license.
“Wow.”
As a cop, I’ve seen plenty of falsified IDs over the years. This one wouldn’t have made me look twice. My face has been shared all over the news, but hopefully the name ‘Christie Harrison’ will fool a tired, inattentive front desk clerk if I need to stay in a motel.
Finally, he slips a bottle of Ambien in the bag, I open my mouth to protest and Blake gives me a look.
“Eventually you’re going to need to be able to sleep.”
We walk out to the door. Blake goes to get the new car, backing it right up the long drive. The windows are tinted, and he’s wearing a ball cap low on his brow, large sunglasses, and a winter scarf, which he’s pulled up.
“You look suspicious as hell.”
“No one’s looking for me, so it’s unlikely anyone will notice. But on the off chance that the Arcav have put out an alert, the security cameras might catch my face.” He shrugs. “It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s all I can do.”
Blake pops the trunk. “Get in.”
I put the backpack on, just in case I have to run, and climb into the trunk. It’s dark and claustrophobic, but this is the first step on the staircase to freedom.
The drive is both boring and terrifying. At every red light, I panic, wondering if this will be the camera that alerts the Arcav. Blake is putting it all on the line for me. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to repay him.
Eventually, the traffic noises begin to decrease. We’re heading out of the city, and I begin to relax, almost falling asleep. A part of me wishes I could travel to Montana like this. As much as I hate being stuck in the trunk, I’m safe here.
But Blake’s contacts can’t afford to be caught with me. While they’re willing to briefly help me out, Blake said most of them have families. If they’re captured, they could bring down the entire HAA network.
We pull over and the trunk swings open. It’s getting dark now, and I can smell rain in the air. We’re on a deserted road, parked behind a black Toyota Corolla.
I stretch my cramped muscles. A short, bald man get out of the Toyota and takes a moment to stare at me. Blake clears his throat and the man flushes, looking away as he gets into the passengers seat.
“I guess this is it,” I say.
Blake hands me the burner phone, and a piece of paper.
“This is all the information you need, and the name you’ll call for each stop. Some people will take your car into the gas station to fill it up, and others will switch cars with you.”
I nod. We’ve already gone over this, but Blake seems a little on edge now that it’s actually happening.
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him. “I’ve got this.”
He blows out a breath. “I’ve given your brother this number. He said he wants to call you. Be careful with him, Harlow.”
“I will. Thank you Blake. Check on Angie okay? Look after my niece.” I realize I don’t know when, or if, I’ll see anyone again.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m going to see you soon. I’ll check in on Angie and let her know you’re okay. And as soon as the search begins to die down and the heat is off me, I’ll come visit. I’ll teach you how to fish.”
I grimace. “I can’t think of anything worse, but by then I’ll be so desperate for human company it’ll feel like a party.”
He grins. “That’s the spirit.”
We walk to the Toyota and I open the door. He hold out his arms and I give him a hug.
“Thanks partner.”
“Stay safe.”
I nod, get in, and hit the gas.
Chapter 3
Varian
I walk down to the main entrance of our base, ready to meet my mate. This base is located in a place named Kansas, and is home to many of the Arcav who traveled to Earth. Other bases are located throughout this planet, however this one is the largest and perfect for our needs.
My advisors surround me, whispering to each other in excitement. One of them was fortunate to find his mate soon after the invasion, so I instructed him to bring her with him. My Queen will need a friend.
The whispering gets louder as I wait. My commander walks to me, and his expression is bleak.
“What is it? Where is the pod?” My mate should have been brought directly here from whichever base she went to.
Jaret turns to my advisors. “Leave,” he says, and they back away. This will not be good news.
“Where is my mate?” I ask quietly.
“She never went to any of the bases Your Majesty.”
I haven’t felt fear in centuries, yet I feel the ghost of it creeping up my spine. “What happened to her?”
“We’re trying to find out. The last time she was seen was in a vehicle with the man from the video you watched earlier. We’re attempting to pinpoint her location.”
“Find her.”
Jaret nods and leaves. I walk past my advisors with my guards at my back, and not one of them looks excited anymore.
My mind is racing as I make my way back to my quarters. My mate is out there, all alone. If anything happens to her, our race may well be doomed.
There’s no ‘spare to the heir.’ My brother has spent close to a hundred years in prison for his betrayal of our race. The only reason he was spared death was because he was a prince. And living without his mate was seen as punishment enough.
Korva lost his mate in a space accident. And with the loss of his mate came the loss of his mind. The Arcav people are not meant to go through life alone. We rely on that one perfect match to keep us sane.
When his mate died, Korva couldn’t handle it. In his madness, he decided that if he couldn’t have his mate, neither could any other Arcav.
You see, my brother was a scientist. He had always been the brightest of our race, responsible for some of our biggest leaps forward.
But
then he poisoned our water.
Slowly, Arcav began to only produce male children. No one could understand why. Until Korva admitted what he had done.
If he was to spend eternity alone, so would every other Arcav male. Maybe then we’d understand what he was going through.
I’d visited him in prison shortly before he was sentenced.
“How could you do it?” I’d asked. “You’ve doomed our race to insanity.”
He’d shrugged. “This mating need is a weakness. I’ve studied thousands of other races. Only a few require a mate for a full life. Other races are able to choose their partners. If they lose their mate, they can eventually move on and find another.”
I’d looked at him disgustedly. “You took the chance of ever having a mate from us? We won’t evolve in the next hundred years. Our people will end up killing each other. You’ve doomed us.”
His eyes wheeled and then he seemed to slip into madness again.
“Not doomed. Opportunity. The journals. Find the journals.”
We’d already poured through his offices and labs. All of his employees had been interrogated, and none of them had had any idea what he was doing.
“Where are the journals?”
He’d ignored me, already slipping back into the past.
“Marca,” he’d muttered his mate’s name, smile on his face as he reached for a vision of his mate who was long gone.
Three days later I’d broken one of the biggest taboos of our race. I’d had Korva’s mate removed from her resting place. Underneath her lay a series of journals that outlined exactly what Korva had done.
I shake my head as I pull myself back to the present.
Humans have much shorter life expectancies than us. Korva had known that even if we found our mates, we’d need to move them back to Arcavia to extend their lives. Otherwise, we’d experience the horror of losing our mates- just like he had.
If anything happens to my mate before I find her, our race could well become extinct.
Harlow
I’m planning to drive through the night. I have a full tank of gas, and my goal is to get as far as I can before the sun comes up. I’ll be sleeping during the day and driving at night for the foreseeable future.