Grady's Awakening

by Bianca D’Arc

  She felt his heat inside her, and it set off another spasm of pleasure. She collapsed over him after long moments, placing drowsy kisses along his chest.

  “I love you, Grady,” she said just before sleep claimed her.

  “I love you too, my mate.”

  Jim woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Any side was the wrong side when Gina wasn’t in the bed at all. She hadn’t come to their room last night, though her pack was still in one corner. He had her stuff, but not her.

  Of course, he knew damned well where she’d spent the night. With that bastard Grady.

  Jim tried not to let it get to him, but damn it, it hurt. Without even a word, she’d gone to the alien bastard. She’d forgotten Jim easily, it seemed, but he knew he’d never forget her.

  Gina Hanson had haunted his memory for years—and that was when he thought she was lost forever. Now, having had her, knowing she was alive, it would be impossible for Jim. It would drive him nuts if he let it.

  Maybe he and Grady had something in common there.

  Jim swiped at his itchy jaw as he dragged himself out of bed and headed toward the small bathroom. He showered and shaved by rote, enjoying the slightly updated facilities in this complex. In comparison to his home, this was a much newer facility with more modern—for the old world—conveniences.

  Much as he hated to admit it, he thought he understood how Grady might feel if he was forced to live without Gina. Jim felt the same way. Maybe Jim wouldn’t go clinically insane without her, but knowing she was with Grady would definitely make him a little crazy.

  The aliens were different. Maybe there was some truth to the idea that they really couldn’t handle emotions. The pain of heartbreak might just turn the guy psycho. Jim wouldn’t be really surprised if it did. Grady was an alien after all. He’d lived most of his life without emotion and now, suddenly, had to deal with things humans spent a lifetime trying to figure out.

  No one ever went crazy from happiness, but heartache and depression were hard for even well balanced people to handle.

  There was a solution—loath as he was to admit it. He’d seen the way the cousins both enjoyed the company of their shared mate. Jaci seemed happy and well balanced between her two men, but then, Jaci was an alien. She might have emotions now, but she hadn’t been raised with them, with the expectation of one husband to share the rest of her life.

  Of course, humans didn’t age anymore. Not like they used to. Jim had heard they could live for a couple hundred years, so maybe they weren’t fully human anymore. Maybe there was an opportunity to reshape the world in which they lived. To make it what they wanted instead of what they were used to. Maybe a three-person relationship might actually work.

  It would depend on Gina.

  Jim would never force her into something she didn’t want. Hell if he knew how he’d handle being in a three-way relationship with her and that damned Grady, but if the alternative was not having her in his life at all, he’d learn how to deal with it. Somehow.

  That is, if she wanted him. Could be she only wanted the alien. Jim didn’t know what he’d do if that were the case.

  That dismaying thought in mind, Jim left his quarters and headed for breakfast. Besides the personal turmoil, he still had work to do here. He was here on behalf of his people in Colorado, and he couldn’t forget it. The connections he made here could prove useful in the future, and he had to do his best to scout out the possibilities and make assessments of both the people and the facility while he was here.

  Jim shared a companionable breakfast with some of the people who lived and worked in the facility. After breakfast, Mike and Dave signaled him through BURTIN’s paging system. Mick O’Hara had called and wanted to speak to him. The call was already in progress as Jim entered the communications room.

  “…and the home crystal will replenish the Earth and reawaken those waiting in the coldest places, wielded by one who is of both worlds.”

  “What do you think it means?” Mike asked over the line.

  “Caleb is seeing people trapped in ice. Not just any people. Tall, blond, beautiful people.”

  “Alvians.” Dave’s voice was full of accusation. Jim noted they’d set up a speakerphone so they could all talk and be heard over the communication array. It was a nice mix of alien and human tech that seemed to work, though Jim had never seen such technology blended before. He was amazed it worked at all and knew Wally would have a field day with something like this.

  “Yeah, he thinks so. He also thinks our son, Harry, is the one who is of both worlds. The big question is, where are these frozen Alvians hiding out?”

  “We haven’t seen anything like that around here.” Mike looked to his cousin, who nodded in agreement. “But we’ll let you know if we find any Alvian popsicles.”

  “Ask your newcomers. Something like this—if anyone’s stumbled across it already—would be ripe for gossip. We need to find these frozen guys. Caleb says it’s imperative.”

  “We could send out some search parties. At the very least,” Dave looked pensive, “we could search the depths of our cave structure. We’ve been here for months, but we still haven’t managed to reconnoiter every tunnel. This place is vast and there’s a network of intricate natural caves and tunnels beyond the boundaries of the installation proper.”

  “That’s a good idea. Do that,” Mick directed. “Once you have your own domain mapped out, we’ll consider where to look next. There’s a lot of frozen tundra north of us. I’d hate to send anyone out into that, but there are mountain men who live there already. If we could contact some of them and ask if they’ve seen anything…”

  “That’s a good idea,” Dave answered, then straightened. “Mick, Jim is here, if you want to deliver Caleb’s advice.”

  Jim and Mick exchanged greetings. “Caleb and I had a lot to talk over last night. If there really are dudes with wings flying around, as my good friends assure me there are, then you need to know they’ll be both real and symbolic help in spreading news among the different enclaves of humans around the continent. They are working for their own agenda, Caleb says, but in this case, their cause runs parallel with ours. They can be trusted to have only our best interests at heart in the coming confrontation.”

  “Is it going to be all out war then?” Jim steeled his spine. He didn’t want war, but if there was no other way, he’d lead his people through it as best he could.

  “More like an underground movement. A bloodless coup would be the best result, but if things go wrong, they could go terribly wrong. Caleb sees all the possible futures in this case because a lot hinges on decisions made by those who lead. You among them. If you work together, the likelihood of success is greater than if you go it alone.”

  “I’ve already decided to recommend ongoing communication with this facility to my people. I think we could help each other a lot. If Mike and Dave agree, we can start slow, but I hope to keep the tunnels open and possibly send small groups back and forth to work with each other.”

  Mike and Dave were nodding. Dave spoke for both of them. “We want to visit your place first, but we’re leaning in the same direction. Isolation is no way for humans to live—or succeed.”

  “Good,” Mick spoke through the crystal. “That’s the first step. Now for the rest. Jim, you may not like this next part, but there’s an alien in your future. A big guy who loves your girl.” Jim could tell Mick was trying to soften the blow with humor, but it didn’t really help. “I’ve known Grady Prime for a long time. He’s a good guy, but in addition, Caleb foresees that he’ll be helpful in the coming confrontations. He’s one of their most respected Primes. He can argue for our side very effectively with his people, and his words will sway a lot of regular Alvians. We need him on our side—sane and whole. That means you either need to cede the field to him, or learn to share.”

  The gym was packed. In fact, the bleachers had been pulled out from the wall on one side and were filled with people watching the central matted area whe
re one small human woman held center stage.

  When Jim arrived, Gina was warming up, running through progressively more advanced kata. He joined her, standing a few feet away, running through the same katas he’d learned from her father years ago, in parallel with her, much to the audience’s delight. He could feel their interest, their admiration and their fascination. Good. He wanted them to realize that others could replicate what Gina could do. It might give them the desire to try it themselves.

  It felt good to be working side by side with her. Her skills—which had been world class to begin with—had only improved with time. Jim enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with her in routines he had first learned from her father. It brought back old memories in a good way.

  When she completed a final, very complex kata, she bowed to him, a tentative smile on her face. He hadn’t said anything to her since her desertion in favor of Grady the night before, and he assumed she had to be wondering where they stood with each other. This wasn’t the time or place to get into it, but he left her with a wink and a grin that seemed to put her at ease. He wasn’t sure where they would go from here, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted—no, needed—her in his life. They’d figure out the details later.

  As Jim left the main area, Bill was already setting up to challenge Gina. They stood facing each other across the mats and Jim turned to watch, eager to see how the winged warrior would do against Gina’s skill.

  Bill wore loose clothing, his wings out of sight and apparently off limits during this bout. Jim was glad. Those phenomenal wings would most likely give the big alien a huge advantage over any normal human being. Even one as skilled as Gina Hanson.

  Gina took over the role of teacher, explaining the rules of the bout to the people in the stands. She did it with style, humor and grace, easily winning them to her side. When they were ready, she faced Bill with an eager light in her eyes.

  The match began with a flurry of lightning-fast strikes. Jim held his breath at how rapidly the alien warrior moved in on Gina’s much smaller frame. But she met him, move for move, blocking and parrying, evading and counterstriking with blindingly fast movements. Jim remembered how she had moved in the past. This was unlike anything she had been before.

  A gifted student at the top of her rank then, she was now, without a doubt, a grandmaster. Every move was breathtakingly beautiful to watch and deadly accurate.

  To say she ran circles around Bill would be overstating it—but not by much. Bill was talented and skilled as well, but Gina outclassed him. After the initial contacts, he was unable to get in even one glancing blow.

  The coup de grace came when Gina sidled in beneath Bill’s reach and laid him out flat on the ground. A collective gasp went up from the audience, followed by raucous cheering as she helped Bill to his feet. The alien warrior was gracious in defeat, bowing to his opponent as Gina bowed in return.

  “You have only gained in skill since last we sparred, Gina.” Jim heard Bill’s compliment as he and Gina walked off the mats.

  “I think you went easy on me, Bill, but thanks.”

  Bill winked at her as he left her at Jim’s side.

  “Nice work out there,” Jim said, hoping to bridge the gap between them.

  “Thanks. Same to you. I’m surprised you remembered all those katas. Seems like I learned them a lifetime ago.” She snagged a glass of water from a nearby table, drinking daintily.

  “It was a lifetime ago. But sometimes the discipline your father taught me was all that kept me going.”

  “I know what you mean.” A tense moment passed between them. Jim looked around, noting the crowd was beginning to disperse and the large matted area was filling up with people. Bill led a group in one corner. They were learning a kata Jim had never seen before. Jim looked farther and saw Grady Prime standing along one wall, his gaze steady and proprietary on Gina. Jim’s anger flared, but he tamped it down. He had to be cool.

  “Look, about last night…” Gina was uncharacteristically hesitant. “I’m sorry I didn’t leave word. I didn’t want you to worry about where I was.”

  “Oh, I knew where you were.”

  Gina had the grace to blush. She perused her toes for a moment before meeting his gaze. “I didn’t plan for it to work out that way. Things just got…out of hand. Before I knew it, I was with Grady. I’m sorry.”

  Jim sighed, striving for calm. “Can we discuss this someplace else?” He looked pointedly at the people filing past on their way out the door and those who remained, all eyeing Gina with interest.

  “You’re right.” Gina shook her head. “We’ll talk after we’re done here okay?”

  “Sounds about right.”

  Gina looked relieved. “Then how about sparring with me? We never got to see who would’ve won that night I showed up on your doorstep.”

  Jim smiled, on surer ground as he followed her back onto the mats. They took positions opposite each other and it was game on.

  If Jim had any idea of going easy on Gina because she was a girl, it was gone within the first few moments when she scored more than one point off him with quick jabs and a kick to his middle. She pulled her punches, as he did, only hitting with minimal force. Still, they moved like lightning and garnered attention from those around.

  Jim had perfected situational awareness in his years with the CIA and it had only improved since. Even as he spun into an attempt at a leg sweep, he caught sight of Grady moving closer, his expression like thunder as he watched them. Others gathered round, varying degrees of interest and respect on their faces as they watched Jim and Gina spar.

  Gina jumped clear over his leg sweep, into a dive roll and up to deliver a counterstrike that he just barely evaded. They were both back on their feet, facing each other milliseconds later, and the game continued.

  Grady drew closer.

  “Your boyfriend looks like he wants to knock my block off,” Jim observed to Gina privately.

  Her reaction was not what he expected. She gasped and looked away to find Grady just as Jim launched an attack sequence. Too late, he realized she wasn’t evading as he’d anticipated. She was going to get clobbered, but it was too late to pull back. He was already in motion and unable to redirect, though he tried like hell to alter his own trajectory.

  A displacement of air was all the warning he got as another body blocked him. A bigger, more solid, masculine body protected Gina, who stood motionless behind the newcomer. It was Grady. He had put himself between Gina and Jim, taking the blow for her, blocking but still receiving quite a hit even as Jim tried to pull back.

  It all happened in less than a second.

  Jim’s momentum, arrested by Grady’s intervention, took him off to the side. He landed hard, rolling away, regaining his feet seconds later, breathing hard. His heart was in his throat.

  “God, Gina!” Jim moved toward her but Grady stepped between them menacingly.

  Jim assessed the competition, looked Grady up and down. “Thanks for intervening, but I had it under control.”

  “It didn’t appear that way to me.” Grady folded his arms, implacable.

  “She took me off guard. I didn’t expect her to stop dead.” Jim sounded defensive even to his own ears, and he didn’t like it one bit.

  “So now it’s her fault? If this is the way you treat women, I’m surprised any follow you.”

  Now that was a challenge if he’d ever heard one. The sneer that accompanied the blond giant’s words cinched it.

  “First of all—” Jim poked Grady in the shoulder with one pointing finger, “—nobody follows me. I’m not a tyrant. I may lead my people, but it was by their choice and I never make unilateral decisions if there’s time to consult. Second—” he jabbed Grady again. “—I did not blame Gina. I merely stated that I made a mistake. I didn’t expect her to lose concentration like that. The old Gina never would. It was my fault for baiting her telepathically.”

  “Of course it’s your fault.”

 
Grady sounded really angry as he stepped forward, advancing threateningly on Jim. But Jim wasn’t backing down. He’d love to get a piece of Grady Prime. A good ass kicking is just what he needed—whether it was his own or Grady’s ass that would ultimately get kicked, he wasn’t sure, but either way, he was spoiling for a fight.

  “I just said that, didn’t I?” Jim shouted.

  “Guys.” Gina tried to intercede but she couldn’t get between them. They kept her off to the side while they stared each other down, in each other’s faces. “Please don’t do this.”

  Jim was aware of the gym around them going quiet. Only Bill had the guts to come up to them, putting one arm around Gina’s shoulders.

  “They need to get this settled.” Bill guided Gina away. “Just don’t kill each other,” Bill threw back at them as Grady backed off and Jim went to stand in opposition across a section of cleared mats.

  Spectators vanished, making room by climbing into the bleachers, out of harm’s way. This wasn’t going to be an exhibition bout. No, this was going to be the real deal.

  Within certain bounds. Jim bowed, never taking his gaze from Grady’s. This was a formal challenge, and both men knew it. If there was ever going to be peace between them, they had to settle this. They had to know who was stronger, who was faster and who could or should take the lead in their odd, forced partnership.

  Grady opened, stepping up to Jim and allowing his first blow to be easily blocked. It allowed him to grab Jim’s arm in a hold, but Jim had the same leverage and realized it was because Grady wanted to test his strength. Jim learned Grady had a punishing grip from the brief hold before they broke apart.

  Jim launched a lightning-fast volley that Grady just managed to evade. The Alvian fighting style was different than what he was used to, but Jim had mastered many different forms of martial arts in his years of study and practice. He adapted. And he discovered he was just slightly faster than Grady, though the alien was stronger.