by Anna Carven
Even though the water is an ominous sign that the facility is starting to flood, I can’t help but stare at my mate and child. Once again, that strange, tight feeling closes around my heart. It’s an oddly serene, pleasurable sensation.
I can’t take my eyes off them.
Nythian gets back to me first. “There’s been a breach in the structure, and we’ve got serious water inflow. One of the Ifkin blew himself up against an external wall and now there are cracks everywhere.”
“Have you identified any escape vessels?”
“We’ve found what look like a few emergency escape pods, but that submersible we blew a hole in seems to be their main underwater vessel.”
“Hm. Any hostiles left?”
“Negative.”
“There are unarmed patients in this facility,” I say slowly, as Abbey’s fingers entwine with mine.
“We’ve come across a few of them,” Nythian says grimly, his voice tinged with anger. “They’re easy enough to pick. Most of them are weak and fucking terrified.”
“How many escape pods are there?”
“Not enough for everyone.”
I curse under my breath. It would not be right to leave those abused, battered souls down here to perish in a watery grave.
Since when have I developed such a fucking conscience? There would have been a time when I wouldn’t have cared.
I contact Darkshadow. “Lodan, has Infinity II arrived?”
“ETA two sivs,” he replies. “You okay down there, boss?”
“Prepare aqua-kits and tell them to get ready for an underwater retrieval. They will see the Human facility on the plateau once they’re submerged. Two of you stay behind to give us air-support and drop rescue lines.”
“On it, Sir.”
“Nythian, Jeral, round up the patients and take them to the escape area. I will decide who goes first once they are all assembled.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The water is above my ankles now. I give Zyara a sidelong glance. She’s gathering up blankets and helping Abbey to sit up. She looks at the blood infusion the Humans have connected to Abbey’s veins. “I’m just going to run the rest of this through, then add another bag. She’s lost a lot of blood, and I don’t want the nanites to go hungry.”
Abbey is swaddling Ami. There are dark circles beneath her eyes, but her expression is serene and motherly. She is beautiful.
“My love,” I say gently, moving to her side and placing my hand on her shoulder. “We need to leave this place. You may not be aware, but we are beneath the ocean.”
“The ocean,” she says weakly, shaking her head. She looks at me, looks down at the rising water and sighs. “Why- no, never mind. Since I met you, nothing surprises me anymore.”
“Let us finish giving you this blood, then we’re going to get out of here.”
I wait as Zyara lets the remaining red fluid run through, before hooking up another bag. The water is starting to rise, but first, I need to ensure Abbey is strong enough to move. I look down at her feet. She has no footwear, and after what she’s been through, I don’t trust her to stand. She clutches Ami close to her chest, the babe blinking slowly as she snuggles against her mother. Throughout all of this chaos, our little one has been remarkably quiet.
After the blood runs through, Zyara disconnects the lines from Abbey’s arms.
My mate starts to stand, but I stop her. “For once, female, allow me to carry you.”
This time, she doesn’t argue. I carefully scoop her into my arms as she cradles Ami. The two beings that are most precious to me in the entire Universe are in my arms, alive and safe.
I am indeed blessed by the Goddess.
“Tarak,” Abbey says, as she nestles her head against my shoulder, “there’s someone in the room next to me. Her name’s Noa, I think. Can you make sure she gets out?”
“Jeral and Nythian are rescuing all the patients. She will be safe. Is this Noa known to you?”
“No, I’ve never met her,” Abbey murmurs. “But she helped me somehow, when I was waiting for you to come.”
“Hm.” Unsure what she’s babbling on about now, I make for the exit, water splashing around my feet. “Do not worry, my love. We will get all of them out.”
Abbey
Despite my protests, Tarak absolutely insists that Ami and I are the first to leave. I look around wildly at the odd crowd gathered in the escape bay. There are aliens of all kinds amongst the Humans. They’re all wearing white gowns similar to mine, and several of them stare off into the distance with blank, dead eyes.
It’s as if they don’t care whether they live or die.
Some are looking at the Kordolians with naked fear on their faces, unable to believe that Tarak and his boys are actually going to get them out of here.
The beautiful music is gone. I look up and see a woman with a shaved head and a healing surgical wound running the length of her temple. She’s thin and waif-like, with dark circles under her large eyes, which are the color of mahogany.
I shudder, wondering what these SynCorp people have done to her. That’s one nasty scar on her head.
As she turns to look at us, I see small audio-buds nestling in her ears. She looks me up and down, her eyes drifting to little Ami, who’s asleep in my arms.
She smiles, and somehow, I know she’s the one who gave me the music; the one Lorelei referred to as a telepath.
I smile back briefly, mouthing a thank-you, before Tarak begins to move. “We must go now,” he says softly.
The water is up to his knees now. I’m still in his arms, and Ami is in mine. He’s been staring at her in fascination ever since we left our room. As he carried me towards the escape area, I even caught him making baby noises at her.
Wonders will never cease.
Tarak walks over to the first escape-pod, ducking his head as he steps inside. It’s a long, tubular craft designed to seat eight. Even though his place could be given to someone else, he has insisted on accompanying me, telling me he’s not letting me out of his sight. We’re joined by the most vulnerable patients; those who can’t walk on their own, those who are too weak to move, and, to my horror, two children; green-eyed Human twins.
What the hell have they been doing in this horrible underwater facility? It’s like something out of a freaking horror movie.
The telepath lady is the last to join us, along with Zyara, before Tarak’s soldiers slam the hatch closed, sealing us in with an airtight thud.
Ami begins to stir, grunting and turning her head, putting her fingers into her mouth. “Hungry, my girl?” I ignore the jarring movement of the escape pod as it’s ejected out into the cold, dark ocean waters.
Nothing else matters right now but my baby getting fed. Tarak hovers protectively around us as I pull down my gown and guide her to my nipple. Ami has a few tries before she finally gets it, latching on and sucking hungrily. My milk hasn’t come in yet; it’s just colostrum, but from what I’ve read, it’s all she needs right now.
While Tarak was up in space, I had plenty of time to read all about this stuff.
I’m ready, and I’m prepared.
Our fellow passengers are staring at us curiously. They mustn’t know what to make of us; the baby with the luminous skin and violet eyes, her Human mother and her Kordolian father, riding an escape pod up to the surface. Beside me, Tarak bristles, not liking the attention directed at us, but before he can do anything growly, I put a hand on his arm. “They’ve been through enough,” I say softly, smiling. I’m filled with a warm, fuzzy euphoria. Maybe it’s just the rest of the Neuranol wearing off, but I think it’s more than that.
It’s the feeling of being safe, with the two creatures I love most in the Universe by my side.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Tarak
“Is that the last of them?” I watch as a Soldar male is winched to safety from the floating escape pod below. Jeral is behind him, stabilizing him as the large drop-cord pulls them up into Darkshadow thr
ough the lower hatch.
“That’s the last of them, boss. Two sivs later and they all would have drowned.” Rykal stands at my side, using a small towel to dry his hair. “What in Kaiin’s name have those crazy Humans been doing down there?”
“The Humans have been acting like Kordolians, apparently,” I say dryly, as Rykal steps forward to help haul Jeral and the Soldar inside. They’re all onboard now, the rest of my First Division having joined us to help with the rescue effort. When the underwater escape pods had all been ejected, the remaining patients, the stronger ones, were given respirators and slowly brought to the surface by my soldiers. The underwater facility has completely flooded now, and we’re left with a stealth cruiser full of injured and traumatized aliens and Humans.
Fucking Humans. I am going to get to the bottom of this and track down the organization that is responsible for such suffering, because nothing good has ever come from this sort of medical experimentation.
SynCorp. I’ll remember that name.
Somehow, their Human guards had been equipped with Kordolian plasma weapons, and they were working alongside the Ifkin. I suspect the Empire has somehow had a role to play in all this.
The Soldar tries to stand, but his scaly black legs give way under him. Zyara rushes to his side, wrapping a blanket around him and helping him to a nearby seat.
What a very un-Kordolian scene. Things have definitely changed around here.
I make my way to the upper deck, where Abbey is curled in a chair, asleep, wrapped in a Veronian blanket with Ami in her arms. After everything that’s happened to her, she is exhausted. My daughter is also asleep, and I take a moment to watch them, marveling at how Ami is a miniature version of her mother. She has the same high cheeks and delicate nose and slightly stubborn set to her mouth.
They are glorious, and they are mine.
Tenderness wells in my chest as I approach, careful not to wake them. I place myself on the floor in front of them, resting my cheek on Abbey’s thigh, curling my arms around her, surrounded by the soft scent of mother and baby.
I close my eyes, listening to the peaceful, rhythmic sounds of their breathing.
Mine.
I do not care if my soldiers see me this way, sitting on the floor of my own stealth cruiser at the feet of my mate. I am unable to keep myself away from them, even as they sleep.
I came so close to losing them.
As if sensing my presence, Ami stirs, opening her shimmering eyes to give me a look that squeezes my heart. She extends one tiny hand, and I reach for it. She grabs my finger, her tiny fingers curling around mine.
How can such a small, perfect creature have come from a monster like me?
She is most delicate and precious. I murmur sweet nonsense things, and for the entire trip back, she never once lets go of me.
And I never let go of Abbey.
My soldiers steer well clear of us, knowing not to disturb me as we fly over the barren landmass called the Oceanic Republic, leaving the wild, frigid seas behind. We are returning to a distant place in the middle of nowhere. It is a place where the sun-drenched day and the cold-shrouded night can exist together, and neither would be possible without the other.
It is the place where we are going to make our home.
Abbey
I wake to the sound of a low, rumbling voice. My eyes flutter open and as I stretch out, I realize I’m in a warm, comfortable bed.
Everything is bathed in soft light. It’s the gentle light of dawn, filtering through the opaque windows of my home. Our home.
At first, I wonder if I’m in a dream, and I’m actually still stuck inside that horrible medical facility. Then, the memories flood back and I realize I’m actually safe.
He came for me.
I knew he would come.
I look across the bed and see Tarak lying on his back, bare-chested. Ami is on top of him, resting on her belly, asleep.
His large hand rests protectively on her back, and he’s whispering to her in Kordolian, his lips almost touching her head. He reaches up to stroke the soft, downy tufts of hair on her head. Slowly, he turns to look at me, his wine-dark eyes slightly unfocused as the dawn light washes over him.
He’s glorious.
His silver skin is burnished orange by the rising sun, and his expression is soft; it’s the look he reserves only for us.
Now there are two females for him to take care of.
“Morning,” I say, my voice slightly hoarse. With his spare arm, he reaches across and I snuggle into him, curling up alongside him.
“Hm,” he rumbles, in a contented manner. He’s half-drowsy and relaxed, a state I never see him in.
“How’s she doing?” I ask, marveling at her perfect face and tiny hands. Her skin color is a blend of Tarak’s and mine; light silver mixed with human cream. There is no-one else like her in the Universe.
“She is content,” Tarak says, a note of pride in his voice. “And perfect.” He twines his fingers in my hair, placing a kiss on my forehead. “As are you.”
I close my eyes for a moment, basking in his nearness, enjoying his scent and his warmth. Part of me is still in disbelief that I’m here with my baby, alive and well.
I open my eyes again and meet his red gaze, trying to figure out what deep, mysterious thoughts are hidden in those crimson depths. “What did you do to me, Tarak? How is it that I don’t even have a scratch on me?”
“I gave you my blood,” he murmurs. He strokes my hair, his touch gentle, almost reverent.
“Your freaky, dangerous, nanite-infected blood? How is it that I’m not being eaten alive?”
“I don’t know. But you are fine now. That’s all that matters.”
“Thanks to you.”
“It was my fault you were taken in the first place. I should have been more vigilant. I should have done more. I am sorry, Abbey.”
I roll on my side, hooking my leg over him, bringing one arm across his hard stomach. He’s totally naked, his modesty preserved only by a thin scrap of bedsheet, as if he’s a sculpture of some ancient Greek god. Ami rests peacefully on his chest, making soft little sleeping sounds.
“And what could have done differently, General? Were you planning on bringing your entire army to Earth to protect us? You know that would have gone against the terms of the Kordolian-Federation alliance, and I don’t think anyone could have predicted that there were Humans crazy enough to attack us on Earth soil.”
“Hm.” He gives me an enigmatic look, but doesn’t say anything else. I know that no matter what I say, he’ll dissect and analyze everything in his mind and beat himself up a little bit before making sure things are handled to his satisfaction.
My Kordolian General is a bit of a control freak, after all.
His roving hand slips under my nightie, caressing the my butt and thigh. He clutches me possessively as Ami stirs, tiny grunts and sighs escaping her.
“Behave, General,” I caution, becoming aroused. “There are three of us now. You can’t have me to yourself anymore.”
Ami is well awake now, and she’s becoming restless. As she turns her lavender gaze on me, I melt a little bit inside, all over again. I reach out to take her, and Tarak deposits her gently on my chest.
I slip my nightie down past my shoulder, and she fumbles towards my breast, searching for my nipple. She’s warm and cuddly and curious, her little hands pawing all over me.
As she latches on with her tiny mouth, suckling hungrily, I become aware of Tarak staring at us with an awed look on his face.
“She’s hungry,” I say.
“She must feed and grow strong. Zyara tells me she is a few quants early, but she has survived the ordeal well. Apparently, she has what is referred to as the ‘hybrid vigor.’”
Again, he strokes her hair, whispering something that sounds like “amananama.”
In the presence of his baby daughter, this fierce, dark General has become a big old softie, blurting out nonsensical baby sounds and treating us
both with the greatest of care.
“You are safe now,” he says, almost too quietly for me to hear. “I will not allow you to go through such an ordeal ever again.”
The sun must have just broken over the horizon, because the room is suddenly awash with brilliant golden light. Tarak closes his eyes and brings us both into his powerful, warm embrace. “I love you, crazy Human.”
“I love you too, big, bad Kordolian.”
Delicious warmth floods through me, spreading through every inch of my body as Tarak pulls me closer, his arms surrounding us.
It’s good to be home.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Tarak
I leave Abbey and Ami in bed, giving mother and daughter time to bond, although I am reluctant to do so. But there are things I must attend to, and I do not wish to worry Abbey with such unnecessary details.
The lingering shock at having her snatched from my grasp is still with me, and every time I think about what happened, the anger I’ve buried deep within rises to the surface.
I know the Kordolian Empire has somehow been involved in this, and now, more than ever, I desire to crush Vionn’s crumbling realm.
Most of the Human guards and the so-called ‘president’ of this SynCorp entity were killed as they tried to fend off our assault, but I have managed to retrieve the foolish Human doctor and her assistant, along with two Ifkin, who are proving most difficult to interrogate.
There is much for me to do yet.
As I exit the glass-walled house, Rykal and Kalan stand to attention. I greet them with a sharp nod. I have stationed the First Division around our quarters, which has become the inner citadel of my growing base. I am taking no chances. Zyara will be by to check on her shortly, and Kenna is already downstairs preparing food.
To her credit, the old woman admirably held her own against the Ifkin hordes, armed only with a primitive Human weapon called a ‘shotgun’. Who would have thought metal bullets could be so effective?
I walk across the garden, passing the old house, which has become a temporary infirmary for the experimental subjects we rescued from the facility. Zyara and the Human doctor have been attending to them. I have had the Asher woman shadowed by one of my soldiers at every step. The silent presence of a fully armed Kordolian warrior does wonders for ensuring co-operation.