Unmatched

by Annalise Alexis

  My cheeks flush, and I fight the urge to look anywhere but at him. No matter what we’ve been through together, the idea that my family could be partially responsible for the suffering of his race fills me with shame. “I just…what if my great-grandfather is somehow responsible for all this? How could you ever want me if that’s true?”

  A moment of silence passes as Ren sits unmoving. His gaze is locked on mine, and no matter how much I fidget, he never looks away. Slowly, he slides off the bed and drops to his knees. “If you truly believe there is any circumstance in this life that could take away my all-consuming need for you, I have not fulfilled my duty as a male, and for that, I seek your pardon.”

  Kicking my feet over the side of the bed, I guide him up. With one fingertip, I trace the fullness of his bottom lip. He’s just so beautiful. “How did I get so lucky?”

  “Luck does not exist, my Aciana. Your soul called to mine. After the females had escaped, and I searched for Naya, I felt you. And when I first laid eyes on you, struggling for your life, using your last breath to fight that piece of shit human, I knew. Whatever you are, you are meant for me.”

  My vision blurs as I swipe away a tear. Overwhelmed with gratitude and completely at a loss for words, I grab his face and kiss him. “Hell yeah, I am. I really, really am.”

  Ren lets his mouth linger on mine for a moment before pulling back. “You are mine. Do not ever allow yourself to forget what that means.”

  “I freaking love you. You know, that?” I say, my voice thick with emotion.

  Ren smiles and runs his nose up the side of my neck, breathing me in. “And I you, my Aciana. Rest. I will return once I have finished discussing our flight plans with Sol.”

  Chapter Six

  Ren

  The margin for error during our reconnaissance mission for Xen’s retrieval is higher than I like. With no direct proof the facility even exists outside of interstellar chatter and conspiracy theories, there is no way to gauge our chances of success. Anger narrows my vision. Xen’s inability to keep those under his charge from capture is unacceptable. He will pay for his failure.

  All who were involved will.

  The tension between my mate and Life Giver grows, and the Asha’s unwillingness to control her tongue inspires mutiny. I will not tolerate it. Her position affords her a voice as my counsel, but her blatant disrespect has clouded her judgement. She bleeds emotion and carries the scent of jealousy like an amorous unmated. If she were a male, she would have already been dealt with. But because she is the eldest female, and the one who gave me life, we must find a way to soothe her.

  “Acia. There is no available layout of the suspected lab, but I was able to find a few construction plans of similar facilities. There is a possibility that the Universal Community follows a similar building pattern when creating their outposts.”

  I scan the multilayer graphic, zooming in on its outer edge. It will not be easy to breach but is not entirely impossible. The small area near the rear of the complex is vulnerable. I point to the area. “Here. This is where we will access the facility.”

  Sol’s eyebrows furrow. “How will we board from that location? There is no landing strip, or a place to latch on…”

  I growl. “Are you questioning my capabilities?”

  Sol rolls his eyes. “Of course not, Acia. I was simply thinking of the Aciana. She and the human Leandra usually insist on joining you.”

  I groan, anticipating the length of the conversation between us. My mate is stubborn. Persistent. Just the thought of her ferocity makes me want to dine between her thighs.

  “She will not be coming.”

  Sol snorts. “Does she know this?”

  Rather than answer him, I glare, then return my focus to the digital layout he has projected above my chair.

  “I will leave that conversation to you. Do you wish me to adjust the isolation suits from the anteroom to fit your build? This ship does possess a tether…” Sol says, and an idea sparks to life.

  “You believe such a simple cord is capable of sustaining my weight?”

  “In theory, the material used to construct the tether should be strong enough to allow you to free float in space while remaining connected to the ship.”

  “Very well. Calculate the safest route to exit this craft mid-flight. My female will be pissed if I damage myself.” Sol grins. “Keep your comments to yourself.”

  “Of course, Acia. Have you considered what you will do with Xen once you find him?”

  The barbs slide from my fingers, scraping against the table. “Yes. I have every intention of resisting the urge to kill him so that I may search his mind. We will see if I am able to refrain from ripping off his fucking face after that.”

  Sol swallows hard. “Best of luck, Acia. You will need it.”

  Jayla

  I’ve never noticed the tiny specs of silver embedded in the flat gray walls of the navigation bay until today. Probably because I hadn’t had cause to stare at them. But since I’m trying my hardest not to strangle Ren, I’ve been doing it for five minutes straight. There’s no amount of coffee that could make waking up to this hot mess of an idea acceptable.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t think I quite understand. You’re going to do what?” I ask, swiping a hand across my forehead. There is no way in hell my mate is going to jump from a moving spaceship.

  No fucking way.

  “The tether will sustain me until I have secured myself to the exterior of the station. I will release it, then breach the lower deck near the rear.”

  “Yeah. Still don’t get it.” I shake my head, refusing to acknowledge his nonsense.

  “The tether—”

  “Will sustain you, I get it. But what I don’t understand is how you think this is even remotely safe. You’re going to jump. Through open space. And hope you land on an enemy station? That’s basically the equivalent of car surfing with spaceships.”

  Ren’s brows furrow in confusion. “I do not understand your reference.”

  “Ugh,” I groan, jumping up out of my chair and trudging over to him. “There has to be another way. Why can’t we just make some shit up and try to board?”

  Ren’s hand snakes out and tangles in my hair, lightly tugging me toward him.

  “Because this place does not officially exist. There is no documentation. How would we explain our reasoning for being some place that is shrouded from the public eye?”

  “I don’t like it. No, Ren.”

  His eyes narrow, and he kisses the tops of my lids. I flush. It’s an incredibly sweet gesture. “It is the only way, my Aciana. We must retrieve Xen, and this is on the way to the gathering place. The other factions will expect a full report. I need to know what lies inside his mind.” He dips his head beneath my chin and curls his body into mine.

  “But I thought Ari found a bunch of names. Didn’t any of those leads pan out?”

  Frustration spikes through the bond. “Sol found them. Both were snuffed out before we even left for Deeb. Someone is sanitizing all those involved that are seen as expendable. Which likely means we would have exerted the effort for very little information.”

  “So, send Ragar…” I cringe the second the words come out of my mouth. Ugh, I feel shitty even thinking it.

  “You would ask me to risk the life of your friend’s mate, but not my own?”

  I groan, burrowing against his chest. “No. I hate it when you make so much sense. How long do we have until you need to leave?”

  “According to Rivan and Sol’s calculations, we will arrive in less than half an Earth day.”

  The image of Hana’s face pops into my mind. “Do you think while you’re there you can steal some medical supplies? We’ve nearly used our entire stash on Hana’s wound, and with how large it is, we’ll need much more.”

  “I will bring what I find. How is the female? Is Injari fulfilling what is required of her?”

  A little pool of dread forms in the pit of my stomach. I need to go see
her and check in with Naya about the other females and how they’re getting along. Outside of our shared auction experience, I’ve yet to actually get to know most of Xen’s recovered group. As for Linara…I really don’t feel like dealing with her attitude. I’m near my breaking point with that one. I’m either going to see red and try to claw her face off or burst into tears because I can’t put my hands on Ren’s mom.

  Chances are, I’ll end up doing both.

  “She was doing fine the last time I checked.” I sigh and reluctantly peel myself off his abs. “I’ll go check on her and the others now. I need to update them anyway, and make sure everyone’s still alive.”

  Ren’s expression goes blank. “They are alive. You have cause to question their life force?”

  I snort. “Not being literal. Just saying I need to go see them. Make sure they’re all okay and adjusting properly.”

  Ren grunts and gives me a hard kiss, pulling away to return to the interior images projected above Sol’s work station. “Very well,” he says looking over his shoulder. “Find the females and get yourself some nourishment.”

  My lips flatten, and I raise a brow.

  Ren sighs. “Fine, female. Check on the others before you return to the video journals and your relentless search for the truth.”

  I smirk. “You know you love me.”

  A hot wave of lust simmers beneath Ren’s gaze as it burns into mine. “More than the feel of holding my enemy’s still-beating heart in my hands.”

  As strange as it sounds, I’m totally smitten with the weird ass compliment. He really likes to kill things.

  Chapter Seven

  Jayla

  “How is she?” I ask with trepidation. Injari’s eyes narrow, and her nostrils flare. From where she’s sitting, arms crossed with her feet propped upon a table in the corner of the room, it’s obvious she’s not happy about being assigned to watch Hana.

  “You mean since she nearly died? She’s laid there. Said and done nothing. Why have me monitor someone unconscious when my sister needs me?” I take six steps toward her, careful not to move too fast. She’s never shown any aggression toward me, but when Naya informed her of her new assignment, she destroyed her room and even got in a punch or two before the Keeper shut her down.

  I guess I can add her to the list of people who currently dislike me. Once Ren tells everyone what we’ve found so far on those video journals, it’s going to get much, much longer.

  “Your sister is doing fine. I just spoke with her. She even left her room to eat downstairs with Amina and Osa.”

  The thick dark blonde brows framing Injari’s eyes shoot up. “She chose to leave voluntarily?” I nod, and the rich violet of her eyes brightens a fraction. “That is…unexpected.”

  “And a step in the right direction,” I add. “You’ve done a kickass job taking care of her, and despite what you may think, you’ve kept her safe. Both then…and now.”

  “Your words are kind, but incorrect, Aciana. I have failed Urina in ways I cannot even describe. Her innocence was ripped from her, and I could do nothing but hold her gaze.” She turns to stare at the wall, and I worry I’ve lost her to her guilt. She was making such progress…

  “She really ate with the other females?”

  I’m not surprised by the disbelief in her voice. Her sister’s barely spoken since the two of them were unchained from inside the Inokine ship. The fact that she has started to come out of her shell is nothing short of a miracle.

  “Yes. You can ask her yourself, if you’d like.” Injari’s gaze slides to the door for a second then back to the slumbering Mageran. Sweat dots Hana’s forehead, and her orange hair is a tangled, oily mess.

  “I will speak with her later. For now, will you show me how to dress her wound? Naya tried to instruct me, but I was too angry to listen.” Injari lowers her head, and the hideous brand stamped on the back of her neck is blurred by the light wisps of blond hair starting to grow from her scalp. “Forgive me, Aciana, I did not mean you any disrespect. When it comes to my sister I—”

  “Don’t apologize to me. You don’t owe me, or anyone else, an explanation.”

  Making sure to grab the anti-microbial gauze, I join Injari at Hana’s bedside and show her step by step how to change and clean the massive abdominal wound. It’s not that difficult because Hana’s still out, but after she’s awake, Injari will have to learn how to dose pain medications and help her to eat.

  Thinking about all that’s going to be required of her is making me second guess giving her the job. I mean hell, that is what I do. Well, it used to be, anyway.

  Watching as her scarred hands wipe the red, swollen edges of Hana’s wound, I marvel at her precision. She really does have a talent for it. Or maybe I’m just clumsy as hell, but the pain and misery in her eyes dulls as she devotes all her attention to the task of caring for Hana.

  A sense of hope sparks inside me. Maybe by helping someone else who’s faced a similar evil, she can find the strength to save herself.

  “This female…she helped to save the others?” Injari’s hands are steady as she pulls the soiled gauze from the deepest part of Hana’s abdominal wound. The smell of infection is faint, but still there. She’ll need daily dressing changes, and I’m not sure we have enough for many more.

  “That’s a damn understatement. She pulled a knife out of her vagina and used it to stab one of the creatures forcing the females to shower. She took down four other guards too before I lost sight of her in the smoke.”

  Her gaze lifts from the wound to Hana’s still face. “That is…resourceful.”

  “Hell yeah, it was. They weren’t expecting it either. She was the only reason I managed to get the cages open and free the females locked inside.”

  “Her frame is small. She does not look so fierce.”

  I laugh, holding in a snort. “Oh, just wait for her to wake up. You’re going to wish she was passed back out.”

  After placing the tension dressing to reinforce Hana’s abdominal wall, Injari walks toward the door, but stops at the edge of Hana’s bed.

  “Aciana?”

  “Hmm?” I ask, still focused on ensuring the dressing has been properly placed.

  “When we get to Bastian, Urina and I will be expected to…” Her stiff shoulders and downcast eyes make something deep inside me rise up, determined to protect her.

  “Screw expectations. You can stay here if you want. You don’t have to interact. We’ll figure it out. Hana can’t move anyway. I’ll find a way to keep you here.” Her shoulders sag in relief, and her lips curl up a fraction. Not quite a smile but I’ll take it.

  No matter how old I am, or how jaded, I’ll never get tired of staring at stars. With my head propped up on one hand, I follow the hot balls of gas as we fly by, close to the station where Ren believes Xen is being kept. My grandfather always said his papa told him that the stars are the most beautiful right before they die. Sometimes, I wonder if that’s a metaphor for life.

  Or maybe just a load of shit because my great-grandfather is a total nut job.

  The sound of uneven footfalls draws my attention, and I swivel my chair around. I burst into laughter at the sight of Leandra hobbling in like she’s been riding a space rocket for weeks on end. She grimaces, then eases her way into the chair beside me, slapping an ice pack between her thighs. Still unable to catch my breath, my eyes tear, and my side burns.

  Leandra narrows her eyes. “Stop laughing at me, it’s not funny,” she demands, grimacing with each shift of her hips. “I think he broke me, and I’m pissed.”

  I gasp, finally sucking in a full breath as my giggle fit comes to an end. A small moan escapes her lips when she leans back into the chair and Ragar suddenly appears at her side, strapped with weapons in preparation for his and Ren’s mission.

  She glares at him. Without saying a word, he shoves coffee at her and grunts, taking her cue to leave, then stomps over to where Ren and Sol are tearing through the latest tips they’ve received from
their various sources. Even though we’ve barely scratched the surface, after we discovered that my great-grandfather had a female Inokine in his lab, Ren’s been determined to get his hands on Xen.

  The tension is incredibly high. Sol already has reports of several clans arriving on Bastian for the gathering, and they are anxious for answers. The worst part? Right now, we don’t have them. Trying my best to ignore the anxiety turning my insides into knots, I give Leandra my full attention. This is the first time I’ve seen her since she ran off screaming at Ragar.

  “I swear. I can’t decide whether I want to kick his ass or eat it…seriously. Everything about him drives me insane,” she grumbles.

  “Ha! Welcome to my world. I told you there were some serious perks.”

  “How do you do it? I don’t get it. I can barely walk. My entire body hurts.”

  “Ren heals me. Magic tongue.” I waggle my eyebrows.

  “Ragar tried, but I guess it’s not working yet. Oh, my shit, I have to pee and I’m terrified.”

  “Oh, stop being dramatic. It can’t be that bad.”

  “You think I’d be walking around with this stupid thing if it weren’t?” She holds up the icepack. “Parts that should be on the inside are on the outside, Jay. It ain’t right. And the worst part of it all is that I haven’t gotten any in years…and it was so good. But if he’s going to try and blow his load in my chest cavity every time we get it on, I won’t live long enough to enjoy it.”

  “So, you guys are...”

  Almost as if drawn to him, Leandra turns and locks eyes with Ragar. His nostrils flare, and his body goes rigid. The tension in the room doubles in the few seconds she waits to answer.

  “Yeah. He may be a savage…but he’s mine.”

  I smirk. “So, what do you think of their bonehead plan to sneak onto the station?”

  Leandra’s eyes narrow, and she glares at Ragar again. “Don’t get me started. You’re going to have to keep me strapped in this chair the entire time, or I’m likely to get up and shake him.”