Gabe's Destiny (Alien Mates Book Three)

by Serena Simpson

  “Tonight, brother.” They just looked at each other, evil smiles gracing their faces.

  Taya turned to look at Aviana and they both shook their heads. This was their lives and neither of them was asking for a do over.

  “Does anyone beside me feel weird that we’re fighting something other than the Sudir?” Paige asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

  “They’ll be back.” Cal wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Maybe someone decided to make our life easy this time.”

  “I died on the end of a sword and found that Xolon’s spirit was using me as a takeout meal. I’m not understanding the easy life part of your statement.”

  “Agreed. There is nothing easy about this.” Cal reversed his earlier position. “Which makes it even more amazing that you survived.”

  “That’s because he is amazing. Dad, I think you should stay here.”

  “No.” His face looked like flint when he said it.”

  “Dad,” she pleaded.

  “That mad man has your mother, but he has my wife. The woman I’ve been with since I was twenty-one. If you think I’m going to sit on this porch and wonder if she is okay, think again. I’m going to be there and I’ll be making sure she comes out in one piece. I’m going to get ready.”

  With his head held high, he walked into the bed and breakfast.

  “Gabe,” she turned to try and get him to talk some sense into her father.

  “Do you think I would wait at home if you were in danger? Sweetness, he drove here on almost no sleep to keep that mad man from hurting his wife. What makes you think that you, I, or anyone else could leave him behind?”

  She dropped her head to his chest. “You’re right. I just want to protect him.”

  “I know but sometimes all you can do is be there for them.”

  She could hear her dad saying those same words. She’d been so busy fighting her demons that she never realized she’d grown up. Now she would take care of her parents just like they were still trying to take care of her.

  They walked into the bed and breakfast on silent feet before they went to their suite.

  She changed her clothes to a pair of black pants that had several pockets where she could hide things like the wire Gabe gave her and the brass knuckles. Her shirt was black also. He said with her black hair she would blend in with the night. She had a knife tied around her thigh again and a gun at her hip.

  Her parents had made sure she knew how to use one after all that happened. She always told them she didn’t have the heart to use it. She no longer felt that way.

  Gabe had a long knife strapped to his leg but he was planning on using his Matra if violence was needed.

  They walked outside to find several jeeps and a truck pulled around to the front of the house.

  “Where are Vick and Mckayla?” Everyone was outside and they weren’t around.

  “They went to Mckayla’s grandparents’ house. It’s not too far from here. I called them and they practically ran up here to pick them up,” Aviana answered her.

  Gabe out right laughed as he tried to imagine the king and queen of Urom running.

  “I’ll have to introduce you to them after this is over, you’ll love them.”

  “The first SUV is for Gabe and Taya,” Victor said. “The second one will hold Selma and me, Rylan and Aviana as well as Cal and Paige. The truck will hold Bob, Joaquin, and Colun. They are our secret weapons. That is why they will be driving a vehicle not thought to be ours. The three of them will be getting Taya’s mom away while the rest of us are mounting a defense to free the two of you.”

  She looked around; everyone was dressed in black blending with the night. Selma was pulling power directly from the moon, while Aviana channeled the water in the air. Her eyes went to Paige.

  “Don’t worry, I overdosed on sun earlier, I can handle anything that comes my way without touching my reserves.”

  Taya didn’t know where her power came from although the others explained to her she had a power source. Maybe it was the earth? They had been so busy fighting the monsters from the past that the ones in the future needed to stand in line for their turn. Now they would fight against this next foe. Soon she would turn her mind toward learning about the abilities she’d been born with.

  “Ready?” Every head nodded and they climbed into their assigned vehicles.

  Gabe turned the engine over and pulled out. He knew Victor would wait before following them.

  “Everything seemed to happen so fast.” Taya spoke; her fear was in her voice but her body was calm like they were taking a late night ride for ice cream.

  “It does seem fast when you think of all the years we were both being held prisoner in hell. Do you regret it?”

  “Yeah, at times I do. I wonder why I couldn’t have been braver or gotten over my trauma quicker. I compare myself to others and come up lacking every time. Then I remember I’m not them. I heal at my own rate, faster than some and slower than others. As long as I heal it will be okay. It’s the getting stuck part that I hated. The living it over and over again like your worst nightmare. Seeing it unfold in front of your eyes as you walk out the door or wait for the light to turn green.”

  She fell into silence but Gabe thought about what she said. Abuse wasn’t limited to a sex, he understood what it was like to have the memories take over and feel helpless to fight them.

  “I’ve been thinking. Taya, would you be willing to sing for me?”

  “You’re funny. I don’t sing.”

  “Yes you do, remember I get to hear your voice in the shower. I wrote a song about recovering from abuse. It’s not much but it could be the life line someone uses to get help and your voice is perfect for it.”

  He couldn’t be serious. One look at him told her he was. All her life she had wanted to do something, anything for victims of abuse. That’s one of the reason she became a hospital administrator; she was able to put together programs to identify and help abuse victims.

  “I’ll do it.”

  “You will?”

  She moved her hand over until it was resting against his thigh.

  “Yeah, I’ll do it and maybe we can start raising funds to help those struggling on their own.”

  “I like that idea.”

  She looked out the window to find they were on a long stretch of road. It was dark, only the head lights giving off any illumination. The road was winding and seemed to be isolated.

  “Are we almost there?”

  “We’re here.” He stopped the SUV and looked for any other vehicles. “Because of the way this road curves, they could be just up ahead and we wouldn’t see them. It also means that if your dad comes down the road, he could be in front of them and they won’t see him.”

  She was going to take every small blessing she could get. Opening the door, she jumped down and waited for Gabe to come around.

  “You came alone. Guess I’ll have to let your mom go free after all and I was so looking forward to killing her.”

  “Show yourself and where is my mom?”

  “She’s around and very much alive at the moment. You should be more concerned about yourself.”

  Taya caught a movement off the side of the road where Gabe was already looking.

  The wicked end of a shotgun came into view before the owner was visible.

  “Taya, I only want you but the female wanted him. Step closer.”

  “Not until I know my mom’s okay and you set her free.”

  “I promise you I will kill her if you don’t do what I say.”

  She moved away from Gabe’s comforting heat and stepped further out in the road. She could now see him.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  She shook her head no and he screamed with rage.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  He looked like a monster, the thing that went bump in the night.

  “Taya, focus sweetness.”

  Gabe’s voice calmed her down, stopping the nightmares that were
trying to take her over. She focused on him again.

  He was tall but not as tall as her dad. She put him around five ten. If he had been there that night, he had aged considerably. Instead of focusing on the body she looked into the eyes. Going through each boy who had been there and their eye color.

  “I know him. It’s his eyes that gave him away. When I first met him, I remember being captivated by his eyes. They are such a light blue that they are almost pale. His name is Troy.”

  “Troy.” She was feeding Gabe all the information she remembered about him.

  “So you do remember me.”

  “It’s the eye color that gave it away. Why Troy? Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”

  “Michael promised me the world; all I had to do was help him. I sold my soul, gave up everything I knew to be right to have a chance to raise my family out of the dirt. It was working. The doors to polite society were beginning to open for me. I could see the future spread out in front of me. Then he met you.

  “I told him to leave you alone but he wouldn’t listen. He said you’d be the jewel in his crown. You’d either be the best thing that happened to him or the worst, but I knew. You would be his destruction, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I think the fool thought he was in love with you. He talked about having children with you.”

  “You’re lying; he saw me as nothing but a whore to defile.” Her voice was steady when she repeated the knowledge that she learned to accept as truth.

  “Wrong,” he laughed, spit coming from his mouth. “I saw you as nothing but a whore to defile. He didn’t know we would be in the room that night. I arranged it, all of it. He was trapped at that point. He couldn’t back down from all that he had promised us. We swore allegiance to him, he owed us, and we were going to collect. The price of being willing to follow him to hell was your life. You should have died that night but you didn’t.

  “You found a way to stop him. I thought he was the devil but you proved that it was you all along. Here’s the thing, he still has to pay for his sins and your life is still the price.” The gleam of insanity brightened his eyes.

  “Troy, you’re sick. You need to see a doctor; they can help you. I know a few.”

  He raised his shot gun and pulled the trigger. Gabe roared.

  “I know what you are. Not human,” his voice emerged as if he were softly singing a song. “You move one muscle and I’ll finish what I started. I may be dead but so will she.

  “Now Troy, darling, we agreed that this one will belong to me.” Melissa stepped out of the shadows.

  “Now that your whore is close to death, you’ll be left with no one. Do you have time for that meal now?”

  “What do you want, Melissa?” He couldn’t be bothered to lift his eyes away from Taya as he watched the shallow rise and fall of her chest.

  “I want some of that lovely power. You were strong when Xolon was feeding off of you; now that he’s gone you’re incredibly strong.”

  “You’re a shapeshifter. You don’t live off of energy.”

  “Don’t I?”

  His eyes reluctantly rose to see the purple gaze take over her eyes. She was half shape shifter half energy vampire.

  “Amazing right? I bet your wondering how I even came about. My mom was draining my dad when she got horny and decided she should ride him to death. Seems he left behind a parting gift—me. I’d have her tell you all about it but I drained her dry one day. I was tired of having to fight her for food.”

  She looked at him and licked her lips. “My mom would have loved to get a hold of you. She would have drained you while milking you for all you’re worth, but not to fret, I will do it for her.”

  His eyes slid from her back to Taya. “So all those deaths didn’t belong to Zuhun after all. You killed around him to make it look like he was the one draining everyone he could get his hands on.”

  “The Sudir was so clumsy, he had no idea what was going on.”

  “Enough talk, take him and leave me the woman.”

  “Gladly.” She threw him a look and crooked a finger at him.

  He ignored her and reached down for Taya. Melissa threw an energy rope at him encircling his body. He snarled and turned into his Matra.

  “Mmm, Matra for dinner. Good things really do come to those who have patience.” She tugged on the rope pulling him behind her even as he struggled.

  “I will kill you,” he roared.

  “Not if I kill you first.” She stopped and turned to look at Taya. “Die knowing that I was the one all over him tonight.”

  She pulled him away as he cursed looking for a way to break free.

  “Honestly you should save your energy, you’ll need it later. No one has ever managed to break my energy rope, human or other.” She loved the taste of others, but partaking of Gabe would be the best meal ever.

  He stumbled behind her, his mind planted firmly in Taya’s taking the pain away from her.

  “You’re going to have to get up, Sweetness, and run. Victor should be close. I know Rylan is; all you have to do is make it to one of them. They are moving in your direction. I’ll keep Melissa occupied while you go free.”

  “You mean you’ll sacrifice your life so I can live. Except I can’t live with that sacrifice.”

  She bit her tongue to keep from screaming as Troy kicked her in the side. He leaned over and stroked her cheek before kissing her. She bit him earning herself a smack across her face.

  “Don’t act like you don’t want it. We both know you do.”

  “Troy, you messed up your own life. You messed up my life and you even messed up Michael’s life. He had a chance, slim though it was, to be better than his forefathers and you took that away from him. You were smart enough to make those doors open on your own. Instead of reaching for that brass ring the right way, you tried to cheat. That’s why you’re here.”

  The next hit rocked her because she wasn’t prepared for it.

  “You don’t get it. No one cares about you.” He reached down and ripped off her shirt. He threw the gun and the knife far away.

  She grinned, it was bloody. The feel of blood seeping down her lip reminded her of all the pain she experienced that night. It would never happen again. Her hand slipped into her pocket finding the brass knuckles. She slipped them on and when he came down to kiss her again, she raised her fist and hit him with all her might.

  He fell back and she rose, the bullet wound making her slower. She dropped down to her knees and started beating him. She screamed her fury.

  Her hand was caught when she brought it up again.

  “That is enough, Taya. They will take care of Troy from here.” The sound of that voice made her look up to see federal agents staring at her. “They have been looking into him for a while. It’s only recently that they were able to gather hard evidence on him. The bodies, combined with his testimony, are all they will need to put him away for the rest of his life.”

  Taya couldn’t say a word as they gathered Troy and ushered him into a police car. Standing in front of her was Marcus Gramby. He looked like he did the day she met him in that interrogation room. The same day he told her that the only decision was whether she was going to drag their lives through hell for someone who didn’t really matter.

  The agents disappeared and she was still staring at him. He reached out and took her hand helping her to stand. His form wavered and he became Voyager. Her eyes widened but she said nothing. Maybe she was getting used to the weirdness. He wavered again and became the male that killed Gabe. Then once again he was Marcus Gramby.

  “That day in the interrogation room you had a chance to make a monster or a monk. Only you had that power. Troy already sold his humanity, there was no help for him, but there was still a chance for Michael and a chance for you. The trial would have destroyed you and cemented Michael’s place in his bloodline. You took the harder road. Sometimes the trial is the harder road but not in this case. You earned my respect that day. I’ve never stopped watching ov
er you.” He turned his back to walk away.

  She gave a light laugh. He turned back around to smile at her. He walked up to her and placed his hand over her wound. White hot heat laced through her. When he pulled away, a bullet was in his hand and she was well.

  “Your soul-bonded needs you.” He disappeared and she started running in the direction she saw Melissa drag Gabe.

  They were going to have a long talk because running wasn’t her thing and she seemed to be doing a lot of it lately. Her mind whirled with all the things she was going to say to him when he was safe. There’d be no more putting himself in trouble and yeah, she wasn’t against putting him in bubble wrap.

  She stumbled and stopped to catch her breath when she heard Melissa moaning. That woman was dead; no one touched her man and lived to tell about it.

  She crept up to the opening in the tunnel she found. This place was convenient; you couldn’t see it from the road but it had easy access.

  Lying on her stomach, she inched her way in to find Gabe on his back with Melissa leaning over him. She had purple strands coming from her body invading his.

  That must be how she feeds. How was she going to defeat her?

  “Leave, sweetness, before she sees you.” His voice was so weak she ached.

  “Can’t do that,” she said in her most cheery tone of voice. “Not leaving without you.”

  “Are you still thinking about her? I’m betting she’s dead by now. Troy didn’t seem to be the most stable individual. Don’t worry, you’ll join her soon enough, although I think I’ll be able to feed a week or even two off of you.”

  Taya felt a vibration in the air that had her rolling to the side and hiding between two big rocks. She looked up and knew they had real problems now.

  “He tastes good doesn’t he? I was enjoying it when I drained his soul-bonded because then I would get a nice little taste of him.

  Melissa looked up and fear flashed in her eyes as his name came to her lips.

  “Zuhun.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine