Taya brought her hands up trying to make them spark desperately.
“Help me! I need to be able to fight. Why can’t I call the flames?” The harder she tried to make her hands spark the more drained she felt.
“You’re trying too hard. Your body is still recovering from what it went through at the trials. On top of that, you spent a week not eating; you have nothing left, Sweetness.”
“What do we do?”
“We wait.”
Wait. She watched Zuhun, he hadn’t made a move. He was hovering over the ground, eyes focused on Melissa, but she had that eerie feeling that he knew she was there.
“I can explain,” Melissa stuttered and pulled back some of her feelers from Gabe leaving one to keep him immobilized.
“Please do.” He sounded like a gracious host waiting for an explanation to something minor that went wrong.
She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
“Allow me to take a stab at it.” His multiple eyes moved as they focused on her.
The movement made Taya take deep breaths to keep from losing any food she may have stupidly consumed that day.
Melissa was as pinned as Gabe was, her eyes were big as she stared at Zuhun, but her hand was sliding along the rock floor of the cave looking for something to grasp. Taya shook her head almost as if she could communicate with the woman to tell her that would make things worse.
“I think we will start at the beginning. You killed your mother who happened to be one of the rare friends I had. If you can say I am even capable of having friends, she also happened to be my lover. I let you live, more for your mother’s sake than your own. She always asked me to leave you alone and when she asked with her head around my cock, it was hard to deny her anything. Were you grateful for your life? No.”
He moved around the cave examining the walls, looking at the remnants of other souls she had drained. He stopped; having gotten closer to Melissa the wild look in her eyes grew.
“Then you started killing on my land. Did you really think I did not know you were here? Of course you did. I am not human; I am not even a human off shoot. I come from a world so advanced that your species will only hope to gain a tenth of the knowledge we have before you blow yourselves to pieces.
“In a rare moment of honesty, I will admit that our knowledge led to our destruction. I allowed you to kill on my property and I did not claim a tithe or your life. Did you appreciate it? No. You carried on clueless to what you were doing and the messes I was cleaning up behind you, but now you have broken the ultimate rule. You became so greedy that you went after my food source.”
The fear in Melissa’s eyes made Taya want to hold and protect her which she knew was stupid. She watched as Melissa tried to move her body. Zuhun immobilized it; she couldn’t even twitch a finger.
“Tell me, why I should allow you to live, Melissa? I have learned somethings in all the centuries I have hunted the Arbrin/Matra. Often times the hunted becomes the hunter. No matter how powerful you are, you can become the prey. You, Melissa, have never been prey. It was the one disservice your mother did for you. She kept every manifestation that was stronger than you away from you. What a way to realize your mother loved you.”
Zuhun’s laughter sent spikes of cold terror down Taya’s back while she pleaded with herself to flame on or at least give her a spark. It wouldn’t matter even if she could make a flame, she didn’t have enough within her to defeat Zuhun.
They were dead after everything they had gone through. The facing of her fears alone was enough to drain her, the trials had been designed to suck out every inch of energy within her and her stupidity of not taking care of herself had done the rest.
She promised herself if she lived through today she would never be depleted of energy again. Her life wasn’t about having energy, that was a given considering what she was and who she was soul-bonded to. It was about making sure she was ready to face those enemies when they crawled out the woodwork.
Zuhun moved closer to Melissa, reached down and pulled her up by the shirt she was wearing and tossed her to the side.
“A natural protector. That is what the Arbrin/Matra is; it is also part of what can be used against you. You chose to protect your soul-bonded rather than kill Melissa; do not deny it, I can feel her. You have so much power now that Xolon is not feeding off of you. So much stronger than your brother.”
Zuhun brought his hand down. It changed becoming slender as he pressed the tips of his nails into Gabe. His body bucked into the air as Zuhun groaned from the energy he was feeding on. He pulled back leaving Gabe lying on the ground looking broken.
“Another day we will finish this but your family is too close and I do not want an all-out war—not yet.” He moved away from Gabe and went to stand over Melissa.
“It seems I must teach you the manners your mother never got a chance to. That is if you survive me draining you dry every day and using you for my personal pleasure. The curve of your ass is pleasing. I can’t wait to be buried deep inside of it.”
Taya kept her hand firmly over her mouth as the first tears of regret ran down Melissa’s face.
“It is too late for tears, Melissa.” Zuhun struck out his hand going deep into her body. She screamed with pain and he lit up with her energy. “You taste divine.” Melissa collapsed at his feet. He bent over and picked her up turning to leave the cave.
He stopped when he came close to where Taya was hiding. “I have not forgotten how good you taste.” His voice came out in a sick caress making her shiver. “I will be back for you.”
He adjusted the weight of his bundle and left the cave as if he had all the time in the world.
Taya got up and ran to Gabe, trying to wake him. “Wake up, love; we have to get out of here. We need help, please wake up.”
“Taya! Where are you?”
“Rylan, we’re in a cave. How are you in my mind?”
“I’m not in your mind, I’m in Gabe’s. You’re trying to connect with him so I was able to follow his link to find you. Where’s the cave?”
She showed him how she got here.
“Stay calm, don’t try to move him, I’m close and will be there soon.”
She nodded even as the link broke.
“Love, we need a time out. I’m tired of evil women, aliens that hover and don’t walk. Heck, I’m even tired of Voyager and his multiple images. I feel sorry for his soul-bonded or whatever she is or will be to him. In the end though, I’m tired of not getting time with you.”
She curled up around him keeping her gaze trained on the entrance to the cave. Her fingers flexed in the brass knuckles she was still wearing. No one but family was getting in this cave to get close to her soul-bonded. She had reached her limit of life threatening situations.
A small whistle alerted her to the fact someone was coming into the cave. She got up and crouched over Gabe’s body. When Rylan came into view she gave a deep sigh of relief.
“You’re a little fighter aren’t you?”
“He won’t wake up.” She ignored him.
“Let me get closer, Taya; I swear I won’t hurt him.” He stopped to watch her until she finally moved back, clearing space for him to come to his brother’s side.
He leaned over Gabe running his hands over Gabe’s body before he closed his eyes.
“He’s alive, he’s just depleted. A lot of his energy went into making sure you were going to survive the attack with Troy. Then Melissa drained him and Zuhun finished the job.”
Ryland took his hands and pressed them together palms facing each other. He closed his eyes and a fire began to form over his body until it changed and became the essence of energy. He opened his palms and placed them on Gabe’s chest like they were paddles. With every push down, Gabe’s body jumped like his heart was being stimulated back to life. Four times he gave him an infusion of energy.
He moved back and Taya could see Gabe’s eyelids flutter before they actually opened.
“Taya?”
She was at his side in a minute.
“I’m here and you’re going to be all right.”
“What about you?”
“You’re a stubborn, stubborn male. Maybe that’s why I love you.” Her tears ran down her face landing on his cheek. “I’m fine, you protected me.”
“Perfect,” he said, his eyelids closing as he slid deep into sleep this time.
“Can you walk?” Rylan asked her.
She nodded and stood. “Perfect, carrying him might take all the energy I have left.”
He reached down and picked up his brother placing him over his shoulder.
“I need my hands free to fight,” he told Taya before leading her out the cave.
The light outside the cave almost blinded her until she realized Aviana was there keeping watch to make sure no one snuck up on them and she was creating a light that made it look like the noon day sun.
She turned to look at her soul-bonded as he walked over to her still carrying Gabe. He leaned down and kissed her. Aviana gave him a look that said he was the best male on the face of the Earth. Taya’s heart clenched because she knew she looked at Gabe the same way.
Taya and Aviana walked behind Rylan as he led the way to freedom.
“Soon you will be able to do what I’m doing. It was hard for me in the beginning, now I practice every day and I’m amazed at what I can do. Believe me, it’s a good thing because I have a little Umor princess to keep in line and that little girl is powerful.”
“She’s an absolute doll and no problem at all,” Rylan commented as they walked to the SUV.
“As you can see she has her father wrapped around her tiny finger, which means I have to work all the harder to keep her in line.”
Rylan gave a grunt and Aviana gave a high tinkling laugh. Between the two of them, Taya knew it was going to be okay. If Gabe were in trouble, they wouldn’t be talking and teasing each other and treating her like she was part of the family, they would simply be scared.
“Thank you Rylan, Aviana, for coming for us.”
“Baby, is my sister really thanking me? Doesn’t she know this is what family is all about?”
Taya grinned and gave a happy sigh as the vehicle came into sight. Rylan placed Gabe in the back and placed the seat belt over him.
“My mom?” Now that they were safe she needed to remember the reason they were here in the first place.
“She’s probably walking the porch keeping a look out for you and causing your dad major problems as she asks one more time, ‘Where’s my baby?’”
Taya smiled, now that sounded just like her mom. She looked at Rylan and did something she never thought she’d do again. She threw herself at Rylan and gave him the biggest hug and then repeated it with Aviana before she climbed into the back seat to make sure Gabe was leaning against her.
Chapter Thirty
Her mother flew down the steps the minute the SUV came to a stop. She had the door open and Taya in her arms before she could even move.
“Are you all right?” Her mother’s shaky voice was bringing tears to her eyes.
“I’m fine, mom, you’re the one who was captured by a mad man.”
“No baby, I was fine, I promise you. He never even touched me. I don’t know why, I got a feeling a few times he wanted to but it was like something was standing between us. He’d get a haunted look in his eyes and walk away from me saying something crazy about aliens and fire.”
Her mom took off the seat belt and dragged Taya out of the vehicle needing to get a better look at her.
“Mom, you’re strong.”
“I work out. I have to if I want to keep your father. Those old biddies think they can put the moves on him when my back is turned. Grrr.” Her mom growled and Taya wanted to hit the ground laughing. She’d forgotten in her drama how funny her parents were and how much they loved each other.
“Mom, I want to introduce you to Gabe, but he was hurt when we were trying to rescue you.”
“Would that be the male sitting in the back seat watching every move I make like I might hurt you?”
Taya spun around so fast her head ached a little.
“You’re up.” He gave her a smile, undid his seat belt, and slid across the seat to her.
“I’m up. Ry gave me a boost and a little sleep helped. Nowhere near full power but I have enough to be awake.”
Taya hugged him and then turned back to her mom. “Mom, this is Gabe. Gabe, this is my mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Gabe gave her a smile while hugging Taya from behind.
“No young man, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for keeping my Baby safe.”
“Honestly ma’am, I think we kept each other safe. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
Taya leaned in and kissed him. “Let’s get into the house, you need to sit down. You probably need more sleep but you’re stubborn so I’ll settle for you sitting.”
“She knows me,” he smiled at Taya’s mom and slowly lowered himself to the ground. Taya kept hold of him as much as possible.
“I don’t think I can make it up the steps by myself.”
“Silly,” she smiled at him. “That’s why you have me.”
“What she meant was, that’s why you have us.” Her dad had come around at the tail end of the conversation. He placed Gabe’s arm around his shoulder and began to slowly help him move towards the stairs.
“It’s all about family, son and you’re family.
Taya stood still and she watched as they cleared the way for Gabe to enter the house. She watched how they all fawned over him making sure he got in and took a seat. It made her heart jump for joy to see the way her parents and his family loved him.
Then they came back outside, all of them. They stood on the porch and stared at her. Finally, Rylan spoke.
“Taya, if you want to sit outside why didn’t you say so? We can bring a chair out for Gabe.”
Then her heart broke, she wept with joy because she was part of the family too and they truly loved her. She climbed the steps and they circled around her hugging her, healing the last of the damage done to her with their love.
*~*~*~*
Taya opened her eyes to the sun shining into the room. Gabe was holding her tight and watching her sleep. He had a habit of doing that, just watching her. It kind of freaked her out but in a good way.
It had been three weeks since her mom was rescued and they made it back home alive. Her parents had settled in nicely making her wonder when they were thinking of heading home. Then she would feel guilty. It’s not that she wanted them to leave but hiding her extra abilities around them was growing harder now that she was training with Gabe every day. She even had what she laughingly called private lessons with the other females.
He leaned down and gave her a kiss that made her breathless.
“Morning, Sweetness.” His voice made her horny; it was always so raspy first thing in the morning.
“Morning, Love, what’s on the agenda for today?” She cuddled up closer to him, enjoying the covers that kept her warm with the air blowing in the room.
“I’d thought I’d take your parents over and show them that new house that just opened up. Thought they might be interested in it.”
“My parents live in Nevada; they’ll be leaving soon.”
Then again maybe not. She may be hiding her abilities but the Arbrins weren’t. She walked in the living room yesterday to see Rylan in his Matra form with Kayla on his lap and Vick hanging from his back and her dad making jokes about how long he would last. Her dad never once freaked out.
Then she walked into the kitchen and that’s what really shocked her. Selma was sitting at the table and her mother was…well she was mothering Selma and Selma was eating it up as her mom showed her how to make her famous pound cake. Gabe may have a point they didn’t look like they were planning on leaving.
“Uhuh, right.” He leaned down to kiss her, allowing his hands to drift over caressing her. “Why
don’t we talk about it later?”
She placed her hands on his chest pressing him back into the bed. She rose up to straddle him before starting to nip at his jaw line.
This was the best part of any day. She leaned over and tangled her tongue with his.
Back Matter
I hoped you loved reading this book as much as I loved writing it. If you did please consider leaving a review at the vendor where you bought it.
One of the most pleasing things about this book for me was watching Taya come into her own as Gabe dealt with the issues in his life but was still ready and willing to support her. The willingness of each of them to live for the other touched me even as I was writing the story.
I love stories that take me to another place and remind me that life is more than what I see with my eyes.
I hope you enjoyed their story.
Connect with me
You can find me at my website
I’m also on twitter at @serena789books
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Gabe's Destiny (Alien Mates Book Three) Page 18