Zaureth: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 4)

by Kellen,Ditter

  “This man showed up and got me away from him.” She indicated Roman with a small wave of her hand. “They started fighting, and I fell.” Exhaling a shaky breath, she squinted against the lights. “Can I please sit up?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m going to have to ask you not to move.” He gave her an apologetic look. “The medics are almost here.”

  The deputy alternated between questioning her and radio communication until she wanted to scream. Her worry over Jacie grew by the minute.

  “Roman Castillo, right?” The officer glanced at him before scribbling more information in his little book. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “Gates!” someone yelled from a few yards away. “The medics are here.” The sound of sirens approaching abruptly stopped.

  Lydia’s stomach twisted. The closest ambulance service was her hospital, and she hoped it wasn’t anyone she recognized. She had no intension of going to the emergency room and didn’t want to be pressured by people she worked with. She was relieved when strangers exited the vehicle.

  Time passed in a blur of repetitive information. Medic pokes and prods warred with the incessant throbbing inside her head. She suffered through the lights in her eyes and their questions until they mentioned taking her to the ER for observation.

  “No.” She sat up so fast her vision blurred. Roman’s arm came around her in a protective manner, and she found herself relaxing against him.

  One of the medics gently probed her head. “Ms. Hughes. You were unconscious for a time. I’m pretty sure you have a concussion.”

  “I work at the hospital. You don’t have to tell me that.” She didn’t mention it was the lab she worked in. Frigid wind cut through, leaving her shivering to the bone.

  “I’m not going to the emergency room.” She couldn’t afford the cost of the ambulance or the ER fees on top of her daughter’s meds and piling doctor bills. She pushed away the medic’s hands and rose. “I’m going home.”

  “Okay, then, I’m going to need you to sign an AMA.” He took out a piece of paper from his bag, secured it to a clipboard, and passed it to her. “Since you work at the hospital, I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”

  “Yes. It’s a refusal of service. It means against medical advice.” She took the pen he offered, signed the appropriate place, and handed it back.

  “Do you have someone to keep an eye on you for a few hours?”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Roman’s deep voice rumbled next to her ear.

  An odd sensation flowed through her. Any thoughts she had of declining abruptly fled. “Thank you,” she muttered, resting her head against him.

  The medic raised his hands in defeat. “There are things you need to know.”

  “Tell me what she needs to do.”

  * * * *

  “We’ll do what we can, Ms. Hughes. Please call this number if you remember anything else.” The police officer gave her a card, dropped his clipboard onto the backseat, and shut the door with more force than was necessary.

  “Officer Gates.” Roman held out his hand.

  The guy shook it without thought, giving Roman an impression of impatience. With the level of crime taking place in the city these days, it was certainly understandable.

  “I have your card. I’ll let you know if I remember anything as well,” Roman muttered, releasing the deputy’s hand.

  Gates gave an abrupt nod, his gaze softening as he looked at Lydia. “Stay safe and make sure you get that head checked out.”

  “I will.”

  He turned his attention back to Roman. “You’ll take her home? We can give her a ride if it’s an inconvenience for you.”

  Roman forced a smile. “No inconvenience.”

  “I don’t care who takes me home, but I need to hurry.” Lydia’s face was drawn and pale.

  She has a daughter. Roman kept his expression passive, but his mind spun with the implications. He wondered if Simon was aware of the child.

  The radio crackled as another call came in. “That’s us.” Gates’s partner jogged to the driver’s side and climbed behind the wheel. Gates nodded to Roman, jerked the passenger door open, and disappeared inside. The patrol car sped away.

  “Let’s get you out of here.” Roman hit Autostart on his key ring, and the purr of his SUV’s engine could be heard through the wind along with Lydia’s heartbeat. Every thrum and push of blood through her system was a siren’s song to his beast. His jaw ached, but he kept his fangs retracted. Barely.

  It wasn’t going to be easy being enclosed in a vehicle with her scent torturing him. She smelled like Ione. Better than Ione. Memories came flooding back with a vengeance.

  “Thank you for saving me.” She peered up at him with guileless blue eyes, and he was swept away by sensations he thought long dead.

  What if she knew his kind was the reason she’d been attacked in the first place? He doubted thanking him would be at the top of her list.

  A growl threatened to rise up. The last thing he needed was to lose his head over a pawn in Svetlana and Simon’s private war. Ione was gone and had been for centuries. “No problem.”

  They reached the SUV and he unlocked the passenger side. “How far away do you live?”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Her hesitation wasn’t lost on him.

  “I told the medic and the police officers that I would see you home safely.” He opened the door and stepped aside. Heat drifted out, and he could almost see her cheeks warming.

  “Thank you. I just live a few blocks from here.”

  “You have a daughter?” The question came out before he could stop it.

  Her face lost some of its tension. “Yes.”

  Roman held out his hand. She stared at it a moment before sliding her palm against his. Her fingers were small and freezing. A quick glance showed him she had short, well-kept nails. He imagined how they would feel digging into his back. What her lips would taste like. “Let’s get you home.”

  Her mouth opened in surprise when he lifted her quickly onto the seat. He tried to ignore the way her soft body felt against his or the way his fingers seemed to burn from touching her despite the layers of clothing between them. I’m so screwed.

  He could see her pulse point slamming and wondered what it would feel like against his tongue. Her cheeks were flushed, and the scent of her body changed to something tantalizing.

  Roman clenched his jaw. “Go ahead and put on your seat belt.”

  Frigid air cut through his lungs but did nothing to cool his head. He shut the door, fled to the driver’s side, and got in without another word.

  “Where to?”

  “Just north of here, not too far.”

  Fear weaved through her again. He could feel her fighting to stay calm. Her emotions were so easy to pick up; he could almost taste each individual one. It would be all too easy to control her mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. A gentle persuasion won’t hurt.

  He inwardly sighed and put both hands on the steering wheel. “How’s your head?”

  She reached up and touched the back of her scalp. “It throbs.”

  “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

  Her arm moved to the console between them, and Roman laid his hand over her wrist, flooding her with emotional calm. He felt the change almost instantly as her alarm settled into a comfortable haze of warmth.

  “I won’t hurt you.” He turned to look at her, staring deep into her eyes. “I can’t hurt you.”

  He interlocked her fingers with his and sent soothing thoughts to her until she relaxed against the leather seat.

  It wasn’t that Lydia resembled Ione or even that her mannerisms were the same. Ione was impassive and quiet while Lydia’s mind was a riot of color and passion.

  Blood never lies. He had recognized Lydia’s the first time he’d scented it… A descendent of the Barbatus King, father of the cursed. If not for the king’s selfishness and greed, Lydia wouldn’t be in danger, and Ione would ha
ve lived a long, happy life safe in Roman’s arms.

  Centuries of anger and resentment came flooding back in an instant. He wanted to kill Barbatus all over again. Roman prayed there was a hell and that Ione’s father, the king, was writhing in it still. The fact that he’d bargained with a witch and had all the female children in his bloodline cursed in an exchange for power was bad enough, but to watch his own daughter die and do nothing was beyond evil.

  Roman shifted his gaze back to the road. She had no idea her blood carried a two-thousand-year-old curse or that Simon wanted her for that very reason. She would give him the power needed to defeat his maker, Svetlana.

  A deep anger curled inside Roman’s gut. He would kill Simon before he’d allow him near Lydia again.

  He unlocked their fingers to trace her wrist with his thumb. A small sip would soothe the ravenous beast clawing its way out. Just a drop of her blood would be enough. He put the SUV in reverse, using all of his control to ease out of the parking lot. His gums itched where his fangs began their descent. Damn Simon for triggering his hunger.

  Chapter Three

  Lydia watched Roman from beneath lowered lashes. The icy road held his attention while the soft blue light reflecting off the dash caressed his face.

  “What do you do, Mr. Castillo?”

  “Please call me Roman. I work in personal security.”

  “What, like a bodyguard?”

  “More like home and self-defense. We teach you how to protect yourself when the police can’t do it for you.”

  She turned to stare out the window, her gaze tracing over the lighted homes. “So how do you help?”

  “We work for a single client or licensed investigators, security system installation, you name it. Whatever is required. One of my clients owns a pawn shop nearby. Someone was tampering with his security system. I had just left there when I saw you get dragged into that alley.”

  “Were you the one that called the police?”

  “There was no time. I’m not sure who did.”

  She brought her attention back to the road. “Take a right, here.”

  He made an expert turn, and she could see the pale yellow glow of Jacie’s lamp illuminating through her bedroom window. “I’m the red brick house.” Her home was the only one in the neighborhood with Christmas lights still up. Jacie loved them, and Lydia couldn’t bring herself to take them down.

  He didn’t comment as he pulled into the driveway.

  “Well, thank you for your help tonight.” She suddenly became nervous again.

  “Wait.” He glanced around and shut off the SUV. “You have no porch light?”

  “What are you doing?” She reached for the door handle.

  “I’m seeing you inside.”

  She had flashes of the dirty dishes she’d left in the sink that morning. “Really, Mr. Castillo, that won’t be necessary. I can make it from here.”

  He narrowed his eyes and opened the door. Icy wind swept inside, stealing her breath. She got out and scrambled to the ground as he came around the vehicle “What are you—”

  “There’s ice everywhere.” He steadied her when she would have fallen.

  “Mr. Castillo—”

  “Roman,” he corrected her, sweeping her up into his arms.

  “What are you doing?”

  His smoky glance made her stomach flip. “You must have bumped your head a little too hard. You’re repeating yourself.”

  She could only hold onto him. For a moment, she relaxed into the warmth he offered.

  The door opened, and Jeanie poked her head out. “Ms. Hughes?” The haphazardly mess of the woman’s hair was almost comical. “Well, hello.” Jeanie’s eyes lit up with interest. “Who is this?”

  “Roman.” He nodded before turning the full power of his smile on her. Lydia watched the other woman melt in her furry boots. She could sympathize.

  Sudden pressure rose in the back of Lydia’s head, and she stilled. Her vision grayed, and her eyes slid shut.

  Darkness. Fire. Blood. She could taste death on the air. So cold. A figure strode from the flames, resembling Balor, God of Death. Everywhere she looked...they were all dead.

  Moonlight glinted off the bloodstained metal of his blade. His breastplate gleamed red and gold from the fires of her village.

  Her gaze drew up to the chilling green eyes of the man who’d come to her rescue. “Roman.” He smiled with demon’s fangs.

  * * * * *

  “Lydia?” His deep voice broke through her confusion.

  “Roman,” she gasped. The man kneeling before her was different than the one from a moment ago. The changes were subtle—more lines in his face, shorter hair. What the hell is wrong with me?

  She put a hand to her head and glanced around. “I’m on the couch.”

  “You fainted.” Jeanie sat beside her with a penlight in hand. “Mr. Castillo tells me you have a concussion.”

  “I must have hit my head harder than I thought.”

  “It doesn’t take much.” Jeanie touched her face. “Don’t move.” She did the same checks the medics had done.

  Lydia wanted to shrug it off as nothing, but the strange images shook her. So did the way Roman watched her from his perch on the coffee table.

  “Where’s Jacie?”

  “She’s asleep in her room.” The other woman continued her examination.

  “How was she today?”

  “A little tired. We had to rest a few times.”

  “Has she gotten any of her appetite back?” Lydia hated watching Jacie waste away to nothing.

  Jeanie shook her head. “We wrote a letter today to Baltha about her birthday. I helped her with most of the spelling, but she is so proud of her writing.”

  “Did she finally say what she wants? I’ve been trying to get her to tell me for weeks now.”

  “You should read it.” Jeanie’s tone and the lack of expression caused dread to tighten in Lydia’s chest.

  “Baltha?” Roman raised his eyebrows.

  Lydia attempted a small smile. “Baltha was my grandmother’s cat. Jacie was pretty upset when the cat died, so Grandma told her Baltha went to live on the North Star and would always be her guardian angel. Jacie’s a true believer and even has a stuffed animal named Fangton, since the cat had slept with one just like it.”

  She rose from the couch with Jeanie’s unnecessary help. “Where’s the letter?”

  Roman stood also.

  Jeanie was quick to respond. “It’s in her room. She just went to sleep, so you might want to wait a bit.”

  Lydia nodded. “I’ll just check on her.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Jeanie trailed behind her. “What happened tonight? Roman told me a little bit.”

  They reached Jacie’s room, and Lydia placed her palm against the closed door. “Someone jumped me on the way home. Mr. Castillo came to my rescue, but I took a pretty bad fall and hit my head on the ice.” She was amazed at the calm way she touched on those memories. All the panic and fear from earlier was almost gone. I must be tired.

  Jeanie shivered and hugged herself. “Nowhere is safe anymore. Did he want your purse or something?”

  “No. He wanted to...” She touched her neck where his tongue had licked the skin. A shudder ran through her. “You smell incredible.” The guy had said something else that she couldn’t remember. A wave of dizziness seized her.

  “Are you okay?”

  Lydia’s gaze sharpened as she shook off the memories. “Can we talk about this later?”

  Jeanie pierced her with a professional look she usually reserved for Jacie. “Yes, but I’m staying with you tonight.”

  Lydia’s mind immediately went to overtime cost. She could only afford insurance for one of them, and Jacie’s care took up all of their allotted hours. Her illness was more aggressive now, but they weren’t approved for more time yet. Every minute was needed for her daughter.

  “I’ll be fine. It wasn’t my head that caused the dizziness, just the m
emory of the attack. You need to go home. The roads are getting terrible.” One little conk on the noggin wouldn’t bring her down.

  “Lydia.”

  She calmly turned Jeanie toward the living room and gave her a gentle push. “I’ll be fine. A storm’s coming, and you need to hurry.” Lydia slipped into Jacie’s room, quietly closing the door behind her before the woman could protest.

  Lydia braced against the door for a moment, trying to get some kind of composure back. Where was the calm she’d somehow found between the alley and home?

  She inhaled a slow breath and let it go, mimicking the pain management techniques she and Jacie had learned together. Her daughter didn’t need to see her come unhinged.

  Jacie turned over in bed, and Lydia stepped slowly forward. The soft glow of the lamp reflected off Jacie’s little bald head, and Lydia’s heart flipped at the loss of her beautiful hair. She reached over and switched off the light. Jacie always kept it on if Lydia worked late.

  “Mom?” Her voice was thick with sleep.

  “Hey, honey.” Lydia sat on the edge of the bed. “How long have you been awake?”

  “Off and on...” She hesitated a little too long.

  “Were you listening to our conversation?”

  Jacie’s expression was as solemn as a six-year old’s could ever be. Wide blue eyes stared at Lydia without blinking. “I’m not supposed to listen to grownup conversations.”

  “That’s what they tell me.” Lydia leaned in really close so their noses almost touched. “You’re not fooling me for a minute.”

  Jacie lost the cherub innocence instantly and mischief danced in her eyes. Her smile pushed away the darkness, the weird dizziness. Everything.

  “Sorry I was late, kiddo.” Lydia dropped a light kiss on her nose.

  “Somebody hurt you? Did you get Band-Aids?”

  “Nope. No Band-Aids. No cool stickers either. Not even a lollipop.”

  Jacie made a face of disgust. “No lollipops?”

  “Nope. I got to see a police officer though.”

  The little girl grinned. “Did he pull his gun on you?”

  Lydia ran her hand along her daughter’s forehead. She was cooler than she’d like. “No such luck. Turns out I wasn’t the bad guy.”