by Webster, K
“Are they all perished?” I ask, glancing around.
“I fucking hope so.”
Our mouths meet for another desperate kiss. She tastes too good. Mine. When I falter on my feet, she slides down to her feet.
“You need to rest,” she croons. “You’re swaying.”
“I’m fine,” I grumble. “We should get Julie and head back inside.”
A steady hum of an engine pierces the air. I pull Zoe away from the sound and we watch as Julie navigates it toward the cave opening that leads to the prison. It’s too big to fit inside, so she shuts it off once she’s close. Zoe and I hold hands as we walk back. The side door opens with a swoosh and then steps descend.
“Hey, Av? Zoe?” Julie calls out. “Get your asses in here!”
We both take off running. I’m growing weaker by the second, but I don’t stop. The steps are daunting, but Zoe practically drags me up them and into the hull of the ship.
“Found this one hiding,” Julie barks out, shoving a small Kevin toward me.
My sub-bones start popping. The need to protect my mate is overwhelming.
“We’re taking him prisoner?” Zoe asks, unease in her tone.
“No,” I growl. “He’s going to die like the rest of them. I’m going to tear out his throat with my rekking teeth!”
The Kevin starts to cry. I admit the sound scratches at my mind. It’s soft and young. I pause mid-step. Zoe grabs my arm, keeping me in place.
“Julie,” Zoe hisses. “He’s a kid. Why is there a kid on this ship?”
She’s right. He’s not large and menacing like the others I’ve encountered. The thing is tiny and trembles an awful lot. With each movement, he winces as though he’s in pain.
“How old are you?” I ask the Kevin.
“T-Thirteen,” he croaks out.
I lift a brow at him. “Why are you here?”
“M-My master t-takes me on missions.”
I frown at Julie.
Zoe rushes forward. “For what? Why does he take you?”
The human boy looks up with tears in his eyes, shame painting his cheeks red. “F-For p-pleasure.”
Realization that they used the boy in the same way many of the females were used makes me want to rage.
Confusion burrows its way into my gut at my intense reaction. I crave to kill all Kevins. But this one doesn’t count. He’s just a child. One they hurt.
“What’s your name, Kevin?” I demand.
He gapes at me. “You know my name?”
“No, I want to know your name.”
The boy shoots Zoe a questioning look.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Zoe mutters. “Your name is Kevin?”
The child nods, tears streaking down his dirty cheeks.
That’s…interesting.
“Who was your master?” Julie asks, her tone gentler.
“H-His name is Roscoe. Can you h-help me? P-Please don’t l-let him t-take me again,” the boy pleads, choking on his sobs.
A Kevin named Kevin who’s been kept like a prisoner by a Kevin.
Perhaps I’m having a fevered dream and I’ll wake up soon.
I walk over to the boy, gripping his jaw and tilting his nog up so I can assess him for damages. A purple bruise on his tearstained cheek. A split lip that looks fresh. Dark circles beneath his big brown eyes. His features are soft and his lashes are long. Dark hair curls around his face. It makes me think of how fragile my mate is.
“I ripped his throat out with my teeth,” I tell the boy named Kevin, my eyes pinning him. “You’ll be safe now.”
He breaks free of my hold, hugging my middle. Something tightens inside my chest. The feral need to destroy has waned as my instinct to nurture and protect rears to the surface once more.
“Thank you,” he whispers, his tiny body trembling.
I pat his furry nog. “Let’s get you to the Medical Bay and check you over.”
“We could get information from him,” Julie says, her voice hitching with excitement. Kevin tenses in my arms. “Just think about everything we could learn from him. He rode around with that bastard on missions. He’s probably overheard so much. Hell, he could tell us—”
“No,” I bark out. “From the looks of it, he’s malnourished and has been abused. I want to heal him, not use him. He’s had enough of that.”
Julie deflates but nods. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Kevin relaxes, terror no longer rippling from him in waves.
“Thank you.” Zoe places a palm on my back, rubbing gently. “You’re a good man, Avrell.”
Her approval in my decision to care for the Kevin named Kevin warms me.
“Let us get to it,” I boom. “Our mission is not complete.”
The cure.
I’m almost there.
And everyone, including the little one clinging to me, is relying on me.
I won’t let them down.
11
Zoe
“The-Kevin-Named-Kevin is leaking again,” Avrell says with a furtive glance up from his tablet at the direction of the isolation pods. “Should I go to him?”
“He’s not leaking. He’s crying. Poor thing. You stay here and finish your work. I’ll take care of him.” I leave Avrell to his cure but not before I press a kiss to his forehead. He’s freshly cleaned from another decontamination shower, but I don’t mind the blood. In fact, I quite like the new brutal side of him.
Bossy. Arrogant. Rude. Intelligent. Kind. Dedicated. Monstrous. Devious. Mine.
There are many ways to describe my mate, but mine is my favorite of all.
My mate.
There is no denying it now.
He’s as much mine as I am his.
I find Kevin in the isolation pod we’ve designated for his room. It’s easier to keep him in the Medical Bay where we can keep an eye on him and treat his injuries—various and numerous. Even us prisoners were treated better, not much, but better. And I thought we had it bad.
He curls into a tight little ball on the cot affixed to one of the pod walls when he sees me in the doorway. “What do you want?” he asks. Whatever appreciation he felt at our rescue is gone. He trembles underneath the thin blanket we provided.
Holding up my hands, I say, “I’m not here to hurt you. I came to check on you to see if you need anything. Food, more medicine, some company. Whatever.”
“I don’t want anything.” True to Avrell’s word, tears begin to leak from Kevin’s eyes. “I just want to be left alone.”
“Do you have a family on Earth II?” I ask gently.
His lip wobbles. He says he’s thirteen, but the anguish on his face makes him look much younger. It’s a stark contrast to the lingering despair in his gaze. “No,” he spits out. “Do you?”
“My family is here.”
“You mean those monsters?” He shivers and I swear I can hear his teeth chattering from where I’m standing. “He killed people. You all did.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of him—or us. We don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then what do you want from me?” His gaze hardens. “I won’t belong to anyone again. I refuse.”
“We don’t want anything from you, only for you to get better. Those men you were with, they were trying to kill us. Avrell was only protecting us. He won’t hurt you.”
“If you don’t want anything from me, then why didn’t you kill me like the others? Why are you keeping me here?”
I want to go to his side, but I remember what it was like to be him, so I keep my distance for now. Maybe when he feels more comfortable again, he won’t shy away from the hugs he so desperately needs. “There’s no reason to kill you, Kevin. We’re keeping you because you need medical attention and Avrell is a doctor. He’s going to treat your injuries and we’ll get you fed. Our people are being attacked by more men from Earth II, so we’ll have to go to them soon, but after that, I’m sure our commander, Breccan, will help you get to wherever you want to go
.”
“What will he require in return?” Kevin asks acidly.
“Nothing. We aren’t in the business of taking advantage of children.”
Kevin snorts and says, “Then what are you in the business of?”
I think for a moment and say, “Come with me if you want to find out.”
Turning on my heel, I head back to the main labs where Avrell is diligently bent over magnascopes and samples muttering to himself. A few moments later, I hear the tell-tale sound of tentative footsteps and hide my responding smile. He may be frightened, but he’s also very, very brave. He’d have to be to survive in this world—or on Earth II.
Avrell looks up when I stop by his side. “Everything okay with The-Kevin-Named-Kevin, stormy one?” he asks. Before all of this, hearing him call me stormy one would have made me rage and seethe like one of those awful geostorms. Now, it makes my insides glow.
“It’s just Kevin,” I correct him. “And I wanted to explain to him what it is we’re doing here and why it’s important.”
“Yeah, why aren’t you with your family if they’re being attacked by the freaks from Earth II?” Kevin asks.
Avrell speaks before I can. “Do you have diseases on your planet?”
Kevin gives me a look like he’s asking if Avrell is for real. “Yeah,” he says.
“Well, we have a terrible disease on Mortuus called The Rades. It’s deadly. We must find the cure before we can return to our true home safely. It’s imperative we find this cure so our people can survive after the battle with the Kev—I mean with those from Earth II.”
“And you’re going to cure it yourself?” Kevin takes a step closer, the suspicion and wariness clearing from his expression. His arms are still crossed firmly over his chest, but his face turns up to Avrell’s.
“Too rekking right we are. I’m close. As soon as we do, we’re going back to our people at the Facility.”
“What’s the Facility?”
“Our home. We’ve lived there since the humans left this planet a long time ago. It’s safe, secure. We’ve got plenty of supplies. We’re strong there.”
“How many of you are there?”
Avrell doesn’t seem annoyed by the questions. In fact, he seems as intrigued by the boy as Kevin is by him and patiently answers his questions. It makes me think of him talking about our future son AJ and what kind of father he’ll be to our children.
After a while, Avrell says, “Why don’t you help me?”
“Really?” Kevin asks. “What can I do?”
“I can use an assistant. Zoe talks back too much. She’s the distracting sort.”
Kevin grins fully for the first time since we brought him inside the prison. “You mean it?”
He says it with such hope, such innocence that it nearly brings a tear to my eye. Avrell probably didn’t consider how to respond to the boy to instantly make him comfortable. It came naturally. Maybe he’s only antagonistic to me. Of course he is.
Pride warms my stomach and I choke out, “Speaking of the Facility, I’m going to go help Julie on comms to see if we can get ahold of them.”
The boys have their heads bowed over the magnascope and are deep in conversation.
He’s going to make such an amazing father.
“Thank God you’re here. I’m exhausted. You mind taking over for a while?”
Julie pushes away from the control panel and digs her fingers into her eyes. “I haven’t been able to get anyone on the line. I’ve been trying for hours. Now that we have the ship, you guys can travel back to help them. But I didn’t want to suggest you leave until I was sure it’s safe back there for you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, ignoring the fact that she’s still set on staying here.
“Never mind, it’s nothing, I’m sure.” Yawning, she gets to her feet. “I’m gonna hit the hay.”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
“I want to make sure there’s still a Facility left for you to go back to.” She gives me a sad smile, then leaves.
Instead of dwelling on her comment, I take her place at the control panel and put on a pair of headphones. I follow Sayer’s instructions to hail the Facility, but I don’t get a response for a long time. Longer than I’d like. It’s no wonder Julie was feeling hopeless.
It doesn’t matter. Once Avrell is ready with the cure, we’re going back to the Facility, answer or not. We’ve already been away from them long enough.
“Facility, this is Zoe hailing from Exilium. Is anyone there? Please respond.”
The radio crackles. “Zoe? This…Breccan…you hear…”
I sit up straight, nearly falling out of my chair in the process. “Breccan! Breccan, it’s Zoe. I’m here. Can you hear me?”
“I hear…Avrell okay?”
The line is broken and I’m not getting every word, but it’s enough.
It’s enough.
“He’s fine. Close to the cure. We were attacked, but we fought them off. I’m contacting you because we were able to steal one of their ships. Once Avrell is ready, we’re going to head to the Facility. What about you? Are you guys okay?”
“…good news. Waves of…came from the sky. So many…Oz’s weapon…many, but there are more…many more. We’re still fighting.”
The line cuts out and I yell, “Breccan!”
“…bad connection,” he’s saying. “Stay at the prison. It isn’t safe…tell Avrell not…come.”
It’s not safe? I scoot forward in my seat. “What do you mean don’t come? We’re not leaving you there alone! We’re coming to help.”
This time Breccan’s voice comes through strong and clear. “You listen to my orders, Zoe. There are too many. It’s not safe for you here. Stay at the prison and save yourself.”
“I don’t think so. You know Avrell won’t do that. I won’t do that. We’re coming.”
“Listen to me,” Breccan orders. “I don’t know if we’re going to make it. It’s bad, Zoe. I’m telling you this to save your life. Please listen.”
I press my hand to my forehead and am surprised to find it shaking. Too many Kevins—men from Earth II? We’ve been so certain the weapon would work. It has to work.
“Tell Avrell…said. Tell…not to come. Zoe...please.”
My voice is a fierce growl when I answer, “We’re not going to leave you alone. No matter what. We’re coming, Breccan. You can’t stop us. We’re going to beat them no matter what.”
“Zoe…”
The connection goes silent.
My heart trips, but I try to stay calm. I bang some buttons on the control panel to reconnect. “Breccan, are you there? It’s Zoe.”
Static fills the line.
“Breccan, are you there? It’s Zoe,” I repeat.
Desperate seconds pass.
“Breccan, are you there?”
Nothing.
“Breccan?”
Please no.
“Breccan? Please. Answer me.”
A sob catches in my chest.
“Commander!”
There’s no answer.
None at all.
The sob I’d been holding since his first warning bursts from my lips. I try not to think about what could have caused the break in our connection. I try not to think about the waves and waves of Kevins descending on the Facility while we’re here, helpless.
No.
Not helpless.
We can help them. No matter what Breccan says.
He may be as brilliant as Avrell, but he’s wrong about this.
We can beat them. We will.
I find Avrell and Kevin bent over the microscopes, deep in conversation about the cure and vaccination. I don’t want to worry him because he needs to focus on finishing his work. While he’s distracted, I gather my supplies and an extra zonnoblaster.
It’s been several hours, so I hope Julie’s gotten some sleep. I find her in her room and shake her shoulder. “Julie. Hey, Julie, wake up.”
She rolls away from m
e and groans. I shake her again. “C’mon. Wake up, sleeping beauty.”
“Stop, go away.”
“Can’t. I need your help.”
“Unless it’s in a sleep study for your hunky alien, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I heard from Breccan.”
This perks her up. She rolls back to me and cracks her eyes open. “You did?” She sits up. “How are they? What happened?”
I fill her in as she slowly wakes up and gets dressed.
“I told you it wasn’t going to be good news.”
“I know. But we have to do what we can to help.”
“And how do you plan to do that?” she asks with a yawn.
I lead her out of the cells and toward the tunnels below.
“I’ll tell you on the way. We’ve got work to do.”
12
Avrell
“Why does that one move?” Kevin asks, his voice curious.
“Which one, mortling?”
He pulls away from the magnascope, a shy smile on his face. “What’s a mortling?”
Who knew Earth children had so many questions? It’s like talking to Molly or Hadrian.
“A mortling means child.”
He frowns. “I’m thirteen.”
And small. And fragile. And sad.
“What would you rather I call you?” I ask, once again peeking into the magnascope. “Kevin?”
“What are you? A monster?”
“I’m a mort.”
“I want to be a mort too.” He takes hold of my hand. “Will I grow claws too?”
I chuckle. “It’s unlikely, but I have a friend named Oz who can make some for you.”
“Really?”
“I don’t see why not. Oz can make anything.” I gesture to the magnascope. “Which one was moving?”
He peeks in and shrieks. “They all are now!”
I gently nudge him away and stare at my sample. No rekking way. I’d isolated certain cells from the blood of the rabbawolf and merged it with a sample of my own tainted blood. At first, it didn’t do much, but now the rabbawolf blood is attacking the broken cells in my blood, coating it with a layer of green as though to protect it.