My Maddox. I knew the thought as both impractical and improper, but I couldn’t force myself to rescind the thought, not even in my own mind. I didn’t know him well, but I knew if he touched another, my heart would shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.
Maddox pulled me to my feet and led me to my horse. “We’ve got to keep moving.”
“I know.” I handed the ReGen wand to him and watched as he made his way to his own horse and stashed the odd object back into his saddlebag. After we both mounted, I led my horse from the bottom of the gully up the best route I could find, my favorite mare, Cali, picking her way up the steep embankment with steady feet.
The mountains spread out before me, completely covering my view of the horizon as Maddox joined me on his horse. I tried not to think about what I’d lost today. I’d known Mr. Anderson almost my entire life. He’d taken me in generously and raised me practically as his own. I’d wed his son and become officially part of the family. They were all gone now. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, and Charles. I had no family left. No one who belonged to me, no one who would miss me. I felt completely alone. And seeing my adopted father dead, so viciously and callously, would haunt me forever.
But the idea of Maddox dying was horrifying. Beyond that. The thought of something happening to him ripped my heart open. Charles had always felt more like a brother than a lover. His touch barely creating a gentle tug on my emotions, but Maddox, who I’d known for two days—two days!—made me feel so deeply, so intensely. I hadn’t even known such emotion was possible. It was all so confusing!
I’d wanted him to keep his hands to himself, to let me adjust to even the idea of him being from somewhere else… some other planet. How could I give myself to a man who was possibly crazy, or even worse, from outer space?
He spoke of Everis and spaceships as if they were real and I’d doubted him. How could I not? It was fiction, pure and simple. But then he’d shown me the healing device, a ReGen wand, and I could doubt no longer. But another planet? It was hard to fathom. I couldn’t even imagine a large city like Denver or Omaha, let alone a flying ship.
A flying ship! I could barely envision something that traveled through the air. A bird, yes. But the idea that a ship could travel beyond the sun and moon, into space, was beyond my comprehension. And there were other people living out there, in space, far, far away. And Maddox wanted me to join them.
All I knew was that I wanted to be with Maddox. I wanted to be held by him, kissed by him, loved by him, and I was too weak to deny myself his touch. I’d told him not to touch me, and then I’d kissed him. And not just any kiss. I’d felt as if I were drowning in him, would do anything to feel the heat and safety of his embrace. For even as he made me burn with desire, I felt protected in his arms. The duality was not one I was accustomed to. Maddox was irresistible.
Humble, as well. He had listened as I showed him how to sit a horse for a trot. We started off slow, then spurred our animals faster once he felt comfortable. Then faster still. The way he watched our surroundings, I knew he was eager to get to his ship over fear of Neron. We didn’t need to be slowed again by another mishap. But every once in a while I felt his gaze burning through me and I knew that wasn’t the only reason.
I wanted the journey over as well. Long hours in the saddle had made my legs and bottom sore and I was coated in sweat. I was hot and miserable, and determined not to complain. I wanted this journey to end, whether at a hotel or a spaceship; at this point I didn’t care as long as I could expect a bath and a soft bed.
We had to stop to let our horses rest once, finding a small creek that was flowing, letting the animals drink and nibble on grass. We didn’t touch each other by tacit agreement and Maddox remained vigilant, watching the horizon the entire time even as he asked me about the creatures we saw and the trees we passed. We reached the mountains well before nightfall and I fell in line behind Maddox as we wound our way through a canyon.
We cleared a hedge of stalwart pines and I followed Maddox around a sharp curve into a remote canyon. And there, before us, was the most amazing thing I’d ever laid eyes on.
His ship. I’d seen my fair share of machines, as the train passed through every few days. But this looked nothing like a train engine, or even the printing press at the newspaper with its round gears and iron presses. No, this was smooth as polished silver but darker; the outside reminded me of the dark gray of tarnished silver. It was nearly the size of the boarding house with four sections and almost no windows. The surface appeared to be separated into strange block patterns with small black eyes and other projectiles dotting its surface; the black orbs reminded me of a spider’s eyes that pointed in every direction. It was as big as four train engines built into a giant “T” shape with a narrow neck, like a chicken. At its head, I could see inside the windows to a small room with multiple chairs and buttons.
Chairs. For people to sit in and fly this ship, this strange, fat metal bird.
My heart raced as I climbed down from the saddle. Before my feet touched the ground, Maddox was there, assisting me and my sore, shaky legs. Here, before me was proof of Maddox’s claims. A flying ship!
“Welcome to the Aurora, Cassie.”
“You named your ship?”
“Well, it’s Thorn’s ship, but yes, every ship has a name.” His hand wrapped around my waist to support me as I stepped forward. I lifted my hand to touch, then thought better of it.
“Thorn?”
“Thorn is our commander on this mission. When Neron escaped from prison, he wasn’t alone and the Sevens, that’s our leaders, sent us to bring them back.”
“So, exactly how many of you Everisians are here? On Earth, right now?”
“It’s Everians. And, I’m not sure how many men were with Neron by the time he arrived, but there are four hunters on the ground, including myself. Thorn is our commander and does everything by the book. He’s tough and mean and follows the letter of the law. Jace and Flynn are hunters just after the money and adventure. They’re brothers from one of our outer regions.”
“And you?”
“Me? What about me?”
“Why do you do what you do? Why are you a hunter? Do you do it for the money? Or adventure?” I looked him in the eye so I could see if he lied to me, or became uneasy when giving his answer.
“My family is one of the richest on Everis. I don’t need the money. I do it because someone has to, because someone has to stop evil. I do it because I believe in justice. Vengeance.”
“You’re a vigilante, then.”
“I suppose I am.” He watched me, gauging my response to his words. I searched my soul for a moment and realized I agreed with him. True justice was more important than stiff laws written in old yellowed books. So I shrugged my acceptance of that and turned to face the ship. I lifted one hand to touch but stopped with my hand halfway to the ship.
“May I?”
“Of course.”
Ignoring the trembling of my fingers, I lifted my arm and ran my palm over the smooth surface. It was cold and hard, like the whetting stone I kept in a drawer in the kitchen. The ship rested on eight very strange giant legs that spread out like goose’s feet. I wandered around the exterior and saw three large tubes protruding from its rear. They smelled burned, like three-day-old ash in the bottom of the fireplace. “Is this the engine?”
“Yes, but not an engine as you know it. We use the gravitational magnetics of dark matter to propel the ship. Every moment we fly we are either being pulled toward, or propelled away from a gravity well in deep space, or, once we arrive, by the planet’s own gravitational force.”
“What?” Suddenly dizzy, I stepped back and shook my head. This was too much for one day. Too much. I had no idea what he was talking about and I felt small and stupid and completely out of my depth. Overwhelmed.
I was standing in front of a spaceship! Maddox was a man from space. It was too much.
“I can’t do this. I have to go.”
I stumbled t
oward my horse, tears streaking down my cheeks. I’d held them at bay all day, continually forced the sights and smell of blood from my mind as we rode hard and fast to get here. To this thing that Maddox claimed would keep me safe. It didn’t look safe; it looked like a cage, a giant steel box that I would be trapped inside forever.
He let me get as far as my horse, but even she shied away from me in my current state. And I couldn’t blame her, I was a mess.
Maddox’s arms wrapped around me from behind and I shoved him away. I didn’t want him to hold me right now, I wanted to go home. Back to a life that made sense.
“Cassie, stop.”
“No. Let me go.” My voice was uneven, laced with fear and frustration. Confusion.
“I can’t. Neron is still out there, Cassie. Please. Just listen. We’ll get on board and I’ll get you a bath and dinner. Please.”
“Neron can go hang. I have a rifle, and I know how to use it.” I saw the familiar object sticking from my saddlebag, but in comparison to the ship beside me, it looked old and simple and useless.
“You’d have no chance, Cassie. Please. Trust me.”
Oh, his voice was so calm and reassuring, pure temptation for my tired mind. But I did not want to go on board that stupid ship. I wanted no part of it. “I’m a damn good shot.”
I was. I’d practiced for hours after Charles’s death; I’d needed to feel powerful, strong. The sharp crack of gunfire had given me that. I’d spent every ounce of money I had on ammunition for more than a month. I could shoot the tail off a wasp at a hundred paces. I was damn good.
“You’d never see him coming, Cassie.”
I whirled on him then, rage making me bold. I embraced the emotion. I preferred anger to fear. “He’s just a man, Maddox. A sick, twisted man, a killer who deserves to die.” I lifted my chin and stared at the man who’d brought me here, to this crazy place. “If he comes near me, I’ll shoot him.”
Yes, I’d shoot him. Why hadn’t I thought this clearly earlier? I was not helpless. And I was done being shocked and terrified, running and hiding like a scared rabbit. The sight of Mr. Anderson’s body had thrown me, but no more. I walked forward, pushing my finger into Maddox’s chest.
“I’ll shoot him dead for what he did. But I’m not getting on that ship.”
Maddox stared down at me. I expected to see anger or irritation in his eyes. Instead, he shook his head, a half-grin forming on his face. “You are magnificent, Cassie.”
“What? Are you mad?” I was threatening to kill a man, and he stood before me grinning like a fool.
“Yes. For you.” He swooped me up in his arms and I had no chance to resist as he carried me toward his ship. As we neared, the outline of a doorway appeared before a small section of the ship lowered to touch the ground. The ramp had three large platform steps and I punched at Maddox’s chest as he carried me toward the opening.
“Put me down!”
“I vowed to keep you safe, Cassie, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
I kicked and squirmed, to no avail, and within moments we were up the platform and inside the ship, the door closing immediately behind us. I looked around, expecting to see more of the dark gray color on the outside. Instead I saw walls that looked the color of melted caramels. They were smooth, with lights built inside them every few paces making the hallway bright. The floor was a darker brown and textured with a strange crossing pattern that I imagined made it so no one ever slipped and fell. The hallway split off in two directions, but I could see nothing of consequence in either. More hallway. A few doors. It wasn’t that different than the inside of a house and relief flooded me. I’d imagined dark tunnels and scary cages, not a brightly lit hallway that could have been inside any large home.
“Are you finished?”
I looked up to find Maddox watching me, his eyes intense and, for the first time today, solely focused on me. A shiver raced up my spine at the desire I saw there and I nodded my head. “It’s rather plain. You could do with some wallpaper.”
Maddox chuckled and leaned in to kiss me. “How about a bath?”
Chapter Ten
Maddox
I carried my mate through the ship with an eagerness I’d not felt in years. Relief, too. Earth was crude and not much could harm me—besides a skittish horse—but I’d been uncomfortable in the strange environment. Here, on the ship, I was reassured. Especially now that I had Cassie with me. At last, I had her here, safe. At last, I could claim her.
The ship was built in four sections. The two outermost levels on top and bottom were filled with sensor arrays, weapons and shielding designed to protect its passengers from deep space radiation and flares. The inner two levels were private quarters and the navigation, cockpit and operations center. The neck of the ship was reserved for the captain and his flight crew. Since the ship was designed to house twenty crewmembers, we four had spread out with Thorn taking the quarters closest to the neck, Jace and Flynn the forward suites, and me, the rear, closest to the engines where the soft but steady hum helped me sleep at night.
I headed up the neck now. I needed to let Thorn and the others know we had arrived.
I settled Cassie in the copilot’s chair and sat in the pilot’s seat. Leaning forward, I watched Cassie peek up over the control panel to watch through the cockpit windows as our horses grazed just outside the ship. They had no idea as to the otherworldly object they stood beside as they nibbled grass. She frowned. “We forgot the horses. They still have their saddles on.” She turned to me. “Is there water nearby for them to drink?”
“Yes. I’ll see to the horses in a few minutes.” I entered my code and opened communication wit all three of my group and waited for them to report in, which took mere seconds.
“Thorn.”
“Flynn here. Jace is occupied at the moment.” I could just imagine what the wild brothers from the outer reaches were up to. Odds were it involved either fighting or fucking.
“This is Maddox. I’m back at the Aurora.”
Flynn cursed.
“What’s the problem?” Thorn asked.
“I bet Jace you’d get your man first, Thorn. Now you owe me a full casket of Nerellian wine.”
Thorn whistled, then laughed. “That will cost nearly as much as my ship, you idiot.”
Flynn chuckled. “Yeah, well, obviously I misplaced my confidence in you, Commander.”
Cassie leaned forward, hearing our conversation, but completely confused. I hadn’t realized they had answered me in our native tongue. Cassie hadn’t understood a word they’d said.
“We need to speak in English, so Cassie will understand.”
“Fine.” Thorn switched to the Earthen language immediately. “Greetings to you, Cassie. I am Commander Thorn.”
“Hello. Nice to meet you.” Cassie leaned forward as if she were speaking to the control panel itself. I hid my grin, as the receptors that carried her voice were actually located above her head in the cockpit’s ceiling.
“My, you do have a beautiful voice, Cassie. I’m Flynn. I offer greetings from myself and my brother, Jace. He’s busy right now, and couldn’t answer the call.”
“Umm, hello.” Cassie was blushing, her cheeks an enchanting shade of pink at Flynn’s compliment.
“So, you made it safely to the ship,” Thorn said. “Do you have an idea of Neron’s location?”
“No. I need to spend tonight here, with my mate—”
Flynn whistled and Thorn told him to be quiet. Cassie’s face turned a deeper shade of red as I continued. “I will leave Cassie safely on board the Aurora and resume my hunt tomorrow. How goes your hunting?”
Flynn chuckled. “He’s slipped through our fingers twice. Hit Jace in the ass with one of these metal bullets. He’s facedown on a pool table right now. The town doctor is digging the lead out of his ass.”
Cassie gasped, but I raised my eyebrows, shook my head and grinned at her so she’d know Jace’s injury wasn’t serious. Once the metal object was re
moved from his flesh, the ReGen wand would heal him completely in minutes. “And you, Thorn?”
My commander sighed, his frustration obvious. “I’ve scented him twice, but he disappears before I can close in. It’s like he knows I’m coming. Either that, or he’s a ghost.”
Cassie gasped at that. Now, understanding our words, she eagerly listened to the exchange and offered a reply. “Maybe he has one of those cloaks. Like Neron.”
“What is she talking about?” Thorn demanded.
I ran my hand through my hair before reaching for Cassie’s hand. This was taking too damn long and I needed to touch her. “Neron ambushed Cassie early this morning. I couldn’t see him and none of my scanners picked up anything. I think he has acquired a cloak. And if he has one—”
“It is likely the others do, too.” Flynn finished my sentence.
“Now we know what we’re up against,” Thorn added.
I relaxed a bit, confident that the other bounty hunters had helped to convince Cassie I was worthy of trust. We were the good guys.
I turned to her, expecting a smile, but she pulled her hand from mine. “You’re going to leave me here?” Her eyes widened as she looked about the cockpit, wary and unsure. Outside the window was her world. Within the ship’s walls, she might as well already be in space, for it was all so new and unfamiliar. All strange, foreign. Daunting.
“Alone?” She turned her head, this way and that, taking in everything. “On this ship?”
I could sense her panic, see it in her eyes, in the tense lines of her body, but I had no alternative. Outside of the ship, Neron could hurt her. The other criminals who’d escaped with him could find her. None were kind. All were cruel and I would not allow what had happened to her father-in-law to happen to her.
“Yes. Where I know you will be safe. I will stay in communication with you and you with me.”
“Can I… I can explore this ship? I don’t know where anything is. I don’t know how things work.”
Cowgirls vs Aliens Page 9