“What about a prenatal vitamin?” Janis asked.
“A what?” Both Aran and Nicolas stared at her.
“It’s a vitamin pregnant women take so they have enough nutrients for themselves and their baby.”
“That’s a good idea. An excellent idea, but Rena will need something different than the females of this planet take.”
“Dante is coming. I’m sure he’ll have something for me to take.”
Janis looked at her. “How do you know he’s coming?”
Nicolas answered. “Rena and Dee are convinced they can predict when he shows up.”
“What’s interesting is, despite the proof each brother continues to deny, they always seem to be right.” Dante walked in the door, making Janis jump at his sudden arrival.
“Janis, the prenatal vitamin was genius, except who wants to take a vitamin every day?”
Dante walked over to Rena and smiled down at her.
“Little, Rena. Always getting into trouble.”
“You must have your Rena’s mixed up, Dante.”
“Of course I do. How about some special gummy bears?” Rena rested in Aran’s arms smiling at Dante. She gave a weak laugh when she saw Aran give the poor male the evil eye.
“Those are my favorite, but I stopped eating them a long time ago.”
“Now you get to eat them again. They have all the nutrients you are missing. Let’s just say these were made especially for you. They won’t harm you or the baby. Eat at least three handfuls a day.”
Dante handed her the bag, encouraging her to eat. She picked up one and ate, liking the taste. She ate another and another until she’d downed at least ten of them.
“That’s good, Rena. Eat some more after you wake.”
“I remember you.” Rena’s sleepy voice called after him, making him halt. She locked that day away long ago refusing to remember any details about it. The more she time she spent with Aran the more she opened up about her past and the sister she had lost so early in life. Seeing Dante today brought back the rest of the memories.
“You scared me at first. I think it was the scar. I remember telling my sister about you, it was when we were children, but she said it was my imagination. Then, you were there the day my sister slipped and fell into the Allegheny. I threw myself in after her thinking I could save her, but I couldn’t. You pulled me out. I remember now. Then you told me how sorry you were that you couldn’t save my sister. You were gone when I woke and I never got a chance to say thank you. Thank you, Dante.” Rena’s eyes closed in peaceful sleep.
Dante turned and left the room, not answering any of the unspoken questions.
Aran adjusted Rena in his arms. “I’m going to take her upstairs to sleep. Nicolas, you know where the ship is. Call me if you need anything.”
Aran walked out, leaving Nicolas to wonder who Dante really was. Each group of brothers was created from different DNA stock, making each group different.
Chapter Twelve
Nicolas led her to the garage where they took a small jeep, perfect for the terrain. The trees were beyond beautiful with fall in the air. The brightly colored leaves made the forest look like another world.
“What ship are we going to?” Aran’s words were plaguing her. They were land locked, unless he’d meant a boat on a large body of water she didn’t know about.
“The one we arrived in.”
“Arrived in? You mean a spaceship?”
“Yes. We never think of it as a spaceship.”
“How do you think of it?”
“To us, it’s an Astro Cruiser, a means of navigating the stars.”
“To me it’s a spaceship, one I’m hoping to live long enough to see.”
“Why do you say that?” The concern in Nicolas’s voice was easy to hear.
“Calm down. It’s kind of a joke. I’m just so excited, I can feel my heart racing.”
“I felt your heart racing last night. I enjoyed it greatly.”
Janis felt a blush work its way up her face. She’d enjoyed it too. She closed her eyes, reliving the feel of his tongue invading her body, making her hot. She squirmed in her seat, wishing she’d thought to bring a change of underwear.
“Stop that. It’s broad daylight,” she said.
“So?”
She blushed redder. “You do that stuff at night, when you’re alone and no one can see.”
“We’re alone and no one can see.” Nicolas replied with a wicked smile.
“You know what I mean.” Her voice came out soft and sultry. The thought of him wanting to touch her here in the forest was doing things to her body she never imagined possible.
“I don’t just want you at night, Janis. I want you everywhere. Anywhere. I love the look and feel of your body and I’m not ashamed to tell this world or any other we may venture too.”
“Who said anything about other worlds? We still need to see what’s happening on this one.” She found herself back peddling with a feeling that things were beginning to spin out of her control.
Nicolas brought the car to a stop in front of a large structure. It reminded her somewhat of an airplane hangar.
He keyed in the code to open the door and she followed him inside. They walked through a long hallway into an open space. In front of her was a spaceship hovering over the ground. It wasn’t like she hadn’t believed him, but the proof of his ship and his alien status was almost too much for her to take.
She gasped and stumbled as she stared at it. He was from another planet. Nicolas caught her before she had a chance to fall.
“Janis, like you, I’m an experiment, just not one from this planet.”
“It’s hard to believe a child could be made from scratch in a test tube when his DNA has been spliced and diced. It’s just as hard to believe a baby could be made to be harmed by the touch of the people on her world. If I went to the news media or called the cops, I would end up in a padded room. No one would believe me.”
“I believe you.” She looked at him and realized you found validation in life where you could. When you couldn’t, you validated yourself.
“What do we do next?”
He let her go. “We go into our ship.”
She nodded and followed him to the floor.
He placed her under the ship. “Try to stand still.”
“Will it hurt if I move?”
“No, but you’re not used to the sensations. Movement on top of the foreign experience could cause you to hurt yourself.”
She nodded and held still, waiting for something strange to happen. It felt like she was being torn apart, but not painfully, and reassembled.
She stood inside the ship, not sure how she’d gotten there.
“Am I all in one piece?”
“Yes.” Nicolas chuckled. “How do you feel?”
“Alright, but I have a slight headache after that.” He looked her over.
“Your head shouldn’t hurt. Let’s look for the tracker and then we can diagnose the headache.”
She nodded and followed him out of the big room they were in. The halls seemed to have a dark metallic grey look to them. Everything was done in darker colors. There were several hues she couldn’t identify. They almost seemed like a void where something should be. She was on a spaceship. A damn of joy burst inside her; she was having the best time ever.
She stopped to stare at what appeared to be a missing wall, but she couldn’t see through it.
“Your eyes are limited. They don’t see every color scheme possible. It appears to look like a blank space when you’re faced with a color your eyes can’t see.”
“You’re saying there are more colors in the galaxy than I can conceive of?”
“Why do you think that’s strange? Could you conceive of me before you met me?”
She shook her head. “It’s just that my reality is being challenged and it’s losing.”
“Isn’t that the way of life? Someone makes a new discovery, something thought impossible bef
ore and all of life changes.”
Nicolas was standing on what looked like nothing but air with his hand held out for her to join him.
“Is this another example of a color I can’t see?”
“No. This is how we move through the levels of the ship. It’s sort of like compressed air. It’s thick enough to stand on and is controlled by this panel on the side. It’s light enough not to add significant weight to the cruiser.”
“The additional weight would cause you to …”
She took his hand and joined him. Her belly dropped when they went rushing upward without the benefit of walls or a floor.
“It would slow us down, something we don’t want if we are chasing someone, or on the rare occasion, running from someone.”
“Space is dangerous?”
“No more dangerous than Earth.”
They reached the landing. He was taking her into a large room that was obviously a type of med bay. There were large screens that reminded her of flat screen T.V’s and several beds with monitors overhead.
“Take your clothes off and lie here.” He indicated the bed under the monitor he was presently programming.
“Nude?”
“Yes, nude. I don’t want any of the materials of your clothes to affect the readings.”
She took her clothes off, hoping a full body blush wouldn’t happen.
“Why do you think that’s a possibility?”
“Your people have become more skillful in their monitoring, yet you walk through scans every day and don’t set off any alarms.”
She nodded, thinking it made sense. She kept her eyes lowered as she dropped her underwear and lay on the bed without the benefit of a blanket to cover her up.
Nicolas stopped to look at her before he leaned over. “If this weren’t so important, I would join you on that bed,” he whispered in her ear before moving away.
She looked down at her body. Check, one full body blush occurring. A smile swept across her face. He was definitely her type of wicked.
A soft light was emitting from the machine and covered her whole body. Then it began to pulsate over her, one area at a time. Nicolas stood watching the readout and tweaking the readings when needed.
Janis closed her eyes as she let the soothing light play over her body. The feel of Nicolas’s hand woke her up.
“Are we done?”
“Yep. I have the results.”
“Good. Did I fall asleep?”
“You did. The scan took over an hour to run. I wanted it to be detailed.”
“Is there a tracker?”
He nodded his head yes.
Her smile turned into a frown. “How bad is it?”
“It can’t be removed.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s in your skin and your bones. It’s a side effect of the experiment they did on you.”
“So that’s it. They will know where I am for the rest of my life?”
“No, as your body becomes older it changes and the chemical that allows tracking becomes weaker. Eventually, it will be gone.”
“How long will that take?”
“Several hundred years.”
“Oh that’s perfect. I’ll remember to have a big party with all of the other bones around my casket. That’s if my bones and casket still exist!” She was shouting, but she didn’t care.
“Let’s talk about that party later. For now, I would like you to wear this.”
Nicolas held out an empty hand.
“That’s not funny.”
“You’re right. I wish you could see it. One day I may be able to show it to you through my eyes. It’s from my planet. I wish I could say I bought it for you, but we were monitored and buying things considered to be gifts for females wasn’t allowed. I found it one day. Although I knew it was forbidden, I picked it up and kept it with me.”
Janis stared at the empty hand and then looked into his eyes.
“The material is designed to fit your wrist. When you put it on it will fit perfectly. The color reminds me of the sunsets on our planet. It is all one piece with a symbol engraved on top which signifies love.”
“Thank you?” She lost her hesitancy when she realized it was the first gift she ever received from a male, even if it was invisible. ‘Signifies love’ was running through her brain making her insides do a happy dance.
Nicolas took her wrist and placed it on. The weight was solid and real. It sat on her wrist and gave off a feeling of warmth. Her eyes might not be able to see it, but her body felt it and appreciated it.
“Why is it warm?”
“It gives off an energy pulse. The one who owns it is programmed into the bracelet. When he gives it to someone special, his energy is directed to her. It lets the female know she is loved and cared for, even if the male isn’t around. It’s a way of keeping a female feeling safe before she’s mated to her intended.”
Janis fell silent and let the pulses of energy tingle her skin. “It feels like you.”
Nicolas gave her the smile of a predator, making her heart beat faster. She was sure the monitor was recording this new event.
“I figured out how to tune it to myself so one day when I gave it away, the female would feel me.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It does come with an added bonus. It will negate a lot of the emissions you’re putting out. This will allow you to go out in public, without having to worry. If anyone is looking for you, they will have to be relatively close. Yes you can be found, but so can most humans.”
She looked at her wrist again. “What about when I go through a metal detector or airport security?”
“It’s undetectable, much like the changes in your body.”
Freedom. Such a little word but with such a huge meaning behind it. She still had to be careful not to be touched, but now she could walk around with more confidence. She could take control of her life without the fear that right around the next corner was the boogey man. She could stop living inside her four walls and actually sit on the porch.
She tried to take it all in and couldn’t. Instead, she threw herself at Nicolas giving him a kiss of gratitude. When his arms went around her naked torso, it became much more.
Chapter Thirteen
The kiss became deep and sensuous, making her head spin. The feel of her bare skin rubbing against the clothes covering his body was erotic in a naughty way. She wanted to lose herself in this moment, to feel his mouth and hands on her again. She wanted to be the diva of love and lie down while he ravished her.
She would’ve too, if her mind would just shut up. After so many years of believing this wasn’t meant for her, she’d built up reasons and fears she couldn’t make go away overnight. Even after that toe curling orgasm he’d given her with is tongue last night, she still had reservations.
She dropped her head and buried it in his shoulder. She could feel the proof he wanted her pressed against her. She wanted him too. She had no doubt about that. She just needed more time.
“Nicolas?”
He stepped back carefully. “Get dressed, Janis. When you’re ready, I’ll be there.”
She nodded and grabbed her clothes, not bothering to look up. After she’d finished dressing, she kept her eyes planted on the wall, waiting for him to lead the way out.
“I’m dressed. We can leave now.”
“No.”
“What? Why?”
“You don’t seem to be able to look at me. We won’t move until you see me.”
She sighed, allowing her shoulders to slump even further, before raising her head.
“I see you. Can we leave?”
“No. You’re not seeing me.”
“Look at me, Janis. See more than the form I wear. I have protected you and will continue to do so. I have nothing but your best interest at heart. More than that, I’m your mate. I’ll do whatever it is you need. I can wait until you are ready to be mine fully, but don’t shut me out with your eyes
or your actions.”
She met his eyes, acknowledging the fact he’d done everything he could to help and protect her. She didn’t understand why he insisted on calling her mate, but the reality of it was she couldn’t pick a better one if she tried.
He held out his hand and she took it. For now, she’d live in the moment. He led her out of the room and down the hallway in a different direction.
They walked into another room that was devoid of any furniture.
“What happens in this room?”
“It’s the memory room, as well as the archive room. In here, we can access our memories and relive them as they play out before us. We can also access the images that have been stored in the room. Those who have advanced minds can play out different scenarios they choose.”
“Something like this would make you rich, if you marketed it.”
“This technology would bring your world to a screeching halt. Memories are addictive, both the good and the bad. The desire to live in them to replay them over again would put the world as you know it at risk. We won’t be marketing it.”
She nodded her head, knowing he was right.
“I thought you might like to see the world of the beast.”
“You can show me that?’ Her eyes lit up at the thought of seeing that civilization.
“We have every memory ever lived from his lineage. It is stored in our DNA. Our children will also carry every memory stored deep in their DNA.”
Janis blanched as she thought what her children might know about her. That was, if she were his mate. She allowed the thought that she could actually be one with him to relax her.
The room disappeared around her, making her head feel woozy for a few seconds, before a world appeared. She’d expected a forest and trees or at least a camp like the Native Americans lived in. Something that could be moved if need be.
She got none of that. She was standing in the midst of a city. Not steel, brick, and glass like she was used to, but a city none the less.
The inhabitants were all similar to her alien knight. The males were dressed as warriors or business people and the females wore brightly colored, flowing materials. The buildings were one story constructions, but covered lots of land.
Nicolas: Love me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 8