by Selena Kitt
“Stop. Freeze. Don’t come any closer,” I yelled, wishing my palms weren’t so sweaty and that I wasn’t totally unarmed. I couldn’t even remember what had happened to my weapon in the confusion.
He—the thing—ignored me and kept moving closer and closer to me. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open and face him down.
You are a soldier of the Delta Unit... yeah fucking right; you are utterly unprepared for this, Laura Diez.
I turned away. It wasn’t even a conscious thing. I found myself turning away and cringing like a coward. So much for being part of the most elite fighting unit that Earth had. But I couldn’t help it. I was in way over my head; the full terror was washing over me. In a way it had been better when I hadn’t been able to see them; to register their huge size. Now it was coming for me. They’d already killed Tom. And they wanted me uninjured because I was more valuable that way.
I squeezed my eyes tightly closed as it approached me, trying and failing to regulate my breathing and remember my training. I’d been trained for this. I’d been working toward this my entire life.
Stand and fight.
But it was useless. As huge arms reached toward me, I stood there frozen like a deer.
Chapter Seven
Dex
Oh no no no. This is all wrong.
I stared at the doorway in annoyance. What was this? There was no way we were in the Doon stronghold. I’d been keeping track—it was only half a day since they captured me.
I felt a hand clamp around my wrists and my brain went into overdrive.
What’s going on here? Am I being freed?
I knew that there was no possibility of that; still I focused my mind and made my body surge with hope. It was what a low-level smuggler would have done. I sat there like that for several minutes, the Doon clinging on to me as I fought to keep my mind clear of any incriminating thoughts. Not only that, but I needed to convince them I felt fear mingled with hope. That was part of the reason I was here and not some fresh-faced young operative from the academy. They were learning the arts, but what may have happened if they’d slipped and revealed their true mission to Doon Minor?
Especially not with what happened next—it came as a surprise, even to me.
My senses went into overdrive without warning. It was a struggle to stop myself from wondering why, but that’s exactly what I had to do. I didn’t so much as move, despite the adrenaline that pumped through my body.
It didn’t seem to matter. For all their smugness, the Doon relied far too much on their ability to read the thoughts of any sentient being they touched. If they’d paid attention to my heart rate or my other vital signs, they might have sensed that something extremely strange was happening. They might have questioned why my pulse suddenly skyrocketed despite their presence in my cell for several minutes.
But they didn’t.
Not that it would have been a problem if they had.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was preventing myself from thrusting them away from me when they made their pitiful attempts to restrain me. In a normal scenario, one would have simply focused on the thought. Don’t struggle. Don’t struggle.
That wasn’t an option.
It was even harder now that my body had sensed a compatible female and gone into mating frenzy. It was all I could do not to thrust him away from me and seek her.
I sat there, body in turmoil as the sense of her grew stronger and stronger, until finally the Doon released his grip on me and I was able to think freely again.
And then there she was, being led into the room by one of them. He was scarcely bigger than she was; nothing more than a youth. I wondered why she didn’t simply push him off her. He let her go and closed the door. I watched her, bemused by her terror.
And then she spoke and I knew.
She was a human. Of course. She couldn’t see in the darkness. For her, this must have been utterly terrifying. They’d used lights to blind me; they kept her in darkness.
I froze, just like I had when the Doon touched me. But that wasn’t it—I was alone with the human. No, it was my own thoughts that shocked me then as I watched her hammering desperately at the reinforced door.
It was more than the mating frenzy.
I felt something else for her. I wanted... I shook my head, trying to put a name to the feeling but it was impossible.
“You won’t find a handle,” I heard myself say as I watched her fingers trail across the metal.
She spun around and my pulse raced so hard I was sure it would kill me. So small. So... I shook my head. What had gotten into me? This wasn’t the Havlor way. How was she affecting me like this? Our way was hard; rough. Unfeeling. I wiped my hand across my forehead, surprised to find beads of perspiration there.
It seemed like she was looking straight at me—I would have been convinced that was the case had I not known of her species.
“Who are you? Where have you taken me?”
For a moment I thought she was speaking to the Doon, but then I realized she was addressing her question to me. I couldn’t help but laugh at that. If only she knew. If anything, I was more of a threat to her than they were.
“You think this is funny?”
Her voice was soft; feminine. And I didn’t like the way it sent stabs of need through my body. Most curious was my restraint. I had no interest in taking her by force, I realized. I found myself standing, as one does in the presence of a lifemate who garners the utmost respect. I shook my head. This wasn’t right.
It crossed my mind that the Doon had drugged me—that was the only logical explanation for my behavior and the strange sensations I was feeling. But it didn’t matter their cause—if I lost control I’d be in grave danger. There was only one thing I could do—and that was to neutralize the source of my loss of control.
“I don’t,” I said, trying to calm her before I extinguished her. “I don’t at all.”
“What were you laughing at, then?”
I saw the hesitation in her. Did she fear me as she feared them? What did she see when she looked at me? Surely her vision must have adjusted to the light by now, even if she was a human with limited darksight.
I stepped closer against my will. I knew what I needed to do, but it was as if my body didn’t want to allow me to extinguish her.
“Stop. Freeze. Don’t come any closer.”
Her words were like a knife. Her words. How many times had I faced deadly enemies in combat and not felt a thing? I moved closer to her and then froze. She was cringing away from me. She felt only fear. I went to her, knowing I shouldn’t get so close. She was more dangerous to me than a thousand enemies. I raised my hands. She was small. Delicate. It would only take a matter of moments. How to explain it to the Doon was another matter, but I’d think of something. Blame it on panic, perhaps. They had no idea I was capable of controlling my thoughts—that meant they’d believe anything I thought.
I was in front of her now. It was almost over. I reached for her, alarmed at my sweating, shaking hands. She sent me out of control; compromised my power. It needed to be done.
I closed my eyes and emptied my mind.
Now.
Chapter Eight
Laura
I blinked in alarm. I’d expected him to hurt me so it took a couple moments for me to make sense of what was happening.
He was hugging me?
Even stranger, though—I found I liked the feeling of being in his arms. Gradually my heart stopped racing out of control and the adrenaline left my body, leaving me weak and lifeless.
“Who are you?” I asked as he eased me down to sit on the floor and sat in front of me.
In a strange way, I wanted him to hold me again, but I forced myself not to say anything. I mean, how weird was that? I couldn’t even see him, but I could... sense him? His masculinity was overpowering; his scent intoxicating.
No, it was a good thing he’d let me go. This was no way for a Delta to behave. Flustered, I ran my hand
s through my hair.
“Is it always this dark? They keep the lights off to torture us?”
“No.”
I wished suddenly that I could see him. Because maybe if I could see his weird alienness then it’d stop the irrational feelings that were pumping through me right then.
“Well it sure seems like torture to me.”
“You humans. You can’t see well in the dark.”
I froze. “How do you know I’m human? All I see of you is that you’re a huge being in front of me. I couldn’t identify your species if I tried.”
He laughed again; a deep rumble.
I felt my cheeks flush and instantly wondered if he could see that too. Even though I liked the sound, I hated the fact that he was mocking me.
“Stop laughing at me,” I said, dismayed at how whiny my voice sounded. Hah, I thought, remembering how I’d told Sophia I was going to take down the alien king that no Delta before me had been able to capture.
Hah, I thought miserably.
He reached over and stroked my face; tentatively, like he’d never done something like that before. “I’m not laughing at you to be cruel,” he murmured, leaning so close that I could feel his breath on my skin.
I held my breath.
I’m not sure why.
“Okay,” I gasped. “Then why were you laughing? What’s funny about being held captive? And why did you hug me just now?”
He shook his head. “I thought it was funny. I can see you clearly. Of course it was obvious to me that you’re human.”
“You can?”
“Yes. You’re frowning now. Don’t worry.” He leaned so close that our foreheads were almost touching. At least, I assume he had a forehead—all I saw was a huge shadow that was having an incredibly strange effect on my hormones. “If you could see these guys, you wouldn’t be afraid of them.”
“You can see them?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“You know who they are?”
He was silent.
“Who are you?” I asked, remembering that he hadn’t answered me before. It was like my brain was somehow clouded—I wasn’t as sharp as I usually was, or as guarded I should be in the bowels of an enemy ship. I put it down to the unexpected ambush.
“I’m...” he paused. “I’m...”
I shook my head, wondering at his hesitation. “I’m an Earth Planetary Guard,” I said, taking the lead and holding out my hand.
He didn’t take it and I wondered at his reluctance for a while, before I realized he probably wasn’t familiar with the gesture. I laughed and shook my head.
“You find your job funny?”
“No,” I said, smiling and shaking my head. “I just tried to shake your hand. I’m new to the job. Can you tell?”
I buried my head in my hands. Now I saw the Commander’s cruelty for what it really was. I’d been stupid enough to see the posting to the Deltas as a challenge. It was no such thing. It really had been a death sentence.
“You’ve just joined?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Well, like a year ago.” I sighed. “I’m in way over my head.”
He shook his head slowly. “Don’t say that. You’re going to get out.”
I glanced around the darkness, growing increasingly frustrated. “Oh yeah? How the hell? I can’t even see. These fuckers can read my thoughts, it seems. And you think I can escape from this?”
He didn’t respond.
“Goddamn it, I wish I could see your expression. I’m totally in the dark here. Literally!” I stood and paced to the door again, slamming my tender fists against it. To be captured mere hours into my first mission? I couldn’t have imagined I’d fail so badly at this.
He was behind me so fast that I jumped. For such a huge creature, he moved with a stealth I hadn’t seen in any human. “Calm down.”
I leaned against his chest, suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion and the need to sleep. What was I gonna do, sleep on this alien? I tried to pull away from him but he held me fast, sending bolts of desire through my body.
“I can’t calm down,” I hissed.
He sighed. “I shouldn’t do this, but here. Now you can see.”
I watched in amazement as a ball of light shot from his outstretched hand. I knew some species were able to do that, but that had been learned in a classroom. To see it, in the flesh? It was the most amazing thing I’d ever witnessed.
“How did you do that?” I asked, turning back to face him. I stopped, spellbound.
Oh I’d seen his height and been able to tell he was big. But now? He was towering; built like a warrior. A smattering of black hair drew attention to his blue chest; well, that and the fact that he had the most well-defined pectoral muscles I’ve ever seen in my life. And that six-pack? I know out-of-this-world doesn’t sound so impressive when you’re talking about an extra-terrestrial—it’s kinda literal—but that was the only way I could think to describe him. This was the kind of body that made grown women’s jaws hit the floor.
“Have I scared you?” he asked, his deep voice sounding concerned.
I tore my eyes away from his body, realizing I’d been staring. Hey, it was hard not to—his ragged robes were torn so badly that he may as well have been naked. Don’t even get me started on his thighs.
I shook my head sheepishly. “Uh... no. It’s just...”
“Never seen an alien before?”
I shook my head. “It’s not that.” I wanted for the ground to open up and swallow me into it. “You just... wow, that light thing.”
A funny smile lit up his face and I realized I was fooling no one, not even myself. “What do you do?” I asked again, more to change the subject than anything else.
“I’m a smuggler,” he said simply.
“Oh.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
What had I been expecting? An upstanding citizen? And really, what was going to happen here? We were locked up in a cell about to be sold off to who knows where. Wasn’t it better that I be stuck with a criminal? I wandered around the cell in silence, examining the walls for some vulnerability or weakness. Finding nothing, I sat back down on the ground and stared at the door.
Chapter Nine
Dex
I held her? I thought, staring down at her beautiful sleeping face.
I don’t even know how it happened. I’d made the decision to eliminate her, and the next thing I knew, I was cradling her in my arms. She’d been so...
I don’t know.
I sighed, clicking my fingers and quenching the light.
And there was another thing. I’d allowed her to see my power. Was that before or after she’d told me she was part of the Earth Guard? What had I been thinking? I mean, granted, there had been no recognition in her eyes. And there was no way she could identify me on the basis of that one trait—there were at least six species that had the power to create light.
There was no denying it—she was a bad influence on me.
She’d been upset and I’d fallen over myself to sooth her. What was I, a nurturer?
No I wasn’t.
But the fact remained—I’d practically fallen over myself to reveal my power to her.
I closed my eyes and remembered the disapproval in her voice when I’d told her I was a smuggler. It made me want to roar with laughter. What if she knew the truth? How would she react to that?
I shook my head and watched her chest rise and fall with her calm sleeping breath. My arousal was painful at this stage, but I fought it. I wasn’t going to act on it unless she wanted it.
She stirred, opening her eyes calmly at first and then staring wildly around her.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “You’re safe.”
I wanted to throw myself off the nearest cliff. I was aware of the fact that I was acting out of character yet it kept happening. This was going to get both of us killed, I thought, not realizing that it was the first time in years that I’d thought of ‘us’ instead of ‘me’.
; “What’s your name?” she whispered, her voice still heavy with sleep.
I thought about it, picturing myself telling her the truth. “Dex,” I said simply.
She smiled up at me thoughtfully. “I’m Laura. Laura Diez.”
“Laura Diez,” I repeated, pronouncing the strange words carefully.
“Dex,” she said firmly, seemingly more awake now. “I’m gonna get us out of here.”