Anders: An Auxem Novel

by Lisa Lace

“By the time I found that out, I didn’t want to go back. I’ve been here of my own accord for a while now.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell Klowix that? He’s really upset about all this…”

  “I tried! I tried to tell him, but he didn’t want to listen to me. He was so angry.”

  The sounds of Bethany’s crying must have alerted the rest of the household, because suddenly Snia was on her left and Ruth was on her right. They pulled her to her feet and helped her to the lounge. There was a plate of reni on the table. Bethany grabbed a piece and ate hungrily.

  Anna did her best to encourage her. “That’s ok, then. You can just explain it to him when he gets back. That’s what he’s really upset about, thinking that you were deceiving him about the way you felt about him.”

  “Will he ever forgive me, though? For not telling him? He’s right, maybe at the beginning I couldn’t say anything, but once I got to know him… I knew he wouldn’t let my parents die. I could have told him.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “I was afraid he’d think the things he’s thinking right now – that this thing between us isn’t real.”

  Beoli soothed her. “He’ll understand.”

  Bethany choked on a hysterical laugh. “Klowix, understand? Are we talking about the same person?”

  Trili was firm now. “Enough of this. Clearly this can’t wait a few days until Klowix gets back. We’ll just call him, and Bethany can explain.”

  “You think he’ll take my call?” Bethany couldn’t be sure.

  Trili nodded. “He’ll take mine. I’ll get him talking to you, you have my word on that. The rest is up to you.”

  The others were nodding. Klowix listened to Trili; they were good friends.

  Bethany agreed, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to talk to Klowix, and she didn’t think she could deal with the miserable weight of guilt in her stomach much longer. She coughed and took a sip of water, feeling like it was getting hard to breathe.

  “You ok?”

  Bethany nodded. “I’m fine, just nervous.” She really needed to get these anxiety-related breathing problems under control.

  Snia held Bethany’s hand while Trili dialed Klowix’s T-screen. When his face appeared, Bethany shrank back, so that he couldn’t see her.

  “Trili. Is everything ok? Is Bethany out of her room yet?”

  “Commander, everything is not ok. Klowix, I need you to listen. Please, promise me you will listen.”

  “I promise. What is it?” His voice was sharp, and Bethany could imagine his eyes moving quickly between Trili and the others.

  Trili handed the screen over to Bethany, who took it with a shaking hand. “Klowix?”

  She expected his face to twist in rage, but instead, he sat up straighter and looked her straight in the eye, seemingly calm.

  “I owe you an apology. Untri was my agent acting on my behalf, and he colluded with slavers. You should know that this was never my intention. I will make arrangements to have you sent home at once. You can –”

  She interrupted him, to the surprise of the other girls. “Klowix, stop. You need to listen to me, all right? Yes, I was captured by slavers. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want my family killed. That was the beginning, though.

  “Of course, I knew, after a few weeks here, that you’d protect them if I asked. I knew I could leave without ever having to reveal the way I got here. I stayed by choice. Do you understand? I stayed with you because I wanted to.”

  “You don’t need to say that. I’ll see you safely home, and see that your parents are protected, I promise.”

  “No! Klowix, look at me. I am telling you the truth. I don’t want to go back. You need to understand that. I. Want. To. Stay. With. You.”

  “You – you really want to stay?”

  Bethany nodded emphatically, relieved that he was finally getting the point. “Yes. Now will you please come home so we can talk about this?”

  “Home?”

  “Commander, I know you’re upset, but please just come back. Yes, home. Here, where I am. Home.”

  Klowix hesitated. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there soon.”

  Bethany sighed in relief as they hung up.

  “Thanks, Trili.” She was suddenly exhausted. “Can we open a window? It’s really stuffy in here.”

  Anna gave her a quizzical look, but opened the window anyway. Maybe they didn’t feel it, but Bethany was sure the air was getting thinner in here; no doubt no one had opened a window or door since Klowix left.

  There was a knock on the door. For one wild moment, Bethany hoped it was Klowix, back already. Instead, Culip let in the same doctor who had helped Bethany after the first sharing.

  “Bethany, Klowix called me a few hours ago, said I should come check on you when I could? He said you may be in shock or otherwise in distress. What happened?”

  “Nothing, I’m fine. I don’t know your name, though.”

  “I’m Doctor Yie. Sit down, let me look at you. You don’t look so good.”

  Bethany leaned back and tried to breathe deeply. “I’m all right, I think I’m developing an anxiety problem, though.”

  “Anxiety would be similar to shock, that makes sense. What are your symptoms?”

  “Just more of the same, feeling like I can’t breathe. It happened the second time after the sharing, but not like the first. Klowix explained it was just because I was worried about it. I guess I’m still stressed now, so it’s causing problems.”

  “Quite possibly. Where is Klowix? It may good to have him sit with you until you’re feeling better.”

  Snia spoke up. “We can sit with her. Klowix is miles away, though he’s on his way back now.”

  Doctor Yie froze. “When you say miles away, you mean not more than a short drive via pod, don’t you?”

  Bethany didn’t know what his problem was, but she had a more urgent problem. It was really getting hard to breathe. She wondered if she needed an oxygen mask or something.

  “Doctor, I’m struggling to breathe.” Her voice was faint now.

  “Of course you’re – Klowix is out of the city?”

  “Yes, but why does that make a –?”

  “Call an ambulance, and get Klowix back here now! You can’t separate humans with a bad reaction to the sharing from the person they had it with, not for at least two months, or it brings back the symptoms! I thought Klowix knew that.”

  Bethany wasn’t keeping track of the conversation. She was rapidly panicking and clutched Snia’s arm.

  “Can’t… breathe…” she gasped.

  “Doctor, do something!”

  Bethany felt herself falling backward onto the couch. The terror of not getting enough oxygen overwhelmed her, and she thrashed frantically, desperate just to breathe.

  Something plastic was pushed in her face, but if it was an oxygen mask, she couldn’t tell, because her throat was completely closed.

  There was a confused impression of running and shouting people around her, but Bethany couldn’t make anyone out clearly. She wished Klowix was here. If she was going to die, she at least wanted to see him again.

  What a stupid thing – some silly rule neither of them knew about. No matter how mad Klowix was, he never would have left if he’d known he was putting her in danger. They just didn’t know, and now she was dying because of it.

  Her hand groped for something to hold onto, and another hand found hers. She clutched tightly to it.

  A voice spoke in her ear. “You’re going to be ok. I promise, we’ll make sure you’re ok.”

  Her chest hurt so badly. Bethany just wanted it to stop. If only it would stop…

  Up Next

  Ever since the virus took our women, we've been searching. Searching for their magical gift to create new life. Searching for the fire in their eyes when they scream our names in the heat of passion.

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  So when I find Priya, a curvy, dark-eyed human stowaway, th
ere’s only one thing on my mind. Do I care if I’m royalty and she’s a fugitive? Do I care if mating with her could risk everything? Of course not. The only thing I care about is caressing her delicious curves, opening her legs, and knowing the sweet, wet pleasure inside her. I couldn’t resist her pull even if I wanted to. I’ll protect her from everyone, even my own people, even from the pirates trying to board our ship. I’ll protect her until my dying breath. Bonding with her is forbidden. She's going to be my mate.

  * * *

  http://lisalace.com/alienprincesmate

  Also by Lisa Lace

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  TerraMates

  Water World Warrior

  Taken

  Water World Confidential

  Alpha’s Enslaved Bride

  Auctioned to the Alpha

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  Craving

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  Warrior Invasion

  Origins

  Savage Alien

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  The Surtu

  Warriors of Surtu

  Kidnapped by Surtu

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  Captured by the Alien King

  Captured by the Alien King

  Mated to the Alien King

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  Desert World Savages

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  Copyright © 2017 by Lisa Lace

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events and dialog found within the story are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is completely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.