by S. E. Smith
“How bad are you hurt?” Another dark voice asked calmly from next to him.
Hunter bared his teeth at Saber. He had known the minute re-enforcements had shown up. It was one of the traits that made the Trivators such great warriors. They were drawn to each other in time of need or could react as one when in battle.
“What took you so long?” Hunter snarled out. “They had me strapped to a damn metal bed with chains,” he nodded to the dead human on the floor. “He was threatening to cut my balls off and use them for decorations.”
“We lost you a couple hours ago but knew we weren’t far. I thought the plan was for us to follow you to where the humans had their lab?” Saber said.
“The plan changed,” Hunter growled. “There was another human here. We can still get the information we need from the female inside.”
“Dagger is good at that,” Saber comment.
“What am I good at?” Dagger said, materializing out of the darkness. “I was about to go after the other human when I heard the shots. You hit?”
“A scratch,” Hunter said with a shrug. “Was the other a female?”
“It smelled like it,” Dagger said with a sharp-tooth grin. “She smelled sweet, even her blood. Did you try to gut her or something? You don’t normally miss if you are close enough to touch skin.”
Hunter frowned at Dagger. “She only had a small amount on her from a wound before she saved me,” he responded.
Saber held up his hand. “What the fuck do you mean ‘before she saved you’? Who saved you?” He asked.
“A human female. She heard what the others planned to do to me,” Hunter said with a frown. “She said she couldn’t let them do that.”
“Maybe it was a trap like the other female. You know that these females cannot be trusted,” Dagger speculated. “She could have been testing you.”
“No,” Hunter replied with confidence. “She was terrified. She said the other humans would kill her if she was caught. She told me where the Support Center was being set up so I could find help. I could hear the truth in her voice and scent her fear. She was not lying.”
“Then why did she smell so strongly of blood if you did not try to kill her?” Dagger asked impatiently. “
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “She was not wounded badly when she was with me,” he bit out. “We will find her once we have taken the other female in.”
Saber nodded. “Let’s get this over with,” he said with a grin. “I’m hungry.”
Hunter watched as Saber swung his foot out and kicked the door. He barely missed getting his head blown off when the female in the room screamed in terror. Dagger snarled at Saber who had dropped and rolled to the side.
“You are going to get your head blown off one of these days,” Hunter commented as Saber stood up and brushed the arm of his sleeve.
“Not with their reaction time,” Saber grinned. “Now, are you going in or is Dagger?”
“Why don’t you?” Dagger asked in exasperation.
“Hey, I did my part,” Saber said. “I opened the door for you two.”
“Shit,” Dagger growled. “I’ll do it.”
The sound of a single gunshot sounded in the room before Dagger had a chance to move. All three men roared in frustration and rage as they smelled the overwhelming stench of blood and brain matter mixed with gunpowder.
“Well, there goes that lead,” Dagger said in disgust.
Chapter 4
Jesse stumbled as she reached the entrance to the ruins of the parking garage. It had taken every ounce of her strength to make it the last few blocks. The only thing that kept her going was knowing that her sisters were depending on her.
She leaned down and let gravity take her to the bottom. She tried to push herself up when she hit the floor but found she didn’t have the strength to stand. Bitter tears of defeat burned her eyes as she struggled unsuccessfully to push herself up.
“Here, let me help,” Taylor said softly.
Jesse smiled weakly at her fifteen year old sister. She hissed as the cut on her stomach pulled as she finally stood. She would have fallen again if Taylor hadn’t wrapped her arm around her waist.
“Jordan?” Jesse asked wearily. “How is she?”
“The same,” Taylor replied glumly. “Her fever hasn’t gotten any worse but the coughing has. I’m worried about her, Jesse. Since the other night... since the other night, she seems to have given up,” she added.
“Well, I have food so maybe that will help,” Jesse whispered. “We all need to eat good tonight.”
“Food,” Taylor’s eyes widened in excitement. “How much?”
“Enough for several days,” Jesse assured her. “Tonight, we all eat.”
“Oh Jesse, you are the best big sister ever!” Taylor laughed. “This will cheer Jordan up. It has to!”
“I hope so, squirt,” Jesse said affectionately. “I really, really hope so. Why don’t you warm it up while I take care of the cut I got. I don’t want to take a chance of it getting infected.”
“Are you sure? I can help you first,” Taylor said biting her lip.
Jesse could tell her little sister was torn between wanting to help her and the idea of having some warm food in her belly. She knew that both of her sisters needed to eat. She could feel her second wind coming back to her. It would help them all if Taylor got the food ready.
“I can take care of the cut. It isn’t more than a scratch,” Jesse lied. “I would love it if there was some hot food in my belly after I’m cleaned up a bit.”
“Okay,” Taylor grinned. “I’ll have it ready in no time.”
“Taylor,” Jesse called out quietly as her sister headed for their makeshift living area.
“Yeah?” Taylor asked, turning to look at Jesse.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” Jesse asked.
Taylor grinned. “I love you too, Jesse,” she said before turning and walking quickly away.
Jesse watched until Taylor was out of sight before she raised a shaking hand to her head. She was freezing yet her forehead was burning up. She had caught whatever Jordan had. On top of that, she could feel the blood sticking to the front of her black shirt.
She stumbled over to the corner and gripped her stomach over the deep cut. Dry heaves shook her as her stomach rebelled. After several minutes, she forced her body to straighten. She was shaking so badly her legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer and she slid down the wall to the cold, hard floor. She was so tired, so very, very tired. She would close her eyes for just a few minutes. That was all she needed. Just a few minutes of rest to gather her strength and she would get up and take care of the cut on her arm and stomach.
Just a few minutes, she thought as darkness closed in on her.
*.*.*
“This way,” Hunter called out, sniffing the air.
“This human is pretty smart,” Saber commented as he pushed aside the door he had broken off. “I feel like we are running an obstacle course.”
“I found more blood,” Dagger called out. “She went this way.”
Hunter looked at the bloody handprint on the wall. They had spent the last two hours following the female’s scent. It was taking longer than normal to track her because she had woven in and out of the abandoned buildings and back tracked through alleys forcing them to retrace their steps over and over again.
He reached out and touched the small handprint outlined in blood. It was tiny compared to his hand. He looked around the rubble of the collapsed building. It was only the fact that she had left a trail of blood that they had been successful in tracking her. He was sure of that.
“Her tracks have disappeared again,” Saber bit out in frustration. “She must have doubled back again.”
“No,” Hunter murmured looking at the pile of rubble. “She is here.”
“Yeah, but where is here?” Dagger asked, running his hand through his long white hair. “There is a mountain of rubble that she could be hiding in.”
> Hunter moved forward, looking intently at the ground. The slight indent of the heel of a boot showed in the soft dirt. He knelt down and looked around. His eyes widened on the narrow opening in between the huge slabs of concrete. Standing, he walked forward, keeping his eyes on the ground.
He paused when he saw another slight mark. It would have gone unnoticed to most, especially at night. He ducked under the huge slab and peered down the dark opening. Sniffing the air, the smell of blood was thicker in the confined area. She had gone down into the fallen building.
Anger burned in him that the female would place herself in so much danger. If the ground were to shift at all, tons of concrete would collapse even further into the unstable pile. He stepped onto the slanted sheet of concrete and slid down it.
A moment later, Dagger and Saber were standing next to him. Both men looked around the area. Hunter could understand their surprise and appreciation for the human’s resourcefulness. He had not expected to find himself in a cavern below ground.
He held up his hand when he heard the soft murmur of voices. He shook his head when Dagger and Saber looked at him. He held up two fingers then a third. They nodded. There were at least two others down here in addition to the female they had been tracking.
They spread out. Hunter took the front while Dagger and Saber each took a side. They would come up on all sides of the group. Moving silently, they stepped closer to the area where a small fire burned.
*.*.*
Jordan held the cloth over her mouth to muffle her cough before she lay back on the blankets. Her eyes were glazed with fatigue, pain and fever. There wasn’t a part of her body that didn’t hurt.
“Where is Jesse?” Jordan asked as Taylor brought her over some of the soup she had warmed up. “It shouldn’t take her this long.”
“She said she had a cut she needed to clean,” Taylor said, helping Jordan to sit up so she could eat. “She’ll be back any minute. You need to eat. This will help you get stronger.”
Jordan sighed tiredly. “I don’t think I’ll ever be strong again,” she said in resignation.
“Don’t!” Taylor said, holding the cup up to Jordan’s lips. “We promised each other we would never give up. It is okay to feel down. You deserve it after… well, you deserve it but don’t ever give up, Jordan. We need you. I need you,” she said fiercely.
Jordan took a sip of the hot soup and moaned in pleasure as the warmth filled her stomach for the first time in days. She greedily sipped some more. With a shaky smile, she reached to take the cup from Taylor.
“I can do this,” Jordan whispered. “You need to eat too.”
Taylor reluctantly handed Jordan the battered cup of soup. She brushed Jordan’s tangled brown hair back from her face. A dark bruise covered the right side from her cheekbone to her chin where one of the men had hit her.
“I love you, Jordan,” Taylor said. “I’ll be glad when you are feeling better.”
“Me too, Taylor,” Jordan whispered tearfully. “I hate being like this.”
“One day we’ll have a house of our own. Maybe we can talk Jesse into stealing a car and we can go up to Wenatchee,” Taylor suggested. “We could live in the cabin.”
“If it is still…,” Jordan’s voice faded and her hand started trembling uncontrollably as her eyes widened.
“What’s wrong?” Taylor asked, turning around.
A low cry echoed throughout the parking garage as three huge forms stepped out of the darkness. Taylor stepped back with another cry, trying to shield Jordan who sat frozen on the pallet. Both girls stared in horror as the aliens they had avoided successfully for the past four years stepped into the light of their makeshift campfire.
Chapter 5
Jesse faded in and out of consciousness. She felt her body being gently turned until she was lying flat on her back. She immediately tried to turn back so she could curl up into a ball but something prevented her from rolling onto her side.
She pushed weakly at the arms picking her up. She didn’t want to be moved until she felt the heat radiating from the source trying to hold her. She immediately turned into it and burrowed as close as she could get. She didn’t care where the heat was coming from as long as it warmed her. She was freezing.
A low cry echoed in the air dragging her back to consciousness. It took a moment for her to realize it had come from Taylor. Her little sister sounded frightened.
“Taylor? Baby, it’s okay,” Jesse forced out in a slurred whisper. “I’ll protect you.”
“You have to help her,” Taylor’s voice was saying before it faded.
Who has to help who? Jesse wondered vaguely. Jordan. Jordan was sick. Was she doing worse?
“Jordan!” Jesse cried out sharply. “Jordan!”
“Shush, she will be well soon,” a deep voice responded.
“I have… protect…,” Jesse choked out before the world started to fade again. “Please… don’t.”
“Don’t what, little female?” The deep voice asked.
Jesse forced her fevered eyes opened. “Please… don’t hurt them. They… they are all I have… left,” she begged, staring into the dark yellow eyes.
“I will protect them with my life,” the dark voice promised.
Jesse didn’t respond. She stared intently into the familiar but not so familiar yellow eyes for several long seconds before she closed her eyes in exhaustion. She had no other choice but to believe the strange alien male would keep his promise. She was too weak to do otherwise. She turned her face into the warmth of his body.
She had nothing left inside of her to give. She had used up all her strength to get back to her sisters. She didn’t trust anyone but her sisters anymore. She hoped she wasn’t making a fatal mistake in believing that the alien male holding her would keep his word.
*.*.*
Hunter sat next to the bed in his quarters in the housing that had been set up for the warriors. He had been given special permission to bring the three females with him. The two younger females were staying in the living quarters next to his. This one, this one he had claimed as his Amate. It was the only thing he could think of doing so he could receive permission to keep the females with him.
He lifted the pale, limp wrist lying on his bed in his hand. It was so delicate he was afraid he might unwittingly crush the bones by mistake. He stared down at the intricate tattoos that had been etched into the female’s skin. An identical one circled his own. The words and their meaning held him mesmerized.
When he had claimed her as his Amate, he had given his word as a warrior that he would accept responsibility for her and her sisters. He had promised to protect, care for and accept them as his own. He now had a family. This was a gift unlike any other to a Trivator warrior.
He gently traced his mark. He had hoped to join with a female when he returned to his world. Now, that would never happen. He had owed this female a life debt. He had no doubt that the other humans would have killed him if his team would have been late in finding him or he couldn’t escape. He had also given his word that he would protect the females with his life and he meant it.
This female and the other one had been very ill. Dagger had lifted the other female despite her protests that she didn’t need help. Saber had to restrain the youngest female when she moved to protect the injured one.
Hunter’s lips curved up in a small grin when he thought of how fierce the littlest one had been. Saber would be sporting a few bruises of his own. It had taken his friend by surprise at how strong and fast the tiny female had been.
The smile faded as he remembered the injuries to the other female. She had cried out in pain as Dagger lifted her. He had left Dagger and Saber to care for the two females while he searched for the other.
He had found her lying on the freezing ground. Her body was shivering but her skin was hot. He knew she needed medical assistance as soon as possible.
A low moan pulled him back to the present. He watched as Jesse as she was called, moved restle
ssly under the covers. He reached up to touch her forehead. It was still a little warm. Their healer, Carp, had said Jesse had a virus, was malnourished and had several wounds that needed to be healed. Carp’s mate, Bree, suggested it might be better if the females were housed away from medical for their own comfort once it was safe enough to release them.
“Jordan?” Jesse murmured. “Taylor?”
“They are safe,” Hunter said quietly. “They are resting.”
He watched as Jesse’s eyelashes fluttered before slowly opening. She looked at him with a blank expression for a moment before horror and fear replaced it. She struggled to move away from him. Her eyes swept down to where he was holding her wrist. Her mouth opened and closed but no sound came out at first.
“Don’t touch me,” she finally choked out. “Don’t ever touch me!”
Hunter’s eyes flashed possessively before he concealed his anger. He had tied his life to hers. He would be touching her frequently. She now belonged to him.
Sensing her growing alarm as she glanced frantically around the room, he opened his fingers. The moment he released her, she pulled away and scooted up until she was in the corner of his bed. He frowned when he saw her pale and her eyes clouded with disorientation. He leaned forward and gripped the upper part of her arms when she started to fall forward.
“I…,” she moaned, raising a trembling hand to her head. “Where… where am I? My sisters?”
Hunter reluctantly released Jesse when she leaned back into the corner to keep from falling. He sat back again on the chair he had moved closer to the bed. Strange sensations moved through him causing him to frown in confusion.
“They rest next door,” he replied. “You need nourishment. Carp said you are too thin.”
Jesse’s mouth twisted with bitterness. Of course, she was too thin. So were Jordan and Taylor.
That happened when you couldn’t find food and went days without eating, she thought.
She closed her eyes for a moment as the room continued to spin. She had never felt so weak and defeated in her life. She had to fight the feeling. She had to be strong for her sisters.