Alien Capture (Latrothain Warrior Series Book 1)

by Christy,Dena

  His ass hit the edge of the mattress and he sat on the bed. He struggled to breathe, and he thought he would suffocate. After several moments the pain subsided, fading away until he finally felt like he’d gotten back to normal. He rubbed his hand over where the burning pain had been. It was on his chest, right over his heart. It can’t be happening now.

  “What was that? Are you okay?” Ryce said as he walked over to him and looked him up and down. “You aren’t getting sick are you? That’s the last thing we need.”

  “I’m fine,” Synn snapped, hoping it would get his friend to back off and forget what he’d just seen. He was far from fine. He didn’t need to look at the skin on his chest to know what had just happened, and so he pretended that it hadn’t happened at all. “We need to come up with a plan. There must be a way to connect to this planet’s network undetected.”

  He still sat on the bed and made no move to get up off it. He didn’t trust his legs to hold him up, and he wouldn’t look at Ryce.

  “Fuck that,” Ryce growled. Synn should have known that his friend wouldn’t let it go. And he had to admit that if the situation was reversed, he wouldn’t ignore what had just happened so easily either. “You’re going to tell me what the hell just happened, and you will tell me now. Your face is pale, and you can’t stand up can you? If you’re sick, we can deal with it but not if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on.”

  Synn looked at his friend for a moment, tempted to refuse. But he’d seen that look on Ryce’s face before, and he knew his friend wouldn’t give up until he got his way. The only way to avoid it would be if they beat the shit out of each other, and while Synn longed to take his frustrations out on someone, he knew it would do no good. They both needed to be in good condition if they were going to find Cynric and get the hell off this planet. He undid the top two buttons on his shirt and shove the fabric aside to show his friend what happened.

  “Mother fucker,” Ryce said as he got a good look at the mark that appeared on Synn’s chest. Synn didn’t need to look at it to know that it was in the exact shape of Miranda’s hand. The moment that all males of his species waited for had happened to him, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Miranda was his true mate, and he’d let her go. “This changes everything. We will go back and get her, and we’ll figure out a way to protect her while we find Cynric. Once we find him, we’ll find a way off the planet and she can go with us.”

  “She stays where she is. She is safer there. This changes nothing.” Synn stared hard at Ryce. He willed his friend to try something. His head was telling him that this was the best thing, his heart screamed for her, demanded that he go back and get her. He needed an outlet for his pain, and fighting with Ryce, while stupid, would give him the release he longed for.

  Ryce shook his head at him. He took a step forward and folded his massive arms over his equally massive chest.

  “You want me to kick the shit out of you, just say the word. Just know that it will not stop the hurting. Unless you’re willing to get her back, you’re going to have to live for the rest of your life knowing that you gave up your chance to have a mate and to have a son. You’re right about one thing, this is your choice to make, and I will back you because you’re the one that has to live with it. But you never know, maybe you’ll find another woman like her and get a second chance.”

  There would be no other woman for him. She was the only woman for him, and he couldn’t have her. At least his friend had stopped trying to convince him to go back for her. He needed to be strong and keep his focus on what was best for her. And dragging her further into the shit storm his life had become was not what was best for her.

  “Just let me say one more thing, and then the matter will be closed,” Ryce said as he towered over him. Synn looked up at him, wondering what more he could want to say. “You’re fucking idiot.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  John paced the confines of his apartment, his breath coming in and out of his lungs with an increasingly rapid pace. He had to do this. He closed his eyes and focused on slowing the rapid pounding of his heart. He’d fought too hard and too long to get to where he’d gotten, to let the actions of one bitch ruin it all.

  His pulse slowed, and determination flooded his veins. He opened his eyes, reached for the pistol sitting on the counter and tucked it in the waistband of his pants. His next stop was the bathroom, where he pulled out the small box he’d stolen from the lab. Inside was a small injector gun which held a powerful sedative. He left the bathroom and pulled on his jacket. He tucked the injector into his pocket and walked out his front door.

  He left the building and got into his car. He turned on the engine and when the car asked him to input his destination; he gave it the address of the building that he’d been to only a few days before.

  The more he thought about what he was going to do, the more he considered the possibilities open to him once he had his hands on Miranda again, the more aroused he grew. He was at the height of his power, and for the first time in absolute control over his destiny. His erection was harder than it had ever been, and he did his best to ignore it, to suppress it. He would have his reward in time, but right now he needed to focus on getting her back.

  His car pulled up in front of his destination, and he reached over to open the glove box. Inside was his military ID, and it would get him inside the building. Also inside was a small card,which acted like a sophisticated lock pick, and would override any electronic lock he pressed it on. He’d invented it to see if he could make something like that work. It had strictly been a theoretical experiment. Now he was glad he had it since it would allow him to access Collette’s apartment.

  He only needed to get inside the building, and his plan would fall into place. He tucked his ID and the lock pick inside the pocket of his jacket and looked in the rearview mirror.

  Dark circles hung like heavy bags under his bloodshot eyes, and his skin was pale and puffy. He couldn’t help any of that, and as he tidied his hair into order, he told himself it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting into that building and getting the tool he needed to find Miranda.

  He got out of the car and arranged his jacket over the pistol so it couldn’t be seen. There was no need to raise any alarm bells. It would be a simple in and out operation, but the only way he could pull it off without raising suspicions was if he acted as if he had every right to be there.

  He slammed the car door shut, took a deep breath, straightened his tie and prepared to embrace his destiny.

  He walked into the building, and the guard sitting at the desk looked at him, and John told himself that it was just his paranoia that cast a suspicious light in the guard’s eyes.

  “Can I help you?” the guard asked as his eyes swept him up and down, and John thought he saw a slight curling of the guard’s lip.

  “I would like to know what apartment Collette Beaulieu is in, please,” John said in a brisk and business like tone. He was proud that he kept the nerves trembling in his stomach out of his voice.

  “We aren’t supposed to give out that information. I will call Ms. Beaulieu, and she can come down and collect you if she wants to see you,” the guard said as he reached out to press the screen of the small com panel sitting in front of him.

  John’s hand snaked out and caught the guard by the wrist. The guard looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing as he looked at him. John reached into his pocket and pulled out his military ID. He already knew what apartment she was in, and this was all just a show to get him past the guard.

  “Ms. Beaulieu is wanted for questioning about an incident that occurred here the other day. She is under suspicion for harboring an enemy of the state. Anyone suspected of hindering the apprehension or questioning of someone suspected of a criminal offense, would be just as guilty.” The guard’s features grew pale as his hand fell away from the comm panel. John fought the grin twitching at the corner of his mouth. He needed to maintain the façade of a cool professional, s
o he let his hand fall away from the guard and he looked at him hard. “Now I think we both know that warning Ms. Beaulieu of my presence here would not be ideal.”

  “No sir,” the guard said as he turned to face his computer. He hit a few keys and scanned the screen with John watching him very closely. “She lives in apartment 705."

  “Thank you very much for your cooperation,” John said as he turned and walked toward the elevator.

  “Sir,” the guard called out. “What will happen to Miss Collette?”

  John turned back and looked at him. “That isn’t your concern. Thank you again for the information, and I will make sure that my superiors know how helpful you been in this situation.”

  John pressed the up button on the panel beside the elevator and when the doors whooshed open he stepped in. He hit the seven button and stared straight ahead as the elevator carried him towards his destiny.

  He walked out of the elevator and down the hall, his feet making no noise on the plush carpet that ran along the corridor. This building was so much more luxurious than his home, and resentment burned in his gut. He was a brilliant scientist, and he couldn’t afford to live in a place like this, and yet all this Collette Beaulieu needed to do was get on her back and spread her legs for a rich old man.

  He glanced up and down the hall and was relieved to see that no one was out and about. He should be able to slip in to Collette’s apartment unnoticed, and then he would take her out of here and she would bring Miranda to him.

  He pulled the override key card out of his pocket and pressed it to the panel beside the apartment door. It took a few seconds for the card to find the right signal to unlock the door, then a small light above the panel went from red to blue and John heard the soft click of the lock disengaging. He opened the door, stepped inside the apartment and shut the door behind him with a soft snick.

  His footsteps were silent as he padded into the living room of the apartment and looked around. He could see nothing, and he wondered for a moment if Collette was home. He thought he heard someone in the bedroom, so at least he would not have to wait.

  Footsteps came down the hall. He didn’t want her to see him, so he moved quickly to stand at the edge of the wall where the living room emptied into the hall, and he pulled the pistol out of the waistband of his pants. He pressed his body against the wall and waited for Collette to go past him. He rushed up behind her and snaked his hand around her to cover her mouth and tugged her to him and pressed the pistol against her temple.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” John growled. “I promise I will let you go when this is all done, but I need you to come with me without a struggle.”

  She trembled against him, and she flinched when John pressed the pistol harder against her temple.

  “If I take my hand off your mouth, do you promise you won’t scream,” he asked. She nodded her head and John slowly eased his hand away.

  “Who are you?” she asked with a sob of terror in her voice, and for a moment the thrill of power over her almost overwhelmed him. His cock was as hard as ever, but he wouldn't waste it on this whore.

  “It’s not important for you to know who I am. I’m going to let you go, and we will walk out of the apartment. Don’t try anything.” He pressed the pistol to her one last time to emphasize his point.

  She was more valuable to him alive than dead, but she had no way of knowing that. He had the pistol trained on her and he had to trust that she wouldn’t do something stupid. She nodded her head and he let her go, watching her closely She turned toward the door as he followed behind her. She came to a chair that had a blanket folded over the back and she quickly turned and threw it at him.

  He pushed back as it hit him in the face, and he shoved it aside. He wasted no time in going after her as she ran towards the front door of the apartment. He tackled her to the floor, his body landingheavily against her.

  “You stupid bitch,” he said and she let out a scream beneath him.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded as she trembled beneath him on the floor.

  He slowly eased off her, taking an iron grip around her upper arm and dragging her to her feet. She turned, yanking hard to get her arm out of his grip while she pushed the flat of her palm against his face. He swung the hand that held the pistol and slammed it against the side of her head. She sagged for a moment, and the only thing holding her up was the grip he maintained on her arm. A dazed look crossed her face, and John hoped this was the last of the nonsense that she was going to pull with him.

  “I told you I didn’t want to hurt you, you brought this on yourself with your fucking stupidity,” he said as he dragged her close. The stunned look on her face slowly cleared, and he could see a small bit of red in her golden hair, where the blow from the pistol had broken the skin on her scalp. “Now we’re going to leave here, and you will not do anything to raise any alarm. You’re going to walk by the guard as if you are coming with me for questioning. If you do anything to raise the guards suspicion, I will not hesitate to kill him.”

  He watched her swallow, her face pale, and she nodded her head. He arranged himself so that he stood beside her and his pistol was concealed and pressed very firmly against the soft flesh of her side.

  He escorted her from the apartment, down the hall and into the elevator. They made their way down to the lobby, and she walked quietly beside him. She faced straight ahead as they walked toward the guard’s desk. John watched her closely as they went toward the front door.

  “Is everything all right Miss Collette?” The guard asked and John turned and looked at him sharply.

  “Everything is fine Rodney,” she said as she stared straight ahead. “I’m just going to go with Dr. Avery to answer a few questions. Please let Reggie know I’ll be back very soon if he comes to see me.”

  John pushed the pistol harder into her side, and she flinched. The guard's eyes were hard on him, and John forced a professional smile upon his face. He didn’t know how she knew who he was because they didn’t run in the same circles. She sealed her fate though because there was no way he could let her live once Miranda fell into his trap. She knew his name.

  “Thank you very much for all your cooperation, you don’t need to worry. Everything will be fine.”

  John escorted Collette from the building and took her to his car. He made sure she faced away from him and put the pistol in his pocket. He quickly pulled the small injector gun that rested in his other pocket, pressed it to the flesh of her arm and pulled the trigger. She gasped and looked at him.

  “With did you inject me with,” she said, the words coming out in a jumbled slur as she melted against the side of the car. He held her up as he opened the door to the back seat and shoved her unconscious body inside.

  “Just a little something to ensure your continued cooperation,” he said as he shut the door, got into the car and prepared to face his destiny.

  * * *

  Miranda opened her eyes and tried to blink away the sore gritty feeling under her eyelids. She had no idea how she fell asleep last night, and while it was tempting to stay in bed, she forced herself to get up.

  She shifted her body, turning so that she sat at the edge of the bed. There was a soft knock on the door, and Miranda sighed. It could only be Evie, and Miranda didn’t know if she could summon the energy to talk to her right now.

  The knock came again and Miranda pressed her lips together. She stood up and walked to the door and opened it. Evie had always been persistent, and it was apparent that she would not leave until she’d talked to her.

  “How are you holding up?” Evie said as she walked into the bedroom.

  “Fine, I guess.” She was far from fine, but she didn’t want to discuss what was going on inside her until she had time to process everything. “I slept at least. How long has it been, anyway?”

  “All night and a good part of the morning.” Evie sat down in the only chair in the room, and Miranda went over to sit on the edge of the bed again s
o that she could look at her. “I know you’ve only been here for a short time and please don’t think that I’m rushing you into anything. Take all the time you need to consider your options, but you should know what they are. The women that come here usually do one of two things. Some join our network and help save women like them. Or they have a new identity created, and they start new lives. I would love it if you would stay here with me, but I understand if you make a different choice.”

  A different choice.

  Like most things in the history of her life, her choices were limited and not what she wanted. She could stay here, hide away from the world and help others. That would be the noble thing to do. Or she could get a new identity, start all over, and still face the limited choices that she always had up till now.

  She knew if she chose the latter option that she continue on as she had before, being a good citizen, never making waves, and slowly dying inside because she didn’t have what she wanted.

  There was an option that wasn’t one of the two choices presented to her. She could pick a third path. She could take her life and destiny into her own hands and choose the route that would make her the most happy.

  She was in love with Synn, and if she chose one of the two options that Evie presented her with, she would always feel regret over what might have been. Her entire life she been going through the motions of living, passively accepting whatever was thrown her way. She needed to wake up. This was the only life she was ever going to get. She could pretend she was living, or she could reach out, and grab what she wanted. And what she wanted was Synn.

  “Well like I said, you don’t have to choose,” Evie said and Miranda realized that she been sitting there staring at the wall. She shook herself out of her thoughts and looked at her friend. She had a feeling that Evie wouldn't like what she had to say, but for once in her life Miranda was going to do what pleased her, not what pleased someone else.