Dating Outside Your DNA

by Karen Kelley

  “But it is changing,” Lyraka spoke up before she thought. She had all their attention again. This wasn’t good. “Nerak is changing. They’re allowing changes to be made.”

  “Finally,” Alesha said. “Someone who knows more about what’s happening on other planets. That’s what Roan meant by counter maneuvers.” She chuckled. “I knew I’d figure you out before the day was over.”

  “It wasn’t a big secret.” Lyraka smiled and hoped it came off friendly. She thought it did. Well, until she glanced Reeka’s way. Lyraka could tell the other woman knew there was more to her than she was willing to share.

  She was trapped by omission of the truth. Would they hate her because she hadn’t admitted everything? She didn’t like deceiving them. They were her team members, and maybe she needed to trust them.

  Ray began telling them a story about growing up on a farm. Roan had said to wait to tell them anything about her skills. On the other hand, she didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot.

  It was now or never.

  She took a deep breath. “I can run really fast,” she blurted out. They all looked at her as though she was slightly off balance. That wasn’t the reaction she’d expected.

  “I can run the mile in under ten,” Warren said.

  “Under ten?” Ray wore an expression of disbelief. “I can’t even run it in under ten and I’m pretty fast.”

  Alesha snorted. “I can run it in under ten,” she said.

  “No, you don’t understand. I’m really fast,” Lyraka butted in.

  “I can run it in under nine,” Link bragged.

  She was trying to be honest with them and they weren’t even listening to her. She stomped her foot. Her bottled water tipped over. She grabbed it and sat it back upright, then she frowned at them.

  “No, I mean I’m really fast.”

  Warren and Alesha smiled. They still didn’t get it. She came to her feet. One second she was beside the sofa, and in the next, she was standing beside Reeka.

  Their mouths dropped open.

  Ray closed his, then visibly swallowed. “I think that beats the hell out of your under nine, Link.”

  “I think you’re right,” Link finally said.

  “My father was from Earth,” Lyraka said as she sat back down. “But my mother is Nerakian.”

  Warren sat forward. “Man, this is wild. I didn’t know there were any mixed bloods that were your age.” He blushed. “Not that I think you’re old or anything.”

  “I think we’re going to make a good team,” Reeka said.

  “Kick ass,” Alesha grinned.

  “One for all and all for one,” Ray said.

  She relaxed. “I like that.”

  “I stole it from The Three Musketeers.”

  “It’s the thought that counts,” she said.

  Johnny walked back in the room. “Are you guys ready to act like mature adults?”

  He sure knew how to kill a good mood.

  “No.” They all spoke in unison. Johnny didn’t look any happier than he had when he’d first walked out.

  Later that day, she spotted Roan across the wide yard of the compound. He was talking with Gavin and Joe. She sat on the bench and watched them. They were just out of her range of hearing. Their conversation sounded more like bees buzzing. But she didn’t care about their conversation. She just wanted to sit and watch Roan.

  Yeah, he’d been an ass. She understood about trusting your team members. She also knew that trust took time, no matter how intimate the relationship.

  And theirs had been very intimate. A deep longing filled her. She missed their training sessions, their conversations, and even playing checkers. Her body began to tingle with awareness. She missed the way he touched her, the way his mouth would cover hers, the way he made love to her.

  He looked up as if he sensed she watched him. He said something to the other two, then began walking toward her. Heat began to rise inside her. She stood.

  “Is everything going okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She only wanted to look at him. Even though it hadn’t been that long since she’d seen him, it seemed like forever.

  “You sure you’re okay?” His forehead creased.

  She drew in a deep breath. “Everything is great.” She looked at the building, then back at him. “I told them I could run fast and I’m half Nerakian.”

  He relaxed. “Good.”

  “But you told me not to say anything.”

  “Not until you felt as if you could trust them. Remember, it’s all about trusting your team.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”

  “I know.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I miss you. Is that crazy? I mean, you’re standing right here, but I miss how you held me in your arms.”

  He drew in a deep breath. “Keep looking at me like that and I’m going to pick you up and carry you to my room.”

  “Promise?”

  “Lyraka, how do you like everything so far?” Joe asked, as he joined them.

  She jumped. So much for Roan carrying her off. She was pretty sure that was out of the question now. “I like it very well. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.”

  “No, thank you. We need people with skills like yours.” His smile was warm.

  But he wasn’t a fool and the way he studied the two of them, it was almost as if he knew there was something going on. She tried to keep her expression impassive. He finally turned to Roan.

  “I have something I need you to do,” he told Roan. “You don’t mind my stealing him away from you, Lyraka?”

  Yes, she wanted to scream. “I need to be going anyway. Roan, it was nice talking to you.”

  “Same here.”

  Was that regret she saw in his eyes? She liked to think so. She smiled as she went back inside the building. It was nice to know he cared.

  Roan barely paid attention to what Joe was telling him as he watched Lyraka walk back into the building.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Roan agreed before he thought. “I mean…”

  “You’re making a mistake. It’s not good to get mixed up with someone on your team. It could cause problems.”

  “You know me, Joe. When it comes down to it, I don’t let anything interfere with my work.”

  “Just make sure you know what your mission is.” Joe patted Roan on the back before walking away.

  Crap, was Joe that intuitive? Or were they that easy to read? Probably a little of both, but Joe should know that Roan would never jeopardize a mission.

  He looked toward the row of windows where the trainees stayed. Did one of the curtains flutter or was it just a trick of the imagination? Wishful thinking?

  He hadn’t realized how much he was going to miss being with her or how jealous he’d get because she was with other people. Why the hell had Joe pulled Johnny for this team? The guy was notorious for hitting on the women. A known ladies man.

  He’d talk to him. Tell him exactly what the score was, and if that didn’t work—he’d clobber him.

  Roan frowned. When had he started getting this territorial? But then, he knew the answer—since Lyraka had walked into his life.

  Chapter 16

  Banyon stood on his balcony, surveying all that he reigned over. It was his, all his. His father had…conveniently died, thanks to Kragen, but it had cost Banyon dearly. Kragen had wanted more power, more land. If Banyon wasn’t careful, his chief advisor might decide he wanted to rule Rovertia.

  He stepped back into his chambers just as there was a knock on the door. His weapon was on a table across the room. He walked to it, slipping it into the scarf at his waist. He trusted no one.

  His gaze landed on one of the full length mirrors. He arched an eyebrow. Yes, he was quite stunning dressed all in black, except for the pale blue sash. He brushed a hair back into place. Better.

  “Enter
,” he said.

  The door silently opened. Kragen, of course. The man was becoming quite the nuisance.

  “What is it this time? Are you here to tell me that Aasera is still on Nerak, safe and sound, and quite unreachable?”

  “Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but yes, Aasera is surrounded all the time by other Nerakians, and untouchable.”

  Banyon fingered the weapon at his waist.

  Kragen paled. “But we have located her daughter.”

  Excitement flittered through Banyon. Finally, revenge was close at hand. “I will leave tonight.” He wasn’t going to give her time to slip through his fingers, not like her mother. All these years and the bitch had been alive.

  Kragen cleared his throat. “The ceremony to officially pass the crown to you is tomorrow. It wouldn’t be wise to leave so soon after your father’s death, not without throwing suspicion your way.”

  The palms of Banyon’s hands began to itch. What he wouldn’t give to end Kragen’s pitifully pathetic existence right now. The day could not come soon enough when he had no need for his chief advisor.

  His eyes narrowed. “How many days do I wait?”

  “Three. No more than that.”

  Three days. Banyon could wait that long. He’d wait a lifetime if he thought the end result would cause Aasera so much grief that she would want to end her life.

  “Leave me.” He waved his hand. The door opened. “No, wait. Send me a female. I feel the need to inflict pain.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Kragen bowed as he left the room.

  Banyon smiled. He was already planning what he would do when he brought Aasera’s child to his planet. Her torture would last for a very long time. Maybe even years, if he were lucky. He knew all the ways to keep someone alive.

  If this female had as much fight in her as her mother, she would prove quite entertaining. He might even let Aasera know he had her daughter, and that he was torturing her. Oh, yes, that would be perfect.

  There was another knock on his door.

  “Enter.”

  Two guards brought a girl into his chambers. She was already crying and pleading. He looked at her in disgust. Were there no females left with a little fight in them?

  Chapter 17

  They were all dressed in green fatigues out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees. Lots of trees. Lyraka could handle that part. It was the rest she wasn’t so sure of.

  They’d been taken to this remote area in the back of a truck with benches so hard that Lyraka knew she was going to be bruised for the next few days. She took a deep breath and glanced at her teammates. They looked about as uncomfortable as she felt. Except Johnny, but since she didn’t like him, he didn’t count.

  Roan had told them yesterday they would be going on a mock mission. What exactly was a mock mission? Her heart pounded inside her chest as she silently prayed that she wouldn’t totally screw everything up. She wasn’t sure she was ready.

  The sound of an approaching vehicle invaded her thoughts. Ready or not…

  “Someone else is coming.”

  “Where?” Alesha looked around.

  “You can’t see them yet, but I hear them.” She shrugged. “I have better than average hearing, too.”

  “What are you, Superwoman?” Johnny sneered.

  She glanced his way. He hadn’t been in the room when she’d made her confession yesterday. “No, I’m half Nerakian and half earthling. I have skills that someone like you wouldn’t understand.”

  His mouth dropped open, then snapped shut, but not before he mumbled something about that being the reason she wasn’t attracted to him.

  Whatever.

  Roan drove up in his Jeep, with Gavin in the passenger seat. Roan turned off the ignition after coming to a stop and they both got out.

  “This will be a search and rescue.” Roan looked at each of them, his gaze lingering a half second longer on Lyraka. It was enough to make her feel warm on the inside.

  Gavin reached inside the Jeep and brought out a black satchel. “You have five hours before your victims are ruthlessly murdered.” He motioned for everyone to come over to the Jeep as he brought out a map. “This is where you are.” He circled the area on the map with a marker. Then he circled another spot. “This is where the terrorists are thought to be holding the captives.”

  Lyraka looked around at the group. She could get there faster than anyone. She could go in and…and what? No doubt it would be a lot more complicated than just going in and untying someone.

  Roan and Gavin reached into the back of the Jeep and brought out guns and knives.

  “You’re on an unknown planet, in an area we don’t know much about.” Roan handed Lyraka a gun and a knife. “The guns are loaded with paint balls so don’t worry about killing any of your team—this time. The knives are rubber.” They handed out the rest of the weapons.

  “We hope your mission is a success.” Gavin climbed into the Jeep.

  “That’s it?” Warren looked at the gun as though it were a snake about to strike him. “Shouldn’t we have a little more information?”

  “Sometimes this is all you have to go on. Good luck.” Roan got in on the driver’s side and they took off. The transport truck left right behind them.

  “I guess this is it,” Warren said.

  Alesha studied the map. “From what I can tell, the victims are about four miles north of here.”

  Lyraka’s eyes narrowed. “This seems too easy.”

  Johnny snorted. “Wake up, sweetheart. This is what it’s all about. I’ve been through these before. They’ll have men waiting for us with guns of their own. If we get past them, then we have to make it past the booby traps.”

  She felt like an idiot, which is exactly what Johnny had wanted her to feel like. Of course the instructors wouldn’t make it easy. All the intense training that Roan had put her through was about to pay off. At least, she hoped it would.

  Alesha tucked the map in her shirt and slung her gun over her shoulder. “Anyone else feel the rush of adrenaline?”

  “I have a feeling we’re going to need it before the day is over.” Ray reached in his pocket, but came back empty handed. “I bet they won’t have a buffet waiting for us halfway between here and there, either.”

  Some of her apprehension eased. She wouldn’t be alone. She was with her team.

  “We can’t all go clomping through the woods. Someone should be in the lead.”

  “That would be me since I’m the only experienced one in the group,” Johnny volunteered.

  “No. It should be Lyraka.” Reeka kept her gaze leveled on him.

  “It figures that you people would stick together.”

  “No, she’s right,” Link said. “We already know Lyraka can run faster than anyone. Her hearing is better, too. She’s the obvious choice.”

  “What do you mean she can run fast? I can run a mile in under eleven minutes.”

  Lyraka moved behind Johnny in the blink of an eye. “But you’re not as fast as me.”

  He whirled around, hatred in his eyes. “I don’t like being made a fool.”

  “Then don’t act like one,” Ray said. “Lyraka will lead the team. And we will work together. Understood?”

  Johnny looked as though he wanted to argue, but apparently changed his mind at the last second. “Try not to get us all killed.”

  Jerk.

  “Stay focused, darlin’.” Alesha smiled.

  “And don’t get too far ahead of us,” Ray warned.

  “Watch up in the trees, too. I read where the enemy will drop nets sometimes.” Warren looked up as though someone might jump down on them at any second.

  Everyone was talking at once. She finally held up her hands for silence. “I get it. It’s not as though I haven’t had any training. I’ll do a quick scan of the immediate vicinity and report back.”

  “We’ll start making our way forward.” Reeka tucked her knife in her boot and adjusted the gun on her back. “Be careful.”
/>   “May the force be with you.” Link grinned.

  Lyraka slipped out of the clearing and into the denser woods. For a moment, she stood silent and listened. There were only the sounds of the woods. Her stomach fluttered as a rush of excitement swelled inside her. It wasn’t real, but it was exhilarating.

  She zipped from one tree to another, stopping to study the terrain. She was about a quarter mile deep in the woods and had criss-crossed back and forth. Johnny was right about one thing—it couldn’t be this easy.

  She started to move, but heard something snap behind her. She whirled around and ducked at the same time a red paintball splattered on the tree just above her head. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she ducked behind some cover and scanned the area. She rolled to the left, hiding behind the next tree over. The red paint had almost got her.

  Someone was stealthily making their way nearer. She took a deep breath and moved quickly to the next tree. She still couldn’t see anyone. No, wait, was that a flash of movement? She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

  Breathe in, breathe out. Relax.

  She could feel herself becoming one with the tree. She waited patiently for the shooter to come to her. She didn’t have to wait long.

  Lyraka watched from narrowed eyes. Dressed all in brown and olive green, a woman eased forward. Lyraka had to admire her for barely making a sound as she moved.

  The woman looked to her right, raised two fingers to her eyes, then pointed forward. Lyraka glanced in that direction and saw a man creeping closer.

  Were there more than two of them? Not that it mattered. She couldn’t take out two people at once. She didn’t have that kind of training. God, she was dead.

  Get hold of yourself!

  Lyraka needed to relax or she wouldn’t be able to stay blended in with her surrounding. If the woman continued in the same direction, she would pass right by Lyraka. She would take the woman out with the knife, then go after the man. Very carefully, she reached down and brought the knife out of its scabbard. She barely breathed as the woman stepped even with her, then one footstep past.

  Lyraka quickly slipped her hand around the woman’s neck, knife to her throat. “You are so dead. I just slit your throat.”