Unwelcome

by Annalise Alexis

  “Your gifts are unheard of. This does not surprise me.”

  I bite my lip. Ignoring the pain beginning to thrum at my temples. “Who are your last two predecessors that influenced you?”

  “That is the question they required of you? How irritating.”

  “What? Why?”

  “In short—the question they pose is misleading. Every alpha male creates his own path. I am influenced by no one. Only a weak mind requires another to shape its destiny.”

  “Um, okay? That’s what I should say?” The thrum transforms into pounding, and my eyes begin to water.

  “Just tell them I am influenced by no one, as were Tal, and Puri before him.”

  “Okay. Behave yourself. And stay out of my head. I swear I’ll call out if I need you.”

  The pain pulls me away from the comfort of his voice, and the room around me spins when I try to straighten, so I wipe the blood trickling out of my nose and roll onto my back. “He said something about not letting anyone influence him and named Tal and Puri. He said some other stuff, but my brain hurts too freaking bad to remember.”

  Linara gasps and covers her mouth as she stumbles back into the bars of the cage behind her. All the Illusians watch her, gauging her reaction. I know what Ren and I can do is weird but damn, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.

  Osa’s sneer transforms into a look I can only describe as wonder. “My apologies, Aciana, I…did not know it was possible.” She lowers her head, and it’s almost enough to make me forget how snotty she was before.

  I place a hand on hers. “Neither did Ren. He literally fell over the first time I did it.”

  A smile spreads across her face. “He really lost his footing?”

  “Ran straight into a wall.”

  A light giggle escapes her lips as she continues soothing the girl on her lap.

  Linara recovers from her surprise and leans against the back of the cage next to the other females. “Well, I suppose there are congratulations in order, but you will excuse me if I choose to do so at a later time. What do we need to do? Aciana.”

  What the hell? Why is she so bitter? Or is that hurt?

  “We need some sort of distraction. The Jurl they have sniffing out the females hates being here. I don’t think he’ll fight us if we try to run back that way.” I study the small group of seven. “Is this everyone? Are you all from Xen’s group?”

  The guard outside the cage bangs on it with the butt of his gun.

  “Do not say his name…” Osa grinds out.

  “Shut the hell up and settle down. Any females who haven’t been priced need to line up at the door. Now!”

  Shit. That’s me.

  Osa squeezes the young brunette in her lap tighter. “No. Several did not make it.”

  I close my eyes, rubbing them until the threat of tears passes. We’ve come all this way. Dragged through the pits of that Xalta hell, had to wait while Ren and Ragar risked their lives on Non. All to find his people—his mother—and she didn’t make it? What kind of justice is that? What kind of shitty universe would allow terrible things to keep happening to the same people over and over again with no reprieve? My chest grows heavy, and my heart squeezes. Ren’s going to be so devastated.

  I’ve got to get myself together.

  Reaching down deep to find my imaginary girl balls, I straighten and wipe my eyes on my sleeve. The underground source led us here, but after this, we have nothing. Ren figuring out who’s responsible and ending them is the Illusians’ only hope at peace, and the only way I’m going to be able to sleep at night. No way in hell I’m letting my fear interrupt him. These people have suffered for weeks. Beaten, raped—tortured even.

  I can do this for Ren. For all of them.

  “Last call! If I come in there and you’re still wearing clothes, you’re gonna meet the business end of my gun, understood? If you haven’t been cleaned and priced, line up now.”

  My throat tightens. Almost all the females who’ve been priced are wearing little more than lingerie, their bruised skin covered in goose pimples from the chill in the room. Those with their own clothes, like me, are smashed together in a tight line at the front of the cage.

  Lumin creeps from my pores, and my lip trembles as we’re forced from the cage and into a single file line. The five females ahead of me whimper and cry as the maids rip off their clothes and force them to undress. Pain lances my palms as I clench my fists, stuck between being terrified and appalled.

  Fuck this, I can’t stand it…

  I lunge for them, desperate to help, but Linara grabs my wrist and holds me back. “No, Ajayla. They are beyond your help.”

  The sound of my own heartbeat thrashes in my ears as the maids grab long, bristled brushes and scrub the naked females. They cry out and fight to get away but are held in place under the stream of ice-cold water. Bright red welts mar their skin, some even bleed. The soldiers stand watching, many of them amused. Callous pricks.

  I hope Ren kills them all.

  Yanking their bodies from the water, the maids force them to line up. They’re trembling, trying their best to cover their parts when Yrawl stalks over and rips a tiny brunette’s arms away. She shrieks and curls inward as his hands rove all over her–inside of her—and he calls out a number to a nearby guard before moving to the next. Fifty-thousand. Thirty. Is that all these females are worth?

  Ren stirs in my mind. He can’t see this, can’t know what’s about to happen, or it’s over. I can do this, tamp down my emotions and suffer my way through.

  The tickle of Linara’s breath in my ear sets my nerves on edge. The guards are so close to us, and I’m terrified she’s going to draw their attention. “Do not fear, Aciana, I will shelter your body from sight with my own.” She squeezes my hand tightly. “If you will allow it.”

  I force a smile. “We can do this. Together. We can do this.”

  Sucking in several deep breaths, I try to convince my heart to slow down, but my anxiety doubles as the group of five are dragged off to be dressed and the maids call for us. I start to panic about panicking.

  Get it together, Jayla. Get it together.

  Ren stirs again, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t control my terror. With no other option, I try to separate myself. Close the door on my emotions, keeping them far from his reach. A small sense of relief fills me, knowing he won’t have to experience my humiliation too. When they force me to shower, or when I line up to get priced. The cold chill of dread creeps down my spine. Or when Yrawl...

  “Hey what the—” I hiss as the Mageran female three people back shoves her way to the front of the line, jolting me with her shoulder.

  “Get ready,” she says, giving me a knowing look.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? I ask her in a loud whisper, unable to control my shock. She almost looks excited. Who looks eager to get physically and sexually assaulted?

  “Shut up! You’re going to blow it. Just keep your mouth shut.”

  “What the fuck?” I mouth silently, then jerk back as the maids stomp toward us, pissed we ignored their call. The lead maid grabs a scrubber off the table as she passes, and blood spatters my shirt as she uses it to smack the Mageran across the face.

  The Mageran narrows her eyes, not even bothering to wipe her bloody nose, and is dragged by her orange hair across the floor to the shower where the maid demands she strip. The female’s green gaze cuts to mine, then edges in the direction of the only other exit visibly guarded at the end of the room.

  I shake my head. She’s going to get herself killed if she tries to run. She begins stripping, taking her time. The frustrated maid turns to grab what looks to be a poker, and in one swift movement, the naked Mageran squats and pulls a short silver blade out from between her legs. Wait. Where was she hiding—?

  Oh, shit.

  I bite my tongue to quiet my curse. She yanks the knife from its sheath, then launches herself upward, landing on the maid’s back, sinking the blade in deep at the
base of her neck. With a loud thud, the maid’s body hits the ground, seizing, and the Mageran female rolls into a crouch, letting out a high-pitched war cry. Every single guard jerks to attention.

  And all hell breaks loose.

  Chapter Thirty

  Ren

  Finally. The human male is making his way to my side of the room. Ten strides away, and so close I can scent the notes of arrogance emanating from the expensive fibers of his jacket. He makes eye contact, signaling his men to shift closer. Smart enough to recognize a predator, but too foolish to run for his life. A jolt of excitement infuses my already primed muscles in anticipation of what I will find in the layers of his brain. I will talk. Make casual conversation, then take what I need if he does not give it to me. He is dead either way. I step forward, eager to greet the piece of shit, but stop.

  A sharp stab of emptiness slices across my chest like a knife ripping out my heart. The cord tethering me to my mate screams—coiling and whipping around with no tie to anchor itself. It reaches for her, begging for her touch, and wails at her absence.

  My world goes black. Pain. Rage. Hatred. Despair. Desperation. I lash out with my gift, searching for the familiarity of her warmth, but no such paradise exists. I cannot feel her. She is nowhere to be found. The connection no longer exists. Someone has fucking stolen her from me.

  Rage fills the void.

  “Welcome. I don’t think I’ve met you before, my name is—”

  The Gemmian female from across the room screeches as I bury my blade in the human leader’s throat, yanking it upward and splitting his face in half.

  Time for the filth to bleed.

  Jayla

  The cold air heats as the first of the plasma blasts fired at the Mageran miss and slam into a crate of discarded clothes. Smoke begins to rise, filling the room. My eyes tear as the overhead lights flash, then turn red as the emergency systems engage. Bracing myself for the shrill alarm, I tense but no tones sound.

  They must have disabled them like I did back on Station U.

  The Mageran female slams her fists and howls like a madwoman, taunting the soldiers. “Come on, girls, get up and fight! Don’t let these dicks treat you like livestock!”

  They can’t fight. They’re all locked in a cage.

  A burst of energy zings past me. My elbow cracks against the ground as I dive out of the way and crawl across the floor. Smoke stings my nostrils and tickles the back of my throat.

  This room is filling up way too fast; we’ll never get out in time.

  Staying low to the ground, I drag myself back toward the first maid’s body, rolling and diving to avoid getting stomped. Screams and sounds of desperate fighting fill the air as the free females try and defend themselves. With no weapons, they’re using their fists—clawing and biting at the guards, trying to overpower them.

  An ear-piercing wail comes from somewhere to my right, and my lungs seize. Shit, the fire’s spread, only inches away from the first cage. Sweat drips down my spine, and I cough, sucking in mostly smoke as I dig through the maid’s pockets, praying for a key.

  Nothing.

  Squinting through the black haze, I search for Linara and the other females but can barely see. “Linara! Can you hear me?” The cries for help coming from the cages full of females drown out my voice. I have to find them, have to get out of this room.

  The red warning lights are hardly visible, and it’s scorching hot. As I drag my body across the floor, something warm and wet splashes across my fingers. Blood.

  I search desperately for the body and nearly cry at the tactical gear-covered solider dead on the floor. His pockets seem endless as I rifle through them. Left pocket—nothing, right pocket—finally! Grasping the heavy set of keys like my life depends on it, I sprint for the first cage.

  The lock, already warping from the heat, won’t turn no matter how hard I try. Hands claw and grab at me through the bars, tearing at my skin. “Let us out!” they cry. “Hurry! Please, let us out I don’t want to die in here.”

  “I’m trying, I swear just hold on!”

  Nearly breaking the lock in half, I use my full weight as leverage, and it finally releases. I yank open the door, and the throng of females pouring through the opening shoves me back. Pain radiates down my arm as I fall, and curl inward, trying to protect myself from being trampled.

  My lungs seize, and I can’t get in a full breath. They stomp on me, pressing me harder into the floor. How many more can there be?

  I’m going to die.

  Just as I think I can’t take anymore, someone shoves their way into the group and drags me out.

  “Aciana, are you all right?” Osa asks, running her hands over my body to assess for broken bones. She lets out a whistle when she feels my deformed ankle. Judging by the pain, it’s either broken or dislocated.

  I cough, throat dry from the smoke. “Yes, fine. Get the key and open the other pen. We have to get out of here.”

  Osa nods and runs toward the final cage. Linara and two other females help me to my feet.

  “The doors are locked. We have to find a way out,” I say to no one in particular, then turn and begin limping toward the door. A loud clang to my left suggests Osa got the other cage open.

  “Can someone get Osa so she stays with the group?”

  “Fara will,” Linara says, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. We shove our way through the fifty or so females piled against the door and start banging on it.

  “Someone please! Just open the door or we’re going to die!” I yell as Osa tries the key.

  It doesn’t fit.

  Suddenly the door handle jiggles, and the door cracks a fraction. A familiar set of fingers slides through, but the door won’t open with all the bodies pressed against it.

  “Back up, back up!” I yell, turning to push people away. The Jurl shoves the door open from his side, and a rush of cool air flows into the room. The fire around us explodes higher, and the females trip and crawl over one another to get out. Linara yanks me out of the way, and once the frenzied mass has made it through the door, we take a step.

  “Help!” a muffled voice screams. My gaze jerks toward the room behind us. Linara shakes her head.

  “No, Aciana. You cannot.”

  “We can’t leave whoever that is. Not here, not to die like this.” Linara looks to Osa and another one of the females, then back to me.

  “Then we will go with you. You cannot properly walk. How do you expect to carry the weight of another?”

  I shake my head. “No, I don’t want you risking your lives. You’ve been through enough.”

  “Do not be foolish,” Linara scolds. “What do you think will happen to us if you die? Do you not think the Acia will look to our minds to learn what transpired? And punish us for not rendering you aid when you needed it the most?”

  She’s right, and there would be hell to pay if I got myself killed. I nod, and alongside the three Illusians, crawl to the far-left corner of the room.

  “Where are you? Call out so we can hear.”

  “Here, I’m here,” a faintly familiar voice says, coughing after each word.

  Together, we hoist the female up and struggle toward the exit. Shoving our way through the door, we manage to drag ourselves down the hallway until we make it to the room where I first met Linara. None of us can breathe, and the air is black with smoke. Practically stumbling down the last hall, we collapse through the door with the first set of pens and suck in as much air as possible. Strands of singed orange curls fan across the floor as the Mageran female who started the battle lies panting and clutching her stomach.

  I paw at her hands. “Let me see how bad it is.

  She shrugs her shoulder and curls in. “Screw off, I’m fine— just need a minute to breathe.” We’re all covered in soot and dirt but, even through all the mess, I can see her skin is pale.

  “I’m too damn tired to argue with you. Let me see. I’m not going to have you die after you helped get us out of there. Now
move your hands, Mageran.”

  She scowls. “Fine, whatever. I have a name you know. I’m Hana. Don’t touch it. It hurts like hell.”

  The scent of singed flesh rises off the large black wound on her abdomen. It’s too extensive to diagnose, but the lack of bleeding makes me worry. It looks like she took a plasma pulse straight to the gut.

  “It’s bad, right?” A tremble laces her voice as she opens her eyes. I steel my features. I’ve never been a good liar, but I can omit truth with the best of them.

  “It’s hard to tell. Here—take this.” I tear a strip of cloth off the bottom of my shirt and put it in her open hand. She grimaces and presses it to her wound.

  “Damn, that hurts.” A fine sheen of sweat gathers at her brow, and she shivers despite the heat in the room.

  This is not good.

  “That female is going to die.” The Jurl hobbles over, dragging a deformed foot. He literally broke his own ankle to slip his chains. He sniffs the air near Hana. “She will not make it much longer without something to cover the wound. Her guts are singed to shit, and the wound is full of filth. The only reason she’s still alive is the marred flesh over her stomach wall is holding in its contents.”

  “What’s he saying? Why’s he looking at me like that?” Hana’s eyes are wild and full of defiance. Pretty sure she’d fight him from where she lies.

  “He just wants to live.” I glare at Eon, daring him to disagree. He snickers.

  “That is true. Those pricks just ran. Leaving me here to die. I know the beings slaughtering everyone beyond this wall are looking for them.” He jerks his head toward the Illusian females. “I helped you escape so I can live. Make sure I get out of here alive, hybrid. You owe me your life.”

  Hybrid?

  The sound of screeching metal vibrates my ear drums as the safety doors slam down, sealing in the fire. A chill creeps up my spine at the thought of being trapped in there.

  Relax. We got out alive.

  The sound of heavy steps draws my attention. I’m eager to see Ren. I can’t believe he’s stayed away this long, I never in a million years thought he’d have it in him. Especially considering I almost burned up in a blaze of glory. Come to think of it…why didn’t he come to help? I know I didn’t have time to reach out but—oh, no…