Alien Romance Box Set: Uoria Mates II Complete Series (Books 1 - 10): A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance

by Ruth Anne Scott

  "We need to get in touch with the men right now," Eden said.

  "Are you alright?" Loralia asked, taking a step toward Eden to place a hand on her back.

  Eden looked up at her with wide orange eyes and nodded.

  "I'm fine. It's just that I can feel Pyra so strongly. I know that he is thinking about me. They are relying on us for help, and this is the most important information that we have found. We need to tell them now and let them do with it what they can."

  Without waiting for approval or confirmation from anyone else, Loralia nodded and took the compact from around her neck. The metal already felt warm in her hand as if it could sense that she needed it. She opened the compact and reflected the chain that held it in the top mirror just as she had instructed Bannack to do with his compact in the event that he ever needed to get in touch with her. The glass of the mirror seemed to liquefy and ripple, becoming opaque for a brief moment before she saw Bannack's eyes appear in the reflection.

  "Hello, love," he said, "Have you found out something?"

  "Yes," Loralia said, "Give your compact to Lynx. I'm going to hand mine over to Samira and Eden. They'll explain to you what we found out when we went back to the prison today."

  "You went to the prison?" Bannack asked, sounding horrified that his precious mate had gone somewhere so incredibly dangerous without him.

  "It was the only way that we were going to find out anything else about the Light Ones. It's where you found out about them in the first place, and I thought that maybe you might have missed something or that there might be something there that didn't have any meaning when you first started on your quest but that would mean something now that you have been to the settlement and know what is happening."

  There was a pause as if Bannack was trying to decide how he felt about the situation.

  "Thank you."

  Loralia nodded and handed the compact over to Eden who held it so that she and Samira could look into it together.

  "Lynx, are you there?" Eden asked.

  "I'm here."

  "You were right about the Covra using the Light Ones as incubators. That is exactly what they're doing. Because they reproduce so infrequently, they have to give birth to a huge number of children at the same time. In times when the Covra were more plentiful and more powerful, they would just lay their eggs in hatcheries and there would be nursemaids there to care for them when they were born. Over time that changed to women who they had captured during wars and turned into slaves. It served their purposes better and acted as a form of torture for their enemies. They could not enslave the Light Ones, so they had to go for a more direct course of action to fulfill the needs of their children."

  "What do you mean?" Lynx asked.

  "When the Covra are born, they are extremely powerful, but they are also voracious. There is only a very small overlap between the birth of the new generation and the death of the old generation. In order to ensure that they are large enough to come into their full abilities before the death of the old generation, the babies double to triple in size every day. This requires a tremendous amount of food. The role of the original nursemaids was to ensure that they brought the new young enough food to support them in their first days and to keep them alive as they grew. When the food grew sparser and the Covra were a less powerful and feared species, the slaves stepped into the role. They were meant to bring food to the babies, but when that food ran out, they were eaten alive. The Covra were not strong enough when they were preparing for this new generation of young to enslave anyone to care for their babies, so instead, they locked the Light Ones and decided to use their bodies to protect and insulate their eggs, but also to nourish their young."

  "They are going to eat the Light Ones."

  Lynx's voice expressed the horror that all of them were already feeling.

  "Yes. As the babies hatch, they are going to consume their hosts from the inside out. By the time the waves of hatchings finish, the Light Ones will be completely destroyed and the Covra young will be at full power. The entire planet of Uoria will be at risk."

  "What are we supposed to do?"

  Lynx sounded desperate at this point, frantic as if he was grasping onto the very last remnants of his hope but was feeling them slip from between his fingers.

  "I don't know, Lynx. The only chance that the Light Ones have left is if you can remove the eggs from them safely before the hatchings start and then destroy them. But even then, they will still be locked. The binds don't end with the death of the older generation. Maybe you can talk to Ciyrs."

  "He isn't here," Lynx said.

  "What?" Elianna demanded, suddenly appearing at the front of the reflection, "What do you mean he isn't there? Where did he go?"

  "We discovered that there is, at least there was, another kingdom relatively nearby. The species that lives there used to maintain a good relationship with the Light Ones. Some of the men left to go there and see if they could find out anything useful. Pyra, Ciyrs, Gyyx, and Ty are all there."

  Loralia felt a sudden wash of fear as the mates of the four men Lynx had mentioned straightened, fixating brave faces on the reflection in the compact as they tried to present a sense of calm and control even while they were panicking inside.

  "When are they supposed to get back?" Zuri asked.

  "We don’t know," Ero's voice said and Loralia saw Zuri's face light up as her mate appeared in the mirror, "They weren't sure how long it would take to get there, and they don't know what they would find when they actually got there. I feel like we need more help to figure this out. We need scientific minds and, Elianna, we could really use another healer."

  "Are you asking if we will come to the settlement to help you?" Zuri asked.

  "Yes. We were only able to defeat the Klimnu because we were all together. Without your help, all of you, there's no way we could have done that. The same goes now. We need you. I need you."

  Once they disconnected the communication, the group of women and George stood around Ciyrs' counter looking at each other as if each were waiting for another to start talking so that they would not have to be the one to break the silence and express an opinion.

  "Of course, we are going," Elianna finally said.

  Everyone looked to her and then Zuri nodded emphatically.

  "Of course. The men need us. We have to go," she said, "We need to go talk to Creia about it, but I'm sure that he'll agree to it. We'll spend the rest of the day preparing and we'll leave at sunrise."

  "Eden," Loralia said, stilling the sudden flurry of movement that happened as everyone in the shop started getting ready to leave so that they could start their preparations, "you know that you can't go."

  Eden's eyes widened slightly and her hands cupped the sides of her belly.

  "I want to be with Pyra and to help. I came here to be a scientist and that's what I want to do."

  "But now that you are here, you are a mate who is entrusted with the care and protection of your mate's baby, and that is what you are going to have to do."

  "I'll stay with her," Leia offered.

  "Thank you, Leia," Zuri said, "We'll make sure that your mates know how much you are thinking about them. I'm sure they will be sad not to see you, but, Eden, you know that Pyra wouldn't want you to do anything that would put yourself or the baby in jeopardy in any way, and we don't know what the journey is like to get to the settlement."

  "We'll stay here and take care of the compound," Eden finally relented, "but if anything goes wrong, you have to let us know."

  "We will," Loralia promised.

  With that, the group turned and started toward the main meeting hall where they would tell Creia and Theia that even more of the beloved members of their compound would be venturing outside of it, defying tradition and possibly putting themselves in incredible danger.

  Chapter Eight

  "Do you really think that this is the right thing to do?"

  Creia stare
d down at them from his platform, his hand both cupping over his chin and lifting slightly to cover his mouth as if attempting to conceal how he was feeling.

  "Yes, sir," Zuri said, "The goal of the men going on this quest was so that they could learn about the others on this planet and the dangers that we may face. Well, the Covra are one of those dangers."

  "By saving the Light Ones, we may also be able to protect ourselves from future attacks," Loralia continued, "and without our help, their entire species will be erased from the planet." She took a steadying breath, trying to control the emotions that rose when she thought of her own kind, destroyed by a virulent disease that left her the only one of her species that still existed. "It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to help them."

  "We can't just stand by and allow them all to die and have the new generation of the Covra take over," Samira pointed out. "According to the journal that we found in the prison, once the young have gotten through the first few days of their development, they will be powerful enough to threaten the entire planet."

  "We also have no idea about their technology," Elianna continued. "They could have the capacity to travel to other planets and put them at risk as well. If we have even the slightest chance of being able to kill them off now and save the Light Ones, we have to do it. Most of the men are warriors, but we are healers and scientists. This is our duty."

  "The way is dangerous and challenging. Are you prepared to handle it?"

  "I am sure these women are more than capable of handling the trip," George said, "but I will also be there with them to offer my assistance."

  "You will protect them and ensure with the utmost of your ability that they will arrive at their destination and back with their mates safely," Creia said.

  "I will," George promised.

  "Then you must go."

  For the second time in as many days, the group started toward the woods so that they could pass through on the way to the edge of the compound. Each wore bags across their chests or strapped to their backs, filled with as many of the supplies and tools that they could pack. They didn't know what they might need as they travelled or what would be available to them when they arrived at the settlement, so they packed everything that they could in hopes that they wouldn't miss anything.

  Zsilvia watched Loralia run her fingertips along the mirror in her compact as she finished her communication with Bannack. He had given them instructions on how to find the settlement and sent good thoughts for a safe and easy trip. Loralia closed the compact and draped it back around her neck, setting her jaw as she continued forward without saying anything to the people around her. Zsilvia looked over Loralia's shoulder to George's back as he led the group. The air around them was slightly cool and he had put on a long-sleeved shirt, but she could still see the shape of his body through the fabric. For a moment she just savored watching him, but then a wave of bitterness flowed over her as she thought of Ivy enjoying his body during their time together on Earth.

  She straightened the bag on her shoulder and stepped to the side so that she could focus ahead of her without looking at his back. As they continued to walk she could feel the air around them start to change. The chill became sharper as the air started to spark with intense energy. It was an uncomfortable feeling, like something was building up. The others seemed to notice the change, too, as they slowed and looked around. Suddenly a crack of bright green lightning split the sky above them, crashing with a sound so loud it seemed to shake the ground. Zsilvia heard one of the other women scream just before the sheets of cold, stinging rain came pouring down on them.

  Without warning another massive blast of lightning illuminated the sky and a gale of wind rushed past them with enough speed and intensity to nearly push Zsilvia off her feet. Another crack of lightning followed closely after the second and Zsilvia heard the explosive sound of it hitting a nearby tree and shattering the wood.

  "We need to find cover," George yelled into the almost screaming sound of the wind, "Now!"

  "Come on," Loralia shouted, "Follow me."

  They pushed forward into the wind, ducking their heads against the pressure and the pain of the raindrops hitting their skin. Loralia crouched down and ran her hands along the moss at the side of the path. Zsilvia knew what she was doing and recoiled from the rest of the group. She had heard enough about the mirror realm beneath the compound that had been Loralia's home before Bannack had brought her to the surface. She knew that it was a strange and dangerous place where Jem had lost his life and Elianna had nearly followed him. She didn't want to go down into that place.

  Finally Loralia pulled aside a piece of the moss, revealing an opening in the ground that led down to the cavern below. She dropped down first, leading the others with the glow of her skin and her movements down into the space.

  "Come on, Zsilvia!" Zuri shouted as she started down into the ground.

  "Can't we go somewhere else? We could go to the prison. We'll be safe in the dungeon."

  "There isn't time. We have to get out of this storm."

  Zuri disappeared into the ground and Samira stepped up to the edge behind her, slipping out of sight without hesitation. Zsilvia continued to hesitate despite the soaking of the rain through her clothing and the ache of the wind in her ears. The thought of going beneath the ground into a place she had never been where she couldn't trust anything that she saw was terrifying and she couldn't bring herself to go to the edge of the hole in the ground.

  "Get over here, Zsilvia!" George shouted at her.

  Instead, she took a step back. Through the driving rain she could see George start to run toward her, his body cutting through the grey to get to her.

  "What is wrong with you?" he screamed at her.

  "I'm not going down there!"

  "Yes, you are."

  "No."

  Zsilvia took a step back but George had already gotten to her and reached for her.

  "You don't have a choice. I won't let you stay out here."

  Before Zsilvia knew what he was doing, George tucked his shoulder and pushed it into her belly, sweeping her off of the ground so that she draped over his back. Despite her protests, George took off back toward the hole in the ground. She clung to him, not wanting to touch him, but at the same time afraid to let go. She expected him to put her down when he got to the entrance to the underground mirror realm, but he didn't. Instead, he swung himself down into the gap and she felt them drop for a few seconds before he got his grip on the tree that led them down.

  Zsilvia squeezed her eyes closed, trying to fight the tears of fright that threatened them. Finally their downward movement stopped and darkness engulfed them. Zsilvia opened her eyes to see Loralia climbing down toward them after pulling the moss back over the hole in the ground.

  "Put me down," Zsilvia demanded.

  George complied and she felt the ground beneath her feet again. She looked around and saw the main source of her terror. What should have been the floor of the cavern stretched in front of her a dark, roiling reflection of the storm above them. Grey and purple swirled against a black background, occasionally splitting with lightning that threatened to tear the world to pieces.

  The sound of their ragged, uneven breath filled the space. Zsilvia met each of their eyes. She couldn’t take it anymore. Taking the light stick from her bag, she illuminated the branches of the trees beneath her and started across them, crossing them as quickly as she could without losing her footing.

  "Zsilvia!" George yelled behind her, but she didn't turn back to him.

  She heard the sound of his feet pounding on the branches behind her as he followed her.

  "George, stop!" Ivy yelled and Zsilvia felt something inside her break.

  Closing her eyes, she grabbed onto one of the vines that hung above her, took a breath, and swung herself out over the reflection of the sky that stretched across the ground, allowing the vine to slip from her hand.

  Chapter Nine<
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  Zsilvia heard her name tear through the air around her, but she didn't care who had screamed it. Time seemed to have slowed to the point that she could feel each of her heartbeats, sense the blood flowing through her veins, and listen to the breath streaming from her lungs. Though it felt like several minutes, it could have only been seconds before she felt her body start to descend. She didn't know what would happen as she fell. She had thrown herself across the narrowest section of the sky with the goal of reaching the rocky ground on the other side, but she knew that it was possible she wouldn't make it. Though it had been the very fear of that sky that had made her resist going down into the ground, now she almost welcomed the openness of the sky beneath her.

  She didn't know what would happen to her when the pull brought her down into the sky, but in that moment she didn't really care. The sky could take her, deliver her from her torment. It wasn't all about George anymore, but the memories and uncertainties that his presence had brought back into her mind. She didn't feel that she could bear them any longer, and if the sky was going to swallow her, it may offer her relief.

  Zsilvia drew in a breath and the descent suddenly ended as her body slammed into something hard. She felt herself slipping backwards and clawed for something to hold on to as she opened her eyes to see that she had made it to the other side but was now falling backwards off of the edge of the ground. She could hear George screaming and cursing behind her, but there was nothing he could do. Human legs couldn't jump as far as she just had.

  "Help her, Loralia!" Zuri shouted.

  "I can't," Loralia yelled back, "If I reflect the wall to create a floor over the sky, it will crush her."

  "Get up, Zsilvia," George shouted at her, "Get up!"

  Zsilvia's fingers dug deeper into the ground, the instinct to survive taking over the emptiness that had come over her. She grabbed onto a rock jutting out of the dirt and strained her muscles to pull herself up

  "The tree, Zsilvia," Samira shouted.