He watched the gauges continue to rise past the safety levels. Every moment that passed felt like a lifetime. A pop and a spark set his heart to pounding. That’s it. No more time to wait. He wasn’t going up in flames. “I’m dumping.”
“Wait! It’s not positioned.”
“We’re at critical. I’m not getting blown up down here because your ass is too slow.” He jumped back as another spark flew. Shit.
“Fuck you, Rhodes! These systems only move at one speed. All right, I’ve got it positioned. Dump it.”
He hit the button and the fuel streamed out of the tank, sloshing down into the storage bin. He checked the panel and saw the pressure dropping. “Are you transferring to another tank?”
“Yes. It’ll take a while though. We’ll lose some in the transfer but it should be minimal.”
“Yeah, I know that,” he mumbled. After the onboard tank lowered to below safety levels for long-range flight, he turned off the drain and sagged in relief. Before they continued, he’d need to replace the fuel lines and do a complete system overhaul and then reload the fuel, but at least one disaster had been avoided. If he rewired the old weapons and engineering panel connections, that should take care of the problem. He would put in an overload auto bypass to a backup secondary system for safety. He climbed out of the hole and up top.
Halah stared at him, her hands on her hips. “You took a stupid chance by not letting me seal the chamber. You could have blown out this entire side of the shelter and potentially killed us all by letting in the toxic surface gas.”
“Well, that didn’t happen, so get off my ass. In my estimation, you’re the one who lost it up here.”
“I went by the book. Those levels were past critical.”
He wiped his hands on a cloth that hung from a grated rack. Halah going by the book. That had to be a first. Of course, she’d been right to do so. But they really needed that orbiter. He hadn’t wanted to take a chance of losing what might be their only chance to get to Earth quickly. He’d have gotten out in time for them to seal up the chamber before the ship blew. He was familiar with these old systems and their capabilities. He’d still had a few seconds left, if the pressure had continued to rise, before he would have had to get out of the hole.
“You want to tell me what you did down here to fry things? Systems don’t just overload on their own.”
What? For a long, hard minute, he stared at her, not believing his ears. “I didn’t do a damn thing. That ship’s been docked for who knows how many years. When the main control panel was engaged, the electro-connectors overheated.” Her accusation got him thinking though. He damn well hoped nobody else down here had sabotaged the orbiter before he had gotten to it. He’d need to alert Braden to what had happened.
She looked at him skeptically, then with a huff, she turned on her heel and left the area, heading toward the smaller orbiter’s transport holding area. He could feel the frustration radiating off her.
“What a bitch,” he whispered. He and Halah never had gotten along, even though she was now mated to one of his best friends. Well, he used to consider Kam one of his best friends. Lately, he wasn’t so certain.
They’d had a lot of tough times, especially where trust was concerned. Just when he thought the old Kam was back, something else would happen to make him doubt his friend again.
Would Kam ever go against his own father, now that he knew his relation to Laszlo? Erik had his doubts, given Kam’s recent behavior. He wondered just how long Kam had known about his and Laszlo’s genetic connection.
Now, in addition to all that shit, he had to work with Kam’s new mate. In close quarters too. Halah Shirota was a skilled Class 1 Warrior but they rubbed each other the wrong way. Always had. Always would.
Chapter Seven
Kam rubbed his throat as he stared down in awe at the babies. They looked so tiny.
So innocent. The new Triad of Power.
He could only marvel at what they’d accomplish during their lifetimes. If what Laszlo said turned out to be true, they’d each have a very long life to look forward to.
They would no doubt see and experience more wonders and advances than he could ever imagine.
Only if they got off Xylon though. The planet was dead and they would be too if they couldn’t escape this underground shelter.
He frowned as the enormity of their situation struck him. So much was at stake. For everyone’s future—those down here in the shelter, the Xylon Warriors who’d survived elsewhere, as well as the innocent citizens on all the reachable free planets that Xylon helped to protect.
The burden seemed overwhelming.
As he thought about everything Laszlo had told them, a pang of sadness hit him deep in his gut, especially for his sister. With Braden having the same longevity as the triplets but not Alexa, they would certainly face some rough times. The stress within the family would be palpable, probably already was. He couldn’t imagine how they would survive it. If he had to think about losing Halah, not growing old along with her… He shook his head.
He’d spoken briefly with Alexa and Pitch when he’d entered medical. Pitch had needed to recharge his disruptor. To make certain they all were safe, Kam had agreed to stay close by until his return. He doubted anyone could find them down here but no reason to take any chances. If Laszlo felt the extra guard was needed, he might just be right. He seemed uncannily able to predict future events at times.
After some prodding from him to relax, Alexa had also left, but just to pace in the corridor. Not quite what he’d meant but maybe some time alone would do her good. A lot was weighing on her mind and she definitely wasn’t herself. He understood her not wanting to be far from the babies but she needed a break from meetings, responsibilities and thoughts of pending tragedies.
Josella had stayed with the babies when Alexa took to the corridor with her thoughts but then left soon afterward to give him some private time with the triplets.
Kam took comfort in that at least Josella and Alexa trusted him. In fact, neither of them had ever expressed any doubts about his motives, as far as he knew. He wished the others—Braden, Erik and Torque—would trust him the same. Especially Braden and Erik, whom he considered his closest friends. He loved his people, his family and was only trying to do what was best for all of them. Unfortunately, he’d gotten caught up in Laszlo’s secrets and couldn’t seem to find his way completely out without causing everyone more problems.
Damn. His head and throat burned like a firestorm! Leila would have something to give him. She always seemed able to provide him some relief from his pain, even if it was just temporary.
Halah could normally take care of his head but this pain felt different from his normal headaches. Stress perhaps. At least he hoped that’s all it was.
Applying her electrical powers to the device in his throat could be too dangerous, so she hadn’t attempted to stop that pain. She feared, even deactivated, the device still might explode. They’d decided Leila was their best and safest defense against his problems.
He hoped she could also stop the vibration he’d recently begun to feel in his throat.
Or thought he felt. Maybe it was just an irritation of the surrounding tissue because it also burned. He wished they could just remove the damn device but Leila said there was no way without endangering his life. The extended tendrils of power were too entangled with his nervous system and the veins in his throat. Frost had done a good job with the implant. The vicious bitch.
He’d made a stop at medical for a pain killer and also to see the little ones. He knew Leila was going to stop in to check them over, then join Laszlo and the rest of them later, for the ceremony with Briggs.
Since Laszlo had set up a private lab in an empty viewing room near the conference area for the testing and research of the Initiation drugs as well as the shots he was receiving from Leila, the small medical facility here would be free for Leila and the others to use. Plus the priv
ate lab gave Laszlo, well, privacy.
Kam imagined it would be difficult to concentrate on work and especially research with people milling about or hovering over one’s shoulder. The lab butted up against the conference room which contained an old-fashioned two-way mirror that had been installed many years ago prior to the vid-monitors, from what Laszlo had told him.
He’d actually been in the lab and the mirror afforded a better, wide-angle view than the monitors. If more than a couple of people were viewing the activity in the room, the larger “screen” would be more comfortable than having everyone huddled around a small computer. The advantage of the vid-monitors was the ability to view the room from different angles and to zoom in on something if necessary. So both served a purpose, making the conference room the perfect location for the Initiation.
Pushing aside all their current problems—not wanting to think about any of them for a time—Kam once more gazed down at the babies. A smile crossed his face. He couldn’t look at them and not smile.
The two girls slept soundly in the same makeshift medical crib. It looked as if they were holding hands. More likely that was just an accident due to their placement. Still, it was such a touching sight.
The boy lay quietly in his own shallow glassy crib next to them, awake and seemingly content. For an infant, he seemed extra alert and had been that way right from birth. A real Xylon Warrior in the making.
The babies hadn’t yet been given names. Alexa said names were special and she wanted to take her time and let their personalities come forth first. Braden had agreed that simply selecting any name just to get it done and over with, especially during this tragic time, was not a good idea. So, for now, everyone was waiting to see what Braden and Alexa would ultimately decide.
Kam moved closer to the girls and bent over them for a closer look. So sweet and beautiful. They already had a bit of soft black fuzz on their heads. Their little pink lips each held an adorable pout. He imagined they’d be breaking a lot of men’s hearts in the future. He wondered how Braden would deal with their growing up. He had a feeling Braden would be more protective than most Xylon fathers. And he knew Alexa would make a wonderful mother.
Xylon and Earth had evolved much the same, especially in their feelings toward family. They actually were more alike than they were different, in his opinion. Maybe that’s why he’d always found Earth so fascinating.
He reached out toward one of the girls, unable to resist. But as soon as he moved, he winced. His head hurt so much now he thought he might go crazy if Leila didn’t return soon. What was happening to him?
His hand froze before he touched the little girl. “What the hell?” he whispered. He couldn’t move. His hand shook as he tried to push it forward. His eyes narrowed and he sensed something strong and powerful nearby. Even stronger than the energy he felt when around Laszlo.
Who? Nobody down here had such a force about them.
Suddenly, the realization struck him. His eyes widened and his gaze snapped over to the other crib, where the boy lay staring directly at him with penetrating blue eyes.
Was it possible?
“Kam?”
His hand suddenly released. After a stunned moment, he straightened up and turned toward the door. “Um, yeah. Pitch. That was fast.”
“I didn’t want to be gone long. I have a hand charger with me now, in case I require it, so I won’t need to unnecessarily leave Alexa and the babies again.”
“Good.”
Pitch’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?”
So now Pitch was suspicious of him too. Or was he reading too much into the look?
He couldn’t fault the man completely since his job was to protect the babies. But it still rubbed him the wrong way, especially after all he, Pitch and Halah had been through together. “Just admiring the triplets.”
Oddly, the pain in his head had now eased, returning to the normal pain he was familiar with, almost as if some switch had been turned off. “Josella gave me some alone time with them. You saw Alexa pacing the corridor, I’m sure. I think Laszlo shook her up today.”
“I saw her. Laszlo shook us all up today.”
“Yes. You’re right about that,” Kam half mumbled as he glanced back down at the boy. Even without checking his wrist sensor, he felt the child’s protective nature toward his sisters, as if the boy already knew they were his family. But still Kam questioned what had happened.
Even if true, and the boy had somehow halted his hand, what danger did he pose?
They were his blood. He’d never harm them. The boy should feel that. He had obviously allowed Braden, Josella, Leila, Pitch and of course Alexa, to touch the girls.
Perhaps he was simply testing…
Kam shook his head. What was he thinking? Alexa nor Braden had mentioned anything odd about the child. They would have noticed first. Or Leila. He was losing his mind or had suffered some sort of weakness or illusion from the pain.
When his hand had released, the pain had also, so that had to be it. Just the pain. He rubbed his temple, then his throat as Laszlo’s words echoed in his head, they will attain great powers.
If not an illusion due to the pain…
“Stay close to them, Pitch,” he said, still looking at the triplets, still assessing what he couldn’t believe to be true. “They’re quite special. Maybe even more so than we’ve been told.” He debated whether or not to tell Laszlo about what had happened. Perhaps it was time he kept some secrets of his own from their leader. Until he knew for certain what was going on anyway.
“That’s my job. I’ll see they stay safe. Leila’s in the corridor talking with Alexa. You needed to see her?”
“Oh good. Yes. Now that you’re back, I’ll go and talk to her.”
“Very well.”
Kam ignored the odd look on Pitch’s face as he passed. As if Pitch knew something had happened but couldn’t figure out what. He was a good Warrior and hadn’t risen to head of security under Tara for no reason.
* * * * *
Underground
His thick, hard cock slid into her pussy as she lay on her back. So big. And beyond incredible. Tara bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out in sexual ecstasy. Knowledge of how much he affected her would give him even more power over her than he already had. And she wasn’t used to giving up power, not even in sexual situations.
Her vision remained blurred, so she couldn’t really see him, or anything else, just movement and shadows. She prayed this wasn’t a permanent condition. She needed to get out of here. To find her family.
Two male hands held her arms on the ground above her head, restraining her, but not forcibly. Also, not the same man who was fucking her. There were two men. Again, like before. The same two. And they knew how to fuck a woman well.
With her eyes not working properly, her other senses had kicked into high. She felt everything much more intently, which made her orgasms phenomenal. She recognized the men’s scents now, which was how she knew they were the same ones who always came to her. One slightly smoky, the one who held her. The one fucking her smelled spicy and always took the lead. Always took care of her, even beyond the sex.
She knew he was capable of a very tender touch. He’d bathed and fed her, dressed her, changed her bandages when needed. He’d held her gently when she’d felt all hope was lost, her emotions getting the better of her. She owed him a lot. Her life, in fact.
Every time he even brushed her flesh, she felt it right to the core of her being. She ached to explore his body with her fingertips, to feel if he was as strong and fit as she imagined, but her hands remained wrapped as they’d been since she had been brought here, giving her a feeling of helplessness which she disliked tremendously.
Right now she felt every ridge of his cock inside her. Filling her completely. Her muscles gripped his shaft as if their bodies had been made to fit together. He thrust shallowly, then deep. So deeply. So slowly. As if he had all the time
in the world. He enjoyed making her come and rarely gave her time to rest between orgasms. Not that she minded. His endurance amazed her.
She’d learned that, when they stimulated her and especially when they fucked her hard, she felt no pain in her body, which sometimes got so bad that she thought she’d scream from the agony. But while they touched her, she felt only pleasure. Intense and powerful. So she welcomed their taking of her body as often as they wanted to come to her.
They often spoke to each other in their language, which she thought she recognized but didn’t understand other than a word or two. She had tried speaking with the men on numerous occasions but her words more often than not came out jumbled. Her internal translator obviously wasn’t working properly. It must have been damaged when she got hurt in the explosion.
Her brain felt fried and her memory kept going in and out on her. She often got so confused she thought she might be going crazy.
At least she knew who she was. She just didn’t know where she was. Since her body still hadn’t self-healed, she must be bad off. But then, after what had happened, she felt lucky to be alive at all.
She had no idea how long she’d been here with these men, how many others were with them or how long it had been since the bomb hit Xylon. All sense of time had vanished for her.
As the man thrust into her pussy, she arched her back and moaned, unable to remain silent. So good. As she began to feel stronger with each thrust of his cock, understanding suddenly struck her.
Yes. She knew what they were doing. She could feel it. This was about more than just sex. They were transferring healing elements from their bodies to hers. Definitely Xylon Warriors of some sort then.
She’d never known the transfer of healing elements to be possible though beyond the Initiation ceremony. Confusion again settled in.
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