“Alyssa,” Kayn said, entering her room. “You are alive. I am quite relieved.”
Alyssa looked at him for a second, then glanced at Jess, who watched her with concern while Granny peered at him with narrowed eyes and anger lining her face. Alyssa turned back to Kayn, worried about what he had to say of her parents’ deaths.
“Kayn. You didn’t have to come.”
“Of course, I did. I am worried about your health and our child.”
“What happened?” The question escaped her mouth before she could stop it. “Why are my parents dead?”
“I should go,” Jess said.
“No!” Panic constricted Alyssa’s chest. “Please stay. I need you.”
Jess nodded slowly, gently patting her hand.
“Please, Kayn, tell me what killed my parents.”
“An accidental chemical spill occurred in the mechanical room of the housing pod your parents resided in.”
“A chemical spill?” He can’t be serious…
“Yes. I have assigned a team to investigate the accident. I am sorry for your loss.”
Alyssa puzzled over Kayn’s words, thinking he didn’t sound particularly sorry. “Thanks…”
“It is an unfortunate situation. I know you had hoped to go to Zion with your parents, but you will join them eventually. I assure you I will do all I can to reunite you with your family.”
Alyssa wondered about his sincerity. Is he just reasserting his control over me? Neither Jess nor Granny looked any more convinced than she did, and the way Kayn had been acting lately made her doubt everything he said.
“Why didn’t I die with my parents, Kayn?”
“I have discussed this with Shar. She believes our unborn child has changed your physiology, possibly your very DNA. The child has made you immune to many Szu’Kara substances that would normally be fatal to humans.”
“So this chemical that was spilled, it’s only poisonous to humans?”
“I believe so. The investigative team will determine what was actually spilled and how it came to be near the ventilation system.”
“I see. Will this change how the Key affects me?”
Kayn stiffened, anger lining his face as she remembered she wasn’t supposed to know about the Key. Too damn bad!
“Shar will determine how much the child has changed you. In the meantime, you will rest and heal. You are on leave until the child is born, but you must continue to attend the classes with the other women.”
Kayn approached the bed, touching Alyssa’s cheek and peering into her eyes so long Jess started to turn away, but he quickly kissed her forehead and marched out of the room.
“That was awkward,” Jess murmured, glancing at Granny.
“Baby girl, I think it would be wise to be careful what you say and do from now on. Please consider coming to stay with me for a while.”
“I just might do that, Granny,” Alyssa said as she stared at the doorway considering Kayn’s behavior.
“I’ll come visit, if that’s okay, Granny?”
“Jess, girl, you’re always welcome in my home. We could do with some girl time. I’ll call Marly for some much-needed supplies.”
“That sounds nice, Granny.” Alyssa felt sleep gripping her, slurring her words.
“Sleep, Aly.” Jess squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be right here. No one will get past me and Granny.”
Letting sleep settle in her bones, Alyssa heard Granny mutter in agreement with Jess.
“I love you both,” Alyssa whispered to them, a lone tear skimming down her cheek.
***
“It appears the child has affected you on a cellular level,” Shar said. “We have seen similar changes in the other women, although not to this degree.”
“So, the baby saved me from dying with my parents?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“I see,” Alyssa said. “What happens when the baby is born? Will I revert back to normal human, or is this permanent?”
“I cannot say, at this time, if it is permanent. We believe the changes to your physiology are a result of carrying the commander’s child. Commander Kayn’s lineage is genetically unique. This is why all commanders have been of his bloodline. A commander has never bred with a non-Szu’Kara before. Commander Kayn favors you over all of the females in our own species.”
This revelation stunned Alyssa. How can he favor me so much yet demand I take Final Asen’Sha? Does he just want my baby? Am I only an incubator to him?
“Shar, why do you think he chose me?”
“I do not know the commander’s mind. Humans are the most evolved of all the species we have encountered. It is possible he is drawn to you by instinct. Your child may be the next evolutionary step for our species—and yours.”
“Is Kayn the last of the commander line?”
“Commander Kayn is the last pure bred of his line, yes. There have been… what is the word? Oh yes—bastards. These bastards can never lead our people. It is imperative the commander reproduce. I am unsure how our people will accept your offspring. He will likely need to reproduce with a Szu’Kara female in the future.”
The thought of Kayn hooking up with someone else hit Alyssa, like a punch in the gut. She might’ve been angry with him, harboring doubts about his intentions, but she wasn’t willing to give him up… yet.
“Well, anyway, the baby and I are fine right? If so, I’d like to get out of here.”
“Of course. You are both healthy. I will prepare the discharge papers. The commander informed me of your intentions to leave the compound. You will be able to rest and avoid stress?”
“Yes. Jess is going to help me to my quarters and then I’ll be going to stay with Granny for a while.”
“Yep. I got her. She’s in good hands, don’t you worry.” Jess beamed at Shar.
“That is good. Nurse Kelly will assist you in getting prepared to leave. Goodbye, Alyssa.”
Shar patted Alyssa’s hand, giving her a serene smile. When she left, Nurse Kelly immediately entered the room.
“Let’s get you dressed and ready to go.”
Alyssa had enjoyed getting to know Nurse Kelly, who had been her primary caregiver during her stay in the med pod. Granny, Jess, and Kora had kept her company when they could, but Nurse Kelly had been there the most, a tiny, soft-spoken woman who didn’t take any guff from anyone. When she found Alyssa crying in the middle of the night—on two separate occasions—she cradled and soothed her until she fell asleep.
“Now, promise me you’ll take extra special care of yourself.” Nurse Kelly scolded her with a half-grin. “I don’t want to see you back here except for your checkups and classes. By the way, Ela has agreed to let you out of classes for a couple of weeks so you can recuperate. Since you’ll be staying with Ms. Willow, and I live in the town, I’ll come by to check on you and the baby. I’d like to come by in a couple of days.”
“You have Granny’s number. My phone seems to be missing, so just call her house and let me know when you’re coming.” Alyssa rubbed a weak hand over her tired face. “I have a feeling I’m going to be sleeping a lot. I feel so drained all the time.”
“You’ve had a huge shock, Alyssa. You should get as much rest as you can.”
“I’m not sure how much rest I’ll get until the funeral, but afterwards I may just go to sleep and never get up again.” She hugged herself as the weight of depression bore down on her shoulders.
“I’m sorry, hon. Losing anyone is hard, but losing your parents can be devastating. If I can get away from here for two minutes, I’ll come to the funeral.”
“Or you can come by the reception after. I’m sure Granny would love for you to be there. She’s expecting a full house. Lots of people and Szu’Kara cared for my parents. Plus, Granny’s going to be in a tizzy most of the time since she isn’t very comfortable with the aliens, much less several of them in her house.”
“Oh yes, I did notice her scowling at Kayn and Ela, not so much at Shar though
.”
“You’re right. She doesn’t seem to mind Shar. I wonder why that is?”
“Not sure, but it seems Shar is the most liked by all the humans who come through the med pod.”
Remembering the first foggy moment after the accident, Alyssa wondered if it was Shar that apologized.
But why? What would Shar need to apologize for? Maybe she felt sympathetic about my parents dying.
Chapter 8
“You sure you don’t want to wait?”
“No, Jess, I’ll be fine. I’m going to grab a quick shower, get some stuff together, and get the heck out of here. I’ll call Jordan. I don’t think his brother will mind him leaving long enough to take me to Granny’s. Besides, she wants to meet him.”
“Hmm… okay. But if he can’t come, DO NOT walk there. Shar and Kelly would kill me if they thought I let you walk in your condition.”
“I’m fine.” Alyssa snapped at Jess, frustrated. “I know you mean well, and I love you for it, but I’m just mentally exhausted. Physically, I feel perfectly healthy. I just want to get to Granny’s and hide in bed… forever.”
“But—”
“I know, I know.” Alyssa rolled her eyes, sighing deeply. “I can’t sleep my life away. Anyway, you’re still coming by tonight, right?”
“Absolutely. We can start planning the funeral or watch a movie or just lay in bed. Whatever you feel up to.”
“Thanks, Jess. I couldn’t get through all this without you and Granny. Not tonight, but maybe the next time you come by you can bring Kora?”
“No problem. I’ll probably bring her Thursday. I promised Lorn I’d spend some time with him since I’ve been with you most of the last few days.”
“Oh no, is he upset?”
“No, of course not.” Jess waved away Alyssa’s concern. “He knows how important you are to me. He just misses me. You know how he is.”
“I do… That is the most affectionate Szu’Kara I’ve ever known. Maybe I should trade you for Kayn.”
“Um... No thanks!” Jess pressed her lips together. “Kayn is nice enough for a rigid leader, but he is definitely not my type.”
“Lately, I’ve been wondering if he’s even my type.” She shook her head, sadness seeping into her voice. “I care for him a lot, but some things are just not quite right with him.”
“Should I be worried about you, Aly?”
“No, no. It’s fine. I should know better by now. I’m not sure what I expected from him. We get so little time together, and I just don’t know if we can ever have a real relationship. I don’t even know if we’re dating or just casual or what? All I know is he’s too busy to see anyone else, so we’re basically exclusive by circumstance.”
“Do you think he doesn’t care about you?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure some days. I think he cares about me, but not as much as I care about him. After our last date, I thought I was this close to being in love with him. It wouldn’t have taken much to push me over that line, you know? But the way he’s been acting towards me lately, I’m not sure I’ll ever trust him enough to love him completely.”
“What has he done to make you not trust him?” Jess looked both worried and intrigued.
“He tried to tell me I have no choice about entering Zion, and it’s my duty to set an example to the rest of humanity.”
“What?” Jess balked.
“And, he won’t tell me if he’s going to help raise this baby. Apparently, women in my position, and their babies, are sent to a special compound called the Nursery.” She scoffed. “It’s supposed to be for security and special care.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Jess tossed her head back, squeezed her eyes shut, and took in a deep breath. “You’re not going anywhere. I mean it, Aly. Granny and I will hide you somewhere if we have to.”
“I told him I’m not going. If he tries to force me, I’ll run away. I’m not going to let him hide me away like some dirty, little secret.”
“Damn right! We’ll figure something out. Lorn will help, I know he will. He loves you almost as much as he loves me. Well, you know... without all the sexy stuff.”
Alyssa giggled. “I know.”
***
Huddling in the shadow of the guard house, Alyssa rubbed her arms while she waited for Jordan. It was that time of spring where the sun shined hot but the shade still had a biting chill. She opted for hiding in the cold shade since the sun felt like a spotlight blinding her and tried to chat with the guard, but gave up after a couple of minutes of one-word responses.
Alyssa watched Jordan drive up the long, dusty road, slipping through the gate and shuffling over to the small parking lot so he wouldn’t have to get out of his pickup. With a happy-go-lucky smile and wave, he stopped his truck next to her, jumping out to hold the door for her before she had a chance to protest. She smiled wistfully, thinking how nice it would be if Kayn treated her this way. That’s not fair. Kayn and Jordan are very different. I can’t expect the commander to fawn all over me.
Climbing into the pickup, Jordan closed his door without a word, keeping up the pleasant silence as they drove along. Alyssa leaned against the window, savoring the quiet and gentle motion of the moving truck as it lulled her into a deep sleep.
***
“Alyssa, wake up. We’re here.”
“Huh?” She groaned, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.
“We’re here. Got to get out of the truck now.”
Looking around to get her bearings, Alyssa frowned. “Wait—where are we? You were supposed to take me to Granny’s.” She peered over at Jordan.
“I talked to Ms. Willow and she knows where you are.” He held his hands out in a placating manner. “You need to talk to my brother and his people.”
“His people?” Alyssa glared. “I thought he was a farmer. What people could he have?”
“I’m really sorry I had to lie to you, but my brother isn’t a farmer. Please, just come meet him. We’ll explain everything.”
“What the hell, Jordan? Why didn’t you take me to Granny’s?” She held herself, tears ready to fall. “I told you I just got out of the med pod.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Please, just come meet my brother and listen to what he has to say. Then, if you still want to go, I’ll take you back to town.”
“How far away are we? How long was I asleep?”
“We’re about thirty minutes away from the compound. Not too far from Ms. Willow’s house.”
Alyssa considered the possibility of walking back to town “I guess I can meet your brother, but I want to go back as soon as possible.”
“You got it.” Jordan beamed at her.
Leaving what looked like a huge garage, Alyssa followed Jordan through a series of hallways lined with doors and windows of dark, empty offices. She hugged herself, angry and exhausted, wondering if her instincts had been wrong about Jordan. Am I too trusting?
After several minutes, Jordan finally stepped into a large conference room. Alyssa peeked in to find humans and Szu’Kara staring at her with skepticism and curiosity, gasping when she noticed Shar sitting at the long table. Sidling into the room, she saw a large, green flag hung on the opposite wall with a yellow circle in the center, similar to the symbol on the back of the card Jordan gave her when they first met at the café.
Turning to give him a piece of her mind, Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat. Next to Jordan stood a tall, gorgeous man with sun-kissed skin and shaggy black hair, a small patch of white at his widow’s peak hung down to brush against an eyebrow bisected by a thin scar that ran up his temple and into his hairline. He had a lean, muscular form, and stood stock straight, hands clasped behind his back, delicious muscles filling out his black T-shirt and green camouflage pants hugging his taut waist.
Unable to pull her eyes away, Alyssa approached Jordan and the stunning man who watched her expectantly with a spark of mischief in his cobalt blue eyes.
“Alyssa, this is my brother—”
�
��Sebastian Roberts,” he said with a voice so smooth, deep, and mellow it resonated in her core, “but you can call me Bas.”
Sebastian stuck his hand out, waiting, as Alyssa gawked at him, practically drooling, wishing she could bathe in that rich voice. Shaking herself back to reality, she attempted to appear confident, but ended up smiling like a brainless idiot. Grabbing his hand, she accidentally squeezed extra hard with a sweaty palm, quickly looking away so he couldn’t see her blush.
“Hi...” Alyssa cleared her throat, hoping she didn’t look as shaken as she felt. She glanced over her shoulder and cringed when she noticed everyone at the table also watching her, waiting.
“I apologize for the hijacking. We needed to get you here as soon as possible. We were relieved you called Jordan so soon after leaving the medical facility. He’s been watching you for quite a while, but once you’re on that compound there’s no way to track you.”
“Who is we?” She frowned, snapping each syllable, annoyed despite the apology from sexy Sebastian.
“We are the Coalition for the Freedom of Humanity. We’re a worldwide alliance trying to restore freedom to humans.”
“What do you mean freedom?” Alyssa scrunched her face up. “Humans are free.”
“No—” Sebastian gave a sharp shake of his head “—most of humanity is enslaved in some way.”
“Um, no. I would know if we were slaves.” She shot Jordan a questioning look. “I work closely with the commander. I review all the documentation that passes through his office, and I’ve never seen a report about slavery.”
“You wouldn’t. That information would be disguised as some sort of supply report. I imagine you see a lot of those?”
“Of course. The commander has to approve the requisitions for all the alien compounds.” This guy’s a nut. What the hell has Jordan gotten me into?
“Why would the commander of an entire species, and basically the leader of the world, need to approve every single basic supply requisition? That seems like something that could be managed by someone with less responsibility, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but Kayn is kind of a control freak. He likes to know everything that’s going on—”
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