Dawn of Inception (Felidian Warriors Book 2)

by M. L. Cook

  Aquino nodded, “Yes, of course Prince—”

  Seth looked around, leaning closer, he lowered his voice, “Please, just Seth. I’m sure you can understand the implications, should word get out that the sons of Elijah Balliol are unguarded.”

  “Yes, of course. My apologies Pri…err…Seth. Morena. I’m sorry to have to tell you, she was not left untouched.”

  With a rage filled bellow, Seth shoved away from the table. The chair fell to the floor with a loud bang. Next the table was shoved painfully into Aubree’s gut, causing her to cry out.

  Aquino was up in an instant. With a cry of rage, he lifted the table, throwing it across the room. There it slammed into the counter before dropping in pieces onto the tiled floor. Dropping to his knees, he pulled her hands away and began checking her for injuries.

  Her arms gripped her aching ribs, sucking in a breath, she doubled over. Eyes wide, mouth gaping, she fought for the air she so urgently needed. With each breath came a sharp pain. Tears coursed down her cheeks, while she squeezed Aquino’s hands in desperation.

  Lifting her into his arms, Aquino carried her from the room. “I need to lay her down somewhere,” he pleaded with every person he passed. Finally, someone pointed toward a closed door. Just as he was attempting to reach for the knob, the door was pushed open.

  ***

  Rage consumed Seth, in blinding fury he’d rampaged through the dining area. Once finished, there wasn’t a piece of furniture that was left undamaged. He’d failed to protect the one closest to him, the one that needed him above all, and now she’d suffered at the hands of those who took her. Standing hunched over the now empty counter, he sucked in deep breaths in an attempt to calm his rage.

  Head pounding, it took a long minute for him to realize he was alone. Looking back at where he’d left the Terrapian and the female, the table was lying in pieces beneath the counter across the room. Turning back toward the opened door, voices drifted to him from the hallway.

  His rage was replaced by a new feeling, one he’d not felt in a long time. Terror. The scene returned in vivid detail. As if outside his body, he watched himself shove the table away. Then he noticed the shocked look on Aubree’s face. Lost in his own tormented feelings, he’d injured someone who needed his protection. It seemed when it came to that one small female, he could do nothing right.

  Rushing from the room, he saw the Terrapian carrying Aubree. They were rushing toward the office of the human male who was supposed to lead these people, who hid instead.

  Did the Terrapian think to take her for his? A new fury inched up his spine. No, Seth would be the one to care for her! Running toward the pair, he pushed the door open and reached for the female.

  “You’ve done enough. Back away and allow me to take care of her.” Aquino glared at him.

  Finally calm enough to think things through, he was filled with remorse. Perhaps the Terrapian was right. Seth knew that he wanted this female, but he also knew he couldn’t have her. The small human was irrational, impulsive, and abrasive. Certainly not the kind of mate that should lead his people.

  A voice drifted from the hallway. “Really? One of those aliens are here? Right now? We need to question him and learn everything we can. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to take back what’s ours.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, he watched the group walk by the door. Each member hung on every word of their leader. That was the kind of woman needed for his people. She was not only beautiful, intelligent, authoritative, she was also willing to listen when he spoke. With one final look over his shoulder, he knew what he had to do.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Aubree stared up at her new friend, who was busy wrapping her ribs. Every time she attempted to speak, he would shake his head and keep working.

  “Okay, that should do it. I suggest you take shallow breaths until your ribs get a chance to heal.”

  Pushing herself up, she sucked in a breath at the sudden shooting pain in her chest. Aquino reached an arm behind her shoulders, while propping pillows behind her back. Squirming into the softness, she smiled her thanks. Before she could open her mouth to speak, for the first time, she noticed they weren’t alone.

  Behind a small, scarred and chipped desk sat an older man. Balding, with a thin ponytail, which only made him look ridiculous, she guessed him to be around fifty. His rotund form sat rigid in the chair, moving nothing but the occasional twitch. His rounded eyes popped from beneath arched brows, his pursed lips were formed in a tight circle, as if frozen in time. Sweat trickled, unfettered down his forehead, leaving a single drop to hang from the tip of his nose.

  Aubree looked from the man, back to Aquino, brows arched in question.

  Shrugging, Aquino glanced over his shoulder, then back to his friend. Whispering, he stared at the still figure of the large man sitting in the chair, “I think he believes if he doesn’t move or speak, we won’t see him.”

  Laughing, Aubree shook her head, “You might be right. However, I’m afraid he might have a heart attack if we don’t put him at ease.” Waving a hand, she raised her voice, “Hey…you okay? Nobody’s going to hurt you, I promise. Wait,” She narrowed her eyes, “Have you been in here this whole time?”

  After trying to swing her legs around, she winced, “Can you help me stand up.”

  “I can.” He blinked, not moving.

  Rolling her eyes, she slapped a hand on her forehead, “Will you please help me stand up.”

  “No. You have at least one broken rib. Moving around could make it worse. You do not want to puncture a lung. Tell me what you need and I will do it for you.” He crossed his muscular arms over his equally muscular chest.

  If it weren’t for Mister Creamsicle, she wouldn’t mind a quick toss in the sack with this guy. Cringing at the thought, she knew they were as far apart in species as two people could get. Nope, no matter how stacked he was, there would be no taking tall, green, and scaley for a spin.

  Attempting to focus her thoughts, she turned her gaze back to the big pale statue across the room. “I don’t think you would be able to do more than maybe send him over the edge.”

  “Oh, him?” Aquino stood from his chair, slammed his palm down on the desk and glared at the man in question. “The female is speaking to you.”

  Aubree saw him jerk backwards, flinching. No longer frozen, he began his imitation of a fish out of water. Pasty and sweating, the man looked ready to keel over. “Not better, Quin.”

  Stepping toward the door, Aquino leaned into the hall, “You. Come in here and help this human male. He looks as though he’s about to expire and that was not my intention.”

  A petite young woman with short black hair stuck her head in the door. Glancing around the room, her gaze settled on the floundering man behind the desk. “Mr. Spencer!” She ran into the room, straight to his side. Glancing back at Aubree, she explained, “He’s the owner. Wouldn’t you know it, today, of all days, he decided to pay us a visit. They were giving him a tour when the north side of the building blew. When the dust settled, he was gone. We weren’t sure if he was dead, ran out of the building, or what happened to him. It was all like, here one minute, gone the next.”

  Aubree hated feeling this helpless, looking at the woman she remembered from when they first arrived, “It’s Paige, isn’t it?”

  Flipping her gaze toward Aubree, her head full of short dark curls bouncing, she smiled, “Yes, Paige Jensen. We kind of met when you got here. I was the one who wasn’t an asshole.”

  Aubree’s smile widened at the impish grin shining back at her. “I think you and I are going to get along great.” Cocking her head, she asked the question that most plagued her. “How come you’re not afraid of Aquino? Mr. Blue Statue here looked about ready to croak when my big green friend spoke to him.”

  Tilting her head, she looked from Aubree back to her boss, then back again, “Blue Statue?”

  Aubree winced, “Sorry. I have a tendency to give people nicknames, sometim
es they stick.” Shrugging…she sucked in a breath, “Damn! That hurt!” Relaxing back into the soft cushions, she continued, “I also tend to speak before I think.”

  Paige winked, “I can relate to that. Sometimes words refuse to be denied. My theory is, if you’re going to be an ass, you should expect it. Anyway, about your friend. If there are aliens, and there are, what difference does it make? After all, the other guy that came in with you could never pass for human.”

  Cocking her head, again wincing in pain, she asked, “You don’t think so?”

  Stepping away from the desk, she sat on the end of the couch. “Please don’t tell me you didn’t notice his skin?” When Aubree continued to just stare at her, she continued, “He has stripes. Not to mention his hair. Hair that more closely resembles a lion’s mane. Not that I’ve ever seen a tiger with a lion’s mane, but aliens…” She shrugged.

  Staring through the other woman, she thought back to their first encounter. “Do you suppose they omit some kind of pheromone?” Sealing her lips, she mentally chastised her vagrant thoughts.

  “I’m not sure…after all, aliens.” Paige’s grin was contagious.

  “I hate to interrupt your musings…First of all, not so much. Second of all, Blue Statue seems to be getting bluer.”

  Lurching to her feet, Paige ran back to the desk. Trembling fingers searched feverishly for a pulse. Which Aubree deemed completely unnecessary, since he was still sitting upright, with the occasional blink in the direction of Aquino.

  “He’s obviously still alive, Paige,” she snorted.

  Sending a glare over her shoulder, “I know that. But since he’s turning blue, there’s also obviously something serious going on.”

  They had their answer a moment later when his eyes rolled back and he slumped to the floor. Fighting against the pain, Aubree scooted off the couch and stumbled toward the desk. Both Paige and Aquino knelt beside a relaxed, no longer statue, man. His color was slowly coming back to normal, his rigid features relaxing. “Guess he was holding his breath.”

  Although completely hairless, Aubree decided it still looked like an arched brow, Aquino stared up at her. Lips set in a tight frown, he rose from the floor. “Why do you refuse to listen to reason?”

  Staring down at the scene, then back to Aquino, she announced, “I need to get some air.”

  Before Aquino could protest, she held up a hand, “No. I just can’t. I’ll be fine. I won’t do anything strenuous, I just need…” Shaking her head, she walked away.

  Gingerly stepping into the hall, moving as fast as her broken rib would allow, she decided she needed to get away from all the craziness. At least for a few minutes. So much had happened, in such a short time, she felt like her head was ready to explode. She missed Brooke, even her crazy controlling, logical way of dealing with everything.

  All her life, Aubree just moved from one crazy scene to another, never staying long enough to find normal. Everything in her personal life reflected her refusal to conform to the social niceties. From her ever-changing hair color, to jobs, to her apartment, and then extending into her social life. The wilder, more outlandish the lifestyle of her current love interest, the more she wanted it.

  Paige’s words circled in her brain, he has stripes. How far did her insane need to rebel have to go before she considered it too far?

  Voices from a darkened room caught her attention. Regardless of her intention to continue her trek, instead Aubree found herself staring into the dark shadows.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Standing in the doorway, she couldn’t believe her eyes. He’d made it no secret that he wasn’t romantically interested in her, still it hurt to see him in the intimate embrace with another woman. Entwined arms, lips locked in a passionate kiss, she watched Seth lift her on top of a desk. When Ashley grabbed his ass, she decided she’d seen enough.

  Spinning around, her hands gripped the doorframe to keep from doubling over. Fighting against her urge to glance once more into the room, she strode down the hall. With no destination in mind, she just knew she had to get out of there. Stopping before entering the large room where people could be seen milling about, she contemplated her choices. She could go back to where she’d left Aquino, or join the others, or act like herself and run away. Jutting her chin out, she squared her shoulders and walked toward the loading docks. At the far end of the factory there was a single door that led to the back of the building where she could see the dark interior of a truck that must have been busy loading when they were attacked.

  Walking with purposeful strides, nobody questioned her. After a quick glance over her shoulder, she noticed a very large dark body walking toward her. Judging by the determined look on his face, she knew she had to make her escape as fast as possible.

  Twisting the knob, panic filled her when it turned but refused to open. Staring at the obstinate object, she noticed the deadbolt. With a flick, she pushed her way into the near whiteout conditions.

  Ducking her head against the blowing snow, she gripped the railing and stumbled down the steps. Cupping a hand over her eyes, she stopped to stare in horror at what had once been a large semi, but was now nothing but a burned and mangled mess of steal. Pulling her gaze away, she searched the parking lot.

  Rushing toward a row of parked cars, she noticed an opened door. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed a stern-faced Aquino pushing through the door. Not completely understanding her need for escape, she trotted toward the dark sedan. Stumbling to a halt, she stared down at the figure that was still sitting inside. The windshield was a spiderwebbed mess with a tiny hole in the center.

  There, sitting in the driver’s seat, head bowed, was a young woman with long brown hair. In her right hand she still held her phone, thumb poised above the dark screen. One foot was placed on the pavement, as though she would continue her exit any minute. A perfect round hole parted her hair, with a small line of dried blood tracing down her parted hair.

  Aubree screamed when she felt the hand gripping her shoulder. Looking up, she hesitated for only a moment before throwing herself into Aquino’s arms.

  Looking up into the soft brown eyes of her new friend, she swallowed her sobs. “Quin, I thought it was Brooke. For just a second…” She glanced back at the car, shook her head and continued. “I know it’s not her. She works on the other side of town.”

  Dropping her head to his chest, she stared down at the snow-covered parking lot. Taking a deep breath, she pushed away, “I have to find her.”

  Aquino nodded, “You require a transport like this?”

  “Yes, I saw that the door was open, I thought I might find the keys still inside. I never thought…” Looking away, she swallowed the bile that suddenly rose in her throat.

  Aquino gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before turning her back toward the building. “You are a strong warrior, Aubree with the smelly purple hair. Allow me to help you with this one thing.”

  She could hear the strain in his voice, followed by a grunt. A few seconds later a soft thud sounded from a few cars over. Not moving her head, she allowed herself a single glance from the corner of her eye. There, three cars over, she saw Aquino stand upright, then turn his gaze toward her. Shaking his head, he strode to where she was huddled against the cold.

  Removing his jacket, he draped it around her shoulders, “You should have warmer coverings, Bree.” He glanced up at the grey clouds overhead, “We can’t have you getting sick, now can we? Not when we have an important mission.” He smiled down at her, then pushed her into the driver’s seat.

  Slamming the door against the cold, she watched her big friend attempt to squeeze into the passenger seat. Laughing, she reached across the console, “There’s a lever…”

  The seat glided several inches back, “Better, but still a little confining. You know how to pilot this transport?” Aquino pulled the door shut, then wiggled in his seat. “Not very comfortable, either.”

  Aubree twisted the key, buckled herself in, then glan
ced back at her friend, “Might want to buckle up.” She nodded to his lap, then pulled on her own belt.

  Aquino’s brows arched, “How fast does this transport go?”

  “Well, once we get on the highway, probably about sixty.” She inched her way out of the parking spot, toward the exit.

  “Sixty…?” He pulled the belt across and snapped it into place.

  “Miles per hour.” At his confused look, she glanced at the speedometer, “We’re going twenty now.”

  Aquino scoffed, “This sixty is nothing. Can it not go faster?” When he reached down to release the belt, Aubree put her hand on his.

  “Sixty might be nothing as you say, but your big ass will still fly right through the windshield. Dead is dead, no matter how fast you’re going. And yes, it can go faster. But since the roads are mostly destroyed, I don’t want to take the chance of wrecking the car.”

  His dark green face paled, “You mean this…” he touched the windshield, “won’t prevent us from…”

  “No. It’s just glass. Most of the time, if something hits it, it won’t break. But your body? Yeah, it will keep right on going. If that doesn’t kill you, the impact with the pavement will. So, you’d better keep that on. Especially since, like I said, the roads are all messed up.” As if bringing the point home, Aubree had to swerve into the grass to avoid a large hole.

  Aquino’s hands came up to brace himself after his head met the passenger side window. “It doesn’t fly then?”

  “Nope,” Aubree slowed to enter the highway again. “Looks like smooth sailing from here. I guess the worst of the damage was by the factory. We’ll see when we get into town.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Seth pushed his way out of the room where his temper had gotten the best of him. In his fury, he’d injured the small female. Rage burned through him, not only because of his actions, but also because of his confusion. Why did this female affect him in ways that none other ever had? It seemed around her he had very little control. He knew he had to get away from her before he did something really stupid, like claim her for his mate.