by M. L. Cook
Prowling down the hall behind the small group, he stalked Ashely. As if she could feel him, she stopped and turned around.
“Seth? Is something wrong?” She nodded for the group to continue past her.
Gripping her arms, he pulled her into a small room. Backing her toward the wall, he saw her fear, but was unable to stop what he was doing.
“Seth? What…why are you doing this? Are you angry about—”
Cutting her off, he sealed his lips over hers. Her lush body stiffened for just a moment, before melting into his embrace. Their combined moans of pleasure drowned out, not only every sound, but every thought as well. Lifting the small female, he attempted to satisfy his animalistic desires. But his body knew what it wanted, and it wasn’t this female.
Breaking the kiss, he stared down into her bright blue eyes. Shaking his head, he leaned into her. Foreheads touching, he released a deep sigh.
“It’s her, isn’t it?” Ashley whispered, pushing against his chest.
Stepping back, he nodded, “Logically, you would be the better choice. But…”
Her blue eyes flashed, “Logically? Seriously?”
He held up his hands, “That’s not what I meant—”
“It’s exactly what you meant. Any fool can see you two belong together.” She scooted off the edge of the desk, releasing a deep sigh, she shook her head. “I guess I’m the fool. I really thought I might have a chance…” Pushing past him, she laid a hand on his shoulder, “But you might have a hard time convincing her. I guess you didn’t notice Aubree standing in the doorway watching us.”
Realizing he’d done it again. He turned toward the now empty threshold. Would he ever do anything right when it came to her?
Movement outside caught his attention. Stepping closer, he watched the Terrapian embrace the female he’d rejected. Her arms locked around him, her face buried in his chest. His first instinct was to rush outside and rip them apart. Then he would take great pleasure in separating the male’s head from his body. Hands clutching the window sill, he pictured what he would do to Aquino. The male who thought he could dictate what he did or didn’t do with his mate.
Then reality came crashing down. His mate. The same female he’d not only rejected, but injured as well. Not only did she run from him, but she ran into the arms of another. What right did he have to deny her what he had thoughtlessly thrown away? Groaning, he banged his head against the cold glass. He would just explain it to her, she would listen, then she would accept…then they would grow wings and fly away together. He muttered, “Why, oh why did I have to find such a stubborn, resistant mate?”
“Yes, and one that is currently putting as much distance between the two of you as she can.” A knuckle rapped against the glass.
Looking up, he watched Aubree, along with the Terrapian, disappear down the snow-covered road. Roaring his rage, he ran from the room. Stepping into the large area where the humans liked to congregate, he searched for an exit. There, at the other end of the room, a door stood ajar, allowing a few snowflakes to filter inside.
Feet barely touching down, he ran through the door and into the driving snow. By the time he got to the street, the car was nothing but a black dot in a world covered in white. Pacing back and forth, he feared he’d lost her forever. Even if he did pursue her, the snow would certainly cover her tracks.
The sound of an approaching vehicle had him whipping around. A large red truck pulled alongside him. The window opened to reveal Ashely’s smirk. “Get in, big boy.”
Rushing to the other side of the vehicle, he stared at the portal. Waving a hand, he grunted his frustration. Reaching for the backside, he was preparing to leap into the bed, when the door opened.
“Sorry, I keep forgetting you don’t know anything about this stuff.” She waited until he got in, then slammed her foot on the accelerator. “Might want to buckle in. The conditions are bad enough, then add in the possibility of craters from the aliens…” She cringed, “No offense.”
Nodding, he tried to figure out why she said that. After all, he was an alien on this planet. Then he glared over at her, “You weren’t comparing me to the Terrapians, were you?”
A laugh bubbled out, “No, of course not. I just didn’t want you to think I hated all aliens.”
Brows creased, “Why would I think that? Where I come from we see many different races of beings. It’s accepted that not every race will even closely resemble your own.” Shaking his head, he admonished, “You really are a primitive people, aren’t you?”
Poking his temple with a sharp finger nail, she admonished, “That was an asshole thing to say.”
The tracks from Aubree’s car had vanished, just as Seth suspected they would. However, the distance between them was getting smaller. The other transport was going much slower than theirs. Not stopping to consider why, the reason became apparent very quickly.
The vehicle began spinning, sending them into a deep bank of snow on the other side. With bone jarring effect, the transport halted. Fighting his instinct to throw his arms out, he forced himself to relax.
Seth felt a sharp pain in his temple, then the world faded to darkness.
Chapter Twenty
Easing her foot off the accelerator, Aubree stared at the spinning truck half a mile behind her. Could it be coincidence that it happened so close to the factory she’d just left? Regardless, as a human being, it was her job to ensure the well-being of the passengers.
“This transport crawls nearly as slow as a babe, and now you choose to go even slower?” Aquino quipped from the passenger seat. Noticing her occasional glance into the rear review mirror, he grabbed it, nearly ripping it off before staring at his own reflection. Arching a brow, he looked back at her. “Really? Could you not wait until we reach our destination to admire your own reflection?”
Twisting the mirror out of his grasp, she adjusted it again. “It’s to see what’s happening behind us.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he nodded, “Yes, the seats in this transport do make turning around quite difficult.”
Throwing her head back, she let out a shout of frustration. “Did you even see the car behind us when it ran off the road?”
Turning back in his seat, he stared straight ahead, “Of course I did. Why should that concern me?”
She could almost see the wheels turning before the full impact of what it meant sunk in. Twisting in his seat, she watched his gaze sweep across the road, then the rugged terrain around it. “Someone could be suffering fatal injuries. Quickly reverse this transport! I only pray we’re not too late.”
Her foot eased onto the brake pedal, then turned the car around. Easing the car forward, she increased her speed until they were going much too fast for the road conditions.
“Do not get us killed trying to save another.” Aquino chided, one hand on the windshield the other the back of her seat.
Aubree glared at him, “It’s fine. We’ve already traveled this way, so we know the road is—” She slammed her foot on the break.
The car began spinning toward the embankment where the other car had come to rest.
Mumbling to herself, she asked, “Into the spin, or the direction I want to go…shit. Is this front or rear wheel drive? Or…” Gripping the wheel she began pulling the steering wheel in the direction she wished for the car to go. Seconds before leaving the road, the car drifted to a halt.
Hands gripping the steering wheel, Aubree could feel herself begin shaking. Feeling a hand on her arm, she glared at Aquino, “Just don’t say it.”
His hands flew into the air, “I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“Really? You weren’t going to tell me how I nearly killed us trying to save someone else…just like you said not even a minute ago?”
Aquino turned away from her, mumbling, “Maybe…”
Sighing, Aubree rolled her eyes, “Do you know how to open the door?” She reached for her handle, then looked up at him.
Trudging through the
snow toward the red truck, she shivered inside Aquino’s light jacket. “Hey, how come you aren’t…like frozen right now?”
He turned his gaze toward her, shrugged, “Same reason you aren’t?”
“But you’re…” She blushed.
Irritation laced his voice, “Do you think we could have survived if our race hadn’t evolved past that old cold-blooded thing?”
“Sorry. This whole alien thing is new to me…well to everyone on the planet.” She shrugged, “I guess there are a few people who believed in aliens…well believe. Because…” She waved her hand up and down his body. “Mostly we thought we were alone.”
“Really? In all of the galaxies, you believed your planet was the only one to bring forth life?” He shook his head, “How arrogant you people are.” He waved his hands across the sky, “Out of the trillions of galaxies, you believe there could be only one planet that contains life.”
Looking away, she mumbled, “Well, not that there is no life out there, just no intelligent life.”
Turning a glare on her, he gritted, “How is that better? Do you even know how primitive you are to us? You’re barely above the organisms that slithered onto the beaches millions of years ago. You don’t even have spaceflight.”
Raising a finger, she interjected, “We do so.”
Aquino stopped, “Oh? And just how far have you—”
“I hate to interrupt, but I could use a little help over here.” The voice came from the shattered passenger window.
“Seth? Why…are you alright? Who…” Aubree peered through the spiderwebbed windshield, “Of course it’s her.” She regretted the words as soon as they were spoken. She may resent the woman, but that didn’t mean she wished her dead or injured. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Aquino leaned closer, then whispered, “Yes you did.”
Shocked to hear him speak her feelings into existence, she turned to see his lips curled into a sly grin. Elbowing him, she grinned back, “Shut up.”
Seth’s low growl was followed by his large body pouring through the small window. The rage that reflected off his face was quickly replaced by confusion, seconds before his body crumpled in the snow.
“Seth!” Aubree shouted, running in a vain attempt to catch him before he fell. Throwing her arms around him, she felt herself falling toward a not so snow-covered chunk of asphalt.
“I got you.” Aquino grabbed the pair and shoved them toward the same embankment where the truck was.
Grunting when her body hit the cold, hard ground, followed immediately by a very large body, Aubree glared up at her friend. “Thanks. That’s so much better. Glad you got me. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I’d fallen on the hard ground…oh wait! I do know.”
Leaning down with a grin, Aquino’s hand reached for her, “You’re welcome.”
She grabbed his hand and was yanked to her feet. “We need to get these two into the car.” Sighing her resignation, “I guess we won’t be going to look for Brooke today, after all.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in the breakroom drinking hot cocoa and munching on vending machine donuts.
“These are pretty good! These donuts?” At her nod, he continued, “Do they provide any nutritional value?”
“Only your daily requirement of chocolate.” She answered stuffing another one in her mouth, followed by a sip of hot cocoa. Looking over at Seth, she cocked her head, “What?”
Crumbs fell from his parted lips, before he spit a large chunk of the confection onto the floor. Standing, he ran toward the sink, only to fall to his knees a few feet away.
Aubree watched in horror as Seth’s throat began to swell and his face started turning blue. She was stunned to find herself awed by the way the stripes she’d never noticed now stood out in stark comparison. Shaking off her stupor, she was by his side in an instant. “You’re allergic to chocolate? Damn. We need to find somebody with some epinephrine. Quin, run out there and start asking everybody if they have any. Hurry!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Seth shook off the last visages of sleep as a dark figure came into focus above him. He reached out, was it his Aubree?
Someone took his hand, “Easy there, big guy. You’ll start feeling better in a minute. You just had a severe reaction to something you ate. Aubree suggested it might be chocolate?”
Ashley’s face came into focus, her bruised and battered face. Rage consumed him, “Who did this to you?”
He was shocked when she laughed, “I guess you could say I did it to myself. The roads were worse than I expected. It’s only October, for crying out loud!” She smiled, then grimaced, “Owe. Anyway, Aubree and Aquino pulled us out of the snowbank. You were out when they came to get me. It’s the first time I was grateful for my peanut allergy. You really should wear a bracelet or something.”
He snarled, “I do not wear jewelry.”
She laughed, then held up her own wrist, “Like this. That way if something like this happens again, whoever finds you will know.”
He pushed against her, then sat up. “Everybody knows this.”
Ashley waved her arm around, “Not everybody.”
Seth could feel the blush bloom across his face, “Of course. In the future, I must avoid these donuts.”
“And cocoa,” She amended.
His brows arched, “That delicious drink was chocolate as well?”
She nodded, “That’s why you need one of these. Of course,” she looked away, “I guess it might be pretty hard right now. Maybe if someone does a supply run, they can keep an eye out for one.”
Leaning forward, elbows on knees, he gripped his aching head. “I hate the headaches that follow. Do you mind?” He pointed toward the windows.
Once the blinds were closed, he looked back at Ashley. “Where’s Aubree?”
She shrugged, “Her and Aquino left together.” She put a hand on his knee, “Seth they…”
Fear rushed through him, “What? They what?”
“When they left, she was in his embrace.” She looked away for a second, “It was a very intimate embrace.”
Seth cursed, he was too late. He’d rejected her. Now she’d found someone who cherished her for the female she was. It was something he should have done, instead of wishing for her to be what she was not.”
Standing, he staggered through the door. Bracing a hand on the wall, he made his way down the dark hallway. Soft voices filtered from a room at the end. Stopping outside the door, he leaned against the wall and listened.
“You will be protected, cherished, and held close to my heart Bree. Always. If no other can see who you are, know that I always will.”
When his statement was followed by silence, he tensed. Turning toward the door, he peeked inside, fearing what he would find. Ducking back, he slid to the floor. Fisting his hand, he began hitting his head, whispering, “Stupid, stupid male.” He sat there for a long moment, replaying what he’d seen.
There, on the floor, snuggled in a pile of thick blankets, he saw Aubree and Aquino locked in an embrace. Her face buried in his chest, while his hand brushed down her back.
It was true, he’d lost her. His first impulse was to challenge the male, but he knew that would never work. If he killed the male she cared for, she would only hate him.
Instead, he stood and stalked away. The only thing for him to do was to ensure her future safety. To do that, he would need to do what he did best. He was a warrior first, prince second. He would teach these humans to fight against the Terrapians. He knew many of them were able to shoot with their primitive weapons. There were more weapons aboard the vessel they’d stolen from the ship. He would train those who didn’t know how, together they would march against the enemy.
***
Aquino kissed Aubree’s forehead, “It’s okay, little female. I will hold you in your sorrow.”
His eyes flicked toward the door, where Seth had been standing, watching them. He knew Seth cared for Aub
ree, but he also knew Seth wasn’t prepared to accept her as his mate. Until he was ready, Aquino would protect her and her shattered heart.
Aubree’s bright green eyes stared up, “Why couldn’t I find someone like you, Quin?”
He grinned down at her, “Because, my little human, once God created me, he knew he’d already made the perfect male. Why would he make more?”
Laughing, she asked, “So tell me, why are you still single? I know you told me about how rare females are on your world. But out of all the planets you’ve been to, you haven’t found one who you find appealing enough to take as a mate?”
He bopped her nose, “Because, little one, I wish to one day have a child of my own.”
“So?” Her inquisitive face stared up, waiting for him to explain.
“Terrapians aren’t compatible with any other race. We can only breed with our own.”
“Oh, but they took only women and young girls. What other purpose could they have for them, if not that?”
Shaking his head, “You know what their purpose was. It was not to breed with. We are sexually compatible, but that’s all.”
“I see.” She nodded, “I get it. Most men want a son to carry on their name.” she tucked her head back into the crook of his arm.
“No, Bree. It matters not to me, male or female. I would just like to hold a child of my own in my arms.”
“But still, how will you do that if your females are so rare? Especially since you’re no longer with your people. Do you know someone? Are there more like you? Rebels I mean,” she amended.
“I have found many who feel the same as I do. But there are no single females among them. Still I have hope of one day looking into the face of a child, knowing they are mine.” He blinked away the tears that tried to form.
“I hope your dreams come true, Quin. If anyone deserves to be a father, it’s you.” She patted his chest.