by M. L. Cook
He was shaking his head, “You need to be smart about this. First we need to go to the base camp Jannette told us about. We can get a group together, then go for your sister. You heard her. Seth’s brother is with her. Don’t you think he’s as anxious to see him, as you are to see her?”
“Fine,” she grumbled then turned back toward the church. “Are you kidding me?” The large building stood only a few yards away.
Phil laughed, “How far did you think you ran?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Seth was standing at the door when Phil brought Aubree back in. Before he could say anything to her, the man gripped his arm and shook his head. Anger burned at the thought that the human would consider telling him what to do or what not to do.
He watched Aubree push past him, her shoulders thrown back, her head held high. The barely contained fury radiated from her. Looking from her to Phil, he understood why he’d stopped him from speaking. The male had lost his own brother, so understood as most never could, what both of them were going through.
Phil stopped beside Seth, watching Aubree resume her vigil in the corner. “She wanted to go after her sister alone. A brave woman.”
“I don’t consider that brave. It’s foolish to go out on your own amidst the enemy. She could have been captured. Again.” Seth struggled with his own feelings. Rage battled with fear over what could have happened.
“You misunderstand. I don’t think she’s brave because of her choice to go it alone. I consider her brave for following my advice. She’s brave for coming back here, regardless of her need to find her sister. I believe I heard that Brooke was the only family she has left.” He nodded, “Now if you’ll excuse me. My watch is over and I need to get some sleep. Morning comes very early.”
Seth watched the large man amble past the pews, kneeling before the altar in quiet prayer. Phil was a man wise beyond his years. What he’d said was true, Brooke was the only family Aubree had left. At least for now. Seth had a large family waiting for him at home. To lose his brother would be devastating, but at least he had others back home who would be there when he returned. Aubree, on the other hand, would be alone.
From what he’d deduced, she was a loner. Cocooned from the world, strong barriers were erected to keep out all who tried to get close. With the exception of one.
The rustle of blankets came from Aubree’s corner, along with the softly spoken words of the only one to have broken through her walls.
“Rest, little one. I’ll watch over you.”
Seth could feel Aquino’s gaze on him. Knew he waited to see if he would be challenged. Searching his heart, he felt nothing but gratitude for the friendship and protection given to the mate of his heart. Nodding to the Terrapian, Seth returned to the front steps to keep his own vigil.
***
Sounds of people milling around, brought Seth out of his fitful sleep. The night had been filled with dreams of Aubree’s death at the hands of either the Terrapians, or the human insurgents. Each more vivid than the one before. After every dream, he found himself lurching forward, fingers curled, prepared to battle his demons. Shaking off the last visages of slumber, he stumbled into a hive of activity.
The scent of breakfast wafted up the basement stairs, along with companionable chatter. Ascending the narrow steps, he watched the camaraderie of the two groups getting to know each other. He was pleased to see that both Tiana and Aquino were accepted by all.
A very tall human male, had a protective arm about Tiana’s shoulders, while shooting glares at all who came near. It was obvious how little he trusted Aquino around the female. Every time the Terrapian male spoke, he noticed the human lean closer. The words were indecipherable, but the message was clear. Tiana was his, and he had no intention of giving her up, not even to her own kind. Admiration for Aquino grew, when the male stood, laughed, then slapped the human on the back.
His words carried, “Have no fear, Travis. I have no desire to take your mate from you.”
Seth laughed as he watched the heated discussion between the mates, before Tiana stood and stomped from the room. Travis sent a glare in Aquino’s direction before hurrying after his female.
He found Aubree sitting alone, swirling a pile of white goo with her fork. Jannette appeared beside him with a plate loaded with foods he couldn’t identify, other than the eggs. It seemed eggs were one of the things every species had in common, differing only in the methods of preparation.
Sitting beside her, he looked down at his own white goo. Curious, he took a tentative bite. The moment the concoction met his taste buds, his eyes watered, as his stomach heaved. Reaching for his napkin, he couldn’t get the mess out of his mouth fast enough.
Jannette, who’d been standing behind him, snorted, “Grits. An acquired taste, I guess.”
Aubree gave him a sidelong glance, “She also loves Kale.” When he only blinked and shook his head, she explained, “Trust me. Do not let her goad you into trying it. No matter what she says, it makes this look good.”
Seth shook his head, “I can’t imagine anything tasting worse.” He leaned in, “Kale? I should listen for this word?”
She laughed, “No. Just like the grits, she’ll simply put them on your plate. Anything you don’t recognize, check with me before you eat it.”
Seth stared down at his plate, “Most of the food you have here is foreign to me. The only thing I recognize is the eggs. Even those are prepared differently than I am accustomed.” He shoveled a large bite of thin slices of brown and white things, covered in blood red sauce, into his mouth. Humming in delight, he pointed his fork toward the delicious fare.
Aubree smiled up at him, “Potatoes. Pretty much anyway you cook them, they are amazing. Not that healthy, but not the worst thing you could eat. Those,” she pointed to his plate, “are generally called home fries, or just fried potatoes.” She began pointing at different things on his plate, “Bacon…most loved flavor on the planet, it’s meat. That’s just buttered toast. But” She reached for several small containers. “If you put one of these on it, your tastebuds will explode.”
Seth pushed the jars back, “Why would someone wish to damage their mouth in such a way?”
Laughing, she dipped a spoon in one, then held it to his lips, “Taste.”
Seth stuck the tip of his tongue into the red goo on her spoon. When the flavor exploded in his mouth, he immediately understood what she meant by exploding tastebuds. Gripping her hand, moaning, he pulled the spoon between his lips. Eyes closed, he allowed the flavor to melt on his tongue, before swallowing. Opening his eyes, he stared into the brightest green eyes he’d ever seen. Her flush face spoke louder than words could. Leaning closer, he stared at her parted lips, than back to her heated gaze.
Just before he could close the distance, a thin arm pushed between them. “Did you even take one bite of the grits Bree? I swear, Brooke spoiled you rotten.” Jannette lifted the plate, walking away grumbling about starving children.
The moment broken, he watched Aubree push away from the table before following her friend. “Just because Brooke didn’t force me to eat crap, doesn’t mean I was spoiled. I’ll get started cleaning up, you go get things started upstairs. I can’t wait to get out of here.”
Finishing his breakfast, he began gathering the dishes that were left on the tables. Standing beside her, he watched her for a moment, before pushing her away.
Picking up a towel, Aubree began drying the dishes as Seth washed. “Thanks for helping.”
“I know there’s more to running an army than fighting. It’s important for me to do my part.” He continued until the last dish was dried. “Is that all? There are no more dishes to be cleansed?” He searched the room, finding it in pristine order.
“No, silly. That’s all.” She cocked her head, looking from him to the large stack of plates waiting to be put away. “You’ve never washed dishes before, have you?”
Seth could feel the blush deepening. He watched the last of the soapy
water disappear, “I must admit this is the first time I have done something quite so menial.”
When Aubree stayed silent, he looked up.
“Menial? Seriously? Menial? Do you know—”
He placed a finger across her lips, “Please. I don’t mean to insult.” He looked around the room, finding it empty of all but the two of them, he stepped closer.
Gripping her arms, he stared into her beautiful green eyes, knowing he would never tire of doing so. “My little mate. I need to tell you, but you must swear to never breathe a word of it to another soul.” When she nodded, he continued, “I’ve never done such a thing…because I’m a prince.” He waited for the words to register. What happened next was something he never could have guessed.
Aubree’s lips quivered, her eyes shining in mirth, before erupting in laughter. She patted his arm, then turned to walk away. “Hate to break the news to you, Your Royal Highness, but that’s no secret.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was time to set out. The highway was lined up, three abreast with cars and trucks, with the vulnerable in the center. Leading the procession was a large pickup, with several armed men riding in the back, as was the last vehicle. Those who had a weapon, were put on the outsides of the caravan, windows down, guns ready.
Aubree was getting ready to join James in the lead truck when Seth stopped her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” One hand encircled her arm, while he blocked her from going further.
She stared down at his hand, then glared up at him. “Surely you don’t want me to embarrass you in front of all these people.” Her voice was low, with a playful smile on her lips. She stepped closer, “You know I will.”
“Please don’t do this. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.” Both stood still, waiting for the other to give in.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Phil lifted her onto the tailgate, earning a scowl from Seth. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Aubree’s smirk faded at Phil’s next words
“Between me and James, I think we can spot any snipers that might be out there.” The big man climbed into the bed, then stood beside James, who was already searching the surrounding area for danger.
Seth stood with his hands on his hips and a smirk of his own. Memory returned from their time on the ship, how he’d only managed to move her from harm seconds before a hole appeared where her head had been.
Grim determination lined his features. Tensing his body, he crouched and leapt. Landing beside Aubree, he threw her over his shoulder and jumped from the truck. “You may be angry with me, but you will also be alive. Trust me to keep you safe, little one. You can shoot from the inside as well as you can shoot from the topside.”
***
They’d driven about half a mile, when they heard a bullet pinging off the hood. The procession came to a halt as gunshots tore through the helpless convoy from all directions. Anguished screams rent the air as those who were caught unaware were picked off. Seth knew if they didn’t do something soon, they could lose everybody. He wasn’t about to let that happen.
Seth pushed Aubree from the truck just as a spray of bullets shattered the windshield. Crouching, he pushed her between the truck they were in, and the one beside them.
Over the sounds of the exchange, Jannette’s voice rang out. “Everybody take cover! Those of you in the center cars, stay inside and duck down.”
A moment later explosions rocked the hillside. Debris, along with body parts, rained down around them. After dozens of grenades, he heard shouted pleas from the aggressors.
“We surrender. Don’t shoot. We’re coming out.”
Standing beside the truck, Seth trained his weapon on the scraggly men who crawled out of hiding. A few were helping the wounded, others were limping, or holding their own injuries.
The truck shifted as Phil jumped down. His belt was filled with black zip ties, resembling thousands of tiny black snakes trying to crawl out of his pants. Looking back at Aubree, he winked, “See darlin’. Good thing you didn’t try to set out on yer own.”
A glint coming from one of the trees caught Seth’s eyes. “Phil! Get down!”
His smile was replaced by confusion as his body danced across the dark pavement. Patches of red bloomed across his chest, as his large body fell lifeless to the ground.
A single shout was followed by laser beams lighting up the tree, “No!”
Standing in front of the truck, Aubree continued to fire into the tree. Even as the body fell to the ground, she continued her assault. The tree began to smolder, eventually the dried leaves that had yet to fall, ignited. A few men, who’d thought to take refuge in the dense foliage, dropped to the ground. Their screams ignored, as they continued to burn until silence returned.
Dropping the weapon, Aubree ran to Phil’s side. Collapsing in a heap, she held his hand and rocked. “Why? Why Phil? He didn’t deserve this. He…”
Seth lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the truck. “He was a good man, a strong warrior. He died with honor.”
The next hour was spent caring for the wounded and burying the dead.
Sherry stood over the mound of dirt, with the hastily made cross, wiping away a few tears. “I wish he could have been buried by his brother.” She looked up at Aubree, “They were inseparable, those two. The trouble they would get into,” she shook her head, then choked on a sob. “I feel so alone. I know I have my boys. But at least with Phil, I felt like I could do it.” Looking up at Aubree, she broke down, “What am I going to do now?”
The two rowdy boys, who’d been so anxious to explore the spaceship embraced their mother. Drew, the oldest, kissed his mother’s head, “We’ll take care of you, Mom. You’ll never be alone again, I swear it.”
After a few minutes, Tony, the younger boy, jerked away. Stalking toward the group of twenty to thirty men, his rage once again got the better of him.
Seth knew the cub had every reason to hate those who killed his uncle. If he took out his wrath on those who deserved it, so be it. When a few tried to intercept him, Seth waved them off. The cub was, after all, still very young, so couldn’t inflict too much damage on the grown men.
Seth was prepared to walk away, when he noticed the cub’s hand come around to pull something from the back of his pants. The boy’s hand jerked as whatever he’d been trying to retrieve caught, then Seth noticed the glint of steel.
With a roar, he raced toward the boy, just as the weapon discharged. The pavement broke apart, sending chunks of asphalt into the air inches from the legs of one of the prisoners. Legs pumping, Seth leapt, landing on the boy, sending them rolling into the group of insurgents. Arms and legs pinwheeled, several hands reached for the gun that had spun away, Seth watched as one of the men attempted to use his feet to pull it in. Pushing the young boy away, Seth slammed a fist into the man’s face.
Gripping the gun, he grabbed the boy’s collar and dragged him across the street, flinging him into James. “Watch him. Don’t let him near the captives.” He glared at the boy, then back at James. “As a matter of fact, fasten him to the steering wheel. Let him cool off for a while.”
“They need to die for what they did!”
Seth glanced back at the boy, who was trying to hide his tears, before joining their group. Looking each one in the eye, he asked the question he knew must be going through everyone’s head. “What are we going to do with them?”
Aquino turned away from the prisoners, lowered his voice, “He’s right, you know.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“No.” Aubree looked from Aquino to Seth, then at the rest of the group. The few who hadn’t bowed their heads, only stared back at her. “No! We’re not going to just kill them! For Pete’s sake! They’re people!”
“So are we. That didn’t stop them from shooting Phil.” Sherry’s haunting words broke the silence. One by one the other’s walked away, each stopping to offer condolences.
Aubree walked back to the truck. Laying her chin against the warm hood, she stared at the frightened faces of the men who’d pleaded for their lives not thirty minutes ago. She wondered if things had turned out differently, and Phil was still alive if the others would still be contemplating the massacre.
A few minutes later, Seth climbed in and started the truck. Staring stone-faced toward the horizon, he waited for Aubree before angling around the group in the middle of the street.
Looking behind her, she noticed they were alone. “Where’s James and Aquino?”
Seth continued driving, never taking his gaze from their destination. As they turned onto the main highway, Jannette raced past them in a black dually. Sitting in the back, heads bowed, were both Aquino and James.
“Why…” she stared after them, her mouth suddenly gone dry. “Seth?” Her gaze pinged between the fading tail lights and Seth’s stoic expression. “Seth…why are they with Jannette? Why didn’t they ride with us again?” She felt the burn of tears as they filled her eyes. “Seth…what did they do?” The deepening silence was too much. Reaching for her seatbelt, Aubree threw her door open.
Seth grabbed her hand, steering the truck away from the caravan. Gravel pinged the bottom of the truck, while it fishtailed in the damp grass.
She didn’t wait for the truck to stop before throwing herself out. After rolling a few times, Aubree stood on shaky legs. Spinning around, she got her bearings, then started back. Before taking more than a few steps, Seth stopped in front of her.
Gripping her arms, he leaned closer, his face inches from hers. “You can’t help them now. Aubree, this is war. There are going to be casualties. Those men knew what they were doing when they chose the wrong side. If it hadn’t been us, it would have been the Terrapians. You heard Aquino.” He gave her a gentle shake, “They would have killed them anyway. There was never any chance for them to survive this.” He stared into her bright green eyes, “What did you want us to do? Leave them so they could attack the next group that comes by? Maybe the next group wouldn’t have been so lucky. They’ve been ordered to kill every human they see…” He stood up, looking over her head, “Except the young pretty girls.”