Dawn of Inception (Felidian Warriors Book 2)

by M. L. Cook

  “Like us. They would have killed babies?” She couldn’t believe a human could do such atrocious things. Her voice rose with each word, “You think they would have killed babies?”

  Seth pulled her into his arms and held her while she wept. He knew he didn’t have to answer the question. Aubree had already experienced the horrors of the Terrapians. They would only recruit humans that were as savage as they were.

  Walking her back to the truck, he waited for her to get in. “Jannette said she has hot water, I could use a hot shower.” He smiled up at her, bopping her nose, “How about you?”

  Aubree smiled through the tears that refused to be denied. “Yeah. After spending a week in that factory, I probably smell pretty rank.”

  Grinning, Seth nodded, “As a matter of fact, I didn’t want to say it—”

  She slapped his hand then pulled the door shut.

  By the time they got back on the road, the last truck had already passed. Unbidden, her gaze centered on the mirror. Not a single thing looked out of place. It was as if the shootout had never happened.

  James had a look about him, an air of a man who’d seen too much. Aquino was a battle-hardened warrior. Perhaps James was as well.

  Rolling into the familiar driveways, Aubree took in the dozens of trucks that filled every available space between the house, barns and fields.

  The pattern seemed random, until she got out and noticed the large clearing in the middle. Snorting a laugh, she realized Jannette probably threatened them within an inch of their lives if they didn’t leave her fire pit standing. Many nights had been spent getting completely shit-faced around the roaring flames. Of course there’d been smores, along with weenie roasts.

  “What’s so funny?” Seth opened her door, then held his hand out.

  Aubree looked from the sooty logs to his hand, then allowed him to help her out. “You know Jannette has a thing about fire. Kind of a little pyro, if you will. If Jannette’s around, there’s going to be a fire. Along with marshmallows and most likely, hotdogs. I remember one night, we were all two sheets in the wind, when Jannette began tossing more logs onto the already blazing fire. After about the third or fourth log, she lost her balance. If it weren’t for Brooke things wouldn’t have ended so well. As a matter of fact, she singed off both her brows and eyelashes.”

  Staring at the chairs set up around the charred grass, she could almost see it. Jannette’s pride at having built the roaring inferno, along with Brooke’s conspiratorial grin. In her mind’s eyes, she could see Brooke smiling back at her.

  Unbidden, Brooke’s face was replaced by Phil’s. His unseeing eyes, forever frozen in incomprehensible shock. Then his body riddled with bullets transformed into the visage of her beloved sister, her accusing eyes staring back at her.

  She collapsed in Seth’s arms, loud sobs racked her body. “I can’t lose her, Seth.” She clutched him tighter, “I can’t. She’s all I’ve got left.” Looking up, her vision blurred through tears, “I can’t wait any longer. We’ve got to go get her. What if we’re too late? What if…” her voice broke.

  Seth lifted her into his arms, “We will. I promise. First, little one, you need to get some sleep. You’ve been through too much already. Your body needs time to recoup. First we’re going to get your stinky body cleaned up,” he winked. “Then we’re going to eat that nasty, gooey stuff…minus the chocolate, of course.”

  She laughed, “Of course. You just eat the nasty gooey stuff and give me the chocolate.”

  “You’ve got a deal.” He stared into her eyes, “Tell me, little one, do you wish to sleep under cover tonight, or under the stars?”

  Aubree looked up at the clear blue sky, then back to Seth, “I think I would like to sleep under the stars. I’d like to think Brooke is looking at the same stars as I am. It makes me feel closer to her.” She blushed, “Does that sound silly?”

  “No, my little warrior, that doesn’t sound silly at all.”

  Chapter Thirty

  The bonfire was done in typical Jannette fashion. The pit itself was ten feet in diameter, with a stack of logs that could have been the result of chopping down a small forest. Sparks could be seen flying twenty feet into the air.

  Showered and dressed in clean clothes, Seth and Aubree joined the growing community. Sticks and marshmallows were passed around, as well as a few bottles of beer. They drank to the success of their mission, they drank to new friends, and they drank to the memories of the ones who hadn’t made it.

  As the night wore on whispered conversations and soft snores replaced the revelry. Each person was lost in thought.

  Staring into the flames, Seth looked across Aubree at the last person he’d ever thought to call friend. Yet there he was. Although Aubree held Seth’s hand, her head rested on Aquino’s shoulder. Her eyes were closed in sleep, softly snoring. Patting her hand, he rested it in her lap, then crossed to sit on the other side of the Terrapian.

  Aquino kissed Aubree’s forehead, then looked over at the male who professed to be her mate. “You don’t feel threatened by me.” It was a statement, not a question.

  He smiled, “I don’t. I’m happy my mate has you. I know that if I wasn’t around, you would keep her safe.”

  Aquino had to fight his instincts to shout the words. “I would kill any who thought to do her harm.” Calming, he studied Seth for a moment, “I would imagine you wish to hear of your sister?”

  Seth nodded, “To learn that I was unable to protect her,” he shook his head. “It does something to a male. She was just a cub when they took her.”

  Aquino smiled, “She would disagree.”

  Seth laughed, “She would.” His face hardened, “She was sixteen when they took her from the school. A cub.”

  Aquino nodded, “Agreed. What happened…” He turned his face toward the flames that were still leaping high into the air. It was hard to tell if his face was flushed from flames or from the rage that filled him. Picking up the bottle, he drained it, then threw it into the fire. Aubree’s body jerked at the sound of the exploding glass, but still she slept.

  “You cared for her.” Seth’s heart raced. He wanted to believe Aquino was honorable towards his sister. Still a part of him wanted to tear him apart because of a slight doubt that ate at him deep inside.

  Aquino’s head dropped, bumping Aubree’s. He smoothed a hand down her hair, then whispered words of comfort. Turning back to Seth he was ready to tell him the story of two unlikely friends.

  “Like Aubree, Morena was like a sister to me. When she was first brought into my chambers, my first instinct was to kill my commander. However, I knew if I attacked, not only would I die, but she would as well. My death would be swift, hers would not.” He gritted his teeth, “There wasn’t a single place on her face that wasn’t damaged in one form or another.

  “After we were left alone, I took her to my bathing chamber. I filled the large tub with warm water and tore her destroyed clothes away. Once I was assured she had no intention of hurting herself, I left her alone to bathe.

  “I’d been instructed to send her through the airlock when I was finished. Instead I hid her with the promise to get her home. Days stretched into weeks before we stopped at a space station for supplies. Still she wouldn’t go. She insisted she stay with me until we got into neutral territory.

  “Several weeks ago, we stopped at Plethorina. She was satisfied that the people there would take her home at the promises of being richly rewarded by her…your family.”

  Seth sat up, “Weeks ago? That’s when we were taken. We…I would have, could have…”

  Aquino shook his head, “She insisted on being taken to the planet. She didn’t want to take the chance of any of our people seeing her. Remember, her clothes were destroyed. The only thing she had to wear was one of my old uniforms cut down to fit her.”

  Seth shook his head, “But you went to other stations, you could have purchased an outfit for her.”

  “And what would I have told the othe
r warriors?” Aquino questioned.

  “Perhaps you could have said it was for someone back home, like your mother.” Seth refused to believe his sister had gone all that time with nothing of her own.

  “It is not our way. Only the mate of a female will purchase anything for her. For most, they are allowed only one or two gowns to wear…if they’re lucky. It would be suspicious if I were to visit a shop that catered to females. Even if I were able to go into one alone, many merchants have earned credits by reporting warriors who break our laws.” Aquino shook his head, “Believe me, it was the only way.

  “If you remember, I told you it was my job to scan the vids of other worlds. I also monitor communication. Shortly after we left, your absence was missed. Their search included the planet.” Aquino smiled, allowing his words to sink in.

  “They found Morena?” Seth leapt from his chair, pulling Aquino into his embrace.

  Aubree turned her sleepy gaze toward the joyous men. “What’s gotten into you two? Yesterday you were ready to kill each other.” Yawning, she stood and started walking toward the fire.

  Seth released Aquino and grabbed Aubree, “Whoa, little one. I don’t think you want to singe your brows.”

  She leaned into him, throwing her arms around his waist, “I’m tired, Seth. Can we please go to bed?”

  Seth stiffened at the words of the one fated for him. Was he to claim her this night? Looking around, he noticed the many sleeping bags that were separated by only a few inches. Apparently everyone wanted to sleep under the stars, yet still near the fire.

  Aubree led him out to a field far enough away to ensure privacy. When they got there, he saw a double wide mattress that appeared to be covered with a thick dark blanket. She then lifted one side and crawled in.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  In the heart of the ruins of Anderson

  With nothing but her face peeking out beneath a warm blanket, Brooke curled into the comfortable lounger in Natalie’s back yard. Braving the frigid air, one hand snaked out to reach for her mug of tea. Overhead she gazed up at the night sky. Somewhere out there her sister was looking at the same stars as she was. It was one of the few things that gave her comfort since the day she watched them take her.

  Before she could pull the cup to her lips, a hand curled around hers. “It’s still empty.” Dante lifted one side of the blanket, then tucked it around her and walked toward the back door.

  Moments later, he came back with a steaming cup of hot tea, spiked with a shot of brandy. Scooting under the blanket, he reached across and set the mug on the table beside Brooke.

  “Thanks, Dante. You’re—” She yelped when his cold hand pressed against her warm belly.

  “Payment for my services.” He smirked.

  Brooke grinned, “Oh? That’s all you’ll need from me? Nothing else?”

  “Oh there will be more, my fierce warrior. You can count on that.” He pulled her hand to his lips, “For now, this is all I require.”

  “I think it’s time.” She stared back up at the sky.

  “Time, my beloved?” Dante asked.

  Nodding, she reached for her cup, “I think I know where to find my sister.” She glanced back at him, “This time, I promise. If we can’t find her, we’ll head to Jannette’s house.”

  Dante waited. This had become a nightly discussion since arriving at one of the only houses still standing. Every day they spent hours combing the city looking for Seth and Aubree, only to go home in defeat. Every night Brooke thought of a different place to search. “And where will we look tomorrow?”

  “Well, we’ve gone to her apartment, the club, even my parent’s old house. But we haven’t checked my house. After breakfast, we’ll head over there.” She laid her head on Dante’s shoulder.

  “And this time, how long will we wait?” He kissed her head, then waited for her answer. It didn’t matter how long they waited. He would be by her side, even if it meant camping there for eternity.

  She didn’t answer for a few minutes. Finally, after breathing a deep sigh, she told him, “Noon. If she’s not there by noon, we go. I’m not giving up on her. I just know it’s time to move on.”

  Jannette’s Farm

  The sun had yet to make its appearance when Aubree crawled out of the warm sleeping bag and into the chill of the first day of November. Sitting on the air mattress, she pulled on her boots.

  Before she could stand, Seth grabbed her arm and pulled her on top of him. “Where are you going, little one?” He sealed his lips over hers, “Come back inside.”

  Aubree chuckled, “Sorry lover boy. Nature calls. Plus I want to get started.”

  Groaning his displeasure, he released her, climbed out and began dressing.

  “Not that it isn’t a pleasant ass, but I don’t think you should show it to the world.”

  He laughed, “You like my ass?”

  She slapped a cold hand across his backside, “Get dressed. I’m sure Jannette is up. Knowing her, breakfast is getting cold and she’s making plans. Brooke is not only my sister, but her best friend as well.”

  Seth stomped into his boots, “I think it would be best if we travel in small numbers. Perhaps you should—”

  “Don’t say it,” she held a hand up. “We…”, she motioned between them, “will go together. I agree. The smaller the search party, the easier it will be to sneak past the enemy camps.”

  Aubree walked into Janette’s small house to the smell of bacon and fresh bread. Following her nose to the kitchen, she noticed Jannette was shouting orders to two young girls and Aquino. She grinned when she noticed how the two teenagers competed to get his attention. Typical of Aquino, he didn’t have a clue of the effect he had on the star-struck teenagers.

  “Morning Jannette, Quin. Anything I can do to help?” She pulled out her normal stool in the corner to watch the goings on.

  “You mean besides burn the bacon and leave the potatoes half raw?” Jannette gave her a side-long glance, then picked up a large bag of potatoes, “Do you think you can manage to slice…” Turning away, she muttered, “Nope, I’m not even…” She then dropped the bag beside the sink, tapped Aquino on the shoulder, “Think you can figure out how to use this on the potatoes?”

  Aubree’s mouth hung open, “I thought—”

  Jannette pointed a paring knife at her, “You thought I forgot the last time I asked for your help with potatoes.”

  Walking over to the stove, she lifted a large pot off the burner. Walking back toward Aubree, she pointed toward the rack of mugs. “So what’s got you up so early?” She studied the girl she’d known since the younger one was in diapers. “Never mind. What time are you planning to leave?”

  “Right after breakfast. Seth’s going with me, of course.”

  “Of course he is. And thanks.”

  Aubree cocked her head, “For?”

  “For not keeping everybody awake all night.” Jannette pulled out a carton of eggs, dropping four in a skillet.

  Breakfast over, Seth and Aubree climbed onto a four-wheeler that Jannette had pulled out of a barn.

  Handing Aubree a pack and a full thermos of coffee, she stepped back, wiping away the few tears that refused to be ignored. “Stay safe. I suggest you stay off the main roads. I know you’re anxious to see your sister again, but I want you to know how dangerous it is out there. Not only are most of the roads impassable, but there are aliens all over the place. Not only that, but they can attack from above at any time. So, stay under cover of the trees as much as possible. Do you know where you’re going?”

  “First—”

  The sound of a dirt bike interrupted her. Looking at the figure dressed in black, with a helmet covering his features, she waited.

  “Oh, and James insisted on coming along.” Jannette handed him a small pack.

  Aubree shrugged. One guy. What could it hurt? Then Aquino came running out. “Where are you going?”

  “Sorry Quin. I’m…we’re going after Brooke and Dante.”

/>   His gaze shot to the other rider, then back to her. The hurt on his face was clear. He nodded and stepped away, “Very well my friend. I shall wait here for your return.” He glanced back at Jannette, “I will ensure the safety of your friend.” He placed a hand on the small of her back.

  Aubree watched Aquino, then wondered if he realized what he was doing. When Jannette stiffened after Aquino’s hand curled around her waist, she realized at least one person knew. Grinning, she winked at her friend, then tapped Seth’s helmet.

  Seth nodded to Jannette, then steered onto the highway.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The sky was painted beautiful shades of pink, purple and blue. There was a definite chill in the air, reinforcing the nearness of winter.

  As they came to the area where the shootout had been, Dante pointed toward the windmills slowly churning in the morning. Shouting, he turned toward Aubree, “Beautiful sunrise.”

  She knew he was only trying to distract her. He got brownie points for his attempt, but she couldn’t pull her gaze from the charred remains of the tree she’d set on fire. Craning her neck, she searched for the bodies she knew were there. Before they got to where they’d been stopped, James pulled up next to them. Riding alongside them, he raised the visor and smiled at her.

  After he was certain he had her attention, he began making funny faces. After a few minutes, distraction complete, he nodded and fell back.

  Fifteen minutes later they could see what was left of the factory. Most of the outside walls had been blown off. A few bodies could be seen littering the field where the ship that brought them to Earth had been.

  Instead of turning into the parking lot to look for survivors, Seth drove over the curb and into the woods several yards away. Looking through the trees, Aubree could see why. There in the back parking lot she saw several Terrapians on patrol. She was sorry for those who’d died, but grateful to have avoided certain death.