“Maybe.” The command triad turned to look at Kalyr, who was shaking in his seat. “I’ve been talking to Sassy, and we have an idea.”
“Let’s see it,” Julze said.
Kalyr replaced the images on the screen with one he worked up. “We have a unique chance that will pass us in roughly forty mins.” He stood up, taking a deep breath before walking to the main monitor.
“Right now, we know the exact trajectory of the sun. This gives us the ability to open a direct wormhole to it.”
“That sounds like a death sentence to me.” Neveah challenged him.
“I agree, and it would be if we were going there. Kaylr bit his lip before lowering his eyes for a minute, giving away his youth.
“Sassy, can you plot this?” Captain Rale asked her. He was using his captain’s voice that sounded a bit like a father’s voice. It made him shiver to think that every day he thought of Sassy more like a sentient being than an intelligent or advanced AI.
“Kalyr and I have been going over the logistics.” She stumbled on the last word, but no one seemed to notice.
“That’s impossible. I mean, isn’t that impossible?” Neveah looked at both her mates.
“Don’t look at me; you’re the one that decided that reverse rotation would put a ship bigger than ours in the sun, giving us just enough escape velocity.”
“Sometimes I forget how well you know your job. I love how you just let me fumble around while you do the real work.”
Julze’s cheeks became a bright purple.
“It’s possible with the tech I retrieved from their ship before we dumped it.”
“Captain Rale,” she gasped. He was so getting laid tonight.
The gems around his eyes lit up with pleasure.
“All we need to know is if Sassy can do it?”
“I don’t know.” That wasn’t the confident, sassy AI they were used to. “I do know this. None of us will ever know unless you allow me to try.”
Neveah turned to look at Rale before she caught Julze's gaze.
Rale nodded to no one in particular. Sassy sounded like a girl on the edge of womanhood, and he knew it didn’t make a damn bit of sense. He also knew that what he did next was going to seal their fate, and that had nothing to do with the Fulyer.
Everything in him urged him to push his computer back down to the place where a computer belonged. The love of his ship, his mates, and yes, his AI urged him to make a stand.
“Let’s see what you can do, Sassy.”
“Kalyr, tell Malic we will handle cargo. He has to take out the stowaways.”
“Aye, Captain.”
A small cheer went through the bridge before he sat and began speaking to the crew on board. He told them exactly what was going to happen.
“We are going to send the Fulyer ship through a wormhole aimed directly at the center of the sun we just left. If we get it right, you’ll live to tell this tale. If we are off even a micro, we will burn. Either way, we will have saved a planet, maybe two. Get to your stations and strap in.”
The Fulyer ship would pass the gen at a velocity too fast to stop. One day he was going to come for Rale to collect his pound of flesh. A smile curved his lips. He loved his new life.
Chapter Twenty-four
Payton opened her eyes to a dry red land. There were three suns in the sky, but only one of them was putting out any heat. She sat up wondering where she was.
“Welcome to my home. It was once hot and green. The air was muggy with humidity, and the land was soft. Then slowly we began to notice our suns dying.”
She looked at the clear sky and for a minute her heart ached for a dying race. Then she remembered what that race did to her.
“Is that why you’re pissed at the universe? Are you blaming us for your sun dying?”
“Some say we brought this on ourselves. That we left the way and our gods are punishing us. Others say that suns eventually die. They assured us our world was old, and it was time to move on. That’s why you see nothing.” He waved his claws, and a world filled with buildings she’d never seen before and plants that were amazing were laid out before her.
“That is the world we once lived in. Now my people are gone, moving in the opposite direction from this galaxy and yours.
Payton moved, trying to stand without the Fulyer giving her his full attention.
“As long as you are here, you’re well.”
She bounced just a bit, not feeling the pulling on her leg that was bitten by one of her captors.
“Why bring me here?”
“When we leave this galaxy, there is no telling when we will be back.”
Aww, he didn’t want the fish story about the one that got away. He wanted the glorious tale of how he conquered in battle. A story that would be told years after he was no longer around to hear it.
“I and my people are to be proof of what you accomplished in this galaxy.”
“Were to be proof. Both my ships are gone.”
She gave a half smile as she stretched the first time in months without twinges of pain. The command triad did it. Not that she ever doubted them.
“Now your pathetic planet with its abundance of water will become mine.”
“Not even in your dreams.” Payton turned on her heel and ran. A good defense at times was better than a great offense. She needed a place to be able to access her strengths.
She hid behind a half-crumpled building. The Fulyer revealed the landscape as it was. He went to all four as he worked his way in and out of the ruins. She believed he could smell her, but he was more into the chase. Make the human feel scared. He was doing a great job of it.
She moved around the building looking for steps or something she could climb to get higher. There was a hint of green as he shot out after her, running full force. She triggered her high school track days. Arms swinging in perfect sync to her body as she ran. Her legs stretched out to the best of their ability. Her body in a runner’s crouch.
One look back told her he was gaining. She did the unthinkable. She moved to the side, doing a half flip that allowed her to turn and go the other way. This could happen no place except on this planet. Neveah was screaming in her ear that pirates wouldn’t be nice to her just because her leg didn’t work right.
She picked up a long piece of material and swung when he got close. Her arms shook, becoming numb as the strike made him back off. His long mouth opened displaying his sharp teeth before he stood on his back legs.
“You can kill me, but you can’t have our planet.”
He surged at her, knocking her down. His hand went around her neck when he stood. They were back on Falling Water.
Payton saw her people that were covered in green blood as well as their own. There were warriors of all kinds littering the ground in death.
The Fulyer growled, then began to squeeze her neck.
“Don’t kill her yet.” Another Fulyer walked out, holding Cassic in front of him with a weapon leveled at his back. “This is her mate.”
“She has two.” Malic was tossed by Cassic.
“Kill them,” the male holding her called out. He dropped her, giving her a view of her males with weapons pointed at them.
“No!” she screamed as she tried to throw her body around him to reach them. Her eyes met Cassic’s and Malic’s as she went still. “Please don’t.” She couldn’t lose them.
Tears leaked as she watched the males she loved die. Everything she hadn’t had a chance to say seared her heart. There was no life without them. The realization that she would die with them straightened her spine. They made her into a different woman, one she loved and respected.
“Sex and love don’t go hand in hand. Not even in a triad relationship. It’s not the sex that joins you; it’s the love. Remember that. Enjoy.”
The words rang in her head. She screamed, refusing to give up. “He’s mine! They’re mine and I won’t let you take them. She lifted her hands, crossing her wrists at the pulse points. A
light came from her body, circling her before it wrapped around Cassic and Malic. When she pulled her arms apart the last few Fulyer alive were torn apart. Cassic was dropped to the ground, Malic followed him. She fell as pain ripped through her wrists.
“Finally,” the female who might be a goddess said as she shimmered into view. “I was beginning to think I was going to have to watch you all die for no reason. Get them to the medbay.”
*~*~*~*
When Payton woke, she found herself between Malic and Cassic. She gave a fist pump before she gave each a kiss.
“Did we make it? Are all the Fulyer dead?” Strange there was a time she would have fought to make sure they survived. Now she believed they were too dangerous to live in their galaxy.
“They’re dead and you are alive.”
She looked up to find Third-in-Command Neveah sitting next to their bed.
“Congratulations on surviving and of course on your mating.”
“Mating? We didn’t mate.”
“That’s not what your wrist says.”
She looked down to find a jewel glowing brightly at each pulse point.
“I’m not sure how this happened.”
“When three people who love each other come together,” Neveah teased.
“But I’m not their mate.”
“You are now. That’s all that matters.” Cassic told her.
“But how?”
“Yes, Sassy. Tell us what we missed. I’ve always been interested in your new long-range scanners.” Captain Rale said coming into the room.
“Scanning the earth didn’t take that long. It is a relatively small planet. I thought it would be helpful to have a scan of each citizen in my files.”
“You were collecting information for the gen.”
“Yes,” Sassy sounded defeated as she waited.
“Continue.”
“I had not come across anyone that was a Biometric match for any of the Hasians on the ship. When Payton came on board, she was not a match either. It was not until her program began to unravel that I saw the possibility of a match. Third-in-Command Neveah told Cassic to wait and watch her. That was all we could do. I used that protocol. When I was asked if their match was on earth. I answered truthfully and then decided to wait and watch. Should I have told them?”
“No,” Neveah told her. “In matters of the heart, waiting and watching is the right course of action. If I had known, I could have bet on when they figured it out.”
Payton rolled her eyes, and Neveah winked at her.
“What am I hearing about a goddess living on our planet?” Julze walked into the room.
Payton gave a low rumble of pain. “I need rest and pain medicine.”
“That’s what we all need.” Cassic said before telling Sassy what to dose them with.
“Is it over?” Payton was back at her house with her mates. Sassy confirmed they were not dying. The three of them were connected by a chemical bond that allowed them to do several new things, like talking directly to each other.
According to the goddess, there were other things they would be able to do when the time was right. They lost several people in the last battle. The bodies were buried, and although it was hard, they were going on with life.
The command team made the decision to stay until the rainy season was over and then they be back in space.
Payton was waiting for her mates to decide what they wanted to do.
“It’s rained every day.” Malic came and sat beside her, pulling her onto his lap.
“It’s kind of nice, like a break. By the time the rain is over we’ll be climbing the walls.”
“When the rain is over the stars will be calling again.” Cassic snuggled in with the two of them.
“Is that what we’re doing?” She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Exploring the stars was fun, but there was something about having your feet planted on solid ground.
“Is that what you want to do?” Cassic asked her.
She spent a lot of time thinking about that question. In the end, her answer wasn’t the best, but it was all she had.
“I want to be wherever the two of you are. I don’t care of it’s on a spaceship or a planet. My home is with the two of you.”
They gave each other a look before nodding.
“We are invested in Leela and the Casillians. Name change still to come.”
“We’re invested in our small homestead and my practice. The children love you. Who will teach them if you're gone?” Cassic asked her.
“You want to stay, don’t you?” They nodded. She gave a fist pump. Payton learned that life was worth getting excited about and celebrating every chance you got. Going into space had been amazing, but this was her dream. Staying on this planet and nurturing the family they were starting together.
“I wonder what there is to do on this planet in the rainy season?” She stood and took her shirt off, hooking it over her finger as she walked to their bedroom.
The front door opened, and Leela walked in.
“Aww yuck, again? That’s disgusting I’m out of here.” She slammed the front door behind her while the three of them laughed.
“Now, where was I?” Payton wiggled out of her pants. They would talk about Leela’s timing much, much later.
From the desk of…
Hi guys, I’m bringing you a story I promised at the beginning of the year. I don’t know about you but this has been one of the hardest years I’ve ever had to deal with. You all know my mom died at the beginning of the year ending me on a downward spiral and then well just look around the worlds on fire. I wrote something today that has a lot to do with everything that’s going on. Yeah, it was not sunshine and bird song.
I hope you have all enjoyed Payton and her two males. I’ve seeded some hints in here about things to come. I hope you found a few of them and are waiting for the next book in this series.
What’s coming next. Good question. I am working on the next book in the dream weaver series. That might be next but as always its where the muse decides to take me.
Other than that, I am watching the girls the continue to make me laugh. My daughter and her best friend that lives with us. I thank God, it’ easy to want to break down but youth keeps you moving laughing and loving.
I hope this finds all of you well, no matter what you’re doing. Stay safe.
Happy reading and stay safe.
P.S. I know I said it twice!
Serena Simpson
Other books by the author
Love Me Harder
Aran
Niko
Sergey
Nicolas
Hale
Alexei
Ash
The A’rouk Brothers
Mick
Damon
Lucca
The Broken
Mekhi
Jabari
Thrice
Akron
Phoenix
Slade
Aran’s twin
Werewolves & Mates
The Wolf & The Empath
The Wolf & The Psychic
Payton's Surprise (The Perfect Match Book 2) Page 15