by Tracy Lauren
I rest my head on his chest. “I like this,” I admit, tracing his pecs with my fingers. “Getting to know you better, that is.”
“I like it too,” he agrees. His hands glide over my shoulders. It’s like we can’t keep from touching one another. “My only wish is that I would have tried to know you sooner. At the Christmas time perhaps, when I was secretly your Santa.”
“That would have been nice. Of course you could have come to group at any point too.”
“Bah…I am not good with groups,” Mire complains, waving away the suggestion.
“Gile seems to think it would be good for you.”
Mire grunts, acknowledging my words. I sit up, looking into his eyes again. “He worries about you.”
“I know this.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Because I keep my distance from the others. But it is nothing new. I have been this way since Gile and I met.”
“Wow…I can’t imagine you and Gile meeting. I think of you guys as brothers, the two of you growing up together.”
Mire grunts again. “I had a brother like that.”
My brow furrows as I work that out in my mind. Sovolians are loyal. Family is forever. If so, where is Mire’s brother now?
“What do you mean?”
“I had a brother, from the breeding facility. We came from the same womb, did our training together, we were paired and sold to the same master once we were of age. His name was Ash. He and I were together for a long time.” He doesn’t offer more, but I can’t let him leave it at that.
“What happened?” I press, but I already know where this is going. I can tell by the look in his eyes, by the way he holds nearly everyone at arm’s length.
“Our master liked the fight rings. Many Sovolians end up there, it is not unusual. We are bred to be good fighters. But we fight in groups or as pairs. Never alone. People won’t even buy a lone Sovolian—it is not how we were meant to be.”
“The day came when our master made a bad bet. One of us against a trio of Ihasa.” Mire frowns at the memory. “Perhaps if it had been me I would have won, but he put Ash in. I knew it was the wrong move and I searched for a way out of that mess…but there was nothing. Ash put up a good fight. Still, I had to watch my brother die from the sidelines.”
My hand flies over my mouth and the tears that had been building in my eyes spill down my cheeks. Mire strokes my back as if to comfort me.
“I will tell you something few people know, Mel. I killed my master that night. It felt blasphemous. Sovolians are supposed to be loyal. But I did it anyway. For Ash.
“You would have liked him, I think. He was happy, like Gile. A risk taker. The fool would have walked into that ring with a dozen Ihasa and would have been sure that he’d win too.” Mire shakes his head.
“What happened next?” I ask.
“I had no master. I was moved to the pens to be sold. But like I said, no one buys a lone Sovolian. A long time passed before anyone approached my cage—a year, perhaps two. Then one day I heard a boisterous voice and looked up, thinking I saw a ghost. But it was not Ash. It was Gile and his master.”
“Gile had been a part of a larger group and his owner passed him along to another. This new master only accepted him because he had heard of another lone Sovolian—one he could get at a good price.” Mire’s slight smile is a sad one.
“I, too, know about broken hearts, Mel. For a long time I was like you, fearful of getting close to others. Hell, I’m still learning to get past that.”
“Mire, I’m not afraid to get close to people.”
He frowns, showing me he disagrees. “You forget that I see you, Mel. You focus on other people’s problems so you do not have to address your own.”
“While that might be true, it doesn’t mean I don’t let people in.”
“Other people let you in, but do you reciprocate?”
I gape at him. “Do you really believe that?”
“I don’t judge you for it, Mel, but I won’t ignore it either. Prove me wrong if you disagree so much. Tell me who you lean on.”
My mouth works, but no words come out. Immediately my mind goes to Gary. I didn’t lean on him though, not even when I needed him the most. Maybe once upon a time I had my mom, but when she got sick I put my feelings aside and I took care of her. Beyond that, I can’t keep my mind from traveling to all the birthday parties I’ve thrown for friends and family over the years. The meal trains I’ve organized for others. The cards I remembered to send for every birthday and anniversary. But who did I have to rely on? Who took care of me?
“Reagan!” I declare. “Reagan’s my friend, I tell her everything. She knows all my hang-ups.” My heart settles and I know this to be true. I’ve let Reagan in.
“I’ve upset you,” Mire states.
“No…no,” I assure him, rubbing my forehead and wincing at this new realization. “It’s just…maybe you aren’t that far from the truth.”
Mire grips my wrists, pulling me close so that I have to meet his intense gaze. “It doesn’t have to be so. You could have us too, Mel, if you wanted us.”
I let out a pained sigh. The mild, peace-giving effects of the Drem have all but worn off and my heart is left heavy. It wasn’t long ago that I lectured Mire on the difference between needs and wants, encouraging him to indulge in both. Yet something keeps me from allowing myself the same indulgence.
“This was probably a mistake,” I whisper.
Mire shakes his head. “It was a gift. One that I am grateful for. It doesn’t have to be more than that.”
“Will you tell your brother?”
Mire gives me a smile and a shrug. “This is not Vegas.”
I snort at his humor. “Maybe you are the funny one.”
“Mmm,” he moans, pulling me in for a kiss. I melt against him, trying to memorize everything about this moment—his taste, his smell, the feel of his body against mine…because this can’t happen again.
Not unless I want to end up with three broken hearts and a neglected community all hanging over my head.
Beep beep.
Mire’s personal comm chimes. Reluctantly we end our kiss, but Mire keeps his eyes locked on me as he responds.
“Brother, is Mel still with you?”
It’s Gile.
“She is.”
“You two had better get back to the village and make it quick.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” I ask, speaking into the comm.
“It’s Reagan. She’s gone.”
Gone?
Chapter 23
Mel
Mire and I race back to the village. All the while guilt rages inside me. This is exactly what I was afraid of… Okay, well maybe not exactly. I was afraid that if I turned my back the people here in Beacon would fall apart. I ran off with Mire and look at what happened. Reagan, my one true friend, has vanished.
I shouldn’t have been out in the forest getting the brains fucked out of me. I should have followed Reagan up to the temple and stood by her side when she went and saw the Grey King. I neglected her when she needed me the most.
I feel sick over it. Matters are only made worse when we burst into the courtyard and Gabby is there with her entourage. She scowls at me as if she knows I had some role in all this. But there’s no time to stop and we take the stairs to the temple two at a time.
“Where’s Reagan?” I demand once we reach the top.
My eyes find Gile. He’s there with the Grey King and his people. Kate stands at one side wiping tears from her eyes while Rennek gently strokes her back.
“She stole a ship and left.”
“What? How do you know? Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding.”
“Kellan saw her leaving and couldn’t stop her in time.”
I look over at Kellan, thinking of what Mire told me. I think I can see it now. The stony grey Vendari’s shoulders are tense and his eyes are filled with grief and anxiety. Still, I can’t help but be angry at
the guy. He lit the fuse to this powder keg.
“I’m sorry, back up. None of this is making any sense. Last I saw her she was coming up here to complain about this guy.” I cut my hand at Kellan. “And now she’s stolen a ship and she’s just gone?’
“We are organizing a search party now—” Rennek says.
“Well, consider me on it,” I tell him.
“Us as well,” Mire adds, putting a hand on my shoulder in solidarity.
Kate cuts in, offering an explanation. “Ray come up here pissed, shouting about Kellan and his…recent gifts. There was a lot of confusion and yelling. Honestly, I was struggling to grasp what was going on. I know I haven’t been spending a lot of time with everyone lately and I was missing some big chunks of the story myself. Maybe I said the wrong thing or something, but Reagan left. A little while later Kellan come racing up here to tell us she took off.”
“I should go after her now, before she gets too far out,” Kellan insists.
“Or maybe you should just back off!” I shout, taking my anger out on him. “You’re the reason Reagan left in the first place!”
“Here’s a thought,” Allison chimes in, surprising the rest of us. “How about we all just back off. Reagan’s a grown woman. She made a decision to leave, we should respect that.”
My mouth falls open at the suggestion. It is unconscionable. We can’t just let her wander out into space all alone.
“With all due respect, I have to disagree,” V says, coming to the rescue. “Reagan has very little training and she’s all alone. Make no mistake, life out there is dangerous. She’s prey in a sea of predators right now.”
“She has the right to do what she wants,” Allison insists. “If she wants to be alone, let her!”
“How do you honestly expect her to take care of herself?” V shouts back.
Da’vi watches the interaction with narrowed eyes and he crosses his arms over his chest.
My head pounds as the others fight. I think back on my more recent conversations with Reagan. She’s been thinking about leaving for a while. This is what she wants. Still…if it isn’t safe should we just let her?
Again, I feel the crushing weight of responsibility on my shoulders. During our last group meeting I practically encouraged her to go. Then, when she was fuming over Kellan I wasn’t there for her.
Allison’s right, Reagan deserves to make her own decisions, but there must be a smarter way to do this—a way for Reagan to still be safe. I look up at V as she shouts at the hard-headed Allison. Her mate, Dax, rubs her shoulders as she cuts her hand angrily through the air, emphasizing her point.
“V’s the only one of us who’s been out there on her own and look at all she’s had to go through,” Kate points out.
“V’s fine!” Allison counters.
“I nearly died!”
“But you didn’t! And that wasn’t chance, that was you handling your shit. Reagan can do the same thing.”
“You’re deluded,” V says, shaking her head at Allison. “I got lucky.”
“The human’s training is insufficient. She cannot be out there alone,” Da’vi puts in finally. He doesn’t look at Allison as he speaks, but her displeasure at his words is obvious. For all that they seem like partners, he didn’t defend her stance.
“I agree, we must go after her,” Rennek announces.
Gabby and her minions take that as their cue. They must have been eavesdropping in the back hall waiting for the most dramatic moment to make their entrance. I all but groan when I see them. Too bad Reagan isn’t here, she’d knock the girl out. This isn’t the time for her paranoia and conspiracy theories.
“Let me get this straight, one of the humans is trying to escape and the aliens are going to hunt her down and force her to come back?” she says, her tone full of accusation.
“This bitch,” April complains.
“It’s about safety,” Kate points out. “Not about forcing someone to do something against their will.”
“Can you just look at the situation objectively for a minute?” April shouts at Gabby.
Then everyone is yelling all at once.
“This is a waste of time,” Kellan growls quietly. He stalks angrily from the room. The Grey King eyes him but doesn’t send anyone to follow. I’m not stupid. He’s going after Reagan, but I imagine he’s the last person she wants to see right now. I have to do something.
“Guys! Look, Reagan left in the heat of the moment. The least we can do is send someone to talk to her and figure out if this is what she really wants,” I say finally.
Gabby eyes the two Sovolians flanking me. “I think we all know how this is going to turn out.” She crosses her arms over her chest and looks at us as if we’re the enemy.
“Kellan’s right, this is a waste of time. Come on,” I say, knowing that when I leave, Gile and Mire will follow.
“Wait!” Kate calls, chasing me out onto the steps of the temple.
“What is it, Kate?”
“Rennek will send search parties. Hell, Kellan’s probably already left. But it should be you to talk to her. You’re one of Reagan’s best friends. If anyone can help her it’s you.”
I nod, knowing that basically anyone else is likely to just piss Reagan off further.
Kate’s expression is pained and I imagine mine is similar. “I’m not saying she has to come back if she doesn’t want to. I just have to know she’s okay.”
“Then we’re on the same page,” I tell her.
A heavy hand rests on my shoulder. “We must go,” Mire urges.
And just like that, we head for the airfield…leaving the safety of Beacon behind.
Chapter 24
Mel
Once on the ship I see Gile and Mire in an all new light. The alien men take on a military air as they work. They’re all business. Even the usually playful Gile suddenly has a firm set to his jaw as he straps weapons to his belt. Clearly, they’re on the clock.
Mire has grown quiet again. The bronze veins that run over his shoulders pulse as he powers up all sorts of complex systems on the ship. Gile is opening heavy cases and pulling out weaponry that seems excessive for a simple search and rescue mission. He cracks open one such case and hoists up a weapon I doubt I could even lift. He raises it to his shoulder to calibrate it.
“Strap her in,” Mire says over his shoulder, his voice like gravel. My gaze shoots to Gile and his smile broadens as our eyes meet. He grabs a handful of something out of his case and saunters over to me.
“You look nervous,” he says in a low voice as he sorts through the things he brought me.
“And you look serious. Must mean there’s a reason to be nervous,” I retort.
“It is nothing to worry over, Mel. We are simply taking precautions. Did you expect us to fly off half-cocked?”
“Mire? No. You…? Maybe a little bit.”
He chuckles at my words. “Not when we carry such precious cargo,” he says as he fits a metallic shirt over my head.
“What’s this?” I ask, sliding my arms into the sleeves.
“It deflects laser blasts.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “What the fuck, Gile? We’re going after Reagan, not heading into a war zone. What do I need this for?”
Gile’s smile suddenly seems a little forced and it’s Mire who answers my question.
“The people of Beacon have made many enemies over recent months. While the planet is safe, it is best to be prepared when traveling.”
“Are you guys expecting trouble?” My heart revs in my chest and for the first time I consider the prospect of being taken again. Suddenly I feel very vulnerable.
“You are always safe with us,” Mire tells me, his intense gaze locked onto mine.
Gile backs me into my seat as I stare wide-eyed between the two of them. I trust the Sovolians, I really do. But now I’m thinking about Reagan again. She’s all alone.
“How much of a head start did she have? It couldn’t have been that long.”
<
br /> “Airfield sensors indicate she departed 1.34 hours ago,” Mire informs me.
“Good, then she couldn’t have gotten far,” I say, breathing out a sigh of relief. But the look in Gile’s eyes tells me I might be wrong and the brothers exchange troubled frowns.
“Right?” I ask, feeling uneasy.
“Well, it all depends on how fast she was going,” Gile admits. He fits straps over my shoulders and buckles me into an elaborate harness.
“God… Do you think we can catch her?”
“I have no doubt,” Gile assures me, his expression cocky.
Mire grunts. I don’t interpret it as agreement.
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” I demand, my worry ratcheting higher.
“Reagan stole a ship by utilizing voice commands. I do not know the female well, but if she is very clever and truly does not wish to be found, there are many things she could ask the ship to do to hide herself from us.”
I groan, wondering just how angry she was when she left. And while I want to blame Kellan for inciting this mess, I still can’t get last week’s group out of my mind. I practically told her to go.
“I guess the more important thing to ask is if you think someone else will catch her before we do?”
Gile and Mire cast each other those concerned glances again and I shake my head in disbelief.
Gile looks at me with loving concern written plainly on his face. “Reagan is our sister too, Mel, we will find her.” His hand grazes my cheek and I realize he’s wiping away a tear. I didn’t even know I was crying.
“It’s time,” Mire tells.
Gile nods.
“Wait! Aren’t you guys going to strap in?” The men smile at one another and each stomp a foot to the floor. I hear a subtle hum and then the click of metal. Their boots magnetize, locking them to the floor in a way that still allows them to walk, though it is with much greater effort.
“Hold on,” Gile tells me with an excited grin as Mire takes the ship up and out of the Elysian atmosphere. My stomach sinks with the movement and it seems like mere seconds pass before the image on the view screen grows dark—save for a million twinkling stars of course.