by Hope Hart
And that thought pisses me off.
“So, you hauled me to the medi-center?”
Oh God. Who else saw him hauling me in here unconscious? What if Jackson saw? Or Varian? Anything could’ve happened in the horror movie I’ve woken up to.
He narrows his eyes and stalks closer, and a thrill of fear hits me. That just pisses me off, and I narrow my eyes back at him.
“When you are ready, you will come to me and apologize. Then, you will thank me for taking such good care of you.”
My mouth drops open at his gall.
He reaches out, and I’m so groggy and slow that he’s stroking a thumb along my bottom lip before I can hit his hand away. He turns and walks away while I grind my teeth, speechless
Come to him and apologize? I’ll go ice skating in hell first.
I stalk out of the medi-center, realizing Korva has stranded me here. I’m desperate for a hard workout so maybe I’ll walk to the gym.
I raise an eyebrow as I find Harlow waiting for me outside the medi-center, Blake next to her. It’s his shift today and he avoids my eyes.
Fine.
“What are you doing here?”
Harlow’s face is pale, and she suddenly seems oddly fragile as she chews her bottom lip. This is a woman who I’d fight back-to-back with any day, so she must be going through some shit.
She smirks at me, raising an eyebrow at my chest.
“Your headlights are on.”
I grind my teeth. That’s because stupid dumb Korva obviously forgot that bras exist.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
She simply nods, instead of prying, and that, more than anything increases my concern.
“Korva let me know you were here. An Arcav ship landed at the dock this morning. It contained four of the human women who were sold on Gule.”
Shit.
A while ago, the Grivath somehow managed to abduct a bunch of human women. The general consensus is that they did it not just because humans are super rare and therefore, super valuable, but as a giant fuck you to the Arcav, who protect Earth. Jaret’s mate Amanda was one of the kidnapped women, only she was still on the ship when the Arcav got to it and killed the Grivath.
That ship had made a stop earlier and unloaded half of the women, selling them on Gule— a slave planet. The Arcav have been trying to find the buyers and track down those women ever since, while we’ve been working with law enforcement on Earth to try and figure out who could’ve been taken.
So far, we’ve curated a list of women between the age of twenty and twenty-five who disappeared that night— either from their homes or in Amanda’s case, alone on the street.
There are hundreds of women who disappeared throughout the United States, Canada, and Central America. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
While the Earth Council tries to figure out who was taken, the Arcav have been scanning the galaxy and tracing the women through the aliens who bought them. Two of them are dead. One of them managed to escape on Gule and went missing. Now that these four women have been found, we have approximately seven left. It’s likely that they’ve given up all hope of being rescued.
Not for the first time, I wonder if I should’ve volunteered for the rescue mission. I sigh as I look at Harlow, who has tears rolling down her face. I won’t leave her. I may not be on her guard right now, but I need to stay at least until her baby is born.
She’d kick my ass and then insist I go to Gule if she knew what I was thinking.
I take a deep breath. “What will happen now?”
Harlow waves toward the medi-center. “The women are in there. I want to see them. I just want to check if they need anything. I thought I could take Jen with me, but she’s not doing very well right now.”
Jen is Meghan’s mom and a licensed therapist. She has a way of looking at things that makes you want to take ownership of your life. She’s been helping humans integrate on Arcavia ever since she left Earth, and even helped Jaret recognize his feelings for Amanda. But since Meghan has now been missing for months, Jen’s finding it difficult to see all of her clients while also involving herself in the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Harlow shifts on her feet. “Will you come with me instead? I don’t want to take Blake. They might feel a little better if we introduce them to human women for now.”
I very carefully avoid Blake’s eyes. Harlow would usually pick up on the slightest tension between us, but she’s currently lost in her thoughts, brow furrowed.
“I don’t know, Maleficent. I’m currently suspended, remember?”
Harlow glowers at the reminder and then takes a moment to glower at Blake as if it was all his doing. He simply raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms.
“Fine, Blake can come too, but he needs to stay outside the room with Vazta,” she gestures behind her where Vazta is standing by her pod, his eyes scanning the road. “Let’s go before I have this baby.”
I feel the blood leave my face in a rush and she grins, some of the tension leaving her face.
“Psych.”
Vazta joins us as we walk back into the medi-center and nods at me, smiling. His wide smile is infectious, and I chat to him, well aware that if Blake and I continue with our silent treatment, Harlow will soon figure out that something’s going on.
Not long after we were announced as guards, all of us were brought to this medi-center and given the Alni plant. Now, we heal faster than if we were human, and most diseases won’t kill us. Our cells also regenerate faster, and I won’t be plucking grey hairs for at least another century.
It’s not often that I think about the fact that I’m now extremely long-lived. Considering my commitment to adrenaline, it’s unlikely to be something that I’ll need to think about.
Vazta steps in front of us, leading the way since he seems to know where he’s going. We follow him down a long corridor, Blake and I on each side of Harlow out of habit. I hear the wailing long before we arrive, and we all walk faster as the sound of something crashing reaches our ears.
“I told you, we’re not fucking staying here. We want to go home!”
Vazta throws open the door and immediately pushes Harlow back as something flies towards us.
Kehas—one of the healers— is holding his hands up, speaking soothingly as a woman loses her shit in front of him. He glances at us as we arrive and moves back, out of the way.
“Who let her get hold of a medical tray?” Blake snaps as Vazta jumps forward and grabs the woman’s hands.
She goes completely limp, her eyes chillingly blank as he restrains her.
“Vazta,” Harlow snaps. “Let her go right now.”
He frowns at Harlow but seems to understand as the woman in his arms turns chalk white and starts to shake. She’s all big eyes and pale skin and looks like she’d break if you looked at her wrong. She’s got an arm on her though, and none of us will dismiss her as a threat.
Vazta holds up his hands, backing toward the door.
“If you throw things at Harlow, I will have to come back in,” he says gently. “Please do not make me do that.”
He glances at me on the way out and I see guilt in his eyes. At his heart, Vazta is a protector. A gentle giant who adores women and children. It probably devastated him to see a woman go practically catatonic with fear when he touched her.
I take in the three women in front of me. The Arcav have brought them to a large, sunny room with four beds, sofas, and a large bathroom. A woman with bronze-colored skin and black hair is huddled on her bed, eyes wide in fear as she stares at us, her eyes lingering on Vazta’s horns as he leaves. Another woman with short blonde hair is curled on the couch, ignoring everything around her.
From the choked sounds coming from the bathroom, the fourth woman is currently hurling up her breakfast.
The tray-thrower has also upended an entire table of food, and she leans down, picking up a fork which she holds in front of her threateningly.
&nb
sp; I narrow my eyes at her. Yup, definitely the biggest threat. I make my voice snarky as I raise one eyebrow.
“Oh please. A fork? You know Harlow’s a cop, right?”
The woman’s eyes fall to Harlow’s massive belly and I snort. “Still faster than you,” I tell her. “And if she’s not, I definitely am.”
“Eve,” Harlow says warningly, but I stare at the woman until she drops the fork. There are few things more dangerous than someone who is completely out of control. Adrenaline and fear can make it so you barely feel pain when you’re hit, making you an even bigger danger to those around you. Just ask Jackson.
“I’m sorry,” Harlow says. “We’re not here to make you feel frightened, and I apologize if that’s what we did. I just wanted to make sure that you have everything you need.”
The tray-thrower straightens her shoulders, putting her an inch or so shorter than me and Harlow. Neither of us are tall, but we can both move fast, and we know where to hit. That doesn’t make me let down my guard though. This woman may appear helpless, but terrified people can do crazy things.
She laughs bitterly. “Everything we need? Why did you bring us here? Why didn’t you take us back to Earth?”
Harlow raises her eyebrow and turns her head to where Kehas is hovering near the door.
He sighs. “Varian ordered them to be brought here. Arcavia was closer and he wanted them checked by Arcav healers.”
Harlow nods, and this seems to infuriate the woman, who narrows her eyes, likely attempting to look threatening. She looks a little like a pissed off Disney princess with her long curly blonde hair and wide blue eyes.
“As you can see, we’re fine. When can we go back to Earth?”
Harlow keeps her voice low and soothing. “I’ll talk to Varian as soon as I leave here. Have you seen the healers?”
“I’m a doctor,” she snaps. “We’re all perfectly fine to travel back to Earth.”
“Give her a break, Peyton,” a voice sounds, and we all turn as the puker walks through the door.
My mouth drops open as I take in her very pregnant stomach.
Shit.
Korva
I have once again betrayed my mate. I drowned myself in the feel of Eve beneath me. The feel of her surrender was like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and I loathe myself for the weakness that makes me crave her like a drug.
I lean over my sample, frowning. My mind wanders in a way which it never did before Daliz died. The years of insanity have taken their toll, and I find it difficult to focus for long periods of time. I’m also much quicker to rage, and it sometimes takes all of my will to hold myself in check, especially when I am around humans. They are so easily broken.
And yet, when I’m with Eve, I feel almost normal. When we first mated all those months ago, I thought the strange fierceness and passion she inspired in me was simply due to my centuries of abstinence.
Last night proved me wrong.
Nothing in my life has ever felt as good as I felt with Eve in my arms. Her passion burns hot, as I always knew it would. In the early hours of the morning, I grew concerned when Eve slept as if unconscious. I was able to dress her without her waking.
This is a female who is constantly on edge, always moving, and rarely still. To see her lying as if dead… it struck fear in me, deep inside.
My communicator signals an incoming message and I ignore it. Varian’s voice suddenly sounds over the speaker in my lab, ripping a snarl from my throat.
“Hello, brother. I know you enjoy ignoring me, so I have had your lab wired to your communicator. I require your presence at my quarters. You will come, because it involves Harlow’s safety, and because multiple advisors have expressed concern about allowing you to use your lab. If you wish this freedom to continue, you will not push me.”
The message ends, and I come back to myself, surprised. My hand is dripping blood, and I stare down at it, confused. Something crunches beneath my foot and I grind my teeth at the ruin of my lab. Sometimes, all it takes for me to lose control is the sound of Varian’s voice. But when he threatens my ability to do my work, I am unable to pretend to be anything other than what I am: A beast teetering on the edge of sanity.
I plan his death, but even that does not help lower my heartbeat or calm my shaking hands. So I picture Eve, standing in my lab, one eyebrow raised.
I can almost hear her sarcastic voice, see the twist of her lush lips as her eyes narrow on me.
“Aw, did the wittle baby have a mantrum?”
Completely against my will, the corner of my mouth turns up, and my claws retract. I sigh. Perhaps I am going insane again after all.
I leave the mess to clean up later, preferring to deal with Varian so I can get back to work.
When I walk in, he’s sitting at his desk, scowling at a screen. Our cousin, Aulan sits across from him, leaned back and relaxed. He grins at me as I enter and I raise a brow. For whatever reason, Aulan decided not to simply enjoy a privileged life as a member of the royal family. Instead, he chose to join Harlow’s guard, something that has both confused and amused the general public on both Arcavia and Earth.
Varian gestures for me to sit and I ignore him, walking to the window instead. The slight tightening of his jaw is the only sign that he is annoyed, and for a moment I flash back to when we were younglings, and I would do everything I could to make him lose that famous control.
Varian hits a button and his entire body tenses as a picture of Harlow appears on the screen. It looks to be taken a few months ago, when she was still attending Eve’s female fighting class. A small strip of her stomach is poking out of her pants, and her mouth is curled in a smile as she looks back toward the camera.
A voice sounds.
“So beautiful these human females. Yet so breakable.”
The picture changes and a snarl rips from all of our throats. Aulan gets to his feet, growling.
Someone has altered Harlow’s body, making it appear as if her stomach has been slashed open. A tiny body hangs from an umbilical cord, covered in blood.
“I have warned you numerous times,” the voice continues. “Leave Fecax and cease your useless attempts to protect Earth, or we will slaughter each and every one of your females.”
The picture is replaced by a Grivath, who stares out at us, red eyes glowing with hate.
“Arkon,” I snarl, and Varian nods beside me.
The recording continues.
“I will give you one more chance to submit to our rule. If you do not, you will suffer the consequences.”
The screen turns black.
“I was unaware they could speak full sentences,” I say. An exaggeration, but Arkon had a level of intelligence and reasoning in his threats that I do not remember seeing in the years before I was locked away.
My hands fist at the reminder, and I pace further from Varian.
He growls. “Arkon is the bastard son of Gerex. His father raped a Retew and when he learned she was pregnant, he kept her until her son was born and then slaughtered her.”
Bile fills my mouth at the thought. The Retew are an intelligent warrior race, however, they are untrusting of outsiders. If Arkon is commanding the Fecax armed forces, it explains how they have been able to present as a much greater threat over the last few years. He obviously inherited his intelligence from his murdered mother.
“What is it you want from me?”
Varian’s brows lower. “Tell me, brother, how long will you make me suffer for taking the only option available to me? When will you allow our mother to see you?”
I bare my teeth at him and move toward the door.
“Do not dare walk away from me,” his voice is low, and I turn, blood running hot. I will rip off his head and throw it out this window.
Varian shakes his head at me. “You are obviously unable to be reasoned with,” he says bitterly. “No better than a Grivath.”
I take a step forward. “Watch yourself. The only reason I haven’t slaughtered you is beca
use I like your mate and I have no desire to be King.”
Aulan raises an eyebrow but sits back down, eyes sharp.
Varian rounds his desk. “You believe you could kill me? You are even more insane than I thought.”
I smile, and his eyes widen at whatever he sees on my face. I am bigger, stronger, and I have a deep well of uncontrollable rage. There’s a chance I could kill him. At the very least, I could make him pay.
He moves back. “We will address this one day. Today is not the day. I am too busy keeping this planet safe while you bury yourself in your lab.”
“What. Do. You. Want.”
“We will go to Fecax in one week.” He glances at Aulan. “You will stay here and rule in my place while I am gone.”
Aulan grits his teeth but nods, and Varian turns to me.
“I do not wish to take Harlow with me, but I cannot risk leaving her behind. You will accompany us, because I want my mate surrounded at all times. If you do not do this, I will burn your lab to the ground and prevent you from rebuilding.”
As much as I hate my brother, I am well aware that every move he makes is with Harlow’s safety in mind. I do not doubt that he will destroy my lab if I do not comply.
“You may not believe me, but threats are unnecessary. As I said, I like your mate. I will protect her for this reason, not because of your pitiful attempt to back me into a corner.”
Varian’s mouth twists. “Fine.”
We stare at each other in silence, and for a single moment, all I feel is regret for the relationship we used to have. He frowns thoughtfully, and then I tense and look away.
Chapter Ten
Eve
Pregnant. This poor woman is hugely pregnant. Not as pregnant as Harlow, but still pretty fucking pregnant.
Harlow’s voice is gentle. “Hi there. I’m Harlow and this is Eve. What’s your name?”
