Betrayed: The Fallen World Series Book 3

by C. R. Jane

  Sweat trickled down my back, and my heart was beating so hard, it rang in my ears.

  When no sounds came, I peered out only to see Zeni emerge backward from a room several feet away, pointing a silver laser gun at someone back in the room. But I couldn’t see who it was.

  Hot lashes of hatred whipped through at seeing her, remembering the vengefulness in her voice when she had ordered the doctors to start the procedure on me. How she’d wanted nothing more than to ensure I was dead.

  Frozen in place, I watched.

  “I tried so hard to do the right thing,” she blabbered. “All I wanted was for you to accept me, take me as your mate. And then you disappeared. Leaving me without even an explanation.” The ache in her voice did nothing to garner sympathy from me.

  “Zeni, look at what you’ve become,” Derrial snarled. “You don’t want to do this. Let us pass and… and we’ll come to some arrangement.”

  She snorted a laugh. “An arrangement? Like killing the filthy human and admitting publicly you made a mistake, then pledging your loyalty to me. All three of you. Then… only then will I maybe convince my father to speak to the Council about dropping the warrants out on all of you.”

  “You know we did nothing wrong,” Thane snapped. “Put down the gun and give me your hand. Let’s talk about this properly.”

  She was shaking her head. “No! We are doing things my way. You’ve done everything wrong,” she yelled. “Get on your knees. I’ve had enough of looking at you three, reminded of your betrayal. I just wanted to be with you, be happy. That’s all I asked for.”

  Her threat rang loud in my ears. She was going to kill them. My chin began to tremble, and I held back the cries, the terror choking me.

  “Zeni, please,” Corran began, but the bitch fired her gun.

  I shuddered and died on the inside.

  Then everything happened so fast. I didn’t remember moving, but I was lunging at her, blade raised just as a guard rounded the corner.

  My heart hurt so bad, it felt like I’d shatter into a million pieces. Anger fueled my actions, and all I wanted was to make her pay.

  Her head turned in my direction, eyes wide, but it was too late. I sunk the blade into her back, the slurpy sound disgusting and blood spurting from the wound like syrup.

  I stumbled backward, releasing my grip on the knife, barely able to breath.

  Zeni fell to her knees.

  I stumbled backward, releasing my grip on the knife, barely able to breathe.

  A whimper fell from her lips, an expelled breath, and I clasped my chest.

  What had I done?

  Derrial emerged from the room, along with the other two, all three turning on the guard roaring down the hall. Grunts and punches sounded, while I stumbled into a wall, staring down at Zeni who fell onto her side, shuddering.

  So much red blood poured from her wound, spreading outward around her. I must have hit a major artery or something for her to bleed so heavily.

  I wasn't a killer, and tears pooled in my eyes. I'd done this to her, stabbed her.

  Someone took my arm, and I flinched backward, their face blurry from my tears, my heart aching.

  "Ella." Corran said softly while fear threaded behind his voice. "We need to leave."

  But I couldn't pull my gaze from Zeni who'd fallen silent and stopped twitching. She lay on the floor, still bleeding.

  "I-I killed her." The words burst from my lips along with my cries. I shouldn't feel anything, but I did. Killing someone wasn't who I was. This wasn't me. I didn't do this.

  Corran seized my hand in his, fingers tight around mine, and we were running in the opposite direction. I glanced back to find the guard also on the ground. Derrial and Thane ran after us. Derrial’s sleeve was blackened from where Zeni must have missed her shot, and their faces were white with terror.

  All I could do was push one leg in front of the other, drive myself to keep moving, to not think about what I'd done.

  Since coming to Veon, I had become many things, experienced more situations than I'd ever wanted to, and even tracked down my father. But never in a million years did I expect to become a murderer.

  Chapter 9

  "What are you doing here?" Derrial tossed the angry words toward us as we ran down the white stark hall.

  "I was worried, and--" The rest of my words were stolen by the alarm bell that boomed overhead. An explosion of voices and footfalls suddenly engulfed the building that was silent moments earlier.

  Corran's hand squeezed tighter as he hauled me with speed into the rear storage room I'd entered from, and we flew to the exit. The unconscious guard was no longer there.

  My head was a cyclone of emotions, of terror, or remorse. I never should have left the ship. Should have just stayed there.

  Running across the open field, the four of us never stopped. I breathed hard, pushing on pure adrenaline.

  The sirens blared from the building behind us, they rang through the air.

  Panic tightened around my chest. We were going to get caught. And this time they'd kill us, no sympathy whatsoever. I couldn't stop trembling. I didn’t want to die, couldn’t let my dad die after we’d just found him.

  The black ship came into view amid the trees as we darted into the forest and didn't stop until we all scrambled onto the ship.

  Derrial shut the door, and I heaved for breath. I sprinted into the back room to check on my dad, who still slept unaware of what had just happened. Thank goodness he was okay.

  Back in the main area of the ship, Thane lunged into the driver's seat getting us lifted off the ground. Derrial marched back and forth, while Corran headed into the back room where my dad slept.

  I glanced outside to the throbbing lights from approaching authorities already flying toward the building. My pulse spiked, and panic squeezed my chest. We rose higher and turned away before flying in the opposite direction.

  Unmoving, we all stood in silence, and I prayed no one followed us, that Corran's invisibility cloak device actually made us virtually undetectable.

  When no one followed, I collapsed down on a seat against the wall of the ship, my mind whirring.

  I looked up at Derrial who now stared out through the front window, and he looked different.

  Tall, full of strength, and breathing hard. His face was no longer gaunt. Same with Thane and Corran's. They looked healthy and full of energy like they’d fed.

  "You found a cure to the blood connection?" I asked, my fingers interlaced in my lap.

  No one responded, and Derrial kept his back to me. Corran answered, "My science team had actually created an antidote, but I just had to combine the ingredients to activate it. It's in our system now, giving us a temporary boost of energy. For the bond between us to stick however, we need a blood exchange."

  I nodded. "Okay, let's do it now."

  Corran was shaking his head. "It's not that simple. We needed another ingredient for you to take before the exchange, but I couldn't find it in the lab. I was sure it was somewhere in that building, but then we got caught before we could look further."

  Zeni had been going to kill my Vepar, and I loathed her for trying to ruin everything. That wouldn’t be a problem any longer, and I pushed away the guilt. She would have murdered the men if I didn’t stop her.

  Derrial turned to face me, shadows darkening under his eyes, lips tight. He was furious. "You disobeyed me."

  I bristled at his words, stiffening in my seat. "You were gone for two hours, and I was terrified something happened to you. Sorry for worrying."

  He closed the distance between us in three long strides, his hand lashing out, grabbing my chin. Pushing my head back, he stared down at me. "You could have died. Jeopardized our mission."

  I bit down hard on my lower lip and spat out the words. "I saved you. Zeni could have shot again and struck you in the heart if I didn't stop her, but you're welcome."

  His grip tightened on my chin, and he stared down at me, fury burning behind those gr
een eyes.

  He released me and whipped around, walking away.

  I didn't know what to expect but holding onto any kind of composure and schooling my emotions was impossible in that moment.

  "That's not the point," he snapped. "It's that I can't trust you. You drugged us then stole one of our ships and endangered yourself. Then I asked you to stay in the ship, so we all knew where you are at all times. So, we didn't compromise the mission and worry that you'd run off again. But you didn’t listen."

  "Run off? I went to save my dad before." I pointed to the room in the back. "If I didn't go, he wouldn't be here, he would be who knows where."

  "Then you talk to one of us. Tell us and we'll work as a team."

  I huffed, clenching my fists. "You wouldn't have gone back with me; you would have made me wait. And I'd return for my dad again in a heartbeat if given the chance. He'd been tortured, did you see how he looked?" My words quivered, and I held my chin up, hating Derrial for looking at me like I was the monster in this scenario.

  I didn't know what he expected. That I'd sit obediently while those I cared for faced danger. Hell no!

  "We just want you safe," Corran added.

  I blink.

  “Then why bring me to this psychotic planet?” I snapped, and I regretted the words as they fell from my lips.

  I tore my gaze from him and Derrial and swallowed the thick ball of dread sitting in my throat. Tears rolled down my cheeks, my insides tearing apart because everything was too much, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take. Anger raged inside me, but it was tapered by the fear I had for me, my men, my parents.

  This was the version of Derrial from back on Earth, when he was dominating and in control, when his words were blades piercing my heart. I'd fallen for him since arriving on Veon, given myself to him, believed he wanted the same. Now all I could remember were his kisses that tasted like the best chocolate cake in the world, the strength of his arms around me, and yet fury bubbled under my skin that I’d made a mistake.

  His disappointment made me feel like utter crap.

  I shot to my feet and crossed the room before heading into the back room where I shut the door. There, the tears flowed like an untamable rapid. With my spine pressed to the wall, I slid to my ass and cupped my face as I cried quietly.

  I cried for killing someone who deserved it. For rescuing my father and still not knowing where my mom was. For Derrial being such a dick. For the frustration surging through me. Since arriving here I'd been pushed and pulled in every direction, and I'd had enough.

  I didn’t remember how long I stayed in the room, but it was my father’s groaning that had me stirring and climbing to my feet.

  His eyes were wide open, and he pushed himself to sit up, panic in his gaze.

  “Dad.” I rushed over to the side of the bed and hugged him. I closed my eyes tight and couldn’t stop crying. My stomach tightened.

  “I thought you were dead.” His voice was strangled, and I held him tighter. I’d found my dad, after he’d gone missing, after I buried an empty coffin. I found him.

  His arms were strong around me despite his fragile state, and he needed this embrace as much as me, to remember we somehow survived this far.

  “I thought I’d lost you forever.” He pulled back and wiped my tears. “I can’t believe you found me. I was resigned to dying in this barbaric planet with these aliens.” Sleep clung to his eyes, but there was hatred on his face.

  But when he looked at me, the fury faded, replaced with a genuine smile filled with devotion and utter love. I was transported back to my younger days when our lives didn’t include aliens and invasions. When all I worried about was convincing my parents to take us back to the beach on sunny days because my friends were all there.

  “Where’s Mom?” I finally asked and pulled back.

  He was shaking his head, the agony on his face shattering my heart. “We were separated years ago. Women were taken to be sorted for training to become servants or for mating.” His ache deepened his frown and he lowered his gaze, my insides shattering like shards of glass.

  “Mom’s strong,” I added. “She’ll fight against that; you know she would.”

  “You take after her.” His voice broke, and my whole body wracked with despair, but I blinked hard and swallowed back the hurricane of sorrow pushing forward to engulf me.

  “Tell me how you got here, who those Vepar with you are?”

  I held onto his hand, feeling like I was a kid again, except this time, I was the strong one. I explained what happened on Earth after him and mom vanished, how the Vepar instilled new rules, stepped into the seats of power, tried to make us healthy. Dad laughed at that part.

  Then how I ended up on Veon and a summarized version of what I’d been through. But I didn’t mention my feelings for the men or the blood connection. Did Dad even know such a thing existed...and how would he react? I’d tell him soon, but I wasn’t ready yet.

  “You like these three Vepar?” he asked.

  My mouth dropped open. “I never… wait, where did that come from?”

  “It’s not the words you used, but how you say them when you spoke about the men. Your eyes lit up like they used to do when I snuck you a chocolate cookie when your mom wasn’t looking.”

  I was lost for words because after all these years, Dad didn’t miss a beat. “They are arrogant, rude, and super bossy, but…” I combed a hand through my hair. “But I do like them. Maybe more than like. All three in fact.” I raised my eyes to his. “Is that wrong?”

  He laughed like everything would be okay in the world, and twice in as few minutes he surprised me.

  When he stood, his legs gave out and he stumbled back onto the bed.

  I reached for him. “Dad.”

  He pushed to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be alright. Just need food and rest I think.”

  A knock came at the door before it swished open. Corran entered and approached us.

  “Nice to meet you, son,” my father said, his hand jutting out for a shake, but Corran went straight for a hug, taking Dad back for a moment. But he went with the flow. They hugged each other, patted each other’s back, and if it felt awkward to me, it looked double awkward to Dad who stared at me over Corran’s shoulder.

  “In Vepar tradition,” he began. “You always greet a family member of anyone close to you with a strong hug.”

  Dad’s smile brought me endless joy. Here I thought I’d lost him, and that he’d never get a chance to be part of my future, but not anymore.

  “Back on Earth, we do strong manly handshakes.” Dad said, offering his hand to Corran who accepted and wasn’t sure what to do. So, Dad shook it up and down, leaving Corran to over exaggerate his attempt.

  I laughed at them, wishing this was our life. Dealing with simple cultural differences not that I might be pregnant from who knows what alien.

  “How are you feeling?” Corran asked, staring into Dad’s eyes as if trying to see into his soul. “Still dehydrated I see, and your body needs a lot of rest.”

  “Feeling tired and keep having dizzy spells.”

  “Your blood sugar is most likely very low. Let me grab something and then stay lying down and you’ll just need a few weeks rest.”

  “A few weeks?” I exclaimed. “We can’t even return to your homes.”

  “We have it sorted. I need to get a hold of the herb that will help with the blood connection, and we may have a solution for where your dad could heal.”

  “Blood connection?” Dad asked.

  I cringed on the inside, not ready to tell him anything about my tie to the three Vepar, how without us feeding on each other’s blood, we could get really sick. Yep, he might really freak out and right now I needed him to just get better.

  “I’ll explain later.” I reached for Dad’s hand and turned to Corran. “What’s the solution?”

  “We are going to Derrial’s parents’ home. They’re expecting us.”

 
The last time we went there, his parents accepted me, and I adored them, so going back there came with an excited anticipation as if I might be going back home to visit my family.

  “Derrial!” Koria, his mom opened the door with the widest smile, and she embraced her son, holding him so tightly, I knew she was worried for him.

  Her blonde hair sat off her face with several hair pins, her floral print dress cascading to her feet. She turned to me and hugged me without a second thought like meeting me once was enough to make me officially part of the family.

  “Ella, dear,” she gasped. “I’ve been so worried about all of you. Your faces have been all over the broadcasted news.”

  “Thank you. It’s been an ordeal all right.”

  She pulled back, staring at me with sympathy and so much agony behind her eyes. “Quickly, in the house. All of you.”

  We moved indoors to the house that reminded me of a gorgeous botanical garden. Flowery wallpaper lined the walls, flowers in thin metal vases filled every corner, and it smelled like a bouquet in here.

  “Koria, this is my dad.” I held onto his arm close to me. “I thought I’d lost him, but he’d been taken by the Khonsu.” Just saying the words flooded me with so many emotions and already my eyes teared up.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you,” Dad said. “It’s a miracle Ella somehow found me and was able to get me out of that slave camp. I wasn’t expecting to ever be rescued in all honesty.” There was a deflated tone to his voice, and I squeezed his arm tight by my side.

  “That’s in the past,” I added. “We’ve got each other now.” I wanted to say more about finding Mom, but the words wouldn’t form. They wouldn’t come when fear shuddered through me. It locked me up to acknowledge that we may not find her. Now that I had Dad, the possibility of hope dangled over my head, and I clung onto it for dear life.

  “Come sit down,” Koria added. “My husband is at work right now, but Derrial has already told me everything. We would love to have you stay with us for as long as needed.” She stared at my dad.