by Rena Marks
The rocking motion Ava did automatically with their daughter was exactly the way it used to be. Ava seemed unaware, but Baby wasn’t. She was lulled with her mother’s love and her eyes fluttered shut.
“Do you want me to take her?” he asked.
“No. I want to hold her a bit.”
He bit back a smile. She’d been that way since the first day she’d met Baby. She’d been the perfect mother. He fell in love with her hard and instantly and wooed her within the first week. To his surprise, she fell for a big lug like him.
Blaze and Reson both told him she did because she wasn’t very bright, which made him snarl at them both.
“Why do you look like a human instead of being purple like her?”
“You’re not used to me in my own skin. I didn’t want to scare you.”
She didn’t say anything and he knew that she couldn’t deny being scared. A part of him was sad, but what did he expect? Ava couldn’t remember a thing. Not her best friend Irina. Not Steele, at the gate. Not even her own daughter.
“So what really happened that day I was kidnapped?”
“You and Baby were coming to take me to lunch. All available personnel was dispatched to the front gates because we were having a systems update. But no one knew an emergency side gate was taken out. It had only one Xeno Sapien present. He raised the alarm for the others before being automatically sealed into the enclosure. There were a few that were able to make it here quickly; Beast, Sam, Tempest, and Reson.”
At her blank look, he continued. “The black one with gold stripes. Sam is one of the humans on guard. Tempest looks human from the neck up, but her body glitters with purple. Reson is my best friend, mine and Blaze’s. You knew they weren’t going to reach you in time before getting pulled to the gate. The implant in your neck was only still kept because you wanted it. We’d discovered you could wirelessly control the hoverstroller. You hurled Baby back toward the running Xeno Sapiens at the last moment before they pulled you through the gates and you fell unconscious. On our side, we were left with two humans, one unconscious and one dead. Steele moved quickly, separating the two. Because I’m able to shape shift, we had me assume the dead one’s identity to trick the one we had into escaping and showing us where you were held.”
“How?”
“You’d ripped off his arms with the stroller, Ava. It took him a while to bleed out. I was able to start with his fingerprints and adjust myself slowly. I’d never done it before.”
“The torture of Keith? Why was he tortured?”
“We had to get as much information as we could out of him to make sure I wasn’t heading into a trap. To make sure there was no way he suspected the real Tom was dead. If he was injured and we could pretend that Tom was injured by being tortured mentally, it could account for the differences they’d had since being captured. If Tom spoke certain phrases wrong, or couldn’t remember something as simple as where their headquarters was located, it was because of the damage done to him. It could account for Tom not realizing where the hidden laboratory was. I played on the jealousy between Keith and Tom as soon as I realized he resented me for not being physically beat like he had.”
“You tricked me into making love with you. Into allowing them to record it.” Her voice was angry and it made him feel good. At least she felt something.
“I had to. For one thing, I couldn’t help myself. But for another thing, I had to convince them that I was just getting into your head and pretending to gain your trust to steal you away. They would never have believed any other way. From the things I picked up about Tom, he was the ladies’ man in their group. I tried at first to get everyone to leave you alone sexually by mentioning you were dirty goods, allowing Xeno Sapiens between your legs. I never expected Keith to show you the tape where I pretended to be disgusted with you.”
“What’s your real name?”
His heart ripped in two. She didn’t even know his name.
“I’m Covet.”
“Do I call you that now?”
“If you wish. Or if you’re more comfortable with Tom, I’m okay with that, too.”
“What happens now?”
“Your old apartment was merged with mine when we mated. We can seal it off again if you wish. But there’s plenty of room with the way it is. We’d...planned on more children before Baby got too much older. Dr. Irina is your best friend. She’s working with us to see how to make the next one, whether it’ll be me or you that attempts to bear our young.”
She ignored that comment. “We don’t need to seal it off. I imagine I need to get used to you. For Baby’s sake.”
For a second his heart had soared until he realized she had no intention of continuing their relationship. But even if she was willing to do this for their daughter, he’d take that.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Hey,” Irina said softly. Right behind her, his arms around her middle, was Blaze. “We know how crazy this must all seem to you, Ava. I brought you some of your clothes. And we’d like to take Baby for another night and give you two some privacy to discuss things.”
Only the fact that he’d be off work and home during the next several days made Covet agree to be separated from his little one for the night. He’d have her all day tomorrow. He nodded and Irina stepped into the room, taking Baby from Ava. Blaze moved to the side of his chair, clamping his hand onto his shoulder and squeezing him.
You got this, brother. Everything will be all right.
I hope so. Will she be able to live by making new memories?
Yes. That’s what the old Ava would have wanted. She would have demanded that you make her fall in love with you again.
He was silent. He hoped he could do that.
When they’d left, there was an awkward silence between him and Ava.
“So it’s just you and me then.”
“Yes. We can go to the mess hall to have dinner if you’d like. Or if you think you’ll be too overwhelmed with meeting people, we can just go home. I haven’t been there yet so I’m not sure what we have in the fridge.”
“I’ll go to the mess hall,” she said, almost too quickly. He felt his heart sink. She didn’t want to be alone with him.
“I’ll let you get dressed.” He rose and walked from the room, settling against the outer wall to wait.
Chapter Ten
AVA DIDN’T KNOW HOW to feel. Honestly, she was frozen emotionally. She’d begun to have feelings for Tom, only to find out Tom didn’t exist. Tom was Covet and Covet was...one of the monsters. A monster who had beat up Keith and cut off his fingers. But...hell, she had ripped Tom’s arms from his body. Wasn’t she just as monstrous?
Things were all mixed up now. All twisted. She’d thought they were monsters, but they rescued her from her kidnappers. And she’d fallen for who she thought was her kidnapper.
And then there was Baby. She was the sweetest baby girl ever. Her fluffy lavender hair smelled like honey. She’d gazed into Ava’s eyes so trustingly. Her smile was toothless, but filled with so much love. Yet, Ava couldn’t remember her. She didn’t remember any of their outings or any of her milestones. When she’d started to crawl. If she’d been sick. Nothing. There was a big black hole there.
She began to dress in the stuff that Irina had provided. Irina. Apparently, that was her best friend. Someone she could call to share her confused feelings. Except having a best friend who she didn’t remember was just as confusing.
All she wanted to do was cry. Somehow, being “safe” on Xenia was worse than being locked in an unknown basement with one person to protect her.
She had black leggings and a flowy, silvery dress. It was sleeveless with a low neckline. She’d even included sandals. They were black, with Grecian style laces that reached to the bottom of her leggings.
There was a brush in the bag, which Ava ran through her hair, using the mirror on the back of the door. There was lipstick in the bag. There was a silver, fabric headband to twist around her head
. Apparently, Irina was familiar with the way she’d dressed before. When she was finished, she draped the bag over her shoulder and opened the door.
Tom—no, Covet—looked up, the vulnerable expression on his beautiful face tearing her heart for a moment.
“You look beautiful, precious. Are you ready?”
Precious. Oh, goddess. He’d called her that once before. The same zing went through her belly now as it did then. This must be a familiar pet name. A lover’s name.
She swallowed her heart—which had just risen to her throat—and smiled weakly at him. Quite frankly, she wasn’t sure if she crushed on Tom...or on Covet. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out if it was Tom because it would be unfair to ask Covet to remain masked for her sake.
She was such a bitch. She just didn’t know if she could love his original form. All she’d noticed was the purple glow of his eyes and then...horns. He freaking had small protrusions for horns. Come to think of it, so did Baby. And they were rather adorable on her tiny face. Maybe she needed to see Covet in his true form again. She just didn’t know how to ask.
He handed her his arm to take and guided her slowly from the medical wing, through the main hall—where she noticed people tried not to stare—and into another area where people milled about.
“We sit on this side and the teens wait on us. Or, we can choose the other side which is a buffet.”
He led her to the buffet side.
“How does everyone here know who you are?” He was still in Tom’s image.
“Xeno Sapiens are telepathic among each other in close proximity. It doesn’t matter what form I take.”
“So right now, you could be notified if Baby needs you?”
“Yes. Blaze would contact me.”
“We have privacy because...”
“I’ve warned everyone to stay away. That you need to get used to people gradually.”
“I’m terrified,” she admitted. “Is my memory loss permanent?”
“We think so. If you haven’t exhibited any signs of memories, it’s pretty much gone.”
They reached for plates and filled them, taking them to a small table to eat. They began to eat in silence. After a few minutes, Ava spoke.
“I wish to try to keep things as normal as possible. Baby has missed us both for nearly a month. Will you lead me and show me how we normally behave as a family?”
He set down his fork and covered her hand with his. “You don’t have to do this. Your contract has been voided. If you wish, you may leave our home. We just ask that you move in with your grandparents in the secured Theta Eight, or with your mother.”
“I’m not leaving you and Baby in the lurch.”
“This will be difficult for you and you’ve been through enough.”
“I can’t imagine that I would have saved her life only to desert her now.”
The tiniest smile tugged at his sensuous lips. “No. You were like a lioness with Baby. After all, you demanded to keep the implant when it was apparent you would never leave Xenia. You had more speed with your psychokinesis than you did with your physical strength. You knew you could always keep Baby safe by flinging her stroller because it was outfitted with a safety capsule.”
Despite the other Xeno Sapiens leaving them alone, one approached their table. He was large, with large beautiful eyes. His skin color was green, but unlike some of the others, it was a human texture. No scales, or anything too strange. The look in his eyes was kind where he stared at her just as hard as she stared at him. The more she checked him out, the more she realized he didn’t seem so strange. His eyes were beautiful. They were yellow...a warm, mustard shade with large pupils and irises that almost appeared to glow with rings of color that grew lighter.
She realized he was the one she’d seen at the steps when she’d collapsed, but then, she’d only noticed green skin. Now she noticed the luminescence of his skin.
“Ava, I’m Thane. I’m aware you don’t remember me or any of us. But you and I were friends. You were teaching some of us slang.” His lips turned up slightly as if he reminisced before he continued on. “But I would like to say thank you. Thank you for protecting one of our infants at the expense of your own memories.” He dropped to one knee, his head bowed as if he paid her respect.
And then applause began, getting stronger as it rolled across the room.
Though she was embarrassed at the attention, she reached out and tugged at Thane, bringing him toward her for a hug. “I’m sorry I can’t remember you,” she said softly. “I look forward to getting to know you all over again.” He clasped her gently before standing, nodding at Tom—er, Covet—and leaving them.
Covet’s face looked hopeful. “That’s the first time you’ve willingly touched a Xeno Sapien.”
Was she really that much of a monster? It was obvious now that she wasn’t their sexual toy.
They continued eating their meal, while everyone else went back to whatever they were doing.
“Tom?” she whispered. “I don’t want to leave. I want to learn. I want to know what my life was like before. I want to begin again.”
“We may not be able to attain what you had before.” His warning sounded feasible.
“I know. But I need to try.” She pushed her plate away. “And I need to get used to you in your other form.”
“No.” His tone was definite.
“Why not?”
“You are not used to me in that form. Everything else here is new. You need one thing that is familiar.”
Familiar? She knew Tom—who wasn’t even real—three weeks. It sounded like a bunch of crap to her, but she nodded. Apparently, they needed to take this slow for both their sakes because she didn’t seem to be the only one with issues.
After dinner, he took her for a walk around Xenia. She wasn’t brave enough to ask him to take her near the infamous east gate, but she needed have worried. He took her west.
They entered a building marked Building C. “This is where our apartments are. Technically, we have two, since they were merged together. We can both enter from either door.”
He showed her how, swiping his thumb across the screen. A message appeared briefly.
Good evening, Covet.
The door clicked, signaling the unlock. He pushed it open and indicated she should enter first.
The apartment was clean and elegant and, of course, roomy. How could it not be, with the living area so elongated? The dining areas were combined to make a larger room and the kitchens were back to back.
She caught a glimpse of a family portrait of her, Covet, and Baby, all smiling like a loving family. When he realized what she looked at, he reached for the portrait, yanking it from the wall.
“I want to see,” she protested.
“Not like this. If you want another one that badly, we’ll take one as we are today.”
He shoved the portrait into a closet, leaving a giant gaping space on the wall.
“Are you sure you want to keep things as they were before?” he asked her. His dark eyes glittered with an impenetrable look.
“Yes.”
“Your sleep gowns are in that drawer.”
She looked at him suspiciously. She’d never worn “sleep gowns.” She wore pajamas to bed. Her legs were always cold.
He sighed. “We used to sleep naked because we always made love. But when Baby would cry in the middle of the night, you were scrambling to throw on clothes so as to not freeze. So you took to sleep gowns because we could hike them up whenever we wanted.”
Her cheeks felt hot and she was definitely sorry she’d questioned him, even if it was just with her eyes.
“We always made love?”
He was very sure when he responded. “Always. You couldn’t keep your hands off my purple ass.”
It was so shocking she couldn’t help the burst of laughter.
“I need to see that purple ass.”
“You may see the pink one.”
They both sobered. She s
uddenly felt shy, which was ridiculous. It’s not like he hadn’t seen her naked.
“Would you like to take a shower?”
“Yes.”
Together wasn’t what she expected. But he followed her to the bathroom and switched on the faucets. While the shower ran, he turned to her and began to slowly undress.
She watched for a minute, without speaking. He was a beautiful man, dark hair and eyes and the sexiest stubble that lined his jaw. But she was never more aware that it wasn’t him. And she was never more aware that she wanted to see him.
Covet.
The thought frightened her. But she was determined.
She stared at the bare chest that was revealed to her and looked away when his thumbs hooked into the waistband of his pants. Instead, she turned toward the mirror and pulled her own blouse off.
Her nipples were erect. He came behind her to stand, his eyes zeroed in on hers in the mirror.
“Did we used to shower together?”
“Yes.”
She slipped her leggings down over her hips, her eyes on him. When she was naked, he broke eye contact. He looked like he longed to say something—but then turned and stepped toward the shower. She entered after him and he turned to her, his erection rising between them. He grabbed the cleanser, squirted some into his palm, and rubbed his large hands gently over her shoulders.
The cleanser didn’t foam; instead, it fizzed slightly and smoothed into a creamy, lotion-like substance. His hands moved down her spine, over her hips, her waist. He stepped close enough that she felt his erection prodding her back, squirted more cleanser into his palm and cleaned her neck, her throat, her oh-so-sensitive collarbones.
She could feel herself breathing quicker as his hands roved over the top of her chest, but he didn’t stop. His wet, slick fingertips lightly caressed her breasts, circling her nipples as they poked out stiffly as if reaching for his touch. He may have lingered there a bit longer than he needed to, before intimately stroking the crease underneath her breasts.
His whole hands were needed to smooth the flat of her belly, grazing her hipbones that were a bit sharp from being bedridden and fed intravenously.
