by ML Guida
“Yes.” Dr. Veko snapped his fingers and another doctor had him another transrecorder. “We’ve found a trace, although very weak.”
“Where?”
“On Earth. The Zalarians located it. It appears there is a scientist that has inadvertently invented it.”
Vaughn stilled. His mouth went dry and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it.
“According to the Zalarians.” Konan took his same post Nonna’s bed and clasped her limp hand. “You’ve met her-–Sandra Rotella.”
Vaughn’s gut twisted into jagged knots, and he couldn’t breathe.
Shitshitshitshit
Rye shook his head and whistled, drawing a curious gaze from the Czar. Vaughn immediately mouthed shut up to him, but Rye wasn’t daunted, and he gave him a knowing grin.
Tash, on the other hand, glared at him and clenched his fists. He looked like he wanted to plow one into Vaughn’s face.
Vaughn blurted. “Why can’t the Zalarians retrieve the Cronor?”
Konan narrowed his eyes. “Because they have problems of their own. This is our problem. You’re not considering denying this honor I’ve given you, are you?”
Rye hung his head and shuffled his feet as if he were embarrassed. He obviously thought Vaughn was betraying not only their father, but his mate.
Vaughn’s throat constricted, and he choked out the words. “No, I just… thought––”
“Good.” Konan turned his back. “You leave immediately. Don’t disappoint me.” It was a dismissal.
“He won’t.” Tash gripped Vaughn’s arm hard as if daring him to defy him.
“Just to ensure he doesn’t fail, the Confederation is sending someone to oversee this mission.”
Vaughn frowned and jerked his arm free. “Who?”
The door slid open and his dad, Finbar, walked into the room like he owned it.
Chills rippled down Vaughn’s back followed with a hot sweat. He couldn’t talk.
“Boys.” Finbar’s deep voice made all stand at attention. His shirt and pants outlined his muscular and defined body. His thick brown hair curled around his shoulders, only a touch of gray betraying his age. “I’m here to make sure this mission is a success, not like the last mission.”
He stared hard at Tash who hung his head.
Anger flushed over Vaughn. He clenched his fists, but was wise enough to keep his mouth shut. He’d already lost his brothers’ and the Czar’s respect. He’d no intention to have his father’s sharp tongue rip him apart.
Finbar cast his disapproving gaze over Vaughn like he always did. “I understand that the Czar has given you the task to retrieve the Cronor. Do you think you’re able to handle this task? Or should I assign someone else?”
Vaughn winced, but quickly held up his head. “No, I’ll return with the Cronor.” He left, not waiting for his brothers or his father to question him.
This wasn’t what he wanted, especially with his father breathing down neck. Had Tash told him about Nucl?
Confronting Sandra was the last thing on his list, but his betraying heart had other ideas. Blood rushed between his legs, turning his cock hard. Every instinct pushed him to seduce and take the sweet little scientist.
He gritted his teeth, trying to push the mating drive back. But his bear wouldn’t be denied. He shook uncontrollably. How the hell was he going to resist Sandra? It had taken everything he had to leave that planet without her. He’d didn’t know if he had the strength to do it again.
Chapter 2
Sandra Rotella looked through the microscope’s eye piece and frowned. Her heart was sick. “Damn it.”
She still couldn’t produce a synthetic insulin that didn’t have side effects such as low blood sugar, weight gain, lumps, or scars. Grandpappy was getting weaker and weaker from the disease. He was a robust man, but his body was failing and couldn’t handle the side effects any longer. She couldn’t lose him. Her throat closed up. She’d be lost without him.
“Still having problems?”
She jerked her head up, her heart pounding a million beats a minute.
Oscar Rich, her stepfather, had strolled into the university laboratory.
She looked wildly around the room. All the lab assistants were gone, their stations empty. Microscopes, Petri-dishes, slides, and Bunsen burners were all neatly put away. Once again, she’d lost track of time.
Crap, she was alone.
He stared at her chest like he always did. Her stomach twisted into a steel knot. She pulled on the lab coat with shaking hands, to hide her large breasts, but it failed to do the job. “Stay away from me.” Her voice was small, and she felt so tiny when she faced him.
He put his hands in the air. “I don’t know why you have to be so hostile toward me after what we had.”
Her clammy skin crawled with the memory of his foul touch that chilled her bones. “We had nothing. You destroyed my innocence.”
“I gave you love.”
Nausea stewed in her gut. She shuddered, remembering his lecherous hands and lips on her body. Most people considered him to be handsome with his salt and pepper hair, bright blue eyes, and muscular build, but she knew what he really was––a monster.
“I mean it. Stay away from me. Or I’ll… I’ll…”
He edged closer. “Tell your precious Grandpappy? He’s rotting away in a nursing home, too weak to do anything.” But she still could detect a hint of fear in his voice. Even weak, Grandpappy scared him.
“Shut up. Just shut up.” She ran around the black lab table. “Did you hear what I said? Stay away from me or I’ll scream.” Her voice shook, sending tremors all the way down to her toes.
“You didn’t scream then, and I don’t think you’ll scream now.” His confidence turned her insides out.
She grabbed a Bunsen burner and held it up over her head, breathing hard. “What do you want?”
“Really? You’re going to bash my head in with that thing?”
“Yes. Grandpappy showed me where to hit and how hard. I also have been taking karate classes.”
He laughed. “You? A little mouse? Is taking karate?”
She held her head up high. “Care to test me? I just made my blue belt.” Her sarcastic voice masked the terror beating in her heart. Being in the classroom was one thing, but testing her skills on the man who scared her the most was another.
Oscar stopped where he was, hesitation flashed into his eyes. “And here I came to offer you a deal.”
She gripped the burner tighter. “I don’t want to make a deal with you.”
“Oh, but you do. You’re dangerously close to losing your grant to discover a cure for diabetes.” He narrowed his eyes. “Then, what would happen to your Grandpappy?”
“What is your point?” She glared. By the gleam in his eyes, he was going to lead her down a path she wouldn’t like.
“I can help you. Being the new head of the department, I can make sure your grant is renewed.” He flashed his gaze over her as if she were naked.
She bit her lip to keep spewing her fast food hamburger and fries all over the lab table.
He grabbed her wrist hard.
Her eyes widened. “Let go of me.”
“Make me, beautiful.”
Ignoring her recent karate training, she slammed the burner on his fingers hard.
He yelped and yanked his hand back.
A tall skinny shadow fell across Sandra’s face that sent chills down her back.
“Oscar, Sandra, what’s going on?”
Sandra jumped at the accusatory voice. Her mother, Leda Rich, stood in the doorway and an evil glare flashed in her blue eyes.
“Mother. You scared me.” Sandra dropped the burner and ran her hand over her throbbing wrist.
Her mother’s scowl meant she thought Sandra was a threat in stealing her man.
As if.
“What are you doing to my poor husband?”
“Nothing,
” Sandra mumbled. The same old tightness fell across Sandra’s chest, twisted her heart, and clawed her throat like her mother’s icy fingers. Unlike Grandpappy, her mother had never believed her about Oscar.
Oscar shook his hand and glared at Sandra. “She accidentally dropped a burner on my fingers.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” She rushed over to him, her lab coat nearly dropping off her skinny shoulders and sliding past her long fingers. Her blue eyes shown concern for Oscar, but never showed the tiniest for Sandra.
He withdrew his hand immediately. “I’m fine.”
She ran her fingers through her bob blond hair that emphasized her pinched, red face. It wasn’t the first time Oscar had brushed her off.
Someone cleared their throat.
Sandra frowned.
A tall, muscular handsome man, wearing a well fitted suit, stood in the doorway watching them intently. His dark eyes took in everything as if he were analyzing every detail, dissecting what was right and what was wrong
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Her mother gestured toward the man. “This is Agent Frank Malloy. Agent Malloy, this is my husband.” She rubbed Oscar’s arm and linked hers through his. “Dr. Oscar Rich. He’s the head of the department.” She curled her lip. “And Sandra.”
Her sneering voice made Sandra feel like she were two-feet tall. Tears flashed behind Sandra’s eyelids.
But only for a moment.
Letting her mother know she hurt her only led to more heartache.
“What did you come to see me for, Agent?” Oscar unwound himself from her mother’s clutches.
“I actually didn’t come to see you, Dr. Rich.” His strong gaze fell on Sandra. “I actually came to see Dr. Rotella.”
Sandra smiled at him. Despite her mother dissing her, he had used her professional name.
“Why do you need to talk with Sandra?” Her mother’s voice was filled with suspicion.
“The Bureau is interested in her experiment.”
Her mother laughed. “Why on Earth would the Bureau be interested in an experiment that has been a total failure?”
Heat flared over Sandra’s cheeks. She hung her head and stared at the worn treads on her sneakers.
“Obviously, the Bureau doesn’t view it as a failure.”
Sandra slowly raised her head. “My experiment? How did you hear about me?”
He smiled. “Through your grant.”
Sandra couldn’t recall her Biomedical Information Grant having written in the fine print that allowed outside agencies to review the results. “I didn’t know that the FBI was involved with my Federal Grant.”
“I would like to talk to you about this, but in…” He steered his gaze at Oscar and her mother. “In private.”
Oscar brushed her mother’s hands off his arm and stuck out his chest. “If this has to do with anything with the University, and as head of the department, I should know about it. Dr. Rotella is under my supervision and isn’t capable of making her own decisions without my consent.” His arrogant voice didn’t rival Agent Malloy who only smiled.
“I assure you that the Agency will keep you informed, but right now, I need to talk with Dr. Rotella.”
Oscar frowned. “I suggest you––”
Sandra’d had enough. She gestured toward the door. “Mother, Dr. Rich, would you please leave. I’m quite capable of talking to Agent Malloy on my own.”
“Sandra.” Her mother cast Sandra her best patronizing scowl. “Your stepfather is only trying to protect you.”
That was the last thing he was doing. Sandra walked over to the door, snapped her fingers, and pointed. “Now. Leave.”
“There’s no point of being rude about this, Sandra.” Her mother walked past her and flashed her a look that meant this-conversation-wasn’t-over-yet.
Sandra held her head up high. She was about to close the door, but the monster brushed his fingers over her arm, his thumb caressing her breast. An electric shock shot through her. She cried out and jumped backward. She banged into a file cabinet, pain slamming against her arm.
She couldn’t breathe, and her heart wouldn’t stop thrashing against her ribs. All those horrible feelings––helplessness, hatred, humiliation––sizzled like sparklers in her veins.
“I’m sorry.” Oscar’s sly voice was anything but, and laughter filled his eyes. He reached for her as if to steady her.
Sandra skidded around the cabinet, her sneakers slipping as if she were on ice.
Her mother frowned. “Sandra, what’s wrong with you?”
Agent Malloy was at her side, his body crowding back the monster. “Are you all right, Dr. Rotella?”
“Yes… Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.” Based on his steady gaze, he didn’t believe her. Not with her trembling voice and hopping around like a frog in a hot skillet.
He turned around, blocking her view from her stepfather and mother. “If you’ll excuse us, please.”
“Humpf.” Her mother left.
Her stepfather followed, for once, not saying a word.
Agent Malloy turned around. “They’re gone.” He frowned. “You’re still pale as a ghost.” He clasped her arm and set her on a chair. “Let me get you some water.”
“Thank you.” She wiped her sweating forehead, hating herself for allowing her stepfather to terrorize her once again.
“Here.” He handed her a paper cup.
“Thank you.” She took the cup, her hands still rattled, and drank the cool water. She took a deep breath. He gave her a few moments to compose herself, which gave her time to analyze him. He was taller than Oscar and his shoulders wider, and obviously more powerful. He had a strong chin that reminded her of a hero, but he wasn’t the man that had melted her heart.
Her hero wasn’t even from Earth. He was a bear-shifter from the planet Aria and the science officer of the spaceship Intrepid. She’d only met Vaughn once. He’d come to the hospital in Frisco where her best friend’s boyfriend, another Arian, needed medical treatment.
She’d dreamed about Vaughn every night since he’d come to Earth. She remembered him with those deep green eyes, his dark brown hair that curled at the base of his neck, and his strong male scent of pine. Besides Grandpappy, he was the only man who hadn’t made her want to jump out of her skin.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes much. As you can see my stepfather unnerves me.”
“I didn’t realize Dr. Rich was your stepfather.”
“Unfortunately, he is.”
“If you don’t like working for him, why stay?”
She always dreaded that question. “Because whenever I apply anywhere, I’m denied. He’s very well respected in the scientific community and without his recommendation, I’m stuck here.” She couldn’t hide the bitterness and frustration in her voice.
“Opportunities can be made.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I have a confession to make.”
Warnings signals rang all over her. Oh, crap. “You’re not with the FBI?”
He smiled. “No, I’m with the FBI, but I’m not here on official bureau business. I’m here representing the United Planet Confederation. I’m a liaison for them. My sister is mated it to a Zalaraian, but in this case, I’m here on behalf of the Arians.”
“Excuse me?” Her eyes widened. Her heart missed a beat and her tummy fluttered. “Wait…You mean the Arians? You just said that, didn’t you?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
She put her hand on her frantic heart. “Are they here?” Her heart was threatening to explode at the thought of seeing Vaughn.
“They have a favor to ask you.”
“Which…is…?” Sandra drew out the question.
“The females on that planet are sick or dying of thirst. They’re not able to absorb the water.”
“What about the men?” She held her breath, afraid Vaughn was sick.
Don’t be infected.
Agent Malloy shook his head. “So far, the men haven�
�t been affected, which is another mystery.”
She exhaled in relief. She tried to shift all of this into neat compartments in her mind, but so far, everything was a mess. The only thing she could think of was Vaughn.
She forced herself to concentrate. “What exactly is happening to the women?”
“The Arians’ water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen such as ours, but it has another chemical they call Bregalite. It’s naturally in the water, and it allows them to absorb the nutrients. Without it, their bodies reject the minerals.”
“So, what does my experiment on developing insulin with no side effects have to do with this?”
“It’s your byproduct that they’re interested in obtaining––specifically your formula.”
Sandra stiffened. “The byproduct has no known medical uses.”
“Not here on Earth, but the Arians claim that you stumbled on a byproduct that they call Cronor. It’s the key in helping the women absorb the water–the key to their survival.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “So, I’m just supposed to hand this formula over to you with no questions asked?”
He frowned. “Why wouldn’t you want to help them?”
“For one thing, I’m afraid it won’t work. Or worse, it could be deadly to them. Two, I need to continue to do tests to find a cure for diabetes.”
“Noble, but you’re not close in developing a cure.”
“Yet––Agent Malloy––yet.” She refused to let Grandpappy down.
“But you have a chance to save a race.”
“I could save them and my Grandpappy.”
“Your research is not just professional, it’s personal.”
“Yes.” She wiped an annoying hair off her glasses. “My Grandpappy is very special to me. He’s suffering from the side effects.” Her voice choked. She took a deep breath. “And his diabetes is getting worse. The insulin isn’t working.” She gave him a determined glared. “I won’t leave him.”
“I’m sorry about your Grandpappy, but this is bigger than just one person.”
She stiffened. “I realize that, Agent Malloy. But, the Cronor that you mentioned isn’t stable and changes forms unpredictably. That’s why I haven’t used it on human subjects.” Namely, her Grandpappy.
