Unchained: The Discordant Earth Series Book Two

by Melony Paradise

  “If you don’t get off her right now, I will shoot your ass, dammit!”

  Alyssa moaned and opened her eyes. Sebastian stood at her head, his rifle aimed over her. Valel glared at him, unmoving.

  “I… can’t… breathe,” she whispered, but no one heard her.

  “I must save her. She needs me! I will not let her die.” The heat from Valel’s hands intensified, stealing Alyssa’s breath.

  Darkness threatened to claim her again, but the weight let up some, allowing her to gasp in a lungful of air. Her eyes shot open as the warmth faded from her wound. Hands pulled on Valel’s arms, trying to drag him away, but he struggled and growled in resistance.

  “I’m going to shoot this asshole, I swear to fucking God!”

  “Bas!” Jess stepped up to his side. “Calm down. She’s going to be okay. Let them get him off her. You don’t need to shoot anyone.”

  “Valel, you must move away. I will take over with Jack assisting me.” Mivy’s face was inches away from his, staring hard at him.

  Alyssa groaned, and the pain ramped up as Valel let himself get lifted off her body. Zula and Daniel stood at his sides, holding him back. Daniel’s face showed the strain, but Zula didn’t seem affected.

  Sucking in shallow breaths, Alyssa blinked rapidly as her vision kept blurring. Mivy gently placed her hands where Valel’s had been, and the soothing heat settled in around the wound. Jack kneeled at Alyssa’s head, mopping rain and sweat from her brow and cheeks. Sebastian dropped to his knees beside her, gripping her hand and whispering.

  “It’s okay, darlin’. You’re going to be fine. We got you. Breathe through the pain. I’m right here.”

  “I was looking for you,” she whispered through clenched teeth.

  “I’m right here, darlin’,” he murmured, his face mere inches away.

  “I shot—” Alyssa gasped at a stabbing throb. “I killed a Zook…”

  “He was playing possum, but Valel put him down.”

  Alyssa squinted, trying to remember, to gather her frayed thoughts. “I didn’t?”

  “No, you didn’t…”

  “Yes,” she hissed. “There was… I saved you… in the camp… he was going to shoot you.”

  “It’s okay, darlin’,” Sebastian said, brushing wet hair from her temple. “Don’t worry about it now.”

  Grateful for his very much alive presence, Alyssa looked into his eyes, focusing on his voice. A whimper escaped her throat as the sickening feeling of a bullet sliding through her flesh made her want to pass out. As it got closer to the surface, the bullet moved a little faster, making her cry out at the searing pain.

  “It is almost out, Alyssa,” Mivy said. “You will be healed soon.”

  Alyssa tried to take comfort in those words, but she couldn’t think past the throbbing in her flesh. With a shuddering breath and full-body shiver, she felt the bullet push out of her skin. Jack reached down and plucked it away.

  Shaking and chills took over and Alyssa squeezed Sebastian’s hand with what little strength she had left. The heat from Mivy’s hands intensified until Alyssa no longer felt the wound itself. That blessed warmth spread through her body, making her feel as if she floated. The chill of the rain and the night faded away.

  With one last look at Sebastian’s beautiful face, Alyssa sunk into the cozy sensations and let the blanket of sleep wrap her in its sweet embrace.

  ***

  When Alyssa finally opened her eyes, the pain was merely an uncomfortable throbbing. The last bit of jostling woke her as Sebastian lowered her to their bed. He’d already stripped her of her damp gear and clothing, and she glanced down at her body, clad only in her bra and panties.

  How did I sleep through all of that?

  Sebastian gathered her things into a pile by the door before turning back to pull the covers over Alyssa’s shivering form. “How’re you doing, darlin’?”

  “Better, I guess.” She craned her neck, looking at the angry welt on her shoulder. “Still hurts some, but it’s bearable. What happened?”

  “You don’t remember?” Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her with soft eyes.

  “It’s all a blur. I remember lots of yelling, and… oh my God, I killed a Zook! Wait…” She looked down, trying to grab onto a clear memory. “Did I kill two Zooks?”

  “Just one,” Sebastian said. “Valel killed the Zook that shot you.”

  “Oh. Well, still doesn’t make me feel much better about it. I still killed one.”

  “True, but you did it for the right reason. You saved me.” He leaned in, kissing her temple. “If you’re going to raid with us, you have to accept that you may have to use lethal force. It’s all part of war.”

  “I know,” she grumbled, “but it still sucks. I didn’t want to kill him, didn’t even mean to. I was aiming for his gun arm, but… I guess I got protective of you and shifted my aim at the last second.”

  “We all do what we must to protect the ones we love, darlin’. I would do anything to protect you from harm. I’m only sorry I couldn’t get to you before you were shot.”

  “It’s okay, babe. I’m fine now.” Alyssa’s face scrunched up for a moment as she thought back to the incident. “How am I better?”

  Sebastian grimaced. “Valel got to you first. He shot the Zook as he jumped over him to get to you. It was kind of incredible.” His eyebrows went up as he showed a grudging appreciation for the Karan. “But he got a little wild when he started performing Yken’Sa on you. We had to force him off of you so Mivy could take over. I thought I was going to have to shoot him.”

  Alyssa sighed deeply. “I don’t know what to do about him. One minute I think he’s fine, he’s getting over this weird attraction, and the next, he pushes it too far.”

  “Only thing you can do is stay away from him.”

  “You’re probably right,” she murmured, stifling a yawn.

  “You need to rest now, darlin’.”

  “Do you have to go to the debriefing?” Alyssa gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.

  Sebastian chuckled and started peeling his own gear off. “Nope, I’m here to take care of you. Make room for me.”

  Alyssa giggled and yanked the blankets down on his side of the bed. He crawled in carefully and propped himself up so she could rest her head on his chest and he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. She listened to his heartbeat and the sound of air rushing in and out of his lungs, letting her mind wander until she finally drifted off into a fitful sleep, full of blurry memories and angry voices.

  Chapter 26

  Light shined in around the edges of the bedroom window curtains. Alyssa tugged the bedspread up to her chin and curled onto her side. Peeking with one eye, she frowned at Sebastian’s empty side of the bed.

  “I don’t want to go back!”

  Alyssa cringed at Zirena’s whiny voice. What is she doing here?

  “You don’t have a fucking choice, Z.” Cecily sounded like her limited patience was wearing thin. “You are going back to California. I’ve already called Jo and arranged for transportation.”

  “Why? Why are you always sending me away?”

  Ugh. Could she sound any more pathetic?

  “Because you don’t seem to know when to give up.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, you have to get over your childish bullshit, let go of your damn crush on Sebastian, and start pulling your weight if you want to stay on with the coalition.”

  “You want to kick me out?” Zirena yelled. Alyssa pulled the blankets over her head as that wretched voice sliced through her throbbing brain as if the two women argued right next to the bed instead of in the kitchen.

  “No. I don’t want to kick you out, but I can’t keep babysitting you. You’ve got to stay away from Bas and Alyssa. They’re happy with each other. He’s not going to suddenly fall for you. You’ve been stalking him for years, Z. If he was going to be into you, it would’ve happened by now.”


  Silence reigned for a full minute before Alyssa heard Zirena stomp past her bedroom and out the front door, slamming it behind her. The bang rang through her head, but she welcomed it, thankful she wouldn’t have to see that crazy woman.

  The bedroom door clicked open. Alyssa pulled the blankets down and found Cecily’s head poking through the opening.

  “I’m so sorry, girl. Go back to sleep. I promise not to let anyone else wake you up.”

  “It’s okay.” She scooted up to lean against the headboard and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “I’m awake now. Could you get me an aspirin?”

  “Sure.” Cecily disappeared, then reappeared a moment later, handing over a pill and a glass of water.

  Alyssa took them and gave her a grateful smile. “What was all that about?”

  “Oh, you know Z. She can’t seem to let go of her crush on Bas or her grudge against you. I’m sending her home.”

  “Why do you keep her around? I haven’t seen her do anything besides whine and glare.”

  Cecily sat on the edge of the bed at Alyssa’s feet and stared at the floor. “I know, but she’s always been loyal to us. When she joined, she provided vital intel about Commander Kayn. I don’t feel right letting her go, and I’m not sure she’d make it on her own.”

  “Well, I’ll be glad when she’s gone.” Alyssa didn’t want to push the subject. She wished never to see Zirena again, but Cecily was too stubborn to be coerced into anything.

  “Unfortunately, so will I.” Cecily shook her head. She turned to peer at Alyssa with a gaze that reflected the weight she carried as a leader in this war. Alyssa did not envy her position, although she did envy one thing…

  “Cecily,” she murmured, almost hoping she’d gone unheard.

  “Yeah?”

  Alyssa wrung her hands together, sucking in a deep breath for courage. “Uh, I want to ask you something, but I don’t want to offend you.”

  Cecily grinned and brushed a lock of purple hair from Alyssa’s forehead. “Well, I can’t make any promises, but ask away.”

  “Is there, uh…” She looked down, bit her lip, and smoothed the blankets over her lap. “Is there something going on between you and Sebastian?”

  Alyssa peeked up through her eyelashes, holding her breath, ready to bear the brunt of an angry rant. Cecily just stared with her head cocked and her brow pinched.

  “Why would you ask that, Aly? Have I ever done anything to hurt you?” Hurt and confusion flashed in her eyes.

  “N-no, not directly…” Alyssa pulled her knees up to her chest, unconsciously creating a shield between her and Cecily. “It’s just that, when you two are together you finish each other’s sentences, and you’re always huddled together, talking in whispers. It’s like you’re both on the same wavelength that no one else can access. I, uh, I don’t know. I’m being stupid, I guess.”

  “Listen.” Cecily put her hand on Alyssa’s ankle. “Bas and I have known each other forever. We built this big thing out of a motley crew of misfits who wanted the same things we want. We were together for a while, you know that, but that’s long over. If we seem connected in any way, it’s because we’ve worked together so long that we basically are on the same wavelength—but it’s all about the coalition, girl.”

  Alyssa chewed on her lip, feeling her cheeks burn. Why did I open my big, fat mouth?

  “Besides,” Cecily said with a shrug, “I’m in love with someone else.”

  “Really?” Alyssa leaned forward against her knees, anxious for her moment of stupidity to be over.

  “Yeah. I’m dating Jo. You know, the central California leader.” Cecily’s brow crept up as the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

  “Jo?” Alyssa racked her brain a moment. “You mean Jolene Samson?”

  “The one and only.”

  “Really? How long?”

  “I guess about five years now.”

  “Wow. Oh God, I am so sorry! I don’t know what’s gotten into me.” Alyssa covered her face with her hands, wishing she could crawl into a dark hole and die of embarrassment.

  “Aly, girl, it’s not like you’ve had a lot of luck with honest men—uh, males. We all feel insecure sometimes. You just have to accept that you’re human, with flaws, and confront your issues head on.”

  “Argh. I know you’re right. I guess my head is a bit screwed up after what Kayn did to me, and now, with Valel, I don’t know which end’s up.”

  “What’s going on with Valel? Sebastian mentioned he was causing you some grief, but I thought that had passed. He seemed damned protective of you last night, like he’s got some sort of claim on you.”

  “He thinks he does. How much did Sebastian tell you?”

  “Well,” Cecily said, scratching the back of her head, “just that he was an issue and we should keep an eye on him, but you know, we’ve been busy with all the planning and merging our groups. Not a lot of time for chitchat.”

  “Right, right. Uh, yeah, Valel tried to force his way into my head. He seems to think he and I belong together or something. I told him to back off, and he did mostly, but I don’t know what that was last night.”

  “Well, you let me know if you have any more problems with him. We’ll nip this in the bud. What about the other Karans?”

  “They seem to be fine after you guys warned them off. Thanks for that, by the way.”

  “No problem.”

  ***

  “If all goes as planned, we should be able to proceed on the date we agreed upon at the summit.” Sebastian stood to the side of the conference room so everyone at the table could see the screen.

  “And the Karans? How are they faring in battle?” David Giles sat behind a large oak desk with his hands clasped in front of him.

  “Sir,” Valel said, stepping out of the corner he’d been leaning in, “my teams are fully prepared for the final battle. We have proven ourselves to be proficient fighters capable of working within a team of mixed species, as well as Karan-only teams. When the time comes, my people will gladly stand with the humans and Szu’Kara of this coalition.”

  “Wonderful,” David said, grinning ear to ear. “With humans, Szu’Kara, and Karans united as one, we will win this war. I applaud your efforts. Let me know how your next mission goes.” With a grin and a nod, the Unity Committee President faded from the screen. Sebastian reached over to switch off the monitor.

  Alyssa watched him peer around the table, studying all the faces. When his gaze fell on Valel, his eyes narrowed and his lips pinched into a thin line.

  Nait cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. “If that’s all, I would request a private meeting with you, Alyssa, Ela, and Valel.”

  With a long-suffering sigh, Sebastian looked to Ian. “You got anything else?”

  Ian shook his head. “Nope. I think we’ve covered everything we can for now. We’ll know more after the mission. Everyone,” he said loud enough to grab the room’s attention before they left, “begin your preparations. We leave in three days, and the rally is tomorrow. Make sure your teams are packed and sober.”

  “Also,” Sebastian said, “keep your guard up at the rally. The crowds will be big, easy for hiding in.”

  As everyone filed out of the room, Alyssa and Sebastian joined Nait, Ela and Valel at the far end of the table. Valel sat stiffly next to Ela, across from Sebastian. Alyssa held in an irritated sigh. In the days since she’d been shot, Sebastian had kept her at his side as much as possible. This over-protective Sebastian was endearing, but also wore on her nerves.

  “What’s up?” He tore his gaze away from his new nemesis to look at Nait sitting at the head of the table.

  “I thought we should discuss recent events, and the hypothesis Ela and I have formulated.”

  “Hypothesis?” Alyssa asked, clenching her shaking hands together in her lap.

  “Yes,” Ela said. “We believe there is a plausible explanation for the attraction between you and Valel.”

  “There’s no
attraction between them, just his obsessive need to stalk Alyssa.” Sebastian’s jaw ticked as he fumed.

  Valel’s eyes narrowed. “I do not have an obsessive need—”

  “You damn well do—”

  “Gentlemen,” Nait said, raising his voice and his hand. “Please, calm yourselves. What may seem like a lack of impulse control may actually be an evolutionary mechanism created from the blending of our two species.”

  “Huh?” Alyssa and Sebastian said in unison.

  “Humans have a faulty instinct for choosing a mate,” Ela said. “Szu’Kara have evolved to choose their mates in a more logical manner, less based upon emotion and more upon survival of the species through superior genetics. Also faulty in its own way, I admit.”

  “Humans use many factors in choosing a mate.” Nait glanced at Ela apologetically. “Much of your decision is based upon how societal influence has shaped your opinion of who you should be attracted to. Emotion plays a large role, but can sometimes be counterproductive. Another factor, and the one we believe is the cause of this issue, is pheromones.”

  “I don’t know a lot about pheromones,” Alyssa said, “but I thought that part was subtle, mostly an evolutionary byproduct that really plays little part in who a person falls in love with.”

  “Pheromones are an unconscious signal that can attract potential mates,” Nait said. “In humans, they play a small part in the large scheme of finding love. We believe that the combined genetics of human and Szu’Kara have enhanced this trait to the point that when two potential mates encounter each other, the pheromones create an intense attraction that is quite difficult to deny.”

  “So,” Sebastian said, thrusting his hand toward Nait, “you’re saying that pheromones are making Valel try to force himself on Alyssa?”

  Valel’s chest puffed up and all his muscles tightened as he clenched his fists on the tabletop.

  “We believe he has less self-control in this matter than a normal human or Szu’Kara would have. Even if two humans are attracted by pheromones, they can choose to not act on their base instincts, but Valel and Alyssa do not have such control over theirs.”