“I stayed with you because I love you,” he said.
“And there are people who love these women,” she said. “Humans may not have the destined bond with mates the way that Denynso do, but their love is still strong and they still have loyalty. Just as you would have wanted me to remain by your side when I was still human, I know that these women will hope that their families will remain by theirs now.”
“Then it is up to us to help them get back to their families when all of this is done.”
“And the hybrids?” Eden asked.
“They don’t have families or homes,” Pyra reiterated. “There’s nothing out here for them.”
Eden climbed out of the bed and crossed the room to her bag to take out fresh clothing. Her mind was spinning as she struggled to understand her mate’s perspective and reconcile it with her own emotions.
“Nothing but us,” Eden said. “Rilex and Severine are obviously connected. I don’t know if she can understand that yet, or if he has admitted it, but the only reason that he would follow her is if he loved her. We can’t just abandon them, Pyra. Aegeus has been tortured in the same way, and you were willing to accept him.”
She turned and saw Pyra get out of bed and start to dress as he spoke.
“Aegeus was somebody before he was Klimnu,” Pyra argued. “He’s not a hybrid.”
“The hybrids are people, too, Pyra. They were forced to be what they are just as Aegeus was. Why don’t you understand that? Why do you just want to throw them away?”
She could hear the tears in her own voice, and Pyra seemed to hear them as well. His face softened and he took the two long strides across the room to her. He reached up and cupped her cheeks with his massive hands, tilting it up to look at her.
“I do understand, Eden,” Pyra said. “I know that they didn’t choose this, but that doesn’t change that I don’t know what the future holds for them. It’s not that I want to throw them away. It’s that they aren’t mine to throw away. I don’t have control over their lives, and I shouldn’t. They’ve been through enough and had enough of someone else controlling them and dictating to them who they are and the lives that they are going to have. I don’t know what’s right for them. They need to make that choice, and I don’t know what our place is when it comes to helping them make it.”
Eden felt her heart swell and a smile broke through the tears.
“All we can do is be there for them,” she said softly. “I don’t know what’s right, either. I don’t know if any of them have even fully processed that they are free now and that they have those choices. I don’t know if they even understand what having choices is. What I do know is that we’ve been doing exactly what Ryan wants from us. We’ve been afraid. We’ve been scared of these hybrids and have been focused completely on them and protecting ourselves.”
“The hybrids are still a threat,” Pyra said. “They attacked us at the University and there have been attacks here on Penthos. They even tried to drag Severine back when she was trying to get to the transportation bay.”
“I know,” Eden said. “I’m not saying that all of the hybrids are safe. She told us that some were once humans and they volunteered to be spliced with DNA from other species so that they could be a part of the experiments. I understand that the hybrid army still represents a massive threat to us, but what I’m saying is that they aren’t the only threat that we need to remember. They aren’t what started this war. We need to remember that it’s Ryan who is at the center of all of this. He created this and it’s him who we need to defeat. That goes for the hybrids, too. As much as we have to stand up against him, they do, too. As long as they remain afraid of him, as long as they don’t claim the life that is theirs to live, they are feeding into his final mission. He wants nothing more than to control the Universe and make every living being do his bidding. It’s what makes him feel powerful and keeps him going.”
“So, we take that power away from him,” Pyra said. “Every hybrid that we take out of his control and who rises up against him is another crack in the armor that he’s built up around him, another piece taken out of him. The more that we take from him, whether it’s you, Lysander, Aegeus, Maxim and Kyven, or the hybrids, the weaker he gets.”
“Exactly,” Eden said.
“Then it’s time,” he said, crossing to the mirror on the wall at the side of the room and sculpting his hair into the tall, sharp mohawk that marked his readiness for battle. “Rilex and Severine will be fine. He is strong and has faced more than this in his time. Severine is courageous and knows this planet better than any of us. They will make it back here and we will reconnect with them later. For now, we need to get to Maxim and the rest. It’s time to do what we came here to do.”
To be continued…
BOOK 1 – CAPTURED BY SWEET ALIEN
Chapter 1
The hairs on my neck stood. It happened every time my boss was near. He gave me the creeps and on more than one occasion I had to politely remind him to keep his filthy hands to himself. Ever since I turned down his advances he made up his mind on giving me the worst cases and projects. I lifted my tired eyes to see him standing in front of my desk with a smirk. I knew that look. It meant he had something planned—and I wasn’t going to like it.
“Ms. Baines, I have a new assignment for you.”
Leaning back in my chair I nodded giving him permission to sit in the chair and waited for him to spit it out.
“You’re going on a trip.”
“Where to?”
“Uoria.”
I gulped. Out of all the places he could have sent me and it was to the planet full of the most temperamental species humans had ever studied. “What for?”
“We need to learn more about them, what’s in their blood.”
I gasped. “You know that’s against the rules, Ryan.” Everyone knew that the King and Queen made the rules. They still allowed us to do testing, but never of their blood. And I knew what happened to those who tried getting the blood of a Denynso. They never came back that’s what.
He shrugged. “You’re sneaky enough and no one pays much attention to you. We need to know what makes them so powerful.”
His eyes lit up and I shuddered. I knew exactly why he wanted a sample of their blood. It was the same reason every other scientist wanted it, and it was exactly why they had all failed.
“Oh, and preferably the blood from their strongest warrior is what you need to get. You’ve heard of him right?”
Of course I had. Everyone in my line of work had heard of the monstrous Denynso called Pyra. He was one mean son of a bitch and no one wanted near him. Well, besides all the women that vied for a place in his bed. But there was nothing scientific about that.
“You know I won’t do that.”
He shrugged. “Then you’re job is as good as gone and so will your reputation. You’ll never work again. Not in this field!” He spun on his heel and looked over his shoulder. “Might as well practice saying, “Do you want fries with that?” because that’s the only work you’ll ever get. You know how much we need this information.”
“Wait,” I said and sighed. I couldn’t lose my job. It was all I had, my livelihood. I’d have to find a way to convince the leaders to let me have a sample and test it. Maybe fudge the results or something. I would find a way. “I’ll do it!” I prayed I live long enough to explain why I was asking for the one thing they’d refused since we learned of their species.
His smile widened as if he had won the biggest prize. He knew I wouldn’t be coming back and that was his plan all along. They’d kill me before I got close enough to the warrior, and if I managed to sneak by he’d break my neck with two fingers. I shuddered. This wasn’t going to be a fun vacation. I needed to form a plan and offer the Denynso something they couldn’t resist, but I didn’t have anything—not really. I only hoped I could get them on the off chance that they wouldn’t want me to lose my job. Maybe they’d feel sorry for me, throw me a bone or something. No matter how small it
was, I’d take it.
“Good, I knew you’d see it my way. You need to be ready at four a.m.”
Then he left me stewing knowing he’d given me an impossible task. If I was going down, I was taking that piece of shit down with me. I smiled evilly. They were an angry species. It shouldn’t be too hard to piss them off and let them know it was all Ryan’s idea.
After he left me alone, I did what I was best at. I hacked the system and copied the surveillance from my office. Right there I’d be able to prove what was going on to the Denynso, if I could play it. I already knew there wasn’t electricity, but I’d charge my laptop for that purpose alone. Proof my boss was a scumbag and it was his idea to send me there to specifically break their rules. Maybe I’d have a chance to survive my stay there, but coming back home wouldn’t be so great.
Chapter 2
I was ready to go and waited for my boss well before four. I hadn’t slept at all. All night I planned how I would handle the situation my boss had put me in. I knew they would be expecting another scientist. I’d have to meet with them before I step foot on their compound. From what I had learned it was a very secure planet. Warriors scoured the land to keep watch over the humans, and be on the lookout for an attack from their enemies.
I shuddered and thought about what I’d heard about their enemies. There were several horror stories of the attacks on Uoria. The Klimnu were disgusting beasts. Luckily they hadn’t managed to make it to Earth yet or humans would be in big trouble.
Ryan strolled up to me at four on the dot and smiled handing over my paperwork.
“Here’s all the stuff you’ll need when you get there. I have you down as routine testing for plant and animal life. You’re there for up to six months. That should be plenty of time to get what I need.” He gave me a look and I didn’t miss the tone.
I nodded, but inside I was fuming. He was trying to get me killed. I was his competition, and the one that turned his ass down. He didn’t take rejection well, and now I was paying for it. But I was smarter than him and would come up on top.
“All right, well you know how to get in contact if you need anything, but I’m sure you won’t.”
I kept my mouth shut because this was all a fucking set up. I couldn’t believe he’d stoop so low, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was up for the promotion he wanted. Luckily I’d learned to control my Irish temper. My mother always told me one day it would come in handy to have self-control, and now I was learning.
Without a word I picked up my bags and boarded the ship. I was nervous as hell. This was the first time I was traveling to another planet, and I wasn’t too sure about it. I wasn’t the type of person who wanted to experience new things. I’d much rather stay in the lab by myself. I felt Ryan’s eyes burning into my back and straightened without turning back. He wouldn’t get a rise out of me. As soon as the metal door clanged closed I let out the breath I’d been holding and muttered, “stupid ass mother fucker.” He would get his.
The very human pilot chuckled. Apparently I spoke a little louder than I thought. Oh well. Everyone knew how I felt about Ryan so it wouldn’t be a surprise that I’d be cursing him. They also knew I had a temper and I held a grudge like no other. I glared at the man and he shrugged before getting ready to take off.
The ship shook and my stomach dropped. Leaning back in my seat I held my breath and closed my eyes. My hands gripped the arm rests and I clenched my teeth as I was lifted into the air at an unknown speed. My stomach rose back up into my throat and I nearly lost what little I had eaten. As soon as the ship leveled some I was able to relax but the speed hadn’t slowed and I kept my eyes shut hoping the medication I had taken would kick in soon knocking my ass out.
* * * *
I woke up to the pilot shaking me. I swung my fist and smiled when I heard the satisfying crunch of the bone in his nose breaking. I didn’t like being touched especially without permission.
“Shit!” he shrieked. “What the hell, I was only waking you up. I’ve been trying for nearly an hour. These warriors are starting to get antsy.”
I shot up and grimaced. “Sorry,” I replied sheepishly. Now I felt bad. “Sorry about your nose.”
“It fucking hurts. No wonder everyone is scared of you.” His eyes watered and he’d lifted his shirt to catch the blood.
I smirked. “Yeah, well next time refrain from touching me. Use a blow horn if you have to, but keep your damn hands to yourself.”
He nodded and winced. “You got it, but please get the hell of my ship.”
I stood and stretched knowing I’d just slept for probably five days. My body wasn’t ready to stand and I wobbled but caught myself before I fell. “Give me five.”
He didn’t respond so I took it as an okay and paced the small area while the rest of my body woke up. I needed to be alert when I met the King and Queen. My insides fluttered like butterflies. I wasn’t the biggest socialite and meeting people, human or not, wasn’t my thing. After the given five minutes I walked behind the pilot and laid a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and looked at me in fear.
“Thank you for the ride, and again, I’m sorry about your nose.”
He nodded curtly. The bleeding had stopped but his right eye was almost swollen shut. “I’ll remember the blow horn next time.”
I chuckled. At least he was able to find humor in getting his ass kicked by a woman.
I stepped off of the ship and gasped. It was so familiar, yet not. Everything was so alive. The grass waved in wind, and the sky was almost violet with pinks and oranges. It was breathtaking. I stood taking in the surroundings. The ship rumbled to life vibrating the ground. I didn’t even bother looking back. I was stuck here for the next six months. Life was about to get a whole hell of a lot more interesting.
My view was blocked by the largest body I had ever seen. Even I felt tiny to the beast in front of me, and instinctively I balled my hands into fists. I had to be in front of the warrior everyone spoke about.
“You’re the new one?” he asked in a gruff voice that vibrated along my skin. The sound shot right through my body.
I gulped and looked up, and then up some more before nodding. “Yes, I’m Eden Baines.”
He smirked down at me. “Come, you must meet the King and Queen.” His voice was a bit tenser, and I wondered why. Must have been that temper I had heard about.
Chapter 3
Pyra wanted to roar. The moment she spoke, something inside of him came to life. A heat so intense filled him he was barely able to hold back his gasp. It wasn’t acceptable. This measly human was not his mate. She was tiny. There was no way she’d be able to handle all seven feet, and three inches of him.
He wasn’t ready to be shackled down by the all-consuming love he’d feel for her. His body already was going through the change, and they hadn’t even touched. He had this feeling for days. He was edgier than normal, though for him that wasn’t saying much. He flew off the handle more than once and fought five of his brethren. Now he understood why.
He stalked to the main house, not looking back. He couldn’t look at her, not yet. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his hands to himself if he really saw her. From what he’d seen she was perfect. Fairly tall for a human woman, pale skin, fiery red hair, that he knew would match the glint in her bright green eyes. He noticed every tiny freckle that dusted her skin. He hadn’t missed the slight gap between her two front teeth when she spoke. He also didn’t miss the way she averted her eyes or didn’t offer her hand like most of the others did. She didn’t want to be there, he could tell right off.
She did well to keep up with him. She kept space between them, and it was only her heavy breathing that let him know that his pace was too fast. His mind automatically went to helping his mate and he slowed—too much because she slammed right into him and flew back from the force of hitting him.
She yelped and skidded on the soft grass. “Hey fucker,” she yelled.
He spun around surprised by t
he vulgar word coming from her sweet looking lips.
“You nearly killed me!” She stood and wiped her hands on her jeans. Her face was flushed from anger. When she realized all the warriors nearby stopped and she turned brighter and looked at the ground nibbling her lip.
Pyra wanted to brush her hair from her face, wanted to suck that lip, but instead he bowed his head. “I apologize.”
She glared up at him as if she thought he wasn’t serious, but she nodded and started walking again. He turned back around and turned to the path to the Great House.
He could hear the loud thump of her heart but kept his eyes forward. She was a spitfire, but now she was embarrassed. He could sense it. “You know, you sound much like us when we get pissed. You have a formidable temper.” he called over his shoulder.
“So I’ve heard,” she grumbled and he chuckled.
“Here that’s normal, don’t feel embarrassed by your outburst. My brothers were all just surprised to see a human act like us so much.”
“I usually have better control.”
“I doubt it. I think you react without thinking 90 percent of the time.”
“If that was the case I’d have lost my job the first time my boss touched my ass. So no, I think I’m good with control.”
He liked her snarky attitude, but what she said pissed him the hell off. He spun and again she ran into him apparently not paying attention and this time before she flew back he gripped her shoulders and held her up. She gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. She felt it too. The touch of the mate, he closed his eyes and bit his lips trying to gain control. All it took was the one touch and he wanted to throw her on the ground and ravage her until she knew who she belonged to. He rubbed his thumbs in circles on each shoulder and then the pain hit.
The little woman brought her knee up a second time when the first wasn’t enough. She kneed him hard and shoved him back. Dammit she was tough. He buckled over and groaned. When he lifted his eyes he knew there was fire in them because she backed away fearfully.
The Alien's Mystery (Uoria Mates IV Book 7) Page 11
