by Sadie Carter
“Are you hoping to one day find your human mate?” Blue asked.
“Perhaps,” he said guardedly.
“And do you think you’ll be smart enough to recognize her when you find her?”
“Blue,” Safan warned. “Perhaps we should focus on the fact Ellie is missing?”
“Yes, we need to find her. I am worried about her health,” he said urgently.
“Her health?” Blue looked startled. “Ellie was sick? Ellie never gets sick.”
“It is not her physical health I worry over.”
“What?”
“She was all over the place emotionally. Happy, then in tears, then angry. Then she became furious at me when all I wished to do was speak to her and took off, and now I cannot find her.”
Blue just shook her head. “You guys really take the cake.”
“What has this got to do with cake?” he asked, completely confused.
“It has nothing to do with cake,” Safan advised. “It never has anything to do with cake, more’s the pity. Ellie hasn’t made me cake in ages.”
“No, because she’s been too busy cooking and baking for him.” Blue waved her hand at him.
“I did not ask her too,” he said stiffly.
“She was just trying to do something nice for you.” Blue sighed. “Go back to your research, Racar. Go back to saving your race. We’ll take care of Ellie.”
He knew he was being dismissed, but he could not just leave.
“But she is missing.”
“She’s not missing. I’m pretty sure I know where she is. And you don’t have to worry, Ellie and her emotional outbursts and her cooking and baking won’t bother you again.”
She glanced up as she heard a movement from above. It didn’t surprise her to see Blue settle in next to her where she was sitting on the edge of a huge, wide rock, her legs dangling over the edge.
Blue didn’t say a word. Then Keely appeared and sat next to Blue. Tane appeared on Ellie’s other side. She scooted into Blue to give him more room.
“We late to the party?” Jack asked. He and Marc sat behind them.
She sighed, staring out at the star-laden sky. “How did you all know?”
“Racar came to our place looking for you,” Blue told her.
Wonderful. And in went that nail. Her humiliation was complete.
“Want me to kill him for you?” Tane rumbled.
“No.”
“Beat him up a little? It wouldn’t be a problem.”
She glanced sideways at her friend. Other people might take that offer as a joke, but she knew he was being completely serious.
“No. I don’t want you to beat him up. A little or a lot. It’s fine. He doesn’t want me. That’s hardly an offense.”
“But being a dick about it is,” Keely told her. “What did he do?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
Blue sighed and leaned back on her hands, staring up at the sky. “Wanna leave?”
She stiffened. “What? I have to go? What did I do wrong?”
Around her, everyone grew tense, and she realized she’d misunderstood. Shit. Shit. Shit. Way to go revealing more than she’d wanted to.
This was all his fault.
“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Keely told her fiercely.
“Course not,” Blue added. “I was asking if you wanted to leave Zerconia. I wasn’t saying that you have to go.”
Leave? Where would she go? She had no one. Nothing.
“But you’re all here.” Her breathing came in faster pants. She grew hot then cold. Sweat coated skin, her body trembling.
Her tiny arms clung to her foster mom’s neck. Shudders ripped through her body.
“No! No, I won’t go. Don’t make me go.”
Her foster mom shuddered and sobbed. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. We can’t keep you.”
“I be good. I won’t be naughty ever. I be good. I promise. Please let me stay.”
Her foster mom rocked her, crying along with her. She always smelled like cookies and she gave the best hugs. Ellie tightened her hold on her, wrapping her legs around her foster mom’s waist.
“I wish I could, baby. I wish I could.”
“I’m really sorry, but the longer you take to say goodbye, the harder it is on her,” the older woman next to them said quietly.
Ellie knew who she was. She was the woman who’d brought her here when her parents went to heaven. And now she was going to take her somewhere else. But Ellie didn’t want to go anywhere else.
She felt the hands prying her away from her foster mom and she started to scream.
She wanted her mommy.
Suddenly, Tane wrapped his arm around her waist. Jack placed his hand on the back of her neck while Blue took hold of her hand.
“We’re all here, Ellie. Just breathe, darling,” Jack murmured to her. They held her close, keeping contact with her until her breathing came easier and her shaking stopped.
“Sorry…sorry…” she muttered to them.
“Nothing to be sorry about,” Marc said fiercely. Most people looked at Marc and saw someone quiet. A nerd. Weak. But he was incredibly loyal and you did not want to ever piss him off. You didn’t have to be huge and strong to get revenge. Especially not when you were smart and had some killer hacking skills. “You want me to mess up his home computer system so that his cleaning unit only runs cold and his autocooker only serves junga, you just give me the word.” Junga was this disgusting-tasting, horrible-smelling root vegetable that no one liked.
Ellie turned to give Marc a shaky smile. “Thanks. But I think I’ll just stick with avoiding him from now on.”
Jack had loosened his hold, and Blue had let go of her hand, but Tane kept her close. She laid her head on his chest.
“You haven’t had a panic attack in a while,” Keely commented.
She stiffened slightly. Over the years, she’d had plenty. And they’d learned that the best way to bring her out of one was touch. She needed contact with others. She didn’t know why. Probably a therapist would tell her it was because she’d grown up without much affection. She guessed they’d be right.
But all she knew was it made her weak. Vulnerable. They’d all had shitty things happen to them in their lives, but she was the only one who had panic attacks. She took in a deep breath.
“No,” she answered quietly. “I don’t know why that one came on.”
“Yes you do,” Blue answered in her forthright way. “And it’s my fault. Ellie, you’re one of us. Part of our family. If you’re miserable here, then you need to tell us and we’ll leave. All of us.”
She turned to gape at Blue. “B-but you can’t do that…Safan…”
Blue shrugged. “I’ll just have to convince him to come too. He likes adventure. He also wants me to be happy. It’s one of the best things about these warriors. It helps counterbalance the whole bossy, overprotective thing they have going on.”
“That and the fact that they’re damn good-looking and no doubt really good in the sack,” Keely added.
“Yep,” Blue agreed as Tane, Jack, and Marc groaned. “There’s that too. Just as well, as I’d probably have smothered him in his sleep otherwise.”
“So exactly how good is he?” Keely asked slyly.
“Nope. No. Not happening. I do not need to hear any details about my sister and her alien mate in bed together,” Jack protested fiercely.
She grinned at the horror in his voice.
“Way to ruin all my fun,” Keely complained.
Ellie giggled. Which had no doubt been their intention. She loved these guys so much. Even though she didn’t understand why they’d taken her with them all those years ago when they’d escaped that horrible planet where they’d been kept as slaves, she was so glad they had. Even though it was tempting to say yes, that she wanted to leave, to run away and hide and lick her wounds, she never would.
Not only because everyone else loved it here and she didn’t want them to have
to leave, but because that just wasn’t who she was. This was a good place to live. It was safe. They didn’t have to take whatever job came their way just to survive. Keely didn’t have to go out and negotiate with scary customers with Tane and Jack acting as her bodyguards. Blue didn’t have to stress about keeping them all alive; she didn’t take everything on her shoulders anymore. They all had jobs they now loved. Even Keely had found something she enjoyed doing. Mia, the human ambassador, had hired her as an assistant.
Ellie just needed to find a way to fit in as well. To make herself useful. To not give the Zerconians a reason to regret offering her shelter. She just needed something to occupy her time.
“I don’t want to leave,” she told them all. “But thanks for offering to come with me.”
“Like we’d let you go on your own,” Keely scoffed.
“Are you happy here?” Tane asked.
She could hear his heartbeat with her face pressed up against his chest and it soothed her. She thought about lying, but that wasn’t who she was. “At the moment, no. But that’s my own fault.”
Keely snorted. “Racar is an idiot. The man is so dense, he wouldn’t see his nose on his face if it was pointed out to him.”
She felt embarrassed at all the attention. She was used to being in the background.
Tane tightened his arm around her. He was always most in-tune with her emotions. “You sure you don’t want me to go have a little chat with him?”
“I’m sure. Really. It’s not his fault he doesn’t want me.” God, rejection was as hard as an adult as it was as a kid. Maybe even more so since she very rarely put herself out there anymore. She’d learned to guard her heart. But for some reason, she’d needed to know how he felt about her.
And now she did. He barely even knew she was alive.
She took a deep breath. “I just wish I had something to do here. I feel like I’m not doing my contributing anything.”
“What?” Blue snapped. “Has someone said something to you?”
“No. I just…it’s the way I feel.” She rubbed her hands over her thighs. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You could never be a burden, Ellie,” Jack told her.
“And if anyone ever says otherwise, I’ll kick their asses,” Blue added fiercely.
Ellie smiled. She may have had a rotten childhood, but the fates sure had made up for it when they’d sent these guys to her. “I’m so lucky to have you all.”
“Got that round wrong, baby girl,” Tane rumbled. “We’re lucky to have you. Whenever one of us needs you, you’re always there.”
“You’re the one who always makes sure we have everything we need,” Marc added.
“And who says you haven’t been contributing?” Keely said. “You spend most of your time baking and cooking for other people. How many hours of experimenting did it take you to find substitutes for ingredients on Earth so you could make me that awesome red velvet cake for my birthday?”
“And those pancakes you made on my birthday,” Jack pointed out. “You even managed to find a substitute for maple syrup.”
It had all been worth it to make them happy.
“Hey! Maybe that’s what you should do,” Blue suggested.
“What?” she asked.
“Open a bakery. Or a stall at the market. Sell your baked goods.”
“I couldn’t.” Nerves filled her. What if no one wanted to buy her stuff?
“Of course you could,” Keely said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “You’re amazing at what you do, Ellie. And you enjoy it. Think of how many humans who live here would enjoy a taste of home.”
“And it’s not just humans who adore your baking,” Blue pointed out. “Safan is addicted to those lemon square things you make. I think he’s starting to get a pot belly, he’s eaten so many.”
Ellie snorted. They all knew there wasn’t a hint of fat on Safan. “You really think I could do it?”
“Definitely!” Keely stated. “And we’ll all help you. I can help with marketing stuff. We could call it Piece of Cake.”
“Or the Sweet Spot,” Jack suggested.
“How about Snack Rack?” Marc added.
“Sticky Buns,” Tane offered.
“I know,” Blue said. “Muffin Top.”
“Umm.” She didn’t quite know what to say.
“We can figure that out later,” Keely told her. “The boys can help set up your stall. And Blue can talk to Safan to see if there are any regulations or rules we need to know.”
“Done,” Blue stated. “So, what do you say?”
Hope filled her, even though she tried to push it down. This sounded like a dream come true. Her own stall. All right, so it wasn’t what she thought she wanted most out of life, which was a family. But it did sound like something she’d love to do.
“All right, I’m in.”
He had managed to locate the house she lived in. Quite by chance, he’d passed a Joyadan female and asked her if she knew where Ellie lived. She’d pointed out her small house. There had been no lights on inside, so he’d settled down in the shadows to wait.
He easily heard them approach. They were all talking amongst themselves and he made certain to keep himself hidden. When he caught sight on her, the knot in his stomach unraveled slightly. She was safe.
The moonlight shone down on her, giving her an ethereal appearance. She was delicate and small, which was especially obvious when she was tucked in against the largest of the human males. He had to stifle a growl at the sight of the male touching Ellie. The reaction was a shock to him and he had to take a moment to examine it. He felt angry, unhappy…
Jealous.
How could he feel jealous? He was not interested in the little female like that. He had barely noticed her before tonight. He did not actually care about her.
Then why am I here, waiting to make certain she is well?
Because he had been the one to upset her in the first place. That was all. No other reason.
And yet he couldn’t make himself leave. He watched as the group of them walked up to the small house. They all hugged goodbye before the males and Blue left. Lights went on in the house. He knew he should leave. She was fine now. He had things to do.
But instead of heading back to the research lab, he walking around the side of the building. A light went on in one of the bedrooms and there she was. The privacy screen had not been set, so he could stare at her, hidden by the shadows.
She pulled off her top, revealing her pale, perfect skin. Her breasts were hidden from him, trapped in one of those awful contraptions the humans called a bra. She was tiny. Even more delicate than he had realized under her baggy clothing. Her ribs were clear to see. He frowned. She should have had a full medical when she’d arrived here. She should be monitored to ensure she was healthy.
Of course, he only worried over her health because it was his job. Not because he actually cared.
His breath caught in his throat as she peeled off her bra. He knew he should go. If he was caught here…well, it would mean the end of his career, if not the end of his freedom. Spying on a female like this was wrong.
And yet he could not seem to tear his eyes away. She turned to face him and the sight of her gorgeous breasts made him freeze. His gaze was riveted on her. Her hair was down around her face; it was long and shiny, falling halfway down her back in waves. Although he couldn’t make her features out clearly from this distance, he knew that her nose turned up slightly at the end, that long lashes framed her deep brown eyes, and that there was a small scattering of spots across her nose. He wondered where else those freckles appeared.
He moved his gaze eagerly over her body. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to chase down every last spot and kiss it. To lick her all over, to take those pretty little nipples of hers into his mouth and suckle on them until she screamed.
His heart raced, sweat coated his skin. What was wrong with him? Why was he attracted to this female? His shaft was pressing against
his pants in a most painful manner and his body felt hot and achy. It was all he could do not to tear his way into her house, pin her to the masic, and take her.
Claim her.
The thought shocked him so much that he actually stumbled backwards and tripped over a log behind him, falling back onto his ass.
Stars. He’d never been clumsy in his life. If his fellow warriors could have seen him, they would never let him forget this.
“Hello? Is someone there?”
He stiffened at the sound of her voice. Had she heard him? Could she see him?
“Hello? Is someone out there? Show yourself.”
He carefully peered around a few leaves to see she had the window open and was peering out into the night with a scowl on her beautiful face. At least she had taken the time to wrap something around her so she was not standing there half-naked. But if she thought there was someone out here, then she should not open her window and call out to them. What if it were someone intent on doing her harm? They could easily pull her out of that window and cart her off with them.
He wanted to stand up and let her see him. To berate her for not taking enough care with her safety. To point out what she was doing wrong.
To insist that she allow him in, so he might protect her, care for her. Join with her.
The irony of the situation was not lost on him, that he had been watching her in secret yet at the same time wished to warn her to take more care. To always turn the privacy screen on. To never open the window at night.
Eventually, she gave up and closed the window then activated the privacy screen so he could no longer see her. He let out a sigh of relief, grimacing as he realized he was sitting on the damp ground. Great. He stood and brushed the leaves off his pants. Now he got to walk back to the medical center with wet pants.
He heard a rustle behind him. Turning, he reached for his weapon just as he heard her speak.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Stars. How had she gotten that close before he’d heard her? She was small, but he’d never known a human to be so light on their feet.
“What are you doing out here alone in the dark, female?” he growled in an attempt to hide his reaction to her. She smelled so sweet that his mouth actually watered with the need to taste her. What was wrong with him? How was she affecting him like this? “Do you know it is not safe? Anyone could be out here intent on doing you harm.”
