Emerald (Jewels Cafe Book 9)

by Jade Waltz

  There was no ill intent or creepy vibes coming off them, including Maw, who had just arrived. I knew I should be wary, but something about them called to me. They were strangers I had just met for crying out loud, yet I felt completely safe around them. After today, I just wanted to let whatever divine powers that existed take the wheel because it was apparent, I was a shitty driver of my own life.

  “It’s okay,” I sighed. “If it’s fine with you guys, I want to gather my belongings and call it a night. It’s been a long day, and I’m ready for it to be over with.”

  Chryso opened the passenger side door and stuck out a hand. “Your chariot awaits.”

  Rolling my eyes, I gave him a smirk and curtsied before grabbing it. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  He assisted me up the step and into the car before gently closing the door. As I buckled myself in and got situated, I told Maw the general direction where I left my car as Chryso and Vesuv climbed into the backseat. Silence fell as us as I tried to make out any of the landmarks we passed. Between the darkness and the unfamiliar location, it was a near-impossible task.

  The weight from the stress from all the unfortunate events of the day, coupled with the blanket of warmth that surrounded me made my eyelids threaten to close.

  “So, what is your story? How did you end up here?” Maw asked, his deep voice rumbling, jolting me awake.

  As I turned my head to answer, I caught Chryso leaning over with a lock of my hair in his hand pressed against his nose, breathing it in deeply with eyes closed.

  “Excuse me?!”

  Chryso’s eyes shot open in shock. He dropped my hair as I jerked away, pressing myself against the door, batting my hands toward him to get him to back away.

  “What the fuck?”

  Maw starred angrily into the rear-view window. “Seriously?”

  “What?” Chryso looked between his two brothers. “You can’t tell me you don’t smell her.”

  Lifting my arms, I took a waft of my armpits, smelling nothing out of the ordinary. Taking a few hair strands, I mimicked him and failed to find anything odd. It smelled like hair—a fruity scent paired with sweat, dust, and whatever else hair smells like after a day.

  “There’s nothing to smell,” I said as I slowly reached inside my purse. “Do you know anything about personal space?”

  “Don’t you both smell it? She smells like home, right?”

  “She may smell familiar, but that doesn’t mean you had the right to touch her hair.” Vesuv’s icy blue eyes met mine. “I am embarrassed to be related to him, and I am sorry for his foolishness.” He glared at the culprit. “He should’ve known better than to touch a female’s hair.”

  “But it’s so soft…”

  Sighing, I relaxed my grip on my pepper spray. “You really are clueless, aren’t you?”

  “Yes!”

  “No!”

  “Correct.”

  I heaved a sigh. Why did the pretty ones have to be so dumb? His brothers seemed intelligent. Was he dropped on his head when he was a baby, or did the smart gene not trigger with him? I guess one of the three being a dullard was good enough odds. It still didn’t excuse him from getting into my personal space and touching my hair.

  Should I be weirded out by what he did? Yes, definitely. I didn’t know them—and even if I did, only close friends did what he did. He wasn’t pushing himself on me or pressuring me to do something, but that still didn’t excuse his actions.

  “Don’t do it. Don’t touch me again.” Pulling myself away from the door, I corrected myself in the seat and brushed my hair forward. “Do that, and we’ll be good.”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  The familiar rusty green car appeared in the headlight beams.

  “That’s it!”

  We pulled up to a stop behind it.

  “This is your car?” Maw asked, confused.

  “Yeah, why?” I unbuckled my belt and opened the door.

  “It’s so—”

  “—old,” Chryso finished.

  I groaned. “You guys are typical males.” I climbed out of their vehicle and held the door. “The faster we can unload my belongings, the faster we can get to your B&B. Then you three can eat, and I can go to bed.”

  I shut the door, not waiting for a response. The cold winter air cut through me as I walked to my car and unlocked it. Doors slammed, quickly followed by footsteps.

  Chryso and Vesuv helped me unload my things into their trunk without a word. Embarrassingly, everything I owned barely filled their trunk.

  The ride to their home was silent.

  Slowing down, we turned down a long winding road. Lights twinkled between the trees as the forest thinned out the closer we go to the B&B. In the middle of a clearing was a three-story log cabin with a wrap-around covered porch. Sitting in the front of the house—more like a mansion—was a large wooden sign with the words “Silver Springs Bed and Breakfast” engraved on it.

  Fuck, how much money did these guys have?

  “This is yours?” I asked as we pulled into the five-vehicle garage.

  “Whose else would it be?” Maw replied, climbing out of the car.

  “I don’t know… your parents?” I eyed them as I gathered a few bags from the trunk. “Come on, you guys can’t own something like this.”

  “The three of us are equal owners of this property,” Vesuv explained, lifting two duffel bags. “There is no one else on the title.”

  Vesuv opened the door leading into the house, and I followed him inside.

  Lights turned on automatically as we walked down the hall into an open concept first floor. I could see everything. They had a large kitchen equipped with chrome appliances, a center island, and a serving counter with barstools. In the corner was an entertainment system that looked like it belonged in a movie theater. The most impressive part was the three-tiered crystal chandelier in the center of the room at the landing of their grand staircase.

  My bags slipped from my fingers and fell onto the floor as I spun around with mouth ajar.

  “How…”

  “Investments,” Maw replied. “Since you want to go straight to bed, I will give you the rules of the house now before we show you to your room and let you unpack.”

  “You are welcomed to eat dinner with us once we drop your belongings off if you are interested,” Chryso said.

  “No, thank you.” I gave him a gentle smile. “I’m tired and just want to go to bed.”

  “That is perfectly fine,” Maw promised. “The main rules are—One, you have free rein to any public room in this building; Two, knock before entering any private space; Three, the basement is off-limits, and you are never to go down there; and Four, do not go into the woods alone. There has been an increased wolf presence. That’s it. Do you have any questions?”

  “No. Your rules seem reasonable.” I glanced between the three males carrying my belongings. “I can agree to those rules.” I licked my lips as nervousness deep in the pit of my stomach began to settle. “Do you think one of you can help me call a tow truck and Harrison’s Auto shop?”

  Maw scrunched his face. “In Scarborough?”

  “That’s what Chase told me.”

  He glanced at his brothers. “How about you let us look at it before you take it to them?”

  I stared down the male. “Don’t tell me that is how you guys can afford this?”

  He grinned. “No, but we know our way around vehicles.”

  “Sure, I guess.” I shrugged. “I don’t have much money—”

  “Just let us look at it first, and we can determine payment later.”

  “Explain to me why she smells like our home planet,” Maw demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me before she entered my car, and I agreed to house her in our home?”

  Chryso and Vesuv sat across from him in their relaxing pool, unable to meet his gaze.

  This was the first time a human had entered their home, and he already was regretting it. They worked hard to rebui
ld their lives here on Earth after escaping before the Great War concluded. The Alzaqi had been on the losing side, and his triad decided to escape along with a select few others, knowing they would probably never see their home planet ever again.

  Maw worked alongside Saire to help create this sanctuary for their species. They discovered a great cover and built their lives around it—just now branching out some within the community.

  Now, this female came into their lives, only to mess things up.

  He felt something he didn’t think he would ever have a chance to explore—and didn’t want to believe it was real. They hadn’t presented to her as a triad, so there was no possible way for her to be their Sylex! Their nest was empty, yet here was this female Earthling, pulling on his instincts as no one had before.

  “You feel the connection too, don’t you?” Vesuv asked.

  He narrowed his eyes at the male.

  “I don’t trust her. She must know who we are and found a way to cause this,” he announced, daring the other two to object. He growled when no reply came. “Or it’s the Celestial Void. That would be the only explanation why we feel a connection to her, and her scent appeals so much to us. If it wasn’t our breeding season, we wouldn’t have this issue.”

  “We never had problems being around Earthling females before—even the few species of supes who were biologically designed to seduce others. We have been on this planet for over two hundred years and never had any issues with them until now.” Vesuv pawed at the water and watched the waves that formed. “We checked civilization from time to time, only recently moving to the surface when we learned Earthlings had discovered wireless.”

  “Are we sure she is human?” Maw asked. “I need to know if she is the product of a recent experiment. Many species have been using Earth as a testing ground for their own gain.” He slapped the murky water in anger. “I need answers. Who is she? What is she? And why is she here?”

  “What if she is only human?” Chryso challenged, meeting his gaze. “I know what I feel, Maw. Her being here isn’t a coincidence. The Stars led her to us!”

  “Just like the Fates planned for our planet to be conquered by another?” Maw barked. “Where was the Stars guidance then?”

  “They guided us here,” Vesuv answered confidently. “We landed and were able to flourish enough to build capital without any problems. The Silver Springs community welcomed the small group of us who wanted to expand themselves here. We are self-reliant with our own company and place in this supes town.” He glanced in the direction of their guest’s bedroom. “If Emerald was gifted to us, we should welcome her into our basement chamber and present ourselves to her. The longer we wait, the more I will worry about being punished.” Vesuv glared at Maw with beady icy blue eyes. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to challenge the Stars.”

  Chryso leaped out of the relaxing pool. “I agree with Vesuv. There has to be a reason why she calls to us, and I don’t want to lose the only chance we may have for a Sylex. If you aren’t willing to present to her, I will.”

  “Where are you going?” Maw demanded.

  Chryso stepped into the heated alcove and spread out his limbs, allowing the warm air to dry him off. “I am going to collect Emerald’s vehicle and bring it here to look at it.”

  “You can’t leave like that!”

  Chryso entered the room, clothes in hand. “You think I don’t know this?”

  “I don’t know if her scent has affected your judgment,” Maw growled.

  Vesuv exited the relaxing pool, following Chryso’s lead. “The only one with clouded judgment is you, Maw. You were completely fine with accepting her into our home and fixing her broken car. In fact, you were the one who offered our services.” Vesuv swiftly pulled on a black hooded-tank top and matching black harem pants and stood next to the fully dressed Chryso. “You are one of us,” Vesuv sighed, crossing his arms. “We can’t welcome her without you. Logically, there has to be a reason why she calls to us. I just hope you can look past her being a human and get to know her.”

  “I don’t want what we have waited too long and worked too hard to build be destroyed over an enticing smelling Earthling female,” Maw seethed.

  “There aren’t any available Alzaqi females here,” Vesuv murmured. “We may never get a chance like this again in our lifetime.”

  “Or an opportunity to fall in love,” Chryso said wistfully.

  Maw rolled his eyes. “You need to stop watching those reality shows and romance movies. They have filled you with false hope and sense of what love is.”

  “How do you know?” Chryso challenged. “Out of the three of us, I have been the one interested in learning about Earthlings and their social norms.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Maw,” Vesuv said, crossing his arms. “If the Stars really gave her to us, you better learn how to be in a relationship with one instead of studying about their most recent desires in gems and stone.”

  “It’s late,” Chryso announced. “Are you going to come with us or stay here and stew?”

  “I am going to stay here and keep watch of our property. I don’t trust leaving her alone.”

  “So be it.” In an instant, both brothers tapped their wristband, activating their disguise. Their silver scales shimmered into bronzed human skin as their hair darkened to black. Their horned crowns and pointed ears smoothed out as if they were never there, their eyes whitening to match humans.

  “I was able to tag her car while we helped Emerald with her belongings, so it shouldn’t take long.”

  Maw nodded and watched the rest of his triad tap their wristband once more. Their bodies shimmered, and in a blink of an eye, they disappeared, leaving the Maw alone in their basement chamber.

  Breathing in the damp air, he closed his eyes and rested his head on the pool’s padded edge, savoring the fresh air. Designing their basement chamber to have a separate air ventilation system had paid off. In here, he was free from the temptations Emerald’s alluring scent brought.

  Having a Sylex was a dream he’d left behind when they escaped their home planet, Alza. The few breeders on the ship already had their triads and hadn’t gone into heat since they landed. Each Celestial Void, they hoped the Stars would bless their breeders, but only the males fell into a burning lust, leaving their nest empty of egg clusters.

  There had to be a reason for it, but none of their scientists could come up with a cause. Was it the stress from the abandonment of their home and space travel? Or perhaps the pollution in Earth’s waters?

  One thing for sure, if they couldn’t figure out the reason, they would have to update their ship and leave in hopes of finding another suitable planet before their bodies failed to regenerate, and they followed the other lifeforms by growing old and slowly disintegrating. He didn’t want to move planets—especially after they’d worked to establish themselves on Earth.

  There were no predators. Earthlings may be on top of the dominant species on their planet—but Earthlings were too busy fighting each other to focus on more critical problems like their health and Earth’s welfare. Because of this, the Alzaqi were able to land and quickly learn how to blend themselves in with the Earthlings.

  Silver Springs was one of the many isolated small towns throughout the world that protected itself from humans. It was more secluded than most, and whatever alien species that had placed wards on the town had been long gone when they arrived. Some Alzaqi believed it had to do with the significant event humans called the “Salem Witch Trials.” Humans accused some first alien experiments as witches—or witnessed aliens using their technology—and the wave of hysteria made everyone turn on each other in order to survive. Some warded towns dated from around that time, and it made sense why they were flooded with supes, and humans were a minority in them.

  Why welcome those who were responsible for killing them?

  That was precisely why Maw was hesitant to allow a human female into their basement chamber. His triad was right—some
thing about her called to him. Her hazel eyes were full of life, and when she stood up for herself and set boundaries for Chryso, she was magnificent. Her command was something Alzaqi breeders demanded from their triad.

  Why was her scent so enchanting? Just one sniff and he was hers—unable to deny the aid she required. He couldn’t allow his brothers to reveal themselves to her prematurely because the excitement of what they thought she was. Their belief she was led to them by the Stars as a gift from the Fates was dangerous. It was his responsibility to make sure they didn’t fall fast and hard—once an Alzaqi male fell for their breeder, they didn’t have another until death.Somehow, it felt like it already too late.

  Chryso was right. Something about Emerald called to him—to them—and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. The quiet and more submissive one in the triad, he usually followed what the other two wanted when it came to decisions that affected the triad as a whole. But when it came to Emerald, he agreed with Chryso about exploring their future with Emerald.

  They couldn’t walk away without figuring out if she was destined to be theirs.

  Strong gusts of wind blew in the winter midnight as the bright moon beamed down on them. A winter storm was coming and fast. They needed to return home before it hit.

  Chryso walked around her beat-up car, placing a few teletrodes on its wheels while Vesuv stood guard. The werewolves had finally returned to their homes deep within the woods while only a few guards patrolled their land. No Earthlings came up nearby on the radar.

  “Everything is clear. It is safe to teleport her car home without being seen.”

  “I don’t know if this piece of junk will be worth repairing.” Chryso shook his head in disappointment. “It might be easier to scrap it and buy her a new vehicle. I would feel better with her driving something safer.” He kicked the driver’s side tire—only for it to fall off. “See! I knew it!”

  “Perhaps you shouldn’t use all of your strength when you want to kick things, Chryso.” Vesuv closed his radar on his wristband. “I’ve been thinking about what Saire warned us about… do you think Emerald drank something spelled from the Jewels Cafe?”