Unmatched

by Annalise Alexis

  “Skara.” Ren forces out the word as he tries to rein in the ferocity of his feelings. I relax as he tears into my mind, a little rougher than I’d like, and sifts through my memories. His eyes flicker open, and he slams his mouth to mine, kissing me with a deep, all-consuming need.

  “Ren,” I manage between the punishing rhythm of his kisses. My need for him rears up and, for a moment, I lose myself in his taste.

  By the time he releases me, I’m panting. “Hey… I’m all right. That thing didn’t want to hurt me…” Grabbing my cheeks, he stares at me, almost as if to make sure I’m really here, then kisses me again.

  My hands drag over his arms, sinking into deep lacerations, and I jerk away.

  “Oh God, Ren. Your arms…”

  He’s covered in blood. His hands are torn, there are large gashes across his arms, and deep bruises already forming on parts of his exposed legs. I pull up his shirt, remembering how hard that thing hit him. He stills my fumbling hands and once again wraps his arms around me. “My wounds do not matter. None are mortal. All can be healed. What you did…” he pulls me against his chest once more, “honors Sol. And you proved yourself more capable of putting down the beast than even me. You are built to perfection, my Aciana. And I fucking love you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jayla

  My chest burns, but I stamp it down and pray the dam on my emotions doesn’t break. I just can’t believe Sol is gone.

  Braxick’s office is a short trip from where Sol fell, but a bloody one. The freakish white-skinned creatures we faced on entry are still crawling all over the place, and with the Illusian males now significantly more injured, it’s taking longer to kill our way through them.

  Running to bypass the new onslaught of those things, Ren and I crash through the door, Orion and Tao not far behind. They barricade it, just in case another one of those things is roaming around somewhere.

  Ren’s nostrils flare, and he scours the room. “Fuck!” he yells, stomping over to glare at the dead body lying on the floor. There’s a single wound to the back of the human’s head and judging by his cloudy eyes, he’s been dead for a while.

  Braxick.

  Metal twists as Ren grabs the office table and throws it against the wall. Then he turns his rage on the dead body, squeezing Braxick's head. The colonel’s limp body flops with every movement Ren makes.

  My heart lurches into my throat. “No.” I begin to panic. “Tell me you can still harvest his memories. Tell me there’s something there you can use.”

  Ren shakes his head and drops the corpse to the ground, stepping on it for good measure. Tears burn my eyes. We came all this way…for nothing? We can’t find any sign of the labs that are in use, or people. No sign of my great-grandfather, and now the man who’s supposed to be at the center of it all is dead? Who the fuck killed him? He certainly didn’t blow his own head off from behind. We lost Sol for…this?

  A sick ball of dread sits in my gut, and I’m so pissed I could cry. Seriously? Enough is enough, universe. Throw us a fucking bone.

  Almost as if drawn to his presence, a screen in the corner of the room catches my attention. A four-way video feed plays on it, and in the lower right hand corner of the screen—a man sits with folded hands staring at a wall. Only the back of his head is visible, but I know deep in my bones it’s him. My great-grandfather. He’s here. But how in the hell do we find him?

  “Ren,” I say, nodding toward the screen. We’ve combed through this place and have never seen that room. It has to be hidden. Hope snakes its way through the devastation weighing me down. If they have my great-grandfather tucked away somewhere, then the others—the beings they’ve been experimenting on—could still be here too.

  Gone before I can blink, Tor and Ragar disappear to search while Ren closes his eyes briefly to check in with the others.

  “Is everyone okay?” I ask, still out of breath. The more my adrenaline wears off, the more reality starts to sink in. Sol’s gone—lying dead on the floor—and the horrors this place hides are so much worse than we could ever have anticipated. But we’re here, finally close enough to get our hands on all the proof we need to out the Universal Community and unmask all the terrible people responsible.

  We have to push on.

  “Our remaining males are all accounted for and are currently searching for those who hid in the initial fray.” Ren cocks his head slightly to the side, his eyes unfocused for a moment, then returns his gaze to me. “Ragar has found a passageway. Come, let us end this once and for all.”

  I grimace as he bends over and chops off Braxick’s hand. “Gross. What was that for?”

  Ren cleans his blade on his pants and puts it back in its place. “For the doors, Skara. To ensure we have access.”

  Oh, right. I guess that makes sense.

  My limbs feel heavier with each step I take, fear and trepidation weighing me down. Ren tightens his grip on my hand, but even his reassurance doesn’t calm the emotions raging inside of me. This man—my great-grandfather—has been a dark presence in my mind since I first laid eyes on him, and no matter how many times I try to shove down the terror squeezing my chest, I can’t.

  I know it’s stupid. I shouldn’t let a man I’ve never even met affect me like this, especially after all the twisted things he’s done, but the anticipation is overwhelming—smothering even. What if he’s exactly what I expect? Cruel and unfazed by his sins? Or worse, what if he isn’t? What if it’s not him at all?

  As we make our way down the hall, Ragar’s massive form comes into view. That’s odd. He’s just standing in front of an empty panel in one of the abandoned labs we ran through to get here. The beep of the door opening triples my anxiety, and I shuffle in behind Ren. Ragar jerks his head toward a white wall.

  I don’t get it. We’ve already been through here once.

  “The door is hidden, Skara.”

  Ragar sniffs along the wall, stopping at what appears to be a tiny seam. I squint, trying to make it out, but it’s so subtle I never would have noticed it. He presses his hands to either side, searching for a locking mechanism, and when he touches the right side, a tiny green light begins to scan. With lightning speed, Ren slaps Braxick’s severed hand down and waits for it to register the print.

  With a click, the door pops open, and Ragar slips inside. Anxious, I start to follow, but Ren snakes an arm around me, holding me back. “We do not know what we will face in there. No matter what, stay by my side.”

  I nod and step back so he can take the lead. The thrum of machines and the shuffle of feet are all I hear as I pass down a steep stairway.

  “Ragar has scouted the area. There is only one being free to roam, the others are…” Ren sucks in a deep breath, “caged.”

  My great-grandfather.

  The scent of blood and ozone hang heavy in the air, and as soon as we reach the end of the hall and veer left, I gasp. Cages. Everywhere. Not ones made of metal and bars, but enclosures with see-through walls, a bed, and a small toilet like Ren saw when he found Xen. Some hold only one being—others large groups. They’re all battered and bruised. No doubt from forced testing. And oh, no. Babies…

  I sprint forward, ignoring Ren’s order to halt, and slam my face against the glass. Two females sit tethered to the wall, their chains only long enough to allow them to freely move through the small space. And four babies, all different species, equally bruised from the looks of their tiny arms, all lying in cold, sterile-looking bassinets. The females startle when they notice me, and almost as if they’re drugged, struggle to focus.

  Rage, Ren’s and mine, course through our bond, and suddenly, without really making a conscious choice to do so, I’m banging on the door, trying to get to them. Trying to free them.

  A cool infusion of calm slides down my spine, and Ren’s warm hand rests on the back of my neck.

  “Breathe, my Aciana.”

  My voice shakes, and I’m trembling, barely able to form words. I’m sad and devastated
and so fucking angry I can hardly think. “Ren…”

  “I know. I have summoned the other males to free them.”

  “Where is he?” I ask, outrage strengthening my words. Swallowing hard, I force myself to turn away from the horror show in front of me. “I know Ragar found him. That’s why he’s not here, ripping apart these cages. Where the fuck is he?” Tears stream down my face, and I’m panting, ready to combust.

  “No. I know what you wish to do. It is not safe—”

  “Not safe? None of us are fucking safe. Look at these people! Look at them. Chained, forced to sleep in cages like animals. And he did it. It’s disgusting, and it makes me want to vomit knowing that his blood runs through my veins. I have to know, Ren. I need to know. Please, let me talk to him.”

  “You do not know what you are asking of me.”

  I do, and it’s the most selfish thing I’ve ever asked for in my life. My mate’s brand of justice is violence, enjoying the suffering of his foes as their life drains. That was taken from him by whoever killed the colonel. All that’s left to sate his rage is the man my family searched for all their lives. And now, I’m asking him to stand down, contain his rage just a little longer so I can see him face to face. I can feel the battle raging inside him. He loves me, and every decision he’s made has been for me, but this small treasure was his, and now, I’m asking him to sacrifice it.

  “I promised you the universe, and I will not refuse you this. But no matter your connection to the male, he will die for what he has done to my people. To our people.”

  Swallowing hard, I throw myself at Ren, then wrap my arms around his waist. A shadow catches my eye. Tor. Ripping the door of the closest enclosure off its hinges. The beings inside cower back; those with young cradle them close. A boy, no more than eight who has been kept separate, places both hands on the glass and watches as the hulking Illusian stalks into the room. The boy’s eyes flash in recognition as he takes in Tor’s cobalt irises. They match his own. The child is part Illusian.

  “Come, Skara. Ragar has the male subdued.”

  Glancing over my shoulder once more, my anxiety eases as Orion, Nexx, and Tao join Tor in opening the cages. No matter what happens next, no matter how this conversation goes, they’re going to be free. And we made a difference. Sol made a difference. All of this, all the death, the betrayal, the fighting—it meant something. For now, that’s got to be enough.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Jayla

  I close my eyes, trying to calm myself as Ren leads me. The bright lights embedded in the walls above penetrate my lids. All this time I’ve waited to see my great-grandfather, and I’ve never once considered what I’d say. Sure, I imagined crying, punching him in the face even, but now that he’s just a few steps away, my mind’s blank.

  “You burden yourself unnecessarily. He is not worth your concern.” I give Ren’s hand one more tight squeeze, and when we finally come to a stop, I open my eyes.

  And just like that—he’s in front of me, the same white lab coat and tidy hair as always. He’s seated on a bench behind a glass wall. His back is to me, and he’s hunched over as he rests his elbows on his thighs and stares at a picture projected on the wall. Ragar extends a hand as we approach, and it isn’t until I’m right next to him I notice he’s holding a gun.

  “The weapon was on the male when I found him. It was he who shot the human colonel.”

  Ren grabs the weapon, breaks it in half, and chucks it across the room. “How fucking inconvenient.” He scrapes a hand down his scalp and closes his eyes. Frustration seeps into the bond.

  “What? What is it?” I ask, confused by his sudden silence.

  “I cannot see his mind. I will not have you near him if I am unable to control his actions.”

  “Just come with me. You can stand in the corner of the room, whatever you need to do, but I’m going in there. I have to do this, Ren, or I’ll live the rest of my life wondering what he would have said.”

  Ren sighs, then draws both of the blades at his sides. Ragar stalks forward, opens the door, and the three of us enter the room.

  The man on the bench stiffens, but his gaze doesn’t stray from the picture on the wall. A house sits in the middle of a green meadow, the sky above a vibrant blue. Not a single cloud or hint of a dust storm, just a clear, cloudless summer day. My throat tightens as the memories of my grandfather’s picture albums flash through my mind. That was the house he grew up in. His father’s house.

  “I knew you’d come for me.” His voice is deeper than I expect, and the familiar twang hits me right in the feels. I never noticed it on the videos, but it sounds like home.

  “Do not fucking speak to her until she gives you permission,” Ren grinds out between clenched teeth.

  I squeeze his hand, trying to give him some reassurance. “It’s fine. Let him talk. That’s what we came here for, right?”

  My great-grandfather picks at the skin on his thumb. A nervous tick, maybe? “You look just like her, you know. Your great-grandmother, I mean. Braxick used to show me pictures, making sure I was aware how easily he could get to you. But…I knew the second he mentioned you’d mated an Illusian that it was over. That you’d be protected.”

  His gaze flits to mine a moment, long enough for me to see the pale gray at the center of his eyes. “I’m so terribly sorry we had to meet this way. I wish in all the worlds it could have been different.”

  My wavering restraint breaks and I slap him. “That thing you made killed my friend.” He cradles his face, dabbing at the blood welling on his lip. “Why?” I blurt out in a voice thick with vulnerability. “Just tell me why you did this. And how the fuck that thing knew me.”

  “I did create him, and because I feared Braxick would use him against you, I introduced your scent, and he bonded with your image. The rest...is a long story.” He swallows hard, eyeing Ren. “One I’m not sure I have the time to tell. You know, after all the years I’ve prayed for death, begged for it even, I’m still nervous. Survival instincts, I guess.” Ren and Ragar step closer to him in a show of barely contained fury.

  “I need to hear it. All of it. Just tell me, so I can sleep at night. Tell me you aren’t as big of a monster as you seem. That you’re not the same cold-hearted bastard that experimented on women and children and murdered countless others. Say it, because right now I’m ashamed to share your blood.”

  “I can’t say any of that. All I can do is tell you my story and hope that maybe someday, you can understand why I did what I did. I wasn’t always a monster. When I was first recruited into the space program, I completed two missions.” He lifts his gaze to Ren, then Ragar. “There’s nothing more beautiful than an Illusian sunrise. The stars there—they’re never out of sight, so when the rotation is complete and the sky lights up, you can see every single one of them in the distance. It’s magnificent.”

  “You’ve been to Illusia?” I ask, mouth agape.

  His brows draw in, deepening the worry lines of his face. “Yes. I only stayed for a few weeks before I received notification I was being sent home.” Tears well in his eyes, and he scrubs his hands down his face. “Your great-grandmother was ill—cancer—and by the time I got home, she was dying. Eight months I spent floating around waiting to get back to her and she lived less than a year once I did.”

  “That’s a nice story, but get to the part where you start killing innocent beings,” I snap, instantly feeling like shit.

  “I do not like this, Skara. The male is wasting time.”

  “When I got home, she was in a bad way, and I was so desperate… When they assigned me to study the newest species of aliens they’d found, I would have done anything to save her.”

  “So, you what? Experimented on them?”

  “Yes,” he answers, his face devoid of emotion. “I created a virus that simulated the replication of cancer cells, and I gave it to them. Every single being I studied. I worked endless hours, created more variations than I can count, and a few of them
died, but nothing worked. My Loreli was still wasting away, and there was nothing I could do. I flubbed up one day, leaving my personal calculations in plain view. I was called into the office by my superior. A high-ranking colonel came into the room, closed the door, and gave me a choice—prison for war crimes, or joining him. If I conducted his experiments, he’d turn a blind eye to mine. Loreli was near death, and it was all I could do to keep her alive and pay for the medicines and her care. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late.

  I narrow my eyes, ready to rear up and explode. “If you say you didn’t know what they were doing to those beings, I’m going to let Ren kill you now. Don’t you dare pretend to be the victim in all this.”

  “I won’t bother to lie to you. I still would have gone, even if I had of known what they were doing. Breeding different aliens and cross-engineering them to create new and better species. I kept working diligently for my Loreli until one day they brought in an alien female that changed everything.”

  “The female Inokine.”

  He nods. “Yes. The things they did to her—the things I did—were horrible. But she continued to respond to the serum, continued to fight against the virus, and I had such high hopes. When she began to fail the breeding studies, I knew I’d done something wrong. I never thought it would see the light of day, though. But others of her kind came for her, and when she escaped, she spread the virus. It wasn’t long until the reports started pouring in.

  “The Inokine were wreaking havoc on several other planets, and there was nothing I could do. My Loreli died, and I was left with nothing. I never would have done it if I’d known… I never wanted to hurt anyone, just save her.” He searches my face, eyes begging for forgiveness. For a hint of understanding.