by Frost Kay
Blade shrugged once and placed the stun gun back onto the table without glancing her way. “It is what it is,” he grumbled as he picked up another piece to clean.
Allie grinned at him. He was as prickly as a porcupine, but that was okay. She’d made friends with scarier people than him. She didn’t have many charms, but she did have charisma and determination. She wasn’t leaving this table until he smiled at her.
Scooting closer, she leaned over his arm to see what he was doing. He froze and his gaze slowly traveled to her face. Allie ignored him and continued inspecting his project. Pointing at an odd-shaped piece, she asked, “How do you clean that?”
He didn’t answer.
Allie pulled her attention away from the part and looked up. Her nose bumped his, and she jerked back in embarrassment and waved a hand at him. “Sorry.” She wanted to pester him, not make him think she was coming on to him. Stars above, Allie. Personal space.
Blade straightened and turned toward her, his entire body tensing, nostrils flaring.
“Sorry,” she mumbled again, smiling apologetically. Her smile faded when the intense expression on his face didn’t change. Leave it to her to piss off the dangerous Av. “I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to get in your space like that. I mean, I did, but not that close.”
He stepped closer, his movements fluid, until he stood toe to toe with her. Okay, then. Allie craned her neck back, her blush scorching her cheeks. “Really, I didn’t…” She trailed off when he dipped his head so that his forehead almost touched hers. She frowned when he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, seemingly trying to control his temper. If this was an intimidation technique, she was sufficiently intimidated. Had she done something that offensive in their culture? Allie glanced at Kale and Virgil for help.
One moment, she was staring at the gaping aliens; the next, she was wedged between a very large male and a table full of weapons.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked, trying to squirm to the side.
He didn’t answer her.
She gasped when he lifted her onto the table and pulled her against him, his face pressed into her neck. Allie stared over his shoulder as Zune, Lev, and Coal came running. She shivered at the alarm on their faces. Not good. Allie pressed on Blade’s shoulders.
“Please, let me down.”
“Blade, you need to let her go,” Lev said in a low, calm voice.
Blade’s arm tightened around her and he snarled into her neck.
She stiffened and trembled a little bit. “What on Earth is going on?” she asked, panic bubbling in her gut. Something was most definitely not right.
“He’s reacting to your scent, Allie.”
Her scent? As in mate stuff? She gaped at five males just standing there. “Don’t just stand there. Help me.”
“We can’t,” Virgil explained, grimacing. “If we come too close, he’ll become volatile. You need to keep calm. This will pass.”
Keep calm? Her heart pounded hard in her chest. “Do all Avs act this way?”
Something wet touched her neck. She jerked. Did he just lick her? Oh, heck no. That’s disgusting. “Stop that,” she barked as he traced his lips along her neck.
“No,” Coal answered her question. “Only when a match is extremely compatible does a reaction like this happen.”
Stars above, kill her now. So, she was like his catnip? She’d seen what her mama’s cat did to the herb in the garden. The catnip plant was so chewed up and flattened, it died. That would not happen to her, would it?
She swallowed hard. “Super reaction?”
“More like a once in a lifetime match,” Zune said softly, watching them with a smile. “It’s something we all would kill for. You’re very lucky. I guess the alliance did one thing right.”
Allie blinked as Kale clapped Coal on the back like this was a damn celebration. Come to think of it … she narrowed her eyes at the males. All of them seemed overly happy, joyful even. Allie gaped when Coal smiled. She didn’t even know he could do anything other than smirk and glare at everyone. “Stop smiling,” she demanded.
“You couldn’t stop me if you tried,” Coal said, grinning from ear to ear. “My brother deserves happiness, even if it’s with you.”
She blinked. Blade was their brother? That was interesting. She knew Av children were born in triplets, but it never occurred to her that Blade could be their brother. He was so different from them. Dark. Edgy. Dangerous. She puffed out a breath of air. None of that mattered right now. Getting home was her priority. “How long will this last?” Her hands fluttered in the air behind Blade’s back.
“Until he can calm down,” Virgil said.
“How very nonspecific,” she growled. Nobody had time for this. She was tired, and her feet hurt. It was time for bed.
Allie jerked as his tongue traced her skin again. “Hell, no!” She grabbed a fistful of his blue-black hair and yanked, receiving a snarl in response. “Yeah, yeah,” she sniped. “None of that, do you hear me?”
No answer except for him pressing his face harder into the crook of her neck.
She rolled her eyes skyward and muttered curses underneath her breath. Stupid aliens and their stupid noses. Allie tilted her head all the way back and stared at an upside-down Eve.
“Any help?”
Eve smiled at her. “None. When I met my husband, it took him days to calm down.”
Her stomach dropped and her mouth dried. “Days?” she croaked.
“No worries. If it comes to that, I’ll drug him for you,” Eve said casually and returned to her work.
Allie tipped her head forward. Everyone was crazy. Crazy. “Then there’s no hope in going home soon?”
“None,” Lev said.
Time to make herself comfortable. The night was about to get much longer. On the bright side, Eve was her ally.
She yawned and ran her fingers through Blade’s hair. It had been five hours since he’d attached himself to her. He’d not said a word. He just hugged her and breathed in the scent of her skin. Her eyelids had grown heavy and she had found herself playing with his hair. Her mama always did that to her when she was a child. There was nothing that calmed her or put her to sleep faster.
Allie flicked a tired glance at the group. Eve had gone home a few hours ago, but the rest of the team had camped out on the sparring pad. Her nose wrinkled. All five of the brutes were passed out, snoring. Lucky bastards.
She glanced down at Blade, cocking her head to the side, and smiled at the pointed tip of his ear. What would her grandmere say if she saw Allie wrapped up in Blade’s arms? She’d probably demand Allie marry the elven prince and then promptly faint at the romance of it all.
It was anything but romantic.
It was hot, sweaty, and gross as all get out. No one was meant to cuddle this long.
She brushed the tip of one pointed ear with her finger and smiled. Elven prince indeed. Why did they have pointed ears? What was the use? Or was it purely aesthetic? Her finger traced the shell of his ear lazily, intrigued by the little differences between the Av and herself.
“If you don’t stop that, I will have a harder time letting you go,” a deep voice whispered, the words heating her skin.
She blinked slowly and shook her head. Did he actually say something? “What?”
Silence.
Great, now she was imagining things. Again.
Allie blinked harder to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids were too heavy. She glared at the top of Blade’s head through slitted eyes. Sleeping. She could be sleeping right now, and he’d ruined it, and then had the audacity to make her body his personal pillow. If he could make his home in her arms, then she could certainly rest her head on the top of his. Fair was fair.
Allie pressed her cheek to the top of his head, her eyes closing. Maybe she could get a little sleep before she had to be at the Scarlet Kiss in the morning. She sucked in a deep breath, his hair tickling her nose. Annoyed, she scratched her nose and continued to play with
his hair. The motion would probably put her to sleep, too.
Her hand bumped his ear and she couldn’t help herself. She traced it again, marveling at the unique shape. Who would’ve thought she’d end up on Sars surrounded by aliens? She cracked one eye and stared at the men sleeping on the floor. They didn’t know her, owed her nothing, and yet they stayed for her. She didn’t expect that. It reinforced the belief that the differences between them didn’t matter. Friendship, decency, and love transcended all peoples.
“Allie…” Blade growled softly.
She jumped but otherwise didn’t move. She was too tired for that. “What?”
“Stop touching my ears.”
“Stop touching my ears, what?” she grumped. Was he raised in a barn?
A moment of silence then. “Please.”
Allie smiled and dropped her hands to his shoulders. “You ready to let me go yet?”
More silence.
A groan slipped out of her. “How much longer? Bastian will be worried sick ’bout me if I don’t show up tomorrow.” She squinted at the massive floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the room. “Well … today.”
Blade tensed, his arms tightening. “Can we not talk about other males?” he growled.
“Oh, hush,” she chastised.
He quieted, his nose brushing along her collarbone. “This is damn inconvenient.”
Allie stiffened, her eyes snapping wide open. “Are you serious?” Was he really complaining about the situation he’d caused?
“What?” he muttered.
“Inconvenient for you? What about me? You think I asked for this?” she hissed.
“Yeah, inconvenient for me. It had to be you. The little Human with crazy golden hair, wearing high-heeled boots and leather.”
Allie flicked the tip of his ear. “I didn’t ask to be here, jackwagon.”
“You’re the one who gave the Lock moonshine. So yeah, you did.”
Heat filled her eyes. She knew deep down she didn’t kill him, but there was still a kernel of doubt. Until she had proof, it was just a feeling, but the Lock was still dead. She never wanted anyone to die. “I did not kill him,” she said, her voice thick. Darn it, she was going to cry, and it was going to be ugly. Ugly crying was always the product of no sleep.
Blade growled low. “Don’t cry.”
“Don’t tell me how to feel.” She hiccupped as a tear dripped down her cheek. He had no right to tell her what to do or how to feel.
“I wasn’t...” He sighed. “I don’t like it when you’re upset.”
“What are you talking about?” she whispered miserably.
“Your scent changes when you’re upset. And … it bothers me,” he gritted out.
She stared blankly over his shoulder, the targets on the far wall blurring together. They could sense how she felt? Smell it? “That’s not right,” she whispered. Was there no privacy? Panic wrapped around her lungs, squeezing. Would she always be subject to the whims of the aliens around her? Was nothing sacred on this godforsaken planet? Her breath seized. She had to get out of here.
“Let go.” Allie wiggled and pressed against his shoulders. “Let me down.”
His breathing increased, but he didn’t budge. Not. One. Bloody. Inch.
“Seriously, Blade, let me down. You need to let me down,” she said desperately. Panic clawed up her throat, threatening to suffocate her.
“Calm down, Allie. I can’t handle this if you’re not in control of yourself.”
Again, it was all about him.
“You? You can’t handle this?” she screeched, waking the five males on the mat. “I’m the one who’s had to sit here for more than five blasted hours to accommodate an alien I don’t even know.” Her body began to tremble, and she panted harshly. “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe!” Flashes of color dotted her vision.
“Blade, you need to let her go,” Virgil murmured, stepping closer.
“Back off, old man,” Blade growled.
“You need to let go, Blade,” Lev commanded.
“Lev, if you get near me, I’ll tear your arms off.”
A click. “Don’t make me shoot you,” Lev warned.
Allie wheezed, her fingers scrabbling at Blade’s black shirt. There wasn’t any air. “I-I-I…”
Warm black eyes swam into her vision and large hands cupped her cheeks. “Little Human, you need to breathe. Can you do that?”
“I can’t,” she stuttered. Where had all the air gone? She would die.
“Yes, you can.” Blade placed his forehead against hers and pulled in a deep, steady breath. “Do what I do. Breathe with me, Allie. Just breathe, love. Breathe.”
She shook her head, her hands fluttering around him.
“Hold on to me. It will help ground you,” he encouraged.
Allie’s fingers speared into his hair, her eyes never leaving his. Breathe. That’s all she had to do. It was torturous as the minutes passed. Each breath was a fight, but the fist of panic wrapped around her lungs loosened.
“That’s it,” Blade whispered. “Deep breaths, Allie. You’re okay.”
His hand slipped from her cheek to the back of her skull and pressed her face into his shoulder. Her body slowly relaxed as he ran his fingers through her hair and down her back in a smooth, soothing motion.
“Thank you,” Allie said, soaking in the comfort as exhaustion blanketed her. Her entire body felt impossibly heavy.
“It’s as much for you as it was for me.” A pause. “What was that?”
“A panic attack,” she whispered, embarrassed. If she wasn’t so tired, she’d move from his shoulder, but it was always like this. After an episode, it was like she could sleep for days. “I’m so tired. Can I go home?”
“I’ll take you home.”
At this point, she’d rather anyone else, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Her bed was all that mattered. “Thank you. Can you put me down?”
“I don’t think you can walk.”
She probably couldn’t, and she was woman enough to admit it. “Okay. Can Zune carry me?”
A nasty snarl exploded near her ear. She scowled but didn’t move.
“Use your words. You’re not a beast. Stop acting like one.”
“I don’t want another male’s hands on you.”
Allie lifted her heavy head and stared into Blade’s face and all its deadly lines. “Your freaky alien senses may have alerted you to some super genetic match, but that does not mean I’m yours. I don’t know you. I belong to myself. You can’t just claim someone. That’s not how we do it on Earth.”
“You’re on Sars,” he bit out.
“But I’m Human,” she enunciated. “Now, hand me over to the Kiterran or I promise you I’ll never look your way, ever.” Threats were never the best way to go, but he needed to know she was serious.
His hands curled into fists against her back. “Fine,” he barked. “Zune…”
The red-haired Kiterran appeared on her right.
Blade glared at Zune. “You take her to the hover. If your hands wander, I’ll cut them off.”
Zune’s brows rose. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
Allie sighed as Blade handed her over to the burly man. It was like being hugged by a giant teddy bear. She smiled sleepily at him and snuggled into his arms. “Night, guys!” she murmured.
“Sure you don’t want a ride home?” Coal yelled.
The memory of the terrifying ride was enough to rouse her. “Not on your life, Av.”
Coal sniggered. “Big baby.”
“Sadist,” she muttered.
3
Insert Foot Into Mouth
“So, who’s your shadow?”
Allie flicked an annoyed glance in Bastian’s direction then back to the cup she was cleaning. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“He’s been here every day you’ve worked for the last three weeks. At first, I didn’t notice him…”
She scrubbed harder at the glass. Could she never h
ave a moment of peace? A large hand settled over hers, halting her furious scrubbing. Slowly, she peeked up at Sebastian from beneath her eyelashes. He scanned her face and frowned.
“I’m teasing you.”
She exhaled heavily and wrinkled her nose. “I’m tired.”
Bastian pulled his hand back and leaned against the bar. “Get some sleep. I can give you different hours.” His lilac gaze swept the bar and he lowered his voice. “I know you’ve been busy doing other things late at night.”
Allie scowled. “Are all Kanji so suggestive? Or is it just you and Kale? You don’t have to make it sound so dirty. Call it what it is.”
“And what is that?”
“Extortion,” she grumped, lifting the glass up into the light. Damn, there was still a streak along the rim. She lifted a towel to buff it when it was snatched from her hand. Allie slowly lowered the towel and placed her hand on her hip. “Give. It. To. Me.”
He arched a black brow at her. “Not until you tell me what’s really eating at you.”
“I’m never alone!” she exploded. “I’m with Jer when I’m at home. I’m surrounded by people wanting something from me when I’m working here. Then whisked away at night, and forced to work with aliens I don’t even know when all I really want to do is sleep. Oh…” She threw her hands in the air and the towel snapped, pulling attention their way. “And when it gets too much, and I have the rare free time, I’m stalked!”
“It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot,” Bastian said calmly. He glanced over her shoulder and lifted his chin. “He’s following you everywhere?”
Allie whirled around and scanned the darkened restaurant until she spotted a familiar dark Av. Her spine straightened when Blade lifted his drink to her. “You’ve got to be kidding me. He has no shame.”
“You want me to take care of him?” Bastian asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Blade’s black gaze narrowed on the hand on her shoulder. She shook her head and spun on her heel. “No, I’m taking care of this myself.”
Allie ducked under the bar and stomped toward Blade, the pieces of her black dress swirling around her feet. She jerked to a stop and glared at the Av who had become her shadow since she’d met him. “You need to leave.”
