PYTHEN: An Alien War Romance (Galactic Order Book 1)

by Erin Raegan

  “It is clear,” he said a moment later and Vivian made a sound that was both relief and despair. They would have searched the house. If they found nothing, that meant they didn’t find Hector.

  Rushing from the ship, Vivian ran for the house. I hurried after just as she reached the front door. “Hector!” she shouted, “Hector, we made it!”

  Tahk grasped my shoulder preventing me from following her inside. “You must quiet her, my mate. The Vitat could be close enough so hear her.” I nodded and rushed after her.

  She ran through the front rooms into the back, before circling back around and going for the stairs. Her face was stricken and desperate. My heart hurt for her. Her feet thudded loudly on the wooden steps. I chased after and caught her as she ran through my study. “Viv. Calm down, okay. You need to calm down.”

  “I can’t! He should be here! You said he’d be here!” Her cries echoed through the house and she ran to the next room.

  “I’m so sorry, Viv. We’ll keep looking but you have to be quiet.” I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around to face me.

  “No! Leave me alone!” Vivian shoved me away and ran to the last room upstairs, my bedroom. Busting through the door she stopped and looked around. It was the same as when I left it. My night clothes still crumpled on the bed.

  “He was supposed to be here.” Her voice caught, and her shoulders shook. I moved to her cautiously. She didn’t wait for me and instead wrapped herself around me, squeezing my waist. “I needed him to be here.”

  “I know, Viv, I’m so sorry.” I rubbed her back as she sobbed. Her tears soaked the collar of my shirt.

  “What am I going to do, Pey?” The despair in her voice tore me apart. I wished I could fix it for her, but I couldn’t. I only hoped Hector was safe, that he had a reason for not making it here that didn’t mean he never would.

  “We’ll wait for him. Okay, we’ll just wait for him.”

  She nodded and let me pull her to the bed. I held her for a long time as she cried herself out. We were laying on the bed, holding each other tightly, when Tahk walked in. His eyes moved over my face before he nodded solemnly and walked out, quietly closing the door.

  Vivian sniffled and rubbed her runny nose along my sky-blue sheets. She looked at the door a moment before turning to me. “So, he’s kind of hot for an alien, right?”

  My shoulders shook from a slightly hysterical chuckle. Her answering laugh was slightly more unhinged than my own.

  “How’d that happen?” She was fishing for information. If her eyes didn’t hold so much agony I would have brushed her off, but she needed the distraction, and I needed to talk about it.

  I blew a very weighted breath. “He was going through this crazy mating rage when they told me I had to have sex with him. I didn’t want to, but they said he was basically out of his mind, and they needed him coherent to fight off the Vitat.” Viv’s eyes were wide and avid. “If aliens weren’t down here slaughtering everybody, I honestly would never have gotten near him, but I thought if I was supposed to be his mate, I might be able to get him to help us get home. Maybe even get him to save the world,” I chuckled in disbelief. Saying it out loud sounded even more ridiculous. But I couldn’t deny that it had worked. “Maybe Tahk would have saved us anyway, but I had no real proof that’s what they were here for. I thought of myself as a sacrifice for the greater good.” I gave her a small embarrassed smile.

  “So, was it? A sacrifice I mean?”

  “What?”

  “Was it so terrible?” She searched my face for any hint of pain or discomfort. And there was, it did hurt. It was humiliating, but in the end, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

  “No, it wasn’t. It sucked,” I looked to the sheet below us and picked at a fraying thread. “but after he was pretty great.”

  She snickered. “You mean in the lab?”

  “Yeah, and after.”

  “After? You did it when he took you to bathe?” She squawked and sat up.

  “Shhhh!” I slapped her knee. “He’ll hear you!”

  “You totally got your freak on with that alien!” She whisper-yelled.

  I groaned and covered my face with my hands. I could feel the heat of my cheeks burning my palms.

  “Oh my god, Pey! I’ve been trying to hook you up for years, and you jump the scary bat guy?”

  “The guys you tried setting me up with were boring, and all they wanted was arm candy!”

  “I can see it, I guess. He’s got all this, machismo, you know?” She looked out the window. “Hector has a lot of that.” She shook her head and blinked away fresh tears before I could reach for her. “Well, is he any good?” Her eyes twinkled with sad tinged mischief.

  I kissed her cheek and hugged her, “So good.”

  She laughed and hugged me back.

  A loud bang startled us both and we jumped from the bed. Roars of rage shook the house and we ran out the door. To think just days ago we would have run from the terrifying Dahk, now we ran towards them.

  We just hit the bottom step when hails of gunfire drowned out the Dahk’s bellows. Viv and I dropped to the ground as bullets pelted the side of my house.

  “What is that?” Viv shouted while covering her head with her arms.

  “I don’t know!”

  “What the fuck are you?” A deep voice bellowed from outside. Vivian and I looked to each other in a moment of astonishment.

  “Hector,” she whispered in awe.

  “Ugly fuckers, ain’t they?” Another voice called back.

  An almighty roar thundered through the night. That was Tahk. Viv and I jumped up and ran for the door. They were going to kill each other.

  “Hector!” Viv shouted, running through the door, not paying any heed to the flying bullets. I screamed her name, but she ignored me. “Hector!”

  “Cease Fire!” Hector shouted. “Fuck, I said CEASE FIRE!”

  “Hector!” The door swung back at me from the force of her swing and I shoved it back open and caught a flash of golden hair flying down the porch steps. “Hector!”

  “Baby? Oh, thank Christ.”

  The scene outside startled me. Several men dressed in military garb moved from the tree line in formation, weapons pointed at the line of Dahk. Their wings spread, claws flashing, and fangs bared. Vivian ran right past the Dahk and into the open arms of her fiancé. She was sobbing and clutching him, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Hector’s strong frame stood steady baring all her weight, his face shoved in her neck, clutching her back just as tightly.

  A long string of Spanish curses flew from his mouth before he pulled her head back by the weight of her hair and kissed her. I had to look away from the intensity of their passion. It should have been a private moment, but too many eyes watched each other with animosity.

  Tahk caught site of me and stomped over. He pulled me to his chest and curled around a wing to cover me from shoulders to calves. “This is the Hyctoor?” He growled. I nodded and looked up. Tahk was enraged. His face bleeding unadulterated wrath. “His humans are foolish, they attacked without cause. Had you been closer and hurt I would have slaughtered them all.”

  I shuddered. It was true, we could’ve been hurt, but all Hector no doubt saw was strange aliens moving about my land. He would have engaged them for the sole purpose of protecting the land, and any chance Vivian might make it here.

  “Is that you, Peyton?” Hector called and patted Vivian on the ass. She didn’t jump down, and he didn’t seem inclined to let her go. He walked cautiously closer hanging onto her, all the while eyeing the Dahk suspiciously.

  “Hey, Hector.” I waved weakly. What a sight I must make, held by an alien.

  “You wanna fill me in?” He looked pointedly at Tahk’s protective wing.

  “It’s sort of a crazy story―”

  “I think I still need to hear it.” He scowled. His team crept closer to him, forming a protective barrier around the reunited couple.

  “I would lik
e an explanation as well,” a voice called from the tree line.

  Viv and I gasped together, “Santa?”

  Chapter 23

  Peyton

  Bryan had made it all the way from Seattle. Mary was not with him. He shared his sad tale of finding her mere moments after her death. He couldn’t go into detail, and we didn’t push. He held his grief in as best he could while exchanging hugs and heartfelt relief with Viv and me. I asked if he had heard from my mother, but he just shook his head sadly. Childlike hopes had me watching the tree line as if she would jump out surprising me as the others had. But deep down I knew she wasn’t coming.

  I would have to go searching for her. I tried not to let the impossibility of the chances weigh me down. Seeing Bryan had us all thinking of lost family and missing friends. Vivian hardly spoke to her parents anymore, but I knew she still worried. I think Hector knew more than he let on about their whereabouts, but he held back for a private moment no doubt. If they were gone, I knew Vivian would blame herself for their estrangement. Just as I was with my mother. If we were closer, maybe we would have been together during the invasion. Maybe I wouldn’t have lived so far away.

  Bryan had barely made it out of his office building with his life. The top floors were crumbling down around him when he made it down the stairwell. He went right to his home to search for Mary. After that, he had no other family, so he came here. Hector found him wondering the woods dead on his feet and watched over him.

  Bryan’s grief got the better of him shortly after we started talking. He was clearly exhausted. So, after a desperate hug, so unlike him it made me worry even more, he retired to the house and fell asleep on the living room couch.

  Hector and his unit had been at the ranch for over twenty-four hours, not long after Viv and I were taken. He had been monitoring the woods, looking for any signs of us. He had seen the smoke at Mr. Lake’s and gone to investigate shortly before we arrived. Apparently, Mr. Lake was fine. His house had caught fire when a group of scavengers tried to clean him out. The old man shot them but a knocked over candle that lit the drapes on fire. Hector said Mr. Lake hadn’t wanted to leave his home but was sure he would change his mind after really seeing the damage to his house. He had wanted to stay longer for the man but worried he would miss Vivian if she made it here.

  I would need to make my way over there and try to convince him to leave soon. The smoke would draw too much attention to him.

  A few members of Hector’s unit had left in search of their own families, but most had decided to stay having no one. There were four of them, beside Hector there was, Yeti, Ford, Hap, and Knox. They looked exhausted and weary but stayed vigilant around the Dahk.

  Viv and I relayed to them all that happened since that day in Seattle. To say they were shocked was an understatement. Of all the alarming things we shared though, Hector seemed especially pissed at the idea Vivian was in outer space. That she was so far away from him bothered him so much he squeezed her too tight and cursed and raged at the Dahk for a good long while.

  Viv calmed him by pointing out, in a roundabout way, they really saved us, and he seemed to relax. Her touch and constant kisses were no doubt the most reassuring for him. She was in his arms, safe, for now.

  We didn’t fully explain Tahk’s relationship with me, but from our vague words I think he got the idea. Tahk’s possessive displays probably clued him in more than anything else. His unit gave vague sounds of astonishment and disgust. But they weren’t outright ignorant. Hector’s own expression gave away nothing.

  We took a break from the discussion, so Viv and I could see to my animals. My chickens were faring well, if not a bit peeved at my lack of attentions the last three days. Noodle barely acknowledged me which wasn’t new, but it was Frederick’s relief at seeing me that brought a fresh round of tears to the two of us. He had missed me, and no doubt wondered if I had left him to fend for himself. It broke my heart when he desperately nudged at my belly.

  I thought of Lauren in those moments. I hoped she had gotten away after we were taken. I hoped she had found a place to stay safe. Unfortunately, no one was safe anymore. Tahk couldn’t converse with Hector or his unit without them having implants, and none of them seemed inclined to allow Gryo to give them one. Hector would eventually cave though. After I explained the Galactic Law―and why it was so important he contacted whoever he could―he eyed the healer with defeat.

  Viv and I finished up with the animals and returned to the group. “He must decide, my mate. We do not have time for him to ponder anymore.” Tahk dragged his claws lightly down my arm to gain my attention. He was right, it was a lot to ask them to trust the Dahk. It still surprised me that Viv and I did. I was even pretty sure Colt did. The old man had fallen asleep in the middle of the discussion. He just curled up on the ground and started snoring. He didn’t strike me as a man to allow himself to be vulnerable in distrustful company.

  The Earth didn’t have enough time, no one did. Hector had told us the world stopped communicating within the first few hours. Old school radio waves barely got through now. What little they did hear, was not good. Entire cities all over the world were being decimated. It was a miracle no one had retaliated with nuclear weapons yet. I shuddered at the thought.

  Hector watched Tahk speak and then looked to me for translation. We were sitting on the ground around my dead fire pit, it was too risky to light it. The Dahk found spots on the ground, their wings too large for my chairs. I could barely make out any faces in the dark. “He says we have to hurry.”

  Hector sighed and scrubbed his face roughly up and down. “Alright, I’ll try to reach someone. My uncle is probably the way to go. Last I heard he was on the east coast, in the capital. I don’t know how I’ll get him to agree to a meeting but he’s pretty I high up there, he’ll have the power they need. I doubt our leaders would agree, but I sure as fuck know the rest of the damn world would. We don’t have a shot at this thing without outside help. The enemy is vast, and the freaks are hard as fuck to kill.” His men nodded along with him.

  “My girls trust you.” Hector stood and stepped up to Tahk. “I can’t say I have any grounds to disagree, besides the obvious. You’re still aliens, you could turn on us just as easily. But at this point I don’t feel like we have much choice.” I had to agree, we really were out of options.

  Hector held out his hand to the now standing Commander. Tahk looked at it oddly before reaching out. When Hector grasped his clawed hand tightly, Tahk returned the gesture. Male posturing was the same no matter what world you lived in. A stare down for the ages commenced. Hector’s knuckled bleached white as he glared up at the Dahk Commander. Tahk’s claws dug into Hector’s hand nearly splitting skin. “You hurt my girl’s, I don’t care what the fuck you are. I’ll slaughter you.”

  Tahk’s nostrils flared. “Veeveen is yours, Pehytohn is mine.”

  Hector looked to me with raised brows.

  “He says Peyton’s his, not yours,” Vivian sighed dreamily.

  Hector snorted. “You’ll be explaining that, Peyton.” I nodded reluctantly. I should have known Hector wouldn’t let it go. The moment he claimed Vivian, she made it clear he was claiming me. We were a packaged deal. Hector never objected. I was the sister he never had the moment we met, and he was that brother to me.

  Hector nodded and so did Tahk after another tense hand battle. When Tahk released him, he winced and shook out his hand. “Fuckers are strong, boys.”

  “Pussy.” One of guys snickered and another guffawed.

  “I’m takin my girl to bed. Ford you’re on watch with Yeti.” Two of his men nodded and Hector grabbed Viv, throwing her over his shoulder, and took off to the house. She squealed and giggled over the jeers of his men.

  “We shall also retire.” Tahk lifted me from my seat and cradled me to his chest. “Fihk.” The alien nodded in agreement to his silent command. As we walked to the house, we did not receive the same friendly teasing. Distrustful eyes followed us. Tahk’s Dahk m
oved to various positions throughout the yard, never turning their back on the jumpy marines. Knox seemed the most frightened of all the four hardened men. He kept a wide berth around Olynth as he walked by.

  Tahk had been carrying a sword since landing on Earth. It was long and strapped to his back, between his wings. His Dahk wore similar swords along with various daggers and knives strapped to their chests and thighs. Hector’s guys had guns and who knew what else, I hoped we wouldn’t find out if those bullets could penetrate the thick skinned Dahk.

  Hector must have taken Vivian to my library on the bottom floor, because we could hear her giggles when we entered the house. There was a couch in there, but not much else. Judging by her sudden moans, I didn’t think they minded. My house only had the one bedroom, and that’s where Tahk headed with me.

  Once entering the bedroom, Tahk gently set me down and ran his palms down my thighs. It wasn’t sexual, he was soothing me, but seemed lost in his own thoughts.

  “What’s wrong?” I whispered halting his hands on my hips.

  “You trust these humans?” He watched as he entwined our fingers together. His dark skin against my paleness was startling. His extra fingers curled inward to play along the center of my palms.

  “I trust Hector. I don’t know the others, but he trusts them.” Could we expect much? Probably not. We were in an impossible situation. Those guys had barely a few hours around the Dahk, it would take time to trust them. To trust the Dahk weren’t another alien race hell bent on our destruction. “Can we trust you?” It was perhaps a silly question. Tahk wouldn’t tell me if we couldn’t. But I felt the urge to ask anyway.

  “Ah, my mate. Dahk are like humans in that way. We are just a species same as you. We have our own thoughts and objectives. But in this?” He spread his large body down on top of mine, careful to keep most of his weight off me. “Yes. We are here to aid your species. That is our only objective. But be vigilant, Pehytohn, just as you cannot trust all humans, you cannot trust all Dahk,” he growled low when I tensed. “I will offer you this. My Dahk, the warriors on my battleship are trusted by me above all. You may trust any of them, but on Dahk One, you trust none but mine.”