He stood up from the bench and walked to the empty building in front of them. His tense shoulders fueled the fire in her stomach. Then he pounded a fist on the brick wall.
“Are you going to tell me?” Erin said to his back.
“Ankra had a secret duty.” She could hear the despair, the edge in his voice. Whatever he was going to say, he did not approve of it. “She was…she can’t…”
He sighed and leaned both palms against the wall, his back still facing her. “Blood wasn’t enough to guarantee the gene. We needed more but we are not permitted to kidnap a living human.”
“You’re taking a dead one?”
“No. We need the gene alive. But we couldn’t impose ourselves to disrupt another creature’s life. We couldn’t just kidnap someone and take them from Earth.”
Erin watched his back move, the shadows from the street lamp moving along his muscled arms as he resumed pounding his fist on the wall. For the life of her, she still couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. She stood up and went next to him.
“So what about Ankra, Drakor?”
When he turned to look at her there was fury and disapproval in his eyes. “A baby, Erin. Ankra was supposed to get pregnant and bring back a baby with a working human gene.”
Erin took a step back, bile bubbling up from her stomach and burning her throat. Her lungs tightened until she could barely breathe. “A baby? Greg’s baby? She…she would take Greg’s baby back and…and not tell him?”
“Look, I didn’t like the idea either. Human genes should not be mixing with ours, there is too much distance in history.”
This was all happening too fast. She couldn’t comprehend it. “History? What history?”
“Many thousands of years ago a race of beings came to Earth and took away many, many humans in their ships. They were brought to our planet, Elliac, and taught how to care for themselves. Eventually, the beings left them there alone. As a people, our ancestors were too primitive to understand how to fly machines or find our way home, so they stayed. Now, we have developed in a different path than humans. We are not the same species.”
Did mutations occur in that short of a time? Wouldn’t they still be humans, but with different adaptations?
Erin’s knees wobbled and her bowels cramped.
Drakor reached out for her, but she flinched away from him. “It doesn’t matter. Ankra can’t get pregnant. It isn’t working. That’s why we no longer have a reason to stay. And since I’m unable to get Alaziri, I’ve failed in everything.”
“Isn’t…what isn’t working?” She tried to take in a deep breath, but found it impossible.
“It’s been three Earth weeks, Ankra would know by now. It’s part of our culture. Females can plan their conception and know when they are with child and she is not.”
Erin hiccupped. “You-you came to steal-steal a baby…”
His midnight eyes narrowed, nose flared. “We weren’t going to steal it. The child would be Ankra’s too and Greg would have never known. Erin, are you feeling alright?”
She couldn’t…couldn’t catch her breath and tears stung her eyes. She had to get out of there. This was too much for her to handle, too much for her to grasp. A baby? They were going to take Greg’s baby?
Drakor reached for her hand again but she yanked away in horror. Who was this man in front of her anyway? She didn’t really know him, she didn’t have any idea who he was or what he was or where he came from.
Erin took a step back and looked at him once last time. His jet hair curled gently over the shirt collar, framing a gorgeous face. Black, sexy eyes surrounded by thick eyelashes stared at her with uncertainty and worry. His tall, muscular body held a power that could steal her breath and make her writhe in ecstasy.
This was the man she once sought out, the man who made her feel alive, the man she gave her body to.
The man—the alien—who may have gotten her pregnant.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Drakor watched her go, fighting the overpowering urge to chase after her. The look of fright, of shock, of disappointment that plagued her face still haunted him. He knew she would have a strong reaction. He knew she would feel concern for her brother and his child, but something else must have made her face that shade of green.
Great Sun, this was all falling apart and fast. Obviously, he did a terrible job of being in charge of this mission.
Drakor waited until Erin was completely out of sight and then went to find Brundor. There was no use staying here any longer, nothing else for him to do. He wasn’t ever going to get that Transmitter back, but what did it matter? No one could put it to any use without the codes and all the information stored on it was in his native language.
Sighing, he headed down the darkened alleyway, wrinkling his nose at the repulsive smells. It was so hard for him to see he had to get almost to the couple’s faces before determining they weren’t who he wanted. Finally, at the other end of the alley, he heard voices and recognized Rita.
The two of them were in a doorway. They had not spotted him yet but he heard Rita say, “Get the hell off me now!”
His brother murmured something Drakor couldn’t catch but he knew what Brundor went through. He remembered the agony of his Crossing, the desire that left him feeling like a voracious animal ready to snap up his next meal with each blow of the wind. Drakor knew that once Brundor allowed himself to feel the urge, he would not release his prey easily.
“I’m warning you,” Rita said, her voice surprisingly calm. “Take your hands off of me.”
“But you brought me out here,” Drakor heard his brother reply. “You wanted me to kiss you.”
There was some shuffling noise and groans. “I wanted to kiss you, yes, but I also wanted to talk and you aren’t doing that.”
Brundor pulled her closer. “Who needs to talk when there is so much else to do?”
Though his brother outweighed her easily, Rita gave him a good shove and a hard kick. “I’m not going to ask you again. Either take your paws off of me or you will find every cop in the city ready to tear you apart.”
She did another impressive maneuver and his brother tumbled backwards and landed on the ground. Drakor rushed over to him and yanked him to his feet.
“Oh, so big brother has come to save the day.” Rita crossed her arms. “I guess your girlfriend must be gone.”
Drakor ignored her and pushed Brundor down into open parking lot. “Go,” he whispered. “Now.”
A series of clicks on the sidewalk and she stood next to them. “Where are you going now?”
“You wanted him gone so I’m taking him home.”
She raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “Oh, no, he’s not going that quickly. I’m calling someone on an assault.”
Drakor could hear Brundor’s labored breathing next to him, could feel the heat from his skin. On his other side, Rita stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a no-nonsense grin. Suddenly, the aching in his skull increased to a nauseating pitch. Any minute now the situation would explode right along with his head.
There was no way Drakor was going to wait around here with Brundor while the local law enforcement came. Nor was there any way he could stay on this planet another day. Rita knew where they lived, she could come by at any time, bringing others who could destroy them as they did Alaziri.
Rita traced her fingernail down his arm and the goose bumps it sprouted weren’t from desire. “I thought he could be like you,” she purred, “but he’s no substitute for the real thing.”
Drakor clenched his jaw, using all of his willpower to prevent himself from pushing her away. “Must you call someone?”
She reached into her purse and pulled something out, unwrapped it and stuck it between her lips. “I’d rather have your tongue there instead of this gum.”
He’d rather be kissing Erin right now, just as he did inside. He would never forget the way she tasted, the way her body fit so well against him. A surge of raw need poured
into his veins.
“I must bring Brundor home.”
“Suit yourself.” Rita opened her bag again and then cursed. “Damn, I don’t have my phone. I’d go inside and make the call but I’m sure you guys will be gone by then.”
“I apologize if he hurt you, but none of this is necessary.”
Drakor stepped away from Rita and put his hand on Brundor’s shoulder, guiding him toward the parking lot. Thankfully, there was no sound of Rita’s shoes or her snapping noises behind them.
“Hey, don’t think you’ve seen the last of me,” she called as they slipped into the trees bordering the pavement.
Drakor pulled out the Transmitter in his pocket and lead his silent brother to a secluded spot. Without another word, he entered the code and they swirled into the hazy light and away from Mickey’s forever.
They landed next to the house and Drakor didn’t even wait for Brundor to get up before racing inside. He didn’t care to hear his brother’s excuses. And, honestly, Brundor probably didn’t do anything wrong and just got suckered by the wrong female.
None of it mattered now. What was most important was packing up as much as they could as soon as possible. Drakor had to forget about Erin, he had to take care of his family, before he’d completely failed that too.
The house was quiet and dark, indicating that his sisters were sleeping. Well, he’d have to wake them up, they couldn’t waste any more time.
Drakor knocked on their door and then opened it.
Ankra sat up startled and then yawned. “You home already?”
“Yes, we need to get moving immediately.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“Erin knows the truth and Brundor went too far with a female at the club. It’s too dangerous to stay here any longer. We leave as soon as possible.”
“But Greg—”
Drakor shook his head and went over to Sitora’s bed. “I hope you said your good-byes to him already.” He reached out to shake his little sister awake but the bed was empty. He turned to face Ankra. “Where’s Sitora?”
She leapt from the bed and ran over to him. “What do you mean? She was sleeping here. We went to bed at the same time, early in the night.”
Drakor went from room to room calling for her while Ankra and Brundor searched outside. But Sitora hated the dark alone, none of them could imagine her leaving here on her own.
Finally, when their search turned up nothing, they collapsed on the front porch. Ankra was crying and Brundor curled in a ball at the far end.
Where could she have gone? Who would have taken her?
Drakor had to find her. They couldn’t leave Earth without her. And he wouldn’t want to. Sitora was family and it was his job to look after them. A job he failed at just like he did with the mission.
He stood up and slowly went down the stairs. “You two continue packing, but be aware of any approaching vehicles. If you don’t recognize it, Transfer out of the house.”
Ankra nodded and Brundor mumbled an agreement.
“I’m going to find Sitora.”
Pink. The damned line was pink.
Erin blinked, shook the stick, then chanced another peek at it. Nope, still pink.
Her throat closed in, choking her. Oh, shit. How could this have happened? How could she have been so stupid?
Erin sank down to the bathroom floor. She knew how this happened. That mind control Drakor used, the one that rendered her common sense and thought process completely useless when he touched her. That’s how she let herself be this stupid. That’s how she ended up pregnant.
She dropped her head into her hands and pressed her palms against her eyes, hoping it would stop the surge of tears.
Had Drakor planned this? Was she a backup plan in case something went wrong with Ankra? Was that why he resisted using the condom so much?
But that didn’t make sense. He told her that they didn’t want to bring a human back with them and unless they were going to wait for her baby to be born, they’d have to bring her along.
Her baby…
Oh God, this couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not with Drakor as the father.
She sniffled.
Now what? Rita suspected something about Drakor and his family. Erin really believed that. Plus, if Erin printed her story of them, told the world that aliens lived in Virginia, what would they think when she gave birth? Rita would tell the world that her child was an alien baby. They’d be fodder for those weekly newsrags.
And the worst thing was that she did know what happened to Drakor’s friend. Her connection told her that several people in black suits, with FBI badges, had come to take him away.
No way could she do this story now. She’d be virtually slitting her own throat, not to mention that of her child.
She couldn’t find something compelling enough in two days. Hell, she could barely think past right now. Erin would have nothing to turn in on Monday. Not only would she not get the front page spread she deserved, she’d lose her chance at redemption. She’d also be allowing the story on Greg to go forward. She’d screwed up everywhere.
The dam broke loose and a sob tore from her throat.
A hard knock startled her.
“Hey, Erin, you in there?”
Greg. She forgot that she had called him in a panic on the way home from Mickey’s.
Erin scrambled to her feet and tore toilet paper from the roll, wiping at her nose and eyes. She tried to splash cold water on her face to even out the mottled skin tone, but it wasn’t working. He’d know she was crying. Greg would know something was very, very wrong.
“Erin, you’re worrying me,” he called. “Open the door.”
She cleared her throat. “Com–coming.”
She sucked in a deep breath and opened the door. Greg stormed in and looked around, as if to find a burglar hiding behind her couch.
“It’s alright. Nobody’s here.”
He went into the kitchen. “You were really freaked out on the phone. You could barely talk.”
Erin had called him because she couldn’t handle the anxiety and inconceivable information. She wanted to tell him everything. That Drakor and Ankra were aliens, that they were here on a mission to get a human gene, that Greg’s child was to provide that gene.
But now that she was pregnant, now that she couldn’t write the story anymore, everything had changed.
Greg came up before her, arms folded across his chest. “So, what’s going on? And why do you look like you’ve been crying?”
Damn, she knew she couldn’t hide it from him. “I-I wanted to tell you that Ankra is leaving.”
“What? That made you cry?”
“No.” She hurried over to the couch and curled up in a ball on the far end. “That’s not why I’m crying, but she is leaving. Forever.”
His eyes widened. “How do you know this?”
“I saw Drakor tonight at Mickey’s. He told me that all of them are going home.”
Greg’s face paled. “When? Where are they from anyway? Ankra wouldn’t tell me.”
Erin squirmed. She knew where they were from but she didn’t want to tell him. Not anymore. Not when she would be raising a child by herself. No one could know that Drakor and his family were aliens. Not even Greg.
“I don’t know where they’re from,” she lied. “But I know they’re going soon. Real soon.”
Her brother thrust his hand through his hair. “Oh, man, I’ve got to get over there. I’ve got to see her.”
Erin felt her throat tighten. “She really means something to you, doesn’t she?”
“More than I ever realized.” He sat down on the loveseat but then bounced back up again. “I can’t just let her go, Erin. Not after these weeks we’ve had.”
So there it was. Greg had finally fallen in love again. Not since Sarah in college had he allowed himself to really feel again. And out of all the women in the world, he chooses one from another planet.
“So why were you crying? Drakor
?”
Yes and no. She was crying because she lost everything. Her story. Her future. Her freedom. And Drakor. She was losing him too.
Erin dropped her head on her knees. “Just go, Greg.”
“Why don’t you come with me? Maybe together we can convince them to stay.”
She didn’t want them to stay. Even without her story, someone would eventually notice their oddities. And since the FBI had taken Alaziri…no, they had to go. They had to go soon.
“No.” She pulled her legs tighter against her chest. “I’m not going.”
Erin heard the door open. “Suit yourself. I’ll tell Drakor you send your love.”
Before she could stop him, the door slammed shut.
Drakor pounded on Erin’s door, his heart slamming inside his chest to the same hard beat. He couldn’t find Sitora. She disappeared, just as Brundor had done. But Drakor knew that Sitora didn’t turn herself invisible and venture in to town on purpose. Still, there was always the chance that she somehow ended up here.
“Go away, Greg!” Erin shouted from inside. “I’m not going.”
Drakor swallowed and knocked again, this time softer. “It’s not Greg. It’s me. I need to talk to you.”
“Go…go away. I don’t want to see you either.”
This discord between he and Erin made him feel as if he had spent a week under the Elliacian sun. And yet, the sound of her voice eased the pain in his head.
Drakor leaned against the door. “Erin, I’m looking for Sitora. She’s missing.”
There was a shuffling noise and then the door swung open.
“She’s missing?”
If she looked bad the last time he had come here, Erin looked far worse now. Besides untidy hair, her unusually pale face had blotches of pink all over it. The make-up she put on her eyes had smeared and her nose looked bright red.
And still he wanted to hold her against him. But he didn’t.
“We can’t find her.” He jammed his hands in his pockets. “And we need to leave here immediately.”
Erin shoved some hair behind her ear and moved away from him until she reached the couch. “Why-why do you have to go right away?”
The Price of Discovery Page 22
