“Don’t worry about me. I’ll follow you the best that I can. I can be quiet and you’ll need someone to watch your asses.”
Then climb up on my back, you idiot. I’m not slowing down, Reno said into Ceno’s mind as he stopped on the trail. His nose knew where they’d taken her.
It was only a matter of time before the Argarians decided to kill her or take her off world. While he could still track her if they took her away from Earth, he could only follow if he had an interstellar ship and theirs had been dismantled for spare parts.
Ceno climbed up on his back and he headed up the mountainside, leaving Deno to trot behind them. His younger brother had been running with one of the local boys as he trained for the high school track team. Apparently, the boy was in better shape than the rest of them. Thin and wiry, compared to his and Ceno’s bulk, the boy wasn’t even breathing hard.
There was an old prospect mine on the mountain, somewhere. The aliens had most likely hidden in the cave there.
He padded through the trees and underbrush. Being quiet seemed easy in his tiger form. It was as though his beast could draw from centuries of experience. Perhaps they had some sort of genetic memory, or perhaps it was just instinct. Reno didn’t care what it was as long as it helped him retrieve his mate safe and sound.
They’re in the cave. He crouched down, until his belly brushed the ground. I saw you grabbed yourself a blaster. Tell me you grabbed me one, as well.
“I don’t know where anyone else keeps theirs,” Ceno whispered as he slid from Reno’s back. “You’re just going to have to make due with those huge teeth of yours.”
The better to taste them with. Reno curled his lip. He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into any of the aliens who had touched his mate. If any of them had harmed a hair on her head, they would die. If they had to, he and his brothers would bury their bodies on the mountain.
“If we kill them, perhaps we could find their ship and take it home.”
If we kill them, we’ll be staying here. Reno paused and stared at the entrance to the cave. At least I plan to stay. When had he started liking Earth? A picture of Birgit flashed through his mind and he knew. He would stay on Earth for her.
Every mother deserved to know that their children, boy or girl, had every chance at growing up and having a family of their own. He couldn’t promise that on Zolon. However, he could make that promise on almost any other inhabitable planet in the universe and Magic was the ideal place to raise half human children.
A high-pitched scream had him heading for the cave entrance, his entire being focused solely on rescuing his mate. His chest ached as he thought of the horrible things the Argarians could do to her. He gritted his teeth, determined to make sure they all died for that one squeal of pain and horror.
Shadows in the cave leant them cover as he and his brother moved silently through the dim interior. Flickering light drew them forward. The sound of soft sobs tore through him and strengthened his resolve to kill each and every alien near his mate.
“You will tell us what we wish to know, or we will kill your friend.”
He met Ceno’s startled gaze as his brother mouthed the words, they have two women here. His brother pointed to his eyes, as though he had seen them.
It doesn’t matter. These men will die and we’ll take the women. Reno refused to think of the implications that could arise with a witness from outside of Magic. Someone in town would have to hit the woman with a memory spell if she couldn’t come to terms with what happened. It was the only other option they had, if they wanted to keep Magic’s unique population a secret.
Chapter Nineteen
“What are you doing here?” Birgit stared at Angie, her eyes wide.
Dirt smeared her friend’s face, her sable brown hair, usually so neat, appeared mussed and matted, as though she hadn’t washed or brushed it in a couple of days. Her shirt, torn at the shoulder, barely covered her bra, and her right eye appeared swollen shut.
“What have they done to you?” She shuddered at the thought her friend’s torn blouse evoked. She opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped when Angie quickly shook her head, her hazel gaze shifting to somewhere just over Birgit’s left shoulder.
A large green hand shot out, cuffing Birgit on the side of the head and she cried out. She fell to her knees, holding her head as the inside of the cave spun around her.
Ears ringing, she stayed where she was, until another huge green hand with claws the size of four-penny nails grabbed her and shoved her toward the stone ledge where Angie sat watching, terrified.
She stared up at the aliens, wondering why she’d ever thought meeting green aliens would be nice. Her mind conjured up a picture of Reno in his home. Blue aliens were much better. Apparently, the green ones were jerks.
Jade-colored faces stared back as their heads undulated back and forth, giving the appearance of a cobra attempting to hypnotize its prey. Orange, unblinking eyes watched as she reached out and took Angie’s trembling hand in hers. They needed to support each other, as long as the aliens held them.
Closing her eyes, she prayed Reno had told her the truth when he’d said once tied as mates, he would be able to find her anywhere. In fact, she was counting on his huge tiger barging into the cave at any moment. She only hoped he didn’t wait an hour like he’d promised. Otherwise, anything could happen. An hour was a long time to stay captive in the clutches of monstrous aliens who made their taste for devouring humans no secret.
“Where is Raul?”
“Raul?” Birgit blinked. “What could you possibly want with him?” She pretended not to know they had informed Reno of their affiliation with the jerk. Her boss never told her what he was up to, and anyone who checked his schedule would see what his plans had been for the next couple of weeks.
“He is our Argarian brother and he has disappeared on this primitive planet.”
Birgit pressed her lips together. Arguing with them was out of the question. They’d rip her apart and eat her remains if she didn’t cooperate. They had already made that quite clear.
Think, think!
She had to buy herself some time. Reno would come for her. She might have only known him a short time, but the tie between them grew stronger every minute and she didn’t doubt he would soon find her and rescue her from the aliens holding her captive.
“His appointment schedule was on my desk and in my work laptop, as well as his laptop.”
“His computer is missing and the one from your desk is encrypted.” Reaching to his left, he picked something up and shoved it toward her. “This is your computer. Unlock the program with your passkey.”
The alien watched her with glowing eyes. A long, thin tongue shot out and tasted the air and he inhaled deeply.
“Help us and we will release you both.”
Yeah, right. He acted as though he were starving and they were a sushi bar. She turned her attention back to the other aliens. They all wore the same expression. It filled Birgit with dread.
She cast her gaze around, hoping to see a way out. By the way it appeared, neither she, or Angie would leave the cave alive. Their captors seemed hungry to end their acquaintance, and not in a good way.
Unwanted images flew through her head of both she and Angie dismembered, yet still alive as they watched the lizard aliens feasting on their body parts. She shook her head and tried not to gag.
A movement in the shadows drew her attention, she welcomed the distraction, but she tried not to look. If it was another reptilian alien, she didn’t want to know and if it was Reno, or someone else attempting to mount a rescue, she didn’t want to give them away.
She took the laptop held by one of the aliens and glanced at it.
“This one isn’t mine.” She turned it over in her hands. “I don’t know whose it is, but I doubt I can guess the proper password to log you in.”
One of the aliens turned and dug in a bag for a few seconds, before pulling out another laptop. “This one is yours
, yes?” He shoved it in her face.
“Yes.” Her stomach heaved at the thought that in a few short minutes, she and Angie could be their dinner. “This one is mine.” She took the device, set it on her legs and opened it.
She pressed the power button and swallowed when it started its boot-up process. So much for hoping the battery was dead. The start screen popped up, showing that the operating system had begun its start-up and Birgit trembled.
After a few seconds, the welcome page popped up on the screen and she entered her password.
“Give that to me!” The alien shouted. He inhaled deeply and smacked his lips. Snatching the computer from her, he set it on a low stone shelf and started searching through the pages.
After a moment, the low battery alarm sounded and Birgit closed her eyes, hoping the device would die before they could get what they wanted. It would buy them a few more minutes.
“Aha!” The alien shouted and roared his triumph at having found Raul’s schedule. “Here it is.”
“Give it to me!” The largest alien shouted. He grabbed the computer and turned it toward him, just as the battery died and the screen went dark. “What happened?”
Turning, he glared at Birgit. “What did you do to this thing?” He waved it in the air before shoving it her way. “You will fix it. Now!”
“The battery is dead. It needs charged.”
“What is this charged?” He tilted his head and stared at her through his beady orange eyes.
“It needs power. Just like your ship needs power to make it go, this needs power to show you what you want to see.”
They were worse than children. At least most children responded to authority and liked just about everyone they came in contact with. These aliens, on the other hand, didn’t seem to like anyone and didn’t listen to anyone, either.
His snake-like tongue shot out again and he licked his lips. “We will eat and then you will take us to this charged thing.” He set the computer down and moved toward them. We do not need this Angie, anymore. She will feed us.” He met Birgit’s gaze, his smile cruel. “What part do you like? Will a hand be enough for you?”
Angie wimpered when she realized they meant to make her their next meal.
“If you harm her, I won’t help you.” She lifted her chin and glanced into the shadows where she could have sworn she’d seen movement.
“You will help, or you will die.”
“You’re going to kill us both anyway. So go ahead and eat me, you prick!”
The alien drew his hand back and Birgit closed her eyes, expecting a killing blow from his ham-like hand with inch long claws. A strange sound came from the dark area of the cave and the alien dropped to his knees, his eyes wide and his mouth open in a silent scream.
An orange spot blossomed on his chest, growing larger as a fleshy hole appeared in the center of his torso. It took a moment for Birgit to realize she could see the other side of the cave through his body. Gagging, she looked away, holding a hand over her mouth.
The sound came again, with a streak of blue light, hitting another of the aliens in the midsection. A ball of smoke billowed from the impact point at the same time as the alien fell forward.
A huge tiger leapt from the darkness, taking down another of their captors, his mouth finding the reptile’s throat, the claws on its hind feet gouging the alien’s belly. Orange blood and gore flew everywhere. The alien’s bright eyes went opaque and he dropped his arms from around the animal’s neck.
Another alien leapt toward the tiger, bringing the huge knife he bore down toward the back of Reno’s neck with a feral cry.
The big cat swung its mighty tail, hitting the Argarian with the poisonous spikes before it jumped up on its hind legs and spun around, clapping the alien on the side of its head with a huge paw. The creature flew across the room and hit the wall with a sickening crack.
Birgit covered her face with her hands. She wanted Reno, yet she didn’t know if she could live with him. She’d dreamed of a man like him, and now she was afraid to even look him in the eyes for fear he would see what a phony she had been when she said she could love an alien.
Would she ever be able to come to terms with who he was—what he was? She didn’t fear him, never that, but she feared those who would come after him. Would there be other Argarians, other aliens who would want to make her their dinner? She didn’t want him to have to kill for her. What would that do to him after a while?
“I think we went from the frying pan and into the fire on this one, my friend.” Angie wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for thinking you were some kind of kook when you talked about aliens.” She sobbed onto Birgit’s shoulder.
“Don’t cry.” Birgit looked up at the sound of a strange male voice.
A young man knelt before them, a smile on his handsome face.
“I’m Deno.” He jerked his head in Reno and Ceno’s direction as the two examined the reptile’s bodies. No doubt making sure they were all dead.
He seemed unassuming enough with his thin, youthful body and easy grin. Blond and handsome, Birgit assumed he was their brother since she’d seen him in the garage with an identical twin the day she’d arrived.
The boy knelt in front of them, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped between his legs.
“I’m their younger brother.” He turned his gaze on Birgit. “And if you haven’t worked it out yet, Xeno is my twin.”
Reaching out, he gave Angie’s shoulder and awkward pat. “It’s okay now, miss. The bad guys are dead and there’s nothing to worry about.” He pulled a small box from his pocket. “If you don’t mind, I’m just going to run this around your face for a second, or two.” He held up his hand when she would have spoken. “It’s just a… thingy that we made from parts from our ship. It will make you feel better.”
He waved it in front of her for a moment and the pain in her face and head faded. “If you haven’t guessed, it’s a medical device. We would love to share how it’s made, but we can’t. Some of the components in it, just can’t be found here on Earth.”
Deno moved to Angie and healed her next. It was odd to watch as the swelling in her eye and lip lessened and the bruises faded to nothing.
“There you go. You’re good as new.” After he finished, he shoved the device back in his pocket and leaned against the wall.
Birgit tore her gaze away from the miracle of Angie’s healed face and glanced over Ceno’s shoulder at the large tiger, and burst into tears again as she thought about what he was and how she wasn’t sure she could make things work. Not now.
“Don’t be afraid. You know him.”
She did know him and that was why she was so upset. She loved him, too much. How could she stay with him, live with him as though nothing had happened? Would every day be a reminder of what happened here? Would he resent her for having to kill the creatures that had threatened her? Would she ever be able to put it behind her and live a normal life with him? God knew she wanted that more than anything.
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “I just can’t handle this, right now. I need… I need some time to think.” She swiped at the tears running down her face. She glanced at Reno and met his gaze. “Thank you for saving us, Reno.”
Turning, she met Deno’s gaze. “I need some time to pull myself together. Will you…” She glanced over her shoulder at the bodies littering the floor. “Can you take us back to Magic?”
Chapter Twenty
Reno stared at his mate for a moment. His chest ached as he watched her shake her head and leave with his brother. Staying with him was her choice. It would always be her choice.
The claim of a Zolonian raider only lasted as long as the female allowed it. He felt their ties stretching to their limits, even as he stood in the cave watching her.
Take them to the B & B in my shooter. I’ll follow on foot. I must remain behind or I’ll try to stop her from leaving and you know I can’t. The choice to st
ay must be hers, not mine.
Turning, he walked out of the cave with a heavy heart. He sniffed the ground while he walked. Nothing seemed out of place. However, there was a strange scent he felt compelled to follow. Metallic and not of this world, the smell drew him farther up the mountain.
He welcomed the distraction. Everything within him screamed for him to go home and tend to his mate. How could he when it was obvious she didn’t want him around her?
How could he face her with the blood of the Argarians on his head? The fact that the reptilians had planned to kill Birgit and the other female made no difference. He had killed the aliens and he’d enjoyed himself in the battle. No doubt, in her eyes, he was just as much a monster as those who had taken her captive and planned to make her their dinner.
Using his claws, he made his way up the steep incline to a ledge where the scent seemed strongest. There, buried beneath a hill of brush, stood the Argarian’s ship. He and his brothers finally had a way home.
Strange, how having a way back to Zolon didn’t excite him as much as it would have a few days before. He circled the ship, attempting to ascertain whether there were more reptilians inside or if they had managed to kill all of them but the one the others had called Raul.
Deciding he was alone, Reno shifted into his human form and entered the ship. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior, but once they did, he saw many familiar things, including parts from a Zolonian ship. Apparently, the Argarians had hobbled their craft together using parts from many different vessels.
Argarians were worse than Zolonians when it came to raiding. At least the people of Zolon had an excuse—their planet was barren and dying. The Argarians came from a world rich with resources and they still chose to slaughter and steal from their interstellar neighbors.
Leaving the ship, he covered it with the brush and weeds his enemies had used and headed back down the mountain. It was time he talked with his brothers. He might have botched up his own mating, but his brothers still had a chance at a family life and he intended to give it to them.
Magic, New Mexico: Bewitching Birgit (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 9
