by Rachel Clark
“So why aren’t you in there with them?”
Even as she asked the question she acknowledged how much more frightened she would have been if she’d woken up in a strange room alone, but at the same time it seemed wrong to keep him from a relationship that was clearly very important to him.
“They needed some time for just the three of them,” he said in a sad voice. “Reyne and Daku were together for a long time. It’s important for Ben and Naith to be able to reassure him that he’s not alone. In the Jernodrian culture it’s now Daku’s responsibility to protect his family, but without the skills of a dria-coldar it’s going to be very difficult for him.”
“Surely he doesn’t feel like he carries that burden alone.” It was probably an erroneous assumption considering they were talking about an alien culture, but it seemed fairly obvious to Felicity that Ben and Naith were capable adults and not unable to defend themselves if necessary. Although, considering the details they’d given her on Reyne’s murder, it did seem they were being pursued by very dangerous men.
“I hope that he doesn’t,” Chris said quietly. “I’ve already begun teaching Naith and Ben how to use handguns. I won’t let them face danger like that again without giving them a chance to defend themselves. Daku can protect them, but since he’s the one they’ll likely target first if they ever find us, I’d like to know that he has armed and capable men to back him up.”
“Will you teach me?” she asked even as her inner voice asked “What the hell?”
“You don’t like guns,” Chris said correctly.
Her opinion on that subject had been very solid since high school. There were simply too many incidents in the newspapers of people being shot with their own guns. Having a gun to protect yourself wasn’t much use if you weren’t prepared to kill someone with it. That thought sent a cold shiver down her spine. Did she suddenly think she was capable of killing a person in order to protect men she’d just met? For Chris? Maybe, but it was clear the man she’d known most of her life was quite able to take care of himself.
“Don’t worry about it now,” Chris said, nuzzling her neck sleepily. “We’re safe here. This house isn’t part of the Jernodrian network on Earth. There is no way that those men could follow a paper trail to find us here.”
“Is that how they found you the first time?” she asked, too worried about the situation she’d suddenly found herself in to just let it go.
“We think so,” Chris said. “The Jernodrians have a rather complex setup on this planet. It should have worked perfectly to help them blend into the community and the economy but it appears that someone made the connection between a couple of dead diamond mines and the humans who are suddenly leaving their lives behind.”
“Diamond mines?”
She felt Chris’s cheek move against her neck as he smiled. “It’s pretty ingenious actually. The Jernodrian High Council purchased several depleted diamond mines, seeded them with diamond from their own planet, and then publicly listed the company. Quite a few humans are making good profits on their investments, but most of the shareholders are Jernodrians using the funds for their stay on Earth while they seek out dal-sheras.”
“Dal-sheras?” She knew she was starting to sound like a parrot, but there was so much she needed to understand. Her entire life had changed in a matter of moments.
“As I understand it,” Chris said slowly, “there is a shortage of women on their planet. I don’t really have a handle of all of the details, but it apparently takes a family pod of six or more to produce offspring.”
“So they find these women and then take them home to their planet?”
“I believe so,” Chris said in a tired-sounding voice. “They try to make contact with humans who have no other family, no real reason to regret leaving the planet.” He yawned as he finished the sentence. “Family is important to them. They wouldn’t break up a human family to make one of their own.” He yawned again on the last word.
“When was the last time you slept?” Felicity asked as she finally realized how exhausted her best friend really was.
* * * *
Chris didn’t want to worry Felicity, but if he knew one thing about the woman it was that she wouldn’t accept anything but a truthful answer.
“It’s been a difficult few days.”
“Fuck,” Felicity said quietly, the meaning of his words apparently very clear. “Go to sleep.”
“I will,” he promised as his arms seemed to tighten around her of their own volition. “Please promise me that you’ll stay close until I wake up.”
“Of course,” she said, nodding slightly.
“Do you mind me holding you?” he asked, immediately regretting the needy-sounding tone, but needing to know nevertheless.
At first he thought she was going to make one of her usual smartass comments for when they got just a little too close, but then she seemed to change her mind.
“No, I don’t mind you holding me. I’m glad you’re here.”
He didn’t want to break the moment, so he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and closed his eyes, grateful for a chance to get some actual sleep without risking anyone’s safety.
Chapter Four
Three days after what should have been a routine raid and Mason Briggs still couldn’t close his eyes without seeing a replay of everything that had happened. Nearly every agent on the mission had sustained an injury of varying degree, but it had been the actions of his own teammates that had left him so shaken.
As soon as they’d entered the building their team leader had ordered them to open fire on unarmed men. Mason had hesitated, unwilling to use his weapon in a situation that clearly wasn’t self-defense, and then had watched on in horror as exploding rounds had been detonated in the largest man’s chest. Even if he’d been from another planet, as his supervisor had explained to them afterward, the man hadn’t at the time made a threat toward any of them.
Mason had almost been relieved when a man they hadn’t realized was in the house starting shooting back. Bullets aimed the man’s way had frozen midair and then fallen harmlessly to the ground, but nearly every one of the bullets he’d fired had hit its target.
And he’d not fired at anyone who wasn’t shooting at him or his friends.
Fortunately none of the agents who’d been hit had sustained life-threatening injuries thanks to their Kevlar vests and other safety gear, but with the low-aimed bullets that had caused knee and leg wounds, many would probably never be fit enough for field work again. Mason had trouble dredging up any sympathy for men so morally corrupt that they wouldn’t hesitate to follow such horrific orders.
But the experience had thrown him into even more confusion over what had happened that day nearly eight months ago when a car had exploded in his face. It had been fairly obvious who’d set up the explosion, but after witnessing the murdered alien use telekinesis to protect his podmates, his husbands, Mason now knew what—or more accurately who—had saved his life that day.
The people he worked for described these aliens as ruthless and extremely dangerous, willing to go to any lengths to get what they wanted, but the only things Mason had ever witnessed were acts of generosity, protection, and kindness. He hadn’t even been surprised when the man who’d shot the agents had been identified as human. If an ex-police officer—one with an exemplary record—was willing to come to the aid of aliens at risk of being slaughtered, that said more about the aliens than all of Mason’s bosses’ propaganda put together.
But having come to the conclusion that aliens had more to fear from humans than the other way around, what the hell was he supposed to do about it? This wasn’t the type of job a person resigned from. This wasn’t the type of company that would let him just walk away.
* * * *
Felicity woke with a hard cock pressed against her ass. It was kind of weird really. She didn’t have to remember where she was or who she was with. As confusing as the past three weeks had been she very clearly remember
ed falling asleep in Chris’s arms each night and waking in the same place.
“Mmmm,” Chris moaned quietly as he pulled Felicity closer and ground his cock harder against her ass. Considering that he had confessed to sharing the bed of the three men in the other room—even though he hadn’t done so since they’d arrived here—she was a little bit embarrassed that he apparently thought she was someone else. She’d always known about his bisexuality and preference for multiple partners, but he’d seemed more emotionally committed to the three aliens than he had with any of his other bed partners.
“Chris,” she said, hoping to wake him up without embarrassing him.
“Yes, baby,” he said as he nuzzled her neck the same way he’d done that first night they’d arrived here.
“Chris, it’s me.”
“I know, Flick,” he said his hand skimming over her pajama-covered hip. They’d made sure to provide her with everything she could ever have needed, including a few things men in general—let alone men from a different planet—were usually reluctant to buy.
“Well if you know it’s me, what are you doing?” she whispered worriedly.
“I’ve wanted you in my bed for years.”
“And what about Naith, Ben, and Daku? What about Reyne?”
Chris’s hand stilled, but he didn’t remove it from her hip. “We were coming to find you,” he said cryptically. “Reyne had been eager to meet you, but he’d insisted on making certain I was physically healed before we moved our focus onto seducing you.”
“Seducing me?” she squawked like a parrot. Hell, she really had to stop doing that. It seemed it wasn’t just the aliens around them throwing her off balance. Chris had been flirting with her for years, but this was the first time she’d truly been tempted to throw caution to the wind and claim the man as her own. That probably wouldn’t go down very well with the three men in the living area.
“I told you they came here looking for women to carry their babies. You fit their criteria and you happen to be the hottest woman I know, so I figured it was worth introducing you—especially since it would mean we could leave the planet together and I wouldn’t have to worry about you being left all alone. It seemed like a win-win situation, until the attack on Reyne.”
“I’m sorry about Reyne.” It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Reyne’s death had hit them all hard. The emotions she sensed flowing through them these past few weeks were impossible to deny. “But you know I don’t share partners,” she said, falling back on the argument she’d used for years to hold him at arm’s length.
“Yeah, but I was hoping you’d make an exception for me. Jernodrian family pods offer a lot more stability than a human-style marriage.
“Is that what you’re looking for? Stability?”
He laughed softly but pulled her closer as he suddenly became very serious. “It’s what I’ve always been looking for. I’ve wanted it for both of us ever since your parents died. A relationship with four men who promised to love and adore us both for a lifetime and beyond is almost exactly what I wanted. I will admit to not having expected the offer to come from aliens, but it definitely fits what I was looking for.”
“I don’t see how such a complicated relationship could work,” she said warily, “but that thought aside, they’ve just lost Reyne. Surely they’re no longer looking to start a family. At least not for a while.”
“Without Reyne, it’s not even possible,” Chris said in a sad tone. “I’m not totally clear on how it all happens, but the dria-coldar somehow forces changes in his podmates’ DNA. It has the neat little side effect of making humans stronger and more able to travel through space. And it makes a human woman capable of carrying the pod’s offspring.”
“So when they go home, you can’t go with them?”
Chris’s arms trembled slightly as he pulled her closer. “It’s why they’re still here,” he said in a tone that suggested he was annoyed they were risking themselves in that way. “Reyne’s brother, Zed, is coming here to try and talk them into going home, but they’re refusing to leave you and me alone on what has suddenly become a very hostile planet.”
She could feel tears prickling at the back of her eyes as she realized the dilemma they faced. Working on the assumption that everything they’d told her so far was true and accurate, she had no way of going back to the life she’d built, neither did Chris, and without Reyne to create the DNA changes they had no way to leave the planet.
“To be honest, I’m glad Daku, Ben, and Naith are here to help protect you. I even know it what’s Reyne would have wanted. We’re talking about a group of people willing to murder a sentient species without even trying to talk to them first. I have no idea what they would have done if they’d captured Daku, Ben, and Naith and no idea what they would have done to you if we hadn’t gotten to you first, but I’m very glad we won’t be finding out.”
Felicity couldn’t stop the convulsive shiver that ran down her spine. Everything had happened so quickly, but after the demonstration of Daku’s abilities over the past three weeks, she had no reason to doubt Chris was telling the truth.
“It’s okay, baby,” he said pulling her closer. “We’ll protect you. If Zed does talk them into going home then I’ll protect you myself. I’ll always protect you, Flick. I’d die for you. You have to know that by now.”
“Don’t talk like that,” she said angrily as the thought of losing the most important person in the world to her squeezed her heart painfully. “I don’t want you dying, not even to protect me.”
“Flick…”
“No,” she said pulling out of his arms and climbing onto her feet. “You’re not dying. Not even for me. I refuse to live in a world without you.” She almost leapt out of her skin at the soft knock on the door, but she flinched visibly when Daku came into the room. Hell, what must he think of her? They’d all risked their lives to collect her three weeks ago, yet here she was yelling at the man they apparently loved—or at the very least were really fond of—in a misplaced show of temper. She didn’t want Chris dying for any reason, but yelling at him right now wasn’t exactly sane.
Felicity’s legs sagged as Daku crossed the room and gathered her into his embrace. “We’ll protect each other, Felicity,” he said in a reassuring tone. “We’re not alone. The Jernodrian High Council has a strong presence on Earth and is already working on ways to keep everyone safe. We just need to stay hidden while things get sorted out.”
“Oh,” she said as more than a little relief ran through her. It did occur to her that it was a kind of strange that she was glad to hear aliens walked among them in greater numbers than she’d ever imagined, but just knowing it wasn’t the five of them alone, pursued by conscienceless killers made her feel a whole lot calmer.
“I’m sorry about Reyne,” she said as some of the things Chris had said to her came flooding back. If she understood correctly, Daku and Reyne had been together for quite a long time.
“Thank you, Felicity,” Daku said in a tone thick with emotion as he lowered his cheek to rest on top of her head. She snuggled closer, the instinct to offer comfort in this way just a little surprising. She wasn’t usually a “toucher,” even when social nicety called for it. Daku seemed to relax slightly as he rubbed a warm hand slowly up and down her spine. “He was a good man and an extraordinary husband, and I regret that you never got to meet him.”
“Me, too,” she said, truly meaning the words. She had no doubt Daku spoke the truth. It was very clear that Chris trusted him. She’d always considered her brother’s best friend quite a good judge of character, so even when it had seemed Chris was making bad choices in the past couple years she’d trusted his judgment. Learning that he’d been working as an undercover cop in that time certainly helped to explain a lot of things, and it had reinforced her own certainty that his judgment could be trusted.
Daku held her tight for quite a long time and despite her usual reticence to let people get close, she found the embrace quite soothing.
“Of course,” she said quickly. “He’s the closest I have to family.” The strangled sound that came from behind them had her moving out of Daku’s embrace and turning to face the man in question.
“So you think of Chris as a brother, a sibling?”
The expression on Chris’s face shocked her. She’d never seen him look so vulnerable. Not even when he’d been a skinny, neglected kid. She opened her mouth to give Daku the answer she’d always given Chris when he’d suggested they run away together, but the lie stuck in her throat. This wasn’t the lighthearted flirting they’d indulged in over the years. This was a man important to Chris asking if she loved Chris, too.
“I…no.” She shook her head, searching for the words, fear pounding through her when Chris switched on that bad-boy expression that covered so much pain. She shook her head faster, her words tumbling out too quickly. “No, no I don’t think of him as a brother.” She gave Daku a half smile and then turned to face Chris, dragging in a deep breath as she prepared to confess what was in her heart. “I tried, you know. I never wanted to risk our friendship, but you mean so much more to me than just a friend.”
Daku made a satisfied-sounding noise. “I know it’s not an ideal situation, but you love each other. We might have lost our chance at having a true Jernodrian family, but that shouldn’t hinder you two finding happiness together.”
“Dak?” Chris asked worriedly as he climbed out of the bed and moved to wrap his arms around Felicity and Daku. “What does this mean?”
“Chris,” Daku said, placing his hand against Chris’s cheek in an affectionate gesture that seemed far more intimate, “it doesn’t have to mean anything. We plan to stay on Earth. We’ll always be close and we’ll always love you.”
