“I’m not interested in dying with a solid gold St. Christopher’s pendant hanging round my damn neck. What kind of sense does that make?”
Pulling herself together, Maddison responded passively. “None. You’re right.”
“Thanks for not making a big deal out of this.”
Madison took the food her sister had traded their grandmother’s necklace for and forced it down with a smile on her face. They were slowly being stripped over everything that mattered to them. A feeling of utter hopelessness settled over her.
She tossed and turned, snuggling closer to the big warm body. As she drifted into another dream, she felt herself growing cold again.
She was crouched in another damp cave with her hands over her head, waiting for the workers to pass. She heard Kaylee cry out. Slowly standing, she saw a man wrestling her to the ground. All the other workers had left. He’d waited to get her alone, not realizing that Kaylee was never quite alone.
Her heart hardened and the blood in her veins turned to ice. Looking down, she realized she had a large rock in her hand. Where had that come from? Had she instinctively picked it up as she stood? The questions fell away as images of smashing the man’s head in floated through her mind. Strangely disconnected from the horrible reality of her action, she stepped quietly forward.
The man slumped forward. Maddie was surprised to see the rock in her hand was covered in bright red blood. Tossing it aside, she pulled Kaylee to her feet. The lights in the cave momentarily pulsed, before the eerie glow smoothed out again. Kaylee said it was because the generators were overtaxed.
Someone had their hands on her, violently shaking her.
“God, Maddie, snap out of it. We’ve got to get as far from here as possible.”
Looking at her sister, she saw bruises and scratches on her face. She’d fought hard against her attacker and would have lost had it not been for that rock. Glancing down at the ground, she saw a sickening slick of blood pooling around the downed man.
“He’s dead.” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement of fact.
“Maddie, I’m so sorry. He saw me in the shadows and had his hands on me before I could run.”
“Why are you so sorry?”
“You… we killed him, Maddie. You and me. We’ve gotta go. No one cares about homeless people like us. If they find us here, they’ll kill us.” Kaylee’s voice smoothed back out and she took a deep breath. “We need to leave now, okay?”
Then they ran. Endlessly moving from one cave structure to another, only going above ground long enough to jump cave systems. For months, they were always running, always scared, and always so damned hungry.”
She moved in her sleep and bumped against someone. Startling, she jerked awake.
“Remain calm, Miss Madison. You were having a bad dream.”
“My sister. Where’s my sister?”
A large blue hand came out and turned her face to look across the room. Kaylee was sleeping peaceably with her own blue alien attending to her. He stood over her with a medical device in his hand. Then he adjusted her IV.
“See? All is well. You are safe. No one will harm you or your sister.”
Looking up into his dark eyes, she saw only compassion. Breathing a small sigh of relief, a slight smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Alien doctors were the bomb compared to their human counterparts.
“What amuses you, young one?”
“Alien doctors cuddle their patients. Human doctors don’t do that.”
“Research on your kind revealed that therapeutic touch is an important part of the healing process.”
“Yep, keep on thinkin’ that, big guy. Works fine for me.”
His expression turned pensive.
She burrowed back down against him. Whatever they were giving her was some strong stuff. She couldn’t stay awake to save her life.
CHAPTER 5
~Kaylee~
Kaylee woke up to see unfamiliar dim lights overhead. Her thinking was clouded. Squinting her eyes, she realized the ceiling had a different design. As she thought about how that could be possible, she noticed something else. The feeling of a heavy weight sitting on her chest was gone. Taking a deep breath was easy. Before, when she’d taken a deep breath, it stopped halfway with a sharp jabbing pain.
A shadow moved closer. It was a vaguely familiar man, a handsome one with long hair. He had it pulled up in a warrior’s top knot. He smiled and held out a hydro bag. She sucked the sweet infusion into her mouth and almost sighed at how good it tasted.
“How are you feeling Miss Kaylee Brea Sagan?”
“It’s just Kaylee. I’m fine. Where am I?” Pleased that she’d managed to croak out actual words, she took another drink.
“You and your sister were brought aboard our vessel on a mission of mercy. You were dying and the Krylon were unable to cure your illness. Our people are more technologically advanced when it comes to complex medical procedures.”
“When do we have to go back?” She knew she should be eager to return to the aliens who had rescued her from Earth but she wasn’t.
“You do not sound like you wish to go back to the Krylon ship.”
“They’re really loud and they keep us all separated. Guess they think we’re going to fight or something.”
His eyes warmed and his lips crooked into a small smile. “Some of their females are very difficult. It will take them a little while to realize humans are more relaxed.”
“What kind of person are you? You don’t have their strange ears or their skin color. Those cranial ridges running along the front of your hairline are really cute. I’ve never seen that before.”
Beaming, the man replied. “I am Shardon, a clone to be exact. My name is Jacob. I am training to become a healer.”
Kaylee struggled to sit up, with his assistance. “That’s real interesting. Where’s my sister?”
“She’s still sleeping. Her operation was a success. She wakes off and on. You are always her top concern.” The man motioned his arm about ten feet away to another elevated platform. Madison appeared to be sleeping comfortably.
“What was wrong with us? The Krylon doctors wouldn’t tell us anything but I thought I remembered someone here saying we had parasites. Was I dreaming?”
“No, you were not dreaming. You had a fist-sized parasite attached to the tissue right below your heart. It was too deeply embedded for them to remove.”
“Did they get rid of us because we can’t have children any longer?”
The man’s eyes got big. “Certainly not. You are both quite capable of procreating. The Krylon do not reject women for such reasons. They gifted you and the two others to us in exchange for saving your lives.”
“If you’re clones, why do you need women? Can’t you just grow more clones whenever you want?”
The man looked uncomfortable.
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude. I was just curious. In fact, I feel strangely energetic.”
“Your system is getting enough oxygen now that the parasite has been removed. The spike in alertness will be short lived. It is part of the recovery process. The question you asked was not rude. I am just not used to people being so open about our people.”
“Is everyone really handsome, like you?” Wait, she hadn’t meant to say it that way. Though she was embarrassed, he seemed to brighten right up.
Nodding, he smiled. “That is our flaw. We are all created from a limited pool of genetic material, so though we are slightly different genetically, we still look very similar.”
Kaylee found herself laughing. “So, all Shardon women have hot husbands but you turn to cloning to make sure everyone’s gorgeous? That’s really smart.”
An older man stepped into her view. “No. Young one. Jacob is not explaining our ways very well. There have been no Shardon females for over a thousand years. We clone only because we do not have mates.”
Understanding hit her brain so hard it almost hurt. “I see. You’re one of the species who came to
Earth looking to trade for women.”
“We now have a pristine new home world to offer our brides. Clean water, fresh air, and as you have already noted, handsome companionable males.”
Smiling at the older man’s hard sales pitch, she quipped. “You sold me on the idea. Where do I sign up?”
The older man squinted his eyes, deep in thought. A female voice sounded.
“Heck, Lar, don’t look so confused. She’s just joking.”
Kaylee looked over to see a pretty redhead entering the room. “I wasn’t joking about the handsome part. Who are you?”
“My name’s Selene. I’m getting married to one of the princes from your new home world.”
“Do I get any choice about that?”
“Not really. You were given to us so we could save your life. The handsome clones are hoping you’ll pick one of their guys as a husband and make little clone babies.”
“At least they aren’t freaking out every five minutes and trying to keep us from talking.”
The redhead laughed. “We already went through all that. I explained all about human women so you’re getting the smartened-up version.”
“Thank God. I don’t think I could deal with that again. So, when do I get my assigned husband?” Without meaning to, she glanced at Jacob.
“It ain’t gonna be like that. You get to pick you own.”
“That’s great. How many do I get to choose from?”
“Heck, I guess there are about ten thousand on this ship and they’ve probably got a dozen in this area. If you don’t find one you like, we got Krylon men onboard another of our ships. My fiancé is Krylon but his home world is Sylon. It’s a mining colony about a hundred parsecs from Krylon. You don’t have to pick anytime soon. Just rest and when you feel better, we can introduce you around.”
“All rightie, then. That’s a lot to swallow all at once.”
“That’s why I dragged my big butt on over here to tell you about it in person. I thought it might be easier to hear coming from a woman who’s been there.”
“It is what it is. We’re taking a chance to make a better life for ourselves. It’s nice that you came to talk to us in person. My sister will be sorry she missed you.”
The woman jerked her head around to look at the other two women. Kaylee realized her sister looked very much like her with the long dark hair.”
“Twins?”
“Fraternal.”
“Still, you look a lot alike.”
“People always give us a hard time for that.”
Jacob interjected. “In that case, you will feel very much at home here. Clones face the same ridicule for looking too similar.”
The woman laughed. “Get some rest. I’ll be back around in a few hours. I’ll bring some portable tablets so you can read up on the ships and our new alliance.”
“That would be swell. Thanks for stopping by.”
Kaylee laid back down, feeling tired again. Maybe this would all be all right somehow. The couple of males she’d seen seemed reasonable, solicitous even.
Kaylee lay staring at her younger sister. Madison’s alien seemed really nice. He was just as attentive to her needs as Jacob was to her. He fussed over her blankets and raised a little barrier around the padded table Kaylee was laying on.
The man had some nice hands. He’d touched her forehead and cheek several times. She knew he was just doing what medics did, but it still felt good to be handled with care.
CHAPTER 6
~Madison~
“I feel fine. Why are you making me stay in bed?”
“Young one, you are still…”
“Stop calling me young one, I’m twenty-six. Plus, I already got the scoop from Jacob. You guys live a long time. You’re not even considered middle aged by Shardon standards, so don’t keep calling me young.”
“Fine, Miss Madison Shah Sagan.”
Leaning over the exam table, Madison batted her eyes at the handsome physician. “You can call me Maddie.”
“The human females call me Lar. I suppose that since you are so particular about names, you can call me that as well.”
Running a finger around the edge of his uniform collar, she bit her bottom lip. “Lar’s a really nice name. Is it short for something?”
The older man looked down at her hand a moment before stepping back. “My full name is Lar Shalon de mar Pald de mar Yar de mar Cajan.”
“Trace your lineage back three generations?”
The man’s eyes flew open. “How did you know that?”
Rolling her eyes, Madison flipped her hair back over her shoulder. “Common sense. You’re a clone. I imagine Shalon is a designation and de mar must mean descended from or something of that nature.”
“You are a clever female. Shalon is my batch designation.”
Folding her arms over her chest, she smiled.
“Know what else Jacob told me?”
“The gods only know. He talks all the time, much like yourself.”
“He told me that you don’t have a female.”
“No clone yet has a mate. What is your point, young one?”
Tipping her chin, she waited for him to catch his own mistake.
“My apologies. Scrubbing the idea of you being childlike from my mind is difficult. You are small, like one of our young before he is fully matured.”
“Let me help you with that.” Smiling deviously, she lifted her shirt. Pointing with one finger at her exposed voluptuous exposed breast, she drove her point home. “Children do not have these. Get a good look and remember them each time you begin to think of me as anything other than a fully grown woman. Thanks to you, I don’t even have a surgery scar left.”
Madison heard her sister’s weak voice.
“Stop tormenting the nice doctor who saved your life, Maddie. Can you come to me? I want to talk.”
Maddie pulled her shirt down and smiled at the shocked man before jumping off the exam table. “I’m prime breeding material and don’t you forget it, mister. Word to the wise. No woman appreciates hearing that she looks like a child.”
Nodding, Lar was clearly speechless.
Madison turned primly on her heel and walked across the room to her sister. Grinning, she apologized. “Sorry about playing hard ball with the nice doctor, but he was getting on my last nerve calling me young lady.”
“You’re a lot to handle, Maddie. Cut the man some slack. He probably hasn’t met very many humans.”
“Well, the sexy bastard better get used to thinking of me as a woman. He’ll be lucky if I don’t pounce on him as soon as they let me out of lockdown.” Madison didn’t know why the handsome doctor thinking she looked like a child bothered her so much. She was being annoying and she just couldn’t stop herself. Looking down, Madison could see she was skinny as a bean pole. Being half-starved for a couple of years would do that to a woman.
“Hate to sound like a Krylon but calm the heck down.”
Laughing, Maddie jumped up and sat on the edge of her sister’s exam table. Thumping her hand on the thick pad, she commented. “I don’t know what to call these things, but they are really comfortable. I’ve been sleeping like a baby.” She avoided admitting to having the nice doctor cuddle her. That might have helped her get a good sleep every now and then as well.
Her sister was still weak. Maddie could tell because she was moving slowly and there was a short delay before she spoke. Those were both new problems for Kaylee. It worried her to think her sister was recovering at a slower pace.
“I know. I wish we’d had one back on Earth.”
“Yeah, it would have been so much better than sleeping on the stone floor. Hey, guess what?”
Smiling, her sister blinked and then blinked again. “What?”
Swallowing down her fear, Madison smiled brightly. “Looks like we’re going to get our wish. We’re cured and get to pick from thousands of good-looking clones with a home world that sounds like a real paradise compared to Earth.”
“Guess we can’t get brothers.”
“Ha, that’s funny. They have something similar. All the clones from the same batch live and work together. They make several hundred to a batch so there’s a lot of choice.”
After a brief pause, Kaylee asked curiously. “So, do you really have the hots for that doctor, or were you just jerking his chain?”
Madison had to think that one over a minute. “The man’s hotter than a bride riding bareback on the Fourth of July.”
Kaylee yawned. “You didn’t answer the question.”
Pinching her sister gently on the hip, she quipped. “Why do you care? Are you trying to call dibs on my super-hot doctor?”
Kaylee yawned again. “Sorry, guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
“Grab some z’s. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Kaylee squeezed her hand and closed her eyes.
Madison sucked in a quiet breath and eased herself off the table. Fighting back tears, she looked around for the doctor. Padding to his office off to the right, she could see him through the glass. He was standing at a large counter running down one wall. He had some sort of ocular device strapped to his face and kept tilting his head around at odd angles. Letting herself into the room, she walked over to him.
“Jacob, can you reach me the refractor shield? I want to see if I can enhance the sharpness of the slide by exposing it to different wavelengths of light.”
Suddenly, her angst turned to something much more mischievous. She moved quietly over to the man. Sliding her hand into his, she grabbed his other hand when it came up to remove the device strapped to his head. He stilled, not struggling against her touch.
“I’m not your little errand boy, Jacob. Care to guess who I am?”
“I do not need to guess. Only one woman would be brazen enough to interrupt me while I’m in my lab.”
Glancing around, she murmured. “I’ve been thinking of this as your office.”
“My office is through the door in back of the room. You have never been there.”
“Oh, goodie. A brand new room that I’ve never seen before. Is it your personal space?”
“Yes.” He began to pull out of her hold. “It’s where I keep most of my material possessions.”
Celestial Mates Complete Series Box Set (Books 1-5) (Alien SciFi Romance) Page 22
