by Cara Wylde
Ginny blinked and raised her hand shyly. “Are you okay?” She wanted to touch him, but as usual, she changed her mind when her fingers were one inch away from his rough cheek. She almost jumped out of her chair when Eldav surprised her by grabbing her hand and pressing it to his face himself. She should have been used to him and his moody attitude by now, but she wasn’t. As much as she liked him, maybe even loved him a little, she doubted she would ever understand him. When a rush of feelings and thoughts that clearly didn’t belong to her flooded her whole being, her doe eyes went even bigger than before. She opened her mouth, but all she managed to let out was a mere gasp.
Eldav was able to hold his composure for half a minute only. Yes, as he had guessed a long time ago, there had been trauma in Ginny’s childhood, and even later, in her teenage years. He caught shards and glimpses of her oldest memories before she figured out what was happening and slammed that door in his face. Metaphorically speaking. She didn’t want him to see her past. She didn’t want him to see how hurt and broken she was, and he immediately knew why. No, it was more than rational knowledge. It was a feeling, an emotion so strong that for a moment he was almost fooled into believing that it was his, not hers, that it belonged to them both. She was afraid that if he ever got to see her, truly see inside of her, then he would leave.
“I would never…” Despite his best efforts, his voice came out choked. He shook his head and averted his gaze. There was no way he could stare into those big, watery eyes of hers when his whole being was assaulted by the strangest and most unexpected emotions. Things he had never felt before… Feelings he’d never in a million years thought even existed, or that there were life forms in this Universe that were capable of them.
Gorgan wasn’t having it any easier than Eldav. Grace was crying, and all he could do was hold her close and whisper in her ear that he loved her, that he had always loved her, and the whole harem thing had been the stupidest idea any Valgan in his right mind could have ever had. Silently, so that no one but Grace could hear, he asked for her forgiveness over and over again.
Drav and Kaylee were doing a bit better. Their relationship had always been weird, but in their own twisted way, they had managed to communicate their emotions more clearly and sincerely than the others. Now, as the serum was doing its thing through Drav’s veins, they were simply holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes as if they had both been pulled into a movie they were creating together on the spot.
To say that Araime was confused was an understatement. Suddenly, she felt completely alone in the room. It was more than that. She felt like she’d just been left out, like she was the only one who couldn’t understand a good joke everyone was laughing at. But no one was laughing. So, why did she feel as if she’d been excluded from an entirely different world, a world to which she would never have access to? She could try, though. Even without a slave by her side… Would it work? These Terran women had been living with their masters for a long time now, and two of them were pregnant. Even without the lab-cooked serum, surely Eldav, Gorgan, and Drav already felt something for them. She closed her eyes for a second, pinched the bridge of her nose, and tried to regain some of her mental clarity. She couldn’t possibly allow the Kralians to have their way! They were insane! To turn their backs on the only chance they had to rebuild their society?! And what would that mean to the rest of them? What if Kryan and Aedar had already decided to attack the Craziak, the Verto, the Swetho, and the Lyare before they left? What if they wanted to save Earth before committing certain suicide by launching the Hordaa back into space and the unknown? But how could she prove any of that? She had no idea what she was facing here, and the three fools who were supposed to have her back were currently too fascinated with their Terran women. The Alliance was falling apart, and she had to do something about it. Fast.
“I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “Captain Aedar, you said you have a Terran I can use.”
Avery cringed at her insensitive words, but knew that was her cue to bring Dan Jeffreys in. Yes, he was the Terran man who’d volunteered for the job, mainly for professional reasons and curiosities. She was out and back inside the conference room in two seconds, with Dr. Jeffreys in tow. When he stepped closer to where Araime was sitting, at the end of the long table, away from everyone else, the Minarian woman had already received her dose of “love serum”. That was what Avery liked to call it.
“Come here already. I don’t have all day.”
Dan Jeffreys took a deep breath and followed Araime’s harsh order. Clearly, she didn’t have much patience to throw around. Instead of inviting him to sit down beside her, she jumped to her feet and immediately placed her hands on both sides of his face, as if she was trying to read his mind or something. Like in the old movies he’d seen. Mind control, and all that. Dr. Jeffreys closed his eyes and did his best to hold himself upright. Her gesture had been so rough and intense, just like her character. The thoughts and emotions that flooded his head and chest felt like a tsunami crashing against a poor, helpless shore. Right then and there, he hoped he’d survive this crazy little adventure on the Kralian ship to write a book about touching an alien woman for the first, and probably the last time.
She was on fire. Her insides were burning, her heart was beating at an impossible rate, and a headache exploded between her throbbing temples. Araime could feel him. She could hear his thoughts, identify childhood memories, see the root of his fears and insecurities, understand his excitement for his hobbies… He painted landscapes in his spare time, and was pretty good at it, too. Fascinating! She’d never thought such a profound connection was even possible between two beings, let alone two beings who belonged to two completely different races. It was as if… for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel alone. Her shoulders relaxed, and a hint of a smile touched her thin lips. It didn’t last, though. No matter how amazing it felt, there was something missing, and Araime knew that, once again, she was the only one in the room who wasn’t in on the joke. She couldn’t possibly experience what the other ship captains experienced when they touched their wives. Not with a stranger she’d laid eyes on for the first time not even three minutes ago.
Araime let go of the Terran and took a step back. She clenched and unclenched her fists as if she’d been burned badly and she couldn’t alleviate the overwhelming pain.
Dan Jeffreys stumbled, caught the edge of the table, then looked up at the beautiful woman who had touched him so deeply. She was strong and wild. No man had ever tamed her, and he had a feeling no man ever would. His heart skipped a beat when he locked eyes with her and saw the unrelenting pain barely hidden behind them. He reached to her and opened his mouth to say something, but Araime slapped his hand away and was out of the conference room in a split second.
Kryan shook his head, then went after the Minarian captain.
“What… what’s happening?” asked Avery. “Dr. Jeffreys?”
The man ran his hands through his graying hair. “I… I have no idea.”
Avery rounded the table and stopped right in front of him.
“What do you mean you have no idea?” She made sure to keep her voice low. Eldav, Drav, and Gorgan were still under the spell of their wives and lovers, and she didn’t want to alert them. “That’s what you’re here for. That’s why you volunteered in the first place. What’s wrong with her?”
“There’s nothing wrong with her, Poppy.” He’d almost called her by her real name. He swallowed heavily and did his best to gather his thoughts. He could still feel Araime’s hands burning his face. “She’s just… so, so lonely.”
Avery took a step back. That didn’t sound good. That didn’t sound good at all. For their plan to work, Araime had to experience the exact same thing as the other three aliens.
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Dr. Jeffreys. “I… I’m sorry. I think that ship has just sailed. I did my best.”
Avery nodded and turned to look for Aedar. Apparently, h
e had gone after Araime and his brother. What else could she do but follow them to the stargate room?
END OF BOOK FIVE
BOOK SIX
CHAPTER ONE
After the meeting on the Hordaa, where Gorgan, Drav, Eldav, and Araime found out what Kralians and Terrans felt every time they touched, no one heard anything from the ship captains for a little over a week. The Swetho, the Lyare, the Verto, and the Craziak had gone silent. Kryan, Aedar, and Avery were pretty sure they had lost Araime when she’d stormed out of the room and practically ran through the stargate back to her ship, but they couldn’t understand what was happening with the other three captains. Having witnessed their reactions at connecting with their wives at such a deep and intimate level, Avery could have sworn they would make a decision soon, if not right then on the spot. Total silence was the last thing she’d expected.
Kryan and Aedar were refraining from expressing any personal opinions. No matter how hard the SPG was pressing them, they would calmly state that they didn’t know anything, they were just as in the dark as everyone else, and there was no point in making assumptions. All they could do was wait. To their surprise, Dr. Dan Jeffreys agreed.
The doctor had spent the week working on the psychological profiles of all the alien ship captains, Kryan and Aedar included. No matter what was going to happen next, Ben Shaw insisted he needed his insight. He’d even asked him to study the files the SPG had managed to put together on the three slaves slash wives who’d been present at the meeting – Grace, Kaylee, and Ginny. Jeffreys had done his best not to do a rush job of it. As fascinating as all these people and aliens were, only one of them had managed to really catch his attention: Araime. Since meeting her on the Hordaa, he could barely focus on anything or anyone else, couldn’t sleep at night, and couldn’t even eat. He’d lost at least four pounds, and the bags under his eyes told the tale of his inside turmoil. He didn’t tell anyone, though. The SPG didn’t need to know how much it had rattled him to touch Araime for a few seconds and allow his mind to connect with hers. If only he could see her again… But it was impossible.
In short, they were all waiting. It was driving Avery insane. Each day, it was getting harder for her to stay calm, collected, and professional. What was ticking her off even more was that the others refused to take into consideration the possibility that the aliens could be planning an attack. She had lost touch with Grace and Kaylee, too. Not that she’d been able to reach them easily in the past… Still. The wait was killing her. Not knowing what Araime, Drav, Eldav, and Gorgan were thinking. Having no idea whether their little trick with the serums had worked. She couldn’t understand how Kryan and Aedar could be so convinced that nothing bad was going to happen and the other ship captains just needed more time to adjust to what they’d experienced.
“They could attack us tomorrow,” Avery would say at least a dozen times a day.
“They won’t.”
“How do you know?!”
Kryan would roll his eyes, but Aedar would take a deep breath and explain it to her all over again:
“What we feel for you, they feel for their wives. Yes, the serum only lasted for a few hours, but it was enough. Trust me on this, love. My brother and I touched you once and we knew we would never hurt you, your people, or your planet. It might have taken us some time to tell you, but the truth is the truth.”
That was about the point when Avery would shake her head, throw her hands in the air, or stomp out of the room.
“You have to know how to trust and surrender sometimes…”
“Yeah. No. Fuck that.”
It was a good thing the Walsh Residence was so ridiculously big. She could always find an empty room or a safe spot in the garden to hide from them. Even though they could soothe her worries with a touch and a kiss, she didn’t let them do it more often than a few minutes a day. Or night. To keep her head clear and her attention sharp, she was even willing to give up sex.
At the end of the tenth day of waiting while moving from one room to another, Avery decided it was time for her to go back to her apartment. No matter how much she dreaded the empty fridge and the messy floors and beds waiting for her, she couldn’t be around Kryan and Aedar any longer. She felt like a lion trapped in a luxurious cage!
As she was dragging her small suitcase to the front door, Aedar cut her off.
“You’re leaving?”
“I need space.”
He furrowed his brows and studied her for a moment.
Avery could tell he was confused. She shrugged.
“Yes, yes… the house is big enough. It’s not about that.”
“You disappear most days anyway.”
She huffed. “It’s not like you don’t know where I am.”
Aedar nodded thoughtfully then, without a word, stepped out of her way.
“See you around,” she said as she opened the door.
Was it rude to leave without a proper good-bye? She should have looked for Kryan and let him know. She was pretty sure he was in his office. No. Kryan wasn’t likely to allow her to leave like Aedar had just done. He wouldn’t understand the notion of “personal space”.
“Princess, you’re gonna want to come back for this!”
Avery stopped in her tracks. Oh, great! Speaking of the wolf… She turned around and saw Kryan descending the stairs, hands deep in his pockets, carrying himself as if all was good in the universe and he didn’t care she’d just tried to leave without telling him.
“What now?”
The purple-skinned alien stopped at the foot of the stairs and gave her a crooked smile. God, he was hot!
“I just got word from the Lyare.”
Avery dropped the suitcase.
“Drav stepped up? I would have put my money on Gorgan…”
“No. Kaylee.”
Her jaw almost joined her suitcase on the stone stairs.
“No way! What? Kaylee?”
“She, Grace, and Ginny are calling a special meeting of the wives.”
“A special meeting of the… what? Is that a thing?”
Kryan shrugged. “I didn’t name it. You’re invited, though.”
Avery got back into the house and slammed the door behind her, suitcase forgotten outside.
“When? Where? What for?”
Kryan held out his hand and counted on his fingers. “Tomorrow. On the Hordaa. No idea.”
“Looks like you’re staying,” chuckled Aedar.
Avery shot him a death glare.
“No point in driving to your apartment and then back here tomorrow. Just saying…”
Avery walked past Aedar, then avoided Kryan and ran up the stairs.
“Get your bracelets. We’re going to HQ.”
Kryan fished his leather wrist bands out of his back pocket.
“My bracelets are here. Where are your clothes?”
Avery stopped mid-step, cursed under her breath, and ran back down the stairs to retrieve the suitcase she’d left outside.
CHAPTER TWO
Avery waited five more minutes in her car, three blocks away from the SPG HQ. She’d come up with the idea right before leaving the Walsh Residence and asked Kryan and Aedar to go ahead before her. It had to look like they hadn’t seen each other since the last meeting, and certainly hadn’t lived together for the past week.
She checked her makeup, frowned at herself in the mirror, applied more red lipstick, then sighed in defeat. There was no use. She felt as if the word FRAUD was written right across her forehead.
“I can’t go on like this,” she whispered to herself. “Hide forever… I should tell them the truth and get it over with.”
But what consequences would she be facing after Captain Shaw found out that she’d been in a relationship with the two alien captains since day one? There was a fair chance she might lose her job… Was she ready to take such a risk? She shook her head and chuckled sadly.
“What I did… it r
eally doesn’t make me the best agent, does it? Maybe it’s better this way. Or… I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer. It’s going to be over soon, anyway.”
Over. Yes. But what would it mean to the Kralians? To her? She moaned and grabbed her stomach when it churned and rumbled as if the light breakfast she’d had earlier had turned into pure, vile acid. Anxiety poured into her veins, her heart started beating faster, and her knees turned to jelly. Fear. They all wanted this to be over, they’d worked and fought so hard to save Earth from the threat of an impending alien invasion, and now she realized for the first time that they might just get what they wanted, and that meant the Kralians might have to go, too. As much as she liked to think the gene sequence and the ancient past they shared with the humans should get them a free pass, if the other four races decided to attack, there was no way the Kralians could be absolved. Even though they had done the least harm to the human race, they had played a crucial role. No one in their right mind would forgive them for the brainwashing campaign they had run for years. That was… if anyone on Earth survived if things went south.
