by Mikayla Lane
“They got Moira. She’s being helped now. We’ll be OK,” Fiona tried to assure Quinn.
Quinn looked down at Ainsley who was staring at the Dranovians and Tezarians in complete star-struck awe, and she had an idea to try and help. She just prayed it would work.
“Ainsley, which one is your favorite?” Quinn asked.
Ainsley looked up at her with wide, panic-filled eyes and shook her head. Quinn pulled her close and hugged her as Ainsley put a hand on her stomach and smiled. Quinn looked up at the one person she felt could make decisions and tried not to look away from his dark, penetrating gaze.
“This is Ainsley. As you can see, she’s just a child. She looks and acts just like a normal child, but you can’t see the terrible scars and the pain she’s been through. And even with all that was done to her . . .” Quinn paused as she choked up and the tears swam in her eyes. But she was determined to do something for Ainsley and she blinked away her tears, stared back at the expressionless, dark eyes of Grai T’Alq and continued.
“She still risked her young life to save mine. More than once. I know you think you have to kill their beasts, but you don’t,” Quinn added then glared at Chris. “I know more than you think I do. I’ve done more than you can imagine in the last week! Hell, the last four months! I know they are saving their beasts. There is hope for them and I won’t let you hurt them.”
“Quinn,” Chris said in exasperation as he wiped a hand down his face. “You don’t understand . . .”
Chris went silent when Grai swung an angry glare his way. Grai was turning back to Quinn when Lara stepped forward in front of Ainsley and stared at the girl.
The two stared at one another for a moment before Ainsley broke out in a smile and stepped up to the blue shield surrounding her and laid her palm against it. Everyone held their breath as Lara moved to the barrier and did the same.
Even Quinn expected something to happen and was surprised when the blue shield around them only strengthened as Lara and Ainsley’s hands met through the shield. Ainsley smiled shyly up at Lara.
“Chris used to be my favorite, but you’re my favorite now,” the girl whispered.
Lara smiled as a few tears slid down her face.
“I think you’re my new favorite too,” Lara said. “We can help you. I can help you.”
Ainsley smiled adorably, her charming manner even making the Dranovians feel uncomfortable about doing anything to harm her or her beast.
“You already have helped me,” Ainsley whispered. “You know I can do this. Please don’t make me protect us.”
“I won’t,” Lara said with a shake of her head. “Will you allow the bond?”
Ainsley grinned broadly and nodded her head.
“Please?” Ainsley whispered.
Lara didn’t say a word. She just closed her eyes and her hand pressed against the blue shield began to glow in a golden light before it penetrated the barrier. Ainsley’s hand instantly sparked a golden hue, and there was a flash of light before the glow vanished.
“Thank you,” Ainsley whispered as tears rolled down her face.
Lara kneeled down in front of her, reached through the blue shield, and pulled Ainsley into a hug.
“Thank you, little one. You call me if you,” Lara looked up at a startled Fiona, “or the others need me and I will come—alone—to help.”
Ainsley nodded her head and looked up at Lara like she was star struck.
“I’m stronger just knowing I’m not alone anymore,” the girl whispered to Lara then turned to Quinn. “You have to go now, and we do as well.”
Quinn felt like her heart was breaking, and she wasn’t sure why she felt so intensely for the girl, but she pulled Ainsley into a hug.
“I wish you could come with me,” Quinn said, trying to memorize everything she could about the brave young girl.
“I will always be a part of you and Christopher, and one day, when my beast is well again, I’ll come back. Because of Christopher,” Ainsley said cryptically before she stood on tiptoes and kissed Quinn’s cheek.
“Until we meet again, little one,” Lara whispered before Ainsley and Fiona completely disappeared.
Quinn screamed and looked accusingly at Chris and Lara.
“What did you do to them!”
Lara shook her head and waved a hand to disperse the weakened blue barrier surrounding Quinn.
“We let them go. Ainsley took them to the others where they’ll be safe,” Lara explained to a startled Quinn.
“What the hell were you thinking? We’ll only have to kill them later!” Chris roared in rage and confusion.
“You won’t touch them!” Quinn cried out as she nailed Chris with another bolt of energy.
“Enough!” Grai suddenly roared, silencing the argument beginning to erupt among the Dranovians, Lara, and Quinn. “We need to get the hell out of here, and Quinn needs to see Amun and Lauren!”
Quinn suddenly felt really nervous and almost wished she’d been able to go with Ainsley rather than deal with the aliens staring at her.
“You’re safe with them, I promise,” Lara said, still standing in front of where Ainsley had been minutes earlier. “Ainsley is one of my people. I won’t let anyone hurt her.”
“You can’t promise that to her!” Chris argued, not wanting to lie to Quinn any more than he already had.
Lara snorted and shook her head, making sure Quinn didn’t lash out at Chris again.
“You’re an idiot to think you could ever hurt her. Any of you,” Lara chastised as she looked around at the confused Dranovians. “Did you wonder why you didn’t automatically try and expel the beast in them? Any of you?”
“What are you talking about?” Grai asked as he looked around at his children, who’d begun shuffling their feet and looking anywhere but at Lara.
Lara shook her head in disgust and turned to Quinn, taking her hand in hers.
“Ainsley is Christopher’s mate. It’s one of the reasons she protected you both so fiercely, and it’s the main reason why she’s fighting so hard to save her beast,” Lara explained.
Quinn just stared at the woman blankly for a moment, her mind not comprehending what she’d said until she heard Chris begin cursing. She glared up at him.
“Don’t you dare curse and act like it’s a bad thing! That little girl risked everything for our son! She’s done more for him than you ever have, and I would be proud to call her wife to my son!” Quinn yelled at Chris as her tears fell unchecked down her face.
Now Quinn understood why she felt so drawn to and protective of the young girl. She didn’t understand any of the mate stuff, but she did know that Ainsley loved Christopher and had protected them both.
“We need to get out of here,” Grai ordered, looking at Quinn. “The local authorities are combing the area, and we can’t be here. Any of us.”
Quinn looked to Lara, and when she nodded her head, Quinn looked back to Grai.
“Back to the United States?”
“Yes,” Grai responded, glaring at his children when they tried to protest. “I’ll have other teams follow up around here, but we all know Satalis went back underground, and we won’t find out where he went by staying here.”
When everyone finally nodded or huffed out their agreement, Grai called out through the shengari’ to Blade and Deacon to land for pick up.
Quinn was stunned to see the UFOs appear as if from out of nowhere and land.
“Wow . . .” she whispered.
Chris moved towards Quinn and reached out a hand to help her towards the craft when she slapped his hands away from her.
“You lost the right to touch me months ago! If you do it again, I’ll level your ass!” Quinn snapped as she raised a hand and showed Chris the sparking blue energy crackling between her fingers.
“Come with me,” Lara said as she took Quinn’s hand and led her to Deacon’s ship. “Tell me about Ainsley and Fiona.”
Quinn sent another scathing look to Chris as she walke
d past him, arm in arm with Lara.
Chris growled in frustration and began storming after Quinn when he felt two heavy hands on each of his shoulders, and he turned with a snarl at who dared to stop him.
“You better roll that back before I lay you on the ground!” Grai growled back at his son. “You’re coming on the ship with me so you can gain some damn control.”
“Like hell I am!” Chris roared back, his fists clenched at his sides. “I’m going with her, and you won’t stop me!”
Suddenly Mikal appeared behind his brother, gathered his energy, and punched him in the jaw, knocking Chris out instantly. Grai caught Chris before he hit the ground and threw him over his shoulder.
“I will meet you back in D.C.,” Grai told his sons before he headed into Blade’s craft.
“I’m going with you,” Declan muttered as he ran after his dad.
Quinn was so shocked at what she’d seen she was torn between making sure Chris was all right and cheering that someone finally did what she’d been dying to do for months now.
“He’s OK, just knocked out,” Lara assured her.
Quinn nodded her head, having already been told that by Atarma, and she stared at the UFO they were heading for and the large, heavily-armed group of men.
An attractive and equally large Asian man was walking beside her and gave her a huge grin.
“I’m Haruki, one of Chris’s brothers. You may want to get used to seeing that,” Haruki said as he nodded to where Chris had been knocked out. “We’re all going to take a shot for how he treated you and for not telling us about you.”
A deep laugh from behind her startled Quinn, and she turned, stretching her neck to look up at the biggest man she’d ever seen.
“I’m Drago, I’m a Tezarian and not related to the idiot at all. But I’ll happily take a shot too.”
Quinn almost stumbled when she looked down and saw the man had fists triple the size of a normal man’s, and she shuddered at the thought of the damage they could do. She was all for Chris being beaten until his senses came back, but she didn’t want him dead.
“Uh . . . no need on my account,” Quinn whispered as Lara helped her into the strange ship.
“Woo hoo!”
Quinn jerked at the loud comment from the front of the ship and was stunned at the huge guy who came out of what she assumed was the cockpit.
“I’m Deacon, Chris’s awesome pilot brother! I’ll get you back home in no time! I’m thrilled to meet you.”
Quinn looked at the large, outstretched hand and slowly reached out her own. She was surprised at how gentle he was, and it reminded her of how Chris, as large as he was, had always treated her like she was easily breakable.
“We need to go!” Mikal ordered as he entered the ship, his face showing his lingering anger at Chris.
“Is the fool OK?” Shane asked.
Mikal turned a withering stare on his brother.
“He will be fine. Or we’ll make him fine,” Mikal replied, his tone letting the others know the conversation was over.
Quinn sat back in her seat as Mikal approached. She wasn’t afraid of him; he was the one brother Chris had often spoke of in glowing terms. She was fascinated by how beautiful the strange man looked with his shimmering black skin, white eyes, and white soul patch.
Mikal knelt in front of her as Lara helped fix the harness to go over her stomach.
“You’re safe now, but you must remain with us for a while so we can make sure your son is OK and find you a permanent place where he can grow up without fear of being found. Do you understand?” Mikal said gently, trying not to traumatize her any more than she had been.
“We’ll never let anything happen to the little guy—or you. You’re family, we protect our own,” Shane added.
Everyone on the ship nodded or muttered their agreement, and Quinn’s eyes filled with tears. When Lara put her arm around Quinn’s shoulders, it was like the dam had broken, and Quinn became a sobbing mess.
The men looked horrified and had no idea what to do to stop her from crying. Several brothers stood, ready to help, but they had no idea what to do.
Chance suddenly appeared next to Mikal, and she reached out and pulled Quinn into a hug while Lara patted her back in a soothing motion.
The men looked scared and bemused as they watched the two women calm Quinn and were never happier to hear that they were home. The moment Deacon opened the door to the craft, the ship was empty in less than a minute as all the brothers and Tezarians got as far away from the crying woman as they could.
When the ship was empty and Quinn had calmed down, she pulled away and took her first look at Chance.
“Oh my . . . are you a fairy?”
Chance burst out laughing along with Lara.
“No, I’m a Hyperborean hybrid like Mikal. He’s my mate,” Chance said with a gentle smile. “I know what’s it’s like to be a prisoner of horrible people, so I know how you feel. Come, let Lara and I show you around while Amun and Lauren get here.”
Lara helped Quinn undo the harness latch that she couldn’t see under her own belly, and Quinn stood with a sigh.
“Chris’s father . . . Grai! He mentioned them too. Who are they?” Quinn asked a little fearfully.
“They are our doctors. They just want to make sure the little guy and you are doing OK after all you’ve been through. Is that OK?” Lara asked, hoping they would get Quinn’s permission to run the tests.
The knowledge they could gain by seeing a human go through a hybrid pregnancy would be invaluable to their people, and Amun and Lauren were already excited to see the physiological and neurological changes in Quinn.
Quinn nodded her head.
Maybe I’ll finally get to see you, little one! Quinn told her son excitedly. Remember, you promised to behave!
Quinn smiled at the thumping kicks in her abdomen and smiled at Lara and Chance as she stood and let them help her out of the craft. She stopped outside and stared in awe at the huge hangar they were in.
“This is just . . . wow,” Quinn whispered.
She turned in a small circle to see the other UFOs, four helicopters, a private jet, a dozen black SUVs, various motorcycles, and cars.
“All the best toys for Grai’s boys,” Lara said with a grin.
“Are all of them really brothers?” Quinn asked, not understanding how one man could possibly breed so many children of obviously different races, ages, and backgrounds.
“Not biologically, but they are in every way that matters. Grai found each of them as children and adopted them. They grew up together and cared for one another as a family,” Lara explained as she gestured for Quinn to begin walking towards a door at the end of the hanger.
Quinn almost growled at the crazy hormones that had tears popping into her eyes.
“Yeah, they’re real brothers,” she whispered.
“Yes,” Chance said with a smile. “You and Christopher are now part of our family too.”
That caused the tears to come right back, and Quinn wiped furiously at her cheeks until they stung. The moment she walked in the door and a few of the brothers saw her puffy eyes and inflamed cheeks, they panicked and fled the medlab, figuring the women could handle it.
Chapter Sixteen
Chris awakened slowly and reached up a hand to rub his sore jaw. As he felt around at the tender skin, the memories came rushing back, and he sat up and looked around for Quinn. Instead, his eyes clashed with his father’s furious, dark eyes.
Chris sat up slowly as he tried to avoid the angry gaze of Grai, who was standing at the foot of Chris’s bed. Grai’s arms were folded across his chest, and disappointment oozed from his energy.
“Dad . . .” Chris began, not really in mood for the impending lecture. All he wanted to do was get to Quinn and make sure she was all right.
Grai’s right fist shot out like a blur and nailed Chris in the jaw. Chris was thrown back onto the bed as the side of his face immediately began to swell. He sat up a
ngrily and glared at his father.
“What the fu—” Chris never got a chance to finish before he was punched again, this time with Grai’s left fist.
“Don’t you dare take that attitude with me! You almost got your entire family killed with that damn stunt with Satalis! And don’t you even get me started on your treatment of that poor girl! If you’d bothered to check and see if she was right about the child before you acted like a fucking Neanderthal, she’d have never been in danger to begin with!” Grai roared at him.
“10 years?” Grai added with a snort. “10 years you knew her, and that’s what you said to her? That was your first thought? To call her a whore?”
All the anger dissipated from Chris at his father’s words. He knew Grai was right—the whole damn mess was his fault, and it could have all been avoided. He’d lost complete control.
Chris ran a hand over his head and nodded as his eyes dropped to his lap, refusing to look at his father’s gaze. His jaw didn’t hurt nearly as much as knowing he’d made his father feel that much disappointment.
“I know,” Chris muttered.
Grai yanked him off of the bed and shook him like a ragdoll until Chris met his eyes.
“You listen to me, son, and let it penetrate that stupidly powerful head of yours. You have a son now! An amazing little boy who is clearly as powerful as you are. You better damn well get your shit together if you intend on keeping him alive! What the hell are you going to do when you piss each other off? Have a fight to the death with a toddler? Over what fruit for breakfast? You can’t teach him control if you have none!” Grai roared in his face, shaking him again to make sure Chris was paying attention.
Chris snorted at the mental picture Grai created in his mind. Grai shook him again before he threw him back on the bed.
“You think this is funny?” Grai accused.
“I think that’s a huge exaggeration. Look—” Chris never got to finish before Grai’s fist connected with his jaw again.
“You idiot! Your own son lent his power to blast you across that field! More than once! Do you really think that just because you’re the biological father that he’s going to want you around if you’ve destroyed his mother’s heart and emotions, and you keep acting like an uncontrolled ass?” Grai screamed in frustration, shocked that his son couldn’t see he was destroying his own family before he could even claim them.
