by Mikayla Lane
“Cooking ain’t one of them. You burn toast, man!” Shane teased as he threw a roll at Haruki.
Deacon caught it just before it could cross in front of Quinn.
“Behave! Or at least act like you can,” Deacon growled at his brother.
“I’m OK,” Quinn rushed to say, not wanting the brothers angry at her for disrupting their normal meal activities.
Besides, they were adorably entertaining, and she enjoyed being around them. Something inside of her vibrated differently when she was near them. Any of them. She’d first noticed it when she had spoken alone with Mikal, and she’d thought it was just some energy he produced that caused it. But she’d felt it around all of them.
“They know how to act like they have manners,” Chris suddenly boomed from behind them, startling Quinn into dropping her fork.
“Are you OK?” Chris asked, moving quickly to Quinn’s side.
“Yeah, you just surprised me,” she admitted.
“I’m starving,” Angel said as she sat across from Quinn and winked at her.
Quinn watched in amusement as Angel’s brothers immediately passed a plate around, and the guys filled it with the food in the bowls and plates in front of them. Shane set it in front of Angel and kissed the top of her head.
“You all right?” he asked with concern.
“Of course,” Angel said with a grin. “Just hungry. Thanks, guys.”
Quinn looked up in time to see Chris having a staring contest with Haruki, and suddenly Haruki got up and moved over one chair. Chris immediately took the seat and looked at Quinn.
“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked, noticing her plate looked untouched.
“Yeah, I was just enjoying the way everyone interacts,” she admitted.
“Don’t let the arguing and teasing kid you. We love each other,” he whispered.
“That’s obvious. It must have been wonderful growing up with so many who care,” Quinn said with a blush as she looked away from Chris’s penetrating gaze.
Chris chuckled and nodded his head.
“Would you believe that there’s never been a dull day in all the years we’ve been together?” he teased.
Quinn burst out laughing.
“There hasn’t been a dull hour for me for the last four months,” she admitted.
“You were always my haven of normalcy from all this craziness,” Chris admitted as he pointed at three of his brothers and Trick arguing at another table.
Quinn was shocked. Even though Mikal had told her that had to be the reason Chris was so evasive with her over the years, she was surprised to hear it.
“So a chick flick and a half gallon of ice cream was better than this?” she teased, trying to confirm her suspicions.
“Hey, we did take out too, and yeah, it was better than this any day,” Chris admitted. “We can still do it. There’s food at the villa, and I can get any movie we want. Siggy and Dante have bought just about everything you can imagine.”
Quinn was both charmed and thrilled that he remembered so much about their times together, and knowing he had always come to her to escape his family and obligations made her whole being warm to him.
Chris suddenly stood so fast his chair flipped over behind him. In seconds, every man in the room was standing, and Angel was standing slowly.
“Find who it is!” Chris called out and the room emptied as everyone rushed outside.
“What’s going on?” Quinn asked in fear.
She could see the concern on the men’s faces as they’d stood and knew that something was very wrong.
“Indrid said the security perimeter has been breached,” Chris said as he kneeled in front of her. “I need you to go with Angel and stay safe for me while we go find out who it is.”
He was so calm and so confident that Quinn couldn’t help but nod her head as he helped her stand and put her hand in Haruki’s.
Quinn watched the two men stare at one another for a second before Haruki nodded.
“With my life, brother,” Haruki said before he looked down at her. “Come with me, sister.”
Quinn looked back at Chris one more time before she followed Haruki, Angel, and several of the brothers down a long hallway. She couldn’t help but notice how warrior-like he’d become the moment he knew that danger was around. It shocked her to see him like that.
She’d seen him act all tough and strong, but his sudden switch to warrior reminded her of the movies. He looked like a fighting Scotsman or a Viking. All of his siblings had the same look about them as they’d ran from the room to confront an unknown danger, and it finally dawned on her just what their life must be like. Respect and compassion grew inside of her at the kind of people they were.
“Wait!” Haruki suddenly called out as weapons were drawn. “Quinn you need to talk to her.”
“What?” Quinn asked, trying to see around the circle of men who’d suddenly surrounded her and Angel.
“Quinn? I won’t hurt anyone.”
Quinn gasped at the sound of the small, scared voice.
“Ainsley?” Quinn asked as she tried to push her way around the men, but they wouldn’t budge. “Move!”
“Let her see the girl!” Angel said.
When no one moved, Angel put her hands together. As she spread her hands apart again, Haruki and Shane were forcefully moved apart enough for Angel and Quinn to squeeze between them before they could move again.
“Damn it, Angel,” Haruki muttered as he called to Chris through the shengari’.
“Ainsley, what are you doing here?” Quinn asked, concerned for the girl.
Ainsley looked at Quinn with sad blue eyes.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just wanted to make sure you were safe and happy,” Ainsley admitted as she looked at the floor.
“Oh, honey,” Quinn said as her heart hurt for the sweet girl.
She moved towards Ainsley, and Haruki held his arm out in front of her to stop her.
“Oh, stop, she’s a child,” Angel huffed as she moved Haruki’s arm.
Quinn ran and hugged Ainsley and the young girl held her tightly around the waist.
“I’m glad you’re OK. I just wanted to make sure,” Ainsley whispered.
“Oh, honey,” Quinn whispered back, squeezing her tightly. “We’re great. How are you? Are you OK? Are you safe?”
Quinn pulled away from the girl so she could look into her expressive eyes, and Ainsley looked to the floor.
“We’ll never be safe from Satalis, but we’re doing OK. The humans are really kind, but weird,” Ainsley admitted, peeking around Quinn to stare in awe at the Dranovians.
“Child,” Indrid said suddenly appearing behind Ainsley.
Ainsley turned and stared up at him, her mouth hanging open in surprise.
“You’re a disappearing one too, aren’t you?” she whispered in a childlike surprise.
Indrid smiled kindly down at her and bowed.
“I am indeed. I am Indrid Cold, a protector of this place and those who are here. Who are you, child of realms?”
“I’m Ainsley. I didn’t come to cause trouble or hurt anyone. I just wanted to make sure Christopher and Quinn were OK,” Ainsley said as she bowed awkwardly to Indrid.
“Ah,” Indrid said with a smile. “I see. I didn’t realize you were friends, but I can see now that you are family as well.”
“Quinn?” Chris yelled out from behind the increasing wall of siblings and hybrids as everyone at Base Beta was alerted to the intruder’s location.
Lara was able to slip through everyone first and walked right up to Ainsley and Quinn.
“Why didn’t you talk to me?” Lara asked as she knelt in front of the girl.
Ainsley shrugged and looked at the floor.
“I had to see for myself that they were OK,” she admitted.
“I understand, but this place is well protected, and you scared everyone,” Lara said gently, trying not to startle the girl any more than she already was.
“I do b
elieve there is no danger here, and we can all go back to our duties,” Indrid called out as he waved his arms at everyone to leave.
When no one moved, Indrid’s voice boomed through the hallway.
“Leave!”
Footsteps could be heard pounding down the hallway, leaving the only people not the least bit intimidated by the powerful Hyperborean—the Dranovians.
Ainsley stole a glance at the hallway filled with the warriors and quickly looked back to the floor.
“I’m sorry I made everyone mad,” she whispered as she clutched Quinn’s hand tightly.
“No one is mad, honey,” Quinn said.
She pulled the girl close and held her as she looked pleadingly at Chris, who’d finally made it in front of his siblings.
“No,” Chris said, clearing his throat as he tried to squash his instincts to rip the girl away from his mate and child. “We’re not mad at you. We were just worried that Quinn was in danger and came running.”
Chris ignored his siblings’ startled looks and the questions being thrown at him through the shengari’ as he stepped close enough to kneel in front of the seemingly shy girl.
“I don’t think you want to hurt them,” Chris added as he tried to get the girl to look at him.
Blue eyes peeked at him through the riotous blond hair covering half of her face.
“I’d never hurt them,” Ainsley whispered.
Chris nodded, close enough to feel the truth in her strange energy, and he relaxed visibly. He sensed something else in her energy that didn’t belong in one so young, and it had nothing to do with them.
“Is everything all right where you went? Fiona and the others?” Chris asked.
Ainsley quickly looked back at the floor, and Quinn looked nervously at Chris as she tried to get Ainsley to look at her.
“What’s wrong? Please, tell us?” Quinn whispered, pushing Ainsley’s hair out of her face so she could look at her.
“It’s nothing. I should go,” Ainsley said as she stepped away from Quinn.
Her body began to lose substance, and against all thought and reason, Chris grabbed the girl’s arm.
“Wait!”
Ainsley looked as surprised as Chris at his actions, and she immediately re-solidified. Chris knew he didn’t have much time, and he smiled at her to try and put her at ease as he slid his hand down to hers and took it in his own.
“Why are you afraid? We might be able to help you,” Chris told her to the shock of his siblings and Quinn.
Ainsley shrugged and tried to look away, but Chris gently squeezed her hand until she looked at him.
“I would like to help you. Please, let us,” Chris added, seeing her indecision.
“The humans scare me. They think we’re some kind of special bloodline and have been waiting for us to be found for two thousand years. They keep taking our blood,” Ainsley whispered.
“What?” Quinn angrily asked.
Ainsley looked up at Quinn and nodded.
“They take our blood and put it in themselves. Some even drink it when no one is around. They call it the blood of some prophet or something and keep asking us to use our gifts and show them miracles,” Ainsley told them, shivering at the things she’d seen the humans do.
“Does Fiona know?” Lara asked.
“I told her, but she said we have no choice because we have nowhere else we can go or Satalis will find us,” Ainsley explained.
Several of the Dranovians and Tezarians cursed, and Chris had to look away from the poor girl who’d gone from one hell to a cult of humans.
“Where are they hiding?” Grai asked, surprising everyone because no one had seen him arrive.
Ainsley refused to look up at the intimidating man and just shook her head.
“What are you thinking?” Lara asked as she stood to look at Grai.
“I’m thinking we have a lot of safe houses on the planet, and if there is a certain place they need to be in order to avoid being detected by Satalis, we probably have a place they can use while they try to heal,” Grai explained.
There wasn’t a person in the room who didn’t realize there was much more to the offer than what was said. Not only would they be giving shelter to the anomalous and helping those who may be helped, but they would also know where they were and would be more easily tracked if needed. It was a perfect solution if they could persuade Ainsley and ultimately Fiona into accepting their offer of assistance.
“You wouldn’t come and kill us?” Ainsley whispered, remembering his words at Fiona’s house in Scotland.
“If you know anything about us, you know that’s not how we do things,” Chris said with a gentle smile, hoping to reassure the child.
Grai moved next to Chris and knelt down in front of the girl.
“Until the day comes that you can’t control your beast, you and your people fall under my protection. No one will harm you or the others. I can provide you with everything you need to heal and recover,” Grai promised, more than willing to do anything he could to try and save his people.
Grai had no idea if a beast could be saved once it turned, but he saw no reason not to try, and he contacted Amun and Lauren through the shengari’.
Ainsley pushed the toe of her shoe around in a circle on the floor before she turned her eyes to Grai.
“We’re in France on the grounds of an ancient building. Fiona said the energy and power that still remain keep us hidden from him,” Ainsley admitted.
Grai looked at Lara for an explanation so he could figure out where the anomalous could still be shielded from Satalis.
“He could track them through the dark energy remaining in their beasts, but he’d have to be close enough to feel it,” Lara explained, trying to think of the best place to hide Ainsley and the others.
“That doesn’t help me find a place for them,” Grai muttered.
Suddenly Ainsley’s stomach growled loudly, and some of the Dranovians laughed.
“Can’t we go eat while you guys figure it out? The kid is starving, and we got dinner waiting,” Shane suggested, his heart breaking for the scared girl.
Everyone muttered their agreement, and Quinn looked down at Ainsley.
“I think Christopher is hungry too; why don’t we eat while they think of a safe place?”
Quinn smiled when Ainsley nodded her head rapidly, and she led the girl along with the Dranovians and Tezarians as they all headed towards the dining hall.
Once inside, the brothers had already passed a plate around and set the now-full dish in front of Ainsley the moment she sat down next to Quinn.
“Wow . . . thank you,” Ainsley whispered, staring at the plate to conceal the tears that came into her eyes at the kind gesture.
Grai and Lara had followed them into the room and sat at another table with Siggy and Dante while they talked about where to put the anomalous hybrids.
Chris sat next to Quinn and looked over at the young girl. For the first time, he began to question whether or not some of their people and their beasts could be saved. The more he sifted the girl’s energy, the more he could sense the strength and control she exerted against the anomalous beast, keeping it completely leashed.
He could also sense the loving energy she continually poured into her beast, trying to force it to remember the past and return to its previous state. Her patience, determination, and knowledge were impressive for one as young as he assumed her to be.
“How old are you, Ainsley?” Chris found himself asking.
“Fiona said I’m 11,” she answered between huge bites of food that she chewed quickly and swallowed before shoving more in her mouth.
“Damn, girl, when did you eat last?” Shane teased and immediately regretted his words when the girl blushed and stopped eating.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I should show manners.”
“No, honey, you’re fine. When did you eat last?” Quinn asked, also noticing how hungry Ainsley appeared.
The girl shrugged her
shoulders.
“I’m afraid they’re putting drugs in the food the way Satalis did, so I won’t eat it,” Ainsley admitted.
Several Dranovians cursed softly, and Shane grabbed a bowl of bread and set it in front of Ainsley.
“You can’t leave the table till you finish all that,” he said with a playful grin that even got Ainsley to smile back at him shyly.
“Don’t worry about that anymore,” Reign added with a wink at the girl. “Dad will find you a safe place, and the food will be safe to eat.”
Quinn tried to hide the tears in her eyes at how sweet the tough-looking men were being to Ainsley, and she couldn’t think of a better group of people to help her raise her son. It really made her think about everything she’d learned about the Dranovians to that point.
As she looked around the table at the strong men doing their best to put a scared, hungry girl at ease even though her beast was damaged, she couldn’t imagine that killing crazy creatures was their only purpose. There was much more to this particular group of aliens than she’d first learned, and since her son was going to be one of them as well, she wanted to learn as much as she could.
“Fiona will think you’ll come and kill us in our sleep,” Ainsley said, but it was obvious to everyone that it was she who was concerned and not Fiona.
“That’s coward shit there,” Haruki said with an angry snort. “Not our style. Besides, if Dad says it’s your safe house, we’ll be there to help you if you need us—just like any other place under our protection.”
The Dranovians and Tezarians mumbled their agreement, unwilling to go against the word of their father. More importantly, they wanted to know if the brave hybrids could really heal what was believed to be unhealable and were more than willing to give them a chance if it meant saving their unborn nephew’s adorable mate.
Chapter Twenty One
Chris was thrilled Quinn had become tired enough that she began to lean on him in the last few hours while everyone tried to hash out where to put the anomalous hybrids. Then they had to consider how to get them away from the human cult and assist them through their attempts at healing themselves.
Ainsley had fallen asleep on Haruki an hour ago, and he glared daggers at anyone who raised their voice above a whisper so the exhausted girl could sleep.
