Although he didn’t understand his need to send them away or his enthusiasm for the mission, he did not take kindly to being yelled at. He held her glare and calmly said, “No. I do not want a mate. You know this.”
She swallowed hard before huffing under her breath, “Fine.”
Even though he’d never formed ties with them, he didn’t wish to blatantly hurt them, either. When Shanna stood, he set the mug on the table and held his arms open. She rushed into them and wrapped hers around his waist. As he looked at Briella’s disappointed face, he opened one of his arms to offer her comfort. She accepted and rushed forward to join the two of them in the embrace.
After a few standard minutes, they broke apart. “I leave in two standard weeks. You’ll need to find somewhere before then.” He knew they didn’t like it, but what else could he do? They were temporary, and something deep inside insisted that he not ask them to wait for him. He would be gone a long time. Having them move on seemed like the most logical conclusion.
The next morning, he woke to the silence of the rooms. He usually heard Briella and Shanna talking and laughing, but now there was nothing. The silence pressed down, making his chest tight. His quarters sounded as isolated as he felt most of the time. His consorts wasted no time finding other homes. Needing to get out of there, he dressed in his standard black military jumpsuit and headed to the dining hall.
Sitting down next to Rhett, he asked, “Are we on schedule?” A servant leaned over his shoulder and set a plate of food in front of him.
“We are. I’ve made several people angry in the process, but we’re getting there.”
“Good. I expect to leave on time.” Zekke took a bite of his food.
“What is the mission?”
“We are heading to the Dreama Sector to protect the humans’ planet.”
Rhett grinned, showing his fangs. “We get to kill some Tureis!” He almost sang it with glee.
Zekke grinned, too, holding Rhett’s gaze. “Yes, we do!” His eyes sparkled with excitement.
The two standard weeks passed quickly, and he barely made his deadline. Briella and Shanna found dwellings that were happy to take them in. Not that Zekke had had any doubt; any male but him would love to have them as consorts… even mates. Now he had only one thing left to do before departing for Earth.
He stood outside the closed office door. Before he got a chance to knock, his father called out. “Enter.” How he always knew when someone waited outside his door was still a mystery to Zekke.
“King Mallik,” the prince acknowledged with a slight bow of his head.
“Zekke,” he smiled. “I was just thinking about you. Is everything ready for your departure?”
“It is. We leave at first light.” Zekke stood with his hands laced behind his back.
“Good. I know as Fleet Commander you will make Azziar proud.”
“I will do my best.”
King Mallik chuckled, “Of all of my sons, you are the one most suited for this mission.”
“Thank you, Father.” He would never admit it, but his father’s approval meant the world to him. He wanted to do a great job and make him proud.
“How long do you plan to be gone?” King Mallik asked as he came around to stand in front of his son.
“As long as it takes. I have enough supplies to last a standard year.”
“I see.”
“If I find that we are needed there longer, I will send one or two ships back at a time, depending on how everything is progressing. I need to make sure we keep enough soldiers on the ground to defend the human population, if there is any left to defend.”
A sad look briefly appeared on king’s face as he took a deep breath, and then he smiled. “Be safe, my son.”
“Always,” Zekke grinned as they clasped forearms. With one last look at his father, he turned on his heels and quickly walked away.
Chapter Two
Earth
“Shit! I’ve been hit! I repeat, I’ve been hit!” A voice ripped through Ava’s handheld transceiver.
“Hang on, Andrews!” she answered. She threw the transceiver to her side and gripped her rifle with both hands as she hunkered down against the fire-scorched brick wall. They were under attack, and she needed to provide cover for Andrews, who had just gone around the corner.
It was dark. The only light shone from the moon, casting everyone into silhouette. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was who. Ava, like the others on her team, wore a lighted helmet, but most of the time she kept it switched off. No reason to give the enemy a target. The damned aliens were everywhere.
Ava quickly peered around the corner, and after finding that side of the building empty, she ran to the other side. With her back against the wall, she quickly glanced around the corner and spotted Andrews lying face down in the alley. She could see his chest still moving although he lay deathly still. At the far end, a large green trashcan blocked her view. The enemy could be hiding there, waiting for movement before firing again.
In the beginning, they had assumed that they were smarter and faster than the invaders. How arrogant they’d been! The pasty-gray aliens were proving to be a devastating adversary.
“Andrews, can you move?” She kept her voice low, hoping only he could hear.
“Yes.”
“On three, I want you to crawl to my location as quickly as possible on your hands and knees. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“One, two, three!” Ava quickly pivoted, faced the alley, and aimed her rifle over his head. Her gunfire rained down on whoever stood at the end of the alley. It wasn’t any of her guys, she was sure of that. When Andrews made it around the corner, she jerked back around and lowered her weapon. The adrenaline that pumped throughout her body had her panting for breath. “Let me see,” she said as she hunkered down to check Andrews’ injuries.
A phaser blast had nicked the top of his shoulder. It looked painful and bloody, but it wasn’t life threatening. “You’re fine, Andrews,” she said before standing once again with her back to the brick wall and checking her surroundings.
Ava’s unofficial military team consisted of a ragtag group of soldiers. Most of the military, especially the higher-ups, had been killed during the first attacks. They still followed rank, albeit loosely. She was a sergeant, while most of the others, except Jamison, were privates first class (PFCs). Staff Sergeant Jamison was her superior.
“Fall back!” a voice came across the transceiver.
“Andrews,” she called, “let’s go!” She led the way until they met up with the rest of the team two klicks away.
They quickly hastened their steps until they made it to their makeshift headquarters, which was actually an old, underground military bunker made of rock and metal, which always left the air damp, like a cave. It came equipped with an antiquated but effective communications system, cots, ammunition, and a small gym. There were also enough MREs to last them a while. After the attack, a few of the others had hit the local stores, stocking up on alcohol and cigarettes. They had everything they needed. Talk about hitting the jackpot.
After climbing down the metal steps, actually a ladder, Ava walked into the main area, tore off her helmet and removed her face-mask beanie. Her short blonde hair stood on end when she ran her hand through it. She liked it short—it was easier to take care of, and it used to be mandatory in her army days.
“Good work out there, Thompson,” Jamison said as he walked past her.
“Thanks.” She shot him a grin over her shoulder.
The adrenaline rush drained away, which left her feeling hungry and tired. She grabbed a bottle of water and an MRE before heading to her room, not letting the guys snag all the good ones before she changed clothes. Her small room contained two cots, one for her and one for her roommate, Kim. They had a small chest for storage, not that they had many clothes. Ava’s squad of six went on night missions, while Kim’s went out during the day, even though daylight hours were more dangerous. They did
the best they could with the few people who were left.
She shrugged off her jacket and then stripped out of the body armor, letting it drop onto the hard floor. She put on a fresh pair of BDU pants and pulled a green tee-shirt over her head before chugging half of the water. She grabbed the MRE and joined the other guys at the table in the main area.
“How’s the shoulder?” she asked as she rounded the corner and spotted Andrews.
“It’s fine. Thanks for covering my ass back there.” His shoulder sported a clean bandage. At least it wasn’t that serious.
“Any time.” She grinned as she plopped down in the only available chair and opened her MRE.
“Is it just me, or were there more of them ugly bastards out there tonight?” Rick asked as he took a bite of his food. Rick had sandy-blond hair, blue eyes, and when he smiled, one of his front teeth was turned slightly, making it unique. Like the others, he worked out often and had the muscles to show for it.
“Nope, I thought there were more of them, too. It almost felt like we were ambushed,” Ava replied just before she took her first bite.
“It felt that way to me, too.” Jamison pulled up another chair since all the others were taken. “I had Jenkins relay that message to the other squad leader.”
Jenkins was a small, wiry guy with a buzz cut and glasses. He didn’t go on missions; he was more of a computer nerd. He was also the one who’d known about the underground bunker. Great to have around, but not much for combat.
“Do you think we’re making any progress?”
“I don’t know, Haskell, but after what those gray bastards did to our Earth, I’m just enjoying killing them,” Andrews chimed in.
Haskell was the youngest. Brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, and when he smiled, he had a dimple in his right cheek.
“Me, too,” Matthews said. Like Ava’s roommate, Kim, he had red hair, fair skin, and an attitude to match. She often wondered if they were related.
“Can we have one conversation that doesn’t end with how much you enjoy killing those things?” Ava gave them a look that screamed, Just stop already!
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Haskell asked, “Hey, what happened to those other aliens? Did they leave?” His eyes touched on her and Jamison.
Jamison glanced at Haskell and shrugged. “They must have. I haven’t seen them, nor have I had any reports that anyone else has.”
“Well, damn! I think they were on our side.” Rick huffed out in frustration.
A few months before, there had been different aliens, and they thought those aliens were helping them kill off the pasty-gray monsters. It had taken them a while to realize that the white-haired aliens were on their side, and it had given them all hope to finally have some help in the war. And then one day they’d disappeared, taking that hope with them.
Ava was angry. It didn’t make any sense, but she felt abandoned… and almost betrayed. That was stupid, she knew it, but she couldn’t help how she felt.
Everyone sat around the table chatting, everyone but her. She just listened to them while she ate. Jamison was one year older than her twenty-four. His brown hair was a little longer than the others guys’ but still considered short. He had a strong jaw that sported a five o’clock shadow. With his large muscles, he was sexy to look at, and at one time they had dated. It wasn’t long before they realized they were better off as friends, and being close in age, they were great friends.
Andrews, Haskell, Matthews, and Rick were all privates. They ranged in age from nineteen to twenty-one. They were a fun group to be around, but being in the Army longer than them, she felt much older.
She’d just finished her MRE when Haskell lit a cigarette and then passed the pack to Andrews, who also took one. Jamison headed to the cabinet, grabbed some shot glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Ava smiled as he filled her glass. After a mission, she was thankful for the outlet it provided, a way to calm down and get some rest.
With one gulp, she downed the drink. “Aww, that’s good.” She smacked her lips together.
“Want another?” Jamison asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Sure,” she smiled. Sitting quietly, she listened to the others talk and laugh. They speculated on how many alien species were out there, who would have won the World Series if they still had baseball—anything to keep their mind off the here and now. Nobody ever talked about their families, even though hers crossed her mind constantly. What would they be doing if they still lived?
Ava had been vacationing on the east coast when the aliens came. She was lying on the beach trying to get some sun when the sky suddenly darkened—a sight unlike anything she’d seen before. Several spaceships came from nowhere. Ava watched helplessly as they dropped one bomb after another. The sounds were deafening as smoke rose in the distance. Frozen in fear, she watched them destroy her world.
By the time she came to her senses, Ava scrambled as fast as possible to her car. She needed to get to her mother’s house. Pushing the limits of her little Ford Fiesta, she drove as quickly as possible to her parents’ house outside Washington, DC.
Buildings and houses had collapsed on top of each other, leaving rubble in their place. The buildings weren’t the only problems she encountered. She had to dodge several holes in the road. Ava wouldn’t have recognized the neighborhood if she hadn’t been so familiar with the roads.
When she pulled into her parents’ driveway, tears ran down her face as she looked at the carnage. The entire house had collapsed. She threw open the door and raced for the destroyed house.
“Mom?” she yelled as she tossed debris to the side. All she could do was cry and silently pray as she threw one board after another out of the way. An hour had passed when Ava finally gave up. Exhausted, she plopped down on the rubble, hid her face in her hands and cried. She didn’t know how long she’d sat there, but when she finally looked up, she spotted a hand several yards away.
“Mom!” she screamed and scrambled to her feet. With strength she never knew she had, she ran to her mother and tossed boards aside. When she’d freed her body, her mother lay lifeless. Ava dropped to her knees and pulled her close, hugging her while she cried for everything she’d lost.
With that thought, she downed her second shot, shoved the memories from her head, and tried to listen to their lively conversation. It didn’t help; the memories still lingered in the back of her mind.
When Haskell finished his cigarette and then reached for another one, Ava grabbed the empty MRE package and announced, “I’m hitting the hay. See you in a few hours.” She threw her trash away and headed for her room.
“Hey, Thompson, wait up.”
She slowed her steps, letting Jamison catch up to her. Leaning against the wall, she asked, “What’s up?”
Jamison looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody could hear, placed one hand on the wall above her shoulder and leaned in close. “Want some company tonight?” he asked in a deep, sexy voice.
She grinned. Even though they didn’t work on an emotional level, they both enjoyed sex occasionally. He was great in the sack, and she didn’t see why they couldn’t enjoy themselves at times. However, they kept that bit of information to themselves. No need to let the other guys in on their secret.
“Not tonight. I’m beat.” She gave him a sleepy smile. “But thanks for the invite.” She slipped out from under his arm and left him standing there as she headed to her room.
She tossed and turned all night as dreams of her childhood plagued her sleep. She missed her parents, especially her mother. Her mom was her best friend, and Ava could talk to her about anything. Her dad was a military man, and being a military brat, she followed his career path. He was also killed when the Tureis attacked.
When her alarm blared, she slammed her hand over the clock and muttered, “Well, that was a useless night’s sleep.” Hastily, she threw the covers aside and jumped out of her single cot. She ran her fingers through her hair, bent over, picked her discarded shirt up of
f the floor and pulled it over her head, and then grabbed her pants.
After dressing, she slowly walked to the main living area. The guys were already sitting at the table. Andrews looked up just as she walked in.
“Bad night?” he asked.
“No, why?” she lied as she walked over to the counter.
“’Cause you look like shit.”
“Shut up.” She gave him a disgruntled looked and grabbed a bottle of water.
After eating a light breakfast, she headed to the gym. A good workout would make her feel better. She jacked out some push-ups, did a few pull-ups and sit-ups before running two miles on the treadmill. She needed to stay in shape.
Just as she grabbed the towel to wipe the sweat from her face, Matthews and Rick walked in.
“Hey, Sarge,” Rick said as he stood on the mat and started stretching. Ava nodded. “You working out?” he asked.
“Just finished. It’s all yours.” She threw the towel in the basket as she left. A nice hot shower would feel good on her tired muscles.
Later that day, while Ava was lying on her bed reading an old magazine, Kim strolled in.
“You look like you’ve been to hell and back,” Ava said with a grin.
“I feel like it. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they were gunning for us.” Kim took off her body armor and stripped out of her sweaty clothes. It didn’t matter how cold it was outside; the body armor and constant running made you sweat.
“That’s exactly what we thought last night. What happened?” Ava sat up on the side of her cot, giving Kim her full attention.
“They were waiting for us at the old hardware store. I don’t know how we escaped with our lives, but luckily, no one was badly injured.” Kim pulled a clean tee over her head and plopped down on the cot.
Ava couldn’t help but admire her roommate. She had fiery red hair, green eyes, and a don’t-mess-with-me attitude. She had a lithe body that allowed her to move quietly.
“They must know that we are hunting them.”
Zekke: A Scifi Alien Romance (The Azziarin Series Book 5) Page 2
