“It is...” Sebastian gently picked up her hand, cradling it between both of his. “I hope we don’t scare you off. You really are very important to us.”
Alyssa stared at their hands, savoring the feel of his warm skin against hers. The door opened, startling them, and as Jordan stepped in, Alyssa snatched her hand out of Sebastian’s, feeling guilty. Jordan’s eyes narrowed, his jaw ticking as he wavered in place.
“I brought your crackers. I’ll just leave them here.”
“Jordan...” Alyssa called out to him as he bolted out of the door.
Sighing, disgusted with herself, she turned to Sebastian who peered at her, confused.
“I think he has a thing for me.” She dropped her head back, closing her eyes and rubbing her fingertips over her temples.
Sebastian shoved a hand through his shaggy hair. “Shit.”
“Yeah. Maybe you could talk to him, explain to him nothing was going on?”
“Sure.” He sighed, melting something deep inside Alyssa. “Have some crackers and lay down. Our next meeting isn’t until after lunch. Do you mind if I have a medic come in and check on you?”
“No, that’s fine,” she said, yawning behind her hand. “I don’t mind.”
“Great. I’ll see you later.”
Alyssa’s head slowly tilted to the side as she watched him leave, admiring the way his camouflage pants hugged his rear.
***
Startled awake, Alyssa yelped at a woman leaning over the side of the bed with something in her hand, and after blinking several times, she saw Nurse Kelly holding a stethoscope.
“Sorry if I scared you, hon. Bas wanted me to check on you.”
“Right, yeah... Sorry, I think I was having a nightmare about my parents.”
“That’s understandable. No one should have to endure that kind of horror.”
“I didn’t know you were here today.”
“When you called Jordan, Sebastian called me. He said you didn’t react well yesterday, and was worried you might need medical assistance today.”
“He was worried about me?” Alyssa asked, blushing as Nurse Kelly smirked.
“Yes, he was concerned about our primary asset. I’m sure they’re ramming this down your throat, but you are important to us.”
“Yeah, um, I’m in a unique position, and I can provide pertinent data for the cause, blah, blah, blah.”
“So, you’ve heard then.” Nurse Kelly snorted. “Well, I won’t push anymore, but you should get some lunch. The next meeting is in a couple of hours.”
***
A handful of people sat around tables scattered throughout the large cafeteria, the sparse line moving quickly as the servers began clearing the remains of the ending lunch rush. Thankful she made it in time, Alyssa piled a variety of foods onto her tray, and picked an empty table near a window, where she contemplated everything she’d learned.
I doubt Lorn would join a rebel group without knowing all the facts, and I trust him more than any other Szu’Kara I’ve ever met, and more than most of the humans I know. If he, Shar, and Nurse Kelly are all part of this coalition, plus Granny’s helping them, there must be a good reason. What if they really have proof? What if Kayn really does plan to kill off all of humanity? How can I go back to work for him? What if he still wants to have a relationship with me? What am I thinking? Of course, he does. He has no idea about the coalition getting to me.
Finishing her food, Alyssa decided a walk might clear her head. Cleaning up her tray and pocketing a bagel, just in case her nausea came back, she glanced around the cafeteria, noticing a petite, auburn haired woman watching her from a nearby table. When Alyssa turned her way, the woman quickly looked down at her food.
Figuring there’d be plenty of new people to talk to later, she shrugged off the weird vibe she got from the strange woman. Why add another to the overwhelming pile of people willing to dash her dreams of happily ever after? Exiting the cafeteria, she looked both ways, wondering which would take her outside where a dose of fresh air might prevent her looming headache.
Picking a direction, Alyssa meandered along the hallways, taking several random turns, until she started to wonder how lost she’d become, literally and figuratively. All the doors she’d passed so far had either been closed or open to dark rooms, and little flutters of panic brought back her nausea.
Finally spotting an open door to a lit room, she choked back bile and headed that way, hoping for a friendly face, or at least a trash bin. As she got close, she heard voices and decided to do a little snooping, justifying her actions as research into her decision to join the coalition. Scooting along the wall, getting close enough to the doorway to hear the voices clearly, Alyssa realized they belonged to Sebastian and Jordan.
“Honestly, bro, nothing was going on. We were just talking.”
“It doesn’t matter, Bas, it’s not like she’s into me. Besides, how the hell can I compete against a Zook? They make humans addicted to them, for fuck’s sake.”
“I don’t know, man. I don’t know how attached she is to that bastard... She’ll probably need a while to get over him.”
“Well, she didn’t look too broken up when I walked in on you two.”
Sebastian sighed loudly. “Seriously, Jor, nothing happened.”
“Don’t worry about it, bro. Let’s just forget it please. What are we going to do about the hybrids?”
“Not sure yet, but we’ve got to do something about them. I hate to say it, but they’re probably going to die.”
“How many are there?”
“Well... with Alyssa, there are five total on the compound.”
“You don’t think we can save any of them?”
“I don’t know. The attack’s going to be brutal.”
Alyssa’s blood boiled, her fingernails biting into her palms as she barged into the room, bashing her fists against Sebastian’s arm.
He threw up his hands, backing away with a look of shock and confusion. “What the hell?”
“How can you do such a terrible thing? I thought you were supposed to be protecting us! They’re just women—innocent women and innocent babies!”
“Alyssa!” Jordan stepped into her view.
“Hey, stop!” Sebastian said, dodging her flailing fists. “Calm down, Alyssa.”
“Don’t you tell me to calm down! You’re all a bunch of monsters! I can’t believe I was starting to believe you!”
Grabbing her wrists, Sebastian pulled her in tight, holding her against his chest as she struggled to get free, her mind whirling, blinding her with terrified thoughts about her baby dying, her friends dying, betraying Kayn. Blood rushed in her ears, deafening her until she snapped to when he shook her and Jordan squeezed her shoulders, both of them calling her name.
“Shh, calm down,” Sebastian said, his mellow voice soothing her overwhelming panic.
“No, no...” Alyssa’s face scrunched up, tears welling up in her eyes as she shook her head over and over. “How could you? You’re all liars. How can I trust anyone if you all lie to me?”
With eyes full of sympathy, Sebastian wrapped an arm around her, holding her while she cried against his chest. Furious at herself for taking comfort from a man who so obviously betrayed her, she tried again to push him away, but he held her tight.
“Alyssa, darlin’, you misunderstood. We aren’t going to kill any babies or their mothers.”
“But I heard you—”
“We were talking about the other rebel group. Remember, I told you about them earlier?”
“I remember.”
“Good. That’s good. Jordy and I were trying to figure out how we can stop them and save those precious lives. We were going to talk to you about it at the meeting.”
“Really...? Wait—Jordy?” Alyssa snorted, her face still buried in Sebastian’s chest.
“He’s my big brother.” Jordan shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Big brothers always call little brothers stupid names.”
“Watch it, punk. It coul
d be worse, you know.” Low laughter rumbled in Sebastian’s chest, vibrating against Alyssa’s cheek.
“Whatever.”
“Anyway, we’re trying to find out when the attack is supposed to happen. We’ll discuss it all at the meeting, I promise.”
“Okay...” Alyssa hid her skepticism against Sebastian’s warm, muscular chest.
When they heard Jordan’s exaggerated sigh, Alyssa and Sebastian quickly backed away from each other. She blushed as Sebastian stared at Jordan with one arched, scarred eyebrow.
“I’ll see you at the meeting,” Jordan said with a sigh and rushed out of the room.
“How much did you hear?”
“Um, I heard you telling him nothing happened.”
“Well, you were right. He is definitely into you.”
“Gah, that sucks.” Alyssa huffed, wrapping her arms around her belly. “I know he’s a good guy, and I really like him, but only as a friend. Now things are going to be awkward.”
“He’ll get over it, darlin’, don’t worry about it too much.”
“I’ll try. I just don’t need things to get any more complicated than they already are.”
Sebastian frowned, looking away. “Right.”
Alyssa wondered at his sudden attitude change, almost believing he looked disappointed. Talk about complicated.
“Anyway, I know you’re struggling with this decision and who you should trust. I just ask that you keep an open mind, look at the evidence, and listen to everyone at the meeting before you make a final decision.”
“I will,” Alyssa said, still harboring doubts.
Chapter 10
“Bas, she’s just an assistant. How’s she going to help us?” Harold, a grumpy, balding man from Virginia paced behind his chair.
“Please sit down, Harold,” Sebastian said, his mellow voice straining as he beseeched the unreasonable man. “We’ll work it all out. You just have to be patient.”
“We don’t have time for patience!”
“Shut the hell up, Harry!” Cecily, the rebel group leader from California, smacked the table with her palm, and like an ancient Amazon, she fully expected him to comply without question. “You’re only here to present your evidence, not express your unwanted, idiotic opinion.”
With a flick of her large hand, she dismissed the cowed man, nodding curtly to Sebastian. Her blonde, pixie-cut hair framed her long, angular face as she smirked and winked at a grinning Alyssa. I like her.
Sputtering, Harold plopped down in his chair and jammed his arms over his barrel chest, glaring directly at Cecily. His bushy brows furrowed as his eyes nearly vanished behind plump cheeks, and Alyssa could almost see smoke seeping out of his ears.
“As I was saying—” Sebastian cleared his throat, startling her “—we’ll work things out once we have a formal decision from Alyssa, but until then, we’ll present all our evidence and allow her to decide with a clear conscience. If she does join the coalition, her life will never be the same, so it’s vital she has as much information as possible.”
“Why aren’t we concerned that she might turn around and betray us to her Zook lover?”
“God dammit, Harold.” Connor, the leader of the Carolina’s group, a rough biker-type with a long, devilish goatee, shook his head. He covered his eyes with his stout hand, letting out a deep, throaty sigh. “You have one fucking job here today, man. If you can’t keep your shit in check, get the hell out and leave your stuff. One of us—” he waved a skull-ring covered hand around the table “—can present it to the girl.”
To say tensions were high would be an understatement. Alyssa had barely sat down in her chair before good ol’ Harold started protesting, and twenty minutes later, she still hadn’t seen a single picture or document of the alleged Szu’Kara offenses.
“Harold,” Sebastian said, clearing his throat for emphasis, “you’re more than welcome to present your evidence and sit peacefully while others take their turn, but if that’s too difficult for you, it might be best if you exclude yourself from this meeting.”
Harold gave Sebastian a calculating look, then glared around the room, possibly looking for an ally, but when no one jumped to his aid, he bolted up out of his chair and stormed out of the conference room.
“About damn time!” Cecily hooted, her mouth open in a wide, toothy smile, and slapped the table. Alyssa bit back a grin when she heard several people snicker and agree with the Amazonian woman.
“I apologize, Miss Rose,” Connor said. “This isn’t how we wanted to present our organization to you. Harold has always been... contentious. Pisses him off that the best he could do was second-in-command.”
“You can bet I’ll be calling Earl after this meeting.” Cecily jabbed a finger in the air. “He can’t be sending his whiny little lackey to these meetings. Fucker should’ve been here himself.”
“Okay, let’s calm down,” Sebastian said. “We’re not making a good impression here. Alyssa, I hope you can understand, we’re a group of very passionate people who only want what’s best for humanity, and sometimes that passion can come across a tad… well—”
“So it seems.” Alyssa nodded, puckering her lips in an attempt to appear more serious.
“We don’t all think with our ass, just so you know,” Cecily said. “Try not to hold it against us.”
“Maybe we can move things along?” Sebastian grabbed the stack of photos Harold had left behind and spread them out in front of Alyssa, giving her an encouraging smile. She quirked an eyebrow at him, taking every precious millisecond she could before exposing herself to some possibly disturbing images.
Holding eye contact with Sebastian, she saw confusion cloud his eyes as her heart started to pound and her face reflected the panic building in her chest. Twenty years of trust and belief in the alien caretakers she lived with, worked with, loved, was about to possibly—probably—be flushed away.
Slowly turning her head, dragging her eyes away from Sebastian’s calm, encouraging face, she looked at the pictures. At first, her mind couldn’t, or maybe wouldn’t, decipher the shapes and colors displayed. Jumping from one detail to another, her roving eyes eventually snapped onto one photo, the image gradually coming into focus as her stomach revolted.
Clapping her hand to her mouth, she started to gag, and Sebastian quickly spun her around in her chair and shoved a trash bin between her knees. Bent over the bin, Alyssa dry heaved over and over, holding her head in her hands, thankful for not actually vomiting.
Taking several deep, cleansing breaths, Alyssa slowly became aware of Sebastian crouching beside her, rubbing circles on her back and mumbled a ‘thanks’ as she straightened up to face everyone.
When she noticed most everyone avoided staring at her, Alyssa muttered an apology as Sebastian gently patted her shoulder and sat beside her. Pulling herself together, she steeled herself to look at the horrifying image again.
A pile of torn up bodies and body parts were being set aflame by a Szu’Kara soldier with several other soldiers standing around the pile. Whether they were guarding or watching, she couldn’t tell, since the grainy picture looked to have been taken from a distance.
Feeling numb and somewhat disconnected, Alyssa scanned each of the photos depicting numerous scenes of horror. Disheveled humans sat lined up against fences or chained to cement walls, children herded onto buses or working in fields, and women being used in disgusting ways, right out in the open. Each photo displayed some sort of cruel abuse or neglect that tore at her heart and boggled her mind.
Anger welled up in Alyssa’s chest, her head starting to pound as her lungs felt as if they couldn’t get enough oxygen. She frantically grabbed the pile of photos stacked in front of Cecily, flipping through each disgusting image, keening with despair as she viewed innumerable atrocities.
When she reached the last image of Cecily’s stack, Alyssa slammed the photos down onto the table, scattering papers everywhere. She looked over at a startled Sebastian, scanning each of the stran
ge faces surrounding her, moving her mouth as she attempted to say something... anything. The edges of the room started to darken and her head spun as she distantly heard Sebastian’s chair scuff against the floor. He said something to her, his face scrunched with concern, but she couldn’t make out the words.
Alyssa tried to look at Sebastian, but it felt like being underwater, her limbs heavy and sluggish. The last thing she saw as he clutched her arms, moving in slow motion, was the panic in his stunning cobalt eyes.
***
“What happened? Where am I?” Alyssa sat up in the bed, foggy and muddled, and looked around, trying to get her bearings.
“You’re in the infirmary,” Sebastian said, answering in a hushed voice as he awkwardly hovered nearby. “You fainted and almost fell out of your chair, but I caught you.”
“Thanks...” She sucked in a horrified breath as memories of those terrifying photos flipped through her mind on a never-ending loop. “Oh, God.”
“Relax, darlin’, you’re going to be fine.”
“Those pictures… Does everyone have pictures like that?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sorry you had to see all that ugliness, but it’s important for you to fully understand what’s happening out there.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s horrible. How can those things be happening? Kayn wouldn’t do those things.” Alyssa scrubbed her hands over her denim-covered knees, shaking her head over and over. “He couldn’t! He loves humans. He loves my family. He loves me, I think...”
“I know you want to believe that, Alyssa, but I don’t think he does. I know for a fact he doesn’t love humans. Most of the terrible things you saw in those pictures were done by his direct or indirect order. That General Ras is evil and he carries out the commander’s orders with pleasure.”
“This is too much, Sebastian,” Alyssa whined, her body trembling. “I can’t look at anymore awful pictures. Maybe I am naïve, like Jordan says, but I just can’t wrap my head around this. Kayn seldom gets angry—how can he do such violent things?”
“He called you naïve? That wasn’t very nice of him.” Sebastian cocked his head, an adorable scowl furrowing his brow as it briefly distracted her.
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