by S. E. Smith
She turned on the rock and gave the huge man a crooked grin. “How did you find me?”
He shrugged. “If I tell you, you might find a way to prevent me from doing it again,” he replied as he stepped forward and sat down beside her on the rock.
“Shouldn’t you be with Emma?” she asked.
“The child in her womb has made her very tired. She wished to rest today,” he said.
She nodded and fell silent. Neither one of them spoke, and a comfortable sense of companionship fell between them. She focused on the calming movement of Crom caressing the gold wristband wrapped around his arm. There was something soothing in the unconscious act. After a few minutes, she chuckled as a random thought flashed through her mind, and she shook her head at it. Crom looked at her with a raised eyebrow of inquiry.
“You remind me of someone back home—a friend. His name is Bear. I’ve known him forever… and yet, it is like I never really saw him,” she murmured.
“You care for this male?” Crom asked.
She smiled. “Yes, I care about him as a friend,” she softly answered.
“Adalard did not kill him?” he asked.
She laughed and shook her head. “No, Adalard didn’t kill him,” she responded with an unexpected break in her voice.
Crom compassionately reached for her, and she turned into him. Low sobs shook her shoulders. She was powerless to stop the grief after it burst through the dam she had built.
Samara knew she was crying for more than the last twenty-four hours. She was crying for the loss of her mother, the lack of a relationship with a father who only saw a daughter as a tool, not a person. She cried for her brothers and the way they had thrown their lives away for a fast buck, alcohol, and women who would never care about them. She cried for her inability to see Bear as more than a friend. But most of all, she cried because she knew that at this moment in time, she was not ready to accept what Adalard was offering. She needed to find out who she was before she could be something that someone else needed.
“I hear the sound of heartbreak in your sobs. If you cry for the Changeling, she is not worth your tears. She made her path and lived with the consequences of her actions. She would have killed you without remorse,” Crom said.
“It… it isn’t just her. I… this is a mistake. I shou-shouldn’t have come here,” she sniffed.
Crom lifted her hands in his. She looked up at him. His face might be different from a human’s, but his eyes weren’t. In them, she saw compassion and resolve.
“Tell me, and I will do what I can to help you,” he vowed.
She opened her mouth to reassure him that she would be alright, but instead, she began sharing the story of her life back on Earth. He asked a question every once in a while. The question invariably led to more sharing on her part until she realized that she wasn’t holding anything back. A deep sadness filled her when she drew to the shuddering end of her story: the heartbreaking introduction to Adalard’s lovers.
“I should be telling Adalard all of this, not you,” she confessed.
“He may already know,” Crom kindly responded.
“Adalard, what is it?” Ha’ven asked.
Adalard shook his head and looked away from his brother’s concerned gaze. He closed off the pain coursing through him at Samara’s haunting words. As much as he wanted to go to her, his duties to his people and his family had to be his first priority.
“Nothing. Arrow, what have you found out?” he replied.
“There is—or I should say was—a hidden base on the outer region of Heron Prime. I think they may have taken Mother there. Melek has gone after her,” Arrow replied.
Adalard and Ha’ven both cursed at the thought of Melek going alone. Whoever they were up against held an arsenal of deadly weapons they knew little-to-nothing about. Melek was experienced, but he was also older—not to mention that Ha’ven had only recently discovered the man was his father and not his uncle.
“Arrow, do you think if Ha’ven and I combined our energies, we could make a jump that far?” Adalard asked.
Arrow’s eyes widened, and he whistled under his breath. “Honestly? I don’t know. That much energy expenditure could tear the ship apart… or both of you. It would definitely drain you both. A quick calculation in my head… I’d have to go with the first of the two options. You might be able to do short bursts, like skipping a rock across the water. The momentum of the hops could theoretically cause a wave of energy that could propel the ship forward without depleting you or causing a temporal anomaly that would rip apart the time-space continuum, or…,” he mumbled in a distracted voice.
“Can we cover the distance if we do shorter bursts?” Ha’ven impatiently inquired.
Arrow slowly nodded. “Theoretically, yes. In reality, no one has ever tried. You aren’t even sure how you were able to do it before, Ha’ven. I mean, we are talking about not just you two, but an entire ship with hundreds of crew members on board. Ha’ven did it when Emma was in danger, but we’ve never replicated it. Adalard, you’ve never transported—have you?” he asked.
“No, at least not the distance that we are talking about,” he ruefully acknowledged.
“You should be able to increase the power to the engines by point three percent without any chance of damage. That increase will get you to the base in seventy-two hours give or take two added jump gates. I’ll have those in place by the time you get there. I’ll send you the coordinates,” Arrow added.
“Will you have the jump gates operational in time?” Adalard asked with a frown.
“Yes,” Arrow answered with a grim smile.
“Make it happen, Arrow,” Ha’ven ordered.
Arrow nodded and the screen went black. Adalard turned to leave, but stopped when Ha’ven reached out and gripped his upper arm. He impatiently shrugged his brother’s hand away.
“Are you sure everything is alright? You seem distracted,” Ha’ven said.
“Everything is fine. I’ll check in with the chief engineer,” he tersely replied before exiting the room.
He strode across the bridge, his mind on Samara. She had shut him out again. There was one thing he needed to do before he met with her again. Something he should have done a long time ago.
Stepping into the lift, he waited until the doors closed before he retrieved his communicator. Anger burned deep inside him—not at Niria, Traya, and Doray but at himself. Initiating the connection, he waited until one of his former lovers answered.
“Adalard! Who’s the new woman and does she like having a bit of fun?” Niria purred in greeting.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Three days later, Adalard silently entered the hologram deck. Samara had taken over the smallest room for the most part, only vacating the room out of guilt at depriving other crew members of their access to it. She wandered the ship most of the time, seldom sleeping. He knew she was avoiding him.
She was sitting on a rock near a wide river. He recognized the area. It was just south of the palace. Hope filled him that she was giving his world a second chance and trying to acclimate.
“This is one of my favorite areas back home,” he commented.
She glanced at him before returning her attention to some far-off spot. He sat beside her and sighed when she didn’t look at him again. He ran his hand tiredly over his face.
“Emma said we should be on your world in a couple of days,” she finally said.
“Technically, we will be in Curizan space. There is a matter that we need to take care of before we return to Ceran-Pax,” he replied.
“The kidnapping of your mom?” she asked.
He blinked with surprise. “Yes… how did you know?” he asked with a frown.
She looked down at her hands. “You’ve been distracted. It wasn’t hard to see what was going on. Besides, the whole ship is talking about the explosion in the communication’s room, the attack on me, and the connection to your mom’s kidnapping. I’m sorry about your mother. I hope you
can find her in time,” she added.
He reached for her hand. She pulled away from him and stood up. She tucked her hands into her front pockets and walked a short distance away. He rose and walked over to her.
“I should have told you what was going on. I should also have ended my previous relationships much sooner. For both, I apologize,” he said.
She shifted from one foot to the other. “I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, but it is more than that. I hate feeling or acting wishy-washy. It was naïve of me to think—” She stopped and shook her head. “Well, I know you’re a good-looking man and a Prince to boot. Why wouldn’t you have a legion of fawning women waiting for you back home? Hell, it happens on Earth, why not on some alien world,” she replied with a shrug.
“You said it was more than that. What else?” he asked.
She sighed. “Emma,” she said.
He frowned. “Emma? I don’t understand. Emma is very happy with Ha’ven,” he inquired.
“Yes, she is very happy with Ha’ven,” she replied.
“Samara, I don’t understand,” he repeated.
She turned to him. “What do Emma and the others who have come to your world have in common?” she quietly asked.
“The others…. Do you mean the other humans?”
“Yes, the other humans,” she said with a wave of her hand.
His frown deepened. “They are human,” he replied with an uncertain expression.
“They didn’t have family, or if they did, they brought them with them,” she retorted in a voice laced with frustration.
Confusion darkened his eyes. “You want to bring your brothers to my world? After all they have done to you?” he asked with an incredulous expression.
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to bring my brothers to outer space—though it might help them realize they aren’t the center of the universe. If nothing else, it would scare the shit out of them. That might not be a bad thing to help them get their heads straightened out. As crazy as it may sound, not all of them are bad. You never met Wilson, and despite what has happened, Brit and Gary aren’t bad. They are just weak. Gary has Pat. She’s been through worse with him, but Brit doesn’t have anyone.”
“Your brothers are grown men. You said Wilson left. He obviously did not care what happened to you if he left you without protection. Brit needs to stand on his own feet. You have a life,” he growled.
She jerked away from him. “What life? I traded being under the control of my brothers to being under your control!” she retorted. She regretted her words the moment she said them. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply before opening them. “That came out wrong.”
“Perhaps it did,” he replied.
She shook her head. “I promised I would help you and your brother figure out what that glob is and hopefully how to stop it. I know it’s important.”
“Your happiness is what is important to me, Samara,” Adalard said.
She closed her eyes when he caressed her cheek. She didn’t want to respond to his touch, but it would have been easier to stop breathing. Regret filled her at her conflicting emotions. How could she feel this torn between wanting to be with him and wanting to go home?
“Give me time to adjust… and deal with… things,” she said in a hesitant voice as she opened her eyes and looked at him again.
“I will give you all the time you need,” he promised.
She gave him a rueful smile. “Did you really tell the three bimbos to take a hike?” she asked.
A confused frown furrowed his brow before understanding dawned, and he nodded. “Yes. It would appear they have already moved on to new territory,” he wryly replied.
She wiggled her nose with distaste. “I hope your alien ass can’t catch any STDs,” she muttered.
“STDs?” he inquired with a puzzled expression.
“Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Einstein. If you gave me anything, a Changeling and black slime will be the least of your worries,” she threatened.
“You are fine. You do not have any signs of sexually transmitted diseases or injuries,” Orin, the healer on duty, reassured him with a faint smile.
Adalard grunted as he finished dressing. “Good.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Orin asked.
“No, that is all,” he distractedly replied.
The ping of his communicator pulled his attention back to the present. He glanced at it. They were entering the outer region of Heron Prime.
“I finished the autopsy scans on the Changeling. A small, explosive capsule was injected into her brain,” Orin said.
“An explosive capsule? How was it activated?” he asked.
“The only way is if she had a trigger on her… or someone else realized she was captured and wanted to silence her. I searched her and found nothing,” Orin said.
“Thank you. Send your completed report to Ha’ven and me,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Orin answered.
He finished fastening his shirt as he exited the medical unit. He strode down the corridor toward the lift. Stepping inside, he requested the bridge.
What’s wrong? Samara’s soft voice filtered through his thoughts.
He hesitated a moment before he replied. Stay close to Crom. There may be another spy on board.
I’ll stay close to Crom. Thank you for telling me, she said.
I also do not have any STD. I will send you the healer’s report, he added.
Her soft chuckle warmed his blood. I look forward to reading it, she dryly stated.
He still had a grin on his face when he stepped out of the lift onto the bridge. Ha’ven raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Adalard shook his head.
“Are you and Samara doing better?” Ha’ven asked.
He frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“Emma might have mentioned that Samara has been very withdrawn. She also may have mentioned that Samara was homesick and wished to return to Earth,” Ha’ven commented.
He scowled. “My relationship is fine. If I remember, you had problems with Emma when you first met her,” he retorted.
The amusement on Ha’ven’s face faded, and he nodded. “Yes, and it scared the shit out of me.”
“Not to mention being painful when she kneed you in the groin.” He sighed deeply. “Niria decided to contact me… and she wasn’t alone.”
“Ah, yes, I can see where Samara might find that offensive,” Ha’ven reflected.
“Enough about my relationship, we need to find Mother and Melek,” he said.
“Arrow triangulated the coordinates of the base where he suspects they are holding Mother. It will be dangerous. Until we know how to fight the creature that you brought back, it will leave us vulnerable,” Ha’ven warned.
“We don’t have a choice,” Adalard pointed out.
“Agreed,” Ha’ven said.
“I’m going,” Samara said with a wave of her hand.
“No, you are not!” Adalard growled for the fifth time.
Samara gave him a pointed look. “I’m not one of those too-stupid-to-live women who has a death wish. I’ll follow your directions. You say duck, and I’ll kiss the floor so hard the ground will shake,” she dryly replied.
“This is far too dangerous. We have no idea what we will encounter,” he snapped.
“Exactly. If they have released that energy glob, you and the rest of your guys will be defenseless. Out of everyone tested onboard so far, only Emma and I can repel it. None of your shields have worked; it still sucks you dry. Emma can’t go because she’s pregnant, so I’m the logical choice. Whatever mojo I have, that thing can’t stand it,” she countered in a calm voice.
He stepped forward and gripped her arms. “I can’t lose you,” he stated in a hoarse voice.
She shook her head and caressed his scarred cheek. “You won’t. Trust me, Adalard. You need my help. I wouldn’t insist if I thought there was any other way. You’ve see
n the tests Arrow insisted on having Quill do the last two days. I’ve learned a lot. One of the things we learned is that I can hold off the creature from more than just you. Without it, the blob almost killed Quill,” she said.
“I don’t like this,” he muttered.
She took a long, deep breath and shrugged. “I don’t like it either, but the idea of you guys going down there with your pants around your ankles in grizzly country is just plain stupid,” she remarked.
He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “I don’t even want to know what that reference might mean,” he retorted.
“Forget it. I’m going and that is the end of this discussion,” she said.
“May I speak now?” Ha’ven dryly interjected.
Samara bit her lip to keep from grinning when Adalard shot his brother a dark scowl. “No, because you’ll agree with her,” he replied.
Ha’ven nodded. “Only because she is right. I’ve reviewed the tapes. She is correct, Adalard. If we hope to save Mother and Melek, we need to have every advantage at our disposal.”
Samara sensed the moment Adalard relented. She squeezed his hand. Ha’ven’s deep sigh showed that he wasn’t happy about the decision either.
“Let’s go find your family,” she quietly said.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Adalard held his hand out and Samara pressed her back against the wall. She took several deep, calming breaths in an effort to quiet her rapidly beating heart. She kept her focus glued on Adalard.
I don’t know how people do this kind of work. I could barely make it through a game of hide-n-seek back home. These guys put the Navy Seals that used to train at the ranch to shame, she thought.
“Clear. Move out,” Adalard ordered in a low voice.
Half a dozen men moved in units of two, each sweeping the area with their weapons raised. She took a step forward only to pause when Quill put a hand on her arm, holding her back.
“Careful, my scanner is picking up a disturbance at the end of the corridor,” Quill murmured into his commlink.
