The Erion Triad: A Negari Sci-Fi Alien Abduction Reverse Harem Romance

by Charmaine Ross

  “Come. Let’s see what we find,” Zaen said.

  They walked into the eating house, Juliran’s heart thumping in anticipation. She might only have to see them, and they would be able to sweep her away and back into reality.

  He peered through the crowd, his gaze bouncing off strangers, and then landed on her. “Lucie!”

  She was talking to people seated at a table, writing on a pad of paper. She perked up and looked over in their direction. Juliran steeled himself for her reaction, but there was none.

  She finished speaking to the people seated and then came towards them. She was… different. Her body was more filled out, not skin and bone as she was in reality, but still too thin. And she looked tired. Strands of hair had escaped a once-neat bun, and the bags beneath her eyes told of fatigue. Her steps were heavy, as though she had to fight to take each one.

  Her familiar scent washed over him and it took every ounce of willpower in him to force himself to remain standing where he was, to not gather her into his arms and hold her against his chest.

  “Lucie. We’ve found you,” he said as his breath whooshed out of him.

  He stepped towards her, but Kyel’s hand on his elbow held him back. He was confused for a moment, but Kyel’s steely gaze was trained on Lucie. “Easy, brother.”

  Frowning, Juliran looked back at Lucie to see what had stopped Kyel. He thought he saw a spark of recognition in her eyes, then a second of confusion and she winced, putting a hand to her temple. She blinked a few times, shaking her head a little, as though trying to clear her mind. When she looked at them, her eyes were dazed and strangely blank. “How do you know my name?”

  Juliran’s heart sunk into the pit of his stomach and his heart stuttered in his chest. Their mate didn’t recognize them! Although Kyel had warned him, he was still totally unprepared. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms, hold her and protect her like a mate should. The urge was overpowering.

  “Your name is on your badge,” Kyel said.

  Juliran spotted her name badge on her top covering. She placed a hand over it as relief washed over her face. “Yes. Of course. Silly me. Would you like a table?”

  Kyel nodded. “That would be appropriate.”

  Her full lips twisted in a smile. “Appropriate. That’s one word for it, I guess. Please follow me.”

  She led them through the eating house, or restaurant as she called it. Loud music and talking filled the air, and staff hustled about, delivering food and cleaning tables. Neon signs and images of people dancing and holding instruments of various sorts lined the walls. The females that weren’t working as their Lucie was, wore clothing of full skirts while the males wore suits of some kind.

  At the far end of the restaurant stood a darkened, empty stage. Instruments littered the stage floor. Above the stage was a sign—Live Band, Karaoke, Saturday Nights. He had no idea what that meant, but if it had materialized here in Lucie’s mind, then it must be important.

  Families grouped around tables, eating and laughing, the children making a huge mess. He wondered briefly where all the members were. He only saw two parents, but then he remembered that Lucie had told them one time Quads were not formed on Earth. There was one male and one female parent between sometimes many children and he had wondered how only two parents coped looking after so many young.

  The family groups looked no less loving, but this was certainly different than what he was used to. An errant thought occurred to him. Had Lucie felt the same way about their Homeland? What they took for granted was all new for her. It felt surreal for him to be here, even in this short time. Had she felt the same? The thought sat uncomfortably with him. He would need to speak to his brothers about it.

  “Here you go.” She gestured to the empty table and waited for them to slide around the U-shaped seat that framed a central table that was far too snug for their large bodies. The males in the eating house weren’t as large as they were and fitted a lot better. His thighs scraped the bottom of the table and his spine was pushed right back into the seating cushion.

  Condiments rested in the middle of the table, as did menus wrapped in a plastic material that had been outlawed on their Homeland due to its non-biodegradable properties. Species of animals had nearly become extinct due to their manufacturing stupidity before the Homelands woke up and manufactured similar, yet far better options that didn’t hurt the land or the animals.

  “Oh, dear. Would you like me to find you another table?” She wrung her hands and her gaze bounced between them.

  “There is no need, Lucie. We are fine here.” Zaen smiled up at her.

  She faltered, a frown scrunched her forehead. She started at Zaen for a long moment. Juliran bent his fingers around the edge of the table, watching her closely, waiting for a hint of recognition. Anything.

  She shook her head and she touched the tip of her writing device to the pad and Juliran sank back into his seat, shoulders slumping. “What would you like to order?”

  “We are… new in town. What would you propose?’ Kyel asked.

  She blinked, her eyes glazed. “I… I’d start with the Bill Hayley Burgers with fries and the Perry Como Shake. That should fill anyone the size of you guys up.”

  “Luce. Tables eight and twelve need to be cleared!” A harried-looking man covered in sweat called from the cooking area. He was the only person in there.

  Lucie gave them a thin smile. “I’ll put your order in and be right back with some water.”

  Juliran watched her tear off the docket she’d used to take their order, add it to a line of paper fluttering in front of the cook before turning back to the empty tables to clear the dishes piled on top.

  “Miss?’ Someone called from a nearby table, catching her attention. She went over.

  There was too much work for her to do. Although she tried to hide it, Juliran saw her stretch her back. As she walked away from the people, there was a slosh and a cry, and a drink spilt across the floor.

  “I’m so sorry. It just slipped from his fingers,” the young mother said.

  “That’s all right. This is what I’m here for.” Lucie darted behind the counter and returned with a cloth, making quick work of cleaning up the spilt drink. “I’ll get another one for you.”

  A bell sounded as the cook stacked up a line of plates. “Table fourteen ready.”

  Lucie threw the cleaning cloth in a sink, stacked the dishes in her arms, and made her way to a rowdy table.

  “She is working herself to death,” Kyel said, more than a touch of anger in his voice.

  “Why is she doing this?” Zaen said.

  Juliran eyed the tables yet to the cleared. She was just too busy to get to them. He glimpsed another waitress in the crowd but she was as busy as Lucie.

  Working their females like this was untenable. He rose from the table and cleared their plates. Zaen and Kyel also picked up some of the stacks of dishes, following his lead.

  “What are you doing! That’s my job. Here, let me take those and you go sit down.” Lucie rushed over to them, her eyes wide. She made to take the plates and he simply held them over his head out of her reach.

  “Where do you take the used plates?”

  Her gaze darted about. “You’ll get me fired if you do this, and believe me I need this job.”

  “Why do you need this job so much, Lucie? Don’t you have someone who takes care of you?” Three mates who will cater to your every wish if you so desire. All you need to do is ask.

  But she’d never asked them to do a thing. Not even to comfort her when she trembled alone in her bed at night. And he knew she did when he checked in on her, waiting for her to hold a hand out to him, but all she’d done was huddle beneath the blankets and pretend to sleep.

  She blinked up at him, her eyes luminous and her mouth turned down. In that moment, she looked so small. So defeated. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I haven’t for a long time.”

  Juliran felt a frown push his forehead. She didn
’t remember them at all. Impossible hurt stabbed his heart, but he had to remember it wasn’t her. It was the entity clouding her thoughts. What she did remember was indelibly etched on her subconscious. Memories a malevolent entity from another dimension couldn’t erase. “Surely you have someone.” His voice cracked as he spoke. Surely, she would remember them. The bond was too strong.

  Surely.

  Her lips pursed and her eyes glazed. She came to a decision when she took a steeling breath and squared her shoulders. “You’d think so, but…” She shrugged, coming out of herself. “My parents died. My foster parents kicked me out when I turned eighteen. Government funding only goes so far and I was an extra mouth to feed. An unwanted expense. I’ve survived on my own for years now. I’m used to it. So now you can see, give me the dishes. I need this job more than you could possibly know.”

  Her words punched him right in the gut. He had no idea of her past at all. She’d suffered greatly in her life on Earth and he hadn’t known any of it. She’d remembered her horrible past, and yet her mind was blank when it came to them.

  If she didn’t remember them, how in the stars were they going to save her from the depths of her mind?

  Chapter Six

  Lucie

  The hot big guy made the dirty dishes look like a child’s tea party in his massive hands. He had nice fingers though. Long, lean, and smooth. Callouses on his palms, so he was a hard worker of some sort. It was strange what she’d noticed about him.

  Apart from being totally hot, with his muscular six-and-a-half-foot frame, and built like a linebacker, his hair was short and spiked on the top although longish strands fell over his eye. In the right light, it seemed to have blue streaks in the strands. Several times she’d had to blink twice only to find that her eyes had played tricks on her. He didn’t seem the kind to get color done from a hairdresser.

  His friends were all tall, but she wasn’t put off by that. Quite the opposite. She felt safe. Protected. She knew men could use their height and bulk to their advantage. If they did anything, she wouldn’t be able to lift a finger, but somehow, she inherently knew they would not hurt her. They were simply alpha, protective types that looked out for people not able to do it for themselves. A very rare breed.

  They were all super-hot. Her type, now that she thought of it. One had tattoos curling up his neck in an intricate design she yearned to see more of, a startling blue instead of the normal black. He was a little broader than the one standing right in front of her, perching dishes in his hands, but no less intimidating. The other one had short hair and a trimmed beard. He also had that look about him that told her he was used to issuing orders and them being carried out. If there was a leader to their little group, he was it.

  All had strong jawlines, straight shoulders, flat stomachs, and looked like they could take on an entire football team and win—and the way they wore those jeans was sinful. Way, way out of her league. One hundred percent certain.

  Oh well, a girl could dream.

  Besides, she had a boyfriend. She loved him.

  She was sure of it.

  Of course, she did. Grant had been her rock when she’d reached her lowest. Had brought her from the depths she’d sunk to. Without him, she would probably be dead by now. Nobody would have cared one way or the other. Just another Jane Doe. She had a lot to thank him for.

  She could look at these super-hotties, but there would be no touching. Besides, she was too busy and too tired to do more than appreciate a handsome man—or three. One boyfriend was enough hard work. She held her hands out for the dishes, only he didn’t seem to want to hand them over to her.

  “Where is your manager?” His voice was a deep rumble and he had the unerring ability to look at her and make the rest of the world fade away.

  “You’re not going to tell him off, are you?”

  They’d been watching her as she’d darted from order to table to clean up but that was the job and it was a busy night tonight. She was run off her feet and she had no time to waste. She could just imagine him giving Luke a piece of his mind and her losing her job all in the one night. And then where would she be? Up shit creek without a paddle, that was where.

  The one with the tattoos cleared the other table, balancing sturdy dishes that looked decidedly delicate in his hands. “You are understaffed. You need help and we need jobs.”

  Her mouth fell open and she blinked at him, mute for a moment. “You. Want to work here…?” She tried to work through the incredulity but failed. They were short staffed for the night. Sharon and Leanne hadn’t turned up for some reason, as though in direct relationship to her lack of energy. If she had felt drained at the start of the shift, she was positively exhausted now. She made a mental note to get some vitamins. That’d pep her back up from her underlying lethargy.

  “Where else may we find employment?” The largest one approached, putting his hands on his hips. She belatedly realized the top of her head came to his shoulder.

  What about within the glossy pages of a magazine? She licked her lips, thinking of all the hard labor jobs they must be used to with physiques like that. “I don’t know. A mechanic? Security guard? Basketballer?” Model. Male escort. She stifled her hysterical giggle.

  The one with the tattoos frowned. “I don’t know what those jobs are but we are quite capable of clearing tables, serving meals, and wiping up children’s spillages.”

  “You’ll have to wash dishes as well.” She didn’t know why she said that, but her mind had gone blank. No one wanted to really work here. It was hard and tiring. Young families tended to make a terrible mess.

  “We are skilled at washing dishes. If you point out the meal preparation area, I will wash while my brothers help you out here,” the alpha one said.

  “Miss?” a voice called from a nearby table. “May we order dessert?”

  She glanced at the tables yet to be served and the plates lining up to be delivered. Things were certainly heating up and Janie was running between tables as much as she was. It was much busier than normal. They were both overworked and if they didn’t get some help tonight, they weren’t going to keep up with the orders.

  “Okay,” she said. “Let me speak to Luke.”

  It was a short conversation. She’d expected more of a battle, but Luke was run off his feet as well. Any help was readily accepted.

  “Just get one of them to help me in here,” he said. “We’ll pay them in cash at the end of the night.”

  Turning, she walked into a large chest. She staggered back, and large hands settled on her upper arms. The tallest one of the three towered above her. Larger than life and yet his touch was warm and gentle. Almost familiar. His hands lingered on her shoulders and she couldn’t help the shiver that worked through her body when the pad of his thumb rubbed her skin. Familiar? More like wishful thinking.

  It took effort to step back when her instinct was to seek shelter within the comfort of his body. She frowned, not understanding where that impulse came from. She didn’t know them at all, and yet there was some sense of intimacy about them she couldn’t put her finger on. White fog descended in her mind, erasing the feeling.

  They were busy. She had to work.

  “All right. If you’re so interested in working here, the main tasks are taking meals to tables, picking up dirty dishes, cleaning up messes and basically keeping everyone fed and watered. It’s hard work for not much pay.” When they didn’t utter a word at the mention of hard work, she continued. “Since we’re going to work together, I need to know your names.”

  The large alpha man stepped up. He had the strangest color of eyes, a bright blue that could only be colored through contacts... Did they glow?

  Contacts. That had to be it. Probably some strange body shaping fetish. Normally she didn’t go for that type of thing, but on him, it was hot.

  “I am Kyel.” Blue eyes pointed to the man next to him with the mouth-watering tattoos. “This is Zaen and our youngest brother, Juliran.”

/>   “You’re brothers?” She wasn’t as surprised as she thought. It seemed natural. She noticed a familial similarity, the color blue seeming to bind them together. Blue eyes, blue tattoos, and blue hair.

  She shouldn’t be lusting after brothers. She usually had no desire for anyone else except Grant, albeit most of the time she was an exhausted heap just wanting to come home to sleep, but still, there was something about these brothers she couldn’t quite put her finger on. A compulsion deep inside her that went beyond reasoning, beyond the sub-conscious, something that was inherent within her. And that, in itself, was wrong on so many levels.

  She couldn’t imagine what they would think of her if they found out what was in her mind. She’d sunk to a new low. At least her thoughts were private, thank goodness.

  “Miss?” A father from a nearby table called out.

  She should be working, not feeling like she was on a date. She wasn’t lying when she said she needed this job. Grant was relying on her to pay the bills while he worked on her career. In the long run, a little bit of exhaustion would be worth the effort.

  “We’d better get back to work,” she said. “These people won’t get fed on their own.”

  Kyel inclined his head in a purely regal gesture. She could imagine him with a crown on his head. A strangely shaped crown to mold around horns.

  Now she was going crazy.

  “As you wish. Brothers, it is time to help our ma...”

  “Lucie. It is time to help, Lucie,” Juliran said.

  A faint smile curved Kyel’s full lips. “Of course. Let us begin.”

  The rest of the night went past in a blur of clearing tables, serving burgers and generally making sure the customers were watered, fed, and happy. There were the regulars she genuinely liked and she spent a little extra time talking to them all in the name of good customer service.

  She was aware of the brothers from the corner of her eye. It seemed several of the female customers also had noticed them, although the guys gave no indication they’d seen the women flirting. She was surprised as a spike of jealousy stabbed her heart. She shouldn’t be jealous at all. She had a boyfriend and these guys had just as much right to happiness as she did, although happiness was not what she’d call things of late. However, she was tired and being like this would color her emotions.