I felt like I’d been sucker punched in the gut. As I bent over with my hands on my knees, my mom and brother screamed.
Lifting my eyes, there was so much blood around my dad. Another large guy showed up and took the blonde-haired woman, while this one—the one now standing in front of me—swiftly slaughtered the rest of my family.
Too terrified to cry out, I watched as he scanned the area, likely to ensure there were no witnesses. His gaze briefly touched mine, and that’s when I knew.
The rumors were true: he was not Human.
My gaze locked with neon-blue eyes and it felt as though I’d been marked for death.
Or abduction.
Or most likely, both.
I quickly darted behind the corner of a partially-destroyed brick building. With a heaving chest, silent tears streamed down my face. Bile rose and I retched what little contents I had in my stomach.
Then I ran.
That was the worst fucking night of my life.
Focusing on the Andore now standing in front of us, the one who single-handedly destroyed my world, I didn’t need to read his aura to know how evil he was. I’d seen it with my own two eyes.
I hated him.
Hated him!
One last look at me, his eyes shifted to Jyan’s.
“We have a slight problem, sir.”
“What kind of problem?”
His eyes casually swiveled to me again. “It is of a delicate nature,” he replied, then slid his gaze back to Jyan’s.
Silence lasted a beat or two through the unspoken words they both seemed to understand. The skin prickled on my arms for some unknown reason, and I wanted to be anywhere but here. It took every ounce of control to remain still.
Standing in front of this man brought everything back in vivid detail, even the cowardice I’d felt for not doing anything except running away like a scared little girl. I wanted to laugh at the irony. This giant Andore had made me into the killer who picked off his men one by one.
And he had no fucking idea.
“Let me escort her back and I will find you when I return,” Jyan said suddenly.
The murderer gave one quick nod, eyes landing on me and narrowing slightly, as though he was still trying to place me. Then he turned and walked away. I deflated with relief. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath.
Jyan turned, his face sliding into an easy smile. “I am sorry to cut this short.”
“It’s fine.” Watching the murderer’s every step, I hesitated, then asked, “Who was that?”
“Raun.”
“Raun.” I now had a name to go with the man who terrorized my dreams. “He works for you?”
“They all work for me.”
“That’s right. Absolute ruler.”
He nodded once, took my hand, and led me back the way we had just come.
___________
As I neared the house, Jenna ran out. She looked a little worried, maybe even frantic as she bounded off the steps just thirty feet away.
She never met me like this. Immediately, I feared something had happened to one of the kids. Maybe Cara got caught stealing. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Her eyes widened as though I should know. She threw up her hands in exasperation. “Do you know how long you’ve been gone? I was worried about you!”
A smile played on my lips. “There’s no need to worry about me. I’m fine.”
Clearly, she didn’t believe me. “If you say so.”
Turning, I followed her until we took our spots on the swing.
Swaying gently back and forth, she huffed as she crossed her arms. “What did the asshole want?”
“The impossible,” I deadpanned, then sighed.
I couldn’t see a way out of this horrific situation, but there was no way in hell I would marry Jyan.
But how do I get out of it?
That was the dilemma. I could run, hide out and constantly look over my shoulder, but that would be a miserable existence.
And what about Jenna? Could they trace me back here if I didn’t show up? Was I putting her and the others in danger? That was the last thing I wanted. If something bad happened to her and the kids because of me, I could never forgive myself. Finding a suitable solution and keeping them safe was paramount.
“What’s impossible?”
I looked over at her and dropped the bombshell. “According to the colonel,” I sneered his title dramatically, “I am to marry Jyan.”
“The leader of the Andores?” I nodded. “No fuckin’ way!” Jenna exploded from the swing. “Your uncle can’t make you marry someone. He can’t!”
“According to him, he can.”
Her mouth fell open. “This is bullshit! I liked it better before any of them showed up with their so-called help. They can all go back to wherever the hell they came from.”
She paced the short space of the porch, infuriated and mortified.
“I agree.” Thinking of damage control, the rage had faded; now I was in planning mode. If only I could come up with some sort of solution, something other than running.
And I would run.
Yet the more I thought about Jyan, the more Raun’s face surfaced. Jyan was a problem for another day, one that might not come to pass. Right now, I had other plans to make.
“Hey Millie, when’d you get here?” Cara asked as the screen door banged shut. She plopped down on a chair opposite the swing, then raked her hair out her eyes.
“A few minutes ago.”
Austin burst out the front door and skidded to a stop. “Hey Millie,” he grinned.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Jenna asked.
“Jason wants to hunt frogs, and I’m gonna help.”
“Does Haley know this?”
Austin shrugged. “Don’t know.”
I grinned. To be so young and carefree, it made me happy. Boys didn’t need much, just a good friend and the outdoors.
“Don’t get into too much trouble,” I winked.
His grin grew into a full-blown, almost tooth-filled smile. “I won’t. Bye Millie.”
Then he jumped off the porch, skipping the steps and almost landing on his face.
“Be careful!” Jenna called after him. Shaking her head, she huffed. “That boy! One of these days he’s going to get himself hurt.”
“Oh, he’s a kid. Let him enjoy being one.”
Shaking her head, she sighed. “I guess.”
“So, Millie,” Cara began in that ‘I have something to ask you and I really need you on my side’ voice. “Can you tell Jenna that she should really let me visit the Human Territory tomorrow? I bring in good money, and it’s not even dangerous. Not really. And I’ve never gotten caught.”
“Cara, I can’t believe you’re trying to go around me on this, and right in front of me too!” Jenna cut in. “I said no, it’s too dangerous.”
She whined slightly. “It’s not, I promise it’s not.” Her eyes shot to mine. “Tell her, Millie.”
Slowly shaking my head, I replied, “I am not getting in the middle of this.”
Her hands flailed in the air before thumping against her lap, then she stood and practically yelled, “Dammit. I am not a kid!”
With that, she stomped back inside the house.
“Language!” Jenna hollered before her lips pressed tight for a second. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.”
I didn’t say anything. How could I? I didn’t know the first thing about raising kids and I had other, more pressing matters to worry about right now.
Pushing up from the swing, I went inside for a much-needed shower. After having Jyan’s hands on me and seeing Raun, I felt especially dirty.
7
Murda
Taking the underground passage to just outside the Human city, my mind spun with questions. Who was this female to the colonel? Why did Jyan stay behind, yet I was asked to leave?
Her hands trembled a little, but the others
didn’t seem to notice. I knew she didn’t want to be there. When her eyes met mine, her nostrils flared ever so slightly; otherwise, she kept her composure.
The question still remained: Who was she, and why was she there?
The underground tunnel was all concrete and well-lit. As I neared the exit, I turned left and faced the seamless wall. I pulled out the Tura disk, a small round sensor and placed it inside the barely noticeable round slot. The disk turned bright white as it unlocked the secret passage we had carved out upon arrival.
I retrieved the disk, stepped inside, and let the door silently close behind me.
This passageway was darker, the dirt walls held together by rock and vines in most places. There were a few unstable areas that needed reinforcement, but not many. I followed the tunnel back to Tizun Territory.
__________
Entering the operations area, all eyes lifted as I stalked inside. Gar, who was leaning over Strikr’s shoulder, looked up, then straightened. “How did the meeting go with the colonel?”
Strikr wheeled around in his chair, also listening.
“Same as usual. Jyan accused us of killing his men.”
“Did we?”
“No, not them.” I shrugged. “At least I don’t think so.”
“I’m sure he never told the liaison that his men hunt us.”
“Of course not.”
“Anything else of importance?”
“Colonel Petroff summoned the female.”
The two of them froze, blinked, and then Gar asked, “Why?”
“Not sure. But the colonel was familiar with her. He called her Millicent.”
“What do you want us to do?”
I had pondered that same question all the way there. The first thing I needed to know was if she could be trusted. My instinct screamed yes, but I must remain cautious. I also wanted to know more about the men Jyan claimed we killed, but without asking questions (which I wouldn’t), there was no way to find out.
Millicent always smelled of faint blood, and carried hidden daggers. And yet, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the possibility that she had perhaps killed Jyan’s men.
That would be very dangerous and very stupid, I thought. Does she know what his species do to women? How they defile them, and after repeated use, auction them off?
There were no female Andores, only males. Once they found a species that could bare their young, the females were used as breeders by any male who wanted them, sometimes several at once. It didn’t matter who fathered the offspring, only that their species continued.
All offspring were male and were born with all the traits of the father, inheriting none of the mother. She was simply a vessel. Once the female gave birth, the offspring was taken and raised by the males.
The thought of Millicent getting caught made something twist inside my gut.
“Tonight, I will return to the Neutral Territory and hope she appears. Once I get some answers, I will let you know.”
“I am still compelled to say, it is not wise for you to go alone.”
Gar had a good point, but I needed to go by myself. Deep down, I knew Millicent wouldn’t talk openly with me if others were present.
“It may not be wise, but it is necessary.” Glancing down at Strikr, my eyes shifted to the project he’d been working on: a three-dimensional projection of the Earth Government building swirled around. “Any progress?”
He whirled back around in his chair. “If the Humans are blocking our transponder signal, it would be from here—” he pointed at the restricted top floor, “—or here.”
“The space research section?”
He nodded. “It makes the most sense. Those are the only two areas that could house the type of Earth technology they would need. Additionally, they are the most secure areas.”
“How do we interrupt the signal?”
He pulled out two small disc-shaped objects that fit in the palm of his hand. “If we could place one in each area?”
Picking them up, I stared down at the devices. “That’s it?”
“That’s it?” Gar echoed, raising an eyebrow, then turned to me. “How will you manage that?”
I smiled. “You believe I cannot do it? A challenge perhaps?”
He tilted his head slightly and grinned. “What has changed, friend?”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem…different.”
I felt different. After all this time, a glimmer of hope rested in the palm of my hand. Wrapping my fingers securely around the jammers, my smile faded. “Just hopeful, my friend.”
“As am I.”
Looking at Strikr, I crossed my arms. “Good work.”
“Thank you.”
Gar and I walked shoulder to shoulder away from the operations center. “We caught three of Jyan’s men trying to breach the territory.”
I glanced at him, irritated. This was a common occurrence with the Andores, and I was getting tired of it. They told the liaison how barbaric we were, while they tried to raid our territory.
“And?” I prompted.
Gar shrugged one shoulder. “They were killed on sight, just as you ordered.”
“Good.”
Thinking about Millicent, I knew I needed to speak with her. The more information I had, the better. It had nothing to do with the fact that I almost craved her company.
Humans were odd, even ugly to look at. But something stirred inside whenever I was near her.
“After I shower and eat, I will head out.”
“You enjoy seeing the female?” Gar asked hesitantly.
I left Gar standing with the open question as I veered left toward my room.
____________
I had been waiting several hours and was about to return home when I heard the soft steps.
Glancing over my right shoulder, I saw a cloaked figure approaching and instinctively knew it was her. She walked up beside me as I stared at the pond.
“Are all of the frogs safe tonight?” she asked playfully.
One side of my lips tipped upward. “Indeed, they are…. for now at least.”
She shivered in disgust, which made me laugh.
“I thought you were not going to come,” I admitted.
“I almost didn’t. After such a long day, I accidentally slept too long.”
“I was surprised to see you at Colonel Petroff’s office.”
She scoffed. “I was just as surprised to see you! I thought you had ratted me out.”
“Ratted you out?” I asked, confused by the saying.
“I thought you had run to Unc…Colonel Petroff and told him that you suspected…” She shook her head, then faced me. “I don’t know what you would have suspected.”
“Did you kill those men?” I asked bluntly.
We stood face-to-face. There was anger and deep sadness hidden in those delicate features.
Lifting her chin, she admitted, “Maybe. I’m not sure which men he was referring to.”
Surprise, fear, respect…there was an array of emotions surfacing with her admission. Fear took the forefront.
“Do you know how dangerous it would be for them to catch you?”
“They. Killed. My. Family.”
And there it was, the truth, her hatred for the Andores easily heard with each punctuated word. My hearts ached for her loss. Stuck here on Earth, I also longed to see my father and my brothers once again. I would yet. She would not.
Taking a chance, I gently wrapped my hand around hers and led her to the only bench near the pond.
“I am sorry.”
She stared into the distance. “It was a long time ago.”
“Time does not ease the loss of family. Some may get used to the idea, but the pain is always there.”
She faced me, eyes softening. “That is so true. Here everyone says, time eases the pain, but it doesn’t.”
“No.”
“Have you ever lost anyone?”
“I have lost men that I command.
It is a casualty I must accept.”
“Oh.” Another beat of silence. “Do you like it here?”
I laughed, then shook my head. “No, not at all.”
She scoffed. “No, I guess you wouldn’t. Hell, even I don’t like it here anymore.” She blew out a slow breath and I watched as the lines in her forehead crinkled. “Have you ever allowed Humans to visit your territory?”
“Are you asking?”
“No, no. Just wondering.”
I pondered how much I wanted to reveal. Around her, my defenses weakened a little, so I needed to be careful.
“No.”
She scoffed. “It’s probably safer that way.”
“How do you know the colonel?”
I didn’t think she would answer for the longest time. Finally she said, “He’s my mom’s brother.”
Alarm slammed into me. “He is your family?”
She laughed, but it sounded bitter. “No. He is definitely not family.”
“You do not like him?”
“Like him?” she scoffed. “Right now, I loathe him.”
A noise rustled behind us. In an instant, I jumped to my feet. Millicent’s reflexes were quick and honed, which impressed me as we stood back-to-back. We both lost our cloaks and kicked them to the side. I heard the unsheathing of the daggers that I knew she carried with her.
It pained me to trust a Human with my life. That trust was reserved for Gar, Strikr, and Venge, my closest comrades.
“Well, look what we have here.” Three large Andores stepped into view.
Neither of us spoke a word as they split up. Two coming toward me, one facing Millicent.
“This is Neutral Territory. Leave us,” I commanded. Not that I expected they would, I just needed to give them the chance before I slaughtered them.
I watched the gleam in their eyes as they nodded to the one behind me. If they killed me, they would take Millicent as a breeder. But not before having their way with her right here.
All three of them.
Not happening!
I felt the changes take place as my claws extended. There were reasons that so many feared our kind, and Millicent would soon understand.
The two kept weaving around, trying to confuse me, but I didn’t lose focus.
Falling for the Alien Prince Page 6
