Alphas, Airships, and Assassins

by Frost Kay

  “I’m only going to rest for a moment.” She cuddled all the pillows she could reach and sighed. Who was she kidding? She’d just found her new home.

  Groggily, she blinked at the darkened room and sat up. What time was it?

  A knock.

  “Yeah?”

  “Lev needs to run something by you,” Blade murmured.

  Her jaw cracked as she yawned and stretched her arms above her head. “Just have them come in here.”

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed as the four males filed into the room.

  Coal smirked at her and leaned against the bed. “You made yourself pretty comfortable in my brother’s bed.”

  Allie shot him a glare and huffed. “He wasn’t using it.”

  “Mmhmm.”

  Virgil chuckled, the wrinkles on his face quivering. “I wasn’t sure if we were going to have to drag you from that bed.”

  She pulled the blanket up and rubbed her face against it. “It’s seriously one of the comfiest beds I’ve ever slept in.”

  “It’s a good thing you like it then.”

  What did Virgil mean by that? She slid out of the bed and ran her hands through her hair then asked, “What’s the plan?”

  Lev stared at Blade whose expression was unreadable, as normal, before addressing her. “It’s way past dinner…” Allie smiled sheepishly. “But you’re going out for drinks at the Scarlet Kiss so Blade can show you off in front of your double.”

  “Are you sure that’s wise? Sloven has spies everywhere.”

  “He’ll feel less threatened if Blade seems to be otherwise occupied.”

  Allie blushed and nodded. “Give me a few to get ready.”

  The males wandered out and she exhaled a slow breath. She could do this. It was only drinks.

  Drinks with a super attractive male who happened to want her.

  It wasn’t that scary.

  Her heels clicked on the floor of the Scarlet Kiss as they entered, music thumping as fast and loud as her own heart. Blade’s arm wrapped around her waist, and his thumb ran along her hip as he pressed a kiss into her hair.

  “Take a breath,” he whispered. “Everything is fine. We’re having fun.”

  “Fun, right.” She nodded and followed him to the bar.

  She tried desperately not to gawk at Karma, but it was really hard. And totally creepy. Karma bantered with the customers and mixed drinks like a pro. She’d even mastered Allie’s soft southern drawl.

  “Damn,” she murmured. She wanted to be Karma when she grew up. The woman had skills.

  Bastian materialized in front of them with a wicked smile. “What can I get you two tonight?”

  “Something special,” Blade replied.

  “Is it a special occasion?” Bastian asked, his hands already at work as he whipped up a delicious liquid creation.

  “I found my mate.”

  Her boss paused and unleashed his megawatt smile. “Hey,” he called over his shoulder. “We have a newly mated pair here!”

  The music changed, and thunderous cheers exploded around them, followed by hoots and hollers.

  “Kiss her!”

  Chants began, and Allie grinned at the madness. It reminded her a little bit of the celebration after a couple were pronounced married on earth.

  She jerked as Blade sank a hand into her hair and yanked her against him. A sensual smile tipped up his lips right before his crushed Allie’s in a bruising kiss. For a moment, she stood there while he continued to kiss her like he was designed specifically to kiss her for the rest of her life.

  When her body finally caught up, she ran her hands over his shoulders and speared her fingers into his blue-black hair. A growl rumbled in his chest, and he pulled her tighter against him. Their lips parted, and their teeth crashed in a kiss unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

  But as soon as it started, it finished. Blade pulled back slowly and shook his head, breathing deeply as his gaze pinned her to the spot. Sounds started to filter back in, and she glanced away from her Av’s piercing gaze.

  Her Av? Her mouth popped open at the look on Karma’s face, well, uh, her face. It was betrayal and relief. They’d done what they’d come to do.

  Allie stepped back, putting a little space between their bodies and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She waved and placed her hands on her burning cheeks as the patrons of the Scarlet Kiss kept cheering. Feeling overwhelmed, she leaned close to Blade’s pointed ear. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

  He nodded and directed her toward the bathroom, his hand practically burning a hole in the back of her form-fitting cream dress. She paused outside the bathroom, her hand resting on the swinging door, and tipped her head back to stare at Blade. “That was…”

  Blade lifted his scarred hand and caressed her cheek and then her bottom lip. “Everything.”

  She smiled shyly and wandered into the luxurious restroom. She pushed past the powder room filled with red velvet chaise lounges and shiny black countertops into the bathrooms. Quickly, she used the restroom and then washed her hands. Her heart picked up as she stared in the mirror at the stranger she’d become. She touched her lips and her heated cheeks, trying to regain her composure after that amazing kiss.

  A pretty Kanji woman entered the bathroom and flashed her a smile after she applied a dark purple lipstick. “Congrats!”

  “Pardon me?”

  “On the new mating.”

  “Oh, thank you!”

  “You’re lucky to find him. A mate doesn’t come by every day.”

  The Kanji woman brushed her black hair from her face and pulled perfume from her bag. She spritzed a little on herself, and Allie frowned as the room began to waver.

  What in the Sam Hell?

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Allie murmured, her words oddly fuzzy. She had to get out of there. Her hand touched the door as her knees gave out. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out except a pathetic whimper.

  The Kanji woman smiled at her and sidled closer, her hips swaying as she knelt beside Allie. “Don’t worry, Allie Sai. You’ll be fine.”

  The air quivered, and a face from Allie’s worst nightmares appeared.

  Sloven.

  His handsome face neared hers as he reached for the perfume in his bag. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you nice and safe. Sweet dreams.”

  She struggled to keep her eyelids open, but it was a losing battle. The last thing she felt was Sloven’s arms slipping around her as the world went dark.

  She was darn unlucky.

  Part III

  Indigo Alloy

  20

  Missing Mate

  Blade

  He ran a hand down his face and tried not to inhale too deeply. Allie’s scent was all over him and it was driving him crazy.

  Her sleepy form, from that morning, stumbling into his kitchen wearing only his shirt floated to the forefront of his mind. Blessed stars, he’d almost leapt over the counter that morning and tackled her. He’d never seen anything so alluring and sexy.

  A purr rumbled in his chest, and Blade coughed to curb the possessive sound. If Allie heard him purring like that, she’d probably try to beat it out of him with all of the ferociousness of a fuzzy kitten.

  A smile tipped the ruined sides of his lips as he scanned the area outside of the restroom, while music, laughter, and conversations reached his ears. He ignored the interested looks cast his way. He wasn’t handsome in the conventional way, like Lev, but there was something about his scars that attracted females if they were brave enough to approach him. His lips curled as he caught the eye of a Kanji woman who batted her eyelashes at him.

  He hated a simpering woman, not only that, but he knew she’d arrived before Bastian had made the mating announcement. It was shameless and it disgusted him.

  Blade’s ears perked up as Allie hummed a little tune in the bathroom. He cocked his head and stared at the blood red door, his hands itching to hold her again. Tonight, the
y were supposed to be playing a part, but he wasn’t playing. His Human was flighty as a damn bird when it came to his advances. When they’d first met, it had been frustrating, confusing, and irritating as hell to have her shun their bond and practically run away. He’d made a few mistakes, but in the end, he’d always been a strategist.

  Allie hadn’t reacted to his Av courting, so he’d tried a different tactic. He’d studied Human culture and mating rituals extensively, and, much to his surprise, it worked. His mate hadn’t even noticed how much she’d let him into her life or how she sought his company without thought.

  A lightness filled his chest at the thought. Her mind might not be completely made up about him yet, but her body and heart already knew who they belonged to. It was a test of his patience and endurance, but he’d wait for her as long as it took.

  He inhaled again and huffed out a breath as her sweet scent intoxicated him. Stars, it was going to be the death of him. He would need another suppressant soon so he didn’t end up accosting her and kidnapping her like his barbaric ancestors.

  Although… stealing her away and keeping her to himself sounded as close to bliss as he could imagine.

  A throaty laugh pulled his attention toward the bar. It was bizarre to watch the Av agent Karma interact with everyone while wearing his mate’s face.

  Speaking of which… Allie was taking a bit long—

  Blade’s body tumbled forward as an explosion rocked the Scarlet Kiss. Pain ricocheted through his ribs as his momentum carried him into a metal table. Sirens, screams, and cries pierced the air around him, but he blocked all of it out.

  He scanned the room, his gaze touching on Karma, Lev, Coal, and Bastian who all seemed fine. Smoke burned his nose, and his eyes watered as he turned back to the bathroom. A deep-seated terror soured his belly as smoke crept from beneath the powder room door like phantoms.

  “Allie!” he yelled. Had the blast originated from there?

  Blade stumbled to his feet, his ears ringing, and ran toward the powder room entrance. His shoulder slammed into the ornate door, but it didn’t move. He crashed his weight against the obstacle preventing him from reaching his mate, but the heated metal didn’t budge.

  “Lev! Coal! I need you,” he howled, terrified for Allie.

  His brothers pushed onto either side of him.

  “On the count of three,” Lev said, as calm as ever. “One, two, three!”

  Muscles straining, Blade and his brothers used everything they had to get inside. The door groaned, and something crashed heavily in the powder room before it gave way and swung inward. Blade tore inside, his eyes tearing up from the thick smoke and fire that licked along the gaudy walls.

  “Allie!” he bellowed, moving farther into the room with Lev and Coal.

  No Allie.

  Coal leapt over some burning debris and froze on the other side. “Blade…” he said cautiously.

  Blade lunged forward, his heart galloping in his chest at the thought of what his brother had found. He wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve, and a stillness settled over him as he laid eyes on what his brother had discovered.

  A three-foot hole gaped in the wall across from them. The fractured tile around it looked like faded, broken teeth. He didn’t need to guess who had taken his mate.

  He lunged forward and growled as both of his brothers grabbed his arms, holding him back. “Let me go!” he snarled.

  There wasn’t time. If Sloven had Allie, it wouldn’t be long before she ended up dead, or wishing she was. He tried to jerk free, but Lev and Coal manhandled him back just as the ceiling collapsed, sealing the way to his mate.

  His body trembled as he snapped his teeth at Lev. His brother’s turquoise eyes narrowed on him.

  “Get yourself together. You’re not thinking straight. You’d be dead if we hadn’t pulled you back,” Lev shouted over the madness around them. “You can’t help her if you’re dead.”

  Blade jerked his chin once in understanding. Panic meant death. He needed to be calm to find Allie.

  Lev released him and shoved him toward the exit. “Time to go.” He turned to Coal. “Anyone else in here?”

  “Not that I saw, but I can’t smell a damn thing in here.” Coal coughed. “There’s too much smoke.”

  Numbness settled over Blade, and he dispassionately scanned their surroundings before leaving the burning powder room.

  His lungs burned. His eyes watered. And he doubted he would be able to smell anything for a long time.

  But none of that mattered.

  It was time to hunt.

  They’d tried to imprison the monster who’d sired them, but it wasn’t enough.

  The only way to keep everyone safe was if Sloven was dead.

  21

  Kinky Cuffs

  Allie slowly opened her eyes, the skin behind her temples pounding. A moan slipped past her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the harsh light.

  Lord almighty, her head hurt.

  She lifted her hand to rub her forehead and froze when cool metal slid across her wrist. She cracked her eye open against the blinding light and squinted at her wrist. A deep blue cuff circled her delicate bones.

  What in the Sam hell?

  Allie bolted upright and held her hands out in front of her, examining the handcuffs, the loose chains slithering against the bedding underneath her. Her heart picked up its pace, and she fought to keep from hyperventilating as images flashed through her mind of the night before.

  A Kanji woman spritzing herself with perfume.

  Dizziness.

  Collapsing.

  Sloven’s face leaning over her as he smiled and caressed her cheek.

  “Oh no,” she breathed.

  Her hands shook as she stared at the cuffs. He’d kidnapped her. She had to get out. Right now.

  Spinning on her knees, she wrapped her hands around both chains that were attached to the wall and frantically yanked. Her sweaty fingers slipped, causing the metal to bite into her flesh. Allie hissed and adjusted her grip to pull harder. A bitty growl escaped her when they didn’t move.

  She placed her feet against the smooth wall and braced herself, putting all her weight into the chains. “Come on!” she panted as she gave it her all.

  They didn’t move.

  Or creak.

  Nothing.

  Her back hit the mattress as her strength lagged, her arms flopping uselessly by her sides. Her brows creased as her situation really settled in.

  A bed.

  She was lying on an enormous bed.

  Panic surged through her, and she jackknifed upward. Allie ran her trembling hands over her body, searching for anything that might be amiss. Her distorter and shoes were missing, but, other than that, her clothes were in perfect condition, albeit wrinkly.

  Her gaze wandered to the fluffy white pillows beneath her bare feet. No one may have touched her yet, but the bed wasn’t a good sign. There were only so many things one could want with a female on a bed.

  Allie scrambled to her feet, her heels sinking into the comfortable mattress as she once again wrapped her hands around the chain and pulled. Her jaw clenched as she tugged with all her might.

  “Gaaaaah!” she yelled, releasing both chains. They weren’t coming off that way.

  She wrapped her left hand around the cuff on her right wrist and tried to tug her hand through it. She gritted her teeth as the metal dug into muscle and skin, and she yanked harder. Pain bloomed around the area as the cuff removed the outermost layer of skin, but otherwise didn’t budge.

  Her gaze narrowed on her knuckles as she huffed out a breath. There was no way she could get off the darned contraption if she broke her hand, and that wouldn’t help her because her other hand would still be trapped.

  Tears began to gather in her eyes as she dropped to the bed. Allie pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and pressed her face against her knees. If she didn’t calm down, she’d go into full-blown panic attack mode,
so she began to count in her mind and tried to sync her breathing with her slow counting.

  Inhale.

  One, two, three.

  Exhale.

  One, two, three, four, five.

  Her racing heart slowed, and she blinked back her tears.

  “You’re just fine, Allie Sai,” she whispered to herself. “Calm down.”

  She took another minute to pull herself together before she uncurled and really examined her surroundings. The room was rectangular in shape, with two white metal doors facing the bed and no windows. What she assumed to be a closet was to the right of the doors. Two white, modern-looking side tables sat on either side of the gray bed like boxy sentinels, topped with plain, silver lamps.

  Allie crawled to the edge of the bed and curled her fingers around a lamp. She frowned when it didn’t budge. Her eyes narrowed on the piece of furniture. The darn lamp was welded to the top of the side table.

  She peered down the legs of the table, and her upper lip curled. The whole thing was bolted to the blasted floor.

  Sloven didn’t trust her much.

  Allie snorted and scooched back to the middle of the bed, gazing at the empty walls. There wasn’t anything inherently sinister about the room, but it made her uncomfortable all the same. She snapped her fingers.

  “It’s the colors,” she muttered to herself.

  The whole room was bland, and it screamed laboratory. A thread of panic wormed its way into her chest, but she shoved it down, latching onto the anger of being at the king’s mercy again. The rotten alien always seemed to be one step ahead of the team and herself.

  Allie glanced back at her wrists and stared at the cuffs, wishing she could shoot lasers out of her eyes and incinerate them. A chuckle escaped her, and hysteria built until she was laughing so hard, tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, and she clutched her stomach.