“Put me down!” Alex blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings and clear the remnants of being unconscious. It wasn’t an easy task, while being held upside down and bent over someone’s bony shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The back of her head throbbed, but it wasn’t as bad as the rage flowing through her body.
Her mother’s guards carried her around like this whenever she refused to listen to Lorraine’s instructions. She’d hated it then, and she hated it now. It’s why she was so pissed when Damon had done the same to her while crossing into this nightmarish place.
She kicked out and connected with something soft.
“Ow!” The grip on her loosened.
She took the opportunity to dislodge her midsection and stumble to the ground, taking the person doing the carrying with her. After she managed to untangle herself, she looked down into Levi’s familiar face. He seemed too busy cupping between his legs to care that he was now lying on his back, on the harsh ground.
“You can walk the rest of the way on your own. Don’t get any other ideas. If you make any sudden movements or try something stupid, I’ll blow Damon’s brains out.” Elroy had the barrel of her blaster pointed against the back of Damon’s head, between his dreadlocks. He was limping and favoring his left side, but he didn’t even pause.
Alex scrambled to her feet and held out a hand to Levi, offering to help him stand. He hesitated for a moment but eventually put his clammy hand in hers. When they were both standing, she let go, turned away, and walked on. She couldn’t be angry with him or even his other half, Milo. Not when she’d heard the threat Elroy had made. Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder why the head of security hadn’t put thismuch thought into keeping his people safe in the gardens.
She looked around. They were inside a building she didn’t recognize, but it looked like all the others-stone, uncolored walls, shiny white tiles, and sparse wooden furniture. Everything in Eden seemed so minimal. Was efficiency more important than comfort to these people?
“Why are you doing this?” She stood just behind Elroy and doubted he’d answer, but she couldn’t stand the silence and hated how focused he was on Damon. Luckily, Milo was helping him move forward.
I should be the one helping him along.She made a move toward Damon, but Elroy grabbed a hold of her wrist, yanking her back.
“Stay behind me,” he said. “That’s where your new place will be.”
“You bastard,” she whispered. “What the hell are you getting out of this?” Well, aside from framing her with murder, of course.
Elroy didn’t bother to look at her when he said, “You’ll soon see for yourself.”
She didn’t bother saying anything else after that. Instead, she kept her gaze pointed ahead, trying not to stare at Damon’s bare back. The tense set of his shoulders confirmed that even though he wasn’t reacting or fighting back, he was wound up pretty tight. Knowing he was a healer gave her a little hope. Surely he’d be able to heal quickly after being shot. The only problem she could think of was the blaster’s laser also having a numbing effect on his body. It eventually wore off but usually took hours. Would he be able to flush the effects from his system sooner than that? Judging by his sluggish movements, she doubted it.
She could feel his desperation flow within the pit of her stomach. Though the flowing echo of their mutual orgasm had now receded, the lingering, sensual buzz between them still bit into her.
“Open it, Milo.”
“I don’t have access to her room-”
“It’s unlocked,” Elroy snapped.
Alex blinked, only now realizing she’d been walking on autopilot and hadn’t noticed they’d reached a closed door.
Milo did as instructed and helped Damon limp into the bedroom.
Alex followed close behind, glancing at their new surroundings. This room resembled the one she’d been staying in. Even the window was located on the same wall.
Elroy led the small group toward another door. One she assumed was the bathroom, but instead turned out to be a small closet. When Milo opened it, Elroy pushed him out of the way. Never taking the weapon off Damon’s head, he curved his hand around the side of the doorway, and a creaking noise started up.
She leaned closer and watched the floor inside the closet slowly open up into a dark hole.
Milo pushed aside a row of white gowns-each was a different design, but all looked just as stylish.
Alex’s stomach fell when she realized whose bedroom they must be in and what this meant. She suddenly wanted to catch a glimpse of Damon’s face but could only see his back. Had the woman leading these people betrayed them all along?
“Come on. Let’s go,” Elroy said. “Grab the whore and head down first.”
Milo reluctantly released Damon’s arm and grabbed hers instead. He didn’t say a word but looked at her with big, sad eyes. She didn’t resist when he took her hand and descended into the hole. She did quickly glance over her shoulder in time to see Levi take over the position Milo had been forced to abandon.
She also noticed Elroy kept the blaster steady, even as they moved farther down the slick stairs.
Focusing on the stairs ahead was hard, because she couldn’t see a darn thing and being barefoot didn’t help. She couldn’t get a proper grip, but Milo kept a tight hold on her arm, ensuring she didn’t slip or fall into the darkness ahead.
With every new step, the temperature dropped. By the time they reached the bottom, she felt goosebumps sprouting all over her body.
A second before the others reached them, Milo whispered, “I’m sorry.”
She didn’t get a chance to respond, to tell him that she understood all of them were in the same position. First chance she got, she was going to smack Elroy. She might have gotten a knock on the head for head-butting him, but the satisfaction of knowing she’d made him bleed was enough for now.
“Step aside for a moment,” Elroy said, before the electronic sound of keys being pressed echoed around them. A second later, yet another door slid open in front of them. “Get inside. All of you.”
Alex swallowed. She still couldn’t see where they were going, but she had no doubt it would serve as their tomb. None of us are going to make it out of this pit.If they were about to find out what was going on, they would all die with the secret.
“About time you got here,” called a familiar and very sweet-sounding female voice.
Once they’d all stepped inside, the door slid shut behind them with a very final clicking sound.
“Welcome to my secret lair,” Aleena announced. As if to echo her words, a multitude of lights and monitors snapped on, one at a time. “I’m glad you finally made it. Just in time, too.”
“Priestess Aleena?” Damon said, uncertainly.
Alex’s eyes stung at the sudden glow of lights on the adjacent wall. She rubbed the tears away, trying to get as oriented as she could with the cave they were in.
“Yes, it’s me.” Aleena took a step, getting closer to the group. “Elroy, put the weapon down. He can’t do anything, anymore.”
“Just let me shoot him and be done with it.”
“No!” Alex took a step, but Milo held her back.
Aleena turned to look at Alex, and a small smile teased her lips. “Don’t be silly, Elroy. You know I need him for one last thing.”
Elroy sighed and lowered the blaster to his side. “Afterward-”
“We’ll see when the time comes. I still need him to provide me with an offspring, so it’ll be a while before he becomes completely useless.” Her smiled turned wicked.
Elroy’s face soured.
Alex felt a stab in the pit of her stomach. The thought of Damon impregnating this woman made her uncomfortable. Though, she couldn’t help but wonder if this meant Damon was also one of Aleena’s lovers. If she ruled supreme, she could do and demand whatever she wanted from whomever, couldn’t she?
“What makes you think I’d agree now, when I’ve denied you every other time?” Damon spat.
Aleena shrugged. “This time you won’t have a choice.”
“What the hell do you want with us?” Alex said, taking a step forward, even when Milo tried to hold her steady.
“Ah, the space traveler always has so many questions.” Aleena stopped in front of her, lifting a hand to Alex’s hair and stroking the ends of her curls. “You’re quite lovely and feisty. I like that. If you’d like to join Damon in the bedroom with me, you’re more than welcome to.”
“I don’t swing that way.”
She lifted a narrow shoulder in a half-shrug. “Once again, you wouldn’t have a choice. I rule supreme. If I want the two of you in bed, then it willhappen.”
Alex didn’t bite. Whatever sick game of dominance this woman was playing, she wasn’t going to win this time. “Yeah, about that,” she began, never taking her eyes off the so-called Priestess. “Who exactly do you worship? Who is the deity you serve and honor?”
Aleena’s blue eyes hardened as much as her features. She still looked beautiful, but in a very cunning and cold way. “I don’t serve anyone, Alex. The people of Eden serve me.” She pulled on Alex’s hair.
“Then, you’re not a Priestess.”
She leaned forward, almost pressing her body against Alex, and whispered in her ear. “You might be right, because I make up the rules as I go along. So, what doesthat make me?”
“A bitch?” If she doesn’t stop tugging on my hair, not even the threat of a blaster is going to stop me from beating the shit out of her.
Aleena laughed in her face, before releasing her hair. “I was thinking more along the lines of Goddess.”
“How do you keep this planet off the radar?” Alex shifted her gaze to stare at the wall filled with screens, refusing to indulge this delusional woman’s quest for grandeur. A long panel, with keyboards, smaller screens, and other gadgets she hadn’t seen before, lined the surface. This had to be Aleena’s control center, where she watched and plotted without the people above suspecting a thing.
There was something featured on every screen. Although Alex couldn’t see all the images clearly, she recognized the paths and the surrounding gardens, as well as the room they’d entered to get access to this hidden lair.
Aleena stepped back, but she was still close enough to grab Alex’s curls if she wanted to. “Oh, you’re a smart one, aren’t you?”
“Why do you lie to your own people and tell them there’s no way to get off this planet when there obviously is? I bet you’re hiding ships as well, and maybe even a spaceport of some sort.” It didn’t have to be big, and certainly didn’t have to house more than one ship, but Alex suspected it was probably located somewhere within this large cavern.
“My people don’t need to know anything I don’t want them to. It’s my duty to guide them.”
“How could you do this to us when we all believed in you, trusted and served you? How could you take advantage of us like this?”
Aleena’s blue eyes darkened. “Oh, Damon. I didn’t take advantage of you. I’ve been keeping you safe. Trust me. You don’t need to be out there. Only bad things happen in space.”
Alex couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to her, to make Aleena this way.
“It should be our choice, not yours,” Damon said.
“You sound like those fools.”
“What fools?” Alex asked, trying not to breathe in the sweet scent of her.
“The Elders, of course…” A faraway look filled her eyes.
“What elders?” How much was this woman hiding?
“Aleena, is this really necessary? Aren’t we running out of time?” Elroy asked, taking a step.
“Hush, Elroy. We’ve got time.” Aleena stepped close to Alex, but this time trailed her fingers down the valley of her breasts, pausing for a moment before turning to head for Damon. She ran a hand over his smooth arm. “The Elders ran the planet before you were born. Lucky for me, there’s no one around who actually remembers they ever existed. They were five people who thought they knew what was best for all of us. They’re the ones who built the walls to keep the birds out, but they were stupid enough to think it would be enough. It wasn’t, because at night, the birds still flew overhead and managed to catch the odd person walking in the gardens.”
Damon’s brow furrowed as he listened.
“We needed much more protection, and I was determined to find it in the stars. That wasn’t my responsibility, of course. They only trusted me with selling our wares and foods to other places. It was a great way to trade, I have to admit. Visiting those markets was a way for me to find the answer I wanted, and I eventually did. I found it in a couple of sorcerers I managed to lure with the promise of riches beyond their comprehension. The fools. We don’t have any riches to offer, never did.” She ran her fingertips up and down Damon’s arm, as if he were a pet. “While I was out there, I was attacked. Brutally beaten and raped. I returned to Eden, ashamed. The ordeal became a horrible burden, which would haunt me for the rest of my life.”
Alex swallowed the lump in her throat. Suddenly, the energy bars and water weighed heavily in her stomach. For some reason, she knew what Aleena was leading to, and she didn’t want to hear it.
A small groan echoed around them.
“Hush,” she whispered. “I managed to get the sorcerers to help me with what needed to be done, and then made sure that anyone who was old enough to remember the old ways was used as fuel to create the security we so desperately needed.”
“I don’t believe you,” Damon spat. “You would sacrifice our people for protection?”
“Wasn’t it worth it? I’d say it was.” Aleena sneaked a quick glance at Alex. “No one’s bothered us for decades, the birds stay out, and you’re the only one who can wander in and out. Do you ever wonder why?”
Alex hadn’t seen many people during her stay, but they all didseem pretty young. How long ago had Aleena done this crazy act?
“Now, we’re finally ready to carry out the final step in completelyseparating us from those horrid night birds and the dangerous galaxy. This way, no one will ever find us, again.” She looked at Alex. “We’ve got less than half an hour to complete the moon ritual.”
Alex had lived a lot of her life without having to take care, or give a crap, about anyone but herself. Yet, she couldn’t let this manipulative woman make such a serious decision for everyone without their consultation. It was her bitch of a mother all over again.
“Priestess,” Elroy began, “we should begin.”
Color sprouted high on Aleena’s cheekbones. Her long, pale hair tumbled over her shoulders as she crossed her dainty arms in front of her. “You keep quiet, now,” she snapped. “Elroy’s dislike of aliens almost gave everything away. He’s got good reason to hate them, of course. We were promised to each other all those years ago, and were about to make our union public, when the Elders found out what had happened to me. They labeled me tainted, even though it wasn’t my fault. I was attacked, but they wouldn’t listen and forbid our union. By then, I was a little scared of men anyway, and sought out companionship from women. They just felt safer, softer, and knew how to wipe away my tears when they fell at the most inopportune times. Elroy was patient and loyal, waiting until I was ready. For that he must be rewarded.” She held out a hand to him. “Come here.”
Elroy hesitated. “What about them? I need to keep this-”
“Just come here.”
He headed toward her with the blaster at his side. When he placed his hand in hers, she led him farther into the cave and away from the rest of them.
Alex looked up, and for the first time, she noticed the moonlight filtering in from above. She turned her attention back to Aleena and Elroy. They paused, their hands still joined.
Aleena rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for your loyal service.”
“The pleasure was always mine, Aleena.”
Alex wanted to knock the smugness off his face. Her fists balled up at her sides with rage. Her blood boiled as she glared at the rocky surface-wondering what this crazy bitch had in store for them, and hating this man who was so blindly being led by her. Aleena obviously didn’t care about Elroy, yet he was willing to do whatever she wanted him to do. She was leading him on, using his unconditional devotion against him.
“Give me the weapon,” she said, taking it out of his grip and dropping it at her feet.
Priestess Aleena smiled and let go of his hand before placing both of hers against Elroy’s chest. She caressed him lightly and pushed. He stumbled, a confused expression on his face. When she took another step and pushed once more, Elroy tumbled out of sight.
His screams echoed up from what sounded like a void.
A bolt of light shot up from a huge hole in the ground-like some sort of vertical force-field reaching for the moon.
When she turned to face them, Aleena’s demeanor had darkened.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Damon asked. Instead of approaching the Priestess, he backed up until he stood beside Alex. Taking her hand in his filled her with a sense of safety that had been absent since Elroy forced them into this situation. Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder how he’d gotten the restraints off his wrists.
It doesn’t matter.
“Oh, Damon. I hadto do it. Elroy’s love for me makes his life-force much stronger. Besides, he’s made a few too many mistakes, and I never did get over the betrayal of men.” She wiped one hand on her dress. “After I get a child out of you, I’ll never need a man, again.”
“That’s not going to happen.” He tightened his hand around Alex’s. “I’ve got no interest in you.” Damon gave Alex a sideward glance, as if the latter bit had been said to her and not Aleena.
A low growl echoed around them. It was followed up by the word, “No!”
Alex shivered, because she knew exactly who was making those sounds.
Damon’s green eyes blazed with anger. “What else are you hiding?”
Aleena smiled as she leaned over, picked up the blaster, and tucked it in between the silver cord around her waist.
Damon stiffened beside Alex. Milo and Levi took on defensive stances, but the Priestess walked past all of them. They all turned with her, following her every move to see where she was going.
Alex noticed a cage and something pacing inside.
“The animal,” Damon whispered. He made a move to push Alex behind him, but she held her ground.
“I’d like you all to meet, Ulric.” She unfastened a large padlock and threw it to the rocky ground at her feet. “Well, all except for Alex. You already know him quite well, don’t you?”
She could feel the heavy weight of Damon’s stare but refused to look at him.
A brown blur raced out of the cage, across the rocky surface, and charged Damon. He let go of her hand just as he was knocked to the ground with a savagery that made Ulric’s furry snout dribble with spit.
“Damon!” Alex called. The last thing she wanted to do was aggravate Ulric, but Damon had already been weakened.
Levi and Milo stared in amazement, stuck to the spot.
Alex stepped forward but was stopped by the eyes of the beast. Ulric looked at her over his shaggy shoulder, his dark gaze penetrating hers. Horror and repulsion filled her, reminding her of how he tasted when he’d kissed her inside the room. Of him being naked, and that she’d actually touched him only moments before he morphed into something else.
Her stomach churned, but she kept the sickness down with quick, shallow breaths.
The animal watched her until Aleena stepped between them. “Let him be, son.”
For a moment, Alex didn’t know who the Priestess was talking to.
The fangs protruding from Ulric’s top lip seemed to retreat a little. His giant paws pressed down against Damon’s chest, pinning him to the spot.
She couldn’t bring herself to say the name filling her mind.
“Ulric.” It was Aleena who said it. “Come to me. Now.”
The beast took a step back, removing his paws from Damon. He went from quadruped to bipedal within moments. His face convulsed, and his spine arched as the fur retreated and became smooth skin.
Damon struggled to sit up. His left arm still didn’t seem to work properly.
Alex made a move to help him, but Ulric blocked her path.
“No.” Ulric seemed to have struggled with the change. His skin glistened with a layer of sweat. The muscles of his back and arms shifted into place, until she recognized every naked contour. “Alex, you belong with me.”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t.” Her breath remained unstable, but it was enough to string words together. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” His body shook, and he was a mess. The air of self-assured control had been stripped from him, and he didn’t smell all that nice. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You were supposed to get your business done in Lark, and then I was going to surprise you.”
“Surprise me? My ship crash-landed. What did you do to it?”
“It wasn’t me.” Ulric took another step. “I told you that it’s an old piece of crap. It was only a matter of time before this happened.”
How dare he say that? She resisted the urge to slap him, because she couldn’t bear the thought of touching him.
So, she was right. He’d been on her ship all along. She just hadn’t sensed him. Had he been trying to secure some sort of romantic getaway for them as she headed out on her latest cargo delivery? His offer of a permanent place on the Anteris Space Station had been sweet, but she’d refused and should’ve been given the decency to continue on her way. Alone.Not have him do something as possessive as this.
“Actually,” Aleena interrupted, “it wasyou, Ulric.”
He looked at her, confused. “What are you saying?”
“The ship crashed, because you were onboard. As soon as you passed by Paradise, you were pulled into the planet.”
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Ulric stared at Alex. “I didn’t know.”
“He’s right. He didn’t know…how could he?”
Alex speared Aleena with the filthiest look she could manage. He might not have known any of this would happen, but it didn’t make up for what he diddo! He’d invaded her ship and tried to force himself into her life after she’d made it clear that she wasn’t ready for such a commitment.
“I told you I didn’t want to stay with you. Why couldn’t you just take the hint and let me go?” She sneaked a quick glance at Damon, who was now standing and rolling his shoulders, as if he was concentrating on recovering and not listening to this uncomfortable exchange.
Ulric’s eyes were darker than she remembered them, and no longer fully human. The glint of the animal he’d somehow transformed into still lay beneath the surface. His face was shadowed with a beard.
“I just want to be with you. Is that so bad, Alex?”
“Get away from her!” Damon shouted.
Ulric looked over his shoulder, then met her gaze. “It looks like you’ve already replaced me.”
“I don’t understand what you were thinking. Why would you stow away on my ship? Damn you for being so possessive. You don’t own me, okay? I’m not one of your many possessions back on Anteris.” Alex yelled. She thought she’d already established herself as something more than just another possession. Yet, this invasion of her privacy proved otherwise.
Aleena stepped in Ulric’s path when he approached her. “I think it’s time we get a few things straight. You all look so angry and confused.”
Ulric turned and glared at the blonde woman. “I’ve dreamt about you so many times. Who are you?”
“I’d like you all to meet Ulric Cale. Although, that wasn’t the name I gave him. Someone else had the honor of naming him.” She wrapped a small hand around his arm, forcing him to face her. “He’s the one who’s been slaughtering people on our planet.” Aleena sighed. “It was inevitable and certainly wasn’t his fault.”
“Wait a minute,” Alex said. “You knew he was the one slaughtering your people, and you didn’t do anything to protect them?”
She shrugged and grabbed Ulric’s other hand when he tried to slip out of her grasp. “As I mentioned before, while I was out in the stars, something happened to me.” Tears filled her eyes. “The man who attacked and raped me, not only left me for dead in a back alley behind a market, he also impregnated me.”
“What are you saying?” Damon asked.
“The pregnancy was harsh, painful, and long. I killed a few people in the gardens myself, and the Elders locked me up for the last half of it. After much research, they understood what had happened, but I refused to believe them. That is, until my son changed from a baby into a pup after his second birthday. It was our moon, you see. Paradise forced him to become a monster. Every single night, he would change. I wanted a better life for him, so I went in search of a place without a moon and someone willing to adopt him.” She wasn’t looking at anyone but Ulric. “I found them on a space station called Anteris.”
Ulric tried to let go of her hands, but she held on tighter.
“No, son. Don’t be angry with me. It’s because I loved you so much that I had to give you up.”
A growl echoed around them. “You were raped, and the experience turned you against men. I heard you say it before. How could you have loved a product of such a thing, someone who would grow up to be another man?”
Aleena sighed. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Maybe I despised you, because you reminded me of the filth that had violated my body. Maybe without you, I would’ve been able to overcome the rape and forget it ever happened…but when I carried you to term-”
“Why didn’t you kill me before I was born?” Ulric lifted her hands between them. He was holding on so tight, Aleena’s skin glowed unnaturally white.
“Oh, I tried. Trust me, I did. Though, you wouldn’t get out. There was nothing I could do to purge you.” She paused. “I even tried to kill you afterward, by leaving you out in the jungle, but you always made your way back home before the birds could get you. The strength of the moon was too potent within you.”
The snap of bones filled the silence.
Aleena winced, but Ulric didn’t release her. What had he broken?
Ulric looked around his mother, to focus on Alex. “Don’t look at me like that.”
How else was she supposed to look at him? She couldn’t believe what had happened, what he was. The fact that she didn’t want anything to do with him went beyond the secrets and realization of him being a flesh-eating animal at night. She’d let him go the moment she stepped out of his quarters. She just hadn’t realized it until now.
“Alex, tell me you’ll come home with me,” he whispered.
She shook her head. Pain and anger swirled inside his eyes, but she refused to string him along any longer. A tug of confusion and uncertainty pulled deep in her gut, and she recognized it as Damon’s reaction. Her decision had nothing to do with what had happened here on Eden-not Damon, not the beast, or even getting stuck. Alex turned to look at Damon, wishing he hadn’t gotten caught up in all this craziness. He deserved so much better.
“Don’t look at him! You’re mine,” Ulric growled.
Aleena cried out, and another series of snaps erupted.
“No one walks away from me!”
“Consider this the first time,” Alex whispered.
Ulric’s eyes were rimmed with tears as fur sprouted from his pores. He tossed Aleena to the ground and rushed for Alex, but he was stopped when Damon shouldered him out of the way.
The animal slid near the edge of the crevice Aleena had pushed Elroy into, but he was back on his feet in moments. He surveyed the area with his snout in the air. His lips curled over his fangs, exposing them, seconds before leaping toward Alex a second time.
Ulric landed on the ground with a thump when the laser bolt blasted him in mid-leap.