waist.
“You must be exhausted, sweetheart, after your long day.” She spoke loudly enough for the people at the tables nearby to hear. “Why you never ask for a ride is beyond me. Let’s get you to bed before you fall into one of my customer’s soup.”
Laughter followed them to the counter, probably what the woman intended. The perfect distraction; they would remember what she said, and not Anji. Once the woman guided her into the back room she turned Anji and scrutinized her.
“I’m Jane. You have mated with your T’An.” She touched the tattoo on Anji’s wrist, her protective bandage long gone. “Now you’ll want to save him.”
“Yes,” Anji croaked.
“Nathan! Get out here—and bring Mel with you.”
A tall, good looking man walked out, holding tight to Melissa’s hand, a male version of her. They were twins.
“Is this her?” His deep voice was gentle, his brown eyes kind as they studied Anji. He let go of Melissa long enough to hold out one hand. “Welcome to the resistance, Anji.”
Three
“I can’t stay.” Anji paced the living room of their quarters, adrenaline masking her exhaustion. She knew the second she slowed down, she would crash. So she kept moving. “Kiele’s down there, alone. He’s—dying.”
Jane moved to her, a surprisingly comforting presence. “I understand your fear, sweetheart. But we can’t go down there, for obvious reasons. And I won’t let Melissa near that murder factory again. All we can do is get you safely back to your ship. They will do all they can to get one of their own back.”
Anji scrubbed at her face, and hated that Jane was right. “I’d appreciate that. Can we leave now? Kiele doesn’t have much time before he needs to immerse.”
Nathan stalked across the room, halting in front of her. “After what they did to Melissa, what they’re doing to our friends, I don’t want anything to do with your alien.”
“Nathan.” Melissa darted forward and stepped between them, pushing him back. “That alien tried to help me. Twice. I owe him a life.”
“You already saved—”
“One more word, and I walk out for good.” His nostrils flared, but he kept quiet. Melissa turned to Anji and took her hands. “Please accept my apology for my loud mouth of a brother. I’ll take you back to your ship—”
“Mel—”
She snapped her hand up and Nathan stopped. “Like I said, I’ll take you back, and stay there, for now, if you think they will be okay with that.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“Melissa, you can’t.” Nathan moved to her, and this time she let him pull her into his arms.
“It’ll be safer for all of us, and you know it. The last place those asshats will look for me is on a T’An ship.” She framed his face. “I want you and Jane to lay low for a while. Close the café, find a place to hole up. This is going to get ugly, especially when the T’An’s crew finds out where he is. He’s Commander Suun.”
“What?” Nathan let go of her and stared at Anji. “Why didn’t you—”
“I had no idea Kiele had a reputation. Not among humans.”
“He fights for us.” Nathan turned to Melissa. “I’m going after him.”
“No.”
“Mel—”
“She’s right,” Anji said. “It’s like a fortress down there, with an alien army. I’ll need my own alien army before I’ll go back down there. Now, if that offer still stands, Melissa, I’d like to get back to the ship. Kiele’s running out of time.”
“Let’s go.” She hugged Nathan, whispered to him before she let him go and moved to Anji. “Are you up for this? You look terrible.”
“I’ll be fine.” She felt like she’d been dragged over miles of rough road, but as long as she could stand and walk, she wasn’t stopping until Kiele was safe.
***
Orlen waited for her just inside the main hatch, arms crossed and a death glare in his eyes.
“Where have you—”
“Kiele’s in trouble.”
He dropped whatever lecture he’d
“You must be exhausted, sweetheart, after your long day.” She spoke loudly enough for the people at the tables nearby to hear. “Why you never ask for a ride is beyond me. Let’s get you to bed before you fall into one of my customer’s soup.”
Laughter followed them to the counter, probably what the woman intended. The perfect distraction; they would remember what she said, and not Anji. Once the woman guided her into the back room she turned Anji and scrutinized her.
“I’m Jane. You have mated with your T’An.” She touched the tattoo on Anji’s wrist, her protective bandage long gone. “Now you’ll want to save him.”
“Yes,” Anji croaked.
“Nathan! Get out here—and bring Mel with you.”
A tall, good looking man walked out, holding tight to Melissa’s hand, a male version of her. They were twins.
“Is this her?” His deep voice was gentle, his brown eyes kind as they studied Anji. He let go of Melissa long enough to hold out one hand. “Welcome to the resistance, Anji.”
Three
“I can’t stay.” Anji paced the living room of their quarters, adrenaline masking her exhaustion. She knew the second she slowed down, she would crash. So she kept moving. “Kiele’s down there, alone. He’s—dying.”
Jane moved to her, a surprisingly comforting presence. “I understand your fear, sweetheart. But we can’t go down there, for obvious reasons. And I won’t let Melissa near that murder factory again. All we can do is get you safely back to your ship. They will do all they can to get one of their own back.”
Anji scrubbed at her face, and hated that Jane was right. “I’d appreciate that. Can we leave now? Kiele doesn’t have much time before he needs to immerse.”
Nathan stalked across the room, halting in front of her. “After what they did to Melissa, what they’re doing to our friends, I don’t want anything to do with your alien.”
“Nathan.” Melissa darted forward and stepped between them, pushing him back. “That alien tried to help me. Twice. I owe him a life.”
“You already saved—”
“One more word, and I walk out for good.” His nostrils flared, but he kept quiet. Melissa turned to Anji and took her hands. “Please accept my apology for my loud mouth of a brother. I’ll take you back to your ship—”
“Mel—”
She snapped her hand up and Nathan stopped. “Like I said, I’ll take you back, and stay there, for now, if you think they will be okay with that.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“Melissa, you can’t.” Nathan moved to her, and this time she let him pull her into his arms.
“It’ll be safer for all of us, and you know it. The last place those asshats will look for me is on a T’An ship.” She framed his face. “I want you and Jane to lay low for a while. Close the café, find a place to hole up. This is going to get ugly, especially when the T’An’s crew finds out where he is. He’s Commander Suun.”
“What?” Nathan let go of her and stared at Anji. “Why didn’t you—”
“I had no idea Kiele had a reputation. Not among humans.”
“He fights for us.” Nathan turned to Melissa. “I’m going after him.”
“No.”
“Mel—”
“She’s right,” Anji said. “It’s like a fortress down there, with an alien army. I’ll need my own alien army before I’ll go back down there. Now, if that offer still stands, Melissa, I’d like to get back to the ship. Kiele’s running out of time.”
“Let’s go.” She hugged Nathan, whispered to him before she let him go and moved to Anji. “Are you up for this? You look terrible.”
“I’ll be fine.” She felt like she’d been dragged over miles of rough road, but as long as she could stand and walk, she wasn’t stopping until Kiele was safe.
***
Orlen waited for her just inside the main hatch, arms crossed and a death glare in his eyes.
“Where have you—”
“Kiele’s in trouble.”
He dropped whatever lecture he’d
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