labored up the steep steps and knocked.
A ragged old woman answered, immediately wrinkling her nose as she surveyed Skylar. She nervously looked over Skylar’s shoulder, shook her head, and began to close the door. She was stopped by Skylar’s hand.
“Help. American. Please,” the young woman pleaded. “No one is after me. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
The old woman sneered and angrily shouted something in her face before slamming the door closed. Skylar stared at it, realizing that she was truly and absolutely alone. The contrast of human behavior floored her, and her appreciation for what the boys had done magnified. Where was basic human kindness, care, and concern? The extent of selfishness that ran through her species shamed her, especially in comparison to her alien guardians. Shivering from the cold, she curled into a ball at the base of the stairs and wrapped her arms tightly around her body as she tucked her frozen feet underneath her. She found herself wishing that the connection the boys claimed to have with her was strong enough for them to actually locate her, but Tralec had explained that situation only applied to a pod-mate. She turned the shifter in her hand, trying to study it in the moonlight. A tiny glow touched the screen as the sensor picked up the power source, and she felt hope stream through her. If she could charge it enough to get home…
She looked up as a group of rough men and woman staggered past her, their raucous laughter suggesting that they were returning from a night of drinking. One of them pointed to her and laughed, making several crude gestures with his hand. They surrounded her, tugging at her hair and grabbing their crotches, eliciting encouraging shouts from the girls.
“Let go of me!” Skylar yelled, pulling away as one of the men grabbed her elbow.
He laughed in her face and reached to squeeze her breast. Spitting angrily, Skylar raked her nails across the side of his face and pulled away. The man lifted his hand to his cheek, wiped across it, and held it up to view the blood Skylar had left. He looked at his friends, then turned and landed his fist to Skylar’s jaw.
“I have nothing left to lose, you motherfucker. Kill me,” she hissed.
“You have everything to lose, Skylar. Starting with us,” a deep familiar voice sounded, followed by the sound of bodies falling to the ground. More shouts and the sound of gunfire surrounded her as she fought to remain conscious.
“Let’s get you home,” Tralec’s voice whispered in her ear as she was lifted into his protective embrace. “You are in so much trouble, my little love.”
“I don’t care. You came for me. You both came for me,” she whispered, sinking into an unconscious heap.
* * *
Skylar squinted against the bright light being flashed in her eyes as Tralec evaluated her after bringing her back to the cruiser. Her hip ached where he had obviously jabbed her with his damn needle, making her thankful she had been unconscious.
“I’m okay, Daddy. Just a little tender where that jerk hit me. Thank you for coming for me,” she whispered, reaching for his cheek. He pulled away, his face stoic.
“How is she?” Troy asked, sitting next to them.
“She will survive. Again, because of our interference. I have mended her broken ribs and cheekbone, and she will recover from the organ damage in a few hours.” Tralec’s voice was cold and distant. Skylar studied his face and then lowered her eyes. There was no emotion to him, and his annoying self-control inhibited even the slight bit of blue flushing that would show her that he was feeling anything. Skylar inherently knew that she had crushed him and that he believed she had betrayed his trust and broken her promise. She had tried to explain, but he refused to listen to her explanation or give into her excuses. Tralec’s cold indifference was frightening.
Troy, on the other hand, was pure fury. He glowed feverishly and his voice held a
A ragged old woman answered, immediately wrinkling her nose as she surveyed Skylar. She nervously looked over Skylar’s shoulder, shook her head, and began to close the door. She was stopped by Skylar’s hand.
“Help. American. Please,” the young woman pleaded. “No one is after me. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
The old woman sneered and angrily shouted something in her face before slamming the door closed. Skylar stared at it, realizing that she was truly and absolutely alone. The contrast of human behavior floored her, and her appreciation for what the boys had done magnified. Where was basic human kindness, care, and concern? The extent of selfishness that ran through her species shamed her, especially in comparison to her alien guardians. Shivering from the cold, she curled into a ball at the base of the stairs and wrapped her arms tightly around her body as she tucked her frozen feet underneath her. She found herself wishing that the connection the boys claimed to have with her was strong enough for them to actually locate her, but Tralec had explained that situation only applied to a pod-mate. She turned the shifter in her hand, trying to study it in the moonlight. A tiny glow touched the screen as the sensor picked up the power source, and she felt hope stream through her. If she could charge it enough to get home…
She looked up as a group of rough men and woman staggered past her, their raucous laughter suggesting that they were returning from a night of drinking. One of them pointed to her and laughed, making several crude gestures with his hand. They surrounded her, tugging at her hair and grabbing their crotches, eliciting encouraging shouts from the girls.
“Let go of me!” Skylar yelled, pulling away as one of the men grabbed her elbow.
He laughed in her face and reached to squeeze her breast. Spitting angrily, Skylar raked her nails across the side of his face and pulled away. The man lifted his hand to his cheek, wiped across it, and held it up to view the blood Skylar had left. He looked at his friends, then turned and landed his fist to Skylar’s jaw.
“I have nothing left to lose, you motherfucker. Kill me,” she hissed.
“You have everything to lose, Skylar. Starting with us,” a deep familiar voice sounded, followed by the sound of bodies falling to the ground. More shouts and the sound of gunfire surrounded her as she fought to remain conscious.
“Let’s get you home,” Tralec’s voice whispered in her ear as she was lifted into his protective embrace. “You are in so much trouble, my little love.”
“I don’t care. You came for me. You both came for me,” she whispered, sinking into an unconscious heap.
* * *
Skylar squinted against the bright light being flashed in her eyes as Tralec evaluated her after bringing her back to the cruiser. Her hip ached where he had obviously jabbed her with his damn needle, making her thankful she had been unconscious.
“I’m okay, Daddy. Just a little tender where that jerk hit me. Thank you for coming for me,” she whispered, reaching for his cheek. He pulled away, his face stoic.
“How is she?” Troy asked, sitting next to them.
“She will survive. Again, because of our interference. I have mended her broken ribs and cheekbone, and she will recover from the organ damage in a few hours.” Tralec’s voice was cold and distant. Skylar studied his face and then lowered her eyes. There was no emotion to him, and his annoying self-control inhibited even the slight bit of blue flushing that would show her that he was feeling anything. Skylar inherently knew that she had crushed him and that he believed she had betrayed his trust and broken her promise. She had tried to explain, but he refused to listen to her explanation or give into her excuses. Tralec’s cold indifference was frightening.
Troy, on the other hand, was pure fury. He glowed feverishly and his voice held a
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