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  Now, this.

  The video clarity has improved slightly, the time and date play in the bottom right hand corner, confirming the time jump. Before, he’d always repeat the same introduction: scientist three-thirty reporting on date so, and so. He’d adjust his collar, getting comfortable, or take a drink, then set down his cup and leave another cringe worthy brown mark on the white papers of his notebook.

  But in this one, he isn’t doing any of those things. He’s just sitting there, staring into the camera, almost like he doesn’t know where to start. His faint whisper blares like a fog horn through the dull hum of machines in the background. “How am I supposed to do this…?”

  He rubs his eyes, then runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “Scientist—what the hell does it matter, now? Scientist three-thirty reporting…” he drops his head into his hands, and another faint whisper tickles my ears, “I don’t want to be here, Loreli…” He shakes his head, no longer whispering, “I’m going to figure this out. Get it together, Shirley.”

  The room spins. Shirley. It is him. And Loreli—my great grandmother’s name.

  The paper of his notebook crinkles as he opens it and picks up a nearby clipboard.

  So much paper. No wonder the trees all died.

  The heavy frown lines staining his face quiver as he stares at the stack of folders in front of him. He’s still as handsome as in the earlier videos, despite looking twice as old as he did before. Almond-shaped gray eyes, light brown hair cut close on the sides, and long on top. But, there’s a weight on his shoulders, a dullness to his words that wasn’t there before.

  I wonder what happened over the missing years to age him so significantly?

  “Okay, let’s just get on with it then. On the list today…Patient Fifteen appears to have finally started eating. She has—”

  A knock at the door startles me, and I pause the feed. “Come in.”

  Amina pads toward me with light footsteps, the scent of mint and something wonderful wafting off the cup in her hand.

  “The Acia told me I could find you in here. He is concerned.” I roll my eyes and scoot back on my pillow. That male is always fussing over me. And as much as I’d like to deny I love it, I can’t.

  Amina hands me a cup of tea and settles beside me. Her eyes linger on the image a moment before she politely looks away. The narrow bridge of her nose and the delicate curve of her lips are the epitome of grace. No matter how many times I tell her, she refuses to abandon her more formal habits of addressing me, and it always makes me smile. “It’s okay. I don’t mind if you watch it. Might actually be nice to have some company.”

  “I do not mean to stare, Ajayla.”

  The steam rising off the tea warms my nose, and I risk a sip, unable to resist. I swear I have the patience of a five-year-old. Amina is so wrapped up in whatever she sees, she doesn’t even notice when I sputter and spit the hot tea back in my cup.

  “You all right, Amina?” I ask, trying to place the emotion flashing in her eyes.

  “Is…is that what I think it is?” Amina points to a black image reflected off the side of one of my great-grandfather’s shiny instruments. I squint. Whatever it is, it’s completely unrecognizable. I don’t know how she even noticed it.

  “Huh?” Zooming in on the screen does nothing, so I push play and resume the video. My great-grandfather stands, and the camera shakes as he disconnects it from whatever is holding it in place. The view pans wide, and Amina gasps.

  “What? I still don’t see anything.”

  “There, Ajayla,” she says, pointing to a blurry black outline pressed up against a clear wall inside some sort of room. A cell, maybe?

  As I lean up, trying to get a better look, the black blur moves, and I tense.

  “What is that?”

  Amina’s throat bobs. “That is a female Inokine.”

  My gut pitches—the tea in my hand spilling as I throw myself out of bed. The hallway passes in a blur as I force my feet toward Ren, still clinging to hope that maybe she’s wrong.

  My great-grandfather had a female Inokine caged in his lab. No. That can’t be. There has to be some other explanation. A dark thought captures my attention and forces me to focus on the ten pairs of Illusian eyes following me as I barrel toward Ren.

  What if UCom is the reason the Inokine females stopped breeding?

  My great-grandfather…his experiments…

  A jab of pain from my toe catching on the door and Ren’s arms sliding around me are all I feel as I stumble into the nav bay. He looks to me, not needing words to see that I’m not in any shape to answer questions. Gentler than normal, he searches my mind, tightening his hold as the memories replay.

  Amina brushes my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. The rest of the Illusians have gathered around us, no doubt drawn by my overly dramatic entrance.

  “What is the meaning of this? Why do you look so distraught, Ajayla?” Naya asks, pushing her way past Xandria.

  I tip my head up to Ren, still unable to speak. “Amina and your Aciana just found evidence that the Universal Community, and her kin, were in possession of a female Inokine.”

  Nexx sits his bowl on the table and swipes at his mouth. “The Inokine? On Earth?”

  “For what purpose? And how? A female Inokine has not been spotted since…” Sol’s brow furrows as he counts the Earth years off on his fingers.

  Ren is quick to respond. “We do not know. She only just discovered it—”

  A loud crack shakes the entire ship, and I’m thrown toward the wall behind me. Ren cushions the impact by wrapping his hard body around mine, but the force is jarring. Pain ratchets down my spine, and I gasp for air, sucking in deep breaths. The room dims, and the red warning lights blare as the ship scans its interior and exterior for damage.

  “Fuck, Rivan!” Ren growls, releasing me just as another loud bang sends me tumbling back toward the ground. Static screams through the speakers in the nav bay.

  “What the hell was that?” Tao asks, lifting his mate Uni off the floor. He paws at her, frantically feeling around.

  “Naya, the Asha, the children…” Ren says, pulling me to my feet. I hobble over to help the other females in the kitchen that have been thrown around and Naya heads for the stairs.

  Sol runs out from the navigation bay. “A stray meteor Acia. Rivan could not avoid it without upending the ship. You must come quickly. The impact righted the comms array, and transmissions keep pouring in…” Ren cocks a brow. “Our people.” Sol’s hand trembles slightly as he swipes it across his brow. “There have been multiple attacks.”

  Scurrying to catch up with Ren, I smack into him as he suddenly comes to a stop. Loud static. Intermittent broken words. It’s nearly impossible to understand.

  Uncertainty hangs heavy in the air as the static clears.

  “—here. We have abandoned our position on Ved and have managed to clear the atmosphere, but are unable to shake the two Inokine vessels waiting for our retreat…”

  Xandria covers her mouth, and her worried gaze settles on mine.

  Linara storms through the door with Naya in her wake. “What is the meaning of this? I was thrown from my bed.” Her high-pitched tone lowers as she takes in all the long faces. “Ren?”

  “Tell him to jump if his ship is capable. If not, evade capture at all costs. Instruct any others to do the same,” Ren commands, then slams his eyes closed, connecting with the male making the distress call.

  Linara pushes through the crowded room and clasps a hand on Ren’s arm. “What is going on?”

  Ten more transmissions pour in. One after another, Sol responds and provides them the same instructions. Ren remains silent for what feels like forever before opening his eyes and rising from his chair. “It is done. I have called for a gathering.”

  A what?

  Chapter Three

  Jayla

  Only Ren, Linara, and I remain in the navigation bay. He dismissed all the other Illusians, allowing them to return to thei
r rooms. Though after what we all just heard, no one really knows what the hell to do. Eleven groups, all attacked at the same time.

  After listening to the transmissions, it’s clear. The assaults were planned, initiated, and executed almost perfectly. Way more organized and advanced than anything the Inokine have ever done before. It’s more than apparent their shit stain human counterparts are pulling the strings and feeding them the intel. My heart sinks. How much more do these people have to suffer before something finally goes right?

  The taste of iron fills my mouth, and I wince. Crap, my lip’s bleeding. I’ve damn near chewed a hole in it to keep myself from peppering Ren with questions. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. He always does. But seriously, I have to know. Why now? What does this mean? And what the hell is a gathering?

  “It is what the name implies, my Aciana. We are meeting together, all factions at a predetermined destination. We must regroup, reassess our current strategy for dealing with the Inokine.”

  My mouth goes dry. This is huge. My thoughts immediately turn to the welfare of the males that made the calls.

  “So, are we going there now, or…”

  He gives me a tired smile. “Sol is reassessing Bastian’s atmosphere and all available satellite images. We have to ensure it is still uninhabited, but everyone has been instructed to head that direction. It will take days, a week even, for some. Our people are scattered.”

  “Did they all get to safety?”

  A fondness fills his gaze. “No reported casualties or missing as of yet. Sol is prepared to take an additional tally in the next few Earth hours. I have left my connection wide, watching for additional threats.”

  “But that requires so much of your energy…”

  “I will be fine. There is no cause for concern.”

  Noticing the harshness of the lines of her normally smooth face, I twist in my seat toward Linara. Ren follows my gaze.

  “What is on your mind, Asha?” he asks, coming to stand beside me while I stare at the projected star map.

  She stands and clasps her hands behind her back. “I do not think a gathering is necessary, Aren. You risk too much.”

  I slap a hand over my mouth to keep it from falling open. She just openly challenged his decision.

  “It is not your choice, Asha. Now that the humans’ involvement has been brought to light, the Inokine are mobilizing. They have been monitoring our people closer than we suspected. Eleven separate groups were made to flee, leaving most of their belongings. Splintering our population is no longer effective. We must adapt. The other males are owed their chance to voice their input.”

  “It has not been done in over a hundred birth cycles, Aren. Your father—”

  “I am not my father, Asha. I will discuss it no further.”

  Linara’s eyes narrow and cut to mine, almost as if she expects me to jump in and side with her.

  Nope. Sorry, girl. Not happening.

  I stay quiet and reach for Ren, even though I get the feeling no one ever tells her no.

  Unpleased by my response, she returns her focus to Ren. “You mate a human in my absence and forget the benefit of my council?”

  Ren sighs and rubs his hands over his head. “I have not forgotten you. Nor the importance of your wisdom. Our circumstances have changed.”

  She shakes her head. “You think this is the first time we have faced similar attacks?”

  “No, but it will be the last. I have grown tired of running, adjusting our way of life while the filthy fucking Inokine lie warm in their beds…”

  Linara once again turns to me. “This is your doing—”

  Ren snarls, and Linara’s eyes widen with surprise. “Do not speak to my mate in that way. She is to be respected. I would never allow you to be addressed in such a manner. You will give her the same courtesy.”

  “What the hell did I do?” I ask, so caught off guard I fumble my words. Where’s all this attitude coming from? I mean, sure, she seemed a little pissy when we first met, but I never expected this.

  She scoffs, then crosses her arms and completely ignores my question. “Courtesy? Oh, you mean like following proper mating protocol, and asking the reigning Aciana for approval in your choice of mate?”

  Oh. So, that’s what this is about. She’s still salty about Ren deciding to mate me while she was missing.

  A combination of empathy, love, and annoyance come whizzing through the bond. He cares for his mother, but he doesn’t like the way she’s talking about me.

  “Your approval is ceremonial in nature, not required. Whom I mate is my choice, and I have made an admirable one. Jayla is a strong, level-headed female, driven by her instinct to care—to protect. She assisted in saving your life and your virtue. Or have you forgotten her impact so quickly?”

  The small amount of emotion Linara is showing fades, and a steely look of detachment takes its place. Her gaze slides to mine before she turns to leave.

  “Ren would never have made such a rash decision before your influence. You have tainted his judgment.”

  Ren clenches his jaw in anger, prepared to respond, but I squeeze his hand to silence him. “Let her go. She’s just upset.”

  Ren grabs my hand and pulls me to his chest. His fingers trace the curve of my jaw. “My life-giver is unaccustomed to being overruled. There has not been a female to take her place in over ninety birth cycles.”

  I tilt my chin up and look at his otherworldly face. There’s something in those pools of blue that suck me in and leave me drowning. “I don’t care about taking her place. She can keep it. I just want you.”

  Ren’s hands glide down my back and cup my ass. “And you shall have me.”

  The urge to slam my head into the table hits me hard, and I stare off into space. Leandra’s been blabbering on about her latest confrontation with Ragar, and I swear my ears are about to bleed. I love her, but nothing drives me more insane than someone bitching about something they aren’t willing to do anything about. Get it done or get over it. Fruitless whining never got anyone anywhere.

  “What’s up his ass? And why won’t he just talk to me? He obviously has something to say. Did you see the way he looked at me during that briefing?”

  I cringe. This has to be the five-hundredth time she’s brought that stupid meeting up. “Really? This again? That was two weeks ago, before Ari even left. Why are you so focused on it?”

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “What about my face makes you think I’m kidding?” I ask, cocking a brow, too tired to explain once again why she needs to just nut up and go talk to him.

  “He growled and walked out! He can’t even stand to be in the same room as me. Less than two months ago, he was following me around like a fucking Earth puppy and now, what? He despises me for no reason? It makes no sense!”

  Guilt gnaws a hole in my gut. She still doesn’t know he chose her at the Cuelling. And the fact that everyone else does makes me feel like a horrible piece of shit. The lowest of the low. All I did for the first month I mated Ren was whine about how I was always the last to know, and now, I’m sitting here doing it to my best friend.

  I can’t take it anymore.

  “Damn it, Leandra, he thinks you rejected him.”

  Her features contort from disbelief to outrage, and she slams her fist on the table.

  “What are you talking about? Are you insane?” She looks around the room, motioning dramatically. “Is everyone here nuts? He denied me. In front of everyone. That’s why I left!”

  My shoulders sag. “When we had the briefing to discuss the unsanctioned reproductive studies you and Ari discovered, he left because he was angry. Jealous, even.”

  Leandra’s gapes at me, eyes brimming with tears. “You’re taking his side? Throw me a bone here, Jay. You’re making me feel crazy.”

  Like a jackhammer, my heart pounds in my chest. She’s going to hate me for this. I hate me for this.

  “He chose you.”

  Her featur
es harden, and something akin to betrayal flashes through her eyes. “You can be a real bitch sometimes, you know that? Saying that…it’s cruel. And you know it. You know how much I… You know what? Forget it.”

  Leandra gets up, and I grab her arm to stop her. “I’m serious. I found out right after you left. Illaria rubbed it in my face. He said he stayed his choice. I guess that means he was abandoning the typical courtship and committing right away. He didn’t come out and say it because he didn’t want you to freak. Then you left, and, well… the dumb ass thought you chose Ari.”

  The tears threatening to fall slide down her face, and she clenches her jaw. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I thought it would make things worse. I thought you guys would make up after you came back, but you’re both so damn stubborn—”

  “I can’t believe you kept this from me.” Her sorrow morphs into anger as she spots Ragar across the room, and a misery-fueled growl tears from her lips. “You idiot!” Ragar stiffens, freezing in place. He turns toward her slowly and effortlessly, like a predator that’s caught sight of its prey. She charges toward him, rambling like a banshee possessed. “You chose me? You piece of shit, you chose me, and you’ve let me think you rejected me this entire time?”

  Ragar doesn’t even bother to lift his hands when she smacks him across the face. Xandria and Amina gasp, drawing back, giving them more space. Naya flies into the room and looks to me, unsure of what to do. I can’t imagine there’s a protocol for something like this. No one messes with Ragar. He’s…scary.

  Ragar is trembling. Muscles clenched, like he’s on the verge of exploding. “You chose another male. Leave me alone, woman.”

  Red welts begin to form as Leandra smacks him again. “I didn’t choose Ari, you idiot. I only ever fucking wanted you.” Her voice cracks, and she unclenches her fists and rubs them on her pants.

  There’s a vulnerability in her eyes, and I know I should look away, but I can’t stop staring. He’s just standing there, and she’s wilting under his gaze like a flower in the heat. My heart aches as she waits for him to say something. To say anything.