Unexpected Read online

  Sol, Rivan and I take our time arranging what remains of the Inokine across the front of their freighter, leaving a small parting gift for the scouts who are never far behind. I anticipate their arrival within two moons of these assholes failing to report, so taking extra care to ensure our trail cannot easily be followed is our most important task. This is the first time they have managed to catch us unaware, and the emergent evacuation of our females leaves them vulnerable without our protection. I will not allow such an oversight to happen again.

  “Acia Ren, we have loaded the rest of the supplies and have set fire to what was deemed unnecessary.” Rivan gestures to the large plumes of smoke in the distance. “Nexx has successfully scrubbed the area of all remaining trace of the females and their young but made sure to leave enough blood for those dickheads to pull emotion memory from the remains.” He mentions the last part excitedly, knowing I will be pleased. And I am. The thought of them reliving the violent deaths of their brethren, one at a time, is enough to make my dick hard. Then again, being unmated without a female to bury it in, my dick is always hard.

  “Very good.” I direct my attention toward Sol, who is advancing down our vessel’s open hatch toward me. The most adept of our collective at technology, he was able to pilfer a few much-needed parts from the enemy ship to finish constructing a new communication hub. Living a transient lifestyle to remain undiscovered, we have grown exceptionally good at building whatever we need.

  “Any word from Xen or the others?” I ask, taking one last look around the forsaken desert planet we have lived on for the past eight months. Deemed uninhabitable by most, this planet offers the solitude necessary for our survival. After spending the majority of our time here bunkering down in mud huts through sandstorms brutal enough to peel the skin from your face, I fucking know why.

  “No. But chances are good you gave them enough warning to escape unharmed. His group was more than five hundred miles from our location, and I didn’t pick up any other ships off in the distance. Are you able to access them through the bond?” he asks.

  “No, they have gone beyond my reach, and I am unable to risk meditation. Xen is a strong leader. He will not fail. We will get our females and meet at the designated point. Are the fuel cells capable of hyperdrive? I saw Ragar slicing his way through the group of five trying to destroy them.” I smile at the visual. If I awarded my warriors points for creativity, his unique ways of dismantling a body and his natural drive for violence would leave him far ahead of the rest.

  We both look to my second in command as he scoops up the last of the body parts littering the sand and launches them on top of the Inokine ship. The various limbs and entrails splatter an inky sheen across the reflective shield and complete our bloody masterpiece.

  “Good kills,” Sol says, congratulating him. Ignoring Sol completely, Ragar grunts and acknowledges my attention, ramming his gore covered fist against his chest as a sign of respect. Shaking my head, I mirror the gesture and return my attention to Sol.

  Sol frowns and turns back toward me. “What?”

  I arch a brow. He knows exactly what this look means, and his frivolous question annoys me.” Why do you insist on speaking to him when you know he hates you? I will not be held responsible when he tires of your games and rips your head from your shoulders.”

  Very atypical of our kind, Sol is not driven by his instincts. We are a rigid, militaristic, violent race of beings. He would rather spend his time nose deep in one of his creations than out in the dirt, learning how to better protect his future mate. Illusian males are born to do two things, fight and fuck, and he has yet to be interested in either. I moved Sol directly under my command when it became clear his lack of dominance and respect for authority left him open to violence from any unmated male who felt he is inferior. After working with him for over seven birth cycles in an attempt to mold him into a more acceptable warrior, all I have managed to teach him is how to piss me off.

  “I think I am growing on him. He did not even growl at me this time.” Not seeing the humor in the situation, I wait silently for Sol to answer my original question.

  “Yes,” he says, sighing at my lack of amusement, “they should be able to handle one more jump, but will be burnt to shit after that.”

  Anticipating him rambling on about the need for addition parts, I respond before he can continue. “We will obtain what we need as we always do.”

  Assured of our ability to get in the air, I shift my attention to Nexx as he continues to sample the ground, searching for traces of Illusian emotion. A race able to pick up on the feelings of others through any fragment of DNA, the Inokine are expert trackers. Leaving any type of signature would be a grave mistake. I instruct the others to reinspect the area. Any hint of fear from our females is enough to encourage the Inokine, and I would rather die than give them the satisfaction.

  Confident we adequately sanitized the surrounding terrain, I order everyone back inside the ship so we can begin tracking Naya and the other females. I am pleased with her quickness in gathering the females into the makeshift escape pod Sol built. The responsibility of tracking them to their current location now lies solely on my shoulders.

  “I still don’t fucking like it, Acia Ren. Why couldn’t we glean a single useful piece of information from them?” Rivan asks while securing himself in the pilot seat.

  “Maybe they really knew nothing.” Sol’s naivety is vexing but not misplaced. He abandons the conversation to calibrate the boxy communication controls he just pieced together.

  Ari takes his place behind Rivan. “They were some of the most pathetic we have faced.”

  “Bullshit. They knew something. How else were they dispatched to our location? Ren couldn’t even see them being given orders, and he ripped them apart from the inside out.”

  A growl tears from my throat. Rivan’s eyes widen at my warning, and the sour stench of his fear permeates the small space around us. Ragar rises from his seat behind me, ready to respond to my demand for discipline, but I call him off through the bond and he backs down. As long as Rivan remembers his place, there is no need for a physical reminder.

  Rivan rushes to recover from his lack of formality and insult to my abilities. “I meant no disrespect, Acia Ren. But there are only two races capable of interfering with Illusian abilities, and the Inokine aren’t one of them. What if there are others conspiring against us?”

  Using my formal title—Acia—is the correct choice. Those inferior to me can call me by my first name only when I choose to allow it. I rarely enforce such an old-world formality, but Rivan should have chosen his words more wisely. To disrespect me is to ask for death.

  “Then they will meet a similar fate. No one takes from our females what is not freely given.” My teeth grind at the image of Xandria’s terror. United in a single cause, all nine of us grunt in agreement as Rivan powers up the thrusters and we begin our ascent into the clouds. I close my eyes and recline in my chair. My channel must be wide open if I am to reach Naya at such a far distance. As I let the tether within me that links us all search for familiar energy, I am jolted by the recoil of the hyperdrive kicking in. The walls around us shake and rattle as we increase speed. Remaining on task, I let my mind drift and am bombarded by an unfamiliar pull near Naya’s location. Choosing to ignore it, no matter how desirable it feels, I focus on the faint projection Naya’s own abilities broadcast and send Riven in her direction.

  Chapter Five

  Jayla

  I’ve spent the last fifteen minutes trying to fix my face, and no matter what I do, I still look like hammered shit. With a sigh, I throw my shoulder length ebony locks up into a half bun and splash some cold water on my face. Pressing my forehead into the mirror, I let the cool glass soothe my puffy lids. I got maybe three hours of sleep before the anxiety of my new responsibilities forced me out of the sanctuary of my bed, and I’m in desperate need of a pick me up. Grabbing my comm, I dial Rett, hoping his bubbly personality will pull me out of
this hell of my own making. Answering on the first ring, he brings his usual level of jovial sass.

  “It’s about damn time you called me! I’ve been messaging you all night! Why the hell did you turn off the auto slide feature on your door? I couldn’t even come to check on you because your passcode wouldn’t work. What am I supposed to do? Pick the lock like a savage? Please.”

  I roll my eyes at his theatrics. Of course, I shut off my door. If not, Rett would have bombarded me with questions as soon as the gossip tree activated. Yeah, the crew knows a group of Unwelcomes showed up, but no one knows who they are. They Illusians obviously kept themselves hidden for a reason, and I don’t feel right being the person to blow the top off their secret.

  “Look, can we just meet up for coffee in the lounge? I don’t have long, but my brain is non-functional, and I feel like I’m about to implode. Plus, I need your help convincing the cooks to prepare additional meals for our new bunkmates.”

  “Girl, you sure you want to show your face after yesterday? There isn’t a single person in this place without your name in their mouth. You should hear the venom Serena is spewing; it’s creative as hell.” His voice is annoyingly amused. Rett loves this kind of drama. I, on the other hand, avoid it like the plague.

  “Ugh, yes. Fuck them,” I say, mumbling various insults under my breath.

  “This is why I love you. Give me ten minutes. You’re paying by the way.”

  “Of course, I am.” I roll my eyes and purse my lips. Rett is ridiculously cheap, which is odd, considering he always has the nicest things.

  “Don’t give me that sarcastic tone. Consider it payback for the emotional stress you’ve inflicted on me these past twenty-four hours!”

  “Twenty-f—please, it’s been like twelve. Get over yourself. I’ll see you in a few.” I end the call, unable to contain my laughter at his extreme narcissism.

  Replacing my sleep sweats with my required uniform, I stand out like a star in the clear Earth sky. Everyone else wears black with various colored stripes signifying their chosen trade. Medics, though, are forced to wear full-body caution yellow. Whatever idiot decided to put light colors on someone who has to deal with blood and other bodily fluids all day deserves a good punch in the face. The only benefit of wearing such a ridiculous get up is that no one else tries to steal my size mediums and claim them as their own. I may not be getting any action, but I still want to look nice, and with a chest as big as mine, if my shirts aren’t tight, my clothes tent out and hide the rest of my curves.

  Having to wear an unflattering uniform isn’t the worst thing that could happen, considering there hasn’t been a single noteworthy man on this rig in the past year. But just because I’ve settled for my vibrator doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned all hope of eventually having a decent sex life. For now, I guess I’ll have to live vicariously through Rett.

  Rett, coffee in hand, waits at the table as I arrive. His neatly pressed uniform hugs him a little too tightly around his pudgy middle. Nearly snorting at the way his head follows the round ass of an electrician as she walks by, I finally see how he convinces so many people to sleep with him. He’s unassumingly adorable. The pallor of his skin and his tendency to blush make him look more angel than ass, which he most certainly is. And the prim lines of his schoolboy haircut suggest an innocence he lost before he even turned fourteen. Shoving a cup in front of me as I sit down, he narrows his eyes in disapproval at my disheveled appearance.

  “I thought I was buying?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Yeah, well, some of us have important things to do, Jay. We can’t all wait around for you to take your sweet ass time. You can get me later.”

  “Three sugars and three creams, right?” I inspect my coffee closely.

  “Ew. Yes. Just how like you like it. You know you’re not normal, right?”

  “Haven’t we already established that? Neither are you, bitch, that’s why we work so well together.”

  “Please, I am perfect and you know it. Anyway, stop avoiding me. What exactly happened yesterday? I want to hear every single word.” He fluffs his perfectly coiffed, short blond hair and takes a sip of his coffee.

  “I don’t have time for all the details. The short story? I went up there to translate because there was an incoming that wouldn’t respond—”

  “Yes, yes, I know all that. Hurry up and get to the good part. I overheard Brandon and Roe talking about them being scary hot. I want to know about that. He leans in and props his chin up on his hands, fully engrossed in the story.

  Annoyed, I add another sugar disk to my coffee.

  “You finished?” I ask, raising a brow. “Anyway, the first one out basically threatened to slit my throat in front of everyone. I had barely talked her out of it when Serena’s dumb ass almost got me killed by refusing to drop her gun.”

  “So, who and what are they? No one has any idea. Ven said they look human except for their freaky eyes and unnatural hotness.”

  “What the hell, Rett? How many people did you talk to?” My mouth widens in faux shock.

  “Enough, now get on with it.” He waves of his hand, rushing me to continue.

  Despite my less than warm encounter with the Illusians, I feel strangely protective of them and uncomfortable giving him the details. I know honesty is the best policy, but in this case, I’m going with Plan B: lying my ass off.

  “Not sure. I mean they speak Keylani but that doesn’t help much, it’s pretty widely spoken.” I hold my breath hoping he buys it. I’ve got to come up with some better material. That language doesn’t even exist.

  “So, when do I get to meet them? It’s been like, weeks since I’ve gotten some, and I’m so not into sampling the masses after the Shane incident.”

  “Don’t you mean Shane and Cora?” I ask, raising both my eyebrows.

  “Ugh, you’re like a damn Earth elephant. You never forget. Whatever, yes. I’m finished trying to balance a twofer. Being polyamorous is not for me.”

  I roll my eyes, knowing all too well about his short attention span. “Listen, I need your advice. I don’t know what to do.” My forehead feels cool against the table as I lay my head down. Too lazy to pick It up, I angle my face toward him.

  “What’s up?”

  “I didn’t exactly follow protocol after they arrived. I got so wrapped up in making sure everyone was okay, I kind of forgot to notify Dr. Issacs…or anyone else.”

  Rett reclines back in his chair a moment and I fidget around with the compostable fibers of my coffee cup, waiting for a response. “You’re being serious? You aren’t messing with me?”

  “I’m dead serious. I’m such an idiot. Am I totally screwed?”

  “Well, that is explains it.” The fine lines of his forehead bunch with worry. “General Sterling was listed on the manifest this morning. I may or may not have seen it after having a midnight snack up in the comm room with Dita.”

  “Wait, didn’t you just say you hadn’t gotten any in weeks?”

  “Well, I forgot about that one,” he says, dismissing me with a wave. “You better stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself!”

  “Why? Who is General Sterling? Why do I know that name?”

  “Probably because he was one of the leading contributors to that nasty anti-fraternization policy that almost passed and made bumping uglies with your fellow station workers a criminal offense. Thank God the governing board didn’t approve it, or we’d all be locked up by now.”

  “That asshole? Why is he coming here?”

  “He was recently assigned to our sector. A little bird told me he got caught red handed doing some very inappropriate things with a Blurg when he was stationed near Pluto.”

  “A Blurg? Aren’t those the nasty, gray worm-looking things that regurgitate their own feces when they’re excited?” He gives me a nod while sipping his coffee. “Sick,” I shudder. “How long do we have before he gets here?”

  “He’s scheduled to arrive today.”

  L
ooking at my watch, I gasp. It’s almost noon. “Shit! Is he already here? How the hell could he manage that if he weren’t already on his way?”

  “No clue. Sometimes they do surprise inspections or whatever, but it is pretty suspect.”

  “Oh, crap. I’ve got to go. The last thing I need is our new visitors murdering a high-ranking general because the idiot tries to touch them.”

  “Let me walk you there. Here.” He hands me his coffee so I can down the rest of it, knowing I might need the extra shot of caffeine to face whatever shit mess I managed to get myself into. Rett heads into the main chefs’ quarters located in the middle of the kitchen to order additional meal tickets for the Illusians and grabs several bags of already made food to take with us.

  “Look, you can’t actually get near them, okay? I’m serious. They’re wild as hell.”

  “Yes, mother. You always know how to steal my fun.” He groans and ducks out of the way as I try to smack him in the shoulder.

  “I am not old enough to be your mother!”

  The various dirty looks and whispers aimed my way as we head upstairs don’t escape me. I’m suddenly over the moon to have a friend like Rett and my gaze lingers on his profile long enough for him to notice.

  “You keep looking at me like that and I might blush.” A coy smile crosses his lips as he blows me a kiss.

  “You know I love you, right? Like honest to God, don’t know what I would do without you love you?”

  He smiles and nudges me. Knocking into his shoulder playfully as we round the corner, I run straight into a hard body and bounce off, hitting the floor.

  What the hell?

  Looking up, I come face to face with not one, but two menacing soldiers decked out in UCom special teams’ high-density armor. I cringe at the set of six-inch knives hanging from their belts and look to Rett for help. He’s always been great at talking his way out of trouble.