Chapter Six
“T-minus ten minutes,” Steven said, stepping through the metal door at the side of the cinderblock building. “Time and tide wait for no man, or in your case when you hang ten on a tasty ley line wave.”
Valerie bit the inside of her cheek and looked to Gerri. “So, you’re the big Kahuna of the cosmos?”
“Ha, ha. You’re the one Camille calls dude, so don’t go there,” Gerri smirked, but then turned to the young man in the gas station style uniform.
“Valerie, this is Steven Dawes, my flight engineer, for lack of a better term. Don’t let his Surfin’ USA style fool you. He’s top in his field, and he decides the go/no go for every jump.”
He inclined his head. “Don’t mind me. To be honest, I don’t know the first thing about ocean surfing. The only waves I like to surf are gamma.”
Gerri pulled her roller bag around, motioning to the handle. “Be careful with that one when you stow it in the hold. The grip broke getting into the cab.”
“Supplies for the girls?” Steven asked.
Gerri shook her head. “Just Bella. She’s craving peanut butter and Oreos, but Alyx asked for Twizzlers and milkshake mix. I brought them a case of each.”
“Girls?” Valerie questioned.
Steven looked at Gerri, giving the older woman a chin pop. “Miss Thing is hell bent on single handedly repopulating Nova Aurora by supplying mates to every eligible bachelor on the planet.”
“I am not. People seek me out for help, not vice versa.” She looked at Valerie. “Present company excepted.” Gerri gave the sky a cursory glance. “What were the latest readings?”
“Clear, but recent solar flares have been sudden and intermittent,” Steven replied. “If you’re gonna jump, I wouldn’t wait too much longer.”
“Okay. Make the final calculations and let’s get this show on the road.” She nodded, and Steven headed back through the metal door in the crumbling concrete.
“Steven likes to tease, but his tasty wave analogy isn’t far off. For what we’re about to do, location is key and this property sits on a powerful ley line grid. Natural geometrical energy.” Gerri swept a hand toward the derelict building.
Valerie scanned the dilapidated structure with its broken windows and overgrown grounds. “An abandoned power plant?”
“The property isn’t abandoned, dear. I own it. The power plant emits residual electromagnetic radiation and together with the natural ley line waves, it’s the perfect location for interstellar transport this side of NASA.”
“Damn straight,” Steven peeked around the door again. “I earned my PhD in Theoretical Physics, and running into Gerri was the luckiest day of my life. Not many in my field actually get to see their hypotheses in motion. Literally.”
“We clear?” Gerri handed Steven her bag, and motioned for Valerie to do the same.
“Yes. Last coordinates set. Is it just the two of you traveling tonight?” he asked, and as if on cue headlights pulled through the open gate at the entrance to the parking lot.
Valerie followed his line of sight, squinting into the distance as the white glow grew brighter.
“That must be Arin and Xavier,” Gerri said, stepping ahead of the two.
Valerie jerked her eyes to the older woman. “You asked them to come along?”
“Yes, dear. How else are you going to keep your bet? Nova Aurora is their home planet, and it’s time they went back. I told you. They’ve been earthbound for way too long.”
Pacing around her suitcase, Valerie muttered to herself. “I’m not ready. I didn’t expect—” She whirled on her heel, “I can’t do this!”
“For heaven’s sake, why not?”
“I planned on galaxy hopping with Camille. I packed leggings and tee-shirts. I didn’t realize our bet was starting now.” Valerie’s voice rose. “You said I would face a challenge. How can I be a contender while dressed like I’m second string? I can't be sexy wearing chill out and watch Netflix clothes!”
Gerri bit the inside of her cheek not to laugh. “Honey, you could be dressed in a paper bag and it wouldn’t matter. Besides, Arin and Xavier aren’t interested in what you wear. Trust me, you’ll be lucky if you spend any time clothed at all.”
“Gerri! Dressing up is not for their sake. It’s for me!” She paced again, her eyes on the ground. “How can I be all sexy and seductive when I’m walking around in house clothes?” She looked up and her eyes locked on the matchmaker. “Are there shopping malls in outer space?”
Gerri laughed out loud. “Stop worrying. The place we’re going has everything you need, even before you know it.”
A compact car pulled around to the front and then followed Steven’s direction and parked behind large cylinders of concrete pipe and debris.
The lights cut and the sound of footsteps on gravel preceded the two men as they walked from the clandestine parking space. Valerie nearly laughed. Two giants getting out of a modern day clown car.
Xavier’s eyes found Valerie immediately, and his gaze took a walk from her long brown hair piled in a messy bun to the swell of her breasts in her pink sweats with the word juicy written across the chest and ass.
“I couldn’t pick a better word to describe you,” he said with a wink. “You look beautiful, Valerie.”
She glanced between the two men. They looked even more breathless in the moonlight. “Can’t blame a girl for advertising,” she said, trying to play it casual.
She winced. Lame much, girl? Recovering, she looked at Arin standing silent and a little broody.
“You okay, Arin?” she asked. He didn’t say a word, but at least his eyes were candy green again.
Xavier moved to her side and ran his knuckle over her cheek. “I know I promised we’d meet again, but even we didn’t expect it to be so soon. Why are you traveling to Nova?”
Arin perked up at that.
Valerie exchanged a look with Gerri. There was no way she was telling either man about the bet. “I’m going to see my friend Camille. She was recently mated to a shifter on Nova, and I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
Steven coughed and everyone turned. “Are we using the dual-chambered transport tonight?” His question was directed to Gerri, but suddenly everyone was interested.
“You mean we don’t have our own private pods, like in the movies?” Val asked.
Between Valerie’s sudden panic and Steven struggling not to laugh, Gerri shook her head. “Dual chambers. I think that’s a great idea for tonight. I have communiques that need to be sent in route, so best I have my own space.”
Alone in a space capsule with two men who looked at her like she’s a piece of cheesecake. Maybe this transport thingy was more Dr. Who and not Hot Tub Time Machine. Standing room only.
Valerie followed behind Steven as he led them toward the far corner of the building near the back end. A quick press of a button later, and a hidden door slid open from a nondescript wall.
Steven waited for Gerri and Valerie to step over the metal lip before he and the guys filed through.
“Mrs. Wilder, you’re in elevator one. You three,” he turned to Valerie and the guys. “You are in elevator two. I need to secure the luggage before we do anything else, so get settled as quickly as you can.”
He reached for Arin’s backpack and the dragon alpha growled. “Hands off, little man.”
Steven jerked his fingers back, and Valerie shot tall, dark and scary a dirty look. “Hey! Do you always have to be such a jerk?”
Arin shifted his gaze to her and he pressed his lips together. “Sorry, dude. Precious cargo, man.” He patted the backpack.
“No problem,” Steven replied, before slipping through a different side panel, leaving them in an anteroom that was almost completely oval.
“If there are no more theatrics, let’s get on with it.” Mrs. Wilder pressed her hand to one of the curved metallic walls and a biometric scanner slid from a concealed place.
“Permission required,” a voice prompted.
Gerri faced the scanner and linear beams coalesced for facial recognition, the same as they did with her laptop communicator.
“Mapping complete. Access granted.”
Two more doors slid open, and it was obvious they were separate elevator shafts.
“Guess that’s our ride,” Arin said. He looked at Valerie and gave a chin pop toward the empty interior. “Ladies first.”
She hesitated, and then looked to Gerri. “It’s okay, honey. I’ll be at the wheel. Just strap in and don’t touch anything unless I say.” She stepped through to her lift and the door slid shut.
“Just us chickens, I guess,” Xavier grinned.
Valerie hesitated and he slipped his arm around her shoulder. “C’mon, slick. You got this.”
The two joined Arin and no sooner had they stepped through the entrance than the door slid shut behind them.
“Descent in ten seconds,” the same digitized voice announced.
Anxiety cascaded through Valerie’s veins, and she whirled, looking for seatbelts. “Gerri said strap in, but where? There are no seats.”
“Nine.”
“Eight.”
“Seven.”
Arin reached for her hand, but she jerked back, startled.
“It’s okay, love. I’m just going to help you secure your harness.” He pointed to the barely perceptible silver belts along the wall. “If you’re not a shifter, they can be hard to distinguish.”
She squinted at the wall, but shook her head. “I’ll have to take your word for it. Sorry I’m so jumpy.”
When he reached for her hand again, she took it. His skin was warm, and the same subtle electricity she felt when Xavier brush her lips at the townhouse skimmed across her flesh.
Her nose was in Arin’s chest as he pulled the harness over her head. She turned her head so her cheek pressed between his hard pecs.
She closed her eyes and inhaled.
Holy Heaven Scent!
Arin might be an irritating jerk, but his clean masculine trace made her want to lick him from lips to cock and everywhere in between.
Annoying or not, this close she didn’t care. She itched to run her fingers over the hard rope muscles along his back. She skimmed her hands around his sculpted torso, and the moment her palms glided over his hips, his eyes found hers and her knees went weak.
“Easy there, killer.” Arin grinned, catching her under her arms. “I haven’t got you strapped in yet. Plummeting uncontrolled in this contraption is not a good idea. There’s time enough for hyper speed.”
She gulped. “Hyper speed?”
“Yes, love,” he answered. “We need the jolt to pierce the wormhole at just the right velocity. Mrs. Wilder has travelled so often the membrane is pretty elastic, but we’re double the weight and double the transport tonight.”
The last clip engaged with an audible click and Arin ran his fingers over her cheek. “I’m sorry if I scared you yesterday,” he paused, offering a sheepish smile, “and annoyed you tonight. Not the best way for an alpha to impress a girl, but I promise, it wasn’t my intention.”
“Unless your intention is to be a live ping pong ball yourself, you’d better get with the program and strap in.” Xavier raised an eyebrow, as the countdown continued.
“Six.”
“Five.”
“Four.”
Arin slipped in beside Valerie and pulled his harness over his head, clipping in as well.
“Three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
“Descent commencing.”
The elevator dropped like its cables were cut, plunging at top speed and Valerie’s eyes bugged.
The interior lights flickered as they fell and she screamed. “Holy shit! I want off this fucking ride!”
Valerie squeezed her eyes closed. The sheer velocity pulled with such force, she choked against the sensation of her heart exploding. Teeth clenched, her fingers balled tight at her stomach
“Take my hand,” Arin yelled over the din, but she shook her head. He reached out, prying her fingers loose. “Hold my hand. We’ll be at the launch site soon!”
Her eyes flew open. “You mean this isn’t it?”
“No, love,” Xavier chuckled, “but this is the worst part.”
The elevator slowed, and to Valerie’s surprise it stopped on a dime. Not a single bump. The doors slid open and Gerri was there on the opposite side.
“Hey, look at that. You survived!” She grinned. “One down. One to go.” At the look on Valerie’s face, she burst out laughing. “Oh, Val! You’re as green as a Gemini’s eyes.”
They followed her down a long passageway ending with a narrow egress marked with the same symbol as her laptop. Gerri leaned in for another facial recognition map, and the entry snicked open.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Xavier asked with a wink.
“Trust me, boys. That’s nothing,” Gerri replied. “It’s been a while since you jumped, so I suggest the three of you pay attention to what I have to tell. The floor is our portal. Right now it’s solid, but the closer we get to the jump point, the more the membrane will thin. You have to jump when I tell you or you’ll miss our window. The wormhole is only thin enough to accommodate travelers for a short time.”
She eyed both Geminis. “I trust you two not to scare the hell out of Valerie. I’m leaving her in your care, so don’t fuck it up. No cannonballs, no throwing her over your shoulder and yelling ‘Geronimo!’ If she needs comfort, give it to her. If she needs someone to hold her and jump, do it. Understood?”
“Wait, are we jumping into water or something?” Valerie asked.
Looking at Valerie, she shook her head. “No. Think Stargate, except this isn’t a random portal and we’re not warriors.”
Xavier cleared his throat with a chuckle. “Speak for yourself, Mrs. Wilder.”
Gerri ignored him. “Just remember, Valerie. Open mind.”
“I’m a little freaked out, but still, this is cool.” Val giggled a little.
Arin laughed. “Says the woman who screamed to get off this ride the whole way down to the transport bay.”
“Hey, I scream on roller coasters, too, but my arms are always in the air, so shut up.”
Xavier grinned. “She’s a tough cookie, bro. Score…Valerie, one…tall, dark and scary, zip.”
“What’s this?” Gerri looked from one to the other.
Xavier gave his friend a chin pop. “Valerie’s nickname for Arin. He went all dragon-warrior at the townhouse. We’ve settled it since, but Valerie wasn’t prepared for his more growly side.”
“So I heard,” Gerri replied with knowing smirk.
Valerie shot both guys a dirty look. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Wilder. I may have a pussy, but that doesn’t mean I am one. If they can do this, then so can I.”
Gerri smiled. “Good girl.”
She beckoned for them to follow her again, but this time it was through the narrow egress to an even smaller pod room.
“I have to scoot because my pod is on the opposite end.” She hooked her thumb toward the exit “I wanted to make sure you were settled, first.” She looked at Valerie and raised an eyebrow. “You okay, dear?”
Valerie nodded, but her mouth went dry. “I get a little claustrophobic sometimes, but I can deal.”
Xavier circled her shoulders the way he did before the drop. “You got us, love. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Damn straight. This is nothing, babe. Think slip and slide, only better.” Arin nodded with a wink. “Personally, I can’t wait to see the Ice Mountains again.” He lifted the backpack he wouldn’t let Steven stow and gave it a possessive pat. “Gemini medallions are ready to roll, and so am I.”
“Medallions?” Valerie questioned.
Xavier nodded. “They open a crystal chamber sacred to the Gemini. It’s at the heart of the Ice Mountains.”
“I’m not a big fan of the cold, but anything that’s called Ice Mountains sounds wonderful,” Valerie replied. “Caving is an adventure I’ve always wanted to try. Maybe we can check it out together.”
“Maybe,” Xavier eyed her. “It’s a place only the alpha and omega can enter with their mate.”
Valerie swallowed at the intensity of the dragon shifter’s stare, but Gerri clapped her hands and they all turned.
“Arin’s right. None of us will be going anywhere or doing anything if we don’t get a move on.” She checked her watch.
“Valerie,” she signaled, pointing toward the floor. “The bottom’s surface is going to change. It’s going to look fluid at one point, but like I said, it is not water. It’s an illusion that happens as the membrane thins. Don’t be alarmed.”
Gerri patted her arm. “I’ll control the jump timing from my end. Listen for the go/no go. Steven will be monitoring us from base.” She nodded once and then left for her own launch pod.
“Ready, beautiful?” Xavier asked.
Valerie nodded, taking a quick breath. “I don’t know if it’s fear or insanity or my claustrophobia manifesting in head-to-toe hives, but I’m tingly all over.”
“It’s me,” Arin shrugged. “I can’t help it. It’s a curse.” A gorgeous, teasing smile broke across his face. “I have that effect on women. They go all tingly with hives anytime I’m near.”
Valerie had to laugh, meeting his smile with one of her own. “You know, you’re so much easier to like when you’re charming and funny. Think it might last this time?”
Arin moved like lightning in the small enclosure, his lips a breath away from hers as if moving in for a kiss. “If you want something of mine that lasts, just ask. I can certainly accommodate you, love.”
Valerie swallowed, taking a step back only to find the smooth, metallic wall.
“Okay kiddies,” Gerri’s voice funneled through a pod speaker. “It’s time to rock and roll. Places, please.”