Chapter Eight

 

Gav’n answered his brother’s communication call. They both were at work, and he’d been hoping he’d at least make it through the entire week without having to attend to some problem at home.

But that was probably too much to ask for.

He accepted the call, bracing himself. “Hey, twin.”

“She’s been messing with my computer,” Jakk said tersely.

“What do you mean? What did she do?”

“Research of some sort. It looks like she was searching for information on her own case.”

His heart squeezed. “Do you think she found it?”

Jakk rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know. I wish she’d asked us if she wanted more information. I don’t like this.”

He didn’t tell his brother he had concerns of his own. He’d found a pile of parts in the outdoor shed, as if she were squirrelling away pieces of technology to build something. But what? A means of communicating with Earth, her home planet? Did she harbor the ambition of returning? He’d thought, from reading her file, she’d told the general magistrate it was impossible. But perhaps she’d lied. The humans’ technology was more advanced than Pra’kir’s. And their little human was the technology engineer. Perhaps their plan all along had been to build a device enabling them to contact their home planet. What if they brought on a full invasion? As police commissioner, he had an obligation to take action if he felt the human a danger to society. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to tell even Jakk, with whom he practically shared a mind.

The truth was, he was falling for Mira. And, while he knew she was Jakk’s only chance for a mate, he couldn’t reconcile himself to the idea of letting his brother have her exclusively. It would be the right thing to do. He could choose from any number of women in Endermere once Jakk and Mira were successfully mated and settled. But he didn’t want to find another. He didn’t want to ever leave the odd little family they’d formed.

But, of course, none of that mattered, if their little ward plotted to escape them, or, worse, leave the planet.

“Do you think we should limit her access to all communication devices?” Jakk sounded as unhappy about the suggestion as it made him feel.

She already chafed against the bounds they’d set for her. Further restrictions would only make her more dishonest. Because they both knew she’d seek a way around any limitations.

“Let’s ask her,” he suggested. “Ask what she wants to know and give her the information. I know it seems counterintuitive, but maybe if we offer more trust, she’ll become trustworthy.”

Jakk rubbed his forehead again. “Do you think she’ll ever settle in with us? Or will she always be looking for a way out?”

The pain on his brother’s face on the screen triggered a twinge of guilt. He shouldn’t allow himself to think of Mira as his when she was the only woman Jakk could ever hope to have a relationship with. If they failed to condition and keep Mira, it would destroy Jakk. After a lifetime of being resigned to never having a female, Mira represented every hope and dream his brother never dared believe possible. To lose her or miss this chance would be beyond cruel.

“I think we need to show her she has no reason to run. Maybe we need to try harder to make her happy—beyond sex.”

Jakk’s expression remained bleak. “How?”

Indeed, how? The girls hadn’t taken to her yet. And it wasn’t as if raising children had been her life goal—it was one they’d chosen for her. No, she was an intelligent engineer who’d contributed to her own society in important ways. Ways Pra’kir may never allow. She may never be trusted by their society, nor given technology or tools to work with. The Council wanted her and her shipmates tucked safely away. But she was full of scientific information Pra’kir could put to good use. They’d be stupid not to give her a job where she could use her knowledge to advance Pra’kirian state of the art.

He scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “Maybe a trip to the beach? She loves being outdoors. Could you work your connections to find a private beach getaway? We couldn’t bring her anywhere public.”

Jakk’s jaw firmed with resolve. “I’ll figure something out. See you at home.”

 

~.~

 

Mira parked the bullet shuttle in front of the food market on the way home from school and got out. “Let’s go, girls.”

Gav’n had told her to send Darley in for the few staples they needed, but she wanted to see what the market was like. She clutched the currency card Gav’n had left, feeling naked without a wallet or purse like she’d have on Earth.

Darley ducked her head, probably embarrassed about being seen with her and scooted on ahead. Pritzi held her hand, and Jan hung behind them a half-step.

Okay, maybe she didn’t fit in as well as she thought. Every head swung around and the Pra’kirians pointed, openly gawking.

“That’s one of the aliens,” one woman said loudly.

A loud murmur of voices rose.

Someone held up a communication tablet, like they were taking pictures or filming her.

Fuck.

Part of her wanted to shove the currency card in Darley’s hand, tell her what to get, and run for the shuttle. But the most stubborn part of her had to see this through. She lifted her chin and marched through the store. The fact she didn’t know where to find anything made it infinitely worse, but she eventually grabbed the box of grain the Pra’kirians used for their morning cereal and headed to the counter. The rest could wait.

Her vision tunneled, and a din rose in her ears, which was good, because it blocked out all the voices talking about her. Heart thudding, she thunked the box of grain on the counter and held out the card.

The checkout person—a pimply faced girl—stared at her for a full four seconds before taking the card. Her lip curled as if Mira smelled bad.

She named the price and beeped the card, which Gav’n had explained served as an automatic debit system.

Mira grabbed the grain and the card, not waiting to see if there would be a receipt or a bag to put the box into. She marched out of the store, hoping to God the girls had followed because she couldn’t bring herself to look right or left.

Outside, her nose began to burn.

Dear Lord, they hated her. If she’d thought the girls’ reception of her presence had been bad, this had been a whole deeper level.

She dropped into the seat of the shuttle and started it, her vision fixed on the steering wheel without seeing. She waited until the two shuttle doors slammed, then she took off. No one said a word on the drive home.

Gav’n, however, met them at home, fury evident in the slash of his brows and the tightness of his mouth. “What did I tell you to do at the store? Did I say go inside?”

The news station was playing on the screen on the wall behind him, showing footage of her marching through the store.

Oh Lord. “No.” She didn’t want the girls to see her cry. She whirled and dashed back out the front door.

“You stop right there.” Gav’n’s voice sounded menacing, and she didn’t forget he had the power to shock her with the stupid collar she wore.

If he did so in front of the girls, she’d never forgive him. She stopped on the landing of the outdoor stairs, gulping air.

Gav’n followed her out, slamming the door. At the same time, Jakk stalked up the stairs, also home early from work.

She fell apart. Angry, humiliated tears lost the fight to stay inside her and coursed down her cheeks. She turned her back on both of them and hugged her ribs.

Jakk stopped mid stride. Gav’n stepped closer but didn’t touch her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” she choked. “They really do hate me here.”

“Pashika…” Gav’n’s voice softened, laden with sympathy. “I wish to hell we’d been wrong.”

“What did they do to you?” Jakk’s voice was sharp, and he closed the distance between them, caging her against the railing, his front to her back.

She tried to choke back her tears, but only succeeded in making a horrible snuffling-snort. “Nothing,” she quavered. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have gone into the market. Gav’n told me to send Darley, but I wanted to see what they had. I was stupid.”

The door opened a crack, and all three girls peeked out. In the yard beside theirs, the nosy neighbor woman craned her neck to look up at them.

“Come on,” Gav’n urged, shooing the girls back in.

She had no intention of following them. She didn’t want the girls to see her crying, nor did she want to face Gav’n and Jakk. She wanted to disappear. To go back to Earth. But, of course, that wasn’t possible. A deep cold had set in, chilling her from the inside out.

Jakk’s hands gripped her shoulders, his touch strong and sure. “Don’t cry, little bird.” His voice sounded strangled, as if the role of comforter was completely foreign to him. “Please come inside.”

His touch warmed her, even though she didn’t want it to.

“We won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

Something shifted. The pieces of her life fell apart and came together in a whole new configuration. She suddenly didn’t know who she was, didn’t know the man who stood behind her and seemed to care so much about her feelings. Was it possible she wasn’t as alone as she’d imagined?

The twisting in her solar plexus eased. Her tears stopped, replaced by exhaustion. She let Jakk guide her into the house and up the stairs to their bedroom. Once there, he released her, shoving his hands into his pockets and pacing the room. Discomfort snaked between them.

She felt raw, her wound too fresh and open to defend herself. “Are you going to punish me?”

“No.” He answered immediately, as if there was no consideration in his mind. He didn’t comment on the lack of “Master” at the end of her question, either.

Wanting desperately to be alone, she headed for the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower. I mean, may I, Master?”

“Yes. Okay. Take a shower. We’ll talk later.”

With a gulp of relief, she headed into the bathroom. She needed time to untangle her emotions. She’d expected a second assault from her “masters.” Had they really chosen to stand by her, instead? Even when she hardly deserved it after disobeying again?

Because, in her book, that changed things. “Us against the world” was a lot different from “lonely alien against the entire planet.”

But she needed to be careful. Just because they showed a little sympathy didn’t mean they understood her, or respected her. And they definitely didn’t trust her. So, no, they weren’t anywhere close to being the family they purported to be.

Not yet. Maybe not ever.

 

~.~

 

Jakk wanted to sentence every citizen in that store today to a public flogging. He wanted to round them up and make them all pay for diminishing their little alien. For taking the light and the life out of her. For making her cry.

Seeing her so demoralized slayed him. He knew Gav’n felt the same way. When he’d come downstairs, Gav’n had the girls rounded up, telling him exactly what had happened. Like any self-absorbed adolescent, Darley was angry and embarrassed about the whole thing, especially when she heard her uncles had intended for her to go in alone. Despite her young age, Pritzi had fully grasped the whole situation and recounted it with the same anger Jakk and Gav’n experienced on Mira’s behalf.

They’d eaten in silence, Mira picking at the madlyne fruit she liked. She’d grown thinner since her arrival, and it worried him. She had found a few foods she could digest, sticking mostly to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Now, as she finished washing the dishes, he wanted to go to her, but he didn’t know what to say. How did he make it better? Don’t worry, they’ll grow to love you, would be a lie. So would Someday you’ll feel at home here. And the truth—We know you’re capable of so much more, but it turns us on to keep you as our sex slave—probably wouldn’t help things.

He closed the shutters against the dark.

Then opened them again, looking toward the bay. “Mira...girls? Who wants to go to the beach?”

“I do!” Pritzi cried, scrambling to her feet.

It was Mira’s eyes he sought, and her startled gaze squeezed his heart. “When?” she asked.

“Now.”

“Can we go now?” Doubt filled Darley’s tone.

“Not legally,” Gav’n said drily.

“Good thing we know the police commissioner.”

Gav’n’s lips quirked into a wry smile. “If my play-it-by-the-rules twin is up for breaking the law, I’m all in.”

Jan and Mira joined Pritzi in jumping to their feet. Though Darley’s customary scowl stayed in place, she scooted toward the bedroom. “Do we need our swimsuits?”

“If you want to swim.”

Gav’n gaped at him.

Jakk knew his consequences-be-damned attitude was completely out of character, but this was the only thing he could think of to give to Mira. And he needed to soothe her. He couldn’t stand feeling so damn helpless while she floundered and failed to find comfort in the world, the home, he’d provided her.

“Do I have a swimsuit?” Mira asked.

To his immense relief, he saw life back in her expression. A flicker of hope or happiness in her eyes.

“You can wear one of Darley’s.” Gav’n shot the eye-rolling adolescent a sharp warning look.

“May I, Darley?” Mira asked, following the girls into their room.

Gav’n raised his brows once they were alone.

“It was your idea.”

Gav’n chuckled. “Crashing the beach after dark wasn’t exactly the way I pictured it, but that’s okay. It brings back the memories of our youth.” He winked.

Jakk grinned. Their first threesome had been on a beach after dark when they were thirty-two. The dark had prevented the girl Gav’n had picked for them from noticing Jakk’s eyes. They’d taken her virginity, and she’d taken theirs. She’d liked them well enough to ask for a second round, but before it happened, she’d seen Jakk in the light and had disappeared faster than a shooting star.

Their nieces emerged with Mira, who was stuffing towels into a large bag.

She caught his gaze and smiled.

His heart tumbled in his chest. He would do anything on his planet to win that smile every day. If only he knew how to make her happy.

He held out his hand, and she clasped it. Gav’n took the bag from her and held her other hand, leading her out the door after the racing children.

“Are we really going to the beach?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “You deserve a change of scenery. We know being cooped up here all day is hard for you.” He wanted to say more. He wanted to say it all. Whatever it took to let her know how much they needed her. Whatever it took to ease her restlessness. But he didn’t know what those words sounded like.

She peered at his face in the darkness, but he didn’t know how to show anything there, either.

They had to take both shuttles to fit them all, a problem he swore to rectify with a larger vehicle as soon as possible. The girls and Mira spilled out of the shuttles and raced for the sandy shore, kicking off shoes and stripping off their cover-ups as they ran.

He smiled, content to watch until Gav’n bumped his shoulder. “Last one in rides home alone.”

The two tore off down the beach. Gav’n was in better shape, but Jakk’s legs were longer so they were evenly matched. Sand kicked up behind their heels, the sound of their low chuckles made softer by the slap of surf against sand, the tinkle of girlish laughter from the water’s edge.

They barreled past the girls. Gav’n scooped Pritzi into his arms, carrying her, shrieking with delight, straight into the depth of the bay.

Jakk dove into the cool water, savoring the shock to his system. He tried not to think about the possibility the water was contaminated from Mira’s ship’s fuel cell or how dangerous it was to let the girls swim in the dark. Or what would happen if they were caught.

They needed this. All of them. And yes, they still needed to ask Mira what she’d been researching on his computer, but that could happen later, after they healed some of their wounds together.