Chapter Seventeen

“What now?” Mira was listless thinking about the pain the girls were suffering. They might die before she could find them. How would she live with herself if that happened?

She looked at Tristan and tried to smile. They tied the knot last night, became mates. She should be saying I’s married now. All she could think of was Meghan and the other girls who were missing. Were they suffering like Tina suffered? If so, why? What kind of monsters had tied Tina up and were literally draining her life force from her body? Human, alien, animal, or a combination of all the above?

“All we can do is our best,” Troy told her.

Troy was an alien. She didn’t know what kind, and it didn’t matter. He had always treated her with kindness and respect. That was more important to her than where he was born.

“They could die.” That was her worst fear spoken aloud.

“They could,” Tristan took the chair next to hers. They were out in the back with the grills going.

“They could also live. If we focus on the worst-case scenario, we’ll miss what’s in front of us.”

She knew he was right. If she was looking for the dead, she’d miss the living.

“I just don’t understand.”

“There’s not always an answer,” Ven told her. “Where we come from we fight a war every day. There is no reason why. The ones in command like to fight, and when they were killing their people, they still wanted to fight. That’s how we came about. Soldiers they didn’t have to feel guilty about.”

“Do you really believe that Ven?”

“Yes, the ones who created us were like little boys playing war. They didn’t want to give up their games.”

“I’m happy all of you got away.”

“We are too,” Cade told her. He flipped the steaks while Ven was teaching Locke to make side dishes.

“Now we just wait?” She asked Cade.

“The hardest part of war, Is the hurry up and wait. You’re ready to fight; the adrenaline is pumping, but the enemy hasn’t revealed themselves yet.”

“Knock, knock, we’re here the party can start now,” Anna announced with a grin.

“I hope that steak has my name on it, medium well with every side I see,” Eve said handing the bowl she was carrying to Ven. “This is the best potato salad in the whole wide world. You’ll slap your mom after you taste it.”

“My mom slaps back, and it isn’t pretty,” Ven told her. He sat the salad down and took a taste. “It is good, but my moms is better.”

Eve opened her mouth then shut it. “I respect that.”

“Ven.”

“Eve, nice to meet you.” They shook hands grinning at each other.

“Introduce yourselves and try to ignore the loudmouth.” Mira winked at Eve.

Tristan gave his chair up to Anna.

“How are you feeling my porcelain doll?”

“Fine. Julie has left me alone; Eve is okay with me staying with her.”

“Then why are your eyes scrunched up?”

“They are not scrunched up.” She whipped a mirror out of her purse.

“Scrunched up,” Mira said in a sing-song voice.

Anna made a disgusted noise and put the mirror away. “How do you always know when something is wrong?”

“Blessed I guess. Spill it.”

“I don’t want to be a burden to Eve. She’s so sweet. I think I always knew she treated me like I was royalty, but lately, I see it. I feel strange. Yesterday I said something, and I flinched waiting for her to hit me. Instead, she was like maybe we should talk about that.”

“She beautiful and intelligent too.”

“Mira, she’s my friend.”

“They say it’s better with a friend.”

Anna’s face flushed as she looked at Eve. “I’m not ready,” she whispered.

“Is she forcing you?”

“No, she’s perfect. Not perfect her feet stink.” She giggled. “I can live with that though. I make her soak her feet at least three times a week.”

“Did I hear something about feet?” Eve called out.

“No one’s talking to you,” Anna replied with a laugh.

“Take your time she’s not going anywhere.”

Anna stopped to stare at Eve. The smile she wore showed she was halfway there.

“You saved my life. I can never say thank you enough.”

“Yes, you can. Stay away from Julie that’s all the thanks I need.”

“You got it. If I can ever do anything for you, let me know.”

“Be happy Anna.”

Anna hugged her tight. “I never had a mom. Thank you for coming into my life.” She went to see what Eve was up to.

“That’s why I keep opening night after night.” Troy took the chair Anna vacated.

“Here I thought you were just a pervert who liked to watch half-naked girls dancing.”

“I didn’t say I was stupid. I appreciate the humanoid form in all its various states.”

“Good answer I have a sudden and complete appreciation for it too.”

“So, you and the Kur’ik.”

“Yeah.” She looked over with a smile on her face.

“I’m happy for you. There was a time I wasn’t sure you would find anyone.”

“Me too. Have you heard anything about the girls?”

“Everything’s been quiet.” He leaned back in the chair, then popped his back. “I didn’t expect to hear anything. That doesn’t worry me.”

“What has you worried?”

“I can’t find anything on the males that took them.”

That had her worried too. She contacted the detective who asked her about Meghan hoping he might have some information. He knew less than she did. They were looking into several sex trafficking rings. She knew better than that, but her word wasn’t going to convince the police.

“What bothers me is that we don’t know if they are alien or human,” Troy mused aloud.

The answer to the seemed easy to her. They emotionally opened Tina like she was a coconut to be cracked to get to the soft center. They disappeared in a blink of an eye. Yep, that said alien to her.

“They’re aliens, what else could they be?”

“You make a good point. Only an alien could walk by an eleven-year-old and know she was planning to commit suicide. Then without a care in the world inform both the child and the parent and refuse to leave until the child got help. Then there is the alien who made a fortune on the stock market because they could tell where to invest based on people's emotions.”

She really hated when Troy reminded her of her past. He had a point. Everything she had done was considered alien simply because everyone refused to believe that a human could have developed deeper senses and the ability to use them.

“So, what are you saying?” She brought her hand up to her hip and tried to cut off her smile.

“I’m saying your healer, and Ven fought them and neither of them could classify them.”

That was making her life hard.

“Let’s recap,” Cade said placing a large platter of steaks on the table. They were all drawn to the food and found themselves filling plates and sitting down.

“We have an undetermined number of males, three that we have seen, with the ability to disappear. We don’t know if they are actually transporting from one place to another or becoming invisible,” Cade told them.

“That’s not helping,” Mira told him.

“We know they are attracted to females who are more in touch with their senses, emotions, or feelings,” Ven told them.

“They were feeding off Tina; I expect they are doing that with the other females. We also know that Mira is on their radar. Which means the one I first fought is heavily involved,” Tristan said.

“I’m supposed to look on the bright side?” Mira asked looking around the table.

“Yes, as long as they are still alive you can save them like you saved me,” Anna said.

That’s why she couldn’t give up, the faith that was placed in her meant something to a woman who thought her life would be lived in the bottom of a pill bottle.

“I’ll hit older contacts tomorrow,” Lea told her.

“I don’t want you…”

“Stop it. I’ll go through the pain to see those children well. Knowing they are cared for will help ease the burden. Why do you think I do it, Mira? I save others because I couldn’t save mine. It’s how I sleep at night.” Lea blinked her eyes and stuffed food into her mouth.

Sometimes life was about the mistake you couldn’t ever undo. Mira wiped her eyes discreetly and took a bite of food.