Erun (Scifi Alien Romance) (The Ujal Book 4) (12 page)

It beeped for the fourth time, really breaking their desirous bubble.

With a sigh, she stepped away and headed toward the comm station. She snatched up the handheld device that Rina called a
phone
from years past, and quickly answered.

“Hello?” She couldn’t keep the annoyance from her voice.

“Vanessa, it’s Sece.” Concern tinged the female’s voice and Nessa immediately brushed off her frustration and replaced it with worry of her own.

“Sece? What’s up?”

The soft thump of knuckles against wood reached her and of course on the heels of that, a whimper came from Tabby through the monitor. Her kid could sleep through a ringing comm
or
a visitor. Apparently, not both.

“Nessa?” Erun whispered, drawing her attention. “The door or Tabby?”

She covered the comm. “Tabby. I’ll get the door.”

It was nice to have someone she could depend on. It drove home, once again, why mating with Erun was a good idea. She was attracted to him, he loved her daughter, and as he said—most mated couples knew nothing of their mates. They were driven by biology and nature. They, at least, had foresight and knew what to work on.

“Sorry, Sece. Tabby woke up and someone’s at the door.” She moved through the house, passing Erun as he padded down the hallway.

Her visitor banged on the door. Jerk.

“There seems to be an issue with Tabitha’s genetic material.”

“Is something wrong?” A tendril of fear worked its way into her blood.

“Yes, it is concerning because when compared with the Ujal databases it seems her
sire
is…”

The stranger on the other side of the door knocked
again
. Now he was an asshole. She flicked the lock and turned the knob, yanking the door open with a snarl on her lips. “What?”

And then she froze. Sece continued to speak in her ear, telling her something about Tabby and her
sire
and how it was a miracle and she wasn’t sure how…

But Vanessa couldn’t wrap her mind around the female’s words. Not when she stared at a face she knew as well as her own. She should. She’d stared at it for years. Stared at it during their first date. Stared at it on their wedding day. Stared at it as life left its eyes…

“I saw you die,” she whispered. Shock forcing her to remain immobile. Sece continued to babble. Something about genetic material and Faim and… “I held your hand and watched you die.”

The smirk was new. The curl of his lip, too. The eyes were harsh, not soft and smiling like she remembered.

“And now I get to watch you. Only difference is you won’t wake up.”

Tabitha laughed, her giggle floating from the back of the house and followed by Erun’s deep muffled words. “Neither of you.” He pulled a gun from behind his back. A relic from the distant past when humans protected themselves with bullets and revolvers instead of phasers. She’d seen him use the weapon before, seen the holes it left in the practice targets. “Get her, and get rid of him.”

“Constantine, what’s going on?” The shock of his appearance, not just in her life, but physically as well, confused the hell out of her. “What… How…”

He reached for her, fisting her hair and wrenching her head back. He pulled back the hammer on the gun, the audible
click
sending a shiver of fear down her spine. “It’s Con, and what’s going on is I need to tidy up some loose ends. Shoulda stayed in Arizona, babe. You woulda lived a lot longer. Now you’re on his radar and I gotta deal with this. Get rid of him and get her.”

“What…” She grimaced through the pain. “What are you going to do to her?”

“Baby, what shoulda been done when he got rid of her whore of a mother. But he let me buy her for you because I was soft. Now those ends need tying. Get her or I’ll make it painful. For both of you.” He released her hair and shoved, sending her tumbling against the open door. It slammed into the wall, a booming crack filling the house.

The rapid thud of Erun’s run hit her a split second before she heard his voice. “Nessa?”

Con lifted the gun, pointing it at the hallway opening, and a maniacal smile graced his lips. “This is fun, too.”

Constantine Walker. Law officer. Loving husband. Doting father. Homicidal asshole going to kill her baby. She didn’t know what he’d gotten messed up in—it didn’t really matter—but he wouldn’t hurt her child.

Not while she still had breath in her body.

“Erun, run!” She shouted the words from deep within her soul, praying he listened as she jumped to her feet. Her yell drew Con’s attention, his eyes flashing in her direction, and she didn’t hesitate. She jumped, tackling him to the ground in one leap as she pummeled the man she used to love. Each punch fueled by her grief, the anger, and loneliness she’d experienced and the knowledge it was a lie.

Every. Fucking. Thing. Was a lie.

Her whole life?

It didn’t matter because one hit turned into another and another. She was a rabid animal, a protective beast, a ball of pure hate and rage and…

Nothing. Nothing because a loud crack filled the air, taking away the light and sending her plunging into… darkness.

In movies she’d seen, unconscious people always came around slowly with bleary eyes and unfocused vision. Reality for her was a blinding rush of awareness, a catapult from a blank existence to an overwhelming sense of feeling and motion.

And sound. Particularly the sound of Vanessa’s own voice. She’d been knocked out with her daughter in mind and came awake with Tabitha’s name on her lips. “Tabby!”

Hands reached for her, calluses scraping her bare skin, restraining her arms pressing her wrists to the soft mattress. She fought to open her eyes, bring the world around her into sight. She blinked rapidly, clearing away the last of her faint—coma? It didn’t matter what it was called. She hadn’t been there for Tabitha. That was her primary focus. Getting to Tabby.

Her gaze pinged around the room, taking in the white walls—the white everything—and the people crowded in the space. Then she shifted to the male restraining her. Yes. Male. An Ujal held her immobile. One particular Ujal.

“Erun,” she eased and allowed some of her tension to fade. If he was with her, beside her, there was no doubt Tabby was safe. He wouldn’t be with her if she was missing; he’d be out hunting the asshole who took her baby.

“
Lofei
, be easy. Tabby is well.” He knew exactly what to say to brush away the last remnants of her anxiety. “She is with Cara and Maris.”

Two females? What if Con came back? “But…”

“Their mates are there, along with Shon. Sece kicked out Niax so he is with them as well in the children’s area. They are safe.” He released her wrists. One hand trailed down her arm to snatch her hand while the other cupped her cheek. “I admit I am getting tired of saving you, Nessa.”

She forced a smile to her lips. “I’m tired of getting beat up, so we’re even.”

“We shall see about that.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “How do you feel?”

“Aching? Tired? What happened?”

He pulled back and she met his stare, unwilling to have her questions brushed aside. She knew others were in the room and had no doubt
one
of them could tell her what she needed to know, but she wanted the words from Erun.

“Your hus—” he snapped his mouth shut and glared. “I will not call him your husband. He was never fit for the title.” His stare dared her to disagree.

Why, when she had every reason to agree? “No, he wasn’t.”

Not when he’d paid for a child. Bought Tabby off the street like she was
property
.

“You attacked Constantine because you believed Tabitha and me to be in danger.” His glare deepened. “Never do such a thing again. I have fought meaner, stronger, males in the sphere and survived. A single human is no hardship.”

“He had a gun.” She felt the need to point out the obvious and ignored the snort that came from the other side of the room.

“He had what amounted to a water pistol as far as I am concerned; it was that inconsequential. Do you think such a thing would injure me? Rhal nearly cut off my arm and I still left him hardly able to swim.” He tilted his head to the side and his glare turned into a speculative narrowing of his eyes. “I would have won the match but Leox called it due to the sphere being too filled with blood to enjoy the show.”

Vanessa furrowed her brow. “Seriously?”

“No, he is a liar. I was clearly winning the match. I—”

Erun released her and spun on Rhal. His scales didn’t appear, but she sensed his emotions, the way they twisted and turned in unending turmoil. He lashed out at his friend because he was stressed by the drama she brought to his table.

“We will see who—”

She leaned forward and grasped his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Erun?”

His mouth snapped shut with an audible click and then he focused on her once more. “
Lofei
, I am sorry.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I’m sorry. You didn’t sign up for any of this and it’s driving you crazy. You nearly went after Rhal over something so stupid—”

“Battle is never stupid.”

“—because my life has stressed you out. Thank you for being here for me, but maybe it’s best if Rina and Tave take care of me from now on. I can’t expect you to—”

Then he was gone again, and this constant up-down was making her insane. She couldn’t imagine he enjoyed it either. But at least he left immediately instead of drawing goodbyes out. He had his back to her once more, and she had to admit she’d miss him. Not that she had him for long, but she liked what she’d experienced at his hands. Even with the whole throat slitting and being knocked out by her ex stuff.

“Everyone
out!
” His yell boomed off the walls. Had he decided to take everyone with him?

“But…” Sece.

“We must know…” Tave.

“You can’t make me…” And Rina.

“No, my mate needs rest and I must reassure her that her poor choice in males is not her fault and it has not changed my feelings.” No one moved; not a hint of any of them leaving. “
Out!
”

Sece was persistent. “You must tell her of—”

“Many may not believe me to be an honorable male, Sece, but I am. I will tell her everything we have discussed but we will do it alone and without an audience.”

More quiet and then the soft shuffle of shoes on tile reached her ears. Before long the doors swished shut, leaving them alone.

And she wasn’t sure how to feel about her and Constantine.
Poor choice in males?
He wasn’t a gold-plated man trophy or anything and she’d chosen him, hadn’t she?

Had she chosen him?

Yes. The moment they kissed. The moment she knew his love for her child nearly equaled her own. The moment she depended on him to save Tabby from Con.

She’d chosen him.

Erun’s shoulders slumped for a moment before he straightened once more and resumed his position. She realized she was back in the medical room she’d occupied once before—or one very similar. Which meant he sat in a wholly uncomfortable metal chair beside the large bed she rested on. Once more he held her hand, cradling it between his large palms and he stared at where they were joined, not saying a word as he focused on where they touched.

“Erun?”

“I do not know where to start.”

She ran her fingers along his palm, taking comfort in the uneven texture of his battle-hardened skin. “Start with what happened at the house. After I attacked Con.”

“I have never been more frightened in my life,” his voice was rough and the words were hardly a whisper. He lifted his head, eyes boring into hers. “I have fought hundreds of men, killed some, maimed others, and nearly lost my head to more than a few. Through it all, even being discarded by my
dam
and left to be beaten… I was never as scared as I was at that moment.” He shook his head. “I do not mean to say your experience with the false-priest was not worrying, but I did not feel then what I feel now.”

He trembled and she was quick to reassure him. “I’m okay. I’m here.”

“I have decided you are mine. You must come to terms with this.”

She rolled her eyes. “Erun…”

“No,
lofei
. It is done. I may not be your ideal mate, but I am better than Constantine Walker by a large margin. I will care for you. I will keep you safe. I will love our youngling.”

Somehow they’d gotten off track. “There’s more to a mating than taking care of someone, Erun.”

He frowned. “I will take care of you, but I also care
for
you, Nessa.”

She let that soak in a moment. “Care for me?”

“Of course.”

She shook her head. “There’s no of course about it. We hardly know one another.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Did you know Tabitha when she was placed in your arms?”

“Of course not, but—”

“And yet you loved her, did you not?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then it is done. I care for Tabby. I care for you and I cannot spend another moment without you belonging to me.” He huffed. “Now, when you attacked—”

She squeezed his fingers. “You’re talking about the kind of love I don’t have anymore. I thought I gave that kind of love to Con and he took it to his grave even if he’s walking around right now.”

“You cannot love him. He is trash.” His eyes blazed purple.

“I’m not saying I do
now
. I’m saying when we were together, I loved him. I loved him and I love Tabby and…” She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. “I just don’t know if I have any love left in me.”

“
Lofei
…” he whispered the endearment.
Sweetheart
. The word sent a warmth through her blood. “I am not worried about your love. When the time comes, I will love enough for both of us.”

Her eyes stung with the emotion, filling with tears, and she blinked them back. Now wasn’t the time for crying. She’d cried more since moving to Tampa than she had in a year. “Okay.”

“Okay.” He jerked his head in a nod. “Good. We will not discuss this again.”

“Okay.”

“You jumped on Constantine—I will not have you calling some other male a love name and especially not him. You no longer love him.” He stared at her until she nodded her agreement. She kinda liked this possessive side of him. “You beat him and shouted with each punch, ordering me to take our youngling to safety. It was not hard to place her out of sight and demand she remain in place. She is a good child who does as she’s told.”