Manipulating Mikey (First Wave Book 8) (12 page)

Mikey sighed, feeling like a weight
had been lifted. He hadn’t realized that he had been worried about being left
alone in the world. There was a lot to be said for the beneficial emotional
effects of knowing that someone would be there for you if you needed them.

“Thanks, Grai. I really do
appreciate that and everything you’ve done for me. I know I’ve acted like an
ungrateful ass . . . it’s just a lot to take in. I don’t know where I fit in
the world anymore, or if I ever belonged at all,” Mikey admitted, feeling
surprisingly better after he did.

Grai chuckled and gave Mikey a
friendly slap on the back.

“I am very familiar with that exact
same feeling. Tell me, what is it you wanted to do with your life prior to
having your world literally crash around you?”

Mikey looked up at Grai.

“I wanted to help people. To save
the world,” Mikey said, a little embarrassed that he was so naïve just a month
ago.

“Well, you’ve been here less than a
month and you’ve already taken out a cartel and the lieutenant colonel who
tortured you and who knows how many of our people. Sounds to me like you’ve
made a pretty good dent in your goals,” Grai said with a grin.

Mikey stopped short as he
considered what Grai said. He hadn’t looked at it that way.

“What could I do here if I stayed?”
Mikey asked, trying to convince himself he only wanted to know his options.

“Anything you want,” Grai assured
him. “If you want to be on a mission team, we’ll get you in training so you
can. If you want to be a shopkeeper or a medic, we can arrange that too. You’re
too hard on yourself. Try to relax and just learn what goes on among our
people. You may be surprised at what you find out.”

Mikey couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’ve been surprised since the
moment I saw that craft in the forest, and the hits keep coming,” he said with
a shake of his head.

“The world can do that to you no
matter what reality you choose to believe,” Grai replied.

“You’re right about that. Do you
think anyone would mind if I stayed a while and tried to figure things out?”
Mikey asked hesitantly, his thoughts on Lauren. He really couldn’t blame her if
she wanted him gone.

Grai shook his head.

“Most of the hybrids here have been
in your shoes, and they understand what you’re going through. No one will judge
you based on your decision, only how you treat them while you’re here.”

“Yeah,” Mikey said with a snort. “I
think I blew it with a few people.”

“You’d be surprised at how
forgiving people can be if you give them a chance,” Grai suggested, knowing
that Mikey was referring to Lauren.

“So,” Mikey said, wanting to change
the subject. “What is it you want me to look at?”

“In the video footage of that day
in Colorado, you found the secondary break up of my brother’s pod. I was
wondering if you’d mind looking at the rest of the footage we have of that
night and seeing if you can tell where the other section of the pod may have
gone,” Grai asked hopefully.

“Of course,” Mikey said without
hesitation. “Where’s the footage? I’ll start looking through it now.”

“I’m very grateful. Thank you. I
sent the footage to your comm. I need to go right now, but there’s an
artificial intelligence in the comm that will help you not only learn how to
use the comm, but also find the files and view them,” Grai explained.

“Yeah, I’m getting pretty good at
the computers around here. Thanks, Grai, for everything. I’ll do my best to
find something for you,” Mikey said, wanting to repay the man for saving his
life. More than once now.

Grai turned and laid a hand on
Mikey’s shoulder.

“Just relax. If you have questions,
ask anyone here anything, and they’ll be honest with you. Other than past and
ongoing missions, you have access to all of our files and can learn anything
you want. True knowledge will give you answers. If you find anything, call me
on the Shengari’ no matter the time. In fact, if you have any questions, call
me,” Grai said before turning and heading towards the portal.

Mikey watched him disappear from
sight and pulled the comm device out of his pocket. He turned to see if anyone
was around, and when he saw a few people he moved in the opposite direction
towards the large lake.

He’d gone about half a mile when he
sat on the lush grass and looked at the screen of the comm. With one last look
around to make sure no one was in hearing distance, Mikey asked his first
question.

“Can you explain the mating thing
to me?” he whispered aloud.

“Yes, Mikey, I can,” came the
electronic response.

*****

Lauren paced her room at Base Beta.
It’d been hours since they’d returned from the jungle, and she hadn’t seen or
spoken to Mikey since their return. She wasn’t even sure where he was, but she
knew he was around. She could feel him. 

She threw herself on her bed in
frustration, exhausted from the overly emotional 24 hours she’d just gone
through. Staring at the ceiling, she ran through everything that had happened.

Lauren recalled—in horrifying
detail—the moment she had turned in the bunker and had seen the boy’s dark,
evil eyes staring at her body. She’d shivered in fear, looking between the
boy’s lascivious gaze to the machete he held in his hand, pointed at her
abdomen.

He’d spoken slowly enough for the
translator to clearly interpret that he intended to rape her then kill her.
He’d smiled before wondering aloud if he should make her watch him butcher the
unconscious children or kill her first so he could take his time carving them
up. Her stomach had heaved, and she’d been frozen in terror.

Then he’d demanded to know what was
going on outside and had cackled with glee and hoped that they killed off his
father and all of his men. He’d tried to get his father’s men to switch their
loyalty to him, but he lamented that they were too fearful of him and preferred
his father.

He’d led her outside, only to see
everyone standing around and he’d panicked. The young man had whispered in her
ear that she was going to be his shield out of there then they’d pick up where
they left off.

Lauren closed her eyes and shook
her head, trying to shake off the overwhelming fear she’d felt. She’d never
felt so helpless, so scared, in her life. Even when Grai’s people had stormed
Fiorn’s Folly, she’d never truly been frightened. She’d been confident that the
hybrids wouldn’t harm one another.

But that boy. Young man
. . . she
thought, correcting herself.

That young man was the most
frightening thing she’d ever encountered, and she couldn’t imagine how many
suffered at his demented hands.

Lauren knew that countless people
were going to be safe now that he was dead, but the doctor part of her
struggled with how easily Mikey and Blade made the decision to kill him. She’d
listened to her beast, Lola, make countless excuses for it, and a part of her
she never knew existed agreed with what they had done.

She hated to admit it, but Blade
was right; she’d been living in her own delusions. As much as Mikey fought against
joining them in their world, she was refusing to see the outside world as it
really was because she never had to be exposed to it.

The times she’d left one of their
secured bases, she’d gone to high end areas, to expensive restaurants and
stores. She’d never gone to a big box store and shopped alongside those who
lived paycheck to paycheck. She’d never seen anyone have to put items back in
order to pay for everything.

Oh, she’d heard of it and seen it
on the news. But it never really dawned on her just what an arrogant snob she’d
become. It was real easy to judge those who didn’t walk around with armed
guards while living in a fortress. It was a lot harder to face the monster
she’d become and find a way to fix it.

Too worked up to lay down or sleep,
Lauren stood and walked out of her room and outside, taking a deep breath of
fresh air as she looked around at the empty streets. It was late, and even
though the second sun shone 24/7, the inhabitants followed the closest time
zone. 

She moved off the path and let her
bare feet sink into the lush grass as she wandered aimlessly towards the lake.
She knew she needed to apologize to Mikey, and as much as it killed her to
admit it, Blade deserved an apology too. She only hoped that both men would be
gracious about it; her emotions were a little too raw for anything heavy.

Having almost died several times in
one day apparently can do that to you,
she thought sarcastically.

She ran her hands over her arms and
tried to calm the jitters she’d felt since they arrived at Base Beta as she
walked. The doctor part of her realized she was a little in shock and crashing
from all the adrenaline, but she couldn’t seem to stop replaying it all in her
mind.

Lauren wondered how any of her
people or even the human soldiers dealt with that kind of fear, shock, and
adrenaline every day. Not to mention the killing—no matter the reason. It was
exhausting and mentally and emotionally devastating. She could easily see how
post-traumatic stress disorder ran rampant through the humans and some of their
own hybrids.

They’re stronger than I will ever
be
,
she thought, wishing she’d tried harder to understand it better before now. She
could easily repair the physical wounds, but understanding the mental ones
affecting her warrior patients had alluded her understanding . . . until now.

It’s a shame all those snobs like
her didn’t have to spend some time seeing what the real world was like without
their money, armed guards, walls, and influence. She could think of quite a few
unrealistic nut jobs who could more than use the same wakeup call she’d gotten.

Chapter
Twelve

Mikey was brought out of his own
thoughts when he heard a sound to his right, and his vision immediately changed
to allow him to see who it was through the shrubs and trees. He panicked and
stood up. He tried out several casual poses before sitting back down and trying
out a few more. He gave up with a sigh and looked up when she rounded the
bushes.

“Hey, what are you doing up so
late?” Mikey asked, unsure what to say.

Lauren looked momentarily surprised
before she gave him a small smile.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Lauren admitted
before sitting down across from him.

Mikey nodded his head in
understanding. He’d had his fair share of sleepless nights after one too many
close calls. Or when things ended badly for them after a mission. He sat in
silence, figuring she needed her own thoughts right now.

“I’m sorry I freaked out like I
did,” Lauren admitted.

Mikey just nodded his head in
understanding.

“I understand how shocked you must
have been. No one can ever prepare you for the things you have to do. You just
have to trust what you know and your instincts,” he said softly, trying not to
upset her.

“I had a crash course in the real
world,” Lauren said with a sigh. “I can’t say I’m proud of what I saw in myself
either.”

Mikey was really curious now.

“What do you think you saw?”

Lauren blushed, unwilling to reveal
so much.

“Just more than I wanted to face at
one time. Are you doing OK? Healing OK from the incision on your . . . um . . .
the incision,” she finally got out, blushing to her roots.

“Yeah, I’m glad I heal fast,” Mikey
said with a grin. “You doing all right?”

Lauren looked up at the aurora
above them and pushed aside all the things crowding her mind at the moment.

“Yeah, I’m OK.”

They sat in silence for a while,
each looking to the sky when Mikey turned to her.

“Tell me about yourself. I don’t
know anything about you. How old are you?”

“I’m 85,” Lauren said, and wished
she hadn’t when she saw the shocked look on Mikey’s face.

He pulled himself together and
sucked in a breath before grinning at her.

“Boy, you really like them young.
If the situation were reversed somebody’d be trying to put my ass in jail!” he
teased.

Lauren blushed again and dropped
her eyes to the ground in front of her.

“Hey,” Mikey said, sensing her
upset. “I was just teasing. I know you . . . we, our people, live longer than
regular . . . the humans. Damn, you know what I mean. I still can’t seem to
remember that they are humans and I am a hybrid,” Mikey said with a boyish grin
and shake of his head.

Lauren smiled. She was still
embarrassed, but she was surprised and grateful that he tried to make things
easier for her. She knew from the military files they’d hacked on Mikey that he
was 27 years old but saw no need to bring up the age difference between them
again.

Mikey cleared his throat.

“I didn’t mean to offend you.
Again. I seem to have a perfect record of putting my foot in my mouth when I
get around you,” he said with a shrug. “I’m not sure if it’s because you’re so
beautiful or if it’s the way I feel like my veins have come alive and my blood
is pulling me towards you . . . that came out a little more gruesome than it
intended.”

Lauren looked over at Mikey’s
grimace and burst out laughing.

“You have a very colorful way of
wording things,” Lauren said, still grinning at how he tumbled over his words.

Mikey sighed and pulled himself to
his feet. He looked down at Lauren with a smile and held out his hand to her.

“How about we go for a walk,” he
offered, hoping like hell that she would take his hand and give him a chance.

Lauren slipped her hand in his and
both of them were a little surprised at the energy jolt they got from the
contact. It felt like being snapped by unusually strong static electricity.

“Does that mean we’re allergic to
each other?” Mikey asked with a confused grin.

Lauren stood quickly and pulled her
hand from his.

“It’s our energy. Um . . . people
like us . . . our energies begin to sync with one another and form a
connection. It’s a natural thing among our people,” Lauren explained, trying
not to freak him out.

Mikey nodded his head, trying to
remember what he’d read about energy when he was reading the children’s
history, but for the life of him he couldn’t think with her so close.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand
it at all. Maybe you can explain it better,” he suggested, hoping she would.
Not just so he’d understand it, but so she’d stay with him a little while
longer.

“We were brought up with the
Valendran belief that All Father created a mate for each of us. The other half
of ourselves. It is said that is why our energies begin to intertwine when we
meet. It is the All Father’s way of ensuring that we don’t pass one another
unknowingly and miss the chance at the happiness he wanted for us,” Lauren
explained, knowing that she’d skated around the question and revealed much more
than she had wanted to.

Mikey turned and smiled at her.

“I was wondering if a God fit into
any of this. I was raised Christian, and all of this new information was really
messing with me,” he admitted.

The last thing he wanted to do now
was say something stupid that would upset her, especially when she was opening
up to him.

“Of course there’s a God. Evolution
and science can never explain everything. There are too many mysteries and
amazing things that even we, with all of our technology and science, can’t
explain,” Lauren said, feeling safe talking about that particular subject.

“Lauren, I’m sorry I’ve been such a
jerk. I know I haven’t handled any of this well, and I shouldn’t have taken it
out on you or anyone else for that matter,” Mikey said, hoping she’d forgive
him.

“You don’t need to apologize. I
don’t think either of us has handled this well. At least you have an excuse
since you were basically yanked out of your world and thrust into ours,” Lauren
admitted, averting her eyes from his and looking out over the crystal clear
lake.

Mikey chuckled and looked out over
the water as well.

“You’re being kind. I haven’t
handled anything. At all. I’ve stumbled around and made a mess of things
though. You guys must think I’m ungrateful or something, the way I’ve acted.
Maybe I’m at the dumb spectrum of our people. That could be that DNA difference
you noticed,” Mikey said with a teasing grin.

Lauren shook her head.

“There is no dumb among any people,
only different ranges of understanding and evolution. I finally tried looking
at it from your point of view, and I can’t say I would have acted any
differently in your place. All of this,” Lauren said gesturing around them. “Is
a lot to take in when you don’t know that something exists besides what you’re
force fed through education, the news, and the governments.”

Mikey snorted and nodded his head.

“You got that right. I had no idea
how deep the suppression of information was and how much effort was going into
covering everything up. It’s mind boggling to think of how many lies are being
perpetrated against the world about aliens, UFOs . . . and to find out I’m an
actual alien was a little hard to take. How do the other found hybrids like me
deal with it?” he asked, truly curious how to fix this all in his mind.

Lauren looked over at him sadly,
wishing she knew the answer.

“I think it’s different for
everyone. Most of those I know of, who are mostly Grai’s people, they knew from
an early age. Either their parents were around long enough to explain things to
them or they were captives of the Relians and were told of who they were. I’ve
heard that Lara, one of the prime, was like you. She grew up with an adoptive
family and was also in the army. I can talk to her and see if she could come by
and tell you how she dealt with it,” Lauren offered, willing to do whatever it
took to help Mikey adjust and be happy.

“I’d ask what a prime is, but I
probably don’t want to know,” Mikey said with a grin. “But, I’d appreciate any
help she could give me.”

“Yeah, the prime are another
interesting group,” Lauren said. “But that’s definitely something even we are
still getting used to, so I’m not even going to try laying that on you.”

Mikey grabbed his head in his hands
and uttered a fake growl.

“Yeah, let’s not explode my brain
just yet,” he said before looking over at Lauren. “I really do appreciate all
you’ve done for me, even if I haven’t exactly showed it.”

“I know. How about we start over?”
Lauren suggested, hoping he’d want to try again.

“I think I’d be honored for you to
give me another chance,” Mikey said, feeling his head cool as he said it.

“Good! Come on, I’ll show you
around the lake,” Lauren offered with a smile as she stood and held her hand
out to him.

Mikey took her hand with a grin of
his own and allowed her to lead him towards the clear lake.

“This place is so amazing,” Mikey
whispered as they approached the almost magical lake.

“It is. It has its own unique
energy and it’s such a peaceful place,” Lauren agreed.

“Yeah . . . has um . . . anyone
seen anything weird around here?” Mikey asked, thinking of Emily.

Lauren looked at Mikey curiously,
wondering how much weirder he thought the place could get.

“I’m not sure. Can you give me an
example?”

Mikey looked away from her
penetrating blue gaze and studied the water.

“Nothing specific. Ghosts or
strange creatures . . . I don’t know. This place just seems like one of those
places where anything is possible,” Mikey said, not wanting to sound crazy. He
didn’t think crazy would encourage Lauren to give him another chance.

“There’s Indrid and his people,
they’re Hyperboreans. I told you about them after you met Indrid; they can
disappear into the wind. There’s Nessie who comes through a deep underwater
tunnel into the lake when she wants to. Our people of course, but other than
that, I’m not aware of anything like ghosts,” Lauren said, hoping she’d
answered his question.

She could definitely understand why
he’d asked though. He’d seen a lot of crazy things since he’d arrived, and she
figured he was wanting to make sure there wasn’t going to be any more surprises
in store for him.

Indrid’s cryptic words came to
mind, and she immediately dismissed Mikey’s question as something earth
shattering enough to call Indrid for.

“Nessie?” Mikey asked, pulling
Lauren a few steps back from the water.

“No, she wouldn’t hurt anyone,”
Lauren said with a grin as she pulled him back towards the lake. “She seems to
know that she’s safe here with us, and she’s great friends with the mammoths. I
think she’s lonely.”

“There’s only the one?” Mikey
asked, feeling sorry for the creature.

“We’re not really sure to be
honest. It could be a dozen different ones for all we know. We have heard of sightings
of her in Scotland when we could see her here in the lake. But we call them all
Nessie and leave them to their friendship with the mammoths,” Lauren explained,
wondering where the large creature was.

They walked in silence alongside
the lake for a while when Lauren turned to Mikey.

“Tell me about yourself. Did you
have nice parents? Were you a football jock in school?” she asked, curious to
learn more about him.

Mikey blushed and chuckled.

“No, I was never the jock type. I
decided when I was five I was going to be a soldier, so I joined ROTC the
second I could and stayed with them until I graduated. My adoptive parents were
beautiful people. They were loving and generous. They were killed in a car accident
the week after I graduated from high school. I buried them then joined the
army,” Mikey said as an image of his mom and dad flashed through his head, and
he felt the pain of their loss over again.

“I’m so sorry, Mikey,” Lauren
gently squeezed his hand in support.

“Thanks,” Mikey replied, his mind
on his parents and what his dad would think of all of this.

Mikey suddenly snorted before
barking out a laugh.

“What is it?” Lauren asked,
wondering what he was thinking about.

“I was just thinking about what my
dad would say about all this,” Mikey admitted with a grin.

“He wouldn’t believe it?” Lauren
asked.

Mikey laughed again.

“No, just the opposite. He’d
believe everything. He always thought there was more out there than anyone was
telling us about. I should have paid more attention when he talked about it
instead of thinking he was a little crazy, like most dads,” Mikey admitted with
a smile.