Return of the Ascendant (The Ascendant Series) (11 page)

Chapter 18

On the drive home, Ty wondered about the woman Kyr thought she’d seen in the store. He knew humans wore sunglasses for all kinds of reasons, so it might have meant nothing. But he also knew of other types of beings who wore them out of necessity, including those whose planet neighbored Alametria.

V’larians.

That thought in and of itself wasn’t too concerning. V’laria was a peaceful planet. Alametria engaged in commerce with them, and they had often allied against the Shelvaks in battles throughout their planets’ histories. What was strange was the idea of a V’larian on Earth. If there was one, there would be more, and they rarely ventured outside of their home galaxy. They would have no reason to be here.

His eyes moved briefly to Kyr, whose troubled gaze was fixated on the passing scenery.
Then again…
he thought.

He needed time to wrap his head around this. It wasn’t as though the V’larians had given him any reason to suspect they would harm Kyr. In fact, the more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed that Kyr had seen a V’larian.

So why were his instincts shouting at him?

They arrived at the house a short time later. No one had followed them. He parked and helped Kyr out of the car, grabbing the few bags they’d brought home. Sem opened the front door as they approached.

All clear?
Ty thought.

Boring as a philosophy lecture around here
, Sem returned. Out loud, he asked, “Did you buy me some Hostess Cupcakes?”

Kyr smiled as they all walked into the house. “Of course. Do they have all of these wonderful processed foods on Alametria?”

“Far from it,” Sem said. He followed Ty into the kitchen and started rummaging through the bags until he found the box of treats. “I’ve got to indulge while I can.”

Ty helped Kyr remove the few food items they’d purchased and handed Sem a bag with his new things. Glancing at Kyr, he asked, “Do you want to get changed?”

“Yes. I think I’m going to break down and shower, too.”

Not commenting, Ty handed her the two remaining bags so his hands were free and then led the way down the hallway. As expected, each room they passed was empty. They entered the room they’d been using and Kyr put the bags on the bed, sorting them into her things and his.

“I’d normally wash these before wearing them,” she said as she held up a blue T-shirt, “but I think anything would be cleaner than what I’ve got on. What are the odds of us getting transitioned while I’m in the shower?”

“I have no idea.”

She sighed. “With my luck, this will definitely be the fifteen minutes during which they fix whatever’s broken up there. Oh, well. I can’t take it anymore.”

He didn’t respond since she had carried her bag into the bathroom and closed the door. Dumping the last bag onto the comforter, he began pulling tags off the few clothing items he’d procured. He allowed himself to tune into her thoughts while he did.

Their efforts to bring forth her memories had worked well. The barrier was much thinner now, allowing him more access to her thoughts if he really tried. They had also helped her remember more of their past. He sensed how her feelings towards him were almost constantly shifting and strengthening. In very little time, she had progressed from physical attraction to something more. It thrilled him and worried him at the same time. When they got back to Alametria…

He shook his head. There wasn’t anything he could do about that right now.

Kyr’s voice rose above the shower water, a clear, lovely sound. Today she sang about being brave. Rather appropriate, he thought. Her mind was largely on the song’s lyrics, so he stopped focusing on her thoughts and enjoyed the singing itself.

Once she was done showering and changing, he sent her to the family room with Sem and jumped into the shower himself. He was cleaned and changed within five minutes.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Neither he nor Sem spotted any other signs of anyone or anything trespassing on the property. None of their trackers gave any indication the Alametrian ship was ready to transition them. By eleven o’clock, he escorted Kyr to bed.

“I really hope we’re not stranded here forever,” she said as she climbed into bed after brushing her teeth. “Sem’s credit card does have a limit.”

Ty rinsed his mouth and dried his face before replying. “We won’t be here that long. Even if the ship had a serious malfunction that they can’t repair without aid, another Alametrian ship would be dispatched to help.”

“The planet is close, then?”

He shook his head as he joined her in the bed, staying on top of the comforter. “No, but there will be ships not too far away. We generally have a few hundred ships around the galaxies at any given time.”

“Oh.” She moved closer to him once he was settled and laid her head on his chest. “Do you always sleep fully clothed?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” she said again.

“I need to be ready in the event I must protect you.”

Tilting her head so she could look into his eyes, she said, “That’s too bad. I was hoping to see you without your shirt on.”

He was sure he hadn’t hidden his surprise when she grinned at him. Shaking his head, he pulled her tighter against his side and deliberately closed his eyes.

“Sleep,” he ordered.

Quite surprisingly, she did.

Even he managed to doze. His brain remained in the semi-alert state hovering between awareness and deep sleep. It didn’t give him the restorative rest his body needed, but it helped sharpen his mental acuity and keep him aware enough to sense immediate danger.

Just after midnight, Kyr moaned softly in her sleep. She stirred restlessly against him. Worried she was having a nightmare, he tuned into her consciousness.

And found himself in the middle of an erotic dream.

They were kissing on the bed. Neither of them wore clothes. Her hands were all over him.

The responsible part of his brain warned him to back away from the dream. These were Kyr’s innermost desires. It was a form of intrusion for him to monitor them this way. It was another thing entirely to participate.

That part of his brain warred with the part that had craved Kyr for years. Knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her was a heady jolt to his system.

Back off
, his mind told him.

You can’t have her in reality
, his body protested.
Have her here!

Although it nearly killed him, he slowly eased his consciousness from hers. This was wrong, and he knew it.

Then her hand moved to his groin in the dream at the same time it drifted down his body in reality. A bolt of lust nearly brought him off the bed. Light scored the backs of his eyelids as his damned arms joined his responsible mind in warning him off.

Shut the hell up
, he silently growled, and delved right back into the dream.

“Ty,” she breathed as their mouths separated. “Is this real?”

“My desire for you is very real, Kyr.”

She gifted him with one of her beautiful smiles before he once again claimed her mouth. He loved the taste of her. It absolutely defied description. Their tongues mated, slowly and then with more urgency. He supported his weight on his forearms as she writhed beneath him. Her nails scored his back.

“Kyr,” he breathed, moving from her mouth to her sensitive earlobe. “You’ll be the death of me.”

“Ty.”

His lips trailed from her earlobe to the side of her neck. The further along her body he progressed, the louder her moans became. Because he was joined with her consciousness, he felt what she felt. He sensed what brought her pleasure, which made his own pleasure spike to unimaginable heights.

When he reached her breasts, he paused for a moment just to enjoy the view. She had a lovely body. He wanted to worship it.

She lifted her hips and made urgent sounds in the back of her throat, encouraging him. Her obvious desperation made his hunger for her reach an agonizing state. At last, he took one of her nipples into his mouth.

“Ty!”

Her passionate reaction sent another blast of desire through him. He wasn’t going to last much longer at this rate.

“Ty, please,” she begged.

His body screamed at him to take her, to make her his even if only in a dream. He knew that would be a gross misuse of his abilities, though. Still, he wasn’t going to leave her in such a heated state.

Lowering himself along her body, he fully parted her thighs and, with no warning at all, used his tongue on her. She cried out and bucked against him. Using her reactions to guide him, he found the right spot and applied the right pressure.

She came apart, shouting his name as ecstasy consumed her.

Chapter 19

An alarm sounded, jerking Kyra out of the incredible dream.

She sat up as Ty threw himself out of the bed. His arms were glowing, she realized, but fading rapidly as the alarm rang through the house. Her mind was slow to catch on, too dazed from the dream to react.

“Ty!” Sem called from the other side of the door.

Ty pulled on his shoes before striding to the door and opening it. “It’s a proximity sensor,” he said. “Something set it off.”

Fear finally found its way into Kyra’s fogged brain. She staggered out of the bed. Ty turned and looked at her, his gaze brushing over her pajamas.

“We need to find out what set the alarm off. Put your clothing on.”

She didn’t even think to argue. She grabbed the first clothes she could find and tugged them on right over her pajamas. Her heart thudded heavily against her breastbone. She forced herself to calm down. Ty was there. Everything would be okay.

The room plunged into darkness.

Sem cursed. Panic sat at the base of Kyra’s throat like a cat about to pounce. Were they going to be transitioned? Had the Shelvaks found them? Was there another threat altogether? What about the lady at Walmart?

Where the hell were her shoes?

Spotting them under the window, she ran over to pick them up.

“No!” Ty shouted.

Glass exploded around her. Shards nicked her skin, her scalp getting the brunt of it since she was bent over. She didn’t even have time to scream before she was grabbed and yanked out of the now glassless window.

Confusion reigned. She felt weightless for one breathless instant, then she hit something solid. Pain smacked her upper body like a belly flop, but she was standing. All of the air left her lungs. Her vision was briefly tinged with red.

It was too dark to see much of anything. The house looked impossibly far away. How could she have gotten so far?

The light swords—de’llums—wielded by Ty and Sem flashed in the distance, but she knew the guys would never reach her in time to save her.

Oh, God
, she thought as she struggled for air.
I’m going to die here. I just got Ty back and I’m going to die!

No the hell you’re not!

She wasn’t sure if that was her own thought or Ty’s, but it gave her the strength to push past her pain and try to figure out what was going on.

As her eyes adjusted to the shadows, she realized she was surrounded. There was no questioning that the Shelvaks had found them, as her attackers were all over seven feet tall and wearing black.

Cold hands grabbed her upper arms. A whimper escaped her throat.

You know how to defend yourself, damn it,
that voice shouted at her.
Do it!

Drawing on her recently resurfaced memories, she allowed instinct to take over. Whipping her hands up and out, she broke the hold on her arms. She followed that up with an elbow to the Shelvak’s midsection and a kick to its knee.

Even as that Shelvak released her, another one grabbed her. She took its gloved hand and whirled, bending it at an unnatural angle. It backed away.

Two more took its place.

How many?
she thought wildly.
How many more?

She dropped to the ground before the two newcomers could take hold of her. Kicking furiously, she aimed for their knees. One of them faltered, but the other one gripped her leg. He yanked her up with unnatural strength, making her cry out. She again flew through the air. A scream lodged in her throat, never making it past her paralyzed vocal chords. She watched helplessly as an even larger group of Shelvaks caught her.

Something felt like it tore when she landed hard against one of the armored enemies. Pain blasted through her ribcage. She wanted to give voice to her agony, but had no air left to do so. Her body crumpled against the Shelvak like a deflated balloon.

“Kyr!”

Ty’s frantic shout reached her. It somehow cut through her terror and pain and made her remember the device he’d given her. The luvesta.

Dear, Lord…which jeans had she put on?

Before the Shelvak could pin her arms, she felt around in her pocket. Elation soared through her when she felt the hard surface of the luvesta. Grasping it, she pulled it out of her pocket.

Push the button!
she thought urgently, fumbling with it.

She heard the light whoosh of sound just before a Shelvak weapon struck her. A scream ripped from her throat as the weapon sank into her shoulder blade. She tried to tighten her hold on the device, but the injury left her with no feeling in her hand. Her last chance for salvation flew somewhere into the darkness.

Burning such as she’d never felt before licked at her skin like acid. She sank slowly to the ground. The darkness around her started closing in.

Turning her head, she thought she saw a pale figure just between two of the Shelvaks. She had to be hallucinating. The figure looked remarkably like the woman from Walmart.

Just as unconsciousness claimed her, the forest lit up like the dawn.

* * *

Her vision blurred when she tried to open her eyes. She felt herself lifted and carried, then set on a soft surface. The couch? The bed?

Voices reached her, but the words didn’t register. Her shoulder felt as though it was on fire, consuming her every thought. She wanted to go back into the blissful darkness. No more pain…

“Kyra…Ma’jah Kyr. Stay with me.”

Sem’s voice. Where was Ty?

Pressure was applied to her shoulder. She cried out in agony. Her eyes opened and met Sem’s. He looked like the one in pain. His face was pale. Sweat beaded on his brow. Sem never lost his cool.

Hot moisture gathered in her eyes. Tears leaked down the sides of her face, wetting the hair at her temples. She remembered what had happened during their transition attempt when the begothia had only scored her skin. This time, it had actually punctured her flesh.

“I’m dying,” she said, her voice a hoarse whisper.

“No, you’re not,” he argued, his dark brows drawn. “You’re too stubborn for that.”

She didn’t want to think about what he was doing to her shoulder. His grim expression told her that things weren’t looking good, despite what he’d said. It was all she could do not to scream.

Letting her head fall to the side, she finally found Ty. He stood a short distance away, talking to three people wearing dark sunglasses…two men and the woman from Walmart. The strangers were all much shorter and slimmer than Ty. From the look of things, he was giving them the third degree.

“Are they the Men in Black?” she asked. The words came out sounding like a frog’s croak.

Sem paused for a moment, as if trying to understand the reference. Then he issued a surprised laugh. “No,” he said. “They’re V’larians.”

The name rang a bell in her deep consciousness. V’laria was a friendly planet neighboring Alametria. She had recovered a few memories involving her parents discussing business dealings with them.

“I’m not sure what they’re doing here,” Sem said as he lifted the towel he held from her injury. A shudder ran through her. “But the trackers have lit up. The V’larians must have somehow helped our ship reestablish communications. They saved your life.”

She battled back nausea as another wave of pain hit her, and quickly looked back at Ty. She couldn’t read anything in his expression. Why wouldn’t he look at her? Why wasn’t he the one helping her?

Following her gaze, Sem once again applied pressure to her wound and said, “It’s curious that Ty didn’t sense the intruders before the alarm went off. His instincts are supposed to be particularly tuned into things like that.”

An image of Ty’s glowing forearms as she woke from her dream flashed through her mind. She knew then exactly why he hadn’t sensed the intruders. She also knew why he was avoiding her now.

She was too much of a distraction for him to do his job.

An excruciating spasm ratcheted through her. Her teeth ground against each other as her back bowed. There was no way she was going to survive this.

You have to survive
, her subconscious yelled at her.
How do you think Ty will feel if you die because of what you two shared in that dream?

She knew her subconscious was right, but the pain was too much. With Sem shouting at her to stay with him, she succumbed to the darkness.