Selena
“This is our lifedome,” Tori announced as a pair of doors slid open.
The room beyond reminded me of Destima’s terrarium, but instead of a dome, it was covered by a cave ceiling, the walls dotted by holes. Aliens of Celyze’s species in various colors sat along the edges of the room. The ground was flat, devoid of any holes or formations. Multiple exits were available along the walls, each equipped with a walkway leading to the center of the cave. Every open space was filled with seating, decorated with a mass of plant life I had never seen before. A variety of aliens and humans played together in a pond off to the side.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
“It’s like a nature park,” I muttered, spinning around as I searched for any view of space. I frowned when I found nothing resembling a window or a retracting wall. “Why are we in a cave?”
“An asteroid,” Celyze corrected, peering over Tori’s head as he led us off the walkway onto an open, grassy field. “Originally, this asteroid base was designed as a secret halfway point between galaxies and used as a sorting station. Anyone the commanders saved from pirates who were kidnapping innocents from your galaxy was placed here until they determined how to proceed. Usually, we try to send refugees back to where they came from, but most were found in Cryopods and awakened past their time, so they needed somewhere to call home.
“The commanders have constructed a hidden base on a small tropical planet within their galaxy, beyond their Federation’s control, to be used as a sanctuary for those who were abducted and don’t have a place to live. That worked well up until about three and a half months ago, when the Federation invaded, stealing the refugees, raiding the Cryopod storage unit, and killing anyone who resisted.”
“What?” I halted, peering at the others going by their business, stunned that they somehow escaped such a disaster. “Why would your Federation want some harmless refugees?”
“That’s difficult to explain,” Celyze sighed, the fluttering of his wings speeding to a buzz. “The Verya are part of the Axxel Galactic Federation, and originally, our two commanders worked for a secret department within its government. They handled abductions and illegal sales of sentient species. Ever since your galaxy was discovered, pirates have been using the galactic war raging in our galaxy as a cover to kidnap lifeforms and auction them off for a hefty price. Since the CEG hasn’t defended their residents adequately, we had to catch whatever the pirates brought back once they entered our territory. We didn’t want to worry about pissing off a whole other galaxy’s government by chasing pirates past your galaxy’s boundaries. That is why we stay on our side of the universe and handle whatever happens here.
“Over time, the Federation has slowly abandoned the very values they were formed to protect in hopes of coming out ahead of both the Vhalxt and the Yaarkins. Our commanders began to distance themselves from the Federation once they started committing crimes they had always fought against. Until recently, the Federation never showed signs that they knew of our commanders’ undermining work.
“Once the Federation defeated the Yaarkins, they wanted to put all their resources into finding a way to defeat the Vhalxt, as well, and becoming our galaxy’s only ruling government. Gone were the rights and protections of the galaxy’s citizens and asylum seekers. If they believed your genetics were valuable to their cause, they would take you and harvest whatever they needed to create an army. After studying all the research they found on Yaarkins science vessels, the Federation decided to turn away from their original convictions to continue their experiments.”
“And what’s better than finding a haven filled with a wide array of species not native to this galaxy?” Tori rolled her eyes. “They were the reason I couldn’t return to Earth after I was captured. The Federation caught wind that humans can be a blank slate, easily re-designed and spliced with other species’ genes to create super soldiers to defeat their enemies.”
They didn’t need to know what I was. For now, they probably thought I was a hybrid product of a human bred with another species, not a demi-human crafted by one of their greatest enemies. I couldn’t let them use me as a template to fight against both the Federation and the Vhalxt. I needed to get back to my mates. They could fight their own battles without my involvement.
“You said you were originally from Earth?” I scanned Tori’s body, still finding no demi-human features. “How can that be?”
Tori bit her lip and shot a glance at Celyze. He nodded as a silent conversation passed between them and she released a deep breath.
“Yes, I come from Earth,” she muttered, fiddling with her hands. “Originally, I was abducted by the Vhalxt, who had mistaken me for a Swynemi—a delicacy for their kind—and tried to breed me with Celyze’s crew.” She shivered and Celyze wrapped an arm around her, kissing her forehead. “Celyze was able to reach out to the commanders for help, and they came to rescue us, along with others who were imprisoned on the Vhalxt’s pirate vessel. Somehow, mating a Swynemi has lengthened my lifespan, stalling my aging so that I look twenty-one even though I’m almost one hundred and forty-two.”
A pair ofthudsechoed behind us, catching my escorts’ attention. Spinning around, I crouched into a defensive stance, ready to fight whoever had decided it was wise to sneak up on me.
Standing tall with their green wings fluttering wildly stood two white-haired, emerald Swynemi dressed in nothing but a black loincloth like Celyze.
“Is everything all right?” the emerald-eyed male asked my companions. “We came as soon as possible.”
“Are you the one who’s supposed to save us?” The lavender-eyed male studied me with pursed lips. “You don’t look like much.”
“Luwyn!” Tori hissed, shoving the male. “You can’t say that!” She stepped between us and turned to me with arms wide, worry etched onto her face. “I’m sorry, Selena. Please, forgive his rudeness. Typically, he is better behaved.”
“Isn’t he the one who fights Zyxel for your honor?” I eyed the male in question. His lean, muscular body and pair of fragile, membraned wings didn’t impress me. My cubs had better natural defenses, and their adult fangs hadn’t even come in yet. I would bet credits that the three of them could take this cocky male in a solar flare. “My cubs look more dangerous than you. I’m more afraid of them accidentally clawing me than whatever you could do.”
Luwyn’s cocky smirk fell as laughter exploded from the other two males. Tori squinted as tears formed in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip but failed to stifle the escaping chuckles.
“Should I trust them?”
“Both newcomers mean no harm,”Vowels confirmed.“Celyze senses that you are more than human and is interested in what you are. The emerald-eyed one is curious about you and your relationship with Tori. Luwyn is protective of his mate and leery of change.”
“Haven’t the Stars told them?”I teased.“It seems like I’m the incarnation of change.”
“To answer your original question, I don’t know what you’ve heard I can do, but I haven’t agreed to anything.” Relaxing my stance, I crossed my arms as I studied the group’s sudden change in demeanor. All three males almost instinctively surrounded Tori as if they were suddenly wary of me. “Though he’s been a completeishing frax, Xenak has demanded that I heal his brother. Why should I? He has threatened my clan’s lives for the sake of someone I didn’t even know existed until recently.”
“Is it possible for us to move this conversation to our nest?” The emerald-eyed male’s wings stilled as he glanced around the room warily. “I don’t think we should have this discussion out in the open.”
“I agree,” Celyze replied, grabbing Tori’s hand. “Want me to carry you?”
Tori gave him a quick nod before biting her lip again as she glanced at me. “Are you willing to allow one of my mates to carry you to my clan’s nest?”
