Indigo Smith, devious and infamous Alpha criminal, didn’t hold a candle to the honorable, sweet human sheriff Wyatt Campbell, who had captured her heart long ago. How was she ever swayed by this dastardly gulag-bound alien?
“Maybe you aren’t as charming as you think you are,” she said, adopting a new attitude. He pulled her off the bed, but she struggled, doing her best to gain her freedom.
“Stop it!” Indigo yanked her up, grabbed both arms and squeezed. “Don’t fight me or you’ll be riding in the trunk of the car.”
“I don’t know why you think I should help you. You’re a gulag-bound criminal illegally loose on planet Earth. They aren’t going to let you free.”
“I have you to help me with that.”
“I’m not helping you.”
“Oh, but they will. You’re the only sister in your family and the youngest.” He grinned with certainty that he was accurate. Valene didn’t know how he knew so much about her, but suspected Daphne Charlene had something to do with it. Or perhaps he’d been given the information on Alpha-Prime before leaving. His ability to fog the minds of Alphas had likely given him all sorts of advantages over the years.
Valene dropped her head. He also had a point. Her brothers might do any number of things to ensure she was returned to them safely. “You’ll be free as soon as your brother brings me what I want.”
“Even so, Royal Magistrate Guardsmen will spend the rest of eternity hunting you down until you’re caught.”
He grinned. “Let them try. This planet is a wonder. Around every corner is a new hiding place and with my singular skills I’m not worried at all. I knew if I could get to Earth, I’d find a way to be free forever. This planet is spectacularly more perfect than I envisioned.”
Indigo opened the door. Valene yanked free of his hold and ran down a hallway toward the sound of a television. Maybe someone was here who could help her.
“Help!” Valene heard Indigo gaining on her as she took a sharp right-hand turn into a large area like a living room. Two people, an older man and woman, sat on a sofa watching a large flat-screen television.
“Help!” Neither of them even looked in Valene’s direction. The television show looked like a war movie and the sound was turned up rather loud.
“Help me!” she screamed again, making it into their field of view. They looked stoned. Wait. Were they even alive? She screamed again at the thought that he’d killed these poor old folks.
“Stop screaming.” Indigo put a hand over her mouth and whispered in her ear, “Settle down.”
“Did you kill them? Are they dead?”
“No. They are simply under my spell. For some reason you became immune after the first time I used my unique power on you. I still don’t know why.”
Valene straightened. She frowned and turned to him. “I don’t know what you have planned, but I will fight you every step of the way. You kidnapped me. Why would I help you?”
“Because if you don’t, these folks are expendable.”
“No.”
“You’re lucky I’m out of shackle stickers, Valene, or else I’d slap one on you again and make my permanent escape so much easier.” Ah-ha! She’d been shackled to bend her to his whims. That made sense. At least she hadn’t fallen for his charms. Had she?
“Permanent escape? How do you expect to do that?”
“No comment. Just because you are a part of my genius plan doesn’t mean I will let you in on all the specifics.”
“Genius plan?” Valene almost scoffed, but thought better of it. She was the one in handcuffs, not him. Maybe she should go along and try to thwart him later. That would be the smart plan.
“That’s right. I’m so much smarter than everyone I meet. A burden I alone must bear, but I figure that living the rest of my life here on Earth will be much easier than on Alpha-Prime and certainly a large step up from the most notorious gulag in three galaxies.”
“You’re really planning to stay on Earth?”
He opened his mouth as if to tell her, then paused. “You don’t really want to know my plan, do you?”
Valene frowned. “Maybe. Why?”
“If you know my plan, then either you’ll have to come with me willingly or I’ll have to use my unique skill on you to make you forget.” He snapped his fingers. “Wait. You’re immune to my skill.”
He stared at her. What might he do to keep her quiet? Maybe she didn’t want to find out.
