The Alien’s Reward by Luna Kingsley
Chapter 23
Vah’all
“Trust me,I have healed enough to fight. You know as well as I do the healing plaster works quickly.”
Stux’an’s expression is skeptical, but I will win this argument. The mission to rescue the women from the research laboratory leaves in eight hours and I won’t stay behind. Nothing can keep me from getting Sarah out of that place even if I must fly there myself.
“You were close to death, Vah’all. If I wasn’t there, they would’ve killed you.”
There are still aches and pains in my ribs when I move. The cut in the back of my wing is taking the longest to heal because it went untreated during my captivity. I can fly but when my wings extend initially, it’s painful. Though the gashes on my face have closed, they’re still puffy and sensitive to the touch. And yet, none of it compares to the pain I experience at the thought of something happening to Sarah before I can get to her. “You’ll always have my allegiance, Stux’an. You were there for me when I needed you. When I thought everyone had abandoned me. Know that you can count on me now and in the future. If I didn’t think I could handle this, I wouldn’t do it. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins to the point where I can barely sit still. I want to leave now. So, trust me when I tell you…I’ve got this.”
Kraal and Ondin enter the room, followed by Drocrek and another group of our warrior brothers. It’s still difficult to comprehend they’ve all made such a huge sacrifice to save me and now they’re doing the same for my woman. We all crowd in the room to review our plan to attack the lab and rescue the females. For now, we’ve created a barrier around our military compound that we’re capable of defending from the “others.” To get to the lab, we’ll need to leave the safety of our hold.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Stux’an says as I survey the room. “But this was bound to happen eventually. You were the motivation for us to make our move, but we all know the division was inevitable. We can’t sit by while the elders approve of the kidnapping of human females. For now, they’ll use them for our species procreation but who knows what they’ll think of next.”
Guilt consumes me anyway. Not because of where we find ourselves now but because of how I’ve allowed myself to be used over the years. Even when it tugged on my conscious, I still completed my missions with gut wrenching accuracy. It makes me wish I had taken a stand before Sarah and not just when I had a physical reason to do so.
While Stux’an is our alpha, Ondin does most of the talking. We all work as a unit but where my specialty is destroying ships without a trace, Kraal is gifted with first aid and medical treatments. Drocrek can figure out anything related to technology while Ondin thinks in ways the rest of us do not. Now as he speaks, it’s about how our arrival will be anticipated and the ways we’ll approach the laboratories without being detected. I take it all in greedily, anxious to get in the ships and make our way toward Sarah.
“We’ll take two cargo ships and then the rest of us will fly on our own. The ships will be the distraction. We already know those of us flying in separately will remain undetected. Once we rescue the females, they’ll be transported in the cargo ships unless something goes wrong. Regardless, we have our rendezvous point where we’ll meet back again when this is all over.” As soon as Ondin is finished going through the plan step by step, Stux’an stands and moves to the center of the room.
“Any questions?” he asks.
With adrenaline buzzing through my veins, I’m ready for this meeting to end so we can get moving—but that won’t happen until dusk.
* * *
Stux’an forcesme to ride in the cargo ship. It’s one of his stipulations for allowing me to come along. This is the first time I’ve ever argued with my alpha and it’s all over a woman. If I could fly on my own, I could reach her faster. I could be the first one at the door instead of being forced to wait around for the ship to land and the rest of my unit to move out. But if we’re using the cargo ships as bait, I don’t want to be stuck being held by the guards while someone else oversees rescuing my female.
I agree to it eventually and end up in the packed cargo bay with the rest of my warrior brothers. It’s dusk when we leave the platform of our compound and venture into now enemy territory. The irony isn’t lost on me that after all the years I spent bringing down ships to keep our sky island safe, we’ve still become divided. Now the enemies we avoid are our own species with evil intentions, still stuck in the ways of the past. Bameh is no longer peaceful. We’ve seen to that.
“Skies are clear,” Stux’an’s voice says over the radio. “Be ready to move out as soon as we touch down.”
The wide, flat slant of the roof of the laboratory building glows from the fading light. We land the ship on the platform located at the back, the one section of the roof that is level to the ground. As soon as the engine powers down, the ramp lowers and we’re disembarking. It’s a surprise at first that we’re not met with military force, but then again, like Stux’an explained, they’ve been planning this revolt against the elders and their laws since the second council forum was called.
We’ve had time to prepare for this. They don’t know what’s coming.
As soon as my feet hit the pavement, my body alights with sensation because Sarah is so close again. Now that we’ve mated, she’s in the very blood that moves through my veins as much as my heart. When she’s near, my body’s reaction is visceral.
The other warriors file out behind me when a figure appears above me before landing at my side. I recognize his scent immediately but it’s the intensity crackling around him like electricity that surprises me. “Let’s go. I don’t want to waste any more time,” Kraal says.
“We’re in agreement there.” The two of us make our way toward the stairs but my skin prickles as my intuition kicks in. “Let’s go a different way. Entering through the landing bay is too obvious and I don’t have the patience right now to get caught.”
We extend our wings to take flight, determined to find a different entrance in this massive building. Since this is the first time I’ve flown since my beating, my wing aches once it’s extended. The cut is healed but my usual power isn’t there and the painful twinge when my wings flap isn’t helping. My adrenaline fuels me as I follow Kraal until he finds a large window on the south side of the building. I flutter in midair, casting glances around at the sky and the ground to make sure we don’t have company while he works to open it.
“I got it.” As soon as Kraal’s intense voice reaches me, I fly down to the window and by the time I get there, he’s already through. The hallway is lit with a dim nighttime glow that indicates no one is actively working in the labs right now. It’s quiet as we move quickly through the corridors, but the problem remains that we don’t know where the women are being kept.
“Check in,” Stux’an says through the comms in our ears.
Warriors check in, giving their location and guard status in their area. I’m listening for Drocrek because he’s headed straight for the security station. Once he’s inside, if the women are being held in a room under surveillance, we’ll have their location.
“I’ve reached the security room,” Drocrek says. His voice is enough to set my anticipation on edge. “Give me a minute.” Seconds tick by while my anxiety grows. Kraal and I have stopped moving now and are waiting to hear if Drocrek can give us some direction. Otherwise, we’re moving through these hallways blind and all the doors look the same. I already sense that Sarah is close, but I can’t focus in on her location based on feelings.
Kraal is pacing back and forth, his agitation unusual for this type of reconnaissance mission. “Is everything okay?” I ask, sparing a moment to check in with my friend.
He rolls his head, followed by his shoulders to calm himself. “I want to get to them before it’s too late.”
“I understand your frustration.” I clasp his shoulder with my hand and squeeze just as Drocrek comes through again.
“I’ve found them and you’re going to want to move fast. Third floor, and it’s locked up tight. Start moving while I work to unlock it for you. I’ll have it done by the time you get there.”
“We’re already moving,” I say.
“What’s happening up there, Dro?” Kraal asks.
“They know we’re here. They’re trying to move the women before we can get to them.”