Grady's Awakening (29 page)

“Who’d a thunk it?” Jaci used one of those odd colloquialisms she’d been learning from her mates. “They Hum.”

“Who is he?” Jim needed confirmation, though in his heart he already knew.

Jaci turned to him, a smile in her eyes and innocent happiness on her pretty face. “Why that’s Grady Prime. I think he’s finally taken the treatment if the look on his face is anything to go by.”

“You mean the emotion-restoring drug?” Jim didn’t like the sound of this at all—or the look of his woman in the alien’s arms. But then, he had no real claim on Gina. He’d been careful to let her know he wouldn’t leave his people. Not even for her. They were a couple for this trip only and now it seemed their time together had come to an abrupt and premature end.

“I prepared the doses for him and a new test group before I left. In fact, that’s when I accidentally dosed myself. It was the best mistake I ever made.” Her smile turned nostalgic as she looked at her two mates. “Grady found us here later, after I’d made a run for it with Michael and David.”

“He found you?”

She nodded, turning her happy expression on him. “He did, but he let us go when he heard our Hum and saw evidence of our resonance. It’s the oldest of Alvian laws—Resonance Mates may not be separated for any reason. He used that to justify letting us live here in peace. He didn’t report us to the Council. As far as anyone knows, I was his one and only failure at tracking and I thank him every day for allowing the false ruination of his perfect record.”

Jim had some idea what that might have cost the man in pride—especially an Alvian warrior who had emotions. No soldier liked to have a blemish on his record and letting Jaci go would have been a big mark against him. Maybe there was more to the man than just another pretty Alvian face, but Jim was reserving judgment.

“Well, would you look at that.” Michael joined them, standing beside his mate Jaci. David took up a position on her other side, as all three turned to watch Gina and the Alvian warrior, necking like they were teenagers in a carpark. “I reckon they’ve met before.”

“They Hum brightly.” Jaci sighed wistfully, a smile playing about her lips.

“Really?” David dug around in his pocket, finally retrieving a small, glowing crystal. “Do you think they’re causing this?” He gave the crystal to his woman.

A tear gathered in her eye. “They are. They Kiss, the crystal glows, the Hum increases. Now if they take it a step further, we’ll know…” Her voice trailed off as the couple did indeed take things a little further. Gina jumped up, wrapping her legs around the alien, aligning their bodies, for an even deeper embrace though they were both fully clothed.

There was an impatience in their movements Jim understood all too well. Clearly they’d both forgotten, or didn’t care, that they had an audience of people watching them with varying degrees of indulgence, interest and in the case of Jim, jealousy. He admitted it. He was jealous as hell of that stranger and the way Gina was climbing all over him. They might’ve known each other before, but until a few minutes ago Gina had been his girl. He wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

If he were being honest with himself, he’d admit he wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready to let her go.

But that was beside the point. His plans—whatever they were¾had just been shredded by the appearance of the Alvian warrior.

“That’s clinched it, I think,” Michael picked the crystal out of Jaci’s hand. It was glowing yellow like a miniature sun.

“They’re mates!” Jaci grabbed both Michael and David by the arm, pulling them close for a quick squeeze. Each man bent to kiss her briefly, adding to the crystal’s illumination slightly from Jim’s vantage point. He didn’t understand everything, but he knew when he needed to bow out gracefully.

Only thing was, he didn’t want to bow out at all. In fact, he felt like going over there and punching that big Alvian badass in the nose, then breaking an arm or maybe a leg for good measure.

Jim seethed while the couple embraced, apparently lost to the world. They were that wrapped up in each other.

“Tough break, Jim.” Mike took a position beside him as Jaci headed toward the main building, grinning like a fool. Dave stood on Jim’s other side, arms crossed as if the two cousins thought they could stop Jim if he took it into his mind to go break up the two lovebirds.

“Of course, this could also be the start of a nice little family.” Dave turned toward Jim with a raised eyebrow. “Men today don’t often get to keep a woman all to themselves. In fact, you’ll be lucky if you only have to share with one or two other guys. Much as I hate Grady, he’s a strong man and he’ll be a good protector for Gina—not just physically, but also from other Alvians.”

“Gina can take care of herself.” Jim had to bite back the fury that suffused his mind and try to think logically. He hated to admit it, but Dave did have a point where the Alvians were concerned. Any person in this day and age would do well to have one of the aliens on their side.

“I’m sure she can,” Dave said in a voice that sent soothing vibrations down Jim’s spine. Damn it all if the nosy mind healer wasn’t trying to use his gift to calm him down. And double damn it that he needed calming in the first place. Still, the force of Dave’s gift brought some much-needed clarity to Jim’s troubled mind. “But you should consider what it would mean to have Grady Prime as your third. He was one of the most powerful Alvian soldiers before he got emotion. We saw firsthand how not only his fellow soldiers, but most Alvians, deferred to the guy. I can’t think that’s changed no matter how much he has. And believe me, he’s changed.”

“You got that right,” Mike put in. “That bastard used to be cold as ice. As much as I despised him, I had to respect him for his skills and the way his people revered him. He could be a useful ally.”

“Fuck.” Dave laughed ruefully and shared an ironic look with his cousin. “I suppose we’ll have to make peace with the bastard now.”

“Looks like it.” Mike grinned, but it wasn’t a pleasant expression as he looked at the newest Alvian in their midst. “I sure as hell didn’t expect to be welcoming so many damned aliens here when we moved in.”

“Me neither, cuz, but I’ll never regret mating Jaci. Bill saved her life, so we owe him. But Grady?” Dave scratched his head as he watched the alien warrior with narrowed eyes. “Hell, we’ll just have to see what happens. We should probably call the O’Haras. Maybe Caleb has some advice for us.”

“Who’s Caleb?” Jim seized on anything for respite from seeing Gina in some stranger’s arms. Thankfully, they broke the embrace and started talking, walking away as they went, clearly in their own little world.

“Caleb O’Hara is the one they call the Oracle.”

“No shit? I’ve heard of him. I even have a copy of the book of his prophecies somewhere. One of the newcomers brought it in with him and gave it to me. I passed it to my lieutenants to read.”

“You should read it yourself,” Mike advised.

“I took a look, but it’s kind of vague.”

“He had to be vague in case it fell into Alvian hands,” Dave said. “Believe us, you should study that book. In the meantime, we have an in with the man himself we should make use of. He’s a
guest
of the Alvians at the moment, but his nephew ’paths messages from him to his family. They’re friends of ours.”

“Nice to have such powerful friends.” Jim followed the cousins as they headed toward the communications center. His mind was still in chaos, but he felt better to have at least some task to occupy him. He wanted to hear what the infamous Oracle might have to say, if anything, about this totally fucked up situation.

Chapter Fourteen

“I told you I’d come for you,” Grady teased as he held Gina’s hand. They strolled aimlessly around the main cavern. “I didn’t mean it quite this way, I’ll admit, but perhaps fate had other plans for us.”

“You believe in fate?”

“Even before I could feel, I always knew there were things that happened for a reason. Fate plays a large role in most soldiers’ lives.”

“Then—” Gina didn’t know quite how to tell him. She had to be honest. She had to tell Grady about Jim, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. They were so new and fragile she hated to wound him.

“What is it? You know you can tell me anything, Gina.” He turned, clutching both of her hands in his, holding them against his chest. She could feel the strong beating of his heart, and she sent up a silent prayer that she wasn’t about to break it beyond repair. Of course, maybe she was thinking a bit too highly of herself, but then, Grady seemed so devoted… She didn’t know what to think anymore.

“I believe in honesty.”

He looked at her strangely, tilting his head to one side. “I believe I’ve heard you humans say honesty is the best policy.”

“Yes, I believe it is. That’s why I have to tell you about my trip here. I didn’t travel alone, Grady. I came with the leader of another group of human survivors. His name is Jim, and I knew him in the old world. He was a student of my father’s. I even had a crush on him back then, though I was just a girl and he was too old for me.”

Grady’s eyes grew troubled, his stance more rigid as he pulled slightly back from her. “You went to meet him after you left me?”

“No! It wasn’t like that at all. I didn’t even know he was still alive. For that matter, he didn’t know I was either. I was as shocked as he was when my mission for the Patriarch led me straight to him and his people.”

“But I sense there’s more.” Grady’s expression held a world of hurt and Gina felt the echoes of his growing despair. She’d give anything to spare him those feelings. She had to make it right. Somehow, she had to make him see that she hadn’t set out to betray him.

“Jim and I grew close on the journey here. Jaci and Bill said we Hum and the cousins gave us a crystal. Jim and I…we make it glow. I know that means something really special to your people, but we’re both human. We both have responsibilities and duties to people and places far apart. Jim and I made no commitments to each other. I can’t, in good conscience, make a commitment to anyone at this point in my life. I owe the Patriarch my allegiance and my loyalty. I’m his to command. I can’t promise anyone—you
or
Jim—anything beyond today. My future is uncertain and not mine to choose.”

Grady dropped her hands and moved a few steps away, clearly processing her words. He seemed to be struggling with what she’d just told him, making her feel guilty. She hated the feeling.

“I want to do the tests with you.” Grady whirled on her, causing her to take a step backward with his vehemence. “Now.” He shook his head, his voice strong. “As soon as possible.”

“Okay.” He must have sensed her hesitance because he stepped up close to her and reclaimed her hands in an almost desperate grip.

“I believe in my heart—in my soul—that you are my mate, Gina. I want to see the proof before we go any further. I want the world to see that you are my true Resonance Mate.”

Her body vibrated in an echo of his desperation. She felt the urgency in his tone and his grip. She could do this for him. It was a simple enough request.

“All right. Jaci can witness. Or Bill. Both can hear the Hum.”

“But all can see the crystal glow.” Grady’s eyes snapped with fire, his lips curling into the smallest of grins, daring her.

“I don’t know—” Gina didn’t really care to be put on display, but she feared nothing less would satisfy him in such a dangerous mood.

“You’re mine.” The growl in his voice surprised her, as did the possession in every line of his body.

“You’d best stop manhandling my friend, Grady Prime, or friend or not, I will kick your ass.”

Bill’s voice broke like an icy wave over Gina’s senses. She dragged her gaze from Grady’s to find the other Alvian warrior just a few feet away, watching them. Grady looked over at him too, but didn’t move for a long moment, staking his claim clearly for the other warrior’s benefit.

Then, little by little, he let her go. Gina stepped back, but not far. She wouldn’t allow her actions to shame him in any way.

“We will perform the resonance tests right away,” Grady announced. “You can be a witness.”

“No need. You already have passed all three tests. Congratulations. You are true mates,” Bill shocked them both by saying.

“When? How?” Gina asked, unable to say anything more coherent.

“Just now. Jaci took out a tuned crystal when you two said hello. Everybody saw it glowing but you. You were, shall we say,
otherwise engaged
.” Bill chuckled at them and Gina started to realize just how lost to the world she’d been after spotting Grady.

“You are certain?” Grady seemed to want further proof.

“Yes, my friend. I am absolutely certain. And seeing this miracle—in addition to that granted Jaci and her mates—gives me renewed hope for the future.”

All of a sudden, Gina realized that Jim must have seen everything. Her heart sank like a stone.

“This is welcome news.” Grady took the hand Bill offered in congratulations. Only then did Gina realize Jim and their hosts had left the area while she’d been oblivious in Grady’s arms. She worried over what that might mean¾what Jim might have seen and how he might have reacted.

Jaci came over to them and offered her congratulations. Gina decided to let things unfold as they willed for the moment. She’d deal with Jim at the earliest opportunity, but for now she wanted to bask just a little longer in Grady’s presence. She didn’t know what the future would hold, but something inside her wanted to be near Grady for as long as possible.