Raines, Elizabeth - Covert [Wicked Missions 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (5 page)

She had to keep reminding herself this was only temporary, which brought a frown to her face and threw sadness back into her world. What she’d experienced with Tanner and Will had been beyond description, a fusing of their souls. But would it last once they became human again? Who knew whether what they had would survive when the Fraiquan part of them that spawned the
comchi
and their joining was wrenched from them.

Watching the men talking softly, she still saw them as they were, not with the blue skin and jet-black hair of Fraiquans. Perhaps that oddity was because she liked them either way—the handsome Fraiquans she now saw and the humans she also knew. How did they see her? Did the duality of her thoughts mean that there was a bond beyond genetic engineering and that they would crave each other when they were human again?

Alayna shook her head, deciding only time would answer all her questions. For now, she needed to focus on the mission.

The door opened and in waddled Betinsa. She wasn’t alone. Two human men followed her into the large classroom, hovering around her as she slowly made her way to the table where Alayna sat.

Although she didn’t know Betinsa well, Alayna could read faces, and at that moment, Betinsa was in pain. “Are you okay?” Her instructor nodded at the same time the men shook their heads. “You’re in labor, aren’t you?”

“So it would seem,” Betinsa replied as she awkwardly lowered her body into a chair.

“Then why are you here?”

“My question exactly,” the more muscular of the two men asked. His dark hair was cut every bit as short as Will’s had been before his transformation, and his brown eyes mirrored his concern for Betinsa. “Tinsa, you should be in a hospital!”

The other man had shoulder-length brown hair, and his expression was more guarded—at least it was until Betinsa grimaced. Then his concerned expression matched the one on the first man’s face. “Matt’s right,
lamanna.
”

Betinsa waved away their concern with a flick of her hand. She glanced over to Tanner and Will. “Gentlemen…if you would join us.”

They took a seat on either side of Alayna, making her heart race, especially when they scooted their chairs a little closer. Damn, but she loved how they acted like besotted adolescents, probably because she didn’t want to be alone out on the shaky limb of attraction.

Giving them a grin that was followed by a grimace, Betinsa nodded at the men who’d accompanied her. “These are my husbands, Matt Newton”—she inclined her head at the darker man—“and Drake Keller.” She repeated the action with the thinner one.

Matt reached out to shake each of their hands. “I understand you’re going deep undercover on Fraiqua. Takes a lot of balls.”

“Sure does,” Drake added. “Fraiqua isn’t at all like Earth. You’re all in for a shock, which I suppose is why Betinsa still feels she should be here with the three of you when she’s giving birth.” He flashed his wife a concerned frown.

She waved it away again. “I have plenty of time.”

Alayna looked to Drake. “I understand you’re an ambassador from the United Continents to Fraiqua.”

“
Was
an ambassador,” Drake replied. “I still intervene when they need my help, but since Matt and Betinsa have to travel so much working for E.I.B., I’ve gone into sort of a semi-retirement.” He chuckled. “Not that I’m old enough.”

“You’re going to be plenty busy with the munchkin,” Matt added. Tossing a grin at Alayna, he said, “Drake’s gonna play stay-at-home daddy for a while. His choice, but we’re all happy with it.”

“What can I say?” Drake shrugged. “I want to spend time with our little boy.”

“No one’s complaining,” Matt said, clapping his hand against Drake’s shoulder.

The notion of Betinsa being married to these men forced Alayna to vent her curiosity. “If you’ll excuse me asking, how did a Fraiquan end up marrying two humans?”

Matt was the one to answer. “We crashed on one of Fraiqua’s moons. Stuff just kinda…happened.”

“I reached the
comchi
when I was with them,” Betinsa added.

“But I thought Fraiqua was a closed society,” Will said, jumping into the discussion. “I’d always heard they were a bit…racist about other species.” He frowned and lowered his eyes when Betinsa frowned at him. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“In our case,” she replied, “it was simply meant to be. The
comchi
cannot be predicted, nor can it be denied, but you are correct, Will. It isn’t common for a Fraiquan woman to take mates from other cultures.”

Betinsa groaned, making both of her husband’s faces fall immediately into frowns. Drake picked up her hand. “We should get you to a hospital.”

With the shake of her head, she gave him a wan smile. “I have told you more times than I can count, labor for my species is different. It could be days before our son is born.”

Alayna’s eyes widened. “Days? It takes
days
for Fraiquans to go through labor?” No one had bothered telling her
that
before they’d changed her into one. And fuck it all if the three of them hadn’t even thought about birth control last night.

Fuck. Fuckety fuck.

Trying to calm down, she kept telling herself that one romp in the sack, even if it was with two very virile guys, didn’t mean she’d get pregnant. No, one time didn’t mean she’d conceive.

Shit, she had more than enough to worry about going to Fraiqua and infiltrating Cosenki Chemicals. This problem, she’d dismiss. Or perhaps she’d take a quick visit to the infirmary for a scan before they left the military base. She’d simply cross that stupid reproductive bridge if it popped up in her path.

Since she’d lost track of what they were saying, Alayna tried to figure out what she hadn’t heard. Matt was talking, so she focused on his words.

“Lukasi Arma will be your main contact. He’s been inside C.C. for nearly two years.”

“How do you know so much about this?” she blurted out.

“Where were you a minute ago?” he asked, his mouth pulling into an irritated line. “I told you, E.B.I. has had me on this since Betinsa was asked to participate in helping you plan the mission.”

“But you’re human,” she couldn’t help but point out. “We’re supposed to be learning how to act Fraiquan.” God, she should have been paying attention. This wasn’t like her at all. Every mission she’d ever been on had received her full focus. Why was this so damned hard?

Betinsa stepped into the exchange. “You are still affected by the
comchi
, Alayna. It will ease soon. Then your memory and your abilities will return.”

“I
hate
that,” she grumbled.

“Hate what?”

“That you seem to be reading my mind all the time.”

Betinsa chuckled before she wrinkled her forehead as if in pain. Her expression softened quickly back to normal. “I have been where you now are. I know what you are going through. The best advice I can give you is to stop thinking like a human and start trusting your heart—your
Fraiquan
heart.”

Betinsa’s gaze locked with hers, and something inside Alayna seemed to connect to Betinsa at that moment. She could almost hear the instructor’s advice in her thoughts, the reassurance Alayna needed.

All would be well. She trusted Tanner and Will. Trusted them as they now trusted her to lead them. As Betinsa trusted Matt and Drake and they trusted her.

Alayna closed her eyes and nodded.

Matt cleared his throat, probably to get their attention, so she opened her eyes and tried to pay better attention. “Now, as I was saying, Lukasi has been inside long enough to vouch for you. I know him. A good man. He lost his wife before he went deep undercover.”

“He’s Fraiquan, right?” Tanner asked. “Then what about the second husband?”

Matt sidestepped the question. “Luka’s on his own now. From what I understand, that’s why this undercover is so damned successful. Everyone thinks he’s got nothing to lose, so he leads with his balls. Rose up pretty quickly through the ranks of the badasses.”

“What’s his official title at C.C.?” Alayna was trying to get the hierarchy down before she headed to Fraiqua to settle into her new position as head of security for the company. Since Will would be working in shipping while Tanner became one of their bookkeepers, she needed to figure out pretty damned quick how she could slip over to the bad side of the business.

“You won’t be seeing him much, Alayna, unless you’re approached to help with the patrile,” Betinsa replied. “Your official job will be to keep an eye on all the guards, so you will meet everyone who has access, including Luka. But he will also be working behind the scenes to put out the word your family is hurting financially. It would seem,” she added with a grin, “that you have a problem with gambling far too often.”

Alayna snorted a laugh. “Let me guess…I’m pretty bad at it too, right?”

“Anything to make it look like you’re ripe for bribes,” Matt said. “We need you to give off vibes that you’re willing to do anything to help your family.” He nodded at Will. “You need to nose around for overtime and get caught pilfering some stuff. Give them something to hold over your head so they think you’re in their pocket. You’ve got to make them think you’re terrified that Alayna will be furious with you if she finds out.”

Will flashed Alayna a heart-stopping grin. “Yeah, she scares the shit outta me.” His hand covered her knee and gave it an affectionate squeeze and, damn, if that didn’t make fluid rush to her pussy.

How could such an innocent touch send her libido soaring in a room full of people?

“You know your job,” Matt said to Tanner.

“Let ’em know I can ‘fix’ their books and search for paper trails that lead to whoever’s diverting the ingredients used to make patrile.”

Matt nodded. “And keep your eye out—all of you—for where they might be cooking the stuff and how they’re transporting it.”

“So frustrating,” Alayna said, “that we know it’s coming from Fraiqua—”

“From C.C. or two other companies, specifically,” Tanner interjected.

“—and we can’t pin down how the shit’s getting made and moved.”

Betinsa jumped back into the briefing. “There are undercovers at all three companies. We
are
going to figure out who is responsible for this…plague of patrile…” She took a deep breath and rested a palm against her swollen belly. “
Kazom
…that was a bit…stronger.”

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Drake leaned down to look into her eyes. “If you’re saying fuck, then it’s time to go to the hospital. Are you going on your own two feet,
lamanna
, or are you going to make me carry you there?”

When Betinsa smiled up and placed her palm against Drake’s cheek, Alayna could see the love between them like some tangible tether. As Matt stepped over and put his hand on Betinsa’s other shoulder, the three of them practically glowed. “Please,
saramie,
we should go soon.”

She nodded and glanced over to Alayna. “I need a few moments to talk to you before I leave. Alone, if all of you gentlemen would please take your leave?”

The four men obeyed, although Matt and Drake kept glancing back at Betinsa like they were terrified to leave her alone, even for a short chat. Were all expectant fathers that nervous? It wasn’t as if Alayna had any experience with babies or giving birth. She’d been the youngest in her family, and all her brothers were so busy with their law-enforcement careers, none of them had married, let alone started having children.

Once she was alone with Betinsa, Alayna asked, “What did you need to talk to me about?”

“I know it is not my business, but I wanted to ask if you, Tanner, and Will…connected last night.” She held up her hand when Alayna tensed and started to stammer out a denial. “I have been through the
comchi,
I know its power. I just thought perhaps I should have the same kind of talk with you my mother had with me—to explain reproduction to you.”

Relaxing back into her chair, Alayna couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m kinda old for a facts-of-life lecture.”

“Being Fraiquan is different. Our sexuality is not like that of humans. For example, when you are in
comchi
, I doubt you even considered something like birth control.”

Her face flushed hot, and she wondered what shade of blue her blush looked like.

“So I am right. You have been…intimate with the men.” Betinsa sat forward as best she could with her baby bump and pulled at the collar of Alayna’s jumpsuit to reveal the bite marks. “I see your mates marked you. Do you realize what that means?”