The Price of Discovery (12 page)

“The other day you left and I saw her at the top of the stairs alone.”

“And…” Control. He must retain control.
 

Brundor shrugged. “I came up to her. I didn't touch her, don't worry. But I wanted to prove to myself and to you and Father that I could be near an Earth female and not touch them.”

“I would have killed you.” Why did he just say that?

“I know you'd kill to defend your
Mharai
. I'm not stupid.”

“She's not my
Mharai
.” Drakor forced the words from his lips. But his body fought his statement. He could barely contain the impulse to strike his own brother. Mates protected each other without hesitation on Elliac; it was as natural to them as breathing.

Brundor relaxed again on his pillow. “Go on deceiving yourself. Every sign there is points to her. But it sure is some rotten luck.”

Drakor sucked in a deep breath. “The Fates would not have done that. If I am to have a
Mharai
, she is waiting for me on Elliac.”
 

“Okay, sure. So, when will you take me to that dancing club you and Ankra went to?”

“What? I'm not going to…” He let the words die away when a familiar sound rumbled in his eardrums.

Drakor took a step closer to Brundor's bed, closer to the window. He saw a flash of dual lights and then they darkened. But the sound of the motor did not die away. He squinted and saw the vehicle swerve over toward the line of trees, rolling under their cover of darkness. Then, the hum ceased.

“What are you looking at?”
 

“It's nothing.”
 
But it was something.

“Well, can I go?”

“Yes, fine. We'll discuss it later.” He turned away from the window and headed for the door. “I just remembered that I have a report to write up. Don't wait up for me.”

Brundor chuckled. “Better you than me.”

Drakor slipped out the door and headed for the staircase. But his mother called to him.

“Fetch your father a glass of that milk.”

He stopped and turned to face her, his eyes hard. “What is milk, where would I find it, and why does Father need it?”

The lines around her eyes deepened. She wrung her hands. “Drakor, please. We are doing all that we can to find a cure for the illness on Elliac and for your father.”

“He should stop taking the drugs. That might work better than Earth food. Haven't our bodies moved beyond processing nutrients through our mouths? Won't eating and drinking make him worse?”

She blinked several times and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. “I believe he may be dying. He asks for the milk. It's a jug of white liquid in the cold appliance with the door. Will you get it for him?”

Drakor nodded, his throat closing. He proceeded downstairs to the kitchen. Why did his father want to go backward in technology instead of forward? Humans were so far behind in commerce, education, science, health. Elliacians died from only a handful of causes: prolonged exposure to the sun, old age, suicide from the embarrassing bone deformities, and the death of a
Mharai
. Though the latter stemmed from an ancient custom and a false belief that mates could not survive alone, most Elliacians continued with the practice.

Drakor opened the door on the tall appliance and found the white jug of liquid. He filled a glass with the creamy sustenance and then his eyes caught the flash of a beam in the backyard.

He went closer to the window and watched again. There. A small circle of light flickered through the trees.
 

Drakor brought the drink up to his parents' room and then, without a word, raced outside to follow the intruder.
 

The warm night air enveloped him as he stole into the woods. His eyes could see better in the dark than a human's and the three-quarter moon provided ample glow to lead his way. He crept up behind the person until he was nearly at the creek.
 

It was definitely Erin. He could see the outline of her curved legs and the swing of her chopped hair. She held something small in her hand, turned it over a few times, and then dropped it into her bag. She turned to look behind her and he took a few steps closer.

“Erin.”

She jumped at the sound of his voice. “Oh, my God! Drakor, is that you?”

“Yes.” He moved closer still. His blood pulsed. Awareness soared. “Did you lose something?”

“Um…yes, a few days ago. I didn't see it out front and so I thought an animal might have brought it in the woods.”

He didn't believe her. At the moment, it didn't matter.
 

Erin patted her bag. “I guess I should be going. I was trying not to bother anyone.”

Drakor stood just a step away from her. Her scent crashed through him, bringing his arousal to full attention. “We never discussed the dancing club. You said you needed to talk with me for the article.”

She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. “Oh, um, sure. I can come over in the morning or something.”

Tonight. He needed to be with her tonight. Helplessness at his father's illness, the lack of information on Alaziri, the aching knowledge of his birth anniversary only a few days away…Great Sun, he needed her warmth right now.

Drakor cupped Erin's jaw with his hands. “Perhaps we can go back to your home. Now.”

Erin blinked up at him and licked her lips. “Um-I…”

He rubbed his thumb over chin, paying no heed to the burn on his skin. “Erin, do you need me or not?”

A shadow moved across her face. She stared at him without words, her gaze almost a question. But then she took a deep breath. “Yes. I need you. Let's go.”

Chapter Ten

“Drakor, wait!”

They both turned to see Ankra running toward the car. She had a small bag in her hand.

He stopped but did not turn, his body tense.

His sister pulled him away and Erin leaned against her car door. She didn't know what Ankra was after but it was obvious what Drakor wanted from her tonight.

His hand on her face, his intense eyes staring at her under the moonlight. Her traitorous body clamored for him. Having him over again was a huge mistake. And yet, like she thought before, it was just one night. Her three years of celibacy would be over. It's not like she was going to give up her story, her career, her future over one night in bed with Drakor.

Erin reached into her bag. Her fingers moved aside the papers and pens and closed around the small object she found near the creek. She'd probably would have never seen it if her flashlight hadn't reflected off its casing.

Small and rectangular, its surface felt slightly bumpy and somewhat plastic-like. There could be a light bulb inside, but what would this be used for?

Drakor came up before her and she quickly dropped the item as if she'd been caught putting on her mom's lipstick.

“Ankra wishes to see your brother tonight.” An edge sliced through the words.

She looked at them both, surprised. “Does he know she's coming over?”

Ankra shook her head. She appeared ready to weep.

“I'm sure he won't mind.” Erin moved out of the way and opened the door for her.

They rode to Greg's house in silence, though Erin couldn't shake the feeling that Ankra was anxious and upset and Drakor was annoyed. But she didn't dare ask either of them any questions.

The street was quiet and the houses dark when Erin pulled before Greg's door. Good thing she had an extra key to his house since she doubted their knocking would wake him.

The three of them slipped inside the foyer and Erin knocked on one of the walls. “Greg!”

No answer.

She took a few steps up the staircase and knocked again. “Greg, wake up. I have a surprise for you.”

Still nothing.

“We'll be down in a minute,” she said to them and went up to the top of the steps.

Erin banged on his bedroom door. “Greg. It's Erin, wake up.”

She pressed her ear to the door and waited. Damn, he could sleep through the implosion of his own house. She didn't want to go in his room. What if he slept naked? Ugh. But since he wasn't answering her, she didn't have a choice.
 

She opened the door and snuck inside the dark room. His loud breathing told her he still slept and she saw him stretched out on the bed, luckily under covers.

“Greg!” she whispered, not wanting to startle him.

He shifted on the bed but didn't wake. Erin went next to the bed and kicked the mattress. “Damn it, Gregory Price, wake up!”

“Huh?” He blinked at her, reached for something under his pillow and sat up. “Get out, whoever you are!”

Erin's heart lurched into her throat and she backed up to the wall. “Is-is that a gun?”

He lowered his arm. “Erin, is that you?”

“Yes. Why-why do you have a gun?”

“Oh shit.” He shoved it back under the pillow. “I was hoping you'd never see that.” He raised his knees and leaned his elbows on them. “What are you doing here, Erin?”

She swallowed, her heart still slamming in her ears. “First tell me why you have that damn gun.”

Greg brushed hair out of his eyes and sighed. “A few days ago there was a break-in at the office.”

“What?”

“Not too much was taken. It just looked like some files were gone through and one or two desks had their locks picked open.”

Erin let out the breath she was holding. “Why didn't you tell me before? We even had dinner together and you didn't mention it.”

“I didn't want you to get all worried about it.”

“So what's the gun for?”

She saw him shrug a shoulder. “I thought that if they were looking for something at my business, they might come to my house next.”

“Were you going to shoot them?”

“Nah. Just scare them off.” He leaned over and glanced at the clock. “Hell, Erin, it's almost midnight. What are you doing here?”

She sighed. “I was at Drakor's place, snooping through the woods for some evidence—”

“Of the spaceship?”

“Of whatever I could find.” She reached into her bag and pulled out the object. “I did find this.” She handed it to him.

“Turn on the light, will you? I can't see shit in the dark.”

Erin flipped on the light on his bedside, praying he had clothes on under the sheets. Thankfully, she saw cloth at his waist. He must sleep in his underwear.

“It looks like a light of some sort.” He flipped it over in his hand.

“That's what I thought. What do you think it belongs to?”

“I don't know.” Greg tried to put his fingernail along the edges. “There aren't creases or cracks. How does this thing open?”

“I haven't had much time to look at it.”

“Is this why you came here and woke me up?” He looked up at her. “To show me this?”

“No.” She took the light from him and stuffed back into the purse. “Drakor saw me out there and asked me if I wanted to talk about my story—”

“Your story? The one you're doing on him?”

“No. The one I made up about Mickey's. I needed an excuse to talk to him and go over there, remember?”

“Okay. So, why are you here?”

“Well, as he and I were leaving—”

“He wanted to work on the story with you tonight? In the middle of the night?”

Erin lifted her chin. “That's what he said.”

Greg grinned. “That's not what he meant.”

Hell, she knew that. It hadn't been so long that she would forget what a man's heated gaze or urgent caress meant. It was probably why he was so annoyed with his sister coming along and delaying the moment.
 

“Anyway, as he and I were getting in the car, Ankra came running out to us.”

“Ankra?” He sat up straighter.

Erin yawned. She was getting sleepy. Drakor might not be getting what he came for. “Yes, she said she needed to come see you. She looked upset.”

“Why?”

“I don't know. But she's waiting with Drakor downstairs.”

“They're here?”

She nodded. “Get dressed, will you?”

Erin headed for the door and Greg jumped out of the bed. He slipped on a pair of shorts he grabbed off the dresser and followed her down the stairs.

In the living room, they found Ankra huddled on a corner of the couch and Drakor standing next to the window, staring out at the moon.

“What's going on?” Greg asked.

Ankra leaped from the couch and ran over to him. She fell against his bare chest. Startled, Greg wrapped his arms around her back and held her.

“What's the matter?”

She wouldn't answer.

“Drakor,” Greg turned to Ankra's brother. “Why is she crying?”

“I do not know.” He didn't turn to look at them but Erin could see the tenseness in his shoulders. “She will not tell me.”

“I cannot,” his sister moaned. “Father will not let me.”

Drakor swung around and glared at her, his eyes narrow and fierce. “Father is keeping something from me.”

Ankra whimpered and squeezed her eyes closed.

Drakor stormed over to where she stood with Greg. “I am responsible if something happens to him. He cannot keep things from me.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him. “He…he says you would not understand. That you refuse to believe.”

Drakor's whole body stiffened and his features hardened in rage. “What isn't he telling me, Ankra? I will not leave you here alone until you tell me.”

She sniffled and finally nodded.

Drakor took a hold of her arm and pulled her from Greg's embrace. “I need a private room.”

“Downstairs,” Erin suggested. “There is an office with a door.”

He lifted his gaze to hers. Never before had she seen such a raw combination of anger, disappointment, and yearning. He then disappeared down the steps with his sister.