The Price of Discovery (30 page)

Before he could respond the sound of a car sent all of them scurrying to the front drive. Drakor gasped behind her.

Erin tried to see if she recognized it the way he did, but in the eerie summer darkness she could not determine the color. But once it pulled up behind Erin's car, there was no doubt as to who it was.

Rita emerged and before saying a word, she went around to the other side and pulled Sitora out from the front seat. They walked around to face everyone, but Rita was holding her with a hard grip. Alarm gripped Erin's stomach at the look of fear on Sitora's face.
 

Something was wrong. Rita didn't just find her on the street and lovingly bring her back. Something was up.

Before Drakor or Ankra could take a hold of their sister, Rita pulled a gun from her bag.

“Stay back,” she warned.

“What–what are you doing?” Erin cried, seeing Sitora's eyes fill with tears.

“I'm not letting her go unless I get someone else in her place.”

Drakor took a step forward. “Give her to me.”

Rita waved her gun at him and then seeing no reaction, she pointed it at Sitora. That stopped Drakor cold.

“Ah,” Rita snarled. “So bullets can still harm you, huh?”

Drakor stiffened and a trickle of sweat rolled down the side of his face. “What do you want?”

“I've told you already. I want an alien. Oh, I'd love the whole lot of you, but unless my cohorts show up in time, I'll take just one.”

Silence descended on them.
 

Erin's mind raced, her stomach in knots. How did Rita know? Did she find Sitora on the road and the little girl told her? Had Rita somehow read Erin's notes or overheard a conversation?

Finally, Drakor took a step back and leaned on a car. “There is no need to do this because of what happened with Brundor.”

Rita laughed. “This isn't about that. That scene with Brundor was a set up. I was hoping to snatch him, but I had to get this little one when that fell through.”

Drakor appeared calm, but Erin could see the vein pulsating on his forehead and the balling of his fists. “I don't understand.”

“I'd show you my badge but my hands are a little tied up at the moment.”

“What badge?” Erin asked. They didn't need any badge at the newspaper office.

“FBI—Special Extraterrestrial Investigations Unit. We've been looking for aliens ever since the other disappeared several months ago.” They must have known about Alaziri. Oh God, had they killed him?

Erin's knees weakened, but she steadied herself.

Rita grinned and winked at her. “And lucky for us, Erin led us right to you.”
 

 

 

A knife of shock sliced through Drakor's chest. He stumbled back from the blow. “Erin led you to us?”

Rita nodded. “We figured that someone from your planet would be coming back after your friend disappeared.”

It didn't make sense that Erin would lead the officials to them, not on purpose anyway. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't control his trembling, especially when looking at his frightened sister.

“Alaziri. That was my friend's name.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that was his name. Anyway, once we lost contact with him, we set up satellites to check the skies, looking for a return visit. And there you were…just about a month ago.”

“But I knew where he was all the time.” Erin's face was pale, her mouth pinched. “And now you've taken Alaziri, haven't you?”

Rita grinned. “Thanks to you again. We located the John Doe you were investigating and have removed him to a secret FBI location.”

Fury bubbled up with Drakor, ready to burst if he let control slip. Confusion, fear, failure all swirled in his aching gut.

Erin cocked her head. “But I thought you were a reporter.”

“Nope. Was all undercover, my dear.”

“You weren't really investigating me?” Greg asked.

“Well, I did have to write something to keep my cover. My sister was dating some guy named Jay in your office so it was the perfect story for me. You will have to do some management on that patent infringement issue.”

Erin moved closer, Drakor could feel the heat from her, different than the thick air of the night.
 

“What about Rockford? There never was a competition for the front page spread?”

“Rockford has no knowledge of who I really am. He thought I was a reporter just like you. So the spread was real, but your story on Drakor would have never made it to his desk.”

Drakor snapped his head up and stared at Rita. “So Erin's investigations were for nothing?”
 

Sitora whimpered and Rita loosened her hold on her arm but didn't release her. “Oh, it wasn't for nothing. In fact, Erin did all the hard work and had the brains to keep the information as quiet as possible.”

“You used me?”

“Why not? You found them before I did and set up a friendly relationship. Once I realized that these guys truly were who we were looking for, we set up a plan to retain them. Because I really like you guys, especially Erin, I'm going to risk my job and just hold on to one. Who's it going to be?”

Drakor knew time was closing in on them. How long would it be before Rita's associates arrived? He must get them all off Earth, assuming he could overtake Rita and do away with her firearm.

Sweat ran down his face, his stomach burned. How could he have gone from kissing Erin on the dance floor just a short time ago to facing a capture? None of it seemed real. But one thing was certain, little Sitora would not be the one left behind.

Drakor took a step forward. “Let her go and take me.”

He heard Erin gasp behind him but Rita grinned. “Ah, now there's an idea I like much better.”

She let go of Sitora, who rushed into Erin's arms, and pointed her firearm at his head. He walked to her slowly, not wanting to surprise her with any quick moves. But then Ankra suddenly jumped between them.

Startled, Rita fired a shot that zoomed over his head. Nearly weak with the near miss and this ultimate failure, Drakor felt his legs buckle. He sagged against the car. Ankra rushed over to help him but Rita pulled her away.
 

Then another set of hands were around his waist. Erin. He knew from her scent, the warmth of her body, the resurgence of energy in his veins.

Drakor turned to face Rita and his sister, but Erin did not leave his side. Sitora now clung to Brundor's legs, crying against his waist.

“Ankra, I'm ordering you away from there. It is my responsibility to keep all of you well—”

Greg rushed forward to grab her but Rita waved the gun at him.

“She will do just fine, thank you,” Rita said, pulling his sister further away from the enclosing crowd. “You don't need to fear for her. She will be well taken care of.”

“But Alaziri…” Drakor said, his mouth dry.

“Your friend did not die at our hands. We might have been able to save his life had he not escaped our detection. We lost tabs on him and then he was gone.”

“What will you do with Ankra?” Greg asked, his eyes wet and his skin colorless under the full moon.

Rita squeezed Ankra's shoulder. “She'll be treated like a celebrity. Of course, the FBI and others will have questions and will do blood work and such but she won't be a prisoner.”

Greg reached his hand out tentatively, but Rita allowed Ankra to take it. “Can I come see her sometimes?”

“Of course. You may even be able to live with her.”

Drakor had to look away from their faces. So his sister found love on this strange planet, even without a
Mharai
. And the humans said they would not harm her, but could he trust them? Did he ever trust Erin the way Ankra trusted Greg?

“Erin.” Ankra's voice was surprisingly calm. “You must go back with Drakor in my place.”

Erin slipped from his side and backed away. “What? Me? No, that's not possible.”

“A life for a life.” His sister smiled that mysterious smile, a unique light in her eyes again.

As much as he might want to entertain the idea of bringing Erin back home with him, Drakor knew it wasn't possible. They couldn't bring back a human, only a developing fetus.

He glanced at Erin, whose eyes shone with tears. She hugged her arms as if she were cold and shook her head. “I can't go…he wouldn't want me to go…you don't understand…”

“Tell him, Erin.”

Drakor swung around to see his sister again. She appeared happy, elated even, as if everything had suddenly gone from very wrong to very right.

“Tell me what?”

Rita glanced at the timepiece on her wrist. “You'd better make up your minds and do something soon, because my guys will be here any minute and they'll insist that everyone stay.”

Drakor sighed and turned his attention back to Erin, but she was gone.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The full moon cast long shadows but provided enough ample light to find her way. Erin headed around to the back of the house, not really knowing where she would stop, but knowing she had to get away from that scene.

She saw the hanging tire and slipped inside of it, sitting on the warm rubber.

This whole night was insane. Maybe she'd wake tomorrow to find it all a bad dream. First Drakor tells her of their plans to take back Greg's child, then she confirms that she's pregnant with Drakor's baby, then Sitora is missing, finally to be brought back by a gun-toting Rita, claiming she was a special FBI agent who'd been tricking and following Erin all along.

No, this night could not possibly be real. Neither could the fact that she
wanted
to go back with Drakor to his planet. She wanted the kind of love that Greg and Ankra had found. She wanted a husband and a father for her child. Not the unimaginable mess she was in now.

But maybe if Rita was telling the truth and Ankra would be given a royal treatment then so might the baby inside of her. She may not have to run off and hide as she first envisioned. Staying here, finding a way to keep her job, she could just make it work after all.

Erin kicked the ground and the tire swung in a twisting circle. She felt free and relieved and…and wholly unsatisfied.

Because she loved him. It was as simple as that. She would do anything to make him happy, to make his world right.

If she could go back with Drakor, if he wanted her, her child could provide his people with a saving gene. This child could heal a planet. Even if Drakor didn't want her, he might like the fact that his whole mission to Earth was not in vain. In fact, he may return as a success. She may still not have a husband or father, but she would finally be doing something worthwhile with her life.

The crunching of grass brought her swinging to a stop. He came toward her, his large body a silhouette in the dark. Her heart leaped, her blood sizzled.

“Erin.” He shattered her solitude. “I was concerned.”

She took a deep breath. She had to tell him about the baby. Erin had to convince him that her child could help them just as Ankra's could have. She was willing to sacrifice her future on Earth to help him. To help his people. There was nothing save for Greg and Ankra to keep her here.

“I have to tell you what Ankra meant back there.”

Erin saw him shove his hands in his pockets. “Go on.”

“I'm pregnant, Drakor.”

He cocked his head. “Pregnant? What do you mean?”
 

She got up from the swing and reached for his hand, the contact instantly soothing the torment in her soul. His palm on her belly, she dug for her courage and smiled. “I have your child growing inside of me.”

 

 

Drakor's heart galloped until he thought it might explode from his chest. Disbelief stormed his hope and blocked anything else from entering his brain.

“That-that's impossible.”

“But why?” Erin's soft fingers still held his hand to her stomach.

He snatched his arm away. “Because you would have to be my
Mharai
and that just isn't possible.”

She hugged her arms over her chest again, as if protecting her body from the cold. But it wasn't cold out here. It was hot, thick, and suffocating.

“What's a
Mharai
? And why must I be one to be pregnant?”

Drakor slashed his hand through his hair. “On my planet our mates are chosen for us by the Fates. After we complete our Crossing, we are destined to be with one person only and no other.”

A low hum echoed from the front of the house and he was tempted to investigate, but he couldn't leave right now. Not until he discovered if Erin was telling the truth.

“I don't have a
Mharai
,” he continued, seeing her perplexed look. “I never found her before we came here and now that the anniversary of my birth has come and gone I won't ever find her.”

Erin cocked her head. “But what does that have to do with me expecting?”

“We only have desire for our chosen lifemates, we can only impregnate
them
. It isn't the same for us as it is for humans, who can choose their own mates and have children with whomever.”

“But you desired me, didn't you? I remember those times together, at my apartment and in your house. Were you faking that?”

Drakor swallowed, his body automatically stirring at the memories. He still felt the urge to pull her against him, to taste the sweetness of her mouth. “No. That was all real, but…”

“But what? Either I am your
Mharai
or whatever…or your body follows Earth's rules when it's here.”

The words from his conversation with Ankra tumbled inside of his head.

“If you ask me, you aren't with child because Greg is not your Mharai. It's as simple as that.”

“I think you're wrong. I think it has something to do with the different atmosphere on Earth. Maybe that's the reason they can't control their fertility.”