Zaureth: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 4) Read online

  “It is healing quite nicely. Are those your things on the foot of the bed?”

  At Amy’s nod, Zaureth trailed across the room and arranged her small stack of clothes into the bag he’d brought with him. “The others left several hours ago. Oz will be taking us to the drop point, along with Anthony Vaughn, Naura, Hauke, and Abbie. We leave within the hour.”

  “What about Arcanum?” Amy asked, inching her way toward him. “And does Tony know about Naura’s pregnancy?”

  Zaureth shrugged. “I am not sure if Naura has confessed her condition to Anthony Vaughn. But I do know that Klause and Laurel took Arcanum with them before sunrise.”

  Amy’s eyebrows lifted. “Is Abbie okay with that?”

  Zaureth nodded. “She felt that Arcanum would be safer beneath the gulf with hundreds of Bracadytes than with a few of us on a boat.”

  “A wise decision,” Amy agreed. “My toiletries are on the bedside table.”

  Zaureth gathered her toiletries and added them to the bag as well before sealing it up. “Are you ready, little one?”

  The look on Amy’s face was like a kick to Zaureth’s gut. The innocent excitement, the open trust, and guileless smile combined to take his breath.

  Foreign feelings, swirling through his body, keeping his feet rooted to that spot. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. His heart beat rapidly inside his chest, and his throat had gone dry.

  Zaureth was grateful in that moment that Amy couldn’t see his face. She would no doubt change her mind about going with him.

  He forced himself forward. “I am ready. Are you certain that this is what you want to do?”

  Amy reached up and looped her arm through his. “Absolutely certain. Lead the way.”

  * * * *

  Amy and Zaureth arrived at the yacht ten minutes later. The sight of the giant boat elicited a gasp from Amy. Zaureth could feel her amazement as if it were his own.

  “Where are the others?”

  Zaureth glanced back toward the hotel. “They should be along shortly.” He shifted his gaze to the water, basking in the emotions slamming into him through their link.

  “You like the water,” he pointed out, helping her onto the yacht.

  Amy inhaled deeply. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen yet. Other than you.”

  Zaureth laughed. “You must cease referring to me as beautiful, lest I become conceited.”

  “You should be conceited,” she quipped. “You are as handsome as I imagine a god would be.”

  “Do you believe in God?” Zaureth wasn’t sure where the question came from. It slipped past his lips before he could stop it.

  Amy softly smiled. “Of course.”

  A feeling of humility overcame Zaureth. Of all the people that had a right not to believe, it should be Amy. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Your faith is humbling.”

  “I have seen many specialists in my life, Zaureth. And told by each one that I would never be able to see. Yet here I stand, basking in the beauty of creation.”

  Zaureth became too choked up to respond. He’d spent years down in the catacombs, meditating, praying to something unseen, studying about the powers that be from previous healers. In all that time, he’d never been able to sum up his beliefs in quite the way Amy did, in a few short words. She had faith in something larger than herself.

  Zaureth suddenly dropped the bag he’d been carrying and turned to face her. “I have never believed that there was someone out there meant for me. Until now.”

  Amy didn’t speak. She just stood there, completely still, blinking back tears.

  “You have captivated me, little one. Please tell me that you feel it too. I cannot bear to think that—”

  An explosion rent the air. One moment, Zaureth stood staring at Amy, and the next he found himself facedown on the sandy shores of the beach.

  Pain sliced through his leg as he attempted to roll onto his back. He felt his way down his thigh until he encountered an object protruding from his flesh.

  “Amy!” he cried, ripping the object free.

  Zaureth stared at the jagged piece of wood in horror as reality quickly set in. The boat had exploded.

  Forcing himself into a standing position, he fought through the pain and stumbled forward.

  The sight that greeted him nearly ripped his heart from his chest. Pieces of the yacht were scattered everywhere. The shore, the water, and the docks were covered in debris.

  He gripped the sides of his head to drown out the ringing in his ears, his gaze scanning the ruins in search of his Amy.

  “Amy!” he roared, stumbling forward, bringing his arm up to shield his face from the intense heat of the fire enveloping the remains of the yacht.

  A movement in the water caught his eye. Zaureth blasted forward, ignoring the screaming pain in his thigh.

  He dove into the water, swimming with the speed of a Bracadyte until his arms encircled Amy’s small body.

  Zaureth surfaced, relieved to hear Amy’s cough. “You will be all right, little one,” he whispered, taking her quickly to shore. “You have to be all right.”

  Amy moaned and laid her head against Zaureth’s shoulder as he stepped from the water and ran toward the hotel.

  “Zaureth?” Oz called over the chaos on the beach.

  “Over here,” Zaureth shouted without slowing. Amy was hurt. That was all that mattered to him in that moment.

  Oz ran ahead and jerked the hotel door open, stepping back as Zaureth barreled through with Amy in his arms.

  Zaureth bypassed the elevator for the stairs, taking them two at a time until he emerged on the third floor.

  “Open the door,” he snarled, knowing that Oz followed close behind.

  Oz unlocked the door and threw it wide. He ran to the bed and pulled the covers back. “Is she all right?”

  “She will be,” Zaureth growled, laying her gently on the center of her bed. He ran his hands down her legs and up her arms, encountering a burn mark on her shoulder.

  Zaureth spent the next few minutes probing for injuries before Amy opened her eyes.

  “Zaureth?” she rasped, visibly swallowing. A crease formed between her brows. “What happened?”

  Mallory barreled into the room and climbed onto the bed next to her sister. “Oh my God, are you okay?” Her hands shook as she brushed Amy’s hair away from her face.

  Amy tried to sit up, but Zaureth gently pushed her back against the pillows. “Do you have pain?”

  “My shoulder burns a little. Zaureth? Please tell me what happened.”

  Relief washed through Zaureth like a tsunami. Other than the burn on her shoulder, Amy appeared to be unharmed.

  Zaureth sat on the edge of the bed, opposite Mallory. “There was an explosion.” His throat closed up, forcing him to swallow. “I thought I had lost you.”

  Amy blindly reached for his hand. “Are you hurt?”

  Zaureth shook his head without conscious thought. “I am fine, little one. Are you certain that you are not injured?”

  Amy stretched her legs and wriggled her toes. “Nothing broken. I’m okay.”

  Zaureth leaned in and laid his head on Amy’s stomach. It didn’t matter who saw or if they objected. He needed to feel her against his skin, to convince himself that she truly was not hurt.

  Wrapping his arms around Amy’s small frame, Zaureth pressed his face against her and opened his mind. “I am sorrier than I can put into words.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The room around Amy came to light as Zaureth opened his mind to her. She could see her sister sitting on the side of the bed with tears in her eyes. “I’m okay, Mal. Please don’t cry.”

  Mallory wiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “Thank God, you’re all right. I heard the explosion from my room. All I could think was…” Her voice trailed off.

  Amy reached for Mallory’s fingers with her right hand. Her left was stroking Zaureth’s hair. “It’s all right. You can see that I’m fi
ne.”

  Zaureth lifted his head, and Oz suddenly entered Amy’s line of vision. Anger etched every line in his face.

  “Carlito was behind this,” Oz growled. “Tony is scouring the island, looking for him.”

  Amy shuddered to think of how close she’d come to losing Zaureth. “Are you hurt?”

  “I am not injured,” Zaureth rumbled, running his fingers down the side of Amy’s face.

  “That’s a load of bull,” Abbie announced, rushing into the room and kneeling next to the bed. “Your leg is covered in blood.”

  Zaureth pulled away. “It is nothing. See to Amy. She was burned in the explosion.”

  “You are both lucky to be alive,” Hauke pointed out, entering behind his mate. “Abbie will see to Amy’s injury and then take a look at the gaping hole in your leg.”

  A swift gasp escaped Amy. “A gaping hole?”

  “It is nothing,” Zaureth assured her once more. “We survived. That is all that matters at this point.”

  Amy wasn’t about to be deterred. “What about your gunshot wound? Did it open back up?”

  “Please do not concern yourself with me, little one. I assure you that I will be fine.”

  The buzz of a cell phone echoed throughout the room. “Yeah,” Oz barked, pacing along the side of the bed. “I’ll be right there.” He spun toward the door.

  Zaureth jumped to his feet. “News of Carlito?”

  Amy saw Oz’s nod. “Tony captured three of Acosta’s men. One of them being Carlito’s sister.”

  “Do not leave without me,” Zaureth demanded before bending to brush a kiss across Amy’s forehead.

  Amy’s stomach tightened in dread. “Don’t go, Zaureth. We don’t know how many more are out there.”

  Though she couldn’t see his face, Amy could hear the resolve in Zaureth’s voice. “They tried to kill you. I will not allow them to go unpunished.”

  “Oz will take care of them,” Amy argued, reaching for Zaureth.

  He pulled away. “They will die by my hand.”

  The sound of the door closing behind Zaureth broke Amy’s heart. Everything he stood for, his vows to heal and not harm, would forever be lost the second he took those men’s lives.

  Her vision darkened as Zaureth severed their connection and abruptly slipped from her mind.

  “Stop him, Hauke!” Amy pleaded, throwing her legs over the side of the bed, her arms extended in front of her.

  Hauke’s sigh nearly blew her hair back. “I cannot stop him, Amy. It is his right to seek vengeance on those who sought to harm you. I would do the same in his position.”

  “But his vows,” Amy insisted, grabbing onto Hauke’s vest. “He’ll break his vows.”

  Hauke gently covered her hands with his own. “He broke his vows the moment he gave his heart to another.”

  Amy’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I did this to him?”

  Hauke carefully helped her to lie back down. “Zaureth made his choice, Amy. He chose you. Do not fault him for following his heart. He would not have made the decision lightly. Zaureth has never swayed from putting others before himself. It is past time that he be rewarded for it.”

  Tears sprang to Amy’s eyes. “But his gifts—”

  “Will continue to be a part of him. Zaureth was born with his gifts,” Hauke pointed out. “They cannot be taken from him.”

  Amy allowed Hauke to pull the covers over her legs. “He doesn’t believe that, Hauke. He thinks God will punish him for breaking his vows.”

  “Your human God?” Hauke asked, surprise lacing his tone.

  “Yes. No. I don’t know,” Amy rushed out. “Whatever it is that he prays to. A higher power, he called it.”

  Zaureth will be fine,” Hauke promised, patting her on the hand. “He knows what he is doing.”

  “Naura!” Amy cried. “I haven’t heard Naura’s voice. Was she injured in the explosion?”

  Mallory crawled up next to Amy and pulled her head down to her chest while Abbie went to work on Amy’s shoulder. “Naura’s fine, Amy. She’s with Tony.”

  Amy blinked. “Tony allowed her to go with him in her condition?”

  “What condition?” Hauke questioned in a low voice.

  Amy inwardly cringed. Naura obviously hadn’t divulged her pregnancy to anyone.

  “Amy?” Hauke persisted, his tone brooking no argument.

  With no other choice but to let the proverbial cat out of the bag, Amy sighed. “She’s pregnant.”

  Amy waited for Hauke’s outburst, but was met with silence. “Hauke?”

  “He left,” Mallory informed her, pulling her sister tightly against her. “Let’s talk about you for a minute. I had no idea things had progressed to this point with you and Zaureth. I’m so sorry I haven’t been there for you.”

  Amy snuggled against her sister. “Don’t apologize. You’ve had a lot on your plate.” She reached down and placed her palm over Mallory’s slightly swollen abdomen.

  Mallory sighed. “That’s no excuse. I should have been more attentive. Do you love him?”

  Amy thought about her sister’s question for long moments. “I have never been in love before, so I have nothing to compare it to. But I think about him all the time, and I feel like I can’t breathe when he’s not with me.”

  “You love him,” Abbie and Mallory simultaneously chorused.

  Butterflies took flight in Amy’s stomach. She did love Zaureth, she thought in amazement. The foreign feeling that constantly squeezed her heart. The tightening in her chest. The loss of breath when in his presence should have been a clue.

  Other than a slight wince, Amy sat completely still while Abbie patched up the burn on her shoulder. She couldn’t take her mind off Zaureth and prayed to her God as well as Zaureth’s higher power to keep him safe.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Zaureth descended the stairs to basement of the hotel, tight on Oz’s heels. “Where were they found?”

  Oz spoke without slowing. “On the east side of the island. I lost two men in the fighting that ensued. I don’t yet have a number of Carlito causalities.”

  “Anthony Vaughn?”

  “Tony’s unharmed. As is Naura,” Oz responded.

  Zaureth ground his teeth. “Vaughn allowed Naura to go with him in search of Carlito?”

  Oz laughed. “Do you really think he had a choice in the matter? She would have just followed him anyway.”

  “You have a point.” Shutting Amy out of his head was one of the hardest things Zaureth had ever done. He could feel the hurt coming from her at his departure. But it had to be done. He would pull out his own fingernails before allowing Amy to witness what he planned to do.

  Zaureth noticed three chairs situated in the center of the room. Two of the chairs held a pair of restrained men, while a female occupied the other. Tony and Naura lingered nearby.

  Oz approached the trio and ripped the duct tape from their mouths. He stopped in front of the female, who surprisingly hadn’t flinched.

  “Good luck with that,” Tony murmured, taking Naura’s hand and heading toward the door. “Carlito is still out there. I’ll call you when I have something.”

  Zaureth stepped in front of them. “Perhaps Naura should stay behind.”

  Tony’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve threatened everything short of tying her to a chair with those guys.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the men strapped to the chairs. “She’s a Bracadyte. And a stubborn ass Bracadyte, at that.”

  Zaureth glanced at Naura, who mentally pleaded with him. “I could not stay behind. Tony is my life, Zaureth. If I lost him, I fear that I could not survive.”

  “I understand that emotion, Naura. But you have a child to consider now. Anthony Vaughn can take care of himself. You have to take care of you and your babe,” Zaureth argued.

  Defeat entered Naura’s eyes. She gave a slight nod. “I will stay with Amy until Anthony returns.”

  “Be safe, Anthony Vaughn,” Zaureth rumbled, stepping aside
.

  Tony nodded and left the room with Naura by his side.

  “Which one of you dipshits would like to tell me where I can find Carlito?” Oz inquired of the prisoners.

  When no one spoke, Oz tugged a pistol from the back of his pants and rested the barrel against the first man’s forehead. “Is protecting your boss really worth your life?”

  “He’ll kill us if—”

  “Shut up,” the female snapped, narrowing her eyes in Oz’s direction.

  Oz removed the barrel of his gun from the man’s head and sauntered over to the woman. He gripped her by the chin and tilted her head back. “Such a pretty little thing, you are. Might you be Carlito’s lover?”

  She spit in his face.

  Wiping the spittle from his cheek, Oz forced her head back and straddled her legs. “What’s your name, spitfire?”

  She continued to glare at him, her mouth tightly shut.

  “Oh, come now,” Oz taunted, bringing the gun to the side of her head. “Surely you can do better than that?” He slowly lifted his thumb and pulled the hammer back.

  “Maria. Her name’s Maria,” the chatterbox on the end blurted. “Don’t hurt her. She’s Carlito’s sister.”

  Zaureth stepped up in front of the talkative one. “Who is responsible for blowing up the boat?”

  “He is.” The guy jerked his head toward the silent one in the middle.

  Rage boiled in Zaureth’s gut. Visions of Amy floating in the water, surrounded by fire and debris, swam through his mind in torturous detail. Heat formed inside him, his vision blurred, and energy rushed through his limbs with such force he had to lock his knees to keep them from buckling.

  Zaureth shifted his gaze to the silent one, focusing on the man’s face.

  A scream rent the air as blood pooled in the man’s eyes. It trickled from his ears and gushed from his nose.

  The guy’s body bowed back, and a popping sound echoed throughout the room as his bones began to break.

  Still Zaureth didn’t stop. He couldn’t shake the horror of Amy nearly dying at this man’s hands.

  The chair holding the human’s broken body flew back against the wall, shattering the legs beneath it.