Kyro: A Sci-fi Alien Abduction Romance (Captured by Aliens Book 5) by A.G. Wilde (best summer books .txt) 📕

“Yes.” He paused. “You think I am different?” Even with the noise of the market around them, she was sure she heard a note of caution in his voice.

“I don’t know. Were you always a member of the Restitution?”

He raised his gaze then, looking out into the crowd of shoppers with a look as if he was seeing something far, far away behind his eyes where she couldn’t see.

“No. I spent some time at the Intergalactic Hub, working with the research unit there.”

Evren blinked, a sliver of excitement growing within her.

What luck. She’d been meaning to find someone to talk to about the port city.

“Really? What’s it like there?”

“Busy,” Kyro said then paused, his eyes still with that faraway look. “Free.”

Sounded like her paradise.

“I have a secret,” she whispered, loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for the aliens around them to catch her words.

They were in the street leading back to her apartment now and though it wasn’t as crowded as in the market itself, there were still several aliens moving about.

“A secret?” His gaze focused and zeroed in on her suddenly, his pupils contracting.

“Yea.” Evren swallowed. She hadn’t told any of the other women about her thoughts of possibly leaving. She hadn’t told anyone yet, but somehow, she felt she could tell Kyro. Something inside her told her she wouldn’t be judged.

“I’m thinking of moving there, if I can. Find something to do. Find,” she glanced at him nervously, “find some employment maybe. Just...a purpose I guess.”

Without even looking at him, she knew he was studying her.

“Do you think going there will make you happy?” he finally asked.

That was a strange question to ask, but it made her reflect on her reason for wanting to leave.

“I don’t know. I guess... I just need to know at least. I could always return here if it doesn’t work out, right?”

Despite the noise in the street, she was sure he heard her. After all, they’d been speaking fine all along. But when more than a few moments passed and Kyro didn’t reply, Evren tilted her head to look up at him.

Again, it seemed as if he was deep in thought.

“Kyro?”

Still, he didn’t respond.

He had completely zoned out.

He was so strange. Different from his brothers, she was sure.

It was intriguing and maddening all at once.

In other circumstances, she’d have taken the time to study him as she would other organisms, noting his behavior and the way he responded and interacted with the world around him.

It was something she’d often done just for fun back on Earth. Some people were more interesting than novel strains of bacteria, and though studying bacteria was her specialty, she still found humans to be particularly remarkable.

The same could be said for aliens.

Kyro specifically.

She guessed it couldn’t hurt. She’d study him for the remainder of time she had at the base.

She already enjoyed his company so much; it would give her a reason to seek more of his presence.

“Kyro?” He was still zoned out and didn’t seem to snap out of it until she touched his arm lightly.

“Kyro?”

His eyes zoned in on her. “Yes?”

She offered him a smile and his eyes softened a bit but something in his gaze had changed. The way he was looking at her, she could swear there was disappointment there.

“So, tell me, what sort of research happens there, at the Hub.”

“Biological. Military. Social. It is the galaxy’s largest terminal. Thousands of species pass through the terminal daily. The research is needed to prevent diseases, diffuse conflict, form alliances, and the like. The Interplanetary Union funds the research, so they are always seeking scientists, researchers, and volunteers from different worlds.”

“Do you think, um, a human, would be able to get in there?”

“I do not doubt it.”

His confirmation made her grin.

To think she’d been nervous about heading to the market today. So much good had come of it.

She finally had something to look forward to.

The Intergalactic Hub—it was possibly the place where she needed to be all along.

8

Somewhere on the base

The comm screen lit up, words passing over the smooth surface in bright green.

“SECURE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED. CALL ENCRYPTION ENABLED.”

The comm clicked as the other line opened.

“Status.” The voice was low and, in the silence on both ends of the line, the command came out clear and clipped.

“I have located one of the humans, oh great one.”

“Only one?”

“It appears four of the other humans have found pairings within Reku5.”

A sound of annoyance bordering on anger came through the comm device.

“What do you mean pairings?”

“It appears four humans have formed...relationships with the captain and members of the Reku5.”

Silence.

“Should I have them neutralized, your excellence?”

“No. Refrain from such activity. We cannot risk you revealing your true allegiance. Killing those humans mated to the team will raise suspicion. We will find some other way to punish them.”

“Yes, great one.”

A pause.

“And what about the white-haired human, my excellence? I smelled no other scent upon her. She is not mated.”

A deep inhale sounded on the other line.

“Vulnerable.” The word was drawn out long and low in a deep exhale that sounded like it vibrated the air around it.

“Yes, my excellence. She can be easily extracted.”

“Retrieve her. Bring her to me unharmed.”

“Yes, my excellence.”

9

For the first time in a long while, Evren found that her night was restless for another reason apart from the after-effects of being taken from Earth.

Excitement for what the future had in store had her emotions all wrapped up.

When she awoke the next morning, she had something to look forward to as she pulled the fabric from the package the vendor had wrapped for her.

It was as soft as cotton and had almost the same thread count.

Lifting it out of the package, she spread it over the table and gave it a critical eye.

She’d found a cutting instrument in the apartment, a blade she could retract, and she was sure she could use it to cut the fabric the way she wanted. But there was still the issue of