Possessing Providence [Warriors Of Kelon Book 6] (13 page)

She clutched the paper with Natasha Strickland’s home address in the more up-market Melbourne neighbourhood of Yarraville.

“Ready?”

They climbed from the car and he followed her up the sidewalk to the house. He stood right behind her while she pressed the door buzzer.

It took a moment before the main door to swing in slightly, showing the security door, preventing further entry.

“Uh, are you Natasha Strickland?”

“Who’s asking?” The tall woman with immaculate dark hair eyed her, and then Zelron standing behind her.

“A friend said you could help us. We need to contact the Kelon space station in orbit around our moon.”

Scepticism flashed in her pretty blue eyes. “Why would you need to do that?”

“Because my big friend, behind me here, is Kelon.”

Natasha stared up at Zelron. “This is Zelron; his ship crashed here during the big firefight the Kelons and the other aliens had over Earth, only he was never rescued, but captured and experimented on by none other than M.A.R.C. Cosmetics. I’m Providence Velour. Six days ago, I went into the Northern Factory in Butterfield Creek to fix an electrical fault. It’s where I discovered they were not only keeping Zelron captive, but they have other aliens down there, doing god knows what to them.”

Natasha moved and unlocked the second door, swinging it open. “I think you better come in.”

Chapter 13

Frankie gripped the steering wheel, his teeth grinding as he stole glances at his phone’s screen. He bypassed the odd house with the Star Trek symbol stuck to the front. His targets hadn’t stopped here long. He continued following them into the Yarraville area, easily finding the now abandoned Jeep Wrangler. They haven’t gone to the police, yet, so what were they up too?

Spotting his targets exiting the building, he noted they were now with a third person. Frankie tensed, easily recognizing celebrity television reporter, Natasha Strickland. The boss wasn’t going to like this. No need to let the boss know what was happening, however, it was time to pull out his sniper rifle. If they were heading to the television station, all he needed to do was set himself up and wait for the right moment.

Whether they talked or not, it didn’t matter. It was only a matter of time before he finished his job.

* * * *

Providence was certain her heart was going to pound out of her chest. She sat and watched as Zelron talked into the microphone.

Television station personnel set up the equipment he needed to make the call. Of course, Natasha Strickland insisted she record everything on camera.

However, it didn’t matter as no one understood the low, growling tones of his alien language. She realised how hard it must been for him to have learned English. Her smart, strong and handsome alien was so out of her league.

The visible relief on his face while he communicated with the station above brought a lump to her throat. He was kept, tormented and tortured for too long. Now, he was going home.

“The police are on their way to the station. It looks like we’re all going to sit down while you make a full report.”

“My people will land on the roof when they have tracked the signal coordinates to this location.”

Natasha kept staring at Zelron in a way which made Prov uncomfortable, like he was a tasty treat she’d like to devour.

“How did you get those scars, honey? Did the company do it?” Natasha moved in almost purring, running her hand down his side.

“No, long ago in battle with Xersons.” He stood up, moving away from Natasha’s grasp.

“Well, we can still use that. Handsome, battle-scarred Kelon hero, victim of greedy cosmetics company.” She glanced in the air, swiping her hands about as if she could see the words written there.

As they sat waiting in Strickland’s plush office, Prov turned to stare out over the night-time city of Melbourne. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced back to find Zelron standing over her.

He squatted down, taking her hands into his larger, warmer ones. How he dwarfed her hands in his. Only he could make her feel small, delicate and, most of all, a woman.

All her life, she’d battled to be something she wasn’t. It took Zelron to make her realise she was all female; that is was something to be celebrated and not hidden. Her dad was wrong and she felt determined to never live in his shadow again.

“My little one, all will be well now. My people are coming.”

She forced herself to smile. “That’s great. You get to go home and have a nice long holiday.”

Her heart fluttered and her stomach pitched when he looked at her seriously. Was this it? Was now the time he would tell her goodbye? “Before they come, I need to ask you…”

The door burst open and a wiry guy with large earphones hooked around the back of his neck barged in. “Hey! A huge spaceship just landed on the roof and we got cops downstairs.”

“You bring the cops up here, while we go get the Kelons,” Natasha ordered.

Zelron pulled Prov to her feet, following Natasha out the door and up the stairs.

Cool gusts of summer wind hit her as the door opened; bright lights shone from the craft still humming on the roof.

“Are you getting this?” Natasha yelled at her cameraman who was hovering behind them.

“Yeah, yeah, getting it.”

Zelron made to stride forward, but fear made Prov yank her hand from his. He paused, turning to look at her.

“Go! Your people are waiting.” She hung back beside Natasha.

He frowned again, but turned and walked to the ship where three other Kelons disembarked and were standing there. Zelron marched up and saluted.

One of the Kelons pulled Zelron into a brief hug. They stood talking for what seemed an eternity.

“Breathe, Providence.” Natasha gave her a nudge.

She let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. Her emotions were in more turmoil than the day she was put into the cell with Zelron.

“Are you going to go to Kelon with him?”

“What?” Prov glanced sharply at Natasha, startled by her comment.

“Oh, c’mon, the possessive way he looks at you… Despite what he’s gone through, I doubt he’ll go anywhere without you.” She sighed. “I wish a man looked at me like Zelron looks at you. Do you love him?”

“More than anything in the world.” The words slipped out with the full force of her heart. Yes, she loved him.

“Have you told him?”

She narrowed her eyes at the reporter. “You really are nosy.”

“Hey, you guys came to me. I admit I’m angling for more in this story. My viewers are going to eat up this romance.” She smiled. “As a woman and not a journalist, take my advice—tell him.”

Funny how it took a stranger to make her see her true feelings. It was time to give up her fears of losing her Z man, and hold onto him with both hands. He promised a forever-until-death-do-you-part relationship. She believed his words. She knew as much as she was his, he was also one hundred percent hers.

Zelron turned and held out his hand towards her, motioning her to come to him. Providence’s feet moved before she gave them the order, and she walked to meet him halfway. There was a smile on his face as she approached, a smile speaking more than words could. The love shining in his starlight eyes made her heart soar.

Something whizzed past her ear and Zelron’s left shoulder jerked back and a jet of warm liquid sprayed across her face.

He growled, loudly.

It took only a split second to realise he was shot, but the only thought filtering through her brain was to protect the man she loved. Launching herself forward, she jumped onto Zelron, wrapping her arms around his neck, and then crying out when something sharp slammed into her back.

Her body went as limp as a rag doll. She couldn’t move her any of her limbs, but Zelron caught her before she fell.

Why did everything suddenly slow down? There were yelling and loud bangs sounding behind her. People ran as Zelron turned her, laying her on the ground. She tried to reach up to grab onto him.

Why won’t my arms move? Why can’t I feel anything?

“Z…I…I can’t move…”

“Shhh, my little one, it will be alright. The healer will come, he will fix this.” There was blood on his hands. He was shaking and she saw a wild look in his dark eyes.

Fix what? Was she broken? There wasn’t any pain, nothing except tired…so so tired. She struggled to keep her eyes open.

“Shit, shit, shit! They’ve been shot! Someone call an ambulance, now!” Natasha hovered over them both, yelling.

He was hurt? She wanted to do something, to help him, but lay there helplessly, only wanting to sleep.

“Z, I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”

“Oh, my
corami
, my beautiful little one, stay awake. Keep those eyes open for me; you must obey me, little one. You have to obey!”

She wanted to obey his panicked command, but it was too hard. Darkness fell as she closed her eyes and the sound of Zelron’s roar faded.

* * * *

Red clouded Zelron’s vision, redder than the blood coating his hand, or soaking his clothing. He ignored the throbbing, dull pain in his shoulder and rose to his feet, Providence's limp body clutched in his arms. He could not lose her. His life had not truly begun until the moment he first laid eyes on her. She’d become his life. She’d bonded deep within his soul.

Why did she do something so foolish as to throw her little body onto his? He knew the projectile would have hit his heart, but he should be protecting her with his life, not the other way around.

He stumbled as blue flashes of Kelon weapons whizzed past his head. His fellow Kelons were firing on someone, something? He glanced down at Providence. He must do something. He needed to save her.

“Zelron, we have neutralized the threat! Get your female on board the ship, now! We have to hurry if we are to save her!” The station commander’s voice sounded in his ear. The other two herded him towards the fire skimmer.

“Our healers are more advanced with humans than they are with their own.”

Zelron took a seat and the warrior pulled a healing kit from the side of the ship while the other two strapped in and closed the door. The rumble of the engines firing vibrated under his feet as the craft lifted off the roof.

One of the young warriors knelt before him, holding the healer’s kit in his hand. Zelron growled, yanking the blood suppressant from the other Kelon’s hand. “No one touches her but me!”

“Your
corami
. I understand, but we are all here to help, Zelron. Your hands are covered in blood. You are injured and losing much of your own blood. Your mind is not clear, but fogged with the need to do battle and protect.”

Zelron was torn between wanting to tear everything apart, and at the same time not wanting to let his
corami
from his arms. She was his! No one could touch her.

The young warrior held up an injector. “This is for your shoulder.”

Zelron did not flinch, allowing the young warrior to press it to his neck. He jumped back as the drug hit his system.

“No! I will kill…” It was too late. His grip tightened on Providence before he slumped forward, blacking out.

Chapter 14

Heavy. Providence never realised death would feel heavy. Lights swam before her closed eyes. She wanted to open them to see where she was, to see if she was in heaven, hell, or some place in between.

“You can do it, Providence. Open your eyes for me.”

Whose voice is that?
It was deep and male for sure. Maybe it was the devil’s voice. All her sins finally caught up with her, like the time she snuck out of the house at night and gone with Danny Sims on a dare to egg Mrs Rooney’s house with rotten chicken eggs.

Or the time when she got mixed up with Ray the Ratchet from high school, who taught her to pick locks. They broke into the Thompson’s store. Although she didn’t take anything, she never told anyone Ray stole a whole rack of cigarettes and chewing gum.

“There are many here who want to meet you, lovely lady.”

Lovely lady?
The devil wouldn’t call her a lovely lady, unless he was high on crack. Prov fought harder, forcing her eyes open, only to find her vision blurry. She blinked rapidly, clearing her eyesight.

The man leaning over her appeared youthful, handsome with a clean-cut jawline, but the high, plated ridge on his forehead and midnight black eyes marked him a…

“Kelon?” Her voice croaked like a frog. She tried clearing her throat.

A wide smile lit his features.

“Hello, Providence. Nice to finally have you awake. I am Solron, head healer at Kelon Prime Healing Centre, or what you would call a medical centre. You had us worried for quite some time.”

Confusion made her frown. Her memory was hazy. She wasn’t dead, but why would she think she was dead? Where was Zelron?

Oh, god, Zelron! Images of his bloodied shoulder and the yelling on top of the roof of the television station came to her. She tried to sit up.