Caught Between Two Blue Aliens - Celia Kyle Page 0,17

not know the location of Jenna Perry’s domicile or her specific place of employment, which was very disconcerting. They couldn’t easily scan for her location, which meant their only option was to physically arrive in the streets of a large human urban center and walk into establishments, searching for her.

Sevith had insisted Jenna was most likely working within a five-nanco radius of Drokten Main. If the humans at Drokten Main had hired staff from the surrounding private businesses, they’d most likely recruited them from nearby, for the sake of simplicity and speed.

This made sense.

“Try not to intimidate the humans at the next establishment,” Hiren warned as they walked to the next diner on their route. Despite believing she would be close, Sevith had stayed up late to map out an ideal route to hit each diner in the city in a time-efficient path. “We don’t want any more of an interspecies ordeal than this has already become.”

“I’ll make it as much of an ordeal as it needs to be,” Sevith grunted as they neared the next diner, and then he paused not far from the door and bared his fangs.

“What?” Hiren stiffened at his Azi’s side.

“She is here,” Sevith growled.

Hiren inhaled a deep breath, and then he felt it, too. His whole body lit aflame, and his lungs filled with the addictive scent of their Oso.

“You sense it too,” Sevith pointed out, and Hiren nodded.

The feeling was like an energy burst before going into a battle. Her emotions hung in the air. Feeling her nearby gave him a quick high and then an almost soothing effect. He sensed the same thing from Sevith. She was a sedative to them. His senses were still on high alert, but his anger and frustration from the morning’s long search seemed to melt away beneath her nearness.

Sevith led the way inside, and they were greeted with what they’d seen all morning—many humans eating more of that strange food that was highly unappetizing. Hiren could hardly wait to return to his own quarters on the battleship and use their food dispenser to create his favorite Drokten meat sticks and drink a cup of hot traq. Human food was edible, but not at all preferred by his species.

“Oh my gosh, look at you. Gooooood morning!” An unfamiliar female dressed in a now-familiar waitress uniform stepped forward to greet them as soon as they entered the busy diner. “Two Drokten? How nice of you to join us.” Hiren glanced around at the crowd, seeing no sign of Jenna, and clenched his jaw. “Seat yourselves anywhere you’d like. I’ll be with you in just a second.”

“Thank you,” Hiren nodded, pleased at their welcome reception. This was unusual. The greeters at the last three establishments had looked scared at first and then quietly seated them.

They both walked to an empty table at the back of the diner, where two seats were backed against the wall. Many humans’ eyes were on them. Conversations stopped as they moved past and then started again as they were clear of the tables.

Hiren watched Sevith pointedly ignore the humans and take a seat while Hiren took the other. It was a good location. This gave them both a good view of the entire establishment.

Where is she? Sevith demanded through their link. Is she in the back cooking human food?

Probably not, Hiren responded. It’s a busy diner, she’s just—

As if in answer to Sevith’s question, Jenna appeared from the door leading to the kitchen, hurrying past with a large tray filled with plates of food carefully stacked in precise formation. Hiren sucked in a breath as a rush of intense gratitude consumed his body.

There she was. Finally.

His female’s work uniform and the placement of her colorless hair were different, but it was Jenna, nonetheless. The same luscious human he’d been eager to have underneath him—them. They could hardly wait to breed this female.

She does not see us, Sevith pointed out. Let us retrieve our Oso and get off of this planet.

Sevith moved to stand, as domineering as ever, but Hiren put a hand on his arm, his grip firm. Sevith again bared his fangs. If anyone but Hiren had stopped him, there would have been blows.

“What now?” Sevith snarled aloud.

“We can’t carry her off directly from this establishment,” Hiren insisted in a steady, patient tone. “You wouldn’t like it if she burst in on a war meeting. Would you?”

“I would be certain she would have good reason,” Sevith snarled, but after looking back at Jenna,