Harsh bark scratched her palms but she caught the branch, swung and jerked her legs up. Her foot hit the trunk and her heel snagged on something. It hurt but she managed to use that foothold to throw her other leg up, hooking her calf over the branch she gripped. She used all her strength to pull up, her chest slamming against the limb. It made it easier to lift her other leg and hook the branch.
A scream tore from her throat when something brushed against her back. She twisted her head, seeing the shadow of a coyote below her. It jumped and managed to snag part of her jacket in its jaws. Material tore and she was almost ripped off the branch. Lynn screamed again, releasing the branch with one hand to hook her arm over it, then the other, hugging it tightly. Adrenaline and panic were great motivators.
The coyote jumped again but missed her. It was close though. She could hear his ragged breathing. She squeezed her eyes closed and started to pray. There was no way she could switch positions so she was on top of the branch instead of hanging from the bottom of it.
She could hear more coyotes and knew when another one lunged, attempting to tear her from her precarious perch. He missed and hit the ground hard. They were going to tear her out of the tree, rip her to shreds and eat her as though she were a deer carcass. Hot tears filled her eyes.
I’m animal control, damn it. Control those fuckers.
Her mind drew a blank on how to save herself. She was too afraid to think clearly and growing tired. Her arms and legs burned and ached from gripping the rough bark and holding her body tightly to the branch.
Something hit her back where her jacket had already been torn open. It was wet and cold as it brushed her exposed skin. The animal dropped to the ground, crushing dead leaves under its paws. A whimper pushed past her tightly compressed lips. One good yank and she would be torn down to the ground. She knew they’d be on her in seconds, attacking her en masse.
An ear-splitting roar sounded.
Oh god, just what I need. A mountain lion on top of it? Are you kidding me?
At that point, she was pretty sure someone in charge of fate hated her. If there was such a thing as karma, it was about to make a late-night snack out of her one way or another for something bad she’d once done.
The coyotes whined loudly. She heard leaves crunching as if something were running at them, so she turned her head and opened her eyes. The pack fled in the opposite direction. She stared after them, shocked that they were taking off, but then she realized they were running away from the mountain lion.
Bright light had her whipping her head in the other direction and she openly gawked at the four big men who came at her. They were tall, all dressed in black leather. It was their faces that alarmed her the most. They looked a lot like the guy she’d left in the tree. They had those same flatter, wider noses and one of them had his mouth open. She could spot his fangs.
They trudged closer and Lynn hugged the branch tighter. She didn’t feel saved. The leader lifted a hand and they came to a stop about five feet away. One of them held a round disk just like the one she’d seen before. It put off a lot of light. The men were scary—a foursome of terror with their leather clothing and big bodies.
One stepped closer and growled, holding up a small, flat device like the one that had reminded her of a cell phone. It was lit up along the seams, just as the other one had been. He growled again.
A cold, computerized voice followed a heartbeat later.
“Where is Coto, woman?”
Lynn stared at it, then at the guy’s face. He growled a third time. “I am Holion. You are safe, woman.” The box spoke again in a mechanical male voice as he made those inhuman sounds. “We will not harm you, so you may come down. We have chased the local animals away.”
Lynn hesitated and then unwrapped her legs as she eased her hold on the branch. Pain shot up her arms as she dropped ungracefully to the ground. She winced a little as her feet hit hard-packed dirt. She swayed, in shock, staring at the big leather-clad men. She swallowed hard, speechless, unsure what to say. She was afraid, and the urge to flee for her life clawed at her insides, but she didn’t scream or run.
They weren’t normal guys, that was for sure. The men openly stared at her legs, making her aware of her lack of clothing. She reached down and tugged the jacket lower, holding the seams together so they didn’t glimpse that she only wore panties under it. Holion stepped closer.
“We are looking for Coto. He called and said he was with a woman. You must be her. Where is he?”
He growled as the box translated it into words. It was freaking her out. It reminded her of one of those foreign movies she sometimes watched late at night. His lip movement didn’t match what she was hearing. Only he wasn’t speaking any known language that she was aware of. Her supposed DEA agent had growled too.
He snarled. “Speak now,” the box demanded.
“Um…I left him in a tree where he’d be safe. He’s hurt.”
Something made a crashing noise behind her and she spun, expecting a coyote or a mountain lion to come at her. Instead it was the man she’d left in the tree. He had a name now. Coto.
He stumbled, fisting the handle of a jagged dagger in one hand. He came forward, unsteady on his feet, and growled low. He no longer wore just the Speedos. He’d put on leather pants and his boots.
“You found me,” the box translated.
“Yes, Coto. We got your message and converged together to seek you out.”
“Did you find Vhon?” Coto came closer, his gaze trailing down Lynn’s body, then he looked back at the four men. “Report.”
One of the other men stepped forward. “Not yet. We stopped to seek you out.” He glared at Lynn. “She stated you were injured.”
“Did the woman do that to you?” A longhaired redhead stepped forward and revealed his sharp fangs as he snarled at Lynn.
She actually backed up and bumped into Coto.
He hooked one arm around her waist. “No. It was four creatures that bit into me. I was attacked after picking up Vhon’s trail.” Coto turned his bright-blue gaze back on Lynn. “You left me to get help?”
Lynn still had a hard time speaking so she just gave a curt nod. Coto frowned, maybe not believing her. He looked away to stare at Holion. “We will set up camp.”
“There is an inhabited dwelling close by. It would be safer to travel farther.”
Coto growled. “No. She said he is blind. He won’t see us. It is safe for us to camp here. I need to be treated. We will resume our search at first light. More of the biting creatures are in the area.”
Holion didn’t seem pleased with that order. He glared at Lynn, snarling. “And what of her? She’s a danger.”
“Tell her why we are here.” Coto pointed his dagger at the redhead. “You do it, Gar. Show her the proof. She must think we are strange.”
The redhead reached inside his pocket and withdrew a folded but laminated paper. He had bright green eyes that Lynn couldn’t look away from as he slowly approached her. “We are Leprechauns from Ireland. See? That is why you might think we are different from you. We have traveled here to go camping and find our friend. He is lost in the woods.” He held out the paper.
Lynn had to lock her knees. Are they kidding? Leprechauns? Her mind was struggling to make sense of it. She stared at the man and stayed totally mute. One of the guys frowned at her, inching closer to Holion.
“She does not seem convinced.”
“Here.” Gar shoved the paper at her.
Lynn looked down. It was an ad she’d seen posted in town some months before. It was for an Irish pub celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It had probably been ripped down and the wind had carried it into the woods. A picture of a cartoon character grinned at her from the center of it, stating the leprechauns had come all the way from Ireland. He had long red hair, sported a green outfit, and held a pint of ale.
She lifted her chin, staring at Gar in utter shock.
He touched his red hair. “See? It is a bad image but that
is what we are. Some of us have other colors of hair.” He paused. “Ireland is far. We are not wearing our native garments since we are on vacation. That must be the reason for your confusion.”
They think I’m an idiot. They expect me to believe that bullshit.
Finally, it all sank in.
They’re aliens. They have to be. It would explain their slightly weird faces, the way they growl-spoke their words, and their translator was something right out of a science fiction movie.
Aliens. Oh god.
“We like beer and bring good luck.” Gar pointed at a few lines at the bottom of the ad. “It states it right here. Leprechauns. Say something, woman.”
She swallowed hard, terrified. They obviously didn’t want her to know the truth. They might kill her if she didn’t play along. “You’re much taller and bigger than I imagined.”
“We are,” Coto said, drawing her attention.
He held her against his body and she was too terrified to move away. “I’ve never met your kind in person before. So you’re here to go camping, huh?”
Coto lowered his chin, gazing at her through thick eyelashes with those utterly beautiful bright blue eyes of his. “Yes, and we lost our friend. He might not be alone. Have you seen others like us?”
There are more of them in the woods? What is this, an alien convention in Hicksville? She shook her head. “I can honestly say that you are the only ones I’ve seen.”
“We need to deal with this situation.” The blond one finally spoke.
Lynn instantly got his meaning when she caught him glaring at her. He didn’t look happy. Were they going to kill her because she’d seen them? They are freakin’ aliens. She was certain about that. It was tempting to make a run for it but they were fit and Coto still held her. They’d run her into the ground in no time, even if she managed to break free of his grip around her waist. She needed to make herself useful long enough to find a way to escape.
“I know these woods really well. You said you’re here to go camping and look for your friend. I could be your tour guide. I’m a great tracker.” She peered up at Coto. “That’s how I found you.”
“Good.” He glanced at the other aliens. “She is under my protection. Set up camp here. We search for Vhon at first light.”
“We don’t need her,” Gar rasped.
“You take orders from me,” Coto snarled. “No one touches the woman.” He pointed the tip of his blade at the redhead. “She helped me when I was injured. We are men with honor. Don’t forget that, despite where we are.”
“Yes, Coto.” Gar backed away. “We will set up camp.”
Coto was protecting her. Lynn was grateful enough to glance up at him. He met her gaze.
“We will not harm you. There is nothing to fear. You are a woman alone without protection, but we are civilized.”
“Okay,” she got out. She had a feeling that was going to be a word she used often around these guys, since she had no idea what else to say.
He gave a sharp nod. “No one will bed you.”
Her eyes widened and she knew her mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
He frowned. “We will not strip you bare to make use of your body. That must be a concern of yours since you are a woman with so many men.” He released her and took a step back.
Shit! “That concept never crossed my mind.”
It hadn’t. She was still trying to wrap her head around them being aliens and hoping they weren’t going to kill her. Her attention dropped to the front of his pants and then she stared into his eyes again. Was that even possible? They looked humanoid, amazingly so, even though there were obvious differences in their features. They were bigger than average men too, all of them tall and thickly muscled.
“When it does, have no fear. I will not allow anyone to harm you.” His nostrils flared as he inhaled and a soft growl came from his throat that the box either didn’t pick up or couldn’t translate. “You are very tempting, but right now our mission is to find our friend.”
Chapter Three
Coto had sniffed at her. Lynn hesitated and sniffed back at him. Maybe it’s a cultural thing with these aliens. She inhaled the scent of something musky and pleasant. He responded by making another soft growl. He stepped close again.
The look in his eyes made her feel a little weak in the knees. She didn’t need a box to translate lust. He was foreign to her but still masculine and attractive. If he were human, she’d probably be panting after a guy built like him. And she loved the long hair. The fact that he was so tall was a turn-on too, since most of the men she knew were short.
She sure didn’t get prime stud muffins in Green Bend. She got idiots like Jimmy Morgan and his drug buddies or lazy, out-of-shape older guys like Mayor Morgan to choose from for potential dating candidates. Any guys half decent had been snatched up in high school and remained taken by other women.
He reached out and brushed a finger along her chin, then leaned in. He inhaled, making a low noise that wasn’t quite a growl but more of a rumble.
“What are you doing?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“You are checking my scent.”
“You sniffed at me and I did it back.”
He let his hand drop away. “You are not initiating sexual contact with me?”
“Whoa, boy.” She was stunned. “Is that what…ah…leprechauns do to hit on each other? Is sniffing foreplay?”
Coto scowled. “I would never strike you. You threw your purse at me and I did not defend myself against your attack.”
The box translated the words in a dull, emotionless tone but Coto sounded furious and his expression reflected that. She’d insulted him or just pissed him off by what she’d said.
“‘Hit on’ doesn’t mean that. Hit on means flirting or initiating sex. It’s a saying.”
His features relaxed. “Our translator doesn’t know that. We need to speak clearly without your sayings so there are no miscommunications.”
“Our computer was damaged.” Holion shifted his stance, catching her attention. “We have a smaller translator if you’d allow us to put it inside your ear so we don’t have to use this portable unit from our shi—stuff. It is outdated technology.” An annoyed expression crossed his features. “With our computer not working, we had to pull these units out to communicate if we ran into your people.”
Her gaze shifted to Coto. He nodded. “It is safe.”
“You can give me an earpiece thingy.” She shrugged. It beat them holding a box out toward her while they spoke. She was obviously going to spend at least a little time with them until she could escape or they let her go. She hadn’t missed Holion’s slip. Aliens came with ships. She was pretty certain that’s what he’d almost said. “I guess that would be okay.”
The redhead, Gar, lifted the bag he held, pushed a hand inside, and then nodded to Coto before tossing a small ring-sized box at him. Coto’s reflexes were amazing for a guy with injuries as he caught it and removed a tiny object from inside.
“Turn and tilt your head. Please pull your hair out of the way.”
Lynn hesitated but then did as he asked. She shoved her blonde hair back and turned her head, warily watching Coto as he stepped forward, his gaze turning to her exposed ear. His thumb brushed the bottom of her earlobe as he pressed what felt like a cold bead into her ear canal.
She gasped, her hand shooting up to cover it a second later. Whatever it was, it moved, seeming to tunnel inward toward her brain. Pain hit next and almost took her to her knees. She would have collapsed if Coto hadn’t lunged, wrapping both his arms around her waist to keep her upright. A snarl tore from his parted lips.
“This hurts her. Why?”
The discomfort was bad and tears filled her eyes. She whimpered as needle-sharp agony attacked her eardrum. She opened her mouth but the pain was too bad for her to even cry out.
“No one told me this would harm her.” Coto’s voice was deep and no longer mechanical. “Make it stop now, Gar. Help he
r!”
“It is just seconds of pain. It will pass. The implant is taking hold and it is integrating into her system.”
Coto adjusted his hold on her and bent. He scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. He walked over to a fallen tree and sat with her on his lap.
The sharp pain inside her ear stopped as suddenly as it had started.
“If you allow her to be harmed again, I will hurt you, Gar,” Coto warned.
She stared up at him as he lowered his chin. He really looked furious as they eyed each other. “It’s better.”
“I am sorry it hurt. I never would have allowed it if I had known it would harm you in any way.”
His mouth moved and there were actual words. The translator not only worked but it was translating emotion, and gave the alien a unique voice. There was no time delay anymore either. The lip movement to sound was a little off, assuring her he was probably still growling, but she could understand him as if he were actually speaking English.
“Are you well now?” Coto shifted his hold on her, still cradling her in his arms, but freeing one hand to reach up and gently cup her face. He lowered his head so they were a breath from being mouth to mouth, their eyes so close she could see the silver specks with amazing clarity even in the blue light from the ground. “Nothing will harm you again—or I will harm it much worse.”
“Your voice. I can hear it.”
He took a deep breath, making her realize she was pressed against his naked, broad chest. It was an intimate position with his arms around her, her ass on his lap.
“We have the technology to translate our language.”
“That’s…” She struggled to find words. “Cool. Really advanced.”
His body tensed. “We come from very far away, where things are different than they are here.”
She nodded. “I can totally believe that.”
“I told you she would be fine.” Gar sounded irritated. “You threatened me without cause.”