Merry & Seduced (3 page)

“Is it gonna rain?” Jannike climbed to her feet with a tortured groan. “That’s all we need. It rained last time we came to this planet. Ry stunk out the tender with his wet fur.”

“No,” Mogens said. “The clouds are traveling away from our direction. The sunshine will remain.”

“Well, that’s something,” Jannike grumbled.

“Take a seat,” Amme said, but her attention wandered to Camryn before she opened the med-box and selected an absorbent pad. “I’ll doctor your ouchies.” Now that they’d arrived, Camryn couldn’t keep still. She paced the flight deck and did several circuits until Ry grasped her hand and hauled her against his side. Even so, she vibrated with her trepidation. This reunion with her family scared her and it showed.

“We’re going right now,” Ry said. “We’ll leave Nanu and the others in charge of the ship, and we’ll go and tell your brother we’re here.”

Camryn looked as if she might throw up. “No, we’ll go tomorrow. I—”

“Camryn, you need to go now or you’ll make yourself sick with worry,” Amme said.

“You come with us,” Camryn said and turned a beseeching expression on her. “Please.”

Amme exchanged a glance with Ry and he nodded.

“All right. Let me finish treating Jannike, then I’ll adjust my skin color and I’m ready to go,” Amme said and peered at Jannike’s forehead. “The bleeding has almost stopped.” She sprayed it with an anti-stop to halt the last of the bleeding, observed for a sec and nodded in approval. “A medi-pad, and you’ll be done.”

“What about us?” Kaya asked.

“I’ll take you to meet my brother and sister-in-law tomorrow. All of you,” Camryn said. “I promise.”

Amme glanced at Camryn’s skin color and willed her own natural bronze tones to lighten. It took mere seconds. Yes, that was better. She’d blend now.

“I’ve got my com if you run in to any problems. Don’t hesitate to contact me,” Ry said.

“Likewise,” Jannike said. “We can be there quickly if you strike trouble.”

“We’re visiting Camryn’s family on a peaceful planet,” said Ry. “There won’t be any trouble.”

Chapter Two

A
mme thought Camryn might faint as she stood before the front door of a rambling white bungalow. All her natural sparkle had fled to leave extreme pallor, and she looked as if she were having trouble breathing, as if someone had kicked her in the gut and knocked the air from her lungs. Her breaths seesawed in an out, an audible statement of fear.

Amme exchanged a glance with Ry, saw his concern, the way his jaw firmed and almost felt sorry for the people on the other side of the door.

“I’ll knock on the door,” Amme said and rapped her knuckles against the wood. “Your family will be pleased to see you.”

“Someone is coming.” Ry sniffed to ascertain the degree of danger and relaxed. “The scent holds a touch of you. It’s one of your family.”

Camryn swallowed audibly, her gaze fixed on the doorway. Amme suspected her friend wanted to run, but Ry’s arm around her waist and her unsteady legs rooted her to the spot.

The door opened to a child. Luke. He was four, Amme remembered from Camryn’s stories. He loved horses and other animals, taking after his father and Camryn in that respect.

“Luke,” Camryn croaked.

The boy looked at her and burst into a wide grin. “Auntie Cam. Auntie Cam. Auntie Cam!”

“He remembers me,” Camryn croaked again.

“Of course he does,” Amme said.

“Auntie Cam!” Luke shrieked.

A woman appeared in the passage behind them, her belly swollen with child in the Earth way. This must be Ellen, Amme decided and smiled in welcome. She was tiny with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, just as Camryn had described.

Ellen glanced at Amme and Ry and waddled to the door, a polite expression of enquiry settling on her neat features. Then she spotted Camryn, and her mouth twisted into anger. Disdain. This woman had judged her friend and found her lacking.

“What are you doing here? Max spent weeks looking for you. Weeks of checking bars and the hospital. We filed a missing person’s report.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Camryn said. “I-I—”

“You can’t just turn up and expect a welcome,” Ellen spat. “I want you to leave before Max comes. You’ve caused enough trouble and we—I can’t take anymore. You’re irresponsible, Camryn, and a drunk. Just go.” She shoved Camryn hard, pushing her back two steps. “We don’t want you here.”

“That’s enough,” Ry said, and he thrust Camryn behind him and out of Ellen’s reach.

“Who are you?” Ellen demanded.

“I am Camryn’s mate.”

Amme realized the woman didn’t have a translator. Ry’s words would sound like unintelligent garble.

“This is Ryman Coppersmith, my mate. This is Amme Vanak, our friend,” Camryn said, apparently understanding the problem. She’d taught them English, but Ry had forgotten to use his learning in the heat of the moment.

“I don’t care,” Ellen said. “Just go before Max gets back.”

A vehicle pulled into the driveway, and Ellen’s lips pressed together. A flash of temper colored her cheeks with pink before she gave a hard sigh of resignation.

Amme turned to inspect the new arrival. Camryn gasped, took half a step and halted in indecision.

The vehicle screeched to a stop and the driver’s door flung open. “Camryn?” a hoarse voice demanded.

The new arrival was a masculine version of Camryn. He raked a hand through his hair, shaggy and in need of a cut, and tugged off his sunglasses. He was a fraction taller but it was obvious they were siblings.

“Max,” Camryn murmured, then they both were running.

Max’s arms tightened around her and he buried his face against her shoulder. After a long hug, they pulled back to stare at each other.

“Where have you been?” Max asked, his voice hoarse and throbbing with emotion. He blinked rapidly, as if to dispel a mirage and reached out to seize Camryn’s hand. His fingers wove with hers and he clasped tight. “I searched for you everywhere. You vanished, and no one had seen you. Where the hell have you been?”

Camryn swallowed, shot a panicked glance at Ry, then glanced at Amme in a silent plea for help.

Ry and Amme had discussed this earlier, out of Camryn’s earshot, and both remained silent. Camryn needed to do this on her own.

“Camryn?” Max voice was hard, forceful, demanding answers.

“I was kidnapped by aliens,” Camryn blurted.

Amme saw the scorn form in Ellen, the disappointment on Max’s features, and realized Camryn had been right to worry.

“Surely you could do better than that?” Ellen asked.

Max pulled away from Camryn and stalked over to his wife.

“I told you to leave,” Ellen said. “We don’t need you in our lives.”

A tear rolled down Camryn’s cheek. Her throat worked but she didn’t say anything, didn’t refute their words, didn’t defend herself from their verbal attack.

“Haven’t you got anything to say, Camryn?” Max asked. “The truth perhaps?”

Camryn gaped at her twin. Another tear spilled free.

“Let’s go inside, Max. You can’t let Camryn drag us down. She’ll destroy us too.” Ellen urged her husband into the house and shooed their son before them.

“Wait,” Amme said, almost at the same time as Ry issued a catlike yowl.

Max and Ellen froze. Max turned, a blend of shock and indecisiveness darting through his expression before settling into resignation.

“Please, just listen to me,” Camryn said. “Let us come inside so I can tell you where I’ve been, and if you still want me to go after I’ve told you my story, I’ll leave without an argument.”

“Max,” Ellen said in warning.

Max glanced at his wife then back at his sister. “Ten minutes,” he said finally and steered his wife into the house.

Camryn hesitated, squared her shoulders and strode after her brother.

Amme and Ry grinned at each other as they fell into step. Camryn was back.

Inside a room furnished with comfortable chairs, pictures of landscapes and family photos, they found Max and Ellen seated together. Camryn fidgeted, as if she needed to pace but wanted to appear calm in front of her brother and sister-in-law.

Ry headed straight for his mate, and Amme took possession of a lone chair. She settled into the plush brown cushioning and willed Camryn to do this right. Amme knew how much this meant to her friend.

Camryn loved her twin very much and hated knowing she’d disappointed him, loathed the way she’d fallen apart after the death of Gabriel, her first husband.

“We’re waiting,” Ellen prompted, her tone a hairsbreadth from sarcasm.

Camryn gave a jerky nod. She swallowed and started from the beginning, just as she had when she’d told the story to Amme.

“I’d been drinking,” Camryn said, her chin lifting at Ellen’s snort. “I’d come into the house to see you, Max. I overheard you and Ellen talking. Ellen told you I’d fallen asleep while babysitting Luke. She wasn’t happy with me, and I don’t blame her. The day before you’d told me I needed help and I’d rejected your suggestion to check myself into a clinic. I left the house without talking to you and went to my cottage. When my brain wouldn’t let me sleep, I grabbed your old coat and went outside for a walk. That’s when the aliens grabbed me.”

“Really?” Ellen burst out in disbelief. “You’re sticking with that story?”

Easy to see Max’s disbelief. Amme and Ry had discussed this too. Amme stood and went to flank Camryn. Ry gave her a quick nod, and Amme let her skin change to its normal bronze. Ry flung off his shirt and rapidly shifted to feline.

Ellen gasped and held her belly in a protective manner. Max cursed softly before sending his wife an apologetic grin.

“The aliens,” Camryn continued, “actually wanted you, Max. They wanted a horse trainer, and they grabbed me instead. They’d obtained photos of you in your coat and didn’t discover they had the wrong person until they’d left to meet the
Indy
—their ship.”

“Auntie Cam,” Luke said. “Pat the kitty.”

“Luke, come and sit by Mummy,” Ellen ordered.

Luke cast a look of longing at Ry, ambled two steps closer.

“Luke,” Max said.

Camryn’s nephew ran to the two-seater and squeezed between his parents.

“I talked them into keeping me and offered to train their hell-horse. Max, it was the craziest experience I’ve ever had. Hell-horses are different from our horses. They promised to return me home once the race was over.”

“So you’re home for good?” Max asked. “You’re looking much better.”

“No, Max. I fell in love with Ry.” Her hand landed on Ry’s silky head, and he leaned into her, giving a contented purr.

So sweet, Amme thought and wondered how it would feel to have a man like Ry in her life.

“Ry is my mate. We’re here for the holidays, then we’re leaving to travel to Viros, Ry’s birthplace,” Camryn said.

“This is a nightmare,” Ellen muttered. “It’s not real.”

Ry growled, long and low.

“Maybe we should give them the universal translators,” Amme said. “That way they can understand all of us.”

Camryn nodded. “Our ship’s healer gave me some translator patches. Can I give you all one? They won’t harm you, but it would make it easier if you could understand all of us.”

“All?” Max asked. “How many of you are there?”

“Five more crew back at the ship,” Camryn said.

“Five,” Ellen said, her voice faint. “I don’t believe this.”

“Max, would you like a translator?” Camryn asked.

“Yes.” Her brother stood and approached Camryn. “What do I do?”

“Press this patch behind your ear. Mogens has designed it to work for several months, and it’s waterproof.”

“Max, I don’t know—” Ellen began.

“You raced an alien horse?” Max asked. “Did you win? God, it’s so good to see you. I was worried sick. I’ve spent every spare moment searching for you.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before speaking again. “Never thought of a spaceship.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have any way of contacting you,” Camryn said.

“Kitty,” Luke cried and before Ellen could stop him, he darted past his father and leaped on Ry.

Camryn laughed and Amme chuckled at the surprise on Ry’s feline face.

“Ride! Ride!” Luke shouted gleefully and dug his heels into Ry’s side.

“You heard my nephew,” Camryn said. “Give him a ride then shift back and say hello to my brother.”

Ry grunted but did as Camryn instructed. He navigated the furniture with the child clinging to his back and chortling gleefully.

“Go, horsey. Go,” Luke shouted, using his hands and heels in the manner of a jockey.

Camryn affixed the translator patch for her brother.

“Do you understand me?” Amme asked, speaking her native language from Sheng.

“Yes,” Max said in clear delight. “Amazing. Ellen, you have to try this.”

“Will it hurt my babies?” Ellen asked.

“No, you will be perfectly safe,” Camryn said. “Congratulations, by the way. Did you say babies?”

“We’re having twins in March,” Max said, walking over to his wife. He grasped her hand and pulled her from the two-seater. “Let Camryn put the patch on you. It doesn’t hurt. I can’t even feel it, now that the thing is in place.”

“The child should have one too,” Amme said. “Do I have your permission to put one on him?”

“Sure. Go ahead,” Max said.

Ry prowled toward Amme with the child still clinging to his back. She scooped him up and grinned at him. “Did you enjoy ride?” she asked in careful English.

“Yes, more.” He attempted to wriggle free but Ry stepped back and shifted.

“If anyone tells the crew, I’ll be forced to think up a gruesome punishment,” Ry said immediately.

“You didn’t enjoy being a horsey?” Camryn asked, her lips quivering as she applied the patch behind Ellen’s ear.

Amme did the same with Luke and kneeled in front of him to strike up a conversation. He resembled his father and Camryn in appearance with black hair, but his bright blue eyes came from his mother. The females would love him when he was older.

“No,” Ry snapped, making his feelings very clear on the topic with one crisp denial. “You have a visitor. They’re pulling up outside.”