Free Not Quite Terran Part 5 (Scifi Alien Romance Serial) by Erin Tate Page A

from me, I told you and I’m sure you heard it from others. He came to our rooms and knocked—” Karru understood the word even if he didn’t necessarily grasp why she preferred that method of notification of a visitor. “—and you went to answer the door before me. He had his phaser ready and was anticipating me opening the door. He didn’t know you had returned.” Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the healed skin. “He got your chest, aiming for my head.” She reached out and let her fingers hover over the evidence of his injury. “He almost killed you. I would have died.”
    Karru enveloped her hand with his and carefully laid it over the darker skin. “I am right here, my sweet one. Nothing will tear me from your arms.”
    Her throat ached and eyes stung with suppressed cries. “You don’t understand how close it was.”
    “Anything that brings moisture to your eyes is too much.” Karru looked beyond her. “What is his status now?”
    She turned her attention to Zentri as well and couldn’t miss the evil grin that graced his lips. “Much, much worse than you, my friend. Your men were less than happy with your condition.” Zentri chuckled. “The male met many ‘doors’ during his travels from your rooms to medical.”
    Rebecca should be disgusted that her people were capable of such violence toward a bound man. Should be, but wasn’t.
    Karru snorted. “You six always were bastards. Loyal, but bastards.”
    Zentri shrugged as if he didn’t care, but there was something else lingering in his expression. A different kind of hurt, a different residual pain that increased with Karru’s words.
    “Zentri…” She furrowed her brow and stared at him more closely. So much had happened, her attention split in so many different directions, that she hadn’t taken a moment and truly looked at the male. And not just him, but the others as well. It was then she recognized something that had been staring her in the face for wentics. It was the eyes, the shape of the nose, the cheekbones… His—all six—were masculine and sharp, but familiar just the same. “Are we…” Zentri looked everywhere but at her and she shot a look to Karru. “Karru?”
    He hesitated. “It is not discussed openly in court, but Terrans would call you half-siblings.”
    “Half…” Her attention bounced between the two men.
    “From our father, but not from his mate. He was a long distant cousin of the Jhoari and used that slim connection to seduce females. He did not respect the bounds of mating.” He shoved the words past gritted teeth.
    “He wasn’t the Jhoari?”
    Zentri shook his head. “No, merely a relative, but the entire family is gone which left us and now you.”
    “And he wasn’t loyal to his mate?” She shook her head. “Of course he wasn’t, I’m proof of that. But how can I be the Jhoari, when Zentri and—”
    “There is evidence your father was married to your mother and his first mate was dead. By law, you were born within the bounds of mating. Your siblings were not. It is an open secret, Rebecca. Known, but not discussed.”
    A growl escaped her. “Well, it obviously wasn’t that open.” Karru coughed, placing a hand over his chest as the sound rattled, and she glanced at Zentri. “I would like to get to know my brothers.”
    It seemed her words shocked him because he didn’t speak for a moment, his mouth hanging open. “Jhoari—Rebecca, it is not done. As Karru has said, we are seen as throwaway guards, not as the brothers to the Jhoari.”
    She shrugged. “Then everyone else needs to get over it. It’s not my problem, it’s theirs and their backward thinking.”
    Karru stroked her hand and she refocused on him once again. She met his gaze, saw a swirl of emotions ranging from concern to what she believed was love, skating over his face. His attention remained on her, but he spoke to Zentri. “Speak with your brothers, but know Rebecca is very stubborn. I believe she would hunt you