Free Sex, Love, and Aliens 2 by Beth D. Carter, Ashlynn Monroe, Imogene Nix, Jaye Shields

in silence.
    He waited, letting his breathing settle.
    Which window to check first? The door canted slightly to the left. It followed logic that the main room, then, was to the left. He’d be better to try the right first.
    Marcus hugged the wall, sliding slowly until he was beneath the window. He turned and reached up, ensuring he remained at the very corner, then peered within.
    The sight before him was chilling. There was Dria, tied to the wall.
    He watched for a moment as she twisted and turned. As if some connection between them alerted her, she looked up and caught sight of him.
    He lifted a finger to his lips and indicated he intended to raise the window. She glanced at the door in unspoken warning.
    At his nod she stilled and some of the concern on her face melted away.
    He slipped the rifle over his shoulder and braced himself, pushing against the wood. It moved a little way, then stilled. With a small grunt he slid the fingers of one hand then the other below the partly raised slider and tried again. It moved a little further, but not enough to let him in.
    He peered at the sides, looking for an obstruction. Nothing. Maybe there was a stopper on the edge?
    Taking the weight on one side, he slid his arm in and twisted enough to feel around. Sure enough something obstructed his way. Carefully, he gripped the panel of wood and removed it.
    Now the window opened and he climbed within.
    Dria gave one last jerk and freed herself. “Took you a while to get here.”
    He nearly laughed with joy. Instead, he released a whoosh of air from his lungs.
    Leaning forward, he whispered against her neck. “We need to be quick.”
    Her nod acknowledged his words. She too kept her voice low. “The ringleader is Floss. She knew my parents before they married, and she’s the head of the Incubi. They’re in league with the Galecians .”
    He’d heard the term Galecian before but couldn’t place it. “Who are—”
    “We don’t have time for this. They’re on their way, and we have to get out of here.” Dria shoved against him, pushing him back the way he came.
    Confusion filled him. Up until now, fear hadn’t been something that Dria had exhibited. Clearly the Galecians put the wind up her.
    “Dria, where are the Incubi?”
    She shook her head. “We don’t have time to find them. Just get us out of here.” She stumbled to the window and started to climb out just as a roar emanated from overhead.
    * * * *
    The roar told her time was up. The Galecians had arrived. The cold, hard pit that formed in her belly when Floss had told her about her agreement became stone-like.
    “We’re too late. How many men do you have?” She reached out and grasped Marcus’s shirt, twisting it in her hand.
    “Another six. Why? Who is that, and what the hell was that noise?”
    Before Dria could answer, the door burst open and Floss entered, her eyes wild. “What...” She stopped at the entrance, taking in the sight of Marcus.
    In seconds, Floss recovered and whipped a tiny laser pistol from her pocket. Dria watched the woman as she considered their situation.
    Two of us. Floss with a gun. Galecian ship overhead. The odds were bad. In fact, they were horrific.
    “You have to let us go, Floss. If the Galecians get what they want, all humans will be little more than slaves. That’s not what you want, is it?”
    Floss ignored her concerns.
    Her words were useless, and the sensation of failure filled her. They were going to die.
    Her mind emptied of everything except fear for herself, but more so, for Marcus. The truth stunned her. I can’t let the man I love die!
    She felt responsible that he was mixed up in all this. How could this happen? His experience was in dealing with humans, not Galecians . They were a totally different kettle of fish. If I don’t do something now, everything will be lost. The thought freed her from the fear-induced paralysis.
    “You have to let us go.” She leaned forward, mentally calculating the distance