Page 3 of Sy (Alien Berserkers of Izaea #2)

3

A shley shifted her hold on the transport vehicle’s metal side as it lurched up the steep road toward the garrison. The evening air had turned crisp and sharp, her nostrils flaring with the scent of rain-soaked vegetation all around them. Portable lamps strung between posts at the side of the dirt track cast pools of light across her companions in the truck as it swayed.

She was at the front, just behind the cab with Lila tucked in next to her, but she couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting to the back. The big alien, Sy, stood at the back of the open-topped truck like a sentinel, with his head constantly moving as he scanned the darkening landscape. The muscles in his shoulders were taut under his shirt, as though he was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

As though aware of her watching, he turned and looked right at her. She yanked her gaze away quickly and sank lower in her seat. Why she was watching him, she had no idea. He didn’t even like her. He’d made that perfectly clear yesterday. But she couldn’t stop. He always seemed to be in the corner of her eye, which was more comforting than she wanted it to be.

The new ferals turning up earlier had rattled her nerves a little. Or rather, the way Sy and the others had gone on alert watching them had. She bit her lip. What if he’d been right yesterday, and the situation here was more dangerous than she’d thought?

The transport vehicle jolted over another bump, and she gripped the railing tighter. Below them, the cliff face dropped away into darkness, the rocks barely visible in the failing light. One wrong move, one slip of the massive treaded wheels, and they’d all tumble to their deaths. No wonder the aliens hadn’t attempted this journey last night during the storm. It would have been suicide.

“Mom?” Lila looked down the mountain with none of the same fear that rolled through Ashley. “How much further?”

“Not long now, honey.” She wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders, noting how cold she felt. “See those lights up ahead? That’s the garrison.”

As they drew closer, the building’s imposing silhouette took shape against the darkening sky. High walls of grey stone rose before them, topped with what looked like guard towers at regular intervals. Harsh floodlights illuminated the perimeter, casting long shadows across the surrounding steep hillside.

“It looks like a prison,” Lila whispered, pressing closer to her side.

Her throat tightened as she looked at the fortress-like structure. Yeah, it really did. The place had all the warmth and welcome of a maximum-security facility. But she smiled and gave Lila’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’m sure it’s much nicer inside.”

The transport rumbled through the main gate, passing under a heavy archway that yawed above them… like a predator’s maw ready to swallow them whole. The sound of the engine echoed off stone walls as they pulled into a courtyard, finally stopping beside stone steps leading up to huge double doors.

It appeared they had arrived.

Sy jumped down from his position at the back of the truck, moving with a fluid grace she found fascinating.

“Everyone inside,” he called out, his voice carrying. “Meal service starts in twenty minutes.”

As they were at the front of the truck, Lila and Ashley were the last in the group filing into the light and warmth. She tried not to flinch as the massive doors clanged shut behind them. But she couldn’t bite back her gasp as the main hall opened up before them, the ceiling disappearing into the shadows above. More lamps created islands of light, illuminating long tables and rows of benches that filled the space.

“Please, everyone, find somewhere to sit,” Sy called out in his rough voice. “There’s space for everyone.”

The hall buzzed with quiet conversation as the work teams, human and alien alike, found seats. The mixture of voices created an odd harmony that bounced off the stone walls.

She found them a space halfway down the table to the left and settled onto the wooden bench, her muscles protesting after the long day. Lila slid in beside her, immediately stuffing her music buds in her ears. Adult conversation bored her to tears.

“Those foundation scans were fascinating,” Michelle Trevor, one of the senior engineers, said as she spread out a tablet on the table. “Look at these mineral deposits we found. If we adjust the footings here and here, we could save weeks of excavation time.”

Ashley leaned forward, studying the glowing diagrams. “Good catch. Mark those coordinates for tomorrow’s team. We’ll need to?—”

A loud tapping sound drew everyone’s attention to the front of the hall. A massive Izaean stood there, his presence commanding immediate silence.

“Welcome, everyone. I am Kraath, commander of the northern garrison.” His voice carried easily through the hall. “I want to personally thank you all for your work today. Despite the challenges of the terrain and weather, you’ve already exceeded our initial expectations.” He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. “After dinner, we’ll show you to your permanent quarters. I promise they’re considerably more comfortable than last night’s emergency arrangements.”

A ripple of relieved chatter spread through the hall. Ashley felt some of her own tension ease. A real bed would be heaven after sleeping on that emergency cot.

Movement caught her eye, and she watched as the food was brought out. Their table was being served by the two young Izaeans she’d seen yesterday. They placed large pots at intervals along the table. Steam curled up from them, carrying a heavenly smell that made her stomach growl. Following behind them were trays piled with what looked surprisingly like chocolate cake, dark and rich.

She felt Lila shift beside her and followed her daughter’s gaze. One of the Izaean boys set a pot down in front of them, even though it wasn’t the same interval as the others, and flashed a quick smile at Lila. She watched her daughter’s cheeks flush pink as she quickly grabbed one of the empty bowls from the stack in the center of the table.

Reaching forward, Ashley lifted the lid of the pot. It was a thick sort of soup, somewhere between a broth and a stew again, but she didn’t care. It smelled absolutely wonderful. Quickly, she ladled some into their bowls before handing the ladle off to Trevor. Around her, humans and Izaeans alike were passing bowls and thick slices of still-warm bread, their conversations mixing in the warm air.

The bench shifted, and she tensed as Sy dropped into the space next to her. He seemed to take up more space than physically possible, radiating heat like a furnace. She forced herself to keep her movements steady as she reached for her spoon, though her heart had picked up speed. There were spaces at other tables. Why had he chosen to sit here?

“The food is safe for human consumption,” he said, his deep voice pitched low enough that only she could hear. “We had your medical team verify all ingredients.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice immediately, and took a careful sip of the soup. Flavors burst across her tongue, rich and complex with hints of spices she couldn’t name, and she was forced to bite back a moan.

“It’s delicious,” she said, surprised by how much she meant it.

Sy shifted in his seat beside Ashley, the worn wooden bench creaking beneath his weight. The scent of fresh-baked bread wafted from the plates in the middle of the table, mingling with the earthy aroma of the roasted root vegetables in the soup. His fingers twitched against the side of his bowl as he searched for something else to say.

“The bread is particularly good tonight,” he said, his voice pitched low. “Cook uses wild grains from the eastern fields.”

She gave a slight nod, her attention split between her plate and the room around them. Her daughter Lila leaned around her and offered a small smile as she reached out to tear off a hunk of bread to eat with her soup. He bit back a groan. The bread was nice… Was that all he could think of?

The mess hall buzzed with conversation and the clatter of plates as the work teams ate. Sweat and different scents—grease, propellant fuel, even blood from someone’s scraped knuckles—hung heavily in the air. His nostrils flared, cataloging each scent and searching for anything out of place.

He hadn’t planned to sit here. His usual spot was closer to the door where he could monitor everyone’s movements. But he’d been tracking her from the moment she and her daughter had entered the hall, and something had drawn him toward her. The symbiont beneath his skin rippled with approval, a predatory awareness focusing on the safety of the two females. That had to be it, he decided. They were female and therefore vulnerable, bringing out the protectiveness of his Latharian blood and, he realized with surprise, that of his legion symbiont.

Lila tapped a spare spoon against the table’s edge, creating a soft, steady rhythm that matched the faint whisper of sound he could hear from the little black buds in her ears. The sound should have irritated him, but instead, it provided an anchor as his senses swept the room for threats.

He found none. Not in here. The ferals from earlier this afternoon had disappeared as soon as the transport trucks had arrived, but even so, his jaw clenched. He really hadn’t liked the way one of them had looked at Ashley—washed out red eyes fixing on her with disturbing intensity. The feral wasn’t in here with them, but his instincts screamed that other threats remained.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a familiar scent made the hackles on the back of his neck rise up, and he turned his head, scanning for what had alerted him. It didn’t take him long to find the source of danger. Or more precisely, irritation. The human engineer who had challenged Zeke last night loitered on the far side of the hall, his movements drawing Sy’s attention. Every few moments, the male’s gaze would drift to Ashley, lingering longer than necessary.

“How are you finding the garrison so far?” he asked, carrying on the conversation while tracking the human’s movements at the same time. The black armoring over his side and arm tightened slightly, responding to his tension.

“It’s… different than what I expected,” she replied, and even though he knew little about humans, he could tell that her tone was carefully neutral. “But the facilities seem well-maintained.”

The human engineer chose that moment to sidle up to them, dropping into the seat opposite. Sy’s muscles tensed. The engineer’s body language screamed challenge. It was there in the way he leaned forward, in his narrowed eyes, and in the small twist of his mouth that tried to pass for a smile but revealed too many teeth.

“The construction timeline looks promising,” he said loudly. “Though some of us had concerns about working with local labor. No offense, but they’re not quite up to our standards. And they’re definitely not quick enough. We don’t have time to hold their hands through this.”

Sy’s claws itched to punch to full length, but he kept them sheathed.

Kill rival, his symbiont whispered in the back of his mind, vocal for once. Not talk to our female.

Not our female, he told it absently as Ashley turned to lock eyes with the other human.

“The delay is down to me, Thompson. I’ve reviewed the initial surveys,” she said. “Some areas need additional attention before we proceed with the next phase.”

Thompson’s lips pulled tighter. “We already have safety procedures in place. There’s no need to second-gu?—”

“Which I’ll be happy to discuss during tomorrow’s briefing,” Ashley cut him off, turning back to her meal and effectively dismissing the male.

“This bread is amazing,” Ashley said, turning her attention to Sy. The sweet, nutty aroma wafted between them as she broke off another piece. “I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. How do you make it?”

Sy’s chest warmed at her praise. Even though he hadn’t personally made the bread today, they all took turns in the kitchen, so he knew how to. “Underground fungus provides the base. We harvest it, extract the yeasts, and then add flour milled offsite near the eastern fields.” His claws flexed unconsciously as he watched her take another bite. “The process takes several days.”

“The texture is incredible too…so light and airy.” She held up a piece, examining the delicate, purple-tinted crumb structure. “Would you be willing to show me how it’s made sometime?”

Anger twisted Thompson’s features as he leaned forward, planting his elbows on the worn tabletop. “And what exactly are your qualifications for managing a project of this magnitude, Miss Jackson?” The man’s nasally voice scraped against Sy’s eardrums like claws on metal. His Rage bristled at the human’s condescending tone, making Sy’s muscles twitch with the urge to silence him.

“Beyond your…obvious appeal to our alien friends here.” The man’s thin lips curved in a knowing smirk as his gaze deliberately tracked down Ashley’s body. “One has to wonder if there are other reasons they selected such a…fertile candidate for this position.”

Ashley’s expression shuttered, her professional mask sliding into place. Lila hunched her shoulders, her hand tightening around her spoon as the temperature around the table dropped a couple of degrees.

The scent of Ashley’s anger spiked sharply in Sy’s nose though her voice remained professionally neutral. His claws itched to extend, to teach this arrogant human some respect, but he kept them sheathed. For now.

“It’s Ms . Jackson, and I have more than fifteen years of experience managing large-scale engineering projects,” she replied evenly. “Perhaps we should focus on that rather than making assumptions about hiring practices?”

The male’s face flushed an ugly red, but the answering smile never reached his cold eyes. The predator in Sy recognized another predator—though a far more pathetic specimen—attempting to establish dominance.

“We’re not like the Lathar ,” Sy bit out, fighting to keep his claws sheathed as instinct screamed at him to put this arrogant male in his place. The stench of the human’s aggression made his nose burn. “We don’t seek out fertile females because we’re not looking for breeders .”

His lips pulled back from his teeth in a dangerous smile.

“Every male on this planet carries a mutation that makes us… dangerous,” he hissed as he pushed up to loom over Thompson on the other side of the table. “So we don’t breed. Trust me… it’s better this way.”

Rip. Tear. Make him bleed. His Rage’s bloodthirsty urges coiled through his thoughts like smoke, making his claws itch with the need to extend. The predator inside him purred at the fear that crossed Thompson’s face.

Good. Let him be afraid. Let him realize just how outmatched he truly was.

He pushed the murderous impulses down with iron control as he turned to Ashley.

“Have you ever seen crops harvested?” he asked, forcing his voice back to its normal tones.

“I can’t say that I have,” Ashley replied, turning away from Thompson.

“You can’t talk to me like that!” Thompson’s voice was higher than normal, the stench of fear rolling off him in waves. “I’m a contracted worker! I have rights!”

A shift in the mess hall’s atmosphere drew his attention. Tor approached, moving with deadly grace to loom behind Thompson. Sy’s shoulders tightened.

Why is he here? Sy asked his Rage. Did you call him? Can you do that?

His Rage’s amusement rolled through his mind. Similar genetics. Easier to communicate. Two of us, superior numbers.

The overhead lights caught on the blackened armor that covered most of Tor’s torso and one of his arms.

“You are the project manager here! Are you going to let him threaten a union worker like that?” Thompson demanded, oblivious to the threat behind him.

Beside her mother, Lila’s rhythm with the spoon became erratic, betraying her unease at the mounting tension.

A tiny grunt nearly escaped Sy’s throat as his symbiont pushed harder, trying to gain control. He choked the sound back, but not before Ashley turned to him with curiosity in her eyes.

“What do you think about reinforcing the damaged railings near the third watch tower?” she asked. “It would be easier to do that before the workshops go up.”

Sy blinked, realizing he’d missed part of the conversation while wrestling with his symbiont’s bloodthirsty urges.

Kil—

We are not killing any humans! he roared internally, putting every ounce of authority he possessed into the command. The Rage writhed in his blood, stunned into momentary silence. Around them, cutlery clinked against bowls, the ordinary sounds a contrast to the war raging inside his head.

Sy managed to force his lips into what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but Thompson cut in before he could answer her question.

“Look, sweetheart,” Thompson snapped, but before he could get any further, Tor stepped forward with fluid grace. The water jug in his hands tilted at precisely the right angle to send a sheet of cold water cascading over Thompson’s head and across his shoulders. The human leaped up with an undignified yelp, falling over the bench backward as water dripped from his clothes.

Startled laughter erupted from several nearby tables as Thompson stood there, sputtering and dripping, his shirt plastered to his chest.

“You fucking idiot!” he snarled, clenching his fists as he took a step forward. Sy stilled, ready for violence to erupt. Tor might be young, and if not shorter in stature, definitely more slender than the burly human, but he wasn’t as defenseless as Thompson seemed to think. It would be like throwing an earth kitten in with a tiger… suicide, but the human engineer didn’t seem to realize that. Or that Tor could tear him apart without breaking a sweat, and probably would.

“Ohhh look at the big man,” a young, female voice taunted. Sy looked around to see Lila with her earbuds out, glaring at Thompson. “Gotta beat up on kids to make yourself feel good, eh? How about you start with me?”

Thompson whipped around, fury in his eyes. “You keep your mouth shut, bitch, or I’ll?—”

Ashley and the other humans all stood up, their faces hard.

“You’ll do what, exactly?” Ashley demanded. Sy hadn’t put Thompson’s chances of survival at much if he’d gone up against Tor, but looking at Ashley’s face and the face of the other humans, he put them even lower now.

“Fuck this. I don’t need this shit. I’m out of here,” Thompson snarled and stalked out of the hall.