I sat in the front behind Danny as he drove, my head bouncing on the window. We were lucky to leave when we did, because right after we left city limits, the whole place went under.

As we drove, it wasn't much of a victory even though we all made it out alive. We all lost almost everything, if not everything. These people lost homes, loved ones, their life's savings, their history. Shit, how could I eventually tell mom that I lost Sosha? That damn dog was her everything.

We hit a bump and I smacked my head hard enough to see stars. I hissed and bit back a curse.

"That sounded like it hurt." Ned gave me a small smile. He had been nice enough to take the seat next to me after we finished loading everyone on the bus so Sean would be forced to sit somewhere else.

He was feeling the full weight of everything we lost too. I may still have my apartment back in the city, but I lost my truck which meant I had no clue how the hell I was going to make it back there. I knew Ned had lost his grandmother. She had been dying of cancer in the hospital, but there had been no way for him to get to her. It wasn't his fault but he wouldn't help feeling guilty.

"It did." My hand ran over the bump forming on my forehead.

"You can lean on me if you want. No weird stuff." He hunched down a little bit, hiking his knees up on the back of the seat in front of us.

Honestly, it sounded like a fantastic idea. My first response was to deny him because I was worried about whether or not Xai'an was out there watching. Which was stupid. He didn't own me, damn it!

Out of sheer stubbornness, I leaned my head on his large shoulder and sighed at how comfortable I felt. I had no interest in Ned in the slightest, but it was just fucking nice to have human contact.

"So, are you going to tell me why you hate Sean so much?" I mumbled, hoping some conversation would help take the edge out of the gloom we all felt.

Ned gave a small laugh and I realized right then that he was actually very attractive. I almost felt bad that it took me this long to see it. "I almost forgot about that. Man...where do I even begin?"

I shrugged with a small laugh of my own. "He has that affect on people."

"No offense to you, Z, but what did you ever see in him?" He looked down at me, searching my face as if it alone had the answer to his question.

"I don't know man. I was 15 and he was the only decent looking guy who wasn't into family-lovin type music." It wasn't the best answer for the heartbreak I went through, but it was the truth none the less.

"'Family-lovin'?" He mused.

I laughed then. "It's what I call country music. Clearly I'm not a fan. Anyway, I was impressed he was different. He liked the arts and not gutting animals to eat on the weekend. We always seemed to have something to talk about and it was always new. I thought I loved him. Maybe I did? I don't know. I just know I don't now. Not after I found him humping Stacy."

Ned nodded and looked up at the ceiling. The bright flash on top of the bus highlighting his features every few seconds in the dark. "You and I drifted after I started hanging with Danny, but I always considered you my friend. I walked in on them together one day during fourth period. You guys might have been together a year by then."

A small pang hit my heart. I had always known he had been seeing her for a long time behind my back, but hearing proof of it seemed to make it more real.

"I lost it." Ned continued. "Screamed at him 'How could you do this to her' and all that. I even tried to fight him. That didn't go over too well seeing as I was still only 4'11 to his near 6ft. Sean beat my ass. Busted me so good that I had to skip school for a few days, but not before he promised to do worse if I ever told you. Back then...I was such a coward, Z. I didn't say anything and it's still one of the biggest regrets of my life."

I smiled and nudged his shoulder with my head. "Ned, I don't blame you. Even if you had told me, I was stupid as hell back then too. I tried to make things work even though I knew he was cheating on me, so I have no doubts I would have just tried harder. It wasn't until I got this plate in my face that I told myself I'd never let myself be weak again."

Ned nodded. "I think it's because he scared me into silence was my biggest problem with the situation. Everyone was always protecting me. You. Danny. Jeremy. Frederick. Then the moment I don't have you guys, I buckled. It's what made me ask my grandmother to take me to the doctor and get those steroid shots so I didn't stay puny. I went to the gym every day. By the time I saw any results, you had left for the city."

That made my eyes go wide. Was he saying he wanted me to be impressed with him now? Shit. Had I been this fucking stupid? Was Ned in love with me?

"I hate Sean because he reminds me of how fucking weak I used to be. Not just physically, but my will. I didn't have the strength to go against him then because I was scared. That isn't the case anymore." His voice went a tad deeper. More masculine than I had ever heard from him before.

"No. That definitely isn't the case anymore Ned." I smiled up at him and for a brief moment we just looked at each other. I think we were both wondering if there ever would have been a chance for us to have gotten closer if I hadn't left town. I always enjoyed his company before. Though more like a kid brother kind of way. I definitely wouldn't have continued to see him that way after his glow up, so it's quite possible.

"What's that?" One of the children behind us squeaked, stealing me from my thoughts.

A small hand went over my head to point in front of us. It prompted me to sit up. Up ahead there was a massive blockade of what looked like miltary vehicles. They had flood lights shining directly onto the road which also meant our faces and I watched as three silhouetted figures stepped out to wave us to slow down. Which Danny did.

Most of the people behind us seemed relieved at the sight, but something told me to not get too excited. It just didn't sit right with me that the military was here because...where the hell were they when we needed them? While we were in there dying, were they seriously just sitting jere watching it all?

Once the bus came to a full stop, one of the figures came up to the doors that Danny slid open with a squeal. The man who came up the steps wore typical bad guy black gear and armed to the teeth. He had a five o'clock shadow forming on his jaw and throat which told me that he would normally be a very hairy guy. No thanks. "How many you got here with you?"

"Forty-two. Including myself. Danny Harrel, First Sergeant of-"

"We know who you are. Please pull the bus over into the sectioned area over there. Once we check the health of everyone here, we will start providing sanctuary." That's all he said before hopping out.

"Wow. What a dick." Sean muttered somewhere behind me. It was the first time he spoke up since we got everyone on the bus. And it was the first time I've agreed with anything he's said in over five years.

Danny didn't seem phased by the curt response of the man. He was probably used to it, but I wasn't as good natured about it. It only made me grow more suspicious.

"They want to check to see if we have one of them in us, I bet." Frederick mumbled as Danny eased the bus toward a group of men who were waving us toward a spot marked by flares.

I noticed a large white tent about ten feet away from where they had us stopped. Inside I could see a set up out of a movie. Tables, medical equipment, and people in white jumpsuits from head to foot. I'll bet Frederick is right.

Another man came onto the bus then. He was much older than the first man and the air around him was...heavy. Sinister even. He looked the be about Danny's size, but his attire was more along the lines of what you'dexpect someone from the military to wear. A green, pressed uniform littered with shiny badges and patches. This was someone very well decprated. "Everyone file out. We make this quick and you all can go sleep in a bed before the sun rises. Anyone who resists will be met with a bullet."

I felt everyone tense up at his words. Jesus, not even willing to sugar coat it, huh?

We did as instructed because we had no choice. The second man had Danny get checked out first. We watched as they took a vile of his blood and made him stand in between two walls that turned out to be an x-ray machine. Once he was finished, the man pulled Danny aside to debrief him on what happened.

One by one we filed into line to follow more of the same and one by one they were escorted out the back into another bus. It was a pretty damn fast process actually. We really would be out of here before the sun raised.

Then it was my turn. I stood patiently while they drew my blood, trying to distract myself with anything other than the needle in my arm. Yeah. I just faced some of the most nightmarish creatures anyone will ever see and I was still scared of needles. Sue me.

They directed me to go stand in the circle of the x-ray and waited patiently while they did their things behind their computers. After a moment I looked back at them to see what was taking so long and immediately felt my heart drop. They were huddled over their screens, going back and forth between looking at me and then the screen.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder hard enough to hurt, making me hiss out in pain. Pure reflex had me on the defensive so I grabbed the hand and twisted it off my shoulder before slamming my elbow home into the man's bronzed face. I had an 'oh shit' moment that froze me in place which is why two more officers were able to force me onto the ground so hard I had an explosion of stars light up my head like the fourth of July.

I had the distinct notion that people were screaming at me. Or maybe for me?

Hands ran over my body and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Then I felt them remove the bladed weapon Xai'an gave me and I cursed myself for being so fucking stupid. No wonder they were so freaked out! Why hadn't I thought to stash it?

"What's your name, girl?" I think the voice belonged to the pair of boots that came into view but it was hard to tell since I was being held down so hard I could hardly breathe. Every attempt to draw air was like inhaling fire.

"Fuck...you." I managed to wheeze out. Yep. That's how I felt.

"Where did you get this?" The voice responded as if I hadn't just given him the F bomb.

I couldn't answer even if I wanted to because I was starting to black out. I just couldn't breathe from all the weight on my back.

"Ease up there, boys. We don't want to kill her on accident." I almost wasn't sure I heard that right but it was suddenly easier to breathe.

"Take her over to humvee so the rest can finish their examination. I have some questions for this woman."

"Let her go! She is one of us!" Was that Ned? "Danny! Do something!"

I became aware that I was moving further away from the yelling and it took me a few tries to open my eyes. When I could, I was being ushered into the backseat of a vehicle. It wasn't a civilian vehicle either. There was a rugged edge to the inside that normal everyday vehicles simply didn't have.

The second man who had been speaking to Danny came to the open door and I was sandwiched between two officers. Both looked as big as Ned. "Let's try this again. Where did you get this?" So he was the one I told off?

The man held up the weapon, his finger dangerously close to the activation button that Xai'an had made me memorize. It would be an easy thing to rat him out. To explain that Xai'an had given it to me because he had some deranged fantasy about making me his mate and to beg for them to protect me from him ever touching me again...but that's not what happened.

"I found it. It was lying next to one of those things." I had to swallow hard because talking hurt like a bitch.

"You just found it? Lying around?" The man arched a sparse eyebrow, making the lines on his bald head wrinkle. "And you just happened to grab it without knowing what it was?"

I nodded again. "Look, I just lost my house man. It looks like pure silver. Give me a break if I was selfishly thinking of my future if I made it out alive."

The man chuckled, his big shoulders moving with it as his dark eyes studied the floorboards of the vehicle. "You see…" Another officer ran up to him to hand him a tablet before turning back around to leave the way he came. "Zena Reyes, is it?"

My blood ran cold. Did Danny tell them my name or had they simply been able to find my information that quick?

"I might have bought that story if you didn't have certain...anomalies in your bloodstream. Anomalies that aren't native to Earth, if you catch my drift." Those eyes bore into my soul when they looked up at me. There was no hint of humor in his face now. This was the face of a killer. "Want to tell me why you have trace elements of alien DNA in your blood and how about we start with the truth this time? For a little incentive...any time you lie to me, one of your many friends will die."

I felt my anger summon from the bottom of my darkest pits. I have never hated someone upon first meeting them before. Not like this. No, you can dislike them, but hate is a far more dark emotion. But I could do nothing with it or these people would die. I had no doubts these men would lay waste to every single one of them.

After a tense staring contest, I felt the wind leave me and my shoulders sagged in defeat. "I can't tell you much because I honestly don't know much. There's another type out there. Humanoid. Big as hell. He protected me when those things out there attacked me. I got cut up and he used…" What was I doing? Was I really about to risk the lives of my fellow humans for Xai'an?

"He used…?" The man urged me to continue with a growl.

I sighed and threw up my hands. "I can't explain it. He made a paste of some sort. It healed my hand. And I'm talking stitches should have been needed, just gone."

The man frowned, but I think he believed it. I just knew that if they found out it was Xai'an's blood that did this, he would be in danger. And no matter how much I want to just run back to return to my life, I didn't want to be the cause of Xai'an getting hurt either.

"He look anything like this?" The man turned the tablet to show me a Yautja that looked similar to Xai'an. I knew it wasn't him because the mask was wrong, the dreads barely passed his shoulders where Xai'an's went to his hips and this one had a greener coloring to him, but there was no doubt they were the same species. This candid shot looked like it had been taken of the male in mid run between two large trees.

I nodded slowly.

"They are called Predators. They have been visiting Earth for centuries. They are the ones who brought the Xenomorphs here." He let me take the tablet and climbed into the back of the vehicle, closing the door behind him.

"Xenomorphs?" I repeated as the vehicle started moving. Panic started to fill me now. "Wait, where are we going?"

"Xenomorph is what we call the black extraterrestrial that destroyed your city. They work like a hive of sorts. We've been studying them for the last ten years or so since Antarctica." He must have seen my confusion because he just smiled and shook his head. "That's not important. What is important is figuring out why an alien race known for slaughtering human kind protected you and altered your DNA."

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded again. This time I couldn't keep the panic out of my voice.

The man gave an evil grin and leaned forward on his knees a bit. "A place where not even you can lie, because I know you're hiding something still."

One of the men beside me suddenly punched my thigh with a needle. I had no chance to react because the drug went to work immediately on my nervous system. My last thoughts were if I was ever going to see that big ass alien who fucked up my life again.