Milo studied him for a moment, trying to decide whether he could take the vampire. Nothing fatal, just one good punch on the nose might make him feel better. Rico watched him, that small smile playing about his lips as though taunting him. The tip of one white fang showed. Milo tensed his muscles.
Then a growl rumbled behind him and he glanced over his shoulder. Two men—and, again, he used the word loosely—stood shoulder to shoulder. He recognized the taller of the two—Dylan, alpha werewolf and an asshole. The second he didn’t know, but he was clearly another wolf. Crap. No way could he take a vampire and two werewolves. At least not without his wand. He turned back to Rico.
“I don’t suppose there’s a way to get me home?” Except his home was gone. Even if the Earth had survived, it would have changed beyond imagination after five centuries.
“Not a chance.” Rico gave a casual shrug. “Besides, you have a new home now. You’ll be pleased to know we have landed on our brave new world.”
Would it be any better than the old one? He doubted it.
“And,” Rico continued, “as much as I’m enjoying this little family reunion, right now we have more important things to do. Get dressed—there’s a bag under the tube—we have a meeting in five minutes. On the bridge.” And he was gone.
On the bridge? Hell, this was like something out of Star Trek.
Maybe it was all some elaborate practical joke and they were really back on Earth. But Rico wasn’t one for practical jokes. Which meant…
He was trying to wrap his head around the fact that Rico had somehow got the jump on him, knocked him out, and he’d been asleep for…five hundred fucking years. And Earth was far, far away. Or maybe didn’t exist anymore.
He jumped to his feet. For a second, he thought his legs were going to give way beneath him. He steadied himself with a hand on the cryotube as he heard one of the wolves give a snigger.
Two werewolves he could definitely take. Even without a wand. But then what? Where was he supposed to go?
And he had to admit that he was curious. So he ignored them, bent down, reached beneath the cryotube, and tugged out a bag. Inside, he found the clothes he’d been wearing for that last meeting. He pulled on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, socks, and boots, and he was ready to go.
Chapter Two
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words—“‘Wait and Hope.’”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Destiny blinked her eyes open, and a grin curved her lips.
She was awake. That could only mean one thing…
The thought filled her with a mingled sense of excitement and dread. In all her twenty-six years before she was put into cryo, she’d never stepped foot outside the laboratory. Now, hopefully, there was a whole world to explore. People to meet.
She lay on her back, and above her, through the opaque canopy, she could vaguely see someone moving. Doctor Yang.
Pushing down her impatience, she ran a calming mantra through her mind. Things would happen when the time was right—that’s what Dr. Yang always said. Destiny forced her muscles to relax, her heart rate and breathing to slow. Metal bands around her head and chest held her firmly in place, so until the tube opened, she wasn’t going anywhere.
After what seemed an age, the door lifted from the outside and the restraints clicked open. Destiny reached up and peeled the monitors from her chest. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the cryotube.
Dr. Yang came to stand in front of her, and Destiny automatically held out her arm then sat quietly while the doctor took a blood sample and checked her vitals. She was used to this, and she knew that until it was done, she wouldn’t get any answers.
Finally, the doctor nodded. “You’re good.”
“I feel great.” Destiny pushed to her feet but swayed a little, and Dr. Yang extended a hand to steady her, then stepped back, her hand dropping to her side. Dr. Yang had always said she needed to be strong, so Destiny straightened her shoulders and took stock. “Everything is working fine,” she said. And it was true, already she was feeling steadier.
She wanted to ask if they had arrived but was scared to, in case they hadn’t actually gotten anywhere and maybe the ship was dying, or they were lost somewhere