Chapter 7: Blood and Bonds

Lila Carter's scream echoed through the foggy night as the Xytheran dropped Jake Hensley to the barn floor, his body limp, blood streaking his bare chest. The alien charged, claws gleaming, black eyes fixed on her. Ethan Blake yanked her back, his arms locking around her waist, his breath hot against her neck. "Wait!" he hissed, holding her tight despite the blood dripping from his own wounds. Damien Voss grinned darkly, knife flashing as he stepped forward, ready to meet the beast. Kieran Holt cocked his shotgun, winking at Lila with that playful charm. "For you, gorgeous," he said, aiming. Maya Torres gripped her pipe, bruised but fierce, while Dr. Clara Evans clutched the pulsing disc, her cool facade cracking. Zara Quinn hung back, sketching the chaos, her whispers lost in the rising hum.

The barn doors gaped wide, green light spilling out, shadows of more Xytherans shifting inside—dozens, their gray forms a hive of menace. The lead alien reached them first, slashing at Damien. He dodged, knife sinking into its arm, gray blood spraying. It shrieked, clawing his chest, tearing his shirt. He grunted, twisting the blade deeper, and it fell, thrashing.

Kieran fired, the shotgun blast punching another Xytheran's shoulder. It staggered, and Maya swung her pipe, cracking its skull. Ethan released Lila, tackling a third, fists slamming its face. Claws raked his back, blood welling, but he pinned it, snapping its neck with a roar.

Lila broke free, running for Jake. "Jake!" she yelled, dropping beside him. His dark hair hung over his face, his skin pale, chest barely rising. Blood oozed from cuts on his torso—shallow but jagged, like they'd tested him. His eyes fluttered open, glassy, unfocused. "Lila…" he rasped, voice weak.

"I'm here," she said, tears burning as she grabbed his hand. His fingers were cold, trembling, but he squeezed back faintly. "They… hurt me…" he mumbled, wincing. "Cut… watched…" His shirt was gone, pants torn, bruises blooming on his hips—marks of something brutal.

A Xytheran lunged at her, claws outstretched. She swung her bat, cracking its jaw, but it grabbed her arm, twisting. Pain shot through her, and she screamed. Ethan roared, slamming into it, fists pounding until it collapsed, gray blood pooling. He pulled her up, hands on her face, frantic. "You okay?" His chest heaved, blood dripping from his back, his eyes wild with fear for her.

"Yeah," she gasped, clinging to him, his heat grounding her. Damien staggered over, chest bleeding, smirking despite the pain. "Nice one, mechanic," he said, but his gaze locked on Lila, dark and possessive. Kieran joined them, reloading his shotgun, grinning. "Teamwork, huh, gorgeous?" His wink was light, but his eyes lingered, warm and bold.

Maya finished off another alien, panting, blood streaking her face. "Too many!" she yelled, as more poured from the barn—taller, faster, their claws sharper. Clara held the disc high, its glow flaring. "It's drawing them!" she shouted. "We need to shut it down!"

Lila glanced at Jake, still slumped, then at the ship glowing inside the barn—a sleek, jagged mass of metal, pulsing green. "Get him out," she told Ethan, voice shaking. "I'm going in." Ethan's jaw tightened. "Not alone."

"Never," Damien said, limping closer, knife ready. Kieran nodded, slinging his gun. "Right behind you, gorgeous." Their voices wove around her—Ethan's fierce loyalty, Damien's reckless heat, Kieran's playful edge—binding her tighter.

They charged the barn, leaving Maya and Zara to drag Jake to safety. The ship loomed, its hatch open, a ramp slick with gray fluid. Xytherans swarmed—five, then ten—clashing with them in a blur of blood and screams. Ethan took a claw to the arm, grunting, but kept swinging. Damien danced through, knife slashing throats, his thigh wound slowing him. Kieran fired, blasting one back, but another tackled him, claws tearing his shoulder. He cursed, kicking it off, and Lila cracked its skull with her bat.

Inside, the ship's walls shimmered, smooth and cold. Tables lined the room—metal, stained, straps dangling. A woman lay on one, naked, her stomach swollen, scars crisscrossing her skin. She moaned, eyes blank, claw marks on her thighs—fresh, brutal. "Help…" she rasped, voice fading.

Lila's stomach lurched. "They're doing it here," she whispered, horrified. Clara stepped past, disc in hand, scanning the walls. "Controls—there!" She pointed at a panel, glowing with symbols like Zara's drawings. A Xytheran loomed behind it—massive, its skin darker, holding a jagged tool dripping red.

It charged Clara, tool slashing. She ducked, and Damien leapt, tackling it. They rolled, claws raking his back, blood gushing. He roared, stabbing its chest, but it pinned him, tool slicing his side. Lila swung her bat, cracking its head, and Kieran fired, blasting its face. It slumped, dead, gray blood soaking Damien.

He staggered up, gasping, smirking at Lila. "Saved me again, princess." His hand grabbed hers, slick with blood, pulling her close. His breath was hot, eyes burning, and her pulse raced—fear, adrenaline, something raw. Ethan shoved between them, glaring. "Back off," he growled, pulling her to him. His chest pressed against hers, possessive, and her skin flushed.

Kieran laughed, wincing as he clutched his shoulder. "You two fight over her later. We've got work." Clara reached the panel, disc flaring as she pressed it against the symbols. The ship shuddered, lights dimming, but more Xytherans poured in—six, relentless.

One grabbed Lila, slamming her to the floor. Its claws tore her shirt, cold fingers digging into her stomach, testing her. She screamed, kicking, as its weight crushed her, a guttural hum in its throat. Ethan roared, ripping it off, snapping its arm. Damien stabbed its back, and it fell, blood spraying her face.

Another tackled Kieran, claws slashing his chest. He grunted, firing point-blank, blasting its head. Maya burst in, pipe swinging, cracking another's spine. "Jake's safe!" she yelled, bloodied but standing. Zara followed, sketching the woman on the table, whispering, "She's like me…"

The ship whined, lights flickering. Clara slammed the disc into the panel, and it sparked, the hum dying. The Xytherans froze, hissing, then retreated, vanishing into the fog outside. The ship went dark, silent, a hollow shell.

Lila staggered to the woman, unstrapping her. "You're okay," she lied, voice shaking. The woman's eyes fluttered, blank. "They… put it in me…" she rasped, hands on her swollen belly. "Hurts…" Blood trickled from her mouth, and she went still, breath stopping.

"No…" Lila whispered, tears falling. Ethan pulled her away, arms tight around her. "She's gone," he said, voice rough, holding her as she shook. Damien watched, silent, his smirk gone. Kieran knelt by the body, muttering, "Bastards."

Clara retrieved the disc, now dim. "It's offline," she said. "For now." Maya wiped blood from her face, glaring at the corpse. "They'll be back."

Outside, Jake sat against the barn, awake but weak, Zara beside him. "Lila…" he croaked, reaching for her. She ran to him, dropping to her knees, hugging him tight. His skin was cold, cuts raw, but he was alive. "I thought I lost you," she sobbed, burying her face in his neck.

"They… tested me," he said, voice hoarse. "Cut me… watched how I bled…" His hands trembled, gripping her. "Said I'd bring you…" Her heart sank—bait, like Damien warned.

Ethan stood close, silent, his bloodied hands clenched. Damien limped over, eyes dark. "He's marked now," he said, voice flat. "They'll want him back." Kieran joined them, grinning despite his wounds. "Guess we're all in deep now, gorgeous."

Jake's eyes flicked to them—Ethan's loyalty, Damien's edge, Kieran's charm—and narrowed. "Who're they?" he asked, weak but sharp. Lila hesitated, guilt twisting her gut. "Friends," she said. "They saved us."

The fog thickened, green lights fading, but the hum lingered, faint and ominous. Clara held the disc, frowning. "This isn't over. They're regrouping." Maya nodded, pipe ready. "Then we hit harder next time."

Lila helped Jake up, his weight heavy against her. Ethan supported his other side, steady but tense, while Damien and Kieran flanked them, a ragged, blood-soaked crew. Her harem tightened—Jake's fragile return, Ethan's fierce care, Damien's dark hunger, Kieran's bold spark. The barn loomed behind, a tomb of secrets, and the Xytherans' shadow stretched long.

A new scream split the night—distant, female, cut off fast. They froze, weapons ready, as the war bled on.