The Alien King’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Abduction Romance (Orean Warlords, book 3) Read online

  I have to admit, he’s making some valid points. I did see exactly how bad the mating fever can be. And any distraction for him really could lose this planet the war. And since winning the war and defeating the Raxians is the only way that the sky will be clear so me and the rest of the girls can get back to Earth, I suppose I’m going to have to suck it up and deal with this guy— for now.

  “Fine,” I groan. “Fine, I’ll come to have dinner with you. But that’s all. We eat, we talk, and that’s it. Understood?”

  “You know, if any of my subjects spoke to me the way you do, I’d have them imprisoned for insubordination and treason,” he comments with a devilish smile.

  “Good thing I’m a refugee and not one of your subjects then,” I parry back.

  With that decided, there’s nothing for it but to return to the palace with S’oraj. We have little to say to one another along the ride back, both seeming to prefer to use the brief time for our own thoughts. When we arrive and exit the transport, he brings his wrist up to his lips and contacts someone.

  “M’ardula? Please prepare a suite of rooms for my S’ulin Kara—and try to keep as much gossip about her as possible to a minimum for now,” he says. “You know that all of my enemies are now hers as well.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” a female voice answers back.

  He turns to me and adds, “I must return to my duties, and begin to work on the second of our discoveries now. Here is a servant who will bring you to M’ardula now. Together, the two of you will get all your needs sorted out.”

  “Thank you,” I say in spite of myself. “I just... Yeah. Thanks.”

  I turn and leave, following the servant down the corridor.

  As soon as I get settled in, I need to talk to the other girls. This is insane; I don’t care who this dude is or what he says, I’m not falling for any of this. I’ll play along just to shut him up until the war is over, but then I’m going back to Earth the moment I can get there without being blown up.

  What the hell has my life become?

  Chapter 4

  S’oraj

  “Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” I say to the hand-selected group of ministers and commanders around the table. “And especially to you, X’oran, for making time for this so soon after your return to the low-orbit station.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” His reply crackles through the speaker of the holographic display on which he appears.

  “You few are my most trusted allies, and in light of some new information that has been brought to my attention, I require more cunning and discretion than ever before.” I proceed to explain to them the conversation that B’ecky overheard. News that the Raxians’ weapon is operational and that they’ve received word about the gathering of commanders does not please them, but the plan to attack our conference sets everyone talking at once. Their mutterings of concern are not unexpected, and I give them a moment before speaking again.

  “Though I do not yet know the identities of all the traitors in our midst, I do know that the two who were overheard are high-ranking ministers in this court. Until they are found we must all be wary of anyone outside of this room. Whatever their reasons are for helping the Raxians, these traitors have done a remarkable job of it, and of staying hidden while doing so. We should all assume that they are expert liars and that they will use whatever tactics they can to keep their identity hidden as they spy for their enemy masters.”

  “So, what do you wish for us to do, Your Majesty?” V’orin asks bluntly. Thank Oraj I didn’t lose him in the midst of all this. That Orean is unstoppable.

  “This is my plan: one way or another we will be indefinitely postponing the meeting—”

  Before I can continue, the outcry from the gathered officials cuts me off another time. I can’t blame them, really; it took wans to arrange that gathering, and to postpone it only a few turins out from the date is unthinkable as far as scheduling goes. I raise my hands and the room falls silent under the gaze of the king.

  “I understand your concerns, but there is nothing for it. If we were to proceed as planned, not only would we have no way of stopping this weapon of theirs, but half of Orajal would be destroyed along with us when it hit. We cannot take that risk.”

  “So, what is it that you propose?” Commander L’arten demands. His help in housing all the Palian shanins has been beyond invaluable this entire time. If there is anyone besides V’orin and X’oran I can trust absolutely, it’s him.

  “I will send out a royal announcement that the meeting has been postponed. In the meantime, in your conversations with others regarding this delay, voice the same frustrations and concerns you just brought up, but make no mention of this meeting we’re having now. I will make some mention of ‘personal reasons’ for delaying the gathering. Feel free to bellyache as much as I know you want to about it to anyone with whom you speak.”

  Eyes flit from one to another as they all silently refuse to acknowledge that I’m right, but I press on. “As top-ranking commanders and ministers, you could be well within your rights to have certain knowledge of a countermeasure that my scientists have constructed to repel the Raxians’ weapon and turn it back on itself, destroying the fleet that carries it in the process.”

  “Is that true?” X’oran veritably gasps from his holo-screen.

  I pause and sigh. May as well be as up-front with these few as I can be. I don’t know who else I can trust, but the more that these krens know, the better they’ll be able to draw out the spies.

  “No,” I say. “Not remotely. While the weapon plans that the Raxian rebel, Prince Fiari, brought us have been beyond valuable in understanding how the thing works, we have yet to determine any way of combatting or defending ourselves against it. Had we not acted when we did, there is no doubt that you, X’oran, and your S’ulin Kara, would have been destroyed right along with the entire moon, Mon Alto.”

  “Then why spread this deceit?” L’arten asks.

  “Because it will draw these traitors out of the shadows,” I explain. “If you few have intel that they lack, they’ll be desperate to get it out of you. They’ll probe and prod for information more than anyone else would have reason to do. And meanwhile, when you’ve lied to them about it they’ll report your misinformation back to the Raxians. King Kerx will want to know all about this mysterious defense we’ve constructed.”

  “But what about Prince Fiari?” one of the other ministers asks. “Won’t they suspect that he’s working with us?”

  “If all goes according to plan, no. Aside from each of you, there are very few people who even know that he and I have conferred. As far as anyone else knows, he’s been kept under house arrest and constant surveillance, all of which is true. We’ve treated him exactly as we would any other prisoner of war, and we intend to continue to do so despite the fact that he has proven to be one of our most, if not the most, valuable allies.”

  V’orin says, “Majesty, I have never known you to play this game quite so well.”

  I laugh, shrugging. “Perhaps I am feeling inspired. But it is imperative to make the Raxians believe the countermeasure exists, and that we were able to construct it based on the plans that we extracted from Fiari during the course of a torture and interrogation of our prisoner. They’ll have no reason to suspect that any part of that is a lie if such information is spread carefully. Listen for any sign that someone’s getting too curious and report back any suspicious behavior to me. Remember that two of these men, at least, are ministers of the High Court—they will certainly be affronted if they think they’ve been left out of the loop. This will play to our advantage. We’ll draw these traitors out into the open, and then I’ll deal with them personally. Is that understood?”

  A collective agreement from my krens sounds off and I dismiss them with a curt nod. If this goes well, it won’t be long before the spies reveal themselves. B’ecky’s off-the-cuff plan of deception is shockingly perfect. And meanwhile, using the truth of my ‘person
al matter’ to cover the lies, I now have time to deal genuinely with that exact matter.

  As I make my way back toward my private rooms, my mind meanders through the various twists and turns of all the new developments, particularly those regarding B’ecky.

  I knew when I told M’ardula who she was housing that she would provide my S’ulin Kara with the rooms adjoined with my own. Having seen the symptoms and reactions to the S’ulin Kara mating fever up close, I’m not about to take any chances that I could fall victim to such behaviors. Keeping her as close as possible and leaving the opportunity for us to join ourselves physically available whether she decides to act on that impulse or not – seems to be the safest way to minimize our risks.

  I’d taken a secondary precaution of posting guards outside the locked doors of her rooms. The last thing I need is for her to start wandering around the palace or going out into the city, either trying to distance herself from me or escape completely. Such an action would put us both at risk. Worse, she might even take it into her head to go looking for the spies on her own, which she seems like the type of shanin who would do so.

  Even with every intention to respect all her wishes, I can’t help but worry. I’ve seen what happens when S’ulin Kara are kept from each other. It had been nearly fatal in every case recorded in these past few wans. If I keep my word and return her to Pal, the consequences could be devastating for both of us, possibly even for my entire world. Until I can devise a solution, there’s nothing for it but to see where things go. Perhaps our bond will develop naturally on its own simply by allowing proximity to each other. Or perhaps, since these signs of ours appeared so late, this could be something of a “false positive,” and the bond will dissipate entirely.

  Whatever the end result winds up being, for now the best course of action I can take is to treat her with respect and treat the entire situation with wary caution and curiosity. After our supper together tonight, I hope to have a better idea of where things between us stood.

  I return briefly to my rooms, change into something more casual, and proceed to her rooms, ordering the guards to unlock and open the doors.

  Chapter 5

  Becky

  “Tess, stop trying to make this out to be a good thing. I’m pissed,” I whisper-yell over the coms channel to L’arten’s estate. Tess has never exactly been the pragmatic one of the group, but her flirting with L’arten and her dismissiveness of our plight is really starting to grate. I’d hoped to get Natalie or Jade on the line, but they were out with Mia and Clarisse and the only one I could find was Tess.

  “Okay, jeez,” she scoffs. “Sorry for trying to help.”

  “You know what? This isn’t worth my time. Just... Let the others know that I won’t be coming back and that I’ve been kidnapped – again – and am locked in a room at the palace. See if you all can convince L’arten to slap some sense into S’oraj, because this is bullshit.”

  “Alright, Beck, Jesus... Just... I don’t know. Try to enjoy the palace life while you have it?”

  “Oh my god, Tess, would you stop trying to cheer me—” Before I can finish scolding her, I hear a key turn in the locked door to my rooms and I panic. “I think he’s here. I have to go. Just do what I asked. Bye!”

  The door swings open as I turn from the coms panel on the wall and S’oraj saunters in like he’s bounding into his best buddy’s dorm room.

  “Ah, Shan B’ecky. It’s —”

  “Fuck you!” I snarl, shoving a finger in his face. “What the hell are you thinking? You locked me in? You realize that’s imprisonment, right? I mean, shit, you’re just as bad as the assholes who kidnapped us in the first place! You act like you’re some benevolent magnate, but you’re just a creep like all the others. Let me go. Now. Or I swear to God, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what, exactly?” he asks with a smirk. “I admit, locking you in was a precaution I hesitated to take, and I apologize that it seemed like I was trying to trap you. Well, in fairness, I essentially was trying to trap you. But only until we had an opportunity to discuss these new developments more fully. You understand, don’t you?”

  “You just—” I can’t even formulate words, I’m so livid. Did he seriously just admit – with a smile on his face – that he intentionally locked me in and trapped me here until he decided it was time for me to be allowed out?

  “I understand,” he continues. “It was an extreme measure I decided to take, but one I thought necessary. The evidence of the S’ulin Kara bond is too prominent to be denied, and it’s only a matter of time before others learn of it. Exploiting that bond would be precisely the kind of leverage that the Raxians – or their spies – would love to use against our entire planet. You don’t want to be captured, tortured, and used as bait, go you? To have someone lure me out into the open only to have me killed and the entire planet overtaken by the enemy? Or–” he chuckles dryly “–were you just checking to see if the doors were locked for fun, and not because you were trying to leave?”

  The tension in the air is palpable for a moment before I have to sigh and admit that he’s right. “Fine. Yes. I was trying to leave. And yeah, yeah, you’re right and it would have been impulsive and rash to try to make my way back to L’arten’s estate with the spies still unidentified and the bond available as leverage over either of us and – oh my God, why am I even saying all this?”

  I stop myself from talking any further, but all that blunt honesty rolling out of my mouth at once has me gasping, clutching my hands over my lips to stop the words from continuing.

  S’oraj laughs through his nose a little before explaining. “It’s part of the bond. We’re both now physically incapable of lying to or deceiving one another. It’s why I freely admitted to locking you in with the intention of keeping you here, and it’s why you just spewed everything you did, too.”

  This is so screwed up! Now I can’t even equivocate around all the issues that this whole stupid ‘mates’ thing is bringing up. I fix him with a hard stare, but he just grins back at me, completely secure in the knowledge that, logically, I have to concede that staying here is the safest thing I could do and that the bond between us is empirically undeniable.

  “Fine,” I relent. “Fine... But it doesn’t mean I have to like any of this.”

  “And that is likewise fine,” he says graciously. “But might I offer you a morsel of information that may assuage some of your frustration?” I wave my hand in a ‘whatever’ kind of way, and he continues. “Your plan is, so far, working brilliantly.”

  “My plan?” The question falls out of my mouth before my brain has a chance to catch up with what he could possibly mean. “What plan?”

  “Your plan to postpone the meeting and spread a bit of misinformation about our readiness to combat the Raxians’ weapon.”

  My eyes go wide. “You seriously decided to do that?”

  “I brought together a small selection of my absolutely most trusted advisors, ministers, and commanders and set your idea in motion. They’ll be casually dropping hints as to why the meeting has been postponed so I can deal with a ‘personal matter’. I do so love using the truth to solidify a lie! Meanwhile, while they gripe about the delay to other high-ranking officials, they’ll drop little clues about an unstoppable countermeasure that we’ve built. Of course, no such countermeasure exists; if it did, the subterfuge would be unnecessary. We’d simply wait until the Raxians attacked, turn the weapon back on itself, and win this war. But the very notion that we might have one should be enough to make King Kerx hesitate.”

  He flops down on the grey chaise, kicking his feet up like a frat boy coming home. “It really was a brilliant plan you came up with.”

  I’m dumbfounded. I’m sure I look like a complete idiot, standing there with my jaw flopping open and my eyes as wide as a deer’s. “You actually... Used my idea?”

  “Of course,” he chirps. “It was really, really good.”

  I keep searching for any sign of mockery or sarcasm in him,
but I can tell he’s being entirely honest with me. He really did like the idea and he really did use it. Unbelievable.

  “Listen, B’ecky,” he says, sitting upright and taking on a somewhat graver tone. “I understand your priorities. And I have no intention of reneging on my promise; when the time comes, if you wish to leave and go back to Pal, I won’t stop you. However, in the meantime, your insights and instincts could be a valuable addition to our efforts against the Raxians. And wouldn’t expediting our victory be in your best interests? After all, the sooner we defeat them, the sooner you can safely travel. So, what do you say? Will you stay here at the palace with me, and help us outsmart the Raxians?”

  I sigh. “I don’t see that I have much choice.”

  “Perhaps,” he says, leaning forward with an undeniably alluring smirk, “we could even minimize some of the adverse effects of the S’ulin Kara bond if we were to enjoy some of the more pleasant perks it has to offer. What do you say to that?”

  My head is shaking as I scoff at the entire situation, but I find myself unable to deny his offer outright. I hate it. I hate every single thing about it. But I can’t deny that the thought of enjoying some of those perks sounds really good... Dammit, B’ecky, stop it!

  I try to ignore the notion that I might give in to the physical pull I feel toward him and, instead, focus on the pragmatic matters at hand. He makes a solid point. The sooner that Orean defeats Rax, the sooner I can get home to my family. And I’ve already proven that my instincts are faster and better than those of his shoot first, ask questions never commanders.

  I go to say something, but as he cocks up one of his silver-white eyebrows and his irises morph to gold once again, my stomach turns inside out and every single cell in my body longs to have him take me right then and there on the couch.

  Dammit! Why can’t I get this urge to just stop? I know I’ve thought that he’s the hottest of all these Oreans ever since we got here. And I get that there were likely inklings toward this whatever-bond even back then. And I can’t lie to myself and pretend I don’t have some fantasy in the back of my head about feeling him inside me, but I have responsibilities! I have a family who needs me! I’ve already been missing for most of a year and who knows what’s been happening to them in that time.