Bad Panther (Alien Guardians of Earth Book 1)

by Donna McDonald

  She peered out a window that didn’t let her see far through the darkness and wondered again where the Lyran palace was located. As if to mock her attempts to discover her whereabouts, seconds later the craft was flying down through clouds and leveling out like a plane.

  “Are you ever going to tell me where the palace is located?” Sugar asked.

  “Not if I hope to keep sharing Nyomi’s bed,” Rodu answered.

  Sugar laughed at his reasoning but she believed it too. She had no doubt Axel’s mother would make Rodu pay dearly if he told.

  “I’m going to figure it out, you know. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “It’s been over ten months and you still haven’t,” Rodu pointed out.

  Grinning over how sure everyone was about her remaining in the dark, Sugar leaned back in her seat and got comfortable. She knew something they obviously didn’t know, which was that finding out secrets was a way of life for her.

  She’d have to pay more attention on their return trip. All she could really see at that moment was what was out the front window of the craft. The view was expansive though and she really did feel like she was flying through clouds.

  As she wondered about why they were headed to Machu Picchu, all thoughts of a potentially mad panther left her mind.

  2

  On top of an Andes mountain at the site of Machu Picchu…

  Lake Allen Wright wandered the ancient stone-lined paths bored out of his twenty-two-year-old mind.

  Despite the panoramic views, all Lake could do was wonder about the amount of manpower and energy it had taken to build the megalithic citadel.

  What were the ancient Incas trying to accomplish when they hauled all those giant rocks up the mountain?

  Lake figured they probably were thinking the same thing his father had been. They were thinking that when Lake got to the top of the mountain he’d be totally awed by the majesty of their accomplishment.

  And he was, at least a little bit, but at the end of the day this place was just rocks and dirt and stories. It was nothing life-changing for him.

  His father had meant well with his Peruvian going away gift. To be fair to the man, Lake had used the word exotic when he should have used words like tropical and island during their conversation about where he’d like to go. It was a typical mistake for him. Lake had never known how to communicate clearly with his absent-minded yet academically brilliant father.

  Antiquities expert Frank Wright hadn’t been the best at listening to his one and only child. Born late to parents in their mid-forties, Lake could look backwards and see that he’d been way too much trouble for them to manage gracefully. He’d had too much energy and too much curiosity. He’d been too much of everything really. Their answer to the question of what to do with such a child was to send him away to school.

  He’d been away when his mother died. He’d come back for the funeral before returning to school two days later.

  Self-reliance had become a matter of survival.

  Over the years, friends drifted in and out of his life, but he never mourned their loss.Lake just made new ones and moved on. And girls—girls were fun but a bloody enigma. They all seemed to want things he couldn’t find it in himself to give them—like marriage and babies.

  God, the last thing in the world he ever wanted was to create another version of himself.

  His father’s sudden heart attack just before his graduation had taken away Lake’s secret goal to force his father to connect with him. Whatever was said during the last conversation ended up not mattering one whit. His father was just as dead.

  Yet ever the good son though, here Lake was on top of a stupid Peruvian mountain suffering from oxygen deprivation. Either that or he was being haunted by his father’s ghost because he could swear someone kept calling his name.

  Lake…

  Lake looked around and felt instantly embarrassed by his mental breakdown. Had anyone noticed him? There were others walking the paths, but so far not a single tourist or guide had looked his way. It was like he was invisible.

  Maybe this was what being dead was like, Lake thought as he walked. You wandered among the living while they didn’t know you existed. Shaking his head at his strange thoughts, he trudged on following one path after the other.

  How many stones had the Incas carried up here anyway? He’d read the history. The Temple Of The Sun was not all that impressive to him nor was the whole of Machu Picchu unless you were into all the legends.

  He’d travelled to Cambodia on a school trip his father had funded a couple years ago. The temples of Angkor Wat were far more interesting to him—all the giant heads and giant gods. It was creepy to most visitors but he’d oddly felt right at home among those ancient buildings with trees dissecting them.

  Lake followed the winding path to the end of the stone walls. He listened to a guide talking about “The Temple Of The Moon”. A strange rock throne, several rooms, and some strange pointless doorways were carved out of what appeared to be an open cave… or at least part of a cave.

  He stepped around the other tourists who were still politely listening. He pushed his hair back and bent his six foot frame to fit through the first genuine opening that went inside. No one paid any attention to him as he walked to one of the many fake doorways. They were obviously just part of the rock wall that hadn’t been excavated.

  Lake…

  Lake’s head whipped around. What the hell was going on here? That time his name had been louder and clearer. His imagination was probably being affected by the lack of oxygen at Machu Picchu’s high altitude.

  His gaze scoured the cave area looking for the owner of the voice but came up with… well, nothing. There was no one else in there but him.

  Snorting over his idiocy, Lake glared at everything around him. He finally turned back and glared at the closest “fake” doorway that went nowhere. There were all listed in the visitor brochure to make sure tourists didn’t miss seeing them.

  All Lake saw was just work gone unfinished—places the builders hadn’t managed to get around to carving before they’d abandoned the temple.

  Following some urging he couldn’t refuse, Lake reached out a hand and placed his palm on the rock surface of the wall in front of him. Though solid at first touch, his hand with the slightest push went completely through the cold stone.

  “Fuck.” Lake yelled as he yanked his hand back.

  Not really believing what had just happened, he reached out a second time. The rock surface seemed to melt as his hand, wrist, and finally his whole arm went through.

  Then he felt a tug… and there was a humming sound like an jet engine gearing up for takeoff. It seemed to be coming from the opening his hand was passing through.

  What the fuck was this place?

  Lake…

  And how in bloody hell did the person with the voice know who he was?

  “Shit,” Lake yelled loudly as the rest of his body got tugged through the stone.

  3

  “Are we there yet?” Sugar bit her lip when Rodu turned to glare at her.

  “Why do you keep asking me that question? It’s only been fifteen minutes.”

  Sugar shrugged. “I don’t know. Guess I figured a flying saucer should travel faster than an airplane. It feels like we’re not even moving. I’m pretty sure I keep seeing the same clouds.”

  “Peru is very far from the palace,” Rodu said carefully, turning his attention back to the sky in front of them. “Earth physics apply to all craft moving through its atmosphere. Perhaps it would help you to know that we are moving at triple the speed of the fastest commercial airliner. That is all the acceleration our human bodies can handle, even for you and I who are aided by the artifacts within us.”

  Sugar made a face. “So are we talking more than four or five hours to get there?”

  Rodu turned to glare again. He pressed a button on the panel in front of him. “Calculate and report the estimated time of arrival when maintaining cur
rent speed.”

  “Four hours fifty-two minutes and twenty-eight seconds,” the craft’s programmed voice reported.

  Sugar giggled at the information and how Rodu got it. She couldn’t help it. This was definitely a flying saucer and it had a onboard computer—just like in the movies. She turned a wicked grin his way. “Are you sure the calculation is right?”

  Rodu grunted. “No wonder you tamed my son. The uncertainty you create is like trying to walk through cement. He probably never knows where he stands with you.”

  “Not if I can help it,” Sugar agreed with a smile.

  She stared out the window. All she saw was sky. It had stopped being amazing after the first ten minutes. Now it was just tedious.

  “Actually, I don’t try with Axel. It’s like we meshed without all the normal struggle two people experience when they’re attracted to each other. My relationship to him is not like any I had before him.”

  Rodu shrugged one shoulder. “Nyomi is as foreign a female companion as a male could ever find. We have nearly nothing in common except that we are obsessed with each other. How it came to be that way remains a mystery to me, even after all this time.”

  “That sure doesn’t sound like an easy relationship though.” Sugar grinned when her comment finally managed to get Rodu to smile.

  “No. It is not easy. But being with her is more wonderful than anything a human male could ever dream of finding. Her adoration alone is worth living for, no matter how many lifetimes it costs me—and it’s cost me several already. The blade I carry would have probably found a new host long ago if it had not agreed with her regeneration plans.”

  Sugar sighed in understanding. “All mine says about the potential end of our connection is host alive until death. It doesn’t seem to get how that kind of statement is not reassuring.”

  “If you’re expecting it to develop nuances, give that up now. My blade is as direct as it was in the beginning. The only thing I’ve gained over time is that it doesn’t seem to have an opinion on every action. Sometimes I forget it’s in me.”

  Sugar chuckled. “I’m really far away from that place. I call it ‘artifact’ when I talk to it. Honestly, everything that’s happened to me still seems completely surreal. Hearing you talk about your blade seems surreal too.”

  “After all the years it has been with me, I assure you the being I carry is very real,” Rodu answered. “Soon you will come to understand your bonding with your blade is a natural state. Your blade sought a host for a long time and it finally found one in you. I have come to believe each blade was created solely to make its host superhuman, as trite as that sounds.”

  Sugar nodded. Being superhuman no longer seemed like something fictional, but her brain still couldn’t accept it yet either. The only reason she stayed silent was that too much had happened for her to debate Rodu’s description… or his conclusions.

  Sugar?

  Sugar glanced at Rodu then returned to staring out the window. Private mode, artifact. Understood?

  Affirmative. Urgency now recommended. Protector is awake.

  Sugar closed her eyes. Yes, but don’t you think the Protector needs sleep too? I’m still tired.

  Your response is unclear. Please restate for clarity.

  Sugar rolled her eyes behind closed lids. Like the artifact was making sense tonight? Never mind, artifact. Explain things to me as best you can. I’m listening.

  Choice of host is now made.

  Sugar felt her eyebrows draw together. I know and I get it. You chose me. You and I are a team.

  Affirmative. We are team. Other Protector chose Lake.

  Her eyelids squeezed tighter as Sugar tried to sort out what the artifact was trying to tell her. Are you saying the new blade is now in a lake?

  Semantics unclear. Previous answer remains valid. Protector now in Lake.

  Sugar opened her eyes and stared out at the sky. It was acres of blue with fluffy white vapor puffs. Funny how from the ground the sky always seemed more interesting than when you were moving through it for real. Is that where we’re going? To retrieve the Protector blade?

  Negative. Retrieval from host will result in death.

  Whose death? Sugar demanded, her eyes widening at the warning.

  Death of Lake.

  Sighing, Sugar leaned forward in her seat. Usually the artifact was much clearer. At the moment, she was getting a headache. That hadn’t happened in a while.

  “Getting airsick?” Rodu asked.

  “No,” Sugar replied, wincing about keeping things from him. She hated doing it, but the instinct to protect him from feeling too much concern overrode her guilt. “But I’m getting sick of trying to figure out what the hell the blade is trying to tell me. She says the other protector blade is awake and in a lake. She says if we try to retrieve it, the lake is going to die.”

  Rodu pondered the possibilities. “Perhaps the blade is speaking of Lake Titicaca. It is the closest lake to your coordinates. There is a science base beneath its depths staffed by a variety of aliens from other planets.”

  “Are you telling me there are real aliens living underwater in Lake Titicaca?” Sugar exclaimed.

  Rodu snorted at her disbelief. “Many visitors from other planets have limited capabilities. There are aliens living in lots of places on Earth—probably in places you’d never believe unless you saw them there.”

  “You got that right,” Sugar said with real feeling.

  “How can you be so shocked when you’re sleeping with a half alien male yourself? You now know for certain that aliens exist, Dr. Jennings. How can you not accept that there are more of them than just the one species you have aligned with?”

  Sugar let a long breath escape. Because it was incredible that Earth had been invaded long ago and not many knew it. She chuckled over bumping up against the limit of her willingness to believe.

  “Guess you got me on that one, Rodu. It hadn’t crossed my mind.”

  Rodu grinned. “In Earth terms, Lake Titicaca hosts a scientific observatory where other species study Earth’s ecosystems and biology. But there are no humans there. Human bodies simply aren’t made to be handle pressures down that deep. Only certain aliens can do so.”

  Sugar nodded. What else could she do but accept all the new knowledge Rodu kept dropping on her. “Okay, I got it. Blades only go into humans and there are no humans in the nearest lake to the coordinates. We’re now officially back to zero understanding of what my blade is saying. I think we need to go to the coordinates and look around for clues until I get clear on the message.”

  Rodu frowned as he nodded. “It makes sense that you should trust your instincts in the matter. I will take us to the Temple Of The Moon. We will pretend to be explorers and hopefully find our answers.”

  Sugar felt her lips twitch. Her wicked side was never far away. “As an archaeologist, I actually am an explorer. Remember?”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Rodu said, nodding. “Our ruse will be highly believable then.”

  Sugar didn’t bother explaining that if it was true, then it wasn’t a ruse. Rodu was stressed enough. She’d save her sarcasm for another day.

  Excerpt: Bonded To The Alien Centurion

  by Mina Carter

  Pre-Order Available - CLICK HERE

  Book Description

  Sparks fly in this latest red-hot sci-fi romance in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mina Carter’s Warriors of the Lathar series.

  Behind ‘enemy lines’ the last thing she expects is a sexy alien warrior determined to make her his…

  When things screw up in diplomatic talks with the Lathar, Dani Black finds herself lined up for the one thing every dyed in the wool soldier dreads… a diplomatic function. Alone on the Lathar ship without backup, she must play nice, rescue a VIP, and somehow get them both back to her own ship without causing a diplomatic incident that could result in the annihilation of the human race.

  The problem is one sexy as hell alien warrio
r.

  Tall, silver-haired and handsome, he’s her escort for the evening and makes her want things she certainly shouldn’t want from an alien, no matter how sexy he is.

  But then a conversation goes bad, and she finds herself in an alien challenge circle fighting for her freedom. It’s all going well, until her sexy alien steps into the ring…

  The moment he saw her, Sardaan swore he’d make the beautiful human woman his mate.

  Sardaan is the envy of his shipmates when he’s assigned by the emperor to escort a visiting human dignitary for a diplomatic function. But that’s not all he’s been assigned to do… under orders to seduce the beautiful human woman at any costs, Sardaan is more than happy to do his duty.

  Things take a turn for the unexpected when a simple display of combat prowess becomes a challenge fight. Sardaan must step into the ring against the woman he yearns for and claim her before he loses her forever to another. But, once he’s beaten her and claimed her in the eyes of his people, he realizes his battle has only just begun.

  Can he make his delicate but stubborn little mate see they have a future? Or will forces conspire in the shadows and steal any chance of happiness they have before it’s even begun?

  Chapter 1

  Excerpt

  “Tell me about these human females.”

  Holy draanth. He was in the same room as the emperor himself. Sardaan K’Vass blinked and resisted the temptation to pinch himself. Standing as he was just behind his commander, Fenriis, no one would notice if he did but that wasn’t the point. He was a warrior with a headful of braids. He had a reputation to uphold. Still, he couldn’t help the awe washing through him as he looked around the room. It was filled to the brim with legends.