by Reagan Woods
Earth Neverafter Book 4: Found © 2018 by Reagan Woods. All Rights Reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Cover art by Oren Fleetwood
Content Advisor Cate Hogan
Line Editing and Proof Reading by Borden Fleetwood
Reader Report by Aquila Editing
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Reagan Woods
Visit my website at www.ReaganWoods.com
Acknowledgements
I couldn’t write without the support of my team and my family. To Cate, Borden, Oren, Mart, Owen, Deb, Lyddie, Eagle and everyone who takes the time to email, meme, and text with encouragement – Thank you!
To my boys. I couldn’t do any of this without your love and support. Thank you for all that you are and all that you do.
And to baby Em. Welcome to the family, little one.
Earth Neverafter
ON THE HEELS OF WORLD WAR III, ragged and broken survivors found themselves faced with a new, terrible threat: The CORANOS Galactic Alliance. Led by the terror of the known galaxies, General Darvan D'Corian, the fierce warriors from the sky have swept down and staked claim to Earth and its inhabitants.
To prevent a mutiny, General Darvan granted his Warriors' petition for the Right to Seek Claim of the Earth females. Once the aliens discovered the ramifications of claiming Earth females, a catastrophic wave of events began.
The CGA, the most technologically advanced collective in the universe, is comprised of two dominant humanoid races, the Doranos and Corians. This strategic alliance is poised to become an even greater powerhouse producer of military and civilian technology with the acquisition of the Milky Way Galaxy's natural resources. Old enemies will stop at nothing to prevent the CORANOS from maintaining control of the spiral galaxy.
And a new threat from within threatens to end the CORANOS way of life forever. General Darvan and his most elite warriors must thwart those who would strip them of the Earthers they've sworn to protect. But danger is a fast-moving current.
Found
Earth Neverafter Book 4
Reagan Woods
Contents
Acknowledgements
Earth Neverafter
Found
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
From Reagan
Earth Neverafter 3.5
Lara
Arianna
Vank
Arianna
Lara
Arianna
Darvan
Vank
Earth Neverafter Series
and Coming Soon
Prologue
One Day Before The Raid on CORANOS Work Camp, Texas
“Whathafump,” Lacy cursed around the gag wedged tightly between her lips as she startled awake. The hair on her arms stood on end as she took in her surroundings.
Red light flashed over the restraint devices that ringed the wall of the large round space. Of course,, she was already trapped in one of the odd harnesses, she could tell from the uncomfortable pressure between her legs, under her arms, crisscrossing her chest and wrapping her wrists.
Why, oh why hadn’t she followed her childhood dream of becoming an escape artist? Oh, that’s right. Her life, along with everyone else’s, ended up in the shitter as the Last Great War ramped up.
The spherical room reminded her of a BDSM club where she had been employed – before the invasion fucked over her life. Only, the throbbing noise here didn’t even remotely resemble the pulsing music the DJ played. There were no mirrors or other interesting accoutrements, either, just the creepy, empty harnesses.
God. Her head hurt, and her tongue felt prickly in her dry mouth. An acrid metallic smell permeated the air around her.
Squirming against the restraints, she tried to recall how she’d gotten here. Maybe there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for her hanging around like a carcass in a meat locker. Like, maybe she’d met a hot guy who was into the kinky stuff and let him tie her up. That didn’t really sound like something she would do…okay, it kinda did. But she was pretty sure she hadn’t. Besides, she couldn’t remember any attractive men from her recent past. There were just the other bedraggled prisoners and the conquerors.
Fuzzy images swarmed through her head, but nothing told her how or why she was here. Whoever trussed her up like a turkey destined for the roaster obviously didn’t have good intentions. The gag was a dead giveaway. Her wrists, bound in front of her and tied to the straps that looped her thighs, were secure enough that she couldn’t reach the knife sheathed at her ankle. She’d have to find another way to escape.
The foul air seemed to be getting thinner and part of her wanted nothing more than to relax back against the cool, padded wall and sleep. Determinedly resisting the drowsiness, Lacy bent her knees and pressed her heels into the squishy wall, rocking the harness. Maybe, if she swung out far enough, she could dislodge the rig and get down to the ground. On her feet, she could defend herself or, better yet, find a way to cut herself free.
Pumping her ankles, she tried to straighten her knees to leverage against the soft surface, but she wasn’t getting anywhere. Dammit.
She became aware of a high-pitched whine just as an invisible force smacked her back against the wall. A red energy field crackled on around her as the pressure became unbearable, squeezing the air from her lungs. The harness bit into her skin leaving bloody welts. If she could have drawn breath, she would have screamed and screamed. Instead, she grew dizzy from the pain and the lack of oxygen and tumbled into the frigid darkness of unconsciousness.
Chapter One
Months Later, Nom’magata
Bram struggled to a sitting position as soon as the after-effects of the regeneration bed began to wear off. Sweeping the small, dimly lit room with his eyes, he determined he was alone in the dingy med bay. That was good. He didn’t want witnesses to his weakness.
To h
is right, two of the expensive beds stood empty, the sides open like some exotic white flower. Their modern beauty was a stark contrast to the bare metal counters and shelves that lined the walls.
On the left under a white spotlight, a tightly shut bed resembled an egg or pod, but the status screen above it blinked an error. An older model sonishower stood open in the corner, the clear cylinder reflecting the blinking red light back into his sensitive eyes.
The faint vibration of the engines and the tang of recycled air meant he was aboard a ship. This medical bay was too small to be on a CORANOS Galactic Alliance vessel. Since he’d survived a jump through a wormhole in a destabilized Warship, he had to be on a scavenger ship or a long-range freighter. Who else would approach that kind of wreckage and rescue a survivor? The only alternative was a pirate vessel, and pirates wouldn’t leave him unsupervised. Not if they were smart.
Carefully, he turned and dangled his legs over the edge of the bed. He double checked the thick knots of his biological healing implants, surprised to find the one in his left wrist remained intact. After what his body had been through, he couldn’t believe his good luck. The healing accelerant in his implants was an expensive and little-known insurance.
On a nearby counter, he spotted his black CGA Warrior’s uniform. His field boots stood next to his clothing, but there was no sign of his service weapon.
He grunted as he pushed to his feet, the wet, pink nutrigel making his feet slide against the cold, textured floor. The head-rush of standing after so long reclining didn’t help his balance. With deliberate steps, he made his way to the erring egg-shaped regen bed.
Such sophisticated CORANOS technology seemed out of place in the tiny room. It struck him as odd as the beds were military issue and hard to come by. His curiosity was laced with gratefulness that he’d been located by a ship with an advanced med bay.
The other bed’s occupant remained in stasis, obscured by the thick, white outer shell. Potent drugs kept the brain in a coma while the slimy nutrigel nourished and guided the body back together. The bed itself sent electrical currents through the gel, providing both energy and direction for healing based upon the occupant’s own genetic code.
Hope surged, his heart beating faster. This could be Commander Vank or another of his brothers in arms.
Bram switched the command screen to view mode. His breath caught in his lungs. That was no Warrior. It was a female. An Earth female.
Commander Vank had ordered all the Claimed Females and most of the rest of the staff off the ship when he’d realized the Horizon was hit. So, what was she doing here?
Ropes of reddish hair floated in the nutrigel, lazily twining around her petite face. Dark eyelashes fanned across round cheeks and a tiny nose perched above a perfectly bowed mouth. He panned the view to her high, full breasts, over the slope of her stomach, followed the gentle flare of her hips down to her delicate ankles. Thin, white scars crossed over her body like a road map against the slightly peachy tone of her skin.
The error status flashed sluggishly at the screen’s bottom corner, prompting him to check it. The nutrigel was spent. This bed would keep her in stasis but couldn’t continue the healing process. And her injuries had been extensive, indicated not just by the scarring, but also by the report of injuries she still carried. Her bones were barely healed, lungs held together in places by insufficient tissue, kidneys, spleen, the list went on and on. She needed another seven to ten days of healing. At least.
Yet, he knew there were other ways to help her mend. Who would keep a female like this? It seemed like a cruel thing to do. If there were no more gel, why not pull her out of the bed and nurse her back to health? Why hold her in stasis?
Bram shook his head to clear it. He needed to focus and figure out if the rest of his crew lived. The alluring little Earther wasn’t his responsibility – no matter how wrong it seemed to leave her.
“Lovely, isn’t she?”
Bram spun to find the owner of the voice lazing in the now open doorway. He stood even with Bram’s height, though his mass was slighter. Pale hair hung over his shoulders, framing his gold-skinned face, and his yellow eyes sported unique, star-shaped pupils; a Lyaran. Supposedly, they went extinct when their planet imploded several decades ago. Yet, one stood before him. Interesting.
The lean male appeared easy, empty hands hanging loosely at his sides. There was no threat in his demeanor and Bram relaxed enough to ask, “Who are you? Where are we?”
A smirk appeared on his lips. “You can call me Zocan.” He leaned casually against the door frame, arms crossed. Those golden eyes made a calculating study of Bram. “This is my ship.”
“Gratitude for the rescue and the healing,” Bram said gruffly, not wanting to come off as unappreciative. Standing naked and unarmed in front of the hard-eyed stranger made him uncomfortable. Still, nutrigel was pricy and this Lyaran had expended a small fortune in the precious substance keeping him alive. “The female needs more gel.”
“Yes, well, she’ll keep.” The other male straightened, taking on a decisive stance. “What were your duties aboard your ship?”
“I served as a navigator and aide to Commander Vank.” Bram saw no reason to lie, he was proud of the career he had forged. Being a half-breed in Doranos society hadn’t left many options, but Vank had seen past his social status and insisted he enlist. Finding an outlet for his frustrations, Bram had excelled beyond his wildest expectations, achieving rank if not respectability.
“Your vaunted Commander took his leave rather abruptly, absconding with one of my crew.”
Swift on the heels of Bram’s relief that Vank lived was his dismay that his friend and Commander had simply left him here. That, at least, explained some of the hostility on Zocan’s face. Yet, there had to be more to the story. He couldn’t believe Vank would abandon him without good reason. That went against the Warrior Code.
“I’m afraid we’re a bit short-staffed and in something of a bind. You see, your High Council sent an assassin after us.”
Taking one last look at the female, Bram dismissed the screen and steeled himself for whatever was coming his way. Hopefully, the male was mistaken. “Why would they do that?”
The High Council often engaged in unsavory practices. Whenever the pompous, entitled old males saw a way to influence the universe away from critical eyes, they took advantage. He’d witnessed their meddling often, growing up in the poorest region of Cuva, a wilderness world in Doranos Space.
Zocan strolled into the room, stopping short a few paces from the regen bed. “My crew found you and your commander in the wreckage of a CGA warship. We found this female nearby in a damaged escape pod. Being opportunists faced with opportunity, we contacted your High Council to ransom you back. Apparently, they only wanted the commander. And wanted to be sure the rest of us died.”
They were pirates. Desperate pirates. Sending assassins after simple pirates was an odd step for the Council, but, then, Bram stayed away from politics.
Tugging at his ear, Bram asked, “So, what is your plan?”
Empty palms up, Zocan shrugged. “Persuade you to help us evade the assassin. I’m aware he will be a - what do you call it? - brother Warrior. Don’t get any ideas there. We both know you’re likely to be collateral damage.”
Bram understood the pirate’s warning, and Zocan was right. Brotherhood was religion in the Warrior ranks, and it wasn’t lost on Bram that the assassin was a brother Warrior. Who else could the High Council send to do their dirty work? But these ‘opportunists,’ these pirates, had saved his life at significant monetary cost, and the assassin wouldn’t fail to complete his mission - even if he knew Bram was aboard the pirate ship. If the assassin killed Bram, the crime would never be reported, but if Bram killed the assassin, he would be guilty of murder and treason.
Could they thwart the hunter without ending him? Maybe. That would only be a reprieve, though. Long term, it wasn’t an acceptable course of action. Bram’s career as a Warrior effect
ively ended when Vank left him here to die. He’d never harbored illusions about his importance, but he’d believed Vank was a friend. Wasn’t it a kick in the ass that his friends believed him expendable?
“A CORANOS assassin won’t give up easily.”
“We have a plan, but we need to survive long enough to put it into action,” Zocan confirmed wryly. “And we haven’t much time. Right now, we’re using every trick we know to dampen our energy signature and to throw obstacles between us and the assassin. We’re running out of creativity.” He spun back toward the door. “If you help us hold off the hunter until we reach our first drop point, you can keep the female.”
Bram’s brows shot up in disbelief as he absently scratched the drying nutrigel off his neck. What Zocan offered was impossible. He knew that. Politely speaking, Bram’s mixed heritage made him ‘less-than.’ Females the universe over scorned males like him. Still, for a brief, crazy moment, he let himself fantasize. He could take her and start life fresh. On some uncivilized world, he could keep her, take care of her, and, maybe eventually, earn her affection. They could be happy. “You don’t want her?”
“She doesn’t figure into my plans,” Zocan tossed over his shoulder, gesturing vaguely toward the shower. “When you’re ready, join us in command. It’s up top.”
Chapter Two
Bram mulled over Zocan’s proposal as he made his way to the command deck. The freighter was old and basic with nary a modern accoutrement in sight. Bare metal grates and open-rail cat walks ringed a main hold. The crew had to use ladders to move between decks.
Not that he saw anyone. It was eerily quiet as he swiftly climbed toward the helm. His breath left icy puffs in the chilled air around him. The pirates obviously tried to dampen their heat signature to avoid showing up on long-range scanners. As far as plans went, it was a good one, but it wouldn’t fool a hunter.
He’d hurriedly showered and dressed, eager to get the lay of things. CORANOS assassins didn’t waste time. If one was targeting this pirate ship, they could count on a full-on assault. The killer wouldn’t need to sneak aboard to carry out his bloody task.