Niya's Alien: Futuristic Scifi Romance (Dagrinian Love 3)

by Pixie Moon

  “Rylem’s human is correct. It’s illogical to worry before a problem has presented itself,” Hilam says in a straight-forward tone.

  “Humph. That’s easier said than done,” Megan says. She turns to look at me and then at Kanda. “Isn’t that right?”

  I hold back a grin. Megan is adorably passive-aggressive. “You’re right, Megan.”

  “So true,” Kanda adds with a nod.

  “It’ll all work out,” Rylem says in a confident tone that makes me feel better. This isn’t his first time of returning home.

  We reach the ramp to exit the craft and head down it. I look around in amazement. “Whoa!” The massive port is made of a metal that has a silver base color and gives off a rainbow effect. The colors seem to change as you move.

  “This is cool,” Kanda says. Her neck is craning as she looks around.

  “It’s so pretty,” Megan adds in. She doesn’t sound quite as nervous now.

  Rylem gently squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you three like your first sight of Dagrin. We are getting close to the scanner. All you have to do is step onto the center of the frame and stay still. It will then scan you for things deemed dangerous to our people and world.”

  “How do we know when to get off?” Kanda asks as we stop.

  I look up at the large dark metal frame. It has to be ten feet tall and six feet wide. Through the glass wall around it, I can see a medical unit. It looks clean. That’s a relief.

  Rylem motions Kanda to get on. “It will beep when it’s time for you to move over to the other side. The port’s head medic, Melrek Refte should be back by the time it’s done.”

  Kanda steps up and gets into position.

  “Does it hurt?” Megan asks.

  Hilam shakes his head. “No, that would be illogical. If the device hurt everyone going through then they’d have to be healed. That would take too long.”

  A bright green light comes on and moves down from the top. When it passes over Kanda she doesn’t even flinch. It continues down at a slow pace and then shoots up. A loud beeping breaks the silence.

  Kanda looks at us. Rylem motions her on. As she steps off, I get on. My pulse goes up and my palms sweat. I try to make my face emotionless. The green light moving over me is freaky but way better than being probed.

  As soon as it beeps, I get off and Megan gets on.

  Her gaze is glued on Hilam. The tech scientist has no social skills, but the love in his eyes when he looks at Megan shows how he feels about her.

  I step farther into the medical room and stand next to Kanda. A dagrinian male walks out of one of the other rooms. He stops and looks us over and then smiles. His eyes are light blue on the outside and dark blue on the inside. Pretty. What’s surprising is that he shaves his head. I can tell he’s not naturally bald by the tiny black dots on his head.

  “Hello, I’m Melrek Refte, the head medic at the port. As soon as your males are here I’m going to have to sniff you. For now have a seat or stand while I look at the scanner’s results.”

  We choose to stand.

  Megan steps off the scanner and comes to stand next to us. Hilam is being scanned.

  “That wasn’t bad at all,” Megan says.

  “Way better than being probed, mate,” Kanda agrees.

  “That was my thought,” I add in.

  Hilam comes over. I look at the scanner to see Rylem’s body being splashed in green light. He looks impatient to be done with it. His gaze quarters the room. I love how diligent he is.

  When Rylem steps down, I see Klimen jump onto the scanner. The rest of the crew must still be handling landing procedures. Or they could be waiting for the line out here to shorten.

  Klimen jumps down and moves over to Kanda. He gives her a quick kiss and then looks the medic over. “Are we good to go, Melrek?”

  “I need to do a health check and then inform you of my findings.” Melrek comes over and looks down at us. His diamond shaped irises are filled with mischief. Like he knows a secret.

  The tall male leans down and sniffs Megan’s neck. He never touches her. He does the same thing to me and then Kanda.

  He looks the guys over and smiles. “Just as I thought. You three are taking care of your health. And…” he points at Klimen and Hilam “…you two are going to be fathers. Looks like your little humans are extremely fertile.”

  Joy fills me up. My new tribe is getting larger. I can’t help it. I release a short joyful chant. Klimen and Hilam have gone from stunned to grinning with male satisfaction. The smile on Rylem’s lips lights his eyes. What a happy moment.

  Megan and Kanda are swept up in their guys’ arms and hugged exuberantly. This is a good active cycle.

  “How far along are they?” Klimen asks.

  Melrek rubs his shaved head and looks at the device attached to the scanner. He turns and looks at Klimen. “Your female is fourteen active cycles along.” His light and dark eyes focus on Hilam. “And yours is nineteen active cycles along. Congratulations. You are now free to go.”

  I look over and see several of the crew walking toward the scanner.

  “We’ll talk about the babies later. Let’s head to my house,” Rylem says. Klimen and Hilam agree.

  Rylem takes my hand and leads me through a door and into a long hallway. The color scheme is much like the one on the spacecraft except for the colorful plants and stone benches.

  “That is one massive bench,” Kanda says as we pass it.

  I could easily sleep on it and not roll off. I look Rylem up and down. Dagrinians are large enough to need benches that size. The orange color is a good contrast to the charcoal floor. I can see a light brown bench farther down. I like the natural look. The maroon and green plants near it make it somewhat homey.

  “Yes, it is. The plants are nice too.” If the wood is hardy I can use it to carve some Kachina dolls.

  Megan looks up at Hilam. “The plants aren’t poisonous to humans are they?”

  When Hilam looks stumped, Klimen answers, “No, there could be a rare case but we haven’t seen one yet.”

  A door opens and two males walk out of it. They brush past some bright yellow and orange plants as they head our way.

  The confident way they carry themselves reminds me of Rylem and the rest of the crew. It’s very drawing. I lean in closer to Rylem and inhale his wonderful scent. At this moment it’s helping to ground me. Surely these males aren’t going to take us from our guys. I wish I had a knife.

  “Commanders Kafnee and Mafre,” Rylem says with a nod to each male.

  Up close I can see a few small lines around their eyes. I wonder if their time in the field is totally done. They are fit enough looking to be a problem if they try to separate me from my warrior.

  Keen electric blue and dark blue gazes run over each of us and then move to our males.

  The lighter skinned one with the dark blue eyes looks at his forearm band, presses a few buttons, and then looks at the guys again. “I need your reports sent to me on the next active cycle.”

  “Understood,” Klimen says. Rylem and Hilam just nod their agreement.

  As long as they’ve been gone, those would have to be some long ass reports. I don’t envy them at all. I keep an eye on the commanders as they pass just in case their order was a distraction to put our guys at ease.

  I have no intention of being taken and probed by anyone. Dagrinian leader or not.

  When we walk on without incident, I start feeling better.

  Up ahead I can see a door that’s got a large section of glass on either side. I like that. We can see what’s outside waiting on us. You can’t be too cautious.

  Rylem and Klimen are on alert, but Hilam seems to be deep in thought. I wonder if he’s thinking about the baby or his work. With guys like him you never know.

  The door whooshes open when we get close. As we are walking through it a flash brightens the sky. I jump when the thickest bolt of lightning I’ve ever seen strikes and spreads out. The tendrils make me think of a
witch’s hand—all boney and powerful.

  “Rizpa nin! Did you mates see that?” Kanda yells.

  “Yes,” Megan whispers like she doesn’t want the lightning to hear her.

  “Is there a storm coming? Do we need to go back inside?” Kanda asks.

  Rylem shakes his head. “Lightning strikes are normal here on Dagrin. After a while you won’t even hardly notice them.”

  “Do they ever hit anyone?” Megan asks. Her voice is just above a whisper as she looks at the sky.

  Klimen shrugs one shoulder. “Sure. Our medical healer can take care of a graze and our medical units are used for direct hits. It hurts but people rarely die from it.”

  I shiver at the thought of taking a direct hit from those spooking looking bolts. That one was far off and it scared the shit out of me. I hope I’m never around a closer strike. Megan is still eyeing the sky and Kanda is urging Klimen on.

  I notice that there aren’t any paths. All I see beyond the stone landing is dark tan grass.

  Rylem points to our right and starts leading me that way. “Our vehicles are this way.”

  We only take a few steps when I hear the whoosh of the door opening.

  “Wait!”

  I turn to see a female run out. She’s got to be close to six and half feet tall. Her attention is focused on Rylem. Dread fills my chest and makes my stomach hurt. Is she his dagrinian itch scratcher? Surely she’s not his wife.

  When she looks down at me and frowns, I feel my cheeks heat up. I don’t like the look she’s giving me. Like I’m nothing.

  Her light blue eyes soften as she looks up into Rylem’s face. She takes a step closer to him. “I’m so glad I caught you. You’ve been away for too long.”

  “Are you okay, Lipsha?” At the strange look that crosses her face, he asks, “Are your parents all right?”

  A smile curls her full lips and her eyes light up. “They are. I’ll let them know you were concerned about them.” She leans in and sniffs him. “When can we get together?”

  “Why?”

  I look at Klimen and Hilam, they both seem confused. She is not usually around them. The hairs on my arms rise up.

  Lipsha gives a low growl. It’s scary but I don’t let it get to me.

  Lipsha looks at Rylem like he’s being silly. “Because we need time to get to know each other better. Your job is not working out for us. My father has one at his company that would be perfect for you.”

  Rylem takes a big step back and pulls me along with him. Klimen stands up straighter.

  Hilam looks confused as he says, “That’s illogical. Rylem is great at his job and he has a human now.”

  Fire flashes through Lipsha’s eyes. She gives me a hard look over and then she relaxes. “Oh, that was a joke.”

  Now I know she doesn’t know the crew at all. Hilam couldn’t tell a joke to save his life.

  I move in front of my male. He is rare and prized. There is no way I’m going to let this tall alien nutcase near him.

  An unhappy growl comes from Rylem as his hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me back and behind him.

  What the…

  Pain lances my heart. He doesn’t trust me.

  You will never be trustworthy or honorable. Good people will be able to see this in you, Lily’s and Tanya’s voices ring through my head.

  “Lipsha, we don’t need to get to know each other better. You have your life and I have mine,” Rylem says.

  I try to step around him. He keeps me firmly in place. That he doesn’t trust me hurts like hell. I peek around his body. Lipsha’s hard gaze shoots molten daggers through me. Bring it on bitch. I could use some pain therapy. The fingers around my wrist tighten. Damn it.

  Lipsha’s gaze moves to Rylem’s. She shakes her head sending long black hair flying. “No, you helped me when you were here last time. We had a connection and we still do. You just need to be around me for a while to feel it again.” She flips her hand in my direction. “Leave her behind. I’ll go to your house with you so we can move forward with our relationship.”

  Klimen growls. “Lipsha, you need to go home. You and Rylem are not a couple.”

  A hiss comes from Lipsha. “We are.”

  “No, I just picked up the bag you dropped out of niceness. Nothing more,” Rylem says firmly.

  “It’s illogical for you to think that someone doing a good deed for you means that they want to be with you,” Hilam adds in.

  Lipsha hisses at Hilam and he frowns. “It was more than that. We have a connection. He just needs to remember it.” The gleam in her eyes screams insane.

  A flash has me jumping. Lightning streaks to the ground in the distance. That shit is spooky.

  Lipsha laughs. “See. Your little pet is scared of lightning. She will be a poor choice. You need to be with me. One of your own kind.”

  Heat flares through me. I hate her appearing stronger than me. I take a breath and smooth my features. I can’t let her see me sweat. Weakness brings dishonor.

  Rylem growls and so does Klimen.

  The door opens behind us. I look back and see two males dressed in black coming our way. They approach Lipsha. Her eyes widen and she looks around. The smile curving Klimen’s lips gives him away.

  “It’s time to go, Lipsha Frande. The explorers have business to do,” the darker skinned one says.

  They motion for her to start walking and when she doesn’t they each take one of her arms. She hisses as they start guiding her away.

  Lipsha cranes her neck and stares at Rylem. “This isn’t over. We will be together.”

  “Welcome home, brother,” Klimen says.

  Rylem snorts. “Let’s go to my house.”

  Megan and Kanda give me a look that says what-the-fuck. So far I’m not liking Dagrin at all.

  CHAPTER

  14

  ~ Rylem ~

  ♥

  I’m fuming, but I don’t want Niya to know it.

  I can’t believe Lipsha thought we were a couple all because I picked up a bag she’d dropped and handed it to her. Who thinks an action like that equals a connection?

  Crazy people, that’s who. Rizpa nin! Niya’s first moments on Dagrin have now been tainted.

  I guide her to my vehicle. It’s a sleek dark blue one that’s nice looking when it’s not covered in dust.

  “Sorry about that scene and the dust on my vehicle. With us being gone so long we always come back to a dusty ride,” I say as I open the door and watch her slide in.

  When I get in she says, “It’s no problem. I understand.”

  She probably does. But there is something about her that’s not right. She’s too tense. I don’t like it.

  “Lipsha and I were never a couple. I’m shocked that she ever thought that.” Niya nods but I can tell that something is still upsetting her.