Fighting Chance

by Paulette Oakes

  Mahoney was stunned, but the rest of the arena erupted into wild cries and cheers. As Korian affixed the two-star pin to her chest, the warriors behind her, including Mikael, clicked their heels together, slammed their fists over their hearts, and shouted, “HOO-AHH! LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MAHONEY!”

  This signaled the end of the ceremony and the crew converged on the overwhelmed human who still didn’t seem to understand what had happened. Mikael dragged her into his arms for a fierce kiss while the warriors pounded her on the back and Felonia and Jessica elbowed their way through the crowd to give her tight hugs. The crowd dispersed and headed toward the entertainment hall where a huge feast was laid out in their honor, and the crew followed along happily, their voices raised in jocularity and celebration while showing off their medals to each other.

  When it was just Mikael and Mahoney left on the stage, he pulled her away from his chest and was surprised to see tears streaming down her face. His eyebrows creased in concern, he used his large thumb to brush the moisture away from her cheek.

  “Why do you cry, little warrior? Are you not happy with your reward?” he asked, worry coloring his voice.

  She cried harder and touched the shiny pin on her chest. “I am just so overwhelmed, Mikael. This is more than I expected, and above what I deserve.”

  His face grew stern as he gripped her shoulders lightly. “As Captain of the royal airfleet, I approve all officer appointments. I would not have approved this title did I not think you deserved it. Now, dry your tears, Lieutenant Commander Mahoney,” he growled. “Warriors do not cry.”

  She laughed through her tears and threw her arms around his neck. “As you wish, husband, so shall it be granted.”

  THE END

  SNEAK PEEK….

  Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next book in the Star-Crossed Lovers series called “ACTING OUT,” the story of Jessica and Korian!

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Ouch! That hurt, dammit!” Jessica MacGregor snarled. “You’re really starting to piss me off!”

  She barely ducked out of the way of the fist swinging toward her face and countered with a blow to her attacker’s midsection. She growled in frustration when her assailant only ducked out of the way to taunt her before coming back with another attack.

  “Don’t focus on your anger. Emotions can be deadly in combat. You have to concentrate on my body language and predict where the next attack is coming from,” Mahoney, her best friend and all-around badass, answered her sternly. “If you get mad, or scared, or panic, you will get hurt. Now, assume the position and we’ll go one more time.”

  Jessica groaned loudly, but gamely faced off with the taller woman. Mahoney was doing her a favor, after all, in teaching her the fundamentals of self-defense and basic fighting techniques after Jessica had begged her to teach her how to fight. Of course, the favor had been extracted during a time when things were pretty normal for them. Jessica, as an up-and-coming actress shooting an action movie, had begged Mahoney, her stunt double and accomplished martial artist, for lessons in fighting so she could do more of her own stunts. While Mahoney had initially been reluctant, she had quickly changed her tune when their lives changed irrevocably only moments later when they had both been kidnapped from her trailer on set.

  Secretly, Jessica found it more than ironic that she had been in the middle of shooting an alien invasion movie when they had been kidnapped by actual aliens. Thankfully, these aliens hadn’t resembled the snarling, deformed creatures of CGI from her film, but instead, were very human in appearance save for the coppery shimmer of their skin and the ghostly, pale irises of their eyes. And they were also big, muscled, and more handsome than they had any right to be. The commander of the expedition, Mikael, was especially drool-worthy with his chiseled body, black beard, and easy smile. He had been immediately fascinated by the fierce Mahoney and her fighting skills, and had claimed her as his prize when his real mission had been to retrieve Jessica by orders of his king. Jessica had watched with glee as Mahoney finally met her match in the warrior commander, and had fallen in love despite her best efforts to the contrary.

  Mahoney’s realization that she loved Mikael almost came too late, however. When they were only hours away from landing on his home world of T’Kala, their ship was attacked by their enemies, the Warfarers, who had stolen cloaking technology and boarded their vessel. The attack was fast and vicious, and the outcome would have been even worse had Mahoney not used her fighting skills and quick thinking to program the training bots for combat. Because of her intervention, there were only 5 T’Kalan warriors lost to the stars, and many more injured. The most grievous injury was to Mikael himself when he pushed Mahoney out of the path of a Warfarer blade and took it himself through his stomach. Jessica had never seen her friend as wrecked emotionally during the fraught days of his healing once they reached the home world and the hospital. While Mahoney had held vigil at Mikael’s bedside, Jessica had kept herself busy by visiting the other recovering warriors and eagerly absorbing all the information she could get on the alien world and its inhabitants.

  The one alien she was most interested in, however, was the very one who had been avoiding her for days. Korian Ak’Falin, warrior king of the world of T’Kala, had been the whole reason for her abduction, and she was eager to find out more about the young, mysterious king. She understood from Mikael that she had been taken in order to distract the frivolous noble class who had recently become enamored of her first blockbuster movie, Taking Heat. It had been a coup for her to land the part of a young, female detective who became the target of a serial killer. The lead character had been her first serious role, and it had garnered her multiple awards and increased fame. Apparently, the rich nobles of T’Kala were able to afford the technology to pick up broadcasts from other worlds, and Earth movies were rare and of particular interest since Earth was mysterious and not yet part of the Great Alliance. Korian’s plan was to use Jessica as a distraction for the nobles in order to buy the time to ferret out who was behind the machinations to remove him from the throne.

  That plan was now up in the air after the surprise attack from the Warfarer ship. The stolen cloaking tech could potentially be disastrous for them as a world if the enemy were to use it to launch another attack on T’Kala. Now, instead of focusing on the internal threat to his throne, the king was himself distracted by the looming threat of attack from off-world. Though Jessica could see how the situation would keep the king busy, it still rankled her that she had been left alone on a strange planet to amuse herself while the king was busy elsewhere.

  “Hands up higher, Jess!” Mahoney barked as she advanced on the shorter, red-headed beauty. “Now, watch my body and try to anticipate where I will strike.”

  Jessica clenched her jaw in concentration and studied the strong, muscled body of her friend closely. When Mahoney’s fist swung toward her face, she instinctively raised her forearm to block the strike and circle Mahoney’s arm until she had the taller woman’s elbow extended in an arm lock. Before she could counter the move, Jessica pulled her attacker toward herself and kicked her in the stomach. Even though it felt like kicking a concrete wall, Jessica was still gratified to hear Mahoney’s grunt of pain and she danced back away from the female warrior until she was out of the strike zone.

  “Oh, yeah! How you like them apples, Mahoney? Boo-yah, bitch!” Jessica crowed, her lips stretched wide with triumph while she pumped her fists in the air like Rocky.

  Mahoney shot her a dirty look, but her lips quirked with a smile. “Much better, Jess, but if you call me a bitch again, I’ll forget that we’re friends and introduce your face to the wall.”

  Jessica laughed and retrieved her zala berry-infused water, a T’Kalan favorite drink. It tasted like a mix of strawberries and grapes, and according to Ax’Sandre (Mikael’s mother), the fruit had natural electrolytes and energy-enhanced properties. Mahoney joined her and the two friends propped up the wall while they got their breath back.

 
; “So, how has it been living in the king’s compound?” Mahoney asked after a moment of comfortable silence. “This place is so huge that I would get lost just trying to find the bathroom.”

  Jessica snorted with unladylike censure. “Please, there is no chance of getting lost in this place. I am ‘escorted’ everywhere I go by a warrior, and even if that wasn’t the case, the king has one of those delightful computer systems that scares the crap out of me like the one on the ship. I can’t complain too much, though. I’ve learned a lot about this world in the past three days of my captive boredom.”

  Mahoney arched a narrow, black eyebrow. “The king has you under surveillance? Do I need to talk to Mikael about this?”

  “Nah,” Jessica forestalled her friend, completely unworried. “They’re all really nice and respectful and they aren’t intrusive. Besides, since you and Mikael have become ‘lifemates,’ you’re now a citizen of T’Kala and the king is now your king. No sense in making any more waves than our arrival has done already.”

  Mahoney nodded in agreement and replied, “Still, Korian has to know that your 30 days are ticking away before T’Kalan law requires him to return you home, so you would think that he would get his ass in gear on moving forward with his grand plan.”

  Before Jessica could reply, a knock sounded at the door of the training room they were utilizing in the king’s compound. The door opened and a young T’Kalan warrior by the name of Mantor stuck his head inside. He had been her usual escort for the past three days and they had become friendly enough with each other for her to wave him inside with a smile.

  “Hey, Mantor! What’s up?” the young actress inquired of the large, muscle-bound soldier.

  The warrior offered her a charming smile and then a warrior’s salute to his comrade-in-arms, Mahoney, by clasping his fist to his heart. Mahoney returned the gesture smartly and waited for him to continue. “Sorry for the interruption, Miss MacGregor, but I have a message for you from the king.”

  Jessica and Mahoney traded loaded looks before she turned back to him and replied, “First of all, for the hundredth time, call me Jessica. Secondly, we were already done training, so there is no interruption. Thirdly, what’s the message?”

  Mantor just shrugged and held out a small envelope for Jessica to take from his hand. She quickly opened the envelope and scanned the message inside before she met Mahoney’s openly curious gaze. “He wants me to have dinner with him tonight. In his rooms,” she explained, her sapphire blue eyes wide with apprehension.

  Mahoney smirked and teased, “What was it you said to me on the ship again? Something about getting some alien strange? And if the same thing holds true for all T’Kalan warriors, then I can assure you that his dick will indeed be as big as the rest of him.”

  Jessica’s pale skin lit up with a mortified blush as Mantor barked out a laugh at Mahoney’s crude words. “As a T’Kalan warrior myself, I can attest that the assumption is generally correct.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes and made a rude gesture to both of them. “Yeah, well, if I am indeed going to get any alien strange, then it won’t be the freaking king of all people. That’s just a little too pressure to put on a poor little Earthling like me. Now Zandar on the other hand…” she trailed off, waggling her eyebrows at her friend.

  Mahoney just rolled her eyes and began to walk toward the door. “Don’t hold your breath on that score, Jess,” the half-Japanese woman warned her. “If I have learned one thing about T’Kalan warriors, it’s that they are very territorial when it comes to their captives. Don’t be surprised if you find that Korian will want to keep you close.”

  Mantor, apparently feeling more at ease with the casual banter between friends, interjected, “I have to agree with Lieutenant Commander Mahoney, Miss MacGregor. Just the thought of my lifemate, Jaxon, around another man makes me want to pull my blade. It is my relief that he works as a teacher of younglings and has little contact with other males who may covet him.”

  Jessica’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. She wasn’t sure why it hadn’t occurred to her that same-sex partnerships were just as likely on T’Kala as it was on their own world. From his matter-of-fact admission, paired with his military training, it was also apparently a non-issue on this world. She recovered herself quickly, though, and replied tartly, “Well, I’m not the king’s lifemate, now am I? If I have to be here for the next month, then I mean to have as much fun as possible.”

  Mantor sighed as he held the door open for the feisty actress to walk ahead of him. “Somehow, I was afraid you would say that.”

  OTHER WORKS BY PAULETTE OAKES

  If you enjoyed this book, please take the time to leave a brief review on Amazon or Goodreads to help other readers find my books! Thank you!

  THE EDEN DAIRE SERIES

  The Garden of Good and Eden

  Eden Daire has known her whole life that she was different than everyone else. Not just because she was adopted into a large Catholic family in rural Kentucky, but because she could do things that no one else could do. Things like make plants grow at will, communicate with animals, and even heal them when they were sick. No one seems to have any answers: not her family members, her mysterious best friend Amara, or even the hundreds of books she devours looking for clues. All that changes on the eve of her 25th birthday when her whole world comes crashing down around her to reveal secrets and creatures she had never known existed. And they all seem to think that she is the key to an ancient prophecy that will topple kingdoms. On top of all that, a different type of threat is looming over her beloved family and she's the only one that can stop it in its tracks. How will she balance the love and commitment she feels to her adopted family and the new power and responsibility that comes with finally getting the answers to her past? Her world will never be the same again...

  Amara, Interrupted

  Amara Walters has a history full of secrets. One month ago, the biggest secret of her life was revealed in a very gory and spectacular way. Amara is the last remaining one of her kind on earth: a maenad. In the hidden world of creatures that belong to one of three kingdoms: Earth, Sky, or Water, maenads had been hunted and exterminated out of fear for the madness and violence that erupted any time they had a drink of alcohol. Every since she found out the hard way at the age of 14, Amara has dedicated her life to controlling the cravings and protecting her best friend, Eden Daire, at all costs. This short story gives you a brief, and humorous, peek into a day in her life.

  Getting Eden: An Eden Daire Novel

  It’s been three months since Eden Daire found out about the hidden world of creatures all around her and the ancient prophecy that revealed she was the long-awaited “Mother Nature.” As the daughter of Terra, the Guardian of Earth, Eden is tasked with learning about the creatures in her kingdom and how to help them while also dealing with worsening drought courtesy of her father, Guardian of the Sky. To add to her mounting problems, there’s mysterious gifts and fires being set on Eden’s property and romantic strife all her. As if she didn’t already have her hands full, Eden gets sucked into vampire politics courtesy of her darkly handsome lover, Patrick Brennan, the leader of the Council. Surrounded by danger, worried about her human family, and the discovery of old secrets threatens to push Eden to the brink. Will she be able to restore the balance to her home and protect the ones she loves?

  Eden After Dark: An Eden Daire Short

  Ever wonder what the creatures of the hidden world get up to after dark? Now you can find out more about your favorite characters from the Eden Daire series in these two short stories.

  Eden's Night Out:

  Two weeks after the events in GETTING EDEN, Eden Daire is down in the dumps after the reappearance of her rival/cousin Amanda, and the death of her vampire friend, Hugh. Her friends take matters into their own hands and decide they all need a night out on the town by visiting an Earth-creatures only nightclub. What could possible go wrong when the Princess of Prophecy, a maenad, a polymorph shifter, and a rascally
Halfling decide to drink and party with a host of creatures? Everything.

  After Boone Delight:

  Boone Morrison is a charming rogue thanks to his genetics of being half Satyroi/half human. He spends his days helping his best friend and roommate, Amara, on her vineyard, and his nights partying and chasing women. When Amara's prized grapes start disappearing, Boone takes matters into his own hands to track down the thief before all her hard work goes down the tubes. It may be the last thing he ever does.

  OTHER WORKS BY PAULETTE OAKES

  Fool That I Am

  Billy Jean Hardesty learned the hard way that 'true love' and 'soul mates' are nothing more than myths after divorcing her high school sweetheart after years of cheating. Her biggest worries now are how to pay the bills with no child support and a low-paying job without having to rely on her parents or her friends, including her secret crush, Sam Garrett. There's only one problem standing in the way of her unrequited love: Sam is her ex-husband's best friend. With the help of her friends from work, though, Billie does her best to move on and soon finds herself landing a dream job with an even dreamier boss. Is it all too good to be true, or will Billie make a fool of herself again over love?

  Love Stinks: A Love Me Right Novel

  Robin Wagner has had it with that silly little thing called "love." Who needs it? Not her! She already made that mistake once and had a lousy ex-husband and thousands of dollars of debt to show for it. Robin's friends and family think she needs to try again, so Robin decides to give internet dating a try. Before she can weed through the losers and find someone new, an old friend from her past shows up on her doorstep...literally. Luke Everman was the life of every party back in school, but the scarred Army veteran that shows up to fix her wiring is a different man with wounds both emotional and physical. Will Robin be able to take a risk on giving her heart again or will she settle for someone else who isn't a danger to her heart? Robin never can seem to do things the easy way, and love is no different. No matter which way she turns, she can't avoid the simple fact that love stinks!