by April Osirus
Amara secretly couldn’t have been more pleased. She saw this as a sign of fate finally favoring her.
Until the next day.
That was when her father informed her she would still be leaving for her trip. Amara had asked if she was going on her own. This would be an amazing opportunity. She could easily change her ticket and fly off to a different colony or planet and escape her father and his terrible matchmaking for once and for good!
But Lord Phillips had shaken his head. With a mysterious grin, he said, “Oh I’m not so stupid to let a girl like you leave this colony by herself. You’ll have yourself a proper escort.”
Amara had no idea what her father meant. But she knew if the escort was anything like a servant or a man similar to her father, she could easily escape him. So with that in mind, Amara carefully packed her trunks. Instead of packing beautiful clothes for a meeting with her intended, she packed for a life of adventure and freedom somewhere in the universe.
Feeling quite confident and nervously excited for her future, Amara had quietly ridden to the ship port as her father had ordered her to. But waiting for her was not a timid servant or a blustering old man like her father.
Waiting for her at the port was a seven and a half foot tall Vistran with muscles to spare.
Amara gulped.
Perhaps escape would not be as easy as she had hoped.
***
Loku had been a soldier of the Vistran Army for a long time. His hard muscular body spoke of countless nights of rough and merciless training and battle. But in recent years, a lull of peace had fallen across Vistra. After opening the planet to the rest of Federated space, the planet had become less about war and more about technology and progress.
That was all good and well with Loku, except it meant that he didn’t have much of a job on Vistra anymore. The Army soon became more of a symbolic occupation with a few soldiers chosen for palace guard duty and the rest doing more menial civil occupation like simple policing of small cities.
While many soldiers had fallen into this easier lifestyle with some readiness, Loku had not. He had wanted more than just guard duty or the overseeing of petty civil disputes. He had joined the Army because he had wanted action and adventure. And with the lack of females on Vistra, Loku had specifically spent all of his mating energy on training and fighting.
But now these skills had become obsolete.
So Loku had left and found work as a mercenary. He had worked to train other soldiers in other planets and colonies. He had fought with smaller groups to put down invaders or thieves. He still got his fill of fighting and adventure. The only thing missing was having his one true mate by his side. But Loku had resigned himself to a mateless life long ago. These days, it seemed all females wanted to settle and put down roots somewhere. They were tired of the thrilling, unsure future space provided. Even many of the Vistran females who had left Vistra for adventure had settled down with mates on different planets and colonies.
But the problem with mercenary work was its inconsistency. Loku was in between work and it was getting too quiet and boring. He was in the middle of considering a stop by Vistra to see if there was anything interesting there to keep his attention (he had heard of the new human Queen), when he had gotten a request for his services.
It was to escort some human girl to planet Soong.
The message had detailed just how bratty and terrible the girl was and how she needed constant surveillance throughout the trip. Loku would be required to escort her to the planet, watch her throughout her stay, and then return with her to Traxil (marriage proposal secured). Only then would he be paid.
With nothing else to do, he had agreed. Escorting and guarding some brat was usually not a job he would consider but he was bored and in need of something to do. And he hadn’t yet visited Soong. So he agreed.
But when he had seen Amara approach him at the Traxil port, Loku knew this would be no ordinary trip.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her arresting green eyes. They glittered and glowed. Although at the moment they glittered with suspicion and surprise. Loku’s lips twitched. Apparently she hadn’t been told her escort would be a Vistran. He watched her crane her neck to look up at him.
He had never seen such fair skin before. With full lips and a curvy body, Amara was a walking temptation. Loku wondered why such a girl would need to go so far to get a marriage proposal. He would think she would have men batting down her doors for her hand.
But far be it for him to decide how or who she should be marrying. Loku shook the thought from his head and nodded towards their particular ship gate. “Our ship is a little late. We can wait by our gate,” he said, his deep voice rolling clearly through the crowded port.
Amara nodded silently. Loku carefully looked over the girl. He wondered again why her father had sent such a specific message of her disobedience and rebellious behavior. She seemed like the quiet type.
Walking a pace behind her, Loku let Amara lead them to the gate. As they were walking, Amara suddenly started patting her chest, as if searching for something.
She turned around towards Loku. “Oh no!” she said, her brow creased in distress. “I think my necklace broke! It was a gift from Milo Lincoln and I had sworn to wear it for him. I can’t lose it!”
Loku was sure she had not been wearing a necklace when she had met him but as a dutiful escort, he turned around to look around for her missing necklace.
“Can you tell me what kind of stone might’ve been in the necklace?” he asked, scanning the floor.
“An earth diamond,” Amara said from behind him. “It’s quite large. It should be easily visible.”
Loku searched for the diamond, thinking if it really was that large, it probably had been stolen. Loku turned around, wanting to warn the girl to brace herself for the possibility of having to go to Soong without the necklace. But when he turned around, only the milling crowd greeted him.
“Amara?” he called out.
Nothing.
Just the busy crowds shuffling to their assigned gates.
Loku couldn’t believe this girl had just pulled the easiest slip ever on him. He was glad no other Vistran soldiers were present to witness his gullibility.
“Amara?” he called out again.
Of course, no one came forward. Loku had to give the girl credit. She hadn’t had much time to get away and yet it looked like she had made a clean job of it all.
But it was clear Amara was not familiar with Vistrans and their physical abilities. Not only did they have incredible physical strength, they had heightened senses.
Immediately upon meeting her, he had been able to take in her sweet, floral scent that was unique to her. He could recognize that scent anywhere without mistake.
Loku walked through the busy port, parting the crowd easily with his looming height and broad build. He carefully scanned the busy port. Any Vistran soldier worth his salt could take in the height and build of anyone within the first five minutes of meeting someone. And unless Amara had found a way to alter her height and weight within the past few minutes, Loku could zero in on her.
In the far end of the port, near another gate heading towards Mars, Loku caught a capped head trying to duck behind another large passenger. Loku began walking towards the gate from an angle so his intended target couldn’t see him unless she looked over her shoulder.
As he got closer, he could see that her height and curvy figure matched his ward’s. And within a few feet, he could get a whiff of the delightfully fresh floral scent unique to Amara.
He stopped short of reaching her. Why was she trying to escape this marriage meeting? Clearly she wanted to get away as far as possible, judging by the gate she was now trying to hop onto.
Silently sidling up behind her, he breathed in her sweet scent. His heart sped up in rhythm. He wanted to run his hands across her soft skin but stopped himself and crossed his arms across his chest. Instead, he leaned against the wall and cleared his throat, watchin
g the slender shoulders freeze.
“I’m sorry to say I think you are at the wrong gate, Lady Amara,” Loku said calmly.
He watched as the girl slowly turned around on her heel. He expected a blushing face, embarrassed at being caught. But instead he found himself the target of glaring green eyes. Loku didn’t know if he wanted to laugh at her adorable glaring face or be annoyed at her rudeness.
“Listen,” Amara said, “whatever my father is paying you for this job, I’ll double it. If you let me go, as soon as I find myself settled, I will pay you.”
Loku quirked an eyebrow. “And how will you settle yourself? I’m assuming you won’t be relying on your father’s wealth.”
Amara raised her delicate chin in defiance. “I’m not as stupid as my father may make me seem. I will be more than capable in finding work and making my own way.”
Loku stared at her. He believed her. Her eyes shone with burning intelligence and he could tell just by the way she moved that she had a capable body that knew how to do an honest day’s work, despite her noble title.
“I’m sorry to say this, Lady Amara, but Vistrans aren’t known to renege on agreed upon contracts,” Loku said. Wrapping a large hand around her upper arm, he half dragged, half walked her back towards the appropriate gate. He could feel Amara yank against his grip in protest. But it was like a small animal fighting against a steel wall—it was no contest.
“You jerk!” Amara hissed under her breath, not wanting to cause more of a scene than they already were in the port. “You’re just like my father, aren’t you? You just care about how much money something can get you!”
Loku shrugged. “Your father pays handsomely,” he said blandly. But that was far from the case. He could hardly cared what Lord Phillips could pay him. Money didn’t matter. This girl’s safety did. Loku didn’t quite understand it but he knew from the depths of his bones that he couldn’t let this girl out into the universe alone without protection. So whether she liked it or not, going to Soong meant being under his protection and that was what Loku wanted. So Amara was going to Soong.
Amara glared at Loku. “A Vistran mercenary,” she whispered. “I should’ve known they’d have no heart.”
If she only knew how his heart thumped in aching need to protect her and hold her.
But once on the ship, Loku’s heart wasn’t the only thing aching. His hand was aching to whack her across her ample bottom for her frustrating antics.
As they boarded the ship, Amara took advantage of her petite size to slip into the crowd. She was just about to enter a different cabin when Loku caught up to her. Grabbing her by her middle, he carried her under his arm like a piece of very stubborn baggage.
Amara had kicked and cried out in protest but Loku had ignored her and had just carried her with an easy strength into their appropriate cabin. He had tossed her onto one seat and then shut the door of their cabin.
“Let’s try for at least a few hours without hatching an escape plan, shall we?” Loku said, feeling quite frustrated with this girl. Didn’t she know the kinds of people that also flew on ships? It wasn’t just families or people heading on marriage proposal trips. There were also robbers and kidnappers and smugglers. With her beautiful face and arresting figure, Amara would be a kidnapper or smuggler’s dream. She would fetch a guaranteed fortune on the black market as a slave.
Amara glared at him from her seat. But thankfully, she just crossed her arms and sat in huffy silence. Loku took his seat. Although he was thankful for the tightness of the cabin that would prevent Amara from trying anything for the next several hours, he was not stupid. He could see the cogs turning inside her pretty head.
Loku sighed. One thing was for sure: this would not be a boring trip.
***
“You’re late,” Milo Lincoln said as he saw Amara enter the grand living room of the Lincoln mansion.
Amara swallowed. She couldn’t believe she was actually on Soong, let alone the Lincoln mansion. She had really hoped she could lose the Vistran guard. But the giant Vistran was much quicker than she had given him credit for.
“That’s not a welcome,” Lady Lincoln chided gently to her son. But before Amara could think better of her potential mother-in-law, the woman added, “After all, don’t forget she’s the daughter to the Phillip Mines fortune.”
Milo shrugged. “I don’t care whose daughter she is. She’s late.” He raised a thin eyebrow at her. “I don’t appreciate tardiness.”
Amara knew she’d have to regroup and come up with a new plan of escape. Because there was no way in hell she was going to marry Milo Lincoln. “It’s good to see you again, Lord Lincoln,” she said, pointedly trying to remind the man of good etiquette.
But Milo ignored her and stared at the giant muscular man standing in the grand doorway, his head nearly brushing the top of the arched doorway. “Who’s that?” he asked, in a bored disdainful tone.
Amara, who had been resentfully throwing silent mental insults at her Vistran guard, suddenly felt protective over him. She felt protective over anyone Milo Lincoln looked down upon.
“He is my escort,” Amara said, trying to tamp down her frustration and anger towards Milo and her situation. “My father was detained on business and couldn’t accompany me.”
“Hm,” Milo sniffed. Clearly he didn’t appreciate the Vistran in his luxurious mansion. Amara suddenly had the crazy urge to rub the Vistran against every wall of the expensive room so Milo’s perfect mansion would be covered in lowly Vistran scent. That would teach both of them. The ridiculousness of the thought and her anxiety at feeling so trapped made Amara snort.
Milo’s brows nearly touched his hairline at such an unladylike sound.
“And what are you wearing?” he asked, not even trying to hide his judgmental disgust.
Amara had dressed for travel since she had been hoping to escape her guard. Instead of wearing a proper gown, she wore a loose tunic and trousers and had declined time to change once she had arrived at the mansion.
“Well, I have just traveled across space to reach here,” she said, unable to hide her sarcasm.
Lady Lincoln sniffed disapprovingly, showing Amara exactly where her son’s mannerisms came from. “Well, I don’t know what relaxed standards Traxil observes but here in Soong, we do follow a higher standard of decorum.”
“Go and change for dinner,” Milo said, finally dismissing her. “I will see you then.”
Amara sighed and turned around to leave the room.
Outside, she let her shoulders slump forward, feeling the tenseness leave her arms. Being around the Lincolns made every inch of her coil up in anxiety. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to find some measure of calmness within her. She would need all of her wits about her to get out of this situation.
Amara opened her eyes and slowly looked up at the Vistran guard. Loku stood just a few feet from her, his arms crossed against his broad chest as he stared at the closed doors of the grand living room. But instead of a cold look of judgment or indifference that she might’ve found on her father’s face, she saw the unexpected look of indignant rage. She could just tell that his anger was on her behalf.
As if feeling her eyes on him, Loku looked down at her. His face immediately gentled into an expression of understanding and solidity. It was almost like she could read his face: he would be with her during the trip and she could expect him to be on her side.
All the rage and anger she had felt earlier melted away. Tears nearly wetted her lashes as she felt a tumble of gratitude. She had never had someone stand in her corner. But she could tell Loku was on her side. He felt her hurt and was angry on her behalf. That alone was more than anyone had done for her.
“Come,” he finally said, motioning towards the large spiraling staircase. “Your room has been made for you.”
Amara nodded. She was ready for a tiny bit of respite from the Lincolns.
“Thank you,” she whispered, as she climbed the st
airs. She knew Loku understood just how thankful she was.
***
As Loku watched Amara’s slim figure slowly go up the grand staircase, he could feel his heart pounding so hard his ribs ached.
He wanted to shake his head and grasp his chest to stop his heart. He couldn’t believe what he was feeling. He wanted to deny it.
But Vistrans were taught from a very young age to always listen your body. Your body never lied and what it felt was as truthful as the sun’s rising or the water’s waves.
And his body wasn’t lying now.