by Imogene Nix
Sex, Love, and Aliens
Volume 2
by
Imogene Nix
Ashlynn Monroe
Jaye Shields
Beth D. Carter
Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 2
Covert Webs: copyright © 2015, Imogene Nix
The Spaceship Captain’s Daughter: copyright © 2015, Ashlynn Monroe
Her Clone: copyright © 2015, Jaye Shields
Bond: copyright © 2015, Beth D. Carter
ISBN: 9781940744803
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Electronic Publication: June 2015
Editor: Pamela Tyner
Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs
eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.
These stories are a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Covert Webs
by Imogene Nix
Power, deceit, and passion. Old enemies, new love, and the future of the entire universe hanging in the balance.
Dria is more than the Ba’Tuan Princess, she’s also a highly trained warrior who’s been sent to Earth to covertly uncover a plot to destroy the accord between the two species.
Military commander Marcus Vane is scarred and weary. His experience with women has left him afraid of commitment…that is until Dria turns up. Not only is she everything a warrior should be—strong, focused, and honorable—she’s also an incredibly beautiful woman.
They must work together to find the Incubi and stop their plans, but one split-second decision changes everything, and now the danger is even more extreme.
Content Warning: contains sizzling sex scenes with a gorgeous human male warrior and a beautiful female Ba’Tuan warrior
Dedication
Thank you to everyone who has supported me, especially in the last few months. I would like to dedicate this book to my husband—who also happens to be my hero and a tower of strength—and to Pamela at Beachwalk Press. Thank you for letting me hang around a little longer.
Chapter 1
Dria entered the room, well aware her parents had been planning something. Just what it was, she didn’t know, but from the look on her commander’s face when she’d been sent from the militia grounds, it likely wasn’t good.
“Dria. Come in. Your mother and I wish to talk to you.” Her father, Turaa Cedun, walked the length of the room and gripped her hands. Her mother smiled at her, but Dria couldn’t help noticing the tiny wobble at the corners of her mother’s lips.
“Father, what could be so important you brought me to the palace in the middle of a training session?”
She tugged off her leather jacket and laid it over the back of a chair as she moved to the end of the table. The knot that had lodged in the center of her belly felt heavy, threatening to drag her to the floor.
A knock sounded on the door behind them and she turned to see her step-grandfather, who was also her father’s senior advisor, enter the room. Her eyes narrowed on Joruzan. “What’s going on?”
Her father frowned, something he didn’t do often, so the impact was a sucker punch to the gut. He held up his hands, and she halted the clenching of her fist, obeying the implicit instruction.
“Dria, we’ve received a top-level request from the government of Earth for assistance. We’ve been aware for some time that there is a group, called the Incubi, who are working to destroy the Ba’Tuan and Earth coalition. They want to cut all interaction between our two planets.”
Her mind whirred. “I can understand that’s a concern, but what does it...” A sharp shake of her head and the whipping of her hair around her face betrayed her impatience with the political machinations. What could they... Her eyes narrowed.
“Dria, your father and I believe you’re best suited to this mission. You’re a trained warrior with experience and we can send you in to assist the task force they wish to put together to find and destroy this group.” Joruzan spoke slowly, as if every word was carefully weighed.
She turned to face him. “Why me?” The words tore from her. Frustration welled deep. Didn’t anyone understand she had her own plans? Until now, she’d had no need to leave her planet for Earth. Her family and friends resided here. Dirustandi was her home, and Earth was some far-flung planet she had no real connection with.
“Because everything we’ve worked for is in danger, Dria. You’re both human and Ba’Tuan. You can walk between both worlds. We can pass it off as an official visit.” Her mother patted her hand, and while Dria wanted to pull away, she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Hurting her mother was inconceivable.
“Why not send Lora or Senra?” The names of her brother and sister rolled off her tongue before she could think.
“Senra is too young, and Lora hasn’t the same skills you have. It needs to be you, Dria. You are ours, and Earth’s, best and only hope.” Joruzan’s words left her with little option.
“But—”
“I know you hate these official duty type things, but it’s experience. Besides, you’ve never been to Earth.” Her mother smiled, one of her softly hopeful expressions that tugged at Dria’s heart. She would have to accept that she had no choice.
Dria slumped into the chair beside her. “I’m so close to the next level of warrior skills, and Zurah is going to be joining the force soon. I should be there...”
“Right now, you need to fulfill your role as Turana. Only you can do that. If we don’t protect our agreements, we will be open to other acquisitive species. Both planets need this alliance if we are to stand strong. While we argue, the Incubi are hunting down our people and torturing them. Killing them.”
Joruzan’s words struck her like a chill. “What do you mean, torturing them? You haven’t...”
She grabbed at the images Joruzan handed to her. There before her eyes she saw the signs of beatings and worse. Each photo hammering home the truth. A cold ball formed in her stomach.
“They’re doing this to our people?” She glanced at her father. His face was tight, his lips rimmed with white lines.
Her father nodded. “These images were taken three weeks ago—the latest batch of... victims. Since then...” He rose and turned to the large window overlooking the township below. “It’s getting worse. They’re increasing the pressure, and the Ba’Tuan women are terrified. The men are angry and the hybrids... They’re living in fear of their lives. It’s a...” He screwed up his face, as if searching for the right term.
“It’s a powder-keg situation, Cedun.” Her mother spoke quietly, and he gave a short, sharp nod.
“We need someone we can trust implicitly. Someone with the skills to hunt down these animals, but one who can work with our allies. The human strike team...”
Dria’s gaze returned to the images in front of her, brutal and graphic. “Someone who can fight them.”
What was being proposed was both a diplomatic mission and a war. She would be protecting the Ba’Tuans. It was exactly what she’d trained for.
“Fine. When do I leave?” She rose, her mind already ticking over the list of weaponry she’d require.
“It’s not quite that simple.” Her father turned from the window and speared her with his glance. “You need to appear...soft. We need to lull them into a false sense of security.”
“What?” She glared down the length of the table.
“You need to act the Princess Dria. Go all the way. Clothing, attitude, and...”
Dria’s stomach clenched, as if sh
e were channeling what her mother was about to say. “Please, don’t say it.”
Her mother smiled. “Yes, Dria. Hair.”
“Oh no!” She backed up, and the tiny smile on her mother’s face died away.
Her parents glanced at each other and her mother frowned. “Dria, I need to talk to you. Privately.”
Everyone else left the room.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s time we talked. Things I should have spoken of long ago. Before I met your father...”
Her mother spoke of her association with a man and how it had nearly ended badly. It left Dria more confused than before. “But what does this have to do with me?”
“Probably nothing, but your father and I... We felt you should know. We’ve gone over everything we’ve learned, and we believe that before this mission, you should be apprised of my run-in with the Galecian I knew as Garret.”
Dria sat upright. A Galecian? They’d made several incursions over the years against both the Ba’Tuans and Humans. Their drive to take slaves was one of the reasons the humans and Ba’Tuan had come together. Could they somehow be involved? If they were, it could make things infinitely worse.
* * * *
Marcus hefted the pack on his shoulders, puffed a little, then double-timed it toward the barracks. The self-imposed march had been brutal, and every muscle in his body ached, but the gates loomed ahead. He redoubled his efforts and strode onward. Relief coursed as he entered the base.
Even as he reported in, he was shrugging the heavy pack off. “Vane! You’re required in the commandant’s office.” David Mentes, his friend and second to the commandant, inclined his head. “Leave your bags here, and get in there. He’s in a mood.”
Marcus wordlessly dropped the bag to the floor, stowed his rifle in the cabinet David indicated, and sighed. He adjusted his uniform and strode to the door.
There wasn’t time to compose himself as the door swung open and a young ensign, blubbering into a tissue, raced out the door.
“Vane? Get in here!”
Without a word he moved in front of the desk, assumed parade rest, and waited as his superior officer seated himself in the leather chair. “I’ve received notification that you’re required for a top-priority mission. You’ll be escorting the Ba’Tuan Princess Dria on her tour of Earth.”
“What?” Of all the things he could possibly have expected, it wasn’t this. “You want me to babysit some...”
“Sit down, Marcus, before you fall over.” The commandant’s brow creased as he gestured to the seat opposite him. It was clear the commandant knew what Marcus had been doing in preparation for his return to full duties.
He groped blindly for the metal surround of the chair and dropped into it. “Sir, I...”
“Listen. The Princess Dria is more than she appears. She’s been sent here to help us weed out the Incubi operatives. As you know, the Ba’Tuans are being targeted and neutralized. We have to find the Incubi and destroy the threat before the alliance is jeopardized.”
Marcus shifted closer in his seat. “But sir, how can a princess...”
“She’s both a princess and a warrior.”
He flinched just a little as a stray memory of another woman, another warrior, speared him.
“Her skills are battle ready. We can use both her abilities and her position. As a princess, no one expects her to be more than some simpering miss. Officially, you’re to be her guard. Unofficially, you two will be heading up a task force of humans seeking the Incubi.”
His mouth gaped slightly as he digested the instructions. “And...”
“Here’s her dossier.”
A single manila folder slid over the desk in his direction. He gripped it with both hands and slowly opened it. The image at the top of the pile showed a woman with green eyes and pale brown hair. Wide lips and a perfect oval face stared back at him. Arresting was the best word he could think of to describe her.
“She’s due to arrive tomorrow. I’ve organized transport for you, several militia officers, and access to whatever munitions you require to undertake the mission.”
Marcus exhaled heavily. “Where am I supposed to make contact?” A quick glance at the commandant’s expression left Marcus’s stomach roiling.
“It’s all in there. Read it in the next office, then return the file to Mentes. This mission is NTK.” Silence reigned for a moment, then the commandant cleared his throat. “The mission must be successful, Vane.” The intent was as clear as the dismissal.
Marcus stood, gave a brief salute, and left the room, folder in hand. Once in the anteroom, he read the information contained in the file. By the time he closed the cover, he was sure he knew more about this Princess—Turana—Dria, than his own family.
“Finished?” David hovered, his eyes glinting.
“Yeah.” Marcus shoved away from the table, his mind whirling. He had only days to prepare and a lot to do. He impatiently moved toward the door.
“Marcus?”
He stopped and swiveled to see David lingering, his hand on the file. “Good luck.”
Marcus gave a small nod before pushing through the door and stepping outside.
* * * *
The shuttle ride had seemed interminable. In the three weeks since they’d left Dirustandi, Dria had practiced the primping and princessly attitudes her mother had tried vainly to instill in her over the years. Her fingers were wound into her locks, but instead of the beautiful curls her mother achieved, she ended up with little more than a messy knot of hair.
“Turana, let me help you.” Verala, the young lady-in-waiting her mother had chosen, sailed forward and slid her fingers deep into her hair before Dria could open her mouth. “You just need to twist it like this.”
Pain radiated from her skull, and Dria wrenched herself away before yowling. “That hurts!” For a moment Dria held herself rigid, fists clenched and every muscle coiled tight. As she relaxed she sighed. “I... I’m sorry.”
The girl stilled, and Dria could see her shaking her head. “Turana, if you wish to make this visit a success, you must let me help you.”
“I’m trying. Thank you, Verala. Perhaps it would be best if you left me for a while.”
The young woman bowed deeply and left the room, the door shushing quietly as Dria gathered the voluminous skirts close and strode to the viewing window. “Why me?”
Of course she already knew the answer. In less than two ship days, they would orbit Earth and she would enter the special shuttle to make the short journey planet-side. She’d journeyed between the Ba’Tuan worlds as a warrior, but this time she’d be representing her species. “It’s just like any mission. I need to present a front so people will see me as a weak and ineffectual female. I must lull the Incubi into a false sense of security. They mustn’t guess the real reason for my visit. I must protect the weak.”
The mantra echoed as she sought the equilibrium that would allow her to carry out her mission.
A sharp beep drew her attention. The communication console glowed and she reached out, touching the button. “Yes?”
“Turana, we’ve received an encoded transmission for you. The gentleman is most insistent and is using the Omega code.” The captain’s face betrayed no concern, but in his eyes, she read a hint of panic.
“Connect me.”
His face faded away, replaced by another, harsher visage.
“Forgive me, Turana Dria. My name is Commander Marcus Vane, and I am to be your contact on Earth. I’ve received some intelligence that the Incubi plan to strike when you arrive.”
She leaned forward. “I see, and you know this how?”
No matter how hard she tried, the pounding of her blood pulsed faster as interest flared deep in her belly. Her fingers flexed, and she wished for some physical outlet for the strong emotion that filled her. A hiss escaped between her tight lips, and even that angered her. After so many years of training herself to be calm and controlled in all things, how could she allow eve
n that small sign of impatience and anger to escape?
“We intercepted a transmission showing they are aware of the suggested landing sites and times.”
Dria frowned at his words. “And so...”
“I have a suggestion that may allow us to circumvent their plans.”
Even as she weighed his words, she scanned his face, noting the full lips and cobalt blue eyes. She told her body not to respond to the unfamiliar pull of fascination, but her physical reaction only grew.
“Tell me.” She spoke harshly, and watched the way his mouth thinned at her command. The small bow of his head was the only acknowledgement of subservience.
“Of course, Turana. I propose that we bring you planet-side early. Before they have an opportunity to complete their plans. The airfield is under constant surveillance, which leads me to believe they have inside knowledge of our plans.”
“I see.” Her short answers and demands sounded almost childish, and she winced inwardly.
“You have read the briefing paper?” His voice cut through her thoughts.
“I... Yes.” The tactical briefing she’d received left more questions than it answered and anger flared, white-hot. “Contact the captain with your plan, then have him apprise me of the changes.” She kept her response brief while her fingers curled with the urge to reach out and trace the planes of his face. Stupid reaction, Dria. Control yourself!
“Of course, Turana. Do you have any queries?” His voice now was melodious, and a flare of heat warmed her belly.
“No. Send the details. We’ll make it work.”
“Then I shall leave you...”
“Yes. Good day.” The screen darkened, and she rubbed her hands over tired eyes. “Aargh!”
Tugging her hands through her long curls didn’t help. Instead, yards of material pooled at her elbows, reminding her of the part she was supposed to play. Squeezing her eyes shut didn’t help either. Too many relied on her to save them to get lost in her fears.