Kerr: Paranormal Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Àlien Mates Book 1)

by Ashley L. Hunt

  Some of the men carried weapons they’d fashioned from metals and woods they found. A few had managed to obtain some of the Euthenian weapons.

  That in itself concerned me as not even the citizens of Euthenia were permitted to have weapons. Somehow they’d gained them from guards, and that meant there was a problem with the royals themselves.

  Caleb had made for me and himself a matching set of swords, and I had fashioned them each in the protective clothing we wore. We matched in the black and white ensemble.

  Belts held our swords around our waists, near our left hips. Caleb had taught me to use the sword to defend myself, but I was no fan of the sharp weapons.

  To slice a chunk of Euthenian flesh from their perfect bodies wasn’t a thing I wanted to do. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do such a thing if at all possible.

  I prayed for an easy take-over. One that would end peacefully. I was no idiot though and knew it would be the greedy Earthlings who wouldn’t be able to come to an agreement with the people born in the planet of Euthenia.

  And the possibility of an easy take-over was getting more and more unlikely. It had occurred to me that the inside of the palace might well be filled with the people who seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet.

  There was just no place else they could be, in my opinion.

  I’d found out at the last meeting, just before we left that the royal armada was three weeks away. Someone was corresponding with the main ship. The one the King and Prince were on.

  The new Princess as well. The news was she was being held as the King was afraid she had everything to do with the uprising.

  Truth be told, Caleb and I had no idea who was behind the uprising. Caleb just told me we were the best people to head it as he had no intention of taking over the planet, just co-existing as he and Prince Kerr had discussed at length when he stayed with them at the palace.

  Left in another’s hands, the fate of us and our children would be at risk. I felt a bit better knowing my husband was a good man with good intentions. I would support him and risk my life with him for what he believed in.

  He helped me form a belief in his vision as well, but I wasn’t as convinced it would work as he was.

  The first sun was nearly setting, leaving the smaller one to light the sky. It became a different color once the first, large sun left the sky.

  The odd peach color had always brought a sense to me that anything could happen. Not in a good way, though.

  In the sense of things no being right, things could change, things you never expected could occur.

  I half-expected to see the royal armada drop out of the sky and annihilate us all with powerful weapons they must have on their ships.

  I had no idea what kinds of weapons they had. They were by far a peaceful people in that regard. The only real downfall the civilization had, in my opinion, was the belief men and women were not created equally.

  Women had to obey men. All men. When not married they must do as their father says and then once married do as their husband says. But all men must be obeyed.

  To show their obedience, a woman must stay a step behind any man she’s walking with. It wouldn’t be so bad if the physical punishment wasn’t included.

  The hook and strap were in every home. That included my childhood home. My father, an adamant rebel, used the strap and hook often in our home.

  I assumed many of the settlers accepted and used it. Their main complaints were not being able to use the things the other Euthenians had.

  Water, the endless supply of free electricity, the shops where you could purchase foods, both raw and prepared.

  It was the things that made life easier they sought. But I knew they’d ask for so much more once negotiations began.

  If they began.

  The clip clop of the equine’s hoofed feet stopped. Caleb’s arm went out, and he made a fist. All the people behind us stopped as well.

  Some rode equines, some came in wagons pulled by equines, and others walked. But nearly all the male settlers were part of the group that had come to the capital to take it over.

  I was the only female. Caleb had told them that it was his one condition for accepting the role as the uprising’s leader. I was to remain with him, no matter what.

  Caleb had been to the palace before. He’d been made to stay with the King and the Prince when he’d first arrived. His military background was something they feared.

  He stayed with them for sixty sunsets before they found him to be a changed man and let him go to the settlement territory. Now he would do to them exactly what they feared most.

  I hated the fact that Caleb had told me he and Prince Kerr got along wonderfully and he even considered him a friend. Now he was in this position against him.

  My husband was a man of great honor it seemed. He was dead set against a rebellion, but when his father goaded him about it, he gave in and took the position.

  “Draw your sword, Love,” he told me.

  I leaned forward and whispered, “Caleb, there is no one outside. There should be no bloodshed if at all possible. If we come in armed and ready for a fight, we will surely get one. If we come in docile, then this might end peacefully.”

  Caleb turned his head just slightly. His words came out slow and stern, “Draw your sword.”

  I let out a heavy sigh and did as he told me. The shining palace lay in front of us. It was a beacon of hope to many. It was tearing me apart to be at the head of the uprising.

  But I would do whatever my husband asked me to. He had control over the one thing I didn’t, my heart.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Caleb

  The Conspiracy

  Swords were drawn. Emerald and I were off our equine and headed into the palace. We both had made black, hooded capes out of a special fabric, not many things could penetrate.

  We wore the capes over white body suits made of the same fabric. White face masks protected our faces. Tall, black boots protected our feet and legs, and long black gloves covered our hands and arms. Only our eyes were visible and barely at all once the hoods were covering our heads.

  Emerald’s dark blue eyes were captivating, and I had a hard time not looking at them when her hood was back.

  Just before making an attempt to go through the huge set of doors at the front of the palace, I looked once more at my wife. I pushed the black hood back and took the bottom of her face mask and pulled it down.

  I placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “You stay right with me, Love. Everything will be fine if you do that.”

  She gave me a nod and took a deep breath. I pulled the fabric back up and pulled her hood back up. Then I turned and reached out to open the door.

  There was no need for locks as the handles of the doors had memory chips in them and would only open for those who had been screened and approved to open the doors.

  I had lived there. I had been approved. Now it was time to find out if they had ever erased my prints from the chip.

  I took the black glove off my right hand and took the glass knob in it.

  It twisted easily, and I pushed it open. The mob of Earthlings who waited cheered as the door swung open.

  After replacing my protective glove, I took a step inside and reached back for Emerald’s gloved hand.

  Her voice was shaky as she asked, “Caleb, you don’t find it odd that no one was on the streets as we came here. No one is protecting this entrance. All the Euthenians seem to be hiding. This is a trap of some kind. They knew we were coming, that’s obvious.”

  “I’m sure they do know, but it seems to me they are in no position to fight. They’re hiding instead. Just come with me and trust me.” I gave her hand a tug, and she stepped inside with me.

  She gasped with how beautiful the entrance area was. A domed ceiling was painted a deep blue color with arrows of gold seeming to shoot out of it. The interior was made of the same material as the exterior.

  Everything shined and glowed. O
ur leather boots made no noise as we tread across the floor that sparkled with rare gemstones inlaid in them.

  A green liquid ran into a bowl that was built into the wall beside the door. “What’s that for?” she asked me as she gestured to it.

  “A decontaminator. They’re inside all entrances. One washes their hands in it whenever they go inside anywhere. That’s why the Euthenians never get sick.” I pulled her along with me.

  The others waited outside, and Emerald and I found no one inside the palace.

  Moving from the entry room to a huge room, full of overstuffed furniture and various works of art, Emerald was taken aback by all the beauty.

  “This place is amazing. If I were you, I would never have wanted to leave here.” She turned and looked at everything.

  A picture of a tall man caught her eye, and it took a second to realize it was the Prince in the painting. His long, blonde hair fell across one shoulder. Just underneath it, there was a smaller painting, and she took in a sharp breath.

  “That’s you, Caleb! With the Prince! That’s you and him, together!” She looked over her shoulder at me that I was now frowning.

  “I hope he understands why I did this. The last thing I want is to hurt him. He’s a good man.” I took her hand and pulled her to go to the next room.

  “Where could they all be, Caleb?” she asked as we entered another huge room. This one was some type of media room with large screens all over the black walls.

  “Hiding from us. I think it’s safe to bring them all in. Do you think you can help me make sure they don’t destroy anything?” I led her back to the entry room.

  My heart sank as I saw the majority of the men had already come inside. It was Emerald’s father who disobeyed my order and started the surge of men into the palace.

  I cut my eyes at her as I said, “I hope it won’t upset you, but I have to deal with him the only way that will work for these men to understand they have to obey me.”

  She gave me a nod and stayed by my side.

  I raised my sword above his head. “Disobedience will not be tolerated. All who are in this room need to follow me in an orderly fashion.” I turned to Emerald. “Please go and tell the men outside to maintain their position and we will get back to them once we’ve dealt with these men. Then close the door to stop this from happening again.”

  Emerald walked away to do what I told her as her father stood in front of the line of men who had come inside.

  He reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Emerald, what’s this about? Why does he think it’s acceptable to leave us outside? It’s getting darker by the second out there.”

  I approached them. “Let her go.”

  Emerald’s eyes went wide as her father let her go. I gave her a nod, and she took off to do what I’d told her to.

  After telling the other men who were waiting what I had told her to, Emerald closed the door and came back to me as I waited for her.

  “Follow us and do not touch a thing in this place,” I told the men and then started walking, Emerald by my side.

  We went through the entire palace and out another door into a courtyard. It was surrounded by a tall white wall, made of the same material the rest of the palace was.

  The large area was lit up, and a large fountain sat in the middle of the purple grassy area. Yellow streams of water shot up from the middle of the gorgeous fountain.

  I took Emerald’s hand and moved to one side. I gestured for the men to go outside which they did.

  “This place is not to be pillaged. This is not a mission of mayhem and destruction. It is a mission to get equal rights for us all. You all defied my orders to stay outside. Therefore, you will be kept here for one night. With the first morning’s light, you will be allowed to come in. At that time, you will all have to bathe in the cleansing waters and be decontaminated before you are given a room.”

  I took Emerald by the hand and led her back inside. Her father yelled out, “This is an outrage!”

  I didn’t look back. I walked back in and closed the door, trapping the men in the back.

  Emerald didn’t say a word. I had no idea if she was upset with me or not. “Emerald, I…”

  She stopped and turned to me. “I need no explanation, Caleb. They didn’t follow your order. They have to learn. I understand.”

  I nodded and resumed moving forward to let the other men in. When I opened the door, I found them waiting as I’d told them to.

  “Come in. You will all have to bathe before you can move about the palace on your own and I want to talk with you all before that happens. There may be people in here, and we need to stay in groups to maintain our safety.”

  Taking my wife by the hand, I led the way to the bathing hall as the men followed the couple. The room was narrow, and a series of spouts were near the top of the low walls.

  Fluffy, white robes hung on hooks opposite the spouts and Emerald was intrigued by the design. “What happens in here?”

  “A disinfectant is sprayed from those spouts and will kill any bacteria, germs, or parasites any of these men might have.” I looked at the men. “You are to take your clothes off and place them in the bins at the end of the room and then stand under one of the spouts. It will come on, and you are to stay in the spray until it goes off. Then put on a robe and you may then tour the palace in groups of five. No touching anything, though.”

  “What about you and I, Caleb?” she asked.

  “I’m going to take you to my old room, and we will get cleaned up in there.”

  “Where are these men to sleep?” she asked.

  The men looked at me, waiting for my response.

  “You will find the bedrooms on the second and third floors. Any you want, but don’t break anything. Be careful. And remember to stay in groups of five or so. An owl call will be our signal if anyone finds anyone or anything that might be of interest to our mission.”

  “When will we eat?” my brother, Jared asked.

  I threw back my hood and rolled my eyes. “Am I to do it all? Lead this pack of misfits and figure out every little detail?”

  Emerald pulled her hood off and her facemask. She smiled and patted me on the shoulder. “If you’ll see me to the kitchen I can make something to eat.”

  I gave her a nod. “Thank you.” I looked back at the men. “When we have something ready to eat I’ll ring the bell that runs through the palace. Then you will come back to the entry room, and I will show you to where the food is.”

  I took her hand in mine and led her away. We went up an enormous staircase, and then another and another before we reached the floor my old room was located on.

  When I opened the door, I stopped and took in a deep breath. “They still have the aroma I ordered when I was here.”

  Emerald stepped inside and took in a deep breath. “Very nice, lavender and…”

  My lips touched her ear, and my arms went around her as I came in behind her. “And honey. Like from back home. They don’t have honey here, and Kerr had the scent of the nectar the sweet flies that are here made. He adjusted it to make the smell I love so much.”

  “That was very nice of him.” Emerald turned in my arms and placed a kiss on my cheek. “Having regrets?”

  “Only that I have some men who won’t do as I say. It’s imperative to show the royals we are not animals. The reason they deny us so many things is that we have little respect for things.” I kissed her lightly on the lips. “Come, let us shower and change, and then see to the men.”

  Carefully, we pulled off our protective clothing, and I took her into a private room off the bedroom. It had a large cube in the middle with a spout coming from the ceiling.

  I took her in my arms and pulled her under the spout which immediately started spraying warm liquid over us.

  “It feels like Heaven, Caleb.” She ran her arms around my neck, and I kissed her.

  I ran my hands down her back, gripping her bottom in them. Lifting her up, she wrapped her legs
around me as I slid my hard length into her.

  The shower was surrounded by a clear wall, and I pressed her against it. It held her so I could press myself into her more easily.

  I made slow, even strokes as he kissed her. Her kiss took me away from what I’d done. The threat of an attack was the last thing on my mind.

  I was back in the comfortable room I’d first called home when I came to the planet.

  Our bodies were wet and slick. We moved along each other’s easily. The way she felt was amazing as I moved inside her.

  Emerald’s nails raked my back as I plunged into her over and over. The water cut off, and I groaned and carried her from the shower to the bed. Her body still wrapped around mine.

  I lowered her to the bed. “This is so soft, Caleb.”

  Running a hand over her shoulder, I smiled at her as I moved his body to cover hers, pressing myself into her again.

  She pulled her bottom lip between my teeth. “This feels unreal, Caleb.”

  I placed slow, deep strokes as I looked at her. “Do you want this life? Here like this? Or should we abandon this?”

  The way her eyes darted back and forth as they searched mine let me know she was unsure. The woman had been so sure she wanted a simple life, but now that she’d seen a little of what the Euthenians had, she seemed to be changing her mind.

  “It is nice to have these comforts. I can’t lie about that.” Her knuckles grazed my whiskered cheek.

  My lips touched her neck, making her moan and arch her body to meet mine. I loved the comforts of the palace, but I knew the responsibility it meant for both of us if I went through with what I was doing.

  I wanted to think no more about it. I pulled back and looked at my wife. The woman I wanted to build a life with.

  Her blonde hair looked dark as it was wet. Her blue eyes sparkled in the light of the room. The bed was soft, and my body pressed hers into its depths.

  She deserved comforts like this. I pressed my lips to hers. Her tongue found mine and her kiss was eager as she arched up to me, beckoning me to make harder thrusts.