The man lets go of her bag and shoves her to the ground before he and his friend book it.
Cowards.
We rush over to the woman's side.
"Are you okay?" I ask, taking in the milkiness of her eyes as she stares up at me in a daze. "They're gone. Can you get up?"
"I think so," she says in a thin voice.
Finn and I help her up, his face set in a scowl as he stares after the muggers.
"Do you need help to get home?" I ask, taking a step back as she seems to get her bearings.
"No. Thank you so much." She gives me and Finn a small smile before scurrying back into the crowd.
I sigh.
You have to keep your wits about you down here. I don't blame her for not trusting us either.
"Come on, Margot. That's all we can do," Finn whispers.
I nod.
He's right.
Our mood is a little more subdued as we continue on.
We turn left at a fork, leaving the housing tunnel and entering the main thoroughfare in this section of the grid. The relative quiet gives way to a raucous, overly lit, garish shopping district with even heavier foot traffic.
Various people hang out of small storefronts and shout to get attention for their wares.
Good luck in this ruckus.
It's not much farther.
We stop in front of a more reputable looking strip of offices, the paint and lighting more subdued.
"This it?" Finn asks curiously.
I fish the vid card out of my pocket.
Celestial Mates. Unit 62.
I look up and find a discreet sign in the corner.
"Looks like the place." I take a deep breath and square my shoulders. "Come on."
We walk in to the sound of wind chimes. The receptionist sitting behind the minuscule desk in the entryway looks up to greet us with a smile.
"Hello, welcome to Celestial Mates. Do you have an appointment?" she asks, her musical voice polite.
"Oh, well, no," I admit. "Do I need one?"
"Perhaps not," she answers, touching a screen in front of her. "We have a representative that is free now."
She's still smiling. I wonder how much they pay her to keep that smile on her face. "Let me send her a message and see if she can't see you. Your name?"
"Margot. Margot Whelan."
"Wonderful. And your friend?" she asks, her smile warming as she turns it on Finn.
I can't blame her. Finn's a hot guy.
"No, sweetie. I'm just here for moral support," he says.
"I understand. Well then, why don't you have a seat while you wait?"
"Great, thanks."
We turn to the small waiting area. It has four standard chairs packed into the limited space, but it's clean and decorated tastefully, which is more than I can say for the vast majority of offices and storefronts down here.
"Fancy pants, huh?" Finn murmurs as we take our seats.
"Yeah," I agree under my breath, feeling a little nervous.
They don't give us much time to twiddle our thumbs. "Margot?" the receptionist calls out a few minutes later. "She can see you now."
I nod and stand with Finn.
"Just go down the hall, it's the first door on your left," she directs.
"Got it."
The hall is well lit and neat. There are multiple doors on each side including the one we're supposed to go in.
"Pretty big operation," Finn comments. "Looks like you're not the only one trolling for intergalactic dick."
I snort out a laugh. "Yeah, looks like it."
We stop in front of the door, but before I can knock, it opens.
"Ah, you must be Margot. Please, come in."
I nod and step inside, trying not to stare.
She's obviously not human.
She's tall, taller than Finn who's a couple of inches above six feet himself. Pale, paler than the woman who was just mugged, but where the Mole’s skin was unhealthy and sallow, this woman's skin almost glows with health.
Though I would have hesitated guessing her gender if the receptionist hadn't called her a she.
Her hair falls in a smooth white sheet that reaches her slender waist, her pretty, even features and strong boned face are set in an almost serene expression as she directs us inside.
"Now Margot, I take it you are interested in finding a mate?" she asks as Finn and I settle into chairs. Her voice only adds to her almost angelic presence. Musical and sweet, it's damn near soothing.
She must have decorated the office herself because the pale, muted colors match the flowing dress she's wearing.
"Um, yes," I say, staring at my hands in my lap and fidgeting in the chair.
Finn coughs to cover a laugh. I turn to glare at him and he raises his hands in surrender.
"Wonderful," she says with a wider smile. "Now, we have to scan you and do some basic tests before we question you about what you are looking for in a mate. Is that agreeable?"
"Sure," I say. How else can I answer?
She directs me to stand in a narrow, glass enclosed corner. A black bar descends from the ceiling and a blue, horizontal beam of light runs down my body.
"Turn around, please. This is to determine your overall health and your measurements. And to scan in a three-dimensional image of you," she murmurs as the machine finishes.
I turn and the same action repeats.
"We will need to take a small blood sample too, to test for genetic compatibility and any possible health issues that may arise. You will feel a slight prick."
Needles aren't my favorite thing in the world, but I'll deal.
I sit down again and she takes out a small, handheld white device, pushing the tip of it into the crook of my elbow.
I feel a slight sting, but nothing major.
"Excellent," she says, smiling at me as she sits down behind an opaque computer screen. "The data is being entered in your file. Now, I will ask you a series of questions about the qualities you desire in your future mate. Are you ready?" she asks in that musical voice.
I nod.
"Wonderful. What is most important to you in terms of the non-physical characteristics?"
"Oh. Well, intelligence. And kindness."
She nods. "Are there any characteristics you dislike?"
"Um. Small-mindedness. Selfishness. Meanness, though I suppose kind should take care of that."
"Hmm, yes. What about..."
And she continues to ask me more detailed questions about what personality I want. By the end of it, I've thought about details I've never even considered before.
"Wonderful. Now, on to physical characteristics."
"Now we're talking," Finn smirks.
I give him a quelling look but nothing seems to faze the rep.
"Now, first question. Do you want a humanoid? Non-humanoid might interfere with your ability to reproduce, but some people do not mind that."
Finn nearly chokes.
"Humanoid, please," I say firmly.
"Do you have a height preference?"
"Umm…I like tall."
"Make sure you tell her you want him to have a big cock," Finn stage whispers.
"Shut up," I whisper back, elbowing him.
"Well, member size is data we collect," she interjects. "Is there a range you are comfortable with?"
Finn is laughing so hard at this point his eyes are watering.
"Big," I manage to squeak, hot blood rushing to my cheeks.
She nods, unperturbed.
"Any skin tone preference or skin tones you do not desire?"
"Once you go black you don't go back," Finn says under his breath. "Maybe you should ask for something dark."
It makes my lips twitch but I control myself. "No, any skin tone is fine."
Then there's a whole other subset of questions, I'm tired of talking by the time we finish.
"That is all," she says. "Now, I shall put the information in and we will see if we can find a match for you."
/>
"What? Right now?" I ask, surprised and not sure if I'm ready.
"Yes, we pride ourselves on our speedy process," she says, her eyes on the screen. "This should take but a moment."
I meet Finn's eyes and he shrugs. "Might as well find out."
I take his hand in mine and he squeezes, reassuring and comforting.
"Oh!" she exclaims, looking up at me with bright eyes. It's the most animated I've seen her yet. "We have a match!"
"You...do?" I croak out through a dry throat.
"Yes. An Alvan! Elorshin Do'ana. What a lovely name!"
"Lovely," I parrot, my heart pounding in my chest. A cold sweat forms and a wave of light-headedness threatens to blind me.
"Would you like to see his file?"
I nod, dazed.
She pushes a button and a hologram of Elorshin appears.
Finn lets out a low whistle. "Wow," he says.
I stare at the guy.
He's tall, maybe seven feet. And muscled. His skin is a deep indigo color, his blue-black hair is long, falling over his shoulders. His features are sharp; a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and he has pointed ears proudly on display. When the hologram smiles, there are gleaming fangs prominent in his mouth. Something about that makes me shudder and clench my thighs.
But it's his eyes that really hold my attention.
Emerald green, they stand out in sharp contrast against his deep skin tone. They're arresting, direct and intense even in this still image.
"He's a Prince of a Minor House on Alva..."
The representative gives me all the details, and Finn is whispering about a prince, but I only half hear them.
I can’t stop staring, marveling at how utterly gorgeous the alien prince is.
"When do you need an answer by?" I ask, tearing my eyes off the image.
"By tomorrow, I'm afraid. He has a rush on his profile, you see. We can't take him out of the database for long," she explains.
"Tomorrow?" I repeat.
She nods.
"Shit," Finn sums it up nicely.
I nod. "Can I call you tomorrow then?"
"Of course," she says with a gentle smile. "I wish you had more time to think, but in my experience, more time is sometimes only a hindrance."
Maybe she's right.
We say our goodbyes and I almost float out of the office, disconnected from reality.
Nothing seems solid.
"Do you want to say yes?" Finn asks as we walk.
I frown as I stare down at the ground, worn and faded from all the feet that have treaded over it for generations.
"I'm not sure."
"Hmm. Are you unsure, or are you afraid?" he prods.
I look up to meet his eyes with a small smile. "You know me too well."
His smile is a little wistful.
"I want you to stay, obviously. I'll never find a better partner in crime." His smile fades as he takes my hand. "But you're not happy. We both know there's nothing for you here. You've been looking to the stars for a while now." He takes a deep breath and lets it out. "This is your chance. Don't avoid the opportunity just because you're scared."
I sigh.
He's right.
I feel my heart clench as I stare into his eyes.
"I'll miss you," I say, swallowing around the knot in my throat. "Like crazy."
He blinks away his tears as he gives me a wobbly smile.
"Of course you will. I'm amazing."
I let out my own watery laugh as I pull him into a tight hug.
Tomorrow, I'm saying goodbye to Earth.
Chapter Five
Elorshin
The only sound I hear is the clicking the juntta make as they draw our carriages.
Today is the day I meet the female chosen to be my bride.
I do not feel like a male should when anticipating such a meeting. I should feel excitement, a desire for time to move quicker so I can be by her side.
But that is not the case.
Rather, I am filled with trepidation and an empty ache, a sense of hopelessness.
No matter. I will do my duty.
I am determined to do what is necessary to protect my people.
To that end, a few guards and Raloven travel with me.
The guards to protect her and my manservant so she has someone to guide her in her new home. For no matter how unhappy I may be, she will be my bride and will live in the House Mansion.
I am deep in my the morass of unhappy thoughts when I hear a rumbling growl.
In the next instant, a guard cries out.
I scan the area and spot the familiar, hunched over backs.
Devos.
"To the left!" I cry out, pulling my sword.
That is all the warning we have as the creatures swarm.
A nightmarish abomination, a mockery of us, the Devos move hunched over on hands and feet. Their eyes are a milky white, their skin naked and filthy with gore coated fangs on display.
I kick out at a snarling face, my boot landing with a meaty thud. Its body flies back and takes another two with it as I urge the insect-like juntta on faster.
I can hear the other carriages doing the same.
Raloven has his own short blade out as he kicks and punches, stabbing a leaping one in the eye, the blade sinking in with a squelching sound.
It dies, but traps him underneath its body, rendering my manservant almost helpless.
I catch this out of the corner of my eye as I stand to swing my blade to cut through a neck, the head with its twisted face tumbles onto the fast moving ground.
I turn and grab the dead weight trapping Raloven, sliding it off the carriage to free him.
A weight lands on my back and I grunt as the prick of fangs slides past the thick leather of my outerwear to just touch the skin at my shoulder.
Cursing, I flip my sword in my hand and jab back in the vicinity of its head with the pommel.
It releases me with a howl, its head arching back in pain as its hands reach up to its face.
Another two leap onto the carriage behind us.
I know we are not far from the bend in the road. If we miss it, we'll be just as dead as we will be if the Devos overrun us.
"Take the reins! Men, prepare for the bend!" I shout as I shove the still howling Devo off the side and climb onto the top of the carriage.
I hear their cries of acknowledgment.
The wind whips my hair as I meet the crouched creatures. Their lower stance gives them more stability on the moving and bouncing carriage.
I crouch down low, adjusting my grip on my sword as I pull out a long knife with my free hand.
I bare my own fangs at them, daring them to approach.
Their milky eyes glow at me as they leap, a deadly swirl of fangs, claws, and limbs.
A heavy blow lands on my hip as I slice one's throat, the spray of blood just missing me as I shove it off.
One more.
The turn comes, and the devo and I slide to the side of the fast moving carriage roof. The Devo scrambles for purchase, managing to hold on.
As soon as we straighten, it leaps again.
But I am ready.
I roll to my back with my feet up and help it right over me and over the side of the carriage.
I pant as I watch it roll on the ground behind us before leaping back to its feet, turning to follow.
But we are traveling far too quickly for it to catch up.
I slide back to the front of the carriage, panting as I glance around.
"Everyone accounted for?" I call out, not seeing anyone missing.
I receive out of breath agreements.
There are minor wounds, but nothing life threatening.
We were lucky.
They attacked as we were nearing the bend and more light. The change in brightness discouraged them from continuing to follow.
The teleporter Celestial Mates has stationed on Alva sits in lit protection near House Viir, nearer the core-well. When w
e reach it, the same representative I saw earlier in Naefaren's office is waiting for me. I have decided I believe it’s a male.
But there is no female.
"Where is she?" I ask, short of voice and temper.
"She is on the ship orbiting this planet, teleported from her home planet, Earth, to the ship that orbits there, and from there to the ship that orbits this one. I will send a message that you are here," he says, his voice polite, ignoring my impatience.
I give him a curt nod and wait, not desiring to draw out this moment any further.
"She is coming," the man murmurs.
The large, metallic disk in front of us glows as my heart pounds in my chest.
Slowly, a female form materializes.
A tiny one.
Then, between one instant and the next, she is here.
Light brown skin, dark curly hair, big brown eyes. She blinks rapidly, appearing somewhat disoriented. She's dressed in a gray tunic and trousers, with unusual looking short boots on her slight feet.
My cock strains at the leathers of my breeches as an unexpected rush of fervor ignites my body.
I frown in turmoil.
The representative takes a step forward towards her, but I intercept and hold out my hand for her much smaller one.
She smiles up at me tentatively as she places her soft palm in mine and I guide her off the raised platform. Even this innocent touch incites blood boiling lust, I suppress the hungering need to dominate her petite body with my own.
"Welcome to Alva," I say instead.
Her eyes flick over to the Celestial Mates representative as he says something to her.
She nods and says something back.
"She thanks you for the welcome," he translates.
I nod.
"Does she know any Alvan?" I ask, stupidly not having considered the communication barrier.
"A few words. She is a fast learner," the man adds.
I hope so.
"Can you tell her we need to be getting back to my home now?"
He repeats what I say in the odd cadence of her language.
She nods, turning to see the carriages.
Her eyes widen and I follow her gaze to see she is looking at the juntta.
"Tell her they are harmless beasts of burden," I say.
She nods though her expression is still dubious.
She will become accustomed soon enough.
A Baby for the Alien Prince: Celestial Mates (The Alva) Page 3