The Alien Bounty Hunters Complete Series: Books 1-8

by Mills, Michele

  They watched their tiny peanut, a cluster of cells that had already formed into a small shape and a beating heart. It was beautiful. She could hear the swishing of blood through its double heart chambers, much like its father.

  She squeezed Kayzon’s hand and glanced at his face. His eye was wet.

  8

  Kayzon guided his Bride from the medical bay. She was quiet, which was unusual for her. Normally she enjoyed talking often. But he also felt unlike himself, stiff and uncomfortable, his thoughts dark and confused. He’d seen that spark of life, the offspring that was technically still optional, making it more real in his mind, making the eventual termination grind against his hearts.

  So he took her back to his quarters to show her his Cabul. It seemed a good decision to spend time training. He was tired of trying to convince his Bride of how unacceptable he was as a mate. To prove his unworth. And he did not want to linger over thoughts of the offspring he’d witnessed in the medical bay. The physical exertion would be good for the both of them.

  He opened the cabinet along the wall and watched as his Bride gaped at his travel Cabul. His chest puffed with pride. He’d spent many years collecting his own Cabul. He did not have one passed down from his line. He’d had to craft his own and create one mainly for his ship because he did not have a home world he resided on. He lived on his ship. His altar, his Cabul, his meager belongings, they were all on his ship.

  “What is this?”

  “This is my Cabul. All Xylan have their own Cabul. These are the weapons we use for all ceremonial occasions. This—” He pointed. “—Is my personal blade. And this is the invisible blade. Here—” He picked a curved sword up off of its shelf. “—Is the bone shredder.” He grinned. It was his favorite.

  “Wow, can I try out some of these?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  He placed his own personal blade in her clawless hand with the extra appendage. He was amazed at the glory he felt in seeing his Bride holding something as simple as his personal blade. He was unprepared for the possessive warmth that bloomed in his chest at the vision of his Bride with that particular weapon in her small hand.

  When he had first seen the humans together in the marketplace he’d been unnerved by their colorless appearance. Many of them were literally without color, which was absurd. The lack of ridges or claws and their extra appendage made them appear…ugly. Although as a scarred warrior he had no place to monitor another’s appearance…but he did find their visage unpleasant.

  But his Bride—his Bride was different. If he thought about it, he could see he’d found her attractive from the moment he’d seen her in that marketplace. Her teeth were intriguing, her raspy, deep voice made his cock instantly harden. Her hair…he could run his claws through her shiny, royal hair that smelled of sunshine on Chronos for planetary rotations on end. And as he watched her hurl knives and warrior axes at the target on the wall in the holo deck and swing an invisible blade in an arc of death…he watched the way her lithe form moved. She was slim and small and yet so very strong. Deceptively strong.

  His Bride was an invisible blade. His very own private invisible blade.

  He smiled. His human Bride, the female he wanted most in the world but could not keep. She was stunning.

  She’d convinced him to view his offspring, which he had wanted to avoid, to decrease future heartbreak. But she’d demanded they watch together, claiming she would never terminate their offspring and that they would never part, that she was his and he was hers and they were family.

  Huh.

  He took a deep breath and hurled a Xylan beheading ax at the target. It hit the middle with a resounding thud. His Bride clapped with delight.

  After their training they sat side by side, on the floor, knees bent. Sweaty and satisfied. His head rested back against the metal wall as he waited for his breathing so slow. The holo deck was no longer lit up like a black and red Xylan training hall, it was now in stasis mode with comforting cool gray walls and floors. The doorway was lined with a glowing line of yellow light.

  He handed her a bottle of water. They were silent for the moments it took to drink. They’d talked often since the moment they’d met, which was unnerving. His voice was slightly hoarse, his throat raw from previous disuse. He hadn’t spoken this much to another being in over eight planet rotations. But his Bride continued to ask questions of him and to expect answers. She listened to him and asked more, went deeper. If he went quiet she waited and then spoke again to pull him back into their conversation. It wasn’t annoying; he didn’t mind speaking with her. Actually, he enjoyed conversing with his Bride.

  She was entertaining.

  He just wasn’t used to talking, having anyone talk to him or care what he thought about personal issues. He spoke with co-workers about Bounty Hunter-related concerns. He issued death threats to targets. That was the extent of his dialogue.

  With Kia it was different. The allure was powerful.

  She put down the water and started retelling the story of how he’d rescued her from the Hurlian snatching. Hearing her tell it was mesmerizing. She made him out as a hero. But in actuality, he’d been the one who was enthralled. She’d been powerful and tough. Her actions had surprised him. He would never forget the image of her grabbing one soldier around the chest and swinging up and kicking another soldier at the same time. It was a brutal move that had given him an instant cockstand.

  Her smile was dazzling, her raspy laughter contagious. He could listen to that sound for the rest of his life.

  “How can you tell jokes in the midst of Hurlian capture?” he asked.

  “I choose to laugh rather than cry,” she replied. “Also I have my family. Don’t you ever tell jokes and just… smile?”

  “Warriors don’t smile.”

  “I have seen many warriors, and they smile often. My Dad’s bright smiles would light up my day.”

  “Those are humans. Xylan do not smile.”

  “That can’t be true.” She leaned forward. “Are you ticklish?”

  “What is ticklish?”

  She laughed. “Oh, this is great. Let me teach you what ticklish is.”

  She bent forward and poked fingers into his side, and he actually laughed. Laughed out loud at the surprise at her action and the sensation it evoked. He hadn’t laughed like that since before his youth.

  He turned and grabbed her and threw her to the ground. She gasped with surprise and then fought back. They rolled on the floor; he enjoyed touching her this way. She shouted with frustration at his overwhelming size and strength. He grinned. They rolled again, and Kayzon ended up on top of her.

  He kissed her. He couldn’t help himself. That mouth, that delicious mouth. He couldn’t stay away. He had to taste her again.

  Then he groaned and pulled back. This would lead to another round of mating. He needed to control himself. The countdown clock still followed them on the wall, glowing red. She was not his.

  He stood up quickly and reached a hand down and pulled her up with him. “Come,” he ordered and walked them back to their spots at the wall. They both sat back down, side by side, each holding water.

  “So…where do you live?” she asked, immediately starting another conversation. His lips curved. They were sitting very close, her arm brushing against his forearm. His cock hardened from this simple touch. His need for this female who was carrying his offspring was both amazing and terrifying.

  “I live here, on my ship. My Cabul, my altar, my belongings are all here.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Where do you go in between your missions?”

  He shrugged. “I dock long term.”

  She met his gaze, her eyes wide with concern. “You live alone? You’re always alone?”

  He remained silent.

  “Kayzon,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.

  He looked away. He did not want her pity.

  She took his claw in her tiny human hand with the extra appendage. “Honey, you have m
e now. You have our offspring, too. You are not alone.”

  He stared at her, wondering what “honey” meant.

  She seemed sincere. This was that same sincerity she’d exhibited in the medical bay. But his family had seemed sincere and secure, too. He remembered how much his mother had loved him, before she’d been forced to leave and he’d been tossed to the corner of the four sectors. He remembered the lies he’d been told prior to his judgment and removal from the Xylan mating database.

  He shook his head. “You do not understand. I am Bredwdr.”

  “What does that translate to in English?”

  “Beast. It means I am considered a beast.”

  “This is bullshit!” she exclaimed. “You are the best of men. You’re not a beast. Or if you are, you’re my beast.” Her voice softened. She reached forward and cupped the side of his scarred face with her hand. His eye softened, and he leaned into her palm. She was probably the only female in the four sectors who was unafraid of his features. She did not judge him by his exterior but by his actions and words.

  His hearts thundered in his chest. His palms were sweaty. He did not understand how the gods could have sent this Bride to him.

  He had no idea what course to take. None. Had the gods deserted him?

  He moved back from her and stood up. “I need to pray about this,” he admitted.

  She looked up at him and reached out to squeeze his hand. “Okay,” she answered. “Okay.”

  Oh fuck.

  In that instant he understood.

  He loved this small human. His hearts had opened up to include her, and he was terrified.

  Terrified to let anyone have that power over him again.

  9

  Kia wandered down the main hallway of her new husband’s spaceship, alone.

  Today was certainly one of the most life-altering days of her life.

  She’d woken up in the morning. Well, she assumed it was morning because who really knew when you were on a spaceship, right? But she’d woken up in an alien’s bed—the male she’d mated with the night before in a fierce claiming on a holo deck forest, and found their bed empty. Empty because her new husband didn’t think he was worthy to be her husband and said he’d claimed her because he’d lost control of himself and had done all of that with her when he shouldn’t have

  Right now he was praying about it.

  Her husband was there, in his alcove, bowed before the same multigod altar she’d seen a million times at her own house growing up. Her family performed absolutions three times per day. Everyone did, even little Harmony. But in the last three weeks since Dad had left, Kia hadn’t joined in prayer once. And it had been pretty darn freeing. Mom had looked hurt and Janet was pissed off, but Kia didn’t care.

  What had the multigods done for her? After a lifetime of devotion and prayer, New Earth was a shithole. No one was getting along. Dad was in hiding because he wouldn’t give up multigod.

  Where were the Gods when Dad needed them?

  Like she’d always suspected, the whole thing was a load of crap. What just gods would treat a loyal servant like trash? When Dad had needed multigod they hadn’t been there for him.

  It literally hurt her to see Kayzon relying on the same gods that had turned their collective backs on her Dad and her family. She couldn’t do the absolutions with him. He’d asked if she would join him, but she’d declined. His face hid his emotions, but she’d seen the disappointment in his eyes before he could hide it. The slight slump of his shoulders.

  So now she was wandering the ship alone as he’d suggested she do while he prayed. She was supposed to be getting used to it, learning where everything was. If she chose to stay, it would be her new home.

  Her fingers trailed over the shiny railing that lined the hallway. She walked slowly, with no real destination in mine. He’d advised her to go the Bridge and quiz the computer on how the systems worked. It was a good idea. She was just…overwhelmed. A lot on her mind.

  Like, she was pregnant. Going to have a baby. And married to a man who kept telling her she should be running the other way to get away from him and he wasn’t good for her. In fact, he thought he was so bad for her that she’d accept the idea of terminating her baby just so she could fully get away from him and start over fresh, as if this mating had never happened.

  She snorted.

  Ridiculous.

  She looked up and realized she stood in front of the cargo bay. She felt a hint of curiosity. Why not start her investigation of the ship here? Kia swiped her hand over the lock at the door, pleased when the mechanism recognized her, and walked into the cargo bay, checking out the equipment.

  A metal tube stood, dark gray and imposing in the corner. It contained the target Kayzon had in lockdown stasis. He’d referred to him only as THX690. She walked closer. All she could see was the outline of features through the glare on the glass that framed a shadowy face. She assumed he was human because Kayzon had retrieved his target from New Earth, and only humans lived on New Earth.

  What if she knew this person? There was the possibility. New Earth was tight-knit. If you didn’t know someone, you at least knew of their family or of their community. Even more curious than before, she stepped forward for a better look.

  And then she staggered back.

  “Daddy?” she gasped, tears immediately choking her throat.

  Upon closer inspection she could easily identify the man in stasis.

  She ran to the tube, her hands trembling as she frantically searched for the locking mechanism. Tears welled in her eyes and her throat clogged.

  Her dad was in the fucking tube. In the fucking tube. The whole time she’d been messing around with Kayzon, the whole time, Dad had been in here, locked up.

  Godammit.

  Kayzon had captured her father from New Earth, dragged him in a body bag through the Marketplace, had him in lockdown stasis and was about to deliver him to the Bounty Hunter Guild, who would then deliver him to whoever had placed the reward on his head.

  Oh hell, no.

  She searched and searched, tears streaming down her face, snot starting to run from her nose. But she couldn’t unlock the damn thing.

  “Computer,” she gasped. “Computer, open the tube. Open the tube.”

  “Access code restricted.”

  “Daddy!” she screamed. “Daddy,” she said softer as she fell to her knees in front of the metal tube from hell that wouldn’t open.

  “Kia?”

  She whirled around, pissed off like she’d never been pissed off. Like no one had been pissed off. This was her fight song. Her power was turned on.

  She stepped forward, her fists clenched. “Kayzon,” she rasped, her voice filled with the emotions she could not possibly hide. “You have my father in lockdown stasis.”

  “What?”

  She pointed at the stasis unit. “That man is my father. His name is Dago Cho. Release him immediately.”

  “THX690 is your father?”

  “Yes, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

  He looked genuinely confused, which only angered her more. Her new husband had her father locked up. He was hurting her father. This was all that her mind could register.

  “I didn’t know he was your father,” he said.

  “Bullshit.”

  “What?”

  “You knew. You knew this whole time.”

  “I did not.” Now he looked angry. “Xylan do not lie. If I am telling you I did not know this target was your father, then I did not know.”

  “Let. Him. Out.”

  Her new husband didn’t move.

  “Kayzon,” she warned. “If you want our marriage to succeed and for me to ever choose to stay with you and be happy and for the start of your new line to go well, you need to do this. You having my father in lock up isn’t the way to start your new marriage.”

  He inhaled and moved over to the tube. “Computer, access code THX690 Hunter alpha. Unlock THX690 from the stasis unit.” />
  She watched with tears in her eyes as the unit began to hiss and power down. They were both quiet, staring at the tube intently. Calm, calm, calm. She exhaled, trying to calm the hell down. Her new husband was a multigod believer, she reminded herself. The first tenet of multigod was no untruth went unpunished. Maybe he really didn’t know.

  He tilted his head to the side, lips pursed. “I do not understand how this is possible. THX690 isn’t human. He can’t be your father.”

  She clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath. He might as well have stabbed her in the heart with those words. “Of course he’s human.”

  “No, I had a difficult time retrieving him. He’s not human. I scanned him afterwards before I put him in stasis because I was curious at his strength. He should have been much easier to retrieve. The computer diagnosed his species as Gravian.”

  The unit opened. Steam rushed out. Her dad’s eyes were still closed. Ugh. She ran forward through the cloud of mist and unbuckled him as fast as her fingers would allow. Kayzon was right at her side, helping to pull her dad out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she told him. “You know I have more strength than the typical human. It’s a genetic abnormality my Dad said had been passed on in his family for hundreds of years. I’m the only one of my siblings to inherit it.”

  Kayzon lowered her dad to the floor and propped his back against the tube. She crouched down at his side and cupped his face. “Dad, wake up. Dad.”

  His eyes fluttered open. Those familiar black eyes, just like her own. His short black hair with the new hint of gray at the temples. That strong jawline. “Kia?” he croaked.

  Thank the gods.

  “Oh Dad!” She grabbed the front of his shirt and leaned her forehead against his. The tears started flowing again. She couldn’t help it.

  Weeks. Weeks she’d been freaking out, worried about this man. And here he was, alive and back in her arms.