“I’d prefer to see you paired with Raven than the Earth female. Humans are so primitive, and the females are so stubborn and difficult.”
“I like stubborn and difficult,” Valodar said, unable to stop the curl at the edge of his lips. “Besides, I’d rather have stubborn and difficult than sneaky and conniving.”
“An Earth female can be all those things.”
“What’s the other news?” Valodar asked, wanting to change the subject. “I can’t imagine Raven would cause such darkness in your eyes.”
“One of our patrols has spotted a Sparian ship. You need to remain on alert. It’s probably nothing, but we cannot assume that.”
“No! Why don’t they stay in their own galaxy?” Valodar exclaimed. “We have achieved harmony. Why can’t they just stay away?”
“Sparians are conquerors. It’s who they are and what they do,” Tavlon said grimly. “They have won rule over their neighbors, so now they are restless. They know they can take over Earth and Sonarus and the other backward planets, and if they do, they will have a solid base in this quadrant. From there, they can expand their empire.”
“The Consortium must find a way to stop them, and I don’t just mean now, I mean once and for all, as the Earth people say.”
“I prefer, stop them for infinity,” Tavlon remarked. “Once and for all doesn’t even make sense, but regardless, you’re absolutely right, though sending a message that would make them think twice about further visits would be a victory. We have to assume they have their sights on Earth, which means eliminating this station, or taking it over.”
“I assume the stations in the other three quadrants are on alert?”
“They are. So far there has only been the one sighting here, but there may be other Sparian ships well veiled. They are constantly updating their cloaking devices.”
“It’s probably just a scout,” Valodar said hopefully. “I know we must be on guard, but we both know they do this sort of thing occasionally, then disappear.”
“They have been given official notice over all the galaxy communications to leave. That’s no small thing, and I doubt they will cross the line into conflict. They know we would defeat them, so your dalliance with the Earth female shouldn’t be interrupted.”
“Her name is Ellie, and I respectfully ask that she be referred to as such, rather than the Earth female, and Commander, it is more than a dalliance. I know you don’t care for her, but I find her most appealing, and I believe she is eminently suitable for my nature.”
“Now it is my turn to apologize,” Tavlon said sincerely. “You’re right. I should not allow my lack of regard for humans to influence my opinion of her. I know you have a history with this, or rather, with Ellie, and you have cared about her for some time. Speaking of which, have you told her yet?”
“No,” Valodar frowned, “but I will, I just have to find the right moment.”
“I doubt there will be a right moment,” Tavlon remarked. “I’d deal with it quickly and get it out of the way. She might remember on her own.”
“You’re probably right,” Valodar murmured, “and speaking of dealing with things quickly, I should seek out Raven and make sure she understands I hold no interest in pairing with her.”
“She is staying in the Luxury Suites in Sector C.”
“Really?”
“I gave permission. I know it’s reserved for visiting dignitaries, but since her father is an important man, and I suspected she might be receiving some unwelcome news from you, I thought staying there might be of some comfort.”
“Thank you, Commander. That was very thoughtful. Unless you need me for anything else, I’ll pod over there.”
“Just one thing,” Tavlon said soberly. “You must keep a close eye on Ellie. Humans can be willful and lack respect for authority. If she chooses to ignore the rules, she will have to be confined to your quarters unless accompanied by you.”
“She has already been subject to my discipline. I doubt she will disobey me, but if she does, she will be dealt with.”
“I’m sure she will, but it’s better she behave.”
“I agree,” Valodar nodded, rising from his chair. “I’ll make sure she understands,” and with a short, sharp nod of his head, he strode from the room.
* * *
Like a small floating city, the station was home to almost ten thousand residents, including a fearsome force of the latest fighter ships. They carried powerful weapons, and their lightning-fast maneuverability made them virtually impossible to hit. The Consortium believed in peace through power, and the united strength of the twenty-two member planets had seen centuries of calm coexistence. Their biggest concern was a group of planets beyond the galaxy, the domain of the Sparians.
The planets scattered across the fourth quadrant of the galaxy depended upon Valodar’s station for their interstellar security, keeping track of meteors and space debris, and aid in the case of outbreaks of disease, or other unexpected disasters. The planets considered too backward, aggressive, or environmentally compromised were observed, and often protected from space rocks before they hit and caused catastrophic damage. Earth was one such planet, and though the humans didn’t know it, the station had saved them countless times.
The station used simple pods, smaller versions of the vessel Valodar owned, to transport the residents. The pods could carry up to four passengers, and when traveling to the other side of the station, the fastest route was around the outside, rather than through the endless maze of hallways.
Walking swiftly to the nearest pod dock, he was soon being flown around the station to see the exotic woman who wanted to be paired with him. It was worrying. Her home planet, Xenon, was located in the first quadrant. The cost wouldn’t have been an issue, her father was wealthy and she would have traveled well, but it was still a long journey.
When he arrived at the Luxury Suites complex, he checked in with the reception desk, and was told Raven was waiting for him in the conversation room. He frowned. Was he so predictable? Wishing he’d been able to catch her off guard, he moved through the arched opening and spotted her immediately. The Xenons were humanoid in appearance, though tall and willowy, with long limbs. Most had ebony hair, black eyes, maroon lips, and smooth, sensitive, pale lemon skin.
“Raven, why are you here?” he asked, approaching her and not bothering with the niceties.
“It’s good to see you too,” she replied, shooting him a disapproving look. “I’m very well, thank you.”
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to be rude, but I’m not sure why you’ve traveled so far just to see me.”
“That’s not true, Valodar. You know exactly why I’m here. I heard you’re pursuing a human. We have an understanding. Are we not to be paired?”
He paused to take a breath. She was attempting to change history, and he found it irritating.
“Raven,” he said, sitting down opposite her, “you know very well, there is not, nor was there ever, such an understanding.”
“You’re mistaken,” she replied in a sultry voice, leaning forward and gazing at him with her dark, impenetrable eyes. “We share a mutual respect, and a hot desire.”
The females of her tribe were renowned for their erotic nature. They were seductive creatures, always lustful, and they radiated their carnal hunger. As she’d bent forward, the top of her low-cut dress had fallen even lower, exposing her bounteous breasts. Valodar couldn’t help but feel the pull.
“That may be so,” he said evenly, “and I won’t deny it, but a pairing must be based on more than passionate impulses.”
“But that is the core,” she purred, “and, Valodar, our understanding exists. It cannot be so easily broken.”
Valodar smiled, then slowly shook his head.
“Raven, promises are sacrosanct, and not made lightly, especially promises to pair.”
“Exactly!”
“I am a monitor. I hold a position of great importance. I make decisions, I enter agreements, I
represent the interests of the Consortium. The value of my promise is my most important asset. If that is ever brought into doubt, it could be the ruin of me, and I am soon to an ambassador.”
“Exactly,” she repeated. “So our understanding—”
“Our understanding,” he said sharply, cutting her off, “never existed. We had friendly conversations, we had drinks and meals in public, and some intimate interaction, but no promise of an understanding was ever made.”
“But, Valodar, in one of our conversations on the transmuder,” she continued, her voice sweet and oozing sexuality, “you told me I was the one to whom you wished to be paired. Surely you do not wish your good name to be called into question.”
“Raven,” he grinned, “you are a remarkable creature, but you underestimate me. As a monitor, all my conversations via the transmuder are recorded, and they cannot be deleted or edited. This is a regulation. Were you to order a review of our conversations, no such understanding would be revealed; quite the opposite. I told you a number of times, there were others.”
“Recorded? Since when?” she demanded, her black eyes showing a flash of red.
“Since the problem with the Dromead’s trade agreement. You may recall it was never resolved, and there is still a cloud hanging over their relationship with the Consortium.”
“Even personal, private matters?”
“Especially personal, private matters,” he said fervently. “They can be the most troublesome of all.”
She fell quiet, and leaning back in her chair, she ran her long, thin fingers through her thick black hair.
“This is most disturbing,” she mumbled, “most disturbing.”
“I do find you attractive, that is true, but there this an indefinable feeling I have when in the company of another, and it compels me forward with her.”
“So it’s true? You have set your eyes on a human?”
“I have.”
“A human!” she huffed. “I can’t believe it. Earth doesn’t belong to the Consortium. How could you have even met a human, except when you…”
Her voice trailed off, her eyes grew wide, and she slowly nodded her head.
“I see,” she murmured. “I see all too clearly.”
“Raven, this is a private matter,” Valodar said quickly. “How I met this woman has no influence on why I am drawn to her. The feeling is unique.”
“But still…”
“I must go, and I’m sorry you came so far only to be disappointed,” he said gently, then touching his necklace, he added, “My dealings with the human female are none of your concern, and you must promise to keep your opinions to yourself. You must also promise not to discuss my history with the Earth with anyone. Am I clear?”
Woefully looking up at him, appearing to be defeated, she dutifully nodded her head.
“Please speak your understanding and agreement,” he insisted, his voice firm and resolute.
“I must keep my thoughts and opinions to myself.”
“About?”
“About you and this human female, and I will not discuss your history with the planet Earth.”
“I will contact your father and make sure he is aware of your promise. If you break it, you will be punished, and yes, this has been, and is continuing to be recorded.”
“I understand,” she sighed. “Do you have any objection to me staying at the station for a while? I’d like to do some shopping and visit some friends.”
“Of course not, as long as you don’t venture to my embassy.”
“I won’t.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes, Valodar, I promise.”
“Goodbye, Raven. I wish you very well.”
“Goodbye, Valodar. I wish you very well.”
Rising to his feet, he moved briskly away, confident the matter was closed. She wouldn’t dare break her promise. There would be no reason to subject herself to punishment. He had made it clear she was not the woman with whom he wished to be paired, and he had found harmony with a human.
Ellie. He couldn’t wait to see her again. What he’d told Raven was true. In Ellie’s presence he experienced something indefinable, a feeling that sent joy through his heart, and as he neared the pod dock, he paused. He was close to some of the finest stores on the station. She would need the appropriate clothing! He’d never searched out garments for a human female. Delighted at the prospect, he turned and headed into the nearest arcade.
* * *
Sipping a drink to settle her nerves and calm her frustrated spirit, Raven sank into deep thought. She had no problem with the clearly defined roles between males and females. There was a comfort and security that came with them, and most of the time, if a female was calmly persistent, she would get her way, but she was annoyed that she’d had to make the promise.
Valodar had been smart exacting her promises. Gossiping could cause problems, but that’s exactly what she wanted to do, and she wasn’t one to give up so easily. He may not have the all-encompassing feelings for her that he had for the Earthling, but she was a Xenon, and she had felt his heat; he still desired her! Given time and nurturing, she and Valodar could evolve, but the human was in the way.
“I’ll think of something,” she muttered, downing the last of her cocktail. “I always do.”
Chapter Five
Ellie hailed from a modest farm in the middle of the English countryside. She had aspirations of becoming a famous potter, and her parents had supported her dreams, kissing her goodbye as she’d left to live in London. They knew she had talent, and while they would have preferred she stay in the quiet, safe community, they had seen the stars in her eyes and didn’t want to hold her back. She was a courageous young woman, full of enthusiasm and determination, and while they doubted her passion for pottery would see her make a fortune, they knew she had to try. To their relief, she very quickly found a job working in the back office of a small, but prestigious gallery, and she spent every day surrounded by the exquisitely crafted artistry she loved.
Now, suddenly, her life had been turned upside down in a way that she could never have imagined.
She had slept surprisingly well, and in spite of the extraordinary circumstances, as she’d caught the tube and headed into work, she began feeling an unexpected churning in her stomach. She was about to tell her boss her father had fallen ill and she had to return home for a week. That her days were about to be spent aboard a spaceship with a gorgeous alien who could make her orgasm by just touching her clit with his electric fingertips, and who put her over his knee and spanked her, was completely and utterly preposterous, but it was actually happening!
Shaking her head, trying to come to grips with the reality of it, she took a deep breath, turned down the block toward the gallery, and pushing open the modern glass doors, she walked straight through to the back and knocked on her boss’s door.
“Come in,” he called, sounding as harried as he usually did.
“I’m sorry to spring this on you,” she said apologetically, “but I need to take off for a week. My father—”
“A week? Starting when?”
“Tomorrow, so today I need to—”
“Your timing is perfect,” he declared, interrupting her a second time. “I have to close up anyway. I just received word I have to go to New York.”
“New York? Wow.”
“Might sound exciting, but it’s a nuisance. Take off, Ellie. I’ll be leaving here at lunchtime anyway. I’ve got a million things to do.”
Ellie couldn’t believe her ears. Had it been a coincidence, or had Valodar worked some kind of magic?
She lived in a small, one-bedroom flat on the second floor of a three-story, old brick building very close to Hampstead Heath, and hurried back to the station to catch the tube home. She was waiting impatiently on the platform when her phone rang, and glancing at the screen she saw it was Robyn, one of the new friends she’d made since moving into Hampstead.
“Hey, Robyn, thanks for gettin
g back to me.”
“You said it was important. What’s up?”
“I’m going out of town for a week. You won’t be able to reach me and I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Anything exciting?”
Ellie paused. She was aching to tell someone her secret, but she had promised she wouldn’t, and besides, it was a ridiculous story. She didn’t believe it herself. Why would anyone else?
“Ellie? Are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Where are you going? Business or pleasure?”
“Pleasure like you wouldn’t believe,” she laughed, moving to a more private area. “I’m, uh… I’ve met someone and we’re taking a trip.”
That had felt good. It was the truth, not the whole truth, but mostly the truth.
“Why haven’t I heard about this guy? You’ve been holding out on me, you bad girl. Who is he? How did you meet? Where are you going?”
“How did we meet? Let’s just say our paths crossed, and he is my dream man,” she declared, chuckling at her own joke. “We’re flying off into the wild blue yonder.”
“Really? How cool is that? How did you get time off?”
“I lied to the kindly Mr. Grinwald. I said my dad was sick.”
“You really are a bad girl.”
“Yep,” she giggled, “but it actually worked out well. He has to go to out of town anyway, and he’s closing for a week.”
“Lucky!”
“Very, but I wasn’t going to say no to my dream man. He’s drop dead gorgeous, and talented, like, really talented, in all the right ways, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, my gosh, I’m so jealous. When do you leave?”
“Late tonight.”
“Should we have a goodbye drink?”
“You know, Robyn, that’s a really good idea. I have to pack, but then I’ll be going nuts until he arrives to whisk me away. Come over around seven. I’ll order in some Chinese.”
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