Celestial Mates Complete Series Box Set (Books 1-5) (Alien SciFi Romance)

by C. J. Scarlett

  “You sound like you are on familiar terms with her.”

  Teric spoke. “Maiko is indeed all that my mate describes. I have met with her on several occasions and she greatly desires to visit the Krylon home world. Unbeknownst to the young prince and princess, their fathers are eager for a union of the imperial houses.”

  Even Shar Jalon felt a tingle crawling up his spine. A mingling of imperial houses had not happened in the verse for a thousand years. Legend told that such a union was a harbinger of good luck. Being a clone, he was aware that was little more than fodder for the holographic news feeds. The true reason for celebration was the introduction of new genes into their slowly deteriorating bloodline.

  Korban spoke again. “I fail to see what any of this has to do with me.”

  “He’ll not risk her growing attached to any warrior during the three-month journey to Krylon. The emperor refuses to trust the princess with anyone other than a member of the imperial house. You are the only member of the imperial house with the resources to get her quickly to the Krylon home world.”

  Shaking his head, Korban responded curtly. “I have no intention of becoming my brother’s errand boy.”

  Koal spoke again. “He does not desire that you ferry her to Krylon yourself, Prince Korban. He wishes a Candorian freighter to bring her, for we are already stationed near Earth. We alone have women enough to see to her comfort. Otherwise, that duty would fall to warriors, males that she might form an attachment to and prefer to her new prince. Since we are all part of the alliance now, they are yours to command in the emperor’s eyes.”

  “They are yours to command. As per our alliance, we each command our own. What say you, Prince Koal?”

  Flipping his head fin in a demonstration of approval, he replied. “If this is the favor required to gain our acceptance by the imperial house, the Candorians will gladly see the imperial princess to her prince.”

  Korban smiled at Teric. “As a show of faith, tell my brother that I will also send a bride from my personal allotment for Lord Rold. She is absolutely beautiful, smart, and fascinated by the imperial house.”

  “I am certain the emperor will be impressed with your generosity. Most of the females found the endless rituals of court tedious. Most would never make it through an imperial succession ceremony.”

  Korban waived his hand dismissively. “Who can blame them, I fell asleep myself during the last one.”

  Teric’s face shifted to shock so fast it struck Shar Jalon as funny. He really didn’t understand how they could take all the pomp and circumstance so seriously.

  Korban’s face took on a mischievous quality. “Alert my brother that Princess Shafra and Commander Tref are still on the human home world. I will assign her to watch over the young princess.”

  Ambassador’s response was nothing short of a very dignified breakdown. “You left a member of the imperial family on a barren planet with only one warrior to defend her?” His voice escalated. “Have you lost your mind? The entire imperial family will be out for your blood and me along with them.”

  Unless Shar Jalon was very much mistaken, Korban seemed to enjoy the reaction his words evoked in the overwrought man.

  “I left her with her mate, three Krylon battleships, several Candorian freighters, and two Shardon vessels. We now dominate that sector of space.”

  Teric sat back down. “Gods of chaos, that scare was…”

  His female spoke up. “Totally unnecessary, that’s what it was. Teric has dedicated his life to mediating the petty squabbles between you and the other members of the royal family. He does not deserve to be toyed with…”

  Korban clearly knew better than to upset a pregnant female. Holding up two hands in front of him, he apologized. “I beg your pardon. I meant no disrespect. I have nothing but admiration and respect for Ambassador Teric.” Turning to the still recovering man, he bowed his head slightly. “You have chosen well, my old friend. Your female is very protective of you.”

  Grabbing his mate by the hand, Teric calmed. “Perhaps I overreacted a bit. How is Princess Shafra?”

  Korban glanced at him and nodded. Shar Jalon quickly explained. “The Shardon have made an extensive study of the princess and we do not believe she suffers from the same disease affecting the other members of her gender. We can find no trace of any virus or parasite and her behavior falls within the normal parameters of what one would expect from a female in her age group.”

  Teric looked taken aback all over again. “You mean to say she never had the affliction or you have cured it?”

  “We believe some have a natural immunity. We are still studying the phenomenon.”

  A feminine voice interceded. “If so, the immunity may run in the imperial line.”

  Korban waved his hand dismissively. “You clearly have not met my mother.”

  Teric responded, “I did not think that prudent with her carrying my child. No insult intended, My Prince.”

  “None taken. Good decision, if you ask me.”

  The female was persistent but none of the males listened to her.

  “I do not believe the other imperial princesses are afflicted either. They are…”

  Shar Jalon interrupted. “There is more than one princess in the Krylon imperial house? I wish to speak to them all.”

  Korban shook his head. “Whatever you wish, I will see it through. Let me say, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

  “Do not worry. If we accidentally break one, we will replace her with a clone.”

  Before the ambassador could have another breakdown, Korban interceded. “He is not serious. That is clone humor. They don’t create exact replicas of people.”

  Shar Jalon noticed the ambassador and his female look at him with an assessing suspicion. He suddenly understood why Korban found this type of teasing enjoyable. He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

  The female’s expression changed to one of amusement as well. “Hell’s bells, Prince Jalon. You almost had us with that. You’re a funny guy. It looks good on you by the way.”

  Tilting his head slightly, he realized she was teasing him in the way females sometimes did with males. It was funny because it made her mate look uncomfortable. Shar Jalon was growing a genuine fondness for human females.

  CHAPTER 13

  ~Lar~

  Watching his future bride twirl around in her perfect dress took away his ability to breathe properly. As a physician, he knew it was temporary, but it was startling that one small human female could have such an effect on him. It took all his discipline as a warrior not to stalk over, pull the beautiful gown up, and drop to his knees to worship her female form. The one and only thought that stopped him was there were many people around and he refused to embarrass her on what was clearly a special occasion for her kind. He could hear his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

  Last night had been unbelievable. The pleasure they had shared far surpassed anything he thought possible with a mate. Lar slowly realized the thumping in his chest was just for her. Every part of his soul filled with love for her and he would die before he allowed anyone to harm her.

  Madison’s teasing voice broke into his internal musings. “Hey, big guy, you’ve got that crazy possessive look going again. What’s up?”

  “I am thinking of you, my sweet.”

  Grinning she asked innocently. “Really? What were you thinking?”

  Because clones were not very good at deceit, he responded honestly. “I was thinking that if I come over there, lift your pretty new dress, and put my mouth on you that you might become upset because there are others in the vicinity to witness you being pleasured. It is why I am standing my ground right here. I have no wish to embarrass you.”

  Lar heard gasps and tiny sounds of amusement that the humans called giggles.

  His Madison was as poised as ever as she responded. “Lovin’ all the honesty but you might want to add talking about our sex life in front of other
s to the list of things that embarrass me.”

  “I will make a special note of that. You look beautiful in your new dress. Are you certain we should not take a spare one home…”

  His bride was lovely and smart. Her eyes flew open as she caught onto his insinuation.

  “Oh, you mean in case something happens to this one. What an outstanding idea, Lar. That’s a brilliant idea.”

  She quickly chose another dress. This one was much less modest than her first choice. It slid provocatively off both shoulders and showed off the swell of her beautiful breasts. It also hugged her curves and the fabric parted up one side.

  His innocent little bride watched him immediately get hard and nodded. “This one will do nicely.”

  Lar forced himself to remain in place. “We require one in every color.”

  Madison laughed and smiled at the Candorian tasked with making adjustments to the gowns. “That’s his way of saying he really likes the dress.”

  “We have several with a similar design.”

  “We will take them all.” Lar spoke before he thought.

  Shaking her head, Madison objected. “We don’t have space for all that, Lar.” Turning back to the woman, she asked politely. “Would it possible to have similar dresses in dark red, green and black?”

  “Certainly, shall I accessorize them for you?”

  “Just a pair of black shoes, please. I don’t usually wear jewelry.”

  For some reason, Lar felt the moment was right. Walking over to her, he slid a box out of his pocket. Holding it out on a flattened hand, he waited for her to take it.

  “Wow, this looks old.”

  “The males of our world have kept it safely locked away for a thousand years. It is the last remaining relic of our female ancestors. As you are the first of the Shardon brides, it is our wish that you wear and protect it.”

  Taking the box, she cupped it between both hands as the other females gathered around. He began to second guess if this was the correct moment.

  “It sounds too precious to wear.”

  “Open the box, my sweet.”

  She pulled the old-fashioned lid off and gasped.

  He reached over, lifting the heavy chain from the box. Hanging from the center was a sphere the size of his thumb. Shaking it, a soft glow lit up. “The glow only lasts a few moments but it will light the way, so darkness never need touch you again.”

  Madison began to tear up but nodded her head. “Put it on me. I love it.”

  As soon as he dropped the necklace around her neck, she pulled him down for a sweet kiss. Somehow had his people long since forgotten how thrilling it was to kiss a female in a pretty dress? They had much to relearn about females.

  When she pulled back, her hand instinctively covered the sphere. “All right, this whole day is over the top. But I have the perfect way to dial it down a notch. I get dressed again, we hit the training room for a short workout and then head home.”

  Lar gave her a quick kiss, leaning his forehead gently against hers. “You are the perfect female for me, Miss Madison.”

  Laughing, she turned her back to him, clearly wanting him to unseal the back of her dress. “I’ve been saying that since day one. Glad you’re finally on board.”

  Staring at her as she walked away, Lar thought to himself. He was more than on board. He was never letting her out of his sight again. She was intoxicatingly beautiful.

  Jacob’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I hope that I look that mesmerized by my mate one day.”

  “What are you doing here, Jacob? The fitting room is for females and their males only.”

  Cutting a sideways glance at Kaylee, he responded politely. “I am sent with a message from Shar Jalon. He commands that all the females present here are to select their dresses and have them properly fitted. They are each gifted with a selection of clothing for all occasions. He has tasked me with replicating enough hoverboards and containers to carry their possessions. We will arrive at the Sylon home world in less than two days and he wants them properly outfitted.”

  Madison shook her head. “Not remotely possible. We have over five hundred women here. The clothing replicators simply cannot work that fast.”

  “There is a Candorian vessel docking in the morning with a huge selection of clothing procured from traders around the sector. All they have to do is choose clothing that fits.”

  Kaylee touched Jacob on the arm. “I’ll get together a group of women to help. Things are moving along quickly. Don’t worry, we’ll make it happen in the time allotted.”

  “Do you have anything you wish to say, Miss Kaylee?”

  Taking a half step back, she frowned. “Like what?”

  Jacob’s face fell. “Like nothing. I will see you tomorrow.”

  Spinning on his heel, Jacob stalked out of the room.

  “Want to tell me what that was about, sis?”

  Blushing, Kaylee shook her head. “Not in the least. Want to help me pick a dress? I think I spied the perfect one.”

  “Grab it and I’ll meet you behind the screen.”

  Lar couldn’t help overhearing the females talk. Clones had very good hearing. Apparently, Kaylee and Jacob were becoming a thing. He found it difficult to imagine exactly what kind of thing a clone and a human could become. It was probably another strange human euphemism. They had many such expressions. He was creating a database to assist his brethren in understanding their human mates better.

  Seeing Kaylee come out in her dress was sweet. He captured a holographic image for Jacob. He sent it along with a message.

  “Jacob, your female has chosen her gown. I wished for you to see how nice it looks on her.”

  “She is not my woman.”

  “That is inaccurate information, my friend. She told my Madison that the two of you are a new thing.”

  “What!?!”

  “I do not know what thing you are but Miss Kaylee stated, ‘I guess we are a thing now.’”

  “You are a very good friend, Lar. I wish for you to give my Kaylee a message. You tell her that we will become a thing when she acknowledges me in public as well as in private.”

  Lar suddenly had the feeling that he had insinuated himself in the middle of something he had not intended.”

  “Fine, but I will relay no more messages. So, do not ask.”

  “Thank you.”

  When Kaylee and his beautiful Madison had finished dressing, and had their gowns in specially designed boxes, he approached them. With an exasperated huff, he delivered Jacob’s message. “I am to tell you that you must acknowledge my friend to become a thing with him.”

  Both females stared up at him, similar to way some looked at new clones with food on their faces. He instinctively wiped at his face, just in case. The situation grew more uncomfortable by the moment. Lar refused to speak, since it was clear that he had mis-stepped already and thankfully they seemed disinclined to ask for further clarification. Kaylee made a frustrated sound and pranced away, jerking her hoverboard along behind her.

  Lar breathed out a sigh of relief.

  Amusement danced in Madison’s eyes. “You sent him a holo of her in her dress, didn’t you?”

  Nodding briefly, he grabbed her hoverboard.

  “You get yourself in the strangest fixes, of any man I know.”

  “Females are complicated. One never knows what will provoke their ire. I am glad to have such a reasonable one.”

  “I wasn’t all that reasonable in the beginning.”

  “This is true. Perhaps all females require taming.”

  Her head snapped up and she snorted a laugh when she saw his smug smile. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Love me.”

  Her eyes softened and warmed as she looked at him.

  “Easy enough when you’re being all adorable.”

  “I thought you like all the sides of my personality.”

  “You’re right. Let’s go straight to the training area.”

  �
��No dropping your dress off first?”

  “If we stop by your quarters, we aren’t coming out the rest of the night.”

  “I say we skip training. I’m still left over excited from fighting with the humans.”

  She laughed but nodded her agreement. “I think you’re just left over horny from last night.”

  The pretty little human had come to know him well. Being with her was honestly the most amazing experience of his life.

  CHAPTER 14

  ~ Maiko ~

  Standing with her father, Maiko waved at the procession of visitors from her perch on the balcony of the Grand Shrine. Most of their traditional sites had been demolished when a devastating solar flare hit Earth. Now they had built a facsimile of the one of their great sanctuaries.

  Mamoru stood behind her, as somber as ever. Surrounded by so many male family members, Maiko wondered how the imperial house managed that in an age where women outnumbered me two to one. Maiko was both intelligent and educated.

  Caught in the middle of her overly protective family of males, she tossed her mother a pained glance on the way into the formal banquet. The woman immediately glanced at the floor. It was her way of saying don’t be obvious about your discomfort, daughter, for many eyes are upon us. That was the thing about being a member of the imperial family. Eyes were truly always watching them, even the obscure family members like herself.

  Maiko couldn’t wait to get married. Any old guy would do. Once the ring slid on her finger, that was it. She’d no longer be a member of the royal family. She’d be free to do as she pleased. Her mind went back to the last time she saw her friends. Rose, Jen and all the people she’d gotten close to in the US had chosen to become Krylon brides. They’d gotten off Earth and moved on to a world with sunlight that wouldn’t kill you and air you could breathe without a particulate respirator. Yet, her imperial ass was stuck in a huge underground metropolis. She looked down at her plate, depressed to be stuck at some meaningless official dinner while her friends spread their wings on a virtual paradise.

  Her father rose for the traditional yack. She tried to feign interest as he spoke. Then he said something truly interesting.