Alien Romance Box Set: Uoria Mates Complete Series (Books 1 - 10): A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance

by Ruth Anne Scott

  “I don’t want your money.” Landon was visibly upset. He was holding onto the old man, until I finally wrenched him free and allowed the old man to walk away shaking his head.

  “Landon, I would say that somebody is looking out for us. If we can find Shari and shed some light on what’s happening with the Dragos, then we might be able to put all this to bed… I mean behind us.” There was no point and using words from my own world. If I did that, I could easily be found out. I had no interest in fielding questions that would make me look complicit in everything that had been going on.

  “That was very strange.” My mind was constantly bombarded by images of what my armor had done to Gemini. I think it was making me relive it over and over again, because I was feeling such joy at her pain that it was actually feeding off of it. If I didn’t know any better, I think that it was having a little bit too much fun. It was almost like a child awakening for the first time and taking its first steps.

  “I agree, but I don’t think that we have a choice. We have been looking for him and that old man may have not known that he was doing it, but he gave us a way to find him. I have no idea what he means by the bend, but I have a feeling that maybe you do. I don’t come from around here.”

  “I’ve heard the story of where you came from, but it makes no sense. That being said, I really don’t care. My only concern is finding out who killed all those people. If Shari is responsible, then he will feel the wrath of my energy whips. People have said that he can fight, but I don’t think that he can handle somebody like me. There are even rumors that he was a warrior back in the day. That he killed the first Dragos. I’m not sure that I believe it, but I think it’s the main reason why people are trying to stay away from him. They really don’t want to contend with his wrath, but unfortunately we have no choice. We have to confront him one and one.”

  “The only way that we can do that is to find him, Landon.”

  “I know exactly where the bend is. If he’s hiding there, then there has to be a reason for it. The people of that small village would never condone his actions. He’s probably hiding there under an assumed name, just so that he can keep one step ahead of us. I know what he looks like. It doesn’t matter what disguise he wears, I will be able to see through it.” I knew what he looks like, but only because of the sources invasion of my mind. It was even possible that him doing that had been the final straw that opened up the pathway between the armor and my mind.

  “How far is it?”

  “It’s not that far, but it’s not the distance that I’m worried about.” He looked hesitant to go in the direction that was needed. “My father went this way one time and was never the same again. He rocks back and forth in the fetal position drooling like an idiot. I have been tempted to put him out of his misery, but his age of majority is upon him. This time next year, he will give the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the many. It has been widely known for some time that death is only one part of the journey. We do not mourn those that pass. As you know, we celebrate their lives and give them the sendoff that they deserve.

  “Landon, I don’t think that we have much of a choice. This is the only way towards the bend. By your own admission, it’s the quicker root. If we try to go around, it would detain us for at least a day. If that were to happen, then we would be out of the competition.

  “I can’t allow that to happen. I know that I’m risking becoming what my father became. This is the reason why Shari has taken refuge at the bend. He thinks that he’s safe and that he’ll know when somebody comes looking for him. The villagers of the bend do not take kindly to strangers. They’re very caustic, suspicious and downright mean. If we’re going to do this, then we are going to have to be very careful where we step. There are many pitfalls and we’re really going to have to keep our wits about us.” He took a few steps into the path and then he stopped like he knew that something was wrong. His foot was poised over an area and then he moved it to the other side. He reached down and picked up a rock and placed it on the exact spot where he was about to put his foot.

  The rock disappeared like it had been swallowed up by the earth itself. “That was pretty damn close. What made you think to step to the other side?”

  “Shana, you can see the discoloration of the ground. It’s very subtle, but if you were to pay attention, you would see exactly what I see.” I concentrated and there was something, but it was very hard to see with the naked eye. Maybe these aliens had a better form of eyesight than I had. I couldn’t admit this to him, or he would turn on me in a second. I was just going to have to do my best and hope that I wasn’t going to fall into any of these holes. I didn’t even know what to call them.

  I decided to stay behind Landon. Since he was a man, he thought it was his obligation to keep me safe. I could’ve done that myself, but right now his assistance was much appreciated. I followed him like I was marking my path with his footsteps. I did not deviate and even when I stumbled, I was able to right myself before I fell victim to one of those holes.

  “I’ve heard of several people taking this journey and only a few, including my father came out on the other side. I guess his ramblings are paying off. Those that live at the bend know this area like the back of their hand. I’ve seen them walk with confidence and avoid every one of those holes. The speed in which they do it is amazing. I can do it, but it’s at a snail’s pace and not exactly in the lines of somebody that should be patient. That is one thing that I’m not, but in this regard, I have to be. You also have to be, but I see that not very many things shake your confidence. That’s good and maybe I have looked at you the wrong way.” I was glad that he wasn’t trying to pull at that string about what had happened. If he had, he might have uncovered his memory of seeing me hurting him.

  If that were to happen, then he would know that I was not to be trusted. It was a tightrope to walk and one wrong step and I would’ve found myself on the receiving end of one of those energy whips.

  There were times that I was actually holding my breath and wondering when that final death knell was going to sound in my name. It was not a nice feeling to have the unknown over my head. The truth of what I did was out there and it was just a matter of time before I was found out.

  We came to the end of the path and pushed through to the other side. It consisted of a town. The buildings were not as remarkable as the three castles. They were modest with straw covering for roofs and what look like mud made for the exterior surface.

  I walked up to one of these houses and placed my hand in the mud. It sunk in and came to something that was very hard. I scraped away the surface and found myself looking at what looked like granite. It was very strong and I think that the mud was there primarily to protect it from the elements.

  “I think I see what you mean, Landon. These people are not exactly trusting.” They were all standing there looking at us, their mouths open, as if they were in shock to see warriors in armor. A man with ruffled blond hair, a clean shaven face and an open white shirt with black pants stepped forward.

  “We know why you came and we suggest that you turn around and go back the same way you came. We have given our word to give him sanctuary. This is not something that we take lightly. If you try to take him, then we will have to intervene. If you plan to talk to him, then we have no problem you staying in this town for a little while. I would suggest that you don’t overstay your welcome. There are those that are loyal to Shari that will feel that you are a threat. They will want to deal with you personally in his name.”

  “We just want to talk.” I had a feeling that Landon was going to say that, but I knew that his true intention was to throttle the man, until he confessed his crimes. At hearing this, the man in the ruffled white shirt turned and allowed us to pass.

  We walked amongst the locals and we felt like everybody was staring at us. I wanted to turn and make a stand, but I think that was my armor raising its head once again. I was going to have to get used to having my
secret thoughts being seen, as a way for my armor to act without impunity. If I were to control it, the only way to do that would be to keep my desire for killing to myself. I just wasn’t sure if that was possible with the hand to hand combat competition coming up next.

  “I think I can see where he’s hiding out at.” I pointed towards the brick building. I’d already seen the image in my head, but these people had made it easy. Those that were loyal to him were now crowded around the entrance waiting for our arrival. They stared at us with an intensity that made me feel like I was going to burst into flames.

  We walked up to where they were standing. “Nobody enters. He wants to be left alone and we do not dare cross him. If you try to get past us, then you’ll find out exactly what we mean by loyal to a fault.” These guys were humongous. I flashed on an old adage of the bigger they are the harder they fall. I didn’t know how I was going to make them fall. Then I remembered that both myself and Landon were wearing this armor. It could take a lot of punishment and dish out a lot of damage at the same time.

  “Don’t get us wrong, we do admire your loyalty. We just want to talk. However, if you really do want to make this a fight, then I think that you’ll find that our armor is more than up to the task of taking all of you on.” Landon was standing there and listening to everything I said. He did not try to say anything and I think that he was just letting me find enough rope to hang myself. He probably thought that if I really got on their nerves that they might kill me and take me out of the equation permanently.

  “I don’t think you understand. We will fight to the death. We’ll do anything to protect him. Our lives mean nothing and his continued existence is the only thing that matters to us. It’s that kind of conviction that can make you do some amazing things. The numbers are against you and even if you were able to get to him, I don’t think that you would like the final result.” The energy whips inside our fingers were now protruding nicely. It looked like we were going to have to deal with this in a more extreme way.

  “We really don’t want to do this, but you’re leaving us very little option. Like we said, we understand your loyalty, but this meeting has to happen. It doesn’t matter if you stand in our way, because we will knock you down and even kill you if necessary.” They were taking a stand. It was ill advised and was most likely going to get them killed, but it didn’t look like they cared.

  Landon struck first with his energy whips. They traversed the space between him and these men, but never made it any further than that. They hit what would seem like an invisible wall. The energy whip stopped not more than a mere inch from where it was intended to strike. It turned and now was twisting back and forth in the air like something had control of them.

  I watched horrified, as they turned on their master. The armor was impenetrable, but it did not hold up to an attack by those whips. It tore into Landon like he was nothing. I tried to move, but my armor wasn’t allowing me to do anything. All I could was watch.

  “I’m sorry that it had to come to this, but you had to know that coming here was the worst mistake of your life.” I turned to see this blind man with a white cane standing in the doorway. He honestly couldn’t see with his eyes, but maybe he was seeing more inside his mind than anybody realized. “They will protect me. I don’t want them too, but they feel obligated. I’m not talking about these men.” Something was giving him protection of the magical variety. Those whips killed Landon where he stood. His body was now pieces and his face showed surprise at the way that he had died so quickly.

  The gloves of his armor with the whips attached were now turning their attention towards me. I saw Shari smile and I had this feeling that he already knew the outcome. I was going to die at the hands of that armor. I knew what kind of destruction it could cause and I had just watched it decimate Landon.

  I tried to run, but my armor would not allow me to take even one step. For something that was protecting me before, it was now letting me stand there like a lamb to the slaughter. I could only stare and wonder how painful this was really going to be. I could only hope that it was quick like Landon.

  Book 5

  Chapter one

  I remember standing in front of Shari and how he had somehow controlled the energy whip that came from Landon’s own fingers through the use of the armor. I saw the look of surprise on his face, as he died where he stood. It was not a pretty sight to see Landon being ripped apart one piece at a time, until there was nothing left but, his body parts strewn around me. I turned toward Shari and I saw the smug look on his face. There was nothing that I wanted more than to wipe it off in the most extreme way possible.

  I wanted to run, go anywhere that wasn’t here and find some place to hide, until it blew over. The tendrils of energy and the gloves of the armor turned its attention towards me. The armor wasn’t allowing me to do anything to protect myself. I stood there defiantly, looking like I wasn’t afraid of anything, but inside I was shaking like a leaf.

  I think I might have blacked out or it’s entirely impossible that the armor had taken control of me entirely body and mind. There was a flash, something that was distinctly familiar. I heard screams, but I could not perceive where they were coming from or what the source of their pain was. They were anguished screams and you could hear people yelling for help. There was none forthcoming.

  I finally opened my eyes and what I saw stunned me beyond any words. I was standing in the exact same formation of charred black earth that I had seen when I came back from the Offus hunt. I was unscathed and not even the armor was showing any signs that it had been penetrated by whatever had made this fire. People were dead with those same surprised looks on their faces. It was like it had come out of nowhere. I thought for a moment that I was responsible, but I didn’t think even my armor was capable of something like this. It did protect me and I looked for Shari, but there was no sign of him.

  I surveyed the area, turning my head from one side to the other with bile rising in my stomach the entire time. It was grotesque and this was not the aftermath of such an attack. This was mere moments after it had transpired. There was no way that I could wrap my mind around the fact that this entire town had been wiped out of existence. The bend was still there, but there was nobody to call it home. The houses were burned to the ground. There was nothing left and no reason to stay here.

  “It came from over here.” I could hear voices coming ever closer. I was the only survivor and if I were to be found inside this massacre, I might’ve been mistaken for the perpetrator. I moved my feet and I was breathing a sigh of relief at the fact that I was even able to move at all. I ran to the only cover that I could find. The trees would give me a way to hide and watch what was going on. It was not one of my proudest moments and running away from my problems was not the way that I was accustomed to handling myself. “I came to get you, as soon as I saw the red armor.” It sounded to me like this person, whoever this was had now drawn their own conclusions.

  “Do you have any idea of who was in the red armor, Akin?” I saw through the trees the black castle guardsman coming very close to seeing something that was going to shock them to their very core. “You know, there are many red armored warriors, not only in the competition, but in the red castle as well. We’re going to need something more concrete. Did you notice any kind of sign or maybe a marking on the armor that would indicate where it came from? Every armor is different and the creator of the armor always puts his mark on each individual one in a different way.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you want me to say. All I know is when they came here, I had to warn you. I heard through the Grapevine that there was another sighting of somebody in red armor that had been present at another attack. When I could feel the heat, I made it to a clearing, just in time to survive the onslaught.” From the looks of it, he was a peasant, a commoner that probably lived either at the bend or very near to it.

  “I still need something…something…holy mother of… Markham.
” They were now upon the devastation and I saw them standing stone cold still and not doing or saying anything. “This is exactly what happened at the end of the Offus hunt. This is not a coincidence. Somebody is purposely trying to destroy everything that we hold dear.” The one thing I didn’t understand was why this man had decided to pinpoint my armor and not of Landon’s white one. I felt like I was trapped and if I moved, they would have surely seen me. I needed to stay still and away from prying eyes.

  The armor began to take on a different shape. It was more of a silky feel instead of the steel unyielding feel. I was able to peel it off and stand there in nothing, but my black pants and black shirt that I had borrowed from Braden. It was a little loose, but it had apparently hid the fact that I was a woman. Even the skintight feel of the armor had not been able to mold correctly over the baggy clothing. It allowed me to take on the guise of a man with nobody the wiser. I rolled the armor tightly into a ball and I tucked it underneath my arm and then I stepped backwards away from those that would probably consider me a threat if seen.

  “I have to get this information back to Lord Vadam. He’ll be most interested to learn what has happened here today. There were those that were coming here to collect information from Shari.” Upon hearing that name, the young man stopped and folded his arms in a defensive posture. “It does you no good to hide him. Look at all of this, Akin. This is what comes from harboring a criminal such as Shari. We have no choice, but to bring him in dead or alive. This has been decreed by Lord Vadam and you really don’t want to go against his wishes.” The black armor that they were wearing felt menacing and I had no desire to go up against a contingent of Lord Vadam’s soldiers.

  My best course of action was to get out of here and stay away from any kind of detection. I could feel the armor underneath my arm vibrating, like it was itching for a chance to go out there and cause more mayhem. It took all of my muscles in my body to hold it and prevent it from attaching to my skin. As it was, the piece that was sticking to me underneath my arm was now drilling like fingernails into the side of me. It was painful and had I been alone, I probably would have screamed in agony. I couldn’t do that and the best that it was going to get out of me was a soft whimper like a dog that was getting chastised for his behavior.