by J. J. Lore
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 J.J. Lore
ISBN: 978-1-77233-023-6
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Dedicated to my favorite android, Rick Dekard. I’ll have a scotch with you anytime.
UNEXPECTED
Planet Alpha TM
J.J. Lore
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Felix of the Tauride knew he was supposed to be impressed by the Earth United gardens, but the elaborately manicured and cultivated landscape failed to hold his attention. He much preferred the overgrown rambles and near-impenetrable forests of the wild areas of his native planet, Alpha. Despite his personal preferences, he and his bondmate, Mikel, were dancing attendance upon a score of high-ranking Alphan officers and the living adornments that had lured them to attend yet another dull diplomatic reception. Guarding important people deep within the one of the most impregnable building complexes in the galaxy was apparently the best way to make an impression with the right people, at least according to their mentor and commanding officer Commandant Ivar Offen. Felix found it excruciatingly dull.
“Look at them, circling around like flies near a gorpa pie,” Mikel said under his breath as he wandered past. They were patrolling the perimeter of the garden, ostensibly to guard against any threat, but the only movement they detected was that of groomed Alphan officers approaching the cluster of brightly dressed human women clustered near a fountain at the center of an intricate knot garden. It was quite a contrast, the petite females with gleaming hair dressed in flowing, colorful garments and the large, muscular men in their grey uniforms, ornamented sprays of rank gems along their shoulders. Both sides watched, evaluated, and exchanged hesitant interactions with each other. How civilized.
“Not for us, eh, Mikel?” Felix said and was rewarded with a sly smile from his bondmate. No, they were in accord. When it came time for them to find their mate, they’d petition to seek her out in one of those wild and lawless provinces that Earth seemed to have in abundance, perhaps rescue her in some spectacular fashion, and return home to Alpha with a woman whose beauty would inspire challenge after challenge. He wanted an adventuresome tale to impress his grandchildren with someday.
He supposed they should split up and take on opposite circuits, but he wasn’t ready to leave his companion just yet. Their new duties had consumed much of their time lately, and he wanted to be at Mikel’s side a bit longer. This diplomatic posting, while not as exciting as staging raids on Xyran outposts, was a career-maker and one both he and Mikel intended to excel at. They strode away from the knot of fluttering women and made their way towards a section of the grounds filled with tall, blooming shrubs. A good place to hide if you were seeking concealment.
Without needing to inform the other, Felix shifted left and Mikel went right so they would be able to circle the clump of bushes and meet behind, verifying there was no threat within. The shrubs loomed along his shoulder, and he peered amongst them, alert for movement, ignoring the lush, fragrant blooms in all shades of pink. A sudden sizzle of excitement bolted through him, unspoken communication from his bondmate that something was amiss.
Slowing and quieting his steps, Felix continued to pace and scan, alert for some sign of what had captured Mikel’s intense interest. Shifting leaves, thorny stems, shadows all conspired to confuse his eyes, but as he rounded the far corner, he saw a shape move in a deliberate manner. Perhaps a meter and half tall, the form resembled a person, one perhaps crouched to lessen his height as he prepared to aim and fire on the party assembled nearby.
Adrenaline surging, Felix leaped into the bushes just as Mikel did the same from the other side. The lurker collapsed under their assault, and all three of them tumbled to the lawn in a jumble of limbs and gasping breaths. He and his bondmate coordinated their movements and soon had the intruder immobile between them.
As he took a breath, Felix managed to look over their capture. Instead of dark armor and a belt studded with weapons, the person they’d secured was wearing a dark green hooded dress and small red boots. No muscle bound arms strained under their hands, but rather soft, round legs quivered in his grip. As one, he and his bondmate realized they hadn’t captured an assassin at all, but rather had tackled one of the human women who’d merely been inspecting the flowers.
Felix drew his hands away, aghast that he and Mikel had made such a flagrant mistake. The woman remained huddled on the ground, her disarranged hood obscuring her face as she moved her shaking arms up to cover her head, drawing her legs into a curve under her skirt as if she expected to be kicked next.
“Many pardons, lady,” Mikel said as he sat back on his heels, staring at the woman lying between them. Felix reached out to uncover her head so she could see they were no threat and she flinched as he touched the soft cloth.
“We mean you no harm.” Felix blinked as he saw her face for the first time. A pointed chin anchored a pale, heart-shaped face while wide green eyes stared at him, then slanted towards Mikel as she bit at her full pink lips. His heart skipped a beat even as he sensed Mikel’s similar reaction. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Apparently she didn’t reciprocate, for she scrambled her feet in the grass and scuttled further away from them, until her back was pressed against the rough branches of a nearby shrub. Without thinking Felix reached out to draw her away from what had to be a painful obstacle, and she jerked back with a rapid intake of breath. She seemed to be terrified of them, and the absurdity of it confounded him. As if either he or his bondmate would ever think to harm her. But she wouldn’t know that, and she’d just been pummeled by them for the simple act of smelling a flower.
Mikel stared at her transfixed, his golden eyes wide, and Felix knew he’d have to speak and ease her fears.
“Lady, are you injured?”
Her breath heaved in and out as she shook her head. Framed as she was by the lovely blooms, Felix was reminded of some benevolent goddess lounging in her verdant bower. If only he could see her hair, still concealed by the hood. He itched to slide the fabric from her head, wanted to draw her closer so he could study her skin, perhaps brush his fingertips against her wrist or cheek.
“We apologize for our rough treatment—”
“We are tasked with security for this gathering and misapprehended your purpose here among the shrubs.” Mikel cut in, and Felix stared at his normally quiet bondmate. “What is your name? We are Mikel and Felix of the Tauride, lately transferred from forward combat service to the diplomatic corps. We hold the rank of centurion first class, and our fitness tests are consistently in the top five percent of our cohort.”
At the end of this wordy statement, Mikel placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head in as courtly a manner one could while crouched on a lawn. Still taken aback by his bondmate’s expressiveness, Felix copied the gesture, anxious to learn her name. She merely stared for a beat, then struggled to her feet, adjusting her gown and pulling her hood forward to conceal her features. Springing up, Felix rushed to her side, his hand hovering near her elbow as he struggled with what to do next. With a quick glance up at him, she ducked her shoulder and stepped aside, dodging around Mikel who’d r
isen to flank her. Without a word, she trotted in the direction of the party of women who were now moving in a graceful parade toward a bright white pavilion where light meal was to be served.
Felix wanted to sit back down and collect his wayward thoughts, but identifying her was a more pressing matter. Mikel was already on the move, trailing her through the topiaries, fortunately not crowding close and startling her again. Felix watched her disappear among the other women, her dark gown soon lost among pinks, yellows, and purples as the cluster mounted the steps and disappeared inside the building. Before Mikel could follow along, a band of Alphan officers high in the diplomatic mission brought up the rear, effectively blocking out both his bondmate and him. Before they could ascend and join the gathering, a familiar voice called out their names.
They turned away from their quarry and faced Commandant Ivar, their proximate commanding officer, who was ambling along the path, the star sapphires denoting royal service glittering along his shoulders.
“Centurions of Tauride, anything to report?”
Felix briefly considered mentioning the portentous meeting they’d just shared, but realized it was too new and fragile to air in front of anyone other than Mikel. And the nameless woman. He definitely wanted to talk with her at length. As soon as he discovered who she was.
“No, sir. All has been quiet,” Felix said even as he edged toward the stairs. Someone might commandeer her attention at any moment, and the thought of another man sharing a word with her was like a phase bolt to his nerves.
“Excellent. I’m here to relieve you and send you on to your next assignment,” Commandant Offen said as he strode past them to the base of the stairs. “Prince Edem is going out in ten minutes, and I volunteered you both to provide a personal security escort, so you have just enough time to get to his rooms before he leaves. It’s a good opportunity to make a favorable impression among the royal retinue.”
Felix’s heart sank. This was the worst possible timing, but orders were orders. He risked a glance at Mikel and saw his bondmate absolutely frowning. Expressing any sort of reaction to a superior officer’s words was something Mikel had never done. Felix fought the urge to scowl as well.
Ivar didn’t appear to notice. Instead, he sketched a salute and hopped up the stairs to enter the pavilion. Mikel hissed out a breath and stared after him.
“I want to talk with her, Felix.”
“I do, too. We’ll find her tomorrow at the women’s quarters.”
“How? We don’t even know her name. She’s probably already been dazzled by some admiral and his bond. How could anyone resist pursuing her?” His bondmate’s longing questions echoed Felix’s own concerns. But Prince Edem was their responsibility now, and he had to trust fate that she wouldn’t fall under the spell of another Alphan pair in the hours it would take before they could see her again.
“Come, let us attend to the prince’s needs and then spend the evening discovering what we can about her, the better to be prepared to present our suit tomorrow.”
Mikel’s eyes lit up, and he leaned closer. “So you felt it, too? She fits us, doesn’t she?”
Felix nodded. Utterly unexpectedly, they’d found a connection with a woman under their very noses. As far as he was concerned, he never needed to visit Earth again; their prize was already found.
“She does. The timing is good. She can help us select our permanent quarters, and we can take on management of an estate, which will please our families. With her input, we can be sure all will be to her liking.” After returning home from this assignment, they would be assigned to the royal service, and they needed to find a permanent home in Alpha’s capital city soon. Just thinking of having a place to call their own, to be joined by the woman who would complete their bond, made Felix’s steps light as he walked to the Alphan apartments, Mikel at his side. Soon to be living in the finest city in the galaxy, holding positions of rank, being mentored by a powerful man like Ivar, and best of all, finding her. All their hopes and dreams were coming true, sooner than they’d expected and in an amusing manner he couldn’t wait to recount to their families.
****
Alisa Sorrel knew she needed to leave her room. She was committed to overseeing the care of the new vegetable garden on the grounds of the Earth United compound, and the women and children sheltered there were looking forward to enjoying the familiar produce of their lost homelands: tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergines. She, like every other inhabitant in these re-purposed halls and corridors, had been kidnapped by alien raiders from their former homes, most of which were brutal and dangerous places, disintegrating just like most of Earth’s governments and climate. They hadn’t really had a home to return to, but the Alphans who had re-captured them out in the vast reaches of space had insisted Earth’s governments provide some sort of refuge for them. After her disturbing encounter the day before, she was finding it difficult to locate enough courage to open the door of her safe haven and venture out into the wide corridors and public spaces of the settlement.
She blamed it on the Alphans. Those big brutes who’d tackled her the day before had frightened her so terribly she’d gone numb, and then every cell in her body had vibrated. She’d fled them as quickly as she could, but the memory of their hands on her body, the low tone of their voices, still echoed inside. She’d spent a restless night, jerking awake every time her dozing mind had replayed the scene. All morning as she’d tried to stick to her routine, she’d made mistakes, dropping her mug of tea, biting her lip when she chewed her cereal, putting her boots on the wrong feet. It was their fault, those two hulking Taurides. Bondmates, obviously in tune with each other. Equally muscular and alert, clad in the midnight blue of royal security. Amber eyes, thick black hair, square jaws. If you liked that sort of thing. Which she certainly didn’t. With an impatient shake of her head, she forced herself to approach her door, touch the handle, and turn. Just as she did, there was a loud knock at her door, and she jumped back with a squeak. Was it the bondmates, come to track her down and lay hands upon her again?
“Who is it?” Her voice quavered, and she hated herself for it.
“Mistress Sorrel, it is Mak.” The old Alphan’s familiar voice broke through her frozen nerves, and she opened the door to find the retired warrior waiting, inclining his greying head with a slight bow.
She gave him a quick smile. He was one of her favorite Alphans by far, quiet, thoughtful, and absolutely vigilant when it came to keeping the women’s quarters free of ardent visitors.
He shook his head when she gestured for him to enter, his curving horns catching the light. “No, mistress, it isn’t proper. I’m merely here to alert you to the presence of visitors making formal petition to speak with you in the reception hall.”
Formal petition? To speak with her? Alisa shook her head slowly, unable to come up with anyone who would want to see her who wasn’t already in the building. She had some friends among the refugee women here, and liked all the children, but none of them would ask to see her in reception. They’d simply come to her door as Mak had done.
“Who would need to see me there?”
“They say you met yesterday, at the garden reception. Two young stalwart centurions.”
She’d spoken with no one in particular at that event, avoiding as much socializing as possible and had gone merely because it was being held in a rarely opened part of the grounds and she’d wanted to see the fabled heirloom roses for herself. They had been wonderful and more beautiful than she’d imagined, until those … oh no.
“What are their names?”
“Felix and Mikel of the Tauride.” Mak watched her closely, alert to her mood.
She sucked in a deep breath and told herself to calm. The men had startled her, disturbed her to be sure, but they hadn’t harmed her and had apologized for their hasty action. They weren’t here to grab her again. “Did they say their purpose?”
Mak gave a shake of his head and narrowed his eyes. “Do you wish me to dismiss
them, mistress? I will at your request.”
He would, Alisa knew, but there was some hesitation in his manner that stopped her from agreeing to that course. She was a merely a visitor here, on some measure of sufferance, and there would be no benefit from creating enemies among the powerful Alphans who forced Earth’s leaders to shelter her here rather than toss her back into a lawless camp. She was well aware that human women were a strategic asset to the disproportionately male Alphan population, both for population growth and the more mystical concept of bonding. All she knew was that many of her fellow refugees had formed attachments to Alphan men and had left the residence to start new lives on Alpha or even more far-flung worlds. Nothing forced, but the sense that she was a commodity remained every time she ventured out among them. Golden eyes assessing, tactical brains plotting what she power might bring to a bonded pair of warriors. It was exhausting to be evaluated and found wanting compared to vivacious blondes and outgoing redheads. She rarely put herself in those situations, but the flowers had beckoned too strongly to resist yesterday.
“No. I will see them and conclude whatever business they think we have in common.”
Mak smiled at her agreement, and she walked by his side down the corridor and into the reception hall. It was a high ceilinged room with pale grey and tan tiled walls and floors. Formerly a large lecture hall, it now held groups of sofas and chairs and low tables scattered about. Mak approached his desk, and two large men turned at their approach, their handsome features schooled into blandness. Despite their outward calm, a sudden wave of excitement rolled over her. Not hers, for she was anxious and looking for an escape. No, she was picking up on the restrained anticipation of Mikel and Felix Tauride, and it was unnerving.