COWBOY ROMANCE: Devon (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 2)

by Amanda Boone

  “Why not let the people vote on who they want? That’s how we do it in America.”

  Lynne cringed internally. She’d unthinkingly let him know that she remembered something. Much to her relief, he concentrated on one word.

  “Vote?” he asked. “I do not understand. What is that?”

  “Everybody says who they want, and then the person with the most people wanting him or her wins. So if you got nine votes and Odin got seven votes, you would win. Does that make sense to you?”

  “We do not do that here. Here we either take over peacefully or we fight.”

  “That seems so barbaric for such an advanced planet.”

  “I would like you to meet my cousin and his mate. Would you like that?”

  Knowing what he was planning, Lynne hesitated. She didn’t want to be involved in this, but if she agreed, maybe she could decide for herself which side to support.

  To postpone her answer, she said, “Let me put the food on the table—after I sterilize it, of course. We don’t want burnt dinner.”

  While they ate, Lynne pondered what she should do about meeting Odin and Melanie. She’d heard tales that Melanie was from Earth, but she hadn’t been sure it was true until today when Fenrir mentioned it. If anybody would know, it would be a member of the royal household.

  ***

  The palace, with its gold walls, was more beautiful than Lynne had anticipated. Everything was ornate without being gaudy. One of the first things Fenrir showed her was the throne room. Two large thrones of gold, silver and bronze sat at the head of the room, with two matching smaller thrones on each side of them. All of the thrones were padded on the seat and back with a purple brocade-type of material. Purple—the color of royalty, which was not different from royal colors used on Earth.

  “That is where we will sit someday,” Fenrir said with a dreamy tone in his voice. “We will rule the land and have wealth beyond your imagination.”

  “This would be a wonderful place to live,” she agreed as she gazed at what appeared to be stained glass windows with pictures of previous kings. “I assume they have servants to clean everything and keep all of the metal shining the way it does.”

  “Many servants, my dear.”

  She shot her startled gaze to his face. My dear. That was the first time he’d ever used such wording. Did that mean he loved her? She certainly did love him, but she worried that he would leave her.

  As he had predicted when she chose a new body, she remembered little from when she lived on Earth. Her actual life there was a total blank. Cartonia was her home now; Cartonia was all she truly knew.

  Fenrir stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her hips, pulling her back against him.

  “One day I will sit on that throne,” he whispered into her ear. “I will tell the world that I am ruler, and I will rule as my grandfather did and make him proud.”

  A door behind them opened, and a deep male voice spoke cheerfully. “There will be no mating in the throne room, cousin.”

  The light tone of the man’s voice startled Lynne because everyone on Cartonia seemed so serious. Fenrir released her as the tall, bronze male approached them. He also wore a jumpsuit, but his was silver material.

  The men touched chests and thumped once on each other’s backs in greeting.

  “How is my favorite cousin?” Odin asked as they faced each other.

  “I am well. I brought my mate to meet you. This is Lynne.”

  “Lynne?” Odin repeated, gazing down at her. “I believe that is a name from the planet Earth.”

  She curtsied before she replied, “Yes, sir. I am from Earth.”

  “As is my mate. You should meet her. You will like her, just as everyone else does. She is a very giving soul.”

  “I would like that.”

  “Now, for the reason I invited you here,” Odin said. “I feel that we have been at odds for far too long. Our families need to rejoin, and to begin that process, I would like to gift you with the mountain palace, all of its furnishings, and its staff.”

  Gazing over at Fenrir, Lynne was surprised to see his expression of shock. Then again, how could he not be astonished by this announcement? He was plotting to overthrow Odin because his grandfather had been dethroned and banished to be a commoner. Now the very cousin he wanted to remove from power was giving him a palace. As happy as she was for Fenrir and herself, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next.

  Would Fenrir change his mind about the coup? Or would he continue down the path that could cause destruction to many, himself included?

  THE END

  Desired by the Alien Soldier

  A Scifi Alien Abduction Romance

  Prologue

  Wandering around Princess Melanie’s parlor, Lynne gazed in wonder at the many golden knick-knacks. The elephant/zebra type statuette had sapphire eyes, a mane of what appeared to be spun silver, and a horse’s tail of silver. The zebra’s “stripes” looked to be of imbedded amber.

  “Do you like it?” a woman asked from behind her.

  Lynne spun to face her and stared at her in shock. This woman looked nothing like the other females she had seen. They were all tall and curvy; whereas this woman, although not of a height that would be average on Earth, was short in comparison and petite in build. Her skin, though, was of a light bronze color and her hair was silver, giving her the appearance of being mixed Earthling and Cartonian.

  “Are you Lynne?” the woman asked.

  “Yes, your highness,” Lynne said as she curtsied.

  “You don’t need to do that here—at least, not with me. Quite frankly, I’m surprised you even remember that royalty receives curtsies. I was under the impression that when you took a Cartonian body, you lost your memories of Earth. Is that not the case?” Melanie sat on a velvet sofa and patted the cushion beside her. “Please. Sit.”

  Dropping down next to her, Lynne explained, “I was under that impression when I was told to take a new body, too. I thought I would lose all memory, but I didn’t. Oh, I don’t remember my life on Earth, but I do remember some things. Mostly, though, my life before taking the new body is a blank.”

  “That’s a shame. I chose not to take another’s body so I could remember meeting Odin. I wanted to remember everything.”

  Lynne stared at her in shock. “I was told that I must take a new body. You had a choice?”

  “I did. Odin was very kind when I met him, and that didn’t change when I decided to join him here. It still hasn’t changed in all the time I’ve been on Cartonia.”

  The princess stood, and Lynne scrambled to her feet. Melanie chuckled.

  “I’ve missed that sound,” Lynne admitted. “I don’t remember what it is, but it makes me feel happy.”

  Melanie laughed again. “You won’t hear a lot of laughter around here because most people are melancholy, but you will hear it at the palace. This is a very happy place because I taught Odin that joy is a must for me. Come, let’s walk on the beach.”

  ***

  “But, Uncle,” the young man with light fuchsia skin protested, “I do not want a female. I do not feel ready.”

  Fenrir shook his head. “You must, Tyr. So far, I have no children of my own, and you are my brother’s only son. You are my heir; therefore, you must replenish the royal line.”

  “Prince Odin and Princess Melanie have three sons.” Tyr paused then asked, “Why do you need me to go to Earth? Why can I not choose a female from Cartonia?”

  “You know the females of Cartonia have a difficult time reproducing. We need an Earth female because they are so closely related to our species. They reproduce much more easily. If you were anything but royalty, you could, but you hold the future of Cartonia in your hands. You must go, and you must go now. There will be no other discussion. When you return, your people will need you.”

  “I do not understand, Uncle,” Tyr insisted. “We have heirs to the throne. We have Borr, Forseti and Hermo’our. They will save Cartonia.
Our people need them.”

  “You must stop questioning my decisions and leave immediately. Go to a place called America. They have many females there, and they are smart, independent and strong. Most importantly, they are adventurous. They are more likely to join you willingly.”

  ***

  Tyr sat at the controls of his ship. He hated making this trip, but his father had insisted that he do as Fenrir instructed. He did not want a mate yet. He wanted to join his uncle in Prince Odin’s army and be a great soldier. How could he do that if he had a female to care for? How could he concentrate on any possible battle if he had an offspring?

  Nor was Tyr certain that he wanted to take over the body of a dying man on Earth. What if he himself died? That would mean that he would not be on his own planet with his own people. He would be light-years away from the place he loved.

  Straightening his shoulders, he took a deep breath. That was not the way a soldier should think. A soldier would do as he was told and do it with bravery.

  Chapter 1

  Jane Palmer paced the kitchen. Where was Paul? He should have been back from the field by now. It was past six, past suppertime. Paul was always back by suppertime. In her heart, she sensed something was wrong.

  She called his cell phone. No answer. Again, that wasn’t like Paul. He kept his phone on vibrate so he would know if he had a call because he couldn’t always hear the ring when he was working with the machinery.

  Thinking it would save time, she called 911 to let them know that they needed help at the farm. Paramedics could be on the way while she was searching for Paul, and they could already be there when she found him.

  “Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?” the man on the other end asked.

  “My husband hasn’t come in from the field, and I can’t get him on his cell. Would you send the fire department and an ambulance? He’s out on his tractor in a hilly area, so I know something has happened. He always answers his phone when I call, and he didn’t this time.”

  “You haven’t already found him?”

  “Not yet, but I know he’s out there and in need of help. I can feel it. I need some help.”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we need specifics. I want you to call back if you find out for sure that he needs help.”

  Furious, Jane touched the end icon on her cell phone, wishing she had a landline so she could slam it down on the operator. Now it was going to take that much longer for help to arrive. Why couldn’t they at least get on the road? In her mind, though, she understood. They couldn’t keep running out just because there might be an emergency somewhere.

  She jumped onto the Gator and headed toward the northeast field. On the way, she saw the overturned tractor.

  Her heart constricted. She always worried about him plowing this field because it was so steep. Why had he insisted that they not let it lay fallow this year? Last year he had agreed to leave the field unplanted, but he had insisted on it this year. Now look what had happened.

  But she hadn’t seen an accident site yet. Maybe Paul was just fine. In her heart, though, she knew that wasn’t the case. If the tractor had tipped over and Paul didn’t answer his phone, he had to be hurt. It was the only explanation.

  Then she found the overturned green and yellow John Deere tractor.

  “Paul! Oh, my God!” She scrambled from her vehicle and knelt down beside him. “Paul! Is there anything I can do?”

  “I love you, Janie.”

  “I love you, too. Don’t you dare die on me. You fight hard. Emergency vehicles are on the way. I’ll call and give them a better location.”

  Taking her cell from her back pocket, Jane placed the second call, gave them exact directions to the field, and sat back to keep Paul awake and talking.

  “You’d better fight hard, Paul. You promised me we’d be together forever.”

  “I will, sweetie,” he replied weakly. “I don’t want to leave you yet, either.”

  Tears streamed down Jane’s face. “I love you so much, Paul. Fourteen months is too short. I married you for many years. So you hold in there.” Sirens wailed in the distance. “Do you hear them coming, baby? Help is on the way. Hang in there.”

  “I’m hanging the best I can, Janie. Tell them it’s my legs. I can’t feel them.”

  “You just stay awake and tell them yourself, okay?”

  His eyes slid shut, and Jane almost panicked. She forced herself to remain calm. Anything else would be counterproductive to helping Paul.

  Jane continued to console and encourage him while scanning the area for the fire trucks. The moment she saw them coming through the field, she rose and waved her arms above her head in a wide arch.

  The sirens ended and the trucks came toward her.

  “He’s under the tractor,” she told the first fireman to reach her. “We have to get him out.”

  “Is he conscious?”

  “He was a few minutes ago, but he passed out. He said that he can’t feel his legs.”

  A paramedic arrived at the scene with his box, and the fireman pulled Jane back gently by the arm.

  “Do you know how long he was here?” the paramedic asked as he attached a blood pressure cuff to Paul’s arm.

  “I don’t have a clue. He came in for lunch about noon. Then he went back out to work. It could have been anytime from then to when I found him a few minutes ago. I got scared when he didn’t answer his phone. He always answers when I call. We’ve been married a little over a year, and he’s never failed to answer when I called.” She knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t stop herself. “He told me that he can’t feel his legs. Please. You have to help him.”

  “They’re trying, ma’am,” the fireman said.

  “BP is 90 over 50,” the paramedic announced. “Pulse is 53. I’ll get an I.V. in him, and you guys can take over.”

  “What do we need?” a female firefighter asked.

  “Hydraulic lift,” the first fireman replied. “We need to get this thing off him ASAP.”

  While the emergency personnel worked feverishly, Jane stood aside, her heart aching at the thought of losing her husband. The female paramedic gently lifted his head just far enough to put a neck brace around it. Periodically, the paramedic announced Paul’s blood pressure and pulse—86 over 50, 49 pulse; 83 over 47, 43 pulse. Those numbers were terrible. They were losing him!

  “Can I sit beside him while you work? I promise I’ll stay out of the way. I’ll just sit there and hold his hand and encourage him to keep fighting. I’ll just keep telling him that I love him. I promise.”

  “Frank?” the fireman at her side asked.

  “Let her come over,” the paramedic answered.

  Jane rushed to Paul’s side and took his hand in hers. “Come on, babe. Don’t give up now. You can do this. Hang in there for me. We haven’t even had time to start our family. I haven’t given you the children you wanted because I wasn’t ready. Well, I’m ready now. I will never turn down your desire for a child again. I promise.”

  “Seventy-six over 45. Pulse 40.” The paramedic glared at the fireman. “Get this damned thin off him.”

  The lift made a grinding noise as the tractor raised. A grunt came from deep in Paul’s throat, almost as though the lessening of the pressure on him helped. He gasped for breath.

  “Enough?” one fireman asked.

  “Keep going. He’s still pinned.”

  “Give me his arm, ma’am. We’re going to pull him out as soon as the tractor is high enough.”

  “Eighty-six over 48. Pulse 51. The numbers are rising.”

  “Thank you, God,” Jane prayed. “Thank you.”

  “There we go. Pull him out now.”

  Jane scrambled to her feet and backed out of the way while the male and female paramedics pulled on Paul’s arms until he was completely free of the Deere and lying on a backboard.

  Chapter 2

  “BP 95 over 62,” the paramedic announced. “He’s definitely back.”

  “Thank
you!” Jane called out to all of the emergency personnel before she returned her attention to Paul. “Come on, Paul. It’s time to wake up.”

  Paul’s eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at her. The tractor crashed back to the ground as they removed the hydraulic life from under it.

  “What was that?” he asked, startled by the noise.

  “The tractor,” the paramedic beside him said. “I need you to try to move your right hand for me.”

  “Why?” Paul asked.

  “You have some crushing injuries, and we need to see the extent of your range of motion.” He turned to his female partner. “Hand me the neck brace, would you?”

  Each time the paramedic requested that he move something, Paul complied. When they got to his legs, Jane was stunned that he was able to bend his knee.

  “But he told me he couldn’t feel his legs,” Jane said. “How could he be moving it now?”

  Paul followed the paramedic’s instructions and lifted the other knee while the paramedic replied. “It could have been the loss of blood to his limbs. Now that the blood is flowing again, he can feel them just fine. You can feel, right, Paul?”

  “Of course, I can,” Paul replied.

  “That’s good. We’ll get you to the hospital where the doctors can check you out.”

  “I will not to go to a hospital,” Paul insisted as he tried to sit up. But the paramedic stopped him. “I will be fine here.”

  “Paul,” Jane inserted, “you will go to the hospital. I insist.”

  “I refuse to go. They cannot force me, either.”

  “That’s true, ma’am,” the female paramedic said. “If he doesn’t want to go, we can’t make him. But you will have to sign a paper saying that we aren’t responsible if you stay here.”

  “Fine,” Paul declared. “I will sign whatever I must. Now I plan to sit up, and I want you to let me.”