by Siren Allen
“Well… actually…”
“I knew it. What’s wrong?”
“I’m calling about Lola.”
“Stars, what has happened? Is she okay? Should I come to Ishtar Terra?”
“No, no, stay where you are. By the way, how are things out there in the Outlands?”
“They’re fine. What’s wrong with Lola?”
“Straight to the point, I like that.”
“Lark!”
“Okay, okay, calm down, Malia. Look, I should’ve called you weeks ago when it all first started.”
“You mean when Saturn’s ruler attacked us?”
“How do you know about that?”
“Klaryssa told me.”
“Klaryssa and her big mouth.”
“Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone. I know you want to keep it hush hush. She only told me because she knows I have a standing order for my diner with Saturn. I hated to break the contract, but I had no choice. I won’t give my currency to a planet that wants to destroy us.”
“Damn it, I forgot you order from them. I should’ve been the one to tell you. I’ve been so busy getting the harem back up and running and…”
“Don’t worry about it. I know you’re busy. I’m sure Luna is running ragged also.”
“Uh, about that?”
Uh oh. “What?”
“Luna and Lola are what I’m calling you about.”
“Go on.”
“Well, this is strictly between you and I. No sharing this with anyone else.”
“Okay, what is it?”
“Don’t panic. I know how you like to burst into full panic mode the moment you hear bad news.”
“Lark, you’re making me nervous.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. You’re already in full panic mode. Are you standing up?”
“No.” Malia sat down on the couch.
“Good, I don’t want you passing out. It would take the Outland Patrol too long to reach you. I don’t know why you choose to live so far out in the boondocks.”
“Lark, just tell me what is wrong, geez.”
“Okay, no more stalling. Luna and Lola are missing.”
“What?”
“But it’s okay because…”
“It’s okay. It’s okay? How the hell is it okay that the ruler of Venus and my favorite cousin is missing?”
“Hey, you shouldn’t pick favorites.”
“Lark.”
“They’re both fine. I’ve made contact with the ruler of the planet that Luna is stuck on and I’ve spoken with Lola personally.”
“But, how did this happen?”
“Well, I’m sure Klaryssa explained to you that Saturn was able to infiltrate our world because some of our soldiers turned traitors. Two of those traitors were the pilot and guard who was responsible for protecting Luna on her last excursion. She survived and somehow ended up on a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt.”
“The Kuiper Belt?”
“Yes.”
“There are vampires in the Kuiper Belt. It’s said they murder their own young.”
“A myth, trust me.”
“I heard that they have an inner beast that will kill anyone who gets in their way.”
“Yeah, that part is not a myth.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“Lark.”
“Klaryssa with her big mouth will probably tell you soon anyway. Malia, don’t freak out, but… I’m mated to a vampire.”
“You’re what?”
“And he helped save this world. Without him, we would all be lost, slaves to King Stonar and his son.”
“How did a vampire get here?”
“Well, that’s a complicated and long story.”
“Shorten it.”
“He was sent here to be a harem worker.”
“So he’s a criminal?”
“No, he didn’t actually commit a crime. He learned that I was his mate and he needed an excuse to be near me. It’s kind of sweet if you think about it.”
Actually it was, and it reminded her of her complicated relationship with Silver.
“But I didn’t call you to discuss my vampire mate. I called to let you know that I’m stand-in ruler until Luna arrives home, which the ruler of the planet she’s on assures me will be soon. And as for Lola. Well, we’re still trying to pinpoint her exact location. But she’s not alone, that’s a good thing.”
“Who is she with, Farah?”
“Um, Farah, she’s kind of missing too.”
“What?” Malia stood up and resumed her pacing. What the hell was going on? “Where is Farah? And who is Lola with?”
“Lola is with her mate.”
“Her mate?” Lola was mated?
A sudden burst of jealousy mixed with happiness spread through her. She was happy for her cousin. Still, she couldn’t help but wish that she too had a mate. It got lonely in the Outlands, especially when the planet was going through it’s night cycle.
“Yes, Lola is mated, to a vampire.”
What was this world coming to? “I would ask how she met a vampire, but I’m sure it’s a long complicated story.”
“Not quite. He pretended to be a trader so he could meet her. When things fell apart here, he swept her away to safety. Unfortunately, their pod was thrown off course and they landed on an unknown world. We’re trying to track them down. I just wanted you to know. I felt bad for keeping this from you. You’re family. You deserve to know.”
Malia rubbed her hand through her hair. “Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So what about Farah, where is she?”
“Not sure. But I have a team on it. I hope to know more soon.”
“Keep me updated.”
“Will do. Sorry I called so late. I’ll let you get back to sleep.”
“Lark wait.” She couldn’t believe she was about to ask her cousin this.
“What’s up?”
“What’s it like being with a vampire?”
“You mean the sex part? It’s amazing and…”
“No, no, not that. I mean, what is it like being mated to someone who is so different than you?”
“I hardly even notice the differences now. I mean, at first, it was all I could think about. Then I came to realize we’re more alike than we are different. And the small differences make us stronger as a couple. Yeah, he has fangs, but he’s also kind, generous, caring and protective of me and my people. If I would’ve focused solely on our differences, I never would’ve allowed him in my life and I would’ve missed out on a great thing.”
Wow. “Oh, uh, okay.”
“Why’d you ask? Have you met a guy?”
“Kind of.”
“Is he different?”
“Very much so?”
“Do you feel threatened by him?”
“No, not really.”
“Do you like him?”
Did she like him? She hardly knew him. But today she’d laughed with him, enjoyed a meal with him. It had been the most fun she’d had in a long time, which was really kind of sad. Did she like him? Yeah, she kind of did.
“Yeah, I like him.”
“Then I say give it a chance. See where it goes. It may surprise you. But if he breaks your heart, I’m going to feed him to my vampire.”
Malia couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. “Thanks Lark.”
“No problem. Now I have to go. My mate is in the shower waiting on me.”
“TMI Lark.” Still laughing, Malia pressed End Call on her phone and plopped back down on her couch. Give Silver a try. She could do that. First, she had to find him. But how does one find a male who can disappear in the blink of an eye?
Chapter Five
His day had started out great.
Unfortunately, it didn’t end well and was continuing to go downhill. Silver approached The Striker. There were large pieces of metal littering the gr
ound around the ship. They were supposed to be trying to stay off the radar. How the hell was this considered staying off the radar?
The closer he came to the ship the louder the noise rose from within it. At this rate, they’d be surrounded by the galaxy patrol in no time. Silver increased his steps. He was already angry over his last few minutes with his mate.
His crew was pushing him over the edge. Silver stormed into the ship and headed to the navigation deck where he could hear drilling taking place. His crew glanced up from their varying tasks.
“Hey Alpha, I mean Silver. You’re back” Beta greeted him before turning to stare over his shoulder at Gamma. “Gamma you owe me three copper zoins. I told you she wouldn’t let him stay the night.” Beta returned his attention to Silver. “You failed again, didn’t you?”
Ignoring the question Silver stared around the ship. From the corner of his eye he could see his crew rising and walking his way.
“It’s looks a mess,” Gamma quickly said. “But we’ve made progress. Lots of progress.”
They had. That should make him happy. It didn’t. They’d succeeded at their tasks while he’d failed at his, again. It shouldn’t be so hard to claim a damn mate. He wished he could do what his ancestors did when they found a mate outside of their species: steal her from her family and take her to the caves for three nights. By the fourth night she wouldn’t want to part from him.
“Alpha, I mean, Silver,” Gamma continued. “Have a look around, but there’s more we have to show you, much more.”
Silver slowly walked around the ship’s navigation deck. The consoles had been repaired. So had the computer screens. Wires no longer decorated the baseboard. He glanced over at Epsilon. “Where did you find the material for this?”
“At a local Technology store. This planet has advanced more than I’d previously believed. They had everything I needed in one location.”
“Did you steal it?”
“Yes.”
“Were you invisible?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Have you tested it out, to make sure it works?”
“We have,” Ep told him. “The Striker is almost ready to soar again. But don’t take my word for it. Ask him yourself.”
Silver glanced over at Ep. “Ask who?”
“I think Alexander is referring to me.”
Silver tensed, glancing around the room.
“It’s okay captain. It is me, Striker, the computerized host.”
“We named you after the ship?”
“You named me after the ship.”
“Okay,” Silver scratched his head.
“I am linked to you. Our link was severed after my systems failed. But Alexander has taken care of that problem.”
Alexander? “Who the hell is Alexander and why was he allowed near my ship?” Silver roared, staring down his crew.
“I’m Alexander,” Epsilon stated.
“What? How do you know that?”
“The ship told me. And then it uncloaked the other half of the ship for us.”
“What other half?”
“Walk with me, Captain Sebastian Johansson, there’s a lot for us to tell you and show you.” Epsilon grinned and started walking down the hallway that led to their cryo-chambers. Epsilon, grinning, that was a rare sight.
Wait, did he just call me Sebastian?
That name rang a bell. Silver followed his crew and listened as they explained everything. While they talked he studied his ship, amazed by the repairs. Apparently The Striker was larger than they’d first believed. The ship had hidden half of itself from them.
Following a protocol that the crew had forgotten, the computerized host had cloaked the housing deck of the ship. It had done that for the same reason it erased their memories. According to ‘crash protocol’, The Striker was programmed to cloak the housing, exercise and cargo parts of the ship if the craft crashed.
It was also programmed to wipe the memory of the crew, in case they were captured and questioned by the local government on the planet they’d crashed on. This would ensure that the locals learned nothing of their exploits or of the location of their home world.
“If it wiped all of our memories, why can I remember some things?” Silver asked Ep who had chosen to explain all of this to him instead of allowing Striker to do it.
“When the ship crashed, we were all unconscious. Striker scanned the perimeters to make sure we were safe. After establishing that we were, he started the memory retrieval process. But, one by one we began to awaken and leave the ship. He had to stop the process. That’s why we only have some of our memories. Since he’s linked to you, you was his priority. Which is why you have more memories than we do.”
“Unfair,” Gamma grumbled.
“How do we get the rest of them?” Silver followed his crew across the bridge that led to the housing deck.
Beta was the one to reply. “The rest of us already have. Striker restored them for us. He’ll do the same to you after we show you the housing deck.”
“Why do I have to see the housing deck before I get my memories?”
“Cause the process of regaining your memory is going to hurt like a bitch and you won’t be able to walk for a few minutes. Best to see it while you can.”
“Well damn.” Silver continued across the bridge.
“The room on the left is yours.”
To his left was a gray door with the symbol of a clock on the front of it. If this was his room, it should be familiar to him. There should be some sort of tingling in his brain to let him know this room was special.
No such sensation was occurring. It was just a door, like any other door he’d ever seen. Next to the door was a panel. Instinct led him to placing his hand on the panel. An infrared beam scanned his fingertips.
The light turned green, the lock clicked and the door slid open. Stepping into the room, his room, he realized there wasn’t much in it. Only a small bed, not big enough for him and Malia to sleep on. That would have to be remedied.
“I need a bigger bed.”
“We noticed,” Gamma told him. “We’ve already stolen you one. In fact, we stole bigger beds for all of us plus a few other things we thought our mates would like. We’ve stored them in the cargo hold for now?”
Silver continued perusing his room. There were no pictures decorating the small desk in the corner. Only a comm-phone and E-pad. He walked over to the dresser with three drawers and pulled the top drawer open. His clothing were dark drab colors.
Each drawer held the same items, similar to the ones he was currently wearing. Malia wore vibrant colors. She would hate this room. He would allow her to redecorate it anyway she saw fit. He would take her to a store filled with bright colors. He was sure stores like that existed. First, he needed his memory.
Silver turned away from the room and faced his crew. “I’m ready to have my memory restored.”
“Good,” Beta nodded then frowned. “You’re going to be pissed by what you learn.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Worse. Follow me, Captain.”
Again his crew led the way. He followed them across another bridge he hadn’t remember seeing yesterday. “I guess this part was cloaked also.”
“Yep,” Gamma grinned. “Our ship is a genius. I guess that makes us geniuses for programming him to do the things he does.”
They stepped off the bridge and into a sterile looking room. The four walls were white. Chrome machines were lined against the walls. Two narrow beds were in the middle of the room.
“Welcome to the clinic,” Striker announced.
“We have our own clinic?”
Still grinning Gamma nodded.
“The four of you needed a clinic on board. You get banged up quite often.”
This was one hell of a ship, or were all ships like this? He couldn’t remember. But he soon would.
“Please have a seat in the chair in the corner.”
Silver walked over to the chair
in the corner. The others stayed back, all wearing foolish grins. This was going to hurt like hell and they were going to enjoy watching him endure it.
“I bet you twenty copper zoins he passes out,” Gamma bid.
“Nah, he’s not like you.” Beta gave Silver a thumb up.
“I didn’t pass out,” Gamma argued.
“You almost did.”
“Almost doesn’t count.”
Ignoring them, Silver took his seat. “What’s next,” he called out to the ship.
“Place your hands in your lap and keep your feet together.”
Not even a second after he did as he was told, a clear tubing fell from the ceiling enclosing him.
“What the hell?” Silver glanced at his crew.
“Calm down,” Ep shouted. “That’s supposed to happen.”
“Wait for it,” Gamma added, leaning forward with his hands on his knees and a silly grin on his face.
He didn’t have to wait long. A grinding noise filled the air then pain unlike anything he’d ever remembered experiencing coursed through him. It felt like his head was on fire. The clear tubing turned black and began to spin.
Unable to see his crew, he closed his eyes to keep from growing dizzier. His stomach churned. The meal his mate had prepared him fought to be set free. Why was it growing hotter? Sweat poured from his pores.
And then came the memories. They were being released at an alarming rate. His head pounded as he recalled all the events of his childhood. His father, how the hell had he forgotten his father?
The male had taught him everything he knew. And now that he was remembering those things, he realized he owed his father his life. The male taught him to fight. Sebastian could kill with a sword or dagger just as easily as he could kill with a blaster.
His father had taught him to hunt and live off the land. You never knew when you would get lost on an unknown world and have to survive off whatever you could scavenge. Shelter couldn’t build itself. At an early age, Silver learned what loyalty meant.
His father, Captain Santo Johansson, had taught him their motto: Loyalty or Death. They’d rather die than be disloyal to their families. One of the most important lessons he learned as a child was to take care of the females in their home, his two sisters and his mother.