Claimed by the Alien: A Scifi Alien Romance (Fated Mates of the Titan Empire Book 6)

by Tammy Walsh

  Hazel wasn’t aware of our traditions, so she gave us her opinion.

  “You had a plan worked out last night,” she said. “To attack in the morning. Well, it is morning. You should carry out your plan. The Changelings are busy drilling into the mountain looking for you. If you attack the army they have at Okem town or the palace, you might still win, even with fewer fighters.”

  The others gave it serious thought. I was proud of her for seeing what none of us could.

  “It is possible,” Nus said.

  “Our army will be much smaller than we planned,” A’nshon said.

  “So will theirs,” M’rar Thres said.

  “Qi?” I said.

  He was unusually quiet. Normally, he would have been gung-ho with attacking the enemy head-on.

  “A Titan warrior is worth ten Changeling scum,” he said. “We will fight, and fight to win. For the future, and all other Titans.”

  He nodded amiably to M’rar Thres.

  “I’m not sure they’re up for the battle,” A’nshon said, nodding to the Titan soldiers sat around the north exit.

  They were caked in dirt and grime, their eyes downcast and heavy with a sense of hopelessness.

  Our plan was doable, but only if the warriors were ready to attack with the vigor and aggression they were famous for. To not fear death and give it everything they had because victory was more important than life.

  But these soldiers were not those men. They were well trained, battle-hardened, and ready for combat, but this loss had knocked them off their stride. They needed a pick me up.

  As their emperor, that duty passed to me.

  I strode through them and they watched me as I passed. There was a handy rock in the center for me to step on.

  I looked at each Titan in turn. Their eyes looked at me with a faint glimmer of hope. I needed to spark it into a raging wildfire.

  “I understand you’re tired,” I said. “I’m tired too. Of being burnt alive, of being hunted, of being forced out of the only safe place I’ve found in the past few days. So, let me ask you. Have you had enough?”

  I turned to meet them each in the eye. For some, the answer was yes. For others, they sat firmly on the fence.

  “It’s an honest question,” I said. “Have you had enough? Are you ready to surrender? If you are, then go ahead and pack up your things and return to your loved ones. Assuming the Changelings haven’t killed them already. Give up your lives and the lives of your loved ones. Give up the honor and let the Changelings have it. Let me tell you this. If you quit now, if you give up before the greatest fight of your lives, they will sing songs and ballads, but not about you. They’ll sing about how the Changelings defeated the mighty Titans in just a few short battles.

  “But those stories won’t be the ones that get told. That’s because I know Titans. This loss we suffered today will be nothing but a footnote in the history books. It will be remembered as the moment when we stood up and spoke in a single voice, screamed into the night, and performed the greatest Dance of Death in the history of our great empire. This is the day when we claim back what is rightfully ours. This is the day when we push back and force them to realize they picked on the wrong species.”

  The Titan fighters roared. They sat a little taller and their chests broadened a little further, and their lips turned into smiles that sparked in their eyes.

  The warriors were young. Most of them probably hadn’t taken their first life yet. But they were Titans. They were of the same blood as me and my ancestors. That made us family.

  “Every hero in every song and story you’ve ever heard felt the way you do now,” I said. “Every Titan throughout history has one great fight in them. Make this yours.”

  They began to stand but stopped on their knees. Then I heard a low thrumming sound, a deep bass, that they hummed at the back of their throats.

  They were singing. A song of victory and vengeance.

  The most famous Titan song of all.

  It was a duet and required a lead.

  Me.

  That’s when I sang. My voice sailed high and twirled in the air high above us, I sang of victory and salvation.

  The Titans formed a fist with their hands and thumped their chests, adding to the racing tempo. I thumped mine in return, so hard I threatened to break my ribs.

  It was the song we sang when we headed into battle, when we knew death was the most likely outcome.

  We sang it when there was nothing but despair to feed on, so we ate until it was all gone, and we were left with a tiny kernel of hope.

  We sang because we had nothing left to lose. Our homes, our families, and our loved ones had all been stripped from us.

  But they would not take our future.

  Not without a fight.

  I had never experienced such a bond with my people before. I’ve never known the love they shared for me as I did right here and now. And as we sang, and the night drew to a close, we sang for the warriors who’d lost their lives and could only join us in spirit. They would watch as we slew our enemies without mercy and bathed in their blood.

  We sang and prepared ourselves for death.

  Hazel

  I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down my face. The Titans’ singing, with his people crooning at him and Fiath responding in turn, was one of the most touching and beautiful things I’d ever seen.

  If I wasn’t in love with him already, I certainly would be now.

  These people had been attacked, their homes burned down and taken from them. And when everything had been taken from you, what else did you have to lose?

  The song reached a crescendo. The Titans hummed a deep bass note at the back of their throats while Fiath weaved high above them in a pitch I would never have thought he was capable of.

  Then the crescendo slowed until there was silence. Every Titan grew silent, punctuated only by whispering wind and the rustling of leaves.

  It was powerful stuff.

  A sense of relief and satisfaction came over each of their faces as if they’d been waiting for this moment of catharsis since the attack had happened. Now I understood what they meant when they said Fiath was the Titan’s heart and soul. He was their guiding light and had been for their entire history.

  Not Fiath himself but his ancestors. They had done their duty and brought the Titans together during the most difficult and challenging periods of their history.

  Then the Titans got to their feet. The celebration wasn’t quite over yet. They stood with their fists thumping their chests, heads solemnly bowed towards Fiath, who did the same back to them.

  The emotion on Fiath’s face was palpable. I wondered if he’d ever been so close to his people before. He’d lived in palaces and enjoyed a lifestyle few could imagine, never mind enjoy. He wouldn’t have come in contact with regular Titans often.

  The Titans broke away and approached each of their chieftains, who were on hand to explain their mission ahead.

  I approached Fiath. His honor guard nodded at me respectfully and let me pass to meet him.

  “That was beautiful,” I said.

  “It’s traditional to sing before a battle,” Fiath said.

  “When you sing like that, does it mean anything? Or is it just for emotions?”

  “It’s raw emotion. But everyone understands what it means. The same way everyone understands when someone screams in pain or moans with ecstasy.”

  He gave me a wink.

  Why hadn’t more cultures on Earth evolved along the same lines? We had songs and singing but we didn’t express ourselves with noises the same way.

  I bit my bottom lip. I’d thought about what he suggested earlier about me joining the field hospital and not him when he went on his mission.

  “Let me go with you,” I said.

  His expression curdled with revulsion at the idea.

  “I swear, I won’t get in the way,” I said. “I’ll be useful. Really. I can help heal the injured so they can get back
on their feet.”

  He shook his head and brushed my cheek with his thumb.

  “I would not risk you for all the world,” he said.

  “You’re the emperor. It is your world!”

  He blinked, paused, and burst out laughing.

  “You see?” he said. “This is why I love you.”

  The words hung heavy between us. Until now, they hadn’t been spoken out loud. But it was true, wasn’t it? Although we hadn’t said those words to each other, it had always been true.

  “I love you too,” I said.

  We embraced and kissed. I drew him into me, wishing I could take him inside me. And still, I was desperate to go with him. If this is going to be his last day, I wanted it to be my last day too.

  “I have something for you,” Fiath said.

  He reached into his pocket and came out with a smooth black pebble with a sharp edge. It was small and could fit easily in the palm of my hand.

  “It reminds me of you,” he said. “Beautiful but with a razor’s edge. You deserve diamonds and pearls. And if we’re victorious today, they will be yours.”

  I ran my thumb over the smooth stone and clenched it in my fist.

  “I don’t have anything to give you,” I said.

  “You’ve given me your heart,” he said. “It’s all I need.”

  No, I thought. It wasn’t enough. I seized my hair and used the pebble’s sharp edge to slice a curl off. I handed it to him.

  He took it gratefully and sniffed it.

  “So we can be together if there’s an end,” he said.

  If there’s an end…

  Even he couldn’t bring himself to believe chances were good they would survive this day.

  “Your Majesty?” A’nshon said.

  He stood with the other chieftains. They were going to take him away from me. They were going to take him into war.

  “It’s time,” A’nshon said.

  I wanted to shout “No!” and cling to him, drag him away and keep him locked up safe somewhere. Instead, I just stood there.

  He smiled at me and pressed his lips to mine.

  “We’ll meet again soon, my love,” he said.

  The army broke into pieces. The largest force was headed by Qi. He would distract the Changelings while A’nshon waited with the reserves. M’rar Thres and Nus joined Fiath, who would sneak into the palace and disable the defense turrets. They had less than a dozen warriors with them.

  The sight of Fiath surrounded by so few soldiers as he headed into war sent a shiver to my heart. It seemed wrong he should have so few around him. But the smaller their force, the easier it would be for them to pass unnoticed.

  “Excuse me, are you going to join the field hospital?” a soft voice asked.

  I turned to find a doctor with his other nurses in tow. I recognized some from the Urcim tribe that’d taken me in.

  “Yes,” I said. “I’m with you.”

  But I wish I was with someone else.

  We followed the main army. It would confront the Changelings head-on and absorb most of the casualties. We set up the field hospital beneath the canopy of a nearby copse of trees. Titans carried operating tables, workbenches, and what few beds they managed to rescue from the base.

  Other Titans used knives to slice rectangular boards from nearby trees and used them to hang as makeshift beds. They placed their hands on the trees to thank them for the sacrifice they’d made for our cause.

  I helped the nurses carry the supplies. We opened the boxes and organized their contents to prepare for the injured and dying when they arrived.

  The entire time, I couldn’t stop thinking about Fiath.

  It could just as easily have been him heading out to fight the Changeling soldiers, to lay his life down and distract the enemy while the real attack happened in the palace.

  It hurt that he was so far from me and was taking such a risk with his life. I knew his men would take good care of him, but I wouldn’t learn what happened to him until after it happened. And by then, there was nothing I could do to help him.

  I shook my head. I couldn’t let myself think about what might happen to him. It would distract me too much from my duties here. My job was to help the soldiers.

  My hand reached into my pocket and rubbed at the stone he’d given me. I didn’t want this pebble to be all I had left of him.

  But that wasn’t true. We’d shared many memories together, so many magical moments on our recent adventures—

  I hissed through my teeth and yanked my thumb from my pocket. I’d cut the fleshy part on the stone’s sharp edge. A pearl of blood seeped from the thin cut. I had plenty of supplies to clean and treat it.

  Instead, I just stared at it.

  That ball of blood. That life-giving source.

  But it was not the only life-giving source.

  Fiath was a life-giving source to me.

  I needed him, just as much as I needed blood in my veins and oxygen in my lungs.

  Just as he needed me.

  We were fated mates now.

  We had bonded.

  My heart sank into my stomach at my mistake.

  I never should have let him go. Not when so much of me depended on him.

  I put the supplies down and marched away from the camp.

  “Where are you going?” the head doctor said, ticking off a list of items as Titan soldiers carried them into the makeshift hospital.

  “I can’t stay here,” I said. “I have to be with Fiath.”

  “You’ll be of more service here,” he said.

  “No, I won’t. Not with me thinking about him every moment. I’ll be useless to you. I’ll get in the way. I need to be with him.”

  The doctor had more than a handful of soldiers under his command. They were there to protect us in case Changelings attempted to sweep behind the main Titan army. He could order them to seize me and tie me up.

  Maybe Fiath had even given him those commands. I wouldn’t have put it past him.

  The doctor appraised me and must have seen by my eyes that I was serious. He nodded.

  “Then go find him,” he said.

  I brought my fist to my chest in thanks and bowed respectfully. He did the same to me and then turned to direct the supplies to the right location.

  I began at a walk, which developed into a jog, and then a full-out sprint. I headed in the direction Fiath and his team had gone. I ran as far as I could and leaped over a small stream. I ran in a straight line and hoped I would catch sight of his team.

  I had no idea where the secret passageway entrance was. I only knew the beginning of his journey.

  I crested a hill and expected to see him on the other side. I panted but saw no sign of him.

  Not him or any of his men.

  It was a rolling hilly landscape. In the distance, I made out the town of Okem, and the palace perched on a hill just beyond it. Even from here, I could make out the damage done to the palace when they’d made their attempt on his life.

  Changeling warships floated above the town like zephyrs. They turned and headed toward the valley I’d run from. The battle was about to commence.

  I spied a taller hill ahead. Maybe if I got to the top of it, I could see his team on the other side.

  I ran down the hill I was perched on and sprinted up the next one. I promised myself that if I didn’t see him this time, I would turn and head back to the field hospital. I couldn’t keep running around aimlessly like this.

  My legs ached when I reached the peak and my lungs burned with fatigue.

  There!

  I saw him! Well, not specifically him but his men.

  They were small figures and walked at a sedate pace, necks swiveling, and checking their surroundings.

  Giddy with joy, I prepared to run down to meet them.

  And then I froze.

  Creeping around the hillside was a large contingent of Changeling soldiers.

  Fiath and his team were headed for a trap and the Changeling
s were about to bring it down on their heads.

  I waved my arms but none of the Titans were looking in my direction. I couldn’t just stand there. I needed to do something.

  I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, “Watch out!”

  My voice echoed off the sharp craggy rocks and natural flint walls.

  The Titans spun around, weapons raised, and saw me waving my arms. I pointed at the Changeling soldiers winding around their rear.

  But the Changelings and heard me too. A contingent of four Changelings splintered off from their group and ran in my direction while the others attacked the Titans.

  I might have saved Fiath’s life but now I’d put my own in danger.

  The Changelings ran at me and opened fire.

  I ran down the mountainside and bolted back along it in the direction I’d come. The field hospital was back that way and would be receiving injured men soon if they hadn’t already.

  I couldn’t lead the Changelings to them. It would be a slaughter.

  I turned right and barreled behind an outcrop of rock. It was craggy and shaped like an arrowhead, pointing up at the sky.

  A bolt of plasma struck the rock and singed it black. The plasma energy was deflected and knocked me sideways. I staggered but didn’t lose my feet.

  I continued around the corner, mindful I’d lost valuable seconds.

  I reached a narrow valley with a thin creak of freshwater. And there, a single crooked tree housed in the stream’s bent elbow.

  With nowhere else to hide, I dashed to hide behind the tree. It was too thin to conceal my whole body. I turned sideways and still I barely fit.

  I panicked.

  There was no way they wouldn’t see me. Even if they couldn’t, it didn’t take a genius to figure out where I was hiding.

  I bent down and grabbed a rock from the shallow pool.

  “Well, well, well, boys,” one of the hideous Changeling soldiers said with a sneer. “Where do you suppose she is?”

  A second Changeling snickered and edged in an arc to cover me from one side. A third Changeling did the same on the other side.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “It sure is hard to figure out.”

  I pressed my forehead to the tree. I might have saved Fiath’s life but it would cost my own.