The New King: An Alien War Romance (Galactic Order Book 5)

by Erin Raegan

  She called to me, to the primal beast inside me. It reached for her, raging at my resistance to the bond.

  As she slept down the hall from me, safe and warm in my bed, I could not forget that she slept wrapped in my scent. I could not forget how close she’d come to claiming me that eve.

  I resisted, even knowing it would not last. All it would take was one touch. One graze of her soft human skin on my hide and I would be lost to her. Forever.

  9

  Mona

  I woke to the distant sound of snoring.

  Warm and comfortable, I rolled around in Uthyf’s bed and marveled at the easy sleep I had gotten. I hadn’t slept so well in—I couldn’t remember how long.

  My stomach growled, so I left the bed and cleaned up, dressing in one of my gowns that had been brought over. The door of the bedroom was cracked and I looked at it, feeling something strange. I remembered closing it. I guessed one of the guards had peeked in to check in on me… but a weird, hazy memory tried to surface.

  For some reason, I felt as though I had seen the door like that before. Except I was lying down, and Uthyf had been peeking in. I touched my face numbly. I had been crying. Sobbing. But not last night. I shivered uneasily and looked around.

  Why did it suddenly feel as though I had been here before?

  Another loud snore made me jump and suck in a sharp breath. I shook off my weird feelings and opened the door. I must have been dreaming last night.

  Walking into the sitting room, I looked at the floor. Gryl was passed out, snoring like a freight train, slumped over in a way that had to be uncomfortable. Yeln was crouched in front of him and pressing down Gryl’s flat nostrils. He grinned at me and held a finger to his lips. Gryl let out another loud snore, and Yeln pressed down again. Gryl bowed and snorted, making a weird honking noise. Yeln chuckled and grinned at me expectantly.

  I shook my head. This was a routine I had become familiar with since they had been assigned to me. Gryl couldn’t stay awake at night. He tried hard, but I always woke up to see him slumped against the wall. I didn’t understand it. He could have traded schedules with Yeln, but he never did. It was why Gryl was never allowed to keep watch alone at night. We knew he would fall asleep. It never worried me though. If a made any kind of noise he was up and ready to defend my in a heartbeat.

  On cue, Yeln wiggled his brows at me. I shook my head and rolled my eyes but complied.

  “Gryl! Help!” I screamed as dramatically as possible.

  Gryl jumped to his feet, swinging wildly. Zybyl rolled his eyes and left the room, no doubt to catch his much-needed sleep after watching over me with Gryl for the night, but Hrick, Lohr, and Uthyf’s new guards gaped as Gryl and Yeln battled in the middle of the room. Hrick and Lohr were new to this scene, as were the other two, but if they hung around, they would get used to such morning antics.

  I stepped over Gryl’s extended wing as he held Yeln face down on the floor, pummeling him in the back of the head.

  “Morning,” I called around a yawn.

  The guards hadn’t overreacted to my scream, but Uthyf shocked everyone when he burst through his door across from me, shirtless and bleary-eyed. His gaze was frantic and he held two swords. I gaped as he bared his fangs at the room.

  “My king.” Lohr bowed. “All is well.”

  Uthyf ignored him and stepped closer to me. “I heard you scream.”

  I winced. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. It’s a stupid game, it’s dumb.”

  “A game?” Uthyf glared at me then at Gryl and Yeln. “You think her safety is a game?”

  “No, wait. It’s not like that,” I said. This was escalating quickly.

  Gryl and Yeln bowed their heads and stood up, brushing themselves off.

  “You shall be reassigned if you cannot take your duty seriously,” Uthyf snarled.

  “Hey.” I waved my hands and stood in front of Gryl. “Uthyf, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a little fun. They started doing it when I was having trouble sleeping. I would sleepwalk, and they found out pretty quickly it wasn’t smart to try to wake me. Yeln would slap Gryl awake, and their fighting sometimes woke me up and they were able to get me back to my room without me hurting myself.”

  “He sleeps,” Uthyf growled menacingly, “while he is on duty?”

  I ignored Uthyf, not really hearing him as I looked down at the ground.

  God, I was a bitch. As I spoke, I was realizing how awesome my guards were. The first time I woke up in a weird part of the castle, I had cried. Gryl and Yeln didn’t know what to do. The next night as I was leaving my bed completely asleep, Zybyl had woken Gryl and I remembered snapping out of it quickly. The noise was so startling I immediately snapped awake. Seeing Zybyl fight Gryl off had been shocking. No one had known how lightly Gryl slept before it became necessary to wake him, but every time, without fail, he would attack whoever woke him. Slowly, I became less and less embarrassed by my own sleepwalking. Instead, I woke up in strange places only to see Gryl going berserk. It took my mind off what was driving me from my bed.

  I had laughed once. Ever since then, Yeln would beg me to scream just so he could fight off Gryl’s frantic morning rage, even if I hadn’t been sleepwalking. Not once had Gryl complained. He put up with it for me. Because every once in a while, I would laugh.

  I felt my eyes get wet as I looked back at Gryl.

  Something flashed in Uthyf’s eyes, and he looked from me to Gryl. Gryl and Yeln both flushed and looked at their feet.

  “I didn’t know you still suffered from your sleepwalking,” Uthyf said softly.

  I frowned. “I didn’t know you knew about it at all.”

  Uthyf looked past my shoulder. “Though I will be speaking with him about his inability to remain alert,” Uthyf glared again and then looked to me, tilting his head. “Perhaps you can find more creative ways of waking him instead of screaming for aid now that you are staying with me?”

  I winced again. “Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”

  At least he wasn’t firing them. I would have felt terrible seeing them get in trouble for something they were doing for me. Yeln got a sick satisfaction out of the fighting and Gryl enjoyed kicking his ass every morning, but they had started it for me. And I had just thrown Gryl under the bus. Yeah, he fell asleep at night, but I didn’t want him replaced. Not now that I was just starting to realize how much they did for me. Besides, Yeln and Zybyl knew and never left him alone at night.

  Uthyf left, and Gryl winked at me. Vivian was right, I did need to be more social. I would have realized sooner how awesome my guards were if I had tried to get to know them. I smiled and felt the sudden urge to hug him. So I did, then I hugged Yeln. Both of them flushed and shuffled on their feet. Lohr snorted and left, probably to catch his shift of sleep.

  “You will be traveling with me today,” Uthyf called from the room he’d disappeared inside.

  That stopped me cold. “Why?”

  I didn’t want to leave the castle. Why on earth would he think that was a good idea?

  “Someone tried to poison you at least once, Mohna. You will be by my side for the foreseeable future.”

  I felt my mouth move, but no words came out.

  Gryl watched me worriedly. “My king, I do not advise she travel. There may be a threat here, but there is certainly a threat outside the castle.”

  “I believe another attempt will be made. Soon. At least with me, she will have the Dahk army at her back.”

  “But I—”

  “Mohna, I do not travel with less than fifty of my most trusted guard. You are far safer surrounded by numbers. Besides, I wish to take you somewhere.”

  “Where?”

  “There is a city not too far east. They are known for their virtuosities. I believe sharing your creations may endear them to the possibility of more human interactions.”

  I gaped at him. “Y-you want me to bake for them?”

  “Yes, there is a festival held there this time of the season. You may be sur
prised to find a few confectionaries there.”

  “I don’t know …” It sounded awfully strange. This was the side of Uthyf that frustrated me the most. He was constantly changing his mind about how to introduce the Dahk to our presence.

  But I couldn’t deny that the idea held appeal. I didn’t even know the Dahk made sweet foods. No one in the castle ever had. You’d think they would have some if Uthyf had a sweet tooth, but Isin said the old cook hadn’t made anything like that. Their fruits were the closest thing to dessert they had served before I started baking here. I wanted to see what they made. I wanted to taste it. I wanted to experiment. And yeah, hiding us away in the castle wasn’t working. The longer we remained in hiding, the more dangerous it seemed to get.

  Wow, where had that one-eighty come from? Just days ago hadn’t I been thinking I was better off hiding in my room?

  “It is only for a short while. I have procured a space for you to create the kahyks today, and in the morn, you will share them with my Dahk.” Uthyf stepped out, dressed in a new, perfectly pressed silk robe.

  Tomorrow? I shook my head. No matter how curious I was, I couldn’t deny that fear that held me back. I wanted to hide away. I would be perfectly content hiding here until I died.

  “It would please me if you gifted me your trust this once,” he rumbled soothingly. “Please consider sharing your human kahyks with my Dahk. It would delight them to see a side of your species they have not had the chance of witnessing.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I suspected I was being handled. Manipulated.

  But it was working. I knew Peyton and Bailey had not even tried to share with the Dahk since arriving and it was a shame, because Peyton was a brilliant potter. But she hadn’t tried to trade a single piece of her work since it became more dangerous, if she ever had at all. How were the Dahk expected to welcome us, trust us, if they knew nothing about us?

  Here was a chance for me to give back a little in exchange for what the Dahk were giving me. Freedom. Safety. Comfort beyond anything I could have imagined on Earth.

  Spilling my guts all over his throne room floor hadn’t done a damn thing but maybe I could help here, with this.

  I looked at Gryl and Yeln. These aliens cared about me. And I was only just now realizing it. Baking a few cakes for their friends and families would be nothing. I did it every day at the castle.

  I nodded, and Uthyf seemed to deflate. I couldn’t tell whether with relief or disappointment. Then he winked at me.

  Winked.

  This alien king had been studying us. But how? Through whatever was relayed back to him from Earth? I didn’t think so. He had been studying us. Peyton, Vivian, Bailey, and me. Lydia and Roxanne. I doubted any of them even knew it.

  Had any of them bothered to try to show him the most special parts of us? What made humans so unique and special? I didn’t think so. But my cakes had spiked his curiosity, and suddenly I wanted to help him understand. I wanted to show him that everything he was doing for us was worth it. That we were worth it. I wanted it so strongly it shocked me.

  Uthyf didn’t waste any time ushering us out of the castle. He gave me enough time to scarf down a small breakfast that had been brought up to the room, then we were rushing down the stairs. All of my guards and Uthyf’s, except for Zybyl and Lohr. They both stayed behind for their day off. I told Uthyf I should speak with Isin about not reporting to the kitchen, but he said he’d taken care of it. That was that.

  I was escorted outside and to a row of small flyers. Surprised to see Vivian there, I stopped and eyed her warily.

  “I’m not coming with you,” she said quickly, “but Lydia and Roxanne are. I was just helping them settle in.”

  I looked behind her and into the ship at her back. Roxanne and Lydia were sitting and clutching each other’s hands, looking out of the ramp’s opening. Lydia waved nervously and smiled at me. I waved back. I was surprised they were coming, though I shouldn’t have been. They were both skittish, but they were still more social than I was. Like me, they accepted this strange world as their new home. Curiosity was a powerful motivator.

  Vivian tugged on her hair nervously. “I wanted to apologize.”

  I waved her away. “Forget it, it’s over now.”

  “No, I should have warned you.” She hesitated before reaching for my hand. “I should have trusted you to come on your own.”

  “I wouldn’t have.” Nothing would have made me spill my guts except for what she did, tricking me. I would have avoided that conversation for as long as I could have. I didn’t agree with her tactics, but those were my hurt feelings talking. I was just glad it was over now.

  Vivian flushed and looked away. “I want to be your friend.”

  I sighed. I wanted that too. I just didn’t know if I knew how to be a friend anymore. “We are friends.” It wasn’t a lie. “I just need a little practice.”

  She smiled. “I can help. Peyton and Bailey too.”

  I couldn’t see it with Bailey, but I would try to be more open toward her. I missed Katrina. She had understood me. But she was gone, and I didn’t want to be alone forever. I wanted to move past all of the horrible things and focus on the future.

  I nodded and let her give me a brief, awkward hug. Vyr watched her from the castle doors as she ran back inside. He was comfortable here and didn’t feel the need to clutch Vivian by his side at all times, as I had seen Tahk, Fihk, and Olynth do with their mates. But Vyr was a whole new level of badass. He could be by her side in a second no matter how far away she was. Not just any Juldo could do that. Only the super-special ones—like the assassin. As far as I knew, only he and Vyr could pull off that level of smoky-teleporting craziness.

  Vyr nodded when he noticed I was watching him, and I gave him a small smile. Turning back, I watched Uthyf give his orders to Wohn, the warrior in charge of the massive protection detail for the day. I didn’t miss the way Wohn eyed me, looking bewildered as Uthyf pointed at me then the ship.

  Wohn had been looking for Queen Josyd, Uthyf’s first mother, for some time now. But they hadn’t had any luck, so Uthyf had pulled them back. Wohn was set to head to Earth soon, but for now, he was traveling with Uthyf every time he left the castle.

  As was Yilt. I spotted the younger warrior gazing at Star, one of Tahk’s House members and a sixteen-year-old human, longingly, and I smiled. Star traveled with Tahk and Peyton, unwilling to hide at home with her father, Nick, and Peyton’s mother, Linda. The older couple was suffering from new love and Star often complained about how nauseating it was. So reluctantly, Tahk and Nick had agreed to let her travel with them to and from the castle.

  Uthyf had originally put a ban on humans traveling, but as time went on and nothing else happened, the ban was lifted. Tahk hadn’t been happy, but maybe Uthyf changed his mind because he saw that keeping us humans away from the general population wasn’t helping the situation. Part of me agreed, but the other, smarter part of me, saw the danger.

  Uthyf was still fitting into his new role as king, and where just a few days ago that had frustrated me, today I could admire how he wasn’t afraid to change his mind, even if it made him look as though he couldn’t make up his mind. He was trying, at least. It would have been so much easier for him to send us all back to Earth and wipe his hands of the mess. But he didn’t. He would have lost a commander and two of his best warriors. Tahk, Fihk, and Olynth would have followed their mates anywhere. So now Uthyf was fighting every day to open the minds of his Dahk to accepting a new species in their lives.

  I was kind of ashamed of my actions in the past. This little trip of ours was scary. Terrifying. But necessary. I didn’t want it to be. I would have rather hid away, ignoring the problems around me. But that was cowardly and I didn’t want to be afraid of living. I didn’t want that to be my future.

  Yilt was still staring. I didn’t know him well, only what I had heard from Vivian or someone in passing. But I liked to people watch, or Dahk watch. Everyone thought Yilt was
hung up on Vivian, but I saw how he had started to look at Star. The only times I ever saw him at the castle was when she came with Tahk and Peyton. She was still far too young for him, but I got the impression Yilt could wait.

  “Mohna,” Uthyf called from a flyer.

  I spun and jogged toward him. My coat was so long, the heavy material whacked into my calves, and my boots were a size too big. I tripped over a ball of ice and went flying. Uthyf reached out but stopped himself with a snarl, and I landed face first in the ice and snow.

  I panted as I lay there, half in shock and a little hurt. He had let me fall. That stung more than I wanted to admit. I rolled onto my knees and winced. They had taken the brunt of my fall, and though the coat was thick, it wasn’t thick enough that I wouldn’t have a few bruises.

  Gryl chuckled as he hefted me up. I looked at the ground as I brushed myself off, unable to meet Uthyf’s eyes. He was standing so close to me. It wouldn’t have taken him much to stop me from falling, but he had actually stepped back. Did touching me repulse him that much? Come to think of it, Uthyf had actively avoided getting too close to me, and I had never seen him touch another human. There wasn’t a whole lot of opportunity—it’s not like I expected him to go around grabbing every human he saw—but still. When I had been poisoned, Uthyf had tried to grab me, but Gryl had stopped him. Why had I forgotten that?

  Uthyf was a king. He couldn’t afford to risk a Pythen mating bond. Especially not one with a human. He had been jumping around and avoiding me all this time for the same reasons I tried to avoid all the Dahk. It shouldn’t have bothered me. He was just looking out for his kingdom and the last thing I wanted was to trigger the dreaded bond that would trap me to a Dahk. But somehow it still did.

  If it happened, he wouldn’t have a choice but to follow through on completing it. Denying it could kill him.