Karlol

by Phoebe Nix

  Karlol: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance

  Intergalactic Warriors Book 2

  Phoebe Nix

  Contents

  Description

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Also by Phoebe Nix

  Description

  Jocelyn

  I should have run from the wrecked spaceship, but my academic curiosity was too strong. And you know what they say about curiosity…

  Next thing I know there’s a flash of blinding light and I’m on an alien planet.

  Prince Karlol is like no one I’ve ever met before – not that I’ve met any other aliens, but he’s drop-dead gorgeous, nice and has a badass set of wings and a kingdom to rule. I should want to go home… instead I want him.

  But it’s tough to be the lover of a prince and when I meet his people things go from strange to stranger. I’m just a historian, not a destined savior of their kingdom. Right?

  Karlol

  The humans are our enemies. They decimated our planet and pushed my people to the edge of extinction. But Jocelyn is nothing like the cruel colonizers who have warred with us. Her ferocity and unrelenting thirst for justice burn like a flame and I am helpless to keep away.

  But could she truly be our Savior? My father, the king, is convinced of it. What will that mean for her? For us?

  Fate may have placed her in my path, but the war rages on. I will need to survive the final battle to know if she’s everything I ever dared wish for my kingdom… and myself.

  Prologue

  Jocelyn Hofman’s eyes followed the undulations of the distant mountains as she gazed at the colorful horizon.

  She had been skeptical of Liz’s suggestion to head to Egypt, especially because she’d brought it up so casually with a shrug of the shoulders during one of their lunch dates. There had been a hundred different reasons why she hadn’t wanted to go, but the other girls had been insistent. The next thing Jocelyn knew, she was sitting next to Kristen in a business class window seat, with a neck pillow tucked on her shoulders as she slurped on champagne.

  With a neon green bikini top and short denim shorts, Jocelyn sat on her plain beach towel with a mojito in her hand. An open book was nestled between her thighs, but her eyes never wandered from the glaring sun that she watched through her round sunglasses. Beside her sat her four friends: Kristen, Liz, Cameron and Ashley. She liked to refer to them as her partners in crime.

  “I have to admit, it’s nothing like I’d imagined,” Kristen said, snapping Jocelyn out of her deep reverie.

  The five girls were possibly the only guests in the luxury hotel, which made their getaway all the more mesmerizing, almost as if they’d rented a private beach for themselves, with servers that came rushing to them with the snap of a finger.

  Jocelyn’s bright red hair was frizzing at the tips from the humid weather, as it fell across her chest. Her skin was a glaring white, which looked as though the sunlight had penetrated it and made it self-glowing.

  She blinked slowly as the pleasant breeze stole round her. The mellifluous whistling of it, along with the sound of the crashing waves and the salty scent of the ocean made her feel a little sleepy. She could hear the women talk in the background, but it was muffled out as she delved into her own thoughts.

  She fantasized about running away and living here for the rest of her life, leaving her career behind to work as a bartender at a hotel. As interesting as being a historian was, it didn’t leave her much room for adventure.

  She had thought that her job would afford her such luxuries, but she was so constantly swamped with research papers that she barely had the time to spend any of the money that she made. Except for her house purchase, but somehow she didn’t look forward to going back to that either. It wasn’t Egypt that Jocelyn wanted to stay in forever, but this state of mind that allowed her to think about nothing but how carefree she was.

  The loud chuckles of her friends caught her attention. Ashley was trying to woo one of the bartenders, and Jocelyn could only roll her eyes. The last thing she wanted on this vacation was to flirt with any men. In fact, she wanted to be as far away from them as possible. It was, after all, one of the reasons she’d agreed to come along on this trip.

  But Egypt wasn’t far enough from Stanton.

  Getting out of a futile relationship with an immature man, one that she never liked even during the peak of their time together, hadn’t been easy. She had been desperate for some sort of purpose to her life that went beyond the parapet of a corporate life that drained her. Now she savored every moment of this trip, despite the distant hollers of a home that was calling her back.

  She shook her head. Peace of mind, that was what she needed, and that was why she was here. She had She'd been invited to share a bungalow with one of the other girls, but she had decided to get her own. As much as she enjoyed the quality time she spent with her friends, she was more in need of some me-time; a girl’s night out was something she could easily enjoy at home.

  A pristine beach on an exotic land, however, was not a luxury that was normally available to her.

  A few years ago, she had moved to New York from her home in Connecticut, which she hated leaving behind. She missed her life in Greenwich – her three-story family home and her dog Charlie – and something about being here in Matarma made her mind wander to her most distant memories, as though that unfamiliar feeling of serenity struck a chord inside her. She saw her happiest childhood memories flashing before her eyes, while her friends continued to chatter.

  Jocelyn glanced at the girls, who’d been joking about Stanton being peculiar enough to be an alien. They weren’t wrong. But that wasn’t what was on her mind right now.

  “I can’t believe we have to go back to New York in, like, a week,” Jocelyn groaned. “I thought unwinding would give me the energy to go back, but I want to be pampered forever.”

  She reached for her cocktail glass and shook it. Ice cubes clanked as she swished the remnants of her cocktail and took a sip of the last few drops through a black straw. She raised her hand and gestured to the bartender for another with a small smile. He nodded and turned around to mix her a drink.

  Jocelyn rose to her feet to stretch her limbs. The girls carried on gossiping behind her, and she suddenly slid down her shorts, to her bikini pants, before she made an impulsive sprint to the sea, knowing full well that she was going to regret it. As her feet sliced through the chilly water, she heard Liz cry out, “Josie, what are you doing? It’s too cold!”

  She paid no heed to the warning and plunged into an approaching wave, swimming her way deeper into the Red Sea.

  Then she stopped.

  Her feet were an inch above the ground and her hands floated. She opened her eyes to watch the air bubbles, which she blew out of her mouth, buoy up to the surface. Jocelyn loved the sound of the underwater – that sound of nothingness as she levitated almost weightless.

  She pushed her head through the surface and lay across the waves, watching the gulls soar overhead and wishing she was could do the same. She wondered what it felt like to fly,
how their wings pierced through the air as they descended to the surface of the sea to snatch out their prey. What she would do just to be able to flap wings of her own and sail away across the skies.

  She closed her eyes. With her hair strewn across the crystal clear waters, and her body swaying across the waves, she had never felt so at ease.

  “Josie! Come back, we’re leaving!” Kristen called out from the shore, waving her beach towel like a fire stick.

  With a sigh, Jocelyn swam to the shore.

  She walked back to her bungalow alone. Purposely slackening her pace as she watched the girls amble ahead of her, she called out to tell them that she’d see them later. She took a different path that lengthened her walk while she allowed herself to dry.

  Sand particles were stuck between the creases in her skin, and although it annoyed her, it was a feeling she knew she was going to miss. There was something about being dragged from the hustle and bustle of the city to a tranquil paradise that was as fascinating as it was depressing. The quietude was at first relaxing, but it slowly became unnerving.

  As hectic as her busy schedule was at home, it distracted her from thinking about the endless loop that she lived in. That dull cycle that held no real benefits other than affording her a fancy roof over her head and a lifetime membership at the local gym. This trip was nothing but a vacation that was supposed to recharge them, but to Jocelyn it felt more profound than that. It had motivated her to make a decision she had been putting off for far too long.

  Josie was going to quit her job and go back to Greenwich as soon as she got home.

  The hinges squeaked as she unlocked the door to her room and pushed it open. She looked over her shoulder and saw the lights were on in Kristen’s and Liz’s bungalow. Jocelyn wanted to tell them about this big decision, a small part of her hoping they would try to talk her out of it. It was, after all, made on a whim of hope of finding the peace that she’d found in this country.

  She strolled into her room and pressed the door shut behind her. Or maybe she didn’t want anyone’s opinion on the matter. She had already made up her mind.

  She untied her bikini top and threw herself on the single bed. She felt herself slowly dozing off, and quickly pushed herself to her knees and let out a huff. She needed to wash the gritty sand off her oily skin before it gave her a rash.

  The night had cloaked the beach town and the chirping of the crickets echoed. Still in her denim shorts, Jocelyn paced to the sliding doors of the porch and parted the curtains. She gazed at the clear sky, which stirred her in delight. The stars shone bright and the moon was full. She was exhausted and needed to rest, but she didn’t want to waste a second during her trip.

  She turned around and trotted to the bathroom, undoing her shorts and tossing them over the counter. She leaned inside the shower and turned the tap on to adjust the temperature of the water. She turned her face to the mirror and leered at her reflection, barely recognizing herself. Her red locks covered her round breasts, which were paler than the rest of her body. She let out a sigh before she stepped inside the shower, the warm running water flattening her hair and washing away the sand.

  Maybe working here on a tourist visa isn’t too bad of an idea.

  She reached for a small, translucent bottle with a black cap labelled Shampo. She snickered.

  I could work as a proofreader for hotel condiments.

  As she flipped the cap open and squeezed the liquid into the palm of her hand, a loud blast shook the whole bungalow, making her jerk. The bottle slipped out of her hand, and she just about managed to steady herself, her hands pressing against the glass shower walls.

  A trail of dust fell from the ceiling.

  Jocelyn left the shower water running and rushed into the bedroom. She stopped, realizing she was still undressed, and jogged back to the bathroom to put on her bikini top and shorts. Before she ran outside, she slid the curtains open and her jaw dropped.

  The starry sky that had shone incredibly bright was now dimmed by a layer of smoke. The moon was barely visible, and a peculiar smell enveloped the town. Nothing suffocating, but more like burnt toast. She squinted and saw a blaze in the distance. It looked far enough away for them to be safe, but close enough to be observed. The way the flames danced was as terrifying as it was mesmerizing. They were a bright orange at the bottom with a purple hint at the tips. There was something odd about how the flames swayed, almost like they were the moving limbs of a paranormal creature.

  Her hair was still dripping wet. She grabbed the towel and roughly dried herself, before tossing it away and slipping into her sneakers. Heart thumping, she ran outside, calling out for her friends to make sure they were safe. But then she stopped midway as she scanned the landscape surrounding them.

  It seemed like the blaze was pacified.

  The door to Kristen’s and Liz’s bungalow had been left ajar and no one was inside. They must have already made their way to the lobby.

  She strolled along the stone paths at a slackened pace, still confused by how fast the fire had died, before finding the four girls facing the door to the lobby.

  “Did you guys see the fire?” Cameron hollered before her eye caught Jocelyn in the distance.

  Jocelyn joined them with her eyes widened and her arms hanging limply at her sides. The growing anxieties of the five friends seemed to wane the moment they found each other, and they quickly pushed their way through the revolving door and rushed to the front desk.

  The girls exchanged glances, each of them wondering who would speak to the manager. They all shrugged and gazed at Liz, who rolled her eyes at them, compelled to take the lead, since this whole trip was her idea. The manager behind her desk put on a forced smile, revealing his pearl white teeth that contrasted with his dark skin. His lips trembled, and he looked flustered.

  Before Liz could speak, he raised his hands in a comforting gesture.

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” he announced in a thick accent. “There’s a small fire outside the resort. It looks close enough from here, but it’s farther than it looks.”

  Ashley tugged on Jocelyn’s arm. “It’s definitely not further than it looks,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “I think it’s already out,” Jocelyn whispered back. “I couldn’t see any fire on my way here. Do you think the smoke smells weird?”

  “It smells like smoke,” Cameron replied.

  “It’s not suffocating,” Jocelyn noted. “It smells like burnt food.”

  Cameron shrugged and was about to say something, but saw Liz and Kristen making their way to them. The way they grinned was all too familiar. Jocelyn had seen that smile before, and it never ended well.

  The last time all five of them had travelled together, they nearly got themselves arrested for trespassing on private property when they mistook a weathered house for an abandoned one. They had nearly been charged for breaking and entering, but they were luckily stopped by the residents’ dogs before they could leap over the fence.

  Jocelyn knew this was just going to be another one of those adventures.

  Liz gestured towards the door and they all followed.

  “Are you sure about this?” Jocelyn called as all five girls made their run to the main entrance gate.

  She looked to Cameron, the only other girl in the group who was remotely responsible. Liz, Kristen and Ashley were always playing daredevils, luring the two other girls into trouble. They would miraculously manage to get away with it every time, but Jocelyn knew that one of those times was going to be the last.

  “What’s the worst that could happen?” Liz exclaimed as their sprint slowed down to a walk when they reached the entrance to the resort.

  The security guard had his feet propped on a chair, hat lowered over his eyes as he leaned in his own chair, snoring lightly. It was late, and he looked like he’d been fast asleep for a few hours. He probably hadn’t even noticed the blazing fire outside, although Jocelyn couldn’t understand how the explosion hadn’t
woken him up.

  Liz gesture for the girls to follow her lead, and they all tip-toed their way outside onto the graveled road. They spun around to spot the source of the fire until they saw smoke dancing in the distance. The fire had dissipated, but the smoke looked thicker, resembling a layer of mist as it swayed in place like a group of ghosts twirling in a silent dance.

  Liz kept complaining about how suffocating the smoke was, but Jocelyn couldn’t smell a thing. It seemed like each of the women had a different perspective of what was happening, and for the life of her, Jocelyn couldn’t understand why. Liz could have sworn that she’d heard a distant howling, but none of them seemed to pick up on it. All Jocelyn could hear was the whistling of the winds and the fluttering of wings. But as she looked overhead, she saw no birds in proximity.

  It was a peculiar night. Jocelyn had a bad feeling about this.

  They finally reached the source of the smoke, and all their jaws dropped as they stepped through the veil of dancing mist, which shielded a massive aircraft from sight.

  It was like nothing they had ever seen before. It looked like something from a Sci-Fi movie.

  “Jesus Christ,” Ashley blurted. “Did Josie’s ex land in Egypt?”

  Jocelyn snickered. Ashley was always good at concealing her fear with humor. “I told you Egypt wasn’t far enough,” she said. “What the hell is that thing? It looks like a damn spaceship.”